bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The study of affecting factors on faculty members’ psychological empowerment
Authors: Gholifar Ehsan , Gholami Hesamedin 
Published: April 2014

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the affecting factors on faculty members’ psychological empowerment of agricultural colleges in Iran.Design/methodology/approach– A sample of 404 faculty members from 12 agricultural colleges participated in this survey study. Based on the literature a conceptual model of factors affecting psychological empowerment of agricultural faculty members was proposed. Regression analysis was used to determine the effect of proposed affecting factors.Findings– Results showed that professional skills, organizational culture and management-organizational factors, respectively, had the most positive significant effect on psychological empowerment of agricultural faculty members.Research limitations/implications– The measuring of professional skills, one of the effective factors on faculty members’ psychological empowerment, by asking their colleagues or students may lead to more accurate data while in this study was evaluated through self-assessment.Practical implications– The relative weakness/strength of agricultural colleges in different dimensions of faculty members’ psychological empowerment and also factors affecting them can be used as a basis for planning for improving agricultural faculty members’ psychological empowerment.Originality/value– The proposed conceptual model provided a framework for investigating the factors affecting psychological empowerment of agricultural faculty members and was empirically tested.
Applied Intellectual Capital Management
Authors: Whyte Merryl , Zyngier Suzanne 
Published: April 2014

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to describe outcomes from a trial of the Danish Intellectual Capital Statement (ICS) within the Australian public sector.

Design/methodology/approach
– Two work teams within the Department of Primary Industries, Farm Services Victoria (FSV) participated in the trial over a six-month period. Data were collected and triangulated from structured focus groups, researcher guided workshops and individual project record journals kept by participants and observers.

Findings
– This trial has tested and confirmed existing European Intellectual Capital Management (ICM) theory in a new context, confirmed the strategic management and communication utility of the Danish ICS. It also revealed the utility of this method: to assist the organisation articulate its knowledge-related needs; in developing knowledge management (KM) strategy, in planning and reviewing KM initiatives, in developing clarity and shared context and in navigating change.

Research limitations/implications
– This research focuses on a single in-depth case study and concurrent organisational restructuring impacted on team focus.

Practical implications
– The strategic management and communication utility of the Danish ICS was confirmed. The paper demonstrates new insights for practitioners using this ICM method as a useful tool to assist an organisation to articulate KM needs.

Originality/value
– The primary research gap in the ICM field is examination of the practical application of methods in a real-life context (particularly outside Europe). This work has tested and confirmed existing theory in a new and different context – the Australian public sector.
Intellectual capital in tangible intensive firms: the case of Brazilian real estate companies
Authors: Pitelli Britto Daniel , Monetti Eliane , da Rocha Lima Jr Joao 
Published: April 2014

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to clarify whether value created by real estate (RE) companies (tangible intensive firms) can be evaluated better using intellectual capital (IC) elements (human, structural and physical assets) or traditional accounting measures of efficiency (ROIC and profit margins).Design/methodology/approach– Correlations and cross-sectional OLS regressions with robust standard errors were used to find relationships between variables explaining value creation. Data were collected from 2007 to 2011 for Brazilian RE firms. To measure market risk, the authors used a new approach to deal with low liquidity. VAIC andIjratios were used as IC proxies even though both have limitations.Findings– IC has a significant inverse relationship with market value. The more valuable companies showed lower levels of IC except for CEE which explains value as much as ROIC. Also, IC does not influence market risk caused by size and leverage and does not explain ROIC.Research limitations/implications– The limitations of this study result from time and proxy variables. IC was measured by a VAIC model using data from a period of intense volatility. To increase the robustness of the conclusions, other variables should be used as proxies for IC and the results compared. The VAIC model has certain deficiencies in measuring IC.Practical implications– Managers and investors in the RE sector need to change the way they create value and measure value creation. The low level of HC explaining either ROIC or market value is a signal of low innovation which, combined with high CEE, induces a short-term outlook.Originality/value– This study opens discussion of IC in the Brazilian RE sector. A new methodology for identifying value creation is necessary for better evaluation and determining the fair value of firms.
Intellectual capital, strategy and financial crisis from a SMEs perspective
Authors: Cohen Sandra , Naoum Vassilios-Christos , Vlismas Orestes 
Published: April 2014

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship of intellectual capital (IC) with the strategy of small-medium enterprises (SMEs) and their executive decisions regarding the strategy of their IC portfolio during a financial crisis.Design/methodology/approach– The analysis is informed by the responses of 162 Greek SMEs on a structured questionnaire. Greek SMEs constitute an appropriate research setting since they operate within an environment of economic recession, financial turbulence and operational uncertainty.Findings– Initial analysis indicates that SMEs’ strategic position seems to affect the composition of their IC portfolio, especially when a SME is strategically classified as Analytic according to Miles and Snow's (1978) typology. Moreover, Greek SMEs do not seem to follow the suggested by literature executive decisions for the strategic management of their IC portfolio. They apply on their IC components strategies that could be classified as “Act” or “Analyse” under Wissenzbilanz's typology (Bornemann and Alwert, 2007) regardless of the prospects for improvement expected for these IC components. Therefore, while SMEs seem to care about their IC, they do not manage it in a coherent and strategically beneficial way.Research limitations/implications– The study applies a novel methodology. By properly adapting the Wissenzbilanz's typology for IC executive decisions, it provides a research approach for collecting cross sectional firm data for IC executive decisions. A possible limitation but also an area for future research is to examine the implications of the relations between SMEs’ strategy and IC portfolio on SMEs’ financial performance.Practical implications– The practical implications of this study are twofold. First, managers should take into consideration that IC seems to be a strategic enabler even in periods of financial crisis and, thus, decisions regarding IC investments should not be abandoned. Second, SMEs tend to follow different than the recommended by literature executive decisions for the components of their IC portfolio. This might reduce the potential returns on IC investment. Therefore randomly investing in IC will not result in the expected benefits.Originality/value– The contribution of this study is that explores the relations of SMEs’ executive decisions in relation to the strategic management of their IC components as well as the influence that the strategic position of SMEs exerts on the composition of their IC portfolio during a financial crisis.
Plant traits predict inter‐ and intraspecific variation in susceptibility to herbivory in a hyperdiverse Neotropical rain forest tree community
Authors: Cárdenas Rafael E. , Valencia Renato , Kraft Nathan J. B. , Argoti Adriana , Dangles Olivier 
Published: April 2014

Summary

A key issue in plant/herbivore interaction research is to understand which plant traits drive differences in herbivore damage. Variation in chemical, physical or phenological traits of plants may all modulate the degree of herbivore damage among species and individuals, yet the relative importance of these factors is still subject to debate, particularly in species‐rich systems such as tropical rain forests.

To address this issue, we quantified leaf herbivore damage in 28 common tree species of the Yasuní forest dynamic plot (YFDP) in the Ecuadorian Amazon over 11 months. Census data from the YFDP allowed us to quantify several aspects of tree ecology potentially affecting herbivory including leaf turnover and spatial distribution patterns. We measured six chemical, eight physical and four ecological traits of the focal species. Using a combination of multivariate analyses and phylogenetic generalized linear regression model (PGLS), we assessed trade‐offs between physical and chemical traits and the relative effect of all these traits on leaf herbivore damage.

Herbivore damage was highly variable among species and individuals, with leaves on average displaying damage over 13.4% (2.5–29.5%) of their area. We found no significant trade‐off between physical and chemical defences for the 28 studied tree species. Overall, leaf size, shearing resistance, cellulose, ash content and leaf size × ash were the best predictors of herbivore damage. Surprisingly, condensed tannins and latex did not significantly correlate with herbivore damage. In addition, we found no relationships between herbivory and local tree density. However, we did find a weak effect of tree clustering and strong effect of tree leaf turnover rates on herbivore damage.

Synthesis. In the western Amazon, leaves are defended against herbivores through a combination of physical (toughness), chemical (toughness‐related elements), and phenological (rapid leaf replacement) characteristics that do not appear to be subject to obvious trade‐offs. Conventional strategies, such as condensed tannins or latex, do not seem to be strongly involved as a defence against herbivores in this community.
Effectiveness of Calcium Chloride and Calcium Lactate on Maintenance of Textural and Sensory Qualities of Fresh‐Cut Mangos
Authors: Ngamchuachit Panita , Sivertsen Hanne K. , Mitcham Elizabeth J. , Barrett Diane M. 
Published: April 2014

AbstractThe effects of calcium chloride (CaCl2) and calcium lactate on maintaining textural and sensory quality of fresh‐cut “Kent” and “Tommy Atkins” mangos and determination of treatments preferred by consumers were investigated. Mango cubes (1.5×1.5×1.5 cm) were subjected to different CaCl2 and calcium lactate concentrations (0 M, 0.068 M, 0.136 M, 0.204 M) and dip times (0, 1, 2.5, 5 min). Instrumental quality parameters (firmness, color, soluble solids, titratable acidity) were analyzed periodically during 9 d of storage at 5 °C. Tommy Atkins mango cubes became more orange, but also had more browning than Kent mango cubes during storage at 5 °C. Firmness retention during storage was greater with mangos cubes treated with CaCl2 than with calcium lactate, therefore we focused our instrumental analysis only on CaCl2‐treated cubes. The firmness of Tommy Atkins mango cubes was higher than Kent. Soluble solids content (SSC), titratable acidity (TA), and SSC/TA were higher in fresh‐cut Kent mango cubes. Mangos treated with CaCl2 showed retarded softening during storage, and the retardation was greater at higher calcium concentrations. A consumer test was conducted to cluster consumers based on mango preference in order to correlate consumer liking and calcium treatments, as well as to uncover consumer intentions for in‐store fresh‐cut mango purchases. Treatment at 10 °C with 0.136 M CaCl2 for 2.5 min for Tommy Atkins mangos and 1 min for Kent mangos was effective in retaining firmness during storage at 5 °C and was also not disliked by consumers. A cluster analysis divided consumers into 2 preference groups, with Kent mangos significantly preferred over Tommy Atkins.Practical ApplicationFresh‐cut mangos often develop tissue softening and discoloration during storage. Short dips (1 to 3 min) in either CaCl2 or calcium lactate effectively improve fresh‐cut mango firmness and color retention after cutting. Mango samples treated with CaCl2 had higher liking scores compared to those treated with calcium lactate. “Kent” mango variety is more suitable than “Tommy Atkins” for fresh‐cut processing in terms of less tissue browning and higher consumer liking.
Inter‐ and intra‐seasonal crop acreage response to international food prices and implications of volatility
Authors: Haile Mekbib G. , Kalkuhl Matthias , von Braun Joachim 
Published: April 2014

AbstractUnderstanding how producers make decisions to allot acreage among crops and how decisions about land use are affected by changes in prices and their volatility is fundamental for predicting the supply of staple crops and, hence, assessing the global food supply situation. This study makes estimations of monthly (i.e., seasonal) versus annual global acreage response models for the world's principal staple food crops: wheat, corn, soybeans, and rice. Primary emphasis is given to the magnitude and speed of the allocation process. Estimation of intra‐annual acreage elasticity is crucial for expected food supply and for input demand, especially in the light of the recent short‐term volatility in food prices. The econometric results indicate that global crop acreage responds to crop prices and price risks, input costs as well as a time trend. Depending on respective crop, short‐run elasticities are about 0.05 to 0.40; price volatility tends to reduce acreage for some of the crops; comparison of the annual and the monthly acreage response elasticities suggests that acreage adjusts seasonally around the globe to new information and expectations. Given the seasonality of agriculture, time is of an essence for acreage response. The analysis indicates that acreage allocation is more sensitive to prices in the northern hemisphere spring than in winter and the response varies across months.
A prospective cohort study to determine the relationship between serum infliximab concentration and efficacy in patients with luminal Crohn's disease
Authors: Levesque B. G. , Greenberg G. R. , Zou G. , Sandborn W. J. , Singh S. , Hauenstein S. , Ohrmund L. , Wong C. J. , Stitt L. W. , Shackelton L. M. , King D. , Lockton S. , Ducharme J. , Feagan B. G. 
Published: April 2014

SummaryBackgroundPatients with Crohn's disease (CD) may experience disease relapse on maintenance infliximab. Anti‐drug antibodies likely contribute to loss of response, and serum infliximab levels likely correlate with efficacy.AimTo prospectively evaluate the relationship between trough serum infliximab concentration and disease activity.MethodsAdult patients (N = 327) with a diagnosis of CD who had received at least five consecutive infliximab infusions and who planned to receive at least two additional infusions were enrolled. The Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI), serum infliximab, C‐reactive protein (CRP) and antibodies‐to‐infliximab (ATI) were assessed at baseline, week 4 and week 8. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis examined the relationship between infliximab concentrations and disease activity.ResultsThe mean CDAI score, which decreased 1.05 points between infusions, did not correlate with the mean change in trough infliximab concentration (+0.39 μg/mL; r = 0.099, P = 0.083), but was associated with the mean change in CRP concentration (r = 0.19, P < 0.001). Trough infliximab concentrations below 2.8–4.6 μg/mL best predicted a ≥ 70 point increase in the CDAI between infusions, and those below 2.7–2.8 μg/mL best predicted CRP >5 mg/mL at the second infusion. ATI at either visit decreased the proportion of patients with therapeutic infliximab trough levels compared with patients who were ATI negative (17.5% vs. 77.3% at visit 1 and 13.8% vs. 75.6% at visit 3; P < 0.001 for both comparisons).ConclusionsThis prospective study confirms the relationship between trough infliximab concentrations, inflammation and antibodies‐to‐infliximab. Infliximab trough concentrations below 3 μg/mL may increase the likelihood of symptoms and inflammation (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00676988).
Pattern of accesses over time in an online asynchronous forum and academic achievements
Authors: Canal Luisa , Ghislandi Patrizia , Micciolo Rocco 
Published: April 2014

AbstractIn this study, the participation of 119 students in an online asynchronous forum as part of an academic course on statistical methods was evaluated. The pattern of accesses during the course was analyzed by means of the cumulative mean function. Taking into account the times (hours) at which accesses occurred, it is possible to achieve more accurate and more sensitive assessment of the role of concomitant variables (gender, final mark of the high school attended, examination outcome). As far as academic achievement was concerned, it emerged that graduating probability within 3.5 years from the end of the course was related only to a regular posting activity and not to the overall number of accesses.
Bone morphology changes around two types of bone‐level implants installed in fresh extraction sockets – a histomorphometric study in Beagle dogs
Authors: Alharbi Hend M. , Babay Nadir , Alzoman Hamad , Basudan Sumaya , Anil Sukumaran , Jansen John A. 
Published: April 2014

AbstractBackgroundMinimizing crestal bone loss following immediate implant placement is considered the most challenging aspect in implant therapy. Implant surface topography and chemical modifications have been shown to influence the success of Osseointegration. The Straumann® Bone Level implant, featuring SLActive surface, has been introduced with the aim of enhancing bone apposition. Similarly, the OsseoSpeed™ implants from Astra Tech claim to have an enhanced osseointegration. Because of the specific features in the implant design, both companies claim that crestal resorption is minimal with these implants.ObjectiveTo evaluate the osseointegration and crestal bone level following immediate placement of Straumann® Bone Level implant and OsseoSpeed™ implants in fresh extraction sockets in Beagle dogs.MethodThe distal roots of the second, third and fourth premolars were extracted in both sides of the mandible. The distal roots were removed using a dental elevator. A total of 60 fixtures were installed in 10 Beagle dogs. Two types of implants were used: Straumann® Bone‐Level implants, which were 8 × 3.3 mm in size, and Astra Tech OsseoSpeed™ 3.5 S MicroThread™ implants, which were 8 × 3.5 mm in size. The histomorphometrical evaluation was performed at the end of 4‐ and 12‐week healing. The implant–bone contact and bone volume percentage were assessed.ResultsThe bone‐to‐implant contact (BIC) and the bone volume did not show any significant changes for both types of implants. The OsseoSpeed™ implants showed 67.4% and 65.3% BIC, respectively, at 4 and 12 weeks compared with 71.7 and 73.1 for the Straumann® Bone‐Level implants. The bone volume around both types of implants did not differ significantly at both time periods. The crestal bone resorption was observed for both types of implants. The first BIC at buccal side and lingual side of the implants also did not differ significantly for both implant systems.ConclusionsThis study showed that Straumann® Bone Level and OsseoSpeed™ implants induced similar bone response after immediate implantation at 4 and 12 weeks. The immediate implant placement resulted in peri‐implant crestal bone‐level changes for both types of implants.
Screening occupational contact allergy to bisphenol F epoxy resin
Authors: Aalto‐Korte Kristiina , Suuronen Katri , Kuuliala Outi , Henriks‐Eckerman Maj‐Len , Jolanki Riitta 
Published: April 2014

SummaryBackgroundEpoxy resins based on diglycidyl ether of bisphenol F (DGEBF) are widely used as such in applications requiring chemical resistance, and also together with diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A resin (DGEBA‐R). Concomitant patch test reactions to DGEBA‐R and DGEBF resin (DGEBF‐R) are common. Previous studies have yielded conflicting results on the frequency of independent DGEBF‐R contact allergies.ObjectivesTo report the results of over 11 years of screening with DGEBF‐R.MethodsAn in‐house test substance of DGEBF‐R (Epikote® 862) was tested in the baseline patch test series, first at 1% and later at 0.25%. Test files were screened for allergic reactions to DGEBF‐R and DGEBA‐R, and the clinical records of positively reacting patients were analysed for occupation and exposure.ResultsAmong 1972 patients, 66 (3.3%) reacted to DGEBF‐R and 96 (4.9%) to DGEBA‐R. Independent DGEBF‐R allergies were seen in 5 patients only, and independent DGEBA‐R allergies in 35. Specific exposure to DGEBF‐R was found in 26 patients. The main occupational fields were the aircraft industry, the electrical and sports equipment industry, boat building, painting/floor coating, tile setting, and pipe relining.ConclusionsIndependent contact allergies to DGEBF‐R were rare, and screening with it was not found to be useful.
The role of serum albumin in the prediction of malnutrition in patients at least five yr after heart transplantation
Authors: Prenner Günther , Wasler Andrä , Fahrleinter‐Pammer Astrid , Werkgartner Georg , Mischinger Hans Jörg , Koter Stephan , Roller Regina , Wagner Doris 
Published: April 2014

AbstractObjectivesMalnutrition after heart transplantation (HTX) is related to graft sclerosis. The risk for malnutrition is often underestimated by conventional measurements. We aimed to compare these with objective assessors for malnutrition.MethodsRecipients at least five yr after HTX were included. Body mass index (BMI), bioimpedance analysis (BIA), serum albumin (SA) and subjective global assessment (SGA) malnutrition, and concomitant diseases were assessed. The BIA was used as gold standard, and a phase difference (PD) <4 was defined as cutoff.ResultsSixty recipients (47 male, 13 female) were analyzed. The prevalence of malnutrition was according to SGA 6.6% (4/60), BMI 8.3% (5/60), SA 31.6% (19/60), and BIA 48.3% (19/60). PD values did not correlate with BMI (r = 0.118; p = 0.079) or SGA (r = 0.289; p = 0.65), but with SA (r = 0.458; p = 0.001). Multivariate analysis yield SA and sCr as independent predictors for an existing malnutrition. ROC analysis showed an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.606 for SA as compared to 0.515 for the BMI and 0.698 for sCr in the prediction of existing malnutrition as defined by the PD.ConclusionThe BMI or the SGA did not show as much power in predicting an existing alimentary deficiency for heart recipients as did SA.