bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Fables and foibles: a critical analysis of the Palaeoflora database and the Coexistence approach for palaeoclimate reconstruction
Authors: Grimm Guido W. , Bouchal Johannes M. , Denk Thomas , Potts Alastair J. 
Published: March 2015

AbstractThe “Coexistence Approach” is a mutual climate range (MCR) technique combined with the nearest-living relative (NLR) concept. It has been widely used for palaeoclimate reconstructions based on Eurasian plant fossil assemblages, most of them palynofloras (studied using light microscopy). The results have been surprisingly uniform, typically converging to subtropical, per-humid or monsoonal conditions. Studies based on the coexistence approach have had a marked impact in literature, generating over 10,000 citations thus far. However, recent studies have pointed out inherent theoretical and practical problems entangled in the application of this widely used method. But so far little is known how results generated by the coexistence approach are affected by subjective errors, data errors, and violations of the basic assumptions. The majority of Coexistence Approach studies make use of the Palaeoflora database (the combination of which will be abbreviated to CA+PF). Testing results produced by CA+PF studies has been hindered by the general unavailability of the contents in the underlying Palaeoflora database; two exceptions are the mean-annual temperature tolerances and lists of assigned associations between fossils and nearest-living relatives. Using a recently published study on the Eocene of China, which provides the first usable insight into the data structure of the Palaeoflora database, we compare the theory and practice of Coexistence Approach using the Palaeoflora database (CA+PF). We show that CA+PF is riddled by association and climate data error. We reveal the flaws in the application of CA, which is often in stark contrast to the theory of the method. We show that CA+PF is highly vulnerable against numerous sources of errors, mainly because it lacks safeguards that could identify unreliable data. We demonstrate that the CA+PF produces coherent, pseudo-precise results even for artificially generated, random plant assemblages. Alternative MCR-NLR methods can surpass the most imminent deficits of CA, and may be used as a stop-gap until more accurate bioclimatic and distribution data on potential Eurasian NLRs, and theoretically- and statistically-robust methods will become available. Finally, general guidelines are provided for the future application of methods using the mutual climatic range with nearest living relatives approach when reconstructing climate from plant fossil assemblages.
The influence of marketing on consumption behavior at the bottom of the pyramid
Authors: Jaiswal Anand Kumar , Gupta Shruti 
Published: March 2015

Purpose– This paper aims to explore the nature and degree to which marketing affects consumption behavior of bottom of the pyramid (BOP) population. The objective of the study is to examine, identify and explain aspects of consumption behavior that evidences the influence of marketing practices on the BOP consumers.Design/methodology/approach– The study uses a long interview-based approach for an in-depth qualitative investigation of consumption behaviors of BOP consumers.Findings– Key findings that emerged from the research are: widespread usage of international brands and expenditure on products outside of the core bundle of consumption, susceptibility to sales promotions, need to look and feel good and use “fairness” creams, susceptibility to advertising and celebrity endorsements and influence of store personnel.Practical implications– For managers, this research suggests a careful examination of the likely consequences of their marketing actions. A set of guidelines are provided to them for doing business in a responsible manner at the BOP markets.Social implications– Recommendations for public policymakers are offered that stress on the need for ethical marketing exchanges to address the concern over possible exploitation of this vulnerable population.Originality/value– Extant literature on BOP has largely been conceptual in nature, relying on various case studies. This study empirically examines the nature and influence of marketing in the purchase behavior of BOP consumers. This is perhaps the first study providing empirical support to the argument that the poor consumers divert their scarce financial resources from fulfilling basic needs to purchasing non-essential discretionary products under the influence of BOP marketing.
From trait to state: understanding privacy concerns
Authors: Taylor Jennifer Fries , Ferguson Jodie , Ellen Pamela Scholder 
Published: March 2015

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to advance our understanding of how information privacy concerns are derived from the combination effects of individual traits, compound traits, situational traits and surface traits that ultimately influence the consumer’s attitude toward data collection programs. The study investigates a hierarchical model of individual traits, information privacy orientation and consumer privacy concerns.Design/methodology/approach– The empirical research utilizes structural equation modeling to analyze the responses from 964 respondents.Findings– The results suggest that consumer attitudes toward data collection programs associated with personal shopping information (e.g. retail loyalty card programs) are determined through a hierarchical model of personal traits and contextual-dependent variables. Specifically, the authors find that the compound traits of risk orientation and need for cognition influence the situational trait of information privacy orientation which leads to the surface trait of consumer privacy concern and ultimately attitude toward the information collection program.Practical implications– The results suggest several means to increase participation in data collection programs. Although high need for cognition and high risk orientation cannot be changed, communication plans can provide guarantees that mitigate perceived risk associated with sharing personal information and highlight the information value to the individual’s sharing of information.Originality/value– While previous research focuses on either the internal traits or external traits, this research contributes to the current literature by offering insights into how privacy evolves from more abstract personality traits to more situational-specific behavioral tendencies, which then influence attitudes and behavior.
Stadium atmosphere: scale development and validation in Indian context
Authors: Balaji M.S. , Chakraborti Rajdeep 
Published: March 2015

Purpose– This paper aims to develop a scale for stadium atmosphere in the Indian context. This is considered as a key area for sports managers, as stadium attendance contributes toward the teams revenues. Moreover, while the importance of environment is well-established in the marketing literature, stadium atmosphere has received limited attention.Design/methodology/approach– Through qualitative and quantitative studies in five different phases, a 14-item four-dimension stadium atmosphere scale was developed that included physical layout, facility aesthetics, entertainment experience and social interaction.Findings– The stadium atmosphere scale developed in this study demonstrates sound psychometric properties based on various reliability and validity tests as well as scale replications using different samples.Practical implications– The stadium atmosphere scale developed will be of particular use for sports marketers and management. It could be inferred that the stadium managers could expect high spectator attendance and satisfaction by focusing on stadium atmosphere factors such as the accessibility of seats and allocation of seat spaces, stadium architecture, the game characteristics and the attitudes and behaviors of stadium employees during live games.Originality/value– The present study addresses a key gap identified in the sports marketing and management area. The study adds to the conceptual understanding of the stadium atmosphere construct and empirically demonstrates the measurement scale for the construct.
The interaction between the spatial distribution of resource patches and population density: consequences for intraspecific growth and morphology
Authors: Jacobson Bailey , Grant James W. A. , Peres‐Neto Pedro R. 
Published: March 2015

Summary

How individuals within a population distribute themselves across resource patches of varying quality has been an important focus of ecological theory. The ideal free distribution predicts equal fitness amongst individuals in a 1 : 1 ratio with resources, whereas resource defence theory predicts different degrees of monopolization (fitness variance) as a function of temporal and spatial resource clumping and population density.

One overlooked landscape characteristic is the spatial distribution of resource patches, altering the equitability of resource accessibility and thereby the effective number of competitors. While much work has investigated the influence of morphology on competitive ability for different resource types, less is known regarding the phenotypic characteristics conferring relative ability for a single resource type, particularly when exploitative competition predominates.

Here we used young‐of‐the‐year rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) to test whether and how the spatial distribution of resource patches and population density interact to influence the level and variance of individual growth, as well as if functional morphology relates to competitive ability. Feeding trials were conducted within stream channels under three spatial distributions of nine resource patches (distributed, semi‐clumped and clumped) at two density levels (9 and 27 individuals).

Average trial growth was greater in high‐density treatments with no effect of resource distribution. Within‐trial growth variance had opposite patterns across resource distributions. Here, variance decreased at low‐population, but increased at high‐population densities as patches became increasingly clumped as the result of changes in the levels of interference vs. exploitative competition. Within‐trial growth was related to both pre‐ and post‐trial morphology where competitive individuals were those with traits associated with swimming capacity and efficiency: larger heads/bodies/caudal fins and less angled pectoral fins.

The different degrees of within‐population growth variance at the same density level found here, as a function of spatial resource distribution, provide an explanation for the inconsistencies in within‐site growth variance and population regulation often noted with regard to density dependence in natural landscapes.
Testing the scaling effects and mechanisms of N‐induced biodiversity loss: evidence from a decade‐long grassland experiment
Authors: Lan Zhichun , Jenerette G. Darrel , Zhan Shuxia , Li Wenhuai , Zheng Shuxia , Bai Yongfei 
Published: March 2015

Summary

Although extensive studies demonstrate that nitrogen (N) enrichment frequently reduces plant diversity within small quadrats (0.5–4 m2), only a few studies have evaluated N effects on biodiversity across different spatial scales.

We conducted the first experimental test of the scale dependence of N effects on species richness from a 10‐year N treatment (1.75–28 g N m−2 year−1) in a typical steppe. We used species–area relationship (SAR) to analyse the scale dependence of species loss with power model S = cAz (S is species number, A is area, c is intercept, and z is slope).

Absolute species loss decreased at sampling area > 8 m2. Proportional species loss (compared to control) decreased and critical threshold (Ncrit) for biodiversity losses increased with sampling areas.

These scale dependences were quantified as increasing slope (z‐value) of SAR with N addition. Through SAR decomposition, we found that this overall positive effect was in response to positive effects of changes to the species abundance distribution over negative effects of overall species richness losses.

Synthesis. As nitrogen (N) enrichment typically occurs at scales much larger than individual plots, understanding how N enrichment affects the scaling patterns of biodiversity is necessary for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem management in response to anthropogenic N deposition.
Early positive effects of tree species richness on herbivory in a large‐scale forest biodiversity experiment influence tree growth
Authors: Schuldt Andreas , Bruelheide Helge , Härdtle Werner , Assmann Thorsten , Li Ying , Ma Keping , von Oheimb Goddert , Zhang Jiayong 
Published: March 2015

Summary

Despite the importance of herbivory for the structure and functioning of species‐rich forests, little is known about how herbivory is affected by tree species richness, and more specifically by random vs. non‐random species loss.

We assessed herbivore damage and its effects on tree growth in the early stage of a large‐scale forest biodiversity experiment in subtropical China that features random and non‐random extinction scenarios of tree mixtures numbering between one and 24 species. In contrast to random species loss, the non‐random extinction scenarios were based on the tree species' local rarity and specific leaf area – traits that may strongly influence the way herbivory is affected by plant species richness.

Herbivory increased with tree species richness across all scenarios and was unaffected by the different species compositions in the random and non‐random extinction scenarios. Whereas tree growth rates were positively related to herbivory on plots with smaller trees, growth rates significantly declined with increasing herbivory on plots with larger trees. Our results suggest that the effects of herbivory on growth rates increase from monocultures to the most species‐rich plant communities and that negative effects with increasing tree species richness become more pronounced with time as trees grow larger.

Synthesis. Our results indicate that key trophic interactions can be quick to become established in forest plantations (i.e. already 2.5 years after tree planting). Stronger herbivory effects on tree growth with increasing tree species richness suggest a potentially important role of herbivory in regulating ecosystem functions and the structural development of species‐rich forests from the very start of secondary forest succession. The lack of significant differences between the extinction scenarios, however, contrasts with findings from natural forests of higher successional age, where rarity had negative effects on herbivory. This indicates that the effects of non‐random species loss could change with forest succession.
Edge influence on vegetation at natural and anthropogenic edges of boreal forests in Canada and Fennoscandia
Authors: Harper Karen A. , Macdonald S. Ellen , Mayerhofer Michael S. , Biswas Shekhar R. , Esseen Per‐Anders , Hylander Kristoffer , Stewart Katherine J. , Mallik Azim U. , Drapeau Pierre , Jonsson Bengt‐Gunnar , Lesieur Daniel , Kouki Jari , Bergeron Yves 
Published: March 2015

Summary

Although anthropogenic edges are an important consequence of timber harvesting, edges due to natural disturbances or landscape heterogeneity are also common. Forest edges have been well studied in temperate and tropical forests, but less so in less productive, disturbance‐adapted boreal forests.

We synthesized data on forest vegetation at edges of boreal forests and compared edge influence among edge types (fire, cut, lake/wetland; old vs. young), forest types (broadleaf vs. coniferous) and geographic regions. Our objectives were to quantify vegetation responses at edges of all types and to compare the strength and extent of edge influence among different types of edges and forests.

Research was conducted using the same general sampling design in Alberta, Ontario and Quebec in Canada, and in Sweden and Finland. We conducted a meta‐analysis for a variety of response variables including forest structure, deadwood abundance, regeneration, understorey abundance and diversity, and non‐vascular plant cover. We also determined the magnitude and distance of edge influence (DEI) using randomization tests.

Some edge responses (lower tree basal area, tree canopy and bryophyte cover; more logs; higher regeneration) were significant overall across studies. Edge influence on ground vegetation in boreal forests was generally weak, not very extensive (DEI usually < 20 m) and decreased with time. We found more extensive edge influence at natural edges, at younger edges and in broadleaf forests. The comparison among regions revealed weaker edge influence in Fennoscandian forests.

Synthesis. Edges created by forest harvesting do not appear to have as strong, extensive or persistent influence on vegetation in boreal as in tropical or temperate forested ecosystems. We attribute this apparent resistance to shorter canopy heights, inherent heterogeneity in boreal forests and their adaptation to frequent natural disturbance. Nevertheless, notable differences between forest structure responses to natural (fire) and anthropogenic (cut) edges raise concerns about biodiversity implications of extensive creation of anthropogenic edges. By highlighting universal responses to edge influence in boreal forests that are significant irrespective of edge or forest type, and those which vary by edge type, we provide a context for the conservation of boreal forests.
Is Self‐Referral Associated with Higher Quality Care?
Authors: Pollack Craig Evan , Rastegar Afshin , Keating Nancy L. , Adams John L. , Pisu Maria , Kahn Katherine L. 
Published: March 2015

ObjectiveTo assess the extent to which patients self‐refer to cancer specialists and whether self‐referral is associated with better experiences and quality of care.Data SourcesData from surveys and medical record abstraction collected through the Cancer Care Outcomes Research and Surveillance Consortium.Study DesignObservational study of patients with lung and colorectal cancer diagnosed from 2003 through 2005 in five geographically defined regions and five integrated health care delivery systems.MethodsMultivariable logistic regression models used to assess factors associated with self‐referral and propensity score‐weighted doubly robust models to test the association between self‐referral and experiences/quality of care.Principal FindingsAmong 5,882 patients, 9.7 percent of lung cancer patients and 14.9 percent of colorectal cancer patients self‐referred to at least one cancer specialist. Black patients were less likely to self‐refer than white patients (odds ratio: 0.48, 95 percent confidence interval: 0.35, 0.64); patients with high incomes (vs. low) and with a college degree (vs. non‐high school graduates) were significantly more likely to self‐refer. Self‐referral was associated with lower ratings of overall physician communication for patients with lung cancer but, conversely, higher odds of curative surgery among patients with stage I/II lung cancer.ConclusionsA small but significant proportion of patients self‐referred to their cancer specialists; rates varied by patient race and socioeconomic status. To the extent that self‐referral is associated with quality, it may reinforce disparities in care.
Do Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Quality and Patient Experience within Medicare Plans Generalize across Measures and Racial/Ethnic Groups?
Authors: Weech‐Maldonado Robert , Elliott Marc N. , Adams John L. , Haviland Amelia M. , Klein David J. , Hambarsoomian Katrin , Edwards Carol , Dembosky Jacob W. , Gaillot Sarah 
Published: March 2015

ObjectiveTo examine how similar racial/ethnic disparities in clinical quality (Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set [HEDIS]) and patient experience (Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems [CAHPS]) measures are for different measures within Medicare Advantage (MA) plans.Data Sources/Study Setting5.7 million/492,495 MA beneficiaries with 2008–2009 HEDIS/CAHPS data.Study DesignBinomial (HEDIS) and linear (CAHPS) hierarchical mixed models generated contract estimates for HEDIS/CAHPS measures for Hispanics, blacks, Asian‐Pacific Islanders, and whites. We examine the correlation of within‐plan disparities for HEDIS and CAHPS measures across measures.Principal FindingsPlans with disparities for a given minority group (vs. whites) for a particular measure have a moderate tendency for similar disparities for other measures of the same type (mean r = 0.51/.21 and 53/34 percent positive and statistically significant for CAHPS/HEDIS). This pattern holds to a lesser extent for correlations of CAHPS disparities and HEDIS disparities (mean r = 0.05/0.14/0.23 and 4.4/5.6/4.4 percent) positive and statistically significant for blacks/Hispanics/API.ConclusionsSimilarities in CAHPS and HEDIS disparities across measures might reflect common structural factors, such as language services or provider incentives, affecting several measures simultaneously. Health plan structural changes might reduce disparities across multiple measures.
Elemental Analysis of Variably Contaminated Cremains Using X‐ray Fluorescence Spectrometry
Authors: Gilpin Megan , Christensen Angi M. 
Published: March 2015

AbstractAnalyzing and identifying skeletal remains becomes increasingly difficult when remains have been cremated, especially in cases where the cremated material may have been intentionally contaminated with nonskeletal material. This study examined the potential of X‐ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) to detect the presence of nonskeletal contaminants in samples of cremains. Eleven samples of cremains were variably combined with concrete mix and analyzed using XRF. Photon counts of elements in each sample were analyzed, and the coefficient of determination (R2) using unweighted linear regression as a function of percent cremains was calculated. Results showed that with changes in the proportion of skeletal material and contaminant, there were significant (R2 > 0.90) changes in detected levels of phosphorus, potassium, zinc, aluminum, and sulfur. The use of XRF is concluded to be a valid approach in the identification of the presence of nonskeletal material in potentially contaminated cremains.
Multilevel Quantile Function Modeling with Application to Birth Outcomes
Authors: Smith Luke B. , Reich Brian J. , Herring Amy H. , Langlois Peter H. , Fuentes Montserrat 
Published: March 2015

Summary
Infants born preterm or small for gestational age have elevated rates of morbidity and mortality. Using birth certificate records in Texas from 2002 to 2004 and Environmental Protection Agency air pollution estimates, we relate the quantile functions of birth weight and gestational age to ozone exposure and multiple predictors, including parental age, race, and education level. We introduce a semi-parametric Bayesian quantile approach that models the full quantile function rather than just a few quantile levels. Our multilevel quantile function model establishes relationships between birth weight and the predictors separately for each week of gestational age and between gestational age and the predictors separately across Texas Public Health Regions. We permit these relationships to vary nonlinearly across gestational age, spatial domain and quantile level and we unite them in a hierarchical model via a basis expansion on the regression coefficients that preserves interpretability. Very low birth weight is a primary concern, so we leverage extreme value theory to supplement our model in the tail of the distribution. Gestational ages are recorded in completed weeks of gestation (integer-valued), so we present methodology for modeling quantile functions of discrete response data. In a simulation study we show that pooling information across gestational age and quantile level substantially reduces MSE of predictor effects. We find that ozone is negatively associated with the lower tail of gestational age in south Texas and across the distribution of birth weight for high gestational ages. Our methods are available in the R package BSquare.