bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Viewing domestic workers problems through a human rights lens
Authors: Salih Ismail Idowu 
Published: September 2015

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to examine the pattern and attitude of the UK government towards international frameworks that promotes humane treatment of domestic workers and the respect of their human rights. This paper also examines the UK government continued refusal to adopt ILO Convention 189 that consolidates the framework for regulating domestic work.

Design/methodology/approach
– Using the concept of human rights, this paper conducts an extensive literature review on domestic workers; migrants in particular.

Findings
– This paper concludes that the best way to deal with the problems faced by domestic workers in the UK is the inclusion of them in all aspects of employment and health and safety protection, the regulation of domestic work, and a review of the domestic workers visas.

Research limitations/implications
– The Home Office has commissioned a panel to look into the effect of the current domestic workers visa on the vulnerability of the workers. The panel’s report is yet to be released as at the time of drafting this viewpoint.

Practical implications
– This paper contains useful informational for policy makers, NGOs, and academics.

Social implications
– This papers is a useful tool for a symposium, seminar, or conference.

Originality/value
– This paper contains original work of the author; except where copyright is acknowledged.
Post-transitional social economy: the case of Poland
Authors: Grygieńć Janusz 
Published: September 2015

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to study the main determinants of the development of social economy in Poland; introduction to Polish socio-economic system, and identifying the institutional and cultural barriers to its development.Design/methodology/approach– First, the paper presents the historical and institutional determinants of Polish social economy; second, it sets out the problems faced by post-transitional social economy. The approach to this issue takes a diversified form: it includes a political science approach (in describing the institutional determinants of social economy), a sociological approach (when it refers to sociological surveys and studies of Polish society), and a philosophical analysis (in considering the normative implications of introducing socio-economic institutions, describing their advantages and disadvantages).Findings– The theses of the paper state that: first, in the case of social economy, the Polish legal system anticipates social consciousness; in consequence, it does not contribute significantly to an increase in the number of socio-economic enterprises; second, institutional barriers to socio-economic development are derivative of cultural barriers.Research limitations/implications– The subject of the paper helps to explain and analyze Poland’s transformation.Practical implications– Recommendations for further development of social economy in Poland given as a conclusion to the paper.Originality/value– The paper combines descriptive and normative accounts of Polish social economy, summarizing its character and limitations as those have been identified by major Polish scholars, adding two theses not previously found in the scholarly literature, and presenting practical recommendations for development of social economy in Poland.
Weapon of the weak
Authors: Gaus Nurdiana , Hall David 
Published: September 2015

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to examine how academics resisted and accommodated changes towards the reform process in higher education institutions in Indonesia which has introduced market-driven principle of new public management and the principle of Neo-Weberian model. Using the theory developed by Scott concerning the resistance patterns by powerless or subordinated groups through “weapon of the weak”, this study aimed at mapping the resistance exhibited by Indonesian academics.

Design/methodology/approach
– This study was a case study using semi-structured interviews conducted with 30 academics in three state universities in Indonesia.

Findings
– The results of this study demonstrated that academics in Indonesian universities resisted and accommodated the policy reform using their discursive, unobtrusive tactics of resisting.

Research limitations/implications
– The method of data collection used in this research was based on the interview alone. It would be useful to consider to deploy other forms of data collection such as, observation to allow the building up of strong trusthworthiness of the findings of this research.

Practical implications
– The authors believed that this study may be useful to give better understandings for policy makers on implementing policies by considering aspects of behaviours of academics as street level bureaucrats in accepting, interpreting, and implementing policy imperatives. These results might also be beneficial for policy makers from other sectors outside higher education in effectuating policy imperatives.

Originality/value
– The authors argued that, academics actively responded to external pressures which contradicted their own values and beliefs with their unique intellectual strategies by which have been overlooked in the formulation of policy.
A new approach to the Scoreboard
Authors: Magazzino Cosimo , Felici Francesco , Bozic Vanja 
Published: September 2015

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the information content of the variables that can help detecting external and internal imbalances in an early stage. The starting point is the Scoreboard, where nine indicators are chosen in order to increase macroeconomic surveillance of all member states.Design/methodology/approach– This paper provides an overview of the variables that could be informative for imbalances by focusing on EU-27 countries over the period 1960-2010. The number of chosen variables is 28, and they are aggregated in six macro-areas. Therefore, once an imbalance is observed in any of those areas, it is possible to detect in a simple way which specific variable is determining such outcome.Findings– In general, this approach provides reliable signal to the policy-makers about the indicators that can drive imbalances within the area, shedding light on the relationship among the variables included in the analysis, too.Research limitations/implications– In fact, the empirical results underline some well-known critical issue for several countries, and is largely in line with results obtained in a variety of EC and OECD studies.Originality/value– The main added value of the approach adopted in this paper is the introduction of more variables than those initially proposed by the European Commission in the construction of the Scoreboard. This provides more information about the macroeconomic situation in each country, preserving, however, the simplicity of the analysis as the variables are aggregated by homogeneous areas.
Librarians as partners in research data service development at Griffith University
Authors: Searle Samantha , Wolski Malcolm , Simons Natasha , Richardson Joanna 
Published: September 2015

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to describe the evolution to date and future directions in research data policy, infrastructure, skills development and advisory services in an Australian university, with a focus on the role of librarians.

Design/methodology/approach
– The authors have been involved in the development of research data services at Griffith, and the case study presents observations and reflections arising from their first-hand experiences.

Findings
– Griffith University’s organisational structure and “whole-of-enterprise” approach has facilitated service development to support research data. Fostering strong national partnerships has also accelerated development of institutional capability. Policies and strategies are supported by pragmatic best practice guidelines aimed directly at researchers. Iterative software development and a commitment to well-supported enterprise infrastructure enable the provision of a range of data management solutions. Training programs, repository support and data planning services are still relatively immature. Griffith recognises that information services staff (including librarians) will need more opportunities to develop knowledge and skills to support these services as they evolve.

Originality/value
– This case study provides examples of library-led and library-supported activities that could be used for comparative purposes by other libraries. At the same time, it provides a critical perspective by contrasting areas of good practice within the University with those of less satisfactory progress. While other institutions may have different constraints or opportunities, some of the major concepts within this paper may prove useful to advance the development of research data capability and capacity across the library profession.
Governance and long-term operating performance of family and non-family firms in Australia
Authors: Halili Enver , Saleh Ali Salman , Zeitun Rami 
Published: September 2015

Purpose
– The purpose of this study is to conduct a comparative analysis of the long-term operating performance of family and non-family firms from the agency theoretic perspective. The analysis is focused on investigating the impact of family ownership on principal–agent conflicts of interest.

Design/methodology/approach
– This paper examines the relationship between firm operating performance and family ownership for a large sample of 677 Australian-listed companies. The paper uses the Generalised Method of Moments (GMM) estimator model developed by Arellano and Bond (1991) and used by other studies in finance (Baltagi, 2012; Bond, 2002; Mohamed et al., 2008).

Findings
– The empirical results show that firms with ownership concentration has a better operating performance due to the alignment of owner-management interests. This study also finds that family-listed companies have higher survival rates and perform better than non-family companies. Findings support the hypothesis that agency costs arise as a result of privileged access of information and self-interest behaviour of managers (outsiders) in firms with dispersed ownership structures.

Originality/value
– Earlier studies have only focused on short-term perspectives, particularly investigating small and medium types of Australian family businesses from narrow aspects, such as productivity, business behaviour, capital structure and leverage. Therefore, this paper has conducted a comparative examination of family and non-family firms listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) to identify the impact of agency costs on their financial performance.
Seed germination of Melocactus sergipensis N.P. Taylor & M.V. Meiado, the newest Brazilian cactus destined for extinction
Authors: Meiado Marcos V. 
Published: September 2015

AbstractRecently, a new cactus was discovered in an area of the Caatinga, a tropical dry forest of north‐eastern Brazil. Although this discovery is excellent news, Melocactus sergipensis is critically endangered because it is affected by deforestation of native vegetation and chemicals used in the maize crop, next to the holotype locality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the seed germination and seedling survival of the newest Brazilian cactus. All germination treatments were performed at room temperature and white light or continuous darkness. For the evaluation of establishment, 50 seedlings were examined at 30‐day intervals for 5 months. I did not observe seed germination of M. sergipensis in continuous darkness, which shows that the newly discovered species is positive photoblastic. However, a high germinability was observed under white light (80.0 ± 10.8%), indicating that the seeds of the newly discovered species are able to germinate and the light is needed for seed germination. After 5 months, seedling mortality was less than 5%. These results show that the seedlings of the newly discovered cactus can be produced in a glasshouse, providing support for studies on ex situ conservation of a species that could become extinct in the near future.
Monitoring of Levamisole Concentration in Serum of Traffic Participants after Cocaine Consumption
Authors: Dziadosz Marek , Klintschar Michael , Teske Jörg 
Published: September 2015

AbstractThis study highlights the problem of levamisole‐adulterated cocaine in context of active traffic participation. For the purposes of levamisole concentration monitoring in human serum, an analytical method based on LC‐MS/MS and solid‐phase extraction was applied. A Luna 5 μm C18 (2) 100 A, 150 mm × 2 mm column and a mobile phase consisting of A (H2O/methanol = 95/5, v/v) and B (H2O/methanol = 3/97, v/v), both with 10 mM ammonium acetate and with 0.1% acetic acid (pH = 3.2), were used. The validation experiments demonstrated that the method applied was appropriate for levamisole quantification in human serum. For 23% of levamisole‐positive samples, the concentrations exceeded 20 ng/mL. Therefore, the interaction of this drug with cocaine has to be considered as important for active traffic participation. As a consequence, monitoring of levamisole concentration in human serum is recommended, as long as it is used as cocaine adulterant.
High‐density SNP assay development for genetic analysis in maritime pine (Pinus pinaster)
Authors: Plomion C. , Bartholomé J. , Lesur I. , Boury C. , Rodríguez‐Quilón I. , Lagraulet H. , Ehrenmann F. , Bouffier L. , Gion J. M. , Grivet D. , de Miguel M. , de María N. , Cervera M. T. , Bagnoli F. , Isik F. , Vendramin G. G. , González‐Martínez S. C. 
Published: September 2015

AbstractMaritime pine provides essential ecosystem services in the south‐western Mediterranean basin, where it covers around 4 million ha. Its scattered distribution over a range of environmental conditions makes it an ideal forest tree species for studies of local adaptation and evolutionary responses to climatic change. Highly multiplexed single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping arrays are increasingly used to study genetic variation in living organisms and for practical applications in plant and animal breeding and genetic resource conservation. We developed a 9k Illumina Infinium SNP array and genotyped maritime pine trees from (i) a three‐generation inbred (F2) pedigree, (ii) the French breeding population and (iii) natural populations from Portugal and the French Atlantic coast. A large proportion of the exploitable SNPs (2052/8410, i.e. 24.4%) segregated in the mapping population and could be mapped, providing the densest ever gene‐based linkage map for this species. Based on 5016 SNPs, natural and breeding populations from the French gene pool exhibited similar level of genetic diversity. Population genetics and structure analyses based on 3981 SNP markers common to the Portuguese and French gene pools revealed high levels of differentiation, leading to the identification of a set of highly differentiated SNPs that could be used for seed provenance certification. Finally, we discuss how the validated SNPs could facilitate the identification of ecologically and economically relevant genes in this species, improving our understanding of the demography and selective forces shaping its natural genetic diversity, and providing support for new breeding strategies.
Tachyphylaxis to local anaesthetics. What is the clinical evidence? A systematic review
Authors: Kongsgaard U. E. , Werner M. U. 
Published: September 2015

BackgroundTachyphylaxis or acute tolerance to local anaesthetics has been reported, but the prevalence in clinical analgesia is obscure, and the mechanisms behind this phenomenon remain unclear. We sought to examine the clinical significance of tachyphylaxis from the available literature.MethodsWe performed a systematic review of the literature utilising the databases PubMed and Embase employing the search terms [Tachyphylaxis AND Local Anaesthetics AND Human] AND [Tolerance AND Local Anaesthetics AND Human].ResultsA total of 66 records were identified. Thirty‐four articles were assessed in full text for eligibility. Twenty studies were considered relevant for qualitative analyses, but only six studies were randomised controlled trials. Because of the heterogeneity of the randomised controlled trials, it was not possible to conduct a meta‐analysis.ConclusionStudies documenting tachyphylaxis with clinical use of local anaesthetics are surprisingly scarce, and the mechanisms behind it remain unclear.
Ligneous membranitis in Scottish Terriers is associated with a single nucleotide polymorphism in theplasminogen(PLG) gene
Authors: Ainsworth Stuart , Carter Stuart , Fisher Claire , Dawson Jenna , Makrides Loria , Nuttall Tim , Mason Sarah L. 
Published: September 2015

SummaryLigneous membranitis (LM) is a rare chronic inflammatory condition of the mucous membranes associated with plasminogen (encoded byPLG) deficiency in affected humans and dogs. In human, the condition is genetic in nature with numerous mutations and polymorphisms inPLGidentified in affected individuals and related family members. The condition is uncommonly reported in dogs and, to date, no genetic studies have been performed. We identified related Scottish Terriers (littermates) with severe LM and unaffected relatives (sire, dam and a sibling from a previous litter). Plasma plasminogen activity was below normal in one affected dog but within normal reference intervals for the other. Sequencing ofPLGfrom the affected dogs revealed a homozygous A>T single nucleotide polymorphism in an intron donor site (c.1256+2T>A). The related, unaffected dogs displayed heterozygous alleles at this position (c.1256+2T/A), whereas no mutation was detected in unaffected, non‐related control dogs. This is the first report to identify gene polymorphisms associated with LM in dogs.
Copy number variations in the amylase gene (AMY2B) in Japanese native dog breeds
Authors: Tonoike A. , Hori Y. , Inoue‐Murayama M. , Konno A. , Fujita K. , Miyado M. , Fukami M. , Nagasawa M. , Mogi K. , Kikusui T. 
Published: September 2015

SummaryA recent study suggested that increased copy numbers of the AMY2B gene might be a crucial genetic change that occurred during the domestication of dogs. To investigate AMY2B expansion in ancient breeds, which are highly divergent from modern breeds of presumed European origins, we analysed copy numbers in native Japanese dog breeds. Copy numbers in the Akita and Shiba, two ancient breeds in Japan, were higher than those in wolves. However, compared to a group of various modern breeds, Akitas had fewer copy numbers, whereas Shibas exhibited the same level of expansion as modern breeds. Interestingly, average AMY2B copy numbers in the Jomon‐Shiba, a unique line of the Shiba that has been bred to maintain their appearance resembling ancestors of native Japanese dogs and that originated in the same region as the Akita, were lower than those in the Shiba. These differences may have arisen from the earlier introduction of rice farming to the region in which the Shiba originated compared to the region in which the Akita and the Jomon‐Shiba originated. Thus, our data provide insights into the relationship between the introduction of agriculture and AMY2B expansion in dogs.
Evaluation of polymyxin susceptibility profile among KPC‐producing Klebsiella pneumoniae using Etest and MicroScan WalkAway automated system
Authors: Perez Leandro Reus Rodrigues 
Published: September 2015

Determination of polymyxin susceptibility profile is important to monitor resistance rates and for implementing control measures for polymyxin‐resistant carbapenem‐resistant Enterobacteriaceae. Some laboratorial methods have been used to determine the polymyxin susceptibility profile. However, the performance of MicroScan WalkAway has been poorly reported for KPC‐producing Klebsiella pneumoniae, so far. To evaluate two different methods, Etest and the MicroScan automated system, in determining minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of polymyxin among KPC‐producing K. pneumoniae isolated from patients in two care units (ICUs) of a tertiary hospital in Porto Alegre, Southern Brazil. A total of 101 KPC‐Kb isolates were obtained from rectal swabs and clinical specimens (urine, blood, and endotracheal aspirate). Colistin and polymyxin B MICs were determined using MicroScan WalkAway automated system and Etest, respectively. Discrepant results were resolved by broth microdilution (BMD). MicroScan showed 88.1% of sensitivity for predicting polymyxin B resistance in KPC‐producing K. pneumoniae compared to the results obtained by Etest. All discrepant results were tested by BMD and these were concordant with results obtained by Etest. The MicroScan automated system does not seem to be very efficient for the screening of polymyxin‐resistant isolates once an inappropriate sensitivity is achieved. The results presented here show the need for confirmation of the susceptibility profile by use of a dilution method (Etest or BMD).
Micronucleus scoring: a potential adjunct for diagnosis of endometrial adenocarcinoma on cervical samples
Authors: Gupta Parikshaa , Dey Pranab , Gupta Nalini 
Published: September 2015

Micronucleus (MN) is an additional, small nucleus formed due to failure of incorporation of a fragment or the whole chromosome into the main daughter nuclei during cell division. MN scoring is a useful indicator of exposure to genotoxic agents and of malignancy. This study was conducted to know whether the MN score was significantly different in cervical cytology smears of patients with endometrial carcinoma, atypical and benign cells. Three groups of cervical smears were taken up for MN scoring: Group ‘A’ included benign endometrial cells, Group ‘B’, atypical glandular cells – endometrial and Group ‘C’, endometrial adenocarcinoma. Post hoc analysis of variance test was used to determine significant differences between the three groups. There were 30 cases in Group ‘A’, 31 cases in Group ‘B’ and 39 cases in Group ‘C’. The mean MN score was 0.67 ± 0.711 in Group A, 1.74 ± 0.930 in Group B and 4.10 ± 2.500 in Group C. MN scores were significantly different between all three groups (p < 0.05). The MN score is significantly higher in cervical smears of patients with endometrial carcinoma; as compared to smears showing atypical and benign cells and that this finding may be useful for further research.
Posthurricane Seedling Structure in a Multi‐aged Tropical Dry Forest: Implications for Community Succession
Authors: Carrington Mary E. , Ross Michael S. , Basit Alia F. 
Published: September 2015

AbstractHurricane‐caused tree mortality in tropical dry forests occurs predominantly in early successional species. Consequently, hurricanes may accelerate succession in these forests. Forest regeneration, however, must be measured over an extended posthurricane time period to demonstrate this pattern. In this study, we recorded tree seedlings in 19 Florida Keys forests during May–August 1995, 3 years after Hurricane Andrew. For these forests—spanning a chronosequence from 14 to over 100 years since the most recent clearing—we used weighted averaging regression on relative abundances of pre‐hurricane trees to calculate a successional age optimum for each species; and used weighted averaging calibration to calculate inferred successional ages for stands based on pre‐hurricane trees and on posthurricane seedlings. To test the hypothesis that successional stage of seedlings exceeded successional stage of pre‐hurricane trees, we compared inferred stand ages based on posthurricane seedlings with those based on pre‐hurricane trees. Across the study area, inferred stand ages based on posthurricane seedlings were greater than those based on pre‐hurricane trees (P < 0.005); however, more seedlings in the youngest stands were early successional than in older stands. Of 29 species present both as pre‐hurricane trees and posthurricane seedlings, 23 had animal‐dispersed seeds. These results provide evidence that: (1) hurricanes do not ‘reset’ succession, and may accelerate succession; and (2) a strong legacy of stand successional age influences seedling assemblages in these forests.