bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Consumer campaigns in corporate public affairs management
Authors: Schlichting Inga 
Published: October 2014

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to use expert interviews with communication managers of the German energy industry to analyze the strategic aims and challenges of consumer campaigns as a relatively new phenomenon in German public affairs management. The analysis is based on structuration theory, which is used as a theoretical framework. This framework helps to conceptualize the different logics of action within non-public and public paths of public affairs management, their stakeholders and respective instruments.Design/methodology/approach– Expert interviews with German public affairs managers from multinational and regional energy corporations as well as industry associations were conducted regarding their communication in the context of climate regulation. Based on this data, the study reconstructs manager’s strategic considerations about why to engage in consumer campaigns, and analyses the challenges they see with them, and the strategies they employ to handle these.Findings– Managers perceive the importance of the public path of regulative intervention as growing along with a strong media orientation of political authorities. Against this backdrop they describe the bypassing of critical journalists and the engaging of critical individuals and minorities as the strategic aims of consumer campaigns. They portray a lack of credibility as the main challenge of such campaigns – and relativising the corporation’s societal efforts as well as allowing public critique as most promising strategies to handle this challenge.Originality/value– The contribution of the study is twofold: first, it adds to the scientific analysis of consumer campaigns as a rather new phenomenon in German public affairs management. Second, practitioners may utilize the results as impulses for their own communicative strategies in the context of public affairs management.
A brief history of small business in Australia, 1970-2010
Authors: T. Schaper Michael 
Published: October 2014

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the development of the SME sector in Australia, concentrating on a number of key areas: small business definitions and numbers; the role of government; the emergence of key industry groups; and the evolution of education, training and research services.Design/methodology/approach– The study is a result of extensive literature reviews, desk research and the recollections of various participants in the field.Findings– There have been major changes to the Australian small business sector over the last 40 years. In 1983-1984 there were an estimated 550,000 small firms, and by 2010 this had grown to almost two million. Government involvement in, and support for, SMEs was virtually non-existent before 1970. Following the delivery of the Wiltshire report (1971), however, both state and federal governments responded by developing specialist advisory services, funding programmes and other support tools. Virtually non-existent before the 1970s, several peak industry associations were formed between 1977 and the 1990s. At the same time, formal education and teaching in the area expanded in the 1970s and 1980s and is now widespread.Practical implications– Development of the small business sector in Australia has often paralleled similar trends in other OECD nations. State and territory governments have often (but not always) been the principal drivers of policy change.Originality/value– There has been no little, if any, prior documentation of the evolution of the small business sector in Australia in the last 40 years.
A vision of social media in the Spanish smartest cities
Authors: Sáez-Martín Alejandro , Haro-de-Rosario Arturo , Caba-Perez Carmen 
Published: October 2014

Purpose– The purpose of this study is to analyse whether it is the Spanish urban environments that can be considered smart cities that are making the greatest efforts to ensure that citizens have better access to city information and, thus, participate to a greater degree in its governance.Design/methodology/approach– This analysis of the use made of social networks, as an integral part of democratisation, is divided into two phases: first, a descriptive study was made of the cities’ use of their social networks; we then examined, by multiple linear regression analysis, whether the urban areas classed as smart cities are those that make more or less use or application of social networks.Findings– Although, in general terms, the “smartest” smart cities are those which obtain the best overall results in terms of social networks, further improvements are needed, especially in the field of activity and interaction with citizens via these networks.Originality/value– The impact made by social media is one of the emerging research themes in the domain of smart cities, e-government and their information policies. Nevertheless, few studies have examined whether the smart cities are also those whose governments have achieved a greater degree of citizen participation through social networks. Therefore, this study contributes to our understanding of the importance of social media in the local government context, by establishing a relationship between democratic participation, through Facebook and Twitter, and the development of smart cities.
Peripheral intravenous catheter duration and failure in paediatric acute care: A prospective cohort study
Authors: Malyon Lorelle , Ullman Amanda J , Phillips Natalie , Young Jeanine , Kleidon Tricia , Murfield Jenny , Rickard Claire M 
Published: October 2014

AbstractObjectiveChildren admitted to hospital commonly require peripheral intravenous catheters (PIVCs) for treatment. This study sought to address a gap in the literature about current practice in the securement and dressing of PIVCs in paediatric acute care, and to ascertain the duration and failure of these devices.MethodsA prospective cohort study conducted at the Royal Children's Hospital in Queensland, Australia. All patients aged 0–15 years, who presented to the ED between 16 July and 16 October 2012, and had a PIVC inserted prior to emergent admission to the hospital were included.ResultsOf 458 participants, median device duration was 29 h (IQR 13–58 h), and ranged from less than 1 h to 16 days. One quarter (113/456, 24.8%) of PIVCs were removed due to device failure, presenting as: infiltration (65/456, 14.3%); accidental dislodgement (23/456, 5.0%); blockage (12/456, 2.6%); phlebitis (7/456, 1.5%); or ‘other’ (6/456, 1.3%). PIVC securement and dressings were predominantly bordered polyurethane dressings and splints (n = 457/458, 99.8%). PIVC placement in the antecubital fossa, in comparison to the hand, was significantly associated with an increased risk for failure (P = 0.03). No other patient and device characteristics had a significant association with device failure (P > 0.05). The median dwell time of PIVCs that failed was significantly longer than the PIVCs that did not fail (44.0 vs 25.5 h; P = 0.002). Less than half (53/113, 46.9%) of failed catheters were replaced with a new PIVC.ConclusionsObserved failure rates were high for a clinically essential device; however, there is no established rate of acceptability against which the results can be benchmarked against to facilitate effectiveness of practice. Many PIVCs appeared to remain in place longer than needed. Dressing and securement practice was homogenous. PIVC placement in the antecubital fossa should be minimised to reduce the risk of paediatric PIVC failure.
Prolactin and Natural Killer Cells: Evaluating the Neuroendocrine‐immune Axis in Women with Primary Infertility and Recurrent Spontaneous Abortion
Authors: Triggianese Paola , Perricone Carlo , Perricone Roberto , De Carolis Caterina 
Published: October 2014

ProblemAn association between serum prolactin (PRL) and peripheral blood natural killer (NK) cells has been described in healthy women. We explored for the first time the PRL response to the thyrotrophin‐releasing hormone (TRH) test and the association between PRL and NK cells in women with reproductive failure.MethodsA total of 130 women [31 primary infertility, 69 recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA), and 30 fertile women] were evaluated by a TRH test to analyze the following: basal PRL (bPRL), peak‐time PRL, PRL absolute and relative increase, decline‐time PRL. Hyperprolactinaemia (HPRL) was defined as bPRL ≥15 ng/mL. NK cells were characterized by immunophenotyping.ResultsSignificantly higher bPRL levels were found in the infertile women than in controls. Both the infertile and the RSA women showed significantly elevated NK levels. bPRL levels correlated with NK cells in HPRL‐infertile women.ConclusionsIn patients with HPRL, an association between NK cell and bPRL results. The dynamic test in the infertile women would help in the management of the pregnancy impairment.
Randomized, controlled trial of Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy for young people with bipolar disorder
Authors: Inder Maree L , Crowe Marie T , Luty Suzanne E , Carter Janet D , Moor Stephanie , Frampton Christopher M , Joyce Peter R 
Published: October 2014

ObjectiveThis randomized, controlled clinical trial compared the effect of interpersonal and social rhythm therapy (IPSRT) to that of specialist supportive care (SSC) on depressive outcomes (primary), social functioning, and mania outcomes over 26–78 weeks in young people with bipolar disorder receiving psychopharmacological treatment.MethodsSubjects were aged 15–36 years, recruited from a range of sources, and the patient groups included bipolar I disorder, bipolar II disorder, and bipolar disorder not otherwise specified. Exclusion criteria were minimal. Outcome measures were the Longitudinal Interval Follow‐up Evaluation and the Social Adjustment Scale. Paired‐sample t‐tests were used to determine the significance of change from baseline to outcome period. Analyses of covariance were used to determine the impact of therapy, impact of lifetime and current comorbidity, interaction between comorbidity and therapy, and impact of age at study entry on depression.ResultsA group of 100 participants were randomized to IPSRT (n = 49) or SSC (n = 51). The majority had bipolar I disorder (78%) and were female (76%), with high levels of comorbidity. After treatment, both groups had improved depressive symptoms, social functioning, and manic symptoms. Contrary to our hypothesis, there was no significant difference between therapies. There was no impact of lifetime or current Axis I comorbidity or age at study entry. There was a relative impact of SSC for patients with current substance use disorder.ConclusionsIPSRT and SSC used as an adjunct to pharmacotherapy appear to be effective in reducing depressive and manic symptoms and improving social functioning in adolescents and young adults with bipolar disorder and high rates of comorbidity. Identifying effective treatments that particularly address depressive symptoms is important in reducing the burden of bipolar disorder.
Developing a dynamic inference expert system to support individual learning at work
Authors: Hung Yu Hsin , Lin Chun Fu , Chang Ray I. 
Published: October 2014

AbstractIn response to the rapid growth of information in recent decades, knowledge‐based systems have become an essential tool for organizational learning. The application of electronic performance‐support systems in learning activities has attracted considerable attention from researchers. Nevertheless, the vast, ever‐increasing amount of information is creating management problems regarding the efficiency and accuracy of knowledge retrieval. This study aims to develop a dynamic inference expert system (DIES) to solve these problems. DIES integrates web technology, knowledge management, Extensible Markup Language (XML) and C Language Integrated Production System (CLIPS) to facilitate the convenience of knowledge retrieval and the efficiency of learning at work. The advantages of XML include scalability, sharing, easy readability and the ability to enhance the efficient management of knowledge‐based systems. In DIES, organizational knowledge is automatically generated as machine‐readable language and knowledge description, using CLIPS as a rule‐conduction tool to develop specific organizational knowledge bases. A data source consisting of 22 participants from different industries was employed to examine the effectiveness of DIES. Results indicate that participants intend to apply DIES within their industries, with a 95% probability of attaining above‐average satisfaction.
Morphological and Spatio‐Temporal Mismatches Shape a Neotropical Savanna Plant‐Hummingbird Network
Authors: Maruyama Pietro K. , Vizentin‐Bugoni Jeferson , Oliveira Genilda M. , Oliveira Paulo E. , Dalsgaard Bo 
Published: October 2014

AbstractComplex networks of species interactions might be determined by species traits but also by simple chance meetings governed by species abundances. Although the idea that species traits structure mutualistic networks is appealing, most studies have found abundance to be a major structuring mechanism underlying interaction frequencies. With a well‐resolved plant–hummingbird interaction network from the Neotropical savanna in Brazil, we asked whether species morphology, phenology, nectar availability and habitat occupancy and/or abundance best predicted the frequency of interactions. For this, we constructed interaction probability matrices and compared them to the observed plant‐hummingbird matrix through a likelihood approach. Furthermore, a recently proposed modularity algorithm for weighted bipartite networks was employed to evaluate whether these factors also scale‐up to the formation of modules in the network. Interaction frequencies were best predicted by species morphology, phenology and habitat occupancy, while species abundances and nectar availability performed poorly. The plant–hummingbird network was modular, and modules were associated to morphological specialization and habitat occupancy. Our findings highlight the importance of traits as determinants of interaction frequencies and network structure, corroborating the results of a previous study on a plant–hummingbird network from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Thus, we propose that traits matter more in tropical plant–hummingbird networks than in less specialized systems. To test the generality of this hypothesis, future research could employ geographic or taxonomic cross‐system comparisons contrasting networks with known differences in level of specialization.
Prevalence and correlates of dental anxiety in patients seeking dental care
Authors: Tellez Marisol , Kinner Dina G. , Heimberg Richard G. , Lim Sungwoo , Ismail Amid I. 
Published: October 2014

AbstractObjectivesTo examine the prevalence of dental anxiety and its associations with pain and other psychological variables among patients seeking dental treatment and develop a directed acyclical graph of these relationships.MethodsOne hundred and twenty patients who sought regular or emergency dental care completed a semi‐structured interview assessing DSM‐IV specific phobia of dental procedures and questionnaires assessing dental anxiety, pain at last dental visit, blood‐injection‐injury (BII) phobia, social appearance anxiety, and other psychological constructs. Differences between regular and emergency patients were explored using t‐tests. Potential excess risk of dental anxiety due to interactions between pain and psychological processes was explored. Finally, multivariate linear regression was conducted.ResultsThirty‐five percent of participants came for emergency care. Almost half (49.2%) reported moderate or high anxiety, and 20% met criteria for specific phobia. The relationship between pain at the last dental visit and dental anxiety scores was confounded by social appearance anxiety and BII phobia.ConclusionThe dental anxiety–pain response may be affected by psychological processes such as social appearance anxiety and BII phobia. Targeting these related psychological constructs may improve the management of anxiety treatment among adult patients seeking dental care.
Resistin as a potential marker of renal disease in lupus nephritis
Authors: Hutcheson J , Ye Y , Han J , Arriens C , Saxena R , Li Q-Z , Mohan C , Wu T 
Published: October 2014

Summary
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and lupus nephritis (LN) have strong concomitance with cardiovascular disease that cannot be explained fully by typical risk factors. We examined the possibility that serum or urine expression of adipokines may act as biomarkers for LN, as these proteins have been associated previously with cardiovascular disease as well as SLE. Antibody arrays were performed on serum and urine from lupus patients and matched controls using a cross-sectional study design. From the initial array-based screening data of 15 adipokines, adiponectin, leptin and resistin were selected for validation by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Correlations were determined between adipokine expression levels and measures of disease activity or lupus nephritis. The expression of adiponectin and resistin was increased in both sera and urine from LN patients, while leptin was increased in LN patient sera, compared to matched controls. Serum resistin, but not urine resistin, was correlated with measures of renal dysfunction in LN. Serum resistin expression may be useful as a marker of renal dysfunction in patients with LN, although longitudinal studies are warranted. Further studies are necessary to determine if resistin has functional consequences in LN.
Effective communication betweenENTand primary care – a survey of outpatient correspondence
Authors: Addison A.B. , Watts S. , Fleming J. 
Published: October 2014

ObjectiveTo improve the quality of outpatient clinic communication between Otolaryngology and primary care doctors.DesignThree example outpatient letters with identical content were created using different structure styles – full prose, headline subheadings with full prose and full subheadings throughout. Electronic questionnaires were sent out to 30 randomly selected General Practitioners in the area served by Western Sussex NHS Trust. The electronic mail study invite contained the initial GP referral, the three different letter formats and a link to the Sheffield Assessment for Letters (SAIL) questionnaire, which contained a 18‐point checklist, 6 rating subheadings with a 10‐point rating scale and a free text comment section. Study participants were asked to read the letters in the time usually afforded to outpatient letters in their routine practice, answer questions and then rate the letters.ResultsWith a response rate of 66.7%, overall comparison of GP preferences demonstrated a significant variation between the three letter formats (FreidmanPvalue = 0.0001).Post hocmultiple comparisons showed statistically significant preference for the headline subheading and prose letter compared to the full subheaded letter (P < 0.05). In assessing the letters for readability, comprehension, usefulness, informativeness and helpfulness, analysis showed significant preference for both fully subheaded and headline subheaded with full prose structures compared to the full prose letter.ConclusionAlthough the headline subheadings and prose letter had the highest word count, it scored the highest in almost all the rating categories analysed. This study is the first published work to study primary care physician's preference for the structure of letters from secondary care. Prominent headline subheadings of diagnosis and management improve interpretation of content and comprehension and are helpful to GPs for co‐ordinating patient management. Lack of subheadings or conversely an excess of subheadings may be a hindrance to effective communication between healthcare professionals.
Positive pressure therapy for Meniere's syndrome/disease with a Meniett device: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials
Authors: Syed M.I. , Rutka J.A. , Hendry J. , Browning G.G. 
Published: October 2014

BackgroundIncidence rates of Meniere's syndrome/disease vary considerably from 157 per 100 000 in the United Kingdom to 15 per 100 000 in the United States. A wide range of treatments are used for the treatment of the condition with no consensus on the most effective intervention.ObjectivesTo assess the effectiveness of the Meniett device in reducing the frequency and severity of vertigo in Meniere's syndrome/disease.Search methodsThe Cochrane Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders Group Trials Register; the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL); PubMed; EMBASE; CINAHL; Web of Science; BIOSIS Previews; Cambridge Scientific abstracts; ICTRP and additional sources for published and unpublished trials were searched. The date of the last search was 13th May 2014.Selection criteriaFour randomised controlled trials (RCTs) were identified that compared the efficacy of the Meniett device versus a placebo device in patients with Meniere's ‘disease’ as defined by the AAOO criterion.Data collection and analysisTwo review authors independently assessed study eligibility and risk of bias and extracted data. The outcome data were dichotomous for all the included trials.Main resultsThe four RCTs compared 123 patients with the Meniett device against 114 patients with the placebo device from four RCT's over a follow‐up period of 2 weeks to 4 months. There was a significant overall 61% reduction in the frequency of vertigo in both groups (mean no vertigo days per month of 8–3). However, this reduction was not significantly different between the two groups in any study or on meta‐analysis [mean difference in vertigo‐free days between Meniett and placebo device of 0.77 days over a 1‐month period (95% CI – 0.82, 1.83) P = 0.45].There were also no substantive data to support a greater reduction in the severity of the vertigo or any other outcome with the Meniett device compared with the placebo device.Authors conclusionsNo evidence was found to justify the use of the Meniett device in Meniere's syndrome/disease.
Relation between muscle mass, motor units and type of training in master athletes
Authors: Drey Michael , Sieber Cornel C. , Degens Hans , McPhee Jamie , Korhonen Marko T. , Müller Klaus , Ganse Bergita , Rittweger Jörn 
Published: October 2014

SummaryObjectiveThe aim of this study was to measure the number of motor units and muscle mass in power‐trained and endurance‐trained master athletes compared with community‐dwelling older adults.MethodsSeventy‐five master athletes (52 power‐ and 23 endurance‐trained athletes) were recruited at the 2012 European Veteran Athletics Championships in Zittau (Germany). One hundred and forty‐nine community‐dwelling older adults served as controls. In all participants, the motor unit number index (MUNIX) in the hypothenar muscle and whole body muscle mass was determined by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA).ResultsIn both male and female master athletes, there were significant negative correlations between age and muscle mass (female: r = −0·510, P = 0·002; male: r = −0·714, P<0·001). Master athletes showed a weak correlation (r = −0·295, P = 0·010) between MUNIX and age. Master athletes exhibited significantly higher values than the control group with regard to both muscle mass (P = 0·002) and motor units (P = 0·004). Subanalysis showed that only power trained master athletes had both a larger muscle mass (P<0·001) and a higher MUNIX (P = 0·014) than the control group. Among the master athletes, power‐trained athletes had a larger (P<0·001) muscle mass than endurance‐trained athletes.ConclusionsThe present data of master athletes are compatible with the hypothesis of an age‐related decline in whole body muscle mass and motor units. Nevertheless, the data suggest that the master athletes’ high level of physical activity may protect motoneurons. In addition, power training seems to have a positive effect on muscle mass and could therefore be an effective method of training to prevent sarcopenia.