bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The mediating effects of the adoption of an environmental information system on top management's commitment and environmental performance
Authors: Yang Spencer Sarah , Adams Carol , Yapa Prem W.S. 
Published: May 2013

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the antecedent factor, top management's commitment to environmental sustainability, for the adoption of a sophisticated internal environmental information system; measured by the broad‐scope, timeliness, aggregation and integration of such information. The paper also seeks to examine whether the availability of such a system would lead to improved environmental performance.Design/methodology/approachThe paper investigates responses from a survey of Chief Financial Officers or chief management accountants in the top 200 listed companies in Australia. It uses linear regression analysis based on a multiple‐mediator model with percentile‐based bootstrap, bias‐corrected (BC) and bias‐corrected and accelerated (BCa) bootstrap confidence intervals to identify significant mediators.FindingsIt was found in this study that top management commitment to environmental sustainability was associated with the adoption of a sophisticated internal environmental information system. Further, the availability of aggregated environmental information was found to mediate the relationship between top management commitment to environmental sustainability and environmental performance. However, there was no significant relationship to other mediating variables.Research limitations/implicationsLimitations relate to the collinearity of mediators which make it difficult to identify the impact of specific mediators in a multi‐mediator model. The implications are that other methods may provide further value, but these may need to be based on either different data or larger samples.Practical implicationsThe findings point to the importance of aggregated environmental accounting information to organisations aiming to improve their environmental performance.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the corporate environmental accounting literature by empirically linking the top management commitment to environmental sustainability and to environmental performance through the adoption of accounting information provisions. The results of this study also provide guidance to practitioners about how to ensure their commitment to environmental sustainability will be translated to environmental performance and to some extent provide some answer to whether countries such as Australia should implement Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) to account for carbon costs.
Temperature dependence of trophic interactions are driven by asymmetry of species responses and foraging strategy
Authors: Dell Anthony I. , Pawar Samraat , Savage Van M. 
Published: May 2013

Summary

Environmental temperature has systematic effects on rates of species interactions, primarily through its influence on organismal physiology.

We present a mechanistic model for the thermal response of consumer–resource interactions. We focus on how temperature affects species interactions via key traits – body velocity, detection distance, search rate and handling time – that underlie per capita consumption rate. The model is general because it applies to all foraging strategies: active‐capture (both consumer and resource body velocity are important), sit‐and‐wait (resource velocity dominates) and grazing (consumer velocity dominates).

The model predicts that temperature influences consumer–resource interactions primarily through its effects on body velocity (either of the consumer, resource or both), which determines how often consumers and resources encounter each other, and that asymmetries in the thermal responses of interacting species can introduce qualitative, not just quantitative, changes in consumer–resource dynamics. We illustrate this by showing how asymmetries in thermal responses determine equilibrium population densities in interacting consumer–resource pairs.

We test for the existence of asymmetries in consumer–resource thermal responses by analysing an extensive database on thermal response curves of ecological traits for 309 species spanning 15 orders of magnitude in body size from terrestrial, marine and freshwater habitats. We find that asymmetries in consumer–resource thermal responses are likely to be a common occurrence.

Overall, our study reveals the importance of asymmetric thermal responses in consumer–resource dynamics. In particular, we identify three general types of asymmetries: (i) different levels of performance of the response, (ii) different rates of response (e.g. activation energies) and (iii) different peak or optimal temperatures. Such asymmetries should occur more frequently as the climate changes and species' geographical distributions and phenologies are altered, such that previously noninteracting species come into contact.

By using characteristics of trophic interactions that are often well known, such as body size, foraging strategy, thermy and environmental temperature, our framework should allow more accurate predictions about the thermal dependence of consumer–resource interactions. Ultimately, integration of our theory into models of food web and ecosystem dynamics should be useful in understanding how natural systems will respond to current and future temperature change.
Conservation implications of song divergence between source and translocated populations of the North Island Kōkako
Authors: Valderrama Sandra V. , Molles Laura E. , Waas Joseph R. , Slabbekoorn Hans 
Published: May 2013

Summary

Translocation of individuals from healthy source populations to newly colonize or recolonize suitable habitat is a vital tool for the conservation of a species. Demographic, genetic and landscape factors, but also acoustic signals and cultural factors, will all affect translocation success.

We investigated variation in song, and response to song, of the endangered North Island kōkako Callaeas wilsoni (Bonaparte 1850) in New Zealand in two translocated populations and their source population.

We found significant vocal variation between the source population and both translocated populations, the latter of which had reduced repertoire sizes and increased repertoire sharing, as well as structurally different song elements of higher frequency and shorter duration.

Despite the song divergence and clear variability in the nature and level of response among populations, we did not find any evidence for discrimination against nonlocal song in our reciprocal playback experiments.

Synthesis and applications. Vocal divergence and reduced variability in translocated populations suggest founder effects or reduced social interaction rates. The variation could be viewed as cultural erosion and may undermine translocation success. Persistence of response to playback, despite vocal divergence, suggested that social restrictions on gene flow require at least a few decades of separation after translocation. The decision to translocate individuals of threatened species is becoming a more common tool for species conservation world‐wide. We argue that it is important to take vocal variation into account during such management decisions as it may affect success of establishment and persistence of translocated populations.
Aerotaxis governs floating biofilm formation in Shewanella oneidensis
Authors: Armitano Joshua , Méjean Vincent , Jourlin‐Castelli Cécile 
Published: May 2013

SummaryFloating biofilm, or pellicle, is a biofilm found at the air‐liquid interface. Here, we show that pellicle development of the aquatic bacterium Shewanella oneidensis is under the control of the chemotaxis system (Che3), a regulatory system known to pilot planktonic cell motion according to environmental cues. Deletion of the histidine kinase cheA3 or the response regulator cheY3 gene led to a heterogeneous pellicle or to the absence of pellicle respectively. In addition, a non‐phosphorylatable CheY3‐D56A mutant was unable to promote pellicle formation. Kinetic analysis revealed that pellicle formation occurs in three steps: rapid formation of a thin pellicle evolving into a heterogeneous biofilm and finally into a thick homogeneous biofilm. Depletion of oxygen not only abolished initiation of pellicle formation but also blocked pellicle maturation. This study thus demonstrates an essential role of aerotaxis (chemotaxis towards oxygen) in floating biofilm development in S. oneidensis, and it also reveals that pellicle formation is a step‐by‐step process.
Identification and characterization of a highly motile and antibiotic refractory subpopulation involved in the expansion of swarming colonies of Paenibacillus vortex
Authors: Roth Dalit , Finkelshtein Alin , Ingham Colin , Helman Yael , Sirota‐Madi Alexandra , Brodsky Leonid , Ben‐Jacob Eshel 
Published: May 2013

SummaryBacteria often use sophisticated cooperative behaviours, such as the development of complex colonies, elaborate biofilms and advanced dispersal strategies, to cope with the harsh and variable conditions of natural habitats, including the presence of antibiotics. Paenibacillus vortex uses swarming motility and cell‐to‐cell communication to form complex, structured colonies. The modular organization of P. vortex colony has been found to facilitate its dispersal on agar surfaces. The current study reveals that the complex structure of the colony is generated by the coexistence and transition between two morphotypes – ‘builders’ and ‘explorers’ – with distinct functions in colony formation. Here, we focused on the explorers, which are highly motile and spearhead colonial expansion. Explorers are characterized by high expression levels of flagellar genes, such as flagellin (hag), motA, fliI, flgK and sigD, hyperflagellation, decrease in ATP (adenosine‐5′‐triphosphate) levels, and increased resistance to antibiotics. Their tolerance to many antibiotics gives them the advantage of translocation through antibiotics‐containing areas. This work gives new insights on the importance of cell differentiation and task distribution in colony morphogenesis and adaptation to antibiotics.
Structure and function of the methanogenic microbial communities in Uruguayan soils shifted between pasture and irrigated rice fields
Authors: Scavino Ana Fernandez , Ji Yang , Pump Judith , Klose Melanie , Claus Peter , Conrad Ralf 
Published: May 2013

SummaryIrrigated rice fields in Uruguay are temporarily established on soils used as cattle pastures. Typically, 4 years of cattle pasture are alternated with 2 years of irrigated rice cultivation. Thus, oxic upland conditions are rotated with seasonally anoxic wetland conditions. Only the latter conditions are suitable for the production of CH4 from anaerobic degradation of organic matter. We studied soil from a permanent pasture as well as soils from different years of the pasture‐rice rotation hypothesizing that activity and structure of the bacterial and archaeal communities involved in production of CH4 change systematically with the duration of either oxic or anoxic conditions. Soil samples were taken from drained fields, air‐dried and used for the experiments. Indeed, methanogenic archaeal gene copy numbers (16S rRNA, mcrA) were lower in soil from the permanent pasture than from the pasture‐rice alternation fields, but within the latter, there was no significant difference. Methane production started to accumulate after 16 days and 7 days of anoxic incubation in soil from the permanent pasture and the pasture‐rice alternation fields respectively. Then, CH4 production rates were slightly higher in the soils used for pasture than for rice production. Analysis of δ13C in CH4, CO2 and acetate in the presence and absence of methyl fluoride, an inhibitor of aceticlastic methanogenesis, indicated that CH4 was mainly (58–75%) produced from acetate, except in the permanent pasture soil (42%). Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T‐RFLP) of archaeal 16S rRNA genes showed no difference among the soils from the pasture‐rice alternation fields with Methanocellaceae and Methanosarcinaceae as the main groups of methanogens, but in the permanent pasture soil, Methanocellaceae were relatively less abundant. T‐RFLP analysis of bacterial 16S rRNA genes allowed the distinction of permanent pasture and fields from the pasture‐rice rotation, but nevertheless with a high similarity. Pyrosequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA genes generally revealed Firmicutes as the dominant bacterial phylum, followed by Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria and Actinobacteria. We conclude that a stable methanogenic microbial community established once pastures have been turned into management by pasture‐rice alternation despite the fact that 2 years of wetland conditions were followed by 4 years of upland conditions that were not suitable for CH4 production.
Foreign Aid and the Quest for Poverty Reduction: Is Aid to Agriculture Effective?
Authors: Kaya Ozgur , Kaya Ilker , Gunter Lewell 
Published: May 2013

AbstractDevelopment statistics estimate that three quarters of the poor live in rural areas and most of them depend on agriculture and related activities for their livelihood. Consequently, research focusing on economic growth and poverty reduction has found that sustainable rapid transition out of poverty requires a special emphasis on the agricultural sector. This study contributes to the debate on aid effectiveness by disaggregating total aid into subcategories and specifically investigating the relationship between aid given to the agricultural sector and poverty reduction. If agricultural development is more effective in reducing poverty than some other types of development, then foreign aid directed towards agriculture may be more efficient in increasing the well‐being of the poor than aid directed to some other sectors or uses. Our analysis uses panel data for developing aid recipient countries to empirically test this relationship. We find a significant relationship between agricultural aid and poverty reduction in our estimates.
Pronasale Position: An Appraisal of Two Recently Proposed Methods for Predicting Nasal Projection in Facial Reconstruction
Authors: Mala Pavla Zednikova 
Published: May 2013

AbstractThis study examines two recently proposed methods for predicting nose projection from the skull, those developed by Stephan et al. (Am J Phys Anthropol 122, 2003, 240) and Rynn et al. (Forensic Sci Med Pathol 6, 2010, 20). A sample of 86 lateral head cephalograms of adult subjects from Central Europe was measured, and the actual and predicted dimensions were compared. Regarding nose projection (the anterior and vertical position of the pronasale), in general, the method of Rynn et al. (Forensic Sci Med Pathol 6, 2010, 20) was found to perform better and with less error variance than the method of Stephan et al. (Am J Phys Anthropol 122, 2003, 240), but the mean difference between the actual and predicted values did not exceed 2.2 mm (6.5% of the actual dimension) in most of the variables tested. The vertical dimensions of the nose were predictable with greater accuracy than the horizontal dimensions. Although the mean error of both methods is not great in practice and thus both methods could be considered to be “accurate,” the real variance of error should not be overlooked.
Real‐Time Detection of Concealed Chemical Hazards Under Ambient Light Conditions Using Raman Spectroscopy
Authors: Cletus Biju , Olds William , Fredericks Peter M. , Jaatinen Esa , Izake Emad L. 
Published: May 2013

AbstractCurrent concerns regarding terrorism and international crime highlight the need for new techniques for detecting unknown and hazardous substances. A novel Raman spectroscopy‐based technique, spatially offset Raman spectroscopy (SORS), was recently devised for noninvasively probing the contents of diffusely scattering and opaque containers. Here, we demonstrate a modified portable SORS sensor for detecting concealed substances in‐field under different background lighting conditions. Samples including explosive precursors, drugs, and an organophosphate insecticide (chemical warfare agent surrogate) were concealed inside diffusely scattering packaging including plastic, paper, and cloth. Measurements were carried out under incandescent and fluorescent light as well as under daylight to assess the suitability of the probe for different real‐life conditions. In each case, it was possible to identify the substances against their reference Raman spectra in less than 1 min. The developed sensor has potential for rapid detection of concealed hazardous substances in airports, mail distribution centers, and customs checkpoints.
Manual and Automated Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR): A Comparison of Associated Injury Patterns,
Authors: Pinto Deborrah C. , Haden‐Pinneri Kathryn , Love Jennifer C. 
Published: May 2013

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to identify and compare patterns of trauma associated with AutoPulse® CPR and manual CPR. Finalized autopsy records from 175 decedents brought to the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences were reviewed, 87 received manual‐only CPR, and 88 received AutoPulse® CPR (in combination with manual CPR as per standard protocol). The characteristic pattern observed in manual‐only CPR use included a high frequency of anterior rib fractures, sternal fractures, and midline chest abrasions along the sternum. The characteristic pattern observed in AutoPulse® CPR use included a high frequency of posterior rib fractures, skin abrasions located along the anterolateral chest and shoulder, vertebral fractures, and a few cases of visceral injuries including liver lacerations, splenic lacerations, and hemoperitoneum. Knowledge of the AutoPulse® CPR injury pattern can help forensic pathologists differentiate therapeutic from inflicted injuries and therefore avoid an erroneous assessment of cause and manner of death.
Effects of Sugars on the Formation of Nanometer‐Sized Droplets of Vegetable Oil by an Isothermal Low‐Energy Emulsification Method
Authors: Ikeda Shinya , Miyanoshita Michitaka , Gohtani Shoichi 
Published: May 2013

AbstractEffects of sugars on the formation of nanometer‐sized oil droplets induced by the addition of vegetable oil to aqueous dispersions of polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate (MOPS, Tween 80) at 25 °C without the application of intensive mechanical energy were investigated. Phase diagrams were constructed using polarized light microscopy and small angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS) to elucidate the relationship between the type of phases involved in the process of emulsification and the droplet size in the resulting emulsions. Nanometer‐sized oil droplets as small as 220 nm in diameter were obtained when the sponge phase (L3) was formed at first, followed by the phase transition to coexisting multiple phases including the micellar cubic phase (I1) with increasing vegetable oil content. Sugars expanded the area of the sponge phase toward lower MOPS contents, enabling the formation of nano‐emulsions from a wider range of the initial composition. The area of the sponge phase increased in the order of d‐fructose ≈ d‐glucose < sucrose < d‐maltose, consistent with the order of the literature value of the mean number of equatorial hydroxyl groups per sugar molecule and that of the hydration number of sugar that represents the average number of water molecules forming a complex with a single molecule of sugar in aqueous solution. The present results confirm that sugars facilitate the formation of nano‐emulsions using the isothermal low‐energy emulsification method, presumably due to their abilities to shift the effective hydrophile–lipophile balance (HLB) of the surfactant toward the hydrophobic side.
The Applications of Polysaccharides from Various Mushroom Wastes as Prebiotics in Different Systems
Authors: Chou Wei‐Ting , Sheih I‐Chuan , Fang Tony J. 
Published: May 2013

AbstractThe bases or stipes of mushrooms are normally discarded as low‐economic value animal feed and compost. There are no known reports on deriving polysaccharides from these mushroom wastes for use as prebiotics. This study showed that the relatively low concentration (0.1% to 0.5%) of polysaccharides from Lentinula edodes stipe, Pleurotus eryngii base, and Flammulina velutipes base can enhance the survival rate of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, and Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum during cold storage. The polysaccharides had synergistic effects with the peptides and amino acids from a yogurt culture to maintain probiotics above 107 CFU/mL during cold storage, and they also had significant protective effects on these probiotics in simulated gastric and bile juice conditions to achieve beneficial effects in the host. These results showed that mushroom wastes, which are cheaper than other sources, could be an important, new, alternative source of prebiotics.
Clinical strategies for differentiating autoimmune pancreatitis from pancreatic malignancy to avoid unnecessary surgical resection
Authors: Wu Wen Chuan , Yao Xiu Zhong , Jin Da Yong , Wang Dan Song , Lou Wen Hui , Qin Xin Yu 
Published: May 2013

ObjectiveThe study aimed to determine a practical strategy for differentiating between autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) and pancreatic malignancy in order to avoid unnecessary surgical resection.MethodsAltogether, 19 patients with AIP or other pancreatic diseases underwent routine examinations including liver function test and carbohydrate antigen 19‐9, computed tomography and/or magnetic resonance imaging. Serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) and/or IgG4 was determined in patients with clinically suspected or pathologically proven AIP. Patients with suspected AIP either received diagnostic steroid therapy or laparotomy (if malignant tumors could not be excluded). Surgery was not performed in patients with a definite diagnosis of AIP by fast intraoperative frozen biopsy. Those with confirmed AIP received steroid treatment.ResultsIn total, 15 cases were finally confirmed as AIP with eight diagnosed preoperatively, five confirmed by surgical pathology (preoperatively misdiagnosed) and two by intraoperative biopsy. Of these 15 patients with AIP and one without AIP, 14 had elevated serum γ‐globulin levels. It was proven by subsequent antibody tests that serum IgG or IgG4 were simultaneously increased.ConclusionsElevated serum γ‐globulin level can be used as a preoperative sentinel indicator for differentiating between IgG4‐related AIP and pancreatic malignancy. Serum IgG or IgG4 tests should be further performed in those with elevated serum γ‐globulin level, which helps to identify AIP in order to avoid unnecessary operation.