bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A comparative picture of corporate social responsibility approaches by leading companies in the United Kingdom and Brazil
Authors: Cavalcanti Sá Abreu Mônica , Barlow Claire 
Published: October 2013

Purpose– This paper aims to compare the CSR strategy, stakeholder engagement and overseas approaches of six leading companies that have large potential environmental and social impacts, influential stakeholders and notable CSR actions.Design/methodology/approach– This is an exploratory survey based on interviews with senior executives from British and Brazilian companies operating in the steel, petroleum and retail sectors, that makes comparisons between and within them.Findings– The British companies interviewed are more rule-based, adopt an implicit CSR approach, react to stakeholders' demands based on moral motives, and focus on environmental issues. The Brazilian companies reviewed in this study adopt an explicit CSR approach, have relational motives to engage with stakeholders, and are more concerned with building a responsible image and narrowing social gaps.Research limitations/implications– The survey is based on the perceptions of the senior executives interviewed, which may or may not correspond to actual practices. The sample size restricts generalisation of the results, and the specific firms interviewed may not represent the prevailing CSR business strategy in their respective countries.Practical implications– British companies can learn from the Brazilian experience how to become more innovative in a broader approach to CSR. Brazil should reinforce its legal framework to provide a more systematic and rule-based approach to CSR, close to the UK experience.Originality/value– The way CSR is conceived and implemented depends on the ethical, socioeconomic, legal and institutional environment of the country in which the firm operates.
Quantifying variation among garden plants in attractiveness to bees and other flower‐visiting insects
Authors: Garbuzov Mihail , Ratnieks Francis L. W. 
Published: October 2013

Summary

Pollinating insects are globally declining, with one of the main causes being the loss of flowers. With the value of countryside reducing, urban areas, particularly gardens, are increasingly recognized as of benefit to wildlife, including flower‐visiting insects.

Many gardeners specifically select plant varieties attractive to wildlife. Given the wide public interest, many lists of recommended varieties have been produced by both amateurs and professional organizations, but appear not to be well grounded in empirical data. These lists, however, are not without merit and are an obvious starting point. There is clearly a need to put the process onto a firmer footing based more on data and less on opinion and general experience.

We collected data over two summers by counting flower‐visiting insects as they foraged on 32 popular summer‐flowering garden plant varieties in a specially planted experimental garden, with two smaller additional gardens set up in year two to check the generality of the results. With many thousands of plant varieties available to gardeners in the United Kingdom, and other countries or regions, it would have been an impossible task to make a comprehensive survey resulting in a complete and authoritative list.

Our results are valuable and encouraging. Garden flowers attractive to the human eye vary enormously, approximately 100‐fold, in their attractiveness to insects. Insects, especially bees and hover flies, can be attracted in large numbers with clear differences in the distribution of types attracted by different varieties.

Our results clearly show that there is a great scope for making gardens and parks more bee‐ and insect‐friendly by plant selection. Horticulturally modified plant varieties created by plant breeding, including hybrids, are not necessarily less attractive to insects and in some cases are more attractive than their wild‐type counterparts. Importantly, all the plants we compared were considered highly attractive to humans, given that they are widely sold as ornamental garden plants.

Helping insect pollinators in gardens does not involve extra cost or gardening effort, or loss of aesthetic attractiveness. Furthermore, the methods of quantifying insect‐friendliness of plant varieties trialled in this study are relatively simple and can form the basis of further research, including ‘citizen science’.
Are there evolutionary consequences of plant–soil feedbacks along soil gradients?
Authors: Schweitzer Jennifer A. , Juric Ivan , van de Voorde Tess F. J. , Clay Keith , van der Putten Wim H. , Bailey Joseph K. 
Published: October 2013

Summary

Both abiotic and biotic gradients exist in soils, and several of these gradients have been shown to select for plant traits. Moreover, plants possess a multitude of traits that can lead to strong niche construction (i.e. plant‐induced changes to soils). Our objectives in this paper are to outline both empirical and theoretical evidence for the evolutionary consequences of plant–soil linkages and feedbacks on plants along soil heterogeneity gradients.

We describe a simple mathematical model of plant evolution to explore the relationship between the sign and magnitude of feedback and the divergence of plant traits. We also constructed an individual‐based simulation model to study the conditions under which plant–soil feedbacks occur, niche construction evolves, and plant traits diverge.

This approach allows us to address specific hypotheses regarding relationships between positive and negative plant–soil feedback with variation in niche construction, the strength of selective gradients and the relative importance of local adaptation vs. feedbacks.

The models suggest that feedbacks between soils and plants may commonly result in evolutionary interactions. The simulation model indicates that plant traits can diverge with niche construction and traits can be selected for in response to niche construction. However, the magnitude of feedbacks and how strongly they evolve depends on the amount of gene flow and the strength of selective gradients over time.

These results suggest that plant–soil feedback can lead to evolution in plants and reveals new research directions for further inquiry. Questions addressing trade‐offs and relationships between positive and negative feedbacks as well as adaptation and maladaptation of plant traits represent important frontiers in plant–soil feedback studies.
Umlaut in the Bantu B80 Languages of the Kwilu (DRC)
Authors: Bostoen Koen , Muluwa Joseph Koni 
Published: October 2013

AbstractUmlaut is a rather uncommon sound change in Bantu. However, it is prolific in a number of closely related Bantu languages spoken in the Kwilu District of DR Congo, also known as the ‘Bantu B80’ languages. This shared phonological innovation is not only diagnostic of the genealogical unity of this language cluster, but variation in the way it is realized is also significant for their internal classification. In some languages, umlaut leads to an increase in phonemes through the creation of a new set of rounded front vowels. In others, umlaut triggers vowel change without impact on the number of vowel qualities. This paper presents a detailed descriptive and comparative study of this specific kind of vowel harmony and the phonological contexts in which it is triggered.
Credit Constraint and the Asymmetric Monetary Policy Effect on House Prices
Authors: Chen Nan‐Kuang , Chou Yu‐Hsi , Wu Jyh‐Lin 
Published: October 2013

AbstractWe study the possible asymmetric effect of monetary policy on house prices under different credit regimes. We first derive the implications of a theoretical model in which agents may be collateral‐constrained. We then empirically examine the implications of the model using the threshold vector autoregression model. Two different measures reflecting the tightness of the credit market are computed to serve as the threshold variable. We find that house prices react to a monetary shock initially more strongly but the effect is less persistent in a credit boom regime than in a normal credit regime. This result is consistent with the findings of our theoretical model.
Risk of colorectal cancer in women with pelvic inflammatory disease: a matched cohort study
Authors: Hsu M‐I , Lin H‐W 
Published: October 2013

ObjectiveInflammation is an important risk factor for the development of colorectal cancer (CRC). Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) comprises a spectrum of upper genital tract infections and inflammatory diseases. We aimed to evaluate the association between CRC and PID.DesignMatched cohort study using the National Health Insurance Research Database.SettingWomen with PID in Taiwan.Population and sampleFrom the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005 (LHID2005) in Taiwan, we obtained data on women from 13 to 45 years of age who were diagnosed with PID. The women with PID were matched 1:4 to selected members of the population without PID based on age and year of first entry into the LHID2005.MethodsA Cox proportional hazards model was used to evaluate the hazard ratio for CRC during the 5‐year follow‐up period, after adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and selected comorbid medical disorders.Main outcome measuresColorectal cancer.ResultsOf the 19 029 women with PID, 30 were diagnosed with CRC during the 78 965 person‐year follow‐up period. Of the 76 116 control women, 66 were diagnosed with CRC. The CRC hazard ratio during the 5‐year follow‐up period was 2.00 (95% CI 1.30–3.08) for women with PID relative to control women. Similarly, after adjusting for age, Charlson comorbidity index score, urbanisation level and monthly income, the adjusted CRC hazard ratio was 1.71 (95% CI 1.10–2.65) for the women with PID relative to the women in the comparison cohort.ConclusionsHere we show a weak association between PID and CRC. Additional studies are needed to further evaluate this association and examine plausible mechanisms, including the influence of specific microorganisms.
Effect of Hospital–SNF Referral Linkages on Rehospitalization
Authors: Rahman Momotazur , Foster Andrew D. , Grabowski David C. , Zinn Jacqueline S. , Mor Vincent 
Published: October 2013

ObjectiveTo determine whether the rate of rehospitalization is lower among patients discharged to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) with which a hospital has a strong linkage.Data Sources/CollectionWe used national Medicare enrollment, claims, and the Minimum Data Set to examine 2.8 million newly discharged patients to 15,063 SNFs from 2,477 general hospitals between 2004 and 2006.Study DesignWe examined the relationship between the proportion of discharges from a hospital and alternative SNFs on the rehospitalization of patients treated by that hospital–SNF pair using an instrumental variable approach. We used distances to alternative SNFs from residence of the patients of the originating hospital as the instrument.Principal FindingsOur estimates suggest that if the proportion of a hospital's discharges to an SNF was to increase by 10 percentage points, the likelihood of patients treated by that hospital–SNF pair to be rehospitalized within 30 days would decline by 1.2 percentage points, largely driven by fewer rehospitalizations within a week of hospital discharge.ConclusionsStronger hospital–SNF linkages, independent of hospital ownership, were found to reduce rehospitalization rates. As hospitals are held accountable for patients' outcomes postdischarge under the Affordable Care Act, hospitals may steer their patients preferentially to fewer SNFs.
Assessing Farmers' Willingness to Accept “Greening”: Insights from a Discrete Choice Experiment in Germany
Authors: Schulz Norbert , Breustedt Gunnar , Latacz‐Lohmann Uwe 
Published: October 2013

AbstractThis paper explores farmers' prospective responses to the “greening” of the Common Agricultural Policy. The analysis is based on discrete choice experiments with 128 German farmers. Participants were asked to choose between a “greening” option with a given set of management prescriptions and an “opt‐out” alternative with a stipulated cut of the single direct payment. A binary logit model is used to identify the variables affecting the likelihood of “greening” being chosen. In addition, latent class estimations are carried out to group respondents into latent classes of “compliers” and “non‐compliers”. We find that farmers' choices are driven by “greening” policy attributes, personal and farm characteristics, and interactions between these two groups of variables. Farmers perceive “greening” as a costly constraint, but not all farmers are equally affected and not all “greening” provisions are regarded as equally demanding. Specialised arable farms on highly productive land and intensive dairy farms are most likely to opt out of “greening” and voluntarily forgo part of their single payment entitlements. The paper concludes with a set of recommendations for improving the design of a second‐best policy.
When should FDG‐PET be used in the modern management of lymphoma?
Authors: Barrington Sally Fiona , Mikhaeel Nabegh George 
Published: October 2013

SummaryPositron Emission Tomography (PET) is a functional imaging technique that, combined with computerized tomography (PET‐CT), is increasingly used in lymphoma. Most subtypes accumulate fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) and the increased sensitivity of PET‐CT, especially for extranodal disease, compared to CT, makes PET‐CT an attractive staging tool. The availability of a staging PET‐CT scan also improves the accuracy of subsequent response assessment. ‘Interim’ PET‐CT can be used to assess early response and end‐of‐treatment PET‐CT assesses remission. Clinical trials are currently seeking to establish whether the predictive value of PET‐CT can be successfully used to guide individual treatment to reduce toxicity and/or to improve outcomes. Standardized methods for performing and reporting PET have been developed in the context of trials. The role of PET in transplantation selection is currently evolving, as it appears to be more accurate and prognostic than CT. The role of FDG PET‐CT throughout the management course in patients with lymphoma is explored in this review, with areas discussed that may limit the use of PET‐CT imaging which clinicians should be familiar with to inform practice.
The protein kinase C inhibitor sotrastaurin allows regulatory T cell function
Authors: de Weerd A , Kho M , Kraaijeveld R , Zuiderwijk J , Weimar W , Baan C 
Published: October 2013

Summary
The novel immunosuppressant sotrastaurin is a selective inhibitor of protein kinase C isoforms that are critical in signalling pathways downstream of the T cell receptor. Sotrastaurin inhibits nuclear factor (NF)-κB, which directly promotes the transcription of forkhead box protein 3 (FoxP3), the key regulator for the development and function of regulatory T cells (Tregs). Our center participated in a randomized trial comparing sotrastaurin (n = 14) and the calcineurin inhibitor Neoral (n = 7) in renal transplant recipients. We conducted ex vivo mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) and flow cytometry studies on these patient samples, as well as in vitro studies on samples of blood bank volunteers (n = 38). Treg numbers remained stable after transplantation and correlated with higher trough levels of sotrastaurin (r = 0·68, P = 0·03). A dose-dependent effect of sotrastaurin on alloresponsiveness was observed: the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) to inhibit alloactivated T cell proliferation was 45 ng/ml (90 nM). In contrast, Treg function was not affected by sotrastaurin: in the presence of in vitro-added sotrastaurin (50 ng/ml) Tregs suppressed the proliferation of alloactivated T effector cells at a 1:5 ratio by 35 versus 47% in the absence of the drug (P = 0·33). Signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT)-5 phosphorylation in Tregs remained intact after incubation with sotrastaurin. This potent Treg function was also found in cells of patients treated with sotrastaurin: Tregs inhibited the anti-donor response in MLR by 67% at month 6, which was comparable to pretransplantation (82%). Sotrastaurin is a potent inhibitor of alloreactivity in vitro, while it did not affect Treg function in patients after kidney transplantation.
Visualization of the Centre of Projection Geometrical Locus in a Single Image
Authors: Stojaković V. , Popov S. , Tepavčević B. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractSingle view reconstruction (SVR) is an important approach for 3D shape recovery since many non‐existing buildings and scenes are captured in a single image. Historical photographs are often the most precise source for virtual reconstruction of a damaged cultural heritage. In semi‐automated techniques, that are mainly used under practical situations, the user is the one who recognizes and selects constraints to be used. Hence, the veridicality and the accuracy of the final model partially rely on man‐based decisions. We noticed that users, especially non‐expert users such as cultural heritage professionals, usually do not fully understand the SVR process, which is why they have trouble in decision making while modelling. That often fundamentally affects the quality of the final 3D models. Considering the importance of human performance in SVR approaches, in this paper we offer a solution that can be used to reduce the amount of user errors. Specifically, we address the problem of locating the centre of projection (CP). We introduce a tool set for 3D visualization of the CP's geometrical loci that provides the user with a clear idea of how the CP's location is determined. Thanks to this type of visualization, the user becomes aware of the following: (1) the constraint relevant for CP location, (2) the image suitable for SVR, (3) more constraints for CP location required, (4) which constraints should be used for the best match, (5) will additional constraints create a useful redundancy. In order to test our approach and the assumptions it relies on, we compared the amount of user made errors in the standard approaches with the one in which additional visualization is provided.
Scintigraphic assessment of gastrointestinal motility: a brief review of techniques and data interpretation
Authors: Madsen Jan L. 
Published: October 2013

SummaryGastrointestinal transit reflects overall gastrointestinal motor activity and is regulated by a complex interplay between neural and hormonal stimuli. Thus, transit measurements provide a measure of the combined effects of gastrointestinal muscular activity and feedback from the gut and brain. Dysmotility in the different major segments of the gastrointestinal tract may give rise to similar symptoms; hence, localizing transit abnormalities to a specific segment is a valuable element of diagnostic evaluation. Scintigraphy is an effective noninvasive tool to assess gastric emptying as well as small intestinal and colonic transit. This article reviews current imaging techniques, methods for data processing and principles for evaluating results when scintigraphy is used to assess gastrointestinal motility. Furthermore, clinical indications for performing scintigraphy are reviewed.
High prevalence of human metapneumovirus subtype B in cases presenting as severe acute respiratory illness: an experience at tertiary care hospital
Authors: Jain Bhawana , Singh Ajay Kr , Dangi Tanushree , Agarwal Anjali , Verma Anil Kumar , Dwivedi Mukesh , Singh Kaleshwar P. , Jain Amita 
Published: October 2013

AbstractPurposeA comparatively newly discovered human metapneumovirus (HMPV) has emerged as an important cause of severe acute respiratory illness (SARI), second only to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). RSV and HMPV taxonomically belong to same family and subfamily, and their clinical presentation and seasonal distribution are also seemed to be indistinguishable. Present study was planned to know the epidemiology and prevalence of HMPV and RSV in patients presented as SARI in a tertiary care hospital.MethodsNasopharyngeal aspirate of 440 patients fulfilling World Health Organization criteria of SARI, enrolled during a 2‐year study period, were collected and tested for the presence of RSV, HMPV and their subtypes A and B by real time polymerase chain reaction along with other respiratory viruses, viz influenza A, B, parainfluenza 1, 2, 3, 4, adenovirus, measles virus and bocavirus. The demographic details, clinical profile, underlying diseases, clinical diagnosis at the time of admission and seasonal distribution were studied and analyzed statistically.ResultsOverall positivity of RSV was 14.3% (24.68% in <5 years) and of HMPV was 3.63% (5.1% in <5 years and 5.08% in 6–12 years). Among RSV, subtype A (89%), and among HMPV, genotype B (68.8%) were predominating. Adults having underlying chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were more prone to acquire RSV and HMPV infections. RSV and HMPV positivity was restricted to winter season. We are reporting replacement of RSV with HMPV in this population.ConclusionsHMPV has emerged as an important cause of SARI in children <12 years of age. Alternative predominance of RSV and HMPV is an important observation.
Spirometry may underestimate airway obstruction in professional Greek athletes
Authors: Myrianthefs Pavlos , Grammatopoulou Irini , Katsoulas Theodoros , Baltopoulos George 
Published: October 2013

AbstractPurposeLung development and consequently, lung volumes, are affected by the duration, type and intensity of sporting. Athletes may have higher spirometric values compared to predicted which may lead to misclassification of this population and misdiagnosis during clinical evaluation. The aim of the study was to compare measured spirometric values with those predicted from the European Community for Steel and Coal statement in Greek professional athletes.MethodsMeasured and predicted spirometric values were recorded from 276 normal professional athletes (168 males, 108 females), aged 15–60 years originated from the metropolitan area of Athens, Greece. Predicted and measured spirometric values were compared using a paired sample t‐test and analysed using Bland–Altman method.ResultsMeasured FEV1 was 109.6 (1.02%) and 109.4 (1.29%) and FVC was 110.8 (1.07%) and 109.6 (1.02%) compared to predicted in males and females respectively. The FEV1/FVC ratio was 102.2 (0.55%) and 103.2 (0.58%) compared to predicted for males and females, respectively. Bland–Altman analysis revealed a significant bias and magnitude of difference between predicted and measured spirometric values.ConclusionsEuropean Community for Steel and Coal predicted spirometric values significantly underestimated measured lung volumes and FEV1/FVC ratio in Greek athletes of both sexes. Predicted spirometric indices should be used with caution in the evaluation of athletes presenting with respiratory symptoms for the risk of underestimation of restrictive disease or airway obstruction.
De novo psychogenic nonepileptic attacks after adult epilepsy surgery: An underestimated entity
Authors: Markoula Sofia , de Tisi Jane , Foong Jacqueline , Duncan John S. 
Published: October 2013

SummaryWe retrospectively assessed all patients in a large cohort of patients with epilepsy surgery at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (NHNN) over 12 years, to identify patients with postoperative psychogenic nonepileptic attacks (PNEA). Twenty‐nine patients (23 women) were identified of a total of 790 patients, a frequency of 3.7%. Female gender and presurgical psychiatric diagnosis, other than psychosis, were significant risk factors for PNEA development. In female patients with a preoperative psychiatric diagnosis the chance of developing PNEA after epilepsy surgery was 8.5%. PNEA developed between 2 weeks and 10 years after epilepsy surgery, independently of outcome of epileptic seizures. In most cases, PNEA differed from the present or past epileptic seizures, and motor symptoms were the most common manifestations. Seizures after epilepsy surgery should be carefully evaluated. Physicians should consider the possibility of PNEA, especially in female patients with preoperative psychiatric comorbidity developing “atypical” seizures with motor manifestations postoperatively, even many years after epilepsy surgery.