bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Gaming outcome of accountants and human capital theory: Macau evidence
Authors: Law Philip 
Published: November 2010

PurposeMacau is a major gambling city in Asia, with many tourists and customers visiting its casinos every day. These visitors include not only recreational and pathological gamblers, but also professional people such as accountants. Although, past studies have been carried out on the gambling behavior of various individuals, no research has examined the actual gambling outcome of accountants. The rationale for this research is that accountants may be more confident in their ability to predict or calculate gambling outcomes than other individuals because of their numerical competency. This paper aims to address these issues.Design/methodology/approachThis study is ought to be the first to use data on professional accountants to examine the actual gambling outcomes for accountants against the background of human capital theory. The data are taken from an on‐site survey of 203 professional accounting professionals visiting a casino in Macau.FindingsThe results of the logistic regressions indicate that the variables of “age” and “previous win” have no significant influence on the actual gaming outcome for accountants, but that certified public accountants (CPA) status, self‐confidence, temper, and luck may positively affect the outcome. Further, female accounting professionals are less likely to win than male accounting professionals. The results support the validity of human capital theory, which asserts that the market compensates the cost of education. Although table games are based on casino mathematics, probability, and luck, it is interesting to note that human capital theory also applies in the gaming industries.Originality/valueThe results extend the theoretical development of human capital theory and broaden its application from business sectors to the gaming industry. Further research is recommended to validate the findings.
Chinese glocalization – a study of intergenerational residence in urban China
Authors: Lin Shengdong , Ke Xue 
Published: November 2010

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the way in which Chinese consumers integrate both global culture and local culture through the change of intergenerational residence in urban China.Design/methodology/approachData were collected by semi‐structured interviews of 15 families from three cities in south China. All interview tapes were transcribed. A hermeneutic process is used to analyze the verbal context.FindingsThere is a new trend of intergenerational residence in urban China, living apart but close. Living apart is a result of equalization between generations in socio‐political power, whereas living close is a way for traditional value adapting to global environments. Further analysis suggests that the assimilation of socio‐political values rooted in individualistic cultures, unexpectedly, is for the purpose of collective goodness, and the performance of traditional moral values is shifting from the compulsory rule based on traditional social norms to the spontaneous rule based on human demand.Research limitations/implicationsThese findings capture the richness of Chinese dialectical way of “glocalization,” which retains basic (often positive) elements of opposing perspectives by seeking a middle way. Such findings would be valuable for global marketers trying to enter the Chinese market.Originality/valueThis paper answers the question of how Chinese consumers accept the competitive advantages of global culture and at the same time keep the positive distinctiveness of the heritage culture.
Environmental assessment of shipment release policies
Authors: Merrick Ryan J. , Bookbinder James H. 
Published: November 2010

PurposeA program of shipment consolidation (SCL) is the purposeful intervention by management to regularly combine several small shipments so that a larger load may be dispatched on the same vehicle. SCL decisions traditionally have been based upon minimization of total logistics costs (inventory plus transportation). The paper aims to answer the following research question: given the environmental implications of vehicle emissions as a function of load weight, are the familiar SCL policies still optimal?Design/methodology/approachNonlinear expressions relating carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to vehicle weight, and parameterized by trip length and average travel speed, were derived from published experimental data. Those expressions were included in a simulation model that assessed the environmental impact, in addition to the logistics cost, of the policies concerning when to release a consolidated load.FindingsFor short holding times, the quantity policy performs best in terms of both logistics cost and pollution reduction. In the case of low‐order arrival rates and long holding times, the time policy is best at reducing emissions and logistics costs. However, the best dispatch policy conflicts in terms of pollution reduction and logistics cost minimization for the following cases: moderate holding times and long holding times combined with high‐order arrival rates. In these cases, it is necessary to consider the speed of travel, trip length and unit cost of emissions when evaluating the policies.Research limitations/implicationsA carbon trading market appears to be on the horizon in several industries, which will establish a price per unit weight for CO2 emissions and make it beneficial to minimize the total cost (including emissions) of the network. This research only considers CO2 pollution, but future investigations could also consider other pollutants such as nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and volatile organic carbons.Practical implicationsSCL policies can include a “green logistics” component that is based on empirical data.Originality/valueOne undesirable consequence of transportation by truck is CO2 emissions. However, the impact can be lessened, while still emphasizing total logistics cost per load, with our simulation‐based results for shipment release policies.
Density dependence in the Chinese construction industry
Authors: Yang Huan , Chan Albert P.C. , Li Qiming 
Published: November 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to test the density dependence theory and explain the deep changes that the Chinese construction industry is experiencing. Focusing on both organizational level and industry level, it aims to identify the factors and to show how these factors affect the mortality of the Chinese construction companies.Design/methodology/approachThe Jiangsu construction industry is chosen as a proxy of the Chinese market. With the event history analysis method and life history data on all companies known to have operated during the period 1989‐2007 in Jiangsu, an expanded Cox model is established to achieve the purpose.FindingsThe construction industry level evolution plays an important role on exit rate of construction companies; however, this effect does not conform with density dependence as expected, and it interacts with organizational age. Besides, age and size of organizational level, and macro environment also act on mortality.Research limitations/implicationsOwing to the difficulty in data acquisition, only 19 years of the Jiangsu construction industry have been reported here, which may not provide the whole picture of the evolution process. Furthermore, the different ending events, such as disbanding and merge, have not been identified, which may affect the results to some extent.Practical implicationsThe paper provides a new perspective to analyze the evolution of the Chinese construction industry and the mortality of construction companies.Originality/valueThis is the first article that applies the density dependence theory to analyze the evolution process of the construction industry. It is also the first attempt to analyze the interaction of density, macro factors and organizational age, which is a contribution to the organizational ecology theory and the study of construction industry development.
A coopetition strategy – a study of inter‐firm dynamics between competition and cooperation
Authors: Osarenkhoe Aihie 
Published: November 2010

PurposeThis paper contributes to extant knowledge by highlighting the complementarity‐based nature of coopetition strategy and its impact on collective strategies for value generation among actors.Design/methodology/approachData collection draws on three cases encompassing three empirical contexts. A theoretical lens that enables a focus on contemporary inter‐organisational markets as organised behaviour systems manifesting network structures is adopted. Business strategy is operationalised as an exchange strategy with an emphasis on the exchange effectiveness achieved when some value is produced in cooperation with significant others.FindingsThe results show that managerial leadership and development of trust are the key success factors. Furthermore, this hybrid level of inter‐organisational relationship encompassing both competition and cooperation – coopetition – fosters collective intelligence through information and knowledge sharing.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper concludes that, due to contemporary inter‐organisational exchange often being governed by the “visible hand” of the process of networking, today's environment is different from the environment firms used to encounter in the past. From a managerial perspective, the findings demonstrate the multifaceted nature of coopetition. Additional work on the impact of the concept of coopetition strategy on business practice is needed to add to this valuable endeavour.Originality/valueThe existing studies are primarily concerned with arm's‐length exchange (competition), a dynamic situation in which several actors are vying for scarce resources and/or producing and marketing similar products or services. Comparatively little research has focused on inter‐organisational dynamics, which entails both cooperation and competition. This paper demonstrates that participating in inter‐firm networks has become increasingly popular to enhance corporate entrepreneurship.
The reliability of virus‐induced gene silencing experiments using tobacco rattle virus in tomato is influenced by the size of the vector control
Authors: WU CHENGJUN , JIA LINGLING , GOGGIN FIONA 
Published: November 2010

SUMMARYThe tobacco rattle virus (TRV)‐based vector pYL156 is the most widely used vector for virus‐induced gene silencing (VIGS) in solanaceous plants. We show here that vacuum agroinfiltration of the pYL156 empty vector causes extensive stem lesions, foliar necrosis, stunted growth and delayed flowering in tomato, whereas plants infiltrated with pYL156‐based silencing constructs that carry inserts of ∼250 bp or more show few symptoms of virus infection. This difference in plant health influences plant susceptibility to insects, a trait measured in many VIGS experiments, and could potentially bias the results of other bioassays designed to assess the phenotypic consequences of VIGS. When plants were infiltrated with the pYL156:GUS construct, which carries a 396‐bp fragment of the β‐glucuronidase gene that has no significant homology with any endogenous gene in tomato, they showed similar growth and development as buffer‐infiltrated controls, and exhibited significantly fewer viral symptoms than the empty vector. Furthermore, pYL156:GUS did not influence plant susceptibility to aphids. Reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) results indicated that the GUS insert may cause a modest delay in virus movement within the plant, but does not limit TRV replication in infected tissue. Therefore, the pYL156:GUS construct represents an improved negative control for TRV‐induced gene silencing.
Pathogenic and non‐pathogenic Agrobacterium tumefaciens, A. rhizogenes and A. vitis strains form biofilms on abiotic as well as on root surfaces
Authors: Abarca‐Grau A. M. , Penyalver R. , López M. M. , Marco‐Noales E. 
Published: November 2010

Pathogenic and non‐pathogenic Agrobacterium tumefaciens, A. rhizogenes and A. vitis strains growing in minimal liquid medium adhered to different abiotic surfaces, forming biofilms at initial stages of development. Agrobacterium tumefaciens and A. vitis strains were able to attach to both polystyrene and polypropylene materials, whereas the A. rhizogenes strains only bound to polystyrene surfaces. Strains of the three species were also able to form biofilms on borosilicate coverslips. It is concluded that their ability to adhere to and form nascent biofilms on abiotic surfaces is dependent on the Agrobacterium species (biovar), surface material and growth conditions. Furthermore, tumorigenic A. tumefaciens and A. vitis strains, and the biological control agent A. rhizogenes strain K84, bound tightly to and formed complex biofilms on the surface of tomato root tips ex planta. More importantly, in planta assays confirmed that all three Agrobacterium spp. strains efficiently colonized tomato seedlings and also formed biofilms on roots. These complex structures, as revealed by scanning electron microscopy, were composed of numerous bacterial cells arranged in different ways: either dense and continuous carpets, large aggregates embedded in extra‐cellular material or globular mushrooms traversed internally by channels. Confocal laser scanning microscopy, using GFP‐marked derivative strains, corroborated the presence of live, three‐dimensional and thick green fluorescent structures attached to plant material. This study illustrates that besides A. tumefaciens, strains of the species A. rhizogenes and A. vitis are also able to build biofilms on abiotic as well as on root surfaces.
Effect of an anti‐inflammatory dose of prednisone on thyroid hormone monitoring in hypothyroid dogs
Authors: O’Neill Sarah H. , Frank Linda A. , Reynolds Lisa M. 
Published: November 2010

AbstractIt is not uncommon for a hypothyroid dog to be receiving concurrent corticosteroids. As hypothyroid dogs receiving thyroid supplement need periodic monitoring, knowledge of whether prednisone alters thyroid hormone concentrations would be useful to determine whether testing can or should be done while the dog is receiving therapy and whether dose adjustments are appropriate. In this study, the effect of short‐term anti‐inflammatory prednisone was determined in dogs with naturally occurring hypothyroidism. Eight adult dogs were given prednisone (1.0 mg/kg, orally) daily for 7 days and then on alternate days for 14 days. Serum total thyroxine (T4), free T4(fT4), and thyroid‐stimulating hormone (TSH) were measured on days 7, 21 and 28 and compared with baseline data. Total T4concentrations were significantly decreased after 7 days of anti‐inflammatory prednisone, but were not significantly altered from baseline on days 21 or 28. Free T4and TSH concentrations were not significantly altered from baseline at any point during the study. Two dogs had decreased total T4concentrations on day 7, which may have resulted in an alteration in thyroid supplementation. Results showed that administration of prednisone at a dosage of 1 mg/kg, orally, once daily for 7 days decreased total T4, while fT4was unchanged, suggesting that fT4may be less affected by daily prednisone administration. Anti‐inflammatory doses of prednisone administered every other day did not interfere with thyroid hormone monitoring.
Multiple polymorphisms in genes of the adrenergic stress system confer vulnerability to alcohol abuse
Authors: Clarke Toni‐Kim , Dempster Emma , Docherty Sophia J. , Desrivieres Sylvane , Lourdsamy Anbarasu , Wodarz Norbert , Ridinger Moniker , Maier Wolfgang , Rietschel Marcella , Schumann Gunter 
Published: November 2010

ABSTRACTEnvironmental factors such as stress influence both the predisposition to and development of alcoholism, as well as have significant implications for alcoholism relapse. One predominant biological response to acute stress is the release of norepinephrine, which activates the peripheral stress response and also the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis. We aimed to examine the role of two genes of the adrenergic system (SLC6A2 and ADRA2A) in alcoholism by genotyping 21 SNPs in 785 adult alcohol‐dependent patients and 1237 controls. Two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) (rs36020 and rs36029) in SLC6A2 were significantly associated with alcoholism [false discovery rate corrected P‐value (FDR) P = 0.007]. Two SNPs in ADRA2A (rs521674 and rs602618) were associated with a positive family history of alcoholism (FDR P ≤ 0.05). A combined SNP‐set analysis was also carried out to determine the risk of harbouring multiple alcohol risk alleles across SLC6A2 and ADRA2A. Logistic regression analysis revealed that an increase in the number of alcohol risk alleles increased the risk for alcoholism (P = 0.000567, odds ratio = 1.75, 95% confidence interval 1.26–2.44). A three‐SNP haplotype consisting of rs187715, rs36020 and rs40147 alleles, AGC, was also found, which was significantly over‐represented in cases compared with controls (61% versus 56%). We therefore demonstrate an association of SLC6A2 and ADRA2A with adult alcoholism. These data confirm the relevance of the adrenergic stress system when considering genetic predisposition to alcohol dependence and suggest that SLC6A2 and ADRA2A should be studied in additional alcohol‐dependent cohorts.
A C17T polymorphism in the mu opiate receptor is associated with quantitative measures of drug use in African American women
Authors: Crystal Howard A. , Hamon Sara , Randesi Matthew , Cook Judith , Anastos Kathryn , Lazar Jason , Liu Chenglong , Pearce Leigh , Golub Elizabeth , Valcour Victor , Weber Kathleen M. , Holman Susan , Ho Ann , Kreek Mary Jeanne 
Published: November 2010

ABSTRACTPrevious studies of the association of the C17T polymorphism of the mu opiate receptor gene with substance dependence compared cases with substance dependence to controls and usually found no significant association. However, the studies were limited by small sample size—no study had more than 12 subjects with the TT genotype, a genotype that is rare in white and Asian subjects. Moreover, drug use is not dichotomous but follows a spectrum from non‐use to modest, intermittent use, to use several times daily. We asked whether the Kreek–McHugh–Schluger–Kellogg (KMSK) scales for alcohol, cocaine, opiates and tobacco that quantify substance use during the time of a subject's maximal use might be more sensitive measures than dichotomous outcomes. We administered the KMSK scales and completed C17T genotyping on 1009 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)‐infected and 469 HIV‐uninfected women in The Women's Interagency HIV Study, an ongoing study of HIV in women. Forty‐two of the 697 African American, 1 of the 182 Hispanic and none of the 161 white women had the TT genotype. KMSK cocaine, alcohol and tobacco scores were significantly higher in the African American women with the TT genotype (P = 0.008, 0.0001, and 0.006, respectively), but opiate scores were not. Ordinal regression models controlling for HIV serostatus, age, education, and income had odds ratios for the TT genotype for predicting alcohol, tobacco, cocaine and opiates scores of 2.1 (P = 0.02), 2.4 (P = 0.0004), 2.0 (P = 0.03) and 1.9 (P = 0.07). We conclude that the TT genotype of OPRM1 may increase the risk of substance use and abuse.
Interaction between ALDH2*1*1 and DRD2/ANKK1 TaqI A1A1 genes may be associated with antisocial personality disorder not co‐morbid with alcoholism
Authors: Lu Ru‐Band , Lee Jia‐Fu , Huang San‐Yuan , Lee Sheng‐Yu , Chang Yun‐Hsuan , Kuo Po‐Hsiu , Chen Shiou‐Lan , Chen Shih‐Heng , Chu Chun‐Hsien , Lin Wei‐Wen , Wu Pei‐Lin , Ko Huei‐Chen 
Published: November 2010

ABSTRACTPrevious studies on acetaldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) focused on drinking behavior or alcoholism because the ALDH2*2 allele protects against the risk of developing alcoholism. The mechanism provides that the ALDH2 gene's protective effect is also involved in dopamine metabolism. The interaction of the ALDH2 gene with neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, is suggested to be related to alcoholism. Because alcoholism is often co‐morbid with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), previous association studies on antisocial alcoholism cannot differentiate whether those genes relate to ASPD with alcoholism or ASPD only. This study examined the influence of the interaction effect of the ALDH2*1*1, *1*2 or *2*2 polymorphisms with the dopamine 2 receptor (DRD2) Taq I polymorphism on ASPD. Our 541 Han Chinese male participants were classified into three groups: antisocial alcoholism (ASPD co‐morbid with alcohol dependence, antisocial ALC; n = 133), ASPD without alcoholism (ASPD not co‐morbid with alcohol dependence, antisocial non‐ALC; n = 164) and community controls (healthy volunteers from the community; n = 244). Compared with healthy controls, individuals with the DRD2 A1/A1 and the ALDH2*1/*1 genotypes were at a 5.39 times greater risk for antisocial non‐ALC than were those with other genotypes. Our results suggest that the DRD2/ANKK1 and ALDH2 genes interacted in the antisocial non‐ALC group; a connection neglected in previous studies caused by not separating antisocial ALC from ASPD. Our study made this distinction and showed that these two genes may be associated ASPD without co‐morbid alcoholism.
Prognostic significance of preoperative serum CYFRA 21‐1 in patients with upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma
Authors: Suyama Taisuke , Nakajima Koichi , Kanbe Shigeki , Tanaka Norie , Hara Hiroshi , Ishii Nobuhisa 
Published: November 2010

Objectives:  The prognosis for upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma is generally poorer than that for bladder cancer, and prognostic predictors with a high specificity for upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UUT‐UC) are needed to optimize treatment. In fact, the only preoperative predictor currently available is C‐reactive protein. In the present study, we investigated the usefulness of pretreatment serum CYFRA 21‐1 as a new prognostic predictor in UUT‐UC.Methods:  A total of 45 UUT‐UC patients for whom serum CYFRA 21‐1 was measured before treatment were included in this retrospective analysis. Patients were separated into high and low serum CYFRA 21‐1 groups based on a cut‐off value of 2.7 ng/mL determined from a receiver operating characteristic curve. Kaplan–Meier survival curves were calculated and the overall survival rate was statistically analyzed for the high and low pretreatment serum CYFRA 21‐1 groups using the log–rank test. Multivariable analysis was carried out using the Cox proportional hazards analysis.Results:  By the median follow‐up period of 14.4 months, 20 patients (44.4%) had died. Of the 45 patients, 23 (51.1%) were in the high pretreatment serum CYFRA 21‐1 group, and the overall survival rate of this group was significantly lower (P < 0.001). Multivariable analysis identified only distant metastasis (P < 0.001) and pretreatment serum CYFRA 21‐1 (P = 0.039) as independent prognostic predictors. Distant metastasis did not significantly differ between the two groups or correlate with pretreatment serum CYFRA 21‐1.Conclusion:  These findings suggest that pretreatment serum CYFRA 21‐1 values could serve as a prognostic predictor of UUT‐UC.