bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Preliminary investigation of employee's dog presence on stress and organizational perceptions
Authors: Barker Randolph T. , Knisely Janet S. , Barker Sandra B. , Cobb Rachel K. , Schubert Christine M. 
Published: March 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present a preliminary study of the effect of the presence at work of employees' dogs on stress and organizational perceptions.Design/methodology/approachA pre‐post between‐group design with repeated measures was used to compare differences between employees who bring their dogs to work (DOG group), employees who do not bring their dogs to work (NODOG group), and employees without pets (NOPET group) on physiological and perceived stress, perceptions of job satisfaction, organizational affective commitment, and perceived organizational support.FindingsCombined groups scored significantly higher on multiple job satisfaction subscales than the reference norm group for these scales. No significant differences were found between the groups on physiological stress or perceived organizational support. Although perceived stress was similar at baseline; over the course of the day, stress declined for the DOG group with their dogs present and increased for the NODOG and NOPET groups. The NODOG group had significantly higher stress than the DOG group by the end of the day. A significant difference was found in the stress patterns for the DOG group on days their dogs were present and absent. On dog absent days, owners' stress increased throughout the day, mirroring the pattern of the NODOG group.Originality/valueThis paper provides the first quantitative exploratory study of the effects of pet dogs in the workplace setting on employee stress and perceptions of satisfaction, support and commitment.
IT project management resources and capabilities: a Delphi study
Authors: Hadaya Pierre , Cassivi Luc , Chalabi Chahinaze 
Published: March 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify the most important IT project management resources and capabilities, and rank them according to the extent to which they are valuable, rare and inimitable.Design/methodology/approachUsing a Delphi methodology, the data collection process was conducted with the collaboration of members of academia and professionals with expertise in IT project management.FindingsThe top ten most important resources/capabilities in IT project management were identified, the majority of which were capabilities; 80 per cent of the identified resources/capabilities were the same in the panel comprised of members of academia and the panel of professionals. Results showed that the two most valuable, rare and inimitable IT project management resources/capabilities were: the capability to understand and manage the needs, expectations, priorities and interests of project stakeholders; and the firm's capability to align IT projects to the strategy and business objectives of the organization.Practical implicationsThis research guides managers in the development of key IT project management intangible resources/capabilities.Originality/valueBy simultaneously identifying a bundle of important IT project management resources/capabilities, evaluating the extent to which each resource/capability is valuable, rare and inimitable as well as displaying coherence between the results from the different steps of the Delphi method, the resources/capabilities identified in this study are likely to be those few that actually can influence the competitive advantage of the firm. Also, by demonstrating the less important role played by IT resources/capabilities, this study demonstrates that project management is a field of its own.
The paradox of risk management; a project management practice perspective
Authors: Besner Claude , Hobbs Brian 
Published: March 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the interplay between risk management and uncertainty and the contextual variability of risk management practice. More precisely, the research empirically measures the relation between the extent of use of risk management and the level of project uncertainty.Design/methodology/approachThe research defines risk management from an empirical perspective., i.e. from an empirically‐identified set of tools that is actually used to perform risk management. This toolset is derived from the results of an ongoing major worldwide survey on what experienced practitioners actually do to manage their projects. This paper directly relates uncertainty to the degree of project definition. It uses a sample of 1,296 responses for which the interplay between risk management and uncertainty could be measured.FindingsThe results are very coherent. They verify and empirically validate many of the propositions drawn from a review of the literature. But results challenge some of the propositions found in the conventional project management literature and some commonly held views. The research shows that the use of risk management practices and tools is negatively related to the degree of project uncertainty. This somewhat counter‐intuitive result is consistent with a general tendency for all project management tools and techniques to be used more intensively in better defined contexts.Practical implicationsThe empirical investigation of actual risk practices and their contextual variability can help better understand risk management practice and manage risks better. The research also clarifies the concepts of uncertainty, risk and risk management.Originality/valueThe results confirm some well‐known assumptions about practices, but at the same time produced unexpected results that can stimulate the development of new practices adapted to highly uncertain contexts. The project management field needs to develop new responses for specific contexts for which it was not primarily developed. The results of this research point in the direction of such a need for ill‐defined projects and highly uncertain contexts.
Value for money in project alliances
Authors: MacDonald Charles , Walker Derek H.T. , Moussa Neveen 
Published: March 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to report on findings from a doctoral thesis examining value for money in alliance projects. It provides a summary of the thesis findings, explains the thesis author's doctoral journey and the context of both the thesis and the university program.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology of the thesis reported upon here utilised a combination of interviews with domain experts, reflection on practice and a Delphi panel to develop and refine a value for money/best value outcome model for alliance projects. The thesis research approach is described in this paper.FindingsResults from the thesis indicate that a robust model for demonstrating value for money in an alliance project is feasible and the model was both developed and tested through the Delphi panel.Practical implicationsThe paper's findings achieve two ends. First, the paper presents a summary of an important development in project alliancing practice; second, the paper adds to the body of knowledge surrounding the motivation and “lived experience” of mature professional doctoral candidates when balancing demanding careers and doctoral‐level study.Originality/valueThis research expands the conceptual view and practical assessment of value for money in project alliancing.
The association of osteopontin and LMX1A expression with World Health Organization grade in meningiomas and gliomas
Authors: Tsai Wen‐Chiuan , Lee Herng‐Sheng , Lin Chih‐Kung , Chen Ann , Nieh Shin , Ma Hsin‐I 
Published: March 2012

Tsai W‐C, Lee H‐S, Lin C‐K, Chen A, Nieh S & Ma H‐I  (2012) Histopathology 61, 844–856The association of osteopontin and LMX1A expression with World Health Organization grade in meningiomas and gliomasAims:  Osteopontin (OPN) and LIM homeobox transcription factor 1, alpha (LMX1A) are important factors related to tumour progression, invasion and metastasis in human cancers. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that expression of OPN and of LMX1A correlate with the World Health Organization (WHO) grading system of primary brain tumours.Methods and results:  Immunohistochemical analyses of OPN and LMX1A expression were performed in 139 cases of brain tumour, including 65 meningiomas, 71 gliomas, and three central neurocytomas. More than 90% of WHO grade I meningiomas showed negative or weak staining for OPN and LMX1A. However, among all WHO grade II and III meningiomas, 100% and 66.7% showed moderate or strong staining for OPN and LMX1A, respectively. Similarly, higher percentages of WHO grade I and II gliomas than of WHO grade III and IV gliomas showed negative or weak staining for OPN. A higher intensity of immunoreactivity for LMX1A correlated with more advanced grade in WHO grade I–III gliomas, but not in WHO grade IV tumours.Conclusions:  Higher immunostaining intensity for OPN and LMX1A correlated with WHO grades for meningiomas and some gliomas. Contrary to our expectations, LMX1A staining in WHO grade IV gliomas was shown to be weaker than in WHO grade III tumours.
Regulation of B‐cell responses by Toll‐like receptors
Authors: Browne Edward P. 
Published: March 2012

SummaryThe discovery of host‐encoded gene products that sense molecular patterns in infectious microbes, and the demonstration of their role in triggering innate and adaptive immune responses, has been a key milestone in our understanding of immunology. Twenty‐three years after Janeway first outlined the fundamental concepts of the ‘pattern recognition’ model, and 15 years since the identification of Toll‐like receptors (TLRs) as pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), new insights continue to be revealed, and questions remain. For example, innate immune responses to microbes that are mediated by PRRs have historically been viewed as the domain of innate immune cell populations such as dendritic cells and macrophages. New evidence, however, has pointed to the role of B‐cell‐intrinsic TLR activation in shaping antibody responses. These studies have revealed that TLRs regulate a complex transcriptional network that controls multiple steps in the development of antigen‐specific antibodies. This review covers these recent developments regarding the role of TLRs in B‐cell gene expression and function in vitro and in vivo, and highlights the remaining challenges in the field, with particular emphasis on the role of TLRs in antibody responses to viral infection. A more complete understanding of how TLRs regulate antibody responses will lead to improved vaccine design.
Knowledge, attitudes and practices surveys of blood donation in developing countries
Authors: Lownik E. , Riley E. , Konstenius T. , Riley W. , McCullough J. 
Published: March 2012

Background and Objectives  Knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) surveys have been used in many countries to understand factors that influence blood donation and as the basis for communication and donor mobilization strategies.Materials and Methods  A search was conducted of publically available databases, and studies with the following characteristics were selected: (1) the study was a knowledge, attitude and practice or KAP plus behaviour survey; (2) the subject of the survey was blood donation; (3) the survey was performed between 1995 and 2011; and (4) the survey was performed in countries classified as emerging and developing by the International Monetary Fund.Results  Eighteen KAP studies conducted in seventeen developing countries were identified. There was considerable difference in the structure, population surveyed and conduct of the KAP studies. The common following themes emerged: misinformation about blood donation, fear of blood donation, willingness to donate for family and friends, concern about selling blood and a failure to transfer positive attitudes into actual blood donation.Conclusion  Despite considerable differences in the culture and demographics of developing countries, several common themes emerged from different KAP surveys.
Anticancer Drug Vinblastine Sulphate Induces Transient Morphological Changes on the Olfactory Mucosa of the Rabbit
Authors: Kavoi B. M. , Makanya A. N. , Kiama S. G. 
Published: March 2012

SummaryVinblastine sulphate (VBS) is an anticancer drug that acts by disrupting microtubule dynamics of highly mitotic tissue cells. The consequences of VBS on the olfactory mucosa (OM), a tissue with high mitotic numbers, are not clearly understood. We used qualitative and quantitative methods to determine the structural changes that may be produced on the rabbit OM by VBS. Following a single dose (0.31 mg/kg) of this drug, the structure of the mucosa was greatly altered on the first 3–5 days. The alteration was characterized by disarrangement of the normal layering of nuclei of the epithelia, degeneration of axonal bundles, occurrence of blood vessels within the bundles, localized death of cells of Bowman's glands and glandular degeneration. Surprisingly on or after day 7 and progressively to day 15 post‐exposure, the OM was observed to regenerate and acquire normal morphology, and the vessels disappeared from the bundles. Relative to control values, bundle diameters, olfactory cell densities and cilia numbers decreased to as low as 53.1, 75.2 and 71.4%, respectively, on day 5. Volume density for the bundles, which was 28.6% in controls, decreased to a lowest value of 16.8% on day 5. In contrast, the volume density for the blood vessels was significantly lower in controls (19.9%) than in treated animals at day 2 (25.8%), day 3 (34.3%) and day 5 (31.5%). These findings suggest that the changes induced on the rabbit OM by VBS are transient and that regenerative recovery leads to the restoration of the normal structure of the mucosa.
Disordered insulin secretion in the development of insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes
Authors: Schofield C. J. , Sutherland C. 
Published: March 2012

Diabet. Med. 29, 972–979 (2012)AbstractFor many years, the development of insulin resistance has been seen as the core defect responsible for the development of Type 2 diabetes. However, despite extensive research, the initial factors responsible for insulin resistance development have not been elucidated. If insulin resistance can be overcome by enhanced insulin secretion, then hyperglycaemia will never develop. Therefore, a β‐cell defect is clearly required for the development of diabetes. There is a wealth of evidence to suggest that disorders in insulin secretion can lead to the development of decreased insulin sensitivity. In this review, we describe the potential initiating defects in Type 2 diabetes, normal pulsatile insulin secretion and the effects that disordered secretion may have on both β‐cell function and hepatic insulin sensitivity. We go on to examine evidence from physiological and epidemiological studies describing β‐cell dysfunction in the development of insulin resistance. Finally, we describe how disordered insulin secretion may cause intracellular insulin resistance and the implications this concept has for diabetes therapy. In summary, disordered insulin secretion may contribute to development of insulin resistance and hence represent an initiating factor in the progression to Type 2 diabetes.
Feasibility of the FINDRISC questionnaire to identify individuals with impaired glucose tolerance in Swedish primary care. A cross‐sectional population‐based study
Authors: Hellgren M. I. , Petzold M. , Björkelund C. , Wedel H. , Jansson P.‐A. , Lindblad U. 
Published: March 2012

Diabet. Med. 29, 1501–1505 (2012)AbstractAim  To evaluate the performance of the FINDRISC questionnaire as a tool to recruit individuals with impaired glucose tolerance for lifestyle intervention programmes.Methods  A cross‐sectional population‐based study in primary Health Care Centres in a middle‐sized Swedish town. All 9734 individuals, aged 35–75 years, living within a defined area, were invited by mail to fill in and return the FINDRISC questionnaire. Participants with a risk score ≥ 15 (n = 525) were invited to perform an oral glucose tolerance test while those with known diabetes were excluded.Results  In total, 5452 questionnaires (58%) were returned and revealed a mean risk‐score of 8.5 ± 4.5 (mean ± SD). We found that 525 participants had a risk‐score ≥ 15 and 302 (58%) were further examined with an oral glucose tolerance testing (OGTT). Among them we detected 11% with previously undiagnosed Type 2 diabetes, 16% with impaired glucose tolerance and 29% with impaired fasting glucose. A FINDRISC score ≥ 15 was associated with a positive predictive value of 55% for impaired glucose metabolism (impaired fasting glucose + impaired glucose tolerance + Type 2 diabetes) and of 16% for impaired glucose tolerance, respectively. The positive predictive value for impaired glucose tolerance did not increase to more than 17% when choosing the cut‐point 17, while there was a significant increase in the positive predictive value for impaired glucose metabolism (70%).Conclusions  The FINDRISC questionnaire is a useful instrument for identification of individuals with impaired glucose metabolism but seems less effective for detection of individuals with impaired glucose tolerance. Strategies to find individuals with impaired glucose tolerance for implementation of lifestyle changes in primary care should therefore be developed further.
The role of obesity‐related genetic loci in insulin sensitivity
Authors: Fall T. , Ärnlöv J. , Berne C. , Ingelsson E. 
Published: March 2012

Diabet. Med. 29, e62–e66 (2012)AbstractAims  Despite rapid advancements and many new diabetes susceptibility loci found in the past few years, few genetic variants associated with insulin sensitivity have been described, potentially attributable to the lack of larger cohorts examined with gold standard methods for insulin sensitivity assessment. There is a strong link between obesity and insulin sensitivity, and we hypothesized that known obesity susceptibility loci may act via effects on insulin sensitivity.Methods  A cohort of 71‐year‐old men without diabetes (Uppsala Longitudinal Study of Adult Men) underwent a euglycaemic–hyperinsulinaemic clamp and genotyping for genetic variants representing 32 loci recently reported to be associated with BMI (n = 926). The effect of these loci on the insulin sensitivity index (M/I ratio) was examined using linear regression. An in silico replication was performed in publically available data for the three top single‐nucleotide polymorphisms from the Meta‐Analyses of Glucose and Insulin‐related traits Consortium analyses of homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (n = 37 037).Results  Three loci (SH2B1, MTCH2 and NEGR1) were associated with decreased insulin sensitivity at a nominal significance (P ≤ 0.05) after adjustment for BMI, but did not hold for multiple comparison correction. SH2B1 rs7359397 was also associated with homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance in the Meta‐Analyses of Glucose and Insulin‐related traits Consortium data set (P = 3.9 × 10–3).Conclusions  Our study supports earlier reports of SH2B1 to be of importance in insulin sensitivity and, in addition, suggests potential roles of NEGR1 and MTCH2.
Making sense of drinking: the role of techniques of neutralisation and counter‐neutralisation in negotiating alcohol consumption
Authors: Piacentini Maria G. , Chatzidakis Andreas , Banister Emma N. 
Published: March 2012

AbstractThis article contributes to the understanding of how students neutralise potential feelings of guilt and stigmatisation regarding their alcohol consumption. We report findings from two qualitative studies with students at a UK university. The aim of the research was to uncover the range and ways in which neutralisation and counter‐neutralisation techniques are used by drinkers and abstainers/near‐abstainers in managing their alcohol position. Study 1 consisted of five focus groups with heavy drinkers and Study 2 comprised nine one‐to‐one interviews with abstainers and near‐abstainers. Analysis highlights the importance of alcohol consumption in students’ lifestyles, but also the potential identity conflicts experienced by all drinkers, regardless of the amount consumed. Heavy drinkers primarily employ neutralisation techniques as a means to rationalise the negative impacts of their actions, whereas abstainers and near‐abstainers mainly use counter‐neutralisation techniques as a means to reinforce their commitment to lifestyles which run counter to mainstream student life expectations. However, regardless of the amount of alcohol consumed, all participants employed neutralising and counter‐neutralising arguments in some social situations. The article discusses the usefulness of neutralisation theory to account for the adoption of risky health behaviours, such as excessive alcohol consumption, and the potential implications for public health interventions.
Risk, ritual and health responsibilisation: Japan’s ‘safety blanket’ of surgical face mask‐wearing
Authors: Burgess Adam , Horii Mitsutoshi 
Published: March 2012

AbstractThis article begins to develop an understanding of surgical mask‐wearing in Japan, now a routine practice against a range of health threats. Their usage and associated meanings are explored through surveys conducted in Tokyo with both mask wearers and non‐mask wearers. It contests commonly held cultural views of the practice as a fixed and distinctively Japanese collective courtesy to others. A historical analysis suggests that an originally collective, targeted and science‐based response to public health threats has dispersed into a generalised practice lacking a clear end or purpose. Developed as part of the biomedical response to the Spanish flu of 1919, the practice resonated with folk assumptions as making a barrier between purity and pollution. But mask‐wearing became socially embedded as a general protective practice only from the 1990s through a combination of commercial, corporate and political pressures that responsibilised individual health protection. These developments are usefully understood amidst the uncertainty created by Japan’s ‘second modernity’ and the fracturing of her post‐war order. Mask‐wearing is only one form of a wider culture of risk; a self‐protective risk ritual rather than a selfless collective practice.
Gain of function by phosphorylation in Presenilin 1‐mediated regulation of insulin signaling
Authors: Maesako Masato , Uemura Kengo , Kuzuya Akira , Sasaki Kazuki , Asada Megumi , Watanabe Kiwamu , Ando Koichi , Kubota Masakazu , Akiyama Haruhiko , Takahashi Ryosuke , Kihara Takeshi , Shimohama Shun , Kinoshita Ayae 
Published: March 2012

J. Neurochem. (2012) 121, 964–973.AbstractWe have recently reported that Presenilin 1 (PS1), a causative gene of familial Alzheimer disease (AD), down‐regulates the expression level of insulin receptor (IR) as well as its signaling through a γ‐secretase‐independent pathway. PS1 is phosphorylated by glycogen synthase kinase 3 β at the serine 353 and 357 residues. The main purpose of the present study was to clarify the effect of PS1 phosphorylation on IR/insulin signaling. Here, we demonstrate that the pseudo‐phosphorylation mutant of PS1 inhibited IR transcription and reduced IR expression compared with wild‐type PS1. Importantly, there was a decrease in expression of IR in AD brains, and the phosphorylation ratio of PS1 was negatively correlated with IR level in human brain samples. In the data from mouse models of AD, IR reduction was not observed at the pre‐Aβ deposition stage but became apparent in that of post‐Aβ deposition. Together with our previous reports, these results suggest that phosphorylated PS1 can promote the down‐regulation of insulin signaling, which may be a positive feed‐forward mechanism inhibiting insulin signaling. As insulin resistance is reported to be a risk factor for sporadic AD, this PS1‐mediated regulatory mechanism of brain insulin signaling may be causally associated with AD pathology.