Suffolk University

About: Suffolk University is a education organization based out in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Sugar beet. The organization has 6462 authors who have published 9321 publications receiving 235328 citations.

The contribution continuum

Abstract: The question, “What constitutes a knowledge contri-bution?” has a simple and straightforward answerthat is less than simple or straightforward to accom-plish (David Glen Mick).The most common reason manuscripts fail to clear thehurdle necessary for publication in leading journals is a lackof strong incremental contribution. Reviewers often com-pliment the exposition of a paper and praise the researchdesign only to conclude that the paper contains nothing thatis newsworthy. This is a frustrating outcome for an author.As a result, the most frequent question asked of editors is,“What is a contribution?” and how does one tell if thecontribution is large enough to merit publication. Evenpapers that are eventually published in very good journalsoften start the review process with reviewers’ comments tothe effect that the contribution of the paper is unclear. Lessexperienced scholars often have an especially difficult timearticulating their paper’s contribution, but even accom-plished researchers can fail to explain why a paper isimportant and what it adds to the literature. More often thannot, authors do not clarify their paper’s contribution and/orexpress how their paper’s contribution adds to what isalready known or how it significantly extends priorpublished work. Every editor of a journal has answeredthe question of what a contribution is. Despite thefrequency of the question it has seldom been directlyaddressed in print.The objectives of this paper are to (1) collect the insightsof past and present editors of major journals in marketing,(2) help clarify what a contribution is, (3) illustrate how acontribution relates to a manuscript’s likelihood of beingpublished, and (4) develop a continuum of the forms andtypes of contributions that exist. To accomplish this goal,we asked past and present editors of leading marketingjournals, “What is a contribution?” Each editor wrote ashort essay ranging from approximately 250 to 750 wordsoutlining their thoughts on what is and how to make acontribution. The past and present editors that contributedto this paper are identified in Table 1. The editors’responses, as data, were reviewed and inductively synthe-sized to form common themes from across the essays. Insum, “the contribution concept represents an outcome-based measure in which the knowledge generated from themanuscript is compared with the extant knowledgecontained within the literature stream” (Michael Dorsch).A contribution is made when a manuscript clearly adds,embellishes, or creates something beyond what is alreadyknown.

Sublethal effects of a carbamate pesticide on pheromonal mediated endocrine function in mature male Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) parr

Abstract: The sublethal effect of the carbamate pesticide carbofuran on the priming pheromonal system of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) was investigated. Previous studies have demonstrated that ovulated female salmon release a priming pheromone in their urine (considered to be an F-type prostaglandin) which is subsequently detected by mature male salmon and results in increased levels of plasma sex steroids and expressible milt. In the present study, electrophysiological recordings from the olfactory epithelium of mature male salmon parr indicated that the responses to prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) were significantly reduced at nominal concentrations of carbofuran as low as 1.0 µg l-1, and the threshold of detection was reduced 10-fold. A 5 day exposure to carbofuran significantly reduced the ability of male parr to respond to PGF2α stimulation. The priming effect of PGF2α on milt and plasma 17,20β-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one levels were abolished at water concentrations at and above 2.7 µg l-1. In addition, the priming effect of PGF2α on plasma testosterone and 11-ketotestosterone concentrations was abolished at water carbofuran concentrations above 6.5 µg l-1. Exposure to similar concentrations of carbofuran also resulted in a reduction in the levels of free and glucuronidated steroids in the bile of PGF2α primed male parr. The effect of carbofuran on the priming response did not appear to be due to a direct effect on the testes, since the ability of testes to respond to pituitary extract stimulation in vitro was not impaired in carbofuran-exposed males. Carbofuran appeared to reduce significantly or abolish the priming pheromonal system in mature male parr by directly affecting the ability of the olfactory system to detect PGF2α, although the toxicological mechanism involved is as yet unknown. The results are therefore discussed in relation to the possible sublethal effects of carbofuran on reproduction in the Atlantic salmon.

A review of the impacts of degradation threats on soil properties in the UK.

Abstract: National governments are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of their soil resources and are shaping strategies accordingly. Implicit in any such strategy is that degradation threats and their potential effect on important soil properties and functions are defined and understood. In this paper, we aimed to review the principal degradation threats on important soil properties in the UK, seeking quantitative data where possible. Soil erosion results in the removal of important topsoil and, with it, nutrients, C and porosity. A decline in soil organic matter principally affects soil biological and microbiological properties, but also impacts on soil physical properties because of the link with soil structure. Soil contamination affects soil chemical properties, affecting nutrient availability and degrading microbial properties, whilst soil compaction degrades the soil pore network. Soil sealing removes the link between the soil and most of the ‘spheres’, significantly affecting hydrological and microbial functions, and soils on re-developed brownfield sites are typically degraded in most soil properties. Having synthesized the literature on the impact on soil properties, we discuss potential subsequent impacts on the important soil functions, including food and fibre production, storage of water and C, support for biodiversity, and protection of cultural and archaeological heritage. Looking forward, we suggest a twin approach of field-based monitoring supported by controlled laboratory experimentation to improve our mechanistic understanding of soils. This would enable us to better predict future impacts of degradation processes, including climate change, on soil properties and functions so that we may manage soil resources sustainably.