bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Linear and generalized linear mixed models
Authors: Bolker Benjamin M.
Published: April 2015

Generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) are a powerful class of statistical models that combine the characteristics of generalized linear models and mixed models (models with both fixed and random predictor variables). This chapter: reviews the conceptual and theoretical background of GLMMs, focusing on the definition and meaning of random effects; gives basic guidelines and syntax for setting up a mixed model; and discusses the theoretical and practical details of estimating parameters, diagnosing problems with a model, and making statistical inferences (finding confidence intervals, estimating p values, and doing model selection) for GLMMs.
2. Forms, themes, and meanings
Authors: Reader Ian
Published: April 2015

‘Forms, themes, and meanings’ considers what is meant by ‘pilgrimage’. Pilgrimage incorporates three main elements: travel and movement; veneration in some form; and a special place or places considered to have some deep significance, often associated with sacred figures or founders. Pilgrims are people who travel to and perform acts of meaningful significance, such as praying and performing rituals at and on the route to such special places. The journey can have both real and symbolic meanings. Pilgrimage can provide the setting for expressions of individual development and self-awareness along with a group-related sense of togetherness and belonging, while also providing potential for contest and conflict.
Nuclear Weapons
Authors: Siracusa Joseph M.
Published: April 2015

Nuclear Weapons: A Very Short Introduction explains the history and politics of the bomb, from the technology of nuclear weapons, to the revolutionary implications of the H-bomb, and the politics of nuclear deterrence. The issues are set against a backdrop of the changing international landscape, from the early days of development through the Cold War. Despite not having been used in anger since Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Bomb is still the biggest threat that faces us in the 21st century. But what significant lessons can be learnt from the history of the nuclear weapons era?
MultiMeta: an R package for meta-analyzing multi-phenotype genome-wide association studies
Authors: Vuckovic D. , Gasparini P. , Soranzo N. , Iotchkova V.
Published: April 2015

Summary: As new methods for multivariate analysis of genome wide association studies become available, it is important to be able to combine results from different cohorts in a meta-analysis. The R package MultiMeta provides an implementation of the inverse-variance-based method for meta-analysis, generalized to an n-dimensional setting.

Availability and implementation: The R package MultiMeta can be downloaded from CRAN.

Contact:  dragana.vuckovic@burlo.trieste.it; vi1@sanger.ac.uk

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Persistence and adherence to single-tablet regimens in HIV treatment: a cohort study from the French National Healthcare Insurance Database
Authors: Raffi François , Yazdanpanah Yazdan , Fagnani Francis , Laurendeau Caroline , Lafuma Antoine , Gourmelen Julie
Published: April 2015

Objectives

To compare adherence and persistence (continuous treatment with a prescribed medication) in HIV adult patients who received combination ART (cART) as a once-daily single-tablet regimen (STR) versus other administration schedules.

Methods

A representative random sample of the French National Healthcare Insurance Database was used. Adherence and persistence were compared according to their administration schedules using χ2 and survival analyses. STRs were marketed in France in 2009 and the study period was selected to allow a sufficient number of patients with an STR and a relevant duration of follow-up.

Results

During the period covered (2006–11), 362 HIV-positive adult antiretroviral-naive patients (566 lines of treatments) were selected. The mean rates of adherence were 89.6% for the STR (tenofovir/emtricitabine/efavirenz; n = 76), 86.4% for cART with >1 pill once daily (n = 242) and 77.0% for cART with >1 daily intake (n = 248; P < 0.0001 versus STR). Kaplan–Meier estimations of persistence after 2 years of treatment were 79.1% for the STR, 53.3% for cART with >1 pill once daily and 51.8% for cART with >1 daily intake (P = 0.001; log-rank test). Sensitivity analyses confirmed these results. After excluding treatment sequences showing a switch from tenofovir/emtricitabine plus efavirenz to the similar STR, the rates of persistence were 80.3% for the STR (n = 60), 77.3% for atazanavir-containing cART (n = 96) and 68.3% for darunavir-containing cART (n = 56) at 18 months (global P = 0.006).

Conclusions

These results suggest that persistence is higher in HIV patients treated with an STR compared with other administration schedules. Significant benefit in terms of adherence was observed with the STR in comparison with regimens with >1 daily intake but no difference was observed when comparing with regimens involving >1 pill once daily.
Retention of virulence following adaptation to colistin in Acinetobacter baumannii reflects the mechanism of resistance
Authors: Wand Matthew E. , Bock Lucy J. , Bonney Laura C. , Sutton J. Mark
Published: April 2015

Objectives

Colistin resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii has been associated with loss of virulence and a negative impact on isolate selection. In this study, exposure of clinical isolates to suboptimal concentrations of colistin was used to explore the capacity to develop resistance by diverse mechanisms, and whether acquired resistance always reduces fitness and virulence.

Methods

Twelve colistin-susceptible clinical A. baumannii isolates were exposed to a sub-MIC concentration of colistin over 6 weeks with weekly increases in concentration. Stable resistance was then phenotypically investigated with respect to antibiotic/biocide resistance, virulence in Galleria mellonella and growth rate. Putative mechanisms of resistance were identified by targeted sequencing of known resistance loci.

Results

Eight A. baumannii isolates acquired resistance to colistin within 1 week with MICs ranging from 2 to >512 mg/L. By 6 weeks 11 isolates were resistant to colistin; this was linked to the development of mutations in pmr or lpx genes. Strains that developed mutations in lpxACD showed a loss of virulence and increased susceptibility to several antibiotics/disinfectants tested. Two of the colistin-resistant strains with mutations in pmrB retained similar virulence levels to their respective parental strains in G. mellonella.

Conclusions

Acquisition of colistin resistance does not always lead to a loss of virulence, especially when this is linked to mutations in pmrB. This underlines the importance of understanding the mechanism of colistin resistance as well as the phenotype.
Music therapy in palliative care
Authors: O’Callaghan Clare
Published: April 2015

Music therapists are university-trained professionals who invite palliative care patients, and their significant family members and friends, to explore how creative music-based experiences in therapeutic relationships can address biopsychosocial needs and enhance spiritual well-being. The chapter illustrates how music therapists can extend music’s power to help patients across the lifespan live a quality life and support their families. Patients often choose familiar music to listen to, sing, or play that elicits people, places, emotions, and thoughts that they want to connect with. Through music therapy song writing and improvisation, patients and families creatively explore their ‘playful’ musical and unique selves, and potentially experience helpful new awareness, wonder, pride, and accomplishment. Patients’ song composition legacies can also support the bereaved. Music therapists offer guided music and relaxation or imagery interventions, to soothe and help with symptom management. Extensive quantitative and qualitative research informing music therapy is also outlined and music-based care suggestions are provided for when music therapists are not available.
The management of bleeding in palliative care
Authors: Pereira Jose , Brodeur Jennifer
Published: April 2015

Bleeding is one of the more distressing symptoms experienced by patients with advanced life-threatening illnesses. The prevalence and incidence of bleeding in these patients vary depending on the disease and the illness trajectory. The causes of bleeding in patients with advanced disease are varied and sometimes several aetiologies or aggravating factors occur simultaneously in any given patient. The clinical presentation may be visible, as in haemoptysis or hematemesis, or invisible, as in cerebral haemorrhaging, and volumes may vary, from low-grade oozing to massive and catastrophic haemorrhaging. Catastrophic, terminal haemorrhaging warrants special attention because of its dramatic clinical presentation and the profound distress it causes to patients, families, and caregivers. A number of treatment modalities are available and these can be divided into (a) general measures, (b) local measures, and (c) systemic measures. Unfortunately studies in the palliative care setting comparing various modalities and approaches are generally lacking and guidelines are largely based on case reports and expert opinion.
Neurostimulation in pain management
Authors: Hao Joy , Kinler Rae Lynne , Soto Eliezer , Knotkova Helena , Cruciani Ricardo A.
Published: April 2015

Neurostimulation describes an array of interventions that involve targeted stimulation of peripheral nerve, spinal cord, or the brain. Although few high-quality studies of neurostimulation techniques have been done and the techniques are seldom used in the management of pain related to serious illness, a better understanding of the available treatments and the emergence of newer technologies may increase access and use in the future. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation is considered to be safe and may be used as an adjunct to pharmacotherapy in the routine management of chronic pain. Concerns about electrode placement near tumour masses continue, however, despite reassuring data, and for now, this approach should be used cautiously in those with metastatic disease. The recent advent of non-invasive central nervous system neurostimulation therapies-transcranial direct current stimulation and transcranial magnetic stimulation-offers promising new treatments for pain.
Endocrine and metabolic complications of advanced cancer
Authors: Bower Mark , Robinson Louise , Cox Sarah
Published: April 2015

Cancer produces endocrine and metabolic complications in two ways. Firstly, the primary tumour or its metastases may interfere with the function of endocrine glands, kidneys, or liver by invasion or obstruction. Secondly, tumours may give rise to remote effects without local spread and these actions are termed paraneoplastic manifestations of malignancy. Generally, these paraneoplastic syndromes arise from secretion by tumours of hormones, cytokines, and growth factors, but also occur when normal cells secrete products in response to the presence of tumour. This chapter reviews the pathogenesis, epidemiology, and management of the commonest paraneoplastic endocrinopathies including hypercalcaemia, Cushing’s syndrome, the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuresis, non-islet cell tumour hypoglycaemia, enteropancreatic hormone syndromes, Carcinoid syndrome, phaeochromocytoma, gonadotrophin secretion syndromes, prolactin and oxytocin secretion, and paraneoplastic pyrexia. The chapter concludes with a brief discussion of the management of metabolic disease in the context of advanced malignancy including hyperglycaemia, thyroid dysfunction, metabolic bone disease, renal failure, liver failure, and lactic acidosis.
Palliative medicine in the intensive care unit
Authors: Cherny Nathan , Einav Sharon , Dahan David
Published: April 2015

Despite best efforts, a substantial proportion of patients admitted to intensive care units die either during care or after a trial of intensive supportive therapy that fails to improve the patient’s well-being. The duality of hope and death challenges clinicians, family members of desperately ill patients, and sometimes the patients themselves. Given this high prevalence of mortality, it is incumbent upon intensive medicine units to develop the skills and therapeutic environment that can effectively deal with humane end-of-life care. This is reflected in a growing medical literature, the development of clinical standards, and in a new research agenda addressing the needs of intensive care patients, their families, and the clinicians caring for them. This chapter reviews these developments and outlines frameworks for care strategies, symptom management, and quality improvement initiatives.
Palliative medicine and care of the elderly
Authors: Agar Meera , Phillips Jane L.
Published: April 2015

Palliative care in the older person occurs in the context of chronic disease and multimorbidity. Coexisting conditions include musculoskeletal, psychiatric, cognitive, and chronic pain-related problems, each associated with substantive symptomatology and disability. Most crucial is to avoid management within disease ‘silos’ and the risks associated with polypharmacy, which both contribute to adverse outcomes. The complexity of older people’s care demands the formation of a collaborative partnership between primary care, geriatric, and palliative care services, together with other health-care providers in accordance with need. The caregiver of the older person warrants specific mention, often an older spouse with their own medical problems or an adult child juggling other life and work commitments. Planning for care in advance is crucial to avoid decisions being made in crisis, and is particularly crucial if cognitive decline is predicted. Physiological changes, and the frequency of falls, frailty, depression, and delirium are important when planning care and prescribing.
Medical rehabilitation and the palliative care patient
Authors: Franklin Deborah Julie , Cheville Andrea L.
Published: April 2015

Maintaining function, specifically independent function, is a key determinant of quality of life for patients receiving palliative care and their caregivers. Techniques, interventions, and strategies from the field of rehabilitation can be adapted to meet the needs of patients with advanced disease. This chapter explores aspects of rehabilitation medicine that are of greatest value for patients requiring palliative care. The first section describes pertinent rehabilitation services available in hospitals, outpatient settings, as well as home-based programmes. The next section reviews the timing of rehabilitation interventions with an emphasis on distinctive features of rehabilitation goal setting for palliative care patients. Some in-depth examples of specific rehabilitation interventions are given that can improve function for patients with advanced disease processes, including the important areas of caregiver training and support. The final section examines current barriers to the effective use of rehabilitation strategies in palliative care medicine and outlines some emerging approaches for improving outcomes.
Improvement of Dry‐Fractionation Ethanol Fermentation by Partial Germ Supplementation
Authors: Ramchandran Divya , Wang Ping , Dien Bruce , Liu Wei , Cotta Michael A. , Singh Vijay
Published: April 2015

Ethanol fermentation of dry‐fractionated grits (corn endosperm pieces) containing different levels of germ was studied with the dry‐grind process. Partial removal of the germ fraction allows for marketing the germ fraction and potentially more efficient fermentation. Grits obtained from a dry‐milling plant were mixed with different amounts of germ (2, 5, 7, and 10% germ of the total sample) and compared with control grits (0% germ). Fermentation rates of germ‐supplemented grits (2, 5, 7, and 10% germ) were faster than control grits (0% germ). Addition of 2% germ was sufficient to achieve a high ethanol concentration (19.06% v/v) compared with control grits (18.18% v/v). Fermentation of dry‐fractionated grits (92, 95, and 97% grits) obtained from a commercial facility was also compared with ground whole corn (control). Fermentation rates were slower and final ethanol concentrations were lower for commercial grits than the control sample. However, in a final experiment, commercial grits were subjected to raw starch hydrolyzing (RSH) enzyme, resulting in higher ethanol concentrations (20.22, 19.90, and 19.49% v/v for 92, 95, and 97% grits, respectively) compared with the whole corn control (18.64% v/v). Therefore, high ethanol concentrations can be achieved with dry‐fractionated grits provided the inclusion of a certain amount of germ and the use of RSH enzyme for controlled starch hydrolysis.
Assessing and Comparing Anesthesiologists’ Performance on Mandated Metrics Using a Bayesian Approach
Authors: Bayman Emine Ozgur , Dexter Franklin , Todd Michael M.
Published: April 2015

AbstractAbstract

Noncompliance with simple blood pressure and oxyhemoglobin saturation metrics defined by the Joint Commission in the United States in approximately 70,000 cases at the University of Iowa (Iowa City, Iowa) was present in up to 43 and 70% of anesthesiologists, respectively, using frequentist statistics compared with 2.4 and 0% using a Bayesian approach.

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text.

Background:

Periodic assessment of performance by anesthesiologists is required by The Joint Commission Ongoing Professional Performance Evaluation program.

Methods:

The metrics used in this study were the (1) measurement of blood pressure and (2) oxygen saturation (Spo
2) either before or less than 5 min after anesthesia induction. Noncompliance was defined as no measurement within this time interval. The authors assessed the frequency of noncompliance using information from 63,913 cases drawn from the anesthesia information management system. To adjust for differences in patient and procedural characteristics, 135 preoperative variables were analyzed with decision trees. The retained covariate for the blood pressure metric was patient’s age and, for Spo
2 metric, was American Society of Anesthesiologist’s physical status, whether the patient was coming from an intensive care unit, and whether induction occurred within 5 min of the start of the scheduled workday. A Bayesian hierarchical model, designed to identify anesthesiologists as “performance outliers,” after adjustment for covariates, was developed and was compared with frequentist methods.

Results:

The global incidences of noncompliance (with frequentist 95% CI) were 5.35% (5.17 to 5.53%) for blood pressure and 1.22% (1.14 to 1.30%) for Spo
2 metrics. By using unadjusted rates and frequentist statistics, it was found that up to 43% of anesthesiologists would be deemed noncompliant for the blood pressure metric and 70% of anesthesiologists for the Spo
2 metric. By using Bayesian analyses with covariate adjustment, only 2.44% (1.28 to 3.60%) and 0.00% of the anesthesiologists would be deemed “noncompliant” for blood pressure and Spo
2, respectively.

Conclusion:

Bayesian hierarchical multivariate methodology with covariate adjustment is better suited to faculty monitoring than the nonhierarchical frequentist approach.
Total or Near-Total Lower Eyelid Defect Reconstruction Using Malar Myocutaneous Bridge and Nasojugal Flaps and Septal Chondromucosal Graft
Authors: Eser Cengiz , Kesiktaş Erol , Gencel Eyüphan , Tabakan İbrahim , Yavuz Metin
Published: April 2015

Purpose:

The purpose of this study is to repair total or near-total lower eyelid defects by single-staged operative technique.

Methods:

The procedure was performed on 7 referred patients who had a total or near-total lower eyelid defects after tumor extirpation or trauma. Patients ages were between 13 and 67 years (average, 46.5). Defects were repaired by simultaneous reconstruction of anterior and posterior lamellae using a bipedicled malar myocutaneous bridge flap, a nasojugal transposition flap, and a septal chondromucosal graft in combination.

Results:

Patients were followed up for 12 to 24 months (average, 18 months). No necrosis, hematoma, or infection was observed in flaps, and no recurrence was observed in any patients. Mild scleral show was observed at postoperative 12 months in 2 cases.

Conclusions:

As an addition to classical methods, the present novel single-staged surgical procedure with the malar myocutaneous bridge flap, nasojugal transposition flap, and septal chondromucosal graft combination provides anatomical, functional, and stable reconstruction for total or near-total lower eyelid defects.
Fecal Microbiota Transplantation
Authors: Vandenplas Yvan , Pierard Denis , De Greef Elisabeth
Published: April 2015

The risks and advantages of the administration of fecal material of healthy people to patients are heavily debated. In adults, recurrent Clostridium difficile has become an accepted indication. In addition to all of the possible indications, many other questions need to be answered before pediatric indications and recommendations can be established. Optimal donor selection, fresh versus frozen stools versus capsules containing only microbiota, volume, and route of administration are just a few examples of the areas with missing data to allow in formulating recommendations for fecal microbiota or fecal material administration in children. A careful but not‐too‐complex regulation is the first priority in order to minimize the risk of administration of fecal slurry from unselected donors at home without medical supervision.
Present Standard in Pediatric Gastroenterology Fellowship Training in the Interpretation of Capsule Endoscopy
Authors: Hijaz Nadia M. , Septer Seth S. , Attard Thomas M.
Published: April 2015

Consensuses on fellowship training in wireless capsule endoscopy (WCE) interpretation have been published for adult gastroenterology (GI) but not in pediatric GI training. A questionnaire has been sent to 64 pediatric and 45 adult GI fellowship programs to compare their present training approach. Adult GI programs reported having a formal GI capsule endoscopy module in 38% and required to attend hands‐on course in 27% as compared with 4% and 8% in pediatric programs, respectively. A more formalized approach to WCE training may be required for credentialing pediatric trainees to be aligned with expectations in adult GI programs.
Objective Quantification of Immune Cell Infiltrates and Epidermal Proliferation in Psoriatic Skin: A Comparison of Digital Image Analysis and Manual Counting
Authors: Soendergaard Christoffer , Nielsen Ole H. , Skak Kresten , Røpke Mads A. , Seidelin Jakob B. , Kvist Peter H.
Published: April 2015

Digital pathology and image analysis have developed extensively during the last couple of years. Especially the advance in whole-slide scanning, software, and computer processing makes it possible to apply these methods in tissue-based research. Today this task is dominated by tedious manual assessments by pathologists with the interobserver and intraobserver variation this includes. Automated quantitative assessment of immunohistochemical staining has the potential to objectively extract numerical measures from cell and tissue structures, and allows efficient high throughput analysis in clinical research. Published data of manual cell counts in psoriatic skin samples were in this study reevaluated using the digital image analysis (DIA) software. Whole slides immunohistochemically stained for CD3, CD4, CD8, CD45R0, and Ki-67 were scanned and quantitatively evaluated using simple threshold analysis. Regression analysis with R
2 values in the range of 0.85 to 0.95 indicates a good correlation between the manual count of cell numbers and the staining density obtained by automated DIA. Moreover, we show that the automated image analysis is reliable over a broad range of thresholds and that it is robust to differences in staining intensities and hence useful for high throughput analysis. DIA is a viable technical approach for automated cell quantification. Its output highly correlates to the conventional manual cell counting and hence allows for increasing the throughput and reducing the analysis time significantly.
Does Employee Safety Matter for Patients Too? Employee Safety Climate and Patient Safety Culture in Health Care
Authors: Mohr David C. , Eaton Jennifer Lipkowitz , McPhaul Kathleen M. , Hodgson Michael J.
Published: April 2015

Objective

We examined relationships between employee safety climate and patient safety culture. Because employee safety may be a precondition for the development of patient safety, we hypothesized that employee safety culture would be strongly and positively related to patient safety culture.

Methods

An employee safety climate survey was administered in 2010 and assessed employees' views and experiences of safety for employees. The patient safety survey administered in 2011 assessed the safety culture for patients. We performed Pearson correlations and multiple regression analysis to examine the relationships between a composite measure of employee safety with subdimensions of patient safety culture. The regression models controlled for size, geographic characteristics, and teaching affiliation. Analyses were conducted at the group level using data from 132 medical centers.

Results

Higher employee safety climate composite scores were positively associated with all 9 patient safety culture measures examined. Standardized multivariate regression coefficients ranged from 0.44 to 0.64.

Conclusions

Medical facilities where staff have more positive perceptions of health care workplace safety climate tended to have more positive assessments of patient safety culture. This suggests that patient safety culture and employee safety climate could be mutually reinforcing, such that investments and improvements in one domain positively impacts the other. Further research is needed to better understand the nexus between health care employee and patient safety to generalize and act upon findings.
The
in ovo
conversion of oestrone to oestrone sulfate is rapid and subject to inhibition by Bisphenol A
Authors: Paitz Ryan T. , Bowden Rachel M.
Published: April 2015

Vertebrate embryos develop in the presence of maternally derived steroids. While these steroids can influence development, embryonic enzymes are thought to buffer some steroid sensitive processes, such as gonadal differentiation, from the effects of maternal steroids. Many of these same enzymes may also buffer the embryo from chemicals present in the environment, but this may alter their capacity to metabolize maternal steroids. Here, we characterized the ability of red-eared slider (
Trachemys scripta
) embryos to metabolize oestrone immediately following oviposition and tested whether a prevalent environmental chemical, Bisphenol A (BPA), would affect the
in ovo
conversion of oestrone to oestrone sulfate. We found that tritiated oestrone applied at the time of oviposition is mostly converted to oestrone sulfate within 6 h. However, when BPA is present, that conversion is inhibited, resulting in elevated oestrone levels. Our finding of rapid
in ovo
metabolism of steroids suggests that maternally derived enzymes are present in the egg and can alter embryonic exposure to exogenous chemicals. The disruption of this metabolism by BPA demonstrates how environmental chemicals might change embryonic exposure to endogenous substances within the egg. Taken together, these findings highlight the dynamic nature of the early endocrine environment in developing vertebrates.
Pollution going multimodal: the complex impact of the human-altered sensory environment on animal perception and performance
Authors: Halfwerk Wouter , Slabbekoorn Hans
Published: April 2015

Anthropogenic sensory pollution is affecting ecosystems worldwide. Human actions generate acoustic noise, emanate artificial light and emit chemical substances. All of these pollutants are known to affect animals. Most studies on anthropogenic pollution address the impact of pollutants in unimodal sensory domains. High levels of anthropogenic noise, for example, have been shown to interfere with acoustic signals and cues. However, animals rely on multiple senses, and pollutants often co-occur. Thus, a full ecological assessment of the impact of anthropogenic activities requires a multimodal approach. We describe how sensory pollutants can co-occur and how covariance among pollutants may differ from natural situations. We review how animals combine information that arrives at their sensory systems through different modalities and outline how sensory conditions can interfere with multimodal perception. Finally, we describe how sensory pollutants can affect the perception, behaviour and endocrinology of animals within and across sensory modalities. We conclude that sensory pollution can affect animals in complex ways due to interactions among sensory stimuli, neural processing and behavioural and endocrinal feedback. We call for more empirical data on covariance among sensory conditions, for instance, data on correlated levels in noise and light pollution. Furthermore, we encourage researchers to test animal responses to a full-factorial set of sensory pollutants in the presence or the absence of ecologically important signals and cues. We realize that such approach is often time and energy consuming, but we think this is the only way to fully understand the multimodal impact of sensory pollution on animal performance and perception.
On the Helmert-blocking technique: its acceleration by block Choleski decomposition and formulae to insert observations into an adjusted network
Authors: Del Rio Eduardo , Oliveira Leonardo
Published: April 2015

The Helmert-blocking technique is a common approach to adjust large geodetic networks like Europeans and Brazilians. The technique is based upon a division of the network into partial networks called blocks. This way, the global network adjustment can be done by manipulating these blocks. Here we show alternatives to solve the block system that arises from the application of the technique. We show an alternative that optimizes its implementation as the elapsed processing time is decreased by about 33%. We also show that to insert observations into an adjusted network it is not necessary to readjust the whole network. We show the formulae to insert new observations into an adjusted network that are more efficient than simply readjusting the whole new network.
Structures of theMiddle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus3C-like protease reveal insights into substrate specificity
Authors: Needle Danielle , Lountos George T. , Waugh David S.
Published: April 2015

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus(MERS-CoV) is a highly pathogenic virus that causes severe respiratory illness accompanied by multi-organ dysfunction, resulting in a case fatality rate of approximately 40%. As found in other coronaviruses, the majority of the positive-stranded RNA MERS-CoV genome is translated into two polyproteins, one created by a ribosomal frameshift, that are cleaved at three sites by a papain-like protease and at 11 sites by a 3C-like protease (3CLpro). Since 3CLprois essential for viral replication, it is a leading candidate for therapeutic intervention. To accelerate the development of 3CLproinhibitors, three crystal structures of a catalytically inactive variant (C148A) of the MERS-CoV 3CLproenzyme were determined. The aim was to co-crystallize the inactive enzyme with a peptide substrate. Fortuitously, however, in two of the structures the C-terminus of one protomer is bound in the active site of a neighboring molecule, providing a snapshot of an enzyme–product complex. In the third structure, two of the three protomers in the asymmetric unit form a homodimer similar to that of SARS-CoV 3CLpro; however, the third protomer adopts a radically different conformation that is likely to correspond to a crystallographic monomer, indicative of substantial structural plasticity in the enzyme. The results presented here provide a foundation for the structure-based design of small-molecule inhibitors of the MERS-CoV 3CLproenzyme.
Development of a Thermofluor assay for stability determination of membrane proteins using the Na+/H+antiporter NhaA and cytochromecoxidase
Authors: Kohlstaedt Martin , von der Hocht Iris , Hilbers Florian , Thielmann Yvonne , Michel Hartmut
Published: April 2015

Crystallization of membrane proteins is very laborious and time-consuming, yielding well diffracting crystals in only a minority of projects. Therefore, a rapid and easy method is required to optimize the conditions for initial crystallization trials. The Thermofluor assay has been developed as such a tool. However, its applicability to membrane proteins is still limited because either large hydrophilic extramembranous regions or cysteine residues are required for the available dyes to bind and therefore act as reporters in this assay. No probe has been characterized to discriminate between the hydrophobic surfaces of detergent micelles, folded and detergent-covered membrane proteins and denatured membrane proteins. Of the four dyes tested, the two dyes 1-anilinonaphthalene-8-sulfonic acid (ANS) and SYPRO Orange were systematically screened for compatibility with five detergents commonly used in the crystallization of membrane proteins. ANS showed the weakest interactions with all of the detergents screened. It was possible to determine the melting temperature of the sodium ion/proton antiporter NhaA, a small membrane protein without large hydrophilic domains, over a broad pH range using ANS. Furthermore, cytochromecoxidase (CcO) was used to apply the method to a four-subunit membrane protein complex. It was possible to obtain preliminary information on the temperature-dependent denaturation of this complex using the dye ANS. Application of the dye 7-diethylamino-3-(4′-maleimidylphenyl)-4-methylcoumarin (CPM) to CcO in the Thermofluor assay enabled the determination of the melting temperatures of distinct subunits of the complex.
A square-planar tellurium(II) complex withTe,Te′-chelating ligands
Authors: Chivers Tristram , Ritch Jamie S.
Published: April 2015

While exploring the chemistry of tellurium-containing dichalcogenidoimidodiphosphinate ligands, the first all-tellurium member of a series of related square-planarEII(E′)4complexes (EandE′ are group 16 elements), namely bis(P,P,P′,P′-tetraphenylditelluridoimidodiphosphinato-κ2Te,Te′)tellurium(II) (systematic name: 2,2,4,4,8,8,10,10-octaphenyl-1λ3,5,6λ4,7λ3,11-pentatellura-3,9-diaza-2λ5,4λ5,8λ5,10λ5-tetraphosphaspiro[5.5]undeca-1,3,7,9-tetraene), C48H40N2P4Te5, was obtained unexpectedly. The formally TeIIcentre is situated on a crystallographic inversion centre and isTe,Te′-chelated to two anionic [(TePPh2)2N]−ligands in ananticonformation. The central TeII(Te)4unit is approximately square planar [Te—Te—Te = 93.51 (3) and 86.49 (3)°], with Te—Te bond lengths of 2.9806 (6) and 2.9978 (9) Å.
Accounting academia in emerging economies: evolutions and challenges
Authors: Albu Nadia , Albu Catalin Nicolae , Bunea Stefan , Girbina Maria Madalina
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to investigate the development of accounting academia in an emerging country situated in Central and Eastern Europe.

Design/methodology/approach

– First, the authors analyze publications in the main three local Romanian journals dedicated to accounting, using content analysis and statistical tests in line with the issues analyzed for accounting publications in the international literature. Second, they mobilize personal experience of, and observations of local developments by, the authors.

Findings

– The authors find that the decision of establishing a national journal ranking system in Romania in 2005 had both positive and negative consequences. Romanian accounting academics were asked after 2005 to focus on a very short notice on writing research papers, following a long period of communism and about 15 years of post-communism during which they wrote textbooks and professional papers. Journal and university rankings therefore influenced the publication behavior of such researchers, leading to searches for efficiency, ease of publications, publications outside accounting as well as to a difficult publication of their research outcome by internationally relevant accounting journals.

Research limitations/implications

– Publications in the three Romanian accounting journals for one year were analyzed and the personal experience of the authors mobilized. However, following this study, university administrators and national regulators can better ascertain the effect of their actions, and use these findings to better plan their future actions.

Originality/value

– This paper contributes to accounting research literature by offering insights into the current state of accounting research and publication in an emerging economy (Romania), and by investigating the institutional factors that may be responsible for this state of affairs.
International insurance audits and governance
Authors: Chong Gin
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to assess 12 audit procedures that deemed challenging to insurance audits.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper uses grounded theory as a framework for conducting series of semi-structured interviews with six technical audit partners, two from Big Four and four from non-Big Four. The interview agendas are drawn from the 12 audit approaches suggested by Practice Notes 20 (The Audit of Insurance in the United Kingdom) issued by the Auditing Practices Board (UK).

Findings

– Without an audit standard, practitioners will exercise excessive professional judgments and deviate from audit approaches.

Research limitations/implications

– Though the findings are solely drawn from the insurance sector rather than a wide spectrum of sectors, they have huge ramifications to accounting and audit professions, stakeholders and regulators.

Practical implications

– This paper reveals differences in audit approaches between the theoretical context and practical perspective.

Social implications

– The paper showed that impact of audit failure leads to litigation, financial losses and loss of faith in audit quality and approaches.

Originality/value

– This paper suggests a hybrid approach on the grounded theory, provides an extensive overview of the sector’s audit approaches and issues and unravels an urgent need for a concerted international auditing standard.
The influence of a business ethics course on ethical judgments of Malaysian accountants
Authors: Mohd Ghazali Nazli Anum
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of ethics instruction received during tertiary education on ethical judgments of Malaysian accountants.

Design/methodology/approach

– Data were obtained through questionnaire survey and analyzed using regression analysis.

Findings

– A total of 221 respondents representing a 88.4 per cent response rate completed the questionnaire. The regression results show that ethics instruction received during tertiary education have a significant impact on both legal and illegal business scenarios. Accountants also judged an illegal questionable scenario stricter than a legal questionable scenario.

Research limitations/implications

– The questionnaires were distributed to those firms which participated in the internship programme. Although the firms which participated were of varying sizes, care still needs to be taken in interpreting the results, as representativeness remains an issue in studies of small sample size.

Practical implications

– The findings appear to suggest that ethics is an important factor influencing ethical judgments. Hence, the subject should be taught at least at the tertiary level so as to inculcate ethical values early in younger generation. An ethically imbued workforce can be expected to make sound and equitable corporate decisions.

Originality/value

– The study offers preliminary insight into the benefit of introducing the business ethics course in the undergraduate accounting programme at public universities in Malaysia.
Effects of ownership concentration on firm performance: Pakistani evidence
Authors: Yasser Qaiser Rafique , Mamun Abdullah Al
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to present an analysis of the association between five categories of concentrated ownership and firm performance in Pakistan. The connection between high ownership concentration and firm performance has attracted much attention, especially in emerging market, yet yielded many inconsistent empirical results.

Design/methodology/approach

– Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE)-100 Indexed companies listed in KSE from 2007 to 2011 were selected as the sample, and correlation coefficient and regression model were used to inspect the relationship between ownership concentration degree and corporate performance.

Findings

– It was found that there is no significant association with ownership concentration and accounting-based performance, market-based performance measures and economic profit, in general.

Originality/value

– The first demonstration that the shareholding proportion of the single largest shareholder is the only variable having positive association with market-based performance measures.
Corporate governance and dividends payout: are they substitutes or complementary?
Authors: Benjamin Samuel Jebaraj , Mat Zain Mazlina
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to furnish incremental insights on dividends and corporate governance (CG) by addressing the relationship between board meeting frequency and board independence with dividend payout. In particular, this study aims to investigate whether CG attributes are substitutes to control agency problem within the Malaysian context.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper examines panel data on a sample of 114 Malaysian firms (798 observations) for seven years from 2002 to 2008.

Findings

– Based on 798 firm-year observations for the period from 2002 to 2008, the results show significant negative relationship between CG (board independence, board meeting frequency) and dividend payout. This suggests that CG and dividend payout are substitutes in reducing agency costs. Our study provides empirical evidence consistent with the “substitution argument”, indicating that firms with weak CG need to establish reputation by paying more dividends. Specifically, the findings indicate that firms with a higher proportion of independent directors and boards of director that meet more frequent pay lower dividends.

Originality/value

– This paper provides evidence on previously untested governance characteristics in relation to how they act as substitute mechanisms with dividends for reducing agency costs. The results builds a strong case for the fresh strand of knowledge on dividends and CG which tests each CG variables to understand each of its unique relationship with dividends in line with the dividends outcome or substitute theory.
Elusive corporate social responsibility (CSR) in global shipping
Authors: Sampson Helen , Ellis Neil
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to, using the example of the highly globalised shipping industry, shed light upon the practice of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the extent to which it might be relied upon to fill international regulatory gaps.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper draws upon findings from a questionnaire study of shipboard accommodation.

Findings

– The paper finds that seafarers’ welfare remains under-considered by many companies. It suggests that the consolidation of regulation pertaining to seafarer living conditions under the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) has been timely. However, a priority for the international community should be to develop the relatively low standards currently required by existing regulation to provide for better standards of seafarer welfare across the global fleet.

Research limitations/implications

– This evidence from the shipping industry challenges arguments for the normative basis for CSR and lends weight to those suggesting that the apparent exercise of CSR by multinational companies should broadly be understood as an exercise in public relations.

Social implications

– The research points to the need for the MLC to be amended to raise the mandatory standards of shipboard accommodation in the merchant shipping industry.

Originality/value

– The paper contributes unique data on seafarers’ living conditions and augments the body of knowledge concerning the exercise of CSR in global sectors.
An instrument to measure the customer-based corporate reputation of large service organizations
Authors: Wepener Marietjie , Boshoff Christo
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to develop a valid and reliable instrument to measure the corporate reputation of large service organizations. The validity of a discipline’s constructs is a prerequisite for effective theory development and testing. Construct validity thus lies at the very heart of both decision-making and scientific progress in marketing. The use of marketing instruments that do not demonstrate sufficient evidence of construct validity can lead to invalid results, erroneous conclusions and poor decision-making. Despite several attempts to develop an instrument to measure the corporate reputation of service organizations effectively, lingering doubts remain about the construct validity of several published instruments.

Design/methodology/approach

– Empirical data were collected from the clients of service organization using an online survey during three waves of data collection and scale purification. Invariance testing in two different service industries confirmed that the final instrument is completely invariant, suggesting that the measurement parameters of the measurement model are the same in both samples.

Findings

– Rigorous scale development led to the development of a 19-item instrument that effectively measures a large service organization’s corporate reputation along five dimensions, namely, emotional appeal, corporate performance, social engagement, good employer and service points.

Research limitations/implications

– The study was limited to the measurement of the corporate reputation of large service organizations.

Practical implications

– Given the fact that corporate reputation has been described as “the ultimate determinant of competitiveness” by some executives, the outcome of this study is a proposal that large service organizations measure this intangible asset along five dimensions, namely, emotional appeal, corporate performance, social engagement, good employer and service points.

Originality/value

– Despite several attempts to do so, a valid and reliable instrument to effectively measure the corporate reputation of service firms (particularly large ones) has remained elusive. After more than two decades after the first attempts at measurement, there are many who now call for improved methodologies and more valid instruments to measure corporate reputation, based on more rigorous theoretical and conceptual development. This study addresses a matter of concern for many managers and academics.