bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Does lending to women lower sustainability of microfinance institutions? Moderating role of national cultures
Authors: Kittilaksanawong Wiboon , Zhao Hongyu
Published: January 2018

Purpose

This study aims to investigate whether lending to women decreases sustainability of microfinance institutions (MFIs) and how regional characteristics where MFIs are located moderate this effect.

Design/methodology/approach

Financial and operating data of MFIs and national cultures are available from the MIX Market database and the Hofstede’s publications. These data are analyzed by using multiple regression models with the financial self-sustainability, proportion of women borrowers in the MFI’s lending portfolio, and dimensions of national culture as dependent, explanatory and moderating variables.

Findings

Lending to women tends to reduce sustainability of MFIs. This negative effect is more pronounced in countries ranking higher on power distance and individualism, but the effect is less serious in countries ranking higher on masculinity and uncertainty avoidance.

Originality/value

Many studies demonstrate that MFIs improve their repayment rates by targeting women borrowers. The increase in repayment rates, however, may not always improve their sustainability. Further, as microfinance industry increasingly diversifies geographically, regional characteristics where MFIs are located play a vital contingent role in their sustainability.
Rural-to-urban migration in Vietnam: conceptualized youth’s vulnerabilities in the city
Authors: Pham Nhu Ngoc K. , Do Mai , Bui Van H. , Nguyen Giang T.
Published: January 2018

Purpose

Vietnam is experiencing high rates of young adult migration from rural hometowns to urban cities in search of new economic and social opportunities. However, limited internal migration research has examined the well-being of this population once they are in the urban destinations, as well as their interactions with the new lifestyles in the cities. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to explore the social transition of young Vietnamese migrants into city life.

Design/methodology/approach

In-depth interviews were conducted among ten female and six male temporary unmarried migrants, between ages of 18 and 25 years, currently living in Ha Noi through purposive sampling.

Findings

Despite a higher income in the city, young migrants often suffer from physical and mental health strains that decrease their overall well-being, caused by the factors such as barriers to assimilation to new lifestyles, continued attachment to origin hometowns, financial pressures, and poor living conditions. Important aspects in pre-migration expectations and actual experiences influenced the psychosocial well-being of these young migrants as they transitioned into adulthood during their migration process. Migration to the city and assimilation into city life also changed young migrants’ views on lifestyles and behaviors often considered misconducts in their rural hometowns, such as premarital sex. Female migrants faced higher stigmatization compared to male migrants, often described by fellow migrants as becoming “loose” in the new city.

Originality/value

The study findings highlight the important gender-specific implications for health services and programs to improve young migrants’ well-being in the city.
Finnish “state of mind” on inter-organizational integration
Authors: Ylä-Kujala Antti , Marttonen-Arola Salla , Kärri Timo
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The role of management control is frequently emphasized in connection with inter-organizational relationships and value networks. For example, boundary-spanning cost and accounting control techniques have been studied in multifaceted empirical settings. The prevalence of such techniques is, however, currently unknown in conjunction with companies’ interests to increase inter-organizational integration in general. Additionally, also the nexus between the internal state of cost management and the company’s willingness to develop inter-organizational relationships requires further investigation. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on an extensive survey that was responded to by more than 1,500 CEOs and CFOs from large, medium-sized and small Finnish enterprises in a variety of industries. As the authors chose the mixed-methods approach, both quantitative and qualitative data were collected for the study.

Findings

The findings suggest that companies can be allocated to five clusters: “the cost experts,” “the trustful,” “the holdouts,” “the trailblazers” and “the uncertain”. When the networking-oriented clusters, “the trustful” and “the trailblazers” are combined, the authors can conclude that 40 percent of the studied companies are interested in increasing inter-organizational integration. However, only 7 percent have boundary-spanning techniques in use. There is also a correlation between interest in integrating and developing cost management.

Research limitations/implications

This paper contains several theoretical implications, although further research, e.g. comparative studies, is required to verify the findings. The scarcity of managerial implications can be regarded as a limitation.

Originality/value

This paper fills several untapped research gaps by studying inter-organizational integration in the cost management context from multiple, complementary perspectives with a particularly large set of data.
Examination of the relationship between servant leadership and agency problems: gender matters
Authors: Politis John D. , Politis Denis J.
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between servant leadership and agency problems. Also, the paper seeks to determine whether gender plays a role in this relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey of 276 employees was carried out to investigate the relationship between the characteristics of servant leadership and the constructs of agency problems of 36 male and 22 female managers/supervisors in the banking sector months before the financial crisis in Cyprus. The responses were subjected to a series of correlational and structural equation modelling analyses.

Findings

The study revealed three major findings. First, the relationship between servant leadership behaviour and agency problems is near zero and not significant. Second, the servant leadership behaviour of female managers/supervisors brings the desired negative influence on the constructs of agency problems. Finally, the servant leadership behaviour of males has a more positive and significant influence on agency problems than that of females. These findings should be interpreted with caution, because more female than male participants rated the male managers/supervisors, and salient traits might cause followers to feel that female managers display more servant leadership characteristics, regardless of whether they exhibit them or not.

Research limitations/implications

The conclusions cannot be generalised because the research was conducted in a country undergoing a financial crisis. However, this study provides a springboard to further explore whether the findings are valid if the sample is taken from a country not facing financial crisis, and if an equal number of male and female participants involved in rating male managers/supervisors.

Practical implications

These findings provide evidence that servant leadership is not a gender-neutral ethical construct, and practitioners should focus to develop or recruit managers who possess an ethic of care that could bring the desired negative outcome on the constructs of agency problems.

Originality/value

This is the first study empirically investigating the agency problems – ethical leadership relationship in Cyprus. Moreover, the potential role played by gender for the aforementioned relationship was empirically examined.
Aztec multilatinas: characteristics and strategies of Mexican multinationals
Authors: Huesca-Dorantes Jose L. , Michailova Snejina , Stringer Christina
Published: January 2018

Purpose

This paper provides an overview of the Aztec 13 – the top 13 multinational enterprises in Mexico. Different from research that groups countries and regions, the purpose of the paper is to deliver a nuanced picture of these multinationals in terms of their key characteristics and the strategies they follow when they internationalize.

Design/methodology/approach

All data sources that have been identified and reviewed are documents, printed and electronic. The Aztec multilatinas were identified using Forbes Global 2000 (2017). Other data sources such as media texts, company annual reports, reports filed with the Mexican Stock Exchange and the US Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as investor presentations, were collected and analyzed. Data sources were published in English and Spanish. The analytic procedure adopted entailed identifying, selecting, making sense of and synthesizing the data contained in the documents.

Findings

Aztec multilatinas have specific characteristics which, to a great extent, influence their internationalization strategies. Characteristics include the geographical location of their headquarters, their origin and history, their ownership structure and ties with families and government. These factors, combined, help to describe in greater nuance the internationalization strategies and activities of the Aztec 13. Such a detailed and focused description is a first necessary step for subsequent potential theorizing.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the vibrant scholarly conversation on multinational enterprises from less researched regions and countries. Latin America is such a region and Mexico is such a country. Focusing on a single country and its top 13 multinationals allow a comprehensive description and disciplined analysis, with no dangerous generalizations to large regions and even larger settings such as emerging markets multinationals and with no false claims for theorizing.
Consumers’ goal-directed behavior of purchasing sportswear products online
Authors: Chiu Weisheng , Choi Hwansuk
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore Chinese consumers’ behavioral intention to purchase sportswear products online, by applying the model of goal-directed behavior as a research framework.

Design/methodology/approach

An online survey was administered to Chinese consumers (N=475) who have purchased sportswear products online in the past. Using SmartPLS 3.0 software, a partial least squares modeling analysis was conducted on the data.

Findings

When it comes to influencing the average Chinese consumer’s desire to purchase a product online, the study indicates that attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and positive anticipated emotion are significant factors. Moreover, desire and frequency of past behavior significantly influenced Chinese consumers’ intention to buy sportswear products online.

Originality/value

The findings of this study provide a better understanding, through the analyses of Chinese consumers’ decision-making processes, of consumer intention to purchase sportswear products online.
The mobility network of European tourists: a longitudinal study and a comparison with geo-located Twitter data
Authors: Provenzano Davide , Hawelka Bartosz , Baggio Rodolfo
Published: January 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to provide a network study of the structural and dynamical characteristics of tourism flows in Europe from 1995 to 2012.

Design/methodology/approach

Travels in Europe were studied by following the network science research paradigm and by focusing on the whole network of intra-European tourism destinations. Network analysis was used to map and reveal the pattern of connections between states as shaped by bilateral tourism flows. Data were provided by the United Nations World Tourism Organization, and the data were integrated with tourism data available from national statistical offices of the individual countries, when necessary.

Findings

For 2012, results obtained from the UNWTO record-based network were compared to geo-located Twitter data as a proxy of human mobility patterns. The present analysis provides evidence of a shift towards an increased homogeneity in the travelling preferences of European tourists, an acquired attitude of visitors to travel shorter distances and a tendency of mobility patterns to merge. Finally, the comparison between UNWTO and Twitter data shows a different spatial distribution of visitors. These results provide a useful insight for policymakers involved in tourism planning.

Originality/value

The contribution of this study is threefold. First, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the only study that focuses on the bilateral tourism flows between all countries falling, geographically or politically, under the definition of Europe. Second, evidence is provided of a shift towards a greater homogeneity in the travelling preferences of European tourists. Lastly, for the first time, this study provides a comparison between topological structure and bilateral mobility patterns of tourism flows, based on two different data-recording methods.
Socially informed dispersal in a territorial cooperative breeder
Authors: Cozzi Gabriele , Maag Nino , Börger Luca , Clutton‐Brock Tim H. , Ozgul Arpat
Published: January 2018

Dispersal is a key process governing the dynamics of socially and spatially structured populations and involves three distinct stages: emigration, transience and settlement. At each stage, individuals have to make movement decisions, which are influenced by social, environmental and individual factors. Yet, a comprehensive understanding of the drivers that influence such decisions is still lacking, particularly for the transient stage during which free‐living individuals are inherently difficult to follow.

Social circumstances such as the likelihood of encountering conspecifics can be expected to strongly affects decision‐making during dispersal, particularly in territorial species where encounters with resident conspecifics are antagonistic. Here, we analysed the movement trajectories of 47 dispersing coalitions of Kalahari meerkatsSuricata suricattathrough a landscape occupied by constantly monitored resident groups, while simultaneously taking into account environmental and individual characteristics.

We used GPS locations collected on resident groups to create a georeferenced social landscape representing the likelihood of encountering resident groups. We used a step‐selection function to infer the effect of social, environmental and individual covariates on habitat selection during dispersal. Finally, we created a temporal mismatch between the social landscape and the dispersal event of interest to identify the temporal scale at which dispersers perceive the social landscape.

Including information about the social landscape considerably improved our representation of the dispersal trajectory compared to analyses that only accounted for environmental variables. The latter were only marginally selected or avoided by dispersers. Before leaving their natal territory, dispersers selected areas frequently used by their natal group. In contrast, after leaving their natal territory, they selectively used areas where they were less likely to encounter unrelated groups. This pattern was particularly marked in larger dispersing coalitions and when unrelated males were part of the dispersing coalition.

Our results suggest that, in socially and spatially structured species, dispersers gather and process social information during dispersal, and that reducing risk of aggression from unrelated resident groups outweighs benefits derived from conspecific attraction. Finally, our work underlines the intimate link between the social structure of a population and dispersal, which affect each other reciprocally.
Pre‐dispersal seed predation and pollen limitation constrain population growth across the geographic distribution of Astragalus utahensis
Authors: Baer Kathryn C. , Maron John L.
Published: January 2018

A central focus of ecology is to understand the conditions under which biotic interactions affect species’ abundance and distribution. Classic and recent studies have shown that biotic interactions can strongly impact local or regional patterns of species abundance, but two fundamental questions remain largely unaddressed for non‐competitive biotic interactions. First, do the effects of these interactions on population performance change predictably with environmental context? Second, to what extent do population‐scale effects contribute to limiting species’ geographic distributions?

To address these questions, we experimentally assessed the extent to which pollen limitation and insect seed predators affected the fecundity and projected population growth rate (λ) of the native forb Astragalus utahensis. We studied populations at the centre and northern edge of the latitudinal range of A. utahensis that occur across a gradient in abiotic harshness characterized primarily by declining mean annual precipitation.

Supplementing pollen and suppressing pre‐dispersal seed predators increased seed production similarly within A. utahensis populations at the centre and northern edge of the range. Integral projection population models revealed that relaxing these checks on seed production tended to increase λ in most populations, regardless of their location within the range.

Synthesis. Our results suggest that pollen limitation and insect herbivores limit population growth in A. utahensis similarly across the centre‐to‐north portion of its latitudinal distribution. However, because A. utahensis population growth barely reaches the level of replacement at the northern range edge, the reduction in λ resulting from these interactions may contribute to limiting expansion at the northern edge of A. utahensis’ latitudinal range.
Occupational therapy publications by Australian authors: A bibliometric analysis
Authors: Brown Ted , Gutman Sharon A. , Ho Yuh‐Shan
Published: January 2018

Background

Bibliometrics refers to the collection and measurement of publishing and citation data configurations with the goal of quantifying the influence of scholarly activities. Advantages of bibliometrics include the generation of quantitative indicators of impact, productivity, quality and collaboration. Those parties who benefit from the results of bibliometric analysis include researchers, educators, journal publishers, employers and research funding bodies.

Methods

A bibliometric analysis was completed of peer‐reviewed literature from 1991 to 2015, written by Australian occupational therapists (who were able to be identified as such), and indexed in the Science Citation Index‐Expanded (SCI‐Expanded) or the Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) databases. “Occupational therapy” and “occupational therapist(s)” were used as keywords to search journal articles' publication title, abstract, author details, keywords andKeyWord Plus.

Results

Between 1991 and 2015, 752 peer‐reviewed journal articles were published by Australian occupational therapy authors. On average, those articles had 3.7 authors, 35 references, and were nine pages in length. The top four journals in which Australian occupational therapists published wereAustralian Occupational Therapy Journal, British Journal of Occupational Therapy, American Journal of Occupational Therapy,andPhysical and Occupational Therapy in Paediatrics. The four Australian institutions that generated the largest number of occupational therapy articles were the University of Queensland, University of Sydney, La Trobe University, and Monash University. The top four countries with whom Australian authors collaborated in manuscript writing were the United Kingdom, United States, Canada and Sweden.

Conclusion

The volume of occupational therapy peer‐reviewed literature has grown over the last two decades. Australian authors have and continue to make significant contributions to the occupational therapy body of knowledge nationally and internationally.
Salmon calcitonin ameliorates migraine pain through modulation of CGRP release and dural mast cell degranulation in rats
Authors: Kilinc Erkan , Dagistan Yasar , Kukner Aysel , Yilmaz Bayram , Agus Sami , Soyler Gizem , Tore Fatma
Published: January 2018

The exact mechanism of migraine pathophysiology still remains unclear due to the complex nature of migraine pain. Salmon calcitonin (SC) exhibits antinociceptive effects in the treatment of various pain conditions. In this study, we explored the mechanisms underlying the analgesic effect of salmon calcitonin on migrane pain using glyceryltrinitrate (GTN)‐induced model of migraine and ex vivo meningeal preparations in rats. Rats were intraperitoneally administered saline, GTN (10 mg/kg), vehicle, saline + GTN, SC (50 μg/kg) + GTN, and SC alone. Also, ex vivo meningeal preparations were applied topically 100 μmol/L GTN, 50 μmol/L SC, and SC + GTN. Calcitonin gene‐related peptide (CGRP) contents of plasma, trigeminal neurons and superfusates were measured using enzyme‐immunoassays. Dural mast cells were stained with toluidine blue. c‐fos neuronal activity in trigeminal nucleus caudalis (TNC) sections were determined by immunohistochemical staining. The results showed that GTN triggered the increase in CGRP levels in plasma, trigeminal ganglion neurons and ex vivo meningeal preparations. Likewise, GTN‐induced c‐fos expression in TNC. In in vivo experiments, GTN caused dural mast cell degranulation, but similar effects were not seen in ex vivo experiments. Salmon calcitonin administration ameliorated GTN‐induced migraine pain by reversing the increases induced by GTN. Our findings suggested that salmon calcitonin could alleviate the migraine‐like pain by modulating CGRP release at different levels including the generation and conduction sites of migraine pain and mast cell behaviour in the dura mater. Therefore salmon calcitonin may be a new therapeutic choice in migraine pain relief.
Metatranscriptome analysis reveals environmental and diel regulation of a Heterosigma akashiwo (raphidophyceae) bloom
Authors: Ji Nanjing , Lin Lingxiao , Li Ling , Yu Liying , Zhang Yaqun , Luo Hao , Li Meizhen , Shi Xinguo , Wang Da‐Zhi , Lin Senjie
Published: January 2018

Despite numerous laboratory studies on physiologies of harmful algal bloom (HAB) species, physiologies of these algae during a natural bloom are understudied. Here, we investigated a bloom of the raphidophyte Heterosigma akashiwo in the East China Sea in 2014 using metabarcode (18S rDNA) and metatranscriptome sequencing. Based on 18S rDNA analyses, the phytoplankton community shifted from high diversity in the pre‐bloom stage to H. akashiwo predominance during the bloom. A sharp decrease in ambient dissolved inorganic phosphate and strong up‐regulation of phosphate and dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) uptake genes, including the rarely documented (ppGpp)ase, in H. akashiwo from pre‐bloom to bloom was indicative of rapid phosphorus uptake and efficient utilization of DOP that might be a driver of the H. akashiwo bloom. Furthermore, observed up‐regulated expression of mixotrophy‐related genes suggests potential contribution of mixotrophy to the bloom. Accelerating photosynthetic carbon fixation was also implied by the up‐regulation of carbonic anhydrase genes during the bloom. Notably, we also observed a strong morning‐to‐afternoon shift in the expression of many genes. Our findings provide insights into metabolic processes likely important for H. akashiwo bloom formation, and suggest the need to consider timing of sampling in field studies on this alga.
The Mixed‐Up Files of a 21st Century Librarian: Changing Demographics, Conceptions of Democracy, and The Public Library
Authors: BERSON ALANNAH
Published: January 2018

With the rise of the internet, the role of the public library as a distributor of education, skills, and cultural capital has come under question while continuing to grow increasingly vital. This paper examines how libraries are dealing with changing technology while negotiating their relationship with their diverse patron populations., Using the concept of chronotope, a specific space and time that gives rise to a particular understanding of a person's character or an idea, this paper explores conceptions of patrons through systematic assumptions about patrons’ background and needs. Through the library's continued inclusion of technology in its services, it seeks to reach out to more patrons and support existing ones. This paper makes clear the connections between the current state of the library, its diverse audience of patrons, and the need for new ways of measuring library usage to generate a more nuanced understanding of patrons.
Using Your Feet: Subverting the Structure of Meetings to Help Teams Go Further Faster
Authors: ROWLEY TOM
Published: January 2018

Meetings are a central part of how we work as commercial ethnographers. We meet with our clients to plan our projects and share our findings. We meet with our informants to explore and understand their worlds. However the cultures and practices that inform meeting behaviour can be antithetical to our goals as researchers through their reinforcement of pre‐set patterns of thinking and being. In this presentation I explore how we can challenge the affordances imposed by meeting culture. I draw on my experiences founding a global volunteer network and reframing meeting contexts for corporate clients to challenge conventions and identify fresh opportunities for ethnographic praxis.
Ghostly Spectres: On Ethnography and Identity
Authors: BRAZIEL ES
Published: January 2018

Taking Avery F. Gordon's definition of a ghost as a social figure making the unknown apparent as a departure point, the piece dives into the “ghosts” silently present in an ethnography on how parents view gender in media. Through utilizing the image of an ethnographer as a “ghost hunter,” I track what traces of the social spectral remain invisible to everyday life. Occupying the subject position of “ghost hunter” and “ghost” – the subject of research, and subject being denied research – I assert why business ethnography cannot afford to remain objective when personal and political struggles are on the line.
A Dirty Perspective On A World Too Clean
Authors: GROES LINE , ANDERSEN EMILIE STUHR
Published: January 2018

We live in a world where we tend to categorize, quantify and measure a wide array of everyday aspects ‐ from kWh consumption in our homes to Facebook‐likes. We argue that this urge to categorize and standardize is problematic as we run the risk of oversimplifying reality. Based on an ethnographic field study of what a ‘clean journey’ means to train passengers we illustrate the gap between the Danish Railroad Company's cleaning standards and passenger experiences. By contrasting these standards with passenger experiences and attitudes we answer the question: What is left out, when service providers decide to categorize and measure lived reality? We suggest that rather than ‘cleaning up’ the complexities of human nature and perception, we must recognize and embrace them and find ways to integrate them into our categories and standards.
Ethnography as the first stage of design
Authors: ANDREA MICHAEL , LEHTONEN OLIVER , ATEFIPOUR KOUROSH
Published: January 2018

A film of the process followed over the course of a 3 month design project creating services for transient migrant populations, starting with a period of in‐field ethnography in Myanmar and Thailand.

The film follows a design team from the start of the project, as they select of a broad area of work and conduct research, through to generating concepts and building prototypes. Over the course of the project they develop an understanding of the perspectives of a population, and encoutner the challenges faced integrating those perspectives into the design process. The film highlights the value of fieldwork in informing the designer's initial perspective on a problem, as well as the process of reconciling the designer's goals and needs with those of the respondents.
Review article: Best practice management of common shoulder injuries and conditions in the emergency department (part 4 of the musculoskeletal injuries rapid review series)
Authors: Strudwick Kirsten , McPhee Megan , Bell Anthony , Martin‐Khan Melinda , Russell Trevor
Published: January 2018

Shoulder injuries are a commonly presenting complaint to the ED. In the absence of an obvious deformity, they can be difficult to assess and definitively diagnose because of the multiple structures that cause shoulder pain, the acuity and severity of pain and the lack of range of motion in the ED setting. The quality of ED care provided to patients with musculoskeletal shoulder pain is crucial to ensure the best possible outcomes for the patient. This rapid review investigated best practice for the assessment and management of common shoulder injuries and conditions in the ED. Databases were searched in 2017, including PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, TRIP and the grey literature, including relevant organisational websites. Primary studies, systematic reviews and guidelines published in English‐language in the past 12 years that addressed the acute assessment, management, follow‐up plan or prognosis were considered for inclusion. Data extraction of included articles was conducted, followed by quality appraisal to rate the level of evidence. The search revealed 1902 articles, of which 73 were included in the review (n = 12 primary articles, n = 49 systematic reviews and n = 12 guidelines). This rapid review provides clinicians who manage shoulder dislocations, fractures and soft tissue injuries in the ED a summary of the best available evidence to enhance the quality of care for optimal patient outcomes. There is strong evidence to support taking a thorough history and physical examination, with cautious use of special tests because of their poor diagnostic accuracy. Key points regarding the diagnosis and management of these injuries are provided.
Emergency demand, repeat and frequent presentations by older patients in metropolitan Melbourne: A retrospective cohort study using routinely collected hospital data
Authors: Lowthian Judy , Turner Lyle , Joe Angela , Pearce Christopher , Brijnath Bianca , Browning Colette , Shearer Marianne , Mazza Danielle
Published: January 2018

Objective

To describe patterns for potentially avoidable general practice (PAGP)‐type and non‐PAGP‐type ED presentations by older patients during 2008 and 2012.

Methods

Retrospective analysis of ED presentations by patients ≥70 years for 2008 and 2012. Metropolitan Melbourne public hospital data were obtained from the Victorian Emergency Minimum Dataset. Outcomes were characteristics of PAGP‐type and non‐PAGP‐type presentations as defined by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare; numbers and rates per 1000 population ≥70 years of repeat (×2–3/year) and frequent (≥ ×4/year) PAGP‐type and non‐PAGP‐type presentations.

Results

The older metropolitan Melbourne population increased by 10.3% between 2008 and 2012, whereas the number of ED presentations increased by 12.7%. The volume of PAGP‐type presentations decreased by 2.6%, with declining rates per 1000 population ≥70 years of repeat (7.2–6.2) and frequent (0.7–0.4) presentation. In contrast, the volume of non‐PAGP‐type presentations grew by 15.4%, with increasing repeat (57.6–60.7) and frequent (13.1–14.2) presentation rates per 1000 population ≥70 years. The majority (39%) of non‐PAGP‐type presentations by frequent ED attenders were due to cardiovascular or respiratory problems.

Conclusion

The rate of repeat and frequent PAGP‐type presentations by older people decreased in 2012 compared with 2008, suggesting that initiatives implemented to reduce avoidable presentations may have had an effect. However, an increase in the rate of frequent non‐PAGP‐type presentations, predominately for acute exacerbation of cardiovascular and respiratory conditions, has important implications for planning future healthcare delivery; hence, the importance of initiatives such as the Health Care Home.
High neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio predicts poor prognosis in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy
Authors: Chandrasekara Sahan , Davis Sidney , Thomson Peter , Haydon Andrew
Published: January 2018

Aim

To evaluate the role of neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio as a prognostic marker in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy.

Methods

A retrospective chart review was performed on patients presenting to our service between 2001 and 2014. Overall survival (OS) and progression‐free survival (PFS) were calculated using Kaplan–Meier estimates. The association between neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio and survival was analyzed by both univariate and multivariate analysis.

Results

Across all patients, OS and PFS at 5 years was 59% and 54%, respectively. Increasing T stage correlated with a statistically significant decrease in OS (P  =  0.004) and PFS (P  =  0.005). Both overall (P  =  0.003) and PFS (P  =  0.002) were highest in lifetime nonsmokers and lowest in current smokers. Patients who commenced treatment in 2010 or later had a significantly greater overall (P  =  0.014) and PFS (P  =  0.009) compared to those treated prior. Patients with p16 negative tumors had a significantly lower overall (P < 0.001) and PFS (P < 0.001) compared to those with p16 positive tumors. Patients treated with cisplatin had an overall and PFS of 66.8% and 59.9% respectively at 5 years. Patients with a neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio of less than 4 at treatment initiation had a significantly greater overall (P  =  0.015) and PFS (P  =  0.017). The trend for OS remained significant in multivariate analysis (P  =  0.05).

Conclusion

A high neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio at treatment initiation is a negative predictive marker for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy.
Clinical impact of pharmacokinetic interactions between the HCV protease inhibitor simeprevir and frequently used concomitant medications
Authors: Marra Fiona , Höner zu Siederdissen Christoph , Khoo Saye , Back David , Schlag Michael , Ouwerkerk‐Mahadevan Sivi , Bicer Ceyhun , Lonjon‐Domanec Isabelle , Jessner Wolfgang , Beumont‐Mauviel Maria , Kalmeijer Ronald , Cornberg Markus
Published: January 2018

Aims

Direct‐acting antiviral agents (DAAs) for the treatment of hepatitis C (HCV) can be associated with drug–drug interactions (DDIs) with concomitant medications. The practical clinical implications of such DDIs are poorly understood. We assessed the clinical impact of possible pharmacokinetic (PK) interactions between simeprevir and frequently prescribed concomitant medications.

Methods

This post hoc analysis pooled data from nine studies which evaluated simeprevir (SMV)‐based interferon‐free HCV treatment. Three classes of frequently used concomitant medications of interest (CMOIs) were analysed [antihypertensive drugs (AHDs), anxiolytic drugs (AXDs) and lipid‐lowering drugs (LLDs)] and categorized as amber or green according to their DDI potential with SMV (green: no DDIs; amber: potential/known PK interactions). Concomitant medications not recommended to be coadministered with SMV were not included. The composite primary endpoint was defined as the frequency of either discontinuation, interruption or dose modification of the CMOI during 12 weeks of SMV treatment.

Results

Few patients met the composite endpoint in the various subgroups. Patients on amber CMOIs tended to experience CMOI modification more often (13.4–19.4%) than those on green CMOIs (3.1–10.8%). There was no difference in the frequency of adverse events between patients taking green and those taking amber CMOIs.

Conclusions

In this large pooled analysis, coadministration of the evaluated commonly prescribed medications with known or potential PK interactions with SMV was manageable and resulted in few adjustments of concomitant medications. Our method could serve as a blueprint for the evaluation of the impact of DDIs.
Mothers' Early Mind‐Mindedness Predicts Educational Attainment in Socially and Economically Disadvantaged British Children
Authors: Meins Elizabeth , Fernyhough Charles , Centifanti Luna C.M.
Published: January 2018

Relations between mothers' mind‐mindedness (appropriate and nonattuned mind‐related comments) at 8 months (N = 206), and children's educational attainment at ages 7 (n = 158) and 11 (n = 156) were investigated in a British sample. Appropriate mind‐related comments were positively correlated with reading and mathematics performance at both ages but only in the low‐socioeconomic status (SES) group. Path analyses showed that in the low‐SES group, appropriate mind‐related comments directly predicted age‐11 reading performance, with age‐4 verbal ability mediating the relation between appropriate mind‐related comments and age‐7 reading. In contrast, maternal sensitivity and infant–mother attachment security did not predict children's educational attainment. These findings are discussed in terms of genetic and environmental contributions to reading and mathematics performance.
Aortic versus carotid intima‐media thickness and impact of aortic valve disease
Authors: Petrini Johan , Ring Margareta , Franco‐Cereceda Anders , Caidahl Kenneth , Eriksson Maria J.
Published: January 2018

Background and aims

Intima‐media thickness is a marker for atherosclerosis but is also influenced by shear stress and flow. We evaluated the relation between intima‐media thickness of the descending aorta (AoIMT) and the common carotid artery (CIMT) in patients with and without severe aortic valve disease (sAVD).

Methods

A total of 310 patients (233 with sAVD, 77 without) were examined with regard to AoIMT and CIMT using transesophageal echocardiography and carotid ultrasound, respectively, before valvular and/or aortic surgery. Digitally stored B‐mode images were used for semiautomatic AoIMT and CIMT measurements.

Results

There were no significant differences in patients with or without sAVD with regard to AoIMT (1·35 ± 0·31 vs. 1·35 ± 0·33 mm) or CIMT (0·80 ± 0·15 vs. 0·78 ± 0·16 mm). The correlations between AoIMT and CIMT were r = 0·29 in patients with and r = 0·51 in patients without sAVD, and the difference between these correlations was significant (P<0·05). In multivariate regression, age was the main determinant for AoIMT and CIMT in both groups, further in sAVD, the aortic mean pressure gradient (Pmean) was a determinant of AoIMT, but not of CIMT.

Conclusions

The correlation between CIMT and AoIMT is weaker in patients with sAVD compared to those without sAVD. Pmean is also a significant predictor of AoIMT, but not of CIMT. This implies that, in addition to the atherosclerotic process, turbulent aortic flow or altered blood flow helicity created by large stroke volumes and diastolic flow reversal or high‐velocity jets, affect the intima‐media of the descending aorta and common carotid artery differently.
Sinus node dysfunction after heart transplantation—An analysis of risk factors and atrial pacing burden
Authors: Herrmann Florian E. M. , Wellmann Petra , Sadoni Sebastian , Schramm René , Hagl Christian , Juchem Gerd
Published: January 2018

Introduction

We investigated the development of sinus node dysfunction (SND) requiring pacemaker implantation after heart transplant (HTx) especially regarding pacing burden in these patients.

Patients and methods

Patients requiring a pacemaker for SND were compared to all other patients in an HTx cohort including transplant patients from 1981 to 2016.

Results

Sinus node dysfunction requiring pacemaker implantation developed in 118 patients (10%). These patients had received a biatrial anastomosis more frequently than those in the No SND group 95.8% vs 90.0% (P = .042). The ratio of reperfusion time to aortic cross‐clamp time was significantly smaller in the SND group compared to the No SND group 71.7% vs 80.3% (P = .033). This also holds for the ratio of reperfusion time to ischemia time, which was 23.2% and 28.6%, respectively (P = .032). Pacing burden decreased from 90.5% to 66.3% after 2 years and remained around this value in the remaining 4 years of follow‐up.

Conclusion

We identified the biatrial anastomosis and a low ratio of reperfusion time to aortic cross‐clamp time as well as to ischemia time as risk factors for SND requiring pacing. After implantation pacemakers continue to pace for over 60% of the time after 6 years.
Expression of hepatic progenitor cell markers in acute cellular rejection of liver allografts—An immunohistochemical study
Authors: Lo Regina Cheuk‐lam , Chan Kristy Kwan‐shuen , Leung Carmen Oi‐ning , Ng Irene Oi‐lin
Published: January 2018

Background

Hepatic progenitor cells (HPC) are induced following liver injury to facilitate regeneration. Acute cellular rejection (ACR) is a common complication after liver transplantation as a result of immune‐mediated liver injury. In this study, we characterized HPC phenotype in liver allograft biopsy with ACR. We also explored the correlation between expression HPC immunophenotype and clinicopathological parameters.

Methods

Forty‐four liver allograft biopsies performed between 2008 and 2016 in a single center with histologically proven ACR were examined for immunohistochemical expression of HPC markers CK19 and Sox9. The number of positive‐staining cells was assessed and correlated with clinicopathological features by statistical analysis.

Results

HPC phenotype expression as denoted by CK19 and Sox9 staining was detected in the liver tissue with ACR. The numbers of CK19+ and Sox9+ cells were positively correlated. A larger number of CK19+ cells were associated with higher serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) level at biopsy. By histological rejection score, a larger number of Sox9+ cells were associated with a higher score of bile duct damage.

Conclusion

Expression HPC markers were correlated with clinical and histological parameters in ACR. Expression of each individual marker may be more tightly associated with a particular component of the ACR process.
Evaluation of Touchable 3D‐Printed Replicas in Museums
Authors: Wilson Paul F. , Stott Janet , Warnett Jason M. , Attridge Alex , Smith M. Paul , Williams Mark A.
Published: January 2018

The multisensory aspect of the museum, while neglected for many years, is undergoing a resurgence as museum workers have begun to push towards re‐establishing the senses as a major component of museum pedagogy. However, for many museums a major roadblock lies in the need to conserve rare objects, a need that prevents visitors from being able to interact with many objects in a meaningful way. This issue can be potentially overcome by the rapidly evolving field of 3D printing, which allows museum visitors to handle authentic replicas without damaging the originals. However, little is known about how museum visitors consider this approach, how they understand it and whether these surrogates are welcome within museums. A front‐end evaluation of this approach is presented, finding that visitors were enthusiastic about interacting with touchable 3D printed replicas, highlighting potential educational benefits among other considerations. Suggestions about the presentation of touchable 3D printed replicas are also discussed.
Ecological niche differentiation in peripheral populations: a comparative analysis of eleven Mediterranean plant species
Authors: Papuga G. , Gauthier P. , Pons V. , Farris E. , Thompson J. D.
Published: January 2018

The ‘central‐peripheral’ hypothesis has provided a baseline for many studies of population dynamics and genetic variability at species distribution limits. Although peripheral populations are often assumed to occur in ecologically marginal conditions, little is known about whether they effectively occur in a distinct ecological niche. A cross‐taxa analysis of 11 Mediterranean vascular plants were studied.

We quantified variation in the ecological niche between populations at the northern range limits of species in Mediterranean France and those in the central part of the distribution in continental Spain or Italy in 2013–2014. We analyzed both the macro‐ecological niche where populations occur in terms of broad habitat and altitudinal range and the micro‐ecological niche where individual plants grow in terms of soil and structural biotic and abiotic characteristics.

Most species occur in a single broad habitat type common to central and peripheral populations and have a narrower altitudinal range in the latter. In contrast, for the micro‐ecological niche we detected marked variation in several niche parameters among central and peripheral populations. Although many differences are species‐specific some are common to several species. We found a trend towards narrower micro‐niche breadth in peripheral populations.

Our results illustrate the importance of studying the precise ecological characteristics where plants grow and the pertinence of a multi‐species approach to correctly assess niche variation. The ecological originality of peripheral populations underlines their evolutionary potential and conservation significance.
Interrelations of global macroecological patterns in wing and thorax size, sexual size dimorphism, and range size of the Drosophilidae
Authors: Rohner Patrick T. , Pitnick Scott , Blanckenhorn Wolf U. , Snook Rhonda R. , Bächli Gerhard , Lüpold Stefan
Published: January 2018

Support for macroecological rules in insects is mixed, with potential confounding interrelations between patterns rarely studied. We here investigate global patterns in body and wing size, sexual size dimorphism and range size in common fruit flies (Diptera: Drosophilidae) and explore potential interrelations and the predictive power of Allen's, Bergmann's, Rensch's and Rapoport's rules. We found that thorax length (r2 = 0.05) and wing size (r2 = 0.09) increased with latitude, supporting Bergmann's rule. Contrary to patterns often found in endothermic vertebrates, relative wing size increased towards the poles (r2 = 0.12), a pattern against Allen's rule, which we attribute to selection for increased flight capacity in the cold. Sexual size dimorphism decreased with size, evincing Rensch's rule across the family (r2 = 0.14). Yet, this pattern was largely driven by the virilis–repleta radiation. Finally, range size did not correlate with latitude, although a positive relationship was present in a subset of the species investigated, providing no convincing evidence for Rapoport's rule. We further found little support for confounding interrelations between body size, wing loading and range size in this taxon. Nevertheless, we demonstrate that studying several traits simultaneously at minimum permits better interpretation in case of multiple, potentially conflicting trends or hypotheses concerning the macroecology of insects.