bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Batak Toba society’s local wisdom of mutual cooperation in Toba Lake area: a linguistic anthropology study
Authors: Sibarani Robert
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to find Batak Toba society’s local wisdom of mutual cooperation in Toba Lake area: a linguistic anthropology study.

Design/methodology/approach

This research employed qualitative paradigm. As a qualitative research, it employed four methods of data collection, namely in-depth open-ended interview, direct participatory observation, focus group discussion which is often abbreviated as FGD, and written documents. In-depth and open-ended interviews were applied to obtain data from the informants who understand the local wisdom of mutual cooperation, the traditional expressions as the collective memory of mutual cooperation, and the terms of mutual cooperation in Batak Toba society.

Findings

Based on the research findings, Batak Toba society has terms for gotong royong (mutual cooperation). They are marsirimpa or marsirumpa (cohesive, in unison, and together). It means that the basic rule of gotong royong (mutual cooperation) in Batak Toba society is the cohesion, synchrony, and togetherness. In other words, gotong royong (mutual cooperation) in Batak Toba society is working cohesively, in unison, and together, which is practiced in the life cycles, livelihood cycles, and public works.

Originality/value

This paper presents a new and significant contribution to the social and economic activity, especially socio-anthropology. People do not consider the implementation of mutual cooperation anymore. They forget that marsirimpa (the local term for mutual cooperation) can be used as a non-material capital to improve the socio-economic development. Marsirimpa can improve the social activity because its main principles are based on the “solidarity” and “harmony.” This research gives contribution economically to the people in the research area (Tippang village) compared to the neighboring area (Bakkara village). People in Tippang village get better income because they believe that many works, for instances, irrigating, paddy planting, until paddy cutting should be done together; they do not need to spend money for workers. Each clan has its own representative to manage irrigation. The activities of land digging and paddy cutting are collectively done. In relation to social anthropology, the tradition around the research area is still maintained because it makes people value the social interaction.
Do wrist orthoses cause compensatory elbow and shoulder movements when performing drinking and hammering tasks?
Authors: Stofer Virginia P. , McLean Scott , Smith Jimmy
Published: January 2018

Purpose

Wrist orthoses are used by occupational therapists to decrease pain, support weak muscles and protect tissues during healing. However, use of wrist orthoses has been observed to produce compensatory movements in other upper extremity joints. This paper aims to determine whether wearing wrist orthoses produced compensatory movements of the elbow in addition to the shoulder when performing drinking and hammering tasks.

Design/methodology/approach

Two twin-axis electrogoniometers were positioned on the elbow and shoulder to track joint movement. The four conditions were drink with orthosis, hammer with orthosis, drink without orthosis and hammer without orthosis. Joint movement was defined as total angular excursion of the joint throughout the performance of the task. Separate 2 × 2 (joint × orthosis) repeated measures analyzes of variance (ANOVA) were used to evaluate differences in joint excursion of the elbow and shoulder joints between orthosis conditions for each task.

Findings

Wearing a wrist orthosis did not change the amount of joint excursion compared to not wearing an orthosis during the drinking and hammering tasks.

Originality/value

Findings suggest that wrist orthoses do not result in statistically significant changes in elbow and shoulder joint movements during simulated drinking and hammering tasks.
What determines the disclosure of managerial remuneration in India?
Authors: Kang Lakhwinder Singh , Nanda Payal
Published: January 2018

Purpose

This study aims to analyse the impact of company performance, company size, ownership structure, board characteristics and other company characteristics on the disclosure of managerial remuneration in 134 listed companies in India from the year 2003 to 2012.

Design/methodology/approach

A disclosure and compliance index is developed on the basis of 14 statements prepared regarding the disclosure of managerial remuneration in corporate governance reports of companies. The Papke and Wooldridge (2008) approach is adopted to estimate fractional response models, and fractional probit model is estimated using the generalised estimating equation approach, with an independent working correlation matrix to determine the effect of various company attributes on managerial remuneration disclosure.

Findings

The study shows that company size and the presence of remuneration committee are significantly related with the disclosure and compliance index of managerial remuneration. Remuneration disclosure is found to be time-dependent as time dummies for all years are found to be significant.

Research limitations/implications

This study highlights the importance of the formation of remuneration committees on corporate boards. The findings of the present study can be used as inputs for promoting better compliance and comprehensive executive remuneration disclosure.

Originality/value

Nothing concrete in the field of managerial remuneration disclosure (to the best of researcher’s knowledge) has yet been done in an emerging economy such as India. This study aims to address this gap by deriving a disclosure and compliance index for managerial remuneration disclosure and examining the impact of various corporate attributes on it.
Internal audit function, audit committee effectiveness and accountability in the Ugandan statutory corporations
Authors: Bananuka Juma , Nkundabanyanga Stephen Korutaro , Nalukenge Irene , Kaawaase Twaha
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the contribution of internal audit function and audit committee effectiveness on accountability in statutory corporations (SCs).

Design/methodology/approach

This study is cross sectional and correlational. Data have been collected through a questionnaire survey of 52 SCs in Uganda through their Chief Internal Auditors and Chief Finance Officers. Data have been analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences.

Findings

The internal audit function significantly contributes to accountability of SCs in Uganda and audit committee effectiveness is not where effective internal audit is present in such organisations. However, audit committee effectiveness significantly contributes to accountability when an internal audit function is not present.

Research limitations/implications

The use of hierarchical regression is prone to problems associated with sampling error. However, the likelihood of these problems is mitigated by the interface with data.

Originality/value

Whereas hitherto both internal audit function and audit committee effectiveness had been viewed as explanations of accountability, this study only confirms the internal audit function as a significant predictor of SCs’ accountability relative to audit committee effectiveness.
A Web e-voting system with a data analysis component
Authors: Valsamidis Stavros , Kontogiannis Sotirios , Theodosiou Theodosios G. , Petasakis Ioannis
Published: January 2018

Purpose

Currently, electronic election is one of the most popular issues of e-democracy. This has led to the development of applications and several security mechanisms to address such necessity. The problem that arises is that such applications are created either on demand for a specific election process, or experimentally for scientific purposes. The purpose of this study is to present a new e-voting system, called VOTAN. The VOTAN system involves a combination of new features with basic advantages, the implementation as open source software, its modular organization covering the functional requirements of a typical electronic voting system (EVS) and the capability of data analysis of candidates and voters.

Design/methodology/approach

VOTAN stands for VOTes Analyzer. It is a secure application for the conduct of electronic elections through the internet based on its own security protocol. It also includes a data analysis component which analyzes the election results and investigates the factors that play a crucial role. The major advantages of the system are that it is an open source and includes a data analysis module that can distinguish important variables from the elections and help make predictions for the outcome based on the selected variables. It is a practical solution to the existing e-voting applications and is ideal for small communities such as organizations, universities and chambers.

Findings

Its main advantage, compared to similar e-voting systems, is the integration of the data analysis component. The analysis of the data produced from elections is considered a critical process to fully comprehend the outcome of the elections and its correlation to specific attributes/variables of the election process. The data analysis module is a unique feature of VOTAN. It facilitates the selection of the most important attributes that influence the outcome of elections and creates a mathematical model to predict the outcome of an election based on the selected attributes. The method used in the module is the LDA.

Originality/value

The originality of the paper derives from the data analysis component and its security protocol/schema that fulfils several requirements.
The design of early childhood makerspaces to support positive technological development
Authors: Bers Marina Umaschi , Strawhacker Amanda , Vizner Miki
Published: January 2018

Purpose

With the advent of the maker movement, there has been a new push to explore how spaces of learning ought to be designed. The purpose of this paper is to integrate three approaches for thinking about the role of design of the learning environment: the makerspace movement, Reggio Emilia’s Third Teacher approach, and the positive technological development (PTD) framework.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper describes two case studies that involved the design of two different early childhood makerspaces (ECMSs) through a co-participatory design experience: the Kindergarten Creator Space at the International School of Billund in Denmark; and the ECMS at (removed for blind review), a resource library in Medford, MA.

Findings

Based on the foundational education framework of PTD, and ideas from the field of interior design, this paper describes the design principles of several successful makerspaces, and case examples of children who use them.

Originality/value

By grounding the theoretical discussion in three approaches, the authors aim to suggest design elements of physical spaces in schools and libraries that can promote young children’s learning through making. Recommendations are discussed for practitioners and researchers interested in ECMSs.
Long-term preservation of big data: prospects of current storage technologies in digital libraries
Authors: Bhat Wasim Ahmad
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the prospects of current storage technologies for long-term preservation of big data in digital libraries.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employs a systematic and critical review of the relevant literature to explore the prospects of current storage technologies for long-term preservation of big data in digital libraries. Online computer databases were searched to identify the relevant literature published between 2000 and 2016. A specific inclusion and exclusion criterion was formulated and applied in two distinct rounds to determine the most relevant papers.

Findings

The study concludes that the current storage technologies are not viable for long-term preservation of big data in digital libraries. They can neither fulfil all the storage demands nor alleviate the financial expenditures of digital libraries. The study also points out that migrating to emerging storage technologies in digital libraries is a long-term viable solution.

Research limitations/implications

The study suggests that continuous innovation and research efforts in current storage technologies are required to lessen the impact of storage shortage on digital libraries, and to allow emerging storage technologies to advance further and take over. At the same time, more aggressive research and development efforts are required by academics and industry to further advance the emerging storage technologies for their timely and swift adoption by digital libraries.

Practical implications

The study reveals that digital libraries, besides incurring significant financial expenditures, will suffer from potential loss of information due to storage shortage for long-term preservation of big data, if current storage technologies are employed by them. Therefore, policy makers and practitioners should meticulously choose storage technologies for long-term preservation of big data in digital libraries.

Originality/value

This type of holistic study that investigates the prospects of magnetic drive technology, solid-state drive technology, and data-reduction techniques for long-term preservation of big data in digital libraries has not been conducted in the field previously, and so provides a novel contribution. The study arms academics, practitioners, policy makers, and industry with the deep understanding of the problem, technical details to choose storage technologies meticulously, greater insight to frame sustainable policies, and opportunities to address various research problems.
Arrangements for adult service users who are homeless in English mental health trusts
Authors: Lucas Steven , Archard Philip John , Tangen James , Murphy David
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report an analysis of arrangements in English mental health trusts to meet the needs of adult service users who are homeless. Homelessness is associated with various forms of mental ill-health, yet homeless people are not always well-served by statutory mental health services. In recent years, practice guidance seeking to improve health outcomes for the homeless has emphasised the need for NHS services to improve care pathways and professional provision for this service user group, in part by collaborating more closely with homelessness organisations.

Design/methodology/approach

Responses to freedom of information requests sent to trusts were analysed. The requests asked trusts for information concerning partnerships with external agencies, particular projects/staff, training available to trust professionals, referral pathways, and intervention models/approaches informing work with homeless service users.

Findings

In total, 49 trusts provided information that could be used in the analysis. Just under half of these had dedicated arrangements or resources, including outreach teams and clinical staff co-located in accommodation and support services for the homeless. The remaining trusts indicated that they either had some limited specific arrangements, such as links between local agencies working with the homeless and existing services, or no dedicated arrangements in place. Training to improve staff awareness around, and knowledge in, working with homeless service users tended to be minimal if provided at all.

Originality/value

This analysis further evidences gaps in the way the needs of the homeless population are addressed by statutory mental health services and adds support to concerns about the homeless having equitable access to care and treatment.
The transition between mental health services in Scotland
Authors: van der Kamp Juliette
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe the barriers and facilitators to an effective transition from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) to Adult Mental Health Services (AMHS). It also presents a new entry into considering how the transition can be improved.

Design/methodology/approach

Insights into the transition from CAMHS to AMHS were gathered through eight semi-structured interviews with mental health professionals. Two methods of data analysis were employed to explore the emerging themes in the data and the observed deficit approach to organisational development.

Findings

The findings identified a vast volume of barriers in comparison to facilitators to the transition. Adolescents who transition from CAMHS to AMHS initially experience difficulty adapting to the differences in the services due to the short duration of the transition period. However, despite the established barriers to the transition, adolescents tend to adapt to the differences between the services. Findings also showed a negative framing towards the transition amongst the mental health professionals which resembles a deficit approach to organisational development.

Originality/value

This paper explores mental health professionals’ perspectives regarding the transition in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. The transition is increasingly recognised as an area in health care that requires improvement. This research provides a new way to consider the transition by exploring the perceived deficit approach to organisational development in the services.
Signpost appointments in an adult psychological therapies team
Authors: Phillips Katie , Macintyre Lucy N. , McMullan Alison
Published: January 2018

Purpose

In Scotland, individuals referred for NHS psychological therapies are expected to commence “treatment” within 18 weeks of receipt of referral. With high demand, high non-attendance rates and limited capacity, this can be a challenging goal. The service discussed here was keen to develop a way of seeing individuals referred sooner and improving the efficiency of the assessment process. The purpose of this paper is to look at the impact of introducing assessment (“Signpost”) appointments on waiting times, attendance, and treatment planning.

Design/methodology/approach

Signpost appointments were offered to all existing, and any new referrals, to an adult psychological therapies team (PTT) in NHS Lanarkshire. Clinicians kept a record of the outcomes of these appointments over a six month period. Waiting times and attendance figures were compared before and after the introduction of the Signpost system.

Findings

Following the introduction of Signpost appointments, individuals were seen sooner for both assessment and therapy. Attendance at first appointments improved and Signpost appointments helped inform treatment planning. Although alternatives were discussed, the majority of clients were still offered individual therapy. Service user and staff satisfaction was high.

Practical implications

The results from this study led to assessment (“Signpost”) appointments being rolled out across other adult PTTs in NHS Lanarkshire.

Originality/value

There is little research looking at the impact of assessment/signpost appointments on adult mental health services in the UK. In the current climate of public service cuts, this study provides an innovative way of reducing waiting times and maintaining service user satisfaction, without requiring more resources.
Personal storytelling in mental health recovery
Authors: Nurser Kate P. , Rushworth Imogen , Shakespeare Tom , Williams Deirdre
Published: January 2018

Purpose

Creating more positive individual narratives around illness and identity is at the heart of the mental health care recovery movement. Some recovery services explicitly use personal storytelling as an intervention. The purpose of this paper is to look at individual experiences of a personal storytelling intervention, a recovery college Telling My Story (TMS) course.

Design/methodology/approach

Eight participants who had attended the TMS course offered at a UK recovery college were interviewed. Data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis.

Findings

Five key themes, namely a highly emotional experience, feeling safe to disclose, renewed sense of self, two-way process and a novel opportunity, were emerged.

Originality/value

The findings suggest that storytelling can be a highly meaningful experience and an important part of the individual’s recovery journey. They also begin to identify elements of the storytelling process which might aid recovery, and point to pragmatic setting conditions for storytelling interventions to be helpful. More time could be dedicated to individuals telling their story within UK mental health services, and the authors can use this insight into the experience of personal storytelling to guide any future developments.
Abuse on online labour markets: targets’ coping, power and control
Authors: D’Cruz Premilla , Noronha Ernesto
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report a study of targets’ experiences of cyberbullying on online labour markets (OLMs). In addition to highlighting the link between targets’ coping and power and control, the paper compares conventional and digital workplaces.

Design/methodology/approach

The method of critical hermeneutic phenomenology is used in the inquiry, bringing political and applied dimensions into the study. Targets’ lived experiences, developed as case studies, were explored via conversational interviews. Thematic analysis was undertaken ideographically, followed by ideology-critique at a nomothetic level. Adopting the psychological/behavioural lens of coping theory, ideology-critique identified micro-level schemas and macro-level ideologies that perpetuate target disenfranchisement. Critical hermeneutic phenomenology illuminates the mutuality between individual and social processes, opening new doors to address power inequities through emancipation.

Findings

Hermeneutic phenomenology uncovered the core theme of “pursuing holistic and long-term well-being”, capturing targets’ attempts at working through their experiences of bullying without jeopardising their position on the OLM. Ideology-critique went beyond highlighting problem-focussed and emotion-focussed coping strategies that empowered targets to indicate how participants’ mindsets, anchored in ongoing circumstantial discourses and long-standing social cognitions, inhibited them from questioning the status quo and exploring alternative coping strategies like legislation and collectivisation, thereby curbing their agency. The findings were theorised in terms of power and control vis-à-vis the unique attributes of workplace cyberbullying, comparing and contrasting conventional and virtual workplaces.

Research limitations/implications

The inquiry is limited to the Upwork platform. Including other OLMs will enhance theoretical generalisability.

Practical implications

The study feeds into praxis by alerting digital workers in general and targets in particular about their circumstances, setting the stage for mobilisation.

Originality/value

The study makes several pioneering contributions. First, it reports the first empirical inquiry examining bullying in digital workplaces, importantly, also extending knowledge on cyberbullying across conventional versus digital workplaces. Moreover, OLM research on abuse and harassment has not been undertaken so far. Second, methodologically, the inquiry illustrates the combination of hermeneutic phenomenology with ideology-critique, taking the rare steps of joining ontological perspectives conventionally viewed as divergent and of incorporating a largely neglected micro-level focus into ideology-critique. Third, it furthers theoretical insights into power and control in workplace bullying while drawing links with coping.
Repercussions of workplace bullying on marital relationships
Authors: Pellegrini Priscila Gasperin , Gonçalves Júlia , Tolfo Suzana da Rosa
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand the impact of workplace bullying on the marital relationship of three Brazilian couples.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses a qualitative approach with multiple cases. Data were collected through individual semi-structured interviews with the victims, followed by interviews with each couple. Then, the information obtained was categorised and analysed according to the content analysis approach.

Findings

The findings indicate that the experience of workplace bullying by one of the spouses influenced their marital relationship, since there were periods of estrangement, conflicts, and changes in sexual behaviour, and subsequent reconciliation. At the same time, the marital relationship played a protective role against workplace bullying.

Research limitations/implications

This is an exploratory study which aims to understand the repercussions of workplace bullying on marital relationships, rather than draw conclusions about all bullied workers and their marital relationships. The identification and analysis of these repercussions may contribute to deepen the understanding of the importance of the victim’s significant other when facing bullying.

Practical implications

This research expands the perception of the consequences and influences of workplace bullying, which are not restricted to the victim. Furthermore, the detailed information demonstrates the importance of including multiple participants in the research, and additional tools to collect data.

Originality/value

By providing a deeper understanding of the impact of workplace bullying on the victims and their families, in particular on the marital relationship of these workers, the study shows that workplace bullying does not affect only those who are directly linked to the organisation.
Inoculation history affects community composition in experimental freshwater bacterioplankton communities
Authors: Rummens Koen , De Meester Luc , Souffreau Caroline
Published: January 2018

Priority effects occur when the arrival order of species or genotypes has a lasting effect on community or population structure. For freshwater bacteria, priority effects have been shown experimentally among individual species, but no experiments have been performed using complex natural communities. We investigated experimentally whether a foreign bacterioplankton community influences the community assembly trajectory when inoculated prior to the local community, whether inoculation time lag affects priority effects, and how the individual OTUs responded to time lag. Two bacterioplankton communities from dissimilar ponds were inoculated into one of the natural media with a time lag of 0, 12, 36 or 60 h, giving advantage in time to the foreign community. All three time lags resulted in priority effects, as the final community composition of these treatments differed significantly from that of the treatment with no time lag, but compositional shifts were not linear to inoculation time lag. The responses of individual OTUs to time lag were highly diverse and not predictable based on their immigration history or relative abundance in the inocula or control. The observed impact and complexity of priority effects in multispecies systems emphasize the importance of this process in structuring both natural and industrial bacterial communities.
Marketing as an Investment in Shareholder Value
Authors: Hughes Mathew , Hughes Paul , Yan Ji (Karena) , Sousa Carlos M. P.
Published: January 2018

We present resource‐based and capability‐based arguments of marketing investment intensity to offer a strategic view of marketing as an investment in shareholder value. We find that marketing investment intensity has a U‐shaped quadratic effect on shareholder value creation (Tobin's q) that calls for marketing investment to be protected and increased, not surrendered. We show how marketing investments interact with investments in R&D, human capital and operations to reveal how strategic co‐investments can alter the shareholder value of marketing. Finally, we show how competitive intensity and failings in the firm's investment productivity (its ability to convert investment expenditure into sales) point to malaise in the firm's own strategic architecture as a fault for perceived poor returns from marketing investments. Our findings suggest that marketing investment should not be scapegoated when its contributions to shareholder value are not as expected. When invested in strategically and in combination with other investments, marketing can unlock exciting improvements in shareholder value.
Model‐driven design of a minimal medium for Akkermansia muciniphila confirms mucus adaptation
Authors: van der Ark Kees C. H. , Aalvink Steven , Suarez‐Diez Maria , Schaap Peter J. , de Vos Willem M. , Belzer Clara
Published: January 2018

The abundance of the human intestinal symbiont Akkermansia muciniphila has found to be inversely correlated with several diseases, including metabolic syndrome and obesity. A. muciniphila is known to use mucin as sole carbon and nitrogen source. To study the physiology and the potential for therapeutic applications of this bacterium, we designed a defined minimal medium. The composition of the medium was based on the genome‐scale metabolic model of A. muciniphila and the composition of mucin. Our results indicate that A. muciniphila does not code for GlmS, the enzyme that mediates the conversion of fructose‐6‐phosphate (Fru6P) to glucosamine‐6‐phosphate (GlcN6P), which is essential in peptidoglycan formation. The only annotated enzyme that could mediate this conversion is Amuc‐NagB on locus Amuc_1822. We found that Amuc‐NagB was unable to form GlcN6P from Fru6P at physiological conditions, while it efficiently catalyzed the reverse reaction. To overcome this inability, N‐acetylglucosamine needs to be present in the medium for A. muciniphila growth. With these findings, the genome‐scale metabolic model was updated and used to accurately predict growth of A. muciniphila on synthetic media. The finding that A. muciniphila has a necessity for GlcNAc, which is present in mucin further prompts the adaptation to its mucosal niche.
Immunosuppressants produced by Streptomyces: evolution, hygiene hypothesis, tumour rapalog resistance and probiotics
Authors: Bolourian Alireza , Mojtahedi Zahra
Published: January 2018

Resistance to a drug and the suppression of inflammatory disorders with immunosuppressive drugs might have happened upon exposure to natural compounds during evolution. Streptomycetes are soil bacteria, but they produce therapeutic drugs. They have been reported to be the low‐abundant members of mucosal microbiomes with a higher prevalence in nonhumans ingesting soil compared with humans. Their lower abundance in the human microbiome might be the representations of our current hygienic lifestyle. We suggest that the Streptomyces bacteria producing antiproliferative/immunosuppressive compounds (e.g., rapamycin and tacrolimus) contribute to the rapalog resistance of certain mucosal tumours (e.g., colon cancer) and the ‘hygiene hypothesis’. If so, the shortage of exposure to these compounds in the current lifestyle might be an underlying reason for the increase of inflammatory diseases, such as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). An investigation on adding certain Streptomycetes (e.g., S. hygroscopicus and S. tubercidicus) to the list of probiotics against inflammatory diseases would be an interesting research area in the future.
Are oceanic fronts ecotones? Seasonal changes along the subtropical front show fronts as bacterioplankton transition zones but not diversity hotspots
Authors: Morales Sergio E. , Meyer Moana , Currie Kim , Baltar Federico
Published: January 2018

Ecotones are regarded as diversity hotspots in terrestrial systems, but it is unknown if this ‘ecotone effect’ occurs in the marine environment. Oceanic fronts are widespread mesoscale features, present in the boundary between different water masses, and are arguably the best potential examples of ecotones in the ocean. Here we performed the first seasonal study along an oceanic front, combining 16S rRNA gene sequencing coupled with a high spatial resolution analysis of the physical properties of the water masses. Using the Subtropical Frontal Zone off New Zealand we demonstrate that fronts delimit shifts in bacterioplankton community composition between water masses, but that the strength of this effect is seasonally dependent. While creating a transition zone where physicochemical parameters and bacterioplankton communities get mixed, this ecotone does not result in increased diversity. Thus unlike terrestrial ecotones, oceanic fronts are boundaries but not hotspots of bacterioplankton diversity in the ocean.
Capecitabine/cisplatin versus 5‐fluorouracil/cisplatin in Chinese patients with advanced and metastatic gastric cancer: Re‐analysis of efficacy and safety data from the ML17032 phase III clinical trial
Authors: Chen Jia , Xiong Jianping , Wang Jiejun , Zheng Leizhen , Gao YanFei , Guan Zhongzhen
Published: January 2018

Aim

To confirm non‐inferiority and test potential superiority of capecitabine/cisplatin (XP) over 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU)/cisplatin (FP) as first‐line treatment for advanced gastric cancer (AGC) in Chinese patients.

Methods

In open‐label phase III ML17032 trial, AGC (stage IIIA–IV) patients with or without metastases were randomized 1:1 to receive cisplatin (80 mg/m2/day intravenous [IV] day 1) with either capecitabine (1000 mg/m2/day oral [PO] twice daily [BID], days 1–14; XP) or 5‐FU (800 mg/m2/day continuous IV days 1–5; FP) every 3 weeks. The primary objective was to confirm the non‐inferiority of XP over FP for progression‐free survival (PFS).

Results

The intent‐to‐treat (ITT) population included 126 Chinese patients (XP–62, FP–64; 67.5% male, mean age 54.7 years). The primary analysis was performed on the per‐protocol (PP) population (105 patients; XP–51, FP–54; 65.7% male). Median PFS in the XP and FP groups was 7.2 and 4.5 months, respectively. The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for PFS was 0.52 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.32–0.83, P = 0.006). Unadjusted HR for PFS in the ITT population was 0.63 (95% CI, 0.42–0.94, P = 0.022). The most frequent drug‐related grade 3/4 adverse events (AEs) were neutropenia (XP–20.7%, FP–17.7%) and gastrointestinal disorders (XP–19.0%, FP–19.4%). The overall incidence of grade 3/4 AEs (XP–43.1%, FP–46.8%), serious AEs (XP–1.7%, FP–3.2%), and AEs related to treatment discontinuation (XP–10.3%, FP–16.1%) were comparable.

Conclusion

XP had a similar safety profile and may demonstrate superiority for PFS compared to FP as first‐line treatment of Chinese patients with AGC (NCT02563054).
A novel glycocluster molecule prevents timothy‐induced allergic airway inflammation in mice
Authors: Lehto M. , Wolff H. , Leino R. , Alenius H. , Savolainen J.
Published: January 2018

Background

Allergen‐specific immunotherapy (SIT) effectively alleviates type I allergic diseases characterized by T helper (Th)2‐type immunity. Our recent studies have shown that a synthetic trivalent glycocluster, triacedimannose (TADM), suppresses the Th2‐type allergic inflammation. The aim of this study was to compare TADM with two well‐known adjuvants, unmethylated cytosine‐phosphate‐guanine oligodeoxynucleotide (CpG) and monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA) in a grass allergen‐induced chronic allergic inflammation model in mice.

Methods

Female BALB/c mice were intranasally sensitized with 50 μL of timothy grass pollen extract (TE) twice a week for a period of 15 weeks. Therapeutic intranasal treatments were then performed once a week after the tenth intranasal TE instillation using TADM (10 or 25 μg/50 μL), CpG‐ODN (20 μg/50 μL) or MPLA (2 μg/50 μL). Groups of 9‐10 animals per treatment were killed 24 hours after the last timothy dosage. Blood, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluids and lung biopsies were taken for subsequent analysis.

Results

When mice were repeatedly exposed to TE for 15 weeks, the number of eosinophils and lymphocytes increased in the BAL fluids. The eosinophil and lymphocyte counts decreased dose‐dependently and were practically abolished in the mice treated with TADM. Treatments with MPLA or CpG significantly increased the numbers of neutrophils, while CpG nonsignificantly decreased eosinophilia compared to timothy exposure.

Conclusions

A novel synthetic glycocluster molecule inhibited the development of grass‐induced eosinophilic pulmonary inflammation in mice when administrated in the airways. This compound could be a candidate to be used either as an adjuvant in SIT or as a topical anti‐inflammatory treatment.
Histopathological evaluation of duodenal biopsy in the PreventCD project. An observational interobserver agreement study
Authors: Villanacci Vincenzo , Lorenzi Luisa , Donato Francesco , Auricchio Renata , Dziechciarz Piotr , Gyimesi Judit , Koletzko Sibylle , Mišak Zrinjka , Laguna Vanesa Morente , Polanco Isabel , Ramos David , Shamir Raanan , Troncone Riccardo , Vriezinga Sabine L. , Mearin M. Luisa
Published: January 2018

Aim of the current study was to evaluate the inter‐observer agreement between pathologists in the diagnosis of celiac disease (CD), in the qualified context of a multicenter study. Biopsies from the “PreventCD” study, a multinational‐ prospective‐ randomized study in children with at least one‐first‐degree relative with CD and positive for HLA‐DQ2/HLA‐DQ8. Ninety‐eight biopsies were evaluated. Considering diagnostic samples with villous atrophy (VA), the agreement was satisfactory (κ = 0.84), but much less when assessing the severity of these lesions. The use of the recently proposed Corazza‐Villanacci classification showed a moderately higher level of agreement (κ = 0.39) than using the Marsh‐Oberhuber system (κ = 0.31). 57.1% of cases were considered correctly oriented. A number of >4 samples per patient was statistically associated to a better agreement; orientation did not impact on κ values. Agreement results in this study appear more satisfactory than in previous papers and this is justified by the involvement of centers with experience in CD diagnosis and by the well‐controlled setting. Despite this, the reproducibility was far from optimal with a poor agreement in grading the severity of VA. Our results stress the need of a minimum of four samples to be assessed by the pathologist.
Distribution of Ebp pili among clinical and fecal isolates of Enterococcus faecalis and evaluation for human platelet activation
Authors: Ahmadrajabi Roya , Dalfardi Mohammad Sadegh , Farsinejad Alireza , Saffari Fereshteh
Published: January 2018

Although Enterococcus faecalis is known as normal flora in colon, it is also amongst the most common causative agents of infective endocarditis (IE). Platelet activation resulting from adherence to platelets is an essential step in the pathogenesis of IE. One of the factors proposed in adhesion is endocarditis‐ and biofilm‐ associated pili encoded by ebp operon. The aim of this study was to investigate ebp in isolates from different origins and analyze the potential of isolates to activate human platelets of different donors. The ebp distribution was investigated in E. faecalis from different origin infections (n = 103) and fecal flora (n = 20). Then, selected isolates from blood (n = 5), urine (n = 2), and fecal flora (n = 3) were analyzed by flow cytometry assay for the ability to activate platelets of four different donors. No statistically significant difference was found for the ebp presence between infective and fecal isolates. Also, it was found that the ability for platelet activation is independent of the bacterial origin. However, significant difference was found in platelet activation between different donors. The results suggest that the presence or absence of ebp is not a critical factor for platelet activation by E. faecalis isolates. However, host factors seem to contribute in this activity.
Symptom association probability does not reliably distinguish functional heartburn from reflux hypersensitivity
Authors: Choksi Y. , Slaughter J. C. , Sharda R. , Higginbotham T. , Lal P. , Vaezi M. F.
Published: January 2018

Background

Symptom association probability (SAP) is thought to distinguish reflux hypersensitivity from functional disorders. A diagnosis of hypersensitive oesophagus (SAP‐positive) indicates that gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is the cause of continued symptoms.

Aim

To conduct an analysis of pH and symptom criteria that lead to a diagnosis of SAP‐positivity

Methods

We calculated SAP for 205 patients with GERD symptoms refractory to proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy who underwent endoscopy with wireless pH monitoring from 2007 to 2014. Patients were divided into three groups: pH‐negative with no oesophagitis (n = 45), pH‐positive with no oesophagitis (n = 130), and patients with oesophagitis (n = 30). We constructed a 2 × 2 table of symptom and reflux event association and quantified the number of 2‐minute intervals for each of the 2 × 2 variables that distinguished SAP‐positive from SAP‐negative. In a separate cohort of 58 patients who had undergone anti‐reflux surgery, we evaluated the effects of pre‐surgery SAP.

Results

The difference in symptom association parameters that led to a diagnosis of an SAP‐positive was small (2.98% in oesophagitis‐positive; 1.56% in oesophagitis‐negative/pH‐positive; 0.48% in oesophagitis‐negative/pH‐negative). In the pH‐negative/oesophagitis‐negative group, a difference of 0.48% led to a diagnosis of hypersensitivity. There was significant variability in SAP values between day 1 and day 2 of pH testing in all groups, with the greatest in the oesophagitis‐positive group, despite objective evidence for reflux (27% in oesophagitis‐positive, 19% pH‐positive/oesophagitis‐negative, and 7% in pH‐negative/oesophagitis‐negative). Pre‐surgery SAP was not associated with response to anti‐reflux surgery.

Conclusion

In PPI‐refractory GERD, SAP cannot accurately distinguish reflux hypersensitivity from functional oesophageal symptoms.
Like a Good Neighbor, Squatters Are There: Property and Neighborhood Stability in the Context of Urban Decline
Authors: Herbert Claire W.
Published: January 2018

In declining cities, an abundance of vacant, devalued property, and under–resourced regulatory mechanisms challenge dominant understandings of private ownership of real property as a source of investment and stability for individuals and neighborhoods. Drawing on four years of ethnography and 65 interviews in Detroit, this article finds that, despite the privileged standing of private property in U.S. culture, residents frequently accept or advocate for illegal property use, such as squatting or scrapping. Instead of adhering to the law, residents use a community–embraced norm—an ethos of care—to assess the acceptability of illegal property use, and they do so in order to positively impact the physical and social dynamics of their neighborhoods. The findings of this article highlight the influence of local conditions for how residents perceive property law violations, and call into question the generalizability and applicability of neighborhood improvement strategies that rest on private, legal ownership to induce responsible care.
Individualization of levodopa treatment using a microtablet dispenser and ambulatory accelerometry
Authors: Johansson Dongni , Ericsson Anders , Johansson Anders , Medvedev Alexander , Nyholm Dag , Ohlsson Fredrik , Senek Marina , Spira Jack , Thomas Ilias , Westin Jerker , Bergquist Filip
Published: January 2018

Aim

This 4‐week open‐label observational study describes the effect of introducing a microtablet dose dispenser and adjusting doses based on objective free‐living motor symptom monitoring in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD).

Methods

Twenty‐eight outpatients with PD on stable levodopa treatment with dose intervals of ≤4 hour had their daytime doses of levodopa replaced with levodopa/carbidopa microtablets, 5/1.25 mg (LC‐5) delivered from a dose dispenser device with programmable reminders. After 2 weeks, doses were adjusted based on ambulatory accelerometry and clinical monitoring.

Results

Twenty‐four participants completed the study per protocol. The daily levodopa dose was increased by 15% (112 mg, P < 0.001) from period 1 to 2, and the dose interval was reduced by 12% (22 minutes, P = 0.003). The treatment adherence to LC‐5 was high in both periods. The MDS‐UPDRS parts II and III, disease‐specific quality of life (PDQ‐8), wearing‐off symptoms (WOQ‐19), and nonmotor symptoms (NMS Quest) improved after dose titration, but the generic quality‐of‐life measure EQ‐5D‐5L did not. Blinded expert evaluation of accelerometry results demonstrated improvement in 60% of subjects and worsening in 25%.

Conclusions

The introduction of a levodopa microtablet dispenser and accelerometry aided dose adjustments improve PD symptoms and quality of life in the short term.
Evolving doublesex expression correlates with the origin and diversification of male sexual ornaments in the Drosophila immigrans species group
Authors: Rice Gavin , Barmina Olga , Hu Kevin , Kopp Artyom
Published: January 2018

Male ornaments and other sex‐specific traits present some of the most dramatic examples of evolutionary innovations. Comparative studies of similar but independently evolved traits are particularly important for identifying repeated patterns in the evolution of these traits. Male‐specific modifications of the front legs have evolved repeatedly in Drosophilidae and other Diptera. The best understood of these novel structures is the sex comb of Drosophila melanogaster and its close relatives. Here, we examine the evolution of another male foreleg modification, the sex brush, found in the distantly related Drosophila immigrans species group. Similar to the sex comb, we find that the origin of the sex brush correlates with novel, spatially restricted expression of the doublesex (dsx) transcription factor, the primary effector of the Drosophila sex determination pathway. The diversity of Dsx expression patterns in the immigrans species group closely reflects the differences in the presence, position, and size of the sex brush. Together with previous work on sex comb evolution, these observations suggest that tissue‐specific activation of dsx expression may be a common mechanism responsible for the evolution of sexual dimorphism and particularly for the origin of novel male‐specific ornaments.
Decomposition and recompilation of mammograms for breast tumour detection
Authors: Yeh Jinn‐Yi , Chan Si‐Wa
Published: January 2018

Breast tumours are the leading cause of cancer death among female adults. Early diagnosis, discovery and treatment are currently the optimal approach to reducing mortality rates and increasing the length of cancer patients' lives. Presently, mammography is the most effective screening method for early breast tumour detection. This paper proposes a decomposition and recompilation approach for the analysis of mammograms. The decomposition stage is based on multiband generation processes (MBGP), which are used to expand the dimensionality of a mammogram. Recompilation uses principal‐component analysis (PCA) to generate different views of the mammogram based on the orthonormal basis vectors. Using Otsu's thresholding method, the abnormal parts of mammographic images can be easily detected. In experiments, the average Jaccard values determined using the Bayes, Markov, Windows, and proposed method were 0.253, 0.228, 0.201, and 0.441, respectively, for images from the mini–MIAS; averages were 0.132, 0.186, 0.158, and 0.261 for images from the Digital Database for Screening Mammography. Thus, the proposed method outperformed the other methods. The main contributions of the current paper are as follows: A novel methodology consisting of multiband generation processes and principal‐component analysis for analyzing abnormities in mammograms is proposed. Two practical data sets were used to develop and evaluate the proposed approach.