bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Scientometric assessment of Saudi publication productivity in computer science in the period of 1978-2012
Authors: S. Al-Khalifa Hend
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– This study aims to analyze Saudi scientific output in the field of computer science in Web of Science database, covering the years 1978 through 2012.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study involved analyzing 998 publications in terms of the publication count and its growth, citation, share of international collaboration, research areas and researchers’ productivity.

Findings

– The results show that the number of papers produced in computer science field has only increased after year 2007; this is because Saudi universities have applied a catch-up strategy to increase its research output. Also, our study reveals that the publication performance of Saudi scientists in computer science was domestic and suffers from low international visibility. Only two universities took the lead in the production of computer science research. Furthermore, computer science research trends in Saudi Arabia focused on engineering, followed by mathematics and telecommunications.

Originality/value

– Studies on international academic publication productivity in the Middle East, particularly in Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia, are rarely found. In fact, bibliometric studies on Saudi researchers in the field of computer science are not available. Therefore, the originality of this study resides in being the first study to measure publication productivity of Saudi researchers in the field of computer science.
European influence in ITU-R: the end of an era of dominance?
Authors: Ali El-Moghazi Mohamed , Whalley Jason , Irvine James
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of the European countries in Region 1 of the Radio Sector of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU-R). More specifically, the focus is on the World Radiocommunication Conference 2012 meeting to explore whether European influence is in decline.

Design/methodology/approach

– This article adopts in-depth case study of the 700-MHz issue. Qualitative data are drawn from semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders who participated at the World Radiocommunication Conference 2012 meeting.

Findings

– This article concludes that the influence of European countries in the ITU-R in Region 1 has changed. The influence of Arab and African countries has increased, with that of European countries declining. However, European countries remain more influential than their African and Arab counterparts.

Research limitations/implications

– This article sheds light on an often overlooked but pivotal element of the international spectrum allocation mechanism.

Originality/value

– This article sheds light on important developments in the international spectrum policy that are largely overlooked in the current debate.
Extending the expectation-confirmation model with quality and flow to explore nurses’ continued blended e-learning intention
Authors: Cheng Yung-Ming
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to propose a hybrid model based on the expectation-confirmation model (ECM), flow theory, and updated DeLone and McLean information system (IS) success model to examine whether quality factors as the antecedents to nurse beliefs affected nurses’ intention to continue using the blended electronic learning (e-learning) system.

Design/methodology/approach

– Sample data for this study were collected from nurses at five hospitals in Taiwan. A total of 500 questionnaires were distributed, 396 (79.2 percent) questionnaires were returned. Consequently, 378 usable questionnaires were analyzed in this study, with a usable response rate of 75.6 percent. Collected data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.

Findings

– Information quality, system quality, support service quality, and instructor quality contribute significantly to perceived usefulness (PU), confirmation, and flow, which together explain nurses’ satisfaction with the usage of the blended e-learning system, and this in turn leads to their continued system usage intention.

Originality/value

– First, the application of the ECM with the view of updated DeLone and McLean IS success model reveals deep insights into quality evaluation (including information quality, system quality, and support service quality) in the field of nurses’ e-learning continuance intention. Especially, this study additionally contributes to the identification of instructor quality that may lead to nurses’ continued blended e-learning usage intention. Next, the empirical evidence on capturing both extrinsic motivator (i.e. PU) and intrinsic motivator (i.e. flow) for completely explaining quality antecedents of nurses’ blended e-learning continuance intention is well documented.
Mental health literacy in non-western countries: a review of the recent literature
Authors: Furnham Adrian , Hamid Aseel
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to produce a comprehensive and tabulated review of the many and scattered papers on public mental health literacy, with particular focus on people's ability to recognise mental illness and beliefs about the treatment.

Design/methodology/approach

– This was a review and tabula study. Comprehensive tables describe studies: the first looks at the beliefs of three different groups (the general public, students and young people) within developed English-speaking countries, and the second on studies from non-English-speaking countries.

Findings

– Some illnesses like depression and schizophrenia are well researched and others like anxiety or personality disorders largely ignored. The conclusion considers terminological (the loose use of different terms), theoretical (little or no theoretical models) and methodological (heavy reliance on printed, culture-bound vignettes) issues in the developing area of research.

Originality/value

– No such review exists and this therefore should be of considerable value to people working in the area.
The role of workplace mediation: a critical assessment
Authors: Bennett Tony
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– Interest in mediation as an alternative strategy for managing conflict in the workplace has grown recently both in terms of theory, practice and government policy. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the efficacy of the process as practised in higher education, where its use is quite well developed. Its key aim is to increase the understanding of the process through a more qualitative sectorial analysis.

Design/methodology/approach

– The research took place over a six-month period in 2011. It is based on the views and experiences of 36 representatives from 16 universities across the North of England and four senior managers from mediation providers serving those organisations. Face-to-face semi-structured interviews with an average duration of one hour were undertaken with the majority of respondents with a small number of slightly shorter telephone interviews. All interviews were fully transcribed.

Findings

– The key findings of the research suggest that universities, whilst having similarities to other organisations in terms of the rationale, implementation and management of workplace mediation, have a practice also informed by some aspects specific to the sector. These include: the ethos of the sector, the nature of the academic labour process, its potential client base and also in its desire to network with others within the sector.

Originality/value

– The study offers a more in-depth understanding of mediation as practised in a cross-section of organisations in one sector and is in contrast to the predominantly more quantitative approach adopted so far in the mediation literature in the UK.
A comparative analysis of best human resource management practices in the hotel sector of Samoa and Tonga
Authors: Naidu Suwastika , Chand Anand
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to comparatively analyse the best human resource management (HRM) practices in the hotel sector of Samoa and Tonga.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study examined best HRM practices used by the hotel sector of Samoa and Tonga by using self-administered questionnaires. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to 73 hotels in Samoa and 66 hotels in Tonga. Out of the 73 self-administered questionnaires that were distributed in Samoa, 58 usable questionnaires were returned resulting in a response rate of 79 per cent. In the case of Tonga, out of the 66 self-administered questionnaires were distributed, 51 usable questionnaires were returned resulting in a response rate of 77 per cent.

Findings

– The findings of this study show that there are 28 best HRM practices in Samoa and 15 best HRM practices in Tonga. This study also found that best HRM practices differ based on differences in internal and external environmental factors present in different geographical areas. The findings of this paper support the assumptions of the Contextual Paradigm of HRM and strategic human resource management.

Research limitations/implications

– This study is based on a single sector of Samoa and Tonga. A single sector study limits the generalisations that can be made across different sectors in Samoa and Tonga.

Practical implications

– Human resource managers should incorporate cultural, political, legal, economic and social factors in HRM practices.

Originality/value

– None of the existing studies have examined best HRM practices used by the hotel sector of Samoa and Tonga. This study is a pioneering study that comparatively analyses the best HRM practices used by the hotel sector of Samoa and Tonga.
The impact of person-job fit and person-organization fit on OCB
Authors: Farzaneh Jaleh , Dehghanpour Farashah Ali , Kazemi Mehdi
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– Drawing upon the social exchange theory and empowerment theory, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of perceived person-environment fit on organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB). Furthermore, this study assesses the roles of organisational commitment and psychological empowerment (PE) in this relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

– Respondents of this study were employees of the Iran Northeast Gas Transfer Company. Data were collected through conducting a survey on 500 employees, of which 412 questionnaires were used for further analysis. Confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modelling, Baron and Kenny's (1986) procedure for examining mediator effect, and finally Zhao and Cavusgil's (2006) technique of evaluating moderator effect were utilised for the analyses.

Findings

– Results indicated that organisational commitment acts as a mediator between person-job (P-J) fit and person-organisation (P-O) fit and OCB. PE acts as a moderator between organisational commitment and OCB.

Practical implications

– This research has implications for approaches to human resource management in organisations.

Originality/value

– This study empirically synthesises the joint effect of P-O fit and P-J fit on a behavioural variable (OCB) in the social context of organisation and explains the mechanism of the effect. The pattern of relationships tested is relatively novel.
The position of relationship based practice in youth justice
Authors: Creaney Sean
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to consider the position of relationship-based practice in youth justice by looking at how “effective programmes” seem to have been given heightened importance over “effective” young person-worker relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

– By critically reviewing the literature on the topic, the paper promotes debate on the position of relationship-based practice in youth justice.

Findings

– It is argued that the young person-worker relationship is very important. A genuine and empathetic relationship can reduce the chances of re-offending and improve the child's personal, social and emotional development. By being respectful and listening attentively to children's “life stories”, barriers can be overcome, potentially resulting in lifestyle, social and behavioural change. However, although there is evidence that developing a trusting relationship is “effective” and that it is a key component of effective practice, what is less clear is how to practically secure the engagement of a child.

Originality/value

– In comparison to the emphasis on effective programme intervention, there has been less research done on the “characteristics” of effective staff practice in youth justice.
Strategic complexities and opportunities in Welsh youth justice: exploring YJB Cymru
Authors: Case Stephen
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The paper presents and discusses the findings of a Strategic Insight Programme placement that explored the Youth Justice Board for Wales (YJB Cymru), a division of the YJB for England and Wales since the abolition of the regional structure in April 2012. The focus of the placement was on exploring the role of YJB Cymru in the development of youth justice policy and practice in the unique, partially devolved context of Wales. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– The research was conducted over a six-month period from February to July 2013. A multiple methods design was adopted, consisting of semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders (YJB Cymru staff, Welsh Government staff and Youth Offending Team staff), observations of policy and practice mechanisms (YJB Cymru meetings, YOT projects) and documentary analysis of YJB Cymru publications.

Findings

– Thematic analyses demonstrated that YJB Cymru has an increasingly important role in policy and practice development structures and processes in England and Wales more broadly (e.g. within the YJB for England and Wales) and in the Welsh national context specifically. YJB Cymru fulfills a role of dual influence – working both with government (UK and Welsh) and youth justice practitioners (mainly YOT managers and staff) to mediate and manage youth justice tensions in the partially devolved Welsh policy context through relationships of reflective and critical engagement.

Originality/value

– This study draws inspiration from the groundbreaking research of Souhami (2011) and builds on those findings to provide a unique insight into the organisation and role YJB Cymru in the complex and dynamic context of youth justice in Wales.
Executives with customer experience: wish and reality – the mantra of customer orientation
Authors: Bachmann Christian
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to describe the gap between the “customer orientation” as generally pretended by corporate top executives, and the actual focus of their respective officer mandates. It also aims to outline an alternative scenario in which “each and every executive board member is directly responsible for a given customer group or sales area”.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study analyzes the mandates of all executive board members of the 100 corporations stock-listed in Germany and Switzerland at DAX, MDAX and SMI index (as per annual reports and corporate homepages, on May 17, 2013). This study assumes that if customer orientation is a corporate core principle, then all officers will spend significant time with direct customer interaction and will have explicit responsibility for customers, sales markets or regions.

Findings

– Only about half of the analyzed (approximately 700) chief officers are directly responsible for sales markets or key accounts. The remaining half, instead, is heading mainly “functional” divisions (e.g. technology, legal). The proposed alternative scenario is outlined with its major practical implications.

Practical implications

– This study assumes that responsibility for client satisfaction and commercial success is systematically spread across all executive board members. Then corporate strategies are, by default, customer-oriented. Top management’s first-hand qualified customer experience helps them sizing their functional strategies. Such optimized functional strategies support the company’s market success – far from being trapped by silo mentality, or from becoming a goal in itself.

Originality/value

– This study approximates the ambivalence of “customer orientation” in real business practice as opposed to wish, and shifts responsibility to all top executives for putting credible customer orientation into practice.
The dark side of business models: the risks of strategizing through business models alone
Authors: Ghezzi Antonio
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims at exposing the risks entrepreneurs and managers run whenever they focus on business model design alone, while disregarding other strategy analysis tools; disclosing what a business model is and is not; and proposing a checklist to frame business models within – rather than without – the process of strategic planning. The business model has recently gained popularity in the broad community of strategists, thanks to its apparent simplicity and straightforward applicability. Yet, business models have a dark side too, residing in their fuzzy relationship with strategy and little theoretical foundations.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper is based on a survey on 105 C-level managers involved in strategy formulation and business model design.

Findings

– The business model is often misinterpreted by strategists, who show a tendency to employ it as a substitute – not a complement – for traditional strategy analysis frameworks; however, such approach has significant downsides, as it fails to provide a holistic view on strategy. To exploit business models’ value, strategists should use them as instruments for business idea generation, strategy execution and innovation.

Practical implications

– Entrepreneurs and managers are faced with the pros and cons related to the use of business models, and are provided with action points to include the model in the overall business strategic planning.

Originality/value

– By questioning the current use of business models, the paper sheds light on its actual value and role in relation to strategy.
Can we alter behaviours without “culture change”?
Authors: Coulson-Thomas Colin
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of the article is to share certain findings of a five-year investigation.

Design/methodology/approach

– It draws upon under-pinning research reports and analysis of early adoptions of what the evidence suggests is the most affordable route to high performance organisations.

Findings

– Many corporate culture change programmes are unnecessary if their purpose is to quickly change behaviours and can be problematic in organisations that need to embrace a diversity of cultures and a variety of approaches and behaviours across different functions and business units.

Practical implications

– Performance support can be a cost-effective way of changing behaviour, ensuring people remain current and competitive and delivering multiple objectives without requiring a change of culture or structure.

Originality/value

– The article suggests that a “new leadership” and shift of emphasis is required.
Enhancing staff motivation in “tough” periods: implications for business leaders
Authors: Panagiotakopoulos Antonios
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of the paper is to present a viewpoint based on an empirical study conducted by the author, which explored the motivational techniques used by 30 chief executive officers in the context of an advancing economy like Greece that faces a severe financial crisis and evaluated the impact of such motivational tools on staff performance.

Design/methodology/approach

– The viewpoint is based on a quantitative survey of 30 Greek large organizations involving the leaders of the firms and 113 workers. In all, 143 responses were collected concerning the main motivational techniques used by the participant leaders and their impact on employee behavior.

Findings

– Overall, the findings showed that in the short-term, both motivational models (i.e. “inspirational” versus “fear”) may lead to effective organizational performance. However, the main difference appears to be related to the long-term impact of each model on firm performance. In particular, the findings indicated that “fear motivation” is more likely to lead to poor firm performance in the long-run compared to “inspirational motivation” due to increased staff absenteeism and turnover.

Practical implications

– The core implication of the study is that “fear motivation” should be reconsidered by business leaders, as the particular motivational approach adopted has been based on a limited understanding around its overall impact on employee performance. As the analysis revealed, a motivational model focused around empowerment, trust and individual development may lead to better organizational results.

Originality/value

– It informs the existing management literature about the impact of different motivational patterns on employee performance, where our knowledge is limited.
Market segmentation for penetrating deeper into the contact lens market
Authors: Toor Tajinder
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to present the importance of market segmentation and how it can be used to strategize effectively to penetrate deeper into the contact lens market.

Design/methodology/approach

– Market segment is a group of consumers with common needs, priorities or characteristics. Each market segment is different, and a business must target these different market segments with different marketing strategies. This paper highlights the role of market segmentation in creating an ideal target segment for contact lens market and designing a unique strategy to reach the targeted segment.

Findings

– Adolescents or teenagers seem to be an ideal segment to penetrate deeper into the contact lens market and to realize immediate gains. A unique or different marketing strategy is required to target and occupy adolescents.

Practical implications

– Targeting adolescents, who form the most promising category to penetrate the market, with a unique marketing mix will likely increase profit, revenue and return of investment.
Distinctive personality traits of quality management personnel
Authors: W. Lounsbury John , M. Loveland James , W. Gibson Lucy , J. Levy Jacob
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate differences in personality and career satisfaction between quality managers and workers in other fields based on Person-Environment Fit theory.

Design/methodology/approach

– Field study: personality and career satisfaction data for 965 quality managers were compared with those for a sample of over 85,000 individuals in many different occupations and employment settings using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and t-tests.

Findings

– Quality managers were higher than other occupations in intrinsic motivation, tough-mindedness, and conscientiousness, but lower in career satisfaction, optimism, and assertiveness.

Research limitations/implications

– This paper does not contain any longitudinal study; there is also a lack of some demographic variables, including race/ethnicity, job tenure, and career tenure.

Practical implications

– The findings carry implications for career planning, recruiting, pre-employment testing, training, and helping quality managers navigate through their organizations and careers.

Social implications

– Overall, the authors provide a personality profile of quality managers and show that many quality managers have lower career satisfaction than other occupations.

Originality/value

– These findings provide an occupational profile of salient personality traits of QC managers which can be used in occupational classification, field identity, and career planning.
Youth and parental perspectives on the functional family therapy programme
Authors: Celinska Katarzyna , Cheng Chia‐Cherng , Virgil Nikiesha J.
Published: July 2014

Assessing clients' satisfaction with family therapy interventions has important practical and theoretical implications. This article presents findings on client satisfaction after participating in functional family therapy (FFT), which addresses youths at risk of delinquency behaviour and communication problems in the family. Qualitative interviews and quantitative research methods are employed to compare programme perceptions with standardized therapeutic outcomes. The data include a parent or guardian interview, a youth interview, a services tracking form and the initial and discharge strengths and needs assessment (SNA). We observed high levels of satisfaction with FFT, yet satisfaction with family therapy and therapists was higher among parents. Parents uniformly indicated satisfaction on six Likert scale items while the youths were satisfied only on one. We found five significant differences between the parents' and youths' responses. The parents reported greater trust in therapists, more engagement in family therapy and more positive perception of changes in family dynamics following the intervention. The two scales, satisfaction with the programme and satisfaction with the therapists, were correlated only for parents. However, both scales were correlated with some items on our outcome variable: the changes in the SNA, for parents and young people. We assessed predictors of satisfaction and found that satisfaction with therapy was inversely related to the number of sessions for youth. For parents, the only common predictor of both satisfaction with the therapist and satisfaction with the programme were the changes on the caregivers' strengths scale. The answers to the open‐ended questions indicated that, although both parents and adolescents valued the improvements in communication patterns, the youth seemed to be especially attuned to changes in this area. Researchers should continue assessing satisfaction with family therapy and study the relationship between satisfaction and the intervention's outcomes. Our findings suggest also the importance of including youth in assessing satisfaction.

Practitioner points

Assessing feedback from both, parents and youth, during and after an intervention can assist in providing more effective treatment.

Youth might benefit from a shorter therapy and those who are mandated should be given more voice in an intervention.

The strengths and needs assessment is a clinical tool that is useful in evaluating the intervention's outcomes.

Functional family therapy improves communication skills among family members.
Habitus of home and traditional drinking: a qualitative analysis of reported middle‐class alcohol use
Authors: Brierley‐Jones Lyn , Ling Jonathan , McCabe Karen E , Wilson Graeme B , Crosland Ann , Kaner Eileen FS , Haighton Catherine A
Published: July 2014

There is evidence that alcohol consumption among those in middle‐class occupations consistently exceeds safe levels, yet there has been little research into why this occurs. This article explores the meanings associated with alcohol use among professional, managerial and clerical workers. Qualitative data were collected from five focus groups of male and female employees aged 21–55 (N=49: 32 male, 17 female). Each focus group was conducted on the premises of a medium‐scale or large‐scale employer, four public sector and one private sector, in the north‐east of England. Using Bourdieu's concepts of ‘habitus’, ‘capitals’ and ‘fields’ we found that, among these middle‐class occupational groups, alcohol use was associated with two habitus: a ‘home drinking’ habitus and a ‘traditional drinking’ habitus. Those of the home drinking habitus particularly used wine as a source of cultural capital and a means of distinction, whereas those in the traditional habitus consumed lager, beer and spirits to have fun in social settings. A small minority appeared to belong to a third, omnivorous, habitus where a wide range of alcoholic drinks were consumed in a variety of contexts. Existing public health initiatives to reduce alcohol consumption may require modification to accommodate a range of drinking cultures.
Incidence and remission of urinary incontinence at midlife: a cohort study
Authors: Legendre G , Ringa V , Panjo H , Zins M , Fritel X
Published: July 2014

Objective

Urinary incontinence (UI) is often considered to be an age‐related disease that develops gradually as women grow older. Much remains to be learnt about factors that promote its incidence or its remission. Our objective was to assess its incidence and risk factors.

Design

Longitudinal cohort study.

Setting

French GAZEL cohort.

Population

A cohort of 4127 middle‐aged women (aged 47–52 years at baseline) over an 18‐year period (1990–2008).

Methods

UI was defined as ‘difficulty retaining urine’. The question was asked at baseline and repeated every 3 years over an 18‐year period. Two groups (UI incidence and remission) were analysed according to status at baseline (continent or incontinent). A multivariable analysis (Cox model) was used to estimate the risk factors for UI incidence and remission.

Main outcome measures

Annual incidence and remission rates and risk factors for UI incidence and remission.

Results

The annual incidence and remission rates for UI were 3.3% and 6.2%, respectively. High educational level (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.28; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 1.05–1.55), parity, i.e. at least one baby versus no baby (HR = 1.64; 95% CI = 1.19–2.27), menopause (HR = 5.44; 95% CI = 4.47–6.63), weight gain, i.e. for each kilogram change in weight (HR = 1.00; 95% CI = 1.00–1.02), onset of depressive symptoms (HR = 1.31; 95% CI = 1.09–1.57) and impairment in health‐related quality of life incidence (social isolation dimension [HR = 1.29; 95% CI = 1.04–1.60] and energy dimension [HR = 1.41; 95% CI = 1.17–1.70]) were associated with an increased probability of UI. The factors associated with persistent UI were age (HR = 0.58; 95% CI = 0.55–0.61), weight gain (HR = 0.99; 95% CI = 0.98–0.99) and transition to menopausal status (HR = 1.54; 95% CI = 1.19–1.99).

Conclusions

Our study suggests that, in our population of middle‐aged women, age, menopause, weight gain, onset of depression and impaired health‐related quality of life may promote UI.
New biomarkers for the prediction of spontaneous preterm labour in symptomatic pregnant women: a comparison with fetal fibronectin
Authors: Liong S , Di Quinzio MKW , Fleming G , Permezel M , Rice GE , Georgiou HM
Published: July 2014

Objective

To identify cervicovaginal fluid (CVF) biomarkers predictive of spontaneous preterm birth in women with symptoms of preterm labour.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

Melbourne, Australia.

Population

Women with a singleton pregnancy admitted to the Emergency Department between 22 and 36 weeks of gestation presenting with symptoms of preterm labour.

Methods

Two‐dimensional electrophoresis was used to analyse the CVF proteome. Validation of putative biomarkers was performed using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in an independent cohort. Optimal concentration thresholds of putative biomarkers were determined and the predictive efficacy for preterm birth was compared with that of fetal fibronectin.

Main outcome measures

Prediction of spontaneous preterm labour within 7 days.

Results

Differentially expressed proteins were identified by proteomic analysis in women presenting with ‘threatened’ preterm labour without cervical change who subsequently delivered preterm (n = 12 women). ELISA validation using an independent cohort (n = 129 women) found albumin and vitamin D‐binding protein (VDBP) to be significantly altered between women who subsequently experienced preterm birth and those who delivered at term. Prediction of preterm delivery within 7 days using a dual biomarker model (albumin/VDBP) provided 66.7% sensitivity, 100% specificity, 100% positive predictive value (PPV) and 96.7% negative predictive value (NPV), compared with fetal fibronectin yielding 66.7, 87.9, 36.4 and 96.2%, respectively (n = 64). Using the maximum number of screened samples, the predictive utility of albumin/VDBP yielded a sensitivity of 77.8%, specificity and PPV of 100% and NPV of 98.0% (n = 109).

Conclusions

The dual biomarker model of albumin/VDBP is more efficacious than fetal fibronectin in predicting spontaneous preterm delivery in symptomatic women within 7 days. A clinical diagnostic trial is required to test this model on a larger population to confirm these findings and to further refine the predictive values.
Histological features and severity of oxaliplatin‐induced liver injury and clinical associations
Authors: Nalbantoglu ILKe , Tan Benjamin R , Linehan David C , Gao Feng , Brunt Elizabeth M
Published: July 2014

Objective

Oxaliplatin, a component of chemotherapy for colorectal carcinoma liver metastases, can result in hepatic sinusoidal injury; rarely, the injury is fatal. The manifestations of injury are variable. There are no known predictors of susceptibility and outcome. A semi‐quantitative system for assessing histological features in non‐tumor liver was designed to compare with clinical short‐term and long‐term outcomes.

Methods

A review of 47 patients with metastatic colorectal carcinoma who received liver resection utilizing a system for an aggregate liver injury score (0–4) included hepatocellular and sinusoidal features. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) for aberrant capillarization was included. The proliferation of hepatocytes and sinusoidal lining cells was evaluated with Ki‐67 stain.

Results

In total, 32 (68.1%) cases showed light microscopic lesions of oxaliplatin‐induced liver injury, in which 26 were moderate to severe. Elevated preoperative aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase levels were noted with higher injury scores (P = 0.01). Patients with higher injury scores had no significant increase in short‐term postoperative complications, with one notable exception, who died of liver failure 10 months postoperatively. Increased CD34 expression was associated with higher injury scores (P = 0.00004), and abnormal AST levels (P = 0.04). Preoperative use of bevacizumab was not associated with lower injury scores. Steatosis was correlated with body mass index (P = 0.052) but not with exposure to oxaliplatin, bevacizumab or irinotecan.

Conclusions

The proposed liver injury scoring system encompasses the spectrum of sinusoidal and hepatocellular lesions in oxaliplatin‐induced liver injury and is correlated with serum liver enzyme levels in this group. Most patients recovered without complications during the 93‐month follow‐up, indicating that these lesions are reversible.
Subchronic administration of atomoxetine causes an enduring reduction in context‐induced relapse to cocaine seeking without affecting impulsive decision making
Authors: Broos Nienke , Loonstra Rhianne , van Mourik Yvar , Schetters Dustin , Schoffelmeer Anton N. M. , Pattij Tommy , De Vries Taco J.
Published: July 2014

Previous work has established a robust relationship between impulsivity and addiction, and revealed that impulsive decision making predisposes the vulnerability to cocaine‐seeking behavior in rats. An important next step is to assess whether elevated relapse vulnerability can be treated via the reduction of impulsive decision making. Therefore, this study explored whether subchronic atomoxetine treatment can reduce relapse vulnerability by reducing impulsive decision making. Rats were trained in the delayed reward task and were subjected to 3 weeks of cocaine self‐administration. Following drug self‐administration, animals were divided to different experimental groups and received the noradrenaline transporter inhibitor and attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder drug atomoxetine or vehicle subchronically for 20 days. On days 1 and 10 after treatment cessation, a context‐induced reinstatement test was performed. Throughout the entire experiment, changes in impulsive decision making were continuously monitored. Subchronic treatment with atomoxetine reduced context‐induced reinstatement both 1 and 10 days after treatment cessation, only in animals receiving no extinction training. Interestingly, neither subchronic nor acute atomoxetine treatments affected impulsive decision making. Our data indicate that the enduring reduction in relapse sensitivity by atomoxetine occured independent of a reduction in impulsive decision making. Nonetheless, repeated atomoxetine administration seems a promising pharmacotherapeutical strategy to prevent relapse to cocaine seeking in abstinent drug‐dependent subjects.
The differential expression of alternatively spliced transcripts and imprinting status of MEG9 gene in cows
Authors: Zhang Kun , Li Dongjie , Wang Mengnan , Wu Guojiang , Shi Yunjiao , Li Shijie
Published: July 2014

Meg9/Mirg (maternally expressed gene 9/microRNA containing gene), a non‐coding RNA (ncRNA) comprising many alternatively splicing isoforms, has been identified as maternally expressed in mouse and sheep, but its imprinting status and splicing variants are still unknown in cattle. In this study, we found three splicing variants of the cattle MEG9 gene expressed in a tissue‐specific manner. A single nucleotide polymorphism site (SNP c.1354C>G) was identified in exon 3 of cattle MEG9 and used to distinguish between monoallelic and biallelic expression. Our results showed that MEG9 exhibited monoallelic expression in all examined cattle tissues by comparing sequencing results between genomic DNA and cDNA levels at the c.1354C>G SNP site, suggesting that MEG9 is imprinted in cattle.
House dust mite sublingual immunotherapy is safe and appears to be effective in moderate, persistent asthma
Authors: Wang L. , Yin J. , Fadel R. , Montagut A. , de Beaumont O. , Devillier P.
Published: July 2014

Background

The efficacy and safety of sublingual immunotherapy in house dust mite–induced asthma have yet to be firmly established. We report the results of a double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, randomized clinical trial performed in mainland China.

Methods

After a three‐month baseline period, 484 asthmatic adults were randomized 2 : 1 to 12 months of daily treatment with either an aqueous, standardized, 300 index of reactivity mixture of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and Dermatophagoides farinae extracts or a placebo. The primary efficacy criterion was well‐controlled asthma for at least 16 of the last 20 weeks of treatment.

Results

In the active (n = 308) and placebo (n = 157) groups, well‐controlled asthma was achieved by 85.4% and 81.5% of the patients, respectively (P = 0.244). A subsequent post hoc analysis by asthma severity revealed significant clinical benefits in actively treated subjects with moderate, persistent asthma at baseline [401–800 μg budesonide/day (n = 175)], with greater achievement of well‐controlled asthma (80.5% and 66.1% for the active treatment and placebo groups, respectively; P = 0.021) and totally controlled asthma (54.0% and 33.9%, respectively, P = 0.008), a higher percentage of patients with an asthma control questionnaire score < 0.75 (56.6% and 40.0%, respectively; P = 0.039) and a greater mean reduction in inhaled corticosteroid use (218.5 μg and 126.2 μg, respectively; P = 0.004). The active vs placebo differences in disease control and corticosteroid use were not significant for mild, persistent asthma. No treatment‐related serious adverse events were reported.

Conclusions

Sublingual mite allergen immunotherapy was well tolerated in adult asthmatics and effectively controlled disease in patients with moderate (but not mild) persistent asthma (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00660452).
Review article: adherence to Rome criteria in therapeutic trials in functional dyspepsia
Authors: Stanghellini V. , Cogliandro R.
Published: July 2014

Background

The Rome criteria are currently required by health authorities for the inclusion of patients affected by functional dyspepsia in therapeutic trials. However, the degree of adherence to these criteria has not been formally verified.

Aim

To review adherence to the Rome criteria for inclusion criteria, outcome measures and endpoints in therapeutic trials on functional dyspepsia and the potential impact on the conclusions that can be drawn from these studies.

Methods

A total of 1818 articles were screened. Fifty‐eight trials claiming to include adults affected by functional dyspepsia as defined by the Rome criteria published as full articles in English between 2000 and 2013 were considered.

Results

Lack of full adherence to the Rome criteria of inclusion criteria was found in 54% of the studies, due to inclusion of patients with symptoms not reported in the Rome criteria or definitions of dyspeptic symptom that varied from those proposed by the Rome criteria. Ninety‐five per cent of clinical trials adopted therapeutic outcome measures that were not adherent to the Rome criteria, using questionnaires that did not include all dyspeptic symptoms or including symptoms other than those proposed by the Rome criteria.

Conclusions

Stringent criteria have not been adopted for inclusion criteria and outcome measures in the vast majority of published studies on functional dyspepsia that claim to have been carried out according to the Rome criteria. Appropriate questionnaires should be developed to promote adherence to internationally accepted definitions of the syndrome in future studies.
Post‐discharge suicides of inpatients with bipolar disorder in Finland
Authors: Isometsä Erkki , Sund Reijo , Pirkola Sami
Published: July 2014

Objectives

Suicide risk in psychiatric inpatients is known to be remarkably high after discharge. However, temporal patterns and risk factors among patients with bipolar disorder remain obscure. We investigated post‐discharge temporal patterns of hazard and risk factors by type of illness phase among patients with bipolar disorder.

Methods

Based on national registers, all discharges of patients with bipolar disorder from a psychiatric ward in Finland in 1987–2003 (n = 52,747) were identified, and each patient was followed up to post‐index discharge or to suicide (n = 466). For discharges occurring in 1995–2003 (n = 35,946), factors modifying hazard of suicide during the first 120 days (n = 129) were investigated.

Results

The temporal pattern of suicide risk depended on the type of illness phase, being highest but steeply declining after discharge with depression; less high and declining in mixed states; lower and relatively stable after mania. In Cox models, for post‐discharge suicides (n = 65) after hospitalizations for bipolar depression (n = 9,635), the hazard ratio was 8.05 (p = 0.001) after hospitalization with a suicide attempt and 3.63 (p < 0.001) for male patients, but 0.186 (p = 0.001) for patients taking lithium. Suicides after mania (n = 28) or mixed episodes (n = 20) were predicted by male sex and preceding suicide attempts, respectively.

Conclusions

Among inpatients with bipolar disorder, suicide risk is high and related strongly to the time elapsed from discharge after hospitalizations for depressive episodes, and less strongly after hospitalizations for mixed episodes. Intra‐episodic suicide attempts and male sex powerfully predict suicide risk. Lower suicide rate after hospitalizations for depression among patients prescribed lithium is consistent with a preventive effect.
On the Relation of Job Insecurity, Job Autonomy, Innovative Work Behaviour and the Mediating Effect of Work Engagement
Authors: De Spiegelaere Stan , Van Gyes Guy , De Witte Hans , Niesen Wendy , Van Hootegem Geert
Published: July 2014

European policy is focusing on innovation as a way out of the economic crisis. At the same time, job insecurity is rising as Europe is still in crisis. In this paper, we examine whether job insecurity affects the innovative work behaviour of employees by focusing on the relation between job insecurity, job autonomy, work engagement and innovative work behaviour (IWB). Using employee level survey data, we use structural equation modelling to disentangle the relations between these variables. The partially mediated model shows the best fit with the data. This model shows that job insecurity and autonomy are both directly and indirectly, through work engagement, related with IWB. For autonomy these relations are positive, while they are negative (and smaller) for job insecurity. Moreover, a negative covariance is observed between job insecurity and autonomy.
Combined evaluation of hexokinase 2 and phosphorylated pyruvate dehydrogenase‐E1α in invasive front lesions of colorectal tumors predicts cancer metabolism and patient prognosis
Authors: Hamabe Atsushi , Yamamoto Hirofumi , Konno Masamitsu , Uemura Mamoru , Nishimura Junichi , Hata Taishi , Takemasa Ichiro , Mizushima Tsunekazu , Nishida Naohiro , Kawamoto Koichi , Koseki Jun , Doki Yuichiro , Mori Masaki , Ishii Hideshi
Published: July 2014

Although numerous studies have shown the significance of cancer‐specific aerobic glycolysis, how glycolysis contributes to tumor invasion, a critical phenomenon in metastasis, remains unclear. With regard to colorectal cancer (CRC), we studied two critical gate enzymes, hexokinase 2 (HK2), which is involved in glycolysis, and phosphorylated pyruvate dehydrogenase‐E1α (p‐PDH), which is involved in oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos). Immunohistochemical analyses using anti‐HK2 and p‐PDH antibodies were performed on surgically resected CRC samples (n = 104), and the expression in invasive front lesions of tumors was assessed. Positive HK2 expression correlated with extensive tumor diameter (P = 0.0460), advanced tumor depth (P = 0.0395), and presence of lymph node metastasis (P = 0.0409). Expression of p‐PDH tended to be higher in right‐sided CRCs than in left‐sided CRCs (P = 0.0883). In survival analysis, the combined evaluation of positive HK2 and negative p‐PDH was associated with reduced recurrence‐free survival (RFS) (P = 0.0169 in all stages and P = 0.0238 in Stage II and III patients, respectively). This evaluation could predict RFS more precisely than the independent evaluation. The present study indicated that high HK2 expression combined with low p‐PDH expression in the invasive front lesions of CRC tumors is predictive of tumor aggressiveness and survival of CRC cases.