bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Determinants of Influence in Organizational Buying: A Contingency Approach
Authors: Kohli Ajay
Published: November 2018

The author investigates factors that affect an individual's influence in a buying center. A field investigation of 251 organizational purchase decisions suggests that expert power is the most important influence determinant, followed by reinforcement power. Interestingly, the effectiveness of individual power bases is found to vary with buying center size, viscidity, time pressure, and the strength of accompanying influence attempts. New measures of different types of power and influence in group settings are developed, validated, and offered for use in future research.
A Longitudinal Analysis of the Impact of Service Changes on Customer Attitudes
Authors: Bolton Ruth N. , Drew James H.
Published: November 2018

The authors develop a longitudinal model of the effect of a service change on customer attitudes about service quality. The model is estimated with data from a field experiment with three survey waves. Service changes are found to have a strong influence on customer evaluations of service quality through their effect on customer perceptions of current performance and disconfirmation. The effect of disconfirmation is larger and the effect of prior attitudes is smaller directly after the service change than in a subsequent time period.
The Perceived Veracity of PIMS Strategy Principles in Japan: An Empirical Inquiry
Authors: Kotabe Masaaki , Duhan Dale F. , Smith David K. , Wilson R. Dale
Published: November 2018

The authors examine Japanese executives’ perceptions of the veracity of various PIMS strategy principles developed from analysis of the pooled experience of businesses in the United States. They draw on a separate study of U.S. executives and report a comparison of Japanese executives’ perceptions with those of U.S. executives. The findings suggest that most of the PIMS principles found in the United States are perceived by Japanese executives to apply in Japan. In addition, Japanese executives are found to Perceive a firm's market position to be the most important influence on firm performance. However, the findings also indicate that Japanese and U.S. executives differ in their views on the level of veracity of many strategy issues.
Corporate Culture, Customer Orientation, and Innovativeness in Japanese Firms: A Quadrad Analysis
Authors: Deshpandé Rohit , Farley John U. , Webster Frederick E.
Published: November 2018

“Quadrads” (double dyads) of interviews, each conducted with a pair of marketing executives at a Japanese vendor firm and a pair of purchasing executives at a Japanese customer firm, provided data on corporate culture, customer orientation, innovativeness, and market performance. Business performance (relative profitability, relative size, relative growth rate, and relative share of market) was correlated positively with the customer's evaluation of the supplier's customer orientation, but the supplier's own assessment of customer orientation did not correspond well to that of the customer. Japanese companies with corporate cultures stressing competitiveness (markets) and entrepreneurship (adhocracies) outperformed those dominated by internal cohesiveness (clans) or by rules (hierarchies). Successful market innovation also improved performance.
Film Critics: Influencers or Predictors?
Authors: Eliashberg Jehoshua , Shugan Steven M.
Published: November 2018

Critics and their reviews pervade many industries and are particularly important in the entertainment industry. Few marketing scholars, however, have considered the relationship between the market performance of entertainment services and the role of critics. The authors do so here. They show empirically that critical reviews correlate with late and cumulative box office receipts but do not have a significant correlation with early box office receipts. Although still far from any definitive conclusion, this finding suggests that critics, at least from an aggregate-level perspective, appear to act more as leading indicators than as opinion leaders.
The Effects of Price-Comparison Advertising on Buyers’ Perceptions of Acquisition Value, Transaction Value, and Behavioral Intentions
Authors: Grewal Dhruv , Monroe Kent B. , Krishnan R.
Published: November 2018

The authors expand and integrate prior price-perceived value models within the context of price comparison advertising. More specifically, the conceptual model explicates the effects of advertised selling and reference prices on buyers’ internal reference prices, perceptions of quality, acquisition value, transaction value, and purchase and search intentions. Two experimental studies test the conceptual model. The results across these two studies, both individually and combined, support the hypothesis that buyers’ internal reference prices are influenced by both advertised selling and reference prices as well as the buyers’ perception of the product's quality. The authors also find that the effect of advertised selling price on buyers’ acquisition value was mediated by their perceptions of transaction value. In addition, the effects of perceived transaction value on buyers’ behavioral intentions were mediated by their acquisition value perceptions. The authors suggest directions for further research and implications for managers.
Some Possible Antecedents and Consequences of In-Role and Extra-Role Salesperson Performance
Authors: MacKenzie Scott B. , Podsakoff Philip M. , Ahearne Michael
Published: November 2018

The purpose of this study is to integrate the notion of extra-role performance with the current understanding of the relationships among salesperson job attitudes (job satisfaction and organizational commitment), role perceptions (ambiguity and conflict), in- and extra-role behavior, and turnover. The authors develop and test a theoretical model that specifies the relationships between in- and extra-role performance and salesperson job satisfaction, organizational commitment, role perceptions, and turnover using cross-sectional data from a large sample (N = 672) of commission sales personnel. The results generally indicate that performance and job attitudes mediate the relationships between role perceptions and turnover. However, the most notable aspect of the findings is that they are consistent with the hypothesis that in- and extra-role performance are intertwined, with in-role performance serving as an antecedent of job satisfaction and organizational commitment, and extra-role performance as a consequence of these two variables. The authors discuss the implications of these findings for sales research.
Currency Choice in Industrial Pricing: A Cross-National Evaluation
Authors: Samiee Saeed , Anckar Patrik
Published: November 2018

In this article, the authors explore the antecedents of currency choice in export transactions by U.S., Swedish, and Finnish firms. Using a framework adapted from exporting literature and negotiation theory, the authors examine relationships between the transaction currency and three sets of constructs, predicated in negotiation and bargaining literature, as well as performance measures. Results indicate a strong relationship between currency choice and process-related and firm characteristic measures. However, situational constraint factors do not exert much influence on transaction currency. The logistic regression model confirms these results with 83% correct classification. The authors demonstrate that the use of foreign currencies is related positively to export volume and transaction value but inversely affects export profit margin.
Family Income Reported in Surveys: Husbands versus Wives
Authors: Haberman Paul W. , Elinson Jack
Published: November 2018

Identical interviews with 645 husbands and wives provided an opportunity to examine agreement between spouses on reporting annual family income. Three-fifths of the pairs reported the same income, using 13 intervals. The ratio of husbands to wives reporting higher income was about 3 to 2.
A Stochastic Model of Radio Listening
Authors: Layton Roger A.
Published: November 2018

There has been considerable discussion of the validity of alternative measures of radio listening. Stochastic process models are used to explore the relationship between some common measures and, in the process, the sort of data that should ideally be collected is specified.
A Stochastic Interpretation of the Heavy Half
Authors: Morrison Donald G.
Published: November 2018

This article examines the heavy-half proportions studied by Twedt and others. The models that are developed illustrate the importance of explicitly including a stochastic component when analyzing individual consumer behavior. The need for appropriate chance models with which to compare empirical findings is also demonstrated.
A Factor Analytical Model of Brand Loyalty
Authors: Sheth Jagdish N.
Published: November 2018

With factor analysis as a method of estimating parameters, an empirical model of measuring brand loyalty for individual consumers based on frequency and pattern of purchases is presented. Despite some limitations, the method seems superior to stochastic models for generating robust measures at the individual level.
Radical revisions: Barbara Harlow and criticism beyond Partition
Authors: Hassan Salah D.
Published: November 2018

This article argues that Barbara Harlow revised her critical commitments in the early 1990s as she sought to intervene at that political conjuncture. While retaining her established engagement with cultural production documenting the persistence of imperial violence and resistances to it, Harlow’s position pivoted to meet the changing global conditions, marked by the collapse of the Soviet Union, the first US war in Iraq (Desert Storm), the Oslo Accords, the end of apartheid and negotiations in the North of Ireland and Central America. These major events, which came to be associated with the New World Order, signalled the eclipsing of the revolutionary modes of resistance that appeared in the 1960s and produced not only new cultural responses to neo-imperialism, but also a distinct critical perspective, which Harlow elaborated as she addressed the contextual constraints of that political conjuncture.
The drone imprint: literature in the age of UAVs
Authors: Harlow Barbara
Published: November 2018

This article is composed of the schema of Barbara Harlow’s final but unfinished book project, The Drone Imprint: literature in the age of UAVs. Harlow had drafted a proposal, given a version of it as the keynote address at the South Asian Literature Association meeting at the University of Texas, Austin in 2016, and taught many of the materials in it as an undergraduate studies signature course. This piece draws on her proposal, expands it with notes she made and parts of composed text for the talks, and attempts to flesh out and complete the citations. It reveals Harlow’s ongoing commitment to thinking through the dialectical relationship of literary and cultural studies to both the political exigencies of the present and the long histories of Empire. The project is instructive in the ways that it concatenates an interdisciplinary archive – human rights reports, novels, films, diaries, law cases, journalism – to elucidate both what drone warfare is doing to problems of literary and cultural representation and how literary modes are being redeployed in the understanding of the phenomenology of the drone. The project explores with some alarm and outrage what drone warfare is doing to questions of accountability and impunity in international human rights law, ‘kill lists’ as part of US foreign policy, questions of citizenship, habeas corpus and due process in the compressions and attenuations of sovereignty that UAVs accentuate.
Correlation between wire feed speed and external mechanical constraint for enhanced process stability in underwater wet flux-cored arc welding
Authors: Wang Jianfeng , Sun Qingjie , Ma Jiangkun , Jin Peng , Sun Tianzhu , Feng Jicai
Published: November 2018

It is a great challenge to improve the process stability in conventional underwater wet welding due to the formation of unstable bubble. In this study, mechanical constraint method was employed to interfere the bubble generated by underwater wet welding, and the new method was named as mechanical constraint assisted underwater wet welding. The aim of the study was to quantify the combined effect of wire feed speed and condition of mechanical constraint on the process stability in mechanical constraint assisted underwater wet welding. Experimental results demonstrated that the introduction of mechanical constraint not only suppressed the bubble without floating but also stabilized the arc burning process. The degree of influence of mechanical constraint, which changed with wire feed speed, played an important role during the mechanical constraint assisted underwater wet welding process. For all wire feed speeds, the fluctuations of welding electrical signal were decreased through introduction of mechanical constraint. The difference in the proportion of arc extinction process between underwater wet welding and mechanical constraint assisted underwater wet welding became less with increasing wire feed speed. At wire feed speed lower than 7.5 m/min, the improvement of process stability was very significant by mechanical constraint. However, the further improvement produced limited effect when the wire feed speed was greater than 7.5 m/min. The observation results showed that a better weld appearance was afforded at a large wire feed speed, corresponding to a lower variation coefficient.
Incremental predictive Kalman filter for alignment of inertial navigation system
Authors: Fathi Mahdi , Ghahramani Nematollah , Shahi Ashtiani Mohammad Ali , Mohammadi Ali , Fallah Mohsen
Published: November 2018

In this paper, a new filter called incremental predictive Kalman filter is developed and employed for the alignment of inertial navigation system using zero velocity updates method. Utilizing the incremental model error, a well posed cost function is presented for incremental predictive Kalman filter that leads to bias-free predictions. Besides, a weighted incremental term of past and present states is evident in the model error solution. This term, in conjunction with an integral action, has substantial effects on the robust performance of the alignment process against intense model uncertainty. Due to the horizon extension of the predictions and of the model errors to more than one-step ahead in the incremental predictive Kalman filter, this filter has a very flexible structure which enables it to implement the available references in the zero velocity updates method as a whole over its wide prediction horizon. The Monte Carlo simulations indicate that the alignment accuracy is noticeably affected due to use of the incremental predictive Kalman filter.
Primary Sjögren's syndrome
Authors: Bowman SJ
Published: November 2018

Primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) is a systemic autoimmune disorder characterized by focal lymphocytic infiltration of the exocrine glands causing dry eyes and dry mouth. Similar glandular features can also occur as a late complication in patients with other rheumatic disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and scleroderma (‘secondary’ Sjögren's syndrome).1

Anti-Ro and/or anti-La (ENA) antibodies are found in approximately 70% of pSS patients, generally with ANA positivity. Hypergammaglobulinaemia is also common. Systemic features also occur in some patients with pSS. A positive rheumatoid factor (RF) is often seen and so if patients present with arthritis, dryness and a positive RF a diagnosis of pSS should be considered as a possible alternative to RA. Anti-CCP antibodies are more specific for RA.
Pulmonary thromboendarterectomy is a curative resolution for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension associated with antiphospholipid syndrome: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Li C , Zhao J , Liu S , Song W , Zhu J , Hua L , Wang Q , Li M , Zeng X , Zhao Y
Published: November 2018

Background

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a rare and life-threatening condition with poor prognosis in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). Pulmonary thromboendarterectomy (PTE) is the optimal surgical option for CTEPH.

Objectives

This retrospective cohort study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and risk of PTE in patients with APS-associated CTEPH.

Methods

Consecutive patients with APS-associated CTEPH diagnosed between January 2012 and September 2017 at Peking Union Medical College Hospital were retrospectively evaluated. Demographics, clinical manifestations, antiphospholipid antibody (aPL) profiles, and pulmonary arterial hypertension–targeted medications were collected. Deterioration of cardiac function and death were chosen as the endpoints, in order to assess the effect of PTE on short-term and long-term prognoses (evaluated by the change of cardiac function after treatment and cardiac deterioration or death in the follow-up, respectively).

Results

A total of 20 patients with APS-associated CTEPH were enrolled, and eight patients underwent PTE. Chi-square test ( p = 0.01) and Kaplan–Meier curves (log rank test, p = 0.04) showed that there were statistically significant differences in both short-term and long-term prognoses between patients with and without PTE.

Conclusion

These results provide strong evidence that PTE is a curative resolution in patients with APS-associated CTEPH. Following a full specialized and multidisciplinary risk-benefit evaluation to limit the risk of thrombosis or bleeding and to manage possible thrombocytopenia, PTE is at least a temporal curative resolution for CTEPH complicated with APS.
Overstating the Role of Environmental Factors in Success: A Cautionary Note
Authors: Moreau David , Macnamara Brooke N. , Hambrick David Z.
Published: November 2018

Several currently popular areas of research—brain training, mind-set, grit, deliberate practice, and the bilingual advantage—are premised on the idea that environmental factors are the overwhelming determinants of success in real-world pursuits. Here, we describe the major claims from each of these areas of research and discuss evidence for these claims, particularly focusing on meta-analyses. We suggest that overemphasizing the malleability of abilities and other traits can have negative consequences for individuals, science, and society. We conclude with a call for balanced appraisals of the available evidence concerning this issue, to reflect current scientific discrepancies and thereby enable informed individual decisions and collective policies.
Marketing's Influence and New Product Performance in Chinese Firms
Authors: Li Haiyang , Atuahene-Gima Kwaku
Published: November 2018

This article explores the role of marketing in the new product development process from a sociopolitical influence perspective. It makes an explicit distinction between the participation and influence of marketing and empirically investigates their differential effects on new product performance. The results, based on data collected from 114 high-technology firms in China, suggest that marketing's influence is related positively to new product market performance and timeliness of development. They also support the argument that the positive effect of marketing's participation on new product performance is mediated completely by its influence. Furthermore, the study reveals that the effectiveness of marketing's influence on new product performance depends on product newness to the firm, project formalization, perceived power of marketing, and the strength of the influence attempt. Managerial and research implications of the findings are explored.
Development of a Tourism Destination: Exploring the Role of Destination Capabilities
Authors: Sainaghi Ruggero , De Carlo Manuela , d’Angella Francesca
Published: November 2018

This article aims to identify the key elements underlying a destination capability (DC) and to examine what the genesis of these factors is and how they interact to foster the destination development. The article explores a specific development process—the creation of a new product in an alpine destination (Livigno, Italy)—making use of a theoretical framework structured around four major dimensions: DCs, coordination at the destination level, inter-destination bridge ties, and destination development. The results help clarify the genesis of a DC in the context of new product development. First, the dynamics underlying the creation of a DC show that coordination at the destination level constitutes the heart of the process, whereas the integration of scattered resources in the new product plays a more limited role. Second, from a dynamic perspective, the analysis has identified three patterns (scouting, implementation, and involvement).
Long-term clinical and radiographic outcomes and patient satisfaction after adult spinal deformity correction
Authors: Kyrölä K. , Kautiainen H. , Pekkanen L. , Mäkelä P. , Kiviranta I. , Häkkinen A.
Published: November 2018

Background and Aims:

Adult spinal deformity surgery has increased with the aging population and modern surgical approaches, although it has high complication and reoperation rates. The permanence of radiographic correction, mechanical complications, predictive factors for poor patient-reported outcomes, and patient satisfaction were analyzed.

Material and Methods:

A total of 79 adult patients were retrospectively analyzed at baseline and 1–9 years after adult spinal deformity correction between 2007 and 2016. Patient-reported outcomes (Oswestry Disability Index, visual analog scale, and Scoliosis Research Society–30 scores), changes in radiographic alignment, indications for reoperation, predictors of poor outcomes according to the Oswestry Disability Index and Scoliosis Research Society–30 scores, and patient satisfaction with management were studied.

Results:

Oswestry Disability Index and visual analog scale scores (p = 0.001), radiographic correction of thoracic kyphosis, lumbar lordosis, and pelvic retroversion (p ⩽ 0.001) and sagittal vertical axis (p = 0.043) were significantly better at 4–5 years of follow-up than at baseline. The risk for the first reoperation owing to mechanical failure of instrumentation or bone was highest within the first year, at 13.9% (95% confidence interval = 8.0%–23.7%), and 29.8% (95% confidence interval = 19.4%–43.9%) at the 5-year follow-up. Oswestry Disability Index and Scoliosis Research Society–30 total scores had a good correlation (r = −0.78; 95% CI = −0.86 to –0.68; p < 0.001). Satisfaction with management was correlated with patient-reported outcomes. Male sex and depression (p = 0.021 and 0.018, respectively) predicted poor outcomes according to the Oswestry Disability Index and/or Scoliosis Research Society–30 score.

Conclusion:

The achieved significant radiographic correction was maintained 5 years postoperatively. Despite reoperations, patient satisfaction and clinical outcomes were good. Depression and male sex predicted poor clinical outcomes.
Students' Use and Perceptions of the Relevance and Quality of Open Textbooks Compared to Traditional Textbooks in Online and Traditional Classroom Environments
Authors: Cuttler Carrie
Published: November 2018

The bulk of previous research on students' perceptions of open educational resources have lacked a control group of students rating traditional textbooks. Moreover, few studies have examined differences in the perceptions of online students and those taking classes in the classroom. A 2 × 2 cross-sectional design was used in which 925 students, assigned either a traditional textbook or an open textbook in either an online or classroom environment, were recruited to complete an online survey. Students assigned open textbooks were almost twice as likely to report using their textbooks, they used them more frequently, and for more time per week overall. Students assigned open textbooks also perceived a greater degree of overlap between the textbook, lecture, and quiz material than did students assigned traditional textbooks. Finally, ratings of the open textbooks were significantly higher than ratings of the traditional textbooks overall and on 11 of 15 different dimensions. Few differences in the online and classroom students were detected, suggesting both groups experienced similar benefits of the open textbooks. These findings demonstrate that replacing traditional textbooks with open textbooks may help to offset some of the financial hardships students face while improving students' engagement and satisfaction with their assigned textbook.
Cyclophilin A as a target in the treatment of cytomegalovirus infections
Authors: A Abdullah Ashwaq , Abdullah Rasedee , A Nazariah Zeenathul , N Balakrishnan Krishnan , Firdaus J Abdullah Faez , A Bala Jamilu , Mohd-Lila Mohd-Azmi
Published: November 2018

Background

Viruses are obligate parasites that depend on the cellular machinery of the host to regenerate and manufacture their proteins. Most antiviral drugs on the market today target viral proteins. However, the more recent strategies involve targeting the host cell proteins or pathways that mediate viral replication. This new approach would be effective for most viruses while minimizing drug resistance and toxicity.

Methods

Cytomegalovirus replication, latency, and immune response are mediated by the intermediate early protein 2, the main protein that determines the effectiveness of drugs in cytomegalovirus inhibition. This review explains how intermediate early protein 2 can modify the action of cyclosporin A, an immunosuppressive, and antiviral drug. It also links all the pathways mediated by cyclosporin A, cytomegalovirus replication, and its encoded proteins.

Results

Intermediate early protein 2 can influence the cellular cyclophilin A pathway, affecting cyclosporin A as a mediator of viral replication or anti-cytomegalovirus drug.

Conclusion

Cyclosporin A has a dual function in cytomegalovirus pathogenesis. It has the immunosuppressive effect that establishes virus replication through the inhibition of T-cell function. It also has an anti-cytomegalovirus effect mediated by intermediate early protein 2. Both of these functions involve cyclophilin A pathway.
The evidence behind the use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in scar management: a literature review
Authors: Alser Osaid H , Goutos Ioannis
Published: November 2018

Introduction:

Autologous platelet-based concentrates represent increasingly popular adjuncts to a variety of medical, surgical and aesthetic interventions. Their beneficial potential rests on the ability to deliver a high concentration of growth factors to the target tissues. There are currently no reports in the literature appraising the evidence behind the use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in scar management.

Methods:

A detailed English literature review was conducted using PubMed Medline, Embase and Web of Science; the manuscripts were appraised and classified according to the Joanna Briggs Institute Levels of evidence. The results are presented in descending order of evidence separately for atrophic, keloid, surgical and traumatic scars.

Discussion:

On the basis of level 1 evidence currently available, it appears that PRP can improve the quality of atrophic acne scars treated with ablative fractional CO2 laser and decrease the duration of laser-related side effects including oedema and erythema. Regarding surgical scars, the current data suggest that PRP may improve wound healing and early scar quality; furthermore, incorporation of PRP in fat-grafting procedures undertaken in conjunction with non-ablative, fractional laser can contribute to better wound healing as well as a significant improvement in texture, colour and contour in traumatic scar resurfacing. There are no high level studies at present to support the incorporation of autologous platelet-based concentrates in the management of keloid scars.

Conclusion:

PRP is a promising adjunct in scar management practice. Further research with long-term follow-up is warranted to delineate the value of this modality in different subtypes of scars.
Support Receipt: Effect on Postsecondary Success of Students With Learning Disabilities
Authors: Newman Lynn A. , Madaus Joseph W. , Lalor Adam R. , Javitz Harold S.
Published: November 2018

In contrast to the increase in college enrollment rates of youth with learning disabilities (LD), graduation rates have remained stagnant and low. Using propensity methods, this study examined the effect of disability-specific and universally available support receipt on the college perseverance and completion of students with LD. Based on secondary analysis of National Longitudinal Transition Study 2 (NLTS2), findings indicate that students who received supports—those available to the full student body and/or disability-specific supports—were more likely to persist in, and successfully complete, 2-year or 4-year college. Implications include that transition staff need to ensure students not only are prepared to seek disability supports once on campus, but that equal emphasis should be placed on helping students access supports available to the full student body.
Gleam Lighting: A Collaborative Experiential Payroll Fraud Case
Authors: Maynard-Patrick Stephanie , Higgins Leslee N.
Published: November 2018

This article presents the experiential, cross-curricular Gleam Lighting case exercise, which helps graduate students develop the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) needed to effectively work in a cross-functional team. In the exercise, students from two separate graduate accounting and human resource courses work together as a cross-functional consulting team to investigate and resolve payroll fraud in the organization. Students must collaborate with and learn from their partners, identify the type of fraud, identify the perpetrator(s), document the fraud, and resolve the situation. In the article, we provide a description of the exercise, suggestions for how to prepare students, instructions for executing the multiple case parts, and instructions for debriefing each part of the case. The exercise provides an opportunity for students to reflect on the KSAs that they will need when facing potential payroll fraud in the workplace and to develop these KSAs.
NPM1 mutated AML can relapse with wild-type NPM1: persistent clonal hematopoiesis can drive relapse
Authors: Höllein Alexander , Meggendorfer Manja , Dicker Frank , Jeromin Sabine , Nadarajah Niroshan , Kern Wolfgang , Haferlach Claudia , Haferlach Torsten
Published: November 2018

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with NPM1 mutation (NPM1mut) defines a World Health Organization entity. Absence of minimal residual disease (MRD) following induction chemotherapy is associated with an excellent prognosis. Data are conflicting on NPM1mut AML relapsing with wild-type NPM1 (NPM1wt). We analyzed 104 paired samples of NPM1mut AML patients with relapse and identified 14/104 that relapsed with NPM1wt AML. Blood counts at diagnosis differed significantly between patients with NPM1mut and NPM1wt relapse (median white blood cell count, 30 vs 3 × 109/L, P = .008; platelet count, 66 vs 128 × 109/l, P = .018). NPM1mut relapse occurred significantly earlier than NPM1wt relapse (14 vs 43 months, P = .004). At diagnosis, FLT3-ITD were more frequent in patients with NPM1mut relapse (P = .029), whereas DNMT3A mutations were more frequent in patients with NPM1wt relapse (P = .035). Sequencing analysis of paired samples at diagnosis, molecular remission, and NPM1wt relapse identified cooccurring mutations that persist from diagnosis throughout remission and at relapse, suggestive of a preexisting clonal hematopoiesis. We provide evidence that AML relapsing with NPM1wt is a distinct disease and that initial leukemia and relapse potentially arise from a premalignant clonal hematopoiesis.
Emergence of high drug resistant bacterial isolates from patients with health care associated infections at Jimma University medical center: a cross sectional study
Authors: Gashaw Mulatu , Berhane Melkamu , Bekele Sisay , Kibru Gebre , Teshager Lule , Yilma Yonas , Ahmed Yesuf , Fentahun Netsanet , Assefa Henok , Wieser Andreas , Gudina Esayas Kebede , Ali Solomon
Published: November 2018

Background

The rates of resistant microorganisms which complicate the management of healthcare associated infections (HAIs) are increasing worldwide and getting more serious in developing countries. The objective of this study was to describe microbiological features and resistance profiles of bacterial pathogens of HAIs in Jimma University Medical Center (JUMC) in Ethiopia.

Methods

Institution based cross sectional study was carried out on hospitalized patients from May to September, 2016 in JUMC. Different clinical specimens were collected from patients who were suspected to hospital acquired infections. The specimens were processed to identify bacterial etiologies following standard microbiological methods. Antibacterial susceptibility was determined in vitro by Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method following Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines.

Results

Overall, 126 bacterial etiologies were isolated from 118 patients who had HAIs. Of these, 100 (79.4%) were gram negative and the remaining were gram positive. The most common isolates were Escherichia coli 31(24.6%), Klebsiella species 30(23.8%) and Staphylococcus aureus 26 (20.6%). Of 126 bacterial isolates, 38 (30.2%), 52 (41.3%), and 24 (19%) were multidrug-resistant (MDR, resistant to at least one agent in three or more antimicrobial categories), extensively drug resistant (XDR, resistant to at least one agent in all but two or fewer antimicrobial categories (i.e. bacterial isolates remain susceptible to only one or two categories), pan-drug resistant (PDR, resistant to all antibiotic classes) respectively. More than half of isolated gram-negative rods (51%) were positive for extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) and/or AmpC; and 25% of gram negative isolates were also resistant to carbapenem antibiotics.

Conclusions

The pattern of drug resistant bacteria in patients with healthcare associated infection at JUMC is alarming. This calls for coordinated efforts from all stakeholders to prevent HAIs and drug resistance in the study setting.
A retrospective study comparing the length of admission of medium secure unit patients admitted in the three decades since 1985
Authors: Earnshaw Charles H. , Shaw Lucy , Thomas Deepu , Haeney Owen
Published: November 2018

Aims and method

Admissions of patients to secure forensic hospitals are often lengthy. Previous research has examined factors associated with prolonged admission, but studies analysing admission data at a single medium secure unit (MSU) over a prolonged time period are lacking. We compared admission data for all patients admitted to a MSU in England during the years 1985, 1995, 2005 and 2012.

Results

The median length of admission increased from 167 days in 1985 to 580 days in 2012, though not in the intervening cohorts. There have been changes in the discharge destination of patients, away from independent accommodation in the community towards further care or supported accommodation.

Clinical implications

The results suggest a change in the delivery of care. Further studies should be performed to assess whether the same trends exist at other sites. If these trends are also found elsewhere, this should trigger a specialty-wide discussion about admission length and its effects on bed availability.

Declaration of interest

None.
Screening tools for HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders among adults living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa: A scoping review
Authors: Mwangala Patrick N. , Newton Charles R. , Abas Melanie , Abubakar Amina
Published: November 2018

Background: People living with HIV are at risk of developing HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) which adversely affects their quality of life. Routine screening of HAND in HIV care is recommended to identify subtle changes in cognitive functioning and allow for early interventions. However, HAND detection is rarely done in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), partly due to a lack of adequately standardized screening tools. This review was conducted to identify the commonly used screening tools for HAND in SSA and document their psychometric properties and diagnostic accuracy.

Methods:We searched Ovid Medline, PsycINFO and Web of Sciences databases for empirical studies published from 1/1/1980 to 31/8/2018 on HAND among adults living with HIV in SSA.

Results:We identified 14 eligible studies, of which 9 were from South Africa. The International HIV Dementia Scale (IHDS) was the most frequently reported tool, being used in more than half of the studies. However most studies only reported the diagnostic accuracy of this and other tools, with specificity ranging from 37% to 81% and sensitivity ranging from 45% to 100%. Appropriate data on construct validity and reliability of tools was rarely documented. Although most tools performed well in screening for severe forms of HAND, they lacked sensitivity and specificity for moderate forms of HAND. NeuroScreen, one of the newer tools, yielded good diagnostic accuracy in its initial evaluation in South Africa (81% to 93% sensitivity and 71% to 81% specificity).

Conclusions:This review identified a lack of adequately standardized and contextually relevant HAND screening tools in SSA. Most screening tools for HAND used in SSA possess inadequate psychometric properties and diagnostic accuracy. There is a need for further validation of existing tools and development of new tools to make them sensitive and specific enough to identify both severe and moderate forms of HAND in SSA.
Real-time 3D Photoacoustic Visualization System with a Wide Field of View for Imaging Human Limbs
Authors: Nagae Kenichi , Asao Yasufumi , Sudo Yoshiaki , Murayama Naoyuki , Tanaka Yuusuke , Ohira Katsumi , Ishida Yoshihiro , Otsuka Atsushi , Matsumoto Yoshiaki , Saito Susumu , Furu Moritoshi , Murata Koichi , Sekiguchi Hiroyuki , Kataoka Masako , Yoshikawa Aya , Ishii Tomoko , Togashi Kaori , Shiina Tsuyoshi , Kabashima Kenji , Toi Masakazu , Yagi Takayuki
Published: November 2018

Background: A breast-specific photoacoustic imaging (PAI) system prototype equipped with a hemispherical detector array (HDA) has been reported as a promising system configuration for providing high morphological reproducibility for vascular structures in living bodies.

Methods: To image the vasculature of human limbs, a newly designed PAI system prototype (PAI-05) with an HDA with a higher density sensor arrangement was developed. The basic device configuration mimicked that of a previously reported breast-specific PAI system. A new imaging table and a holding tray for imaging a subject's limb were adopted.

Results: The device’s performance was verified using a phantom. Contrast of 8.5 was obtained at a depth of 2 cm, and the viewing angle reached up to 70 degrees, showing sufficient performance for limb imaging. An arbitrary wavelength was set, and a reasonable PA signal intensity dependent on the wavelength was obtained. To prove the concept of imaging human limbs, various parts of the subject were scanned. High-quality still images of a living human with a wider size than that previously reported were obtained by scanning within the horizontal plane and averaging the images. The maximum field of view (FOV) was 270 mm × 180 mm. Even in movie mode, one-shot 3D volumetric data were obtained in an FOV range of 20 mm in diameter, which is larger than values in previous reports. By continuously acquiring these images, we were able to produce motion pictures.

Conclusion: We developed a PAI prototype system equipped with an HDA suitable for imaging limbs. As a result, the subject could be scanned over a wide range while in a more comfortable position, and high-quality still images and motion pictures could be obtained.
Impaired renal function in a rural Ugandan population cohort
Authors: Kalyesubula Robert , Hau Jeffrey P. , Asiki Gershim , Ssebunya Billy , Kusemererwa Sylvia , Seeley Janet , Smeeth Liam , Tomlinson Laurie A. , Newton Robert
Published: November 2018

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality globally. However, there are limited data on the prevalence of impaired kidney function in sub-Saharan Africa. We aimed to determine the prevalence of CKD and associated factors in a rural Ugandan population.

Methods: We undertook a study of a representative sample of the General Population Cohort in South-western Uganda. We systematically collected data on cardiovascular disease risk factors, anthropometric measurements and blood tests for haemoglobin, HIV, HbA1c, Hepatitis B and C and serum creatinine.  The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated using the CKD-Epi formula, without the race component of the equation.

Results: A total of 5,979/6,397 (93.5%) participants had valid creatinine results. The mean age was 39 years (Range: 16-103 years) and 3,627 (60.7%) were female. HIV prevalence was 9.7% and about 40% of the population were pre-hypertensive or hypertensive. The mean serum creatinine level was 0.75 mg/dl (95% CI 0.74–0.75), and the average eGFR was 109.3 ml/min/1.73 m2 (95% CI 108.8–109.9). The overall prevalence of CKD (eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73 m2) was 1.64% (98/5,979) (95% CI 1.34–1.99).  Additionally, 4,792 (80.2%) were classified as normal (eGFR ≥90 ml/min/1.73 m2), 1,089 (18.2%) as low (eGFR 60–89 ml/min/1.73 m2), 91 (1.52%) as moderate (eGFR 30–59 ml/min/1.73 m2), 4 (0.07%) as severe (eGFR 15-29 ml/min/1.73 m2), and 3 (0.05%) classified as having kidney failure (eGFR <15 ml/min/1.73 m2).  When age-standardised to the WHO Standard Population the prevalence of CKD was 1.79%. Age above 35 years (OR 78.3, 95% CI 32.3–189), and the presence of hypertension (OR 2.98, 95% CI 1.47-6.02) and anaemia (OR 2.47, 95% CI 1.37-4.42) were associated with CKD.

Conclusion: We found a substantial prevalence of CKD in rural Uganda, strongly associated with high blood pressure and anaemia.
About the (semiotic) limits of the human language: Discussing the case of Pirahã
Authors: Velmezova Ekaterina
Published: November 2018

About the (semiotic) limits of the human language: Discussing the case of Pirahã
The 38th Albi–Moissac Colloquium of French semioticians: Living beings and their environment
Authors: Delahaye Pauline
Published: November 2018

The 38th Albi–Moissac Colloquium of French semioticians: Living beings and their environment
О некоторых свойствах симметричной копулы Граббса
Authors: Ширяева Людмила Константиновна , Shiryaeva Lyudmila Konstantinovna , Репина Евгения Геннадьевна , Repina Evgenia Gennadievna
Published: November 2018

Изучаются односторонние статистики Граббса, т. е. экстремальные стьюдентизированные отклонения наблюдений от выборочного среднего, найденные по нормально распределенной выборке. Исследуется двупараметрическое совместное распределение этих статистик, возникающее в случае, когда присутствующее в выборке аномальное наблюдение (выброс) отличается от остальных наблюдений величиной дисперсии. Выводится формула для вычисления плотности распределения вероятностей стьюдентизированного отклонения выброса от среднего. Из совместного распределения статистик Граббса извлекается двупараметрическая копула Граббса. Доказывается, что эта копула является симметричной. Как следствие, односторонние статистики Граббса обладают свойством обмениваемости. Выполняется компьютерное моделирование скаттерплотов из копулы Граббса. Анализ скаттерплотов показывает, что статистическая зависимость, описываемая копулой Граббса, является отрицательной. Для исследования влияния параметров копулы на силу этой зависимости выполняется оценивание коэффициента ранговой корреляции $\tau$-Кендалла копулы. Алгоритм оценивания использует компьютерное моделирование и реализован в пакете R. Найдено, что параметры копулы $n$ и $\nu>0$ оказывают разнонаправленное влияние на величину коэффициента $\tau$-Кендалла. Так, рост параметра $n$ при неизменной величине параметра $\nu$ приводит к уменьшению (по абсолютной величине) коэффициента $\tau$-Кендалла, что отражает уменьшение силы взаимосвязи между маргиналами, заключенными в копулу Граббса. Если не изменять параметр $n$, то с увеличением параметра $\nu$ до значений, близких к 1, коэффициент $\tau$-Кендалла уменьшается (по абсолютной величине), что отражает уменьшение силы взаимосвязи. Дальнейший рост параметра $\nu$ приводит к росту коэффициента $\tau$-Кендалла (по абсолютной величине), что отражает усиление отрицательной взаимозависимости между маргиналами.
Embryonic Neocortical Microglia Express Toll-Like Receptor 9 and Respond to Plasmid DNA Injected into the Ventricle: Technical Considerations Regarding Microglial Distribution in Electroporated Brain Walls
Authors: Hattori Yuki , Miyata Takaki
Published: November 2018

Microglia, the resident immune cells in the CNS, play multiple roles during development. In the embryonic cerebral wall, microglia modulate the functions of neural stem/progenitor cells through their distribution in regions undergoing cell proliferation and/or differentiation. Previous studies using CX3CR1-GFP transgenic mice demonstrated that microglia extensively survey these regions. To simultaneously visualize microglia and neural-lineage cells that interact with each other, we applied thein uteroelectroporation (IUE) technique, which has been widely used for gene-transfer in neurodevelopmental studies, to CX3CR1-GFP mice (males and females). However, we unexpectedly faced a technical problem: although microglia are normally distributed homogeneously throughout the mid-embryonic cortical wall with only limited luminal entry, the intraventricular presence of exogenously derived plasmid DNAs induced microglia to accumulate along the apical surface of the cortex and aggregate in the choroid plexus. This effect was independent of capillary needle puncture of the brain wall or application of electrical pulses. The microglial response occurred at plasmid DNA concentrations lower than those routinely used for IUE, and was mediated by activation of Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9), an innate immune sensor that recognizes unmethylated cytosine-phosphate guanosine motifs abundant in microbial DNA. Administration of plasmid DNA together with oligonucleotide 2088, the antagonist of TLR9, partially restored the dispersed intramural localization of microglia and significantly decreased luminal accumulation of these cells. Thus, via TLR9, intraventricular plasmid DNA administration causes aberrant distribution of embryonic microglia, suggesting that the behavior of microglia in brain primordia subjected to IUE should be carefully interpreted.