bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vestibular Migraine: How to Sort it Out and What to Do About it
Authors: Beh Shin C.
Published: May 2019

Background:

Vestibular migraine (VM) is the most common neurologic cause of vertigo in adults and results in significant utilization of health care resources, but remains under-recognized and underdiagnosed.

Evidence Acquisition:

Review of literature in PubMed using the following terms: vestibular migraine, migraine-associated vertigo, vertiginous migraine, benign recurrent vertigo, migraine-associated dizziness, migraine, migraine treatment, Meniere disease (MD), vertebrobasilar ischemia (VBI), posterior circulation stroke, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, and episodic-ataxia Type 2 (EA2).

Results:

VM can manifest with a variety of vestibular symptoms, including spontaneous vertigo, triggered vertigo, positional vertigo, and head-motion dizziness. Patients may report more than 1 vestibular symptom. Episodes of vertigo are often, but not always, accompanied by headache. Auditory symptoms are frequently associated with VM attacks and may mimic the manifestations of MD. Other migrainous features that accompany VM attacks include photophobia, phonophobia, osmophobia, and visual aura. Interictally, patients may suffer from persistent dizziness or isolated paroxysmal vestibular symptoms. Mood disorders (particularly anxiety) are often found in VM. Abnormal neuro-otologic findings are not uncommon in patients with VM. Differential diagnoses for VM include MD, VBI, EA2, and migraine with brainstem aura. For rescue treatment, triptans, vestibular suppressants, and/or antiemetic agents may be considered. Pharmacologic migraine preventives (antiepileptics, beta-blockers, and antidepressants) are often useful.

Conclusions:

The keys to correctly diagnosing VM is identifying a relationship between vestibular symptoms and migrainous features and being aware of the heterogeneity of manifestations of this enigmatic, but treatable, condition. The principles of treatment of VM include rescue therapy, lifestyle modification, nonpharmacologic migraine preventives, pharmacologic migraine prophylaxis, and treatment of comorbidities.
Quantitative EEG Biomarkers for Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Lewine Jeffrey D. , Plis Sergey , Ulloa Alvaro , Williams Christopher , Spitz Mark , Foley John , Paulson Kim , Davis John , Bangera Nitin , Snyder Travis , Weaver Lindell
Published: May 2019

Purpose:

The development of objective biomarkers for mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in the chronic period is an important clinical and research goal. Head trauma is known to affect the mechanisms that support the electrophysiological processing of information within and between brain regions, so methods like quantitative EEG may provide viable indices of brain dysfunction associated with even mTBI.

Methods:

Resting-state, eyes-closed EEG data were obtained from 71 individuals with military-related mTBI and 82 normal comparison subjects without traumatic brain injury. All mTBI subjects were in the chronic period of injury (>5 months since the time of injury). Quantitative metrics included absolute and relative power in delta, theta, alpha, beta, high beta, and gamma bands, plus a measure of interhemispheric coherence in each band. Data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate methods, the latter coupled to machine learning strategies.

Results:

Analyses revealed significant (P < 0.05) group level differences in global relative theta power (increased for mTBI patients), global relative alpha power (decreased for mTBI patients), and global beta-band interhemispheric coherence (decreased for mTBI patients). Single variables were limited in their ability to predict group membership (e.g., mTBI vs. control) for individual subjects, each with a predictive accuracy that was below 60%. In contrast, the combination of a multivariate approach with machine learning methods yielded a composite metric that provided an overall predictive accuracy of 75% for correct classification of individual subjects as coming from control versus mTBI groups.

Conclusions:

This study indicates that quantitative EEG methods may be useful in the identification, classification, and tracking of individual subjects with mTBI.
Genome Sequencing Unveils a New Regulatory Landscape of Platelet Reactivity
Authors: Keramati Ali R. , Chen Ming-Huei , Rodriguez Benjamin A.T. , Yanek Lisa R. , Gaynor Brady J. , Ryan Kathleen , Brody Jennifer A. ,   NHLBI Trans-Omics for Precision (TOPMed) Consortium,   NHLBI TOPMed Hematology and Hemostasis Working Group, Kammers Kai , Kanchan Kanika , Iyer Kruthika , Kowalski Madeline H. , Pitsillides Achilleas N. , Cupples L. Adrienne , Shuldiner Alan R. , O’Connell Jeffrey R. , Mitchell Braxton D. , Faraday Nauder , Taub Margaret A. , Becker Lewis C. , Lewis Joshua P. , Mathias Rasika A. , Johnson Andrew D.
Published: May 2019

Exaggerated platelet aggregation at the site of vascular injury is the underlying pathophysiology of thrombotic diseases. Here, we conduct the largest whole genome sequencing (WGS) effort to uncover the genetic determinants of platelet aggregation. Leveraging 3,855 NHLBI Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) individuals deeply phenotyped for platelet aggregation, we identify 18 loci using single-variant approaches. This includes the novel RGS18 locus encoding a myeloerythroid lineage-specific regulator of G-protein signaling that co-localizes with eQTL signatures for RGS18 expression in platelets. A gene-based approach focusing on deleterious coding variants identifies the SVEP1 gene, previously shown to be associated with coronary artery disease, as a novel determinant of platelet aggregation. Finally, in an integrative approach leveraging epigenetic data on megakaryocytes, we find strong association between rare variants mapping to a super enhancer region for PEAR1. This is a novel finding implicating the importance of rare variants with regulatory potential in a previously documented GWAS-identified locus.
Kin selection and sexual conflict: male relatedness and familiarity do not affect female fitness in seed beetles
Authors: Berg Elena C. , Lind Martin I. , Monahan Shannon , Bricout Sophie , Maklakov Alexei A.
Published: May 2019

Theory maintains that kin selection can mediate sexual conflict because within-group male relatedness should reduce male-male competition, thereby reducing collateral harm to females. We tested whether male relatedness and familiarity can lessen female harm in the seed beetle Callosobruchus maculatus. Neither male relatedness nor familiarity influenced female lifetime reproductive success or individual fitness. However, male relatedness, but not familiarity, marginally improved female survival. Because male relatedness improved female survival in late life when C. maculatus females are no longer producing offspring, our results do not provide support for the role of kin selection in mediating sexual conflict. The fact that male relatedness improves the post-reproductive part of female life cycle strongly suggests that the effect is non-adaptive. We discuss adaptive and non-adaptive mechanisms that could result in reduced female harm in this and previous studies and suggest that cognitive error is a likely explanation.
Comparison of EEG source reconstructed functional networks in healthy subjects elicited during visual oddball task
Authors: Thee Kang Wei , Nisar Humaira , Yeap Kim Ho , Tan Wei Meng
Published: May 2019

In this paper we have reconstructed electroencephalography (EEG) sources using weighted Minimum Norm Estimator (wMNE) for visual oddball experiment to estimate brain functional networks. Secondly we have evaluated the impact of time-frequency decomposition algorithms and scout functions on brain functional networks estimation using phase-locked value (PLV). Lastly, we compared the difference between target stimuli with response (TR) and non-target with no response (NTNR) cases in terms of brain functional connectivity (FC). We acquired the EEG data from 20 healthy participants using 129 channels EEG sensor array for visual oddball experiment. Three scout functions: i) MEAN, ii) MAX and iii) PCA were used to extract the regional time series signals. We transformed the regional time series signals into complex form using two methods: i) Wavelet Transform (WT) and ii) Hilbert Transform (HT). The instantaneous phases were extracted from the complex form of the regional time series signals. The FC was estimated using PLV. The joint capacity of the time-frequency decomposition algorithms/scout functions applied to reconstructed EEG sources was evaluated using two criteria: i) localization index (LI) and ii) R. The difference in FC between TR and NTNR cases was evaluated using these two criteria. Our results show that the WT has higher impact on LI values and it is better than HT in terms of consistency of the results as the standard deviation (SD) of WT is lower. In addition, WT/PCA pair is better than other pairs in terms of consistency as the SD of the pair is lower. This pair is able to estimate the connectivity within parietal region which corresponds to P300 response; although WT/MEAN is also able to do that, However, WT/PCA has lower SD than WT/MEAN. Lastly, the differences in connectivity between TR and NTNR cases over parietal, central, right temporal and limbic regions which correspond to target detection, P300 response and motor response were observed. Therefore, we conclude that the output of the connectivity estimation might be affected by time-frequency decomposition algorithms/scout functions pairs. Among the pairs, WT/PCA yields best results for the visual oddball task. Moreover, TR and NTNR cases are different in terms of estimated functional networks.
Binding partner regulation of Myosin VI: Loss of tumour-suppressor Dab2 leads to enhanced activity of nuclear myosin
Authors: Fili Natalia , Hari-Gupta Yukti , Aston Bjork , dos Santos Ália , Gough Rosemarie E. , Alamad Bana , Wang Lin , Martin-Fernandez Marisa , Toseland Christopher P.
Published: May 2019

Myosin VI is involved in a variety of cellular processes ranging from endocytosis to transcription. This multi-functional potential is achieved through alternative isoform splicing and through the interaction with a diverse network of binding partners. However, the interplay between the two modes of regulation remains unexplored. To this end, we have compared two different binding partners, Dab2 and CALCOCO2/NDP52, and their interaction with two myosin VI splice isoforms. We found that both isoforms adopt an auto-inhibited state and are subsequently activated by binding partner association. However, differential regulation is achieved through a high and a low affinity binding motifs within myosin VI, with one isoform having the high affinity site blocked. This allows competition between partners and links isoform splicing with binding partner selectivity. Dab2 competition hinders the activity of nuclear myosin VI by preventing DNA binding and transcription. Moreover, re-introduction of Dab2 in the Dab2-deficient MCF-7 cells leads to a decrease in myosin VI-dependent estrogen receptor gene expression. We propose that the frequent loss of Dab2 during the onset of cancer enables a higher level of nuclear myosin VI activity, thereby driving the activity of the estrogen receptor to promote tumourgenesis.
HBr or not HBr? That is the question: crystal structure of 6-hydroxy-1,4-diazepane-1,4-diium dibromide redetermined
Authors: Piontek Mateusz , Morgenstern Bernd , Steinbrück Nils , Oberhausen Bastian , Kickelbick Guido , Hegetschweiler Kaspar
Published: May 2019

Liu et al. [Chin. J. Struct. Chem. (1996). 15, 371–373] reported the structure of 6-hydroxy-1,4-diazepane di(hydrogen bromide), C5H12N2O·2HBr, which was interpreted in terms of neutral diazepane and HBr molecules. We found, however, ample evidence that the formation of an organic salt, consisting of a diammonium cation and two bromide anions, is more plausible. This interpretation is also in agreement with thermogravimetric analysis and with the observed solution behaviour. The crystal structure of 6-hydroxy-1,4-diazepane-1,4-diium dibromide, C5H14N2O2+·2Br−, measured at 142 K, crystallized in the orthorhombic space group P212121. The structure displays O—H...Br and N—H...Br hydrogen bonding. Contact distances are given. A search in the Cambridge Structural Database for the singly-bonded H—Br moiety revealed a total of 69 structures. The question, whether these structures really include HBr as neutral molecules or rather Br− anions and a protonated substrate such as an amine, is addressed.
Mediterranean diet and mental distress: “10,001 Dalmatians” study
Authors: Salvatore Fiorella Pia , Relja Ajka , Filipčić Ivona Šimunović , Polašek Ozren , Kolčić Ivana
Published: May 2019

Purpose

The impact of eating habits on mental health is gaining more attention recently. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the association between mental distress and the Mediterranean diet (MD) in a community-dwelling adult population of Dalmatia, Croatia.

Design/methodology/approach

Participants from the “10,001 Dalmatians” study from the Island of Korcula and the City of Split were included (n=3,392). Lifestyle habits were investigated using a self-administered questionnaire, while mental distress was evaluated using the General Health Questionnaire-30 (GHQ-30) in a cross-sectional design. MD compliance was assessed using the Mediterranean Diet Serving Score. Multivariate linear regression analysis was used in the analysis.

Findings

MD compliance was associated with lesser mental distress (ß=−1.96, 95% CI −2.75, −1.17; p<0.001). Inverse association was found between mental distress and higher intake of fruits (ß=−0.64; 95% CI −0.89, −0.39; p<0.001), vegetables (ß=−0.39; 95% CI −0.65, −0.13; p=0.003), olive oil (ß=−0.30; 95% CI −0.56, −0.04; p=0.022) and legumes (ß=−0.83; 95% CI −1.66, 0.00; p=0.049). Mental distress was more intense in women, older participants, those with worse material status, subjects with previously diagnosed chronic diseases and in current smokers.

Originality/value

This study suggests beneficial association of MD and overall mental health, offering important implications for public health provisions. Since the literature search did not reveal any previous study on the association between the MD and GHQ-based mental distress in the general population, this study delivers interesting results and fills this knowledge gap.
Regional stickiness of novel ideas in the scholarly international business community
Authors: Haans Richard Franciscus Johannes , van Witteloostuijn Arjen
Published: May 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the geographic dissemination of work in International Business (IB) by investigating the extent to which research topics tend to see mostly local use – with authors from the same geographic region as the article identified by the topic model as the first article in JIBS building on the topic – vs global use – where topics are used by authors across the world.

Design/methodology/approach

Topic modeling is applied to all articles published in the Journal of International Business Studies between 1970 and 2015. The identified topics are traced from introduction until the end of the sampling period using negative binomial regression. These analyses are supplemented by comparing patterns over time.

Findings

The analyses show strong path dependency between the geographic origin of topics and their spread across the world. This suggests the existence of geographically narrow mental maps in the field, which the authors find have remained constant in North America, widened yet are still present in East Asia, and disappeared in Europe and other regions of the world over time. These results contribute to the study of globalization in the field of IB, and suggest that neither a true globalization nor North American hegemony has occurred in recent decades.

Originality/value

The application of topic modeling allows investigation of deeper cognitive structures and patterns underpinning the field, as compared to alternative methodologies.
Corporate governance, risky business and construction industry: a divergence between Bursa and Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) Klang Valley, Malaysia
Authors: Hussain Malik , Hadi Abdul
Published: May 2019

Purpose

This study aims to examine the association between corporate governance mechanism and firm performance measured by return on assets (ROA). The question is whether an effective corporate governance mechanism is able to increase the firm performance of Bursa and Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) Klang Valley, Malaysia. The main purpose of this study is the in-depth analysis of the corporate governance mechanism and construction industry Malaysia via Bursa and CIDB.

Design/methodology/approach

Following the primary and secondary data comparative approach, data are collected from 46 listed construction companies and 250 CIDB-registered SMEs for the financial year 2015. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation test are reported, and model estimation is performed using logistic regression.

Findings

The empirical outcome shows that the corporate governance mechanism is significant in case of the CIDB Malaysia-registered SMEs. While, it has insignificant impact on firm’s performance for Bursa Malaysia.

Practical implications

This paper offers evidence specifically for Bursa and CIDB Malaysia construction industry. It can also provide guidance to the board of directors for the subscription of shares under the corporate governance measures at Bursa Malaysia. The findings also suggest that CIDB should increase awareness regarding institutional investment to assist the securities market to develop further.

Originality/value

This study gives an indication about corporate governance, specifically for the CIDB-registered SMEs and Bursa Malaysia. It also discusses the matter of firm performance under the light of corporate governance.
Corporate governance and corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure in an emerging economy: evidence from commercial banks of Kazakhstan
Authors: Orazalin Nurlan
Published: May 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the extent and nature of corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting practices in the banking sector of Kazakhstan and investigates the effects of board characteristics on CSR disclosures in the given emerging economy.

Design/methodology/approach

Data on CSR disclosures were manually collected from annual reports of all commercial banks listed in the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE) for the period 2010-2016. Financial data were obtained from audited financial statements available on bank websites and the Web page of the National Bank of Kazakhstan.

Findings

The empirical results reveal that board gender diversity has a positive influence on CSR reposting, while board size and board independence have no impact on the level of CSR disclosures. Furthermore, the results show that bank size and bank age are significant factors in the dissemination of CSR disclosures. Additionally, the findings suggest that banks with a share of foreign ownership disclose more extensive and transparent information on CSR activities than banks owned by local investors and state-owned banks.

Originality/value

The study provides evidence on the relationship between corporate governance and the level of CSR in the context of an emerging economy such as Kazakhstan, representing the Central Asian region. The study contributes to the current literature by focusing on the banking sector of Kazakhstan as a research context due to its substantial representation in the capital market of the given emerging economy.
Analytical models towards explaining the difficulty in efficiently matching site concrete supply resources with placing crew needs
Authors: Anson Michael , Ying Kai-Chi Thomas , Siu Ming-Fung Francis
Published: May 2019

Purpose

For parts of the time on a typical construction site concrete pour, the site placing crew is idle waiting for the arrival of the next truckmixer delivery, whereas for other periods, truckmixers are idle on site waiting to be unloaded. Ideally, the work of the crew should be continuous, with successive truckmixers arriving on site just as the preceding truckmixer has been emptied, to provide perfect matching between site and concrete plant resources. However, in reality, sample benchmark data, representing 118 concrete pours of 69 m3average volume, illustrate that significant wastage occurs of both crew and truckmixer time. The purpose of this paper is to present and explain the characteristics of the wastage pattern observed and provide further understanding of the effects of the factors affecting the productivity of this everyday routine site concreting system.

Design/methodology/approach

Analytical algebraic models have been developed applicable to both serial and circulating truckmixer dispatch policies. The models connect crew idle time, truckmixer waiting time, truckmixer round trip time, truckmixer unloading time and truckmixer numbers. The truckmixer dispatch interval is another parameter included in the serial dispatch model. The models illustrate that perfect resource matching cannot be expected in general, such is the sensitivity of the system to the values applying to those parameters. The models are directly derived from theoretical truckmixer and crew placing time-based flow charts, which graphically depict crew and truckmixer idle times as affected by truckmixer emptying times and other relevant parameters.

Findings

The models successfully represent the magnitudes of the resource wastage seen in real life but fail to mirror the wastage distribution of crew and truckmixer time for the 118 pour benchmark. When augmented to include the simulation of stochastic activity durations, however, the models produce pour combinations of crew and truckmixer wastage that do mirror those of the benchmark.

Originality/value

The basic contribution of the paper consists of the proposed analytical models themselves, and their augmented versions, which describe the site and truckmixer resource wastage characteristics actually observed in practice. A further contribution is the step this makes towards understanding why such an everyday construction process is so apparently wasteful of resources.
Bridging BIM and building (BBB) for information management in construction
Authors: Chen Ke , Lu Weisheng
Published: May 2019

Purpose

How to make an effective use of building information modeling (BIM) for information management (IM) is a challenging question in the field of construction project and asset management. Chen et al. (2015) answered this question by developing a conceptual framework of “bridging BIM and building (BBB).” However, the underlying mechanism through which BBB can truly impact IM remains unclear. The purpose of this paper is thus to demystify the mechanism linking BBB and IM.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing upon the IM literature, this paper proposes three IM requirements, namely, requirements on information quantity, quality and accessibility, as the significant mediators between BBB and IM. To verify this proposition, a two-year, participatory case study was conducted based on a real-life construction project in which a BBB system was implemented.

Findings

The results of the case study supported the proposition that by enhancing the information quantity, quality and accessibility BBB could favorably contribute to IM in construction.

Practical implications

This paper provides knowledge about system architecture, components and their linkage in an operable BBB system. It also provides empirical experience about BBB implementation.

Originality/value

This study is among the first attempts to streamline the theoretical discourses relating to BBB for IM in a construction context. It contributes to the construction IM by directing attention to key IM requirements and processes rooted in the IM literature.
African Union (AU) Agenda 2063 and tourism development in Africa: contribution, contradiction and implications
Authors: Gowreesunkar Vanessa
Published: May 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the contributions of Agenda 2063 in tourism development in Africa while examining the inherent contradictions in its implementation. Ultimately, it brings out a meaningful synthesis of the overall implications and proposes recommendations for an equitable and sustainable tourism development in Africa.

Design/methodology/approach

This study draws from desk-based research and content analysis of documents and research studies related to Agenda 2063. A hypothetico-deductive approach was adopted, as this allowed for the deconstruction of text and context.

Findings

The findings reveal several internal inconsistencies which cuts like a double-edge sword. Empirical results show that Africa can emerge as a desirable destination if the aspirations of Agenda 2063 are appropriately popularized and operationalized. African countries need to align their tourism plans with the aspirations projected in the plan. It is imperative that the African Union (AU) oversees that there is consistent and sustainable tourism development across all member states.

Research limitations/implications

The study draws from and relies solely on available secondary data. This implies that unofficial and unpublicized secondary data (proceedings, concept notes, position papers and archived documents) developed from AU’s conferences and workshops have not been considered. The outcome might therefore be indicative, but not necessarily reflective of trends and hidden realities of Africa.

Practical implications

The outcome of this empirical study provides an improved understanding of opportunities and challenges faced by African countries seeking to develop tourism as an economic activity. It unveils discrepancies which need address and further articulates recommendations which are practical and workable to achieve the aspiration of Agenda 2063 to be a “United Africa.”

Social implications

The study provides valuable information for the socio-economic transformation of the continent, one of the aspirations of Agenda 2063. It further seeks to promote social and economic development based on a spirit of Pan-Africanism.

Originality/value

Unlike previous studies, this exploratory piece of paper provides a meaningful synthesis of Agenda 2063 from a unique perspective – the double-edge sword approach; it examines the potentials and opportunities the agenda triggers for tourism and at the same time, reveals its contradictions.
Fostering beneficial consumer responses to in-feed sponsored articles
Authors: Saenger Christina , Song Doori
Published: May 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to explore content-related factors that can foster beneficial consumer responses to one kind of native advertising: in-feed sponsored articles. Specifically, studies examine how informational versus entertaining content interact with the content’s brand image congruity to affect brand attitudes through brand trustworthiness and identify the roles played by advertising value and perceived deceptiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

Experimental survey-based research with a between-subjects design was conducted, manipulating the content type (entertaining/informational) and brand image congruity (low/high) and measuring brand attitude, brand trustworthiness, advertising value and perceived deceptiveness. Participants were recruited via Amazon’s MTurk, and data were collected via online surveys in Qualtrics.

Findings

Results reveal that high brand image congruity generates more favorable brand attitudes for informational in-feed sponsored articles, and low brand image congruity generates more favorable brand attitudes for entertaining in-feed sponsored articles, through perceptions of brand trustworthiness. Enhanced brand trustworthiness results from increased advertising value for informational in-feed sponsored articles that are high in brand image congruity. Reduced brand trustworthiness results from increased perceptions of deceptiveness for entertaining in-feed sponsored articles that are high in brand image congruity.

Originality/value

While much academic research on native advertising focuses on its negative aspects, the present research identifies content-related factors that foster beneficial consumer responses to in-feed sponsored articles, including enhanced perceptions of brand trustworthiness and more favorable brand attitudes, due to differences in consumers’ perceptions of advertising value and deceptiveness. Managerially, this work can help branded content creators design effective in-feed sponsored articles.
Impact of job satisfaction and job stress on employees’ life in Mumbai’s hospitality sector
Authors: Goswami Indrajit , Dsilva Nigel Raylyn
Published: May 2019

Purpose

Employee stress and job satisfaction are significant issues in the hospitality industry. Moreover, employee stress has cost implications on the stakeholders, i.e. employers and employees alike. There is inadequate empirical evidence that could shed light on job stress and burnout issues of hotel employees with reference to India. Also, the nature and level of hospitality employee stress is not fully understood. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of job satisfaction and job stress on the life of employees in the hospitality sector in Mumbai.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from a total of 510 respondents (23 for inductive and 487 for the deductive study) from six five-star category hotels in Mumbai. It utilizes a sequential mixed-method approach to measures the study variables through phenomenography and then validates their causal relationship through partial least squares structural equation modeling using Smart PLS-SEM.

Findings

In the inductive analysis it was found that “work related” factors such as unsafe working conditions, work load, relationship on the job were the most prominent sources of stress for the respondents. In the deductive analysis the causal relationship between job satisfaction, job stress and stress impact verified through Smart PLS-SEM turned out to be significant. It could be inferred from the results that job satisfaction negatively influences job stress and job impact. Similarly, job stress positively influenced stress impact among the hotel employees.

Research limitations/implications

The results of the current study should be interpreted with caution. First, the current study only includes self-reporting stress levels. Direct observation was not feasible, since it is subjected to the researchers’ bias. The sample in this study did not include employees of limited-service hotels. As limited-service hotels may have different requirements, challenges and culture for employees than full-service or five stared hotels, thus the findings of the study may not be generalized to limited service hotels.

Practical implications

The study has dual implications. First, similar research interventions through the mixed-method approach must study the causal relationship between job satisfaction, job stress and stress impact by effectively exploring the participants “lived experience.” Second, employers must validate customer feedback to evaluate employee job performance.

Originality/value

This is the first study to explore interrelationships between the three important variables, namely, employees’ job satisfaction, job stress and its impact on the life of employees in the hospitality industry using the sequential mixed-method approach. The study findings open new avenues for future research using structural equation modeling, thus representing an important contribution of the present study.
Social return on investment: a women’s cooperative critique
Authors: Green Kai Roland
Published: May 2019

Purpose

Mechanisms that measure the social impact of work integration social enterprises (WISEs) activate a dialogue between the language and principles of economics and the lived-reality of marginalised groups. This paper aims to critically strengthen social impact measurement as a process by ascertaining epistemic gaps in the methodology of a dominant measure, based on an exploratory case study of a social enterprise supporting immigrant women in Sweden.

Design/methodology/approach

The author undertook participant observation and informal interviews with managers at Yalla Trappan – a women’s cooperative social enterprise in Malmö, Sweden – for the integration of long-term unemployed, immigrant women into the labour market. Through an interpretivist framework, themes of “social sustainability” and “feminist economics” formed a theoretical inquiry for data collection within the organisation and resulting in a critical discussion of the social return on investment (SROI) method.

Findings

The case study of women’s cooperative social enterprise is seen to challenge some systemic assumptions made by the SROI metric through its validation of knowledges and economic principles which are congruent with feminist epistemologies. The relationship between social and work life is re-configured by the organisation for the specific features of its beneficiary group (in which gender is a determining factor), with implications for intergenerational cohesion, past trauma resolution and positive postpartum practices that present challenges to a SROI measurement process.

Originality/value

This study applies a distinctive disciplinary understanding of feminist economics and epistemologies onto the relatively new field of social sustainability and innovation, illustrating its critique through the impact on practical steps that may be taken in the process of a dominant social impact measure (SROI).
Impact of foreign direct investment on greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture of developing countries
Authors: Kastratović Radovan
Published: May 2019

This research analyses the impact of foreign direct investment on greenhouse gas emissions in the agriculture sector of developing countries. Panel data from 63 developing countries for the period 2005 to 2014 was used to estimate a dynamic econometric model by applying a system‐generalised method of moments. The empirical results indicate a positive impact of foreign direct investment in agriculture on the carbon dioxide equivalent emission intensity in developing countries. The results provide weak support for the pollution havens hypothesis and imply the importance of coordination between foreign direct investment and environmental policies.
EAACI Guidelines on Allergen Immunotherapy: House dust mite‐driven allergic asthma
Authors: Agache Ioana , Lau Susanne , Akdis Cezmi A. , Smolinska Sylwia , Bonini Matteo , Cavkaytar Ozlem , Flood Breda , Gajdanowicz Pawe , Izuhara Kenji , Kalayci Omer , Mosges Ralph , Palomares Oscar , Papadopoulos Nikolaos G. , Sokolowska Milena , Angier Elisabeth , Fernandez‐Rivas Montserrat , Pajno Giovanni , Pfaar Oliver , Roberts Graham C. , Ryan Dermot , Sturm Gunter J. , van Ree Ronald , Varga Eva M. , van Wijk Roy Gerth , Yepes‐Nuñez Juan José , Jutel Marek
Published: May 2019

Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) has been in use for the treatment of allergic disease for more than 100 years. Asthma treatment relies mainly on corticosteroids and other controllers recommended to achieve and maintain asthma control, prevent exacerbations, and improve quality of life. AIT is underused in asthma, both in children and in adults. Notably, patients with allergic asthma not adequately controlled on pharmacotherapy (including biologics) represent an unmet health need. The European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology has developed a clinical practice guideline providing evidence‐based recommendations for the use of house dust mites (HDM) AIT as add‐on treatment for HDM‐driven allergic asthma. This guideline was developed by a multi‐disciplinary working group using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. HDM AIT was separately evaluated by route of administration and children and adults: subcutaneous (SCIT) and sublingual AIT (SLIT), drops, and tablets. Recommendations were formulated for each. The important prerequisites for successful treatment with HDM AIT are (a) selection of patients most likely to respond to AIT and (b) use of allergen extracts and desensitization protocols of proven efficacy. To date, only AIT with HDM SLIT‐tablet has demonstrated a robust effect in adults for critical end points (exacerbations, asthma control, and safety). Thus, it is recommended as an add‐on to regular asthma therapy for adults with controlled or partially controlled HDM‐driven allergic asthma (conditional recommendation, moderate‐quality evidence). HDM SCIT is recommended for adults and children, and SLIT drops are recommended for children with controlled HDM‐driven allergic asthma as the add‐on to regular asthma therapy to decrease symptoms and medication needs (conditional recommendation, low‐quality evidence).
No Effect of Digoxin on Rosuvastatin Pharmacokinetics in Healthy Subjects: Utility of Oita Combination for Clinical Drug–Drug Interaction Study
Authors: Otani Naoyuki , Wakuda Hirokazu , Imai Hiromitsu , Kuranari Masae , Ishii Yasuyuki , Ito Yuko , Okubo Akihiro , Ogawa Osamu , Takeda Kenji , Ohyama Tetsuji , Hasunuma Tomoko , Uemura Naoto
Published: May 2019

This study evaluated the utility of combination of digoxin (0.25 mg) and rosuvastatin (5 mg) as a new transporter (P‐glycoprotein/breast cancer resistance protein/organic anion‐transporting polypeptide (OATP)1B1/OATP1B3) probe cocktail (Oita combination) for drug–drug interaction (DDI) studies by demonstrating lack of DDI of digoxin on the pharmacokinetics (PKs) of rosuvastatin, as it was already known that rosuvastatin did not affect digoxin PK. This was an open‐label, two‐period study in which the primary end points were the geometric mean ratio (GMR) of the area under the plasma rosuvastatin concentration‐time curve from time zero to last (AUClast) after rosuvastatin administration combined with digoxin to that after rosuvastatin administration alone and its 90% confidence interval (CI). As the GMR of AUClast was 0.974 and its 90% CI was 0.911–1.042, it was judged that digoxin does not affect rosuvastatin PK. Results of this study have rationalized utility of the Oita combination as a transporter probe cocktail for clinical DDI studies.
Socioeconomic background, nonverbal IQ and school absence affects the development of vocabulary and reading comprehension in children living in severe poverty
Authors: Lervåg Arne , Dolean Dacian , Tincas Ioana , Melby‐Lervåg Monica
Published: May 2019

Few studies have examined how socioeconomic status (SES) affects two essential parts of human development, namely vocabulary and reading comprehension, in children facing severe poverty. The Roma population is the largest minority group in Europe, the majority of whom live in severe poverty. This study compared the development of 322 Roma children with the development of 178 non‐Roma children, between the ages of 7 and 10 years, living in Romania. The Roma children had poorer initial vocabulary and reading comprehension skills as well as slower growth rates for both compared to the non‐Roma children. Importantly, SES had a direct influence on growth in both reading comprehension and vocabulary. The effect of SES was partly mediated by school absence and nonverbal IQ. This is a powerful finding since it suggests that poverty may have detrimental effects not only on reading but also on the development of verbal abilities.
The prevalence of peripheral neuropathy severe enough to cause a loss of protective sensation in a population‐based sample of people with known and newly detected diabetes in Barbados: a cross‐sectional study
Authors: Adams O. P. , Herbert J. R. , Howitt C. , Unwin N.
Published: May 2019

Aims

To determine the prevalence and potential risk factors for diabetic peripheral neuropathy with a loss of protective sensation in Barbados.

Methods

A representative population sample aged > 25 years with previously diagnosed diabetes or a fasting blood glucose ≥ 7 mmol/l or HbA1c ≥ 48 mmol/mol (6.5%) was tested by 10 g monofilament at four plantar sites per foot and a 28 Hz tuning fork and neurothesiometer at the hallux. Data were adjusted to the age structure of people with diabetes in Barbados. Multivariable logistic regression assessed associations with peripheral neuropathy with a loss of protective sensation.

Results

Of 236 participants [74% response rate, 33% men, 91% black, median age 58.6 years, mean BMI 30.1 kg/m2, mean HbA1c 54 mmol/mol (7.1%)], 51% had previously diagnosed diabetes. Foot examination demonstrated that 25.8% (95% CI 20.2 to 31.5) had at least one insensate site with monofilament testing, 14.8% (95% CI 10.2 to 19.4) had an abnormal tuning fork test and 10.9% (95% CI 6.9 to 14.9) had a vibration perception threshold > 25 V. Peripheral neuropathy with a loss of protective sensation prevalence was 28.5% (95% CI 22.7 to 34.4) as indicated by monofilament with ≥ 1 insensate site and/or vibration perception threshold > 25 V. With previously diagnosed diabetes the prevalence was 36.4% (95% CI 27.7 to 45.2) with 98.4% of cases identified by monofilament testing. Increasing age, previously diagnosed diabetes, male sex and abdominal obesity were independently associated with peripheral neuropathy with a loss of protective sensation.

Conclusions

Over a third of people with previously diagnosed diabetes had evidence of peripheral neuropathy with a loss of protective sensation. Monofilament testing alone may be adequate to rule out peripheral neuropathy with a loss of protective sensation. Monofilament and neurothesiometer stimuli are reproducible but dependent on participant response.
LAW ENFORCEMENT LEADERS AND THE RACIAL COMPOSITION OF ARRESTS
Authors: Bulman George
Published: May 2019

This paper introduces a novel avenue of study for understanding the mechanisms behind racial discrimination in law enforcement. I exploit a new 25‐year panel history of the race of every U.S. sheriff to shed light on the potentially important role of managers who make hiring decisions and set departmental priorities. Comparing agencies that experience racial transitions to agencies with overlapping jurisdictions reveals that the ratio of Black‐to‐White arrests is significantly higher under White sheriffs. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that the effects are driven by arrests for less‐serious offenses and by targeting Black crime types. (JEL J15, K42, M54, H76)
Substantia nigra hyperechogenicity in essential tremor and Parkinson's disease: a longitudinal study
Authors: Cardaioli G. , Ripandelli F. , Paolini Paoletti F. , Nigro P. , Simoni S. , Brahimi E. , Romoli M. , Filidei M. , Eusebi P. , Calabresi P. , Tambasco N.
Published: May 2019

Background and purpose

Essential tremor (ET) and Parkinson's disease (PD) sometimes overlap in their clinical expression with ET preceding PD onset, often leading to misdiagnosis. Transcranial sonography (TCS) has been shown to be a valid and non‐invasive diagnostic tool to identify early idiopathic PD and to differentiate it from ET. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relevance of substantia nigra hyperechogenicity in patients with ET.

Methods

A total of 138 patients (79 with PD, 59 with ET) and 50 matched controls underwent TCS examination at baseline. All patients were followed in a 3‐year longitudinal assessment.

Results

A total of 10 subjects were excluded from the analysis due to the bilateral absence of a temporal acoustic window. During the follow‐up period, 11 of the patients with ET developed new‐onset parkinsonian features, without fulfilling criteria for PD diagnosis (ET+). Nine patients developed clinical features meeting diagnostic criteria for probable PD (ET‐PD). Patients with ET− did not develop parkinsonian features. For each group, the maximum size of the substantia nigra hyperechogenicity was as follows: 5.62 ± 5.40 mm2 in the control group, 19.02 ± 14.27 mm2 in patients with PD, 9.15 ± 11.26 mm2 in patients with ET−, 20.05 ± 13.78 mm2 in patients with ET+ and 20.13 ± 13.51 mm2 in patients with ET‐PD. ET‐PD maximum values were significantly different from controls. Maximum values in patients with ET+ were different from both controls and patients with ET−.

Conclusion

Substantia nigra hyperechogenicity in ET seems to represent a risk marker for developing early parkinsonian symptoms or signs in the 3 years following TCS assessment.
Invited review: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, agriculture, and food—A case of shifting cultivation and history
Authors: Porter John R. , Challinor Andrew J. , Henriksen Christian Bugge , Howden Stuart Mark , Martre Pierre , Smith Pete
Published: May 2019

Since 1990, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has produced five Assessment Reports (ARs), in which agriculture as the production of food for humans via crops and livestock have featured in one form or another. A constructed database of the ca. 2,100 cited experiments and simulations in the five ARs was analyzed with respect to impacts on yields via crop type, region, and whether adaptation was included. Quantitative data on impacts and adaptation in livestock farming have been extremely scarce in the ARs. The main conclusions from impact and adaptation are that crop yields will decline, but that responses have large statistical variation. Mitigation assessments in the ARs have used both bottom‐up and top‐down methods but need better to link emissions and their mitigation with food production and security. Relevant policy options have become broader in later ARs and included more of the social and nonproduction aspects of food security. Our overall conclusion is that agriculture and food security, which are two of the most central, critical, and imminent issues in climate change, have been dealt with an unfocussed and inconsistent manner between the IPCC five ARs. This is partly a result of not only agriculture spanning two IPCC working groups but also the very strong focus on projections from computer crop simulation modeling. For the future, we suggest a need to examine interactions between themes such as crop resource use efficiencies and to include all production and nonproduction aspects of food security in future roles for integrated assessment models.