bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An examination of the electronic market hypothesis in the US home mortgage industry
Authors: Chatterjee Sutirtha , Merhout Jeffrey W. , Sarker Suprateek , Lee Allen S.
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to longitudinally test the propositions of the Electronic Market Hypothesis (EMH) within the context of the US home mortgage industry.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses a deductive, positivist case study, through a systematic examination of “texts” in the trade press over three time periods: 1995‐1999, 2000‐2002, and 2003‐2007.

Findings

EMH propositions, while generally not found to be valid in the early years, were more consistent with evidence in the home mortgage industry in the later period.

Research limitations/implications

Throws fresh light on the debate between the appropriateness and the inappropriateness of the EMH as a core theory explaining the influence of Information Technology on market and industry structures.

Practical implications

Designing of corporate strategies to foster efficient market mechanisms.

Originality/value

Using a relatively uncommon (analysis of primary data from trade press articles) qualitative research methodology which could serve as a guideline for future research. This approach offers opportunities to use various trade press sources to perform studies on the effects of IT on people, such as analyzing how IT departments are adapting their governance practices as workers increasingly use personal computing devices to access organizational assets (e.g., networks, applications, and data).
Identifying linkages between statements in information security policy, procedures and controls
Authors: Pathari Vinod , Sonar Rajendra
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The information security policy document of an organization needs to be translated into controls and procedures at the implementation level. The technical and business personnel in‐charge of implementing the controls and procedures need to consider a large number of security‐related statements from a heterogeneous pool of security documentation and decide on the implementation plan. The purpose of this paper is to propose an approach to analyze a set of security statements to establish an implicit hierarchy and relative importance among them.

Design/methodology/approach

A set of statements relevant to e‐mail service security is chosen from the classified documentation of an IT firm. The authors contacted the technical person who was the owner of this service to obtain a one‐on‐one comparison between the policies. These policies and their inter‐relationships are represented as a graph. Centrality measures based on the in and out degrees of a node are used to calculate the relative importance of a policy. The authors present an improved approach based on DEMATEL, which considers the level of influence of one policy on another.

Findings

Security statements fall into different categories based on their relative intensity and nature. They could be of high importance or low on one axis and of driving or receiving nature on the other. The driver policies are the action items that could be implemented to satisfy a large number of other security requirements. The policies that are predominantly receiver in nature, for their fulfillment, need many other requirements to be satisfied.

Practical implications

The intense driver policies are the ones to be considered for immediate implementation so as to achieve maximum benefits. If such an action item cannot be implemented at the level of consideration, it needs to be communicated to the appropriate level where it could be addressed effectively. An orphaned policy statement can indicate to a high‐level requirement left without any action plan or an unnecessary control. Establishing clear linkages between the implemented controls and the organization's security policy document could be very effective in convincing the employees to adhere to security practices.

Originality/value

Analyzing a set of informal security statements to identify the linkages between them is a novel idea. While other works establish the need for translating the security policy to lower levels of implementation, the authors propose an approach to identify the existence or absence of an effective translation. The graph representation with associated centrality measures, and the application of DEMATEL technique to deduce the nature and intensity of security statements are not yet found in literature.
Phishing counter measures and their effectiveness – literature review
Authors: Purkait Swapan
Published: March 2013

Purpose

Phishing is essentially a social engineering crime on the Web, whose rampant occurrences and technique advancements are posing big challenges for researchers in both academia and the industry. The purpose of this study is to examine the available phishing literatures and phishing countermeasures, to determine how research has evolved and advanced in terms of quantity, content and publication outlets. In addition to that, this paper aims to identify the important trends in phishing and its countermeasures and provides a view of the research gap that is still prevailing in this field of study.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is a comprehensive literature review prepared after analysing 16 doctoral theses and 358 papers in this field of research. The papers were analyzed based on their research focus, empirical basis on phishing and proposed countermeasures.

Findings

The findings reveal that the current anti‐phishing approaches that have seen significant deployments over the internet can be classified into eight categories. Also, the different approaches proposed so far are all preventive in nature. A Phisher will mainly target the innocent consumers who happen to be the weakest link in the security chain and it was found through various usability studies that neither server‐side security indicators nor client‐side toolbars and warnings are successful in preventing vulnerable users from being deceived.

Originality/value

Educating the internet users about phishing, as well as the implementation and proper application of anti‐phishing measures, are critical steps in protecting the identities of online consumers against phishing attacks. Further research is required to evaluate the effectiveness of the available countermeasures against fresh phishing attacks. Also there is the need to find out the factors which influence internet user's ability to correctly identify phishing websites.
Usability study on newspaper mobile websites
Authors: Jeong Wooseob , Jung Han Hye
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to analyze the mobile websites of newspapers in terms of their user interface, particularly for the space usage for content.

Design/methodology/approach

Since the early age of the web in the mid‐1990s, many usability recommendations have made for desirable web page design to maximize the valuable but limited space of a screen. To verify whether those recommendations have been applied appropriately to the recent development of mobile web pages, the first pages of 775 online news mobile sites were captured and analyzed in terms of the relationship between the words of the content and various design aspects of the sites. The dependent variable is the number of content words displayed on the first page and the independent variables are the different aspects of the mobile web pages' interface design.

Findings

Multiple practices of wasting space were identified such as too large advertisement areas and navigation only first pages. Suggestions to save the space are made, including automatic URL box hiding. Discussions are carried for various issues such as links to desktop versions and search boxes.

Originality/value

This research is unique in that a large number of mobile news sites were analyzed for their usability and its findings and discussions provide mobile web developers useful information for better mobile web design.
The sustainability of small businesses in recessionary times
Authors: Battisti Martina , Deakins David , Perry Martin
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to consider empirical evidence on the strategic behaviour of rural SMEs compared to urban SMEs in times of difficult economic conditions. The authors build the paper from a theoretical discussion that suggests that there will be distinctive differences in SMEs’ strategic behaviour across different settlement patterns, utilising resource‐based and opportunity‐based theoretical perspectives. This leads to three research questions which are concerned with three elements when comparing urban and rural SMEs; their characteristics, their performance and their strategic behaviours. The paper argues that the role and strategic behaviour of SMEs in the literature has been neglected.

Design/methodology/approach

For this study, the paper is able to draw upon a data set of 1,411 SMEs from an annual survey of New Zealand's SMEs. This is a national survey of SMEs and the paper has analysed the data to draw out distinctive differences with firms located in different urban or rural locations.

Findings

The paper has shown that SMEs in independent urban areas/small town settlements have distinctive characteristics, performance and strategic behaviour. The important findings are that geographical location matters; that impacts of changing economic conditions cannot be assumed to be homogenous across economies and that SMEs across different settlement patterns will adopt different strategic response and behaviours.

Originality/value

The paper provides an original contribution to knowledge through the following: a primary focus on the comparison of urban and rural SMEs’ strategic behaviour in challenging and turbulent economic conditions, providing for the first time empirical evidence on the sustainability of rural SMEs in recessionary times compared to urban firms across three different locational settlement patterns; urban, independent urban and rural.
Constructing a multilevel spatial approach in ethnic entrepreneurship studies
Authors: Wang Qingfang
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to review and synthesize an interdisciplinary literature on ethnic entrepreneurship studies from a spatial perspective. The major goal is to develop an analytical framework for understanding how place plays a role in ethnic entrepreneurship processes at different geographic scales.

Design/methodology/approach

The article starts with a review of perspectives on ethnic entrepreneurship from multiple disciplines in social sciences, mainly from a non‐spatial approach. It then critically discusses the spatial inquiries on ethnic entrepreneurship, with a focus on identifying the gaps across disciplines. Based on these discussions, a comprehensive, multilevel spatial framework is finally conceptualized. Following that, the concluding remarks highlight future directions and public policy significance by implementing this suggested social‐spatial approach.

Findings

As the central social actors, ethnic entrepreneurs weave through multiscaled geographic contexts in the process of creatively mobilizing and capitalizing entrepreneurial resources in the labor markets. The multiscaled geographic contexts provide a milieu of social, economic, political, cultural, and regulatory factors and forces. The interaction between the social actors and their social‐spatial contexts further influences entrepreneurs’ values of entrepreneurship, perception of entrepreneurial opportunities, practical management strategies, and ultimately their business performances.

Practical implications

This study provides significant policy implications for entrepreneurship related public policies on regional development, economic recovery, and neighborhood revitalization especially when race and ethnicity are concerned.

Originality/value

By identifying gaps of knowledge in ethnic entrepreneurship and incorporating a multidisciplinary literature, this paper extends the discussion of “contextual effects” from spatial dimensions, explicitly brings race and ethnicity to the spatial framework of entrepreneurship.
It's really out there: a review of the critique of the discovery view of opportunities
Authors: Korsgaard Steffen
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review the recent critique of the discovery view of opportunities and by implication the current state of the so‐called creation view of opportunities.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic review of articles published from 2000‐2010 which feature a critique of the discovery view of opportunities. The review uses an open coding approach to identify central themes in the critique. Four central themes are identified, and from within‐theme patterns three distinct groups within the literature are identified.

Findings

The four themes suggest that the discovery view is incomplete, that social and relational interactions are more pervading and important than the discovery view suggests, that opportunities are created and that the role of individuality and subjectivity needs to be emphasized more. Three distinct groups within the literature are identified, each presenting different critiques of the discovery view, theoretical foci and implications for method and practice. Furthermore, the discussion suggests that the opportunity concept is a focal point for important debates in the entrepreneurship field, that the creation view is diverse and should not be referred to in the singular and that seeking reconciliation between the discovery and creation views is a problematic strategy. Finally, it is suggested that a continued dialog exploring differences both between the discovery and creation views as well as between the creation views is a fruitful strategy for the development of the field.

Originality/value

The article presents a review of both the critique of the discovery view and the so‐called creation view, thereby supplementing and advancing from existing reviews of the opportunity concept in entrepreneurship. This furthers our understanding of the role of opportunities in entrepreneurial processes.
Adherence to brief parent training as a predictor of parent and child outcomes in real‐world settings
Authors: Kjøbli John , Bjørknes Ragnhild , Askeland Elisabeth
Published: March 2013

Purpose

This study aims to examine the predictive validity of an adherence measure to Brief Parent Training (BPT) delivered in real‐world settings. BPT promotes effective parenting practices in families with children who either are at an early stage of problem behaviour development or have developed conduct problems.

Design/methodology/approach

In a sample of 108 families who received BPT, whether adherence predicted parenting practices and child conduct problems after intervention completion was examined.

Findings

The results showed that high ratings of adherence predicted low levels of inconsistent discipline and high levels of appropriate discipline and positive parenting. The combined effect of inconsistent discipline and positive parenting mediated the relationship between adherence and child conduct problems. When the indirect effects were separated, inconsistent discipline functioned as a mediator, whereas positive parenting did not.

Originality/value

Findings indicate that it is possible to develop a sound and feasible parent‐reported measure of adherence to BPT.
Plant traits in relation to the performance and distribution of woody species in wet and dry tropical forest types in Panama
Authors: Brenes‐Arguedas Tania , Roddy Adam B. , Kursar Thomas A.
Published: March 2013

Understanding the factors that limit species distributions along environmental gradients is a central question of ecology. Here, we evaluate the hypothesis that the traits that result in performance trade‐offs between habitats contribute to the turnover of woody species along a rainfall gradient in the Isthmus of Panama.

We studied 24 plant species with contrasting distributions along this rainfall gradient. We measured 18 morphological and physiological traits, and three performance variables in seedlings planted in common garden experiments in two contrasting sites across the Isthmus.

We found evidence for a trade‐off suggesting that better survival during the dry season corresponded to a lower growth rate in the forest understorey. This trade‐off correlated well with the distribution of the species along the rainfall gradient and was explained mostly by variation in photosynthetic capacity.

While not all species fit into this trade‐off, most dry‐distribution species, which we had previously reported to have higher drought survival, were associated with higher stem hydraulic conductance and higher capacity for CO2 assimilation. Our interpretation is that this combination of traits may be associated mostly with desiccation avoidance (deep roots) or desiccation delay (deciduousness) rather than desiccation tolerance. Despite their higher photosynthetic capacity, these species had lower growth in the low‐light understorey, probably because of higher maintenance costs (dark respiration rates).

Wet‐distribution species, on the other hand, had lower photosynthetic capacity and higher leaf area ratio. This strategy is typical of shade‐tolerant species and may explain their higher growth rates in the low‐light understorey.

In conclusion, our results suggest that habitat associations along the rainfall gradient in the Isthmus of Panama may result in part from a trade‐off between traits that are favourable to species that avoid or delay desiccation but that otherwise limit shade tolerance. This trade‐off may limit the capacity of some dry‐distribution species to colonize wet forests.
How many seabirds do we need to track to define home‐range area?
Authors: Soanes Louise M. , Arnould John P. Y. , Dodd Stephen G. , Sumner Michael D. , Green Jonathan A.
Published: March 2013

In recent years, marine predator and seabird tracking studies have become ever more popular. However, they are often conducted without first considering how many individuals should be tracked and for how long they should be tracked in order to make reliable predictions of a population's home‐range area.

Home‐range area analysis of two seabird‐tracking data sets was used to define the area of active use (where birds spent 100% of their time) and the core foraging area (where birds spent 50% of their time). Analysis was conducted on the first foraging trip undertaken by the birds and then the first two, three and four foraging trips combined. Appropriate asymptotic models were applied to the data, and the calculated home‐range areas were plotted as a function of an increasing number of individuals and trips included in the sample. Data were extrapolated from these models to predict the area of active use and the core foraging area of the colonies sampled.

Significant variability was found in the home‐range area predictions made by analysis of the first foraging trip and the first four foraging trips combined. For shags, the first foraging trip predicted a 56% smaller area of active use when compared to the predictions made by combining the first four foraging trips. For kittiwakes, a 43% smaller area was predicted when comparing the first foraging trip with the four combined trips.

The number of individuals that would be required to predict the home range area of the colony depends greatly on the number of trips included in the analysis. This analysis predicted that 39 (confidence interval 29–73) shags and 83 (CI: 109–161) kittiwakes would be required to predict 95% of the area of active use when the first four foraging trips are included in the sample compared with 135 (CI 96–156) shags and 248 (164–484) kittiwakes when only the first trip is included in the analysis.

Synthesis and applications. Seabird and marine mammal tracking studies are increasingly being used to aid the designation of marine conservation zones and to predict important foraging areas. We suggest that many studies may be underestimating the size of these foraging areas and that better estimates could be made by considering both the duration and number of data logger deployments. Researchers intending to draw conclusions from tracking data should conduct a similar analysis of their data as used in this study to determine the reliability of their home‐range area predictions.
Clinical implications from drug–drug and drug–disease interactions in older people
Authors: Gnjidic Danijela , Johnell Kristina
Published: March 2013

This clinical review summarizes the evidence in relation to clinical outcomes from drug–drug and drug–disease interactions in older people.

Exposure to drug–drug interactions is associated with increased risk of hospitalization‐related outcomes in older people. Drug–disease interactions have been linked with adverse drug interactions and adverse drug events in studies of older people.

Although the prevalence of drug–drug and drug–disease interactions is common in older people, there are very limited empirical data on important clinical outcomes from drug–drug and drug–disease interactions.

Clinical implications of interactions between drugs and geriatric syndromes such as frailty, falls, cognitive impairment, immobility and urinary incontinence should also be considered in older people.
Familial risk of obstetric anal sphincter injuries: registry‐based cohort study
Authors: Baghestan E , Irgens LM , Børdahl PE , Rasmussen S
Published: March 2013

Objective

To investigate the aggregation of obstetric anal sphincter injuries (OASIS) in relatives.

Design

Population‐based cohort study.

Setting

The Medical Birth Registry of Norway from 1967 to 2008.

Population

All singleton, vertex‐presenting infants weighing 500 g or more. Through linkage by national identification numbers, 393 856 mother–daughter pairs, 264 675 mother–son pairs, 134 889 mothers whose sisters later became mothers, 132 742 fathers whose brothers later became fathers, 131 702 mothers whose brothers later became fathers and 88 557 fathers whose sisters later became mothers were provided.

Methods

Comparison of women with and without a history of OASIS in their relatives.

Main outcome measure

Relative risk of OASIS after a previous OASIS in the family.

Results

The risk of OASIS was increased if the woman's mother or sister had OASIS in a delivery (aRR 1.9, 95% CI 1.6–2.3; aRR 1.7, 95% CI 1.6–1.7, respectively). If OASIS occurred in one brother's partner at delivery, the risk of OASIS in the next brother's partner was modestly increased (aRR 1.2, 95% CI 1.1–1.4). If OASIS occurred in one sister at delivery, the risk of OASIS in the brother's partner was also increased a little (aRR 1.2, 95% CI 1.1–1.4). However, there was no excess occurrence in sisters whose brothers' partners had previously had OASIS (aRR 1.1, 95% CI 0.9–1.3).

Conclusions

There appears to be increased familial aggregation of OASIS. These risks are stronger through the maternal rather than the paternal line of transmission, suggesting a strong genetic role that shapes aggregation of OASIS within families. These observations must be cautiously interpreted because of bias from unmeasured confounding factors may have impacted the findings.
Marine angling tourism in Norway and Iceland: Finding balance in management policy for sustainability
Authors: Solstrand Maria‐Victoria
Published: March 2013

This paper presents empirical data from a comparison of the management strategies governing marine angling tourism (MAT) in Norway and Iceland. Marine angling tourism has been steadily growing in popularity in the coastal fjord communities of Norway and Iceland over the last several years, and as regulations stand now, MAT is consumptive wildlife tourism, dependent on the extraction of living marine resources. Iceland's management system is based on the individual transferable quota (ITQ) and total allowable catch (TAC) management policies, designed for the commercial fishing fleet. These policies can be considered too restrictive with regard to laws and regulations for the appropriate management of MAT; however, Iceland found a way to compensate for this through active stakeholder participation which includes mutual and open communication, and actively engaging feedback loops which empirically demonstrates how interactive governance could work in practice. Norway's system gives more freedom to tourists, and the consequences of this impact both the vulnerable fjord stocks and the local communities. Findings suggest that the environmental and socio‐cultural sustainability of MAT requires a complex socio‐ecological systems perspective, with interactive governance strategies leading management policies. Sustainability requires that a management strategy not only focus on the economic aspects; priority must also be given to minimizing multi‐stakeholder conflicts and providing sufficient resource data to protect vulnerable fish stocks.
Analysis of the Effects and Relationship of Perceived Handwritten Signature's Size, Graphical Complexity, and Legibility with Dynamic Parameters for Forged and Genuine Samples
Authors: Ahmad Sharifah Mumtazah Syed , Ling Loo Yim , Anwar Rina Md , Faudzi Masyura Ahmad , Shakil Asma
Published: March 2013

This article presents an analysis of handwritten signature dynamics belonging to two authentication groups, namely genuine and forged signature samples. Genuine signatures are initially classified based on their relative size, graphical complexity, and legibility as perceived by human examiners. A pool of dynamic features is then extracted for each signature sample in the two groups. A two‐way analysis of variance (ANOVA) is carried out to investigate the effects and the relationship between the perceived classifications and the authentication groups. Homogeneity of variance was ensured through Bartlett's test prior to ANOVA testing. The results demonstrated that among all the investigated dynamic features, pen pressure is the most distinctive which is significantly different for the two authentication groups as well as for the different perceived classifications. In addition, all the relationships investigated, namely authenticity group versus size, graphical complexity, and legibility, were found to be positive for pen pressure.
Determination of Enterotoxigenic and Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Ice Cream
Authors: Gücükoğlu Ali , Çadirci Özgür , Terzi Göknur , Kevenk T. Onur , Alişarli Mustafa
Published: March 2013

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of enterotoxigenic and methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus in ice creams. After culture‐based identification of isolates, the presence of 16S rRNA and nuc was confirmed by mPCR. S. aureus was identified in 18 of 56 fruity (32.1%), 4 of 32 vanilla (12.5%), and 1 of 12 chocolate (8.3%) ice creams. S. aureus was identified as 38 isolates in 23 ice cream samples by culture‐based techniques, but only 35 isolates were confirmed by PCR as S. aureus. To determine the enterotoxigenic properties of PCR‐confirmed S. aureus isolates, a toxin detection kit was used (SET RPLA®). Of the 12 enterotoxigenic S. aureus isolates, 9 SEB (75%), 1 SED (8.3%), 1 SEB+SED (8.3%), and 1 SEA+SEB+SED (8.3%) expressing isolates were found. The presence of enterotoxin genes (sea, seb, sed) was identified in 13 (37.1%) out of 35 isolates by the mPCR technique. In the ice cream isolates, the sea, seb, and sed genes were detected: 1 sea (7.6%), 9 seb (69.2%), 1 sed (7.6%), 1 seb+sed (7.6%), and 1 sea+seb+sed (7.6%), respectively. The sec gene was not detected in any of these isolates. One of the 35 (2.8%) S. aureus strain was mecA positive.
Radiation treatment compliance in the Indigenous population: The pilot Northern Territory experience and future directions
Authors: Le Hien , Penniment Michael , Carruthers Scott , Roos Daniel , Sullivan Thomas , Baxi Siddhartha
Published: March 2013

Introduction

There is a perception that Indigenous patients are less likely to attend radiotherapy treatment. This study sought to determine if a difference in radiotherapy treatment compliance rates exists between Indigenous and non‐Indigenous patients. Secondly, we aimed to ascertain which patient, disease and treatment factors affect compliance in Indigenous patients.

Methods

All patients treated with radiotherapy at the Alan Walker Cancer Care Centre between March and October 2010 were analysed. Data regarding compliance rates (defined as those who chose and completed the recommended course of treatment), patient, disease and treatment factors were collected, and chi‐squared and Fisher's exact tests were applied.

Results

A total of 41 courses were delivered to Indigenous patients and 224 courses delivered to non‐Indigenous patients in this period. There was no difference in compliance between Indigenous and non‐Indigenous patients (83% vs. 81%, P = 0.75). Of the factors assessed, it was found that there was an association between toxicity grade and compliance (P = 0.048).

Conclusions

From this cohort, we cannot support the perception that Indigenous patients have overall poorer compliance with recommended radiation treatment courses. In this study, the only factor which correlated significantly with compliance was toxicity grade. It is felt that a number of factors, which negatively impact on compliance, can potentially be counteracted by a culturally sensitive model of care.
Do the honeybee pathogens Nosema ceranae and deformed wing virus act synergistically?
Authors: Martin Stephen J. , Hardy Jennifer , Villalobos Ethel , Martín‐Hernández Raquel , Nikaido Scott , Higes Mariano
Published: March 2013

The honeybee pathogens Nosema ceranae and deformed wing virus (DWV) cause the collapse of honeybee colonies. Therefore, it is plausible that these two pathogens act synergistically to increase colony losses, since N. ceranae causes damage to the mid‐gut epithelial ventricular cells and actively suppresses the honeybees' immune response, either of which could increase the virulence of viral pathogens within the bee. To test this hypothesis we exploited 322 Hawaiian honeybee colonies for which DWV prevalence and load is known. We determined via PCR that N. ceranae was present in 89–95% of these colonies, with no Nosema apis being detected. We found no significant difference in spore counts in colonies infected with DWV and those in which DWV was not detected, either on any of the four islands or across the entire honeybee population. Furthermore, no significant correlation between DWV loads (ΔCT levels) and N. ceranae spore counts was found, so these two pathogens are not acting synergistically. Although the Hawaiian honeybees have the highest known prevalence of N. ceranae in the world, with average number of spores been 2.7 million per bee, no acute Nosema related problems i.e. large‐scale colony deaths, have been reported by Hawaiian beekeepers.
Contracts for dummies? The performance of investors in contracts for difference
Authors: Lee Adrian D. , Choy Shan
Published: March 2013

Investors widely use contracts for difference (CFDs) to leverage and short sell underlying financial assets. We investigate the after cost performance of investors in Australian Securities Exchange listed share CFDs, and find that market order CFD trades earn small positive returns at the daily horizon, with negative returns reported for one month to one year horizons due to financing costs. Market orders also net sell positions, which suggests that investors use CFDs for shorting opportunities. Overall, we find that liquidity demanders in CFDs obtain favourable execution, which is inconsistent with the view that CFDs are used by naive individuals.
Management of Women with Recurrent Pregnancy Losses and Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome
Authors: Kwak‐Kim Joanne , Agcaoili Maria Socorro L. , Aleta Lara , Liao Aihua , Ota Kuniaki , Dambaeva Svetlana , Beaman Kenneth , Kim Joon Woo , Gilman‐Sachs Alice
Published: March 2013

Antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) have been associated with recurrent pregnancy losses (RPL) and other obstetrical complications. The diagnostic criteria for the classical antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS) have been utilized for the detection of obstetrical APS in women with RPL. However, laboratory findings and immunopathology of obstetrical APS are significantly different from those of classical APS. In addition, many women with RPL who have positive aPL do not have symptoms consistent with the current APS criteria. The induction of a proinflammatory immune response from trophoblasts and complement activation by aPL rather than thromboembolic changes has been reported as a major immunopathological feature of obstetrical APS. Heparin treatment has been reported to be effective in prevention of early pregnancy loss with APS but not for the late pregnancy loss or complications. The complex effects of heparin may explain the limited efficacy of heparin treatment in RPL. New diagnostic criteria for obstetrical APS are needed urgently, and new therapeutic approaches should be explored further.
Comparison of the new rebound tonometer with Goldmann applanation tonometer in a clinical setting
Authors: Kim Kyoung Nam , Jeoung Jin Wook , Park Ki Ho , Yang Min Kyu , Kim Dong Myung
Published: March 2013

Purpose:  To evaluate the clinical usefulness of a new rebound tonometer, Icare® PRO (Icare PRO), by comparison with Goldmann applanation tonometry (GAT) in a study on patients with glaucoma.

Methods:  One hundred and seventy‐two eyes of 86 subjects were enrolled in this study. All of the subjects were examined with an autorefractometer, Icare PRO, slit‐lamp biomicroscope, GAT, ultrasound A‐scan and pachymeter. Three intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements were obtained by Icare PRO and GAT. The intraobserver reliabilities were established by calculating the intraclass correlation coefficients. The Bland–Altman plot was used to compare the Icare PRO and GAT.

Results:  There was a good correlation between the IOP measurement by GAT and that by Icare PRO (r = 0.6995, p < 0.001). The intraclass correlation coefficients of Icare PRO and GAT were 0.778 and 0.955, respectively. The IOP differences between Icare PRO and GAT (mean: 1.92 mmHg; SD: 3.29 mmHg; 95% limit of agreement: −4.52 to 8.37 mmHg) did not vary over the wide range of central corneal thickness (p = 0.498), age (p = 0.248), axial length (p = 0.277) or spherical equivalent (p = 0.075).

Conclusions:  Although IOP with Icare PRO was higher than that with GAT, especially at lower GAT IOP value, Icare PRO was found to be a reliable method and showed a good correlation with GAT. The IOP difference between Icare PRO and GAT was not affected by the central corneal thickness, age, axial length or spherical equivalent. Icare PRO can be expected not only to be a good screening tool but also to be a good substitute for GAT.
A time‐to‐event model for acute rejections in paediatric renal transplant recipients treated with ciclosporin A
Authors: Frobel Anne‐Kristina , Karlsson Mats O. , Backman Janne T. , Hoppu Kalle , Qvist Erik , Seikku Paula , Jalanko Hannu , Holmberg Christer , Keizer Ron J. , Fanta Samuel , Jönsson Siv
Published: March 2013

Aims

Ciclosporin A (CsA) dosing in immunosuppression after paediatric kidney transplantation remains challenging, and appropriate target CsA exposures (AUCs) are controversial. This study aimed to develop a time‐to‐first‐acute rejection (AR) model and to explore predictive factors for therapy outcome.

Methods

Patient records at the Children's Hospital in Helsinki, Finland, were analysed. A parametric survival model in NONMEM was used to describe the time to first AR. The influences of AUC and other covariates were explored using stepwise covariate modelling, bootstrap‐stepwise covariate modelling and cross‐validated stepwise covariate modelling. The clinical relevance of the effects was assessed with the time at which 90% of the patients were AR free (t90).

Results

Data from 87 patients (0.7–19.8 years old, 54 experiencing an AR) were analysed. The baseline hazard was described with a function changing in steps over time. No statistically significant covariate effects were identified, a finding substantiated by all methods used. Thus, within the observed AUC range (90% interval 1.13–8.40 h mg l−1), a rise in AUC was not found to increase protection from AR. Dialysis time, sex and baseline weight were potential covariates, but the predicted clinical relevance of their effects was low. For the strongest covariate, dialysis time, median t90 was 5.8 days (90% confidence interval 5.1–6.8) for long dialysis times (90th percentile) and 7.4 days (6.4–11.7) for short dialysis times (10th percentile).

Conclusions

A survival model with discrete time‐varying hazards described the data. Within the observed range, AUC was not identified as a covariate. This feedback on clinical practice may help to avoid unnecessarily high CsA dosing in children.
CEBPA double‐mutated acute myeloid leukaemia harbours concomitant molecular mutations in 76·8% of cases with TET2 and GATA2 alterations impacting prognosis
Authors: Grossmann Vera , Haferlach Claudia , Nadarajah Niroshan , Fasan Annette , Weissmann Sandra , Roller Andreas , Eder Christiane , Stopp Elisa , Kern Wolfgang , Haferlach Torsten , Kohlmann Alexander , Schnittger Susanne
Published: March 2013

Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) with CEBPA mutations is listed as a provisional entity in the current World Health Organization classification. A difference in clinical outcome between single‐ (sm) and double‐mutated (dm) cases has been reported, whereupon CEBPAdm cases were shown to be associated with better overall survival (OS). The occurrence and prognostic impact of concomitant molecular mutations in addition to CEBPAdm has not been assessed until now with exception of GATA2 mutations. Here, we investigated a cohort of 95 AML CEBPAdm cases for concomitant mutations. TET2 was found to be most frequently mutated (34·0%) gene, followed by GATA2 (21·0%), WT1 (13·7%), DNMT3A (9·6%), ASXL1 (9·5%), NRAS (8·4%), KRAS (3·2%), IDH1/2 (6·3%), FLT3‐internal tandem duplication (6·3%), FLT3‐tyrosine kinase domain (2·1%), NPM1 (2·1%), and RUNX1 (1/94). Patients harbouring additional mutations in the TET2 gene showed significantly worse OS than TET2 wild‐type cases (P = 0·035), whereas GATA2‐mutated patients showed improved OS (P = 0·032). Serial analyses were performed for 39 CEBPAdm cases with concomitant mutations. Here, we observed that CEBPA mutations present the primary pathogenetic event in the majority of cases (76·9%). Further, a distinct gene expression profile (GEP) was confirmed for CEBPAdm versus CEBPAsm or CEBPA wild‐type cases while no significant changes in GEP were observed related to additional mutations within the CEBPAdm AML.
Immunosuppression by Co‐stimulatory Molecules: Inhibition of CD2‐CD48/CD58 Interaction by Peptides from CD2 to Suppress Progression of Collagen‐induced Arthritis in Mice
Authors: Gokhale Ameya , Kanthala Shanthi , Latendresse John , Taneja Veena , Satyanarayanajois Seetharama
Published: March 2013

Targeting co‐stimulatory molecules to modulate the immune response has been shown to have useful therapeutic effects for autoimmune diseases. Among the co‐stimulatory molecules, CD2 and CD58 are very important in the early stages of generation of an immune response. Our goal was to utilize CD2‐derived peptides to modulate protein–protein interactions between CD2 and CD58, thereby modulating the immune response. Several peptides were designed based on the structure of the CD58‐binding domain of CD2 protein. Among the CD2‐derived peptides, peptide 6 from the F and C β‐strand region of CD2 protein exhibited inhibition of cell–cell adhesion in the nanomolar concentration range. Peptide 6 was evaluated for its ability to bind to CD58 in Caco‐2 cells and to CD48 in T cells from rodents. A molecular model was proposed for binding a peptide to CD58 and CD48 using docking studies. Furthermore, in vivo studies were carried out to evaluate the therapeutic ability of the peptide to modulate the immune response in the collagen‐induced arthritis (CIA) mouse model. In vivo studies indicated that peptide 6 was able to suppress the progression of CIA. Evaluation of the antigenicity of peptides in CIA and transgenic animal models indicated that this peptide is not immunogenic.
Real‐Time Defocus Rendering With Level of Detail and Sub‐Sample Blur
Authors: Jeong Yuna , Kim Kangtae , Lee Sungkil
Published: March 2013

This paper presents a GPU‐based rendering algorithm for real‐time defocus blur effects, which significantly improves the accumulation buffering. The algorithm combines three distinctive techniques: (1) adaptive discrete geometric level of detail (LOD), made popping‐free by blending visibility samples across the two adjacent geometric levels; (2) adaptive visibility/shading sampling via sample reuse; (3) visibility supersampling via height‐field ray casting. All the three techniques are seamlessly integrated to lower the rendering cost of smooth defocus blur with high visibility sampling rates, while maintaining most of the quality of brute‐force accumulation buffering.
Cluster of Bacteria Associated with Peri‐Implantitis
Authors: Persson G. Rutger , Renvert Stefan
Published: March 2013

Background

Information on the microbiota in peri‐implantitis is limited. We hypothesized that neither gender nor a history of periodontitis/smoking or the microbiota at implants differ by implant status.

Materials and Methods

Baseline microbiological samples collected at one implant in each of 166 participants with peri‐implantitis and from 47 individuals with a healthy implant were collected and analyzed by DNA–DNA checkerboard hybridization (78 species). Clinical and radiographic data defined implant status.

Results

Nineteen bacterial species were found at higher counts from implants with peri‐implantitis including Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Campylobacter gracilis, Campylobacter rectus, Campylobacter showae, Helicobacter pylori, Haemophilus influenzae, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus anaerobius, Streptococcus intermedius, Streptococcus mitis, Tannerella forsythia, Treponema denticola, and Treponema socranskii (p < .001). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis identified T. forsythia, P. gingivalis, T. socranskii, Staph. aureus, Staph. anaerobius, Strep. intermedius, and Strep. mitis in peri‐implantitis comprising 30% of the total microbiota. When adjusted for gender (not significant [NS]), smoking status (NS), older age (p = .003), periodontitis history (p < .01), and T. forsythia (likelihood ratio 3.6, 95% confidence interval 1.4, 9.1, p = .007) were associated with peri‐implantitis.

Conclusion

A cluster of bacteria including T. forsythia and Staph. aureus are associated with peri‐implantitis.
Exercise Training Lowers the Enhanced Tonically Active Glutamatergic Input to the Rostral Ventrolateral Medulla in Hypertensive Rats
Authors: Zha Yan‐Ping , Wang Yang‐Kai , Deng Yu , Zhang Ru‐Wen , Tan Xing , Yuan Wen‐Jun , Deng Xiao‐Ming , Wang Wei‐Zhong
Published: March 2013

Aims

It is well known that low‐intensity exercise training (ExT) is beneficial to cardiovascular dysfunction in hypertension. The tonically active glutamatergic input to the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM), a key region for control of blood pressure and sympathetic tone, has been demonstrated to be increased in hypertensive rats. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of ExT on the increased glutamatergic input to the RVLM in spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR).

Methods

Normotensive rats Wistar‐Kyoto (WKY) and SHR were treadmill trained or remained sedentary (Sed) for 12 weeks and classed into four groups (WKY‐Sed, WKY‐ExT, SHR‐Sed, and SHR‐ExT). The release of glutamate in the RVLM and its contribution to cardiovascular activity were determined in WKY and SHR after treatment of ExT.

Results

Blood pressure and sympathetic tone were significantly reduced in SHR after treatment with ExT. Bilateral microinjection of the glutamate receptor antagonist kynurenic acid (2.7 nmol in 100 nL) into the RVLM significantly decreased resting blood pressure, heart rate, and renal sympathetic nerve activity in SHR‐Sed but not in WKY groups (WKY‐Sed and WKY‐ExT). However, the degree of reduction in these cardiovascular parameters evoked by KYN was significantly blunted in SHR‐ExT compared with SHR‐Sed group. The concentration of glutamate and the protein expression of vesicular glutamate transporter 2 in the RVLM were significantly increased in SHR‐Sed compared with WKY‐Sed, whereas they were reduced after treatment with ExT.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that ExT attenuates the enhancement in the tonically acting glutamatergic input to the RVLM of hypertensive rats, thereby reducing the sympathetic hyperactivity and blood pressure.
Resolvin D1, an Endogenous Lipid Mediator for Inactivation of Inflammation‐Related Signaling Pathways in Microglial Cells, Prevents Lipopolysaccharide‐Induced Inflammatory Responses
Authors: Xu Min‐Xuan , Tan Bing‐Chang , Zhou Wei , Wei Ting , Lai Wei‐Hong , Tan Jing‐Wang , Dong Jia‐Hong
Published: March 2013

Backgrounds and aim

Microglial cells as an important part of central nervous system (CNS) have generally believed to play significant role in the process leading to a number of neurodegenerative disorders including Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, prion diseases, multiple sclerosis, HIV‐dementia, and stroke. Although different diseases have quite different pathogenesis, the activation of microglia was shared with all of them. Recently, the resolvin D1 (RvD1) as an endogenous antiinflammatory lipid mediator has been confirmed to be involved in the treatment of inflammation‐related neuronal injury in neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, the inhibition of microglia‐activated inflammation has been considered as a major treatment strategy in neurodegenerative disease therapy. However, the molecular mechanisms of RvD1 in microglial cells remain unknown and still do not be reported.

Methods

We taken murine microglia as the experimental sample, and Western blotting, ELISA, reverse‐transcriptase PCR, real‐time PCR, and electrophoretic mobility shift assay were used to study whether the RvD1 inhibit inflammation of microglial cells. The tumor necrosis factor α (TNF‐α), IL‐1β, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression, nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB) activation, and mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways were investigated in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐activated primary microglia.

Results

Our data suggested that RvD1 inhibited the production of LPS‐induced microglia inflammatory mediators and TNF‐α, IL‐1β, and iNOS expression. In addition, according to the study of related signaling pathways, RvD1 attenuated LPS‐induced microglia NF‐κB activation,MAPK phosphorylation, and activator protein‐1 transcriptional activity.

Conclusion

This is the first study to demonstrate that RvD1 effects on the reduction of pro‐inflammatory responses in LPS‐induced microglial cells. The mechanisms underlying these effects may include its potent intracellular NF‐κB down‐regulation and subsequent pro‐inflammatory cytokines release in LPS‐activated microglia.