bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Green supply chain management practice adoption in Ugandan SME manufacturing firms
Authors: Namagembe Sheila , Sridharan R , Ryan Suzanne
Published: June 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to advance enviropreneurial orientation (EO) as a new internal driver for green supply chain practice adoption. Because manufacturing supply chains are major contributors to environmental pollution, green practice adoption is a means of reducing environmental pollution. However, why owner/managers adopt green practices remains uncertain. The concept of EO is a potential and important motivation for adoption of green supply chain practices that has yet to be explored. The study investigates the relationship between EO and green supply chain practice adoption.

Design/methodology/approach

– Cross-sectional survey design was employed to collect data from owners/managers of SME manufacturing firms in Uganda. The structural equation modelling was used to analyse results on the influence of each of nine EO on green supply chain practice adoption and the influence of EO dimensions on green supply chain practice adoption.

Findings

– Findings show that EO positively influences green supply chain practice adoption. All but two of nine dimensions of EO were significant predictors of green supply chain practice adoption. Competitive aggressiveness and perceived pressure from environmental regulations were not significant predictors for green supply chain practice adoption.

Research limitations/implications

– The study was cross-sectional. A longitudinal survey was more appropriate because of the presence of a behavioural variable green supply chain practice adoption. Further a comparative study is required because of the existence of differences in classifications of SMEs in both the developing and developed countries.

Originality/value

– The research contributes to further scholarly understanding of green practice adoption in SMEs through offering a new construct, EO, and its role in influencing green supply chain practice adoption. The authors develop EO as a construct, a concept that has not been developed for more than two decades.
Behavioural intention to adopt mobile banking among the millennial generation
Authors: Tan Evon , Leby Lau Jasmine
Published: June 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper was to examine the intention to adopt mobile banking services among Generation Y consumers using the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper investigated responses from a particular sub-group of Generation Y consumers that is college or university students. The final sample collected was 347 cases, representing a response rate of 90.4 per cent. Two sets of analyses were performed: multiple regression analyses testing the extended UTAUT model and a mediated regression analysis testing the intervening effect of performance expectancy (PE) on the relationship between effort expectancy (EE) and behavioural intention.

Findings

Multiple regression analysis revealed PE as the strongest predictor, followed by EE, perceived risk and social influence. The prediction model explained 68.3 per cent of the variance in intention to adopt mobile banking. Mediation analysis supported a partial mediation effect of PE on the relationship between EE and intention to adopt mobile banking.

Research limitations/implications

This study examined respondents’ intention to adopt mobile banking instead of their actual behaviour. Understanding behavioural intention is essential, but it may not accurately represent actual behaviour. In addition, results from this study may not be generalisable to the whole population of Generation Y college or university students due to selection bias and a lack of information concerning the sampling frame.

Practical implications

This research identifies the factors that affect the intention to adopt mobile banking among the Generation Y college or university students. Bank operators can use the findings to improve their marketing strategies and services offered to make them more attractive and competitive to students to speed up the mobile banking adoption rate.

Originality/value

This study is one of the few local studies that introduce a practical model of extended UTAUT by including perceived risk to understand the mobile banking adoption intention among millennial generation.
Experiential value and domain-specific innovativeness during freemium game usage: effects on child well-being
Authors: Junior Ladeira Wagner , Oliveira de Santini Fernando , Hoffmann Sampaio Claudio , Araujo Clecio Falcao
Published: June 2016

Purpose

In specifically examining uses of freemium applications for children, this study aims to investigate the effects on user well-being after the experiential value by examining the influence of experiential value in terms of domain-specific innovativeness; the impact of domain-specific innovativeness in terms of child well-being; the moderating role of child socialization; and the relevance of contextual variables associated with media exposure during freemium game use.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on a survey of children who had downloaded freemium games on their smartphones. A total of 410 completed questionnaires were collected from children of 9 to 12 years of age. Confirmatory factor analyses and structural equation models were applied to examine and test the study hypotheses.

Findings

The results indicate that experiential value influences domain-specific innovativeness; domain-specific innovativeness is a significant predictor of well-being; parental materialism and communication with friends significantly moderates domain-specific innovativeness and well-being; and contextual variables do not influence the model.

Practical implications

Public policy managers should be cognizant of these results and should make every effort to prevent the identified relationships from becoming too strong, given the strong effect of domain-specific innovativeness on child well-being.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the extant literature by incorporating experiential value and domain-specific innovativeness variables within a comprehensive model and by accounting for the effects of relevant contextual variables and the moderating role of child socialization.
Studying long‐term, large‐scale grassland restoration outcomes to improve seeding methods and reveal knowledge gaps
Authors: Rinella Matthew J. , Espeland Erin K. , Moffatt Bruce J.
Published: June 2016

Studies are increasingly investigating effects of large‐scale management activities on grassland restoration outcomes. These studies are providing useful comparisons among currently used management strategies, but not the novel strategies needed to rapidly improve restoration efforts. Here we illustrate how managing restoration projects adaptively can allow promising management innovations to be identified and tested.

We studied 327 Great Plains fields seeded after coal mining. We modelled plant responses to management strategies to identify the most effective previously used strategies for constraining weeds and establishing desired plants. Then, we used the model to predict responses to new strategies our analysis identified as potentially more effective.

Where established, the weed crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum L.) increased through time, indicating a need to manage establishment of this grass. Seeding particular grasses reduced annual weed cover, and because these grasses appeared to become similarly abundant whether sown at low or high rates, low rates could likely be safely used to reduce seeding costs. More importantly, lower than average grass seed rates increased cover of shrubs, the plants most difficult to restore to many grassland ecosystems. After identifying grass seed rates as a driver, we formulated model predictions for rates below the range managers typically use. These predictions require testing but indicated atypically low grass seed rates would further increase shrubs without hindering long‐term grass stand development.

Synthesis and applications. Designing management around empirically based predictions is a logical next step towards improving ecological restoration efforts. Our predictions are that reducing grass seed rates to atypically low levels will boost shrubs without compromising grasses. Because these predictions derive from the fitted model, they represent quantitative hypotheses based on current understanding of the system. Generating data needed to test and update these hypotheses will require monitoring responses to shifts in management, specifically shifts to lower grass seed rates. A paucity of data for confronting hypotheses has been a major sticking point hindering adaptive management of most natural resources, but this need not be the case with degraded grasslands, because ongoing restoration efforts around the globe are providing continuous opportunities to monitor and manage processes regulating grassland restoration outcomes.
Phospholipid homeostasis maintains cell polarity, development and virulence in metarhizium robertsii
Authors: Gao Qiang , Lu Yuzhen , Yao Hongyan , Xu Yong‐Jiang , Huang Wei , Wang Chengshu
Published: June 2016

The final product of the glycerol phosphate (GP) pathway is triacylglycerol (TAG) that regulates the homeostasis of energy, fatty acids and phospholipids in cells. The enzymes involved in this pathway have been characterized in many model organisms; however, their contributions to fungal infection are largely unclear. In this study, we performed serial deletion of genes in the GP pathway in the insect pathogenic fungus Metarhizium robertsii. The results indicated that a lysophosphatidate acyltransferase mrLPAAT1 was required for fungal growth, cell differentiation, maintenance of cell polarity and virulence. Lipidomic analysis indicated that deletion of mrLPAAT1 resulted in significant increases in TAG, fatty acids and phosphatidylcholine (PC) but decreased phosphatidic acid (PA), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and other species of phospholipids when compared to the wild type. Disruption of the isozymatic gene mrLPAAT2, however, resulted in a reduction in PC but not PA in the mutant cells. There were no changes in development and virulence in ΔmrLPAAT2. Phospholipid feeding assays verified that a PE supplement could rescue the cell differentiation defect in ΔmrLPAAT1. The results of this study reveal that cellular phospholipid homeostasis mediated by the GP pathway regulates fungal growth, cell polarity, differentiation and virulence.
Trichothecenes and aspinolides produced by Trichoderma arundinaceum regulate expression of Botrytis cinerea genes involved in virulence and growth
Authors: Malmierca Mónica G. , Izquierdo‐Bueno Inmaculada , McCormick Susan P. , Cardoza Rosa E. , Alexander Nancy J. , Barua Javier , Lindo Laura , Casquero Pedro A. , Collado Isidro G. , Monte Enrique , Gutiérrez Santiago
Published: June 2016

Trichoderma arundinaceum (Ta37) and Botrytis cinerea (B05.10) produce the sesquiterpenoids harzianum A (HA) and botrydial (BOT), respectively. TaΔTri5, an HA non‐producer mutant, produces high levels of the polyketide compounds aspinolides (Asp) B and C. We analyzed the role of HA and Asp in the B. cinerea‐T. arundinaceum interaction, including changes in BOT production as well as transcriptomic changes of BcBOT genes involved in BOT biosynthesis, and also of genes associated with virulence and ergosterol biosynthesis. We found that exogenously added HA up‐regulated the expression of the BcBOT and all the virulence genes analyzed when B. cinerea was grown alone. However, a decrease in the amount of BOT and a down‐regulation of BcBOT gene expression was observed in the interaction zone of B05.10‐Ta37 dual cultures, compared to TaΔTri5. Thus, the confrontation with T. arundinaceum results in an up‐regulation of most of the B. cinerea genes involved in virulence yet the presence of T. arundinaceum secondary metabolites, HA and AspC, act separately and together to down‐regulate the B. cinerea genes analyzed. The present work emphasizes the existence of a chemical cross‐regulation between B. cinerea and T. arundinaceum and contributes to understanding how a biocontrol fungus and its prey interact with each other.
The Structural Origins of Territorial Stigma: Water and Racial Politics in Metropolitan Detroit, 1950s–2010s
Authors: Kornberg Dana
Published: June 2016

This article develops the concept of territorial stigma by analyzing how it can be cultivated at the level of political institutions across administrative divides. I consider the case of Detroit's regional water department, which until 2016 was owned and operated by the city and served over 120 suburban regional municipalities. I start by examining the cooperative city–suburban water system expansion in the 1950s and then analyze the rise of Detroit's first black‐led administration in 1974, after which the water authority became a key regional institution that provided an opportunity for white suburban leaders to organize against the city. I find that suburban leaders advanced their immediate goal of mitigating rate hikes by declaring the city to be greedy and inept, instead of acknowledging structural conditions that increased operational costs. This had the effect of reproducing racialized stereotypes at the political level, which had enduring effects. The argument builds on the existing literature on territorial stigma by (1) identifying state institutions as sites for the propagation of stigma and (2) considering stigmatized places in relation to their non‐stigmatized neighbors. The analysis integrates material‐structural and cultural‐symbolic factors in order to understand the perpetuation of regional urban inequalities.
Why Local Social Forums Emerge Where They do: Beyond Diffusion, Geographical Appropriation
Authors: Dufour Pascale
Published: June 2016

Social forums are, quintessentially, a transnationally mobile institutional enterprise. Since the first World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil, in 2001, thousands of local initiatives have emerged all over the world. Yet we know very little about the diffusion processes involved. This article examines nine local social forums (LSFs) in two societies (France and Québec) in order to understand how social forums (SFs) spread throughout or within each territory. Aside from the usual factors, such as the presence or absence of an initiator, favorable political opportunity structure and access to resources, I consider the geography of appropriation, with an emphasis on the dimensions of place (where the forums are organized), and scales of action built by activists. First, I show that, as proposed in the social movement literature, SFs spread from the global South to the global North as a direct result of activists willing to reproduce within their localities that which they have seen and experienced on a larger scale. Political opportunity structures and access to resources appear relevant to understanding the longevity of LSFs and their capacity to be more or less encompassing experiences. But beyond these ‘usual suspects’, the geographical appropriation of social forums is an important consideration that helps us understand the specific diffusion of LSFs in each national territory. In Québec, the region is perceived as a ‘given’ by activists and becomes the relevant scale of collective action, while in France, scale building is at stake and LSFs are used as a tool to escape the centralization of the main national organization in the field of global protest.
A review of the available clinical therapies for vulvodynia management and new data implicating proinflammatory mediators in pain elicitation
Authors: Falsetta ML , Foster DC , Bonham AD , Phipps RP
Published: June 2016

Localised provoked vulvodynia (LPV) is a common, chronic, and disabling condition: patients experience profound pain and a diminished quality of life. The aetiologic origins of vulvodynia are poorly understood, yet recent evidence suggests a link to site‐specific inflammatory responses. Fibroblasts isolated from the vestibule of LPV patients are sensitive to proinflammatory stimuli and copiously produce pain‐associated proinflammatory mediators (IL‐6 and PGE2). Although LPV is a multifactorial disorder, understanding vulvar inflammation and targeting the inflammatory response should lead to treatment advances, especially for patients exhibiting signs of inflammation. NFκB (already targeted clinically) or other inflammatory components may be suitable therapeutic targets.

Tweetable abstract

Vulvodynia is a poorly understood, prevalent, and serious women's health issue requiring better understanding to improve therapy.
A midgut‐specific serine protease, BmSP36, is involved in dietary protein digestion in the silkworm, Bombyx mori
Authors: Liu Hua‐Wei , Li You‐Shan , Tang Xin , Guo Peng‐Chao , Wang Dan‐Dan , Zhou Chun‐Yan , Xia Qing‐You , Zhao Ping
Published: June 2016

Serine proteases play important roles in digestion and immune responses during insect development. In the present study, the serine protease gene BmSP36, which encodes a 292‐residue protein, was cloned from the midgut cells of Bombyx mori. BmSP36 contains an intact catalytic triad (H57, D102 and S195) and a conserved substrate‐binding site (G189, H216 and G226), suggesting that it is a serine protease with chymotrypsin‐like specificity. The temporal and spatial expression patterns of BmSP36 indicated that its messenger RNA and protein expression mainly occurred in the midgut at the feeding stages. Western blotting, immunofluorescence and liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry analyses revealed secretion of BmSP36 protein from epithelial cells into the midgut lumen. The transcriptional and translational expression of BmSP36 was down‐regulated after starvation but up‐regulated after refeeding. Moreover, expression of the BmSP36 gene could be up‐regulated by a juvenile hormone analogue. These results enable us to better define the potential role of BmSP36 in dietary protein digestion at the feeding stages during larval development.
Is Regional Citrate Anticoagulation the Future of Hemodialysis?
Authors: Buturovic‐Ponikvar Jadranka
Published: June 2016

Citrate has many characteristics of the ideal anticoagulant for hemodialysis. In addition to immediate and complete anticoagulation in the dialysis circuit, citrate has important effects beyond anticoagulation, mainly in reducing inflammatory response induced by hemodialysis. Citrate has already become the standard anticoagulant in acute kidney injury requiring continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), both for adults and children, with the citrate module being a part of modern CRRT monitors. Although the citrate module is not yet available for intermittent hemodialysis, precise infusion pumps, point‐of‐care ionometers and high citrate clearance from high flux dialyzers increase safety while reducing the risk of metabolic complications, both in adult and pediatric patients. Slovenia has a long tradition, high volume and expansion of citrate use in hemodialysis, including long‐term citrate anticoagulation in selected patients. At the Department of Nephrology, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, more than 10 000 citrate procedures were performed in 2015. We believe that regional citrate anticoagulation may replace heparin as the main anticoagulant for intermittent hemodialysis in the not so distant future.
Treatment of Antibody‐Mediated Rejection After Kidney Transplantation – 10 Years’ Experience With Apheresis at a Single Center
Authors: Gubensek Jakob , Buturovic‐Ponikvar Jadranka , Kandus Aljosa , Arnol Miha , Lindic Jelka , Kovac Damjan , Rigler Andreja Ales , Romozi Karmen , Ponikvar Rafael
Published: June 2016

Antibody‐mediated rejection (AMR) is a major cause of kidney graft failure. We aimed to analyze treatment and outcome of AMR in a national cohort of 75 biopsy‐proven acute (43 patients, 57%) or chronic active (32 patients, 43%) AMR episodes between 2000 and 2015. The mean patients' age was 46 ± 16 years, the majority was treated with plasma exchange, 4% received immunoadsorption and 7% received both. The majority received pulse methylprednisolone and low‐dose CMV hyperimmune globulin, 20% received bortezomib and 13% rituximab. Concomitant infection was treated in 40% of patients. The immediate treatment outcome was successful in 91%, the 1‐ and 3‐year graft survival rates were 71% and 57%, while 3‐year patient survival was 97%. Chronic active AMR was associated with worse graft survival than acute AMR (log rank P = 0.06). To conclude, intensive treatment with apheresis and additional immunosuppression was effective in reversing AMR, but long‐term graft survival remains markedly decreased, especially in chronic active AMR.
Subendocardial Viability Ratio Is Impaired in Highly Proteinuric Chronic Kidney Disease Patients With Low Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate
Authors: Ekart Robert , Šegula Anja , Hartman Tanja , Hojs Nina , Hojs Radovan
Published: June 2016

Proteinuria and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) are markers of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cardiovascular disease. With applanation tonometry, pulse wave analysis and many hemodynamic data are available. One of them is the subendocardial viability ratio (SEVR) which represents a non‐invasive measure of myocardial perfusion related to the work of the heart. The aim of our study was to investigate the importance of SEVR in proteinuric CKD patients and healthy subjects. We performed a cross‐sectional study in a cohort of 90 non‐dialysis CKD patients and 39 healthy controls. SEVR was assessed by radial applanation tonometry (SphygmoCor, Atcor, Australia). Blood samples and urine albumin‐to‐creatinine ratio (UACR) were analyzed. CKD patients were divided in four groups according to the UACR and eGFR: CKD group 1: UACR > 1000 mg/g and eGFR < 30 mL/min; CKD group 2: UACR > 1000 mg/g and eGFR >30 mL/min; CKD group 3: UACR <1000 mg/g and eGFR < 30 mL/min and CKD group 4: UACR < 1000 mg/g and eGFR >30 mL/min. Using one‐way ANOVA, we found a statistically significant difference in SEVR only between CKD group 1 and all other CKD groups and healthy control group (P < 0.022). Results of our study show that only CKD patients with UACR more than 1000 mg/g and eGFR below 30 mL/min have significantly lower SEVR.
A cross‐cultural examination of the relationships among human resource management practices and organisational commitment: an institutional collectivism perspective
Authors: Rode Joseph C. , Huang Xiaowen , Flynn Barbara
Published: June 2016

Previous research has shown that human resource management (HRM) practices vary across cultures. However, little research has empirically compared the effects of various HRM practices on firm‐level or individual‐level outcome variables across cultures. Drawing upon psychological contract theory and the literature on cultural values, the present study examined the effects of three organisational‐level HRM practices on individual organisational commitment in a survey of 2424 individuals in 120 organisations located in four countries and three industries. Based upon the GLOBE study, we classified the four countries into two groups – high versus low institutional collectivism. The results of our hierarchical linear modelling (HLM) analyses found significant differences in the effects of organisational‐level HRM on individual organisational commitment across cultures for two of the three HRM practices included in our model: training and teamwork. We also found partial support for differences across cultures for the effects of the third HRM practice: employee involvement in decision making. Overall, our results support the utility of theoretical and empirical models that address multiple levels of analyses to better understand the mechanisms through which the HRM‐performance link takes place across national cultures.
Disaggregating and reaggregating work: Workers, management and the struggle over creating coherency and purpose in a context of work degradation
Authors: McBride Jo , Martínez Lucio Miguel
Published: June 2016

The article argues that whilst there is a growing sense of degradation and worsening conditions (disaggregation) of work in the cleaning sector in general, there are some important contradictions which require complex organisational responses. In the main, there is a growing sense of isolation in this work, yet also a growing perception of autonomy and workers having to use discretion in new and challenging ways. This article focuses on these issues and management responses to reaggregate the nature of such work, creating new forms of identity and activities intended to enhance (or address) the levels of stability and sustainability at work as well as in operational processes. This management conundrum means that they need to deal with a range of job‐related, skill‐oriented worker learning and also representation issues. These responses bring to the fore the contested nature of such forms of work and how they are changing.
Characteristics of the Clostridium difficile cell envelope and its importance in therapeutics
Authors: Kirk Joseph A. , Banerji Oishik , Fagan Robert P.
Published: June 2016

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a challenging threat to human health. Infections occur after disruption of the normal microbiota, most commonly through the use of antibiotics. Current treatment for CDI largely relies on the broad‐spectrum antibiotics vancomycin and metronidazole that further disrupt the microbiota resulting in frequent recurrence, highlighting the need for C. difficile‐specific antimicrobials. The cell surface of C. difficile represents a promising target for the development of new drugs. C. difficile possesses a highly deacetylated peptidoglycan cell wall containing unique secondary cell wall polymers. Bound to the cell wall is an essential S‐layer, formed of SlpA and decorated with an additional 28 related proteins. In addition to the S‐layer, many other cell surface proteins have been identified, including several with roles in host colonization. This review aims to summarize our current understanding of these different C. difficile cell surface components and their viability as therapeutic targets.
Governing the Global Green Economy
Authors: Tienhaara Kyla
Published: June 2016

The concept of a ‘green economy’ has risen to prominence in recent years. However, little has been said about what actors could drive its widespread adoption at the global level. At present, global governance generally occurs in distinct policy domains or ‘silos’; the global environment and the global economy are segregated. Within these domains, authority is highly fragmented among numerous institutions. However, two particular institutions have the broad scope and potentially the capacity to coordinate and steer green economy efforts: the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Group of Twenty (G20). This article examines why some (includingUNEPitself) have called for the G20 to take a greater role in steering the green economy and assesses the extent to which it has done so. The article concludes that the G20 was ineffective in promoting a ‘green recovery’ from the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) and has similarly failed to stimulate ‘green growth’. Reform of both the G20 andUNEPcould improve global policy on the green economy, but changes to the G20 would likely have a greater impact.
New Estimates of Factor Income Shares in Central Asian Economies
Authors: Thampapillai Dodo J. , Chen Yvonne Jie , Bacani Christopher Ivo , Baris Omer
Published: June 2016

This paper illustrates a simple method to derive the income accounts in the context of limited macroeconomic data. The method is relevant for several developing countries where the statements on income are clearly absent and the national accounts are confined to statements on expenditure and/or value added. Furthermore, the method is illustrated for four Central Asian economies, namely Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. A Cobb‐Douglas factor utilisation function is then used to estimate factor income shares and the relative contributions of factors to economic growth. The analysis reveals limited contribution of labour to economic growth in these economies. This limitation appears to be strongest in the resource dependent economies of Kazakhstan and Mongolia.
Measuring the functional redundancy of biological communities: a quantitative guide
Authors: Ricotta Carlo , de Bello Francesco , Moretti Marco , Caccianiga Marco , Cerabolini Bruno E.L. , Pavoine Sandrine
Published: June 2016

The preservation of ecosystem processes under ongoing biotic erosion requires that some species within affected communities perform similar functions, a property that is usually defined as functional redundancy. Although functional redundancy has recently become a relevant part of ecological research, so far there is no agreement on its measurement.

The scope of this work is thus to propose a consistent framework based on functional dissimilarities among species for summarizing different facets of functional redundancy. The behaviour of the proposed measures is illustrated with one small artificial data set, together with actual examples on the species functional turnover along successional gradients.

We believe this new framework provides an important contribution for the clarification and quantification of key metrics of community redundancy and vulnerability. The method, for which we provide a simple r function called ‘uniqueness’, further allows summarizing the functional contribution of single species to the overall redundancy of any type of biological community.
Adult exposure to tributyltin affects hypothalamic neuropeptide Y, Y1 receptor distribution, and circulating leptin in mice
Authors: Bo E. , Farinetti A. , Marraudino M. , Sterchele D. , Eva C. , Gotti S. , Panzica G.
Published: June 2016

Tributyltin (TBT), a pesticide used in antifouling paints, is toxic for aquatic invertebrates. In vertebrates, TBT may act in obesogen‐ inducing adipogenetic gene transcription for adipocyte differentiation. In a previous study, we demonstrated that acute administration of TBT induces c‐fos expression in the arcuate nucleus. Therefore, in this study, we tested the hypothesis that adult exposure to TBT may alter a part of the nervous pathways controlling animal food intake. In particular, we investigated the expression of neuropeptide Y (NPY) immunoreactivity. This neuropeptide forms neural circuits dedicated to food assumption and its action is mediated by Y1 receptors that are widely expressed in the hypothalamic nuclei responsible for the regulation of food intake and energy homeostasis. To this purpose, TBT was orally administered at a dose of 0.025 mg/kg/day/body weight to adult animals [male and female C57BL/6 (Y1‐LacZ transgenic mice] for 4 weeks. No differences were found in body weight and fat deposition, but we observed a significant increase in feed efficiency in TBT‐treated male mice and a significant decrease in circulating leptin in both sexes. Computerized quantitative analysis of NPY immunoreactivity and Y1‐related β‐galactosidase activity demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in NPY and Y1 transgene expression in the hypothalamic circuit controlling food intake of treated male mice in comparison with controls. In conclusion, the present results indicate that adult exposure to TBT is profoundly interfering with the nervous circuits involved in the stimulation of food intake.
Impact of metritis on the generation of reactive oxygen species by circulating phagocytes and plasma lipopolysaccharide concentration in peripartum dairy cows
Authors: Magata Fumie , Morino Ikumi , Teramura Makoto , Tsunoda Ei , Kawashima Chiho , Haneda Shingo , Miyamoto Akio , Kida Katsuya , Shimizu Takashi
Published: June 2016

This study examined the relationship between postpartum metritis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and plasma lipopolysaccharide (LPS) concentration in peripartum dairy cows. Blood was collected twice weekly from 2 weeks prepartum through 6 weeks postpartum. Whole blood chemiluminescence (WBCL) was measured using the luminol‐enhanced zymosan‐stimulated chemiluminescence assay. Cows were examined for uterine health disorders and classified into two groups, healthy (n = 11) and metritis (n = 5). Metritis had a significant effect on WBCL, with cows with metritis having a higher WBCL. Plasma LPS concentrations in cows with metritis were significantly higher than in healthy cows. To examine the effect of LPS on WBCL, blood was sampled in healthy peripartum cows (1 to 2 weeks prepartum,n = 8; 0 to 3 weeks postpartum,n = 11; and 4 to 8 weeks postpartum,n = 8) and incubated with LPS. At 1 endotoxin units/mL of LPS, similar to the plasma LPS concentration in cows with metritis, the WBCL increased in cows at 0 to 3 weeks postpartum. Results indicate that the increase in ROS generation and plasma LPS concentration are associated with metritis, and LPS may be responsible for enhanced ROS generation in early postpartum dairy cows.
Impact of age on long‐term anticoagulation and how gender and monitoring setting affect it: implications for decision making and patient management
Authors: Abohelaika Salah , Wynne Hilary , Avery Peter , Robinson Brian , Kesteven Patrick , Kamali Farhad
Published: June 2016

Aims

Stabilization of anticoagulation control is seminal to reducing the risk of adverse effects of vitamin K antagonists. Reliable information on how ageing influences this is lacking. We set out to assess the true age‐related changes in anticoagulation control, how gender and patient setting influence this, and the possible implications of these for patient outcomes and management.

Methods

In atrial fibrillation (AF) patients of a unified anticoagulant service monitoring patients in general practice or hospital‐based clinics and housebound patients at home, international normalized ratio (INR) and warfarin dose data between 2000 and 2013 were extracted via the DAWN dosing program. Anticoagulation control was assessed by calculating percentage time spent within target INR (TTR).

Results

A total of 2094 AF patients [938 (44.8%) in general practice (GP) and 531 (25.4%) in hospital (H)‐based clinics and 625 (29.8%) through the domiciliary service (D)] were evaluated. The frequency of warfarin dose changes and INR monitoring events declined until about age 67, then increased as patients got older. The TTR according to age was significantly lower and the probability of having a TTR ≤65% according to age was higher for D than for H and GP, and females had a greater probability of having a TTR ≤65% than age‐matched males.

Conclusion

Identification of factors underlying poorer anticoagulation control in older housebound patients and the introduction of effective modifications to improve the clinical effectiveness of anticoagulation in such patients is needed.
Do Diuretics have Antinociceptive Actions: Studies of Spironolactone, Eplerenone, Furosemide and Chlorothiazide, Individually and with Oxycodone and Morphine
Authors: Jokinen Viljami , Lilius Tuomas , Laitila Jouko , Niemi Mikko , Kambur Oleg , Kalso Eija , Rauhala Pekka
Published: June 2016

Spironolactone, eplerenone, chlorothiazide and furosemide are diuretics that have been suggested to have antinociceptive properties, for example via mineralocorticoid receptor antagonism. In co‐administration, diuretics might enhance the antinociceptive effect of opioids via pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic mechanisms. Effects of spironolactone (100 mg/kg, i.p.), eplerenone (100 mg/kg, i.p.), chlorothiazide (50 mg/kg, i.p.) and furosemide (100 mg/kg, i.p.) were studied on acute oxycodone (0.75 mg/kg, s.c.)‐ and morphine (3 mg/kg, s.c.)‐induced antinociception using tail‐flick and hot plate tests in male Sprague Dawley rats. The diuretics were administered 30 min. before the opioids, and behavioural tests were performed 30 and 90 min. after the opioids. Concentrations of oxycodone, morphine and their major metabolites in plasma and brain were quantified by mass spectrometry. In the hot plate test at 30 and 90 min., spironolactone significantly enhanced the antinociceptive effect (% of maximum possible effect) of oxycodone from 10% to 78% and from 0% to 50%, respectively, and that of morphine from 12% to 73% and from 4% to 83%, respectively. The brain oxycodone and morphine concentrations were significantly increased at 30 min. (oxycodone, 46%) and at 90 min. (morphine, 190%). We did not detect any independent antinociceptive effects with the diuretics. Eplerenone and chlorothiazide did not enhance the antinociceptive effect of either opioid. The results suggest that spironolactone enhances the antinociceptive effect of both oxycodone and morphine by increasing their concentrations in the central nervous system.
What is standard care for people with learning disabilities and behaviour that challenges and what does it cost?
Authors: Iemmi Valentina , Knapp Martin , Gore Nick , Cooper Vivien , Brown Freddy Jackson , Reid Caroline , Saville Maria ,   BC Delphi Group
Published: June 2016

Accessible summary

The provision of care and support for people with learning disabilities and behaviour that challenges in England is mixed.

Children and young people with learning disabilities and behaviour that challenges are likely to live within the community, while adults will be in residential care.

Overall, supporting people with learning disabilities and behaviour that challenges within the community is likely to be less expensive than supporting them in residential care.

Background: We describe current care arrangements in England for children, young people and adults with learning disabilities and behaviour that challenges, and estimate their comparative costs.

Materials and Methods: A two‐round Delphi exercise was performed in March and April 2014, followed by a costing exercise.

Results: The study finds a mixed picture: participants reported that 60–87% of children, 66–88% of young people and 34–47% of adults were likely to be living within the community. Annual cost of care would range between £39 612 and £74 876 for children, between £35 235 and £52 832 for young people and between £81 478 and £94 799 for adults.

Conclusion: While residential‐based care may continue to be necessary for respite or for individuals with particular needs, community‐based care may be an economically attractive alternative, supporting the inclusion of people with learning disabilities and behaviour that challenges within their communities, potentially at a lower cost.
Update on melatonin receptors: IUPHAR Review 20
Authors: Jockers Ralf , Delagrange Philippe , Dubocovich Margarita L. , Markus Regina P. , Renault Nicolas , Tosini Gianluca , Cecon Erika , Zlotos Darius P.
Published: June 2016

Melatonin receptors are seven transmembrane‐spanning proteins belonging to the GPCR superfamily. In mammals, two melatonin receptor subtypes exist ‐ MT1 and MT2 ‐ encoded by the MTNR1A and MTNR1B genes respectively. The current review provides an update on melatonin receptors by the corresponding subcommittee of the International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology. We will highlight recent developments of melatonin receptor ligands, including radioligands, and give an update on the latest phenotyping results of melatonin receptor knockout mice. The current status and perspectives of the structure of melatonin receptor will be summarized. The physiological importance of melatonin receptor dimers and biologically important and type 2 diabetes‐associated genetic variants of melatonin receptors will be discussed. The role of melatonin receptors in physiology and disease will be further exemplified by their functions in the immune system and the CNS. Finally, antioxidant and free radical scavenger properties of melatonin and its relation to melatonin receptors will be critically addressed.
Withaferin A suppresses the growth of myelodysplasia and leukemia cell lines by inhibiting cell cycle progression
Authors: Okamoto Shuichiro , Tsujioka Takayuki , Suemori Shin‐ichiro , Kida Jun‐ichiro , Kondo Toshinori , Tohyama Yumi , Tohyama Kaoru
Published: June 2016

Treatment outcomes for acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) remain unsatisfactory despite progress in various types of chemotherapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Therefore, there is a need for the development of new treatment options. We investigated the growth‐suppressive effects of withaferin A (WA), a natural plant steroidal lactone, on myelodysplasia and leukemia cell lines. WA exhibited growth‐suppressive effects on the cell lines, MDS‐L, HL‐60, THP‐1, Jurkat and Ramos, and induction of cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase at relatively low doses. Evaluation by annexin V/PI also confirmed the induction of partial apoptosis. Gene expression profiling and subsequent gene set enrichment analysis revealed increased expression of heme oxygenase‐1 (HMOX1). HMOX1 is known to induce autophagy during anticancer chemotherapy and is considered to be involved in the treatment resistance. Our study indicated increased HMOX1 protein levels and simultaneous increases in the autophagy‐related protein LC3A/B in MDS‐L cells treated with WA, suggesting increased autophagy. Combined use of WA with chloroquine, an autophagy inhibitor, enhanced early apoptosis and growth suppression. Together with the knowledge that WA had no apparent suppressive effect on the growth of human normal bone marrow CD34‐positive cells in the short‐term culture, this drug may have a potential for a novel therapeutic approach to the treatment of leukemia or MDS.
Systemic associations of corneal deposits: a review and photographic guide
Authors: Patel Dipika V
Published: June 2016

The cornea may be considered ‘the window to the body’, with numerous systemic diseases exhibiting corneal manifestations. Indeed, the cornea is often the presenting sign of such diseases. This article provides a concise review and photographic guide to a range of types of corneal deposition that may be observed secondary to systemic disease.
The treatment of all MRI‐defined low rectal cancers in a single expert centre over a 5‐year period: is there room for improvement?
Authors: Kusters M. , Slater A. , Betts M. , Hompes R. , Guy R. J. , Jones O. M. , George B. D. , Lindsey I. , Mortensen N. J. , James D. R. , Cunningham C.
Published: June 2016

Aim

Outcomes following treatment for low rectal cancer still remain inferior to those for upper rectal cancer. A clear definition of ‘low’ rectal cancer is lacking and consensus is more likely using a definition based on MRI criteria. This study aimed to determine disease presentation and treatment outcome of low rectal cancer based on a strict anatomical definition.

Method

A low rectal cancer was defined as one with a lower border below the pelvic attachment of the levator muscles on sagittal MRI. One hundred and eighty consecutive patients with tumours defined by this criterion between 2006 and 2011 were identified from a prospectively managed departmental database.

Results

One hundred and eighteen patients (66%) underwent curative resection and 12 (7%) palliative resection. Eleven patients (6%) were entered into a ‘watch and wait’ (W&W) protocol; 10 others (5%) were not fit to undergo any operation. Some 26 patients (14%) had nonresectable local or metastatic disease. An R0 resection was the most important factor influencing survival after curative surgery. R+ resections occurred in 12% of non‐abdominoperineal excisions, 11% of abdominoperineal excisions and 47% of extended resections. Overall survival was similar in the curative resections compared with the W&W patients. In 23 of the 96 (24%) treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy there was a persistent clinical or a pathological complete response.

Conclusion

In curative resections, a clear margin is the most important determinant of survival. In 24% of the patients treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, surgery could potentially have been avoided. There is scope for improvement in the treatment of locally advanced rectal cancers.
Commonly used reference values underestimate oxygen uptake in healthy, 50‐year‐old Swedish women
Authors: Genberg M. , Andrén B. , Lind L. , Hedenström H. , Malinovschi A.
Published: June 2016

Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) is the gold standard among clinical exercise tests. It combines a conventional stress test with measurement of oxygen uptake (VO2) and CO2 production. No validated Swedish reference values exist, and reference values in women are generally understudied. Moreover, the importance of achieved respiratory exchange ratio (RER) and the significance of breathing reserve (BR) at peak exercise in healthy individuals are poorly understood. We compared VO2 at maximal load (peakVO2) and anaerobic threshold (VO2@AT) in healthy Swedish individuals with commonly used reference values, taking gender into account. Further, we analysed maximal workload and peakVO2 with regard to peak RER and BR. In all, 181 healthy, 50‐year‐old individuals (91 women) performed CPET. PeakVO2 was best predicted using Jones et al. (100·5%). Furthermore, underestimation of peakVO2 in women was found for all studied reference values (P<0·001) and was largest for Hansen‐Wasserman: women had 115% of predicted peakVO2, while men had 103%. PeakVO2 was similar in subjects with peak RER of 1–1·1 and RER > 1·1 (2 328·7 versus 2 176·7 ml min−1, P = 0·11). Lower BR (≤30%) related to significantly higher peakVO2 (P<0·001). In conclusion, peakVO2 was best predicted by Jones. All studied reference values underestimated oxygen uptake in women. No evidence for demanding RER > 1·1 in healthy individuals was found. A lowered BR is probably a normal response to higher workloads in healthy individuals.
Pregnancy in cardiac transplant recipients
Authors: Bhagra Catriona J. , Bhagra Sai K. , Donado Alicia , Butt Tanveer , Forrest Lindsey , MacGowan Guy A. , Parry Gareth
Published: June 2016

Purpose

Successful pregnancy following cardiac transplantation has been described, although outcome data from individual centers are relatively sparse. We investigated maternal and fetal outcomes including change in left ventricular (LV) function and calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) dose in women who became pregnant from our institution.

Methods

We identified every female patient <49 years at the time of transplant who survived >3 months post‐surgery, between 1985 and 2014. Those who conceived had a review of their medical records and transplant charts. Those currently alive were interviewed.

Results

There were 22 pregnancies in 17 women with 20 live births (91%). Mean time from transplantation was 98±62.4 months. Rejection complicated one pregnancy, and LV function remained normal in all others. Hypertension complicated 3 (13.6%), preeclampsia 3 (13.6%), and cholestasis 1 (4.5%). Mean birthweight was 2447±608 grams at 34.1±3.6 weeks. Four women died following pregnancy. A significant increase in total daily dose of tacrolimus and cyclosporine A was required to maintain therapeutic levels through pregnancy (CyA, P<.001; and Tac, P=.001), with no deterioration in serum creatinine.

Conclusions

We report a 91% live birth rate post‐cardiac transplantation. Meticulous individualized care with frequent monitoring of CNI levels and LV function is necessary to optimize the maternal and fetal outcomes.