bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of value stream mapping (VSM) applicability to the oil and gas chain processes
Authors: Vasconcelos Ferreira Lobo Cicero , Damasceno Calado Robisom , Dalvo Pereira da Conceição Roberta
Published: November 2018

Purpose

Lean approach has overcome the boundaries of the automotive and manufacturing industry and has achieved many different sectors of the economy, including services. In this context, this paper aims to investigate the applicability of value stream mapping (VSM) tool in processes of the oil and gas chain. Also, this paper investigates if there is a specific framework currently being used by organizations belonging to this chain to map the value stream of its processes.

Design/methodology/approach

A detailed systematic review of the literature is done by using a set of relevant keywords based on peer-reviewed journal articles and conference papers available in the Scopus database, analyzing data from 2012 to 2017. Content analysis methodology involving a four-step process (identification, screening, eligibility and inclusion) suggested by Moher et al. (2009) was adopted for this study.

Findings

The number of studies in literature on VSM applicability to the oil and gas chain processes is low when compared to studies regarding the application of lean tools and methods in general in this area. Also, there is no specific framework that has been used by the oil and gas chain companies to carry out the VSM, which is a research gap that can be further explored.

Research limitations/implications

Sample size for this research consists of 42 studies, thereby limiting the generalizability of the research studies. However, the analysis presented in this paper was based only on Scopus database, which is a remarkable and broad base, which provided robustness to the data found.

Practical implications

Practicing managers of oil and gas chain who are planning to transform their processes can use the VSM for it. Researchers can explore the research gap found in this study and develop a specific framework to implement VSM in the oil and gas chain processes.

Originality/value

This is the first paper to evaluate the VSM tool applicability to the oil and gas chain processes based on an systematic literature review and understand if this is possible and if there is a specific framework to carry out this task.
Tactics to deter deviant consumer behavior: a research agenda
Authors: Dootson Paula , Johnston Kim A. , Lings Ian , Beatson Amanda
Published: November 2018

Purpose

Deviant consumer behavior (DCB) has serious negative effects on organizations, employees and other customers. While research to date has largely focused on understanding why consumers engage in deviant behaviors, less focus has been placed on exploring how to deter them. This paper aims to shift the conversation from research exploring why consumers engage in deviant behaviors to understanding how DCB could be deterred.

Design/methodology/approach

In this conceptual paper, a research agenda of deterrence tactics is provided with associated propositions to guide future research in the field of DCB.

Findings

A deterrence–neutralization–behavior (DNB) framework is proposed to underpin the seven deterrence tactics outlined in this research agenda. The DNB framework illustrates the positive relationship between neutralization techniques and engagement in DCB, because the techniques reduce the level of cognitive dissonance associated with performing a deviant act beyond an individual’s deviance threshold. The framework adds a new proposed moderating role of deterrence tactics. Deterrence tactics are mechanisms that will reintroduce cognitive dissonance, previously reduced through a neutralization technique, by presenting the consumer with a competing piece of information that challenges their attitudes, beliefs or behavior. Therefore, the authors propose that certain deterrence tactics could diminish the positive effect of different neutralization techniques on DCB if the tactics challenge the justifications consumers are using to excuse their actions – subsequently reintroducing cognitive dissonance.

Practical implications

Practically, this paper is the next step in an effort to provide evidence-based solutions for managers seeking to reduce the negative impact that deviance has on the organization.

Originality/value

To date, research has focused on understanding why DCB occurs with limited attention on how it can be deterred. The value in this paper is in proposing a series of deterrence tactics that are theoretically matched to established antecedents and neutralization techniques associated with DCB. Overall, this paper provides a future research agenda with propositions to build knowledge on effective deterrence tactics for curbing instances of DCB.
A transitional approach to the study of the information behavior of domestic migrant workers
Authors: Bronstein Jenny
Published: November 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the life stories of migrant workers in Israel by analyzing different aspects of the information behavior that emerged from their narratives through a transitional perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

Narratives are a human way of communication that focuses on the stories people tell about themselves, their inner thoughts, their states of mind and how they perceive their own reality. In total, 20 Spanish-speaking domestic migrant workers were interviewed. The data collected form the narratives were study draws from the transitional theory.

Findings

The holistic phase of the content analysis revealed that participants experienced information poverty based on socioeconomic factors and perceptions of social exclusion, vulnerability and hostile surroundings. The content analysis yielded a theory of transitional information behavior that reflects the three stages of the migration process: ending of a new reality, a period of confusion and a sense of belonging. The theory encompasses four elements: process, disconnectedness, perceptions and patterns of response.

Originality/value

The study proposes an innovative look at information behavior of migrants by integrating a transitional perspective into the life stories of participants.
Towards a conceptual framework to manage BIM/COBie asset data using a standard project management methodology
Authors: Alnaggar Ahmed , Pitt Michael
Published: November 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate a systematic methodology to manage asset data flow between building stakeholders throughout building life cycle using the Construction Operation Building Information Exchange (COBie) standard.

Design/methodology/approach

A literature review of the relevant building information modelling (BIM) for facilities management (FM) studies including the gaps and challenges of producing COBie data is analysed. Then a standard project management methodology by Project Management Institute (PMI) is introduced as a theoretical framework to map the different areas of managing COBie data as a project in coordination with Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Plan of work. This theoretical background is coupled with an inductive approach through the placement within a construction company (Bouygues, UK) in the UCLH construction project to produce the conceptual framework that is aligned with industry needs.

Findings

The lack of well-structured approach to manage COBie data throughout building life cycle causes many problems and confusions about the roles and responsibilities of different stakeholders in creating and managing asset data. This confusion in turn results in incomplete and low-quality COBie data at the handover phase which hinders the ability of facility managers to use these data effectively in the operations phase. The proposed conceptual framework provides a standard project management process to systemise the data flow among all stakeholders.

Practical implications

The proposed framework is developed in liaison with a large construction company, so it is well aligned with an actual industry approach to managing COBie data. Furthermore, it provides a systematic step-by-step approach to managing COBie as a project that could be easily implemented in actual construction projects.

Originality/value

The paper introduced a novel approach to manage COBie data using a standard project management methodology based on an actual live construction project perspective coupled with project management theory.
Institutional enhancement of consumer responsibility in fashion
Authors: Bürklin Nina
Published: November 2018

Purpose

Although many companies have initiated corporate social responsibility activities, only a small fraction of consumers have reacted in the same spirit. In order to increase economic and social benefits, corporate and consumer interests need to be aligned through specialized marketing activities. In this context, the purpose of this paper is to complement traditional consumer research through a multi-stakeholder approach. It specifically analyzes institutional drivers to enhance consumer responsibility (ConRes) in the fashion industry.

Design/methodology/approach

An explorative study containing in-depth interviews (n=30) with three groups of experts (retailers, not-for-profit organizations (NPOs), marketing specialists) is conducted to investigate the influences of institutional agents to foster responsible consumption. Data analysis is based on qualitative content analysis.

Findings

Various institutional drivers of ConRes range from influences in the social environment to spill-over effects and triggering of emotions. Thus, agents use marketing tools such as inter-industry cooperations or social media to encourage ConRes in the fashion industry.

Research limitations/implications

Future research should compare ConRes and its potential influences within different industries and further validate the results in quantitative studies.

Practical implications

Companies and NPOs can foster ConRes by cooperating with like-minded organizations, displaying more transparency within their communications and providing relevant content to media partners.

Social implications

If institutional agents succeed in fostering ConRes, they can induce corresponding behavior leading to improved workforce welfare in the fashion industry and environmental protection.

Originality/value

The study is the first to empirically investigate three collaborating groups of institutional agents regarding their opportunities to enhance ConRes.
Cross-country findings on tacit knowledge sharing: evidence from the Brazilian and Indonesian IT workers
Authors: Borges Renata , Bernardi Monica , Petrin Renata
Published: November 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to compare the factors that can influence the tacit knowledge sharing (KS) in two different cultures by investigating information technology professionals (IT) in Brazil and Indonesia.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey method was used and a standard questionnaire was applied. The sample size comprised 115 respondents from Brazil and 86 participants from Indonesia. A partial least squares analysis was used to assess the structural and confirmatory models and test the hypotheses.

Findings

The results indicate that, in both cultures, IT workers who are committed to the organization are more likely to engage in tacit KS behavior. Similarly, strong social ties play an important role in the willingness to share tacit knowledge. Also, there are major differences between the organizational cultures; for instance, whereas Brazilians seem to be influenced by team-oriented cultures, Indonesians seem to be indifferent.

Research limitations/implications

Limitations include the small sample size as only two cultures were chosen to assess the differences and the representation of just one professional category (IT).

Originality/value

This paper provides theoretical contributions as the literature lacks a macro-level analysis on the KS comparison between countries. The results advance the comprehension of tacit KS phenomenon by testing in a cross-country comparison the mediation effect of organizational commitment. To practitioners, this research presents important empirical contributions indicating how organizational culture, social environment, personality traits and employee commitment impact an individual’s willingness to share tacit knowledge with their coworkers.
The effect of relative performance feedback on judgmental forecasting accuracy
Authors: Kim Hyo Young , Lee Yun Shin , Jun Duk Bin
Published: November 2018

Purpose

Forecasting processes in organizational settings largely rely on human judgment, which makes it important to examine ways to improve the accuracy of these judgmental forecasts. The purpose of this paper is to test the effect of providing relative performance feedback on judgmental forecasting accuracy.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on a controlled laboratory experiment.

Findings

The authors show that feedback that ranks the forecasting performance of participants improves their accuracy compared with the forecasting accuracy of participants who do not get such feedback. The authors also find that the effectiveness of such relative performance feedback depends on the content of the feedback information as well as on whether accurate forecasting performance is linked to additional financial rewards. Relative performance feedback becomes more effective when subjects are told they rank behind other participants than when they are told they rank higher than other participants. This finding is consistent with loss aversion: low-ranked individuals view their performance as a loss and work harder to avoid it. By contrast, top performers tend to slack off. Finally, the authors find that the addition of monetary rewards for top performers reduces the effectiveness of relative performance feedback, particularly for individuals whose performance ranks near the bottom.

Originality/value

One way to improve forecasting accuracy when forecasts rely on human judgment is to design an effective incentive system. Despite the crucial role of judgmental forecasts in organizations, little attention has been devoted to this topic. The aim of this study is to add to the literature in this field.
Like ships passing in the night: toward a truly dyadic perspective on feedback dynamics
Authors: Anseel Frederik , Vossaert Lien , Corneillie Elias
Published: November 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to extend the argument of DeNisi & Smith Sockbeson, who called to bridge the gap between feedback-seeking and feedback-giving research. The paper pushes their argument further by suggesting that future feedback research should systematically adopt a dyadic and dynamic approach to enhance the understanding of feedback episodes.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper reviews previous empirical work in the feedback domain and develops conceptual arguments for linking feedback-seeking and feedback intervention research.

Findings

Drawing upon previous work, the authors conclude that the current depiction of feedback processes in the literature might have been overly static and one-sided. Furthermore, it is argued that feedback research might have not kept up to date with recent conceptual and methodological developments in dyadic organizational behavior research.

Research limitations/implications

This paper builds on the argument of DeNisi & Smith Sockbeson, in turn contributing to a more complete picture of how feedback processes unfold in organizations. While this paper profiles a few studies that have begun to bridge the disconnect between feedback-seeking and feedback-giving research, one of its limitations is that it does not adopt a systematic approach in reviewing all potential methodologies.

Originality/value

This paper provides a first step toward studying feedback episodes as dyadic and dynamic processes. In doing so it helps solving one of the long-standing puzzles in management research namely why feedback interventions are sometimes detrimental to performance.
Bioprinting in ophthalmology: current advances and future pathways
Authors: Poomathi Nataraj , Singh Sunpreet , Prakash Chander , Patil Rajkumar V. , Perumal P.T. , Barathi Veluchamy Amutha , Balasubramanian Kalpattu K. , Ramakrishna Seeram , Maheshwari N.U.
Published: November 2018

Purpose

Bioprinting is a promising technology, which has gained a recent attention, for application in all aspects of human life and has specific advantages in different areas of medicines, especially in ophthalmology. The three-dimensional (3D) printing tools have been widely used in different applications, from surgical planning procedures to 3D models for certain highly delicate organs (such as: eye and heart). The purpose of this paper is to review the dedicated research efforts that so far have been made to highlight applications of 3D printing in the field of ophthalmology.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the state-of-the-art review has been summarized for bioprinters, biomaterials and methodologies adopted to cure eye diseases. This paper starts with fundamental discussions and gradually leads toward the summary and future trends by covering almost all the research insights. For better understanding of the readers, various tables and figures have also been incorporated.

Findings

The usages of bioprinted surgical models have shown to be helpful in shortening the time of operation and decreasing the risk of donor, and hence, it could boost certain surgical effects. This demonstrates the wide use of bioprinting to design more precise biological research models for research in broader range of applications such as in generating blood vessels and cardiac tissue. Although bioprinting has not created a significant impact in ophthalmology, in recent times, these technologies could be helpful in treating several ocular disorders in the near future.

Originality/value

This review work emphasizes the understanding of 3D printing technologies, in the light of which these can be applied in ophthalmology to achieve successful treatment of eye diseases.
Doctoral student mentorship in social work education: a Canadian example
Authors: Fulton Amy Elizabeth , Walsh Christine A. , Gulbrandsen Carolyn , Tong Hongmei , Azulai Anna
Published: November 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to present a thematic analysis investigating the experiences and reflections of doctoral students in social work at a Canadian university who were mentored in the development of teaching expertise, including course design, delivery and evaluation, by a senior faculty member. Recommendations to others who are considering engaging in doctoral student teaching mentorship are presented.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper examines the authors’ reflections on their experiences of doctoral student mentorship through their involvement in collaboratively designing, teaching and evaluating an online undergraduate course. The inquiry used a qualitative approach grounded in Schon’s concept of reflexive learning.

Findings

Based on the results of the thematic analysis of the mentees’ reflections, this paper presents the collaborative teaching mentorship model and discusses how receiving mentorship in teaching facilitated the mentees’ development as social work educators.

Originality/value

Although quality guidelines in social work education recommend that doctoral students should be adequately prepared for future teaching opportunities, there is limited discussion about doctoral student development as educators within the academic literature, especially from the perspective of doctoral students. There is also limited articulation of specific models of doctoral student mentorship in developing teaching expertise. The authors hope that sharing their reflections on their experiences and describing the collaborative teaching mentorship model will serve to deepen understandings and promote further exploration and development of doctoral student mentorship in teaching.
Similar or different?
Authors: Cornér Solveig , Pyhältö Kirsi , Peltonen Jouni , Bengtsen Søren S.E.
Published: November 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the support experiences of 381 PhD students within the humanities and social sciences from three research-intensive universities in Denmark (n = 145) and Finland (n = 236). The study investigates the cross-cultural variation in the researcher community support and supervisory support experiences, factors associated with their support experienced and the perceived support fit.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used a mixed methods design, both quantitative analyses and qualitative analyses (open-ended descriptions) were used.

Findings

The results showed that students in both Danish and Finnish programs emphasized researcher community support over supervisory support. The Danish students, however, reported slightly higher levels of researcher community support and experienced lower levels of friction than their Finnish counter partners. The results also indicated that the only form of support in which the students expressed more matched support than mismatched support was informational support.

Practical implications

The results imply investing in a stronger integration of PhD students into the research community is beneficial for the students’ progress. Building network-based and collaborative learning activities that enhance both instrumental and emotional support and a collective form of supervision could be further developed. The possibility of Phd student integration in the scholarly community is likely to lead to more efficient use of finacial and intellectual resources in academia and society more broadly.

Originality/value

This study offer a unique contribution on doctoral students’ academic and socialization experiences in terms of explicationg the sources of support, support forms and support fit among Danish and Finnish doctoral students. Both invariants and socio-culturally embedded aspects of support experience among the students were detected.
Initial presentation determines clinical entity in patients with anti‐centromere antibody positivity
Authors: Tsukamoto Masako , Suzuki Katsuya , Takeuchi Tsutomu
Published: November 2018

Aim

Anti‐centromere antibody (ACA) is often detected in patients with autoimmune diseases, including limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis (SSc), Sjögren's syndrome (SS), and primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). The association between autoimmune disease and ACA positivity remains unclear. We sought to clarify the clinical features of ACA‐positive patients and their association with autoantibodies.

Method

A total of 309 cases of a discrete‐speckled pattern anti‐nuclear antibody (ANA) test and/or positive ACA who visited our department were retrospectively enrolled. Clinical and immunological data were collected and statistically analyzed.

Result

A proportion of second and/or third ANA patterns were speckled (16%), homogenous (7%), cytoplasmic (3%) and/or nucleolar (3%). Of the 309 patients, 186 had Raynaud's phenomenon, 149 had sclerodactyly, and 162 had oral and/or ocular dryness. A total of 214 patients were classified into 17 autoimmune diseases based on their symptoms at the initial visit, while the other 95 patients did not meet any criteria. Most of the 214 patients were diagnosed with SSc and/or SS; 25 and 22 additional patients were diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and PBC, respectively. Higher titers of immunoglobulins were observed in patients diagnosed with autoimmune disease compared to patients without a diagnosis. The mean observation period was 80 months. Three additional patients received interim diagnoses based on new symptoms or organ involvement. In the other patients, the diagnosis made at the first visit was not changed over the observation period.

Conclusion

Our study confirmed that many ACA‐positive cases can be classified into an autoimmune disease type on presentation.
Familial frontal fibrosing alopecia: A cross‐sectional study of 20 cases from nine families
Authors: Porriño‐Bustamante María Librada , López‐Nevot Miguel Ángel , Aneiros‐Fernández José , García‐Lora Elena , Fernández‐Pugnaire María Antonia , Arias‐Santiago Salvador
Published: November 2018

Background/Objectives

Frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) is a scarring alopecia whose prevalence is increasing. The pathogenesis of this disease is not well known. Genetic, environmental, hormonal and autoimmunity related factors have been considered; however, only a few cases of familial frontal fibrosing alopecia have been reported.

Material and methods

A cross‐sectional study was performed at University Hospital in Granada (Spain). Twenty patients with frontal fibrosing alopecia belonging to nine different families were included, and clinical and dermoscopic features were analysed.

Results

Overall, 90% of the patients studied were women (mean age 61.4 years). About 50% of the patients had grade II frontal fibrosing alopecia at the time of diagnosis, whilst 35% had grades III or V. Mean recession was 2.83 cm in the frontal area and 1.99 cm in the temporo‐parietal area. Daughters presented a shorter recession area and earlier debut of the disease than mothers. Androgenetic alopecia was found in only two patients (10%). The dermoscopic signs most commonly found were perifollicular erythema (85%), hyperkeratosis (85%), and absence of vellus hair in the hairline (78.9%).

Conclusion

This study adds to the growing evidence that there is a genetic component to frontal fibrosing alopecia. The clinical pattern of frontal fibrosing alopecia was not different from that found in non‐familial cases, but the debut of the disease in daughters of mothers with frontal fibrosing alopecia may be earlier.
Adverse pregnancy and perinatal outcome in patients with recurrent pregnancy loss: Multiple imputation analyses with propensity score adjustment applied to a large‐scale birth cohort of the Japan Environment and Children’s Study
Authors: Sugiura‐Ogasawara Mayumi , Ebara Takeshi , Yamada Yasuyuki , Shoji Naoto , Matsuki Taro , Kano Hirohisa , Kurihara Takahiro , Omori Toyonori , Tomizawa Motohiro , Miyata Maiko , Kamijima Michihiro , Saitoh Shinji ,   the Japan Environment, Children’s Study (JECS) Group
Published: November 2018

Problem

Several studies have reported the increased risk of preterm birth, premature rupture of membranes, and low birth weight in patients with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). There have been a limited number of large population‐based studies examining adverse pregnancy and perinatal outcome after RPL. Multiple‐imputed analyses (MIA) adjusting for biases due to missing data is also lacking.

Method of study

A nationwide birth cohort study known as the “Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS)” was conducted by the Ministry of the Environment. The subjects consisted of 104 102 registered children (including fetuses or embryos).

Results

No increased risk of a congenital anomaly, aneuploidy, neonatal asphyxia, or a small for date infant was observed among the children from women with a history of RPL. A novel increased risk of placental adhesion and uterine infection was found. The adjusted ORs using MIA in women with three or more PL were 1.76 (95% CI, 1.04‐2.96) for a stillbirth, 1.68 (1.12‐2.52) for a pregnancy loss, 2.53 (1.17‐5.47) for placental adhesion, 1.87 (1.37‐2.55) and 1.60 (.99‐2.57) for mild and severe hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, respectively, 1.94 (1.06‐3.55) for uterine infection, 1.28 (1.11‐1.47) for caesarean section and .86 (.76‐.98) for a male infant.

Conclusion

MIA better quantified the risk, which could encourage women who might hesitate to attempt a subsequent pregnancy.
The Anti‐Democrat Diploma: How High School Education Decreases Support for the Democratic Party
Authors: Marshall John
Published: November 2018

Attending high school can alter students' life trajectories by affecting labor market prospects and through exposure to ideas and networks. However, schooling's influence competes with early socialization forces and may be confounded by selection biases. Consequently, little is known about whether or how high school education shapes downstream political preferences and voting behavior. Using a generalized difference‐in‐differences design leveraging variation in U.S. state dropout laws across cohorts, I find that raising the school dropout age decreases Democratic partisan identification and voting later in life. Instrumental variables estimates suggest that an additional completed grade of high school decreases Democratic support by around 15 percentage points among students induced to remain in school by higher dropout ages. High school's effects principally operate by increasing income and support for conservative economic policies, especially at an individual's midlife earnings peak. In contrast, such schooling does not affect conservative attitudes on noneconomic issues or political engagement.
Randomized controlled trial of mechanical bowel preparation for laparoscopy‐assisted colectomy
Authors: Mai‐Phan Anh T , Nguyen Hai , Nguyen Tin T , Nguyen Dung A , Thai Truc T
Published: November 2018

Introduction

The benefit of mechanical bowel preparation (MBP) before open colon surgery has been debated over the last decade. The aim of this randomized controlled trial was to evaluate the effect of MBP on the outcome of patients who underwent elective laparoscopic colectomy.

Methods

Patients who were scheduled to undergo elective laparoscopic colon resection with primary anastomosis were randomly allocated to a preoperative MBP group (either two bottles of sodium phosphate or 2‐L polyethylene glycol) or a no‐MBP group. Anastomotic leakage and other complications such as surgical‐site infection and extra‐abdominal complications were recorded postoperatively.

Results

In this study, 122 patients were recruited and randomly allocated to the MBP group (n = 62) or the no‐MBP group (n = 60). Demographic and clinical characteristics were not significantly different between the two groups. The rate of abdominal complications, including anastomotic leak and surgical‐site infection, was 16.2% in the MBP group and 18.3% in the no‐MBP group (P = 0.747). Anastomotic leakage occurred in four patients (6.5%) in the MBP group and in two patients (3.3%) in no‐MBP group (P = 0.680). About 29% of patients in the MBP group still had either liquid or solid content in the bowel. No significant difference was found between the length of hospital stay in the MBP group and the no‐MBP group (9.0 ± 2.9 vs 8.4 ± 1.9 days, P = 0.180).

Conclusions

Elective laparoscopic colectomy without MBP is safe and offers acceptable postoperative morbidity.
The ultrasound characteristics of regions identified as suspicious by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) predict the likelihood of clinically significant cancer on MRI–ultrasound fusion‐targeted biopsy
Authors: Press Benjamin , Rosenkrantz Andrew B. , Huang Richard , Taneja Samir S.
Published: November 2018

Objective

To determine whether the presence of an ultrasound hypoechoic region at the site of a region of interest (ROI) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) results in improved prostate cancer (PCa) detection and predicts clinically significant PCa on MRI–ultrasonography fusion‐targeted prostate biopsy (MRF‐TB).

Materials and Methods

Between July 2011 and June 2017, 1058 men who underwent MRF‐TB, with or without systematic biopsy, by a single surgeon were prospectively entered into an institutional review board‐approved database. Each MRI ROI was identified and scored for suspicion by a single radiologist, and was prospectively evaluated for presence of a hypoechoic region at the site by the surgeon and graded as 0, 1 or 2, representing none, a poorly demarcated ROI‐HyR, or a well demarcated ROI‐HyR, respectively. The interaction of MRI suspicion score (mSS) and ultrasonography grade (USG), and the prediction of cancer detection rate by USG, were evaluated through univariate and multivariate analysis.

Results

For 672 men, the overall and Gleason score (GS) ≥7 cancer detection rates were 61.2% and 39.6%, respectively. The cancer detection rates for USGs 0, 1 and 2 were 46.2%, 58.6% and 76.0% (P < 0.001) for any cancer, and 18.7%, 35.2% and 61.1% (P < 0.001) for GS ≥7 cancer, respectively. For MRF‐TB only, the GS ≥7 cancer detection rates for USG 0, 1 and 2 were 12.8%, 25.7% and 52.0%, respectively (P < 0.001). On univariate analysis, in men with mSS 2–4, USG was predictive of GS ≥7 cancer detection rate. Multivariable regression analysis showed that USG, prostate‐specific antigen density and mSS were predictive of GS ≥7 PCa on MRF‐TB.

Conclusions

Ultrasonography findings at the site of an MRI ROI independently predict the likelihood of GS ≥7 PCa, as men with a well‐demarcated ROI‐HyR at the time of MRF‐TB have a higher risk than men without.
Glacial and environmental changes over the last 60 000 years in the Polar Ural Mountains, Arctic Russia, inferred from a high‐resolution lake record and other observations from adjacent areas
Authors: Svendsen John Inge , Færseth Lars Martin B. , Gyllencreutz Richard , Haflidason Haflidi , Henriksen Mona , Hovland Morten N. , Lohne Øystein S. , Mangerud Jan , Nazarov Dmitry , Regnéll Carl , Schaefer Joerg M.
Published: November 2018

Our knowledge about the glaciation history in the Russian Arctic has to a large extent been based on geomorphological mapping supplemented by studies of short stratigraphical sequences found in exposed sections. Here we present new geochronological data from the Polar Ural Mountains along with a high‐resolution sediment record from Bolshoye Shchuchye, the largest and deepest lake in the mountain range. Seismic profiles show that the lake contains a 160‐m‐thick sequence of unconsolidated lacustrine sediments. A well‐dated 24‐m‐long core from the southern end of the lake spans the last 24 cal. ka. From downward extrapolation of sedimentation rates we estimate that sedimentation started about 50–60 ka ago, most likely just after a large glacier had eroded older sediments from the basin. Terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide (TCN) exposure dating (10Be) of boulders and Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating of sediments indicate that this part of the Ural Mountains was last covered by a coherent ice‐field complex during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 4. A regrowth of the glaciers took place during a late stage of MIS 3, but the central valleys remained ice free until the present. The presence of small‐ and medium‐sized glaciers during MIS 2 is reflected by a sequence of glacial varves and a high sedimentation rate in the lake basin and likewise from 10Be dating of glacial boulders. The maximum extent of the mountain glaciers during MIS 2 was attained prior to 24 cal. ka BP. Some small present‐day glaciers, which are now disappearing completely due to climate warming, were only slightly larger during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) as compared to AD 1953. A marked decrease in sedimentation rate around 18–17 cal. ka BP indicates that the glaciers then became smaller and probably disappeared altogether around 15–14 cal. ka BP.
Th2 cell differentiation from naive CD4+ T cells is enhanced by autocrine CC chemokines in atopic diseases
Authors: Hirata Hirokuni , Yukawa Tatsuo , Tanaka Ayae , Miyao Tomoyuki , Fukuda Takeshi , Fukushima Yasutsugu , Kurasawa Kazuhiro , Arima Masafumi
Published: November 2018

Background

Chemokines are involved not only in regulating leucocyte recruitment, but also in other activities. However, functions other than cell recruitment remain poorly understood. We have already shown that the production of CC chemokine ligand (CCL)17 and CCL22 by antigen‐stimulated naïve CD4+ T cells was higher in asthmatic patients than in healthy controls. However, the role of these chemokines in stimulated naïve CD4+ T cells remains unclear.

Objective

To clarify the biological function of CCL17 and CCL22 on naïve CD4+ T, we examined effects of these two chemokines on naïve CD4+ T cells expressing CC chemokine receptor (CCR)4 (a receptor for CCL17 and CCL22) during differentiation of Th2 cells in asthmatic patients as allergic subjects.

Methods

Naïve CD4+ T cells were prepared from healthy controls and patients with asthma. We analysed effect of CCL17 and CCL22, and blocking their receptor on differentiation of Th2 cells.

Results

Production of CCL17 and CCL22 by activated naive CD4+ T cells under Th2 condition was much more in asthmatic patients than in healthy controls. Proliferation and survival of the Th2 differentiating cells and restimulation‐induced IL‐4 production were much greater in asthmatic patients than in healthy controls. These cell biological phenomena were inhibited by blockade of CCR4. The biological effects of exogenous CCL17 and CCL22 were apparently observed in both healthy controls and asthmatic patients. The effectiveness of these chemokines on naïve CD4+ T cells from healthy controls was stronger than those from asthmatic patients. We found that thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), a Th2 promoting chemokine, is involved in the activation of CD4+ naïve T cells via production of CCL17 and CCL22.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance

These data suggest that CCL17 and CCL22 produced by TSLP‐primed naïve CD4+ T cells in asthma might contribute to an increase in Th2 cells via autocrine loops.
The immunopathogenesis of fibrosis in systemic sclerosis
Authors: Brown M , O’Reilly S
Published: November 2018

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an idiopathic systemic autoimmune disease. It is characterized by a triad of hallmarks: immune dysfunction, fibrosis and vasculopathy. Immune dysfunction in SSc is characterized by the activation and recruitment of immune cells and the production of autoantibodies and cytokines. How immune abnormalities link the fibrosis and vasculopathy in SSc is poorly understood. A plethora of immune cell types are implicated in the immunopathogenesis of SSc, including T cells, B cells, dendritic cells, mast cells and macrophages. How these different cell types interact to contribute to SSc is complicated, and can involve cell-to-cell interactions and communication via cytokines, including transforming growth factor (TGF)-β, interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-4. We will attempt to review significant and recent research demonstrating the importance of immune cell regulation in the immunopathogenesis of SSc with a particular focus on fibrosis.
Causes of childhood low vision and blindness in New Zealand
Authors: Chong CheeFoong , McGhee Charles N. J. , Dai Shuan H.
Published: November 2018

Importance

This is the first national study on childhood visual impairment in a developed nation, New Zealand, describing prevalence, aetiology and preventable causes of low vision and blindness in children.

Background

Causes of childhood blindness vary between regions. This study aimed to present region‐specific data on epidemiology of childhood blindness affecting a developed nation, New Zealand.

Design

Retrospective data analysis.

Participants

All children enrolled with the Blind and Low Vision Education Network New Zealand (BLENNZ) with best‐corrected visual acuity ≤6/18, or binocular visual field <10°.

Methods

1000 out of 1321 children with visual impairment enrolled with BLENNZ were included. The principal cause of visual loss was determined, and the severity of visual loss categorized as low vision, or blindness according to the World Health Organization criteria.

Main Outcome Measures

Main outcome measures were degree of visual impairment, aetiology of visual impairment and treatment modalities for visual rehabilitation.

Results

The calculated prevalence of childhood blindness and low vision was 0.05% and 0.06%. Principle causes of blindness were cortical visual impairment (31.5%), optic nerve atrophy (16.5%) and optic nerve hypoplasia (9.0%). The main preventable causes of blindness were neonatal trauma/asphyxia (31.5%), retinopathy of prematurity (18.2%) and non‐accidental injury (10.3%).

Conclusions and Relevance

This is the first national report on prevalence of childhood low vision and blindness in New Zealand. The prevalence and leading causes of low vision and blindness found in this study were comparable to other developed nations; however, preventable causes of low vision and blindness appeared unique to New Zealand.
Sensitization to fragrances in Spain: A 5‐year multicentre study (2011‐2015)
Authors: Silvestre Juan F. , Mercader Pedro , González‐Pérez Ricardo , Hervella‐Garcés Marcos , Sanz‐Sánchez Tatiana , Córdoba Susana , Sánchez‐Pérez Javier , Heras‐Mendoza Felipe , Giménez‐Arnau Ana M. , Gatica‐Ortega María E. , Pastor‐NIeto María A. , Zaragoza Violeta , Carrascosa Jose M. , García‐Bravo Begoña , Ruiz‐González Inmaculada , Borrego Leopoldo , Sánchez‐Pedreño Paloma , de Frutos Javier O. , Armario‐Hita Jose C. , García‐Gavín Juan , Fernández‐Redondo Virginia
Published: November 2018

Background

Fragrance chemicals constitute the second most frequent cause of contact allergy in Spain. There are no data available concerning the individual fragrances that are most frequently involved.

Objectives

To describe the diagnostic contribution provided by specific fragrance series to the results obtained with baseline series fragrance markers by correlating the results of both series.

Materials and methods

We performed a 5‐year retrospective study of fragrance marker‐positive patients tested with specific fragrance series in 23 Spanish centres. We collected the demographic and clinical characteristics, and compared the results of patch tests obtained from different suppliers.

Results

Of 19 588 patients patch tested with the Spanish baseline series, 1590 (8.1%) reacted positively to a fragrance marker. Of these, 1013 (63.7%) were patch tested with a fragrance series, and 664 patients reacted positively to at least one individual fragrance other than hydroxyisohexyl 3‐cyclohexene carboxaldehyde. Geraniol was the most frequent allergen. Positive reactions to substances not included in fragrance mix (FM) I or FM II were found in 230 patients. Of the 436 FM I‐positive patients and the 419 FM II‐positive patients, 184 (42%) and 64 (39.1%), respectively, had no positive reactions to fragrance series. In the case of FM I, negative results were more common when individual fragrances were patch tested at low concentrations.

Conclusions

We recommend patch testing all patients positive for any fragrance marker with a specific fragrance series. The correlation between the results of baseline series and fragrance series could be improved by increasing the concentrations of individual fragrances.
Implementation of a transition model to adult care may not be enough to improve results: National study of kidney transplant recipients
Authors: Kosola Silja , Ylinen Elisa , Finne Patrik , Rönnholm Kai , Ortiz Fernanda
Published: November 2018

Adolescents with a kidney transplant (KT) require special attention during the transition of care. Few longitudinal studies have assessed the effect of transition models (TM) on patient outcomes. Between 1986 and 2013, 239 pediatric patients underwent KT in Finland, of whom 132 have been transferred to adult care. In 2005, a TM was developed following international recommendations. We compared patient (PS) and graft survival (GS) rates before and after the introduction of the TM. PS and GS at 10 years were similar before and after the implementation of the TM (PS 85% and 90% respectively, P = 0.626; GS 60% and 58%, respectively, P = 0.656). GS was lower in patients transplanted at age 10‐18 than in patients transplanted at a younger age in the TM cohort (79% vs 95%, P < 0.001). During the first five years after transfer, 63% of patients had stable KT function, 13% had deteriorating function and 24% lost their KT. Altogether 32 out of 132 patients lost their kidney allograft within five years after transfer to adult care (13 before and 19 after TM implementation, P = 0.566). The implementation of this TM had no effect on PS or GS. Further measures to improve our TM are in progress.
Climate change may have minor impact on zooplankton functional diversity in the Mediterranean Sea
Authors: Benedetti Fabio , Ayata Sakina‐Dorothée , Irisson Jean‐Olivier , Adloff Fanny , Guilhaumon François
Published: November 2018

Aim

To assess the impact of climate change on the functional diversity of marine zooplankton communities.

Location

The Mediterranean Sea.

Methods

We used the functional traits and geographic distributions of 106 copepod species to estimate the zooplankton functional diversity of Mediterranean surface assemblages for the 1965–1994 and 2069–2098 periods. Multiple environmental niche models were trained at the global scale to project the species habitat suitability in the Mediterranean Sea and assess their sensitivity to climate change predicted by several scenarios. Simultaneously, the species traits were used to compute a functional dendrogram from which we identified seven functional groups and estimated functional diversity through Faith's index. We compared the measured functional diversity to the one originated from null models to test if changes in functional diversity were solely driven by changes in species richness.

Results

All but three of the 106 species presented range contractions of varying intensity. A relatively low decrease of species richness (−7.42 on average) is predicted for 97% of the basin, with higher losses in the eastern regions. Relative sensitivity to climate change is not clustered in functional space and does not significantly vary across the seven copepod functional groups defined. Changes in functional diversity follow the same pattern and are not different from those that can be expected from changes in richness alone.

Main conclusions

Climate change is not expected to alter copepod functional traits distribution in the Mediterranean Sea, as the most and the least sensitive species are functionally redundant. Such redundancy should buffer the loss of ecosystem functions in Mediterranean zooplankton assemblages induced by climate change. Because the most negatively impacted species are affiliated to temperate regimes and share Atlantic biogeographic origins, our results are in line with the hypothesis of increasingly more tropical Mediterranean communities.
Community social capital and individual functioning in the post‐disaster context
Authors: Zahnow Renee , Wickes Rebecca , Taylor Mel , Corcoran Jonathan
Published: November 2018

Disasters can have severe and long‐lasting consequences for individuals and communities. While scholarly evidence indicates that access to social support can ameliorate their negative impacts, less understood is whether or not neighbourhood social capital can facilitate recovery. This study uses two waves of survey data—collected before and after a significant flood in Brisbane, Australia, in 2011—to examine the relationship between the severity of the event at the individual and neighbourhood level, access to neighbourhood social capital and individual‐level social support, and functioning in the post‐disaster environment. In line with previous research, the results indicate that the severity of the flood is the most salient predictor of post‐disaster functioning. No evidence was unearthed to show that neighbourhood social capital amassed before the flood leads to better functioning subsequently, but the findings do suggest that individual‐level social support can moderate the effect of flood severity on functioning.