bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Age related changes to the dynamics of contralateral DPOAE suppression in human subjects
Authors: Konomi Ujimoto , Kanotra Sohit , James Adrian L , Harrison Robert V
Published: June 2014

Background

The two ears are linked with a neural pathway such that stimulation of one ear has a modulating effect on the contralateral cochlea. This is mediated by cochlear afferent neurons connecting with olivo-cochlear efferents. The monitoring of this pathway is easily achieved by measuring contralateral suppression of otoacoustic emissions, and there is some clinical value in the ability to assess the integrity of this pathway. An important step in an evaluation of clinical utility is to assess any age-related changes. Accordingly, in the present study we measure the dynamics of contralateral DPOAE suppression in a population of normal hearing subjects of different ages.

Methods

Using a real-time DPOAE recording method we assessed contralateral DPOAE suppression in 95 ears from 51 subjects (age range 2–52 years). DPOAE (2f1-f2; f2 = 4.4 kHz; f2/f1 = 1.22) input–output functions were measured. In response to contralateral broadband noise, dynamic aspects of DPOAE suppression were measured, specifically suppression onset latency and time constants.

Results

An age-related reduction in DPOAE amplitudes was observed. Both the detectability and the degree of contralateral DPOAE suppression were decreased in older age groups. We find an age-related increase in the latency of onset of DPOAE suppression to contralateral stimulation, but no significant change in suppression time-constants.

Conclusion

Olivo-cochlear function as revealed by contralateral suppression of DPOAEs shows some important age-related changes. In addition to reduced emissions (outer haircell suppression) we find an increased latency that may reflect deterioration in auditory brainstem function. Regarding clinical utility, it is possible that the changes observed may reflect an aspect of age-related hearing loss that has not been previously considered.
Applying compressed sensing to genome-wide association studies
Authors: Vattikuti Shashaank , Lee James J , Chang Christopher C , Hsu Stephen D H , Chow Carson C
Published: June 2014

Background

The aim of a genome-wide association study (GWAS) is to isolate DNA markers for variants affecting phenotypes of interest. This is constrained by the fact that the number of markers often far exceeds the number of samples. Compressed sensing (CS) is a body of theory regarding signal recovery when the number of predictor variables (i.e., genotyped markers) exceeds the sample size. Its applicability to GWAS has not been investigated.

Results

Using CS theory, we show that all markers with nonzero coefficients can be identified (selected) using an efficient algorithm, provided that they are sufficiently few in number (sparse) relative to sample size. For heritability equal to one (h2 = 1), there is a sharp phase transition from poor performance to complete selection as the sample size is increased. For heritability below one, complete selection still occurs, but the transition is smoothed. We find for h2 ~ 0.5 that a sample size of approximately thirty times the number of markers with nonzero coefficients is sufficient for full selection. This boundary is only weakly dependent on the number of genotyped markers.

Conclusion

Practical measures of signal recovery are robust to linkage disequilibrium between a true causal variant and markers residing in the same genomic region. Given a limited sample size, it is possible to discover a phase transition by increasing the penalization; in this case a subset of the support may be recovered. Applying this approach to the GWAS analysis of height, we show that 70-100% of the selected markers are strongly correlated with height-associated markers identified by the GIANT Consortium.
Serum HDL-C level of Iranian adults: results from sixth national Surveillance of Risk Factors of Non-Communicable Disease
Authors: Hosseini Mostafa , Navidi Iman , Yousefifard Mahmoud , Heshmat Ramin , Koohpayehzadeh Jalil , Asgari Fereshteh , Etemad Koorosh , Rafei Ali , Gouya Mohammad Mehdi
Published: June 2014

Background

Reduced level of high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) is shown to be in association with the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD), metabolic syndrome, and chronic renal disease. Lack of a national representative research for assessing the level of HDL-C among Iranian adults, which is essential for health policy makers, was the motivation for this study.

Methods

HDL-C levels of 4,803 Iranian adults aged 25–64 years old were measured by sixth national Surveillance of Risk Factors of Non-Communicable Disease (SuRFNCD) in 2011. Data were entered into STATA 12 software and were analyzed using fractional polynomial model and other statistical methods.

Results

In average, Iranian adult women had 5.8 ± 0.3 mg/dL higher HDL-C level than men. The analysis showed that the HDL-C levels will be changed at most 3 mg/dL from the age of 25 to 64 years. Furthermore, it was shown that approximately half of the men and one third of the women had HDL-C level less than 40 mg/DL. Also HDL-C level of more than 60% of the women was less than 50 mg/dL.

Conclusions

High level of HDL-C among Iranian adults was shown in this study which can be a major reason of increasing incidence of heart diseases in Iran. Hence, formulating policy regulations and interventions in Iranian lifestyle to reduce HDL-C levels should be among top priorities for health politicians.
Incidence and predictors of morphometric vertebral fractures in patients with ankylosing spondylitis
Authors: Kang Kwi Young , Kim In Je , Jung Seung Min , Kwok Seung-Ki , Ju Ji Hyeon , Park Kyung-Su , Hong Yeon Sik , Park Sung-Hwan
Published: June 2014

Introduction

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is associated with an increased incidence of vertebral fractures (VFs); however the actual incidence and predictors of morphometric VFs are unknown. The present study examined the incidence and predictors of new VFs in a large AS cohort.

Methods

In total, 298 AS patients who fulfilled the modified New York criteria were enrolled and spinal radiographs were evaluated biennially. Clinical and laboratory data and radiographic progression were assessed according to the Bath AS Disease Activity Index, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein (CRP), and the Stoke AS spine score (SASSS). VF was defined according to the Genant criteria. The incidence of VFs at 2 and 4 years was evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method. The age-specific standardized prevalence ratio (SPR) for AS patients in comparison with the general population was calculated.

Results

Of 298 patients, 31 (10.8%) had previous VFs at baseline. A total of 30 new VFs occurred in 26 patients over 4 years. The incidence of morphometric VFs was 4.7% at 2 years and 13.6% at 4 years. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that previous VFs at baseline and increased CRP levels at 2 years were predictors of new VFs (odds ratio (OR) =12.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 3.6-45.3 and OR = 5.4, 95% CI = 1.4–15.9). The age-specific specific standardized prevalence ratio of morphometric VFs in AS was 3.3 (95% CI 2.1–4.5).

Conclusions

The incidence of morphometric VFs increased in AS. Previous VFs and increased CRP levels predicted future VFs. Further studies are needed to identify the effects of treatment interventions on the prevention of new VFs.
Novel serum protein biomarker panel revealed by mass spectrometry and its prognostic value in breast cancer
Authors: Chung Liping , Moore Katrina , Phillips Leo , Boyle Frances M , Marsh Deborah J , Baxter Robert C
Published: June 2014

Introduction

Serum profiling using proteomic techniques has great potential to detect biomarkers that might improve diagnosis and predict outcome for breast cancer patients (BC). This study used surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (SELDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) to identify differentially expressed proteins in sera from BC and healthy volunteers (HV), with the goal of developing a new prognostic biomarker panel.

Methods

Training set serum samples from 99 BC and 51 HV subjects were applied to four adsorptive chip surfaces (anion-exchange, cation-exchange, hydrophobic, and metal affinity) and analyzed by time-of-flight MS. For validation, 100 independent BC serum samples and 70 HV samples were analyzed similarly. Cluster analysis of protein spectra was performed to identify protein patterns related to BC and HV groups. Univariate and multivariate statistical analyses were used to develop a protein panel to distinguish breast cancer sera from healthy sera, and its prognostic potential was evaluated.

Results

From 51 protein peaks that were significantly up- or downregulated in BC patients by univariate analysis, binary logistic regression yielded five protein peaks that together classified BC and HV with a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) area-under-the-curve value of 0.961. Validation on an independent patient cohort confirmed the five-protein parameter (ROC value 0.939). The five-protein parameter showed positive association with large tumor size (P = 0.018) and lymph node involvement (P = 0.016). By matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) MS, immunoprecipitation and western blotting the proteins were identified as a fragment of apolipoprotein H (ApoH), ApoCI, complement C3a, transthyretin, and ApoAI. Kaplan-Meier analysis on 181 subjects after median follow-up of >5 years demonstrated that the panel significantly predicted disease-free survival (P = 0.005), its efficacy apparently greater in women with estrogen receptor (ER)-negative tumors (n = 50, P = 0.003) compared to ER-positive (n = 131, P = 0.161), although the influence of ER status needs to be confirmed after longer follow-up.

Conclusions

Protein mass profiling by MS has revealed five serum proteins which, in combination, can distinguish between serum from women with breast cancer and healthy control subjects with high sensitivity and specificity. The five-protein panel significantly predicts recurrence-free survival in women with ER-negative tumors and may have value in the management of these patients.
Midazolam and propofol used alone or sequentially for long-term sedation in critically ill, mechanically ventilated patients: a prospective, randomized study
Authors: Zhou Yongfang , Jin Xiaodong , Kang Yan , Liang Guopeng , Liu Tingting , Deng Ni
Published: June 2014

Introduction

Midazolam and propofol used alone for long-term sedation are associated with adverse effects. Sequential use may reduce the adverse effects, and lead to faster recovery, earlier extubation and lower costs. This study evaluates the effects, safety, and cost of midazolam, propofol, and their sequential use for long-term sedation in critically ill mechanically ventilated patients.

Methods

A total of 135 patients who required mechanical ventilation for >3 days were randomly assigned to receive midazolam (group M), propofol (group P), or sequential use of both (group M-P). In group M-P, midazolam was switched to propofol until the patients passed the spontaneous breathing trial (SBT) safety screen. The primary endpoints included recovery time, extubation time and mechanical ventilation time. The secondary endpoints were pharmaceutical cost, total cost of ICU stay, and recollection to mechanical ventilation-related events.

Results

The incidence of agitation following cessation of sedation in group M-P was lower than group M (19.4% versus 48.7%, P = 0.01). The mean percentage of adequate sedation and duration of sedation were similar in the three groups. The recovery time, extubation time and mechanical ventilation time of group M were 58.0 (interquartile range (IQR), 39.0) hours, 45.0 (IQR, 24.5) hours, and 192.0 (IQR, 124.0) hours, respectively; these were significantly longer than the other groups, while they were similar between the other two groups. In the treatment-received analysis, ICU duration was longer in group M than group M-P (P = 0.016). Using an intention-to-treat analysis and a treatment-received analysis, respectively, the pharmaceutical cost of group M-P was lower than group P (P <0.01) and its ICU cost was lower than group M (P <0.01; P = 0.015). The proportion of group M-P with unbearable memory of the uncomfortable events was lower than in group M (11.7% versus 25.0%, P <0.01), while the proportion with no memory was similar (P >0.05). The incidence of hypotension in group M-P was lower than group (P = 0.01).

Conclusion

Sequential use of midazolam and propofol was a safe and effective sedation protocol, with higher clinical effectiveness and better cost-benefit ratio than midazolam or propofol used alone, for long-term sedation of critically ill mechanically ventilated patients.

Trial registration

Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN01173443. Registered 25 February 2014.
Adrenomedullin: a vasodilator to treat sepsis?
Authors: Pugin Jérôme
Published: June 2014

Adrenomedullin is a vasodilatory polypeptide with pleiotropic effects secreted by various organs. Adrenomedullin is produced first as a prepropeptide, and then cleaved into mature adrenomedullin and mid-regional proadrenomedullin. Whereas levels of the latter have been shown to correlate with severity of sepsis and carry prognostic value, adrenomedullin plays a role in vascular tone homeostasis. In the previous issue of Critical Care, the infusion of exogenous adrenomedullin is suggested to protect against increased lung endothelial permeability and end-organ dysfunction in a model of pneumococcal pneumonia in mechanically ventilated mice, possibly by stabilizing vascular endothelia. Since adrenomedullin is a strong vasodilatory molecule, further studies are needed to evaluate its potential as a future treatment of sepsis.
N-Octanoyl dopamine transiently inhibits T cell proliferation via G1 cell-cycle arrest and inhibition of redox-dependent transcription factors
Authors: Wedel Johannes , Hottenrott Maximillia C , Stamellou Eleni , Breedijk Annette , Tsagogiorgas Charalambos , Hillebrands Jan-Luuk , Yard Benito A
Published: June 2014

Recently, we developed a nonhemodynamic dopamine derivative, NOD, which has profound anti-inflammatory effects in vitro. As NOD also protects rats from ischemic AKI, the present study tested whether NOD is able to modulate cellular immunity for potential use as a T cell-suppressive agent. To this end, T cells were stimulated by anti-CD3/CD28 or PMA/ionomycin in the presence or absence of different concentrations of NOD. T cell proliferation, activation markers, intracellular cytokine expression, and activation of transcription factors were assessed. Whereas T cell proliferation was inhibited significantly by NOD at Day 3, proliferation was restored at Day 7 or later depending on the NOD concentration used. Inhibition of proliferation was reflected by a diminished CD25 expression and switch from naive to memory T cells. Early TCR activation events were unaffected, yet NF-κB and AP-1 were strongly inhibited by NOD. The inhibitory effect of NOD seemed to be dependent on its redox activity, as NOT, a redox-inactive NOD derivate, did not influence proliferation. NOD displayed synergistic effects with CNIs on T cell proliferation. Our data demonstrate that NOD displays T cell-suppressive activity. In keeping with its anti-inflammatory action and its beneficial effect on ischemia-induced AKI, NOD may be an interesting drug candidate to prevent CNI-related side-effects.
Histone Deacetylase Inhibition Induces Long-Lasting Changes in Maternal Behavior and Gene Expression in Female Mice
Authors: Stolzenberg Danielle S. , Stevens Jacqueline S. , Rissman Emilie F.
Published: June 2014

In many species, including mice, maternal responsiveness is experience-dependent and permanent, lasting for long periods (months to years). We have shown that after brief exposures to pups, virgin female mice continue to respond maternally toward pups for at least one month. Administration of a histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi) reduces the amount of maternal experience required to affect maternal behavior and gene expression. In this set of studies, we examined the epigenetic mechanisms that underlie these motivated behaviors. We assessed whether the effects of HDACi persisted 1 month after the initial experience (in the absence of continued pup experience or HDACi treatment) and whether the maintenance of maternal memory was associated with stable changes in gene expression. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation, we examined whether Esr2 and Oxt gene expression might be mediated by recruitment of the histone acetyltransferase cAMP response element binding protein (CBP) to their promoter regions after maternal memory consolidation. We report that HDACi treatment induced long-lasting changes in maternal responsiveness. Maternal learning was associated with increased recruitment of CBP to the Esr2 and Oxt gene promoters during the consolidation of maternal memory as well as a persistent increase in estrogen receptor-β (Esr2) mRNA and decreased expression of the de novo DNA methyltransferase Dnmt3a within the medial preoptic area. The consolidation of the maternal experience may involve the CBP recruitment and stable changes in gene expression, which maintain increased maternal responsiveness for long periods of time.
Rab5 Activity Regulates GLUT4 Sorting Into Insulin-Responsive and Non-Insulin-Responsive Endosomal Compartments: A Potential Mechanism for Development of Insulin Resistance
Authors: Tessneer Kandice L. , Jackson Robert M. , Griesel Beth A. , Olson Ann Louise
Published: June 2014

Glucose transporter isoform 4 (GLUT4) is the insulin-responsive glucose transporter mediating glucose uptake in adipose and skeletal muscle. Reduced GLUT4 translocation from intracellular storage compartments to the plasma membrane is a cause of peripheral insulin resistance. Using a chronic hyperinsulinemia (CHI)-induced cell model of insulin resistance and Rab5 mutant overexpression, we determined these manipulations altered endosomal sorting of GLUT4, thus contributing to the development of insulin resistance. We found that CHI induced insulin resistance in 3T3-L1 adipocytes by retaining GLUT4 in a Rab5-activity-dependent compartment that is unable to equilibrate with the cell surface in response to insulin. Furthermore, CHI-mediated retention of GLUT4 in this non-insulin-responsive compartment impaired filling of the transferrin receptor (TfR)-positive and TfR-negative insulin-responsive storage compartments. Our data suggest that hyperinsulinemia may inhibit GLUT4 by chronically maintaining GLUT4 in the Rab5 activity-dependent endosomal pathway and impairing formation of the TfR-negative and TfR-positive insulin-responsive GLUT4 pools. This model suggests that an early event in the development of insulin-resistant glucose transport in adipose tissue is to alter the intracellular localization of GLUT4 to a compartment that does not efficiently equilibrate with the cell surface when insulin levels are elevated for prolonged periods of time.
Role of the miR-17∼92 cluster family in cerebellar and medulloblastoma development
Authors: Zindy Frederique , Kawauchi Daisuke , Lee Youngsoo , Ayrault Olivier , Ben Merzoug Leila , McKinnon Peter J. , Ventura Andrea , Roussel Martine F.
Published: June 2014

The miR-17∼92 cluster family is composed of three members encoding microRNAs that share seed sequences. To assess their role in cerebellar and medulloblastoma (MB) development, we deleted the miR-17∼92 cluster family in Nestin-positive neural progenitors and in mice heterozygous for the Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) receptor Patched 1 (Ptch1+/−). We show that mice in which we conditionally deleted the miR-17∼92 cluster (miR-17∼92floxed/floxed; Nestin-Cre+) alone or together with the complete loss of the miR-106b∼25 cluster (miR-106b∼25−/−) were born alive but with small brains and reduced cerebellar foliation. Remarkably, deletion of the miR-17∼92 cluster abolished the development of SHH-MB in Ptch1+/− mice. Using an orthotopic transplant approach, we showed that granule neuron precursors (GNPs) purified from the cerebella of postnatal day 7 (P7) Ptch1+/−; miR-106b∼25−/− mice and overexpressing Mycn induced MBs in the cortices of naïve recipient mice. In contrast, GNPs purified from the cerebella of P7 Ptch1+/−; miR-17∼92floxed/floxed; Nestin-Cre+ animals and overexpressing Mycn failed to induce tumors in recipient animals. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that the miR-17∼92 cluster is dispensable for cerebellar development, but required for SHH-MB development.
Polarizing intestinal epithelial cells electrically through Ror2
Authors: Cao Lin , McCaig Colin D , Scott Roderick H , Zhao Siwei , Milne Gillian , Clevers Hans , Zhao Min , Pu Jin
Published: June 2014

The apicobasal polarity of enterocytes determines where the brush border membrane (apical membrane) will form, but how this apical membrane faces the lumen is not well understood. The electrical signal across the epithelium could serve as a coordinating cue, orienting and polarizing enterocytes. Here we show that applying a physiological electric field (EF) to intestinal epithelial cells, to mimic the natural EF created by the transepithelial potential difference, directed phosphorylation of the actin-binding protein ezrin, increased expression of intestinal alkaline phosphatase (ALPI, a differentiation marker) and remodelled the actin cytoskeleton selectively on the cathode side. In addition, an applied EF also activated ERK1/2 and LKB1, key molecules in apical membrane formation. Disruption of the tyrosine-protein kinase transmembrane receptor Ror2 suppressed activation of ERK1/2 and LKB1 significantly and subsequently inhibited apical membrane formation in enterocytes. Our findings indicate that the endogenous EF created by the TEP may act as an essential coordinating signal for apical membrane formation at a tissue level, through activation of LKB1 mediated by Ror2/ERK signalling.
Photochemical Channel of Anisaldehyde Vapor Revealed by Phosphorescence Measurement
Authors: Itoh Takao
Published: June 2014

Change of the emission spectrum of anisaldehyde vapor has been investigated as a function of irradiation time by exposing a sample to UV light for different times. It is shown that there is a new photochemical channel for anisaldehyde (p-methoxybenzaldehyde) vapor to form benzaldehyde vapor upon the photoexcitation into the S2(π, π*) state.
Study of Aqueous Solutions of Surfactants in the Presence of Alcohols by Means of Ultrasonic Relaxation
Authors: Nishikawa Sadakatsu , Kawahara Takahiro , Tominaga Naotaka , Sugiyama Koutarou , Mizuta Koutarou
Published: June 2014

Ultrasonic absorption coefficients in aqueous solutions of surfactants, octyltrimethylammonium bromide, dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide, and tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide have been measured in the presence of 2-propanol or ethanol in the frequency range from 0.8 to 220 MHz at 25 °C. The frequency dependence of the observed absorption in solution of octyltrimethylammonium bromide has been characterized by a Debye-type relaxation equation with one single relaxation frequency which decreases with the surfactant concentration. On the other hand, the dependences in solutions of dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide have been well fitted to the equation with two relaxation frequencies. One relaxation frequency decreases with the surfactant concentrations, and the other relaxation frequency shows concentration independence trend. The relaxation mechanisms have been considered on the basis of interaction between surfactant monomer and alcohol aggregate and of a conformational change of the surfactants with long hydrophobic groups to which plural alcohol molecules (dumpling cake) attract. The rate and thermodynamic parameters have been determined for aqueous solutions of octyltrimethylammonium bromide coexisting with 2.00 mol dm−3 2-propanol and 3.00 mol dm−3 ethanol. It has been speculated from the analysis that the dumpling cake of alcohols attaches and detaches on and from the alkyl chains of the surfactants. The number of alcohols in the aggregate is dependent on size of alcohol molecule although the forward and backward rate constants are not very dependent on coexisting alcohols. However, only the orders of the rate constants for the systems of dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide solution with 2.00 mol dm−3 2-propanol have been speculated because of too many parameters which should be determined. Following the proposed reaction model, the relation between the surfactant concentration dependence of adiabatic compressibility and the solution characteristics has been discussed.
Different types of secondary information in the genetic code
Authors: Maraia Richard J. , Iben James R.
Published: June 2014

Whole-genome and functional analyses suggest a wealth of secondary or auxiliary genetic information (AGI) within the redundancy component of the genetic code. Although there are multiple aspects of biased codon use, we focus on two types of auxiliary information: codon-specific translational pauses that can be used by particular proteins toward their unique folding and biased codon patterns shared by groups of functionally related mRNAs with coordinate regulation. AGI is important to genetics in general and to human disease; here, we consider influences of its three major components, biased codon use itself, variations in the tRNAome, and anticodon modifications that distinguish synonymous decoding. AGI is plastic and can be used by different species to different extents, with tissue-specificity and in stress responses. Because AGI is species-specific, it is important to consider codon-sensitive experiments when using heterologous systems; for this we focus on the tRNA anticodon loop modification enzyme, CDKAL1, and its link to type 2 diabetes. Newly uncovered tRNAome variability among humans suggests roles in penetrance and as a genetic modifier and disease modifier. Development of experimental and bioinformatics methods are needed to uncover additional means of auxiliary genetic information.
A Generalized Sampling Approach for Multilinear Utility Functions Given Partial Preference Information
Authors: Montiel Luis V. , Bickel J. Eric
Published: June 2014

The assessment and characterization of multilinear utility functions (MLUFs) may require the elicitation of many attribute weights. In this case, the decision maker may find it difficult to provide precise assessments and may instead be more comfortable providing a range in which the scaling parameters fall or specifying that some parameters are larger than others. The question then becomes how the analyst should formulate a recommendation given this partial preference information. In this paper, we present a generalized Monte Carlo simulation procedure to test the sensitivity of MLUFs to changes in the scaling parameters. Specifically, we admit any preference information that can be expressed as a linear constraint. We then sample from the set of all possible MLUFs matching these constraints. We consider the additive MLUF, the multiplicative MLUF, the utility-independent MLUF, and the generalized utility-independent MLUF. In so doing, we also demonstrate how analysts can test the sensitivity of their analysis to the structure of the MLUF itself. We illustrate the flexibility of our method within the context of a coal-fired power plant siting decision used by previous authors.
Project Managers' Practical Intelligence and Project Performance in Software Offshore Outsourcing: A Field Study
Authors: Langer Nishtha , Slaughter Sandra A. , Mukhopadhyay Tridas
Published: June 2014

This study examines the role of project managers' (PM) practical intelligence (PI) in the performance of software offshore outsourcing projects. Based on the extant literature, we conceptualize PI for PMs as their capability to resolve project related work problems, given their long-range and short-range goals; PI is targeted at resolving unexpected and difficult situations, which often cannot be resolved using established processes and frameworks. We then draw on the information processing literature to argue that software offshore outsourcing projects are prone to severe information constraints that lead to unforeseen critical incidents that must be resolved adequately for the projects to succeed. We posit that PMs can use PI to effectively address and resolve such incidents, and therefore the level of PMs' PI positively affects project performance. We further theorize that project complexity and familiarity contribute to its information constraints and the likelihood of critical incidents in a project, thereby moderating the relationship between PMs' PI and project performance.

To evaluate our hypotheses, we analyze longitudinal data collected in an in-depth field study of a leading software vendor organization in India. Our data include project and personnel level archival data on 530 projects completed by 209 PMs. We employ the critical incidents methodology to assess the PI of the PMs who led these projects. Our findings indicate that PMs' PI has a significant and positive impact on project performance. Further, projects with higher complexity or lower familiarity benefit even more from PMs' PI. Our study extends the literatures on project management and outsourcing by conceptualizing and measuring PMs' PI, by theorizing its relationship with project performance, and by positing how that relationship is moderated by project complexity and familiarity. Our study provides unique empirical evidence of the importance of PMs' PI in software offshore outsourcing projects. Given that PMs with high PI are scarce resources, our findings also have practical implications for the optimal resource allocation and training of PMs in software offshore services companies.
Rationing Capacity in Advance Selling to Signal Quality
Authors: Yu Man , Ahn Hyun-Soo , Kapuscinski Roman
Published: June 2014

We consider a seller who can sell her product over two periods, advance and spot. The seller has private information about the product quality, which is unknown to customers in advance and publicly revealed in spot. The question we consider is whether the seller has an incentive to signal quality in advance and, if so, how she can convey a credible signal of product quality. We characterize the seller's signaling strategy and find that rationing of capacity in the advance period is an effective tool of signaling product quality. We find that the high-quality seller can distinguish herself by allocating less capacity than the low-quality seller in the advance period. We show that this signaling mechanism exists whenever advance selling would be optimal for both the high-quality and low-quality sellers if quality were known by the consumers. Interestingly, the seller's ability to ration (rationing flexibility) sometimes disadvantages the seller; this effect is independent of product quality.

This paper was accepted by Yossi Aviv, operations management.
The Replication Dilemma Unravelled: How Organizations Enact Multiple Goals in Routine Transfer
Authors: D’Adderio Luciana
Published: June 2014

I examine how organizations address the replication dilemma by simultaneously enacting contrasting goals while transferring routines across complex organizational settings. I address this issue by drawing on a qualitative case-based inquiry into the multiplicity of the routines’ ostensive and performative aspects in the context of routine transfer and exact replication. The subject of inquiry is a leading electronics organization facing the dilemma of how to deal with simultaneous competing pressures to copy exactly (replicate) and change (innovate). I find that organizational members address this dilemma (1) by harnessing artifacts and communities to establish two sets of ostensive patterns and performances, one supporting alignment (replication) and one improvement (innovation), and (2) by striving to maintain a dynamic balance between them by enacting them in different proportions. This allows offsetting competing goals and the related pressures both at specific points in time and over time. Building on these findings, I develop a theoretical framework that adds to the extant replication and routines literatures, and the Carnegie account of routine transfer and goal balancing, by capturing (1) the microlevel, performative dynamics by which organizations unravel the replication dilemma in routines transfer while addressing competing goals and the associated pressures and (2) the role of the social and material features of context in the (re)production and transfer of routines.
Managing anger at work: on the ward
Authors: Duckett Stephane
Published: June 2014

While there is a significant amount of literature on anger management, there is relatively little specifically as it applies to ward based work. However, there are two seminal papers on this topic (Gans, 1983; McLaughlin and Carey 1993) that are extremely useful to the practicing health care professional.

Gans outlines some of the key dynamics that can arise within ward based work, dynamics that can lead to reciprocal anger developing between patients' families and treatment teams. He outlines how families can find themselves caught between needing to grieve, and tremendous feelings of guilt that such emotions can cause in families who feel that grieving represents a betrayal or abandonment of hope. The feelings of vulnerability that can follow on such occasions can be overwhelming, and anger is often an easy way out.
Self-rated health among spinal cord injury survivors: directions for future research
Authors: Lysack Cathy , Neufeld Stewart , Machacova Katerina
Published: June 2014

Aim:

This study was conducted to further the understanding of self-rated health (SRH) in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI).

Methods:

A review of the literature identified four published studies and the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC) database that have evaluated SRH in persons with SCI. This article discusses the SRH findings across the studies and the NSCISC database, and compares these to the broader SRH literature.

Findings:

People with SCI do not rate their health very differently from able-bodied persons and, for the most part, rate their health positively. SRH ratings for persons with SCI may be inextricably linked to age and secondary conditions.

Conclusions:

The analysis suggests that SRH as a concept has been underused in studies with people with SCI. Given the literature that points to the power of SRH to predict many important health outcomes, the authors urge greater consideration of the SRH measure in disability and rehabilitation research and suggest directions for conceptual and measurement development.
Methodological issues arising from a pilot RCT investigating the effectiveness of joint protection
Authors: Masterson Shirley , Bryer Melanie
Published: June 2014

Aims:

This article describes the difficulties encountered when attempting to evaluate the addition of joint protection education to an exercise programme in the treatment of patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the hand. This involved a pilot study for a randomized controlled trial, which was carried out in order to inform the design of future studies.

Methods:

Subjects were recruited from rheumatology and orthopaedic out-patient clinics in a district general hospital for a 6 month period in 2006. They were assessed at baseline and 12 weeks after intervention. There were 2 intervention groups: one receiving exercise therapy and formal joint protection education from an occupational therapist over 2 sessions, supplemented with a joint protection information booklet, and the control group which received exercise therapy and informal joint protection advice. The primary outcome measures were pain and hand function measured using the hand pain visual analogue scale and the Cochin Hand Functional Disability Scale. Six patients were recruited with OA of the hand (mean age 59.2 years and mean disease duration 8.9 years) with three randomized to the intervention group, and three to the control group.

Findings:

There were methodological issues arising from the study, including sample recruitment issues, time scale, limited participant numbers and ethical constraints. No statistically valid data was gained to ascertain whether exercise therapy was more effective when given in conjunction with joint protection advice than without.

Conclusions:

Although some results were achieved that suggested there were improvements in the measures of perceived hand pain, health status, grip strength and pinch grip, these were not statistically meaningful. The improvements were greater in the control group, which received exercise therapy without joint protection advice. Hand function was reduced in both intervention groups. The reasons for this could not be answered in this study. A larger study would need to be undertaken in order to gain statistically valid data to evaluate the effectiveness of joint protection advice for people with OA hand.
Diabetes in older people: making the right nutritional choices
Authors: Phillips Anne , Phillips Stephen
Published: June 2014

With an increase in people living in residential care, Anne and Stephen Phillips investigate the need for an awareness of good nutrition and consider the effects of dehydration, malnutrition, hyperglycaemia and hypoglycaemia on residents with diabetes
Gout: patient education and non-pharmacological treatments
Authors: Finney Diana
Published: June 2014

In the second part of a two part series, Diana Finney focuses on the management of gout in the care home setting and includes pharmacological and non-pharmacologic management ideas
Laughter therapy: promoting health and wellbeing
Authors: Gilbert Roger
Published: June 2014

It is often said that ‘laughter is the best medicine’ and in the last 10 years research has been published on the health benefits of laughter. In this article, hypnotherapist Roger Gilbert describes one way in which laughter can be used to promote health, happiness and wellbeing
Priorities for gerontological nurse education and practice
Authors: Welford Claire
Published: June 2014

Claire Welford considers the current day knowledge and attitudes of nursing students toward older people and the implications of the findings for an ageing population
Understanding equality, diversity and inclusion in dementia care
Authors: Veselinova Claire
Published: June 2014

Claire Veselinova discusses the importance of person-centred care in the context of individuals with dementia, and how care workers can ensure that rather than being marginalised, these service users are actively included in all aspects of their lives
A review of the ‘right to die’
Authors: Masri Marcelo
Published: June 2014

Much controversy surrounds the acts of euthanasia and assisted suicide, with arguments for and against. In this article, Marcelo Masri gives a historical and legal overview of these continually contentious issues
Readers respond
Authors: Eccleston George , White Morag
Published: June 2014

Menopause symptoms: oestrogen or age?

Practice's plan to help save the world
What really makes good
Authors: Rogers Sue
Published: June 2014

The concept of Assessment for Learning is familiar to many but implementing the ideas effectively can mean rethinking your approach. Sue Rogers explains.
Getting ready to start school begins at home
Authors: Aitken Elizabeth
Published: June 2014

Home visits are a very effective way to help you get to know a child and their parents before they join reception, and benefits the family too. So how should you run them?
What's your teaching relationship style?
Authors: Launder Robin
Published: June 2014

The way you interact with pupils – how you control your class, how you relate to their individual needs – has a huge impact on learning and your own job satisfaction.
Can you read a picture?
Authors: Bullock Charlie
Published: June 2014

A fresh solution to the challenges of guided reading - art offers brilliant opportunities for deduction, finding links, making predictions, identifying viewpoint and much more.
Teaching by the book unleashes creativity
Authors: Stevens Lisa
Published: June 2014

Tapping into the joy of storytelling and encouraging pupils to write and illustrate their own stories works with even limited vocabulary to boost foreign language learning.
Building literacy in code
Authors: Bosley Rachel , Bosley Mark
Published: June 2014

A new series taking you step-by-step through teaching computer programming to key stage 2 kicks off with lessons for year 3 that link to writing and composition.
The moral of the story
Authors: Anthony David
Published: June 2014

Our series continues with a look at how schools can address the requirement to provide ‘moral education’ for pupils, incorporating it throughout school life.
Lessons could save lives
Authors: Youngman Angela
Published: June 2014

First aid teaching for pupils can make school a safer place, as well as giving children the confidence and ability to deal with situations. It also has valuable curriculum links.
The team that talks…
Authors: Cartwright Eva
Published: June 2014

Eva Cartwright starts a new series on building strong relationships between teachers and teaching assistants with a look at the fundamental role of communication.
Educate their taste-buds
Authors: Lowe Fergus
Published: June 2014

The Healthy eating programme Food Dudes presents some great role models for health and nutrition, which primary school children will be keen to emulate.
All about establishing routine happiness
Authors: Launder Andrew
Published: June 2014

Modelling good behaviour based around routines can minimise the potential for unruly behaviour and ensure that both pupils and teachers enjoy their school day.
Take a ‘can do’ approach
Authors: Ruttle Kate
Published: June 2014

By sharpening the focus on both a child's weaknesses and strengths, Target Ladders can be used to set realistic and achievable goals for improvement.
Discover your very own ‘Eureka’ moment
Authors: Rhodes Karen
Published: June 2014

A project on the Ancient Greeks can provide rich opportunities for children to explore the science behind Archimedes' principles and test them out for themselves.
Blogs liberate children from the ‘literacy book’
Authors: Horrocks Sarah
Published: June 2014

A desire to share information and views, and invite feedback from classmates is what the makes the blog such a powerful tool for developing writing skills.
‘Dress up and Dance’
Authors: Cruft Claire
Published: June 2014

Dress up and Dance is an initiative from Macmillan Cancer Support, designed to educate children about cancer and provide support to children and families.
Tap into skills by planning together
Authors: Cartwright Eva
Published: June 2014

Involving teaching assistants in planning is key to establishing a shared vision for the role and will ensure that opportunities for learning are maximised.
Get involved in the First World War Centenary
Authors: Davis John
Published: June 2014

A wide range of activities, events and resources will roll out in August to commemorate the Great War. Use these activities to fuel children's engagement and understanding.
Design of Novel Biosensors for Determination of Phenolic Compounds using Catalyst-Loaded Reduced Graphene Oxide Electrodes
Authors: Kubesa Ondrej , Morrisey Kathleen , Mathews Samantha , Proetta John , Li Christopher , Skladal Petr , Hepel Maria
Published: June 2014

Facile and inexpensive method for designing high performance sensors for H2O2 and polyphenols has been developed. The proposed sensors are based on high electrocatalytic activity of Prussian Blue (PB) nanoparticles deposited in situ on high surface area graphene nanosheet-based thin films on a graphite electrode. The exfoliated graphene nanosheets were formed by attaching graphene oxide to the electrode surface followed by their electrochemical reduction to obtain the reduced graphene oxide (rGO), providing high surface area and excellent current-carrying capabilities to the sensory film. The PB catalyst nanoparticles were deposited electrochemically on rGO. This procedure is very time efficient as it reduces the time of sensor preparation from 3 days (according to recent literature) to several hours. The proposed method provides simple means to obtain highly reliable and stable sensory films. The sensor shows a dynamic range of 1â€“500 Î¼M H2O2 and a rapid response of 5 s to reach 95% of a steady-state response. When combined with immobilized enzymes (horseradish peroxidase or laccase oxidase), it can serve as a biosensor for polyphenols. As the proof of concept, the response of the enzymatic biosensors to polyphenol catechin has been presented delineating different mechanisms of horseradish peroxidase and laccase operation. The proposed sensors are low cost, reliable, and scalable.
Arbitrary Government: Tristram Shandy and the Crisis of Whig History
Authors: Havard John Owen
Published: June 2014

Although David Hume asserted that Tristram Shandy had escaped the turbulence that overwhelmed the early reign of George III by way of a distinctly “Shandean” obliviousness, Sterne’s novel cannot be so straightforwardly extricated from the growing political upheaval. While critics have connected the novel to transatlantic debates over heredity and identified partisan targets behind its character portraits, this essay argues for returning Sterne’s novel wholesale to the debates over governance that created a political crisis in later eighteenth-century Britain (and that ultimately propelled the American Revolution). Drawing on revisionist accounts of the 1688 Revolution--with whose anniversary Tristram’s birthday conspicuously coincides--and an expanded approach to eighteenth-century political culture, I propose that Sterne’s embrace of contingency and rupture mounts a broad-ranging and preemptive assault on the “Whig” premise of inevitable historical progress. From their “accidental” involvement with world-historical events to their confused interactions with each other, the Shandy family both anticipate and intersect with a crisis of governmental legitimacy and “political reasoning” within the country at large. The consequences of this clash between past and present can ultimately be discerned through Tristram himself. In the “Gentleman” anxiously appended to his name and his failure to articulate the “Opinions” advertised in the novel’s title, Tristram dramatizes a much wider predicament, while his “accident of birth” reveals the arbitrariness endemic to the established constitution and broader social order, which would transform politics in the decades to come.
Pусская этнография 1850-х годов и этос цивилизаторской миссии: случай “литературной экспедиции” Морского министерства
Authors: Вдовин Алексей
Published: June 2014

The article revisits one of the grand initiatives of the admiral and reformer, Grand Duke Constantine Nikolaevich – the “literary expedition” sponsored by the Navy Ministry in 1855−1861. The author specifically problematizes the views of Russia’s civilizing mission as expressed by participating writers, who were commissioned to explore the empire’s diverse littoral populations – the potential resource of sailors. Focusing on the ethnographic essays penned by expedition participants such as Aleksei Pisemskii, Apollon Maikov, Mikhail Mikhailov, Sergei Maksimov, and Ivan Goncharov, the author demonstrates that the problem was not those writers’ belief in Russia’s civilizing mission itself, but their understanding of the ultimate goal of “civilizing.” The majority (with the exception of Pisemskii) were inclined to advocate complete assimilation of ethnically non-Russian peoples. And all the participating writers tended to classify peoples of the empire along rigid cultural and even biological hierarchies, which suggests that the discourse of racialization had already revealed itself in Russia by the 1850s. The author substantiates this claim by placing the views of writers− expedition participants within the broad historical context of ethnography and Oriental Studies of the mid-nineteenth century.