bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Different practices for open innovation: a context‐based approach
Authors: Bellantuono Nicola , Pontrandolfo Pierpaolo , Scozzi Barbara
Published: July 2013

Purpose

The authors aim to investigate the concept of open innovation, identify different open innovation practices which help describe the continuum between closed and open innovation, and propose a framework that suggests an association between innovation contexts and practices.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors first identify the variables to describe innovation contexts and practices. Such variables are developed based on the literature and on a previous paper by the same authors in 2011. Then, they establish an association between contexts and practices, and test it through cases drawn from the existing literature.

Findings

The paper proposes a detailed assessment of open innovation practices and suggests the association between each of them and diverse innovation contexts. A few case examples drawn from the literature prove coherent with the theoretical framework underlying the proposed association.

Practical implications

The authors' results (and specifically the framework) enhance the organizations' awareness of the open innovation concept and the possible practices to implement it, as well as supporting managers to better select open innovation practices in different contexts.

Originality/value

This paper discusses the concept of open innovation practices to enhance the comprehension of the open innovation concept. Also, to the authors' knowledge, the proposed association between context and practices is original in that there are no similar theoretical frameworks that help organizations selecting innovation practices.
Knowledge, learning, and innovation: research and perspectives
Authors: Moustaghfir Karim , Schiuma Giovanni
Published: July 2013

Purpose

This introduction paper to the special issue on “The twenty‐first century knowledge‐based value drivers of innovation and sustainable development” aims to focus on such relationships between knowledge, learning, capabilities, innovation and competitive advantage in different forms of organization: businesses, clusters and regions. The purpose is to point out the conceptual pillars and contribute to the ongoing debate on: how knowledge assets impact organizational performance, what are the characteristics of such value‐generating processes, what factors affect the process of building organizational capabilities and distinctive competences, and how organizations translate specific capabilities into sustainable competitive advantages.

Design/methodology/approach

The article is based on a thorough analysis of the management literature addressing the nature, role and relevance of knowledge, organizational capabilities, learning and knowledge management for organization competitiveness. The conceptual background sets the foundations for a better understanding of the strategic importance of knowledge‐based value drivers for innovation and sustainable organizational value creation.

Findings

As knowledge management is establishing itself as a research discipline, it is fundamental to define the conceptual pillars grounding the application of knowledge management initiatives for innovation and business performance improvements. This paper provides a framework summarizing the key assumptions at the basis of understanding the strategic relevance of knowledge‐based value drivers for growth and competitiveness.

Research limitations/implications

In addressing some of the questions posed, this article provides some implications for future research that build on different perspectives and emphasize the importance of adopting multi‐disciplinary approaches to disentangle the complexities of how organizations convert knowledge resources to a long‐lasting competitive advantage.

Originality/value

This editorial presents the key conceptual pillars explicating the role of knowledge resources as building blocks of organizational capabilities and how firms can develop and maintain their competences by promoting and nurturing learning processes. The value of this paper is the definition of a conceptual framework outlining the relationships between knowledge management, organizational capabilities, organizational learning and competitiveness.
Efficiency and productivity of banking sector
Authors: Sharma Dipasha , Sharma Anil K. , Barua Mukesh K.
Published: July 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss a comprehensive literature survey of studies focusing on the efficiency and productivity of the banking sector using parametric and non‐parametric frontier techniques.

Design/methodology/approach

Critically reviewing 106 studies published across the world from 1994 to 2011, a conceptual framework is developed for the studies assessing the efficiency and productivity of the banking industry using non‐parametric DEA frontier approach.

Findings

Both the frontier approaches, parametric and non‐parametric, are gaining an edge over the traditional financial performance measures. In the non‐parametric approach, data envelopment analysis (DEA) is widely applied to measure a bank's efficiency and productivity. Studies conducted in developed countries such as the USA, the UK and Europe are now emerging with the new concepts of banking efficiency.

Research limitations/implications

These findings are based only on the critical review of 106 studies. This study suggests the direction for future research and identifies the gap in existing literature with the development of a conceptual model.

Originality/value

This study is original in nature and included literature published in recent issues of 2011.
Serum levels of tenascin‐C in collagen diseases
Authors: Inoue Kuniko , Jinnin Masatoshi , Hara Yumiko , Makino Katsunari , Kajihara Ikko , Makino Takamitsu , Sakai Keisuke , Fukushima Satoshi , Inoue Yuji , Ihn Hironobu
Published: July 2013

Tenascins are a family of large multimetric extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. Among them, large molecular weight variant tenascin‐C is known to be specifically expressed in pathological conditions. However, no link between tenascin‐C and collagen diseases has been established. The aim of our study was to determine the serum tenascin‐C levels in patients with various collagen diseases, and to evaluate the possibility that serum levels of tenascin‐C can be a useful marker for collagen diseases, correlating with the pathogenesis. Serum tenascin‐C levels of 33 patients with scleroderma (SSc), 10 patients with scleroderma spectrum disorder (SSD), 15 patients with localized scleroderma (LSc), 12 patients with dermatomyositis (DM), 10 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and 15 healthy controls were measured with specific enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays. Serum tenascin‐C levels were significantly elevated in patients with SSc, SSD and LSc than in healthy controls. Significantly higher total skin thickness score or higher incidence of pitting scars/ulcers and diffuse pigmentation were observed in SSc patients with elevated tenascin‐C levels than in those with normal levels. Our study suggests that serum tenascin‐C levels are increased in fibrotic conditions, and that tenascin‐C contributes to the pathogenesis of vascular damage as well as fibrosis in SSc patients. Clarifying the role of tenascin‐C in the pathogenesis of collagen diseases may lead to a new therapeutic approach.
Impact of disease severity on work productivity and activity impairment in Japanese patients with atopic dermatitis
Authors: Yano Chizuko , Saeki Hidehisa , Ishiji Takaoki , Ishiuji Yozo , Sato Junko , Tofuku Yukari , Nakagawa Hidemi
Published: July 2013

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common inflammatory skin disease that is characterized by chronic and persisting pruritic and eczematous lesions. There has been no study of work productivity and activity in AD patients in relation to disease severity. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of disease severity on work productivity and activity impairment (WPAI) in adult AD patients using the Japanese version of the questionnaire. Data were collected from 112 AD patients who visited the Jikei University Hospital. Outcomes as measured by the questionnaire included employment status, total work productivity impairment (TWPI) and total activity impairment (TAI). We investigated the correlation between TWPI or TAI scores and severity scoring of AD (SCORAD) for disease severity and dermatology life quality index (DLQI) for quality of life impairment. Both TWPI and TAI scores were significantly correlated with the SCORAD and DLQI scores (P < 0.001), indicating disease severity is significantly associated with WPAI in Japanese adult AD patients. Further studies are necessary to evaluate the effects of treatments on WPAI for severe AD patients.
Clinical study on psoriasis patients for past 30 years (1982–2012) in Seoul National University Hospital Psoriasis Clinic
Authors: Na Sun Jae , Jo Seong Jin , Youn Jai Il
Published: July 2013

Psoriasis is a chronic relapsing disorder which shows variable clinical features. The long‐term clinical study with many patients is important to elucidate the epidemiologic characteristics and clinical features of psoriasis. The purpose of this study was to analyze the epidemiologic characteristics and clinical features of psoriasis in Korean patients. Epidemiologic and clinic data and assessments for severity of extent and activity of psoriasis were collected from the medical records of 5084 patients, who had been newly diagnosed with psoriasis in the Psoriasis Clinic of Seoul National University Hospital between 1982 and 2012. The sex ratio of the psoriasis patients was 1.2:1 (male 54.6%, female 45.4%). The peak age of onset in males was 20s, while it was the teenage years in females. A total of 63.5% of patients developed psoriasis before 30 years of age. Family history of psoriasis was observed in 26.0% of patients. Moderate to severe extent of involvement were more frequently observed in male patients and patients under 30 years of onset age than in females and patients 30 years or over of onset age, respectively. Moderate to severe disease activity were also more frequently presented in male patients, but not in patients under 30 years of onset age. The most common morphological type was nummular (56.7%), followed by large plaque (28.5%) and guttate (8.5%). Nail involvement accompanied in 26.4% of patients. We demonstrated the epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of psoriasis in Korean patients.
Novel IL36RN mutation in a Japanese case of early onset generalized pustular psoriasis
Authors: Kanazawa Nobuo , Nakamura Tomoyuki , Mikita Naoya , Furukawa Fukumi
Published: July 2013

Generalized pustular psoriasis is a distinct type of psoriasis characterized by recurrent febrile attacks with disseminated subcorneal pustules on generalized skin rashes. Recently, homozygous and compound heterozygous mutations of the IL36RN gene, which encodes the anti‐inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)‐36 receptor antagonist, were identified in familial and sporadic cases of various ethnicities with generalized pustular psoriasis. Here we report a 39‐year‐old Japanese male patient who had suffered from repeated attacks of generalized pustular psoriasis since infancy with intervals of several years. At presentation, erythematous lesions with a few pustules were found only on some parts of the body and controlled with topical corticosteroids. An analysis of the IL36RN gene revealed compound heterozygous mutations of c.28C>T and c.368C>T. While the former mutation causing the premature termination p.Arg10X is recurrent in Japanese cases, the latter missense mutation causing p.Thr123Met substitution is novel, but another mutation in the same position has been reported in one Japanese case. Our report further supports the presence of the Japanese‐specific hot spots in the IL36RN gene, 28C and 368C, and suggests the functional significance of Thr123. This special type of generalized pustular psoriasis caused by IL36RN mutations has been designated as deficiency for IL‐36 receptor antagonist, a new hereditary autoinflammatory disease, and its phenotypes have emerged to include other related pustular disorders, palmoplantar pustulosis, acrodermatitis continua of Hallopeau, and acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis. The genetic analysis of the cases with these diseases would be important for establishment and application of the specific treatments targeting the IL‐36 signaling.
Maintaining Climate Change Experiments: Urban Political Ecology and the Everyday Reconfiguration of Urban Infrastructure
Authors: Broto Vanesa Castán , Bulkeley Harriet
Published: July 2013

Climate change governance is increasingly being conducted through urban climate change experiments, purposive interventions that seek to reconfigure urban sociotechnical systems to achieve low‐carbon and resilient cities. In examining how experiments take effect, we suggest that we need to understand not only how they are made and assembled, but also how they are maintained within specific urban contexts. Drawing on literatures from urban political ecology and the specific debate on urban repair and maintenance, this article examines maintenance in two case studies of climate change experiments in housing in Bangalore (India) and Monterrey (Mexico). We find that maintenance is a crucial process through which not only urban obduracy is preserved, but also the novel and innovative character of the experiment is asserted and reproduced. The process of ‘maintaining’ experiments is a precarious one, which requires a continuous external input in terms of remaking the experiment materially and discursively. This process causes further reconfigurations beyond the experiment, changing the patterns of responsibility attribution and acceptability that configure the urban fabric.
Scaling‐Up, Scaling‐Down, and Scaling‐Out: Local Planning Strategies for Sea‐Level Rise in New South Wales, Australia
Authors: TAYLOR BRUCE M. , HARMAN BEN P. , INMAN MATTHEW
Published: July 2013

Globally, sea‐level rise is expected to impact on many coastal regions and settlements. While mitigation of global greenhouse gas emissions remains an important task, adaptation is now seen as a critical component of the policy equation. Local government is a key player in adaptation planning and managing risk through their mandated role in land use planning and development control. Yet, managing the predicted impacts of climate change is proving to be a complex and difficult task for planners and policy makers. This paper reports on a case of local government deliberation on possible planning responses to address future sea‐level rise impacts in New South Wales, Australia. Using structured, expert opinion of planners and other technical experts engaged in a collaborative network in the Sydney region, we explore the feasibility of implementing planning and policy measures at the local and regional scales to respond to inundation risk as a result of sea‐level rise and storm surge events. Our research shows how local governments employ specific scale‐oriented strategies to engage private and public actors at different scales to manage legal, financial, and technical risks in coastal adaptation.
The Effects of Climate and Socio‐Demographics on Direct Household Carbon Dioxide Emissions in Australia
Authors: GRAHAM SONIA , SCHANDL HEINZ , WILLIAMS LIANA J. , FORAN TIRA
Published: July 2013

Household CO2 emissions are a significant contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions and consequently climate warming. Despite this, there has been little consideration of how household CO2 emissions may be affected by changes in climate. The aim of the present study has been to investigate the way climate, as well as socio‐demographic characteristics, may affect household CO2 emissions produced from energy use. A national online survey was conducted to determine current household CO2 emissions in Australia as well as capture the ownership and use of household appliances and installations. Electricity and gas‐based emissions as well as the ownership of a variety of household appliances and installations were found to be strongly associated with temperature. Electricity and gas emissions were found to decrease as annual average temperatures increase. However, as temperatures continue to rise under climate change this pattern may be reversed owing to increased reliance on air conditioners. One option for preventing this from occurring is to encourage houses to adopt more solar‐passive installations. Although this may be expensive, households with higher emissions tend to have higher incomes, indicating that they may have the capacity to pay for such installations.
Experiences of ‘Community’ in a Gated Residential Estate
Authors: KENNA THERESE , STEVENSON DEBORAH
Published: July 2013

Gated residential estates have become common features of the landscapes of cities around the world. The proliferation of these estates has attracted significant critical attention from urban scholars who have focused in particular on their contribution to urban segregation. Many commentators also question the possibility and existence of the neighbourhood‐based community that is promised to potential residents by estates developers. They argue that it cannot be delivered primarily because meaningful community does not form in circumstances of privatism. In this paper, we examine what community means to the residents of Macquarie Links, a gated residential estate in the Australian city of Sydney. To this end, the paper traces the interplay of contradictions that define the expectation and experience of community and argues that rather than being in conflict, the experience of community for many in this gated estate is actually underpinned by the structures of private governance that define the estate. In other words, not only is community said to exist in this neighbourhood, but also it is not homogeneity and everyday neighbouring that are pivotal but the governance structure of the estate.
An Analysis of Monthly Rainfall and Its Relationship to the Occurrence of Mass Movement and Flooding in Pedra Branca Massif in the City of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Authors: RIBEIRO MARTA FOEPPEL , DA COSTA VIVIAN CASTILHO , NETO NEWTON DE MAGALHÃES , DE FREITAS MARCOS AURÉLIO VASCONCELOS
Published: July 2013

Mass movements and floods triggered by rainstorms are considered some of the most serious environmental problems and are quite often able to cause great disasters in large tropical cities. This has been occurring due to anthropic activities which change natural drainage and stability of slope in urban areas. However, lower monthly rainfalls which occur with high frequency can also cause mass movements and floods. The direct and indirect effects of less intense but continuous rainfall mainly affect less privileged communities, which occupy areas more sensitive to mass movements and flooding, such as locations along river margins, coastal lagoons, mangroves, and steep slopes. This manuscript highlights the important contribution of the lower monthly rainfall totals in triggering mass movements and floods on the east side of Pedra Branca Massif in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Geoprocessing was used to estimate the total monthly rainfall in rain gauges managed by the local authority; create surface interpolation and choropleth maps; and conduct a comparative analysis of histograms of the total monthly rainfall and flooding and mass movement records provided by the City's Civil Defence. The results confirmed the direct relation between higher monthly rainfall totals and mass movements and floods, and also showed that lower monthly rainfall totals can trigger a significant occurrence of such events. Moreover, the monthly rainfall limit that could trigger mass movements and floods was confirmed on the east side of Pedra Branca Massif.
Trade Fairs as an Export Marketing and Research Strategy: Results from a Study of Korean Advanced Machinery Firms
Authors: KALAFSKY RONALD V. , GRESS DOUGLAS R.
Published: July 2013

Manufacturers pursuing information on potential customers in distant, dynamic markets confront myriad obstacles. To address this, many firms attend international trade fairs in order to market their products, to meet with prospective customers, and to tap into buzz related to potential international opportunities. In many ways, moreover, such exhibitions can serve as short‐term agglomerations of same‐industry activity, particularly important for producer–user interface geared towards innovation. The goal of this paper is to explore how Korean machine tool manufacturers utilise a major global trade show in Seoul to minimise the difficulties associated with accessing a global customer base, inclusive of their activity at this show geared towards innovation. Evidence from firm‐level surveys and interviews suggest that the amount of importance placed on trade fair attendance as part of a firm's internationalisation strategies is related to export growth. Additionally, a new insight generated is that firms that participate in trade shows as part of their innovation process also demonstrate higher rates of export intensity. Finally, we may be witnessing newly discovered, technology‐driven, symbiotic relationships between online portal sites, vendors, and potential customers at these trade fairs, where virtual services are nonetheless augmented by a need for a continued onsite presence at these exhibitions.
Docetaxel‐based chemotherapy as second‐line regimen for advanced thymic carcinoma
Authors: Song Zhengbo , Yu Xinmin , He Chunxiao , Zhang Beibei , Zhang Yiping
Published: July 2013

Thymic carcinoma is an uncommon neoplasm. The efficacy of second‐line treatment with docetaxel in advanced thymic carcinoma has not been well studied. Therefore, we conducted a review of the efficacy of docetaxel‐based chemotherapy as a second‐line regimen for advanced thymic carcinoma. Fifteen patients with advanced thymic carcinoma who received second‐line chemotherapy with docetaxel singlet or docetaxel/platinum combination chemotherapy regimens were retrospectively reviewed. There were 11 males and four females, with a median age of 53 years. Squamous cell carcinoma was most common (n = 10), followed by undifferentiated carcinoma (n = 4), and small cell carcinoma (n = 1). Eight patients received docetaxel/platinum combination chemotherapy and seven docetaxel mono‐therapy. Four patients showed partial responses, representing a response rate of 26.7%. The median progression‐free survival and overall survival in the 15 patients were 4.0 (2.8–5.2) and 22.0 (14.6–29.4) months, respectively. There was no difference in progression‐free survival between the docetaxel singlet or docetaxel/platinum combination chemotherapy (3.5 months vs. 4.0 months, P = 0.889). A docetaxel‐based regimen could be a potential therapeutic option as a second‐line chemotherapy for advanced thymic carcinoma.
Trade, the Staple Theory of Growth, and Fluctuations in Colonial Singapore, 1900–39
Authors: Choy Keen Meng , Sugimoto Ichiro
Published: July 2013

Our paper enquires into the nexus between trade, growth, and fluctuations in the British colony of Singapore during the early twentieth century. Hitherto, little quantitative economic history has been written on this great entrepôt of Southeast Asia due to a lack of data. We overcome this limitation by utilising the gross domestic product series recently constructed for the pre‐war period by Sugimoto. This comprehensive data set enables us to explore the relevance and applicability of the staple theory of export‐led growth to colonial Singapore through cliometric analyses. The results suggest that foreign trade had acted both as an engine of growth and a source of economic instability.
Institution Building and Variation in the Formation of the Australian Wool Market
Authors: Merrett David , Ville Simon
Published: July 2013

The relocation of the wool market from London to the major Australian port cities from the late nineteenth century required the formation of an institution to govern the auction business, namely the wool brokers' association. Regional variations, among Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, occurred in the structure and effectiveness of the institution despite each regional association having been formed around the same time, for the same purpose, and with an overlap of participating firms. We draw on institution theory to guide our account and find that the impact of legacy factors and differences in market conditions explain the regional variations.
The Motivation and Effectiveness of Gas Industry Economic Regulation in New South Wales, 1912–39
Authors: Abbott Malcolm
Published: July 2013

The oldest industry in Australia subjected to economic regulation is the gas supply industry in the state of New South Wales. In this paper the aims and motivation of the New South Wales Government in establishing the regulatory regime in 1912 and the subsequent effectiveness in achieving them are determined. Initially the regulatory regime was based on ad hoc arrangements, but eventually a more permanent structure was devised that effectively defused political controversy over gas market pricing and stabilised prices rather than substantially lowered them.
Douglas Copland's Battle With The Younger Brethren of Economists
Authors: Millmow Alex
Published: July 2013

This article discusses the problematic relationship between Douglas Copland and the new generation of post‐war Australian economists. Copland felt that their view of economic policy was contrary to Australia's best interests. The critique and feud was to last right up till Copland's retirement. The article shows how Copland's views differed from those of inside economists and therefore the official policy line.
Prevalence of myelinated retinal nerve fibres in adult Indians: the Central India Eye and Medical Study
Authors: Nangia Vinay , Jonas Jost B. , Khare Anshu , Bhate Karishma , Agarwal Shubhra , Panda‐Jonas Songhomitra
Published: July 2013

Purpose:  To determine the prevalence of myelinated retinal nerve fibers in the adult Indian population.

Methods:  The Central India Eye and Medical Study performed in rural Central India included 4711 participants aged 30+ years. The participants underwent a detailed ophthalmic and medical examination.

Results:  Readable fundus photographs were available for 8645 eyes of 4485 (95.2%) subjects. Myelinated retinal nerve fibers were detected in 52 eyes (46 subjects) with a prevalence rate of 0.58 ± 0.08 per 100 eyes [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.42, 0.74] and 1.03 ± 0.15 per 100 subjects (95%CI: 0.73, 1.32). Prevalence of myelinated retinal nerve fibers was significantly associated hyperopic refractive error (p = 0.008; OR: 1.31; 95%CI: 1.07, 1.59). It was not significantly associated with age (p = 0.11), best corrected visual acuity (logMAR; p = 0.33), intraocular pressure (p = 0.09), amount of nuclear cataract (p = 0.93), optic disc area (p = 0.60), presence of glaucomatous optic nerve atrophy (p = 0.62), and early age‐related macular degeneration (p = 0.53).

Conclusions:  Myelinated retinal nerve fibers are present in about 10 out of 1000 adult Indians in rural Central India, with a higher prevalence in hyperopic eyes. Prevalence of myelinated retinal nerve fibers was not associated with age, visual acuity, glaucoma and macular degeneration.
Single‐agent lenalidomide is active in patients with relapsed or refractory aggressive non‐Hodgkin lymphoma who received prior stem cell transplantation
Authors: Vose Julie M. , Habermann Thomas M. , Czuczman Myron S. , Zinzani Pier Luigi , Reeder Craig B. , Tuscano Joseph M. , Lossos Izidore S. , Li Ju , Pietronigro Dennis , Witzig Thomas E.
Published: July 2013

Patients with aggressive non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) who relapse after autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) have a poor prognosis. Additional therapy is often poorly tolerated, and new treatment modalities are needed. This efficacy and safety study was a retrospective analysis of two phase II trials (NHL‐002 and NHL‐003) that studied single‐agent lenalidomide in patients with relapsed/refractory aggressive NHL with prior (n = 87) compared with no prior ASCT (n = 179). The overall response rate in the ASCT group was 39% [14% complete response (CR)], including 29% in patients with diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma, 63% in mantle cell lymphoma, and 60% in transformed lymphoma. The timing of transplant relative to receiving lenalidomide had no effect on outcomes. Median progression‐free survival for the ASCT group was 3·7 months (16·9 months for patients in CR; 7·3 months for partial responders) at a median 12·5‐month follow‐up. Median response duration was 7·9 months. Regardless of prior ASCT, lenalidomide monotherapy was efficacious in heavily pretreated patients with aggressive, relapsed/refractory NHL, with a safety profile that was consistent with prior studies of single‐agent lenalidomide.
Predictors of coronal caries progression in adults: results from the Prevention of Adult Caries Study
Authors: Singh Mabi , Papas Athena , Vollmer William , Bader James , Laws Reesa , Maupome Gerardo , Snyder John , Blanchard Peter
Published: July 2013

Objectives

This secondary analysis of data from the Prevention of Adult Caries Study (PACS) assesses risk factors for progression of coronal caries.

Methods

Participants (n = 983) were adults at increased caries risk with at least one cavitated and one noncavitated lesions who were enrolled in a randomized clinical trial to test the effect of a 10% w/v chlorhexidine varnish coating on caries progression. Calibrated examiners scored tooth surfaces using a modified International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS) classification at baseline and at 7 and 13 months postrandomization. Potential baseline predictors of caries risk were used in adjusted negative binomial regression models to predict net D2FS increment and in linear regression models to predict the rank‐normalized net D12FS increment.

Results

Mean (SD) D2FS and D12FS increments were and 2.4 (3.1) and 2.1 (6.9), respectively. In multivariate analyses, two or more baseline D2 lesions, consumption of acidic drinks, and increasing age were all significantly associated with increased D2FS and D12FS risk. Daily flossing also was associated with increased D2FS risk. More frequent dental care at baseline was associated with significantly decreased caries risk for both increments.

Conclusions

The general concordance of risk factors in the D12FS and D2FS models lends support to the hypothesis that the D1 increment is an intermediate stage in the progression to fully cavitated lesions.
Piezoelectric osteotomy for the placement of titanium implants in rabbits: histomorphometry study
Authors: de Ávila Kfouri Flávio , Duailibi Monica Talarico , Bretos José Luis Gonçalves , Carvalho Aluizio Barbosa , Pallos Debora , Duailibi Silvio Eduardo
Published: July 2013

Objective

To evaluate bone remodeling around dental implants inserted into recipient sites prepared using either the piezoelectric or the conventional drilling technique.

Material and Methods

Twenty‐four male New Zealand white rabbits (4 months, 2.70 kg) received dental implants (3.3 mm diameter and 6 mm length) on the medial surface of the tibia and were divided into 3 groups (n = 8). Group I was euthanized at 7 days; group II, at 14; and group III, at 28 days. Each animal received four implants, two in the right and two in the left tibia (96 implants were installed). Each tibia was operated by the same technique, and there are therefore neighbor's implants installed by different techniques. Histomorphometric parameters were used: the volume occupied by trabecular bone around the implants (BV/TV), media thickness, separation and number of trabeculae around the loops, and the contact area (interface) directly between the bone and implant (BIC).

Results

BV/TV was similar for both techniques (P = 0.291). Reduction in trabecular thickness was observed for both techniques (P < 0.05), but then returned to prior levels, with no significant difference between techniques (P = 0.217). Trabecular number increased from day 7 to day 14 (P < 0.001) and remained constant afterward for both techniques. No difference in BIC was observed between techniques on day 28 (P = 0.961).

Conclusions

Piezoelectric osteotomy allowed bone formation for osseointegration of titanium implants, was not associated with bone necrosis, and provided results similar to those of the conventional technique. The piezoelectric technique can be considered a viable alternative in dental implantology.
Anthropogenic modulators of species–area relationships in Neotropical primates: a continental‐scale analysis of fragmented forest landscapes
Authors: Benchimol Maíra , Peres Carlos A.
Published: July 2013

Aim

We conducted the first comprehensive quantitative review on the effects of habitat fragmentation on Neotropical primates to examine how both patch disturbance and landscape variables modulate species–area relationships (SARs) and species persistence in fragmented forest landscapes.

Location

Neotropical forests, from Mexico to Argentina.

Methods

We use species occupancy data from 705 forest fragments and 55 adjacent continuous forests nested within 61 landscapes, which we compiled from 96 studies reporting data on patch‐scale species composition and patch size/location. Presence–absence data on 19 species functional groups and an index of hunting pressure and matrix type were assigned to each forest patch. We adopted a multilevel analysis, examining SARs and patterns of species retention coupled with the additive effects of hunting pressure and landscape connectivity both across all forest patches and 728 sites nested within 38 landscapes containing four or more sites.

Results

We uncovered a consistent effect of patch area in explaining primate species richness. Over and above area effects, however, SARs were strongly modulated by levels of hunting pressure at the landscape scale in predicting species occurrence and aggregate assemblage biomass. Matrix type was also a good predictor of both extant species richness and aggregate biomass when only non‐hunted sites were considered, with patches in more permeable matrices containing more species.

Main conclusions

Although the importance of patch area in predicting species persistence is undeniable, we found that SARs were clearly affected by within‐patch human exploitation of increasingly isolated primate populations. Both expanding the number of forest reserves and enforcing protection within nominal protected areas are therefore required to ensure the long‐term persistence of full primate assemblages. We highlight the importance of considering multiple anthropogenic effects in assessing the synergistic effects of land use to explain patterns of species persistence in fragmented tropical forest landscapes.
A Systematic Review of Transesophageal Echocardiography‐Induced Esophageal Perforation
Authors: Sainathan Sandeep , Andaz Shahriyour
Published: July 2013

A systematic review of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE)‐induced esophageal perforation was done using the MEDLINE (PubMed and OVID interfaces), Google Scholar and EMBASE databases. Thirty‐five cases of esophageal perforation from 22 studies were analyzed. TEE‐induced esophageal perforation occurs in elderly female patients, predominantly in an intra‐operative setting. Thoracic esophagus is the most commonly involved segment, especially, when TEE is performed intra‐operatively. Majority of the esophageal perforations occur in cases with a perceived low risk or smooth TEE exam and thus, screening for high risk factors may not eliminate the occurrence of a perforation. A delayed detection of perforation occurs when it is a thoracic esophageal perforation, performed intra‐operatively and when there are no known preoperative risk factors. Shock during the detection of the perforation is associated with mortality. Majority of the perforations can be repaired primarily.
A retrospective study of traumatic dental injuries
Authors: Atabek Didem , Alaçam Alev , Aydintuğ Itır , Konakoğlu Gonca
Published: July 2013

Aim

The prognosis of dental trauma cases varies depending on the time elapsed after the trauma before treatment started. The aim of this study was to examine epidemiological and dental data from traumatic injuries to primary and permanent teeth during the period from 2005 to 2010.

Material and methods

The examinations aimed to determine the age and sex distributions of patients, the causes of tooth injury, the type of teeth injured, the monthly distribution of the trauma, the time elapsed between injury and treatment, and the classification of the traumatized teeth and their treatments.

Results

The dental trauma records of patients with an average age of 9 years, including 120 girls (35.3%) and 220 boys (64.7%), were evaluated. The most commonly affected teeth were the maxillary central incisors (66.24%). The main cause was falls (70.1%). In primary dentition, subluxation (36.4%) was observed in the highest percentage of injured teeth, and in permanent dentition, the most common observation was uncomplicated crown fractures (44.9%). Only 18 patients (2.9%) were referred to the clinic within 1 h following the injury. The most frequent treatment for primary teeth was examination and follow up (63.9%). Restoration with composite resin (26.3%) and root canal treatment (28.6%) were the most common procedures for permanent teeth.

Conclusion

It was revealed that although the most frequent type of injury in permanent dentition was uncomplicated crown fracture, the root canal treatment was the most common treatment in permanent dentition. This finding suggests that when the checkup time after the injury was delayed, the pulp could lost vitality. This finding reveals that it is important to inform the parents about dental trauma and the importance of bringing their children fast to a dentist in trauma cases.
Detection and molecular characterisation of equine infectious anaemia virus from field outbreaks in Slovenia
Authors: Kuhar U. , Završnik J. , Toplak I. , Malovrh T.
Published: July 2013

Reasons for performing this study

In 2009, a surprisingly high number of animals seropositive for equine infectious anaemia virus (EIAV; 26 horses from 13 farms) were detected in Slovenia.

Objectives

To develop a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for the detection of the proviral nucleic acid, to phylogenetically characterise the Slovenian EIAV strains and to investigate whether transmission in utero occurred.

Study design

Cross‐sectional clinical study.

Methods

In total, 26 horses (including 2 foals and 4 pregnant mares) and 4 fetuses were examined in this study. A PCR assay using the EIAV F1 and EIAV R1 primers was designed and tested using genomic DNA extracted from 28 spleen samples, 18 whole blood samples and 17 peripheral blood leucocyte samples. Amplicons of 22 PCRs obtained from the spleen samples were subjected to direct DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis.

Results

All spleen samples from 22 adult animals were positive for EIAV by PCR, whereas whole blood and the peripheral blood leucocyte samples were positive from only 4 animals. Spleen samples from foals and fetuses were negative by PCR. The Slovenian EIAV sequences could be mapped to 9 different branches of the phylogenetic tree.

Conclusions

The PCR was able to detect different EIAV strains from spleen samples of seropositive animals detected in Slovenia. Phylogenetic analysis revealed high genetic diversity of the EIAV strains detected in Slovenia, with their closest relatives being European strains. In utero transmission in pregnant mares did not occur.
Trotline efficiencies and catch rates in a large river
Authors: Steffensen K. D. , Eder B. L. , Pegg M. A.
Published: July 2013

Trotlines have proved to be an effective collection method for riverine fish species, but an understanding of the interaction between fish and gear post‐deployment is lacking. The objectives of this study were to use trotlines rigged with hook timers that record the time when fish are hooked to determine the activation rate of hook timers, to determine the retention rate of fish on trot lines, to document hourly catch rates and to document whether hooking duration causes stress or mortality. Four thousand hook timers were deployed in an 80.5 rkm reach of the Missouri River during April 2011, resulting in a mean catch rate of 14.6 fish per line, while 3.1 timers per line were activated but did not capture a fish. Over half of all fish were captured within 4 h post‐deployment. Stress and mortality associated with trotlines did not appear to be related to hooking duration. This study showed that hourly catch rates and retention rates can be ascertained from the use of trotlines rigged with hook timers. Information gathered from this study and further investigation with hook timers could aid in targeting specific time of day and set duration to collect river fish more efficiently, especially sturgeons, Scaphirhynchus species.
Zircon‐bearing, crystallized melt inclusions in peritectic garnet from the western Adirondack Mountains, New York State, USA
Authors: Darling R. S.
Published: July 2013

Crystallized melt inclusions (MI) occur in garnet from metapelitic gneiss extracted from a hydroelectric plant on the Black River at Port Leyden, NY (western Adirondack Highlands). The garnet host grains are small (0.5–1.0 mm), euhedral neoblasts that formed peritectically during biotite melting accompanying the Ottawan phase of the Grenville Orogeny. The crystallized MI are typically 10–25 μm in diameter and occur randomly in garnet. Nearly all of the crystallized MI observed contain a relatively large (3–15 μm), often euhedral, zircon grain surrounded by finer‐grained (some <1 μm) phases with energy dispersive X‐ray spectra consistent with biotite, K‐feldspar, quartz, and albite. The inclusions are similar in size and composition to those described in garnet from other migmatites and are similarly interpreted as crystallized anatectic melt. Low Zr solubility in silicate melt indicates that the large zircon grain in each inclusion must be a trapped solid. It is inferred that micrometer‐scale droplets of anatectic melt chemically adhered to occluded zircon grains in biotite while peritectic garnet grew around them.
Pharmacokinetics, efficacy and safety of BAX326, a novel recombinant factor IX: a prospective, controlled, multicentre phase I/III study in previously treated patients with severe (FIX level <1%) or moderately severe (FIX level ≤2%) haemophilia B
Authors: Windyga J. , Lissitchkov T. , Stasyshyn O. , Mamonov V. , Rusen L. , Lamas J. L. , Oh M.‐S. , Chapman M. , Fritsch S. , Pavlova B. G. , Wong W.‐Y. , Abbuehl B. E.
Published: July 2013

BAX326 is a recombinant factor IX (rFIX; nonacog gamma) manufactured without the addition of any materials of human or animal origin, and with two viral inactivation steps (solvent/detergent treatment and 15 nm nanofiltration). The aim of this prospective trial was to investigate the pharmacokinetics, haemostatic efficacy and safety of BAX326 in previously treated patients aged 12–65 years with severe or moderately severe haemophilia B. BAX326 was safe and well tolerated in all 73 treated subjects; adverse events considered related to treatment (2.7% incidence, all non‐serious) were transient and mild, and no hypersensitivity reactions, inhibitor formation or thrombotic events were observed. Pharmacokinetic (PK) equivalence (n = 28) between BAX326 and a licensed rFIX was confirmed in terms of the ratio of geometric mean AUC0–72 h per dose. Twice‐weekly prophylaxis [mean duration 6.2 (±0.7) months; 1.8 (±0.1) infusions per week, 49.5 (±4.8) IU kg−1 per infusion] was effective in preventing bleeding episodes, with a significantly lower (79%, P < 0.001) annualized bleed rate (4.2) compared to an on‐demand treatment in a historical control group (20.0); 24 of 56 subjects on prophylaxis (43%) did not bleed throughout the study observation period. Of 249 total acute bleeds, 211 (84.7%) were controlled with one to two infusions of BAX326. Haemostatic efficacy at resolution of bleed was rated excellent or good in 96.0% of all treated bleeding episodes. The results of this study indicate that BAX326 is safe and efficacious in treating bleeds and routine prophylaxis in patients aged 12 years and older with haemophilia B.
Outcomes and predictors of microvascular invasion of solitary hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Hirokawa Fumitoshi , Hayashi Michihiro , Miyamoto Yoshiharu , Asakuma Mitsuhiro , Shimizu Tetsunosuke , Komeda Koji , Inoue Yoshihiro , Uchiyama Kazuhisa
Published: July 2013

Aim

Microvascular invasion (MVI) is an important risk factor for early recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but preoperative prediction of MVI is difficult.

Methods

A retrospective review was undertaken on 167 patients with primary solitary HCC who underwent initial hepatectomy. Independent predictors of MVI were identified, and factors affecting disease‐free survival in patients with MVI were clarified.

Results

Of the 167 patients, 20 patients (12%) had MVI. Recurrence rates of HCC after hepatectomy in MVI patients were significantly worse than in patients without MVI (P < 0.0361). Univariate analysis revealed that positive L3‐AFP, PIVKA‐II ≥ 150 mAU/mL and tumor size ≥3 cm preoperatively were associated with positive MVI. On multivariate analysis, independent predictors of MVI were PIVKA‐II ≥ 150 mAU/mL (odds ratio [OR], 5.19; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.44–24.87; P = 0.0109) and positive L3‐AFP (OR, 3.47; 95% CI, 1.19–10.75; P = 0.0229). Among the MVI‐positive group, the 1‐, 2‐ and 3‐year disease‐free survival rates were 78%, 58%, and 58% in patients with surgical margin (SM) ≥ 10 mm and 38%, 29%, and 29% in those with SM < 10 mm, respectively (P = 0.0263).

Conclusions

Patients with PIVKA‐II ≥ 150 mAU/mL and positive L3‐AFP on preoperative examination are at high risk for MVI.
Augmented hepatic Toll‐like receptors by fatty acids trigger the pro‐inflammatory state of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease in mice
Authors: Sawada Koji , Ohtake Takaaki , Hasebe Takumu , Abe Masami , Tanaka Hiroki , Ikuta Katsuya , Suzuki Yasuaki , Fujiya Mikihiro , Hasebe Chitomi , Kohgo Yutaka
Published: July 2013

Aim

There is considerable evidence that intestinal microbiota are involved in the development of metabolic syndromes and, consequently, with the development of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Toll‐like receptors (TLRs) are essential for the recognition of microbiota. However, the induction mechanism of TLR signals through the gut‐liver axis for triggering the development of non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) or NAFLD remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the role of palmitic acid (PA) in triggering the development of a pro‐inflammatory state of NAFLD.

Methods

Non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease was induced in mice fed a high fat diet (HFD). The mice were killed and the expression of TLRs, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin (IL)‐1β, and phospho‐interleukin‐1 receptor‐associated kinase 1 in the liver and small intestine were assessed. In addition, primary hepatocytes and Kupffer cells were treated with PA, and the direct effects of PA on TLRs induction by these cells were evaluated.

Results

The expression of inflammatory cytokines such as TNF, IL‐1β, and TLR‐2, ‐4, ‐5, and ‐9 was increased in the liver, but decreased in the small intestine of HFD‐fed mice in vivo. In addition, the expression of TLRs in primary hepatocytes and Kupffer cells was increased by treatment with PA.

Conclusion

In the development of the pro‐inflammatory state of NAFLD, PA triggers the expression of TLRs, which contribute to the induction of inflammatory cytokines through TLR signals by intestinal microbiota.