bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fighting for innovation: exploring the role of conflicts in enabling team innovation
Authors: Batra Safal
Published: December 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.

Design/methodology/approach

– This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

Findings

– Using a survey conducted on 436 candidates belonging to 126 teams, He et al. (2014) found that cognitive and affective conflicts have different implications for team innovations. Further, conflict management styles moderate these relationships. Given the emphasis on innovation in organizations and the realization that innovation can offer sustainable competitive advantage, the findings of this research by He et al. (2014) have implications for practitioners and organizations.

Practical implications

– The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organizations.

Originality/value

– The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.
High velocity markets drive adaptive capabilities
Authors: Oliver John J.
Published: December 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.

Design/methodology/approach

– This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

Findings

– The competitive environment is improving, but the high levels of turbulence mean that an increasing number of media firms believe that they are adapting too slowly to change.

Practical implications

– The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organizations.

Originality/value

– The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.
The Chimera of Sustainable Labour–Management Partnership
Authors: Dobbins Tony , Dundon Tony
Published: December 2015

The paper advances a threefold theoretical contribution using a system, society and dominance (SSD) effects framework to show how and why sustainable management–labour workplace partnerships are a chimera. First, managers (employers) find it increasingly difficult to keep workplace bargains with employees (unions) owing to increasingly neoliberal ‘system’ effects associated with capitalism as a globalized accumulation model. Second, workplace mutuality will be rare because of ‘societal’ level effects under voluntarism. Third, ‘dominance’ effects arising from the power of dominant economies and their multinational corporations can inhibit workplace mutuality. Drawing on empirical case study data from Ireland, the future prognosis of management–labour collaboration under neoliberal work regimes is discussed.
Look What's Back! Institutional Complexity, Reversibility and the Knotting of Logics
Authors: Nicolini Davide , Delmestri Giuseppe , Goodrick Elizabeth , Reay Trish , Lindberg Kajsa , Adolfsson Petra
Published: December 2015

Through a comparative historical study of community pharmacy in the UK, Italy, Sweden and the USA, the authors examine what happens to institutional arrangements designed to resolve ongoing conflicts between institutional logics over extended periods of time. It is found that institutional arrangements can reflect the heterogeneity of multiple logics without resulting in hybridization or dominance. Because logics remain active, similar conflicts can reappear multiple times. It is found that the durability of the configurations of competing logics reflects the characteristics of the polities in which fields are embedded. The dominance of any societal institutional order leads to more stable field‐level arrangements. The authors suggest that the metaphor of institutional knots and the related image of institutional knotting are useful to capture aspects of this dynamic and to foreground the discursive and material work that allows multiple logics to coexist in local arrangements with variable durability.
Are Political Parties More Responsive to Advocacy Groups Mobilising Core Voters or Swing Voters? Political Responsiveness to Citizens' Protest Movements in Swedish Local Governments
Authors: Taghizadeh Jonas Larsson
Published: December 2015

Political scientists often assume that parties listen to some voters more than others. However, this theoretical perspective has rarely been applied to explain political responsiveness to advocacy groups. This article argues that the type of voter mobilised by protest activities plays a role in determining whether advocacy groups are able to influence political decisions. The explanatory value of this approach is demonstrated by a study of the geographic distribution of school closures among Swedish local governments during the 2002–10 period. School issues have been important drivers of contentious politics in Sweden. Two hypotheses are tested. The first hypothesis predicts that protesters in districts with numerous swing voters are more likely to achieve their goals. The second hypothesis predicts that protesters in districts with numerous core voters are more likely to achieve their goals. In line with the swing hypothesis, the main results suggest that protesters are more likely to stop school closures in volatile polling districts.
Was Photios an Anti‐Latin?: Heresy and Liturgical Variation in the Encyclical to the Eastern Patriarchs
Authors: Turner Jack
Published: December 2015

In discussing Epistle 2, most of the attention has been focused on the discussion of the filioque, to the exclusion of Photios’ other liturgical and ecclesiastical comments. While the filioque arguments are now widely seen as an interpolation into the text (though whether by the hand of Photios or another author can be debated), these additional comments are largely glossed over. However, the liturgical comments in Photios’ Ep. 2 are indeed a central point of contention for the Patriarch himself, rather than a scribe or secondary author. Photios’ antagonism towards Latin liturgy is part of a broader cultural conflict between the two halves of medieval Christendom. For Photios, as well as his predecessors and successors, Orthodoxy was increasingly defined as not only a theological issue, but an issue of praxis, and the presence of innovative liturgical practices was indicative of a perverted theology. These sorts of differences would have been especially notable for Greek missionaries to the Bulgars who lived and worked beside, and in opposition to, Latin missionaries in a competition for ecclesiastical hegemony. Ultimately, Photios’ writings against the liturgical practices of the Latins were of considerably greater importance to his contemporaries than the filioque was to his successors, and the implications of Photios’ theology, given his enduring importance to Orthodox Christianity, have the potential to create new flashpoints in contemporary discussions between Orthodox and Western Christians.
Effect of postpartum pelvic floor muscle training on vaginal symptoms and sexual dysfunction—secondary analysis of a randomised trial
Authors: Kolberg Tennfjord M , Hilde G , Stær‐Jensen J , Siafarikas F , Engh M Ellström , Bø K
Published: December 2015

Objective

Evaluate effect of pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) on vaginal symptoms and sexual matters, dyspareunia and coital incontinence in primiparous women stratified by major or no defects of the levator ani muscle.

Design

Randomised controlled trial (RCT).

Setting

Akershus University Hospital, Norway.

Sample

About 175 primiparous women with a singleton vaginal delivery.

Methods

Two‐armed assessor blinded parallel group RCT from 6 weeks to 6 months postpartum comparing effect of PFMT versus control.

Main outcome measures

International Consultation on Incontinence Modular Questionnaire—vaginal symptoms questionnaire (ICIQ‐VS) and ICIQ sexual matters module (ICIQ‐FLUTSsex).

Results

Overall, analysis (n = 175) showed no difference between training and control groups in women having vaginal symptoms or symptoms related to sexual dysfunction 6 months postpartum. The majority of women (88%) had intercourse and there was no difference between groups. Unadjusted subgroup analysis of women with a major defect of the levator ani muscle (n = 55) showed that women in the training group had 45% less risk of having the symptom ‘vagina feels loose or lax’ compared with the control group (relative risk 0.55, 95% confidence interval 0.31, 0.95; P = 0.03).

Conclusions

Unadjusted analysis showed that in women with major defect of the levator ani muscle, significantly fewer in the training group had the symptom ‘vagina feels loose or lax’ compared with the control group. No difference was found between groups for symptoms related to sexual dysfunction. More studies are needed to explore effect of PFMT on vaginal symptoms and sexual dysfunction.

Tweetable abstract

Unadjusted analysis shows that PFMT might prevent symptoms of ‘vagina feels loose or lax’.
The Depoliticisation of Accountability Processes for Land‐Based Grievances, and the IFC CAO
Authors: Balaton‐Chrimes Samantha , Haines Fiona
Published: December 2015

Many development finance institutions have responded to calls for accountability for social and environmental harms associated with their lending by creating Independent Accountability Mechanisms (IAMs). We argue that IAMs can, at their best, provide relief for those concerned with the nature of the implementation of development projects, thereby addressing what we call immanent complaints about social and environmental impacts. However, IAMs are poorly placed to address what we call contestational grievances: those that entail a rejection of core tenets of the lending institution's development model. Such contestational grievances frequently arise when communities and their supporters reject the commodification of land and associated displacement of people and their livelihoods. Analysis draws on the International Finance Corporation Compliance‐Advisor‐Ombudsman (IFC CAO)'s handling of a complaint about the palm oil company Wilmar in Indonesia. We argue that because the CAO is institutionally embedded within the IFC, it shares its normative grounding with the institution it holds to account, and therefore risks organising and legitimating accountability failures related to contestational land‐based grievances.
Pension accrual management and research and development investment
Authors: Sasaki Takafumi
Published: December 2015

This study investigates whether discretion in reporting pension expenses mitigates research and development (R&D) manipulation. Using a sample of Japanese manufacturing firms during the fiscal years 2001–2011 where both pension costs and R&D expenditures have large impacts on the bottom‐line earnings, I find that higher discount rates are associated with higher R&D investment among firms in which pension expenses could have large impacts on reported earnings. I also find that this relationship is found only among firms in high‐tech industries. These results suggest that pension accrual management substitutes costly R&D manipulation that may hurt future competitive edge.
Differential expression of genes in milk of dairy cattle during lactation
Authors: Yang Jie , Jiang Jicai , Liu Xuan , Wang Haifei , Guo Gang , Zhang Qin , Jiang Li
Published: December 2015

The milk fat globule (MFG) is one of the most representative of mammary gland tissues and can be utilized to study gene expression of lactating cows during lactation. In this study, RNA‐seq technology was employed to detect differential expression of genes in MFGs at day 10 and day 70 after calving between two groups of cows with extremely high (H group) and low (L group) 305‐day milk yield, milk fat yield and milk protein yield. In total, 1232, 81, 429 and 178 significantly differentially expressed genes (false discovery rate q < 0.05) were detected between H10 and L10, H70 and L70, H10 and H70, and L10 and L70 respectively. Gene Ontology enrichment and pathway analysis revealed that these differentially expressed genes were enriched in biological processes involved in mammary gland development, protein and lipid metabolism process, signal transduction, cellular process, differentiation and immune function. Among these differentially expressed genes, 178 (H10 vs. L10), 4 (H70 vs. L70), 68 (H10 vs. H70) and 22 (L10 vs. L70) were found to be located within previously reported QTL regions for milk production traits. Based on these results, some promising candidate genes for milk production traits in dairy cattle were suggested.
1,25‐Dihydroxy Vitamin D3 Modulates Endometriosis‐Related Features of Human Endometriotic Stromal Cells
Authors: Delbandi Ali‐Akbar , Mahmoudi Mahmoud , Shervin Adel , Zarnani Amir‐Hassan
Published: December 2015

Problem

We aimed to evaluate modulatory effects of vitamin D3 on endometriosis‐related features of endometriotic stromal cells.

Method of study

The effect of vitamin D3 on adhesion, invasion, proliferation, apoptosis, cytokine production, and angiogenesis potential of the eutopic (EuESCs), ectopic (EESCs), and control (CESCs) stromal cells from 25 women with and 20 women without endometriosis was investigated.

Results

In all groups, vitamin D3 significantly increased cell adhesion (P = 0.0013–0.042), while decreased invasion (P = 0.026–0.031) and proliferation (P = 0.0013–0.039) of EESCs and EuESCs. Such treatment also resulted in a significant decrease in IL‐6 production by EESCs (P = 0.039), but had no significant effect on the IL‐8 production. This vitamin also caused significant decrease in Bcl‐2 gene expression by EuESCs (P = 0.04) and Bcl‐xL by EESCs (P = 0.044–0.009). In addition, vitamin D3 treatment reduced VEGF‐A gene expression by EESCs (P = 0.046–0.009).

Conclusion

Based on substantial favourable in vitro effects of vitamin D3 in endometriosis‐related features of human endometriotic stromal cells, further investigations on therapeutic potential of this hormone in endometriosis are warranted.
The Fiscal Roots of Financial Underdevelopment
Authors: Menaldo Victor
Published: December 2015

Why do some countries indulge in financial repression, harming economic development in the process, whereas others promote financial development? Three main explanations have been put forth. Market failures, due to information asymmetries, mean that credit is rationed even when lenders could potentially benefit from making loans readily available. Political failures, due to state capture, mean that credit will be rationed as a way of generating rents for politically powerful financial incumbents. The state might, however, have its own fiscal reasons for politicizing the supply and price of credit, since financial repression provides easy‐to‐collect revenues. I draw on the third approach to argue that the state's fiscal imperative is usually the primary reason behind financial repression, and even when private actors benefit, they are subordinate to this concern. A dynamic panel analysis that exploits instrumental variables and a case study of Mexico adduce strong empirical support for my fiscal transaction cost theory.

Replication Materials

The data, code, and any additional materials required to replicate all analyses in this article are available on the American Journal of Political Science Dataverse within the Harvard Dataverse Network, at: http://dx.doi.org/10.7910/DVN/WVQ10L.
On power and empowerment
Authors: Pratto Felicia
Published: December 2015

This study presents a conceptual analysis of social power. The most common theories of power are social–relational, an approach instantiated in a range of contemporary experiments that give participants the chance to control other people's outcomes. The relational approach is also reflected in various analyses of international relations. In comparing and contrasting relational theories of power, I identify logical inconsistencies and shortcomings in their ability to address empowerment and reductions in inequality. In turn, I propose a new ecological conceptualization of empowerment as the state of being able to achieve one's goals and of power as stemming from a combination of the capacity of the party and the affordances of the environment. I explain how this new conceptualization can describe the main kinds of power social relations, avoid logical contradictions, and moreover, distinguish power from agency and from control. This new conceptualization of power as the possibility of meeting goals, coupled with recognizing survival as the fundamental goal of all living things, implies an absolute and not relative or relational standard for power, namely well‐being. It also allows us to conceive of power in ways that help address the many social concerns that have motivated research on power.
Cooperation, coordination and competition: Why do municipalities participate in economic development alliances?
Authors: Spicer Zachary
Published: December 2015

Economic development is a policy area typically seen by municipalities as competitive in nature. Cooperation with neighbouring municipalities is rare, as the benefits are often selective. This paper examines the formation and governance of economic development alliances in Canada, specifically exploring the motivations of municipalities entering into these cooperative relationships. Four main factors influenced a municipality's decision to cooperate on economic development: reducing duplication, increasing international visibility, filling service gaps, and allowing for greater access to federal and provincial grants. Economic conditions dictated the course of partnership. Dividing mutual gains is the major challenge to overcome in order to keep economic development alliances together.
Long‐term effectiveness of school‐based children oral hygiene program on oral health after 10‐year follow‐up
Authors: Lai Hongmin , Fann Jean Ching‐Yuan , Yen Amy Ming‐Fang , Chen Li‐Sheng , Lai Min‐Hua , Chiu Sherry Yueh‐Hsia
Published: December 2015

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate the long‐term effectiveness of a school‐based child oral hygiene program on oral heath after approximately 10 years of follow‐up.

Methods

A prospective cohort study was designed to include 120 schoolchildren aged 10–11 years with instructions on how to practice daily flossing and brushing under the supervision of school nurses for one semester (the intervention group) and to recruit a comparison group with no intervention from 120 classmates matched by gender (the nonintervention group). Both groups participated in a questionnaire survey and received dental examinations after long‐term follow‐up.

Results

The mean value of overall plaque score in the intervention group (16.9%) was lower than that of the nonintervention group (32.6%); the adjusted relative risk (aRR) of having a plaque score for the intervention group versus the nonintervention group was 0.4 (95% CI: 0.3, 0.5). The percentage of pocketing (CPI ≧ 2) in the intervention group (75.0%) was lower than that of the nonintervention group (90.8%); the aRR of having calculus or pocketing (CPI ≧ 2) was 0.3 (95% CI: 0.1, 0.6). The intervention group had lower DMFT values and DMFS score than the nonintervention group (4.1 and 6.6 versus 6.2 and 11.0). Moreover, the intervention group had significantly better dental knowledge and habits and dental conditions than the nonintervention group.

Conclusions

This longitudinal follow‐up study demonstrated that a highly targeted oral hygiene program can display positive long‐term effectiveness.
Cytological and electron microscopic findings in a bronchoalveolar lavage sample from a case of pulmonary alveolar proteinosis with radiological correlation
Authors: Narine N. , Rana D. N. , Santhanakrishnan K. , Karunaratne D. , Thiryayi S. A. , Jagger E. , Hardy C.
Published: December 2015

Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis is a rare disease. The definitive diagnosis is usually made from lung biopsy or Broncho alveolar lavage (BAL) samples taken at bronchoscopy. In this case, transmission electron microscopy was performed on an aliquot of the BAL sample. This case illustrates that cytological analysis of BAL samples may be just as diagnostic as histological biopsy and TEM may be performed on BAL samples if adequate and immediate fixation is performed. Authors claim this, to the best of their knowledge, has not previously been reported.
Early childhood cortisol reactivity moderates the effects of parent–child relationship quality on the development of children's temperament in early childhood
Authors: Kopala‐Sibley Daniel C. , Dougherty Lea R. , Dyson Margret W. , Laptook Rebecca S. , Olino Thomas M. , Bufferd Sara J. , Klein Daniel N.
Published: December 2015

Positive parenting has been related both to lower cortisol reactivity and more adaptive temperament traits in children, whereas elevated cortisol reactivity may be related to maladaptive temperament traits, such as higher negative emotionality (NE) and lower positive emotionality (PE). However, no studies have examined whether hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal axis activity, as measured by cortisol reactivity, moderates the effect of the quality of the parent–child relationship on changes in temperament in early childhood. In this study, 126 3‐year‐olds were administered the Laboratory Temperament Assessment Battery (Lab‐TAB; Goldsmith et al., 1995) as a measure of temperamental NE and PE. Salivary cortisol was collected from the child at 4 time points during this task. The primary parent and the child completed the Teaching Tasks battery (Egeland et al., 1995), from which the quality of the relationship was coded. At age 6, children completed the Lab‐TAB again. From age 3 to 6, adjusting for age 3 PE or NE, a better quality relationship with their primary parent predicted decreases in NE for children with elevated cortisol reactivity and predicted increases in PE for children with low cortisol reactivity. Results have implications for our understanding of the interaction of biological stress systems and the parent–child relationship in the development of temperament in childhood.
Temporal regulation of the generation of neuronal diversity in Drosophila
Authors: Yasugi Tetsuo , Nishimura Takashi
Published: December 2015

For the construction of complex neural networks, the generation of neurons and glia must be tightly regulated both spatially and temporally. One of the major issues in neural development is the generation of a large variety of neurons and glia over time from a relatively small number of neural stem cells. In Drosophila, neural stem cells, called neuroblasts (NBs), have been used as a useful model system to uncover the molecular and cellular machinery involved in the establishment of neural diversity. NBs divide asymmetrically and produce another self‐renewing progenitor cell and a differentiating cell. NBs are subdivided into several types based on their location in the central nervous system. Each type of NB has specific features related to the timing of cell generation, cell cycle progression, temporal patterning for neuronal specification, and termination mechanism. In this review, we focus on the molecular mechanisms that regulate the proliferation of NBs and generate a large variety of neuronal and glia subtypes during development.
Pre‐wintering conditions and post‐winter performance in a solitary bee: does diapause impose an energetic cost on reproductive success?
Authors: SGOLASTRA FABIO , ARNAN XAVIER , PITTS‐SINGER THERESA L. , MAINI STEFANO , KEMP WILLIAM P. , BOSCH JORDI
Published: December 2015

1. Diapause is a dynamic process of low metabolic activity that allows insects to survive periods of harsh conditions. Notwithstanding the lowered metabolism, and because diapausing insects have no access to food, diapause has an energetic cost that may affect post‐diapause performance.

2. Previous studies on the solitary bee Osmia lignaria have shown that prolonged pre‐wintering periods (the time during which individuals already in diapause remain at warm temperatures) are associated with elevated lipid consumption, fat body depletion, and body weight loss. The present study investigated whether prolonged pre‐wintering also affects reproduction, i.e. whether the costs associated with diapause could have an effect on post‐diapause performance in this species.

3. Females were exposed to a range of pre‐wintering conditions, and ovary development and individual post‐wintering performance were monitored throughout their adult life span.

4. No evidence of an effect of pre‐wintering duration on post‐diapause reproductive success was found. Expected differences in the timing of establishment were not observed because ovary maturation was, surprisingly, not arrested during pre‐wintering. Prolonged pre‐wintering duration did not result in decreased life span, probably because emerging females could rapidly replenish their metabolic reserves through feeding. However, there was a very strong effect of the duration of the pre‐emergence period on the likelihood of nest establishment.

5. Longevity, the main factor determining fecundity in Osmia, is subjected to high levels of intrinsic variability, even among females of similar size exposed to identical conditions during development and nesting.
On the role of host phenotypic plasticity in host shifting by parasites
Authors: Mason Peri Alexandra
Published: December 2015

Ecological speciation appears to contribute to the diversification of insect herbivores and other parasites, which together comprise a major component of Earth's biodiversity. Host shifts are likely an important step in ecological speciation, and understanding how such shifts occur is critical to forming and testing hypotheses explaining parasite diversity. In this article, I argue that phenotypic variation in hosts arising from environmental variation (phenotypic plasticity) can promote shifts in parasites by bridging both spatiotemporal and phenotypic gaps between ancestral and novel hosts. This hypothesis, which I call the ‘plastic‐bridge hypothesis’, is conceptually distinct from those invoking genetic variation in bridging these gaps. I describe the mechanistic basis of plastic bridges, review circumstantial evidence in support of the hypothesis and suggest strategies for testing it. I use herbivorous insects and their host plants as a model, but the proposed ideas apply to any system fitting a broad definition of a host‐parasite relationship. The plastic‐bridge perspective suggests that parasite diversity is not only due to divergent selection provided by hosts, but also to the intraspecific variation that facilitates shifts between them. This view is timely, as biological invasion and range shifts associated with climate change foster novel interactions between parasites and hosts.
Response of plankton to nutrients, planktivory and terrestrial organic matter: a model analysis of whole‐lake experiments
Authors: Carpenter Stephen R. , Cole Jonathan J. , Pace Michael L. , Wilkinson Grace M.
Published: December 2015

Terrestrial organic matter can be assimilated by aquatic consumers but implications for biomass and production are unresolved. An ecosystem model was fit to estimate effects of phosphorus (P) load, planktivory, and supply rate of terrestrial particulate organic carbon (TPOC) on phytoplankton and zooplankton in five whole‐lake experiments. Phytoplankton biomass increased with P load and planktivory and decreased with TPOC supply rate. Zooplankton biomass increased with P load and responded weakly to planktivory and TPOC supply rate. Zooplankton allochthony (proportion of carbon from terrestrial sources) decreased with P load and planktivory and increased with TPOC supply rate. Lakes with low allochthony (< 0.3) had wide ranges of phytoplankton and zooplankton biomass and production, depending on P load and planktivory. Lakes with high allochthony (> 0.3) had low biomass and production of both phytoplankton and zooplankton. In summary, terrestrial OC inhibits primary production and is a relatively low‐quality food source for zooplankton.
‘PrP systemic deposition disease’: clinical and pathological characteristics of novel familial prion disease with 2‐bp deletion in codon 178
Authors: Matsuzono K. , Honda H. , Sato K. , Morihara R. , Deguchi K. , Hishikawa N. , Yamashita T. , Kono S. , Ohta Y. , Iwaki T. , Abe K.
Published: December 2015

Background and purpose

A novel TYPE of prion disease associated mainly with autonomic‐sensory polyneuropathy was reported by us previously.

Methods

Here the autopsy pathology for patient 1 (the sister) and the clinical characteristics of her younger brother (patient 2) are newly reported. Polymerase chain reaction based restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the prion protein gene (PRNP) was performed on both patients and their father (normal control).

Results

Polymerase chain reaction based restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis revealed a 2‐bp deletion (CT) in codon 178 that causes an additional variable 25 amino acids at the C terminal, from the mutation site to the premature stop codon at codon 203, in both patients 1 and 2 but not in their father. The autopsy of patient 1 showed remarkable prion protein (PrP) deposits in the sympathetic ganglion and peripheral nerves, correlated to her severe autonomic sensory failure. PrP deposits were also found in the central nervous system and peripheral organs such as the heart, lung, stomach, jejunum, ileum, colon, urinary bladder and adrenal gland. The symptoms and biopsy findings of patient 2 were nearly the same as those reported previously for patient 1. His cognitive function was well preserved, but autonomic functions were severely impaired. His biopsied samples showed PrP deposits in the sural nerve and nerve plexuses of the stomach and colon.

Conclusion

The present unique 2‐bp deletion (CT) in codon 178 induced a ‘PrP systemic deposition disease’ such as pan‐autonomic failure, sensory neuropathy and mild cognitive impairment with a specific pathology.
Recommendations for excision following core needle biopsy of the breast: a contemporary evaluation of the literature
Authors: Calhoun Benjamin C , Collins Laura C
Published: December 2015

Pathologists frequently encounter non‐malignant histological findings in percutaneous core needle biopsies (CNBs). Standards for the management of patients with lesions such as atypical ductal hyperplasia, atypical lobular hyperplasia, and lobular carcinoma in situ, as well as other benign lesions, are not well defined, and recommendations for surgical biopsy or continued clinical and radiological follow‐up are inconsistent. The frequency with which these lesions are ‘upgraded’ to carcinoma in excision specimens is widely variable in the literature. Many CNB studies lack careful radiological–pathological correlation, clear criteria for excision, and clinical follow‐up for patients on whom excision was not performed. This review of the recent literature emphasizes studies with radiological–pathological correlation, with the goal of developing a contemporary, evidence‐based approach to the management of non‐malignant lesions of the breast diagnosed on CNB. The data supporting an emerging consensus on which lesions may not require excision are highlighted. The management of non‐malignant lesions diagnosed on magnetic resonance imaging‐guided CNB is also discussed.
The cancer genetics and pathology of male breast cancer
Authors: Deb Siddhartha , Lakhani Sunil R , Ottini Laura , Fox Stephen B
Published: December 2015

Male breast cancer (MBC) is an uncommon and poorly understood disease. Recent molecular studies have shown important differences from female breast cancer which are likely to influence treatment strategies from the current female‐based management towards a more tailored approach. Significantly more MBCs than female breast cancers arise with an underlying germline cancer predisposition, and display a vastly different penetrance compared with females. Furthermore, the genophenotypical association of basal‐like cancer with BRCA1 present in female breast cancer is not observed in male breast cancer. Differences in somatic changes between male and female breast cancer have also been reported, with particular enrichment of PIK3CA mutations and a paucity of TP53 mutations. In general, chromosomal‐based changes, in particular regions of gains, are seen more frequently in male than female breast cancer and methylation is seen less frequently. Clinically, several molecular subtypes with prognostic relevance have been described, including chromosomal complex high and methylation high groups, and subgroups with profiling signatures pertaining to epithelial mesenchymal transition and hormonal therapy insensitivity. As with female breast cancer, attention to male specific multicentre trials based on the individual characteristics are needed, together with establishment of reliable preclinical models to understand more clearly the pathogenesis of male breast cancer and improve the general poor outcome of this disease.
Pathological criteria and practical issues in papillary lesions of the breast – a review
Authors: Ni Yun‐Bi , Tse Gary M
Published: December 2015

Papillary lesions of the breast include a broad spectrum of lesions, ranging from benign papilloma, papilloma with atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH) or ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) to papillary carcinoma. The accurate diagnosis of mammary papillary lesions is a challenge for pathologists, owing to the overlapping features among these lesions. In this review, some of the diagnostic criteria of papillary lesions are discussed, with special emphasis on some key morphological features, namely fibrovascular cores, epithelial proliferation in a solid pattern, intraductal papilloma complicated by ADH or DCIS, and invasion and its mimics. The roles of immunohistochemistry, and the interpretation of myoepithelial cell markers, hormone receptors, and high molecular weight cytokeratin, are addressed. Finally, novel biomarkers and genetic aberrations in papillary lesions are summarized.
Breast cancer stem cells: are we ready to go from bench to bedside?
Authors: Lin Chieh‐Yu , Barry‐Holson Keegan Q , Allison Kimberly H
Published: December 2015

Since the discovery of breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) more than 10 years ago, a body of exciting research has developed. The intrinsic properties of BCSCs, including self‐renewal and the ability to give rise to heterogeneous progeny, make BCSCs a likely source of tumour initiation, heterogeneity, progression and metastasis. BCSCs are also inherently resistant to conventional therapies and are therefore thought to contribute to disease recurrence. In this review, we will focus on both the challenges and recent advances in the characterization of BCSCs with respect to phenotype, molecular signature and their role in the behaviour of the different molecular subtypes of breast cancer. Of most importance is our ability to translate our growing knowledge base into the development of targeted therapies with the goal of reducing adverse outcomes in breast cancer patients.
Umbrella review of the evidence: what factors influence the caring relationship between a nurse and patient?
Authors: Wiechula Rick , Conroy Tiffany , Kitson Alison L. , Marshall Rhianon J. , Whitaker Nancy , Rasmussen Philippa
Published: December 2015

Aims

The aim of this study was to describe the nurse–patient relationships and to study how caring behaviours were described. The review question was: What factors influence the caring relationship between a nurse and patient?

Background

There is a growing perception that nurses fail to provide compassionate and competent care. Policy documents prescribe compassion as an essential aspect of care; however, the evidence drawn on remains unclear and without clear applications to practice.

Design

Umbrella review methodology, informed by the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines, was employed and adapted to enable the inclusion of systematic reviews that were of sufficient methodological quality.

Data sources

An extensive PsychInfo, Pubmed, CINAHL, Scopus, WoS and Embase search was conducted for literature published from January 2000 ‐ March 2014. Key words included ‘nurse’, ‘patient’ and ‘relationship’ in combination with index terms to find literature published from 2000 onward.

Review methods

Critical appraisal, data extraction and synthesis were carried out according to existing guidelines for undertaking umbrella reviews.

Results

Twelve reviews (representing over 290 studies) were included following critical appraisal. Forty‐seven findings were extracted, resulting in 14 categories and six synthesized findings; ‘Expectations of the relationships’ ‘Values’, ‘Knowledge and skills’, ‘Communication’, ‘Context and environment’ and ‘The impact of the relationship’.

Conclusions

A substantial body of evidence demonstrates that both patients and nurses have expectations about the nature and importance of the caring relationship. Nurses should be mindful that their behaviours and attitudes need to align with what patients value about the relationship. Context shapes the relationship in positive and negative ways.
Service user involvement in research may lead to contrary rather than collaborative accounts: findings from a qualitative palliative care study
Authors: Forbat Liz , Hubbard Gill
Published: December 2015

Aim

The aim of this study was to explore what data emerge when former carergivers (co‐researchers) are trained to interview current care‐givers about their experiences.

Background

Despite a trend of involving service users in conducting research interviews, there have been few examinations of how and whether a common service user identity has an impact on the data generated.

Design

Four co‐researchers were recruited, trained and supported to conduct qualitative interviews with 11 current carers of people receiving palliative services. Conversation analysis was used to examine the conversational characteristics of the research interviews. Data were collected in 2010–2011.

Results

Conversation analysis identified that interactional difficulties were evident across the data. When co‐researchers talked about their own experiences as carers, interviewees frequently changed the topic of conversation, thereby closing‐down opportunities for further disclosure or elaboration from the interviewee about the original topic.

Conclusion

Conversation analysis identifies how caregiving identities are co‐constructed and points where there is agreement and disagreement in the co‐construction.
Combining molecular and fossil data to infer demographic history of Quercus cerris: insights on European eastern glacial refugia
Authors: Bagnoli F. , Tsuda Y. , Fineschi S. , Bruschi P. , Magri D. , Zhelev P. , Paule L. , Simeone M. C. , González‐Martínez S. C. , Vendramin G. G.
Published: December 2015

Aim

Phylogeographical studies of Eastern Mediterranean species are rare. We aim to fill a gap in the current understanding of the role of Eastern Mediterranean glacial refugia, and their connections with other refugia across Europe. To this end, we studied the genetic diversity distribution and genetic structure of the modern population of Quercus cerris in relation to its Quaternary demographic history and to more ancient events.

Location

Mediterranean Basin; Italian, Balkan, Anatolian peninsulas.

Methods

A total of 192 populations were genotyped with six polymorphic chloroplast microsatellites, and the genetic diversity and differentiation of the populations were evaluated. The geographical structure of genetic variation was analysed with a Bayesian clustering method using baps 5.2. The demographic history of Q. cerris was explored by an approximate Bayesian computation procedure using diyabc 2.0. To reconstruct the past distribution of Q. cerris, we also considered the chronology and geographical distribution of fossil records.

Results

Thirty‐five haplotypes were found, three of which (together) were found in 71.82% of individuals. Bayesian analysis resulted in three genetically and geographically distinct clusters: a Western group, a Central group, and an Eastern group. The approximate Bayesian computation analysis, together with fossil data, showed a possible bottleneck leading to the divergence of the Eastern and Central populations in the Early Pleistocene (Gelasian). The split into two groups of populations in the Italian and Balkan Peninsulas, respectively, was probably caused by a marked population contraction during a glacial phase of the Middle Pleistocene.

Main conclusions

This study provides information on the potential role of Eastern Europe and the Near East as refugia and as a source for ancient westward range expansions in the Mediterranean region. Our study covers a remarkable gap in European oak phylogeography, showing a putative eastern origin of Q. cerris and the presence of large amounts of genetic diversity in this region.
Past potential habitats shed light on the biogeography of endemic tree species of the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot, South India
Authors: Bose R. , Munoz F. , Ramesh B. R. , Pélissier R.
Published: December 2015

Aim

To investigate how Quaternary climatic changes affected the habitats that support endemic tree species distributions in a tropical rain forest. Based on past and present predicted species distributions, we assessed (1) whether climatic conditions may have supported species survival in the same area over the studied period, (2) the effect of ecological niche specialization on species‐specific responses, and (3) the persistence of current populations in areas that were more climatically stable over time.

Location

Western Ghats, Western Ghats–Sri Lanka Biodiversity Hotspot, India.

Methods

We assessed species’ current bioclimatic preferences based on their occurrence data using Maxent distribution modelling. The models were projected onto past climatic conditions of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and the Last Interglacial (LIG) to assess the extent of changes in species’ predicted distributions through time. Further, we tested whether species’ current occurrences were located non‐randomly in pixels predicted to have been suitable in the past. Finally, we characterized species‐specific responses in relation to plausible biogeographical scenarios.

Results

We identified three distinct scenarios of species’ responses to past climate changes – stability, contraction and shift – depending on their bioclimatic preferences. For high‐elevation species, the cool, dry LGM was less restrictive than for medium‐elevation and northern lowland species. Southernmost species requiring minimal seasonality were restricted by higher LIG seasonality, and only predicted to have been present in Sri Lanka at that time. Barring these southernmost narrow endemics, past suitable habitat, within which observed current occurrences are located, were predicted for most species.

Main conclusions

Palaeoclimate modelling reveals the likely local persistence of most Western Ghats endemics over the last 150 kyr, a relatively recent period in this Paleogene refugium. The large spectrum of bioclimatic preferences probably arose as a result of evolutionary events prior to the Quaternary. Our results highlight the need for further studies based on molecular phylogenetics in this relatively poorly studied biodiversity hotspot.
Telocytes: novel interstitial cells present in the testis parenchyma of the Chinese soft‐shelled turtle Pelodiscus sinensis
Authors: Yang Ping , Ahmad Nisar , Hunag Yufei , Ullah Shakeeb , Zhang Qian , Waqas Yasir , Liu Yi , Li Quanfu , Hu Lisi , Chen Qiusheng
Published: December 2015

Telocytes (TCs) are novel interstitial cells that have been found in various organs, but the existence of TCs in the testes has not yet been reported. The present ultrastructural and immunohistochemical study revealed the existence of TCs and differentiate these cells from the peritubular cells (Pc) in contact with the surrounding structures in the testes. Firstly, our results confirmed the existence of two cell types surrounding seminiferous tubules; these were Pc (smooth muscle like characteristics) and TCs (as an outer layer around Pc). Telocytes and their long thin prolongations called telopodes (Tps) were detected as alternations of thin segments (podomers) and thick bead‐like portions (podoms), the latter of which accommodate the mitochondria and vesicles. The spindle and irregularly shaped cell bodies were observed with small amounts of cytoplasm around them. In contrast, the processes of Pc contained abundant actin filaments with focal densities, irregular spine‐like outgrowths and nuclei that exhibited irregularities similar to those of smooth muscle cells. The TCs connected with each other via homocellular and heterocellular junctions with Pc, Leydig cells and blood vessels. The Tps of the vascular TCs had bands and shed more vesicles than the other TCs. Immunohistochemistry (CD34) revealed strong positive expression within the TC cell bodies and Tps. Our data confirmed the existence and the contact of TCs with their surroundings in the testes of the Chinese soft‐shelled turtle Pelodiscus sinensis, which may offer new insights for understanding the function of the testes and preventing and treating testicular disorders.
Effect of Combined Pretreatment with Slightly Acidic Electrolyzed Water and Botanic Biopreservative on Quality and Shelf Life of Bombay Duck (Harpadon nehereus)
Authors: Chen Jing , Xu Bin , Deng Shanggui , Huang Yuting
Published: December 2015

Slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) and ebony–bamboo leaves complex extracts (EBLCE) were applied to extend the shelf life of the Bombay duck (Harpadon nehereus). The changes of quality indicators, including total viable count, total volatile basic nitrogen, peroxide values, thiobarbituric acid, pH values, whiteness and the sensory scores demonstrated that combination of SAEW and EBLCE had the strongest antimicrobial and antioxidant effects. Use of the combined pretreatment extended the shelf life for approximately 12 days, while pretreatment with SAEW or EBLCE alone resulted in 8‐day extension when compared with the control group. Therefore, combined pretreatment with SAEW and EBLCE could effectively keep the freshness and prolong the shelf life of the Bombay duck.

Practical Applications

Aquatic products are extremely perishable foods and are prone to decomposition by the action of bacteria, which leads to the decrease of quality and shelf life, as well as the increase of health risks. Even though different methods have been employed for the preservation of aquatic products, which are highly susceptible to spoilage, they do not completely inhibit the quality deterioration. The present study provides a potential and attractive alternative to other preservative methods, which is of value in aquatic product industry, and is critical in improving quality and extending shelf life.