bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ethical climate, corporate social responsibility and organizational performance: evidence from the UAE public sector
Authors: Farouk Sherine , Jabeen Fauzia
Published: October 2018

Purpose

Research about ethical governance and corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the United Arab Emirates is still in its infancy. This study aims to explore the public sector employee’s perception toward ethical climate, codes of ethics and CSR and its impact on organizational performance. This research sheds light on the link between formalized ethical procedures and employee responses including CSR, organizational engagement and organizational performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 426 middle-level public sector employees in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, using structural equation modeling to test the proposed hypotheses.

Findings

The findings of this study suggest that an ethical climate is an important organizational component, and that the incorporation of effective codes of ethics and CSR initiatives is desired. Perceptions of public sector employees are positively influenced by the organization’s ethical climate and CSR activities, which in turn affect organizational performance.

Research limitations/implications

The study provides managerial insights for improving the ethical climate and CSR within the public sector context in the United Arab Emirates.

Practical implications

The study offers implications for public sector employers and points out that public sector employers should formulate policies to boost the ethics and CSR environment at workplace to attain competitive advantage.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to the literature by being one of the first to study organizational ethical climate and CSR within a Middle Eastern public sector context and offers implications for theory and practice.
Employee perceptions of fairness toward IoT monitoring
Authors: Al-Hitmi Maryam , Sherif Karma
Published: October 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to explore Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled monitoring in a multi-national petrochemical organization in Qatar and finds that the technology does not negatively influence employee perceptions of fairness, challenging current propositions on monitoring and highlighting the emerging role of culture, competition and paradoxical leadership in moderating the relationship between IoT-enabled monitoring and perceptions of fairness.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors adopted qualitative research as the methodological premise to explore the relationship between IoT-enabled monitoring and perceptions of fairness. They collected data from an oil and gas organization in Qatar to test the validity of the proposed hypotheses.

Findings

While I0T-enabled monitoring was perceived as pervasive, tracking every move and recording conversations, the diffusion of the technology throughout Qatar desensitized employees who felt it was the new reality around workspaces. The following three important factors reshaped employees’ perceptions toward IoT-enabled monitoring: a culture that is driven by productivity and strongly adheres by policies and standards to reach set goals; a highly competitive job market; and a paradoxical leadership who balances between the competition and lucrative rewards.

Research limitations/implications

The limitation of this research is that the authors conducted a case study in similar organizations within the oil and gas industry in the State of Qatar to refute the theory that electronic monitoring of employees in the workspace elicits perceptions of unfairness. Future research can conduct quantitative surveys of employee perceptions in different industries within different cultures to be able to generalize and evolve a universal theory.

Practical implications

The research findings shed light on the escalating pressure global competition exerts on employees that nervousness about pervasive monitoring systems is replaced with fear of job loss and analytics on monitoring data is welcomed as a means of readjusting behavior to meet performance expectations.

Originality/value

The case study is the first to highlight the desensitization of employees to monitoring and the increasing pressure competition plays in motivating them to exceed expectations.
Knowledge management critical success factors and project management performance outcomes in major construction organisations in Sri Lanka
Authors: Gunasekera Vipula Sisirakumara , Chong Siong Choy
Published: October 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of knowledge management critical success factors (KM CSFs) on project management performance outcomes in major construction organisations in Sri Lanka. As a result, the significant KM CSFs are prioritised to support KM implementation.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is cross-sectional in nature, adopting the quantitative method of analysis. The research model includes nine KM CSFs (culture, leadership, organisational structure, IT support, T-shaped skills, training, teamwork, performance measurement and benchmarking) and nine items measuring project management performance outcomes. Data were collected from senior, middle and technical staff involved in projects by means of a self-administered survey questionnaire mailed to them.

Findings

The Pearson’s correlation coefficient suggests that all of the KM CSFs are adequately correlated except for organisational structure, which has a poor correlation with IT support, T-shaped skills, teamwork and benchmarking. The results of multiple linear regression show that four KM CSFs (T-shaped skills, teamwork, benchmarking and transformational leadership) are significantly and positively related to project management performance outcomes. The remaining five KM CSFs are not significant. The multiple-criteria decision-making analysis reveals that benchmarking, transformational leadership, teamwork and T-shaped skills are the main priority for the construction organisations to consider in implementing KM.

Research limitations/implications

Future studies should consider construction organisations of multiple sizes and include factors beyond organisational control, KM processes and the effects of demographic variables. Longitudinal studies are also imperative to determine the performance impact brought about by KM implementation over a period of time.

Practical/implications

Benchmarking, transformational leadership, teamwork and T-shaped skills should serve as the initial focus to support KM implementation to achieve the desired project management performance outcomes. It is only after these KM CSFs are in place that the construction organisations can concentrate on other factors.

Originality/value

This study contributes to a better understanding of the relationships between the KM CSFs and project management performance outcomes in the construction industry in Sri Lanka, which is still at its infancy stage of KM implementation. Prioritisation of the significant KM CSFs in supporting effective KM implementation in the construction organisations further enhances the value of this study.
Incidence and death rate of pemphigus vulgaris and pemphigus foliaceus in Korea: A nationwide, population‐based study (2006–2015)
Authors: Lee Young Bok , Lee Ji Hyun , Lee Soo Young , Kim Jin‐Wou , Yu Dong Soo , Han Kyung Do , Park Yong Gyu
Published: October 2018

The epidemiology of pemphigus varies among racial populations worldwide. Trends in the incidence of pemphigus have not been investigated based on the Korean National Health Insurance database. This study investigated the incidence and death rate of pemphigus with age using nationwide population data in South Korea. A nationwide population‐based cohort study was performed using the Korean National Health Insurance Claims Database from 2006 to 2015. The incidence of pemphigus vulgaris (PV) per 1 000 000 person‐years was 2.059 (1.885 for males and 2.234 for females), and for pemphigus foliaceus (PF) 1.138 (1.205 males and 1.07 for females). The incidence of PV and PF increased with age. The incidence was not different between the habitat and household income. These incidence of PV and PF was significantly higher in subjects with comorbid metabolic conditions, such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension and dyslipidemia. The death rate per 1000 person‐years in PV and PF patients increased with age after adjustment for the presence of comorbidities compared with standard death rate. This study showed that age is an important factor in PV and PF patients in Korea.
Japanese familial anetoderma: A report of two cases and review of the published work
Authors: Fukayama Maiko , Miyagaki Tomomitsu , Akamata Kaname , Suzuki Sayaka , Tanaka Mariko , Sato Shinichi
Published: October 2018

Anetoderma is a rare cutaneous disorder characterized by focal loss of dermal elastic tissue, resulting in macular atrophy or herniated saclike skin. Some families with hereditary anetoderma have been described, but there have been no reports on Japanese familial anetoderma so far. We herein report two Japanese sibling cases of primary anetoderma. A healthy 13‐year‐old Japanese girl and a healthy 15‐year‐old Japanese girl presented to our hospital with a 6‐month history of small atrophic pittings on their arms and trunks. All lesions were less than 0.5 cm in diameter, which are relatively small for non‐familial anetoderma. Preceding infections or skin lesions were not observed. A skin biopsy revealed a focal, complete loss of elastic tissue in the superficial to mid‐dermis which was surrounded by fine, irregular or twisted elastic fibers. Based on these findings, the diagnosis of anetoderma was made. Review of published works demonstrated that the mode of inheritance of familial anetoderma is not simple, suggesting that it is important to survey any family member of the patients with anetoderma.
Do Farmers and the Environment Benefit from Adopting Integrated Pest Management Practices? Evidence from Kenya
Authors: Midingoyi Soul‐kifouly G. , Kassie Menale , Muriithi Beatrice , Diiro Gracious , Ekesi Sunday
Published: October 2018

We estimate the impacts of a bundle of integrated pest management (IPM) practices on mango yield, mango net income, insecticide use, human health and the environment, using recent household survey data of mango growers in Kenya. We employ a multinomial endogenous switching treatment regression model with an ordered probit selection rule to establish counterfactual outcomes. Our results indicate that IPM‐adopting farmers have higher mango yields and mango net income, and also use lower quantities of insecticide and cause less damage to the environment and to human health. In addition, switching from one IPM to multiple IPM practices generates greater economic, environmental and human health benefits. These results suggest intensification of IPM‐adoption efforts and encouragement of the use of multiple IPM practices. These positive outcomes could be achieved through greater provision of technical support and extension services to farmers.
Influence of Pectin Structural Properties on Interactions with Divalent Cations and Its Associated Functionalities
Authors: Celus Miete , Kyomugasho Clare , Van Loey Ann M. , Grauwet Tara , Hendrickx Marc E.
Published: October 2018

Pectin is an anionic cell wall polysaccharide which is known to interact with divalent cations via its nonmethylesterified galacturonic acid units. Due to its cation‐binding capacity, extracted pectin is frequently used for several purposes, such as a gelling agent in food products or as a biosorbent to remove toxic metals from waste water. Pectin can, however, possess a large variability in molecular structure, which influences its cation‐binding capacity. Besides the pectin structure, several extrinsic factors, such as cation type or pH, have been shown to define the cation binding of pectin. This review paper focuses on the research progress in the field of pectin‐divalent cation interactions and associated functional properties. In addition, it addresses the main research gaps and challenges in order to clearly understand the influence of pectin structural properties on its divalent cation‐binding capacity and associated functionalities. This review reveals that many factors, including pectin molecular structure and extrinsic factors, influence pectin–cation interactions and its associated functionalities, which makes it difficult to predict the pectin–cation‐binding capacity. Despite the limited information available, determination of the cation‐binding capacity of pectins with distinct structural properties using equilibrium adsorption experiments or isothermal titration calorimetry is a promising tool to gain fundamental insights into pectin–cation interactions. These insights can then be used in targeted pectin structural modification, in order to optimize the cation‐binding capacity and to promote pectin–cation interactions, for instance for a structure build‐up in food products without compromising the mineral nutrition value.
Influence of Soft Kernel Texture on Fresh Durum Pasta
Authors: Murray Jessica C. , Kiszonas Alecia M. , Morris Craig F.
Published: October 2018

This study examined the quality of fresh pasta made from 3 varieties of a new type of durum wheat possessing soft kernel texture, as compared to fresh pasta made from commercial samples of durum semolina, durum flour, and bread flour, each at 3 levels of hydration (28%, 30%, and 32%, respectively). Soft durum possesses a small part of chromosome 5D that carries the Hardness locus and puroindoline genes. The soft durum lines were derived from the durum varieties Svevo, Alzada, and Havasu. The soft durum pasta exhibited low cooking weight increase (water uptake) (115% to 122%), the lowest cooking loss (∼3% to 4%), high firmness (269.3, 265.8, and 297.9 g, Soft Svevo, Soft Havasu, and Soft Alzada, respectively, versus 239.7 and 273.6 g, durum flour and semolina, respectively), low stickiness (4.17 to 4.96 g·s for the soft durums compared with 5.04 for the semolina), and raw and cooked pasta color comparable to or superior to those exhibited by the durum semolina (high L* and b*). The soft durum samples also exhibited pasta quality superior to both the durum flour and bread flour samples. These results challenge the long‐standing view that high‐quality pasta must be made from durum semolina.

Practical Application

This study illustrates the quality and potential applications of soft durum wheat in pasta manufacturing. As a new type of wheat, understanding these properties is crucial for manufacturers and others who may be interested in utilizing soft durum.
Altered expression of CD39 on memory regulatory T cells in type 1 diabetes patients
Authors: Jin Xi , Zhang Chenghui , Gong Lina , Li Huifang , Wang Yan , Li Qin , Li Hong
Published: October 2018

Background

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease resulting from an attack by autoreactive T lymphocytes against pancreatic islet β‐ cells. In recent studies, regulatory T cells (Tregs) have been implicated in the process of T1D. Furthermore, cluster of differentiation 39 (CD39), which is involved in the suppression of inflammation, has been shown to be expressed on Tregs. However, the pathological importance of CD39 to the memory Treg population remains unclear.

Methods

This study investigated Treg subsets, focusing on resting, effector, and memory Tregs, and determined CD39 expression on Tregs. In addition, changes in Treg subsets and Treg‐associated cytokine secretion after CD3/CD28 stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells were evaluated in diabetic patients and healthy controls. The suppressive function of Tregs was measured using the mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) test.

Results

There was a higher percentage of memory Tregs in T1D patients than healthy controls. However, Tregs in T1D patients showed impaired suppression, with low forkhead box P3 (Foxp3) expression and low serum interleukin (IL)‐10 levels. Furthermore, CD39 expression on Tregs, and on memory Tregs in particular, was lower in T1D patients than healthy controls. After stimulation, the percentage of resting Tregs was decreased and that of effector/memory Tregs was increased in both healthy controls and T1D patients, but CD39 expression on effector/memory Tregs was still lower and there was no increase in IL‐10 secretion in T1D patients.

Conclusions

The defective suppressive function of Tregs in T1D patients is due to lower expression of CD39 on memory Tregs.
Identifying Nursing Diagnosis Patterns in Three Intensive Care Units Using Network Analysis
Authors: Moon Mikyung
Published: October 2018

PURPOSE

This study aimed to analyze the patterns of nursing diagnoses used in three different types of intensive care units (ICUs) using network analysis.

METHODS

A secondary analysis was conducted using clinical datasets of 582 patients. Frequency, degree/betweenness centrality, and subgroup analysis were performed.

FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS

The findings illuminated core nursing diagnoses with high centrality as well as high frequency. The centrality analysis identified the differences between and unique characteristics of each ICU. The subgroup analysis revealed the nursing problem groups related to the specific nursing care delivered to ICU patients.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE

Theses results provide a knowledge base to aid ICU nurses' prompt decision making regarding nursing diagnoses.
Sustainable close encounters: integrating tourist and animal behaviour to improve rhinoceros viewing protocols
Authors: Muntifering J. R. , Linklater W. L. , Naidoo R. , !Uri‐≠Khob S. , Preez P. D. , Beytell P. , Jacobs S. , Knight A. T.
Published: October 2018

Tourism may benefit conservation, but some wildlife viewing practices threaten the sustainability of both business and conservation initiatives. In north‐west Namibia, conservation‐oriented tourism provides tourists with an opportunity to encounter the critically‐endangered black rhinocerosDiceros bicornison foot. We used 123 tourist‐rhinoceros encounters and employed a statistical modeling approach to: (1) identify the characteristics of human‐rhinoceros encounters that caused rhinoceros disturbance and displacement; and (2) design rhinoceros‐human encounter guidelines that improve sustainability. A model‐averaging, information‐theoretic approach identified tourist approach distance, viewing time and individual encounter exposure as the most significant predictors of rhinoceros disturbance level. A suite of rhinoceros viewing scenarios were modeled for acceptable disturbance risks, and adopted as a rhinoceros viewing policy. The policy reduced encounter displacements by 80% while maintaining a 95% positive feedback rating from guests. We demonstrate an evidence‐based, policy‐oriented management approach can help improve tourism's contribution towards the conservation of an endangered species.
State Capacity and the Economic History of Colonial India
Authors: Roy Tirthankar
Published: October 2018

The paper re‐examines the role of the state in economic change in colonial India (1757–1947), by paying attention to fiscal capacity. This capacity was larger than that of the precolonial states, and based on different foundations, such as centralisation of finance and securitisation of public debt. Nevertheless, the effort to raise finance hit a barrier, which had owed to the separation of debt from revenue operations. Did the barrier matter? By keeping markets open, the colonial state served private enterprise, but its failure to sustain growth in fiscal capacity compromised public investment in infrastructure and social development.
Complete state‐wide outcomes in elective colon cancer surgery
Authors: Faragher Ian G. , Hong Michael K.‐Y. , Stupart Douglas , Watters David A. , Yeung Justin
Published: October 2018

Background

Maintaining high standards in colon cancer surgery requires the measurement of quality indicators and the re‐allocation of resources to address deficiencies. We used state‐wide administrative data to determine the inpatient mortality for patients undergoing elective colon cancer surgery and to compare individual hospital rates.

Methods

The Dr Foster Quality Investigator Tool was used to explore the Victorian Admitted Episodes Dataset for elective admissions for colon cancer surgery between 2012 and 2016. The inpatient mortality rate, 30‐day readmission rate and the proportion of patients with increased length of stay were measured. Risk‐adjusted rates were used to compare public and private hospitals. A peer group of 14 hospitals were studied using funnel plots to determine inter‐hospital variation in mortality.

Results

There were 6120 colectomies performed for colon cancer in Victoria over 3 years. The crude inpatient mortality rate was 1.3%. It was significantly higher in public than private hospitals, even after risk adjustment. Variation in crude mortality was demonstrated among 14 selected hospitals. The lowest volume hospitals had significantly higher inpatient mortality rates. Right hemicolectomy was the commonest procedure performed.

Conclusion

Using an efficient method of complete state‐wide data capture, we have demonstrated that the inpatient mortality rate after elective colon cancer surgery in Victoria is low. However, complexity remains around the interpretation of inter‐hospital variation, defining outliers, and comparing outcomes between public and private hospitals. Resolving these complexities and defining additional quality indicators remain a priority in the use of administrative data to audit the quality of colon cancer care.
Dexamethasone for unresponsive diabetic macular oedema: optical coherence tomography biomarkers
Authors: Bonfiglio Vincenza , Reibaldi Michele , Pizzo Alessandra , Russo Andrea , Macchi Iacopo , Faro Giuseppe , Avitabile Teresio , Longo Antonio
Published: October 2018

Purpose

To analyse the effects of intravitreal dexamethasone implant (DEX) in patients with diabetic macular oedema (DME) unresponsive to ranibizumab treatment, in relation to the inflammatory optical coherence tomography (OCT) retinal features, subfoveal neuroretinal detachment (SND) and hyperreflective retinal spots (HRS).

Methods

Patients with DME poorly responsive to three injections of ranibizumab were treated with DEX. Best‐corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central macula thickness (CMT, measured by Spectralis SD‐OCT) were assessed at baseline and at 1, 3, and 6 months.

Results

Overall, 44 eyes were included in the study. In the whole group, mean BCVA (baseline 51.5 ± 8.3 letters) increased significantly at 1 month (to 56.9 ± 8.8 letters; Tukey HSD p = 0.017) and was 55.5 ± 8.8 letters at 3 months (Tukey HSD p = 0.128). Central macula thickness (CMT) reduced significantly at 1 and 3 months (417 ± 149 μm and 469 ± 128 μm, respectively, both Tukey HSD p < 0.001 versus baseline).

Subgroup analysis showed a significant BCVA increase at 1 month in eyes with SND + HRS (from 51.2 ± 9.2 to 58.2 ± 9.0, p = 0.029), and a trend to BCVA increase in eyes with HRS (from 52.3 ± 6.4 to 56.8 ± 7.9, p = 0.080), with a significant CMT decrease in both groups (p < 0.001). No changes of either parameter were found in eyes without SND and HRS.

Conclusion

Spectral domain OCT is useful in identifying some inflammatory features in DME. Among DME eyes ‘poorly responsive’ to ranibizumab, those with SND and HRS responded better to DEX implants than those without these features.
Editorial: severe outcomes are rare in pregnancy in autoimmune hepatitis—Authors' reply
Authors: Grønbæk Lisbet , Vilstrup Hendrik , Jepsen Peter
Published: October 2018

Linked Content

This article is linked to Grønbæk et al and Hagstrom and Ludvigsson papers. To view these articles visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14925 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14957.
Letter: is there a role for infliximab biosimilar in patients with inflammatory bowel disease with secondary loss of response to infliximab innovator?
Authors: Orfanoudaki Eleni , Drygiannakis Ioannis , Koutroubakis Ioannis E.
Published: October 2018

Linked Content

This article is linked to Schmitz et al papers. To view this article visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14453.
Letter: the association between the use of different proton pump inhibitors and microscopic colitis should be re‐evaluated
Authors: Tao Ping , Wang Shiying
Published: October 2018

Linked Content

This article is linked to Bonderup papers. To view these articles visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14916 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14995.
Letter: which risk factors for post‐operative recurrence in Crohn's disease can be modified?
Authors: Imperatore Nicola , Rispo Antonio , Luglio Gaetano , Bucci Luigi , Castiglione Fabiana
Published: October 2018

Linked Content

This article is linked to Auzolle et al paper. To view this article visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14944.
Editorial: predicting hepatic encephalopathy after TIPSS—is multimodal cerebral MRI the answer? Authors’ reply
Authors: Rudler Marika , Galanaud Damien , Thabut Dominique
Published: October 2018

Linked Content

This article is linked to Rudler et al and Armstrong and Tripathi papers. To view these articles visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14938 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14973.
Postruminal supply of amino acids enhances ghrelin secretion and lipid metabolism in feed‐deprived sheep
Authors: Elsabagh Mabrouk , Ishikake Motomi , Sakamoto Yasuaki , Haruno Atsushi , Miura Makoto , Fujieda Takeshi , Obitsu Taketo , Sugino Toshihisa
Published: October 2018

Single amino acids (AA) feeding is gaining more attention for their functional roles beyond nutritional needs. This study aimed to describe the endocrine and metabolic responses to a single AA administration (at 10% of MP for maintenance) in 48 hr fasted sheep (n = 4) receiving, over continued 4 hr, a duodenal infusate of saline (control), glutamate (Glu), glutamine (Gln), lysine HCl (Lys), threonine (Thr), or valine (Val) in a 4 by 6 Youden square design with weekly intervals. Blood samples were collected at 0, 15, 30, 60, 120, 180, and 240 min relative to the infusion onset, and plasma AA, glucose, β‐hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA), nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA), ghrelin, insulin, glucagon, and insulin‐like growth factor 1 (IGF‐1) concentrations were measured. The results showed that the duodenal supply of Glu, Gln, Lys, Thr, and Val enhanced ghrelin release. Administration of Glu, Gln, and Val declined plasma BHBA concentrations, whereas plasma NEFA levels were decreased with Gln and Thr. Insulin concentration was greater with Thr, glucagon levels were increased with Lys, Thr, Val, and Glu, whereas IGF‐1 levels were enhanced with Gln, Lys, and Thr supply. Thus, selective AA feeding can positively adjust the endocrine status and counteract the feed restriction‐induced lipid mobilization.
Uterus transplants and the insufficient value of gestation
Authors: McTernan Emily
Published: October 2018

Uterus transplants provide another treatment for infertility. Some might think that we should embrace such transplants as one more way to assist people to have children. However, in this paper I argue that uterus transplants are not something that we ought to fund, nor something that we should make easy to access. First, I argue that any justification of providing uterus transplants must be based on the value of the experience of gestation, rather than on claims of meeting medical need or promoting normal functioning. Second, I demonstrate that such a justification has limited prospects of success. The value of experiencing gestation is unlikely to be sufficient to justify state funding of uterus transplants and, further, we have reason to refrain from enabling such transplants.
‘We fight for a better future for our country’: Understanding the Ukrainian Euromaidan movement as the emergence of a social competition strategy
Authors: Chayinska Maria , Minescu Anca , McGarty Craig
Published: October 2018

The current research seeks to develop an analysis of Ukraine's Euromaidan social movement in psychological terms. Building on the classic understanding of social competition strategies, we argue that Euromaidan protests can be conceived as an attempt of pro‐European Union (EU) Ukrainians to realign the boundaries of the Ukrainian national identity by defeating the alternative pro‐Russia integration project championed by the government. In particular, building on the encapsulated model of social identity in collective action, we suggest that Euromaidan is an emergent opinion‐based group identity, formed in response to injustice through two self‐categorical processes – group‐level self‐investment into the shared entity (i.e., Ukrainian national category) and disidentification from the alternative Russia‐led Customs Union. Using a sample of 3,096 participants surveyed during the protests, we tested our hypotheses with structural equation modelling, where the model accounting for the direct and indirect paths of the self‐categorical processes was expected to explain collective action intentions to a great extent than models applying the social identity and encapsulation models of collective action. We found evidence consistent with the proposal that Euromaidan was a pro‐EUopinion‐based group, formed in response to the government's decision to suspend theEU–Ukraine agreement and around individuals’ general perception of unfair government authorities.
Surveying tropical birds is much harder than you think: a primer of best practices
Authors: Robinson W. Douglas , Lees Alexander C. , Blake John G.
Published: October 2018

Birds are tempting to include in studies of tropical ecology and conservation. Yet, they are deceptively difficult to detect, identify and, particularly, count. We briefly review some common challenges of surveying tropical birds, offer guidance on the most important decisions to consider when selecting methodologies, and recommend best practices to ensure collection of reliable, repeatable, and reviewer‐friendly survey data.
Targeting the Plasmodium falciparum plasmepsin V by ligand‐based virtual screening
Authors: Meissner Kamila Anna , Kronenberger Thales , Maltarollo Vinícius Gonçalves , Trossini Gustavo Henrique Goulart , Wrenger Carsten
Published: October 2018

Malaria is a devastating disease depending only on chemotherapy as treatment. However, medication is losing efficacy, and therefore, there is an urgent need for the discovery of novel pharmaceutics. Recently, plasmepsin V, an aspartic protease anchored in the endoplasmaic reticulum, was demonstrated as responsible for the trafficking of parasite‐derived proteins to the erythrocytic surface and further validated as a drug target. In this sense, ligand‐based virtual screening has been applied to design inhibitors that target plasmepsin V of P. falciparum (PMV). After screening 5.5 million compounds, four novel plasmepsin inhibitors have been identified which were subsequently analyzed for the potency at the cellular level. Since PMV is membrane‐anchored, the verification in vivo by using transgenic PMV overexpressing P. falciparum cells has been performed in order to evaluate drug efficacy. Two lead compounds, revealing IC50 values were 44.2 and 19.1 μm, have been identified targeting plasmepsin V in vivo and do not significantly affect the cell viability of human cells up to 300 μm. We herein report the use of the consensus of individual virtual screening as a new technique to design new ligands, and we propose two new lead compounds as novel protease inhibitors to target malaria.
Childhoods in Policy: A Critical Analysis of National Child Protection Policy in the Philippines
Authors: Roche Steven
Published: October 2018

This article investigates policy in the Philippines relating to the protection of children, which, despite policy efforts in this space, and growing evidence of child maltreatment and its impact, remains unexamined by the literature. It examines constructions of childhoods utilising a critical policy analysis of national policy documents concerning children's welfare and protection. Analysis finds conflicting representations of children's agency, defining children as ‘becomings’, but also as rights holders and social actors, viewing children as both embedded in, and reliant on, family, consequently detailing important insights into Filipino policy‐making and society.
Parent coaching at 6 and 10 months improves language outcomes at 14 months: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Ferjan Ramírez Naja , Lytle Sarah Roseberry , Fish Melanie , Kuhl Patricia K.
Published: October 2018

Previous studies reveal an association between particular features of parental language input and advances in children's language learning. However, it is not known whether parent coaching aimed to enhance specific input components would (a) successfully increase these components in parents' language input and (b) result in concurrent increases in children's language development. The present randomized controlled trial assigned families of typically developing 6‐month‐old infants to Intervention (parent coaching) and Control (no coaching) groups. Families were equivalent on socioeconomic status, infants' gender, and infants' age. Parent coaching took place when infants were 6 and 10 months of age, and included quantitative and qualitative linguistic feedback on the amount of child‐directed speech, back‐and‐forth interactions, and parentese speech style. These variables were derived from each family's first‐person LENA recordings at home. Input variables and infant language were measured at 6, 10, and 14 months. Parent coaching significantly enhanced language input as measured by two social interaction variables: percentage of speech directed to the child and percentage of parentese speech. These two variables were correlated, and were both related to growth in infant babbling between 6 and 14 months. Intervention infants showed greater growth in babbling than Control infants. Furthermore, at 14 months, Intervention infants produced significantly more words than Control infants, as indicated by LENA recordings and parent report via the MacArthur‐Bates Communicative Developmental Inventory. Together, these results indicate that parent coaching can enrich specific aspects of parental language input, and can immediately and positively impact child language outcomes. A video abstract of this article can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/7wqR28gPiwo
Cerebellar malformations in children: determining long‐term neurological outcomes
Authors: Salman Michael S , Manto Mario
Published: October 2018

This commentary is on the original article by Pinchefsky et al. on pages
350–358 of this issue.
Deep brain stimulation for pediatric dystonia: a meta‐analysis with individual participant data
Authors: Elkaim Lior M , Alotaibi Naif M , Sigal Alissa , Alotaibi Haifa M , Lipsman Nir , Kalia Suneil K , Fehlings Darcy L , Lozano Andres M , Ibrahim George M ,   North American Pediatric DBS Collaboration
Published: October 2018

Aim

We performed a meta‐analysis with individual participant data of deep brain stimulation (DBS) for dystonia in children and young people.

Method

Three databases (PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science) were queried from January 1999 to August 2017 with no language restrictions to identify case studies and cohort studies reporting on pediatric patients (age ≤21y) with dystonia. The primary outcomes were changes in Burke‐Fahn‐Marsden (BFM) or Barry‐Albright Dystonia Scale scores. A mixed‐effects regression was used to identify associations between clinical covariates and outcomes.

Results

Of 2509 citations reviewed, 72 articles (321 children) were eligible. At last follow‐up (median 12mo, 25th centile=9.0; 75th centile=32.2), 277 (86.3%) patients showed improvement in dystonia, while 66.1 percent showed clinically significant (>20%) BFM Dystonia Rating Scale‐motor improvement. On multivariable hierarchical regression, older age at dystonia onset, inherited dystonia without nervous system pathology and idiopathic dystonia (vs inherited with nervous system pathology or acquired dystonia), and truncal involvement indicated a better outcome (p<0.05).

Interpretation

The data suggest that DBS is effective and should be considered in selected children with inherited or idiopathic dystonia.

What this paper adds

Deep brain stimulation is effective in selected children with inherited or idiopathic dystonia.
Bioprosthetic mitral valve thrombosis and subsequent obstruction from non‐Hodgkins lymphoma despite anticoagulation
Authors: Khanji Mohammed Y , Wheeler Richard , Nawaytou Omar , Sheikh Azeem S
Published: October 2018

Malignancy can cause a hypercoagulable state, it rarely causes prosthetic valve thrombosis, with only limited cases reports due to lymphoma. Although no standardised approach for treatment exists, the combination of early diagnosis, surgical intervention and adjuvant chemotherapy are likely to provide the best chances of survival. We describe an interesting case of a bioprosthetic mitral valve thrombosis leading to valve obstruction in a patient with non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma despite being on anticoagulation.
The auxin‐inducible degradation system enables conditional PERIOD protein depletion in the nervous system of Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Chen Wenfeng , Werdann Michelle , Zhang Yong
Published: October 2018

Tools that allow inducible and reversible depletion of target proteins are critical for biological studies. The plant‐derived auxin‐inducible degradation system (AID) enables the degradation of target proteins tagged with the AID motif. This system has been recently employed in mammalian cells as well as in Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila. To test the utility of the AID approach in the nervous system, we used circadian locomotor rhythms as a model and applied the AID method to temporally and spatially degrade PERIOD (PER), a critical pacemaker protein in Drosophila. We found that the period locus can be efficiently tagged with the AID motif by CRISPR/Cas9‐based genome editing without disrupting PER function. Moreover, we demonstrated that the AID system could be used to induce rapid and efficient protein degradation in the nervous system as shown by effects on circadian and sleep behaviors. Furthermore, the protein degradation by AID was rapidly reversible after auxin removal. Together, our results show that the AID system provides a powerful tool for behavior studies in Drosophila.
Multiple interfacial cracks in dissimilar piezoelectric layers under time harmonic loadings
Authors: Ayatollahi Mojtaba , Fartash Amir Hossein
Published: October 2018

In this study, the dislocation‐based model is developed to study the interaction between time‐harmonic elastic waves and multiple interface cracks in 2 bonded dissimilar piezoelectric layers. In this model, cracks are represented by a distribution of so‐called electro‐elastic dislocations whose density is to be determined by satisfying the boundary conditions. Using the Fourier transform, this formulation leads to 2 singular integral equations, which can be solved numerically for the densities of electro‐elastic dislocations on a crack surface. The formulation is used to determine dynamic field intensity factors for multiple interface cracks without limitation of number of cracks. The dynamic field intensity factors are then calculated for both permeable and impermeable crack, and finally, numerical results are presented to illustrate the variation of these quantities with the electromechanical coupling, crack spacing, and the frequency of loading.
Historical perspectives on advertising and the meme that personal oral hygiene prevents dental caries
Authors: Hujoel Philippe P.
Published: October 2018

The consensus of a leading scientific panel in 1930 was that oral hygiene products could not prevent dental caries. Their view was that dental caries prevention required the proper mineralisation of teeth and that vitamin D could achieve this goal. Over a hundred subsequent controlled trials, conducted over seven decades, largely confirmed that this scientific panel had made the right decisions. They had, in 1930, when it comes to dental caries, correctly endorsed vitamin D products as dental caries prophylactics and oral hygiene products as cosmetics. And yet, despite this consistent scientific evidence for close to a century, an opposing conventional wisdom emerged which thrives to this day: oral hygiene habits (without fluoride) protect the teeth from dental caries, and vitamin D plays no role in dental caries prevention. This historical analysis explores whether persistent advertising can deeply engrain memes on dental caries prevention which conflict with controlled trial results. The question is raised whether professional organisations, with a dependence on advertising revenues, can become complicit in amplifying advertised health claims which are inconsistent with the principles of evidence‐based medicine.
Mother–Infant Interaction and Child Brain Morphology: A Multidimensional Approach to Maternal Sensitivity
Authors: Bernier Annie , Dégeilh Fanny , Leblanc Élizabel , Daneault Véronique , Bailey Heidi N. , Beauchamp Miriam H.
Published: October 2018

Emerging research suggests that normative variation in parenting quality relates to children's brain development. However, although the young brain is presumed to be especially sensitive to environmental influence, to our knowledge only two studies have examined parenting quality with infants as it relates to indicators of brain development, and both were cross‐sectional. This longitudinal study investigated whether different components of maternal sensitivity in infancy predicted the volume of two brain structures presumed to be particularly sensitive to early experience, namely the amygdala and the hippocampus. Three dimensions of sensitivity (Cooperation/Attunement, Positivity, Accessibility/Availability) were observed in 33 mother–infant dyads at 1 year of age and children underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging at age 10. Higher maternal Accessibility/Availability during mother–infant interactions was found to be predictive of smaller right amygdala volume, while greater maternal positivity was predictive of smaller bilateral hippocampal volumes. These longitudinal findings extend those of previous cross‐sectional studies and suggest that a multidimensional approach to maternal behavior could be a fruitful way to further advance research in this area, given that different facets of parenting might be differentially predictive of distinct aspects of neurodevelopment.
VNS methods for home care routing and scheduling problem with temporal dependencies, and multiple structures and specialties
Authors: Frifita Sana , Masmoudi Malek
Published: October 2018

The need for optimization in the Home Care Service is becoming more and more legitimate in the face of the increase of demand and cost all over the world. Recently, many researchers in the Operation Research community have been attracted by this issue, which presents interesting aspects related to the vehicle routing problems. In this paper, we consider a new variant called the vehicle routing problem with time windows, temporal dependencies (synchronization, precedence, and disjunction), multi‐structures, and multispecialties problem (VRPTW‐TD‐2MS). This new variant is an extension of the vehicle routing problems with time windows and synchronization constraints (VRPTW‐S) that is well‐studied in literature. We present a Mixed Integer Programming method, and propose three Variable Neighborhood Search approaches. Extensive experiments show the effectiveness and efficiency of the General Variable Neighborhood Search with Ejection Chains‐based local search for solving VRPTW‐TD‐2MS and VRPTW‐S.
Functional role of RRS1 in breast cancer cell proliferation
Authors: Song Jinlian , Ma Zhongliang , Hua Yanan , Xu Junting , Li Ning , Ju Chuanxia , Hou Lin
Published: October 2018

RRS1 (human regulator of ribosome synthesis 1), an essential nuclear protein involved in ribosome biogenesis, is overexpressed in some human cancers, yet its role in breast cancer remains unclear. Here, we report a functional analysis of RRS1 in breast cancer and its likely mechanism. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and RT‐qPCR analyses indicated that RRS1 was commonly overexpressed in breast cancer tissues. The copy numbers of RRS1 were higher in tumours compared with those for normal tissues. And there was a significant correlation between copy number and mRNA expression. In addition, RRS1 overexpression was significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis and poor survival. RRS1 mRNA and protein levels were also significantly increased in a panel of human breast cancer cell lines. RRS1 knockdown inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in all three cell lines. Furthermore, RRS1 knockdown suppressed the tumour formation and growth of MDA‐MB‐231 cells in nude mice. Additionally, RRS1 knockdown activated p53 and p21 in MCF‐7 cells. A marked increase in the quantity of ribosome‐free RPL11 was detected by Western blot. Moreover, co‐immunoprecipitation (CoIP) experiments showed that RRS1 knockdown activated p53 by facilitating the direct contact of MDM2 and RPL11/RPL5. Taken together, our results suggest that RRS1 may contribute to breast cancer proliferation through RPL11/MDM2‐mediated p53 activation. Therefore, RRS1 may be a promising target for breast cancer therapy.
Some of the effective factors in the pathogenesis of gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease
Authors: Nejat Pish‐Kenari Fatemeh , Qujeq Durdi , Maghsoudi Hossein
Published: October 2018

Oesophageal adenocarcinoma is one of the most fatal tumours to affect the digestive tract and is the eighth most common malignancy worldwide. Gastro‐oesophageal reflux has an important role in the incidence of adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus. Gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a multifactorial, acid‐peptic disorder that results from the reflux of noxious material from the stomach into the oesophagus. The refluxed material causes the occurrence of oesophageal inflammation which creates a condition that is called reflux oesophagitis. The prevalence of this disease has increased dramatically in recent decades, mostly in the western world, where it affects about 10% to 30% of the population. The aetiology of oesophageal mucosal damage is complicated. Many inflammatory mediators are produced within the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, but their contributions in pathophysiology and disease pathogenesis have not been well investigated. Despite the protective barrier provided by the oesophageal mucosa, refluxed materials can cause oxidative injury and in?ammatory responses that involve the epithelium and immune cells. The analysing cellular events in gastro‐ oesophageal reflux disease and physiological responses to such conditions are important and necessary for a better grasp of the pathogenesis of GERD and the expansion of new treatments. Therefore, we want to discuss some of the important and key factors of GERD disease in this article.