bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PB2445 PRE‐TRANSFUSION IMMUNOHEMATOLOGY TESTING INTERFERENCE WITH DARATUMUMAB: PRELIMINARY EXPERIENCE FROM THE FIRST PATIENTS TREATED AT ASST GOM NIGUARDA
Authors: Cuppari I. , Crocchiolo R. , Boiani E. , Cafro A. , Bertazzoni P. , Soldarini M. , Pugliano M. T. , Volpato E. , Rossini S.
Published: June 2019

Background:

Daratumumab is a human anti‐CD38 monoclonal antibody approved for the treatment of relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (MM). Due to the physiological presence of the antigen CD38 on the red blood cell (RBC) membrane, Daratumumab (DARA) inteferes with the classical pre‐transfusion tests, impairing the identification of potential auto‐ or alloantibodies whenever present. The duration of this interference has been reported to be of 2‐6 months after the last DARA administration [Oostendorp M, Transfusion 2015].

Aims:

The present analysis aims at evaluating the duration of DARA‐related pre‐transfusion testing interference after the end of treatment at our Center, in order to better define an optimal strategy to assign compatible packed RBCs for transfusion therapy.

Methods:

According to our policy, all patients were typed for AB0, full Rh phenotype, K/k, direct/indirect antiglobulin tests and extended sierological RBCs typing before starting with DARA [2016 SIMTI recommendations]; the identification of compatible packed RBCs was obtained after crossmatching using dithiothreitol‐treated patient's blood sample.

Results:

From October 2017, a total of n = 7 MM patients received DARA at a median age of 68y (range: 50‐79); median number of previous therapeutic lines was 3 (range: 1‐7) and the median number of weekly administrations was 7 per patient (range: 1‐12). Two patients are still receiving DARA (1 and 12 administrations respectively). As expected, both direct and indirect antiglobulin tests were positive for all patients; moreover, one patient had also a well‐identified allo anti‐D antibody. Among the n = 5 ongoing patients, n = 4 are evaluable because they underwent the subsequent pre‐transfusion tests after the end of DARA treatment: n = 1 still presents interference 50 days after the end of DARA whereas interference disappeared in n = 3 patients at 48, 65 and 111 days after the last treatment.

Summary/Conclusion:

Our preliminary data confirm the persistence of DARA‐related pre‐transfusion testing interference after the end of treatment for a median period of 2 months in this cohort of MM patients treated at our Institution. Futher follow‐up and the analysis of additional patients in the next future will allow to better determine the duration of interference; we believe these data are worthy of note due to increasing use of DARA, even for other clinical situations [Chapuy CI, NEJM 2018; Kwun JEB, Am J Transplant 2017]
PB2448 REASONS FOR BLOOD DONOR DEFERRAL AMONG VOLUNTARY BLOOD DONORS IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL IN KATHMANDU, NEPAL
Authors: Nepal B.
Published: June 2019

Background:

Ensuring the wellness of the voluntary blood donor is the main purpose of the donor deferral. It also minimizes the unwanted symptoms that may appear among blood donor recipient.

Aims:

To analyse the reasons for blood donor deferral among voluntary Blood Donors In A Tertiary Care Hospital In Kathmandu, Nepal

Methods:

This is the retrospective study carried out among voluntary blood donors at Grande International Hospital, a tertiary care hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal from January 2013 to January 2015.

Results:

The data were collected from previous records of the blood donor history forms. From a total of 8,550 blood donations, 302(3.53%) blood donor were deferred due to various reasons. Among all the deferred blood donors 189(62.58%) were female where as 113(37.42%) were male. Furthermore, 289(95.69%) were temporarily deferred and 13(4.31%) were permanently deferred. The mean age of deferred blood donor was 35 years.

Out of total blood donor deferral; 101(33.48%) donor were rejected because of bed side hypertension (i.e. blood pressure‐ systolic > 140 and diastolic >90 mm hg) which was followed by anaemia(i.e. haemoglobin < 12 gm/dl) 94(31.12%), vaccinations history 43(14.23%), hypotension (i.e. Systolic < 90 mm hg and diastolic < 60 mm hg) 35(11.58%), dental examination 10(3.32%) and medication history 6(1.98%). Permanent deferral namely, risk factor involving transfusion transmitted infections and chronic disease were 5(1.65%) and 8(2.64%) respectively. The prime cause of permanent deferral was risk factor involving transfusion transmitted infections while the temporary deferral was bed side hypertension. Gender wise, the leading cause of donor deferral in male was bed side hypertension and anaemia was the major cause in female.

Summary/Conclusion:

The findings of the survey aid to evaluate the significant causes of blood donor deferral. This study suggests that the restrictive criteria can be used for blood donor selection. This will in turn increase the blood supply of tertiary care hospital.
Ceftriaxone Reduced Susceptible Neisseria gonorrhoeae in the Netherlands, 2009 to 2017: From PenA Mosaicism to A501T/V Nonmosaicism
Authors: de Laat Myrthe M. , Wind Carolien M. , Bruisten Sylvia M. , Dierdorp Mirjam , de Vries Henry J.C. , Schim van der Loeff Maarten F. , van Dam Alje P.
Published: June 2019

Objectives

To compare molecular and epidemiological differences between ceftriaxone-reduced susceptible (CRO-RS) and ceftriaxone-susceptible (CRO-S) N. gonorrhoeae (Ng) and to study the genetic relatedness of CRO-RS isolates.

Methods

Demographic and clinical data and samples for cultures were routinely collected from gonorrhoea patients visiting the Amsterdam STI clinic in 2009 to 2017. Ng multiantigen sequence typing (NG-MAST) and penA types were compared between CRO-RS and CRO-S Ng (frequency matched on year of isolation and sexual risk group). Minimum spanning trees were produced based on multilocus variable number of tandem repeats analysis for Ng (NG-MLVA) genotypes.

Results

We selected 174 CRO-RS isolates (minimum inhibitory concentration, ≥0.064 mg/L) and 174 CRO-S isolates (minimum inhibitory concentration, ≤0.016 mg/L). Demographic and clinical characteristics of patients were overall comparable between those infected with CRO-RS Ng and CRO-S Ng. However, CRO-RS isolates were more often collected from the pharyngeal site (odds ratios [OR], 3.64; P < 0.001), and patients with CRO-RS Ng were less often human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and syphilis positive (OR, 0.63; P = 0.041 and OR, 0.58; P = 0.028, respectively). We identified 12 clusters based on NG-MLVA genotypes, including 3 large (>25 isolates) clusters predominantly containing CRO-RS isolates. Those from cluster 1 (n = 32) were mostly from 2009 to 2012 (n = 24; 75.0%), with a mosaic penA XXXIV pattern (n = 27; 84.4%) and belonging to NG-MAST genogroup G1407 (n = 24; 75.0%). Isolates from cluster 2 (n = 29) were mostly from 2013 to 2015 (n = 24; 82.7%), had a nonmosaic penA IX + A501T mutation (n = 22; 75.9%) and NG-MAST G2400 (n = 14; 48.3%). Most isolates from cluster 3 (n = 37) were from 2015 to 2017 (n = 26; 70.2%), had a nonmosaic penA IV + A501V mutation (n = 24; 64.9%) and NG-MAST G2318 (n = 22; 59.5%).

Conclusions

We observed a shift in the predominant penA (from mosaic toward nonmosaic plus A501T/V mutation), NG-MAST and NG-MLVA types among CRO-RS Ng over time. This indicates a successive spread of different CRO-RS Ng clones.
Novel Internationally Verified Method Reports Desmoplastic Reaction as the Most Significant Prognostic Feature For Disease-specific Survival in Stage II Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Nearchou Ines P. , Kajiwara Yoshiki , Mochizuki Satsuki , Harrison David J. , Caie Peter D. , Ueno Hideki
Published: June 2019

Multiple histopathologic features have been reported as candidates for predicting aggressive stage II colorectal cancer (CRC). These include tumor budding (TB), poorly differentiated clusters (PDC), Crohn-like lymphoid reaction and desmoplastic reaction (DR) categorization. Although their individual prognostic significance has been established, their association with disease-specific survival (DSS) has not been compared in stage II CRC. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the prognostic value of the above features in a Japanese (n=283) and a Scottish (n=163) cohort, as well as to compare 2 different reporting methodologies: analyzing each feature from across every tissue slide from the whole tumor and a more efficient methodology reporting each feature from a single slide containing the deepest tumor invasion. In the Japanese cohort, there was an excellent agreement between the multi-slide and single-slide methodologies for TB, PDC, and DR (κ=0.798 to 0.898) and a good agreement when assessing Crohn-like lymphoid reaction (κ=0.616). TB (hazard ratio [HR]=1.773; P=0.016), PDC (HR=1.706; P=0.028), and DR (HR=2.982; P<0.001) based on the single-slide method were all significantly associated with DSS. DR was the only candidate feature reported to be a significant independent prognostic factor (HR=2.982; P<0.001) with both multi-slide and single-slide methods. The single-slide result was verified in the Scottish cohort, where multivariate Cox regression analysis reported that DR was the only significant independent feature (HR=1.778; P=0.002) associated with DSS. DR was shown to be the most significant of all the analyzed histopathologic features to predict disease-specific death in stage II CRC. We further show that analyzing the features from a single-slide containing the tumor’s deepest invasion is an efficient and quicker method of evaluation.
Parent Intent and Willingness to Immunize Children Against Influenza in the Pediatric Emergency Department
Authors: Hart Rebecca J. , Paul Ronald I. , Levine Alex , Sikes Kendra , Bryant Kristina , Stevenson Michelle D.
Published: June 2019

Objectives

To determine rates of influenza immunization among children treated in a pediatric emergency department (ED) and to ascertain parent willingness for children to receive influenza vaccine (IV) in the ED.

Methods

Interviews were conducted with parents of children 6 months or older evaluated in the ED for minor illness or injury. Demographic data, IV history, and intent and willingness to receive future IV were recorded during the summer of 2013. Participants were contacted in March 2014 to assess IV status, barriers to obtaining IV, and willingness to obtain IV in the ED. Chart review determined number of patients who were at high risk.

Results

Of 457 families approached, 285 (62%) were enrolled. Two hundred forty-two (85%) intended to vaccinate; 83% reported willingness to receive IV at a future ED visit. Common reasons for not receiving IV were concerns about adverse effects (31%) and lack of time or interest (24%). Of the 224 participants (79%) reached in follow-up, 112 (50%) had received IV in the prior season. Among those who did not receive IV, 65 (66%) had intended to vaccinate, and 54 (55%) indicated they would have accepted IV in the ED. Fifty-three (54%) of unvaccinated patients at follow-up had high risk of influenza complications.

Conclusions

Our data support an IV program in the pediatric ED as a means of increasing vaccination rates, particularly among high-risk patients. Parents are often concerned about adverse effects of IV, and providers should target education in this area.
Documenting Physical Therapy Dose for Individuals With Cerebral Palsy: A Quality Improvement Initiative
Authors: Bailes Amy F. , Strenk Mariann L. , Quatman-Yates Catherine , Hobart Jessica , Furnier Adam
Published: June 2019

Purpose:

To describe the quality improvement (QI) activities used to improve treatment dose documentation for individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) and to discuss insights gained from this project.

Methods:

Global and smart aims were established and interventions were tested from January 2017 through February 2018 using Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles. Performance was tracked overtime using run and control charts.

Results:

The QI initiative resulted in a sustainable increase in percentage of dose elements present in the electronic medical record from 78% to 94%. Key drivers of improvement included (1) knowledge and awareness of dose, (2) clinician buy-in, (3) effective engagement of child and parent, (4) therapist knowledge of evidence-based treatments, (5) transparent and reliable documentation system, and (6) audit and clinician feedback.

Conclusions:

QI methods provided the tools to improve workflow and increase dose documentation for individuals with CP.
Increases in Postmastectomy Reconstruction in New York State Are Not Related to Changes in State Law
Authors: Gooch Jessica C. , Guth Amber , Yang Jie , Zhu Chencan , Park Jihye , Telem Dana , Bui Duc , O’Hea Brian , Khan Sami
Published: June 2019

Background:

Postmastectomy reconstruction remains underused. In 2011, new legislation in New York State mandated discussion of reconstructive options before mastectomy. This study assesses the impact of this policy on immediate breast reconstruction rates.

Methods:

The Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System database was queried to identify women undergoing mastectomy from January of 2005 to October of 2015 and follow them for at least 1 year postoperatively to determine the incidence and timing of reconstruction. Demographic and socioeconomic characteristics were collected. Chi-square test and multivariable logistic regression were used to compare periods before (2005 to 2010) and after (2011 to 2015) the legislative change.

Results:

Of 52,837 records, there were 24,340 patients (46 percent) who underwent immediate breast reconstruction. The incidence of immediate breast reconstruction increased over the study period, most significantly in 2008 to 2009. Rates of immediate breast reconstruction continued to increase, although at a slower rate, after 2011 compared with before 2011 across all subgroups. Both implant and autologous reconstructive techniques increased over time. Implant-based reconstruction increased steadily, whereas autologous reconstruction increased most significantly between 2008 and 2009.

Conclusions:

Despite an overall increase in immediate breast reconstruction, there was an overall lack of effect on post-2011 reconstructive rates attributable to the legislative changes. Reconstructive rates have increased significantly in New York State over the past decade, and these changes appear to be largely independent of the 2011 New York State Breast Reconstruction Act. There are likely nonlegislative drivers of breast reconstruction use.
Revisiting the Alar-Columellar Relationship: Classification and Correction
Authors: Rohrich Rod J. , Afrooz Paul N.
Published: June 2019

The alar-columellar relationship has tremendous aesthetic significance in the lower one-third of the nose. Aberrancies in the alar-columellar relationship detract from nasal aesthetics, and are classified into six types: type I, hanging columella; type II, retracted ala; type III, combination of a hanging columella and retracted ala; type IV, hanging ala; type V, retracted columella, and type VI, combination of a hanging ala and retracted columella. This article describes the methods for proper evaluation and diagnosis of aberrancies in the alar-columellar relationship, and current strategies to restore the ideal alar-columellar relationship.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:

Therapeutic, V.
Smoke
Authors: Henry Travis S. , Hammer Mark M. , Little Brent P. , Jensen Leif E. , Kligerman Seth J. , Kanne Jeffrey P. , Mann Howard
Published: June 2019

Nonuniform contrast opacification of vasculature is frequently encountered on thoracic computed tomographic angiography. The purpose of this pictorial essay is to discuss the appearance of, and factors underlying mixing artifacts, which we term “smoke.” We provide an approach to distinguish it from pathology including pulmonary embolism, aortic dissection, and thrombus. Smoke results from a combination of technical factors, abnormal physiology, or inflow of unopacified blood. Smoke produces ill-defined filling defects that may be confidently diagnosed in many cases if these fundamentals are applied.
A mechanistic oxygen- and temperature-limited metabolic niche framework
Authors: Ern Rasmus
Published: June 2019

The abundance and distribution of fishes and other water-breathing ectotherms are partially shaped by the capacities of individuals to perform ecologically relevant functions, which collectively determine whole-organism performance. Aerobic scope (AS) quantifies the capacity of the cardiorespiratory system to supply tissues with oxygen for fuelling such functions. Aquatic hypoxia and water temperature are principal environmental factors affecting the AS of water-breathing ectotherms. Although it is intuitive that animal energetics will be of ecological significance, many studies argue against a hypothesized overarching link between AS, whole-organism performance, and shifts in the abundance and distribution of water-breathing ectotherms with environmental change. Consequently, relationships between AS and ecologically relevant performance traits must be established for individual species. This article proposes a mechanistic framework for integrating and correlating experimental traits for assessing the AS, anaerobic capacity (AC) and range boundaries of water-breathing ectotherms exposed to progressive aquatic hypoxia and rising water temperature. The framework also describes cardiorespiratory thermal tolerance and proposes an empirical definition of the mechanism underlying the critical thermal maximum in species with oxygen-dependent upper thermal limits. Incorporating performance traits, exemplified with preference and avoidance responses, may provide information about the role of metabolism in shaping whole-organism performance, and the potential applicability of AS and AC in species distribution models.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Physiological diversity, biodiversity patterns and global climate change: testing key hypotheses involving temperature and oxygen’.
Evolution and plasticity of thermal performance: an analysis of variation in thermal tolerance and fitness in 22Drosophilaspecies
Authors: MacLean Heidi J. , Sørensen Jesper G. , Kristensen Torsten N. , Loeschcke Volker , Beedholm Kristian , Kellermann Vanessa , Overgaard Johannes
Published: June 2019

The thermal biology of ectotherms is often used to infer species' responses to changes in temperature. It is often proposed that temperate species are more cold-tolerant, less heat-tolerant, more plastic, have broader thermal performance curves (TPCs) and lower optimal temperatures when compared to tropical species. However, relatively little empirical work has provided support for this using large interspecific studies. In the present study, we measure thermal tolerance limits and thermal performance in 22 species ofDrosophilathat developed under common conditions. Specifically, we measure thermal tolerance (CTminand CTmax) as well as the fitness components viability, developmental speed and fecundity at seven temperatures to construct TPCs for each of these species. For 10 of the species, we also measure thermal tolerance and thermal performance following developmental acclimation to three additional temperatures. Using these data, we test several fundamental hypotheses about the evolution and plasticity of heat and cold resistance and thermal performance. We find that cold tolerance (CTmin) varied between the species according to the environmental temperature in the habitat from which they originated. These data support the idea that the evolution of cold tolerance has allowed species to persist in colder environments. However, contrary to expectation, we find that optimal temperature (Topt) and the breadth of thermal performance (Tbreadth) are similar in temperate, widespread and tropical species and we also find that the plasticity of TPCs was constrained. We suggest that the temperature range for optimal thermal performance is either fixed or under selection by the more similar temperatures that prevail during growing seasons. As a consequence, we find thatToptandTbreadthare of limited value for predicting past, present and future distributions of species.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Physiological diversity, biodiversity patterns and global climate change: testing key hypotheses involving temperature and oxygen’.
Thermal tolerance patterns across latitude and elevation
Authors: Sunday Jennifer , Bennett Joanne M. , Calosi Piero , Clusella-Trullas Susana , Gravel Sarah , Hargreaves Anna L. , Leiva Félix P. , Verberk Wilco C. E. P. , Olalla-Tárraga Miguel Ángel , Morales-Castilla Ignacio
Published: June 2019

Linking variation in species' traits to large-scale environmental gradients can lend insight into the evolutionary processes that have shaped functional diversity and future responses to environmental change. Here, we ask how heat and cold tolerance vary as a function of latitude, elevation and climate extremes, using an extensive global dataset of ectotherm and endotherm thermal tolerance limits, while accounting for methodological variation in acclimation temperature, ramping rate and duration of exposure among studies. We show that previously reported relationships between thermal limits and latitude in ectotherms are robust to variation in methods. Heat tolerance of terrestrial ectotherms declined marginally towards higher latitudes and did not vary with elevation, whereas heat tolerance of freshwater and marine ectotherms declined more steeply with latitude. By contrast, cold tolerance limits declined steeply with latitude in marine, intertidal, freshwater and terrestrial ectotherms, and towards higher elevations on land. In all realms, both upper and lower thermal tolerance limits increased with extreme daily temperature, suggesting that different experienced climate extremes across realms explain the patterns, as predicted under the
Climate Extremes Hypothesis
. Statistically accounting for methodological variation in acclimation temperature, ramping rate and exposure duration improved model fits, and increased slopes with extreme ambient temperature. Our results suggest that fundamentally different patterns of thermal limits found among the earth's realms may be largely explained by differences in episodic thermal extremes among realms, updating global macrophysiological ‘rules’.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Physiological diversity, biodiversity patterns and global climate change: testing key hypotheses involving temperature and oxygen’.
Halomicrococcus hydrotolerans gen. nov., sp. nov., an extremely halophilic archaeon isolated from a subterranean salt deposit
Authors: Chen Shaoxing , Xu Yao , Sun Siqi , Liu Jingwen , Chen Feilong
Published: June 2019

A halophilic archaeon, strain H22T, was isolated from a subterranean salt deposit sampled at Yunnan salt mine, PR China. Colonies of strain H22T were light pink-pigmented. Cells were coccus, non-motile, Gram-stain-negative, and did not lyse in distilled water. The strain was aerobic and grew at 20–55 °C (optimum, 37 °C), in the presence of 10–30 % (w/v) NaCl (20 %) and at pH 6.5–9.0 (pH 7.0). Mg2+ was required for growth (optimum, 0.005 M). Major polar lipids were phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol phosphate methyl ester and sulfated mannosyl-glucosyl-glycerol diether-1. Sequence similarity search based on the multiple 16S rRNA genes (rrnA, rrnB and rrnC) of strain H22T revealed that it was most closely related to species of the genera

Haloarchaeobius

,

Haladaptatus

,

Halorussus

and

Halorubellus

with relative low sequence similarities (91.9–93.7 %). The strain, however, shared highest rpoB′ gene sequence identities with

Halorussus rarus

TBN4T (90.8 % rpoB′ gene sequence similarity). Phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA and rpoB′ gene sequences revealed a robust lineage of the strain H22T with members of related genera of the family

Halobacteriaceae

. The DNA G+C content of strain H22T was 62.9 mol%. Genome-based analysis of average nucleotide identity (ANI) and in silico DNA–DNA hybridization (DDH) between strains H22T and its closest relative were equal or lower than 77.7 and 22.4 %, respectively, which were far below the threshold for delineation of a new species. Based on ANI values, in silico DDH, and distinct morphological and physiological differences from the previously described taxa, we suggest that strain H22T represents a novel species of a new genus within the family

Halobacteriaceae

, for which the name Halomicrococcus hydrotolerans gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is H22T (=CGMCC 1.16291T=NBRC 113231T).
Quasi-Mendelian Paternal Inheritance of mitochondrial DNA: A notorious artifact, or anticipated mtDNA behavior?
Authors: Annis Sofia , Fleischmann Zoe , Khrapko Mark , Franco Melissa , Wasko Kevin , Woods Dori , Kunz Wolfram S. , Ellis Peter , Khrapko Konstantin
Published: June 2019

A recent report by Luo et al (2018) in PNAS (DOI:10.1073/pnas.1810946115) presented evidence of biparental inheritance of mitochondrial DNA. The pattern of inheritance, however, resembled that of a nuclear gene. The authors explained this peculiarity with Mendelian segregation of a faulty gatekeeper gene that permits survival of paternal mtDNA in the oocyte. Three other groups (Vissing, 2019; Lutz-Bonengel and Parson, 2019; Salas et al, 2019), however, posited the observation was an artifact of inheritance of mtDNA nuclear pseudogenes (NUMTs), present in the father’s nuclear genome. We present justification that both interpretations are incorrect, but that the original authors did, in fact, observe biparental inheritance of mtDNA. Our alternative model assumes that because of initially low paternal mtDNA copy number these copies are randomly partitioned into nascent cell lineages. The paternal mtDNA haplotype must have a selective advantage, so ‘seeded’ cells will tend to proceed to fixation of the paternal haplotype in the course of development. We use modeling to emulate the dynamics of paternal genomes and predict their mode of inheritance and distribution in somatic tissue. The resulting offspring is a mosaic of cells that are purely maternal or purely paternal – including in the germline. This mosaicism explains the quasi-Mendelian segregation of the paternal mDNA. Our model is based on known aspects of mtDNA biology and explains all of the experimental observations outlined in Luo et. al., including maternal inheritance of the grand-paternal mtDNA.
Information asymmetry: the case of cattle supply transaction in Brazil
Authors: Oliveira Gustavo Magalhães de , Cunha Christiano França da , Caleman Silvia Morales De Queiroz , Maia Roberta Luiza Gomes
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate information asymmetry in cattle supply transaction in Brazil. While the literature traditionally explores the seller’s information asymmetry advantages, the authors, in turn, draw attention to buyer’s role. This paper aims to show what farmer characteristics present negative correlation with slaughterhouses’ information asymmetry advantages. By slaughterhouses’ advantages, the authors refer to slaughterhouses’ opportunistic appropriation of value due to hidden information, such as quality measurement and remuneration of difficult-to-measure attributes. In doing so, this paper addresses the following research question: what are the farmer’s characteristics with negative correlation with slaughterhouses’ information asymmetry advantages?

Design/methodology/approach

This paper employs a logit model regression on a survey of 89 Brazilian cattle breeders. Drawing on transaction cost economics, this study empirically evaluates farmers’ technology level, level of education, family tradition, farm size and efforts to collect price information, to test which of these characteristics present negative correlation with slaughterhouses’ information asymmetry advantages.

Findings

The results illustrate that the cattle breeders’ level of education is negatively correlated with buyers’ information asymmetry advantages. Additionally, the authors find a controversial result presenting efforts to collect price information as positively correlated with this kind of information asymmetry advantages. Farmer’s farm size, family tradition and the level of technology were not influential. These findings suggest that a possible value appropriation from buyers’ information asymmetry is a problem for several types of producers, even varying size, family tradition in the activity or transaction costs to collect price information (e.g. lack of transparency). Initiatives should try to reduce this problem to these farmers to avoid value appropriation resulting from information asymmetry problems, especially in the lack of transparency.

Originality/value

This paper adopts a survey about information asymmetry in cattle supply transactions in Brazil, which is well known as one of the most relevant producer and consumer of meat. The main contribution is to shed light on the understanding of buyers’ information asymmetry advantages in farmer-slaughterhouse transactions to avoid potential conflicts. Given some singularities of the Brazilian cattle industry, the authors can empirically test buyers’, not sellers’, information asymmetry advantages.
Modeling approach for releasing a frankfurter production batch
Authors: Chaveesuk Ravipim , Konjanattham Natthamon
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to model the relationship between 11 frankfurter physical properties and their sensory scores to classify a release of frankfurter production batches to the market.

Design/methodology/approach

Data from 209 frankfurter batches were collected. Market batch release classifications were based on 11 physical properties via predictive and direct classification models. The predictive models under study included a regression, backpropagation neural network (BPN) and radial basis function neural network (RBFN) whereas the direct classification models were logistic regression, BPN and RBFN. Model performance was evaluated via correct classification rate.

Findings

The 11-7-4 RBFN predictive model proved superior with a 90 percent correct classification rate and 0 percent producer risk while the 11-5-1 RBFN, as a classification model, outperformed with the same level of accuracy, 90 and 0 percent, respectively. Producers prefer the less time-consuming direct classifiers for evaluation. Furthermore, the 11-5-1 RBFN direct classifier revealed that color measurement greatly influenced frankfurter batch release. Increases in redness, yellowness and brownness increased batch release probability.

Originality/value

This research attempts to establish a novel production batch release model for sausage manufacturing. Key factors can then be optimized for improving batch release probability for implementation throughout the sausage industry.
AZhong-Yongperspective on balancing the top-down and bottom-up processes in strategy-making
Authors: Li Xin , Andersen Torben Juul , Hallin Carina Antonia
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose an alternative perspective onZhong-Yongthat is different from the notion of “Yin-Yang balancing” and apply it to understand the issue of balancing the top-down and bottom-up processes in strategy making.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors adopt a “West meets East” mindset and approach to develop an alternative perspective onZhong-Yong, and then apply this perspective to understand the issue of balancing the top-down and bottom-up processes in strategy making. There are three steps in the process of developing the alternative perspective. First, the authors argue that the essence of “Yin-Yang balancing” is a ratio-based solution to paradoxical balancing, which is in fact equivalent to Aristotle’s doctrine of the mean and compatible with some western management scholars’ approaches to solving paradox. Second, the authors identify a different generic solution to paradoxical balancing implicit in the western management literature. Third, the authors find in the original text ofZhong-Yongequivalent ideas to the identified different generic solution and then propose an alternative perspective onZhong-Yongthat is fundamentally different from the notion of “Yin-Yang balancing.”

Findings

Applied to the issue of balancing the top-down and bottom-up processes in strategy making, the new perspective onZhong-Yongprovides us with the following prescriptive insights from the life-wisdom of eastern philosophy: first, top management (e.g. Shun as the sage-king) must listen to various views and opinions also from employees and low-level managers at the bottom of the organization to be better informed about complex issues. Second, top management must analyze the diverse elements of the various views and opinions they collect and synthesize by taking the good from the bad to find smarter solutions and make decisions with better outcomes. Third, abiding by a set of (more or less) cohesive values help top managers be open and receptive to information and insights from low-level organizational members and enhancing unbiased information.

Research limitations/implications

This paper is mainly a theoretical perspective. Empirical work is needed to test the prescriptions offered in this paper.

Practical implications

Practitioners may learn new perspectives from ancient Chinese philosophies on how to balance.

Originality/value

This paper applies a new perspective onZhong-Yongto an important paradox in strategic management.
Rough diamonds in emerging markets: legacy, competitiveness, and sustained high performance
Authors: Park Seung Ho , Ungson Gerardo R.
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to uncover the underlying drivers of sustained high performing companies based on a field study of 127 companies in Brazilian, Russian, Indian and Chinese (BRIC) and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) emerging markets. Understanding these companies provides a complementary way of appraising the growth, development and transformation of emerging markets. The authors synthesize the findings in an overarching framework that covers six strategies for building and sustaining legacy that leads to the succession of intergenerational wealth over time: overcoming institutional voids, inclusive markets, deepening localization, nurturing government support, building core competencies and harnessing human capital. The authors relate these strategies to different levels of development using Prahalad and Hart’s BOP framework.

Design/methodology/approach

This study examines the underlying drivers of sustained high-performance companies based on field studies from an initial set of 105,260 BRIC companies and close to 500 companies in ASEAN. The methods employed four screening tests to arrive at a selection of the highest-performing firms: 70 firms in the BRIC nations and 58 firms from ASEAN. Following the selection, the authors constructed cases using primary interviews and secondary data, with the assistance of Ernst & Young and with academic colleagues in Manila. These studies were originally conducted in two separate time periods and reported accordingly. This paper synthesizes the findings of these two studies to arrive at an extended integrative framework.

Findings

From the cases, the authors examine six strategies for building and sustaining legacy that lead to high performance over time: overcoming institutional voids, creating inclusive markets, deepening localization, nurturing government support, building core competencies and harnessing human capital. To address the evolving state of institutional voids in these countries, the authors employ similar methods to hypothesize the placement of these strategies in the context of the world economic pyramid, initially formulated as the “bottom of the pyramid” framework.

Originality/value

This paper synthesizes and extends the authors’ previous works by proposing the concept of legacy to describe the emergence and succession of local exemplary firms in emerging markets. This study aims to complement extant measures of nation-growth based primarily on GDP. The paper also extends the literature on institutional voids in shifting the focus from the mix of voids to their evolving state. Altogether, the paper provides a complementary narrative on assessing the market potential of emerging markets by adopting several categories of performance.
A meta-synthesis approach to specify components of future banking
Authors: Sedaghatparast Eldar
Published: June 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to depict an extensive and cohesive picture of future banking’s dimensions and components.

Design/methodology/approach

A two-step qualitative approach has been applied. First, an extensive scanning has been carried out to identify megatrends and best practices. Second, applying meta-synthesis analysis, more than 186 up-to-date references were strategically scanned to elicit dimensions and components of future banking.

Findings

This research has had twofold findings. The direct and explicit results were the main dimensions of banking in the future: information technology, employees, customers, diversified services, organizational structures and farsightedness. The implicit findings were also remarkable: many entities are thinking about future of banking, mostly in financial technology dimension; the departure from traditional banking has recently been accelerated; and more works need to be done to have a comprehensive map of banking in the future.

Research limitations/implications

As the research methodology was based upon a literature review, it lacks covering some hidden or less flashing dimensions such as future business models, merging between banks and other financial or technological firms in advance, the evolution of organizational structures, etc., which would be captured by applying other methods such as expert Delphi panels.

Practical implications

Planners in the banking industry can benefit from the direct findings. They may extend the results, customize and prioritize the components to provide a competitive business model in the future market of banking.

Originality/value

The novelty of this paper lies in a cohesive representation of future banking dimensions and components, which is created by a systematic methodology and broad literature review.
The effects of mentoring on hotel staff turnover
Authors: Yang Chunjiang , Guo Nan , Wang Yuting , Li Chunling
Published: June 2019

Purpose

Mentoring was considered as an efficient way to facilitate staff attachment with hotels. Such a strong attachment has been demonstrated to reduce employees’ intention to quit. This study aims to investigate the mediating roles of organizational and occupational embeddedness in the relationships between mentoring functions and turnover intention.

Design/methodology/approach

The responses were collected from a sample of 354 employees in four hotels group across three Chinese provinces. A structural equation model (SEM) was applied to test the model and mediating roles of organizational and occupational embeddedness.

Findings

The results of SEM suggest that both organizational and occupational embeddedness mediated the relationships between mentoring functions (career and psychosocial support) and turnover intention. Specifically, employees who are able to receive successful mentoring can easily embed in their organization and occupation. Thus, these employees are reluctant to leave.

Research limitations/implications

Although this study reveals the important role of mediation, it has several limitations. First, the data drawn from Hebei, Beijing and Zhejiang provinces may lack geography representativeness. Second, this paper neglects potential moderating role of certain personal or context factors. Third, the time lag between the three data collections are not the same.

Practical implications

Managers should retain proper employees by introducing mentoring programs. Furthermore, to increase organizational and occupational embeddedness, managers should also consider the person-organization/occupation attachments of this industry.

Originality/value

This study tests organizational and occupational embeddedness simultaneously as mediators between mentoring and turnover intention through data obtained from the Chinese hotels.
Talent management and unions
Authors: Williamson David , Harris Candice
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the Hotel Workers Union and its impact on talent management in the New Zealand hospitality sector using the corporatist framework drawing primarily on the works of Schmitter (1979) to construct a critical, historical employment relations approach.

Design/methodology/approach

The data for this paper were gathered as part of a history of employment relations in the New Zealand hotel sector from 1955 to 2000. The main methods were, namely, semi-structured interviews and archival research.

Findings

This study found a historical employment environment of multiple actors in the employment relationship, with hotel unions playing a more complex and nuanced role to influence talent management in the New Zealand hotel sector. The paper suggests that neither the hotel union nor employers effectively addressed talent management challenges in this sector.

Research limitations/implications

The study contributes detailed empirical knowledge about historical relationships between hotel unions and talent management issues in New Zealand.

Originality/value

The paper argues that applying a corporatist perspective to the history of the Hotel Workers Union and the issues of talent management that result from that history provides a unique and insightful contribution to the field
The impact of earnings quality on the association between readability and cost of capital
Authors: Ezat Amr Nazieh
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between disclosure quality, measured by the readability of the board of directors’ report and cost of capital (CoC), and, second, attempt to investigate the moderating effect of earnings quality on the relationship between readability and CoC.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample includes the Egyptian EGX 100 companies, listed from 2013 to 2015, and the study runs two ordinary least square models to test the two main hypotheses. The study applies the LIX formula to calculate the readability level of board of director’ reports and uses the weighted average CoC to calculate CoC. Moreover, the performance-adjusted modified Jones model is used to measure earnings quality.

Findings

The results indicate that in the Egyptian context the readability of board of director’ reports does not impact on CoC. In addition, after moderating by earnings quality, there is a significant association between readability and CoC. The interaction between earnings quality and readability has a significant impact on CoC. This finding is consistent with the notion that, conditional on earnings quality, the benefits of easy writing style in the annual reports, prepared by the company’s managers, are reflected in the reduction of CoC.

Originality/value

Based on the limited literature relating to developing countries’ capital markets, this study contributes to the accounting literature by providing empirical evidence on the conditional effect of earnings quality and of the consequences of linguistics style in the emerging market.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and its implications for market knowledge in B2B marketing
Authors: Paschen Jeannette , Kietzmann Jan , Kietzmann Tim Christian
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explain the technological phenomenon artificial intelligence (AI) and how it can contribute to knowledge-based marketing in B2B. Specifically, this paper describes the foundational building blocks of any artificial intelligence system and their interrelationships. This paper also discusses the implications of the different building blocks with respect to market knowledge in B2B marketing and outlines avenues for future research.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is conceptual and proposes a framework to explicate the phenomenon AI and its building blocks. It further provides a structured discussion of how AI can contribute to different types of market knowledge critical for B2B marketing: customer knowledge, user knowledge and external market knowledge.

Findings

The paper explains AI from an input–processes–output lens and explicates the six foundational building blocks of any AI system. It also discussed how the combination of the building blocks transforms data into information and knowledge.

Practical implications

Aimed at general marketing executives, rather than AI specialists, this paper explains the phenomenon artificial intelligence, how it works and its relevance for the knowledge-based marketing in B2B firms. The paper highlights illustrative use cases to show how AI can impact B2B marketing functions.

Originality/value

The study conceptualizes the technological phenomenon artificial intelligence from a knowledge management perspective and contributes to the literature on knowledge management in the era of big data. It addresses calls for more scholarly research on AI and B2B marketing.
Farewell to the pricing manager: new ecosystem captains drive profits via pricing
Authors: Hinterhuber Andreas , Quancard Bernard
Published: June 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to discuss the changing role of the strategic account manager (SAM).

Design/methodology/approach

This paper takes the form of an interview.

Findings

SAMs, in the future, will be ecosystem captains capable of managing complex relationships and teams, of organizing data and of telling stories with analytics. SAMs in the future will be assessed along with a set of metrics that it is similar to metrics of how top management consultants are evaluated: activities, competencies, intermediary results, sales/margins and quantified business value.

Originality/value

This interview discusses the current and future best practices of strategic account management.
The effect of enterprise social networks use on exploitative and exploratory innovations
Authors: Berraies Sarra
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the links between the enterprise social networks (ESN) use and the exploitative and exploratory innovations and deepen the analysis by examining the mediating role of the sub-dimensions of intellectual capital (IC) in these relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use a quantitative method based on the questionnaire administrated to a sample of 248 middle managers working in Tunisian ICT firms. Regarding the data analysis, the authors use a partial least square-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) method.

Findings

Results highlight that whereas exploratory innovation is positively linked to human capital (HC) and social capital (SC), exploitative innovation is positively associated with HC. Findings show that the ESN use is linked positively to exploitative innovation and this link is mediated by HC. The data analysis also revealed that HC and SC mediate the link between ESN use and exploratory innovation.

Originality/value

Although limited studies have investigated the effect of the ESN use on firms, this research pioneers the examination of the effect of the ESN use on exploitative and exploratory innovations within ICT firms and the mediating roles of HC, SC and organizational capital that have never been explored. Findings are highlighted along with interesting insights for managers and outline the key aspects related to the ESN use that may improve the sub-dimensions of IC and boost exploitative and exploratory innovations.