bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Measuring the effects of role efficacy enhancement on knowledge workers
Authors: Upadhyay Parijat , Singh Rajni , Jahanyan Saeed , Nair Sreethi
Published: June 2016

Purpose

– Knowledge workers (KWs) in information technology (IT) sector have become one of the key drivers for strategic competitiveness as they contribute toward an organization’s performance. In this context, the role of knowledge workers, who work on deputation to client side, is even more critical as they contribute directly to the revenue inflows. The purpose of this paper is to explore their role efficacy (RE) and organizational role stress dimensions, which have been affecting their performance and organization effectiveness. The study further explored the relationship between RE and role stress dimensions. Two distinct samples were identified, one where Indian KWs working in Indian company and Indian KWs working in foreign firm, where they have been discharging client facing technical roles.

Design/methodology/approach

– A primary study has been conducted choosing questionnaire survey and telephonic interviews. A questionnaire was designed in such a manner so that the authors can extract the required information from the respondents about various dimensions of RE. This instrument was used to test the conceptual model of RE. Overall 50+ responses were obtained from IT companies in each of the two selected categories.

Findings

– The results have shown that role expectation conflict and role isolation are the two major dimensions contributing to role stress for the selected sample, while centrality and integration have contributed to overall role efficacy for both the categories. Human resource interventions were suggested to enhance their RE and reduce their role stress.

Originality/value

– This study made an attempt to investigate the relationship between RE and role stress dimensions of the KWs which has not been attempted in any previous published literature.
Impact of contextuality on mobile learning acceptance
Authors: Böhm Stephan , Constantine Georges Philip
Published: June 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to focus on contextualized features for mobile language learning apps. The scope of this paper is to explore students’ perceptions of contextualized mobile language learning.

Design/methodology/approach

An extended Technology Acceptance Model was developed to analyze the effect of contextual app features on students’ usage intention. The suggested app concept applies context-triggered push notifications to initiate learning sessions based on a location-aware vocabulary. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used for an empirical validation of the proposed research model.

Findings

The results of the analysis revealed, that students perceived the proposed app as beneficial for their learning endeavors. The location-aware feature is essentially relevant to improve the perceived usefulness of the system, as it may increase the learning effectiveness of the app in their everyday life.

Research limitations/implications

The study was conducted in quite a homogenous population. The sample size of the survey was rather small (n = 45). Further research is necessary to confirm the promising results of the research.

Originality/value

The results give some first evidence that the integration of innovative contextual features in mobile language learning apps may increase the usage intention and motivation to engage in a learning activity.
Rubbing out gender: women and merchant ships
Authors: Acejo Iris Lavalle , Abila Sanley S.
Published: June 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to show how gender differences are rubbed out and simultaneously reinforced in intentional and unintentional ways. It will do this by exploring the experiences of female cadets/seafarers.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper is drawn from two independent PhD theses, where one of the theses conducted ethnographic fieldwork aboard a container ship in 2009. The other thesis used a case study research design of cadetship programmes in the Philippines using structured interviews, observations with the aid of fieldnotes and documentary analysis of records from seven maritime schools and cadetship programmes of ship-owners.

Findings

– This paper reveals that the merchant vessel remains to be a “man’s world” where female seafarers are marginalised. It also shows that the maritime colleges in the Philippines deploy training practices that reproduce the gender biases against women participation to seafaring because the socialisation of cadets are fraught with the values and symbols of a hegemonic masculinity intent to silence other genders. On board ships, similar contradictory rubbing out and reproducing of gender differentials are observed. This shows how controlling gender is difficult.

Research limitations/implications

– Observations conducted are limited to one shipboard voyage and whether the same manifestation in different types of ships, ship routes and crew mix would emerge require triangulation with other forms of data collection like in-depth interviews with seafarers on board.

Practical implications

– Ethnographic insights offer valuable insights for novice researchers and those conducting shipboard research.

Originality/value

– Not much study has been done with respect to the presence of women on board and how they disrupt and play with masculine space. This paper provides empirical evidence and insights on the ambivalence of integrating women in the seafaring profession owing to official and unofficial policies and training that intentionally and unintentionally construct women as unfit to work as sea-based professionals.
Management through hope: an ethnography of Denmark’s Renewable Energy Island
Authors: Papazu Irina
Published: June 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to analyse the process of social and technical change that took place between 1997 and 2007 through which Samsø, a rural island of 4,000 inhabitants, became Denmark’s Renewable Energy Island (REI).

Design/methodology/approach

– Building on ethnographic fieldwork conducted on Samsø in 2013 and 2014, the paper takes as its starting point a citizens’ meeting in which a new renewable energy project is proposed by a municipal coordinator. This meeting, in which the municipal coordinator exhibits a “change management” attitude, fails to win the citizens’ support and becomes an entry point into an investigation of how the REI project developers managed to get the island community to actively support the project. A gateway to the past, the meeting allows the author to ethnographically describe the unobserved events of 1997-2007.

Findings

– The argument is that the REI project developers practised management through hope or “hope management”, in contrast to “change management”, creating a project that succeeded in accomplishing its goals of changing the island due to its openness, its rootedness in the island community’s past, and the project developers’ ability to speak to a down-to-earth variety of hope.

Originality/value

– The paper makes use of an ethnographic study of the present to investigate an unobserved past in which a REI was built. Taking up the “hope debate” in anthropology and Science and Technology Studies (Stengers, 2002; Miyazaki, 2004; Jensen, 2014), the paper contributes with an empirical analysis of the role of hope in the management of change processes.
What transaction costs are acceptable in life insurance products from the policyholders’ viewpoint?
Authors: Schmeiser Hato , Wagner Joël
Published: June 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze what transaction costs are acceptable for customers in different investments. In this study, two life insurance contracts, a mutual fund and a risk-free investment, as alternative investment forms are considered. The first two products under scrutiny are a life insurance investment with a point-to-point capital guarantee and a participating contract with an annual interest rate guarantee and participation in the insurer’s surplus. The policyholder assesses the various investment opportunities using different utility measures. For selected types of risk profiles, the utility position and the investor’s preference for the various investments are assessed. Based on this analysis, the authors study which cost levels can make all of the products equally rewarding for the investor.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper notes the risk-neutral valuation calibration using empirical data utility and performance measurement dynamics underlying: geometric Brownian motion numerical examples via Monte Carlo simulation.

Findings

In the first step, the financial performance of the various saving opportunities under different assumptions of the investor’s utility measurement is studied. In the second step, the authors calculate the level of transaction costs that are allowed in the various products to make all of the investment opportunities equally rewarding from the investor’s point of view. A comparison of these results with transaction costs that are common in the market shows that insurance companies must be careful with respect to the level of transaction costs that they pass on to their customers to provide attractive payoff distributions.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, their research question – i.e. which transaction costs for life insurance products would be acceptable from the customer’s point of view – has not been studied in the above described context so far.
Study of REIT ETF beta
Authors: Ivanov Stoyu I.
Published: June 2016

Purpose

The aim of this study is to examine real estate investment trust exchange-traded funds (REIT ETFs) and test for the existence of the “asymmetric beta puzzle” phenomenon in these financial instruments that are relatively new and are gaining popularity. The “asymmetric beta puzzle” phenomenon is used to identify the hedging and diversification benefits of a financial instrument. “Asymmetric beta puzzle” exists when betas in declining markets are higher than betas in advancing markets.

Design/methodology/approach

To study 14 REIT ETFs by using monthly and daily Center for Research in Security Prices (CRSP) data. Capital asset pricing model (CAPM) and Fama–French three-factor model were used to estimate betas in REIT ETFs and those in advancing and declining markets. Both the S&P 500 and the CRSP value-weighted indices were used in the beta estimation. Two hypotheses with regard to betas in both advancing and declining markets were defined and tested to test for the existence of the “asymmetric beta puzzle” phenomenon.

Findings

This study confirms the presence of the “asymmetric beta puzzle” in the data of monthly REIT ETFs as documented by Goldstein and Nelling (1999) and Chatrathet al.(2000) for REITs; however, this phenomenon was not found when using daily data, but quite the opposite – REIT ETF betas are higher in advancing markets than they are in declining markets – was found.

Originality/value

Goldstein and Nelling (1999) and Chatrathet al.(2000) identify the phenomenon of “the asymmetric REIT-beta puzzle” in monthly REIT’s returns. This study revisits the phenomenon identified in the aforementioned authors’ studies by using daily data and a relatively new real estate financial instrument – REIT ETFs. Therefore, this paper fills a void in the literature and would benefit both institutional and retail investors in their portfolio designs.
Teach students to communicate a brand story with transmedia storytelling
Authors: Cronin John
Published: June 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to introduce a new integrated marketing communication (IMC) strategy, not yet appearing in textbooks, into the classroom.

Design/methodology/approach

A thorough review of the limited sources so far available introduces the subject. This is followed by a report on the results of the author’s own introduction of the topic into his course.

Findings

Students reacted very favorably to learning this new and challenging marketing communication strategy. They also reinforced their own understanding of other principles, e.g. content management, taught earlier in the course.

Practical implications

Adoption of transmedia storytelling will advance the teaching of IMC in the classroom.

Originality/value

This paper proposes a formal definition of marketing transmedia storytelling. No pedagogic paper has previously been published on this new IMC strategy.
Reflective leadership and team learning: an exploratory study
Authors: Matsuo Makoto
Published: June 2016

Purpose

Although the relationship between leadership behaviors and team reflexivity has been investigated in prior research, little is known about the dimensions of reflective leadership or leadership behaviors that facilitate reflection in a group or organization. This paper aims to examine the interrelated characteristics of reflective leadership behaviors that promote team learning using survey data.

Design/methodology/approach

Because this research was exploratory in nature, a research model was developed based on the preliminary research. The research model was tested using a quantitative study of 507 employees in 98 teams.

Findings

Results of regression analyses of a group-level study revealed three types of reflective leadership – open reflection, problem-based reflection and goal-based reflection – and found that only the open reflection and goal-based reflection were positively related to team learning.

Research limitations/implications

As reflective leadership has not been examined in previous studies, the research model and the measurement scales were developed based on preliminary research in the present research.

Practical implications

Team leaders need to understand that goal-based reflection plays a central role in reflecting on their work because it may provide members with criteria to recognize whether they are on the right track.

Originality/value

The present research revealed three dimensions of reflective leadership that had not been adequately investigated previously.
The effects of corporate social responsibility on profitability
Authors: Lee Sunghee , Jung Heungjun
Published: June 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to determine the effects of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on financial performance in firms in the Korean manufacturing industry. In addition, the authors examine the moderating role of differentiation and outside investment in the same relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

– The mixed methods are used in this study. The authors first take an analytical modeling approach, in which the authors assume that CSR has a positive effect on consumer perceptions, which in turn can improve firm performance. Subsequently, the authors verify the propositions with data from the Korean manufacturing industry. Additionally, the authors explore the moderating roles of various factors in the CSR-financial performance relationship.

Findings

– The results of the analysis demonstrate that the positive relationship between CSR and financial performance depends on the levels of product differentiation and outside investment. Specifically, these contingent variables magnify the effects of CSR on financial performance.

Practical implications

– This study is particularly useful to supply chain managers. According to the results, CSR may provide benefits for both manufacturers and retailers. As brand reputations can be source for competitive advantage, the analytical model suggests that products made by socially responsible firms are attractive to consumers.

Originality/value

– To the authors’ knowledge, there are few studies that examine the multiple moderating effects of differentiation and outside investment on the relationship between CSR and financial performance (return on assets). The authors thus provide a clearer understanding of the effects of CSR activity on firm profitability using these business strategies.
Commentary on “Employment for all: United States Disability Policy”
Authors: Beyer Stephen
Published: June 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to reflect on Rebecca Monteleone’s paper “Employment for all: United States Disability Policy” and provides a commentary on its implications for the UK.

Design/methodology/approach

– The approach is to provide a comparison of the situation described in the article for the USA with that of the UK.

Findings

– There has been significant progress in legislation and policy relevant to the employment of people with intellectual disabilities (IDs) in the USA. They have achieved higher employment rates than the UK, but are still at lower levels of employment than other citizens. The importance of collecting data on the employment rates of people with ID to monitor policy effectiveness is clear. The US has a more comprehensive approach to transition to employment that the UK could learn from. The importance of job coaching to community-based employment is highlighted. The balance of investment between community and sheltered jobs appears to be the key to further growth of community-based employment rates. The detailed impact of welfare benefit regulation is important to motivation to work and changes need to be monitored from an ID perspective.

Originality/value

– This paper contributes to cross-cultural policy comparisons and underlines the value of comparing and contrasting legislation, policy and outcomes across countries.
Hoverfly preference for high honeydew amounts creates enemy‐free space for aphids colonizing novel host plants
Authors: Vosteen Ilka , Gershenzon Jonathan , Kunert Grit
Published: June 2016

The existence of an enemy‐free space can play an important role in aphid host race formation processes, but little is known about the mechanisms that create an area of low predation pressure on particular host plants.

In this paper, we identify a mechanism generating lower predation pressure that promotes the maintenance of the different host races of the pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum) complex, a well‐studied model for ecological speciation. The pea aphid consists of at least 15 genetically distinct host races which are native to specific host plants of the legume family, but can all develop on the universal host plant Vicia faba.

Previous work showed that hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus) oviposition preferences contribute to the enemy‐free space that helps to maintain the different pea aphid host races, and that higher amounts of honeydew are more attractive to ovipositing hoverflies.

Here we demonstrated that aphid honeydew is produced in large amounts when aphid reproduction rate was highest, and is an important oviposition cue for hoverflies under field conditions. However, on less suitable host plants, where honeydew production is reduced, pea aphids enjoy lower predation rates.

A reduction in enemy pressure can mitigate the performance disadvantages of aphids colonizing a novel host and probably plays an important role in pea aphid host race formation.
Species distribution models predict rare species occurrences despite significant effects of landscape context
Authors: McCune J. L.
Published: June 2016

The true status of many endangered plants is uncertain because the locations of all extant populations are not known. Species distribution models (SDMs) can direct searches for additional populations, but habitat fragmentation may influence the distribution of rare species more than climatic or edaphic factors in human‐dominated landscapes. In this study, I test the ability of SDMs to predict rare plant occurrences in a fragmented landscape and the importance of predicted habitat suitability versus landscape context.

I built SDMs for eight rare woodland plants and assessed them using an independent data set including plant community surveys of 51 sites. I used community data to determine whether SDMs predict the right habitat type even when the target rare species was absent. I then modelled rare species presence based on predicted habitat suitability, distance to the nearest known population and the amount of forest habitat within 500 m of the site.

SDMs were effective for seven of the eight species, with the degree of predicted habitat suitability positively related to species' occurrence. I found new populations of four of the eight species. However, the amount of forest habitat available in the vicinity of a plot was also a positive predictor of rare plant occurrences. Among sites predicted to be suitable, the distance to the nearest known population was the strongest predictor of rare plant occurrence.

Synthesis and applications. Species distribution models (SDMs) can effectively target searches for populations of rare species even in human‐dominated landscapes. Surveying the plant community at sites predicted to be suitable can help to improve the SDM. SDMs used in conjunction with data on landscape context can maximize the efficiency of searches for rare species and show which species are restricted by dispersal limitation and habitat fragmentation in addition to edaphic and climatic factors.
Patient‐Centered Medical Home Recognition and Clinical Performance in U.S. Community Health Centers
Authors: Shi Leiyu , Lee De‐Chih , Chung Michelle , Liang Hailun , Lock Diana , Sripipatana Alek
Published: June 2016

Introduction

America's community health centers (HCs) are uniquely poised to implement the patient‐centered medical home (PCMH) model, as they are effective in providing comprehensive, accessible, and continuous primary care. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between PCMH recognition in HCs and clinical performance.

Methods

Data for this study came from the 2012 Uniform Data System (UDS) as well as a survey of HCs' PCMH recognition achievement. The dependent variables included all 16 measures of clinical performance collected through UDS. Control measures included HC patient, provider, and practice characteristics. Bivariate analyses and multiple logistic regressions were conducted to compare clinical performance between HCs with and without PCMH recognition.

Findings

Health centers that receive PCMH recognition generally performed better on clinical measures than HCs without PCMH recognition. After controlling for HC patient, provider, and practice characteristics, HCs with PCMH recognition reported significantly better performance on asthma‐related pharmacologic therapy, diabetes control, pap testing, prenatal care, and tobacco cessation intervention.

Conclusion

This study establishes a positive association between PCMH recognition and clinical performance in HCs. If borne out in future longitudinal studies, policy makers and practices should advance the PCMH model as a strategy to further enhance the quality of primary care.
The Great Lakes Hydrography Dataset: Consistent, Binational Watersheds for the Laurentian Great Lakes Basin
Authors: Forsyth Danielle K. , Riseng Catherine M. , Wehrly Kevin E. , Mason Lacey A. , Gaiot John , Hollenhorst Tom , Johnston Craig M. , Wyrzykowski Conrad , Annis Gust , Castiglione Chris , Todd Kent , Robertson Mike , Infante Dana M. , Wang Lizhu , McKenna James E. , Whelan Gary
Published: June 2016

Ecosystem‐based management of the Laurentian Great Lakes, which spans both the United States and Canada, is hampered by the lack of consistent binational watersheds for the entire Basin. Using comparable data sources and consistent methods, we developed spatially equivalent watershed boundaries for the binational extent of the Basin to create the Great Lakes Hydrography Dataset (GLHD). TheGLHDconsists of 5,589 watersheds for the entire Basin, covering a total area of approximately 547,967 km2, or about twice the 247,003 km2surface water area of the Great Lakes. TheGLHDimproves upon existing watershed efforts by delineating watersheds for the entire Basin using consistent methods; enhancing the precision of watershed delineation using recently developed flow direction grids that have been hydrologically enforced and vetted by provincial and federal water resource agencies; and increasing the accuracy of watershed boundaries by enforcing embayments, delineating watersheds on islands, and delineating watersheds for all tributaries draining to connecting channels. In addition, theGLHDis packaged in a publically available geodatabase that includes synthetic stream networks, reach catchments, watershed boundaries, a broad set of attribute data for each tributary, and metadata documenting methodology. TheGLHDprovides a common set of watersheds and associated hydrography data for the Basin that will enhance binational efforts to protect and restore the Great Lakes.
megasat: automated inference of microsatellite genotypes from sequence data
Authors: Zhan Luyao , Paterson Ian G. , Fraser Bonnie A. , Watson Beth , Bradbury Ian R. , Nadukkalam Ravindran Praveen , Reznick David , Beiko Robert G. , Bentzen Paul
Published: June 2016

megasat is software that enables genotyping of microsatellite loci using next‐generation sequencing data. Microsatellites are amplified in large multiplexes, and then sequenced in pooled amplicons. megasat reads sequence files and automatically scores microsatellite genotypes. It uses fuzzy matches to allow for sequencing errors and applies decision rules to account for amplification artefacts, including nontarget amplification products, replication slippage during PCR (amplification stutter) and differential amplification of alleles. An important feature of megasat is the generation of histograms of the length–frequency distributions of amplification products for each locus and each individual. These histograms, analogous to electropherograms traditionally used to score microsatellite genotypes, enable rapid evaluation and editing of automatically scored genotypes. megasat is written in Perl, runs on Windows, Mac OS X and Linux systems, and includes a simple graphical user interface. We demonstrate megasat using data from guppy, Poecilia reticulata. We genotype 1024 guppies at 43 microsatellites per run on an Illumina MiSeq sequencer. We evaluated the accuracy of automatically called genotypes using two methods, based on pedigree and repeat genotyping data, and obtained estimates of mean genotyping error rates of 0.021 and 0.012. In both estimates, three loci accounted for a disproportionate fraction of genotyping errors; conversely, 26 loci were scored with 0–1 detected error (error rate ≤0.007). Our results show that with appropriate selection of loci, automated genotyping of microsatellite loci can be achieved with very high throughput, low genotyping error and very low genotyping costs.
The commercial use of digital media to market alcohol products: a narrative review
Authors: Lobstein Tim , Landon Jane , Thornton Nicole , Jernigan David
Published: June 2016

Background and aims

The rising use of digital media in the last decade, including social networking media and downloadable applications, has created new opportunities for marketing a wide range of goods and services, including alcohol products. This paper aims to review the evidence in order to answer a series of policy‐relevant questions: does alcohol marketing through digital media influence drinking behaviour or increases consumption; what methods of promotional marketing are used, and to what extent; and what is the evidence of marketing code violations and especially of marketing to children?

Method and findings

A search of scientific, medical and social journals and authoritative grey literature identified 47 relevant papers (including 14 grey literature documents). The evidence indicated (i) that exposure to marketing through digital media was associated with higher levels of drinking behaviour; (ii) that the marketing activities make use of materials and approaches that are attractive to young people and encourage interactive engagement with branded messaging; and (iii) there is evidence that current alcohol marketing codes are being undermined by alcohol producers using digital media.

Conclusions

There is evidence to support public health interventions to restrict the commercial promotion of alcohol in digital media, especially measures to protect children and youth.
Sublingual misoprostol for management of empty sac or missed miscarriage: The first two years’ experience at a metropolitan Australian hospital
Authors: Mcgee Therese M. , Diplock Hayley , Lucewicz Ania
Published: June 2016

Background

Misoprostol management of miscarriage is only now becoming widely used in Australia.

Aims

To review the efficacy, safety and the popularity of outpatient sublingual misoprostol in empty sac/missed miscarriage management over its first two years of availability in a metropolitan Australian hospital.

Materials and methods

A retrospective cohort review was undertaken of women choosing sublingual misoprostol 600 μg (three tablets) × three doses for miscarriage management. Principal outcomes assessed were miscarriage resolution without the need for curettage and complications. Additionally, the relative popularity of misoprostol versus surgery by place of birth and over time, and the return of pregnancy tissue for histology were analysed.

Results

Between 1 December 2012 and 30 November 2014, 279 women chose sublingual misoprostol for nonurgent miscarriage management, while 420 chose surgery (40 and 60%, respectively). Of the misoprostol cohort, 269 had complete data; 239 of 269 (88.8%) had resolution without curettage, nine (3.3%) had acute curettage, 21 (7.8%) had nonacute curettage, 30 (11.15%) had unplanned emergency department presentation, 11 (4.1%) had unplanned admission, three (1.1%) had blood transfusion and one (0.4%) had an infection requiring admission. Misoprostol was as popular with Australian‐born as overseas‐born women; 53.5% of patients returned histopathology specimens; one (0.7%) demonstrated partial hydatidiform mole.

Conclusions

Outpatient management of missed/empty gestational sac miscarriage using sublingual misoprostol is associated with a high rate of avoiding curettage and the low rate of complication. It is equally popular with Australian‐born and overseas‐born women. Just over 50% returned pregnancy tissue for analysis.
Electrocardiographic Presentation, Cardiac Arrhythmias, and Their Management in β‐Thalassemia Major Patients
Authors: Russo Vincenzo , Rago Anna , Papa Andrea Antonio , Nigro Gerardo
Published: June 2016

Beta‐thalassemia major (β‐TM) is a genetic hemoglobin disorder characterized by an absent synthesis of globin chains that are essential for hemoglobin formation, causing chronic hemolytic anemia. Clinical management of thalassemia major consists in regular long‐life red blood cell transfusions and iron chelation therapy to remove iron introduced in excess with transfusions. Iron deposition in combination with inflammatory and immunogenic factors is involved in the pathophysiology of cardiac dysfunction in these patients. Heart failure and arrhythmias, caused by myocardial siderosis, are the most important life‐limiting complications of iron overload in beta‐thalassemia patients. Cardiac complications are responsible for 71% of global death in the beta‐thalassemia major patients. The aim of this review was to describe the most frequent electrocardiographic abnormalities and arrhythmias observed in β‐TMpatients, analyzing their prognostic impact and current treatment strategies.
The cnidome and internal morphology of Lophelia pertusa (Linnaeus, 1758) (Cnidaria, Anthozoa)
Authors: Strömberg Susanna M. , Östman Carina
Published: June 2016

The cnidome of the scleractinian cold‐water coral Lophelia pertusa (Linnaeus, 1758, syn. Lophohelia prolifera) was described by Carlgren in 1940. Due to a renewed interest in the cnidae of L. pertusa, specifically comparisons of adult and larval cnidae and their functions, we now redescribe the cnidome from material collected at the Tisler reef in Norway, close to Carlgren's collection site at Saekken (Sweden). Cnidae from column, tentacles, actinopharynx, mesenterial filaments and acontia were investigated. Fresh tissue preparations were compared to histological preparations of decalcified polyps to verify the presence of cnidocysts and secretory cells, and their composition and organization within tissues. The cnidome included microbasic b‐mastigophores, microbasic and mesobasic p‐mastigophores, holotrichous isorhizas and spirocysts. The nematocyst type cnidae (b‐, p‐mastigophores, isorhizas) appeared in different size classes with different distributions within the tissue. Spirocysts were highly variable in shape and size, without distinct size classes. In addition, developing stages of cnidae were documented, with new observations on the succession of p‐mastigophore shaft development. The present observations were in general congruent with the cnidocyst descriptions from L. prolifera made by Carlgren; however, a tiny cnida, possibly of isorhiza type, has been added. Finally, the use of the term acontia is discussed.
Population PK–PD analyses of CD25 occupancy, CD56bright NK cell expansion, and regulatory T cell reduction by daclizumab HYP in subjects with multiple sclerosis
Authors: Diao Lei , Hang Yaming , Othman Ahmed A. , Mehta Devangi , Amaravadi Lakshmi , Nestorov Ivan , Tran Jonathan Q.
Published: June 2016

Aim

Daclizumab high yield process (HYP) is a humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody that binds to the α‐subunit of the interleukin‐2 receptor and is being developed for treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). This manuscript characterized the pharmacokinetic–pharmacodynamic (PK–PD) relationships of daclizumab HYP in subjects with MS.

Methods

Approximately 1400 subjects and 7000 PD measurements for each of three biomarkers [CD25 occupancy, CD56bright natural killer (NK) cell count, regulatory T cell (Treg) count] from four clinical trials were analyzed using non‐linear mixed effects modelling. Evaluated regimens included 150 or 300 mg subcutaneous (s.c.) every 4 weeks.

Results

CD25 occupancy was characterized using a sigmoidal maximum response (Emax) model. Upon daclizumab HYP treatment, CD25 saturation was rapid with complete saturation occurring after approximately 7 h and maintained when daclizumab HYP serum concentration was ≥5 mg l‐1. After the last 150 mg s.c. dose, unoccupied CD25 returned to baseline levels in approximately 24 weeks, with daclizumab HYP serum concentration approximately ≤1 mgl‐11L. CD56bright NK cell expansion was characterized using an indirect response model. Following daclizumab HYP 150 mg s.c. every 4 weeks, expansion plateaus approximately at week 36, at which the average maximum expansion ratio is 5.2. After the last dose, CD56bright NK cells gradually declined to baseline levels within 24 weeks. Treg reduction was characterized by a sigmoidal Emax model. Average maximum reduction of 60% occurred approximately 4 days post 150 mg s.c. dose. After the last dose, Tregs were projected to return to baseline levels in approximately 20 weeks.

Conclusions

Robust PK–PD models of CD25 occupancy, CD56bright NK cell expansion and Treg reduction by daclizumab HYP were developed to characterize its key pharmacodynamic effects in the target patient population.
Learning and assessment with images: A view of cognitive load through the lens of cerebral blood flow
Authors: Loftus Jay J. , Jacobsen Michele , Wilson Timothy D.
Published: June 2016

Understanding the relationship between cognitive processing and learner performance on tasks using digital media has become increasingly important as the transition towards online learning programs increases. Determining the impact of implementation of instructional resources is often limited to performance outcomes and comparisons to the status quo. This study measured changes in cerebral blood velocity (CBV) of the right middle cerebral artery during visual learning tasks using static images. Transcranial Doppler ultrasonography was used to compare the changes in CBV during learning of individuals with high and low spatial ability. Our results show that there is a slight increase from baseline values of CBV in individuals with high spatial ability during the learning task for the present study. In contrast, individuals with low spatial ability experience a decrement from baseline during the learning task. These results suggest spatial ability mitigates cognitive load and potentially has an impact on learner performance on visual learning tasks.
Cerebral Hypoperfusion and the Energy Deficit in Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Love Seth , Miners J.Scott
Published: June 2016

There is a perfusion deficit in Alzheimer's disease (AD), commencing in the precuneus and spreading to other parts of the cerebral cortex. The deficit anticipates the development of dementia, contributes to brain damage, and is caused by both functional and structural abnormalities of the cerebral vasculature. Most of the abnormalities are probably secondary to the accumulation of Aβ but the consequent hypoperfusion may, in turn, increase Aβ production. In the early stages of disease, abnormalities that cause vasoconstriction predominate. These include cholinergic vascular denervation, inhibition of endothelial nitric oxide synthase, increased production of endothelin‐1 production and possibly also of angiotensin II. Patients with AD also have an increased prevalence of structural disease of cerebral microvessels, particularly CAA and capillary damage, and particularly in the later stages of disease these are likely to make an important contribution to the cerebral hypoperfusion. The metabolic abnormalities that cause early vascular dysfunction offer several targets for therapeutic intervention. However, for intervention to be effective it probably needs to be early. Prolonged cerebral hypoperfusion may induce compensatory circulatory changes that are themselves damaging, including hypertension and small vessel disease. This has implications for the use of antihypertensive drugs once there is accumulation of Aβ within the brain.
Alzheimer's Disease: From Mitochondrial Perturbations to Mitochondrial Medicine
Authors: Cardoso Susana , Carvalho Cristina , Correia Sónia C. , Seiça Raquel M. , Moreira Paula I.
Published: June 2016

Age‐related neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) are distressing conditions causing countless levels of suffering for which treatment is often insufficient or inexistent. Considered to be the most common cause of dementia and an incurable, progressive neurodegenerative disorder, the intricate pathogenic mechanisms of AD continue to be revealed and, consequently, an effective treatment needs to be developed. Among the diverse hypothesis that have been proposed to explain AD pathogenesis, the one concerning mitochondrial dysfunction has raised as one of the most discussed with an actual acceptance in the field. It posits that manipulating mitochondrial function and understanding the deficits that result in mitochondrial injury may help to control and/or limit the development of AD. To achieve such goal, the concept of mitochondrial medicine places itself as a promising gathering of strategies to directly manage the major insidious disturbances of mitochondrial homeostasis as well as attempts to directly or indirectly manage its consequences in the context of AD. The aim of this review is to summarize the evolution that occurred from the establishment of mitochondrial homeostasis perturbation as masterpieces in AD pathogenesis up until the development of mitochondrial medicine. Following a brief glimpse in the past and current hypothesis regarding the triad of aging, mitochondria and AD, this manuscript will address the major mechanisms currently believed to participate in above mentioned events. Both pharmacological and lifestyle interventions will also be reviewed as AD‐related mitochondrial therapeutics.
Design, synthesis, biological evaluation, NMR and DFT studies of structurally simplified trimethoxy benzamides as selective P‐glycoprotein inhibitors: the role of molecular flatness
Authors: Stefanachi Angela , Mangiatordi Giuseppe Felice , Tardia Piero , Alberga Domenico , Leonetti Francesco , Niso Mauro , Colabufo Nicola Antonio , Adamo Carlo , Nicolotti Orazio , Cellamare Saverio
Published: June 2016

In a recent investigation carried out on a panel of trimethoxybenzanilides, we showed that the formation of an intramolecular hydrogen bond is a key element for tuning P‐gp inhibitory activity. In this study, we designed new structurally simplified trimethoxy benzamides (5–17, Table ) with the aim to uncover the minimal molecular requirements needed for P‐gp inhibition. The new prepared smaller‐sized compounds exhibited IC50 in the low micromolar range. The combined use of NMR and DFT studies suggested that molecular flatness is causatively related to the P‐gp inhibition. Our results clearly pointed out that concerted theoretical and experimental approaches herein presented might be very helpful in addressing the design of structurally simplified and highly efficient compounds biasing P‐gp protein.
Role of podoplanin in the high interleukin-17A secretion resulting from interactions between activated lymphocytes and psoriatic skin-derived mesenchymal cells
Authors: Noack M , Ndongo-Thiam N'D , Miossec P
Published: June 2016

In the context of psoriasis, T helper type 17 (Th17) cells infiltrate the inflammatory site and interact with local mesenchymal cells, including skin fibroblasts. The aim of this work was to study the interactions of skin-derived fibroblasts with peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) with a focus on the Th17 pathway and to identify a mechanism which leads to a high interleukin (IL)−17 secretion. A co-culture system between PBMC and skin fibroblasts was developed. Healthy and patient PBMC were added to non-lesional or lesional skin fibroblasts at a 5:1 ratio for 48 h in the presence or not of activation with phytohaemagglutinin (PHA). Monocytes were removed or not by adherence before the co-culture. An anti-podoplanin antibody was also used during the co-culture. Cytokine production (IL-8, IL-6, IL-1β and IL-17) was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and cell staining (CD3, CD4, IL-17 and podoplanin) by flow cytometry. Without T cell receptor (TCR) activation, IL-8, IL-6 and IL-1β production increased in PBMC-fibroblast co-culture compared to PBMC alone. No additional effect was observed with TCR activation, with no difference in the Th17 cell percentage in activated-PBMC alone or co-cultured. Conversely, IL-17 production was increased highly only in co-cultures between control and patient activated-PBMC and skin fibroblasts. Removal of monocytes decreased cytokine production, notably that of IL-17. Addition of an anti-podoplanin antibody decreased IL-17 secretion by 60%. Interactions between resting PBMC and fibroblasts induce the IL-8, IL-6 and IL-1β production. PBMC activation and cell interactions are critical for a high IL-17 secretion. Podoplanin contributes largely to this massive IL-17 secretion.
ACTH and gonadotropin deficiencies predict mortality in patients treated for nonfunctioning pituitary adenoma: long‐term follow‐up of 519 patients in two large European centres
Authors: O'Reilly Michael W. , Reulen Raoul C. , Gupta Saket , Thompson Claire A. , Dineen Rosemary , Goulden Eirena L. , Bugg Gabriella , Pearce Harriet , Toogood Andy A. , Gittoes Neil J. , Mitchell Rosalind , Thompson Christopher J. , Ayuk John
Published: June 2016

Context and Objective

Nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas (NFPAs) are the most common subtype of pituitary tumour. Hypopituitarism is observed in NFPAs due to tumour‐ or treatment‐related factors and may increase mortality risk. Here, we analysed the associations of hypopituitarism, hormone replacement and mortality in a large NFPA cohort derived from two large European centres.

Design, Setting and Participants

Case note review of all patients treated for NFPA in University Hospitals Birmingham and Beaumont Hospital Dublin between 1999 and 2014 was performed.

Main Outcome Measures

Clinical presentation, treatment strategies, pituitary function and vitality status were recorded in each patient. A multivariate Cox regression model was used to examine the association between hypopituitarism, hormone replacement and premature mortality.

Results

A total of 519 patients were included in the analysis. Median duration of follow‐up was 7·0 years (0·5–43). A total of 81 deaths were recorded (15·6%). On multivariate analysis, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and gonadotropin (Gn) deficiencies were associated with an increased relative risk of death (OR 2·26, 95% CI 1·15–4·47, P = 0·01 and OR 2·56, 95% CI 1·10–5·96, P = 0·01, respectively). Increased hydrocortisone (HC) (P‐trend = 0·02) and lower levothyroxine (LT4) doses (P‐trend = 0·03) were associated with increased risk of death. Mortality increased with the degree of pituitary failure observed (P‐trend = 0·04).

Conclusion

ACTH and gonadotropin‐deficient patients have higher mortality rates compared to those with intact hormonal axes. Excessive HC and suboptimal LT4 replacement may also increase risk of death. Complex associations between hormone deficiency and replacement underpin the increased mortality risk in NFPA patients.
Randomized Clinical Trial of Maxillary Sinus Grafting using Deproteinized Porcine and Bovine Bone Mineral
Authors: Lee Jung‐Seok , Shin Hyun‐Ki , Yun Jeong‐Ho , Cho Kyoo‐Sung
Published: June 2016

Abstracts

Background

Deproteinized porcine bone mineral (DPBM) was recently developed and commercially available in maxillary sinus grafting, in which demineralized bovine bone mineral (DBBM) was widely used.

Objectives

The present randomized controlled clinical trial aimed to compare histological bone quality and radiographic volume stability in maxillary sinuses grafted with DPBM and DBBM.

Materials and Methods

Twenty sinuses in 16 participants were enrolled and randomly allocated to control and test groups using sequentially numbered, sealed envelopes; laterally approached sinus grafting with DBBM and DPBM, respectively. All participants were blinded to the group assignment during the entire experiment. After standardized osteotomy at the lateral wall of the maxillary sinus, the sinus membrane was elevated, and the control or test biomaterial was grafted. Computed tomography (CT) images were taken immediately after surgery, and another CT and trephine biopsy was taken for radiographic and histological analyses after 6 months. The histological bone quality was measured as a primary outcome, and changes in the height and volume of the graft were evaluated in the reconstructed CT images as secondary outcomes.

Results

Fifteen sites (7 and 8 sites for control and test group) in 11 participants were finally included in the per protocol (PP) analysis, and 16 sites (7 and 9 sites, respectively) in 12 participants were included in the intention‐to‐treat (ITT) analysis; there were four drop‐outs and one minor protocol violation. In both statistical analyses, the test groups showed comparable new bone formation and residual biomaterials in histology, and both groups exhibited minimal volume/height changes in radiographies. However, smaller sizes of residual biomaterials were observed in the histological samples from the test compared to control sites, despite the use of the same sizes of both biomaterials.

Conclusions

The results suggested that DPBM might produce comparable bone formation and volumetric stability with DBBM in maxillary sinus grafting, however, further clinical study with longer‐term periods and larger sample sizes should be needed for confirming this suggestion.