bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Why choose a temporary employment?
Authors: Muzzolon Cristina , Spoto Andrea , Vidotto Giulio
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The literature on volition indicates that the only dichotomous measure that differentiates voluntary from involuntary temporary workers is unable to fully explain temporary workers’ attitudes. There are more detailed explanations of why workers choose temporary work. The purpose of this paper is to develop and validate a scale of reasons for choosing temporary employment.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study is divided into two parts. In the first part, 32 items were selected based on the literature. They were administered to a sample of 337 Italian temporary agency workers. Then, an exploratory factor analysis was used. In the second part of the study, previous findings were subjected to a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) considering a sample of 325 Italian temporary agency workers.

Findings

– A two-factor solution (i.e. integrated regulation and identified regulation) emerged from the CFA. The authors present the scale with means and standard deviations for the measurement of the constructs. The integrated regulation subscale appears sensitive enough to differentiate the contract preference.

Research limitations/implications

– The two samples were from a single temporary work agency, thus they did not represent the entire heterogeneous population of temporary workers.

Originality/value

– This study proposes a first attempt to construct a questionnaire about the reasons for choosing temporary employment in Italy that raises questions about how institutional factors within various labor markets influence issues of volition and employment contract choice.
A good or bad transition from school to work: who is responsible?
Authors: Defloor Bart , Van Ootegem Luc , Verhofstadt Elsy
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to analyse the determinants of the quality of the first job in Flanders (Belgium). The authors differentiate between circumstances on the one hand – individual characteristics beyond the control of the individuals such as gender or the unemployment rate at labour market entry – and efforts on the other hand – characteristics that are at least partly under the individuals’ control such as their educational attainment or labour motivation. The authors specifically take into account the fact that the former might influence the latter. A better understanding of the effects of these determinants can help to formulate (labour market) policy proposals (to ameliorate the school-to-work transition) that are responsibility-sensitive. The authors use the distance function to construct a one-dimensional measure of job quality – based on a list of job characteristics – and explain the variation in job quality in terms of circumstances and efforts. The empirical analysis is based on the 1978 birth cohort of the Flemish SONAR data. The results show that the quality of the first job is to a large extent depending on personal efforts and that circumstances have a considerable influence on the efforts. For this reason circumstances influence job quality twice. This is especially the case for gender and for the educational attainment of the individual’s mother. The labour market situation at labour market entry also plays a considerable role.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors use the distance function to construct a one-dimensional measure of job quality – based on a list of job characteristics – and explain the variation in job quality in terms of circumstances and efforts. The empirical analysis is based on the 1978 birth cohort of the Flemish SONAR data.

Findings

– The results show that circumstances have a considerable influence on the efforts and for this reason circumstances influence job quality twice. This is especially the case for gender and for the educational attainment of the individual’s mother. The labour market situation at labour market entry also plays a considerable role.

Originality/value

– The paper contributes to the literature in several ways. First, it analyses the quality of the first job individuals get after leaving school and uses an equality of opportunity framework. This approach differs from an approach based on search duration or job satisfaction. Second, job quality is evaluated in a multidimensional way using the distance function. Third, the relation between job quality and circumstances – issues for which the individual is not responsible – and efforts – issues for which the individual is at least partly responsible – is investigated. The authors specifically take into account the fact that circumstances might influence efforts and investigate the consequences for labour market policy.
Management accounting and management control in family businesses
Authors: Senftlechner Daniel , Hiebl Martin R. W.
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this article is to comprehensively review the empirical literature on management accounting and control in family businesses and to identify future research avenues. Academic interest in the field of management accounting and control in family businesses has increased considerably during the past decade. Family businesses constitute a unique organisational form that apparently faces a lower degree of information asymmetry compared to non-family businesses. In turn, this may limit their need for management accounting and control systems. However, recent reviews of accounting in family businesses have not yet comprehensively reviewed the literature on management accounting and control. The present paper aims to close this gap.

Design/methodology/approach

– This review follows the guidelines proposed by Tranfield et al. (2003) for conducting a systematic literature review. This paper has identified 33 relevant articles, which were scanned for findings on the antecedents, configurations and outcomes of management accounting and control in family businesses.

Findings

– Management accounting and control seem to be generally less relevant to family businesses than to non-family businesses. This review suggests, however, that this finding is true primarily for smaller firms, not for larger firms. In family businesses, mutual trust, family-specific goals and the centralisation of power emerge as important antecedents of management accounting and control, but they are also affected by the use of management accounting and control instruments.

Research limitations/implications

– This paper identifies a need for more research concerning institutionalisation and the instruments of management accounting and control in family businesses. Future studies on this topic should include more demographic characteristics to isolate the family effect from other corporate governance effects, as this has been disregarded by most extant studies.

Originality/value

– This paper is the first comprehensive review to provide a synthesis of the literature on management accounting and control in family businesses.
Interactions of rules and routines: re-thinking rules
Authors: Oliveira João , Quinn Martin
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to address the extant and arguably excessive focus on routines in management accounting research and a relative neglect of rules. It seeks to advance our understanding of how rules and routines may interact in the technology-enabled context of management accounting and control of contemporary organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors draw on, and develop, insights from extant literature and from two case studies to explore how rules and routines may interact.

Findings

– The paper proposes a framework on the interactions of rules and routines across multiple dimensions. The authors adopt a wide notion of rules to include formal rules, rules as internal cognitive structures of human actors and rules technologically embedded in non-human actors. The authors argue that rules underlie and may precede routines, distinguish between repeated practices and routines and explore the role of technology in today’s management accounting practices.

Research limitations/implications

– This research shows how the process of routinization and, ultimately, institutionalization of practices involves multiple dimensions of rules, as well as both human and non-human actors. With this understanding, researchers and practitioners will be better equipped to, respectively, understand nuances of management accounting change and actually achieve change in practice.

Originality/value

– This paper highlights the importance of rules in the routinization and institutionalization of management accounting practices and proposes a framework which explores the interactions of rules and routines across three realms: material, action and psychological. Including a material realm, related with technologically embedded rules, in the proposed framework contributes to institutional theory by acknowledging today’s increasing role of technology in organizational life.
The subsidiaries of multinational enterprises operate regionally, not globally
Authors: Nguyen Quyen T.K.
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the determinants of home-region strategy of the multinational subsidiary and the impact of such a strategy on its performance. The author draws upon new internalization theory to develop a theory-driven model and empirically tests the simultaneous relationships between home-region strategy and performance of the subsidiary.

Design/methodology/approach

– The author tests the model using a simultaneous equation statistical technique on an original, new data set of publicly listed multinational subsidiaries operating in the ASEAN region, with parent firms’ headquarters across the broad triad.

Findings

– There are three significant findings. The first finding is that subsidiary-level downstream knowledge (marketing advantages), and the geographic location of the subsidiary in the same home region as of the parent firm are key antecedents of a subsidiary’s home-region strategy. The second finding is that a subsidiary’s profitability reduces home-region orientation; however, home-region strategy has an insignificant effect on performance. The third finding is that these subsidiaries generate on average 92 per cent of their total sales in the home region (the Asia Pacific).

Originality/value

– The author advances the existing literature on the regional nature of parent-level multinational enterprises by demonstrating that their quasi-autonomous subsidiaries also operate mainly on a home-region basis.
Re-examining regional borders and the multinational enterprise
Authors: Aguilera Ruth V. , Flores Ricardo , Kim Jin Uk
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to critically assess the theoretical underpinnings and extant progress of the research on regional multi-national enterprises (MNEs) and offer a blueprint for future research by re-conceptualizing how (regional) boundaries relate to the international diversification of MNEs.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper integrates key insights from the theory of the regional MNE and economic geography to re-orient the treatment of regional borders within international business (IB) literature.

Findings

– The paper suggests that the (L) component within the ownership location and internalization (OLI) paradigm should be disaggregated into continuous “distance effects” and discrete “border effects”. Within this rubric, regional borders represent discrete border effects that generate discontinuities that are permeable, fluid and firm specific. Such reconceptualization opens up avenues for future research and more tightly integrates the research on regional MNEs with other research streams.

Research limitations/implications

– IB scholars need to make concerted effort to think of regions as one among several parameters in studying the strategy and structure of MNEs. A stronger focus on internal processes and mechanisms elucidating the main drivers of MNEs strategies is needed.

Originality/value

– The paper offers innovative ways in which future research can advance the study of how regions matter in the internationalization strategy of MNEs.
Private ethical fund investors across countries and time: a survey-based review
Authors: Wins Anett , Zwergel Bernhard
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to provide an overview of the literature to point out similarities and differences among private ethical investors across countries and time. Over the past three decades, many surveys have been conducted to advance the understanding of the demographic characteristics, motivation and morals of private ethical investors across countries and time. To date, the survey-based evidence on private investors into ethical funds is geographically rather segmented, and the research questions are fairly diverse. This permits only very temporally or regionally selective conclusions. Thereby, the authors identify interesting topics for future research.

Design/methodology/approach

– To identify the relevant literature for our review, the authors carried out a structured Boolean keyword search using major library services and databases.

Findings

– When questions about negative screening criteria are presented in a direct investment context, the consensus of private ethical investors “worldwide” (on average) is that social screening issues are most important, followed by ecological and moral topics. The percentage of ethical funds in the fund portfolio of the average private ethical investor in Europe seems to increase when the investor exhibits high degrees of pro-social attitudes and perceived consumer effectiveness. European private ethical investors are of the opinion that ethical funds perform worse but are less risky than conventional funds.

Practical implications

– The authors make suggestions on how investment companies should design their funds so that they can attract more socially responsible investors.

Originality/value

– The paper is of particular value because it focuses on private investors in the fast growing retail market of socially responsible investment funds.
Restabilizing attachment to cultural objects. Aesthetics, emotions and biography
Authors: Benzecry Claudio E.
Published: November 2015

The scholarship on aesthetics and materiality has studied how objects help shape identity, social action and subjectivity. Objects, as ‘equipment[s] for living’ (Luhmann 2000), become the ‘obligatory passage points humans have to contend with in order to pursue their projects (Latour 1991). They provide patterns to which bodies can unconsciously latch onto, or help human agents work towards particular states of being (DeNora 2000, 2003). Objects are central in the long term process of taste construction, as any attachment to an object is made out of a delicate equilibrium of mediators, bodies, situations and techniques (Hennion and his collaborators (Hennion and Fouquet 2001; Hennion and Gomart 1999). In all of these accounts objects are the end result of long‐term processes of stabilization, in which the actual material object (a musical piece, a sculpture, an art installation, a glass of wine, the oeuvre of Bach as we know it) is both a result and yet a key co‐producer of its own generation. Whereas the literature has been generous and detailed in exploring the processes of assembling and sustaining object‐centered attachments, it has not sufficiently engaged with what happens when the aesthetic elements of cultural artifacts that have produced emotional resonance are transformed: what do these artifacts morph into? What explains the transition (or not) of different cultural objects? And relatedly, what happens to the key aesthetic qualities that were so central to how the objects had been defined, and to those who have emotionally attached to them? To answer these questions, this article uses as exemplars two different cases of attachment, predicated on the distinctive features of a cultural object – the transcendence of opera and the authenticity of a soccer jersey – that have undergone transformations.
Fortification of dairy products with vitamin D3
Authors: Leskauskaite Daiva , Jasutiene Ina , Malinauskyte Ernesta , Kersiene Milda , Matusevicius Paulius
Published: November 2015

The purpose of this study was to analyse emulsions for vitamin D3 delivery in yoghurt and sour cream. Oil‐in‐water emulsions stabilised by whey proteins alone and by whey proteins plus carboxymethylcellulose were used. No change in vitamin D3 added to the yoghurt and sour cream in the form of both emulsions was observed after storage at 7 days in light and 14 days in dark at 4 °C. The results of bioavailability tests, using rats, for vitamin D3 from the fortified emulsions and yoghurt indicated that it is feasible to use stabilised emulsions as delivery systems of vitamin D3 in fortified products.
Applying palliative care principles and practice to emergency medicine
Authors: Rogers Ian R , Lukin Bill
Published: November 2015

Only recently has the potential (unmet) palliative care (PC) workload in the ED been recognised. While confident in PC symptom management, we underestimate the role of a palliative approach in non‐cancer diagnoses and seek education in areas such as individual patient care pathways, ethical and legal issues and difficult conversations at the end of life. PC is best introduced early for a range of life‐limiting cancer and non‐cancer diagnoses. Allowing patients time to tell their story with active listening, acknowledgement of suffering and a compassionate presence leads to treatment ‘success’ that is not defined by cure. This patient‐centred, rather than disease‐centred approach, is the essence of PC, and one that is easily incorporated into emergency practice. PC and disease‐specific treatments can comfortably coexist, and with meticulous symptom management, may actually prolong life. PC is everyone's business, and emergency medicine needs to be part of it.
Reliability of the Abbreviated Westmead Post‐traumatic Amnesia Scale in children: Impact of age on test results
Authors: Tesson Stephanie A , Nogajski Rebecca R , Macey Julie‐Anne , Paget Simon P
Published: November 2015

Objective

This study aimed to determine the reliability of the Abbreviated Westmead Post‐traumatic Amnesia Scale (A‐WPTAS) in children by examining the impact of age on A‐WPTAS performance.

Methods

Participants were typically developing patients with minor illnesses or injuries and/or accompanying siblings aged 5–10 years, attending a children's hospital ED. Exclusion criteria included: (i) a recent traumatic brain injury; (ii) developmental disability; (iii) recent drug administration judged to impact cognition; and/or (iv) non‐English speaking background. The A‐WPTAS was administered on two occasions separated by approximately 60 min. Logistic regression was used to determine the odds of passing based on age.

Results

A total of 125 children completed the A‐WPTAS assessments. A‐WPTAS pass rates were 36% for 5 year olds, 68% for 6 year olds, and exceeded 90% for 7–10 year olds. Compared with 9 year olds, 5 year olds had significantly lower odds of passing (P = 0.003), a trend that persisted for 6 year olds (P = 0.052). Among 5 and 6 year olds, failure was predominantly due to difficulty with temporo‐spatial orientation items.

Conclusions

The A‐WPTAS is reliable for use in children aged 7 years and older, while its use in children aged 6 years and under results in an unsatisfactory high false positive rate, limiting its clinical utility. The adult‐level performance of children aged 7 years onwards provides strong support for using the tool in the early management of these children with mild traumatic brain injury in Australian EDs.
When East meets West: comparing the utilization of high‐performance work systems in Chinese and Irish professional service firms
Authors: Fu Na , Ma Qinhai , Flood Patrick C , Bosak Janine , Liu Yang , Zhang Yang
Published: November 2015

The aim of this study was to explore the differences and similarities in the utilization of high‐performance work systems (HPWS) inChinese andIrish professional service firms (PSFs). Using data collected from 112Chinese and 120Irish accounting firms, we found thatChinesePSFsdemonstrate higher scores in selective recruitment and contingent remuneration, whileIrishPSFsshow higher scores in performance management and training.Chinese andIrishPSFsemployed similar levels of information sharing and participation and had similar scores on an overallHPWSindex. Consistent results were found for the positive relationship betweenHPWSand organizational performance in bothChinese andIrishPSFsdespite their different utilization ofHPWSelements. This cross‐national study provides insights into the differences between eastern and western approaches in managing human resources in the professional service context and demonstrates the potential value of usingHPWSto improve performance inPSFs.
Effectiveness of knee bracing in osteoarthritis: pragmatic trial in a multidisciplinary clinic
Authors: Yu Shirley P. , Williams Matthew , Eyles Jillian P. , Chen Jian Sheng , Makovey Joanna , Hunter David J.
Published: November 2015

Aim

Assessing the effectiveness of bracing treatment for tibiofemoral osteoarthritis (OA) and patellofemoral OA in patients with knee OA.

Method

This study was conducted within the Osteoarthritis Chronic Care Program (OACCP), a 52‐week multidisciplinary non‐operative program for OA patients. All participants had symptomatic, radiographic knee OA. Knee bracing with Ossur Unloader One and Tru‐pull Lite was offered for participants with medial/lateral tibiofemoral and patellofemoral OA, respectively. Participants were assessed at weeks 0, 12, 26 and 52. The primary outcome was knee pain and function at week 52, as assessed by the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) pain and activities of daily living (ADL) scores. Linear regression models were used to compare effectiveness for pain and function between three groups (patellofemoral bracing, tibiofemoral bracing and no bracing).

Result

There were 204 participants; 50 assigned patellofemoral bracing, 86 tibiofemoral bracing and 68 with no bracing. Mean baseline KOOS pain score was 52.9, 41.7 and 43.3 (0–100 scale where 100 represents normal) and mean baseline KOOS ADL score was 55.8, 43.7 and 43.1 for the three groups, respectively. Significant improvements were found in each group at week 52 for KOOS pain score and KOOS ADL. There was no significant difference in KOOS pain (P = 0.12) and ADL score (P = 0.13) at week 52 between the three brace types after adjusting for baseline variables.

Conclusion

A multidisciplinary non‐operative program improved pain and function in persons with patellofemoral and tibiofemoral OA. However, wearing a patellofemoral or a tibiofemoral brace did not appear to provide additional benefits.
Metabolic syndrome in schizophrenia patients associated with poor premorbid school performance in early adolescence
Authors: de Nijs J. , Pet M. A. ,   GROUP Investigators
Published: November 2015

Objective

More than 40% of patients with schizophrenia have an additional diagnosis of the metabolic syndrome (MS), possibly related to poor cognition. This study investigated premorbid and current cognitive functioning in schizophrenia and co‐occurrence of MS.

Method

A total of 104 participants with schizophrenia with MS and 142 without MS were included. Neuropsychological assessment was carried out using the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale‐III, Word Learning Task, and Continuous Performance Test‐HQ. Premorbid functioning was assessed retrospectively with the Premorbid Adjustment Scale. anovas were used to examine differences between participants with and without MS.

Results

Subjects with and without MS did not differ concerning current, lifetime and amount substance use, duration/severity of illness, parental socioeconomic status (SES), and type/amount of antipsychotic medication. We found that poor school performance between the ages 12 and 16 is associated with MS in schizophrenia. Educational level and current cognitive functioning in participants with MS deviate as compared to those without MS.

Conclusion

Subjects with MS had impaired premorbid cognition in adolescence and lower educational achievement, irrespective of parental SES. This suggests poor premorbid cognitive functioning is a risk factor for metabolic complications later in life. Future studies are needed to examine whether cognitive interventions have beneficial effects on general health in schizophrenia.
The Victorian Melanoma Service: A 20‐year review of an Australian multidisciplinary cancer service
Authors: Meani Rowena E , Pan Yan , McLean Catriona , Haydon Andrew , Leung Michael , Kelly John W
Published: November 2015

Australia has the highest incidence and mortality rates for melanoma in the world. The Victorian Melanoma Service began operation in 1994 as one of the first multidisciplinary melanoma clinics in Victoria. We conducted a review of the Victorian Melanoma Service database of 6721 patients and present the trends observed in a statewide referral centre in Australia. Our results highlight the importance of multidisciplinary care of melanoma patients and emphasise the significance of histological reviews and dermatological skin assessments for the detection of synchronous melanoma.
Pentoxifylline: An effective therapy for necrobiosis lipoidica
Authors: Wee Edmund , Kelly Robert
Published: November 2015

Necrobiosis lipoidica (NL) is a rare chronic inflammatory granulomatous skin disorder that remains challenging to treat. Here we report three patients at different stages of disease successfully treated with pentoxifylline, a haemorrheological and anti‐inflammatory agent. We demonstrate for the first time that early stage NL may be completely reversible with this treatment. Our findings are also consistent with previous isolated reports showing the effectiveness of pentoxifylline in treating ulcerative NL.
Response to exercise and mechanical efficiency in non‐ischaemic stunning, induced by short‐term rapid pacing in dogs: a role for calcium?
Authors: De Pauw M. , Mubagwa K. , Hodeige D. , Borgers M. , Flameng W. , Van de Voorde J. , Heyndrickx G. R.
Published: November 2015

Aim

Rapid pacing (RP) is a regularly used model to induce heart failure in dogs. The aim of the study was to evaluate Ca2+ handling, left ventricular (LV) contractile response during Ca2+ administration compared to exercise, as well as oxygen consumption and mechanical efficiency after 48 h of RP.

Methods

Fifty‐three mongrel dogs were instrumented to measure LV pressure, LV fractional shortening, regional wall thickening and coronary blood flow. Contractile reserve was measured with isoproterenol and intravenous (IV) Ca2+ administration. To assess the function of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), post‐extrasystolic potentiation (PESP) and SR Ca2+ uptake were measured. A graded treadmill test was performed in baseline and after RP (n = 14). In a separate group of animals (n = 5), myocardial performance and oxygen consumption were measured using a wide range of loading conditions.

Results

Left ventricular contractility was significantly decreased upon cessation of pacing. The contractile response to isoproterenol was blunted compared to a preserved response to IV Ca2+. Post‐extrasystolic potentiation was slightly increased after RP. Maximal velocity (Vmax) of SR Ca2+ uptake was unchanged. Contractile response during exercise is attenuated after RP. External work is reduced, whereas oxygen consumption is preserved, provoking a reduced mechanical efficiency.

Conclusion

Forty‐eight‐hours RP provokes a reversible LV dysfunction, while the SR function and response to exogenous Ca2+ are preserved. This is compatible with an intracellular functional remodelling to counteract Ca2+ overload provoked by RP. Left ventricular dysfunction is accompanied by a reduced contractile reserve, but an unchanged oxygen consumption, illustrating an alteration in oxygen utilization.
Review article: inhibition of methanogenic archaea by statins as a targeted management strategy for constipation and related disorders
Authors: Gottlieb K. , Wacher V. , Sliman J. , Pimentel M.
Published: November 2015

Background

Observational studies show a strong association between delayed intestinal transit and the production of methane. Experimental data suggest a direct inhibitory activity of methane on the colonic and ileal smooth muscle and a possible role for methane as a gasotransmitter. Archaea are the only confirmed biological sources of methane in nature and Methanobrevibacter smithii is the predominant methanogen in the human intestine.

Aim

To review the biosynthesis and composition of archaeal cell membranes, archaeal methanogenesis and the mechanism of action of statins in this context.

Methods

Narrative review of the literature.

Results

Statins can inhibit archaeal cell membrane biosynthesis without affecting bacterial numbers as demonstrated in livestock and humans. This opens the possibility of a therapeutic intervention that targets a specific aetiological factor of constipation while protecting the intestinal microbiome. While it is generally believed that statins inhibit methane production via their effect on cell membrane biosynthesis, mediated by inhibition of the HMG‐CoA reductase, there is accumulating evidence for an alternative or additional mechanism of action where statins inhibit methanogenesis directly. It appears that this other mechanism may predominate when the lactone form of statins, particularly lovastatin lactone, is administered.

Conclusions

Clinical development appears promising. A phase 2 clinical trial is currently in progress that evaluates the effect of lovastatin lactone on methanogenesis and symptoms in patients with irritable bowel syndrome with constipation. The review concludes with an outlook for the future and subsequent work that needs to be done.
Effects of dietary supplementation of selenium and iodine on growth performance, carcass characteristics and histology of thyroid gland in goats
Authors: Aghwan Zeiad Amjad , Sazili Awis Qurni , Kadhim Khalid Kamil , Alimon Abdul Razak , Goh Yong Meng , Adeyemi Kazeem Dauda
Published: November 2015

This study assessed the effects of dietary selenium (Se), iodine (I) and a combination of both on growth performance, thyroid gland activity, carcass characteristics and the concentration of iodine and selenium in Longissimus lumborum (LL) muscle in goats. Twenty‐four bucks were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments: control (CON), basal diet without supplementation, basal diet + 0.6 mg Se/kg dry matter (DM) (SS), 0.6 mg I/kg DM (IP), or combination of 0.6 mg/kg DM Se and 0.6 mg/kg DM I (SSIP) and fed for 100 days. Animals fed diet SSIP exhibited higher (P < 0.05) body weight and better feed conversion ratio (FCR) than those fed other diets. Dressing percentage of goats fed the supplemented diets was higher (P < 0.05) than that of the control. Carcasses from the IP group had higher (P < 0.05) total fat proportion than the SSIP group. The levels of both elements were significantly elevated (P < 0.05) in LL muscle in supplemented goats. Thyroid follicular epithelial cells of IP and SSIP animals were significantly higher than those of CON and SS groups. The study demonstrated that the combined Se and I dietary supplementation improves growth performance, carcass dressing percentage and increases the retention of Se and I in goat meat.
CD49d (ITGA4) expression is a predictor of time to first treatment in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and mutated IGHV status
Authors: Baumann Tycho , Delgado Julio , Santacruz Rodrigo , Martínez‐Trillos Alejandra , Rozman María , Aymerich Marta , López Cristina , Costa Dolors , Carrió Anna , Villamor Neus , Montserrat Emili
Published: November 2015

We investigated CD49d (also termed ITGA4) expression and its biological and clinical correlations in 415 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. CD49d expression was stable over the course of the disease. A high expression of CD49d (>30%) was found in 142/415 (34%) patients and was associated with progressive disease (advanced clinical stage, high serum lactate dehydrogenase or β2‐microglobulin levels; all p < 0·05) and aggressive disease biology (increased ZAP70 or CD38, unmutated IGHV, trisomy 12, mutations of NOTCH1 and SF3B1; all P < 0·05). A higher CD49d expression was also associated with a lower blood lymphocyte count and a higher number of lymphoid areas involved by the disease. Patients with high CD49d expression were treated more frequently (55% vs. 27%; P < 0·001) and earlier (median time to treatment [TTT] 65·4 months vs. not reached; P < 0·001) than those with low CD49d expression. However, no significant differences in response rates were observed. In the subgroup of patients with mutated IGHV, high CD49d expression was predictive of a shorter TTT while other markers, such as ZAP70 and CD38, were not. In conclusion, in this study CD49d expression correlated with high‐risk CLL biomarkers and proved to be useful for separating patients with mutated IGHV into two different prognostic groups.
miR‐490‐5p suppresses tumour growth in renal cell carcinoma through targeting PIK3CA
Authors: Chen Ke , Zeng Jin , Tang Kun , Xiao Haibing , Hu Junhui , Huang Chunhua , Yao Weimin , Yu Gan , Xiao Wei , Guan Wei , Guo Xiaolin , Xu Hua , Ye Zhangqun
Published: November 2015

Background Information

Dysregulated micro‐RNAs have been reported in many human cancers, including renal cell carcinoma. Recent studies indicated that miR‐490 is involved in tumour development and progression. However, the expression profile and function in renal cell carcinoma remains unknown.

Results

Herein, we showed that miR‐490‐5p was down‐regulated in renal cell carcinoma tissues and cells compared with the adjacent normal tissues and normal cells. We also provided evidence that miR‐490‐5p acts as a tumour suppressor in renal carcinoma in a variety of in vitro and in vivo assays. Mechanistically, miR‐490‐5p was verified to directly bind to 3′ UTR of the PIK3CA mRNA and reduce the expression of PIK3CA at both mRNA and protein levels, which further inhibits phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase/Akt signalling pathway. We further showed that knockdown of PIK3CA can block the growth inhibitory effect of miR‐490‐5p, and over‐expression of PIK3CA can reverse the inhibitory effect of miR‐490‐5p on renal cancer cell tumourigenicity.

Conclusions

Taken together, our results indicated for the first time that miR‐490‐5p functions as a tumour suppressor in renal carcinoma by targeting PIK3CA.

Significance

Our findings suggest that miR‐490‐5p may be a potential gene therapy target for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma.
Mechanism of allosteric activation of TMEM16A/ANO1 channels by a commonly used chloride channel blocker
Authors: Ta Chau M , Adomaviciene Aiste , Rorsman Nils J G , Garnett Hannah , Tammaro Paolo
Published: November 2015

Background and Purpose

Calcium‐activated chloride channels (CaCCs) play varied physiological roles and constitute potential therapeutic targets for conditions such as asthma and hypertension. TMEM16A encodes a CaCC. CaCC pharmacology is restricted to compounds with relatively low potency and poorly defined selectivity. Anthracene‐9‐carboxylic acid (A9C), an inhibitor of various chloride channel types, exhibits complex effects on native CaCCs and cloned TMEM16A channels providing both activation and inhibition. The mechanisms underlying these effects are not fully defined.

Experimental Approach

Patch‐clamp electrophysiology in conjunction with concentration jump experiments was employed to define the mode of interaction of A9C with TMEM16A channels.

Key Results

In the presence of high intracellular Ca2+, A9C inhibited TMEM16A currents in a voltage‐dependent manner by entering the channel from the outside. A9C activation, revealed in the presence of submaximal intracellular Ca2+ concentrations, was also voltage‐dependent. The electric distance of A9C inhibiting and activating binding site was ~0.6 in each case. Inhibition occurred according to an open‐channel block mechanism. Activation was due to a dramatic leftward shift in the steady‐state activation curve and slowed deactivation kinetics. Extracellular A9C competed with extracellular Cl−, suggesting that A9C binds deep in the channel's pore to exert both inhibiting and activating effects.

Conclusions and Implications

A9C is an open TMEM16A channel blocker and gating modifier. These effects require A9C to bind to a region within the pore that is accessible from the extracellular side of the membrane. These data will aid the future drug design of compounds that selectively activate or inhibit TMEM16A channels.
Etiology of Pervasive Versus Situational Antisocial Behaviors: A Multi‐Informant Longitudinal Cohort Study
Authors: Wertz Jasmin , Zavos Helena M. S. , Matthews Timothy , Gray Rebecca , Best‐Lane Janis , Pariante Carmine M. , Moffitt Terrie E. , Arseneault Louise
Published: November 2015

The aim of this study was to disentangle pervasive from situational antisocial behaviors using multiple informants, and to investigate their genetic and environmental etiologies in preadolescence and across time. Antisocial behaviors were assessed in 2,232 twins from the Environmental Risk (E‐Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study at ages 5 and 12. Pervasive antisocial behaviors were defined as behaviors that mothers, teachers, interviewers, and twins themselves agreed on. Results from a psychometric model indicated that the variation in children's pervasive antisocial behaviors was mostly accounted for by familial influences that originated in childhood, whereas situational behaviors were explained by newly emerging nonshared environmental and genetic influences. This study shows that children's pervasive and situational antisocial behaviors have distinct etiologies that could guide research and treatment.
When and how should patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 be screened for thymic and bronchial carcinoid tumours?
Authors: Singh Ospina Naykky , Maraka Spyridoula , Montori Victor , Thompson Geoffrey B. , Young William F.
Published: November 2015

Patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) are commonly evaluated for clinical manifestations of this syndrome with the rationale that early diagnosis and adequate treatment will result in improved survival and quality of life. Thymic and bronchial carcinoid tumours are uncommon but important manifestations of MEN1. Current practice guidelines recommend evaluation with computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging scan of the chest every 1–2 years to detect these neoplasms. However, the certainty that patients will be better off (increased survival or quality of life) as a result of this case detection strategy is based on evidence at moderate–high risk of bias that yields only imprecise results of indirect relevance to these patients. In order to improve the care that patients with MEN1 receive, co‐ordinated efforts from different stakeholders are required so that large, prospective, multicentre studies evaluating patient important outcomes are carried out.
Anti‐hapten antibodies in response to skin sensitization
Authors: Singleton Helen , Popple Amy , Gellatly Nichola , Maxwell Gavin , Williams Jason , Friedmann Peter S. , Kimber Ian , Dearman Rebecca J.
Published: November 2015

Whereas T lymphocyte (T cell) activation is the key event in the acquisition of skin sensitization and subsequent elicitation of allergic contact dermatitis, the humoral component of immune responses to organic contact allergens has received little consideration. There is evidence that, in experimental animals, topical exposure to potent contact allergens is associated with B cell activation and proliferation, and hapten‐specific antibody production. However, there is very limited evidence available for anti‐hapten antibody responses being induced following topical exposure of humans to contact allergens. Nevertheless, it is important to appreciate that there are almost no negative studies in which evidence for antibody production as the result of skin sensitization has been sought and not found. That is, there is absence of evidence rather than evidence of absence. Furthermore, exposure to chemical respiratory allergens, in which the skin has been implicated as a potential route of sensitization, results in anti‐hapten antibody responses. It is proposed that skin sensitization to contact allergens will normally be accompanied by antibody production. The phenomenon is worthy of investigation, as anti‐hapten antibodies could potentially influence and/or regulate the induction of skin sensitization. Moreover, such antibodies may provide an informative correlate of the extent to which sensitization has been acquired.
Incidence of prolonged postoperative ileus after colorectal surgery: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Wolthuis A. M. , Bislenghi G. , Fieuws S. , de Buck van Overstraeten A. , Boeckxstaens G. , D'Hoore A.
Published: November 2015

Aim

Prolonged postoperative ileus (PPOI) after colorectal surgery remains a leading cause of delayed postoperative recovery and prolonged hospital stay. Its exact incidence is unknown. The aim of this systematic review is to investigate the definitions and incidence of PPOI previously described.

Method

MEDLINE, Embase and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (up to July 2014) were searched. Two authors independently reviewed citations using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Results

The search strategy yielded 3233 citations; 54 were eligible, comprising 18 983 patients. Twenty‐six studies were prospective [17 of these being randomized controlled trials (RCTs)] and 28 were retrospective. Meta‐analysis revealed an incidence of PPOI of 10.3% (95% CI 8.4–12.5) and 10.2% (95% CI 5.6–17.8) for non‐RCTs and RCTs, respectively. Significant heterogeneity was observed for both non‐RCTs and for RCTs. The used definition of PPOI, the type of surgery and access (laparoscopic, open) and the duration of surgery lead to significant variability of reported PPOI incidence between studies. The incidence of PPOI is lower after laparoscopic colonic resection.

Conclusion

There is a large variation in the reported incidence of PPOI. A uniform definition of PPOI is needed to allow meaningful inter‐study comparisons and to evaluate strategies to prevent PPOI.
Anastomotic leakage after colon cancer resection: does the individual surgeon matter?
Authors: Marinello F. G. , Baguena G. , Lucas E. , Frasson M. , Hervás D. , Flor‐Lorente B. , Esclapez P. , Espí A. , García‐Granero E.
Published: November 2015

Aim

Anastomotic leakage is one of the most feared complications after colonic resection. Many risk factors for anastomotic leakage have been reported, but the impact of an individual surgeon as a risk factor has scarcely been reported. The aim of this study was to assess if the individual surgeon is an independent risk factor for anastomotic leakage in colonic cancer surgery.

Method

This was a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from patients who underwent elective resection for colon cancer with anastomosis at a specialized colorectal unit from January 1993 to December 2010. Anastomotic leaks were diagnosed according to standardized criteria. Patient and tumour characteristics, surgical procedure and operating surgeons were analysed. A logistic regression model was used to discriminate statistical variation and identify risk factors for anastomotic leakage.

Results

A total of 1045 patients underwent elective colon cancer resection with primary anastomosis. Anastomotic leakage occurred in 6.4% of patients. Ileocolic anastomosis had an anastomotic leakage rate of 7.2%, colo‐colonic/colorectal anastomosis 5.2% and ileorectal anastomosis 12.7%, with intersurgeon variability. The independent risk factors associated with anastomotic leakage were the use of perioperative blood transfusion (OR 2.83, CI 1.59–5.06, P < 0.0001) and the individual surgeon performing the procedure (OR up to 8.44, P < 0.0001).

Conclusion

In addition to perioperative blood transfusion, the individual surgeon was identified as an important risk factor for anastomotic leakage. Efforts should be made to reduce performance variability amongst surgeons.
MASS LAYOFFS, MANUFACTURING AND STATE BUSINESS CLIMATES: DOES STATE POLICY MATTER?
Authors: Surfield Christopher J. , Reddy C. Surender
Published: November 2015

This study provides the first estimates on the relationship between state public policies and job losses in the manufacturing sector. In addition, spatial model estimation is adopted to identify any effect that state policies may have on the adopting state as well as upon neighboring states. We find evidence that favorable ratings regarding some elements of a state's business climate coincide with a lower incidence of job loss. This relationship holds beyond the adopting state and is correlated with lower job losses in contiguous states. (JEL J50, J60, M50)
WNT receptors profile expression in mature blood cells and immature leukemic cells: RYK emerges as a hallmark receptor of acute leukemia
Authors: Alvarez‐Zavala Monserrat , Riveros‐Magaña Alma R. , García‐Castro Beatriz , Barrera‐Chairez Esperanza , Rubio‐Jurado Benjamin , Garcés‐Ruíz Oscar M. , Ramos‐Solano Moisés , Aguilar‐Lemarroy Adriana , Jave‐Suarez Luis F.
Published: November 2015

Background

Wnt signaling induces a plethora of intracellular responses that dictate normal or abnormal cellular behavior. Abnormal WNT signaling has been related to the development of leukemogenic processes. In this regard, it is important to know the expression profile of WNT receptors in normal and malignant cells, in order to understand the WNT mechanisms that control the cell behavior. This work aimed to determine the WNT receptors expression profile in normal and leukemia cells.

Methods

Expression of WNT receptors was determined by flow cytometry using leukemia‐derived cell lines, peripheral blood cells, and blood marrow samples from healthy volunteers and acute leukemia patients.

Results

Despite the heterogenic WNT receptors expression in mature normal blood cells and in immature tumorigenic cells, the RYK receptor was found highly express in leukemia cells, but not in normal cells. RYK expression was found mainly in cells positive to immature markers like CD33, CD13, CD7, and CD117.

Conclusions

Our data show differences in FZD receptors expression between T and B leukemic cells, but both cell types and also myeloblast‐derived cells express high levels of RYK. The association of RYK expression with immature markers indicates its possible use as a diagnostic marker or therapeutic target.