bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Coping intelligence theory: coping strategies, satisfaction and sales commission
Authors: Srivastava Rajesh V. , Tang Thomas
Published: April 2018

Purpose

This study aims to develop and test a new formative theory of coping intelligence (CI). It asserts that problem- and emotion-focused coping strategies contribute differently to the overall CI latent construct, which, in turn, relates to three outcome variables – job satisfaction, life satisfaction and sales commission.

Design/methodology/approach

The study collected data from multiple sources: survey data from 452 boundary-spanning salespeople and sales commission from a company’s personnel record. It then investigated the goodness of fit between the study’s theoretical SEM model and empirical data.

Findings

Problem-focused coping and emotion-focused coping strategies, respectively, define CI positively and negatively. This, in turn, is related to high levels of job satisfaction, life satisfaction and sales commission. After controlling for gender and sales commission, results remain significant. Commission is related to satisfaction. Gender (male) is negatively related to emotion-focused strategy, but positively related to commission. Males have higher sales commission than females, yet both genders have similar life and job satisfaction.

Practical implications

Problem-focused coping contributes to life satisfaction, job satisfaction and sales commission, but emotion-focused coping undermines them. Researchers and policymakers need to develop training programs, promote problem-focused coping strategies and help them improve life satisfaction, job satisfaction and sales commission, for females, in particular.

Originality/value

CI is more related to job satisfaction and life satisfaction than to commission. The study’s concurrent validity demonstrates that CI improves sales commission (objective data) and employee satisfaction. It pays to improve CI.
Studying the relationship between the perceived value of online group-buying websites and customer loyalty: the moderating role of referral rewards
Authors: Chiu Ya-Ling , Chen Lu-Jui , Du Jiangze , Hsu Yuan-Teng
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of perceived value on customer loyalty through affective commitment in the online group-buying (OGB) context. This paper addressed the following questions: what are the factors affecting customer loyalty (i.e. revisit intention and buy more intention); and how do referral rewards moderate the impact of affective commitment on customer loyalty?

Design/methodology/approach

All data were collected from OGB websites’ members in Taiwan. The total number of respondents to the online survey was 403. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) to test a perceived value–commitment–loyalty model.

Findings

This study shows that three proposed antecedents (i.e. OGB scheme value, hedonic value and social value) can trigger customer loyalty through affective commitment. Monetary savings, a variety of merchandise and aspirational products are all critical OGB scheme value components. The results also show that referral reward importance positively moderates the relationship between affective commitment and revisit intention.

Practical implications

The findings have implications for managing people and work tasks in OGB websites. First, understanding the importance of dimensions of value should enable OGB managers to develop more accurate targeting strategies. This study provides guidance on the design of the platform and the OGB scheme, for the effective allocating of marketing resources. Second, a referral reward mechanism can be a critical CRM tool; in addition to the potential to attract new customers, they can also help to retain existing customers. This mechanism is a very effective method to enhance customer stickiness.

Originality/value

The marketing literature generally recognizes the importance of developing and maintaining long-term relationships with customers. This study is the first one to explore the importance of affective commitment in developing and sustaining loyal relationships in the OGB context. Referral rewards are an important moderator variable: affective commitment has a stronger effect on the revisit intention when the referral rewards are high. The findings of this study provide insights into how OGB website developers can create customer commitment and more effectively retain existing customers through the use of referral rewards.
Customer loyalty approach based on CRM for SMEs
Authors: Galvão Marcella Brito , de Carvalho Raíssa Corrêa , Oliveira Lucas Ambrósio Bezerra de , Medeiros Denise Dumke de
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore marketing analysis by developing a customer loyalty approach for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the service sector, based on customer relationship management (CRM) in the context of an emerging economy.

Design/methodology/approach

This study analyzes different models of CRM in the literature and defines a loyalty approach for SMEs in the service sector. It is characterized as exploratory research, with a qualitative approach. A systematic review of the literature is undertaken as the starting point for achieving the main objective of the study.

Findings

The need to develop a framework for an approach to customer loyalty for SMEs based on CRM and to make it operational.

Research limitations/implications

It is a qualitative and exploratory study, applied only to a company’s two main clients.

Practical implications

The contribution of this study is that it offers SMEs consistent guidelines on how best to conduct relationship management with their customers by using a systemic methodology that can be adapted to the requirements of more effective interaction between a company and its customers. It also provides coherence to the purpose of meeting customers’ needs. This is an action strategy that focuses especially on the use of tools, such as SERVQUAL, Kano and SWOT analysis, and thereby increases the competitive profile of organizations in this sector.

Originality/value

This study is a new approach to customer loyalty for SMEs in the service sector, which integrates elements of CRM strategy and implementation.
Past, present and future challenges in health care priority setting
Authors: Hall William , Williams Iestyn , Smith Neale , Gold Marthe , Coast Joanna , Kapiriri Lydia , Danis M. , Mitton Craig
Published: April 2018

Purpose

Current conditions have intensified the need for health systems to engage in the difficult task of priority setting. As the search for a “magic bullet” is replaced by an appreciation for the interplay between evidence, interests, culture, and outcomes, progress in relation to these dimensions requires assessment of achievements to date and identification of areas where knowledge and practice require attention most urgently. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

An international survey was administered to experts in the area of priority setting. The survey consisted of open-ended questions focusing on notable achievements, policy and practice challenges, and areas for future research in the discipline of priority setting. It was administered online between February and March of 2015.

Findings

“Decision-making frameworks” and “Engagement” were the two most frequently mentioned notable achievements. “Priority setting in practice” and “Awareness and education” were the two most frequently mentioned policy and practical challenges. “Priority setting in practice” and “Engagement” were the two most frequently mentioned areas in need of future research.

Research limitations/implications

Sampling bias toward more developed countries. Future study could use findings to create a more concise version to distribute more broadly.

Practical implications

Globally, these findings could be used as a platform for discussion and decision making related to policy, practice, and research in this area.

Originality/value

Whilst this study reaffirmed the continued importance of many longstanding themes in the priority setting literature, it is possible to also discern clear shifts in emphasis as the discipline progresses in response to new challenges.
Diversity of foods among older people in northern communities of Thailand
Authors: Bubpa Nisachon , Nuntaboot Khanitta
Published: April 2018

Purpose

Due to the increasing population and diverse lifestyles of aging people in Thailand, close examination of their needs and health care problems is required. Availability and accessibility of food affects the health and well-being of aging people in the community; therefore, to enhance their quality of life, community nurses and health care personnel must understand the variety of foods in their diet, in order to provide suitable and culturally acceptable nutrition for the elderly. The purpose of this paper is to explore the diversity of foods eaten by older people and the social, economic, environmental, and cultural contexts in which they live in the Northern region of Thailand. This is a part of a larger research project of community food management systems for the care of older people.

Design/methodology/approach

Critical ethnographic research was employed during the study. The data were collected from 41 primary elderly informants and family members. The researcher collected data by conducting individual in-depth interviews, observation of activities, and focus group discussions. The text data were analyzed by content analysis.

Findings

Information gathered from this research reveal nine categories of food which older people are associated with and which include: favorite foods; food provided by others; foodstuffs which should be eaten due to chronic diseases (recommended by doctor); foods to be avoided; snacks; food eaten with others (eating when socializing); food for festivals and cultural traditions; food offered for making merit; and food donated to others.

Originality/value

Utilization of health data, specifically regarding individual dietary diversity, can guide community nurses and health care personnel to provide and promote health that will suit individuals and their families. Community nurses and health care personnel should be aware of the variety of older persons’ diets and the importance of being able to manage and sustain their own nutritional needs. Appropriate nutrition, which is one of the social determinants of health, could improve the quality of the well-being of aging members in the community.
Factors that foster or prevent sense of belonging among social and health care managers
Authors: Lampinen Mai-Stiina , Konu Anne Irmeli , Kettunen Tarja , Suutala Elina Annikki
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to identify factors that foster or prevent sense of belonging among frontline and middle managers in social and health-care services in Finland.

Design/methodology/approach

The data have been collected among social and health-care managers (n = 135; 64 per cent nursing managers) through two open-ended questions in a questionnaire concerning sense of community. The results of the open-ended questions have been analyzed using qualitative content analysis.

Findings

Among managers, six categories of factors that foster sense of belonging (open interaction, effective conversation culture, support and encouragement, common values, a shared vision of the work and its objectives and structure of leadership) and five categories of factors that prevent sense of belonging (negative work atmosphere, lack of common time, structural solutions in the organization, problems that occur in the organizational level and problems related to leadership and management) have been identified.

Practical implications

The resulting information can be used to develop sense of belonging among managers at all levels of organization (horizontal and vertical).

Originality/value

Paying attention to the quantity and quality of interaction and to structural solutions in the organization can affect the sense of belonging among frontline managers and middle managers.
Information is the currency of democracy: Japanese perspective
Authors: Inoue Yasuyo
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to proffer the view that the activities of libraries in Japan are central to the democratic process.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is a viewpoint.

Findings

This paper demonstrates librarians’ and library users’ views of libraries in the context of the notion that “information is the currency of democracy”.

Originality/value

This is the first English-language article on information as the currency of democracy in a Japanese context.
Constructing English-medium instruction indicators in the shipping courses of Taiwan’s higher education
Authors: Tseng Po-Hsing , Richards Kendall , Pilcher Nick
Published: April 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to use an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and combine this with the fuzzy theory to identify key indicators influencing English-medium instruction (EMI) in the shipping courses of Taiwan’s higher education.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on a literature review and expert interviews, an evaluation model with 4 indicators and 13 sub-indicators was developed. Questionnaire samples included university English teachers (eight), university shipping teachers (nine) and shipping practitioners (eight).

Findings

Using 25 effective samples, the results found that “teachers’ characteristics” is the most important indicator, followed by “syllabus design”, “university resources” and “students’ characteristics”. Such a finding could provide valuable teaching and managerial strategies for EMI design in both university and industry sectors.

Research limitations/implications

Expert questionnaire targets have focused on university English teachers, university shipping teachers and shipping practitioners. Other related field experts could be further surveyed and compared in the future studies.

Practical implications

The findings of EMI indicators in the shipping courses could be used for course and material design by shipping companies, shipping authorities and universities. It is expected that these indicators could inform the provision of reasonable teaching resources allocation.

Social implications

This paper provides important guidance for designing EMI in shipping courses. Related stakeholders will be able to understand important concepts regarding designing EMI courses.

Originality/value

First, EMI indicators in the shipping courses have seldom been studied in the past. They are, however, important for both shipping industries and education intuitions. Second, as its method, this paper adopts decision analysis quantitative tool to complement previous qualitative studies regarding EMI studies.
Evaluating inductive vs deductive research in management studies
Authors: Woiceshyn Jaana , Daellenbach Urs
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to address the imbalance between inductive and deductive research in management and organizational studies and to suggest changes in the journal review and publishing process that would help correct the imbalance by encouraging more inductive research.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors briefly review the ongoing debate about the “developmental” vs “as-is/light-touch” journal review modes, trace the roots of the prevailing developmental review to the hypothetico-deductive research approach, and contrast publishing deductive and inductive research from the perspectives of authors, editors, and reviewers.

Findings

Application of the same developmental evaluation and review mode to both deductive and inductive research, despite their fundamental differences, discourages inductive research. The authors argue that a light-touch review is more appropriate for inductive research, given its different logic.

Practical implications

Specific criteria for the light-touch evaluation and review of and some concrete suggestions for facilitating inductive research.

Social implications

Advancing knowledge requires a better balance of inductive and deductive research, which can be facilitated by light-touch evaluation and review of inductive research.

Originality/value

Building on the debate on journal publishing, the authors differentiate the evaluation and review of inductive and deductive research based on their philosophical underpinnings and draw implications of pursuing inductive research for authors, editors, and reviewers.
Gendered references in organization studies
Authors: Czarniawska Barbara , Sevón Guje
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to point out a worrisome phenomenon and suggest some ways of dealing with it.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is a historical analysis of references in organization studies.

Findings

The finding of this paper concludes that the proportion of women authors is low and is increasing very slowly.

Research limitations/implications

Some simple solutions may be applied, even if they alone will not solve the problem.

Practical implications

An appeal to use first name on reference lists and in texts (when appropriate).

Social implications

Better recognition of women’s contribution to knowledge.

Originality/value

Not for the authors to judge.
A longitudinal and comparative analysis of competitive balance in five European football leagues
Authors: Ramchandani Girish , Plumley Daniel , Boyes Sophie , Wilson Rob
Published: April 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to provide empirical evidence on competitive balance in the “big five” European football leagues, namely, the English Premier League, French Ligue 1, German Bundesliga, Italian Serie A and Spanish La Liga.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses recognised measures of competitive balance to measure levels of concentration (within-season competitive balance) and dominance (between-season competitive balance) in the selected leagues over 22 seasons between 1995/96 and 2016/17.

Findings

French Ligue 1 emerged as the most balanced league in terms of both concentration and dominance measures. The analysis also points to a statistically significant decline in competitive balance in all leagues apart from Serie A (Italy).

Originality/value

The findings of this study are of concern for the league organisers. Competition intensity is a key component of a sport league, and a league that is dominated by one or a select few clubs is less attractive within the marketplace. This paper presents challenges at the league governance level for the five leagues examined.
Working from the Other Office: Trialling Co‐Working Spaces for Public Servants
Authors: Houghton Kirralie Rochelle , Foth Marcus , Hearn Greg
Published: April 2018

The proliferation of digital connectivity and mobility is having a profound impact on nomadic and collaborative work practices in our cities. In the past few years, we have witnessed a shift in the way that organisational entities in both the private and public sector put emphasis on the allocation and use of office space. In this paper, we report on our evaluation of a trial of co‐working spaces also referred to as Flexible Work Centres (FWC) led by the Queensland State Government. The trial provides insights into such changes towards new work practices.

The trial tested how FWCs can be used by Queensland Government employees, and its impact on productivity, staff retention and work–life balance of employees. The 47 trial participants from 10 different government departments completed a series of four surveys and were invited to keep diaries of their impressions and experiences. Supervisors were involved in a series of focus groups to reflect on the trial at the end of the 12‐month period.

The benefits of the flexible work arrangement and specifically the provision of an alternative work venue was highly praised and appreciated by participants and supervisors. There were noted key qualities of staff and work types that this arrangement works best for, and trust in employees was paramount. The positive results of the trial saw a continuation of the provision of the flexible workspace arrangement and investigations into further extensions of the program.
Pastoral power and the promotion of self‐care
Authors: Jones Lorelei
Published: April 2018

In many countries government policy is becoming increasingly reliant on citizens taking greater responsibility for their health and wellbeing and limiting their consumption of public services. In this paper I develop Foucauldian perspectives on the work required to create and maintain responsibilised subjects, focusing on the role of ‘pastors’ – specialists, experts and therapists who promote desirable subjectivities (Waring and Latif). Drawing from ethnographic research, I consider how government policies for the promotion of self‐care within the English healthcare system not only place increased emphasis on patients taking responsibility for their own health and wellbeing, but also seek to constitute new pastoral subjectivities as responsible for conducting the conduct of patients. I look at efforts to constitute pastoral subjectivities through an assemblage of management knowledge, educational practices and training materials. I argue that efforts to enrol and train pastors are unlikely to accomplish governmental objectives because of the availability of alternative guides for action drawn from professional training, established routines, and forms of social belonging.
UV‐C Irradiation on the Quality of Green Tea: Effect on Catechins, Antioxidant Activity, and Cytotoxicity
Authors: Vergne Matthew J. , Patras Ankit , Bhullar Manreet S. , Shade Lincoln M. , Sasges Michael , Rakariyatham Kanyasiri , Pan Che , Xiao Hang
Published: April 2018

Short‐wavelength ultraviolet (UV‐C) irradiation is a nonthermal processing technique that is a possible alternative to the heat‐pasteurization of tea beverages. This study investigated the effect of UV‐C irradiation on the polyphenolic and total phenolic contents of a green tea beverage and analyzed cytotoxicity of irradiated green tea using a novel continuous flow‐through UV system. UV‐C fluence levels ranging from 0 to 240 mJ/cm2 were delivered to green tea, and polyphenols were chemically profiled. Continuous‐flow UV‐C irradiation of the green tea beverage at a fluence of 68 mJ/cm2 induced a minor reduction in the concentration of the most abundant catechin in green tea, (‐)‐epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), from 145 to 131.1 μg/mL. The total phenolic content of the green tea beverage was 0.19 μg GAE/uL and remained constant at all UV fluence levels. The UV‐treated green tea beverage showed no cytotoxic effects on normal intestinal cells with healthy colonic cells (CCD‐18Co) maintained at 90% viability for the UV‐treated green tea beverages and the control. The treated and nontreated green tea have comparable inhibitory effects on the survival of human colon cancer cells. Overall, these results demonstrate that the UV‐C irradiation did not significantly deplete catechins or produce cytotoxic byproducts.

Practical Application

Short wavelength ultraviolet (UV‐C) irradiation is a nonthermal processing technique that is a possible alternative to the heat pasteurization of tea beverages. This study investigated the effect of UV‐C irradiation on the antioxidant concentration of green tea and analyzed cytotoxicity of irradiated a green tea beverage using a novel continuous flow‐through UV system. The results demonstrated that the UV‐C irradiation did not significantly deplete catechins or produce cytotoxic byproducts.
Heritability of body size in the polar bears of Western Hudson Bay
Authors: Malenfant René M. , Davis Corey S. , Richardson Evan S. , Lunn Nicholas J. , Coltman David W.
Published: April 2018

Among polar bears (Ursus maritimus), fitness is dependent on body size through males’ abilities to win mates, females’ abilities to provide for their young and all bears’ abilities to survive increasingly longer fasting periods caused by climate change. In the Western Hudson Bay subpopulation (near Churchill, Manitoba, Canada), polar bears have declined in body size and condition, but nothing is known about the genetic underpinnings of body size variation, which may be subject to natural selection. Here, we combine a 4449‐individual pedigree and an array of 5,433 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to provide the first quantitative genetic study of polar bears. We used animal models to estimate heritability (h2) among polar bears handled between 1966 and 2011, obtaining h2 estimates of 0.34–0.48 for strictly skeletal traits and 0.18 for axillary girth (which is also dependent on fatness). We genotyped 859 individuals with the SNP array to test for marker–trait association and combined p‐values over genetic pathways using gene‐set analysis. Variation in all traits appeared to be polygenic, but we detected one region of moderately large effect size in body length near a putative noncoding RNA in an unannotated region of the genome. Gene‐set analysis suggested that variation in body length was associated with genes in the regulatory cascade of cyclin expression, which has previously been associated with body size in mice. A greater understanding of the genetic architecture of body size variation will be valuable in understanding the potential for adaptation in polar bear populations challenged by climate change.
Estimation of cost savings between 2011 and 2014 attributed to infliximab biosimilar in the South Korean healthcare market: real‐world evidence using a nationwide database
Authors: Kim Jiyoun , Ha Dongmun , Song Inmyung , Park Haesun , Lee Sang‐Won , Lee Eui‐Kyung , Shin Ju‐Young
Published: April 2018

Aim

The introduction of biosimilars is expected to reduce the cost of biologic drugs, but the actual cost savings have not yet been quantified in Korea. The aim of this study was to estimate the annual cost savings attributed to the introduction of infliximab biosimilar.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective analysis using data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service‐National Patients Sample (HIRA‐NPS) between 2011 and 2014. The study subjects were patients who were treated with infliximab, adalimumab or etanercept. We compared the drug costs before and after the introduction of infliximab biosimilar in December 2012 (2011–2012 and 2013–2014) to estimate the annual drug cost savings attributed to this and the number of patients who could additionally benefit from the biosimilar in 2013 and 2014.

Results

A total of 10 986 prescriptions were identified: 2620 for infliximab. The cost savings were estimated at $262 270 for 133 patients in 2013 and $395 220 for 174 patients in 2014. Among the patients who underwent a 1‐year maintenance course of infliximab therapy, the annual expenditure on infliximab was lower in 2014 than in 2011. If the cost savings were used to treat additional patients, 13.3%–38.6% more patients per year could be treated by indication.

Conclusion

The introduction of infliximab biosimilar reduced direct medical costs for both patients and the payer, which could then be used to increase patient access to biologic medicines. The entry of infliximab biosimilar could result in further reductions in healthcare costs.
Successful treatment with nivolumab for lung cancer with low expression of PD‐L1 and prominent tumor‐infiltrating B cells and immunoglobulin G
Authors: Suyama Takayuki , Fukuda Yuichi , Soda Hiroshi , Ogawara Daiki , Iwasaki Keisuke , Hara Takuya , Yoshida Masataka , Harada Tatsuhiko , Umemura Asuka , Yamaguchi Hiroyuki , Mukae Hiroshi
Published: April 2018

Little is known about the anti‐tumor activity of humoral immunity in lung cancer patients treated with nivolumab, an immune checkpoint inhibitor. Herein, we report a case of lung cancer with 5% expression of PD‐L1, in which a partial response to nivolumab was sustained for > 7 months. Immunohistochemical analysis of the metastatic lymph node biopsy specimen showed prominent accumulation of plasma cells and immunoglobulin G. These findings suggest that pre‐existing humoral immunity may be worth considering as a candidate therapeutic biomarker of nivolumab in some lung cancer patients.
Efficacy of corticosteroids in prevention of acute kidney injury in neonates undergoing cardiac surgery—A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Jahnukainen T. , Keski‐Nisula J. , Tainio J. , Valkonen H. , Pätilä T. , Jalanko H. , Suominen P.
Published: April 2018

Background

Heart surgery requiring cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) causes an inflammatory response which may further induce acute kidney injury (AKI). In the present randomized controlled study we evaluated whether corticosteroids can prevent CPB related AKI in neonates undergoing heart surgery.

Methods

Forty neonates were randomized to receive 2 mg/kg methylprednisolone followed by hydrocortisone infusion 0.2 mg/kg/h perioperatively with tapering doses for 5 days, or placebo administered in a similar fashion. The primary outcome was the inflammatory response (plasma concentrations of interleukins 6 and 10). The correspondence of the interleukin concentrations with AKI was analysed as secondary outcome. In addition, plasma and urine neutrophil gelatinase‐associated lipocalin (NGAL), plasma cystatin C, and urine kidney injury molecule‐1 (KIM‐1) levels were measured.

Results

Six patients (15%) developed post‐operative AKI. No significant difference in the AKI occurrence between the treatment (n = 2) and the placebo (n = 4) groups could be found (risk ratio 2.00, 95% confidence interval 0.41‐9.71; P = .661) despite significant reduction in inflammatory response in the treatment group. One patient in the treatment group and two patients in the placebo group required acute peritoneal dialysis. Plasma creatinine and cystatin C or urine NGAL and KIM‐1 concentrations did not differ between the treatment and the placebo group.

Conclusions

Significantly reduced inflammatory reaction induced by corticosteroid treatment in neonates undergoing cardiac surgery did not reduce the incidence of AKI defined by KDIGO classification or decrease the rise of AKI biomarkers.
Genetic Association and Expression Analyses of the Phosphatidylinositol‐4‐Phosphate 5‐Kinase (PIP5K1C) Gene in Alcohol Use Disorder—Relevance for Pain Signaling and Alcohol Use
Authors: Lee Ji Soo , Sorcher Jill L. , Rosen Allison D. , Damadzic Ruslan , Sun Hui , Schwandt Melanie , Heilig Markus , Kelly John , Mauro Kelsey L. , Luo Audrey , Rosoff Daniel , Muench Christine , Jung Jeesun , Kaminsky Zachary A. , Lohoff Falk W.
Published: April 2018

Background

The gene encoding phosphatidylinositol‐4‐phosphate 5‐kinase (PIP5K1C) has been recently implicated in pain regulation. Interestingly, a recent cross‐tissue and cross‐phenotypic epigenetic analysis identified the same gene in alcohol use disorder (AUD). Given the high comorbidity between AUD and chronic pain, we hypothesized that genetic variation in PIP5K1C might contribute to susceptibility to AUD.

Methods

We conducted a case–control association study of genetic variants in PIP5K1C. Association analyses of 16 common PIP5K1C single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were conducted in cases and controls of African (427 cases and 137 controls) and European ancestry (488 cases and 324 controls) using standard methods. In addition, given the prominent role of the opioid system in pain signaling, we investigated the effects of acute alcohol exposure on PIP5K1C expression in humanized transgenic mice for the μ‐opioid receptor that included the OPRM1 A118G polymorphism, a widely used mouse model to study analgesic response to opioids in pain. PIP5K1C expression was measured in the thalamus and basolateral amygdala (BLA) in mice after short‐term administration (single 2 g/kg dose) of alcohol or saline using immunohistochemistry and analyzed by 2‐way analysis of variance.

Results

In the case–control association study using an NIAAA discovery sample, 8 SNPs in PIP5K1C were significantly associated with AUD in the African ancestry (AA) group (p < 0.05 after correction; rs4807493, rs10405681, rs2074957, rs10432303, rs8109485, rs1476592, rs10419980, and rs4432372). However, a replication analysis using an independent sample (N = 3,801) found no significant associations after correction for multiple testing. In the humanized transgenic mouse model with the OPRM1 polymorphism, PIP5K1C expression was significantly different between alcohol and saline‐treated mice, regardless of genotype, in both the thalamus (p < 0.05) and BLA (p < 0.01).

Conclusions

Our discovery sample shows that genetic variants in PIP5K1C are associated with AUD in the AA group, and acute alcohol exposure leads to up‐regulation of PIP5K1C, potentially explaining a mechanism underlying the increased risk for chronic pain conditions in individuals with AUD.
Alcohol Availability and Onset and Recurrence of Alcohol Use Disorder: Examination in a Longitudinal Cohort with Cosibling Analysis
Authors: Karriker‐Jaffe Katherine J. , Ohlsson Henrik , Kendler Kenneth S. , Cook Won Kim , Sundquist Kristina
Published: April 2018

Background

Recent reviews of associations of alcohol availability with alcohol outcomes suggest findings are highly inconsistent and highlight a lack of longitudinal and causal evidence. Effect modification (moderation or statistical interaction), which could contribute to the inconsistent picture in the existing literature, has not been systematically assessed. We examined associations of alcohol availability with onset and recurrence of alcohol use disorder (AUD) using multilevel, longitudinal population data from Sweden and tested hypothesized effect modifiers to identify groups for whom increased alcohol availability may be particularly risky. We also employed cosibling models to assess potential causality for AUD onset by accounting for genetic and shared‐environment confounders.

Methods

Data come from all individuals born in Sweden between 1950 and 1975 who were registered in a residential neighborhood at the end of 2005 (N = 2,633,922). We used Cox proportional hazards models to investigate time to AUD onset and logistic regression to assess the odds of AUD recurrence over an 8‐year period.

Results

Living in a neighborhood with at least 1 alcohol outlet of any type was associated with a small increase in the likelihood of developing AUD, with an adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of 1.16 (95% CI: 1.13 to 1.19). Among people with a prior AUD registration, alcohol availability was not significantly associated with recurrence of AUD, with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.02 (95% CI: 1.00 to 1.05). Associations of alcohol availability with AUD onset varied according to sex, age, education, neighborhood deprivation, and urbanicity. HRs from the sibling models were similar to those in the general population models, with an adjusted HR = 1.19 (95% CI: 1.15 to 1.24).

Conclusions

Effects varied among neighborhood residents, but greater alcohol availability was a risk factor for AUD onset (but not relapse) in all groups examined except women. Cosibling models suggest there may be a causal relationship of greater alcohol availability with adult‐onset AUD.
Chemical signalling and context dependent polyandry in the false garden mantid Pseudomantis albofimbriata (Mantodea: Mantidae)
Authors: Jayaweera Anuradhi , Rathnayake Darshana N , Dean Barbara , Barry Katherine L
Published: April 2018

Multiple mating by females is a common phenomenon in nature. Polyandrous females may benefit from genetically diverse progeny that may survive better in a changing environment. Males in polyandrous systems, however, may not achieve their maximum paternity. Therefore, males are predicted to carry traits that prevent or reduce female polyandry. Praying mantids are predatory insects in which females can mate multiple times, predicting the evolution of male counter‐strategies. However, the rate of polyandry and male strategies against polyandry are rarely studied in these insects. In the current study, we used false garden mantids Pseudomantis albofimbriata to quantify the rate of multiple mating when several males are present within close visual range of an unmated female. We further determined how long mated females stay unattractive after mating. We found that in a scramble scenario, the subsequent males stay with a copulating pair and attempt mating once the first male has completed copulation. These second copulation attempts are often successful. If only one male is attracted as a result of the initial pheromone plume, then polyandry is unlikely because the female will remain chemically unattractive for 8 days on average (thus preventing subsequent male attractions), which is longer than the usual latency to lay the first egg sac. From previous studies, we know that single male attraction is the most common scenario in this system in both natural and semi‐natural contexts. Therefore, polyandry depends on the number of males attracted to the initial pheromone plume of the female and is likely to be a relatively uncommon phenomenon in this system.
Negotiating sameness and difference in geographies of older age
Authors: Oliver Caroline , Blythe Mark , Roe Jenny
Published: April 2018

To advance understanding of the geographies of age segregation, this paper examines the intersectional social dynamics of age‐segregated environments, considering how migration interacts with age segregation to breed sameness or diversity in ageing environments. We juxtapose findings drawn from two research projects, the first on international retirement migration in Spain, where older people inhabit certain geographical and social spaces with “people like them” sharing similar identity characteristics and preferences. The second project was in older people's centres in South London, more diverse sites where people are brought together on the basis of need rather than choice. In interrogating the different social dynamics operating in these age‐segregated environments, we reflect on the implications of “choice homophily” for ageing experiences. We recognise the potential of differentiated spaces for ageing, but also question how homophilic choices in retirement can create self‐selected and socially segregated retirement environments that reproduce divisions of “race” ethnicity and social class, which would undoubtedly be seen as problematic in other spheres of the life course.
Can H2‐receptor upregulation and raised histamine explain an anaphylactoid reaction on cessation of ranitidine in a 19‐year‐old female? A case report
Authors: Allen Susan J. , Chazot Paul L. , Dixon C. Jane
Published: April 2018

The anaphylactoid reaction described follows cessation of ranitidine in a 19‐year‐old female with the disease cluster: mast cell activation syndrome, hypermobile Ehlers‐Danlos syndrome and postural tachycardia syndrome. Anaphylaxis can give wide‐ranging symptoms from rhinorrhoea and urticaria to tachycardia and system‐wide, life‐threatening, anaphylactic shock. Individuals with a disorder of mast cell activation can experience many such symptoms. H2 receptor antagonists, such as ranitidine, are commonly prescribed in this population. A mechanism for the reaction is proposed in the context of ranitidine, as an inverse agonist, causing upregulation of H2 histamine receptors and raised histamine levels due to enzyme induction. This effect, following extended and/or high antihistamine dosing, may have implications for other individuals with a disorder of mast cell activation, such as mastocytosis or mast cell activation syndrome. There are potential policy and patient guidance implications for primary and secondary care with respect to cessation of H2 antagonists.
Atopic dermatitis: risk estimates for hand eczema
Authors: Kezic S.
Published: April 2018

Linked Article: Ruff et al. Br J Dermatol 2018; 178:879–888.
Association of APOE polymorphisms with multibacillary leprosy
Authors: Morgado de Abreu M.A.M.
Published: April 2018

Linked Article:  Wang et al. Br J Dermatol 2018; 178:931–939.
Field-change actinic keratosis and immunosuppression: therapeutic options
Authors: Ibbotson S.H.
Published: April 2018

Linked Article:  Togsverd-Bo et al. Br J Dermatol 2018; 178:903–909.
Defining the psychological comorbidity in vitiligo: systematically casting the net wide
Authors: Thomson J.
Published: April 2018

Linked Article: Osinubi et al. Br J Dermatol 2018; 178:863–878.
Different ways to assess diseases’ prevalence: what exactly do we measure?
Authors: Sbidian E.
Published: April 2018

Linked Article:  Ingram et al. Br J Dermatol 2018; 178:917–924.
A pleiotropic effect of the APOE gene: association of APOE polymorphisms with multibacillary leprosy in Han Chinese from Southwest China
Authors: Wang D. , Zhang D.-F. , Li G.-D. , Bi R. , Fan Y. , Wu Y. , Yu X.-F. , Long H. , Li Y.-Y. , Yao Y.-G.
Published: April 2018

This is a study by investigators from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Dermatology departments based in Yunnan province in China. Basing their research on a previous observation that patients with leprosy have a lower frequency of dementia due to Alzheimer's Disease than patients without, they investigated whether there was any link between the occurrence of leprosy and the human genes involved in the formation and breakdown of different lipids or fats, processes that are key steps in the development of both Alzheimer's disease as well as the invasion of skin and nerves in leprosy. They searched for a link between a gene called Apolipoprotein E (APOE) which is known to be involved in Alzheimer's and found that certain mutations in the gene were more common in patients with leprosy. They suggested that this might lead to an increase in a lipid binding protein found in blood plasma and that this in turn would aid the survival of the bacteria that cause leprosy, Mycobacterium leprae, thus allowing it to spread and the disease to develop.
APOE基因的多重效应:中国西南部地区的汉族人中的APOE多态性与多菌型麻风病的关联
Authors: Wang D. , Zhang D.-F. , Li G.-D. , Bi R. , Fan Y. , Wu Y. , Yu X.-F. , Long H. , Li Y.-Y. , Yao Y.-G.
Published: April 2018

本项研究由来自中国科学院和中国云南省一些皮肤科的研究人员共同执行。本项研究以早前的观察为基础,该项观察发现,麻风病患者患上因阿尔茨海默病而导致的痴呆的频率低于未患有麻风病的患者,因此,研究人员旨在研究麻风病的发病与不同油脂和脂肪的形成与分解中所涉及的人类基因之间是否存在关联,而这些过程是阿尔茨海默病的发展和麻风病的皮肤和神经侵袭中的关键步骤。他们研究了被称为载脂蛋白E (APOE)的基因(在阿尔茨海默病中涉及)之间的关联,然后发现该基因中的某些突变在麻风病患者中更为常见。他们建议,这可能会导致血浆中脂质结合蛋白质的增加,并转而有助于导致麻风病的细菌(麻风分枝杆菌)的存活,因而细菌继续扩散并导致疾病的发展。
Buying into Capitalism? Employee Ownership in a Disconnected Era
Authors: Brown Ross , McQuaid Ronald , Raeside Robert , Dutton Matthew , Egdell Valerie , Canduela Jesus
Published: April 2018

This article considers whether employee ownership mitigates the negative workplace outcomes identified by the Disconnected Capitalism Thesis (DCT). Drawing on a programme of in‐depth interviews with workers and managers in employee‐owned businesses (EOBs), the article reveals how they are partially insulated from the vicissitudes endemic within contemporary capitalism. In contrast to the workplace outcomes envisaged within the DCT, these firms are characterized by strong workforce participation, high levels of employment security, active employee engagement and strong levels of employee creativity. Not only are these features beneficial for productivity and firm performance, they generate a form of ‘connected’ capitalism, partially offsetting wider negative systemic forces at play in the economy.
Prostaglandin analogues and nitric oxide contribution in the treatment of ocular hypertension and glaucoma
Authors: Impagnatiello Francesco , Bastia Elena , Almirante Nicoletta , Brambilla Stefania , Duquesroix Brigitte , Kothe Angela C , Bergamini Michael V W
Published: April 2018

In patients with ocular hypertension or glaucoma, all treatments aim to lower intraocular pressure (IOP) by modulating aqueous humour (AH) production and/or uveoscleral and trabecular meshwork/Schlemm's canal AH drainage. PG analogues are considered to be the ‘gold standard’ treatment and are the most frequently used IOP‐lowering agents. Recent data support an important role for NO in regulating IOP. Thus, novel PG analogues carrying a NO‐donating moiety were recently advanced. Latanoprostene bunod (LBN) and NCX 470, NO‐donating derivatives of latanoprost and bimatoprost, respectively, are examples of such compounds. LBN ophthalmic solution, 0.024% (Vyzulta™), showed greater IOP‐lowering efficacy compared with that of Xalatan® (latanoprost ophthalmic solution, 0.005%) or 0.5% timolol maleate in clinical settings. NCX 470 was found to be more effective than bimatoprost in animal models of ocular hypertension and glaucoma. Selective EP2 receptor agonists (i.e. taprenepag isopropyl, omidenepag isopropyl and aganepag isopropyl) and non‐selective prostanoid receptor agonists (i.e. ONO‐9054, sepetaprost isopropyl) that concomitantly stimulate FP and EP3 receptors have also been shown to hold promise as effective IOP‐lowering agents.

Linked Articles

This article is part of a themed section on Eicosanoids 35 years from the 1982 Nobel: where are we now? To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v176.8/issuetoc
Novel West syndrome candidate genes in a Chinese cohort
Authors: Peng Jing , Wang Ying , He Fang , Chen Chen , Wu Li‐Wen , Yang Li‐Fen , Ma Yu‐Ping , Zhang Wen , Shi Zi‐Qing , Chen Chao , Xia Kun , Guo Hui , Yin Fei , Pang Nan
Published: April 2018

Aims

West syndrome (WS) is a classic form of early infantile epileptic encephalopathy (EIEE) characterized by tonic spasms with clustering, arrest of psychomotor development, and hypsarrhythmia on electroencephalography. Genetic defects play a critical role in the pathology of WS, and 54 EIEE genes have been identified till date. This study was designed to uncover new candidate genes for West syndrome.

Methods

In this study, we recruited 56 Chinese families with WS of unknown etiology. Whole exome sequencing (WES) was performed to identify Mendelian inheritance rare or novel variants. The association between candidate genes and WS was analyzed from many aspects, including recurrent genes in patients, predicted variant effect on genes, human tolerance to deficient genes, gene expression in the nervous system, coexpression with EIEE genes, mutual interaction with known EIEE proteins, genes related to ion channel or fragile X mental retardation protein function, and mouse models with manifestation of seizures. Genes with supporting evidence from those aspects were defined as highlight candidate genes.

Results

Whole exome sequencing identified 112 candidate variants in 89 genes. Among the candidate genes, 33 were autosomal dominant, 22 were autosomal recessive, and 34 were X‐linked. Complex bioinformatic analysis revealed 17 highlight candidate genes: ATP2A2, CD99L2, CLCN6, CYFIP1, CYFIP2, GNB1, GPT2, HUWE1, KMT2D, MYO18A, NOS3, RYR1, RYR2, RYR3, TAF1, TECTA, and UBA1. The majority of highlight candidate genes are calcium‐signaling pathway and mental retardation genes.

Conclusions

This is the first WES study of Chinese WS patients with unknown etiology. This combination of phenotypic and genomic data will enable further testing to elucidate mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of WS.
Overall Experience Rating – Measuring Visitor Response in Museums
Authors: Pekarik Andrew J. , Schreiber James B. , visscher Nick
Published: April 2018

The authors present research comparing different measures of experience quality. Using data from visitor studies at the Denver Zoo, they claim that a question that asks visitors to rate their overall experience, when used together with fully grounded five‐point ordinal response scales with a category beyond Excellent, provide better results than a number of other, commonly‐used scales, including Net Promoter Score. With data from the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, they demonstrate how this measure can be used to compare and evaluate visitor responses across exhibitions.