bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reporting Achievement of Medical Student Milestones to Residency Program Directors: An Educational Handover
Authors: Sozener Cemal B. , Lypson Monica L. , House Joseph B. , Hopson Laura R. , Dooley-Hash Suzanne L. , Hauff Samantha , Eddy Mary , Fischer Jonathan P. , Santen Sally A.
Published: October 2015

Problem

Competency-based education, including assessment of specialty-specific milestones, has become the dominant medical education paradigm; however, how to determine baseline competency of entering interns is unclear—as is to whom this responsibility falls. Medical schools should take responsibility for providing residency programs with accurate, competency-based assessments of their graduates.

Approach

A University of Michigan ad hoc committee developed (spring 2013) a post-Match, milestone-based medical student performance evaluation for seven students matched into emergency medicine (EM) residencies. The committee determined EM milestone levels for each student based on assessments from the EM clerkship, end-of-third-year multistation standardized patient exam, EM boot camp elective, and other medical school data.

Outcomes

In this feasibility study, the committee assessed nearly all 23 EM milestones for all seven graduates, shared these performance evaluations with the program director (PD) where each student matched, and subsequently surveyed the PDs regarding this pilot. Of the five responding PDs, none reported using the traditional medical student performance evaluation to customize training, four (80%) indicated that the proposed assessment provided novel information, and 100% answered that the assessment would be useful for all incoming trainees.

Next Steps

An EM milestone-based, post-Match assessment that uses existing assessment data is feasible and may be effective for communicating competency-based information about medical school graduates to receiving residency programs. Next steps include further aligning assessments with competencies, determining the benefit of such an assessment for other specialties, and articulating the national need for an effective educational handover tool between undergraduate and graduate medical education institutions.
The Pelvis and Beyond
Authors: Sanses Tatiana V. D. , Chelimsky Gisela , McCabe Noel P. , Zolnoun Denniz , Janata Jeffrey , Elston Robert , Buffington C.A. Tony , Simpson Pippa , Zhang Liyun , Chelimsky Thomas
Published: October 2015

Objective:

To determine the feasibility of a detailed pain sensitivity assessment using body-wide musculoskeletal tender points (TPs) in women with different types of chronic pelvic pain (CPP) and compare phenotypic differences.

Materials and Methods:

Seventy women with CPP and 35 pain-free women underwent musculoskeletal evaluation of TPs in the pelvic floor, abdomen, groin, inner thigh, and all 18 fibromyalgia TPs. Patients scored elicited pain on a numeric rating scale. TP pain scores were used for intergroup comparison and intragroup correlation.

Results:

Women with CPP were grouped as having either bladder pain syndrome (BPS, n=24) or myofascial pelvic pain (MPP, n=11) singularly or both concomitantly (BPS+MPP, n=35). TP pain scores for all evaluations were higher in women with CPP compared with healthy women (P<0.001). Women with BPS+MPP had elevated TP pain for each evaluation compared with women with BPS alone. Pelvic floor and fibromyalgia TP scores correlated strongly in the MPP group, moderately in the BPS+MPP group, and weakly in the BPS alone group. Although some moderate and strong correlations between different body locations were present in all 3 groups, only the BPS+MPP group showed moderate to strong correlations between all body TPs.

Conclusions:

Detailed musculoskeletal evaluation of women with CPP is feasible and well tolerated. Careful phenotyping differentiated BPS, MPP, and BPS+MPP groups. Attending to the differences between these groups clinically may lead to more effective treatment strategies and improved outcomes for patients with CPP.
The Course of the Spatial Extent of Pain in Nonspecific Chronic Back Pain
Authors: Tesarz Jonas , Gerhardt Andreas , Hartmann Mechthild , Kohlmann Thomas , Eich Wolfgang
Published: October 2015

Objectives:

Longitudinal population-based studies on the natural course of nonspecific chronic back pain (nsCBP) concerning the spatial extent of pain are scarce. This study aims to assess the natural course of nsCBP patients concerning their spatial extent of pain and physical impairment over time.

Methods:

Analyses were based on a prospective, population-based survey with clinical evaluation. A representative population-based sample of 4000 German adults was sent a pain questionnaire. Patients mentioning nsCBP in the questionnaire were invited to a comprehensive clinical evaluation, including 1- and 2-year follow-ups. On the basis of pain drawings, the course of the spatial extent of pain over time was classified as “constant-local,” “constant-widespread,” “constant-amelioration,” “constant-spreading,” or “variable.” Physical impairment was assessed by the Back Performance Scale as an objective clinical assessment tool that measures self-reported activity limitation in daily functioning caused by nsCBP.

Results:

Pain drawings and physical assessment from 3 visits were available from 165 patients. The course of the spatial extent of pain was constant-local in 39.4% and constant-widespread in 18.2% of all patients, whereas 11.5% reported a variable course. Constant-amelioration was observed in 18.2% and constant-spreading was observed in 12.7%. Physical impairment remained unchanged over the time in all groups and was worst in the constant-widespread group.

Discussion:

Most nsCBP patients report a stable pain extent over the time of the study, whereas a constant spread of pain is observed only in a minority of nsCBP patients. These findings challenge the concept of a continuous transition from local to widespread pain.
Oral Midodrine Hydrochloride for Prevention of Orthostatic Hypotension during Early Mobilization after Hip Arthroplasty
Authors: Jans Øivind , Mehlsen Jesper , Kjærsgaard-Andersen Per , Husted Henrik , Solgaard Søren , Josiassen Jakob , Haxholdt Lunn Troels , Kehlet Henrik
Published: October 2015

AbstractAbstract

In 120 patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty, administration of 5 mg midodrine 1 h before early mobilization at 6 h after surgery did not reduce the incidence of orthostatic hypotension. Further studies examining other doses and timing are warranted.

Background

Early postoperative mobilization is essential for rapid recovery but may be impaired by orthostatic intolerance (OI) and orthostatic hypotension (OH), which are highly prevalent after major surgery. Pathogenic mechanisms include an insufficient postoperative vasopressor response. The oral α-1 agonist midodrine hydrochloride increases vascular resistance, and the authors hypothesized that midodrine would reduce the prevalence of OH during mobilization 6 h after total hip arthroplasty relative to placebo.

Methods

This double-blind, randomized trial allocated 120 patients 18 yr or older and scheduled for total hip arthroplasty under spinal anesthesia to either 5 mg midodrine hydrochloride or placebo orally 1 h before mobilization at 6 and 24 h postoperatively. The primary outcome was the prevalence of OH (decrease in systolic or diastolic arterial pressures of > 20 or 10 mmHg, respectively) during mobilization 6 h after surgery. Secondary outcomes were OI and hemodynamic responses to mobilization at 6 and 24 h.

Results

At 6 h, 14 (25%; 95% CI, 14 to 38%) versus 23 (39.7%; 95% CI, 27 to 53%) patients had OH in the midodrine and placebo group, respectively, relative risk 0.63 (0.36 to 1.10; P = 0.095), whereas OI was present in 15 (25.0%; 15 to 38%) versus 22 (37.3%; 25 to 51%) patients, relative risk 0.68 (0.39 to 1.18; P = 0.165). At 24 h, OI and OH prevalence did not differ between groups.

Conclusions

Preemptive use of oral 5 mg midodrine did not significantly reduce the prevalence of OH during early postoperative mobilization compared with placebo. However, further studies on dose and timing are warranted since midodrine is effective in chronic OH conditions.
Resolution of Inflammation by Resolvin D1 Is Essential for Peroxisome Proliferator–activated Receptor-γ–mediated Analgesia during Postincisional Pain Development in Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Saito Takayuki , Hasegawa-Moriyama Maiko , Kurimoto Tae , Yamada Tomotsugu , Inada Eichi , Kanmura Yuichi
Published: October 2015

AbstractAbstract

Local administration of the peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor-γ agonist rosiglitazone attenuated incision-induced mechanical hyperalgesia through a resolvin D1–dependent mechanism in diabetic mice. Resolvin D1–mediated resolution of inflammation might be essential for peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor-γ–mediated analgesia associated with macrophage polarization to antiinflammatory M2 phenotype.

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text.

Background

The wound healing process following acute inflammation after surgery is impaired in diabetes. Altered macrophage functions are linked to delayed tissue repair and pain development in diabetes. Although peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor (PPAR)-γ agonists are used to treat diabetes, their postoperative analgesic effects in diabetes have not been evaluated.

Methods

The PPARγ agonist rosiglitazone (rosi) was injected at the incision site of diabetic (db/db) mice with resolvin (Rv) D1, a lipid mediator involved in resolution of inflammation. Pain-related behavior, neutrophil infiltration, phagocytosis, and macrophage polarity were assessed for 7 days postoperatively.

Results

Rosiglitazone and RvD1 alleviated mechanical hyperalgesia in db/db (db) mice, whereas rosiglitazone alone did not alter mechanical thresholds on days 4 (db rosi + RvD1 vs. db rosi: 0.506 ± 0.106 vs. 0.068 ± 0.12) and 7 (0.529 ± 0.184 vs. 0.153 ± 0.183) after incision (n = 10 per group). In control m/m mice, the rosiglitazone-induced analgesic effects were reversed by knockdown with arachidonate 5-lipoxygenase small interfering RNA, but these were restored by addition of RvD1. In db/db mice treated with rosiglitazone and RvD1, local infiltration of neutrophils was markedly reduced, with an associated decrease in total TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling cells. Acceleration of rosiglitazone-induced phenotype conversion of infiltrated macrophages from M1 to M2 was impaired in db/db mice, but it was effectively restored by RvD1 in db/db wounds.

Conclusions

In diabetes, exogenous administration of RvD1 is essential for PPARγ-mediated analgesia during development of postincisional pain. Resolution of inflammation accelerated by RvD1 might promote PPARγ-mediated macrophage polarization to the M2 phenotype.
An Unusual Presentation of Myositis Ossificans in a Pediatric Patient
Authors: Desai Vishal S. , Kakazu Rafael , Crawford Alvin H. , Stanek Jerzy W.
Published: October 2015

Background:

Myositis ossificans (MO) is a rare, non-neoplastic lesion characterized by heterotopic ossification of soft tissue. The condition is predominantly seen in young adults and adolescents and is most commonly secondary to trauma. Although the exact etiology remains unclear, patients typically present with pain and restricted range of motion following trauma or overuse. MO rarely presents in the popliteal fossa of adult patients and has not been previously reported in that of a pediatric patient.

Methods:

We present a 12-year-old patient with no history of direct trauma with MO in the right popliteal fossa, a highly unusual location. Initial x-rays failed to show the lesion; however, later radiographs showed an ossified mass. At peak dimensions, the ossification measured 3.8 cm anteroposterior×2.5 cm transverse×3.2 cm craniocaudal. After 14 months of observation and conservative therapy, the mass was excised.

Results:

The patient was ultimately able to return to full activity. Radiographs taken 14 months after the excision showed no signs of recurrence of the lesion.

Conclusions:

To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of MO excised from the popliteal fossa of a pediatric patient and followed for >1 year.

Level of Evidence:

Level IV—case report.
Clinical, Radiographic, and Pathologic Findings in Patients Undergoing Reoperation Following Radiation Therapy and Temozolomide for Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma
Authors: Ellsworth Susannah , Ye Xiaobu , Grossman Stuart A.
Published: October 2015

Purpose:

Patients with glioblastoma (GBM) frequently deteriorate clinically and radiographically after chemoradiation and may require repeat surgical intervention. We attempted to correlate pathologic findings with preoperative clinical characteristics and survival in patients undergoing reoperation for GBM.

Materials and Methods:

Patients eligible for this retrospective analysis had pathologically confirmed GBM diagnosed between 2005 and 2010, received standard radiation and temozolomide, and underwent repeat resection within 18 months of diagnosis.

Results:

Thirty-eight patients were identified. Median age was 56 years (range, 30 to 80 y), 55% were male, and 66% had baseline performance status ≥90%. Median survival was 16.3 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 13.3-19.8) from initial surgery. At reoperation, 21% of patients had no pathologically evident tumor. Median time from initial diagnosis to second surgery was similar in patients with and without evident tumor (8.5 vs. 8.8 mo, respectively). Patients without evident tumor tended to have a worse performance status. Median overall survival from second surgery was 7 months (95% CI, 4.2-10.1) and 9.1 months (95% CI, 2.1-25.3) for patients with and without evident tumor, respectively. Multivariate proportional hazards analysis showed a hazard ratio for death of 0.61 (95% CI, 0.25-1.49) for patients without evident tumor after adjusting for Karnofsky performance status and second surgical procedure.

Conclusions:

GBM patients with and without disease recurrence have similar clinical characteristics at the time of second surgical resection. Pathologic outcomes were not correlated with specific clinical or radiologic characteristics, including the time from diagnosis to reoperation. There was a trend toward improved overall survival among patients without evident tumor at reoperation.
What roles do middle managers play in implementation of innovative practices?
Authors: Engle Ryann L. , Lopez Emily R. , Gormley Katelyn E. , Chan Jeffrey A. , Charns Martin P. , Lukas Carol VanDeusen
Published: October 2015

Background:

Middle managers play key roles in hospitals as the bridge between senior leaders and frontline staff. Yet relatively little research has focused on their role in implementing new practices.

Purpose:

The aim of this study was to expand the understanding of middle managers’ influence in organizations by looking at their activities through the lens of two complementary conceptual frameworks.

Methodology/Approach:

We analyzed qualitative data from 17 Veterans Affairs Medical Centers with high and low potential to change organizational practices. We analyzed 98 interviews with staff ranging from senior leaders to frontline staff to identify themes within an a priori framework reflecting middle manager activities.

Findings:

Analyses yielded 14 emergent themes that allowed us to classify specific expressions of middle manager commitment to implementation of innovative practices (e.g., facilitate improvement innovation, garner staff buy-in). In comparing middle manager behaviors in high and low change potential sites, we found that most emergent themes were present in both groups. However, the activities and interactions described differed between the groups.

Practice Implications:

Middle managers can use the promising strategies identified by our analyses to guide and improve their effectiveness in implementing new practices. These strategies can also inform senior leaders striving to guide middle managers in those efforts.
Congenital Cystic Adenomatoid Malformation Infected With Chromobacterium violaceum
Authors: Gopinathan Anusha , Viswanath Naveen , Kumar Anil , Paulose Roopa Rachel , Nair Gulsiv , Radhakrishnan Kavitha Dinesh , Karim Shamsul
Published: October 2015

Congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation (CCAM) is a hamartomatous lesion resulting from developmental anomaly of the foregut. It presents commonly in the neonatal period as respiratory distress. There have been reports of cases of infected CCAM in the past. Here, we report the case of a 2-month-old infant whose condition was diagnosed with CCAM type 3 infected with Chromobacterium violaceum. This is the first report of a case of CCAM infected with C. violaceum to our knowledge. The bacterium is known for its high mortality rate and resistance to penicillin and narrow spectrum cephalosporins.
Insomnia Symptoms Are Associated With Abnormal Endothelial Function
Authors: Routledge Faye S. , Dunbar Sandra B. , Higgins Melinda , Rogers Ann E. , Feeley Christine , Ioachimescu Octavian , Euwer Kristina , Eapen Danny , Quyyumi Arshed
Published: October 2015

Background:

Insomnia is a prevalent sleep disorder, and it has been increasingly associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The reasons for this relationship are not completely understood but may involve endothelial dysfunction. In this study, we hypothesized that insomnia symptoms would be associated with reduced endothelial function.

Methods:

Working adults (n = 496, 67.5% female, 78.6% white, mean age 48.7 [SD, 10.8] years, body mass index 28.2 [SD, 6.7] kg/m2, diabetes 5.8%, hypertension 20.0%, hyperlipidemia 17.9%, heart disease 2.6%) enrolled in the Emory-Georgia Tech Predictive Health Institute study completed baseline demographic, clinical, depression (Beck Depression Inventory II), anxiety (General Anxiety Disorder 7), sleep (Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index), and noninvasive endothelial function (brachial artery flow-mediated dilation [FMD]) measures. Insomnia symptoms were defined as subjective sleep latency of 30 minutes or longer, nighttime or early morning awakenings, and/or sleep medication use occurring 3 times or more per week in the past month.

Results:

Insomnia symptoms were reported by 39.5% of participants. Multivariable regression models showed that insomnia symptoms, age, baseline artery diameter, and dyslipidemia were inversely related to FMD. After adjusting for age, baseline artery diameter, and dyslipidemia, participants reporting insomnia symptoms had lower FMD than did participants reporting better sleep (adjusted FMD mean, 6.13% [SD, 0.28%] vs 6.83% [SD, 0.26%], P = .035).

Conclusion:

In this study, insomnia symptoms were associated with reduced FMD. Research examining the therapeutic benefits of treating insomnia on endothelial function and future cardiovascular risk is warranted.
Percussive technology in human evolution: an introduction to a comparative approach in fossil and living primates
Authors: de la Torre Ignacio , Hirata Satoshi
Published: October 2015

Percussive technology is part of the behavioural suite of several fossil and living primates. Stone Age ancestors used lithic artefacts in pounding activities, which could have been most important in the earliest stages of stone working. This has relevant evolutionary implications, as other primates such as chimpanzees and some monkeys use stone hammer-and-anvil combinations to crack hard-shelled foodstuffs. Parallels between primate percussive technologies and early archaeological sites need to be further explored in order to assess the emergence of technological behaviour in our evolutionary line, and firmly establish bridges between Primatology and Archaeology. What are the anatomical, cognitive and ecological constraints of percussive technology? How common are percussive activities in the Stone Age and among living primates? What is their functional significance? How similar are archaeological percussive tools and those made by non-human primates? This issue ofPhil. Trans.addresses some of these questions by presenting case studies with a wide chronological, geographical and disciplinary coverage. The studies presented here cover studies of Brazilian capuchins, captive chimpanzees and chimpanzees in the wild, research on the use of percussive technology among modern humans and recent hunter–gatherers in Australia, the Near East and Europe, and archaeological examples of this behaviour from a million years ago to the Holocene. In summary, the breadth and depth of research compiled here should make this issue ofPhilosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, a landmark step forward towards a better understanding of percussive technology, a unique behaviour shared by some modern and fossil primates.
How similar are nut-cracking and stone-flaking? A functional approach to percussive technology
Authors: Bril Blandine , Parry Ross , Dietrich Gilles
Published: October 2015

Various authors have suggested similarities between tool use in early hominins and chimpanzees. This has been particularly evident in studies of nut-cracking which is considered to be the most complex skill exhibited by wild apes, and has also been interpreted as a precursor of more complex stone-flaking abilities. It has been argued that there is no major qualitative difference between what the chimpanzee does when he cracks a nut and what early hominins did when they detached a flake from a core. In this paper, similarities and differences between skills involved in stone-flaking and nut-cracking are explored through an experimental protocol with human subjects performing both tasks. We suggest that a ‘functional’ approach to percussive action, based on the distinction between functional parameters that characterize each task and parameters that characterize the agent's actions and movements, is a fruitful method for understanding those constraints which need to be mastered to perform each task successfully, and subsequently, the nature of skill involved in both tasks.
The development of plant food processing in the Levant: insights from use-wear analysis of Early Epipalaeolithic ground stone tools
Authors: Dubreuil Laure , Nadel Dani
Published: October 2015

In recent years, the study of percussive, pounding and grinding tools has provided new insights into human evolution, more particularly regarding the development of technology enabling the processing and exploitation of plant resources. Some of these studies focus on early evidence for flour production, an activity frequently perceived as an important step in the evolution of plant exploitation. The present paper investigates plant food preparation in mobile hunter-gatherer societies from the Southern Levant. The analysis consists of a use-wear study of 18 tools recovered from Ohalo II, a 23 000-year-old site in Israel showing an exceptional level of preservation. Our sample includes a slab previously interpreted as a lower implement used for producing flour, based on the presence of cereal starch residues. The use-wear data we have obtained provide crucial information about the function of this and other percussive tools at Ohalo II, as well as on investment in tool manufacture, discard strategies and evidence for plant processing in the Late Pleistocene. The use-wear analysis indicates that the production of flour was a sporadic activity at Ohalo II, predating by thousands of years the onset of routine processing of plant foods.
Experimental studies illuminate the cultural transmission of percussive technologies inHomoandPan
Authors: Whiten Andrew
Published: October 2015

The complexity of Stone Age tool-making is assumed to have relied upon cultural transmission, but direct evidence is lacking. This paper reviews evidence bearing on this question provided through five related empirical perspectives. Controlled experimental studies offer special power in identifying and dissecting social learning into its diverse component forms, such as imitation and emulation. The first approach focuses on experimental studies that have discriminated social learning processes in nut-cracking by chimpanzees. Second come experiments that have identified and dissected the processes of cultural transmission involved in a variety of other force-based forms of chimpanzee tool use. A third perspective is provided by field studies that have revealed a range of forms of forceful, targeted tool use by chimpanzees, that set percussion in its broader cognitive context. Fourth are experimental studies of the development of flint knapping to make functional sharp flakes by bonobos, implicating and defining the social learning and innovation involved. Finally, new and substantial experiments compare what different social learning processes, from observational learning to teaching, afford good quality human flake and biface manufacture. Together these complementary approaches begin to delineate the social learning processes necessary to percussive technologies within thePan–Homoclade.
Adjudicating between face-coding models with individual-face fMRI responses
Authors: Carlin Johan D. , Kriegeskorte Nikolaus
Published: October 2015

The perceptual representation of individual faces is often explained with reference to a norm-based face space. In such spaces, individuals are encoded as vectors where identity is primarily conveyed by direction and distinctiveness by eccentricity. Here we measured human fMRI responses and psychophysical similarity judgments of individual face exemplars, which were generated as realistic 3D animations using a computer-graphics model. We developed and evaluated multiple neurobiologically plausible computational models, each of which predicts a representational distance matrix and a regional-mean activation profile for 24 face stimuli. In the fusiform face area, a face-space coding model with sigmoidal ramp tuning provided a better account of the data than one based on exemplar tuning. However, an image-processing model with weighted banks of Gabor filters performed similarly. Accounting for the data required the inclusion of a measurement-level population averaging mechanism that approximates how fMRI voxels locally average distinct neuronal tunings. Our study demonstrates the importance of comparing multiple models and of modeling the measurement process in computational neuroimaging.

Author Summary

Humans recognize conspecifics by their faces. Understanding how faces are recognized is an open computational problem with relevance to theories of perception, social cognition, and the engineering of computer vision systems. Here we measured brain activity with functional MRI while human participants viewed individual faces. We developed multiple computational models inspired by known response preferences of single neurons in the primate visual cortex. We then compared these neuronal models to patterns of brain activity corresponding to individual faces. The data were consistent with a model where neurons respond to directions in a high-dimensional space of faces. It also proved essential to model how functional MRI voxels locally average the responses of tens of thousands of neurons. The study highlights the challenges in adjudicating between alternative computational theories of visual information processing.
Ctr9, a key subunit of PAFc, affects global estrogen signaling and drives ERα-positive breast tumorigenesis
Authors: Zeng Hao , Xu Wei
Published: October 2015

The human RNA polymerase II (RNAPII)-associated factor complex (hPAFc) and its individual subunits have been implicated in human diseases, including cancer. However, its involvement in breast cancer awaits investigation. Using data mining and human breast cancer tissue microarrays, we found that Ctr9, the key scaffold subunit in hPAFc, is highly expressed in estrogen receptor α-positive (ERα+) luminal breast cancer, and the high expression of Ctr9 correlates with poor prognosis. Knockdown of Ctr9 in ERα+ breast cancer cells almost completely erased estrogen-regulated transcriptional response. At the molecular level, Ctr9 enhances ERα protein stability, promotes recruitment of ERα and RNAPII, and stimulates transcription elongation and transcription-coupled histone modifications. Knockdown of Ctr9, but not other hPAFc subunits, alters the morphology, proliferative capacity, and tamoxifen sensitivity of ERα+ breast cancer cells. Together, our study reveals that Ctr9, a key subunit of hPAFc, is a central regulator of estrogen signaling that drives ERα+ breast tumorigenesis, rendering it a potential target for the treatment of ERα+ breast cancer.
Lhx1 functions together with Otx2, Foxa2, and Ldb1 to govern anterior mesendoderm, node, and midline development
Authors: Costello Ita , Nowotschin Sonja , Sun Xin , Mould Arne W. , Hadjantonakis Anna-Katerina , Bikoff Elizabeth K. , Robertson Elizabeth J.
Published: October 2015

Gene regulatory networks controlling functional activities of spatially and temporally distinct endodermal cell populations in the early mouse embryo remain ill defined. The T-box transcription factor Eomes, acting downstream from Nodal/Smad signals, directly activates the LIM domain homeobox transcription factor Lhx1 in the visceral endoderm. Here we demonstrate Smad4/Eomes-dependent Lhx1 expression in the epiblast marks the entire definitive endoderm lineage, the anterior mesendoderm, and midline progenitors. Conditional inactivation of Lhx1 disrupts anterior definitive endoderm development and impedes node and midline morphogenesis in part due to severe disturbances in visceral endoderm displacement. Transcriptional profiling and ChIP-seq (chromatin immunoprecipitation [ChIP] followed by high-throughput sequencing) experiments identified Lhx1 target genes, including numerous anterior definitive endoderm markers and components of the Wnt signaling pathway. Interestingly, Lhx1-binding sites were enriched at enhancers, including the Nodal-proximal epiblast enhancer element and enhancer regions controlling Otx2 and Foxa2 expression. Moreover, in proteomic experiments, we characterized a complex comprised of Lhx1, Otx2, and Foxa2 as well as the chromatin-looping protein Ldb1. These partnerships cooperatively regulate development of the anterior mesendoderm, node, and midline cell populations responsible for establishment of the left–right body axis and head formation.
Influence of assembly predicate consideration on optimal assembly sequence generation
Authors: Bahubalendruni M. V. A. Raju , Biswal Bibhuti Bhusan , Kumar Manish , Nayak Radharani
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to find out the significant influence of assembly predicate consideration on optimal assembly sequence generation (ASG) in terms of search space, computational time and possibility of resulting practically not feasible assembly sequences. An appropriate assembly sequence results in minimal lead time and low cost of assembly. ASG is a complex combinatorial optimisation problem which deals with several assembly predicates to result an optimal assembly sequence. The consideration of each assembly predicate highly influences the search space and thereby computational time to achieve valid assembly sequence. Often, the ignoring an assembly predicate leads to inappropriate assembly sequence, which may not be physically possible, sometimes predicate assumption drastic ally raises the search space with high computational time.

Design/methodology/approach

– The influence of assuming and considering different assembly predicates on optimal assembly sequence generation have been clearly illustrated with examples using part concatenation method.

Findings

– The presence of physical attachments and type of assembly liaisons decide the consideration of assembly predicate to reduce the complexity of the problem formulation and overall computational time.

Originality/value

– Most of the times, assembly predicates are ignored to reduce the computational time without considering their impact on the assembly sequence problem irrespective of assembly attributes. The current research proposes direction towards predicate considerations based on the assembly configurations for effective and efficient ASG.
Coordination error control for accurate positioning in movable robotic drilling
Authors: Mei Biao , Zhu Weidong , Dong Huiyue , Ke Yinglin
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to propose a roadmap to control the robot–subassembly (R–S) coordination errors in movable robotic drilling. Fastener hole drilling for multi-station aircraft assembly demands a robotic drilling system with expanded working volume and high positioning accuracy. However, coordination errors often exist between the robot and the subassembly to be drilled because of disturbances.

Design/methodology/approach

– Mechanical pre-locating and vision-based robot base frame calibration are consecutively implemented to achieve in-process robot relocation after station transfer. Thus, coordination errors induced by robotic platform movements, inconsistent thermal effects, etc. are eliminated. The two-dimensional (2D) vision system is applied to measure the remainder of the R–S coordination errors, which is used to enhance the positioning accuracy of the robot. Accurate estimation of measured positioning errors is of great significance for evaluating the positioning accuracy. For well estimation of the positioning errors with small samples, a bootstrap approach is put forward.

Findings

– A roadmap for R–S coordination error control using a 2D vision system, composed of in-process relocation, coordination error measurement and drilled position correction, is developed for the movable robotic drilling.

Practical implications

– The proposed roadmap has been integrated into a drilling system for the assembly of flight control surfaces of a transport aircraft in Aviation Industry Corporation of China. The position accuracy of the drilled fastener holes is well ensured.

Originality/value

– A complete roadmap for controlling coordination errors and improving positioning accuracy is proposed, which makes the high accuracy and efficiency available in movable robotic drilling for aircraft manufacturing.
An adaptive BPSO algorithm for multi-skilled workers assignment problem in aircraft assembly lines
Authors: Xin Bo , Li Yuan , Yu Jianfeng , Zhang Jie
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the multi-skilled workers assignment problem in complex assembly systems such as aircraft assembly lines. An adaptive binary particle swarm optimization (A-BPSO) algorithm is proposed, which is used to balance the workload of both assembly stations and processes and to minimize the human cost.

Design/methodology/approach

– Firstly, a cycle time model considering the cooperation of multi-skilled workers is constructed. This model provides a quantitative description of the relationship between the cycle time and multi-skilled workers by means of revising the standard learning curve with the “Partition-And-Accumulate” method. Then, to improve the accuracy and stability of the current heuristic algorithms, an A-BPSO algorithm that suits for the discrete optimization problems is proposed to assign multi-skilled workers to assembly stations and processes based on modified sigmoid limiting function.

Findings

– The proposed method has been successfully applied to a practical case, and the result justifies its advantage as well as adaptability to both theory and engineering application.

Originality/value

– A novel cycle time model considering cooperation of multi-skilled workers is constructed so that the calculation results of cycle time are more accurate and closer to reality. An A-BPSO algorithm is proposed to improve the stability and convergence in dealing with the problems with higher dimensional search space. This research can be used by the project managers and dispatchers on assembly field.
Case analysis of the do-it-yourself industry
Authors: Hatton-Jones Siobhan , Teah Min
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the accelerated growth within the Australian do-it-yourself (DIY) market and discusses the factors and drivers affecting consumer motivations to engage in such assembly tasks.

Design/methodology/approach

– Using a case study approach, evaluations and critical analysis of the DIY industry was being formulated by drawing on real life brands and examples. An analysis of various DIY retail strategies and DIY decking companies was synthesised to provide insights into the DIY industry.

Findings

– The insights into the industry outlines the changing consumer attitudes and motivations towards DIY and decking tasks. The findings on an evolving DIY industry, in particular the decking market demonstrate useful implications for academics, policy makers and brand practitioners.

Originality/value

– There have been little industry studies that delve into specifically decking products. Considering the vast increase in homeware, renovations, and gardening, the study provides insights from various case studies into the strategies undertaken by Australian and global companies. In addition, the majority of studies undertaken have also been concerned with the intrinsic motivations of consumers and not necessarily the extrinsic effect that brands and retailers advertently and inadvertently communicate and signal to consumers of DIY products.
Clinical dashboards and their use in an adult mental health inpatient setting, a pilot study
Authors: Phull Jaspreet , Hall Julie
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the experiences and opinions of mental health professionals working in two rehabilitation wards to a clinical dashboard system.

Design/methodology/approach

– Following the creation of the clinical dashboards, a questionnaire was developed and sent to staff and patients across two clinical wards involved in the clinical dashboard mental health pilot.

Findings

– The clinical dashboards were viewed as being useful tools for clinicians, supporting engagement. They can offer rapid access to large volumes of clinically useful information, in a palatable format. The pilot suggested that they could be presented in different ways to make them easier to engage with however they could also result in more paperwork for clinicians.

Research limitations/implications

– The main limitations included the sample size, responder bias and the limited sampling period. It would have been helpful to have obtained further responses to understand why individuals came to their conclusions.

Practical implications

– The development and use of clinical dashboards in a psychiatric rehabilitation setting offered the opportunity to improve quality, collect and respond to relevant clinical data trends: which is regarded positively by staff and patients.

Originality/value

– This study represents the first study to examine the use of clinical dashboards within a UK long stay adult mental health ward setting. The results suggest a positive response from both staff and patients and illustrates the potential benefits relating to clinical quality.
Gaining competitive intelligence from social media data
Authors: He Wu , Shen Jiancheng , Tian Xin , Li Yaohang , Akula Vasudeva , Yan Gongjun , Tao Ran
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– Social media analytics uses data mining platforms, tools and analytics techniques to collect, monitor and analyze massive amounts of social media data to extract useful patterns, gain insight into market requirements and enhance business intelligence. The purpose of this paper is to propose a framework for social media competitive intelligence to enhance business value and market intelligence.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors conducted a case study to collect and analyze a data set with nearly half million tweets related to two largest retail chains in the world: Walmart and Costco in the past three months during December 1, 2014-February 28, 2015.

Findings

– The results of the case study revealed the value of analyzing social media mentions and conducting sentiment analysis and comparison on individual product level. In addition to analyzing the social media data-at-rest, the proposed framework and the case study results also indicate that there is a strong need for creating a social media data application that can conduct real-time social media competitive intelligence for social media data-in-motion.

Originality/value

– So far there is little research to guide businesses for social media competitive intelligence. This paper proposes a novel framework for social media competitive intelligence to illustrate how organizations can leverage social media analytics to enhance business value through a case study.
Who makes the grade and why? Corporate governance scores in Thailand
Authors: Tantivanichanon Sutee , Wongsurawat Winai , Rajchamaha Kittichai
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to describe the characteristics of publically listed firms in Thailand that have achieved superior corporate governance scores (CGSs) and their motivations.

Design/methodology/approach

– In-depth interviews with CFOs and directors were conducted to gain insights into the firms’ motivations in increasing their CGS. Multiple regression, ANOVA and t-tests were employed to examine the score patterns. In total, we collected a year’s data from 502 companies from the 2010 Thai stock market database.

Findings

– Interview results suggest that high CGS can: first, help reduce the cost of debt; second, help the firm achieve incremental profitability; third, improve a firm’s value and stock price; and fourth, create confidence among insiders and build trust among outsiders. The quantitative analysis indicates that large state enterprises and widely held companies that issue bonds are significantly more likely to obtain good CGS. Frequency of board meetings and superior financial performance are also associated with higher governance ratings.

Originality/value

– This study systematically examines the characteristics of companies achieving different corporate governance rankings and investigates possible motivations behind their choices.
Is stock market sensitive to foreign capital inflows and economic growth?
Authors: Raza Syed Ali , Jawaid Syed Tehseen , Afshan Sahar , Karim Mohd Zaini Abd
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of foreign capital inflows and economic growth on stock market capitalization in Pakistan by using the annual time series data from the period of 1976 to 2011.

Design/methodology/approach

– The autoregressive distributed lag bound testing cointegration approach, the error correction model and the rolling window estimation procedures have been performed to analyze the long run, short run and behavior of coefficients, respectively.

Findings

– Results indicate that foreign direct investment (FDI), workers’ remittances and economic growth have significant positive relationship with the stock market capitalization in long run as well as in short run. Results of the dynamic ordinary least square and the fully modified ordinary least square suggest that the initial results of long-run coefficients are robust. Results of variance decomposition test show the bidirectional causal relationship of FDI and economic growth with stock market capitalization. However, unidirectional causal relationship is found in between workers’ remittances and stock market capitalization.

Practical implications

– It is suggested that in Pakistan, investors can make their investment decisions through keeping an eye on the direction of the considered foreign capital inflows and economic growth.

Originality/value

– This paper makes a unique contribution to the literature with reference to Pakistan, being a pioneering attempt to investigate the effects of foreign capital inflows and economic growth on stock market by using long time series data and applying more rigorous techniques.
Hong Kong and Shanghai: current and/or future international financial centres?
Authors: Adams John , Wong Andrew YC
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– This paper publishes summary results for the first time of a major survey of senior financial practitioners undertaken in Hong Kong and Shanghai in 2005, and compares these with the Global Financial Centre Index first created in 2007 to determine the extent to which both are consistent.

Design/methodology/approach

– The research is based on a detailed survey and utilizes principal-components analysis to determine the primary factors relevant to the development of both cities as international financial centres (IFCs) and those which the respondents consider will be relevant in the future.

Findings

– The paper demonstrates that the key “success factors” for both cities in 2005 remain very important in the global financial centres index (GFCI) analysis ten years later but not necessarily by the same ranking. We also found that a number of the “primary” factors change when respondents are asked to consider future success factors.

Research limitations/implications

– The survey was conducted ten years ago; however, the results continue to have significant reliability and validity - especially when compared with the results of the GFCI report of 2014.

Practical implications

– The paper should enable policy makers and practitioners to better understand the future policy environment needed for extending the financial centre status of both Hong Kong and Shanghai.

Originality/value

– This is the first time (some) of the survey findings that have ever been published, and they represent a rich source of information – however, the authors will be examining the survey data for future publications.
How does the corporate sector perceive non-profit organizations? Evidence from South Korea
Authors: Jo Samsup , Yoo Jae-Woong
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– While non-profit organization (NPO)-corporate alliances have proliferated in recent years, study has yet to examine on the perception of corporations toward NPOs. The purpose of this paper is to explore the factors that shape corporate perceptions of NPOs. What does the corporation consider when evaluating the activities of an NPO? Which factors are accorded the most importance when the corporate sector observes the NPO sector?

Design/methodology/approach

– Corporate respondents generally held negative attitudes toward NPOs in terms of general activism functions. In contrast, they held neutral perceptions on trustworthiness. In factor analysis, the four factors that directed how corporate executives perceived activist groups were “positive functions of activists,” “negative aspects of organizational culture,” “trustworthy characteristics,” and “expected ethical management practices.”

Findings

– While the participating corporate executives expressed positive attitudes toward activists and the role that they play in society, they showed negative attitudes toward their management style and their organizational culture. In particular, they expressed negative perceptions of the activists’ perceived elitism in their management style and internally oriented approach to the decision-making process.

Originality/value

– Empirical evidence gathered in this study could shed light on how public relations professionals at NPOs build and maintain relationships with corporate sector, which has resources to support organization financially as well as emotionally.