bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The antecedents of perceived value in the Airbnb context
Authors: Stollery Aubrey , Jun Soo Hyun
Published: December 2017

Purpose

This study aims to examine the antecedents of perceived value in the Airbnb context using the variables of perceived benefits (i.e. monetary saving, hedonic benefit, novelty and social interaction) and perceived risks (i.e. performance, physical, psychological and time).

Design/methodology/approach

The study population was Airbnb users in South Korea. This study applied a survey research method using a questionnaire. A link to the survey was sent via e-mail to panel members of a multinational research company.

Findings

The results revealed the positive influence of monetary saving, hedonic benefit and novelty on perceived value and the negative influence of psychological risk on perceived value.

Research limitations/implications

The results of this study, which identified the specific factors that influence Airbnb users’ perception of value, can assist Airbnb managers and Airbnb hosts in developing appropriate marketing plans and strategies to enhance the value of their offerings.

Originality/value

This study provided empirical support to the inclusion of affective factors and risk in determining perceived value. Moreover, while previous Airbnb studies focused on consumers from Western countries (e.g. USA and Canada), this study used a sample of South Korean consumers.
A qualitative investigation of perceived impacts of virtuality on effectiveness of hybrid construction project teams
Authors: Hosseini M. Reza , Bosch-Sijtsema Petra , Arashpour Mehrdad , Chileshe Nicholas , Merschbrock Christoph
Published: December 2017

Purpose

The “virtuality” of a team collaborative interaction is the extent to which it is accomplished in the same place, in fully distributed virtual teams, or in a hybrid combination of the two. However, existence, strength and process of potential association between virtuality and effectiveness in construction project teams have remained elusive. This paper aims to address this gap in the literature.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, a conceptual model demonstrating the association between virtuality and effectiveness of teams was developed through integrating the input-process-output (IPO) model and the “Big Five” theory. This conceptual model was contextualised for the construction industry drawing upon conducting 17 semi-structured interviews with hybrid team experts.

Findings

The findings provide the first model mapping the associations between virtuality and dimensions of team effectiveness for the construction context.

Practical implications

The discovered patterns of associations between virtuality and dimensions of effectiveness for hybrid construction project teams (HCPTs) will assist managers in designing and running more effective teams. In addition, the findings help construction practitioners better understand how virtuality influence the performance and satisfaction of team members in HCPTs. The present study concludes with outlining a set of recommendations based on the findings of the study.

Originality/value

As the first study in its kind, the present study offers a new insight into the concept and impacts of virtuality for construction teams and provides instructions and guidelines for designing and maintaining the effectiveness of such teams on construction projects.
Development of an integrated performance measurement framework for lean organizations
Authors: Sangwa Narpat Ram , Sangwan Kuldip Singh
Published: December 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose an integrated performance measurement framework to measure the effect of lean implementation throughout all functions of an organization.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper identifies the seven categories representing all organizational functions. These categories have been divided into 26 performance dimensions and key performance indicators (KPIs) for each performance dimension have been identified to measure lean performance. The interrelationship of each category with lean principles and/or lean wastes has been identified. KPIs are developed on the basis of identified criteria, frequency analysis of existing literature, and discussion with industry professionals. Finally, an integrated performance measurement framework is proposed.

Findings

The proposed framework evaluates the organization under seven categories – manufacturing process, new product development (NPD), human resource management, finance, administration, customer management, and supplier management. In total, 26 dimensions and 119 key performance indicators have been identified under the seven categories.

Research limitations/implications

The proposed framework is a conceptual framework and it is to be tested by empirical and cross-sectional studies.

Originality/value

The main novelty of the research is that the leanness of the organization has been measured throughout the supply chain of the organization in an integrated way. The various areas of measurement are manufacturing process, NPD, finance, administration, customer management, and supplier management. Further, the proposed KPIs are also categorized as qualitative or quantitative, strategic or operational, social or technical, financial or non-financial, leading or lagging, static or dynamic. This paper contributes to the body of knowledge in performance measurement.
Dynamic due date assignment method
Authors: K.T. Vinod , Prabagaran S. , Joseph O.A.
Published: December 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine the interaction between dynamic due date assignment methods and scheduling decision rules in a typical dynamic job shop production system in which setup times are sequence dependent. Two due date assignment methods and six scheduling rules are considered for detailed investigation. The scheduling rules include two new rules which are modifications of the existing rules. The performance of the job shop system is evaluated using various measures related to flow time and tardiness.

Design/methodology/approach

A discrete-event simulation model is developed to describe the operation of the job shop. The simulation results are subjected to statistical analysis based on the method of analysis of variance. Regression-based analytical models have been developed using the simulation results. Since the due date assignment methods and the scheduling rules are qualitative in nature, they are modeled using dummy variables. The validation of the regression models involves comparing the predictions of the performance measures of the system with the results obtained through simulation.

Findings

The proposed scheduling rules provide better performance for the mean tardiness measure under both the due date assignment methods. The regression models yield a good prediction of the performance of the job shop.

Research limitations/implications

Other methods of due date assignment can also be considered. There is a need for further research to investigate the performance of due date assignment methods and scheduling rules for the experimental conditions that involve system disruptions, namely, breakdowns of machines.

Practical implications

The explicit consideration of sequence-dependent setup time (SDST) certainly enhances the performance of the system. With appropriate combination of due date assignment methods and scheduling rules, better performance of the system can be obtained under different shop floor conditions characterized by setup time and arrival rate of jobs. With reductions in mean flow time and mean tardiness, customers are benefitted in terms of timely delivery promises, thus leading to improved service level of the firm. Reductions in manufacturing lead time can generate numerous other benefits, including lower inventory levels, improved quality, lower costs, and lesser forecasting error.

Originality/value

Two modified scheduling rules for scheduling a dynamic job shop with SDST are proposed. The analysis of the dynamic due date assignment methods in a dynamic job shop with SDST is a significant contribution of the present study. The development of regression-based analytical models for a dynamic job shop operating in an SDST environment is a novelty of the present study.
The impact of proactivity, leader-member exchange, and climate for innovation on innovative behavior in the Korean government sector
Authors: Park Sohee , Jo Sung Jun
Published: December 2017

Purpose

In the current business environment, no organization is assured of survival without continuous innovation. Employees’ innovative behavior is critical to enhance the innovation of an organization. While most literature on innovative behavior has focused on employees in the private sector, the purpose of this paper is to explore the factors that affect innovative behaviors in the government sector. In particular, it examines how proactivity, leader-member exchange (LMX), and climate for innovation affect employees’ innovative behavior in the Korean government sector, which is generally characterized as highly hierarchical, structured, and formalized.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors selected a sample of government employees in the Ministry of Education in Korea. Through the researchers’ contacts, ten government agencies agreed to recruit their employees to participate in the study. Data from 1,011 respondents were analyzed in two steps using structural equation modeling. First, to examine the construct validity of the measures, the authors examined the measurement model using the confirmatory factor analysis. Second, the interrelationships among the four variables were assessed. The hypothesized structural model was examined and compared to several alternative models to explore the best model fit to the data. The authors then examined the regression coefficients to determine the hypothesized relationships in the final structured model.

Findings

The results revealed the following: proactivity and climate for innovation had positive relationships with innovative behavior; LMX had a positive relationship with proactivity although it did not have a direct relationship with innovative behavior; and organizational climate for innovation did not ensure proactivity of employees.

Originality/value

The antecedents included in this research have been studied in relation to innovative behavior in several studies, but studies have called for further study. Few studies have examined innovative behavior in the public sector and they have examined innovation in the public sector which has mostly been focused on environmental factors surrounding government organizations or policy choices of government leaders while ignoring the individual traits of public workers, relational dynamics among people, and the cultural aspects of the organizations. This study investigated the interrelationships among the antecedents in the process of impacting innovative behavior in the public sector in Korea. In addition, little research has examined the antecedents of innovative behavior together. This study expands our knowledge of the roles and interrelationships of proactivity, LMX, and organizational climate for innovation as they relate to innovative behavior.
Social innovation and SONO filter for drinking water
Authors: Ahmed Jashim Uddin , Tinne Wahida Shahan , Al-Amin Md. , Rahanaz Maliha
Published: December 2017

Purpose

Bangladesh is facing an alarming situation with the drinking water in its most areas, as groundwater used for drinking has been contaminated with naturally occurring inorganic arsenic. Many entrepreneurs along with the government are trying to cope up with this problem. SONO filter is one of them that is based on the social innovation concept. Social innovation is defined as innovative products/services motivated by the goal of meeting a social need, with the opportunity to create new social collaborations. This paper aims to examine the concepts of social innovation, which advocates enhancing values to society and the social benefit to all the stakeholders.

Design/methodology/approach

This is an exploratory study and presents the evolution, the development of the social business model and its implementation. Abul Hussam initiated the social business concept through SONO filter that is commercialized through the Manob Sakti Unnayan Kendro. The study has been conducted entirely on the basis of documentary information and data available in the public domain.

Findings

The findings show a hopeful contribution toward enhancing social benefits to society especially in arsenic-affected areas. SONO filter helps to mitigate the water-borne diseases and make people clean and safe, as well as healthy, by providing pure drinking water. Even by drinking pure water, people with arsenic-related diseases are getting better day by day through this social initiative.

Originality/value

Business based on social innovation is a new and really a good working concept. It has faced many hurdles in its journey to meet social objectives. Many researchers, entrepreneurs, non-profit organizations, national planners and society leaders will surely be benefited by its solution.
Efficacy of anakinra in a patient with systemic amyloidosis presenting as amyloidoma
Authors: Nalcacioglu Hulya , Ozkaya Ozan , Genc Gurkan , Ayyildiz Suat , Kefeli Mehmet , Elli Murat , Aydin Oguz , Ceyhan Bilgici Meltem
Published: December 2017

Amyloidosis is a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by extracellular deposition of unique protein fibrils. The least common presentation of an amyloid deposition is as a discrete mass called amyloidoma or amyloid tumor. We report a case of a soft tissue amyloidoma in the abdomen of a 16‐year‐old girl who was diagnosed as having systemic amyloidosis. A girl aged 16 years was referred to our hospital with a pre‐diagnosis of a retroperitoneal mass documented with abdominal ultrasonography and tomography. A laboratory examination revealed nephrotic syndrome. She underwent surgery for a complete resection of the lesion. A histopathologic examination with Congo red and crystal violet dyes verified the diagnosis of amyloidoma. An immunohistochemical study for amyloid A protein was positive. A renal biopsy was also compatible with AA amyloidosis. A detailed search for the etiology of systemic amyloidosis revealed heterozygous mutation in the Mediterranean fever gene. Treatment with colchicine and anakinra were started with the diagnosis of familial Mediterranean fever because the other causes of secondary amyloidosis were ruled out. After 3 months of anakinra treatment, the laboratory findings returned to normal and excessive proteinuria disappeared. In countries where FMF and other autoinflammatory diseases are prevelant, systemic amyloidosis should be kept in mind in the differential diagnosis of children who present with nephrotic syndrome and abdominal mass. Taking previously reported cases and our case together, it appears that anti‐interleukin‐1 treatment represents a promising new approach in a subset of patients with systemic amyloidosis secondary to autoinflammatory diseases.
Quantitative evaluation of cue‐induced reinstatement model for evidence‐based experimental optimization
Authors: Oberhofer Julia , Noori Hamid R.
Published: December 2017

Cue‐induced reinstatement is a widely used model for investigating relapse of reward‐seeking behavior with high face validity in relation to clinical observations. Yet, face validity is not sufficient to evaluate an animal model, and quantitative, evidence‐based analysis is required to estimate the ultimate applicability of this paradigm. Furthermore, such analysis would allow an accurate and reproducible design of future experiments. Here, we conducted meta‐analysis and cluster analysis to characterize the impact of cue type (visual, auditory, olfactory or combinations thereof), intensity (e.g. light frequency, sound volume and odor concentration), reward type (e.g. different drugs of abuse, sucrose and food pellets) and model parameters (e.g. housing condition, age, gender and strain of animals) on reinstatement levels. We selected 184 publications for meta‐analysis based on inclusion criteria with a total number of 3889 rats. Our analysis suggested that the exact level of reinstatement depends on neither cue type, nor intensity nor on the type of reward. While all cues induced reinstatement to reward‐seeking behavior, it is the model parameters, in particular, the housing conditions, age and strain, that defined the final reinstatement levels. In particular, single‐housed, adolescent, Wistar or Lister Hooded rats showed significantly higher reinstatement than adult, Sparague‐Dawley rats housed in groups. Our findings suggest that model parameters (for example, single housing) evoke stress‐induced behaviors that affect reinstatement more than cue/reward factors.
Knowledge, perception, access and utilisation of HIV counselling and testing among pregnant women in rural communities of Osogbo town, Nigeria
Authors: Olowokere Adekemi E. , Adelakun Oluyemi A. , Komolafe Abiola O.
Published: December 2017

Objective

To assess knowledge, perception, access and utilisation of HIV counselling and testing among pregnant women from rural communities in Nigeria.

Design

Descriptive cross‐sectional survey.

Setting

Primary health care facilities in rural communities of Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria.

Participants

Three‐hundred pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in primary health care facilities.

Main outcome measures

Knowledge of HIV counselling and testing, perception of HIV counselling and testing, utilisation of HIV counselling and testing and barriers associated with HIV counselling and testing utilisation.

Results

Findings showed that 59.0% had good knowledge, while 56.7% had good perception. Majority (88.4%) of the 77.7% of respondents who reported the availability of HIV counselling and testing services said it was free and 61.3% of the respondents had HIV counselling and testing done before. Majority (78.3%) had one‐on‐one counselling, while a little above half (55.4%) gave consent for testing. However, less than half (36.3%) of the respondents were willing to have HIV counselling and testing done in the present pregnancy. There is significant association between the level of perception and utilisation of HIV counselling and testing. A significant association is also found between knowledge of HIV counselling and testing and utilisation. Key barriers found to be associated with utilisation of HIV counselling and testing include ‘fear of how to cope with being positive’ and ‘absence of HIV counselling and testing centre’.

Conclusion

Many women selected from rural communities demonstrated good knowledge and perception of HIV counselling and testing. The majority of them also had access to HIV counselling and testing and used it. However, some still have misconception about mother‐to‐child transmission of HIV.
Sieve Analysis Using the Number of Infecting Pathogens
Authors: Follmann Dean , Huang Chiung-Yu
Published: December 2017

Assessment of vaccine efficacy as a function of the similarity of the infecting pathogen to the vaccine is an important scientific goal. Characterization of pathogen strains for which vaccine efficacy is low can increase understanding of the vaccine's mechanism of action and offer targets for vaccine improvement. Traditional sieve analysis estimates differential vaccine efficacy using a single identifiable pathogen for each subject. The similarity between this single entity and the vaccine immunogen is quantified, for example, by exact match or number of mismatched amino acids. With new technology, we can now obtain the actual count of genetically distinct pathogens that infect an individual. Let F be the number of distinct features of a species of pathogen. We assume a log-linear model for the expected number of infecting pathogens with feature “f,” . The model can be used directly in studies with passive surveillance of infections where the count of each type of pathogen is recorded at the end of some interval, or active surveillance where the time of infection is known. For active surveillance, we additionally assume that a proportional intensity model applies to the time of potentially infectious exposures and derive product and weighted estimating equation (WEE) estimators for the regression parameters in the log-linear model. The WEE estimator explicitly allows for waning vaccine efficacy and time-varying distributions of pathogens. We give conditions where sieve parameters have a per-exposure interpretation under passive surveillance. We evaluate the methods by simulation and analyze a phase III trial of a malaria vaccine.
Recent losses of perennial cover in a Great Lakes agricultural region
Authors: Corry Robert C.
Published: December 2017

Landscape composition is consequential to ecological functions, and in agricultural regions a simple descriptor of composition is whether the growing habit of vegetation is annual or perennial. Annual vegetation includes most of the crop species grown in central North America (e.g., corn, soybeans, cereal grains, canola), and perennial vegetation includes hay and forage crops (e.g., alfalfa) and most non‐crop land covers (e.g., woodlands, grasslands, wetlands). Recent data show that in farmlands perennial cover is converting to annual cover. Using new remotely sensed annual crop layer spatial data for an intensively farmed region (1,700 km2) of the Lake Huron watershed in Southern Ontario, Canada, this paper describes changes in farmland composition and which transitions are occurring, with suggestions for why the changes are occurring. Perennial cover has rapidly been converted to annual cover in the past five years, with working‐lands perennial cover types identified as the most vulnerable to conversion. Other land cover types are relatively static. Implications for agricultural land conservation and stewardship require attention to this rapid change for conservation of soil, water, and biodiversity in the Great Lakes basin.
Trends in self‐reported oral health of US adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999‐2014
Authors: Li Kar Yan , Okunseri Christopher E. , McGrath Colman , Wong May C.M.
Published: December 2017

Objective

Single‐item self‐reported oral health (SROH) is a convenient and reliable measure for the assessment of population‐based oral health. However, little is known about trends and its associations among US adults. This study investigated trends in SROH (aged 20+ years) and the associated factors among adults living in the United States.

Methods

Self‐reported oral health data for 41 621 adults aged 20+ years from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999 to 2014 were analysed. Survey‐weighted descriptive statistics were computed to provide nationally representative estimates. Multivariable logistic regression was performed separately for each survey period with SROH as the primary outcome. Independent variables included were age, gender, race/ethnicity, education level and family poverty income ratio or PIR. Pooled survey‐weighted multivariable logistic regression was also performed to consider possible time‐changing effects.

Results

The survey‐weighted proportions of “excellent or very good” in SROH increased from 27% in 1999‐2000 (n = 4873) to 38% in 2013‐2014 (n = 5765). Separate multivariable logistic analyses for each survey period suggested that females, Whites (vs Mexican and Black Americans) as well as respondents from high family PIR had higher odds of reporting their oral health as “excellent or very good” (P < .05). The pooled multivariable logistic model confirmed results in the separate logistic regression, and respondents in the more recent survey periods had higher probabilities of reporting “excellent or very good” oral health. Respondents aged 50‐59 years were found to have relatively lower probabilities of reporting “excellent or very good” oral health, while people aged 20‐29 years had higher probabilities than those aged 30‐39 years. Compared to respondents with lower education, those with higher education were more likely to report their oral health as excellent or very good.

Conclusions

Self‐reported oral health improved from 1999 to 2014. In general, respondents who were young, female, White, had higher education or higher income or were surveyed in more recent years reported excellent or very good oral health.
SOME NOTES ON THE REDISTRIBUTION INHERENT IN THE U.S. PUBLIC PENSION SYSTEM
Authors: Nisticò Sergio , Bevilacqua Mirko
Published: December 2017

This paper shows that the U.S. Old‐Age Insurance (OAI) does not eliminate all the regressive redistribution characterizing earnings‐related schemes. The benchmark against which OAI is tested is the one‐to‐one contribution‐benefit rule of the Notional Defined Contribution (NDC) scheme. The paper suggests that by redesigning OAI according to the NDC scheme workers would perceive the higher contributions needed to finance current obligations not as a tax but as an increase in mandatory savings rewarded with the pay‐as‐you‐go interest rate and a stream of pension annuities more generous than that it would be possible to pay at the current contribution rate. (JEL H55, J26)
Comparative sorption isotherms for colorants present in Dyers’ madder (Rubia tinctorum L.) provide new insights into historical dyeing
Authors: Ford Lauren , Rayner Christopher M. , Blackburn Richard S.
Published: December 2017

Dyers madder (Rubia tinctorum L.) has been famously used throughout history as a source of red dye. The sorption onto mordanted wool of the major colorant components of R. tinctorum, alizarin and the glycosides ruberythric acid and lucidin primeveroside, is studied herein. Sorption of a purified 1:1 mixture of ruberythric acid:lucidin primeveroside most closely followed a Temkin isotherm (R2 0.925), whereas alizarin followed a Freundlich isotherm (R2 0.940). These results were compared with HPLC chromatograms of English, Turkish and Iranian varieties of R. tinctorum before and after dyeing, where it was observed that the glycosides are shown to have the highest uptake onto wool. The higher sorption energy of the purified 1:1 ruberythric acid:lucidin primeveroside mixture (–11.4 kJ mol−1) compared with alizarin (–5.8 kJ mol−1) is in agreement with the HPLC results, indicating that the ruberythric acid/lucidin primeveroside mixture has a substantially higher affinity for wool compared with alizarin. Not only do the glycosides show higher affinity for the wool, but greater interactions between adsorbed species suggest a more extensive aggregation of dye on the surface of the wool. These observations are in contrast with much of the literature and bring into question previous conclusions that alizarin was the main dyeing species throughout history.
Sleep, oxygen saturation, and seizures in Dravet syndrome
Authors: Zuberi Sameer M
Published: December 2017

This commentary is on the original article by Licheni et al. on pages 192–198 of this issue.
Falls in older adults with multiple myeloma
Authors: Wildes Tanya M. , Fiala Mark A.
Published: December 2017

Objective

To examine the prevalence of falls, factors associated with falls and the relationship between falls and survival in older adults with multiple myeloma.

Methods

In an analysis of the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER)‐Medicare Health Outcomes Survey (MHOS)‐linked database, we examined 405 older adults with multiple myeloma (MM) and 513 matched non‐cancer controls. The primary outcome was self‐reported within the past 12 months. Age, race, gender, symptoms, and comorbidities were self‐reported in the MHOS. Survival was calculated from SEER data.

Results

Of the patients with MM, 171 were within 1 year of diagnosis (cohort 1) and 234 were ≥1 year postdiagnosis (cohort 2). Patients in cohorts 1 and 2 were more likely to have fallen than controls (26% and 33% vs 23%, P = .012). On multivariate analysis, among patients with myeloma (combined cohorts 1 and 2), factors associated with falls included self‐report of fatigue (aOR 2.52 [95% CI 1.34‐4.93]), depression (aOR 1.90 [95% CI 1.14‐3.18]), or poorer general health (aOR 1.86 [95% CI 1.05‐3.36]). Falls were not associated with survival.

Conclusions

Older adults with MM have a greater prevalence of falls than matched controls. Self‐reported fatigue, depression, and poorer general health are associated with greater odds of falls.
Immigrants Coping with Transnational Deaths and Bereavement: The Influence of Migratory Loss and Anticipatory Grief
Authors: Nesteruk Olena
Published: December 2017

This study examines immigrants’ experiences of bereavement and coping with the deaths of family members in a transnational context. Data were collected through in‐depth personal interviews with middle‐aged and older immigrants from different countries of origin, who have been living in the United States for a majority of their adult lives. Thematic analysis of participants’ narratives showed that immigrants’ geographic distance from family complicated caregiving circumstances and rituals surrounding burial, and impacted the grieving process. At the same time, this distance also served as an emotional barrier and provided protection from prolonged grief. Immigrants’ U.S.‐based family and work responsibilities served as buffers from prolonged grief. Over time, immigrants became Americanized in their attitudes toward coping with death and favored a fast return to productive activities. Finally, immigrants’ experience of migratory loss and anticipatory grief early in immigration, along with their personal growth and resilience developed over time, impacted their bereavement experiences later in life. Considering the limitations and the exploratory nature of the present study, further research is needed to investigate the specifics of coping with loss and bereavement among immigrants.
A prediction method for fatigue life of large moving components as function of scale factor: A case of motor‐generator rotor
Authors: Pan L. , Pang J.C. , Zhang M.X. , Xie Y.J. , Nie L.L. , Mao Y.X. , Chen M. , Zhang Z.F.
Published: December 2017

With the development of science and technology, more and more large moving components have been used in industry, and their service lives have become an important issue. After analysis of the previous results, considering the scale factor, a prediction method for fatigue life of large moving components based on the Basquin relation was proposed at first, and then the magnet pole part of motor‐generator rotor was chosen to make simulation parts with different scale factors mainly in terms of their S‐N curves and fractographies. It was found that with the change of specimen scale factor, the stress concentration factor at transition arc is almost unchanged as well as the fatigue strength exponent, and the fatigue strength coefficient changes linearly. Based on those results, a life prediction method was validated, and the results show that this method is a simple but more precise relation. After fatigue fracture surface and crack growth angle observations and quantitative analyses, the fatigue damage mechanisms associated with the relation among fatigue strength exponent and coefficient and scale factors were explained well. Those studies will provide a new clue to the prediction of the service life for those large moving components.
Succinate dehydrogenase (SDH)‐deficient neoplasia
Authors: Gill Anthony J
Published: December 2017

The succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) complex is a key respiratory enzyme composed of four subunits: SDHA, SDHB, SDHC and SDHD. Remarkably, immunohistochemistry for SDHB becomes negative whenever there is bi‐alleic inactivation of any component of SDH, which is very rare in the absence of syndromic disease. Therefore, loss of SDHB immunohistochemistry serves as a marker of syndromic disease, usually germline mutation of one of the SDH subunits. Tumours which show loss of SDHB expression are termed succinate dehydrogenase‐deficient. In addition to loss of SDHB, tumours associated with SDHA mutation also show loss of SDHA expression. Fifteen per cent of pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (PHEO/PGL) are associated with germline SDH mutation, and therefore SDH‐deficient. We recommend screening SDHB immunohistochemistry for all PHEO/PGL. SDH‐deficient gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs) show distinctive features, including absent KIT proto‐oncogene receptor tyrosine kinase/platelet‐derived growth factor receptor A (KIT/PDGFRA) mutations [but positive staining for cKIT and DOG1], virtually exclusive gastric location, lobulated growth, multi‐focality, a prognosis not predicted by size and mitotic rate, frequent metastasis to lymph nodes and primary resistance to imatinib therapy. Thirty per cent are associated with SDHA germline mutation and 50% are associated with SDHC epimutation (post‐zygotic promoter hypermethylation) – the hallmark of the syndromic but non‐hereditary Carney triad (SDH‐ deficient GIST, SDH‐deficient paraganglioma and pulmonary chondroma). SDH‐deficient renal carcinoma is newly recognized under the World Health Organization (WHO) 2016 classification and shows vacuolated eosinophilic cytoplasmic and cytoplasmic inclusions. It is particularly associated with SDHB mutation, although SDHC and SDHA mutation occur. SDH‐deficient pituitary adenomas are recognized, but appear to be the least common SDH‐deficient neoplasm.
Heritable forms of primary hyperparathyroidism: a current perspective
Authors: DeLellis Ronald A , Mangray Shamlal
Published: December 2017

Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is one of the most common of all endocrine disorders encountered by the practising histopathologist. The vast majority of lesions are sporadic in nature, approximately 85% of which are parathyroid adenomas, while hyperplasia and carcinoma account for 10–15% and fewer than 1%, of cases, respectively. Heritable forms of PHPT are much less common and present challenges both to clinicians and pathologists, particularly when they are the presenting feature of an endocrine syndrome. In such instances, pathologists play a key role in alerting physicians to the possibility of an underlying heritable endocrine syndrome and the potential for extra‐endocrine manifestations. Therefore, a working knowledge of these disorders is essential for providing guidance to treating physicians. The aim of this update is to review the clinicopathological features, genetic bases and current management for patients with PHPT associated with multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) types 1, 2A and 4 and hyperparathyroidism‐jaw tumour (HPT‐JT) syndrome in the context of the 2017 World Health Organization (WHO) Classification of Tumours of the Endocrine Organs. Additionally, familial isolated hyperparathyroidism, familial hypocalciuric hypercalcaemia and neonatal severe hyperparathyroidism are discussed.
Hereditary and familial thyroid tumours
Authors: Guilmette Julie , Nosé Vania
Published: December 2017

The worldwide incidence of thyroid malignancies has been increasing rapidly. Sensitive imaging modalities and early detection of thyroid lesions have made thyroid cancers the most rapidly increasing cancers in the USA in 2017 (SEER Cancer Facts, 2017). Clinical awareness of potential risk factors, such as inherited thyroid cancers, has allowed earlier recognition of more vulnerable population clusters. Hereditary thyroid neoplasms arising from calcitonin‐producing C cells are known as familial medullary thyroid carcinomas (FMTCs), and include well‐documented syndromes such as multiple endocrine neoplasia IIA or IIB, and pure familial medullary thyroid carcinoma syndrome. Familial thyroid cancers arising from follicular cells are referred to as familial non‐medullary thyroid carcinoma (FNMTC), or familial follicular cell‐derived carcinoma. Clinicopathological correlations have resulted in the further subclassification of FNMTCs into two groups. Among the first group are found syndromes characterised by a predominance of non‐thyroidal tumours, including familial adenomatous polyposis, Cowden syndrome, Werner syndrome, Carney complex, and Pendred syndrome. The second group encompasses a spectrum of familial syndromes characterised by a predominance of non‐medullary thyroid tumours, such as pure familial papillary thyroid carcinoma with or without oxyphilia, familial papillary thyroid carcinoma with papillary renal cell carcinoma, and familial papillary carcinoma with multinodular goitre. Most familial thyroid cancers have been described as being more aggressive than sporadic thyroid cancers, with a predisposition for lymph node metastasis, extrathyroidal invasion, and a younger age of onset. The distinct thyroid pathology in some of these syndromes should alert the pathologist to a possible familial cancer syndrome.
Molecular pathology of thyroid tumours of follicular cells: a review of genetic alterations and their clinicopathological relevance
Authors: Acquaviva Giorgia , Visani Michela , Repaci Andrea , Rhoden Kerry J , de Biase Dario , Pession Annalisa , Giovanni Tallini
Published: December 2017

Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignancy. Knowledge of the molecular pathology of thyroid tumours originating from follicular cells has greatly advanced in the past several years. Common molecular alterations, such as BRAF p.V600E, RAS point mutations, and fusion oncogenes (RET–PTC being the prototypical example), have been, respectively, associated with conventional papillary carcinoma, follicular‐patterned tumours (follicular adenoma, follicular carcinoma, and the follicular variant of papillary carcinoma/non‐invasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary‐like nuclear features), and with papillary carcinomas from young patients and arising after exposure to ionising radiation, respectively. The remarkable correlation between genotype and phenotype shows how specific, mutually exclusive molecular changes can promote tumour development and initiate a multistep tumorigenic process that is characterised by aberrant activation of mitogen‐activated protein kinase and phosphoinositide 3‐kinase–PTEN–AKT signalling. Molecular alterations are becoming useful biomarkers for diagnosis and risk stratification, and as potential treatment targets for aggressive forms of thyroid carcinoma. What follows is a review of the principal genetic alterations of thyroid tumours originating from follicular cells and of their clinicopathological relevance.
Molecular alterations of neuroendocrine tumours of the lung
Authors: Rossi Giulio , Bertero Luca , Marchiò Caterina , Papotti Mauro
Published: December 2017

Neuroendocrine tumours of the lung comprise low [typical carcinoid (TC)], intermediate [atypical carcinoid (AC)] and high‐grade [small‐cell lung cancer (SCLC) and large‐cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC)] malignancies, while a pre‐invasive lesion [diffuse idiopathic pulmonary neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia (DIPNECH)] may generate a subset of peripheral carcinoid tumours. These neoplasms are differentiated conventionally based on mitotic rate, presence of necrosis and cytological details, according to the 2015 World Health Organisation (WHO) classification. Clinical data and molecular alterations distinguish carcinoids and high‐grade carcinomas into two separate categories. Previous studies have demonstrated a significantly higher rate of chromosomal aberrations in carcinomas (e.g. 3p and 17p deletions), but restriction of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) mutations to carcinoids. High‐grade carcinomas are also characterised by TP53 and RB1 gene inactivation. In this review, a critical analysis of the diagnostic and prognostic role of Ki67 labelling index and a concise discussion of the most relevant findings regarding molecular characterisation of lung neuroendocrine neoplasms are reported. In addition, we illustrate how the development of promising therapeutic strategies based on the identification of molecular targets (mTOR inhibitors in carcinoids and targeting of the Notch ligand DLL3 in SCLC) may require the assessment of predictive biomarkers, even in the group of neuroendocrine tumours of the lung.
Changes in the diet composition of Common GuillemotUria aalgechicks on Skomer Island, Wales, between 1973 and 2017
Authors: Riordan Julie , Birkhead Tim
Published: December 2017

This study documents long‐term changes in Common GuillemotUria aalgechick diet on Skomer Island, Wales, from 1973 to 2017. Chick diet has remained broadly similar (mainly Clupeids) since 1973, although more recently there has been an increase in relatively low‐quality prey (Gadids), suggesting a shift in prey availability.
Shaping a buyer's software selection process through tendering legislation
Authors: Boonstra Albert , van Offenbeek Marjolein A.G.
Published: December 2017

Tendering legislation aims to enhance competitiveness by promoting equality, proportionality, transparency, and non‐discrimination. Such legislation applies to the procurement of software packages by public institutions in many countries. This study explores how tendering legislation shapes a buyer's software selection process through the lens of competing decision‐making rationalities. From the literature, 3 rationalities enacted in software selection are deduced that we relate to the software selection literature regarding tendering legislation. Through this lens, we subsequently examine how a large health care provider selected a supplier for an electronic health record system after an extensive tendering process. Many health care professionals within this organization were in favour of a particular software package. Yet, the organization purchased a different package from a relatively unknown supplier, the implementation of which failed. The actors involved experienced shaping on 5 decision‐making themes, the implications of which are evaluated against the functional, economic, and political rationality norms derived from the literature. The findings suggest that compliance with tendering legislation over the public procurement of software results in increased legal complexity, greater linearity and objectivity, more extensive formalization, and less relational communication. Functional norms of rationality are stressed, seemingly to balance the enforced economic norms of rationality and to compensate for the decreased room for political rationality. Even so, the shaping by the tendering legislation threatens functional rationality. Ultimately functional and economic norms of rationality win over political rationality, yet the latter still dribbles through, albeit in a different guise than reported for software selection in general.
Cophylogenetic assessment of New World warblers (Parulidae) and their symbiotic feather mites (Proctophyllodidae)
Authors: Matthews Alix E. , Klimov Pavel B. , Proctor Heather C. , Dowling Ashley P. G. , Diener Lizzie , Hager Stephen B. , Larkin Jeffery L. , Raybuck Douglas W. , Fiss Cameron J. , McNeil Darin J. , Boves Than J.
Published: December 2017

Host–symbiont relationships are ubiquitous in nature, yet evolutionary and ecological processes that shape these intricate associations are often poorly understood. All orders of birds engage in symbioses with feather mites, which are ectosymbiotic arthropods that spend their entire life on hosts. Due to their permanent obligatory association with hosts, limited dispersal and primarily vertical transmission, we hypothesized that the cospeciation between feather mites and hosts within one avian family (Parulidae) would be perfect (strict cospeciation). We assessed cophylogenetic patterns and tested for congruence between species in two confamiliar feather mite genera (Proctophyllodidae:Proctophyllodes,Amerodectes) found on 13 species of migratory warblers (and one other closely related migratory species) in the eastern United States. Based on COI sequence data, we found threeProctophyllodeslineages and sixAmerodecteslineages. Distance‐ and event‐based cophylogenetic analyses suggested different cophylogenetic trajectories of the two mite genera, and although some associations were significant, there was little overall evidence supporting strict cospeciation. Host switching is likely responsible for incongruent phylogenies. In one case, we documented prairie warblersSetophaga discolorharboring two mite species of the same genus. Most interestingly, we found strong evidence that host ecology may influence the likelihood of host switching occurring. For example, we documented relatively distantly related ground‐nesting hosts (ovenbirdSeiurus aurocapillaand Kentucky warblerGeothlypis formosa) sharing a single mite species, while other birds are shrub/canopy or cavity nesters. Overall, our results suggest that cospeciation is not the case for feather mites and parulid hosts at this fine phylogenetic scale, and raise the question if cospeciation applies for other symbiotic systems involving hosts that have complex life histories. We also provide preliminary evidence that incorporating host ecological traits into cophylogenetic analyses may be useful for understanding how symbiotic systems have evolved.
Macroecological patterns of sexual size dimorphism in turtles of the world
Authors: Agha M. , Ennen J. R. , Nowakowski A. J. , Lovich J. E. , Sweat S. C. , Todd B. D.
Published: December 2017

Sexual size dimorphism (SSD) is a well‐documented phenomenon in both plants and animals; however, the ecological and evolutionary mechanisms that drive and maintain SSD patterns across geographic space at regional and global scales are understudied, especially for reptiles. Our goal was to examine geographic variation of turtle SSD and to explore ecological and environmental correlates using phylogenetic comparative methods. We use published body size data on 135 species from nine turtle families to examine how geographic patterns and the evolution of SSD are influenced by habitat specialization, climate (annual mean temperature and annual precipitation) and climate variability, latitude, or a combination of these predictor variables. We found that geographic variation, magnitude and direction of turtle SSD are best explained by habitat association, annual temperature variance and annual precipitation. Use of semi‐aquatic and terrestrial habitats was associated with male‐biased SSD, whereas use of aquatic habitat was associated with female‐biased SSD. Our results also suggest that greater temperature variability is associated with female‐biased SSD. In contrast, wetter climates are associated with male‐biased SSD compared with arid climates that are associated with female‐biased SSD. We also show support for a global latitudinal trend in SSD, with females being larger than males towards the poles, especially in the families Emydidae and Geoemydidae. Estimates of phylogenetic signal for both SSD and habitat type indicate that closely related species occupy similar habitats and exhibit similar direction and magnitude of SSD. These global patterns of SSD may arise from sex‐specific reproductive behaviour, fecundity and sex‐specific responses to environmental factors that differ among habitats and vary systematically across latitude. Thus, this study adds to our current understanding that while SSD can vary dramatically across and within turtle species under phylogenetic constraints, it may be driven, maintained and exaggerated by habitat type, climate and geographic location.