bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Determinants of house price volatility in Namibia
Authors: Kaulihowa Teresia , Kamati Katrina
Published: March 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to test the volatility and analyses the macroeconomic determinants of house price volatility in Namibia over the period 2007 Quarter 1 to 2017 Quarter 2. It further explores the causal relations between house price volatility and its determinants.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used autoregressive conditional heteroskedastic and generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedastic models to test for volatility. The vector error correction model was used to analyse the determinants and causal relations.

Findings

The results support the hypothesis that house prices in Namibia exhibits persistent volatility. It was further established that past period volatility’ GDP and mortgage loans are the key determinants of house price volatility. Additionally’ there exists unidirectional causality from GDP and mortgage loans to house price volatility.

Practical implications

Policy implications emanating from the study implies that macroeconomic fundamentals should be monitored closely to mitigate the issues of house price volatility.

Originality/value

The study is the first of its kind in Namibia to address the pertinent issues of ever increasing housing prices.
Issues and challenges in contemporary affordable public housing schemes in Malaysia
Authors: Bilal Muhammad , Meera Ahamed Kameel Mydin , Abdul Razak Dzuljastri
Published: March 2019

Purpose

This study aims to examine the issues and challenges in contemporary affordable public housing schemes and proposes an alternative affordable public housing model for low- and middle-income households in Malaysia.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper applied qualitative research method. Semi-structured in-depth interviews with four government officials were conducted to understand the provision, framework and working mechanism of selected affordable public housing schemes. A focus group with nine participants was conducted with low- and middle-income households to validate pertaining residential issues and problems in affordable public housing schemes.

Findings

The overall findings reveal that the growing plights of unaffordability, poor maintenance and mismanagement have undermined the performance of affordable public housing schemes in Malaysia. The paper indicates that Islamic Public–Private Housing Co-operative Model (IPHCM) possibly has a comparative advantage in its design and operation and therefore can be implemented as an alternative model to address these issues in contemporary affordable public housing schemes in Malaysia. The findings also offer guidelines to government officials and managers of public housing schemes to implement the IPHCM model that can help in reducing the financial burden on low- and middle-income households, improving maintenance work and enforcing effective management practices with residents’ participation.

Research limitations/implications

The paper is limited to develop a new Shariah-compliant affordable public housing model. The paper presents a design and defines the underlying Shariah concept and contracts and their working mechanisms in the proposed model. The paper has not considered other related areas in the development of IPHCM model including Shariah and subject matter expert’s perspective, consumer behavioural intention, legal and regulatory requirements.

Originality/value

The paper has relevance for policymakers and government institutions offering affordable public housing schemes to ensure successful deliverability of sustainable and affordable public housing for low- and middle-income households in Malaysia.
To stay or not to stay? Discontinuance intention of gamification apps
Authors: Huang Cheng-Kui , Chen Chun-Der , Liu Yu-Tzu
Published: March 2019

Purpose

As the application of gamification is gaining great attention and has grown increasingly, thousands of these applications can be easily obtained from mobile phone stores, thus causing intensified competition and discontinuance of use accordingly. Besides, though understanding what factors influence the discontinuance of use of information systems (ISs) is critical for theoretical as well as practical reasons, studies pertaining to the saliency of the final phase, termination of an IS, are still limited. As such, the purpose of this paper is to propose a holistic view to fulfill the above-mentioned research gaps based on the expectation-confirmation model with other salient factors such regret, habit and gamification app values.

Design/methodology/approach

The context of a fitness gamification app is investigated. A total of 210 valid responses were received, and structural equation modeling was applied for data analysis.

Findings

The findings of this paper are as follows: among all factors influencing discontinuance intention, regret is the strongest, habit is second and gamification is third; among all factors affecting user satisfaction, gamification app value is the strongest, confirmation is second, perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use are third and regret is the last one; for factors influencing users’ habits, satisfaction is the strongest, following by PU and frequency of prior use; confirmation negatively influences the degree of regret; and confirmation positively influences PU.

Originality/value

This study highlights the important determinants influencing users’ discontinuance intentions in the context of gamification apps by incorporating two overlooked factors, regret and habit. Besides, this study suggests that app designers can not only increase user’s perceived value through external cooperation with other alternatives, but can be through internal enhancement with diverse services development as well.
Credit ratings and audit opinion: evidence from Tunisia
Authors: Moalla Hanen , Baili Rahma
Published: March 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine whether credit ratings issued by Fitch predict auditor’s opinion for the Tunisian financial companies. It studies the association between Fitch’s credit rating and the audit opinion.

Design/methodology/approach

The whole population was analyzed. It is composed of 35 banks, leasing companies and factoring companies in Tunisia. The hand-collected data over 11 years (2005–2015) were used and a multiple-ordered logistic regression was performed.

Findings

The findings show that firms with a high short-term grade, a high long-term grade or a positive outlook are more likely to receive an unqualified audit opinion. In addition, companies with a stable outlook are more likely to receive an explanatory paragraph, a qualification or a going-concern opinion.

Originality/value

Studies examining the relationship between credit ratings and audit opinion are rare. This piece of research adds to knowledge about the relationship between different components of agency ratings and the auditor’s opinion in a developing country. Previous studies have investigated the case of developed countries and have been interested in the only impact of the long-term credit rating. This study analyzes three components of credit rating, namely long-term credit rating, short-term credit rating and rating outlook. In addition, it sheds light on the effect of various rating grades issued by rating agencies on the audit opinion. It gives a broader view of the relationship between credit ratings and audit opinion.
Reducing consumer loneliness through brand communities
Authors: Snyder Deirdre G. , Newman Kevin P.
Published: March 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of belonging to brand communities in improving consumer well-being and brand evaluations.

Design/methodology/approach

Two studies were conducted. Study 1 manipulates the framing of a brand to be either socially- or product-oriented and measures brand community joining intentions based on underlying levels of consumer loneliness and need to belong. Study 2 manipulates feelings of belongingness with a brand community and measures its impact on relatedness satisfaction, state loneliness and brand evaluations.

Findings

Study 1 finds that lonely consumers with a high need to belong are more likely to express intentions to join a brand community when it is socially-oriented. Study 2 finds that belonging to a brand community improves relatedness satisfaction which, in turn, reduces state loneliness and improves brand evaluations.

Practical implications

This research has significant implications for marketing practitioners who are looking to foster relationships among consumers in the form of brand communities, especially given the positive impact of these communities on consumer well-being. These findings suggest that marketers should create brand communities that foster a social (rather than product) focus to create a sense of belongingness with the brand and among its community members, and that doing so can improve relatedness satisfaction needs and reduce consumer loneliness.

Originality/value

This research contributes to the growing literature on consumer loneliness and is among the first to identify the positive psychological outcomes of socially-oriented brand communities on loneliness.
Triggers of positive eWOM: exploration with web analytics
Authors: Amed Sultan , Mukherjee Srabanti , Das Prasun , Datta Biplab
Published: March 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine the triggers of positive electronic word of mouth (eWOM) using real-time Big Data obtained from online retail sites/dedicated review sites.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, real-time Big Data has been used and analysed through support vector machine, to segregate positive and negative eWOM. Thereafter, using natural language processing algorithms, this study has classified the triggers of positive eWOM based on their relative importance across six product categories.

Findings

The most important triggers of positive eWOM (like product experience, product type, product characteristics) were similar across different product categories. The second-level antecedents of positive eWOM included the person(s) for whom the product is purchased, the price and the source of the product, packaging and eagerness in patronising a brand.

Practical implications

The findings of this study indicate that the marketers who are active in the digital forum should encourage and incentivise their satisfied consumers to disseminate positive eWOM. Consumers with special interest for any product type (mothers or doctors for baby food) may be incentivised to write positive eWOM about the product’s ingredients/characteristics. Companies can launch the sequels of existing television or online advertisements addressing “for whom the product is purchased”.

Originality/value

This study identified the triggers of the positive eWOM using real-time Big Data extracted from online purchase platforms. This study also contributes to the literature by identifying the levels of triggers that are most, more and moderately important to the customers for writing positive reviews online.
Overcoming over-identification
Authors: Vieira Valter Afonso , da Silva Juliano Domingues , Gabler Colin
Published: March 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is threefold: first, to determine the impact of interpersonal identification on sales performance; second, to uncover whether or not that relationship changes direction based on levels organizational prestige; and third, to test the antecedent of managerial support on salesperson interpersonal identification. Ultimately, the authors want to provide sales managers with tangible ways to nurture the self-concept of their sales force while optimizing sales performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors test the hypotheses using a data set of 196 B2C retail salespeople in the shoe industry. Respondents answered a printed questionnaire, which was analyzed using multiple linear regression and response surface analysis.

Findings

The authors find that managerial support does positively influence interpersonal identification among salespeople which, in turn, increases sales performance. However, the relationship is curvilinear, becoming negative when over-identification occurs. This inverted U-shaped relationship is moderated by organizational prestige such that the negative influence is overcome by employees who have pride and confidence in their organization.

Practical implications

Managers should balance the level of support that they provide their employees. While this mentorship generally leads to positive results, too much can lead to over-identification, and consequently reduce sales performance. However, this negative effect can be overcome if the salesperson perceives his organization as prestigious. Therefore, a mix of guidance and autonomy may foster the strongest self-concept among the sales team and generate the most positive outcomes. Further, managers should monitor their employees’ perceptions of the company, communicating its strong reputation internally to generate organizational prestige.

Originality/value

The authors extend social identity theory in a sales context to provide a better understanding of how self-concept can be altered – for better or worse – by the sales manager. The authors also show the importance of communicating your company’s social value to employees. While over-identification in the manager–employee dyad can create a “tipping point” where sales performance begins to decrease, organizational prestige may be able to overcome this effect, demonstrating the power of prestige. Together, the authors present the importance of contextual and external influences on individual sales performance.
A review on nutritional profile of the food from enset
Authors: Fanta Solomon Workneh , Neela Satheesh
Published: March 2019

Purpose

This paper is a systemic review on enset plant’s role in Ethiopian people’s life as the source of food. This paper aims to summarize the traditional processing and preparation methods of enset-based foods and their nutritional composition.

Design/methodology/approach

Available scientific articles were collected and reviewed for enset plant evaluation, description, enset plant’s role in Ethiopian people’s food security, post harvesting and traditional processing of enset plants, microbiology of the fermented enset foods, different foods reported from enset, nutritional profile of the three food from enset base (kocho, bulla and amicho) and other non-food applications of enset plant.

Findings

Enset plant has a predominant role in people living in the southern part of Ethiopia. This plant is drought-tolerant and provides many non-food applications. Harvesting of the enset plant, preparing for fermentation and food preparations follow the traditional route by using the indigenous knowledge and practices. Limited studies have been reported on the microbiology of the enset fermentation, but various types of microbes have been reported. In case of nutritional composition, foods from enset are reported to contain high carbohydrate and minerals content, such as calcium, potassium and zinc, but limited protein content; they are also the best source of the essential amino acids such as lysine and leucine. Limited data are available on vitamins, anti-oxidant and fatty acids profiles of enset-based foods. The existing data indicate variations, and the reasons for variability are discussed in this paper.

Originality/value

Scientific reviews on enset food nutrition profile and related issues are scarce; this paper will compile information about enset plant-based foods for researchers for their future research.
The influence of spatial sampling scales on ant–plant interaction network architecture
Authors: Dáttilo Wesley , Vizentin‐Bugoni Jeferson , Debastiani Vanderlei J. , Jordano Pedro , Izzo Thiago J.
Published: March 2019

Despite great interest in metrics to quantify the structure of ecological networks, the effects of sampling and scale remain poorly understood. In fact, one of the most challenging issues in ecology is how to define suitable scales (i.e., temporal or spatial) to accurately describe and understand ecological systems.

Here, we sampled a series of ant–plant interaction networks in the southern Brazilian Amazon rainforest in order to determine whether the spatial sampling scale, from local to regional, affects our understanding of the structure of these networks.

To this end, we recorded ant–plant interactions in adjacent 25 × 30 m subplots (local sampling scale) nested within twelve 250 × 30 m plots (regional sampling scale). Moreover, we combined adjacent or random subplots and plots in order to increase the spatial sampling scales at the local and regional levels. We then calculated commonly used binary and quantitative network‐level metrics for both sampling scales (i.e., number of species and interactions, nestedness, specialization and modularity), all of which encompass a wide array of structural patterns in interaction networks.

We observed increasing species and interactions across sampling scales, and while most network descriptors remained relatively constant at the local level, there was more variation at the regional scale. Among all metrics, specialization was most constant across different spatial sampling scales. Furthermore, we observed that adjacent assembly did not generate more variation in network descriptor values compared to random assembly. This finding indicates that the spatially aggregated distribution of species/individuals and abiotic conditions does not affect the organization of these interacting assemblages.

Our results have a direct impact on our empirical and theoretical understanding of the ecological dynamics of species interactions by demonstrating that small spatial sampling scales should suffice to record some patterns commonly found in ant–plant interaction networks in a highly diverse tropical rainforest.
Lignin catabolic pathways reveal unique characteristics of dye‐decolorizing peroxidases in Pseudomonas putida
Authors: Lin Lu , Wang Xiaopeng , Cao Lanfang , Xu Meiying
Published: March 2019

Lignin is one of the largest carbon reservoirs in the environment, playing an important role in the global carbon cycle. However, lignin degradation in bacteria, especially non‐model organisms, has not been well characterized either enzymatically or genetically. Here, a lignin‐degrading bacterial strain, Pseudomonas putida A514, was used as the research model. Genomic and proteomic analyses suggested that two B subfamily dye‐decolorizing peroxidases (DypBs) were prominent in lignin depolymerization, while the classic O2‐dependent ring cleavage strategy was utilized in central pathways to catabolize lignin‐derived aromatic compounds that were funnelled by peripheral pathways. These enzymes, together with a range of transporters, sequential and expression‐dose dependent regulation and stress response systems coordinated for lignin metabolism. Catalytic assays indicated these DypBs show unique Mn2+ independent lignin depolymerization activity, while Mn2+ oxidation activity is absent. Furthermore, a high synergy between DypB enzymes and A514 cells was observed to promote cell growth (5 × 1012 cfus/ml) and lignin degradation (27%). This suggested DypBs are competitive lignin biocatalysts and pinpointed limited extracellular secretion capacity as the rate‐limiting factor in bacterial lignin degradation. DypB production was, therefore, optimized in recombinant strains and a 14,141‐fold increase in DypB activity (56,565 U/l) was achieved, providing novel insights for lignin bioconversion.
Cardiac transvenous pacing in the retrieval setting: A retrospective case series
Authors: Remilton Lucinda E , Hesselfeldt Rasmus , Mazur Stefan M
Published: March 2019

Objectives

To report on the safety and efficacy of transvenous cardiac pacing wire insertion outside a tertiary hospital by a medical retrieval service.

Methods

SAAS MedSTAR Emergency Medical Retrieval Service transports symptomatic bradycardic patients in rural South Australia to Adelaide on transvenous pacing for ongoing management. This is a retrospective case review of all transvenous cardiac pacing wires inserted by SAAS MedSTAR between January 2015 and October 2017.

Results

This study demonstrated successful insertion of cardiac transvenous pacing wires and cardiac capture in 10 of 11 cases (91%) by pre‐hospital and retrieval doctors. There were no immediate or long‐term complications from insertion. All of the patients were successfully transferred by helicopter or fixed wing to their receiving facility, with nine of the 11 patients (82%) surviving to hospital discharge.

Conclusion

This paper demonstrates that transvenous cardiac pacing can be safely and successfully implemented for symptomatic patients by pre‐hospital and retrieval physicians in the aeromedical retrieval setting.
Biochemistry, genetics and biotechnology of glycerol utilization in Pseudomonas species
Authors: Poblete‐Castro Ignacio , Wittmann Christoph , Nikel Pablo I.
Published: March 2019

The use of renewable waste feedstocks is an environment‐friendly choice contributing to the reduction of waste treatment costs and increasing the economic value of industrial by‐products. Glycerol (1,2,3‐propanetriol), a simple polyol compound widely distributed in biological systems, constitutes a prime example of a relatively cheap and readily available substrate to be used in bioprocesses. Extensively exploited as an ingredient in the food and pharmaceutical industries, glycerol is also the main by‐product of biodiesel production, which has resulted in a progressive drop in substrate price over the years. Consequently, glycerol has become an attractive substrate in biotechnology, and several chemical commodities currently produced from petroleum have been shown to be obtained from this polyol using whole‐cell biocatalysts with both wild‐type and engineered bacterial strains. Pseudomonas species, endowed with a versatile and rich metabolism, have been adopted for the conversion of glycerol into value‐added products (ranging from simple molecules to structurally complex biopolymers, e.g. polyhydroxyalkanoates), and a number of metabolic engineering strategies have been deployed to increase the number of applications of glycerol as a cost‐effective substrate. The unique genetic and metabolic features of glycerol‐grown Pseudomonas are presented in this review, along with relevant examples of bioprocesses based on this substrate – and the synthetic biology and metabolic engineering strategies implemented in bacteria of this genus aimed at glycerol valorization.
Occurrence and diversity of the oxidative hydroxyhydroquinone pathway for the anaerobic degradation of aromatic compounds in nitrate‐reducing bacteria
Authors: Pacheco‐Sánchez Daniel , Rama‐Garda Ramón , Marín Patricia , Martirani‐Von Abercron Sophie‐Marie , Marqués Silvia
Published: March 2019

The nitrate‐reducing betaproteobacteria Azoarcus anaerobius and Thauera aromatica AR‐1 use an oxidative mechanism to anaerobically degrade resorcinol and 3,5‐dihydroxybenzoate (3,5‐DHB), respectively, rendering hydroxyhydroquinone as intermediate. The first pathway step is performed by a dimethylsulphoxide‐reductase family hydroxylase. The gene cluster coding for the pathway is homologous in these strains. Only these two Rhodocyclales are known to follow this anaerobic pathway, and nothing is known about its distribution in prokaryotes. To determine the relevance and diversity of this strategy in nature, we enriched for bacteria able to oxidize resorcinol or 3,5‐DHB under denitrifying conditions. Nitrate‐reducing bacteria able to degrade these compounds were present in soil, aquifer and marine sediments. We were able to isolate a number of strains with this capacity from soil and aquifer samples. Amplicon libraries of rehL, the gene encoding the first step of this pathway, showed an overall low diversity, most sequences clustering with either pathway enzyme. Isolates belonging to the Beta‐ and Gammaproteobacteria able to grow on these substrates revealed rehL homologues only in strains belonging to Thauera and Azoarcus. Analysis of sequenced genomes in the databases detected the presence of highly similar clusters in two additional betaproteobacteria and in the gammaproteobacterium Sedimenticola selenatireducens, although anaerobic growth on a dihydroxyaromatic could only be confirmed in Thauera chlorobenzoica 3CB‐1. The presence of mobile elements in the flanking sequences of some of the clusters suggested events of horizontal gene transfer, probably contributing to expand the pathway to a broader host range within the Proteobacteria.
Comprehensive analysis of circular RNA profiling in AZD9291‐resistant non‐small cell lung cancer cell lines
Authors: Chen Tianxiang , Luo Jizhuang , Gu Yu , Huang Jia , Luo Qingquan , Yang Yunhai
Published: March 2019

Background

Osimertinib (AZD9291), a third‐generation EGFR‐tyrosine kinase inhibitor, can effectively prolong survival in non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with EGFR mutations, particularly T790M mutations; however, acquired resistance to AZD9291 is inevitable, thus exploration of the targets of resistance is urgent.

Methods

Considering the important role of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in cancers, we established AZD9291‐resistant NSCLC cell lines (H1975/AZDR and HCC827/AZDR) and used microarray analysis to determine the circRNA expression profiles of the cells. The H1975/AZDR and HCC827/AZDR cell lines were induced by gradually increasing the drug concentration. CircRNA microarray expression profiles were obtained from H1975, HCC827, H1975/AZDR, and HCC827/AZDR cells and validated by quantitative reverse transcription PCR. Expression data were analyzed bioinformatically.

Results

The H1975/AZDR and HCC827/AZDR cell lines were successfully established. The half‐maximal inhibitory concentration and the invasion ability of H1975/AZDR and HCC827/AZDR cells were significantly enhanced. The proliferation rates of H1975/AZDR and HCC827/AZDR were much lower than H1975 and HCC827. Microarray analysis identified 15 504 circRNAs differentially expressed in H1975, HCC827, H1975/AZDR, and HCC827/AZDR cells. Among them, 7966 were upregulated and 7538 were downregulated more than two‐fold. We predicted the possible miRNAs of the top dysregulated circRNAs. Furthermore, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis showed that the most modulated circRNAs regulate several cancers and cancer‐related pathways.

Conclusion

Our results reveal that circRNAs may play a role in NSCLC AZD9291 resistance and might be a promising molecular target candidate for gene therapy.
Phase locking of event‐related oscillations is decreased in both young adult humans and rats with a history of adolescent alcohol exposure
Authors: Ehlers Cindy L. , Phillips Evie , Wills Derek , Benedict Jessica , Sanchez‐Alavez Manuel
Published: March 2019

Alcohol exposure typically begins in adolescence, and frequent binge drinking has been associated with health risk behaviors including alcohol use disorders (AUDs). Few studies have documented the effects of a history of adolescent binge drinking on neurophysiological consequences in young adulthood. Synchrony of phase (phase locking (PL)) of event‐related oscillations (EROs) within and between different brain areas reflects communication exchange between neural networks and is a sensitive measure of adolescent development in both rats and humans, and thus may be a good translational measure of the potential harmful effects of alcohol exposure during adolescence. In this study, EROs were collected from 1041 young adults of Mexican American and American Indian ancestry (age 18‐30 years) with and without a history of adolescent binge drinking (five drinks for boys and four for girls per occasion at least once per month) and in 74 young adult rats with and without a history of 5 weeks of adolescent alcohol vapor exposure. PL of theta and beta frequencies between frontal and parietal cortex were estimated using an auditory‐oddball paradigm in the rats and a visual facial expression paradigm in the humans. Significantly lower PL between frontal and parietal cortices in the theta frequencies was seen in both the humans and the rats with a history of adolescent alcohol exposure as compared with their controls. These findings suggest that alcohol exposure during adolescence may result in decreases in synchrony between cortical neuronal networks, suggesting a developmental delay, in young adult humans and in rats.
Decomposing social inequalities in alcohol consumption in Germany 1995–2015: an age–period–cohort analysis
Authors: Pabst Alexander , van der Auwera Sandra , Piontek Daniela , Baumeister Sebastian E. , Kraus Ludwig
Published: March 2019

Background and aims

Previous research indicates that compared with individuals with lower socio‐economic status (SES), individuals in higher SES groups are more often drinkers but those who drink report drinking smaller amounts more frequently. We aimed to decompose trends in self‐reported alcohol consumption in Germany into age, period and birth cohort effects and examine whether these effects varied by SES.

Design

Age–period–cohort (APC) analysis using data from eight waves of the cross‐sectional German Epidemiological Survey of Substance Abuse (ESA) collected between 1995 and 2015.

Setting

Germany.

Participants

The analytical sample included n = 65 821 individuals aged 18–64 years reporting alcohol use within the last 30 days.

Measurements

Alcohol measures included drinking prevalence, alcohol volume and prevalence of episodic heavy drinking (EHD). Educational attainment was used as an indicator of SES. A series of generalized linear and logistic regression models, including both main and interaction effects of age, period and cohort with SES, were estimated.

Findings

Regression models revealed significant interactions between APC effects and SES on two alcohol consumption measures. Higher SES was consistently associated with drinking prevalence across age (P < 0.001), period (P = 0.016) and cohort (P = 0.016), and with volume of drinking in younger cohorts (P = 0.002) and 50+‐year‐olds (P = 0.001). Model results were inconclusive as to whether or not APC effects on EHD prevalence differed by SES.

Conclusions

In Germany, there are positive associations between socio‐economic status and alcohol consumption during the life‐course, over time and among birth cohorts. Three groups appear vulnerable to risky drinking: high socio‐economic status young birth cohorts who drink high average quantities, low socio‐economic status young birth cohorts who show a risky drinking pattern and high socio‐economic status adults in their 50s and older who increase their drinking volume beyond that age.
The association between residential relocation and re‐incarceration among drug‐dependent former prisoners
Authors: Kirk David S.
Published: March 2019

Aims

To assess whether residential relocation to a different geographic area by drug‐dependent former prisoners reduced their likelihood of re‐incarceration.

Design

Non‐randomized observational study using Hurricane Katrina as a natural experiment to determine whether residential relocation induced by the hurricane affected the likelihood of re‐incarceration among drug‐dependent former prisoners. The study used data provided by the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections.

Setting

New Orleans metropolitan area, Louisiana, USA.

Cases

The pre‐Katrina cohort comprised individuals released from Louisiana prisons from September 2003 to February 2004 with a history of drug misuse, as determined by the Louisiana Risk/Needs Assessment (n = 796). The post‐Katrina cohort comprised prisoners released from a Louisiana prison immediately after the hurricane, from September 2005 to February 2006 (n = 677).

Measurements

Re‐incarceration, the dependent variable, was operationalized as a return to a Louisiana prison for a new criminal conviction or a parole violation within 1 year of prison release. Residential relocation was operationalized as a change in parish of residence from the location immediately prior to imprisonment to the location immediately upon release from prison.

Findings

Instrumental variables probit analysis revealed that the probability of re‐incarceration was 0.10 lower for individuals who relocated to a new parish upon their exit from prison relative to individuals who returned to their home parish, with a 95% confidence interval ranging from −0.192 to −0.011. An estimated 10% of parolees who moved were re‐incarcerated within 1 year of their release from prison versus 20% of the stayers.

Conclusions

Residential relocation of drug‐dependent former prisoners in Louisiana as a result of Hurricane Katrina was associated with reduced likelihood of re‐incarceration.
Dynamic estimation in the extended marginal Rasch model with an application to mathematical computer‐adaptive practice
Authors: Brinkhuis Matthieu J.S. , Maris Gunter
Published: March 2019

We introduce a general response model that allows for several simple restrictions, resulting in other models such as the extended Rasch model. For the extended Rasch model, a dynamic Bayesian estimation procedure is provided, which is able to deal with data sets that change over time, and possibly include many missing values. To ensure comparability over time, a data augmentation method is used, which provides an augmented person‐by‐item data matrix and reproduces the sufficient statistics of the complete data matrix. Hence, longitudinal comparisons can be easily made based on simple summaries, such as proportion correct, sum score, etc. As an illustration of the method, an example is provided using data from a computer‐adaptive practice mathematical environment.
CROSS‐COUNTRY EVIDENCE OF CORRUPTION SPILLOVERS TO FORMAL AND INFORMAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Authors: Berdiev Aziz N. , Saunoris James W.
Published: March 2019

Using cross‐country data this paper examines the spillovers of corruption to formal and informal entrepreneurship in neighboring countries. Whereas research has shown that entrepreneurs move underground to escape corruption, we argue that entrepreneurs may also seek refuge in neighboring countries. Indeed, the empirical results show that in response to a ceteris paribus increase in corruption in neighboring countries formal entrepreneurship increases in the home country with no effect on informal entrepreneurship. This is consistent with entrepreneurs circumventing corrupt public officials by immigrating to countries with presumably less corruption. These results withstand a battery of robustness checks. (JEL D73, L26)
Complex Communication Dynamics: Exploring the Structure of an Academic Talk
Authors: Alviar Camila , Dale Rick , Galati Alexia
Published: March 2019

Communication is a multimodal phenomenon. The cognitive mechanisms supporting it are still understudied. We explored a natural dataset of academic lectures to determine how communication modalities are used and coordinated during the presentation of complex information. Using automated and semi‐automated techniques, we extracted and analyzed, from the videos of 30 speakers, measures capturing the dynamics of their body movement, their slide change rate, and various aspects of their speech (speech rate, articulation rate, fundamental frequency, and intensity). There were consistent but statistically subtle patterns in the use of speech rate, articulation rate, intensity, and body motion across the presentation. Principal component analysis also revealed patterns of system‐like covariation among modalities. These findings, although tentative, do suggest that the cognitive system is integrating body, slides, and speech in a coordinated manner during natural language use. Further research is needed to clarify the specific coordination patterns that occur between the different modalities.
Exposure–Response Analysis of Overall Survival for Tremelimumab in Unresectable Malignant Mesothelioma: The Confounding Effect of Disease Status
Authors: Baverel Paul , Roskos Lorin , Tatipalli Manasa , Lee Nancy , Stockman Paul , Taboada Maria , Vicini Paolo , Horgan Kevin , Narwal Rajesh
Published: March 2019

Tremelimumab, an anti‐cytotoxic T‐lymphocyte antigen‐4 monoclonal antibody that enhances T‐cell activation, was evaluated in a randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, phase IIb study (NCT01843374) in patients with unresectable malignant mesothelioma. The study demonstrated no clinically meaningful differences in overall survival (OS). The objective of this analysis was to evaluate the relationship of exposure with OS. A population pharmacokinetic (PK) model adequately described the PK data. Three factors (sex, C‐reactive protein, and baseline tumor size) were identified as statistically significant PK predictors (P < 0.05 on clearance). A positive association between exposure and OS was observed. However, an association between key baseline factors with OS (regardless of treatment) and imbalances in prognostic factors favoring patients with higher exposure (upper vs. lower PK quartile) was seen. Taken together, these results suggest that the exposure OS relationship observed for tremelimumab in mesothelioma is likely spurious rather than a true association of exposure with efficacy.
Gene expression profiling of lichenoid dermatitis immune‐related adverse event from immune checkpoint inhibitors reveals increased CD14+ and CD16+ monocytes driving an innate immune response
Authors: Curry Jonathan L. , Reuben Alexandre , Szczepaniak‐Sloane Robert , Ning Jing , Milton Denái R. , Lee Chi H. , Hudgens Courtney , George Saira , Torres‐Cabala Carlos , Johnson Daniel , Subramanya Sandesh , Wargo Jennifer A. , Mudaliar Kumaran , Wistuba Ignacio I. , Prieto Victor G. , Diab Adi , Tetzlaff Michael T.
Published: March 2019

Background

Cancer patients receiving antibodies abrogating immune checkpoint pathways may develop a diverse array of immune‐related adverse events (irAEs), of which lichenoid dermatitis (LD) is the most common. The mechanism driving the emergence of these irAEs remain understudied, underscoring a critical need to determine the unique gene expression profiles and immune composition in LD—irAE.

Methods

LD—irAE (n = 3) and benign lichenoid keratosis (BLK) control (n = 3) were profiled with NanoString nCounter PanCancer Immune Profiling Panel interrogating the mRNA levels of 770 genes. Immunohistochemical (IHC) studies (n = 14 samples) for CD14, CD16, T‐Bet, Gata‐3, and FoxP3 were further evaluated using Aperio digital image analysis.

Results

The LD—irAE showed downregulation of 93 mRNA transcripts (P < 0.05) and upregulation of 74 mRNA transcripts (P < 0.04) including toll‐like receptor (TLR) 2 and TLR4 (P < 0.05). CD14+ and CD16+ monocytes quantified by IHC (H‐score) were higher in LD—irAE than in the BLK control (P < 0.05). The immune composition of LD—irAE exhibited higher numbers of T‐Bet+ (Th1) cells compared with Gata‐3+ (Th2) cells (P = 0.016) and lower numbers of FoxP3 (T regulatory) cells (P = 0.008).

Conclusions

LD—irAE exhibited activation of CD14/TLR innate immune response with increased CD14+ and CD16+ monocytes compared with BLK control. CD14/TLR signaling may drive the development of LD—irAE.
Topische Therapie bei Psoriasis vulgaris – ein Behandlungspfad
Authors: Körber Andreas , Wilsmann‐Theis Dagmar , Augustin Matthias , von Kiedrowski Ralph , Mrowietz Ulrich , Rosenbach Thomas , Meller Stephan , Pinter Andreas , Sticherling Michael , Gerdes Sascha ,   on behalf of the PsoNet Förderverein
Published: March 2019

Die topische Behandlung der Psoriasis und ihrer Sonderformen hat einen hohen Stellenwert im Praxisalltag. Sie ist Therapiestandard bei leichter Psoriasis und wird unterstützend auch bei mittelschwerer bis schwerer Psoriasis eingesetzt. Bei der Optimierung der Behandlung der Psoriasis spielt neben den geeigneten Wirkstoffen auch die Wahl der Galenik eine entscheidende Rolle. Die Weiterentwicklungen in diesem Bereich wurden in der 2017 publizierten Aktualisierung der S3‐Leitlinie nicht berücksichtigt. Der vorliegende Behandlungspfad wurde im Rahmen der PsoNet‐­Sprecherkonferenz erarbeitet und durch die nationale Versorgungskonferenz Psoriasis bestätigt. Er stellt eine Illustration der aktuellen Optionen dar. Die Fachinformationen der genannten Präparate sind dabei stets zu berücksichtigen.

Die Festlegung von Therapiezielen mit dem Patienten ist obligat und adhärenzsteigernd. Dabei sollten die persönlichen Präferenzen und Vorerfahrungen des Patienten berücksichtigt werden. Goldstandard in der Initialphase ist die Fixkombination aus Calcipotriol (Cal) 50 μg/g und Betamethason‐Dipropionat (Bet) 0,5 mg/g 1x täglich über vier bis acht Wochen. Als Darreichungsform ist der Schaum am effektivsten, wobei die individuelle Wahl der Grundlage auch nach Patientenpräferenz erfolgen sollte.

In der Erhaltungsphase hat sich die 1–2x wöchentliche (proaktive) Anwendung dieser Fixkombination bewährt. In zweiter Linie können auch Vitamin D3 Analoga (Calcipotriol, Tacalcitol) und topische Corticosteroide als Monotherapie zur Anwendung kommen. Eine begleitende wirkstofffreie topische Basistherapie sollte regelhaft empfohlen werden. Bei besonderen Therapiesituationen werden spezifische Empfehlungen gegeben. Reicht eine alleinige Lokaltherapie nicht aus, sollte eine Therapieeskalation analog der S3‐Leitlinie zur Therapie der Psoriasis erfolgen.
Platelet reactivity patterns in patients treated with dual antiplatelet therapy
Authors: Winter Max‐Paul , Schneeweiss Theresia , Cremer Rolf , Biesinger Benedikt , Hengstenberg Christian , Prüller Florian , Wallner Markus , Kolesnik Ewald , von Lewinski Dirk , Lang Irene M. , Siller‐Matula Jolanta M.
Published: March 2019

Aim

The aim of the present study was to investigate the patterns of platelet reactivity and discriminators of therapeutic response to dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with aspirin and ticagrelor or prasugrel in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

Design

In this multicentre prospective observational study, 492 patients with ACS were enrolled. Platelet aggregation was determined by multiple electrode aggregometry after stimulation with adenosine diphosphate (ADP) or arachidonic acid (AA) as agonists in the maintenance phase of treatment with prasugrel or ticagrelor.

Results

Age emerged as the strongest variable influencing aspirin response status: The mean AA‐induced platelet aggregation in patients <49 years of age was 49% higher than in those >49 years (13.1 U vs 8.8 U; P = 0.011). The second strongest discriminator of aspirin response was sex: Male patients had a 40% higher AA‐induced platelet aggregation values than female patients (9.5 U vs 6.8 U; P = 0.026). Platelet count emerged as the only variable influencing ADP antagonists response status showing that patients with platelet count >320 g/L displayed higher ADP‐induced platelet aggregation. About 12% of patients had high on‐treatment platelet reactivity (HTPR) to aspirin, 3% and 4% a HTPR to prasugrel and ticagrelor, respectively, and only 2% displayed HTPR to dual antiplatelet therapy.

Conclusion

When potent platelet inhibitors as prasugrel and ticagrelor are administered with aspirin, HTPR to DAPT plays only a marginal role.
Urogenital symptoms in mitochondrial disease: overlooked and undertreated
Authors: Poole O. V. , Uchiyama T. , Skorupinska I. , Skorupinska M. , Germain L. , Kozyra D. , Holmes S. , James N. , Bugiardini E. , Woodward C. , Quinlivan R. , Emmanuel A. , Hanna M. G. , Panicker J. N. , Pitceathly R. D. S.
Published: March 2019

Background and purpose

Bowel symptoms are well documented in mitochondrial disease. However, data concerning other pelvic organs is limited. A large case–control study has therefore been undertaken to determine the presence of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and sexual dysfunction in adults with genetically confirmed mitochondrial disease.

Methods

Adults with genetically confirmed mitochondrial disease and control subjects were recruited from a specialist mitochondrial clinic. The presence and severity of LUTS and their impact on quality of life, in addition to sexual dysfunction and bowel symptoms, were captured using four validated questionnaires. Subgroup analysis was undertaken in patients harbouring the m.3243A>G MT‐TL1 mitochondrial DNA mutation. A subset of patients underwent urodynamic studies to further characterize their LUTS.

Results

Data from 58 patients and 19 controls (gender and age matched) were collected. Adults with mitochondrial disease had significantly more overactive bladder (81.5% vs. 56.3%, P = 0.039) and low stream (34.5% vs. 5.3%, P = 0.013) urinary symptoms than controls. Urodynamic studies in 10 patients confirmed that bladder storage symptoms predominate. Despite high rates of LUTS, none of the patient group was receiving treatment. Female patients and those harbouring the m.3243A>G MT‐TL1 mutation experienced significantly more sexual dysfunction than controls (53.1% vs. 11.1%, P = 0.026, and 66.7% vs. 26.3%, P = 0.011, respectively).

Conclusions

Lower urinary tract symptoms are common but undertreated in adult mitochondrial disease, and female patients and those harbouring the m.3243A>G MT‐TL1 mutation experience sexual dysfunction. Given their impact on quality of life, screening for and treating LUTS and sexual dysfunction in adults with mitochondrial disease are strongly recommended.
Conduction block in immune‐mediated neuropathy: paranodopathy versus axonopathy
Authors: Garg N. , Park S. B. , Howells J. , Vucic S. , Yiannikas C. , Mathey E. K. , Nguyen T. , Noto Y. , Barnett M. H. , Krishnan A. V. , Spies J. , Bostock H. , Pollard J. D. , Kiernan M. C.
Published: March 2019

Background and purpose

Conduction block is a pathognomonic feature of immune‐mediated neuropathies. The aim of this study was to advance understanding of pathophysiology and conduction block in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) and multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN).

Methods

A multimodal approach was used, incorporating clinical phenotyping, neurophysiology, immunohistochemistry and structural assessments.

Results

Of 49 CIDP and 14 MMN patients, 25% and 79% had median nerve forearm block, respectively. Clinical scores were similar in CIDP patients with and without block. CIDP patients with median nerve block demonstrated markedly elevated thresholds and greater threshold changes in threshold electrotonus, whilst those without did not differ from healthy controls in electrotonus parameters. In contrast, MMN patients exhibited marked increases in superexcitability. Nerve size was similar in both CIDP groups at the site of axonal excitability. However, CIDP patients with block demonstrated more frequent paranodal serum binding to teased rat nerve fibres. In keeping with these findings, mathematical modelling of nerve excitability recordings in CIDP patients with block support the role of paranodal dysfunction and enhanced leakage of current between the node and internode. In contrast, changes in MMN probably resulted from a reduction in ion channel density along axons.

Conclusions

The underlying pathologies in CIDP and MMN are distinct. Conduction block in CIDP is associated with paranodal dysfunction which may be antibody‐mediated in a subset of patients. In contrast, MMN is characterized by channel dysfunction downstream from the site of block.