bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The role of manager influence strategies and innovation attributes in innovation implementation
Authors: Chiu Holly , Fogel Joshua
Published: February 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of manager influence strategies and innovation attributes on employee attitudes and behaviors in innovation implementation.

Design/methodology/approach

Employees (n=237) in a manufacturing company in Taiwan which implemented an e-learning system participated in an online survey. System logs were used as behavioral outcome variables.

Findings

Persuasive strategy and relative advantage had a significant positive association with attitudes while relationship-based strategy and complexity had a significant negative association with attitudes. Assertive strategy and relative advantage had a significant positive association with use of the e-learning system, while persuasive strategy, relationship-based strategy, and complexity had a significant negative association with use of the e-learning system. Both relative advantage and complexity mediated the relationship between persuasive strategy and employee attitudes and behaviors. Complexity mediated the relationship between relationship-based strategy and employee attitudes and behaviors.

Practical implications

Managers should use persuasive strategy to inform employees regarding the benefits of the innovation and provide any assistance needed. Managers should be advised to not use relationship-based strategy as it can have an adverse employee impact.

Originality/value

The mediation model uses the diffusion of innovations model and the influence tactics literature to help explain the benefits of certain managerial practices.
Towards a design theory of computer-supported organizational participation
Authors: Wagenknecht Thomas , Filpe René , Weinhardt Christof
Published: February 2017

Purpose

Employees demand high responsibility and empowerment, while keeping their work communal and flexible. Initiatives that foster organizational participation (OP) can contribute to the fulfillment of such work conditions. Research in sociology and psychology demonstrated positive effects on job satisfaction as well as on productivity. However, adoption of social software is widely spread in firms, research on the determinants of computer-supported OP is scarce. The purpose of this paper is to describe the elements to consider when designing OP processes that aim to be beneficial for both the employer as well as the employees.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted 20 guided expert interviews to propose a nascent design theory, following a socio-technical approach that promotes democratic and humanistic principles.

Findings

Building on the expert interview, the process model includes a topic horizon and a collaboration phase, which creates proposals that have to be decided in order to produce results. The authors show how employee competence and leadership commitment are as important as the workload and support as well as an option for anonymous communication. The authors propose a set of features and explain principles of implementation.

Research limitations/implications

Despite the authors’ best efforts to diversify the authors’ set of experts, the findings have a limited generalizability as the authors only interviewed a few selected German experts that were either members of the board, HR or IT managers, often concerned with organizing rather than only participating in computer-supported organizational participation (CSOP) processes. Besides testing the model in practise, future research should also consider surveying a broader (and more international) set of employers and employees.

Practical implications

The authors propose a step-by-step procedure to introduce CSOP. Despite identifying many pitfalls, the research demonstrates that CSOP promises a wide variety of benefits to both employers as well as the employees of an organization, including increased satisfaction as well as productivity.

Originality/value

This is one of the first studies to propose a nascent design theory for CSOP. The authors derive a number of requirements to consider when implementing an information management system that seeks to improve both the efficiency and equality of employers and employees and lead to a win-win situation for both. The authors describe valid constructs for firms with spatially and timely dispersed teams and more than 50 employees. The research is based on 20 expert interviews, conducted with senior managers of medium and large German enterprises.
Dynamic service capabilities enabling agile services
Authors: Raman Aparna , Bharadwaj Sangeeta Shah
Published: February 2017

Purpose

The purpose of t1his paper is to develop an instrument to measure agile services based on dynamic capabilities theory. The paper investigates the service agility through two building blocks service sensing and seizing agility and service responding agility.

Design/methodology/approach

The items were generated using existing scales, content analysis and using in-depth interview. The scale was validated using data from Indian services industry.

Findings

A pool of 32 items for dynamic service capabilities enabling agile services and 12 items for agile services were proposed. Empirical validation shows that the scale exhibits high levels of reliability.

Research limitations/implications

The new concept of agile services has been introduced, which is of recent interest to both practitioners and academicians alike. The limitations of the study include a low respondent rate.

Practical implications

Organizations need measure the degree of agile services and different capabilities this can facilitate agile services. This scale can act as a foundation for organizations to evaluate their capabilities. This scale will act as a tool for top managers to assess their capabilities and suitably improve the capabilities of their services.

Originality/value

The capabilities enabling agile services are based on the dynamic capabilities framework and a new construct (agile services) is being proposed. This scale will be a theoretical contribution to this literature.
Impact of ICT-based innovations on organizational performance
Authors: Yunis Manal , El-Kassar Abdul-Nasser , Tarhini Abbas
Published: February 2017

Purpose

Research has shown that information and communication technologies (ICT) are crucial for economic growth. The purpose of this paper is to develop a framework that would depict and examine the nature of the relationship between ICT use and organizational performance in the Lebanese market, taking into consideration the impact that innovation and corporate entrepreneurship may have on this relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

To investigate the proposed model a survey targeting employees, and managers who adopted ICT applications in SMEs located in Lebanon was conducted.

Findings

The results indicate that ICT and innovation are strategic resources. However, their contribution to sustainable competitive advantage vitally depends on the implicitness and entrepreneurial behaviors of those involved. It is through this capability that ICT and ICT-based innovations could make a difference in organization’s performance – both present and future.

Research limitations/implications

First, the respondents were selected using the convenience sampling technique. Second, the data were collected through self-report questionnaires. Finally, the use of perceptual data related to performance may have a bias effect on the study results.

Practical/implications

At the practical level, the study results have repercussions for managers, technology suppliers, and innovation adopters and managers, as this may contribute to better understanding of the factors that could influence the adoption, management, and use of ICT resources for enhancing the competitiveness level of the firm.

Originality/value

The results of this study have implications for ICT adoption in Lebanese SMEs. More importantly, they suggest a framework which depicts the relationship between ICT and the organization’s innovation level on one hand, and a company’s performance on the other, taking entrepreneurship as a mediator in this relationship.
Intellectual capital and environmental concern in subsistence small businesses
Authors: Jardon Carlos Maria , Dasilva Amandio
Published: February 2017

Purpose

Small businesses created as a subsistence activity (subsistence small businesses (SSBs)), often are oriented towards the short term. The environmental performance, by contrast, is an indicator of long-term strategies. The purpsoe of this paper is to analyse how intellectual capital (IC) dimensions affect environmental concern, preparing SSBs to have a proper environmental behaviour in the future.

Design/methodology/approach

A method based on the partial least square technique is suggested to select the model and estimate the parameters. A sample of 113 small businesses in the timber industry in a region of Argentina was selected for this study.

Findings

The results indicate that IC promotes environmental concern. Relational capital directly affects environmental concern, human capital and structural capital and these, in turn, indirectly affect the environmental concern through relational capital in SSBs.

Research limitations/implications

The sample used is a cross-section. IC is subjectively measured. This paper only studies small businesses in the timber sector in a region of Latin America.

Practical implications

This paper enables practitioners and scholars to understand and make legitimate decisions and conclusions that can foster SSB growth in environmental concern. The paper suggests a combination of strategies in order to achieve a sustained development.

Originality/value

The authors tested the impact of dimensions of IC on environmental concern in SSB of developing countries, showing the importance of IC in sustained strategies in these companies.
The sediment of the Hostivar Reservoir (Prague, Czech Republic) as a memory of 45 years of pollution
Authors: Soucková Lucie , Kominkova Dana
Published: February 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the historical pollution of the Hostivar Reservoir (largest reservoir in Prague) sediment by metals, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and identify the trends in pollution of aquatic environment.

Design/methodology/approach

Core samples, 140 cm long, recording the 45-year history of the reservoir, were separated to 5 cm width subsamples (approximately 1.5 years of sedimentation) and analyzed for metals (Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn, Cr, Ni, Al), PAH and PCB. Following methods were used: US EPA 3051 for metals, US EPA 505 and US EPA 8082 A for PCB, and ISO 18287:2006 for PAH.

Findings

Most of the contaminants had the highest concentration at the beginning of the existence of the reservoir, suggesting that the contamination results from construction activities. Significant decrease of Pb occurred in the second half of the 1990s. It was caused by termination of the addition of lead as a detonation suppressant to the gasoline. Most concentrations of PAHs, PCBs and metals, except copper do not present eco-toxicological risk.

Practical implications

The results show the volume of priority pollutants removed from the reservoir by sediment extraction, and point risk to the terrestrial environment due to application of the sediment in the construction of a noise protecting wall.

Originality/value

The paper presents unique data about historical contamination of the largest reservoir in Prague, the capital of Czech Republic. It shows how the watershed and the construction phase of the dam cause a pollution of the reservoir sediment and possible environmental risk for aquatic biota.
The applications, advantages and challenges in the implementation of HRIS in Pakistani perspective
Authors: Khan Habibullah , Hussainy Syed Karamatullah , Khan Kamran , Khan Abdullah
Published: February 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to find the applications, advantages and challenges of human resource information system (HRIS) from different sectors of Pakistan. It also finds the demographic perspective of HRIS.

Design/methodology/approach

Questionnaire was adopted from previous studies. Responses were gathered through social websites and physically. The questionnaire was sent to 491 respondents from which only 99 responded. Reliability, t-testing and chi-square were used for the analysis.

Findings

Result shows that HRIS is widely used in Pakistani organizations for the purpose of accessing employees’ information, absence monitoring and performance appraisal to get quick responses to information, reduction of error and paperwork. It helps standardizing the program and manpower requirement, but lack of commitment by the lower management is the most significant barrier for its implementation because of fear of change by them. It is also found that there is no association between gender and adoption of HRIS but different employment position perceives differently the adoption of HRIS.

Research limitations/implications

The research is limited to the Pakistani organizations. The research paper is useful for the Pakistani human resources professionals, as it gives the local perspective of HRIS.

Originality/value

The previous results are from the developed countries and there is merely any reliable paper found on the several aspects of HRIS in Pakistani context. The research has also focused on the demographic variables that are employment position and gender with respect to their perception on the adoption of HRIS.
Strategic management model with lens of knowledge management and competitive intelligence
Authors: Shujahat Muhammad , Hussain Saddam , Javed Sammar , Malik Muhammad Imran , Thurasamy Ramayah , Ali Junaid
Published: February 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this study is primarily to discuss the synergic and separate use of knowledge and intelligence, via knowledge management and competitive intelligence, in each stage of strategic management process. Next, this paper aims to discuss the implications of each stage of strategic management process for knowledge management and competitive intelligence and vice versa.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic literature review was performed within time frame of 2000-2016. Extracted information from reviewed studies was synthesized and integrated in strategic management model of Fred David.

Findings

A strategic management model with lens of knowledge management and competitive intelligence is proposed. Each stage of knowledge management process has implications for knowledge management and competitive intelligence and vice versa. In addition, synergic and separate use of knowledge and intelligence results in effective decision-making, leading to competitive advantage.

Research limitations/implications

Learning curve of knowledge management and competitive intelligence and being limited to the use of Fred David model are among the many key limitations.

Practical implications

Experts of knowledge management, competitive intelligence and strategic management can use this study to gain competitive advantage based on knowledge and information resources. Organizations should have knowledge management function and competitive intelligence to support the strategy formulation, implementation and evaluation.

Social implications

Readers can take a view for how they can manage their knowledge and information resources from a strategic perspective.

Originality/value

This study proposes a strategic management model with lens of knowledge management and competitive intelligence. The model discusses ways for synergic and separate use of knowledge and intelligence in each stage of strategic management, leading to competitive advantage. In addition, it discusses the holistic and integrated implications of knowledge management and competitive intelligence for each stage of strategic management process and vice versa.
Exploring the challenges, trends and issues for knowledge sharing
Authors: Muqadas Farwa , Rehman Muqqadas , Aslam Usman , Ur-Rahman Ubaid-
Published: February 2017

Purpose

This study aims to explore the challenges to knowledge sharing (KS) in the context of public sector universities in developing countries. Furthermore, it explores why knowledge hoarding behaviour is flourishing even when employees are encouraged to share their knowledge in organisations and are rewarded for doing so.

Design/methodology/approach

Research data were collected from vice chancellor, registrar, professors, assistant professors and lecturers using an interview technique. They shared their knowledge, expertise, experiences and understanding about issues relating to KS practices in public universities. These interviews were thematically analysed using the NVivo 11-Plus software and different themes emerged.

Findings

The results reveal that hoard knowledge to gain power, authority, influence, promotion opportunities and employee favouritism negatively influence KS practices. Furthermore, an unsupportive culture and a poor linkage between KS and rewards negatively influence KS practices in public sector universities.

Research limitations/implications

The present study aids academic leadership in designing policies and strategies to enhance KS among faculty staff and to create a supportive KS culture. These results are useful for top management officials of public sector universities, especially in developing countries, and for policy makers, who can plan and execute effective policies to foster KS behaviour.

Originality/value

The originality can be viewed as a new window open towards the motivation of the university staff to hoard their knowledge instead of sharing it. This study gives the novel conceptual model based on why people do not share their knowledge and how KS practices can be fostered among the employees in public sector universities. Few studies have been conducted to explore KS issues in the real context of developing countries, and specifically in the Asian culture.
How does water near clay mineral surfaces influence the rock physics of shales?
Authors: Holt Rune M. , Kolstø Morten I.
Published: February 2017

Clays and clay‐bearing rocks like shale are extremely water sensitive. This is partly due to the interaction between water and mineral surfaces, strengthened by the presence of nanometer‐size pores and related large specific surface areas. Molecular‐scale numerical simulations, using a discrete‐element model, show that shear rigidity can be associated with structurally ordered (bound or adsorbed) water near charged surfaces. Building on these and other molecular dynamics simulations plus nanoscale experiments from the literature, the water monolayer adjacent to hydrophilic solid surfaces appears to be characterised by shear stiffness and/or enhanced viscosity. In both cases, elastic wave propagation will be affected by the bound or adsorbed water. Using a simple rock physics model, bound water properties were adjusted to match laboratory measured P‐ and S‐wave velocities on pure water‐saturated kaolinite and smectite. To fit the measured stress sensitivity, particularly for kaolinite, the contribution from solid‐grain contact stiffness needs to be added. The model predicts, particularly for S‐waves, that viscoelastic bound water could be a source of dispersion in clay and clay‐rich rocks. The bound‐water‐based rock physics model is found to represent a lower bound to laboratory‐measured velocities obtained with shales of different mineralogy and porosity levels.
Controlling Mobility and Regulation in Urban Space: Muslim Pilgrims to Mecca in Colonial Bombay, 1880–1914
Authors: Lombardo Nick
Published: February 2017

The meanings and practices of space shape how cities are understood and governed. This article argues that space is central to understandings of mobility and practices of regulation in the city. Undertaking an analysis of the regulation of Muslim pilgrims (Hajis) in colonial Bombay (Mumbai) from 1880 to 1914, this article explores urban governance discourses around race, religion and public health at a variety of scales. It investigates the way that Hajis were problematized through these discourses, and targeted as threats to elite power and prosperity in the specific context of Bombay as a global shipping and economic hub. I conclude that elite conceptions of the city shape the governance of problematized bodies in ways which reinforce the meanings and politics of mobility and space. Elite understandings of movement and the city itself shape the practices and targets of urban regulation and control.
Biological control of Ziziphus mauritiana (Rhamnaceae): feasibility, prospective agents and research gaps
Authors: Dhileepan K.
Published: February 2017

The tropical fruit tree, Ziziphus mauritiana (Rhamnaceae), a native of the Indian subcontinent, is a pasture and environmental weed in northern Australia and Fiji. In their native range, Ziziphus spp., including commercially cultivated Z. mauritiana and Z. jujuba, are subjected to a wide range of pests and diseases. The feasibility of classical biological control of this weed has not been explored to date. Effective biological control could reduce plant vigour and seed output, thereby limiting the spread of Z. mauritiana in Australia. Two Ziziphus species are native to Australia, hence, any prospective biological control agent should be specific to Z. mauritiana. Opportunistic field surveys and literature searches identified 133 species of phytophagous insects, 9 species of phytophagous mites and 12 plant pathogens on Ziziphus spp. Host records suggest the following are possibly specific to Z. mauritiana and hence are prospective biological control agents in Australia: the seed‐feeding weevil Aubeus himalayanus; the leaf‐feeding gracillariid moth Phyllonorycter iochrysis; the leaf‐mining chrysomelid beetle Platypria erinaceus; the leaf‐folding crambid moth Synclera univocalis; the leaf‐galling midge Phyllodiplosis jujubae; and the gall‐mites Aceria cernuus and Larvacarus transitans. Host range of the rust Phakopsora zizyphi‐vulgaris includes many Ziziphus species, including the native Z. oenoplia and hence would not be a suitable biological control agent in Australia. The powdery mildew Pseudoidium ziziphi, with a host range restricted to Ziziphus species, has not been reported on Z. oenoplia. All available information on the pests and diseases of Z. mauritiana are from cultivated varieties. Hence, future surveys should focus on wild Z. mauritiana in the Indian subcontinent in areas that are climatically similar to the regions of northern Australia, where it is currently most abundant.
Polygenic risk scores for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder associate with addiction
Authors: Reginsson Gunnar W. , Ingason Andres , Euesden Jack , Bjornsdottir Gyda , Olafsson Sigurgeir , Sigurdsson Engilbert , Oskarsson Hogni , Tyrfingsson Thorarinn , Runarsdottir Valgerdur , Hansdottir Ingunn , Steinberg Stacy , Stefansson Hreinn , Gudbjartsson Daniel F. , Thorgeirsson Thorgeir E. , Stefansson Kari
Published: February 2017

We use polygenic risk scores (PRSs) for schizophrenia (SCZ) and bipolar disorder (BPD) to predict smoking, and addiction to nicotine, alcohol or drugs in individuals not diagnosed with psychotic disorders. Using PRSs for 144 609 subjects, including 10 036 individuals admitted for in‐patient addiction treatment and 35 754 smokers, we find that diagnoses of various substance use disorders and smoking associate strongly with PRSs for SCZ (P = 5.3 × 10−50–1.4 × 10−6) and BPD (P = 1.7 × 10−9–1.9 × 10−3), showing shared genetic etiology between psychosis and addiction. Using standardized scores for SCZ and BPD scaled to a unit increase doubling the risk of the corresponding disorder, the odds ratios for alcohol and substance use disorders range from 1.19 to 1.31 for the SCZ‐PRS, and from 1.07 to 1.29 for the BPD‐PRS. Furthermore, we show that as regular smoking becomes more stigmatized and less prevalent, these biological risk factors gain importance as determinants of the behavior.
Sarcophaga maxima sp. nov. (Diptera: Sarcophagidae: Sarcophaginae), a new Australian flesh fly recognised by morphology and DNA barcoding
Authors: Meiklejohn Kelly A , Wallman James F , Pape Thomas
Published: February 2017

A new species, Sarcophaga (Sarcorohdendorfia) maxima sp. nov., supported by both morphological and DNA barcoding data, is described from Queensland and New South Wales, Australia. The major morphological features of the new species are listed, and the male terminalia are documented with both photography and scanning electron microscopy. Sarcophaga alcicornis Hardy, 1932 is transferred from subgenus Lioproctia Enderlein to Sarcorohdendorfia Baranov.
Structure of population, grouping patterns and density of forest elephants in north‐west Congo
Authors: Querouil Sophie , Magliocca Florence , Gautier-Hion Annie
Published: February 2017

The structure of the population of forest elephants visiting a clearing in north‐west Congo was studied over 8 months. Out of 3314 sightings, 629 elephants were identified (including 64%, of adults). The sex ratio was about 1:1. The number of offspring per female was 1.12. Solitary elephants (91.4%, of males) made up 35% of the population. Of females, 93.6% were grouped. Groups (mean size 3.5) included females and offspring (3.4), males and females (5.0), or males only (2.3). The return rate of elephants at the clearing suggested that up to 1900 individuals have visited the clearing. This confirms that elephant densities are especially high in north Congo.
Allergenome characterization of the mosquito Aedes aegypti
Authors: Cantillo J. F. , Puerta L. , Puchalska P. , Lafosse‐Marin S. , Subiza J. L. , Fernández‐Caldas E.
Published: February 2017

Background

Saliva and muscle‐derived mosquito allergens have been purified and characterized. However, the complete set of allergens remains to be elucidated. In this study, we identified and characterized IgE‐binding proteins from the mosquito species Aedes aegypti.

Methods

Serum was obtained from 15 allergic individuals with asthma and/or rhinitis and sensitized to mosquito. IgE binding was determined by ELISA. Total proteins from freeze‐dried bodies of A. aegypti were extracted and IgE‐reactive proteins were identified by 2D gel electrophoresis, followed by Western blot with pooled or individual sera. IgE‐reactive spots were further characterized by mass spectrometry.

Results

Twenty‐five IgE‐reactive spots were identified, corresponding to 10 different proteins, some of which appeared as different variants or isoforms. Heat‐shock cognate 70 (HSC‐70) and tropomyosin showed IgE reactivity with 60% of the sera, lysosomal aspartic protease, and “AAEL006070‐PA” (Uniprot: Q177P3) with 40% and the other proteins with <33.3% of the sera. Different variants or isoforms of tropomyosin, arginine or creatine kinase, glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH), calcium‐binding protein, and phosphoglycerate mutase were also identified. The mixture of three allergens (Aed a 6, Aed a 8, and Aed a 10) seems to identify more than 80% of A. aegypti‐sensitized individuals, indicating that these allergens should be considered when designing of improved mosquito allergy diagnostic tools.

Conclusions

The newly identified allergens may play a role in the pathophysiology of mosquito allergy in the tropics, and some of them might be important arthropod‐related proteins involved in cross‐reactivity between A. aegypti and other allergenic arthropods.
Activin and follistatin interactions in the male reproductive tract: activin expression and morphological abnormalities in mice lacking follistatin 288
Authors: Wijayarathna R. , Sarraj M. A. , Genovese R. , Girling J. E. , Michel V. , Ludlow H. , Loveland K. L. , Meinhardt A. , de Kretser D. M. , Hedger M. P.
Published: February 2017

Activin A is an important regulator of testicular and epididymal development and function, as well as inflammation and immunity. In the adult murine reproductive tract, activin A mRNA (Inhba) expression levels are highest in the caput epididymis and decrease progressively towards the distal vas deferens. The activin‐binding protein, follistatin (FST), shows the opposite expression pattern, with exceptionally high levels of the Fst288 mRNA variant in the vas deferens. This unique pattern of expression suggests that activin A and follistatin, in particular FST288, play region‐specific roles in regulating the epididymis and vas deferens. The cellular distribution of activin and follistatin and structural organization of the male reproductive tract was examined in wild‐type and transgenic (TghFST315) mice lacking FST288. Compared to wild‐type littermates, TghFST315 mice showed a 50% reduction in serum follistatin and a significant elevation of both activin A and B. Testicular, epididymal and seminal vesicle weights were reduced, but intra‐testicular testosterone was normal. A decrease in the epididymal duct diameter in the corpus and thickening of the peritubular smooth muscle in the cauda, together with increased coiling of the proximal vas deferens, were observed in TghFST315 mice. No immune cell infiltrates were detected. Immunohistochemistry indicated that epithelial cells are the main source of activins and follistatin in the epididymis and vas deferens. Activin A, but not activin B, was also localized to sperm heads in the lumen of the epididymis and vas deferens. Expression of Inhba and another immunoregulatory gene, indoleamine‐2,3‐dioxygenase (Ido‐1), was increased approximately twofold in the TghFST315 caput epididymis, but several other genes associated with immunoregulation, inflammation or fibrosis were unaffected. Our novel data indicate that disruption of follistatin expression has significant effects on the testis and epididymis, and suggest an association between activin A and indoleamine‐2,3‐dioxygenase in the caput epididymis, with implications for the epididymal immunoenvironment.
CHARMed PyMca, Part I: A Protocol for Improved Inter‐laboratory Reproducibility in the Quantitative ED‐XRF Analysis of Copper Alloys
Authors: Heginbotham A. , Solé V. A.
Published: February 2017

This paper describes a protocol for quantification of heritage copper alloys by energy‐dispersive X‐ray fluorescence spectroscopy (ED‐XRF). The protocol, nicknamed CHARMed PyMca, is designed for users who wish to maximize inter‐laboratory reproducibility of quantitative ED‐XRF results for the wide range of copper alloys found in heritage materials. By maximizing reproducibility, this protocol should facilitate collaboration and allow the rigorous use of shared data and databases. The protocol uses free, open‐source, fundamental parameters software called PyMca. PyMca allows for a consistent and transparent application of the fundamental parameters approach independent of the ED‐XRF instrumentation used. The proposed protocol calls for calibration of standardless PyMca results against a set of certified reference materials designed specifically for use with heritage copper alloys, the so‐called copper CHARM set. Finally, this protocol calls for the calibration‐to‐standards to be carried out following a consistent strategy, including error modelling and the incorporation of a validation procedure. A reproducibility study was conducted using CHARMed PyMca and eight different ED‐XRF instruments of six different types. In comparison to a 2010 study conducted according to the same method, CHARMed PyMca showed a dramatic improvement in reproducibility and method sensitivity.
PVT1‐derived miR‐1207‐5p promotes breast cancer cell growth by targeting STAT6
Authors: Yan Chen , Chen Yaqing , Kong Weiwei , Fu Liya , Liu Yunde , Yao Qingjuan , Yuan Yuhua
Published: February 2017

Accumulating evidence indicates that ectopic expression of non‐coding RNAs are responsible for breast cancer progression. Increased non‐coding RNA PVT1, the host gene of microRNA‐1207‐5p (miR‐1207‐5p), has been associated with breast cancer proliferation. However, how PVT1 functions in breast cancer is still not clear. In this study, we show a PVT1‐derived microRNA, miR‐1207‐5p, that promotes the proliferation of breast cancer cells by directly regulating STAT6. We first confirm the positive correlated expression pattern between PVT1 and miR‐1207‐5p by observing consistent induced expression by estrogen, and overexpression in breast cancer cell lines and breast cancer patient specimens. Moreover, silence of PVT1 also decreased miR‐1207‐5p expression. Furthermore, increased miR‐1207‐5p expression promoted, while decreased miR‐1207‐5p expression suppressed, cell proliferation, colony formation, and cell cycle progression in breast cancer cell lines. Mechanistically, a novel target of miR‐1207‐5p, STAT6, was identified by a luciferase reporter assay. Overexpression of miR‐1207‐5p decreased the levels of STAT6, which activated CDKN1A and CDKN1B to regulate the cell cycle. We also confirmed the reverse correlation of miR‐1207‐5p and STAT6 expression levels in breast cancer samples. Therefore, our findings reveal that PVT1‐derived miR‐1207‐5p promotes the proliferation of breast cancer cells by targeting STAT6, which in turn controls CDKN1A and CDKN1B expression. These findings suggest miR‐1207‐5p might be a potential target for breast cancer therapy.
Shared effects of the clusterin gene on the default mode network among individuals at risk for Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Ye Qing , Su Fan , Shu Hao , Gong Liang , Xie Chun‐Ming , Zhou Hong , Zhang Zhi‐Jun , Bai Feng
Published: February 2017

Aims

To explore the common effects of the clusterin (CLU) rs11136000 variant on the default mode network (DMN) in amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) subjects and remitted geriatric depression (RGD) subjects.

Methods

Fifty‐one aMCI subjects, 38 RGD subjects, and 64 cognitively normal elderly subjects underwent resting‐state fMRI scans and neuropsychological tests at both baseline and a 35‐month follow‐up. Posterior cingulate cortex seed‐based functional connectivity (FC) analysis was used to obtain the DMN patterns.

Results

A CLU gene×disease×time interaction for aMCI subjects was mainly detected in the core cortical midline structures of the DMN, and the interaction for RGD subjects was mainly detected in the limbic system. However, they overlapped in two frontal regions, where consistent effects of the CLU gene on FC alterations were found between aMCI and RGD groups. Furthermore, the alterations of FC with frontal, parietal, and limbic regions compensated for episodic memory impairments in CLU‐CT/TT carriers, while no such compensation was found in CLU‐CC carriers.

Conclusion

The CLU gene could consistently affect the DMN FC with frontal regions among individuals at risk for Alzheimer's disease, and the CLU‐T allele was associated with more compensatory neural processes in DMN changes.
Inflammation following invasive procedures for Warthin's tumour: A retrospective case series
Authors: Alkan U. , Shkedy Y. , Mizrachi A. , Shpitzer T. , Popovtzer A. , Bachar G.
Published: February 2017

Objective

To determine the risk of inflammation associated with fine‐needle aspiration during evaluation of Warthin's tumour.

Design

Retrospective case series.

Setting

Tertiary medical centre.

Participants

All patients who underwent fine‐needle aspiration followed by parotidectomy between 1992 and 2009 for the diagnosis/evaluation of a parotid gland tumour.

Main outcome measure

Rate of fine‐needle‐aspiration‐related parotitis in patients with Warthin's tumour or other parotid pathologies.

Results

A total of 593 parotidectomies were performed in 553 patients during the study period, 96 (16.2%) for Warthin's tumour (study group) and 497 for other parotid‐related pathologies (control group). Parotid gland inflammation following fine‐needle aspiration was observed in 16 cases in the study group (16.7%) and eight (1.6%) in the control group (P<.001). On multivariate regression analysis, parotitis following fine‐needle aspiration was more common in patients with Warthin's tumour than other parotid‐related pathologies even after adjustment for possible confounders (P<.007). Signs of inflammation were noted during surgery in six cases in the study group (6.3%) and none in the control group (P<.001); respective rates of postoperative inflammation (wound infection) were 1.04% and 3.3% (P=NS). Management of parotitis consisted of hospitalisation and systemic antibiotic therapy.

Conclusions

Warthin's tumour is associated with a tenfold higher risk of inflammation compared to other parotid tumours following invasive procedures. Clinicians should be alert to this complication in order to initiate proper treatment and patients must be properly counselled.
Testing the feasibility of a hypothetical whaling‐conservation permit market in Norway
Authors: Huang Biao , Abbott Joshua K. , Fenichel Eli P. , Muneepeerakul Rachata , Perrings Charles , Gerber Leah R.
Published: February 2017

A cap‐and‐trade system for managing whale harvests represents a potentially useful approach to resolve the current gridlock in international whale management. The establishment of whale permit markets, open to both whalers and conservationists, could reveal the strength of conservation demand, about which little is known. This lack of knowledge makes it difficult to predict the outcome of a hypothetical whale permit market. We developed a bioeconomic model to evaluate the influence of economic uncertainty about demand for whale conservation or harvest. We used simulations over a wide range of parameterizations of whaling and conservation demands to examine the potential ecological consequences of the establishment of a whale permit market in Norwegian waters under bounded (but substantial) economic uncertainty. Uncertainty variables were slope of whaling and conservation demand, participation level of conservationists and their willingness to pay for whale conservation, and functional forms of demand, including linear, quadratic, and log‐linear forms. A whale‐conservation market had the potential to yield a wide range of conservation and harvest outcomes, the most likely outcomes were those in which conservationists bought all whale permits.
Reach tracking reveals dissociable processes underlying inhibitory control in 5‐ to 10‐year‐olds and adults
Authors: Erb Christopher D. , Moher Jeff , Song Joo‐Hyun , Sobel David M.
Published: February 2017

Researchers have proposed that two processes featuring distinct types of inhibition support inhibitory control: a response threshold adjustment process involving the global inhibition of motor output and a conflict resolution process involving competitive inhibition among co‐active response alternatives. To target the development of these processes, we measured the reaching behavior of 5‐ to 10‐year‐olds (Experiment 1) and adults (Experiment 2) as they performed an Eriksen flanker task. This method provided two key measures: initiation time (the time elapsed between stimulus onset and movement onset) and reach curvature (the degree to which a movement deviates from a direct path to the selected target). We suggest that initiation time reflects the response threshold adjustment process by indexing the degree of motoric stopping experienced before a movement is started, while reach curvature reflects the conflict resolution process by indexing the degree of co‐activation between response alternatives over the course of a movement. Our results support this claim, revealing different patterns effects in initiation time and curvature, and divergent developmental trajectories between childhood and adulthood. These findings provide behavioral evidence for the dissociation between global and competitive inhibition, and offer new insight into the development of inhibitory control.
Phytophthora cinnamomi A1: An ancient resident of New Guinea and Australia of Gondwanan origin?
Authors: Arentz F.
Published: February 2017

This article re‐examines the hypothesis, first proposed by Shepherd (Search, 6(11‐12), 1975, 484), that Phytophthora cinnamomi is an ancient organism in Australia and New Guinea. It further evaluates data that suggest the A1 mating type is Gondwanan in origin and may have been present in New Guinea for up to 10 million years. It is postulated that there has been a mating type change in P. cinnamomi from A1 to A2 in relatively recent times as a result of genetic transformation of the A1 mating type.
Association study reveals novel risk loci for sporadic inclusion body myositis
Authors: Johari M. , Arumilli M. , Palmio J. , Savarese M. , Tasca G. , Mirabella M. , Sandholm N. , Lohi H. , Hackman P. , Udd B.
Published: February 2017

Background and purpose

The aim was to identify potential genetic risk factors associated with sporadic inclusion body myositis (sIBM).

Methods

An association based case−control approach was utilized on whole exome sequencing data of 30 Finnish sIBM patients and a control cohort (n = 193). A separate Italian cohort of sIBM patients (n = 12) was used for evaluation of the results.

Results

Seven single nucleotide polymorphisms were identified in five genes that have a considerably higher observed frequency in Finnish sIBM patients compared to the control population, and the previous association of the genetic human leukocyte antigen region was confirmed.

Conclusions

All seven identified variants could individually or in combination increase the susceptibility for sIBM.
Normal‐appearing white matter demyelination in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder
Authors: Jeong I. H. , Choi J. Y. , Kim S.‐H. , Hyun J.‐W. , Joung A. , Lee J. , Kim H. J.
Published: February 2017

Background and purpose

Increasing evidence suggests the presence of demyelination in the normal‐appearing white matter (NAWM) of patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). The objective was to determine the presence of subclinical demyelination in the NAWM of patients with NMOSD using myelin water imaging (MWI).

Methods

Whole brain and regions‐of‐interest (ROIs) analyses, including the centrum semiovale, corona radiata, genu and splenium of the corpus callosum, and optic radiation, were conducted in the NAWM of 28 NMOSD patients and 18 healthy controls (HCs) using two MWI modalities: conventional MWI and direct visualization of short transverse relaxation time component (ViSTa) MWI.

Results

Conventional myelin water fractions (MWFs) of the global NAWM and three ROIs (centrum semiovale, corona radiata, and genu of the corpus callosum) were slightly lower in NMOSD patients than in HCs, although not statistically significant. On the other hand, ViSTa MWF values of the global NAWM and all ROIs except the genu of the corpus callosum were significantly lower in NMOSD patients relative to HCs. In particular, the MWF in the optic radiation was significantly reduced in NMOSD patients relative to HCs in both MWI methods, even in patients who had no brain involvement. Additionally, patients with optic neuritis showed lower MWF than patients without optic neuritis and a negative correlation was identified between the MWF of the optic radiation and visual functional system score.

Conclusions

This study identified the presence of widespread demyelination in the NAWM of NMOSD patients and highlighted the optic radiation as a site of marked demyelination.
Indirect comparisons of efficacy and weekly factor consumption during continuous prophylaxis with recombinant factor VIII Fc fusion protein and conventional recombinant factor VIII products
Authors: Iorio A. , Krishnan S. , Myrén K.J. , Lethagen S. , McCormick N. , Yermakov S. , Karner P.
Published: February 2017

Introduction

Recombinant factor VIII (rFVIII) products with extended half‐lives have the potential to improve adherence and outcomes in haemophilia beyond the results obtained with conventional rFVIII products.

Aim

In the absence of head‐to‐head comparisons, annualized bleed rates (ABRs) and weekly factor consumption with rFVIII Fc fusion protein (rFVIIIFc) and conventional rFVIII products were indirectly compared using studies of continuous prophylaxis.

Methods

A systematic literature review was conducted to identify studies of rFVIII products for comparison with rFVIIIFc in the continuous prophylactic treatment of previously treated adolescents and adults with moderate and severe haemophilia A. Mean ABRs were compared between rFVIIIFc and individual rFVIII studies and between rFVIIIFc and a pooled measure for rFVIII estimated by meta‐analysis. Comparisons of factor consumption were based on mean or median weekly factor consumption.

Results

Results from seven studies of conventional rFVIII products (injections 2–4 times week−1) were compared with rFVIIIFc (injections 1.4–2.4 times week−1). The pooled mean ABR for rFVIII products was significantly higher compared with rFVIIIFc (difference = 2.0; P = 0.007). Compared with most rFVIII studies, the reported weekly factor consumption was lower with rFVIIIFc [mean differences = 15.5–21.8 IU kg−1 week−1 (17–26%); median differences = 12.7–29.8 IU kg−1 week−1 (16–37%)]. In one comparison, mean weekly factor consumption with rFVIII was significantly lower but mean ABR was significantly higher than rFVIIIFc.

Conclusion

Prophylaxis with rFVIIIFc may be associated with improved bleeding rates and lower weekly factor consumption than more frequently injected rFVIII products. Relative to rFVIII products with similar bleeding rates, results indicate that rFVIIIFc is associated with reduced weekly factor consumption while requiring fewer prescribed injections.
Pseudochromhidrosis: report and review of literature
Authors: Tempark Therdpong , Wittayakornrerk Sanchawan , Jirasukprasert Laksanaree , Chatproedprai Susheera , Wananukul Siriwan
Published: February 2017

Chromhidrosis is a rare condition where colored sweat comes from the apocrine or eccrine glands. Pseudochromhidrosis is an uncommon condition where colored sweat is related to specific dye‐producing bacteria, drugs, dyes, or chemical agents. This article provides a literature review of the various etiology, investigation, treatment, and prognosis. We propose an investigative algorithm to assist dermatologists, pediatric dermatologists, and general practitioners to diagnose this uncommon condition. The treatment options rely on the primary etiology such as removing dyes and chemical agents first and then treating the chromogenic bacteria. Topical and oral erythromycin seems to be the most effective treatment both in unidentified and identified chromogenic bacteria cases. Results and prognosis were excellent and without recurrence.
Accelerated nail growth rate in HIV patients
Authors: Sánchez‐Moreno Elisa C. , Marioni‐Manriquez Selina , Fernández‐Martínez Ramón F. , Moreno‐Coutiño Gabriela
Published: February 2017

Background

Many factors have been noted to alter the growth rate of both finger and toe nails, some with harder evidence than others. Infectious diseases are among the ones reported as slowing the growth rate. However, on previous studies we noticed that patients living with HIV and onychomycosis could be cured without the use of antifungal therapy, only with the immunological improvement provided by the combined antiretroviral therapy, and we wanted to prove that the growth rate is also increased in this group and thus probably contributes to the cure of onychomycosis.

Methods

This was an observational, descriptive, and prospective study. We marked with a scalpel the nail plate of the first finger of the non‐dominant hand and the same foot, and measured the nail growth in the subsequent medical appointments with a magnifying glass and a millimetric scale.

Results

Thirteen patients completed the study, and were paired with healthy controls by age and gender. After performing Mann‐Whitney U test, our results showed statistical significance among both groups, showing that patients with HIV have faster nail growth rates than those in the HIV negative group.

Conclusions

There is little data on HIV nail growth rate to compare our results, but what we see in the clinical practice is that this group of patients shows a faster nail growth rate, as has also been reported for longer eyelashes, and this could be an important factor in the cure rates of onychomycosis.