bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Validation of a Proposed Tumor Regression Grading Scheme for Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma After Neoadjuvant Therapy as a Prognostic Indicator for Survival
Authors: Lee Sun Mi , Katz Matthew H.G. , Liu Li , Sundar Manonmani , Wang Hua , Varadhachary Gauri R. , Wolff Robert A. , Lee Jeffrey E. , Maitra Anirban , Fleming Jason B. , Rashid Asif , Wang Huamin
Published: September 2016

Neoadjuvant therapy has been increasingly used to treat patients with potentially resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Although the College of American Pathologists (CAP) grading scheme for tumor response in posttherapy specimens has been used, its clinical significance has not been validated. Previously, we proposed a 3-tier histologic tumor regression grading (HTRG) scheme (HTRG 0, no viable tumor; HTRG 1, <5% viable tumor cells; HTRG 2, ≥5% viable tumor cells) and showed that the 3-tier HTRG scheme correlated with prognosis. In this study, we sought to validate our proposed HTRG scheme in a new cohort of 167 consecutive PDAC patients who completed neoadjuvant therapy and pancreaticoduodenectomy. We found that patients with HTRG 0 or 1 were associated with a lower frequency of lymph node metastasis (P=0.004) and recurrence (P=0.01), lower ypT (P<0.001) and AJCC stage (P<0.001), longer disease-free survival (DFS, P=0.004) and overall survival (OS, P=0.02) than those with HTRG 2. However, there was no difference in either DFS or OS between the groups with CAP grade 2 and those with CAP grade 3 (P>0.05). In multivariate analysis, HTRG grade 0 or 1 was an independent prognostic factor for better DFS (P=0.03), but not OS. Therefore we validated the proposed HTRG scheme from our previous study. The proposed HTRG scheme is simple and easy to apply in practice by pathologists and might be used as a successful surrogate for longer DFS in patients with potentially resectable PDAC who completed neoadjuvant therapy and surgery.
Noninvasive Estimation of Arterial Co 2 From End-Tidal Co 2 in Mechanically Ventilated Children: The GRAeDIENT Pilot Study*
Authors: Baudin Florent , Bourgoin Pierre , Brossier David , Essouri Sandrine , Emeriaud Guillaume , Wysocki Marc , Jouvet Philippe
Published: September 2016

Objectives:

The aim of our pilot study was to develop a model to better predict Paco2 in mechanically ventilated children using noninvasive parameters including volumetric capnography.

Design:

Prospective clinical pilot study.

Setting:

Level III PICU.

Patients:

Sixty-five mechanically ventilated children.

Interventions:

None.

Materials and Methods:

We conducted a prospective clinical pilot study that included all children admitted to the PICU (< 18 yr; weight, > 3 kg; mechanically ventilated, > 6 hr; with an arterial line). A predictive model for Paco
2 was developed using linear multivariable regression. Among the data collected in PICU patients, candidate predictors of Paco
2 were defined by a panel of experts and included end-tidal partial pressure of carbon dioxide, ventilation parameters, and data resulting from the analysis of volumetric capnogram recorded 5 minutes before an arterial blood gas. Children with tidal volume less than 30 mL were excluded because of technical limits.

Results:

A total of 65 children (43 boys, 65%) (65 [21–150] mo old) were analyzed. By linear multivariable regression, the best model included the mean airway pressure, end-tidal partial pressure of carbon dioxide, Fio
2, and the capnographic index with an R
2 equal to 0.90, p value less than 0.001. After correction, 95% (n = 62) of children had an estimated Paco
2 at ± 5 mm Hg.

Conclusion:

Our model developed provides an accurate estimation of the Paco
2 using end-tidal Co
2 and noninvasive variables. Studies are needed to validate the equation in PICUs.
Ultrasound Guidance and Other Determinants of Successful Peripheral Artery Catheterization in Critically Ill Children*
Authors: Kantor David B. , Su Erik , Milliren Carly E. , Conlon Thomas W.
Published: September 2016

Objective:

Peripheral arterial catheterization is a common invasive procedure performed in critically ill children. However, the benefits of using ultrasound guidance for this procedure in critically ill children, especially when used by inexperienced trainees, are unclear. Our aims were to evaluate whether the use of ultrasound guidance for the placement of radial arterial catheters reduced time and improved success when compared with the palpation method and also to determine patient and trainee variables that influence procedure outcomes. Finally, we evaluated whether adoption of ultrasound guidance among trainees comes at the expense of learning landmark-based methods.

Design:

Prospective observational cohort.

Setting:

University affiliated PICU.

Patients:

A total of 208 procedures performed by 45 trainees in 192 unique patients (1 mo to 20 yr old) were observed.

Intervention:

Implementation of ultrasound curriculum.

Measurements and Main Results:

The main outcome measures were time and number of attempts required for the procedure. Compared with palpation method, ultrasound guidance was associated with reduced procedure time (8.1 ± 5.2 min compared with 16.5 ± 8.8 min; p < 0.001), reduced number of attempts (3.1 ± 2.6 attempts compared with 6.9 ± 4.2 attempts; p < 0.001), and improved first attempt success rate (28% compared with 11%; p = 0.001) even after adjusting for key confounders in multivariate random effects models. The factors most likely to interfere with peripheral arterial catheterization are patient age, patient systolic blood pressure, patient body mass index, degree of fluid overload, and trainee months in fellowship. The use of ultrasound guidance mitigates the influence of each of these factors. We found no evidence that the adoption of ultrasound guidance by trainees is associated with reduced proficiency in landmark-based methods.

Conclusions:

The use of ultrasound guidance by trainees for radial artery catheterization in critically ill children is associated with improved outcomes compared with the palpation method.
Is Administration of Nitric Oxide During Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Associated With Improved Patient Survival?
Authors: Tadphale Sachin D. , Rettiganti Mallikarjuna , Gossett Jeffrey M. , Beam Brandon W. , Padiyath Asif , Schmitz Michael L. , Gupta Punkaj
Published: September 2016

Objective:

To evaluate the outcomes associated with the use of inhaled nitric oxide during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Design:

Post hoc analysis of data from an existing administrative national database, Pediatric Health Information system (2004–2014). Multivariable logistic regression models were fitted to study the effect of inhaled nitric oxide during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation on study outcomes.

Setting:

Forty-two children’s hospitals across the United States.

Patients:

Patients in the age group from 1 day through 18 years admitted to an ICU who received extracorporeal membrane oxygenation during their hospital stay were included.

Interventions:

None.

Measurements and Main Results:

In total, 6,419 patients qualified for inclusion. Of these, inhaled nitric oxide was used among 3,629 patients during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation run. Approximately one half of the study patients received inhaled nitric oxide at extracorporeal membrane oxygenation initiation. The proportion of patients receiving inhaled nitric oxide during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation decreased with increasing duration of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. After adjusting for patient characteristics and center variables, use of inhaled nitric oxide was not associated with any survival benefit. However, higher proportion of patients receiving inhaled nitric oxide were associated with prolonged hospital length of stay and prolonged duration of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. In adjusted models, the hospital charges were higher in the inhaled nitric oxide group. The median hospital costs among patients receiving inhaled nitric oxide were higher by $39,732 (95% CI, $31,074–48,390) as compared to the patients who did not receive inhaled nitric oxide, after adjusting for patient (including hospital length of stay) and center level variables. As the duration of inhaled nitric oxide therapy increased, proportion of patients with prolonged duration of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and prolonged hospital length of stay increased.

Conclusions:

This large observational analysis of use of nitric oxide during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation calls into question the benefits of inhaled nitric oxide among patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for pulmonary or cardiac failure. Given our inability to determine type of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and control for severity of illness, these findings should be interpreted as exploratory.
Preoperative Platelet Count Predicts Lower Extremity Free Flap Thrombosis: A Multi-Institutional Experience
Authors: Cho Eugenia H. , Bauder Andrew R. , Centkowski Sierra , Shammas Ronnie L. , Mundy Lily , Kovach Stephen J. , Levin L. Scott , Hollenbeck Scott T.
Published: September 2016

Background:

Thrombocytosis in patients undergoing lower extremity free tissue transfer may be associated with increased risk of microvascular complications. This study assessed whether preoperative platelet counts predict lower extremity free flap thrombosis.

Methods:

All patients undergoing lower extremity free tissue transfer at Duke University from 1997 to 2013 and at the University of Pennsylvania from 2002 to 2013 were retrospectively identified. Logistic regression was used to assess whether preoperative platelet counts independently predict flap thrombosis, controlling for baseline and operative factors.

Results:

A total of 565 patients underwent lower extremity free tissue transfer, with an overall flap thrombosis rate of 16 percent (n = 91). Elevated preoperative platelet counts were independently associated with both intraoperative thrombosis (500 ± 120 versus 316 ± 144 × 109/liter; p < 0.001) and postoperative thrombosis (410 ± 183 versus 320 ± 143 × 109/liter; p = 0.040) in 215 patients who sustained acute lower extremity trauma within 30 days before reconstruction. In acute trauma patients, preoperative platelet counts predicted a four-fold increased risk of intraoperative thrombosis (cutoff value, 403 × 109/liter; OR, 4.08; p < 0.001) and a two-fold increased risk of postoperative thrombosis (cutoff value, 361 × 109/liter; OR, 2.16; p = 0.005). In patients who did not sustain acute trauma, preoperative platelet counts predicted a four-fold increased risk of intraoperative thrombosis (cutoff value, 352 × 109/liter; OR, 3.82; p = 0.002).

Conclusions:

Acute trauma patients with elevated preoperative platelet counts are at increased risk for lower extremity free flap complications. Prospective evaluation is warranted for guiding risk stratification and targeted treatment strategies.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:

Risk, III.
Facial Nerve Axonal Analysis and Anatomical Localization in Donor Nerve: Optimizing Axonal Load for Cross-Facial Nerve Grafting in Facial Reanimation
Authors: Hembd Austin , Nagarkar Purushottam A. , Saba Salim , Wan Dinah , Kutz J. Walter , Isaacson Brandon , Gupta Sachin , White Charles L. , Rohrich Rod J. , Rozen Shai M.
Published: September 2016

Background:

Donor nerve axonal count over 900 in two-stage reconstructions using cross-facial nerve grafts is possibly associated with improved outcomes in facial reanimation. Facial nerve axonal analysis was performed to determine the ideal location for optimizing axonal load. Correlation of axonal number, branch diameter, and age was also assessed.

Methods:

Twenty-eight fresh unpreserved cadaveric hemifaces were dissected exposing the extracranial facial nerve branches. Axonal counts at 2-cm intervals from the pes anserinus along branches inserting into the zygomaticus major muscle were taken, noting position relative to the zygomatic arch, posterior ramus border, lateral border of the zygomaticus muscle, and anterior parotid gland border. Nerves were fixed, sectioned, and stained with SMI-31 antineurofilament stain for digital axonal analysis.

Results:

All specimens had one or more intraparotid zygomatic branches with over 900 axons, and 96 percent had an extraparotid branch with over 900 axons. The likelihood that a zygomatic branch would have over 900 axons at its last intraparotid point (mean, 6 mm posterior to the parotid border) was 92 percent (range, 67 to 100 percent) in contrast to 61 percent (range, 25 to 100 percent) when sampled at the first extraparotid point (mean, 14 mm anterior to the parotid border). Nerve cross-sectional area was positively correlated to its axonal count (R° = 78 percent; p < 0.0001), with nerve diameter over 0.6 mm predicting over 900 axons. Age did not correlate with axonal counts.

Conclusions:

Branches with adequate axonal load were found in all specimens. The likelihood of adequate branch selection improved from 61 percent to 92 percent with short retrograde intraparotid dissection. Nerve diameter correlated with axonal load.
Amphibian diversity and abundance in ponds is lower in exotic plantations than native forests
Authors: Iglesias-Carrasco Maider , Artexte Iraide , Cabido Carlos , Larrañaga Aitor
Published: September 2016

What effect do tree plantations have on the diversity of native organisms? Some studies show that plantations reduce the diversity and abundance of certain taxa, while other studies suggested that plantations help to conserve biodiversity. Pine and eucalyptus plantations are among the most widespread exotic plantations worldwide, and they have negative effects on many taxa. But how do they affect amphibian diversity and abundance? We barely know. We therefore tallied up the number of amphibian taxa and their abundance from 18 ponds in patches of native oak forests, pine or eucalypt plantations. We also quantified water quality by measuring its physicochemistry and identifying the macroinvertebrates present in each pond. There were significantly fewer amphibian species in tree plantations than in native forest. Compared to native forest, the total density of amphibians was also significantly lower in eucalypt, but not pine, plantations. Species varied in the effects of plantations on their presence and abundance. We suggest that the decline in the presence and abundance of amphibians in plantations is linked to the physicochemical of pond water, combined with the relatively low presence of invertebrate. It seems likely that earlier desiccation, greater toxicity, and poor quality detritus in ponds in plantation are key drivers of species decline. The effects of these drivers are expected to worsen as climate change continues.
Solving the influence maximization problem reveals regulatory organization of the yeast cell cycle
Authors: Gibbs David L , Shmulevich Ilya
Published: September 2016

The Influence Maximization Problem (IMP) aims to discover the set of nodes with the greatest influence on network dynamics. The problem has previously been applied in epidemiology and social network analysis. Here, we demonstrate the application to cell cycle regulatory network analysis of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Fundamentally, gene regulation is linked to the flow of information. Therefore, our implementation of the IMP was framed as an information theoretic problem on a diffusion network. Utilizing all regulatory edges from YeastMine, gene expression dynamics were encoded as edge weights using a variant of time lagged transfer entropy, a method for quantifying information transfer between variables. Influence, for a particular number of sources, was measured using a diffusion model based on Markov chains with absorbing states. By maximizing over different numbers of sources, an influence ranking on genes was produced.

The influence ranking was compared to other metrics of network centrality. Although ‘top genes’ from each centrality ranking contained well-known cell cycle regulators, there was little agreement and no clear winner. However, it was found that influential genes tend to directly regulate or sit upstream of genes ranked by other centrality measures. This is quantified by computing node reachability between gene sets; on average, 59% of central genes can be reached when starting from the influential set, compared to 7% of influential genes when starting at another centrality measure.

The influential nodes act as critical sources of information flow, potentially having a large impact on the state of the network. Biological events that affect influential nodes and thereby affect information flow could have a strong effect on network dynamics, potentially leading to disease.

Code and example data can be found at:https://github.com/Gibbsdavidl/miergolf

Author Summary

The Influence Maximization Problem (IMP) is general and is applied in fields such as epidemiology, social network analysis, and as shown here, biological network analysis. The aim is to discover the set of regulatory genes with the greatest influence in the network dynamics. As gene regulation, fundamentally, is about the flow of information, the IMP was framed as an information theoretic problem. Dynamics were encoded as edge weights using time lagged transfer entropy, a quantity that defines information transfer across variables. The information flow was accomplished using a diffusion model based on Markov chains with absorbing states. Ant optimization was applied to solve the subset selection problem, recovering the most influential nodes.The influential nodes act as critical sources of information flow, potentially affecting the network state. Biological events that impact the influential nodes and thereby affecting normal information flow, could have a strong effect on the network, potentially leading to disease.
IMiQC: a novel protein quality control compartment protecting mitochondrial functional integrity
Authors: Bruderek Michael , Jaworek Witold , Wilkening Anne , Rüb Cornelia , Cenini Giovanna , Sylvester Marc , Voos Wolfgang
Published: September 2016

Aggregation processes can cause severe perturbations of cellular homeostasis and are frequently associated with diseases. We performed a comprehensive analysis of mitochondrial quality and function in presence of misfolded, aggregation-prone polypeptides. Although we observed significant aggregate formation inside mitochondria, we observed only a minor impairment of mitochondrial function. We could show that detoxification of misfolded reporter polypeptides as well as endogenous proteins inside mitochondria takes place via their sequestration into the specific organellar deposit site Intra-Mitochondrial Protein Quality Control Compartment (IMiQC). Only minor amounts of co-aggregated proteins were associated with IMiQC and neither resolubilization nor degradation by the mitochondrial PQC system were observed. The single IMiQC aggregate deposit was not transferred to daughter cells during cell division. Detoxification of misfolded polypeptides via IMiQC formation was highly dependent on a functional mitochondrial fission machinery. We conclude that the formation of the aggregate deposit is an important mechanism to maintain full functionality of mitochondria under proteotoxic stress conditions.
Industry-wide surveillance of Marek’s disease virus on commercial poultry farms
Authors: Kennedy David A. , Cairns Christopher , Jones Matthew J. , Bell Andrew S. , Salathé Rahel M. , Baigent Susan J. , Nair Venugopal K. , Dunn Patricia A. , Read Andrew F.
Published: September 2016

Marek’s disease virus is a herpesvirus of chickens that costs the worldwide poultry industry over 1 billion USD annually. Two generations of Marek’s disease vaccines have shown reduced efficacy over the last half century due to evolution of the virus. Understanding where the virus is present may give insight into whether continued reductions in efficacy are likely. We conducted a three-year surveillance study to assess the prevalence of Marek’s disease virus on commercial poultry farms, determine the effect of various factors on virus prevalence, and document virus dynamics in broiler chicken houses over short (weeks) and long (years) timescales. We extracted DNA from dust samples collected from commercial chicken and egg production facilities in Pennsylvania, USA. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to assess wild-type virus detectability and concentration. Using data from 1018 dust samples with Bayesian generalized linear mixed effects models, we determined the factors that correlated with virus prevalence across farms. Maximum likelihood and autocorrelation function estimation on 3727 additional dust samples were used to document and characterize virus concentrations within houses over time. Overall, wild-type virus was detectable at least once on 36 of 104 farms at rates that varied substantially between farms. Virus was detected in 1 of 3 broiler-breeder operations (companies), 4 of 5 broiler operations, and 3 of 5 egg layer operations. Marek’s disease virus detectability differed by production type, bird age, day of the year, operation (company), farm, house, flock, and sample. Operation (company) was the most important factor, accounting for between 12% and 63.4% of the variation in virus detectability. Within individual houses, virus concentration often dropped below detectable levels and reemerged later. These data characterize Marek’s disease virus dynamics, which are potentially important to the evolution of the virus.
Determination of crystal structures of proteins of unknown identity using a marathon molecular replacement procedure: structure of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia phosphate-binding protein
Authors: Hatti Kaushik , Gulati Ashutosh , Srinivasan Narayanaswamy , Murthy M. R. N.
Published: September 2016

During the past decade, the authors have collected a few X-ray diffraction data sets from protein crystals that appeared to be easy cases of molecular replacement but failed to yield structures even after extensive trials. Here, the use of a large-scale molecular replacement method that explores all structurally characterized domains as phasing models to determine the structure corresponding to two data sets collected at 1.9 and 2.3 Å resolution is reported. These two structures were of the same protein independently crystallized in 2007 and 2011. The structures derived are virtually identical and were found to consist of two compact globular domains connected by a hinge. The high resolution of one of these data sets enabled inference of the amino-acid sequence from the electron-density map. The deduced sequence is nearly identical to that of a protein from the multidrug-resistant bacterium Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. Although the structure of this protein has not been determined previously, it is homologous to the well studied DING proteins which mediate the cellular uptake of phosphate ions. The final electron-density maps from both of the data sets revealed a large density at the interface of the two globular domains that is likely to represent a phosphate ion. Thus, the structure is likely to be that of a phosphate-binding protein encoded by the S. maltophilia genome (SmPBP; PDB entry 5j1d). The nature of the phosphate-binding site of SmPBP closely resembles that of Pseudomonas fluorescens DING (PfluDING), which displays remarkable discrimination between the closely similar phosphate and arsenate ions. The results presented here illustrate that routine crystallization trials may occasionally lead to the serendipitous crystallization of a protein of unknown identity and brute-force molecular replacement through `fold space' might allow the identification of the unknown protein.
Validation and correction of Zn–Cys
x
His
y
complexes
Authors: Touw Wouter G. , van Beusekom Bart , Evers Jochem M. G. , Vriend Gert , Joosten Robbie P.
Published: September 2016

Many crystal structures in the Protein Data Bank contain zinc ions in a geometrically distorted tetrahedral complex with four Cys and/or His ligands. A method is presented to automatically validate and correct these zinc complexes. Analysis of the corrected zinc complexes shows that the average Zn–Cys distances and Cys–Zn–Cys angles are a function of the number of cysteines and histidines involved. The observed trends can be used to develop more context-sensitive targets for model validation and refinement.
Factors affecting customer loyalty for mobile telecommunication industry
Authors: Shafei Ingy , Tabaa Hazem
Published: September 2016

Purpose

This research works toward identifying the service quality constructs for the telecommunication industry, the extent they affect customer satisfaction, the perceived switching costs and their significance to the customer. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of customer satisfaction and switching barriers on customer loyalty as well as the mediating effect of the switching barriers on the customer satisfaction and loyalty link.

Design/methodology/approach

An empirical causal framework was developed and tested through qualitative and quantitative phases. In-depth interviews were performed with consumers and experts in the field as well a survey with consumers. The results were analyzed using Cronbach’s α, Pearson’s correlation and regression analysis techniques.

Findings

The results of the research showed that network quality, customer support and pricing structure are the main service quality constructs that affects the customer satisfaction, showing how the customer is more interested in the core services other than other benefits and value-added services.

Originality/value

The research presents a comprehensive framework enabling mobile service providers to understand the factors affecting consumer loyalty. In terms of practical implication; the telecommunications sector is changing radically and as the market is approaching its maturity, customer retention has become a critical issue in the success of the mobile telecommunications business. The findings of the research can aid practitioners in firms in focussing their efforts on areas that can build consumer loyalty and retention.
Transferring codes of conduct within a multinational firm
Authors: Nakhle Samer Francois , Davoine Eric
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The transfer of organizational practices or management instruments in the multinational firm often requires adaptations to the local context of subsidiaries and is, as such, revealing cultural and institutional particularities. Among the multinational firm’s management instruments, the codes of conduct are closely linked to the values and standards of conduct of the parent company. Being instruments of North American origin, codes of conduct were, in the last 20 years, gradually institutionalized first in North American multinational companies and then more frequently in European multinational companies. Several studies showed the difficulties of implementing these instruments in countries as diverse as France, Germany, Israel and China and stressed the importance of coherence between values, local organizational practices and acceptability of codes by employees of the subsidiaries. The purpose of this paper is to study the specificity of the Lebanese context from a new perspective by showing whether codes of conduct were adapted and by explaining the reasons of these adaptations. This research also highlights the differences between American and European multinational companies regarding the transfer of their codes of conduct.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used a multiple case study approach. Interviews were conducted in ten Lebanese subsidiaries of multinational companies, four of North American origin and six of European origin.

Findings

The study showed adaptations done to transferred codes of conduct in Lebanese subsidiaries. The study also reveals differences between American and European MNCs.

Originality/value

The study sheds light on host-country factors explaining the adaptation of codes of conducts transferred to Lebanese subsidiaries.
Real-time analysis of Cyprus’ embryonic oil and gas industry
Authors: Thrassou Alkis
Published: September 2016

Purpose

Utilising a substantial volume of reliable international literature, information and positions – as well as many, less credible, local ones – the research analyses and interprets theoretical, secondary and primary data that are specific, relevant or peripheral to the emerging oil and gas industry of Cyprus. The purpose of this paper is to identify and investigate the forces and factors that affect the development of this very new industry; and to integrate them into a single provisional industry forces model.

Design/methodology/approach

This research is purely exploratory and is methodologically based on the review, comparison and interrelation of an extensive array of theoretical and secondary data works; which is reinforced and refined through an injection of primary qualitative work in the form of 20 expert and high-level interviews.

Findings

The research achieves the above-stated aim and further concludes with a schematic industry representation, allowing a comprehensive overview of the industry and additionally depicting some of the key interrelationship categorisations that constitute the key factors in decision-making at all levels.

Originality/value

The value of the research lies in its real-time approach to data gathering and analysis. The research aids in the understanding of the environment components, not simply as individual elements affecting their subject, but as a comprehensive system; demonstrating that it is this exact systemic understanding of the constituent elements that will support and facilitate the proper development of the industry. The research also bears global/generic importance as it provides a rare insight to the issues and complexities of a country having to first deal with the discovery of hydrocarbons in its economic zone.
The well-being and productivity link: a significant opportunity for research-into-practice
Authors: Miller Jill
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to position well-being as a necessary component of the productivity debate and highlights the need for a deeper understanding of the nature of such a link. It first considers productivity at the national level in order to show how this affects both the climate and the economic policies within which organisations operate.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents an overview of current research and practice in the area. It treats the organisation as the primary level of analysis, and before highlights some of the apparent challenges in conceptualising well-being.

Findings

The importance of well-being is rising up national and employer agendas. Organisations need people to perform at their best in a sustainable way. The paper argues that an organisation with well-being at its core will reap productivity gains. It supports the view in the literature that improvements at national level can only be made on the back of sophisticated strategies across numerous organisations. However, for this to happen shared actions and understanding of these challenges has first to be created and acted upon across institutions and organisations. There are notable costs of poor well-being to productivity, and identifiable benefits of promoting and supporting employee well-being for productivity.

Practical implications

There is a clear practice implementation gap. Some organisations are embracing the opportunities to invest in their staff, but those who make employee well-being a business priority and a fundamental part of how the organisation operates are in the minority. There is also an ongoing challenge of measuring the impact of well-being programmes which can inform ROI assessments and enable organisations to demonstrate the business benefits of employee well-being.

Originality/value

There remain many unanswered questions about both the nature of the link between well-being and productivity and the economic impact of an association. This paper sparks further interest in expanding the understanding of the well-being and productivity link or peripheral issues.
Glycerol enhances fungal germination at the water‐activity limit for life
Authors: Stevenson Andrew , Hamill Philip G. , Medina Ángel , Kminek Gerhard , Rummel John D. , Dijksterhuis Jan , Timson David J. , Magan Naresh , Leong Su‐Lin L. , Hallsworth John E.
Published: September 2016

For the most‐extreme fungal xerophiles, metabolic activity and cell division typically halts between 0.700 and 0.640 water activity (approximately 70.0–64.0% relative humidity). Here, we investigate whether glycerol can enhance xerophile germination under acute water‐activity regimes, using an experimental system which represents the biophysical limit of Earth's biosphere. Spores from a variety of species, including Aspergillus penicillioides, Eurotium halophilicum, Xerochrysium xerophilum (formerly Chrysosporium xerophilum) and Xeromyces bisporus, were produced by cultures growing on media supplemented with glycerol (and contained up to 189 mg glycerol g dry spores−1). The ability of these spores to germinate, and the kinetics of germination, were then determined on a range of media designed to recreate stresses experienced in microbial habitats or anthropogenic systems (with water‐activities from 0.765 to 0.575). For A. penicillioides, Eurotium amstelodami, E. halophilicum, X. xerophilum and X. bisporus, germination occurred at lower water‐activities than previously recorded (0.640, 0.685, 0.651, 0.664 and 0.637 respectively). In addition, the kinetics of germination at low water‐activities were substantially faster than those reported previously. Extrapolations indicated theoretical water‐activity minima below these values; as low as 0.570 for A. penicillioides and X. bisporus. Glycerol is present at high concentrations (up to molar levels) in many types of microbial habitat. We discuss the likely role of glycerol in expanding the water‐activity limit for microbial cell function in relation to temporal constraints and location of the microbial cell or habitat. The findings reported here have also critical implications for understanding the extremes of Earth's biosphere; for understanding the potency of disease‐causing microorganisms; and in biotechnologies that operate at the limits of microbial function.
Catching Up or Falling Behind in European Agriculture: The Case of Milk Production
Authors: Cechura Lukas , Grau Aaron , Hockmann Heinrich , Levkovych Inna , Kroupova Zdenka
Published: September 2016

The paper explores and analyses the catching up and falling behind processes in the European dairy sector over the period 2004–2011, using a stochastic metafrontier multiple output distance function for 24 EU Member States. The metafrontier estimates reveal considerable productivity differences in milk production across the EU at the regional (NUTS‐2) level. Milk yield per cow is the highest in the old Member States, especially in those regions located in the northwest of the EU, while the lowest productivity is observed in Eastern Europe. The same structure was found for both the TFP (Total Factor Productivity) levels and TFP growth. Moreover, the results for technical change suggest that farm sizes are not optimal in many regions in Central and Eastern Europe from a dynamic perspective. The comparative analysis suggests that in the new compared to the old Member States, fewer farms could benefit from the movement of the frontier. Moreover, there are no signs that poorly performing farms are catching up with the best performing farms in the EU regions/countries.
A Meta‐Analysis on the Elasticity of Demand for Pesticides
Authors: Böcker Thomas G. , Finger Robert
Published: September 2016

There is an increasing policy interest in pesticide taxation schemes as a measure to reduce harmful effects of pesticide use. The effectiveness of such tax depends, however, on the price elasticity of demand for pesticides. Moreover, information on these demand elasticities and their determinants is of crucial relevance for policy‐making and normative modeling approaches. In this article, we present a meta‐analysis based on studies that have estimated pesticide demand elasticities in Europe and North America. Our meta‐analysis reveals that the own‐price elasticities of demand for pesticides are, with a median of −0.28, significantly smaller than zero, but also significantly larger than −1, i.e. to be inelastic. We find that the demand for pesticides for special crops is less elastic than that for arable and grassland. In addition, the demand for herbicides is more elastic than for other pesticides. Studies that consider only short‐term horizons and little flexibility for farmers to adjust to price changes generate significantly less elastic pesticide demands. The results also indicate that more recent studies identify lower pesticide price elasticities of demand. Furthermore, we find that peer‐reviewed studies tend to find more inelastic results compared to grey literature.
Seasonal Variation in the Peritoneal Dialysis‐Related Infections: A Single Center Experience in the Mediterranean
Authors: Buttigieg Jesmar , Borg Cauchi Angela , Rogers Marilyn , Farrugia Emanuel , Fava Stephen
Published: September 2016

Seasonal variation in the incidence of peritoneal dialysis‐related infections (PDRI) has been sparingly investigated, especially in the Mediterranean. Our aim was to explore this association in Malta. All PDRI occurring between Jan‐2008 and Dec‐2012 were retrospectively studied.A total of 137 patients were followed‐up for a median time of 32.5 months (range: 2‐81). During this time, 19% never had PDRI, 11.7% transferred permanently to hemodialysis and 6.6% received a kidney transplant. A total of 279 PDRI were identified, equating to 145 catheter‐related infections (CRI) and 144 peritonitis episodes (including 10 catheter related peritonitis). A spring peak in the overall gram positive PDRI (0.61 vs. 0.34/patient‐year‐at‐risk, P=0.05), together with a peak in gram negative peritonitis in the warm period (0.13 vs. 0.07/patient‐year at risk, P=0.04) was identified. The incidence rate ratios (Confidence Interval) involving the overall gram positive PDRI, gram positive peritonitis, coagulase‐negative Streptococci (CoNS) and Streptococci were 1.82 (1.18‐2.82, P=0.007), 2.20 (1.16‐4.16, P=0.02), 2.65 (1.17‐6.02, P=0.02] and 3.18 (1.03‐9.98, P=0.04) in spring when compared to winter. No significant difference in the overall PDRI, peritonitis or CRI rates between seasons or warm/cold period was identified.To our knowledge, this is the first study which examines the effect of seasons on the incidence of PDRI in the Mediterranean basin. Findings suggest that spring confers a higher risk for gram positive PDRIs, gram positive peritonitis, CoNS and Streptococcus, whilst the warm period was associated with a peak in the gram negative peritonitis.
Dialyzability of Faropenem in Infected Patients on Chronic Hemodialysis
Authors: Hasegawa Gohki , Tsuruoka Shuichi , Ushijima Kentaro , Maeda Akimitsu , Hayasaka Tokie , Saito Tetsuo , Harada Kazuhiro , Fujimura Akio
Published: September 2016

The aim of this study was to evaluate the profile of dialyzability of an oral penem antibiotic, faropenem (FRPM), in hemodialysis (HD) patients with infections. Eight patients took one tablet of FRPM (200 mg) every 12 h during an inter‐dialysis period, and another tablet at 1–5 h before the beginning of the HD session. Blood samples were obtained during the HD session (3–4 h). Plasma FRPM concentrations in the arterial side were 4.8 ± 2.5 and 2.8 ± 1.0 µg/mL before and at the end of HD session, respectively, which are above the 50% minimal inhibitory concentrations of FRPM against the major pathogen (0.015–2 µg/mL). Dialyzer clearance and elimination fraction of FRPM were 14.9 ± 6.8 mL/min per m2 and 20.4 ± 9.9%, respectively. About 2% of FRPM was removed from the body during a single HD session. The infection‐related symptoms, the white blood cell count and the level of C‐reactive protein were improved by FRPM without any adverse effects. These data suggest that the dialyzability of FRPM is relatively low, and the amount of the drug removed by a single HD session is small. FRPM 200 mg twice daily might provide an effective and safe dosage regimen without additional dosing at the end of the HD session.
Managing Tax Complexity: The State of Play after Henry
Authors: Tran‐Nam Binh , Evans Chris , Krever Richard , Lignier Philip
Published: September 2016

The most recent, significant tax reform review in Australia, popularly known as the Henry Review, was publicly released just over six years ago. This article provides a critical examination of Australia's experience in tax complexity management since the Henry Review. Two main observations are put forward. First, not surprisingly, very few of the Henry Review's recommendations related to tax simplification have been implemented. The Henry Review has achieved relatively more with respect to personal income taxation than business income taxation. Second, tax complexity in Australia has been increasing since the Henry Review from both the legal and economic perspectives. An attempt is then made to explain why it is so hard to simplify the tax system in Australia and elsewhere.
The effect of wildfire on scattered trees, ‘keystone structures’, in agricultural landscapes
Authors: Crane Mason , Lindenmayer David B. , Cunningham Ross B. , Stein John A. R.
Published: September 2016

Scattered trees are considered ‘keystone structures’ in many agricultural landscapes worldwide because of the disproportionate effect they have on ecosystem function and biodiversity. Populations of these trees are in decline in many regions. Understanding the processes driving these declines is crucial for better management. Here, we examine the impact of wildfire on populations of this keystone resource. We examined 62 observation plots affected by wildfire and matched with 62 control observation plots where fire was absent. Counts of scattered trees were conducted pre‐fire in 2005 and repeated post‐fire in 2011. Changes in populations were compared between the control and fire‐affected observation plots. Our results show wildfire had a significant local impact, with an average decline of 19.9% in scattered tree populations on burned plots. In contrast, scattered trees increased on average by 5.3% in the control observation plots. The impact of wildfire was amplified (as revealed by greater percentage tree losses) by larger wildfires. Wildfire effects on scattered tree populations are of concern, given a background of other (usually) chronic stressors (often associated with agriculture) and that the frequency and intensity of wildfire are predicted to increase in many landscapes.
A genome‐wide association study identifies a region strongly associated with symmetrical onychomadesis on chromosome 12 in dogs
Authors: Dahlgren S. , Ziener M. Lund , Lingaas F.
Published: September 2016

Symmetrical onychomadesis causes periodic loss of claws in otherwise healthy dogs. Genome‐wide association analysis in 225 Gordon Setters identified a single region associated with symmetrical onychomadesis on chromosome 12 (spanning about 3.3 mb). A meta‐analysis including also English Setters indicated that this genomic region predisposes for symmetrical onychomadesis in English Setters as well. The associated region spans most of the major histocompatibility complex and nearly 1 Mb downstream. Like many other autoimmune diseases, associations of symmetrical onychomadesis with DLA class II alleles have been reported. In this study, no associated markers were revealed within any of the DLA‐DRB1, ‐DQA1 or ‐DQB1 genes, and the odds for symmetrical onychomadesis in the Gordon Setters were much higher, carrying significant single nucleotide polymorphisms compared to the odds of any of the recorded DLA‐DRB1/DQA1/DQB1 haplotypes. We noticed that some of the associated DLA haplotypes were different between the English Setters and the Gordon Setters. Interestingly, associated SNP chip markers showed a more consistent pattern of allelic variants related to cases or controls regardless of breed. In conclusion, the associated genetic markers identified in this study hold the potential to aid in selection of breeding animals to reduce the frequency of symmetrical onychomadesis in the dog.
Focusing on relationships, not information, respects autonomy during antenatal consultations
Authors: Gaucher Nathalie , Payot Antoine
Published: September 2016

Policy statements regarding antenatal consultations for preterm labour are guided by physicians’ concerns for upholding the legal doctrine of informed consent, through the provision of standardised homogeneous medical information. This approach, led by classical in‐control conceptions of patient autonomy, conceives moral agents as rational, independent, self‐sufficient decision‐makers. Recent studies on these antenatal consultations have explored patients’ perspectives, and these differ from guidelines’ suggestions. Relational autonomy – which understands moral agents as rational, emotional, creative and interdependent – resonates impressively with these new data.

Conclusion

A model for antenatal consultations is proposed. This approach encourages clinicians to explore individual patients’ lived experiences and engage in trusting empowering relationships. Moreover, it calls on physicians to enhance patients’ relational autonomy by becoming advocates for their patients within healthcare institutions and professional organisations, while calling for broadscale policy changes to encourage further funding and support in investigations of the patient's voice.
Genetic associations between milk fat‐to‐protein ratio, milk production and fertility in the first two lactations of Thai Holsteins dairy cattle
Authors: Puangdee Somsook , Duangjinda Monchai , Boonkum Wuttigrai , Katawatin Suporn , Buaban Sayan , Thepparat Mongkol
Published: September 2016

The aims of this study were to estimate, simultaneously, the genetic parameters of test‐day milk fat‐to‐protein ratio (FPR), test‐day milk yield (MY), and days‐open (DO) in the first two lactations of Thai Holsteins. A total of 76 194 test‐day production records collected from 8874 cows with 8674 DO records between 2001 and 2011 from different lactations were treated as separated traits. The estimates of heritability for test‐day FPR in the first lactation showed an increasing trend, whereas the estimates in the second lactation showed a U‐shape trend. Genetic correlations for FPR‐DO and MY‐DO showed a decreasing trend along days in milk (DIM) in both lactations, whereas genetic correlations for FPR‐MY increased along DIM in the first lactation but decreased in the second lactation. Genetic correlations of FPR between consecutive DIM were moderate to high, which showed the effectiveness of simultaneous analyses. Selection of FPR in the early stage has no adverse effect on MY and DO for the first lactation but has a negative effect on MY and positive effect on DO for the second lactation. This study showed that genetic improvement of the energy balance using FPR, MY and DO with multi‐trait test day model could be applied in a Thailand dairy cattle breeding program.