bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Labour regulation in small firms
Authors: Regalia Ida
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to highlight a series of critical points in the traditional theory (and practice) of ER/IR, in search of a more comprehensive paradigm.

Design/methodology/approach

After an introduction based on a literature review, the paper draws on the results of recent empirical research, and particularly of a survey of employment relations in Italian small firms, in order to explore the extent to which practices conform to traditional expectations on the functioning of collectively mediated IR systems.

Findings

Through the combination of two dimensions – the representation of labour and the degree of workplace welfare – a typology of ER models in small firms is thus delineated unveiling the diffusion of “anomalous” configurations, in which labour organization and workplace welfare are disconnected from one another.

Research limitations/implications

The research results, which are here instrumentally used as an example of a much broader range of facts and behaviours that challenge the traditional wisdom, disclose a number of implications at theoretical level, that still need to be fully appreciated. They include the need to consider: the structure and composition of resources available to ER/IR actors both within and beyond workplaces; and the conditions for good labour relations also in absence of representation.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to the debate on the possibilities of positive and socially acceptable ways of setting the rules of work in the globalized scenario by focussing not on new, fashionable issues, but on an old problem often neglected by classic studies on industrial relations in the golden age.
Gauging the value of MOOCs
Authors: Rosendale Joseph A.
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine hiring managers’ perceptions of massive open online courses (MOOCs) as compared to traditional degree-conferred forms of higher education in relation to hiring and employment decisions.

Design/methodology/approach

A literature review is presented along with a triangulated theoretical framework. Using online survey data, quantitative methods reveal findings related to the main research question: what are hiring managers’ attitudes toward MOOCs as a form of post-secondary education?

Findings

Analysis of the data reveals that hiring managers have a clear preference for traditionally educated job applicants but employer demographics, apart from organizational procedures, do not significantly impact their overall perceptions of MOOCs’ value.

Research limitations/implications

Most of the research is based on anecdotal research. Very little has been written on how to fix this problem.

Practical implications

This paper illustrates implications of MOOCs’ future development and implementation both in higher education and in the labor-force. The main implication is that MOOCs represent neither a panacea to the issues facing higher education and the American labor-force nor an alarming threat to stakeholders appreciative of the status quo.

Originality/value

This paper fills a current research gap as evidenced in the literature; employers’ perceptions of MOOC-educated job applicants when compared to traditionally educated/degree-conferred job applicants. By determining the value of MOOCs as employers pragmatically view them, stakeholder groups can better determine their future positioning of MOOC-related resources in addition to time and money allocated in MOOCs’ direction.
Doing textiles experiments in game-based virtual reality
Authors: Lau Kung Wong , Kan Chi Wai , Lee Pui Yuen
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the use of stereoscopic virtual technology in textile and fashion studies in particular to the area of chemical experiment. The development of a designed virtual platform, called Stereoscopic Chemical Laboratory (SCL), is introduced.

Design/methodology/approach

To implement the suggested educational approaches of SCL, a set of teaching and learning materials with emphasis on the application methods was revised from the existing subjects. The architecture of SCL includes building of virtual objects with the Autodesk software Maya and designing of interactivity by using Unity, a game engine system. Prototype version of the SCL has been passed to selected academic colleagues and students for further evaluation and application feedback.

Findings

Textile students can conduct laboratory experiments associated with coloration and finishing of textile technologies in a stereoscopic 3D and multisensory laboratory, and hence enhance their learning experience. With the use of SCL, students can learn relevant experiment tools, experimental processes, procedures, and safety and health precautions.

Originality/value

There is very limited educational or training approach in applying stereoscopic virtual reality in teaching activities. In the area of textile experiment, the authors could say it is virtual and does not exist in current research domains.
Impact of antecedent factors on collaborative technologies usage among academic researchers in Malaysian research universities
Authors: Mohd Daud Norzaidi , Zakaria Halimi
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of antecedent factors on collaborative technologies usage among academic researchers in Malaysian research universities.

Design/methodology/approach

Data analysis was conducted on data collected from 156 academic researchers from five Malaysian research universities. This study employed an extensive quantitative approach of a structural equation modeling method to evaluate the research model and to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The main findings of this study are that personal innovativeness, task-technology fit, and perceived peer usage are significant predictors of individual usage of collaborative technologies; perceived managerial support and subjective norm were found not to be significant predictors to perceived usefulness and individual usage; and perceived usefulness is a significant mediator to individual usage in that it had fully mediated personal innovativeness whereas partially mediated peer usage.

Practical implications

The results provide practical insights into how the Malaysian higher education sector and other research organizations of not-for-profit structure could enhance their collaborative technologies usage.

Originality/value

This research is perhaps the first that concentrates on collaborative technologies usage in Malaysian research universities.
Reflections on leadership preparation programs and social justice
Authors: Berkovich Izhak
Published: March 2017

Purpose

Fundamental aspects of educational leadership preparation programs regarding social justice are embodied in program design elements, yet the scholarly community did not adequately address these issues. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

The essay suggests that organizational theories dealing with person-environment fit can shed light on the models, possibilities, and limitations of various preparation programs.

Findings

The essay proposes a meta-conceptual framework that builds on Schneider’s attraction-selection-attrition theory and on the socialization literature to classify leadership preparation programs by design. In addition, the paper reflects on the implications of program design in relation to the power and the responsibility of the faculty.

Originality/value

The essay argues that design decisions made by the faculty a priori enable and constrain its power and responsibility. The conclusion is that design decisions should be made by faculty with awareness of these issues.
School board member definitions of accountability
Authors: Ford Michael R. , Ihrke Douglas M.
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine the differing ways in which nonprofit charter and traditional public school board members define the concept of accountability in the school or schools they oversee. The findings speak to the governing consequences of shifting oversight of public education from democratically elected bodies to unelected nonprofit governing boards.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use originally collected survey data from democratically elected school board members and nonprofit charter school board members in Minnesota to test for differences in how these two populations view accountability. Open-ended survey questions are coded according to a previously used accountability typology.

Findings

The authors find that charter school board members are more likely than traditional public school board members to define accountability through high stakes testing as opposed to staff professionalization and bureaucratic systems.

Originality/value

The results speak to the link between board governance structure and accountability in the public education sector, providing new understanding on the way in which non-elected charter school board members view their accountability function.
The architectural design of trees protects them against large herbivores
Authors: Charles‐Dominique Tristan , Barczi Jean‐Francois , Le Roux Elizabeth , Chamaillé‐Jammes Simon
Published: March 2017

Where large browsers are abundant, the survival of trees depends on their ability to deploy defences, either chemical or structural. Structural defences include the arrangement of dense and intricate architecture, termed ‘cage’ architecture. Previous studies showed that trees developing in herbivore‐rich environments tend to have more cage architecture but its precise effect on mammalian herbivores remains unknown.

In this paper, we experimentally test how cage architecture affects the bite rate of goats, a generalist mammalian herbivore.

We selected 11 palatable tree species with contrasting architectures. We described their caginess using an index combining spinescence and woodiness of their stems. Finally, we evaluated how the caginess of trees slows down herbivores when feeding on the inner leaves in tree crowns.

We observed that the bite rate of goats on inner leaves of the cagiest trees was so severely reduced that they could not satisfy their daily nutritional requirements. We discuss how this could affect the preference of wild herbivores for less cagy trees, especially at the end of the dry season.

A lay summary is available for this article.
The ‘yes … but’ dilemma: implementing inclusive education in Emirati primary schools
Authors: Alborno Nadera Emran
Published: March 2017

The Ministry of Education (MOE) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) launched the ‘School for All’ inclusive education initiative in 2010. This article investigates the implementation of this initiative in three primary schools from stakeholders’ perspectives. Using a multiple case study approach, data were collected over a full school year from interviews, observations and documents. Findings revealed uneven progress in five areas: staff training and development, school structures, support services, assistive technology and community awareness. The study identified improved access to mainstream classrooms and growing awareness among stakeholders as emerging good practice. However, serious challenges remain regarding teacher training, exclusionary practices, the lack of specialised support services and misguided policies. This study contributes to the evidence‐based research on inclusion in the UAE with some emphasis on Islamic principles, cultural beliefs and the requirements of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability in promoting every child's right to an education.
Making the middle classes on shifting ground? Residential status, performativity and middle‐class subjectivities in contemporary London
Authors: Benson Michaela , Jackson Emma
Published: March 2017

This paper argues that shifts in access to housing – both in relation to rental and ownership – disrupt middle‐class reproduction in ways that fundamentally influence class formation. While property ownership has had a long association with middle‐class identities, status and distinction, an increasingly competitive rental market alongside inflated property prices has impacted on expectations and anxieties over housing futures. In this paper, we consider two key questions: (1) What happens to middle‐class identities under the conditions of this wider structural change? (2) How do the middle classes variously manoeuvre within this? Drawing on empirical research conducted in London, we demonstrate that becoming an owner‐occupier may be fractured along lines of class but also along the axes of age, wealth and timing, particularly as this relates to the housing market. It builds on understandings of residential status and place as central to the formation of class, orienting this around the recognition of both people and place as mutable, emphasizing that changing economic and social processes generate new class positionalities and strategies for class reproduction. We argue that these processes are writ large in practices of belonging and claims to place, with wider repercussions within the urban landscape.
Medicare's Acute Care Episode Demonstration: Effects of Bundled Payments on Costs and Quality of Surgical Care
Authors: Chen Lena M. , Ryan Andrew M. , Shih Terry , Thumma Jyothi R. , Dimick Justin B.
Published: March 2017

Objective

To evaluate whether participation in Medicare's Acute Care Episode (ACE) Demonstration Program—an early, small, voluntary episode‐based payment program—was associated with a change in expenditures or quality of care.

Data Sources/Study Setting

Medicare claims for patients who underwent cardiac or orthopedic surgery from 2007 to 2012 at ACE or control hospitals.

Study Design

We used a difference‐in‐differences approach, matching on baseline and pre‐enrollment volume, risk‐adjusted Medicare payments, and clinical outcomes to identify controls.

Principal Findings

Participation in the ACE Demonstration was not significantly associated with 30‐day Medicare payments (for orthopedic surgery: −$358 with 95 percent CI: −$894, +$178; for cardiac surgery: +$514 with 95 percent CI: −$1,517, +$2,545), or 30‐day mortality (for orthopedic surgery: −0.10 with 95 percent CI: −0.50, 0.31; for cardiac surgery: −0.27 with 95 percent CI: −1.25, 0.72). Program participation was associated with a decrease in total 30‐day post‐acute care payments (for cardiac surgery: −$718; 95 percent CI: −$1,431, −$6; and for orthopedic surgery: −$591; 95 percent CI: $‐$1,161, −$22).

Conclusions

Participation in Medicare's ACE Demonstration Program was not associated with a change in 30‐day episode‐based Medicare payments or 30‐day mortality for cardiac or orthopedic surgery, but it was associated with lower total 30‐day post‐acute care payments.
Effects of Hot‐Pressure Extraction Time on Composition and Gelatin Properties of Chicken Bone Extracts
Authors: Yue Jian‐ying , Wang Jin‐zhi , Zhang Chun‐hui , Jia Wei , Li Xia , Sun Zhen
Published: March 2017

Hot‐pressure extraction was utilized in this study to extract proteins from chicken bones at 130 °C. The obtained extracts were further used to prepare gelatin gels. Results demonstrated that the extraction time can significantly affect the composition of the chicken bone extracts (P < 0.05). High‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis indicated that the protein fraction of molecular weight (MW) >30 KDa was only visible in the extracts collected between 40 and 60 min. The highest contents of hydroxyproline, imino acids, and hydrophobic amino acids were all achieved in the chicken bone extracts after 120 min of extraction, being 3.9, 7.7, and 16.0 mg/g, respectively. The prepared gelatin properties were evaluated in terms of viscosity, storage and loss modulus, stability, gel strength, and their microstructures. Results indicated that gelatins made from chicken bone extracts of 20, 40, and 60 min extraction had better properties compared to that of 90 and 120 min. Significant correlations were identified between gelatin's composition and properties (P < 0.05). The abundance of proteins with MW of <10 KDa and 10 to 30 KDa was found to be the predominant factor that can affect the gelatin's properties. This study illustrated a promising and natural way to obtain edible gelatins from chicken bones.
The contribution of multiple pregnancies from overseas fertility treatment to obstetric services in a Western Australian tertiary obstetric hospital
Authors: Waller Kylie Anne , Dickinson Jan E. , Hart Roger J.
Published: March 2017

Background

Increasingly couples are travelling overseas to access assisted reproductive technology, known as cross border reproductive care, although the incidence, pregnancy outcomes and healthcare costs are unknown.

Aims

To determine obstetric and neonatal outcomes for multiple pregnancies conceived through fertility treatment overseas, and estimate cost of these pregnancies to the health system.

Materials and methods

Retrospective study of women receiving care for a multiple gestation between July 2013 and June 2015 at Western Australia's sole tertiary obstetric hospital, where conception was by overseas fertility treatment. Obstetric and neonatal outcomes were recorded and cost estimates calculated.

Results

Of 11 710 births, 422 were multiple pregnancies. Thirty‐seven pregnancies were conceived with fertility treatment, with 11 (29.7%) conceived overseas. Median antenatal clinic attendances, ultrasound examinations, and fetal assessments for the overseas fertility cases were six, 10, and nine, respectively. The gestational age at delivery ranged from 30 to 38 weeks (median 34 + 1). Median neonatal admission duration was 18 days (range 0–47). Cost for obstetric care was estimated between $170 000 and $216 000, and cost of neonatal care was estimated as $810 000, giving a combined total cost of between $980 000 and $1 026 000.

Conclusion

At the sole tertiary obstetric centre in WA, approximately one‐third of all multiple pregnancies conceived with fertility treatment resulted from treatment overseas. The Australian healthcare cost for these 11 women and their infants exceeded $1 000 000. This study suggests that overseas fertility treatment has a significant health‐related cost to the mother and infant, and the local healthcare system.
Clinical outcomes following inpatient penicillin allergy testing: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Sacco K. A. , Bates A. , Brigham T. J. , Imam J. S. , Burton M. C.
Published: March 2017

Background

A documented penicillin allergy is associated with increased morbidity including length of hospital stay and an increased incidence of resistant infections attributed to use of broader‐spectrum antibiotics. The aim of the systematic review was to identify whether inpatient penicillin allergy testing affected clinical outcomes during hospitalization.

Methods

We performed an electronic search of Ovid MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library over the past 20 years. Inpatients having a documented penicillin allergy that underwent penicillin allergy testing were included.

Results

Twenty‐four studies met eligibility criteria. Study sample size was between 24 and 252 patients in exclusively inpatient cohorts. Penicillin skin testing (PST) with or without oral amoxicillin challenge was the main intervention described (18 studies). The population‐weighted mean for a negative PST was 95.1% [CI 93.8‐96.1]. Inpatient penicillin allergy testing led to a change in antibiotic selection that was greater in the intensive care unit (77.97% [CI 72.0‐83.1] vs 54.73% [CI 51.2‐58.2], P<.01). An increased prescription of penicillin (range 9.9%‐49%) and cephalosporin (range 10.7%‐48%) antibiotics was reported. Vancomycin and fluoroquinolone use was decreased. Inpatient penicillin allergy testing was associated with decreased healthcare cost in four studies.

Conclusions

Inpatient penicillin allergy testing is safe and effective in ruling out penicillin allergy. The rate of negative tests is comparable to outpatient and perioperative data. Patients with a documented penicillin allergy who require penicillin should be tested during hospitalization given its benefit for individual patient outcomes and antibiotic stewardship.
Possible effect of landscape design on IgE recognition profiles of two generations revealed with micro‐arrayed allergens
Authors: Garib V. , Wollmann E. , Djambekova G. , Lemell P. , Kmenta M. , Berger U. , Zieglmayer P. , Valenta R.
Published: March 2017

The aim of this study was to investigate possible effects of landscape design on the IgE sensitization profile toward inhalant allergens in patients with respiratory allergy from Uzbekistan where green areas have been changed during the last two decades by a State program. Sera from two different generations of Uzbek (n=58) and, for control purposes, from two generations of Austrian (n=58) patients were analyzed for IgE reactivity to 112 different micro‐arrayed allergen molecules by ImmunoCAP ISAC technology. Changes in molecular IgE sensitization profiles to pollen allergens in the young vs the middle‐aged Uzbek population were associated with replanting, whereas those in the Vienna populations reflected natural changes in plant growth. Our data indicate that anthropologic as well as natural changes in the biome may have effects on IgE sensitization profiles already from one to another generation.
Estimating Time-Varying Directed Gene Regulation Networks
Authors: Nie Yunlong , Wang LiangLiang , Cao Jiguo
Published: March 2017

The problem of modeling the dynamical regulation process within a gene network has been of great interest for a long time. We propose to model this dynamical system with a large number of nonlinear ordinary differential equations (ODEs), in which the regulation function is estimated directly from data without any parametric assumption. Most current research assumes the gene regulation network is static, but in reality, the connection and regulation function of the network may change with time or environment. This change is reflected in our dynamical model by allowing the regulation function varying with the gene expression and forcing this regulation function to be zero if no regulation happens. We introduce a statistical method called functional SCAD to estimate a time-varying sparse and directed gene regulation network, and simultaneously, to provide a smooth estimation of the regulation function and identify the interval in which no regulation effect exists. The finite sample performance of the proposed method is investigated in a Monte Carlo simulation study. Our method is demonstrated by estimating a time-varying directed gene regulation network of 20 genes involved in muscle development during the embryonic stage of Drosophila melanogaster.
Drug repurposing from the perspective of pharmaceutical companies
Authors: Cha Y , Erez T , Reynolds I J , Kumar D , Ross J , Koytiger G , Kusko R , Zeskind B , Risso S , Kagan E , Papapetropoulos S , Grossman I , Laifenfeld D
Published: March 2017

Drug repurposing holds the potential to bring medications with known safety profiles to new patient populations. Numerous examples exist for the identification of new indications for existing molecules, most stemming from serendipitous findings or focused recent efforts specifically limited to the mode of action of a specific drug. In recent years, the need for new approaches to drug research and development, combined with the advent of big data repositories and associated analytical methods, has generated interest in developing systematic approaches to drug repurposing. A variety of innovative computational methods to enable systematic repurposing screens, experimental as well as through in silico approaches, have emerged. An efficient drug repurposing pipeline requires the combination of access to molecular data, appropriate analytical expertise to enable robust insights, expertise and experimental set‐up for validation and clinical development know‐how. In this review, we describe some of the main approaches to systematic repurposing and discuss the various players in this field and the need for strategic collaborations to increase the likelihood of success in bringing existing molecules to new indications, as well as the current advantages, considerations and challenges in repurposing as a drug development strategy pursued by pharmaceutical companies.

Linked Articles

This article is part of a themed section on Inventing New Therapies Without Reinventing the Wheel: The Power of Drug Repurposing. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v175.2/issuetoc
Reconsidering connectivity in the sub‐Antarctic
Authors: Moon Katherine L. , Chown Steven L. , Fraser Ceridwen I.
Published: March 2017

ABSTRACT

Extreme and remote environments provide useful settings to test ideas about the ecological and evolutionary drivers of biological diversity. In the sub‐Antarctic, isolation by geographic, geological and glaciological processes has long been thought to underpin patterns in the region's terrestrial and marine diversity. Molecular studies using increasingly high‐resolution data are, however, challenging this perspective, demonstrating that many taxa disperse among distant sub‐Antarctic landmasses. Here, we reconsider connectivity in the sub‐Antarctic region, identifying which taxa are relatively isolated, which are well connected, and the scales across which this connectivity occurs in both terrestrial and marine systems. Although many organisms show evidence of occasional long‐distance, trans‐oceanic dispersal, these events are often insufficient to maintain gene flow across the region. Species that do show evidence of connectivity across large distances include both active dispersers and more sedentary species. Overall, connectivity patterns in the sub‐Antarctic at intra‐ and inter‐island scales are highly complex, influenced by life‐history traits and local dynamics such as relative dispersal capacity and propagule pressure, natal philopatry, feeding associations, the extent of human exploitation, past climate cycles, contemporary climate, and physical barriers to movement. An increasing use of molecular data – particularly genomic data sets that can reveal fine‐scale patterns – and more effective international collaboration and communication that facilitates integration of data from across the sub‐Antarctic, are providing fresh insights into the processes driving patterns of diversity in the region. These insights offer a platform for assessing the ways in which changing dispersal mechanisms, such as through increasing human activity and changes to wind and ocean circulation, may alter sub‐Antarctic biodiversity patterns in the future.
The social gradient in oral health: Is there a role for dental anxiety?
Authors: Bernabé Eduardo , Humphris Gerry , Freeman Ruth
Published: March 2017

Objective

To evaluate the contribution of dental anxiety to social gradients in different oral health outcomes and whether social gradients in oral health persist once dental anxiety is removed from the population examined.

Methods

Data from 9035 British adults were analysed. Participants’ socioeconomic position (SEP) was measured through education and household income. Dental anxiety was measured with the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale. Poor subjective oral health, oral impacts on quality of life and edentulism among all adults and the number of teeth, the number of decayed, missing and filled surfaces (DMFS) and sextants with pocketing among dentate adults were the oral health outcomes. The contribution of dental anxiety to absolute and relative social inequalities in each oral health outcome (measured with the Slope and Relative Index of Inequality [SII and RII], respectively) was estimated from regression models without and with adjustment for dental anxiety and quantified with the percentage attenuation. Interactions between each SEP indicator and dental anxiety were used to test what would happen if dental anxiety were removed from the whole population.

Results

The largest contribution of dental anxiety to explaining oral health inequalities was found for education gradients in perceived outcomes (11%‐13%), but dental anxiety explained <4% of social gradients in edentulism. Among dentate adults, dental anxiety accounted for <5% and <7% of education and income gradients, respectively. Only four of the 24 interactions tested were statistically significant. Hence, the education‐ and income‐based SII and RII for oral impacts were nonsignificant among anxiety‐free adults but were significant at higher levels of dental anxiety.

Conclusions

Little support was found for the role of dental anxiety in explaining social inequalities in various perceived and clinical oral health measures. Oral health inequalities were found among both nondentally anxious and anxious participants.
Surgical treatment of uncomplicated diverticulitis in Switzerland: comparison of population‐based data over two time periods
Authors: von Strauss und Torney M. , Thommen S. , Dell‐Kuster S. , Hoffmann H. , Rosenthal R. , Young J. , Kettelhack C.
Published: March 2017

Aim

The standard of care for acute uncomplicated diverticulitis used to be an elective colon resection after the second or third episode. This practice was replaced by a more conservative and individualized approach. This study investigates current surgical practice in the treatment of acute uncomplicated diverticulitis in Switzerland.

Method

Retrospective cross‐sectional analysis of all hospital admissions due to uncomplicated diverticulitis in Switzerland using prospectively collected data from the Swiss Federal Statistical Office in two periods: 2004/2005 and 2010/2011. Treatment options were compared between the two periods with adjustment for baseline characteristics of patients and treating institutions.

Results

A total of 24 497 patients (11 835 in 2004/2005; 12 662 in 2010/2011) were admitted to Swiss hospitals for uncomplicated diverticulitis. Between periods, the incidence increased from 81 to 85 admissions per 105 inhabitants per year. Elective admissions decreased from 46% (n = 5490) to 34% (n = 4294). The unadjusted resection rate decreased from 40% (n = 4730) to 34% (n = 4308). In the adjusted analysis, inpatients were more likely to have a resection in 2010/2011 than in 2004/2005 [odds ratio of 1.38 (95% confidence interval 1.25–1.54)]. In addition, private insurance, elective mode of admission and younger age increased the odds for resection while there was no evidence of an association between resection and either gender or comorbidities.

Conclusion

The probability of colon resection for patients hospitalized with acute uncomplicated diverticulitis increased between periods while the overall number of colon resections declined. A change of practice expected given the paradigm shift towards conservative treatment could not be confirmed in this analysis.
THE EFFECT OF CASINO PROXIMITY ON LOTTERY SALES: EVIDENCE FROM MARYLAND
Authors: Cummings Will E. , Walker Douglas M. , Cotti Chad D.
Published: March 2017

The continued expansion of the casino industry has caused increasing concern regarding the cannibalization of other industries, and in particular, state lotteries. For example, Maryland Lottery sales flattened shortly after casinos began opening in the state. Although previous papers have found that casinos and lotteries have a negative relationship with each other, no previous research has analyzed the impact of casino proximity on lottery sales or has examined the relationship between casinos and different types of lottery games. In this paper, we examine ZIP code‐level monthly lottery sales data from Maryland between July 2009 and February 2014, in order to test the impact of casino proximity on lottery sales, by type of game. Our findings indicate that aggregate lottery sales decline more in closer proximity to casinos, but that casinos affect different lottery products differently. We discuss the consumer behavior and public finance implications of the findings. (JELH27, H4, L83)
An innovative approach to the preparation of coloured and multifunctional silk material with the natural extracts from chestnut shell and black rice bran
Authors: Jia Yanmei , Jiang Hongwu , Liu Zhimei , Wang Ruili
Published: March 2017

In order to reutilise the byproducts of foods and crops to benefit the environment and economise on resources, the natural extracts from chestnut shell and black rice bran were applied in the simultaneous dyeing and multifunctionalisation of silk fabrics. In this work, the influence of pH value on dyeing properties was studied. The effects of the ratio of chestnut shell and black rice bran extracts and the application of mordants (aluminium potassium sulphate and ferrous sulphate) on the dyeing performance as well as anti‐ultraviolet and antioxidant properties of treated silk were also discussed. The results showed that deep‐coloured silk fabrics can be obtained when dyed with the two natural extracts as the pH value of the dyebath approached 3. The ratio of the two natural extracts and the use of the mordants have significant effects on colour depth, colour hue, colour fastness, and the functionalities of dyed silk fabrics. Combination dyeing and mordanting are able to enrich the colour hues of dyed fabrics. The washing, rubbing, and light fastness of the dyed fabrics after mordanting can be rated higher than grade 4. Moreover, the silk after combination dyeing has good UV protection performance (UPF > 30) and antioxidant activity. In addition, the functionalities of treated fabrics showed excellent washing fastness. This study reveals that chestnut shell and black rice bran extracts are suitable as natural colourants and multifunctional finishing agents for the preparation of coloured and multifunctional silk materials.
Right ventricular function and N‐terminal pro‐brain natriuretic peptide levels in adult patients with simple dextro‐transposition of the great arteries
Authors: Martínez‐Quintana Efrén , Marrero‐Negrín Natalia , Gopar‐Gopar Silvia , Rodríguez‐González Fayna
Published: March 2017

Introduction

Dextro‐transposition of the great arteries (d‐TGA) patients is at high risk of developing right ventricular dysfunction and tricuspid regurgitation in adulthood. Determining the relation between echocardiographic parameters, N‐terminal pro‐brain natriuretic peptide (NT‐pro‐BNP) levels and the New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class may help determining the best time to operate them.

Methods

Patients with simple d‐TGA operated in infancy with an atrial switch procedure (Mustard or Senning operation) were followed up in our Adult Congenital Heart Disease Unit. Analytical, echocardiographic, and clinical parameters were determined to evaluate the correlation between right echocardiographic ventricular function, NT‐pro‐BNP levels, and NYHA functional class.

Results

Twenty‐four patients with d‐TGA were operated in infancy of whom 17 alive patients had simple d‐TGA. Nine patients had NT‐pro‐BNP levels lower than 200 pg/mL and eight patients were above 200 pg/mL. Patients with lower hemoglobin concentration, higher right ventricular diameter or under diuretic treatment showed significant higher NT‐pro‐BNP levels (above 200 pg/dL). The Spearman test showed a positive correlation between basal right ventricular diameter and tricuspid regurgitation with pro NT BNP levels (correlation coefficient of .624; P=.017 and .490; P=.046, respectively) and a negative correlation with the right ventricle fractional area change (−.508, P=.045). No correlation was seen between NT‐pro‐BNP levels and the rest of echocardiographic parameters or the NYHA functional class.

Conclusion

NT‐pro‐BNP levels showed a positive correlation with basal right ventricular diameter and tricuspid regurgitation but not with NYHA association functional class in d‐TGA patients.
A new MICA allele, MICA*007:07, characterized by cloning and sequencing
Authors: Wang W. Y. , Tian W. , Wang F. , Zhu F. M. , Wang P. X. , Xing L. F.
Published: March 2017

A new MICA allelic variant, MICA*007:07, was identified in an individual of Mongol ethnicity in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, northern China. Following polymerase chain reaction‐sequence‐based typing (PCR‐SBT), this new allele was further confirmed by cloning and sequencing. MICA*007:07 differs from MICA*007:01 by a synonymous mutation from G to A at the 2nd nucleotide position in exon 2. MICA*007:07 was linked to HLA‐B*27:05.
Trends and Determinants of Premarital Conception: Love in Korea
Authors: Kim Keuntae
Published: March 2017

Despite the heightened interest in human reproduction and the significant implications of premarital pregnancy for children’s health, strikingly little research has paid attention to the determinants or premarital pregnancy compared with more conventional fertility behavior. To fill this gap in the literature, this study drew data from the Korean Longitudinal Survey of Women and Families (N = 4333) and estimated discrete‐time event history models using multinomial logistic regressions. Results from descriptive analyses indicate that the share of premarital pregnancy among all births registered increased roughly two and a half times between 1997 and 2014. Also, while premarital conception increased in women at all educational levels, high school graduates and those with less than an elementary school education showed the largest increase in the share of premarital pregnancy. The results from multivariate models suggest that the characteristics of the women’s family of origin, such as being the firstborn child, the mother’s education, their living arrangements during adolescence, and their region of residence have enduring effects on both premarital and post‐martial pregnancy. Women’s achieved socioeconomic status, however, showed a weaker effect on the odds of premarital pregnancy than expected. The predicted probabilities of premarital pregnancy by age at first marriage across birth cohorts born between the 1940s and 1970s suggest that premarital pregnancy is particularly pronounced among women who marry in their early twenties. Moreover, at a given age at first marriage, the predicted probability of premarital pregnancy monotonically increases in more recent birth cohorts, suggesting that bridal pregnancy is increasingly prevalent among modern Korean women.
Peri‐vulvar reconstruction using internal pudendal artery perforator flap in female Fournier's gangrene
Authors: Baek Sang O , Park Seong H , Rhie Jong W , Han Hyun H
Published: March 2017

Fournier's gangrene in female patients has low incidence rate but high mortality rate compared with that in males, with many cases resulting in death at acute phase. This is due to the differences in male and female genital anatomy, which should be fully understood by physicians to increase the patient's survival rate. After crossing the acute phase of the disease by an appropriate treatment, it is important to reconstruct vaginal or vulvar defects according to the patient's three‐dimensional anatomical structures. Perforator flap based on internal pudendal artery is one of the ideal reconstructive techniques to resolve the aforementioned issue. The authors intend to introduce the distinguishing characteristics of Fournier's gangrene in female patients, and the surgical techniques to reconstruct the defects after the acute phase of disease.
Guidance on guidelines: Understanding the evidence on the uptake of health care guidelines
Authors: Brennan Cathy , Greenhalgh Joanne , Pawson Ray
Published: March 2017

Rationale

Regardless of health issue, health sector, patient condition, or treatment modality, the chances are that provision is supported by “a guideline” making professionally endorsed recommendations on best practice. Against this background, research has proliferated seeking to evaluate how effectively such guidance is followed. These investigations paint a gloomy picture with many a guideline prompting lip service, inattention, and even opposition. This predicament has prompted a further literature on how to improve the uptake of guidelines, and this paper considers how to draw together lessons from these inquiries.

Methods

This huge body of material presents a considerable challenge for research synthesis, and this paper produces a critical, methodological comparison of 2 types of review attempting to meet that task. Firstly, it provides an overview of the current orthodoxy, namely, “thematic reviews,” which aggregate and enumerate the “barriers and facilitators” to guideline implementation. It then outlines a “realist synthesis,” focussing on testing the “programme theories” that practitioners have devised to improve guideline uptake.

Results

Thematic reviews aim to provide a definitive, comprehensive catalogue of the facilitators and barriers to guideline implementation. As such, they present a restatement of the underlying problems rather than an improvement strategy. The realist approach assumes that the incorporation of any guideline into current practice will produce unintended system strains as different stakeholders wrestle over responsibilities. These distortions will prompt supplementary revisions to guidelines, which in turn beget further strains. Realist reviews follow this dynamic understanding of organisational change.

Conclusions

Health care decision makers operate in systems that are awash with guidelines. But guidelines only have paper authority. Managers do not need a checklist of their pros and cons, because the fate of guidelines depends on their reception rather than their production. They do need decision support on how to engineer and reengineer guidelines so they dovetail with evolving systems of health care delivery.
Identification and expression analysis of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase in humphead snapper Lutjanus sanguineus
Authors: Huang Y. , Cai J. , Tang J. F. , Zhang H. Y. , Wang Z. W. , Jian J. C. , Wu Z. H. , Lu Y. S.
Published: March 2017

A tdt gene was identified successfully from humphead snapper Lutjanus sanguineus, which contained 1710 bp encoding a protein of 463 amino acids. Results of quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) indicated that tdt mainly expressed in thymus and head kidney and the transcripts of tdt in these tissues were up‐regulated significantly at 36 and 48 h after Vibrio harveyi infection. Meanwhile Tdt‐producing cells were found in thymus and head kidney.
The cerebral basal arterial network: morphometry of inflow and outflow components
Authors: Burlakoti Arjun , Kumaratilake Jaliya , Taylor Jamie , Massy‐Westropp Nicola , Henneberg Maciej
Published: March 2017

The aim of this project was to study how the morphology of the incoming and outgoing arterial components of the cerebral basal arterial network influence the blood flow to the brain. The cerebral basal arterial network consists of the circulus arteriosus cerebri anteriorly and the basilar artery posteriorly. Diameters of inflow vessels (bilateral vertebral and internal carotid arteries), connecting vessels (anterior communicating, basilar and bilateral posterior communicating arteries) and outflow vessels (anterior, middle and posterior cerebral arteries) were measured and cross‐sectional areas calculated in 51 cadaveric brain specimens. The individual and the average cross‐sectional areas of inflow arteries (51.43 mm2) were significantly bigger than the major outflow arteries (37.76 mm2) but smaller than the combined cross‐sectional areas of outflow (37.76 mm2) and connecting (25.33 mm2) arteries. The difference in the size of arterial cross‐sectional area and the presence of the connecting arteries in the cerebral basal arterial network provides a mechanism for lowering peaks in pressure, and demonstrates a function of the cerebral basal arterial network.
Predictors for long‐term survival after transcatheter edge‐to‐edge mitral valve repair
Authors: Orban Mathias , Orban Martin , Lesevic Hasema , Braun Daniel , Deseive Simon , Sonne Carolin , Hutterer Lisa , Grebmer Christian , Khandoga Alexander , Pache Jürgen , Mehilli Julinda , Schunkert Heribert , Kastrati Adnan , Hagl Christian , Bauer Axel , Massberg Steffen , Boekstegers Peter , Nabauer Michael , Ott Ilka , Hausleiter Jörg
Published: March 2017

Objectives

To determine predictors for long‐term outcome in high‐risk patients undergoing transcatheter edge‐to‐edge mitral valve repair (TMVR) for severe mitral regurgitation (MR).

Background

There is no data on predictors of long‐term outcome in high‐risk real‐world patients.

Methods

From August 2009 to April 2011, 126 high‐risk patients deemed inoperable were treated with TMVR in two high‐volume university centers.

Results

MR could be successfully reduced to grade ≤2 in 92.1% of patients (116/126 patients). Long‐term clinical follow‐up up to 5 years (95.2% follow‐up rate) revealed a mortality rate of 35.7% (45/126 patients). Repeat mitral valve treatment (surgery or intervention) was needed in 19 patients (15.1%). Long‐term clinical improvement was demonstrated with 69% of patients being in NYHA class ≤II. In a multivariable Cox regression analysis, the post‐procedural grade of MR (hazard ratio [HR] 1.55 per grade, P = 0.035), the left ventricular ejection fraction (HR 0.58 for difference between 75th and 25th percentile, P = 0.031) and the glomerular filtration rate (HR 0.33 for 75th vs 25th percentile, P < 0.001) were independent predictors for long‐term mortality. Patients with primary MR and a post‐procedural MR grade ≤1 had the most favorable long‐term outcome.

Conclusions

This study determines predictors of long‐term clinical outcome after TMVR and demonstrates that the grade of residual MR determines long‐term survival. Our data suggest that it might be of benefit reducing residual MR to the lowest possible MR grade using TMVR—especially in selected high‐risk patients with primary MR who are not considered as candidates for surgical MVR.
Role of deferred stenting in patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: De Maria Giovanni Luigi , Alkhalil Mohammad , Oikonomou Evangelos K. , Wolfrum Mathias , Choudhury Robin P. , Banning Adrian P.
Published: March 2017

Objectives

We conducted a meta‐analysis of studies comparing deferred stenting strategy versus the conventional approach with immediate stenting in patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction.

Background

Deferring stent after mechanical flow restoration has been proposed as a strategy to reduce the risk of “no reflow” in patients with STEMI undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI). Conflicting evidence is available currently, especially after the recent publication of three randomized clinical trials.

Methods

Searches in electronic databases were performed. Comparisons between the two strategies were performed for both hard clinical endpoints (all cause‐mortality, cardiovascular mortality, unplanned revascularization, myocardial infarction and readmission for heart failure) and surrogate angiographic endpoints (TIMI flow < 3 and myocardial blush grade (MBG) < 2).

Results

Eight studies (three randomized and five non‐randomized) were deemed eligible, accounting for a total of 2101 patients. No difference in terms of hard clinical endpoints was observed between deferred and immediate stenting (OR [95% CI]: 0.79 [0.54‐1.15], for all‐cause mortality; odds ratio (OR) [95% CI]: 0.79 [0.47‐1.31] for cardiovascular mortality; OR [95% CI]: 0.95 [0.64‐1.41] for myocardial infarction; OR [95% CI]: 1.37 [0.87‐2.16], for unplanned revascularization and OR [95% CI]: 0.50 [0.21‐1.17] for readmission for heart failure). Notably, the deferred stenting approach was associated with improved outcome of the surrogate angiographic endpoints (OR [95% CI]: 0.43 [0.18‐0.99] of TIMI flow < 3 and OR [95% CI]: 0.25 [0.11‐0.57] for MBG < 2.

Conclusions

A deferred stenting strategy could be a feasible alternative to the conventional approach with immediate stenting in “selected” STEMI patients undergoing pPCI.