bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Does having women managers lead to increased gender equality practices in corporate social responsibility?
Authors: Larrieta‐Rubín de Celis Izaskun , Velasco‐Balmaseda Eva , Fernández de Bobadilla Sara , Alonso‐Almeida María del Mar , Intxaurburu‐Clemente Gurutze
Published: October 2014

There is increasing interest in determining what impact having women in management positions may have on corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. Various authors suggest that gender equality practices should be factored into the broader framework of CSR. This paper examines how the presence of women on corporate boards, in top and middle management and as heads of CSR departments, influences gender equality practices in the field of CSR. Using information collected from companies that have signed up to Women's Empowerment Principles in Spain, we show that the presence of women in the aforesaid posts has a positive impact on CSR activities with gender equality objectives. We thus supplement the justice, business and moral arguments with further arguments in support of the incorporation of women into not only corporate boards but all management positions. Finally, we provide a view of how gender equality can be included in the broader framework of CSR.
Smart learning adoption in employees and HRD managers
Authors: Lee Junghwan , Zo Hangjung , Lee Hwansoo
Published: October 2014

The innovation of online technologies and the rapid diffusion of smart devices are changing workplace learning environment. Smart learning, as emerging learning paradigm, enables employees' learning to take place anywhere and anytime. Workplace learning studies, however, have focused on traditional e‐learning environment, and they have failed to capture the features of new learning environment and prove its impact on the adoption. As a result, they have failed to align educational needs of employee and technology‐oriented approach of organisation. Thus, this study addresses the differentiated characteristics of smart learning and analyse how this characteristics influence its adoption. In order to suggest the way of successful adoption, this study compares adoption behaviour of employees and HRD managers, as a learner and a coordinator of learning. The results demonstrate that mobility and personalisation of smart learning is crucial for the adoption. According to comparative analysis, the adoption behaviour of smart learning also differs in employees and HRD manager. HRD manager emphasise perceived ease of use as a reason for adoption, while employees emphasise perceived usefulness. Mobility, interactivity, personalisation and collaborativeness, which are important features of smart learning, have different effects on perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness for the two groups. This analysis provides useful guidance for practice to adopt smart learning successfully.
Organisational learning as an emerging process: The generative role of digital tools in informal learning practices
Authors: Za Stefano , Spagnoletti Paolo , North‐Samardzic Andrea
Published: October 2014

Increasing attention is paid to organisational learning, with the success of contemporary organisations strongly contingent on their ability to learn and grow. Importantly, informal learning is argued to be even more significant than formal learning initiatives. Given the widespread use of digital technologies in the workplace, what requires further attention is how digital technologies (eg, massive open online courses—MOOC) enable informal learning processes. Drawing fromComplexAdaptiveSystems (CAS) theory, in this paper we advance a conceptual model for examining this important topic. The two dimensional matrix and the micro‐level description of informal learning activities presented provide a framework for both further research on technology‐mediated practices for informal learning, as well as the design of formative contexts for learning to occur.
Hodgson, Vet al ed (2014) The design, experience and practice of networked learningSpringer (Berlin) isbn 978‐3‐319‐01940‐6 281 pp £93.50 e‐book (boards £117) http://www.springer.com/education+%26+language/learning+%26+instruction/book/978‐3‐319‐01939‐0
Authors: Johnson Mike
Published: October 2014

This collection of twelve papers from the 2012 Networked Learning Conference will stimulate and focus your attention on vital aspects of the design, experience, practice and research of networked learning in a diverse range of contexts. An extended introductory overview chapter carries a valuable contribution to debates about the essence and state of the field. If you are likely to find the content of this book relevant, I recommend you borrow a copy.

Mike Johnson
Salmons, Janet (2015) Qualitative online interviewsSage (London & Thousand Oaks CA) isbn 978‐1‐4833‐3267‐3 320 pp £37.99 http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415525794/
Authors: Cowan John
Published: October 2014

This tightly written, well founded, comprehensive yet highly readable source book for anyone undertaking qualitative online interviews is a must for modern researchers. It takes interviewing wholeheartedly forward into the digital age. If you feel the content of this book is likely to be relevant to you, I recommend that you buy a copy for your own use.

John Cowan
Labelling and discrimination: Do homophobic epithets undermine fair distribution of resources?
Authors: Fasoli Fabio , Maass Anne , Carnaghi Andrea
Published: October 2014

This research investigated the behavioural consequences of homophobic epithets. After exposure to either a category or a homophobic label, heterosexual participants allocated fictitious resources to two different prevention programmes: one mainly relevant to heterosexuals (sterility prevention), the other to homosexuals (AIDS‐HIV prevention). Responses on allocation matrices served to identify strategies that favoured the ingroup over the outgroup. Results indicated stronger ingroup‐favouritism in the homophobic than in the category label condition. This study shows that discriminatory group labels have tangible effects on people's monetary behaviours in intergroup contexts, increasing their tendency to favour the ingroup when distributing resources.
Hazelnut allergy differs between children and adults in frequency of severity, aetiology and relevance of diagnostic parameters
Authors: Masthoff L. J. , van Hoffen E. , de Reus A. , Boonacker C. W. , Bruijnzeel‐Koomen C. A. , Pasmans S. G. , Knulst A. C.
Published: October 2014

Background

Hazelnut allergy in adults is often birch pollen related, whereas in children, non‐pollen‐related hazelnut allergy is more frequent.

Objective

To compare the differences in hazelnut allergy between children and adults with regard to severity, aetiology and diagnostic value of routinely available data.

Methods

Adults (n = 120) who underwent a double‐blind placebo‐controlled food challenge (DBPCFC) for hazelnut were selected and compared to 151 hazelnut‐challenged children from a previous study. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to build a prediction model. The area under the curve (AUC) of the ROC curve was determined for level of hazelnut‐specific IgE, skin prick test (SPT) and the prediction model.

Results

Hazelnut allergy was confirmed by DBPCFC in 95/120 (79%) adults, 77% had only subjective and 23% objective symptoms, whereas in children, 63% had objective symptoms to hazelnut. Within the group of children, the frequency of severe hazelnut allergy was higher in younger than in older children. A concomitant birch pollen allergy was more common in adults (82%) than in children (39%) with a hazelnut allergy. A detailed history with allergic symptoms to previous ingestion of hazelnut had the highest diagnostic value in adults, while in children, SPT to hazelnut extract showed the highest level of discrimination between clinical reactivity and tolerance to hazelnut.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance

Hazelnut allergy differs between children and adults with respect to frequency of severity, aetiology and relevance of diagnostic parameters. Therefore, age has to be taken into account in the diagnostic work‐up of a hazelnut allergy.
Male central hypogonadism secondary to exogenous androgens: a review of the drugs and protocols highlighted by the online community of users for prevention and/or mitigation of adverse effects
Authors: Karavolos Stamatios , Reynolds Michael , Panagiotopoulou Nikoletta , McEleny Kevin , Scally Michael , Quinton Richard
Published: October 2014

Androgen‐ or anabolic steroid‐induced hypogonadism (ASIH) is no longer confined to professional athletes; its prevalence amongst young men and teenagers using androgens and/or anabolic steroids (AASs) is rising fast, and those affected can experience significant symptoms. Clinicians are increasingly encountering demanding, well‐informed men affected by ASIH, yet lacking authoritative information on the subject may struggle to project a credible message. In this article, we overview the methods and drugs that men use in an attempt to counteract ASIH (with a view to either preventing its onset, or reversing it once it has developed) and summarize the scientific evidence underpinning these. The main channel for obtaining these drugs is the Internet, where they can be readily sourced without a valid prescription. An Internet search using relevant terms revealed a huge number of websites providing advice on how to buy and use products to counteract ASIH. Drugs arising repeatedly in our search included human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG), selective oestrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) and aromatase inhibitors (AIs). The quality and accuracy of the online information was variable, but review of medical literature also highlighted a lack of scientific data to guide clinical practice. It is important for clinicians to be aware of the AAS user's self‐treatment strategies with regard to ASIH side‐effect mitigation. By ensuring that they are well‐informed, clinicians are more likely to retain the credibility and trust of AAS users, who will in turn likely be more open to engage with appropriate management.
Soft tissue conditions and marginal bone levels of implants with a laser‐microtextured collar: a 5‐year, retrospective, controlled study
Authors: Iorio‐Siciliano V. , Matarasso R. , Guarnieri R. , Nicolò M. , Farronato D. , Matarasso S.
Published: October 2014

Aim

To compare clinical and radiographic outcomes of implants with a Laser‐Lok®‐microtextured collar to implants with a resorbable blast textured (RBT) collar after a 5‐year follow‐up period.

Materials and methods

Thirty‐four implants with a Laser‐Lok®‐microtextured collar (test group [TG]) and 31 implants with an RBT collar (control group [CG]) were placed in 45 non‐smoking, periodontally healthy patients. The full‐mouth plaque score, full‐mouth bleeding score, number of sites with plaque, and the number of sites with bleeding on probing (BOP) were recorded at baseline, and at 1‐, 2‐, 3‐, 4‐, and 5‐year follow‐up. Probing depth (PD) and mucosal recession were assessed at baseline and after the 5‐year follow‐up period. The radiographic marginal bone loss (MBL) was calculated by subtracting the bone level at the time of crown insertion from the bone level at the 5‐year follow‐up.

Results

An implant survival rate of 94% and of 90% was reported for the TG and the CG, respectively. No statistical differences were found between the study groups for presence of plaque (10.1% vs. 25%) or for number of sites with BOP (10.3% vs. 23%). The differences between both study groups were statistically significant for mean MBL (0.81 ± 0.24  vs. 2.02 ± 0.32 mm), mean PD (2.32 ± 0.44 vs. 4.25 ± 0.87 mm), and mean mucosal recession (0.16 ± 0.3  vs. 0.22 ± 0.3 mm).

Conclusions

Within the limitations of this study, results suggest that the laser‐microtextured implant collar surface may provide more favorable conditions for the attachment of hard and soft tissues, and reduce the level of MBL.
CAN INTERNATIONAL TRANSFERS BE PROBLEMATIC? HONDURAN REMITTANCES AND LABOR SUPPLY DECISIONS
Authors: Stanley Denise
Published: October 2014

Declining work force participation rates are a potentially important public policy issue for governments in countries with large capital inflows. Here we consider remittances as both a household and individual characteristic to estimate the impact of this nonwage transfer on labor supply decisions in Honduras. Although an initial view suggests moderate reductions across the working‐age population, we find evidence of increased participation through a reallocation of labor time across work categories. Our inclusion of the individual nature of remittance reception suggests less emphasis on the unified household perspective is warranted. (JEL O15, O12, J29)
Embodiment Effects and Language Comprehension in Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: De Scalzi Marika , Rusted Jennifer , Oakhill Jane
Published: October 2014

It has been shown that when participants are asked to make sensibility judgments on sentences that describe a transfer of an object toward or away from their body, they are faster to respond when the response requires a movement in the same direction as the transfer described in the sentence. This phenomenon is known as the action compatibility effect (ACE). This study investigates whether the ACE exists for volunteers with Alzheimer's disease (AD), whether the ACE can facilitate language comprehension, and also whether the ACE can still be produced if the order of the two events is inverted, that is, whether overt movement can prime comprehension of transfer sentences. In Study 1, participants with AD, younger, and older adults were tested on an adaptation of the ACE Paradigm. In Study 2, the same paradigm was modified to include an arm movement that participants had to perform prior to sentence exposure on screen. In Study 1, young, older adults, and individuals with AD were faster to respond when the direction of the response movement matched the directionality implied by the sentence (ACE). In Study 2, no traditional ACE was found; participants were faster when the direction of the movement immediately preceding the sentence matched the directionality of the sentence. It was found that compatibility effects generated a relative advantage, that transfer schemata are easier to process, and that an ACE‐like effect can be the result of mutual priming between language and movement. Results suggested preservation in AD of the neural systems for action engaged during language comprehension, and conditions under which comprehension in AD can be facilitated in real life may be identified.
The Simon Effect in Action: Planning and/or On‐Line Control Effects?
Authors: Scorolli Claudia , Pellicano Antonello , Nicoletti Roberto , Rubichi Sandro , Castiello Umberto
Published: October 2014

Choice reaction tasks are performed faster when stimulus location corresponds to response location (Simon effect). This spatial stimulus–response compatibility effect affects performance at the level of action planning and execution. However, when response selection is completed before movement initiation, the Simon effect arises only at the planning level. The aim of this study was to ascertain whether when a precocious response selection is requested, the Simon effect can be detected on the kinematics characterizing the online control phase of a non‐ballistic movement. Participants were presented with red or green colored squares, which could appear on the right, left, above, or below a central cross. Depending on the square's color, participants had to release one of two buttons (right/left), then reach toward and press a corresponding lateral pad. We found evidence of the Simon effect on both action planning and on‐line control. Moreover, the investigation of response conflict at the level of previous trials (i.e., n−1), a factor that might determine interference at the level of the current response, revealed a conflict adaptation process across trials. Results are discussed in terms of current theories concerned with the Simon effect and the distinction between action planning and control.
Neurological outcomes of animal models of uterine artery ligation and relevance to human intrauterine growth restriction: a systematic review
Authors: Basilious Alfred , Yager Jerome , Fehlings Michael G
Published: October 2014

Aim

This review explores the molecular, neurological, and behavioural outcomes in animal models of uterine artery ligation. We analyse the relevance of this type of model to the pathological and functional phenotypes that are consistent with cerebral palsy and its developmental comorbidities in humans.

Method

A literature search of the PubMed database was conducted for research using the uterine artery ligation model published between 1990 and 2013. From the studies included, any relevant neuroanatomical and behavioural deficits were then summarized from each document and used for further analysis.

Results

There were 25 papers that met the criteria included for review, and several outcomes were summarized from the results of these papers. Fetuses with growth restriction demonstrated a gradient of reduced body weight with a relative sparing of brain mass. There was a significant reduction in the size of the somatosensory cortex, hippocampus, and corpus callosum. The motor cortex appeared to be spared of identifiable deficits. Apoptotic proteins were upregulated, while those important to neuronal survival, growth, and differentiation were downregulated. Neuronal apoptosis and astrogliosis occurred diffusely throughout the brain regions. White matter injury involved oligodendrocyte precursor maturation arrest, hypomyelination, and an aberrant organization of existing myelin. Animals with growth restriction demonstrated deficits in gait, memory, object recognition, and spatial processing.

Interpretation

This review concludes that neuronal death, white matter injury, motor abnormalities, and cognitive deficits are important outcomes of uterine artery ligation in animal models. Therefore, this is a clinically relevant type of model, as these findings resemble deficits in human cerebral palsy.
STRATEGIC OR NONSTRATEGIC: THE ROLE OF FINANCIAL BENEFIT IN BANKRUPTCY
Authors: Zhang Shuoxun , Sabarwal Tarun , Gan Li
Published: October 2014

A partial test for strategic behavior in bankruptcy filing may be formulated by testing whether consumers manipulate their debt and filing decision jointly, or not: that is, testing for endogeneity of financial benefit and the bankruptcy filing decision. Using joint maximum likelihood estimation of an extended discrete choice model, test results are consistent with nonstrategic filing: financial benefit is exogenous to the filing decision. This result is confirmed in two different datasets (Panel Study of Income Dynamics and Survey of Consumer Finances). This result is consistent with an ex ante low net gain from a bankruptcy filing; a type of “rational inattention” to rare events such as bankruptcy. (JEL D12, D14)
Environmental correlates of body size distribution in Cyprinidae (Actinopterygians) depend on phylogenetic scale
Authors: Denys Gaël P.J. , Tedesco Pablo A. , Oberdorff Thierry , Gaubert Philippe
Published: October 2014

The pattern of increasing species body size with increasing latitude has been noticed in different groups of animals. Here, we used seven key environmental factors and independent contrasts to assess body size latitudinal clines in Cyprinidae at two phylogenetic levels (inter‐ and intragenera), which were defined using a genus‐level supertree. Model selection procedures revealed that environmental factors shaping body size variation in Cyprinidae differed according to the phylogenetic scale considered. At the higher phylogenetic level, we found that both temperature (negative effect) and habitat availability (positive effect of drainage basin surface area) constituted mechanistic explanations of large‐scale body size distribution. No temperature‐related body size cline was observed at the intragenus level. Instead, competitive interaction (negative effect of species richness), habitat availability (positive effect of drainage basin surface area), migration ability and available energy (positive effects of glacial coverage and actual evapotranspiration) constitute alternative explanations at this lower phylogenetic scale. We conclude that (i) at the intergenus level, cyprinids do show a tendency to be smaller at high temperatures and larger at low temperatures, (ii) this tendency no longer exists at the intragenus level, (iii) latitude per se is a weak predictor of body size clines whatever the taxonomic level analysed, (iv) generalising geographical body size patterns may be rendered difficult by the superimposition of a series of mechanisms across different taxonomic scales, and (v) habitat size, here acting positively at both taxonomic scales, may play a major role in shaping riverine species body size clines.
An irrevocable shift: detailing the dynamics of rural poverty in southernEngland, 1762–1834: a case study
Authors: French Henry
Published: October 2014

Nearly every conceivable aspect of the old poor law in England appears to have been studied. Yet some fundamental questions about parish‐level provisioning remain hard to answer. These include the amount that people received from the parish, from all sources, each week; how the balance between types of payments shifted over the period, and (correspondingly) within the individual life‐course; the range of services or supplements that such individuals received, from the parish, over the course of their lives; and how this spectrum of relief adjusted to the massive macro‐level changes that we know occurred in the poor relief system between the 1760s and 1834. This study attempts to answer these questions in new depth, by employing a dataset that encompasses all payments to named individuals within theEssex parish ofTerling between 1762 and 1834, totalling 143,801 payments to 1,508 recipients. Analysis of this dataset provides new insights into the size, scope, changes, and significance of poor relief in labouring families' lives in southernEngland in this period.
Does the Possibility to Make Equity Investments in Crowdfunding Projects Crowd Out Reward–Based Investments?
Authors: Cholakova Magdalena , Clarysse Bart
Published: October 2014

Despite crowdfunding's increasing popularity as a vehicle for financing early–stage ventures, we still know relatively little about the mechanisms that drive individuals to pledge and invest via such online platforms. We explored the extent to which financial or nonfinancial motivations determine the decision to invest for equity or to pledge. In addition, we also looked at whether having invested for equity can crowd out individuals’ motivation to keep a pledge into the same project. Our results show that nonfinancial motives play no significant role. Furthermore, we find that having invested for equity is a positive predictor of keeping a pledge.
Recent actions of the US Food and Drug Administration against illegal homeopathic products
Authors: Van Dusen Virgil , Pray W Steven
Published: October 2014

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the USA is charged with protecting the American public from products that are adulterated, misbranded or which fit the federal definition of ‘health fraud.’ One company, the Standard Homeopathic Company and its Hyland's line of homeopathic remedies, has violated all three of these laws. Hyland's Teething Tablets have injured babies through toxic amounts of belladonna, and it makes numerous unsupported medical claims for non‐prescription products that violate misbranding laws. Further, since the products lack any evidence of safety and efficacy, they fit the FDA definition of ‘health fraud.’ The FDA has attempted to force Standard Homeopathic to follow the relevant laws, but the company has not so far fully corrected the illegal acts.
Raf‐interactome in tuning the complexity and diversity of Raf function
Authors: An Su , Yang Yang , Ward Richard , Liu Ying , Guo Xiao‐Xi , Xu Tian‐Rui
Published: October 2014

Raf kinases have been intensely studied subsequent to their discovery 30 years ago. The Ras‐Raf‐mitogen‐activated protein kinase/extracellular signal‐regulated kinase kinase‐extracellular signal‐regulated kinase/mitogen‐activated protein kinase (Ras‐Raf‐MEK‐ERK/MAPK) signaling pathway is at the heart of the signaling networks that control many fundamental cellular processes and Raf kinases takes centre stage in the MAPK pathway, which is now appreciated to be one of the most common sources of the oncogenic mutations in cancer. The dependency of tumors on this pathway has been clearly demonstrated by targeting its key nodes; however, blockade of the central components of the MAPK pathway may have some unexpected side effects. Over recent years, the Raf‐interactome or Raf‐interacting proteins have emerged as promising targets for protein‐directed cancer therapy. This review focuses on the diversity of Raf‐interacting proteins and discusses the mechanisms by which these proteins regulate Raf function, as well as the implications of targeting Raf‐interacting proteins in the treatment of human cancer.
DNA methylome profiling beyond promoters – taking an epigenetic snapshot of the breast tumor microenvironment
Authors: Jeschke Jana , Collignon Evelyne , Fuks François
Published: October 2014

Breast cancer, one of the most common and deadliest malignancies in developed countries, is a remarkably heterogeneous disease, which is clinically reflected by patients who display similar pathological features but respond differently to treatments. In the search for mediators of responsiveness, the tumor microenvironment (TME), in particular tumor‐associated immune cells, has been pushed into the spotlight as it has become clear that the TME is an active component of breast cancer disease that affects clinical outcomes. Thus, the characterization of the TME in terms of cell identities and their frequencies has generated a great deal of interest. The common methods currently used for this purpose are either limited in accuracy or application, and DNA methylation has recently been proposed as an alternative approach. The aim of this review is to discuss DNA methylation profiling beyond promoters as a potential clinical tool for TME characterization and cell typing within tumors. With respect to this, we review the role of DNA methylation in breast cancer and cell‐lineage specification, as well as inform about the composition and clinical relevance of the TME.
Effects of increased water temperature on leaf litter quality and detritivore performance: a whole‐reach manipulative experiment
Authors: Mas‐Martí Esther , Muñoz Isabel , Oliva Francesc , Canhoto Cristina
Published: October 2014

We compared leaf litter conditioning in two artificial stream channels that were connected to a second‐order stream (both in‐ and outflow). The water in one channel had the same temperature as the stream and in the other channel was warmed (3 °C above ambient stream water temperature). In addition to measuring leaf decomposition by microbes, we ran feeding trials in the artificial streams and the laboratory that addressed the feeding preferences, resource acquisition and performance of a dominant detritivore.

Oak leaves were conditioned for three weeks in both channels and then offered during the following five weeks to Sericostoma vittatum larvae kept in cages in the same channels. Additionally, leaves conditioned in both conditions were simultaneously offered to the larvae in a feeding preference laboratory trial. Leaves conditioned in the channel with elevated temperature had reduced toughness, fewer phenols and lower carbon : nitrogen ratios. However, individuals did not prefer these leaves over those conditioned at ambient stream temperature.

We observed lower carbon : nitrogen imbalances and increased consumption rates in the stream channel at warmer temperature but these were not translated into higher growth rates. Higher metabolic rates of the S. vittatum individuals and other temperature‐mediated factors such as changes in leaf quality could explain the increased consumption. We observed higher lipid storage and earlier pupation of S. vittatum at warmer temperatures, suggesting that individuals allocated resources to metamorphosis and reproduction, rather than to somatic growth.

We argue that microbial and invertebrate‐mediated organic matter cycling will be faster in streams under future warming scenarios. However, these systems will likely become less efficient in carbon retention via effects on larval performance (growth and developmental time) and timing of prey availability to the stream and coupled riparian food webs.
The twenty‐first‐century Arctic environment: accelerating change in the atmospheric, oceanic and terrestrial spheres
Authors: Hodgkins Richard
Published: October 2014

The Arctic possesses distinctive environmental characteristics that act as strong, positive feedbacks on atmospheric warming; in fact, it is almost uniquely susceptible to rapid change brought about through climate warming from both natural and anthropogenic sources. The aim of this commentary is to outline recent and probable future environmental changes in the Arctic. It commences with a consideration of rates of change through the satellite era in air temperatures, sea ice extent, snow cover and the state of balance of the Greenland Ice Sheet. This is subsequently set against fluctuations over previous centuries and millennia. From this observational basis, the commentary moves on to consider factors which particularly amplify rates of change in high northern latitudes, before addressing further feedbacks which may become important, and how Arctic changes may proceed up to the year 2100.
Prospective evaluation of venous access difficulty and a near‐infrared vein visualizer at four French haemophilia treatment centres
Authors: Guillon P. , Makhloufi M. , Baillie S. , Roucoulet C. , Dolimier E. , Masquelier A.‐M.
Published: October 2014

Although a serious impediment in haemo‐philia patients, difficulty accessing peripheral veins has received little attention in clinical studies. New peripheral vein visualization devices could potentially ameliorate difficult venous access (DVA), but their utility remains unproved. The study aim was to survey the frequency, causes and clinical manifestations of DVA and evaluate the clinical utility of a near‐infrared (NIR) vein visualizer. In this multicentre prospective study, methods, difficulties and outcomes of venous access were assessed for a single venipuncture in consecutive patients. The impact of an NIR vein visualizer on vein localization, the number of venipuncture attempts and patient stress and pain was determined. Among 450 total patients enrolled, venous access was judged to be difficult in 165 (36.7%), most often because of poor vein condition, young patient age, overweight and difficulty in finding veins. Of the patients with DVA, difficulty in locating veins was encountered in 82.4%, and more than one venipuncture attempt was required in 24.8%. Veins were difficult to locate in significantly fewer DVA patients (P = 0.002) when the NIR vein visualizer was used (76.0%) than not used (92.3%). Pain during venipuncture in DVA patients was also significantly less common (P = 0.019) with use of the NIR vein visualizer (34.0% vs. 55.4%). No effect was observed on venipuncture attempts. DVA affects more than one‐third of patients at haemophilia treatment centres. An NIR vein visualizer showed significant promise for facilitating vein location and mitigating patient pain in those patients.
Immunobiology of hepatitis B virus infection
Authors: Isogawa Masanori , Tanaka Yasuhito
Published: October 2014

The adaptive immune response, particularly the virus‐specific CD8+ T‐cell response, is largely responsible for viral clearance and disease pathogenesis during hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. The HBV‐specific CD8+ T‐cell response is vigorous, polyclonal and multispecific in acutely infected patients who successfully clear the virus and relatively weak and narrowly focused in chronically infected patients. The immunological basis for this dichotomy is unclear. A recent study using HBV transgenic mice and HBV‐specific T‐cell receptor transgenic mice suggests that intrahepatic antigen presentation by HBV positive hepatocytes suppresses HBV‐specific CD8+ T‐cell responses through a co‐inhibitory molecule, programmed cell death 1 (PD‐1). In contrast, antigen presentation by activated professional antigen‐presenting cells induces functional differentiation of HBV‐specific CD8+ T cells. These findings suggest that the outcome of T‐cell priming is largely dependent on the nature of antigen‐presenting cells. Another study suggests that the timing of HBV‐specific CD4+ T‐cell priming regulates the magnitude of the HBV‐specific CD8+ T‐cell response. Other factors that could regulate HBV‐specific cellular immune responses are high viral loads, mutational epitope inactivation, T‐cell receptor antagonism and infection of immunologically privileged tissues. However, these pathways become apparent only in the setting of an ineffective cellular immune response, which is therefore the fundamental underlying cause. Understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which HBV evades host immune responses will eventually help develop new immunotherapeutic strategies designed to terminate chronic HBV infection.
Childhood dental injuries: a resiliency model of adaptation
Authors: Porritt Jenny M. , Rodd Helen D. , Baker Sarah R.
Published: October 2014

Background

There is a paucity of research examining how children and their families adapt to traumatic dental injuries.

Aim

This study examined how clinical and psychosocial factors influence adaptation to this oral stressor using a theoretical framework of resiliency and adaptation.

Design

Children with traumatised permanent teeth, who were attending a UK dental hospital, completed questionnaires at baseline and at a 6 month follow‐up. Child questionnaires assessed coping styles, social support, and quality of life outcomes. Parents were also asked to complete questionnaires, which assessed previous stressors/strains on the family, social support, healthcare satisfaction, and family impacts. Data related to the child's dental injury were collected from clinical notes. Structural equation modelling and regression analyses were employed to analyse data.

Results

One hundred and eight children and 113 parents participated at baseline. Children's gender, coping style, social support, and family functioning significantly predicted children's oral health‐related quality of life. Parents' satisfaction with their children's dental care significantly predicted parental quality of life outcomes. Children's close friend support and healthcare satisfaction remained significant predictors of positive outcomes at follow‐up.

Conclusions

The findings revealed important psychosocial factors that influence child and family adaptation to childhood dental trauma.
C'est l'emploi qui compte: relancer la croissance et réduire les inégalités
Authors: NAYYAR Deepak
Published: October 2014

La crise économique a fortement ralenti la croissance et, plus encore, la création d'emplois. La dégradation de la qualité de l'emploi a accentué la tendance au creusement des inégalités. La croissance sans emploi détériore la répartition des revenus, donc la croissance du produit. Les salaires sont des coûts du côté de l'offre, mais des revenus du côté de la demande, de sorte que croissance tirée par les profits et croissance tirée par les salaires ne sont pas exclusives mais complémentaires: la croissance crée des emplois et les emplois entraînent la croissance. Créer plus d'emplois, et de meilleure qualité, atténuerait les inégalités. Si les politiques macroéconomiques se concentrent sur le soutien à la croissance et à l'emploi, plutôt que sur la stabilité des prix et les équilibres budgétaires, l'emploi ravivera la croissance et réduira les inégalités.
La répartition régionale de la prime aux qualifications en Chine urbaine: implications sur la croissance et les inégalités
Authors: WHALLEY John , XING Chunbing
Published: October 2014

Les auteurs observent que la prime aux qualifications a augmenté dans toutes les régions de Chine entre 1995 et 2002, mais seulement dans les régions côtières entre 2002 et 2007. Ainsi, ces régions présentent de plus fortes inégalités salariales, notamment en zones urbaines. Si les privatisations ont été la première raison de la montée de la prime aux qualifications entre 1995 et 2002, entre 2002 et 2007 cela a été l'intégration, inégale selon les régions, à l'économie mondiale. Réduire cette prime et les inégalités suppose de réformer le système du hukou qui fait obstacle à la mobilité de la main‐d'œuvre, donc à la croissance.
Relation entre produit et chômage: la loi d'Okun est‐elle valide en Grèce?
Authors: KARFAKIS Costas , KATRAKILIDIS Constantinos , TSANANA Eftychia
Published: October 2014

A partir d'une spécification dynamique de la loi d'Okun, les auteurs étudient la relation entre produit et chômage en Grèce sur la période 2000–2012. Si le test de causalité de Granger indique que le produit réel est important pour comprendre les évolutions ultérieures du chômage, ils constatent un ratio d'Okun de 3 à 1, impliquant qu'un accroissement du chômage de 1 pour cent était associé à une baisse de 3 pour cent du produit, durant la période étudiée. Une analyse des asymétries montre que la réaction du chômage aux variations du produit est plus marquée lors des contractions que lors des expansions.
Les formes d'emploi atypiques et leur effet sur les comités d'entreprise en Israël: une liminalité permanente
Authors: NISSIM Gadi , DE VRIES David
Published: October 2014

En Israël, les comités d'entreprise s'adaptent à l'économie néolibérale et aux évolutions qui en découlent sur le marché du travail en admettant de plus en plus le recours aux emplois atypiques, tout en essayant de lutter contre ce nouvel avatar de l'économie capitaliste pour protéger les droits des travailleurs. Tiraillés entre ces deux positions, ils sont pris dans un transitoire qui dure, une «liminalité» permanente, qui réduit leur rôle à la recherche de compromis et de solutions circonstancielles. La résistance aux effets pervers des formes d'emploi atypiques reste donc circonscrite et dispersée, ce qui conforte encore les pratiques en question.
Le débat sur la flexibilité du marché du travail en Inde: une contribution théorique
Authors: ROYCHOWDHURY Anamitra
Published: October 2014

Le débat sur la flexibilisation du marché du travail indien porte notamment sur l'autorisation administrative de licenciement pour les entreprises de plus de 100 salariés. Le plaidoyer en faveur de sa suppression (ou de l'élévation du seuil) est étayé par Basu, Fields et Debgupta (2009). L'auteur conteste leur argumentation théorique en faveur de l'embauche et du licenciement au gré de l'employeur, avec libre signature d'un contrat, et démontre que leur conclusion politique est logiquement insoutenable, même dans le cadre de leur modèle. Le plaidoyer pour la flexibilisation du marché du travail et la liberté contractuelle s'en trouve infondé.
Réformes des retraites et pensions en Malaisie
Authors: TOLOS Habibah , WANG Peijie , ZHANG Miao , SHAND Rory
Published: October 2014

Les auteurs font le point sur les problèmes que connaissent les régimes de retraite et sur la réforme des pensions en Malaisie. Les modèles proposés par le Bureau international du Travail, la Banque mondiale et l'Association de Genève sont analysés et comparés, ce qui fournit un cadre conceptuel pour la mise en place et la réforme des régimes en question. Ce cadre est utilisé pour évaluer la réforme des pensions en Malaisie, avec ses avantages et ses inconvénients pour les travailleurs. Les auteurs concluent en proposant un certain nombre de recommandations en matière de régimes de retraite.
Discrepant Regulation of QT (QTc) Interval Duration by Calcium Channel Blockade and Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibition in Experimental Hypertension
Authors: Klimas Jan , Vaja Vaclav , Vercinska Miriam , Kyselovic Jan , Krenek Peter
Published: October 2014

Antihypertensive treatment may reduce prolonged QT duration in hypertension. Generally, the reductions of blood pressure and/or of cardiac mass are believed to be the responsible factors. However, drugs are not equivalent in QT modulation despite similar antihypertensive and antihypertrophic action. We investigated the effect of a calcium channel blocker, lacidipine and an angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitor, enalapril on QT duration in rats. Normotensive Wistar‐Kyoto rats (WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were treated with lacidipine (at the dose of 1.5 mg/kg per day for WKY and 3 mg/kg per day for SHR) or enalapril (5 mg/kg per day for WKY and 10 mg/kg per day for SHR) during 8 weeks. Tail‐cuff systolic blood pressure (sBP), left ventricular weight (LVW), vascular function of isolated aorta and mesenteric artery and duration of QT (and QTc) interval on Frank electrocardiograms were evaluated. As expected, untreated SHR showed elevated sBP, impaired vascular reactivity, increased LVW and prolonged QT when compared with WKY (p < 0.05). After treatment, both agents markedly improved vascular reactivity and reduced sBP in SHR (p < 0.05). Additionally, enalapril reduced LVW in both hypertensive (by 17%; p < 0.05) and normotensive rats (by 13%; p < 0.05) and, consequently, corrected QT duration in SHR. Interestingly, lacidipine also reduced LVW in SHR (by 9%; p < 0.05), but without influence on prolonged QT. Moreover, lacidipine had no effect on LVW in WKYs but prolonged their QT interval (by 10%; p < 0.05). In conclusion, lacidipine did not reverse a progressive prolongation of QT in SHR, despite sBP lowering and LVW reduction. Thus, the lowering of blood pressure and/or reduction of LVW are not sufficient per se to normalize ventricular repolarization in hypertensive cardiac disease. More likely, modulation of QT prolongation by antihypertensive drugs is a function of their complex action on blood pressure, vascular function, cardiac mass and on reflex neurohumoral activation.
Gene Networks Modified by Sulphonylureas in Beta Cells: A Pathway‐based Analysis of Insulin Secretion and Cell Death
Authors: Magnusson Nils E. , Dyrskjøt Lars , Grimm Daniela , Wehland Markus , Pietsch Jessica , Rungby Jørgen
Published: October 2014

Sulphonylureas (SUs) used in the treatment for type 2 diabetes have been shown to result in different clinical outcome. This study hypothesized that three widely used SUs, glibenclamide, glimepiride and gliclazide, may affect function and survival of insulin‐producing cells differently. To evaluate differences between SUs, insulin secretion and cell death were measured, and genome‐wide gene expression patterns were compared using a bioinformatics approach focusing on functional relationships between molecules. Insulin‐producing INS‐1E cells exposed to SUs for 6 and 24 hr were assayed using GeneChip. Cluster and pathway analyses were used to identify differentially expressed genes and patterns of potential biological functions associated with SU treatment. Cell death was measured using acridine orange/Hoechst 33342 staining. Short‐term treatment (6 hr) yielded up‐regulation of insulin secretion and genes associated with insulin secretion for all three SUs applied. While long‐term treatment (24–72 hr) with gliclazide did not change gene expression or cell survival, treatment with glibenclamide or glimepiride up‐regulated genes associated with oxidative stress and hypoxia, but did not induce cell death. Short‐term treatment with SUs initiates gene regulation that can be attributed to insulin secretion with few differences between individual SUs. This regulation was temporal and returned to baseline after 24 hr. Individual differences observed after 24–72 hr indicate that glibenclamide and glimepiride induce potentially harmful cell signalling insufficient for triggering beta cell death.
Coffee and Caffeine Protect against Liver Injury Induced by Thioacetamide in Male Wistar Rats
Authors: Furtado Kelly S. , Prado Monize G. , Aguiar e Silva Marco A. , Dias Marcos C. , Rivelli Diogo P. , Rodrigues Maria A. M. , Barbisan Luis F.
Published: October 2014

Coffee intake has been inversely related to the incidence of liver diseases, although there are controversies on whether these beneficial effects on human health are because of caffeine or other specific components in this popular beverage. Thus, this study evaluated the protective effects of coffee or caffeine intake on liver injury induced by repeated thioacetamide (TAA) administration in male Wistar rats. Rats were randomized into five groups: one untreated group (G1) and four groups (G2–G5) treated with the hepatotoxicant TAA (200 mg/kg b.w., i.p.) twice a week for 8 weeks. Concomitantly, rats received tap water (G1 and G2), conventional coffee (G3), decaffeinated coffee (G4) or 0.1% caffeine (G5). After 8 weeks of treatment, rats were killed and blood and liver samples were collected. Conventional and decaffeinated coffee and caffeine intake significantly reduced serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (p < 0.001) and oxidized glutathione (p < 0.05), fibrosis/inflammation scores (p < 0.001), collagen volume fraction (p < 0.01) and transforming growth factor β‐1 (TGF‐β1) protein expression (p ≤ 0.001) in the liver from TAA‐treated groups. In addition, conventional coffee and caffeine intake significantly reduced proliferating cellular nuclear antigen (PCNA) S‐phase indexes (p < 0.001), but only conventional coffee reduced cleaved caspase‐3 indexes (p < 0.001), active metalloproteinase 2 (p ≤ 0.004) and the number of glutathione S‐transferase placental form (GST‐P)‐positive preneoplastic lesions (p < 0.05) in the liver from TAA‐treated groups. In conclusion, conventional coffee and 0.1% caffeine intake presented better beneficial effects than decaffeinated coffee against liver injury induced by TAA in male Wistar rats.
Effects of Matrix Metalloproteinase (MMP)‐2 Polymorphisms on Responsiveness to Antihypertensive Therapy of Women with Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy
Authors: Palei Ana C.T. , Sandrim Valeria C. , Amaral Lorena M. , Machado Jackeline S. R. , Cavalli Ricardo C. , Lacchini Riccardo , Duarte Geraldo , Tanus‐Santos Jose E.
Published: October 2014

Imbalanced matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) expression, including MMP‐2, has been demonstrated in pre‐eclampsia. However, little is known about the effect of polymorphisms in MMP‐2 gene on hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. We examined whether two functional MMP‐2 polymorphisms (g.‐1306C>T and g.‐735C>T) are associated with pre‐eclampsia and/or gestational hypertension and whether these polymorphisms affect therapeutic responses in women with these conditions. We studied 216 healthy pregnant women (HP), 185 patients with gestational hypertension (GH) and 216 patients with pre‐eclampsia (PE). They were stratified as responsive or non‐responsive to antihypertensive therapy according to clinical and laboratorial parameters of therapeutic responsiveness. Genomic DNA was extracted from whole blood and genotypes for g‐1306C>T and g.‐735C>T polymorphisms were determined by real‐time PCR using Taqman allele discrimination assays. Haplotype frequencies were inferred using the PHASE 2.1 program. The distributions of MMP‐2 genotypes and haplotypes were similar in HP, GH and PE patients (p > 0.05). In addition, we found no significant differences in MMP‐2 genotype or haplotype frequencies when GH or PE patients were classified as responsive or non‐responsive to antihypertensive therapy (p > 0.05). Our results suggest that MMP‐2 polymorphisms do not affect the susceptibility to hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. In parallel, MMP‐2 polymorphisms apparently do not affect the responsiveness to antihypertensive therapy of women with these hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.