bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Listing behaviour in the Italian real estate market
Authors: Curto Rocco , Fregonara Elena , Semeraro Patrizia
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– The main purpose of this paper is to explore the listing behaviours of agents and sellers. In particular, the paper analyzes listing prices and the predicting power of the house features described in advertisements, to improve their use in real estate valuations. In Italy, selling prices are not public information and therefore listing prices play a key role for market analyses and are used by real estate companies and appraisers for estimating house values.

Design/methodology/approach

– A traditional hedonic model was used to measure the overall contribution to listing price of the characteristics described in advertisements. The analysis was performed both on houses put on the market by agents and on houses put on the market by sellers. Listing price distributions and their deviation from normality were analyzed. Furthermore, a hedonic analysis was performed, which consisted of two steps. First, the coefficient of determination for any characteristic was computed. Second, the overall contribution to the listing price of the characteristics described in advertisements was measured.

Findings

– The analysis shows the presence of factors which affect listing prices and which are not revealed to buyers in real estate advertisements. On the other hand, the presence of characteristics that do not affect the listing price but are described in advertisements was also found. Furthermore, agents and sellers showed different behaviours. While the marginal contributions of each characteristic estimated on a sample of houses put on the market by agents were significant, the analysis reveals that listing prices of houses put on the market by sellers are not explained by the house features.

Originality/value

– To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to propose a hedonic approach to exploring the major determinants of listing prices of houses on sale on the Italian market. The listing behaviour of agents and sellers and the predicting power of the observable characteristics could address the use of listing prices in real estate valuations. At the same time, the potential presence of unobservable factors that affect the listing price could be a source of bias in estimating the value of houses.
Residents’ satisfaction with integration of the natural environment in public housing design
Authors: Odum Chuba Onyechi
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present a study assessing residents’ satisfaction with the integration of natural environment in public housing designs in Enugu urban, Nigeria.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study followed qualitative and quantitative strategies. Personal observations and one-on-one interviews were conducted where necessary. A survey of 898 households residing in two main prevalent residential building typologies, systematically selected based on quota of their existence in seven public housing estates, was conducted, with a questionnaire as the key data collection instrument. A five-point Likert scale was used in measuring residents’ level of satisfaction of three key housing environment sub-components. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

Findings

– Residents expressed dissatisfaction with overall housing estate environment in terms of naturalness in the estate landscaping and availability of green areas, and also with immediate dwelling unit environments in terms open spaces and naturalness in external finishes. Many of the residents, however, claimed to be indifferent about the extent of response of layout designs to natural factors, and street layout concepts to climatic influences. This reveals a high level of apathy of residents to their estates designs.

Research limitations/implications

– Collecting relevant data from the government agency that are the providers of the public housing studied was a herculean task, as there was no existing organized data bank. Consequently, the researcher depended more on extensive field work. In addition to the above, getting the questionnaire respondents to agree to participate in the study was another major challenge, as they were not used to participating in such studies before the current study.

Social implications

– Findings from the study imply that residents’ are adaptable to whatever housing environment they are provided with; therefore, therapeutic housing environment, if provided, would enhance healthy living for public housing residents in Nigeria.

Originality/value

– This work is a pioneering effort at evaluating public housing environment in the study area in relation to residents’ perception.
The “leaning song” – a weapon in organizational conflict
Authors: Kirke Charles
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present an insider ethnographic account of a series of social confrontations between two mutually opposed groups of officers that took place in an officers’ mess in a remote military garrison in the 1980s. The identity of one of these groups was expressed in a particular song that was sung frequently and noisily in the mess. The analysis of these incidents and their precursors provides an understanding of the social processes in which they were embedded, and the conclusions drawn are generalized into the wider context.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper is based on insider ethnography, using rich description to present the incidents and their background. Analysis is conducted using other research by the author on the organizational culture of Service officers and wider scholarship not specifically related to the Military.

Findings

– The paper finds that in-groups and out-groups in joint Service populations do not necessarily run along traditional, Service, lines, and that cultural change in the groups concerned was associated with the rapid turnover of their members as they were replaced in the normal postings cycle. It demonstrates that a socially powerful shared cultural element can, if only temporarily, bring unity between rival groups. It also contributes to the scholarship on the power of song as a proclamation of group identity and the intensification of that identity.

Originality/value

– The main strength of this paper is that it provides an insider’s view of a British military social group, which is extremely rare in the literature, describing social processes that connect to the wider scholarship on song, in-group and out-group behaviour, and cultural change.
Making meaning of nursing practices in acute care
Authors: Lake Sarah , Rudge Trudy , West Sandra
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to consider how meaning may be made of nursing practices by contrasting the rationalistic approach commonly used in the nursing literature with Bourdieu’s theory of practice.

Design/methodology/approach

– The data under consideration is an account of ten to 15 minutes of a larger ethnographic study of nursing practices which asks the question: how do nurses accomplish nursing within and between patients’ needs for care in the acute hospital setting? The five main sources of data were: observations of and conversations with nurse participants, as well as hospital documentation (including facility protocols and patients’ notes) and the observer’s field diary. These were woven together to provide an account of one nurse with one patient for a few moments of her day.

Findings

– Although this paper makes no attempt to speak to the rest of her workload, in these few minutes the nurse accomplishes multiple moments of nursing practice. Further, while the rationalistic approach presents the nurse as a highly skilled practitioner, Bourdieu’s theory of practice not only illuminates the nurse’s role as pivotal in the acute hospital setting but is also able to address the dialectical nature of the relationship between nurses’ practices and the dynamics of the context.

Originality/value

– The use of Bourdieu’s theory of practice makes possible the study of how nurses nurse “within and between” to illuminate the everyday practices of nurses.
Why Kurt Wolff matters for a practice-based perspective of sensible knowledge in ethnography
Authors: Gheradi Silvia
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the contribution offered by Wolff’s sociology of knowledge to organizational ethnography and to enrich the lexicon of practice-based studies with the concept of surrender-and-catch.

Design/methodology/approach

– Drawing on Wolff’s writing, the surrender-and-catch perspective is introduced and how to be inspired by it is illustrated in relation to three working practices.

Findings

– The centrality of the body and of sensible knowledge for doing ethnographies of working practices is affirmed and the surrender-and-catch perspective is interpreted as an art of seeing connections.

Practical implications

– Surrender-to may be included in the methodology for studying knowing-in-practice and it may help students to get prepared to conduct an organizational ethnography.

Originality/value

– A contribution to frame the legacy of a sociologist of knowledge little known in organization studies. Its contribution stresses the importance of a plurality of forms of knowing alongside the rational-analytic one. Therefore Kurt Wolff’s work becomes relevant within the practice-based studies.
Making culture visible: reflections on corporate ethnography
Authors: Fayard Anne-Laure , Van Maanen John
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to describe and reflect on the experience as corporate ethnographers working in (and for) a large, multinational company with a remit to study and articulate “the culture of the firm.”

Design/methodology/approach

– The research relied heavily on interviews and some (participant) observation carried out periodically – in North America, Europe and Asia – over an eight-year period.

Findings

– The authors discuss how the studies were produced, received, and occasionally acted on in the firm and the realization over time of the performativity of the work as both expressive and constitutive of firm’s culture.

Research limitations/implications

– The increasing entanglement in the organization raises questions regarding emic and etic perspectives and the possibility (or impossibility) of “enduring detachment” or “going native” and the associated, often unintended consequences of being both outsiders and insiders.

Practical implications

– The authors start with the premise that ethnography is about producing a written text and conclude by arguing that ethnography is not fully realized until the writing is read.

Social implications

– The ethnographic reports, when read by those in the company, made visible a version of Trifecta culture that was interpreted, framed and otherwise responded to in multiple ways by members of the organization.

Originality/value

– Corporate ethnography is a growing pursuit undertaken by those inside and outside firms. This paper focusses on how and in what ways corporate ethnography sponsored by and written for those in the company shifts the positioning of the ethnographer in the field, the kinds of texts they produce, and the meanings that readers take away from such texts.
Context‐dependent survival, fecundity and predicted population‐level consequences of brucellosis inAfrican buffalo
Authors: Gorsich Erin E. , Ezenwa Vanessa O. , Cross Paul C. , Bengis Roy G. , Jolles Anna E.
Published: February 2015

Chronic infections may have negative impacts on wildlife populations, yet their effects are difficult to detect in the absence of long‐term population monitoring.Brucella abortus, the bacteria responsible for bovine brucellosis, causes chronic infections and abortions in wild and domestic ungulates, but its impact on population dynamics is not well understood.

We report infection patterns and fitness correlates of bovine brucellosis in African buffalo based on (1) 7 years of cross‐sectional disease surveys and (2) a 4‐year longitudinal study in Kruger National Park (KNP), South Africa. We then used a matrix population model to translate these observed patterns into predicted population‐level effects.

Annual brucellosis seroprevalence ranged from 8·7% (95%CI = 1·8–15·6) to 47·6% (95%CI = 35·1–60·1) increased with age until adulthood (>6) and varied by location withinKNP. Animals were on average in worse condition after testing positive for brucellosis (F = −5·074,P < 0·0001), and infection was associated with a 2·0 (95%CI = 1·1–3·7) fold increase in mortality (χ2 = 2·039,P = 0·036). Buffalo in low body condition were associated with lower reproductive success (F = 2·683,P = 0·034), but there was no association between brucellosis and pregnancy or being observed with a calf.

For the range of body condition scores observed in the population, the model‐predicted growth rate was λ = 1·11 (95%CI = 1·02–1·21) in herds without brucellosis and λ = 1·00 (95%CI = 0·85–1·16) when brucellosis seroprevalence was 30%.

Our results suggest that brucellosis infection can potentially result in reduced population growth rates, but because these effects varied with demographic and environmental conditions, they may remain unseen without intensive, longitudinal monitoring.
A spatially explicit model for flowering time in bamboos: long rhizomes drive the evolution of delayed flowering
Authors: Tachiki Yuuya , Makita Akifumi , Suyama Yoshihisa , Satake Akiko
Published: February 2015

Clonal plants produce semi‐autonomous modules (ramets). The spatial distribution of ramets affects lifetime reproductive success via self‐pollination, kin competition and competition among genotypes over space and nutrients. These, in turn, influence the evolution of the timing of flowering in monocarps (flowering is fatal), such as bamboos.

The vegetative growth period (flowering interval) in bamboos shows a geographic cline from tropical (short‐interval) to temperate (long‐interval) regions. However, the mechanisms underlying the emergence of this geographic trend in flowering interval remain elusive.

We hypothesized that differences in flowering interval are determined by ecological features that affect the spatial arrangement of ramets and the degree of kin competition. Using a spatially explicit mathematical model, we examined the effects of rhizome elongation, seed and pollen dispersal ranges and inbreeding depression on the evolution of flowering interval.

Flowering interval became longer as rhizome length increased but was shorter as seed dispersal range increased. However, flowering interval was less affected when these ranges were extremely large. These results could be caused by intragenet competition due to the spatial structure of genets. If the rhizome is short, each genet forms a clumping structure by vegetative growth and is subject to high intragenet competition. Early flowering may reduce this competition. When seed dispersal range is shorter, kin competition among seeds becomes greater and delayed flowering is a better strategy. When these parameters are extremely large, the effects of this type of competition are reduced, and flowering interval does not change.

The effect of inbreeding depression depends on the spatial distribution of ramets formed by vegetative growth. Inbreeding depression reduces reproductive success, and hence, delayed flowering is selected for when both rhizome length and pollen dispersal range are short, and inbreeding with neighbouring siblings is unavoidable.

Synthesis. The evolutionary consequences of flowering interval in clonal plants are affected by the spatial distribution of genets. Geographic patterns in flowering interval of bamboos can be explained by differences in rhizome length. Interspecific comparisons among species with different rhizome lengths should be examined by collecting long‐term demographic data on the spatial arrangement of ramets.
Properties of Gelatin Film from Horse Mackerel (Trachurus japonicus) Scale
Authors: Le Thuy , Maki Hiroki , Takahashi Kigen , Okazaki Emiko , Osako Kazufumi
Published: February 2015

Optimal conditions for extracting gelatin and preparing gelatin film from horse mackerel scale, such as extraction temperature and time, as well as the protein concentration of film‐forming solutions were investigated. Yields of extracted gelatin at 70 °C, 80 °C, and 90 °C for 15 min to 3 h were 1.08% to 3.45%, depending on the extraction conditions. Among the various extraction times and temperatures, the film from gelatin extracted at 70 °C for 1 h showed the highest tensile strength and elongation at break. Horse mackerel scale gelatin film showed the greatly low water vapor permeability (WVP) compared with mammalian or fish gelatin films, maybe due to its containing a slightly higher level of hydrophobic amino acids (total 653 residues per 1000 residues) than that of mammalian, cold‐water fish and warm‐water fish gelatins. Gelatin films from different preparation conditions showed excellent UV barrier properties at wavelength of 200 nm, although the films were transparent at visible wavelength. As a consequence, it can be suggested that gelatin film from horse mackerel scale extracted at 70 °C for 1 h can be applied to food packaging material due to its lowest WVP value and excellent UV barrier properties.
A lithotrophic microbial fuel cell operated with pseudomonads‐dominated iron‐oxidizing bacteria enriched at the anode
Authors: Nguyen Thuy Thu , Luong Tha Thanh Thi , Tran Phuong Hoang Nguyen , Bui Ha Thi Viet , Nguyen Huy Quang , Dinh Hang Thuy , Kim Byung Hong , Pham Hai The
Published: February 2015

In this study, we attempted to enrich neutrophilic iron bacteria in a microbial fuel cell (MFC)‐type reactor in order to develop a lithotrophic MFC system that can utilize ferrous iron as an inorganic electron donor and operate at neutral pHs. Electrical currents were steadily generated at an average level of 0.6 mA (or 0.024 mA cm–2 of membrane area) in reactors initially inoculated with microbial sources and operated with 20 mM Fe2+ as the sole electron donor and 10 ohm external resistance; whereas in an uninoculated reactor (the control), the average current level only reached 0.2 mA (or 0.008 mA cm–2 of membrane area). In an inoculated MFC, the generation of electrical currents was correlated with increases in cell density of bacteria in the anode suspension and coupled with the oxidation of ferrous iron. Cultivation‐based and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analyses both show the dominance of some Pseudomonas species in the anode communities of the MFCs. Fluorescent in‐situ hybridization results revealed significant increases of neutrophilic iron‐oxidizing bacteria in the anode community of an inoculated MFC. The results, altogether, prove the successful development of a lithotrophic MFC system with iron bacteria enriched at its anode and suggest a chemolithotrophic anode reaction involving some Pseudomonas species as key players in such a system. The system potentially offers unique applications, such as accelerated bioremediation or on‐site biodetection of iron and/or manganese in water samples.
A generalised random encounter model for estimating animal density with remote sensor data
Authors: Lucas Tim C. D. , Moorcroft Elizabeth A. , Freeman Robin , Rowcliffe J. Marcus , Jones Kate E.
Published: February 2015

Wildlife monitoring technology is advancing rapidly and the use of remote sensors such as camera traps and acoustic detectors is becoming common in both the terrestrial and marine environments. Current methods to estimate abundance or density require individual recognition of animals or knowing the distance of the animal from the sensor, which is often difficult. A method without these requirements, the random encounter model (REM), has been successfully applied to estimate animal densities from count data generated from camera traps. However, count data from acoustic detectors do not fit the assumptions of the REM due to the directionality of animal signals.

We developed a generalised REM (gREM), to estimate absolute animal density from count data from both camera traps and acoustic detectors. We derived the gREM for different combinations of sensor detection widths and animal signal widths (a measure of directionality). We tested the accuracy and precision of this model using simulations of different combinations of sensor detection widths and animal signal widths, number of captures and models of animal movement.

We find that the gREM produces accurate estimates of absolute animal density for all combinations of sensor detection widths and animal signal widths. However, larger sensor detection and animal signal widths were found to be more precise. While the model is accurate for all capture efforts tested, the precision of the estimate increases with the number of captures. We found no effect of different animal movement models on the accuracy and precision of the gREM.

We conclude that the gREM provides an effective method to estimate absolute animal densities from remote sensor count data over a range of sensor and animal signal widths. The gREM is applicable for count data obtained in both marine and terrestrial environments, visually or acoustically (e.g. big cats, sharks, birds, echolocating bats and cetaceans). As sensors such as camera traps and acoustic detectors become more ubiquitous, the gREM will be increasingly useful for monitoring unmarked animal populations across broad spatial, temporal and taxonomic scales.
Spatial factor analysis: a new tool for estimating joint species distributions and correlations in species range
Authors: Thorson James T. , Scheuerell Mark D. , Shelton Andrew O. , See Kevin E. , Skaug Hans J. , Kristensen Kasper
Published: February 2015

Predicting and explaining the distribution and density of species is one of the oldest concerns in ecology. Species distributions can be estimated using geostatistical methods, which estimate a latent spatial variable explaining observed variation in densities, but geostatistical methods may be imprecise for species with low densities or few observations. Additionally, simple geostatistical methods fail to account for correlations in distribution among species and generally estimate such cross‐correlations as a post hoc exercise.

We therefore present spatial factor analysis (SFA), a spatial model for estimating a low‐rank approximation to multivariate data, and use it to jointly estimate the distribution of multiple species simultaneously. We also derive an analytic estimate of cross‐correlations among species from SFA parameters.

As a first example, we show that distributions for 10 bird species in the breeding bird survey in 2012 can be parsimoniously represented using only five spatial factors. As a second case study, we show that forward prediction of catches for 20 rockfishes (Sebastes spp.) off the U.S. West Coast is more accurate using SFA than analysing each species individually. Finally, we show that single‐species models give a different picture of cross‐correlations than joint estimation using SFA.

Spatial factor analysis complements a growing list of tools for jointly modelling the distribution of multiple species and provides a parsimonious summary of cross‐correlation without requiring explicit declaration of habitat variables. We conclude by proposing future research that would model species cross‐correlations using dissimilarity of species’ traits, and the development of spatial dynamic factor analysis for a low‐rank approximation to spatial time‐series data.
Modifications in stromal extracellular matrix of aged corneas can be induced by ultraviolet A irradiation
Authors: Gendron Sébastien P. , Rochette Patrick J.
Published: February 2015

With age, structural and functional changes can be observed in human cornea. Some studies have shown a loss of corneal transparency and an increase in turbidity associated with aging. These changes are caused by modifications in the composition and arrangement of extracellular matrix in the corneal stroma. In human skin, it is well documented that exposure to solar radiation, and mainly to the UVA wavelengths, leads to phenotypes of photoaging characterized by alteration in extracellular matrix of the dermis. Although the cornea is also exposed to solar radiation, the extracellular matrix modifications observed in aging corneas have been mainly attributed to chronological aging and not to solar exposure. To ascertain the real implication of UVA exposure in extracellular matrix changes observed with age in human cornea, we have developed a model of photoaging by chronically exposing corneal stroma keratocytes with a precise UVA irradiation protocol. Using this model, we have analyzed UVA‐induced transcriptomic and proteomic changes in corneal stroma. Our results show that cumulative UVA exposure causes changes in extracellular matrix that are found in corneal stromas of aged individuals, suggesting that solar exposure catalyzes corneal aging. Indeed, we observe a downregulation of collagen and proteoglycan gene expression and a reduction in proteoglycan production and secretion in response to cumulative UVA exposure. This study provides the first evidence that chronic ocular exposure to sunlight affects extracellular matrix composition and thus plays a role in corneal changes observed with age.
Accounting for Repeat Enrollments During an Emergency Clinical Trial: The Rapid Anticonvulsant Medications Prior to Arrival Trial (RAMPART)
Authors: Meurer William J. , Silbergleit Robert , Nicholas Katherine S. , Burke James F. , Durkalski Valerie
Published: February 2015

Objectives

The objectives were to describe the frequency of repeat enrollment within a specific exception from informed consent trial testing benzodiazepine treatment of prehospital status epilepticus and to estimate the effect of repeat enrollments on the analysis of the primary outcome.

Methods

This was a secondary analysis of data collected as part of the Rapid Anticonvulsant Medication Prior to Arrival Trial (RAMPART), a study comparing intramuscular midazolam to intravenous lorazepam given by paramedics to patients with prehospital status epilepticus. Subjects inRAMPARTachieved a successful primary outcome if they had cessation of seizures by the time of emergency department arrival. Data were collected on all subjects, but only the first enrollment for each individual was used in the primary analysis. The patterns of repeat enrollment are described, along with the demographics of these subjects. In addition, an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was estimated to assess the amount of within‐subject correlation and its effect on the estimated treatment effect when all enrollments are included in the analysis.

Results

A total of 1,023 enrollments occurred inRAMPARTamong 893 unique individuals (range of repeat enrollment observed = two to 14). TheICCfor seizure cessation within individual was low at 0.119; when excluding subjects with benzodiazepine crossover, theICCwas 0.094.

Conclusions

In clinical trials of emergency conditions with interval complete resolution, accounting for repeat enrollments is feasible. TheRAMPARTexperience demonstrated that in this setting the within‐subject correlation is low and can be accounted for at relatively low statistical cost.
Survival and movement of translocated houbara bustards in a mixed conservation area
Authors: Hardouin L. A. , Hingrat Y. , Nevoux M. , Lacroix F. , Robert A.
Published: February 2015

For endangered species that are hunted, the establishment of mixed conservation areas including both hunting zones and sanctuaries to complement translocation actions (i.e. reinforcement) can improve both hunting yields and population sustainability. However, the effects of this type of management on the demography of the exploited species are not well understood. We used multi‐event capture–recapture modelling in a population of captive‐bred houbara bustards Chlamydotis undulata translocated into a mixed conservation area in Morocco. The specific management practice of our system (hunting regime varying in time and space) led to a quasi‐experimental situation that allowed the differentiation of ‘natural’ from ‘hunting‐induced’ mortality and movement between areas. The analysis uncovered strong asymmetries in both movement and survival that were not only due to direct hunting effects. Firstly, movement probabilities were higher from the sanctuary to the hunting areas than vice versa, even in years without hunting. Secondly, in addition to a direct effect of hunting on mortality in hunting areas, our results uncovered permanent differences in both areas (even outside the hunting period). Overall, our results were consistent with predictions under a source–sink dynamic model but illustrated that mixed conservation areas should not merely be treated as homogeneous systems with spatially heterogeneous hunting pressure but rather as fully heterogeneous systems. The patterns observed may be related to (1) the choice and design of hunting and sanctuary areas by managers, which might not be neutral with respect to habitat quality, or (2) indirect consequences of hunting via an effect on local growth rate and density.
Improving Working Conditions in Garment Supply Chains: The Role of Unions in Cambodia
Authors: Oka Chikako
Published: February 2015

Given the disappointing outcomes of private regulation of labour in global supply chains, worker organization is increasingly seen as the key to better working conditions. This article examines the extent to which unions impact different dimensions of labour standard compliance in Cambodia's garment export sector, where unions have grown considerably. Based on unique factory‐level data and field‐based interviews, this study shows that union presence improves factories’ compliance with wage, hours, and leave standards, although the impact is much less significant for health and safety. Moreover, having multiple unions in the workplace does not appear to improve labour conditions.
Endoscopic excision of synchronous large bowel polyps in the presence of colorectal carcinoma: is the fear of malignant cell implantation justified? A systematic review of the literature
Authors: Sheel A. R. G. , Artioukh D. Y.
Published: February 2015

Aim

A systematic review of the literature was performed to establish evidence to support the practice that in the presence of a colonoscopically diagnosed colorectal cancer immediate endoscopic excision of synchronous polyps should not be performed due to the risk of malignant cell implantation at the polypectomy site.

Method

A systematic literature search was performed using Medline, Embase and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials to identify studies comparing the rate of implantation of colorectal cancer cells in normal and damaged colonic mucosa and reports of colorectal cancer cells seeding into sites of damaged mucosa after polypectomy.

Results

No randomized controlled trials were identified. Three studies involving mammalian models of colonic mucosal damage were included. Pooling relevant results revealed that out of 59 exposed mammals only one developed tumour cell implantation at a site of colonic mucosal damage. This equates to a mammalian in vivo experimental risk of malignant cell implantation of 1.6%.

Conclusion

The topic of colorectal cancer seeding following endoscopic procedures has received little attention. This review suggests that in the presence of a proximal colonic carcinoma there is a negligible risk of malignant implantation if a more distal polyp is endoscopically excised.
Scoring the quality of total mesorectal excision for the prediction of cancer‐specific outcome
Authors: Leonard D. , Penninckx F. , Laenen A. , Kartheuser A. ,   PROCARE
Published: February 2015

Aim

A three‐grade system for macroscopic evaluation of the resection plane is used to describe the quality of total mesorectal excision (TME). In several studies, two of the three grades have been combined when analysing the outcome. The aim of our study was to compare the predictive value of the three‐graded with that of a two‐graded TME score.

Method

The quality of TME in 1382 patients who underwent elective resection for mid or low rectal adenocarcinoma was registered by 65 hospitals in PROCARE, a Belgian multidisciplinary improvement project. Prediction of outcome based on the classic three‐grade score was compared with a two‐grade scoring system in which intramesorectal resection (IMR) was combined with mesorectal (MRR) or with muscularis propria resection (MPR). End‐points included the local recurrence rate, distant metastasis rate (DMR), disease‐free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS).

Results

Among the 1382 resections, 63% were MRR, 27% IMR and 9% MPR. No significant differences were found in local recurrence between the different grades of TME. A two‐grade score distinguishing MRR from the others was found to predict DMR, DFS and OS as well as the three‐grade score.

Conclusion

The discriminatory and predictive value of a two‐grade score, differentiating MRR from the combined IMR and MPR, was as good as the classic three‐grade score.
The influence of socioeconomic deprivation on outcomes in pancreas transplantation
Authors: Khalid Usman , Laftsidis Prodromos , Chapman Dawn , Stephens Michael R. , Asderakis Argiris
Published: February 2015

Socioeconomic deprivation is an important factor in determining poor health and is associated with a higher prevalence of many chronic diseases including diabetes and renal failure, with poorer outcomes of their treatments.

The influence of deprivation on outcomes following pancreas transplantation has not previously been reported.

The Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation was used to assess the influence of socioeconomic deprivation on outcomes for 119 consecutive pancreas transplant recipients from a single center in the United Kingdom, transplanted between 2004 and 2013. Outcomes measured were rate of acute rejection and graft survival.

Thirty‐five (29.4%) patients experienced at least one episode of acute rejection following their transplant. Rejection rates in least deprived were 37% and most deprived 24% (p = 0.29). Within the individual domains, rejection rate was higher for the “physical environment” domain (least deprived 40% vs. most deprived 17% (p = 0.053). Five‐year graft survival for least and most deprived groups was 75% and 88%, respectively (log‐rank test p‐value 0.24).

This study has not demonstrated any significant differences in outcomes following pancreas transplantation in Wales in relation to socioeconomic deprivation with the exception possibly of the “physical environment” domain. Further studies with larger patient population or concentrating on physical environment deprivation would be of interest.
Challenges, successes and patterns of enrolment in the INSIGHT Strategic Timing of AntiRetroviral Treatment (START) trial
Authors: Grarup J , Rappoport C , Engen NW , Carey C , Hudson F , Denning E , Sharma S , Florence E , Vjecha MJ ,   International Network for Strategic Initiatives in Global HIV Trials (INSIGHT) START Study Group
Published: February 2015

Objectives

The aim of this report is to describe the challenges, successes and patterns of enrolment in the Strategic Timing of AntiRetroviral Treatment (START) study.

Methods

START is a collaboration of many partners with central coordination provided by the protocol team, the statistical and data management centre (SDMC), the International Network for Strategic Initiatives in Global HIV Trials (INSIGHT) network leadership, international coordinating centres and site coordinating centres. The SDMC prepared reports on study accrual, baseline characteristics and site performance that allowed monitoring of enrolment and data quality and helped to ensure the successful enrolment of this large international trial. We describe the pattern of enrolment and challenges faced during the enrolment period of the trial.

Results

An initial pilot phase began in April 2009 and established feasibility of accrual at 101 sites. In August 2010, funding approval for an expanded definitive phase led to the successful accrual of 4688 participants from 215 sites in 35 countries by December 2013. Challenges to accrual included regulatory delays (e.g. national/local ethics approval and drug importation approval) and logistical obstacles (e.g. execution of contracts with pharmaceutical companies, setting up of a central drug repository and translation of participant materials). The personal engagement of investigators, strong central study coordination, and frequent and transparent communication with site investigators, community members and participants were key contributing factors to this success.

Conclusions

Accrual into START was completed in a timely fashion despite multiple challenges. This success was attributable to the efforts of site investigators committed to maintaining study equipoise, transparent and responsive study coordination, and community involvement in problem‐solving.
Kidney disease in antiretroviral‐naïve HIV‐positive adults with high CD4 counts: prevalence and predictors of kidney disease at enrolment in the INSIGHT Strategic Timing of AntiRetroviral Treatment (START) trial
Authors: Achhra AC , Mocroft A , Ross MJ , Ryom L , Lucas GM , Furrer H , Neuhaus J , Somboonwit C , Kelly M , Gatell JM , Wyatt CM ,   International Network for Strategic Initiatives in Global HIV Trials (INSIGHT) START Study Group
Published: February 2015

Objectives

HIV infection has been associated with an increased risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Little is known about the prevalence of CKD in individuals with high CD4 cell counts prior to initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART). We sought to address this knowledge gap.

Methods

We describe the prevalence of CKD among 4637 ART‐naïve adults (mean age 36.8 years) with CD4 cell counts > 500 cells/μL at enrolment in the Strategic Timing of AntiRetroviral Treatment (START) study. CKD was defined by estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 and/or dipstick urine protein ≥ 1+. Logistic regression was used to identify baseline characteristics associated with CKD.

Results

Among 286 [6.2%; 95% confidence interval (CI) 5.5%, 6.9%] participants with CKD, the majority had isolated proteinuria. A total of 268 participants had urine protein ≥ 1+, including 41 with urine protein ≥ 2+. Only 22 participants (0.5%) had an estimated glomerular filtration rate < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2, including four who also had proteinuria. Baseline characteristics independently associated with CKD included diabetes [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.73; 95% CI 1.05, 2.85], hypertension (aOR 1.82; 95% CI 1.38, 2.38), and race/ethnicity (aOR 0.59; 95% CI 0.37, 0.93 for Hispanic vs. white).

Conclusions

We observed a low prevalence of CKD associated with traditional CKD risk factors among ART‐naïve clinical trial participants with CD4 cell counts > 500 cells/μL.
Factors associated with neurocognitive test performance at baseline: a substudy of the INSIGHT Strategic Timing of AntiRetroviral Treatment (START) trial
Authors: Wright EJ , Grund B , Cysique LA , Robertson KR , Brew BJ , Collins G , Shlay JC , Winston A , Read TRH , Price RW ,   International Network for Strategic Initiatives in Global HIV Trials (INSIGHT) START Study Group
Published: February 2015

Objectives

We describe neuropsychological test performance (NP) in antiretroviral treatment (ART)‐naïve HIV‐positive individuals with CD4 cell counts above 500 cells/μL.

Methods

In a neurology substudy of the International Network for Strategic Initiatives in Global HIV Trials (INSIGHT) Strategic Timing of AntiRetroviral Treatment (START) study, eight neurocognitive tests were administered. The primary measure of NP was the quantitative NP z‐score (QNPZ‐8), the average of the z‐scores for the eight tests. Associations of baseline factors with QNPZ‐8 scores were assessed by multiple regression. Mild neurocognitive impairment (NCI) was defined as z‐scores < −1 in at least two of six cognitive domains.

Results

A total of 608 participants had a median age of 34 years; 11% were women and 15% were black; the median time since HIV diagnosis was 0.9 years; the median CD4 cell count was 633 cells/μL; 19.9% had mild NCI. Better NP was independently associated with younger age, being white, higher body mass index (0.10 per 10 kg/m2 higher), and higher haematocrit percentage (0.19 per 10% higher). Worse NP was associated with longer time since HIV diagnosis (‐0.17 per 10 years), diabetes (‐0.29) and higher Framingham risk score (‐0.15 per 10 points higher). QNPZ‐8 scores differed significantly between geographical locations, with the lowest scores in Brazil and Argentina/Chile.

Conclusions

This is the largest study of NP in ART‐naïve HIV‐positive adults with CD4 counts > 500 cells/μL. Demographic factors and diabetes were most strongly associated with NP. Unmeasured educational/sociocultural factors may explain geographical differences. Poorer NP was independently associated with longer time since HIV diagnosis, suggesting that untreated HIV infection might deleteriously affect NP, but the effect was small.
Assessment of arterial elasticity among HIV‐positive participants with high CD4 cell counts: a substudy of the INSIGHT Strategic Timing of AntiRetroviral Treatment (START) trial
Authors: Baker JV , Engen NW , Huppler Hullsiek K , Stephan C , Jain MK , Munderi P , Pett S , Duprez D ,   International Network for Strategic Initiatives in Global HIV Trials (INSIGHT) START Study Group
Published: February 2015

Objectives

Both HIV infection and antiretroviral therapy (ART) may increase cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Assessments of vascular function and structure can be used to study the pathogenesis and progression of CVD, including the effects of ART and other interventions. The objective of this report is to understand methods to assess vascular (dys)function and report our experience in the Arterial Elasticity Substudy in the Strategic Timing of AntiRetroviral Treatment (START) trial.

Methods

We review literature and analyze baseline data from the Arterial Elasticity Substudy, which estimated vascular (dys)function through analysis of the diastolic blood pressure (BP) waveform. Linear regression was used to study cross‐sectional associations between baseline clinical factors and small or large arterial elasticity.

Results

Arterial elasticity measurement was chosen for its improved measurement reproducibility over other methodologies and the potential of small arterial elasticity to predict clinical risk. Analysis of baseline data demonstrates that small artery elasticity is impaired (lower) with older age and differs by race and between geographical regions. No HIV‐specific factors studied remained significantly associated with arterial elasticity in multivariate models.

Conclusions

Longitudinal analyses in this substudy will provide essential randomized data with which to study the effects of early ART initiation on the progression of vascular disease among a diverse global population. When combined with future biomarker analyses and clinical outcomes in START, these findings will expand our understanding of the pathogenesis of HIV‐related CVD.
Parallel declines in survival of adult Northern Fulmars Fulmarus glacialis at colonies in Scotland and Ireland
Authors: Cordes Line S. , Hedworth Helen E. , Cabot David , Cassidy Maurice , Thompson Paul M.
Published: February 2015

Assessing broad‐scale changes in seabird populations across the North Atlantic requires an integration of available datasets to understand the spatial extent of potential drivers and demographic change. Here, we compared survival of Northern Fulmars Fulmarus glacialis from a Scottish and an Irish colony from 1974 to 2009. Despite lower recapture probabilities of monel‐ringed Irish birds compared with colour‐ringed Scottish birds, survival probability decreased at both colonies. The extent to which the decline in survival is related to density‐dependent processes or other external drivers remains uncertain, but our results suggest that these changes in survival are possibly indicative of larger‐scale processes and are not confined to local colony dynamics.
Metal oxide‐coating PMMA or Talc as a new IR blocker inhibits IR‐induced decrease of collagens in human dermal fibroblasts
Authors: Nam J.‐J. , Lee K.‐E. , Kim Y. J.
Published: February 2015

Synopsis

Objectives

The purpose of this study was whether P/M or T/M inhibits IR‐induced decrease of collagens in human dermal fibroblasts, using P/M or T/M blocked near‐IR (NIR) transmittance significantly in spectrophotometer measurement.

Methods

As metal oxides are effective inorganic molecules for intercepting IR radiation, we have developed metal oxide‐coating PMMA (P/M) or Talc (T/M) as a new IR blocker. Inhibitory effect of the new IR blocker on collagen degradation was measured by gene and protein expressions of procollagens and MMPs, respectively, in IR‐irradiated Hs68 cell line.

Results

Using P/M or T/M inhibited IR‐induced increases of MMP‐1, MMP‐3 and MMP‐9, and IR‐induced decreases of type 1 and 4 procollagen in a dose‐dependent manner in dermal fibroblasts. In addition, using both P/M and T/M blocked the increase of cell media temperature induced by IR lamp.

Conclusion

The results suggest that P/M or T/M can inhibit decrease of collagens by blocking IR‐induced heat transmission in human dermal fibroblasts.
17‐AAG suppresses growth and invasion of lung adenocarcinoma cells via regulation of the LATS1/YAP pathway
Authors: Ye Xiang‐Yun , Luo Qing‐Quan , Xu Yun‐Hua , Tang Nai‐Wang , Niu Xiao‐Min , Li Zi‐Ming , Shen Sheng‐Ping , Lu Shun , Chen Zhi‐Wei
Published: February 2015

The large tumour suppressor 1 (LATS1) signalling network has been proved to be an essential regulator within the cell, participating in multiple cellular phenotypes. However, it is unclear concerning the clinical significance of LATS1 and the regulatory mechanisms of 17‐Allylamino‐17‐ demethoxygeldanamycin (17‐AAG) in lung adenocarcinoma (LAC). The aim of the present study was to investigate the correlation of LATS1 and yes‐associated protein (YAP) expression with clinicopathological characteristics in LAC patients, and the effects of 17‐AAG on biological behaviours of LAC cells. Subcutaneous LAC tumour models were further established to observe the tumour growth in nude mice. The results showed that the positive expression of LATS1 was significantly lowered (26.7% versus 68.0%, P < 0.001), while that of YAP was elevated (76.0% versus 56.0%, P = 0.03) in LAC tissues compared to the adjacent non‐cancerous tissues; LAST1 expression was negatively correlated with YAP expression (r = 0.432, P < 0.001) and lymphatic invasion of the tumour (P = 0.015). In addition, 17‐AAG inhibited proliferation and invasion, and induced cell apoptosis and cycle arrest in LAC cells together with increased expression of E‐cadherin and p‐LATS1, and decreased expression of YAP and connective tissue growth factor. Tumour volumes and weight were much smaller in 17‐AAG‐treated groups than those in untreated group (P < 0.01). Taken together, our findings indicate that decreased expression of LATS1 is associated with lymphatic invasion of LAC, and 17‐AAG suppresses growth and invasion of LAC cells via regulation of the LATS1/YAP pathway in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that we may provide a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of human LAC.