bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Technical efficiency of Microfinance Institutions (MFIs)
Authors: Gebremichael Bereket Zerai , Gessesse Hailemichael Tesfay
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The paper aims to evaluate the technical efficiency of African Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) and examine if there is performance difference by ownership type.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper applies stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) assuming that the translog production functions to estimate the technical efficiency of 134 Microfinance Institutions operating in 36 African countries. The parametric SFA is preferred over the non-parametric, as it captures the random and inefficiency effects. Though the suitable approach is SFA, for the purpose of consistency and robustness of the results, the alternative data envelopment analysis (DEA) approach is also run and the results are compared with those derived from SFA.

Findings

In our analysis we have found that African MFIs are technically inefficient. The average technical efficiency for the sample institutions is 0.489, which is quite low and suggests that on average, African MFIs are achieving only 48.9 per cent of the maximum achievable output. Our results also revealed the presence of significant technical inefficiencies with considerable differences in inefficiency among the MFIs. Further, we found statistically significant difference in the efficiency performance among the different ownership types of MFIs. More importantly, the NGO and non-bank financial institutions are relatively more efficient, while the cooperatives/credit unions are the least efficient.

Research limitations/implications

The study contributes to the continuing debate on the effect of ownership type on performance of institutions. Moreover, it indicates the importance of using certain approaches and complementing them with other alternatives for a better insight.

Practical implications

The study found that the least efficient type of MFIs are the cooperatives/credit unions. This might be related to the nature of these institutions where the members are owners and borrowers. This might affect efficiency negatively, although it may somehow address the agency problem.

Originality/value

This paper provides an evidence on efficiency performance of African MFIs, taking a large data set and applying SFA. DEA was also used to complement the SFA results. It provides useful empirical evidence and perspective on this important issue for policy makers and analysts.
Repurchase intention in the Chinese e-marketplace
Authors: Bao Haijun , Li Boying , Shen Jiaying , Hou Fangfang
Published: September 2016

Purpose

Retaining customers is very important for the survival of e-commerce sellers. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the roles of computer-mediated communication (CMC) tools, interactivity, trust and perceived effectiveness of e-commerce institutional mechanisms (PEEIM) in influencing customer’s repurchase intention in the Chinese online e-commerce marketplace.

Design/methodology/approach

The research model is empirically tested using survey data analyzed with partial least squares structural equation modeling.

Findings

This study confirms the positive relation between customer satisfaction and trust in the seller, which further contributes to repurchase intention. Results also support the positive influences of effective use of an instant messenger and feedback system on customer perceived interactivity, which helps enhance trust in the seller. PEEIM demonstrates interesting results regarding its moderating effects.

Research limitations/implications

In the future, researchers can extend the study to other e-commerce platforms and take trust transfer effects and product categories into consideration.

Practical implications

This study highlights the importance to manage trust, PEEIM, interactivity and CMC tools in e-commerce platforms, assisting practitioners to develop appropriate business strategies and processes to retain customers.

Originality/value

This study extends previous investigations by integrating trust and PEEIM with interactivity and testing the model in the context of the Chinese online marketplace.
Technological, Organisational, and Environmental drivers for enterprise systems upgrade
Authors: Feldman Gerald , Shah Hanifa , Chapman Craig , Amini Ardavan
Published: September 2016

Purpose

Enterprise systems (ES) upgrade is a complex phenomenon, yet it is possible to reduce the complexity through understanding of the upgrade drivers. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the various upgrade drivers, in order to provide a detailed understanding of the factors driving upgrade decisions.

Design/methodology/approach

This research is grounded in a qualitative survey design. It utilises a web-based survey questionnaire and semi-structured interviews to collect data from 41 respondents representing 23 large organisations. The data were qualitatively analysed and coded to identify the various drivers and their influence on ES upgrade decisions.

Findings

The findings suggest that the upgrade decisions are dependent on establishing the need to upgrade, which is influenced by various drivers and stakeholders interests. In addition, the findings suggest that organisations would only opt to upgrade when benefits are aligned with the upgrade and when the decision makes business sense.

Research limitations/implications

In this paper, the authors propose that there is a relationship between the upgrade drivers and the upgrade strategy. However, qualitative studies can only formulate logical generalisations. Hence, future research could explore these associations through a quantitative study in order to provide probabilistic generalisation that offers either similar or conflicting arguments applicable to ES upgrade phenomenon.

Originality/value

This paper provides an alternative classification of upgrade drivers, and conceptualises an association between upgrade drivers and the upgrade strategy, which in turn facilitates minimising disruptions and upgrade risks.
Management of linked knowledge in industrial maintenance
Authors: Pistofidis Petros , Emmanouilidis Christos , Papadopoulos Aggelos , Botsaris Pantelis N.
Published: September 2016

Purpose

Field expertise in industry is often poorly recorded and unexploited. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a methodology and tool that incorporates a knowledge validation loop to leverage upon human-contributed field observations in industrial maintenance management. Starting from a failure mode, effects and criticality analysis (FMECA) model, it defines a collaborative process that links FMECA knowledge with field maintenance practice.

Design/methodology/approach

A metadata management system is designed to encourage staff involvement in enriching knowledge with field observations. The process supports easy feedback and collaborative annotation and is pilot tested via an industrial case study.

Findings

Streamlining FMECA validation is welcomed by maintenance staff, empowering them to exert more control over the management, usage and versioning of reference knowledge.

Research limitations/implications

The methodology for metadata management in industrial maintenance enables staff participation in a collaborative knowledge enrichment process. Metadata management is a pre-cursor and therefore an important step to drive future analytics.

Practical implications

Industry personnel are more inclined to contribute to organisational knowledge if the process is based on reference knowledge and requires minimal interaction.

Social implications

Facilitating individual contribution to collective knowledge strengthens the sense that each staff member can have organisational impact.

Originality/value

The paper introduces a methodology and tool to stimulate human-contributed knowledge in industrial maintenance, strengthening collaborative organisation knowledge flows.
Interactive effects of external knowledge sources and internal resources on the innovation capability of Chinese manufacturers
Authors: Wang Zhiqiang , Wang Qiang , Zhao Xiande , Lyles Marjorie A. , Zhu Guilong
Published: September 2016

Purpose

Chinese firms were operating within a closed economic environment before the “opening up” in the late 1970s, but it has only been in the late 1990s that China has recognized the importance of innovation. The Chinese government has attempted to rectify this liability by providing funding to assist Chinese firms in developing innovation capability by increasing R&D collaborations and employing external experts. The purpose of this paper is to study the innovation of Chinese firms by examining how internal and external resources interactively impact the innovation capability.

Design/methodology/approach

Panel data collected from Chinese manufacturers are used to test the hypothesized relationships.

Findings

The results have shown that the interplay between internal and external resources exhibits differential patterns of impact on innovation capability. The authors discover different moderating patterns of the two types of external resources: visiting experts are helpful in enhancing the effects of internal human resources, while R&D collaborations are useful in exploiting internal financial and physical resources, even when the main effect of financial resources on innovation capability is not significant.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidences on the roles of absorbed external resources and knowledge to catalyze internal resources in building up innovation capability in an emerging economy.
How organisations leverage Big Data: a maturity model
Authors: Comuzzi Marco , Patel Anit
Published: September 2016

Purpose

While it is commonly recognised that Big Data have an immense potential to generate value for business organisations, appropriating value from Big Data and, in particular, Big Data-enabled analytics is still an open issue for many organisations. The purpose of this paper is to develop a maturity model to support organisations in the realisation of the value created by Big Data.

Design/methodology/approach

The maturity model is developed following a qualitative approach based on literature analysis and semi-structured interviews with domain experts. The completeness and usefulness of the model is evaluated qualitatively by practitioners, whereas the applicability of the model is evaluated by Big Data maturity assessments in three real-world organisations.

Findings

The proposed maturity model is considered exhaustive by domain experts and has helped the three assessed organisations to develop a more critical understanding of the next steps to take.

Originality/value

The maturity model integrates existing industry-developed maturity models into one single coherent Big Data maturity model. The proposed model answers the call for research on Big Data to abstract from technical issues to focus on the business implications of Big Data initiatives.
Does guanxi in China always produce value? The contingency effects of contract enforcement and market turbulence
Authors: Qian Liping , Yang Pianpian , Li Yao
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to reconcile the positive, non-significant and even negative effects of guanxi on firm performance from two aspects. First, it explores the linear and curvilinear relationships between guanxi and distinct performance dimensions. Second, it examines the moderating effects of both exchange-related behavioral risk (reflected by contract enforcement in this study) and market-related environmental risk (reflected by market turbulence in this study) on the above relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on data for 206 samples collected from distributors of house furnishings, computers and their components, a moderated regression is used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The empirical test generally supports the conceptual model and demonstrates three findings. First, guanxi has a linear, positive effect on financial performance and an inverted U-shaped effect on strategic performance. Second, contract enforcement decreases the effect of guanxi on financial performance and enhances its effect on strategic performance. Third, market turbulence enhances the effect of guanxi on financial performance and weakens its effect on strategic performance.

Research limitations/implications

First, this study collects data only from China. Future studies should collect data from other emerging markets to allow for either model validation or cross-country comparisons. Second, the data come only from buyers, and suppliers’ viewpoints are not included. Third, in addition to contract enforcement and market turbulence, other important contingencies should be considered in the guanxi–performance link.

Practical implications

The results provide important implications for managers to manage guanxi in an emerging economy. Managers should be very clear about their primary goal (i.e. pursuing short-term financial revenue or long-term strategic targets); next, they should understand how to match guanxi with various levels of contract enforcement and market turbulence to achieve that goal.

Originality/value

First, prior research has documented guanxi’s role in channel relationships, but it has not achieved consistent conclusions. Second, although existing studies have analyzed the contingencies of guanxi at the firm level, market level and institutional level, another important contingency “the dyadic relationship condition” is rarely considered. Third, although the extant research has realized the value of guanxi contingent on various market conditions, conflicting views exist. This study contributes by addressing these issues.
The successful family reintegration of street-connected children: application of attachment and trauma theory
Authors: Schrader-McMillan Anita , Herrera Elsa
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify elements of success in the family reintegration of children with street connections who have experienced chronic violence and loss in the context of poverty. This paper outlines the application of complex trauma theory into a practice model developed by the JUCONI Foundation in Puebla, Mexico to help children and families prepare and manage reintegration.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a 15-month qualitative study involving semi-structured interviews with families and boys at three stages: preparing for return, in the first three months of reintegration and successfully reintegrated. The study comprises interviews with frontline workers and focus group discussions with the project team. In addition, six youths who did not return to their families were interviewed.

Findings

The study focuses on an attachment and trauma-based approach to family reintegration of street-connected children outside parental care. The findings highlight the need for careful preparation of both child and families (including siblings/extended family) prior to reunification. Preparation needs to focus on resolving the underlying problems that have led to the child being on the street and “phased” reintegration (beginning with visits to the family) is recommended. Follow-up visits/family work by staff are usually essential to ensure that child/youth and family adjust to each other. The theoretical framework and rationale behind the use of the tools and strategies described needs to be understood, so that they are used intentionally and consistently.

Research limitations/implications

The study cohort involved only boys and other factors are likely to affect the reintegration of girls. The study took place in Mexico only and methods used by JUCONI need to be tested in other contexts.

Practical implications

The integration of children without parental care into families is an issue of critical interest, but there is currently very limited research or guidance on reintegration of children who have lived on the street, especially in low and middle income countries. The study should be of interest to practitioners interested in assessing whether safe and sustainable reintegration is possible and facilitating this. The paper may be of interest to practitioners working with children growing up without parental care who do not have “street connections”, but who have experienced chronic violence and loss.

Originality/value

This is the first study to describe the application of an attachment and trauma perspective to work with children who have lived on the street.
Revisiting estimation methods of business zakat and related tax incentives
Authors: Obaidullah Mohammed
Published: September 2016

Purpose

Available zakat accounting standards as well as the laws governing business zakat suggest that the adjusted net working capital or the adjusted growth capital of a business may be regarded as the base for computation of its zakat liability. The apparent consensus follows from the fiqhi prescription of imposing zakat on urud al-tijarah or the inventory of goods available for trade. Some contemporary scholars however question the rationale underlying this method and argue that the objectives of the Shariah are better met by seeking recourse to alternative methods of zakat determination for business organizations. There is therefore a need to revisit the issues and subject them to fresh scrutiny in terms of economic rationality and consistency.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper examines the arguments of the “orthodox” school as well as those of some contemporary scholars on alternative methods of computing business zakat. It also undertakes a comprehensive review of the laws of zakat as they are related to businesses and the related accounting pronouncements along with their underlying rationale. As the issue of incentivizing zakat payment is an important one, and it is often linked to provision of tax benefits, the paper examines a few suggestions in this regard.

Findings

On examination of specific suggestions – specifically, of treating earnings as zakat base – to scrutiny in terms of economic rationality and consistency, the authors argue that the “orthodox” position is not only consistent but also makes enormous economic sense. Further, the issue of incentivizing zakat payment and that of lack of harmonization between business zakat accounting and taxation need not be and should not be resolved by making changes in the former because the same has a sound Shariah basis. It can be easily resolved, if need be, by making changes in methods of taxation (tax deduction or tax rebate) and base them on specific items in the balance sheet or the income statement.

Practical implications

The paper provides useful insights to policy makers who are concerned about the huge gap between actual and potential collection of zakat and are considering tax reforms for incentivizing business zakat mobilization. It highlights the diversity in practices relating to zakat computation and related taxation across Muslim countries.

Originality/value

The paper searches for and observes consistency and compatibility between the orthodox Shariah-legal position and several accounting and taxation-related policies relating to business zakat. The policy prescriptions are expected to rejuvenate and strengthen the global zakat sector.
Brand love and positive word of mouth: the moderating effects of experience and price
Authors: Karjaluoto Heikki , Munnukka Juha , Kiuru Katrine
Published: September 2016

Purpose

This study aims to test and extend Carroll and Ahuvia’s (2006) model on the antecedents and outcomes of brand love by examining the moderating effects of experience and price on the relationship between brand love and offline word of mouth (WOM) and between brand love and electronic WOM (eWOM).

Design/methodology/approach

An online survey was conducted on Facebook, which generated 342 valid responses. The data were analyzed using partial least squares-structural equation modeling.

Findings

The results mainly support the model by confirming that the self-expressiveness of the brand and trust are positively associated with brand love. No association between hedonic product type and brand love was found. The study’s findings also suggest positive associations between brand love and both types of WOM. Experience and price were found to strengthen the relationship between brand love and offline WOM but not the relationship between brand love and eWOM.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the literature by introducing and testing an extended model of brand love. It tests two moderating effects on the relationship between brand love and WOM.
New perspective on the black box of internal auditing and organisational change
Authors: Kidron Aviv , Ofek Yuval , Cohen Herztel
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The shift from the traditional audit towards performance audit implies that internal auditors in the public sector function as change agents who underpin the fundamental change process. This paper aims to propose a model that identifies the determinants of organisational change in the public sector that result from internal auditing and the way internal auditors facilitate it.

Design/methodology/approach

The conceptual discussion of this paper is based on a review of relevant literature, both practical and academic.

Findings

This paper develops an innovative model that describes the factors leading to auditees’ change readiness after undergoing internal audit processes. The independent variable is audit information quality and the dependent variable, organisational change. Auditees’ perceptions is the mediator variable, and accessibility to audit information is the moderator variable.

Practical implications

The proposed model suggests the advantages that can be gained by audit-related services, which in turn will add value to the organisation. The relationships between the variables inform practitioners on how to support effective audits as a means of increasing performance and influencing organisational change.

Originality/value

As the paper offers an innovative model, it may open up new research areas in internal auditing that can be studied by using both qualitative and quantitative methods.
Corporate governance guidelines compliance and firm financial performance
Authors: Outa Erick Rading , Waweru Nelson M.
Published: September 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the impact of compliance with corporate governance (CG) guidelines during the period 2002-2014 on firm financial performance and firm value of Kenyan-listed companies.

Design/methodology/approach

Using panel data of 520-firm year’s observations between 2005 and 2014, the authors test the hypothesis that compliance with CG guidelines issued in 2002 by Capital Markets Authority (CMA) improved firm financial performance and firm value.

Findings

Compliance with CG Index which is an aggregate of all the CG guidelines is positively and significantly related to firm performance and firm value. Board evaluation is also positively and significantly related to firm performance. The findings suggest that CG guidelines are associated with firm financial performance and firm value.

Originality/value

The authors provide evidence on the relationship between CG practices and firm financial performance and firm value in Kenya. Second, the authors provide evidence on board evaluation which has not been tested before in a “comply or explain” environment. Finally, they evaluate how CMA 2002 CG guidelines steered firm financial performance and firm value over its life cycle from 2002 to 2014. These results are important to CMA and other CG regulators and boards in their efforts to improve CG practices in the region.
Online Chinese discussions about the 2014 World Cup
Authors: Yang Yiyi , Wang Yuan , Billings Andrew C.
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore online discussions about the 2014 World Cup on the Chinese social media platform Sina Weibo. Because China did not qualify for the World Cup, the study focusses on the role of online discussions surrounding a worldwide international event from an outsider perspective. Doing so will uncover not only the depth of dialogue surrounding issues of nation and sport, but – perhaps more importantly – also aid in uncovering the utility of online platforms in creating online communities even among presumed outsiders.

Design/methodology/approach

A content analysis of the discussions on Sina Weibo is used to identify differences between fanship comments and non-fanship comments in terms of the focus of the content and the degree of valence.

Findings

Overall, fans were more likely than non-fans to use positive valence in their comments to enhance the value of the World Cup. Moreover, fans were also more likely to discuss topics closely related to the event itself, such as teams, athletes, and factual information/news about the World Cup, establishing identification with in-group participants. Moreover, the findings also imply important insight regarding electronic commerce opportunities.

Originality/value

This paper is among the first to investigate the online discussions about World Cup in China. Theoretically, this paper provides a comprehensive framework to examine the online discussions of mega-sporting events in China based on theories of social identity theory and nationalism. Practically, it provides baseline data for the sports industry and public relation practitioners to promote a sports event when the direct nationalistic interests are absent. Moreover, it also aids in uncovering the substantial changes in sports-related communication, experiences, and mediated participation.
Managing an ambidextrous organization: balancing innovation and efficiency
Authors: Sinha Sabyasachi
Published: September 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to discuss the concept of organizational ambidexterity and how to manage the process of becoming and being an ambidextrous organization.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper presents the insights drawn from a set of in-depth case studies on managing organizational ambidexterity.

Findings

Organizational ambidexterity is facilitated by an ambidextrous top-management team, and some of the mechanisms used to balance organizational ambidexterity are ambidextrous posturing of the top management, having innovation and efficiency champions across the hierarchy, adopting a portfolio- approach, and linking efficiency-activities and innovation-activities.

Practical implications

Practicing managers of both large organizations and start-up firms can use the normative guideline suggested in this paper if they are attempting to balance efficiency and innovation activities.

Originality/value

This papers provides granular insights on how to manage organizational ambidexterity based on experiences of organizations which have been successful in their attempt to be ambidextrous.
Cross-border M&A originating from developing countries (The case of the Indian pharmaceutical industry)
Authors: Amir-Aslani Arsia , Chanel Mark Anthony
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The paper aims to highlight the growing use of M&A as a strategic tool by companies originating from the emerging markets.

Findings

Cross-border mergers play an increasingly important role in the strategies of firms originating from developing countries in expanding their capabilities and expertise within the drug discovery value chain by providing world class service and international business knowledge.

Originality/value

M&A literature is very extensive. However, there is need for more research focusing on M&A activity originating from emerging countries.
Cross-Border M&A is followed by cross-border investor relations
Authors: Amir-Aslani Arsia , Lê Philippe , Chanel Mark Anthony
Published: September 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to highlight the growing role of strategic communication in cross-border M&A in helping companies meet market expectations and investor confidence.

Design/methodology/approach

Viewpoint.

Findings

When all of the elements about a corporation that can possibly be compiled and projected and understood by the financial community, then that company can expect to compete successfully in the capital markets.

Originality/value

Communicating the value of R&D programs and their short/term goals has not been extensively covered for the biotechnology sector.
Examining disease prevalence for species of conservation concern using non‐invasive spatial capture–recapture techniques
Authors: Muneza Arthur B. , Linden Daniel W. , Montgomery Robert A. , Dickman Amy J. , Roloff Gary J. , Macdonald David W. , Fennessy Julian T.
Published: September 2016

Non‐invasive techniques have long been used to estimate wildlife population abundance and density. However, recent technological breakthroughs have facilitated non‐invasive estimation of the proportion of animal populations with certain diseases. Giraffes Giraffa camelopardalis are increasingly becoming recognized as a species of conservation concern with decreasing population trajectories across their range in Africa.

Diseases may be an important component impacting giraffe population declines, and the emerging ‘giraffe skin disease’ (GSD), characterized by the appearance of wrinkled skin and alopecic lesions on the limbs, neck and chest of infected giraffe, may hinder movement causing increased susceptibility to predation.

We examined the prevalence of GSD in Tanzania's Ruaha National Park over a 4‐month period in 2015, using photographic capture–recapture surveys via road‐based transects. We divided the study area into five circuitous survey units, each approximately 100 km in length ( = 99·22 km, SD = 3·72), and surveyed for giraffes for 4 months. From these surveys, we developed a data base of spatially explicit giraffe photographs.

We processed these photographs for individual identification and fitted spatial capture–recapture models to predict the spatial configuration of giraffe abundance and GSD prevalence within the study area.

Our results indicated that >86% of the giraffe population showed signs of GSD and that the disease was more prevalent in the northern and north‐eastern portion of Ruaha National Park.

Synthesis and applications. Our research shows that data from non‐invasive surveys can be used in spatial capture–recapture (SCR) models to estimate the proportion of a population affected by a visible disease. Researchers and conservationists can use SCR models to better examine the variation in parameters associated with these populations such as sex, age class, movement, and encounter rate, which may be linked to the prevalence of the disease, while incorporating broad spatial and temporal dimensions of the population in such areas. We discuss the implications of this research for conservation of threatened species with an emphasis on disease ecology and vulnerability to predations, and more broadly, for wildlife conservation.
The sociology of late secularization: social divisions and religiosity
Authors: Bruce Steve
Published: September 2016

At the start of the twentieth century the religious differed from the religiously indifferent largely in being religious. Now they differ in a number of other social and demographic characteristics that reduce interaction between the two populations further than simple numbers would require. That some of the main carriers of religion are immigrants or adherents of recently imported faiths reinforces the sense that religion is what other people do. In the context of the stock of religious knowledge being depleted and religion‐taken‐too‐seriously being unpopular, the narrow demographic base of the religious makes conversion unlikely and thus makes the reversal of secularization unlikely.
Fatal Clostridium perfringens Septicemia After Colonoscopic Polypectomy, Without Bowel Perforation
Authors: Gioia Sara , Lancia Massimo , Mencacci Antonella , Bacci Mauro , Suadoni Fabio
Published: September 2016

Since its introduction, colonoscopy has played an important role as a diagnostic, therapeutic, and screening tool. In general, colonoscopy is regarded as a safe procedure, but complications may occur. The most dreaded of these complications is colonic perforation. Bacteremia postprocedure may occur, and although it is not uncommon, it rarely results in clinically significant complications. Patients with IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) are a high‐risk population for bacteremia, which may leads to bowel wall overstepping by the bacteria. With regard to that, we report a fatal case of gas gangrene complicating colonoscopy polypectomy without bowel perforation in a healthy adult. To the best of our knowledge, only two other cases of retroperitoneal gas gangrene associated with colonoscopy polypectomy without bowel perforation have been described in international literature, but none of which was completed by a molecular biology analysis.
Complete mitochondrial genomes of eleven extinct or possibly extinct bird species
Authors: Anmarkrud Jarl A. , Lifjeld Jan T.
Published: September 2016

Natural history museum collections represent a vast source of ancient and historical DNA samples from extinct taxa that can be utilized by high‐throughput sequencing tools to reveal novel genetic and phylogenetic information about them. Here, we report on the successful sequencing of complete mitochondrial genome sequences (mitogenomes) from eleven extinct bird species, using de novo assembly of short sequences derived from toepad samples of degraded DNA from museum specimens. For two species (the Passenger Pigeon Ectopistes migratorius and the South Island Piopio Turnagra capensis), whole mitogenomes were already available from recent studies, whereas for five others (the Great Auk Pinguinis impennis, the Imperial Woodpecker Campehilus imperialis, the Huia Heteralocha acutirostris, the Kauai Oo Moho braccathus and the South Island Kokako Callaeas cinereus), there were partial mitochondrial sequences available for comparison. For all seven species, we found sequence similarities of >98%. For the remaining four species (the Kamao Myadestes myadestinus, the Paradise Parrot Psephotellus pulcherrimus, the Ou Psittirostra psittacea and the Lesser Akialoa Akialoa obscura), there was no sequence information available for comparison, so we conducted blast searches and phylogenetic analyses to determine their phylogenetic positions and identify their closest extant relatives. These mitogenomes will be valuable for future analyses of avian phylogenetics and illustrate the importance of museum collections as repositories for genomics resources.
Beneficial effects of moderate alcohol use—a case for Occam's razor?
Authors: Gmel Gerhard
Published: September 2016

Commentary to: Selection biases in observational studies affect associations between ‘moderate’ alcohol consumption and mortality
An invasive tree facilitates the persistence of native rodents on an over‐grazed floodplain in tropical Australia
Authors: Ward‐Fear Georgia , Brown Gregory P. , Pearson David J. , Shine Richard
Published: September 2016

In an ecosystem under simultaneous threat from multiple alien species, one invader may buffer the impact of another. Our surveys on a remote floodplain in the Kimberley region of north western Australia show that invasive chinee apple trees (Ziziphus mauritiana) provide critical refuge habitat for native rodents (pale field rats, Rattus tunneyi). Feral horses (Equus caballus) have trampled most of the remaining floodplain, but are excluded from the area around each chinee apple tree by thorny foliage. Although chinee apple trees constituted <10% of trees along our transects, they represented >50% of trees that harboured rat burrows. The mean number of burrows under each chinee apple tree was twice as high as under most other tree species, and we trapped more than seven times as many rats under chinee apple trees as under other types of trees. The extensive burrow systems under chinee apple trees contained female as well as male rats, whereas we only captured males around the smaller burrow systems under other tree species. Our data suggest that this invasive tree plays a critical role in the persistence of pale field rat populations in this degraded ecosystem, and that managers should maintain these trees (despite their alien origins) at least until feral horses have been removed.
Hierarchical Group Testing for Multiple Infections
Authors: Hou Peijie , Tebbs Joshua M. , Bilder Christopher R. , McMahan Christopher S.
Published: September 2016

Group testing, where individuals are tested initially in pools, is widely used to screen a large number of individuals for rare diseases. Triggered by the recent development of assays that detect multiple infections at once, screening programs now involve testing individuals in pools for multiple infections simultaneously. Tebbs, McMahan, and Bilder (2013, Biometrics) recently evaluated the performance of a two-stage hierarchical algorithm used to screen for chlamydia and gonorrhea as part of the Infertility Prevention Project in the United States. In this article, we generalize this work to accommodate a larger number of stages. To derive the operating characteristics of higher-stage hierarchical algorithms with more than one infection, we view the pool decoding process as a time-inhomogeneous, finite-state Markov chain. Taking this conceptualization enables us to derive closed-form expressions for the expected number of tests and classification accuracy rates in terms of transition probability matrices. When applied to chlamydia and gonorrhea testing data from four states (Region X of the United States Department of Health and Human Services), higher-stage hierarchical algorithms provide, on average, an estimated 11% reduction in the number of tests when compared to two-stage algorithms. For applications with rarer infections, we show theoretically that this percentage reduction can be much larger.
Stress‐Constrained Thickness Optimization for Shell Object Fabrication
Authors: Zhao Haiming , Xu Weiwei , Zhou Kun , Yang Yin , Jin Xiaogang , Wu Hongzhi
Published: September 2016

We present an approach to fabricate shell objects with thickness parameters, which are computed to maintain the user‐specified structural stability. Given a boundary surface and user‐specified external forces, we optimize the thickness parameters according to stress constraints to extrude the surface. Our approach mainly consists of two technical components: First, we develop a patch‐based shell simulation technique to efficiently support the static simulation of extruded shell objects using finite element methods. Second, we analytically compute the derivative of stress required in the sensitivity analysis technique to turn the optimization into a sequential linear programming problem. Experimental results demonstrate that our approach can optimize the thickness parameters for arbitrary surfaces in a few minutes and well predict the physical properties, such as the deformation and stress of the fabricated object.
Agreement between adherences to four physical activity recommendations in patients with COPD: does the incremental shuttle walk test predict adherence?
Authors: Mitchell Katy E. , Johnson Vicki , Houchen‐Wolloff Linzy , Sewell Louise , Morgan Mike D. , Steiner Michael C. , Singh Sally J.
Published: September 2016

Introduction and objectives

There are various recommendations for physical activity (PA). However agreement between all of these measures has not been established. Furthermore, given the challenges of measuring PA there is interest in evaluating whether a measure of exercise performance can be used as a surrogate measure to identify who is likely to achieve the recommendations.

Methods

A total of 184 people with COPD were recruited, 128 of which had complete data for these analyses. Participants wore the SenseWear Armband for 7 consecutive days and all performed an incremental shuttle walk test (ISWT). We extracted moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in bouts of ≥10 min using a 3 metabolic equivalent (MET) threshold and an individually prescribed MET threshold (based on performance on the ISWT). Average daily step count and the physical activity level were also calculated.

Results

There was poor agreement between the four PA recommendations, with agreement on all four achieved in only 30 participants. People were least likely to be active using MVPA in ≥10 min bouts using 3 MET threshold (21.1% active), and most likely to be active using MVPA in ≥10 min bouts using an individually prescribed threshold (64.9% active). It was not possible to identify a threshold on the ISWT that would reliably predict those that achieved any of the four recommendations.

Conclusion

Agreement between various physical activity recommendations is poor. This should be considered when measuring and describing physical activity adherence. The ISWT cannot be used to reliably predict adherence to physical activity guidelines.
Exogenous lipoid pneumonia induced by nasal decongestant
Authors: Osman Giorgia A. , Ricci Alberto , Terzo Fabrizio , Falasca Carlo , Giovagnoli Maria R. , Bruno Pierdonato , Vecchione Andrea , Raffa Salvatore , Valente Sabatino , Torrisi Maria R. , De Dominicis Chiara , Giovagnoli Simonetta , Mariotta Salvatore
Published: September 2016

Introduction

Lipoid pneumonia is a clinical condition that may be initially asymptomatic or confused with an infectious or malignant lung disease.

Objectives

We report four cases of this pathological condition.

Methods

The first case concerned an 85‐year old woman with bilateral confluent pulmonary opacities, ground‐glass type. Diagnosis was based on the cytology of the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid followed by its ultrastructural examination. The second case was a 47‐year‐old man with an isolated pulmonary nodule, which was surgically removed; the diagnosis of lipoid pneumonia was formulated on the basis of the histological and electron microscopy examination. The third case concerned a 73‐year‐old woman, with bilateral hypodense areas at the bases of the lungs where FDG PET/CT scan showed an increased uptake. Diagnosis was formulated by BAL cytology and electron microscopy examination. The fourth case was a 69‐year‐old man, who performed a virtual colonoscopy for diverticulosis putting in evidence a round mass (3 cm in diameter) with two small peripheral nodules, located in the pulmonary left lower lobe. The histopathological examination of transthoracic biopsy confirmed a lipoid pneumonia.

Results and conclusion

In all four cases, it was put in evidence a prolonged use of a nasal decongestant containing mineral oils. In literature, the most cases described are characterized by a subclinical evolution and were presented as ground glass opacities which evolve, in the later phases, in an interstitial involvement or in a peripheral mass, simulating a lung tumour.
Beyond men and women: a critical perspective on gender and disaster
Authors: Gaillard J.C. , Sanz Kristinne , Balgos Benigno C. , Dalisay Soledad Natalia M. , Gorman‐Murray Andrew , Smith Fagalua , Toelupe Vaito'a
Published: September 2016

Consideration of gender in the disaster sphere has centred almost exclusively on the vulnerability and capacities of women. This trend stems from a polarised Western understanding of gender as a binary concept of man—woman. Such an approach also mirrors the dominant framing of disasters and disaster risk reduction (DRR), emphasising Western standards and practices to the detriment of local, non‐Western identities and experiences. This paper argues that the man—woman dichotomy is an insufficient construct with which to address the gendered dimensions of a disaster as it fails to capture the realities of diverse gender minorities in non‐Western contexts. The paper presents case studies from the Philippines, Indonesia, and Samoa, where gender minorities display specific patterns of vulnerability associated with their marginal positions in society, yet, importantly, also possess a wide array of endogenous capacities. Recognition of these differences, needs, skills, and unique resources is essential to moving towards inclusive and gender‐sensitive DRR.
Efficacy and safety of rituximab therapy in patients with pemphigus vulgaris: first report from Turkey
Authors: Uzun Soner , Bilgiç Temel Aslı , Akman Karakaş Ayşe , Ergün Erkan , Özkesici Birgül , Eskiocak Ali Haydar , Erat Ayşegül , Uğurlu Nilay , Nazlım Berna , Koç Saliha , Bozkurt Selen , Dicle Özlem , Alpsoy Erkan , Yılmaz Ertan
Published: September 2016

Background

Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is a severe, chronic, and potentially life‐threatening autoimmune blistering disease that affects the skin and mucous membranes. Rituximab is a monoclonal anti‐CD20 antibody which has been used increasingly in the therapy of PV.

Methods

The present study sought to test the efficacy and safety of rituximab as an adjuvant therapy by retrospective analysis of clinical and immunological data for 29 patients with PV who were treated with rituximab between 2010 and 2015. Response to therapy, duration of clinical remission, serology of the response, and adverse effects of rituximab were evaluated.

Results

The mean ± standard deviation (SD) follow‐up time was 17.48 ± 13.18 months. In all patients, findings showed either a decrease in antibody titers or that antibodies were completely undetectable after therapy. Rituximab use resulted in a significant reduction in steroid dosage during follow‐up. At the end of the follow‐up period, 26 patients (96.2%) had achieved complete remission with or without therapy (one patient had no follow‐up and one patient had died, most probably as the result of a thromboembolic event). In 44.4% of patients, a clinical relapse occurred after a mean ± SD period of 13.1 ± 4.7 months after the initiation of rituximab therapy. Relapses were managed with additional infusions of rituximab.

Conclusions

Rituximab is a beneficial and relatively safe adjuvant treatment for PV that facilitates prolonged clinical remission and has a significant steroid‐sparing effect.
Filaggrin gene loss‐of‐function mutations explain discordance of atopic dermatitis within dizygotic twin pairs
Authors: Thomsen Simon Francis , Elmose Camilla , Szecsi Pal Bela , Stender Steen , Kyvik Kirsten Ohm , Backer Vibeke , Thyssen Jacob Pontoppidan
Published: September 2016

Objectives

This study was designed to examine the association between loss‐of‐function mutations in the filaggrin gene (FLG) and atopic dermatitis (AD) and asthma in adult twins.

Methods

A previously well‐characterized cohort of 575 adult twins were genotyped for the loss‐of‐function mutations in FLG (R501X, 2282del4 and R2447X) most common among northern Europeans. Subjects were examined for symptoms of atopic diseases as well as for lung function, airway responsiveness, and atopy.

Results

In the whole population of twins, the risk for AD was significantly increased in individuals with FLG mutations in comparison with wild‐type carriers (34.3% vs. 21.8%) after adjustment for possible confounders (odds ratio [OR] 1.92, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.07–3.41; P = 0.028). A significant association was also observed for persistent AD (OR 2.10, 95% CI 1.02–4.36; P = 0.046). There were no significant differences in risk for asthma by FLG mutation status in individuals with and without AD, respectively (P‐value for interaction, 0.595). In 11 dizygotic twin pairs discordant for FLG mutation status, risk for AD was higher in the twin carrying the FLG mutation (five of 11 [45.5%] twins had developed AD) than in the non‐carrier co‐twin (two of 11 [18.2%] twins had developed AD) (OR 2.50, 95% CI 0.45–13.85; P = 0.293). FLG status did not explain a significant proportion of the variation in AD (P = 0.328) or asthma (P = 0.321).

Conclusions

Filaggrin gene mutations are risk factors for the presence and persistence of AD and explain the discordance of AD within dizygotic twin pairs.