bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The employment situations and career prospects of postdoctoral researchers
Authors: Teelken Christine , Van der Weijden Inge
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to draw on the employment situation of postdoctoral researchers (postdocs) in the Netherlands, concerning their career prospects and embeddedness within their organisation, in order to discuss theoretical perspectives on academic careers.

Design/methodology/approach

This multi-method study consists of three parts: a survey, in-depth interviews, and three focus group meetings with postdocs as well as representatives of the human resource staff and the Dutch Research Council (NWO). This paper reports on the findings from the focus group meetings, which concentrated on how postdoctoral researchers consider their employment situation and career prospects.

Findings

The three focus group discussions revealed that postdocs are caught within a dual controversy, the first involves their lack of clarity concerning their career prospects and developments despite their highly valued work, the second regards the fact that they are specialized staff, contributing to the primary process of their employing organisation but faintly connected. Although the postdocs’ formal position seems weak, their situation in terms of academic socialising is much stronger and active than appears at first sight, particularly due to their personal agency.

Practical implications

The postdocs require and appreciate guidance and support, particularly when they must leave academia.

Originality/value

The paper provides new and additional insights into the position of postdocs and their career prospects. Their personal agency in pursuing further career steps is more active than expected in previous studies.
Who’s who in the project zoo? The ten core project roles
Authors: Zwikael Ofer , Meredith Jack R.
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to resolve a core issue in project management research and practice – inconsistent terminology of key project roles. This inconsistency has negative consequences on the quality and impact of research in this area.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted an analysis of the literature and project management standards to identify both agreed-upon and inconsistent project role terms. Based on role and agency theories, the authors propose a consistent terminology.

Findings

The authors found consensus regarding four terms: project manager, project team, project management office, and program manager. However, the authors also found conflicting definitions and misuse concerning other terms, as well as use of the same title for different roles (e.g. customer, sponsor, champion). The authors define the ten core project roles and the two project entities with which they are associated.

Originality/value

The proposed role definitions and clear distinction between the two project entities offer clarity, reliance on existing consensus, avoidance of conflicts of interest, and clear separation of principal and agent roles. The implementation of these definitions will improve communications and enhance quality within and between both the research and the practice communities.
The role of strategic purchasing in dynamic capability development and deployment
Authors: Brandon-Jones Alistair , Knoppen Desiree
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report on research into the impact of two sequential dimensions of strategic purchasing – purchasing recognition and purchasing involvement – on the development and deployment of dynamic capabilities. The authors also examine how such dynamic capabilities impact on both cost and innovation performance, and how their effects differ for service as opposed to manufacturing firms.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors test hypotheses using structural equation modeling of survey data from 309 manufacturing and service firms.

Findings

From a dynamic capability perspective, the analysis supports the positive relationships between purchasing recognition, purchasing involvement, and dynamic capability in the form of knowledge scanning. The authors also find support for the positive impact of knowledge scanning on both cost and innovation performance. From a contingency perspective, data supports hypothesized differences caused by industry, whereby service-based firms experience stronger positive linkages in our model than manufacturing-based firms. Finally, emerging from the data, the authors explore a re-enforcing effect from cost performance to purchasing involvement, something that is in line with the dynamic capabilities perspective but not typically addressed in operations management (OM) research.

Originality/value

The research offers a number of theoretical and managerial contributions, including being one of a relative few examples of empirical assessment of dynamic capability development and deployment; examining the enablers of dynamic capability in addition to the more commonly addressed performance effect; assessing the contingency effect of firm type for dynamic capabilities; and uncovering a return (re-enforcing) effect between performance and enablers of dynamic capabilities.
The impact of supplier performance measurement systems on supplier performance
Authors: Maestrini Vieri , Luzzini Davide , Caniato Federico , Maccarrone Paolo , Ronchi Stefano
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the impact of a mature supplier performance measurement system (SPMS) adoption all along its lifecycle phases (i.e. design, implementation, use and review) on the suppliers’ performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The research hypotheses have been tested on a final sample of 147 pairs of buyer-supplier responses, collected by means of a dyadic survey involving manufacturing firms and one key supplier of their choice. The research framework has been tested through a structural model using PLS regression.

Findings

Considering the joint effect of all the four SPMS phases on supplier performance, the findings show that the system use and review play a prominent effect: the former have a positive impact on supplier quality, delivery and sustainability performance; the latter positively affects supplier delivery, innovation and sustainability. A mature design displays a positive effect on supplier sustainability performance, while a mature implementation results to negatively affect supplier innovation performance. Finally, cost performance is not impacted by any of the four phases.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the open debate regarding the relationship between SPMSs and actual supplier performance improvement. In particular, the lifecycle perspective is introduced to clearly distinguish among each phase of adoption and assess their relative impact on supplier performance. Besides, the dyadic nature of the study allows to investigate different subcomponents of supplier performance jointly considering the buyer company and supplier company perspective, thus achieving a more insightful and robust information.
An integrated model of luxury fashion consumption: perspective from a developing nation
Authors: Roy Subhadip , Jain Varsha , Matta Nikita
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to empirically validate a model of luxury fashion consumption that integrates the antecedents and consequences of luxury buying in a developing nation context.

Design/methodology/approach

The hypotheses developed in the conceptual model are tested using survey data collected through mall intercept survey of real consumers (with sample sizes 382 and 544). Factor analysis and structural equation modeling are used to analyze the data.

Findings

Major results suggest a significant impact of consumer’s local/global orientation on the motivations and associations behind the luxury buying. Motivations and associations are found to influence luxury consumption, which in turn is found to have a positive effect on post-purchase thoughts/feelings. Social influence is found to have a moderating impact on the effects of motivations and associations on luxury consumption, respectively.

Research limitations/implications

The study is restricted to a developing nation context. However, this is one of the novel attempts to validate a comprehensive model of luxury consumption that could be replicated in other contexts.

Practical implications

The findings provide guidelines for a luxury marketer on the factors to consider and monitor while marketing a luxury fashion brand.

Originality/value

The present study adds a new perspective to the literature on luxury buying behavior with its empirically validated comprehensive model.
Rapha and its embedded storytelling
Authors: Glover Catherine
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how British cycling brand Rapha innovatively embeds stories throughout its touchpoints and in its garments.

Design/methodology/approach

Using narrative inquiry methodology and subjective personal introspection, it analyses published brand texts, cycling apparel, primary interviews and lived experience to establish a key story theme and the role, form, value and continuity of stories in the brand’s canon.

Findings

It claims that Rapha’s texts reveal evidence of a specific story plot, the “Quest” (Booker, 2015), which acts as a structural editorial device and provides a rich lexicon that taps into a transformative personal experience. The study proposes that the brand’s employees identify themselves with quester values that define the brand’s essence, providing a coherent message and magnifying the agency in Rapha’s stories.

Research limitations/implications

This inquiry offers insight into a single consumer brand, yet it is the material manner in which stories are embedded within the brand offerings plus how lived experiences are recounted through structured storytelling that are of significance to wider practice and understanding.

Originality/value

It brings together industry, academic and personal insight to Rapha’s storytelling praxis to illustrate how storied content can be used to transmit values, purpose and passion to its audience.
Does intellectual capital help predict bankruptcy?
Authors: Cenciarelli Velia Gabriella , Greco Giulio , Allegrini Marco
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore whether intellectual capital affects the probability that a particular firm will default. The authors also test whether including intellectual capital performance in bankruptcy prediction models improves their predictive ability.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a sample of US public companies from the period stretching from 1985 to 2015, the authors test whether intellectual capital performance reduces the probability of bankruptcy. The authors use the VAIC as an aggregate measure of corporate intellectual capital performance.

Findings

The findings show that the intellectual capital performance is negatively associated with the probability of default. The findings also indicate that the bankruptcy prediction models that include intellectual capital have a superior predictive ability over the standard models.

Research limitations/implications

This paper contributes to prior research on intellectual capital and firm performance. To the best of the knowledge, this is the first study to show that the benefits of intellectual capital extend from superior performance to long-term financial stability. The research can also contribute to bankruptcy studies. By using a time frame covering decades, the findings suggest that intellectual capital performance measures can be included in bankruptcy prediction models and can effectively complement traditional performance measures.

Originality/value

This paper highlights that intellectual capital is associated with long-term financial stability and a lower bankruptcy risk. Firms realising the potential of their intellectual capital can produce a virtuous circle between higher performance and greater financial stability.
Self-assessment of intellectual capital in an organisation
Authors: Otcenášková Tereza , Bureš Vladimír
Published: January 2018

Purpose

Intellectual capital represents an integral part of evaluation in many companies. Applied methods do not consider three crucial aspects of intellectual capital, which are up-to-date research topics, dynamic nature, and internal perspective. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to propose a novel intellectual capital self-evaluation method, addressing this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

Analysis of topics is based on collocation, correspondence, and co-occurrence analyses. Method construction stage is grounded in knowledge processes and deploys a panel of expert evaluations, Saaty’s decision matrix, based on pairwise comparison and the stakeholders’ estimates.

Findings

A new method for evaluation enables complex internal view on the status of intellectual capital in an organisation, as it is based on up-to-date research topics, a self-evaluation approach, and the dynamics of knowledge processes.

Research limitations/implications

The list of applied criteria is extendable, and the set weights are adjusted. Estimates are subjective in their nature. Provided results are tied with the specifics of self-evaluated organisations and cannot be used for inter-organisational comparison.

Practical implications

Presented system enables organisational self-evaluation, focussed on the complex and dynamic internal view, based on up-to-date topics. Despite the limitations, this self-evaluation can be conducted for various types of economic systems.

Originality/value

Proposed method is patterned on the current research topics and offers dynamic- and internal-oriented approach to self-evaluation of intellectual capital status.
Actively managed ETFs vs actively managed mutual funds
Authors: Sherrill D. Eli , Upton Kate
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study if actively managed exchange-traded funds (AMETFs) and actively managed mutual funds (AMMFs) are complements or substitutes. It also tests if there are tax or liquidity clientele effects.

Design/methodology/approach

The study investigates the relation between individual AMMF flows and aggregate AMETF flows as well as individual AMETF flows and aggregate AMMF flows. A 2013 tax change is used to analyze if a tax clientele effect exists between the AMETF and AMMF markets. The authors use differences in investor groups for institutional vs retail fund share classes to test for liquidity clientele effects.

Findings

The authors find that equity and mixed AMETFs and AMMFs are substitutes, although not perfect substitutes. Taxation-related differences between the two products create a clientele effect for fixed income and mixed funds where tax-sensitive investors are more likely to substitute AMETFs for AMMFs surrounding tax increases. There is weak evidence that institutional investors may prefer AMETFs more than retail investors because of their enhanced liquidity.

Originality/value

This is the first study to investigate the flow relation between AMETFs and AMMFs. The fast-paced growth of the AMETF area coupled with the substitutability between the two products and tax advantages of AMETFs has the capability to gain significant market share from AMMFs in the future.
Is tourism conducive to residents’ social trust? Evidence form large-scale social surveys
Authors: Strzelecka Marianna , Okulicz-Kozaryn Adam
Published: January 2018

Purposes

This paper aims to understand the character of the relationship between tourism growth and residents’ social trust.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses large-scale data to model the effect of tourism on generalized trust attitudes Among advantages to analyzing data from large-scale social surveys, extensive content and representative coverage of the population are probably the most appealing. The broad coverage of the population of the large-scale social surveys allows for a broader generalization of the study results as well as comparison of areas with very different tourist activity.

Findings

This study offers two key findings. First, the effect of tourist arrivals (as per capita) on social trust attitudes is stronger in poorer regions than in wealthier regions. Second, only domestic tourism positively affects trust.

Research limitations/implications

This study delivered a straightforward analysis of large data to be able to generalize findings and make a significant theoretical contribution to tourism discipline. This goal was pursued at the expense of complex or in-depth explanation of the observed phenomenon.

Practical implications

Findings from this study indicate that there are at least two crucial criteria for tourism to be able to strengthen residents’ social trust. First, domestic tourism should be encouraged in destination regions in their early development stages and in more homogeneous regions. Perhaps, focus on domestic tourists before internationalization of a tourism product is the most effective way to promote tourism development that is supported by local residents. Second, tourism is likely to have stronger positive effect on social trust in poorer regions. Thus, tourism policy makers should take into consideration the actual economic need for tourism. Residents in wealthier regions may show less support for tourism simply because they don’t need it and they have no economic incentives to be involved. In fact, tourism in wealthier regions is likely to diminish residents’ social trust, and thus it disrupts local social and political processes that rely on high social trust.

Originality/value

Social trust is considered an important measure of social cohesion and it enables modern societies to thrive. Social trust has not been problematized in the context of contemporary tourism growth. This is the first study that uses large data social survey to model the effect of tourism on social trust in European destination regions.
After 18 months of antiretroviral therapy, total HIV DNA decreases more pronouncedly in patients infected by CRF01_AE than in those infected by subtype B and CRF07_BC
Authors: Lu Zhenzhen , Jiao Yanmei , Li Jianjun , Lan Guanghua , Lu Chunyan , Li Xuan , Tang Zhenzhu , Wang Ning
Published: January 2018

Whether the amount of HIV DNA is associated with the subtype of HIV‐1 after antiretroviral therapy (ART) has not been reported. In the present study, the amount of HIV DNA and RNA and CD4+T counts in blood and semen prior to and after 18 months of ART were compared in 48 patients infected by CRF01_AE, subtype B or CRF07_BC of HIV‐1. Viral RNA was suppressed and CD4 cell count recovery achieved in all patients. The level of HIV DNA were similar before ART; however, patients with CRF01_AE had less HIV DNA after ART than those with subtype B and CRF07_BC infection. According to prediction of co‐receptor usage by Geno2Pheno and PSSM in combination, more than 35.6% of clones for CRF01_AE were predicted as CXCR4‐using before ART, whereas less than 6% of those for subtype B and CRF07_BC were predicted as CXCR4‐using. After 18 months of ART, no CXCR4‐using clones were predicted in any of the subtypes. Despite more HIV RNA and fewer CD4 + T cells in patients with CRF01_AE before therapy, no significant differences (P > 0.05) in viral RNA or CD4 cell counts were observed between the subtypes after 18 months of ART. Thus, 18 months of antiretroviral therapy was more efficient in patients with CRF01_AE. Considering that successful ART dramatically reduces the viral load in both blood and semen, risks of sexual transmission of HIV were reduced, contributing to prevention of rapid spread of HIV among men who have sex with men in the region.
Animals alter precipitation legacies: Trophic and ecosystem engineering effects on plant community temporal dynamics
Authors: Grinath Joshua B. , Deguines Nicolas , Chesnut John W. , Prugh Laura R. , Brashares Justin S. , Suding Katharine N.
Published: January 2018

Multiyear precipitation “legacies” can have stronger effects on plant community composition than rainfall in the current growing season, but variation in the magnitude of these effects is not fully understood. Direct interactions between plants and animals, such as herbivory, and indirect interactions, such as ecosystem engineering (via changes in the physical environment), may influence precipitation legacies by altering mechanisms of lagged effects. However, the role of direct and indirect plant–animal interactions in determining the strength of precipitation legacies remains largely unexplored.

Here, we investigated effects of current growing season rainfall and precipitation legacies on grassland composition, and the influence of herbivory and ecosystem engineering interactions on these temporal dynamics. From 2009 to 2014, a period spanning high and low rainfall, we recorded plant cover in kangaroo rat exclosures and paired control plots that included both burrow and inter‐burrow areas. We used linear mixed effects modelling and analysis of community dissimilarities to evaluate plant composition responses to current and previous growing season rainfall and kangaroo rat herbivory (presence of seed foraging) and ecosystem engineering (burrowing).

We found that community composition was more strongly affected by precipitation legacies than by current growing season rainfall. Greater precipitation in the previous growing season enhanced grass cover and reduced forb and legume cover. Kangaroo rat trophic and engineering interactions had counteracting effects on these legacies. While burrowing increased grass cover and thereby amplified the effects of previous growing season rainfall on community composition, legacies were suppressed by the presence of kangaroo rat foraging, which decreased grass cover. Further analysis revealed that kangaroo rat foraging and burrowing had conflicting effects on residual plant biomass prior to the growing season, suggesting that precipitation legacies were influenced by altered litter dynamics.

Synthesis. Our study demonstrates that animals can impact the strength of precipitation legacies through direct and indirect interactions with the plant species that drive lag effects. The influence of multiple types of plant–animal interactions on precipitation legacies may be important to consider for ecosystem management and when generating predictions of community composition and productivity in future ecosystems.
How is Political Influence Redistributed in Times of Fiscal Austerity?
Authors: Houlberg Kurt , Voigt Sune Welling , Pedersen Lene Holm
Published: January 2018

The distribution of political influence changes in times of fiscal austerity. Decision makers generally find themselves with more influence when the economy gets tighter, probably because more tough decisions must be made. In line with expectations based on the asymmetrical distribution of interests between budget guardians and advocates, however, some evidence can be found that the relative political influence shifts in the direction of the guardians when austerity becomes severe. These findings are based on a dataset consisting of a repeated cross‐sectional survey of the perception of political influence among local councillors in Denmark, combined with register data on austerity in the Danish municipalities. By moving the analytical level down to the subnational level, a contribution to the discussion on how austerity affects political influence can be made. Thus, it is not merely a practical saying that crisis opens for new political opportunities; it is now also a research agenda to investigate how this unfolds in different institutional settings.
Determination of the maximum tolerated dose of intranasal sufentanil and midazolam in Chinese: a pilot study
Authors: Zou Y. , Shao L. , Tian M. , Zhang Y. , Liu F.
Published: January 2018

Background

The purpose of this study was to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD, the dose of causing 10% respiratory depression) of intranasal sufentanil (SUF) and midazolam (MID) for sedation during gastroscopy by continual reassessment method (CRM).

Methods

Patients (18–65 years old) scheduled for gastroscopy were recruited in this study. Subjects received intranasal SUF and MID for sedation. The dose of MID (5 mg) was fixed, while the dose of SUF was increased progressively (six incremental doses ranging from 0–0.60 μg/kg, n = 3 for each dose). The first cohort received a conservative, predetermined dose of 5 mg MID and 0 μg/kg SUF, subsequent cohorts received doses of SUF that were determined by the responses of all previous patients using Bayesian‐based software. The dose allocated to the next cohort is the one with an updated posterior response probability closest to 10%.

Results

Thirty Chinese patients scheduled for gastroscopy were included. Probability of respiratory depression at each dose was as follows: 5 mg MID + 0 μg/kg SUF, 0.4%; 5 mg MID + 0.1 μg/kg SUF, 0.8%; 5 mg MID + 0.2 μg/kg SUF, 1.8%; 5 mg MID + 0.3 μg/kg SUF, 3.7%; 5 mg MID + 0.4 μg/kg SUF, 9.9%; 5 mg MID + 0.5 μg/kg SUF, 17.8%; 5 mg MID + 0.6 μg/kg SUF, 36.0%.

Conclusion

The MTD of intranasal MID and SUF for sedation during gastroscopy causing 10% respiratory depression is 5 mg MID + 0.4 μg/kg SUF, based on CRM.
Diminishing benefit of smoking cessation medications during the first year: a meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Rosen Laura J. , Galili Tal , Kott Jeffrey , Goodman Mark , Freedman Laurence S.
Published: January 2018

Background and aims

Although smoking cessation medications have shown effectiveness in increasing abstinence in randomized controlled trials (RCTs), it is unclear to what extent benefits persist over time. This paper assesses whether the benefits of smoking cessation medications decline over the first year.

Methods

We selected studies from three systematic reviews published by the Cochrane Collaboration. RCTs of first‐line smoking cessation medications, with 6‐ and 12‐month follow‐up, were eligible for inclusion. Meta‐analysis was used to synthesize information on sustained abstinence (SA) at 6 versus 12 months and 3 versus 6 months, using the risk difference (RD) (‘net benefit’) between intervention and control group quit rates, the relative risk (RR) and the odds ratio (OR).

Results

Sixty‐one studies (27 647 participants) were included. Fewer than 40% of intervention group participants were sustained abstinent at 3 months (bupropion: 37.1%; nicotine replacement therapy (NRT): 34.8%; varenicline: 39.3%); approximately a quarter were sustained abstinent at 6 months (bupropion: 25.9%; NRT: 26.6%; varenicline: 25.4%), and approximately a fifth were sustained abstinent at 12 months (bupropion: 19.9%; NRT: 19.8%%; varenicline: 18.7%). There was only a small decline in RR (3 months: 1.95 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.74–2.18, P < 0.0001]; 6 months: 1.87 (95% CI = 1.67–2.08 P < 0.0001); 12 months: 1.75 (95% CI = 1.56–1.95, P < 0.0001) between intervention and control groups over time, but a substantial decline in net benefit [3 months: RD = 17.3% (14.5–20.1%); 6 months: RD = 11.8% (10.0–13.7%); 12 months: RD = 8.2% (6.8–9.6%)]. The decline in net benefit was statistically significant between 3 and 6 [RD = 4.95% (95% CI = 3.49–6.41%), P < 0.0001] and 6 and 12 months [RD = 3.00% (95% CI = 2.36%–3.64%), P < 0.0001)] for medications combined and individual medications.

Conclusions

The proportion of smokers who use smoking cessation medications who benefit from doing so decreases during the course of the first year, but a net benefit still remains at 12 months.
A reciprocal effects analysis of cannabis use and perceptions of risk
Authors: Salloum Naji C. , Krauss Melissa J. , Agrawal Arpana , Bierut Laura J. , Grucza Richard A.
Published: January 2018

Background and Aims

Adolescents and young adults increasingly view cannabis as a relatively safe drug. Perception of risk associated with cannabis use is correlated negatively with the prevalence of use, but the causal nature of this association is debated. The aim of this study is to quantitate the reciprocal associations between cannabis use and risk perception in a longitudinal panel of emerging adults.

Design

Observational study of longitudinal data from the Monitoring the Future longitudinal study using autoregressive cross‐lagged panel analyses to investigate reciprocal associations between cannabis risk perception and frequency of past‐year cannabis use.

Setting

Surveys administered to 12th‐grade students from the United States general population.

Participants

A total of 9929 12th‐grade students (mean age 18.0 years) who were surveyed initially during 2000–05 and follow‐up data until approximately 23‐24 years old (three waves; n = 9929).

Measurements

Perception of risk association with cannabis use and frequency of past‐year cannabis use.

Results

At baseline, 33% of the 12th‐graders used cannabis in the past year versus 28% by the third follow‐up; 83% believed that smoking cannabis regularly carried moderate or great risk versus 78% by the third follow‐up. All cross‐lagged paths in both directions were statistically significant (all P < 0.001), consistent with reciprocal influences between cannabis use and risk perception. The negative association between past‐year cannabis use and subsequent risk perception (standardized coefficient range −0.21 to −0.27) was stronger than that between risk perception and subsequent use (standardized coefficient range −0.08 to −0.11; confidence intervals did not overlap with those for the coefficients reported above). Similar results were obtained when the analysis was limited to those who had never used cannabis prior to baseline.

Conclusions

Longitudinal associations between cannabis use and perception of risks from cannabis use are reciprocal in nature, with a stronger association between cannabis use and lower subsequent risk perception.
EAACI Position paper on the standardization of nasal allergen challenges
Authors: Augé J. , Vent J. , Agache I. , Airaksinen L. , Campo Mozo P. , Chaker A. , Cingi C. , Durham S. , Fokkens W. , Gevaert P. , Giotakis A. , Hellings P. , Herknerova M. , Hox V. , Klimek L. , La Melia C. , Mullol J. , Muluk N. B. , Muraro A. , Naito K. , Pfaar O. , Riechelmann H. , Rondon C. , Rudenko M. , Samolinski B. , Tasca I. , Tomazic P. , Vogt K. , Wagenmann M. , Yeryomenko G. , Zhang L. , Mösges R.
Published: January 2018

Nasal allergen challenge (NAC) is an important tool to diagnose allergic rhinitis. In daily clinical routine, experimentally, or when measuring therapeutic success clinically, nasal allergen challenge is fundamental. It is further one of the key diagnostic tools when initiating specific allergen immunotherapy. So far, national recommendations offered guidance on its execution; however, international divergence left many questions unanswered. These differences in the literature caused EAACI to initiate a task force to answer unmet needs and find a consensus in executing nasal allergen challenge. On the basis of a systematic review containing nasal allergen challenges of the past years, task force members reviewed evidence, discussed open issues, and studied variations of several subjective and objective assessment parameters to propose a standardized way of a nasal allergen challenge procedure in clinical practice. Besides an update on indications, contraindications, and preparations for the test procedure, main recommendations are a bilaterally challenge with standardized allergens, with a spray device offering 0.1 mL per nostril. A systematic catalogue for positivity criteria is given for the variety of established subjective and objective assessment methods as well as a schedule for the challenge procedure. The task force recommends a unified protocol for NAC for daily clinical practice, aiming at eliminating the previous difficulty of comparing NAC results due to unmet needs.
Neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio predicts anastomotic dehiscence
Authors: Walker Patrick A. , Kunjuraman Bindu , Bartolo David C. C.
Published: January 2018

Background

Anastomotic dehiscence (AD) is the most feared complication following colonic and rectal anastomosis. Multiple attempts have been made to correlate the levels of biomarkers to the risk of AD. This study attempts to compare C‐reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT) and neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (NLR) as predictors of AD.

Method

This case‐controlled study collected data on patients undergoing colonic and rectal anastomosis over an 18‐month period. Levels of CRP, PCT and NLR were recorded daily for the first 5 days post‐operatively. These results were then compared between those who developed AD and those who did not.

Results

A total of 136 patients were included; 11 (8.1%) patients developed AD. CRP and NLR were useful predictors of AD with an area under the curve of 0.81 and 0.78 on post‐operative day 4. PCT was not found to be raised significantly higher in patients who developed AD compared to those who did not.

Conclusion

CRP and NLR are useful predictors of AD. PCT is not a useful predictor of AD.
Alarmins as biomarkers of gastrointestinal surgical injury – a pilot study
Authors: Maca Jan , Holub Michal , Bursa Filip , Ihnat Peter , Reimer Petr , Svagera Zdenek , Burda Michal , Sevcik Pavel
Published: January 2018

The dysregulation of inflammatory response to surgical injury affects outcomes. Alarmins, the earliest bioactive substances from damaged cells, play a crucial role in initiating the inflammation. We analyzed serum levels of alarmins (S100A8, S100A12, high mobility group box, and heat shock protein 70) after major abdominal surgery (MAS) in surgical (S) (n = 82) and nonsurgical (NS) groups (n = 35). The main objective was determining a role of selected alarmins in host response to MAS. The secondary objectives were (i) evaluation of the relationship among alarmins and selected biomarkers (C‐reactive protein, interleukin‐6), (ii) influence of the place of gastrointestinal resection, and (iii) role of alarmins in MAS for cancer. Except for HMGB1, the levels of all alarmins were higher in the S group compared with the NS group. In the S group, positive correlations were found between S100A8 and both IL‐6 and CRP. Additionally, the S100A8 level was higher (p < 0.01) in patients who underwent upper gastrointestinal tract (GIT) surgery compared to middle and lower GIT resections. Alarmins levels did not differ between cancer and noncancer patients. MAS is able to elicit increase in alarmin levels. S100A8 can be considered a potential biomarker of surgical injury, especially in the upper part of the GIT.
Coexistence of MACC1 and NM23‐H1 dysregulation and tumor budding promise early prognostic evidence for recurrence risk of early‐stage colon cancer
Authors: Ozturk Ersin , Aksoy Secil AK , Ugras Nesrin , Tunca Berrin , Ceylan Serkan , Tezcan Gulcin , Yilmazlar Tuncay , Yerci Omer , Egeli Unal , Cecener Gulsah
Published: January 2018

The tumor‐node‐metastasis (TNM) classification, the presence of a mucinous component, and signet ring cells are well‐known criteria for identifying patients at a high risk for recurrence and determining the therapeutic approach for early‐stage colon cancer (eCC). Nevertheless, recurrence can unexpectedly occur in some eCC cases after surgical resection. The aims of the present study were to evaluate the relation of dysregulated MACC1, c‐MET, and NM23‐H1 expression with the histopathological features of tumors in recurrence formation in eCC cases. A total of 100 sporadic eCC patients without poor prognosis factors were evaluated in this study. The relationship between the altered expression of MACC1, c‐MET, and NM23‐H1 and pathological microenvironmental features, including the presence of tumor budding and desmoplasia, were assessed. The primary outcomes, including 5‐year overall survival (OS) and disease‐free survival (DFS), were also measured. Compared with nonrecurrent patients, the expression level of MACC1 was 8.27‐fold higher, and NM23‐H1 was 11.36‐fold lower in patients with recurrence during the 5‐year follow‐up (p = 0.0345 and p = 0.0301, respectively). In addition, the coexistence of high MACC1 and low NM23‐H1 expression and tumor budding was associated with short OS (p < 0.001). We suggest that the combination of reduced NM23‐H1, induced MACC1, and the presence of tumor budding are promising biomarkers for the prediction of recurrence and may aid the stratification of patients with stage II colon cancer for adjuvant chemotherapy.
Psychometric properties of the PROMIS short form measures in a U.S. cohort of 961 patients with chronic hepatitis C prescribed direct acting antiviral therapy
Authors: Evon D. M. , Amador J. , Stewart P. , Reeve B. B. , Lok A. S. , Sterling R. K. , Di Bisceglie A. M. , Reau N. , Serper M. , Sarkar S. , Lim J. K. , Golin C. E. , Fried M. W.
Published: January 2018

Background

To better understand symptoms experienced by patients infected with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV), valid and reliable patient‐reported outcome (PRO) measures are needed.

Aim

To assess the reliability and validity of 10 patient‐reported outcomes measurement information system (PROMIS) measures and the Headache Impact Test‐6 (HIT‐6) in a large national sample of patients with HCV.

Methods

Pre‐treatment data from 961 patients with HCV starting direct acting antiviral therapy at 11 U.S. liver centers were analyzed. Internal reliability was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha coefficient; frequency distributions were examined for floor and ceiling effects; structural validity was investigated via item‐response‐theory models; convergent validity was evaluated using correlations with theoretically‐similar items from the HCV‐PRO and memorial symptom assessment scale (MSAS); and known‐groups validity was investigated by observing PRO differences by liver disease status and number of comorbidities.

Results

The HIT‐6 and the majority of the PROMIS measures yielded excellent reliability (alphas ≥ 0.87). Ceiling effects were infrequent ( < 4%), while 30%‐59% of patients reported no symptoms (floor effects). The data supported structural validity of the HIT‐6 and most PROMIS measures. The PROMIS measures showed moderate to strong correlations with theoretically‐similar items from the HCV‐PRO and MSAS (0.39‐0.77). Trends were observed between worse PRO scores and advanced cirrhosis and greater number of comorbidities, lending support for known‐groups validity.

Conclusions

The psychometric properties of the HIT‐6 and PROMIS measures performed satisfactorily in this large cohort of patients with HCV starting direct acting antiviral therapy. Opportunities exist for further refinement of these PROs. Evaluation of performance over time and in under‐represented subgroups is needed.
Application of Kernel Density Estimates to Lead Isotope Compositions of Bronzes from Ningxia, North‐West China
Authors: Hsu Y.‐K. , Rawson J. , Pollard A. M. , Ma Q. , Luo F. , Yao P.‐H. , Shen C.‐C.
Published: January 2018

The aim of this paper is to apply kernel density estimates (KDEs) to the visualization and interpretation of lead isotope data from bronze assemblages found along the northern border of central China, here designated as the Arc. New lead isotope analyses of 30 leaded tin–bronze artefacts from the Wangdahu cemetery (c.500–300 bc) in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, north‐west China, provide the basis for the discussion. By using multivariate KDEs and the calculated likelihood of the overlap, the present work shows that the Wangdahu objects feature a unique linear array of isotope ratios, representing an important element of overall bronzes from the Arc in the first millennium bc. This characteristic isotope signature is fundamentally different from that of Dajing ores in north‐east China, as well from that of early Qin bronzes in Shaanxi and Gansu provinces. This suggests that a variety of metal resources were utilized by peoples living in the Arc. The KDE approach thus proves effective at presenting and comparing lead isotope data.
Tesserae Recycling in the Production of Medieval Blue Window Glass
Authors: Bidegaray A.‐I. , Pollard A. M.
Published: January 2018

The purpose of this paper is to develop a means of quantifying glass recycling and to discuss the ‘anachronistic’ chemical composition of medieval blue window glass. This method relies on a new numerical method using kernel density estimates and is based on a database of published glass chemical compositions. It seeks to reveal when, to what extent and why blue tesserae were recycled for the production of French and English blue glass. First, it is suggested that blue glass had an ‘anachronistic’ chemical composition only before the 13th century. Second, the ‘anachronistic’ chemical composition of 12th‐century blue glass comes from the recycling of both blue tesserae and non‐coloured glass. Finally, this recycling was motivated by the scarcity of cobalt sources until mines were found in the 13th century.
Thirty‐Four Years of Stable Isotopic Analyses of Ancient Skeletons in China: an Overview, Progress and Prospects
Authors: Hu Y.
Published: January 2018

Stable isotope analysis of ancient skeletons has become a routine method and widely used to answer diverse archaeological questions related to the human (animal) diets since the initial study in 1977. However, this study in china is underestimated and much less unknown to international circles considering the infrequent publications in English journals. In this review paper, the research history in China was overviewed shortly and then, the research progresses concerning different research themes, such as the chronological trajectory of human diets, the development and spread of agriculture, the mechanism of animal domestication, human social hierarchy, and so on, were introduced in detail, trying to draw a rough framework of human dietary evolution given the unique Chinese geography and cultures. At last, the potential research directions were also suggested for the future studies.
Foreign Investment, the Manufacturing Sector, and Poverty: The Philippine Case
Authors: Yap Josef T.
Published: January 2018

Historically, economic transformation has been driven by the manufacturing sector. The latter has also been an important source of higher‐paying jobs because of higher productivity. In the Philippines, the service sector employs more college graduates whereas the manufacturing sector employs more high school graduates. It can be argued that a more dynamic manufacturing sector would have provided more higher‐paying jobs to the less‐educated workforce, thereby making poverty reduction faster in the Philippines. A major reason why the manufacturing sector stagnated is the inability to participate more intensively in regional production networks. This can be traced to lower inflows of foreign direct investment into the Philippines. At this juncture, the key policy issue is whether policymakers should focus on attracting more FDI. Unfortunately, the Philippines does not compare favorably to its neighbors in terms of factors that attract FDI, particularly physical infrastructure. However, it would be important to address some of these factors, especially those described as “supply‐side constraints” since they would also benefit other aspects of the economy including domestic investment.
Water‐Sharing Saga Between Singapore and Malaysia: A Historical Discord Revisited
Authors: Chakraborti Tridib , Chakraborty Mohor
Published: January 2018

Environmental degradation has manifested as the principal source of nontraditional security threat in global politics. In Southeast Asia, the issue of water sharing between Malaysia and Singapore has created severe tensions since their separation in 1965. Over the years, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members, by applying the principle of noninterference in internal affairs, have resolved a number of outstanding issues. However, the water‐sharing dispute between Malaysia and Singapore has been out of the purview of the principle of noninterference, since the majority of ASEAN members perceived it as a bilateral affair that could not be discussed at the ASEAN platform. Against this backdrop, this article analyzes the rationale and implications of the tension over water resource sharing between Malaysia and Singapore. It offers suggestions for reaching a resolution, in order to build a congenial bilateral and regional atmosphere.
Genetic diversity and toxin gene distribution among serovars of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae from Australian pigs
Authors: Yee S , Blackall PJ , Turni C
Published: January 2018

Objective

To explore the diversity among isolates of the Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serovars most common in Australia (serovars 1, 5, 7 and 15) and to examine the Apx toxin profiles in selected representative isolates.

Design

A total of 250 isolates selected from different farms were examined for their genotypic profiles and a subset of 122 isolates for their toxin profiles.

Methods

The isolates of serovars 1, 5, 7 and 15 selected for this study came from different farms and different Australian states and were submitted for serotyping to the reference laboratory. The overall diversity of the strains was explored with the enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC) PCR and the presence of the toxin genes was investigated with a toxin PCR assay.

Results

Some degree of variation was observed in the ERIC‐PCR pattern within all four serovars, ranging from 38% to 61% genetic diversity. When looking at the toxin gene profile and, therefore, the predicted ability to produce the expected toxin pattern, one isolate each of serovars 1 (n = 20) and 7 (n = 47) and 17 isolates of serovar 15 (n = 40) showed variation to the expected gene profile.

Conclusion

The variations in toxin gene patterns, as detected by PCR, found in this study could be related to significant changes in the gene sequence or total absence of the gene. Variation in toxin gene sequences has been observed in other countries. This variation in the toxin profile could also explain possible variation in pathogenicity observed in the field.
Developmental pharmacogenetics of CYP2C19 in neonates and young infants: omeprazole as a probe drug
Authors: Zhao Wei , Leroux Stéphanie , Biran Valérie , Jacqz‐Aigrain Evelyne
Published: January 2018

Aims

Although substantial progress has been made in understanding of ontogeny of drug metabolism, there is still a gap of knowledge in developmental pharmacogenetics in neonates. We hypothesized that both age and pharmacogenetics might explain the developmental pattern of CYP2C19. We conducted a population pharmacokinetic–pharmacogenetic study to quantify the developmental pharmacogenetics of CYP2C19 in neonates and young infants using omeprazole as a probe drug.

Methods

Pharmacokinetic samples were collected from 51 Caucasian neonates and young infants, who were receiving omeprazole treatment. Population pharmacokinetic–pharmacogenetic analysis of omeprazole and its metabolites was performed using NONMEM.

Results

Data fitted a one‐compartment parent and metabolite model with first‐order absorption and elimination. CYP2C19 and CYP3A4 are predominantly involved in the metabolism of omeprazole despite their relatively low activities compared to adults. The clearance of omeprazole converted to 5‐hydroxy‐omeprazole (CLOMZ‐M1) increases with postnatal age. In CYP2C19 poor and intermediate metabolizers, model‐predicted CLOMZ‐M1 are 12.5% (5–95% percentile: 3–14.9%) and 44.9% (5–95% percentile: 29.9–72.6%) of the value in extensive/ultrarapid metabolizer, respectively. Model‐predicted absorption rate constant of omeprazole is 6.93 (5–95% percentile: 3.01–14.61) times higher in ABCB1 homozygous mutant patients, 1.86 (5–95% percentile: 0.86–3.47) times higher in ABCB1 heterozygous patients than that in ABCB1 homozygous wild‐type patients.

Conclusions

Developmental pharmacogenetics of CYP2C19 was quantitatively described in neonates and young infants using omeprazole as a probe drug. Our findings emphasize the importance of semiphysiological developmental pharmacokinetic modelling approach when evaluating developmental pharmacogenetics of drugs with multiple routes of biotransformation.