bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Performance measurement in airport settings: a systematic literature review
Authors: Bezerra George C. L. , Gomes Carlos F.
Published: May 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive overview of the literature related to performance measurement (PM) in airport settings. Two research questions were addressed: how the literature has evolved during the last 45 years; and which performance dimensions have been emphasized during this period.

Design/methodology/approach

– For the purpose of this study, 380 documents, published between 1970 and 2015 were systematically analyzed. The literature reviewed comprises academic peer-reviewed articles, and studies published by other relevant sources, including professional-related literature.

Findings

– The literature reviewed points to three stages relating to the evolution of the PM in airport settings during the period analyzed. Although with a significant lag, this evolution seems to have followed the broad literature on PM. Moreover, a relationship between these stages and the changes occurring at the airport industry was found. Several aspects of airport multidimensional performance are identified and discussed.

Research limitations/implications

– Based on the findings of this study, it is concluded that a more comprehensive approach to airport PM is needed. In this context, a research agenda is suggested.

Practical implications

– The findings of this study have relevant practical implications for the airport industry. In this context, a framework representing a comprehensive approach to airport performance dimensions with impact on external stakeholders is presented. This framework can be a relevant contribution for researchers and practitioners which are looking for a more comprehensive and multidimensional approach to airport PM.

Originality/value

– To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study appears to be the first to examine the literature related to airport PM according to such a comprehensive approach. A framework of the performance dimensions related to the airport business is provided.
Aversion of information ambiguity and momentum effect in China’s stock market
Authors: Xu Yuandong
Published: May 2016

Purpose

– The empirical studies have indicated that the information uncertainty is one of the reasons leading to the momentum effect in the stock market. Based on this conclusion, the concept of “information uncertainty” is deepened into the concept hierarchy of “information ambiguity,” the purpose of this paper is to explain the momentum effect in the China’s stock market from information ambiguity.

Design/methodology/approach

– Based on the information ambiguity, the paper puts forward two hypotheses, portfolio analysis and cross-sectional regression analysis method were used to empirically test these hypothesis based on the weekly data.

Findings

– The empirical results support the two hypotheses.

Originality/value

– Finally, the paper discusses the importance from ambiguity to understand financial anomalies, such as momentum effect.
Ward rounds, participants, roles and perceptions: literature review
Authors: Walton Victoria , Hogden Anne , Johnson Julie , Greenfield David
Published: May 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to classify and describe the purpose of ward rounds, who attends each round and their role, and participants’ perception of each other’s role during the respective ward rounds.

Design/methodology/approach

– A literature review of face-to-face ward rounds in medical wards was conducted. Peer reviewed journals and government publications published between 2000 and 2014 were searched. Articles were classified according to the type of round described in the study. Purposes were identified using keywords in the description of why the round was carried out. Descriptions of tasks and interactions with team members defined participant roles.

Findings

– Eight round classifications were identified. The most common were the generalised ward; multidisciplinary; and consultant rounds. Multidisciplinary rounds were the most collaborative round. Medical officers were the most likely discipline to attend any round. There was limited reference to allied health clinicians and patient involvement on rounds. Perceptions attendees held of each other reiterated the need to continue to investigate teamwork.

Practical implications

– A collaborative approach to care planning can occur by ensuring clinicians and patients are aware of different ward round processes and their role in them.

Originality/value

– Analysis fulfils a gap in the literature by identifying and analysing the different ward rounds being undertaken in acute medical wards. It identifies the complexities in the long established routine hospital processes of the ward round.
Time dependent patient no-show predictive modelling development
Authors: Huang Yu-Li , Hanauer David A.
Published: May 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to develop evident-based predictive no-show models considering patients’ each past appointment status, a time-dependent component, as an independent predictor to improve predictability.

Design/methodology/approach

– A ten-year retrospective data set was extracted from a pediatric clinic. It consisted of 7,291 distinct patients who had at least two visits along with their appointment characteristics, patient demographics, and insurance information. Logistic regression was adopted to develop no-show models using two-thirds of the data for training and the remaining data for validation. The no-show threshold was then determined based on minimizing the misclassification of show/no-show assignments. There were a total of 26 predictive model developed based on the number of available past appointments. Simulation was employed to test the effective of each model on costs of patient wait time, physician idle time, and overtime.

Findings

– The results demonstrated the misclassification rate and the area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic gradually improved as more appointment history was included until around the 20th predictive model. The overbooking method with no-show predictive models suggested incorporating up to the 16th model and outperformed other overbooking methods by as much as 9.4 per cent in the cost per patient while allowing two additional patients in a clinic day.

Research limitations/implications

– The challenge now is to actually implement the no-show predictive model systematically to further demonstrate its robustness and simplicity in various scheduling systems.

Originality/value

– This paper provides examples of how to build the no-show predictive models with time-dependent components to improve the overbooking policy. Accurately identifying scheduled patients’ show/no-show status allows clinics to proactively schedule patients to reduce the negative impact of patient no-shows.
Recommendations for health information technology implementation in rural hospitals
Authors: Huang Yuan-Han , Gramopadhye Anand K.
Published: May 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate violations against work standards associated with using a new health information technology (HIT) system. Relevant recommendations for implementing HIT in rural hospitals are provided and discussed to achieve meaningful use.

Design/methodology/approach

– An observational study is conducted to map medication administration process while using a HIT system in a rural hospital. Follow-up focus groups are held to determine and verify potential adverse factors related to using the HIT system while passing drugs to patients.

Findings

– A detailed task analysis demonstrated several violations, such as only relying on the barcode scanning system to match up with patient and drugs could potentially result in the medical staff forgetting to provide drug information verbally before administering drugs. There was also a lack of regulated and clear work procedure in using the new HIT system. In addition, the computer system controls and displays could not be adjusted so as to satisfy the users’ expectations. Nurses prepared medications and documentation in an environment that was prone to interruptions.

Originality/value

– Recommendations for implementing a HIT system in rural healthcare facilities can be categorized into five areas: people, tasks, tools, environment, and organization. Detailed remedial measures are provided for achieving continuous process improvements at resource-limited healthcare facilities in rural areas.
Adverse possession and boundary disputes: lessons for Ireland from abroad
Authors: Woods Una
Published: May 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the remedies currently available in Ireland to resolve boundary disputes to assess the importance of the role played by adverse possession in this context. It also examines the potential impact of certain reforms in this area of law.

Design/methodology/approach

The research methodology is primarily doctrinal, although a comparative approach is adopted for the purposes of assessing whether certain lessons can be learned from recent reforms to the English law on adverse possession and the Australian approach to resolving boundary disputes, which relies heavily on mistaken improver and building encroachment legislation.

Findings

This paper demonstrates how the current law leaves certain mistaken improvers or encroachers on neighbouring land without a remedy, as they cannot rely on the doctrine of proprietary estoppel or adverse possession. If Ireland decides to replicate the English good faith requirement in relation to adverse possession of boundary land, the remedial vacuum facing these mistaken improvers or encroaching builders will become more pronounced. It is submitted that any such reform should be supplemented by the introduction of legislation akin to that operating in Australia which would facilitate the consideration of a broad range of factors and provide for flexible remedies to resolve such difficulties. It is also submitted that the legislation imposing such a good faith requirement should be carefully drafted to avoid the potential interpretative difficulties associated with the English reforms.

Originality/value

Boundary disputes are an unfortunate fact of life. The prevalence of boundary disputes and high costs associated with boundary litigation makes this review and critique of the current law and potential reforms highly relevant.
A grey DEMATEL approach to develop third-party logistics provider selection criteria
Authors: Govindan Kannan , Khodaverdi Roohollah , Vafadarnikjoo Amin
Published: May 2016

Purpose

– Third-party logistics (3PL) plays a main role in supply chain management and, as a result, has experienced remarkable growth. The demand for 3PL providers has become a main approach for companies to offer better customer service, reduce costs, and gain competitive advantage. This paper identifies important criteria for 3PL provider selection and evaluation, and the purpose of this paper is to select 3PL providers from the viewpoint of firms which were already outsourcing their logistics services.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study utilized the grey decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method to develop 3PL provider selection criteria. Because human judgments are vague and complicated to depict by accurate numerical values, the grey system theory is used to handle this problem.

Findings

– The findings revealed the structure and interrelationships between criteria and identified the main criteria for 3PL provider selection. The most important criteria for 3PL provider selection are on time delivery performance, technological capability, financial stability, human resource policies, service quality, and customer service, respectively.

Practical implications

– The paper’s results help managers of automotive industries, particularly in developing countries, to outsource logistics activities to 3PL providers effectively and to create a significant competitive advantage.

Originality/value

– The main contributions of this paper are twofold. First, this paper proposes an integrated grey DEMATEL method to consider interdependent relationships among the 3PL provider selection criteria. Second, this study is one of the first studies to consider 3PL provider selection in a developing country like Iran.
Choosing to retire: how companies can support and respect the decision better
Authors: Gelb Betsy D. , Elkins Longacre Teri
Published: May 2016

Purpose

Organizational leaders understandably seek to match their workforce to the organization’s strategic focus. However, they may find their ability to do so thwarted by reluctance to retire, even by those financially able to do so, based on the stigma that retirement means “old” and “out to pasture.” The purpose of this paper is to learn what can be done to overcome that possible barrier to implementing a strategic direction.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors interviewed 12 human resources executives across the USA concerning the challenge of reducing the stigma associated with retirement. The qualitative study involved conversations that focused on “what does your organization do?” rather than testing a specific hypothesis.

Findings

Respondents talked about actions ranging from the image-related to the substantive, practiced in both for-profit and non-profit settings. Organizations can position retirement as a transition to something else, and therefore a career stage rather than its end.

Practical implications

Organizational leaders can communicate that retirement is not a career end but a stage of work-life that can pay off in increasing flexibility for employees as well as for the organization itself.

Social implications

While strategic flexibility benefits organizations, a societal benefit can be more satisfied retirees if they transition to education, volunteer leadership or entrepreneurship.

Originality/value

The value of this research lies in prompting those at the highest level in organizations, those who design strategy, to consider how its implementation can be improved by actions to affect the retirement perspectives of employees.
Customer relationship investment and relationship strength: evidence from insurance industry in China
Authors: Shi Guicheng , Bu Huimei , Ping Yuan , Tingchi Liu Matthew , Wang Yonggui
Published: May 2016

Purpose

This study aims to elucidate how different relationship investment efforts by a service firm affect its customers’ perceived relationship investment; to determine how perceived relationship investment influences various dimensions of relationship strength; and to explore the moderating effects of customer innovativeness and complaint propensity on the relationship between the perceived relationship investment and relationship strength.

Design/methodology/approach

To minimize common method variance, data were collected from pairs of life insurance agents in China and their clients using self-report questionnaires. Hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling.

Findings

The results indicate that customers value financial effort most followed by social effort and structural effort. Perceived relationship investment influences the affective strength most strongly, followed by cognitive strength and conative strength. Customer innovativeness and complaint propensity both moderate the effectiveness of perceived relationship investment in influencing two of the three dimensions of relationship strength.

Originality/value

This study is among the first to specify how service employees can guide consumer perceptions of relationship investment by applying three types of relationship investment effort. The impact of perceived relationship investment on different dimensions of relationship strength was assessed to demonstrate how service providers can benefit from investing in building consumer relationships. The moderating impact of consumer innovativeness and of complaint propensity was quantified. The research findings have important implications for managing different relationship investment as well as recruiting and training service employees.
Understanding the role of regulatory focus in e-tailing activities
Authors: Das Gopal
Published: May 2016

Purpose

Regulatory focus theory has been studied in an in-store retailing context. Although an in-store retailing differs from an e-tailing in terms of the factors such as absence of products, physical human interactions and store atmospherics, the application of regulatory factors in an e-tailing context is limited. This study aims to examine the moderating role of regulatory focus orientations in consumer e-tailing activities.

Design/methodology/approach

A laboratory experiment with 297 participants was conducted to test the theoretical propositions. Statistical techniques such as t-test were used to analyse the data.

Findings

Results show that a consumer online purchase intentions, product review and spreading positive word of mouth vary from promotion-focused individuals to prevention-focused individuals. Results also show that there is no difference in spreading negative word of mouth between promotion-focused and prevention-focused individuals after encountering an unpleasant shopping experience. Finally, results show both the regulatory focus-oriented shoppers are encouraged by sales promotions.

Originality/value

Arguably, this is the first study to examine how consumers’ regulatory orientations moderate their e-tailing activities. The results of this study have implications for both academicians and managers.
Internationalization strategies for services: a retrospective
Authors: Grönroos Christian
Published: May 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to evaluate the findings first put forward in the article “Internationalization strategies for services” (Grönroos, 1999) with the benefit of hindsight and to offer directions for further research and developments in this research area.

Design/methodology/approach

Research directions spurred by the publication of the original article are examined in the light of current service(s) marketing theory and practice and the development of digitalization and Internet and mobile technologies. Promising current and future strands of research are identified.

Findings

The originally suggested modes of internationalization seem to remain valid. However, digitalization and the development of Internet and mobile technologies have enabled new ways of internationalizing which enable offering services globally from the establishment of a firm.

Originality/value

The original article was highly rated, generated discussion and drove important further research. It has value in the history of service(s) marketing research. This retrospective analysis by the author gives unique insight into the processes and thinking associated with understanding key factors which have contributed to the historical development of service(s) marketing and provides substantial directions for future research.
Innovation Agents in the Public Sector: Applying Champion and Promotor Theory to Explore Innovation in the Australian Public Service
Authors: Bankins Sarah , Denness Bonnie , Kriz Anton , Molloy Courtney
Published: May 2016

Innovation is critical to organisational success and is a process steered, and potentially thwarted, by individuals. However, despite the importance of public sector innovation given the complexity of policy issues faced and the sector's specific contextual features, our understanding of innovation processes in government requires expansion. This study, using in‐depth case analyses of three Australian Public Service agencies, focuses on understanding the ‘human component’ of the innovation process by drawing on both innovation champion and promotor theories to explore, through the lens of organisational power, how multiple human agents progress public sector innovations. The results highlight the key, and often tandem, roles of individuals at multiple organisational levels who work to inspire and motivate others to progress an innovation (champions) and those with specific power bases who help overcome organisational barriers to innovation (promotors).
Why Are Foreclosures Contagious?
Authors: Li Lingxiao
Published: May 2016

This article investigates the mechanism by which foreclosed properties depress neighboring property prices. Using a novel dataset on housing capital expenditure, I verify as accurate the claim of disinvestment theory made in earlier studies. When capital expenditure investment, neighborhood price trends, number of Multiple Listing Service listings and neighborhood fixed effects are controlled for, the negative effect on property prices is significant from nearby foreclosures, real estate owned (REO) listings and REO sales, but not from default and delinquent properties. The effect is larger in a depressed market than in an appreciating market. I argue that the most plausible explanation for these results is that a foreclosure discount drives down the reference prices for nearby properties and depresses neighborhood values. This discount information is revealed to the public through foreclosures, REO listings and REO sales.
Seeking prescription opioids from physicians for nonmedical use among people who inject drugs in a Canadian setting
Authors: Kennedy Mary Clare , Kerr Thomas , DeBeck Kora , Dong Huiru , Milloy M.‐J. , Wood Evan , Hayashi Kanna
Published: May 2016

Background and Objectives

Despite the high prevalence of prescription opioid (PO) misuse, little is known about the phenomenon of seeking POs for nonmedical use among high‐risk populations, such as people who inject drugs (PWID). We therefore sought to examine the prevalence and correlates of seeking POs from a physician for nonmedical use among PWID in Vancouver, Canada.

Methods

Cross‐sectional data from two open prospective cohort studies of PWID in Vancouver were collected between June 2013 and May 2014 (n = 1252). Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with seeking POs from physicians for nonmedical use.

Results

Of 1252 participants, 458 individuals (36.6%) reported ever trying to get a PO prescription from a physician for nonmedical use and, of these, 343 (74.9%, comprising 27.4% of the total sample) reported ever being successful. Variables independently and positively associated with PO‐seeking behavior included older age (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.02), Caucasian ethnicity (AOR = 1.38), having ever overdosed (AOR = 1.32), having ever participated in methadone maintenance therapy (AOR = 1.90), having ever dealt drugs (AOR = 1.65), and having ever been refused a prescription for pain medication (AOR = 2.02) (all p < .05).

Discussion and Conclusions

We observed that PO‐seeking behavior was common among this sample of PWID and associated with several markers of higher intensity drug use.

Scientific Significance

Our findings highlight the need to identify evidence‐based public health and clinical strategies to mitigate PO misuse among PWID without compromising care for PWID with legitimate medical concerns. (Am J Addict 2016;25:275–282)
Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor‐1 4G/5G Polymorphism is Associated with Reproductive Failure: Metabolic, Hormonal, and Immune Profiles
Authors: Salazar Garcia Maria D. , Sung Nayoung , Mullenix Thomas M. , Dambaeva Svetlana , Beaman Kenneth , Gilman‐Sachs Alice , Kwak‐Kim Joanne
Published: May 2016

Problem

Association between PAI‐1 4G/5G polymorphism and reproductive failures has been postulated. We aimed to investigate its impact on metabolic, hormonal, and immune profiles of women with reproductive failures.

Method of study

A retrospective study was carried out in 208 women with a history of reproductive failure. Study patients were divided into three groups: women with repeated implantation failure (RIF, n = 40), recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL, n = 113), and both RIF and RPL (n = 55). Fertile controls were 92.

Results

PAI‐1 4G/4G was prevalent in RPL, RIF, and RIF/RPL groups when compared with controls (P = 0.003) and associated with increased risks of RIF, RPL, and RIF with RPL (OR = 4.5, 2.2 and 2.7). Women with PAI‐1 4G/4G have significantly higher BMI, glucose, and PAI‐1 levels and lower NK cytotoxicity when compared with women without PAI‐1 4G/4G.

Conclusion

PAI‐1 4G/5G polymorphism plays a major role in the pathogenesis of RPL and RIF by altering metabolic and immunological profiles.
Protein profiles of CCL5, HPGDS, and NPSR1 in plasma reveal association with childhood asthma
Authors: Hamsten C. , Häggmark A. , Grundström J. , Mikus M. , Lindskog C. , Konradsen J. R. , Eklund A. , Pershagen G. , Wickman M. , Grunewald J. , Melén E. , Hedlin G. , Nilsson P. , van Hage M.
Published: May 2016

Asthma is a common chronic childhood disease with many different phenotypes that need to be identified. We analyzed a broad range of plasma proteins in children with well‐characterized asthma phenotypes to identify potential markers of childhood asthma. Using an affinity proteomics approach, plasma levels of 362 proteins covered by antibodies from the Human Protein Atlas were investigated in a total of 154 children with persistent or intermittent asthma and controls. After screening, chemokine ligand 5 (CCL5) hematopoietic prostaglandin D synthase (HPGDS) and neuropeptide S receptor 1 (NPSR1) were selected for further investigation. Significantly lower levels of both CCL5 and HPGDS were found in children with persistent asthma, while NPSR1 was found at higher levels in children with mild intermittent asthma compared to healthy controls. In addition, the protein levels were investigated in another respiratory disease, sarcoidosis, showing significantly higher NPSR1 levels in sera from sarcoidosis patients compared to healthy controls. Immunohistochemical staining of healthy tissues revealed high cytoplasmic expression of HPGDS in mast cells, present in stroma of both airway epithelia, lung as well as in other organs. High expression of NPSR1 was observed in neuroendocrine tissues, while no expression was observed in airway epithelia or lung. In conclusion, we have utilized a broad‐scaled affinity proteomics approach to identify three proteins with altered plasma levels in asthmatic children, representing one of the first evaluations of HPGDS and NPSR1 protein levels in plasma.
A SHAPLEY DECOMPOSITION OF MULTIDIMENSIONAL CHRONIC POVERTY IN ARGENTINA
Authors: Garcia‐Diaz Rocio , Prudencio Daniel
Published: May 2016

This paper proposes a Shapley decomposition to analyse the evolution of chronic poverty in a multivariate setting using a chronic poverty measure proposed by Alkire and colleagues. The decomposition makes possible to assess a vast array of information to find the drivers of change in chronic poverty, and could be a valuable tool in the way public policy programmes focus resources. We present an empirical application of the changes in chronic poverty in Argentina during the period 2004–12 using the Permanent Household Survey. We found that households with older adults show great persistence of multidimensional chronic poverty in time while the employment indicators is found to be an important driver of the intensity of chronic poverty.
Bleeding at the roots: Post‐secondary student mental health and nature affiliation
Authors: Windhorst Eric , Williams Allison
Published: May 2016

Key Messages

The prevalence and severity of mental health issues among North American post‐secondary students is increasing.

Nature affiliation can offer potential mental health benefits to students and complement existing mental health initiatives.

Three mental health strategies—raising awareness of local natural environments, creating natural settings indoors, using nature‐based therapies—offer possibilities for the promotion of student mental wellness.
Rebiopsy for patients with non‐small‐cell lung cancer after epidermal growth factor receptor‐tyrosine kinase inhibitor failure
Authors: Kawamura Takahisa , Kenmotsu Hirotsugu , Taira Tetsuhiko , Omori Shota , Nakashima Kazuhisa , Wakuda Kazushige , Ono Akira , Naito Tateaki , Murakami Haruyasu , Mori Keita , Nakajima Takashi , Ohde Yasuhisa , Endo Masahiro , Takahashi Toshiaki
Published: May 2016

Although third‐generation epidermal growth factor receptor‐tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR‐TKI) can overcome T790M‐mediated resistance in non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC), rebiopsy to confirm T790M status is occasionally difficult. We aimed to investigate the current tendency and the limitations of rebiopsy in clinical practice. This study included 139 consecutive NSCLC patients with EGFR mutations, who had experienced progressive disease (PD) after EGFR‐TKI treatment. We retrospectively reviewed patient characteristics, tumor progression sites and rebiopsy procedures. Of 120 patients (out of the original 139) who were eligible for clinical trials, 75 (63%) underwent rebiopsy for 30 pleural effusions, 32 thoracic lesions, four bone, two liver, and seven at other sites. Rebiopsy procedures included 30 thoracocentesis, 24 transbronchial biopsies, 13 computed tomography (CT)‐guided needle biopsies and 8 other procedures. Of the 75 rebiopsied patients, 71 (95%) were pathologically diagnosed with malignancy; and 34 (45%) had available tissue samples for EGFR analyses. Of the 75 biopsied patients, 61 (81%) were analyzed for EGFR mutation, using tissue or cytology samples; T790M mutations were identified in 20 (33%) of the 61 patients. Of the 120 patients, 45 (38%) did not undergo rebiopsy, because of inaccessible tumor sites (n = 19), patient refusal (n = 6) or decision of physician (n = 10). In conclusion, among patients with EGFR mutations who had PD after EGFR‐TKI treatment, 63% underwent rebiopsy. Most rebiopsy samples were diagnosed with malignancy. However, tissue samples were less available and T790M mutations were identified less frequently than in previous studies. Skill and experience with rebiopsy and noninvasive alternative methods will be increasingly important.
Microglia communication: Parallels between aging and Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Udeochu Joe C. , Shea Jeremy M. , Villeda Saul A.
Published: May 2016

Aging alters the functional integrity of the adult brain, driving cognitive impairments and susceptibility to neurodegenerative disorders in healthy individuals. In fact, aging remains the most dominant risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recent findings have expanded our understanding of microglia function in the normal aging and AD brain, provoking an appreciation for microglia involvement in remodeling neuronal connections and maintaining brain integrity. This homeostatic function of microglia is achieved in part through the ability of microglia to interact extensively with and rapidly respond to changes in the brain microenvironment to enable adequate phenotypic transformations. Here, we discuss pro‐inflammatory drivers of microglia transformation in aging and AD by focusing on the immune‐modulatory functions of secreted factors, such as cytokines, complement factors and extracellular vesicles. We highlight the involvement of these secreted factors in aging and AD‐associated cellular changes in microglia immune activation, surveillance function, and phagocytosis. Finally, we discuss how pro‐inflammatory phenotypic changes associated with altered immune communication could both facilitate and exacerbate impairments in synaptic plasticity and cognitive function observed in the aged and AD brain.
Chromium(III) and chromium(VI) release from leather during 8 months of simulated use
Authors: Hedberg Yolanda S. , Lidén Carola
Published: May 2016

Background

Chromium (Cr) release from Cr‐tanned leather articles is a major cause of Cr contact dermatitis. It has been suggested that Cr(VI) release from leather is not necessarily an intrinsic property of the leather, but is strongly dependent on environmental conditions.

Objectives

To test this hypothesis for long‐term (8 months) simulated use.

Materials and methods

The release of total Cr and Cr(VI) from Cr‐tanned, unfinished leather was analysed in subsequent phosphate buffer (pH 8.0) immersions for a period of 7.5 months. The effect of combined ultraviolet treatment and alkaline solution (pH 12.1) was tested. Dry storage [20% relative humidity (RH)] was maintained between immersions. Atomic absorption spectroscopy, X‐ray fluorescence and diphenylcarbazide tests were used.

Results

Cr(VI) release was dependent on previous dry storage or alkaline treatment, but not on duration or number of previous immersions. Cr(III) release decreased with time. Fifty‐two percent of the total Cr released during the last immersion period was Cr(VI). Cr(VI) release exceeded 9 mg/kg in all immersion periods except in the first 10‐day immersion (2.6 mg/kg).

Conclusions

Cr(VI) release is primarily determined by environmental factors (RH prior to immersion, solution pH, and antioxidant content). The RH should be kept low prior to testing Cr(VI) release from leather.
Interpreting business partnerships in late Victorian Britain†
Authors: Bennett Robert J.
Published: May 2016

This article gives the first large‐scale assessment of business partnerships in England and Wales using business records within the population census for 1881. It seeks to understand the variety of ways that ‘partnership’ was used: explicit partnership, ‘de facto’ partnership, ‘joint’ activity, and asset ownership together. The article confirms that partnerships were chiefly between two people. Complexity and transaction costs largely precluded larger size and squeezed the partnership into a ‘middle ground’ between the sole proprietor and the corporation. The main size contrast was between farms with small employee numbers, and larger non‐farm business partnerships. Generally differences in the gender of business owners have greater salience than sectors. Few female business partnerships employed more than four people (mean 3.4), while male partnerships ranged up to several thousand employees (mean 33.6), and 18.6 for mixed gender. While many women were involved in businesses, their opportunities remained restricted, and most were in partnership with male partners. Family structures were important, with three‐quarters of all identifiable partnerships having some form of family relationship, with a strong preponderance of single women in female‐only partnerships, married men in male‐only partnerships, and widows in mixed gender businesses.
The first Sterling Area†
Authors: Allen Martin
Published: May 2016

Between the eleventh century and mid‐thirteenth century a Sterling Area evolved in the British Isles, with a common currency based upon the English silver penny and equivalents of it produced in Scotland and Ireland. This Sterling Area began to contract in the second half of the fourteenth century, when reductions in the bullion content of Scottish coins ended the equivalence of the English and Scottish currencies, and in the fifteenth century Ireland developed its own coinage. Estimates of the currency of the Sterling Area are provided, taking the chronology of its growth and contraction into account. Estimates of the sterling currency are not estimates of the currency of England, and they cannot be combined with data relating exclusively to England in economic modelling, without qualification. Per capita currency estimates and values of coin hoards and single coin finds are at a high level around 1400, falling in the second half of the fifteenth century, indicating that the European ‘bullion famine’ of the 1390s toc. 1415 had less effect on the currency than the second late medieval bullion crisis, from the 1430s to the 1460s.
No effect of AR polyG polymorphism on spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy phenotype
Authors: Bertolin C. , Querin G. , Da Re E. , Sagnelli A. , Bello L. , Cao M. , Muscas M. , Pennuto M. , Ermani M. , Pegoraro E. , Mariotti C. , Gellera C. , Hanna M. G. , Pareyson D. , Fratta P. , Sorarù G.
Published: May 2016

Background and purpose

Disease severity varies considerably among patients with Spinal and Bulbar Muscular Atrophy (SBMA). Our aim was to investigate the role of androgen receptor (AR) polymorphic repeats in SBMA phenotype.

Methods

We analyzed the length of AR polyQ and polyG tracts in 159 SBMA patients.

Results

No relationship between polyG size or polyG/polyQ haplotypes and clinical phenotype was found. An independent negative correlation between polyQ‐length and onset of weakness was confirmed (P < 0.001).

Conclusions

The negative results of our study prompt to continue the search for potential disease modifiers in SBMA outside the AR gene.
Depression, anxiety, and apathy in Parkinson's disease: insights from neuroimaging studies
Authors: Wen M.‐C. , Chan L. L. , Tan L. C. S. , Tan E. K.
Published: May 2016

Depression, anxiety and apathy are common mood disturbances in Parkinson's disease (PD) but their pathophysiology is unclear. Advanced neuroimaging has been increasingly used to unravel neural substrates linked to these disturbances. A systematic review is provided of neuroimaging findings in depression, anxiety and apathy in PD. A PubMed, MEDLINE and EMBASE search of peer‐reviewed original research articles on these mood disturbances in PD identified 38 studies on depression, eight on anxiety and 14 on apathy in PD. Most of the imaging studies used either position emission tomography or single‐photon emission computed tomography techniques. These studies generally suggest increased neural activity in the prefrontal regions and decreased functional connectivity between the prefrontal−limbic networks in depressed patients. Functional imaging studies revealed an inverse correlation between dopaminergic density in the caudate and putamen with the severity of anxiety in PD. There was no consistent correlation between dopaminergic density of thalamus and anxiety. Studies demonstrated both positive and inverse correlations between apathy and metabolism or activity in the striatum, amygdalar, prefrontal, temporal and parietal regions. The clinical variability of study subjects and differences in image pre‐processing and analytical strategies may contribute to discrepant findings in these studies. Both nigrostriatal and extra‐nigrostriatal pathways (in particular the frontal region and its connecting areas) are affected in mood disorders in PD. Identifying the relative contributions of these neural pathways in PD patients with overlapping motor and mood symptoms could provide new pathophysiological clues for the development of better therapeutic targets for affected patients.
Heterogeneous pathogenesis of mitochondrial neuropathy
Authors: Finsterer J. , Frank M.
Published: May 2016

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Clobazam‐treated patients with Lennox‐Gastaut syndrome experienced fewer seizure‐related injuries than placebo patients during trial OV‐1012
Authors: Isojarvi Jouko , Lee Deborah , Peng Guangbin , Sperling Michael R.
Published: May 2016

Drop seizures are especially problematic in patients with Lennox‐Gastaut syndrome (LGS) because of their potential for serious injury. In this post hoc analysis of phase 3 OV‐1012 data, a medical review was conducted of seizure‐related injuries based on Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA) preferred terms from all adverse event (AE) listings. Patients receiving clobazam experienced fewer seizure‐related injuries than those receiving placebo (8.9% all clobazam dosages vs. 27.1% placebo, p ≤ 0.05). Significant differences in the rates of seizure‐related injuries were observed for the medium‐ and high‐dosage clobazam treatment groups (4.8% and 10.2%, respectively, p ≤ 0.05). A total of 50 of 53 AEs considered seizure‐related were mild or moderate in intensity; 3 severe AEs occurred in the placebo group (fall, contusion, and jaw fracture). A single serious AE (jaw fracture, which required hospitalization and surgery) occurred in a placebo‐treated patient. Most injuries resolved by the end of the study. This analysis indicates that the reduction in drop‐seizure frequency achieved with clobazam provides a clinically meaningful benefit, a reduced likelihood of experiencing seizure‐related injuries.
Seasonal changes in otolith increment width trajectories and the effect of temperature on the daily growth rate of young sardines
Authors: Schismenou Eudoxia , Palmer Miquel , Giannoulaki Marianna , Alvarez Itziar , Tsiaras Kostas , Triantafyllou George , Somarakis Stylianos
Published: May 2016

We studied the otolith microstructure and growth of sardine, Sardina pilchardus, in the North Aegean Sea (eastern Mediterranean Sea), using samples of larvae and juveniles that had hatched in winter (November–January) and winter–spring (February–May), respectively. The juveniles had developed during an extended period coinciding with marked pelagic ecosystem changes (from winter, mixed conditions to summer, stratified waters). To examine the relationship between environmental changes and the observed variability in their otolith increment–width trajectories (width‐at‐age), we summarized the shape of trajectories with a four‐parameter set estimated from a growth model fit to each width trajectory. The individual parameter sets were then related to the potential oceanographic conditions that fish experienced during their development, derived from a hydrodynamic–biogeochemical model (POM‐ERSEM), implemented in the sampling area. Substantial seasonal effects were demonstrated on the otolith microstructure (platykurtic versus leptokurtic trajectories in winter‐mixed versus summer‐stratified conditions), which were related to the progressive sea surface warming. In a subsequent step, in order to study the effect of oceanographic conditions on larval and juvenile daily growth rates, a GAM (Generalized Additive Model) analysis of otolith increment widths was carried out, using model‐derived oceanographic parameters and taking into account the ‘inherent otolith growth’, expressed by the explanatory variables ‘previous increment width’ and ‘Age’. Results showed a strong and positive, linear effect of temperature on the growth rate of winter‐caught larvae, whereas in juveniles, which had developed within a wide range of temperatures, an optimum temperature for growth was observed at around 24°C.
Optimal Design of Multitype Groundwater Monitoring Networks Using Easily Accessible Tools
Authors: Wöhling Thomas , Geiges Andreas , Nowak Wolfgang
Published: May 2016

Monitoring networks are expensive to establish and to maintain. In this paper, we extend an existing data‐worth estimation method from the suite of PEST utilities with a global optimization method for optimal sensor placement (called optimal design) in groundwater monitoring networks. Design optimization can include multiple simultaneous sensor locations and multiple sensor types. Both location and sensor type are treated simultaneously as decision variables. Our method combines linear uncertainty quantification and a modified genetic algorithm for discrete multilocation, multitype search. The efficiency of the global optimization is enhanced by an archive of past samples and parallel computing. We demonstrate our methodology for a groundwater monitoring network at the Steinlach experimental site, south‐western Germany, which has been established to monitor river—groundwater exchange processes. The target of optimization is the best possible exploration for minimum variance in predicting the mean travel time of the hyporheic exchange. Our results demonstrate that the information gain of monitoring network designs can be explored efficiently and with easily accessible tools prior to taking new field measurements or installing additional measurement points. The proposed methods proved to be efficient and can be applied for model‐based optimal design of any type of monitoring network in approximately linear systems. Our key contributions are (1) the use of easy‐to‐implement tools for an otherwise complex task and (2) yet to consider data‐worth interdependencies in simultaneous optimization of multiple sensor locations and sensor types.
Small‐cell predominant extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma, nasal type: clinicopathological analysis of a series of cases diagnosed in a Western population
Authors: McKelvie Penelope A , Climent Fina , Krings Gregor , Hasserjian Robert P , Abramson Jeremy S , Pilch Ben Z , Harris Nancy Lee , Ferry Judith A , Zukerberg Lawrence R , Sohani Aliyah R
Published: May 2016

Aims

Extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma, nasal type (ENKTCL) is usually composed of medium‐ to large‐sized lymphoid cells showing prominent angiotrophism and tumour cell necrosis. We report 13 cases composed predominantly of small lymphocytes diagnosed in the United States and Western Europe.

Methods and results

Patients included seven females and six males aged 17–75 years. Ten presented with sinonasal and three with buccal disease. Nine had stage IE/IIE and four had stage IV disease. In five of seven patients with multiple biopsies at different time‐intervals, the lymphoma was misinterpreted as representing chronic inflammation on an earlier biopsy. In all cases morphology showed a dense infiltrate of small lymphoid cells with minimal cytological atypia. Necrosis, angioinvasion and angiodestruction were each seen in 17%, 22% and 17% of biopsies. Median Ki67 was 5%. Four patients died of lymphoma 4–16 months after diagnosis, including three of four patients with stage IV disease; seven (54%) are alive with no evidence of disease at a median of 39 months; one patient with stage IV disease is alive at 10 months and one recurred at 17 months.

Conclusions

In sinonasal biopsies with predominantly small lymphocytic infiltrates with admixed chronic inflammation, focal hypercellularity, focal surface ulceration or microscopic bone invasion by small lymphoid cells should alert pathologists to the possibility of small‐cell predominant ENKTCL. Awareness of the full histological spectrum of ENKTCL, particularly in non‐endemic areas, is important in avoiding a delay in diagnosis and ensuring timely initiation of therapy.
Interest in international programmes – a survey of Japanese dental hygiene students and educators
Authors: Takenouchi A , Sakurai/Matsukubo M , Matsukubo T
Published: May 2016

Purpose

Globalization of Japanese dental hygienists is important to match the demands in the present society. The purpose of this study was to gauge opinions on international programmes of Japanese dental hygiene students and educators.

Method

Data were collected using a survey that was sent to all eight Japanese universities of oral hygiene in December 2014. Participants were composed of 466 university students majoring in oral hygiene (463 women; three men; mean age: 21 years) and 45 educators teaching dental hygiene education (mean age: 50 years). The response rates were 83.81% and 46.88%, respectively.

Results

48.06% of 464 students would like to study abroad, and 76.04% of 330 students would like to interact with foreign students frequently. 97.54% of 455 students answered that learning English is important for dental hygienists, but 72.39% of 460 students are not comfortable interacting with foreigners in English. Those who knew more dental English terms had higher interest in studying abroad (odds ratio: 1.136). 75% of 44 educators think that dental hygiene students need to or sometimes need to study abroad. 68.89% of 45 educators think that teaching international programmes is costly.

Conclusion

We found that Japanese dental hygiene students and educators have positive interest in international programmes. However, they have concerns about their English skills and about the cost of studying it. Therefore, English classes need to be improved, and new approaches are required for lowering the cost of teaching international programmes, while stimulating foreign students’ and educators’ interest in studying abroad in Japan.