bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Service quality, cash flow volatility, and moderating environmental factors
Authors: Sun Wenbin , Cui Kexiu
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– Service quality is a critical factor leading to firm returns. However, its benefit on the firm risk side metric is not clear. The purpose of this paper is to link firm service quality and firm cash flow volatility (CFV) and further investigates this relationship by incorporating the moderating effects from three environmental variables: munificence, dynamism, and complexity.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study is based on a secondary data approach. The data are collected from multiple sources such as AMAC and COMPUSTAT. Robust regressions with a panel data approach are adopted to analyze the data.

Findings

– Corporate service quality level has a strong effect in reducing firm CFV. Its impact is found to have a varied strength when the relationship is moderated by the environmental factors. In particular, it functions more strongly in high dynamism and high complexity environments.

Practical implications

– Service quality has effects beyond the previous thinking that is mainly concentrated on firm profits. Managers now should know that it is also effective in smoothing cash flow and thus yields benefits for future corporate planning. This is particularly meaningful for companies that operate in a turbulent industry as well as in a highly competitive market.

Originality/value

– This study is the first attempt that links firm service quality and firm risk factor represented by the volatility of income flow. It extends the role of service quality to an area that is increasingly emphasized by marketing researchers, e.g. the risk aspect of firm market-based assets.
Behavioural biases in investment decision making – a systematic literature review
Authors: Kumar Satish , Goyal Nisha
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to systematically review the literature published in past 33 years on behavioural biases in investment decision-making. The paper highlights the major gaps in the existing studies on behavioural biases. It also aims to raise specific questions for future research.

Design/methodology/approach

– We employ systematic literature review (SLR) method in the present study. The prominence of research is assessed by studying the year of publication, journal of publication, country of study, types of statistical method, citation analysis and content analysis on the literature on behavioural biases. The present study is based on 117 selected articles published in peer- review journals between 1980 and 2013.

Findings

– Much of the existing literature on behavioural biases indicates the limited research in emerging economies in this area, the dominance of secondary data-based empirical research, the lack of empirical research on individuals who exhibit herd behaviour, the focus on equity in home bias, and indecisive empirical findings on herding bias.

Research limitations/implications

– This study focuses on individuals’ behavioural biases in investment decision-making. Our aim is to analyse the impact of cognitive biases on trading behaviour, volatility, market returns and portfolio selection.

Originality/value

– The paper covers a considerable period of time (1980-2013). To the best of authors’ knowledge, this study is the first using systematic literature review method in the area of behavioural finance and also the first to examine a combination of four different biases involved in investment decision-making. This paper will be useful to researchers, academicians and those working in the area of behavioural finance in understanding the impact of behavioural biases on investment decision-making.
Internet banking and customer satisfaction in Pakistan
Authors: Raza Syed Ali , Jawaid Syed Tehseen , Hassan Ayesha
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– This study aims to determine the effects of service quality dimensions on customer satisfaction in Pakistan by using the SERVQUAL model.

Design/methodology/approach

– A survey research questionnaire of 30 items has been adopted, and the data of 400 respondents were collected from the users of Internet banking of different banks located in Karachi city of Pakistan.

Findings

– The reliability analysis shows that all dimensions are reliable. Results of the factor analysis confirm the grouping of adopted questioner. At last, the regression analysis indicates a significant positive relationship between assurance, tangibility, reliability and responsiveness with customer satisfaction. Conversely, empathy shows a positive but insignificant effect on the customer satisfaction.

Practical implications

– It is recommended that the management of online banks has to focus on making the design and content of the Web sites more visually appealing to grab the attention of existing customers, as well as to attract new customers. The management has to take effective measures to further enhance the security and safety of online bank accounts, so that customers can maintain long-term relationships with the usage of online banking. Online banks have to provide more reliable services to the customers at heart to make the customers more comfortable and confident. The management should develop more effective systems to quickly solve the issues of customers.

Originality/value

– This paper makes a unique contribution to the literature with reference to Pakistan, being a pioneering attempt to investigate the customer satisfaction in the banking industry of Pakistan by using a large sample and advance statistical techniques.
Groupon: let's make a deal?
Authors: White Susan
Published: January 2015

Synopsis

Groupon, an online coupon company, was one of many companies that considered an initial public offering (IPO) during what might be a second technology/internet/social media IPO boom in 2011. Some companies chose to postpone their IPOs, while others took advantage of the media attention focussed on technology companies, and in particular, social media firms. Should investors hop on the tech IPO bandwagon, or hold off to better evaluate the long-term prospects of tech companies, and in particular social media companies? Would the valuation of Groupon justify an investment in IPO shares?

Research methodology

The case was researched from secondary sources, using Groupon's IPO filing information, news articles about the IPO and industry research sources, such as IBIS World.

Relevant courses and levels

This case is appropriate for an advanced undergraduate or MBA corporate finance or investment elective. Most introductory finance classes do not have the time to cover later chapters in a finance textbook, where information about IPOs is generally found. It could also be used at the end of a core finance course, where the instructor wanted to introduce this topic through a case study of a hard-to-value internet-based company to illustrate the difficulties in setting IPO prices. The case could also be used in an equity analysis class, an entrepreneurial finance class or an investment class, to spur discussion about valuing an internet company and choosing appropriate investments for pension fund investing. This case could also be used in a strategy class, focussing on the five forces question, and eliminating the valuation question.

Theoretical basis

There is a great deal of literature about IPOs and their long-term performance. An excellent source is Jay R. Ritter's research, http://bear.warrington.ufl.edu/ritter, which has a longer time period and more data than could be contained in this case. IPO puzzles include persistent undervaluing of IPOs; in other words, the offer price is lower than, and sometimes substantially lower than, the first day close price. A second issue is the generally poorer long-run performance of companies after their IPO when compared to similar firms that did not do an IPO.
Effects of experimentally simulated pollinator decline on recruitment in two European herbs
Authors: Lundgren Rebekka , Lázaro Amparo , Totland Ørjan
Published: January 2015

Pollinator decline causes great concern because reduced pollinator availability may negatively affect plants' seed production and in turn influence seedling recruitment and densities of plant populations.

We used a novel experimental approach that simulates pollinator decline to assess the effects of a 4‐year reduction in pollinator availability on reproduction and recruitment in two common European herbs, Centaurea jacea and Leucanthemum vulgare.

The experiment strongly reduced visitation rates (by 59%) and seed set (by 23%) in Leucanthemum, but this did not cause reduced seedling recruitment, suggesting that other factors, such as water availability or the existence of a seed bank, are important for recruitment in this population of Leucanthemum.

The experiment also significantly reduced visitation rates to Centaurea (by 33%), but did not affect seed set or seedling recruitment. In this species, however, seed set increased with visitation rates and local recruitment increased with seed production, indicating that a consistent pollinator decline may negatively affect Centaurea population densities.

Synthesis. Our experiment reduced pollinator availability without artificially affecting quality components of the pollination process. Therefore, this approach may represent a realistic simulation of a pollinator decline. To our knowledge, this is the first study that uses an experimental reduction in pollinator visitation to assess its effects on population recruitment in plants. This study shows that a large pollinator decline may affect population densities, but only in populations where seedling recruitment is limited by seed production. Our results also highlight the importance of going beyond visitation rates and seed production to study the impact of pollinator decline on plant populations.
Effective Practices for Interagency Data Sharing: Insights from Collaborative Research in a Regional Intervention
Authors: McGuirk Pauline M. , O'Neill Phillip M. , Mee Kathleen J.
Published: January 2015

Data sharing adds considerable value to interagency programs that seek to tackle complex social problems. Yet data sharing is not easily enacted either technically or as a governance practice, especially considering the multiple forms of risk involved. This article presents insights from a successful data sharing project in a major region in east coast Australia involving a federally funded research partnership between two universities and a number of human services agencies. The Spatial Data Analysis Project sought to establish a community of practice for devising data sharing protocols and embedding data sharing into agency practices. Close dialogue between the project partners and mobilizing the authority of extant regulatory and legal frameworks proved effective in confronting risks and barriers. The article reveals effective practices for data sharing and derives lessons for other policy and governance contexts.
Construction Procurement and State Government Strategy: Aligned or Disconnected?
Authors: Staples Warren , Dalrymple John
Published: January 2015

Australian state governments are engaging in strategic planning processes and publishing departmental and/or overall state strategic plans. One means of achieving the goals outlined in these strategic plans is via public procurement processes. Investments in construction projects by governments are strategic in nature and made to create infrastructure, which enables the provision of public services. This article investigates the contribution that construction procurement across the five Australian state governments who expend the most money on infrastructure makes towards the achievement of government strategy. The research draws on interviews with experienced project managers to assess whether public sector construction procurement is aligned or disconnected with publically stated government strategies.
Learning Lessons from Disasters: Alternatives to Royal Commissions and Other Quasi‐Judicial Inquiries
Authors: Eburn Michael , Dovers Stephen
Published: January 2015

With over 50 inquiries in 75 years, Australian communities continue to suffer from the impact of extreme events whether fires, floods, cyclones, or other emergencies. Einstein is reported to have said ‘Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results’. The insanity may not lie in responding to fires and emergencies the same way, and facing another tragedy, but in reviewing these events in the same way and expecting the quasi‐judicial process to identify how to prevent the next one. This paper argues that it is time to do the post‐event review in a different way and suggests some possible options for new approaches to learning lessons from tragedy.
Learning about Learning: Discovering the Work of Policy
Authors: Adams David , Colebatch H. K. , Walker Christopher K.
Published: January 2015

The development of policy rests on skilled practice by knowledgeable practitioners – ‘policy work’ – and it is important to know what skills and knowledge this work calls upon, and where these are learned. Although there is substantial academic knowledge and courses in this field, many practitioners will argue that policy work is ‘as much an art as a science’ and is something that ‘you learn as you go’. This article reports on an exploratory study of policy practitioners’ accounts of their practice, what counts as knowledge, and in what contexts it is ‘useful’. We examine the discourses through which policy work is accomplished, the way in which people learn to do it, and the place of academic work in the constitution of these discourses. Drawing on our respondents understanding of policy practice, we discuss what more might be done to facilitate learning about the work of policy.
Capturing Desire: Rhetorical Strategies and the Affectivity of Discourse
Authors: Martin James
Published: January 2015

This article: Provides a theoretical exploration of rhetorical persuasion as a practice aimed at ‘capturing desire’. Elucidates the shared interest of rhetorical and psychoanalytical theory in the production of so-called ‘plausible stories’ that mobilise and shape affects. Surveys different psychoanalytical approaches to the rhetorical articulation of ‘symptomatic beliefs’ that support political reasoning. Demonstrates the applicability of psychoanalytical theories to the analysis of a specific example of political speech.

In this article I argue that psychoanalytical theory can help us understand the emotional force of political rhetoric. I undertake a theoretical enquiry into the method of interpreting political speeches as strategies of affective persuasion. Both rhetorical and psychoanalytical studies converge in their concern with the production of ‘plausible stories’ that aim to fold psychic investments into political judgements. To capture desire, I claim, political rhetoric must articulate ‘symptomatic beliefs’ in relation to wider situational exigencies. I sketch three distinct psychoanalytical approaches, each of which emphasises a different scenario of unconscious organisation where rhetorical strategies are pertinent: namely Freudian, Kleinian, and Lacanian approaches. These are then applied to the example of a controversial rhetorical intervention—Enoch Powell’s infamous Birmingham speech of 1968—to demonstrate the various potential foci when undertaking analysis.
On interviewing people with pets: reflections from qualitative research on people with long‐term conditions
Authors: Ryan Sara , Ziebland Sue
Published: January 2015

There is mounting evidence that pets are associated with physiological, psychological and social benefits for humans. Much of this research has come from western countries, where there have been consistent calls for greater engagement with pet ownership and health. Drawing on a secondary analysis of 61 in‐depth interviews with people, or carers of people, with long‐term conditions, we explore how pets feature in people's narrative accounts of their experiences. Our findings demonstrate the multifaceted nature of people's relationships with pets, and the embedded and embodied ways in which human–nonhuman interactions are played out in narratives of chronic illness. Our study differs from other work on pets and health in that, by returning to the interview video recordings, we were able to explore the sometimes three‐way interactions, the co(a)gency, between participants, pets and researchers. Pets were often presented as important family members, yet the researchers’ responses to the presence or talk about pets was often markedly different from their reactions to other household members. We conclude with cautioning against the downgrading of pets in narrative health research. Narrative approaches may invite participants to talk about what is important to them, yet they clearly have limitations in practice.
Male combat veterans’ narratives of PTSD, masculinity, and health
Authors: Caddick Nick , Smith Brett , Phoenix Cassandra
Published: January 2015

This article uniquely examines the ways a group of male combat veterans talk about masculinity and how, following post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), they performed masculinities in the context of a surfing group, and what effects this had upon their health and wellbeing. Participant observations and life history interviews were conducted with a group of combat veterans who belonged to a surfing charity for veterans experiencing PTSD. Data were rigorously explored via narrative analysis. Our findings revealed the ways in which veterans enacted masculinities in accordance with the values that were cultivated during military service. These masculine performances in the surfing group had important effects both on and for the veterans’ wellbeing. Significantly, the study highlights how masculine performances can be seen alternately as a danger and as a resource for health and wellbeing in relation to PTSD. The article advances knowledge on combat veterans and mental health with critical implications for the promotion of male veterans’ mental health. These include the original suggestion that health‐promoting masculine performances might be recognised and supported in PTSD treatment settings. Rather than automatically viewing masculinity as problematic, this article moves the field forward by highlighting how hegemonic masculinities can be reconstructed in positive ways which might improve veterans’ health and wellbeing.

A video abstract of this article can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaYzaOP1kAY
Identifying Predictors of Longitudinal Decline in the Level of Medical Care Received by Adult Survivors of Childhood Cancer: A Report from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study
Authors: Casillas Jacqueline , Oeffinger Kevin C. , Hudson Melissa M. , Greenberg Mark L. , Yeazel Mark W. , Ness Kirsten K. , Henderson Tara O. , Robison Leslie L. , Armstrong Gregory T. , Liu Qi , Leisenring Wendy , Yasui Yutaka , Nathan Paul C.
Published: January 2015

Objectives

Characterize longitudinal changes in the use of medical care in adult survivors of childhood cancer.

Data Sources

The Childhood Cancer Survivor Study, a retrospective cohort study of 5+ year survivors of childhood cancer.

Study Design

Medical care was assessed at entry into the cohort (baseline) and at most recent questionnaire completion. Care at each time point was classified as no care, general care, or survivor‐focused care.

Data Collection

There were 6,176 eligible survivors. Multivariable models evaluated risk factors for reporting survivor‐focused care or general medical care at baseline and no care at follow‐up; and survivor‐focused care at baseline and general care at follow‐up.

Principal Findings

Males (RR, 2.3; 95 percent CI 1.8–2.9), earning <$20,000/year (RR, 1.6; 95 percent CI 1.2–2.3) or ≤high school education (RR, 2.5; 95 percent CI 1.6–3.8 and RR 2.0; 95 percent CI 1.5–2.7 for <high school and high school, respectively) were associated with no care at follow‐up. Survivors with severe or life‐threatening conditions at baseline (RR 0.5; 95 percent CI 0.3–0.6) were less likely to report no care at follow‐up.

Conclusions

While the incidence of late effects increases over time for survivors, the likelihood of receiving survivor‐focused care decreases for vulnerable populations.
Correlation Dynamics and Determinants in International Securitized Real Estate Markets
Authors: Liow Kim Hiang , Zhou Xiaoxia , Ye Qing
Published: January 2015

We find the correlation movements among eight developed securitized real estate markets and among their stock markets are quite synchronized over the period from 1995 through 2012. There is a high degree of correlation dependence with many of the realized correlation series subject to regime switching. Moreover, international correlations of public property returns could be significantly explained by five real estate variables that include global real estate securities market volatility, co‐existence of real estate investment trust (REIT) influence, underlying direct real estate return performance differential, real estate securities volatility differential and real estate securities market size differential after controlling for macroeconomic influence and stock market effect. The importance of the control and real estate variables in explaining the return correlations varies across the economies examined.
Recent Progress of Hyperspectral Imaging on Quality and Safety Inspection of Fruits and Vegetables: A Review
Authors: Pu Yuan‐Yuan , Feng Yao‐Ze , Sun Da‐Wen
Published: January 2015

Objective quality assessment and efficacious safety surveillance for agricultural and food products are inseparable from innovative techniques. Hyperspectral imaging (HSI), a rapid, nondestructive, and chemical‐free method, is now emerging as a powerful analytical tool for product inspection by simultaneously offering spatial information and spectral signals from one object. This paper focuses on recent advances and applications of HSI in detecting, classifying, and visualizing quality and safety attributes of fruits and vegetables. First, the basic principles and major instrumental components of HSI are presented. Commonly used methods for image processing, spectral pretreatment, and modeling are summarized. More importantly, morphological calibrations that are essential for nonflat objects as well as feature wavebands extraction for model simplification are provided. Second, in spite of the physical and visual attributes (size, shape, weight, color, and surface defects), applications from the last decade are reviewed specifically categorized into textural characteristics inspection, biochemical components detection, and safety features assessment. Finally, technical challenges and future trends of HSI are discussed.
Analysing the forces shaping employee involvement and participation (EIP) at organisation level in liberal market economies (LMEs)
Authors: Marchington Mick
Published: January 2015

Employee involvement and participation (EIP) continues to attract significant interest from academics and practitioners alike, often in terms of so‐called newer forms of employee engagement and informal consultation. However, although the history of EIP shows that multiple channels are the norm in most organisations, it is still rare for representative, direct and informal EIP to be discussed in the same study. This article breaks new ground by developing measures for the breadth and depth of EIP, as well as analysing the forces at and beyond organisation level which shape management choices about which forms to adopt and how to embed them more deeply in organisations. Data were collected from 86 interviews and associated documentary analysis at and beyond organisational level in four liberal market economies (LMEs) (UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand) in order to identify how forces at national and organisational level shaped the breadth and depth of EIP in 25 case study organisations. The article's main conclusion is that while institutional forces – such as legislation, government action and intermediary bodies – do have an influence in LMEs, the way in which management interprets more immediate organisational forces remains significantly important in embedding EIP within organisations.
Method to Measure the Force to Pull and to Break Pin Bones of Fish
Authors: Balaban Murat O. , Jie Hubert , Yin Yee Yin , Alçiçek Zayde
Published: January 2015

A texture measurement device was modified to measure the force required to pull pin bones from King salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), snapper (Pagrus auratus), and kahawai (Arripis trutta). Pulled bones were also subjected to tension to measure the breaking force. For all fish, the pulling force depended on the size of the fish, and on the length of the pin bone (P < 0.05). In general, larger fish required greater pulling force to remove pin bones. For example, fresh small salmon (about 1500 g whole) required 600 g on average to pull pin bones, and large fish (about 3700 g whole) required 850 g. Longer bones required greater pulling force. The breaking force followed the same trend. In general, the breaking force was greater than the pulling force. This allows the removal of the bones without breaking them. There was no statistically significant (P > 0.05) difference between the forces (both pulling and breaking) from fresh and frozen/thawed samples, although in general frozen/thawed samples required less force to pull. With the quantification of pulling and breaking forces for pin bones, it is possible to design and build better, “more intelligent” pin bone removal equipment.
Standing Gold Nanorod Arrays as Reproducible SERS Substrates for Measurement of Pesticides in Apple Juice and Vegetables
Authors: Zhang Zhong , Yu Qingsong , Li Hao , Mustapha Azlin , Lin Mengshi
Published: January 2015

There is an increasing interest in recent years in using novel nanomaterials as cost‐effective, sensitive, and reproducible substrate for surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) applications. In this study, a novel SERS substrate was developed by assembling gold nanorods into standing arrays on a gold‐coated silicon slide. The standing nanorod arrays were closely packed on the gold film, generating strong electromagnetic field and uniformly distributed SERS “hot‐spots” on the array surface. The as‐prepared SERS substrates were used to detect a widely used pesticide (that is, carbaryl) in acetonitrile–water solution, apple juice, and cabbage. Results demonstrate that the actual concentrations of carbaryl in apple juice and cabbage were linearly correlated with the concentrations predicted by the multiple linear regression models (R > 0.97). The detection limits of carbaryl in apple juice and cabbage were both 2.5 ppm, meeting the maximum residue limits set by US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). SERS can detect as low as 0.1 ppm of carbaryl in acetonitrile–water solution. In addition, satisfactory recoveries were obtained for carbaryl in both apple juice and cabbage. These results indicate that SERS coupled with the standing gold nanorod array substrates is a sensitive and reproducible method and can accurately detect pesticides in foods.
Correlation between genetic diversity and environmental suitability: taking uncertainty from ecological niche models into account
Authors: Diniz‐Filho José Alexandre F. , Rodrigues Hauanny , Telles Mariana Pires De Campos , Oliveira Guilherme De , Terribile Levi Carina , Soares Thannya Nascimento , Nabout João Carlos
Published: January 2015

The hindcast of shifts in the geographical ranges of species as estimated by ecological niche modelling (ENM) has been coupled with phylogeographical patterns, allowing the inference of past processes that drove population differentiation and genetic variability. However, more recently, some studies have suggested that maps of environmental suitability estimated by ENM may be correlated to species' abundance, raising the possibility of using environmental suitability to infer processes related to population demographic dynamics and genetic variability. In both cases, one of the main problems is that there is a wide variation in ENM development methods and climatic models. In this study, we analyse the relationship between heterozygosity (He) and environmental suitability from multiple ENMs for 25 population estimates for Dipteryx alata, a widely distributed, endemic tree species of the Cerrado region of central Brazil. We propose a new approach for generating a statistical distribution of correlations under randomly generated ENM. The confidence intervals from these distributions indicate how model selection with different properties affects the ability to detect a correlation of interest (e.g. the correlation between He and suitability). Additionally, our approach allows us to explore which particular ensemble of ENMs produces the better result for finding an association between environmental suitability and He. Caution is necessary when choosing a method or a climatic data set for modelling geographical distributions, but the new approach proposed here provides a conservative way to evaluate the ability of ensembles to detect patterns of interest.
Microsomal Transfer Protein Inhibitors, New Approach for Treatment of Familial Hypercholesterolemia, Review of the Literature, Original Findings, and Clinical Significance
Authors: Kolovou Genovefa , Vasiliadis Ioannis , Gontoras Nikos , Kolovou Vana , Hatzigeorgiou Georgios
Published: January 2015

The genetic causes of cholesterol metabolism disorders usually lead to premature atherosclerosis. The most well recognized genetically caused hypercholesterolemia is familial hypercholesterolemia. Although the disease is well known, as the discovery of low‐density lipoprotein receptor, the classical treatment with lipid‐lowering drugs (statins, fibrates, ezetimibe, colesevelam) is still not adequate and new options are seeking. This review is an attempt to analyze the microsomal transfer protein (MTP) inhibitors as a new approach for treatment of familial hypercholesterolemia, to reviews the literature according to MTP inhibitors and finally to provide original findings.
Leaf mechanics and herbivory defence: How tough tissue along the leaf body deters growing insect herbivores
Authors: Malishev Matthew , Sanson Gordon D.
Published: January 2015

Research on herbivory defence often focuses on leaf chemistry but less on how plant mechanical properties like leaf veins deter herbivores. Herbivores often eat tough, complex plant tissue, yet how mechanical properties affect feeding performance as the consumer grows is unclear. We measured the toughness and strength of five types of leaf tissue – the midrib, the secondary and marginal veins and the lamina inside (inner) and outside (outer) the marginal vein – in mature Eucalyptus viminalis and Eucalyptus ovata leaves with punch tests. Leaf veins were, on average, 6.2 times tougher than lamina. Marginal veins were uniformly strong and tough along the leaf body, while midribs were less strong and secondary veins less tough toward leaf tips. We correlated the force required to puncture leaf tissue with the feeding performance of a chewing insect herbivore (the spiny leaf insect, Extatosoma tiaratum (Phasmida)) across four instar stages to explore the role of tough leaf veins as potential feeding barriers. Larvae more often ate less tough leaf tips and tougher tissue as they grew. However, younger larvae were capable of penetrating the tough marginal vein when starved. We suggest tough leaf veins and consumer position along the leaf body influence insect herbivore feeding performance over their lifetime.
Cataract surgery and age‐related macular degeneration. An evidence‐based update
Authors: Kessel Line , Erngaard Ditte , Flesner Per , Andresen Jens , Tendal Britta , Hjortdal Jesper
Published: January 2015

Purpose

Age‐related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataract often coexist in patients and concerns that cataract surgery is associated with an increased risk of incidence or progression of existing AMD has been raised. This systematic review and meta‐analysis is focused on presenting the evidence concerning progression of AMD in patients undergoing cataract surgery.

Methods

We performed a systematic literature search in the PubMed, Medline, Cochrane Library and CINAHL databases. Two randomized trials and two case–control trials were identified. Quality of the studies was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool, data were extracted, and meta‐analyses were performed. Quality of the available evidence was evaluated using the GRADE system.

Results

We found that visual acuity at 6–12 months follow‐up was significantly better (6.5–7.5 letters) in eyes that had undergone cataract surgery than in unoperated eyes, but the included number of subjects was small, and hence, the quality of evidence was downgraded to moderate. We did not find an increased risk of progression to exudative AMD 6–12 months after cataract surgery [RR 3.21 (0.14–75.68)], but the included number of subjects was small, and thus, the quality of the evidence was moderate.

Conclusion

Cataract surgery increases visual acuity without an increased risk of progression to exudative AMD, but further research with longer follow‐up is encouraged.
Petrochemical Identification and Insights on Chronological Employment of the Volcanic Aggregates Used in Ancient Roman Mortars
Authors: Marra F. , D'Ambrosio E. , Gaeta M. , Mattei M.
Published: January 2015

Through the assistance of trace element and petrographic analyses on 14 samples of mortar aggregates from Roman monuments, including the Porticus Aemilia, the Temple of Concordia, the Temple of the Dioscuri, Temple B and other structures of the Area Sacra di Largo Argentina, and the Villa di Livia, we establish the source area and we investigate the chronological employment of the volcanic materials used in ancient Rome's masonry. In contrast to previous inferences, the petrochemical data presented here show that systematic exploitation of the local ‘Pozzolane Rosse’ pyroclastic deposit has occurred since the early development of concrete masonry, at the beginning of the second century bc, through the early Imperial age. Subsequently, exploitation was extended to the overlying Pozzolane Nere and Pozzolanelle deposits. Only during the early phase of development of the concrete masonry in Rome, volcaniclastic sediments outcropping near the construction sites were mixed with the sieved remains of the tuff employed as the coarse aggregate, to produce the fine aggregate. The results of the study on the investigated monuments suggest the possibility of establishing the chronological identification of three different types of mortars, as a function of the composition of the volcanic material employed in the fine aggregate, which, when implemented by future studies, may contribute to the dating of monuments and archaeological structures.
Focusing on the ‘blessing’ and not the ‘curse’ of second homes: notes from South Africa
Authors: Hoogendoorn Gijsbert , Visser Gustav
Published: January 2015

This paper is set against the backdrop of criticism from certain quarters framing second homes as an elitist phenomenon that is part of the negative consequences of changing rural geographies. It is shown that South Africa has a long history and ever growing number of second home owners across the whole spectrum of class cohorts who form an integral part of the country's rural geographies. It is argued that accepting and framing second homes as a potential positive development agency might suggest strategies that could enhance rural development.
Negotiating contradiction: work, redundancy and participatory art
Authors: Diprose Gradon
Published: January 2015

Within participatory geography and relational aesthetic art literature there have been calls to focus on how participation is framed, who is included and excluded, the types of relations involved and the effects of such practices. Linked to these concerns, questions have also been raised around how participants are framed and understood in participatory projects. For instance, as self‐determining and knowing subjects who become politically affirmed through participation, or as subjects caught up in complex processes of becoming. In this article I show how the participatory art project ‘Productive Bodies’ in Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand, enabled participants to articulate the complex contradictions surrounding waged work, redundancy and unemployment. I suggest that participatory art projects can be a useful way for subjects to explore these complex processes of becoming. Useful because in this case, the project enabled participants to both acknowledge dominant disciplining discourses around waged work, while also creating space to imagine and enact alternatives to more dominant and limiting discourses. I argue that participatory art projects like Productive Bodies can help subjects move away from cognitive understandings of social change and political demands because the process understands subjects as always‐already affected by wider societal discourses. Such an understanding recognises the complexity of subjectivities whereby subjects are both complicit in perpetuating and subjecting themselves to more dominant discourses, but also often desirous of change. Participatory art projects like Productive Bodies can enable subjects to articulate these complexities, while also catching glimpses of other selves and other societal relations through affectual‐embodied encounters.
Transcriptome profiling of the hypothalamus during prelaying and laying periods in Sichuan white geese (Anser cygnoides)
Authors: Gao Guangliang , Li Qin , Zhao Xianzhi , Ding Ning , Han Qing , Su Jian , Wang Qigui
Published: January 2015

The Sichuan White goose is a Chinese breed well known for the quality of its meat. However, reproductive performance in this goose is not ideal, and little information is available regarding the abundance of transcripts. To better understand the molecular mechanism(s) underpinning prelaying and laying periods in the Sichuan white goose, high‐throughput RNA sequencing was performed to analyze the transcriptome in the hypothalamus. After sequencing and annotation, 26 921 unigenes were obtained, with 48 transcripts up‐regulated in the prelaying period and 180 transcripts up‐regulated during the laying period. These transcripts were primarily related to diseases, cancers, signaling molecules and interactions, the nervous system and the immune system. Eight transcripts were selected for further analyses with quantitative reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR). The qRT‐PCR results were mostly consistent with those from the high‐throughput RNA sequencing. Among these transcripts, serine/threonine‐protein kinase (AMPK), heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) and NADH dehydrogenase 1 (ND1) were differentially expressed during the prelaying and laying periods. The results of this study provide a useful resource for future studies examining the hypothalamus in geese.
Relationships between postnatal plasma oxytocin concentrations and social behaviors in cattle
Authors: Yayou Ken‐ichi , Ito Shuichi , Yamamoto Naoyuki
Published: January 2015

We examined the associations between natural individual variations in basal oxytocin (OXT) in postnatal cattle and social behavioral traits. At 1, 2 and 6 weeks of age, the basal OXT exhibited individual variability in 20 Holstein heifer calves. Cluster analysis of mean OXT for these time periods obtained two subgroups: high OXT (HOXT; n = 9) and low OXT (LOXT; n = 11). Social behaviors were observed for 2 days at week 6 after introduction into a four‐peer group, and at 10–14 months of age (10 months) immediately and 1 week, 1 month and 5 months after introduction into 11–15 heifers. At week 6, the main effect of the OXT groups was not significant for all social behaviors. At 10 months, there tended to be interactions between the OXT groups and time periods with respect to the frequency of escape behaviors. LOXT heifers exhibited more escape behaviors than HOXT heifers on the first day of the second sociality tests. At 10 months, HOXT heifers exhibited both attacking and affiliative behavior for peers more than LOXT heifers during 5 months after the second social introduction. This suggests that postnatal OXT concentrations may have long‐lasting effects on individual differences among social behavioral traits in cattle.
A Penalized Likelihood Approach for Investigating Gene–Drug Interactions in Pharmacogenetic Studies
Authors: Neely Megan L. , Bondell Howard D. , Tzeng Jung-Ying
Published: January 2015

Pharmacogenetics investigates the relationship between heritable genetic variation and the variation in how individuals respond to drug therapies. Often, gene–drug interactions play a primary role in this response, and identifying these effects can aid in the development of individualized treatment regimes. Haplotypes can hold key information in understanding the association between genetic variation and drug response. However, the standard approach for haplotype-based association analysis does not directly address the research questions dictated by individualized medicine. A complementary post-hoc analysis is required, and this post-hoc analysis is usually under powered after adjusting for multiple comparisons and may lead to seemingly contradictory conclusions. In this work, we propose a penalized likelihood approach that is able to overcome the drawbacks of the standard approach and yield the desired personalized output. We demonstrate the utility of our method by applying it to the Scottish Randomized Trial in Ovarian Cancer. We also conducted simulation studies and showed that the proposed penalized method has comparable or more power than the standard approach and maintains low Type I error rates for both binary and quantitative drug responses. The largest performance gains are seen when the haplotype frequency is low, the difference in effect sizes are small, or the true relationship among the drugs is more complex.
Destructive Groups: The Role of Projective Identification in Suicidal Groups of Young People
Authors: Goldblatt Mark J. , Briggs Stephen , Lindner Reinhard
Published: January 2015

Group suicidal behaviour by young people has been attracting increasing worldwide attention, but the subject has rarely been studied from a clinical or psychodynamic perspective. Although etiological factors are not well understood, unconscious as well as conscious group processes likely contribute to self‐destructive actions. In this article we discuss the role of projective identification in the development of suicidal behaviour by individuals who are part of a destructive group. We consider how these factors may operate, illustrated through a case description of a young man involved with a group of high‐school students that included at least four who made serious suicide attempts. Recognition and understanding of these forms of communication have important implications for clinical practice and suicide prevention.
Complications following artificial urinary sphincter placement after radical prostatectomy and radiotherapy: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Bates Anthony S. , Martin Richard M. , Terry Tim R.
Published: January 2015

Objective

To conduct a systematic review and meta‐analysis of artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) placement after radical prostatectomy (RP) and external beam radiotherapy (EBRT).

Patients and Methods

There were 1 886 patients available for analysis of surgical revision outcomes and 949 for persistent urinary incontinence (UI) outcomes from 15 and 11 studies, respectively. The mean age (sd) was 66.9 (1.4) years and the number of patients per study was 126.6 (41.7). The mean (sd, range) follow‐up was 36.7 (3.9, 18–68) months. A systematic database search was conducted using keywords, according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Published series of AUS implantations were retrieved, according to the inclusion criteria. The Newcastle–Ottawa Score was used to ascertain the quality of evidence for each study. Surgical results from each case series were extracted. Data were analysed using CMA® statistical software.

Results

AUS revision was higher in RP + EBRT vs RP alone, with a random effects risk ratio of 1.56 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02–2.72; P < 0.050; I2 = 82.0%) and a risk difference of 16.0% (95% CI 2.05–36.01; P < 0.080). Infection/erosion contributed to the majority of surgical revision risk compared with urethral atrophy (P = 0.020). Persistent UI after implantation was greater in patients treated with EBRT (P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Men receiving RP + EBRT appear at increased risk of infection/erosion and urethral atrophy, resulting in a greater risk of surgical revision compared with RP alone. Persistent UI is more common with RP + EBRT.
The current use of active surveillance in an Australian cohort of men: a pattern of care analysis from the Victorian Prostate Cancer Registry
Authors: Weerakoon Mahesha , Papa Nathan , Lawrentschuk Nathan , Evans Sue , Millar Jeremy , Frydenberg Mark , Bolton Damien , Murphy Declan G.
Published: January 2015

Objectives

To ascertain the treatment trends and patterns of care, for men with prostate cancer on active surveillance (AS) in Victoria, Australia.

Patients and Methods

De‐identified data was obtained for 6424 men from the Victorian Prostate Cancer Registry. Men included in this study were diagnosed with prostate cancer from 2008 to August 2012 with ≥12‐months of follow‐up. Patients were stratified using the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) risk grouping system and those who were not actively treated were identified. Data was acquired to describe the trends and uptake of AS according to public vs private hospital sector, and regional vs metropolitan regions.

Results

In all, 1603/6424 (24.9%) men received no treatment with curative intent at 12‐months follow‐up. This cohort included patients in whom the chosen management plan was recorded as AS (980/1603, 61.1%), watchful waiting (341/1603, 21.3%), or no management plan (282/1603, 17.6%). From this, 980/6424(15.3%) of the patients were recorded as being on AS across all NCCN categories at 12 months after diagnosis. This included 653/1816 (35.9%) of very low‐ and low‐risk men, and 251/2820 (8.9%) of intermediate‐risk men. Of our patients on AS, 169/980 (17.2%) progressed onto active treatment after 12 months. This active treatment included radical prostatectomy in 116 (68.6%), 32 (18.9%) undergoing external beam radiation therapy, 12 (7.1%) undergoingt brachytherapy and nine (5.3%) undergoing androgen‐deprivation therapy. Overall, 629/979 (64.2%) of the AS patients were notified from a private hospital, with 350/979 (35.7%) of the patients notified from a public hospital (one patient unclassified). Of these, 202/652 (30.9%) of the AS patients with very low‐/low‐risk disease were managed in the public sector, vs 450/652 (69%) of very low‐/low‐risk AS patients being managed in the private sector. In our cohort, patients with very low‐ and low‐risk disease, managed in a private hospital, were more likely to be on AS (P = 0.005). AS patients in the private sector were also a median of 2.8 years younger (median 65.6 vs 68.4 years, P < 0.001); had a lower median PSA level (5.3 vs 6.7 ng/mL, P < 0.001); and had lower biopsy Gleason score and clinical staging. There was no significant difference in the uptake of AS demographically, in our cohort of men between metropolitan and regional areas.

Conclusion

In this contemporary registry‐based population, AS is being used in a significant proportion of patients. The proportion of men progressing to intervention is lower than that reported in the current literature. Patients are more likely to be on AS if they are managed in a private hospital, with no differences in the uptake of AS, from metropolitan to regional areas.