bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A framework for effective crisis response
Authors: Pangarkar Nitin
Published: June 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to propose a framework for effective crisis response.

Design/methodology/approach

– The methodology involves a qualitative examination of responses by companies that have been judged by analysts to be varyingly effective. Toyota, for instance, had a poor response to its product quality and recall crisis. Singapore Airlines on the other hand, is often cited as an exemplar for an effective response to the crash of its flight SQ 006 in Taiwan.

Findings

– This research finds that organizations with a strong commitment to doing the right thing for stakeholders and a high readiness are most likely to effectively respond to crises. Organizations lacking in one of the two critical dimensions (commitment to stakeholders and/or readiness), on the other hand, are likely to have ineffective responses with possible post-crisis losses in competitive (e.g. market share) and financial (e.g. penalties) terms.

Research limitations/implications

– The case study methodology implies limitations about generalizability. The framework may also be less useful in crises where there is ambiguity about the genesis of the crisis and its implications, such as the disappearance of the Malaysian Airlines’ MH 370 flight.

Practical implications

– Since crises are commonplace and can impact any company, the framework can be useful for a wide range of companies.

Originality/value

– The proposed framework fills a gap in the understanding about why some companies have effective responses to crises and others do not. Prior literature has often adopted narrower perspectives such as the skills and the personality of the CEO, pre-crisis drills and effective communication strategies post-crisis. This study argues that while these factors are important, they are not sufficiently strategic.
Promoting multi-paradigmatic cultural research in international business literature
Authors: Patel Taran
Published: June 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to address four questions: what are the drawbacks of an over reliance on the objectivist tradition in culture in international business (CIB) scholarship? Is a shift from mono-paradigmatic to multi-paradigmatic cultural research justified? What explains scholars’ hesitation in engaging in multi-paradigmatic studies? What arguments can we offer to convince them otherwise?

Design/methodology/approach

– Informed by the critical perspective, this paper encourages a shift from mono-paradigmatic to multi-paradigmatic cultural studies. Guided by an emancipatory interest, and treating the field of culture studies as a complex system, this paper offers an integrative complexity (IC) based argument in favor of multi-paradigmatic studies. It argues that multi-paradigmatic studies allow scholars to employ higher IC than mono-paradigmatic studies, resulting in more innovative research outputs.

Findings

– While mono-paradigmatic studies can achieve either predictability of output or in-depth understanding of cultural phenomena, multi-paradigmatic studies are capable of attaining both. The authors illustrate this through the example of a recent multi-paradigmatic study.

Research limitations/implications

– This paper does not offer insights for operationalizing multi-paradigmatic research, nor does it address factors other than IC that may impede scholars from engaging in such studies.

Practical implications

– Shifting from mono-paradigmatic to multi-paradigmatic studies will enable scholars to address questions hitherto left unaddressed in CIB literature, facilitate a better understanding of new organizational forms, and redress the power disequilibrium between different paradigmatic schools. Implications are also offered for the training of cultural researchers in business schools.

Originality/value

– This paper is the first of its kind to relate IC to merits of multi-paradigmatic cultural studies.
Job embeddedness as a modulation
Authors: Cheng Chia-Yi , Chang Jung-Nung
Published: June 2016

Purpose

– Based on job embeddedness (JE) theory, the purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of goal orientation (GO) and JE on job stress for financial service salespersons in the indeterminate situation.

Design/methodology/approach

– Participants were 298 insurance salespersons employed at two major life insurance institutions in Taiwan: Nan Shan and Fubon – which were formerly the subsidiaries of two international financial groups, American International Group and International Netherland Group, respectively. The models were tested using the two-step structural equation procedure.

Findings

– Findings indicated that, compared with salespersons in the newly merged Fubon, those in Nan Shan, which was undergoing mergers and acquisitions, were found to be subject to higher job stress with lower JE. In the process of reducing stress, JE is an important mechanism. However, the modulating influence of embeddedness is dependent on salespersons’ GO. In situations of higher stress, learning-oriented salespersons (in Nan Shan) were unable to significantly reduce job stress until JE was introduced as a full mediator. However, in a lower stress context, performance-oriented salespersons (in Fubon) fully applied JE in order to relieve job stress.

Research limitations/implications

– Managers endeavor to help salespersons effectively improve stability and reduce job stress by exploiting salespersons’ dispositions.

Originality/value

– The contribution of this study includes identifying the role of JE on the relationship between GO and job stress for the contingency of an indeterminate state.
Dramaturgical awareness of consultants through the rhetoric and rituals of cooperation
Authors: Lalonde Carole , Gilbert Marie-Hélène
Published: June 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine how rhetoric of cooperation is expressed and constructed during rituals of consultation and how this rhetoric is integrated into the consultant’s dramaturgical awareness that incorporates both impression management and the expression of self.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper uses a discursive approach and semi-structured interviews with directors and consultants working in the healthcare sector, a sector that routinely employs consultants to accompany directors in organizational change management. Rhetoric is constructed around four narrative lines that also constitute the four ritualized phases of the consulting process.

Findings

– The mantra of “respect rituals of passage and avoid breaking frames” is an integral part of the consultant’s dramaturgical awareness throughout the process, so as not to infringe upon the order of the interaction established with the directors. Moreover, the development of cooperative relations with other members of the organization is based largely on a rather vast repertoire of action resources that the consultant will have to deploy to face four areas of uncertainty in the rites of interaction; namely, anticipation, interpretation, delegation and adherence. Furthermore, this cooperation is far from definitively acquired and must be reflected upon along the way to maintain control over the definition of the situation. This study expands upon the interrelations between the strategic actor and the reflective practitioner in a consultant’s dramaturgical awareness.

Practical implications

– Practical implications are highlighted using the notion of reflective contract (Schön, 1983) for managers as clients, the transcendental precepts of authenticity put forward by Coghland (2008) for consultants as practitioners, and progressive forms of critical theory performativity as suggested by Spiceret al.(2009) and Wickert and Schaefer (2015) for researchers.

Originality/value

– The concept underlying this study is dramaturgical awareness. It is a concept but sparingly explored in the literature, yet nonetheless present among advocates who promote organizational dramaturgy based on the work of Goffman. This concept is linked to Crozier and Friedberg’s theory of the strategic actor and Schön’s theory of the reflective practitioner.
University academics’ perceptions of reading list labels
Authors: Siddall Gillian
Published: June 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the results of continuing professional development sessions delivered to academics on the importance of a properly annotated reading list to the student experience.

Design/methodology/approach

As part of the session, the academics were asked to take part in a “pop quiz” providing their interpretation of commonly used reading list labels.

Findings

There was quite a broad interpretation of the labels, with several eliciting strongly positive or negative reactions. The similarity of meanings between some reading list labels made them redundant for helping students to prioritise their reading.

Originality/value

This case study could be used to provide sessions on reading lists at other institutions, and the results from the quiz can be used to simplify reading list labels.
Use of action research to improve information literacy acquisition of international ESL students
Authors: Aytac Selenay
Published: June 2016

Purpose

The purpose of the present study was to examine the outcomes of more collaborative library information literacy instruction for international English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used action research and employed three different data collection techniques: observations, semi-structured interviews and content analysis of classroom artifacts.

Findings

The paper concluded that one-shot information literacy instruction was not sufficient for international ESL students to acquire information literacy. Findings suggested that lack of secondary information literacy instruction just prior to the final papers, and lack of one-on-one mentoring opportunities hindered effective information literacy acquisition for the selected cohort of ESL students.

Research limitations/implications

Results derived from this study were used to design more effective, useful and holistic information literacy instruction for international ESL students beginning next semester at this private NY College.

Originality/value

This is a case study where the paper has used the participatory action research to present the importance of collaboration between the classroom teacher and the librarian to improve ESL students’ information literacy experience.
A two-way street: building the recruitment narrative in LIS programs
Authors: Dali Keren , Caidi Nadia
Published: June 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the attractiveness of Library and Information Science (LIS) careers to students and alumni and examine their decision-making process and perceptions of the field with an eye on discerning the best ways to build and develop the recruitment narrative.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors reached out to 57 LIS graduate programs in Canada and the USA accredited by the American Library Association through a Web-based survey; the questions presented a combination of multiple-choice, short-answer and open-ended questions and generated a wealth of quantitative and qualitative data.

Findings

The online survey has disclosed that students may not have an in-depth understanding of current trends, the diversity of LIS professions and the wider applications of their education. A significant disconnect exists in how the goals of LIS education are seen by certain groups of practitioners, students and faculty members.

Originality/value

Creating a program narrative for the purposes of recruitment and retention, departments should not only capitalize on the reach of the internet and the experiences of successful practitioners. They should also ensure that faculty know their students’ personal backgrounds, that students empathize with demands of contemporary academia and that a promotional message connects pragmatic educational goals to broader social applications. By exposing and embracing the complexity of LIS education and practice, the paper chooses a discursive path to start a conversation among major stakeholders.
Libraries engaging through connected learning
Authors: Massis Bruce
Published: June 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this column is to consider the strategy of “connected learning” and the library’s inclusion in the process.

Design/methodology/approach

Literature review and commentary on this topic that has been addressed by professionals, researchers and practitioners.

Findings

It is the library’s responsibility to serve as an active catalyst for connected learning, and a librarian’s cognizance of the latest and most effective strategies for engaging with students are presented as viable options for extended learning with the overall goal of student success.

Originality/value

The value in exploring this topic is to examine the natural connection between the library and the students, creating the recognition that the library is a trusted institution in the connected learning model.
How public library users perceive the information professional: is the image transforming?
Authors: Vassilakaki Evgenia , Moniarou-Papaconstantinou Valentini
Published: June 2016

Purpose

This study aims to investigate public library users’ perceptions of information professionals. Specifically, it focuses on exploring users’ perceptions regarding librarians’ status, work duties, performed work and educational background.

Design/methodology/approach

The method of questionnaire was used to enquire on the users’ perceptions of six different public libraries in the wide area of Attica, Greece. Between November 2014 and February 2015, 320 questionnaires were distributed, and, in total, 291 users participated in the study with response rate 90.9 per cent.

Findings

This research revealed that public library users have a positive image of the librarians’ status, duties and work performed. Users acknowledge that it is important for librarians to obtain a bachelor’s degree in library and information science (LIS) education and specialized LIS knowledge, as well as general, pedagogical and new technologies knowledge to perform their tasks. Overall, “serving of people” predominates as a task and a series of collection-oriented tasks.

Research limitations/implications

Perceptions of non-users of public libraries and public librarians themselves were not examined in this study. In addition, some user groups based on level of education (e.g. doctoral degree) had a low level of participation.

Originality/value

It is one of the few studies that examined public library users’ perceptions of information professionals.
Experimental warming in a dryland community reduced plant photosynthesis and soil CO2 efflux although the relationship between the fluxes remained unchanged
Authors: Wertin Timothy M. , Belnap Jayne , Reed Sasha C.
Published: June 2016

Drylands represent our planet's largest terrestrial biome and, due to their extensive area, maintain large stocks of carbon (C). Accordingly, understanding how dryland C cycling will respond to climate change is imperative for accurately forecasting global C cycling and future climate. However, it remains difficult to predict how increased temperature will affect dryland C cycling, as substantial uncertainties surround the potential responses of the two main C fluxes: plant photosynthesis and soil CO2 efflux. In addition to a need for an improved understanding of climate effects on individual dryland C fluxes, there is also notable uncertainty regarding how climate change may influence the relationship between these fluxes.

To address this important knowledge gap, we measured a growing season's in situ photosynthesis, plant biomass accumulation and soil CO2 efflux of mature Achnatherum hymenoides (a common and ecologically important C3 bunchgrass growing throughout western North America) exposed to ambient or elevated temperature (+2 °C above ambient, warmed via infrared lamps) for 3 years.

The 2 °C increase in temperature caused a significant reduction in photosynthesis, plant growth and soil CO2 efflux. Of important note, photosynthesis and soil respiration appeared tightly coupled and the relationship between these fluxes was not altered by the elevated temperature treatment, suggesting C fixation's strong control of both above‐ground and below‐ground dryland C cycling. Leaf water use efficiency was substantially increased in the elevated temperature treatment compared to the control treatment.

Taken together, our results suggest notable declines in photosynthesis with relatively subtle warming, reveal strong coupling between above‐ and below‐ground C fluxes in this dryland and highlight temperature's strong effect on fundamental components of dryland C and water cycles.
Ecological networks in motion: micro‐ and macroscopic variability across scales
Authors: Trøjelsgaard Kristian , Olesen Jens M.
Published: June 2016

There has been an intense focus on the response of species to environmental changes, and more recently, the interactions of species have been examined in a similar way in order to understand the stability of entire communities and networks of interacting species. As a consequence, ecological networks have been placed in spatial and temporal contexts in order to reveal what may drive network variability. Understanding the spatial and temporal variability of ecological networks, and in particular the underlying forces facilitating changes, seems pertinent in our attempts to understand and anticipate how ecological networks may vary and respond to future environmental scenarios.

Network variability has been studied at widely differing temporal and spatial scales. For example, studies exploring temporal variability ranges from within‐season comparisons to comparisons over vast geological time spans, and the spatial extent ranges from the scale of a single pond to global analyses. Here, we highlight the outcomes from such studies and emphasize the identified mechanisms driving spatio‐temporal variability in ecological networks. Specifically, we describe how ecological networks vary over different temporal (years, centuries and millennia) and spatial (local, regional and global) scales, discuss how this variability is monitored and identify potential future directions.

Present knowledge allows some tentative generalizations. First, ecological networks tend to exhibit considerable spatial and temporal stability in several macroscopic features (e.g. connectance, nestedness), but studies also show that macroscopic features may change, for example, in relation to mass extinction or steep environmental gradients. Secondly, microscopic features (e.g. individual specialization levels, species roles and partner affiliations), albeit less studied, seem to show strong variability, and in several cases, microscopic instability co‐occurs with macroscopic stability. We therefore recommend a stronger focus on this macro–micro interplay and list ideas (e.g. temporal species centrality measures and interaction phenologies), towards expanding the microscopic toolbox of network ecologists.

A lay summary is available for this article.
Histone deacetylase inhibition, but not a mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist spironolactone, attenuates atypical transcription by an activating mutant MR (MRS810L)
Authors: Kang Seol‐Hee , Lee Hae‐Ahm , Lee Eunjo , Kim Mina , Kim Inkyeom
Published: June 2016

A mutation in the mineralocorticoid receptor (MRS810L) leads to early‐onset hypertension, which is markedly exacerbated during pregnancy. The mutation causes progesterone and even the MR antagonist spironolactone to become potent agonists. Thus, it is hard to control hypertension in patients harbouring this mutation. We hypothesized that histone deacetylase inhibition (HDACi), but not the MR antagonist spironolactone, attenuates atypical transcriptional activity of activating mutant MR (MRS810L). We established HEK293T cells overexpressing wild‐type MR (MRWT) or MRS810L and determined their transcriptional activities by luciferase assay. Expression of MR target genes was measured by quantitative real‐time PCR (qRT‐PCR). Treatment with aldosterone increased the expression of MR target genes as well as the transcriptional activities in HEK293T cells transfected either with MRWT or MRS810L. Treatment with either spironolactone or progesterone also increased the expression of MR target genes as well as transcriptional activity, but only in HEK293T cells transfected with MRS810L. Spironolactone abolished the promoter activity stimulated by aldosterone in HEK293T cells transfected with MRWT. Treatment with HDAC inhibitors attenuated the transcriptional activity as well as the expression of MR target genes induced by aldosterone, spironolactone, or progesterone whether HEK293T cells were transfected with either MRWT or MRS810L. These results indicate that HDACi, but not an MR antagonist spironolactone, attenuates atypical transcriptional activity of an activating mutant MR (MRS810L).
Pre‐service teachers’ beliefs about inclusive education in the Netherlands: An exploratory study
Authors: Civitillo Sauro , De Moor Jan M.H. , Vervloed Mathijs P.J.
Published: June 2016

Teachers’ beliefs are crucial to the success of inclusion programmes and reform efforts for children with special educational needs (SEN). Based on this evidence, one hundred and thirty‐nine primary pre‐service teachers from one training institution in the Netherlands completed an adapted version of a measure of beliefs towards inclusive education. In contrast to previous studies on pre‐service teachers, results of this study showed participants held neutral or negative beliefs towards this matter. In addition, limited time for pupils received the highest rating as a barrier to inclusion, whereas direct teaching experience was the most preferred method of inclusion. The implications of this study for practice and indications for future research are discussed.
The use of ‘Circle of Friends’ strategy to improve social interactions and social acceptance: a case study of a child with Asperger's Syndrome and other associated needs
Authors: O'Connor Eileen
Published: June 2016

The study outlined here was an attempt to examine the use of ‘Circle of Friends’ as a single intervention approach in addressing the issue of inappropriate social interactions in a child with Asperger Syndrome. The child selected was in a mainstream setting, as the main feature of a circle of friends is peers supporting peers. The child was involved in the selection of peers for the development of the circle of friends and it was hoped the approach would challenge children's attitudes in relation to the child with Asperger Syndrome and also improve social understanding for the focus child. The results clearly indicated that the intervention had been successful in reducing the stigma around ‘difference’ for the focus child and it was clearly evident that the ‘circle of friends’ approach had provided a much needed network of social support in a mainstream school. The conclusion highlighted that the focus child was able to understand far more easily the ‘hidden curriculum’ that neuro‐typical children find so easy to decipher.
Dilute versus concentrated vasopressin administration during laparoscopic myomectomy: a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Cohen SL , Senapati S , Gargiulo AR , Srouji SS , Tu FF , Solnik J , Hur H‐C , Vitonis A , Jonsdottir GM , Wang KC , Einarsson JI
Published: June 2016

Objective

To determine if higher‐volume, fixed‐dose administration of vasopressin further reduces blood loss at the time of minimally invasive myomectomy.

Design

Randomised multicentre clinical trial.

Setting

Tertiary‐care academic centres in the USA.

Population

Women undergoing conventional laparoscopic or robot‐assisted laparoscopic myomectomy.

Methods

All participants received the same 10‐unit (U) dose of vasopressin, but were randomly assigned to one of two groups: (i) received 200 ml of diluted vasopressin solution (20 U in 400 ml normal saline), and (ii) received 30 ml of concentrated vasopressin solution (20 U in 60 ml normal saline).

Main outcome measures

The primary study outcome was estimated blood loss; the study was powered to detect a 100‐ml difference.

Results

A total of 152 women were randomised; 76 patients in each group. Baseline demographics were similar between groups. The primary outcome of intraoperative blood loss was not significantly different, as measured by three parameters: surgeon estimate (mean estimated blood loss 178 ± 265 ml and 198 ± 232 ml, dilute and concentrated groups respectively, P = 0.65), suction canister‐calculated blood loss, or change in haematocrit levels. There were no vasopressin‐related adverse events.

Conclusion

Both dilute and concentrated vasopressin solutions that use the same drug dosing demonstrate comparable safety and tolerability when administered for minimally invasive myomectomy; however, higher volume administration of vasopressin does not reduce blood loss.

Tweetable abstract

This randomised trial failed to show benefit of high‐volume dilute vasopression.
Development of a Library Search‐Based Screening System for 3,4‐Methylenedioxymethamphetamine in Ecstasy Tablets Using a Portable Near‐Infrared Spectrometer
Authors: Tsujikawa Kenji , Yamamuro Tadashi , Kuwayama Kenji , Kanamori Tatsuyuki , Iwata Yuko T. , Miyamoto Kazuna , Kasuya Fumiyo , Inoue Hiroyuki
Published: June 2016

This is the first report on development of a library search‐based screening system for 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) in ecstasy tablets using a portable near‐infrared (NIR) spectrometer. The spectrum library consisted of spectra originating from standard substances as well as mixtures of MDMA hydrochloride (MDMA‐HCl) and diluents. The raw NIR spectra were mathematically pretreated, and then, a library search was performed using correlation coefficient. To enhance the discrimination ability, the wavelength used for the library search was limited. Mixtures of MDMA‐HCl and diluents were used to decide criteria to judge MDMA‐positive or MDMA‐negative. Confiscated MDMA tablets and medicinal tablets were used for performance check of the criteria. Twenty‐two of 27 MDMA tablets were truly judged as MDMA‐positive. Five false‐negative results may be caused by compounds not included in the library. No false‐positive results were obtained for medicinal tablets. This system will be a useful tool for on‐site screening of MDMA tablets.
Review article: Updated resuscitation guidelines for 2016: A summary of the Australian and New Zealand Committee on Resuscitation recommendations
Authors: Leman Peter , Morley Peter
Published: June 2016

This review paper summarises the key changes made to the resuscitation guidelines used in Australia and New Zealand. They were released by the Australian and New Zealand Committee on Resuscitation in January 2016. These are local adaptations of the evidence previously published in October 2015 by the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR). They are presented across the main working groups in ILCOR: ALS, BLS, paediatrics, neonates, acute coronary syndromes, first aid and ‘Education, Implementation and Teams’.
Dispersal behavior of yellowjacket (Vespula germanica) queens
Authors: Masciocchi Maité , Martinez Andrés S. , Pereira Ana J. , Villacide José M. , Corley Juan C.
Published: June 2016

Understanding the factors that affect animal dispersal behavior is important from both fundamental and applied perspectives. Dispersal can have clear evolutionary and ecological consequences, but for nonnative insect pests, dispersal capacity can also help to explain invasion success.Vespula germanicais a social wasp that, in the last century, has successfully invaded several regions of the world, showing one of the highest spread rates reported for a nonnative insect. In contrast with nonsocial wasps, in social species, queens are responsible for population redistribution and spread, as workers are sterile. ForV. germanica, it has been observed that queen flight is limited to 2 distinct periods: early autumn, when new queens leave the nest to mate and find sheltered places in which to hibernate, and spring when new colonies are founded. Our aim was to study the flight behavior ofV. germanicaqueens by focusing on the different periods in which dispersal occurs, characterizing as well the potential contribution of queen flight (i.e., distance) to the observed geographical spread. Our results suggest that the distances flown by nonoverwintered queens is greater than that flown by overwintered individuals, suggesting that the main queen dispersal events would occur before queens enter hibernation. This could relate to a behavioral trait of the queens to avoid the inbreeding with related drones. Additionally, given the short distances flown and remarkable geographical spread observed, we provide evidence showing that queen dispersal by flight is likely to contribute proportionately less to population spread than human‐aided factors.
A wide diversity ofPantoealineages are engaged in mutualistic symbiosis and cospeciation processes with stinkbugs
Authors: Duron Olivier , Noël Valérie
Published: June 2016

Pantoeaare emerging as widespread bacteria engaged in associations with a variety of hosts, including plants, insects and humans. Recently, mutualisticPantoeagut symbionts have also been reported in pentatomid stinkbugs. In the present study, we examine the incidence and evolutionary history of thesePantoeasymbionts in pentatomid stinkbug populations from 14 species, characterising the processes that shape their diversity. We identify midgut crypts of pentatomid stinkbugs as harboring a remarkable diversity ofPantoea. Present in 10 of the 14 sampled host species, multi‐locus typing revealed the presence of 10 novelPanteoalineages, all highly differentiated from the knownPanteoaspecies. Rearing experiments of two pentatomid stinkbug species confirmed that these novelPanteoaare maternally inherited through egg smearing and engaged in mutualistic interactions with their hosts. Phylogenetic investigations further revealed that thePantoeaevolutionary history in pentatomid stinkbugs was notably complex: it has been shaped not only by horizontal transfers with frequent host turnover but also by strict vertical transmission over long evolutionary periods, resulting in host‐symbiont codiversification.
The efficacy and safety of everolimus for the treatment of progressive gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors: A multi‐institution observational study in Taiwan
Authors: Liu Chien‐Ting , Chen Ming‐Huang , Chen Jen‐Shi , Chen Li‐Tzong , Shan Yan‐Shen , Lu Chang‐Hsien , Su Yu‐Li , Ku Fan‐Chen , Chou Wen‐Chi , Chen Yen‐Yang
Published: June 2016

Aim

Everolimus is an inhibitor of mTOR, approved for treatment of advanced pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). The purpose of this observational study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of everolimus in treatment of progressive, advanced gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP‐NETs) in Taiwan.

Methods

Fifty‐three patients with progressive, advanced GEP‐NETs who received everolimus treatment between January 2008 and August 2014 were selected. Patient characteristics, tumor features, safety profiles and treatment efficacy were retrospectively analyzed.

Results

Mean follow‐up duration was 23.7 (1.2–70) months and 37 of 53 patients (69.8%) remained alive at the end of study. The one‐ and two‐year overall survival rates were 90.5% and 75.4%, respectively. The median progression‐free survival (PFS) was 18.9 (95% confidence interval; 10.9–26.8) months. Partial response was observed in 15 (28.3%) patients, 29 (54.7%) patients had stable disease and nine (17%) patients had progressive disease. Patients with World Health Organization (WHO) grade I NETs, nonfunctional tumors and liver metastasis burden <10% had significantly better PFS with everolimus treatment. Adverse events observed were stomatitis (35.8%), hyperglycemia (22.6%) and rash (18.8%). Seven (15.4%) patients experienced severe adverse events (grade 3 or more), including hyperglycemia (4.4%), anemia (4.4%), fatigue (2.2%) and elevated liver function (2.2%). One (2.2%) patient died from grade 5 interstitial pneumonitis.

Conclusion

Everolimus was an effective treatment for Taiwanese patients with progressive advanced GEP‐NETs. Patients with nonfunctional NETs had a trend toward longer PFS, whereas patients with liver metastases burden <10% had a trend toward longer overall survival time receiving everolimus treatment.
Acitretin in erosive penile lichen planus
Authors: Poon Flora , De Cruz Ryan , Hall Anthony
Published: June 2016

Lichen planus (LP) is an incompletely understood T‐cell mediated auto‐immune dermatosis. When LP involves the genitalia it may present as painful, pruritic erosions that can be exquisitely tender, causing distress and genitourinary and sexual dysfunction. Management of erosive genital LP is often suboptimal. Despite higher order evidence demonstrating the efficacy of oral acitretin in the management of cutaneous and oral LP, it still features below other immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory therapies in many clinicians’ therapeutic ladder. We present a case of severe erosive penile LP, successfully treated with oral acitretin after topical and oral corticosteroids failed to induce remission.
Intrauterine anaesthetic after hysteroscopy to reduce post‐operative pain – A double blind randomised controlled trial
Authors: Mahomed Kassam , McLean Jim , Ahmed Muhtashim , Zolotarev Boris , Shaddock Natalie
Published: June 2016

Background

Pain after hysteroscopy is usually minimal but some women need additional analgesia while in the recovery ward and some require overnight hospital admission to control pain. Intrauterine installation of an anaesthetic after hysteroscopy may reduce pain.

Aims

To see if intrauterine levobupivacaine reduces post‐procedure pain, need for analgesia and allow earlier return to normal activity.

Materials and methods

This was a double‐blind randomised controlled trial. Women having hysteroscopy under general anaesthesia were allocated to receive intrauterine instillation of levubupivacaine or normal saline at the end of the procedure. Women were assessed in the recovery ward by a verbal descriptor pain scale and need for additional analgesia and followed up on day 3 to further assess pain and return to normal activity.

Results

There were no significant differences in demographic characteristics or indication for surgery between the 224 women in the study group or the 214 women in the control group. At two hours post‐procedure, 156/224 (70%) study women versus 119/214 (56%) control women had no pain; (relative risk (RR) 0.68 and 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.53–0.87). There were 182/224 (81%) study women versus 154/214 (72%) control women with a pain score < 5 (RR 0.67; 95% CI 0.47–0.95). Fewer women in the study group required additional analgesia 54/224 (24%) versus 88/214 (41%) (RR 0.58; 95% CI 0.44–0.78). There was no significant difference between groups with regards to pain at 24 h post‐procedure or return to activity.

Conclusion

Intrauterine instillation of levobupivacaine reduced post‐procedure pain and need for additional pain relief.
Strategizing for Autonomy: Whither Durability and Progressiveness?
Authors: Teo Shaun S.K.
Published: June 2016

What should autonomous formations work towards? How might they strategize to get there? This paper considers thesewhatandhowaspects in tandem—a necessary pursuit if clearer pathways to emancipation are to be realized. First, it conceptualizes the relationship between objectives of durability and progressiveness. I introduce “the durability trap”, a situation whereby autonomous formations achieve durability at the expense of their progressiveness, as well as the principles to overcome this. Second, it evaluates how autonomous formations might act collectively and vis‐à‐vis the state to achieve, or not, both durability and progressiveness. I compare the strategies two autonomous formations adopt in response to the development of Media Spree, a redevelopment project in Berlin. I show how symbiotic strategy results in the durability trap and how an interstitial approach works to overcome this. I end by conceiving strategies of interstitiality, symbiosis and rupture as sequential steps to wider transformation.
Lower Bounds on Integrated Risk, Subject to Inequality Constraints
Authors: Kabaila Paul , Kong Yining
Published: June 2016

Statistical decision theory can sometimes be used to find, via a least favourable prior distribution, a statistical procedure that attains the minimax risk. This theory also provides, using an ‘unfavourable prior distribution’, a very useful lower bound on the minimax risk. In the late 1980s, Kempthorne showed how, using a least favourable prior distribution, a specified integrated risk can sometimes be minimised, subject to an inequality constraint on a different risk. Specifically, he was concerned with the solution of a minimax‐Bayes compromise problem (‘compromise decision theory’). Using an unfavourable prior distribution, Kabaila & Tuck (), provided a very useful lower bound on an integrated risk, subject to an inequality constraint on a different risk. We extend this result to the case of multiple inequality constraints on specified risk functions and integrated risks. We also describe a new and very effective method for the computation of an unfavourable prior distribution that leads to a very useful lower bound. This method is simply to maximize the lower bound directly with respect to the unfavourable prior distribution. Not only does this method result in a relatively tight lower bound, it is also fast because it avoids the repeated computation of the global maximum of a function with multiple local maxima. The advantages of this computational method are illustrated using the problems of bounding the performance of a point estimator of (i) the multivariate normal mean and (ii) the univariate normal mean.
Claudin‐2‐mediated cation and water transport share a common pore
Authors: Rosenthal R. , Günzel D. , Krug S. M. , Schulzke J.‐D. , Fromm M. , Yu A. S. L.
Published: June 2016

Aim

Claudin‐2 is a tight junction protein typically located in ‘leaky’ epithelia exhibiting large paracellular permeabilities like small intestine and proximal kidney tubule. Former studies revealed that claudin‐2 forms paracellular channels for small cations like sodium and potassium and also paracellular channels for water. This study analyses whether the diffusive transport of sodium and water occurs through a common pore of the claudin‐2 channel.

Methods

Wild‐type claudin‐2 and different claudin‐2 mutants were expressed in MDCK I kidney tubule cells using an inducible system. Ion and water permeability and the effect of blocking reagents on both were investigated on different clones of the mutants.

Results

Neutralization of a negatively charged cation interaction site in the pore with the mutation, D65N, decreased both sodium permeability and water permeability. Claudin‐2 mutants (I66C and S68C) with substitution of the pore‐lining amino acids with cysteine were used to test the effect of steric blocking of the claudin‐2 pore by thiol‐reactive reagents. Addition of thiol‐reactive reagents to these mutants simultaneously decreased conductance and water permeability. Remarkably, all experimental perturbations caused parallel changes in ion conductance and water permeability, disproving different or independent passage pathways.

Conclusion

Our results indicate that claudin‐2‐mediated cation and water transport are frictionally coupled and share a common pore. This pore is lined and determined in permeability by amino acid residues of the first extracellular loop of claudin‐2.
Understanding the complement‐mediated glomerular diseases: focus on membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis and C3 glomerulopathies
Authors: Lionaki Sophia , Gakiopoulou Hara , Boletis John N.
Published: June 2016

An enhanced understanding of the role of complement in the pathogenesis of membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis has led to reclassification of the latter into immunoglobulin‐mediated and non‐immunoglobulin‐mediated disease. The new classification schema resulted in improved diagnostic clinical algorithms, while it brought into light again the diseases, which are characterized by the presence of glomerular deposits, composed predominantly by C3, in the absence of significant amounts of immunoglobulins in renal biopsy, namely, C3 glomerulopathies (dense deposit disease and C3 glomerulonephritis). Despite the lack of randomized controlled trials following the advances in the understanding of the pathogenetic pathways involved in membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, it is important that the new mechanistic approach has opened new roads for the exploration and discovery of targeted therapies.
Late Wisconsinan deglaciation and proglacial lakes development in the Charlevoix region, southeastern Québec, Canada
Authors: Brouard Etienne , Lajeunesse Patrick , Cousineau Pierre A. , Govare Étienne , Locat Jacques
Published: June 2016

The Charlevoix region, in southeastern Québec, is characterized by a dramatic landscape formed by the junction of the Laurentian Highlands, the Charlevoix Astrobleme and the St Lawrence Estuary. At the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), the region was completely covered by the Laurentide Ice Sheet (LIS). The complex topography of the region was the stage of many of the major deglacial events of southern Quebec (e.g. Goldthwait Sea Invasion, St Lawrence Ice‐Stream, Saint‐Narcisse Episode). We present a detailed reconstruction of the pattern of retreat of the LIS in the Charlevoix region based on the interpretation of ice‐marginal features (e.g. moraines, fans) and glaciolacustrine landforms and deposits, two extensive field campaigns, and the interpretation of high‐resolution 3D digital aerial photographs and LiDAR data. Our results indicate five moraine complexes in the region: the Rochette, the Brûlée, the Sainte‐Anne, the Saint‐Narcisse and the Mars‐Batiscan complexes. Deltas, fans, fine‐grained sediments, littoral deposits, drainage breaches and deposits were used to identify 91 palaeo‐proglacial lakes. The identification of these lakes and their relation to moraine complexes enabled the reconstruction of six stages of lake development during the Charlevoix deglaciation. The development of proglacial lakes occurred in all types of terrain (highlands, lowlands, transitory levels above marine limit). We conclude that local topography had a decisive effect on promoting both moraine deposition and lake development. We suggest that similar topographical regions (hilly‐mountainous) that were affected by major ice‐margin stabilizations during glacial retreat should have experience small lakes dominating valleys and topographical lows.
The Lateglacial interstadial at the southeastern limit of the Sonoran Desert, Mexico: vegetation and climate reconstruction based on pollen sequences from Ciénega San Marcial and comparison with the subrecent record
Authors: Ortega‐Rosas Carmen I. , Peñalba María C. , Guiot Joel
Published: June 2016

The last glacial–interglacial transition encompassed rapid climate oscillations that affected both hemispheres. At low latitudes, the pattern of oscillations is not well established. To address this issue, pollen analysis was performed at Ciénega San Marcial, a monsoon‐influenced site located on the southeastern edge of the Sonoran Desert at the limit of the tropical thornscrub. The pollen record covers the Late Wisconsinan glacial terminationII, from 15 650 to 13 400 cal. aBP, includingGS‐2 and the Lateglacial interstadial, and a recent historical period (ADc. 1919 to 2004). We applied the modern analogue technique, in which pollen taxa are assigned to plant functional types (PFTs), to reconstruct the past climates. At the end ofGS‐2, aJuniperus–Pinuswoodland is indicative of annual temperatures 10±2 °C colder than present and higher annual precipitation dominated by winter rains. The onset of the Lateglacial interstadial occurs atc. 15 500 cal. aBP, resulting in a lower sedimentation rate and the spread of a xeric grassland. This period is associated with an increase in summer insolation. A weak signal of summer monsoon intensification is dated to 14 825 cal. aBPbut is associated with colder winter temperatures. A wider spread of tropical taxa occurs after 13 800 cal. aBP, along with the loss ofJuniperus, suggesting a temperature increase of approximately 3 °C. In spite of the earlier Lateglacial warming, the transition from glacial to interstadial conditions seems to be related to North Atlantic atmospheric variations. We conclude that during the last glacial–interglacial transition, the Sonoran Desert at 28.5° latitude was sensitive to climate variations originating in northern latitudes. The recent historical sequence displays summer‐dominant precipitation and additional drivers of climate change, including anthropogenic factors and El Niño, thus showing a stronger Pacific circulation influence in the subrecent period.
Innovations in Practice: The relationship between sleep disturbances, depression, and interpersonal functioning in treatment for adolescent depression
Authors: McGlinchey Eleanor L. , Reyes‐Portillo Jazmin A. , Turner J. Blake , Mufson Laura
Published: June 2016

Background

Sleep disturbance is frequently comorbid with depression and sleep complaints are the most common residual symptoms after treatment among adolescents with depression. The present analyses investigated the effect of sleep disturbance in depressed adolescents treated with interpersonal psychotherapy for adolescents (IPT‐A) versus treatment as usual (TAU) in school‐based mental health clinics.

Method

Sixty‐three adolescents participated in a randomized clinical trial of IPT‐A versus TAU for adolescent depression. Participants were diagnosed with a DSM‐IV depressive disorder and assessed for symptoms of depression, interpersonal functioning, and sleep disturbance. Measures were assessed at baseline, session 4 and 8 of treatment, and session 12 for postacute treatment follow‐up. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to model change in depression, interpersonal functioning, and sleep disturbance.

Results

Ongoing sleep disturbance was significantly associated with worse depression scores as rated by clinician (γ = 1.04, SE = .22, p < .001) and self‐report (γ = 1.63, SE = .29, p < .001), as well as worse interpersonal functioning across the course of treatment (γ = 0.09, SE = .02, p < .001). Treatment condition did not predict change in sleep disturbance (γ = −0.13, SE = .14, p = ns).

Conclusions

For all patients in the study, sleep disturbance was a predictor of depression and interpersonal functioning for depressed adolescents. Sleep disturbance predicted more depression and interpersonal stress across treatments and led to a slower improvement in depression and interpersonal functioning. These data suggest that sleep disturbance should be a target for future treatment development research among depressed adolescents.