bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Using social media posts as resources for engaging in value co-creation
Authors: Sorensen Anne , Andrews Lynda , Drennan Judy
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how organizations create focal engagement objects through posts to their social media community members and how the members engage with these posts in ways that potentially co-create value. Of additional interest is the use of platform, tone and language to determine how they potentially influence value co-creation.

Design/methodology/approach

The research method is netnography. Two Australian-based cause organizations were selected for the study, and posts were collected from Facebook, Twitter and YouTube platforms used by the communities, as well as likes, clicks, shares and retweets. Data was examined using content and thematic analyses.

Findings

Findings for the characteristics of the posts indicate how platforms need to be member-centric and that post tone and language can be used for engaging members effectively. Three consumer engagement objects were thematically derived from the posts: events, donations and fundraising, and social justice that includes shout-outs and thunderclaps. In turn, consumer responses evidenced engagement sub-processes of co-developing, acknowledging, rewarding, sharing, advocating, adding momentum and learning. The likes, clicks, shares and retweets assisted in determining the amount of community interactions with posts in the cause brands’ communities.

Research limitations/implications

This research is limited to the extent it involved two cases. As with any cross-sectional research, the findings are snapshots of interactions on the two sites over the two-week data collection periods. Theoretical implications provide a deeper insights into value co-creation by empirically examining how organizations and their supporters employ and use post resources to co-create value collectively, and how the characteristics of the posts and behavioral interactions potentially facilitates this.

Practical implications

Managerially, this investigation will assist both commercial brand and cause brand organizations to plan and adapt their social media strategies to enhance supporters’ engagement with posts in this digital environment.

Social implications

The social implications of this study are that it provides an understanding of how cause organizations can harness online communities for value co-creation to generate social good.

Originality/value

The study is both original and adds value to the research community. The findings presented provide an insightful conceptual framework to guide future research into this important area of consumer engagement with resources in social media communities leading to potential co-creation of value.
Communications Solutions: cashing in the chips
Authors: White Susan
Published: May 2017

Synopsis

Communication Solutions (CS), a woman-owned business, experienced fast growth at its inception, and then found itself slowing after the mid-2000s recession. The firm provides consulting services, primarily to government agencies. The owners have brought the business to sales of about $10.5 million in 2012, but revenues declined following that peak year because of cutbacks in government spending and founder Jennifer Madison’s detachment from the business. Even though they recognize that it may not be an ideal time to sell, they are tired of running the business and want to sell now, as long as they can pay off their debts.

Research methodology

This case was researched through multiple interviews with Mark and Jennifer, who provided all of the financial data and background. All financial statements given in the case provide actual CS numbers. The name of the company and the names of the owners have been changed, at their request to disguise the company. At the time this case was written, the owners were in negotiation with a potential bidder, and did not want their names or their company name to be used. Market information and information about comparable companies was researched using publicly available financial data bases.

Relevant courses and levels

This case has the potential to be used in a variety of classes, depending on what the instructor wishes to emphasize. The author uses the case as a valuation case in a corporate finance class (suitable for undergraduates or MBAs), allowing students practice in discounted cash flow valuation and comparable multiples valuation. It could be used in an investments class which teaches business valuation, particularly in teaching valuation using market multiples. The case could be used in an entrepreneurial finance class. The author uses this case to illustrate the difficulties of business valuation with messy (but real) data.

Theoretical bases

This case explores small business valuation and exit strategies for founders. Students can put themselves in the position of small business owners who are ready to exit. Students should value the firm using discounted cash flow and multiples valuation, which includes making assumptions about the future growth of the firm. While there is likely to be reasonable agreement on the “as is” valuation, there may be great variation concerning the assumptions and valuations of the company as it could be. Students can discuss (and implement) adjustments made when using large company comparables to value a much smaller company.
Maipu Communication Technology Co., Ltd: challenges in innovation
Authors: He Zheng , Chen Leida
Published: May 2017

Synopsis

This case traces through a 20-year history of a Chinese high-tech company, Maipu Communications Technology Company. Throughout the company’s growth, Maipu adjusted its innovation models in order to ensure that they remained compatible with corporate strategies, resources and external environments. However, as the company grew bigger, it was finding it more and more difficult to meet its innovation goals. Its current innovation model is a market-driven platform + distributed innovation. While Maipu has achieved some success under this model, it is faced with a myriad of challenges during the execution of the model. The key questions raised by this case are whether Maipu’s current innovation model is suitable for the company at this stage and how the innovation model should be adjusted to propel new innovation and growth opportunities for Maipu in this increasingly competitive market.

Research methodology

This case was a field research case. The authors paid three visits to Maipu Communications Technology Company, during which the authors conducted in-depth interviews with Mr Zhao, the Head of Maipu’s R&D and Innovation group, and several senior and functional managers of the company. Follow-up communication via telephone and e-mail was conducted to verify the accuracy of the written case.

Relevant courses and levels

This case is well suited for courses in the areas of strategic management, innovation management, high-tech management, entrepreneurship, and international business. The target audiences of the case are primarily MBA students, although this case can also be used in upper-level undergraduate business courses.

Theoretical bases

The theoretical basis for this case includes the following management theories: strategy formulation and strategy implementation, business-level and corporate-level strategies, enterprise life-cycle, corporate strategies at various stages of growth, patterns of innovation and applications, and implementation of innovation strategies.
Virgin Olive Oil as Frying Oil
Authors: Chiou Antonia , Kalogeropoulos Nick
Published: May 2017

Frying is one of the oldest cooking procedures and is still among the most popular ones for food preparation. Due to their unique sensory characteristics, fried foods are consumed often and with pleasure. During frying, part of the oil is absorbed by the food, thereby becoming part of our diet; most interestingly, in the Mediterranean area approximately 50% of total fat intake is provided by cooking fats. Olive oil is the key lipid component of the Mediterranean diet, the health‐promoting effects of which have been largely attributed to olive oil intake. Olive oil is unique among vegetable oils due to its desirable lipid profile and some of its minor components. Scientific evidence now indicates that during frying olive oil behavior is usually equal or superior to that of refined vegetable oils. Herein, an overview of virgin olive oil performance under frying is given, with special reference to the fate of olive oil microconstituents. The compositional changes of foods fried in olive oil are also reviewed and discussed in detail.
Identification of the 2‐tridecanonecis‐acting element in the promoter of cytochrome P450CYP6B7inHelicoverpa armigera
Authors: Xu Li , Li Dong‐Zhi , Luo Yuan‐Yuan , Qin Jian‐Ying , Qiu Li‐Hong
Published: May 2017

The expression level of cytochrome P450 genes in insects can be induced by plant allelochemicals, which is important for insects to adapt to host plants. Cytochrome P450CYP6B7has been reported to be involved in pyrethroid insecticide resistance inHelicoverpa armigera, and its transcription level was induced by some inducers. Currently, the regulatory mechanism of the induced expression ofCYP6B7remains unknown, although it is very important for understanding the detoxification mechanism to allelochemicals in host plants. The objective of the present study was to investigate thecis‐acting element in the promoter ofCYP6B7mediating the inducible up‐regulation ofCYP6B7inH. armigeraby 2‐tridecanone. The promoter region ofCYP6B7was cloned by genome walking technique and analyzed by transient transfection assay. Progressive 5′ deletion of the promoter region ofCYP6B7revealed that the relative luciferase activity of construct −320/+232 could be significantly induced by 2‐tridecanone. Further stepwise deletion between −320 and −238 bp found that construct −292/+232 could also be significantly induced by 2‐tridecanone, but the adjacent construct −256/+232 could not, suggesting the essential role of the sequence between −292 and −257 bp for 2‐tridecanone induction. Nucleotide mutations between −292 and −281 bp had no influence on the induction effect by 2‐tridecanone, but nucleotide mutations between −280 and −257 bp significantly decreased the induction effect. These results demonstrated that thecis‐acting element for 2‐tridecanone induction was between −280 and −257 bp in the promoter ofCYP6B7.
Larval interference competition between the native Neotropical mosquito Limatus durhamii and the invasive Aedes aegypti improves the fitness of both species
Authors: Talaga Stanislas , Dejean Alain , Mouza Clémence , Dumont Yves , Leroy Céline
Published: May 2017

Interspecific competition with native species during biological invasions can sometimes limit alien expansion. We aimed to determine the potential ecological effects of Limatus durhamii Theobald 1901, a native Neotropical mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) species, on the invasive species Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti (Linnaeus 1762) that breeds in the same artificial water containers. Development time and adult dry mass were measured in 3 rearing conditions: control (a single larva), intraspecific competition (2 conspecific larvae), and interspecific competition (2 heterospecific larvae). Food was provided ad libitum to eliminate exploitative competition. For Ae. aegypti, development time was not affected by interspecific interference competition (nonsignificant differences with the control) and the adult dry mass was significantly higher, meaning that individual fitness likely increased. Yet, because previous studies showed longer development time and lighter adults during competition with other invasive mosquitoes, it is likely that Ae. aegypti can express a different phenotype depending on the competing species. The similar pattern found for Li. durhamii females and the nonsignificant difference with the control for males explain in part why this species can compete with Ae. aegypti.
Least speciose among the most speciose: Natural history correlates of monospecific and bispecific genera of Rodentia and Soricomorpha
Authors: AMORI Giovanni , BISSATTINI Alessandra Maria , GIPPOLITI Spartaco , VIGNOLI Leonardo , MAIORANO Luigi , LUISELLI Luca
Published: May 2017

Monospecific and bispecific genera are of special concern as they represent unique phylogenetic/evolutionary trajectories within larger clades. In addition, as phylogenetically older taxa are supposed to be exposed to higher rarity and extinction risk, monospecific and bispecific genera may be intrinsically more prone to extinction risks than multispecies genera, although extinction risks also depend on the ecological and biological strategy of the species. Here, the distribution across biogeographical zones and the levels of threat to 2 speciose orders of mammals (monospecific and bispecific genera of Rodentia and Soricomorpha) are investigated in order to highlight major patterns at the worldwide scale. In Rodentia, 39.7% of the genera (n = 490) were monospecific and 17.9% were bispecific. In Soricomorpha, 44.4% of the total genera (n = 45) were monospecific and 15% were bispecific. There was a positive correlation between the number of monospecific genera and the total number of genera per family. Peaks of monospecific and bispecific genera richness were observed in Neotropical, Oriental and Afrotropical regions in rodents and in the Palearctic region in soricomorphs. Range size was significantly uneven across biogeographic region in rodents (with larger ranges in Nearctic and Oriental regions and smaller ranges in the Australian region), but there was no difference across biogeographic regions in terms of range size in soricomorphs. Most of the monospecific and bispecific genera occurred in forest habitat in both taxa. The frequency distribution of the monospecific and bispecific genera across IUCN categories did not differ significantly from the expected pattern using the total rodent genera and the multispecies genera.
Hot, Salty Water: A Confluence of Issues in Managing Stormwater Runoff for Urban Streams
Authors: Cockerill Kristan , Anderson William P. , Harris F. Claire , Straka Kelli
Published: May 2017

Research increasingly highlights cause and effect relationships between urbanization and stream conditions are complex and highly variable across physical and biological regions. Research also demonstrates stormwater runoff is a key causal agent in altering stream conditions in urban settings. More specifically, thermal pollution and high salt levels are two consequences of urbanization and subsequent runoff. This study describes a demonstration model populated with data from a high gradient headwaters stream. The model was designed to explain surface water‐groundwater dynamics related to salinity and thermal pollution. Modeled scenarios show long‐term additive impacts from salt application and suggest reducing flow rates, as stormwater management practices are typically designed to do, have the potential to greatly reduce salt concentrations and simultaneously reduce thermal pollution. This demonstration model offers planners and managers reason to be confident that stormwater management efforts can have positive impacts.
Does adenomatous polyposis coli gene promoter 1A methylation increase non‐small cell lung cancer risk? A meta‐analysis
Authors: Hu Baoli , Zhang Hangfeng , Wei Haitao , Wang Zuopei , Zhang Feng , Wang Xiaolong , Li Li
Published: May 2017

Background

The promoter region of the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene is hypermethylated in several types of cancers, including non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The prevalence of methylation in the promoter region of this gene in tumor tissues and autologous controls has not been consistent in previous studies. We evaluated the frequency of APC gene promoter 1A methylation between tumor tissues and autologous controls in NSCLC patients by meta‐analysis.

Methods

Open published studies of APC gene promoter 1A methylation between tumor tissues and autologous samples in NSCLC patients were identified using a systematic search. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of APC gene promoter 1A methylation in lung cancer tissues versus autologous controls were calculated. Fourteen studies, involving a total of 1345 patients and 2182 samples, were finally included.

Results

The pooled proportion of APC promoter 1A methylation was 0.62 (95% CI 0.52–072) and 0.34 (95% CI 0.21–0.50) in cancer tissues and autologous controls, respectively. The APC gene promoter 1A methylation rate in cancer tissues was much higher than in autologous controls, with a pooled OR of 3.66 (95% CI 2.12–6.33). A strong and significant correlation of APC gene promoter 1A methylation between tumor tissues and autologous controls was detected (correlation coefficient rpearson = 0.77;
P
 = 0.0013).

Conclusion

The proportion of APC promoter 1A methylation in lung cancer tissues was higher than in autologous controls, indicating that promoter 1A methylation of the APC gene may play an important role in NSCLC carcinogenesis.
Impact of prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) on opioid utilization among Medicare beneficiaries in 10 US States
Authors: Moyo Patience , Simoni‐Wastila Linda , Griffin Beth Ann , Onukwugha Eberechukwu , Harrington Donna , Alexander G. Caleb , Palumbo Francis
Published: May 2017

Background and aims

Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) are a principal strategy used in the United States to address prescription drug abuse. We (1) compared opioid use pre‐ and post‐PDMP implementation and (2) estimated differences of PDMP impact by reason for Medicare eligibility and plan type.

Design

Analysis of opioid prescription claims in US states that implemented PDMPs relative to non‐PDMP states during 2007–12.

Setting

Florida, Louisiana, Nebraska, New Jersey, Vermont, Georgia, Wisconsin, Maryland, New Hampshire and Arkansas, USA.

Participants

A total of 310 105 disabled and older adult Medicare enrolees.

Measurements

Primary outcomes were monthly total opioid volume, mean daily morphine milligram equivalent (MME) dose per prescription and number of opioid prescriptions dispensed. The key predictors were PDMP status and time. Tests for moderation examined PDMP impact by Medicare eligibility (disability versus age) and drug plan [privately provided Medicare Advantage (MAPD) versus fee‐for‐service (PDP)].

Findings

Overall, PDMP implementation was associated with reduced opioid volume [−2.36 kg/month, 95% confidence interval (CI) = −3.44, −1.28] and no changes in mean MMEs or opioid prescriptions 12 months after implementation compared with non‐PDMP states. We found evidence of strong moderation effects. In PDMP states, estimated monthly opioid volumes decreased 1.67 kg (95% CI = −2.38, −0.96) and 0.75 kg (95% CI = −1.32, −0.18) among disabled and older adults, respectively, and 1.2 kg, regardless of plan type. MME reductions were 3.73 mg/prescription (95% CI = −6.22, −1.24) in disabled and 3.02 mg/prescription (95% CI = −3.86, −2.18) in MAPD beneficiaries, but there were no changes in older adults and PDP beneficiaries. Dispensed prescriptions increased 259/month (95% CI = 39, 479) among the disabled and decreased 610/month (95% CI = −953, −257) among MAPD beneficiaries.

Conclusions

Prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) are associated with reductions in opioid use, measured by volume, among disabled and older adult Medicare beneficiaries in the United States compared with states that do not have PDMPs. PDMP impact on daily doses and daily prescriptions varied by reason for eligibility and plan type. These findings cannot be generalized beyond the 10 US states studied.
Varenicline versus nicotine patch with brief advice for smokers with substance use disorders with or without depression: effects on smoking, substance use and depressive symptoms
Authors: Rohsenow Damaris J. , Tidey Jennifer W. , Martin Rosemarie A. , Colby Suzanne M. , Swift Robert M. , Leggio Lorenzo , Monti Peter M.
Published: May 2017

Aims

Varenicline was compared with transdermal nicotine (NRT) for smokers with current substance use disorders (SUD) for effects on 3‐month smoking abstinence (primary outcome) and, secondarily, on 3‐ and 6 month abstinence while adjusting for medication adherence, and on additional smoking and substance use outcomes. Moderation by major depressive disorder history (MDD) and adherence were investigated.

Design

Double‐blind double‐placebo‐controlled randomized design, stratifying by MDD, gender and nicotine dependence, with 3 and 6 months follow‐up.

Setting

University offices in Rhode Island, USA.

Participants

Adult smokers (n = 137), in SUD treatment, substance abstinent <12 months (n = 77 varenicline, 60 NRT).

Intervention and comparator

Twelve weeks of varenicline (2 mg/day, after 1‐week dose run‐up) or NRT (21 mg/day decreasing to 7 mg/day).

Measurements

Primary: point‐prevalence smoking abstinence (7‐day, confirmed) at 3 months. Secondary: point‐prevalence abstinence at 6 months, quantity and frequency of smoking and substance use at 3 and 6 months, and within‐treatment abstinence, medication adherence and depressive symptoms. Smoking outcome analyses were repeated controlling for adherence and investigating adherence as a moderator.

Findings

Effects on 3‐month abstinence were P < 0.065 without a covariate (Bayes factor 3.35, supporting the effect strongly) and differed significantly when controlling for baseline smoking [varenicline: 13%, NRT: 3%; odds ratio (OR) = 4.81, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.00, 23.13, P < 0.05]. The threefold difference at 6 months was not significant. Medication effect on abstinence across time was significant (P < 0.05) covarying adherence and baseline smoking (OR = 6.40, 95% CI = 1.00, 40.93). Medication differences in 3‐month abstinence occurred among participants with ≥ 77% adherence (P < 0.02). No significant medication effects on heavy drinking, drug use or depressive symptoms were found.

Conclusions

Varenicline appears to improve the chances of achieving at least 3 months of smoking abstinence in smokers with substance use disorders trying to stop, compared with transdermal nicotine patches, the effect being independent of history of depressive disorder.
Isolation of subtelomeric sequences of porcine chromosomes for translocation screening reveals errors in the pig genome assembly
Authors: O'Connor R. E. , Fonseka G. , Frodsham R. , Archibald A. L. , Lawrie M. , Walling G. A. , Griffin D. K.
Published: May 2017

Balanced chromosomal aberrations have been shown to affect fertility in most species studied, often leading to hypoprolificacy (reduced litter size) in domestic animals such as pigs. With an increasing emphasis in modern food production on the use of a small population of high quality males for artificial insemination, the potential economic and environmental costs of hypoprolific boars, bulls, rams etc. are considerable. There is therefore a need for novel tools to facilitate rapid, cost‐effective chromosome translocation screening. This has previously been achieved by standard karyotype analysis; however, this approach relies on a significant level of expertise and is limited in its ability to identify subtle, cryptic translocations. To address this problem, we developed a novel device and protocol for translocation screening using subtelomeric probes and fluorescence in situ hybridisation. Probes were designed using BACs (bacterial artificial chromosomes) from the subtelomeric region of the short (p‐arm) and long (q‐arm) of each porcine chromosome. They were directly labelled with FITC or Texas Red (p‐arm and q‐arm respectively) prior to application of a ‘Multiprobe’ device, thereby enabling simultaneous detection of each individual porcine chromosome on a single slide. Initial experiments designed to isolate BACs in subtelomeric regions led to the discovery of a series of incorrectly mapped regions in the porcine genome assembly (from a total of 82 BACs, only 45 BACs mapped correctly). Our work therefore highlights the importance of accurate physical mapping of newly sequenced genomes. The system herein described allows for robust and comprehensive analysis of the porcine karyotype, an adjunct to classical cytogenetics that provides a valuable tool to expedite efficient, cost effective food production.
Intermittent preexcitation indicates “a low‐risk” accessory pathway: Time for a paradigm shift?
Authors: Jastrzębski Marek , Kukla Piotr , Pitak Maciej , Rudziński Andrzej , Baranchuk Adrian , Czarnecka Danuta
Published: May 2017

We report three patients with intermittent loss of the preexcitation pattern in the ECG that had undergone an electrophysiological study. Despite apparently poorly conducting accessory pathway (AP), in each case a fast anterograde conduction, either during spontaneous atrial fibrillation or during incremental atrial pacing (on isoproterenol) was documented; shortest preexcited RR intervals of 200–240 ms were observed. We review the literature and conclude that intermittent preexcitation observed on resting 12‐lead ECG lacks sufficient specificity for the diagnosis of an AP with long refractory period and cannot be considered a substitute for electrophysiological study in patients with this electrocardiographical phenomenon.
Phase I clinical trial of cell division associated 1 (CDCA1) peptide vaccination for castration resistant prostate cancer
Authors: Obara Wataru , Sato Fuminori , Takeda Kazuyoshi , Kato Renpei , Kato Yoichiro , Kanehira Mitsugu , Takata Ryo , Mimata Hiromitsu , Sugai Tamotsu , Nakamura Yusuke , Fujioka Tomoaki
Published: May 2017

Cell division associated 1 (CDCA1) was screened as an oncogene that is overexpressed on several cancers, including prostate cancer. A highly immunogenic HLA‐A*2402‐restricted epitope peptide corresponding to part of the CDCA1 protein was also identified. A phase I clinical trial was conducted for patients with castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) using a CDCA1 peptide vaccination. Twelve patients having HLA‐A*2402 with CRPC after failure of docetaxel chemotherapy were enrolled. They received subcutaneous administration of the CDCA1 peptide as an emulsion with Montanide ISA51VG once a week in a dose‐escalation manner (doses of 1.0 or 3.0 mg/body, six patients received each dose). The primary endpoint was safety, and the secondary endpoints were the immunological and clinical responses. Vaccination with CDCA1 peptide was well tolerated without any serious adverse events. Peptide‐specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses using ELISPOT assay and dextramer assay were observed in three patients receiving the 1.0 mg dose and five patients receiving the 3.0 mg dose. The median overall survival time was 11.0 months and specific CTL reacting to CDCA1 peptide were recognized in long‐surviving patients. CDCA1‐derived peptide vaccine treatment was tolerable and might effectively induce peptide‐specific CTLs for CRPC patients. This novel peptide vaccine therapy for CRPC appears promising. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01225471).
Enhanced antitumor effect of targeted nanoliposomal bleomycin
Authors: Chiani Mohsen , Azadmanesh Kayhan , Shokrgozar Mohammad Ali , Mehrabi Mohammad Reza , Akbarzadeh Azim , Norouzian Dariush
Published: May 2017

Folate receptor (FR)‐mediated drug delivery is a promising approach for active targeting of drugs to the FR‐positive tumor cells. Bleomycin (BLM) is an antitumor antibiotic with poor therapeutic activity as a result of its limited diffusion into tumor cells. The aim of this study was to investigate whether FR‐targeted PEGylated nanoliposomes (FPNL) can effectively deliver BLM to tumor cells and enhance its in vitro and in vivo efficacy. FPNL and PNL (non‐targeted) were prepared by thin film hydration method, and their physiochemical properties, cellular uptake, tissue distribution and tumor inhibitory effects were investigated. In Lewis lung cancer (LLC1) cells, FPNL containing BLM showed 2.38‐fold and 3.26‐fold higher cytotoxicity compared to PNL‐BLM and free BLM, respectively. Moreover, the uptake of FPNL by these cells was increased as compared to the PNL. Furthermore, FPNL showed significantly higher tumor distribution of BLM in the LLC1 cells and more tumor inhibition efficacy compared to free BLM and PNL. Both formulations of nanoliposomes had longer plasma half‐life than that of free BLM. Therefore, FPNL may be suitable carriers for targeted drug delivery to FR‐positive tumor cells.
Study protocol evaluating the use of bowel stimulation before loop ileostomy closure to reduce postoperative ileus: a multicenter randomized controlled trial
Authors: Garfinkle R. , Trabulsi N. , Morin N. , Phang T. , Liberman S. , Feldman L. , Fried G. , Boutros M.
Published: May 2017

Aim

Postoperative ileus is the most commonly observed morbidity following ileostomy closure. Studies have demonstrated that the defunctionalized bowel of a loop ileostomy undergoes a series of functional and structural changes, such as atrophy of the intestinal villi and muscular layers, which may contribute to ileus. A single‐centre study in Spain demonstrated that preoperative bowel stimulation via the distal limb of the loop ileostomy decreased postoperative ileus, length of stay and time to gastrointestinal function.

Method

A multicentre randomized controlled trial involving patients from Canadian institutions was designed to evaluate the effect of preoperative bowel stimulation before ileostomy closure on postoperative ileus. Stimulation will include canalizing the distal limb of the ileostomy loop with an 18Fr Foley catheter and infusing it with a solution of 500 ml of normal saline mixed with 30 g of a thickening agent (Nestle© Thicken‐Up©). This will be performed 10 times over the 3 weeks before ileostomy closure in an outpatient clinic setting by a trained Enterostomal Therapy nurse. Surgeons and the treating surgical team will be blinded to their patient's group allocation. Data regarding patient demographics, and operative and postoperative variables, will be collected prospectively. Primary outcome will be postoperative ileus, defined as an intolerance to oral food in the absence of clinical or radiological signs of obstruction, that either requires nasogastric tube insertion or is associated with two of the following on or after post‐operative day 3: nausea/vomiting; abdominal distension; and the absence of flatus. Secondary outcomes will include length of stay, time to tolerating a regular diet, time to first passage of flatus or stool and overall morbidity. A cost analysis will be performed to compare the costs of conventional care with conventional care plus preoperative stimulation.

Discussion

This manuscript discusses the potential benefits of preoperative bowel stimulation in improving postoperative outcomes and outlines our protocol for the first multicenter study to evaluate preoperative bowel stimulation before ileostomy closure. The results of this study could have considerable implications for the care of patients undergoing ileostomy closure.
High MELD score does not adversely affect outcome of living donor liver transplantation: Experience in 1000 recipients
Authors: Yadav Sanjay K. , Saraf Neeraj , Saigal Sanjiv , Choudhary Narendra S. , Goja Sanjay , Rastogi Amit , Bhangui Prashant , Soin Arvinder S.
Published: May 2017

In countries where deceased organ donation is scarce, there is a big gap between demand and supply of organs and living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) plays an important role in meeting this unmet need. This study was conducted to analyze the effect of pretransplant Model for End‐stage Liver Disease (MELD) score on outcomes following LDLT.

The outcome of 1000 patients who underwent LDLT from July 2010 to March 2015 was analyzed retrospectively. Patients were grouped into low MELD<25 and high MELD ≥25 score to compare short‐term outcomes. Cumulative overall survival rates were calculated using Kaplan‐Meier methods.

A total of 849 recipients were in low MELD group (Mean MELD=16.90±9.2) and 151 were in high MELD group (Mean MELD=28.77±7.2). No significant difference in etiology of CLD was observed between groups except for a higher prevalence of hepatitis C virus (29.6% vs 19.9%, P=.01) in low MELD patients. No significant difference was observed in 1‐year survival (88.5% vs 84.1%, P=.12) between the groups. The multivariate analysis showed that pretransplant MELD score does not predict survival of recipients.

Pretransplant high MELD score does not adversely affect outcomes after LDLT. In view of shortage of deceased organs, LDLT can be a good option in high MELD recipients.
Representations of Public Spaces and the Construction of Race in Yoko Tawada's “Bioskoop der Nacht”
Authors: Redlich Jeremy
Published: May 2017

Race is subtly present, though never actually named as such, in several of Yoko Tawada's texts as a means by which protagonists self‐identify and are identified. However, despite the prominence of dermal and racial tropes throughout her oeuvre, there has been little discussion in secondary scholarship on this ideologically provocative aspect of Tawada's work. To illustrate Tawada's highly critical engagement with, and deconstruction of, racialized identities, the following analysis focuses on the short story “Bioskoop der Nacht” through a theoretical lens informed by critical race theory, theories of racial performativity and critical whiteness studies. Specifically, I investigate how public spaces, like a public toilet and a segregated public bench, can be consequential in producing a subject's identification with a racial category, which over time sediments as a naturalized and normalized fact of nature that seemingly never required constituting in the first place.
Geophysical Investigation of Fresh‐Saline Water Interface: A Case Study from South Punjab, Pakistan
Authors: Hasan Muhammad , Shang Yanjun , Akhter Gulraiz , Khan Majid
Published: May 2017

The importance of the study of fresh‐saline water incursion cannot be over‐emphasized. Borehole techniques have been widely used, but they are quite expensive, intrusive, and time consuming. The electrical resistivity method has proved very successful in groundwater assessment. This advanced technique uses the calculation of Dar‐Zarrouk (D‐Z) parameters, namely longitudinal unit conductance, transverse unit resistance, and longitudinal resistivity has been employed by using 50 vertical electrical sounding points to assess the groundwater and delineate the fresh‐saline water interface over 1045 km2 area of Khanewal in Southern Punjab of Pakistan. The x‐y plots and maps of D‐Z parameters were produced to establish a decipherable vision for the occurrence and distribution of different water‐bearing formations of fresh‐saline water aquifers through a complicated situation of intermixing of different resistivity ranges for fresh‐saline water bodies. This technique is useful to reduce the ambiguity produced by the process of equivalence and suppression which cause intermixing in differentiating fresh, brackish, and saline aquifers during interpretation. The fresh‐saline water interface is correlated very well with the previous studies of water quality analysis carried out in Khanewal area. The results suggest that the D‐Z parameters are useful for demarcating different aquifer zones. The behavior and pattern of D‐Z parameters with respect to occurrence and distribution of different water‐bearing formations were effectively identified and delineated in the study area.
Identification of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitory and antioxidant peptides in a whey protein concentrate hydrolysate produced at semi‐pilot scale
Authors: O'Keeffe Martina B. , Conesa Celia , FitzGerald Richard J.
Published: May 2017

Antioxidant and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory peptides were identified in a 5 kDa ultrafiltration permeate of a whey protein hydrolysate generated at semi‐pilot scale. Further laboratory scale ultrafiltration of this 5 kDa permeate resulted in a 0.65 kDa permeate with antioxidant, (1.11 ± 0.074 μmol TE per mg dry weight, oxygen radical absorbance capacity, ORAC) and ACE inhibitory (ACE IC50 0.215 ± 0.043 mg mL−1) activities. Semi‐preparative (SP) reverse phase high‐performance liquid chromatography (RP‐HPLC) of the 0.65 kDa permeate resulted in a fraction (SP_F3) with a 4.4‐fold increase in ORAC activity (4.83 ± 0.45 μmol TE mg dry weight) and a 1.3‐fold increase in ACE inhibitory activity (84.35 ± 1.36% inhibition when assayed at 0.28 mg mL−1). Peptides within SP_F3 were identified using UPLC‐ESI‐MS/MS. Met‐Pro‐Ile had the highest ORAC activity (205.75 ± 12.08 μmol TE per mmol peptide) while Met‐Ala‐Ala and Val‐Ala‐Gly‐Thr had the highest ACE inhibitory activities (IC50:515.50 ± 1.11 and 610.30 ± 2.41 μm, respectively).
Pharmacist prescribing: a cross-sectional survey of the views of pharmacists in Nigeria
Authors: Auta Asa , Strickland-Hodge Barry , Maz Julia , David Shalkur
Published: May 2017

Objectives

This study was carried out to: (1) explore the views of pharmacists in Nigeria on the extension of prescribing authority to them and determine their willingness to be prescribers and (2) identify the potential facilitators and barriers to introducing pharmacist prescribing in Nigeria.

Method

An online cross-sectional survey was conducted from August to October 2014 among 775 pharmacists recruited from the Facebook group of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria using a simple random technique. The questionnaire used for the survey was developed based on the review of the literature and previous qualitative studies conducted in Nigeria. The instrument was evaluated for content validity by two external pharmacy practice researchers and the reliability of items assessed using internal consistency tests. Data obtained from the survey were entered into SPSS v.22, and descriptive statistics were generated. Relationships between variables were evaluated using the chi-square test, and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Key findings

The response rate was 40.6% (315/775). Three hundred and six (97.1%) respondents agreed that pharmacists should be given prescribing authority. Of these 306, 295 (96.4%) were willing to be prescribers, and just over half of them (148/295; 50.2%) would prefer to prescribe in collaboration with medical doctors. Of those willing to be prescribers, 285 (96.6%) reported that they would need additional training. The most perceived areas of training needed were in the principles of differential diagnosis (81.4%), pathophysiology of diseases (74.0%) and interpretation of laboratory results (68.1%). Respondents identified increasing patients’ access to care (308/315; 97.8%) and better utilisation of pharmacists’ skills (307/315; 97.5%) as the most likely facilitators to pharmacist prescribing in Nigeria. On the other hand, resistance from the medical doctors (299/315; 94.9%) and pharmacists’ inadequate skills in diagnosis (255/315; 81.0%) were perceived as the most likely barriers.

Conclusion

Pharmacist prescribing represents an opportunity to promote patients’ access to care and the utilisation of pharmacists’ skills in Nigeria. The majority of pharmacists showed a positive attitude towards pharmacist prescribing and were willing to be prescribers. The findings of this study could potentially contribute to future medicine prescribing policy and pharmacy practice in Nigeria.
A new method of deploying entomopathogenic fungi to control adult Aedes aegypti mosquitoes
Authors: Silva L. E. I. , Paula A. R. , Ribeiro A. , Butt T. M. , Silva C. P. , Samuels R. I.
Published: May 2017

A new system for deployment of fungus‐impregnated black cloths was tested against Aedes aegypti. A “PET trap” was placed in a test chamber to evaluate attractiveness to female A. aegypti with black cloths covered in adhesive film or adhesive film only for 24 and 48 hr. Traps with fungus (Metarhizium anisopliae and Beauveria bassiana)‐impregnated black cloths were tested against female mosquitoes for different time periods (3 h to 48 hr) in the chambers. Traps were then tested under intradomicile conditions against sucrose and blood‐fed insects. Experiments were carried out to ascertain the minimum number of PET traps need to be deployed per test room and to test the effect of different periods of exposure to traps. Exposing the insects for 24 and 48 hr to a PET trap with adhesive film + black cloth resulted in higher rates of trapped mosquitoes (38.6% and 68%, respectively) when compared with adhesive film only (6% and 12.6%, respectively). Both fungal species were effective at reducing survival rates when mosquitoes were exposed to traps for 24 hr or 48 hr. Lower exposure times did not significantly alter survival rates when compared to controls. The results showed that five traps or three traps per room were equally effective in reducing mosquito survival rates when testing both fungal species. The results for sucrose‐fed insects showed significant reductions in survival when exposed to M. ansiopliae or B. bassiana for 24, 48 or 120 hr when compared to control survival, with the lowest survival rates seen following 48‐ or 120‐hr exposures. Survival of blood‐fed mosquitoes exposed to fungus‐impregnated traps for 48 hr was not significantly different to the controls; however, longer exposure times significantly reduced survival rates. PET traps could be an effective system for deploying fungus‐impregnated cloths in residences, facilitating cooperation of volunteers and reducing distribution time.
Genetic diversity, antimicrobial resistance, toxin gene profiles, and toxin production ability of Bacillus cereus isolates from doenjang, a Korean fermented soybean paste
Authors: Lee Nari , Kim Myo‐Deok , Chang Hyun‐Joo , Choi Sung‐Wook , Chun Hyang Sook
Published: May 2017

The objectives of this study were to determine the toxin gene profile, toxin production, and antibiotic resistance of Bacillus cereus isolates from doenjang, a Korean fermented soybean paste. Repetitive element sequence polymorphism‐PCR (rep‐PCR) was also used to assess the genetic diversity between these isolates. Thirty‐five B. cereus strains were isolated from 67 commercial doenjang samples, and all 35 isolates carried the nheABC and entFM genes and produced NHE enterotoxin. Of them, 12 strains harbored the emetic toxin gene (ces) and tested positive for the HEp‐2 cell emetic toxin assay. The B. cereus isolates were highly resistant to ß‐lactam antibiotics including ampicillin, cefepime, penicillin, and oxacillin. The rep‐PCR fingerprints of the B. cereus isolates were not influenced by the presence of toxin genes or antibiotic resistance profiles. However, rep‐PCR assay can be used to discriminate emetic B. cereus isolates from nonemetic isolates.

Practical applications

Doenjang has been the focus of recent concern in Korea because of its potential to cause foodborne illness via Bacillus cereus. The results of the present study suggest that B. cereus isolates from doenjang could cause either diarrheal or emetic types of foodborne illness because all isolates contained at least one toxin and its gene, although B. cereus levels in doenjang meet the Korean Food and Drug Administration guidelines (<104 cfu/g). Thus, it is necessary to constantly monitor the levels of B. cereus contamination and its toxins in doenjang.
Prognostic models for identifying adults with intellectual disabilities and mealtime support needs who are at greatest risk of respiratory infection and emergency hospitalisation
Authors: Perez C. M. , Wagner A. P. , Ball S. L. , White S. R. , Clare I. C. H. , Holland A. J. , Redley M.
Published: May 2017

Background

Among adults with intellectual disabilities (ID), problems with eating, drinking and swallowing (EDS), and an associated need for mealtime support, are common, with an estimated 15% of adults known to specialist ID services requiring mealtime support. We set out to identify which adults with ID who receive mealtime support are at an increased risk ofrespiratory infectionsandemergency hospitalisation related to EDS problems.

Method

An exploratory, prospective cohort study was undertaken in the East of England. At baseline, structured interviews with the caregivers of 142 adults with ID and any type of mealtime support needs were used to gather information on health and support needs over the previous 12 months. These interviews were repeated at follow‐up, 12 months later. The resulting dataset, covering a 24‐month period, was analysed with logistic regression, using model averaging to perform sensitivity analysis, and backwards step‐wise variable selection to identify the most important predictors.

Results

Individuals with ahistory of respiratory infections(in the first year of study), those who hadepilepsyand those withcaregiver‐reported difficulty swallowingwere most likely to haverespiratory infectionsin the second year. Adults withincreasing mealtime support needs,epilepsyand/orfull mealtime support needs(fed mainly or entirely by a caregiver or enterally) were at increased risk ofemergency hospitalisation for EDS‐related problems.

Conclusions

Our findings highlight the importance of carefully monitoring health issues experienced by adults with ID and EDS problems, as well as their eating, drinking and swallowing skills. However, the models developed in this exploratory research require validation through future studies addressing the EDS problems commonly experienced by adults with ID and their implications for health outcomes and quality of life. Further research into the relationship between epilepsy and EDS problems would provide much‐needed insight into the complex relationship between the two areas.
Simone Weil on Labor and Spirit
Authors: Radzins Inese
Published: May 2017

This essay argues that Simone Weil appropriates Marx's notion of labor as life activity in order to reposition work as the site of spirituality. Rather than locating spirituality in a religious tradition, doctrine, profession of faith, or in personal piety, Weil places it in the capacity to work. Spirit arises in the activity of living, and more specifically in laboring—in one's engagement with materiality. Utilizing Marx's distinction between living and dead labor, I show how Weil develops a critique of capital as a “force” that disrupts the individual's relation to her own work by reducing it to the mere activity of calculable “production.” Capital reduces labor to an abstraction and thereby uproots human subjectivity, on a systemic scale, from its connection to living praxis, or what Weil calls spirituality. Life itself is exchanged for a simulacrum of life. In positioning living labor as spiritual, Weil's work offers a corrective to these deadening practices.
Henry David Thoreau's Anti‐Work Spirituality and a New Theological Ethic of Work
Authors: Malesic Jonathan
Published: May 2017

Although Henry David Thoreau stands outside the Christian canon, his outlook on the relations among spirituality, ecology, and economy highlights how Christian theologians can develop a theological work ethic in our era of economic and ecological precarity. He can furthermore help theologians counter the pro‐work bias in much Christian thought. In Walden, Thoreau shows that the best work is an ascetic practice that reveals and reaps the abundance of nature and connects the person to the immanent divine and thereby glimpsing eternity. Thoreau thus offers the outline of a transformed theology of work even as he challenges Protestant vocationalism in the early industrial era. He is therefore a fitting if challenging guide for formulating a theology of the self as agent and product of work, at a moment when the postindustrial ideal of work that is both meaningful and remunerative seems ever more unattainable while the negative impact of our work on nonhuman nature is ever more apparent.