bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Religiosity, socio-economic development and work values: a cross-national study
Authors: Yeganeh Hamid
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to use international survey data to investigate the effects of religiosity, religious denomination, communist heritage, and socio-economic development on work values.

Design/methodology/approach

– First, religiosity and work values are conceptualized. Next, the relationships among these concepts are discussed and the hypotheses, variables, and data are presented. Finally, the results of the empirical tests are presented and the theoretical and managerial implications, as well as avenues for future research, are discussed.

Findings

– It is found that socio-economic development negatively, whereas religiosity and communist heritage positively, influence extrinsic work values. Further analysis reveals that religiosity has a quadratic relationship with intrinsic work values. Conspicuously, after controlling for the effects of religiosity, no significant association is found between religious denominations and work values.

Research limitations/implications

– The current analysis relies only on national/societal level data and overlooks the effects of independent variables (religiosity and communist heritage) at the individual level. Furthermore, the methodologies and measurements of religiosity and work values are of a limited scope. Thus, future studies may look into the effects of religiosity on work values at the individual level and apply other conceptualizations and measures to test the validity of the results.

Practical implications

– Based on the findings of this study, it can be suggested that the use of intrinsic rewards might be less appropriate in the societies marked by communist heritage or high religiosity. On the contrary, these societies may embrace more extrinsic work values associated with direct, restrictive, and tangible aspects of work.

Originality/value

– This study contributes to the literature by conceptualizing, measuring, and incorporating various variables into the research design and by providing original insights into the influence of religion on work values. Furthermore, this study suggests that, at least with regard to work values, religiosity (the strength of one’s conviction for their religion) is more important than religious denomination (Protestantism, Catholicism, Islam, Orthodox Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism).
Is organizational citizenship behavior an attractive behavior for managers? A Kano model approach
Authors: Salehzadeh Reza , Shahin Arash , Kazemi Ali , Shaemi Barzoki Ali
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– Literature review indicates lack of using the Kano model in organizational behavior domain and managers’ satisfaction. The purpose of this paper is to propose a Kano-based model for managers’ satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

– In order to examine one of the proposed behaviors in this model, the role of employees’ organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) as an attractive behavior, has been investigated. The statistical population includes managers of the Isfahan’s financial service industries. After distributing questionnaires, 224 accurate questionnaires have been used for data analysis. In designing the survey questionnaire, the OCB questionnaire developed by Podsakoffet al.(1990) and Bell and Menguc (2002) has been used. For each of the OCB dimensions, some questions have been initially designed; then after collecting data, by using Kano evaluation table, the behavior types have been determined.

Findings

– Findings imply that by using the Kano model, five types of behaviors, i.e. must-be, one-dimensional, attractive, indifferent, and reverse can be identified. The findings related to case study also indicate that out of five dimensions of OCB, three dimensions of altruism, sportsmanship, and civic virtue are located in Attractive category; the courtesy dimension is located in must-be category; the conscientiousness dimension is located in one-dimensional category; and in reverse category, no dimension is located. In general, OCB is located in attractive category.

Research limitations/implications

– By using the results of this survey, a new classification of employees’ behaviors types can be suggested. The results of this study can help employees in understanding what kind of their behaviors causes managers’ satisfaction.

Originality/value

– The results of this study have an important contribution in the literature of the Kano model and OCB.
A moderated mediation examination of proactive personality on employee creativity
Authors: Jiang Wan , Gu Qinxuan
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– By integrating proactive perspective and person-environment fit (P-E fit) perspective, this study intends to examine a moderated mediation model of proactive personality to investigate its effects on employee creativity. The current study proposes felt responsibility for change mediates the relationship between proactive personality and employee creativity. The purpose of this paper is to identify core self-evaluation (CSE) and developmental feedback received as personal and situational moderators on the relationship between proactive personality and felt responsibility for change.

Design/methodology/approach

– A matched sample from 232 employees and their supervisors of software companies in China was used to test the hypotheses. Hierarchical regression analyses and moderated mediation approach were conducted to examine the proposed model.

Findings

– The results indicate that felt responsibility for change mediates the positive relationship between proactive personality and employee creativity. CSE and developmental feedback received positively moderate the relationship between proactive personality and felt responsibility for change. In addition, CSE and developmental feedback received are two moderators in the path from proactive personality to employee creativity via felt responsibility for change such as the indirect relationship between proactive personality and employee creativity through felt responsibility for change is more pronounced when CSE and developmental feedback received are higher rather than lower, respectively.

Research limitations/implications

– The paper contributes to creativity literature by identifying felt responsibility for change as the mediator on the relationship between proactive personality and employee creativity. The current study also contributes to proactive perspective and P-E fit theory by investigating the moderating roles of CSE and developmental feedback received on the relationship between proactive personality and felt responsibility for change. Although data were collected from multiple sources to avoid common method variance, the cross-sectional design cannot unequivocally examine the direction of causality in this study.

Originality/value

– By examining both mediating and moderating effects, the paper contributes to uncovering the black box in which employees with proactive personality exhibit felt responsibility for change and creativity.
Licensing a sports brand: effects of team brand cue, identification, and performance priming on multidimensional values and purchase intentions
Authors: Kwak Dae Hee , Kwon Youngbum , Lim Choonghoon
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to gain insight into how consumers value sports team-branded merchandise. Two experiments are conducted to examine the effects of rivalry and team identification on evaluations of licensed product (Study 1). Study 2 examined the effects of team brand cue, team performance priming and product category on licensed product evaluations.

Design/methodology/approach

– Study 1 (N = 104) examined the effects of team rivalry and team identification on multidimensional product values and purchase intent. In Study 2, a 3 (performance priming: positive/negative/neutral) × 2 (team brand cue: present/absent) × 2 (product category: symbolic/utilitarian) between-subjects design (N = 285) was utilized. Samples were recruited from students and alumni at a large Midwestern university in the USA. A series of multivariate analysis of covariance was conducted to test the proposed hypotheses.

Findings

– Fans view a product licensed with a rival team’s logo to have significantly less functional, emotional and social value than a product licensed with their favorite team’s logo. Highly identified fans showed greater bias in evaluating the product than less identified fans. Team performance priming also moderated the effect of team brand cues on purchase intentions toward the licensed product.

Research limitations/implications

– Team identification level accentuates bias in valuations of a licensed product. In addition, better performance of a team further motivates purchase decisions. Use of a collegiate brand in this study limits generalizability of the findings.

Practical implications

– Practitioners should realize that simple heuristic cues can change consumers’ perceptions of licensed merchandise product values.

Originality/value

– The current study extends previous research on licensed product valuation by using multidimensional value propositions and a variety of product-related cues.
Toponyms as carriers of heritage: implications for place branding
Authors: Hakala Ulla , Sjöblom Paula , Kantola Satu-Paivi
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to analyse the role of a place’s name as the carrier of identity and heritage from the residents’ perspective. The authors assess the extent to which names of municipalities carry the place’s heritage, and how this can further be transferred to the place brand. The context is a situation in which a municipality changes its name, or is at the risk of doing so, as a result of municipal consolidation.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors conducted a large survey in the south-western Finland in spring 2013. The survey questionnaire was posted to 5,020 randomly selected residents, and the final sample comprised 1,380 recipients. The authors offer a framework for operationalising place heritage, comprising four components: history, place essence, symbols and residential permanence.

Findings

– Most respondents attached importance to the name of their home town. The majority also felt that a name change would mean losing part of the place’s history. A strong place heritage proved to correlate positively with the importance of the municipality name.

Practical implications

– The developed framework for place heritage can serve as a tool for place branding studies and practical place branding. A stable name has an essential role in branding places. The authorities should understand the crucial relationship between place name, heritage and identity, and their importance to the residents.

Originality/value

– To the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to report empirical research on the relation between place names and place branding from the heritage perspective.
Does size matter? An exploration of the role of body size on brand image perceptions
Authors: Watson Anna , Lecki Natascha Katharina , Lebcir Mohamed
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to investigate the role of body size on female consumers’ fashion brand image perceptions.

Design/methodology/approach

– An experimental design was used whereby the model’s body size in a fictitious advert was digitally manipulated to create four advertising images with an underweight, slender, average and obese model size (all other factors remained constant). Through an intercept survey of German female consumers, respondents were exposed to one of the four images, and asked questions pertaining to their brand image perceptions.

Findings

– The findings suggest that for older consumers, model body size has no significant impact on their brand image perceptions. For younger consumers (18-25), there was some limited evidence of how a positive brand image affects when a slender model size is used, but there was no evidence that underweight models have a more positive impact on brand image.

Research limitations/implications

– The sample was restricted to a single German city (Berlin) with a relatively small sample and, therefore, the generalisability of the findings may be limited. It would be interesting to repeat the study in different cultural contexts. Whilst this paper focussed on potential differences in perceptions between different age groups, future studies could consider other factors, such as fashion involvement or consumer personality on the impact of body size on brand image.

Practical implications

– Given the potential link to low self-esteem and eating disorders, it is recommended that fashion brands cease using clinically underweight models. Brands targeting older consumers may benefit from using larger models.

Originality/value

– There is limited research to date that looks at the role of body size on brand image, and this is one of the first studies to consider all non-product-related brand image associations, and how perceptions may differ between different age groups, with many previous studies relying on student samples.
CEO power, equity ownership and underwriter reputation as determinants of lockup period length
Authors: He Lerong , Cordeiro James J. , Shaw Tara Shankar
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of the research is to study how Chief Executive Officer’s (CEO’s) ownership, CEO’s structural and expertise power and underwriters’ reputation affect the initial public offering (IPO) lockup period.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study uses the multivariate regression method to test the hypothesis on a sample of 1,071 US IPOs, which comprise 80 per cent of the total population of IPOs over the 1998-2002 period.

Findings

– It was found that CEO equity ownership had a direct positive impact and two indicators of CEO positional power (CEO duality, founder status) and underwriter reputation had a direct negative impact on the length of the lockup period that results from IPO negotiations between the issuing firm and the underwriter. It was also found that underwriter reputation negatively moderates the impact of equity ownership (likely due to a substitution effect) and positively moderates the impact of CEO duality on lockup period length (by offsetting the impact of CEO positional power).

Originality/value

– Previous studies have exclusively studied the affect of economic factors on IPO lockup. This paper extends the extant literature by studying the insider’s characteristics like CEO’s power and underwriter’s reputation on IPO lockup periods.
The Anatomy of an Instructional Case from a Reviewer's Perspective
Authors: Carroll James J.
Published: May 2015

This article is a continuation of the article entitled “A Primer on Case Reviewing” published in The CASE Journal, Volume 1, Issue 1. Used in conjunction with the article “Case Research and Writing: Three Days in the Life of Professor Moore”, this article should help both case writers and case reviewers understand the critical elements of what a reviewer should look for in the case and the teaching note.
Creative Collaboration at Lintell Scientific
Authors: Levesque Laurie L. , Rousseau Denise M. , Ho Violet T.
Published: May 2015

Kevin McRider, the COO of a fledging research facility, needed to foster an environment where scientists explored the boundaries of the metals, chemicals, polymers and tools used to create innovating medical devices. The freshly-minted PhDs he hired were enthusiastic to design and conduct research projects that bridged their scientific disciplines, in a collaborative workplace, with time allocated to individual projects as well. Effectively managed, their research would help the parent corporation leapfrog over existing or near-future technology.

The problem for McRider was how to get Lintell to realize his vision of a collaborative organizational culture that promoted revolutionary scientific discoveries. His challenges included managerial behaviors that prohibited critical interaction and information sharing, as well as disruptive organizational dynamics he himself had set in motion including pressures to focus only on certain research goals and projects at the expense of creative exploration, and the violation of the psychological contracts McRider himself had created with the scientists during recruitment.
The Prize? The Price? Constellation Brands' Proposed Merger with the Robert Mondavi Company
Authors: Armand Gilinsky Armand , Lopez Raymond H.
Published: May 2015

In October 2004, Mr. Richard Sands, CEO of Constellation Brands, evaluated the potential purchase of The Robert Mondavi Corporation. Sands felt that Mondavi's wine beverage products would fit into the Constellation portfolio of alcohol beverage brands, and the opportunity to purchase Mondavi for a highly favorable price was quite possible due to recent management turmoil at that company. However, should it be purchased, strategic and operational changes would be necessary in order to fully achieve Mondavi's potential value. In making a decision, students need to consider the attractiveness of the wine industry, its changing structure, its share of the overall market for beverages, and rival firms' strategies. As rival bidders may emerge for Mondavi's brands, Constellation must offer a price that demonstrates its serious intent to acquire Mondavi.
Does bad inference drive out good?
Authors: Marozzi Marco
Published: May 2015

The (mis)use of statistics in practice is widely debated, and a field where the debate is particularly active is medicine. Many scholars emphasize that a large proportion of published medical research contains statistical errors. It has been noted that top class journals like Nature Medicine and The New England Journal of Medicine publish a considerable proportion of papers that contain statistical errors and poorly document the application of statistical methods. This paper joins the debate on the (mis)use of statistics in the medical literature. Even though the validation process of a statistical result may be quite elusive, a careful assessment of underlying assumptions is central in medicine as well as in other fields where a statistical method is applied. Unfortunately, a careful assessment of underlying assumptions is missing in many papers, including those published in top class journals. In this paper, it is shown that nonparametric methods are good alternatives to parametric methods when the assumptions for the latter ones are not satisfied. A key point to solve the problem of the misuse of statistics in the medical literature is that all journals have their own statisticians to review the statistical method/analysis section in each submitted paper.
Manual perineal support at the time of childbirth: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Bulchandani S , Watts E , Sucharitha A , Yates D , Ismail KM
Published: May 2015

Background

Genital tract trauma is common with vaginal births and is associated with significant morbidity, particularly with obstetric anal sphincter injuries (OASIS). Debate continues regarding the effectiveness of perineal support during childbirth in reducing the risk of trauma.

Objectives

This review aimed to assess the effect of routine ‘hands on’/manual perineal support (MPS) during childbirth, versus ad hoc/no perineal support (‘hands off/poised’), on the risk and degree of perineal trauma.

Search strategy

This review is registered on PROSPERO (http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.asp?ID=CRD42014007058). We searched the CENTRAL, Embase, Medline, CINAHL, and OVIDs midwifery and infant care databases (from inception to December 2014).

Selection criteria

Published randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and non‐randomised studies (NRSs) evaluating any ‘hands on’ perineal support technique during childbirth.

Data collection and analysis

Two reviewers independently assessed trials for inclusion, data extraction, and methodological quality. Discrepancies were resolved by discussion with a third reviewer.

Main results

We included five RCTs and seven NRSs in the review. Meta‐analysis of RCTs did not demonstrate a statistically significant protective effect of MPS on the risk of OASIS (three studies, 6647 women; relative risk, RR 1.03; 95% confidence interval, 95% CI 0.32–3.36; statistical test for heterogeneity I2 = 71%). Meta‐analysis of NRSs showed a significant reduction in the risk of OASIS with MPS (three studies, 74 744 women; RR 0.45; 95% CI 0.40–0.50; I2 = 32%).

Conclusion

Current evidence is insufficient to drive change in practice. An adequately powered randomised trial with an efficient design to evaluate the complex interventions adopted as part of MPS policies, ensuring controlled childbirth, is urgently needed.

Tweetable abstract

Manual perineal support at birth may be protective against anal sphincter injuries.
When getting there is not enough: a nationwide cross‐sectional study of 998 maternal deaths and 1451 near‐misses in public tertiary hospitals in a low‐income country
Authors: Oladapo OT , Adetoro OO , Ekele BA , Chama C , Etuk SJ , Aboyeji AP , Onah HE , Abasiattai AM , Adamu AN , Adegbola O , Adeniran AS , Aimakhu CO , Akinsanya O , Aliyu LD , Ande AB , Ashimi A , Bwala M , Fabamwo A , Geidam AD , Ikechebelu JI , Imaralu JO , Kuti O , Nwachukwu D , Omo‐Aghoja L , Tunau K , Tukur J , Umeora OUJ , Umezulike AC , Dada OA , Tunçalp Ӧ , Vogel JP , Gülmezoglu AM ,   Nigeria Near‐miss and Maternal Death Surveillance Network
Published: May 2015

Objective

To investigate the burden and causes of life‐threatening maternal complications and the quality of emergency obstetric care in Nigerian public tertiary hospitals.

Design

Nationwide cross‐sectional study.

Setting

Forty‐two tertiary hospitals.

Population

Women admitted for pregnancy, childbirth and puerperal complications.

Methods

All cases of severe maternal outcome (SMO: maternal near‐miss or maternal death) were prospectively identified using the WHO criteria over a 1‐year period.

Main outcome measures

Incidence and causes of SMO, health service events, case fatality rate, and mortality index (% of maternal death/SMO).

Results

Participating hospitals recorded 91 724 live births and 5910 stillbirths. A total of 2449 women had an SMO, including 1451 near‐misses and 998 maternal deaths (2.7, 1.6 and 1.1% of live births, respectively). The majority (91.8%) of SMO cases were admitted in critical condition. Leading causes of SMO were pre‐eclampsia/eclampsia (23.4%) and postpartum haemorrhage (14.4%). The overall mortality index for life‐threatening conditions was 40.8%. For all SMOs, the median time between diagnosis and critical intervention was 60 minutes (IQR: 21–215 minutes) but in 21.9% of cases, it was over 4 hours. Late presentation (35.3%), lack of health insurance (17.5%) and non‐availability of blood/blood products (12.7%) were the most frequent problems associated with deficiencies in care.

Conclusions

Improving the chances of maternal survival would not only require timely application of life‐saving interventions but also their safe, efficient and equitable use. Maternal mortality reduction strategies in Nigeria should address the deficiencies identified in tertiary hospital care and prioritise the prevention of severe complications at lower levels of care.

Tweetable abstract

Of 998 maternal deaths and 1451 near‐misses reported in a network of 42 Nigerian tertiary hospitals in 1 year.
Effect of High Fat Diets on Body Mass, Oleylethanolamide Plasma Levels and Oxytocin Expression in Growing Rats
Authors: Sospedra Isabel , Moral Raquel , Escrich Raquel , Solanas Montserrat , Vela Elena , Escrich Eduard
Published: May 2015

Obesity prevalence in developed countries has promoted the need to identify the mechanisms involved in control of feeding and energy balance. We have tested the hypothesis that different fats present in diet composition may contribute in body weight gain and body indexes by regulation of oxytocin gene (oxt) expression in hypothalamus and Oleylethanolamide (OEA) levels in plasma. Sprague–Dawley rats were fed two high fat diets, based on corn (HCO) and extra virgin olive oil (HOO) and results were compared to a low fat diet (LF).

LC‐MS/MS analysis showed an increasing trend of OEA plasma levels in HOO group, although no significant differences were found. However, body weight gain of LF and HOO were similar and significantly lower than HCO. HCO rats also had higher Lee index than HOO. Rats fed HOO diet showed higher levels of hypothalamic oxt mRNA expression, which could indicate that oxytocin may be modulated by dietary lipids.
Pasta Fortified with Potato Juice: Structure, Quality, and Consumer Acceptance
Authors: Kowalczewski Przemysław , Lewandowicz Grażyna , Makowska Agnieszka , Knoll Ismena , Błaszczak Wioletta , Białas Wojciech , Kubiak Piotr
Published: May 2015

The potential of potato juice in relieving gastrointestinal disorders has already been proven. Work continues on implementation of this active component into products that are widely consumed. In this article, results of an attempt to fortify pasta with potato juice are presented and discussed. Fortification is performed using fresh and dried juice. The influence of the addition on culinary properties of the final product, such as cooking weight and cooking loss, as well as microstructure, color, texture, and consumer acceptance were evaluated. It was found that potato juice can be used for fortification of pasta both in its fresh and dried forms, however the effects on different responses depend on the potato juice form used. The addition of potato juice influenced the color of the product reducing its lightness and shifting color balances from green to red, yellow color saturation was decreased as well. Changes in color were more significant in the case of fresh juice addition. The firmness and microstructure of pasta was also influenced. The surface microstructure of pasta containing fresh potato juice was different from that of the other 2 products being a likely explanation of the lower cooking loss observed in its case. In contrast, the consistency of dough was strengthened by addition of dried potato juice. Principal components analysis indicated that the color change had the most pronounced effect on consumer acceptance. Other physicochemical changes were slightly less significant. Nevertheless, sensory evaluation proved that functional pasta produced with fresh potato juice finds consumer acceptance comparable with that of classic pasta.
Population genetics of autopolyploids under a mixed mating model and the estimation of selfing rate
Authors: Hardy Olivier J.
Published: May 2015

Nowadays, the population genetics analysis of autopolyploid species faces many difficulties due to (i) limited development of population genetics tools under polysomic inheritance, (ii) difficulties to assess allelic dosage when genotyping individuals and (iii) a form of inbreeding resulting from the mechanism of ‘double reduction’. Consequently, few data analysis computer programs are applicable to autopolyploids. To contribute bridging this gap, this article first derives theoretical expectations for the inbreeding and identity disequilibrium coefficients under polysomic inheritance in a mixed mating model. Moment estimators of these coefficients are proposed when exact genotypes or just markers phenotypes (i.e. allelic dosage unknown) are available. This led to the development of estimators of the selfing rate based on adult genotypes or phenotypes and applicable to any even‐ploidy level. Their statistical performances and robustness were assessed by numerical simulations. Contrary to inbreeding‐based estimators, the identity disequilibrium‐based estimator using phenotypes is robust (absolute bias generally < 0.05), even in the presence of double reduction, null alleles or biparental inbreeding due to isolation by distance. A fairly good precision of the selfing rate estimates (root mean squared error < 0.1) is already achievable using a sample of 30–50 individuals phenotyped at 10 loci bearing 5–10 alleles each, conditions reachable using microsatellite markers. Diallelic markers (e.g. SNP) can also perform satisfactorily in diploids and tetraploids but more polymorphic markers are necessary for higher ploidy levels. The method is implemented in the software SPAGeDi and should contribute to reduce the lack of population genetics tools applicable to autopolyploids.
Assessment of acute stroke cerebral CT examinations by anaesthesiologists
Authors: Hov M. R. , Nome T. , Zakariassen E. , Russell D. , Røislien J. , Lossius H. M. , Lund C. G.
Published: May 2015

Background and purpose

It is essential to diagnose ischaemic stroke as soon as possible after symptom onset, so that thrombolytic treatment can be initiated as quickly as possible. This might be greatly facilitated if cerebral CT could be carried out in a pre‐hospital setting. The aim of this study was to evaluate if anaesthesiologists, who in Norway provide pre‐hospital medical care, could be trained to assess cerebral CT scans to exclude radiological contraindications for thrombolytic stroke treatment.

Methods

Thirteen anaesthesiologists attended an 8‐h course in acute stroke assessment, including a 2‐h introduction to the neuroradiology of acute stroke. Each participant then assessed 12 non‐contrast cerebral CT examinations of acute stroke patients with specific regard to radiological contraindications for thrombolytic therapy. Test results were compared with those of three experienced neuroradiologists. Inter‐rater agreement between anaesthesiologists and neuroradiologists was calculated using Cohen's Kappa statistics. Robustness of the results was assessed using the non‐parametric bootstrap.

Results

Among the neuroradiologists, Kappa was 1 for detecting radiological contraindications for thrombolytic therapy. Twelve of the 13 anaesthesiologists showed good or excellent agreement (Kappa > 0.60) with the neuroradiologists. The anaesthesiologists spent a median time of 2 min and 18 s on each CT scan.

Conclusions

This study suggests that anaesthesiologists who are experienced in pre‐hospital care may be quickly trained to assess cerebral CT examinations in acute stroke patients with regard to radiological contraindications for thrombolytic therapy.
Caffeine enhances and accelerates the expression of sensitization induced by coca paste indicating its relevance as a main adulterant
Authors: Prieto José P. , Galvalisi Martín , López‐Hill Ximena , Meikle María N. , Abin‐Carriquiry Juan A. , Scorza Cecilia
Published: May 2015

Background and Objectives

Caffeine is an active adulterant found in several drugs of abuse including coca paste (CP). We had previously demonstrated that caffeine potentiated the acute stimulant effect induced by CP seized samples. The role of caffeine in the expression of sensitization elicited by a CP seized sample (CP1) was here evaluated.

Methods

CP1 (equivalent dose of 10 mg/kg of cocaine), cocaine (pure, 10 mg/kg), a combination of cocaine 10 mg/kg plus caffeine 2.5 mg/kg (CP1‐surrogate) and saline (control) were intraperitoneally injected in male rats under two different sensitization schedules. Ambulatory locomotion was recorded in 58 animals.

Results

After five daily CP1 injections and 5 days of withdrawal, CP1‐challenged animals displayed a more robust sensitization than cocaine‐treated animals. When a 3 injections‐regime of CP1‐surrogate or cocaine was assayed, only CP1‐surrogate was able to elicit sensitization.

Discussion and Conclusions

Caffeine enhances and accelerates the CP1‐induced sensitization.

Scientific Significance

Results may shed light on the fast and high dependence observed in CP users. (Am J Addict 2015;24:475 –481)
Spatial illustration of health‐care workforce accessibility index in China: How far has our 2009 health‐care reform brought us?
Authors: Wong Ho Ting , Guo Ying Qi , Chiu Marcus Yu Lung , Chen Si , Zhao Yong
Published: May 2015

Objective

The objective of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of China's health‐care reform from 2009 to 2011 by examining China‘s annual health‐care workforce statistics of 2008 and 2011.

Design

The design of the study was a secondary data analysis.

Main outcome measure

The main outcome measure used was the Primary Health Care Worker Accessibility Index (PHCWA).

Results

The statistics illustrated the impact health‐care reform had on the provision of primary health care in rural areas. The results showed that the health‐care reform of 2009 generally improved access to the primary health‐care workforce in all 28 areas (range of increase: 13.18–324.0%). However, an increasing disparity in regional health care based on the increase of the standard deviations of PHCWA (range of increase: 36.44–77.10%) may be an issue that policy‐makers and analysts will have to face.

Conclusions

Concerted policy efforts from both the provincial and central governments are needed to narrow the gaps. Regional development should not only focus on the economic aspect, but also account for the fact that the adequate provision of primary health care is part of the infrastructure that makes development possible and sustainable.
Adaptive scholarship and situated knowledges? Hybrid methodologies and plural epistemologies in climate change adaptation research
Authors: Nightingale Andrea J
Published: May 2015

Climate change, along with other so‐called global challenges, demands that scholars work across disciplines. Drawing on Donna Haraway's idea of situated knowledges, this paper develops an approach to mixing disciplines by engaging in epistemological pluralism, or approaching a research problem through more than one way of conceptualising it. The example of climate change adaptation planning in Nepal is used to show how a hybrid methodology research design requires thinking through what can be known and also what cannot be known by using a particular method. The main argument is that it is not possible to prove methodologically which conceptualisation or analytical entry point is better than another. Rather, new insights are gained both by triangulating data from different methods, and by probing the ways that they present contradictory results. An interdisciplinary research design is therefore used as a kind of kaleidoscope wherein plural epistemologies help to reveal new, albeit partial and situated, patterns.
The Gerbil Spermatozoon – interspecific variation in morphology does not invariably follow murine rodent evolutionary trends in response to predicted intermale sperm competition
Authors: McLennan Hanna J. , Tuke Jonathan , Breed William G.
Published: May 2015

In various groups of mammals, the intensity of intermale sperm competition relates to relative testes mass (RTM) with some evidence suggesting that this may also be the case for some aspects of sperm form. In murid rodents, a large RTM generally correlates with a streamlined sperm head, long apical hook and long tail with most data coming from species in the subfamily Murinae. In this study, RTM and sperm form are compared across 15 species of gerbils, seven from the Tribe Taterillini and eight from the Tribe Gerbillini. Marked interspecific differences in RTM and sperm morphology were observed. However, the Gerbilliscus species with the largest RTM do not have a sperm head with an apical hook nor a longer sperm tail than other species with smaller RTM whereas, by contrast, in the Tribe Gerbillini, species where the sperm head lacks a hook have a relatively small testes mass. We thus suggest that in gerbils, unlike in murine rodents, high levels of postcopulatory sexual selection have not invariably resulted in the evolution of a spermatozoon with a long apical hook and long sperm tail. The possible reasons for this are briefly discussed.
Immune checkpoint blockade opens an avenue of cancer immunotherapy with a potent clinical efficacy
Authors: Adachi Keishi , Tamada Koji
Published: May 2015

Recent progress in tumor immunology has revealed that tumors generate immunologically restrained milieu during the process of their growth, which facilitates the escape of tumors from host immune systems. Immune checkpoint molecules, which transduce co‐inhibitory signals to immuno‐competent cells, are one of the most important components conferring the immunosuppressive capacity in the tumor microenvironment. Cytotoxic T‐lymphocyte‐associated protein 4 (CTLA‐4) and programmed cell death‐1 (PD‐1) are typical immune checkpoint molecules intimately involved in the suppression of anti‐tumor immunity. Antibodies against those molecules have been developed, such as ipilimumab (anti‐CTLA‐4 antibody), nivolumab and pembrolizumab (anti‐PD‐1 antibody), and have been approved by regulatory agencies and used in some countries. Treatment with these antibodies demonstrates previously unobserved clinical efficacies superior to the conventional therapies. In this review, we first discuss the escape mechanisms of cancer from host immune systems, and then focus on the recent advances in immune checkpoint blockade therapy and on the new findings of related immune reactions, aiming to provide a better understanding of the novel cancer immunotherapies.
Cationic Albumin‐Conjugated Chelating Agent as a Novel Brain Drug Delivery System in Neurodegeneration
Authors: Kamalinia Golnaz , Khodagholi Fariba , Shaerzadeh Fatemeh , Tavssolian Faranak , Chaharband Farkhondeh , Atyabi Fatemeh , Sharifzadeh Mohammad , Amini Mohsen , Dinarvand Rassoul
Published: May 2015

The critical role of metal ions and in particular iron in oxidative stress and protein aggregation offers chelation therapy as a sensible pharmaceutical strategy in oxidative stress‐induced neuronal damages. In this research, we conjugated an iron‐chelating agent, deferasirox, to cationized human serum albumin molecules in order to develop a novel brain delivery system for the management of neurodegenerative disorders due to the significant role of oxidative stress‐induced neuronal injury in such diseases. Cationized albumin is known to be able to transport to brain tissue via adsorptive‐mediated transcytosis. The developed structures were molecularly characterized, and their conjugation ratio was determined. PC12 cell line was utilized to evaluate the neuroprotective features of these newly developed molecules in the presence of hydrogen peroxide neuronal damage and to identify the mechanisms behind the observed neuronal protection including apoptotic and autophagic pathways. Furthermore, a rat model of Alzheimer's disease was utilized to evaluate the impact of conjugated structures in vivo. Data analysis revealed that the conjugated species were able to hinder apoptotic cell death while enhancing autophagic process. The developed conjugated species were also able to attenuate amyloid beta‐induced learning deficits when administered peripherally.
A low incidence of iodine‐induced hyperthyroidism following administration of iodinated contrast in an iodine‐deficient region
Authors: Jarvis Carol , Simcox Kim , Tamatea Jade A. U. , McAnulty Kim , Meyer‐Rochow Goswin Y. , Conaglen John V. , Elston Marianne S.
Published: May 2015

Objective

There are limited data on the incidence of iodinated contrast‐induced thyrotoxicosis, particularly in iodine‐deficient regions. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of iodinated contrast‐induced thyrotoxicosis and to determine whether thyrotoxicosis was more common in patients ≥70 years compared to those <70 years of age.

Design

A prospective study of adult patients undergoing an outpatient CT with iodinated contrast was performed.

Measurements

Thyroid function tests (TFTs) and urine iodine measurements were performed prior to the scan. TFTs were repeated at 4‐ and 8‐weeks postscan. Changes in TFTs from baseline were analysed.

Results

A total of 102 patients were included in the final analysis. Overall, TSH levels dropped (P = 0·0002), and free T3 (FT3) levels increased (P = 0·04) between baseline and week 4 with normalization by week 8; however, these changes were not considered clinically significant. No significant differences in free T4 (FT4) occurred in the overall group (P = 0·82). There were no differences in TFTs between baseline and 4 or 8 weeks for those patients aged <70 compared to ≥70 years. Two patients developed new subnormal TSH values. Of these, one had a 90‐mm follicular variant papillary thyroid carcinoma diagnosed while the other had a normal thyroid assessment and TSH spontaneously normalized by 12 weeks.

Conclusions

Only 2% of patients developed subclinical hyperthyroidism following a standard dose of iodinated contrast for CT investigations. Given the low incidence of iodine‐induced thyrotoxicosis, there is no indication for routine pre‐ and post‐CT thyroid function testing in our region.
X‐chromosome inactivation in female patients with Fabry disease
Authors: Echevarria L. , Benistan K. , Toussaint A. , Dubourg O. , Hagege A.A. , Eladari D. , Jabbour F. , Beldjord C. , De Mazancourt P. , Germain D.P.
Published: May 2015

Fabry disease (FD) is an X‐linked genetic disorder caused by the deficient activity of lysosomal α‐galactosidase (α‐Gal). While males are usually severely affected, clinical presentation in female patients may be more variable ranging from asymptomatic to, occasionally, as severely affected as male patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the existence of skewed X‐chromosome inactivation (XCI) in females with FD, its concordance between tissues, and its contribution to the phenotype. Fifty‐six females with FD were enrolled. Clinical and biological work‐up included two global scores [Mainz Severity Score Index (MSSI) and DS3], cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, measured glomerular filtration rate, and measurement of α‐Gal activity. XCI was analyzed in four tissues using DNA methylation studies. Skewed XCI was found in 29% of the study population. A correlation was found in XCI patterns between blood and the other analyzed tissues although some punctual variability was detected. Significant differences in residual α‐Gal levels, severity scores, progression of cardiomyopathy and deterioration of kidney function, depending on the direction and degree of skewing of XCI were evidenced. XCI significantly impacts the phenotype and natural history of FD in females.
Pragmatic detection of anxiety and depression in a prospective cohort of voice outpatient clinic attenders
Authors: Montgomery J. , Hendry J. , Wilson J.A. , Deary I.J. , MacKenzie K.
Published: May 2015

Objective

To evaluate diagnostic performance of the emotional domain of the VoiSS questionnaire compared with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).

Design

Cross‐sectional questionnaire study.

Setting

Tertiary referral centre voice clinic.

Participants

210 consecutive voice clinic patients.

Main outcome measures

Screening with VoiSS and HADS questionnaires. Paired comparison, correlation, multinomial logistic regression and receiver‐operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.

Results

A total of 177 returned complete data sets. Ninety‐six patients (54.2%) had functional dysphonia, and 81 (45.8%) had organic laryngeal disorders. Mean total VoiSS score = 39.7/120 (standard deviation (sd) 22.2). Mean emotional VoiSS subscale = 7.6/22 (sd 7.5). Mean HADS anxiety = 6.5/21 (sd 5.2) and depression mean = 7.1/21 (sd 4.8). There were 35 (20%) borderline anxiety and/or depression scores and 30 (17%) scores considered positive for ‘caseness’. There was strong correlation between emotional VoiSS and HADS anxiety (Spearman's Rho = 0.68, P < 0.001) and HADS depression (Spearman's Rho = 0.62, P < 0.001). ROC curve analysis exhibited significant association between emotional VoiSS and HADS ‘caseness’ (area under curve = 0.88). In addition, functional dysphonia patients had lower mean VoiSS and HADS scores than patients with identifiable laryngeal abnormalities.

Conclusion

The VoiSS emotional subscale strongly correlates with HADS anxiety and depression scores and could be used as a measure of psychological distress. This could allow targeted psychological strategies, without additional psychometric questionnaires. Functional dysphonia has less association with psychological distress than certain organic laryngological disorders.
The outcome of septorhinoplasty surgery on olfactory function
Authors: Randhawa P.S. , Watson N. , Lechner M. , Ritchie L. , Choudhury N. , Andrews P.J.
Published: May 2015

Objectives

To assess olfactory outcomes in patients undergoing septorhinoplasty surgery in our unit.

Design

Prospective cohort study.

Setting

The Royal National Throat Nose and Ear Hospital, London.

Participants

Forty‐three patients undergoing functional septorhinoplasty (Males = 26; mean age = 34.1 ± 12.2) were recruited into the study.

Main outcome measures

The primary outcome of olfactory function was assessed using ‘Sniffin sticks’. Our secondary outcomes were assessment of patient quality of life using the disease specific Sino‐nasal Outcome Test‐23 questionnaire (SNOT‐23) and a visual analogue scale for sense of smell. These measures were repeated at 12 weeks post operatively.

Results

There was a significant change in the Sniffin’ sticks score post‐operatively (8.3 versus 9.6; P < 0.001). The SNOT‐23 score also showed a significant improvement post‐operatively (53.5 versus 40.4; P < 0.001). A significant improvement was not found in the smell/taste question (question 21) of the SNOT‐23 questionnaire as well as the visual analogue scale for sense of smell. A difference in olfactory outcome was not found between open versus closed approaches, primary versus revision surgery and traumatic versus non traumatic cases.

Conclusions

The results show a measured significant improvement in olfaction following functional Septorhinoplasty but not a subjective improvement in the patients perception of their sense of smell and hence not a clinically significant difference. The reasons for the measured improvement are not clear and are likely to be multifactorial.
A Social Network Analysis of 140 Community‐Academic Partnerships for Health: Examining the Healthier Wisconsin Partnership Program
Authors: Franco Zeno E. , Ahmed Syed M. , Maurana Cheryl A. , DeFino Mia C. , Brewer Devon D.
Published: May 2015

Introduction:

Social Network Analysis (SNA) provides an important, underutilized approach to evaluating Community Academic Partnerships for Health (CAPHs). This study examines administrative data from 140 CAPHs funded by the Healthier Wisconsin Partnership Program (HWPP).

Methods:

Funder data was normalized to maximize number of interconnections between funded projects and 318 non‐redundant community partner organizations in a dual mode analysis, examining the period from 2003–2013.Two strategic planning periods, 2003–2008 vs. 2009–2014, allowed temporal comparison.

Results:

Connectivity of the network was largely unchanged over time, with most projects and partner organizations connected to a single large component in both time periods. Inter‐partner ties formed in HWPP projects were transient. Most community partners were only involved in projects during one strategic time period. Community organizations participating in both time periods were involved in significantly more projects during the first time period than partners participating in the first time period only (Cohen's d = 0.93).

Discussion:

This approach represents a significant step toward using objective (non‐survey) data for large clusters of health partnerships and has implications for translational science in community settings. Considerations for government, funders, and communities are offered. Examining partnerships within health priority areas, orphaned projects, and faculty ties to these networks are areas for future research.