bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The International Financial Reporting Standards 9 financial instruments, information quality and stock returns in the modern technology era
Authors: ElKelish Walaa Wahid
Published: February 2021

Purpose

This paper investigates the relationship between information quality and stock returns during the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS 9) pre-adoption announcements and examines the influence of modern technology on these relationships across 24 emerging countries.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper conducts an event study using data obtained from the DataStream, Osiris, International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the World Bank databases from 2009 to 2014. The non-linear generalized additive model (GAM) was implemented to test the study hypotheses.

Findings

Results indicate a significant positive non-linear relationship between low information quality and stock returns during IFRS 9 pre-adoption announcements. This result implies that IFRS 9 announcements have a positive impact on corporations with low pre-adoption quality information. This result is also more pronounced in small rather than large corporations and financial rather than nonfinancial institutions. Furthermore, modern technology plays a significant decisive antecedent role, while industry type has a moderating effect on the relationship between information quality and stock returns. The codified legal system has a positive impact on stock returns across emerging countries.

Research limitations/implications

Data unavailability in some emerging countries.

Practical implications

The empirical evidence provides useful guidelines for corporate managers, investors, international accounting standard-setters and regulators to improve financial reporting practices.

Originality/value

This paper extends the work of Armstrong et al. (2010); Onali et al. (2017) by including the impact of non-linear relationships using GAM analysis and the role of modern technology across emerging countries.
Integrating sustainability in business network initiation: the case of an Italian pasta maker
Authors: Sabatini Andrea , O’Toole Thomas , Gregori Gian Luca
Published: February 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how sustainability is integrated into a new venture’s business network initiation. This study unpacks sustainability in business network initiation using temporal bracketing and identifying its main processes. Temporal bracketing supports the understanding of the evolution of sustainability in network initiation. The processes help explore the sustainability patterns that emerge from the new venture’s attempt to integrate sustainability into network initiation.

Design/methodology/approach

The exploratory case study of an Italian pasta maker draws on industrial network theory to focus on the business network initiation of new ventures. The novelty is the integration of sustainability into the business network initiation literature. This paper adopts a single case study methodology and an abductive approach to analysis.

Findings

This study finds that sustainability in network initiation is achieved through three periods of initiation and through five processes that are overlapping, intertwined and reciprocal. This study suggests that sustainability can have a positive or negative impact when integrated into the initiation process.

Originality/value

This paper provides a conceptual framework for understanding how a new venture integrates sustainability in its network initiation. The framework comprises periods and processes of network initiation which show how a new venture can integrate sustainability in its business activities and resources through interaction with network actors.
Top management service commitment and new product development in manufacturing firms: the moderating role of dysfunctional competition
Authors: Zhao Yapu , Liu Dong , Zhang Wenhong , Chen Silei
Published: February 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate how top management service commitment (TSC) affects two dimensions of new product development (NPD), speed and product innovativeness, and to examine how dysfunctional competition moderates the effects in emerging economies.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 151 high-tech manufacturing firms in China. In one firm, two different top managers were surveyed to reduce the common method variance. The authors used the seemingly unrelated regression approach to test the hypotheses.

Findings

First, TSC negatively influences product innovativeness, an effect that dysfunctional competition attenuates. Second, despite not being significantly positive as hypothesized, the direct effect of TSC on NPD speed remains positive when dysfunctional competition is high rather than low. Third, the findings reveal that product innovativeness increases firm performance, but NPD speed shows no similar effect.

Practical implications

First, top managers should pay attention to the synergistic effect between industrial services and product businesses. Second, manufacturing firms in developing countries need to implement servitization when facing unlawful competitive behaviors.

Originality/value

In literature, the effect of industrial services on NPD is unclear. The present study enriches literature by connecting servitization with NPD and by focusing on the importance of top managers to the implementation of servitization. In addition, the authors extend the servitization literature to emerging economies and thereby provide significant insights into this context.
Analysis framework for the interactions between building information modelling (BIM) and lean construction on construction mega-projects
Authors: Evans Martin , Farrell Peter , Zewein Wael , Mashali Ayman
Published: February 2021

Purpose

The construction industry encounters substantial challenges in its evolution towards sustainable development and to the adoption of building information modelling (BIM) technology and lean construction (LC) practices on construction mega-projects. This study aims to present critical challenges and to investigate the interactions of BIM and LC on construction mega-projects encountered by key stakeholders in their efforts to integrate BIM and LC.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative research approach is adopted to introduce and validate LC principles and BIM functionalities resulting from a detailed analysis of extant literature, followed by a conceptual analysis of the interactions between BIM and LC on construction mega-projects. A quantitative questionnaire survey is then used. Descriptive and inferential statistical tests are used for data analysis, and analysis of variance tests elaborate and validate results.

Findings

The research yielded ten BIM functionalities and ten LC principles, which are categorised in four principle areas and four BIM functionality groups. A research framework for analysis of the interaction between BIM and LC is then compiled.

Originality/value

Research findings and the proposed framework will enhance the adoption of BIM and LC practices on construction mega-projects and allow project key stakeholders to place emphasis on tackling crucial challenges and barriers identified in this research. The framework will guide and stimulate research; and as such, the approach adopted up to this point is constructive. The identified interactions between BIM and LC on construction mega-projects show positive synergies between the two.
Testing dividend life-cycle theory in the Islamic and conventional banking sectors of GCC countries
Authors: Yousef Ibrahim , Tanna Sailesh , Patra Sudip
Published: February 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to present a comparative evaluation of the determinants affecting the likelihood of dividend payouts by Islamic and conventional banks in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors used the dynamic panel logit model to test dividend life-cycle theory by analyzing the determinants affecting the likelihood of dividend payouts by GCC banks. Moreover, the authors used multinomial logistic regressions to extend the results where the dependent variable is a nominal variable equal to 1 for non-payment of dividends, 2 for lower dividend payments and 3 for higher dividend payments.

Findings

The authors report a finding consistent with the life-cycle theory of dividends where a higher proportion of retained-earnings-to-contribution mix implies a greater likelihood of dividend payments, apart from conventional characteristics such as profitability, size and growth. However, the authors find marked differences in the magnitude and significance of the life-cycle characteristics explaining the likelihood of dividend payouts for Islamic and conventional banks. The authors also find that Islamic banks are smaller and less profitable relative to conventional banks but have higher growth rates, which helps to explain why the proportion of dividend non-payments is higher for Islamic banks than for conventional banks. The results also indicate that the higher default rates and business risk associated with GCC banks reduces their propensity to pay dividends.

Practical implications

The topic of dividends remains an important puzzle in the field of modern finance. The findings have significant implications for a variety of stakeholders in both Islamic and conventional banks in GCC countries, including investors, depositors, analysts, managers, regulators and stock exchanges.

Originality/value

This paper aims to contribute to the literature by drawing on life-cycle theory as a basis for comparing the determinants affecting the likelihood of dividend payouts by Islamic and conventional banks in the GCC countries.
Effect of BTP2 on agonist‐induced vasoconstriction in the mouse aorta in vitro
Authors: Zhou Meng‐Yuan , Zhang Li , Zheng Dan‐Lin , Lai Ying‐Yu , Liu Pei‐Ming , Liu Lin , Kuang Su‐Juan , Yang Hui , Rao Fang , Long Huang , Deng Chun‐Yu
Published: February 2021

BTP2 is a potent inhibitor of store‐operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE), which plays a vital role in vasoconstriction. However, the direct effect of BTP2 on the contractile response remains unclear. Here, we investigated the effects and mechanisms of action of BTP2 in the mouse aorta. Isometric tension was measured using a Multi Myograph System with two stainless steel wires. Ca2+ transient was recorded by confocal laser scanning microscope. The results showed that BTP2 markedly suppressed vasoconstriction mediated by SOCE and Ca2+ influx mediated by SOCE. The cumulative concentration of BTP2 had no effect on the baseline of mouse aortic rings, whereas it increased vasoconstriction stimulated by 3 μmol/L Phenylephrine. BTP2 (1 μmol/L) significantly increased vasoconstriction induced by 3 μmol/L Phe or cumulative concentration. BTP2 also promoted noradrenaline‐induced aortic contraction. However, Phe‐ and noradrenaline‐induced contraction was not affected by 0.3 or 3 μmol/L BTP2, and BTP2 at 10 μmol/L significantly suppressed aortic contraction. BTP2 inhibited 5‐HT‐evoked contraction in a concentration‐dependent manner. BTP2 at higher concentrations (>3 μmol/L) inhibited CaCl2‐induced and 60 mmol/L K+‐induced contraction with progressive reduction of maximal contraction in a concentration‐dependent manner. These results suggest that 1 μmol/L BTP2 increases contraction evoked by α1 adrenoreceptor activation. BTP2 at higher concentrations may inhibit Cav1.2 channels.
Expression of propositional attitudes in conversation by adults with traumatic brain injury: A relevance theoretic approach
Authors: Bootsma Jael N. , Turkstra Lyn S. , Gorter Jan Willem
Published: February 2021

Background

Impairments in social communication are ubiquitous after moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Most attempts to quantify these impairments have been descriptive rather than theoretically motivated. We propose that Relevance Theory provides a framework for characterizing social communication limitations after TBI and linking these problems to underlying cognitive impairments.

Aims

This study asked how adult speakers with and without TBI used specific linguistic forms in social communication. We selected three linguistic markers that convey thoughts and feelings of the speaker and which are intended to influence the same in the listener: propositional attitude verbs, the discourse markerlikeand the quotativelike.

Methods & Procedures

Ten adults with moderate to severe TBI and 12 healthy adults completed 5‐min casual conversations with student researcher partners as part of a larger research study. Conversations were transcribed and analysed for the frequency of the three linguistic markers, corrected for total words in the transcript.

Outcomes & Results

Participants in the TBI group used discourse markerlikesignificantly less than participants in the healthy comparison group (0.75% and 2.06% of total words, respectively;p= 0.05,d= –0.43) and showed less variety in functions oflike. The use of propositional attitude verbs and quotativelikewas not affected by TBI.

Conclusions & Implications

Expression of propositional attitude seems largely preserved after TBI. Relevance Theory may provide a helpful framework (1) to interpret subtle quantitative and qualitative differences that contribute to social conversation problems of adults with TBI; and (2) to elucidate relations among the social communication signs and symptoms and underlying cognitive impairments.

What this paper adds

What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?

More awareness and understanding of how social cognition may look in everyday conversations, may help SLPs who treat patients with such difficulties as a result of TBI.
A dynamic model of optimal lime application for wheat production in Australia
Authors: Shoghi Kalkhoran Sanaz , Pannell David , Polyakov Maksym , White Ben , Chalak Haghighi Morteza , William Mugera Amin , Farre Imma
Published: February 2021

Soil acidification due to crop removal and the use of acidifying fertilisers reduce land productivity in many agricultural systems worldwide. The most common remedy is to apply lime to the soil surface. An alternative approach is to incorporate lime into the sub‐soil. This is a more expensive option, but it substantially reduces the time required to reduce acidity in the sub‐soil horizons. This paper presents a dynamic optimisation model to determine optimal rates, frequency and methods of lime application for a wheat monoculture system in the northern part of the Western Australian wheatbelt. Results show that optimal application rates depend on rainfall levels and soil‐acidity conditions. The net present value of profit is not sensitive to the frequency of lime application. Incorporating lime into the sub‐soil increases the net present value of profit, but only by a small amount: two to four per cent in most scenarios modelled. In the process, sub‐soil lime application reduces both the optimal lime application rate and the time required for the soil pH to increase to a target level.
Strategy Formation Across Organizational Boundaries: An Interorganizational Process Model
Authors: Hettich Erwin , Kreutzer Markus
Published: February 2021

Strategic decision‐makers today face complex environments with meta‐problems that cut across multiple industries. Single organizations cannot address these meta‐problems. As a result, organizations collaborate with partners, among them also competitors, and commonly work together in multi‐partner initiatives (MPIs). How these organizations jointly form an interorganizational strategy (IOS), however, is not well understood. In this paper, we extend the current strategy process conceptualizations from an intraorganizational focus of a single firm to an interorganizational process of multiple strategy‐making entities working together. We selected the eMobility sector as our research context to develop such an IOS process model. We first developed 25 cases on MPIs in the German‐speaking area based on interviews and desk research, before we focused on the eMobility ecology in the southern part of Germany. We identified 291 MPIs, conducted interviews with 19 central actors, held several workshops and informal gatherings, and complemented these data with an analysis of publicly accessible documents. Using an inductive research design, we developed a process model that unfolds in three phases: initiation, negotiation and execution. We reveal specific process dynamics in MPIs to be critical in the formation and manifestation of IOS.
Physician variation in the de‐adoption of ineffective statin and fibrate therapy
Authors: Everhart Alexander , Desai Nihar R. , Dowd Bryan , Herrin Jeph , Higuera Lucas , Jeffery Molly Moore , Jena Anupam B. , Ross Joseph S. , Shah Nilay D. , Smith Laura Barrie , Karaca‐Mandic Pinar
Published: February 2021

Objective

To describe physicians’ variation in de‐adopting concurrent statin and fibrate therapy for type 2 diabetic patients following a reversal in clinical evidence.

Data Sources

We analyzed 2007‐2015 claims data from OptumLabs® Data Warehouse, a longitudinal, real‐world data asset with de‐identified administrative claims and electronic health record data.

Study Design

We modeled fibrate use among Medicare Advantage and commercially insured type 2 diabetic statin users before and after the publication of the ACCORD lipid trial, which found statins and fibrates were no more effective than statins alone in reducing cardiovascular events among type 2 diabetic patients. We modeled fibrate use trends with physician random effects and physician characteristics such as age and specialty.

Data Extraction

We identified patient‐year‐quarters with one year of continuous insurance enrollment, type 2 diabetes diagnoses, and fibrate use. We designated the physician most responsible for patients’ diabetes care based on evaluation and management visits and prescriptions of glucose‐lowering drugs.

Principal Findings

Fibrate use increased by 0.12 percentage points per quarter among commercial patients (95% CI, 0.10 to 0.14) and 0.17 percentage points per quarter among Medicare Advantage patients (95% CI, 0.13 to 0.20) before the trial and then decreased by 0.16 percentage points per quarter among commercial patients (95% CI, −0.18 to −0.15) and 0.05 percentage points per quarter among Medicare Advantage patients (95% CI, −0.06 to −0.03) after the trial. However, 45% of physicians treating commercial patients and 48% of physicians treating Medicare Advantage patients had positive trends in prescribing following the trial. Physicians’ characteristics did not explain their variation (pseudo R2 = 0.000).

Conclusion

On average, physicians decreased fibrate prescribing following the ACCORD lipid trial. However, many physicians increased prescribing following the trial. Observable physician characteristics did not explain variations in prescribing. Future research should examine whether physicians vary similarly in other de‐adoption settings.
Starch digestibility and β‐carotene bioaccessibility in the orange‐ fleshed sweet potato puree‐wheat bread
Authors: Mbogo Daniel , Muzhingi Tawanda , Janaswamy Srinivas
Published: February 2021

Vitamin A is essential for vision, human health, growth, immune function, and reproduction. Its deficiency leads to anemia, xerophthalmia, and growth reduction in children. Foods enriched with naturally occurring carotenes have the potential, in this regard, and orange‐fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) stands out tall as it is rich in β‐carotene (βC), a provitamin A carotenoid. In view of developing OFSP‐based functional foods to address the vitamin A deficiency (VAD) issues, herein, OFSP puree‐wheat composite breads have been prepared at 10% to 50% OFSP puree concentrations and bioaccessibility of βC has been estimated. The total βC is found to be 4.3, 9.2, 16.5, 23.3, and 33.6 µg/g in 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50% OFSP bread, respectively. The corresponding calculated retinol activity equivalents (RAE) are 30.9, 66.4, 119.5, 170.4, and 246.2 RAE/100 g. The efficiency of micellarization of all‐trans‐βC, 13‐cis βC, and 9‐cis βC after simulated oral, gastric, and small intestinal digestion are 1.4% to 6.4%, 1.4% to 7.2%, and 1.1% to 6.9%, respectively. The amount of micellarized βC correlates linearly with the OFSP concentration in the bread. Furthermore, in vitro starch digestion decreases with significant reduction in the Rapidly Digestible Starch (RDS) amount coupled with increase in the Slowly Digestible Starch (SDS) and Resistant Starch (RS) fractions. Overall, OFSP‐wheat composite bread holds adequate amount of provitamin A carotenoids. The amount of bioaccessible βC coupled with altered starch digestion of the OFSP wheat breads highlight their usefulness as novel functional foods that could address the VAD as well as glycemic issues toward improving human health.
Whole seed lentil flours from different varieties (Brewer, Crimson, and Richlea) demonstrated significant variations in their expansion characteristics during extrusion
Authors: Ek Pichmony , Gu Bon‐Jae , Ganjyal Girish M.
Published: February 2021

The properties of flours and extrusion characteristics, of three lentil varieties (Brewer, Crimson, and Richlea) were studied. The effects of barrel temperature (110, 125, and 140 °C) and screw speed (150, 200, and 250 rpm) on process responses and extrudate characteristics were evaluated using a corotating twin‐screw extruder. The three varieties of lentils had significant differences (p < 0.05) in their starch (48.7% to 50.9%), protein (20.4% to 22.7%), and fat content (1.3% to 1.9%), gelatinization temperature (71.7 to 74.6 °C), peak viscosity (123.3 to 179.7 mPa.s), and melting temperature (113.6 to 119.7 °C). The lentil variety, barrel temperature, and screw speed significantly impacted the process responses and extrudate properties. Whole lentil flours exhibited the highest expansion ratio (3.0 to 3.6) at the lowest temperature (110 °C) and the highest screw speed (250 rpm). Richlea variety had the highest expansion ratio (3.6) and the highest water solubility index (45.4%) as it had the highest starch content and peak viscosity, and the lowest protein content and melting temperature. Meanwhile, Brewer variety exhibited the lowest expansion ratio (1.9 to 3.0) compared to Richlea (2.5 to 3.6) and Crimson (2.4 to 3.0) in most of the extrusion conditions studied. Richlea variety was the most suitable for making direct‐expanded extrudates among the varieties studied. The significant differences in the properties of flours from the three varieties of lentils resulted in significant impacts on the properties of their extrudates. Therefore, determining the properties of flours of different varieties is useful to select the appropriate varieties for extrusion processing.

Practical Application

The information from this study is useful for the food industry to select the appropriate lentil varieties and processing conditions for the development of direct‐expanded products. The data prove the importance of understanding the chemical composition, pasting, and thermal properties to select the appropriate varieties for extrusion processing.
ALK‐rearranged squamous cell carcinoma of the lung
Authors: Meng Qiyi , Dong Yujie , Tao Hong , Shi Liang , Tong Li , Tang Junfang , Zhang Shucai , Liu Zhe
Published: February 2021

Background

ALK rearrangement is a very rare subset of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and one of the clinical features in patients is lack of data. Here, we report eight patients diagnosed with SCC of the lung harboring ALK rearrangement.

Methods

We collected primary NSCLC samples at the Beijing Chest Hospital between January 2012 and December 2018 for Ventana (D5F3) immunohistochemical detection. Among the 148 patients was diagnosed ALK‐rearranged non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), only eight cases was SCC. We collected patients information from electronic patent records (EPRs).

Results

The eight cases of SCC were diagnosed by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Two were given crizotinib as second‐line therapy. One patient had stable disease (SD) and progression‐free survival (PFS) of six months. The other patient had progressive disease (PD) but PFS was only one month. The side effects were tolerable. This report identified 31 cases of ALK rearrangement in SCC patients from a literature search (including the eight patients in this study). These fusion genes are often seen in a younger age group (mean age: 55.6 years) and non‐smokers (18/31, 58.1%). A total of 20 cases received an ALK inhibitor as first‐ or second‐line treatment which included 11 with a partial response (PR), four with SD, and five with PD. The DCR and ORR was 75.0% (15/20) and 55.0% (11/20), respectively. The median duration time of therapy was 6.4 ± 4.4 months.

Conclusions

Patients with ALK‐rearranged SCC obtained clinical benefit from ALK‐inhibitor therapy, especially those who were non‐smokers and whose tumors had been identified by IHC+/FISH+.
Lipolymph node presenting as a pulmonary nodule: A case report
Authors: Huang Yan , Huang Kaili , Fan Mingyu , Jiang Lili , Zhu Daxing , Zhou Qinghua
Published: February 2021

A 53‐year‐old man was admitted to our hospital with a history of a right lung nodule which had gradually increased in size. Wedge resection of the right middle lobe using video‐assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) was performed and revealed a yellowish, soft, well circumscribed nodule. Histological analysis confirmed the diagnosis of an uncommon lipolymph node. The patient recovered well from surgery, and there has been no recurrence in the lung for over one‐year of follow‐up. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a lipolymph node in the lung.
Responses of native egg parasitoids to the invasive seed bug Leptoglossus occidentalis
Authors: Lesieur Vincent , Farinha Ana O.
Published: February 2021

The Western conifer seed bug Leptoglossus occidentalis, a native insect of North America, was accidentally introduced in Europe in the late 1990s. Since then, it has spread rapidly. Biological control could provide an efficient management option but natural enemies of the pest have been poorly examined in Europe.

In this study, we exposed sentinel egg masses and collected naturally laid egg masses in southern France in 2016 and 2017, to identify the egg parasitoids of L. occidentalis and investigate their potentials.

Three egg parasitoids were detected: Anastatus bifasciatus, Ooencyrtus pityocampae and Ooencyrtus telenomicida. The overall parasitism was low compared to that observed in the native range with 6.4% of all eggs being parasitized, while 17.1% of egg masses carried at least one parasitized egg. The total number of parasitized egg masses was similar between parasitoid species, but the mean number of parasitized eggs per egg mass was highest for A. bifasciatus (5.57 vs. 1.25 for Ooencyrtus spp.).

Sentinel egg masses underestimated the parasitism compared to natural egg masses (respectively, 1.42% and 7.71%).

Our results suggested that the three generalist parasitoids detected can respond in a Leptoglossus egg density‐dependent manner, but this requires further investigations.
Using Machine Learning to Estimate the Heterogeneous Effects of Livestock Transfers
Authors: Mullally Conner , Rivas Mayra , McArthur Travis
Published: February 2021

We evaluate a program in Guatemala offering training and transfers of a local chicken variety using a randomized phase‐in design with imperfect compliance. We do not find strong evidence for or against positive average intent‐to‐treat effects on household‐level outcomes, including indicators of expenditure, calorie and protein intake, diet quality, egg consumption and production, as well as chicken ownership and management. Among girls between the ages of six and sixty months, we find that the program reduced stunting by 23.5 (± 19.4) percentage points while also improving other height and weight outcomes. Boys are more likely to suffer from intestinal illness, which could explain differences in program impacts by gender. Using machine learning methods, we show that the poorest households enjoyed the largest impacts on diet quality and animal protein consumption, whereas children in the poorest households experienced the largest impacts on the probability of consuming animal source foods. Larger effects on animal source food consumption among children in relatively poor households did not translate into greater impacts on height or weight.
Validation of the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale, 6‐item version, in a multiethnic population of Chilean older adults
Authors: Rodríguez‐Blázquez Carmen , Ayala‐García Alba , Forjaz Maria João , Gallardo‐Peralta Lorena P.
Published: February 2021

Objective

To analyse the psychometric properties of the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale, 6‐item version (DJGLS‐6), in a multiethnic sample of older Chilean adults.

Methods

A cross‐sectional study was designed using a sample of 800 older people, and 71% were self‐declared indigenous. Data quality and acceptability, internal consistency, and construct and structural validity of DJGLS‐6 were analysed. The scale was also analysed according to the Rasch model.

Results

The DJGLS‐6 scored higher for the non‐indigenous group than for Aymara and Mapuche (P < .001). KR‐20 coefficients (internal consistency) for emotional loneliness subscale reached 0.44 for Aymara and Mapuche and 0.62 for non‐indigenous, and from 0.73 (non‐indigenous) to 0.86 (Aymara) for social loneliness subscale. The confirmatory factor analysis identified one dimension. None of the two subscales fit the Rasch model.

Conclusion

The results indicate that DJGLS‐6 is a reliable and adequate scale for non‐indigenous Chilean older people. However, it should be culturally adapted to indigenous ethnic minorities.
Contextualizing the biological relevance of standardized high‐resolution respirometry to assess mitochondrial function in permeabilized human skeletal muscle
Authors: Jacobs Robert A. , Lundby Carsten
Published: February 2021

Aim

This study sought to provide a statistically robust reference for measures of mitochondrial function from standardized high‐resolution respirometry with permeabilized human skeletal muscle (ex vivo), compare analogous values obtained via indirect calorimetry, arterial‐venous O2 differences and 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy (in vivo) and attempt to resolve differences across complementary methodologies as necessary.

Methods

Data derived from 831 study participants across research published throughout March 2009 to November 2019 were amassed to examine the biological relevance of ex vivo assessments under standard conditions, ie physiological temperatures of 37°C and respiratory chamber oxygen concentrations of ~250 to 500 μmol/L.

Results

Standard ex vivo‐derived measures are lower (Z ≥ 3.01, P ≤ .0258) en masse than corresponding in vivo‐derived values. Correcting respiratory values to account for mitochondrial temperatures 10°C higher than skeletal muscle temperatures at maximal exercise (~50°C): (i) transforms data to resemble (Z ≤ 0.8, P > .9999) analogous yet context‐specific in vivo measures, eg data collected during maximal 1‐leg knee extension exercise; and (ii) supports the position that maximal skeletal muscle respiratory rates exceed (Z ≥ 13.2, P < .0001) those achieved during maximal whole‐body exercise, e.g. maximal cycling efforts.

Conclusion

This study outlines and demonstrates necessary considerations when actualizing the biological relevance of human skeletal muscle respiratory control, metabolic flexibility and bioenergetics from standard ex vivo‐derived assessments using permeabilized human muscle. These findings detail how cross‐procedural comparisons of human skeletal muscle mitochondrial function may be collectively scrutinized in their relationship to human health and lifespan.
Child protection assessment: The point of view of service users in an Italian study
Authors: Corradini Francesca , Panciroli Chiara
Published: February 2021

In the Child Protection context, assessment is a very delicate phase that often indelibly marks the whole process of helping. In the Italian context, it is very important to deepen this topic: first because it is rarely studied and second because parental skills assessment is carried out by social workers almost exclusively after a request of the Local Authority. This qualitative research aimed to investigate the experiences and the feelings of 16 people assessed about parental skills; furthermore, the study aimed to focus on the quality of their relationship with social workers. The findings have largely confirmed the evidence of international literature: most of the respondents described a difficult path, characterized by strict procedures, poor listening and lack of participation. Some interviewees even think that professionals act to promote private interests, including economic ones. Parents' reflections revealed also positive experiences; respondents underlined the value of a participatory approach, characterized by transparency, constant dialogue and partnership among service users and professionals involved.
Widespread anorectal lymphovascular networks and tissue drainage: analyses from submucosal India ink injection and indocyanine green fluorescence imaging
Authors: Sato Kentaro , Shimoda Hiroshi , Miura Takuya , Sakamoto Yoshiyuki , Morohashi Hajime , Watanabe Seiji , Narita Hirokazu , Mitsuhashi Yuto , Umemura Kotaro , Hakamada Kenichi
Published: February 2021

Aim

Abdominoperineal resection is associated with poor prognosis in patients with advanced lower rectal cancer. This study aimed to analyse the functional lymphovascular network and tissue drainage in the anorectal region.

Methods

In this descriptive study, we performed microanatomical evaluations and intra‐operative imaging analysis in a cadaver and patients with rectal cancer. Specimens with India ink injection were collected from a cadaver and from six patients who underwent abdominoperineal resection. Intra‐operative indocyanine green fluorescence imaging was performed on four patients who underwent surgery for lower rectal cancer. India ink was injected into the submucosa at the dentate line of specimens. Tissue sections were examined by immunohistochemistry for D2‐40 and CD31. Intra‐operative indocyanine green was injected into the submucosa at the dentate line. Lymph flow was traced using a near‐infrared camera system.

Results

Fascia branching from the rectal longitudinal muscle layer extended to the posterior hiatal ligament and lateral endopelvic fascia connective tissue lamina on the surface of the levator ani muscle. The fascia contained veins labelled with ink in their lumina and initial lymphatics. Intra‐operative indocyanine green fluorescence imaging revealed extensive lymph flow from the muscle layer of the anal canal to the hiatal ligament and endopelvic fascia along the longitudinal muscle layer fibres.

Conclusions

The anorectal region contained widespread venous and lymphatic networks in proportion to its specific connective tissue framework around the longitudinal‐muscle‐layer‐extending muscle bundles, which provides extensive networks for tissue fluid and cells.
Can normalized carcinoembryonic antigen following neoadjuvant chemoradiation predict tumour recurrence after curative resection for locally advanced rectal cancer?
Authors: Hong Youngki , Ghuman Amandeep , Poh Keat Seong , Krizzuk Dimitri , Nagarajan Arun , Amarnath Sudha , Nogueras Juan J. , Wexner Steven D. , DaSilva Giovanna
Published: February 2021

Aim

The aim of this work was to evaluate whether normalized carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) following neoadjuvant chemoradiation predicts the prognosis following curative resection in locally advanced rectal cancer.

Method

Patients who underwent neoadjuvant chemoradiation and curative resection for locally advanced rectal cancer between 2010 and 2015 were divided into three groups: Group A (n = 119, normal‐to‐normal): normal CEA before and after neoadjuvant chemoradiation; Group B (n = 37, high‐to‐normal): elevated CEA before and normal CEA after neoadjuvant chemoradiation; Group C (n = 36, high‐to‐high): elevated CEA before and after neoadjuvant chemoradiation. Overall and disease‐free survival were compared. Univariate and multivariate analyses identified potential predictors for recurrence.

Results

One hundred and ninety two patients [median age 59 years (range 31–87), 65.1% male] were identified: 54.7% had low rectal cancer: 12.5% were clinical stage T4 and 70.3% were clinically node positive; 21.9% achieved complete pathological response; 24.5% had abdominoperineal resection (APR); and 70.3% underwent adjuvant chemotherapy following curative resection. Significantly more patients in Group C underwent APR (p = 0.0209), had advanced pathological T stage (P = 0.0065) and a higher prevalence of perineural invasion (p = 0.0042). Overall and disease‐free survival were significantly higher for Group A than for Group C [hazard ratio (HR) = 4.32, 95% CI = 1.66–11.21, p = 0.0026 and HR=2.68, 95% CI = 1.33–5.40, p = 0.0057, respectively]. No significant difference was noted between Groups A and B for overall (p = 0.0591) or disease‐free (p = 0.2834) survival. Another risk factor associated with recurrence and death was clinical T4 stage; nodal positivity was a risk factor only for recurrence.

Conclusion

Elevated CEA after neoadjuvant chemoradiation and clinical stage T4 disease were unfavourable predictors for overall and disease‐free survival. Normalized CEA during neoadjuvant chemoradiation may serve as a prognosticator, although pretreatment CEA may significantly affect survival.
A generalized decision support framework for large‐scale project portfolio decisions
Authors: Sampath Siddhartha , Gel Esma S. , Kempf Karl G. , Fowler John W.
Published: February 2021

Project portfolio selection (PPS) is a complex problem faced by major companies whenever there are multiple funding opportunities with insufficient budget to fund them all. In this paper, we present our work on a PPS decision support tool that has become a fundamental part of the project portfolio decision process at Intel Corporation across its largest product and market divisions. The paper builds on a previous publication that outlines the decision support tool's bicriteria optimization model by providing a solution procedure that is capable of solving real‐life PPS problems within time frames acceptable to decision makers, as well as providing further details on the data collection and the decision‐making process. We also report on various analysis and visualization tools that have been built to allow decision makers to interact with promising solutions provided by the decision support tool. One of the contributions of the paper is to present a typology of the important dependencies between projects that needs to be considered, and provide details on how they are incorporated in the decision support tool's optimization engine. We discuss important implementation details on the decision‐making process and the agents involved, and conclude by describing real‐life experiences on how the framework can enable intuitive decision‐making when choosing portfolios that best satisfy the organization's business goals.
Pluripotent stem cells for the study of early human embryology
Authors: Semi Katsunori , Takashima Yasuhiro
Published: February 2021

Forty years have passed since the first pluripotent stem cells (PSCs), mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs), were established. Since then, several PSCs have been reported, including human ESCs in 1998, mouse epiblast stem cells (EpiSCs) in 2007, induced PSCs (iPSCs) in 2006 and 2007, and naïve human PSCs in 2014. Naïve PSCs are thought to correspond to pre‐implantation epiblast cells, whereas conventional (or primed) human PSCs correspond to post‐implantation epiblast cells. Thus, naïve and primed PSCs are classified by their developmental stages and have stage‐specific characteristics, despite sharing the common feature of pluripotency. In this review, we discuss the current status of PSCs and their use to model human peri‐implantation development.
Creatine kinase and bleeding in patients with acute coronary syndromes
Authors: Ndrepepa Gjin , Holdenrieder Stefan , Cassese Salvatore , Kastrati Adnan
Published: February 2021

Background

The association between elevated creatine kinase (CK) and bleeding in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) remains incompletely investigated. We undertook this study to assess whether there is an association between elevated CK activity and the risk for bleeding in contemporary patients with ACS.

Materials and Methods

This post hoc analysis of a randomized trial included 3368 patients with ACS undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. CK was measured serially in all patients until hospital discharge. The main outcome was 30‐day incidence of major bleeding (type 3 to 5 bleeding according to the Bleeding Academic Research Consortium criteria).

Results

Patients were categorized in groups according to the peak CK tertiles: 1st tertile (CK ≤259 U/L; n = 1127 patients), 2nd tertile (CK ≥260 to 990 U/L; n = 1119 patients), and 3rd tertile (CK ≥ 991 U/L; n = 1122 patients). Peak CK activity was higher in patients with bleeding than those without bleeding (771 [316‐1845] U/L vs. 496 [190‐1357] U/L; P <.001). Bleeding occurred in 26 patients (2.3%) with peak CK within 1st tertile, 39 patients (3.5%) with peak CK within 2nd tertile, and 54 patients (4.8%) with peak CK within 3rd tertile (univariable hazard ratio [HR]=1.39, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.08 to 1.81, P =.012, per tertile increment in CK values). After adjustment, peak CK activity remained significantly associated with the 30‐day bleeding (HR = 1.67 [1.16‐2.41]; P =.006 per unit increment in logarithmic CK values). The C statistic of the multivariable model with CK activity was 0.807 [0.770‐0.842].

Conclusions

In patients with ACS, peak CK activity was independently associated with increased 30‐day incidence of bleeding.
Copeptin is associated with mortality in elderly people
Authors: Smaradottir Maria Isabel , Andersen Karl , Gudnason Vilmundur , Näsman Per , Rydén Lars , Mellbin Linda Garcia
Published: February 2021

Background

Elevated copeptin, a marker for vasopressin release, has been associated with impaired prognosis in acute myocardial infarction (MI). The aim was to investigate whether this association extends beyond the acute phase and whether it is related to markers of stress (cortisol) and heart failure (NTproBNP).

Methods

Copeptin, cortisol and NTproBNP were measured in 926 participants (age: 76.0; male: 48.5%) in the ICELAND MI study whereof 246 had a previous MI (91 recognizable (RMI) and 155 previously unrecognizable (UMI) detected by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging). The primary endpoint was cardiovascular events (CVEs), and secondary endpoints were total mortality, heart failure and MI (median follow‐up was 9.1 years). The relation between copeptin and prognosis was assessed with the Cox proportional hazard regression (unadjusted, adjusted for cortisol and NTproBNP, respectively, and a multiple model: copeptin, cortisol, NTproBNP, age, sex, serum creatinine, heart failure).

Results

Copeptin was higher in participants with MI (8.9 vs. 6.4 pmol/L; P < .01), with no difference between RMI vs. UMI. Increased copeptin correlated with evening cortisol (r = .11; P < .01) and NTproBNP (r = .07; P = .04). Copeptin was associated with CVE and total mortality after adjusting for cortisol and NTproBNP separately, and remained significantly associated with total mortality in the multiple model.

Conclusions

Copeptin was higher in subjects with previous MI regardless whether previously recognized or not. Copeptin correlated weakly with cortisol and NTproBNP, and was independently associated with total mortality. This indicates that the prognostic implications of copeptin are not only mediated by heart failure or stress, supporting the assumption that copeptin is a marker of general vulnerability.
Creating virtual species to test species distribution models: the importance of landscape structure, dispersal and population processes
Authors: Grimmett Liam , Whitsed Rachel , Horta Ana
Published: February 2021

The use of virtual species to test species distribution models is important for understanding how aspects of the model development process influence model performance. Typically, virtual species are simulated by defining their niche as a function of environmental variables and simulating occurrence probabilistically via Bernoulli trials. This approach ignores endogenous processes known to drive species distribution such as dispersal and population dynamics. To understand whether these processes are important for simulating virtual species we compared the probabilistic simulation approach to those incorporating endogenous processes. This comparison was done by evaluating changes in the relationship between species occurrence and habitat suitability over a number of landscapes with varying spatial structure. We found that the combined effects of population dynamics and dispersal meant the probability of occurrence of a single cell was not only dependent on habitat suitability, but also the number of occupied cells nearby. This resulted in a dependence on the size of clusters of high suitability cells (analogous to patch size) to maintain populations, increased residual spatial autocorrelation and non‐stationarity of the species response between landscapes. These data characteristics are attributes of real species distribution data and are not present in probabilistic simulations. Researchers using virtual species should consider the importance of these characteristics to their study objectives to decide whether the inclusion of endogenous processes is necessary.
Safety of apixaban compared to warfarin in hemodialysis patients: Do antiplatelets make a difference?
Authors: Ionescu Filip , Cooper Christopher , Petrescu Ioana , George Julie , Mansuri Saima
Published: February 2021

Background

Data on the safety of apixaban compared to warfarin in hemodialysis (HD) patients are accumulating, but the impact of concomitant antiplatelet use is unknown.

Objectives

Compare hemorrhagic risk and impact of antiplatelets in HD patients receiving oral anticoagulants (OAC).

Methods

Retrospective, multi‐center study of HD patients started on OAC inpatient over 5 years.

Results

707 patients were included: 563 received warfarin, and 144 received apixaban. 197 had bleeding, most in the warfarin group (173 [30.1%] vs 24 [16.7%] in the apixaban group), P‐value < .01). However, with concomitant antiplatelet use, frequencies were similar (31.4% vs 25.0%; P‐value = .292). Cumulative incidence using bleeding as event of interest and death as competing risk showed higher rates of bleeding with warfarin. In a multivariate model, apixaban was associated with a lower hemorrhagic risk (hazard ratio [HR] 0.55 [95% confidence interval {CI} 0.35‐0.86}). Apixaban showed lower hemorrhagic risk alone (HR 0.24, 95% CI 0.10‐0.55) and similar risk when administered with antiplatelets (HR 0.93, 95% CI 0.55‐1.56).

Conclusions

Apixaban is associated with less bleeding in HD patients compared to warfarin, but concomitant antiplatelet use may negate the safety advantage. Prospective trials are warranted to determine the impact of antiplatelets on apixaban safety.