bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effect of managerial stock ownership on the relationship between material internal control weaknesses and audit fees
Authors: Mitra Santanu , Jaggi Bikki , Al-Hayale Talal
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of the study is to examine the effect of managerial stock ownership on the relationship between material internal control weaknesses (ICW) and audit fees.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses multivariate regression analyses on a sample of 1,578 ICW and 1,578 pair-matched (based on both propensity score and managerial stock ownership) non-ICW firm observations for a period from 2004 to 2010 to investigate how managerial incentive at various stock ownership levels impacts the relationship between material ICW and audit fees.

Findings

For the firms with low managerial stock ownership (up to 5 per cent stockholdings), the authors find no significant effect of managerial ownership on the positive relationship between audit fees and ICW. However, the impact of managerial stock ownership on the relationship between ICW and audit fees is significantly positive when managerial ownership is medium, i.e. more than 5 per cent and less than or equal to 25 per cent stockholdings, and the managerial ownership effect is even higher when managerial stock ownership is high, i.e. more than 25 per cent stockholdings. The result is especially robust for the ICW firms with high managerial stock ownership (i.e. where managers hold more than 25 per cent equity stake in the firms). The additional analyses further show that this managerial ownership effect is more pronounced when the firms suffer from company-level material control weaknesses that have pervasive negative effect on financial reporting quality.

Research limitations/implications

The results imply that in a low managerial ownership firms with substantial misalignment between manager and shareholder incentives, managerial stock ownership has little effect on the ICW and audit fee relationship. But when managers’ ownership interest is at a high level, they are more prone to purchase higher-quality audit service to reduce the risk of financial misstatements due to material ICW, which results in higher audit fees. The results add to the audit fee literature by suggesting that managerial incentive at various ownership levels is a critical governance factor that impacts auditor’s fee structure especially when higher reporting risk exists due to material ICW.

Originality/value

Prior literature documents that there is some relationship between managerial attributes and earnings quality; however, there is no substantive empirical evidence on the effect of managerial stock ownership on audit pricing when client companies face higher risk of financial misreporting as a result of material ICW. In this study, the authors seek answers to these empirical questions and fill the gap in the literature.
Latent semantic analysis of the FOMC statements
Authors: Mazis Panagiotis , Tsekrekos Andrianos
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the content of the statements that are released by the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) after its meetings, identify the main textual associative patterns in the statements and examine their impact on the US treasury market.

Design/methodology/approach

Latent semantic analysis (LSA), a language processing technique that allows recognition of the textual associative patterns in documents, is applied to all the statements released by the FOMC between 2003 and 2014, so as to identify the main textual “themes” used by the Committee in its communication to the public. The importance of the main identified “themes” is tracked over time, before examining their (collective and individual) effect on treasury market yield volatility via time-series regression analysis.

Findings

We find that FOMC statements incorporate multiple, multifaceted and recurring textual themes, with six of them being able to characterize most of the communicated monetary policy in the authors’ sample period. The themes are statistically significant in explaining the variation in three-month, two-year, five-year and ten-year treasury yields, even after controlling for monetary policy uncertainty and the concurrent economic outlook.

Research limitations/implications

The main research implication of the authors’ study is that the LSA can successfully identify the most economically significant themes underlying the Fed’s communication, as the latter is expressed in monetary policy statements. The authors feel that the findings of the study would be strengthened if the analysis was repeated using intra-day (tick-by-tick or five-minute) data on treasury yields.

Social implications

The authors’ findings are consistent with the notion that the move to “increased transparency” by the Fed is important and meaningful for financial and capital markets, as suggested by the significant effect that the most important identified textual themes have on treasury yield volatility.

Originality/value

This paper makes a timely contribution to a fairly recent stream of research that combines specific textual and statistical techniques so as to conduct content analysis. To the best of their knowledge, the authors’ study is the first that applies the LSA to the statements released by the FOMC.
How fans are engaging with baseball teams demonstrating multiple objectives on Instagram
Authors: Kim Joon K. , Hull Kevin
Published: March 2017

Purpose

Using uses and gratifications theory as a guide, the purpose of this paper is to examine how fans are engaging with Major League Baseball (MLB) teams that are utilizing Instagram postings to demonstrate sporting, business, and social objectives.

Design/methodology/approach

An analysis of 1,500 photos (50 from each team) was conducted. A content analysis analyzed the content of the photo, and a textual analysis was implemented to examine the use of hashtags by the teams on their Instagram photos.

Findings

Posts that overly demonstrated the business and social objectives had some of the lowest numbers of likes and comments, indicating that fan engagement is not often achieved through these methods.

Originality/value

Results of this research demonstrate that while MLB teams are able to address their multiple objectives on Instagram, fans are not necessarily interested in all three of these efforts. Posts about on-field action, consumer buying opportunities, and charitable efforts were all created by the majority of teams, but the sporting objective posts had, by far, the highest average number of both likes and comments when compared to the charitable and promotional objectives of the teams. Therefore, the results provide some best practices for teams looking to use the photo and video sharing network.
Chinese Super League: attendance, pricing, and team performance
Authors: Watanabe Nicholas , Soebbing Brian
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of team performance, price dispersion – having multiple ticket prices for a single event, and market characteristics on fan attendance. By considering the context of the Chinese Super League (CSL), this study considers multiple strategies for enhancing the demand for sport in relation to factors on- and off-the-field of play.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses economic demand theory to examine consumer interest in sporting events in relation to pricing. Through employing econometric modeling, regression analysis is used to estimate results from match-level data encompassing multiple seasons.

Findings

The findings estimated from the linear regressions indicate that using multi-tiered pricing for sporting events does not significantly enhance demand in this context. Furthermore, it is found that consumers are responsive to matches against rival teams and strong opponents.

Research limitations/implications

The results run counter to prior literature on price dispersion, indicating that attendance demand may not always be influenced by the number of price points.

Practical implications

The findings help to develop an understanding of how team performance and pricing are important parts of meeting organizational goals in sport. From this, strategies can be formed to help stakeholders and managers in improving organizational performance.

Originality/value

This research is one of the first to consider the CSL, where both single and multiple price points exist for sporting events. Thus, it helps to build both theoretical and empirical knowledge in regards to the importance of pricing systems.
Financial fair play and competitive balance in the Premier League
Authors: Freestone Christopher John , Manoli Argyro Elisavet
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The introduction of financial fair play (FFP) regulations in 2011 was accompanied by criticism that they would have an adverse effect on competitive balance in European football. Counter-points were also expressed, suggesting that the opposite would occur; that they would actually increase competitive balance through reducing the importance of financial power. The lack of clarity and cohesion on this issue prompted this paper. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect FFP has had on competitive balance in the English Premier League.

Design/methodology/approach

The analysis conducted uses the Herfindahl Index of Competitive Balance as the primary method, and is supported by standard deviation of points analysis and a Scully-Noll ratio analysis, which together provide an indication of the level of competitive balance for each of the past 21 seasons, from 1995/1996 to 2015/2016. This examination allows for the trends in competitive balance to be identified, with emphasis drawn on the seasons after the introduction of the regulations.

Findings

The results provide no indication that FFP regulations have resulted in a decline in competitive balance in the EPL, instead hinting that a positive effect may have been caused. This positive effect exceeds the primary aim of the regulations and underlines their importance in the future stability of club football.

Originality/value

While underlining the need for further research on the topic, this study provides the first insights into the effects of FFP regulations on competitive balance in the EPL. These insights would support the view that FFP initiatives have begun to shift the focus of sporting competition away from financial strength towards more natural means of competition such as efficiency, innovation and good management.
The NICE guidelines and quality standards on learning disabilities and behaviour that challenges
Authors: Murphy Glynis
Published: March 2017

Purpose

In 2014, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) announced it was going to develop its first set of guidelines on learning disabilities. The topic was “behaviour that challenges” and in May 2015 NICE published a full set of guidance (371 pages) covering service user and carer experiences, assessment, risk factors and interventions for behaviour that challenges (NICE, 2015). The linked quality standards were published later in 2015. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper explains the process of developing the guidance.

Findings

The final guidance is described in summary form, together with the quality standards.

Originality/value

This paper provides a brief summary of the NICE guidelines on people with learning disabilities and behaviour that challenges.
Post‐stack diffraction imaging in vertical transverse isotropy media using non‐hyperbolic moveout approximations
Authors: Khoshnavaz M. Javad , Bóna Andrej , Urosevic Milovan
Published: March 2017

Diffractions carry valuable information about local discontinuities and small‐scale objects in the subsurface. They are still not commonly used in the process of geological interpretation. Many diffraction imaging techniques have been developed and applied for isotropic media, whereas relatively few techniques have been developed for anisotropic media. Ignoring anisotropy can result in low‐resolution images with wrongly positioned or spurious diffractors. In this article, we suggest taking anisotropy into account in two‐dimensional post‐stack domain by considering P‐wave non‐hyperbolic diffraction traveltime approximations for vertical transverse isotropy media, previously developed for reflection seismology. The accuracy of the final images is directly connected to the accuracy of the diffraction traveltime approximations. We quantified the accuracy of six different approximations, including hyperbolic moveout approximation, by the application of a post‐stack diffraction imaging technique on two‐dimensional synthetic data examples.
On the use of one‐sided statistical tests in biomedical research
Authors: Murphy Ricardo
Published: March 2017

There is a tendency to automatically use two‐sided tests to assess the statistical significance of experimental results. Yet if a theory predicts the direction of an experimental outcome, or if for some practical (eg clinical) reason an outcome in that direction is the only one of interest, then it makes sense to use a one‐sided test. The use of a two‐sided test in these situations will lead to too many false negatives. Consequently treatment effects that corroborate a theory or that are of practical importance may be missed. This problem becomes particularly acute in the case of borderline results. Following a nonsignificant one‐sided test, the possibility of an effect in the direction opposite to that predicted or required can be assessed in an exploratory fashion by computing the odds in favour of such an effect. Anyone is then at liberty to pursue this possibility as they see fit. The question of whether to use a one‐sided or two‐sided statistical test should always be decided on logical grounds not statistical ones, and suspicions regarding the motives of the investigator(s) should be disregarded. On the other hand, this choice can be avoided altogether by assuming that a treatment always has some effect (however small) and then computing the strength of the evidence in favour of the observed or predicted/required effect (ie 1‐P, where P is the one‐sided significance level of the test). With this approach one‐sided and two‐sided tests yield identical results, and so there is effectively only one type of test.
Threats to reliability risk erroneous conclusions: a survey of prospective registration and sample sizes of randomised trials in women's health
Authors: Nijjar SK , Khan KS
Published: March 2017

Objective

Prospective registration of clinical trials has been required since 2005. We aimed to assess concordance between registered and reported sample sizes among prospectively registered randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in obstetrics and gynaecology.

Design

Analysis of prospectively registered and published data.

Setting

Women's health.

Sample

Obstetrics and gynaecology RCTs published in eight journals in 2015.

Methods

Specialist (Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand, BJOG, Obstet Gynecol and Am J Obstet Gynecol) and general (BMJ, N Engl J Med, JAMA and Lancet) journals were searched from 1 January to 31 December 2015 for main reports of obstetrics and gynaecology RCTs. Their corresponding registries and protocols were sought and data were extracted. Proportions and 95% CI were calculated using exact methods.

Main outcome measures

Prospective registration of RCT and sample size concordance between RCTs and their registries within those where registration took place before patients were recruited.

Results

Of the 75 relevant RCTs, 51 (68%, 95% CI 56–78%, P < 0.001 using a null hypothesis requiring 100% compliance) were prospectively registered, a feature found to be more common in general journals versus specialist journals (21/22 versus 30/53, 95% versus 57%, P = 0.001). Of the 51 prospectively registered RCTs, 31 (61%, 95% CI 46–74%, P = 0.003 using a null hypothesis requiring 40% of studies to achieve their stated sample size) did not reach the target sample size.

Conclusions

There are gaps in universal adoption of the prospective trial registration rule. Inability to meet target sample size risks deficiencies in statistical power with unreliability in results.

Tweetable abstract

Only two‐thirds of RCTs in women's health are prospectively registered, and over half fail to achieve target sample sizes.
Metagenomic analysis reveals changes of the Drosophila suzukii microbiota in the newly colonized regions
Authors: Martinez‐Sañudo Isabel , Simonato Mauro , Squartini Andrea , Mori Nicola , Marri Laura , Mazzon Luca
Published: March 2017

The spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae) is a highly polyphagous pest of a wide variety of wild or cultivated berry and stone fruit. Originating from Southeast Asia, it has recently invaded a wide range of regions in Europe and North America. It is well known that insect microbiotas may significantly influence several aspects of the host biology and play an important role in invasive species introduction into new areas. However, in spite of the great economic importance of D. suzukii, a limited attention has been given so far to its microbiota. In this study, we present the first in‐depth characterization of gut bacterial diversity from field (native and invasive range) and lab‐reared populations of this insect. The gut bacterial communities of field insects were dominated, regardless of their origin, by 2 families of the phylum Proteobacteria: Acetobacteraceae and Enterobacteriaceae, while Firmicutes, mainly represented by the family Staphylococcaceae, prevailed in lab‐reared population. Locality was the most significant factor in shaping the microbiota of wild flies. Moreover, a negative correlation between diversity and abundance of Enterobacteriaceae and the time elapsed since the establishment of D. suzukii in a new region was observed. Altogether our results indicate that habitat, food resources as well as the colonization phase of a new region contribute to shape the bacterial communities of the invasive species which, in turn, by evolving more quickly, could influence host adaptation in a new environment.
High dose radiation with chemotherapy followed by salvage esophagectomy among patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Lertbutsayanukul Chawalit , Tharavej Chadin , Klaikeaw Naruemon , Prayongrat Anussara , Lowanitchai Chutinan , Sriuranpong Virote
Published: March 2017

Background

Locoregional failure is a major problem associated with chemoradiation treatment for squamous cell esophageal carcinoma. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility, efficacy, and toxicity of preoperative radiation (dose > 50 Gy) with platinum‐based chemotherapy followed by esophagectomy in locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma.

Methods

Data of patients with cT2‐cT4 or node positive squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus who received trimodality treatment between February 2006 and June 2015 were reviewed.

Results

Forty‐four patients were treated with intensity‐modulated radiation therapy, volumetric‐modulated arc therapy or three‐dimensional radiation therapy. The median radiation dose was 60 Gy. The average volume of the lungs receiving 10 Gy was 48.1%, 20 Gy was 24.5%, and the average mean lung dose was 14 Gy. After chemoradiation, R0 resection was achieved in 31 patients (71%). Patients who received >60 Gy had a higher pathologic complete remission rate than those in the lower dose group (59.1% vs. 36.4%). R0 resection and radiation dose >60 Gy were associated with better overall survival in Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. The median follow‐up duration was 22.4 months and median survival was 25.6 months. Two‐year overall, progression‐free survival and locoregional control rates were 55.9%, 28.6%, and 56%, respectively. The most common grade 3–4 toxicities were esophagitis (63.6%) and neutropenia (25%). Grade 3–4 postoperative morbidities included surgical wound infection (2.3%), acute renal failure (2.3%), and anastomosis stricture (2.3%).

Conclusion

Trimodality treatment with a high preoperative radiation dose and chemotherapy yielded a good pathologic complete response rate, and long‐term survival with low toxicities.
Letter: sustained virological response and liver healing
Authors: Rossotti R. , Garcia‐Fraile Fraile L. J. , Baiguera C. , Puoti M.
Published: March 2017

Linked Content

This article is linked to Mandorfer et al and Schwabl et al papers. To view these articles visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.13999 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.13844.
Letter: NICE referral criteria for lower gastrointestinal alarm features – not ideal but not poor either
Authors: Min L. , Zhao Y. , Xing J. , Zhang S.
Published: March 2017

Linked Content

This article is linked to Simpkins et al papers. To view these articles visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.13996 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.13846.
The dynamics of the oesophageal squamous epithelium ‘normalisation’ process in patients with gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease treated with long‐term acid suppression or anti‐reflux surgery
Authors: Mastracci L. , Fiocca R. , Engström C. , Attwood S. , Ell C. , Galmiche J. P. , Hatlebakk J. G. , Långström G. , Eklund S. , Lind T. , Lundell L.
Published: March 2017

Background

Proton pump inhibitors and laparoscopic anti‐reflux surgery (LARS) offer long‐term symptom control to patients with gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Aim

To evaluate the process of ‘normalisation’ of the squamous epithelium morphology of the distal oesophagus on these therapies.

Methods

In the LOTUS trial, 554 patients with chronic GERD were randomised to receive either esomeprazole (20–40 mg daily) or LARS. After 5 years, 372 patients remained in the study (esomeprazole, 192; LARS, 180). Biopsies were taken at the Z‐line and 2 cm above, at baseline, 1, 3 and 5 years. A severity score was calculated based on: papillae elongation, basal cell hyperplasia, intercellular space dilatations and eosinophilic infiltration. The epithelial proliferative activity was assessed by Ki‐67 immunohistochemistry.

Results

A gradual improvement in all variables over 5 years was noted in both groups, at both the Z‐line and 2 cm above. The severity score decreased from baseline at each subsequent time point in both groups (P < 0.001, all comparisons), attaining a normal level by 5 years. Corresponding decreases in Ki‐67 expression were observed (P < 0.001, all comparisons). No significant differences were found between esomeprazole treatment and LARS. Neither baseline severity score nor Ki‐67 expression predicted the risk of treatment failure.

Conclusions

Five years of treatment is generally required before squamous epithelial cell morphology and proliferation are ‘normalised’ in patients with chronic GERD, despite endoscopic and symptomatic disease control. Control of the acid component of the refluxate seems to play the predominant role in restoring tissue morphology.
Systematic review with network meta‐analysis: comparative efficacy and tolerability of different intravenous iron formulations for the treatment of iron deficiency anaemia in patients with inflammatory bowel disease
Authors: Aksan A. , Işık H. , Radeke H. H. , Dignass A. , Stein J.
Published: March 2017

Background

Iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) is a common complication of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) associated with reduced quality of life and increased hospitalisation rates. While the best way of treating IDA in IBD patients is not clearly established, current European guidelines recommend intravenous iron therapy in IBD patients with severe anaemia or intolerance to oral iron compounds.

Aim

To compare the efficacy and tolerability of different intravenous iron formulations used to treat IDA in IBD patients in a systematic review and Bayesian network meta‐analysis (NMA), PROSPERO registration number: 42016046565.

Methods

In June 2016, we systematically searched for studies analysing efficacy and safety of intravenous iron for IDA therapy in IBD. Primary outcome was therapy response, defined as Hb normalisation or increase ≥2 g/dL.

Results

Five randomised, controlled trials (n = 1143 patients) were included in a network meta‐analysis. Only ferric carboxymaltose was significantly more effective than oral iron [OR=1.9, 95% CrI: (1.1;3.2)]. Rank probabilities showed ferric carboxymaltose to be most effective, followed by iron sucrose, iron isomaltose and oral iron. Pooled data from the systematic review (n = 1746 patients) revealed adverse event rates of 12.0%, 15.3%, 12.0%, 17.0% for ferric carboxymaltose, iron sucrose, iron dextran and iron isomaltose respectively. One drug‐related serious adverse event (SAE) each was reported for ferric carboxymaltose and iron isomaltoside, and one possibly drug‐related SAE for iron sucrose.

Conclusions

Ferric carboxymaltose was the most effective intravenous iron formulation, followed by iron sucrose. In addition, ferric carboxymaltose tended to be better tolerated. Thus, nanocolloidal IV iron products exhibit differing therapeutic and safety characteristics and are not interchangeable.
Performing routine follow‐up biopsy 1 year after diagnosis does not affect long‐term outcomes in coeliac disease
Authors: Pekki H. , Kurppa K. , Mäki M. , Huhtala H. , Laurila K. , Ilus T. , Kaukinen K.
Published: March 2017

Background

A repeat biopsy is recommended, but often omitted in coeliac disease patients on a gluten‐free diet. The effect of performing or not performing repeat biopsies is currently unknown.

Aim

To identify factors associated with and the significance of lacking biopsy for long‐term outcome. Predictors and the importance of incomplete histological recovery after 1 year was investigated in re‐biopsied patients.

Methods

A total of 760 patients participated in a nationwide follow‐up study. Medical data were gathered via interviews and patient records, and blood samples were drawn for serology. Current symptoms and well‐being were assessed by validated PGWB, SF‐36 and GSRS questionnaires.

Results

Malabsorption was more common among those with a repeat biopsy (46%) than those without repeat biopsy (33%), P < 0.001, as were severe symptoms at diagnosis (24% vs. 16%, P = 0.05) and concomitant gastrointestinal (40% vs. 32%, P = 0.049) or musculoskeletal (35% vs. 27%, P = 0.023) diseases such as arthritis, osteoporosis and back pain. Repeat biopsy was more rare in subjects diagnosed in private care (11% vs. 23%, P < 0.001) or by screening (10% vs. 16%, P = 0.010). The groups were comparable as to current symptoms and dietary adherence, but those without re‐biopsy were less confident of their diet (89% vs. 94%, P = 0.002) and more often seropositive on diet (14% vs. 9%, P = 0.012). They reported better SF‐36 physical functioning (P = 0.043) and less pain and indigestion (P = 0.013 and P = 0.046 respectively) and total GSRS (P = 0.052) score. Incomplete mucosal recovery was predicted by more advanced histological (P < 0.001) and serological (P = 0.001) disease at diagnosis, whereas the groups did not differ in long‐term adherence, symptoms, seropositivity, questionnaire scores, frequency of fractures or malignancies.

Conclusions

Severe disease at diagnosis predicted the record of a repeat biopsy and incomplete mucosal recovery. Neither lacking biopsy nor incomplete recovery in a relative short time span of 1 year was associated with poorer long‐term outcome, although survival bias cannot be excluded.
Linking online social proximity and workplace location: social enterprise employees in British Columbia
Authors: Keane Oliver , Hall Peter V , Schuurman Nadine , Kingsbury Paul
Published: March 2017

Online professional networks have the potential to expedite and expand the success of corporations and, especially, socially oriented enterprises – such as non‐governmental organisations (NGOs) and social enterprises, which are businesses owned and operated by a non‐profit. Research to date has not examined the extent and composition of online professional social networks among social enterprise employees nor their inter‐relationships. Specifically, the link between individual connectivity and physical workplace is not understood. The purpose of this study was to provide a geographical understanding of communication amongst social enterprise employees. In British Columbia, Canada, 358 social enterprises and their most senior staff member were located on LinkedIn. Social network analysis, geographic information system (GIS) analysis and statistical analysis revealed that senior staff which had a betweenness centrality score were more than expectedly located in workplaces within the metropolis (Greater Vancouver) and within very highly materially deprived areas within the city. Further analysis showed that the majority of senior staff that had a betweenness centrality score, or that were directly connected to a senior staff member with a betweenness centrality score, were clustered within a 65 square kilometre downtown zone in the metropolis. This suggests the existence of ‘local buzz’, ‘regional pipelines’ and a digital divide drawn along metropolitan lines. This research represents the early understanding of social networks and their role in connecting enterprises with similar (or competing) goals along the axis of space.
Groupwise Envelope Models for Imaging Genetic Analysis
Authors: Park Yeonhee , Su Zhihua , Zhu Hongtu
Published: March 2017

Motivated by searching for associations between genetic variants and brain imaging phenotypes, the aim of this article is to develop a groupwise envelope model for multivariate linear regression in order to establish the association between both multivariate responses and covariates. The groupwise envelope model allows for both distinct regression coefficients and distinct error structures for different groups. Statistically, the proposed envelope model can dramatically improve efficiency of tests and of estimation. Theoretical properties of the proposed model are established. Numerical experiments as well as the analysis of an imaging genetic data set obtained from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) study show the effectiveness of the model in efficient estimation. Data used in preparation of this article were obtained from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database.
TO REGULATE OR TO DEREGULATE? THE ROLE OF DOWNSTREAM COMPETITION IN UPSTREAM MONOPOLY VERTICALLY LINKED MARKETS
Authors: Polemis Michael , Eleftheriou Konstantinos
Published: March 2017

This paper attempts to cast light to the effect of monopoly regulation in Cournot markets compared to its effect in Bertrand markets. To this purpose, we use a simple model of a vertically linked market, where an upstream regulated natural monopoly is trading via two‐part tariff contracts with a downstream duopoly. Combining our results to those of the existing literature on deregulated markets, we argue that when the downstream competition is in prices, efficiency dictates regulating the monopoly with a marginal cost based pricing scheme. However, this type of regulation leads to significant welfare loss, when the downstream market is characterized by Cournot competition.
Current and future therapies for addressing the effects of inflammation on HDL cholesterol metabolism
Authors: Iqbal Fatima , Baker Wendy S , Khan Madiha I , Thukuntla Shwetha , McKinney Kevin H , Abate Nicola , Tuvdendorj Demidmaa
Published: March 2017

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Inflammatory processes arising from metabolic abnormalities are known to precipitate the development of CVD. Several metabolic and inflammatory markers have been proposed for predicting the progression of CVD, including high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐C). For ~50 years, HDL‐C has been considered as the atheroprotective ‘good’ cholesterol because of its strong inverse association with the progression of CVD. Thus, interventions to increase the concentration of HDL‐C have been successfully tested in animals; however, clinical trials were unable to confirm the cardiovascular benefits of pharmaceutical interventions aimed at increasing HDL‐C levels. Based on these data, the significance of HDL‐C in the prevention of CVD has been called into question. Fundamental in vitro and animal studies suggest that HDL‐C functionality, rather than HDL‐C concentration, is important for the CVD‐preventive qualities of HDL‐C. Our current review of the literature positively demonstrates the negative impact of systemic and tissue (i.e. adipose tissue) inflammation in the healthy metabolism and function of HDL‐C. Our survey indicates that HDL‐C may be a good marker of adipose tissue health, independently of its atheroprotective associations. We summarize the current findings on the use of anti‐inflammatory drugs to either prevent HDL‐C clearance or improve the function and production of HDL‐C particles. It is evident that the therapeutic agents currently available may not provide the optimal strategy for altering HDL‐C metabolism and function, and thus, further research is required to supplement this mechanistic approach for preventing the progression of CVD.

Linked Articles

This article is part of a themed section on Targeting Inflammation to Reduce Cardiovascular Disease Risk. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v174.22/issuetoc and http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bcp.v82.4/issuetoc
Family‐centred service: differences in what parents of children with cerebral palsy rate important
Authors: Terwiel M. , Alsem M. W. , Siebes R. C. , Bieleman K. , Verhoef M. , Ketelaar M.
Published: March 2017

Background

A family‐centred approach to services of children with disabilities is widely accepted as the foundational approach to service delivery in paediatric health care. The 56 items of the Measure of Processes of Care questionnaire (MPOC‐56) all reflect elements of family‐centred service. In this study, we investigated which elements of family‐centred service are rated important by parents of children with cerebral palsy by adding a question on importance to each item of the MPOC‐56 (MPOC‐56‐I).

Methods

In total, 175 parents of children with cerebral palsy completed the MPOC‐56‐I. For each MPOC item, parents were asked to rate the importance on a 5‐point scale ranging from 0 (not important at all) up to and including 4 (very important). We used Spearman's rank correlation coefficient to further explore the variation in parents' importance ratings.

Results

Parents' importance ratings of the MPOC‐56 items varied. The percentage of parents rating an item important (importance rating 3 or 4) varied between 43.8% and 96.8%. The percentage of parents rating an item unimportant (rating 0 or 1) varied between 0.0% and 20.3%, and the percentage of parents rating an item neutral (rating 2) varied between 3.0% and 36.0%. Most diverse importance ratings were found for five items concerning the provision of general information. Three correlations between these items and child and parent characteristics were found. Six items were rated important by almost all (≥95%) parents. These items concern elements of specific information about the child, co‐ordinated and comprehensive care for child and family and enabling and partnership.

Conclusions

Parents rate the importance of family‐centred services for their situation in various ways. These findings endorse that family‐centred services should recognize the uniqueness of families and should be tailored to what parents find important.
Multimodal Word Meaning Induction From Minimal Exposure to Natural Text
Authors: Lazaridou Angeliki , Marelli Marco , Baroni Marco
Published: March 2017

By the time they reach early adulthood, English speakers are familiar with the meaning of thousands of words. In the last decades, computational simulations known as distributional semantic models (DSMs) have demonstrated that it is possible to induce word meaning representations solely from word co‐occurrence statistics extracted from a large amount of text. However, while these models learn in batch mode from large corpora, human word learning proceeds incrementally after minimal exposure to new words. In this study, we run a set of experiments investigating whether minimal distributional evidence from very short passages suffices to trigger successful word learning in subjects, testing their linguistic and visual intuitions about the concepts associated with new words. After confirming that subjects are indeed very efficient distributional learners even from small amounts of evidence, we test a DSM on the same multimodal task, finding that it behaves in a remarkable human‐like way. We conclude that DSMs provide a convincing computational account of word learning even at the early stages in which a word is first encountered, and the way they build meaning representations can offer new insights into human language acquisition.
The development of bodily self‐consciousness: changing responses to the Full Body Illusion in childhood
Authors: Cowie Dorothy , McKenna Aisling , Bremner Andrew J. , Aspell Jane E.
Published: March 2017

The present work investigates the development of bodily self‐consciousness and its relation to multisensory bodily information, by measuring for the first time the development of responses to the full body illusion in childhood. We tested three age groups of children: 6‐ to 7‐year‐olds (n = 28); 8‐ to 9‐year‐olds (n = 21); 10‐ to 11‐year‐olds (n = 19), and a group of adults (n = 31). Each participant wore a head‐mounted display (HMD) which displayed a view from a video camera positioned 2 metres behind their own back. Thus, they could view a virtual body from behind. We manipulated visuo‐tactile synchrony by showing the participants a view of their virtual back being stroked with a stick at the same time and same place as their real back (synchronous condition), or at different times and places (asynchronous condition). After each period of stroking, we measured three aspects of bodily self‐consciousness: drift in perceived self‐location, self‐identification with the virtual body, and touch referral to the virtual body. Results show that self‐identification with the virtual body was significantly stronger in the synchronous condition than in the asynchronous condition even in the youngest group tested; however, the size of this effect increased with age. Touch referral to the virtual body was greater in the synchronous condition than in the asynchronous condition only for 10‐ to 11‐year‐olds and adults. Drift in perceived self‐location was greater in the synchronous condition than in the asynchronous condition only for adults. Thus, the youngest age tested can self‐identify with a virtual body, but the links between multisensory signals and bodily self‐consciousness develop significantly across childhood. This suggests a long period of development of the bodily self and exciting potential for the use of virtual reality technologies with children.
From neuron to behavior: Sensory‐motor coordination of zebrafish turning behavior
Authors: Umeda Keiko , Shoji Wataru
Published: March 2017

Recent development of optogenetics brought non‐invasive neural activation in living organisms. Transparent zebrafish larva is one of the suitable animal models for this technique, which enables us to investigate neural circuits for behaviors based on a whole individual nervous system. In this article we review our recent finding that suggests sensory‐motor coordination in larval zebrafish escape behavior. When water vibration stimulates mechanosensory Rohon‐Beard (RB) neurons, intra‐spinal reflex circuit launches contralateral trunk muscle contraction that makes rapid body curvature for turning. In addition, positional information of the stimulus is conveyed to supra‐spinal circuits, and then regulates the curvature strength for appropriate escape pathway from the threat. Sensory‐motor coordination is a fundamental feature to adapt behaviors to environment, and zebrafish larvae would be an excellent model for elucidating its neural backbones.
Dispersal of Eastern King Prawn larvae in a western boundary current: New insights from particle tracking
Authors: Everett Jason D. , van Sebille Erik , Taylor Matthew D. , Suthers Iain M. , Setio Christopher , Cetina‐Heredia Paulina , Smith James A.
Published: March 2017

Patterns in larval transport of coastal species have important implications for species connectivity, conservation, and fisheries, especially in the vicinity of a strengthening boundary current. An Ocean General Circulation Model for the Earth Simulator particle tracking model was used to assess the potential dispersal of Eastern King Prawn (EKP) larvae Melicertus (Penaeus) plebejus, an important commercial and recreational species in Eastern Australia. Particles were exposed to a constant natural mortality rate, and temperature‐dependent growth (degree‐days) was used to determine the time of settlement. Forward and backward simulations were used to identify the extent of larval dispersal from key source locations, and to determine the putative spawning regions for four settlement sites. The mean dispersal distance for larvae was extensive (~750–1,000 km before settlement), yet the northern spawning locations were unlikely to contribute larvae to the most southern extent of the EKP range. There was generally great offshore dispersal of larvae, with only 2%–5% of larvae on the continental shelf at the time of settlement. Our particle tracking results were combined with existing site‐specific reproductive potentials to identify the relative contributions of larvae from key source locations. Although mid‐latitude sites had only moderate reproductive potential, they delivered the most particles to the southern coast and are probably the most important sources of larval EKP for the two southern estuaries. Our modelling suggests that mesoscale oceanography is a strong determinant of recruitment success of the EKP, and highlights the importance of both larval dispersal and reproductive potential for understanding connectivity across a species’ range.
Predictors of pruritus in patients with chronic liver disease and usefulness of nalfurafine hydrochloride
Authors: Akuta Norio , Kumada Hiromitsu , Fujiyama Shunichiro , Kawamura Yusuke , Sezaki Hitomi , Hosaka Tetsuya , Kobayashi Masahiro , Kobayashi Mariko , Saitoh Satoshi , Suzuki Yoshiyuki , Suzuki Fumitaka , Arase Yasuji , Ikeda Kenji
Published: March 2017

Aim

Pruritus is one of the complications of chronic liver disease, and it is important to investigate the predictors.

Methods

Six hundred and seventy‐three consecutive Japanese patients with chronic liver disease were retrospectively investigated for itch severity. Furthermore, 138 of all 673 patients were introduced to nalfurafine hydrochloride, and the improvement of itch severity was evaluated. The itch severity was self‐assessed using the pruritus scores by Kawashima's criteria and visual analog scale.

Results

Two hundred and twenty‐nine of the 673 patients (34.0%) were evaluated as 1 point or more of pruritus severity of Kawashima's criteria, and 46 patients (6.8 %) as 3 points or more. Multivariate analysis established that being negative for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and presence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were significant determinants of pruritus (≥1 point of Kawashima's criteria), and being negative for HBsAg and having lower levels of platelet count were significant determinants of severe pruritus (≥3 points). Ninety‐three of the 138 patients (67.4%) with nalfurafine hydrochloride indicated improvement of itch, defined as a decrease in VAS of 50 mm or more. There were no significant differences in treatment efficacy of nalfurafine hydrochloride, regardless of the three predictors of pruritus (HBsAg, HCC and platelet count).

Conclusion

The present retrospective study indicated the predictors for pruritus, based on the large number of patients with chronic liver disease. Furthermore, this study demonstrated that nalfurafine hydrochloride may be useful for pruritus, regardless of the predictors.
The Multilevel Nature of Customer Experience Research: An Integrative Review and Research Agenda
Authors: Kranzbühler Anne‐Madeleine , Kleijnen Mirella H.P. , Morgan Robert E. , Teerling Marije
Published: March 2017

Over the last three decades, customer experience (CE) has developed from a burgeoning concept to a widely recognized phenomenon in terms of both research and practice. To account for the complexity of consumption decisions, the CE literature encompasses both the rational information processing approach to consumer decision‐making and the experiential approach, which includes emotions, feelings and sub‐consciousness. The authors classify and examine CE research on two levels. Studies on static CE analyze experiences during touchpoints at one point in time, while studies on dynamic CE assess how experiences evolve over time. Furthermore, both static and dynamic CE research take place from two distinct theoretical perspectives: the organization and the consumer. As both theoretical perspectives essentially deal with the same phenomenon – the organizational perspective with the creation of CEs and the consumer perspective with the perception of customer experiences – there is potential for a productive symbiosis between them. The authors propose that connecting insights from both perspectives can contribute to a better understanding of what constitutes a CE for consumers and how firms can effectively manage it. First, the authors discuss the development of CE and argue that it has evolved into a broad and fragmented ‘umbrella construct’. Second, after distinguishing and defining static and dynamic CE, they systematically evaluate the state of knowledge in both the organizational and consumer perspectives. Finally, they develop an agenda for future research that integrates the consumer perspective into organizational CE research.
Cultural mediation through vernacularization: framing rights claims through the day‐off campaign for migrant domestic workers in Singapore
Authors: Koh Chiu Yee , Wee Kellynn , Goh Charmian , Yeoh Brenda S.A.
Published: March 2017

Scholarship on civil society in Singapore has tended to emphasize the structural and institutional constraints on civil society space. Conversely, little attention is paid to the broader cultural and discursive realms in which civil society and state actors operate. This article seeks to address this gap by analysing the day‐off campaign for migrant domestic workers in Singapore. We demonstrate that by employing the cultural mediation strategy of vernacularization, civil society was able to frame migrant rights claims in a manner that resonated with the institutional logics and cultural repertoire of Singapore society. Civil society actors gained headway by adapting the discourse on migrant rights to Singapore's socio‐cultural and political context in three ways: by reframing rights claims into a moral appeal; by appealing to the cost‐benefit logics of Singaporean employers of migrant domestic workers; and by situating the provision of migrant labour protections as a relative market position.
The management of discipline and grievances in British workplaces: the evidence from 2011 WERS
Authors: Wood Stephen , Saundry Richard , Latreille Paul
Published: March 2017

This study tests the assumptions and prescriptions of the Gibbons' Review of dispute resolution in the UK. Contrary to these, the formalisation of dispute resolution has continued and is not strongly related to the level of disputes or tribunal cases nor is the use of mediation which is complementing not replacing formalisation.