bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Testing IB theories with meta-analytic structural equation modeling
Authors: Tang Ryan W. , Cheung Mike W.-L.
Published: November 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how international business (IB) researchers can benefit from meta-analytic structural equation modeling (MASEM) by introducing a statistically rigorous approach (i.e. two-stage meta-analytic structural equation modeling or TSSEM) and comparing it with a conventional approach (i.e. the univariate-r approach). The illustration and comparison present a methodological overview of MASEM that will assist IB researchers in selecting an optimal method.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the MASEM method is elaborated upon, and methodological issues are addressed, by comparing the TSSEM and the univariate-r approaches using an empirical illustration. In this illustrative example, which is based on transaction cost economics, the effects of a firm’s internal factors on its levels of commitment in an international entry strategy are examined.

Findings

The MASEM method can help IB researchers to test and build on IB theories by synthesizing findings in the extant literature because this method reflects the theoretical complexity of IB (e.g. intercorrelationships among factors). Comparing the two approaches of MASEM, it is found in this study that due to its statistical rigorousness TSSEM has methodological advantages in helping IB researchers test theoretical models.

Originality/value

This is the first study to introduce MASEM into the discipline of IB strategies. In this paper, the authors introduce an advanced research method and illustrate two ways of using it.
Advancing the entrepreneurial orientation construct: the role of passion and perseverance
Authors: Gerschewski Stephan , Lindsay Valerie J. , Rose Elizabeth
Published: November 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine how entrepreneurial orientation (EO) is manifested in the context of born global firms. Specifically, the authors investigate the extent to which the EO dimensions of the influential Miller/Covin & Slevin scale are demonstrated in born globals. In addition, following calls in the literature, some as-yet unrecognised dimensions of EO in born globals are examined.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use a qualitative research approach by conducting semi-structured, in-depth interviews with eight born global firms from New Zealand and Australia.

Findings

The authors find that the EO dimensions of proactiveness and innovativeness are strongly prevalent in these firms. In contrast to the extant literature, the results also indicate that these born global firms generally display a relatively low level of risk-taking. The authors find strong empirical support for two additional emerging dimensions of EO: passion and perseverance.

Originality/value

The study provides two key contributions to the area of international entrepreneurship by investigating how EO is prevalent in the context of born globals and by proposing the new dimensions of passion and perseverance.
A survey of information literacy credit courses in US academic libraries
Authors: Cohen Nadine , Holdsworth Liz , Prechtel John M. , Newby Jill , Mery Yvonne , Pfander Jeanne , Eagleson Laurie
Published: November 2016

Purpose

There is a lack of data about information literacy (IL) credit courses in US academic libraries. This paper aims to provide a detailed snapshot of IL credit courses, including percentages of libraries that offer credit courses, the number of credits offered, the audience and how public institutions differ from private nonprofits and for-profits.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors surveyed a stratified random sample of libraries at higher education institutions across all categories from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Qualtrics software was used to create and distribute the email survey. The response rate was 39 per cent (n = 691).

Findings

In all, 19 per cent of the institutions in the survey have IL credit courses taught by librarians. Large institutions, public institutions and those granting doctoral degrees are the most likely to offer IL credit courses. The majority of these courses are undergraduate electives of 1-2 credit hours offered under the library aegis, although a significant minority are required, worth 3-4 credit hours, and taught within another academic department or campus-wide program.

Originality/value

The findings update previous surveys and provide a more granular picture of the characteristics of librarian-taught credit-bearing courses, the types of academic institutions that offer them and compensation teaching librarians receive. This survey is the first study of credit-bearing IL instruction to include for-profit colleges and universities.
Beset by the digital revolution successful retailers embrace technology that enhances customer value
Authors: Blitz Amy
Published: November 2016

Purpose

The authorseeks to identify what strategies are successful companies using to navigate this ever-evolving retail landscape? And what strategies and best practices can be learned from the retail sector for thriving amid major economic transformations such as the current one?

Design/methodology/approach

To help explain the divergence in performance across U.S. retailers given the same general macro context, the research focused on four companies – Target, Kohl’s, JC Penney and Sears.

Findings

Successful retailers focused on using technology to build value for customers first, and as a result shareholder value ensued.

Practical implications

One key indicator of the connection between a company and its customers is the effectiveness of its social media presence.

Originality/value

The article presents evidence that in order o leverage the full power of technology, retailers must make strategic investments in technology that enable them to understand who their customers are; determine what their customers most need and offer products and services that address these needs seamlessly in stores and online.
Precipitation alters interactions in a grassland ecological community
Authors: Deguines Nicolas , Brashares Justin S. , Prugh Laura R.
Published: November 2016

Climate change is transforming precipitation regimes world‐wide. Changes in precipitation regimes are known to have powerful effects on plant productivity, but the consequences of these shifts for the dynamics of ecological communities are poorly understood. This knowledge gap hinders our ability to anticipate and mitigate the impacts of climate change on biodiversity.

Precipitation may affect fauna through direct effects on physiology, behaviour or demography, through plant‐mediated indirect effects, or by modifying interactions among species. In this paper, we examined the response of a semi‐arid ecological community to a fivefold change in precipitation over 7 years.

We examined the effects of precipitation on the dynamics of a grassland ecosystem in central California from 2007 to 2013. We conducted vegetation surveys, pitfall trapping of invertebrates, visual surveys of lizards and capture–mark–recapture surveys of rodents on 30 plots each year. We used structural equation modelling to evaluate the direct, indirect and modifying effects of precipitation on plants, ants, beetles, orthopterans, kangaroo rats, ground squirrels and lizards.

We found pervasive effects of precipitation on the ecological community. Although precipitation increased plant biomass, direct effects on fauna were often stronger than plant‐mediated effects. In addition, precipitation altered the sign or strength of consumer‐resource and facilitative interactions among the faunal community such that negative or neutral interactions became positive or vice versa with increasing precipitation.

These findings indicate that precipitation influences ecological communities in multiple ways beyond its recognized effects on primary productivity. Stochastic variation in precipitation may weaken the average strength of biotic interactions over time, thereby increasing ecosystem stability and resilience to climate change.
Happens in the best of subfamilies: establishment and repeated replacements of co‐obligate secondary endosymbionts within Lachninae aphids
Authors: Manzano‐Marín Alejandro , Szabó Gitta , Simon Jean‐Christophe , Horn Matthias , Latorre Amparo
Published: November 2016

Virtually all aphids maintain an obligate mutualistic symbiosis with bacteria from theBuchneragenus, which produce essential nutrients for their aphid hosts. Most aphids from the Lachninae subfamily have been consistently found to house additional endosymbionts, mainlySerratia symbiotica. This apparent dependence on secondary endosymbionts was proposed to have been triggered by the loss of the riboflavin biosynthetic capability byBuchnerain the Lachninae last common ancestor. However, an integral large‐scale analysis of secondary endosymbionts in the Lachninae is still missing, hampering the interpretation of the evolutionary and genomic analyses of these endosymbionts. Here, we analysed the endosymbionts of selected representatives from seven different Lachninae genera and nineteen species, spanning four tribes, both by FISH (exploring the symbionts’ morphology and tissue tropism) and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. We demonstrate that all analysed aphids possess dual symbiotic systems, and while most harbourS. symbiotica, some have undergone symbiont replacement by other phylogenetically‐distinct bacterial taxa. We found that these secondary associates display contrasting cell shapes and tissue tropism, and some appear to be lineage‐specific. We propose a scenario for symbiont establishment in the Lachninae, followed by changes in the symbiont's tissue tropism and symbiont replacement events, thereby highlighting the extraordinary versatility of host‐symbiont interactions.
Philip IV of Spain and the Portuguese Inquisition (1621–1641)
Authors: Paiva José P.
Published: November 2016

The historiography of the Iberian Inquisitions has focused on analysing relations between the Holy Office and the secular authorities in the society in which it operated. The Inquisition was not an island. It influenced and was influenced by society. This line of inquiry will be reprised to study relations between the Crown and the Portuguese Inquisition in a complex and difficult period in the history of the Hispanic monarchy, namely the reign of Philip IV, during which the kingdom of Portugal regained full independence in 1640. It will offer a holistic view of the institution (not restricted to policies designed to repress heresy), and a detailed reconstruction of events in order to demonstrate the dynamic nature of these processes. The essential problem will be to determine the impact of the Crown's offensive, launched in an attempt to dominate the Tribunal, and the strategies and results of the response of the Inquisition, commanded by its Inquisitor Generals and the General Council of the Holy Office.
Media, Mediation and the Curatorial Value of Professional Anthropologists
Authors: POWELL MICHAEL G.
Published: November 2016

This paper seeks to broaden the discipline of professional anthropology by considering the role of the anthropologist as a curator and a guide for the mediation of cultural symbols, artifacts and products in and among the organizations we work for or with. It employs two case studies of product curation activities, guided by strategic insights shaped in part by a professional cultural anthropologist. The paper builds on prior discussions and insights within the EPIC community to suggest potential new directions for professional anthropologists to pursue, alongside and/or outside of ethnographic research projects.
What Is a Sustainable Innovation? Cultural and Contextual Discoveries in the Social Ecology of Cooking in an African Slum
Authors: GEORG WILLIAM SCHINDHELM , JONES PETER HAYWARD
Published: November 2016

This paper investigates how a close understanding of human activity can inform the design of culturally and contextually sustainable innovations for subsistence markets. Building on existing literature related to poverty alleviation initiatives and an ethnographic field study, this project attempted to understand the cultural and contextual challenges to the substitution of unhealthy and unsustainable biomass as cooking fuels by cleaner and competitive cooking alternatives in Kitintale, an urban slum in Kampala, Uganda. We share new research findings and experience from a recent ethnographic study that reveals the incompatibility of modern innovation theory with the realities of the deeply knitted everyday practices in the social ecology of slum life. As the findings of this project suggest, broad claims that disruptive innovation can shift existing practices, change demand and displace market leaders through the creation of new value networks might not fully apply in a context where the existence of cultural patterns have shaped the evolution of indigenous solutions over generations, and reactivity to daily circumstances is high.
‘It's Not Just about the Patient’: A ‘360° Feedback’ Ethnography of Chronic Care Knowledge Generation
Authors: MAHAPATRA JYOTIRMAYA , RANGASWAMY NIMMI , NAGWANSHI SAJAL
Published: November 2016

The paper attempts to offer a method to consistently monitor and capture a data eco‐system in the everyday of a patient‐caregiver relationship. We offer an account of the capture and intermeshing of different types and quality of data sources and their gainful deflection into a methodological protocol for ethnographic engagements. We call this the ‘360° feedback’ ethnography and elaborate its underlying methodological process in this paper. Building on the live feedback obtained from various stakeholder activities in a care ecosystem, we propose how a 360° feedback can enrich regenerative knowledge.
Paco—Applying Computational Methods to Scale Qualitative Methods
Authors: EVANS BOB
Published: November 2016

For several years we have been building and using an open mobile research platform, called Paco, that enables the scaling of qualitative research through quantitative, computational techniques. The platform provides a mechanism to design and deliver remote research instruments to mobile devices in the field and it provides mechanisms to abstract and develop new research tools.

The most immediate way the platform scales qualitative research is by enabling researchers to visually design, deploy, and manage research instruments comprised of surveys, triggers and sensor logging without needing to program or build a new mobile app. The combination of sensors, surveys and triggers supports idiographic, phenomenological, qualitative inquiry as well as contextual data collection in participants’ natural setting.

Stepping back, the platform is an experiment in scaling the generation of new instruments and the generation of new knowledge in the science itself. Under the covers, Paco is implemented as an open construction kit of research components for all to use and modify as they like. Its design enables computational thinking [Wing] about both qualitative and quantitative behavioral research. It makes it possible to generate an infinite combination of research instruments from basic building blocks. Specifically, it borrows concepts and practices from programming language design, software architecture, and the software community.

By writing down the elements and methods for research instruments in a precisely specified, machine‐executable language, they become more clear. This makes them better understood. This scales the generation of knowledge in behavioral science.

Automated tools cannot replace the researcher. Ethnography has a very deep rich practice of immersive field work and analysis. The researcher is the ultimate instrument for understanding what is significant both individually and culturally within any study. Paco merely offers tools to support and advance the practice by scaling methods, automating parts that are amenable, and, by facilitating precise characterization of the data and data collection protocols.

There are many challenges to how well computational methods can model and support behavioral research, particularly the qualitative methods used in ethnography. We finish with a discussion of some of the theoretical and practical challenges and how our method meets, and doesn't meet, those challenges.
Strategy as an Unfolding Network of Associations
Authors: HOY TOM , ROWLEY TOM
Published: November 2016

This case explores a business strategy development project run by Stripe Partners for a London‐based online healthcare company, Dr Ed. The first part lays out the details of the process: an intense four‐day ethnographic research programme called the ‘Studio’ involving the Dr Ed senior management team. The second half reflects on the outcomes of the process one year on through a series of management interviews, and evaluates the contribution the Studio made in relation to the new business strategy. The evidence from the case suggests that the concept of strategy can be reappraised. From strategy as a static set of choices made at a specific point in time to strategy as an unfolding network of people, shared experiences and artefacts that is constantly being remade. The primary benefit of the Studio approach is its capacity to initiate, align and catalyse a ‘strategy network’. Studios are effective because they combine ethnographic encounters with collective problem solving to produce rich, tacit forms of knowledge that engender shared commitment and understanding.
Have You Heard? Using Place‐Based Ethnography to Construct a Word‐of‐Mouth Campaign in the Bottom of the Pyramid
Authors: GIROUX JENNIFER , NGUYEN ZUNG
Published: November 2016

The “bottom of the pyramid” concept has promised companies that they can simultaneously create wealth and social impact when serving the world's poorest customers. In reality, companies have faced multiple challenges when trying to acquire and retain customers in the “bottom of the pyramid”. This case study captures the journey of one such company that is operating low‐cost private schools in slums and remote villages in an African country. Despite delivering a solid educational quality, the company was facing retention issues, and was struggling to maintain a healthy student population. Leadership diagnosed that a word of mouth marketing campaign would be important to increase acquisition and retention; but it did not know where to start. By designing a place‐based ethnographic approach, ReD was able to gain the customer centric insights needed to design a new value proposition and engagement model that tapped into and leveraged word‐of‐mouth social dynamics.
Developing Socially Acceptable Autonomous Vehicles
Authors: VINKHUYZEN ERIK , CEFKIN MELISSA
Published: November 2016

Recognizing that the movement of cars on the road involves inherently social action, Nissan hired a team of social scientists to lead research for the development of autonomous vehicles (AVs) that engage with pedestrians, bicyclists, and other cars in a socially acceptable manner. We are expected to provide results that can be implemented into algorithms, resulting in a challenge to our social science perspective: How do we translate what are observably social practices into implementable algorithms when road use practices are so often contingent on the particulars of a situation, and these situations defy easy categorization and generalization? This case study explores how our cross‐disciplinary engagements have proceeded. A particular challenge for our efforts is the limitations of the technology in making observational distinctions that socially acceptable driving necessitates. We also illustrate some of the significant successes we've already achieved, including the identification of road use practices that are translatable into AV software and the development of a concept, called the Intention Indicator, for how the AV might communicate with other road users. We continue to investigate road use to uncover and describe the ways in which the social interpretation of the world can enhance the design and behavior of AVs.
A new sequence data set of SSU rRNA gene for Scleractinia and its phylogenetic and ecological applications
Authors: Arrigoni Roberto , Vacherie Benoît , Benzoni Francesca , Stefani Fabrizio , Karsenti Eric , Jaillon Olivier , Not Fabrice , Nunes Flavia , Payri Claude , Wincker Patrick , Barbe Valérie
Published: November 2016

Scleractinian corals (i.e. hard corals) play a fundamental role in building and maintaining coral reefs, one of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth. Nevertheless, their phylogenies remain largely unresolved and little is known about dispersal and survival of their planktonic larval phase. The small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) is a commonly used gene for DNA barcoding in several metazoans, and small variable regions of SSU rRNA are widely adopted as barcode marker to investigate marine plankton community structure worldwide. Here, we provide a large sequence data set of the complete SSU rRNA gene from 298 specimens, representing all known extant reef coral families and a total of 106 genera. The secondary structure was extremely conserved within the order with few exceptions due to insertions or deletions occurring in the variable regions. Remarkable differences in SSU rRNA length and base composition were detected between and within acroporids (Acropora, Montipora, Isopora and Alveopora) compared to other corals. The V4 and V9 regions seem to be promising barcode loci because variation at commonly used barcode primer binding sites was extremely low, while their levels of divergence allowed families and genera to be distinguished. A time‐calibrated phylogeny of Scleractinia is provided, and mutation rate heterogeneity is demonstrated across main lineages. The use of this data set as a valuable reference for investigating aspects of ecology, biology, molecular taxonomy and evolution of scleractinian corals is discussed.
Choice of anaesthesia for category‐1 caesarean section in women with anticipated difficult tracheal intubation: the use of decision analysis
Authors: Krom A. J. , Cohen Y. , Miller J. P. , Ezri T. , Halpern S. H. , Ginosar Y.
Published: November 2016

A predicted difficult airway is sometimes considered a contra‐indication to rapid sequence induction of general anaesthesia, even in an urgent case such as a category‐1 caesarean section for fetal distress. However, formally assessing the risk is difficult because of the rarity and urgency of such cases. We have used decision analysis to quantify the time taken to establish anaesthesia, and probability of failure, of three possible anaesthetic methods, based on a systematic review of the literature. We considered rapid sequence induction of general anaesthesia with videolaryngoscopy, awake fibreoptic intubation and rapid spinal anaesthesia. Our results show a shorter mean (95% CI) time to induction of 100 (87–114) s using rapid sequence induction compared with 9 (7–11) min for awake fibreoptic intubation (p < 0.0001) and 6.3 (5.4–7.2) min for spinal anaesthesia (p < 0.0001). We calculate the risk of ultimate failed airway control after rapid sequence induction to be 21 (0–53) per 100,000 cases, and postulate that some mothers may accept such a risk in order to reduce potential fetal harm from an extended time interval until delivery. Although rapid sequence induction may not be the anaesthetic technique of choice for all cases in the circumstance of a category‐1 caesarean section for fetal distress with a predicted difficult airway, we suggest that it is an acceptable option.
Insulin‐like growth factor 1 and metabolic parameters are associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in obese children and adolescents
Authors: Liang Shuang , Cheng Xiangdeng , Hu Yanyan , Song Ruxin , Li Guimei
Published: November 2016

Aim

Few studies have investigated the relationship between paediatric nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and insulin‐like growth factor 1 (IGF‐1). This study, carried out from July 2013 to September 2015, aimed to fill the gap and added metabolic parameters to the analysis.

Methods

This was a cross‐sectional study of 168 obese children and adolescents (84% male), divided into two groups based on the presence (n = 90) or absence (n = 78) of NAFLD. All participants underwent clinical examinations, anthropometric and laboratory examinations and liver ultrasonography.

Results

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease patients had significantly lower IGF‐1 standard deviation score (IGF‐1 SDS) and higher body mass index (BMI), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA‐IR) and uric acid levels than the control group. The prevalence rate of NAFLD was negatively correlated with the IGF‐1 SDS. IGF‐1 SDS was negatively associated with NAFLD, while BMI, HOMA‐IR and uric acid were positively associated with NAFLD. The combined analysis of the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for multiple variables, including IGF‐1 SDS, BMI, HOMA‐IR and uric acid, was 0.812, with a sensitivity of 78.89% and specificity of 74.36%.

Conclusion

IGF‐1, BMI, HOMA‐IR and uric acid were useful markers of NAFLD in obese children and adolescents.
What are standardized literacy and numeracy tests testing? Evidence of the domain‐general contributions to students’ standardized educational test performance
Authors: Howard Steven J. , Woodcock Stuart , Ehrich John , Bokosmaty Sahar
Published: November 2016

Background

A fundamental aim of standardized educational assessment is to achieve reliable discrimination between students differing in the knowledge, skills and abilities assessed. However, questions of the purity with which these tests index students’ genuine abilities have arisen. Specifically, literacy and numeracy assessments may also engage unintentionally assessed capacities.

Aims

The current study investigated the extent to which domain‐general processes – working memory (WM) and non‐verbal reasoning – contribute to students’ standardized test performance and the pathway(s) through which they exert this influence.

Sample

Participants were 91 Grade 2 students recruited from five regional and metropolitan primary schools in Australia.

Methods

Participants completed measures of WM and non‐verbal reasoning, as well as literacy and numeracy subtests of a national standardized educational assessment.

Results

Path analysis of Rasch‐derived ability estimates and residuals with domain‐general cognitive abilities indicated: (1) a consistent indirect pathway from WM to literacy and numeracy ability, through non‐verbal reasoning; (2) direct paths from phonological WM and literacy ability to numeracy ability estimates; and (3) a direct path from WM to spelling test residuals.

Conclusions

Results suggest that the constitution of this nationwide standardized assessment confounded non‐targeted abilities with those that were the target of assessment. This appears to extend beyond the effect of WM on learning more generally, to the demands of different assessment types and methods. This has implications for students’ abilities to demonstrate genuine competency in assessed areas and the educational supports and provisions they are provided on the basis of these results.
Abnormal heavy/light chain ratio after treatment is associated with shorter survival in patients with IgA myeloma
Authors: Suehara Yasuhito , Takamatsu Hiroyuki , Fukumoto Kota , Fujisawa Manabu , Narita Kentaro , Usui Yoshiaki , Takeuchi Masami , Endean Kelly , Matsue Kosei
Published: November 2016

Immunoglobulin (Ig) heavy/light chain (HLC) assays enable the separate quantification of the different light chain types of each Ig class. We retrospectively analyzed the correlation of heavy/light chain ratio (HLCR) with clinical status and its impact on outcome in 120 patients with multiple myeloma (MM). Abnormal HLCR was seen more frequently in patients with poorer myeloma response, and it appeared to be more sensitive for detecting clonality in IgA myeloma compared to IgG myeloma after treatment. Among the 85 patients who achieved ≥VGPR, the patients remained HLCR abnormal were showed significantly shorter overall survival (OS) compared to those achieving a normal HLCR (not reached vs 55.5 months, P = 0.032). This correlation was seen in IgA myeloma patients (not reached vs 30.1 months, P = 0.014), but not in IgG myeloma patients when patients were analyzed separately. Univariate and multivariate analysis of factors that may affect survival identified abnormal HLCR at the best response as the only independent risk factor (hazard ratio, 4.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.4 – 15.26; P = 0.012) for shorter OS in this subset of patients. This study highlighted the HLC assay as a prognostic predictor in patients with IgA myeloma.
Combined fibrinogen and neutrophil‐lymphocyte ratio as a prognostic marker of advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Kijima Takashi , Arigami Takaaki , Uchikado Yasuto , Uenosono Yoshikazu , Kita Yoshiaki , Owaki Tetsuhiro , Mori Shinichiro , Kurahara Hiroshi , Kijima Yuko , Okumura Hiroshi , Maemura Kosei , Ishigami Sumiya , Natsugoe Shoji
Published: November 2016

Patients with advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is received chemoradiotherapy or chemotherapy for clinical management. However, it is difficult to predict tumor response and prognosis using blood markers before starting treatments. The purpose of this study was to investigate the pre‐treatment plasma fibrinogen and neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in patients with advanced ESCC treated with chemoradiotherapy or chemotherapy, and to assess the clinical utility of a combined score using these blood markers, named as the F‐NLR (fibrinogen and NLR) score, as a predictor of tumor response and prognosis. A total of 98 advanced ESCC patients, treated with chemoradiotherapy or chemotherapy, were classified into three groups: F‐NLR score of 2, having both hyperfibrinogenemia (>400 mg/dL) and high NLR (>3.0), score of 1, one of these hematological abnormalities, and score of 0, having neither hyperfibrinogenemia nor high NLR. Fibrinogen and NLR were significantly higher in the progressive disease (PD) group than the non‐PD group (P = 0.0419, and P = 0.0001, respectively). A significantly higher F‐NLR score was found in the PD group than the non‐PD group (P = 0.0140). Overall survival was significantly lower in patients with an F‐NLR score of 2 than in those with an F‐NLR score of 0 or 1 (P < 0.0001). Multivariate analysis showed that the F‐NLR score was one of the independent prognostic factors (P = 0.0081). Our study demonstrates that the F‐NLR score is promising as a predictive marker for therapeutic effects and prognosis in patients with advanced ESCC.
Social media in colorectal surgery
Authors: Wexner S. D. , Petrucci A. M. , Brady R. R. , Ennis‐O'Connor M. , Fitzgerald J. E. , Mayol J.
Published: November 2016

The engagement of social media in healthcare continues to expand. For members of the colorectal community, social media has already made a significant impact on practice, education and patient care. The applications are unique such that they provide a platform for instant communication and information sharing with other users worldwide. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of how social media has the potential to change clinical practice, training, research and patient care in colorectal surgery.
Ability of independently ambulant children with cerebral palsy to ride a two‐wheel bicycle: a case–control study
Authors: Toovey Rachel , Reid Susan M , Rawicki Barry , Harvey Adrienne R , Watt Kerrianne
Published: November 2016

Aim

Limited information exists on the ability of children with cerebral palsy (CP) to ride a two‐wheel bicycle, an activity that may improve health and participation. We aimed to describe bicycle‐riding ability and variables associated with ability to ride in children with CP (Gross Motor Functional Classification System [GMFCS] levels I–II) compared with children with typical development.

Method

This case–control study surveyed parents of 114 children with CP and 87 children with typical development aged 6 to 15 years (115 males, mean age 9y 11mo, standard deviation [SD] 2y 10mo). Kaplan–Meier methods were used to compare proportions able to ride at any given age between the two groups. Logistic regression was used to assess variables associated with ability to ride for children with CP and typical development separately.

Results

The proportion of children with CP able to ride at each level of bicycle‐riding ability was substantially lower at each age than peers with typical development (p<0.001). While most children with typical development were able to ride independently by 10 years of age, 51% of children with CP classified as GMFCS level I and 3% of those classified as GMFCS level II had obtained independent riding in the community by 15 years of age. Variables associated with ability to ride for children classified as GMFCS level I were age and parent‐rated importance of their child being able to ride.

Interpretation

Some independently ambulant children with CP can learn to ride a bicycle, in particular if they are classified as GMFCS level I. Variables associated with ability to ride deserve consideration in shaping future efforts for the majority of this population who are not yet able to ride.
Efficacy of fungicides on Hymenoscyphus fraxineus and their potential for control of ash dieback in forest nurseries
Authors: Hrabětová M. , Černý K. , Zahradník D. , Havrdová L.
Published: November 2016

Twenty‐six commercial formulations of fungicides at six concentrations were evaluated in vitro for their efficacy on mycelial growth of Hymenoscyphus fraxineus (anamorph Chalara fraxinea). The results are presented as EC50, EC90 and minimal inhibitory concentration values; the comparisons with the recommended application concentrations showed that 10 of the 26 fungicides were highly effective in their ability to inhibit the mycelial growth of the pathogen. The eight most effective fungicides identified based on multiple comparisons analysis were azoxystrobin, bitertanol, captan (in two‐component preparation with trifloxystrobin), difenoconazole, kresoxim‐methyl, spiroxamine (in multicomponent preparation with tebuconazole and triadimenol), tebuconazole and trifloxystrobin. Azoxystrobin, difenoconazole, kresoxim‐methyl, mancozeb, myclobutanil, pyrimethanil, tebuconazole and trifloxystrobin were selected to verify their effectiveness in in planta tests. During two field tests in nurseries, it was found out that tebuconazole (triazole), trifloxystrobin and kresoxim‐methyl (strobilurins) and mancozeb (dithiocarbamate) were significantly effective against H. fraxineus. The best results were gained with tebuconazole, when mean percentage of diseased saplings was 16.3%, whereas in the control, it was 63.6%. The combination and alternation of fungicides from the triazole, strobilurine and dithiocarbamate chemical groups should be an effective tool for protecting ash saplings in forest nurseries. Moreover, exact timing of the treatment reflecting rainfall and development of first symptoms in the foliage will be also important.
Intramembrane proteases as drug targets
Authors: Verhelst Steven H. L.
Published: November 2016

Proteases are considered attractive drug targets. Various drugs targeting classical, soluble proteases have been approved for treatment of human disease. Intramembrane proteases (IMPs) are a more recently discovered group of proteolytic enzymes. They are embedded in lipid bilayers and their active sites are located in the plane of a membrane. All four mechanistic families of IMPs have been linked to disease, but currently, no drugs against IMPs have entered the market. In this review, I will outline the function of IMPs with a focus on the ones involved in human disease, which includes Alzheimer's disease, cancer, and infectious diseases by microorganisms. Inhibitors of IMPs are known for all mechanistic classes, but are not yet very potent or selective – aside from those targeting γ‐secretase. I will here describe the different features of IMP inhibitors and discuss a list of issues that need attention in the near future in order to improve the drug development for IMPs.
Climate change alters the reproductive phenology and investment of a lacustrine fish, the three‐spine stickleback
Authors: Hovel Rachel A. , Carlson Stephanie M. , Quinn Thomas P.
Published: November 2016

High‐latitude lakes are particularly sensitive to the effects of global climate change, demonstrating earlier ice breakup, longer ice‐free seasons, and increased water temperatures. Such physical changes have implications for diverse life‐history traits in taxa across entire lake food webs. Here, we use a five‐decade time series from an Alaskan lake to explore effects of climate change on growth and reproduction of a widely distributed lacustrine fish, the three‐spine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). We used multivariate autoregressive state‐space (MARSS) models to describe trends in the mean length for multiple size classes and to explore the influence of physical (date of ice breakup, surface water temperature) and biological (density of con‐ and heterospecifics) factors. As predicted, mean size of age 1 and older fish at the end of the growing season increased across years with earlier ice breakup and warmer temperatures. In contrast, mean size of age 0 fish decreased over time. Overall, lower fish density and warmer water temperatures were associated with larger size for all cohorts. Earlier ice breakup was associated with larger size for age 1 and older fish but, paradoxically, with smaller size of age 0 fish. To explore this latter result, we used mixing models on age 0 size distributions, which revealed an additional cohort in years with early ice breakup, lowering the mean size of age 0 fish. Moreover, early ice breakup was associated with earlier breeding, evidenced by earlier capture of age 0 fish. Our results suggest that early ice breakup altered both timing and frequency of breeding; three‐spine stickleback spawned earlier and more often in response to earlier ice breakup date. While previous studies have shown the influence of changing conditions in northern lakes on breeding timing and growth, this is the first to document increased breeding frequency, highlighting another pathway by which climate change can alter the ecology of northern lakes.
Challenges of operating a multi‐species breeding‐for‐release facility at Perth Zoo, Australia
Authors: Mawson P. R. , Lambert C.
Published: November 2016

Breeding facilities based at zoological institutions are now considered a key component of integrated species‐conservation efforts. Many zoos and aquariums now operate such facilities under the One Plan approach, which integrates in situ and ex situ efforts with disease management, research and education elements. Perth Zoo, Australia, has been using such an approach since the late 1980s and has demonstrated success by producing large numbers (n = 3841) of animals from 11 species for release to the wild as part of coordinated species‐recovery programmes, operated with key government and non‐governmental partners. Managing a multi‐species breeding facility has been made possible by having dedicated staff caring for the animals, establishing a science‐based approach to all aspects of husbandry, and regularly publishing key results and lessons learned from those efforts. The longer‐term success of the programme has been dependent on the continuous support of the board and executive of Perth Zoo, and the embedding of a conservation ethos into strategic documents, education programmes and media communications with the wider public. Funding a long‐term programme has not been without its difficulties, and a flexible and adaptive approach to seeking and securing funding has been necessary.
Predictors of Long‐Term Mortality in Older Patients Hospitalized for Acutely Decompensated Heart Failure: Clinical Relevance of Natriuretic Peptides
Authors: Passantino Andrea , Guida Piero , Lagioia Rocco , Ammirati Enrico , Oliva Fabrizio , Frigerio Maria , Scrutinio Domenico
Published: November 2016

Background

Acute heart failure is a common cause of hospitalization among older patients. Optimized risk stratification might improve the outcome for this subgroup of patients. Natriuretic peptides have been used in the diagnosis of heart failure and in evaluating the prognosis of patients hospitalized for heart failure. However, their utility in the elderly is still controversial.

Objective

To evaluate long‐term survival and prognostic factors for elderly patients hospitalized for acutely decompensated heart failure and evaluate the prognostic utility of NT‐proBNP.

Design

Retrospective, multicenter cohort study.

Setting

Two Italian hospitals.

Participants

Two hundred seventy‐nine patients, aged >75 years; hospitalized for decompensation of chronic, established heart failure.

Methods

Baseline clinical data were recorded at admission. The primary outcome was long‐term mortality.

Results

In‐hospital, 12‐month and 5‐year mortality were, respectively, 10%, 36%, and 77%. NT‐proBNP, eGFR, hemoglobin, diabetes, systolic blood pressure, and moderate to severe tricuspid regurgitation were independently associated with long‐term prognosis and were entered into a multivariate model, with a C‐index of 0.765 for the determination of high‐risk patients. The C‐index for NT‐proBNP to predict mortality at 2 and 12 months was 0.740 and 0.756, respectively. The optimal cutoff point for predicting mortality at 2 and 12 months was 8,444 pg/mL (hazard ratio 5.33) and 8,275 pg/mL (hazard ratio 6.03), respectively.

Conclusion

Elderly patients hospitalized for acutely decompensated heart failure had a poor long‐term outcome, especially in the subgroup with reduced ejection fraction (EF). In addition to EF and comorbidities, NT‐pro‐BNP remained independently prognostic among elderly patients hospitalized with heart failure.
Activation of Nur77 in microglia attenuates proinflammatory mediators production and protects dopaminergic neurons from inflammation‐induced cell death
Authors: Liu Tian‐Ya , Yang Xiao‐Ying , Zheng Long‐Tai , Wang Guang‐Hui , Zhen Xue‐Chu
Published: November 2016

Microglia‐mediated neuroinflammation plays a critical role in the pathological development of Parkinson's disease (PD). Orphan nuclear receptor Nur77 (Nur77) is abundant in neurons, while its role in microglia‐mediated neuroinflammation remains unclear. The present data demonstrated that the expression of Nur77 in microglia was reduced accompanied by microglia activation in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in vitro and in experimental 1‐methyl‐4‐phenyl‐1,2,3,6‐tetrahydropyridine‐PD mouse model. Nur77 over‐expression or application of Nur77 agonist cytosporone B suppressed the expression of proinflammatory genes, such as inducible nitric oxide NOS, cyclooxygenase‐2, IL‐1β, and tumor necrosis factor‐α in the activated microglia, while silenced Nur77 exaggerated the inflammatory responses in microglia. Moreover, activation of Nur77 suppressed the LPS‐induced NF‐κB activation which was partly dependent on p38 MAPK activity, since inhibition of p38 MAPK by SB203580 abolished the LPS‐activated NF‐κB in microglia. On the other hand, inhibition of p38 MAPK attenuated LPS‐induced Nur77 reduction. Furthermore, in a microglia‐conditioned cultured media system, Nur77 ameliorated the cytotoxicity to MN9D dopaminergic cells. Lastly, cytosporone B attenuated microglia activation and loss of dopaminergic neuron in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) of 1‐methyl‐4‐phenyl‐1,2,3,6‐tetrahydropyridine‐PD mouse model. Taken together, these findings revealed the first evidence that Nur77 was an important modulator in microglia function that associated with microglia‐mediated dopaminergic neurotoxicity, and thus modulation of Nur77 may represent a potential novel target for treatment for neurodegenerative disease.

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Long‐term melatonin treatment delays ovarian aging
Authors: Tamura Hiroshi , Kawamoto Mai , Sato Shun , Tamura Isao , Maekawa Ryo , Taketani Toshiaki , Aasada Hiromi , Takaki Eiichi , Nakai Akira , Reiter Russel J. , Sugino Norihiro
Published: November 2016

Ovarian aging is characterized by gradual declines in oocyte quantity and quality. Melatonin is considered an anti‐aging agent due to its cytoprotective actions as an antioxidant. This study examined whether long‐term melatonin treatment would delay ovarian aging in mice. Female ICR mice (10 weeks old) were given melatonin‐containing water (100 μg/mL; melatonin) or water only until 43 weeks of age. Their oocytes were recovered from the oviduct, and in vitro fertilization was performed. The ovaries were used for a histological analysis of the number of follicles. The mRNA expression of the aging‐related sirtuin genes (SIRT1, SIRT3) and the autophagy‐related gene (LC3) and the telomere length of the ovarian chromosomes were analyzed. Transcriptome changes in the ovaries were also characterized using microarray. The number of ovulated oocytes decreased with age; however, it was greater in melatonin‐treated mice than that from control animals. The decreased fertilization rate and blastocyst rate during aging also were higher in the melatonin‐treated mice than in the controls, as were the numbers of primordial, primary, and antral follicles. The mRNA expression of SIRT1 and LC3 and telomere length were enhanced due to melatonin treatment. Seventy‐eight genes that were downregulated during aging and upregulated by melatonin were identified by a microarray analysis. Forty of these 78 genes were ribosome‐related genes, and a free radical scavenging network was identified. The present results indicate that melatonin delays ovarian aging by multiple mechanisms including antioxidant action, maintaining telomeres, stimulating SIRT expression and ribosome function, and by reducing autophagy.
The value of cure associated with treating treatment‐naïve chronic hepatitis C genotype 1: Are the new all‐oral regimens good value to society?
Authors: Younossi Zobair M. , Park Haesuk , Dieterich Douglas , Saab Sammy , Ahmed Aijaz , Gordon Stuart C.
Published: November 2016

Background & Aims

All‐oral regimens are associated with high cure rates in hepatitis C virus‐genotype 1 (HCV‐GT1) patients. Our aim was to assess the value of cure to the society for treatingHCVinfection.

Methods

Markov model forHCV‐GT1 projected long‐term health outcomes, life years, and quality‐adjusted life years (QALYs) gained. The model compared second‐generation triple (sofosbuvir+pegylated interferon+ribavirin [PR] and simeprevir+PR) and all‐oral (ledipasvir/sofosbuvir and ombitasvir+paritaprevir/ritonavir+dasabuvir±ribavirin) therapies with no treatment. Sustained virological response rates were based on PhaseIII RCTs. We assumed that 80% and 95% ofHCV‐GT1 patients were eligible for second‐generation triple and all‐oral regimens. Transition probabilities, utility and mortality were based on literature review. The value of cure was calculated by the difference in the savings from the economic gains associated with additionalQALYs.

Results

Model estimated 1.52 million treatment‐naïveHCV‐GT1 patients in theUS. Treating all eligibleHCV‐GT1 patients with second‐generation triple and all‐oral therapies resulted in 3.2 million and 4.8 million additionalQALYs gained compared to no treatment respectively. Using $50,000 as value ofQALY, these regimens lead to savings of $185 billion and $299 billion; costs of these regimens were $109 billion and $128 billion. The value of cure with second‐generation triple and all‐oral regimens was $55 billion and $111 billion, when we conservatively assumed only drug costs. Cost savings were greater forHCV‐GT1 patient cured with cirrhosis compared to patients without cirrhosis.

Conclusions

The recent evolution of regimens forHCV GT1 has increased efficacy and value of cure.