bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Glioblastoma multiforme
Authors: Awad Mohammed , O’Neill Kevin
Published: September 2015

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common form of malignant primary brain tumour. In the UK the incidence is approximately 2-3 cases per 100,000 people per year. It accounts for approximately 20% of all primary intracranial tumours. GBM is derived from glial cells, and is thought to arise either de novo as primary GBM, or secondary to malignant progression from a low-grade astrocytoma. This chapter discusses how to recognise and treat glioblastoma multiforme. Clearly the prognosis for patients with malignant glioma remains poor with median survival for those with GBM in the region of 12-14 months. This has only changed marginally over the last few decades with the use of systemic chemotherapy alongside surgical resection and radiotherapy. There are outliers who do better or worse than the median and 3 year survival percentages do seem to be increasing with current treatment regimes. There is currently a resurgence of interest in the immunology and metabolism of these tumours in the search for magic bullets.
Spondylolisthesis
Authors: Fenton Eoin , Bolger Ciaran
Published: September 2015

Spondylolisthesis was first described by Herbiniaux, a Belgian obstetrician in 1782, as a factor likely to hinder the delivery process. The term itself was first used by Kilian in 1854. It is defined as forward displacement of a lumbar vertebral body relative to the vertebral body or sacrum below it. This chapter discusses how to recognise and treat spondylolisthesis. Patients who do not improve with appropriate conservative therapy, patients whose symptoms progress despite conservative therapy or patients who initially present with worsening neurological deficit or significant instability are candidates for surgery. The aim of surgery is to stabilise the affected segment and, in the presence of neural compression, decompress the relevant neural elements. Surgical options range from simple decompression without fusion to posterolateral fusion to lumbar interbody fusion supplemented with posterolateral instrumentation. A recurring theme in the literature is that no significant clinical difference has been noted in many studies when interbody fusion is compared with posterolateral fusion in spondylolisthesis. The second major debate concerns fusion in situ versus reduction of spondylolisthesis.
Surgery for temporal lobe epilepsy
Authors: Wykes Victoria , Miserocchi Anna , McEvoy Andrew
Published: September 2015

The estimated incidence of epilepsy is 50 per 100 000 in the general population and 20% are estimated to become refractory to medication. There is a drive to identify medically refractory epileptic patients early, especially in children and offer them surgery. Favourable outcome from epilepsy surgery relies on accurate presurgical evaluation of the epileptogenic zone and the relationship of this zone to eloquent brain areas. Following review in a multidisciplinary meeting, if there is high degree of concordance of investigations surgery may be recommended with predictable levels of seizure freedom and risk, however if there is poor concordance further investigations may be recommended using more invasive techniques. This chapter reviews the surgical assessment of a patient with temporal lobe epilepsy, the relevant investigations in determining both epileptogenic zone and adjacent eloquent brain areas, discuss surgical risks and operative tips to performing an anterior temporal lobectomy.
Management of lumbosacral lipoma in childhood
Authors: Tisdall Martin M. , James Greg , Thompson Dominic N. P.
Published: September 2015

Lumbosacral lipoma is a form of occult spinal dysraphism. It occurs in 1:4000 live births and can lead to neurological, urological and orthopaedic disturbance. Until recently, the perceived surgical wisdom has been that all lumbosacral lipomas should be treated with surgical debulking and spinal cord detethering in an attempt to prevent neurological deterioration. This philosophy is based on the assumptions that inevitable deterioration will occur without surgery, and that surgery is safe and effective. Over the last decade evidence has emerged to suggest that, in the absence of neurological or urological deterioration, conservative management may have a similar or even superior outcome when compared to traditional surgical techniques. Conversely data from a recent single institution experience suggest that radical lipoma removal may lead to better outcome. This chapter presents a management algorithm for newly diagnosed patients with spinal lipomas which aims to recognize the benign course of the disease in many asymptomatic patients and to provide effective long term treatment results for those who deteriorate.
Deep brain stimulation for debilitating Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Hyam Jonathan A. , Green Alexander L. , Aziz Tipu Z.
Published: September 2015

Parkinsons disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused in part by the loss of dopaminergic neurones in the substantia nigra (pars compacta). This results in disruption of the normal oscillatory and synchronous neuronal activity between the cortex, globus pallidus interna (GPi) and subthalamic nuleus (STN), The three cardinal clinical manifestations of PD are bradykinesia, tremor and rigidity. Gait and postural instability is often also seen. This chapter explores the place of surgery in the management of PD. It was once the mainstay of treatment, in the form of ablative surgeries such as pedunculotomy, and was then made largely redundant by the advent of dopaminergic drugs. However, it was found that dopaminergic drugs caused side effects including dyskinesias, which could be severely incapacitating. Once again, surgery (commonly taking the form of deep brain stimulation) became an important modality in the management of PD, not only to treat the cardinal symptoms of the disease itself, but also to treat the dyskinetic side effects of medical therapy.
Trigeminal neuralgia
Authors: Phang Isaac , Suttner Nigel
Published: September 2015

Trigeminal neuralgia is a debilitating painful condition characterized by paroxysmal lacinating pain in the distribution of one or more branches of the trigeminal nerve. The diagnosis of TN is made on clinical history alone. There are no diagnostic tests. It can be divided into typical/classical TN (TN1) or atypical TN (TN2) It is mainly treated medically, but this can fail, leading to consideration of surgical options. Controversies in theories of pathogenesis, clinical diagnosis, imaging as well as management of recurrent disease are explored in this chapter with the use of an illustrative case. Percutaneous and microvascular surgical techniques along with their outcomes are discussed. Microvascular decompression as pioneered by Janetta in 1967 remains the mainstay for decompression of the trigeminal nerve. There is a vast body of surgical experience, and with advances in neuroanaesthesia, patients with comorbidities and advanced age have been treated successfully. It treats the underlying pathophysiology of TN, has good immediate pain relief and the incidence of facial numbness is less than that of destructive procedures.
Cervical spondylotic myelopathy
Authors: Broughton Ellie , Haden Nick
Published: September 2015

Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) is a progressive degenerative process resulting in motion abnormalities, loss of disc height, ligamentous redundancy, arthrosis of uncovertebral and facet joints and formation of osteophytes. This can result in circumferential spinal canal narrowing and nerve root compression. This chapter discusses the issues involved with managing CSM, which must be weighed up against one another so that there is minimal risk but maximal neurological benefit for the patient. Surgical intervention follows failed conservative management or patients with intractable pain and/or progressive neurology. The prognosis is variable and if stenosis has been present for many years then demyelination and necrosis of grey and white matter can lead to irreversible deficits. Deciding on the direction of approach, number of levels and graft materials to use is a complex and challenging area in the treatment of cervical spondylotic myelopathy. These choices will be influenced by pathological and patient factors in addition to the surgeon’s overall experience and skill set. It is also important to consider what is achievable, as the aim is to address the pathology whilst also limiting morbidity and optimizing long-term outcome.
Spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage
Authors: Bodkin Peter , Statham Patrick
Published: September 2015

Low grade gliomas are diffusely infiltrating brain tumours, comprising: WHO grade II astrocytomas, Grade II oligodendrogliomas and oligoastrocytomas. Despite the name, low grade gliomas are not benign lesions. These tumours have growth potential and can undergo malignant transformation to high grade tumours. Seizures, often simple partial, complex partial or generalised tonic clonic, are the most common presentation in 80-90% of patients with LGG, followed by headaches and focal deficits. Close proximity to the cortex is likely to be responsible for this picture. Death is usually due to malignant change. With recent advances in neurobiology, diagnostic imaging, surgical technology and adjuvant therapies the management of these tumours has undergone a paradigm shift. This chapter explores the diagnosis and management options for low grade glioma. If the tumour has relatively discrete margins in brain tissue, a macroscopic resection may be possible without compromising function, and maximum safe surgical resection of all hyper intense tissue on FLAIR sequences should be attempted. This will improve overall and progression free survival and gives improved seizure control, as well as providing better tumour sampling for histology.
Low-grade glioma
Authors: Bhargava Deepti , Jenkinson Michael D.
Published: September 2015

Spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) may be classified as primary or secondary. Secondary ICH includes those due to trauma; structural lesions such as aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), cavernomas, and neoplasms; as well as haemorrhage into arterial or venous infarctions. Primary ICH is related to hypertension, amyloid angiopathy, and coagulopathy, and accounts for 78-85% of all cases. This chapter discusses the diagnostics and management options for primary spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage. The incidence is 24.6 per 100,000 person years, more than twice that of SAH. It affects in the order of 2 million people worldwide per annum. Common sites for ICH include the deep structures of the periventricular white matter, caudate nucleus, globus pallidus, putamen, internal capsule, and thalamus (50%), in the grey matter or subcortical white matter (lobar (35%), cerebellum (10%), and brainstem (6%)) . Deciding on the best management of these patients in relation to operative versus non-operative treatment, management of hypertension, choosing between different operative techniques, and timing of surgery is a challenge faced by neurosurgeons on a daily basis.
Principles of symptom control in palliative care
Authors: Cassidy Jim , Bissett Donald , Spence OBE Roy A. J. , Payne Miranda , Morris-Stiff Gareth
Published: September 2015

Describes cell cycle and its importance in cancer therapy. Outlines the major classes of “ traditional”cancer drugs together with their mechanisms, basic pharmacology and toxicity profiles. Intended to allow the new entrant to the field to understand how combinations are made, the rationale for such combinations and the limitations of currently available cytotoxic agents
Spinal cord compression and bone marrow suppression
Authors: Cassidy Jim , Bissett Donald , Spence OBE Roy A. J. , Payne Miranda , Morris-Stiff Gareth
Published: September 2015

Childhood cancer in adults outlines the uncommon challenge presented by the occurrence of these pathologies in young adults, and the need for shared expertise in their successful management. The embryonal tumours, medulloblastoma, retinoblastoma, neuroblastoma, and Wilms’ tumour are considered first, emphasising similarities and differences in the pathology and management of each when adults are compared with children. The soft tissue sarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, is frequently best managed with chemotherapy and surgery. The important role of specialist cytogenetics in all these tumours is emphasised.
Population Genetic Structure of Puccinia striiformis in Northwestern China
Authors: Wan Qiong , Liang Junmin , Luo Yong , Ma Zhanhong
Published: September 2015

Wheat stripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, is one of the most important fungal diseases of wheat in China. Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu Provinces, located in the northwest of China, are the key regions for interregional epidemics of wheat stripe rust due to their geographic as well as crop-planting features, in relation to pathogen’s life cycle, reproduction, and population genetics. To study the population genetic structures of the pathogen in these areas, 217 isolates of P. striiformis f. sp. tritici were collected from different geographic locations at various elevations in the three provinces. The amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) genotypes and virulence phenotypes were analyzed for Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu populations. Frequent genotypic exchanges between Xinjiang and Qinghai and between Qinghai and Gansu populations were detected, demonstrating that the populations of Xinjiang and Gansu may not be completely isolated. Genotypic diversity in Gansu Province was much higher than that in Xinjiang or Qinghai Province. The Xinjiang population was genetically closer to the Qinghai population than to the Gansu population. The race dynamic patterns in Qinghai were consistent with those in Gansu but the similar component pattern of the race dynamics in Xinjiang appeared late, following those in Gansu and other interior epidemic regions of China. No significant correlation between the AFLP genetic distance and the virulence distance in the Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu populations was determined. A possible recombination signature of the pathogen population was detected in Gansu population and some subpopulations in Qinghai but not in Xinjiang population.
Drosophila melanogaster does not exhibit a behavioural fever response when infected with Drosophila C virus
Authors: Arnold Pieter A. , White Craig R. , Johnson Karyn N.
Published: September 2015

Behavioural fever is a widely conserved response to infection. The host increases body temperature (T
b) by altering their preferred temperature (T
p), generating a fever and delaying or avoiding pathogen-induced mortality. This response is not ubiquitous in insects, however, although few studies have investigated this response to viral infection. Here, we examined the change in T
p of Drosophila in response to virus infection using a thermal gradient. No difference in T
p was observed. We suggest that the lack of behavioural fever could be due to the increased energy cost of maintaining a higher T
b whilst the immune response is active. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to assay for changes in T
p of infected Drosophila.
Sensitivity of transmitted and founder human immunodeficiency virus type 1 envelopes to carbohydrate-binding agents griffithsin, cyanovirin-N and Galanthus nivalis agglutinin
Authors: Hu Bodan , Du Tao , Li Chang , Luo Sukun , Liu Yalan , Huang Xin , Hu Qinxue
Published: September 2015

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) transmission often results from infection by a single transmitted/founder (T/F) virus. Here, we investigated the sensitivity of T/F HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins (Envs) to microbicide candidate carbohydrate-binding agents (CBAs) griffithsin (GRFT), cyanovirin-N (CV-N) andGalanthus nivalisagglutinin (GNA), showing that T/F Envs demonstrated different sensitivity to CBAs, with IC50values ranging from 0.006 ± 0.0003 to >10 nM for GRFT, from 0.6 ± 0.2 to 28.9 ± 2.9 nM for CV-N and from 1.3 ± 0.2 to >500 nM for GNA. We further revealed that deglycosylation at position 295 or 448 decreased the sensitivity of T/F Env to GRFT, and at 339 to both CV-N and GNA. Mutation of all the three glcyans rendered a CBA-sensitive T/F Env largely resistant to GRFT, indicating that the sensitivity of T/F Env to GRFT is mainly determined by glycans at 295, 339 and 448. Our study identified specific T/F Env residues associated with CBA sensitivity.
Human bite leading to fatal Neisseria meningitidis septicaemia and pericarditis
Authors: Mahida Nikunj , Anthony Laura , Martin Nicola , Gupta Anindya , Andrewartha Fiona
Published: September 2015

Introduction:

Neisseria meningitidis is a human pathogen with five serogroups causing the majority of invasive disease worldwide. Pharyngeal carriage of N. meningitidis is known to occur, but it is not considered a significant pathogen in skin and soft tissue infections secondary to human bites. We present a rare case of meningococcal septicaemia and pericarditis resulting from a human bite to the breast.

Case presentation:

A 43-year-old female with type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension presented with fever, tachycardia, hypotension and a history of a human bite to the left breast. On examination, there was an erythematous, infected wound on the left breast. Blood cultures obtained on admission were positive for N. meningitides subtype W and the patient was treated for 7 days with intravenous ceftriaxone. However, the patient was readmitted 10 days later with a relapse of fever, dyspnoea and chest pain. A chest X-ray showed an enlarged cardiac silhouette, and echocardiography confirmed the presence of a large pericardial effusion. Intravenous ceftriaxone was recommenced and an urgent pericardiocentesis performed to relieve the cardiac tamponade. Blood cultures remained sterile and no organisms were detected from the pericardial fluid.

Conclusion:

The patient unfortunately suffered a cardiopulmonary arrest and died while undergoing treatment. A post-mortem examination revealed myocardial necrosis and inflammatory debris within the pericardial sac. The most likely pathogenesis was considered to be inflammatory pericarditis secondary to meningococcal septicaemia with subsequent cardiac tamponade.
Acute myocarditis secondary to Shigella sonnei gastroenteritis
Authors: Eltawansy Sherif , Atluri Paavani , Agrawal Abhinav , Dwivedi Sukrut , Checton John
Published: September 2015

Introduction:

The most common cause of acute myocarditis in developed countries is viruses. Bacterial myocarditis is very rare and caused by various bacteria, but only three cases have been reported in the past where Shigella sonnei was the aetiology. Two out of the three cases reported were in a paediatric population.

Case Presentation:

A 38-year-old female was presenting with chest pain and an increased level of troponins with the EKG (electrocardiogram) showing non-specific T-wave changes. Preceding the chest pain, the patient had Shigella sonnei gastroenteritis confirmed by stool culture. The patient's cardiac catheterization showed normal findings. Thus a diagnosis of bacterial myocarditis was made. The event resolved after successful treatment of the gastroenteritis with ciprofloxacin.

Conclusion:

We are reporting a very rare case of Shigella sonnei gastroenteritis that resulted in the development of acute myocarditis and was successfully treated with antibiotics.
The changing face of work: insights from Acas
Authors: Dix Gill , Barber Sir Brendan
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the evolving role of the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) across a 40-year period against a backdrop of changing workplaces and institutional frameworks.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper draws on the statistical and evaluation evidence together with policy commentary and employment relations literature to provide a commentary on the changing world of employment relations.

Findings

– Two areas have dominated policy concerns over the period: patterns of employment disputes and the question of employment regulation. The paper argues that such a focus has stimulated some dramatic changes in the way disputes manifest in Britain, and at the same time left something of a policy vacuum in relation to the wide challenges and opportunities for improving conflict handling and the employment relationship. Through the prism of Acas’ work the paper identifies some of the enduring features that are common to improving both collective and individual relationship at work.

Originality/value

– The paper brings together evidence from different sources combined with the unique perspectives of Acas and its service users to draw and provide explanations for aspects of the changing face of the work.
Change at work: feminisation, flexibilisation, fragmentation and financialisation
Authors: Rubery Jill
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the most important trends in work and employment over the past 50 years.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper adopted the 50-year perspective in line with the celebration of Manchester Industrial Relations Society’s 50th anniversary. The approach adopted was to include both observable changes in work and employment and changes in the perspectives found in published research.

Findings

– The key trends identified were feminisation, flexibilisation, fragmentation and financialisation. These were the outcome of, on the one hand, global trends towards services, transnationalisation and transformative technologies and, on the other hand, of political choices to deregulate, decollectivise and depoliticise the employment relationship.

Originality/value

– The value lies in exploring the key trends in the world of work over a significant period of time, identifying the drivers behind the changes and reflecting on the implications for future prospects in work and employment.
The changing face of employment relations: equality and diversity
Authors: Moore Sian , Tailby Stephanie
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore what has happened to the notion and reality of equal pay over the past 50 years, a period in which women have become the majority of trade union members in the UK. It does so in the context of record employment levels based upon women’s increased labour market participation albeit reflecting their continued over-representation in part-time employment, locating the narrowed but persistent overall gender pay gap in the broader picture of pay inequality in the UK.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper considers voluntary and legal responses to inequality and the move away from voluntary solutions in the changed environment for unions. Following others it discusses the potential for collective bargaining to be harnessed to equality in work, a potential only partially realised by unions in a period in which their capacity to sustain collective bargaining was weakened. It looks at the introduction of a statutory route to collective bargaining in 2000, the National Minimum Wage from 1999 and at the Equality Act 2010 as legislative solutions to inequality and in terms of radical and liberal models of equality.

Findings

– The paper suggests that fuller employment based upon women’s increased labour market activity have not delivered an upward pressure on wages and has underpinned rather than closed pay gaps and social divisions. Legal measures have been limited in the extent to which they have secured equal pay and wider social equality, whilst state support for collective solutions to equality has waned. Its replacement by a statutory minimum wage initially closed pay gaps, but appears to have run out of steam as employers accommodate minimum hourly rates through the reorganisation of working time.

Social implications

– The paper suggests that statutory minima or even voluntary campaigns to lift hourly wage rates may cut across and even supersede wider existing collective bargaining agreements and as such they can reinforce the attack on collective bargaining structures, supporting arguments that this can reduce representation over pay, but also over a range of other issues at work (Ewing and Hendy, 2013), including equality.

Originality/value

– There are then limitations on a liberal model which is confined to promoting equality at an organisational level in a public sector subject to wider market forces. The fragmentation of bargaining and representation that has resulted will continue if the proposed dismantling of public services goes ahead and its impact upon equality is already suggested in the widening of the gender pay gap in the public sector in 2015.
The role of hierarchical production planning in food manufacturing SMEs
Authors: O'Reilly Seamus , Kumar Anita , Adam Frédéric
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– In recent years there has been an increasing interest in make-to-stock and make-to-order combined strategies in food manufacturing operations. However, most scholarly work to-date has neglected the role of hierarchical production planning (HPP) in guiding small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) implementation of such strategies. The purpose of this paper is to address food SME manufacturers’ readiness to adopt such strategies, in terms of internal integration and their capability to adopt formalised planning approaches.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study adopted an action research methodology to explore the potential impact of HPP in SME food manufacturers. Selected companies had identified product variety management as a challenge and also had recognised the need to enhance internal integration. Given this, the research team, from a theoretical perspective, proposed the use of HPP set within a broader decision-making conceptual framework to improve internal integration and planning.

Findings

– This paper adopts the fundamental position that HPP provides a useful framework in the establishment of strategic and tactical level constraints and priorities which then act as specific guides at the operational level, and presents empirical evidence in a food SME manufacturing context. In the cases the authors studies, the cascading effect of this decision-making framework focused attention on key metrics, encouraged greater internal integration and delivered tangible, significant improvements in performance. This was greatly facilitated by the provision of new key data on the cost of certain managerial trade-offs which these firms faced.

Originality/value

– SMEs are of a scale that requires a formalised planning approach; however production planning systems are typically designed for large scale enterprises. This paper addresses the need of SMEs in this regard. Well-established supply chain metrics were used to establish the benefits of both HPP and resulting improvement in internal integration and beyond, in terms of improvement in the quality of planning decisions.
Supply chain integration configurations: process structure and product newness
Authors: Tsinopoulos Christos , Mena Carlos
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the configurations of supply chain integration.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors use qualitative data from manufacturers shortlisted for the UK’s Manufacturing Excellence awards over three years. Detailed processes and policies of 68 manufacturers are analysed.

Findings

– Process structure and product newness require different supply chain configurations, which change as products mature. Supply chain integration is dynamic, and the extent of collaboration between suppliers and customers will be different at different moments in time. The authors define and discuss four key supply chain configurations: customised; ramp-up; recurring; coordinated.

Research limitations/implications

– Future studies on supply chain integration should be controlled for the variation in the configurations. A limitation is the use of data which were derived for an award. The paper explains how the authors have mitigated the associated risks.

Practical implications

– The configuration of integration will change as the manufacturing plant becomes more familiar with a product. Additionally, different suppliers may provide better support at different stages of a product’s lifecycle. To yield better performance, supply chain integration would need to take different forms. Efforts to integrate with suppliers should not be avoided as, when certain conditions are met, integration can lead to improved performance.

Originality/value

– The authors have identified manufacturers’ main process structures and products’ newness as two strategic characteristics that differentiate integration approaches with customers and suppliers, and defined four integration configurations. To the authors’ knowledge this is the first study to argue that these also define the configuration of supply chain integration.
Relationship of product claims between private label and national brands
Authors: Stanton John L , Wiley James , Hooker Neal H , Salnikova Ekaterina
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to compare the use of front of package (FOP) claims within product categories by private label (PL) products and national brands (NB). This research adapts an existing conceptual model exploring the marketing strategies of PL products and NBs.

Design/methodology/approach

– Information for this study came from Mintel’s Global (2009/2011). There were 10,791 products launched in 2011 in the US database, 8,120 NB and 2,671 PL food and drink products. For 2009: 5,838 NB and 2,118 PL that gives 7,956 food and beverages products launched in USA.

Findings

– PL and NB companies increased the usage of FOP claims, and also often moved in the same direction for some product categories. The greatest number of increases across product categories for PL and NB between 2009 and 2011 were Ethical-Enviromentally Friendly Packaging; Allergen; Fiber; Weight Control; Gluten Free; Kosher and No Additives claims. There were much less FOP that were decreased in usage. The claims that most frequently decreased were “Organic,” “Calories,” and “Vitamin/Mineral Fortified.” The categories that significantly decreased the “Organic” claim were Baby Food, Bakery, Breakfast Cereals, Fruit and Vegetables among PL product categories and Breakfast Cereals, Dairy, Side Dishes and Soup among NB categories.

Research limitations/implications

– The study is based on only a three-year time span. difference over a greater period of time could reveal more significant differences.

Practical implications

– The evidence from this research indicates that PL brands are matching NBs as they look to using other attributes and benefits. However, as PL sales increase, retailer margins increase which can lead to further aggressive marketing by the PL brands.

Originality/value

– The analysis of FOP claims for PL and NB over such a large sample has not previously been done.
Better information sharing, or “share or be damned”?
Authors: Grace Jamie
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the ramifications of developments in surveillance policies and technologies for information sharing cultures in a “public protection routine”.

Design/methodology/approach

– This conceptual paper uses a mixed theoretical, legal and policy-based approach to inform this exploration of the ramifications of developments in surveillance policies and technologies.

Findings

– This conceptual paper concludes that developments in surveillance policies and technologies as part of the “public protection routine” will result in a damaging and hasty culture of “share or be damned” unless a more careful approach to new information sharing approaches is developed. Otherwise, an increasing bureaucratisation of risk management through surveillance will lead to a disregard for the fine balance between public protection, procedural rights and privacy.

Originality/value

– The originality and value of this conceptual paper is considerable – as some of the case studies discussed are very recent ones, and ones that represent an acceleration of the problems within the “public protection routine” which this paper seeks to unpick.
Does intervening to enhance parental involvement in education lead to better academic results for children? An extended review
Authors: See Beng Huat , Gorard Stephen
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to summarise the results of a review of the literature linking parental involvement in their child’s education to attainment at or before primary school.

Design/methodology/approach

– The search involved nine electronic databases supplemented by other sources, and yielded 4,898 apparently relevant reports. Of these, 127 were reports of attempted evaluations to see whether enhancing parental involvement led to higher attainment outcomes for children.

Findings

– None of these studies was a large, robust evaluation. The overwhelming majority (121/127) reported research with serious limitations, and they were almost equally divided between those claiming success and those saying that the intervention had been ineffective or harmful. Of the remaining six, three offered positive outcomes, and these were generally complex interventions in which parental involvement was only part of a package of measures taken to improve results.

Originality/value

– Therefore, the paper has three main messages for an area where practice and policy interventions abound. Research has to improve greatly.
Breaking the cycle
Authors: Wade Kerry
Published: September 2015

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how, by encouraging all key stakeholders to “play nicely and act maturely” to share responsibility, the author was able to improve outcomes for children reported missing to Gwent Police. The paper shows that sharing responsibility is a critical factor in such collaboration, requiring people and agencies to let go of power that usually interferes with a preparedness to avoid blame, a willingness to enjoy the rewards of success and together manage the risks.

Design/methodology/approach

It offers a viewpoint about identifying the issues and failings of silo working and developing a more creative way of working together to improve outcomes for some of the most vulnerable children and young people. It is informed by close working between colleagues from different agencies and professional disciplines and the lived experience of the author in moving from a social services department to the police service.

Findings

Working with people is always complex, the whole process is vulnerable to and affected by personal interpretations and different value bases, yet vulnerable young people need consistency and boundaries. To improve outcomes, the author has to improve the understanding of individuals’ stories, hear what the young people are saying and create a consistent response by balancing risks with potential for change.

Research limitations/implications

There are no formal research findings as yet, but it draws on research carried out elsewhere and highlights where there is shared learning from listening more attentively to what young people say about their experiences of services, set up to protect and safeguard their interests. The independent counselling offered to young people is a critically different ingredient to consider for the future, harnessing the contribution of the third sector and explores their strategic and operational involvement.

Practical implications

Improved outcomes for and engagement with the young people and their families, reducing the long-term impact on the public purse, while lessening risks and breaking the cycle.

Originality/value

It explores collaboration still in its infancy, but one about which there has been considerable interest UK-wide, illustrating the potential for collaboration and/or integration between agencies that have seldom been comfortable “bedfellows”.
Collaboration: “easy to say, difficult to do”
Authors: Edmunds Christopher , KilBride Kerry
Published: September 2015

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to recount 12 months of a pioneering collaboration between the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, five local authorities and nine registered social landlords in South East Wales. It will aim to share the understanding that has emerged, demonstrating how a large number of agencies, many of which have different purposes or which have traditionally been in competition with each other, have been able to work collaboratively, to meet the interests of some very vulnerable people.

Design/methodology/approach

This reflective approach draws on the views of a large number of staff from each of the three constituent public sector service areas and their experience of collaborative working using action research principles. The study will use people’s own words to highlight real experiences, but analysed against similar collaborative activity elsewhere reflected in the literature. As there has been no established pathway for the collaboration to follow, we have adopted a Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle to capture the evolving “In One Place” (IOP) process.

Findings

This paper highlights the inherent systemic barriers that have to be identified and overcome if the authors are to move from wishful thinking to pragmatic realism, both within and between organisations. The sense of public sector agencies being able to work together, simply because it makes good sense, is challenged and the paper identifies both cultural and professional factors that made a difference in this collaboration, which could be harnessed elsewhere.

Originality/value

From the outset, a key driver for the IOP has been to align health, social care and housing processes by bringing together practitioners and senior managers to identify need and to plan and deliver services locally, offering a real benefit to individuals with complex needs. This is set within the context of increasing demand on public services, financial austerity and the history of “housing” being on the margins of discussion when considering the integration of health and social care services. The authors are able to demonstrate the benefit of housing being at the centre of such discussions.
Stranger danger! What’s the real challenge in integration?
Authors: Thomas Anne
Published: September 2015

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the complexities involved in delivering seamless patient-centred care across organisational boundaries. There is particular focus on how working with an organisation outside the public sector challenges the ideology of those involved, thereby hindering progress. It will explore the challenges and solutions to delivering a service and discuss the key components of success. It will investigate the theory of partnership working and balance the importance of the emotional investment and understanding with leadership and project management.

Design/methodology/approach

It explores the current “crisis” in NHS, along with political statements, emphasising its importance, but failing to address the issues faced by workers and agencies in the “outside” world. It will examine the concept of the “other” to explain the struggle required to gain a place at the table in discussing integration/service improvement. It will use experience in negotiating between a reasonably large care and nursing home provider and public sector bodies in Wales and consider the factors leading to a successful collaboration.

Findings

The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act, 2014 makes it clear that integration is seen as a critical means to achieve better outcomes for people and whilst not contesting that principle, the paper shows that integration is often limited in thinking and action to “public sector” integration.

Originality/value

There have been few attempts to explore the role and function of care and nursing home providers in service improvement from the provider’s perspective. It will challenge the practice of commissioning, that gives all the power to the commissioner and explores the commissioners’ accountability for their role in partnership work. It also offers hope for a different kind of relationship, based on mature conversations and mutual respect, along with a system of governance offering guarantees for sustainability.
Real estate portfolio construction for a multi-asset portfolio
Authors: Lekander Jon R.G.M
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore how tenant end demand dependence and investment market segmentation, as estimated through sector type, impacts real estate portfolio strategy in the context of the multi-asset portfolio.

Design/methodology/approach

– The analysis is performed for six investor domeciles, for domestic and international investments over several cycles. The analysis is performed in a mean variance framework.

Findings

– The findings are consistent with the hypothesis that an investor benefits from investing in real estate assets where end demand is dependent on local factors rather than global factors.

Practical implications

– The efficiency of the overall multi-asset portfolio benefits from a deeper understanding of how the real estate portfolio is constructed. Locally dependent real estate, i.e. real estate that is dependent on local economic factors, tends to better support the overall portfolio than do real estate that is dependent upon global factors.

Originality/value

– The paper contributes to the broader knowledge through extending earlier studies using similar methodology by extending the data series to cover the impact of the latest global financial crises, as well through extending the knowledge how the real estate portfolio should be constructed to better support the overall objectives of the multi-asset portfolio.
Compulsory purchase and compensation update – 2015
Authors: Sams Gary
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to provide a summary and analysis of recent legal decisions relating to compensation for compulsory purchase.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper summarises three important decisions and provide a critical assessment of each of them.

Findings

– These decisions provide clarification of some of the most complex aspects: the compulsory purchase compensation code.

Research limitations/implications

– Case law is specific to the facts of each individual case and con provide only “in principle” guidance for future compensation disputes.

Practical implications

– The analysis of these decisions will assist surveyors and lawyers working in the compensation field to advice clients in future compensation disputes.

Originality/value

– As these legal decisions have been published relatively recently there will be few other similar commentaries available.
Defining the three Rs of commercial property market performance
Authors: Higgins David
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– Modern property investment allocation techniques are typically based on recognised measures of return and risk. Whilst these models work well in theory under stable conditions, they can fail when stable assumptions cease to hold and extreme volatility occurs. This is evident in commercial property markets which can experience extended stable periods followed by large concentrated negative price fluctuations as a result of major unpredictable events. This extreme volatility may not be fully reflected in traditional risk calculations and can lead to ruin. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– This research studies 28 years of quarterly Australian direct commercial property market performance data for normal distribution features and signs of extreme downside risk. For the extreme values, Power Law distribution models were examined as to provide a better probability measure of large negative price fluctuations.

Findings

– The results show that the normal bell curve distribution underestimated actual extreme values both by frequency and extent, being by at least 30 per cent for the outermost data point. For the statistical outliers beyond 2 SD, a Power Law distribution can overcome many of the shortcomings of the standard deviation approach and therefore better measure the probability of ruin, being extreme downside risk.

Practical implications

– In highlighting the challenges to measuring property market performance, analysis of extreme downside risk should be separated from traditional standard deviation risk calculations. In recognising these two different types of risk, extreme downside risk has a magnified domino effect with the tendency of bad news to come in crowds. Big price changes can lead to market crashes and financial ruin which is well beyond the standard deviation risk measure. This needs to be recognised and developed as there is evidence that extreme downside risk determinants are increasing by magnitude, frequency and impact.

Originality/value

– Analysis of extreme downside risk should form a key part of the property decision process and be included in the property investment manager’s toolkit. Modelling techniques for estimating measures of tail risk provide challenges and have shown to be beyond traditional risk management practices, being too narrow and constraining a definition. Measuring extreme risk and the likelihood of ruin is the first step in analysing and dealing with risk in both an asset class and portfolio context.
Requisite variety, autopoiesis, and self-organization
Authors: Gershenson Carlos
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– Autopoiesis is a concept originally used to define living systems. However, no measure for autopoiesis has been proposed so far. Moreover, how can we build systems with a higher autopoiesis value? The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– Relating autopoiesis with Ashby’s law of requisite variety, self-organization is put forward as a way in which systems can be designed to match the variety of their environment.

Findings

– Guided self-organization has been shown to produce systems which can adapt to the requisite variety of their environment, offering more efficient solutions for problems that change in time than those obtained with traditional techniques.

Originality/value

– Being able to measure autopoiesis allows us to apply this measure to all systems. More “living” systems will be fitter to survive in their environments: biological, social, technological, or urban.
Testing one developed model by the parametric control theory methods
Authors: Ashimov Abdykappar , Borovskiy Yuriy V.
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate an effectiveness of applying a number of the new methods, proposed in the parametric control theory for testing macroeconomic models for the possibility of their practical application.

Design/methodology/approach

– Approaches of system analysis on building and calibrating the mathematical models; provisions of the parametric control theory for both numerical testing of the calibrated models for the possibility of their practical application and solving the parametric control problems.

Findings

– First, one global computable general equilibrium model (CGE model) is built and calibrated. Second, in solving the problem of testing this model for the possibility of its practical application the effectiveness of applying two developed numerical algorithms is demonstrated. These algorithms are for estimating stability indicators and estimating stability (in the sense of the theory of smooth mappings stability) of mappings defined by the model. Third, on the base of the tested CGE model there are given the solution results for a number of the parametric control problems aimed at economic growth and decrease of economic disparities of regions.

Originality/value

– By the example of the developed CGE model, it is demonstrated an approach of the parametric control theory for testing macroeconomic models for the possibility of their practical application.