bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Supporting SMEs’ internationalisation through a deeper understanding of human and technology barriers
Authors: Mendy John , Rahman Mahfuzur
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate small- and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) internationalisation from an emerging market perspective. It explores and applies human resource management (HRM) processes to small businesses’ internationalisation efforts in order to ascertain the extent to which human- and technology-oriented barriers to internationalisation can be better understood and their processes better managed by SMEs.

Design/methodology/approach

The data collection and analysis involved a mixed method technique so as to identify the two dominant barriers faced by SMEs at the employer and employee levels. By using primary survey data obtained from 212 Bangladeshi SMEs, a partial least square based structural equation model was successfully validated and its development enhanced the comparison of processes involved in managing people and technology-type barriers.

Findings

The research results highlight the importance of HRM processes in the proper management of both human and technology-type barriers, which are equally as significant to SMEs’ internationalisation.

Practical implications

The results highlight the urgent need for governments in emerging economies to prioritise SMEs’ internationalisation and to dedicate resources and processes in order to effectively optimise economic and social dividends. The practical, theoretical and methodological implications of the paper raise opportunities for further research in SMEs’ internationalisation and people management processes and practices as well as new policy guidelines.

Originality/value

The examination of the link between humans and technology is a much under-represented area in developing countries and the actual contribution of effective HRM processes in the context of SMEs’ internationalisation is missing. Applying HRM processes to these aspects serves to deepen the knowledge of small businesses’ internationalisation efforts and the contributed model enhances professional practice and theory development in these disciplines and in emerging economies.
The effect of consumer-generated media stimuli on emotions and consumer brand engagement
Authors: Loureiro Sandra Maria Correia , Bilro Ricardo Godinho , Japutra Arnold
Published: October 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the relationships between website quality – through consumer-generated media stimuli-, emotions and consumer-brand engagement in online environments.

Design/methodology/approach

Two independent studies are conducted to examine these relationships. Study 1, based on a sample of 366 respondents, uses a structural equation modelling approach to test the research hypotheses. Study 2, based on 1,454 online consumer reviews, uses text-mining technique to examine further the relationship between emotions and consumer-brand engagement.

Findings

The findings show that all the consumer-generated media stimuli are positively related to the dimensions of emotions. However, only pleasure and arousal are positively related to the three variables of consumer-brand engagement. The findings also show cognitive processing as the strongest dimension of consumer-brand engagement providing positive sentiments towards brands.

Practical implications

The findings provide marketers with an understanding of how valid, useful and relevant content (i.e. information/content) creates a greater emotional connection and drive consumer-brand engagement. Marketers should be aware that consumer-generated media stimuli influence consumers’ emotions and their reaction.

Originality/value

This study is one of the firsts to adapt and apply the S-O-R framework in explaining online consumer-brand engagement. This study also adds to the brand engagement literature as the first study that combines PLS-SEM approach with text-mining analysis to provide a better understanding of these relationships.
The role of effectual networking in small business marketing
Authors: Kubberød Elin , Viciunaite Viktorija , Fosstenløkken Siw M.
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to address the recent calls for an in-depth investigation of the entrepreneurial marketing (EM) practices of small businesses and a further conceptual development of EM under market uncertainty. Drawing on the EM mix (i.e. person, purpose, practices and process), the authors aim to conceptualise EM under market uncertainty through principles of effectual networking.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted an in-depth case study of an owner-manager who networks with many different stakeholders to create new markets for wool in the Norwegian wool industry.

Findings

Situated within the creative and craft-based industries, the study demonstrates that market uncertainty can be reduced through effectual networking to produce highly beneficial outcomes for small businesses. The findings give rise to a new model of the EM mix under uncertainty, emphasising the role of the owner-manager (i.e. person) and the purpose as the outset and driving force of the EM process. These two elements constitute the initial means in the means-driven EM process and the foundation for subsequent EM practices. The person, purpose and practices interact iteratively, and focal effectual networking principles guide EM practices.

Originality/value

This paper expands and contextualises existing theories on EM under market uncertainty by introducing the effectual networking perspective. This represents a hitherto under-investigated area of research in small business marketing.
Research on the application of information technology of Big Data in Chinese digital library
Authors: Li Shuqing , Hao Zhiyuan , Ding Li , Xu Xia
Published: October 2019

Purpose

Through the case analysis of China’s digital library, the purpose of this paper is to make readers understand the development status, achievements and problems of China’s digital library. At the same time, it also enables readers to understand the common application forms of these modern information technologies in digital libraries, so as to provide a reference basis for the application of new technologies in other countries’ digital libraries.

Design/methodology/approach

On the basis of literature review, the authors have analyzed a conspicuous collection of related papers in order to make a comprehensive summary and elaboration on the present situation of modern information technology application in Chinese digital libraries.

Findings

This paper defines and analyses the concepts, contents and relationships of the three most important modern Big Data information technologies, and then completes the analysis of the current situation of the application of information technology in Chinese digital libraries. The block chain can achieve more accurate information collection, more secure information storage and more effective information dissemination. Artificial intelligence can improve the existing digital library service level in three aspects: resource construction, information organization and information service. Internet plus will help transform the traditional digital library business mode in order to adapt to the change of user-centered service.

Originality/value

This is among the first structured attempts of comprehensively and generally summarizing the application of modern information technology in Chinese digital libraries. It also contains an original exploration of the relationship between the main kinds of modern information technology. Based on this, a relatively complete application scenario and possible vision of modern information technology in digital library can be built.
Contingent appointments in academic libraries: management challenges and opportunities
Authors: Bladek Marta
Published: October 2019

Purpose

Academia’s overwhelming reliance on non-tenure track, or contingent, faculty is a well-known fact. While the status and working conditions of contingent classroom faculty have been well studied and documented, the corresponding trend in academic libraries has not been explored as deeply. As this paper reviews the limited LIS literature on the subject, the purpose of this paper is to provide administrators and managers with a deeper understanding of the benefits and drawbacks of contingent appointments. It also offers strategies for fostering a workplace culture that recognizes contingent librarians’ contributions and promotes their professional growth.

Design/methodology/approach

An overview of scholarly and professional literature on contingent librarianship, this paper is based on published research studies and academic articles; given the prominence of anecdotal and personal writing on the subject, columns and first-person essays from trade publications, as well as library-related blogs and job search sites, are also included.

Findings

Contingent librarians have been a steady presence in academic libraries for the last few decades. The trend is continuing. There are specific practices that can be applied to effectively manage contingent librarians.

Originality/value

The paper offers academic library administrators and managers a concise yet comprehensive overview of the issues related to contingent appointments.
Growth and demography of a declining, endangered cactus in the Sonoran Desert
Authors: McIntosh Margrit E. , Boyd Amy E. , Arnold A. Elizabeth , Steidl Robert J. , McDade Lucinda A.
Published: October 2019

Increases in the incidence and severity of drought threaten the viability of rare plants in arid regions. The endangered Nichol's Turk's head cactus (Echinocactus horizonthalonius Lemaire var. nicholii L. Benson) occurs only in four small, isolated populations in the Sonoran Desert of North America. Since 1995 we have monitored a population in southeastern Arizona (USA). Here we report 23 years of observations on abundance, growth, mortality, flowering and recruitment. Abundance of plants decreased from 132 in 1996 to 40 in 2017, with 100 individuals recruited and 203 dying during the study. Individual plants grew slowly, increasing annually by an average of 0.22 cm (95% confidence interval, 0.18–0.26 cm) in diameter and 0.27 cm (0.20–0.33 cm) in height. Growth was slowest when drought was most severe and slowed as plants reached maximum size. Annual mortality increased markedly across the study period and did not vary with plant size. Annual probability of flowering increased as plants increased in diameter but not in height, and varied with precipitation and drought but not with mean annual temperature. Recruitment was higher when average temperature was higher and the number of recruits per capita increased across the study period. The annual rate of change in abundance averaged −6%, but shifted markedly from −1% during 1995–2008 to −11% during 2008–2017. Our results indicate that the population's decline was not a consequence of failed recruitment but of increased mortality, which we discuss in the context of climate and herbivory.
Unravelling interspecies interactions across heterogeneities in complex biofilm communities
Authors: Røder Henriette L. , Olsen Nanna M. C. , Whiteley Marvin , Burmølle Mette
Published: October 2019

The importance of microbial biofilms has been well‐recognized for several decades, and focus is now shifting towards investigating multispecies biofilm communities rather than mono‐ or dual‐species biofilms. Therefore, the demand for techniques that provide a sufficient amount of information at adequate resolution is increasing. One major challenge for multispecies studies is that diversity and spatial organization often lead to a high degree of spatial and chemical heterogeneity. Many current approaches do not account for such heterogeneity and therefore only provide average information (−omics techniques in particular), which could obscure important information about the community. Here, we bring attention to the issues of heterogeneity when analysing synthetic multi‐species biofilms, in vitro, and the importance of multi‐scale approaches. We provide an overview of current and newer approaches that can be applied to biofilm communities, in order to elucidate interactions at the appropriate scale.
100‐year‐old enigma solved: identification, genomic characterization and biogeography of the yet uncultured Planctomyces bekefii
Authors: Dedysh Svetlana N. , Henke Petra , Ivanova Anastasia A. , Kulichevskaya Irina S. , Philippov Dmitriy A. , Meier‐Kolthoff Jan P. , Göker Markus , Huang Sixing , Overmann Jörg
Published: October 2019

The first representative of the phylum Planctomycetes, Planctomyces bekefii, was described nearly one century ago. This morphologically conspicuous freshwater bacterium is a rare example of as‐yet‐uncultivated prokaryotes with validly published names and unknown identity. We report the results of molecular identification of this elusive bacterium, which was detected in a eutrophic boreal lake in Northern Russia. By using high‐performance cell sorting, P. bekefii‐like cell rosettes were selectively enriched from lake water. The retrieved 16S rRNA gene sequence was nearly identical to those in dozens of metagenomes assembled from freshwater lakes during cyanobacterial blooms and was phylogenetically placed within a large group of environmental sequences originating from various freshwater habitats worldwide. In contrast, 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to all currently described members of the order Planctomycetales was only 83%–92%. The metagenome assembled for P. bekefii reached 43% genome coverage and showed the potential for degradation of peptides, pectins, and sulfated polysaccharides. Tracing the seasonal dynamics of P. bekefii by Illumina paired‐end sequencing of 16S rRNA gene fragments and by fluorescence in situ hybridization revealed that these bacteria only transiently surpass the detection limit, with a characteristic population peak of up to 104 cells ml−1 following cyanobacterial blooms.
From context to contexting: professional identity un/doing in a medical leadership development programme
Authors: Berghout Mathilde A. , Oldenhof Lieke , van der Scheer Wilma K. , Hilders Carina G. J. M.
Published: October 2019

Physicians are known for safeguarding their professional identities against organisational influences. However, this study shows how a medical leadership programme enables the reconstruction of professional identities that work with rather than against organisational and institutional contexts to improve quality and efficiency of care. Based on an ethnographic study, the results illustrate how physicians initially construct conflicting leadership narratives – heroic (pioneer), clinical (patient's guardian) and collaborative (linking pin) leader – in reaction to changing organisational and clinical demands. Each narrative contains a particular relational‐agentic view of physicians regarding the contexts of hospitals: respectively as individually shapeable; disconnected or collectively adjustable. Interactions between teachers, participants, group discussions and in‐hospital experiences led to the gradual deconstruction of the heroic –and clinical leader narrative. Collaborative leadership emerged as the desirable new professional identity. We contribute to the professional identity literature by illustrating how physicians make a gradual transition from viewing organisational and institutional contexts as pre‐given to contexting, that is, continuously adjusting the context with others. When engaged in contexting, physicians increasingly consider managers and directors as necessary partners and colleague‐physicians who do not wish to change as the new ‘anti‐identity’.
GDP competition and corporate investment: Evidence from China
Authors: Liu Qiang , Hao Ying , Du Yong , Xing Yuning
Published: October 2019

This study examines whether and how macroeconomic performance competition is related to investment at firm level. We use GDP competition as a proxy of dynamic macroeconomic conditions. We find that the effect of GDP competition on firm investments is significantly positive. We also find that GDP competition destroys investment efficiency significantly, especially by increasing overinvestment. Further tests show that GDP competition is more likely to affect the investment decisions of firms controlled by governments and firms located in regions with low marketization. In addition, our analyses reveal that the provincial officials facing competitive pressure are more likely to be promoted if firm investments accelerate. We use alternative proxies to measure GDP competition and find similar results that support our inference. Our findings support the notion that GDP competition of governments distorts investment behaviour. The present paper also elucidates investment problems and dilemmas faced by emerging economies.
Contesting coal and climate change using scale: emergent topologies in the Adani mine controversy
Authors: Jolley Connor , Rickards Lauren
Published: October 2019

The Adani mine controversy is a significant new space of contestation in conflicts over coal mining and climate change in Australia. Proposed as one of the largest new coal mines in the world, the Adani (or “Carmichael”) mine has become a flashpoint between two broad coalitions—the pro‐mine coalition, consisting of governments, elements of the media, and mining interests, and the anti‐mine coalition, consisting of community groups, environmental non‐government organisations, activists, Indigenous communities, and farmers. Based on thematic analysis of news media articles and interviews with environmental actors in the Adani mine controversy, this article demonstrates how each coalition employs discursive scale frames and counter‐scale frames to represent and contest the controversy. We find that the pro‐mine coalition remains situated within a topographical spatiality, with a backwards oriented temporality, that obscures emergent topologies from their view. In contrast, while retaining capacity for operating within traditional scalar topographies, the anti‐mine coalition is more adept at negotiating topologies that increasingly define our social worlds. It is oriented towards a deep future horizon in which the Adani mine controversy represents an opportunity to reshape existing social and political orders. The sorts of scalar tactics documented here are likely at work in other resource extraction controversies, highlighting the need to attend to how scale may be being used to obscure irrationalities and injustices in extraction projects, and the potential for counter‐scale frames to help destabilise fossil fuel regimes.
Application of artificial intelligence in gastrointestinal endoscopy
Authors: He Yi Shan , Su Jing Ran , Li Zhen , Zuo Xiu Li , Li Yan Qing
Published: October 2019

With recent significant improvements in artificial intelligence (AI), especially in the field of deep learning, an increasing number of studies have evaluated the use of AI in endoscopy to detect and diagnose gastrointestinal (GI) lesions. The present review summarizes current publications on the use of AI in GI endoscopy and focuses on the challenges and future of AI‐aided systems. We expect AI to provide an effective and practical method for endoscopists in lesion detection and characterization as well as in quality control in endoscopy. However, so far, most studies have remained at the preclinical stage. More attention should be paid in the future to the use of AI in real‐life clinical applications.
Presence of mEGFR ctDNA predicts a poor clinical outcome in lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Kim Taehee , Kim Eun Young , Lee Sang Hoon , Kwon Do Sun , Kim Arum , Chang Yoon Soo
Published: October 2019

Background

Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is a biomarker for the selection of target agents in various malignancies. In this study, we examined the effect of ctDNA presence on the response to EGFR‐tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) and on the prognosis in lung adenocarcinoma.

Methods

ctDNA of EGFR‐TKI sensitizing mutations (mEGFR), L858R substitution and Exon 19 deletion (E19d) mutation, was evaluated using droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) in 81 patients with lung adenocarcinoma which harbored mEGFR in the corresponding tumor tissues.

Results

The study recruited lung cancer patients at various stages, and the sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC) of mEGFR ctDNA detection by ddPCR were 40.0%, 88.5%, and 0.68, respectively. It showed higher sensitivity (75.0% vs. 10.0%) and AUC (0.83 vs. 0.49) in the advanced stages of lung adenocarcinoma compared with the early stages and the number of metastases and the fractional abundance of mEGFR ctDNA showed a strong correlation (σ = 0.516; P < 0.001, Spearman correlation test). There was a significantly shorter progression‐free survival and duration of disease control by EGFR‐TKIs in the ctDNA‐positive group than the negative group (14.0 vs. 41.0 months, P = 0.02 and 12.0 vs. 23.0 months, P = 0.02, log‐rank test, respectively). There was a trend for overall survival time to be shorter in patients with mEGFR ctDNA than for patients without mEGFR ctDNA (35.6 vs. 67.1 months, P = 0.06, log‐rank test).

Conclusions

These data showed that mEGFR ctDNA detection using ddPCR is useful in the advanced stages and its presence predicted distant metastasis and poor clinical outcome in lung adenocarcinoma.
Effect of human activity on habitat selection in the endangered Barbary macaque
Authors: Waterman J. O. , Campbell L. A. D. , Maréchal L. , Pilot M. , Majolo B.
Published: October 2019

The exponential growth of human population and infrastructure is significantly reducing the amount of ecological resources available for wild animals. We analyzed the effect of human activity on Barbary macaques Macaca sylvanus, an endangered species restricted to the fragmented forests of Morocco and Algeria, using location data from five social groups inhabiting Ifrane National Park, Morocco. We used a resource selection function to explore the effects of anthropogenic disturbance on macaque habitat selection, using nine natural, social, and anthropogenic disturbance variables as predictors. Forest cover, home range overlap, herding route proximity, and road proximity were all significant predictors of habitat use. Macaques avoided areas used by local shepherds, to reduce the risk of attack by shepherds’ dogs, but approached roads to increase the chances of provisioning by tourists. However, herding route and road use varied seasonally in line with levels of human use, suggesting that macaques may be navigating their environment strategically (in space and time) to balance food acquisition and risk avoidance. The results of this study highlight the importance of assessing human impact on habitat selection in both space and time. Our data on seasonal variations in macaques’ use of roads can help prevent road injuries, a major source of mortality for provisioned macaques, by focusing management efforts by national park workers in time and space. Furthermore, understanding when and where macaques seek provisioning from tourists can help combat provisioning, which negatively impacts macaque health, behavior, and susceptibility to poaching.
Smoking cessation in elective surgical patients offered free nicotine patches at listing: a pilot study
Authors: Webb A. R. , Coward L. , Soh L. , Waugh L. , Parsons L. , Lynch M. , Stokan L.‐A. , Borland R.
Published: October 2019

Free nicotine patches may promote pre‐operative smoking cessation. Smokers (≥ 10 cigarettes.day−1) awaiting non‐urgent surgery were randomly assigned (3:1) to an offer of free nicotine patches or a control group who were not offered free nicotine patches. The suggested regimen lasted 5 weeks, with patch strength decreasing incrementally after 3 and 4 weeks. The primary outcome was smoking abstinence for ≥ 4 weeks, as self‐reported by participants on the day of surgery, including, where possible, corroboration using exhaled carbon monoxide testing. Out of 600 included smokers, 447 (74.5%) were randomly assigned to an offer of pre‐operative nicotine patches, with 175 (39.1%) of these accepting the offer and 56 (12.5%) using patches for ≥ 3 weeks. Out of 396 participants offered nicotine patches who were included for analysis, 36 (9.1%) quit smoking for ≥ 4 weeks before surgery as compared with 8 (5.9%) controls,OR1.5 [95%CI0.7–3.2], p = 0.300. Sixty‐three (15.9%) quit smoking for 24 h before surgery as compared with 15 (11.1%) controls,OR1.4 [95%CI0.8–2.4], p = 0.200. Participants offered nicotine patches were more likely to engage in a cessation attempt lasting more than 24 h, 46 (11.6%) vs. 5 (3.7%),OR3.4 [95%CI1.8–8.8], p = 0.010. Out of 78 participants who quit smoking by the day of surgery and were followed up at 6 months, 46 (59%) had relapsed. Offering free nicotine patches stimulated interest in quitting compared with controls, but our protocol had limited effectiveness.
Effect of promotion pressure and financial burden on investment in public–private partnership infrastructure projects in China
Authors: Wang Ling , Zhou Lihong , Xiong Yan , Yan Dongyi
Published: October 2019

By identifying the political motives of officials and local governments, this study aims to provide a new political economic analysis framework for understanding China's incentives for investing in public–private partnership (PPP) infrastructure projects. Chinese urban panel data for the period 2013–17 were used to examine the mechanisms of promotion pressure and financial burden in relation to investments in PPP infrastructure projects. Based on our findings, the following policy recommendations are proposed: standardise the behaviour of local government officials in promoting PPP projects, establish a lifelong accountability mechanism for PPP project performance, establish a mechanism for local government debt risk assessment and prevention, and avoid the risk of local debt arising from over‐investment in PPP infrastructure projects. Moreover, a match should be formed between local economic infrastructure planning and investment plans to avoid over‐ or under‐investment.
Systematic review with meta‐analysis: association of vitamin D status with clinical outcomes in adult patients with inflammatory bowel disease
Authors: Gubatan John , Chou Naomi D. , Nielsen Ole Haagen , Moss Alan C.
Published: October 2019

Background

Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent among patients with IBD, however, data on its association with clinical outcomes are conflicting.

Aim

To perform a systematic review and meta‐analysis to explore the association of low vitamin D status with clinical outcomes in patients with IBD.

Methods

We searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus and Web of Science from inception to February 2018 for observational studies evaluating the association of low 25(OH)D status on IBD disease activity, mucosal inflammation, clinical relapse and quality of life. Odds ratios (ORs) were pooled and analysed using a random effects model.

Results

Twenty‐seven studies were eligible for inclusion comprising 8316 IBD patients (3115 ulcerative colitis, 5201 Crohn's disease). Among IBD patients, low 25(OH)D status was associated with increased odds of disease activity (OR 1.53, 95% CI 1.32‐1.77, I2 = 0%), mucosal inflammation (OR 1.25, 95% CI 1.06‐1.47, I2 = 0%), low quality of life (QOL) scores (OR 1.30, 95% CI 1.06‐1.60, I2 = 0%) and future clinical relapse (OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.03‐1.47, I2 = 0%). In subgroup analysis, low vitamin D status was associated with Crohn's disease activity (OR 1.66, 95% CI 1.36‐2.03, I2 = 0%), mucosal inflammation (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.03‐1.85, I2 = 0%), clinical relapse (OR 1.35, 95% CI 1.14‐1.59, I2 = 0%), and low QOL scores (OR 1.25, 95% CI 1.04‐1.50, I2 = 0%) and ulcerative colitis disease activity (OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.03‐2.09, I2 = 0%) and clinical relapse (OR 1.20, 95% 1.01‐1.43, I2 = 0%).

Conclusions

Low 25(OH)D status is a biomarker for disease activity and predictor of poor clinical outcomes in IBD patients.
Social investment effects of public education, health care, and welfare service expenditures on economic growth
Authors: Kim Soo‐Wan , Ahn Sang‐Hoon
Published: October 2019

The purpose of this study is to theoretically and empirically examine whether public spending in education, health care, and welfare service operates as a fruitful investment in welfare states, which has been implied in the literature of social investment arguments. Based on comprehensive review of existing literature, this study suggested a tripartite mechanism of social investment effect of such spending, that is “enhancement of human capital,” “support for labor force participation,” and “job creation.” To find the empirical evidence, a pooled time‐series cross‐section analysis was conducted with the data of 15 advanced welfare states from 1980 to 2015 using estimation technique of fixed‐effect model. The results confirmed that public spending in education, health care, and welfare service had a positive medium‐term as well as long‐term effect on economic performance, while cash‐type welfare spending had an obscure or no visible effect on economy. Government consumption that is a proxy and control variable of size of the welfare state showed a positive effect on real GDP in the medium term but a negative effect in the long run. In conclusion, this study suggests that reinforcing social services should be recognized and dealt with as essence of social investment strategy.
Managing Parkinson's disease: moving ON with NOP
Authors: Mercatelli Daniela , Bezard Erwan , Eleopra Roberto , Zaveri Nurulain T. , Morari Michele
Published: October 2019

The opioid‐like neuropeptide nociceptin/orphanin FQ (N/OFQ) and its receptor (NOP receptor) contribute to Parkinson's disease (PD) and motor complications associated with levodopa therapy. The N/OFQ–NOP receptor system is expressed in cortical and subcortical motor areas and, notably, in dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra compacta. Dopamine depletion, as in rodent models of PD results in up‐regulation of N/OFQ transmission in the substantia nigra and down‐regulation of N/OFQ transmission in the striatum. Consistent with this, NOP receptor antagonists relieve motor deficits in PD models by reinstating the physiological balance between excitatory and inhibitory inputs impinging on nigro‐thalamic GABAergic neurons. NOP receptor antagonists also counteract the degeneration of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons, possibly by attenuating the excitotoxicity or modulating the immune response. Conversely, NOP receptor agonists attenuate levodopa‐induced dyskinesia by attenuating the hyperactivation of striatal D1 receptor signalling in neurons of the direct striatonigral pathway. The N/OFQ–NOP receptor system might represent a novel target in the therapy of PD.
Unique combination of anti‐paraneoplastic antigen Ma2 antibody‐positive Ophelia syndrome and opsoclonus‐myoclonus syndrome in an adult Hodgkin’s lymphoma patient
Authors: Petkov Rumen , Valkova Mirena , Alaikov Tzvetan , Guergueltcheva Velina , Shivarov Velizar
Published: October 2019

Background

Paraneoplastic neurological syndromes are a rare presentation of malignant lymphomas at diagnosis or relapse. The most frequent form is the cerebellar degeneration associated with Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL), but several other syndromes, such as limbic encephalitis, sensorimotor neuropathies and dermatomyositis, have also been described in association with both HL and non‐Hodgkin’s lymphomas.

Case presentation

Here, we describe a unique case of a 64‐year‐old man with HL presenting at diagnosis with two distinct well‐defined paraneoplastic neurological syndromes – autoimmune limbic encephalitis with memory loss and opsoclonus‐myoclonus syndrome. Intriguingly, the patient tested positive for anti‐paraneoplastic antigen Ma2/Ta antibody, which is almost exclusively detected in solid cancers, such as testicular germ cell tumors and small cell lung cancer. The patient had early‐stage HL, and showed rapid improvement of neurological symptoms after initiation of corticosteroid treatment and specific lymphoma therapy with the adriamycin, bleomycin, vinblastine and dacarbazine regimen.

Conclusions

This case supports the general view of the complex immune system deregulation in HL, which can trigger various autoimmune phenomena, even in early‐stage disease.
Fire disturbance influences endangered Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow (Ammospiza maritima mirabilis) relative bird count
Authors: Benscoter Allison M. , Beerens James M. , Pearlstine Leonard G. , Romañach Stephanie S.
Published: October 2019

Periodicity of fire disturbance is a known driver of ecosystem function and is reported as important in both promoting and maintaining viable breeding habitat for the endangered Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow (Ammospiza maritima mirabilis; CSSS). In south Florida, the CSSS serves as a fine‐scale indicator of the marl and mixed‐marl prairie communities of the Florida Everglades. The CSSS distribution is affected by numerous well‐documented physical drivers, including water depth and fire regime. Here, we fit zero‐inflated negative binomial generalized linear mixed models and used model selection to determine the relationship between CSSS bird count observations from 1992 to 2014 and the spatially‐specific fire return interval on the landscape. CSSS bird count was highest at a 5–8‐year fire return interval and increased linearly with the percent of cell burned (400 × 400 m cells). The results of this study can inform management plans designed to maintain existing, and promote new, marl prairie habitat for conservation of the CSSS.
Standardizing CYP2D6 Genotype to Phenotype Translation: Consensus Recommendations from the Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium and Dutch Pharmacogenetics Working Group
Authors: Caudle Kelly E. , Sangkuhl Katrin , Whirl‐Carrillo Michelle , Swen Jesse J. , Haidar Cyrine E. , Klein Teri E. , Gammal Roseann S. , Relling Mary V. , Scott Stuart A. , Hertz Daniel L. , Guchelaar Henk‐Jan , Gaedigk Andrea
Published: October 2019

Translating CYP2D6 genotype to metabolizer phenotype is not standardized across clinical laboratories offering pharmacogenetic (PGx) testing and PGx clinical practice guidelines, such as the Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium (CPIC) and the Dutch Pharmacogenetics Working Group (DPWG). The genotype to phenotype translation discordance between laboratories and guidelines can cause discordant cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) phenotype assignments and, thus lead to inconsistent therapeutic recommendations and confusion among patients and clinicians. A modified‐Delphi method was used to obtain consensus for a uniform system for translating CYP2D6 genotype to phenotype among a panel of international CYP2D6 experts. Experts with diverse involvement in CYP2D6 interpretation (clinicians, researchers, genetic testing laboratorians, and PGx implementers; n = 37) participated in conference calls and surveys. After completion of 7 surveys, a consensus (> 70%) was reached with 82% of the CYP2D6 experts agreeing to the final CYP2D6 genotype to phenotype translation method. Broad adoption of the proposed CYP2D6 genotype to phenotype translation method by guideline developers, such as CPIC and DPWG, and clinical laboratories as well as researchers will result in more consistent interpretation of CYP2D6 genotype.
Local climatic changes affect biodiversity responses to land use: A review
Authors: Williams Jessica J. , Newbold Tim
Published: October 2019

Aim

Climate and land‐use change, the greatest pressures on biodiversity, can directly influence each other. One key case is the impact land‐use change has on local climatic conditions: human‐altered areas are often warmer and drier than natural habitats. This can have multiple impacts on biodiversity and is a rapidly developing field of research. Here, we summarize the current state of understanding on the impact that local climatic changes have on biodiversity responses to land‐use change, in particular looking at whether human‐altered land uses favour species with certain climatic niches.

Location

Global.

Methods

We review studies that have identified links between species' climatic niches and the habitats/land‐use types they inhabit. We also critically discuss the methods used to explore this topic (such as the estimation of fundamental vs. realized climatic niches), identify key knowledge gaps by reference to related macroecological literature and make suggestions for further work.

Results

Assemblages of vertebrate and invertebrate species in numerous human‐dominated land uses have been found to have higher proportions of individuals affiliated with higher temperatures and lower precipitation levels than assemblages within natural habitats. However, uncertainty surrounds the mechanisms that underlie these observed differences between communities across land‐use types, and it remains unexplored as to whether these trends differ geographically or taxonomically.

Main conclusion

Shifts are being observed within human‐altered land uses to communities with, on average, warmer and drier climatic niches. A better understanding of the effects of local climatic changes associated with land‐use change will enhance our ability to predict future impacts on biodiversity, identify the species most at risk from interactions between climate and land‐use change and set up suitable management and conservation plans.
Twenty‐five years of diabetes distress research
Authors: Skinner T. C. , Joensen L. , Parkin T.
Published: October 2019

The term ‘diabetes distress’ first entered the psychosocial research vernacular in 1995, and refers to ‘the negative emotional or affective experience resulting from the challenge of living with the demands of diabetes’. At first the proponents of the concept were hesitant in advocating that diabetes distress was a major barrier to individuals’ self‐care and management of diabetes. Since then, a burgeoning body of evidence, now including several systematic reviews of intervention studies, suggests that diabetes distress, in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, across ages and in all countries and cultures where it has been studied, is common and can be a barrier to optimal emotional well‐being, self‐care and management of diabetes. As a consequence, monitoring diabetes distress as part of routine clinical care is part of many national guidelines. The present narrative review summarizes this research and related literature, to postulate the aetiology of diabetes distress, and thus how it may be prevented. The current evidence base for the management of diabetes distress is summarized, and the next steps in the prevention and management of diabetes distress identified.
Sampling design may obscure species–area relationships in landscape‐scale field studies
Authors: Bueno Anderson Saldanha , Masseli Gabriel S. , Kaefer Igor L. , Peres Carlos A.
Published: October 2019

We investigated 1) the role of area per se in explaining anuran species richness on reservoir forest islands, after controlling for several confounding factors. We also assessed 2) how sampling design affects the inferential power of island species–area relationships (ISARs) aiming to 3) provide guidelines to yield reliable estimates of area‐induced species losses in patchy systems. We surveyed anurans with autonomous recording units at 151 plots located on 74 islands and four continuous forest sites at the Balbina Hydroelectric Reservoir landscape, central Brazilian Amazonia. We applied semi‐log ISAR models to assess the effect of sampling design on the fit and slope of species–area curves. To do so, we subsampled our surveyed islands following both a 1) stratified and 2) non‐stratified random selection of 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 islands covering 1) the full range in island size (0.45–1699 ha) and 2) only islands smaller than 100 ha, respectively. We also compiled 25 datasets from the literature to assess the generality of our findings. Island size explained ca half of the variation in species richness. The fit and slope of species–area curves were affected mainly by the range in island size considered, and to a very small extent by the number of islands surveyed. In our literature review, all datasets covering a range of patch sizes larger than 300 ha yielded a positive ISAR, whereas the number of patches alone did not affect the detection of ISARs. We conclude that 1) area per se plays a major role in explaining anuran species richness on forest islands within an Amazonian anthropogenic archipelago; 2) the inferential power of island species–area relationships is severely degraded by sub‐optimal sampling designs; 3) at least 10 habitat patches spanning three orders of magnitude in size should be surveyed to yield reliable species–area estimates in patchy systems.
No biotic homogenisation across decades but consistent effects of landscape position and pH on macrophyte communities in boreal lakes
Authors: Lindholm Marja , Alahuhta Janne , Heino Jani , Toivonen Heikki
Published: October 2019

It has been predicted that spatial beta diversity shows a decreasing trend in the Anthropocene due to increasing human impact, causing biotic homogenisation. We aimed to discover if vascular aquatic macrophyte communities show different spatial patterns in beta diversity in relation to land use and environmental characteristics in different decades from 1940s to 2010s. We aimed to discover if spatial structures differ between species‐, phylogeny‐ and functional‐based beta diversity. We used presence–absence data of aquatic macrophytes from five decades from small boreal lakes. We utilized generalised dissimilarity modelling to analyse spatial patterns in beta diversity in relation to environmental gradients. We found that lake elevation and pH were the most important variables in each decade, while land use was not particularly important in shaping beta diversity patterns. We did not find signs of a decreasing trend in spatial beta diversity in our study area during the past 70 yr. We did not find signs of either biotic homogenisation or biotic differentiation (taxonomic, phylogenetic or functional). Vascular aquatic macrophyte communities showed only slightly different beta diversity patterns in relation to human impact across decades. The patterns of different facets of beta diversity diverged only slightly from each other. Lake position in the landscape, reflecting both natural connectivity and lake characteristics, explained the patterns found in beta diversity, probably because our study area has faced only modest changes in land use from 1940s to 2010s when compared globally. Our study highlights the fact that biotic homogenisation is not an unambiguous process acting similarly at all spatial and temporal scales or in different environments and different organism groups.
Clinical outcomes of 79 traumatically intruded permanent teeth in Chinese children and adolescents: A retrospective study
Authors: Wang Nan , Chen Jie , Zhao Yuming
Published: October 2019

Background/Aim

Data on the clinical outcomes of traumatically intruded, young, permanent teeth in Chinese children and adolescents are absent. The aim of this study was to examine the probability of spontaneous re‐eruption of injured teeth, to investigate the incidence of pulp necrosis with infection of the root canal system and replacement root resorption and to analyse possible factors related to healing complications after injury.

Materials and Methods

Clinical data from 6‐ to 18‐year‐old patients who sustained intrusive luxation from 2007 to 2016 were reviewed. Teeth were treated by awaiting re‐eruption, orthodontic repositioning or surgical repositioning. The incidences of spontaneous re‐eruption, pulp necrosis with infection, replacement resorption and marginal bone loss were calculated, and factors related to these complications were analysed using Cox regression and Kaplan‐Meier analyses.

Results

Data from 79 teeth in 58 patients (mean age 9.19 ± 2.34 years) were examined over follow‐up periods from 7 to 87 months (median 18 months). Of the 50 teeth awaiting re‐eruption, the incidences of complete re‐eruption and partial re‐eruption were 40.0% and 34.0%, respectively. Teeth intruded <3 mm had a higher complete re‐eruption rate (57.1%) than those with a 3‐7 mm of intrusion (18.2%) (hazard ratio [HR] = 4.15). Of the 52 teeth observed for more than 12 months, pulp necrosis with infection, replacement resorption and marginal bone loss occurred in 57.4%, 15.4% and 61.5% of the teeth, respectively. Teeth with 3‐7 mm (60.9%, HR = 2.97) or >7 mm (100%, HR = 6.44) of intrusion and teeth with uncomplicated crown fracture (85.7%, HR = 5.19) were more likely to develop pulp necrosis with infection. Teeth that received orthodontic or surgical repositioning showed higher incidences of replacement resorption (23.1%, HR = 5.72; 25.0%, HR = 11.68, respectively).

Conclusions

Spontaneous re‐eruption of intruded teeth was significantly related to intrusion depth. Intrusion depth and crown fracture had strong relationships with pulp necrosis with infection, whereas the choice of treatment influenced the development of replacement resorption.
Longitudinal changes in mouthguard fit: Reliability of an evaluation method
Authors: Abe Manami , Sugimoto Arisa , Togawa Hitomi , Gonda Tomoya , Maeda Yoshinobu , Ikebe Kazunori
Published: October 2019

Background/Aim

A mouthguard should be replaced when it deteriorates or becomes deformed as a result of the softness or flexibility of the material. The question, however, is how long can one use a mouthguard and when should one replace it with a newly made mouthguard? The aim of this study was to develop an improved method for measuring the fit of mouthguards based on previous reports and to examine its reliability.

Material and Methods

Silicone fit‐testing material was applied to the inner surface of the mouthguards of 12 participants, and the mouthguards were inserted into the participants' oral cavity. After the test material had set, the mouthguard was weighed. The intra‐rater reliability and inter‐rater reliability were analyzed using intraclass correlation coefficients.

Results

The intra‐rater reliability was 0.813 (P < .001), and the inter‐rater reliability was 0.817 (P < .001). Both values were greater than 0.7, suggesting that this measuring method had sufficient reliability.

Conclusions

The results of this study indicate that mouthguard fit can be evaluated longitudinally to determine the optimal time to replace a mouthguard.
Effect of adult feeding and timing of host exposure on the fertility and longevity of the parasitoid Anaphes flavipes
Authors: Samková Alena , Hadrava Jiří , Skuhrovec Jiří , Janšta Petr
Published: October 2019

The parasitoid Anaphes flavipes (Foerster) (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) is a gregarious egg parasitoid which is widely used in biological control against important crop pest beetles of the genus Oulema (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Here, we present the first experimental examination of the influence of adult feeding and timing of host exposure on the longevity and fertility of this parasitoid. We confirmed a positive effect of adult feeding on longevity of both sexes. Fed parasitoids lived 3× longer than unfed ones. On the other hand, adult feeding and feeding time had no effect on female fertility. The number of hatched offspring was not increased by adult feeding, which suggests that the parasitoid emerges with already mature ovaries (proovigenic type). However, the fertility of fed females was strongly influenced by the timing of host egg exposure. By providing distinct groups of parasitoids with host eggs at different times, we were able to show lower fertility of fed females that had been offered host eggs more than 24 h after hatching. Our results thus show that the parasitoid's fertility is determined by her age at the time of parasitization rather than by feeding.