bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Recruitment of records management practitioners in Jamaica’s public sector and its implications for professional practice
Authors: Duffus Kaydene
Published: May 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to highlight the recruitment practices in the records management (RM) profession in Jamaica’s public sector and their implications for professional practice. This paper is part of a larger doctoral study completed at the University College London that investigated the connection between RM education and national development.

Design/methodology/approach

The research is a qualitative mixed methods study, which mainly utilises data from 34 interviews done among RM practitioners and educators, and development administrators and analysts in Kingston and Spanish Town, Jamaica.

Findings

The study found that there is an urgent need for a change in how RM practitioners are recruited for their roles in Jamaica’s public sector. More coherent frameworks and a more coordinated effort are required to support for the recruitment of practitioners.

Research limitations/implications

This research is specific to the Jamaican case; therefore, it provides little basis for generalisation. Consequently, the study seeks to make no claims that the results in the Jamaican context are generalisable to other societies. Nonetheless, the conclusions and recommendations may be instructive in other environments.

Social implications

The study evaluated some of the existing practices for the recruitment of RM practitioners. As a result, the findings should enhance the knowledge about the human resources needs in RM in Jamaica.

Originality/value

In addition to providing some directions for future research, the study also gives voice to a diverse group. It brings together an analysis of national discourses around RM recruitment practices. This is done through the multifaceted views of Jamaican RM practitioners, development administrators and RM educators represented in the interviews.
How does leadership development help universities become learning organisations?
Authors: Gentle Paul , Clifton Louise
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to draw on empirical data to interrogate the correlation between participation in leadership development programmes by individual leaders and the ability of higher education institutions to learn organisationally from such participation.

Design/methodology/approach

Applying a multi-stakeholder perspective, this paper focuses on the experiences of both senior and entry-level university managers and how these are connected systematically to institutional climates and structures conducive to learning.

Findings

There is a tendency for vice chancellors, directors of human resources and other senior managers to identify participants to sponsor programmes without putting in place mechanisms and cultural processes to incorporate their individual learning into organisational improvement.

Originality/value

The paper raises questions as to how societal needs are served by the organisational behaviours of universities with respect to developing leaders, and what higher institutions might do differently to increase the impact of developing leaders on their organisations. Suggested approaches include facilitating constructive dialogue in an experimental, reflective environment and integrating action learning and mentoring into institutional practices.
Balancing countervailing processes at a Lithuanian university
Authors: Leisyte Liudvika , Vilkas Mantas , Staniskiene Egle , Zostautiene Daiva
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand how the countervailing processes for enhancing academic excellence based on professional norms are balanced out with the market-oriented processes of standardisation and performance management in a university. Further, the authors aim to explore how and if organisational learning occurs in balancing these processes.

Design/methodology/approach

The longitudinal, inductive three-year study of a higher education institution in Lithuania was used to understand how a higher education institution based on the norms of academic excellence was balanced out with the market-oriented processes and what mechanisms of leaning took place during the process. The authors drew upon three data sources – archival materials, observation and interviews with academic staff and administrators – to capture the processes of rebalancing and learning.

Findings

A complex balance is observed between the strive for academic excellence and market relevance. Market relevance has been the dominant reform tone for the central administration of a Lithuanian university (LTU), while maintenance of academic excellence prevailed among academic staff. The LTU manages the countervailing processes by standardising, financialising, surveying and disciplining. The rebalancing resulted in dissent from the academic community. Organisational learning could be observed in the example of the introduction of a new examination procedure, while it could not occur during the process of new performance management system introduction. The process led to mutual distrust between the academic staff and the management of the LTU.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the literature on organisational learning in higher education, showing how an eager entrepreneurial university engages in the reform process and how it engages in the complex balancing of countervailing processes of academic excellence and market relevance. The authors contribute with empirical evidence on how rebalancing processes in a professional organisation works and what limitations it faces. The study shows the vital multi-stakeholder involvement and understanding of the process of change. The authors further contribute to the discussion on the adoption factors of performance-based systems and the process of institutionalisation using a longitudinal perspective as called for in previous research.
The academic non-consultation phenomenon revisited: a research agenda
Authors: Nguyen Nhien , Hansen Jens Ørding
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to revive interest in the question, never definitively answered, which Stephen Watson raised in the title of his 2000 paper, “Why is it that management academics rarely advise on their own institutions?” It is argued that finding the answer to the question would not only be interesting in and of itself but could also lead to valuable contributions to the theory of the learning organization.

Design/methodology/approach

Inspired by Watson’s original paper and a new interview the authors made with him in 2017, this paper discusses the possible explanations for why management academics rarely advise on their own institutions and sets out an agenda for future research.

Findings

The authors suggest a simple three-way categorization of the nine hypotheses identified by Watson (2000), grouping them by the themes of management knowledge, motivation of higher education institution (HEI) managers and incentives for academics to engage. This study proposes an integrated framework to illustrate how these three categories of hypotheses are connected and can jointly explain the observed phenomenon. The study provides theoretical underpinnings for the most promising hypotheses and suggests an agenda for future research, emphasizing the potential of such research to contribute to the learning organization field.

Research limitations/implications

This paper should not be interpreted primarily as an attempt to provide support for any particular hypothesis. Rather, the principal aim of the authors is to sketch out a future research agenda and inspire others to contribute empirical evidence that can help shed light on the paradox of why management academics rarely advise on their own institutions.

Originality/value

The theoretical contribution of this paper is to revive the important research topic of “why management academics do not seem to be widely engaged in advising university managers” (Watson, 2000, p. 99) and to introduce a research agenda that can help realize the potential contribution of this topic to the learning organization literature. The practical contribution is to re-address the difficulties of HEIs in becoming full-fledged “learning organizations” and to suggest that HEI managers re-examine the possibilities for using hitherto untapped internal expertise.
Spatial and temporal components of induced plant responses in the context of herbivore life history and impact on host
Authors: Mason Charles J. , Villari Caterina , Keefover‐Ring Ken , Jagemann Stephanie , Zhu Jun , Bonello Pierluigi , Raffa Kenneth F.
Published: May 2017

Plants defend against herbivores and pathogens through integrated constitutive and induced defences. Induced responses may be expressed locally or tissue/plant‐wide, i.e. systemically, and may also be primed for subsequent attack. Although the elicitation and efficacy of induced responses are increasingly well‐characterised, we have little understanding of how timing and within‐plant spatial patterns of induced defences relate to different herbivore behaviours and selective pressures.

We used interactions between pines and their major mortality agents, native bark beetle‐fungal complexes, to explore this dimension. We analysed concentrations of multiple terpenoid and phenolic classes, and lesion formation, to provide a comprehensive profile of specialised metabolites and histological responses in red pine (Pinus resinosa) phloem. We examined these profiles in constitutive tissue and following simulated attack, sampling both at the point of challenge and away from the attack site, and following a second simulated attack.

Terpenoid concentrations increased by >100‐fold at the site of simulated attack. In contrast, systemic induction of terpenoids was absent or weak, with most exhibiting no change and others increasing only 1.5–2 fold. Previous elicitation did not influence terpenoid concentrations, either locally or tissue‐wide, when trees were challenged a second time. Phenolics had mixed responses in localised tissues, with some compounds increasing and others decreasing. Like terpenoids, phenolics did not show substantial systemic, tissue‐wide changes, and likewise showed no evidence of priming. Collectively, these results indicate that red pine employs a strategy of maximising its response at each point of attack by bark beetles.

Pines have been shown to express systemic induced resistance against several canker fungi, so the absence of these responses suggests agent‐specific reactions, rather than inherent incapability. Rapid local induction seems to be a better strategy in this instance because if a bark beetle can succeed in entering and producing pheromones from a host, the resulting mass attack usually exceeds defense capacity and kills the tree.

These results highlight how plant defence syndromes can modulate the spatial and temporal dynamics of induced responses, in addition to the chemical and morphological traits deployed.

Aplain language summaryis available for this article.
Excellence at What Cost? Austerity and the Reform of the School System in England (2010–2016)
Authors: Granoulhac Françoise
Published: May 2017

The reform of the school system, which has been conducted by the Coalition and Conservative governments since 2010, has largely been austerity‐driven. In spite of the governments’ pledge to protect their budgets, schools have been severely hit by spending cuts. The reform programme has itself been integral to the fiscal consolidation plans by promoting a more cost‐effective system of state schooling. This article discusses the relationship between austerity and reform, and looks at the consequences for the concept of public service. Some specific aspects of the new institutional framework are examined, especially the creation of an independent state sector made up of academies and free schools, which has entrenched the involvement of private sector firms in education. The overhaul of the school system, which started nearly thirty years ago, has now reached a new decisive stage. However, considering the complex relationship between multiple actors and the opposing forces at work, one cannot say with any certainty that it will cause the demise of public service state education.
“If It Teaches, It Teaches Imperceptibly:” Recasting the Secularity of the Victorian Public Sphere
Authors: Fisher‐Høyrem Stefan
Published: May 2017

Offering an account of Victorian secularisation which does not depend on the definition of the term “religion,” this article draws on a strand of secularisation studies often neglected by Victorian scholars. In particular, it develops two key aspects of philosopher Charles Taylor's work: the concept of social imaginaries, and the association of secularity with a particular kind of time. Emphasising the human‐technological networks through which the notion of a Victorian public sphere was constituted, the article highlights how the function of these networks was premised on a concept of secular time regardless of participants’ conscious or articulated (non)belief. In these particular networks, the notion of immediacy and absolute simultaneity — which both presuppose a concept of secular time — were constituted through the mobilisation of a wide range of mediators, human and nonhuman. Here, the term “secularisation” denotes this process of increasingly investing and embedding secular time on the level of unarticulated assumptions. This allows scholars to recast the question of Victorian secularisation in a manner which avoids the problems associated with defining secularity as an absence of “belief” or “religion.”
Second‐Best Theory: Ageing well at Sixty
Authors: Boadway Robin
Published: May 2017

We summarize the evolution of the theory of second best since the original contribution of Richard Lipsey and Kelvin Lancaster. Early studies investigated the optimality of piecemeal first‐best policy in controlled sectors when distortions exist elsewhere. The applied welfare economics approach of Arnold Harberger and its embodiment in cost–benefit analysis incorporated second‐best analysis into the evaluation of public programs. Modern second‐best analysis emphasizes policy‐making in a distorted economy where distortions reflect either constraints on government policy instruments or features of the economic environment such as limited government information. This is illustrated using optimal commodity and income taxation and its refinements to intertemporal and uncertain settings. Second‐best analysis is a defining feature of modern normative public economics.
Ethical living: relinking ethics and consumption through care in Chile and Brazil
Authors: Ariztia Tomas , Agloni Nurjk , Pellandini‐Simányi Léna
Published: May 2017

Mainstream conceptualizations of ‘ethical consumption’ equate the notion with conscious, individual, market‐mediated choices motivated by ethical or political aims that transcend ordinary concerns. Drawing on recent sociology and anthropology of consumption literature on the links between ordinary ethics and ethical consumption, this article discusses some of the limitations of this conceptualization. Using data from 32 focus groups conducted in Chile and Brazil, we propose a conceptualization of ethical consumption that does not centre on individual, market‐mediated choices but understands it at the level of practical outcomes, which we refer to as different forms of ‘ethical living’. To do that, we argue, we need to depart from the deontological understanding of ethics that underpins mainstream approaches to ethical consumption and adopt a more consequentialist view focusing on ethical outcomes. We develop these points through describing one particular ordinary moral regime that seemed to be predominant in participants’ accounts of ethics and consumption in both Chile and Brazil: one that links consumption and ethics through care. We show that the moral regime of care leads to ‘ethical outcomes’, such as energy saving or limiting overconsumption, yet contrary to the mainstream view of ethical consumption emphasizing politicized choice expressed through markets, these result from following ordinary ethics, often through routines of practices.
Ideology influencing action: special educational needs co‐ordinator and learning support assistant role conceptualisations and experiences of special needs education in England
Authors: Maher Anthony John , Vickerman Philip
Published: May 2017

One outcome of England's Code of Practice’ (DfE, 1994) was an increase, first, in the number of learning support assistants (LSAs) working in mainstream schools and, second, the establishment of the role of special educational needs co‐ordinator (SENCO). Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with SENCOs and LSAs to explore: (i) why they chose their occupation; (ii) how they conceptualise their role and (iii) the decisions they make when endeavouring (or not) to cultivate an inclusive culture in schools. Many SENCOs sought the role in order to increase the educational attainment and life chances of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Inclusive concepts such as fairness, equality and social justice underpinned their rationales. LSA justification was more pragmatic and often related to how the role would help them to achieve a further career ambition, or because it was compatible with personal circumstances. Younger participants thought that they could strengthen their teacher training applications by using the role of LSA to gain more experience working in schools generally, and with pupils with SEND in particular. The role of both SENCO and LSA has been found to be extremely diverse in England, depending largely on the needs and resources of the schools in which these two groups find themselves.
Psychopathy and Mortality
Authors: Vaurio Olli , Repo‐Tiihonen Eila , Kautiainen Hannu , Tiihonen Jari
Published: May 2017

It is not known how mortality differs between psychopathic and nonpsychopathic individuals. We linked data from subjects having been in forensic mental examinations at Niuvanniemi Hospital during 1984–1993 to the data from the National Death Registry to estimate the association between psychopathy and mortality. One hundred psychopathic individuals scoring 25 or higher in the PCL‐R scale were followed up for 20–30 years. Two control groups were used as follows: 178 offenders scoring less than 25 on the PCL‐R, and sample of general population drawn from the Finnish National Statistics database. Results reveal that psychopaths die younger than the general population, and the causes of death are more violent than in the nonpsychopath control group. There was a significant positive correlation between PCL‐R score and mortality, and the mortality among psychopaths was about fivefold when compared with general population.
Steering CSR Through Home State Regulation: A Comparison of the Impact of the UK Bribery Act and Modern Slavery Act on Global Supply Chain Governance
Authors: LeBaron Genevieve , Rühmkorf Andreas
Published: May 2017

The home states of multinational enterprises have in recent years sought to use public regulation to fill the gaps left by the absence of a binding labour standards framework in international law. This article examines recent home state initiatives to address forced labour, human trafficking, and slavery in global supply chains, and their interactions with private governance initiatives. Focusing on a case study of the 2015 UK Modern Slavery Act and 2010 UK Bribery Act, we analyse two distinct legislative approaches that policy makers have used to promote corporate accountability within global supply chains and explore the varied impacts that these approaches have on corporate behaviour. Empirically, we analyse codes of conduct, annual CSR reports, and supplier terms and conditions for 25 FTSE 100 companies to shed light into the impact of the legislation on corporate behaviour. We find that legislation that creates criminal corporate liability appears to spur deeper changes to corporate strategy, and argue that in the case of the Modern Slavery Act, the triumph of voluntary reporting over more stringent public labour standards seems to have undermined the effectiveness of recent governance initiatives to address forced labour in global supply chains.
How Do Domestic Regulatory Traditions Shape CSR in Large International US and UK Firms?
Authors: Knudsen Jette Steen
Published: May 2017

This article examines corporate social responsibility (CSR) pertaining to labor standards in apparel and tax transparency in extractives and explores how domestic regulatory traditions shape CSR in large international US and UK firms. Reflecting their more collaborative business‐government traditions, British firms are more willing to join international CSR multi‐stakeholder initiatives with business‐critical actors such as unions and civil society actors. The US has a more top‐down regulatory approach, which promotes hard law international CSR or encourages business‐driven voluntary CSR initiatives. This article makes three contributions. First, it argues that while corporations are the key actors in international CSR, their behavior reflects their respective national business systems. Second, focusing on a range of international CSR initiatives, this article finds that UK firms are more interested in adopting international (multi‐stakeholder) CSR initiatives than US firms. Finally, the article shows that the US and the UK governments play a key role in driving an international CSR agenda, and in doing this it highlights government agency more so than other research has.
Claims for compensation after injuries related to airway management: a nationwide study covering 15 years
Authors: Fornebo I. , Simonsen K. A. , Bukholm I. R. K. , Kongsgaard U. E.
Published: May 2017

Background

Securing the airway is one of the most important responsibilities in anaesthesia. Injuries related to airway management can occur. Analysis from closed claims can help to identify patterns of injury, risk factors and areas for improvement.

Methods

All claims to The Norwegian System of Compensation to Patients from 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2015 within the medical specialty of anaesthesiology were studied. Data were extracted from this database for patients and coded by airway management procedures.

Results

Of 400 claims for injuries related to airway management, 359 were classified as ‘non‐severe’ and 41 as ‘severe’. Of the severe cases, 37% of injuries occurred during emergency procedures. Eighty‐one claims resulted in compensation, and 319 were rejected. A total of €1,505,344 was paid to the claimants during the period. Claims of dental damage contributed to a numerically important, but financially modest, proportion of claims. More than half of the severe cases were caused by failed intubation or a misplaced endotracheal tube.

Conclusion

Anaesthesia procedures are not without risk, and injuries can occur when securing the airway. The most common injury was dental trauma. Clear patterns of airway management that resulted in injuries are not apparent from our data, but 37% of severe cases were related to emergency procedures which suggest the need for additional vigilance. Guidelines for difficult intubation situations are well established, but adherence to such guidelines varies. Good planning of every general anaesthesia should involve consideration of possible airway problems and assessment of pre‐existing poor dentition.
Coronary sinus lead delay index for optimization of coronary sinus lead placement
Authors: Koç Mevlüt , Kaypakli Onur , Gözübüyük Gökhan , Yıldıray Şahin Durmus
Published: May 2017

Aim

Optimization of coronary sinus (CS) lead position to the latest activated left ventricular (LV) area is important to increase cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) response. We aimed to detect the relationship between coronary sinus lead delay index (CSDI) and echocardiographic, electrocardiographic response to CRT treatment.

Methods

We prospectively included 137 consecutive patients with heart failure (HF) diagnosis, QRS ≥ 120 ms, left bundle branch block (LBBB), New York Heart Association score (NYHA) II–IV, LV ejection fraction (LVEF) <35% and scheduled for CRT (84 male, 53 female; mean age 65.1 ± 10.1 years). Echocardiographic CRT response was defined as ≥15% reduction in LV end‐systolic volume (LVESV). CS lead sensing delay was calculated as the time interval from the onset of surface QRS wave to the onset of depolarization wave recorded from the CS lead by using the CS pacing lead as a bipolar electrode. CSDI was calculated by dividing the CS lead sensing delay by the QRS duration.

Results

LVESV reduction was associated with baseline QRS width (r = .257, p = .002), QRS narrowing (r = .396, p < .001), CSDI (r = .357, p < .001), and NT‐proBNP (r = −0.213, p = .022) in bivariate analysis. In logistic regression analysis, CSDI was found to be only independent parameter for predicting significant LVESV reduction (Beta = 0.318, p < .001). CSDI was also found to be significantly associated with LVEF increase (r = .244, p = .004) and QRS narrowing (r = .178, p = .046).

Conclusion

CSDI may be used as a marker to predict the favorable response to CRT. It may be useful to integrate CSDI to CRT implantation procedure in order to minimize nonresponders.
Repetitive ventricular tachycardia in a syncopal child: Cause or incidental finding ?
Authors: Massin Martial , Jacquemart Caroline , Khaldi Karim
Published: May 2017

A 15‐year‐old girl suffered recurrent syncopal episodes during 7 years. Events were precipitated by exercise or emotional stress, leading to the diagnosis of reflex syncope. Exercise testing induced recurrent salvos of nonsustained right ventricular outflow tract tachycardia. This arrhythmia is often asymptomatic, reflex syncope is very frequent and both causes are related to the same triggering situations. It was therefore essential to obtain recordings during syncopal events and to observe the clinical evolution under effective treatment in order to make the right diagnosis.
Genomic evaluation using SNP‐ and haplotype‐based genomic relationship matrices in a closed line of Duroc pigs
Authors: Uemoto Yoshinobu , Sato Shuji , Kikuchi Takashi , Egawa Sachiko , Kohira Kimiko , Sakuma Hironori , Miyashita Satoshi , Arata Shinji , Kojima Takatoshi , Suzuki Keiichi
Published: May 2017

A simulation analysis and real phenotype analysis were performed to evaluate the impact of three different relationship matrices on heritability estimation and prediction accuracy in a closed‐line breeding of Duroc pigs. The numerator relationship matrix (NRM), single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)‐based genomic relationship matrix (GRM) (GS), and haplotype‐based GRM (GH) were applied in this study. We used PorcineSNP60 genotype array data (38 114 SNPs) of 831 Duroc pigs with four selection traits. In both heritability estimation and prediction accuracy, the accuracy depended on the number of animals with records. For heritability estimation, a large difference in the results among three relationship matrices was not shown, but the trend of the estimated heritabilities between GRMs, that is GS < GH, was shown in this population. For the accuracy of prediction values in test animals, the accuracies of prediction values obtained by two GRMs were higher than that by the NRM in this population. The accuracies obtained by GRMs using animals with no records were lower than that by the NRM using animals with their performance records, but were close to that by the NRM using animals with full‐sib testing records.
Effects of taurine on plasma glucose concentration and active glucose transport in the small intestine
Authors: Tsuchiya Yo , Kawamata Koichi
Published: May 2017

Taurine lowers blood glucose levels and improves hyperglycemia. However, its effects on glucose transport in the small intestine have not been investigated. Here, we elucidated the effect of taurine on glucose absorption in the small intestine. In the oral glucose tolerance test, addition of 10 mmol/L taurine suppressed the increase in hepatic portal glucose concentrations. To investigate whether the suppressive effect of taurine occurs via down‐regulation of active glucose transport in the small intestine, we performed an assay using the everted sac of the rat jejunum. Addition of taurine to the mucosal side of the jejunum suppressed active glucose transport via sodium‐glucose cotransporter 1 (SGLT1). After elimination of chloride ions from the mucosal solution, taurine did not show suppressive effects on active glucose transport. These results suggest that taurine suppressed the increase in hepatic portal glucose concentrations via suppression ofSGLT1 activity in the rat jejunum, depending on chloride ions.
Effect of increasing monensin sodium levels in diets with virginiamycin on the finishing of Nellore cattle
Authors: Benatti João Marcos B. , Alves Neto João Alexandrino , de Oliveira Ivanna M. , de Resende Flávio D. , Siqueira Gustavo R.
Published: May 2017

This study evaluated the effect of increasing levels of monensin sodium (MON) in diets with virginiamycin (VM) on the finishing of feedlot cattle. Two hundred and eighty intact male Nellore cattle (348 ± 32 kg body weight, 22 months) received one of the following five diets: control diet (without additives); diet containing VM (25 mg per kg dry matter) combined with 0 (MON0), 10 (MON10), 20 (MON20) or 30 (MON30) mg MON per kg dry matter. During adaptation (28 days), the MON0 diet increased dietary net energy for maintenance and gain compared to the control diet (P = 0.04). The combination of additives linearly reduced dry matter intake, body weight and average daily gain (P < 0.01). Considering the total study period (110 days), there was a trend of greater net energy intake for maintenance (P = 0.09) and hot carcass weight (P = 0.06) for animals fed MON0 compared to the control diet. The combination of additives linearly reduced dry matter intake (P = 0.04) and linearly increased gain : feed and dietary net energy for maintenance and gain (P < 0.01). The combination of VM with MON at a dose of 30 mg/kg dry matter is recommended for Nellore feedlot cattle because it improves the efficiency of energy utilization.
A suspected case of intermediate syndrome in a dog with carbamate toxicosis
Authors: Tinson E , Boller E , Davis M
Published: May 2017

Case report

A 7‐year‐old female spayed Labrador Retriever was managed for suspected carbamate toxicosis after confirmed ingestion of a large amount of methiocarb. Therapy included decontamination, supportive care and management for aspiration pneumonia. On the third day of hospitalisation, after an initial clinical improvement, the dog developed respiratory muscle weakness, inspiratory dyspnoea and pronounced cervical muscle weakness. These delayed clinical signs were consistent with the ‘intermediate syndrome’ described in some cases of organophosphate and carbamate toxicoses in humans and also described in one case of organophosphate toxicosis in the dog. Intermediate syndrome has not been reported in carbamate toxicosis in the dog.

Conclusion

This case report highlights the necessity for veterinarians to monitor for additional complications not commonly considered in acute carbamate toxicoses.
End‐to‐side anastomosis of the left ventral colon to the small colon in a neonatal foal with segmental agenesis of the large colon
Authors: Biasutti S , Dart AJ , Dart CM , Uquillas E , Jeffcott LB
Published: May 2017

Case report

A newborn foal was referred for evaluation because it had not passed meconium, despite the administration of four enemas. Abdominal radiographs and ultrasound scans showed generalised gaseous distension of the intestine and there was no observable meconium in the colon. Positive contrast colography showed contrast medium extending to the transverse colon. An exploratory laparotomy confirmed the absence of the left and right dorsal colon and the pelvic and diaphragmatic flexures. An end‐to‐side anastomosis of the left ventral colon to the midpoint of the small colon was performed. The foal recovered from anaesthesia and surgery uneventfully and immediately began suckling from the mare, with no signs of abdominal pain in the postoperative period. The foal began to pass soft faeces 3 days after surgery and at 6 months after surgery the foal was clinically normal and growing at a similar rate to its cohort.

Conclusion

Intestinal atresia is a rare condition in foals, but should be considered as a differential diagnosis in foals that fail to pass meconium. Early recognition and surgical intervention can offer an improved chance of short‐term survival in cases where there is adequate intestine to anastomose. An end‐to‐side anastomosis technique can be used where an end‐to‐end technique is not practical because of the difference in diameter of the proximal and distal intestinal segments.
Prevalence and effect of Theileria orientalis infection in homebred calves in the Gloucester region of New South Wales, Australia
Authors: Swilks E , Jenkins C , Poynting A , Collins D , Krebs GL
Published: May 2017

Objectives

To examine the prevalence of Theileria orientalis in the Gloucester area of New South Wales and its effect on individual animals.

Methods

Blood samples (EDTA and clotted blood) were collected from a total of 55 calves and their dams from 6 properties over a 16‐week period. A total of 202 and 190 blood samples were collected from the calves and dams, respectively, and were examined via blood film for the presence of intraerythrocytic T. orientalis piroplasms. Packed cell volume (PCV) was measured to determine infection resulting in anaemia. The presence of antibodies against the T. orientalis major piroplasm surface protein (MPSP) was tested using ELISA.

Results

The overall prevalence of T. orientalis infection in both dams and calves from all herds examined was 95%. Mean peak parasitaemia was observed in calves between 6 and 9 weeks of age (P = 0.051), coinciding with a decline in mean PCV. Only 3 (6%) of the blood samples collected from the dams were positive for Theileria‐associated antibodies and no significant relationship (P > 0.05) was found between the presence of antibodies in the dams and PCV levels in the calves. There was no evidence that passive transfer of antibodies from dams to calves protected the calves against a decline in PCV.

Conclusion

This study confirmed a high prevalence of low‐level Theileria infection, but low MPSP seroconversion rates, in dams and calves in an area where the disease has been endemic for a number of years.
Pharmacokinetic Properties of Memantine after a Single Intraperitoneal Administration and Multiple Oral Doses in Euploid Mice and in the Ts65Dn Mouse Model of Down's Syndrome
Authors: Victorino Daniella B. , Bederman Ilya R. , Costa Alberto C. S.
Published: May 2017

Memantine is a drug approved for the treatment of moderate‐to‐severe Alzheimer's disease (AD), and there is ongoing research on the potential expansion of its clinical applicability. Published data on the pharmacokinetics of memantine in the mouse are still incomplete, particularly for chronic administration regimens and mouse models of specific genetic disorders. Down's syndrome (DS) is a genetic disorder known to affect multiple organs and systems, with the potential to alter significantly drug pharmacokinetics. Here, we describe a simple, efficient and sensitive GC/MS‐based procedure for the determination of memantine concentrations in murine blood and tissue samples. We analysed pharmacokinetic properties of memantine, particularly its distribution in blood, brain and liver in the Ts65Dn mouse model of DS and euploid F1 hybrid mice after single intraperitoneal administrations of increasing doses of this drug. We also determined steady‐state memantine concentrations in plasma, brain and liver after chronic oral administration of this drug in adult male Ts65Dn mice, euploid littermate controls and nursing or pregnant Ts65Dn mice. Our results revalidated the acute dose of memantine used in previously published work, determined the appropriate amount of memantine to be mixed into mouse chow to achieve steady and pharmacologically relevant plasma and tissue levels of this drug and demonstrated that memantine can be transferred from mother to offspring via maternal milk and placenta. Most of these findings are potentially applicable not only to the study of DS but also to other neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders.
The emerging role of anti‐CD25 directed therapies as both immune modulators and targeted agents in cancer
Authors: Flynn Michael J. , Hartley John A.
Published: May 2017

CD25 (also termed IL2RA) forms one component of the high‐affinity heterotrimeric interleukin 2 (IL2) receptor on activated T cells. Its affinity for IL2 and cellular function are tightly regulated and vary in different cell types. The high frequency of CD25 on the surface of many different haematological tumour cells is now well established and, apart from its prognostic significance, CD25 may be present on leukaemic stem cells and enable oncogenic signalling pathways in leukaemic cells. Additionally, high CD25 expression in activated circulating immune cells and Tregs is a factor that has already been exploited by IL2 immunotherapies for treatment of tumours and autoimmune disease. The relative clinical safety and efficacy of administering anti‐CD25 radioimmunoconjugates and immunotoxins in various haematological tumour indications has been established and clinical trials of a novel CD25‐directed antibody drug conjugate are underway.
Recent progress in relapsed multiple myeloma therapy: implications for treatment decisions
Authors: Moreau Philippe , de Wit Edwin
Published: May 2017

The availability of novel therapies for the treatment of multiple myeloma has had a dramatic impact on the depth of response that can be expected on initial treatment. Despite these advances, disease relapse remains inevitable in most patients and brings with it a different set of priorities for therapy. The most recent wave of novel agents may have a particular impact in the relapsed setting. In this review, we examine the evidence currently available from clinical trials for the use of novel agents, particularly in the formation of triplet therapy. We consider data supporting the addition of the proteasome inhibitors carfilzomib and ixazomib, or the monoclonal antibodies elotuzumab or daratumumab, to a treatment backbone of lenalidomide and dexamethasone. The clinical data set is less well developed for the addition of a third agent to the combination of bortezomib and dexamethasone; nonetheless, data are presented supporting the addition of the histone deacetylase inhibitor panobinostat, or elotuzumab or daratumumab. While acknowledging the lack of head‐to‐head data on which to base comparisons between the numerous regimens, we collate the latest data in order to provide a basis on which to make clinical decisions in this rapidly advancing field.
Glacial landsystems, retreat dynamics and controls on Loch Lomond Stadial (Younger Dryas) glaciation in Britain
Authors: Bickerdike Hannah L. , Ó Cofaigh Colm , Evans David J. A. , Stokes Chris R.
Published: May 2017

Glacial geomorphology relating to the Loch Lomond Stadial (Younger Dryas) in Britain is used to construct five glacial landsystem models. These landsystems lie on a continuum of increasing ice thickness and decreasing topographic control and typify the principal styles of glaciation during the stadial. The landsystems comprise: the cirque/niche glacier landsystem, the alpine icefield landsystem, the lowland piedmont lobe landsystem, the plateau icefield landsystem and the icecap landsystem. Geomorphological features representing the icecap landsystem are present only at the centre of the West Highland Glacier Complex, which was flanked primarily by satellite alpine and plateau icefields. The cirque/niche glacier landsystem was present predominantly in areas that experienced conditions only marginally favourable for glacier development at peripheral sites. Three styles of glacier retreat are recorded by the geomorphology: active, two‐phase and uninterrupted retreat. Of these, active retreat appears to be most widespread within the Loch Lomond Stadial limits. These retreat styles reflect a combination of climatic and topographic conditions, coupled with local factors influencing the preservation of landforms from which retreat dynamics can be inferred. Likewise, the distribution of landsystems was influenced by an interplay between topography and climate, with glacier formation being facilitated in locations where topographical conditions aided in the accumulation of snow. The pattern also supports the existence of previously recognized northward and eastward precipitation gradients across Britain during the stadial.
Pharmacology of oxidative stress: translational opportunities
Authors: Daiber Andreas , Di Lisa Fabio , Ferdinandy Péter
Published: May 2017

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This article is part of a themed section on Redox Biology and Oxidative Stress in Health and Disease. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v174.12/issuetoc
Mobile Phones in the Bedroom: Trajectories of Sleep Habits and Subsequent Adolescent Psychosocial Development
Authors: Vernon Lynette , Modecki Kathryn L. , Barber Bonnie L.
Published: May 2017

Mobile phones are an essential part of an adolescent's life, leading them to text, phone, or message into the night. Longitudinal latent growth models were used to examine relations between changes in adolescent night‐time mobile phone use, changes in sleep behavior, and changes in well‐being (depressed mood, externalizing behavior, self‐esteem, and coping) for 1,101 students (43% male) between 13 and 16 years old. Both night‐time mobile phone use and poor sleep behavior underwent positive linear growth over time. Increased night‐time mobile phone use was directly associated with increased externalizing behavior and decreased self‐esteem and coping. Changes in sleep behavior mediated the relation between early changes in night‐time mobile phone use and later increases in depressed mood and externalizing behavior and later declines in self‐esteem and coping.
Farnesyltransferase inhibitor FTI-277 inhibits PD-L1 expression on septic spleen lymphocytes and promotes spleen lymphocyte activation
Authors: Li W , Tu J , Liu X , Yang W
Published: May 2017

Farnesyltransferase inhibitors have been tested in clinical trials for the treatment of tumours. In sepsis, the binding of programmed death 1 (PD-1) to programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) promotes lymphocyte apoptosis and decreases cytokine expression, thus affecting survival rates. The PD-1/PD-L1 pathway plays an important role in chronic viral infection, bacterial infection and sepsis. However, the precise immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory functions of this pathway remain poorly understood. In our previous study, the induction of sepsis by caecal ligation and puncture (CLP) resulted in increased farnesyltransferase activity and farnesylated protein levels in the spleen relative to sham treatment. However, the effect of inhibition of farnesyltransferase activity on overall survival rates in patients with sepsis and the specific signalling pathway involved remain to be investigated. In this study, mice with CLP-induced sepsis were treated with farnesyltransferase inhibitor (FTI-277), and PD-L1 expression on septic spleen lymphocytes was examined. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that PD-L1 is expressed constitutively on lymphocytes and that PD-L1 protein expression was up-regulated strongly following CLP. FTI-277 down-regulated PD-L1 mRNA and protein expression on septic spleen lymphocytes in a dose-dependent manner. This effect was associated closely with nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB). In addition, the significant damping effect of FTI-277 on the PD-L1 signal promoted interferon (IFN)-γ secretion, interleukin (IL)-2 production and splenocyte proliferation in response to anti-CD3+CD28+ antibodies in mice. Furthermore, FTI-277 reduced spleen lymphocyte apoptosis in septic mice. Therefore, FTI-277 regulates spleen lymphocyte activity via the PD-L1 signalling pathway, with significant anti-inflammatory effects attributable to suppression of the NF-κB pathway. Farnesyltransferase represents a valuable therapeutic target for the treatment of sepsis.
Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders: Emerging therapies
Authors: Araki Manabu , Yamamura Takashi
Published: May 2017

Neuromyelitis optica or neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) are autoimmune diseases associated with a disease‐specific autoantibody directed against the water channel protein aquaporin‐4. While almost all patients with NMOSD show a relapsing‐remitting course, just 2% of patients present with a progressive course, suggesting that preventing acute attacks can lead to stable remission and avoid progression of the condition. Standard immunotherapy, immunosuppressive agents, and corticosteroids can prevent acute attacks and maintain remission in the majority of patients with NMOSD. However, there is a strong need for alternative options for patients who are refractory to standard treatments. Emerging therapies targeting specific molecules related to the pathogenicity of NMOSD are currently being developed. In addition to standard intravenous high‐dose corticosteroid and plasma exchange/plasmapheresis, therapies targeted at inhibiting granulocytes, complement, and vascular endothelial growth factor are anticipated for acute attacks. With regard to preventive treatment of NMOSD, randomized clinical trials using monoclonal immunoglobulin G antibody targeting CD19 and CD20 on B cells, interleukin‐6, and complement protein C5 are underway. There are many preclinical therapeutic agents that target aquaporin‐4 and the pathogenic anti‐aquaporin‐4 antibody itself: complement inhibitor and T helper 17 cells based on the specific NMOSD pathology. The future goal of immunotherapies for NMOSD would be to select suitable therapies for the patient's pathological condition among off‐target and molecular‐target agents.
Pathogenesis of human T‐lymphotropic virus type 1‐associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis
Authors: Kubota Ryuji
Published: May 2017

Human T‐lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV‐1) is a human retrovirus that preferentially infects CD4+ lymphocytes in vivo. The virus causes a hematological malignancy known as adult T‐cell leukemia, and an inflammatory disease in the central nervous system (CNS) called HTLV‐1‐associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). Approximately 0.3% of HTLV‐1‐infected individuals develop HAM/TSP. HAM/TSP patients show spastic paraparesis and sphincter dysfunction, as well as sensory disturbance of the lower extremities, which corresponds to pathological lesions in the spinal cord. Although the majority of HAM/TSP patients progress slowly, this disease progresses rapidly in some patients. An increased HTLV‐1 proviral load is more common in HAM/TSP patients than in asymptomatic HTLV‐1 carriers, and is considered to be a strong risk factor for HAM/TSP development. A prominent cellular immune response in HAM/TSP patients is a significantly elevated number of HTLV‐1 Tax‐specific CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells compared with asymptomatic HTLV‐1 carriers. Additionally, CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes accumulate in the perivascular areas of spinal cords in HAM/TSP patients. Viral DNA, mRNA and proteins are detected only in infiltrating CD4+ T cells, but not in neural cells. A high proportion of HTLV‐1‐specific CTL infiltrates the CNS. Furthermore, some neural cells surrounding the CTL, predominantly oligodendrocytes, undergo apoptosis. These findings suggest the pathogenesis that the HTLV‐1‐specific inflammation induced by the interaction of HTLV‐1‐infected CD4+ T cells and HTLV‐1‐specific CD8+ CTL causes bystander damage in the CNS. In the present review, a more exact pathogenesis of HAM/TSP is discussed based on virology, immunology and neuropathology.