bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Meta-analysis reveals taxon- and life stage-dependent effects of ocean acidification on marine calcifier feeding performance
Authors: Clements Jeff C.
Published: July 2016

While ocean acidification is considered among the greatest threats to marine ecosystems, its effects on the feeding performance of marine calcifiers remain uncertain. I conducted a meta-analysis of effect sizes (LnRR) assessing the impacts of acidification on the feeding ability of three groups of marine calcifiers - molluscs, arthropods, and echinoderms. Results suggested taxon-dependent effects of acidification on calcifier feeding performance, with depressed feeding observed for molluscs, echinoderms, and when all taxa were considered. However, ocean acidification had no effect on feeding performance in marine arthropods and larval feeding performance appeared more vulnerable than that of juveniles and adults. Feeding performance was not related to acclimation time norpCO2level. This study suggests that the feeding performance of molluscs and early life-stage echinoderms may be depressed in a more acidic ocean, but that arthropod feeding performance is unlikely to suffer. Such changes in feeding performance could contribute to slower growth and development in the early life stages of these organisms and could potentially contribute to changes in community and ecosystem structure where these organisms coexist. Finally, feeding performance could, at least in part, moderate the degree to which molluscs and echinoderms can use food to overcome acidification effects early in life.
Quantitative comparison of measured crystallographic texture
Authors: Lychagina Tatiana , Nikolayev Dmitry
Published: July 2016

A new approach for the determination of a quantitative measure to compare pole figures for different specimens is presented. The suggested approach is based on the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test. A new quantitative similarity measure between the textures of different specimens is suggested. This measure is verified by means of numerical models for both cubic and hexagonal crystalline symmetry, and it is applied to real experimental data for railway wheel steel. A comparison between the existing RP value and the introduced KSP value is presented to illustrate the specific character of the latter.
Crystal structure of the antigen-binding fragment of a monoclonal antibody specific for the multidrug-resistance-linked ABC transporter human P-glycoprotein
Authors: Esser Lothar , Shukla Suneet , Zhou Fei , Ambudkar Suresh V. , Xia Di
Published: July 2016

P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is a polyspecific ATP-dependent transporter linked to multidrug resistance in cancers that plays important roles in the pharmacokinetics of a large number of drugs. The drug-resistance phenotype of P-gp can be modulated by the monoclonal antibody UIC2, which specifically recognizes human P-gp in a conformation-dependent manner. Here, the purification, sequence determination and high-resolution structure of the Fab fragment of UIC2 (UIC2/Fab) are reported. Purified UIC2/Fab binds human P-gp with a 1:1 stoichiometry. Crystals of UIC2/Fab are triclinic (space groupP1), with unit-cell parametersa= 40.67,b= 44.91,c= 58.09 Å, α = 97.62, β = 99.10, γ = 94.09°, and diffracted X-rays to 1.6 Å resolution. The structure was determined by molecular replacement and refined to 1.65 Å resolution. The asymmetric unit contains one molecule of UIC2/Fab, which exhibits a positively charged antigen-binding surface, suggesting that it might recognize an oppositely charged extracellular epitope of P-gp.
Investigating current paradigms in supply chain risk management – a bibliometric study
Authors: Kilubi Irene
Published: July 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to analyse the intellectual structure and research fronts of discipline of supply chain risk management (SCRM), in order to identify the knowledge groups in the research area to date, as well as to reveal any relationships between these subfields and the central influential trends.

Design/methodology/approach

– By means of a bibliometric study, the 32 most co-cited articles on SCRM published in 16 top business-related academic journals are analysed using multivariate statistical techniques, i.e. multi-dimensional scaling, cluster analysis and correspondence factor analysis.

Findings

– The results demonstrate a clearly identifiable structure as a result of the performed co-citation analysis. The conducted cluster analysis and factor bring forward that the research field is arranged in five different areas of interest: explaining supply chain (SC) risk phenomena, concepts, frameworks and insights of SCRM; modelling risks for SCs; inventory risks affecting supply efficiency; SC and product design methods; and SC risk mitigating strategies.

Originality/value

– Overall, the intellectual structure of SCRM is first examined through a bibliometric approach using quantitative techniques – for improved understanding of its origins, and to identify the state of the science – and to offer suggestions for future studies that could cover current gaps. This study represents the potential to advance the SCRM literature landscape.
A method for evaluating business models implementation process
Authors: Batocchio Antonio , Ghezzi Antonio , Rangone Andrea
Published: July 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to identify and discuss the reasons why business models fail, while also identifying the features necessary to develop a method that enables the evaluation of the implementation process of the business model, and is able to help in its development.

Design/methodology/approach

– The proposed method (roadmap for implementation of business models – RIBM) is composed of nine steps, and seven initials conditions (limitations). Such conditions reduce its complexity (e.g. performance management system is defined in the company).

Findings

– Some reasons why business models fail (alignment between value proposition and customer segment (value proposition); business model financial viability (costs and revenue); environmental constraints not fully integrated with the design of the business model (environment); business model execution (management), etc.) and made some considerations about the implementation of business models.

Research limitations/implications

– This work was developed in a small business (with a small team and the external member). The business complexity level and number of processes involved are much smaller when compared with a mid-size or large company. Another factor that contributed to mitigating the problem is that the enterprise had a well-structured report once the owners had made annual analysis and discussed how to improve and expand the business.

Practical implications

– In this application, RIBM showed a potential tool to minimize flaws in implementation processes of business models.

Originality/value

– The business model concept is relatively new in the literature. And because of its strategic importance has been the target of all major schools in the area. This work, in particular, deals with the question-related failures that occur in the process of implementing business models.
The value space: how firms facilitate value creation
Authors: Lindman Martti , Pennanen Kyösti , Rothenstein Jens , Scozzi Barbara , Vincze Zsuzsanna
Published: July 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the firm’s role in the value creation process. In particular, after categorizing the activities that firms carry out to facilitate the creation of value, the “value space,” an actionable framework within which different dimensions of value creation are integrated, is developed and discussed.

Design/methodology/approach

– The framework is built up on process theory, an in-depth review of the literature and a multiple case study carried out on 65 European firms in the furniture industry.

Findings

– The value space is both a practical and theoretically based framework which contributes to the development of a more holistic and “actionable” view on the role of firm in the value creation process; also it provides managers with a tool to support the analysis, management and innovation of the value creation process.

Originality/value

– The systematic categorization of firms’ activities and their subsequent integration into a value creation framework are a missing piece in terms of understanding the value creation process carried out by firms. Also, by facilitating the analysis and innovation of the value creation process, the framework can be used to support both exploitative and explorative business process management.
Achieving efficiency without sacrificing effectiveness: a pragmatic approach to integrating learning into the work flow
Authors: Hoyle Robin
Published: July 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to outline practical approaches to the integration of learning into the workflow based on a pragmatic analysis of different organizational experiences and to look at the difference in efficiency and effectiveness when designing such approaches.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a viewpoint article based on interviews with practitioners.

Findings

Integrating learning into the workflow requires a well-resourced and focused approach which may seem counter-intuitive in twenty-first-century hyper connected organizations.

Originality/value

This viewpoint article brings together new information from practical application of established theories in workplace learning and development. It will be of use for all learning and development (L&D) practitioners seeking to preserve effectiveness while harnessing work-based approaches.
Enhancing team performance through transactive memory
Authors: Chatterjee Srabasti
Published: July 2016

Purpose

The major focus in the current scenario in organizational settings has shifted from individual performance to team performance. The current study investigates team performance and its antecedents from both social and cognitive dimensions and hence provides a qualitative and synopsis of the same. There is one such antecedent transactive memory which collectively looks into both the facets. For more than a decade after the very emergence of this concept, a plethora of work has been done to relate team performance and transactive memory. In an attempt to understand both these multi-dimensional constructs, and to comprehend the interrelationships in a better way, this paper aims to analyze the impact of transactive memory on team performance and how to improve it in organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is purely conceptual. So it uses other earlier studies to make necessary propositions.

Findings

The present study tries to qualitatively analyze the impact of transactive memory on team performance with respect to the various dimensions of team performance both task process and relational performance. The results of the study show a positive relationship between the three dimensions of transactive memory – credibility, consensus and specilaization and team performance. The study also provides recommendations to improvise transactive memory in organizations.

Research limitations/implications

The paper is not empirical, so further empirical analysis could enrich the results.

Originality/value

The paper is original in terms of giving solutions to increase transactive memory in organizational set up.
Tourism disaster resilience scorecard for destinations (TDRSD): the case of Manta, Ecuador
Authors: Basurto-Cedeño Estefania Mercedes , Pennington-Gray Lori
Published: July 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to develop nine criteria for tourism disaster resilience scorecard for destinations (TDRSD) by using the “disaster resilience scorecard for cities, based on UNISDR’s ten essentials”. As a surrogate for the city, the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) is used at the destination level to manage and oversee disasters within the perspective of a visitor. The initial section of the paper revises the scorecard to adapt to the destination, while the second part of the paper applies the scorecard to a specific city destination. The TDRSD scorecard for CVBs was used to evaluate the destination of Manta, Ecuador.

Design/methodology/approach

– The approach included four stages. The first stage was to use a Delphi technique to evaluate and adapt the UNIDSRR scorecard to a destination (tourism) context. The second stage included conducting interviews with members of the Manta CVB and Mesa 5 (Emergency Management Department of Manta). Consequently, each answer was paired with support for the item and criteria score. Finally, the weak and strong scores were identified for each essential and match them up with recommendations and trends available in literature.

Findings

– This study set out to do three things: suggest that a similar scorecard is necessary for destinations; adapt the UNIDSR scorecard to a destination focus; and apply the TDRSD to Manta, Ecuador. Overall, these goals were met. But most interestingly, findings suggest some troubling outcomes.

Originality/value

– The study allowed to undercover gaps in the current risk management plan of the destination, while providing an evaluation of the engineering resilience of the tourism sector of Manta in case of a disaster.
Mobile tourist guide supporting a smart city initiative: a Brazilian case study
Authors: Cacho Andréa , Mendes-Filho Luiz , Estaregue Daniela , Moura Brunna , Cacho Nélio , Lopes Frederico , Alves Cristiano
Published: July 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to describe a smart city initiative presenting a mobile tourist guide developed for Natal, Brazil.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study has employed an exploratory case study approach to gain more knowledge about a smart city initiative and a mobile tourist guide in Brazil. The city of Natal was selected for this case study since it was one of the host cities during the FIFA World Cup 2014. The collected data for this research came from government (e.g. Natal Smart City plan), academic sources (e.g. Metropole Digital Institute (IMD)), and tourists’ information from the mobile tourist guide application.

Findings

– The smart city initiative of Natal, and the mobile tourist guide (named Find Natal) responsible for collecting, processing, sharing, storing and analysing the tourist behaviour were detailed in the paper. The Smart City Consortium in Natal is developing an interoperable and distributed infrastructure that is advancing the state-of-the-art in information and communication technologies (ICT) for planning and managing smart cities. The IMD implemented an application, which aims to enhance the traveller’s experience through software programs designed to leverage the infrastructure mechanisms behind the city. The data gathered by the application was analysed to show how it was used during the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Originality/value

– The results show a developed ICT initiative in a Latin American country. This study offers a starting point for destinations willing to implement and deploy a smart city initiative.
Six principles for shared management: a framework for the integrated economy
Authors: Lichtenthaler Ulrich
Published: July 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to suggest the framework of shared management, which comprises six major principles. These principles indicate that essential strategy guidelines of firms have been transformed.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a conceptual paper, which draws on recent management innovations and transformations of management practices. Thus, the paper builds on prior academic and practitioner contributions.

Findings

Management recently has become more SHARED, i.e. sustainable, holistic, analytical, relational, entrepreneurial and dynamic. Each of these principles covers one central dimension of management that has recently been affected by a new logic of sharing. Real-life examples of selected companies are given, and many other firms’ managerial challenges in applying and profiting from these principles are described.

Originality/value

The six principles indicate that the idea of sharing applies to multiple facets of management, which challenge conventional strategy wisdom. They play a particularly important role in a sharing economy, which involves the collaborative production and consumption of goods and services by multiple persons and organizations. Altogether, the principles provide the basis for the shared management framework, which may serve as a step toward an up-to-date picture and realistic guideline for today’s management in many organizations.
Retrospective: the effect of guarantees on consumers’ evaluation of services
Authors: Ostrom Amy L. , Iacobucci Dawn
Published: July 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the status of service guarantees specifically, and cues to quality more generally.

Design/methodology/approach

Reflection on the 1998 Journal of Services Marketing article with views both to the academic literature and the presence of guarantees in industry.

Findings

Service guarantees still exist, sometimes in their original form (e.g. “100 per cent satisfaction guaranteed!”) and sometimes in a morphed form (e.g. retailers’ promises of price-matching). Research has continued to focus on understanding service guarantees yet there are additional questions left to be addressed. There are also numerous other types of information, in addition to service guarantees, consumers may use as cues to quality.

Practical lmplications

Service guarantees remain an important and useful tool for services marketers to signal their quality to their customers and to reduce the uncertainty surrounding many services purchases. Other information such as online ratings and reviews through social media can also serve as strong informational cues.

Originality/value

In providing cues to customers about quality, while marketers have long considered the value of price and brand names, the usefulness of service guarantees is still under-studied.
Strategies to enhance consumers’ identification with a service firm
Authors: Huang Min-Hsin , Cheng Zhao-Hong
Published: July 2016

Purpose

Enhancing consumer-company identification (CCI) is a useful means by which to build deeper, more committed relationships with consumers. The purpose of this paper is to examine how consumers’ perceptions about the company (service quality and corporate social responsibility) and construal of the self (independent self-construal and interdependent self-construal) affect their identification with a service firm. This study also investigates how consumers’ involvement with the service firm moderates the relationships between CCI and four specific drivers.

Design/methodology/approach

A conceptual model is developed and empirically tested through two field-based studies (restaurant services and financial services) and one follow-up laboratory experiment.

Findings

The results of this research show that service quality, corporate social responsibility and interdependent self-construal positively affect CCI and that independent self-construal has a negative effect on CCI. In particular, the greater the involvement of the consumer with the service firm, the more positive the effects of service quality and corporate social responsibility are on CCI.

Practical implications

This research provides new insight into services marketing management by suggesting that service firms can enhance CCI and, consequently, consumer loyalty by adopting different strategies for specific consumer segments.

Originality/value

This is the first empirical study to simultaneously incorporate both company characteristics and consumer personal factors into a framework, and provide an integrative understanding of what factors determine consumers’ identification with a service firm.
Working effectively with asset managers and institutional groups
Authors: Read Dustin C , Hopkins Erin , Goss Rosemary Carruci
Published: July 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine how property management firms are responding to the demands of asset managers and institutional real estate owners to address potential sources of conflict related to fee structures, reporting requirements and incongruent managerial philosophies.

Design/methodology/approach

– Interviews conducted with executives representing 25 of the largest apartment management firms in the USA are used to complete the analysis.

Findings

– Many of the apartment management firms represented in the sample are embracing incentive-based fee structures and a la carte service offerings as a means of aligning their interests with those of the asset managers and institutional clients they represent. A number of these firms are additionally incorporating new technologies and training procedures into their operating platforms to facilitate customization and responsiveness throughout the reporting process. Respondents also noted their firms are becoming more selective about who they work with and more willing to walk away from business opportunities when managerial philosophies conflicts.

Research limitations/implications

– The characteristics of the population from which the sample is drawn limit the generalizability of the results to large property management firms operating in the multifamily housing industry. Nonetheless, the best practices put forth by those participating in the study are anticipated to have relevance to a wide variety of real estate practitioners.

Practical implications

– The analysis links theory to practice by considering how apartment managers are evolving in response to the institutionalization of the multifamily housing industry.

Originality/value

– This paper is the first to the authors’ knowledge to examine apartment managers’ perceptions about the challenges associated with representing institutional clients.
The rationale to integrate facilities management into the development process
Authors: Tucker Matthew , Masuri Mohd Rayme Anang
Published: July 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to justify the need to integrate facilities management (FM) into the development process (DP) and establish a framework that potentially serves as a guide to optimise the value of FM in the property development industry.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study looks at the relevant literature to identify the factors that are hindering FM to effectively integrate in the DP. Subsequently, the authors intend to carry out interviews with various professionals in the property development industry in the UK to identify the best practices. This research uses qualitative and quantitative methods in order to establish an FM-DP integration framework.

Findings

– The literature suggested that contribution of FM towards the property development industry is unquestionable. Surprisingly, in a real world FM has been given a low priority in the property development industry, resulting in Facilities Managers being inadequately integrated into the DP. There is currently no suitable generic mechanism that is practical in all stages of the DP to guide Facilities Managers and/or other professionals to integrate FM into the DP.

Originality/value

– This study is to provide evidence that the property development industry needs a framework that potentially serves as a guide to optimise the value of FM in the DP.
Biosimilars in psoriasis: Clinical practice and regulatory perspectives in Latin America
Authors: de la Cruz Claudia , de Carvalho André V. E. , Dorantes Gladys L. , Londoño Garcia Angela M. , Gonzalez Cesar , Maskin Matías , Podoswa Nancy , Redfern Jan S. , Valenzuela Fernando , van der Walt Joelle , Romiti Ricardo
Published: July 2016

Latin American countries view biosimilar agents as an effective approach to curtail health‐care expenditures while maintaining the safety and efficacy profile of their branded innovator comparators. To understand the complexities of the regulatory landscape and key therapeutic issues for use of biosimilars to treat moderate to severe psoriasis in Latin America, the International Psoriasis Council convened dermatology experts from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico in October 2015 to review the definition, approval, marketing and future of biosimilars in each country and develop a consensus statement. The regulatory framework for marketing approval of biosimilars in Latin America is currently a mosaic of disparate, country‐specific, regulatory review processes, rules and standards, with considerable heterogeneity in clarity and specificity. Regulations in Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Mexico have undergone multiple refinements whereas Colombia is finalizing draft guidelines. Verification of the similarity in quality, safety and efficacy of biosimilars to the innovator biologic remains a key challenge for policy makers and regulatory authorities. Other key regulatory challenges include: naming of agents and traceability, pharmacovigilance, extrapolation of indications, and interchangeability and substitution. An urgent need exists for more Latin American countries to establish national psoriasis registries and to integrate their common components into a multinational psoriasis network, thereby enhancing their interpretative power and impact. A Latin American psoriasis network similar to PSONET in Europe would assist health‐care providers, pharmaceutical companies, regulators and patients to fully comprehend specific products being prescribed and dispensed and to identify potential regional trends or differences in safety or outcomes.
The dispositions of things: the non‐human dimension of power and ethics in patient‐centred medicine
Authors: Gardner John , Cribb Alan
Published: July 2016

This article explores power relations between clinicians, patients and families as clinicians engage in patient‐centred ethical work. Specifically, we draw on actor‐network theory to interrogate the role of non‐human elements in distributing power relations in clinical settings, as clinicians attempt to manage the expectations of patients and families. Using the activities of a multidisciplinary team providing deep brain stimulation to children with severe movement disorders as an example, we illustrate how a patient‐centred tool is implicated in establishing relations that constitute four modes of power: ‘power over’, ‘power to’, “power storage” and “power/discretion”. We argue that understanding the role of non‐human elements in structuring power relations can guide and inform bioethical discussions on the suitability of patient‐centred approaches in clinical settings.
Autolysis of Aspergillus oryzae Mycelium and Effect on Volatile Flavor Compounds of Soy Sauce
Authors: Xu Ning , Liu Yaqi , Hu Yong , Zhou Mengzhou , Wang Chao , Li Dongsheng
Published: July 2016

The autolyzed mycelia of Aspergillus oryzae are rich in proteins, nucleic acids, sugar, and other biomacromolecules, and are one of the main contributors to the flavor profile of commercially important fermented goods, including soy sauce and miso. We induced autolysis of the mycelia of A. oryzae over 1 to 10 d, and found that the maximum dissolved amounts of total protein and nucleic acid ratio accounted for 28.63% and 88.93%, respectively. The organic acid content, such as citric acid, tartaric acid, succinic acid, lactic acid, and acetic acid, initially increased and then decreased as autolysis progressed, corresponding to changes in pH levels. The main characteristic flavor compounds in soy sauce, namely, ethanol, 2‐phenylethanol, and 2‐methoxy‐4‐vinylphenol, were all detected in the autolysate. Subsequently, we tested the effect of adding mycelia of A. oryzae during the fermentation process of soy sauce for 60 d, and found that addition of 1.2‰ A. oryzae mycelia provided the richest flavor. Overall, our findings suggest that compounds found in the autolysate of A. oryzae may promote the flavor compounds of soy sauce, such as alcohols, aldehydes, phenols, and esters.
Linking genomics and population genetics with R
Authors: Paradis Emmanuel , Gosselin Thierry , Goudet Jérôme , Jombart Thibaut , Schliep Klaus
Published: July 2016

Population genetics and genomics have developed and been treated as independent fields of study despite having common roots. The continuous progress of sequencing technologies is contributing to (re‐)connect these two disciplines. We review the challenges faced by data analysts and software developers when handling very big genetic data sets collected on many individuals. We then expose how r, as a computing language and development environment, proposes some solutions to meet these challenges. We focus on some specific issues that are often encountered in practice: handling and analysing single‐nucleotide polymorphism data, handling and reading variant call format files, analysing haplotypes and linkage disequilibrium and performing multivariate analyses. We illustrate these implementations with some analyses of three recently published data sets that contain between 60 000 and 1 000 000 loci. We conclude with some perspectives on future developments of r software for population genomics.
The optimal extent of discovery
Authors: Lee Frances Z. Xu , Bernhardt Dan
Published: July 2016

We characterize how the process of publicly gathering information via discovery affects strategic interactions between litigants. It allows privately informed defendants to signal through the timing of settlement offers, with weaker ones attempting to settle prediscovery. Discovery reduces the probability of trial. Properly designed limited discovery reduces expected litigation costs. Stronger defendants gain more (lose less) from a given amount of discovery. We find that the court should grant more discovery when defendants are believed to be stronger and should grant discovery on more efficient sources of information, leaving less efficient ones to trial.
Deterring fraud by looking away
Authors: Okat Deniz
Published: July 2016

Individuals being audited potentially learn how to exploit the weaknesses inherent in any audit methodology if they face the same method many times. Hence, an auditor better deters fraud by randomizing her choice of methodology over time, thereby frustrating a would‐be fraudster's ability to learn. In the extreme, an auditor benefits from refusing to audit, even though audits are costless to her.
Procurement with specialized firms
Authors: Boone Jan , Schottmüller Christoph
Published: July 2016

We analyze optimal procurement mechanisms when firms are specialized. The procurement agency has incomplete information concerning the firms' cost functions and values high quality as well as low price. Lower type firms are cheaper (more expensive) than higher type firms when providing low (high) quality. With specialized firms, distortion is limited and a mass of types earns zero profits. The optimal mechanism can be inefficient: types providing lower second‐best welfare win against types providing higher second‐best welfare. As standard scoring rule auctions cannot always implement the optimal mechanism, we introduce a new auction format implementing the optimal mechanism.
Prostate‐specific antigen kinetics following hypofractionated stereotactic body radiotherapy versus conventionally fractionated external beam radiotherapy for low‐ and intermediate‐risk prostate cancer
Authors: Lee Seok Ho , Kim Hun Jung , Kim Woo Chul
Published: July 2016

Aim

The purpose of this study was to compare the prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) kinetics between stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) using Cyberknife and conventionally fractionated external beam radiotherapy (CF‐EBRT) in low‐ and intermediate‐risk prostate cancer.

Methods

A total of 69 patients with low‐ and intermediate‐risk prostate cancer were enrolled. Thirty‐four patients were treated with SBRT (36.25 Gy in five fractions) using Cyberknife and 35 patients treated with CF‐EBRT (70.2–75.6 Gy in 39–42 fractions). PSA nadir, rate of PSA decline and biochemical failure (BCF) free survival were calculated and compared.

Results

With a median follow‐up of 53.6 months (range, 14–74), the median slopes for SBRT were −0.430, −0.199, −0.127 and −0.094 ng/mL/month, respectively, for durations of 1, 2, 3 and 4 years following radiotherapy. Similarly, for CF‐EBRT, the median slopes were −0.529, −0.138, −0.109 and −0.056 ng/mL/month, respectively. The slope of CF‐EBRT was significantly different with a greater median rate of change for 1 year than SBRT (P = 0.018). Conversely, the slopes of SBRT for duration for 2, 3 and 4 year tended to be continuously greater than CF‐EBRT (P = 0.028, P = 0.058 and P = 0.128, respectively). The significantly lower PSA nadir was observed in SBRT (nadir 0.23 ng/mL) compared with CF‐EBRT (nadir 0.37 ng/mL) (P = 0.011). Five‐year BCF free survivals were 100% for SBRT and 80.8% for CF‐EBRT (P = 0.031).

Conclusions

Patients treated with SBRT experienced a lower PSA nadir and tended to a continuously greater rate of decline of PSA for duration 2, 3 and 4 years than CF‐EBRT. The improved PSA kinetics of SBRT leaded to favorable BCF‐free survival.
Obtaining non‐farm wage employment in rural Vietnam
Authors: Brünjes Jürgen , Revilla Diez Javier
Published: July 2016

This paper analyses how rural households engage in different segments of non‐farm wage labour markets using panel data from three Vietnamese provinces that also include perceived reasons for obtaining employment. We show that it is important to appreciate the heterogeneous nature of rural non‐farm wage employment from a livelihood perspective. Different jobs vary in terms of seasonality, earning potential, social insurances, location and entrance requirements. Most notably, public service jobs are most favourable from a livelihood perspective. Regarding factors influencing participation, education has a positive effect on engagement in public and private service jobs, a negative effect on participation in construction jobs and no significant effect on employment in industry jobs. Further, family contacts are crucial in the process of finding non‐farm employment in all sectors. The disaggregated approach allows a better conceptualisation and can lead to better targeted policy recommendations.
Moral economies and markets: ‘Insider’ cassava trading in Kon Tum, Vietnam
Authors: To Phuc , Mahanty Sango , Dressler Wolfram
Published: July 2016

Vietnam's uplands have been increasingly integrated into commodity production for global markets. This paper focuses on the role of the cassava trader in connecting upland villagers as cassava producers to an emerging global cassava market. In Vietnam's Central Highlands, ethnic minority villagers engaging in a mixed economy of subsistence and cash crop production still practice communal resource use and reciprocal labour arrangements – customs associated with the (contested) notion of ‘moral economy’. In this context, traders have strategically traversed the insider–outsider divide, enlisting trust and reciprocity to extend the patron–client relationship between traders and villagers. In the absence of state support for upland communities, these traders have embedded themselves within village social relations through the provision of multiple goods and services, including loans. Villagers turn to these traders during times of hardship through degrees of mutual dependence in often unequal trade relations. The ‘benevolence’ of the traders, however, is an explicit strategy to legitimise their economic benefits. The relationship is deepened because traders fill a vacuum in state services by providing technical support to farmers cultivating cassava. Beyond benefiting themselves, in their status as community ‘insiders’, traders promote market penetration into the uplands with associated social and environmental implications.
NT‐proBNPand cardiac troponin I concentrations in dogs with tick paralysis caused byIxodes holocyclus
Authors: Nicolson GP , McGrath ALH , Webster RA , Li J , Kaye S , Malik R , Beijerink NJ
Published: July 2016

Objective

The purpose of this study was to determine through measurement of cardiac biomarkers whether there was cardiac involvement in dogs infested withIxodes holocyclus.

Methods

Dogs with tick paralysis and no–mild (group 1; n = 44) or moderate–severe respiratory compromise (group 2; n = 36) and a control group of dogs (n = 31) were enrolled. Plasma N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP), serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and serum creatinine concentrations were determined. For most of the affected dogsSpO2was determined.

Results

SpO2readings did not differ between groups 1 and 2. Three animals in group 2 had anSpO2reading <90%.NT‐proBNPconcentrations were lower in both groups 1 and 2 compared with the control group. There was no difference incTnIconcentrations among groups, although they were elevated in four dogs, including the three dogs in group 2 withSpO2readings <90%. Creatinine concentrations were within the reference interval for all dogs, but did differ among the groups, with control dogs having the highest values, followed by group 1 and then group 2.

Conclusion

This study did not detect significant cardiac involvement in dogs with tick paralysis induced byI. holocyclus. Evidence for reduced preload in dogs with tick paralysis was provided by lowerNT‐proBNPconcentrations compared with control dogs.Severe hypoxaemia may not be a significant component of the clinical picture in many of the dogs presenting with tick paralysis. Dogs with severe hypoxaemia may have loss of cardiomyocyte integrity, reflected by elevatedcTnIconcentrations.
Latency for cytomegalovirus impacts T cell ageing significantly in elderly end-stage renal disease patients
Authors: Huang L , Langerak A W , Baan C C , Litjens N H R , Betjes M G H
Published: July 2016

The number of elderly patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) has increased significantly during the last decade. Elderly ESRD patients are vulnerable to infectious complications because of an aged immune system. Additional immunological ageing effects may be derived from the uraemic environment and cytomegalovirus (CMV) latency. Elderly patients may be affected by these factors in particular, but data in this age group are limited. To assess the degree of immunological ageing and proliferative capacity of T lymphocytes, 49 elderly ESRD patients (defined as aged ≥ 65 years) on the renal transplantation waiting list were recruited and compared to 44 elderly healthy individuals (HI), matched for age and CMV serostatus. CMV latency was associated with more highly differentiated CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in both elderly HI and patients. Elderly CMV seropositive ESRD patients showed a substantial reduction in the number of naive CD4+ and CD8+ T cells compared with age- and CMV serostatus-matched HI. Elderly ESRD patients also showed significantly decreased numbers of central memory CD4+ and CD8+ T cells compared with HI, independently of CMV serostatus. In addition, thymic output and relative telomere length of both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were decreased in CMV seropositive ESRD patients compared with HI. The proliferative capacity of T cells was similar for patients and HI. Elderly ESRD patients have an advanced aged T cell compartment when compared to age-matched healthy controls, which is driven mainly by CMV latency.
The organ preservation and enhancement of donation success ratio effect of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in circulatory unstable brain death donor
Authors: Fan Xiaoli , Chen Zhiquan , Nasralla David , Zeng Xianpeng , Yang Jing , Ye Shaojun , Zhang Yi , Peng Guizhu , Wang Yanfeng , Ye Qifa
Published: July 2016

Between 2010 and 2013, we recorded 66 cases of failed organ donation after brain death (DBD) due to the excessive use of the vasoactive drugs resulting in impaired hepatic and/or renal function. To investigate the effect of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in donor management, ECMO was used to provide support for DBD donors with circulatory and/or respiratory failure from 2013 to 2015. A retrospective cohort study between circulatory non‐stable DBD with vasoactive drugs (DBD‐drug) and circulatory non‐stable DBD with ECMO (DBD‐ECMO) was designed to compare the transplant outcomes. A total of 19 brain death donors were supported by ECMO. The incidence rate of post‐transplant liver primary non‐function (PNF) was 10% (two of 20) in DBD‐drug group and zero in DBD‐ECMO group. Kidney function indicators, including creatinine clearance and urine production, were significantly better in DBD‐ECMO group, as well as the kidney delayed graft function (DGF) rate was found to be decreased by the use of ECMO in our study. Donation success rate increased steadily from 47.8% in 2011 to 84.6% in 2014 after the ECMO intervention. The use of ECMO in assisting circulatory and respiratory function of DBD can reduce liver and kidney injury from vasoactive drugs, thereby improving organ quality and reducing the organ discard rates.
Incentives and teacher effort
Authors: Dang Hai‐Anh H. , King Elizabeth M.
Published: July 2016

Few would contest that teachers are a very important determinant of how much students learn in school, and how to improve teacher performance has been the focus of lively policy debate in both rich and poor countries. This paper examines how teacher incentives, both pecuniary and non‐pecuniary, correlate with teacher effort. Using school survey data from Lao PDR, we estimate measures of teacher effort, including the number of hours that teachers spend preparing for classes and teacher provision of private tutoring outside of class hours, which are not the typical measures used in previous research. Estimation results fit well under the standard labour supply framework and indicate that greater teacher effort is associated with non‐pecuniary incentives such as more teacher autonomy over teaching materials and monitoring as measured by the existence of an active parent–teacher association and the ability of school principals to dismiss teachers. Methodologically, this paper provides a detailed derivation of a simultaneous OLS‐probit model with school random effects that can jointly estimate teacher work hours and tutoring provision.
The Lance of St Maurice as a component of the early Ottonian campaign against paganism
Authors: Blough Karen
Published: July 2016

The so‐called Holy Lance that formed part of the Holy Roman imperial insignia from the middle of the tenth century was for a time believed to be identical with that carried by the early Christian soldier‐martyr, St Maurice. While the earliest documentary evidence for a Maurician identification dates to 1008, I argue that Otto I (936–73) already associated the blade with this saint in the context of his anti‐pagan campaign along the empire's eastern borders, in which the figure of the saint played a significant role. Construed as the lance of St Maurice, this weapon was a potent visual tool of early Ottonian proselytism.
Climate‐driven winter variations of Calanus sinicus abundance in the East China Sea
Authors: Molinero Juan Carlos , Tseng Li‐Chun , Lopez‐Lopez Lucia , Sommer Ulrich , Souissi Sami , Hwang Jiang‐Shiou
Published: July 2016

Global environmental changes threaten the sustainable use of resources and raise uncertainties regarding marine populations' responses in a changing Ocean. The pelagic copepods of the genus Calanus play a central role in shelf ecosystems transferring phytoplankton carbon to harvested populations, from boreal to temperate regions. Here we examined a 15‐yr time series of Calanus sinicus abundance in regards to climate forcing in the East China Sea. We identified a compound effect of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and the East Asian Winter Monsoon (EAWM) on environmental conditions in the East China Sea. Such climate influences not only a southward transport of C. sinicus from its population centres into the Taiwan area, but favours advantageous thermal conditions for the species as well. On the interannual scale, our results show that the population size of C. sinicus echoes climate‐driven temperature changes. Hence, the possibility of using the PDO and EAWM variability for assessing and predicting interannual abundance changes of C. sinicus in the East China Sea is considered. The observed close relationship between climate and C. sinicus may promote bottom‐up controls in the pelagic food web, further influencing the southern edge of the species' geographic distribution. Owing to the prominent role this species plays in food web dynamics these results might help integrative fisheries management policies in the heavily exploited East China Sea.
Delta globin gene variations leading to reduction in HbA2 levels
Authors: Hariharan P. , Colaco S. , Colah R. , Ghosh K. , Nadkarni A.
Published: July 2016

Introduction

Mutations in the δ‐globin gene are not pathogenically relevant, but co‐inheritance of δ‐globin variants along with β‐globin gene defects can mask the diagnosis of β‐thalassaemia trait.

Methods

Routine haematological parameters were carried out. Molecular analysis of β‐globin gene mutations was carried out by CRDB, ARMS and DNA sequencing. δ‐ globin gene analysis was carried out by DNA sequencing.

Results

In this case study, we report a β−thalassaemia trait (IVS 1‐5G→C) (HBB:c.92 + 5G→C) with HbA2 of 1% showing the presence of δ‐globin gene variant HbA2 St. George CD 81 (C→T) (HBD:c.244C→T). A similar observation was reported in another unrelated patient who showed near absence of HbA2 level in HPLC. He showed a presence of δ‐globin gene mutation HbA2 Saurashtra CD 100(C→T) (HBD: c.301C→T) and a single 3.7 kb deletion in the α‐globin gene.

Conclusion

In the countries, where β‐thalassaemia is prevalent, an awareness and detection of different δ‐globin gene mutations is important, as complex interactions between these haemoglobinopathies can lead to the misdiagnosis of β‐thalassaemia carriers.
Development of a NanoString assay to detect leukemogenic fusion transcripts in acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Hu D. , Zhou W. , Wang F. , Shu S. M. , Fan L. L. , He J. , Wang P. , He Y. L. , Du W. , Zhang J. H. , Duan J. X. , Sun L. , Zheng J. , Li X. Q. , Li H. Y. , Feng X. L. , Huang S. A.
Published: July 2016

Introduction

Detection of leukemogenic fusion transcripts in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is critical for AML diagnosis. NanoString nCounter system is a novel probe‐based gene expression platform capable of measuring up to 800 targets with advantages of reproducibility, accuracy, and sample type flexibility. To study the potential application of NanoString in leukemia at clinic, we used this technology to detect AML leukemogenic fusion transcripts and compared the performances with clinical molecular assays.

Methods

We developed a NanoString assay to detect seven leukemogenic fusion transcripts, namely RUNX1‐RUNX1T1 (e5e12), PML‐RARA (bcr1, bcr2, and bcr3), and CBFB‐MYH11 (e5e12, e5e8, and e5e7). We set up the cut‐off value for each fusion transcript and tested 42 de novo AML samples. We compared the results with reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) and TaqMan reverse quantitative‐polymerase chain reaction (RQ‐PCR), the molecular methods standardly used at clinic.

Results

We demonstrated that the NanoString and RT‐PCR results correlate well (P < 0.0001) and are highly concordant (95.2%). Using TaqMan RQ‐PCR as a validation method and gold standard, we demonstrated superior accuracy and sensitivity of NanoString compared to RT‐PCR and comparable specificity. Furthermore, we showed that NanoString is not as sensitive as TaqMan RQ‐PCR in detecting very low level of fusion transcripts.

Conclusions

NanoString can serve as a reliable and alternative molecular method to multiplexed RT‐PCR for diagnosis of de novo AML with the perspective of screening/quantitation of a large number of leukemogenic fusion transcripts and prognostic genes. However, NanoString may not be an alternative method for monitoring minimal residual disease in AML.