bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A comparative study of online consumer behavior: a tale of two research methods
Authors: Huarng Kun-Huang , Yu Tiffany Hui-Kuang
Published: November 2019

Purpose

The use of linear regression analysis is common in the social sciences. The purpose of this paper is to show the advantage of a qualitative research method, namely, structured qualitative analysis (SQA), over the linear regression method by using different characteristics of data.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were gathered from a study of online consumer behavior in Taiwan. The authors changed the content of the data to have different sets of data. These data sets were used to demonstrate how SQA and linear regression works individually, and to contrast the empirical analyses and empirical results from linear regression and SQA.

Findings

The linear regression method uses one equation to model different characteristics of data. When facing a data set containing a big and a small size of different characteristics, linear regression tends to provide an equation by modeling the characteristics of the big size data and subsuming those of the small size. When facing a data set containing similar sizes of data with different characteristics, linear regression tends to provide an equation by averaging these data. The major concern is that the one equation may not be able to reflect the data of various characteristics (different values of independent variables) that result in the same outcome (the same value of dependent variable). In contrast, SQA can identify various variable combinations (multiple relationships) leading to the same outcome. SQA provided multiple relationships to represent different sizes of data with different characteristics so it created consistent empirical results.

Research limitations/implications

Two research methods work differently. The popular linear regression tends to use one equation to model different sizes and characteristics of data. The single equation may not be able to cover different behaviors but may lead to the same outcome. Instead, SQA provides multiple relationships for different sizes of data with different characteristics. The analyses are more consistent and the results are more appropriate. The academics may re-think the existing literature using linear regression. It would be interesting to see if there are new findings for similar problems by using SQA. The practitioners have a new method to model real world problems and to understand different possible combinations of variables leading to the same outcome. Even the relationship obtained from a small data set may be very valuable to practitioners.

Originality/value

This paper compared online consumer behavior by using two research methods to analyze different data sets. The paper offered the manipulation of real data sets to create different data sizes of different characteristics. The variations in empirical results from both methods due to the various data sets facilitate the comparison of both methods. Hence, this paper can serve as a complement to the existing literature, focusing on the justification of research methods and on limitations of linear regression.
Marketing intensity and persistence of firm performance: empirical evidence from Indonesia
Authors: Jaisinghani Dinesh , Kaur Harwinder , Goyal Jatin , Joshi Mahesh
Published: November 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the degree of persistence of firm performance for publicly listed firms in Indonesia. The study also explores the impact of marketing expenditure on firm’s performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The data comprise 165 listed firms operating in Indonesia over the period 2007–2016. Dynamic panel regression estimations using Arellano and Bond (1991) and Blundell and Bond (1998) techniques have been deployed to generate the results.

Findings

The findings show the existence of positive persistence and sub-optimal level of competition in the performance of Indonesian firms. The results highlight that marketing intensity has a positive and significant impact on firm performance. The positive persistence hints at creation of substantial entry and exit barriers by the Indonesian firms and also indicate that Indonesian firms are able to create behavioral inertia among their consumers by properly directing their marketing efforts.

Practical implications

There is a need on the part of management to strengthen the short-term profit capabilities to nurture long-term benefits of profit maximization. On the regulators part, the authorities should frame the policies to foster long-run competition.

Originality/value

The current study contributes to the sparse literature on persistence of firm performance in the context of emerging economies like Indonesia. This is the first study on persistence of firm performance for publicly listed firms in Indonesia.
Predicting crack through a well generalized and optimal tree-based regressor
Authors: Choudhury Sasanka , Thatoi Dhirendra Nath , Hota Jhalak , Rao Mohan D.
Published: November 2019

Purpose

To avoid the structural defect, early crack detection is oneof the important aspects in the recent area of research. The purpose of this paper is to detect the crack before its failure by means of its position and severity.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses two trees based regressors, namely, decision tree (DT) regressor and random forest (RF) regressor for their capabilities to adopt different types of parameter and generate simple rules by which the method can predict the crack parameters with better accuracy, making it possible to effectively predict the crack parameters such as its location and depth before failure of the beam.

Findings

The predicted parameters can be achieved, if the relationship between vibration and crack parameters can be attained. The relationship yields the results of beam natural frequencies, which is used as the input value for the regression techniques. It is observed that the RF regressor predicts the parameters with better accuracy as compared to DT regressor.

Originality/value

The idea is used the developed regression techniques to identify the crack parameters which are more effective as compared to other developed methods because the alternate name of prediction is called regression. The authors have used DT regressor and RF regressor to achieve the target. In this paper care has been given to the generalization of the model, so that the adaptability of the model can be ensured. The robustness of proposed methods has been verified in support of numerical and experimental analysis.
How management groups’ reason when deciding to use a model focusing on systematic work environment management
Authors: Hellman Therese , Molin Fredrik , Eriksson Tomas , Svartengren Magnus
Published: November 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore and describe the perspective of the management group regarding how they reasoned when deciding to engage in a model focussing on systematic work environment management, and what motives that influenced their decision.

Design/methodology/approach

This qualitative study with semi-structured interviews includes 18 representatives from the management groups in 18 Swedish municipalities. Data were analysed with a constant comparative method.

Findings

The participants described two aspects that were of importance when making the decision; establishing commitment before making the decision and establishing strategies to legitimise the decision. Furthermore, they expressed motives that were linked both to their individual expectations and wishes and to policies and facts in their organisations. The participants experienced the model as a valuable tool in their organisations to increase employee participation and to provide structured support to their first-line managers.

Practical implications

The managers’ motives were linked to individual expectations and external directives. These were often intertwined and influenced their decisions. When implementing this type of model, it is important to discuss decisions in a larger group to avoid building an organisational initiative on one person’s expectations. Furthermore, it is important to support the management’s work to establish commitment for the model in the municipal organisation.

Originality/value

This study adds to knowledge of the complexity of deciding and implementing models to support systematic work environment management in organisations.
Reputational intelligence: innovating brand management through social media data
Authors: Casado-Molina Ana-María , Ramos Celia M.Q. , Rojas-de-Gracia María-Mercedes , Peláez Sánchez José Ignacio
Published: November 2019

Purpose

Companies are currently facing the challenge of understanding how their business is affected by the large volume of opinions continually generated by their stakeholders in social media regarding their intangible assets (experiences, emotions and attitudes). With this in mind, the purpose of this paper is to present an innovative management model, named E2AB, to measure and analyse reputational intangibles from digital ecosystems and their impacts on tangible assets.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology applied was big data and business intelligence techniques. These methods were used in the computing process to obtain daily data from every asset guarantees that the model is validated with robust data. This model has been corroborated using data from the banking sector, specifically 402,383 net data inputs from the digital ecosystems.

Findings

This study illustrates the existence of a holistic influence of intangible assets over tangible assets. The findings demonstrate complex relationships between tangible and intangible assets, determined not only by the type of variable but also by its valence and intensity.

Practical implications

These findings may help chief communication officers and general managers a better understanding of how intangible assets extracted from online users’ opinions are related to their organisation’s tangible assets plus a chance to find out about their impact and how to manage them for a practical and agile decision making in real time.

Originality/value

It is a pioneering work in establishing a model, which demonstrates transversal and holistic relationships between relational intangible and tangible assets of firms from digital ecosystems, using business intelligence techniques.
How accurate are A-REIT IPO dividend forecasts?
Authors: Dimovski Bill , Ratcliffe Rebecca , Ratcliffe Christopher , Keneley Monica , Salzman Scott
Published: November 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the accuracy of Australian Real Estate Investment Trust (A-REIT) initial public offering (IPO) dividend forecasts between 1994 and 2016.

Design/methodology/approach

This study compares the dividend forecasts of A-REIT IPOs for the first dividend forecast period in the prospectus, with the actual dividend declared for that forecast period. As well as simple descriptive summary measures, this study also employs an exact logistic regression approach to examine the factors that might influence the IPOs achieving or exceeding the dividend forecast.

Findings

The study identifies that the dividends declared, on average, were greater than the dividend forecast and that more than nine out of ten of the IPOs listed after 1999 achieved or exceeded their prospectus forecast. In addition the authors observe positive mean forecast errors, suggesting dividend forecasts in A-REIT IPOs, are cautiously biased. This is in contrast to the industrial company data reported in Brown et al. (2000) which suggest dividend forecasts are optimistically biased. The study also finds the A-REIT IPOs that did not forecast a dividend, generally did not pay a dividend.

Practical implications

The results will inform dividend seeking institutional and retail investors of the investment opportunities in A-REIT IPOs.

Originality/value

This paper adds to the discussion of the relative predictability of dividends of A-REIT IPOs compared to industrial company IPOs.
Physician leadership style predicts advanced practice provider job satisfaction
Authors: Guevara Robert S. , Montoya Jared , Carmody-Bubb Meghan , Wheeler Carol
Published: November 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the relationship between physician leadership style and advanced practice health-care provider job satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 320 advanced practice providers (nurse practitioners and physician assistants) in Texas rated their supervising/collaborating physicians’ leadership style using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire 5X Short (Bass and Avolio, 2000) and assessed their own job satisfaction using the Abridged Job Descriptive Index (Smith, Kendall and Hulin, 1969). Regression models tested the relationships between physician leadership styles and several facets of job satisfaction of advanced practice providers while controlling for advanced practice provider age, gender, ethnicity, years of experience, salary level, clinical practice setting, level of physician supervision/collaboration and advanced practice provider type.

Findings

The results demonstrated that physician transformational leadership accounted for between 4.4 and 49.1 per cent of the variance in job satisfaction depending on the aspect of job satisfaction. Satisfaction with job supervision and satisfaction with job in general were those in which transformational leadership was found to have the most impact, explaining 49.1 and 15.5%, respectively. Demographic variables such as advanced practice provider type, age, years of experience and number of hours per week of physician collaboration/supervision had small but statistically significant associations with job satisfaction.

Practical implications

Recommendations for physician leadership development focusing on transformational leadership as a way to increase the satisfaction among other providers on health-care teams are discussed.

Originality/value

This paper examines the impact of supervising/delegating physician leadership style on other nonphysician members of the health-care team, specifically advanced practice health-care providers.
An empirical evaluation of dynamic vs static withdrawal strategies
Authors: Johnston Ken , Hatem John , Carnes Thomas , Kosedag Arman
Published: November 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to compare simple dynamic withdrawal strategies with the static withdrawal method, examining not only failure rates and ending wealth but also spending. All withdrawal strategies are adjusted for the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) required minimum distribution (RMD). In addition, this study investigates the use of small company stocks (SCS) in place of large company stocks (LCS). Results indicate SCS portfolios are superior to large. When returns are poor, some dynamic strategies will not ensure income for life. This study demonstrates that the simplest dynamic strategy is superior to two popular dynamic strategies.

Design/methodology/approach

Using historical overlapping periods, different withdrawal strategies are examined. Previous studies focused on failure rates and ending wealth. As discussed in Milevsky (2016) different statistical distributions can have similar tail properties (prob of failure) but dissimilar risk and return profile. The detailed examination of both spending and use of small stocks advances the literature in this area.

Findings

Results indicate that use of small stocks is superior to using large stocks in the portfolios. When US historical stock returns are adjusted downward, there is the potential that some dynamic strategies will not ensure income for life. This study demonstrates that the simplest dynamic strategy is superior to two popular dynamic strategies.

Originality/value

This paper is the first to examine, in detail, annual spending results for the retiree. Second, it is shown that, overall, SCS are superior to LCS for all stock/bond allocations. Even though absolute downside risk increases slightly, this increase in downside risk is dominated by the upside potential. In other words, the positive skewness of small stock returns along with the cumulative effects of compounding at a higher rate increases both the available wealth for spending and ending wealth. Third, IRS’s RMDs are taken into account for every withdrawal strategy examined. Lastly, it demonstrates that the simplest dynamic strategy is superior to two popular dynamic strategies.
Does response time predict withdrawal decisions? Lessons from a bank-run experiment
Authors: Kiss Hubert Janos , Rodriguez-Lara Ismael , Rosa-Garcia Alfonso
Published: November 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze how response time in a laboratory experiment on bank runs affects withdrawal decisions.

Design/methodology/approach

In the authors’ setup, the bank has no fundamental problems, depositors decide sequentially whether to keep the money in the bank or to withdraw, and they may observe previous decisions depending on the information structure. The authors consider two levels of difficulty of decision-making conditional on the presence of strategic dominance and strategic uncertainty. The authors hypothesize that the more difficult the decision, the longer is the response time, and the predictive power of response time depends on difficulty.

Findings

The authors find that response time is longer in information sets with strategic uncertainty compared to those without (as expected), but the authors do not find such relationship when considering strategic dominance (contrary to the hypothesis). Response time correlates negatively with optimal decisions in information sets with a dominant strategy (contrary to the expectation) and also when decisions are obvious in the absence of strategic uncertainty (in line with the hypothesis). When there is strategic uncertainty, the authors find suggestive evidence that response time predicts optimal decisions.

Research limitations/implications

Being a laboratory experiment, it is questionable if depositors in real life behave similarly (external validity).

Practical implications

Since episodes of bank runs are characterized by strategic uncertainty, the result that under strategic uncertainty, longer response time leads to better decisions suggests that suspension of convertibility is a useful tool to curb banking panics.

Originality/value

To the best of authors’ knowledge, this is the first study concerning the relationship between response time and the optimality of decisions in a bank-run game.
Functional diversity improves tropical forest resilience: Insights from a long‐term virtual experiment
Authors: Schmitt Sylvain , Maréchaux Isabelle , Chave Jerome , Fischer Fabian Jörg , Piponiot Camille , Traissac Stéphane , Hérault Bruno
Published: November 2019

Human activities modify the disturbance regimes of tropical forests. Since tropical forests host high biological diversity, understanding the role of biodiversity in ecosystem recovery pathways and the underlying ecological mechanisms is crucial to predict the fate of tropical ecosystems. Studies relying on regularly censused forest plots, rarely include disturbed forests, are not long enough to assess long‐term forest dynamics and often lack repeatability.

We used an individual‐based model of tropical forest growth to assess the effect of species and functional diversity on long‐term ecosystem recovery from disturbance. We manipulated the number of species and functional assemblages across a large number of simulations and simulated different levels of disturbance. To investigate the ecological mechanisms that underlie the effect of biodiversity on forest functioning along recovery pathways, we partitioned the net effect of biodiversity on ecosystem properties into complementarity and selection effects over time.

We found that functional diversity improved tropical forest resilience after a disturbance. The complementarity effect dominated soon after the disturbance but was progressively surpassed by a selection effect as more competitive species dominated the forest community. This pattern increased with the intensity of the disturbance.

Synthesis. We found that the mechanisms through which biodiversity influences forest functioning depend on the ecosystem state, shifting from a dominant complementarity effect in recently disturbed systems to a selection effect in systems disturbed a long time ago. Our results thus suggest that the time since the last disturbance is a key to understanding biodiversity–ecosystem functioning relationships in tropical forests and can help reconcile previous contrasting results obtained with snapshots of ecosystem state in empirical studies.
Leaf drought tolerance cannot be inferred from classic leaf traits in a tropical rainforest
Authors: Maréchaux Isabelle , Saint‐André Laurent , Bartlett Megan K. , Sack Lawren , Chave Jérôme
Published: November 2019

Plants are enormously diverse in their traits and ecological adaptation, even within given ecosystems, such as tropical rainforests. Accounting for this diversity in vegetation models poses serious challenges. Global plant functional trait databases have highlighted general trait correlations across species that have considerably advanced this research program. However, it remains unclear whether trait correlations found globally hold within communities, and whether they extend to drought tolerance traits.

For 134 individual plants spanning a range of sizes and life forms (tree, liana, understorey species) within an Amazonian forest, we measured leaf drought tolerance (leaf water potential at turgor loss point, πtlp), together with 17 leaf traits related to various functions, including leaf economics traits and nutrient composition (leaf mass per area, LMA; and concentrations of C, N, P, K, Ca and Mg per leaf mass and area), leaf area, water‐use efficiency (carbon isotope ratio), and time‐integrated stomatal conductance and carbon assimilation rate per leaf mass and area. We tested trait coordination and the ability to estimate πtlp from the other traits through model selection. Performance and transferability of the best predictive model were assessed through cross‐validation.

Here πtlp was positively correlated with leaf area, and with N, P and K concentrations per leaf mass, but not with LMA or any other studied trait. Five axes were needed to account for >80% of trait variation, but only three of them explained more variance than expected at random. The best model explained only 30% of the variation in πtlp, and out‐sample predictive performance was variable across life forms or canopy strata, suggesting a limited transferability of the model.

Synthesis. We found a weak correlation among leaf drought tolerance and other leaf traits within a forest community. We conclude that higher trait dimensionality than assumed under the leaf economics spectrum may operate among leaves within plant communities, with important implications for species coexistence and responses to changing environmental conditions, and also for the representation of community diversity in vegetation models.
Recurrent seasonal changes in bacterial growth efficiency, metabolism and community composition in coastal waters
Authors: Baña Zuriñe , Abad Naiara , Uranga Ainhoa , Azúa Iñigo , Artolozaga Itxaso , Unanue Marian , Iriberri Juan , Arrieta Jesus M. , Ayo Begoña
Published: November 2019

The microbial response to environmental changes in coastal waters of the eastern Cantabrian Sea was explored for four years by analysing a broad set of environmental variables along with bacterial community metabolism and composition. A recurrent seasonal cycle emerged, consisting of two stable periods, characterized by low bacterial metabolic activity (winter) from October to March, and high bacterial metabolic activity (summer) from May to August. These two contrasting periods were linked by short transition periods in April (TA) and September (TS). The phylogenetic groups Alphaproteobacteria and Bacteroidetes were dominant during winter and summer respectively, and their recurrent alternation was mainly driven by the bloom of eukaryotic phytoplankton before TA and the bloom of prokaryotic phytoplankton before TS. Bacterial growth efficiency remained high and stable during the winter and summer periods but dropped during the two short transition periods. Our results suggest that bacterial growth efficiency should be considered a very resilient property that reflects different stages in the adaptation of the bacterial community composition to the environmental changes occurring throughout the seasonal cycle in this coastal ecosystem.
Effect of deprivation on in vitro fertilisation outcome: a cohort study
Authors: Richardson AL , Baskind NE , Karuppusami R , Balen AH
Published: November 2019

Objective

To determine whether socioeconomic deprivation affects IVF outcome independent of the number of cycles undertaken.

Design

A retrospective review of prospectively collected data.

Setting

A tertiary level fertility clinic in the North of England.

Population

All participants undergoing their first fresh single‐embryo transfer, funded by the National Health Service (NHS), between January 2012 and December 2017.

Methods

For each case, identified from the clinic database, we recorded the following: age; body mass index; FSH; number of eggs retrieved; ethnicity; cause of subfertility; stage of embryo transfer; and whether any adjuncts i.e. EmbryoGlue® or Time Lapse Imaging were used. Socio‐economic deprivation was assessed using the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) determined by the residential postcode.

Main outcome measures

Clinical pregnancy (CP) and live birth (LB) rates across IMD quintiles.

Results

Three thousand ninety‐one women were included. Overall, CP and LB rates were 35.9% and 31.3% respectively. CP rates increased significantly from 31.0% in the most deprived group to 38.8% in the least deprived group (P < 0.01). Similarly, LB rates were significantly lower in the most deprived group compared with the least deprived group (26.8 versus 35.4%, P < 0.01). After adjusting for confounding variables, women in the least deprived group were significantly more likely to have a LB (aRR 1.18, 95% CI 1.00–1.39) than women in the most deprived group.

Conclusions

More socio‐economically deprived patients are significantly less likely to achieve a LB than less deprived patients independent of the number of cycles of IVF undertaken.

Tweetable abstract

More deprived patients are less likely to have a LB per cycle of IVF than less deprived patients.
Pravastatin for early‐onset pre‐eclampsia: a randomised, blinded, placebo‐controlled trial
Authors: Ahmed A , Williams DJ , Cheed V , Middleton LJ , Ahmad S , Wang K , Vince AT , Hewett P , Spencer K , Khan KS , Daniels JP ,   the StAmP trial Collaborative Group
Published: November 2019

Objective

Women with pre‐eclampsia have elevated circulating levels of soluble fms‐like tyrosine kinase‐1 (sFlt‐1). Statins can reduce sFlt‐1 from cultured cells and improve pregnancy outcome in animals with a pre‐eclampsia‐like syndrome. We investigated the effect of pravastatin on plasma sFlt‐1 levels during pre‐eclampsia.

Design

Blinded (clinician and participant), proof of principle, placebo‐controlled trial.

Setting

Fifteen UK maternity units.

Population

We used a minimisation algorithm to assign 62 women with early‐onset pre‐eclampsia (24+0–31+6 weeks of gestation) to receive pravastatin 40 mg daily (n = 30) or matched placebo (n = 32), from randomisation to childbirth.

Primary outcome

Difference in mean plasma sFlt‐1 levels over the first 3 days following randomisation.

Results

The difference in the mean maternal plasma sFlt‐1 levels over the first 3 days after randomisation between the pravastatin (n = 27) and placebo (n = 29) groups was 292 pg/ml (95% CI −1175 to 592; P = 0.5), and over days 1–14 was 48 pg/ml (95% CI −1009 to 913; P = 0.9). Women who received pravastatin had a similar length of pregnancy following randomisation compared with those who received placebo (hazard ratio 0.84; 95% CI 0.50–1.40; P = 0.6). The median time from randomisation to childbirth was 9 days (interquartile range [IQR] 5–14 days) for the pravastatin group and 7 days (IQR 4–11 days) for the placebo group. There were three perinatal deaths in the placebo‐treated group and no deaths or serious adverse events attributable to pravastatin.

Conclusions

We found no evidence that pravastatin lowered maternal plasma sFlt‐1 levels once early‐onset pre‐eclampsia had developed. Pravastatin appears to have no adverse perinatal effects.

Tweetable abstract

Pravastatin does not improve maternal plasma sFlt‐1 or placental growth factor levels following a diagnosis of early preterm pre‐eclampsia #clinicaltrial finds.
The impact of the Medicaid high‐risk ob care management program in New York State
Authors: Park Young Joo , Weinberg Stephen , Cogan Lindsay W.
Published: November 2019

Objectives

To examine the effect of high‐risk obstetrics (HROB) care management on infant health and Medicaid expenditures.

Data Sources/Study Setting

Medicaid administrative data and vital statistics from 2011 to 2013. In New York State, all Medicaid managed care plans provide HROB care management to their members.

Study Design

We conducted a retrospective cohort study with a nonequivalent control group. Selection bias was addressed by using probit and OLS models with the Heckman correction and inverse probability weight with regression adjustment.

Principal Findings

While program enrollment was associated with poor infant health outcomes (low birthweight, very low birthweight, preterm delivery, and gestational age), correcting for sample selection substantially improved most of these outcomes. All infant health outcomes significantly improved as the number of weeks in the program increased. We found that a 1‐week increase in program duration is associated with a 0.01 percentage point decrease in low birthweight and a 0.03 percentage point decrease in very low birthweight. Further, a 1‐week increase in program duration decreases the probability of preterm delivery by 0.01 percentage points and increases gestational age by 0.14 days. Medicaid expenditures for maternity care and newborn delivery were not significantly or materially affected by program enrollment or program duration.

Conclusions

High‐risk obstetrics care management appears to successfully identify individuals with high‐risk pregnancies and improve health without substantially increasing medical expenses.
Activation of adenosine A3 receptor inhibits inflammatory cytokine production in colonic mucosa of patients with ulcerative colitis by down‐regulating the nuclear factor‐kappa B signaling
Authors: Ren Tian Hua , Lv Min Min , An Xiao Meng , Leung Wai Keung , Seto Wai‐Kay
Published: November 2019

Objectives

The activation of the adenosine A3 receptor (A3AR) can regulate inflammation, but the way that this regulates colonic mucosal inflammation in ulcerative colitis (UC) remains unclear. This study aimed at examining A3AR expression and investigating the effect of A3AR activation on ex vivo cytokine expression and nuclear factor‐kappa B (NF‐κB) signaling in colonic mucosa.

Methods

Colonic mucosal biopsied tissue from 18 patients with UC and 11 healthy controls was tested for A3AR expression by immunofluorescence, quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. Following treatment for 24 hours with or without 2‐Cl‐IB‐MECA, an A3AR agonist, TNF‐α and IL‐1β secreted by the cultured colonic mucosal tissue were quantified by ELISA. The colonic mucosal epithelia were dissected and treated with, or without 2‐Cl‐IB‐MECA for 24 hours. The NF‐κB p65 protein and its distribution in the cultured colonic epithelia were examined by immunofluorescence and Western blot.

Results

Compared with the controls, down‐regulated A3AR expression and up‐regulated TNF‐α and IL‐1β production and NF‐κB p65 protein were observed in the UC colonic mucosa. The activation of A3AR by 2‐Cl‐IB‐MECA significantly decreased TNF‐α and IL‐1β production and attenuated the NF‐κB p65 activation in colonic tissues from patients with UC.

Conclusions

A3AR activation inhibited inflammation by mitigating pro‐inflammatory cytokine production and the NF‐κB signal activation in colonic mucosa of patients with UC. A3AR activation may play a role in the pathogenesis of UC.
Growth of the acetogenic bacterium Acetobacterium woodii by dismutation of acetaldehyde to acetate and ethanol
Authors: Trifunović Dragan , Berghaus Natalie , Müller Volker
Published: November 2019

Acetogenic bacteria are a group of strictly anaerobic bacteria that may have been first life forms on Earth since they employ an ancient pathway for CO2 fixation into acetyl‐CoA that is coupled to the synthesis of ATP, the Wood–Ljungdahl pathway. Electrons for CO2 reduction are derived from oxidation of H2 or CO and thus, these bacteria can grow lithotrophically on gases present on early Earth. Among the organic molecules present on early Earth is acetaldehyde, a highly volatile C2 compound. Here, we demonstrate that the acetogenic model bacterium Acetobacterium woodii grows on acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde is dismutated to ethanol and acetyl‐CoA, most likely by the bifunctional alcohol dehydrogenase AdhE. Acetyl‐CoA is converted to acetate by two subsequent enzymes, phosphotransacetylase and acetate kinase, accompanied by the synthesis of ATP by substrate‐level phosphorylation. Apparently, growth on acetaldehyde does not employ the Wood–Ljungdahl pathway. Our finding opens the possibility of a simple and ancient metabolic pathway with only three enzymes that allows for biomass (acetyl‐CoA) and ATP formation on early Earth.
Ultrasound as a replacement for physical examination in clinical staging of axillary lymph nodes in breast cancer patients
Authors: Chen Xue , Li Xiaoting , Fan Zhaoqing , Li Jinfeng , Xie Yuntao , Wang Tianfeng , Ouyang Tao
Published: November 2019

Background

The status of axillary lymph nodes (ALNs) is one of the important factors in decision‐making for breast cancer treatment. Physical examination (PE) has long been the main, or even the only, means of clinical staging for ALNs in breast cancer. However, the sensitivity and accuracy of PE remains unsatisfactory. The results from this study suggest that axillary ultrasonography (US) should replace PE as a standard method for the clinical staging of ALNs in breast cancer.

Methods

Consecutive and nonselective breast cancer patients treated between September 2018 and November 2018 in our center were enrolled in the study. Comparisons of ALN results between PE/US and pathological results were conducted and the difference in sensitivity, specificity and accuracy between PE and US were tested by McNemar chi‐square test.

Results

A total of 123 patients were enrolled into the study. Their ages ranged from 28 to 76 years with a median age of 53 ± 10. There were 83 ALN positive cases and 40 ALN negative cases confirmed pathologically. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of PE and US were 54.2%, 90.0%, 65.9%, 91.8%, 48.7% versus 86.8%, 72.5%, 82.1%, 86.8%, 72.5%, respectively. The sensitivity and accuracy of US was significantly higher than that of PE (P = 0.004 and P = 0.002).

Conclusion

The results of this study demonstrated that US is superior in evaluating ALNs when compared with PE and that US should replace PE as the standard method for the clinical staging of ALNs in breast cancer.
Lysophosphatidic acid receptor LPA3 prevents oxidative stress and cellular senescence in Hutchinson–Gilford progeria syndrome
Authors: Chen Wei‐Min , Chiang Jui‐Chung , Lin Yueh‐Chien , Lin Yu‐Nung , Chuang Pei‐Yun , Chang Ya‐Chi , Chen Chien‐Chin , Wu Kao‐Yi , Hsieh Jung‐Chien , Chen Shih‐Kuo , Huang Wei‐Pang , Chen Benjamin P. C. , Lee Hsinyu
Published: November 2019

Hutchinson–Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) is a rare laminopathy that produces a mutant form of prelamin A, known as Progerin, resulting in premature aging. HGPS cells show morphological abnormalities of the nuclear membrane, reduced cell proliferation rates, accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and expression of senescence markers. Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a growth factor‐like lipid mediator that regulates various physiological functions via activating multiple LPA G protein‐coupled receptors. Here, we study the roles of LPA and LPA receptors in premature aging. We report that the protein level of LPA3 was highly downregulated through internalization and the lysosomal degradation pathway in Progerin‐transfected HEK293 cells. By treating Progerin HEK293 cells with an LPA3 agonist (OMPT, 1‐Oleoyl‐2‐O‐methyl‐rac‐glycerophosphothionate) and performing shRNA knockdown of the Lpa3r transcript in these cells, we showed that LPA3 activation increased expression levels of antioxidant enzymes, consequently inhibiting ROS accumulation and ameliorating cell senescence. LPA3 was shown to be downregulated in HGPS patient fibroblasts through the lysosomal pathway, and it was shown to be crucial for ameliorating ROS accumulation and cell senescence in fibroblasts. Moreover, in a zebrafish model, LPA3 deficiency was sufficient to cause premature aging phenotypes in multiple organs, as well as a shorter lifespan. Taken together, these findings identify the decline of LPA3 as a key contributor to the premature aging phenotypes of HGPS cells and zebrafish.
Real‐world outcome with abiraterone acetate plus prednisone in Asian men with metastatic castrate‐resistant prostate cancer: The Singapore experience
Authors: Chan Johan , Yap Shi Yin , Fong Yian Ching , Lim Heng Chi , Toh Chee Keong , Ng Quan Sing , Rajasekaran Tanujaa , Chua Melvin , Lee Lui Shiong , Wong Alvin , Loh Ker Yun , Chow Marcus , Wong Siew Wei , Kanesvaran Ravindran
Published: November 2019

Introduction

Several small studies have reviewed the efficacy of abiraterone acetate plus prednisolone (AAP) in clinical practice outside a trial setting. We report the largest cohort study of clinical outcomes in metastatic castrate‐resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients treated with AAP in a multicenter multiracial clinical setting.

Methods

A retrospective analysis on mCRPC patients treated at four tertiary hospitals in Singapore from 2012 to 2017 was conducted. Disease characteristics, treatment outcomes, and adverse events were retrieved from electronic medical records. Primary clinical end‐point was overall survival (OS). A subset analysis of patients with various variables and OS curves were generated using the Kaplan–Meier method and compared using the log‐rank test.

Results

Out of 200 patients with mCRPC treated with AAP, 163 (81.5%) patients were chemo‐naïve (CN) and 37 (18.5%) patients were postchemotherapy (PC), with the median age of 68 (34–87) and 65 (52–80) years, respectively. Median OS was 20.0 (95% CI, 18.3–22.9) and 10.5 months (95% CI, 1.1–40.5) for CN and PC cohorts, respectively. A subset analysis of 108 patients showed a significantly longer OS in patients who had prior ADT for more than 12 months in CN patients (P < 0.001). Incidences of G3/G4 events were around 6.6%; most common side effect being hypertension with an incidence of 2.4%.

Conclusions

Treatment of CN and PC patients with AAP was associated with a comparable OS and progression‐free survival to the reported series. Patients who were responsive to prior ADT of 12 months or more were associated with an improved OS.
30 years of sublingual immunotherapy
Authors: Passalacqua Giovanni , Bagnasco Diego , Canonica Giorgio Walter
Published: November 2019

Allergen Immunotherapy (AIT) was introduced in clinical practice on an empirical basis more than 100 years ago. Since the first attempts, AIT was administered subcutaneously. Indeed, other routes of administration were proposed and studied, in particular to improve the safety, but only the sublingual route (SLIT) achieved a credibility based on evidence and was then accepted as a viable “alternative” option to the subcutaneous route. SLIT was largely used in clinical trials and clinical practice in this last 30 years. Thus, a large amount of data is available, coming from either controlled trials and postmarketing surveillance studies. It is clear that SLIT is overall effective, but it is also clear that the efficacy is not “class‐related,” as derived from meta‐analyses, but restricted to each specific product. The 30‐year lasting use of SLIT allowed to clarify many clinical aspects, such as efficacy, safety, use in asthma, regimens of administration, and optimal doses. In parallel, the mechanisms of action of AIT were elucidated, and new indications were proposed (eg food allergy, atopic dermatitis). In addition, the introduction of molecular‐based diagnosis, allowed to better refine the prescription of SLIT, based on specific sensitization profiles. The present article will describe the origin and evolution of SLIT for respiratory allergy, taking into account the clinical context that suggested this form of treatment, the recently developed aspects, the future perspectives and unmet needs, This is not, therefore, a systematic review, rather a narrative historical description of the past history, and a look forward to the future opportunities.
The predictive capacity of uterine artery Doppler for preterm birth—A cohort study
Authors: van Zijl Maud D. , Koullali Bouchra , Mol Ben W. J. , Snijders Rosalinde J. , Kazemier Brenda M. , Pajkrt Eva
Published: November 2019

Introduction

Mid‐trimester uterine artery resistance measured with Doppler sonography is predictive for iatrogenic preterm birth. In view of the emerging association between hypertensive disease in pregnancy and spontaneous preterm birth, we hypothesized that uterine artery resistance could also predict spontaneous preterm birth.

Material and methods

We performed a cohort study of women with singleton pregnancies. Uterine artery resistance was routinely measured at the 18‐22 weeks anomaly scan. Pregnancies complicated by congenital anomalies or intrauterine fetal death were excluded. We analyzed if the waveform of the uterine artery (no notch, unilateral notch or bilateral notch) was predictive for spontaneous and iatrogenic preterm birth, defined as delivery before 37 weeks of gestation. Furthermore, we assessed whether the uterine artery pulsatility index was associated with the risk of preterm birth.

Results

Between January 2009 and December 2016 we collected uterine Doppler indices and relevant outcome data in 4521 women. Mean gestational age at measurement was 19+6 weeks. There were 137 (3.0%) women with a bilateral and 213 (4.7%) with a unilateral notch. Mean gestational age at birth was 38+6 weeks. Spontaneous and iatrogenic preterm birth rates were 5.7% and 4.9%, respectively. Mean uterine artery resistance was 1.12 in the spontaneous preterm birth group compared with 1.04 in the term group (P = 0.004) The risk of preterm birth was increased with high uterine artery resistance (OR 2.9 per unit; 95% CI 2.4‐3.9). Prevalence of spontaneous preterm birth increased from 5.5% in women without a notch in the uterine arteries to 8.0% in women with a unilateral notch and 8.0% in women with a bilateral notch. For iatrogenic preterm birth, these rates were 3.9%, 13.6% and 23.4%, respectively. Likelihood ratios for the prediction of spontaneous preterm birth were 1.6 (95% CI 1.0‐2.6) and 1.9 (95% CI 1.0‐3.5) for unilateral and bilateral notches, respectively, and for iatrogenic preterm birth they were 3.6 (95% CI 2.5‐5.2) and 6.8 (95% CI 4.7‐9.9) for unilateral and bilateral notches, respectively. Of all women with bilateral notching, 31.4% delivered preterm.

Conclusions

Mid‐trimester uterine artery resistance measured at 18‐22 weeks of gestation is a weak predictor of spontaneous preterm birth.
Percutaneous left atrial appendage closure, a safe alternative to anticoagulation for patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation and end‐stage renal disease on hemodialysis: A single center experience
Authors: Xipell Marc , Flores‐Umanzor Eduardo , Ojeda Raquel , Arias Marta , Cepas‐Guillén Pedro L. , Regueiro Ander , Freixa Xavier , Cases Aleix , Maduell Francisco
Published: November 2019

The evidence about the effectiveness and safety of oral anticoagulation in patients on hemodialysis is conflicting and scarce. Percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) has demonstrated to be a valid alternative therapeutic option for stroke prevention in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). The aim of this study is to present the outcomes of percutaneous LAAO in patients with end‐stage renal disease (ESRD) on hemodialysis and NVAF in our center. We conducted a retrospective review of clinical records, demographics, LAAO procedure, complications, and outcomes of patients with NVAF and ESRD on hemodialysis who underwent a percutaneous LAAO in our center between January 2017 and January 2019. In the period of the study, eight patients with ESRD on hemodialysis underwent a percutaneous LAAO in our center. The overall mean age was 67.5 years (range 56‐81; SD ± 7.2). All patients had permanent NVAF. The total mean dialysis duration was 8.49 years (range 0.83‐14.8; SD ± 6.2). The mean CHA2DS2‐VASc and HAS‐BLED scores were high (4.75 [SD ± 1.16] and 4.62 [SD ± 0.91], respectively). All patients had history of a major hemorrhagic event (BARC Score ≥3). Most patients (n = 6) showed left ventricular hypertrophy, and the average LVEF was 54% (SD ± 6.5). All devices were implanted successfully. Postprocedural antithrombotic regimen prescribed was based on antiplatelet therapy. No deaths, cardioembolic events, or major bleeding (according to the BARC scale) were reported during a mean follow‐up of 14.24 months (SD ± 9.44). Percutaneous LAAO could be of particular interest in patients with NVAF and CKD in hemodialysis. Further studies will be necessary to confirm this hypothesis.
NOP receptor antagonism reduces alcohol drinking in male and female rats through mechanisms involving the central amygdala and ventral tegmental area
Authors: Borruto Anna Maria , Fotio Yannick , Stopponi Serena , Brunori Gloria , Petrella Michele , Caputi Francesca Felicia , Romualdi Patrizia , Candeletti Sanzio , Narendran Rajesh , Rorick‐Kehn Linda M. , Ubaldi Massimo , Weiss Friedbert , Ciccocioppo Roberto
Published: November 2019

Background and Purpose

Nociceptin/orphanin FQ (N/OFQ) peptide and its cognate receptor (NOP) are widely expressed in mesolimbic brain regions where they play an important role in modulating reward and motivation. Early evidence suggested that NOP receptor activation attenuates the rewarding effects of drugs of abuse, including alcohol. However, emerging data indicate that NOP receptor blockade also effectively attenuates alcohol drinking and relapse. To advance our understanding of the role of the N/OFQ‐NOP receptor system in alcohol abuse, we examined the effect of NOP receptor blockade on voluntary alcohol drinking at the neurocircuitry level.

Experimental Approach

Using male and female genetically selected alcohol‐preferring Marchigian Sardinian (msP) rats, we initially evaluated the effects of the selective NOP receptor antagonist LY2817412 (3, 10, and 30 mg·kg−1, p.o.) on alcohol consumption in a two‐bottle free‐choice paradigm. We then microinjected LY2817412 (3 and 6 μg·μl−1 per rat) in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA), ventral tegmental area (VTA), and nucleus accumbens (NAc).

Key Results

Peripheral LY2817412 administration dose‐dependently and selectively reduced voluntary alcohol intake in male and female msP rats. Central injections of LY2817412 markedly attenuated voluntary alcohol intake in both sexes following administration in the CeA and VTA but not in the NAc.

Conclusion and Implications

The present results revealed that the CeA and VTA are neuroanatomical substrates that mediate the effects of NOP receptor antagonism on alcohol consumption. Overall, our findings support the potential of NOP receptor antagonism as a treatment strategy to attenuate alcohol use and addiction.