bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
International new ventures: rapid internationalization across different industry contexts
Authors: Andersson Svante , Evers Natasha , Kuivalainen Olli
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this article is to, first, offer insights into the relationship between industry idiosyncrasies and international new ventures (INVs), and then present a research conceptual framework that identifies the role of industry factors in new venture internationalization processes and strategies. Second, the authors introduce the content of this special issue.

Design/methodology/approach

– This conceptual article builds on extant studies on INVs operating in different industrial contexts. Particular attention is given to the role of industry influences in the processes of new venture internationalization, in terms of speed, geographical scope and entry strategy. Such factors are discussed to formulate a conceptual framework as a basis for further research.

Findings

– The conceptual framework identifies key industry factors as well as emergent factors that influence the new venture internationalization process, in terms of speed, geographical scope and entry strategy. Such key influencing factors are competition and structure, industry life cycle, industry concentration, knowledge intensity, local cluster internationalization and global industry integration. Emergent factors are identified as new business models, technology and industry network dynamics.

Research limitations/implications

– This article is conceptual in nature, and thus empirical research is recommended in diverse contexts.

Practical implications

– Further analysis of industry factors is a valid research avenue for understanding INVs.

Originality/value

– This special issue offers new insights into how industry factors influence INVs’ internationalization processes in terms of speed, scope and entry strategy.
The internationalization strategies of rapidly internationalizing high-tech UK SMEs
Authors: Crick Dave , Crick James
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate aspects of causation and effectuation decision-making in respect of the planned and unplanned nature of the internationalization strategies of a small sample of rapidly internationalizing, high-tech UK small and medium enterprises (SMEs). These exhibit four different rates of scale of international intensity (percentage of overseas sales to total sales) and market scope (geographical coverage and commitment).

Design/methodology/approach

– Interviews with managers of 16 independently owned high-technology-oriented manufacturing SMEs were undertaken in this investigation to reduce the potential effect of bias from parental decision-making and firm size, also trade sectoral conditions. These were drawn from an existing database.

Findings

– Aspects of both causation and effectuation logic were evident in planned and unplanned aspects of decision-making. Moreover, industry factors were seen to affect internationalization strategies in various ways and not least in respect of the need to exploit windows of opportunity in international niche markets and the usefulness of utilizing managers’ experience and networks in the sector in which firms operated.

Originality/value

– The contribution of this study is to build on earlier work where authors have used different terminology to describe firms that have internationalized soon after their foundation. Specifically, with respect to the planned versus unplanned nature of respective internationalization strategies and the causation as opposed to effectuation logic in decision-making.
Does openness enhance financial sector development? The experience of the Arab world
Authors: Al-Fayoumi Nedal , Abuzayed Bana
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine if the simultaneous openness to trade and capital account can promote financial sector development.

Design/methodology/approach

– Based on a sample of 12 Arab countries over the period from 1985 to 2011, the data were analyzed using the dynamic and static panel data analysis. In particular, the authors apply three estimate techniques: the generalized method of moments, fixed effects and random effects.

Findings

– The empirical results do not support the simultaneous openness hypothesis. Even trade and financial openness have an important separate role in enhancing financial sector development; their interaction effect is harmful. This empirical evidence indicates that opening Arab countries to both trade and capital account will not necessarily promote financial sector development.

Research limitations/implications

– Some Arab countries are not included in the study sample because of the lack of data.

Practical implications

– The main implication of this study is: opening Arab countries for trade and capital account at the same time will not improve the development of financial sector.

Social implications

– The paper examines one of the most important issues in developing countries; where, the people want to know if the country openness to trade and finance will generate a social and economic welfare for them.

Originality/value

– This study can be considered as one of the rare studies that examine the simultaneous openness issue in the developing countries. It recommends regulators and policy makers to take gradual steps toward adopting trade and financial openness in the Arab countries.
Children's socialization in consumption: the role of marketing
Authors: Carlos Estrela Rui , Costa Pereira Francisco , Bruno Ventura Jorge
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to intend to understand how children organize their representational heritage of brands and what influences they may have had to build it.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors carried out a research divided into two parts, one with a questionnaire in which the authors characterized children and identify their behaviours when they are watching TV and surfing the net with an open question which asked them to list which brands they knew. Another qualitative research in which two focus groups were followed with the parents on the consumption habits of their children. The sample includes 602 children between eight and 11 years old. Regarding the parents, 19 participated in the two focus groups, a first in a middle-class area and a second in a lower-class area.

Findings

– Children spend many hours during the week and the weekend watching TV and on the internet. As for the representation of consumption, the data were processed by gathering the brands per product categories with specific software that showed the authors, through a lexicographical analysis, a mental representation that anchors on two cores. One regards food and gathers in a star a wide range of product categories and other regarding clothing, more cognitively complex, forming stars and circles.

Research limitations/implications

– It was not possible to isolate two samples of children in middle class and lower class as was done with the parents, which did not allow checking this symbolic dimension of brands between these two groups. Parents’ occupations did not allow the authors to clearly identify social classes and in the attempts the authors made that were not reliable by combining the occupation of the father and of the mother.

Practical implications

– Children are an important group to be studied, since their attitudes towards products and brands are still in a formative stage and their current experiences will affect their preferences for brands and their behaviours on the market as suggest the authors. This study may contribute to the development of marketing strategies for children by identifying the meanings of food and clothing brands that they own.

Social implications

– This research offers the authors clues so that in the future it can be confirmed that lower-classes children are more attentive to the symbolic dimension of brands as a way of self-expression.

Originality/value

– A new research method using mental maps which allows for a sharper, more specific analysis, where the distinction between genders and age groups can be detected very clearly.
An empirical investigation into the influence of human resource management practices on work engagement: the case of customer-contact employees in Malaysia
Authors: Ling Suan Choo , Mohd Nasurdin Aizzat
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– This study aims to examine the impact of specific human resource management practices on employees’ work engagement.

Design/methodology/approach

– Data were gathered using surveys from a sample of 438 customer-contact employees attached to 34 upscale hotels throughout Malaysia and analyzed using partial least squares technique.

Findings

– The findings showed that service training and performance appraisal have a positive and significant influence on work engagement. The proposed model was able to explain 16.2 per cent of the variance in work engagement.

Research limitations/implications

– The findings indicate that hotel authorities can enhance work engagement of their customer-contact employees by improving service training and refining performance appraisal practices.

Originality/value

– This study is one of the few studies that focus on the specific effect of individual human resource management practices on work engagement, especially within the context of a developing country (i.e. Malaysia) using structural equation modelling.
Complaint behavior intentions and expectation of service recovery in individualistic and collectivistic cultures
Authors: Gi Park Seul , Kim Kyungmi , O’Neill Martin
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to investigate whether complaint behavior intentions and expectations of service recovery based on the justice theory are different among customers from collectivistic versus individualistic cultures. A secondary purpose is to find which service recovery strategies are appropriate for different culture-based complaint behavior intentions.

Design/methodology/approach

– A survey was conducted at universities, and the survey population consisted of college students, who are known to be frequent users of fast-food restaurants. A total of 304 usable questionnaires were collected. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to verify the validity of the items, Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were used to examine the internal consistency of the factors, and an independent samplet-test was used to analyze differences in complaint behavior intentions and expectations of service recovery efforts in terms of cultural difference.

Findings

– The results of this study indicated that South Koreans revealed more voice complaint behavior intentions than Americans did. However, there were no significant differences in expectations of service recovery efforts between them. Second, American customers who indicated voice and private complaint behavior intentions expected distributive, procedural and interpersonal justice in complaint-handling procedures. South Korean customers who indicated voice complaint behavior intentions expected distributive and procedural justice, and South Korean customers who indicated private complaint behavior intentions anticipated interactional justice in complaint-handling procedures.

Research limitations/implications

– Understanding customers’ complaint behavior intentions and expectations of service recovery based on the justice theory and cultural differences will suggest practical implications to hospitality industry managers for effective service quality management.

Originality/value

– Understanding customers’ complaint behavior intentions and expectations of service recovery based on the justice theory and cultural differences will suggest practical implications to hospitality industry managers for effective service quality management.
Microfinance intermediation: regulation of financial NGOs in Ghana
Authors: Anku-Tsede Olivia
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– This study aims to seek to fill a gap in regulatory impact assessment in developing countries by presenting an analysis of how formal regulation impact on the efficiency and productivity of financial non-governmental organisations (FNGOs) in Ghana. Much has been written about the formal financial sector, but very little is known about the lower end of microfinance and the impact of formal prudential regulation on FNGOs providing microfinance services. The Bank of Ghana (BOG), nevertheless, in the year 2011, extended formal prudential regulation to FNGOs without any empirical basis. This study uses regulatory theories and empirical evidence to aid in the evaluation of whether formal prudential regulation is appropriate for FNGOs operating within the microfinance sector.

Design/methodology/approach

– Empirical evidence derived from FNGOs, regulatory agents, consumers and financial lawyers within the Greater Accra and Ashanti Regions of Ghana served as the basis of the analysis in this study. Descriptive statistics, frequency counts and percentage scores, were used to analyse the data collected.

Findings

– The existing structures of FNGOs in Ghana are unsuitable for formal prudential regulation. The BOG does not have adequate staffing and funding to supervise and monitor the microfinance activities of FNGOs. Formal prudential regulation could impede growth and efficient delivery of microfinance services.

Research limitations/implications

– The BOG is the only regulatory agency responsible for regulating the financial market in Ghana, thus access to officers with knowledge in the regulatory regime was very limited.

Practical implications

– The study revealed in depth information about FNGOs, microfinance and the impact of formal prudential regulation on FNGOs.

Originality/value

– The study is the first to use empirical studies and theories of regulation to assess the impact of extending formal prudential regulation to FNGOs in Ghana. Data from the regulator, the regulated and consumers, the key players in any regulatory process, served as the basis of the analysis in the study resulting in the unravelling of in-depth information on the regulation of FNGOs.
What did you do in the Great Paradigm War? Notes from the other side
Authors: Sherry John
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to reflect upon the author’s involvement in the paradigm wars of the 1980s in marketing and consumer research. In this paper, the author describes his role in the ecological succession of the discipline at a critical juncture between the early efforts of the pioneering scholars and the establishment of a mature climax community of consumer culture theorists.

Design/methodology/approach

– The author employs an autobiographical approach.

Findings

– Among the many contributions of a host of talented and insightful fellow travelers, the author’s penchant for ethnographic research and anthropological analysis helped nudge the discipline into interesting new niches.

Originality/value

– This personal reminiscence of the philosophical debates surrounding our interpretive turn may be triangulated with others to construct a synchronic account of a moment in disciplinary evolution.
The evolutionary significance of latent reproductive rate in a long‐lived vertebrate
Authors: Cam Emmanuelle
Published: August 2014

Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) feeding a chick, 4 July 2014, Brittany, France.

image

Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) feeding a chick, 4 July 2014, Brittany, France.

Chambert, T., Rotella, J.J. & Garrott, R.A. (2014) . Journal of Animal Ecology, 83, 1158–1168.

Chambert, Rotella & Garrott () used long‐term data to assess the evolutionary significance of individual latent reproductive rate in female Weddell seals. Latent reproductive rates capture the differences among individuals in terms of their propensity to breed; they are conceptual and mathematical constructs. Neither recruitment probability nor age of first breeding of daughters was related to the mother's latent reproductive rate, but there was evidence of a weak positive relationship between the latent reproductive rates of mothers and daughters, suggesting some degree of heritability in this trait. Females with a high latent reproductive rate were expected to produce 2·0 times as many recruited females and 2·1 times as many grandchildren as females with a low reproductive rate. There was substantial stochastic variation in the number of offspring and grandchildren produced, but the inter‐individual variability in female latent reproductive rate may have important fitness consequences.
Serum microRNA‐29 levels correlate with disease progression in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection
Authors: Huang Chong , Zheng Jian Ming , Cheng Qi , Yu Kang Kang , Ling Qing Xia , Chen Ming Quan , Li Ning
Published: August 2014

Objective

To investigate the role of serum microRNA‐29 (miR‐29) as a biomarker for the prediction of disease progression in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.

Methods

Using real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay, serum miR‐29a, miR‐29b and miR‐29c levels were measured in patients with chronic HBV infection, and the correlation between serum miR‐29 levels and the participants' liver biochemistry, fibrotic stage and necroinflammation grade were also evaluated.

Results

Altogether 91 patients with chronic HBV infection were divided by fibrotic stage into S0/1 (no or mild fibrosis), S2/3 (progressive fibrosis) and S4 (cirrhosis) subgroups, and 12 healthy individuals were also included in the study. Serum miR‐29a and miR‐29c in S0–3 were significantly higher than those in S4 patients (P < 0.001); however, the difference between S0/1 and S2/3 patients was not significant. miR‐29b levels were higher in S0/1 patients than in other patient groups, but did not differ between S2/3 and S4 patients. At fibrotic stages of S0/1 and S2/3, patients with no or mild liver inflammation (G0/1) tended to express higher miR‐29 levels than those with advanced inflammation (G2–4) (P > 0.05). miR‐29a–c showed significant correlation with alanine transaminase levels (P < 0.05 for miR‐29a, miR‐29b and miR‐29c) in S0–3 patients. The expression of miR‐29 was highest in immune‐tolerant patients (P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Serum miR‐29 levels are negatively correlated with liver fibrotic stages and necroinflammation grades in patients with chronic HBV infection. miR‐29 appears to be a novel biomarkers for predicting disease progression in these patients.
Characterization of the Antarctic sea urchin (Sterechinus neumayeri) transcriptome and mitogenome: a molecular resource for phylogenetics, ecophysiology and global change biology
Authors: Dilly G. F. , Gaitán‐Espitia J. D. , Hofmann G. E.
Published: August 2014

This is the first de novo transcriptome and complete mitochondrial genome of an Antarctic sea urchin species sequenced to date. Sterechinus neumayeri is an Antarctic sea urchin and a model species for ecology, development, physiology and global change biology. To identify transcripts important to ocean acidification (OA) and thermal stress, this transcriptome was created pooling, and 13 larval samples representing developmental stages on day 11 (late gastrula), 19 (early pluteus) and 30 (mid pluteus) maintained at three CO2 levels (421, 652, and 1071 μatm) as well as four additional heat‐shocked samples. The normalized cDNA pool was sequenced using emulsion PCR (pyrosequencing) resulting in 1.34M reads with an average read length of 492 base pairs. 40 994 isotigs were identified, averaging 1188 bp with a median coverage of 11×. Additional primer design and gap sequencing were required to complete the mitochondrial genome. The mitogenome of S. neumayeri is a circular DNA molecule with a length of 15 684 bp that contains all 37 genes normally found in metazoans. We detail the main features of the transcriptome and the mitogenome architecture and investigate the phylogenetic relationships of S. neumayeri within Echinoidea. In addition, we provide comparative analyses of S. neumayeri with its closest relative, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, including a list of potential OA gene targets. The resources described here will support a variety of quantitative (genomic, proteomic, multistress and comparative) studies to interrogate physiological responses to OA and other stressors in this important Antarctic calcifier.
Identification of Belgian mosquito species (Diptera: Culicidae) by DNA barcoding
Authors: Versteirt V. , Nagy Z. T. , Roelants P. , Denis L. , Breman F. C. , Damiens D. , Dekoninck W. , Backeljau T. , Coosemans M. , Van Bortel W.
Published: August 2014

Since its introduction in 2003, DNA barcoding has proven to be a promising method for the identification of many taxa, including mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae). Many mosquito species are potential vectors of pathogens, and correct identification in all life stages is essential for effective mosquito monitoring and control. To use DNA barcoding for species identification, a reliable and comprehensive reference database of verified DNA sequences is required. Hence, DNA sequence diversity of mosquitoes in Belgium was assessed using a 658 bp fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene, and a reference data set was established. Most species appeared as well‐supported clusters. Intraspecific Kimura 2‐parameter (K2P) distances averaged 0.7%, and the maximum observed K2P distance was 6.2% for Aedes koreicus. A small overlap between intra‐ and interspecific K2P distances for congeneric sequences was observed. Overall, the identification success using best match and the best close match criteria were high, that is above 98%. No clear genetic division was found between the closely related species Aedes annulipes and Aedes cantans, which can be confused using morphological identification only. The members of the Anopheles maculipennis complex, that is Anopheles maculipennis s.s. and An. messeae, were weakly supported as monophyletic taxa. This study showed that DNA barcoding offers a reliable framework for mosquito species identification in Belgium except for some closely related species.
Muscle ectopic fat deposition contributes to anabolic resistance in obese sarcopenic old rats through eIF2α activation
Authors: Tardif Nicolas , Salles Jérôme , Guillet Christelle , Tordjman Joan , Reggio Sophie , Landrier Jean‐François , Giraudet Christophe , Patrac Véronique , Bertrand‐Michel Justine , Migne Carole , Collin Marie‐Laure , Chardigny Jean‐Michel , Boirie Yves , Walrand Stéphane
Published: August 2014

Obesity and aging are characterized by decreased insulin sensitivity (IS) and muscle protein synthesis. Intramuscular ceramide accumulation has been implicated in insulin resistance during obesity. We aimed to measure IS, muscle ceramide level, protein synthesis, and activation of intracellular signaling pathways involved in translation initiation in male Wistar young (YR, 6‐month) and old (OR, 25‐month) rats receiving a low‐ (LFD) or a high‐fat diet (HFD) for 10 weeks. A corresponding cellular approach using C2C12 myotubes treated with palmitate to induce intracellular ceramide deposition was taken. A decreased ability of adipose tissue to store lipids together with a reduced adipocyte diameter and a development of fibrosis were observed in OR after the HFD. Consequently, OR fed the HFD were insulin resistant, showed a strong increase in intramuscular ceramide level and a decrease in muscle protein synthesis associated with increased eIF2α phosphorylation. The accumulation of intramuscular lipids placed a lipid burden on mitochondria and created a disconnect between metabolic and regulating pathways in skeletal muscles of OR. In C2C12 cells, palmitate‐induced ceramide accumulation was associated with a decreased protein synthesis together with upregulated eIF2α phosphorylation. In conclusion, a reduced ability to expand adipose tissues was found in OR, reflecting a lower lipid buffering capacity. Muscle mitochondrial activity was affected in OR conferring a reduced ability to oxidize fatty acids entering the muscle cell. Hence, OR were more prone to ectopic muscle lipid accumulation than YR, leading to decreased muscle protein anabolism. This metabolic change is a potential therapeutic target to counter sarcopenic obesity.
Lack of association between the 389C>T polymorphism (rs769217) in the catalase (CAT) gene and the risk of vitiligo: An update by meta‐analysis
Authors: He Jie , Li Xiaoyan , Li Yunhui , Ren Bocheng , Sun Jian , Zhang Wei , Li Wancheng
Published: August 2014

Background/Objectives

The catalase (CAT) T/C at codon 389 in the exon 9 polymorphism has been implicated in susceptibility to vitiligo but a large number of studies have reported inconclusive results. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the association between the catalase gene polymorphism (389C>T) and the risk of vitiligo.

Methods

A meta‐analysis was carried out to analyse the association between 389C>T and vitiligo risk.

Results

Eight case‐control studies with 2923 cases and 4237 controls were included in the meta‐analysis. The results indicated that there was no association between this polymorphism and vitiligo (TT + CT versus CC: OR = 1.08, 95% CI = 0.98–1.20, P = 0.11, T versus C: OR = 1.07, 95% CI = 0.99–1.16, P = 0.092). In a subgroup analysis by ethnicity, no significant association between the CAT gene 389C>T polymorphism and vitiligo susceptibility was found in Caucasians (TT + CT versus CC: OR = 1.15, 95% CI = 0.98–1.35, P = 0.08; T versus C: OR = 1.07, 95% CI = 0.97–1.19, P = 0.173) and Asians (TT + CT versus CC: OR = 1.12, 95% CI =0.93–1.34, P = 0.23; T versus C: OR = 1.07, 95% CI = 0.94–1.21, P = 0.321).

Conclusions

Our results suggest that 389C>T may not contribute to vitiligo susceptibility. However, larger primary studies with the consideration of gene–environment and gene–gene interactions are still required to further evaluate the interaction of CAT gene polymorphism with vitiligo susceptibility.
Bibliometric analysis onAustralian rural health publications from 2006 to 2012
Authors: Mendis Kumara , Edwards Tegan , Stevens Wendy , McCrossin Tim
Published: August 2014

Objective

To reviewAustralian rural health (ARH) publications inPubMed from 2006 to 2012 and addressARHissues raised by the 2013Health andMedicalResearch report.

Design

Retrospective observational study.

Setting

Internet‐based bibliometric analysis usingPubMed.MEDLINE‐indexedARHpublications from 2006 to 2012 were retrieved usingPubMed queries.ARHpublications were defined asAustralian publications that explore issues relevant to the health of the regional, rural or remoteAustralian population. Two authors independently reviewed a random sample of 5% of publications for validity.

Main outcome measures

Analysis determined country of origin (Australia); publications relevant to theNationalHealthPriorityAreas, the 2013NationalRuralHealthAlliance priority areas andRuralClinicalSchools/UniversityDepartments ofRuralHealth; and journal frequencies and publication types.

Results

ARH publications increased from 286 in 2006 to 393 in 2012 and made up 1.4% of allAustralianPubMed publications. Combined, the health priority areas were addressed in 52% ofARHpublications.RuralClinicalSchools/UniversityDepartments ofRuralHealth articles made up 7% ofARHpublications. An increase in cohort studies, systematic reviews and reviews indicated improved quality of articles.ARHarticles were most commonly published in theAustralian Journal of Rural Health(15.9%),Rural and Remote Health(13.4%) and theMedical Journal of Australia(6.3%).

Striking a balance between broadening the queries (increasing sensitivity) and limiting the false positives by restricting the breadth of the queries (increasing specificity) was the main limitation.

Conclusions

This reproducible analysis, repeated at given timelines, can track the progress ofARHpublications and provide directions regarding future rural health research.
Scaling informal learning at the workplace: A model and four designs from a large‐scale design‐based research effort
Authors: Ley Tobias , Cook John , Dennerlein Sebastian , Kravcik Milos , Kunzmann Christine , Pata Kai , Purma Jukka , Sandars John , Santos Patricia , Schmidt Andreas , Al‐Smadi Mohammad , Trattner Christoph
Published: August 2014

Workplace learning happens in the process and context of work, is multi‐episodic, often informal, problem based and takes place on a just‐in‐time basis. While this is a very effective means of delivery, it also does not scale very well beyond the immediate context. We review three types of technologies that have been suggested to scale learning and three connected theoretical discourses around learning and its support. Based on these three strands and an in‐depth contextual inquiry into two workplace learning domains, health care and building and construction, four design‐based research projects were conducted that have given rise to designs for scaling informal learning with technology. The insights gained from the design and contextual inquiry contributed to a model that provides an integrative view on three informal learning processes at work and how they can be supported with technology: (1) task performance, reflection and sensemaking; (2) help seeking, guidance and support; and (3) emergence and maturing of collective knowledge. The model fosters our understanding of how informal learning can be scaled and how an orchestrated set of technologies can support this process.
Personalized workplace learning: An exploratory study on digital badging within a teacher professional development program
Authors: Gamrat Christopher , Zimmerman Heather Toomey , Dudek Jaclyn , Peck Kyle
Published: August 2014

To provide customized workplace learning opportunities, a digital badge system was designed by a university, governmental agency and national professional association to support teachers' implementation of professional development (PD). Teacher Learning Journeys (TLJ) is an approach that allows for teachers to customize their PD experience to their workplace and make decisions about what PD they need based on their expertise and interests. The digital badging provided and assessed experiences in online PD. Using a theoretical framework that focused on decision making and customization as part of personalization, researchers conducted a theory‐driven thematic analysis on teachers' TLJ artifacts (goal statements, interviews and reflective activity logs). Data came from 36 teachers who completed 154 PD activities over a 3‐month period. A case study was developed from an in‐depth analysis of eight teachers' artifacts and interviews. Using TLJ as a PD tool, teachers made decisions when selecting learning goals they identified as personally relevant. Teachers customized the level of assessment and the specific content depth to personalize the PD training for workplace constraints. This project informs future research aiming to understand how personalized learning activities support teachers and other professional learners in a variety of workplaces.
Injury Response of Resected Human Brain Tissue In Vitro
Authors: Verwer Ronald W.H. , Sluiter Arja A. , Balesar Rawien A. , Baaijen Johannes C. , de Witt Hamer Philip C. , Speijer Dave , Li Yichen , Swaab Dick F.
Published: August 2014

Brain injury affects a significant number of people each year. Organotypic cultures from resected normal neocortical tissue provide unique opportunities to study the cellular and neuropathological consequences of severe injury of adult human brain tissue in vitro. The in vitro injuries caused by resection (interruption of the circulation) and aggravated by the preparation of slices (severed neuronal and glial processes and blood vessels) reflect the reaction of human brain tissue to severe injury. We investigated this process using immunocytochemical markers, reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis. Essential features were rapid shrinkage of neurons, loss of neuronal marker expression and proliferation of reactive cells that expressed Nestin and Vimentin. Also, microglia generally responded strongly, whereas the response of glial fibrillary acidic protein‐positive astrocytes appeared to be more variable. Importantly, some reactive cells also expressed both microglia and astrocytic markers, thus confounding their origin. Comparison with post‐mortem human brain tissue obtained at rapid autopsies suggested that the reactive process is not a consequence of epilepsy.
The relationship between moderate‐to‐vigorous intensity physical activity and insulin resistance, insulin‐like growth factor (IGF‐1)‐system 1, leptin and weight change in healthy women during pregnancy and after delivery
Authors: van der Wijden Carla L. , Delemarre‐van de Waal Henriette A. , van Mechelen Willem , van Poppel Mireille N.M.
Published: August 2014

Context

Childbearing is considered to be a significant risk factor for developing overweight and obesity. Physical activity might influence weight change via hormonal changes.

Objective

To test the hypothesis that higher levels of moderate‐to‐vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) are positively associated with maternal insulin sensitivity and reduce IGF‐1, IGFBP‐3, leptin levels, bodyweight gain/retention and birth weight.

Methods

In healthy nulliparous women, weight measurements were carried out and blood was collected during pregnancy in the 15th, 25th and 35th week, and after delivery at 6, 26 and 52 weeks. At 15 and 35 weeks of pregnancy and 26 weeks postpartum, MVPA was measured using accelerometers. In linear regression models, the relationship between MVPA below or above the median with metabolic and weight outcomes was assessed, adjusted for maternal BMI, age and smoking.

Results

Moderate‐to‐vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) decreased significantly during pregnancy, but was very low already in early pregnancy. Insulin resistance and leptin levels increased during pregnancy and decreased significantly after delivery (all P < 0·05). After adjustment, insulin, IGFBP‐3 and BMI were significantly lower at 15 weeks of pregnancy in women with MVPA above the median compared to those with MVPA below the median. After 15 weeks of pregnancy, no significant associations were observed between hormonal levels and MVPA. MVPA was neither related to weight retention, nor to birth weight.

Conclusion

Except in early pregnancy, MPVA was not related to metabolic outcomes. In addition, MVPA during pregnancy was not related to weight retention or birth weight.
JLK1486, a N,N‐[(8‐hydroxyquinoline)methyl]‐substituted benzylamine analogue, inhibits melanoma proliferation and induces autophagy
Authors: Koekemoer T. C. , van de Venter M. , Kraus J.‐L.
Published: August 2014

Objectives

To investigate anti‐proliferatory activity of a selected N,N‐[(8‐hydroxyquinoline)methyl]‐substituted benzylamine (JLK1486) on melanoma cells and to characterize its mechanism of cell population growth inhibition.

Materials and methods

In vitro cultures of B16F10 (mouse melanoma) cells were used as a model to characterize anti‐proliferatory activity of JLK1486 using MTT growth assay, trypan blue viability assessment, cell cycle analysis, melanin production, β‐galactosidase and acridine orange staining.

Results

Proliferating B16F10 and also MeWo (human melanoma) cells were strongly growth inhibited by JLK1486, displaying IC50 values of 196 nm and 110 nm respectively. Anti‐proliferatory effects were independent of cell death and were characterized by a distinct accumulation of cells in G0/G1 phase. Tyrosinase activity and relative melanin content remained unchanged indicating that the anti‐proliferatory activity was not due to phenotype differentiation. Although treated B16F10 cells stained strongly positive for senescence marker β‐galactosidase, cells regained near normal proliferatory activity after removal of JLK1486. Increased acridine orange staining and presence of perinuclear vacuoles suggested induction of autophagy in B16F10 cells. Furthermore, JLK1486 pre‐treatment completely abolished melphalan and antimycin A‐induced apoptosis.

Conclusion

JLK1486 provides a promising chemical scaffold to develop new anti‐melanoma drugs or combination therapies, due to its potent inhibition of cell proliferation and induction of autophagy, at pharmacologically relevant concentrations.
The Role of Jet Eccentricity in Generating Disproportionately Elevated Transaortic Pressure Gradients in Patients with Aortic Stenosis
Authors: Abbas Amr E. , Franey Laura M. , Lester Steven , Raff Gilbert , Gallagher Michael J. , Hanzel George , Safian Robert D. , Pibarot Philippe
Published: August 2014

In patients with aortic stenosis (AS) and eccentric transaortic flow, greater pressure loss occurs as the jet collides with the aortic wall together with delayed and diminished pressure recovery. This leads to the elevated transaortic valve pressure gradients noted on both Doppler and cardiac catheterization. Such situations may present a diagnostic dilemma where traditional measures of stenosis severity indicate severe AS, while imaging modalities of the aortic valve geometric aortic valve area (GOA) suggest less than severe stenosis. In this study, we present a series of cases exemplifying this clinical dilemma and demonstrate how color M‐mode, 2D and 3D transthoracic (TTE) and transesophageal (TEE) echocardiography, cardiac computed tomography angiography (CTA), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), may be used to resolve such discrepancies.
Effectiveness of individual placement and support supported employment for young adults
Authors: Bond Gary R. , Drake Robert E. , Campbell Kikuko
Published: August 2014

Aim

The individual placement and support (IPS) model of supported employment was first developed in community mental health centres for adults with severe mental illness. While IPS is an established evidence‐based practice in this broad population, evidence on its effectiveness focused specifically on young adults has been limited. The current study aimed to address this gap.

Methods

To investigate the effects of IPS on young adults, the authors conducted a secondary analysis on a pooled sample of 109 unemployed young adults (under age 30) from four randomized controlled trials employing a common research protocol that included a standardized measurement battery and rigorous fidelity monitoring. Researchers assessed these participants over 18 months on nine competitive employment outcome measures.

Results

On all measures, the IPS group had significantly better employment outcomes. Overall, 40 (82%) of IPS participants obtained employment during follow‐up compared with 25 (42%) of control participants, χ2 = 17.9, P < .001. IPS participants averaged 25.0 weeks of employment, compared with 7.0 weeks for control participants, t = 4.50, P < .001.

Conclusions

The current analysis supports a small number of previous studies in showing that IPS is highly effective in helping young adults with severe mental illness to attain competitive employment. When young adults acquire competitive jobs and initiate a path towards normal adult roles, they may avoid the cycle of disability and psychiatric patient roles that are demeaning and demoralizing.
Correction of Discretization Errors Simulated at Supply Wells
Authors: MacMillan Gordon J. , Schumacher Jens
Published: August 2014

Many hydrogeology problems require predictions of hydraulic heads in a supply well. In most cases, the regional hydraulic response to groundwater withdrawal is best approximated using a numerical model; however, simulated hydraulic heads at supply wells are subject to errors associated with model discretization and well loss. An approach for correcting the simulated head at a pumping node is described here. The approach corrects for errors associated with model discretization and can incorporate the user's knowledge of well loss. The approach is model independent, can be applied to finite difference or finite element models, and allows the numerical model to remain somewhat coarsely discretized and therefore numerically efficient. Because the correction is implemented external to the numerical model, one important benefit of this approach is that a response matrix, reduced model approach can be supported even when nonlinear well loss is considered.
Geolocator tagging reveals Pacific migration of Red‐necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus breeding in Scotland
Authors: Smith Malcolm , Bolton Mark , Okill David J. , Summers Ron W. , Ellis Pete , Liechti Felix , Wilson Jeremy D.
Published: August 2014

The migration route of Red‐necked Phalarope populations breeding on North Atlantic islands has been subject to considerable speculation. Geolocator tags were fitted to nine Red‐necked Phalaropes breeding in northern Scotland to assess whether they migrated to Palaearctic or Nearctic wintering grounds. Of four birds known to return, two had retained their tags, of which one was recaptured. This male Phalarope left Shetland on 1 August 2012 and crossed the Atlantic Ocean to the Labrador Sea off eastern Canada in 6 days, then moved south to reach Florida during September, crossed the Gulf of Mexico into the Pacific Ocean and reached an area between the Galapagos Islands and the South American coast by mid‐October, where it remained until the end of April, returning by a similar route until the tag battery failed as the bird was crossing the Atlantic Ocean. The total migration of 22 000 km is approximately 60% longer than the previously assumed route to the western part of the Arabian Sea, and this first evidence of migration of a European breeding bird to the Pacific Ocean also helps to indicate the possible migratory route of the large autumn movements of Red‐necked Phalaropes down the east coast of North America.
Doppler OCT
Authors: WERKMEISTER R
Published: August 2014

OCT is a non‐invasive imaging modality capable of providing information on sample structure with micrometer scale resolution. Doppler OCT (DOCT), a functional extension of OCT, provides knowledge about the motion of the sample and its substructures. It found its main application in biomedical imaging in the assessment of ocular blood flow. Doppler OCT allows for both measurement of blood flow velocities in larger retinal vessels and visualization of the vascular network. Recent developments such as dual beam DOCT make it possible to measure absolute blood flow velocity. Measurements are independent of the a priori unknown Doppler angle and further enable calculation of total blood flow when taking vessel diameter estimation via OCT or fundus camera based approaches into account. In addition, Doppler OCT allows for visualization of blood flow profiles and their alterations in retinal vessels and venous junctions and to further gain insight into hemodynamics as well as to study flow characteristics of the non‐Newtonian fluid blood. Results will be presented that show the potential of DOCT to provide crucial information for diagnosis, monitoring and treatment planning of ocular diseases related to alterations in ocular perfusion.
Kaplan‐Meier analysis and Cox regression
Authors: KIVELÄ T
Published: August 2014

Kaplan‐Meier analysis and Cox regression are nonparametric techniques with wide applicability. They are needed when time‐to‐event data are analysed (e.g. time to loss of vision, filtration bleb failure, corneal graft rejection). They are especially necessary when follow‐up times vary, which is common in clinical research. The entry data are time to event or last follow‐up, last status (experienced the event, under follow‐up, lost to follow‐up, or died) and any explanatory or confounding variables (e.g. sex, age). Subjects who did not experience the event are “censored” at last follow‐up. Censoring must be independent of the probability of experiencing the event, and the subject must remain at risk of the event after censoring. Kaplan‐Meier analysis produces stepped curves which show the cumulative probability of experiencing the event over time. Cox regression is a related multivariate model that provides a numerical hazard ratio (e.g. increased or decreased risk of the study group to experience the event relative to the control group) adjusted for the effect of other variables included in the regression model. After this talk, participants should be able to recognize time‐to‐event data and interpret studies using these methods.
Cumulative incidence and interval censoring
Authors: KIVELÄ T
Published: August 2014

Kaplan‐Meier and Cox regression return biased estimates in the presence of competing events that render subjects immune to the event of interest (e.g. a filtration bleb can not fail after dying). Kaplan‐Meier can then be supplemented with cumulative incidence analysis and Cox regression with competing risks regression. The data needed are time‐to‐event or last follow‐up, last status, and explanatory or confounding variables. Subjects who did not experience any event are “censored” at last follow‐up. A set of stepped curves is produced which show the cumulative incidence of each event analysed as a function of time; groups can be compared using dedicated tests. Competing risks regression provides a hazard ratio, adjusted for the effect of other variables in the model. In addition to competing risks, another consideration is the follow‐up interval. Events are usually recorded at planned review visits but actually have taken place earlier, which causes bias. Interval censoring is a method that accounts for this fact. After this talk, participants should be able to recognise competing events and interval censoring, assess whether Kaplan‐Meier and Cox regression were appropriate methods and know alternatives to them.
Stromal corneal dystrophies
Authors: NOWINSKA A
Published: August 2014

According to the IC3D classification the group of the stromal corneal dystrophies include: TGFBI corneal dystrophies, Macular corneal dystrophy (MCD), Schnyder corneal dystrophy (SCD), Congenital stromal corneal dystrophy (CSCD), Fleck corneal dystrophy (FCD), Posterior amorphous corneal dystrophy (PACD), Central cloudy dystrophy of François (CCDF) and Pre‐Descemet corneal dystrophy (PDCD). The lecture summarizes the clinical data of each corneal dystrophy with the referral to the genetic analysis, histological exam and modern non invasive optical imaging techniques as long as presents current treatment options.
Surgical treatment options for corneal dystrophies
Authors: WYLEGALA E
Published: August 2014

Corneal dystrophies are the group of hereditary disorders affecting all corneal layers. The choice of the surgical treatment option depends on the corneal dystrophy type and includes: anterior lamellar keratoplasty for dystrophies without Descemet membrane involvement, descemet stripping endothelial keratoplasty for Fuchs corneal dystrophy and penetrating keratoplasty for dystrophies characterized by full corneal thickness involvement. All types of keratoplasty could be performed traditionally or with the assistance of the femtosecond laser. The corneal graft survival depends on the corneal dystrophy type. The recurrence of the disease is a possible complication of the surgery related to the diagnosis of the corneal dystrophy.