bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A hybrid approach for cost-optimized lateral transshipment in a supply chain environment
Authors: Nakandala Dilupa , Lau Henry , Ning Andrew
Published: July 2016

Purpose

– When making sourcing decisions, both cost optimization and customer demand fulfillment are equally important for firm competitiveness. The purpose of this paper is to develop a stochastic search technique, hybrid genetic algorithm (HGA), for cost-optimized decision making in wholesaler inventory management in a supply chain network of wholesalers, retailers and suppliers.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study develops a HGA by using a mixture of greedy-based and randomly generated solutions in the initial population and a local search method (hill climbing) applied to individuals selected for performing crossover before crossover is implemented and to the best individual in the population at the end of HGA as well as gene slice and integration.

Findings

– The application of the proposed HGA is illustrated by considering multiple scenarios and comparing with the other commonly adopted methods of standard genetic algorithm, simulated annealing and tabu search. The simulation results demonstrate the capability of the proposed approach in producing more effective solutions.

Practical implications

– The pragmatic importance of this method is for the inventory management of wholesaler operations and this can be scalable to address real contexts with multiple wholesalers and multiple suppliers with variable lead times.

Originality/value

– The proposed stochastic-based search techniques have the capability in producing good-quality optimal or suboptimal solutions for large-scale problems within a reasonable time using ordinary computing resources available in firms.
Developing proactive salespeople – a study and recommendations for sales management
Authors: Mallin Michael L.
Published: July 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, it provides the results of a study of key characteristics of proactive salespeople and the impact of salesperson proactive behavior on selling performance. Second, it provides recommendations for sales management to implement organizational strategies designed to develop, train and coach salespeople to be more proactive.

Design/methodology/approach

In all, 278 business-to-business salespeople were surveyed to identify key traits and outcomes of proactive salespeople. The average subject was 28 years of age with 5 years of selling experience. Scales from the management, organizational behavior and sales performance literature were used to identify the degree that subjects engaged in proactive behavior in their selling role, a self-assessment of their sales performance and individual traits thought to predict higher levels of proactive behavior.

Findings

The findings revealed that proactive salespeople exhibited high levels of selling behavior performance – an important contributor to measurable selling results. In addition, proactive salespeople were intrinsically motivated, confident in the tasks of selling and willing to take calculated risks.

Practical implications

Practical implications suggest that sales managers can play a key role in fostering proactive behavior among salespeople through development, training and coaching. First, sales managers can play a role in the development of salesperson intrinsic motivation by stressing the importance of asking good questions to understand their customer’s problems to the extent that they can be proactive and recommend solutions for change. Second, training programs to make salespeople more confident should center on fully understanding product/service functionality and applications to typical customer problems. Finally, coaching tools such as win–loss reviews, post-call analysis/feedback and role-playing are useful mechanisms to reinforce the right type of risk-taking selling behavior decisions.

Originality/value

The value of this research is to shed light on the importance of salesperson proactive behavior as a means to drive selling organizational performance and fostering long-term customer relationships. Understanding the drivers of proactivity among salespeople is the first step for sales management to be able to operationalize organizational strategies to develop, train and coach salespeople to be more proactive in their selling approach.
Environmental dynamism, trust and dynamic capabilities of family businesses
Authors: Wang Yong
Published: July 2016

Purpose

– Dynamic capabilities are regarded as the bedrock of firms that survive in a dynamic environment. Notwithstanding this perspective, little research has been implemented in understanding dynamic capabilities of family firms. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between environmental dynamism and dynamic capabilities of family businesses, and the moderating effect of trust on this relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

– A quantitative survey was executed with the sampling frame outlined based on the Hemscott Company Guru database. In total, 137 useful responses were employed in this study.

Findings

– The results suggest that environmental dynamism is an antecedent of dynamic capabilities. Furthermore, findings show the presence of trust moderates the environmental dynamism-dynamic capabilities nexus.

Research limitations/implications

– The cross-sectional design of the study determines that it can only proffer a snapshot of the scenario. In addition, the exclusion of non-incorporated firms in the sample because of the nature of the Hemscott database constrains the generalisability of the study. Future studies in a similar vein may be implemented through national/local development agencies to overcome this barrier.

Originality/value

– The unique intertwined family and business system embedded in family firms has led to the assumption that trust will influence the environmental dynamism-dynamic capabilities nexus. The current study confirms this assumption and offers a perspective that helps appreciate the environment-business relationship in family businesses.
Smart tourism destinations: ecosystems for tourism destination competitiveness
Authors: Boes Kim , Buhalis Dimitrios , Inversini Alessandro
Published: July 2016

Purpose

– Grounded in service-dominant (S-D) logic, the purpose of this paper is to explore the core components of smartness to present a framework for the development of the smart tourism destination.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper explores the core components of smartness through case study analysis of well-established smart cities.

Findings

– The paper conceptualises smartness and argues ICT, leadership, innovation and social capital supported by human capital are core components of smartness. Although ICT is a critical enabler for smart tourism destinations, it is insufficient on its own to introduce smartness. The combination of hard and soft smartness components within a S-D logic ecosystem structure holds the potential for sustained competitive advantage and enhancement of quality of life of both residents and tourists in smart tourism destinations.

Originality/value

– The paper extends the application of S-D logic to the context of smart tourism destinations, specifically to examine the smartness concept as a means for competitiveness in tourism destinations.
Building firm capability: managerial incentives for top performance
Authors: Castellaneta Francesco
Published: July 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to present a model of how incentives enhance competitive advantage by improving the sourcing, development and leveraging of firm capabilities.

Design/methodology/approach

The author first reviews the key findings of prominent academic and managerial papers on capability building and incentives. The author then proposes a model that advances our understanding of how incentives affect competitive advantage through capability building. The author applies this model to the empirical setting of private equity, where buyouts – by adopting the “carrot and stick” approach – improve the alignment of managerial and firm interests and, in turn, encourage capability building.

Findings

The model shows how incentives act on capabilities in three areas: the leveraging of existing capabilities, the sourcing of capabilities internally and the sourcing of capabilities externally.

Practical implications

The model is useful for focusing executives on how incentives impact the development of firm capabilities, which are at the core of competitive advantage.

Originality/value

This paper expands on existing literature by providing a model linking incentives to the competitive advantage of the firm. The model will encourage new ways of thinking about incentive programs, casting them as a method for developing firm capabilities and thereby sustaining firms’ competitive advantage.
Talenthouse India: crowdsourcing the Indian national anthem
Authors: Jayakumar Tulsi
Published: July 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to understand the process of value creation and value capture through open innovation strategies such as crowdsourcing in emerging economies (EEs) like India. The paper seeks to understand that crowdsourcing strategies offer both potential as well as challenges to value creation and capture in EEs.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper follows a case study approach. Building on interviews with company officials, the paper looks at the process of value creation and value capture by Talenthouse India through its unique “My Nation My Anthem” (MNMA) initiative.

Findings

With growing internet penetration and the presence of a demographic dividend, crowdsourcing presents high potential in EEs like India. EE firms may strategize to use the creativity and ideas of “crowds” to drive value creation and value capture. However, understanding the limits of such strategies, in particular those relating to the crowds (their composition, access to them and their motivators) and the access to technology, is important. The result of the MNMA initiative was a 52-second crowdsourced national anthem that generated sufficient value for the crowdsourcing intermediary (Talenthouse), the client firm (PVR) and the entire ecosystem.

Originality/value

The significance of open innovation models has been demonstrated in settings involving high-tech industries, producing high-value goods, in advanced economies. The paper finds the applicability of such models to low-tech, less mature industries, involving experience goods in EEs like India.
Producer push to consumer pull: Who curates new media content? Developing strategies for new media environments
Authors: Chipp Kerry Fiona , Chakravorty Devarpan
Published: July 2016

Purpose

This study aims to explore if, with increasing consumer empowerment, consumers are actively pulling content through a multitude of platforms rather than relying on media owners to dictate their product choices. How do media owners and content producers move toward a more reciprocal and interactive business strategy to deal with the change?

Design/methodology/approach

The study was qualitative and exploratory in nature and utilized in-depth and semi-structured interviews of media consumers and experts.

Findings

Consumer behavior has changed due to increased product control, in terms of type and occasion, across all income levels. The value of curatorship has increased and social media has fundamentally changed consumption patterns. Using the Berthon et al. model of response functions, we found that, content producers often suffer from inertia and operate with an Isolate strategy. The second most common approach is that of Follow or customer orientation. There is limited engagement with the innovation orientations of Shape and Interact. It is best for the industry to move toward an Interact model, accepting that consumers sometimes wish to create and at other times wish content to be effortlessly provided to them.

Research limitations/implications

This study adopted a qualitative approach of industry experts and consumers within a single context. The further implications would be to develop the Interact strategy in more detail, especially toward the end of how to get media providers to change their current orientations.

Practical implications

Business models of product producers in the new business environment seek to be more consumer-centric. This must not be done at the expense of an innovation orientation.

Originality/value

There has been a lot of discussion on the need to change business models in the wake of changed consumer behavior. The current paper provides guidance on how to respond to the new media world.
Retrospective: “culture shocks” in inter-cultural service encounters?
Authors: Stauss Bernd
Published: July 2016

Purpose

The article “Culture shocks” in inter-cultural service encounters was published in 1999. The purpose of this paper is to analyze how the scientific discussion about this issue has developed and which open research questions are still awaiting solutions.

Design/methodology/approach

The main contributions of the original article are evaluated in the light of the current state of research. Simultaneously, the scientific development is commented on the basis of the original theoretical and empirical insights.

Findings

The original article belongs to those that initiated an extraordinary development of the research field. Aspects of inter-cultural encounters have found increasing attention in service marketing research. However, some fundamental problems of inter-cultural studies are still unresolved, and some of the theoretical and management oriented stimuli of the 1999 paper still seem worthy of consideration.

Originality/value

The retrospective analysis gives insight into the scientific development of the research on inter-cultural service encounters. It identifies relevant development lines, new perspectives and open questions for future research.
The effects of three customer-to-customer interaction quality types on customer experience quality and citizenship behavior in mass service settings
Authors: Kim Hyun Sik , Choi Beomjoon
Published: July 2016

Purpose

Creating superior customer experience quality is important to firm success, but the link between customer experience quality and customer-to-customer interaction quality – a critical component of customer experience quality in mass service settings – has seldom been spotlighted. This paper aims to propose and test a theoretical model of the relationship among three types of customer-to-customer interaction quality (friend-interaction, neighboring customer-interaction and audience-interaction) and customer experience quality. They also examine these variables’ effects on customer citizenship behavior in mass service settings.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors collected data through a self-administered survey. The proposed relationships were tested using structural equation modeling.

Findings

Friend-interaction and audience-interaction quality perceptions significantly influence customer experience quality, with neighboring customer-interaction quality perception significant only for low communication quality. We find that enhancing customer experience quality is crucial to promoting citizenship behavior in mass service settings.

Practical implications

Neighboring customer-interaction quality perception has a significant effect on customer experience quality, particularly in a low communication quality situation. Therefore, service marketers should provide effective neighboring customer-interaction management schemes to enhance experience quality together with friend-interaction and audience-interaction management schemes when customers experience low communication quality. Additionally, service marketers should focus on enhancing communication quality only when anticipating low neighboring customer-interaction quality.

Originality/value

The findings highlight the effects of three types of customer-to-customer interaction quality on customer citizenship behavior through experience quality perception in mass service settings, and the effect of neighboring customer-interaction quality perception on customer experience quality, moderated by communication quality.
Uncovering the silent language of waiting
Authors: Pàmies Maria del Mar , Ryan Gerard , Valverde Mireia
Published: July 2016

Purpose

Waiting in services commonly reduces customer satisfaction and has a considerable and enduring negative effect on the overall evaluation of a service. Waiting may even lead consumers to abandon a service or to avoid that service on future occasions. This paper aims to advance the understanding of the role played by culture in shaping the perceptions of waiting in services. In doing so, the study aims to demonstrate that solutions for managing waiting in services should be culturally appropriate.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses in-depth interviews and consumer diaries. The sample includes expatriates from most continents living in Catalonia, Spain.

Findings

The study confirms existing theories on cultural differences in time orientations in a services marketing context. It uncovers a range of culture-bound rules of waiting and differences in cultural interpretations of what it means to wait and even whether waiting is occurring or not.

Practical implications

This study questions the applicability of some standard waiting solutions across cultural contexts. Companies that operate in different cultures should consider their approach to managing waiting times according to the cultural time orientations of their customer base. The cultural aspects of time-based service guarantees and time-rationing strategies are considered.

Originality/value

This paper takes an innovate approach to “uncovering” the implicit rules of waiting by asking expatriate consumers about their waiting experiences while living abroad. Expatriates are in a unique position to identify these differences, as they have a cultural point of comparison with their home countries.
Property rights and owner occupied housing investment in urban Ethiopia
Authors: Hailu Ziade , Rooks Gerrit
Published: July 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether the provision of formal land and building rights provides incentives to poor households to invest in their property in urban Ethiopia.

Design/methodology/approach

– To test the hypothesis a natural quasi-experimental design was employed. Data were collected from a random sample of 210 households in a land formalization project and 190 households in a control group in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. To control for selection bias propensity score matching was used to estimate group differences.

Findings

– The beneficiary group reported a higher investment level than did the control group. Households in the beneficiary group are statistically more likely to invest in new structures and housing maintenance, yet these effects are modest.

Practical implications

– Governments, donors, and land administration officials may use these findings to address contextual issues that need deliberate interventions to make formalization projects achieve its goals.

Originality/value

– Property rights research is preoccupied with changes in land rights and its response to investment in agricultural sector. The paper contributes to the limited literature dealing with property rights literature on urban setting. Moreover, empirical research has been hampered by the problem of causality and endogeneity while the study is designed in such a way to respond to the selection problem utilizing a natural experiment.
Wild Prunus Fruit Species as a Rich Source of Bioactive Compounds
Authors: Mikulic‐Petkovsek Maja , Stampar Franci , Veberic Robert , Sircelj Helena
Published: July 2016

Sugars, organic acids, carotenoids, tocopherols, chlorophylls, and phenolic compounds were quantified in fruit of 4 wild growing Prunus species (wild cherry, bird cherry, blackthorn, and mahaleb cherry) using HPLC‐DAD‐MSn. In wild Prunus, the major sugars were glucose and fructose, whereas malic and citric acids dominated among organic acids. The most abundant classes of phenolic compounds in the analyzed fruit species were anthocyanins, flavonols, derivatives of cinnamic acids, and flavanols. Two major groups of anthocyanins measured in Prunus fruits were cyanidin‐3‐rutinoside and cyanidin‐3‐glucoside. Flavonols were represented by 19 derivatives of quercetin, 10 derivatives of kaempferol, and 2 derivatives of isorhamnetin. The highest total flavonol content was measured in mahaleb cherry and bird cherry, followed by blackthorn and wild cherry fruit. Total phenolic content varied from 2373 (wild cherry) to 11053 mg GAE per kg (bird cherry) and ferric reducing antioxidant power antioxidant activity from 7.26 to 31.54 mM trolox equivalents per kg fruits.
Frequency of joint hypermobility in Turkish patients with knee osteoarthritis: a cross sectional multicenter study
Authors: Gürer Gülcan , Bozbas Gulnur Tasci , Tuncer Tiraje , Unubol Ayse Iyiyapici , Ucar Ulku Gurbuz , Memetoglu Ozge Illeez
Published: July 2016

Aim

Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee is one of the major causes of joint dysfunction and physically disabling conditions in the older population. The risk factors for the development of knee OA are very diverse. We aimed to determine the frequency of joint hypermobility in patients with knee OA.

Methods

Five hundred and three patients (402 female and 101 male) with bilateral knee OA were enrolled in five different clinics from three regions of Turkey. In this study, joint hypermobility was evaluated in the participants by using the Beighton scoring system and a Beighton score of at least 4 was considered as joint hypermobility. Radiological scoring was performed according to Kellgren and Lawrence.

Results

The percentages of generalized joint hypermobility were determined as 21.5% in all of the patients, 23.9% in female patients and 11.9% in male patients. The percentage of hypermobility (67.9%) was found to be highest in patients with knee OA aged between 22–30 years as against other age groups. Highest hypermobility percentage was found as 73.9% (17/23) in female patients and as 40% (2/5) in male patients between 22–30 years. The hypermobility of knee was found to have the highest frequency in patients aged between 22–40 years as compared to other joint regions and also to be second‐highest frequency in all patients aged between 41–92 years. As a result, generalized joint hypermobility was determined to be of high frequency in patients with knee OA. Furthermore, we have seen that knee mobility was established to be of considerably high frequency in patients with knee OA.

Conclusions

This study showed generalized joint hypermobility and knee hypermobility may be associated with knee OA. According to the results of this study, we can suggest that generalized joint hypermobility and also knee hypermobility may increase the risk of knee OA. According to this study, it should be considered that knee OA will develop in individuals who have generalized joint hypermobility and these individuals should be educated from this point before OA it occurs.
Diversification of geographic risk in retail bank networks: evidence from bank expansion after the Riegle‐Neal Act
Authors: Aguirregabiria Victor , Clark Robert , Wang Hui
Published: July 2016

The 1994 Riegle‐Neal Act (RN) removed restrictions on branch‐network expansion for banks in the United States. An important motivation was to facilitate geographic risk diversification (GRD). Using a factor model to measure banks' geographic risk, we show that RN expanded GRD possibilities in small states, but only some large banks took advantage. Using our measure of geographic risk and an empirical model of branch‐network choice, we identify preferences toward GRD separately from other factors possibly limiting network expansion. Counterfactuals show that risk negatively affected bank value but was counterbalanced by economies of density/scale, reallocation/merging costs, and local market power concerns.
Variants in 9p21 Predicts Severity of Coronary Artery Disease in a Chinese Han Population
Authors: Jing Jinjin , Su Li , Zeng Ying , Tang Xiaojun , Wei Jie , Wang Long , Zhou Li
Published: July 2016

Recent genome‐wide association studies identified the common genetic variants in 9p21 were associated with the coronary artery disease (CAD). However, whether this locus could predict the severity of CAD in Chinese Han population is unclear. 499 CAD patients who underwent coronary angiography (CAG) have been enrolled for this study. The single‐nucleotide polymorphisms rs2383207 and rs2383206 in 9p21 were genotyped in 499 CAG cases and 1519 controls in Chinese Han population. The gene dosage of 9p21 was stratified by the degree of vascular lesions and tested for association with the severity of CAD. Rs2383207 and rs2383206 demonstrated significant associations with 2‐vessel and 3‐vessel disease (P = 2.0×10−3 and 1.9×10−4, respectively). GG genotypes of rs2383206 occurred higher proportion of left main trunk (LM) disease (P = 6.0×10−3). GG genotypes of rs2383207 occurred higher proportion of left anterior descending artery disease (LAD) and right CAD (RCA) (P = 2.7×10−6 and 1.6×10−4, respectively). The risk allele G of rs2383207 was associated with severity of CAD estimated by the Gensini score (P = 3.6×10−5). Rs2383207 may strongly influence the development of CAD in Chinese Han population. The gene dosage in 9p21 could predict the severity of CAD.
Pineal calcification is associated with pediatric primary brain tumor
Authors: Tuntapakul Supinya , Kitkhuandee Amnat , Kanpittaya Jaturat , Johns Jeffrey , Johns Nutjaree Pratheepawanit
Published: July 2016

Aim

Melatonin has been associated with various tumors, including brain tumor, and shown to inhibit growth of neuroblastoma cells and gliomas in animal models. Likewise, patients with glioblastoma receiving melatonin reported better survival than controls. Pineal calcification may lead to a decreased production of melatonin by calcified glands. This study assessed association between pineal calcification and primary brain tumor in pediatric/adolescent patients.

Methods

Medical chart review was conducted in 181 patients <15 years old who had undergone brain computed tomography (CT) during 2008–2012. Pineal calcification was identified using brain CT scan by an experienced neurosurgeon. Primary brain tumor was confirmed by CT scan and histology, and association with pineal calcification was estimated using multiple logistic regression, adjusted for age and gender.

Results

Primary brain tumor was detected in 51 patients (mean age 9.0, standard deviation 4.0 years), with medulloblastoma being the most common (11 patients). Pineal calcification was detected in 12 patients (23.5%) with primary brain tumor, while only 11 patients (8.5%) without tumor had pineal calcification. Adjusted for patients’ ages and genders, pineal calcification was associated with an increase in primary brain tumor of 2.82‐fold (odds ratio 2.82; 95% confidence interval 1.12–7.08, P = 0.027).

Conclusion

Pineal calcification appears to be associated with primary brain tumor. Further studies to explore this link are discussed and warranted.
Most patients with long‐chain 3‐hydroxyacyl‐CoA dehydrogenase deficiency develop pathological or subnormal retinal function
Authors: Fahnehjelm Kristina Teär , Liu Ying , Olsson David , Amrén Urban , Haglind Charlotte Bieneck , Holmström Gerd , Halldin Maria , Andreasson Sten , Nordenström Anna
Published: July 2016

Aim

There have been few studies on long‐term electroretinographic findings in patients with long‐chain 3‐hydroxyacyl‐CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (LCHADD). This study correlated long‐term electroretinographic findings with age, metabolic control and clinical symptoms.

Methods

We examined 12 Swedish patients withLCHADD. Visual acuity testing, fundus examinations, optical coherence tomography and electroretinography were performed. The results were correlated to age, the levels of 3‐hydroxyacylcarnitine and acylcarnitine and clinical metabolic control.

Results

Blindness or moderate visual impairment was found in two patients. Retinal pigmentation, atrophy and fibrosis were present in 11, seven and one of the patients, respectively, and optical coherence tomography showed retinal thinning in three of the six patients examined. Electroretinography was performed on 11 of the 12 patients. It was pathological, with reduced rod and cone responses, in five patients, subnormal in four and was related to poor clinical metabolic control and severe neonatal symptoms. Repeated electroretinographies revealed reduced function with increasing age.

Conclusion

More than 80% of theLCHADDpatients developed pathological or subnormal retinal function. This was more pronounced in patients with neonatal symptoms, but ameliorated by strict dietary treatment. Annual ophthalmological follow‐ups, with electroretinography every second or third year, are recommended.
Frontier commoditisation in post‐socialist Southeast Asia
Authors: Taylor Philip
Published: July 2016

The articles in this special issue examine processes of commoditisation in the frontiers of post‐socialist Southeast Asia. Focusing on livelihood transformations in the borderlands of Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand, the case studies reveal how relatively understudied actors, networks, flows and conjunctures initiate and shape commodity booms. Exploring how borderlanders engage, resist, cope with and survive commoditisation, the articles chart associated changes in values and in people's relations with each‐other and their environment. This introductory article contextualises this new research and discusses the implications of the findings.
Effects of travel distance and season of the year on transport‐related mortality in cattle
Authors: Simova Veronika , Voslarova Eva , Vecerek Vladimir , Passantino Annamaria , Bedanova Iveta
Published: July 2016

The number of animals that die during transport to a slaughterhouse or shortly after being delivered to a slaughterhouse may serve as an indicator of animal welfare during transport. The aim of this study was to determine the mortality rate in cattle resulting from transport to slaughter in the Czech Republic in the period from 2009 to 2014, and to investigate the effect of travel distance and season of the year. Transport‐related mortality rates were recorded for all categories of cattle for the following travel distances: up to 50 km, 51–100 km, 101–200 km and over 200 km. Higher mortality rates occurred with shorter travel distances (<50 km and 51–100 km) when compared to longer travel distances (101–200 km and > 200 km), with a significant difference (P < 0.01) between short and long travel distances being found in feeders and dairy cows. Also, the season of the year had a significant impact on the mortality rate among transported cattle. The highest mortality rate in all categories was observed in spring months. The lowest mortality rate was found in autumn months for fat cattle and dairy cows and in winter months for feeders and calves.
Plasmodium infection in a Leadbeater's possum (Gymnobelideus leadbeateri)
Authors: Scheelings TF , McLaren PJ , Tatarczuch L , Slocombe RF
Published: July 2016

Case report

A wild‐caught, adult female Leadbeater's possum (Gymnobelideus leadbeateri) died while in captivity after suffering from chronic ill‐thrift that progressed to acute respiratory distress. On histopathological examination of tissues, the cause of death was determined to be severe acute pneumonia with pulmonary oedema associated with an intracellular protozoan parasite present within erythrocytes. Transmission electron microscopy was performed on lung tissues and organisms consistent for Plasmodium sp. were identified within numerous erythrocytes. Molecular characterisation of the parasite from DNA extracted from tissue blocks of fixed lung determined the organism to belong to the genus Plasmodium (100% similarity to Plasmodium species when a BLAST analysis was performed); however, speciation of the organism was not possible.

Conclusion

This is the first report of Plasmodium sp. infection and subsequent disease in a native Australian mammal. The lifecycle of this parasite remains unknown. It is also unknown what effects haemoparasitism may have on the population dynamics of this endangered possum species.
Autochthonous feline leprosy caused by Mycobacterium sp. strain Tarwin affecting a cat from the Central Coast of New South Wales
Authors: Torii E , Reppas G , Krockenberger MB , Fyfe JA , O'Brien CR , Malik R
Published: July 2016

Case report

A 5‐year‐old Domestic Shorthair‐cross was presented with a raised, alopecic skin nodule affecting the external surface of the right upper lip with an adjacent second smaller satellite lesion. Fine needle aspiration cytology revealed numerous intracellular and extracellular negatively stained bacilli. Histopathology confirmed granulomatous inflammation with multinucleate giant cell formation and abundant intracellular acid‐fast bacilli, consistent with a mycobacterial aetiology. PCR testing of the fresh tissue from the satellite lesion and subsequent sequence analysis identified Mycobacterium sp. strain Tarwin. The skin lesion was surgically excised and clarithromycin 62.5 mg twice daily was administered to the cat for 25 days.

Conclusion

There was no recurrence of the lesion at the time of writing, 16 months after the surgery. This is the second autochthonous case of feline leprosy caused by M. sp. strain Tarwin originating in New South Wales, Australia.
Anti‐inflammatory and analgesic activity of carnosol and carnosic acid in vivo and in vitro and in silico analysis of their target interactions
Authors: Maione Francesco , Cantone Vincenza , Pace Simona , Chini Maria Giovanna , Bisio Angela , Romussi Giovanni , Pieretti Stefano , Werz Oliver , Koeberle Andreas , Mascolo Nicola , Bifulco Giuseppe
Published: July 2016

Background and Purpose

The diterpenoids carnosol (CS) and carnosic acid (CA) from Salvia spp. exert prominent anti‐inflammatory activities but their molecular mechanisms remained unclear. Here we investigated the effectiveness of CS and CA in inflammatory pain and the cellular interference with their putative molecular targets.

Experimental Approach

The effects of CS and CA in different models of inflammatory pain were investigated. The inhibition of key enzymes in eicosanoid biosynthesis, namely microsomal prostaglandin E2 synthase‐1 (mPGES‐1) and 5‐lipoxygenase (5‐LO) was confirmed by CS and CA, and we determined the consequence on the eicosanoid network in activated human primary monocytes and neutrophils. Molecular interactions and binding modes of CS and CA to target enzymes were analyzed by docking studies.

Key Results

CS and CA displayed significant and dose‐dependent anti‐inflammatory and anti‐nociceptive effects in carrageenan‐induced mouse hyperalgesia 4 h post injection of the stimuli, and also inhibited the analgesic response in the late phase of the formalin test. Moreover, both compounds potently inhibited cell‐free mPGES‐1 and 5‐LO activity and preferentially suppressed the formation of mPGES‐1 and 5‐LO‐derived products in cellular studies. Our in silico analysis for mPGES‐1 and 5‐LO supports that CS and CA are dual 5‐LO/mPGES‐1 inhibitors.

Conclusion and Implications

In summary, we propose that the combined inhibition of mPGES‐1 and 5‐LO by CS and CA essentially contributes to the bioactivity of these diterpenoids. Our findings pave the way for a rational use of Salvia spp., traditionally used as anti‐inflammatory remedy, in the continuous expanding context of nutraceuticals.

Linked Articles

This article is part of a themed section on Principles of Pharmacological Research of Nutraceuticals. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v174.11/issuetoc
Modelling the properties of one‐step pigment‐dyed and finished polyester/cotton fabrics using response surface methodology
Authors: Imran Muhammad Awais , Hussain Tanveer
Published: July 2016

Dyeing of polyester/cotton blended fabrics with two different classes of dyes for polyester and cotton is a lengthy and expensive procedure owing to different fibre contents that need different auxiliaries, pH, and temperature conditions. The aim of this study was to investigate and model the properties of a combined pigment dyeing and hand‐building finishing system for polyester/cotton blended fabrics. The one‐step process was investigated using response surface methodology, taking concentrations of pigment, softener, and hand‐building finish as experimental variables. It was found that increase in hand‐building finish helps to improve colour fastness at higher pigment concentrations but results in deterioration in fabric tear strength. However, the decrease in tear strength can be minimised by increasing the softener concentration. For a 15 g l−1 pigment concentration, optimum fabric tear strength, crease recovery angle, bending length, and dry and wet rubbing fastness properties were obtained using 60 g l−1 of softener and 65 g l−1 of hand‐building finish. The prediction equations developed in this study can be used to determine the required amounts of softener and hand‐building finish to achieve commercially acceptable results at different pigment concentrations.
The value of prognostic factors in Chinese patients with small cell lung cancer: A retrospective study of 999 patients
Authors: Hong Xuan , Xu Qingyong , Yang Zhaoyang , Wang Meng , Yang Fang , Gao Yina , Zhou Fengrui , Wang Lei , Liu Bao , Chen Gongyan
Published: July 2016

Introduction

Little is known about the prognostic factors for small cell lung cancer (SCLC) in Chinese patients.

Objective

The aim of this retrospective study was to improve our understanding of overall survival (OS) and progression‐free survival (PFS) prognostic factors in Chinese patients with SCLC.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of 999 SCLC cases was performed. Patient characteristics, treatments, and laboratory data, including platelet counts and serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and serum sodium levels, were collected. Potential prognostic factors for OS and PFS were evaluated by univariate and multivariate analyses.

Results

The median OS and PFS were 10.6 and 7.0 months, respectively. The multivariate Cox proportional hazards model was used to identify stage, serum LDH, and several therapy‐relevant factors, including the initial chemotherapy regimen, number of initial chemotherapy cycles, and combination therapy, as independent prognostic factors for OS. Furthermore, female sex, normal LDH levels, a response to therapy, receiving six cycles of initial chemotherapy, and receiving chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy and/or surgery were favorable prognostic factors for PFS. In addition, patients with hyponatremia had a worse OS; therefore, hyponatremia could not influence survival when a good response to therapy was achieved, and it failed to predict PFS.

Conclusions

This study demonstrated that several factors, including patient, tumor, and treatment characteristics and serum LDH levels are independent prognostic factors for OS and PFS in Chinese patients with SCLC. The identification of such factors will help physicians compare different populations and to interpret the contribution of treatment to differences in survival among groups.
Histopathological aspects and differential diagnosis of CD8 positive lymphomatoid papulosis
Authors: Marschalkó Márta , Gyöngyösi Nóra , Noll Judit , Károlyi Zsuzsanna , Wikonkál Norbert , Hársing Judit , Kuroli Enikő , Csomor Judit , Matolcsy András , Sarolta Kárpáti , Szepesi Ágota
Published: July 2016

Lymphomatoid papulosis (LyP) belongs to CD30+ lymphoproliferative disorders with indolent clinical course. Classic histological subtypes, A, B and C are characterized by the CD4+ phenotype, while CD8+ variants, most commonly classified as type D, were reported in recent years. We present 14 cases of CD8+ LyP. In all patients, self‐resolving or treatment‐sensitive papules were observed. Of 14 cases 7 produced results with typical microscopic features of LyP type D mimicking primary cutaneous aggressive epidermotropic CD8+ T‐cell lymphoma. The infiltration pattern in 4 of 14 cases were consistent with classic LyP type B, without CD30 expression in two cases, resembling mycosis fungoides (MF). The morphology of 2 of 14 cases shared a certain consistency with classic type A and C, lacking eosinophils and neutrophils. Extensive folliculotropism characteristic to type F was observed in 1 of 14 case. Significant MUM1 and PD1 expression were detected in 2 of 14 and 3 of 14 cases, respectively. We concluded that CD8+ LyP may present with different histopathological features compared with type D, similar to CD4+ LyP variants. Differential diagnoses include CD8+ papular MF, folliculotropic MF and anaplastic large cell lymphoma in addition to primary cutaneous aggressive epidermotropic T‐cell lymphoma. We emphasise that rare CD8+ LyP cases may exist with CD30‐negativity.
The ‘Justinianic Plague’: the economic consequences of the pandemic in the eastern Roman empire and its cultural and religious effects
Authors: Meier Mischa
Published: July 2016

Taking as his starting point recent debates over the significance of the ‘Justinianic Plague’ to enquiries into the transition from late antiquity to the early Middle Ages, the author aims to demonstrate that the widely supported relativizing position is untenable. The short‐term demographic and economic consequences of the epidemic must have been catastrophic; the plague, however, seems to have affected the population of the Roman empire in the east most of all in the cultural and religious sphere, in that it prompted or reinforced processes of reorientation that were of fundamental significance to the transformation of the eastern Roman into the Byzantine empire.
Romans, barbarians, and Franks in the writings of Venantius Fortunatus
Authors: Buchberger Erica
Published: July 2016

This paper aims to contribute to the broader discussion of strategies of identification and of Romanness by exploring the changing meaning of Roman, barbarian, and Frankish identity in the writings of Venantius Fortunatus. A close examination of the cultural, ethnic and political nuances of these terms in Fortunatus's works highlights the ways he used the resources available to him within his social context to promote Roman identity as still prestigious and as compatible with a barbarian‐ruled society.
Bands of brothers: a re‐appraisal of the Viking Great Army and its implications for the Scandinavian colonization of England
Authors: Raffield Ben
Published: July 2016

Although the ninth‐century Viking Great Army has been subject to intensive historical and archaeological study, it remains an enigmatic entity. This article explores the evidence for the Great Army in England through the consideration of archaeological materials in addition to the organizational structures underpinning the formation of Viking ‘armies’. In light of this, I argue that the Great Army is better considered as a mobile society or polity rather than an armed force. Viewing the Great Army in this way influences not only the interpretation of evidence recovered in the field, but also our understanding of the Scandinavian settlement of northern and eastern England during the late ninth century.
Announcement Effects of Contingent Convertible Securities: Evidence from the Global Banking Industry
Authors: Ammann Manuel , Blickle Kristian , Ehmann Christian
Published: July 2016

This paper investigates the announcement effects of CoCo bonds issued by global banks between January 2009 and June 2014. Using a sample of 34 financial institutions, we examine abnormal stock price reactions and CDS spread changes before and after the announcement dates. We find that the announcement of CoCos correlates with positive abnormal stock returns and negative CDS spread changes in the immediate post‐announcement period. We explain these effects with a set of theories including the lowered probability of costly bankruptcy proceedings, a signaling framework based on pecking order theory and the cost advantage of CoCos over equity (tax shield).
The Impact of Go‐Shop Provisions in Merger Agreements
Authors: Gogineni Sridhar , Puthenpurackal John
Published: July 2016

We examine whether go‐shop provisions in merger agreements are used to benefit target shareholders or for agency/entrenchment reasons. We find that go‐shop provisions are more likely in deals involving the negotiation selling method, financial buyers and all cash financing, and in targets with less valuation uncertainty. We confirm that go‐shops have a positive association with the initial offer premium. Results suggest that deals with go‐shop provisions are more likely to have a competing bid and an upward revision of the initial offer premium. Collectively, our results indicate that go‐shops are effective contractual devices used to further target shareholder interests.
GHG emissions and other environmental impacts of indirect land use change mitigation
Authors: Gerssen‐Gondelach Sarah J. , Wicke Birka , Faaij Andre P. C.
Published: July 2016

The implementation of measures to increase productivity and resource efficiency in food and bioenergy chains as well as to more sustainably manage land use can significantly increase the biofuel production potential while limiting the risk of causing indirect land use change (ILUC). However, the application of these measures may influence the greenhouse gas (GHG) balance and other environmental impacts of agricultural and biofuel production. This study applies a novel, integrated approach to assess the environmental impacts of agricultural and biofuel production for three ILUC mitigation scenarios, representing a low, medium and high miscanthus‐based ethanol production potential, and for three agricultural intensification pathways in terms of sustainability in Lublin province in 2020. Generally, the ILUC mitigation scenarios attain lower net annual emissions compared to a baseline scenario that excludes ILUC mitigation and bioethanol production. However, the reduction potential significantly depends on the intensification pathway considered. For example, in the moderate ILUC mitigation scenario, the net annual GHG emissions in the case study are 2.3 MtCO2‐eq yr−1 (1.8 tCO2‐eq ha−1 yr−1) for conventional intensification and −0.8 MtCO2‐eq yr−1 (−0.6 tCO2‐eq ha−1 yr−1) for sustainable intensification, compared to 3.0 MtCO2‐eq yr−1 (2.3 tCO2‐eq ha−1 yr−1) in the baseline scenario. In addition, the intensification pathway is found to be more influential for the GHG balance than the ILUC mitigation scenario, indicating the importance of how agricultural intensification is implemented in practice. Furthermore, when the net emissions are included in the assessment of GHG emissions from bioenergy, the ILUC mitigation scenarios often abate GHG emissions compared to gasoline. But sustainable intensification is required to attain GHG abatement potentials of 90% or higher. A qualitative assessment of the impacts on biodiversity, water quantity and quality, soil quality and air quality also emphasizes the importance of sustainable intensification.