bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Hepatic Inflammation in Chronic Hepatitis C Infection on Fibrosis Assessment by Arrival Time Parametric Imaging
Authors: Wakui Noritaka , Nagai Hidenari , Matsukiyo Yasushi , Ogino Yu , Matsui Daigo , Mukozu Takanori , Kogame Michio , Matsui Teppei , Daido Yasuko , Momiyama Koichi , Maruyama Kenichi , Kudo Takahide , Shinohara Mie , Ikehara Takashi , Sumino Yasukiyo , Igarashi Yoshinori
Published: April 2018

Arrival time parametric imaging (At-PI) in contrast-enhanced ultrasonography is useful for assessing liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) infection. The study aimed to elucidate the effect of hepatic inflammation on At-PI efficiency. Subjects were 159 CHC patients who underwent contrast-enhanced ultrasonography immediately before liver biopsy. Ultrasound contrast agent was injected, and contrast dynamics of the S5 to S6 region of the liver and right kidney were recorded for 40 seconds. The At-PI of liver parenchyma blood flow was generated using saved video clips. Hepatic blood flow during the first 5 seconds after starting contrast injection was displayed in red and that after another 5 seconds was displayed in yellow. The ratio of red (ROR) in At-PI images of the entire liver was measured with ImageJ. Ratio of red values of livers with different activity grades (0–3) were compared for each fibrosis (F) stage as determined by biopsy. Correlations of ROR with alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were analyzed using a linear regression line from the distribution map. Comparison of ROR for different activity grades in each F stage revealed no significant differences. Correlation coefficient R (P value) for ALT and ROR was R = −0.0094 (P = 0.43) at F0 to F1, R = −0.186 (P = 0.21) at F2, R = −0.233 (P = 0.27) at F3, and R = 0.041 (P = 0.89) at F4, with no significant correlation between ALT and ROR in any F stage. Hepatic inflammation in CHC infection does not affect At-PI diagnostic accuracy.
Trazodone and Parkinsonism: The Link Strengthens
Authors: Sarwar Aliya Iftikhar
Published: April 2018

Trazodone, the most sedating atypical antidepressant, is widely used as an off-label hypnotic especially in the elderly. Although generally considered safe, it can potentially inhibit midbrain dopaminergic neurotransmission leading to the emergence of extrapyramidal adverse effects. Two previous cases of trazodone-induced parkinsonism have been described after its prolonged use as an antidepressant; however, there is no published case of secondary parkinsonism caused by trazodone in a nondepressed person after its use as a hypnotic. Here, we present a case of rapid development of bradykinetic-rigid parkinsonism temporally linked to the use of trazodone as a hypnotic in a nondepressed elderly man. Because of lack of awareness, this potential association was missed by his primary care physician and general neurologist. He was diagnosed as having idiopathic parkinsonism (Parkinson disease) and referred to a movement disorder neurologist. A secondary cause was suspected by his movement disorder neurologist that led to rapid withdrawal of trazodone and complete reversal of his symptoms. A practice point that needs to be underscored is that trazodone's use as a hypnotic can cause parkinsonism. All health care providers should be aware of this serious but seemingly fully reversible potential adverse effect.
Restless Genital Syndrome Induced by Milnacipran
Authors: Miyake Keita , Takaki Manabu , Sakamoto Shinji , Kawada Kiyohiro , Inoue Shinichiro , Yamada Norihito
Published: April 2018

Objectives

Restless genital syndrome (RGS) includes discomfort, pain, numbness, vibration, restlessness, or a burning sensation involving the vagina, perineum, pelvis, penis, and proximal portion of the lower limbs in patients. The RGS has been sometimes reported in Parkinson disease. In patients without Parkinson disease, RGS is also known as persistent genital arousal disorder (PSAS), which includes uncontrollable genital arousal, with or without orgasm or genital engorgement, unrelated to sexual desire. Although withdrawal from selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors antidepressants is reported to induce PSAS, there is no report of RGS or PSAS induced by antidepressants.

Methods

We obtained the consent for the presentation and have not identified individuals for ethical reasons.

Results

We first report a woman patient with depression induced RGS by milnacipran (MLN).

Conclusions

We discuss the relationship with restless legs syndrome and the difference from akathisia. It is highly possible MLN affected her RGS because she experienced RGS for the first time after the dose of MLN was increased. A limitation of this report is that we stopped MLN and administered gabapentin enacarbil immediately. We should join MLN to the list of compounds suspected of inducing RGS.
Identifying the core bacterial and fungal communities within four agricultural biobeds used for the treatment of pesticide rinsates
Authors: Bergsveinson Jordyn , Perry Benjamin J. , Sheedy Claudia , Braul Larry , Reedyk Sharon , Gossen Bruce D. , Yost Christopher K.
Published: April 2018

Bacterial and fungal communities of four pesticide rinsate treatment biobeds constructed in Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada were profiled via high throughput DNA sequencing to assess the effect of biobed depth and pesticide application on microbial community composition. Biobeds differed in geographical location and biobed design, and composition of pesticide rinsates (including herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides). All biobeds achieved similar treatment efficacy and supported greater bacterial diversity relative to fungal diversity, yet selected for similar abundant bacterial orders of Actinomycetales, Acidobacteria, Rhizobiales, and Sphingobacteriales and fungal taxonomic groups of Dothideomycetes, Eurotiales, Hypocreales, and Sordariales. Biobeds differed in the presence of unique and differentiated genera and operational taxonomic units. Biobed depth did not uniformly impact the diversity and/or the microbial community structure. Overall, pesticide application increased bacterial diversity, but had limited effect on the more variable fungal diversity, therefore suggesting broader implication for the effect of applied fungicides on biobed fungal communities.

Highlights

Biobeds support diverse bacterial and fungal communities

Specific “core” bacterial and fungal taxa are abundant in biobeds of different design and treatment

Microbial diversity is not directly linked with pesticide type or diversity.
Deep mutational scanning of hemagglutinin helps predict evolutionary fates of human H3N2 influenza variants
Authors: Lee Juhye M. , Huddleston John , Doud Michael B. , Hooper Kathryn A. , Wu Nicholas C. , Bedford Trevor , Bloom Jesse D.
Published: April 2018

Human influenza virus rapidly accumulates mutations in its major surface protein hemagglutinin (HA). The evolutionary success of influenza virus lineages depends on how these mutations affect HA’s functionality and antigenicity. Here we experimentally measure the effects on viral growth in cell culture of all single amino-acid mutations to the HA from a recent human H3N2 influenza virus strain. We show that mutations that are measured to be more favorable for viral growth are enriched in evolutionarily successful H3N2 viral lineages relative to mutations that are measured to be less favorable for viral growth. Therefore, despite the well-known caveats about cell-culture measurements of viral fitness, such measurements can still be informative for understanding evolution in nature. We also compare our measurements for H3 HA to similar data previously generated for a distantly related H1 HA, and find substantial differences in which amino acids are preferred at many sites. For instance, the H3 HA has less disparity in mutational tolerance between the head and stalk domains than the H1 HA. Overall, our work suggests that experimental measurements of mutational effects can be leveraged to help understand the evolutionary fates of viral lineages in nature — but only when the measurements are made on a viral strain similar to the ones being studied in nature.

Significance Statement

A key goal in the study of influenza virus evolution is to forecast which viral strains will persist and which ones will die out. Here we experimentally measure the effects of all amino-acid mutations to the hemagglutinin protein from a human H3N2 influenza strain on viral growth in cell culture. We show that these measurements have utility for distinguishing among viral strains that do and do not succeed in nature. Overall, our work suggests that new high-throughput experimental approaches may be useful for understanding virus evolution in nature.
Sex-dependent Relationship Between Wrist Deviation and Scaphoid Kinematics
Authors: Borgese Marissa , Foster Brent , Boutin Robert D. , Bayne Christopher O. , Szabo Robert M. , Chaudhari Abhijit J.
Published: April 2018

Several methods of describing patterns of carpal kinematics from radiographs have emerged due to their potential use in developing personalized treatments for wrist pathologies. Such radiography-derived metrics have been used to infer associations between patterns of scaphoid kinematics and other clinically relevant factors such as sex, but the simultaneous effects of sex and wrist position on scaphoid kinematic metrics has yet to be considered. We sought to investigate the relationship between wrist position in the coronal plane and radiographic measurements of the scaphoid for each sex independently, then identify sex-specific differences in scaphoid measurements and calculated metrics. We retrospectively identified 38 subjects with posteroanterior radial and ulnar deviation radiographs. Radiographic scaphoid measurements were collected and used to calculate five scaphoid kinematic metrics per participant. We used Pearson correlation coefficients to explore the relationships between the degrees of wrist deviation in the coronal plane and radiographic scaphoid measurements for men and women independently. We used the non-parametric Wilcoxon signed-rank test to compare values between sexes. The correlations between degrees of coronal wrist deviation and radiographic measurements of scaphoid inclination were significant only for men. Men also had significantly greater values for all radiographic scaphoid measurements. Our study demonstrated sex-specific differences in the relationship between the degrees of radial and ulnar wrist deviation and scaphoid positioning.

Clinical Relevance

Our findings show the importance of stratifying by sex in studies of carpal kinematics, such as scaphoid kinematics, and that investigation of strategies to restore normal carpal function should incorporate sex as a biological variable.
Hard decisions shape the neural coding of preferences
Authors: Voigt Katharina , Murawski Carsten , Speer Sebastian , Bode Stefan
Published: April 2018

Hard decisions between equally valued alternatives can result in preference changes, meaning that subsequent valuations for chosen items increase and decrease for rejected items. Previous research suggests that this phenomenon is a consequence of cognitive dissonance reduction after the decision, induced by the mismatch between initial preferences and decision outcomes. In contrast, this functional magnetic resonance imaging and eye-tracking study tested whether preferences are already updated online while making decisions. Preference changes could be predicted from activity in left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and precuneus during decision-making. Furthermore, fixation durations predicted both choice outcomes and subsequent preference changes. These preference adjustments became behaviourally relevant at re-evaluation, but only for choices that were remembered and were associated with hippocampus activity. Our findings refute classical explanations of post-choice dissonance reduction and instead suggest that preferences evolve dynamically as decisions arise, potentially as a mechanism to prevent stalemate situations in underdetermined decision scenarios.
Rapid adjustment of pecking trajectory to prism-induced visual shifts in crows
Authors: Matsui Hiroshi , Izawa Ei-Ichi
Published: April 2018

Summary statement

The mechanisms underlying birds’ pecking skills are not known. We examined whether pigeons and crows adjust their pecking to the visual distortion caused by prisms. We found that vision plays a role only before movement begins in pigeons, whereas crows may have more flexible visuomotor skills.

Pecking in birds is analogous to reaching and grasping movements in primates. Although pecking in pigeons is highly stereotypic, crows show dexterous pecking skills. To unveil what sensorimotor mechanisms underlie the flexibility of pecking in crows, the current study examined whether pigeons and crows adjust their pecking to the visual distortion induced by prisms. Because prisms induce visual shifts of object positions, birds were required to adjust their movements. Pecking kinematics were examined before and after attaching prisms in front of the birds’ eyes. As a result, crows showed faster adjustment of pecking trajectories than pigeons. Correlational analysis showed that the initial deviation of trajectory strongly influenced the subsequent deviation in pigeons, but not in crows. These results suggest that pecking in pigeons is controlled in a feedforward manner, and vision plays a role before movement initiation, although pecking in crows is under the on-line motor control, serving a possible mechanism for flexible visuomotor skills.
Evaluation of UMAP as an alternative to t-SNE for single-cell data
Authors: Becht Etienne , Dutertre Charles-Antoine , Kwok Immanuel W. H. , Ng Lai Guan , Ginhoux Florent , Newell Evan W.
Published: April 2018

Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection (UMAP) is a recently-published non-linear dimensionality reduction technique. Another such algorithm, t-SNE, has been the default method for such task in the past years. Herein we comment on the usefulness of UMAP high-dimensional cytometry and single-cell RNA sequencing, notably highlighting faster runtime and consistency, meaningful organization of cell clusters and preservation of continuums in UMAP compared to t-SNE.
STF-62247 blocks late stages of autophagy by disrupting lysosomal physiology
Authors: Bouhamdani Nadia , Comeau Dominique , Cormier Kevin , Turcotte Sandra
Published: April 2018

STF-62247 was previously identified as a promising compound able to selectively target the loss of the tumor suppressor gene von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) in renal cell carcinomas. This present work investigates the effect of STF-62247 on the autophagic flux. Our investigations show that STF-62247 blocks late stages of autophagy through lysosomal disruption. Indeed, STF-62247 localizes at lysosomes and causes unregulated swelling of these acidic compartments in VHL-mutated cells, linking a potential role for VHL in lysosomal integrity. Knock-outs of BECN1 and ATG5 were able to rescue the viability of VHL-mutated cells in response to STF-62247 but did not rescue the lysosomal swelling. In fact, neutralizing the lysosomal pH by inhibiting the vacuolar H+-ATPase completely rescued this phenotype. Moreover, we show that STF-62247 disrupts endocytic routes and causes cathepsin D trafficking defects. This mechanistic study is the first to characterize STF-62447 as a novel lysosomotropic compound. Importantly, our study re-classifies STF-62247 as a blocker of later stages of autophagy and highlights its potential usage as a powerful new tool for endocytic and autophagy-related research.
EZH2 co-opts gain-of-function p53 mutants to promote cancer growth and metastasis
Authors: Zhao Yu , Ding Liya , Wang Dejie , Ye Zhenqing , Pan Yunqian , Ma Linlin , Coleman Roger , Coleman Ilsa , Karnes R. Jeffery , Zhang Jun , Nelson Peter S. , Wang Liguo , Zhu Runzhi , Huang Haojie
Published: April 2018

With the unfolding of more and more cancer-driven gain-of-function (GOF) mutants of p53, it is important to define a common mechanism to systematically target different mutants rather than develop strategies tailored to inhibit each mutant individually. Here, using RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (RIP-seq) we identified EZH2 as a p53 mRNA-binding protein. EZH2 bound to the internal ribosome entry site (IRES) in the 5’ untranslated region (5’UTR) of p53 mRNA and enhanced p53 protein translation in a methyltransferase-independent manner. EZH2 augmented p53 GOF mutant-mediated cancer growth and metastasis by increasing p53 GOF mutant protein level. EZH2 overexpression associated with the worse outcome only in patients with p53-mutated cancer. Depletion of EZH2 by antisense oligonucleotides inhibited p53 GOF mutant-mediated cancer growth. Our findings reveal a non-methyltransferase function of EZH2 that controls protein translation of p53 GOF mutants, inhibition of which causes synthetic lethality in cancer cells expressing p53 GOF mutants.
The emergence of an accounting practice
Authors: Bruno Adriana , Lapsley Irvine
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to add to our understanding of the nature of accrual accounting by examining the process involved in its construction, as a dynamic and controversial process. This paper reveals how it is built and constantly modified, reinforced or negated during the process of implementation.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper’s focus on a government initiative with multiple actors present in the laboratory. Specifically, this study offers a close examination of the day-to-day activities of a laboratory case study; it focuses on participant observation in video conference calls. The discussions held by the project teams are analyzed to extend our inquiry into the most intimate aspects of fact construction (Latour and Woolgar, 1979). These excerpts illustrate the processes of accrual accounting construction and open up the possibility of studying the emergence of accrual accounting through the lens of an action net.

Findings

The evidence collected reveals the absence of a well-defined template for implementing accrual accounting in government. These results reveal an elaborate process of improvisation and fabrication in the design of this accounting system and a fragile network in action.

Originality/value

Prior research on accrual accounting in government focuses on the examination of existing accrual accounting systems with somewhat puzzling results on lack of use. In this study, the perspective has been shifted from focusing on accrual accounting as self-evident (Lapsley et al., 2009) to examine its construction. This paper examines this tension between the apparent certainties as espoused by practitioners and the problematic nature of accrual accounting in government. It extends our knowledge of “black box accrual accounting,” and shows that it is a fluid object with significant discretion in the determination of practice.
Equity market interactions
Authors: Graaf Johan
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the sociology of financial analysis by exploring how sell-side analysts enact their professional roles during public earnings presentations. It addresses the following research question: How do analysts perform their professional roles in interactions with managers, fund managers and other analysts?

Design/methodology/approach

The research adopts a dramaturgical analysis of analysts’ interactions with managers and fund managers. The empirical material includes 50 hours of direct observations of earnings presentations and 21 interviews with analysts, managers and other relevant actors.

Findings

The findings show that analysts struggle with role conflicts because they need to satisfy the contrasting demands of managers, fund managers and colleagues. Performing the role of an expert critic mainly depends on the approval of managers; yet, analysts also find themselves in situations where they must confront the managers. To counter role conflicts and sustain their role performance, analysts also produce displays of role distance and carefully prepare to meet their audiences’ expectations. To maintain the role of the expert critic, analysts depend on both those taking their advice (fund managers) and those being reviewed (managers).

Originality/value

This study is one of few empirically rich investigations of analysts’ activities, interactions with managers and meetings with multiple audiences. It also contributes to previous interview studies using dramaturgical analysis by offering in-depth observations of a single, distinct situated activity system.
The winding road to fair value accounting in China: a social movement analysis
Authors: Bewley Kathryn , Graham Cameron , Peng Songlan
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine China’s stop-start adoption of fair value accounting (FVA) into its national accounting standards. The paper analyzes how FVA standards promoted by transnational organizations were eventually adopted in China despite its conservative accounting traditions.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses archival records and an analytic framework adapted from the studies of social movements to identify the institutional factors that differ between China’ first unsuccessful attempt to adopt FVA and its second successful attempt.

Findings

Shared interests of elite national and international groups, creation of social infrastructure, marshaling of key resources, and specific actions to frame FVA standards are found to be crucial factors supporting FVA reform in China.

Practical implications

The study helps advance our understanding of dissemination of international accounting regulations in non-Western societies. The findings can help accounting standard setters to avoid costly failures.

Originality/value

The study provides a structured analysis of the propagation of global accounting regulations. It exposes the factors in the failure and success of FVA adoption in China.
Eco-innovation and competitiveness in the Barossa Valley wine region
Authors: Ratten Vanessa
Published: April 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the role of eco-innovation in the competitiveness of the Barossa Valley wine region, which is one of the premier wine areas in Australia.

Design/methodology/approach

A case study approach using qualitative in-depth semi-structured interviews was utilised to gather data from respondents in the wine regional cluster.

Findings

The findings suggest that eco-innovation and regional wine clusters contribute to better international performance of wine firms. In addition, environmental issues are important for the wine industry because of the role they play in the global economy.

Research limitations/implications

This study highlights the growing importance of climate change and sustainability on the willingness of wine firms to be involved in eco-innovation. This is crucial for wine firms in the Barossa Valley being globally competitive leaders based on environmental innovations.

Practical implications

Due to the large amount of natural resources that wine firms use, clusters can be used to encourage eco-innovation, which can facilitate further expansion into new international markets. This is important because of consumers increasing emphasis on environmentally friendly food products and the government priority given to eco-innovations.

Originality/value

This paper provides insights into the eco-innovation process that can help wine firms, industry practitioners and regional planners develop better environmental strategies that lead to increased global competitiveness.
A new index to measure cost of living for expatriates in cities
Authors: Tan Khee Giap , Luu Nguyen Trieu Duong , Nguyen Le Phuong Anh
Published: April 2018

Purpose

Cost of living is an important consideration for the decision-making of expatriates and investment decisions of businesses. As competition between cities for talent and capital becomes global instead of national, the need for timely and internationally comparable information on global cities’ cost of living increases. While commercial research houses frequently publish cost of living surveys, these reports can be lacking in terms of scientific rigour. In this context, this paper aims to contribute to the literature by formulating a comprehensive and rigorous methodology to compare the cost of living for expatriates in 103 world’s major cities.

Design/methodology/approach

A cost of living index for expatriates composed of the ten consumption categories is constructed. The results from the study covers a study period from 2005 to 2014 in 103 cities. More than 280 individual prices of 165 goods and services have been compiled for each city in the calculation of the cost of living index for expatriates. New York has been chosen as the base city for the study, with other cities being benchmarked against it. A larger cost of living index for expatriates implies that the city is more expensive for expatriates to live in and vice versa.

Findings

While the authors generate the cost of living rankings for expatriates for 103 cities worldwide, in this paper, the authors focus on five key cities, namely, London, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo and Zurich, as they are global financial centres. In 2013, the latest year for which data are available, Zurich was the most expensive for expatriates among the five cities, followed by Singapore, Tokyo, London and Hong Kong. These results pertain to the cost of living for expatriates, and cities compare very differently in terms of cost of living for ordinary residents, as ordinary residents follow different consumption patterns from expatriates.

Originality/value

Cost of living in the destination city is a major consideration for professionals who look to relocate, and organisations factor such calculations in their decisions to post employees overseas and design commensurate compensation packages. This paper develops a comprehensive and rigorous methodology for measuring and comparing cost of living for expatriates around the world. The value-addition lies in the fact that the authors are able to differentiate between expatriates and ordinary residents, which has not been done in the existing literature. They use higher quality data and generate an index that is not sensitive to the choice of base city.
A new perspective: consumer values and the consumption of physical activity
Authors: Williams-Burnett Nicola Jayne , Kearns Paula
Published: April 2018

Purpose

Physical inactivity is a global pandemic and is the fourth biggest cause of death worldwide. Numerous campaigns and initiatives have been implemented globally but yet participation levels remain static. The purpose of this paper is to offer sports providers, educators, policy makers and facilitators a new perspective on consumer values and the consumption of physical activity.

Design/methodology/approach

Researchers conducted a quantitative questionnaire and collected 342 responses through Facebook (social media) from the geographical region, South Wales. Data were analysed using independent t-tests to compare the means between two unrelated groups (active/non-active) against the Sport and Physical Activity Value Model value dimensions.

Findings

The findings are divided into three sections of consumption (pre, consumption, post), results identify differences of consumer values between the active and non-active respondents. For example, service values, the non-active individual have higher expectations of the servicescape and provider than active individuals, suggesting that servicescape concept is one of the key dimensions of consumer value.

Research limitations/implications

The study was confined to one geographic region (South Wales) and only quantitative data were collected when further studies will require exploratory qualitative methods to have a greater understanding.

Practical implications

Findings from this study have been used to assist with the design and creation of an exercise class within a deprived area focussing on the values of consumption for the active and non-active. This study offers the sports provider, educator, policy maker another viewpoint of the consumption of physical activity.

Originality/value

Extant literature on physical activity predominately focusses on levels and there is little benefits in the way of understanding the dimensions of consumer values and the consumption of physical activity. This study contributes to this literature.
Mind the gap
Authors: Raven Steve
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the position of sport management education (SME) in relation to employment in the sport fitness industry and if a shift towards a greater emphasis on business and management module teaching is justified or conversely a greater utilisation of the rich data being generated by sport management researchers can be applied to the vocational development of sport management students.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was conducted in two parts. Part 1 consisted of interviews with the author by an interviewer to explore their industry experiences, the author’s experience of entrepreneurial sport industry business and intrapreneurial sport teaching. The resultant data have been distilled into a series of paradigms, including employing sport industry staff and teaching sport management. Part 2 triangulates part 1 with the managerial experience of sports and leisure centre managers to develop a qualitative study. Sports and leisure centre managers were interviewed regarding candidate and employee competences judged as extreme examples of sport management knowledge and understanding.

Findings

Four themes emerged, such as alignment, underpinning subject-specific knowledge, a voice from the sport industry in developing SME and postgraduate opportunities for work-based learning.

Research limitations/implications

A small-scale study that requires further research in each of the three areas: sport spectator, sport participation and elite performer management.

Practical implications

The sport centre interview instrument, with some refinements, could form the basis of an improved system to gain rich data from industry members of higher education business advisory groups. The developed data collection tool could increase the effective collection of data from a wider cohort.

Originality/value

The approach has produced an adapted category of pedagogy. Employability inspired teaching (EiT) is an original terminology describing the subject-specific content that leads to improved opportunities for subject (sport) industry employment.
Healthcare supply chain management: literature review and some issues
Authors: Mathur Bhavana , Gupta Sumit , Meena Makhan Lal , Dangayach G.S.
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the causal linkages among supply chain practices, effectiveness of supply chain performance (SCP) and organizational performance (OP) in Indian healthcare industries.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is helpful in developing a framework for linking a healthcare supply chain practice to its OP, and thus identifies how such a linkage can be connected to the effectiveness of SCP. Such effort also enables the authors to derive a set of recommended supply chain practices for SC performance.

Findings

From the literature review, this paper finds that, in the context of Indian healthcare industries, efficient SC performance may play a critical role for overall OP improvement, as there is a close interrelationship between supply chain management (SCM) practices and SCP that may have a more significant effect on OP improvement.

Research limitations/implications

The principle limitation of the paper is that it is performed only in a particular industry and with a questionnaire survey which could be extended in future for other industries also. Another limitation of the paper is that it is focused only on the SCP of medical device and equipment supply chain which is a small portion of the whole healthcare supply chain, and therefore requires further research covering various other domains of healthcare supply chain. Another limitation of the study is that the sample survey has been taken from only one respondent per company at one point of time which may create biasness in the results. Thus, future research should collect data through multiple members from the organization.

Practical implications

This study contributes to know the effect of SCM practices on healthcare SCP and provides a practical and useful tool to evaluate the extent of effectiveness of SCP and finally their impact on the healthcare OP. Finally, this study provides conceptual and descriptive literature regarding SCM practices that leads to improvement in healthcare performance.

Social implications

This study adds to the knowledge on healthcare SCM performance by exploring the relationship between supply chain practices, healthcare SCP and healthcare OP and by developing and testing a research framework thus help in improving patient satisfaction.

Originality/value

This study attempts to show how the potential benefits of supply chain practices can no longer be ignored in healthcare supply chain.
Antecedents and pro-environmental consumer behavior (PECB): the moderating role of religiosity
Authors: Bhuian Shahid Nakib , Sharma Sujeet Kumar , Butt Irfan , Ahmed Zafar U.
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the predictabilities of five intra-personal factors to predict pro-environmental consumer behavior (PECB) and the moderating role of religiosity in Oman.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses neural network to analyze the antecedents/antecedents × religiosity → PECB relationships by using a sample of 306 consumers from Oman.

Findings

This study finds that the most important predictors of PECB, according to the order of importance, are attitude × religiosity, knowledge, concern × religiosity, knowledge × religiosity, value, religiosity, attitude, concern and value × religiosity.

Research limitations/implications

The convenience sample from a single Islamic country limits the generalizability of the findings. Future studies should use probabilistic sampling techniques and multiple Islamic countries located in different geographical regions.

Practical implications

To promote PECB, businesses and policymakers should provide environmental education to expand knowledge and value, leverage ecological religious values in integrated marketing communications, make positive inducements to change attitude and concern enhancing interventions.

Social implications

As religiosity enhances PECB by moderating the impacts of environmental intra-personal factors on PECB, businesses and policymakers should find ways to use faith-based ecological messages in Islamic countries.

Originality/value

Determining the predictabilities of psychological factors and their interactions with religiosity to predict PECB in Islamic countries is necessary for promoting environmentally friendly products in Islamic countries and for reducing the ecological damage to the environment.
Using gerontographics to explain consumer behaviour in later life: evidence from a Thai study
Authors: Sthienrapapayut Thuckavadee , Moschis George P. , Mathur Anil
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to test the efficiency of the “gerontographics” model in predicting selected consumer behaviours in older adults.

Design/methodology/approach

Through regression analysis, a large sample of older Thai adults is used to test the predictive power of gerontographics against predictive measures based on both chronological age and cognitive age.

Findings

The findings of the study show that the gerontographics model is more powerful in predicting certain types of older adults’ consumer behaviour than chronological age or cognitive age.

Originality/value

These findings have implications for marketing and business strategies because they suggest that gerontographics segmentation may be a more useful and effective way to segment older consumers.
Exploring the role of anticipated emotions in product adoption and usage
Authors: Bettiga Debora , Lamberti Lucio
Published: April 2018

Purpose

This study aims to explore the role of positive and negative anticipated emotions on adoption and continued usage of consumer products. The components of value eliciting anticipated emotions are investigated as well.

Design/methodology/approach

The conceptual model proposed is tested in two empirical studies, one focussing on functional and hedonic products and one on incremental and radical product innovations. Data are collected through online surveys on consumers and are analysed using structural equation modelling.

Findings

Results confirm the ability of anticipated emotions to influence product decision-making process. Moreover, anticipated emotions mediate the influence of value perceptions on product attitude. Findings show that these relationships vary greatly between initial adoption and further usage of the product.

Practical implications

Findings from this study may help marketers in the development of the right brand strategies and communication campaigns, aimed at building emotional connections with the consumer which prompt product adoption and usage.

Originality/value

Anticipated emotions, the predictions about the emotional consequences of a behaviour, have been acknowledged as strong drivers of consumer choices. Despite that, the role of anticipated emotions in product decision-making has not been explored yet. The present research, by means of a novel conceptual model, uncovers the role of anticipated emotions in both product adoption and continued usage decisions and depicts the components of value arousing such anticipated emotions.
Retrospective analysis of telemonitoring in Wollondilly, Australia
Authors: Chow Josephine S.F. , Gonzalez-Arce Veronica , Knight Andrew , Kohler Friedbert
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse early findings from telemonitoring data for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients, residing in Wollondilly Shire, New South Wales, Australia. The Shire has 19 small scattered and isolated rural communities, which experience undersupply of healthcare providers. Findings are to be used for further research to support wider implementation of telemonitoring by general practitioners (GPs).

Design/methodology/approach

Local patients with multiple chronic obstructive pulmonary disease hospital admissions were allocated home telemonitoring equipment, entering readings according to their GP management plan. Demographic, biometric and self-assessment readings were retrospectively collected, from July 2015 to April 2016.

Findings

Data for 18 patients aged 44-87, with equal gender representation was analysed. There was a total of 24,545 data points from 2,932 readings. Over half showed high clinical risk; 93 occasions required GP escalation, 23 per cent for respiratory conditions, in 14 patients. Nine were hospitalised, 51 per cent for respiratory conditions.

Practical implications

Home telemonitoring of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was found to be a promising patient management approach, providing accurate, reliable health indicators. Its use empowered patients to improve symptom control and health outcomes.

Originality/value

Experience in Australian general practice with telemonitoring is limited. High protocol compliance occurred, risk indicators were obtained and the value of home telemonitoring was confirmed.
Artists as cultural icons: the icon myth transfer effect as a heuristic for cultural branding
Authors: Scarpaci Joseph L. , Coupey Eloise , Reed Sara Desvernine
Published: April 2018

Purpose

Communicating the national values of artists and the role of product benefits as symbols of national values, infuse iconic national brands. This paper aims to validate a conceptual framework that offers empirical insights for cultural identity that drives brand management.

Design/methodology/approach

Case studies and cross-cultural focus group research establish the present study’s conceptual framework for cultural branding.

Findings

Brand awareness of a perfume named after a Cuban dancer and a spirit named for a Chilean poet, reflect authentic emblems of national identity. Informants’ behavior confirms the study’s model of icon myth transfer effect as a heuristic for cultural branding with clear, detailed and unprompted references to the myths and brands behind these heroines.

Research limitations/implications

The study’s ethnography shows how artists reflect myth and folklore in iconic brands. Future research should assess whether the icon myth transfer effect as a heuristic for cultural branding occurs with cultural icons beyond the arts and transcends national boundaries.

Practical implications

The study challenges conventional branding, where the brand is the myth, and the myth reflects the myth market. The authors show how the myth connects to a national identity yet exists independently of the brand. The branding strategy ties the brand to the existing myth, an alternative route for cultural branding mediated by the icon myth transfer effect.

Social implications

These two Latin American brands provide a much-needed connection among the branding literatures and images surrounding gender and nationalism in lesser-known markets.

Originality/value

Most research explores iconic myths, brands and folklore in one country. This study extends cultural branding through social history and by testing a conceptual model that establishes how myths embody nation-specific values. Iconic myths are a heuristic for understanding and describing brands, revealing an unexamined path for cultural branding.
Successful implementation of self-managing teams
Authors: Weerheim Wilke , Van Rossum Lisa , Ten Have Wouter Dirk
Published: April 2018

Purpose

Following health-care organisations, many mental health-care organisations nowadays consider starting to work with self-managing teams as their organisation structure. Although the concept could be effective, the way of implementing self-managing teams in an organisation is crucial to achieve sustainable results. Therefore, this paper aims to examine how working with self-managing teams can be implemented successfully in the mental health-care sector where various factors for the successful implementation are distinguished.

Design/methodology/approach

This qualitative case study is executed by analysing 18 interviews within two self-managing teams in a mental health-care organisation located in the Netherlands. A coding process is executed in two steps. The first step is open coding, to make small summarising notes within each interview section. The second step is refocused coding, where the open codes were collected, categorised and summarised by searching for recurrence and significance. The coding process is made visible within a code tree. This code tree formed the basis for writing the findings.

Findings

Success factors for the implementation of a self-managing team that resulted from this research are a clear task portfolio division, good relationships within the team and a coaching trajectory with attention for a possible negative past.

Originality/value

By having used a specific change management model, the Change Competence Model, it can be concluded that a high change capacity will positively influence the success of a self-managing team in the context of a mental health-care organisation.
Managing skills for open innovation: the case of biotechnology
Authors: Lavrynenko Alina , Shmatko Natalia , Meissner Dirk
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the composition of skillsets in biotechnology from the perspective of employers and its relation to open innovation processes in the sector. It provides conclusions for HR management practice.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on job advertisements content analysis and in-depth interviews with chiefs of research and development companies. It uses biotechnology as an example of industry where open innovation practice implementation is expanding. The authors have used data from American, British and Russian job search engines.

Findings

It is demonstrated that skills composition required in biotechnology does not vary significantly among selected countries as the market becomes increasingly globalized in terms of not only technology used but also personnel hired. Companies stress more on hard and digital skills, while soft skills appear to be a “must have without saying,” The mismatch between skills presented in the advertisements and articulated in the interviews has been found as employers tend to demonstrate innovation friendly company culture for possible applicants.

Originality/value

The present paper enriches literature on employee skills for open innovation. It gives comprehensive lists of biotech skills in-demand divided into hard, digital and soft categories and interprets them within the context of employee cognition and behavior. The new insight into employee skills articulated by the companies as a strong element of organizational culture is presented.
Women on boards in India: a need or tokenism?
Authors: Srivastava Varnita , Das Niladri , Pattanayak Jamini Kanta
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the significance of gender diversity on corporate boards in India in the light of recent regulatory reform introduced in the Companies’ Act, 2013 which mandated the presence of at least one woman on the corporate boards of all the listed firms.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on a panel of 300 firm-year observations for 15 years from 2001 to 2015, regression analysis has been conducted to analyze the relation between gender-related variables of corporate boards with firm-specific financial characteristic, cost of equity (COE) and return on assets (ROA) of firms listed in CNX Nifty, a major financial market index of India.

Findings

The analysis indicates that boards with gender diversity explain a slightly more than 5.5 percent change in a firm’s COE and have a much higher impact of 45 percent on a firm’s ROA. The presence of female directors on the boards and their independence have a negative association with the COE, whereas the level of involvement of female directors on different committees has a positive association with the ROA.

Practical implications

The findings may help theorists in defining the right mix of female on the corporate boards in an emerging economy. Also, by taking input from the findings, regulators and industry can formulate policies to foster gender diversity on corporate boards in India.

Originality/value

This study considers the recent regulatory norm introduced in India. This issue has still not been discussed and analyzed by researchers in India. It attempts to explain the impact a gender diverse board can make on a firm’s performance. It also makes valuable recommendations to improve the norms intended to more effectively foster gender diversity on corporate boards in India.