bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Unprocessed serum glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins are correlated to metabolic states
Authors: Müller Günter A. , Herling Andreas W. , Stemmer Kerstin , Lechner Andreas , Tschöp Matthias H.
Published: November 2018

To study the possibility that components of eukaryotic plasma membranes are released in spontaneous or controlled fashion, a chip-based sensor was developed for complete glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins (GPI-AP), which may form together with (phospho)lipids so far unknown (non-vesicular) extracellular complexes (GLEC). The sensor relies on changes in phase shift and amplitude of surface acoustic waves propagating over the chip surface upon specific capturing of the GPI-AP and detection of associated phospholipids and renders isolation of the labile GLEC unnecessary. GLEC were found to be released from isolated rat adipocyte plasma membranes immobilized on the chip, dependent on the flow rate and composition of the buffer stream. Moreover, incubation medium of isolated adipocytes and serum of rats are sources for GLEC which enables their differentiation according to cell size and genotype or body weight, respectively, as well as human serum.
Molecular requirements for transition from lateral to end-on microtubule binding and dynamic coupling
Authors: Chakraborty Manas , Tarasovetc Ekaterina , Zaytsev Anatoly V. , Godzi Maxim , Figueiredo Ana C. , Ataullakhanov Fazly I. , Grishchuk Ekaterina L.
Published: November 2018

Accurate chromosome segregation relies on microtubule end conversion, the ill-understood ability of kinetochores to transit from lateral microtubule attachment to durable association with dynamic microtubule plus-ends. The molecular requirements for this conversion and the underlying biophysical mechanisms are ill-understood. We reconstituted end conversion in vitro using two kinetochore components: the plus end–directed kinesin CENP-E and microtubule-binding Ndc80 complex, combined on the surface of a microbead. The primary role of CENP-E is to ensure close proximity between Ndc80 complexes and the microtubule plus-end, whereas Ndc80 complexes provide lasting microtubule association by diffusing on the microtubule wall near its tip. Together, these proteins mediate robust plus-end coupling during several rounds of microtubule dynamics, in the absence of any specialized tip-binding or regulatory proteins. Using a Brownian dynamics model, we show that end conversion is an emergent property of multimolecular ensembles of microtubule wall-binding proteins with finely tuned force-dependent motility characteristics.
Non-Communicable Diseases and their determinants: A Cross-sectional State-Wide STEPS Survey, Haryana, North India
Authors: Thakur JS , Jeet Gursimer , Nangia Ria , Singh Divya , Grover Sandeep , Lyngdoh Tanica , Pal Arnab , Verma Ramesh , Aggarwal Ramnika , Khan Mohd. Haroon , Saran Rajiv , Jain Sanjay , Gupta KL , Kumar Vivek
Published: November 2018

Background

Recent studies have documented high variation in epidemiologic transition levels among Indian states with noncommunicable disease epidemic rising swiftly. However, the estimates suffer from non-availability of reliable data for NCDs from sub populations. In order to fill the knowledge gap, the distribution and determinants of NCD risk factors were studied along with awareness, treatment and control of NCDs among the adult population in Haryana, India.

Methods

NCD risk factors survey was conducted among 5078 residents, aged 18-69 years during 2016-17. Behavioural risk factors were assessed using STEPS instrument, administered through an android software (mSTEPS). This was followed by physical measurements using standard protocols. Finally, biological risk factors were determined through the analysis of serum and urine samples.

Results

Males were found to be consuming tobacco and alcohol at higher rates of 38.9% (95% CI: 35.3-42.4) and 18.8% (95% CI: 15.8-21.8). One-tenth (11%) (95% CI: 8.6-13.4) of the respondents did not meet the specified WHO recommendations for physical activity for health. Around 35.2% (95%CI: 32.6-37.7) were overweight or obese. Hypertension and diabetes were prevalent at 26.2% (95% CI: 24.6-27.8) and 15.5% (95% CI: 11.0-20.0). 91.3% (95% CI: 89.3-93.3) of the population had higher salt intake than recommended 5gms per day.

Conclusion

The documentation of strikingly high and uniform distribution of different NCDs and their risk factors in state warrants urgent need for evidence based interventions and advocacy of policy measures.
Speed-detachment tradeoff and its effect on track bound transport of single motor protein
Authors: Rizvi Mohd Suhail
Published: November 2018

The transportation of the cargoes in biological cells is primarily driven by the motor proteins on filamentous protein tracks. The stochastic nature of the motion of motor protein often leads to its spontaneous detachment from the track. Using the available experimental data, we demonstrate a tradeoff between the speed of the motor and its rate of spontaneous detachment from the track. Further, it is also shown that this speed-detachment relation follows a power law where its exponent dictates the nature of the motor protein processivity. We utilize this information to study the motion of motor protein on track using a random-walk model. We obtain the average distance travelled in fixed duration and average time required for covering a given distance by the motor protein. These analyses reveal non-monotonic dependence of the motor protein speed on its transport and, therefore, optimal motor speeds can be identified for the time and distance controlled conditions.
Distinct progenitor populations mediate regeneration in the zebrafish lateral line
Authors: Thomas Eric D. , Raible David W.
Published: November 2018

Mechanosensory hair cells of the zebrafish lateral line regenerate rapidly following damage. These renewed hair cells arise from the proliferation of surrounding support cells, which undergo symmetric division to produce two hair cell daughters. Given the continued regenerative capacity of the lateral line, support cells presumably have the ability to replenish themselves. Utilizing novel transgenic lines, we identified support cell populations with distinct progenitor identities. These populations show differences in their ability to generate new hair cells during homeostasis and regeneration. Targeted ablation of support cells reduced the number of regenerated hair cells. Furthermore, progenitors regenerated after targeted support cell ablation in the absence of hair cell damage. We also determined that distinct support cell populations are independently regulated by Notch signaling. The existence of independent progenitor populations could provide flexibility for the continued generation of new hair cells under a variety of conditions throughout the life of the animal.
Drosophila ClC-a is required in glia of the stem cell niche for proper neurogenic proliferation and wiring of neural circuits
Authors: Plazaola-Sasieta Haritz , Zhu Qi , Gaitán-Peñas Héctor , Rios Martín , Estévez Raúl , Morey Marta
Published: November 2018

Glial cells form part of the neural stem cell niche and express a wide variety of ion channels; however, the contribution of these channels to nervous system development is poorly understood. We explored the function of the Drosophila ClC-a chloride channel, since its mammalian ortholog CLCN2 is expressed in glial cells, and defective channel function results in leukodystrophies, which in humans are accompanied by cognitive impairment. We found that ClC-a was expressed in the niche in cortex glia, which are closely associated with neurogenic tissues. Characterization of loss-of-function ClC-a mutants revealed that these animals had smaller brains and widespread wiring defects. We showed that ClC-a is required in cortex glia for neuroepithelia and neuroblast proliferation and identified defects in a neuroblast lineage that generates guidepost glial cells essential for photoreceptor axon guidance. We propose that glia-mediated ionic homeostasis could non-autonomously affect neurogenesis, and consequently, the correct assembly of neural circuits.
The effect of the hydrodynamic and temperature on corrosion rate of API steels exposed to oilfield produced water
Authors: Quej-Ake Luis Manuel , Contreras Antonio , Liu Hongbo , Alamilla Jorge L. , Sosa Eliceo
Published: November 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the corrosion rate for X52, X60, X65, X70 and X80 steel immersed in Mexican oilfield produced water. For the electrochemical characterization of the five steels rotating disk electrodes, 20°C, 30°C and 45°C of experimental temperature and 0, 500, 1,000 and 2,000 rpm of rotation speed were taken into account. The temperature dependence was analyzed using Arrhenius law. Thus, Rct values obtained from EIS data in comparison with the corrosion rate obtained from polarization curves data were taken into account. Hydrodynamic effects were analyzed by Rct and corrosion rate data.

Design/methodology/approach

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and potentiodynamic polarization techniques were used to assess the electrochemical behavior for five pipe steels steel immersed in a natural solution.

Findings

The resistance and corrosion rate taken from electrochemical tests decreased as temperature and hydrodynamic condition also decreased. In addition, the Arrhenius parameter revealed that the natural solution increased the corrosion rate as the activation energy decreased. Typical branches related to reduction-oxidation reaction (dissolution-activation process or corrosion products dissolution) on steel surface were discussed. Optical images analysis shows that corrosion products for X65 steel exposed to oilfield produced water can be attributed to more susceptibility to corrosion damage for this steel grade (Quej-Ake et al., 2018), which is increased with the temperature and rotation speed of the working electrode.

Originality/value

Corrosion process of the five steels exposed to oilfield produced water could be perceptive when Arrhenius analysis is taken into account. This is because oilfield produced water is the most aggressive condition (brine reservoir and sour water) for internal pipelines walls and storage tanks (brine tanks). Thus, stagnant condition was considered as a more extreme corrosive condition because produced water is stored in atmospheric stationary tanks as well as it is transported under laminar condition in zones where oilfield produced water is maintaining in the bottom of the pipe during the production, transporting and storing of the crude oil. In addition, a brief operational process for Reynolds number and the flowrate of the stock tank barrel per day (Q in STBD) using field and Reynolds number data is discussed.
Energy consultants calculating sustainability for residential buildings
Authors: Søraa Roger Andre , Fyhn Håkon , Solli Jøran
Published: November 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the role of a particular energy calculator in enhancing the energy efficiency of existing homes by asking how this calculator was developed and how it is domesticated by craftspeople working as energy consultants.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on qualitative interviews with users and producers of the energy calculator (n= 22), as well as participation in energy consultation training.

Findings

The paper finds that, in the energy calculator, there is a striking lack of connection between the domestication and script because of lack of energy consultants’ involvement in the design and implementation process.

Practical implications

The enrolment of energy consultants as energy calculator users earlier in and throughout the design process could be valuable in making the transition to an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly building sector.

Social implications

The paper argues for recognition of the role of energy consultants, especially craftspeople, as participants in the design process for tools of governance. This is a call to acknowledge the value of particular skills and experiences possessed by craftspeople doing home consultation.

Originality/value

By understanding the intricate developer–user synchronicity in tools developed for upgrading the building sector, energy mitigation can be made more effective.
Ranking based on optimal points multi-criteria decision-making method
Authors: Zakeri Shervin
Published: November 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose a new MCDM method called ranking based on optimal points (RBOP).

Design/methodology/approach

By employing two abstract groups of alternatives as the optimum alternatives and an optimal alternative, in order to offer the most desirable alternative, RBOP imitates human behavior in the decision-making process. RBOP policy is to find the best alternative through measuring alternatives distances from optimum alternatives and optimal alternative, thus, the best alternative must be sitting on the closest distance to its optimum points and the closest distance to the optimal points simultaneously.

Findings

In this paper, the author introduced a ten-step gray form of RBOP which is applied in a case of buying running shoes and results compared to the existing MCDM methods. Results showed the considerable differences.

Originality/value

Generally, in order to select the best alternative(s), and to aid decision makers (DMs) to make better decisions for the real-world problems, MCDM methods evaluate a number of alternatives via a number of criteria through the proposed mathematical algorithms. Frequently, for the direct impact of the DMs on the decision-making process, MCDM methods have inflexible algorithms. They only allow DMs to make an impact on the criteria analysis. The inflexibility emerges as a problem when perfect information is available for DMs and MCDM final results are not desirable. The process of the new method completely depends on DMs’ decisions, their interpretation of the periphery and their personal impressions. Hence, the output of RBOP is not necessarily the best alternative, but it offers the most desirable alternative to DM.
Stagnation point flow of a nanofluid past a non-aligned stretching/shrinking sheet with a second-order slip velocity
Authors: Roşca Alin V. , Roşca Natalia C. , Pop Ioan
Published: November 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of the second order slip velocity on the boundary layer stagnation point flow of a nanofluid past a non-aligned stretching/shrinking sheet.

Design/methodology/approach

Proper similarity variables are used to transform the system of partial differential equations into a system of ordinary (similarity) differential equations. This system is then solved numerically using the bvp4c solver in MATLAB software. As in the papers by Kuznetsov and Nield (2010, 2013) and Fang et al. (2009), the authors considered the stretching/shrinking parameter λ, the first-order (a1, a2) and second-order (b1) slip parameters and the Lewis number Le, Nb the Brownian parameter and Nt the thermophoresis parameter fixed at Le = 10, Nb = Nt = 0.5 when the Prandtl number Pr is fixed at Pr = 1.

Findings

Dual solutions are found as the sheet is shrunk in the horizontal direction. Stability analysis shows that the first solution is physically realizable, whereas the second solution is not practicable.

Originality/value

The present results are original and new for the study of fluid flow and heat transfer over a stretching/shrinking surface, as they successfully extend the problem considered by Wang (2008) and Lok et al. (2011) to the case of nanofluids.
Institutional environment and network competence in successful SME internationalisation
Authors: Torkkeli Lasse , Kuivalainen Olli , Saarenketo Sami , Puumalainen Kaisu
Published: November 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of institutional environment on the international performance of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and how this relationship is influenced by network competence.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a quantitative approach. In total, 119 internationally operating Finnish SMEs from five industry sectors are sampled via a cross-sectional survey. Data are analysed through regression modelling.

Findings

The international performance of SMEs is influenced directly and indirectly by institutional drivers. The results show that network competence mediates the positive relationship between institutional drivers and international performance.

Research limitations/implications

Network capability development can help SMEs leverage more or less favourable institutional environments for successful internationalisation. Perceived institutional drivers directly result in higher performance, but the effect can be partially mediated by dynamic capabilities. The limitations of the study include its single-country context and the cross-sectional nature of the data.

Practical implications

SMEs should take their home countries’ institutional environments into account, but for long-term success, they should develop the ability to manage their business networks. A conducive institutional environment may help develop competence, which in turn can enable more successful internationalisation in terms of scale, scope and satisfaction.

Social implications

Decision-makers may benefit from knowing that, in addition to capabilities, an institutionally conducive environment that drives domestic SMEs towards international markets may be an antecedent of successful internationalisation in the SME sector.

Originality/value

This is one of the few studies to illustrate how network capabilities can mediate the influence of institutional factors on entrepreneurial internationalisation. It combines institutional theory and the dynamic capabilities view to explain successful SME internationalisation.
Peer-to-peer marketplaces: a study on consumer purchase behavior
Authors: Ampountolas Apostolos
Published: November 2018

Purpose

The online travel environment continues to expand as the numerous peer-to-peer (P2P) marketplaces that comprise the “sharing economy” have also multiplied and expanded, resulting in a move from the traditional hospitality industry to a new digital ecosystem. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of different antecedents and the relationships between benefit factors. It does so by simulating the behavior that leads to consumer loyalty and repurchase intentions within a P2P marketplace transaction.

Design/methodology/approach

The analysis is based on survey data from 456 respondents located in different regions, collected via a web-based survey questionnaire. A two-step approach employing confirmatory factor analysis, followed by structural equation modeling, was conducted to evaluate the measurement and structural models, as recommended by Anderson and Gerbing.

Findings

The findings of this study partially confirm the relationship between benefit factors (monetary, hedonic and location benefits) and consumer repurchase intentions. The benefit factors display a positive influence on consumer satisfaction, which mediates the relationship between loyalty and repurchase intentions. Hence, the study contributes to scholarly efforts to better understand why consumers choose to purchase through P2P platforms.

Practical implications

The findings of this study can provide P2P intermediaries and hosts with the empirical evidence of consumer behavioral changes. Nowadays, in practice, consumers have the ability to compare products and offers. As such, for a consumer to remain loyal to a particular supplier, the offer must satisfy the service and experience that the consumer has in mind, as many alternative offers exist.

Originality/value

This study seeks to identify the behavioral factors that cause even loyal consumers to move from the traditional hospitality industries to P2P platforms, despite the probability of losing any loyalty benefits gained in the traditional industries.
Engaging consumers in multichannel online retail environment
Authors: Singh Shekhar , Srivastava Sandeep
Published: November 2018

Purpose

With India becoming world’s second largest user of smartphones (Ming, 2017) and with more users adopting mobile devices for online shopping, Indian online retailers now have to manage mobile channel in addition to existing traditional channel (of computers). Hence, the purpose of this study is to investigate the mapping of product characteristics with individual channel capabilities and its effect on online consumer behaviour, so that e-tailers can create enhanced online shopping experience for consumers.

Design/methodology/approach

A comprehensive research model is developed on the basis of the knowledge gained from multichannel retailing and e-commerce literature. Then, the model is empirically tested, with primary data collected from 344 customers, using structural equation modelling. The data are collected from customers across two product categories: electronics and fashion.

Findings

The results reveal that perceived usefulness, perceived risk and perceived self-efficacy are important drivers of online consumer behaviour for continued usage. The multi-group analysis confirms the moderation influence of platform type for some relationships across electronics and fashion.

Practical implications

The findings underline the importance of multichannel complementarity across electronics and fashion. The preference of mobile devices for fashion and traditional devices such as computers for electronics provides valuable insights for online retailers towards management of multichannel e-commerce ecosystem.

Originality/value

In Indian context, this is the first empirical research on online multichannel retail setting, studying the impact of diverse channel formats on different product categories. The study’s findings give empirical basis to online retailers to look out for right product–channel fit strategy for engaging consumers in the long run.
Consumers’ redemption behavior of recommended mobile coupons in social network sites
Authors: Tang Qing , Liu Fen , Liu Shan , Ma Yunfeng
Published: November 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the key factors that affect consumer redemption intention toward mobile coupons recommended in social network sites (SNS).

Design/methodology/approach

A research model that integrates recommendation trust, positive utilities, and negative utilities of coupon redemption is developed. With the important role of trust in social recommendation taken into consideration, the key drivers of recommendation trust were analyzed in the model. Data were collected from 210 users with mobile coupon recommendation experience in one of the largest SNS (i.e. WeChat) in China. The authors used partial least squares technique to analyze the model.

Findings

Recommendation trust and positive utilities (economic benefits and perceived enjoyment) positively affect the intention of mobile coupon redemption. Perceived risk, as a negative utility, negatively influences coupon redemption intention. In addition, swift trust (structure assurance, perceived similarity, trust propensity, and expertise of the recommender), knowledge-based trust (familiarity with the retailers), and emotion-based trust (social tie strength) are key drivers that promote recommendation trust.

Originality/value

While prior research investigated mobile coupon redemption behavior in which coupons were issued by merchants, limited research analyzed consumer responses toward mobile coupons in social recommendation. This study examines the effects of recommendation trust, positive utilities, and negative utilities on mobile coupon redemption in the context of social recommendation and recognizes the key drivers of recommendation trust.
How does collaboration between universities and R&D firms influence performance?
Authors: Lin Jun-You
Published: November 2018

Purpose

How does university-firm collaboration affect the performance of both universities and firms? The purpose of this paper is to evaluate university-firm collaborations aimed at expanding the treatment effects of collaboration ambition on university academic performance as well as collaboration ambition focused on the firm’s production of innovation and financial performance for the top 110 US universities and the top 200 US R&D performing firms.

Design/methodology/approach

“Two studies, based on the three archival data sets (National Bureau of Economic Research-Rensselaer Scientific Papers Database and the Harvard Dataverse Network (DVN) US Patent Citations database and Compustat database), are undertaken in the top 110 US universities and the top 200 US R&D performing firms.” The study introduces a theoretical model that explicitly addresses collaboration diversity, number of collaborations, knowledge stock and the endogeneity problem that is generated by self-selection of collaboration ambition in university and firm’s performance.

Findings

The results suggest that the effects of adopting proactive collaboration decision on academic performance are insignificant in the firm subsample. However, more interestingly, the authors find supporting evidence of the negative impact of collaboration on university groups. The authors also find that collaboration diversity, knowledge stock and collaboration ambition lead to stronger firm performance but the number of collaborations is smaller on firm performance. Furthermore, the authors find that collaboration ambition moderates the positive effect of the number of collaborations on firm performance.

Practical implications

University-firm collaboration is a multifaceted relationship, suggesting that the empirical analysis can be interpreted through the university and the firm view to enhance the understanding of the collaboration for performance creation. This study articulates the positive role of collaboration diversity, knowledge stock and collaboration ambition and the negative role of the number of collaborations on university-firm collaboration in terms of university and firm performance. Moreover, proactive collaboration ambition has the positive effect of a higher number of collaborations on firm performance. The authors conclude that policy should refrain from overly focusing on collaboration diversity, number of collaborations, knowledge stock and collaboration ambition, and the authors consider the interactions between the number of collaborations and collaboration ambition on university-firm collaboration when discussing their effects on mutual performance.

Originality/value

This study demonstrates the effects of university-firm collaboration on academic performance. In addition, the authors discuss the factors that influence collaboration to help the firm to increase its innovation and financial performance. Therefore, it would be interesting to see simultaneously how university-firm collaboration affects the performance of both partners.
Capital structure and firm performance in European SMEs
Authors: Li Kang , Niskanen Jyrki , Niskanen Mervi
Published: November 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether the relationship between capital structure and firm performance in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is moderated by credit risk.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors empirically test whether an SME’s credit risk affects the SME’s relationship between capital structure and firm performance by using a 2012 cross-sectional sample of European SMEs from Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK.

Findings

The empirical results suggest that in low credit risk SMEs, the debt ratio is negatively related to firm performance; however, this relationship is not present in high credit risk SMEs. Therefore, it is indicated that SME credit risk moderates the relationship between capital structure and firm performance.

Practical implications

The findings of the paper will enable financial managers to understand the importance of SMEs’ credit risk and will assist them in maximizing firms’ performance.

Originality/value

This paper extends the findings of previous studies by examining whether credit risk affects the relationship between capital structure and firm performance.
Development and validation of a multi-dimensional customer-based scale to measure perceptions of corporate social responsibility (CSR)
Authors: Latif Fawad , Pérez Andrea , Alam Waqar , Saqib Adeel
Published: November 2018

Purpose

Based on a review of previous literature that revealed a gap in the measurement of corporate social responsibility (CSR) from a customer perspective. The purpose of this study is to propose a multi-dimensional scale to measure customer perceptions of CSR.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a systematic development process, the scale items were generated through the review of CSR literature and the opinion of academic experts. The scale was validated using data collected from 393 customers of telecom industry. Data were initially subjected to exploratory factor analysis to identify the underlying scale dimensions. Confirmatory factor analysis was also conducted to validate the scale, test for reliability, convergent and discriminant validity.

Findings

The resulting scale is compounded of 30 items that load on five dimensions: developmental, ethical, relationship-building, responsiveness and information-sharing responsibilities.

Practical implications

The proposal of reliable measurement tools for evaluating customer perceptions is especially relevant for companies because of their significant role in influencing the design and implementation of corporate actions. The multi-dimensional scale developed in this study helps scholars and practitioners to better understand customer perceptions of the CSR actions that companies implement to improve these stakeholders’ satisfaction. In doing so, the scale is especially useful for companies to measure how well they respond to customer needs in their daily routines.

Originality/value

There is a significant lack of research into the development of reliable and valid tools to measure CSR from a customer perspective. The contribution of this study focuses on the identification of the five dimensions that determine CSR toward customers while it also provides a detailed scale to measure customer perceptions of these CSR dimensions.
Ratios of Parameters: Some Econometric Examples
Authors: Lye Jenny , Hirschberg Joe
Published: November 2018

Ratios of parameter estimates are often used in econometric applications. However, constructing confidence intervals (CIs) for these ratios can cause difficulties since the ratio of asymptotically normally distributed random variables are Cauchy distributed and thus have no finite moments. This article presents a method for the estimation of CIs based on the Fieller approach that has been shown to be preferable to the usual Delta method. Using example applications in Stata and R, we demonstrate that a few extra steps in the examination of the estimate of the ratio can provide a CI with superior coverage.
Effects of Increasing Enforcement on Financial Reporting Quality and Audit Quality
Authors: EWERT RALF , WAGENHOFER ALFRED
Published: November 2018

A widely held assumption in policy making and empirical research is that increasing the strength of public enforcement improves financial reporting quality and audit quality. This paper provides a more nuanced view. In a model with a manager who can manage earnings, a strategic auditor, and an enforcement institution, we show that enforcement and auditing are complements in a weak enforcement regime but can be substitutes in a strong regime. Although stronger enforcement always mitigates earnings management, the effects of different instruments of strengthening enforcement are ambiguous. We show that they can improve or impair financial reporting quality and audit quality, depending on production risk, accounting system characteristics, and the scope of auditing relative to enforcement.
Rebalancing the Encounter between Science Diplomacy and International Relations Theory
Authors: Kaltofen Carolin , Acuto Michele
Published: November 2018

Whether it is in climate change negotiations, pandemic scares, security threats or sustainable development agendas, science and technology are today at the heart of international affairs. Yet there is still limited academic work that deals with the complex relationships between international diplomatic and scientific endeavours. How can we bridge this divide and possibly ‘rebalance’ the encounter between the practice of science diplomacy, its practitioner‐driven literature, and the discussions of international relations theory (IR) that underpin the study of world politics? Here we propose that this move could start from a more explicit placing of science diplomacy discussions across the IR spectrum. We pose that taking seriously science ‘diplomacy’, whilst undoing conventions around the hitherto limited ‘IR’ reading of science in its literature, would do well in establishing this reality not just as a domain of reflective practitioners, but as an effective launchpad for international theorizing as much as more academically‐driven practice.
Science Diplomacy: Introduction to a Boundary Problem
Authors: Kaltofen Carolin , Acuto Michele
Published: November 2018

Scientific advancements, their application through technological development, and world politics have been long acknowledged as affecting each other, and are today more than ever at the heart of global policy. Speaking of ‘science diplomacy’ as the encounter of world politics and the world of science at the heart of these advancements might be a unique window into our time. This potential is what prompts this special issue to gather views from a variety of scholarly and practical viewpoints, linking the well‐established world of reflective practitioners in science diplomacy to the growing field of international relations (IR) scholars theorising this realm. Can speaking of ‘science diplomacy’ situate our attention at the crossroads of science and international relations, and spur greater appreciation for their intersections? This introduction to the special issue summarises the rise of science diplomacy as field of inquiry, and casts questions as to the need to advance, where not reform, these conceptualisations. It defines science diplomacy as a ‘boundary problem’ par excellence and emphasises its ‘productive tension’ that emerges between the various ways of knowing of actors belonging to ‘different social worlds’, seeking to gather a productive tension of views on this theme in the issue.
CSIRTs and Global Cybersecurity: How Technical Experts Support Science Diplomacy
Authors: Tanczer Leonie Maria , Brass Irina , Carr Madeline
Published: November 2018

Ongoing efforts by state actors to collaborate on addressing the challenges of global cybersecurity have been slow to yield results. Technical expert communities such as Computer Security and Incident Response Teams (CSIRTs) have played a fundamental role in maintaining the Internet's functional structure through transnational collaboration. Responsible for security incident management and located in diverse constituencies, these coordination centres engage in joint responses and solve day‐to‐day cybersecurity problems through diverse national, regional and international networks. This article argues that CSIRTs form an epistemic community that engages in science diplomacy, at times navigating geopolitical tensions in a way that political actors are not able to. Through interviews with CSIRT representatives, we explain how their collaborative actions, rooted in shared technical knowledge, norms and best practices, contribute to the advancement of international cooperation on cybersecurity.
Dupilumab reduces local type 2 pro‐inflammatory biomarkers in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis
Authors: Jonstam Karin , Swanson Brian N. , Mannent Leda P. , Cardell Lars‐Olaf , Tian Nian , Wang Ying , Zhang Donghui , Fan Chunpeng , Holtappels Gabriele , Hamilton Jennifer D. , Grabher Annette , Graham Neil M. H. , Pirozzi Gianluca , Bachert Claus
Published: November 2018

Background

Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP) is a type 2‐mediated inflammatory disease associated with significant clinical, social, and economic burdens and high unmet therapeutic need. Dupilumab, a fully human monoclonal antibody targeting the interleukin‐4 receptor α (IL‐4Rα) subunit, demonstrated efficacy and acceptable safety in CRSwNP and other type 2 diseases (eg, atopic dermatitis and asthma). We now report the local effects of dupilumab on type 2 inflammatory biomarkers in nasal secretions and nasal polyp tissues of patients with CRSwNP in a randomized, placebo‐controlled, phase 2 trial (NCT01920893).

Methods

Cytokines, chemokines, and total immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels were measured using immunoassay techniques in nasal secretions and nasal polyp tissue homogenates of CRSwNP patients receiving dupilumab 300 mg or placebo weekly for 16 weeks.

Results

With dupilumab, type 2 biomarker concentrations decreased in nasal secretions (least squares mean area under the curve from 0 to 16 weeks for the change from baseline) vs placebo for eotaxin‐3 (−30.06 vs −0.86 pg/mL; P = 0.0008) and total IgE (−7.90 vs −1.86 IU/mL; P = 0.022). Dupilumab treatment also decreased type 2 biomarker levels in nasal polyp tissues at Week 16 vs baseline for eosinophilic cationic protein (P = 0.008), eotaxin‐2 (P = 0.008), eotaxin‐3 (P = 0.031), pulmonary and activation‐regulated chemokine (P = 0.016), IgE (P = 0.023), and IL‐13 (P = 0.031).

Conclusions

Dupilumab treatment reduced multiple biomarkers of type 2 inflammation in nasal secretions and polyp tissues of patients with CRSwNP, demonstrating that antagonism of IL‐4Rα signaling suppresses IL‐4‐/IL‐13‐dependent processes, such as mucosal IgE formation, as well as the expression of chemokines attracting inflammatory cells to the nasal mucosa.
Disability Consciousness on the Frontlines of Urban Struggle
Authors: Hande Mary Jean
Published: November 2018

Drug wars, austerity and gentrification are interwoven social relations in many North American urban centres and are typically met with organising of varying degrees of militancy. Loïc Wacquant characterises many of these sites as highly stigmatised, associated with violence and pathology. In Toronto's downtown east end (DEE), one such stigmatised urban space, disabled activists are far from unfortunate casualties. They tend to refer to the DEE as an “urban battleground”, where disabled people politicise and challenge the DEE's pathology and stigma by linking into emerging radical disability politics across the global North and by developing localised revolutionary disability consciousness. Drawing on oral stories, zines and blogs of disabled activists and workers in Toronto's DEE, this article uses Rachel Gorman's dialectic of disability/disablement to analyse the emergence of revolutionary disability consciousness and the centrality of disabled people on the frontlines of anti‐gentrification and harm reduction organising in Toronto's DEE.
Hypertension induced by serotonin reuptake inhibitors: analysis of two pharmacovigilance databases
Authors: Humbert Xavier , Fedrizzi Sophie , Chrétien Basile , Sassier Marion , Bagheri Haleh , Combret Sandrine , Drici Milou‐Daniel , Le Bas François , Puddu Paolo E. , Alexandre Joachim
Published: November 2018

Drug‐induced hypertension was described with several pharmacological classes, especially with serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs). However, this link has remained controversial: the French summary of product characteristics specify a risk of hypertension only with paroxetine and sertraline. To identify a possible class effect common to all SRIs, our study investigated the reports of hypertension associated with SRIs in two pharmacovigilance databases. Two different types of investigations were performed: (i) a comparative study in VigiBase®, which is the World Health Organization (WHO) pharmacovigilance database (PVDB), from where notifications of hypertension with six SRIs (citalopram, escitalopram, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, paroxetine, sertraline) were extracted. The relationship between the suspected SRIs and the occurrence of hypertension was assessed by calculating reporting odds ratio (ROR) in a case/non‐case design; (ii) a descriptive study of hypertension reports associated with SRIs in the French pharmacovigilance database (FPVDB). In VigiBase®, 14 824 notifications of SRI‐induced hypertension (2.5%) were identified (mean age 54.3 years, mainly women 69.1%). Among them, 3 879 (26.2%) were associated to sertraline; 3 118 (21.0%) to fluoxetine; 2 725 (18.4%) to paroxetine; 2 570 (17.3%) to citalopram; 2 295 (15.5%) to escitalopram; and 237 (1.6%) to fluvoxamine. A significant ROR value was found with all six SRIs (ROR range from 1.16 to 1.92). In the FPVDB, 24 reports of hypertension were found with all six SRIs used at standard doses, mainly in women (66.7%) with a mean age of 57.8 years and a median time of onset of 6 days. In 10 cases (42%), patients had a history of hypertension. This study, performed in real conditions of life, shows a significant pharmacovigilance safety signal between the use of SRIs and the development or worsening of hypertension.
Change in number of potentially inappropriate medications impacts on the nutritional status in a convalescent rehabilitation setting
Authors: Kose Eiji , Hirai Toshiyuki , Seki Toshiichi
Published: November 2018

Aim

The association between potentially inappropriate medications (PIM) use and nutritional status is unclear in Japan. The aim of the present study was to establish whether PIM use during hospitalization affects the nutritional status among geriatric patients in the convalescing stage.

Methods

This retrospective longitudinal cohort study included consecutive geriatric patients admitted and discharged from convalescent rehabilitation wards between 2010 and 2016. Participants were divided based on the presence or absence of increased PIM from admission to discharge. Demographic data, laboratory data and the Functional Independence Measure were analyzed between groups. We used the 2015 American Geriatrics Society Beers Criteria to screen for PIM, and the primary outcome was the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index at discharge. A multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine whether Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index at discharge was independently associated with increased PIM.

Results

In total, 643 participants (220 men, 423 women; interquartile range 73–85 years) were included in the present study. Multiple linear regression analysis for increased PIM, adjusting for confounding factors, showed that PIM use was independently and negatively correlated with Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index at discharge. In particular, first‐generation antihistamine, antipsychotic, benzodiazepine, proton pump inhibitor and non‐steroidal anti‐ inflammatory drug use increased significantly from admission to discharge.

Conclusions

Increased PIM might be a predictor of nutritional status in geriatric patients. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2019; 19: 44–50.
Hegelian Nihilism and the Christian Narrative: On Slavoj Ẑiẑek and John Milbank's Readings of Hegel's Philosophy of Religion
Authors: Roessiger Ursula
Published: November 2018

My goal in this paper is to demonstrate that Milbank and Ẑiẑek's respective criticisms of Hegel's redescription of the Christian narrative are flawed because both identify Hegelian spirit as fully immanent. This misreading has enormous consequences, for it suggests that Hegel did not find a way to adequately support his project of reconciling the finite and the infinite. By contrast, I suggest that if Hegel's philosophy of religion is understood as both immanent and transcendent, or more precisely, as advancing a theory of mutual immanence, the charges of nihilism and atheism cannot be upheld.
Biocontrol of saprolegniosis in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss Walbaum) using two bacterial isolates (LE89 and LE141) of Pseudomonas fluorescens
Authors: González‐Palacios Concepción , Fregeneda‐Grandes Juan‐Miguel , Aller‐Gancedo José‐Miguel
Published: November 2018

The probiotic activity of 15 bacterial isolates that inhibit Saprolegnia parasitica in vitro was tested for the biocontrol of saprolegniosis in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss Walbaum), adding the bacteria to tank water for 14 days at a concentration of 106 bacteria ml−1 water. Pseudomonas fluorescens LE89 and Pseudomonas fluorescens LE141 were effective in controlling experimental infection with S. parasitica since of the fish treated with LE89, 24.5% ± 16.27% (p < 0.05) became infected, as did 42.8% ± 8.41% (p < 0.05) of those treated with LE141. Given their protective effect when administered in water, their effect was also studied when administered in feed before and after experimental infection. Both bacterial isolates survived low pH levels and the action of bile, grew in skin and intestinal mucus, were resistant to several antibiotics and survived in feed; however, neither of the two isolates prevented S. parasitica infection when administered in feed.
How Do Central Bank Governors Matter? Regulation and the Financial Sector
Authors: MISHRA PRACHI , RESHEF ARIELL
Published: November 2018

Do past employment characteristics of central bank governors affect financial regulation? To answer this question, we construct a new data set based on curriculum vitae of all central bank governors around the world in 1970–2011. We interpret work experiences as indicators of preferences toward deregulation. Over the average duration in office (5.6 years), a governor with financial sector experience is associated with three times more deregulation than a governor without experience in finance. Similar results hold for past experience at the IMF; in contrast, past experience at the BIS and the UN are associated with less deregulation.
Two sisters with a rare cause of infantile colic
Authors: Negm Yasser
Published: November 2018

Introduction

Infantile colic is a major parenthood challenge. For medical practitioners, even at the highest specialised levels, the management is never less challenging. This is a case report of two sisters who presented with typical symptoms of infantile colic. However, after a lengthy journey of workups, they were found to have a rare cause of those symptoms, requiring surgical repair.

Presenting history

A female baby born at term was initially diagnosed to have infantile colic. As the symptoms did not improve at the age of 3 months, she was referred to a paediatrician who switched her formula based on a provisional diagnosis of cows milk protein intolerance. With no relief of the baby's symptoms, this diagnosis was ruled out. Empirical treatment of gastro‐oesophageal reflux was attempted. After the failure of this attempt, it was decided that the child's condition needs to be thoroughly investigated.

Progress

Over 6 years, comprehensive investigations and relevant referrals at a tertiary paediatric gastroenterology centre have not helped to establish a definitive diagnosis or aetiology of the colic. Dietary modifications and various empirical medications have failed to cure the episodes, which exhausted the family, waking them up 10–20 times every night, leading to poor school attendance.

Treatment

A suggestion during a multidisciplinary meeting made a turning point. Definitive diagnosis and repair were established via laparoscopic surgery.

Follow‐up

The child fully recovered following the surgical repair. Her sister, who was born with the same condition, was fortunate to be diagnosed and cured at a younger age.