bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Model risk regarding monthly wind energy production for the valuation of a wind farm investment
Authors: Krömer Sarah
Published: April 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess model risk with regard to wind energy output in monthly cash flow models for the purpose of valuation and risk assessment of wind farm investments, where only a few approaches exist in the literature.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper focuses on the risk-return characteristics of this investment from the perspective of private and institutional investors and takes into account several risks, in particular the resource risk related to the uncertainty of the monthly wind energy produced. To this end, this paper presents different approaches for modeling monthly wind power output and assesses the impact of three selected models with different properties on the investment’s risk-return characteristics by means of a stochastic discounted cash flow model. In addition, the model considers the possibility of a joint operation of the wind farm with a pumped hydro storage system to reduce risk and improve profits.

Findings

The results show that the (non-)consideration of seasonality of the monthly wind energy produced considerably influences the risk-return characteristics, but that principal developments dependent on input parameters and model variables remain similar.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the literature by presenting different approaches for modeling the monthly wind energy produced based on direct models of the wind energy output, which are rare in the existing literature. Further, their impact on risk-return characteristics of a wind farm investment is analyzed, and thus, related model risk is assessed.
Towards a “branded” property developer: key traits for Malaysian housing market
Authors: Yap Jeffrey Boon Hui , Tan Chin Weng , Loo Siaw Chuing , Lee Wah Peng
Published: April 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine the significance of branding management by property developers in the Malaysian housing market and to examine the pivotal brand identity traits of property developers.

Design/methodology/approach

An explanatory sequential mixed-methods research approach was adopted. The quantitative data from the questionnaire survey were subjected to descriptive statistics, and the ranking with category of significance of the hypothesised branding traits was determined using relative importance index technique. The findings were further validated through semi-structured interviews with five experienced industry practitioners.

Findings

Results showed that the extremely significant (ES) branding identities are value for future investment and location, while the very significant (VS) traits are quality assurance, near to supporting infrastructure, reliability, professionalism, experience, warranties and technical ability. Industry experts affirmed the prospect of exploiting branding in enticing property buyers.

Research limitations/implications

It is reasonable to infer that good branding positively stimulates buyer’s decision-making on purchasing residential property. This study attempts to discover the critical brand identity traits for property developers apt in the context of Malaysian housing market.

Practical implications

Apart from the archetypal locational and financial factors, the findings suggested that top developers should emphasise innovative family-oriented design with an acceptable level of quality score for brand differentiation to further enhance the future value of their end products.

Originality/value

The efficacy of brand management in the housing market has not yet been fully explored in research. This paper is expected to offer more profound insights into the strategic brand management towards “branded” property developers in the context of Malaysia and perhaps other countries with comparable backgrounds.
Social undermining in academia: experiences and effects
Authors: Sabeen Zara , Arshad Faria
Published: April 2019

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to explore the meanings and effects of social undermining as described by the faculty members of public and private universities of Pakistan.

Design/methodology/approach

The study utilizes the qualitative approach using in-depth interviews of the faculty members to explore different meanings assigned to social undermining and the impact of these experiences on them.

Findings

The faculty members describe social undermining in terms of defamation and limiting of space for them at workplace. The impact of social undermining is directly felt on the emotional and overall well-being. It also affects the work performance of the faculty leading to behaviors like withdrawal and abstaining from voluntary activities.

Research limitations/implications

The research is conducted in only two universities in the capital city. The experiences and views of faculty members in other universities particularly in small cities might be different.

Practical implications

The study may be of help in terms of finding out the impacts of social undermining on faculty members in order to avoid such situations, hence, improving the motivation level of faculty. This will help managers to understand the phenomenon and find out appropriate strategies for a more harmonious and trustable work environment between people.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the literature by utilizing the qualitative approach that is not used much in this subject area. It is also one of the very first attempts of exploring the phenomenon in Pakistan, as per the best of authors’ knowledge.
Strategic performance measurement system,firm capabilities andcustomer-focused strategy
Authors: Yuliansyah Yuliansyah , Khan Ashfaq Ahmad , Fadhilah Arief
Published: April 2019

Purpose

The impact of a firm’s strategic performance measurement system (SPMS) on its customer-focused strategy, under varying contexts, has largely been documented in the literature. However, the system’s capacity to positively influence the firm strategy through its impact on the firm’s peculiar internal and external capabilities, in the peculiar context of the developing countries’ financial services sector, has so far skipped a thorough academic enquiry. This study, using Indonesia’ financial services sector as its ‘site’, aims to fill this void in the literature.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors gleaned the study’s empirical data from financial services sector firms using survey questionnaire and analyzed it using SmartPLS. A total of 107 valid responses from management members of different financial services sector firms in Indonesia were deemed useable.

Findings

The study findings support the paper’s main thesis. The findings revealed that the strategic PMS contributes to enhancing firms’ market orientation and robustness by positively contributing to their customer-focused strategy from three distinct dimensions – competitors, customers and organizational learning.

Research limitations/implications

The authors posit that an effective customer-focused strategy can be accomplished by purposefully adapting the focus of the firm’s strategic PMS to positively influence the organizational learning, which subsequently translates into the firm’s high competitiveness in the marketplace.

Originality/value

The unexplored link between the SPMS, firm’s internal and external capabilities and customer-focused strategy in the particular context of a developing country’s financial services sector will not only fill the current void in the literature but also instigate a new academic debate. The study will also contribute to the management accounting practice in service firms in the developing countries context.
Patterns of cognitive strategy use common in children with reduced social competence derived from parent perceptions
Authors: Challita Julianne , Chapparo Christine , Hinitt Joanne , Heard Robert
Published: April 2019

Introduction

Occupational therapists are increasingly being referred children who experience reduced social competence. Ineffective use of cognitive strategies during social interactions is known to contribute to reduced social competence in children who have difficulty learning. Little is known about the nature of social cognitive strategy use or how it may be observed in children during performance of school occupations. This study aimed to explore the type of difficulties in cognitive strategy use that children experience during performance of social tasks as perceived by their parents.

Methods

A retrospective chart review was used to analyse 306PRPP@HOME(Primary) Parent/Caregiver Questionnaire responses targeting parent perceptions of their child's cognitive strategy use during social interactions. The children were in the first four years of formal schooling and identified by their teachers as having difficulties with social skills. Factor analysis was used to discover conceptual groupings amongst cognitive strategy use items.

Results

Four factors emerged from the analysis. Factor One groupedPRPPcognitive strategy items related to organised thinking, attention and processing external sensory details during social performance. Factor Two grouped items related to higher level thinking for internal self‐evaluation of behaviour. Factor Three grouped items related to focused and dual attention during social interactions. Factor Four grouped items related to performance and adjustment of behaviour to match the context of social interaction.

Conclusion

Parent perceptions indicate that children with reduced social competence experience inefficient use of cognitive strategies which organise attention, sensory perception and planning. This information can be used to specifically target programs which better support the thinking strategies which facilitate children's participation during social activities at school.
Capital Structure and Bank Performance: Empirical Evidence from Ghana
Authors: Doku James Ntiamoah , Kpekpena Fred Agbenya , Boateng Prince Yeboah
Published: April 2019

The aim of this paper is to examine the impact of capital structure on profitability of commercial banks in Ghana. The study used a sample of 21 commercial banks over the period 2000–2014 using panel corrected standard errors and two‐stage least‐squares estimation approaches. The results show that bank capital structure measured as capital‐to‐asset ratio is a robust and positive driver of bank performance (profitability) measures (return on assets and net interest margin). Additionally, the results further indicate that share of customer demand deposit positively affects bank profitability. The positive relationship between the capital‐to‐asset ratio and performance provides support for the bank capitalization policy implemented by the Bank of Ghana. Also, the findings provide evidence in support of the recent upsurge in bank short‐term deposit mobilization strategies and promotions by commercial banks in the country to enhance their deposit base.
Evaluation of reticulocyte hemoglobin for assessment of anemia in rheumatological disorders
Authors: Singh Bhandari Gurbir , Duggal Lalit , Jain Neeraj , Chaturvedi Ved , Patel Jeet , Kotwal Jyoti
Published: April 2019

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of reticulocyte hemoglobin (Ret He) estimation in subtyping of anemia and to find the correlation of Ret He with the severity of anemia.

Methods

Ninety‐four patients with rheumatic diseases with anemia were enrolled. Blood samples were taken to determine various parameters. Patients were divided into three groups: iron deficiency anemia, anemia of chronic disease with iron deficiency and anemia of chronic disease depending on the iron status and inflammatory markers. Analysis of variance and Pearson correlation coefficient were used. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to evaluate the accuracy of the parameters in differentiating anemia.

Results

Statistically significant differences among groups were seen with regard to parameters such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C‐reactive protein, serum ferritin, total iron binding capacity, transferrin saturation, transferrin receptor protein, soluble transferrin receptor/log ferritin and Ret He. Ret He correlates with the subtype of anemia in patients with rheumatic disorders but it does not correlate with the severity of anemia. Soluble transferrin receptor/log ferritin, Ret He and serum ferritin values were the best parameters to differentiate between various groups. Ret He (pg) values of <24, 24‐26.5 and >26.5, while serum ferritin levels (µg/L) of <35, 35‐178 and >178 were highly sensitive and specific for iron deficiency anemia, anemia of chronic disease with iron deficiency and anemia of chronic disease groups, respectively.

Conclusion

In cost constraints settings, a simple investigation like Ret He alone or with serum ferritin can help us to diagnose and differentiate between the different types of anemia accompanying rheumatological disorders without doing other serum iron studies and expensive tests like transferrin receptor protein which are not readily available.
Engaging local communities in tackling illegal wildlife trade: A synthesis of approaches and lessons for best practice
Authors: Roe Dilys , Booker Francesca
Published: April 2019

At numerous international policy forums, governments from a wide range of countries have made commitments to supporting community engagement as part of their efforts to tackling international illegal wildlife trade (IWT). Despite this, the major focus of anti‐IWT strategies to date has been on law enforcement. There is no blueprint approach to community engagement and thus uncertainty on the part of the designers and implementers of initiatives intended to tackle IWT as to how best to proceed. In this paper we provide a synthesis of existing approaches to community engagement to tackle international IWT and review the evidence on their effectiveness. The synthesis illustrates the wide range of different community engagement approaches that have been utilized to date and could be explored by others. But it also highlights the lack of regular, robust monitoring of such initiatives. The dearth of evidence on effectiveness of community‐based strategies to tackle IWT may not be any worse than the evidence on effectiveness of other approaches. Nevertheless, it presents a major conceptual and technical barrier to the uptake of community engagement approaches as well as hampering efforts to encourage national governments to implement the commitments they made through the high‐level policy forums.
‘Building Kachin’: Youth and Everyday Action in one of Myanmar's Ethnic States
Authors: Oosterom Marjoke , Pan Maran Ja Htoi , Wilson Sarah
Published: April 2019

In 2011, Myanmar started its political transition after decades of military rule. In Kachin State this coincided with the breaking of a 17‐year ceasefire between the Kachin Independence Organization/Army (KIO/A) and the state army, the Tatmadaw. For youth living in Kachin State, this meant that opportunities for civic and political participation opened up while at the same time their context remained volatile and uncertain. Using citizenship theory and the concept of the ‘everyday’, this article analyses how youth in Kachin State connect the challenges they experience to their sense of citizenship, and how this informs everyday forms of youth action as well as youth participation in policy processes. The article argues that young people act out of moral and political reasons to ‘build Kachin’, in response to deeply historically rooted experiences of discrimination and state repression. While the agency of young people living in conflict settings is often believed to be limited to tactical agency for individual and immediate survival, an analysis of youth's experiences of citizenship shows that they also act strategically to advance the interests of their society.
Short‐ and long‐term outcomes of a novel transpapillary dilation technique using a diathermic dilator for severe benign bile duct stricture
Authors: Kato Shin , Kuwatani Masaki , Kawakubo Kazumichi , Sugiura Ryo , Hirata Koji , Nakajima Masahito , Hirata Hajime , Kawakami Hiroshi , Sakamoto Naoya
Published: April 2019

Endoscopic dilation for severe benign biliary stricture using mechanical dilation devices is occasionally ineffective. Hence, diathermic dilation has recently been gaining attention as a salvage procedure. We evaluated the short‐ and long‐term outcomes of diathermic dilation for severe benign biliary stricture that could not be dilated using conventional mechanical dilation. Thirteen consecutive cases with severe benign biliary stricture that underwent diathermic dilation using 6‐Fr electrocautery dilator were enrolled. Short‐ and long‐term outcomes were analyzed. Diathermic dilation was successful in 13 cases (100%), whereas stent was successfully placed in 12 cases (92.3%). Adverse events occurred in two cases (15.4%): mild hemobilia and cholangitis. Recurrence of bile duct stricture was observed in five out of 12 cases (41. 7%) in the 1115‐day median follow‐up period. Finally, eight cases achieved stent‐free state (61.5%) and have remained stent‐free without any episode of cholangitis and abnormal liver function test. Diathermic dilation using 6‐Fr electrocautery dilator is a promising salvage procedure for severe benign biliary stricture when the conventional dilation technique has been ineffective.
Performance evaluation of a self‐administered home oral glucose tolerance test kit in a controlled clinical research setting
Authors: Dunseath G. J. , Bright D. , Jones C. , Dowrick S. , Cheung W.‐Y. , Luzio S. D.
Published: April 2019

Aim

To evaluate the performance of the current, pre‐production version of a novel home oral glucose tolerance test (Home OGTT) device when administered by trained research nurses, compared with a reference laboratory glucose analyser and a second laboratory analyser, incorporating a sample processing delay to simulate normal practice.

Methods

One hundred women (aged 19–48 years), with and without known glucose intolerance were recruited. Following an overnight fast, participants attended for a 75‐g OGTT. A fasting capillary sample was applied to the Home OGTT device with a corresponding venous sample collected and measured immediately on the reference YSI 2300 stat plus analyser, and following a 1‐h delay on the Randox Daytona Plus analyser. The sampling process was repeated 2 h after the oral glucose load.

Results

Some 97% of tested devices gave complete data for analysis. Good agreement was observed between the reference glucose analyser and the Home OGTT device, with the Home OGTT device displaying a small negative bias (−0.18 mmol/l, −1.75 to 1.39 mmol/mol; −1.0%, −26.4% to 24.5%; absolute and relative mean, 95% limits of agreement). When classified as normal glucose tolerant or glucose intolerant, the Home OGTT device showed 100% and 90% sensitivity, and 99% and 99% specificity using fasting plasma glucose and 2‐h glucose respectively. Similar sensitivity (100% and 100%) and specificity (96% and 99%) for fasting plasma glucose and 2‐h glucose were observed using the secondary analyser.

Conclusions

The novel Home OGTT device was reliable and easy to use and showed excellent agreement with two separate laboratory analysers. The Home OGTT offers potential as an effective alternative for clinic‐based OGTT testing.
Incidence and predictors of recurrent and other new diabetic foot ulcers: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Engberg S. , Kirketerp‐Møller K. , Ullits Andersen H. , Rasmussen A.
Published: April 2019

Aims

To estimate progression rates, evaluate risk factors for progression, and study rate ratios for progression among people with a healed diabetic foot ulcer according to whether the healed ulcer was neuropathic, neuro‐ischaemic or critically ischaemic.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study in all individuals with a healed diabetic foot ulcer treated at the Steno Diabetes Centre Copenhagen foot clinic in the period 2010 to 2016. The outcome of interest was recurrent/other new diabetic foot ulcers.

Results

A total of 780 people had a healed diabetic foot ulcer in the study period (2010–2016). The participants were followed for 1249 person‐years [median (Q1–Q3) 1.04 (0.38–2.46) person‐years] in total. One‐third (33.1%) developed a recurrent/other new diabetic foot ulcer per year. Male gender, people with Type 2 diabetes and smokers had a statistically significantly higher risk of progression to a recurrent/other new diabetic foot ulcer compared to participants without these risk factors. Participants with neuro‐ischaemic or critically ischaemic diabetic foot ulcers had statistically significantly higher progression rates than participants with neuropathic diabetic foot ulcers.

Conclusions

Focus should be on preventing future recurrent/other new diabetic foot ulcers especially in people with ischaemia.
Allometric growth and adaptive value of exaggerated body parts in the larvae of Gratiana spadicea (Klug) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)
Authors: Ramos Bruna de Cássia M. , Boligon Danessa S. , Moreira Gilson R. P.
Published: April 2019

1. Larvae of tortoise beetles present exaggerated body parts in association with an abdominal shield, which is made of faeces and exuviae that are deposited on the urogomphi throughout ontogeny. Growth trajectories and scaling relationships of these functional structures associated with the shield, if any, are unknown.

2. This study of Gratiana spadicea first tested, under field conditions, whether there is adaptive value associated with the shield regarding protection against predation and sunlight. Then, under laboratory conditions, the growth trajectory and allometric relationships among body parts were investigated, including scoli, individual and apparent furcae, and shield. The influence of food deprivation on the development of these structures was also determined.

3. Findings from previous studies were confirmed, suggesting that the adaptive value assigned to the shield is related to protection against predators. The present study demonstrated for the first time that the shield acts as a parasol in cassidines, decreasing the exposure of their larval body to sunlight. The scoli and apparent furca are exaggerated structures of G. spadicea, the development of which involves allometric growth and greater energetic investment (positive allometry) during ontogeny. There was proportionally less energetic investment for somatic construction of individual furca (negative allometry) due to the accumulation of the exuviae.

4. The possible consequences, in terms of developmental costs and survivorship benefits associated with the evolution of such exaggerated structures, are discussed.
Human factors testing of the Quanta SC+ hemodialysis system: An innovative system for home and clinic use
Authors: Harasemiw Oksana , Day Clara , Milad John E. , Grainger James , Ferguson Thomas , Komenda Paul
Published: April 2019

Introduction: Uptake rates of home hemodialysis are the lowest among all modality types, despite providing patients with clinical and quality of life benefits at a lower cost to providers. Currently, there is a need to develop dialysis systems that are appealing to patients while also being suitable for use across the continuum of care. The SC+ hemodialysis system was developed by Quanta Dialysis Technologies Ltd. to provide patients with a dialysis system that is small, simple to use, and powerful enough to deliver acceptable dialysis adequacy.

Methods: As part of the SC+ design validation, human factors testing was performed with 17 Healthcare Professionals (nephrology nurses and healthcare assistants) and 15 Home Users (patients and caregivers). To assess usability and safety, the human factors testing involved between 4.5 and 6 hours of training and, after a period of training decay, a subsequent test session in which participants independently performed tasks on SC+.

Findings: Between the two user groups, there were only 29 errors observed out of 1216 opportunities for errors, despite minimal training. Errors that did occur were minor and attributed to an initial lack of familiarity with the device; none were safety related.

Discussion: Among prevalent dialysis patients and healthcare professionals, the SC+ hemodialysis system was easy to use, even with minimal training and a learning decay period, and had a high level of use safety. By taking into account human factors to optimize the user experience, SC+ has the potential to address systemic and patient barriers, allowing for wider self‐care and home hemodialysis adoption.
Efficacy of tailored therapy for Helicobacter pylori eradication based on clarithromycin resistance and survey of previous antibiotic exposure: A single‐center prospective pilot study
Authors: Kwon Yong Hwan , Jeon Seong Woo , Nam Su Youn , Lee Hyun Suk , Park Ji Hey
Published: April 2019

Background

As the prevalence of antibiotic resistance is increasing, the effectiveness of traditional Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) therapies is gradually declining. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of tailored therapy (dual priming oligonucleotide [DPO]‐based multiplex PCR) and previous antibiotic exposure survey predicting for antibiotic resistance.

Materials and Methods

Patients with H pylori infection who did not receive previous treatment were enrolled. The patients were divided into four groups (no resistance [NR] group, clarithromycin resistance [CLA‐R] group, metronidazole‐resistant [MET‐R] group, and CLA‐ and MET‐resistant [Dual‐R] group) based on the results of dual priming oligonucleotide (DPO) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and previous antibiotic exposure survey, and they were treated with tailored therapy based on antibiotic susceptibility.

Results

Consecutive patients were distributed in the NR (n = 36, 70.6%), CLA‐R (n = 9, 17.6%), and suspected MET‐R (n = 6, 11.8%) group. The overall intention‐to‐treat/per‐protocol eradication rate (ITT/PP) was 92.2%/94.0%. In the subgroup analysis, the ITT and PP of the NR, CLA‐R, and MET‐R groups were 94.4%/94.4%, 77.8%/87.5%, and 100.0%/100.0%, respectively. Total of 31 patients in all subgroups were evaluated for antibiotic resistance; five (16.1%), two (6.5%), and three (9.7%) participants showed CLA, MET, and dual resistance in culture‐based susceptibility test. Compared with culture‐based MIC test, the accuracy of DPO‐based multiplex PCR in determining CLA resistance was 90.3%, while the accuracy of survey in determining MET resistance was only 77.4%.

Conclusion

A tailored therapy based on DPO‐PCR and history of previous antibiotic use is useful in clinical practice and well correlated with culture‐based susceptibility test.
Prognostic impact of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with radiofrequency ablation in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: Comparison with TACE alone using decision‐tree analysis after propensity score matching
Authors: Shimose Shigeo , Tanaka Masatoshi , Iwamoto Hideki , Niizeki Takashi , Shirono Tomotake , Aino Hajime , Noda Yu , Kamachi Naoki , Okamura Shusuke , Nakano Masahito , Kuromatsu Ryoko , Kawaguchi Takumi , Kawaguchi Atsushi , Koga Hironori , Yokokura Yoshinori , Torimura Takuji
Published: April 2019

Aims

The prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients treated with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is still poor. We aimed to evaluate the impact of TACE combined with radiofrequency ablation (TACE+RFA) on the prognosis of HCC patients using decision‐tree analysis after propensity score matching.

Methods

This was a retrospective study. We enrolled 420 patients with HCC treated with TACE alone (n = 311) or TACE+RFA (n = 109) between 1998 and 2016 (median age, 72 years; male / female, 272/148; Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage A / B, 215/205). The prognosis of patients who underwent TACE+RFA was compared to patients who underwent TACE alone after propensity score matching. Decision‐tree analysis was used to investigate the profile for prognosis of the patients.

Results

After propensity score matching, there was no significant difference in age, sex, BCLC stage, or albumin–bilirubin (ALBI) score between both groups. The survival rate of the TACE+RFA group was significantly higher than the TACE alone group (median survival time [MST] 57.9 months vs. 33.1 months, P < 0.001). In a stratification analysis according to BCLC stage, the overall survival rate of the TACE+RFA group was significantly higher than the TACE alone group in BCLC stage A and B (MST 57.9 and 50.7 months vs. 39.8 and 24.5 months [P = 0.007 and 0.001], respectively). Decision‐tree analysis showed that TACE+RFA was the third distinguishable factor for survival in patients with α‐fetoprotein level >7 ng/mL and ALBI <−2.08.

Conclusion

Decision‐tree analysis after propensity score matching showed that TACE+RFA could prolong the survival of HCC patients compared to TACE alone.
Rationality through the Eyes of Shame: Oppression and Liberation via Emotion*
Authors: Mun Cecilea
Published: April 2019

Standard accounts of shame characterize it as an emotion of global negative self‐assessment, in which an individual necessarily accepts or assents to a global negative self‐evaluation. According to nonstandard accounts of shame, experiences of shame need not involve a global negative self‐assessment. I argue here in favor of nonstandard accounts of shame over standard accounts. First, I begin with a detailed discussion of standard accounts of shame, focusing primarily on Gabriele Taylor's standard account (Taylor 1985). Second, I illustrate how Adrian Piper's experience of groundless shame can be portrayed as 1) both a rational and an irrational experience of shame, in accordance with Taylor's account as a paradigm model of standard accounts of shame, and 2) as a rational experience of shame when taken in its own right as a legitimate, rational account of shame (Piper 1992/1996). Third, without denying that some experiences of shame either are or can be irrational experiences of shame, I elucidate how standard accounts of shame can act as mechanisms of epistemic injustice, and in doing so can transmute the righteous indignation of the marginalized by recasting them as shameful experiences (that is, by recasting them as experiences of the righteous shame of the marginalized).
Giant basal cell carcinoma: clinical–histological characteristics of 115 cases
Authors: Vaca‐Aguilera Martha R. , Guevara‐Gutiérrez Elizabeth , Barrientos‐García Juan G. , Tlacuilo‐Parra Alberto
Published: April 2019

Introduction

Giant basal cell carcinoma (GBCC) is a tumor ≥5 cm in size, with aggressive biological behavior, that represents 1% of basal cell carcinomas (BCC), and studies regarding it are scarce. Our objective was to investigate the clinical–histopathological characteristics ofGBCCand the risk factors associated with its development.

Methods

A retrospective study over 8 years included patients with the clinical and histopathological diagnosis ofGBCC. Age, sex, localization, size, evolution time, risk factors, and histological variants were compared to conventionalBCC. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used, and a value ofP < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

Of 5958 patients withBCC, 115 (2%) of them corresponded toGBCC. The average patient age was 73 ± 11 years, and the male sex (52%) and localization on the head and neck (63%) predominated. Average tumor size was 6.6 ± 2.2 cm, evolution time was 96 ± 86 months, and high‐grade histological variants (51%) predominated. The group withGBCChad higher age (P < 0.01), greater frequency in the male sex (P = 0.01), longer evolution time (P < 0.01); a greater prevalence of risk factors (24%vs. 16%,P = 0.01), antecedents of other types of cancer (P = 0.03), and of burns (P = 0.03); and a greater frequency of high‐grade histological variants (51% vs. 29%,P < 0.01).

Conclusions

This is the largest series ofGBCCpublished to date. Findings are similar to those previously reported, although the prevalence found here was greater.
Electron transport behavior of polymer‐derived amorphous silicoboron carbonitrides
Authors: Wang Kewei , Ma Baisheng , Zhang Ligong , Sun Zhenzhong , Wang Yiguang
Published: April 2019

Electron transport behavior of polymer‐derived amorphous silicoboron carbonitride (a‐SiBCNs) ceramics was studied by measuring DC/AC conductivities and optical absorption as functions of the temperature. Structural information of materials was investigated by combining X‐ray diffraction (XRD), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) techniques. Conductive mechanisms and electronic structure of the materials (eg, hopping mechanism, conduction band, band‐tail, and defect energy) were deduced by fitting experimental results to theoretical models. Results revealed that DC/AC conduction of materials followed band‐tail hopping mechanism instead of previously assumed variable‐range hopping mechanism. Hopping mechanism, associated with overlapped band‐tail and defect levels, was likely originated by the presence of certain number of defects and highly disordered structure of materials. The content of donor defects in materials was considered to have great influence on the type of electronic mechanism. These results were discussed in line with microstructural evolution of materials.
Correlations between broad‐scale taxonomic and genetic differentiations suggest a dominant imprint of historical processes on beta diversities
Authors: Robuchon Marine , Leroy Boris , Jézéquel Céline , Hugueny Bernard
Published: April 2019

Aim

Dispersal limitation, environmental selection and drift are known to influence both taxonomic similarity between communities and genetic similarity between populations. However, disentangling the relative roles of these processes on spatial patterns of differentiation—whether regarding taxonomic differentiation (TD) between communities or genetic differentiation (GD) between populations—is challenging. Investigating whether spatial patterns of TD and GD are correlated (β‐SGDCs) is a promising approach to address this issue. Here, we investigated β‐SGDCs over broad spatial scales and 22 freshwater fish species to elucidate the processes shaping TD and GD between drainage basins.

Location

Global scope, data mainly from Europe and North America.

Taxon

Actinopterygii and Petromyzontiformes (freshwater fishes).

Methods

We used Mantel tests to investigate the raw correlation between TD and GD. We carried out multiple regressions to characterize the effects of geographic distance (proxy of dispersal limitation), environmental distance (proxy of environmental selection) and pairwise harmonic mean area between basins (proxy of drift) on TD and GD taken separately. We then analyzed the correlation between the residuals of these two regressions with Mantel tests. Finally, we investigated whether the variation in β‐SGDC between species was related to species traits.

Results

We detected an overall positive β‐SGDC, both for the raw and the residual correlations. This implies that, unmeasured effects, other than geographic distance, environmental distance and harmonic mean area, influence the β‐SGDC observed. Values of β‐SGDCs greatly varied between species, but this was not explained by any species traits.

Main conclusions

Independently of the effects of geographic distance, environmental distance and harmonic mean area, the β‐SGDC we observed suggests that historical processes strongly shaped the patterns of TD and GD between basins. Consequently, TD may be an appropriate proxy to explain the influence of historical processes on GD.
The prevalence of combined vascular endothelial growth factor, endothelial nitric oxide synthase and thrombin‐activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor genetic polymorphisms among Egyptian patients with recurrent spontaneous abortion
Authors: Abulata Nelly N. , Shaheen Iman A. , Osman Omneya M. , Hussein Ahmed M. , El‐Khayat Waleed M.
Published: April 2019

Aim

As angiogenesis is an essential step for chorionic villi formation. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is essential for endothelial cell proliferation. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) is a powerful playmaker in hypoxia‐induced angiogenesis. Thrombin‐activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) regulates both fibrinolysis and inflammation. Genetic alterations of these factors may lead to recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA). We aimed to investigate the combined genetic variants of VEGF G‐1154A and two eNOS genetic variants: T‐786C promoter region and intron 4 variable number of tandom repeats in addition to TAFI C‐1040T among RSA patients.

Methods

The study included 50 patients with RSA and 50 healthy controls. Polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism were used for genotyping.

Results

Both genetic alterations of eNOS confirmed at least a sixfold increase of RSA risk. Interestingly, they were associated with TAFI C‐1040Tgenetic variant in 21 patients, eight of them had both studied eNOS genetic alterations and TAFI C‐1040Tgenetic variant, while each eNOS genetic variant associated with TAFI C‐1040Tconfirmed an almost one and half fold increase risk of RSA.

Conclusion

These findings highlighted the role of eNOS and nitric oxide metabolism in RSA and opened the gate to investigate the interaction of vasoconstrictive and fibrinolytic inhibitor systems.
Pneumococcal pericarditis, endocarditis, and pneumococcal and tuberculous co‐infection are other cardiovascular complications of pneumococcal pneumonia
Authors: Jolobe O. M. P.
Published: April 2019

Click here to view the Review by Dr. Feldman et al
Unmasking the true face of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome
Authors: Fedorowski A.
Published: April 2019

Click to view the Original Article by B. H. Shaw et al.
A slightly slummier area? Negotiations of place‐bound identities through social spatializations and unofficial toponyms
Authors: Vuolteenaho Jani , Lappalainen Hanna , Ainiala Terhi
Published: April 2019

In the article, spatializations (discourses of ideal or stereotyped spaces) are conceptualized as powerful discourses of the surrounding society, providing resources for place‐bound identity construction in interaction. We combine a sociolinguistic analysis with Bakhtinian dialogism to understand how such “third” voices in dialogue empower and pluralize self‐ and other‐positionings embedded in the evocations of unofficial place names. Empirically, the focus is on toponyms that divide the socially mixed Vuosaari suburb in Helsinki into “older” and “newer” territories. The results show that when the stereotypes of “good” and “bad” neighbourhoods or other spatializations interpenetrate the uses of “Old” and “New Vuosaari,” they open room for the (re‐)voicing of the meanings of these toponyms for highly differentiated social ends. With the Bakhtinian framework bridging between socio‐spatial theory and sociolinguistics, the article develops a spatially sensitized approach to analyse the entanglements of the micro‐level contexts of interaction with the macro‐level discourses of meaning‐giving.
Does umbilical cord blood glucose extraction discriminate the risk of early neonatal hypoglycaemia in at‐risk newborns?
Authors: Kennedy Lydia M L , Crawford Tara M , Andersen Chad C , Stark Michael J
Published: April 2019

Aim

Despite targeting newborns at risk of hypoglycaemia based on clinical characteristics, blood glucose measured at 1 and 4 h of age is frequently normal. Identification of at‐risk newborns at the greatest risk of hypoglycaemia would allow more targeted, earlier intervention. We aimed to determine the ability of calculated umbilical cord blood glucose extraction to discriminate hypoglycaemia in at‐risk newborns in the first 4 h of life.

Methods

Newborns with paired arterial and venous cord blood glucose and 1 ± 4 h capillary or venous blood glucose measured using a blood gas analyser (radiometer) were retrospectively identified (n = 154). Hypoglycaemia was defined as a blood glucose ≤2.0 mmol/L. The ability of calculated umbilical cord blood glucose extraction to discriminate risk of hypoglycaemia was determined by an receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.

Results

Twenty‐seven newborns (18%) had a blood glucose ≤2.0 mmol/L at either time point. Neither arterial nor venous cord blood glucose predicted early hypoglycaemia better than chance. The area under the ROC curve for umbilical cord blood glucose extraction (area under the ROC curve = 0.74, (95% confidence interval, 0.65–0.82)) was significantly better than chance and arterial or venous cord blood glucose. An umbilical cord blood glucose extraction of 16% had the best sensitivity (80%) and specificity (55%) for discriminating the risk of early hypoglycaemia.

Conclusions

Umbilical cord blood glucose extraction discriminates the risk of early hypoglycaemia at 1 or 4 h of age. However, the clinical utility of this test is limited due to the low sensitivity and specificity. Its predictive value may be greater in specific subsets of at‐risk newborns and warrants further investigation.
The Effect of the Field of Study on the Higher Education Wage Premium — Evidence from Israel
Authors: Krill Ze'ev , Geva Assaf , Aloni Tslil
Published: April 2019

Choosing an academic field of study is an important economic decision; it impacts the skills acquired during the course of one's studies, the occupation and industry when entering the labor market, and consequently, one's potential salary. Using administrative records on the birth cohort of 1975–85 in Israel, we examine the impact of the choice of academic field of study on salary and find that this choice accounts for about 20 per cent of the explained variance in wages. In general, the effects we find are qualitatively similar to those found in a similar study conducted for the United States, although the variance found in Israeli data is slightly higher. Thus, compared with education studies graduates, we find a particularly high premium for computer science and engineering fields, and a negative premium for arts, psychology, architecture, and the humanities.
Effects of Photobiomodulation on Root Resorption Induced by Orthodontic Tooth Movement and RANKL/OPG Expression in Rats
Authors: de Melo Conti Carolina , Suzuki Hideo , Garcez Aguinaldo Silva , Suzuki Selly Sayuri
Published: April 2019

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of photobiomodulation on the repair of induced root resorption (RR) after orthodontic tooth movement. Twenty male rats were used in this study. Forty right and left upper first molars were evaluated and divided into four groups (n = 10): negative control group (NC), no tooth movement or irradiation; positive control group (PC), induced tooth movement and root resorption; conventional treatment group (CT), force was removed after 7 days; and photobiomodulation group (PBM) after force removal molars were irradiated every 48 h for 7 days using GaAlAs diode laser (810 nm). Energy per point was 1.5 J (100 mW, 15 s, 75 J cm−2). NC and PC were euthanized on day 7; CT and PBM on day 14. Histomorphometric and immunohistochemsitry analyses showed increase in area of root resorption in all groups (P < 0.05) compared to NC. RR lacunae were larger in CT compared to PC and PBM at the compression side of the distal root. OPG was higher in PBM group (P < 0.05). PBM group showed low expression of RANKL compared to PC and CT on the tension side. PBM can potentially affect RR progression by increasing OPG expression in the compression area and decreasing number of clastic cells in the root surface.
Meteoric fluid‐rock interaction in Variscan shear zones
Authors: Dusséaux Camille , Gébelin Aude , Boulvais Philippe , Gardien Véronique , Grimes Stephen , Mulch Andreas
Published: April 2019

Variscan shear zones in the Armorican Massif represent sites of strong fluid‐rock interaction. The hydrogen isotope composition of muscovite (δDMs) from syntectonic leucogranite allows to determine the source of fluids that infiltrated the footwall of three detachment zones and the South Armorican Shear Zone. Using temperatures of hydrogen isotope exchange estimated from microstructural data, we calculate the hydrogen isotope ratios of water (δDwater) present within the shear zones during high‐temperature deformation. A ~40‰ difference in δDwater values from deep to shallow crustal level reveals a mixing relationship between deep crustal fluids with higher δD values that range from −34 to −33‰, and meteoric fluids with δD values as low as −74‰ in the upper part of detachment footwalls.
The DNA of the domestic value added (DVA) in exports: Firm‐level analysis of DVA in exports
Authors: Vrh Nataša
Published: April 2019

This paper sheds light on the relationship between domestic value added in exports (DVA) and the different ways firms participate in GVCs by exploiting a detailed firm‐level data set for the whole population of Slovenian exporting firms for the period 2002–14. The paper draws attention to those firm characteristics that allow a greater share of DVA to be captured. Although reliance on industry‐level data from input–output tables is the most common way of doing this in the literature, this paper develops a method for estimating DVA in exports using firm‐level data by adapting the approach taken by Kee and Tang (2016). The paper finds that in terms of DVA, domestic‐owned exporting firms outperform more productive foreign‐owned firms and that firms not affiliated with permanent suppliers from abroad capture higher DVA in exports. Positive outcomes of DVA in exports can be observed, all else being equal, for firms with a larger share of intangible capital per worker and firms with a smaller share of exports based on imports of the same products. The results also show that when exporting more to less demanding markets, like the countries of former Yugoslavia, firms benefit more in terms of greater DVA gains in exports.
Assessing the Disturbed Flow and the Transition to Turbulence in the Arteriovenous Fistula
Authors: Stella Simone , Vergara Christian , Giovannacci Luca , Quarteroni Alfio , Prouse Giorgio
Published: April 2019

The arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is the main form of vascular access for hemodialysis patients, but its maintenance is very challenging. Its failure is mainly related to intimal hyperplasia (IH), leading to stenosis. The aim of this work was twofold: (i) to perform a computational study for the comparison of the disturbed blood dynamics in different configurations of AVF and (ii) to assess the amount of transition to turbulence developed by the specific geometric configuration of AVF. For this aim, we reconstructed realistic three-dimensional (3D) geometries of two patients with a side-to-end AVF, performing a parametric study by changing the angle of incidence at the anastomosis. We solved the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations modeling the blood as an incompressible and Newtonian fluid. Large eddy simulations (LES) were considered to capture the transition to turbulence developed at the anastomosis. The values of prescribed boundary conditions are obtained from clinical echo-color Doppler (ECD) measurements. To assess the disturbed flow, we considered hemodynamic quantities such as the velocity field, the pressure distribution, and wall shear stresses (WSS) derived quantities, whereas to quantify the transition to turbulence, we computed the standard deviation of the velocity field among different heartbeats and the turbulent kinetic energy.