bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Collaboration between philanthropic foundations and government
Authors: Almog-Bar Michal , Zychlinski Ester
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The aim of this paper is to examine collaboration between the government and philanthropic foundations in the age of new governance. This focuses on analysing the relationship that was formed between PFs and the government in Israel during the development and operation of two joint projects initiated by PFs, which aimed to promote collaboration between the two sectors in the fields of children at risk and the public education system.

Design/methodology/approach

– Qualitative, thematic content analysis was used to study the relationships that emerged between the PFs and the government. Data were collected from an examination of documented materials and interviews with key participants in the two projects from both parties.

Findings

– The article presents the interface between government and philanthropic foundations in the age of new governance. Several major factors that shape these relations in collaborative projects emerged from the comparative analysis of the two case studies and are relevant to public sector management: the different perceptions of government and philanthropic foundations that guide the collaborations, the politics of collaboration and the power relations between PFs and government.

Research limitations/implications

– Further research might examine other examples of collaboration between PFs and government, since the research reported here comprises only two case studies.

Originality/value

– As collaborations between government and philanthropic foundations are expanding in many countries as part of new-governance structures, the article presents a valuable insight for both academics and practitioners about relationships between these two sectors, and especially collaboration that involves actors from the New Philanthropy.
Collaborative development of enterprise policy
Authors: Woods Megan , Parker Miles Morgan
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The aim of this paper is to integrate an augmented version of the Thompson et al. model of enterprise policy, delivery, practice and research with services marketing models including SERVQUAL and strategic conversations; and demonstrate a practical application of the analysed through the application of N-Vivo qualitative data classification software to create more satisfying enterprise policy recommendations that better reflect the voices of SMEs and other stakeholders.

Design/methodology/approach

– A five-stage iterative process model to integrate stakeholder input into enterprise policy recommendations is developed through integrating services marketing theory and the Thompson et al. model into a field study of community conversations hosted by the Tasmanian Department of Economic Development, Tourism and the Arts, Regional Development Australia's Tasmanian committee, and local governments.

Findings

– The five-stage iterative model leverages strategic conversations, analysis (through N-Vivo), comments and revisions, recommendation co-creation, and policy assessment using SERQUAL to craft more satisfying policy recommendations.

Research limitations/implications

– The first limitation was the time and costs associated with conducting the community consultation workshops and analysing the data. The second limitation was the inability to craft policy quickly in response to a changing environment due to the time taken to collect and transcribe the data, undertake the analysis, and develop and report policy recommendations. The third limitation was the complexity of coordinating three levels of government, which took time and effort because each level had different interests and time frames and were at times distracted by other priorities.

Originality/value

– This paper contributes to better enterprise policy by providing a process model developed using both theory and a field study to illustrate how policy makers can co-develop policy that is more satisfying to policy stakeholders.
Social entrepreneurship and the negotiation of emerging social enterprise markets
Authors: Gawell Malin
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– Sweden, and many other countries, has, during the twentieth century, developed a rather large public sector providing social welfare services to citizens. Only to a small extent were private for- or nonprofit organizations providing these services. During the last decade we have seen a shift towards more services being provided by private for- and nonprofit actors. This shift means that roles are reconsidered, renegotiated and reconstructed. In this debate social entrepreneurship, social enterprises and innovation are emphasized. The aim of this paper is to problematize and analyze how social entrepreneurship and social enterprises relate to public sector management and governance.

Design/methodology/approach

– In the paper theories on (social) entrepreneurship and innovation is combined with theories focusing on welfare structures. Empirically, the analysis is based on the current policy development in Sweden and five social entrepreneurship initiatives.

Findings

– The analysis discloses the relationship between the public sector and social entrepreneurship as negotiation of emerging social enterprise markets in which aspects as the creation of value, dependencies and innovation are emphasized. Even if the study has a geographical focus both theoretical contributions and implications for policy and practice can be of use also in other contexts.

Originality/value

– Through combining social entrepreneurship with welfare services and public management this empirically based study contributes both to problematize and align the emerging field of social innovation.
Developing creative leadership in a public sector organisation
Authors: Anne Loewenberger Pauline , Newton Mark , Wick Kylie
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to demonstrate the effective development of creative and innovative capability in a rigid bureaucratic public sector environment of an area of the British Transport Police, championed by the Area Commander and informed by extant literature.

Design/methodology/approach

– The focus is on an intervention that addressed two related issues suggested by extant literature, cognitive blocks to creative thinking and organisational barriers. A diagnostic assessment of the climate for creativity prompted reflection leading to simultaneous interventions, combining supervisory and senior management support with a structured process of creative problem solving focusing on problems generated at a strategic level.

Findings

– This has proved highly effective. At the end of the first year, five six-week cycles had already resulted in more than 600 new ideas, of which 52 were in the pipeline and 13 had already been endorsed. Few required financial investment and have increased effectiveness and optimised use of resources – literally doing more with less. Evidence is emerging of a climate more supportive of creativity and innovation.

Practical implications

– Positive outcomes have significant implications for the enhancement of creativity and innovation through intrinsic motivation. This example has potential for other public service organisations.

Originality/value

– Simultaneous interventions across multiple levels are rare. That this has been achieved in a rigid bureaucratic environment public sector organisation adds to the unique value of this contribution.
A consumer definition of store convenience (finally)
Authors: Reimers Vaughan
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– Despite an increasingly convenience-oriented society, very few empirical studies have identified convenience as a salient determinant of store patronage. Such atypical findings could be due to the way in which academics have defined store convenience. The purpose of this study is to empirically develop an alternative definition of store convenience.

Design/methodology/approach

– A household mail-out survey was used to identify the attributes consumers associate with store convenience.

Findings

– Empirical analysis provides strong support for the alternative definition, with respondents indicating that 25 of the test attributes serve as convenience attributes in the context of a department store.

Practical implications

– In spite of the many things a store manager can do to make their store more convenient, academic studies have recognised very few of these as convenience attributes. This study provides store managers with a list of 25 tools they have at their disposal to help save their customers' time and effort and help combat the internet threat.

Originality/value

– Comprising 25 attributes, the alternative definition represents a significant increase over any existing definition. The failure of existing definitions to incorporate so many of these attributes may explain why academic research has suggested that, in an era of convenience, convenience itself is a less-than-salient determinant of store patronage.
Which retail services are co-located?
Authors: Öner Özge , P. Larsson Johan
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– Which retail services are co-located in space? Is it possible to categorize retail stores of different kinds with respect to their location pattern? Acknowledging the spatial dependency between different and similar kinds of retailing activities, the aim of this paper is to find if and to what extent co-location is present in a retail market and what kind of retailing activities are co-located.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors analyse the co-location of different types of retail stores in Sweden by using geo-coded data. The data they use allows them to pinpoint each establishment in Sweden down to a 250 by 250m square in space. First, they identify a measure of co-location for each retail service by utilizing pairwise correlations between the different retail service establishments with respect to the squares in which they are present. Later, by using the finest level of industrial categorization for all physical retailing activities (and limiting their geographical unit to the Stockholm metropolitan market), they perform factor analysis to nest these retailing activities under relevant categories based on their co-location pattern.

Findings

– In this analysis the authors obtain four major factors for the squares with retail stores, in which several kinds of retail activities are nested. These factors reveal a certain degree of location commonality for the markets in question.

Originality/value

– The authors' empirical design is based on a highly disaggregated spatial information and the methodology is novel in a sense that it has not been used to address a similar question. Rather than sampling, the authors use the total population, where they take all physical retailing activities into account to be able to draw a general picture for the co-location phenomena in the entire retail market.
New Zealand patients’ perceptions of chronic care delivery
Authors: Carryer Jenny , Doolan-Noble Fiona , Gauld Robin , Budge Claire
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– Care coordination for patients with chronic conditions is one aim of an integrated health care delivery system. The purpose of this paper is to compare findings from two separate New Zealand studies and discusses the implications of the results.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper describes and discusses the use of Patient Assessment of Chronic Illness Care Measure in two different geographic areas of New Zealand and at different times.

Findings

– The studies suggest that, despite the time that has elapsed since government investment in care coordination for long-term conditions, there has been little change in the nature of service delivery from the patient perspective.

Originality/value

– The paper highlights the shortcomings of simply providing additional funding for care coordination, without built in accountabilities, no planned evaluation and no concerted focus on what the model of care should look like.
After pain comes joy: identity gaps in employees
'
minds
Authors: Park Jin Suk
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to bridge the theory of organisational identity and the practice of HR management.

Design/methodology/approach

– This conceptual paper starts from the fundamental questions about employees
'
defining-self in workplaces. Specifically, this paper examines the organisational identity by adopting a process model of sensemaking which assumes a dynamic cycle between the sensebreaking and sensegiving activities. Based on this, this paper develops and provides a practical framework for HR practitioners and a theoretical implication for academic researchers.

Findings

– The author introduces the concept of identity gaps, a relatively under researched area in the social identity literature and HR management. Then, three types of identity gaps are identified: individual-individual gaps, organisational-organisational gaps, and individual-organisational gaps. Based on this categorization, this paper shows the matching HR practices for each type one by one.

Originality/value

– Today
'
s practices of HR seem to underestimate the importance of employees
'
activities of defining self-identities even though academic research on employees
'
identity is flourishing. By providing clear and structured framework for managing employee
'
s identity, this paper can bridge the theory of identity and the practice in HR management.
The mediating role of job content plateau on the relationship between work experience characteristics and early retirement and turnover intentions
Authors: Hofstetter Hila , Cohen Aaron
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The study aims to elucidate the relationship between five work experiences or conditions (age-related stereotypes, perceived organizational support [POS], coworker support, career satisfaction, and reaching a job plateau) and two different organizational withdrawal intentions – early retirement and turnover – in light of trends to abolish or increase the mandatory retirement age in Israel and elsewhere in the Western world.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study is based on a survey of a heterogeneous age sample of 170 unionized employees working in medium-sized Israeli industrial firms.

Findings

– POS and perceived age stereotypes were negatively related to early retirement intentions and not to turnover intentions. Job plateau was found to be related to the other work-related variables, with the exception of coworker support, and also was found to be a strong mediator between these variables and employees ' turnover intentions, and a partial mediator between the variables and early retirement intentions.

Practical implications

– The study suggests a managerial focus on the person-job fit over time as a tool for reducing employees ' turnover intentions, and encouraging continued employee development as a way to reduce early retirement intentions.

Originality/value

– The study focuses on the potential role of correctable contextual characteristics in triggering withdrawal responses, in light of the aging of the workforce.
Is the empirical validity of prior experience for performance affected by rating approach?
Authors: Baugher Dan , Weisbord Ellen , Ramos Chris
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– In the public sector, Training and Experience (T & E) exams assess prior experience and are one of the most often used methods for selecting job applicants. This study uses a KSA approach, where raters judge the quality of job relevant prior experience, not its duration or quantity. It was hypothesized that an additional rater and a consensus meeting between raters would increase reliability and validity.

Design/methodology/approach

– T & E and supervisory ratings were obtained over a 12-year period for 166 candidates seeking promotion to a budget analyst position. Validity was measured by the correlation between T & E scores and supervisory ratings. Consensus was required only for T & E scores differing by a specific amount (hybrid consensus).

Findings

– Intraclass reliability was 0.73, 0.84, and 0.95 in the one-rater, two-rater, and hybrid consensus conditions with each coefficient greater than the next (p< 0.05) showing the benefit of multiple raters and consensus for reliability. Validity was significant at 0.21, 0.26, and 0.251 for each rating condition, respectively (two-tail test;p< 0.01). Validity was greater in the two-rater condition than in the one-rater condition (one-tail test;p< 0.05). Consensus did not improve validity beyond that of two raters. For consensus T & Es (n=76), two raters improved validity (one-tail test;p< 0.05), moving from 0.112 to 0.231 but not reliability; consensus improved reliability (two-tail test;p< 0.05) but not validity.

Originality/value

– There has been a vacuum in T & E research for close to 20 years. Validity data are difficult to obtain but critical for meta-analysis. T & Es showed validity. Use of two raters improved validity but consensus did not increase the gain.
Knowledge management reliability and its impact on organizational performance
Authors: Mahdavi Mazdeh Mohammad , Hesamamiri Roozbeh
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– Although the topic of knowledge management (KM) failure has emerged over the past several years, no specific theory has been proposed about the ability of an organization to discover and manage unexpected failures in the organizational capabilities of KM. Thus, the main aim of this paper is to develop a theory of KM reliability by taking into account the availability of existing theory of high reliability for organizations. Furthermore, this study aims to empirically evaluate the impact of a reliable KM on organizational performance by developing a reliability measurement instrument.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study develops and tests a theoretical framework whereby the reliable KM is supported on its reliability aspects and organizational performance on its financial, process, and internal aspects. Based on a questionnaire, data were obtained from a sample of 254 companies in North America. The measurement model was tested and confirmed by using structural equation modeling (SEM).

Findings

– The results show that the reliable KM has a multi-dimensional structure as described by the proposed theoretical framework. Additionally, the results underscore the importance of KM reliability in creating conditions favorable for a firm's success.

Practical implications

– It was verified that the reliable KM affects the measures of organizational performance, including financial, process, and internal performance. This is useful for researchers and executives looking for appropriate outcomes through the implementation of KM initiatives. Furthermore, this study provides a starting point for further research on KM reliability.

Originality/value

– This study claims that a key to successful KM is to create a cognitive infrastructure that enables simultaneous adaptive learning and provides an organizational reliability infrastructure through the management of unwanted, unanticipated, and unexplainable failures in the KM's required capabilities.
Digital user behaviour of academicians in a conflict zone, Kashmir
Authors: Gul Sumeer , Ahmad Shah Tariq , Ahmad Suhail
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The aim of this paper is to explore digital user behaviour of academicians in Kashmir (Indian Administered) in the times of conflict (2008-2010) and peace (2011-2012). It is an attempt to investigate the influence of political conditions on the usage of electronic resources.

Design/methodology/approach

– Transaction logs in the form of COUNTER reports from Project MUSE database that represent usage at University of Kashmir, were mined for five years – January 2008 to December 2012. The data was divided in to two time periods; conflict period – 2008 to 2010 and peace period – 2011 to 2012.

Findings

– There is a strong relationship between peace, conflict and e-resource usage. The results confirm peace and conflict as explanatory factors on the use of electronic resources in conflict zones, like Kashmir.

Research limitations/implications

– Understanding how users behave in the online academic environments, the academic administrators can help to satisfy the perceptions and needs of users associated with the electronic resource settings.

Practical implications

– The study shows that more attention should be given to prevail peace in conflict zones in order to maximise the use of e-resources.

Originality/value

– The study is the first of its kind as it is trying to relate the user behaviour with political setups in a conflict zone, Kashmir.
Clinical psychologists’ implementation of the Mental Capacity Act
Authors: Walji Irram , Fletcher Ian , Weatherhead Stephen
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present an exploration of the experiences of clinical psychologists involved in implementing the Mental Capacity Act (MCA).

Design/methodology/approach

– Seven clinical psychologists were interviewed and transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis.

Findings

– Six themes were identified: competence and confidence; understanding and uncertainty; colleagues, collaboration, conflicts, and challenges; working within the law: processes and penalties; the psychological way: specialist skills and difficult decision-making; and power, principles, and protecting the person. The themes highlighted how the specialist skills and professional values of clinical psychologists enhanced their ability to maintain person-centred approaches and uphold the empowering principles underlying the MCA. Data analysis indicated a shared narrative among clinical psychologists involved in implementing the MCA, despite differences in client groups and contexts.

Practical implications

– This research highlighted the importance of finding solutions to current problems with the implementation of the MCA, such as training gaps and misunderstanding of the Act in relation to some of its complexities (e.g. deprivation of liberty safeguards and best interests decisions). These areas have the potential to significantly impact on a person's wellbeing. There is an ongoing need for training, multidisciplinary working, and strong effective supervision with ongoing reflexivity, if the Act is to be implemented in the holistic person-centred manner that are the foundations on which it was developed.

Originality/value

– This research identifies the important role clinical psychologists have to play in this process. Their specialist skills can encourage a person-centred approach to the implementation of the MCA.
Skills social care workers need to support personalisation
Authors: Moriarty Jo , Manthorpe Jill , Cornes Michelle
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to consider what implications the government's policy of personalisation has for social care workers in terms of the skills that they need to achieve more personalised support for people using services and family carers.

Design/methodology/approach

– A total of 86 semi-structured interviews were undertaken with a purposeful sample of social care commissioners, family carers, representatives of voluntary organisations and carers’ workers based in four contrasting localities in England.

Findings

– Participants highlighted the need for social care workers to have more specialist knowledge both about different complex health conditions and about services in their locality. The need to offer tailored support to carers that took account of the time they had been caring and the particular issues that they faced in terms of the health problems that the person for whom they cared was emphasised. The relational aspects of care are important.

Research limitations/implications

– This was an exploratory study and may need to be replicated before generalisations could be made.

Originality/value

– Existing published research on personalisation rarely discusses its implications for the social care workforce in terms of their skills. There is also still only a limited literature looking at personalisation from the perspective of family carers and those working with family carers.
Positioning e‐government services in the credence based setting
Authors: Amritesh  , Misra Subhas C. , Chatterjee Jayanta
Published: May 2014

Purpose

The article aims to identify the possibility of contextual shift in traditional notions of e‐government service environment. The authors propose the existence of a new institutional entity as core service providers in addition to the government (G) and citizens (C) in the existing G2C e‐government service environments. Considering the nature of actors involved, the authors position the new e‐government environment under “credence based” service setting that emphasizes user's perspective. The work expands the scope of e‐government to accommodate a much broader range of similar services.

Design/methodology/approach

Scenario study has been chosen to understand the proposed contextual shift in traditional e‐government service setting. Study of one of the e‐government practices – “e‐counseling in India” – has been illustrated to advocate the authors' viewpoint. The data is collected from authorized government websites in India that offer e‐counseling services. In addition, 15 in‐depth interviews were also performed with government officials and users to have a deeper understanding about the new service setting.

Findings

The study has revealed and defended the authors' proposition on “contextual shift” and validated the existence of “credence based” setting in e‐government service environments. Moreover, it provides preliminary insights about why and how information quality can be a critical element for the aforesaid setting.

Practical implications

Identification of “credence based” e‐government service environments may require a different design strategy for structures, policies, systems, and services to fulfil the user expectations.

Originality/value

Attention is given to developing credence based context for G2C e‐government environments. This “contextual shift” identified in this paper contributes to the existing stream of research that emphasizes user's perspective in e‐government services.
The influence of practice educators on occupational therapy students’ understanding of the practical applications of theoretical knowledge: A phenomenological study into student experiences of practice education
Authors: Towns Emma , Ashby Samantha
Published: May 2014

Background/aim

Practice education is a compulsory component of all entry‐level programmes in the health professions. It is used as a teaching strategy to connect theoretical knowledge, such as occupation‐focussed models with practice. The study aimed to explore students’ perceptions about the influence of practice educators on their understanding of the use of occupation‐focussed models in practice.

Methods

Using a phenomenological approach, semi‐structured interviews gained an understanding of six participants’ experiences of their practice education. Interview transcripts were analysed thematically.

Findings

Three themes emerged from participants’ experiences of practice education. ‘Explaining the theory‐practice nexus’ referred to participants’ difficulties in distinguishing between different forms of theoretical knowledge, it described educators struggle to fulfil the dual roles of educator and practitioner’ when articulating the theoretical knowledge underpinning practice. This often led participants taking an active role in their own learning. ‘Experiencing dissonance between university‐based studies and the real‐world’ described the difference between the importance university studies placed on theory in comparison to practice. ‘Creating a positive mindset for the use of theoretical knowledge in practice for future practice’ illustrated strategies used by some practice educators to articulate the use of theoretical knowledge.

Conclusions

The study highlighted practice educators role in shaping students’ perceptions of theoretical knowledge use in professional reasoning. The increased recognition of practice educators on the implicit curricula creates an onus on the university sector to provide discussion and information exchanges to increase educators’ opportunities to develop, update and increase their skills in describing and using theoretical knowledge to underpin practice.
Traumatic orbital compartment syndrome: Importance of the lateral canthomy and cantholysis
Authors: Sun Michelle T , Chan Weng Onn , Selva Dinesh
Published: May 2014

Background

Orbital compartment syndrome (OCS) is an ophthalmic emergency that requires urgent surgical decompression to preserve vision.

Objective

To describe the clinical presentation, management and outcomes for patients with traumatic OCS.

Methods

Retrospective case series of eight patients with OCS secondary to blunt trauma presenting to the Royal Adelaide Hospital between 2004 and 2013.

Results

All patients had acute, painful decrease in visual acuity and proptosis. Common examination findings included a relative afferent pupillary defect, periorbital oedema, ophthalmoparesis and chemosis. All patients underwent surgical decompression in the form of a lateral canthotomy or cantholysis. Three patients who were decompressed within 2 h after injury recovered fully. One patient who sustained a macular hole at the time of injury recovered four lines of Snellen acuity after being decompressed within 1 h. Another patient recovered three lines of Snellen acuity after undergoing decompression at 2.5 h post‐injury. The remaining patients had minimal visual recovery, with postoperative visual acuities ranging from hand movements to no perception to light. Of these patients, one was decompressed at 2 h, while the remaining underwent decompression at 4 and 6 h post‐injury.

Conclusions

Prompt decompression is essential for visual recovery in OCS, which appears maximal if performed within 2 h of injury. All patients presenting with history and examination findings suggestive of OCS should undergo emergency canthotomy and cantholysis prior to any additional investigations to minimise visual loss.
China type 2 diabetes treatment status survey of treatment pattern of oral drugs users
Authors: Ji Linong , Lu Juming , Weng Jianping , Jia Weiping , Tian Haoming , Zhu Dalong , Xing Xiaoping , Guo Lixin
Published: May 2014

Background

The aim of the present study was to investigate the current status of oral anti‐diabetic drug (OAD) therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes and influencing factors in a real‐world setting in China.

Methods

A total of 9872 outpatients with type 2 diabetes, who had received OADs (monotherapy or combination therapy) for at least 3 months were recruited in this study. Current antidiabetic treatment regimen and related clinical data were collected from medical records and analyzed.

Results

The most common OADs in use were insulin secretagogues (70.2%) such as sulfonylureas (SUs; 42.7%) or glinides (27.5%), followed by metformin (53.7%), α‐glucosidase inhibitors (35.9%), thiazolidinediones (17.2%), and dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 (DPP‐4) inhibitors (0.8%). Dual‐drug combination therapy was more common (45.4%) than monotherapy (35.8%) and combination therapy with at least three drugs (17.0%). Patients on SU or glinide monotherapy were more likely to alter their treatment frequently (odds ratio [OR], 1.7; 95% CI, 1.38–2.08; P < 0.001).

Conclusions

The status of OAD use in China is varied with a majority of the patients altering their treatment regimen citing poor effectiveness. These observations from a real‐world setting may serve as guidance for improving diabetes management in China.
Efficacy and safety of sorafenib in combination with gemcitabine in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: A multicenter, open‐label, single‐arm phase II study
Authors: Srimuninnimit Vichien , Sriuranpong Virote , Suwanvecho Suthida
Published: May 2014

Aims

Currently, the only standard systemic treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma is sorafenib monotherapy. The study was conducted to assess the efficacy and safety of the novel combination of sorafenib and gemcitabine in the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.

Methods

Between March 2008 and October 2010, patients with advanced pathologically proven hepatocellular carcinoma who had not received previous systemic therapy and had Child–Pugh liver function class A or B received sorafenib plus gemcitabine. Treatment included 4‐week cycle of gemcitabine (1000 mg/m2 days 1, 8, 15) to the maximum of six cycles together with sorafenib (400 mg twice daily). Patient continued sorafenib until disease progression or withdrawal from other reasons. The primary end point is progression‐free survival.

Results

Forty‐five patients were enrolled in this study. The median progression‐free survival was 3.7 months (95% CI 3.5–3.8). The overall response rate was 4% with no complete responses and the disease control rate was 66%. The median overall survival (OS) was 11.6 months (95% CI 7.4–15.9). The median time to progression was 3.6 months (95% CI 3.4–3.7). The most frequently reported grade 3/4 treatment‐related adverse events included thrombocytopenia 33%, neutropenia 16% and hand‐foot skin reaction 13%. The study regimen was well tolerated.

Conclusion

The combination of sorafenib and gemcitabine in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma is generally well tolerated and has modest clinical efficacy. The median OS is up to 1 year. However, well‐designed randomized controlled trials with a sorafenib alone comparator arm are needed to confirm this finding.
KRAS mutation testing of metastatic colorectal cancer in Australia: Where are we at?
Authors: Scott Rodney J. , Fox Stephen B. , Desai Jayesh , Grieu Fabienne , Amanuel Benhur , Garrett Kerryn , Harraway James , Cheetham Glenice , Pattle Neville , Haddad Afaf , Byron Keith , Rudzki Barney , Waring Paul , Iacopetta Barry
Published: May 2014

Aim

To carry out a nationwide study of KRAS testing in metastatic colorectal cancer as reported by nine major molecular pathology service providers in Australia, including mutation frequencies and turnaround times that might impact on patient care.

Methods

Participating laboratories contributed information on KRAS mutation frequencies, including the G13D mutation type, as well as turnaround times for tumor block retrieval and testing.

Results

The KRAS mutation frequency observed by nine different test sites for a total of 3688 metastatic colorectal cancers ranged from 34.4% to 40.7%, with an average across all sites of 38.8%. The average frequency of the G13D mutation type among all cases was 8.0%. The median turnaround time was 17 days (range 0–191), with 20% of cases requiring more than 4 weeks for a KRAS test result. The major contributor to long turnaround times was the time taken to retrieve archived blocks of primary tumor, particularly from sources external to the test site.

Conclusion

The frequency of KRAS mutations in metastatic colorectal cancer reported by the major Australian test sites is very similar to that reported by other large overseas studies. More widespread introduction of routine testing at the time of initial diagnosis should eliminate the long turnaround times currently being experienced in a significant proportion of cases. Future expansion of testing to include other KRAS and NRAS mutation hotspots may spur the introduction of next‐generation sequencing platforms.
Efficacy of IgE‐targeted vs empiric six‐food elimination diets for adult eosinophilic oesophagitis
Authors: Rodríguez‐Sánchez J. , Gómez Torrijos E. , López Viedma B. , de la Santa Belda E. , Martín Dávila F. , García Rodríguez C. , Feo Brito F. , Olmedo Camacho J. , Reales Figueroa P. , Molina‐Infante J.
Published: May 2014

Background

Skin testing‐guided elimination diet has proved unsuccessful for adult eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE), whereas empiric six‐food elimination diet (SFED) achieves an efficacy of 70%.

Objective

To compare the efficacy of food‐specific serum IgE‐targeted elimination diet (sIgE‐ED) and SFED.

Methods

Prospective study in adult patients with EoE. Food‐specific serum IgE, skin prick test (SPT) and atopy patch test (APT) to foods included in SFED were performed. Those with ≥1 positive IgE test, defined by ≥0.1 kU/l, followed a 6‐week sIgE‐ED, whereas non‐IgE‐sensitized patients underwent a 6‐week SFED. Responders to diet (<15 eos/HPF) underwent individual reintroduction of foods followed by histological assessment.

Results

Forty‐three EoE patients were included (26 sIgE‐ED and 17 SFED). Regarding sIgE‐ED, the mean number of eliminated foods per patient was significantly lower than in SFED (3.81 vs 6; P < 0.001), being wheat (85%), nuts (73%) and cow's milk (61%) the most commonly foods withdrawn. No difference in histological response was observed between sIgE‐ED and SFED (73% vs 53%, P = 0.17). Causative foods identified by food challenge were cow's milk (64%), wheat (28%), egg (21%) and legumes (7%), with a single food trigger in 71% of patients. sIgE exhibited the higher accuracy to predict offending foods in IgE‐sensitized patients (sensitivity 87.5%, specificity 68% (κ = 0.43)), with k values of 1 for cow's milk. APT results were all negative.

Conclusions

Histological remission was accomplished in 73% of patients undergoing sIgE‐ED, which was nonsignificantly superior to SFED. sIgE effectively identified cow's milk as a food trigger in IgE‐sensitized patients.
Food Insecurity and Body Norms among Rural Guatemalan Schoolchildren
Authors: Maupin Jonathan N. , Brewis Alexandra
Published: May 2014

The predominant hypothesis regarding the ecology of body image suggests that contexts of food insecurity foster positive evaluations of and preferences for fat bodies as they symbolize wealth, social and reproductive success, strength, beauty, and fertility. Yet, there are few studies that empirically test this relationship or examine how experiences of food insecurity influence perceptions of thin bodies. In this study, we examine the ecology of body norms among a group of primary schoolchildren in a semirural community in the Central Highlands of Guatemala. Specifically, we test the hypotheses that food insecurity predicts fat‐positive or thin‐negative evaluations of children's body size or, conversely, that food security predicts thin‐positive or fat‐negative evaluations. Utilizing a characteristic attribution task to measure positive and negative evaluations of average, thin, and fat bodies, we measure the strength of preference and prejudice for each body size. While we find a strong preference for average bodies and prejudice against both thin and fat bodies overall, food insecurity predicts children having very negative evaluations of thin bodies. These results suggest a different interpretation of the ecology of body norms as, rather than fostering fat‐positive evaluations, food insecurity exaggerates biases toward thin bodies.
Same, Other,NIMBYand an asylum by the sea: revisiting ‘Not at our seaside’
Authors: Philo Chris
Published: May 2014

The author revisits his paper ‘ “Not at our seaside”: community opposition to a nineteenth‐century branch asylum’, published inArea in 1987, beginning with a mini‐biography of the paper that explains something of how it sought to work between past and present (between historical and social geography). Attention is given to the paper's highlighting of parallels between older and more recent expressions of NIMBYism in the landscape of mental health provisions, and also to the undercurrents of the paper that sought to position such disputes within a bigger picture historical geography of ‘theSame and theOther’.
The catchment area of the Milesian colony of Histria, within the Razim‐Sinoie lagoon complex (Romania): hydrogeomorphologic, economic and geopolitical implications
Authors: Romanescu Gheorghe
Published: May 2014

The Greek colonies were founded in areas of economic and geo‐strategic interest. From this perspective, Histria benefited from the advantages offered by the sea, the delta (the Danube River) and the coastal zone. It also benefited from the continental resources within the hydrographic basin corresponding to the Razim‐Sinoie lagoon complex. This study combines physical geography (especially geomorphology) and archaeological parameters to delimit, according to the deontological principles, the sphere of influence of the city of Histria and the manner of settlement of the Greek cities. The study delimits Histria's area of influence along the coastal fringe and hinterland. The principles behind the study (the delimiting of the hydrographic basins as areas of influence) represent a novel approach in Romanian archaeology. The closure of the Halmyris bay began around 3000 bp and the city of Histria ceased activity around 2000–1500 years bp. The coastal settlements were based on exploitation of marine resources as well as those provided by the land. When trying to delimit the area under the influence of the Greek city of Histria, one has to take into account the existence of geological and soil resources, but excluding local topography. Based on geomorphological and cartographic rules, as well as local considerations, the area served by the city was delimited. The limits follow the outline of the watershed closing the lagoon complex. From this perspective, three types of territory (horizons) were delimited. Each of the delimitations is based on geographic criteria: topography, resources and geo‐strategy.
Towards a more‐than‐sea geography: exploring the relational geographies of superrich mobility between sea, superyacht and shore in the Cote d'Azur
Authors: Spence Emma
Published: May 2014

Geographies of the sea are no longer a marginal concern in the discipline but are increasingly diverse, encompassing connections, relationalities and materialities that transcend typical human–non‐human, wet–dry boundaries. Thus, as studies of the sea become progressively varied, it is necessary to move beyond justifying why we should look at the sea, and towards establishing how, ontologically, geographies of the sea can be done. In response, I present a more‐than‐sea geography. A more‐than‐sea geography not only views the maritime in terms of the sea's connections and divides, but also in terms of the diffuse relations that emerge when we view the sea from the sea itself. Drawing on ongoing ethnographic fieldwork of superrich mobility at sea, I identify relational processes within and between sea, ship and shore that shape and are shaped by those who live, work and vacation on board superyachts. Tracing the mobility of the luxury superyacht presents a unique opportunity to identify the more‐than‐sea relationalities and hyper‐mobilities of the superrich, while identifying potential areas of enquiry that can be further informed by a more‐than‐sea framework.
Impacts of temperature and water table manipulation on grassland phenology
Authors: Cornelius Christine , Heinichen Jan , Drösler Matthias , Menzel Annette
Published: May 2014

Question

Re‐wetting drained peatlands is a common restoration method to reduce carbon loss, but little is known on its likely consequences on reproductive plant development, especially in a warming world. Thus, the aim of this study was to test whether the phenological development of plant species in a peatland ecosystem changed with higher temperatures, increased water table level or a combination of the two.

Location

Fen peatland site in Bavaria, Germany.

Methods

In 2010, manipulative experiments with two different treatments (control and warming) and in 2011 with four different treatments (control, warming, increased water table level, warming + increased water table level) were conducted. Temperature was raised 0.4–1.5 °C with open‐top chambers (OTCs) from August 2009 onwards, and water table level was elevated 12 cm using a pumping system, however the latter was not continuous for the whole growing season of 2011 due to technical difficulties. Phenological development of different grassland species was observed weekly using the BBCH code. Attention focused on reproductive phenology (from flower development to fruit senescence) and on key single phenological phases, such as flower development, flowering, ripening and fruit senescence, as well as the duration of key phases. Additionally, vegetation height was measured.

Results

Our study showed that higher temperatures advanced reproductive phenology and most key phases, except fruit senescence. Water table manipulations had no significant influence on phenology. The duration of key phases was generally not significantly influenced by treatments, whereas vegetation height differed between control and higher temperature plots.

Conclusion

In general, raising the water table to reduce carbon release from drained peatland sites will not dramatically affect phenological development of grassland species, whereas increased temperatures will affect reproductive phenology.
The acylated (AG) to unacylated (UAG) ghrelin ratio in esterase inhibitor‐treated blood is higher than previously described
Authors: Delhanty Patric J. D. , Huisman Martin , Julien Michel , Mouchain Karine , Brune Patrick , Themmen Axel P.N. , Abribat Thierry , van der Lely Aart J.
Published: May 2014

Context

The acylated/unacylated ghrelin (AG/UAG) ratio has been reported to range from 0·02 to 0·3, suggesting biologically relevant independent regulation of each ghrelin isoform. However, AG is deacylated to UAG by esterases in blood samples, and esterase inhibition is critical for their accurate measurement. Our hypothesis is that at least part of the variation in reported AG and UAG values is due to inconsistent sample preparation.

Design

A non‐interventional study. Quantification with two different, commercially available, ELISA formats of AG and UAG in venous plasma stabilized or not with 4‐(2‐aminoethyl) benzenesulphonyl fluoride (AEBSF) and stored for 0–6 months at −20 or −80 °C.

Participants

Healthy, non‐obese, adults (n = 8; 4 women), age 26–42 yrs, after an overnight fast.

Measurements

AG and UAG stability following different methods of sample treatment and storage.

Results

Non‐AEBSF plasma contained low AG and high UAG (>270 pg/ml) indicating rapid conversion of AG to UAG. However, AEBSF plasma, stored at −80 °C and measured at 0, 1, 3 and 6 months contained AG and UAG ranges of 12–350 and 17–170 pg/ml, respectively. Mean (SEM) AG/UAG ratios were 1·7(0·3), 1·2(0·2), 1·5(0·3) and 1·8(0·5) at each time point with no significant effect of storage period.

Conclusions

AG and UAG levels measured in AEBSF‐stabilized plasma indicate that the AG/UAG ratio is markedly higher than previously described and that UAG is a physiological component of the circulation. This highlights the importance of immediately stabilizing blood samples on collection for determination of both AG and UAG concentrations and provides a valuable tool for their measurement in physiological and interventional studies.
FISCAL MULTIPLIERS DURING THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS: FISCAL AND MONETARY INTERACTION MATTERS
Authors: Pyun Ju Hyun , Rhee Dong‐Eun
Published: May 2014

This study investigates the fiscal multipliers of 21 Organization for Economic Co‐operation and Development countries during the global financial crisis using panel vector auto regression methodology. Our findings suggest that the 1‐year fiscal multiplier was greater than 1 during the crisis, whereas it was less than 1 before the crisis because of different fiscal and monetary interactions. The combination of expansionary monetary and fiscal policies during the crisis boosted gross domestic product more effectively through internal and external transmissions: investment crowding‐out was limited, and net exports were spurred by the policy interaction. In addition, our results are robust to various specifications. (JEL E61, E63, E65)