bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Deautonomization by singularity confinement: an algebro-geometric justification
Authors: Mase T. , Willox R. , Grammaticos B. , Ramani A.
Published: November 2015

The ‘deautonomization’ of an integrable mapping of the plane consists in treating the free parameters in the mapping as functions of the independent variable, the precise expressions of which are to be determined with the help of a suitable criterion for integrability. Standard practice is to use the singularity confinement criterion and to require that singularities be confined at the very first opportunity. An algebro-geometrical analysis will show that confinement at a later stage leads to a non-integrable deautonomized system, thus justifying the standard singularity confinement approach. In particular, it will be shown on some selected examples of discrete Painlevé equations, how their regularization through blow-up yields exactly the same conditions on the parameters in the mapping as the singularity confinement criterion. Moreover, for all these examples, it will be shown that the conditions on the parameters are in fact equivalent to a linear transformation on part of the Picard group, obtained from the blow-up.
Modelling of nonlinear wave scattering in a delaminated elastic bar
Authors: Khusnutdinova K. R. , Tranter M. R.
Published: November 2015

Integrity of layered structures, extensively used in modern industry, strongly depends on the quality of their interfaces; poor adhesion or delamination can lead to a failure of the structure. Can nonlinear waves help us to control the quality of layered structures? In this paper, we numerically model the dynamics of a long longitudinal strain solitary wave in a split, symmetric layered bar. The recently developed analytical approach, based on matching two asymptotic multiple-scales expansions and the integrability theory of the Korteweg–de Vries equation by the inverse scattering transform, is used to develop an effective semi-analytical numerical approach for these types of problems. We also employ a direct finite-difference method and compare the numerical results with each other, and with the analytical predictions. The numerical modelling confirms that delamination causes fission of an incident solitary wave and, thus, can be used to detect the defect.
CFO financial expertise and corporate governance concerns
Authors: Sun Li , Johnson Grace , Rahman Fuad
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to examine the association between the financial expertise of the chief financial officer (CFO) and concerns about corporate governance.

Design/methodology/approach

– Consistent with prior research, the authors used four variables, including certified public accountant (CPA) certification, Master of Business Administration degree, age of CFO and length of CFO tenure, to measure CFO’s financial expertise. The authors hypothesize a negative association between CFO expertise and concerns about corporate governance.

Findings

– Regression analysis revealed that the CPA certification is negatively associated with governance concerns at a significant level. The results suggest that stakeholders show less concerns about a company’s corporate governance mechanism when the CFO has a CPA certification. In particular, the results support the recommendation by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants that a CFO of a public firm should have a CPA certification.

Originality/value

– The study is important in the following ways. First, the study delivers new evidence on the link between CFO financial expertise and corporate governance. This contributes to the CFO financial expertise literature and the corporate governance literature. Second, according to Standard and Poor’s, equity index investing has grown more popular over the past 30 years. The study delivers useful information to index investors who invest in S
&
P SmallCap 600 Index. Third, regulators have put a large amount of resources to discover ways to strengthen firms’ corporate governance. Thus, the results should be of interest to policy makers who design and implement guidelines on corporate governance mechanisms.
The relationship between ICTs and HPWPs across occupations
Authors: Bayo-Moriones Alberto , Calleja-Blanco Jonathan , Lera-López Fernando
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to analyze the specific relationship between information and communication technologies (ICT) and high performance work practices (HPWP) at employee level, both generally and per job category.

Design/methodology/approach

– Generalized ordered logit and logit models are estimated in relation to data from 31 European countries using the fourth European Working Conditions Survey.

Findings

– This paper reveals a generally positive association between ICT use and HPWP participation by workers but different results when ICT and HPWP variables are analysed separately. Worker autonomy and participation in autonomous teams are linked to greater ICT use, but the cases of job rotation and task variety are not so clear. Additionally, the authors find how worker occupation conditions such links and note divergences between high and low-skilled positions.

Research limitations/implications

– The cross-sectional nature of the data does not allow the authors to report causal relations.

Practical implications

– The results suggest that depending on the work practices to be considered, as well as occupation, some ICTs are more suitable than others.

Originality/value

– Two main features make this paper novel. First, previous studies on the link between ICT and HPWP made use of indexes, rendering the generation of assorted results impossible. Thus, the authors study how different ICT variables are related to different HPWPs at employee level. Second, the authors test whether employee occupation is a moderator in such relationships.
Mitigating inefficiencies in budget spending: evidence from an explorative study
Authors: Rausch Alexandra , Wall Friederike
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether a greater flexibility in the budget time-structure, which allows for shifting budgetary funds beyond the budget year, does, in fact, mitigate inefficiencies in budget spending. Traditional budgets are usually tied to a finite time span, e.g. one year, and are heavily criticized both for hampering efficient resource allocation and also for encouraging dysfunctional budget spending behaviours such as wasteful spend-downs at the end of the budget year and inappropriate holding back of funds early on.

Design/methodology/approach

– A research framework is proposed which draws on critical perspectives developed in prior research and an analytical model put forward by Pollack/Zeckhauser that is adopted as the basis for the development of the hypotheses. In an explorative study, data from an empirical questionnaire survey administered to 219 practitioners, mainly managers, from Austria are then used to substantiate the hypotheses.

Findings

– Finite-period budgets and fully flexible budgets, which allow subordinates both to save unspent funds beyond the budget year and also to borrow funds from future budgets, cause inefficiencies in budget spending. Subordinates who are allowed to spend and save funds at their discretion without being threatened by the loss of funds or imminent debts seem to spend their budgets most efficiently.

Originality/value

– The present paper contributes to the management accounting literature by investigating a heavily criticized but rather underexplored area of budgeting and by subjecting theoretical propositions from prior research to explorative empirical testing. Enhanced understanding of the temporal effects of the budget cycle structure will help practitioners improve budget spending and should encourage further research.
The dynamics of regional and global expansion
Authors: Asmussen Christian Geisler , Nielsen Bo Bernhard , Osegowitsch Tom , Sammartino Andre
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to model and test the dynamics of home-regional and global penetration by multi-national enterprises (MNEs).

Design/methodology/approach

– Drawing on international business (IB) theory, the authors model MNEs adjusting their home-regional and global market presence over time. The authors test the resulting hypotheses using sales data from a sample of 220 of the world’s largest MNEs over the period 1995-2005. The authors focus specifically on the relationship between levels of market penetration inside and outside the home region and rates of change in each domain.

Findings

– The authors demonstrate that MNEs do penetrate both home-regional and global markets, often simultaneously, and that penetration levels often oscillate within an MNE over time. The authors show firms’ rates of regional and global expansion to be affected by their existing regional and global penetration, as well as their interplay. Finally, the authors identify differences in the steady states at which firms stabilize their penetration levels in the home-regional and the global space. The findings broadly confirm the MNE as an interdependent portfolio with important regional demarcations.

Originality/value

– The authors identify complex interdependencies between home-regional and global penetration and growth, paving the way for further studies of the impact of regions on MNE expansion.
Corporate decision to remain private in Mozambique: a qualitative study
Authors: Ibekwe Ibeawuchi
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this study was to explore the views of chief finance officers (CFOs) of companies in Mozambique toward understanding corporate decisions to remain private despite the potential benefits of stock market listing.

Design/methodology/approach

– The research adopted a qualitative approach. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 35 CFOs of the top 100 companies in Mozambique.

Findings

– Although most of the CFOs interviewed were aware of the existence of the stock exchange of Mozambique, many of them had never considered listing their firms. The major themes that emerged for why they do not use the stock market include the need to maintain ownership and control, not to disclose proprietary information to potential competitors and no need for the stock market because of availability of other sources.

Practical implications

– The study is of interest to corporate managers interested in sourcing funds in a manner that meets the peculiar needs of the firm. It is also important for policy makers in the government who are interested in developing relevant financial institutions that meets the need of potential users.

Social implications

– New and growth companies drive economic growth through new product development and job creation on which the society depends. Their ability to do this in the long run greatly depends on their ability to access cheaper sources of funds that meet their peculiar needs.

Originality/value

– No research has either quantitatively or qualitatively addressed the issue of why firms in Mozambique choose to remain private despite the incentives and potential benefits of listing. Studies conducted in the developed countries are not expected to throw much light on the countries like Mozambique because of the cultural and institutional differences.
A benign juvenile environment reduces the strength of antagonistic pleiotropy and genetic variation in the rate of senescence
Authors: Kim Sin‐Yeon , Metcalfe Neil B. , Velando Alberto
Published: November 2015

The environment can play an important role in the evolution of senescence because the optimal allocation between somatic maintenance and reproduction depends on external factors influencing life expectancy.

The aims of this study were to experimentally test whether environmental conditions during early life can shape senescence schedules, and if so, to examine whether variation among individuals or genotypes with respect to the degree of ageing differs across environments.

We tested life‐history plasticity and quantified genetic effects on the pattern of senescence across different environments within a reaction norm framework by using an experiment on the three‐spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus, Linnaeus) in which F1 families originating from a wild annual population experienced different temperature regimes.

Male sticklebacks that had experienced a more benign environment earlier in life subsequently reduced their investment in carotenoid‐based sexual signals early in the breeding season, and consequently senesced at a slower rate later in the season, compared to those that had developed under harsher conditions. This plasticity of ageing was genetically determined. Both antagonistic pleiotropy and genetic variation in the rate of senescence were evident only in the individuals raised in the harsher environment.

The experimental demonstration of genotype‐by‐environment interactions influencing the rate of reproductive senescence provides interesting insights into the role of the environment in the evolution of life histories. The results suggest that benign conditions weaken the scope for senescence to evolve and that the dependence on the environment may maintain genetic variation under selection.
A trait‐based metric sheds new light on the nature of the body size–depth relationship in the deep sea
Authors: Mindel Beth L. , Webb Thomas J. , Neat Francis C. , Blanchard Julia L.
Published: November 2015

Variation within species is an often‐overlooked aspect of community ecology, despite the fact that the ontogenetic structure of populations influences processes right up to the ecosystem level. Accounting for traits at the individual level is an important advance in the implementation of trait‐based approaches in understanding community structure and function.

We incorporate individual‐ and species‐level traits into one succinct assemblage structure metric, fractional size, which is calculated as the length of an individual divided by its potential maximum length. We test the implementation of fractional size in demersal fish assemblages along a depth gradient in the deep sea. We use data from an extensive trawl survey at depths of 300–2030 m on the continental slope of the Rockall Trough, Northeast Atlantic, to compare changes in fractional size structure along an environmental gradient to those seen using traditional taxonomic and trait‐based approaches.

The relationship between fractional size and depth was particularly strong, with the overall pattern being an increase with depth, implying that individuals move deeper as they grow. Body size increased with depth at the intraspecific and assemblage levels. Fractional size, size structure and species composition all varied among assemblages, and this variation could be explained by the depth that the assemblage occupied.

The inclusion of individual‐level traits and population fractional size structure adds to our understanding at the assemblage level. Fractional size, or where an individual is in its growth trajectory, appears to be an especially important driver of assemblage change with depth. This has implications for understanding fisheries impacts in the deep sea and how these impacts may propagate across depths.
Roles of Education in Productivity Growth in Australia, 1860–1939
Authors: Banerjee Rajabrata , Wilson John K.
Published: November 2015

Despite a significant literature comparing Europe and the USA, and linking education and human capital to growth and development, there is virtually no research in the Australian context which attempts to investigate this link empirically. Australia is an interesting case because it was one of the world's wealthiest nations in the late nineteenth century. The economy was built on agriculture and mining, but there was no obvious evidence of a natural resource curse despite losing ground on the leading nations. This study fills a gap in the literature by examining the effect of education and schooling on productivity growth between 1860 and 1939 using a unique dataset from the colony of Victoria. Using a growth accounting exercise, we examine the role of productivity changes in the overall growth picture of Victoria and Australia as a whole. We find evidence for productivity‐led growth for both. Exploring the relationship between productivity and education measures, we find that while primary school enrolments were important to sustain productivity growth throughout the period, tertiary education was more effective in the first half of the twentieth century.
Comparison of sequential pancreatic duct guidewire placement technique and needle knife precut sphincterotomy for difficult biliary cannulation
Authors: Zou Xiao Ping , Leung Joseph W. , Li Yun Hong , Yao Yu Ling , Pei Qing Shan , Wu Yu Lin , He Qi Bin , Cao Jun , Ding Xi Wei
Published: November 2015

Objective

Pancreatic duct guidewire placement (PDGP) includes double guidewire technique (DGT) and transpancreatic sphincterotomy (TPS). DGT can be switched to TPS with ease due to the existing guidewire in the pancreatic duct. In this study, we aimed to combine DGT and TPS as a single technique, named sequential PDGP, and to compare its performance with needle knife precut sphincterotomy (NKPS) in treating difficult biliary cannulation (BC).

Methods

A total of 83 patients with difficult BC were enrolled in this study. Of these, 63 underwent sequential PDGP and 20 underwent NKPS. Cannulation success rate, cannulation time and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)‐related complications were prospectively recorded and compared between the two groups.

Results

Successful BC was achieved in 88.9% (56/63) of the patients in the sequential PDGP group compared with 70.0% (14/20) in the NKPS group (P = 0.095). Cannulation time was 7.49 ± 5.03 min in the sequential PDGP group and 10.60 ± 7.24 min in the NKPS group (P = 0.086). Post‐ERCP pancreatitis occurred in 12.7% of patients in the sequential PDGP group and 10.0% in the NKPS group (P = 1.000). There was no significant difference in the rates of other complications (bleeding, perforation and cholangitis) between the two groups.

Conclusions

Sequential PDGP is a safe and effective alternative method to NKPS in cases of difficult BC. In those with failed standard cannulation, sequential PDGP can be considered when the guidewire is inadvertently inserted into the pancreatic duct or can be placed in the pancreatic duct without difficulty.
Evaluation of the impact of RNA preservation methods of spiders for de novo transcriptome assembly
Authors: Kono Nobuaki , Nakamura Hiroyuki , Ito Yusuke , Tomita Masaru , Arakawa Kazuharu
Published: November 2015

With advances in high‐throughput sequencing technologies, de novo transcriptome sequencing and assembly has become a cost‐effective method to obtain comprehensive genetic information of a species of interest, especially in nonmodel species with large genomes such as spiders. However, high‐quality RNA is essential for successful sequencing, and sample preservation conditions require careful consideration for the effective storage of field‐collected samples. To this end, we report a streamlined feasibility study of various storage conditions and their effects on de novo transcriptome assembly results. The storage parameters considered include temperatures ranging from room temperature to −80°C; preservatives, including ethanol, RNAlater, TRIzol and RNAlater‐ICE; and sample submersion states. As a result, intact RNA was extracted and assembly was successful when samples were preserved at low temperatures regardless of the type of preservative used. The assemblies as well as the gene expression profiles were shown to be robust to RNA degradation, when 30 million 150‐bp paired‐end reads are obtained. The parameters for sample storage, RNA extraction, library preparation, sequencing and in silico assembly considered in this work provide a guideline for the study of field‐collected samples of spiders.
Misfits and the Imagined American High School: A Spatial Analysis of Student Identities and Schooling
Authors: Convertino Christina
Published: November 2015

This article provides a socio‐spatial analysis of youth identities within the context of school choice reforms. Unable to conform to cultural ideals inscribed in the American school, a diverse group of youth forced out of traditional schools mediate the local production of school choice initiatives through the formation of youth identities as misfits. Findings suggest that the cultural ideals inscribed in traditional schools produce socio‐spatial relations that serve to differentiate and ultimately exclude certain youth.
Diverse Classrooms, Diverse Curriculum, Diverse Complications: Three Teacher Perspectives
Authors: Ungemah Lori D.
Published: November 2015

Racial, ethnic, linguistic, and religious diversity continues to increase in classrooms. Many call for a more diverse curriculum, but curricular diversity brings its own challenges to both teachers and students. These three vignettes are drawn from my ethnographic data at Atlantic High School in Brooklyn, New York, where I worked for ten years as an English teacher and collected data for two years as a doctoral student.
A novel approach to inhibit bone resorption: exosite inhibitors against cathepsin K
Authors: Panwar Preety , Søe Kent , Guido Rafael VC , Bueno Renata V C , Delaisse Jean‐Marie , Brömme Dieter
Published: November 2015

Background and Purpose

Cathepsin K (CatK) is a major drug target for the treatment of osteoporosis. Potent active site‐directed inhibitors have been developed and showed variable success in clinical trials. These inhibitors block the entire activity of CatK and thus may interfere with other pathways. The present study investigates the antiresorptive effect of an exosite inhibitor that selectively inhibits only the therapeutically relevant collagenase activity of CatK.

Experimental Approach

Human osteoclasts and fibroblasts were used to analyse the effect of the exosite inhibitor, ortho‐dihydrotanshinone (DHT1), and the active site inhibitor, odanacatib (ODN), on bone resorption and TGF‐ß1 degradation. Cell cultures, Western blot, light and scanning electron microscopy as well as energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, molecular modelling and enzymatic assays were used to evaluate the inhibitors.

Key Results

DHT1 selectively inhibited the collagenase activity of CatK, without affecting the viability of osteoclasts. Both inhibitors abolished the formation of resorption trenches, with DHT1 having a slightly higher IC50 value than ODN. Maximal reductions of other resorption parameters by DHT1 and ODN were comparable, respectively 41% and 33% for total resorption surface, 46% and 48% for resorption depths, and 83% and 61% for C‐terminal telopetide fragment (CTX) release. DHT1 did not affect the turnover of fibrosis‐associated TGF‐ß1 in fibroblasts, whereas 500 nM ODN was inhibitory.

Conclusions and Implications

Our study shows that an exosite inhibitor of CatK can specifically block bone resorption without interfering with other pathways.
Threonine532 phosphorylation in ClC‐3 channels is required for angiotensin II‐induced Cl− current and migration in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells
Authors: Ma Ming‐Ming , Lin Cai‐Xia , Liu Can‐Zhao , Gao Min , Sun Lu , Tang Yong‐Bo , Zhou Jia‐Guo , Wang Guan‐Lei , Guan Yong‐Yuan
Published: November 2015

Background and Purpose

Angiotensin II (AngII) induces migration and growth of vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC), which is responsible for vascular remodelling in some cardiovascular diseases. Ang II also activates a Cl− current, but the underlying mechanism is not clear.

Experimental Approach

The A10 cell line and primary cultures of VSMC from control, ClC‐3 channel null mice and WT mice made hypertensive with AngII infusions were used. Techniques employed included whole‐cell patch clamp, co‐immunoprecipitation, site‐specific mutagenesis and Western blotting,

Key Results

In VSMC, AngII induced Cl− currents was carried by the chloride ion channel ClC‐3. This current was absent in VSMC from ClC‐3 channel null mice. The AngII‐induced Cl− current involved interactions between ClC‐3 channels and Rho‐kinase 2 (ROCK2), shown by N‐ or C‐terminal truncation of ClC‐3 protein, ROCK2 siRNA and co‐immunoprecipitation assays. Phosphorylation of ClC‐3 channels at Thr532 by ROCK2 was critical for AngII‐induced Cl− current and VSMC migration. The ClC‐3 T532D mutant (mutation of Thr532 to aspartate), mimicking phosphorylated ClC‐3 protein, significantly potentiated AngII‐induced Cl− current and VSMC migration, while ClC‐3 T532A (mutation of Thr532 to alanine) had the opposite effects. AngII‐induced cell migration was markedly decreased in VSMC from ClC‐3 channel null mice that was insensitive to Y27632, an inhibitor of ROCK2. In addition, AngII‐induced cerebrovascular remodelling was decreased in ClC‐3 null mice, possibly by the ROCK2 pathway.

Conclusions And Implications

ClC‐3 protein phosphorylation at Thr532 by ROCK2 is required for AngII‐induced Cl− current and VSMC migration that are involved in AngII‐induced vascular remodelling in hypertension.
Local dynamics of worker activity of the invasive Vespula germanica and V. vulgaris (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) wasps in Argentina
Authors: MASCIOCCHI MAITÉ , PEREIRA ANA J. , CORLEY JUAN C.
Published: November 2015

1. The abundance of insects depends essentially on the reproductive success of individuals. In social insects, however, the abundance of sterile workers outside a nest depends on colony size but is also determined by ontogeny, nest demands, and local environmental factors. For invasive social wasps, the drivers of worker abundance are important because they determine the impact that these species have on the native systems, people, and their goods.

2. The aim of the present study was to understand the relative importance of endogenous and exogenous factors on the abundance of workers of populations of Vespula spp., by analysing 12 years of trap captures in NW Patagonia. This is the first attempt to model the activity levels of invasive Vespula spp. wasps over time in Argentina.

3. It was shown that between years, the worker activity of both vespids presents fluctuations, and that of V. germanica is determined by the spring mean temperatures. Within the flight season, V. germanica worker activity is affected by the relative abundance of workers in that year, whereas for V. vulgaris, activity it is affected by the relative abundance of both species that year. We found no relationship between individual weather variables and activity within a flight season for both wasps.

4. The patterns observed for Argentina are similar to those observed in all invaded temperate areas where Vespula spp. are established. This study provides useful information to understand the driving factors that affect Vespula spp. worker activity in Argentina. This could be a necessary step to develop plans to manage these invasive social insects.
Checkpoint inhibitors in Hodgkin's lymphoma
Authors: Jezeršek Novaković Barbara
Published: November 2015

Hodgkin's lymphoma is unusual among cancers in that it consists of a small number of malignant Hodgkin/Reed–Sternberg cells in a sea of immune system cells, including T cells. Most of these T cells are reversibly inactivated in different ways and their reactivation may induce a very strong immune response to cancer cells. One way of reactivation of T cells is with antibodies blocking the CTLA‐4 and especially with antibodies directed against PD‐1 or the PD‐L1 ligand thereby reversing the tumor‐induced downregulation of T‐cell function and augmenting antitumor immune activity at the priming (CTLA‐4) or tissue effector (PD‐1) phase. Immune checkpoint inhibitors have been evidenced as an additional treatment option with substantial effectiveness and acceptable toxicity in heavily pretreated patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma. Particularly, PD‐1 blockade with nivolumab and pembrolizumab has demonstrated significant single‐agent activity in this select population.
Mode of delivery and risk of intracranial haemorrhage in newborns with severe haemophilia A: a multicentre study in Gulf region
Authors: Nazir H. F. , Al Lawati T. , Beshlawi I. , AlSharidah S. , Elshinawy M. , Alkasim F. , Khanani M. F. , Tarawa A. , Al Subhi T. , Alrawas A. , Al Riyami W. , Al Kindi S. , Al Saadi K. , Al‐Lamki S. , Wali Y.
Published: November 2015

Introduction

The optimum mode of delivery in a known carrier of a haemophilia A is still an issue of debate.

Aim

This study was conducted to report a multicentre experience in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on the incidence of intracranial haemorrhage (ICH) in newborns with severe haemophilia A delivered by different modalities.

Methods

We have conducted a retrospective/prospective multicentre cohort study including a total of seven hospitals distributed in four GCC countries between 1998 and Jan 2015. A total of 163 patient with severe haemophilia A (factor VIII <1%) were enrolled in this study, age ranged between 2 weeks to 18 years.

Results

Most of the patients were born by spontaneous vaginal delivery (SVD) (131, 80.4%), whereas 26 patients (16%) were born by CS and only six patients were born by instrumental delivery (3.7%), five of them by vacuum and one was delivered using forceps. Five out of 163 patients developed ICH during the first 2 weeks of life (3.1%). Two of them were born by SVD (2/131; 1.5%) and two were born by instrumental delivery (2/6; 33.3%). Only one patient among those who were born by caesarean section developed ICH (1/26; 3.8%). Assisted vaginal delivery was associated with a significant risk of ICH, in comparison to SVD and CS (P = 0.0093).

Conclusion

Normal vaginal delivery is still considered a safe journey through the birth canal for haemophilic newborns particularly in this area of the world. Larger prospective studies might be needed to define an evidence‐based optimal mode of delivery for the haemophilia carrier expecting an affected child.
The Influences of Major Currencies in Foreign Exchange Markets: A Regression‐Based Measure and Its Application
Authors: Kim Soo‐Hyun , Lee Kyuseok
Published: November 2015

Based on the regression explanatory power, we propose a measure of the relative influences of a group of major currencies, including the US dollar, euro, Japanese yen, and UK pound, on the exchange rate behaviors of lesser currencies. Using the measure and 27 sample floating currencies, we empirically examine the cross‐currency and temporal variations in the relative influences of two, three, and four major currencies during the 16‐year post‐euro period of 1999 to 2014.
Pilot study to evaluate a novel three‐dimensional wound measurement device
Authors: Bills Jessica D , Berriman Sandra J , Noble Debby L , Lavery Lawrence A , Davis Kathryn E
Published: November 2015

As the burden of diabetes continues to grow and treatment standards require careful tracking of wound progress, clinicians increasingly need to rely on technological improvements in wound measurement technologies to track the progress of their treatments. This study aims to determine the accuracy of a new three‐dimensional wound measurement (3DWM) device against laser‐assisted wound measurement (LAWM) devices and traditional methods of wound measurement. Using several wound models, we demonstrate that the 3DWM device measures wound area, depth and volume similarly to the other methods tested. This is especially apparent when changes in wound measurements were compared between the two devices. Differences between the two technologies were apparent when analysing wound measurement time and measurement repeatability. There was a significantly lower incidence of error in measurements between the 3DWM device and the LAWM device. Finally, the measurement time was significantly faster with the 3DWM device compared to the LAWM device. Together, these data demonstrate that the 3DWM device provides an accurate and reproducible method for measuring changes in wound healing similar to other available technologies. Further, the use of the 3DWM device provides a faster and more consistent measurement, which is critical for clinical application and use.
Alcohol‐attributable healthcare attendances up to 10 years prior to diagnosis of alcoholic cirrhosis: a population based case–control study
Authors: Otete Harmony E. , Orton Elizabeth , Fleming Kate M. , West Joe
Published: November 2015

Background & Aims

Cirrhosis because of alcohol could be avoided if drinking behaviour could be altered earlier in the disease course. Our aim was to quantify the burden of morbidities in patients prior to alcoholic cirrhosis diagnosis, as this may inform the earlier identification of people at high risk for targeted interventions.

Methods

We carried out a case–control study using 2479 incident cases of alcoholic cirrhosis and 24 790 controls identified from 357 primary and secondary care centres in England. We assessed the prevalence of morbidities that are partly attributable to alcohol (namely malignant neoplasms, diabetes, epilepsy, injuries, cardiovascular and digestive diseases) prior to alcoholic cirrhosis diagnosis. We compared prevalence in cases to the control population and used logistic regression to derive odds ratios (95% CI).

Results

Fifty‐eight per cent of cases compared to 29% of controls had had at least one alcohol‐attributable condition before cirrhosis diagnosis. The most frequent conditions (proportion in cases vs. controls) were intentional injuries (35.9% vs. 11.9%) and cardiovascular diseases (23.2% vs. 15.6%), followed by diabetes (12.8% vs. 5.3%), digestive diseases (6.1% vs. 1.2%) and epilepsy (5.0% vs. 1.1%). The strongest association with alcoholic cirrhosis was found for digestive diseases [OR 5.4 (4.4–6.7)], epilepsy [OR: 4.4 (3.5–5.5)] and injuries [OR: 4.0 (3.7–4.4)] particularly among those aged 18–44 years.

Conclusion

These data highlight the high burden of other alcohol‐attributable conditions in patients prior to alcoholic cirrhosis diagnosis. Reviewing those consistently presenting with any of these conditions more closely could help practitioners reduce/avoid the long‐term consequences of development of alcoholic liver disease.
Probiotics are helpful in hepatic encephalopathy: a meta‐analysis of randomized trials
Authors: Saab Sammy , Suraweera Duminda , Au Jennifer , Saab Elena G. , Alper Tori S. , Tong Myron J.
Published: November 2015

Background

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a major complication of cirrhosis and is associated with decreased survival and increased health care utilization.

Aim

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of probiotics in the management minimal hepatic encephalopathy HE (MHE) and overt HE (OHE) in comparison to no treatment/placebo and lactulose.

Methods

The main outcomes measured were mortality, improvement in MHE, progression to OHE in patients with MHE and hospitalization. We calculated odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Study heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 statistic.

Results

Fourteen studies totalling 1152 patients were included in the analysis. The use of probiotics had no impact on the overall mortality when compared to either lactulose (OR: 1.07, 95% CI: 0.47–2.44, P = 0.88) or no treatment/placebo (OR: 0.69, 95% CI: 0.42–1.14, P = 0.15). When probiotics was compared to no treatment/placebo, it was associated with a significant improvement in MHE (OR: 3.91, 95% CI: 2.25–6.80, P < 0.00001), decreased hospitalization rates (OR: 0.53, 95% CI: 0.33–0.86, P = 0.01) and decreased progression to overt hepatic encephalopathy (OR: 0.40, 95% CI: 0.26–0.60, P < 0.0001). However when compared to lactulose, probiotics did not show a significant difference in improvement of MHE (OR: 0.81, 95% CI: 0.52–1.27, P = 0.35), hospitalization rates (OR: 1.02, 95% CI: 0.52–1.99, P = 0.96) or progression to overt hepatic encephalopathy (OR: 1.24, 95% CI 0.73–2.10, P = 0.42).

Conclusions

Overall the use of probiotics was more effective in decreasing hospitalization rates, improving MHE and preventing progression to OHE in patients with underlying MHE than placebo, but similar to that seen with lactulose. The use of probiotics did not affect mortality rates.
Incidence, prevalence and complications of Budd–Chiari syndrome in South Korea: a nationwide, population‐based study
Authors: Ki Moran , Choi Hwa Young , Kim Kyung‐Ah , Kim Bo Hyun , Jang Eun Sun , Jeong Sook‐Hyang
Published: November 2015

Background & Aims

The population‐based epidemiology of Budd–Chiari syndrome (BCS), a rare disease of hepatic venous outflow obstruction, is largely unknown. This study aimed to elucidate the nationwide population‐based incidence, prevalence, complications, case fatalities and direct medical cost of BCS in South Korea from 2009 to 2013.

Methods

Using two large data sources, the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service Claims database and Rare Intractable Disease registration program database in Korea, we identified all patients with BCS who were registered under International Classification of Diseases 10 (code I82.0). The age‐ and sex‐adjusted incidence and prevalence of BCS were calculated with analysis of complications and direct medical costs.

Results

A total of 424 patients with BCS were identified in 2009–2013, with a female‐to‐male ratio of 1.8 and a median age of 51 years old. The average age‐ and sex‐adjusted incidence from 2011 to 2013 was 0.87 per million per year, and the average age‐ and sex‐adjusted prevalence from 2009 to 2013 was 5.29 per million population. Among them, 10.3% accompanied liver cancer and 3.3% underwent liver transplantation. Annual case‐fatality rate was 2.8%. Direct medical costs excluding uninsured services for BCS increased by year from 385 720 USD in 2009 to 765 983 USD in 2013.

Conclusions

This is the first population‐based study on the epidemiology of BCS in an Asian country, which presented a higher prevalence than in Western studies. It suggests early diagnosis or improved prognosis of BCS in recent years, and clinical features of BCS that differ by geography.
The enteric microbiome in hepatobiliary health and disease
Authors: Tabibian James H. , Varghese Cyril , LaRusso Nicholas F. , O'Hara Steven P.
Published: November 2015

Increasing evidence points to the contribution of the intestinal microbiome as a potentially key determinant in the initiation and/or progression of hepatobiliary disease. While current understanding of this dynamic is incomplete, exciting insights are continually being made and more are expected given the developments in molecular and high‐throughput omics techniques. In this brief review, we provide a practical and updated synopsis of the interaction of the intestinal microbiome with the liver and its downstream impact on the initiation, progression and complications of hepatobiliary disease.
Neutral and adaptive genomic signatures of rapid poleward range expansion
Authors: Swaegers J. , Mergeay J. , Van Geystelen A. , Therry L. , Larmuseau M. H. D. , Stoks R.
Published: November 2015

Many species are expanding their range polewards, and this has been associated with rapid phenotypic change. Yet, it is unclear to what extent this reflects rapid genetic adaptation or neutral processes associated with range expansion, or selection linked to the new thermal conditions encountered. To disentangle these alternatives, we studied the genomic signature of range expansion in the damselflyCoenagrion scitulumusing 4950 newly developed genomicSNPs and linked this to the rapidly evolved phenotypic differences between core and (newly established) edge populations. Most edge populations were genetically clearly differentiated from the core populations and all were differentiated from each other indicating independent range expansion events. In addition, evidence for genetic drift in the edge populations, and strong evidence for adaptive genetic variation in association with the range expansion was detected. We identified oneSNPunder consistent selection in four of the five edge populations and showed that the allele increasing in frequency is associated with increased flight performance. This indicates collateral, non‐neutral evolutionary changes in independent edge populations driven by the range expansion process. We also detected a genomic signature of adaptation to the newly encountered thermal regimes, reflecting a pattern of countergradient variation. The latter signature was identified at a singleSNPas well as in a set of covaryingSNPs using a polygenic multilocus approach to detect selection. Overall, this study highlights how a strategic geographic sampling design and the integration of genomic, phenotypic and environmental data can identify and disentangle the neutral and adaptive processes that are simultaneously operating during range expansions.
Use of a porcine urinary bladder acellular matrix for corneal reconstruction in dogs and cats
Authors: Balland Olivier , Poinsard Anne‐Sophie , Famose Frank , Goulle Frédéric , Isard Pierre‐François , Mathieson Iona , Dulaurent Thomas
Published: November 2015

Objective

To describe the use of a porcine urinary bladder acellular matrix for surgical reconstruction of the cornea in cases of canine and feline deep corneal ulcers, and feline corneal sequestra.

Materials and methods

Twenty‐seven dogs and three cats with deep corneal ulcers and seven cats with corneal sequestra were included in the study with overall 38 eyes. For each patient, the necrotic material (ie corneal sequestrum or collagenolytic tissue) was removed by circular lamellar keratectomy. The collagen graft was then cut and prepared to match the stromal defect and then sutured into the lamellar keratectomy bed using interrupted and continuous patterns of absorbable polyglactin 9–0 sutures. Postoperative medical treatment consisted of topical and systemic administration of antibiotics, combined with topical administration of atropine sulfate. The animals were examined 18, 45, and 90 days after the surgery.

Results

Postoperative examination revealed complete integration of the biomaterial in 93.5% of ulceration cases in both species and in 100% of feline corneal sequestrum cases. In two cases of ulceration (1 dog and 1 cat), progression of the collagenolytic process at the graft periphery required an additional conjunctival graft 7 days after the first surgery. At 90 days post‐op, 100% of the eyes were sighted.

Conclusion

Use of a porcine urinary bladder acellular matrix appears to be effective in the surgical management of deep corneal ulcers and feline corneal sequestra.
Intangible and Economic Impacts of Hendra Virus Prevention Strategies
Authors: Wilson S.‐J. , Ward M. P.
Published: November 2015

Hendra virus (HeV), a potentially fatal zoonotic disease spread by flying foxes, to date has always infected humans via a spillover event from equine HeV infection. In a theoretical case study, we compared the impacts of two different HeV prevention strategies – vaccination and flying fox roost removal – using a recently developed framework that considers different stakeholder group perspectives. The perspectives of the four selected stakeholder groups regarding intangibles were inferred from public discussions and coverage in the media. For all stakeholder groups, the option to vaccinate horses was found to add value to the economic results when the intangible impacts were included in the analysis, while the option for roost removal unanimously detracted from economic analysis value when the intangible impacts were included. Both the mean and median stakeholder‐adjusted value ratios (2.25 and 2.12, respectively) for vaccination were inflated when intangible impacts were included, by value‐adding to the results of a traditional economic analysis. In the roost removal strategy, these ratios (1.19 and 1.16, respectively) were deflated when intangible impacts were included. Results of this theoretical study suggest that the inclusion of intangible impacts promotes the value of a two‐dose initial vaccination protocol using a subunit vaccination considered to offer complete protection for horses, as a strategy to control HeV, whereas roost removal becomes an even more costly strategy. Outcome of the analysis is particularly sensitive to the intangible value placed on human health. Further evaluation – via sociological methods – of values placed on intangibles by various stakeholder groups is warranted.
An in vivo dose verification method for SBRT–VMAT delivery using the EPID
Authors: McCowan P. M. , Van Uytven E. , Van Beek T. , Asuni G. , McCurdy B. M. C.
Published: November 2015

Purpose:

Radiation treatments have become increasingly more complex with the development of volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) and the use of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). SBRT involves the delivery of substantially larger doses over fewer fractions than conventional therapy. SBRT–VMAT treatments will strongly benefit from in vivo patient dose verification, as any errors in delivery can be more detrimental to the radiobiology of the patient as compared to conventional therapy. Electronic portal imaging devices (EPIDs) are available on most commercial linear accelerators (Linacs) and their documented use for dosimetry makes them valuable tools for patient dose verification. In this work, the authors customize and validate a physics‐based model which utilizes on‐treatment EPID images to reconstruct the 3D dose delivered to the patient during SBRT–VMAT delivery.

Methods:

The SBRT Linac head, including jaws, multileaf collimators, and flattening filter, were modeled using Monte Carlo methods and verified with measured data. The simulation provides energy spectrum data that are used by their “forward” model to then accurately predict fluence generated by a SBRT beam at a plane above the patient. This fluence is then transported through the patient and then the dose to the phosphor layer in the EPID is calculated. Their “inverse” model back‐projects the EPID measured focal fluence to a plane upstream of the patient and recombines it with the extra‐focal fluence predicted by the forward model. This estimate of total delivered fluence is then forward projected onto the patient's density matrix and a collapsed cone convolution algorithm calculates the dose delivered to the patient. The model was tested by reconstructing the dose for two prostate, three lung, and two spine SBRT–VMAT treatment fractions delivered to an anthropomorphic phantom. It was further validated against actual patient data for a lung and spine SBRT–VMAT plan. The results were verified with the treatment planning system (TPS) (eclipse aaa) dose calculation.

Results:

The SBRT–VMAT reconstruction model performed very well when compared to the TPS. A stringent 2%/2 mm χ‐comparison calculation gave pass rates better than 91% for the prostate plans, 88% for the lung plans, and 86% for the spine plans for voxels containing 80% or more of the prescribed dose. Patient data were 86% for the lung and 95% for the spine. A 3%/3 mm χ‐comparison was also performed and gave pass rates better than 93% for all plan types.

Conclusions:

The authors have customized and validated a robust, physics‐based model that calculates the delivered dose to a patient for SBRT–VMAT delivery using on‐treatment EPID images. The accuracy of the results indicates that this approach is suitable for clinical implementation. Future work will incorporate this model into both offline and real‐time clinical adaptive radiotherapy.