bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Estimation of Gold in Urine by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy
Authors: Dunckley J V
Published: January 2020

An atomic absorption spectrophotometric method is described for estimating gold in the urine of patients undergoing chelation therapy. Variable absorption at 242.8 nm, not due to gold, is avoided by wet-ashing and extraction of gold into methyl isobutyl ketone.
ISSAID/EMQN Best Practice Guidelines for the Genetic Diagnosis of Monogenic Autoinflammatory Diseases in the Next-Generation Sequencing Era
Authors: Shinar Yael , Ceccherini Isabella , Rowczenio Dorota , Aksentijevich Ivona , Arostegui Juan , Ben-Chétrit Eldad , Boursier Guilaine , Gattorno Marco , Hayrapetyan Hasmik , Ida Hiroaki , Kanazawa Nobuo , Lachmann Helen J , Mensa-Vilaro Anna , Nishikomori Ryuta , Oberkanins Christian , Obici Laura , Ohara Osamu , Ozen Seza , Sarkisian Tamara , Sheils Katie , Wolstenholme Nicola , Zonneveld-Huijssoon Evelien , van Gijn Marielle E , Touitou Isabelle
Published: January 2020

Background

Monogenic autoinflammatory diseases are caused by pathogenic variants in genes that regulate innate immune responses, and are characterized by sterile systemic inflammatory episodes. Since symptoms can overlap within this rapidly expanding disease category, accurate genetic diagnosis is of the utmost importance to initiate early inflammation-targeted treatment and prevent clinically significant or life-threatening complications. Initial recommendations for the genetic diagnosis of autoinflammatory diseases were limited to a gene-by-gene diagnosis strategy based on the Sanger method, and restricted to the 4 prototypic recurrent fevers (MEFV, MVK, TNFRSF1A, and NLRP3 genes). The development of best practices guidelines integrating critical recent discoveries has become essential.

Methods

The preparatory steps included 2 online surveys and pathogenicity annotation of newly recommended genes. The current guidelines were drafted by European Molecular Genetics Quality Network members, then discussed by a panel of experts of the International Society for Systemic Autoinflammatory Diseases during a consensus meeting.

Results

In these guidelines, we combine the diagnostic strength of next-generation sequencing and recommendations to 4 more recently identified genes (ADA2, NOD2, PSTPIP1, and TNFAIP3), nonclassical pathogenic genetic alterations, and atypical phenotypes. We present a referral-based decision tree for test scope and method (Sanger versus next-generation sequencing) and recommend on complementary explorations for mosaicism, copy-number variants, and gene dose. A genotype table based on the 5-category variant pathogenicity classification provides the clinical significance of prototypic genotypes per gene and disease.

Conclusions

These guidelines will orient and assist geneticists and health practitioners in providing up-to-date and appropriate diagnosis to their patients.
What influences the long-term development of mixtures in British forests?
Authors: Mason W L , Connolly T
Published: January 2020

Six experiments were established between 1955 and 1962 in different parts of northern and western Britain which used replicated randomized block designs to compare the performance of two species 50:50 mixtures with pure stands of the component species. The species involved were variously lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl.), Japanese larch (Larix kaempferi Lamb. Carr.), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), silver birch (Betula pendula Roth.), Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis Bong. Carr.) and western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla Raf. Sarg.). The first four species are light demanding, while Sitka spruce is of intermediate shade tolerance and western hemlock is very shade tolerant: only Scots pine and silver birch are native to Great Britain. In three experiments (Bickley, Ceannacroc, Hambleton), the mixtures were of two light-demanding species, while at the other three sites, the mixture tested contained species of different shade tolerance. The experiments were followed for around 50 years, similar to a full rotation of even-aged conifer stands in Britain. Five experiments showed a tendency for one species to dominate in mixture, possibly reflecting differences in the shade tolerance or other functional traits of the component species. In the three experiments, the basal area of the mixtures at the last assessment was significantly higher than predicted based on the performance of the pure stands (i.e. the mixture ‘overyielded’). In two of these cases, the mixture had had a higher basal area than found in the more productive pure stand indicating ‘transgressive overyielding’. Significant basal area differences were generally more evident at the later assessment date. The exception was in a Scots pine: western hemlock mixture where greater overyielding at the earlier date indicated a nursing (‘facilitation’) effect. In the remaining experiments, the performance of the mixture conformed to predictions from the growth of the component species in pure stands. Taken overall, the results suggest that functional traits can be used to interpret the performance of mixtures but prediction of the outcome will require better understanding of the interplay between species and site characteristics plus the influence of silvicultural interventions.
Assessing the NephroCheck® Test System in Predicting the Risk of Death or Dialysis in Burn Patients
Authors: Suresh Mithun R , Rizzo Julie A , Sosnov Jonathan A , Stacey Winfred N , Howard Jeffrey T , Tercero Javance R , Babcock Elizabeth H , Stewart Ian J
Published: January 2020

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with high mortality in burn patients. Urinary biomarkers can aid in the prediction of AKI and its consequences, such as death and the need for renal replacement therapy (RRT). The purpose of this study was to investigate a novel methodology for detecting urinary biomarkers, the NephroCheck® Test System, and assess its ability to predict death or the need for RRT in burn patients. Burn patients admitted to the United States Army Institute of Surgical Research (USAISR) burn intensive care unit were prospectively enrolled between March 2016 and April 2018. A urine sample was obtained from all study participants using the NephroCheck® system. Patient and injury characteristics were gathered, and descriptive statistics were calculated and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed using these data. Of the 69 patients in this study, 15 patients (21.7%) attained the composite outcome of death or needing RRT within 30 days of urine collection. NephroCheck® scores were higher for patients with the composite outcome, with P = 0.06 for centrifuged scores and P = 0.04 for noncentrifuged scores. Centrifuged and noncentrifuged scores were in high agreement and correlation (R2 = 0.97, P < 0.0001). Noncentrifuged scores were significant in the unadjusted analysis, but they were not significant in the adjusted analysis. Although these scores had a lower sensitivity and negative predictive value compared with other parameters, they had the second highest specificity and positive predictive value. NephroCheck® scores were higher in burn patients with the composite outcome of death or needing RRT, and they demonstrated comparable sensitivity and specificity to creatinine and TBSA.
Woody plant encroachment may decrease plant carbon storage in grasslands under future drier conditions
Authors: Liu Yun-Hua , Cheng Jun-Hui , Schmid Bernhard , Tang Li-Song , Sheng Jian-Dong
Published: January 2020

Aims

Woody plants are widely distributed in various grassland types along the altitudinal/climatic gradients in Xinjiang, China. Considering previously reported change in carbon (C) storage following woody plant encroachment in grasslands and the mediating effect of climate on this change, we predicted that a positive effect of woody plants on plant C storage in semiarid grasslands may revert to a negative effect in arid grasslands. We first investigated the spatial variation of aboveground C (AGC) and belowground C (BGC) storage among grassland types and then tested our prediction.

Methods

We measured the living AGC storage, litter C (LC) and BGC storage of plants in two physiognomic types, wooded grasslands (aboveground biomass of woody plants at least 50%) and pure grasslands without woody plants in six grassland types representing a gradient form semiarid to arid conditions across Xinjiang.

Important Findings Living AGC, LC, BGC and total plant C storage increased from desert to mountain meadows. These increases could also be explained by increasing mean annual precipitation (MAP) or decreasing mean annual temperature (MAT), suggesting that grassland types indeed represented an aridity gradient. Woody plants had an effect on the plant C storage both in size and in distribution relative to pure grasslands. The direction and strength of the effect of woody plants varied with grassland types due to the mediating effect of the climate, with wetter conditions promoting a positive effect of woody plants. Woody plants increased vegetation-level AGC through their high AGC relative to herbaceous plants. However, more negative effects of woody plants on herbaceous plants with increasing aridity led to a weaker increase in the living AGC in arid desert, steppe desert and desert steppe than in the less arid other grassland types. Under greater aridity (lower MAP and higher MAT), woody plants allocated less biomass to roots and had lower BGC and had a more negative impact on herbaceous plant production, thereby reducing vegetation-level BGC in the desert, steppe desert and desert steppe. In sum, this resulted in a negative effect of woody plants on total plant C storage in the most arid grasslands in Xinjiang. As a consequence, we predict that woody plant encroachment may decrease rather than increase C storage in grasslands under future drier conditions.
The CT gap sign, a case of failure to seat the polythene component in total ankle replacement (infinity)
Authors: Anugraha Anoop , Ferguson Zak , Pillai Anand
Published: January 2020

We present a case of incorrect seating of the polyethylene liner in an INFINITY total ankle replacement causing discomfort and eventually leading to a revision ankle replacement. This malposition of the implant was observed on a computed tomography (CT) scan as a ‘gap’ between the liner and the body of the replacement. The patient complained of discomfort on walking postoperatively, which limited activity. All investigations were normal including X-Ray, inflammatory markers, ultrasound, and it was only the subtle CT changes along with history that confirmed the diagnosis. This case demonstrates a complication of the design of the INFINITY prosthesis and the approach taken to the ankle when inserting. The patient fortunately made a full recovery after revision surgery, returning to normal activities with minimal pain.
The Woman at the Well and the Limits of Biblical Scholarship: Maximus the Confessor’s Scholion on Thal. 41
Authors: Cooper Adam G
Published: January 2020

In 2018 Maximus the Confessor’s premier work on biblical hermeneutics, the Responses to Thalassius, finally appeared in English translation. Following its original publication in the early 630 s, Maximus reissued the Responses in a second edition, to which he appended a dedicated prologue and his so-called scholia, an extensive set of annotations or footnoted clarifications. In both Maximus’s prologue and in the reception history of the Responses, these scholia were regarded as intrinsic to the integrity of the whole work. This article focuses on scholion 1 to Thal. 41, in which Maximus comments on the number of husbands belonging to the Woman at the Well in John 4, and why Jesus’ conversation with her took place when and where it did. It treats the scholion as a test case to see whether, how, and to what extent it further enlightens the reader as to the meaning of Maximus’s initial commentary, as he says it should. It argues that the scholion crucially qualifies several insights raised by Maximus in his original response, touching on his anagogical reading of Scripture, the progressive character of human history towards a culminating salvific goal, the limits of learning and discursive reason, and the role of faith and grace in receiving deifying wisdom.
Deserving Immigrants and Good Advocate Mothers: Immigrant Mothers’ Negotiations of Special Education Systems for Children with Disabilities
Authors: Kibria Nazli , Becerra Walter Suarez
Published: January 2020

Drawing on observational data and 30 in-depth interviews, we examine how immigrant mothers of color from diverse class, ethnic, and racial backgrounds negotiate public special education services for their children with severe intellectual disabilities. Special education systems in the United States emphasize parental involvement and oversight in the process of developing appropriate service packages for children. The intersection of these expectations with ideologies of intensive mothering generate an idealized vision of the mothers of children with disabilities as engaging in vigorous, selfless, and skillful advocacy in special education systems. The “Good Advocate Mother” becomes an ideational foil for “immigrant deservingness” by offering a yardstick of expectations against which to evaluate the commitment and merit of immigrant mothers raising children with disabilities. The Good Advocate Mother is a source of empowerment for immigrant mothers. The narrative legitimates their quest to obtain the best services for their children in the face of political currents that call immigrant entitlements to public services into question. The Good Advocate Mother is a constant source of challenge for immigrant mothers for whom the pressures of advocating well for their children intersect with those of establishing themselves as deserving immigrants.
School Uniforms, Short-Run Participation, and Long-Run Outcomes: Evidence from Kenya
Authors: Evans David K , Ngatia Mũthoni
Published: January 2020

In recent decades, the number of evaluated interventions to improve access to school has multiplied, but few studies report long-term impacts. This paper reports the impact of an educational intervention that provided school uniforms to children in poor communities in Kenya. The program used a lottery to determine who would receive a school uniform. Receiving a uniform reduced school absenteeism by 37 percent for the average student (7 percentage points) and by 55 percent for children who initially had no uniform (15 percentage points). Eight years after the program began, there is no evidence of sustained impact of the program on highest grade completed or primary school completion rates. A bounding exercise suggests no substantive positive, long-term impacts. These results contribute to a small literature on the long-run impacts of educational interventions and demonstrate the risk of initial impacts depreciating over time.
Complex Genetic System Involved in Fusarium Ear Rot Resistance in Maize as Revealed by GWAS, Bulked Sample Analysis, and Genomic Prediction
Authors: Guo Zifeng , Zou Cheng , Liu Xiaogang , Wang Shanhong , Li Wen-Xue , Jeffers Dan , Fan Xingming , Xu Mingliang , Xu Yunbi
Published: January 2020

Fusarium ear rot (FER) caused by Fusarium verticillioides is one of the most prevalent maize diseases in China and worldwide. Resistance to FER is a complex trait controlled by multiple genes highly affected by environment. In this paper, genome-wide association study (GWAS), bulked sample analysis (BSA), and genomic prediction were performed for understanding FER resistance using 509 diverse inbred lines, which were genotyped by 37,801 high-quality single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Ear rot evaluation was performed using artificial inoculation in four environments in China: Xinxiang, Henan, and Shunyi, Beijing, during 2017 and 2018. Significant phenotypic and genetic variation for FER severity was observed, and FER resistance was significantly correlated among the four environments with a generalized heritability of 0.78. GWAS identified 23 SNPs that were associated with FER resistance, 2 of which (1_226233417 on chromosome 1 and 10_14501044 on chromosome 10) were associated at threshold of 2.65 × 10−7[−log(0.01/37,801)]. Using BSA, resistance quantitative trait loci were identified on chromosomes 3, 4, 7, 9, and 10 at the 90% confidence level and on chromosomes 3 and 10 at the 95% confidence level. A key region, bin 10.03, was detected by both GWAS and BSA. Genomic prediction for FER resistance showed that the prediction accuracy by trait-related markers was higher than that by randomly selected markers under different levels of marker density. Marker-assisted selection using genomic prediction could be an efficient strategy for genetic improvement for complex traits like FER resistance.
Analysis of Cotton Chromosome 11 and 14 Root-Knot Nematode Resistance Quantitative Trait Loci Effects on Root-Knot Nematode Postinfection Development, Egg Mass Formation, and Fecundity
Authors: Wubben Martin J. , Gaudin Amanda G. , McCarty Jack C. , Jenkins Johnie N.
Published: January 2020

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) resistance to root-knot nematode (RKN) (Meloidogyne incognita) is controlled by quantitative trait loci (QTLs) on chromosomes 11 (CHR11) and 14 (CHR14). The individual contributions of these QTLs to resistance are not completely understood. We developed near isogenic lines susceptible at both loci (null), having CHR11 or CHR14 alone, and having both QTLs (CHR11/CHR14). RKN reproduction, postinfection development, egg mass formation, and adult female fecundity were evaluated. Total RKN reproduction was reduced more in CHR14 versus CHR11 but not as greatly as in CHR11/CHR14. Second-stage juvenile (J2) development to the J3 and J4 (J3+J4) life stages was delayed in CHR11, whereas the J2 transition to J3+J4 in CHR14 followed a similar track as in null plants. Development of J3+J4 nematodes to adult females was inhibited in CHR14 at 21 days after inoculation (DAI). Adult female numbers were decreased in CHR11 and CHR14 at 21 and 28 DAI, with CHR11/CHR14 showing an even greater reduction by 28 DAI. The number of egg masses per gram of root at 21, 28, and 35 DAI formed on CHR11 and CHR14 followed a similar track as numbers of adult females. RKN adult female fecundity (eggs/egg mass) was reduced for CHR11 and CHR14 compared with the null at 21 DAI; however, CHR11 eggs/egg mass was only slightly reduced versus the null by 28 DAI. In contrast, CHR14 eggs/egg mass was like CHR11/CHR14, showing a 4-fold decrease compared with CHR11 and the null.
Characterization of the Resistance Mechanism and Risk of Fusarium verticillioides to the Myosin Inhibitor Phenamacril
Authors: Ren Weichao , Liu Na , Hou Yiping , Li Baohua , Zhou Mingguo , Chen Changjun
Published: January 2020

Fusarium verticillioides is a major pathogen of maize that causes ear rot and produces mycotoxins. Phenamacril is a novel cyanoacrylate fungicide that exhibits favorable activity against Fusarium species. In this study, the phenamacril-resistant mutants of F. verticillioides were obtained by ultraviolet mutagenesis. Single point mutations of S73L or E276K in the myosin-1 FvMyo1 were proven to be responsible for the high-level resistance of F. verticillioides to phenamacril. Phenamacril had a significant impact on the localization of the wild-type FvMyo1 (FvMyo1WT-green fluorescent protein [GFP]), but not on the mutated FvMyo1 (FvMyo1S73L-GFP and FvMyo1E276K-GFP) at the hyphal tips. Molecular docking analysis suggested that mutation (S73L or E276K) in FvMyo1 altered the binding mode and decreased the binding affinity between phenamacril and myosin-1. There was no significant fitness penalty in mycelial growth, conidiation, and virulence of F. verticillioides associated with resistance to phenamacril. The results will enhance our understanding of the resistance mechanism of F. verticillioides to phenamacril and provide new reference data for the management of maize ear rot.
Risk analysis of chewing betel quid among diabetic patients from the northeastern part of Bangladesh
Authors: Hasan Zafrul , Islam Md. Rafiul , Hasan Md. Soyib , Sakib Miah Mohammad , Islam Md. Sifatul , Chowdhury Md. Belal , Sarker Saifuddin , Islam Md. Rakibul , Hasnat Mohammad Abul , Nath Lalith Mohon , Mia Md. Waseque
Published: January 2020

Background

Betel quid (BQ) chewing is a common habit and a means of social interaction among the northeastern peoples of Bangladesh. Though this habit integrating in their daily life without knowing its toxic effect. Areca nut, which is one of the main components of BQ and may responsible for this addiction. Here, we assess to see how BQ chewing habit influence hyperglycemia among diabetic patients with respect to their lifestyle.

Methodology

Random blood sugar (RBS) test was evaluated from a total of 961 diabetic patients. Behavioral data associated with their daily lifestyle were collected from August 2018 to February 2019 from Sylhet Diabetic Hospital, Bangladesh. Student’s t-test, ANOVA and Fisher’s exact test were used to assess the RBS status between BQ chewer and non-chewer patients.

Results

Higher RBS was found in BQ chewer patients than non-chewer (mean ± SEM, 263.3 ± 4.768 vs. 251.0 ± 5.915mg/dl). Interestingly, it is significantly higher in raw areca nut user than dry nut (mean ± SEM, 278.0 ± 8.790 vs. 252.1 ± 6.835 mg/dl) only from BQ chewer group, suggesting that the habit of chewing raw nut may contribute to more hyperglycemic effect among diabetic patients. BQ habit enhances higher RBS level among smoker, non-smoker and patient’s having walking habit. In addition, BQ habit significantly influence to have high RBS in patients with family history with diabetes. Lack of awareness being diabetes have also been observed significantly in BQ chewer patients, while a higher level of RBS was seen in BQ group, who work in different sectors with sitting activities.

Conclusions

Diabetic patients who chew betel quid are more prone to keep higher hyperglycemic. Utmost attention should be taken to discourage the use of BQ for proper management of diabetes control.
User perspectives on cannabis and SSRIs as treatment for depression
Authors: Castañeda Judy
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the qualitative relationship between cannabis and the most commonly used antidepressant drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRIs) through the narratives of depressed individuals who have used both drugs at one point during their lifetime. Despite their prevalence, depression, cannabis use, and SSRI use have not been previously studied together through the perspective of those who have experienced them. Using a exploratory approach, this paper investigates and compares the user experiences of these drugs.

Design/methodology/approach

Semi-structured interviews were conducted involving participants who were between the ages of 16–59 in the UK and have used both SSRIs and cannabis either simultaneously or at any point in their lives. Five interviews were conducted either via telephone or in person, and the method of analysis was an inductive approach which was inspired by grounded-theory.

Findings

While the two drugs were used by participants in order to relieve symptoms of depression, they were used for very different reasons and typically at different stages of their lives. Though participants did not state that the drugs were interchangeable for improving mood, their responses indicated that these drugs were viewed as two alternatives to alleviate symptoms of depression. Participants’ relationships with their doctors also played a crucial role and affected interviewees’ decisions to use either SSRIs or cannabis, as well as perceptions of the medical industry.

Social implications

This research shows the importance of doctor and patient interactions as they were crucial influences on patients’ decisions related to drugs. Participants’ experiences with SSRI and cannabis were subjective and varied, therefore, the value of personalised treatment (which may or may not include psychotropic drugs) is highlighted. These findings can help health practitioners gain a better understanding of the rationale of depressed patients in choosing treatments and thereby improve healthcare outcomes.

Originality/value

Given that depression is stigmatised, and cannabis use is both illegal and stigmatised, this paper examines the opinions of a difficult to reach population. Previous work involving cannabis, antidepressants and mood-elevating effects is primarily written with a biochemical or medical perspective which paid more focus on the efficacy of these drugs and had less emphasis on the beliefs of the users. This paper highlights the opinions of cannabis and SSRI users regarding these two drugs specifically, which had not been previously explored.
Barriers and enablers of coastal disaster resilience – lessons learned from tsunami in Sri Lanka
Authors: Rathnayake Danidu Kusal , Kularatne Devmini , Abeysinghe Sonali , Shehara Ishani , Fonseka Thilanga , Edirisinghe Mudiyanselage Sameera Darshana Jayasooriya , Kamalrathne Wathuwala Gedara Chaminda Thushara , Siriwardana Chandana , Alagiyawanna Mohotti Appuhamilage Chaminda Senarathna Bandara , Dissanayake Ranjith
Published: January 2020

Purpose

This study aims to evaluate the coastal disaster resilience and the disaster management framework of Sri Lanka, by conducting a case study in a few coastal areas in the district of Matara which were majorly affected in 2004 by the Indian Ocean Tsunami. Although it has been 15 years since the disaster struck the country, Sri Lanka is still struggling in building back better. This reveals the need to strengthen the action plan toward coastal disaster management by identifying the barriers and challenges that still exist in policies and frameworks, the use of technology in evacuation planning, implementation of evacuation plans and capacity building of the community.

Design/methodology/approach

This study was conducted through structured and in-depth interviews among the general public and government officials targeting the eventual outcome as to ascertain barriers incorporated with the disaster management framework and then possible improvements to the framework were identified and suggested.

Findings

The findings showed that the practice of an administrative-oriented disaster management framework was a key element in creating a welfare-oriented community that is still building back better in Matara, which was one of the worst affected cities in the country during the 2004 Tsunami.

Originality/value

This paper facilitates resilience development by identifying the overall development of the system after 2004. The required modifications needed to strengthen the system have thereby been identified through the developed output which was produced by analyzing the barriers and challenges.
Response to money laundering scandal: evidence-informed or perception-driven?
Authors: Pol Ronald F.
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to utilise underused information in anti-money laundering rating data to assist policymaking and research.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper explores what evidence “hidden in plain sight” in official anti-money laundering rating data reveals about claims justifying the expansion of money laundering controls in response to European bank scandals.

Findings

A perceived lack of international coordination influencing the policy response to a series of alleged anti-money laundering breaches does not accord with the anti-money laundering industry’s own evidence base.

Practical implications

Responding to new crises with superficial solutions without addressing fundamental questions with a multi-disciplinary perspective risks repeating and extending a decade-long cycle of ineffectiveness in efforts to mitigate the social and economic harms from profit-motivated crime.

Originality/value

This paper draws fresh conclusions from the anti-money laundering industry’s “main” data set, underused in policymaking and research.
Turnover in public accounting firms: a literature review
Authors: Nouri Hossein , Parker Robert James
Published: January 2020

Purpose

This paper reviews and synthesizes the extensive literature that investigates turnover in public accounting firms.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper initially identifies turnover studies by searching two commonly used business databases,ABI and Business Source. Subsequently, references in these studies are examined. Over 100 published studies of accounting firms are identified.

Findings

Prior turnover studies can be classified by the underlying theory: psychological attachment; role theory; mentoring; and organizational justice. Using these theories, prior research has examined a wide variety of issues such as the role of gender in turnover.

Practical implications

Turnover is a significant and long-term problem in accounting firms. Practitioners and researchers have long noted that firms lose the costs of training employees who leave the firm. Recently, many in the auditing field have recognized that employee turnover may reduce audit quality. This paper summarizes prior turnover research, which may provide guidance to future researchers and managers of accounting firms.

Originality/value

This study fills a void in the accounting literature, which is missing a comprehensive and up to date review of prior studies of turnover in accounting firms. Opportunities for future research are also explored. While much has been learned, some theoretical and methodological issues remain unresolved.
The complexity of collaboration in supply chain networks
Authors: Huang Yuan , Han Weixi , Macbeth Douglas K.
Published: January 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the complexity of collaborations in supply chain networks, particularly the influence of horizontal collaborations (e.g. international joint ventures) on vertical collaborations (e.g. supplier–manufacturer partnering relationships).

Design/methodology/approach

A multiple case study including four horizontal collaborations and five vertical collaborations within a supply chain network is presented in the context of the Chinese automotive industry. Data interpretation from interviews is structured by key collaborative activities and collaborative behaviors.

Findings

The analysis highlights a variety of collaborative behaviors under different types of collaboration and their interaction. The complexity of collaboration is revealed in a range of dimensions including culture diversity, drivers/facilitators, competitive/collaborative advantages and the engagement of all. Collaboration evolves as the structure of the supply chain changes; the key is to appreciate the existence of cooperation, competition and culture conflicts and to manage the trade-offs.

Research limitations/implications

A window of opportunity is presented for future research to investigate the complexity of supply chain collaboration in a wider industrial or geographical context, including statistical validation and comparative analysis.

Practical implications

A contingent view on supply chain collaboration is promoted to practitioners (e.g. international supply chain managers), where collaborative activities should be aligned with the motive and type of business relationships which may change as collaboration develops.

Originality/value

A rare empirical study captures the complexity of supply chain collaboration including the interaction between different forms. A dynamic collaboration approach recognizes the changing process, varying cooperation behaviors as well as characteristics of partners which have not been sufficiently reflected in the literature.
Cultivating digital cultures
Authors: Kavanaugh Jeff
Published: January 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to describe the findings of a recent Infosys survey that found digital technologies are being used to meet focused objectives such as improving customer experience or increasing productivity. This is contrary to much of the earlier rhetoric that large companies must quickly make an exponential change to survive against the digital upstarts.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on an Infosys survey of more than 1,000 senior management executives globally at companies with more than US$1bn in annual revenue across the USA, Europe, Australia, China and India.

Findings

This paper expands upon findings that outline why soft skills are just as important as technical ones to foster an organizational culture that ensures the success of digital initiatives. Specifically, the paper elaborates on findings across five key areas: planning, hiring, training for skills, incentives and workplace for organizational culture.

Originality/value

This paper will help HR leaders build a lifelong learning culture and use it to retain top talent. This includes pursuing multiple talent approaches and initiatives, providing training programs, rigorous hiring methods and working toward sustainably smarter infrastructures.
How to nurture a transformative digital culture in the workplace
Authors: Williams Mark
Published: January 2020

Purpose

HR is at the very heart of this cultural revolution, and everything from candidate selection and onboarding right through to training and development play a key role.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper draws on Microsoft research highlighting productivity and digital transformation.

Findings

Organisations can future proof themselves by letting their employees become the driving force in the transition to digital.

Originality/value

This paper encourages readers to extend beyond simply using digital tools, opening up new channels of communication and inspiring new ways of thinking within an otherwise very traditional.
Equality without equivalence: an anthropology of the common★
Authors: Walker Harry
Published: January 2020

This article elaborates an Amazonian conception of the common and the challenge it poses to Western thinking about individualism and equality. It is suggested that a number of distinctive features of Amazonian Urarina sociality may have their basis in a shared refusal of factors that give rise to relations of equivalence between people. This kind of singularism, or ‘individualism without individuals’, results from an orientation to the common as a collective resource that is antithetical to property, in which subjectivity is shaped in relation to wider ecological and affective resources that are continuously and collectively produced. This embraces not only shared economic resources, such as land or game animals, but also ways of organizing and producing affective, cognitive, and linguistic relations, ‘commonalities’ of various kinds which never reduce differences to an abstract subject, such as the individual of liberalism or the collective of socialism.
Potential public health risk due to consumption of contaminated bovine milk with aflatoxin M1 and Coxiella burnetii in the West of Iran
Authors: Ahmadi Elham
Published: January 2020

This study aimed to evaluate the probable public health hazard imposed by bovine milk in relation to aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) and Coxiella burnetii in the West of Iran. The assessment of AFM1, using an ELISA test, indicated 62.22% and 21.11% of 45 samples of raw and pasteurised milk were above the permissible content of Codex and Iranian standard levels, respectively. Further, anti‐C. burnetii antibody was detected in 63.04% of bulk tank milk samples, with six samples harbouring the bacterial genome. High AFM1 contamination levels and an endemic pattern of Q fever warrant continuous surveillance programmes in the studied region.
Preliminary Investigation on the Causes of Odd Vibration of Buildings in Guilin City—a Study on the Resonance between Buildings and the Underlying Soil Layer
Authors: ZHANG Fawang , GAN Fuping , LUAN Song , MENG Yan , ZHENG Zhijie , LI Weixuan
Published: January 2020

A residential building in Guilin City, China, underwent an up‐and‐down vibration with an amplitude of 2 cm. By eliminating several causes such as earthquake, wind and construction, in combination with the unique karst geological conditions of Guilin, it was inferred that the effect of turbulent karst water is the main contributor to the occurrence of this vibration. Therefore, a geophysical survey was undertaken on the vibration zone and its surroundings. The resutls suggest that the soil in the upper part of the karst grooves shows conspicuous traces of disturbance and the water content has low resistance. A comprehensive analysis indicates that there is a karst strong runoff zone beneath the area. According to the water level and water temperature data collected automatically by the instrument, it can be concluded that the groundwater level had changed significantly twice during this period, so it was determined that the denudation of groundwater strong runoff causes the overlying soil layer to collapse, forming a soil‐water soft‐flow material with mixed phase. Since the building in this area was supported by friction piles, the groundwater‐soil soft‐flow material with mixed phase has intense plasticity, and the up‐and‐down vibration resulted in the change of the friction piles, which caused the up‐and‐down vibration of the building structure.
Preventing relapse with personalized smart‐messaging after cognitive behavioural therapy: A proof‐of‐concept evaluation
Authors: Malins Sam , Biswas Sanchia , Patel Shireen , Levene Jo , Moghaddam Nima , Morriss Richard
Published: January 2020

Objectives

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can improve symptoms of anxiety and depression, but also reduces the risk of future relapse after therapy completion. However, current CBT relapse prevention methods are resource‐intensive and can be limited in clinical practice. This paper investigates a personalized means of reducing relapse using smart‐messaging in two settings: research and routine care.

Design

Study 1 presents a cohort study comparing a cohort of smart‐messaging users versus non‐users. Study 2 presents time series follow‐up data from a case series of smart‐messaging users from clinical practice.

Methods

Fifteen of 56 CBT completers who participated in a trial for the treatment of health anxiety wrote advice they would want if in future they were doing well, experiencing early warning signs of relapse, or experiencing full relapse. Following CBT, participants received weekly text‐message requests to rate their well‐being. Dependent upon their response, participants received tailored advice they had written, appropriate to the well‐being level reported after recovery from health anxiety. Smart‐messaging was also trialled in a routine practice sample of 14 CBT completers with anxiety and depression.

Results

Across a 12‐month follow‐up, participants receiving smart‐messaging showed greater health improvements than those who did not. Well‐being scores showed stability between CBT completion and 6‐month follow‐up among routine care patients.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that a low‐intensity, personalized relapse prevention method can have a clinical benefit following CBT for common mental health problems.

Practitioner points

Post‐treatment outcomes may be improved using personalized smart‐messaging to prevent relapse following cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for health anxiety.

In clinical practice, post‐treatment smart‐messaging can be well‐used by patients and may help maintain stable well‐being in the 6 months after CBT ends.

This evidence supports the clinical utility of a brief tailored digital intervention, which can be integrated within routine clinical practice with minimal therapist input.

Overall, longer‐term post‐CBT outcomes may be improved by integrating a smart‐messaging intervention at the end of therapy.
Position paper on International Collaboration for Transfusion Medicine (ICTM) Guideline ‘Red blood cell specifications for patients with hemoglobinopathies: a systematic review and guideline’
Authors: Trompeter Sara , Massey Edwin , Robinson Susan ,   the Transfusion Task Force of the British Society of Haematology Guidelines Committee
Published: January 2020

The International Collaboration for Transfusion Medicine Guidelines (ICTMG) has published guidance on transfusion for haemoglobinopathies. To give a UK perspective on this guidance, each of the recommendations in the ICTMG guideline were reviewed and the applicability for transfusion practice in the UK considered with reference to relevant published British Society for Haematology (BSH) guidelines and national standards . There was much consensus; however, there was disparity surrounding the recommendations for routinely extended matching in those with alloimmunisation.
Drug resistance mechanisms in Japanese anaplastic lymphoma kinase‐positive non–small cell lung cancer and the clinical responses based on the resistant mechanisms
Authors: Yanagitani Noriko , Uchibori Ken , Koike Sumie , Tsukahara Mika , Kitazono Satoru , Yoshizawa Takahiro , Horiike Atsushi , Ohyanagi Fumiyoshi , Tambo Yuichi , Nishikawa Shingo , Fujita Naoya , Katayama Ryohei , Nishio Makoto
Published: January 2020

The treatment for anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)‐positive lung cancer has been rapidly evolving since the introduction of several ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitors (ALK‐TKI) in clinical practice. However, the acquired resistance to these drugs has become an important issue. In this study, we collected a total of 112 serial biopsy samples from 32 patients with ALK‐positive lung cancer during multiple ALK‐TKI treatments to reveal the resistance mechanisms to ALK‐TKI. Among 32 patients, 24 patients received more than two ALK‐TKI. Secondary mutations were observed in 8 of 12 specimens after crizotinib failure (G1202R, G1269A, I1171T, L1196M, C1156Y and F1245V). After alectinib failure, G1202R and I1171N mutations were detected in 7 of 15 specimens. G1202R, F1174V and G1202R, and P‐gp overexpression were observed in 3 of 7 samples after ceritinib treatment. L1196M + G1202R, a compound mutation, was detected in 1 specimen after lorlatinib treatment. ALK‐TKI treatment duration was longer in the on‐target treatment group than that in the off‐target group (13.0 vs 1.2 months). In conclusion, resistance to ALK‐TKI based on secondary mutation in this study was similar to that in previous reports, except for crizotinib resistance. Understanding the appropriate treatment matching resistance mechanisms contributes to the efficacy of multiple ALK‐TKI treatment strategies.
Evaluating a pragmatic estimate of insulin sensitivity in Latino youth with obesity
Authors: Peña Armando , Olson Micah L. , Soltero Erica G. , Lee Chong , Toledo Meynard J. , Ayers Stephanie L. , Shaibi Gabriel Q.
Published: January 2020

The whole‐body insulin sensitivity index (WBISI) is a widely used surrogate of insulin sensitivity estimated from glucose and insulin concentrations during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). The original WBISI uses five timepoints but reduced sampling models have been proposed. These reduced models have not been applied to the paediatric population. The purpose of this study is to compare cross‐sectional agreement and changes in response to lifestyle intervention between the original WBISI and the WBISI120 using fasting and 2‐hour glucose and insulin concentrations from OGTT among Latino adolescents with obesity. We also examined the cost‐differential between the two measures. Secondary analyses were conducted with data from Latino adolescents (14‐16 years) with obesity (BMI ≥ 95th percentile) who were recruited for a randomized controlled lifestyle intervention trial. Baseline data in youth (n = 148) who underwent a 2‐hour OGTT was used to analyse agreement between WBISI and WBISI120. Data from 65 participants who completed a 12‐week lifestyle intervention were used to assess changes and the rate of change between WBISI and WBISI120. Research costs to determine both measures were compared. WBISI120 showed good cross‐sectional agreement (ICCagreement = 0.88) with the full WBISI. Following intervention, WBISI120 increased 62.5% (M ± SD, 1.6 ± 1.2 to 2.6 ± 1.7, P < .001) while WBISI increased by 25.0% (1.6 ± 1.0 to 2.0 ± 1.0, P < .001) but the rate of change for WBISI and WBISI120 was not significantly different (P = .11). WBISI120 costs ~70% less than WBISI. WBISI120 may offer a cost‐effective surrogate estimate of insulin sensitivity in Latino youth with obesity.
Outcomes of extended radical resections for locally advanced and recurrent pelvic malignancy involving the aortoiliac axis
Authors: Peacock O. , Smith N. , Waters P. S. , Cheung F. , McCormick J. J. , Warrier S. K. , Wagner T. , Heriot A. G.
Published: January 2020

Aim

Currently, there is no clear consensus on the role of extended pelvic resections for locally advanced or recurrent disease involving major vascular structures. The aims of this study were to report the outcomes of consecutive patients undergoing extended resections for pelvic malignancy involving the aortoiliac axis.

Methods

Prospective data were collected on patients having extended radical resections for locally advanced or recurrent pelvic malignancies, with aortoiliac axis involvement, requiring en bloc vascular resection and reconstruction, at a single institution between 2014 and 2018.

Results

Eleven patients were included (median age 60 years; range 31–69 years; seven women). The majority required resection of both arterial and venous systems (n = 8), and the technique for vascular reconstruction was either interposition grafts or femoral–femoral crossover grafts. The median operative time was 510 min (range 330–960 min). Clear resection margins (R0) were achieved in nine patients. The median length of stay was 25 days (range 7–83 days). Seven patients did not suffer an early complication. There was one serious complication (Clavien–Dindo ≥ 3), an arterial graft occlusion secondary to thrombus in the immediate postoperative period, requiring a return to theatre and thrombectomy. The median length of follow‐up in this study was 22 months (range 4–58 months).

Conclusion

This series demonstrates that en bloc major vascular resection and reconstruction can be performed safely and can achieve clear resection margins in selected patients with locally advanced or recurrent pelvic malignancy at specialist surgery centres.
The utility of cell blocks for international cytopathology teleconsultation by whole slide imaging
Authors: Satturwar Swati , Monaco Sara E. , Xing Juan , Pantanowitz Liron
Published: January 2020

Introduction

Telecytology for second opinion consultation has largely been limited by technical issues, such as the inability to focus well on cellular material. Nevertheless, international telecytology consultation was undertaken at our institution with partners in China and Italy. To overcome issues with scanning cytology slides, we adopted a cell‐block (CB) preference for teleconsultation.

Methods

Telecytology consultation cases received over a 7.5‐year period were retrospectively reviewed. Cytology glass slides were scanned without Z‐stacking using different whole slide scanners. For one referring site, only haematoxylin‐eosin‐stained CBs were scanned, as well as immunostains requested by consultants. For another host centre, aspirate smears were also scanned in some cases.

Results

A total of 51 non‐gynaecological cases (44 CB only) were evaluated from 48 patients. The specimens included pleural fluids (19), pancreas (14), lymph nodes (6), peritoneal fluids (2) and miscellaneous samples (10). The cytological diagnoses spectrum included 16 (31.37%) cases positive for malignancy, 7 (13.72%) positive for neoplasm, 6 (11.76%) suspicious for malignancy, 10 (19.60%) atypical, 10 (19.60%) negative for malignancy and 2 (3.92%) non‐diagnostic. In 42 (82.35%) cases, immunocytochemistry was requested. Turn‐around‐time ranged from 1.5 to 306 hours.

Conclusions

Our experience shows that international telecytology for consultation purposes involving non‐gynaecological cases is feasible. A second opinion interpretation was rendered in the majority (64.7%) of cases. Utilising CB only for cytology consultations by whole slide imaging solved focus issues that typically plague evaluation of cytology aspirate smears.