bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Process mining through artificial neural networks and support vector machines
Authors: Maita Ana Rocío Cárdenas , Martins Lucas Corrêa , López Paz Carlos  Ramón , Peres Sarajane Marques , Fantinato Marcelo
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– Process mining is a research area used to discover, monitor and improve real business processes by extracting knowledge from event logs available in process-aware information systems. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the application of artificial neural networks (ANNs) and support vector machines (SVMs) in data mining tasks in the process mining context. The goal was to understand how these computational intelligence techniques are currently being applied in process mining.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors conducted a systematic literature review with three research questions formulated to evaluate the use of ANNs and SVMs in process mining.

Findings

– The authors identified 11 papers as primary studies according to the criteria established in the review protocol. Most of them deal with process mining enhancement, mainly using ANNs. Regarding the data mining task, the authors identified three types of tasks used: categorical prediction (or classification); numeric prediction, considering the “regression” type, and clustering analysis.

Originality/value

– Although there is scientific interest in process mining, little attention has been specifically given to ANNs and SVM. This scenario does not reflect the general context of data mining, where these two techniques are widely used. This low use may be possibly due to a relative lack of knowledge about their potential for this type of problem, which the authors seek to reverse with the completion of this study.
Knowledge acquisition and product innovation flexibility in SMEs
Authors: Liao Ying , Barnes Jane
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the role that knowledge acquisition (KA) plays in creating product innovation flexibility (PIF) in SMEs. The paper also examines two of the factors of the KA process: relationship quality (RQ); and information capability (IC).

Design/methodology/approach

– The survey data were checked for common method variance, validity, and reliability. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothetical framework and path analysis was used to test mediation effects.

Findings

– Results show that for SMEs, KA mediates the effect of RQ on PIF, and that KA partially mediates the relationship between IC and PIF.

Research limitations/implications

– The study focusses on only one step in the knowledge management process – KA. Additional research into the role that IC plays on PIF is also called for. Additional empirical study is needed to identify contingency factors, both within and outside the firm.

Practical implications

– These findings provide important insights for SME supply chain managers to understand the roles that the quality of relationship with their suppliers and how information is managed across boundaries can impact their ability to achieve flexible production innovation. An effective external KA process facilitates transformation of high-quality supplier relationship and IC into innovation flexibility.

Social implications

– The study suggests that the concept of social capital should be emphasized in knowledge-based research on SMEs.

Originality/value

– This study fills a gap in supply chain management research on the role of KA on PIF by being one of the first to empirically examine this effect in SMEs.
Towards the identification of important strategic priorities of the supply chain network
Authors: Tsironis Loukas K. , Matthopoulos Panagiotis Petros
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– Supply chain (SC) is a homogeneous and interconnected network of firms which manages supplies, storages and handles material, information, personnel, equipment and final products throughout its length. The SC can be the means by which businesses add value to customers and therefore competitive advantage in the international market. Competitiveness no longer exists among individual members of a SC but between SCs. International literature pointed out, that strategy and competitiveness associated with specific strategic priorities. In this paper will be documented that the priorities as objectives of strategic importance comprise the key areas for the performance of the SC network. To support this, a systematic framework of strategic priorities, will be developed, which will visualize the major SC assessment areas that the SC network should turn its improvement efforts. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– In total, 200 high level managers from 71 Greek manufacturing companies covering the whole country using their own SC networks took part in the study. Data analysis were conducted to create a model that describes the strategic priorities which are important, for the competitive advantage of their SC network.

Findings

– The results revealed seven critical strategic priorities: internal flexibility, production quality, waste reduction, customer focus, sustainability, reduction of production cost and efficiency. This paper analytically explores the strategic practices that seem to influence SC network performance and generates a systematic framework of the critical strategic priorities of the SC network performance.

Practical implications

– The proposed framework has six major advantages. First the research outcome enables managers to design their SC strategy. Second, proved the great importance of the strategic priorities institutionalization. Third, makes clear to stakeholders which are the SC network performance issues to consider. Fourth, the proposed framework could serve as a suitable formula for assessing the effectiveness and readiness of SC to face the competition. Fifth, it is an effective way of prioritizing the strategic practices as it provides the most important areas on which the firm can base tasks like evaluation, benchmarking and comparison of its SC both as a network and as individual firms. Finally, the proposed framework is an effective way to evaluate the consistency of strategic objectives and actions adopted for the SC.

Originality/value

– Literature review revealed a very important conclusion. It has been developed a broad discussion concerning issues on strategic practices which are responsible for the competitive advantage of the SC network. However, there has not been a significant effort on integrating all the practices under the spectrum of the SC in order to distinguish the most important of these practices that can lead to competitive advantages.
New agent-based proactive migration method and system for Big Data Environment (BDE)
Authors: Zhang De-gan , Song Xiao-dong , Wang Xiang , Li Ke , Li Wen-bin , Ma Zhen
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– Mobile Service of Big Data can be supported by the fused technologies of computing, communication and digital multimedia. The purpose of this paper is to propose new agent-based proactive migration method and system for Big Data Environment (BDE).

Design/methodology/approach

– First, the authors have designed new relative fusion method for making decision based on fuzzy-neural network. The method can make the fusion belief degree to be improved. Then the authors have proposed agent-based proactive migrating method with service discovery and key frames selection strategy. Finally, the authors have designed the application system, which can support proactive seamless migration function for big data. The method has innovation in which mobile service task of big data can dynamically follow its mobile user from one device to another device.

Findings

– The authors have proposed agent-based proactive migrating method with service discovery and key frames selection strategy. The method has innovation in which mobile service task of big data can dynamically follow its mobile user from one device to another device. The designed system is convenient to work and use during mobility, and which is useful or helpful for mobile user in the BDE.

Originality/value

– The authors have clarified and realizes how to transfer service tasks among different distances in Big Data Environment (BDE). The authors have given a formal description and classification of the mobile service task, which is independent of the realization mechanism. In the designed and developed application system, the new idea adopts fuzzy-neural control theory to make decision for task-oriented proactive seamless migration application.
An efficient return mapping algorithm for elastoplasticity with exact closed form solution of the local constitutive problem
Authors: De Angelis Fabio , Taylor Robert L.
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present an efficient return mapping algorithm for elastoplastic constitutive problems of ductile metals with an exact closed form solution of the local constitutive problem in the small strain regime. A Newton Raphson iterative method is adopted for the solution of the boundary value problem.

Design/methodology/approach

– An efficient return mapping algorithm is illustrated which is based on an elastic predictor and a plastic corrector scheme resulting in an implicit and accurate numerical integration method. Nonlinear kinematic hardening rules and linear isotropic hardening rules are used to describe the components of the hardening variables. In the adopted algorithmic approach the solution of the local constitutive equations reduces to only one straightforward nonlinear scalar equation.

Findings

– The presented algorithmic scheme naturally leads to a particularly simple form of the nonlinear scalar equation which ultimately scales down to an algebraic (polynomial) equation with a single variable. The straightforwardness of the present approach allows to find the analytical solution of the algebraic equation in a closed form. Further, the consistent tangent operator is derived as associated with the proposed algorithmic scheme and it is shown that the proposed computational procedure ensures a quadratic rate of asymptotic convergence when used with a Newton Raphson iterative method for the global solution procedure.

Originality/value

– In the present approach the solution of the algebraic nonlinear equation is found in a closed form and accordingly no iterative method is required to solve the problem of the local constitutive equations. The computational procedure ensures a quadratic rate of asymptotic convergence for the global solution procedure typical of computationally efficient solution schemes. In the paper it is shown that the proposed algorithmic scheme provides an efficient and robust computational solution procedure for elastoplasticity boundary value problems. Numerical examples and computational results are reported which illustrate the effectiveness and robustness of the adopted integration algorithm for the finite element analysis of elastoplastic structures also under elaborate loading conditions.
A kernel-independent fast multipole BEM for large-scale elastodynamic analysis
Authors: Cao Yanchuang , Rong Junjie , Wen Lihua , Xiao Jinyou
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to develop an easy-to-implement and accurate fast boundary element method (BEM) for solving large-scale elastodynamic problems in frequency and time domains.

Design/methodology/approach

– A newly developed kernel-independent fast multipole method (KIFMM) is applied to accelerating the evaluation of displacements, strains and stresses in frequency domain elastodynamic BEM analysis, in which the far-field interactions are evaluated efficiently utilizing equivalent densities and check potentials. Although there are six boundary integrals with unique kernel functions, by using the elastic theory, the authors managed to accelerate these six boundary integrals by KIFMM with the same kind of equivalent densities and check potentials. The boundary integral equations are discretized by Nyström method with curved quadratic elements. The method is further used to conduct the time-domain analysis by using the frequency-domain approach.

Findings

– Numerical results show that by the fast BEM, high accuracy can be achieved and the computational complexity is brought down to linear. The performance of the present method is further demonstrated by large-scale simulations with more than two millions of unknowns in the frequency domain and one million of unknowns in the time domain. Besides, the method is applied to the topological derivatives for solving elastodynamic inverse problems.

Originality/value

– An efficient KIFMM is implemented in the acceleration of the elastodynamic BEM. Combining with the Nyström discretization based on quadratic elements and the frequency-domain approach, an accurate and highly efficient fast BEM is achieved for large-scale elastodynamic frequency domain analysis and time-domain analysis.
Evolving genetic programming models of higher generalization ability in modelling of turning process
Authors: Garg Akhil , Tai Kang
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– Generalization ability of genetic programming (GP) models relies highly on the choice of parameter settings chosen and the fitness function used. The purpose of this paper is to conduct critical survey followed by quantitative analysis to determine the appropriate parameter settings and fitness function responsible for evolving the GP models with higher generalization ability.

Design/methodology/approach

– For having a better understanding about the parameter settings, the present work examines the notion, applications, abilities and the issues of GP in the modelling of machining processes. A gamut of model selection criteria have been used in fitness functions of GP, but, the choice of an appropriate one is unclear. In this work, GP is applied to model the turning process to study the effect of fitness functions on its performance.

Findings

– The results show that the fitness function, structural risk minimization (SRM) gives better generalization ability of the models than those of other fitness functions.

Originality/value

– This study is of its first kind where two main contributions are listed addressing the need of evolving GP models with higher generalization ability. First is the survey study conducted to determine the parameter settings and second, the quantitative analysis for unearthing the best fitness function.
Supporting the PhD journey: insights from acknowledgements
Authors: Mantai Lilia , Dowling Robyn
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The aim of this paper is to explore the types of social networks and relationships that PhD candidates identify as important in a successful PhD journey.

Design/methodology/approach

– We use an under-utilised yet rich data source: PhD thesis acknowledgements. The paper employs a sample of 79 PhD acknowledgements drawn from diverse disciplines across Australian universities to illustrate the types of social support provided, who and what is acknowledged as providing support and the intersections between the types and providers of support.

Findings

– Key findings of the paper are that three types of support are evident – emotional, academic and instrumental – and that families, colleagues and supervisors, as well as others, are acknowledged for providing all three forms of support. Further, acknowledgements give insights into students’ personal and professional development and identification as researchers.

Research limitations/implications

– This research helps higher degree research recognise the breadth of relationships in the PhD process to make provisions that encourage such network building. It delineates the meaning and value of social support in successful doctoral candidature. So far, little empirical research has outlined the types of support valued by students.

Originality/value

– The study confirms the critical place of candidates’ networks in the PhD journey, broadens the view of what constitutes support and identifies the range of individuals involved in the process. It identifies potential in acknowledgements as a source of evidence of social support and researcher development in the PhD experience.
The Australian doctorate curriculum: responding to the needs of Asian candidates
Authors: Choy Sarojni , Li Minglin , Singh Parlo
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present a case for appraisal of the current curriculum provisions for international students. In this paper, the authors summarise the key challenges of Asian international research graduate students pursuing doctorate studies in Australian universities to become researchers for the global communities. The intention is to advocate further research on current higher degree research curriculum with a view to enriching the developmental experiences of international research graduate students in preparation for global practice.

Design/methodology/approach

– This is an analytical paper that adopts a conceptual and rhetorical approach.

Findings

– The authors review a growing body of research on higher degree research studies and establish a need for appraisal of current curriculum provisions.

Originality/value

– This is the first paper to concentrate on an emerging need to appraise current higher degree research curriculum provisions to enhance the development international research graduate students for global practices.
Managing performance or legitimacy? A case study of the Tanzanian Local Government Authorities
Authors: Gaspar Abeid Francis , Mkasiwa Tausi Ally
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate performance measurement practices in the Tanzanian Local Government Authorities (LGAs). It seeks to understand the performance measurement practices in the context of new public management (NPM) (Hood, 1991, 1995). Specifically, the paper focuses on the annual performance assessment (the local government development grant system), which operated in the Tanzanian LGAs as a base for accessing grants from the central government.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study executed a grounded theory strategy for data collection and analysis. Fieldwork was undertaken in three Tanzanian LGAs.

Findings

– The findings revealed how performance measurement practices were involved in the process of managing legitimacy, and consequently, in the acquisition of grants from the central government. Dialogue and learning about the performance measurement exercise and the production and manipulation of evidence were the two strategies employed by LGAs in the management of legitimacy.

Practical implications

– In practice, efficiency in organizations may be achieved through the appropriate design of systems, and by understanding, and addressing problems which emerge during their implementation. Learning is a significant strategy used by actors, and this needs to be taken into consideration by reformers when designing and implementing reforms.

Originality/value

– The paper contributes to existing research by providing a framework for managing legitimacy. The framework supports and extends Oliver’s (1991) typology of strategic responses to institutional processes and Suchman (1995) legitimation strategies. It identifies dialogue and learning as other forms of significant strategy in actors responses to institutional pressures. The study also provides additional evidence of the responses to the accounting changes and the NPM reforms.
Consumer responses to corporate social responsibility programs
Authors: Lu Tim , Wei Xia , Li Kungchi
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The paper aims to establish a causal relationship model that helps to realize how consumer involvement with the cause moderates the effect of company-cause fit on consumers’ corporate associations, and how their corporate associations regarding a company’s social responsibility programs influence their satisfaction with the company and the company’s corporate image, in the backdrop that the use of corporate social responsibility initiatives to affect consumers’ preference has become a common strategy.

Design/methodology/approach

– In the main study, the authors conducted a between-subjects factorial design to test the research model. A total of 400 questionnaires were distributed, and a valid sample of 389 participants was obtained.

Findings

– The results show that high-fit programs have a positive influence on the perceived corporate ability (CA) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) associations. CA associations directly influence corporate image and consumer satisfaction, while CSR associations indirectly impact consumer satisfaction through corporate image. Furthermore, consumers’ involvement with the cause increases the relationship between company-cause fit and CA associations.

Originality/value

– These conclusions have important implications for a better understanding of consumer evaluation of CSR initiatives. Theoretically, this research increases understanding of the interaction effects of perceived company-cause fit and consumer involvement with the cause on consumer evaluation of a company engaged in CSR, and a richer insight into the role of CA and CSR associations in consumer evaluations of companies engaged in CSR campaigns. Managerially, this research shows how managers can choose CSR programs causes that are most likely to promote favorable customer CA and CSR associations, thereby improving the company’s corporate image and customer satisfaction.
The complexity of recruiting
Authors: Sahay Pradeep
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to delve into the fast changing world of recruitment and throw light on some key challenges, trends and emerging practices that will continue to shape the future character and complexion of the recruiting discipline.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper draws on the authors over 20 years of professional experience in the talent space in both large corporate and professional services environment. It also draws from secondary research and review of available literature on the recruitment discipline.

Findings

– The paper provides empirical insights on the key drivers and determinants of recruiting success in the VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) times organizations find themselves in today. It delineates the challenges and the opportunity proposition for talent acquisition as a discipline, as it negotiates its way from a business process to a critical business partner for organizations at large.

Research limitations/implications

– The paper is based on empirical research and secondary research of contemporary literature around the recruiting discipline.

Practical implications

– The paper suggests implications for organizations to leverage the true value proposition of their recruiting function by embracing strategies and practices that elevate recruitment from a transactional, short-term focused activity to a strategic, integrated and long-term approach helping optimize their investments in people.

Originality/value

– The paper provides seminal insights on the changing contours of the recruitment discipline and the implications for organizations at large in their quest to find the right talent to drive business success.
New ways of working: what is the real impact on the HR profession?
Authors: Zheltoukhova Ksenia
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to introduce the concept of shared-value and propose how it could be applied in the field of human resource management (HRM).

Design/methodology/approach

– Conceptual paper presenting key ideas.

Findings

– The ability to connect the interests of people and the business is seemingly within the remit of human resource (HR), yet the people management function has been slow to implement the shared-value creation idea. A principles-based approach to HRM, underpinned by a body of knowledge, is proposed as the way forward.

Originality/value

– While many other professions have adopted a principles-based approach to setting standards of good practice, the development of principles of human capital management is nascent. This paper discusses the feasibility of this approach for the HR profession.
Language changes in bilingual individuals with Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Stilwell Becca L. , Dow Rebecca M. , Lamers Carolien , Woods Robert T.
Published: October 2015

Background

Alzheimer's disease (AD) in those who are bilingual is becoming increasingly prevalent in modern society, yet little is known about the impact of AD on the bilingual's two languages.

Aims

To gather information from the available literature on AD and bilingual individuals.

Methods & Procedures

The first author searched three electronic databases for relevant articles and retrieved 186 articles. Nine articles met the inclusion criteria and were selected for this review. Various research methods employed in assessing language changes in bilingual individuals with AD were captured.

Main Contribution

Preliminary findings suggest that both controls and bilingual individuals with Alzheimer's disease (BIAD) were more able on language‐related tasks in their dominant language compared with their non‐dominant language. The current literature would suggest that both languages in bilingual individuals are equally affected by AD; however, there is room to explore preliminary data on the fact that the non‐dominant language, and indeed the dominant language, is more sensitive to AD.

Conclusions & Implications

More robust, clinically relevant research designs that test current theoretical frameworks are needed to inform the development of appropriate assessments, diagnosis and person‐centred care for bilingual individuals with AD.
Macroeconomic performance, political trust and the Great Recession: A multilevel analysis of the effects of within‐country fluctuations in macroeconomic performance on political trust in 15 EU countries, 1999–2011
Authors: VAN ERKEL PATRICK F.A. , VAN DER MEER TOM W.G.
Published: October 2015

Recent cross‐national comparative studies have found no effect of countries’ macroeconomic performances on trust in national political institutions, once political explanations (most notably corruption) are taken into account. Although political trust is not determined by the comparison of national economic performance to other countries, it is argued in this article that it is affected by comparisons to their own past performance. In a multilevel, fixed effects analysis of Eurobarometer data (21 waves in 15 European Union Member States between 1999 and 2011) the extent to which within‐country variations in economic performance affect political trust longitudinally is tested. Three major conclusions are reached. First, within‐country, longitudinal changes in performance (growth, deficits, unemployment and inflation) affect political trust. Second, the impact of macroeconomic performance is stronger among the lower educated. Third, even in times of economic duress, budgetary deficits tend to undermine political trust.
Throwing the rascals out? Problems of accountability in two‐party systems
Authors: QUINN THOMAS
Published: October 2015

This article critically examines the concept of ‘accountability’ as it is understood in two‐party systems and majoritarian democracy – namely the ability of voters to remove governments that violate their mandates or otherwise perform poorly. Voters’ capacity to ‘throw the rascals out’ is one of the main normative appeals of two‐partism and the single‐member plurality (SMP) electoral system. However, this article uses a spatial model to show that in at least two types of situation voters are left in a bind when confronted with a mandate‐breaking governing party: (1) when both major parties undertake unexpected non‐centrist shifts in opposing directions after an election, leaving centrist voters with an unappealing choice; and (2) when a governing party that had won an election on a non‐centrist platform undertakes a post‐election shift to the centre, leaving its more radical supporters dissatisfied. In each case, voters have four imperfect options: punish the governing party by throwing the rascals out, but in doing so vote for a party that is ideologically more distant; abstain, and withdraw from the democratic process; vote for a minor party that has no hope of influencing government formation, but which might detach enough votes to allow the ideologically more distant major opposition party to win; and forgive the governing party its mandate‐breaking. All of these options represent accountability failures. The problems are illustrated with two case studies from two‐party systems: the United Kingdom in the mid‐1980s and New Zealand in the period 1984–1993. In both instances, many voters found it difficult to ‘throw the rascals out’ without harming their own interests in the process. The article concludes that accountability may sometimes be better achieved if voters can force a party to share power in coalition with another party in order to ‘keep it honest’ instead of removing it from government completely, as can happen in multi‐party systems based on proportional representation. Thus, although two‐partism based on plurality voting is normally regarded as superior to multi‐partism and proportional representation on the criterion of accountability, in some instances, the reverse can be true. The article therefore undermines a core normative argument advanced by supporters of majoritarian democracy and SMP.
House or home? Constituent preferences over legislator effort allocation
Authors: VIVYAN NICK , WAGNER MARKUS
Published: October 2015

In many political systems legislators face a fundamental trade‐off between allocating effort to constituency service and to national policy‐making activities, respectively. How do voters want their elected representatives to solve this trade‐off? This article provides new insights into this question by developing a conjoint analysis approach to estimating voters’ preferences over their legislator's effort allocation. This approach is applied in Britain, where it is found that effort allocation has a significant effect on voter evaluations of legislators, even in a political system where other legislator attributes – in particular, party affiliation – might be expected to predominate. This effect is nonlinear, with voters generally preferring a moderate balance of constituency and national policy work. Preferences over legislator effort allocation are not well‐explained by self‐interest or more broadly by instrumental considerations. They are, however, associated with voters’ local‐cosmopolitan orientation, suggesting that heuristic reasoning based on underlying social dispositions may be more important in determining preferences over representative activities.
Isolation and assessment of gut bacteria from the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae), for paratransgenesis research and application
Authors: Tikhe Chinmay V. , Sethi Amit , Delatte Jennifer , Husseneder Claudia
Published: October 2015

Paratransgenesis targeting the gut protozoa is being developed as an alternative method for the control of the Formosan subterranean termite (FST). This method involves killing the cellulose‐digesting gut protozoa using a previously developed antiprotozoal peptide consisting of a target specific ligand coupled to an antimicrobial peptide (Hecate). In the future, we intend to genetically engineer termite gut bacteria as “Trojan Horses” to express and spread ligand‐Hecate in the termite colony. The aim of this study was to assess the usefulness of bacteria strains isolated from the gut of FST as “Trojan Horses.” We isolated 135 bacteria from the guts of workers from 3 termite colonies. Sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene identified 20 species. We tested 5 bacteria species that were previously described as part of the termite gut community for their tolerance against Hecate and ligand‐Hecate. Results showed that the minimum concentration required to inhibit bacteria growth was always higher than the concentration required to kill the gut protozoa. Out of the 5 bacteria tested, we engineered Trabulsiella odontotermitis, a termite specific bacterium, to express green fluorescent protein as a proof of concept that the bacteria can be engineered to express foreign proteins. Engineered T. odontotermitis was fed to FST to study if the bacteria are ingested. This feeding experiment confirmed that engineered T. odontotermitis is ingested by termites and can survive in the gut for at least 48 h. Here we report that T. odontotermitis is a suitable delivery and expression system for paratransgenesis in a termite species.
Comparative Analgesic Efficacy of Oxycodone/Acetaminophen Versus Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen for Short‐term Pain Management in Adults Following ED Discharge
Authors: Chang Andrew K. , Bijur Polly E. , Holden Lynne , Gallagher E. John
Published: October 2015

Objectives

The objective was to test the hypothesis that oxycodone/acetaminophen provides superior analgesia to hydrocodone/acetaminophen for the treatment of acute extremity pain following emergency department (ED) discharge.

Methods

This was a prospective, randomized, double‐blind clinical trial of nonelderly adult ED patients with acute musculoskeletal extremity pain, randomly allocated at discharge to receive oxycodone/acetaminophen (5 mg/325 mg) or hydrocodone/acetaminophen (5 mg/325 mg). The primary outcome was the between‐group difference in improvement in numerical rating scale (NRS) pain scores over a 2‐hour period following the most recent ingestion of study drug, obtained during telephone contact 24 hours after ED discharge. Secondary outcomes included proportionate decrease in pain, comparative side‐effect profiles, and patient satisfaction.

Results

A total of 240 patients were enrolled. The final sample consisted of 220 patients, 107 randomly allocated to oxycodone/acetaminophen and 113 to hydrocodone/acetaminophen. At 24 hours after ED discharge, the mean NRS pain scores prior to the most recent dose of outpatient pain medication were 7.8 and 7.9 in the oxycodone/acetaminophen and hydrocodone/acetaminophen groups, respectively. The mean decreases in pain scores over 2 hours were 4.4 NRS units in the oxycodone/acetaminophen group versus 4.0 NRS units in the hydrocodone/acetaminophen group, for a difference of 0.4 NRS units (95% confidence interval = −0.2 to 1.1 NRS units). Satisfaction with the analgesics was similar.

Conclusions

This study design could not detect a clinically or statistically significant difference in analgesic efficacy between oxycodone/acetaminophen (5 mg/325 mg) and hydrocodone/acetaminophen (5 mg/325 mg) for treatment of acute musculoskeletal extremity pain in adults following ED discharge. Both opioids reduced pain scores by approximately 50%.
The contribution of education, social class and economic activity to the income–mortality association in alcohol‐related and other mortality in Finland in 1988–2012
Authors: Tarkiainen Lasse , Martikainen Pekka , Laaksonen Mikko
Published: October 2015

Aims

First, to quantify trends in the contribution of alcohol‐related mortality to mortality disparity in Finland by income quintiles. Secondly, to estimate the degree to which education, social class and economic activity explain the income–mortality association in alcohol‐related and other mortality in four periods within 1988–2012.

Design

Register‐based longitudinal study using an 11% random sample of Finnish residents linked to socio‐economic and mortality data in 1988–2012 augmented with an 80% sample of all deaths during 1988–2007. Mortality rates and discrete time survival regression models were used to assess the income–mortality association following adjustment for covariates in 6‐year periods after baseline years of 1988, 1994, 2001, and 2007.

Setting

Finland.

Participants

Individuals aged 35–64 years at baselines. For the four study periods for men/women, the final data set comprised, respectively, 26 360/12 825, 22 561/11 423, 20 342/11 319 and 2651/1514 deaths attributable to other causes and 7517/1217, 8199/1450, 9807/2116, 1431/318 deaths attributable to alcohol‐related causes.

Measurements

Alcohol‐related deaths were analysed with household income, education, social class and economic activity as covariates.

Findings

The income disparity in mortality originated increasingly from alcohol‐related causes of death, in the lowest quintile the contribution increasing from 28 to 49% among men and from 11 to 28% among women between periods 1988–93 and 2007–12. Among men, socio‐economic characteristics attenuated the excess mortality during each study period in the lowest income quintile by 51–62% in alcohol‐related and other causes. Among women, in the lowest quintile the attenuation was 47–76% in other causes, but there was a decreasing tendency in the proportion explained by the covariates in alcohol‐related mortality.

Conclusions

The income disparity in mortality among working‐age Finns originates increasingly from alcohol‐related causes of death. Roughly half the excess mortality in the lowest income quintile during 2007–12 is explained by the covariates of household income, education, social class and economic activity.
Long‐term outcomes following laparoscopic anterior and Nissen fundoplication
Authors: Robertson Andrew G. N. , Patel Ravi N. , Couper Graeme W. , de Beaux Andrew C. , Paterson‐Brown Simon , Lamb Peter J.
Published: October 2015

Background

Limited evidence exists to which operation gives best long‐term outcomes for gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease. This study aimed to assess long‐term symptomatic outcome and satisfaction following laparoscopic anterior (LA) or Nissen fundoplication in a specialist upper gastrointestinal unit.

Methods

Patients who underwent primary LA or Nissen (LN) fundoplication between May 1994 and June 2010 were identified from a prospectively collected database. DeMeester, modified DeMeester, ‘Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale’ scores and patient satisfaction were assessed by questionnaire.

Results

A total of 387 patients underwent surgery and 246 patients (65%) completed questionnaires, with 181 LA patients and 65 LN patients. Median follow‐up was 83 months for LA and 179 months for LN (P < 0.001). A total of 218/245 (89%) reported major improvement in symptoms and 27 (11%) reported poor outcomes. There was no differences between LA and LN for symptom scores at short (<5 years) or long‐term follow‐up (>5 years). Women reported significantly higher DeMeester scores and lower satisfaction (P = 0.012). One hundred and eighteen (48%) patients were taking proton pump inhibitors (PPI) at follow‐up despite high satisfaction rates.

Conclusion

LA and LN have similar long‐term results with patients reporting high satisfaction levels. Women reported more symptoms and less satisfaction than men. Despite high satisfaction rates a high percentage of patients take PPIs.
Objective assessment of delayed gastric emptying using gastric scintigraphy in post pancreaticoduodenectomy patients
Authors: Samaddar Avishek , Kaman Lileswar , Dahiya Divya , Bhattachyarya Anish , Sinha Saroj Kant
Published: October 2015

Background

No objective assessment of delayed gastric emptying is carried out in patients undergoing Whipple's procedure. All definitions and criteria along with evaluation of incidence of delayed gastric emptying are based on subjective assessment of the patient with clinical overview, so this study was carried out for an objective and accurate assessment of delayed gastric emptying in post Whipple's patients using gastric scintigraphy.

Methods

Twenty‐one patients undergoing Whipple's procedure performed by a single surgeon in a tertiary referral centre were included in the study. Gastric scintigraphy was performed preoperatively and on post‐operative 10th and 21st days. Preoperative and post‐operative gastric scintigraphy findings were used for the diagnosis of delayed gastric emptying and it was correlated with the incidence of clinical diagnosis of delayed gastric emptying.

Results

Thirteen out of 21 patients had clinical delayed gastric emptying. When compared with clinical delayed gastric emptying, the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of post‐operative 10th day gastric scintigraphy were 61.53, 100, 100 and 61.53%, respectively (P = 0.004). The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of post‐operative 21st day gastric scintigraphy were 38.46, 100, 100 and 50%, respectively (P = 0.04). Reflux across the gastrojejunal anastomosis was noted in 28.5% on dynamic scintigraphy with the severity of clinical symptoms related directly with the degree of reflux. No correlation was seen between delayed gastric emptying and variables such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension and pancreaticojejunal anastomotic leaks.

Conclusions

Gastric scintigraphy may be used to diagnose delayed gastric emptying more objectively in post Whipple's patients.
How can clinicians detect and treat autism early? Methodological trends of technology use in research
Authors: Bölte S , Bartl‐Pokorny KD , Jonsson U , Berggren S , Zhang D , Kostrzewa E , Falck‐Ytter T , Einspieler C , Pokorny FB , Jones EJH , Roeyers H , Charman T , Marschik PB
Published: October 2015

We reviewed original research papers that used quantifiable technology to detect early autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and identified 376 studies from 34 countries from 1965 to 2013. Publications have increased significantly since 2000, with most coming from the USA. Electroencephalogram, magnetic resonance imaging and eye tracking were the most frequently used technologies.

Conclusion

The use of quantifiable technology to detect early ASD has increased in recent decades, but has had limited impact on early detection and treatment. Further scientific developments are anticipated, and we hope that they will increasingly be used in clinical practice for early ASD screening, diagnosis and intervention.
Assembling productive communities of native grass and legume species: finding the right mix
Authors: Mischkolz Jenalee M. , Schellenberg Michael P. , Lamb Eric G.
Published: October 2015

Question

Native species have the potential to provide productive, drought‐resistant communities for seeded rangelands and ecological restoration. Little is known, however, about how to identify multispecies mixtures with optimal levels of productivity and stress resistance from the thousands of possible community configurations. Here we examine if empirical models can be used to predict highly productive community configurations of seven native grasses and legumes in controlled conditions from the very large pool of possible communities, and which basic measure of community structure best predicts function.

Location

Greenhouses in Saskatchewan, Canada.

Methods

We used a greenhouse experiment, where established communities varied in species and functional group richness, evenness, species and functional group identity, following a response surface design. We measured community productivity and evaluated the predictive power of a range of empirical models linking diversity and productivity.

Results

Productivity increased with increased functional dispersion, relative growth rate and decreased competitive effect. Selection effects were evident, with the abundance and occurrence of particular species or functional groups and plant traits also linked to increased productivity. Among the strongest predictors of productivity were the presence and abundance of perennial C3 grasses (particularly Pascopyrum smithii), likely because of the high early relative growth rate and strong competitive effect of those species.

Conclusions

We compiled and compared the ability of a range of empirical models to predict high‐productivity community configurations, and tested the accuracy of the best models in a confirmatory experiment. The relationship between predicted and observed productivity was significantly correlated in the confirmatory experiment, and demonstrates that under controlled conditions, basic measures of community structure can predict community function. This approach has potential, but variability within treatments may limit the accuracy of results. The models developed can be used as a screening tool, narrowing the search window for high functioning seed mixtures for use in ecological restoration.
Decreased brain PME/PDE ratio in bipolar disorder: a preliminary 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy study
Authors: Shi Xian‐Feng , Carlson Paul J , Sung Young‐Hoon , Fiedler Kristen K , Forrest Lauren N , Hellem Tracy L , Huber Rebekah S , Kim Seong‐Eun , Zuo Chun , Jeong Eun‐Kee , Renshaw Perry F , Kondo Douglas G
Published: October 2015

Objectives

The aim of the present study was to measure brain phosphorus‐31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P MRS) metabolite levels and the creatine kinase reaction forward rate constant (kf) in subjects with bipolar disorder (BD).

Methods

Subjects with bipolar euthymia (n = 14) or depression (n = 11) were recruited. Healthy comparison subjects (HC) (n = 23) were recruited and matched to subjects with BD on age, gender, and educational level. All studies were performed on a 3‐Tesla clinical magnetic resonance imaging system using a 31P/1H double‐tuned volume head coil. 31P spectra were acquired without 1H‐decoupling using magnetization‐transfer image‐selected in vivo spectroscopy. Metabolite ratios from a brain region that includes the frontal lobe, corpus callosum, thalamus, and occipital lobe are expressed as a percentage of the total phosphorus (TP) signal. Brain pH was also investigated.

Results

Beta‐nucleoside‐triphosphate (β‐NTP/TP) in subjects with bipolar depression was positively correlated with kf (p = 0.039, r2 = 0.39); similar correlations were not observed in bipolar euthymia or HC. In addition, no differences in kf and brain pH were observed among the three diagnostic groups. A decrease in the ratio of phosphomonoesters to phosphodiesters (PME/PDE) was observed in subjects with bipolar depression relative to HC (p = 0.032). We also observed a trend toward an inverse correlation in bipolar depression characterized by decreased phosphocreatine and increased depression severity.

Conclusions

In our sample, kf was not altered in the euthymic or depressed mood state in BD. However, decreased PME/PDE in subjects with bipolar depression was consistent with differences in membrane turnover. These data provide preliminary support for alterations in phospholipid metabolism and mitochondrial function in bipolar depression.