bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Patterns of Immunohistochemistry Utilization in Metastases to the Liver
Authors: Amin Khalid , El-Rayes Dina , Snover Dale , Mettler Tetyana , Vogel Rachel I. , Khalifa Mahmoud A.
Published: September 2018

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is a well-established morphology adjunct enabling pathologists to make accurate diagnoses. Metastases to the liver is a common scenario where pathologists may rely heavily on IHC in their interpretation. We conducted this study to audit the patterns of IHC utilization in malignant liver biopsies in 3 practice types (academic, community, and expert) as an initial step toward developing best practice guidelines. A total of 1100 specimens were analyzed and the association between the availability of history of other malignancies and the practice type on IHC utilization was studied. Community pathologists were twice as likely to use IHC and to use more markers per case than academic pathologists or the expert pathologist. When history of another malignancy was available, pathologists were not only 1.5 times more likely to use IHC but they also used more markers per case. IHC was still deemed necessary to reach the diagnosis in 67% of cases with a given history of other malignancy. This study described several variables for consideration in our effort to develop IHC utilization guidelines and its results quantify the variance noted among practice types.
The Effectiveness of Olive Oil in Controlling Morning Inflammatory Pain of Phalanges and Knees Among Women With Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Hekmatpou Davood , Mortaji Sepideh , Rezaei Masoud , Shaikhi Millad
Published: September 2018

Purpose

This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of olive oil in controlling morning inflammatory pain of phalanges and knees among women with rheumatoid arthritis.

Design

This is a randomized clinical trial, which was done in Arak, Iran.

Method

After selecting 60 women based on a convenience sampling method, they were randomly allocated into five groups. A demographic questionnaire, the Visual Analogue Scale, and the Disease Activity Score 28 were completed. After 12 weeks of interventions, the last two scales were again completed. All data were analyzed using t test, Kruskal–Wallis test, and Friedman test.

Results

The mean age of the women was 40 ± 10.5 years. The result of the Friedman test showed a significant difference (p ≤ .001) among the total mean of groups before and after interventions. The post hoc test (least significant difference [LSD]) showed a significant difference (p ≤ .001) between the mean of Disease Activity Score 28 in the group using olive oil for massaging. Results also showed that there are significant differences (p ≤ .001) among the mean of Visual Analogue Scale rates, among the mean of the number of painful joints, and among the mean of the number of swollen joints after intervention in the five groups.

Conclusion

Applying topical extra virgin olive oil, Piroxicam gel, and paraffin oil; dry massaging; and taking routine drugs alone were all effective in controlling rheumatic arthritis manifestations, respectively. Therefore, applying topical extra virgin olive oil for controlling of inflammatory pain of joints in rheumatic arthritis is recommended.

Clinical Relevance

In comparison with other medical ointments for RA, olive oil has lower expenditure and is findable in many homes.
Intraoral Anastomosis of Deep Circumflex Iliac Artery Perforator Flap for Maxillary Reconstruction
Authors: Wu Wen-Jie , Lv Xiao-Ming , Zhang Jian-Guo , Zheng Lei
Published: September 2018

Maxillary reconstruction is one of the most challenging areas of reconstructive surgery. This report describes a case of a 33-year-old male with osteoblastic osteosarcoma of the maxillary. The patient received radical resection and reconstruction with a deep circumflex iliac artery perforator flap (DCIAPF). The flap was harvested with a 4 × 2 cm2 osseous flap and a 6 × 8 cm2 skin island supplied by terminal perforators from the deep circumflex iliac artery. Anastomosis was accomplished on the ipsilateral facial vessels with deep circumflex iliac vessels through an intraoral approach. The donor site and the flap were observed to have completed primary healing 2 weeks after the surgery. The DCIAPF may be a satisfactory single-flap option for maxillary reconstruction with less donor-site complications.
Do Mandibular Third Molars Play a Role in Fractures of the Mandibular Angle and Condyle?
Authors: Nogami Shinnosuke , Yamauchi Kensuke , Bottini Gian Battista , Kouketsu Atsumu , Otake Yoshio , Sai Yuko , Kataoka Yoshihiro , Miyashita Hitoshi , Takahashi Tetsu
Published: September 2018

Introduction:

The relationship between impacted mandibular third molars with angle and condylar fractures is subject of many publications, yet their conclusions differ widely, hence the authors wanted to investigate this topic in their patients.

Methods:

The authors designed a retrospective study including 241 patients who presented with angle and/or mandibular condyle fractures over a 13-year period at the authors’ institution. The study variable was the presence/absence of third molars. The authors used the Pell and Gregory system to classify their position, whereas the angulation was classified using Archer classification. The outcome variables were the presence of angle and condylar fractures. Other study variables included fracture etiology.

Results:

Assaults were the most frequent cause of angle fractures (62.7%), whereas falls were mostly responsible for condylar fractures (79.6%). Angle fractures were mostly isolated (66.3%), whereas condylar fractures were mostly associated with other fractures (62.6%). The majority of the angle fractures occurred in patients with third molars (63.6%), on the contrary the majority of the condylar fractures occurred in patients without mandibular third molars (78.3%). Angle fractures were mostly associated with fully erupted or superficially impacted third molars (90,9%). Finally in the presence of mesioangulated third molars, condylar fractures did not happen in 83.8% of patients.

Conclusions:

According to the authors’ findings, fully erupted or superficially impacted mandibular third molars are a risk factor for angle fractures but at the same time a protective factor for the condyle. On the contrary, the absence of mandibular third molars “strengthens” the angle and represents a risk factor for condylar fractures.
Microvascular Replantation of the Avulsed Lip
Authors: Godfrey Natalie D. , Akyurek Mustafa
Published: September 2018

Traumatic facial soft tissue injury often creates both aesthetic and functional deficits. In complete lip avulsions, microvascular replantation is a reconstructive option that has the potential to fulfill both of these goals. However, lip replantations remain rare and there are few reports in the literature. The authors aim to present a clinical report of a young male who sustained a human bite injury and underwent microvascular replantation of a completely avulsed lower lip and to review the literature and management of these complex injuries.
Ophthalmic Injuries Related to Maxillofacial Trauma Due to Urban Warfare
Authors: Mohammad Najah K. , Al-Mahdi Akmam H. , Mohammed Omar Majid
Published: September 2018

Midfacial trauma commonly causes ocular injuries of varying degrees. Eye injuries account for approximately 10% of all battle injuries. Severity of injuries may range from a subconjunctival haemorrhage to optic nerve injury and globe laceration and rupture.

Aim of Study:

Is to evaluate the associated ophthalmic injuries in maxillofacial trauma due to war and to emphasize the need for proper ophthalmic examination to exclude and manage any associated ophthalmic injuries.

Materials and Methods:

A total of 66 patients with maxillofacial trauma due to war were considered in this study and underwent classification of the fractures to know patterns of fractures and to specify the ophthalmic injuries which might be associated with each fracture. Referral to ophthalmologist was considered to determine the exact nature of ophthalmic injuries. Results by a maxillofacial surgeon and ophthalmologist were evaluated.

Results:

Midfacial trauma particularly those associated with zygomatic bone fracture was highly significant due to blast and bullets can lead to serious ophthalmic injuries. This was related to 57% of ophthalmic injuries. The related ocular injuries which were subconjunctival hemorrhage and the rupture or lacerated eye globe found to be highly significant war injuries while the preretinal hemorrhage and diplopia were significant.

Conclusion:

A thorough proper ophthalmic examination should be carried out for every patient with these fractures and suspected cases should be placed under close observation so that immediate and active treatment can be taken if necessary.
Epineurial Nerve Coaptation: A Biological Nonliving Training Model Using Gradually Thawed Cryopreserved Sciatic Nerves
Authors: Safi Ali-Farid , Safi Sema , Timmer Marco , Goldbrunner Roland , Kauke Martin
Published: September 2018

The authors present a novel biological nonliving epineurial nerve coaptation training model, which allows cost-efficient practicing on organic mammal nerves and offers an objective performance control on the basis of successful suturing and respecting the 3R model.

Anatomic dissection of 40 rat cadavers was performed. Four residents without prior microneurosurgical experience were included. Each trainee performed 20 epineurial nerve coaptations. The number of successful sutures served as qualitative variable and operation time as a quantitative variable for efficiency control.

The rate for successful sutures was 51.9% in the first half of trials and improved to 94.4% in the second half. Whereas, the trainees needed a mean time of 34 minutes for the first 10 coaptations, the last 10 coaptations were performed within 24.5 minutes.

The authors’ presented model is an easily accessible, low-cost microneurosurgical simulation model, allowing a realistic and instructive performance of epineurial nerve coaptation. Because cadaveric nerves are used, an approval of the local ethics committee is not needed. Furthermore, anatomic knowledge about the topography related to the harvest of the sciatic nerve of rats is provided in this study.
Prognosis of Bell Palsy: A Clinical, Neurophysiological, and Ultrasound Study
Authors: Zaki Maha A. , Elkholy Saly H. , Abokrysha Noha T. , Khalil Alshaimaa Sobhi , Nawito Amani M. , Magharef Nagween W. , Kishk Nirmeen A.
Published: September 2018

Purpose:

Bell palsy is the most common cause of acute facial nerve paralysis. Ultrasound has proved its ability in detecting structural lesions along the course of the affected nerves.The current work aimed at studying the accuracy of ultrasound to predict the prognosis of Bell palsy in correlation to the clinical scale and nerve conduction studies.

Methods:

The study included 20 cases of acute Bell palsy treated with prednisolone and physiotherapy. The participants were examined using the House–Brackmann (HB) scale, electrophysiologically and neurosonologically in the affected side and healthy side that served as a control.

Results:

There was significant correlation between HB outcomes with onset of HB results. There was significant increase in the distal facial nerve diameter on the affected side compared with the normal side (P < 0.001). Although ultrasound at onset did not predict the outcome, nerve conduction studies did predict the outcome.

Conclusions:

Baseline HB clinical assessment of Bell palsy gives information on the clinical outcome of the disease. In addition to that, initial nerve conduction studies proved to be superior to ultrasound in predicting the outcome.
Phylogenies and diversification rates: variance cannot be ignored
Authors: Rabosky Daniel L.
Published: September 2018

The concept of variance is the foundation of modern statistics; it reflects our awareness that independent samples from a single population or stochastic process can produce a range of outcomes. A recent pair of articles in the journal Evolution abandons the notion of the sample variance and advocates for uncorrected comparisons of numerical point estimates between groups. The articles in question (Meyer and Wiens 2017; Meyer et al., 2018) criticize BAMM, a scientific software program that uses a Bayesian mixture model to estimate rates of evolution from phylogenetic trees. The authors use BAMM to estimate rates from large phylogenies (n > 60 tips) and they apply the method separately to subclades within those phylogenies (median size: n = 3 tips); they find that point estimates of rates differ between these levels and conclude that the method is flawed, but they do not test whether the observed differences are statistically meaningful. There is no consideration of sampling variation and its impact at any level of their analysis. Here, I show that numerical differences across groups that they report are fully explained by high variance in their subclade estimates, which is approximately 55 times greater than the corresponding variance for estimates from large phylogenies. Variance in evolutionary rate estimates – from BAMM and all other methods – is an inverse function of clade size; this variance is extreme for clades with 5 or fewer tips (e.g., 70% of clades in the focal study). The articles in question rely on negative results that are easily explained by low statistical power to reject their preferred null hypothesis, and this low power is a trivial consequence of high variance in their point estimates. By ignoring variance, the testing approach outlined in these articles can be misused to demonstrate that all statistical estimators, including the arithmetic mean, are “flawed”. I describe additional mathematical and statistical mistakes that render the proposed testing framework invalid on first principles. Evolutionary rates are no different than any other population parameters we might wish to estimate, and biologists should use the training and tools already at their disposal to avoid erroneous results that follow from the neglect of variance.
Efficient genome editing of human natural killer cells by CRISPR RNP
Authors: Rautela Jai , Surgenor Elliot , Huntington Nicholas D.
Published: September 2018

The ability to genetically modify CD8 T cells using viral gene delivery has facilitated the development of next generation of cancer immunotherapies such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells engineered to specifically kill tumor cells. Development of immunotherapies targeting natural killer (NK) cells have stalled in part by their resistance to viral gene delivery. Here, we describe an efficient approach to genetically edit human NK cells by electroporation and CRISPR-Cas9 ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes. We detail electroporation pulse codes and buffer optimization for protein uptake by human NK cells and viability, and the efficiency of this approach over other methods. To highlight the transformative step this technique will have for NK cell immunotherapy drug discovery, we deleted NKp46 and CIS in primary human NK cells and validated murine findings on their key roles in regulating NK cell anti-tumor function.
Systematic functional characterization of the intellectual disability-associated SWI/SNF complex reveals distinct roles for the BAP and PBAP complexes in post-mitotic memory forming neurons of theDrosophilamushroom body
Authors: Chubak Melissa C. , Stone Max H. , Raun Nicholas , Rice Shelby L. , Sarikahya Mohammed , Jones Spencer G. , Lyons Taylor A. , Jakub Taryn E. , Mainland Roslyn L.M. , Knip Maria J. , Edwards Tara N. , Kramer Jamie M.
Published: September 2018

Technology has led to rapid progress in the identification of genes involved in neurodevelopmental disorders like intellectual disability (ID), but our functional understanding of the causative genes is lagging. Here, we show that the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex is one of the most overrepresented cellular components disrupted in ID. We systematically investigated the role of individual subunits of this large protein complex in post-mitotic memory forming neurons of theDrosophilamushroom body (MB). Using this approach, we have identified novel differential roles for the two prominent conformations of theDrosophilaSWI/SNF complex, known as BAP and PBAP. The PBAP conformation is required post-mitotically for remodeling of the MB γ neurons during morphogenesis and is essential for both short and long-term memory. In contrast, the BAP conformation appears to preferentially effect long-term memory and is associated with γ neuron survival. Our results suggest that different subunits of the SWI/SNF complex may influence learning and memory through diverse and distinct roles in regulating structural plasticity, survival, and functionality of post-mitotic neurons. This study provides novel insight into the neuronal function of individual SWI/SNF subunits and will serve as a basis for understanding SWI/SNF-mediated gene regulatory mechanisms in post-mitotic neurons.
Survival and ice nucleation activity ofPseudomonas syringaestrains exposed to simulated high-altitude atmospheric conditions
Authors: de Araujo Gabriel Guarany , Rodrigues Fabio , Teixeira Gonçalves Fabio Luiz , Galante Douglas
Published: September 2018

The epiphytic bacteriumPseudomonas syringaeproduces the most efficient and well-studied biological ice nuclei (IN) known. Bioaerosols containing these cells have been proposed to influence cloud glaciation, an important process in the initiation of precipitation. The presence of this species has been reported on rain, snow, and cloud water samples, but how these organisms can survive the harsh conditions present on the high atmosphere still remains to be better understood. In this study, the impact caused by this type of environment onP. syringaewas assayed by measuring their viability and IN activity. Two strains, of the pathovarssyringaeandgarcae, were compared toEscherichia coli.While UV-C radiation effectively inactivated these cells, thePseudomonaswere much more tolerant to UV-B. TheP. syringaestrains were also more resistant to “environmental” UV radiation from a solar simulator, composed of UV-A and UV-B. The response of their IN after long exposures to this radiation varied: only one strain suffered a relatively small 10-fold reduction in IN activity at -5 °C. Desiccation at different relative humidity values also affected the IN, but some activity at -5 °C was still maintained for all tests. The pathovargarcaetended to be more resistant to the stress treatments than the pathovarsyringae, particularly to desiccation, though its IN were found to be more sensitive. Compared toE. coli, theP. syringaestrains seemed relatively better adapted to survival under conditions present on the atmosphere at high altitudes.

IMPORTANCE

The plant-associated bacteriumPseudomonas syringaeproduces on its outer membrane highly efficient ice nuclei which are able to induce the freezing of supercooled water. This ability has been linked to increased frost damaged on colonized leaves and also to the formation of ice in clouds, an important process leading to precipitation.P. syringaehas been found on rain, snow, and cloud water samples, confirming its presence on the atmosphere. This study aimed to assess the survival of these cells and the maintenance of their ice nucleation activity under stressing conditions present in high altitudes: ultraviolet radiation and desiccation.P. syringaestrains were shown to at least partially tolerate these factors, and their most efficient ice nuclei, while affected, could still be detected after all experiments.
Xdrop: targeted sequencing of long DNA molecules from low input samples using droplet sorting
Authors: Madsen Esben Bjørn , Kvist Thomas , Höijer Ida , Ameur Adam , Mikkelsen Marie Just
Published: September 2018

Long-read sequencing can resolve regions of the genome that are inaccessible to short reads, and therefore such technologies are ideal for genome-gap closure, solving structural rearrangements and sequencing through repetitive elements. Here we introduce the Xdrop technology: a novel microfluidic-based system that allows for targeted enrichment of long DNA molecules starting from only a few nanograms of genomic DNA. Xdrop is based on isolation of long DNA fragments in millions of double emulsion (DE) droplets, where the DE droplets containing a target sequence of interest are fluorescently labeled and sorted using flow cytometry. The final product from the Xdrop procedure is an enriched population of long DNA molecules that can be investigated by sequencing. To demonstrate the capability of Xdrop, we performed enrichment of the human papilloma virus (HPV) 18 integrated in the genome of human HeLa cells. The enriched DNA was sequenced both on long-read (PacBio and Oxford Nanopore) and short-read (Illumina) platforms. Analysis of the sequencing reads resolved three HPV18-chr8 integrations at base pair resolution, and the captured fragments extended up to 30 kb into the human genome at the integration sites. In summary, our results show that Xdrop is an efficient enrichment technology for studying complex regions of the genome where long-range information is required.
Structural ensembles based on NMR parameters suggest a complex pathway of ligand binding in human gastrotropin
Authors: Harmat Zita , Szabó András L. , Toke Orsolya , Gáspári Zoltán
Published: September 2018

Gastrotropin, the intracellular carrier of bile salts in the small intestine, binds two ligand molecules simultaneously in its internal cavity. The molecular rearrangements required for ligand entry are not yet fully clear. To improve our understanding of the binding process we combined molecular dynamics simulations with available structural and dynamic NMR parameters. The resulting ensembles reveal two distinct modes of barrel opening with one corresponding to the transition between theapoandholostates, whereas the other affecting different protein regions in both ligation states. Comparison of the calculated structures with NMR-derived parameters reporting on slow conformational exchange processes suggests that the protein undergoes partial unfolding along a path related to the second mode of the identified barrel opening motion.
In vitro activity of a novel antifungal compound, MYC-053, against clinically significant antifungal-resistant strains of Candida glabrata, Candida auris, Cryptococcus neoformans, and Pneumocystis spp
Authors: Tetz G , Collins M , Vikina D , Tetz V
Published: September 2018

An urgent need exists for new antifungal compounds to treat fungal infections in immunocompromised patients. The aim of the current study was to investigate the potency of a novel antifungal compound, MYC-053, against the emerging yeast and yeast-like pathogens Candida glabrata, Candida auris, Cryptococcus neoformans, and Pneumocystis spp. MYC-053 was equally effective against the susceptible control strains, clinical isolates, and resistant strains, with the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of 0.125–4.0 μg/mL. Notably, unlike other antifungal compounds, MYC-053 was effective against Pneumocystis isolates. MYC-053 was highly effective against preformed 48-h-old yeast biofilms, with the minimal biofilm eradication concentrations equal to 1–4 times MIC. The compound was not cytotoxic against L2 and A549 cell lines at concentrations over 100 μg/ml. Further, it possessed no apparent hemolytic activity up to 1000 μg/ml (the highest concentration tested). Overall, these data indicated that MYC-053 has a broad therapeutic window and may be developed into a promising antifungal agent for the treatment and prevention of invasive fungal infections caused by yeasts and yeast-like fungi in neutropenic patients.
A High Avidity Biosensor Reveals PI(3,4)P2 is Predominantly a Class I PI3K Signaling Product
Authors: Goulden Brady D. , Pacheco Jonathan , Dull Allyson , Zewe James P. , Deiters Alexander , Hammond Gerald R. V.
Published: September 2018

Class I PI 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling is central to animal growth and metabolism, and disruption of this pathway occurs frequently in cancer and diabetes. However, the specific spatial/temporal dynamics and signaling roles of its minor lipid messenger, phosphatidylinositol (3,4)-bisphosphate [PI(3,4)P2], are not well understood. This owes principally to a lack of tools to study this scarce lipid. Here, we developed a high sensitivity genetically encoded biosensor for PI(3,4)P2, demonstrating high selectivity and specificity of the sensor for the lipid. We show that despite clear evidence for class II PI3K in PI(3,4)P2-driven function, the overwhelming majority of the lipid accumulates through degradation of class I PI3K-produced PIP3. However, we show that PI(3,4)P2 is also subject to hydrolysis by the tumor suppressor lipid phosphatase PTEN. Collectively, our results show that PI(3,4)P2 is potentially an important driver of class I PI3K-driven signaling, and provides powerful new tools to begin to resolve the biological functions of this lipid downstream of class I and II PI3K.
IPM adoption, cooperative membership and farm economic performance
Authors: Ma Wanglin , Abdulai Awudu
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of agricultural cooperative membership on farmers’ decisions to adopt integrated pest management (IPM) technology and to estimate the impact of IPM adoption on farm economic performance.

Design/methodology/approach

An endogenous switching probit model that addresses the sample selection bias issue arising from both observed and unobserved factors is used to estimate the survey data from a sample of 481 apple households in China. A treatment effects model is employed to estimate the impact of IPM adoption on apple yields, net returns and agricultural income. In order to address the potential endogeneity associated with off-farm work variable in estimating both cooperative membership choice specification and IPM adoption specifications, a control function approach is used.

Findings

The empirical results show that cooperative membership exerts a positive and significant impact on the adoption of IPM technology. In particular, farmers’ IPM adoption decision is significantly associated with household and farm-level characteristics (e.g. education, farm size and price knowledge). IPM adoption has a positive and statistically significant impact on apple yields, net returns and agricultural income.

Practical implications

The findings indicate that agricultural cooperatives can be a transmission route in the efforts to proliferate the adoption and diffusion of IPM technology, and increased IPM adoption tends to improve the economic performance of farm households.

Originality/value

Despite the widespread evidence of health and environmental benefits associated with IPM technology, the adoption rate of this technology remains significantly low. This paper provides a first attempt by investigating to what extent and how agricultural cooperative membership affects IPM adoption and how IPM adoption influences farm economic performance.
Real earnings management and financial statement fraud: evidence from Malaysia
Authors: Md Nasir Noorul Azwin binti , Ali Muhammad Jahangir , Razzaque Rushdi M.R. , Ahmed Kamran
Published: September 2018

Purpose

We examine whether the fraud firms are engaged in real earnings management and accrual earnings management prior to the fraud year in the Malaysian context.

Design/methodology/approach

Our sample comprises of 65 financial statement fraud and 65 non-fraud firms over a period of eight years from 2001 to 2008.

Findings

Using the abnormal cash flow from operations (CFO) and abnormal production costs as the proxies for real earnings management, we find that financial statement fraud firms engage in manipulating production costs during preceding two years of the fraud event. However, our results show that financial fraud firms engage in manipulating CFO prior to the fraud event. Additionally, we find that financial statement fraud firms prefer to manipulate earnings using accruals relative to real earnings prior to the fraud year.

Originality/value

Our results demonstrate that real earnings management is more aggressive in financial statement fraud firms compared to the non-fraud firms in the four years prior to fraud.
Malware at its worst: death and destruction
Authors: Brody Richard G. , Chang Harold U. , Schoenberg Erich S.
Published: September 2018

Purpose

Most people are probably aware of malware, but they may not be aware of malware in what may be its most dangerous form, i.e. causing physical harm, even death, to individuals. This paper aims to document how software can cause malicious harm to individuals by attacking modern systems that appear to be neglected and under-researched.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper will review some of the most significant areas of concern with respect to end of days malware, i.e. malware that has a dangerous intent. The areas included are automobiles, medical devices and air traffic control systems.

Findings

The potential harmful effects of malware are often not well known by consumers and businesses around the world. These issues are not limited to just financial harm. Lives can actually be in danger. Underestimating the importance of cybersecurity and understanding the dangers that are associated with advancing technology are global issues that will continue unless there is enough awareness to force businesses and governments to address these issues. It is critical that safeguards are established.

Originality/value

While many papers have been written about malware and the implications of having malicious software infect a computer or a network, little attention has been paid to “end of days” malware. With advancing technology, malware now has the ability to cause serious injury or death to individuals who have minimal or no knowledge of the potential consequences of, for example, driving in an automobile, wearing or having an internal medical device or flying on an airplane. It is up to businesses and governments to address these issues.
Financial statement effects of adopting IFRS: the Canadian experience
Authors: Jermakowicz Eva K. , Chen Chun-Da , Donker Han
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of adopting International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) on financial statements of the largest Canadian firms (S&P/TSX 60) listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX).

Design/methodology/approach

This study investigates the financial statement effects of 46 companies from the S&P/TSX 60 index which report under IFRS in 2011 and switched to IFRS from CGAAP. This study used panel data analysis, which can be considered as more powerful when conducting cross-sectional and in time analysis among companies. Because of weakness of Cramer statistic on R-square, the authors used interaction terms as suggested by Hope (2007).

Findings

Consistent with the authors’ perceptions, this study finds that significant effects of adopting IFRS are associated with industry practices. The empirical results show that the adoption of IFRS in Canada created more relevant financial reporting for book value of equity and net income in the post-adoption periods.

Originality/value

This study should be of interest to the US regulators considering IFRS adoption by US publicly traded companies as well as to regulators, standard setters and listed companies in all countries worldwide that are in transition to IFRS.
The region-of-origin effect in the choice of banks
Authors: García-Gallego José Manuel , Chamorro Mera Antonio
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study how variables such as the region’s overall image, the perceived quality of its financial entities, and consumer ethnocentrism affect the intention to choose regional banks. Special attention is paid to the moderating role played by familiarity.

Design/methodology/approach

A structural equation model was used with a survey of 427 bank customers.

Findings

The results show direct and indirect effects of regional image, perceived quality of regional banks and consumer ethnocentrism on the intention to choose regional banks. The moderating effect of familiarity is not confirmed.

Practical implications

The financial crisis experienced in southern European countries has forced them to carry out a restructuring of the banking sector based on mergers that provide greater solvency and stability. In Spain, this has meant small regional banks merging with each other to form larger national banks. This involves a loss of their regional identity and a change in their positioning to date. It is interesting to understand the value to customers of the regional attribute when choosing a bank and the possible consequences of merging with other banks.

Originality/value

Globalisation has made origin an attractive attribute that can be used to differentiate products. However, there are still gaps in this field, especially in relation to region-of-origin (ROO) and the influence of certain moderating variables on this effect. This paper sheds some light on the study of the ROO effect in the financial sector, a field that is still relatively unexplored in this context.
Customer participation and the roles of self-efficacy and adviser-efficacy
Authors: Wang Chung-Yu
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine how customers derive value and switching costs from their own participation conditional on their perceived efficacy of themselves (self-efficacy) and their advisers (adviser-efficacy) in financial services.

Design/methodology/approach

Student interviewers approached customers exiting banks with a skip interval of two. The respondents received the questionnaire items translated into Chinese. The final survey sample consists of 220 respondents.

Findings

Empirical results confirm that customer participation influences switching costs through customer value. The synergistic effect of self-efficacy and adviser-efficacy moderates the relationships among customer participation, customer value and switching costs. The incongruent levels of self-efficacy and adviser-efficacy can increase customer value and switching costs.

Originality/value

This study looks beyond self-efficacy to demonstrate that the synergistic roles of self-efficacy and adviser-efficacy significantly influence the relationships among customer participation, customer value and switching costs.
A review of urban landscape adaptation to the challenge of climate change
Authors: Alizadeh Behdad , Hitchmough James
Published: September 2018

Purpose

Urban landscapes play a significant role in supporting municipal, ecological and social systems. Besides, valuable environmental services and urban green spaces provide social and psychological services, very important for the liveability of modern cities and the well-being of urban residents. It is clear that the area of green space in a city, the method of designing urban landscape and access to urban green space potentially affect the health, happiness, comfort, safety and security of urban dwellers. Urban landscape plays a significant role in providing habitats for wildlife, and an important vegetation type in doing this is species-rich herbaceous vegetation that provides pollen and nectar plus physical habitat for native fauna. Any factor that makes an impression on the urban landscape (such as climate change) will affect people’s lives directly or indirectly. There is a universal consensus that the temperature has increased in most of the world over the past century the investigation of climate change impacts on the urban landscape is the purpose of this study.

Findings

Understanding the process of climate change adaptation is necessary to design plant communities for use in public landscapes. Increased CO2 and air temperature in conjunction with the changing rainfall conditions, as the three important factors of climate change, potentially alter almost all world ecosystems. Climate change provides new opportunities, and in some cases, an obligate need to use non-native plant species in conjunction with native plant species, not only to reduce the side effects of climate change but also to increase the species diversity and aesthetic value in meadow-like naturalistic planting design.

Originality/value

The authors confirm that this work is original and has not been published elsewhere. In this paper, the authors report on the effects of climate change on urban landscape and suggest different kind of solutions to reduce the effects. The paper should be of interest to readers in the areas of landscape architecture, landscape ecologist, landscape planner, landscape managers and environmental designer.
How economic growth in Australia reacts to CO2emissions, fossil fuels and renewable energy consumption
Authors: Leal Patrícia H. , Marques Antonio Cardoso , Fuinhas Jose Alberto
Published: September 2018

Purpose

Australia is one of the ten largest emitters of greenhouse gases but stands out from the others due to its economic growth without recession for 26 consecutive years. This paper aims to focus on the energy-growth nexus and the effects of energy consumption on the environment in Australia.

Design/methodology/approach

This analysis is performed using annual data from 1965 to 2015 and the autoregressive distributed lag model.

Findings

The paper finds empirical evidence of a trade-off between economic growth and carbon dioxide (CO2) intensity. The results show that increased gross domestic product (GDP) in Australia increased investment in renewable energy sources (RESs), although the renewable technology is limited and has no impact on reducing CO2intensity in the long run. In contrast to investment in RES, fossil fuels, coal and oil, are decreased by GDP. However, oil consumption increased renewable energy consumption, and this reflects the pervading effect of the growing economy.

Originality/value

Overall, this paper contributes to the literature by analysing the behaviour of both energy consumption and the environment on the growing Australian economy. In addition, this paper goes further by studying the impact of economic growth on renewable and non-renewable energy consumption, as well as on CO2emissions. The study is conducted on a single country for which literature is scarce, using a recent approach and a long time period.
Adaptive education applied to higher education for sustainability
Authors: Earl Allison , VanWynsberghe Robert , Walter Pierre , Straka Timothy
Published: September 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to present an interpretive case study in education for sustainability (EfS) that applies VanWynsberghe and Herman’s (2015, 2016) adaptive education as pedagogy. Dewey’s theory of behaviour change is applied to educative experiences based on habit disruption and real-world learning, leading to creativity in the formation of new habits. The programme presented inverts dominant conceptions of knowledge to design innovative sustainability pedagogy. Instead knowledge resides alongside experience, cases, intuition, advice, experimentation and dialogue in the individual and collective effort to address daily sustainability challenges.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reports on the outcomes of an interpretive case study (Merriam, 1998) of a higher education programme in sustainability pedagogy. It presents a series of reflections by instructors and participants in discussing the programme’s relationship with the core themes of habit, disruption, creative action and dialogue framed within the five features of adaptive education: stakeholders, real-world learning, off campus, transdisciplinarity and non-traditional rewards.

Findings

Through this examination, the authors found that adaptive education offered a pedagogy that simultaneously addressed the need for increased sustainability knowledge, whilst inverting its dominance. As a long-term project, the extent of the programme’s impact will be evident beyond the programme’s completion.

Research limitations/implications

This interpretive case study is analysed through high-level conceptual and theoretical aspects of the pedagogy rather than the particularities of the case. By putting the centrality of knowledge into question, the authors are advocating for a more experimental role for higher education in its teaching and learning. These questions are broadly applicable.

Social implications

There are research, learning and social benefits to this programme. Adaptive education builds capacity for future leaders and educators of sustainability.

Originality/value

The paper concludes with a discussion for further theorizing and research on adaptive education and EfS in higher education. This research will contribute to broader discussions of the evolving role of education in sustainability.
University halls plastics recycling: a blended intervention study
Authors: Cheung Tsz Yan , Fok Lincoln , Cheang Chi-Chiu , Yeung Chi Ho , So Wing-Mui Winnie , Chow Cheuk-Fai
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The problem of plastic wastes is serious nowadays worldwide, although plastic wastes recycling is already in practice. To promote sustainability in plastic waste recycling, the quality of wastes collected should be maintained well, resulted from a good recycling practice. This paper aims to study a new plastic recycling bin (PRB) and poster interventions on the enhancement of university hall residential students’ proenvironmental knowledge, attitudes and intended behaviours (KAB) and actual recycling behaviours; informative and feedback posters were used as interventions.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopted a quasi-experimental setting to examine the effects of the new PRB on students’ KAB and actual behaviours in recycling, whereas the quality of the recycled plastic was measured according to the extent of cleanliness (CLE), separation (SEP), compression (COM) and sortedness (SOR).

Findings

Results showed that significant positive enhancements in KAB only happened with the use of blended interventions, which included promotion through the PRB and posters, suggesting that the use of the PRB and posters was useful in achieving better recycling behaviour.

Originality/value

Blended intervention study by using new design plastic recycling bin and poster on the effect of students’ proenvironmental and recycling KAB.
SEC whistleblower retaliation – and the federal securities laws – after Digital Realty
Authors: Frumento Aegis , Korenman Stephanie
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Digital Realty Trust, Inc v. Somers and its significance for whistleblower retaliation remedies and securities law interpretation generally.

Design methodology approach

The authors review the statutory, regulatory and decisional history of the anti-whistleblower retaliation remedies of the Sarbanes–Oxley Act and the Dodd–Frank Act; how they were seen by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and most courts to be in conflict, and how they were ultimately harmonized by the Supreme Court in Digital Realty.

Findings

In Digital Realty, the Supreme Court ruled against the SEC and the leading Courts of Appeal and established that only one who reports securities law violations to the SEC can sue in federal court under the Dodd–Frank Act; all others are limited to the lesser remedies provided by the Sarbanes–Oxley Act. This simple conclusion raises a number of unresolved questions, which the authors identify and discuss. Also, the Supreme Court unanimously continued the pattern of federal securities laws decisions marked by a close reading of the text and a desire to limit private litigants’ access to the federal courts.

Originality value

This paper provides valuable information and insights about the legal protections for SEC whistleblowers from experienced securities lawyers and more generally on the principles that appear to guide securities law decisions in the Supreme Court.
What evidence on evidence-based management in healthcare?
Authors: Roshanghalb Afsaneh , Lettieri Emanuele , Aloini Davide , Cannavacciuolo Lorella , Gitto Simone , Visintin Filippo
Published: September 2018

Purpose

This manuscript discusses the main findings gathered through a systematic literature review aimed at crystallizing the state of art about evidence-based management (EBMgt) in healthcare. The purpose of this paper is to narrow the main gaps in current understanding about the linkage between sources of evidence, categories of analysis and kinds of managerial decisions/management practices that different groups of decision-makers put in place. In fact, although EBMgt in healthcare has emerging as a fashionable research topic, little is still known about its actual implementation.

Design/methodology/approach

Using the Scopus database as main source of evidence, the authors carried out a systematic literature review on EBMgt in healthcare. Inclusion and exclusion criteria have been crystallized and applied. Only empirical journal articles and past reviews have been included to consider only well-mature and robust studies. A theoretical framework based on a “process” perspective has been designed on these building blocks: inputs (sources of evidence), processes/tools (analyses on the sources of evidence), outcomes (the kind of the decision) and target users (decision-makers).

Findings

Applying inclusion/exclusion criteria, 30 past studies were selected. Of them, ten studies were past literature reviews conducted between 2009 and 2014. Their main focus was discussing the previous definitions for EBMgt in healthcare, the main sources of evidence and their acceptance in hospitals. The remaining studies (n=20, 67 percent) were empirical; among them, the largest part (n=14, 70 percent) was informed by quantitative methodologies. The sources of evidence for EBMgt are: published studies, real world evidence and experts’ opinions. Evidence is analyzed through: literature reviews, data analysis of empirical studies, workshops with experts. Main kinds of decisions are: performance assessment of organization units, staff performance assessment, change management, organizational knowledge transfer and strategic planning.

Originality/value

This study offers original insights on EBMgt in healthcare by adding to what we know from previous studies a “process” perspective that connects sources of evidence, types of analysis, kinds of decisions and groups of decision-makers. The main findings are useful for academia as they consolidate what we know about EBMgt in healthcare and pave avenues for further research to consolidate this emerging discipline. They are also useful for practitioners, as hospital managers, who might be interested to design and implement EBMgt initiatives to improve hospital performance.
Educational outcomes of Discovery College participation for young people
Authors: Hopkins Liza , Pedwell Glenda , Lee Stuart
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand why young people and adults enrolled in co-produced, co-received Discovery College (a youth-focused Recovery College) courses, what their experience of participating was, and whether attitudes towards education changed as a result of course participation.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used a pre- and post-participation survey to assess both the qualitative experience of participants in Discovery College courses, along with a quantitative component measuring change in attitudes to education and learning opportunities.

Findings

The project found that participating in Discovery College benefitted young people through: an improved attitude towards education; and greater likelihood of participating in future study after completing a Discovery College course. People who participated in Discovery College courses, both young people and adults were positive about their experiences with the college and experienced positive attitude change. This work demonstrates the importance of Discovery College as part of a holistic approach to the care of young people with mental illness.

Originality/value

This paper reports on one of the first evaluations of youth-focused Recovery Colleges globally. It provides evidence of the effectiveness of the Recovery College model for a youth cohort.