bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In Situ Hinge Technique for the Frontal Bandeau for the Correction of Metopic Craniosynostosis Reduces Operative Time
Authors: Magoon Katie , Azzolini Anthony , Yang Robin , Taylor Jesse
Published: March 2019

Background and Purpose:

Treatment of metopic craniosynostosis often involves bitemporal expansion of the anterior cranium. This report compares perioperative variables of a surgical technique in which the fronto-orbital bandeau is bent in situ to traditional fronto-orbital advancement and remodeling (FOAR).

Method/Description:

Six patients undergoing the hinge technique were compared to the senior author's 6 most recent conventional FOARs. Study and control cohorts were reasonably well matched for age and sex; only those with nonsyndromic, single-suture metopic synostosis were included. Perioperative variables such as OR time, blood loss, hardware costs, length of stay, and perioperative complications were compared between groups using unpaired t tests.

Results:

Operative time was significantly decreased when the hinge technique was utilized, with a mean operative time of 159 ± 14.0 minutes for hinge patients and 193 ± 33.8 minutes for nonhinge patients (P = 0.049). Hardware was also significantly decreased from an average of 2.2 ± 1.0 plates and 35 ± 13.8 screws in nonhinge patients to 1 plate and 20 screws in each hinge patient (P < 0.02), for an average hardware saving of $2990 per hinge surgery (P = 0.019). Estimated blood loss, length of stay, and perioperative complications were not significantly different between groups. All patients in both groups had Whitaker 1 outcomes in short-term follow-up.

Conclusions:

The hinge technique for the treatment of metopic synostosis is associated with a statistically significant decrease in operative time, hardware utilization, and hardware cost. Perioperative outcomes were similar between the hinge technique and traditional FOAR in the short term, and additional follow-up is needed to determine whether the 2 have similar long-term outcomes.
Measurements and Clinical Application of Anatomical Space for Transfrontal Pituitary Surgery Through Magnetic Resonance Imaging Reconstruction
Authors: Sun Jialiang , Yu Zhentao , Cheng Kailiang , Wang Honglei , Han Yingying , Li Youqiong
Published: March 2019

Objective:

This study aims to clarify the relative position of the normal important structures and anatomical spaces formed by the structures passed through during the transfrontal pituitary surgery, and discuss how to avoid some eloquent structures.

Methods:

A total of 120 cases of magnetic resonance imaging images from normal adult brains were selected as the object of study and divided into male and female groups. The important adjacent structures of the pituitary passed through during the transfrontal pituitary surgery were marked on the reconstructed images. In all planes of the spaces passing through successively during the pituitary surgery, the morphological parameters such as the size, boundary, structure, and spatial extent of the spaces were measured.

Results:

The size, boundary, structure, and spatial extent of the space between the 2 optic nerves, the space between the optic nerves and the pituitary stalk, and the space between the tuber cinereum and the interal carotid artery in the plane of the pituitary stalk were measured, the anterior part and the posterior part in male were shorter than those in female (P = 0.021; P = 0.029); no statistically significant difference was found in the measurements of the lengths and angles of these spaces.

Conclusions:

The authors’ findings provide the surgeons with the detailed anatomical data and help to provide a morphological basis for intraoperative protection of the pituitary and vital adjacent structures and surgical approach.
Evaluating Postoperative Morbidity in Patients Undergoing Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery Using the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Surgical Risk Calculator
Authors: Boyd Sarah S. , O’Sullivan David M. , Lasala Christine
Published: March 2019

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) surgical risk calculator to predict surgical morbidity in patients undergoing pelvic reconstructive surgery.

Methods

This was a retrospective study of patients who underwent pelvic reconstructive surgery from 2014 to 2017. Preoperative risk factors were abstracted from medical records and entered into the ACS NSQIP surgical risk calculator. The Current Procedural Terminology code that produced the largest risk was used and compared with actual patient outcomes. Demographic, clinical, and surgical characteristics were analyzed descriptively. Logistic regression evaluated significant factors associated with each outcome; prediction capability of the risk calculator was assessed.

Results

Seven hundred thirty-one surgical cases were reviewed. The cohort was predominantly younger than 65 years (58.7%), white (77.4%), multiparous (81.1%), and overweight (64.7%); 76.3% were American Society of Anesthesiologists class 2, and 70.2% had vaginal surgery. There was no difference in median risk scores between those with and without postoperative event. Two hundred twenty-one (30.3%) experienced “any serious complication,” with 89% of these due to urinary tract infection. Incidence of urinary tract infection was 27%; readmission was 3.2%, and 3.6% returned to the operating room. Decreasing age was predictive of return to the operating room (P < 0.001), and increasingly worse functional status predicted discharge to nursing or skilled rehabilitation facility (P < 0.001).

Conclusions

The ACS NSQIP surgical risk calculator is an overall poor predictor of actual outcomes in a sample of patients who underwent pelvic reconstructive surgery, perhaps because of low prevalence of serious events. A more accurate surgical risk calculator is needed for this patient population.
Identification of risk factors for arterial repair failures and lessons learned: Experiences from managing 129 combat vascular extremity wounds in the Sri Lankan War
Authors: Ratnayake Amila Sanjiva , Bala Miklosh , Howard Robert , Rajapakse Kavinda , Samarasinghe Bandula , Worlton Tamara Jean
Published: March 2019

BACKGROUND

In extremity vascular trauma, early complications occur at a rate of 13% to 44%. The most common of which are infection, dehiscence, thrombosis, and stenosis. Failure of the arterial repair, also called arterial blowout, has the potential for exsanguinating hemorrhage and poses a considerable challenge for the surgeon to save limb and life.

METHOD

All adults with extremity vascular injuries admitted in 8-month period were prospectively recorded and retrospectively analyzed. Extremity vascular injuries in this group include those in which limb salvage attempted. 5 arterial blowouts in a recorded 87 arterial repairs were analyzed for demographics, presentation, management and outcome in the context of identifying most probable causative factors.

RESULT

5 arterial blowouts occurred out of 87 arterial repairs for a rate of 5.75%. These occurred at a mean of 14 days post-operatively. All patients were male with the majority of the injuries, 80%, resulting from gunshot wounds. All injuries were associated with severe soft tissue injury and clinical evidence of bacterial infection. Technical error, inadequate debridement, prolonged exposed vessel and unstable skeletal injury were noted as causative factors in addition to the commonly reported causes of repair failure. At a mean follow-up of 17 days, the arterial blowout cohort had 80% limb survival rate.

CONCLUSION

Ischemic, damaged and contaminated military wounds lead to infections of varied degree. Delay in closure due to tight distal muscle compartments or severe persistent soft tissue infections, necessitating serial irrigation and debridement (I&D) of wounds, is the common chain noted leading to arterial blowout. To break this chain of events the authors suggest early identification of at risk limbs and aggressive soft tissue cover of the newly constructed repair.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Case series, level IV.
Identification of Sexual Disinhibition in Dementia by Family Caregivers
Authors: Chapman Kimberly R. , Tremont Geoffrey , Malloy Paul , Spitznagel Mary Beth
Published: March 2019

Purpose:

Sexual disinhibition in dementia is understudied and discrepant frequency rates are reported. Measures designed to capture general disinhibition may under-identify sexual disinhibition, and lack of assessment uniformity may contribute to inconsistent endorsement. The current study aimed to determine: (1) whether an item from a commonly used measure tapping into general disinhibition would detect sexual disinhibition, (2) whether differently worded items specifically addressing sexual disinhibition would elicit inconsistent endorsement, and (3) whether different caregiver types would yield discrepant endorsement.

Methods:

Data for this cross-sectional, observational study were collected online using items from the Neuropsychiatric Inventory, Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory, and novel items developed to assess sexual disinhibition.

Patients:

In total, 779 family dementia caregivers were recruited from social media caregiver groups.

Results:

In total, 26.2% of caregivers who explicitly endorsed sexual disinhibition did not endorse general disinhibition. Frequency of endorsement for sexual disinhibition differed depending upon item wording and nature of the caregiver relationship, including higher endorsement by spouses overall.

Discussion:

Inquiring generally about disinhibition may under-identify presence of sexual disinhibition. Lack of standardization may contribute to inconsistent frequency rates and characterization of this problem. More work is needed to better understand and identify sexual disinhibition in dementia.
A case of primary bacteraemia caused by Salmonella enterica serovar Corvallis in an immunocompetent adult after travel to Southeast Asia
Authors: Nakakubo Sho , Nagaoka Kentaro , Suzuki Masaru , Konno Satoshi , Shibue Yasushi , Ikeda Tetsuya , Nishimura Masaharu
Published: March 2019

Introduction. Non-typhoidal

Salmonella

(NTS) that typically causes diarrhoeal disease in humans has a dramatically more severe and more invasive presentation than typhoid fever in immunocompromised adults. However, the incidence and significance of NTS primary bacteraemia in immunocompetent adults have been unclear.

Case presentation. A 24-year-old man presented to our hospital with a high fever 14 days after travelling to Vietnam and Cambodia for 14 days. His past medical history, family history and social history were unremarkable, except for his dietary intake history during his stay in Southeast Asia. He did not have any abdominal pain, diarrhoea, enterocolitis, arthritis, or abscesses, as determined by multiple examinations, which included computed tomography. The initial blood cultures identified the presence of Gram-negative bacilli, which were finally identified as the

Salmonella enterica

subspecies serovar Corvallis. Thus,

S. enterica

serovar Corvallis was the most likely primary bacteria in this patient. Since domestic outbreaks of NTS infections are extremely rare, our case patient was diagnosed with travel-related bacteraemia. The patient had an uneventful recovery after antibiotic administration.

Conclusion. We report a rare case of bacteraemia caused by

S. enterica

serovar Corvallis in an immunocompetent adult after travelling through Vietnam and Cambodia. From the experience of our case, we suggest that more caution is necessary when diagnosing the unique clinical features of travel-related NTS infections.
Control of the Endo-Lysosome Homeostasis by the Paracaspase MALT1 regulates Glioma Cell Survival
Authors: Jacobs Kathryn A. , André-Grégoire Gwennan , Maghe Clément , Li Ying , Thys An , Harford-Wright Elizabeth , Trillet Kilian , Douanne Tiphaine , Frénel Jean-Sébastien , Bidère Nicolas , Gavard Julie
Published: March 2019

Glioblastoma is one of the most lethal forms of adult cancer with a median survival of around 15 months. A potential treatment strategy involves targeting glioblastoma stem-like cells (GSC), which constitute a cell autonomous reservoir of aberrant cells able to initiate, maintain, and repopulate the tumor mass. Here, we report that the expression of the paracaspase mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue l (MALT1), a protease previously linked to antigen receptor-mediated NF-κB activation and B-cell lymphoma survival, inversely correlates with patient probability of survival. The knockdown ofMALT1largely impaired the expansion of patient-derived stem-like cellsin vitro, and this could be recapitulated with pharmacological inhibitors,in vitroandin vivo. Blocking MALT1 protease activity increases the endo-lysosome abundance, impaired autophagic flux, and culminates in lysosomal-mediated death, concomitantly with mTOR inactivation and dispersion from lysosomes. These findings place MALT1 as a new druggable target involved in glioblastoma and unveil ways to modulate the homeostasis of endo-lysosomes.
How signals of calcium ions initiate the beats of cilia and flagella
Authors: Satarić M. V. , Nemeš T. , Sekulić D. , Tuszynski J. A.
Published: March 2019

Cilia and flagella are cell organelles serving basic roles in cellular motility. Ciliary movement is performed by a sweeping-like repeated bending motion, which gives rise to a self-propagating “ciliary beat”. The hallmark structure in cilia is the axoneme, a stable architecture of microtubule doublets. The motion of axoneme is powered by the axonemal dynein motor family powered by ATP hydrolysis. It is still unclear how the organized beat of cilium and flagella emerges from the combined action of hundreds of dynein molecules. It has been hypothesized that such coordination is mediated by mechanical stress due to transverse, radial or sliding deformations. The beating asymmetry is crucial for airway ciliary function and it requires tubulin glutamination a unique posttranslational modification of C-termini of constituent microtubules that is highly abundant in cilia and flagella. The exact role of tubulin glutamination in ciliary or flagellar function is still unclear. Here we examine the role of calcium (Ca2+) ions based on the experimental evidences that the flagellar asymmetry can be increased due to the entry of extracellular Ca2+through, for example, nimodipine-sensitive pathway located in the flagella. We propose a new scenario based on the polyelectrolyte properties of cellular microtubules (MTs) such that dynamic influx of Ca2+ions provides the initiation and synchronization of dynein sliding along microtubules. We also point out the possible interplay between tubulin polyglutaminated C-termini and localized pulses of Ca2+ions along microtubules.
IRE1β negatively regulates IRE1α signaling in response to endoplasmic reticulum stress
Authors: Grey Michael J. , Cloots Eva , Simpson Mariska S. , LeDuc Nicole , Serebrenik Yevgeniy V. , De Luca Heidi , De Sutter Delphine , Luong Phi , Thiagarajah Jay R. , Paton Adrienne W. , Paton James C. , Seeliger Markus A. , Eyckerman Sven , Janssens Sophie , Lencer Wayne I.
Published: March 2019

IRE1β is an ER stress sensor uniquely expressed in epithelial cells lining mucosal surfaces. Here, we show that intestinal epithelial cells expressing IRE1β have an attenuated response to ER stress. IRE1β assembles with and blocks activation of the closely related and most evolutionarily ancient stress-sensor IRE1α to suppress stress-induced xbp1 splicing, a key mediator of the unfolded protein response. In comparison, IRE1β has weak xbp1 splicing activity, largely explained by a non-conserved amino acid in the kinase domain that impairs its phosphorylation and restricts oligomerization. This enables IRE1β to act as a dominant negative suppressor of IRE1α. The inhibitory effect is amplified in cells by disrupting an XBP1-dependent feedback loop regulating stress-induced expression of IRE1α. Thus IRE1β functions to negatively regulate IRE1α signaling, perhaps enabling intestinal epithelial cells to manage the response to chronic stress stimuli at the host-environment interface.
Genetic dissection of cell wall defects and the strigolactone pathway in Arabidopsis
Authors: Ramírez Vicente , Pauly Markus
Published: March 2019

Defects in the biosynthesis and/or deposition of secondary plant cell wall polymers result in the collapse of xylem vessels causing a dwarfed plant stature and an altered plant architecture termedirregular xylem (irx)syndrome. For example, reduced xylan O-acetylation causes strong developmental defects and increased freezing tolerance. Recently, we demonstrated that theirxsyndrome in thetrichome birefringence-like 29/eskimo1 (tbl29/esk1)mutant is dependent on the biosynthesis of the phytohormone strigolactone (SL). In this report, we show that other xylan- and cellulose-deficient secondary wall mutants exhibit increased freezing tolerance correlated with theirxsyndrome. In addition, blocking SL synthesis has also a suppressor effect on these phenotypes, suggesting a more general interaction between secondary wall defects and SL biosynthesis. In contrast, SLs do not play a role in developmental defects triggered by primary wall deficiencies, suggesting that the interaction is restricted to vascular tissue.

Through a reverse genetics approach the requirement of different components of the SL pathway impacting theirxsyndrome intbl29was evaluated. Our results are consistent with a specific role for carlactone in this process, and suggest that a MORE AXILLARY GROWTH 2 (MAX2)-independent SL perception mechanism might be involved.
Self-Organizing Map Methodology for Sorting Differential Expression Data of MMP-9 Inhibition
Authors: St. Clair Rachel , Teti Michael , Knapinska Ania , Fields Gregg , Hahn William , Barenholtz Elan
Published: March 2019

An unsupervised machine-learning model, based on a self-organizing map (SOM), was employed to extract suggested target genes from DESeq2 differential expression analysis data. Such methodology was tested on matrixmetalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) inhibitors. The model generated information on several novel gene hits that may be regulated by MMP-9, suggesting the self-organizing map method may serve as a useful analytic tool in degradomics research for further differential expression data analysis. Original data was generated from a previous study, which consisted of quantitative measures in changes of levels of gene expression from 32,000 genes in four different conditions of stimulated T-cells treated with an MMP-9 inhibitor. Since intracellular target of MMP-9 are not yet well characterized, the functional enrichment analysis program, WebGestalt, was used for validation of the SOM identified regulated genes. The proposed data analysis method indicated MMP-9’s prominent role in biological regulatory and metabolic processes as major categories of regulation of the predicted genes. Both fields suggest extensive intracellular targets for MMP-9-triggered regulation, which are new interests in MMP-9 research. The methodology presented here is useful for similar knowledge and discovery from quantitative datasets and a proposed extension of DESeq2 or similar data analysis.
Keep your hands apart: independent representations of ipsilateral and contralateral forelimbs in primary motor cortex
Authors: Heming Ethan A , Cross Kevin P , Takei Tomohiko , Cook Douglas J , Scott Stephen H
Published: March 2019

It is generally accepted that each cortical hemisphere primarily drives the opposite side of the body. Yet, primary motor cortical (M1) activity has been robustly correlated with both contralateral and ipsilateral arm movements. It has remained unanswered as to why ipsilaterally-related activity does not cause contralateral motor activity. Here we apply multi-joint elbow and shoulder loads to the left or right arms of monkeys during a postural perturbation task. We show that many M1 neurons respond to mechanical disturbances applied to either the contra- or ipsilateral arms. More neurons respond to loads applied to the contralateral arm with response magnitudes that were ~2x as large and had onset times that were ~10ms earlier. However, in some cases, neurons exhibited large and earlier responses to loads applied to the ipsilateral arm than loads applied to the contralateral arm. Similar effects were observed when the monkeys were maintaining postural control well after the load had been applied. Importantly, we show that the load preference to one arm has little predictive power on a neuron’s preference in the opposite arm. Furthermore, we found contralateral and ipsilateral neural activity resided in orthogonal subspaces allowing for a weighted sum of neural responses to extract the contralateral activity without interference from the ipsilateral activity, and vice versa. These data show how activity in M1 unrelated to downstream motor targets can be segregated from downstream motor output.
COMICS: A pipeline for the composite identification of selection across multiple genomic scans using Invariant Coordinate Selection in R
Authors: Nelson Joel T. , Cornejo Omar E.
Published: March 2019

Identifying loci that are under selection versus those that are evolving neutrally is a common challenge in evolutionary genetics. Moreover, with the increase in sequence data, genomic studies have begun to incorporate the use of multiple methods to identify candidate loci under selection. Composite methods are usually implemented to transform the data into a multi-dimensional scatter where outliers are identified using a distance metric, the most common being Mahalanobis distance. However, studies have shown that the power of Mahalanobis distance reduces as the number of dimensions increases. Because the number of methods for detecting selection continue to grow, this is an undesirable feature of Mahalanobis distance. Other composite methods such as invariant coordinate selection (ICS) have proven to be a robust method for identifying outliers in multi-dimensional space; though, this method has not been implemented for genomic data. Here we use simulated genomic data to test the performance of ICS in identifying outlier loci from multiple selection scans and compare the results to the performance of Mahalanobis distances. We show that the ICS outperformed Mahalanobis distance in all aspects including false positives, false negatives, and recall. Furthermore, ICS also performed better when identifying loci with weaker selection coefficients. We also introduce a pipeline in a R-Shiny smart wrapper environment that implements the ICS on multiple scans of selection. Importantly, we show that the ICS is a robust method for identifying outliers in multi-dimensional space and recommend its use for studies aimed at identifying loci under selection in the genome.
Differential dynamics of microbial community networks help identify microorganisms interacting with residue-borne pathogens: the case of Zymoseptoria tritici in wheat
Authors: Kerdraon Lydie , Barret Matthieu , Laval Valérie , Suffert Frédéric
Published: March 2019

Background

Wheat residues are a crucial determinant of the epidemiology of Septoria tritici blotch, as they support the sexual reproduction of the causal agent Zymoseptoria tritici. We aimed to characterize the effect of infection with this fungal pathogen on the microbial communities present on wheat residues, and to identify microorganisms interacting with it. We used metabarcoding to characterize the microbiome associated with wheat residues placed outdoors, with and without preliminary Z. tritici inoculation, comparing a first set of residues in contact with the soil and a second set without contact with the soil, on four sampling dates in two consecutive years.

Results

The diversity of the tested conditions, leading to the establishment of different microbial communities according to the origins of the constitutive taxa (plant only, or plant and soil), highlighted the effect of Z. tritici on the wheat residue microbiome. Several microorganisms were affected by Z. tritici infection, even after the disappearance of the pathogen. Linear discriminant analyses and ecological network analyses were combined to describe the communities affected by infection. The number of fungi and bacteria promoted or inhibited by inoculation with Z. tritici decreased over time, and was smaller for residues in contact with the soil. The interactions between the pathogen and other microorganisms appeared to be mostly indirect, despite the strong position of the pathogen as a keystone taxon in networks. Direct interactions with other members of the communities mostly involved fungi, including other wheat pathogens. Our results provide essential information about the alterations to the microbial community in wheat residues induced by the mere presence of a fungal pathogen, and vice versa. Species already described as beneficial or biocontrol agents were found to be affected by pathogen inoculation.

Conclusions

The strategy developed here can be viewed as a proof-of-concept focusing on crop residues as a particularly rich ecological compartment, with a high diversity of fungal and bacterial taxa originating from both the plant and soil compartments, and for Z. tritici-wheat as a model pathosystem. By revealing putative antagonistic interactions, this study paves the way for improving the biological control of residue-borne diseases.
A neural network approach for retailer risk assessment in the aftermarket industry
Authors: Rezaei Shirin , Shokouhyar Sajjad , Zandieh Mostafa
Published: March 2019

Purpose

Given the competitive environment and complicated relationships in supply chains in the modern era, it is important to take into account internal and external risks. In addition, proper methods must be designed to evaluate these risks correctly. The purpose of this paper is to provide a suitable map based on the artificial neural network technique to assess and classify the risk levels of retailers who have interconnected rules in the downstream of the supply chain.

Design/methodology/approach

In this research, a model for risk assessment with a hexagonal grid and 2D self-organizing map was applied.

Findings

According to the results, the model used in the study can provide a basis for classification of retailers based on the specified risk levels defined by the experts and risk managers of the company. Also with the model’s visual output, managers can have a better understanding of the distribution of the risk level of retailers.

Practical implications

The proposed methodology can be adopted by managers to assess the risk of members involved in the supply chain, helping them to formulate the risk mitigation strategies based on the risk levels.

Originality/value

As a part of the risk management process, organizations can use this developed method to reduce the existing risks imposed by the members or customers on the company.
Influence of sustainability scholarship on competencies – an empirical evidence
Authors: D’Souza Clare , McCormack Silvia , Taghian Mehdi , Chu Mei-Tai , Sullivan-Mort Gillian , Ahmed Tanvir
Published: March 2019

Purpose

Curricula is developing from a pure knowledge-based outcome to a more skill-based outcome, with the objective of creating and advancing competencies that meet employer expectations. While the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) demand organisations to change practices and adapt to sustainable goals, there is a lack of understanding in how competencies can enhance these goals. The purpose of this paper is twofold: Study 1 explores competencies related to sustainability required in a work force and examines employer perceptions on the existing literature for competencies. Study 2 empirically tests the influence of sustainability scholarship on non-technical competencies in the work force.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed method approach was undertaken. A sample of managers from 39 large Australian organisations participated in the scoping study. This was followed by further interviewing executives from 12 multinational corporations in China to assess the validity of competencies and provide deeper understanding of the issues at hand. The quantitative study analysed a sample of executive responses from 229 multinationals in China using factor and regression analysis to test for the effects of mediation.

Findings

The research highlights that the underlying competencies regarding sustainability influences the bigger picture within firms for attaining sustainability. The affective and cognitive growth of sustainability scholarship is governed mainly by a firm’s sustainable values. Core organisational values facilitate the development of non-technical competencies. These relationships and their cumulative effect on competencies provide a theoretical framework for acquiring sustainability within organisations. Employees need sustainability scholarship for enhancing sustainability. Sustainability scholarship reflects high-level learning obtained through universities or training. The research found that non-technical competencies such as professional ethical responsibility mediate between core business competencies and sustainability scholarship.

Originality/value

By exploring employer’s perception of competencies, the study first makes an important contribution in addressing the need to support SDGs by bridging organisational-level competencies and sustainability literacy, which hold significant benefits for practitioners, academia and organisations at large. Second, the theoretical findings strengthen the need for embedding competencies in the curriculum. It conveys the need for sustainability literacy/scholarship to align with organisational training and learning pedagogies, in order to effectively meet industry needs. Third, it provides useful insights on employers’ estimation about workplace competencies and broadens our understanding on the contribution that competencies within organisations make to this end.
Linking college mission statements to cost containment strategies
Authors: Simon Jessica K. , Way Megan McDonald , Polutnik Lidija , Albright Jeremy
Published: March 2019

Purpose

Leaders at higher education institutions (HEIs) in the USA experience substantial pressure to contain costs while advancing their educational missions. The purpose of this paper is to explore the association between publicly stated academic cost-containment objectives found in HEI’s strategic plans and mission statements, which help to unify stakeholders and link strategy to an organization’s purpose.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper analyzes mission statements and strategic plans of 57 small, private HEIs in the Northeastern USA. HEIs in this sample published strategic plans with an explicit cost-containment goal. Mission statements were analyzed for readability. Thematic analysis was conducted using the balanced scorecard approach. Associations between a stated academic cost containment goal and mission statement themes are presented using logistic regression.

Findings

Mission statements of HEIs focused on academic cost containment are wordier and more varied. They tend not to mention “liberal arts,” a potential signal of a high-quality, high-cost school; less selective schools may be more likely to emphasize academic cost cutting.

Research limitations/implications

This paper contributes to the literature demonstrating mission statements’ role in goal setting. Further, it considers college costs from college administrators’ perspectives. Given the small sample size, future work should expand the sample and use case studies to explore how mission shapes or constrains strategic objectives.

Originality/value

This is the first paper using qualitative and quantitative analysis to explore the association between the mission statements of small HEIs and academic cost containment goals in strategic plans, documents intended to support differentiation in a crowded market.
A qualitative analysis on the determinants of legitimacy ofsukuk
Authors: Ahmed Essia Ries , Islam Md Aminul , Alabdullah Tariq Tawfeeq Yousif , Amran Azlan Bin
Published: March 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the influence of the determinants (pricing, type of structure,Shariahauditing,Shariahrisk andShariahdocumentation) and thesukuklegitimacy among Islamic financial institutions using a qualitative approach. The paper further explained the significance of the determinants on legitimacy, evaluated the relationship betweensukukcharacteristics andsukuklegitimacy and examined the moderating effect ofShariahSupervisory Board (SSB) on the relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used a purposive sampling technique to select the target respondents required for the survey (semi-structured interview). This technique is applied by selecting members of SSBs among Islamic financial institutions. A total number of ten members are selected as the sample size for the study based on their experience and basic knowledge of Fiqh Al-Mua’malat and its application in Islamic financial institutions.

Findings

The findings revealed that the determinants have a significant impact on thesukuklegitimacy, meaning that there is a positive and significant relationship between the determinants and thesukuklegitimacy. In addition, this study indicates the empirical evidence of the moderating effect of SSB on the relationship between the determinants and thesukuklegitimacy.

Practical implications

This study has added to the literature by examining the determinants ofsukuklegitimacy while evaluating the moderating effect of SSB on the relationship. Besides, this might add benefits to the numerous Islamic financial institutions relating to the amendment of its regulatory frameworks with the view to pushing thesukukmarket investors to move toward asset-backed structure. In addition, the SSB in central banks must also focus its attention regarding thesukuklegitimacy and its application among the various Islamic financial institutions.

Originality/value

This study has added a new discussion to the body of knowledge, i.e. examining thesukuklegitimacy and its relationship withsukukdeterminants; hence, an approach that is not widely discussed in the previous studies. Furthermore, conducting such research in the field of Islamic finance provides novelty in the literature among both emerging and developed economies including Malaysia. This is because to the best knowledge of the researchers, there was no empirical study (within the literature) that combined these variables and evaluated their empirical significance. Accordingly, this would enlighten the Islamic Ummah and propel the society’s intensity toward contributing to knowledge and might further provide clarification on the determinants and thesukuklegitimacy to prospective scholars, precisely on the moderating effect of SSB on the relationship between determinants and legitimacy ofsukuk.
Enhancing the role of Baitul Maal in giving Qardhul Hassan financing to the poor at the bottom of the economic pyramid
Authors: Wulandari Permata
Published: March 2019

Purpose

Baitul Maal wa Tamwil (BMT) is an Islamic microfinance institution created by combining the functionality of Baitul Maal and Baitul Tamwil in Indonesia. While Baitul Maal plays the role of an institution that collects funds from zakah, cash waqf, infaq and sadakah, Baitul Tamwil then distributes these funds in the form of Qardhul Hassan financing to the poor at the bottom of the economic pyramid (BOP). This study aims to explain the poverty alleviation effort by BMT regarding its role in providing Qardhul Hassan financing to the people at the BOP and provide practical suggestions to maximize the outreach performance of the BMT.

Design/methodology/approach

In this methodology, the study adopts the qualitative analysis of reviewing the literature and interviewing the BMT staff in Jakarta, Makassar and Nusa Tenggara Barat areas to present the views of the practitioners related to the role of Baitul Maal in giving Qardhul Hassan financing to the people at the BOP using appreciative intelligence framework.

Findings

The study finds that BMT in Indonesia needs several stage-specific structures and roles to be effective. In particular, there is a need to separate the function of Baitul Maal from Baitul Tamwil to enhance its role when giving Qardhul Hassan financing to the people at the BOP. The role of Baitul Maal in alleviating the poverty figure is also drawn in this study.

Originality/value

The findings of this study add to the literature on Baitul Maal by enabling researchers and practitioners to appreciate the role of Baitul Maal, and these findings also contribute towards enriching the knowledge in Baitul Maal and financing requirements of the poor at the BOP. This paper also contributes to the field of Islamic accounting which is currently getting prominent.
Comparative analysis of Shari’ah-compliant portfolios: evidence from Pakistan
Authors: Shaikh Salman Ahmed , Ismail Mohd Adib , Ismail Abdul Ghafar , Shahimi Shahida , Mohd. Shafiai Muhammad Hakimi
Published: March 2019

Purpose

This study aims to comparatively analyze the performance of Islamic and conventional income and equity funds using various performance evaluation methods.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors comparatively analyze the performance of mutual funds using measures, such as tracking error, Sharpe ratio (1966), Treynor ratio (1965), M-square measure by Modigliani and Modigliani (1997) and information ratio. The authors also use market timing and selection measures, such as Treynor and Mazuy model (1966), Henriksson and Merton (1981) model and Fama’s decomposition approach (1973).

Findings

The authors find that Islamic equity funds are as much competitive as conventional equity funds. All Islamic equity funds have positive Sharpe ratio, Treynor ratio and net selectivity measure. Islamic equity funds are slightly less risky in general. Islamic equity and income funds generally have positive Jensen's Alpha and a positive market timing ability. However, the authors find that Islamic income funds generally underperform the market due to less Shari’ah-compliant investment class assets in the market.

Practical implications

It will help the industry players to assess their strategic positioning with regard to the commercial competitiveness of Islamic investments.

Originality/value

The authors take considerably large sample of 60 funds in Pakistan as compared to previous studies and also cover recent period (2006-16). For income funds, the authors construct an original benchmark index based on price and dividend data and use that in performance assessment.
Same design, same response? Investigating natural designs in international logos
Authors: Torres Anna , César Machado Joana , Vacas de Carvalho Leonor , van de Velden Michel , Costa Patrício
Published: March 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the commonalities and asymmetries between consumer responses to different types of natural designs across countries.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were gathered through a survey in three European countries ranking differently in what concerns Hofstede’s (1981) uncertainty avoidance dimension (UAD). Respondents can vary strongly in the way they interpret and use rating scales, exhibiting a variety of response styles. In the analysis of consumers’ preferences for logo design, this article apply constrained dual scaling (CDS) to account for response styles in categorical data.

Findings

Results demonstrate the broad appeal of natural logo designs, suggesting that design preferences are similar within countries with different cultural orientations. However, findings indicate that cultural dimensions influence how consumers respond to different types of natural logo designs. Indeed, the positive effects of organic designs are even more salient in countries with higher UAD. Thus, when managers prepare to launch their brands in countries that exhibit more discomfort with uncertainty, they should consider incorporating organic visual identity elements into their logos to achieve the maximum positive affect.

Originality/value

Companies invest extensive time, research and money in generating, promoting and modifying their logos. This paper provides important implications for international brand managers aiming to build a consistent and favorable brand image. From a methodological perspective, the results come from the analysis of clean data – that is, data after applying CDS, which increases the validity of the cross-country comparison.
Environmental sustainability of construction practices in informal settlements
Authors: Ndlangamandla Musawenkosi Gcinumuzi , Combrinck Carin
Published: March 2019

Purpose

Construction practices used in the development of self-help housing and upgrade of informal settlements are believed to have negative effects on the natural environment. The purpose of this paper is to examine this idea by conducting a study on purposely selected informal settlements located in Mbabane, Kingdom of Eswatini, to determine the environmental sustainability of construction practices used in these areas and to offer an approach that can mitigate the environmental degradation witnessed in informal settlements.

Design/methodology/approach

The study comprised of three major components – literature review, situational analysis and research output. A literature review informed the extent of the problem and served to identify categories of assessment. A situational analysis of construction practices in informal settlements was done through the use of a structured checklist tool. Pattern matching was used as an analysis to evaluate the environmental sustainability of the identified construction practices.

Findings

Empirical results indicate a lack of environmental sustainability in the identified construction practices used. The challenges identified included the wrong choice of building material, inefficiency in energy use, a threat to biodiversity, poor planning and a lack of construction control measures. The research output was a framework encouraging affordable, sustainable and regenerative construction practices believed to be a viable solution to the environmental challenges within informal settlements. It was concluded that current construction practices used within informal settlements lead to negative environmental effects.

Originality/value

The framework offered in this study is believed to mitigate the negative effects on the natural environment in informal settlements.
Mechanisms of U46619‐induced contraction in mouse intrarenal artery
Authors: Yan Hong , Zhang Meng‐Zhen , Wong Gordon , Liu Lin , Kwok Yat Sze (Shelia) , Kuang Su‐Juan , Yang Hui , Rao Fang , Li Xin , Mai Li‐Ping , Lin Qiu‐Xiong , Yang Min , Zhang Qian‐Huan , Deng Chun‐Yu
Published: March 2019

Thromboxane A2 (TXA2) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of vascular complications, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. The contraction of renal arterial rings in mice was measured by a Multi Myograph System. The intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) was obtained by using a fluo‐4/AM dye and a confocal laser scanning microscopy. The results show that the U46619‐induced vasoconstriction of renal artery was completely blocked by a TXA2 receptor antagonist GR32191, significantly inhibited by a selective phospholipase C (PI‐PLC) inhibitor U73122 at 10 μmol/L and partially inhibited by a Phosphatidylcholine ‐ specific phospholipase C (PC‐PLC) inhibitor D609 at 50 μmol/L. Moreover, the U46619‐induced vasoconstriction was inhibited by a general protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor chelerythrine at 10 μmol/L, and a selective PKCδ inhibitor rottlerin at 10 μmol/L. In addition, the PKC‐induced vasoconstriction was partially inhibited by a Rho‐kinase inhibitor Y‐27632 at 10 μmol/L and was further completely inhibited together with a putative IP3 receptor antagonist and store‐operated Ca2+ (SOC) entry inhibitor 2‐APB at 100 μmol/L. On the other hand, U46619‐induced vasoconstriction was partially inhibited by L‐type calcium channel (Cav1.2) inhibitor nifedipine at 1 μmol/L and 2‐APB at 50 and 100 μmol/L. Last, U46619‐induced vasoconstriction was partially inhibited by a cell membrane Ca2+ activated C1− channel blocker 5‐Nitro‐2‐(3‐phenylpropylamino) benzoic acid (NPPB) at 50 and 100 μmol/L. Our results suggest that the U46619‐induced contraction of mouse intrarenal arteries is mediated by Cav1.2 and SOC channel, through the activation of thromboxane‐prostanoid receptors and its downstream signaling pathway.
Non‐IgE‐mediated hypersensitivity induced by multivitamins containing Tween‐80
Authors: Mi Yan‐Ni , Yan Ping‐Ping , Yu Rui‐Hong , Xiao Xue , Wang Jin , Cao Lei
Published: March 2019

Multivitamins have been widely used for years. Adverse reactions, especially hypersensitivity, to multivitamins are becoming noteworthy. However, the classification of hypersensitivity is confusing, and the trigger is unknown. Multivitamins consist of two vials labelled vial 1 containing Tween‐80 and vial 2. Multivitamins without Tween‐80 were used as a contrast. Behaviouristics, histamine, IgE, and blood pressure of beagle dogs and guinea‐pigs were investigated by observation, ELISA and sphygmomanometer, and degranulation and apoptotic of RBL‐2H3 cells were assayed by spectrophotometry and flow cytometry. The results showed that dogs suffered from multiorgan anaphylactoid symptoms, and dramatically decreased blood pressure, and high plasma concentrations of histamine after the first administration of multivitamins and multivitamins vial 1, which contains Tween‐80, compared to the control, multivitamins vial 2 or multivitamins without Tween‐80. In anaphylaxis assay, guinea‐pigs did not display any anaphylaxis symptoms and there were no changes in plasma histamine and IgE concentrations in the multivitamins and multivitamins vial 1 groups or in the multivitamins vial 2 and multivitamins without Tween‐80 groups except ovalbumin. Compared to the control, the release of β‐hexosaminidase and histamine, and the apoptosis of non‐antigen‐sensitized RBL‐2H3 cells significantly increased in the Tween‐80 and multivitamins and multivitamins vial 1 groups in a concentration‐dependent manner. However, there was no alteration in multivitamins vial 2 and multivitamins without Tween‐80 groups. The results indicate that the hypersensitivity induced by multivitamins may be anaphylactoid reaction, but not anaphylaxis. Multivitamin‐induced release of inflammatory factors is triggered by Tween‐80 through a non‐IgE‐mediated pathway.
State of Confusion: Economic Policy Uncertainty and International Trade and Investment
Authors: Kirchner Stephen
Published: March 2019

Uncertainty about economic policy in Australia and the United States has increased episodically since the Global Financial Crisis. Existing research focuses on the effects on economic activity, employment and investment. I extend this work to examine the effect of policy uncertainty on global trade volumes, industrial production and cross‐border trade and investment for Australia and the United States. Australia's relative resilience to policy uncertainty shocks reflects a larger role for the exchange rate in intermediating foreign shocks and the absence of a recession in Australia during the sample period considered.
Effect of pasture versus indoor feeding regimes on the yield, composition, ripening and sensory characteristics of Maasdam cheese
Authors: Panthi Ram R , Kelly Alan L , Hennessy Deirdre , O'Sullivan Maurice G , Kilcawley Kieran N , Mannion David T , Fenelon Mark A , Sheehan Jeremiah J
Published: March 2019

Maasdam cheese was manufactured from standardized milk derived from each of three feeding systems: grass (GRA), grass and clover pasture (CLO), and indoor feeding of total mixed ration (TMR). Pasture‐derived cheeses had significantly lower L* (whiteness) and higher b* values (yellowness) compared to TMR‐derived cheeses. Acetate levels were significantly lower in CLO and butyrate levels significantly higher in TMR compared to the other cheeses. Grass‐fed cheese had significantly higher scores for smooth texture, ivory colour and shiny appearance compared to TMR. The influence of feed type was minimal on cheese yield, composition and on glycolysis, lipolysis and proteolysis during ripening.