bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Short-term and Long-term Clinical Outcomes Between Laparoscopic and Open Total Gastrectomy for Patients With Gastric Cancer
Authors: Shida Atsuo , Mitsumori Norio , Fujioka Shuichi , Takano Yuta , Iwasaki Taizou , Takahashi Naoto , Ishibashi Yoshio , Omura Nobuo , Yanaga Katsuhiko 
Published: July 2016

Background and Purpose:
Validation of laparoscopic total gastrectomy (LTG) for patients with gastric cancer has not been fully investigated. In particular, the technique for esophagojejunostomy remains controversial. We performed 103 cases of LTG for patients with gastric cancer between 2007 and 2013, in which all esophagojejunostomy reconstruction was performed with intracorporeal circular stapling esophagojejunostomy using the OrVil system except for the first 3 cases. The purpose of this study is to retrospectively analyze the clinical usefulness of LTG with intracorporeal circular stapling esophagojejunostomy using the OrVil system and oncological feasibility of LTG as compared with open total gastrectomy (OTG).

Patients and Method:
We retrospectively analyzed clinical course of consecutive 100 operations with LTG in comparison with consecutive 53 operations with OTG for patients with gastric cancer. As an estimation of short-term outcome, operative time, blood loss, postoperative hospital days and postoperative data of blood and drain examination were included. Moreover, relapse-free survival time and overall survival time stratified by each stage were calculated by log-rank test as an estimation of prognostic relevance.

Results:
Blood loss and postoperative hospital stay of LTG were significantly less than that of OTG. Postoperative complications were equivalent between the 2 groups and no patient died within 1 month post-LTG. Only 1 patient had recurrence and died for carcinomatosa peritonitis 50 months after LTG (median follow-up period: 44 mo).

Conclusions:
Our experience revealed that LTG with intracorporeal circular stapling esophagojejunostomy using the OrVil system could be performed safely and with acceptable oncological outcome for patients with gastric cancer.
Synthetic transitions: towards a new synthesis
Authors: Solé Ricard 
Published: July 2016

The evolution of life in our biosphere has been marked by several major innovations. Such major complexity shifts include the origin of cells, genetic codes or multicellularity to the emergence of non-genetic information, language or even consciousness. Understanding the nature and conditions for their rise and success is a major challenge for evolutionary biology. Along with data analysis, phylogenetic studies and dedicated experimental work, theoretical and computational studies are an essential part of this exploration. With the rise of synthetic biology, evolutionary robotics, artificial life and advanced simulations, novel perspectives to these problems have led to a rather interesting scenario, where not only the major transitions can be studied or even reproduced, but even new ones might be potentially identified. In both cases, transitions can be understood in terms of phase transitions, as defined in physics. Such mapping (if correct) would help in defining a general framework to establish a theory of major transitions, both natural and artificial. Here, we review some advances made at the crossroads between statistical physics, artificial life, synthetic biology and evolutionary robotics.This article is part of the themed issue ‘The major synthetic evolutionary transitions’.
‘Biogeneric’ developmental processes: drivers of major transitions in animal evolution
Authors: Newman Stuart A. 
Published: July 2016

Using three examples drawn from animal systems, I advance the hypothesis that major transitions in multicellular evolution often involved the constitution of new cell-based materials with unprecedented morphogenetic capabilities. I term the materials and formative processes that arise when highly evolved cells are incorporated into mesoscale matter ‘biogeneric’, to reflect their commonality with, and distinctiveness from, the organizational properties of non-living materials. The first transition arose by the innovation of classical cell-adhesive cadherins with transmembrane linkage to the cytoskeleton and the appearance of the morphogen Wnt, transforming some ancestral unicellular holozoans into ‘liquid tissues’, and thereby originating the metazoans. The second transition involved the new capabilities, within a basal metazoan population, of producing a mechanically stable basal lamina, and of planar cell polarization. This gave rise to the eumetazoans, initially diploblastic (two-layered) forms, and then with the addition of extracellular matrices promoting epithelial–mesenchymal transformation, three-layered triploblasts. The last example is the fin-to-limb transition. Here, the components of a molecular network that promoted the development of species-idiosyncratic endoskeletal elements in gnathostome ancestors are proposed to have evolved to a dynamical regime in which they constituted a Turing-type reaction–diffusion system capable of organizing the stereotypical arrays of elements of lobe-finned fish and tetrapods. The contrasting implications of the biogeneric materials-based and neo-Darwinian perspectives for understanding major evolutionary transitions are discussed.This article is part of the themed issue ‘The major synthetic evolutionary transitions’.
Effects of tDCS on motor learning and memory formation: a consensus and critical position paper
Authors: Buch Ethan R , Santarnecchi Emiliano , Antal Andrea , Born Jan , Celnik Pablo A , Classen Joseph , Gerloff Christian , Hallett Mark , Hummel Friedhelm C , Nitsche Michael A , Pascual-Leone Alvaro , Paulus Walter J , Reis Janine , Robertson Edwin M , Rothwell John C , Sandrini Marco , Schambra Heidi M , Wassermann Eric M , Ziemann Ulf , Cohen Leonardo G 
Published: July 2016

AbstractMotor skills are required for activities of daily living. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) applied in association with motor skill learning has been investigated as a tool for enhancing training effects in health and disease. Here, we review the published literature investigating whether tDCS can facilitate the acquisition and retention of motor skills and adaptation. A majority of reports focused on the application of tDCS with the anode placed over the primary motor cortex (M1) during motor skill acquisition, while some evaluated tDCS applied over the cerebellum during adaptation of existing motor skills. Work in multiple laboratories is under way to develop a mechanistic understanding of tDCS effects on different forms of learning and to optimize stimulation protocols. Efforts are required to improve reproducibility and standardization. Overall, reproducibility remains to be fully tested, effect sizes with present techniques are moderate (up to d= 0.5) (Hashemirad, Zoghi, Fitzgerald, & Jaberzadeh, 2016) and the basis of inter-individual variability in tDCS effects is incompletely understood. It is recommended that future studies explicitly state in the Methods the exploratory (hypothesis-generating) or hypothesis-driven (confirmatory) nature of the experimental designs. General research practices could be improved with prospective pre-registration of hypothesis-based investigations, more emphasis on the detailed description of methods (including all pertinent details to enable future modeling of induced current and experimental replication) and use of post-publication open data repositories. A checklist is proposed for reporting tDCS investigations in a way that can improve efforts to assess reproducibility.
Single-molecule sequencing and conformational capture enablede novomammalian reference genomes
Authors: Bickhart Derek M. , Rosen Benjamin D. , Koren Sergey , Sayre Brian L. , Hastie Alex R. , Chan Saki , Lee Joyce , Lam Ernest T. , Liachko Ivan , Sullivan Shawn T. , Burton Joshua N. , Huson Heather J. , Kelley Christy M. , Hutchison Jana L. , Zhou Yang , Sun Jiajie , Crisà Alessandra , De León F. Abel Ponce , Schwartz John C. , Hammond John A. , Waldbieser Geoffrey C. , Schroeder Steven G. , Liu George E. , Dunham Maitreya J. , Shendure Jay , Sonstegard Tad S. , Phillippy Adam M. , Van Tassell Curtis P. , Smith Timothy P.L. 
Published: July 2016

AbstractThe decrease in sequencing cost and increased sophistication of assembly algorithms for short-read platforms has resulted in a sharp increase in the number of species with genome assemblies. However, these assemblies are highly fragmented, with many gaps, ambiguities, and errors, impeding downstream applications. We demonstrate current state of the art forde novoassembly using the domestic goat (Capra hircus), based on long reads for contig formation, short reads for consensus validation, and scaffolding by optical and chromatin interaction mapping. These combined technologies produced the most contiguousde novomammalian assembly to date, with chromosome-length scaffolds and only 663 gaps. Our assembly represents a >250-fold improvement in contiguity compared to the previously publishedC. hircusassembly, and better resolves repetitive structures longer than 1 kb, supporting the most complete repeat family and immune gene complex representation ever produced for a ruminant species.
Y chromosome and mitochondrial DNA haplogroups across behavioural traits in children from the general population
Authors: Howe Laurence J. , Erzurumluoglu A. Mesut , Smith George Davey , Rodriguez Santiago , Stergiakouli Evie 
Published: July 2016

AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate the association between Y chromosome and mitochondrial DNA haplogroups and a number of sexually-dimorphic behavioural and psychiatric traits.MethodsThe study sample included 4,211 males and 4,009 females with mitochondrial DNA haplogroups and 4,788 males with Y chromosome haplogroups who are part of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). Different subsets of these populations were assessed using the Developmental and Well-being Assessment (DAWBA), Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), SCDC (Social and Communication Disorder Checklist) and Psychotic Like Symptom Interview (PLIKSi) as measures of behavioural and psychiatric traits. Logistic regression was used to measure the association between haplogroups and the traits above.ResultsWe found that the majority of behavioural traits in our cohort differed between males and females. However, Y chromosome and mitochondrial DNA major haplogroups were not associated with any of the variables. In addition, secondary analyses of Y chromosome and mitochondrial DNA subgroups also showed no association.ConclusionY chromosome and mitochondrial DNA haplogroups are not associated with behavioural and psychiatric traits in a sample representative of the UK population.
Impact of ethical screening on risk and returns
Authors: Bousalam Issam , Hamzaoui Moustapha 
Published: July 2016

PurposeThis paper aims to expand the literature on performance and volatility of Islamic funds and indices in comparison to their conventional unscreened counterparts, by studying the Moroccan case considering the recent introduction of Islamic finance in the country toward the end of 2015.Design/methodology/approachAs there are still no Shariah-compliant indices in Morocco, the authors first applied four Shariah screening methodologies of some of the world leading equity index providers (i.e. Dow Jones, FTSE, S&P and MSCI) to screen the public listed companies in Casablanca Stock Exchange for Shariah compliance. Next, the authors constructed four Islamic float-weighted indexes for which they modeled the dynamic volatility using an extension of the AutoRegressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity models, namely, EGARCH(1,1).FindingsThe findings show that the screening process resulted in a well-diversified universe of Shariah-compliant stocks (25.6 per cent) to invest in. Furthermore, it is found that constructed Islamic indices outperformed the broad-based Moroccan All Shares Index (MASI) during the considered period of analysis (January 2013 to December 2014), and their long-run volatility is higher. This indicates that investors in Shariah-compliant stocks do not sacrifice financial performance for their risky investment. The estimates of the model show that volatility for the MASI is more persistent and takes longer time to die, and the leverage effect is positive for all indices, meaning that volatility of indexes’ returns is influenced more by good news than bad news, a result that is in contrast to other studies for developed countries.Practical implicationsOn the arrival of the new banking law that introduced Islamic finance for the first time in Morocco, the authors suppose that these results could be very helpful for the Moroccan financial authorities in consideration with the construction of Islamic equity indices for Muslim investors seeking to invest ethically in accordance to their religious convictions but also for index funds managers and other equity market players.Originality/valueThe present study is the first of its kind in Morocco to construct Islamic indices using Shariah screening methodologies for which the volatility is modeled using an EGARCH(1,1) dynamic volatility model.
How the unremunerated reserve requirement by the Bank of Thailand affects IPO underpricing and the long-run performance of IPOs
Authors: Komenkul Kulabutr , Siriwattanakul Dhanawat 
Published: July 2016

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the characteristics of the Initial Public Offering (IPO) market, IPO underpricing and the long-run performance of IPOs and to find out the ex ante difference in the market structure between the pre-, during and post-periods of the Unremunerated Reserve Requirement (URR) at the 30 per cent rate.

Design/methodology/approach
The sample is a total of 245 IPOs listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) and the Market for Alternative Investment (mai), during the period 2001-2012. The explanatory variables consist of the age of the firm, the offer size, the time-lag between the IPO date and the first trading date, the proportion of shares owned by the government and the IPO subscription rates by foreign and institutional investors. In further analysis, the authors adopt a two-stage least squares approach to derive unbiased estimates of the relationship between government ownership, IPO underpricing and firm quality.

Findings
We find the ex ante uncertainty and earning management partially explain the IPO underpricing phenomenon in the Thai IPO market. Our findings support the impresario hypothesis shown by the negative relation between underpricing and the three-year after-market. In addition, the 30 per cent URR imposition by the Thai Central Bank promptly reduced the number of IPO issues and the proportion of foreigners and institutions subscribing to IPOs. However, it was able to enhance the degrees of IPO underpricing and the long-run performance of IPOs in Thailand.

Practical implications
The results presented in this paper may be, therefore, useful for investors, security analysts, companies and regulators in many other emerging markets beyond Thailand. Given the results from the over-performance of IPOs in the post-URR period, investors may do better holding Thai IPOs for a long period with a likelihood of gaining a higher return.

Originality/value
This paper contributes to the literature concerning IPOs – in that we have considered two stock markets, namely, SET and mai. Furthermore, unique data such as the government ownership and proportion of IPOs subscribed by foreign and institutional investors are taken into consideration in our research model. To the best of our knowledge, for the first time in the Thai IPO market, the effect of the 30 per cent URR on IPO underpricing and the performance of IPOs in the long-run has been closely examined.
Corporate governance mechanisms and audit delay in a joint audit regulation
Authors: Alfraih Mishari M. 
Published: July 2016

Purpose
This paper aims to examine the influence of corporate governance mechanisms on audit delay in companies listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) in 2013. Kuwait has the unusual audit regulation that listed companies must be jointly audited by two independent auditors who both sign the report.

Design/methodology/approach
Audit delay is measured as the number of days that elapse between the end of the company’s financial year and the date of the audit report. A multivariate regression model analyzes the association between audit delay and six corporate governance mechanisms, namely, joint auditor combination, board size, board independence, role duality, institutional ownership and government ownership.

Findings
There is a wide range in audit delay among KSE companies, ranging from 7 to 159 days. After controlling for various company characteristics, there is a significant difference in the timeliness of audit reports depending on the combination of auditors: audit delay is significantly reduced when the audit is performed by Big-4 companies. Moreover, companies with larger boards, a greater number of independent directors and separate CEO–chairman roles are more likely to produce timely financial statements. Higher government ownership levels were associated with greater audit delay, while no significant association was found for institutional ownership. These results are robust to a variety of sensitivity checks.

Practical implications
The findings highlight the effectiveness of corporate governance mechanisms in shaping the timeliness of audit reports; thus, these mechanisms should be taken into account in any regulatory action to reduce audit delay. In addition, the findings of this study provide empirical evidence that can be used by regulators and enforcement bodies in their continued campaigns promoting the role and importance of corporate governance mechanisms in improving the quality and timeliness of financial reporting.

Originality/value
The study extends the audit delay literature by investigating the issue in a joint audit setting. The empirical evidence shows a wide range of audit delay in KSE-listed companies, which raises questions about the costs and benefits of the joint audit regulation for the length of this period.
Labor supply and productivity responses to non-salary benefits
Authors: Spencer Marilyn , Gevrek Deniz , Chambers Valrie , Bowden Randall 
Published: July 2016

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of a particular low marginal-cost employee benefit on employees’ intended retention and performance. By utilizing a unique data set constructed by surveying full-time faculty and staff members at a public university in the USA, the authors study the impact of this employee benefit on faculty and staff performance and retention.

Design/methodology/approach
– The authors focus on the impact of reduction in dependent college tuition at various levels on employees’ intentions to work harder and stay at their current job by using both OLS and ordered probit models. The authors also simulate the direct opportunity cost (reduction in revenue) in dollars and as a percent of total budgeted revenue to facilitate administrative decision making.

Findings
– The results provide evidence that for institutions where employee retention and productivity are a priority, maximizing or offering dependent college tuition waiver may be a relatively low-cost benefit to increase retention and productivity. In addition, the amount of the tuition waiver, number of dependents and annual salary are statistically significant predictors of intended increased productivity and intent to stay employed at the current institution.

Originality/value
– Employee retention and productivity is a challenge for all organizations. Although pay, benefits and organizational culture tend to be key indicators of job satisfaction, little attention is given to specific types of benefits. This study is the first comprehensive attempt to explore the relationship between the impact of this low-cost employee benefit and employee performance and retention in a higher education institution in the USA.
Staying and performing
Authors: Tian Amy Wei , Cordery John , Gamble Jos 
Published: July 2016

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine the effect of human resource management (HRM) practices on employees’ organisational job embeddedness and job performance. Following the ability-motivation-opportunity (AMO) model of HRM, the authors predicted that ability-, motivation- and opportunity-enhancing HRM practices would relate to fit, links and sacrifice components of job embeddedness, with these components mediating the relationship between HRM and employee job performance.Design/methodology/approach– Data were collected from a matched sample of 197 Chinese state-own firm employees and their supervisors. Multiple mediation test was used to test direct and mediating effects.Findings– Results indicated that HRM practices contribute to the creation and development of embeddedness, and the improvement of job performance. The job embeddedness components of fit, links and sacrifice were found to mediate the HRM-job performance relationship. The results suggest that organisations can proactively enhance both embeddedness and employee performance through implementing appropriate HRM practices.Research limitations/implications– While this study makes a contribution to the understanding of the relationship between HRM practices, employees’ organisational job embeddedness, the authors collected most of the data during one time period.Originality/value– Directly addressing these theoretical and methodological issues, the study makes two key contributions to the HRM and job embeddedness literatures. First, the authors found that the HR practices will directly influence employees’ job embeddedness. Second, the authors extend the scope of the AMO framework of HR by proposing that job embeddedness dimensions as important mediators in the HRM-job performance relationship.
An investigation of the uses of corporate reputation
Authors: Chen Chen-Chu Matilda , Nguyen Bang , Melewar T.C. 
Published: July 2016

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual model that examines the underlying mechanisms of the link between the uses of corporate reputation and brand image strategy, from the corporate communication perspective. The paper incorporates three kinds of uses of corporate reputation: value creation, strategic resources and corporate communication.Design/methodology/approachUsing a qualitative approach, in-depth interviews were conducted with top executives in the pharmaceutical industry in Taiwan to investigate the effects of the uses of corporate reputation on brand image strategy from the managerial perspective.FindingsFindings provide richness into forming the basis for developing a framework of the uses of reputation, with implications for managers and academics alike. The qualitative findings generally showed that three dimensions of the uses of corporate reputation (i.e. value creation, strategic resources and corporate communication) are applicable to managers’ brand image strategy implementation. For the Taiwanese pharmaceutical industry, the research highlights that value creation herein pertains to the value created for the firm, as cost/sacrifice value, symbolic/expressive value and experience/hedonic value.Originality/valueReputation is one of the most important concerns for pharmaceutical firms, as it develops and builds trust with key stakeholders. However, in the pharmaceutical industry context, the application and uses of corporate reputation is little researched. A need exists for research that examines the effects of the uses of corporate reputation at the firm level. This paper fills this important gap in developing a conceptual framework for the uses of corporate reputation in the pharmaceutical industry. In addition, most studies on the uses of corporate reputation in pharmaceuticals are in the contexts of Western countries, thus limiting the generalisablility. Taiwan is the context for the present study.