bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Institutional pressures, resources commitment, and returns management
Authors: Huang Yi-Chun , Yang Min-Li , Wong Ying-Jiuan 
Published: May 2016

PurposeThis study aims to explore the relationships among institutional pressures, commitment of resources and returns management. Returns management is regarded as a part of supply chain management. However, the research in returns management has received much less attention. To bridge the gap, this study concerns key concepts from two important schools of thought, i.e. institutional theory and the resource-based view, to build up the research model.Design/methodology/approachRetailers and maintenance providers in the 3C industry (computers, communication and consumer electronics) in Taiwan were surveyed, and the statistical methods of hierarchical and moderated regression were used to examine the relationships among institutional pressures, commitment of resources and returns management.FindingsInstitutional pressures, comprising non-market and market pressures, affect the implementation of returns management (product return practices and product recovery practices). Commitments of resources positively and significantly moderate the relationship between the pressures imposed by non-market and market actors and product return practices and product recovery practices.Research limitations/implicationsThis study investigates only the factors that drive returns management. Future research can examine the relationship between the antecedents and consequences of returns management. Furthermore, returns management may become increasingly critical for firms to develop and perform corporate social responsibility (CSR). Therefore, future research can investigate the relationship between CSR practices and returns management.Practical implicationsThis research suggests that managers under institutional pressures should continually pay attention to the effects of external factors on returns management. Additionally, the results reveal that a commitment of resources can reinforce the relationship between the pressures imposed by non-market and market actors and the implementation of returns management. Under significant institutional pressures and resource constraints, managers may increase the effectiveness of returns management while attending to the concerns of non-market and market actors.Originality/valueThis study presents a model that considers three major explicative variables: institutional pressures, resources commitment and returns management. It is the first investigation to integrate three streams of literature on institutional theory, the resource-based view and returns management.
Naparima Company Limited: beyond the financing crunch
Authors: Bowrin Anthony Roger , Kickham Lawrence , Krupp Stacie L. 
Published: May 2016

Synopsis
Naparima Company Limited (NCL) was an importer and wholesaler of grocery and household products in Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies. Following increasing competition and the adoption of more lavish lifestyles by its owners, the company had fallen on hard times. Its banker, First Republic Bank, had called its outstanding loans of $1.412 million and given the company 90 days to repay all sums outstanding. Also, several major creditors had threatened legal action to recover amounts payable. This had forced NCL to explore alternative financing arrangements and to devise strategies that would improve its financial situation.

Research methodology
The authors used both field interviews and secondary data when preparing this case. One of the authors was a consultant to the company as it worked to develop a restructuring plan. The primary data gleaned from that process, which included interviews with all three leaders of NCL and a review of the company's financial statements, was supplemented by the collection of secondary data about the industry and its competitors from interviews with the executive director of industry association, and information about the national economic environment from newspaper articles and library resources.

Relevant courses and levels
This case is suitable for senior-level undergraduate students in a capstone business course, and graduate students in small business management and family business management courses.
Ivey Executive Development
Authors: Anderson Joe , Williams Susan K. 
Published: May 2016

Synopsis
The Ivey Business School recently decided to outsource its printing to ProPrintR. Barbara Pokropek, Ivey Executive Development (IED), was faced with managing IED's outsourced printing jobs. There had been an increasing number of quality issues with the binder that ProPrintR prepared for IED's executive classes. While binder material errors may not sound like a big deal, for IED these materials are part of their branding and can lead to executive student dissatisfaction. This case describes the evolution of the current situation and challenges students to consider how to manage the situation.

Research methodology
The situation described in this critical incident is real, only the name of the print provider has been changed. Barbara Pokropek was interviewed and she provided the data and examples described. Ms Pokropek reviewed and provided input to revise the manuscript.

Relevant courses and levels
This case is intended for undergraduate core operations management classes. It can be used to discuss supplier relations and supply management. As such there are multiple dimensions to the case: importance of clearly delineating the work needed, defining performance expectations and metrics for a supplier, selecting quality tools to help measure performance, and centralized vs decentralized supply management.
Homology and isomorphism: Bourdieu in conversation with New Institutionalism
Authors: Wang Yingyao 
Published: May 2016

AbstractBourdieusian Field Theory (BFT) provided decisive inspiration for the early conceptual formulation of New Institutionalism (NI). This paper attempts to reinvigorate the stalled intellectual dialogue between NI and BFT by comparing NI's concept of isomorphism with BFT's notion of homology. I argue that Bourdieu's understanding of domination‐oriented social action, transposable habitus, and a non‐linear causality, embodied in his neglected concept of homology, provides an alternative theorization of field‐level convergence to New Institutionalism's central idea of institutional isomorphism. To showcase how BFT can be useful for organizational research, I postulate a habitus‐informed and field‐conditioned theory of transference to enrich NI's spin‐off thesis of ‘diffusion’. I propose that while NI can benefit from BFT's potential of bringing social structure back into organizational research, BFT can enrich its social analysis by borrowing from NI's elaboration of the symbolic system of organizations.
Oligoclonality and new agent evaluation in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia
Authors: Gaynon Paul S. , Sun Weili 
Published: May 2016

SummaryNew agent development rests on the fundamental assumption that candidate agents or drug combinations that induce objective responses after relapse will prevent relapse, if applied prior to relapse. However, cumulative experience now includes at least 5 examples of interventions with post‐relapse objective response rates greater than 50% that failed to improve outcomes when applied prior to relapse. Emerging insights into oligoclonality provide some explanation. In acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, the predominant clones at relapse differ from the predominant clones at presentation. Arguably, the more highly proliferative clones that predominate at relapse differ in drug sensitivity from the less proliferative clones that escape primary therapy. Interventions effective against the predominant clones at relapse may have no effect on the antecedent escapee clones. Response is not sufficient in new agent development. Duration of response has attracted less attention because of variability in post‐remission therapy but some patient subsets have such a uniformly dismal outcome that details of post‐remission therapy may be irrelevant. Benchmarks are needed. Are recovering blasts members of the same clone or do they represent a new clone? When you eradicate the predominant clones you get a response. When you eradicate all clones, you get a cure.
Effect of intravenous vitamin C on postoperative pain in uvulopalatopharyngoplasty with tonsillectomy
Authors: Ayatollahi V. , Dehghanpour Farashah S. , Behdad S. , Vaziribozorg S. , Rabbani Anari M. 
Published: May 2016

BackgroundPostoperative pain is a common problem in hospitals. Adults undergoing uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) with tonsillectomy experience an unacceptable level of intense postoperative pain, especially during the first 24 h after surgery. This study investigated the analgesic effects of vitamin C in patients undergoing UPPP and tonsillectomy.MethodThis study was done on forty patients that were evaluated in a randomised double‐blinded clinical trial. Patients included in the study were within the age range of 25–50 years with BMI<35, physical status I,II according to the American Society of Anesthesia (ASA) and who underwent uvulopalatopharyngoplasty and tonsillectomy. Patients with epilepsy, BMI>35, any neuropsychiatric disorders, a history of chronic pain, liver and/or renal disease, drug allergy, and drug abuse were excluded from the study. All patients underwent the same method of anaesthesia and surgical procedure. During the first 30 min after the beginning of the surgery, group C (vitamin C) received infusion of 3 g vitamin C in 500 mL of Ringer and group P received 6 mL normal saline in 500 mL of Ringer. Measurements of systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial blood pressure and heart rate were recorded before and during anaesthesia and at intervals of 0,15,30 and 60 min after extubation. Pain severity was recorded according to VAS score at intervals of 0 (recovery room), 6, 12 and 24 h after the procedure, request for analgesic drugs (iv paracetamol or pethedine) according to total number of times of analgesic request and time of the first dose of analgesic use and dose of pethidine were also recorded by questionnaire.ResultsThere was a significant difference in evaluations for mean pain severity between the two groups at recovery room, 6, 12 and 24 h after surgery (P‐value = 0.001). There was a significant difference in mean times that patient requested an analgesic, time of first dose of analgesic and pethidine dose between the two groups (P‐value< 0.05). There was no significant differences in measurements of systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial blood pressure and heart rate in different times between the two groups (P‐value> 0.05). Blood loss was similar in the two groups (P‐value> 0.05).ConclusionAccording to this study, administration of vitamin C 3 g IV intraoperative reduced postoperative pain without increased side‐effects in patients undergoing UPPP and tonsillectomy.
Cell‐free microRNAs in blood and other body fluids, as cancer biomarkers
Authors: Ortiz‐Quintero Blanca 
Published: May 2016

AbstractThe discovery of cell‐free microRNAs (miRNAs) in serum, plasma and other body fluids has yielded an invaluable potential source of non‐invasive biomarkers for cancer and other non‐malignant diseases. miRNAs in the blood and other body fluids are highly stable in biological samples and are resistant to environmental conditions, such as freezing, thawing or enzymatic degradation, which makes them convenient as potential biomarkers. In addition, they are more easily sampled than tissue miRNAs. Altered levels of cell‐free miRNAs have been found in every type of cancer analysed, and increasing evidence indicates that they may participate in carcinogenesis by acting as cell‐to‐cell signalling molecules. This review summarizes the biological characteristics and mechanisms of release of cell‐free miRNAs that make them promising candidates as non‐invasive biomarkers of cancer.
Low Six4 and Six5 gene dosage improves dystrophic phenotype and prolongs life span of mdx mice
Authors: Yajima Hiroshi , Kawakami Kiyoshi 
Published: May 2016

Muscle regeneration is an important process for skeletal muscle growth and recovery. Repair of muscle damage is exquisitely programmed by cellular mechanisms inherent in myogenic stem cells, also known as muscle satellite cells. We demonstrated previously the involvement of homeobox transcription factors, SIX1, SIX4 and SIX5, in the coordinated proliferation and differentiation of isolated satellite cells in vitro. However, their roles in adult muscle regeneration in vivo remain elusive. To investigate SIX4 and SIX5 functions during muscle regeneration, we introduced knockout alleles of Six4 and Six5 into an animal model of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), mdx (Dmdmdx/Y) mice, characterized by frequent degeneration‐regeneration cycles in muscles. A lower number of small myofibers, higher number of thick ones and lower serum creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase activities were noted in 50‐week‐old Six4+/−5+/−Dmdmdx/Y mice than Dmdmdx/Y mice, indicating improvement of dystrophic phenotypes of Dmdmdx/Y mice. Higher proportions of cells positive for MYOD1 and MYOG (markers of regenerating myonuclei) and SIX1 (a marker of regenerating myoblasts and newly regenerated myofibers) in 12‐week‐old Six4+/−5+/−Dmdmdx/Y mice suggested enhanced regeneration, compared with Dmdmdx/Y mice. Although grip strength was comparable in Six4+/−5+/−Dmdmdx/Y and Dmdmdx/Y mice, treadmill exercise did not induce muscle weakness in Six4+/−5+/−Dmdmdx/Y mice, suggesting higher regeneration capacity. In addition, Six4+/−5+/−Dmdmdx/Y mice showed 33.8% extension of life span. The results indicated that low Six4 and Six5 gene dosage improved dystrophic phenotypes of Dmdmdx/Y mice by enhancing muscle regeneration, and suggested that SIX4 and SIX5 are potentially useful de novo targets in therapeutic applications against muscle disorders, including DMD.
Increasing patient involvement in the diabetic foot pathway: a pilot randomized controlled trial
Authors: McBride E. , Hacking B. , O'Carroll R. , Young M. , Jahr J. , Borthwick C. , Callander A. , Berrada Z. 
Published: May 2016

AbstractAimsThis pilot study aimed to explore whether the use of an intervention to increase shared decision‐making (Decision Navigation) increased decision self‐efficacy and foot‐treatment adherence in patients with a diabetic foot ulcer.MethodsFifty‐six patients with a diabetic foot ulcer were randomized to receive Decision Navigation (N = 30) or usual care (N = 26). Primary outcomes included decision self‐efficacy, adherence to foot treatment as reported by the participant and adherence to foot treatment as reported by the clinician. Secondary outcomes included foot ulcer healing rate, health‐related quality of life, decision conflict and decision regret.ResultsDespite participants rating Decision Navigation as very helpful, mixed analyses of variance revealed no differences in decision self‐efficacy or adherence between those receiving Decision Navigation and those receiving usual care. There were no differences between groups with regards to the secondary outcomes, with the exception of decision conflict which increased over time (12 weeks) for those receiving Decision Navigation.ConclusionsAn intervention that facilitated patient involvement in treatment decisions did not have any impact on decisional confidence or adherence to foot treatment. This does not provide support for the suggestion that personalized care can improve health‐related outcomes at this progressed stage of the patient's disease trajectory. We suggest that the diabetic foot population may benefit from interventions aimed at increasing motivation to engage with care pathways, centred on challenging personal controllability beliefs.
Enhanced pedotransfer functions with support vector machines to predict water retention of calcareous soil
Authors: Khlosi M. , Alhamdoosh M. , Douaik A. , Gabriels D. , Cornelis W. M. 
Published: May 2016

Knowledge of soil hydraulic properties is of major importance for land management in dry‐land areas. The most important properties are the soil–water retention curve (SWRC) and hydraulic conductivity characteristics. Direct measurement of the SWRC is time and cost prohibitive. Pedotransfer functions (PTFs) use data mining tools to predict SWRC. Modern data mining techniques enable accurate predictions and good generalization of SWRC data. In this research we explore whether the use of support vector machines (SVMs) could improve the accuracy of prediction of SWRC. The novelty of our work is in the application of SVM data mining techniques, which are seldom used in soil research, to a limited dataset from Syria. The soil studied is calcareous and the climate is arid, for which no PTFs have been developed. Seventy‐two undisturbed soil samples were taken from four different agro‐climatic zones of Syria. The soil water contents at eight matric potentials were determined and selected as output variables. The data were split into two subsets: a training set with 54 samples for model calibration or PTF development and a test set with 18 samples for PTF validation. An overview of the theoretical foundation of this new approach and the use of specific kernel functions is given. Then, the model parameters were optimized with ninefold cross‐validation and a grid search method. The predictions of the SVM‐based PTFs were analysed with the coefficient of determination (R2) and root mean square error (RMSE). Our results showed that the accuracy of SVM was better in terms of RMSE and R2 than multiple linear regression (MLR) and the artificial neural network (ANN). The results support previous findings that the SVM approach performs better than MLR and the ANN. Furthermore, improvements in predictions of SWRC with the three data mining techniques were obtained by replacing the more conventional organic matter in the PTF with the plastic limit (PL). Therefore, SVM and PL markedly improved the accuracy of prediction of SWRC for calcareous soil.Highlights
Pedotransfer functions (PTFs) to predict the soil–water retention curve of calcareous soil.
Improved prediction of water retention with support vector machines (SVMs)
The plastic limit (PL) appeared to be a significant predictor variable.
The results suggest the use of SVMs and PL to improve and develop PTFs further.
Attenuation of the blood pressure response to exogenous angiotensin I after oral administration of benazepril to healthy adult horses
Authors: Afonso T. , Giguère S. , Rapoport G. , Brown S. A. , Coleman A. E. 
Published: May 2016

SummaryBackgroundBenazepril has been shown to inhibit circulating angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE) activity in horses but the optimal dosage is unknown.ObjectivesTo determine the lowest tested dose of benazepril that results in ≥75% attenuation in the response of arterial blood pressure (BP) to exogenous angiotensin I (ANG‐I) administration.Study designProspective experimental study.MethodsA total of 5 healthy horses were instrumented for the direct measurement of BP. Each horse received 4 intragastric doses of benazepril (0.5, 1, 2 and 4 mg/kg bwt) with a washout period of 7 days between doses. Prior to and 2, 12 and 24 h after benazepril administration, each horse received intravenous (i.v.) boluses of ANG‐I at 20, 60 and 200 ng/kg. Attenuation of the systolic arterial pressure (SBP) response to ANG‐I and serum ACE activity were quantified and expressed as percentage of inhibition.ResultsThere was a significant effect of benazepril dose (P = 0.004) and time (P = 0.004) on the percentage of inhibition of the systolic pressor response to ANG‐I. Regardless of benazepril dose, the percentage of inhibition was significantly greater 2 h after administration of benazepril compared with 12 and 24 h. At an ANG‐I dose of 20 ng/kg, the percentage of inhibition after administration of benazepril at 1 mg/kg bwt (46.6 ± 18.9%) was significantly greater than that achieved after 0.5 mg/kg bwt (19 ± 14%) but not significantly different from that achieved at higher doses of benazepril. Benazepril doses ≥1 mg/kg bwt resulted in serum ACE inhibition of at least 90%.Main limitationsSmall sample size and resulting low statistical power.ConclusionsAttenuation of the rise in SBP in response to ANG‐I after administration of benazepril is modest in horses despite adequate serum ACE inhibition. A dose of 1 mg/kg bwt would be recommended for future investigations of benazepril for the management of cardiovascular diseases in horses.
Patient safety competencies in undergraduate nursing students: a rapid evidence assessment
Authors: Bianchi Monica , Bressan Valentina , Cadorin Lucia , Pagnucci Nicola , Tolotti Angela , Valcarenghi Dario , Watson Roger , Bagnasco Annamaria , Sasso Loredana 
Published: May 2016

AbstractAimsTo identify patient safety competencies, and determine the clinical learning environments that facilitate the development of patient safety competencies in nursing students.BackgroundPatient safety in nursing education is of key importance for health professional environments, settings and care systems. To be effective, safe nursing practice requires a good integration between increasing knowledge and the different clinical practice settings. Nurse educators have the responsibility to develop effective learning processes and ensure patient safety.DesignRapid Evidence Assessment.Data Sources
MEDLINE, CINAHL, SCOPUS and ERIC were searched, yielding 500 citations published between 1 January 2004–30 September 2014.Review methodsFollowing the Rapid Evidence Assessment process, 17 studies were included in this review. Hawker's (2002) quality assessment tool was used to assess the quality of the selected studies.ResultsUndergraduate nursing students need to develop competencies to ensure patient safety. The quality of the pedagogical atmosphere in the clinical setting has an important impact on the students'
overall level of competence. Active student engagement in clinical processes stimulates their critical reasoning, improves interpersonal communication and facilitates adequate supervision and feedback.ConclusionFew studies describe the nursing students'
patient safety competencies and exactly what they need to learn. In addition, studies describe only briefly which clinical learning environments facilitate the development of patient safety competencies in nursing students. Further research is needed to identify additional pedagogical strategies and the specific characteristics of the clinical learning environments that encourage the development of nursing students'
patient safety competencies.