bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
DIFFUSE PERIPAPILLARY CHOROIDAL MELANOMA THAT EVOLVED FROM A SMALL PRESUMED CHOROIDAL NEVUS SUCCESSFULLY TREATED WITH GAMMA KNIFE RADIOTHERAPY
Authors: Duker Jacob S. , Duker Jay S. 
Published: March 2016

Purpose:
To report a case of diffuse peripapillary choroidal melanoma which began as a small choroidal nevus and was successfully treated with gamma knife radiotherapy.

Methods:
Observational case report.

Results:
A 31-year-old visually asymptomatic man presented for a routine eye examination and was noted to have a small choroidal nevus. Six years later, the lesion had become a diffuse juxtapapillary choroidal melanoma with a thickness of 1.9 mm. Given the peripapillary location of the tumor with involvement of about 6 clock hours of the disk, Leksell Gamma Knife radiotherapy was performed. At 5.5 years after radiation therapy, visual acuity remained 20/20. The lesion thickness had decreased to 1.5 mm, and there was no interval growth of any margins.

Conclusion:
Small choroidal nevi carry low malignant potential but still deserve photographic documentation when possible with regular follow intervals. Gamma knife radiotherapy can be considered for tumors abutting the optic nerve, especially when plaque radiotherapy may be technically difficult.
Clinical-Laboratory Prediction Rule Derivation for Pulmonary Tuberculosis Diagnosis in General Hospitals in a High-Burden Country
Authors: Gonçalves Berenice das Dores , Passos Sonia Regina Lambert , do Carmo Cleber Nascimento , Monteiro Mariana Couto , Fukuoka Levy Vilas Boas , Mello Fernanda Carvalho de Queiroz 
Published: March 2016

Background
Clinical prediction rules (CPR) for pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) diagnosis in the hospital setting in countries with high prevalence of PTB are rare.

Methods
With the purpose to derive a CPR for PTB and assess its accuracy in patients 15 years or older admitted to a general hospital in Rio de Janeiro city, Brazil, a diagnostic accuracy study was conducted with hospitalized patients from 2008 to 2013. Reference standard: positive Mycobacterium tuberculosis culture in respiratory specimens. Logistic regression-adjusted odds ratios, receiver operating characteristic curve of the value predicted by the model and its accuracy parameters were calculated.

Results
This study assessed 284 patients, 52 with PTB (18.3%). The score of the derived CPR ranged from 0 to 5, 2 points being attributed to fever and 1 to each of the following predictors: weight loss greater than 10%, alcohol consumption and typical/compatible chest imaging. The cutoff point was 3 or greater, with 0.70 area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 72.1% sensitivity, 64.5% specificity, 30.1% and 91.6% positive and negative predictive values, respectively, and 2.0 and 0.4 positive and negative likelihood ratios, respectively.

Conclusions
The derived CPR corroborated the result of a recent systematic review of PTB predictors for hospitalized patients, but should be prospectively validated. The high false-positive rate justifies its combination with PTB-specific tests.
Pseudomonas mendocina Bacteremia, A Case Study and Review of Literature
Authors: Ruggiero Nicole A , Chang Mei , Brown Sheldon 
Published: March 2016

Abstract
Infections with Pseudomonas mendocina have rarely been reported. P. mendocina seems to be a less virulent and less resistant organism compared to P. aeruginosa. We present a case of P. mendocina bacteremia likely secondary to cellulitis and a brief review of P. mendocina infections reported in the literature.
Pain modulatory phenotypes differentiate subgroups with different clinical and experimental pain sensitivity
Authors: Vaegter Henrik B. , Graven-Nielsen Thomas 
Published: March 2016

AbstractPain biomarkers are warranted for individualized painmanagement. Based on different pain modulatory phenotypes, the objectives of this study were to explore the existence of subgroups within patients with nonmalignant chronic pain and to investigate differences in clinical pain and pain hypersensitivity between subgroups. Cuff algometry was performed on lower legs in 400 patients with chronic pain to assess pressure pain threshold, pressure pain tolerance, temporal summation of pain (TSP: increase in pain scores to 10 repeated stimulations), and conditioned pain modulation (CPM: increase in cuff pressure pain threshold during cuff pain conditioning on the contralateral leg). Heat detection and heat pain thresholds at clinical painful and nonpainful body areas were assessed. Based on TSP and CPM, 4 distinct groups were formed: group 1 (n = 85) had impaired CPM and facilitated TSP; group 2 (n = 148) had impaired CPM and normal TSP; group 3 (n = 45) had normal CPM and facilitated TSP; and group 4 (n = 122) had normal CPM and normal TSP. Group 1 showed more pain regions than the other 3 groups (P< 0.001), indicating that impaired CPM and facilitated TSP play an important role in widespread pain. Groups 1 and 2 compared with group 4 had lower heat pain threshold at nonpainful areas and lower cuff pressure pain tolerance (P< 0.02), indicating that CPM plays a role for widespread hyperalgesia. Moreover, group 1 demonstrated higher clinical pain scores than group 4 (P< 0.05). Although not different between subgroups, patients were profiled on demographics, disability, pain catastrophizing, and fear of movement. Future research should investigate interventions tailored towards these subgroups.
PICU Volume and Outcome: A Severity-Adjusted Analysis*
Authors: Markovitz Barry P. , Kukuyeva Irina , Soto-Campos Gerardo , Khemani Robinder G. 
Published: March 2016

Objectives:
To determine the relationship between PICU volume and severity-adjusted mortality in a large, national dataset.

Design:
Retrospective cohort study.

Setting:
The VPS database (VPS, LLC, Los Angeles, CA), a national multicenter clinical PICU database.

Patients:
All patients with discharge dates between September 2009 and March 2012 and valid Pediatric Index of Mortality 2 and Pediatric Risk of Mortality III scores, who were not transferred to another ICU and were seen in an ICU that collected at least three quarters of data.

Interventions:
None.

Measurements and Main Results:
Anonymized data received included ICU mortality, hospital and patient demographics, and Pediatric Index of Mortality 2 and Pediatric Risk of Mortality III scores. PICU volume/quarter was determined (VPS sites submit data quarterly) per PICU and was divided by 100 to assess the impact per 100 discharges per quarter (volume). A mixed-effects logistic regression model accounting for repeated measures of patients within ICUs was performed to assess the association of volume on severity-adjusted mortality, adjusting for patient and unit characteristics. Multiplicative interactions between volume and severity of illness were also modeled. We analyzed 186,643 patients from 92 PICUs, with an overall ICU mortality rate of 2.6%. Volume ranged from 0.24 to 8.89 per ICU per quarter; the mean volume was 2.61. The mixed-effects logistic regression model found a small but nonlinear relationship between volume and mortality that varied based on the severity of illness. When severity of illness is low, there is no clear relationship between volume and mortality up to a Pediatric Index of Mortality 2 risk of mortality of 10%; for patients with a higher severity of illness, severity of illness-adjusted mortality is directly proportional to a unit’s volume.

Conclusions:
For patients with low severity of illness, ICU volume is not associated with mortality. As patient severity of illness rises, higher volume units have higher severity of illness-adjusted mortality. This may be related to differences in quality of care, issues with unmeasured confounding, or calibration of existing severity of illness scores.
Hot Water Epilepsy Successfully Treated With Daily Clobazam
Authors: Ekici Arzu , Ozdemir Ozlem , Yimenicioglu Sevgi , Oren Ayse , Sen Ismail 
Published: March 2016

Abstract
Hot water epilepsy (HWE) is a rare form of reflex epilepsy precipitated by a bath or shower in hot water. Although the condition is benign and a decreased bath temperature will help, antiepileptic drugs may be needed in some cases. Prophylactic clobazam is currently the first choice treatment option. Here we report the case of a 10-year-old boy with HWE successfully treated with daily doses of clobazam. Daily clobazam was preferred over prophylactic clobazam because of the patient's frequent bathing and parental concern. Daily clobazam is a novel treatment option for HWE and seems to be a good choice where antiepileptic drugs are necessary.
DrosophilaCLAMP is an essential protein with sex-specific roles in males and females
Authors: Urban Jennifer A. , Doherty Caroline A. , Jordan William T. , Bliss Jacob E. , Feng Jessica , Soruco Marcela M. , Rieder Leila E. , Larschan Erica N. 
Published: March 2016

AbstractDosage compensation is a fundamental mechanism in many species that corrects for the inherent imbalance in X-chromosome copy number between XY males and XX females. InDrosophila melanogaster, transcriptional output from the single male X-chromosome is equalized to that of XX females by recruitment of the Male Specific Lethal (MSL) complex to specific sequences along the length of the X-chromosome. The initial recruitment of MSL complex to the X-chromosome is dependent on a recently discovered zinc finger protein called Chromatin-Linked Adapter for MSL Proteins (CLAMP). However, further studies on thein vivofunction of CLAMP remained difficult because the location of the gene in pericentric heterochromatin made it challenging to create null mutations or deficiencies. Using the CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing system, we generated the first null mutant in theclampgene that eliminates expression of CLAMP protein. We show that CLAMP is necessary for both male and female viability. While females die at the third instar larval stage, males die earlier, likely due to the essential role of CLAMP in male dosage compensation. Moreover, we demonstrate that CLAMP promotes dosage compensation in males and represses key male-specific transcripts involved in sex-determination in females. Our results reveal that CLAMP is an essential protein with dual roles in males and females, which together assure that dosage compensation is a sex-specific process.
A Unified Framework for Variance Component Estimation with Summary Statistics in Genome-wide Association Studies
Authors: Zhou Xiang 
Published: March 2016

AbstractLinear mixed models (LMMs) are among the most commonly used tools for genetic association studies. However, the standard method for estimating variance components in LMMs – the restricted maximum likelihood estimation method (REML) – suffers from several important drawbacks: REML is computationally slow, requires individual-level genotypes and phenotypes, and produces biased estimates in case control studies. To remedy these drawbacks, we present an alternative framework for variance component estimation, which we refer to as MQS. MQS is based on the method of moments (MoM) and the minimal norm quadratic unbiased estimation (MINQUE) criteria, and brings two seemingly unrelated methods – the renowned Haseman-Elston (HE) regression and the recent LD score regression (LDSC) – into the same unified framework. With this new framework, we provide an alternative but mathematically equivalent form of HE that allows for the use of summary statistics and is faster to compute. We also provide an exact estimation form of LDSC to yield unbiased and more accurate estimates with calibrated confidence intervals. A key feature of our method is that it can effectively use a small random subset of individuals for computation while still producing estimates that are almost as accurate as if the full data were used. As a result, our method produces unbiased and accurate estimates with calibrated standard errors, while it is computationally efficient for large data sets. Using simulations and applications to 33 phenotypes from 7 real data sets, we illustrate the benefits of our method for estimating and partitioning chip heritability. Our method is implemented in the GEMMA software package, freely available atwww.xzlab.org/software.html.
Onset, timing, and exposure therapy of stress disorders: mechanistic insight from a mathematical model of oscillating neuroendocrine dynamics
Authors: Kim Lae , D’Orsogna Maria , Chou Tom 
Published: March 2016

AbstractThe hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is a neuroendocrine system that regulates numerous physiological processes. Disruptions in the activity of the HPA axis are correlated with many stress-related diseases such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive disorder. In this paper, we characterize "normal” and "diseased” states of the HPA axis as basins of attraction of a dynamical system describing the inhibition of peptide hormones such as corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) by circulating glucocorticoids such as cortisol (CORT). In addition to including key physiological features such as ultradian oscillations in cortisol levels and self-upregulation of CRH neuron activity our model distinguishes the relatively slow process of cortisol-mediated CRH biosynthesis from rapid trans-synaptic effects that regulate the CRH secretion process. Crucially we find that the slow regulation mechanism mediates external stress-driven transitions between the stable states in novel, intensity, duration, and timing-dependent ways. These results indicate that thetimingof traumatic events may be an important factor in determining if and how patients will exhibit hallmarks of stress disorders. Our model also suggests a mechanism whereby exposure therapy of stress disorders such as PTSD may act to normalize downstream dysregulation of the HPA axis.
Accounting for derivatives and risk management activities
Authors: Tessema Abiot Mindaye 
Published: March 2016

Purpose– The lessons and merits of changes in the recognition and disclosure of derivative instruments and hedging activities are still debated and are a major policy issue. Prior studies provide mixed evidences on the economic consequences of mandatory derivative instruments ' recognition and disclosure. This paper aims to provide empirical evidence on the impact of mandatory derivative instruments ' recognition and disclosure on managers’ risk-management behavior. More importantly, this paper aims to investigate the role of product market competition on the impact of mandatory derivative instruments ' recognition and disclosure on managers’ risk-management behavior.Design/methodology/approach– This paper tests the author ' s hypotheses using the fixed-effects estimation technique, where it includes firm dummies in all the regressions. This approach enables to control for unobserved firm effects (fixed effects) on firms’ risk-management behavior that are assumed to be constant through time but vary across firms.Findings– The author finds that mandatory recognition and disclosure of derivative instruments and hedging activities, on average, decreases firms’ market rate risk exposure. This finding suggests that after the implementation of the recognition and disclosure of derivative instruments and hedging activities required by Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 133 (SFAS 133), firms engage in more prudent risk-management activities to mitigate the potential cost of earnings volatility imposed by the standard. However, the decrease in market rate risk exposure is lower when the level of product market competition is higher. This finding is consistent with the idea that the recognition and disclosure of derivative instruments and hedging activities required by SFAS 133 unintentionally forces firms in competitive industries to engage in significant risk-taking. The result suggests that more disclosure in risk management may change risk-management incentives in undesirable ways if firms face the threat of entry in their product markets.Practical/implications– The results provide a new understanding on the role of product market competition on the effectiveness of mandatory derivative instruments ' recognition and disclosure. The findings imply that standard setters should take product market competition into consideration before making derivative instruments and hedging activities ' recognition and disclosure mandatory for all firms.Originality/value– The paper contributes to the accounting literature by providing a new insight into the moderating role of product market competition in the accounting recognition and disclosure regulation and firms’ reporting behavior relation. Moreover, the paper extends the current literature on the effects of SFAS 133 on risk-management activities and sheds light on the impact of accounting regulations on firms’ real economic behavior.
Accounting quality and financing arrangements in emerging economies
Authors: Song Liang 
Published: March 2016

Purpose
– This paper aims to investigate how borrowers’ accounting quality influences bank loan syndicates across 11 emerging markets. Furthermore, an investigation of whether the relationship between accounting quality and the bank loan syndicate structure is influenced by borrowers’ governance standards is conducted.

Design/methodology/approach
– To empirically test the research question, a sample including 11 emerging countries is constructed. Following Chen et al. (2011), an accounting quality measure is constructed by aggregating the three commonly used indicators developed by Kothari et al. (2005), McNichols and Stubben (2008) and Dechow and Dichev (2002). A univariate analysis and a multivariate analysis are conducted to investigate the relationship between accounting quality and bank loan syndicate structure after controlling for firm characteristics and other variables.

Findings
– The results of this research show that lead lenders need to retain more ownership and organize a more concentrated loan syndicate when borrowers have poor accounting quality because they must show their commitment to monitoring borrowers. In addition, lead lenders have fewer foreign lenders involved in a loan syndicate and these foreign lenders retain less loan ownership if borrowers’ accounting quality is poor because lead banks prefer local lenders who are more familiar with borrowers. Finally, the effects of accounting quality on bank loan syndicates are more significant for borrowers with superior governance because the credibility of accounting numbers generated by a well-governed borrower is better.

Originality/value
– The existing studies (Ball et al., 2008; Lee and Mullineaux, 2004; Sufi, 2007) have shown how information asymmetry and accounting quality affect loan syndicates in developed countries. This strand of literature is extended by the presentation of significant effects of accounting quality on financing arrangements, even in emerging economies with weak governance standards. This stream of literature is also extended by finding the interaction effects between accounting quality and governance standards on bank loan syndicates, a relationship which has not been examined by the existing literature (Ball et al., 2008).
Growth options and relative performance evaluation
Authors: Huang Jianhui , Liu Ling , Ulstad Ingrid C. 
Published: March 2016

Purpose
– The purpose of this study is to investigate the cross-sectional associations between growth options and the peer pay–performance sensitivity of CEO compensation.

Design/methodology/approach
– This study includes analytical analysis and multivariable regression analysis.

Findings
– It is predicted in this study that there is a non-linear concave relation between peer pay–performance sensitivity and a firm’s growth options. Results based on the executive compensation data from ExecuComp are consistent with the hypothesis presented in this study.

Research limitations/implications
– Future scholars need to consider the non-linear impact of growth options on peer pay–performance sensitivity when they conduct research related to CEO compensation by differentiating the company’s growth options to be at a low, medium and high level. In an industry, when a compensation committee decides on the peers for performance comparison purposes, the committee needs to make sure that the peer firms they select have similar operational environments, for example, they face similar growth options (e.g. low, medium or high) and idiosyncratic variances.

Practical implications
– This study contributes to the managerial compensation literature by revealing the important role growth options, as well as idiosyncratic variances, play on peer pay–performance sensitivity. The results of this study have implications for both future researchers as well as industrial practitioners.

Social implications
– It gives guidance on designing CEO compensation contracts.

Originality/value
– This is an original work from the coauthors listed on this study.
Balancing managerial and academic values
Authors: Thian Lok Boon , Alam Gazi Mahabubul , Idris Abdul Rahman 
Published: March 2016

Purpose– Representing both “central university administration” and academics, deans are increasingly being confronted with the competing managerial and academic values. Being able to manage the competing values is pivotal to the success of a dean. However, there is dearth of research studying this. Considering the for-profit private sector may face greater challenge in dealing with the competing values, the purpose of this paper is to understand how deans in the private sector have managed this.Design/methodology/approach– A case study was conducted using two exemplar faculties of a private university in Malaysia as sample. The main sources of data are one-year field work which is supplemented by eight years’ archival data.Findings– The findings show that sustainable deans have found a common ground between the competing values. The common ground aligns the central university administration, the deans and the academics, and contributes to the sustainability of the faculties and university.Originality/value– This paper contributes to addressing the ever-increasing tension between managerial and academic values experienced by the mid-level academic management especially at the for-profit private higher education institutions. The insights of this study enrich the existing knowledge in the area of mid-level academic leadership.
Women’s participation on boards of directors: a review of the literature
Authors: Cabrera-Fernández Ana Isabel , Martínez-Jiménez Rocío , Hernández-Ortiz María Jesús 
Published: March 2016

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to present a review of the literature on the participation of women on Boards of Directors (BD).Design/methodology/approach– The authors review a body of literature (theoretical and empirical words) that analyzes the women’s role on the BD of companies. The review allows the authors to bring together the theoretical foundations and the empirical findings of studies that have examined the influence of the engagement of women on BD on the business outcomes of the firms involved.Findings– There is no agreement on the results relating to the effect of the presence of women on these boards. Moreover, there is no well-defined theoretical basis to explain this relationship, making it necessary to use a multi-theoretical approach.Research limitations/implications– This study could be extended by including investigations of the intermediate variable between the composition of the BD and the business outcomes, thus enabling an analysis of the effects of different organizational variables on the economic and financial variables already studied. In addition, the authors propose a comparative study between different countries and between different kinds of companies.Originality/value– This paper highlights the controversy that exists over the significance of the involvement of women on the BD of companies. It also proposes the development of new lines of research to attempt to answer some of the questions that are raised by the diverse findings reported in the literature.