bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Kardiorenales Anämiesyndrom – Die nephrologische Sichtweise
Authors: Stracke Sylvia , Kalantar-Zadeh Kamyar 
Published: September 2011

Die Ausprägung der Anämie bei Nierenkranken ist mit Linksherzhypertrophie, Herzinsuffizienz und einer erhöhten Sterblichkeit assoziiert. Für das Zusammentreffen dieser Befunde – Niereninsuffizienz, Herzinsuffizienz und Anämie – wurde im Jahr 2006 erstmals der Begriff ”kardiorenales Anämiesyndrom“ geprägt. Eine verminderte Erythropoetinsynthese und -wirkung an den Zielzellen, ein absoluter oder funktioneller Eisenmangel und die Verwendung von Medikamenten, die die Blutbildung beeinträchtigen, können bei nierenkranken Menschen zu einer Anämie führen. Die am häufigsten benutzten Marker zur Erfassung des Eisenstatus sind Serumeisen, Transferrinsättigung und Serumferritin sowie der Prozentsatz hypochromer Erythrozyten. Eine Anämie bei Nierenkranken ist mit einer rascheren Progression der Niereninsuffizienz und einer erhöhten Mortalität assoziiert. Daher versuchte man, durch eine Korrektur der Anämie diese Endpunkte günstig zu beeinflussen. Allerdings zeigten mehrere große Interventionsstudien, dass eine Normalisierung der Hämoglobinwerte bei Nierenkranken (vor allem durch eine Gabe höherer Dosen Erythropoese stimulierender Agenzien) paradoxerweise mit einem gleichen oder sogar schlechteren Outcome assoziiert ist. In neuesten Empfehlungen wurde daher für diese Patienten der Hämoglobinzielwert auf 11–12 g/dl nach unten korrigiert. Durch Erythropoese stimulierende Agenzien erzielte Hämoglobinzielwerte von mehr als 13 g/dl sind zu vermeiden, während solch hohe Werte auf natürlichem Wege erreicht werden dürfen. Die relative Thrombozytose bei einem unbehandelten Eisenmangel könnte bei der gleichzeitigen Überdosierung von Erythropoese stimulierenden Agenzien für die erhöhte Inzidenz an thromboembolischen Ereignissen verantwortlich sein. Der Eisenstatus sollte regelmäßig kontrolliert werden und ein Eisenmangel – absolut oder funktionell – soll bei jeder Therapie mit Erythropoese stimulierenden Agenzien ausgeglichen werden.
HIV Therapy Simulator: a graphical user interface for comparing the effectiveness of novel therapy regimens
Authors: Lim Huat Chye , Curlin Marcel E. , Mittler John E. 
Published: September 2011

Abstract
Abstract: Computer simulation models can be useful in exploring the efficacy of HIV therapy regimens in preventing the evolution of drug-resistant viruses. Current modeling programs, however, were designed by researchers with expertise in computational biology, limiting their accessibility to those who might lack such a background. We have developed a user-friendly graphical program, HIV Therapy Simulator (HIVSIM), that is accessible to non-technical users. The program allows clinicians and researchers to explore the effectiveness of various therapeutic strategies, such as structured treatment interruptions, booster therapies and induction-maintenance therapies. We anticipate that HIVSIM will be useful for evaluating novel drug-based treatment concepts in clinical research, and as an educational tool.
Availability: HIV Therapy Simulator is freely available for Mac OS and Windows at http://sites.google.com/site/hivsimulator/.
Contact: jmittler@uw.edu
Supplementary Information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
AUC-based biomarker ensemble with an application on gene scores predicting low bone mineral density
Authors: Zhao X. G. , Dai W. , Li Y. , Tian L. 
Published: September 2011

AbstractMotivation: The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC), long regarded as a ‘golden’ measure for the predictiveness of a continuous score, has propelled the need to develop AUC-based predictors. However, the AUC-based ensemble methods are rather scant, largely due to the fact that the associated objective function is neither continuous nor concave. Indeed, there is no reliable numerical algorithm identifying optimal combination of a set of biomarkers to maximize the AUC, especially when the number of biomarkers is large.Results: We have proposed a novel AUC-based statistical ensemble methods for combining multiple biomarkers to differentiate a binary response of interest. Specifically, we propose to replace the non-continuous and non-convex AUC objective function by a convex surrogate loss function, whose minimizer can be efficiently identified. With the established framework, the lasso and other regularization techniques enable feature selections. Extensive simulations have demonstrated the superiority of the new methods to the existing methods. The proposal has been applied to a gene expression dataset to construct gene expression scores to differentiate elderly women with low bone mineral density (BMD) and those with normal BMD. The AUCs of the resulting scores in the independent test dataset has been satisfactory.Conclusion: Aiming for directly maximizing AUC, the proposed AUC-based ensemble method provides an efficient means of generating a stable combination of multiple biomarkers, which is especially useful under the high-dimensional settings.Contact: lutian@stanford.eduSupplementary Information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Effective public library outreach to homeless people
Authors: Willett Peter , Broadley Rebecca 
Published: September 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify good practice in conducting outreach for homeless people, and hence to provide recommendations for future library outreach projects.Design/methodology/approachThe authors examine of four case studies taken from the library literature, and conduct six semi‐structured interviews with outreach and/or inclusion librarians from library authorities in South and West Yorkshire.FindingsThe recommendations include: developing partnerships with relevant organisations; removing proof‐of‐identity requirements for joining the library; disseminating the results obtained in projects; using book deposits and mobile library stops; training library staff to ensure that they are aware of relevant issues; building trust in the target audience; ensuring that outreach is tailored to the specific needs of different groups of homeless people; and using a range of methods to evaluate project effectiveness.Originality/valueIdentification of themes common to the published case studies and to the interviews provides a reasoned basis for the recommendations that are presented. These recommendations provide, for the first time in the UK, clear guidelines for future outreach projects for homeless people.
Information seeking behaviour of Members of the Kuwaiti Parliament (MKPs)
Authors: Mansour Essam , Alkhurainej Nasser 
Published: September 2011

PurposeThe main purpose of this paper is to lighten a very big dark room of research regarding parliament and parliamentarians in the Arabic environment. The two researchers of this study tried to investigate the information seeking behavior of Members of the Kuwaiti Parliament (MKPs) in terms of their thoughts, perceptions, attitudes, motivations, techniques, preferences, ways, tools and problems encountered by them towards accessing information.Design/methodology/approachThe authors employed a questionnaire, with a response rate 42 percent.FindingsThe study found that MKPs were mainly seeking information to make a parliamentary request/inquiry, to make a speech, and to make a decision. The study showed that the most important sources of information MKPs were seeking for were minutes of sessions, mass media, personal letters and information networks. It was also found that MKPs preferred printed formats, with a very good use of the internet and computers. This study showed MKPs' confirmation of using the English language, beside the use of the Arabic language, as the most dominating foreign language used to access information. The study found that consultants, secretaries and colleagues were the most important assistants of information to MKPs. The currency of information, the limited nature of the library's role to deliver information, and the use of technology tools were the most significant problems encountered by MKPs when they were seeking information.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper investigates the topic of parliamentarians' use of information, and as such highlights a topic that has limited previous research.Practical implicationsThe paper provides valuable insight into the information behavior of a very important client group.Originality/valueBeing the first study in the Arab world concerned with the issue and topic of information seeking behavior and needs of Arab parliamentarians, it is considered a pioneering and unique study among many studies conducted in the field of both information access and information seeking, especially with this category of information users.
Malaysian archival heritage at risk?
Authors: Johare Rusnah , Noorman Masrek Mohamad 
Published: September 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to report the results of a study carried out pertaining to the Malaysian archivists' knowledge and skills in managing electronic records (ER).Design/methodology/approachThe main data collection has been gathered through survey questionnaires. Quantitative data were gathered from a total of 41 archivists at the National Archives of Malaysia.FindingsThe insufficiency of education and training received by the archivists contributed to the archivists' limited knowledge and skills to support their roles and responsibilities to manage ER. The archivists' limited knowledge and skills on ER management (ERM) prevented them from implementing the policies and standard procedures on ERM which was part of their main responsibilities.Practical implicationsThis study would be useful in identifying the required knowledge and skills for the archivists and suitable education and training for them to acquire such knowledge and skills to manage ER.Originality/valueThis is the first study of its kind which deals with the archivists' competencies in managing ER in the Malaysian Government.
Flexible learning
Authors: Irvine Jan , Cossham Amanda 
Published: September 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the changes in undergraduate library and information studies education in New Zealand over the past decade. It considers developments in the delivery of distance education, focusing on e‐learning (or flexible learning) modes, and changes to the curriculum due to the changing nature and requirements of the profession.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is a case study of the Open Polytechnic, the main provider of undergraduate LIS programmes in New Zealand. It compares the current situation to that of 1999 when the programmes were established, and analyses developments in the delivery of distance education and the changing nature and requirements of the profession.FindingsThe changing nature of the LIS profession, and in particular developments in information and communications technologies, as well as the possibilities offered by e‐learning paradigms have led to significant changes in the curriculum, especially in the delivery of courses. There is a tension between delivering a sound academically coherent curriculum that meets all the changing needs of the profession: core theory, knowledge and skills remain, while new technologies, services, formats and tools are demanding equal time in the curriculum.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper is of interest to researchers involved in distance education or curriculum design in LIS.Practical implicationsThe paper considers the evolution of distance learning courses for the library community and is of interest to the wider LIS sector.Originality/valueThe case study presents a picture of New Zealand LIS undergraduate education and shows how programmes are changing in response to educational developments and the profession's requirements.
Awareness, action and context‐specificity of blue ocean practices in sales management
Authors: Parvinen Petri , Aspara Jaakko , Hietanen Joel , Kajalo Sami 
Published: September 2011

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the role of new value creation mechanisms in a company's sales strategy. Using value creation and strategic marketing as theoretical approaches, the study explores the underpinnings of blue ocean strategy (BOS) and categorizes ways in which BOS is reflected in sales management activities. The link to performance and the influence of contextual moderation are also examined.Design/methodology/approachThe article reports on a study on sales management in a 168‐respondent survey of CEOs and sales directors of Finnish companies across industries. The operationalization is quantitative, and principal component analysis with the varimax rotation method is used to examine the companies' approach to executing BOS and the firms are categorized using the cluster analysis method. Furthermore, the linkage to self‐reported business performance is statistically analyzed.Research limitations/implicationsThis study identifies four approaches to using BOS: strategic awareness‐building; customer‐specific solution orientation; enforcement‐orientation; and non‐employment of blue ocean thinking. While only the enforcement‐orientation cluster has superior performance to non‐users of BOS across the entire sample, there are surprisingly notable performance differentials within different combinations of contexts.Practical implicationsThe study points out that enforcing BOS at the level of action and implementation in sales management pays off. The findings entail that choosing between the identified BOS approaches and implementing them should be context‐specific. Furthermore, the development of skills is emphasized over knowledge management.Originality/valueFor concepts primarily directed at managerial audiences, the theoretical foundations and empirical testability is often not the primary concern. This study presents investigative work geared at revealing the key factors underlying blue ocean strategies in sales management. The paper represents one of the first verifications of the link between blue ocean strategy and business performance.
The impact of managerial perceptions on competitive response variety
Authors: Giaglis George M. , Fouskas Konstantinos G. 
Published: September 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to study the impact of managerial perceptions regarding the competitive environment and organizational capabilities on the way firms respond to their rivals' competitive actions.Design/methodology/approachThe authors draw on competitive dynamics theory to develop a model that is empirically tested in 174 firms from 22 manufacturing, trade and service sectors in Greece.FindingsThe results show an association between managerial perceptions on the one hand and the innovativeness and breadth of competitive responses on the other. More specifically, perceptions of competition intensity, substitution threats and increased buyer powers are associated with broader and more innovative competitive reactions. Similarly, perceptions of strong internal, mediating (managerial) and external (market sensing) capabilities also affect the breadth and innovativeness of competitive responses.Originality/valueFurther to advancing theory in competitive dynamics, the authors contribute to a deeper understanding of the drivers of competitive retaliation that managers can use to anticipate their rivals' retaliation schemes when initiating competitive actions.
The informational contribution of social and environmental disclosures for investors
Authors: Cormier Denis , Ledoux Marie‐Josée , Magnan Michel 
Published: September 2011

PurposeThe aim of the paper is to investigate whether social disclosure and environmental disclosure have a substituting or a complementing effect in reducing information asymmetry between managers and stock market participantsDesign/methodology/approachThis study attempts to provide a comprehensive analysis of a firm's social and environmental disclosure strategy. The authors posit that this strategy simultaneously affects information asymmetry and disclosure.FindingsFindings suggest that social disclosure and environmental disclosure substitute each other in reducing stock market asymmetry.Research limitations/implicationsThe measurement of social and environmental disclosure is based upon a coding instrument that makes some explicit assumptions about the value and relevance of information. Moreover, information asymmetry cannot be directly measured and is inferred from the behaviour of proxy variables such as share price volatility and bid‐ask spread.Practical implicationsResults suggest that social disclosure reinforces the informativeness of environmental disclosure for stock markets, even substituting for it under certain conditions. Stakeholders must assess and retain an increasing flow of information: a more efficient disclosure strategy becomes critical if firms want to convey the right picture of their CSR performance.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to explore the joint effect of social disclosure and environmental disclosure in reducing information asymmetry.
Strategic development processes during economic and financial crisis
Authors: Kunc Martin , Bhandari Rahul 
Published: September 2011

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the strategy development process followed by firms during the current economic and financial crisis through the relationship between changes in performance measures and strategic success factors.Design/methodology/approachA survey to executives of global firms asking the importance of widely accepted performance indicators and strategic success factors has been performed obtaining 53 usable surveys. Test has been performed to identify respondent bias. Empirical results from the survey are presented and t‐tests have been performed to validate the statistical significance of the change in importance of performance indicators and strategic success factors.FindingsThe findings suggest that firms followed a reactive strategic development process since they adjusted their strategic direction to the short‐term problems in their performance affected by the economic crisis. While firms may focus their attention to similar set of performance measures during the crisis, their strategic behavior to face the crisis differs.Research limitations/implicationsWhile the sample is small (53 respondents), the authors believe that the quality of the respondents, senior managers and directors with responsibility for strategic development processes, compensates for the small number of responses.Practical implicationsRehearsing strategies can be a powerful tool to avoid reactive strategic behavior either anticipating environmental constraints through scenario planning or testing the robustness of strategic initiatives using diverse tools like strategic modeling.Originality/valueThe paper offers an empirical validation of strategic development processes under uncertainty considering the linkage between changes in organizational performance, performance indicators and strategic success factors.
The drivers of customer satisfaction in strategic consulting engagements
Authors: Haverila Matti , Bateman Earl Robert , Naumann Earl Robert 
Published: September 2011

PurposeThis exploratory study aims to identify the key drivers of customer satisfaction for strategic consulting engagements in a global context. Specifically, the authors compare the attitudes of US and non‐US senior executives to learn how they evaluate consulting engagements.Design/methodology/approachThe literature surrounding selection of management consultants and client satisfaction with consulting work is reviewed. A thematic content analysis was used to evaluate the responses of 35 US and 22 non‐US senior executives.FindingsThe results reveal both similarities and differences when compared to the outcomes of previous research generally, but they also highlight apparent distinctions based on the country location of the executive. Consistent with previous research, consultant characteristics, customer focus, and value emerged as broad themes driving client satisfaction. In addition, project management and enterprise considerations also emerged as significant drivers of satisfaction. Detailed analysis of responses reveals interesting locational differences underlying satisfaction.Practical implicationsThe key implication of this study is the identification of new drivers for customer satisfaction in strategic consulting engagements. These new elements are primarily related to enterprise and project management issues. In addition, this research suggests that the relative importance of customer satisfaction drivers may differ between executives based in the USA and those based elsewhere.Originality/valueThe paper provides a broad overview of satisfaction issues in consulting services, particularly with multinational enterprises as the client. It also offers a more in‐depth discussion of the relative importance of key drivers depending on the location of service delivery. By consolidating these elements into a single discussion, the paper provides a unique viewpoint not available in the current literature. Although exploratory, the holistic approach applied here should allow academic researchers to compare and contrast the results of this research to previous findings. Partners and key account managers at consulting firms might also consider the relative emphasis placed on elements of their service offerings.
The moderating role of organizational culture in the relationship between organizational justice and organizational citizenship behaviors
Authors: Erkutlu Hakan 
Published: September 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine whether organizational culture moderates the relationships between organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) and justice perceptions.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 618 lecturers in ten universities in Turkey. Data were collected on site. A randomly selected group of focal lecturers completed the OCB and justice scales. A separate group of randomly selected peers completed the culture scale.FindingsMultiple hierarchical regression results support the moderating role of organizational culture of the justice perceptions‐OCB link. As hypothesized, results show a stronger relationship between interactional justice and OCB for organizations that are higher in respect for people and a weaker relationship between distributive and procedural justices and OCB for organizations that are higher in team orientation.Research limitations/implicationsThe researched lecturers have job conditions inherent to the peculiarities of the public universities which may limit the ability to extrapolate the findings in the private universities. The findings provide a more understandable mechanism of the influence of organizational culture on OCB. They emphasize the significance of organizational culture as a moderator that should be taken closely into consideration to promote employees' OCB levels.Practical implicationsThe findings contribute to a better understanding of the organizational justice‐OCB link, and the ways to favor OCB through organizational culture. As a result of this research, leaders' success in organizations will depend, to a great extent, upon understanding organizational culture. They may cultivate subordinates' OCB by treating them with respect and fairness, showing consideration for individual needs, and providing a supportive work environment.Originality/valueThe use of organizational culture as a moderator on this link is unprecedented. The major strength of this study is its multilevel research design. Most research on OCB and organizational justice has been conducted within single organizations, precluding an assessment of the way in which contextual variables influence OCB or justice. Also, using a large number of samples from the Turkish higher education sector adds to the growing literature examining OCB in non‐Western settings.