Associations of Cumulative Sun Exposure and Phenotypic Characteristics with Histologic Solar Elastosis

Solar elastosis adjacent to melanomas in histologic sections is regarded as an indicator of sun exposure although the associations of ultraviolet (UV) exposure and phenotype with solar elastosis are yet to be fully explored

An empirical examination of the relationship between business strategy and socially responsible supply chain management

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the effect of business strategy on socially responsible supply chain management (SR-SCM). Design/methodology/approach – This study draws on data from 178 UK-based companies, and 340 buyer-supplier relationships. A novel data collection approach is used, which minimizes social desirability and common methods bias, to capture socially responsible supply chain management. The data are analysed through a set of OLS regressions. Findings – Business strategies significantly influence socially responsible supply chain management. Low-cost producers largely neglect their social responsibilities in the supply chain. In contrast, firms pursuing differentiation strategies are considerably more engaged with these issues, partly because they have better supply chain processes. Practical implications – Practitioners should carefully consider the fit between strategic position and level of engagement with SR-SCM, since our results emphasise the relationship between SR-SCM and business strategy. Proactive engagement with SR-SCM, however, also implies sound supply chain processes, which must also be aligned with business strategy. Policy-makers should consider the low engagement with SR-SCM of low-cost producers and the implications for SR-SCM in cost sensitive and competitive global markets. Originality/value – This is the first systematic cross-sectional study of the relationship between business strategy and socially responsible supply chain management (SR-SCM). These results suggest that there is a clear relationship between the strategic position of the firm and their SR-SCM practices. These results contribute to the on-going debate on relationships between strategy and supply chain management, and the emerging debate on the relationships between strategy and SR-SCM

MC1R gene variants and non-melanoma skin cancer: a pooled-analysis from the M-SKIP project

Background: The melanocortin-1-receptor (MC1R) gene regulates human pigmentation and is highly polymorphic in populations of European origins. The aims of this study were to evaluate the association between MC1R variants and the risk of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC), and to investigate whether risk estimates differed by phenotypic characteristics. Methods: Data on 3527 NMSC cases and 9391 controls were gathered through the M-SKIP Project, an international pooled-analysis on MC1R, skin cancer and phenotypic characteristics. We calculated summary odds ratios (SOR) with random-effect models, and performed stratified analyses. Results: Subjects carrying at least one MC1R variant had an increased risk of NMSC overall, basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC): SOR (95%CI) were 1.48 (1.24–1.76), 1.39 (1.15–1.69) and 1.61 (1.35–1.91), respectively. All of the investigated variants showed positive associations with NMSC, with consistent significant results obtained for V60L, D84E, V92M, R151C, R160W, R163Q and D294H: SOR (95%CI) ranged from 1.42 (1.19–1.70) for V60L to 2.66 (1.06–6.65) for D84E variant. In stratified analysis, there was no consistent pattern of association between MC1R and NMSC by skin type, but we consistently observed higher SORs for subjects without red hair. Conclusions: Our pooled-analysis highlighted a role of MC1R variants in NMSC development and suggested an effect modification by red hair colour phenotype