bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Potentially inappropriate medications in Chinese older adults: The beers criteria compared with the screening tool of older persons’ prescriptions criteria
Authors: Li Hong , Pu Shiyun , Liu Qinhui , Huang Xin , Kuang Jiangying , Chen Lei , Shen Jing , Cheng Shihai , Wu Tong , Li Rui , Li Yanping , Mo Li , Jiang Wei , Song Yi , He Jinhan
Published: February 2017

Aim

The present study aimed to assess the prevalence of potentially inappropriate medications (PIM) use in West China Hospital residents aged ≥65 years, using two sets of criteria – the Beers and Screening Tool of Older Persons’ Prescriptions (STOPP) criteria – and to compare the Beers and STOPP criteria, and to determine the better criteria for assessing PIM of older adults in China.

Methods

This was a retrospective cross‐sectional study, and all patients were aged ≥65 years and admitted through the Information Center of West China Hospital from October 2010 to April 2013. The Beers and STOPP criteria were used to identify PIM. A multivariate logistic regression study was used to identify the predictors of PIM use.

Results

In the 6337 patients included, the mean age was 81.30 years (SD 6.75), 4795 (75.70%) were male and 5033 (79.42%) were prescribed at least one PIM by either criterion. The Beers criteria identified PIM use in 4593 (72.48%) of patients, and 3278 (51.73%) of patients used at least one PIM according to the STOPP criteria. The most prevalent PIM according to the Beers criteria were benzodiazepines (34.40%); according to the STOPP criteria, it was calcium channel blockers with chronic constipation (18.52%). Increasing age, sex (female), the number of diagnostic diseases and the number of prescribed medications predicted PIM use by both criteria.

Conclusion

The present study showed a high frequency of PIM in China. The Beers criteria had a higher detection rate and were more sensitive for assessing PIM of older adults in China. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 1951–1958.
Determination of the Tin Stable Isotopic Composition in Tin‐bearing Metals and Minerals by MC‐ICP‐MS
Authors: Brügmann Gerhard , Berger Daniel , Pernicka Ernst
Published: February 2017

This study uses MC‐ICP‐MS for the precise analysis of the stable tin isotopic composition in ore minerals of tin (cassiterite, stannite), tin metal and tin bronze. The ultimate goal is to determine the provenance of tin in ancient metal objects. We document the isotope compositions of reference materials and compare the precision of different isotope ratios and the accuracy of different procedures of mass fractionation correction. These data represent a base with which isotopic data of future studies can be directly compared. The isotopic composition of cassiterite and stannite can be determined after reduction to tin metal and bronze, respectively. Both metals readily dissolve in HCl, but while the solutions of tin metal can be directly measured, the bronze solutions must be purified with an anion exchanger. The correction of the mass bias is best performed with an internal Sb standard and an empirical regression method. A series of Sn isotope determinations on commercially available mono‐element Sn solutions as well as reference bronze materials and tin minerals show fractionations ranging from about −0.09‰ to 0.05‰/amu. The combined analytical uncertainty (2s) was determined by replicate dissolutions of reference materials of bronze (BAM 211, IARM‐91D) and averages at about 0.005‰/amu.
Making and Unmaking the Nation in World History: Introduction
Authors: Kim Sophie‐Jung H. , McClure Alastair , McQuade Joseph
Published: February 2017

This special issue consists of six articles initially presented at a conference titled ‘(Un)Making the Nation’, held at the University of Cambridge on the 10th and 11th of September in 2015. With papers ranging across temporal, geographical and thematic boundaries, this international and interdisciplinary conference explored various new engagements with the concepts of nations and nationalism. The introduction traces the ways historians have sought to insert ‘the nation’ into their work in spite of the methodological challenges brought by the global turn. The goal is neither to bury the nation nor to resurrect it, but is rather to introduce some useful approaches through which the making and unmaking of nations in world history can be better understood. This article then concludes by offering a brief synopsis of the articles that constitute the wider issue.
Tissue‐specific expression and silencing phenotypes of mitochondrial phosphate carrier paralogues in several insect species
Authors: Sugahara R. , Jouraku A. , Nakakura T. , Minaba M. , Yamamoto T. , Shinohara Y. , Miyoshi H , Shiotsuki T.
Published: February 2017

The mitochondrial phosphate carrier gene (PiC) encodes a membrane protein that mediates the supply of inorganic phosphate from the cytosol into the mitochondrial matrix. This substrate‐specific transport system plays an important role in efficient ATP synthesis. Mammals appear to have only one PiC with two alternative splicing variants whose functional differences remain unclear. The present study is the first to characterize the multiple genes that encode PiC in insects. Bombyx mori was found to have two PiC paralogues, one ubiquitous and one testis‐specific, the latter seeming to be present only in Lepidoptera. Drosophila melanogaster was found to harbour two PiC paralogues, whereas Liriomyza chinensis, another dipteran, has three PiC paralogues. Two PiCs were found to be present in Plautia stali, and silencing either of these genes affected the normal development of P. stali nymphs, although their expression patterns differed amongst tissues. Schistocerca gregaria and Locusta migratoria have two PiC each, with different expression patterns. Tribolium castaneum was found to have only one PiC, which appears to play an essential role in larval development. Thus, although the inorganic phosphate transport system appears to be conserved across eukaryotes, PiC has become specialized in the different tissues of different insect species.
To Cue or Not to Cue: Toddlers’ Use of Beacons and Associative Cues in Object‐displacement Tasks
Authors: Mangalindan Diane Marie J. , Schmuckler Mark A.
Published: February 2017

Two experiments examined 24‐ and 30‐month‐olds' use of different forms of landmark information in an object‐displacement task involving a car rolling down a ramp whose trajectory was occluded by a screen containing doors. A pompom attached to the car, visible through a transparent window running across the screen, served as a cue for the car's location and functioned either as a beacon cue, directly guiding search to a given location, or an associative cue, indirectly marking target location. Interestingly, one way in which the cue information was modified from a beacon to an associative cue was in terms of the structure of the search apparatus, and not necessarily the cue information itself. Consistent with previous literature, 24‐month‐olds' search was significantly influenced by the shift from beacon to associative cue information, whereas 30‐month‐olds, although affected by the shift from one to the other, were less affected by this variation. These findings suggest that the cue drives attention to specific locations in space, with search behavior being more accurate when the cue directly marks the hiding location (i.e., beacon) than when the cue indirectly marks it (i.e., associative cue).
Insights into Ototoxicity
Authors: Humes H. David
Published: February 2017

The most common ototoxic compounds in clinical practice are aminoglycoside antibiotics, cisplatin, and loop diuretics (ethacrynic acid and furosemide). These agents also have substantial renal effects in the form of nephrotoxicity or diuresis. The understanding of these renal effects may provide insight into ototoxic mechanisms. For aminoglycosides, the renal proximal tubule cell is susceptible due to high concentration achieved and slow clearance with direct effects on phosphoinositide binding and mitochondrial bioenergetics. Pathogenesis appears to involve iron‐induced free‐radical formation, since iron chelators prevent nephrotoxicity. Analogous effects of aminoglycosides on the inner and outer hair cells have been observed. Cisplatin is also highly concentrated in the proximal tubule cell. Less is known about the direct toxic effects of this agent on renal cells. Insights into mechanisms on renal tubule cells could be directly relevant to the inner ear. The loop diuretics are direct ihibitors of the Na+‐K+‐2CI− cotransport system, which also exists in the marginal and dark cells of the stria vascularis, which are responsible for endolymph secretion. The ototoxicity of these agents may be indirect, due to changes in ionic composition and fluid volume within the endolymph.
Structural, electric modulus and complex impedance analysis of ZnO/TiO2 composite ceramics
Authors: Ben Belgacem Raoudha , Chaari Mariem , Braña Alejandro F. , Garcia Basilio Javier , Matoussi Adel
Published: February 2017

ZnO/TiO2 composite ceramics have been prepared by solid‐state reaction technique at 900°C. The X‐ray diffraction results revealed the formation of secondary phases referred to as spinel Zn2TiO4 and hexagonal ZnTiO3. The structural analysis showed that all the composites that have been prepared have a polycrystalline nature and a hexagonal wurtzite structure. The complex modulus (M) and electric impedance of the samples have been investigated by broadband dielectric spectroscopy in a wide range of temperature (40°C‐110°C) and frequency (0.1 Hz to 10 MHz). The modulus plots (M′′, M′) illustrate the presence of non‐Debye type of relaxations attributed to the effects of interfacial and dipolar polarizations. The real and the imaginary parts of the impedance are well fitted to equivalent circuit models. At high temperatures, Z″max varies from 0.03 × 106 to 4.9 × 106 Ω when the TiO2 doping concentration increases from 1 to 7 wt%. From the obtained results, the secondary phase ZnTiO3 plays an important role in the electrical properties.
Constitutive modeling of indentation cracking in fused silica
Authors: Bruns Sebastian , Johanns Kurt E. , Rehman Hamad U.R. , Pharr George M. , Durst Karsten
Published: February 2017

Fused silica shows three distinct regimes during nanoindentation, that is, plastic deformation, inelastic densification, and cracking. Cohesive zone FEM is used to study these regimes for different indenter geometries. In a three‐dimensional model, the median/radial cracking is considered by introducing cohesive element planes that are aligned along the indenter edges perpendicular to the indented surface. In addition to comparing indentation cracking data with experimental data, the role of densification on indentation crack growth is critically examined using a pressure independent von Mises and a pressure dependent Drucker‐Prager Cap constitutive model. The results show that the Drucker‐Prager Cap model delivers an accurate description of the elastic‐plastic deformation conditions for all examined indenter geometries. Material densification leads to shorter crack lengths and thus the approach by Lawn et al. (J Am Ceram Soc, 1980;63:574‐581) results in larger indentation‐based fracture toughness values. Once the crack was initiated its propagation is comparable for blunt indenter geometries (Berkovich), while densification leads to a slower crack propagation for sharper indenter geometries.
The concept of crosstalk‐directed embryological target mining and its application to essential hypertension treatment failures
Authors: Sag Alan Alper , Sal Oguzhan , Kilic Yagmur , Onal Emine Meltem , Kanbay Mehmet
Published: February 2017

This review aims to introduce the novel concept of embryological target mining applied to interorgan crosstalk network genesis, and applies embryological target mining to multidrug‐resistant essential hypertension (a prototype, complex, undertreated, multiorgan systemic syndrome) to uncover new treatment targets and critique why existing strategies fail. Briefly, interorgan crosstalk pathways represent the next frontier for target mining in molecular medicine. This is because stereotyped stepwise organogenesis presents a unique opportunity to infer interorgan crosstalk pathways that may be crucial to discovering novel treatment targets. Insights gained from this review will be applied to patient management in a clinician‐directed fashion.
Advanced glycation end products regulate anabolic and catabolic activities via NLRP3‐inflammasome activation in human nucleus pulposus cells
Authors: Song Yu , Wang Yan , Zhang Yukun , Geng Wen , Liu Wei , Gao Yong , Li Shuai , Wang Kun , Wu Xinghuo , Kang Liang , Yang Cao
Published: February 2017

Intervertebral disc degeneration is widely recognized as a cause of lower back pain, neurological dysfunction and other musculoskeletal disorders. The major inflammatory cytokine IL‐1β is associated with intervertebral disc degeneration; however, the molecular mechanisms that drive IL‐1β production in the intervertebral disc, especially in nucleus pulposus (NP) cells, are unknown. In some tissues, advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which accumulate in NP tissues and promote its degeneration, increase oxidative stress and IL‐1β secretion, resulting in disorders, such as obesity, diabetes mellitus and ageing. It remains unclear whether AGEs exhibit similar effects in NP cells. In this study, we observed significant activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in NP tissues obtained from patients with degenerative disc disease compared to that with idiopathic scoliosis according to results detected by Western blot and immunofluorescence. Using NP cells established from healthy tissues, our in vitro study revealed that AGEs induced an inflammatory response in NP cells and a degenerative phenotype in a NLRP3‐inflammasome‐dependent manner related to the receptor for AGEs (RAGE)/NF‐κB pathway and mitochondrial damage induced by mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS) generation, mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) activation and calcium mobilization. Among these signals, both RAGE and mitochondrial damage primed NLRP3 and pro‐IL‐1β activation as upstream signals of NF‐κB activity, whereas mitochondrial damage was critical for the assembly of inflammasome components. These results revealed that accumulation of AGEs in NP tissue may initiate inflammation‐related degeneration of the intervertebral disc via activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome.
Bold and newly Independent, or Isolated and Cast Adrift? The Implications of Brexit for Intellectual Property Law and Policy
Authors: Farrand Benjamin
Published: February 2017

What happens when a breakdown in relations results in mutually possessed objectives becoming harder to achieve? This article explores the consequences of the UK's withdrawal from the EU for intellectual property (IP) law and policy. Compared with other fields such as Economic and Monetary Union and the development of the EU's ‘social chapter’, the UK has been a supportive and proactive player in internal market integration, particularly pertaining to IP protection. As a result of ‘Brexit’, the EU may find that the impetus for further harmonization and integration in this field is lost, such as with the EU unitary patent. However, the consequences for the UK are likely to be more severe – a loss of influence, both over laws that govern it and in exporting IP norms internationally, as well as a loss of access to certain protections, agencies and market sectors that are within the UK's economic interests.
The complex case of Ceratitis cosyra (Diptera: Tephritidae) and relatives. A DNA barcoding perspective
Authors: Virgilio M. , Manrakhan A. , Delatte H. , Daneel J‐H. , Mwatawala M. W. , Meganck K. , Barr N. B. , De Meyer M.
Published: February 2017

The mango fruit fly, Ceratitis (Ceratalaspis) cosyra, is a major agricultural pest affecting mango production in sub‐Saharan Africa. Morphological differences between C. cosyra and five closely related Ceratitis (Ceratalaspis) species (C. discussa, C. pallidula, C. quinaria, C. silvestrii, C. striatella) are subtle, so that their identification often requires specialized expertise. A previous study based on nuclear molecular markers (microsatellites) showed cryptic genetic variation within C. cosyra with separate microsatellite genotypic clusters also occurring in sympatry. This study aimed at verifying whether DNA barcoding can (a) separate C. cosyra from morphologically similar Ceratitis (Ceratalaspis) species and (b) resolve the cryptic genetic variation previously observed within C. cosyra. A subset of 62 C. cosyra specimens previously genotyped at 16 microsatellite loci was subjected to DNA barcoding. This data set was integrated with 130 DNA barcodes of C. cosyra, C. discussa, C. quinaria, C. silvestrii and C. striatella. Neighbor Joining, maximum likelihood and Bayesian tree reconstructions confirmed the presence of two main C. cosyra genotypic groups and resolved well‐supported groups corresponding to C. discussa, C. pallidula, C. striatella and to C. quinaria/C. silvestrii. The analysis of morphological characters did not show consistent morphological differences between the two groups of C. cosyra and called into question the morphological characters currently implemented in the identification of C. striatella. These results further support the hypothesis of cryptic speciation within the mango fruit fly and suggest that DNA barcoding represents a suitable complementary tool for the problematic diagnosis of C. cosyra and C. striatella.
Temporal order judgements as a sensitive measure of the spatial bias in patients with visuospatial neglect
Authors: Van der Stigchel Stefan , Nijboer Tanja C. W.
Published: February 2017

Visuospatial neglect is not a unitary phenomenon, but can be better considered a syndrome, consisting of a multitude of different spatial and non‐spatial components. In this study, we used a temporal order judgement (TOJ) test in a large sample of stroke patients (n = 73) to scrutinize the contribution of a spatial bias to the performance on shape cancellation and line bisection tests. In the TOJ test, patients were presented with two elements, one in each visual field, after which the one needed to indicate which of the two elements was presented earlier. For each visual field, the presentation of the stimuli was determined by a staircase procedure where the interval between the two stimuli was determined by the performance of the patient. Results indicated that the strength of the spatial bias was strongly correlated with an object cancellation test, but not with a line bisection test. We argue that these findings are explained by differences in the extent to which a spatial bias determines performance on both tasks: In contrast to shape cancellation tests, successful performance on line bisection tests depends primarily on an object‐based, allocentric representation of space, unrelated to any spatial bias in the detection of elements in the contralesional visual field.
Horizontal Product Differentiation: Disclosure and Competition
Authors: Janssen Maarten C.W. , Teteryatnikova Mariya
Published: February 2017

This paper studies firms' incentives to disclose horizontal product attributes in a competitive environment. With competition, two elements play an important role: whether (i) firms can disclose only their own product characteristics or also those of their competitors, and whether (ii) competitors can react with their pricing decisions to the type of information disclosed. In all possible cases, full revelation is an equilibrium outcome. More importantly, it is generically the unique equilibrium outcome when (i) advertising is comparative and (ii) prices are also advertised, that is, announced simultaneously with the product information. When advertising is noncomparative or prices are not advertised, many nondisclosure equilibria exist.
Cinematic Explosion: New Products, Unpredictabilty and Realized Quality in the Digital Era
Authors: Waldfogel Joel
Published: February 2017

While file sharing has undermined firms’ ability to generate revenue for their products, other technological change has reduced entry barriers in cultural industries, with substantial positive impacts on the availability of new books and recorded music. Unpredictability of product quality is a generic feature of cultural goods, including music, books and movies, so an infusion of new products holds the possibility of bringing not just low‐appeal products but also new products that consumers find highly appealing. This paper explores the effects of reduced costs of production, promotion and distribution in the motion picture industry, asking four questions. First, we document substantial growth in the number of movies brought to market, particularly since the early 2000's. Second, we document growth in institutions by which consumers can discover new movies, many of which are produced outside of the major studios and not released in theaters. Third, we show that the new independent movies account for a growing share of commercially successful movies. Finally, we present evidence, based on both critical assessments and usage, that recent vintages are more appealing to consumers than earlier offerings. These findings on movies echo developments documented elsewhere for recorded music and books.
Production Theory: Accounting for Firm Heterogeneity and Technical Change
Authors: Dosi Giovanni , Grazzi Marco , Marengo Luigi , Settepanella Simona
Published: February 2017

The paper presents a new framework to assess firm level heterogeneity and to study the rate and direction of technical change. Building on the analysis of revealed short‐run production functions by Hildenbrand (), we propose the (normalized) volume of the zonotope composed by vectors‐firms as indicator of inter‐firm heterogeneity. Moreover, the angles that the zonotope's main diagonal form with the axes provide a measure of the rates and directions of productivity change. The proposed framework also accounts for n‐inputs and m‐outputs and, crucially, the measures of heterogeneity and technical change do not require many of the standard assumptions from production theory.
Pass‐Through and the Prediction of Merger Price Effects
Authors: Miller Nathan H. , Remer Marc , Ryan Conor , Sheu Gloria
Published: February 2017

We use Monte Carlo experiments to study how pass‐through can improve merger price predictions, focusing on the first order approximation (FOA) proposed in Jaffe and Weyl []. FOA addresses the functional form misspecification that can exist in standard merger simulations. We find that the predictions of FOA are tightly distributed around the true price effects if pass‐through is precise, but that measurement error in pass‐through diminishes accuracy. As a comparison to FOA, we also study a methodology that uses pass‐through to select among functional forms for use in simulation. This alternative also increases accuracy relative to standard merger simulation and proves more robust to measurement error.
Identification and aggressiveness of four isolates of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense from Latundan banana in Brazil
Authors: Araújo Neilton Antonio Fiusa , Pasqual Moacir , Pio Leila Aparecida Salles , Alves Eduardo , de Matos Moura Nevenka , Costa Sarah da Silva
Published: February 2017

Members of Fusarium oxysporum species complex (FOSC) have been extensively studied because it causes many crop diseases and losses. This complex has more than 150 putatively plant host‐specific formae speciales such as F. oxysporum f.sp. cubense (Foc), the aetiological agent of Fusarium wilt of banana, Panama disease. The objective of this study was to characterize isolates obtained from rhizomes of the latundan (apple) variety of banana showing symptoms of Panama disease using morphological markers, phylogenetic analyses of the TEF‐1α and pathogenicity tests. Isolates were harvested from the states of Minas Gerais (Foc GO2), Goiás (Foc GO1 and Foc GO2A) and Bahia (Foc 807). Morphological markers of isolates observed are in accordance with the original descriptions of the F. oxysporum. Foc isolates grouped into two different lineages, and one of these is a lineage not yet recorded. Aggressiveness was assessed by a rating scale of the symptoms displayed in the shoot, rhizome and conducting vessels in latundan banana trees. The results indicated that all isolates belong to F. oxysporum f.sp. cubense, race 1. Isolate Foc GO2A proved to be more aggressive than the others. The results generated in this study contribute to knowledge of lineages diversity within Foc.
Outcome and prognostic factors following curative‐intent surgery for oral tumours in dogs: 234 cases (2004 to 2014)
Authors: Sarowitz B. N. , Davis G. J. , Kim S.
Published: February 2017

Objectives

To describe the long‐term outcomes and prognostic factors associated with curative‐intent surgery for oral tumours in a large series of dogs.

Methods

Retrospective review of records for dogs with oral tumours treated with curative‐intent surgery. Data collected included signalment, weight, surgical procedure, lymph node staging results, computed tomography results, tumour size, histopathology results including margin evaluation, complications, adjunctive therapies, local recurrence or metastasis, date and cause of death and owner satisfaction.

Results

Median cause‐specific survival was shortest for malignant melanoma (206 days) and osteosarcoma (209 days). Local recurrence rate was highest for fibrosarcoma (54·2%) and distant metastatic rate was highest for malignant melanoma (30%). Curative‐intent surgery resulted in complete surgical margins in 85·2% of cases.

Clinical Significance

Results suggest tumour type, completeness of excision, tumour size, and age may affect disease‐free interval and cause‐specific survival. Fibrosarcoma had a higher risk of recurrence compared to other tumour types.
Recurrent Obstructive Fibrinous Tracheal Pseudomembranes in a Young English Bulldog
Authors: Robin E. , Guieu L.V. , Le Boedec K.
Published: February 2017

Endotracheal intubation is a common procedure, rarely associated with life‐threatening complications (e.g., tracheal rupture, necrosis, foreign body). A 1.5‐year‐old English Bulldog was presented for respiratory distress, with increased respiratory efforts and stridor, 2 days after endotracheal intubation. Cervical and thoracic radiographs disclosed a severe narrowing of the tracheal lumen associated with an intraluminal soft‐tissue structure at the thoracic inlet. Tracheoscopy confirmed the presence of an obstructive fibrinous tracheal pseudomembrane (OFTP) creating a 1‐way valve obstruction. Removal of the OFTP dramatically improved the dog's respiratory function, but the lesion reformed twice despite corticosteroid and antibiotic therapy PO, warranting repeated endoscopic removal of the OFTP. No additional recurrences were observed after treatment with inhaled heparin and N‐acetylcysteine q4h. No respiratory signs were reported 9 months after discharge. Postintubation OFTP has been reported rarely in humans and never described in dogs. Unexplained signs of upper airway obstruction shortly after endotracheal intubation should prompt consideration of OFTP in dogs, even if intubation was uneventful. Unlike its counterpart in humans, OFTP in dogs can reoccur after endoscopic removal, warranting repeated endoscopic extraction. A combination of corticosteroid therapy PO and heparin and N‐acetylcysteine inhalation q4h may be attempted if recurrence is observed.
Multiscale assessment of woody species recruitment in Mediterranean shrublands: facilitation and beyond
Authors: Andivia Enrique , Villar‐Salvador Pedro , Tovar Liliana , Rabasa Sonia , Rey Benayas José M.
Published: February 2017

Aim

Forest recovery in Mediterranean environments is influenced by factors such as aridity, herbivory and facilitation by shrubs, as well as by seed limitation in the case of highly fragmented forests. How these various factors interact can determine the direction of secondary succession, yet these interactions are poorly understood. We assessed the relative importance of several factors in forest species recruitment in Retama sphaerocarpa (L.) Boiss (Retama) shrublands at different spatial scales.

Location

Centre of the Iberian Peninsula.

Methods

We surveyed mid‐ and late successional woody species common in Holm oak forests in 29 Retama shrublands that are distributed along an environmental gradient of increasing aridity and herbivory (regional scale) and are located at various distances from forest patches of different sizes (landscape and local scale). In each Retama shrubland, we analysed the effects of microhabitat (under Retama canopy vs open gaps), aridity, presence of nurse shrubs, herbivory, based on the density of pellet droppings, and propagule pressure, measured as the ratio between the size of forest patches acting as seed sources and their distance to Retama shrubs.

Results

Quercus ilex, Asparagus acutifolius and Juniperus oxycedrus were the mid‐ and late successional woody species most recruited in Retama shrublands. Their frequency, which increased with precipitation, was higher under Retama canopy than in gaps. Differences in Q. ilex recruitment between Retama canopy or gaps increased with rainfall, suggesting a decrease in Retama facilitation effectiveness with increasing aridity. Frequency of recruited oaks increased with the total area of woodland remnants located at <0.5 km, yet propagule pressure did not modulate the positive effect of Retama and rainfall on recruitment. Forest patches at distances >0.5 km did not contribute to recruitment.

Conclusions

Presence of the shrub R. sphaerocarpa and dispersal‐related processes at local scale are main determinants of the colonization of shrublands by late successional woody species. Preserving Retama shrublands and Q. ilex woodland remnants is therefore crucial for extensive passive restoration of Mediterranean oak forests. However, facilitation by Retama is much weaker when both aridity and herbivory are high, regardless of seed source availability.
Language change and network games
Authors: Mühlenbernd Roland , Quinley Jason
Published: February 2017

Studies of language change and variation in sociolinguistics investigate the correlations between social variables and phenomena like vernacular speech norms, code switching, and dialect continua. In multiple studies, researchers claim one variable as (a) particularly decisive and correlative for a number of phenomena and (b) almost universally applicable: the social network structure (Milroy, ). This article summarizes previous work incorporating network theory in questions of language change and discusses a practice noticeably absent from classical sociolinguistics: the simulation of language change. In  simulation experiments, sociolinguistic theories of language change – especially those employing social network structure – can be tested in a virtual society free from the hindrance of data sparseness. In this context, the model of game theory can be utilized to construct individuals' interaction for more robust and feasible results.
Urethral Sphincter Injection of Botulinum Toxin A: A Review of Its Application and Outcomes
Authors: SETH Jai , RINTOUL‐HOAD Sophie , SAHAI Arun
Published: February 2017

The first reported application of Botulinum toxin‐A (BTX‐A) into the urethral sphincter predates the first documented use in the bladder. The aim of this review is to describe the clinical indications of BTX‐A injection into the urethral sphincter and its clinical efficacy. This review of the literature includes the larger more significant published studies that have reported on this use of BTX‐A. Case reports and articles not published in English were excluded. There have been many published clinical studies describing the use of BTX‐A in the urethral sphincter, four of which are randomized placebo controlled trials. These studies tend to include patients either in urinary retention or with obstructed voiding, both in the neuropathic and non‐neuropathic populations. Studies tend to demonstrate improvements in urodynamic parameters and quality of life after injection. There have been many small clinical studies in this area, however larger placebo‐controlled trials are needed to evaluate this treatment at higher levels of evidence.
Would mobile health be a solution to rehospitalization?
Authors: Tao Hong , McRoy Susan , Wang Lin
Published: February 2017

It has been well‐established that social environmental factors can increase the risk of rehospitalization for people receiving home healthcare services. For caregivers who might be challenged to keep up with sometimes unfamiliar health monitoring tasks or to know when to seek help, mobile health technology offers the potential to enhance the skills of informal caregivers and to improve the communication between home and clinical care. This paper described our recent work to determine the usability, functionality, and style of interaction that would be needed to provide an effective and well‐accepted tool. Caregivers would likely adopt new mobile health tools, as long as care is taken to eliminate potential barriers, for example, by providing adequate training, and to include design aspects that enhance one's motivation to use a tool, such as by supporting autonomy and engagement.
Macroevolutionary patterns in Rhynchocephalia: is the tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus) a living fossil?
Authors: Herrera‐Flores Jorge A. , Stubbs Thomas L. , Benton Michael J.
Published: February 2017

The tuatara, Sphenodon punctatus, known from 32 small islands around New Zealand, has often been noted as a classic ‘living fossil’ because of its apparently close resemblance to its Mesozoic forebears and because of a long, low‐diversity history. This designation has been disputed because of the wide diversity of Mesozoic forms and because of derived adaptations in living Sphenodon. We provide a testable definition for ‘living fossils’ based on a slow rate of lineage evolution and a morphology close to the centroid of clade morphospace. We show that through their history since the Triassic, rhynchocephalians had heterogeneous rates of morphological evolution and occupied wide morphospaces during the Triassic and Jurassic, and these then declined in the Cretaceous. In particular, we demonstrate that the extant tuatara underwent unusually slow lineage evolution, and is morphologically conservative, being located near the centre of the morphospace for all Rhynchocephalia.
Methylene Blue for the Treatment of Intractable Pain Associated with Oral Mucositis
Authors: Roldan Carlos J. , Nouri Kent , Chai Thomas , Huh Billy
Published: February 2017

Oral mucositis is a common and often debilitating complication among cancer patients receiving radiation therapy to the head and neck or chemotherapy agents, or undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Pain and decreased oral function associated with oral mucositis may persist long after the conclusion of therapy. Although most patients respond to conservative management, a subset of patients develops intractable pain with severe consequences. For some, the use of total parenteral nutrition with insertion of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy feeding tubes is the only alternative. Current recommendations to treat mucositis and its related pain include basic oral care, bland oral rinses, topical anesthetics, and systemic analgesics. We believe that chemical neurolysis of the affected areas with methylene blue used as an oral rinse is a noninvasive, efficient, safe, and cost‐effective alternative that can provide prolonged analgesia in patients with intractable pain of oral mucositis. The benefits of this therapy are reflected in its improvement of patients’ quality of life by enabling oral feeding and controlling pain. We report a series of 5 consecutive patients with intractable oral mucositis‐related pain despite conventional treatment with systemic opiates. All 5 patients responded well to the use of 0.05% methylene blue as mouth rinse, demonstrating sustained analgesia over 3 weeks. The treatment was tolerated well, and overall patient satisfaction was very high. We also observed that methylene blue rinse significantly reduced the total opioid requirement, as demonstrated by reductions in the patients’ morphine equivalent daily dose scores after its use. Our case series suggests that 0.5% methylene blue oral rinse therapy is an effective and inexpensive modality that can be used safely to palliate intractable oral pain in patients with mucositis associated with cancer treatment. To our knowledge, this is the first report using this therapy to treat pain from oral mucositis.
Retracted: The Effect of Peripheral Neuromodulation on Pain from the Sacroiliac Joint: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Goroszeniuk Teodor , Shetty Ashish , Munglani Rajesh , Hegarty Dominic , Bhaskar Arun
Published: February 2017

The above article, first published online on 13 April 2017 in Wiley Online Library (www.onlinelibrary.wiley.com) has been retracted by agreement between the authors, the Editor‐in‐Chief, E.A. Joosten, and Wiley Periodicals, Inc. The retraction has been agreed at the request of the authors, who advised that it has been brought to their attention that some of the long‐term outcome data set may no longer be easily and independently verifiable. The Editor‐in‐Chief, therefore, has made the decision to retract the article based on the information as specified in the authors’ request attributable to honest error on behalf of the authors.

References

1 Goroszeniuk T, Shetty A, Munglani R, Hegarty D, Bhaskar A. . Pain Pract. 2017. https://doi.org/10.1111/papr.12567.
Assessing the morphological and physiological adaptations of the parasitoid wasp Echthrodesis lamorali for survival in an intertidal environment
Authors: Owen Candice A. , Coetzee Julie A. , van Noort Simon , Austin Andrew D.
Published: February 2017

As a result of a variety of chemical, environmental, mechanical and physiological difficulties, insects that spend their entire life spans in the marine or intertidal region are relatively rare. The present study assesses whether morphological and physiological adaptations have evolved in a maritime parasitoid wasp species Echthrodesis lamorali Masner, 1968 (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae, Scelioninae), in response to environmental pressures on its respiratory functioning. Scanning electron and light microscopy of whole and sectioned specimens show the presence of structure‐retaining taenidia in the tracheal tubes, although there is an absence of other major adaptations associated with the trachea or spiracles. Histological sectioning reveals the presence of unusual sacs in the female metasoma whose role is unknown, although they are hypothesized to most likely be linked to ovipositor control. Respirometry experiments illustrate the formation of a plastron when submerged, with the longevity of the wasps being increased by quiescence. The critical thermal range of E. lamorali is shown to be large: from −1.1 °C ± 0.16 to 45.7 °C ± 0.26 (mean ± SE). Behavioural and physiological adaptations in E. lamorali appear to have evolved in response to exposure to the heterogeneous environmental conditions experienced within the intertidal zone.
Developing Knowledge States: Technology and the Enhancement of National Statistical Capacity
Authors: Anderson Derrick M. , Whitford Andrew B.
Published: February 2017

National statistical systems are enterprises tasked with collecting, validating, and reporting societal attributes. These data serve many purposes—they allow governments to improve services, economic actors to traverse markets, and academics to assess social theories. National statistical systems vary in quality, especially in developing countries. This study examines determinants of national statistical capacity in developing countries, focusing on the impact of technological attainment. Just as technological progress helps to explain differences in economic growth, we argue that states with greater technological attainment have greater capacity for gathering and processing quality data. Analysis using panel methods shows a strong, statistically significant positive linear relationship between technological attainment and national statistical capacity.
Predictors of Readiness for Hospital Discharge After Birth: Building Evidence for Practice
Authors: Malagon‐Maldonado Gabriella , Connelly Cynthia D. , Bush Ruth A.
Published: February 2017

Background

Preparation for hospital discharge after birth became a global concern when hospitals in many developing countries began implementing shorter lengths of stay for uncomplicated deliveries. A mother's perceived readiness for hospital discharge may be influenced by many factors that can ultimately shape postdischarge outcomes.

Aims

The purpose of this study was to explore the antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum predictors of discharge readiness, including nursing educational practices that are predictive of postpartum mothers’ perceptions of readiness for hospital discharge.

Methods

The Adaptation to Transitions conceptual framework guided the descriptive correlational study design and measures. A purposive sample of 185 English‐ and Spanish‐speaking postpartum mothers who experienced an uneventful vaginal or cesarean birth of a healthy infant completed demographic, quality of discharge teaching, and readiness for hospital discharge questionnaires prior to discharge.

Results

Mothers with three or more children, delivery mode, bottle‐feeding, the delivery of education, and the difference between educational content received and needed, were significant predictors that accounted for 42% of the variance in readiness for hospital discharge (R2 = 0.42, F[10,174] = 14.52, p < .001). Nurses’ skill in teaching and educational content received were significant predictors even with parity, feeding, and delivery mode in the model.

Linking Evidence to Action

The relationship between quality of discharge teaching and discharge readiness provides evidence of the critical role nurses have in the discharge preparation process. Nurse education programs and evidence‐based guidelines should be designed to enhance patient education focused on the adequacy and delivery of teaching content.
Classroom Management in Pre-service Teachers’ Teaching Practice Demo Lessons: A Comparison to Actual Lessons by In-service English Teachers
Authors: Korkut Perihan
Published: February 2017

The pre-service teachers find the chance to practice their classroom management skills during their practicum as they present demo lessons under supervision of their university instructors and mentor teachers. It had been discovered in a previous study, however, that the interactional features during the classroom management episodes in pre-service teachers’ demo lessons were different from those in the lessons of the in-service teachers. The aim of this study was to unveil how pre-service teachers manage their classes differently from in-service teachers by carrying out a fine-grained comparison. The point-by-point comparison revealed both qualitative and quantitative differences which might not be immediately obvious to an observer at first sight. The differences were discussed in terms of the specific procedures of the teaching practice course and some suggestions were presented.
Gas-phase diagnostics during H2 and H2O plasma treatment of SnO2 nanomaterials: Implications for surface modification
Authors: Stuckert Erin P. , Miller Christopher J. , Fisher Ellen R.
Published: February 2017

Although H2O plasmas are commonly used to enhance the surface oxygen content of various materials, our prior study found that H2O plasma modification of SnO2 nanomaterials resulted in reduction of Sn+4 to Sn0. To further explore this phenomenon and develop a deeper understanding of the mechanism for this behavior, gas-phase species were detected via optical emission spectroscopy during H2O plasma processing (nominally an oxidizing environment), both with and without SnO2 substrates in the reactor. Gas-phase species were also detected in the reducing environment of H2 plasmas, which provided a comparative system without oxygen. Sn* and OH* appear in the gas phase in both plasma systems when SnO2 nanowire or nanoparticle substrates are present, indicative of SnO2 etching. Furthermore, H2 and H2O plasmas reduced the Sn in both nanomaterial morphologies. Differences in H* and OH* emission intensities as a function of plasma parameters show that plasma species interact differently with the two SnO2 morphologies. The H2O plasma gas-phase studies found that under most plasma parameters, the ratio of reducing to oxidizing gas-phase species was ≥1, indicating a reducing environment rather than an oxidizing environment.
A model for the rapid assessment of the impact of aviation noise near airports
Authors: Torija Antonio J. , Self Rod H. , Flindell Ian H.
Published: February 2017

This paper introduces a simplified model [Rapid Aviation Noise Evaluator (RANE)] for the calculation of aviation noise within the context of multi-disciplinary strategic environmental assessment where input data are both limited and constrained by compatibility requirements against other disciplines. RANE relies upon the concept of noise cylinders around defined flight-tracks with the Noise Radius determined from publicly available Noise-Power-Distance curves rather than the computationally intensive multiple point-to-point grid calculation with subsequent ISO-contour interpolation methods adopted in the FAA's Integrated Noise Model (INM) and similar models. Preliminary results indicate that for simple single runway scenarios, changes in airport noise contour areas can be estimated with minimal uncertainty compared against grid-point calculation methods such as INM. In situations where such outputs are all that is required for preliminary strategic environmental assessment, there are considerable benefits in reduced input data and computation requirements. Further development of the noise-cylinder-based model (such as the incorporation of lateral attenuation, engine-installation-effects or horizontal track dispersion via the assumption of more complex noise surfaces formed around the flight-track) will allow for more complex assessment to be carried out. RANE is intended to be incorporated into technology evaluators for the noise impact assessment of novel aircraft concepts.
Antimicrobials from human skin commensal bacteria protect against
Staphylococcus aureus
and are deficient in atopic dermatitis
Authors: Nakatsuji Teruaki , Chen Tiffany H. , Narala Saisindhu , Chun Kimberly A. , Two Aimee M. , Yun Tong , Shafiq Faiza , Kotol Paul F. , Bouslimani Amina , Melnik Alexey V. , Latif Haythem , Kim Ji-Nu , Lockhart Alexandre , Artis Keli , David Gloria , Taylor Patricia , Streib Joanne , Dorrestein Pieter C. , Grier Alex , Gill Steven R. , Zengler Karsten , Hata Tissa R. , Leung Donald Y. M. , Gallo Richard L.
Published: February 2017

Commensal skin bacteria produce previously unknown antimicrobial peptides that can inhibit
Staphylococcus aureus
colonization of atopic dermatitis subjects.
New near-infrared dyes light up deep tissue imaging
Authors: Evans Conor L.
Published: February 2017

A newly synthesized class of near-infrared dyes offers strong absorption and efficient fluorescent emission for deep-tissue molecular imaging applications.