bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Growth responses to soil water potential indirectly shape local species distributions of tropical forest seedlings
Authors: Kupers Stefan J. , Engelbrecht Bettina M. J. , Hernández Andrés , Wright S. Joseph , Wirth Christian , Rüger Nadja
Published: November 2018

Local tree species distributions in tropical forests correlate strongly with soil water availability. However, it is unclear how species distributions are shaped by demographic responses to soil water availability. Specifically, it remains unknown how growth affects species distributions along water availability gradients relative to mortality.

We quantified spatial variation in dry season soil water potential (SWP) in the moist tropical forest on Barro Colorado Island, Panama, and used a hierarchical Bayesian approach to evaluate relationships between demographic responses of naturally regenerating seedlings to SWP (RGRs and first‐year mortality) and species distributions along the SWP gradient for 62 species. We also tested whether species that were more abundant at the wet or dry end of the gradient performed better (a) at their “home end” of the gradient (“best at home” hypothesis) and (b) “at home” compared to co‐occurring species (“home advantage” hypothesis).

Four and five species responded significantly to SWP in terms of growth or mortality respectively. Growth (but not mortality) responses were positively related to species distributions along the SWP gradient; species with a more positive (negative) growth response to SWP were more abundant at higher (lower) SWP, that is, at wetter (drier) sites. In addition, wet distributed species grew faster on the wet end of the SWP gradient than on the dry end (“best at home”) and grew faster on the wet end than dry distributed species (“home advantage”). Mortality rates declined with seedling size for all species. Thus, seedling growth responses to SWP indirectly shaped local species distributions by influencing seedling size and thereby mortality risk.

Synthesis. By demonstrating how growth responses to spatial variation in soil water availability affect species distributions, we identified a demographic process underlying niche differentiation on hydrological gradients in tropical forests. Recognizing the role of these growth responses in shaping species distributions should improve the understanding of tropical forest composition and diversity along rainfall gradients and with climate change.
Greening Displacements, Displacing Green: Environmental Subjectivity, Slum Clearance, and the Embodied Political Ecologies of Dispossession in Mumbai
Authors: Doshi Sapana
Published: November 2018

In Indian cities, informal ‘slum’ settlements have long been targeted for removal as an environmental improvement strategy, despite their relatively low impact. Slum clearance has escalated with the combination of speculative development and environmental change, creating uneven precarity throughout Mumbai's neighborhoods. State agents play a direct role in slum evictions, but they do not act unilaterally. Diverse lower‐income and middle‐class residents seeking better living conditions have sometimes converged in their embrace of slum clearances and resettlements that advance elite development interests. In other moments, the dispossessing effects of market‐based and elite‐biased slum rehabilitation have fomented contestation. This article analyzes how differently situated groups emerge as ‘environmental subjects’ that embrace or contest improvement projects. It suggests three dimensions of subject formation: governing logics and discourses of urban environmental improvement, the territorial politics of informality, and differentiated embodied experiences of precarity and dispossession. Environmental subject formation is explored through two interventions that entail slum clearance—mangrove and green space conservation and an urban transport infrastructure project. Findings suggest that the connection between displacement and improvement cannot be explained through theories of environmental gentrification but require attention to the simultaneously inclusive and dispossessing regimes of postcolonial development.
Malpresentation in low‐ and middle‐income countries: Associations with perinatal and maternal outcomes in the Global Network
Authors: Duffy Cassandra R. , Moore Janet L. , Saleem Sarah , Tshefu Antoinette , Bose Carl L. , Chomba Elwyn , Carlo Waldemar A. , Garces Ana L. , Krebs Nancy F. , Hambidge K. Michael , Goudar Shivaprasad S. , Derman Richard J. , Patel Archana , Hibberd Patricia L. , Esamai Fabian , Liechty Edward A. , Wallace Dennis D. , McClure Elizabeth M. , Goldenberg Robert L. ,   the NICHD Global Network for Women's and Children's Health Research
Published: November 2018

Introduction

Uncertainty exists regarding the impact of malpresentation on pregnancy outcomes and the optimal mode of delivery in low‐ and middle‐income countries. We sought to compare outcomes between cephalic and non‐cephalic pregnancies.

Material and methods

Using the NICHD Global Network's prospective, population‐based registry of pregnancy outcomes from 2010 to 2016, we studied outcomes in 436 112 singleton pregnancies. Robust Poisson regressions were used to estimate the risk of adverse outcomes associated with malpresentation. We examined rates of cesarean delivery for malpresentation and compared outcomes between cesarean and vaginal delivery by region.

Results

Across all regions, stillbirth and neonatal mortality rates were higher among deliveries with malpresentation. In adjusted analysis, malpresentation was significantly associated with stillbirth (adjusted relative risk [aRR] 4.0, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.7‐4.5) and neonatal mortality (aRR 2.3, 95% CI 2.1‐2.6). Women with deliveries complicated by malpresentation had higher rates of morbidity and mortality. Rates of cesarean delivery for malpresentation ranged from 27% to 87% among regions. Compared with cesarean delivery, vaginal delivery for malpresentation was associated with increased maternal risk, especially postpartum hemorrhage (aRR 5.0, 95% CI; 3.6‐7.1).

Conclusions

In a cohort of deliveries in low‐ and middle‐income countries, malpresentation was associated with increased perinatal and maternal risk. Further research is needed to determine the best management of these pregnancies.
Associations of cytokine concentrations in aqueous humour with retinal vascular abnormalities and exudation in Coats’ disease
Authors: Zhang Juan , Jiang Chen , Ruan Lu , Huang Xin
Published: November 2018

Purpose

To investigate the associations of cytokine concentrations in aqueous humour with the severity of retinal vascular abnormalities, exudation and fibrosis in patients with Coats’ disease.

Methods

Aqueous humour samples were collected in 23 paediatric patients (23 eyes) with Coats’ disease and six age‐matched control patients (six eyes) with congenital cataract in this cross‐sectional, case–control study. Through Cytometric Bead Array technology, six angiogenic, inflammatory and fibrotic cytokines were measured for their concentrations in aqueous humour. Ophthalmologic characteristics including retinal vessel abnormalities, exudation and fibrosis of Coats’ disease were also clinically evaluated for analysis.

Results

The aqueous levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) (p = 0.006) and monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 (MCP‐1) (p < 0.001) were significantly higher in the Coats’ disease group than in the control group. The concentrations of angiogenin were peaked in eyes with first‐grade vessels tortuosity (p < 0.001), and also positively correlated with the severity of retinal capillary abnormalities (r = 0.910, p < 0.001). The concentrations of MCP‐1 (r = 0.966, p < 0.001) and VEGF (r = 0. 765, p = 0.002) were significantly correlated with the extent of retinal exudation. The aqueous humour transforming growth factor‐β (TGFβ) concentrations were higher in eyes with retinal fibrosis than in non‐fibrotic eyes with Coats’ disease (p = 0.004).

Conclusion

In Coats’ disease, angiogenin may act as a potential biomarker for retinal vascular abnormalities. The concentrations of VEGF and MCP‐1 may positively correlate with the severity of retinal exudation.
Energy efficient physiologic coupling of gait and respiration is altered in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Yentes Jennifer M. , Denton William , Samson Kaeli , Schmid Kendra K. , Wiens Casey , Rennard Stephen I.
Published: November 2018

Aims

Coupling between walking and breathing in humans is well established. In healthy systems, the ability to couple and uncouple leads to energy economization. It is unknown if physiologic efficiency is susceptible to alteration, particularly in individuals with airflow obstruction. The aim of this research was to determine if coupling was compromised in a disease characterized by abnormal airflow and dyspnoea, and if this was associated with reduced energy efficiency.

Methods

As a model of airflow obstruction, 17 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients and 23 control subjects were included and walked on a treadmill for 6 minutes at three speeds (preferred speed and ±20% preferred speed) while energy expenditure, breathing, and walking were recorded. Rating of perceived exertion was recorded at the end of each walking trial. The most commonly used frequency ratio (ie, strides:breath) and cross recurrence quantification analysis were used to quantify coupling. Linear regression models were used to determine associations.

Results

Less complex frequency ratios, simpler ratios, (ie, 1:1 and 3:2) accompanied with stronger coupling were moderately associated with increased energy expenditure in COPD subjects. This was found for all three speeds.

Conclusion

The novel finding was that increased energy expenditure was associated with stronger and less complex coupling. Increased effort is needed when utilizing a frequency ratio of 1:1 or 3:2. The more stable the coupling, the more effort it takes to walk. In contrast to the complex energy efficient coupling of controls, those with airflow obstruction manifested simpler and stronger coupling associated with reduced energy efficiency.
Values at Work: The Impact of Personal Values in Organisations
Authors: Arieli Sharon , Sagiv Lilach , Roccas Sonia
Published: November 2018

This paper reviews and integrates past research on personal values in work organisations, seeking to portray the role personal values play in shaping the choices and behaviour of individuals in work settings. We start by addressing the role of values in the occupational choice people make. We then review research on the relationships of personal values to a variety of behaviours at work. We continue with discussing the multiple paths through which managers’ values affect organisations and their members. In the last section, we address the interplay between organisational levels, and discuss the congruency between personal and organisational values and its implications for organisations and their employees. Together, the research reviewed indicates how the broadness and stability of values make them an important predictor of behaviour at various levels of the organisation. We end by discussing directions for future research on values in organisations.
Materialities and historical geographies: An introduction
Authors: Slatter (née Mason) Ruth
Published: November 2018

While (historical) geographers are now increasingly engaging with material things and approaches, there has been little debate about the role and place of material sources and methodologies within historical geography research. This special section of Area draws together five papers in which historical geographers explore material sources and the application of material approaches in order to make conceptual, methodological and empirical contributions to (historical) geography. These papers demonstrate the potential range of possibilities available to geographers (historical or not) attuned to the materiality of space and encourage further discussion about the relationship between material cultures and geographical research. This introductory editorial outlines the impetus for this special section. It reflects on how material culture has already been used within geographical research, considers why there is a need to debate (specifically historical) geographers’ engagement with materiality in greater depth, and suggests some ways in which the papers in this special section have already contributed to this debate.
Successful and safe long‐term treatment of cerebral aspergillosis with high‐dose voriconazole guided by therapeutic drug monitoring
Authors: Cojutti Pier Giorgio , Merelli Maria , Allegri Lorenzo , Damante Giuseppe , Bassetti Matteo , Pea Federico
Published: November 2018

We report the case of a patient who had cerebral aspergillosis after otorhinolaryngologic surgery and who was successfully and safely treated with high‐dose voriconazole (200 mg q6h) for more than 1 year thanks to a TDM‐guided approach coupled with pharmacological review and with genotyping of CYP2C19 polymorphisms. The findings support the idea that personalized medicine based on TDM coupled with the need of avoiding drug–drug interactions may be helpful for maximizing the net benefit (probability of efficacy vs. probability of adverse events) of voriconazole in the management of long‐term treatment of cerebral aspergillosis.
Pharmacokinetic–pharmacodynamic modelling of platelet response to ticagrelor in stable coronary artery disease and prior myocardial infarction patients
Authors: Åstrand Magnus , Amilon Carl , Röshammar Daniel , Himmelmann Anders , Angiolillo Dominick J. , Storey Robert F. , Gurbel Paul A. , Bonaca Marc P. , Hamrén Bengt
Published: November 2018

Aims

To characterize ticagrelor exposure‐response relationship for platelet inhibition in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) and a history of myocardial infarction (MI), using nonlinear mixed effects modelling and simulation.

Methods

Platelet function data were integrated with plasma concentration data of ticagrelor and its active metabolite AR‐C1249010XX in a population pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) model, based on two clinical studies. In the ONSET/OFFSET study, PK and platelet function were assessed in 123 CAD patients receiving placebo, ticagrelor (180 mg followed by 90 mg twice daily) or clopidogrel (600 mg followed by 75 mg once daily). In the PEGASUS‐TIMI 54 platelet function substudy, PK and platelet function were assessed during maintenance dosing in 180 prior MI patients receiving placebo, ticagrelor 60 mg or ticagrelor 90 mg twice daily.

Results

Platelet inhibition by ticagrelor was described by a sigmoidal Emax model. On average, half maximal inhibition was reached at ticagrelor concentrations of 116 (RSE: 5.3%) nmol l–1. Simulations showed that near maximal platelet inhibition is achieved with both ticagrelor 60 and 90 mg twice daily. At simulated lower doses, platelet inhibition is overall reduced, more variable between patients, and show greater peak‐to‐trough variability. Ticagrelor antiplatelet response was similar between the studied patient populations.

Conclusions

In patients with stable CAD or a history of MI, near maximal platelet inhibition is achieved with both ticagrelor 60 and 90 mg twice daily. At modelled doses <60 mg, the response is reduced overall, more variable between patients, and patients will display greater peak‐to‐trough variability.
Influence of midwifery presence in United States centers on labor care and outcomes of low‐risk parous women: A Consortium on Safe Labor study
Authors: Carlson Nicole S. , Neal Jeremy L. , Tilden Ellen L. , Smith Denise C. , Breman Rachel B. , Lowe Nancy K. , Dietrich Mary S. , Phillippi Julia C.
Published: November 2018

Background

Sixty percent of United States births are to multiparous women. Hospital‐level policies and culture may influence intrapartum care and birth outcomes for this large population, yet have been poorly explored using a large, diverse sample. We sought to use national United States data to analyze the association between midwifery presence in maternity care teams and the birth processes and outcomes of low‐risk parous women.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study using Consortium on Safe Labor data from low‐risk parous women in either interprofessional care (n = 12 125) or noninterprofessional care centers (n = 8996). Unadjusted, adjusted (age, race, health insurance type), propensity‐adjusted, and propensity‐matched logistic regression models were used to assess processes and outcomes.

Results

There was concordance in outcome differences across regression models. With propensity score matching, women at interprofessional centers, compared with women at noninterprofessional centers, were 85% less likely to have labor induced (risk ratio [RR] 0.15; 95% CI 0.14‐0.17). The risk for primary cesarean birth among low‐risk parous women was 36% lower at interprofessional centers (RR 0.64; 95% CI 00.52‐0.79), whereas the likelihood of vaginal birth after cesarean for this population was 31% higher (RR 1.31; 95% CI 1.10‐1.56). There were no significant differences in neonatal outcomes.

Conclusions

Parous women have significantly higher rates of vaginal birth, including vaginal birth after cesarean, and lower likelihood of labor induction when cared for in centers with midwives. Our findings are consistent with smaller analyses of midwifery practice and support integrated, team‐based models of perinatal care to improve maternal outcomes.
Th1‐type immune responses to Porphyromonas gingivalis antigens exacerbate angiotensin II‐dependent hypertension and vascular dysfunction
Authors: Czesnikiewicz‐Guzik Marta , Nosalski Ryszard , Mikolajczyk Tomasz P , Vidler Francesca , Dohnal Tomasz , Dembowska Elzbieta , Graham Delyth , Harrison David G , Guzik Tomasz J
Published: November 2018

Background and Purpose

Emerging evidence indicates that hypertension is mediated by immune mechanisms. We hypothesized that exposure to Porphyromonas gingivalis antigens, commonly encountered in periodontal disease, can enhance immune activation in hypertension and exacerbate the elevation in BP, vascular inflammation and vascular dysfunction.

Experimental Approach

Th1 immune responses were elicited through immunizations using P. gingivalis lysate antigens (10 μg) conjugated with aluminium oxide (50 μg) and IL‐12 (1 μg). The hypertension and vascular endothelial dysfunction evoked by subpressor doses of angiotensin II (0.25 mg·kg−1·day−1) were studied, and vascular inflammation was quantified by flow cytometry and real‐time PCR.

Key Results

Systemic T‐cell activation, a characteristic of hypertension, was exacerbated by P. gingivalis antigen stimulation. This translated into increased aortic vascular inflammation with enhanced leukocyte, in particular, T‐cell and macrophage infiltration. The expression of the Th1 cytokines, IFN‐γ and TNF‐α, and the transcription factor, TBX21, was increased in aortas of P. gingivalis/IL‐12/aluminium oxide‐immunized mice, while IL‐4 and TGF‐β were unchanged. These immune changes in mice with induced T‐helper‐type 1 immune responses were associated with an enhanced elevation of BP and endothelial dysfunction compared with control mice in response to 2 week infusion of a subpressor dose of angiotensin II.

Conclusions and Implications

These results support the concept that Th1 immune responses induced by bacterial antigens such as P. gingivalis can increase sensitivity to subpressor pro‐hypertensive insults such as low‐dose angiotensin II, thus providing a mechanistic link between chronic infection, such as periodontitis, and hypertension.

Linked Articles

This article is part of a themed section on Immune Targets in Hypertension. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v176.12/issuetoc
Mitochondrial protective effect of neferine through the modulation of nuclear factor erythroid 2‐related factor 2 signalling in ischaemic stroke
Authors: Wu Chuanhong , Chen Jianxin , Yang Ruocong , Duan Feipeng , Li Shaojing , Chen Xiuping
Published: November 2018

Background and Purpose

Ischaemic stroke is a leading cause of death and long‐term disability. Promising neuroprotective compounds are urgently needed to overcome clinical therapeutic limitations. Neuroprotective agents are limited to single‐target agents, which further limit their clinical effectiveness. Due to the brain's particular energy requirements, the energy micro‐environment, centred in mitochondria, is a new research hotspot in the complex pathology of ischaemic stroke. Here, we studied the effects of neferine (Nef), a bis‐benzylisoquinoline alkaloid extracted from the seed embryo of Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn, on ischaemic stroke and its underlying mitochondrial protective mechanisms.

Experimental Approach

Rats with permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO)‐induced focal cerebral ischaemia and tert‐butyl hydroperoxide (t‐BHP)‐injured PC12 cells were used to investigate the neuroprotective effects of Nef, particularly with regard to energy micro‐environment regulation by mitochondria and its mechanism in vivo and in vitro.

Key Results

Nef protected t‐BHP‐injured PC12 cells in vitro and ameliorated neurological score, infarct volume, regional cerebral blood flow, cerebral microstructure and oxidant‐related enzyme deficits in pMCAO rats in vivo. Nef also prevented mitochondrial dysfunction both in vivo and in vitro. The underlying mechanism of the mitochondrial protective effect of Nef might be attributed to the increased translocation of Nrf2 to the nucleus. Furthermore, the translocation of Nrf2 to nucleus was also decreased by sequestosome 1 (p62) knockdown.

Conclusions and Implications

Our results demonstrated that Nef might have therapeutic potential for ischaemic stroke and may exert its protective role through mitochondrial protection. This protection might be attributed to the modulation of Nrf2 signalling.
Effect of Cognitive Style on Topographical Learning Across Life Span: Insights From Normal Development
Authors: Boccia Maddalena , Vecchione Francesca , Di Vita Antonella , D'Amico Simonetta , Guariglia Cecilia , Piccardi Laura
Published: November 2018

Notwithstanding its well‐established role on high‐demanding spatial navigation tasks during adulthood, the effect of field dependence–independence during the acquisition of spatial navigation skills is almost unknown. This study assessed for the first time the effect of field dependence–independence on topographical learning (TL) across the life span: 195 individuals, including 54 healthy young‐adults (age‐range = 20–30), 46 teenagers (age‐range = 11–14), and 95 children (age‐range = 6–9) participated in this study. Field dependence–independence interacted with age in predicting TL. Also during childhood higher field independence was associated with better performances but not later in the life, that is, during adolescence and adulthood. This result suggests that field dependence–independence may have a role in fostering the acquisition of TL.
Digital droplet polymerase chain reaction analysis of common viruses in the aqueous humour of patients with Posner‐Schlossman syndrome in Chinese population
Authors: Cao Guojun , Tan Chen , Zhang Yuyan , Kong Xiangmei , Sun Xinhuai , Ma Yanchun , Chen Junyi , Guan Ming
Published: November 2018

Background

To compare the detection results consistency of quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and digital droplet polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR), and determine the value of ddPCR for viral detection in the aqueous humour.

Methods

A total of 130 aqueous humour samples were collected, including 60 patients with Posner‐Schlossman syndrome (PSS) in case group and 70 elderly patients with senile cataract in control group. The target nucleic acid fragments of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), herpes simplex virus, Epstein‐Barr virus and varicella zoster virus in aqueous humour were analysed by qPCR and ddPCR, respectively, for the diagnosis and curative effect monitoring of pathogen‐induced PSS. Samples with inconsistent results were verified by next‐generation sequencing.

Results

There were 27 and 20 HCMV‐positive cases detected in the case group by ddPCR and qPCR, respectively. ddPCR increased the sensitivity for the HCMV virus detection from 400 to 100 copies/mL. No other pathogens were found in this study. The results of ddPCR were consistent with that of next generation sequencing. The mean (SD) of Lg (HCMV copies/mL) detected by ddPCR and qPCR were 1.66 (1.92) and 1.10 (1.61), respectively (P < 0.001). Compared with qPCR, results of ddPCR showed better consistency with validity of clinical treatment. All patients with ddPCR‐positive results had good validity on antiviral therapy, exhibiting anterior chamber inflammation remission, resolution of corneal oedema and good IOP control within 1 month.

Conclusions

HCMV was the leading cause of pathogen‐induced PSS in the Chinese population. ddPCR was a promising tool for early detection, accurate diagnosis and therapeutic validity monitoring of pathogen‐induced PSS. The high sensitivity of ddPCR could avoid repeated anterior chamber tap.
IS FULL EFFICIENCY ACHIEVABLE? AN EMPIRICAL STUDY OF THE BANKING INDUSTRY IN TAIWAN
Authors: Chen Ku‐Hsieh , Cheng Jen‐Chi , Lee Joe‐Ming , Chi Ching‐Fang
Published: November 2018

This paper aims to propose a feasible framework for estimating the efficiency of input factors for banks and the adjustment of these factors necessary to achieve full efficiency in the short and long term. Based on a sample of 39 Taiwanese banks during 1999–2011, the framework recommends a scheme along with a set of adjustments empirically that allow the banks to not only achieve full efficiency but also save 10.3% of the total costs in the short term and 8.8% in the long term. This scheme amounts to short‐term and long‐term savings of NT$3.6 billion and NT$3.1 billion, respectively. (JEL C23, D24, G21)
Comparison of the Cervex‐Brush alone to Cytobrush plus Cervex‐Brush for detection of cervical dysplasia in women with a transformation zone type 3
Authors: Manley Kristyn M , Wills Andrew K , Villeneuve Nichole , Hunt Katherine , Patel Amit , Glew Susan
Published: November 2018

Introduction

Twenty percent of colposcopic assessments are inadequate due to a type 3 transformation zone (TZ3). In the absence of colposcopic or histological assessment, subsequent management is guided by the referral screening test. In the UK, routine cervical screening is completed by a Cervex‐Brush alone. This study examines the effectiveness of a Cytobrush in addition to a standard Cervex‐Brush when used in TZ3 assessment.

Methodology

An 18‐month diagnostic accuracy study in a single National Health Service (NHS) Trust. Women with a TZ3 booked for large loop excision of the transformation zone (LLETZ) with a referral cytology of high‐risk HPV and squamous dyskaryosis were recruited. Immediately prior to LLETZ, a Cervex‐Brush plus Cytobrush liquid‐based cytology sample was taken. Presence of endocervical cells was compared. Predictability of high‐grade cervical intra‐epithelial neoplasia (CIN2+) was by blind standardised reporting of the LLETZ histology.

Results

One hundred and five women were recruited from a total eligible population of 153 cases (68.8%). Endocervical cell yield was increased with the Cervex‐Brush plus Cytobrush when compared to the Cervex‐Brush alone (99.1% vs 79.1%, P < .001). Irrespective of cytological grade, age or parity, there was no difference in predictability of CIN2+ between sampling methods.

Conclusions

When compared to Cervex‐Brush sampling alone, the addition of a Cytobrush improves endocervical sampling but does not improve cytological predictability of CIN2+ in women with a TZ3. These data suggest that women who will reliably attend for cytological follow‐up can be safely referred to primary care for a Cervex‐Brush alone.
When causality shapes the experience of time: Evidence for temporal binding in young children
Authors: Blakey Emma , Tecwyn Emma C. , McCormack Teresa , Lagnado David A. , Hoerl Christoph , Lorimer Sara , Buehner Marc J.
Published: November 2018

It is well established that the temporal proximity of two events is a fundamental cue to causality. Recent research with adults has shown that this relation is bidirectional: events that are believed to be causally related are perceived as occurring closer together in time—the so‐called temporal binding effect. Here, we examined the developmental origins of temporal binding. Participants predicted when an event that was either caused by a button press, or preceded by a non‐causal signal, would occur. We demonstrate for the first time that children as young as 4 years are susceptible to temporal binding. Binding occurred both when the button press was executed via intentional action, and when a machine caused it. These results suggest binding is a fundamental, early developing property of perception and grounded in causal knowledge. A video abstract of this article can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQC_MqjxZQQ
Maternal discourse continuity and infants’ actions organize 12‐month‐olds’ language exposure during object play
Authors: Chang Lucas M. , Deák Gedeon O.
Published: November 2018

Infant language learning depends on the distribution of co‐occurrences within language–between words and other words–and between language content and events in the world. Yet infant‐directed speech is not limited to words that refer to perceivable objects and actions. Rather, caregivers’ utterances contain a range of syntactic forms and expressions with diverse attentional, regulatory, social, and referential functions. We conducted a distributional analysis of linguistic content types at the utterance level, and demonstrated that a wide range of content types in maternal speech can be distinguished by their distribution in sequences of utterances and by their patterns of co‐occurrence with infants’ actions. We observed free‐play sessions of 38 12‐month‐old infants and their mothers, annotated maternal utterances for 10 content types, and coded infants’ gaze target and object handling. Results show that all content types tended to repeat in consecutive utterances, whereas preferred transitions between different content types reflected sequences from attention‐capturing to directing and then descriptive utterances. Specific content types were associated with infants’ engagement with objects (declaratives, descriptions, object names), with disengagement from objects (talk about attention, infant's name), and with infants’ gaze at the mother (affirmations). We discuss how structured discourse might facilitate language acquisition by making speech input more predictable and/or by providing clues about high‐level form‐function mappings.
Hypoglycaemia as a function of HbA1c in type 2 diabetes: Insulin glargine 300 U/mL in a patient‐level pooled analysis of EDITION 1, 2 and 3
Authors: Bonadonna Riccardo C. , Yale Jean‐François , Brulle‐Wohlhueter Claire , Boëlle‐Le Corfec Emmanuelle , Choudhary Pratik , Bailey Timothy S.
Published: November 2018

Basal insulin therapy often involves a compromise between achievement of glycaemic targets and avoidance of hypoglycaemia, dependent on how intensively insulin is titrated. In the Phase 3a EDITION 1, 2 and 3 studies, insulin glargine 300 U/mL (Gla‐300) provided glycaemic control equivalent to that of insulin glargine 100 U/mL (Gla‐100), with less hypoglycaemia in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The current study evaluated the rates of confirmed (≤3.9 mmol/L [≤70 mg/dL]) or severe hypoglycaemia over six months of treatment with Gla‐300 or Gla‐100 in the EDITION studies, as a function of HbA1c. Analysis was performed on patient‐level data pooled from the three EDITION studies, and annualized hypoglycaemia rate as a function of HbA1c at Month 6 was fitted using a negative binomial regression model. Participants treated with Gla‐300 experienced a consistently lower rate of confirmed (≤3.9 mmol/L [≤70 mg/dL]) or severe hypoglycaemia as compared with those treated with Gla‐100, regardless of HbA1c at Month 6. Results suggest that treatment with Gla‐300 vs Gla‐100 could allow individuals with T2DM to achieve equivalent glycaemic control with less hypoglycaemia.
Reforming urban sanitation under decentralization: Cross‐country learning for Kenya and beyond
Authors: Mason Nathaniel , Oyaya Charles , Boulenouar Julia
Published: November 2018

Motivation

Across the Global South, unclear institutional frameworks undermine progress in improving services. Often, ongoing decentralization reforms reduce clarity further. Policy professionals working on institutional reform lack comparative models.

Purpose

To identify key challenges for the institutional arrangements for urban sanitation in decentralizing contexts, in Kenya and elsewhere, and to propose possible responses.

Approach and methods

We use key informant interviews and literature review in a problem‐driven analysis, drawing from three comparative case studies: South Africa, Indonesia and Tamil Nadu State. The analysis builds upon research on institutional effectiveness—co‐operation, collaboration and co‐ordination—rooted in game theory and elaborated in the 2017 World Development Report.

Findings

Three key problems in Kenya are identified: overlaps and competition around sector leadership at national and devolved levels; weak incentives for county governments to commit policy attention and finance, despite devolution; and limited regulatory oversight.

Policy implications

We identify a range of options for urban sanitation policy‐makers: (a) to engage non‐sectoral authorities in co‐ordinating multi‐sectoral issues across all levels of government; (b) to encourage political commitment to pro‐poor sanitation services at decentralized levels; and (c) to use incentive‐based and risk‐based approaches to regulate decentralized entities and strengthen local capacity for monitoring and enforcement.
Practising politics: Technical project templates and political practice in aDFIDcountry office
Authors: Whitty Brendan S.
Published: November 2018

Development agencies including theUKDepartment for International Development (DFID) increasingly agree that if aid is to be effective, it should be politically smart and locally led. However, both the critical and the reformist literature have argued that development agencies persist with technical, template‐driven programming: political analysis and practice have not been widely institutionalized. This study aims to identify why development representations are persistently technical in their form, and what blockages have existed for developing locally grounded and politically aware programmes. The article presents an ethnography of the process of developing the core elements of the governance portfolio in an (anonymized)DFIDcountry office. Focusing on a key design workshop, the study is situated within a wider organizational ethnography. The persistently technical justifications for programmes are a result of the bureaucratic form itself, its accountability and approval processes. Political analyses represent countries in such a way that officials can prioritize selection from a repertoire of technical models. However, scepticism about the tractability of governance problems to such analyses and programming has led to an emerging understanding of politics that creates space within the bureaucratic form for politically aware practice. Politically aware programming should emphasize good operational practice over explicit analysis and should continue to emphasize technical models like the adaptive management models which create room for such practice.
Cor triatriatum dexter with right ventricular hypoplasia: Role of multimodality imaging in decision making
Authors: Rao Sruti , Suntharos Patcharapong , Najm Hani , Komarlu Rukmini
Published: November 2018

Cor Triatriatum Dexter (CTD) is a rare congenital anomaly involving the systemic venous valves. Failure of regression of the right‐sided sinus venosus valve leads to abnormal septation of the right atrium and a variety of right atrial and tricuspid valve obstructive lesions. The presentation can be varied ranging from asymptomatic to persistent neonatal cyanosis. We describe a late diagnosis of CTD in a 10‐month‐old male with persistent hypoxia despite balloon valvuloplasty for mild pulmonic valve stenosis with a large secundum atrial septal defect and a mildly hypoplastic right ventricle.
ENERGY USE AND TEMPERATURE HABITUATION: EVIDENCE FROM HIGH FREQUENCY THERMOSTAT USAGE DATA
Authors: Ge Qi , Ho Benjamin
Published: November 2018

Using micro‐level thermostat data from 27,000 U.S. households, we analyze how home heating/cooling decisions respond to weather. Responses are greater for extreme heat than for extreme cold and persist for at least 30 days after exposure, due in part to transaction costs but also to changes in intrinsic preferences. Failure to understand habit can lead us to overestimate the impact of short‐term policy nudges but underestimate the long‐run impact of small changes. Higher frequency estimates of how behavior responds to weather improve our understanding of climate adaptation as climate change affects not only mean temperatures but also variances. (JEL C55, D03, Q4)
Insect wing loss is tightly linked to the treeline: evidence from a diverse stonefly assemblage
Authors: McCulloch Graham A. , Foster Brodie J. , Ingram Travis , Waters Jonathan M.
Published: November 2018

The secondary loss of flight in previously winged insect lineages has long fascinated biologists. Habitat stability and isolation are thought to play important roles in driving wing reduction (Roff 1990, 1994), with exposure to high winds suggested to accelerate this process (Darwin 1859), although the role exposure plays in insect wing loss has never been empirically demonstrated. Here we assess fine‐scale distributional records from a diverse regional stonefly assemblage, to demonstrate a widespread association between wing loss and the treeline in New Zealand. The observed pattern suggests that exposure plays a crucial role driving wing loss in alpine insects.
Executive function subdomains are associated with post‐stroke functional outcome and permanent institutionalization
Authors: Laakso H. M. , Hietanen M. , Melkas S. , Sibolt G. , Curtze S. , Virta M. , Ylikoski R. , Pohjasvaara T. , Kaste M. , Erkinjuntti T. , Jokinen H.
Published: November 2018

Background and purpose

Impairment of executive functions (EFs) is a common cognitive symptom post‐stroke and affects independence in daily activities. Previous studies have often relied on brief cognitive tests not fully considering the wide spectrum of EF subdomains. A detailed assessment of EFs was used to examine which of the subdomains and tests have the strongest predictive value on post‐stroke functional outcome and institutionalization in long‐term follow‐up.

Methods

A subsample of 62 patients from the Helsinki Stroke Aging Memory Study was evaluated with a battery of seven neuropsychological EF tests 3 months post‐stroke and compared to 39 healthy control subjects. Functional impairment was evaluated with the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) scale at 3 months, and with the mRS at 15 months post‐stroke. Institutionalization was reviewed from the national registers of permanent hospital admissions in up to 21‐year follow‐up.

Results

The stroke group performed more poorly than the control group in multiple EF tests. Tests of inhibition, set shifting, initiation, strategy formation and processing speed were associated with the mRS and IADL scale in stroke patients. EF subdomain scores of inhibition, set shifting and processing speed were associated with functional outcome. In addition, inhibition was associated with the risk for earlier institutionalization.

Conclusions

Executive function was strongly associated with post‐stroke functional impairment. In follow‐up, poor inhibition was related to earlier permanent institutionalization. The results suggest the prognostic value of EF subdomains after stroke.
Sapienza Global Bedside Evaluation of Swallowing after Stroke: theGLOBE‐3S study
Authors: Toscano M. , Viganò A. , Rea A. , Verzina A. , Sasso D'Elia T. , Puledda F. , Longo L. , Mancini V. , Ruggiero M. , Jannini T. B. , Giuliani G. , Albino F. , Altieri M. , Vicenzini E. , Fattapposta F. , Pauri F. , Giacomini P. , Ruoppolo G. , Di Piero V.
Published: November 2018

Background and purpose

Dysphagia occurs in up to 50% of all patients with acute stroke. There is debate regarding which is the most effective screening tool in identifying aspiration in patients with acute stroke. We assessed the accuracy of the Sapienza Global Bedside Evaluation of Swallowing after Stroke (GLOBE‐3S), which combines the Toronto Bedside Swallowing Screening Test (TOR‐BSST©) with oxygen desaturation and laryngeal elevation measurement during swallowing.

Methods

We prospectively enrolled consecutive patients with stroke within 72 h of symptom onset. All patients with stroke firstly underwent a standard neurological examination, then theGLOBE‐3S evaluation and finally the fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES). Two different assessors, a neurologist and a speech pathologist, blind to both the clinical data and each other's evaluation, administered theGLOBE‐3S andFEESexamination. We assessed the accuracy of theGLOBE‐3S in detecting post‐stroke swallow impairment with aspiration using theFEESas the standard.

Results

We enrolled 50 patients with acute stroke, 28 of whom (56%) had swallowing impairment with aspiration atFEESevaluation. A total of 33 patients (66%) failed theGLOBE‐3S evaluation. TheGLOBE‐3S reached a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 77.3% (negative predictive value, 100%; positive likelihood ratio, 4.34). The median time required for theGLOBE‐3S to be performed was 297 s.

Conclusions

GLOBE‐3S is quick to perform at the bedside and can accurately identify aspiration in patients with acute stroke. By including the measurement of laryngeal elevation and monitoring of oxygen desaturation, it could represent a highly sensitive instrument to avoid the misdiagnosis of silent aspirators.
Climate change does not affect the seafood quality of a commonly targeted fish
Authors: Coleman Melinda A. , Butcherine Peter , Kelaher Brendan P. , Broadhurst Matt K. , March Duane T. , Provost Euan J. , David Jamie , Benkendorff Kirsten
Published: November 2018

Climate change can affect marine and estuarine fish via alterations to their distributions, abundances, sizes, physiology and ecological interactions, threatening the provision of ecosystem goods and services. While we have an emerging understanding of such ecological impacts to fish, we know little about the potential influence of climate change on the provision of nutritional seafood to sustain human populations. In particular, the quantity, quality and/or taste of seafood may be altered by future environmental changes with implications for the economic viability of fisheries. In an orthogonal mesocosm experiment, we tested the influence of near‐future ocean warming and acidification on the growth, health and seafood quality of a recreationally and commercially important fish, yellowfin bream (Acanthopagrus australis). The growth of yellowfin bream significantly increased under near‐future temperature conditions (but not acidification), with little change in health (blood glucose and haematocrit) or tissue biochemistry and nutritional properties (fatty acids, lipids, macro‐ and micronutrients, moisture, ash and total N). Yellowfin bream appear to be highly resilient to predicted near‐future ocean climate change, which might be facilitated by their wide spatio‐temporal distribution across habitats and broad diet. Moreover, an increase in growth, but little change in tissue quality, suggests that near‐future ocean conditions will benefit fisheries and fishers that target yellowfin bream. The data reiterate the inherent resilience of yellowfin bream as an evolutionary consequence of their euryhaline status in often environmentally challenging habitats and imply their sustainable and viable fisheries into the future. We contend that widely distributed species that span large geographic areas and habitats can be “climate winners” by being resilient to the negative direct impacts of near‐future oceanic and estuarine climate change.
Global soil nitrous oxide emissions since the preindustrial era estimated by an ensemble of terrestrial biosphere models: Magnitude, attribution, and uncertainty
Authors: Tian Hanqin , Yang Jia , Xu Rongting , Lu Chaoqun , Canadell Josep G. , Davidson Eric A. , Jackson Robert B. , Arneth Almut , Chang Jinfeng , Ciais Philippe , Gerber Stefan , Ito Akihiko , Joos Fortunat , Lienert Sebastian , Messina Palmira , Olin Stefan , Pan Shufen , Peng Changhui , Saikawa Eri , Thompson Rona L. , Vuichard Nicolas , Winiwarter Wilfried , Zaehle Sönke , Zhang Bowen
Published: November 2018

Our understanding and quantification of global soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions and the underlying processes remain largely uncertain. Here, we assessed the effects of multiple anthropogenic and natural factors, including nitrogen fertilizer (N) application, atmospheric N deposition, manure N application, land cover change, climate change, and rising atmospheric CO2 concentration, on global soil N2O emissions for the period 1861–2016 using a standard simulation protocol with seven process‐based terrestrial biosphere models. Results suggest global soil N2O emissions have increased from 6.3 ± 1.1 Tg N2O‐N/year in the preindustrial period (the 1860s) to 10.0 ± 2.0 Tg N2O‐N/year in the recent decade (2007–2016). Cropland soil emissions increased from 0.3 Tg N2O‐N/year to 3.3 Tg N2O‐N/year over the same period, accounting for 82% of the total increase. Regionally, China, South Asia, and Southeast Asia underwent rapid increases in cropland N2O emissions since the 1970s. However, US cropland N2O emissions had been relatively flat in magnitude since the 1980s, and EU cropland N2O emissions appear to have decreased by 14%. Soil N2O emissions from predominantly natural ecosystems accounted for 67% of the global soil emissions in the recent decade but showed only a relatively small increase of 0.7 ± 0.5 Tg N2O‐N/year (11%) since the 1860s. In the recent decade, N fertilizer application, N deposition, manure N application, and climate change contributed 54%, 26%, 15%, and 24%, respectively, to the total increase. Rising atmospheric CO2 concentration reduced soil N2O emissions by 10% through the enhanced plant N uptake, while land cover change played a minor role. Our estimation here does not account for indirect emissions from soils and the directed emissions from excreta of grazing livestock. To address uncertainties in estimating regional and global soil N2O emissions, this study recommends several critical strategies for improving the process‐based simulations.