bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Wellness among US adolescents ages 12–17 years
Authors: Preskitt J. K. , Menear K. S. , Goldfarb S. S. , Menachemi N.
Published: April 2015

Background

Wellness is a multidimensional construct related to an individual's physical, emotional, intellectual and social well‐being. We present estimates of wellness among US adolescents aged 12–17 years and explore how demographic characteristics are associated with wellness.

Methods

All respondents aged 12 to 17 years (n = 34 601) from the 2011–2012 National Survey of Children's Health were included in the sample. Survey items were coded to operationalize an overall wellness score, comprised of four subdimensions (physical, intellectual, emotional and social).

Results

The mean adjusted overall wellness score was 30.2 (out of 40). Mean raw subdimensions scores were: social = 3.14 (out of 4), emotional = 4.79 (out of 6), intellectual = 4.80 (out of 8) and physical = 6.57 (out of 8). Older adolescents, those with special health needs, those in lower income families and those whose mother or father report fair‐poor mental health status had lower wellness scores.

Conclusions

US adolescents have wellness scores towards the upper or higher end of our scale. Several adolescent and family characteristics were associated with either lower overall wellness and/or lower wellness on multiple subdimensions. Assessing wellness during critical developmental periods of adolescence is a first step towards promoting behaviours that support increased wellness into adulthood.
Child Health Records as Socio‐Material Instruments of Distributing Responsibility. A Comparative Analysis of Paediatric Documents from Austria, England and Germany
Authors: Kelle Helga , Seehaus Rhea , Bollig Sabine
Published: April 2015

Internationally child health records are central instruments of paediatric early detection and prevention of developmental disorders. Regarding children's developmental processes, child health records act as agents of developmental norms, moderate the distribution of tasks between parents and paediatricians and thus materially mediate practices of generational ordering. Drawing on actor‐network‐theoretical and ethnomethodological approaches to documents as active texts, the comparative analysis of child health records from three European countries focuses on similarities and differences in the conceptions of parental and paediatric responsibilities that can be reconstructed from the documents’ form. Referencing normalism theory, the authors work out analytically how health programmes are materialised in documents/instruments, how specific conceptions of the child in development differ and how the construction of parental and paediatric tasks varies in these instruments. In concluding, the analysis is contextualised in different health policies in childhood.
Clinical evaluation of an improved cementation technique for implant‐supported restorations: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Canullo Luigi , Cocchetto Roberto , Marinotti Fabio , Oltra David Peñarrocha , Diago María Peñarrocha , Loi Ignazio
Published: April 2015

Background

Cement remnants were frequently associated with peri‐implantitis. Recently, a shoulderless abutment was proposed, raising some concern about cement excess removal.

Aim

To compare different cementation techniques for implant‐supported restorations assessing the amount of cement remnants in the peri‐implant sulcus. Additional aim was to compare the effect of these cementation techniques using two different abutment designs.

Material & methods

Forty‐six patients requiring double implant‐supported restoration in the posterior maxilla were randomly divided in two groups according to the cementation modality: intraoral and extraoral. According to the abutment finishing line, implants in each patient were randomly assigned to shoulderless or chamfer subgroup. In the intraoral group, crowns were directly seated onto the titanium abutment. In the extraoral group, crowns were firstly seated onto a resin abutment replica and immediately removed, then cleansed of the cement excess and finally seated on the titanium abutment. After cement setting, in both groups, cement excess was carefully tried to remove. Three months later, framework/abutment complexes were disconnected and prepared for microscopic analysis: surface occupied by exposed cement remnants and marginal gaps were measured. Additionally, crown/abutment complexes were grinded, and voids of cement were measured at abutment/crown interface. Related‐samples Friedman's two‐way analysis of variance by ranks was used to detect differences between groups and subgroups (P ≤ 0.5).

Results

At the end of the study, a mean value of 0.45 mm2 (±0.80), 0.38 mm2 (±0.84), and 0.065 mm2 (±0.13) and 0.07 mm2 (±0.15) described surface occupied by cement remnants in shoulderless and chamfer abutment with intraoral cementation and shoulderless and chamfer abutment with extraoral cementation, respectively. A mean value of 0.40 mm2 (±0.377), 0.41 mm2 (±0.39) and 0.485 mm2 (±0.47) and 0.477 mm2 (±0.43) described cement voids at the abutment/crown interface; a mean value of 0.062 mm (±0.03), 0.064 mm (±0.35), 0.055 mm (±0.016) and 0.054 mm (±0.024) described marginal gaps. Statistics showed tendency of intraoral cementation to have significantly higher cement remnants compared with abutments with extraoral cementation groups. At the same time, the presence of voids was significantly higher in case of extraoral cementation. No significant differences between groups for the variable “gap”.

Conclusions

Despite the presence of more voids, extraoral cementation reduces cement excess. However, using low adhesivity cement and careful cement removal, a very limited quantity of cement remnants was observed also in the intraoral cementation.
Papillary fill response in single‐tooth implants using abutments of different geometry
Authors: Patil Ratnadeep , den Hartog Laurens , Dilbaghi Anjali , de Jong Bart , Kerdijk Wouter , Cune Marco S.
Published: April 2015

Objective

To evaluate the influence of abutment geometry on papillary fill in the esthetic zone in a delayed crown protocol.

Materials and methods

Twenty‐six subjects received two non‐adjacent endosseous implants in the esthetic zone. Functional temporary crowns were installed 17–19 weeks later, using conventional (control) and curved (experimental) abutments. The abutments were randomized in each patient independently. Final crowns were cemented after 2 months (T0). Standard intraoral photographs and radiographs were made to evaluate papillary fill after 12 months (T12). The interproximal papilla fill was measured by means of the papilla index score (PIS) and related to the maximum bone level between the implant and the adjacent root as well as the peri‐implant marginal bone level at T12, both measured radiographically.

Results

No statistically significant difference between the experimental and the control group could be demonstrated (P = 0.25). Ordinal regression analysis showed a positive correlation between the maximum bone level and papilla fill (P < 0.01) and a negative correlation between the peri‐implant marginal bone level and papilla fill (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

A concave abutment does not exhibit a better fill of the papilla compared with a straight abutment in single‐tooth implant placement using a delayed protocol in the esthetic zone after 12 months of function.
Stability and feedback levels in food web models
Authors: Smith Matthew J. , Sander Elizabeth , Barabás György , Allesina Stefano
Published: April 2015

Neutel & Thorne (Ecology Letters, 17:651–661, June 2014) provide an approximation for the leading eigenvalue of a food web community matrix involving coefficients of its characteristic polynomial. Though valuably incorporating three‐way species interactions, two critical problems emerge when one considers the dimensions of the system, calling the approach's accuracy and precision into question.
Seeking Alfred's body: royal tomb as political object in the reign of Edward the Elder
Authors: Marafioti Nicole
Published: April 2015

This article addresses a crux in the Fonthill Letter: why Helmstan, an outlawed thief, visited King Alfred's grave. This episode coincided with a succession dispute in which Alfred's son, Edward the Elder, was resisting a challenge for the kingdom. To enhance his legitimacy, Edward celebrated his father's legacy and promoted his grave, building Alfred a monumental mausoleum. Edward removed Helmstan's outlawry after the visit – a reversal that resembles instances in which condemned criminals were spared punishment after seeking sanctuary protection. I propose that as part of his political efforts, Edward offered comparable clemency to offenders who visited Alfred's grave.
Benedictine reform and pastoral care in late Anglo‐Saxon England
Authors: Tinti Francesca
Published: April 2015

This article challenges the traditional assumption that the so‐called Benedictine reform produced a clear demarcation between secular and monastic communities in late Anglo‐Saxon England and, consequently, between, on one side, those who had pastoral responsibilities towards the laity and, on the other, those characterized by monastic seclusion. Though to varying degrees, the evidence available for both reformed and newly founded Benedictine communities suggests that the late Anglo‐Saxon monks, especially those serving the urban cathedrals of Winchester, Worcester and Canterbury, could be actively involved in the delivery of such pastoral provisions as preaching, baptism, attending the dying, and burial. Monastic communities therefore represented yet another factor influencing the lively and quickly developing pastoral landscape of late Anglo‐Saxon England.
Beta‐interferon exposure and onset of secondary progressive multiple sclerosis
Authors: Zhang T. , Shirani A. , Zhao Y. , Karim M. E. , Gustafson P. , Petkau J. , Evans C. , Kingwell E. , van der Kop M. , Zhu F. , Oger J. , Tremlett H. ,   BC MS Clinic Neurologists
Published: April 2015

Background and purpose

Beta‐interferons (IFNβ) are the most widely prescribed drugs for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). However, whether or not treatment with IFNβ can delay secondary progressive MS (SPMS) onset remains unknown. Our aim was to examine the association between IFNβ exposure and SPMS onset in patients with relapsing−remitting MS (RRMS).

Methods

A retrospective cohort study using British Columbia (Canada) population‐based clinical and health administrative data (1985–2008) was conducted. RRMS patients treated with IFNβ (n = 794) were compared with untreated contemporary (n = 933) and historical (n = 837) controls. Cohort entry was the first clinic visit during which patients became eligible for IFNβ treatment (baseline). The outcome was time from baseline to SPMS onset. Cox regression models with IFNβ as a time‐dependent exposure were adjusted for sex, and baseline age, disease duration, disability, *socioeconomic status and *comorbidities (*available for the contemporary cohorts only). Additional analyses included propensity score adjustment.

Results

The median follow‐up for the IFNβ‐treated, untreated contemporary and historical controls were 5.7, 3.7 and 7.3 years, and the proportions of patients reaching SPMS were 9.2%, 11.8% and 32.9%, respectively. After adjustment for confounders, IFNβ exposure was not associated with the risk of reaching SPMS when either the contemporary or the historical untreated cohorts were considered (hazard ratio 1.07; 95% confidence interval 0.93–1.48, and hazard ratio 1.04; 95% confidence interval 0.74–1.46, respectively). Further adjustments and the propensity score yielded results consistent with the main analysis.

Conclusions

Amongst patients with RRMS, use of IFNβ was not associated with a delayed onset of SPMS.
Myasthenia gravis: descriptive analysis of life‐threatening events in a recent nationwide registry
Authors: Ramos‐Fransi A. , Rojas‐García R. , Segovia S. , Márquez‐Infante C. , Pardo J. , Coll‐Cantí J. , Jericó I. , Illa I. ,   Myasthenia NMD‐ES Study Group
Published: April 2015

Background and purpose

Myasthenia gravis (MG) may become life‐threatening if patients have respiratory insufficiency or dysphagia. This study aimed to determine the incidence, demographic characteristics, risk factors, response to treatment and outcome of these life‐threatening events (LTEs) in a recent, population‐based sample of MG patients.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of MG patients who presented with an LTE between 2000 and 2013 was performed. Participants were identified from a neuromuscular diseases registry in Spain that includes 648 patients with MG (NMD‐ES).

Results

Sixty‐two (9.56%) patients had an LTE. Thirty‐two were classified as class V according to the MG Foundation of America, and 30 as class IVB. Fifty per cent were previously diagnosed with MG and median duration of the disease before the LTE was 24 months (3–406). The most common related factor was infection (n = 18). All patients received intravenous human immunoglobulin; 11 had a second infusion and six had plasma exchange. Median time to feeding tube removal was 13 days (1–434). Median time to weaning from ventilation was 12 days (3–176), and it was significantly shorter in late onset MG (≥50 years) (P = 0.019). LTEs improved <2 weeks in 55.8% but did not improve until after 1 month in 20% of patients. Four patients died. No other factors influenced mortality or duration of LTEs.

Conclusions

The percentage of LTEs in MG patients was low, particularly amongst those previously diagnosed and treated for the disease. The significant percentage of treatment‐resistant LTEs indicates that more effective treatment approaches are needed for this vulnerable sub‐population.
Heller, Schmitt and the Euro
Authors: Streeck Wolfgang
Published: April 2015

Heller understood that Schmitt's ‘authoritarian state’ was in fact the liberal state in its pure form, weak in relation to the capitalist economy but strong in fending off democratic interventions in its operation. Had he lived, Heller would not have been surprised by the close affinities between Schmittian economic authoritarianism and postwar German ordoliberalism, as mediated by a figure like Alexander Rüstow. Neoliberalism as today we know it drew heavily on ordoliberal doctrine, in particular through Friedrich von Hayek who managed to merge it with Austrian economics into a powerful ideological force to replace Keynesianism after the 1970s. Today the European Union, especially in its incorporation as monetary union, closely follows the liberal‐authoritarian template as devised by Schmitt and others in the final years of the Weimar Republic. The paper shows this with reference to the five European‐level institutions that today govern the European free market while protecting it from democratic interference: the Parliament, the Council, the Commission, the European Court of Justice and the European Central Bank.
Venture Capital Valuation, Partial Adjustment, and Underpricing: Behavioral Bias or Information Production?
Authors: Jindra Jan , Leshchinskii Dima
Published: April 2015

Using a sample of venture capital (VC)‐backed initial public offerings (IPOs), we analyze the role played by perceived valuation changes on IPO underpricing. We find that perceived valuation change from the last pre‐IPO VC round to the IPO affects IPO underpricing in a nonlinear way. Further analysis indicates that information‐based theories, not behavioral biases, explain this nonlinearity. We also find that the previously documented partial adjustment effect and its nonlinear impact on IPO underpricing are related to the trajectory of the perceived valuation changes, which stands in stark contrast to prior evidence of the importance of behavioral biases.
Trend‐Following Trading Strategies in U.S. Stocks: A Revisit
Authors: Szakmary Andrew C. , Lancaster M. Carol
Published: April 2015

We show that previous findings regarding the profitability of trend‐following trading rules over intermediate horizons in futures markets also extend to individual U.S. stocks. Portfolios formed using technical indicators such as moving average or channel ratios, without employing cross‐sectional rankings of any kind, tend to perform about as well as the more commonly examined momentum strategies. The profitability of these strategies appears significant, both statistically and economically, through 2007, but evidence of profitability vanishes after 2007. Market‐state dependence, while clearly present, does not explain the post‐2007 reduction in returns to these strategies.
Governance Quality and Information Asymmetry
Authors: Elbadry Ahmed , Gounopoulos Dimitrios , Skinner Frank
Published: April 2015

This paper explores the relation between corporate governance and asymmetric information. We find that proxies for governance mechanisms that encourage the monitoring of managers are inversely related to proxies for asymmetric information. Specifically, greater board independence, board activeness and debt financing are significantly and inversely related to the degree of asymmetric information as reflected in bid‐ask spreads, volatility of share returns, normalised share trade volumes and market value of shares traded. This implies that corporate governance mechanisms that enhance managerial monitoring lead to improvements in the informational environment of the firm.
Style consumption: its drivers and role in sustainable apparel consumption
Authors: Cho Erin , Gupta Shipra , Kim Youn‐Kyung
Published: April 2015

This study proposes style consumption (SC) as a way to foster sustainable apparel consumption. In doing so, we identify explanatory and outcome variables of SC and also examine gender differences in these variables. Based on an online survey with 586 consumers, we find that frugal apparel consumption (FAC), fashion consciousness (FC) and ecologically conscious consumption (ECC) enhance the likelihood of SC. SC in turn increases environmental apparel purchase (EAP) and sustainable apparel divestment (SAD). The results also suggest significant gender differences both in motivational and behavioural variables included in the model. Specifically, females are significantly higher than males in FAC, FC and ECC. The tendency of SC, EAP and SAD were also higher for females than males. In addition, we find that gender is a significant factor mediating the effect of FC and that of ECC on SC.
Stroke in Bahrain: Rising Incidence, Multiple Risk Factors, and Suboptimal Care
Authors: Banna Mona Al , Baldawi Hassan , Kadhim Ali , Humaidan Hani , Whitford David L.
Published: April 2015

The incidence of stroke in Bahrain is rising in the Bahraini population and has nearly doubled over the last 16 years, while the incidence in the non-Bahraini population has not changed. Incidence of stroke in the Bahraini population (110/100 000) is now much greater than in the non-Bahraini population (27/100 000). The Bahraini stroke population is 10 years younger than Western comparators with a much higher prevalence of many of the risk factors for stroke, including diabetes (54%), hypertension (75%) and hyperlipidemia (34%). The combination of an ageing Bahraini population alongside a high prevalence of risk factors suggests a ‘ticking time bomb’ that is likely to see a continuing rise in the incidence of stroke. The quality of risk factor prevention and hospital-based stroke care is therefore crucial in Bahrain. While 88% of patients were scanned within 24 h and 86% with non-haemorrhagic strokes were commenced on aspirin within 48 h, none of the patients received thrombolysis or were admitted to a stroke unit. Improvement of stroke outcomes in Bahrain could be achieved through implementation of evidence-based measures, including improved risk factor management in primary care and stroke units and thrombolysis in secondary care.
Industrial relations, critical social science and reform: I, principles of engagement
Authors: Edwards Paul
Published: April 2015

Industrial relations has long had a concern with the links between research and policy. This concern connects with wider debates on emancipation in the related field of Critical Management and in social science in general. This paper lays out an approach to engagement with policy through four arguments. First, ontological realism provides a grounding for claims as to scientific truth. Second, we can also say from realist principles that people have real interests. Third, links between ‘is’ and ‘ought’ can be addressed through the normative arguments presented by Andrew Sayer. Finally, dimensions of real interests, based on the work of Ed Heery, are identified. Part II of the paper provides application and illustration.
Evaluation of Brazilian airlines nonradial efficiencies and targets using an alternative DEA approach
Authors: Gomes Júnior Silvio Figueiredo , Rubem Ana Paula dos Santos , Soares de Mello João Carlos Correia Baptista , Angulo Meza Lidia
Published: April 2015

This paper evaluates the operational performance of airlines using an alternative data envelopment analysis (DEA) approach. We start by calculating the relative efficiency of each firm with the classical DEA. After identifying the set of efficient airlines that could be used as benchmarks for the inefficient firms, we employ a nonradial efficiency measure based on vector concepts that considers each efficient airline as a real target at once. This allows the assessment of efficiency scores using other targets than those automatically derived by the classical DEA, traditionally built on radial measures of efficiency. Although the results indicate a large number of negative efficiency scores, for most inefficient airlines, it was possible to identify at least one real target whose corresponding score was positive. In addition, the methodology herein adopted enriches benchmarking analysis, as it provides a set of alternative targets easily understood and accepted by the managers involved in the decision process.
Bi‐objective stochastic programming models for determining depot locations in disaster relief operations
Authors: Rath Stefan , Gendreau Michel , Gutjahr Walter J.
Published: April 2015

This paper presents two‐stage bi‐objective stochastic programming models for disaster relief operations. We consider a problem that occurs in the aftermath of a natural disaster: a transportation system for supplying disaster victims with relief goods must be established. We propose bi‐objective optimization models with a monetary objective and humanitarian objective. Uncertainty in the accessibility of the road network is modeled by a discrete set of scenarios. The key features of our model are the determination of locations for intermediate depots and acquisition of vehicles. Several model variants are considered. First, the operating budget can be fixed at the first stage for all possible scenarios or determined for each scenario at the second stage. Second, the assignment of vehicles to a depot can be either fixed or free. Third, we compare a heterogeneous vehicle fleet to a homogeneous fleet. We study the impact of the variants on the solutions. The set of Pareto‐optimal solutions is computed by applying the adaptive Epsilon‐constraint method. We solve the deterministic equivalents of the two‐stage stochastic programs using the MIP‐solver CPLEX.
Sacoglossan sea slugs make routine use of photosynthesis by a variety of species‐specific adaptations
Authors: Pierce Sidney K. , Curtis Nicholas E. , Middlebrooks Michael L.
Published: April 2015

The phenomenon of the uptake, intracellular sequestration, and subsequent usage of algal chloroplasts by the digestive cells of many species of sacoglossan sea slugs, currently called kleptoplasty, has been of considerable interest since its discovery in the 1960s. While a large body of literature reported that captured chloroplasts were photosynthetically active inside slug cells and that plastid longevity in some species might be the result of the horizontal transfer of functional algal nuclear genes into the slug genome, a few recent studies have called the older results into question. Here, we have reviewed the literature and showed that while kleptoplasty occurs in many slug species and almost all derive benefit from kleptoplast photosynthesis, the slug adaptations to maintain the chloroplasts differ from species to species. These adaptations range from behavioral to molecular, including gene transfer, in a variety of combinations.
Biochar Mitigates Salinity Stress in Potato
Authors: Akhtar S. S. , Andersen M. N. , Liu F.
Published: April 2015

A pot experiment was conducted in a climate‐controlled greenhouse to investigate the growth, physiology and yield of potato in response to salinity stress under biochar amendment. It was hypothesized that addition of biochar may improve plant growth and yield by mitigating the negative effect of salinity through its high sorption ability. From tuber bulking to harvesting, the plants were exposed to three saline irrigations, that is 0, 25 and 50 mm NaCl solutions, respectively, and two levels of biochar (0 % and 5 % W/W) treatments. An adsorption study was also conducted to study the Na+ adsorption capability of biochar. Results indicated that biochar was capable to ameliorate salinity stress by adsorbing Na+. Increasing salinity level resulted in significant reductions of shoot biomass, root length and volume, tuber yield, photosynthetic rate (An), stomatal conductance (gs), midday leaf water potential, but increased abscisic acid (ABA) concentration in both leaf and xylem sap. At each salinity level, incorporation of biochar increased shoot biomass, root length and volume, tuber yield, An, gs, midday leaf water potential, and decreased ABA concentration in the leaf and xylem sap as compared with the respective non‐biochar control. Decreased Na+, Na+/K+ ratio and increased K+ content in xylem with biochar amendment also indicated its ameliorative effects on potato plants in response to salinity stress. The results suggested that incorporation of biochar might be a promising approach for enhancing crop productivity in salt‐affected soils.
Impact of Non‐Pulmonary Vein Foci on the Outcome of the Second Session of Catheter Ablation for Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: TAKIGAWA MASATERU , TAKAHASHI ATSUSHI , KUWAHARA TAISHI , OKUBO KENJI , TAKAHASHI YOSHIHIDE , NAKASHIMA EMIKO , WATARI YUJI , YAMAO KAZUYA , NAKAJIMA JUN , TAKAGI KATSUMASA , KIMURA SHIGEKI , HIKITA HIROYUKI , HIRAO KENZO , ISOBE MITSUAKI
Published: April 2015

Impact of Non‐PV AF Foci on the Second Catheter Ablation for PAF

Background

Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) is primarily triggered by pulmonary veins (PVs). However, non‐PV AF foci may also trigger AF.

Methods

We examined 207 patients (mean age, 62 ± 11 years; 166 men) who underwent a second catheter ablation (CA) and evaluated the clinical significance of non‐PV AF foci on the outcomes.

Results

Electrical reconnections between the PVs and left atrium (LA) were observed in 162 patients (78.3%). Non‐PV AF foci were identified in 95 patients (45.9%, 60 patients with successfully ablated non‐PV AF foci and 35 with unmappable non‐PV AF foci). During a median follow‐up period of 22.7 months, 61 patients (29.5%; 18/112 [16.1%] without non‐PV AF foci vs. 20/60 [33.3%] with successfully ablated non‐PV AF foci vs. 23/35 [65.7%] with unmappable non‐PV AF foci, P < 0.0001) developed AF recurrence; 52 (85.2%) developed recurrence within 1 year. The presence of non‐PV AF foci was a significant clinical predictor of AF recurrence after the second CA; successfully ablated non‐PV AF foci increased the AF recurrence risk by 2.24 times (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12–4.54; P = 0.02), and unmappable AF foci increased this risk by 5.58 times (95% CI, 2.73–11.63; P < 0.0001).

Conclusion

Nearly half of the patients had non‐PV AF foci at the second CA session. AF recurred after the second CA session in approximately 30%, with most recurrences happening within 1 year. The presence of non‐PV AF foci significantly increased the AF recurrence risk after a second CA. When non‐PV AF foci were unmappable, the AF recurrence rate was extremely high.
Comparison of the feeding apparatus and diet of European sardines Sardina pilchardus of Atlantic and Mediterranean waters: ecological implications
Authors: Costalago D. , Garrido S. , Palomera I.
Published: April 2015

In this study, the feeding apparatus (gill rakers, GR) and the diet composition of European sardine Sardina pilchardus populations living in two contrasting environments were compared: the upwelling area off western Iberia and the comparatively less productive region of the north‐western Mediterranean Sea. The importance of local adaptations in the trophic ecology of this species was estimated. Sardina pilchardus from the Atlantic Iberian coast and from the north‐western Mediterranean Sea have clear differences in the feeding apparatus and diet compositions. Those from the Atlantic Iberian coast have significantly more GRs than S. pilchardus of the same size range in the Mediterranean Sea. While S. pilchardus from the Mediterranean Sea mostly depend on prey ranging between 750–1500 and 3000–4000 µm, corresponding mostly to cladocerans, decapods and copepods, those from the Atlantic depend on smaller prey (50–500 and 1000–1500 µm) that include phytoplankton and copepods, particularly during summer months, and S. pilchardus eggs during the winter. The marked difference between the trophic ecology of S. pilchardus in the two areas studied appears to have originated from different dietary strategies that the two populations have adopted in contrasting feeding environments. These differences are shown to profoundly affect the size and quality of prey consumed, and the effect of cannibalism on the populations.
Prevalence, Molecular Characterization and Antibiotic Susceptibility of Escherichia Coli Isolated from Duck Meat and Giblets
Authors: Darwish Wageh Sobhy , Eldin Walaa Fathy Saad , Eldesoky Kamal I.
Published: April 2015

Escherichia coli is one of the foodborne pathogens associated with several cases of human sickness. Duck meat is an excellent source of animal‐derived high quality proteins. This study was undertaken to investigate the possible transmission of diarrheagenic E. coli from consumption of duck meat and giblets. Additionally, expression of some virulence‐associated genes in the isolated E. coli serotypes was examined using polymerase chain reaction. Finally, antibiogram of the identified E. coli serotypes was also investigated.

E. coli could be isolated from the examined duck meat and giblets. Five serogroups could be identified, including E. coli O86, O127, O114, O26 and O78. Liver harbored the highest incidence of E. coli followed by gizzard, heart, spleen and muscle. Isolated E. coli serogroups harbored different virulent factors responsible for diarrhea and hemorrhage. Additionally, isolated E. coli serogroups showed marked low sensitivity or even resistance to the most common used antibiotics in Egypt.

Practical Applications

The results of this study declare that duck meat and giblets may be a possible source for transmission of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli to human. The isolated E. coli serotypes harbored various virulence‐associated genes, in particular those responsible for hemorrhage and toxin production. Additionally, the isolated serotypes showed variable degrees of antibiotic resistance. Accordingly, adoption of strict hygienic measures should be followed during preparation of ducks for human consumption. Additionally, efficient cooking of ducks and duck giblets must be considered before serving to human.
Living Legends: Students' Responses to an Intergenerational Life Review Writing Program
Authors: Chippendale Tracy , Boltz Marie
Published: April 2015

The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of participation in the Living Legends program upon health science students' image of older adults and interest in working with older people. A multisite quasi‐experimental control group design with a connected qualitative component was used. Program sites included three Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs) and one senior center. Health science students (n = 43) from two universities and two community colleges and community‐dwelling seniors (n = 39) participated in the program. A baseline questionnaire was used to ascertain demographic characteristics and prior type and amount of contact with older adults. The Image of Aging Scale and Likert‐style questions to measure interest in working with older adults were the primary outcome measures. Written responses to program experiences were also collected. Analysis of covariance was used to compare changes in Image of Aging subscale scores from pre‐ to posttest. Mean change in positive image of older adults subscale scores was 4.6 (SD = 4.4) for the intervention group and −0.6 (SD = 4.8) for the control group. The difference between groups was significant (F = 22.0, P < .001), and the effect size was large (Cohen's d = 1.07). Nine of the 22 students in the intervention group had a greater interest in working with seniors after the program. Qualitative themes that emerged included a positive and beneficial experience, life lessons, seeing the person beyond the visible, power of the written word, and shared lives. Living Legends is an effective program to enhance positive images of older adults in future healthcare professionals and may have a positive impact on some students with regard to interest in working with older adults.
Can Blood Pressure Be Lowered Safely in Older Adults with Lacunar Stroke? The Secondary Prevention of Small Subcortical Strokes Study Experience
Authors: White Carole L. , Szychowski Jeff M. , Pergola Pablo E. , Field Thalia S. , Talbert Robert , Lau Helena , Peri Kalyani , Benavente Oscar R. ,   the Secondary Prevention of Small Subcortical Strokes Study Investigators
Published: April 2015

Objectives

To determine safety and tolerability of lowering blood pressure in older adults with lacunar stroke.

Design

Cohort study.

Setting

The Secondary Prevention of Small Subcortical Strokes (SPS3) Trial, which compared the efficacy of two systolic blood pressure (SBP) targets (<130 mmHg and 130–149 mmHg) for secondary stroke prevention.

Participants

Of 3,020 SPS3 participants, 494 aged 75 and older at baseline were used in these analyses.

Measurements

Rates of side effects related to lowering SBP and clinical outcomes, including stroke recurrence and vascular death, were examined.

Results

Older participants achieved SBP levels similar to those of younger participants (mean SBP of 125 mmHg and 137 mmHg in lower and higher SBP target groups, respectively). At least once during the approximately 3.5 years of follow‐up, 21% reported dizziness, and 15% reported lightheadedness when standing; the only significant difference between the younger and older groups was unsteadiness when standing (23% vs 32% respectively, P < .001). There was no difference according to treatment group. In younger adults, recurrent stroke was less likely in the lower than the higher SBP group (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.77, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.59–1.01) but not in older participants (HR = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.59–1.73), although the interaction was not significant (P = .39). The lower SBP target was associated with a significant reduction in vascular death in older participants (HR = 0.42, 95% CI = 0.18–0.98), with a significant interaction between age and SBP group (P = .049).

Conclusion

Except for unsteadiness when standing, there was no difference according to age in individuals with lacunar stroke with respect to side effects potentially related to lowering blood pressure. Although the lower SBP target was not associated with lower likelihood of recurrent stroke, these exploratory analyses suggested a possible benefit related to vascular death.
Lanthionine ketimine ester provides benefit in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis
Authors: Dupree Jeffrey L. , Polak Paul E. , Hensley Kenneth , Pelligrino Dale , Feinstein Douglas L.
Published: April 2015

Lanthionine ketimine (LK) is a natural sulfur amino acid metabolite which binds to collapsin response mediator protein‐2 (CRMP2), an abundant brain protein that interacts with multiple partners to regulate microtubule dynamics, neurite growth and retraction, axonal transport, and neurotransmitter release. LK ethyl‐ester (LKE) is a cell‐permeable synthetic derivative that promotes neurogenesis, suppresses nitric oxide production from microglia, and reduces neurotoxicity of microglia‐conditioned medium. These properties led us to test the effects of LKE in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a commonly used mouse model of multiple sclerosis. Female C57Bl/6 mice were immunized with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein peptide 35–55 to develop a chronic disease. LKE was provided in the chow at 100 ppm, ad libitum beginning when the mice reached moderate clinical signs. Over the following 4 weeks the LKE‐treated mice showed a significant reduction in clinical signs compared to vehicle‐treated mice. LKE dose dependently reduced IFNγ production from splenic T cells, but had no effect on IL‐17 production suggesting protective effects were mediated within the CNS. Electron microscopy revealed that, compared to sham mice, EAE mice had significant neurodegeneration in both the optic nerve and spinal cord, which was reduced in the LKE‐treated mice. In contrast only minimal disruption of myelin was observed at this time point. In the optic nerve, measurements of axon caliber and myelin thickness showed little changes between sham and EAE mice, however, treatment with LKE increased the percentage of axons with thicker myelin and with larger axon calibers. In the spinal cord, only smaller effects of LKE on myelin thickness were observed. The effects of LKE were associated with a reduced relative level of phosphorylated CRMP2 to CRMP2. Together, these results demonstrate that LKE reduces neurodegeneration in a chronic EAE model of MS, which could have translation potential for treatment of progressive forms of MS.

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Only few drugs have been shown to reduce neurodegeneration in multiple sclerosis (MS). We report that LKE (lanthionine ketimine ethyl‐ester, a derivative of the amino acid lanthionine) reduced clinical signs in a mouse model of chronic MS, and also reduced neurodegeneration and axonal damage in the spinal cord and optic nerve (shown in the graphic). These effects were associated with changes in levels and phosphorylation state of CRMP2 (collapsin response mediator protein 2), which has known actions on axon growth. These findings suggest that LKE may be a candidate for testing in progressive forms of MS.
Are Preferential Agreements Significant for the World Trade Structure? A Network Community Analysis
Authors: Piccardi Carlo , Tajoli Lucia
Published: April 2015

We assess the impact of preferential trade agreements (PTAs) on the structure of world trade by looking for communities in the world trade network (WTN), and allowing the presence of preferential trade patterns to emerge endogenously. The finding of significant communities (as defined in the topology of the networks) would imply that trading countries are organized in groups of preferential partners. We use different approaches to analyze communities in the WTN between 1962 and 2008, but all methods agree in finding no evidence of a significant partition, supporting the view that the existing PTAs are not strongly distorting the geography of trade patterns, at least at the aggregate level.
Shakespeare and Masculinity
Authors: Feather Jennifer
Published: April 2015

The peculiar challenge posed by studying Shakespearean masculinity is its resistance to inquiry. Patriarchal ideologies function precisely by taking a specific form of male power, the power of the father, as neutral, given and, therefore, not an available object of study. Scholars have faced this challenge by examining masculinity at those very moments when it falters and fractures. The study of Shakespeare's male characters has an extensive history, and for much of that history, these characters were interesting and significant because they told us something about mankind, about human beings in general. Examining masculinity rather than men, scholars rethought the study of maleness as a feminist project and made a fertile space for historical study that draws out the contours of manliness in all its historical specificities. Such study lays the groundwork for new analyses that interrogate the association between masculine attributes and culturally valued forms of self. These analyses do more than simply question the dominance of men but propose alternative ideas of the masculine and alternative forms of human flourishing.
Long‐term spatial dynamics in vegetated seascapes: fragmentation and habitat loss in a human‐impacted subtropical lagoon
Authors: Santos Rolando O. , Lirman Diego , Pittman Simon J.
Published: April 2015

Vegetated coastal seascapes exhibit dynamic spatial patterning, some of which is directly linked to human coastal activities. Human activities (e.g. coastal development) have modified freshwater flow to marine environments, resulting in significant changes to submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) communities. Yet, very little is known about the spatially complex process of SAV habitat loss and fragmentation that affects ecosystem function. Using habitat mapping from aerial photography spanning 71 years (1938–2009) for Biscayne Bay (Florida, USA), we quantify both SAV habitat loss and fragmentation using a novel fragmentation index. To understand the influence of water management practices on SAV seascapes, habitat loss and fragmentation were compared between nearshore and offshore locations, as well as locations adjacent to and distant from canals that transport freshwater into the marine environment. Habitat loss and fragmentation were significantly higher along the shoreline compared with offshore seascapes. Nearshore habitats experienced a net loss of 3.31% of the total SAV mapped (2.57 km2) over the time series. While areas adjacent to canals had significantly higher SAV cover, they still experienced wide fluctuations in cover and fragmentation over time. All sites exhibited higher fragmentation in 2009 compared with 1938, with four sites exhibiting high fragmentation levels between the 1990s and 2000s. We demonstrate that freshwater inputs into coastal bays modify the amount of SAV and the fragmentation dynamics of SAV habitats. Spatial changes are greater close to shore and canals, indicating that these coastal developments have transformative impacts on vegetated habitats, with undetermined consequences for the provisioning of ecosystem goods and services.
Disclosing discourses: biomedical and hospitality discourses in patient education materials
Authors: Öresland Stina , Friberg Febe , Määttä Sylvia , Öhlen Joakim
Published: April 2015

Patient education materials have the potential to strengthen the health literacy of patients. Previous studies indicate that readability and suitability may be improved. The aim of this study was to explore and analyze discourses inherent in patient education materials since analysis of discourses could illuminate values and norms inherent in them. Clinics in Sweden that provided colorectal cancer surgery allowed access to written information and ‘welcome letters’ sent to patients. The material was analysed by means of discourse analysis, embedded in Derrida's approach of deconstruction. The analysis revealed a biomedical discourse and a hospitality discourse. In the biomedical discourse, the subject position of the personnel was interpreted as the messenger of medical information while that of the patients as the carrier of diagnoses and recipients of biomedical information. In the hospitality discourse, the subject position of the personnel was interpreted as hosts who invite and welcome the patients as guests. The study highlights the need to eliminate paternalism and fosters a critical reflective stance among professionals regarding power and paternalism inherent in health care communication.
Acid sensitivity of the spinal dorsal root ganglia C‐fiber nociceptors innervating the guinea pig esophagus
Authors: Ru F. , Banovcin P. , Kollarik M.
Published: April 2015

Background

Gastroesophageal reflux can cause high acidity in the esophagus and trigger heartburn and pain. However, because of the esophageal mucosal barrier, the acidity at the nerve terminals of pain‐mediating C‐fibers in esophageal mucosa is predicted to be substantially lower. We hypothesized that the esophageal dorsal root ganglia (DRG) C‐fibers are activated by mild acid (compared to acidic reflux), and express receptors and ion channels highly sensitive to acid.

Methods

Extracellular single unit recordings of activity originating in esophageal DRG C‐fiber nerve terminals were performed in the innervated esophagus preparation ex vivo. Acid was delivered in a manner that bypassed the esophageal mucosal barrier. The expression of mRNA for selected receptors in esophagus‐specific DRG neurons was evaluated using single cell RT‐PCR.

Key Results

Mild acid (pH = 6.5–5.5) activated esophageal DRG C‐fibers in a pH‐dependent manner. The response to mild acid at pH = 6 was not affected by the TRPV1 selective antagonist iodo‐resiniferatoxin. The majority (70–95%) of esophageal DRG C‐fiber neurons (TRPV1‐positive) expressed mRNA for acid sensing ion channels (ASIC1a, ASIC1b, ASIC2b, and/or ASIC3), two‐pore‐domain (K2P) potassium channel TASK1, and the proton‐sensing G‐protein coupled receptor OGR1. Other evaluated targets (PKD2L1, TRPV4, TASK3, TALK1, G2A, GPR4, and TDAG8) were expressed rarely.

Conclusions & Inferences

Guinea pig esophageal DRG C‐fibers are activated by mild acid via a TRPV1‐independent mechanism, and express mRNA for several receptors and ion channels highly sensitive to acid. The high acid sensitivity of esophageal C‐fibers may contribute to heartburn and pain in conditions of reduced mucosal barrier function.
Successful treatment of relapsed anaplastic large cell lymphoma with vinblastine monotherapy and allo‐HSCT with reduced intensity conditioning regimen
Authors: Miyagaki Satoshi , Imamura Toshihiko , Okumura Yoshiki , Ito Ikuyo , Fujiki Atsushi , Osone Shinya , Ishida Hiroyuki , Hosoi Hajime
Published: April 2015

Relapsed anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) is chemosensitive, but recurrence is common. Although vinblastine (VLB) monotherapy is an effective treatment for relapsed ALCL, the optimal treatment duration is unknown, and some patients experience further relapse after completing the treatment. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo‐HSCT) is also an effective treatment for relapsed ALCL, although transplant‐related toxicity is a problem. Here, we report an 11‐year‐old patient with relapsed ALCL who underwent induction therapy with VLB monotherapy and achieved complete remission (CR) after 12 courses. CR was confirmed on positron emission tomography–computed tomography. The patient then underwent allo‐HSCT with reduced intensity conditioning (fludarabine, melphalan, and low‐dose total body irradiation). He developed grade II acute graft‐versus‐host disease (GVHD), which was successfully treated with methylprednisolone. There was no evidence of chronic GVHD. He has remained in CR without any complications for 19 months after allo‐HSCT.
Latina Feminism, Experience and the Self
Authors: Ortega Mariana
Published: April 2015

The following paper discusses Latina feminist debates on selfhood and identity. Since work by Latina feminists is not widely recognized or studied within the discipline of philosophy, the aim of the first section of this paper is to provide a brief introduction to Chicana feminism as it has been and continues to be pivotal in the development of Latina feminism. Included in this section is an introduction to the work of celebrated Chicana theorist Gloria Anzaldúa who has played a major influence in the theories of selfhood and identity developed by Latina feminists discussed in this paper. The second section analyzes the work of key contemporary Latina philosophers and theorists and shows the manner in which these theorists are reclaiming the notion of experience.