bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Knowledge sharing mechanisms in the education
Authors: Charband Yeganeh , Jafari Navimipour Nima
Published: February 2018

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to provide a comprehensive and detailed review of the state-of-the-art mechanisms of knowledge sharing in the education field as well as directions for future research.

Design/methodology/approach

In the current study, a systematic literature review until June 2017 is presented, which has been on the education’s mechanisms of knowledge sharing. The authors identified 237 papers, which are reduced to 71 primary studies through the paper selection process.

Findings

By providing the state-of-the-art information, the challenges and issues, this survey will directly support academics, researchers and practicing professionals in their understanding of knowledge sharing developments in education.

Research limitations/implications

There are several limitations in this study. First, this study limited the search for articles to Google scholar and four online databases. There might be other academic journals, which may be able to provide a more comprehensive picture of the articles related to the knowledge sharing in education. Second, non-English publications were excluded from this study. The authors believe research regarding the application of knowledge sharing techniques have also been discussed and published in other languages. In addition, more studies need to be carried out using other methodologies such as interviews.

Originality/value

The paper presents a comprehensive structured literature review of the articles’ mechanisms of knowledge sharing in the education field. The paper’s findings can offer insights into future research needs.
Providing telecare for older adults: understanding the care navigators’ experience
Authors: Naick Madeline
Published: February 2018

Purpose

The provision of telecare for older adults in England is increasingly being facilitated by care navigators in the non-statutory sector. The purpose of this paper is to explore the experiences of care navigators when assessing older adults for telecare and to understand what contextual and organisational factors impact on their practice.

Design/methodology/approach

A purposeful sample of care navigators and telecare installers was selected. Care navigators were recruited from five non-statutory organisations. In order to provide an insight into telecare provision by this sector, telecare installers were also recruited. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 participants covering: role, training, assessment, reviews, installation, suitability, impact, aims, outcomes, and organisational structure. Interview data were analysed using the framework approach.

Findings

Five main themes emerged from the analysis: responsiveness, autonomy, knowledge exchange, evolving practice, and sustaining performance.

Research limitations/implications

This study included a small sample, and was only based in one local authority, focusing on the experience of care navigators in only one sector.

Practical implications

The findings suggest that strategic placement of care navigators could support the demand for telecare assessment to facilitate discharges from hospital. This study highlights the perception of home assessment as a gold standard of practice for care navigators. In order to develop a more sustainable model for care navigators’ capacity to work within hospital teams and provide home assessments needs further consideration.

Originality/value

This study is one of the first to explore the role of the care navigator and their involvement in the provision of telecare for older adults.
Heterocarpy in Salvia roemeriana (Lamiaceae)
Authors: Zona Scott , Harris Brittany
Published: February 2018

Although Salvia roemeriana has long been known to produce both chasmogamous and cleistogamous flowers, the mericarps resulting from those flowers have received little attention. We germinated seeds from chasmogamous and cleistogamous flowers, recorded germination times, and fit time‐to‐germination, three‐parameter log‐logistic regressions to analyze differences in germination progress. Additionally, we compared the mass and size of mericarps from both kinds of flowers. Our results show that the mericarps produced from chasmogamous flowers are larger and heavier than those from cleistogamous flowers. In addition, seeds from chasmogamous flowers had a longer dormancy than those from cleistogamous flowers. This is the first report of heterocarpy in Salvia and in the family Lamiaceae. Together, cleistogamy and heterocarpy are a multiple strategy that may be advantageous in heterogeneous environments.
Does Intensive Tillage Enhance Productivity and Reduce Risk Exposure? Panel Data Evidence from Smallholders’ Agriculture in Ethiopia
Authors: Abro Zewdu Ayalew , Jaleta Moti , Teklewold Hailemariam
Published: February 2018

We analyse the impact of intensity of tillage on wheat productivity and risk exposure using panel household‐plot level data from Ethiopia. In order to control for selection bias, we estimate a flexible moment‐based production function using an endogenous switching regression treatment effects model. We find that tillage has a complementary impact on productivity and risk exposure. As the intensity of tillage increases, productivity increases and farmers’ exposure to risk declines. Our results suggest that smallholder farmers use tillage as an ex‐ante risk management strategy. The main policy implication of this study is that the opportunity cost of switching to reduced tillage in wheat production seem rather high unless farmers are supported by appropriate incentive schemes.
Consumer Demand for Genetically Modified Rice in Urban China
Authors: Zheng Zhihao , Henneberry Shida R. , Sun Chuanzhong , Nayga Rodolfo M.
Published: February 2018

We investigate consumer demand for genetically modified (GM) rice in urban China, using a relatively large survey of urban consumers in 2013 and the contingent valuation method. Our results show that respondents discount their WTP for first, second and third generation of GM rice by 31%, 34% and 36%, respectively, compared with non‐GM rice, indicating substantial aversion to GM rice by Chinese consumers. The level of consumers’ subjective knowledge of GM rice has a significantly negative impact on their WTP for GM rice, implying that GM rice in China has become a ‘special food’ with an unreliable image.
Spatial dynamics and mixing of bluefin tuna in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea revealed using next‐generation sequencing
Authors: Puncher Gregory N. , Cariani Alessia , Maes Gregory E. , Van Houdt Jeroen , Herten Koen , Cannas Rita , Rodriguez‐Ezpeleta Naiara , Albaina Aitor , Estonba Andone , Lutcavage Molly , Hanke Alex , Rooker Jay , Franks James S. , Quattro Joseph M. , Basilone Gualtiero , Fraile Igaratza , Laconcha Urtzi , Goñi Nicolas , Kimoto Ai , Macías David , Alemany Francisco , Deguara Simeon , Zgozi Salem W. , Garibaldi Fulvio , Oray Isik K. , Karakulak Firdes Saadet , Abid Noureddine , Santos Miguel N. , Addis Piero , Arrizabalaga Haritz , Tinti Fausto
Published: February 2018

The Atlantic bluefin tuna is a highly migratory species emblematic of the challenges associated with shared fisheries management. In an effort to resolve the species’ stock dynamics, a genomewide search for spatially informative single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) was undertaken, by way of sequencing reduced representation libraries. An allele frequency approach to SNP discovery was used, combining the data of 555 larvae and young‐of‐the‐year (LYOY) into pools representing major geographical areas and mapping against a newly assembled genomic reference. From a set of 184,895 candidate loci, 384 were selected for validation using 167 LYOY. A highly discriminatory genotyping panel of 95 SNPs was ultimately developed by selecting loci with the most pronounced differences between western Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea LYOY. The panel was evaluated by genotyping a different set of LYOY (n = 326), and from these, 77.8% and 82.1% were correctly assigned to western Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea origins, respectively. The panel revealed temporally persistent differentiation among LYOY from the western Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea (FST = 0.008, p = .034). The composition of six mixed feeding aggregations in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea was characterized using genotypes from medium (n = 184) and large (n = 48) adults, applying population assignment and mixture analyses. The results provide evidence of persistent population structuring across broad geographic areas and extensive mixing in the Atlantic Ocean, particularly in the mid‐Atlantic Bight and Gulf of St. Lawrence. The genomic reference and genotyping tools presented here constitute novel resources useful for future research and conservation efforts.
Treatment of semen samples with α‐chymotrypsin alters the expression pattern of sperm functional proteins—a pilot study
Authors: Panner Selvam M. K. , Agarwal A. , Sharma R. , Samanta L.
Published: February 2018

Semen hyperviscosity delays the liquefaction of semen sample and is subjected to limited proteolysis by addition of α‐chymotrypsin to reduce the viscosity. α‐Chymotrypsin is a proteolytic enzyme involved in degradation of the proteins and polypeptides. Even though α‐chymotrypsin improves the handling of hyperviscous samples, its effect on the sperm proteins is not clear. This study was aimed to evaluate the alteration in the expression of sperm functional proteins in samples treated with α‐chymotrypsin. Among all the proteins examined in both donor and patient samples, HSPA2 (70 KDa), BAG6 (150 KDa), HIST1H2BA (14 KDa), SPA17 (17 KDa formed after cleavage of C‐terminal calmodulin‐binding domain), and OXPHOS complexes were undetectable in α‐chymotrypsin‐treated samples, while the expression of the native SPA17 (20 KDa) was significantly decreased in the α‐chymotrypsin‐treated samples in comparison with controls. The use of α‐chymotrypsin for liquefaction of hyperviscous samples degrades functional proteins of spermatozoa. Intracellular proteins, such as OXPHOS complexes and HIST1H2BA, and sperm surface proteins (HSPA2, BAG6, and SPA17) were degraded in all treated samples. Whether treatment of samples with α‐chymotrypsin affects the global proteomic outcome is unclear. More in‐depth calibration studies are required to determine the appropriate concentration of α‐chymotrypsin for processing hyperviscous semen samples without compromising its protein expression and function. Similarly, the effects of altered protein function on assisted reproductive techniques (ART), such as intrauterine insemination (IUI) and in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcome, are not known and require further research.
Long‐term visual outcome in a Danish population of patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension
Authors: Hatem Christina F. , Yri Hanne M. , Sørensen Anne L. , Wegener Marianne , Jensen Rigmor H. , Hamann Steffen
Published: February 2018

Purpose

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is characterized by raised intracranial pressure (ICP), normal cerebrospinal composition and exclusion of alternative causes to increased ICP. The aim of this study was to evaluate long‐term visual outcome in a Danish population of IIH patients.

Methods

Retrospective chart review of 41 women diagnosed with IIH between June 2007 and March 2013. Best‐corrected visual acuity (BCVA), colour vision, grade and type of visual field (VF) defects and grade of papilloedema according to the Modified Frisén Score were recorded at baseline visit (V0), 2–6 months (V1) and 13 months follow‐up visit (V2) from time of diagnosis.

Results

Best‐corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was reduced in 25% of eyes at V0, in 10% at V1 and in 15% at V2. Colour vision was barely affected. Visual field (VF) was affected (>grade 0) in 87% of eyes at V0 and VF defect grade significantly improved by 0.58 at V1 (p‐value <0.0001) and by 0.55 at V2 (p‐value <0.001). The most common type of VF defect at V0 was a nerve fibre layer defect (56.4%), and the second most common type was an enlarged blind spot (20.5%). There was no correlation between BCVA and VF defect type. Mean grade of papilloedema decreased from 2.2 at V0 to 0.5 at V2. The grade of papilloedema at V2 was not significantly related to the severity of papilloedema at V0 (p‐values 0.65 and 0.48).

Conclusion

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is associated with long‐term loss of visual function, and relevant treatment strategies need to be improved.
Consistency in land‐cover mapping: Influence of field workers, spatial scale and classification system
Authors: Ullerud Heidrun A. , Bryn Anders , Halvorsen Rune , Hemsing Lars Østbye
Published: February 2018

Questions

Land‐cover maps are used for nature management, but can they be trusted? This study addresses three questions: (1) what is the magnitude of between field worker inconsistencies in land‐cover maps and what may cause such inconsistencies; (2) in which ways and to what extent do spatial scale and mapping system influence inconsistencies between maps; and (3) are some biomes mapped more consistently than others, and if so, why?

Location

Gravfjellet, Øystre Slidre municipality, southern Norway.

Methods

Two different mapping systems, designed for mapping at different spatial scales, were used for parallel mapping by three different field workers, giving a total of six maps for the study area. Spatial consistency of the resulting maps was compared at two hierarchical levels for both systems.

Results

The average pair‐wise spatial consistency at the highest hierarchical level was 83% for both systems, while the average pair‐wise spatial consistency at the lowest hierarchical level was 60.3% for the coarse system and 43.8% for the detailed system. Inconsistencies between maps were partly caused by the use of different land‐cover units and partly by spatial displacement.

Conclusions

Field workers made different maps despite using the same mapping systems, materials and methods. The differences were larger at lower hierarchical levels in the mapping systems and increased strongly with system complexity. Consistency among field workers should be estimated as a standard quality indicator in all field‐based mapping programmes.
Children with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibodies‐associated disease: relation of phenotypes to central nervous system myelin maturation
Authors: Kuroda Hiroshi , Fujihara Kazuo
Published: February 2018

This commentary on the original article by Hacohen et al. on pages 417–423 of this issue.
Fifty years of colic surgery
Authors: Freeman D. E.
Published: February 2018

Colic surgery is one of few treatments in which a veterinarian can use a skill to save an animal's life from a deadly disease within a short timeframe. Unfortunately, such success is not achieved without considerable risk for surgical failure, which is responsible for most complications in the immediate post‐operative period. The last 50 years have witnessed considerable improvements in colic surgery, although a ranking of the most important ones might not meet with universal agreement. Teamwork plays a critical role in the final outcome, starting and finishing with the referring veterinarian and owner. These individuals are responsible for promptly transferring the horse to a surgical facility and then dealing with aftercare and delayed complications. The surgeon is responsible for the intervening steps, including the decision on the need for surgery, and works with the anaesthesiologist to help a metabolically challenged patient to tolerate surgery and anaesthesia. Although early referral and improved diagnostic procedures can have a positive influence on survival, perceived improvements in surgery and anaesthesia need to be reviewed with some circumspection. Although more rigorous definitions and statistical analyses used in recent studies can invalidate comparisons with older studies, complication rates appear to be on the rise, despite putative improvements in dealing with them. This trend tends to diminish the value of colic surgery through increasing costs, overreliance on post‐operative pharmacological management, growing pessimism, high rates of intraoperative euthanasia, and possibly reduced long‐term survival. Future efforts should address these concerns, mostly through emphasis on prompt referral, good surgical technique and reducing the cost of colic surgery to an affordable level that saves more lives.
Marital Benefits of Daily Individual and Conjoint Exercise Among Older Couples
Authors: Yorgason Jeremy B. , Johnson Lee N. , Hill Melanie S. , Selland Bailey
Published: February 2018

Objective

To examine daily patterns of exercise among older husbands and wives, as well as how conjoint exercise was related to daily marital functioning outcomes.

Background

Healthy lifestyle practices are becoming more common as people prepare to live healthily into their later years. Exercise may provide unique relationship benefits for individuals and couples.

Method

The sample of 191 older couples was drawn from the broader Life and Family Legacies Study, and the present study included data from across 14 days. Multivariate multilevel models were estimated in SAS using the Proc Mixed procedure to examine associations between exercise and daily positive marital events, daily negative marital events, and satisfaction with daily marital interactions.

Results

Individual exercise on a given day was associated with more positive marital events and higher daily marital satisfaction; patterns in these results were more consistent for wives than for husbands. Conjoint exercise on a given day was also associated with nearly all marital outcomes for both husbands and wives.

Conclusion

Exercise may provide unique relationship benefits for individuals and couples. Results indicated that relationships benefit from both individual and especially conjoint couple exercise.

Implications

Couples who exercise conjointly may experience more positive marital interactions.
Creating home: Intersections of memory and identity
Authors: Ratnam Charishma
Published: February 2018

The concepts of memory, identity, and place form key debates in geographical literature because they link people to place. Memory incorporates narratives of the past that are articulated in the present day and can inform the way identities are constructed. The intersections of memory and identity can prompt us to think about how we experience and/or have experienced place(s). In this review, I trace discussions that position memory and identity as meta‐concepts that coalesce with the home and home‐building practices. I situate this discussion in and around the home because the home is commonly our most frequented place. It is a place where our person‐place bonds develop through everyday encounters and practices. I explore how memory, identity, and place have been broached in the home by using more‐than‐representational approaches. I have turned to more‐than‐representational theory to flesh out how enactments and encounters with objects and other materialities in the home demonstrate agency and connections to the home, which are indicative of memory and identity in action. Sensory and material encounters provoke remembrances and identifications with home(lands) through objects, people, food, and places that hold particular resonance among migrants.
Justice Department wants Citizenship Question for 2020 Census
Authors: Tarran Brian
Published: February 2018

Late addition to questionnaire could negatively impact response rates, especially among immigrants, warn ASA and others
Data, Debt and Disaster in Puerto Rico
Authors: Langkjær-Bain Robert
Published: February 2018

Mario Marazzi is fighting to make quality, independent statistics a major priority in Puerto Rico as the island struggles to recover from natural and economic crises. by Robert Langkjær-Bain
Lawnmowers Versus Terrorists
Authors: Fenton Norman , Neil Martin , Thieme Nick
Published: February 2018

The Royal Statistical Society's first ‘International Statistic of the Year’ has sparked debate. Norman Fenton and Martin Neil argue against the choice of winner, while Nick Thieme writes in favour
Connecting Statistical Brains
Authors: Canale Antonio , Durante Daniele , Paci Lucia , Scarpa Bruno
Published: February 2018

Twenty-eight early-career researchers in statistics, with the support of seven international professors, were given 48 hours to propose methods for state-of-the-art data analysis in neuroscience. Antonio Canale, Daniele Durante, Lucia Paci and Bruno Scarpa report from the scene
Scala Civium: Citizenship Templates Post‐Brexit and the European Union's Duty to Protect EU Citizens
Authors: Kostakopoulou Dora
Published: February 2018

Brexit opened the way for the ‘restoration’ of British sovereignty and, if an EEA model (or an EEA‐like model) is not chosen following the activation of Article 50 TEU, EU citizens settled in the UK will be requested to apply for either UK nationality or permanent leave to remain. The same applies to UK nationals residing in other Member States who will lose their EU citizenship status. Unexpectedly, 3.9 million EU citizens have been transformed into ‘guests’ or ‘foreigners’ in communities they call ‘their own’. Although naturalization in the state of residence might be seen to furnish a secure and fully recognized status for EU citizens, I argue that it is not an adequate policy option. The conceptual differences between national and EU citizenships are immense. In this article I explore the advantages and disadvantages of possible citizenship templates and propose an ‘EU protected citizen’ status for EU citizens.
Factors associated with delayed referral for infantile hemangioma necessitating propranolol
Authors: Onnis G. , Dreyfus I. , Mazereeuw‐Hautier J.
Published: February 2018

Background

Oral propranolol is the gold standard to treat infantile hemangiomas. There is better efficacy and a lower risk of sequelae if therapy is started before the end of the growth phase, but most children are referred too late. Herein, we report the first study to investigate the delay and its associated factors when referring infants with infantile hemangiomas that need propranolol therapy.

Objectives

The primary objective was to determine the delay in referral (time between age at referral [first phone contact] and the optimal age for referral (fixed at 75 days). The second objective was to determine the impact of weighted factors associated with delayed referral assessed by logistic regression performed on two subgroups (referral ≤75 vs. >75 days).

Methods

Monocentric, retrospective, observational study included infants with infantile hemangiomas treated with oral propranolol between August 2014 and May 2017.

Results

Eighty‐two children (83% females) were included. Before referral, 81 (99%) children had seen another physician (a paediatrician in 67% of cases). Median age at referral was 99 days [2–478] and 63% phoned after 75 days. Median age at the first visit was 111 days [2–515], and median age when propranolol was started was 128 days [32–541]. After adjustment, in multivariate analyses, location on the lips (OR (CI 95%): 4.21[1.19–14.89]) and superficial hemangioma (OR (CI 95%): 4.19 [1.55–11.34]) emerged as the most significant factors to influence referral before 75 days.

Conclusions

This study adds to our understanding regarding delayed referral and has identified targets for future information campaigns.
EMERGING DISCOURSE INCUBATOR: The Roles of Institutional Complexity and Hybridity in Social Impact Supply Chain Management
Authors: Pullman Madeleine , Longoni Annachiara , Luzzini Davide
Published: February 2018

Supply chain research and practice has moved beyond green or environmental issues to include social issues. But much of the focus still remains on attempts of large companies to reduce social harm along their supply chains rather than creating social good. At the same time, research investigating the role of NGOs in supply chains or humanitarian logistics often emphasizes temporary initiatives and overlooks long‐term viability. This conceptual paper seeks to expand the playing field by looking at how social enterprises manage their supply chains to generate social benefit while maintaining or improving their financial viability in the long term. Our contribution is to consider those socially motivated organizations that lie on the continuum between purely social and purely commercial enterprises. We consider how these organizations manage their supply chains for social impact and define this area as social impact supply chain management (SISCM). In this work, we view these organizations and managerial issues through the lens of institutional complexity, that is, the presence of multiple and possibly conflicting institutional logics in the focal organization. We propose that, for these organizations, supply chain strategy, stakeholder identification and engagement, and relationship management might differentiate SISCM from traditional supply chain management. And as a result, we offer future research directions that might add clarity to effective SISCM.
Effects of naloxegol on whole gut transit in opioid‐naïve healthy subjects receiving codeine: A randomized, controlled trial
Authors: Halawi H. , Vijayvargiya P. , Busciglio I. , Oduyebo I. , Khemani D. , Ryks M. , Rhoten D. , Burton D. , Szarka L. A. , Acosta A. , Camilleri M.
Published: February 2018

Background

Nausea, vomiting, and constipation (OIC) are common adverse effects of acute or chronic opioid use. Naloxegol (25 mg) is an approved peripherally active mu‐opiate opioid receptor antagonist.

Aim

To compare the effects on pan‐gut transit of treatment with codeine, naloxegol, or combination in healthy volunteers.

Methods

We conducted a randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, single‐center, parallel‐group study in 72 healthy opioid‐naïve adults, randomized to: codeine (30 mg q.i.d.), naloxegol (25 mg daily), codeine and naloxegol, or matching placebo. During 3 days of treatment, we measured gastric emptying (GE) T1/2, colonic filling at 6 hours (CF6), colonic geometric center at 24 and 48 hours, and ascending colon emptying (ACE) T1/2.

Key Results

Participants were 59.7% women, median BMI 25.0 kg/m2, and median age 33.8 years. Codeine significantly retarded GE T1/2, CF6, overall colonic transit, and ACE T1/2. There was significant difference (P = .026) in GE T1/2 between codeine (144.0 min [IQR 110.5‐238.6]) and naloxegol (95.5 min [89.1‐135.4]). There was a significant overall group difference in CF6 (P = .023), with significant difference (P = .019) between codeine (11.0% [0.0‐45.0]) and naloxegol (51% [18.8‐76.2]). However, no significant differences were found between codeine‐treated participants concomitantly receiving placebo or naloxegol.

Conclusions and Inferences

Short‐term administration of naloxegol (25 mg) in healthy, opioid‐naïve volunteers does not reverse the retardation of gastric, small bowel, or colonic transit induced by acute administration of codeine. Further studies with naloxegol at higher dose are warranted to assess the ability to reverse the retardation of transit caused by acute administration of codeine in opioid‐naïve subjects.
Simulation of growth and yield of various irrigated rice (Oryza sativa L.) genotypes by AquaCrop under different seedling ages
Authors: Seyed Raoufi Roxana , Soufizadeh Saeid , Amiri Larijani Bahman , AghaAlikhani Majid , Kambouzia Jafar
Published: February 2018

The ability of AquaCrop was explored in simulating growth and development of irrigated rice genotypes under various seedling ages. Experiments were conducted in 2008 and 2009 in Amol, Iran. Local and improved cultivars were chosen (Tarom, Ghaem, and Fajr) and planted under various seedling ages. Results showed that AquaCrop simulated the rice growth and yield with reasonable accuracy. The model could follow the same order in simulated grain yield. However, the model had tendency toward slight overestimation of dry matter early in the season. AquaCrop could not capture the senescence of rice genotypes of the oldest seedling age very well and tended to keep leaves green for a longer period. The canopy cover (CC) of improved cutivars was simulated satisfactorily. Overall, it was concluded that AquaCrop is a good tool to simulate the behavior of various rice genotypes, especially improved ones, for management practices established upon seedling age variability.

Recommendations for Resource Managers

AquaCrop‐Rice is a practical and strong while easy‐to‐run crop simulation model that could be used successfully by extension services and farmers for decision making on their best‐management practices.

AquaCrop is able to simulate successfully the effect of variability in seedling age on rice, an important management option by farmers, especially under variable starting window of the growing season in coastal regions with higher climate variability.

AquaCrop can successfully capture genotypic variability in rice, which points to its capability to be used for deciding on best rice genotype in a region yielding in higher resource use efficiency.
Combination of the best pacing configuration and atrioventricular and interventricular delays optimization in cardiac resynchronization therapy
Authors: Socie Pierre , Squara Fabien , Semichon Marc , Thomas Olivier , Khemache Alain , Riccini Philippe , Squara Pierre , Algalarrondo Vincent , Moubarak Ghassan
Published: February 2018

Background

Cardiac resynchronization therapy optimization can be pursued by left ventricular pacing vector selection and atrioventricular (AV) and interventricular (VV) delays optimization. The combination of these methods and its comparison with multipoint pacing (MPP) is scarcely studied.

Methods

Using noninvasive cardiac output (CO) measurement, the best of five left ventricular pacing vectors was determined, then AV and VV delays optimization was applied on top of the best vector. Response to the optimization protocol was defined as a >5% CO increase compared to the standard biventricular configuration.

Results

Twenty‐two patients (18 men, age 71 ± 9 years) were included. Standard biventricular configuration increased CO compared to baseline (4.65 ± 1.55 L/min vs 4.27 ± 1.53 L/min, respectively, P = 0.02). The best quadripolar configuration increased CO to 4.85 ± 1.67 L/min (P = 0.03 compared to the standard biventricular configuration). AV then VV delay optimization both provided additional benefit (final CO 5.56 ± 2.03 L/min, P = 0.001 compared to the best quadripolar configuration). Fifteen (68%) patients responded to the optimization protocol. Anatomical MPP (based on maximal anatomical separation between electrodes) and electrical MPP (based on maximal electrical activation difference between electrodes) were evaluated in 16 patients and yielded a CO similar to that of the optimization procedure.

Conclusions

The combination of choosing the best quadripolar pacing configuration and optimizing atrioventricular and interventricular delays resulted in an improvement of cardiac output compared to standard biventricular stimulation in 68% of patients. The final cardiac output was comparable to multipoint pacing.
Acquired long QT syndrome and torsade de pointes
Authors: El‐Sherif Nabil , Turitto Gioia , Boutjdir Mohamed
Published: February 2018

Since its initial description by Jervell and Lange‐Nielsen in 1957, the congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS) has been the most investigated cardiac ion channelopathy. Although congenital LQTS continues to remain the domain of cardiologists, cardiac electrophysiologists, and specialized centers, the by far more frequent acquired drug‐induced LQTS is the domain of all physicians and other members of the health care team who are required to make therapeutic decisions. This report will review the electrophysiological mechanisms of LQTS and torsade de pointes, electrocardiographic characteristics of acquired LQTS, its clinical presentation, management, and future directions in the field.
Repeated mating with the same male increases female longevity and fecundity in a polyandrous leaf beetle Galerucella birmanica (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)
Authors: Wang Luyao , Meng Min , Wang Yongmo
Published: February 2018

Female multiple mating (polyandry) is widespread across Insecta, even if mating can be costly to females. To explain the evolution and maintenance of polyandry, several hypotheses, mainly focusing on the material (direct) and/or the genetic (indirect) benefits, have been proposed and empirically tested in many species. Considering only the direct benefits, repeatedly‐mated females are expected to exhibit the same fitness as multiply‐mated females under the same mating frequency. In the present study, we compare the fitness of females received monandrous repeated mating (MM) and polyandrous multiple mating (PM) in a polyandrous leaf beetle Galerucella birmanica and assess female mate preference with regard to polyandry or monandry. Our data indicate that the longevity and the egg‐laying duration of MM females are significantly longer than that of PM females. MM females produce significantly more hatched eggs than PM females over their lifetime under the same mating frequency, which results from the high hatching rate of eggs produced by MM females. PM females mated with novel virgin males in the second mating suffer decreased longevity and lifetime fecundity compared with PM females mated with novel mated males in the second mating. Once‐mated females are more likely to re‐mate with familiar males than novel males. By contrast to expectations, the results of the present study suggest that repeated mating provides females with more direct benefits than multiple mating in G. birmanica, and females prefer to re‐mate with familiar males. The possible causes of this finding are discussed.
Porphyry Copper Potential in Japan Based on Magmatic Oxidation State
Authors: Hattori Keiko
Published: February 2018

The formation of large porphyry Cu deposits requires shallow intrusion of felsic stocks that are injected into the focused sites of the mineralization. The parental magmas for these igneous rocks are oxidized, with a fO2 above FMQ + 2 (2 logarithmic units above fO2 of fayalite‐magnetite‐quartz buffer), which enables the magmas to transport large amounts of S and metals. The Japanese islands contain continental and island‐arc magmatic belts of various ages, from Mesozoic to recent, that were formed in response to westward subduction of oceanic plates. Mesozoic–Paleocene magmatism formed arcs on the eastern margin of Eurasia before the opening of the Sea of Japan. The back‐arc rifting that formed the Sea of Japan separated these igneous rocks from Eurasia, with their relics exposed as volcano–plutonic belts in Japan. Among these, the San‐in belt is the only representative of an upper crustal section that includes magnetite‐bearing granitic rocks. The opening of the Sea of Japan was accompanied by the asthenospheric mantle upwelling and eruption of oceanic magma. This was followed by extensive Miocene submarine volcanic activity that formed the Green Tuff belt. The current configuration of the Japanese islands was established in Pliocene. Young arcs, such as the Kuril, Izu‐Bonin, and Ryukyu arcs, are largely composed of mafic magmas, with accompanying asthenospheric upwelling in back‐arc extension. As the asthenospheric mantle and associated magmas have a reduced fO2, below FMQ (fayalite‐magnetite‐quartz buffer), continual upwelling of asthenospheric mantle creates limited areas of potential porphyry Cu mineralization in Japanese islands. Possible prospective areas include young stratovolcanoes in Honshu and Kyushu islands. Fertile rocks that may be associated with porphyry Cu mineralization can be identified by evaluating their magmatic oxidation conditions through mineralogical and mineral chemistry studies.
Prevention of hypophosphatemia during continuous renal replacement therapy—An overlooked problem
Authors: Heung Michael , Mueller Bruce A.
Published: February 2018

Hypophosphatemia is a common and potentially serious complication occurring during continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). Phosphate supplementation is required in the vast majority of patients undergoing CRRT, particularly beyond the first 48 hours. Supplementation can be provided either as a standalone oral or parenteral treatment or as an additive to CRRT solutions. Each approach has advantages and disadvantages, and clinicians must weigh the individual factors most relevant in their practice setting. Currently there are no consensus protocols for phosphate replacement in CRRT, and many centers replete phosphate in response to hypophosphatemia as opposed to pre‐emptively. Repletion protocols have also been challenged in recent years by shortages in injectable phosphate solutions. More recently a commercially available phosphate‐containing CRRT solution was approved in the United States, but there has been limited clinical experience with this product. In this review, we present recommendations for phosphate repletion in CRRT to prevent hypophosphatemia, and describe our experience using phosphate‐containing CRRT solutions.
Sixty years after Titmuss: New findings on occupational welfare in Europe
Authors: Natali David , Keune Maarten , Pavolini Emmanuele , Seeleib‐Kaiser Martin
Published: February 2018

Following the seminal work of Richard Titmuss, who coined the term occupational welfare (OW) 60 years ago, the article approaches OW provision in Europe today. We first define OW as the sum of extra‐statutory social benefits and services provided by employers and/or trade unions as a result of employment. We then look at its recent evolution: OW expenditure and coverage have been increasing significantly in Europe since the 1990s. While pensions are still the main policy area of OW, the latter has also advanced in other social protection areas (e.g., health insurance, reconciliation). This has led to four different ideal types of OW—defined on the base of their organizing principle (voluntarism vs. collectivism) and the level of OW scheme coverage and expenditure. By looking at the main drivers of OW, the analysis has found no evidence of a “crowding out” effect between public welfare and OW. Collective bargaining, national political economy, and the timing of reforms prove to be important factors explaining the OW development. As for the present and future of OW, dualization is a major risk. At present, the main fault lines created by OW follow sectoral, industry, company size, and occupational group lines. To avoid the worsening of inequalities originated by OW, even in those countries which were able in the past to avoid dualization, strong industrial relations may play a key role. The article concludes with some suggestions on the agenda of future OW research.
Dualization and the access to occupational family‐friendly working‐time arrangements across Europe
Authors: Chung Heejung
Published: February 2018

This article examines outsiders' relative access to occupational level family‐friendly policies. I use data from the European Working Conditions Survey of 2015 across 30 European countries examining workers' access to two types of family‐friendly working‐time arrangements (WTAs): flexitime, and time off work for personal reasons. The article focuses on women with care responsibilities given that their demands for family‐friendly policies, as well as their outcomes, have been shown to be distinct from the rest of the working population. In addition to the outsider definition used in the labor market dualization and occupational segmentation literature, i.e., low‐skilled workers and those without a permanent contract, this article also defines outsiders as those perceiving their job as insecure. The results of the analysis show a segmentation between workers in their access to family‐friendly policies. Unlike statutory policies, occupational policies seem to be selectively provided mostly to workers where employers have a vested interest, i.e., insiders, resulting in a dualized system for most countries. However, rather than their contract status, the skill‐level of the job/workers, and their perceived insecurity were found to be important. The results further show that although Northern European and some continental European countries are those where family‐friendly WTAs are more readily available, it is in these countries where the division between insiders and outsiders is the greatest. The results of the article contribute to the literature by showing a need to move beyond the national level when examining family‐friendly policies, and to examine a more diverse definition of outsiders when examining dualization of working conditions.
At the heart of the Nordic occupational welfare model: Occupational welfare trajectories in Sweden and Denmark
Authors: Greve Bent
Published: February 2018

Sweden and Denmark are countries with a strong tradition of the involvement of labor market partners in welfare policies, and this begs the question whether this influences the development of occupational welfare. This article depicts the reasons for, and the development of, occupational welfare, especially in relation to pensions, sickness benefit, and parental leave. The interaction between an in principle universal tax‐financed welfare state and the use of occupational welfare, often supported using fiscal welfare, implies a deviation from the Nordic model, as universality is no longer guaranteed. The article further raises the issue of whether this will increase inequality because of the dualization on the labor market, and whether Sweden and Denmark are similar or dissimilar in relation to the development in the use of, and the impact of, occupational welfare. Lastly, the article discusses the fact that occupational welfare might mitigate the consequence of retrenchment by passing on expenditures to employers. Thus, arguing that an increase in occupational welfare is due to the gradual reduction in welfare state benefits, and that trade unions' strength has influenced the level. The conclusion of the article is that what social partners thought of as a supplement has now moved the Nordic welfare states away from their universal approach.
Arabidopsis replication factor C4 is critical for DNA replication during the mitotic cell cycle
Authors: Qian Jie , Chen Yueyue , Hu Ying , Deng Yingtian , Liu Yang , Li Gang , Zou Wenxuan , Zhao Jie
Published: February 2018

Replication factor C (RFC) is a conserved eukaryotic complex consisting of RFC1/2/3/4/5. It plays important roles in DNA replication and the cell cycle in yeast and fruit fly. However, it is not very clear how RFC subunits function in higher plants, except for the Arabidopsis (At) subunits AtRFC1 and AtRFC3. In this study, we investigated the functions of AtRFC4 and found that loss of function of AtRFC4 led to an early sporophyte lethality that initiated as early as the elongated zygote stage, all defective embryos arrested at the two‐ to four‐cell embryo proper stage, and the endosperm possessed six to eight free nuclei. Complementation of rfc4‐1/+ with AtRFC4 expression driven through the embryo‐specific DD45pro and ABI3pro or the endosperm‐specific FIS2pro could not completely restore the defective embryo or endosperm, whereas a combination of these three promoters in rfc4‐1/+ enabled the aborted ovules to develop into viable seeds. This suggests that AtRFC4 functions simultaneously in endosperm and embryo and that the proliferation of endosperm is critical for embryo maturation. Assays of DNA content in rfc4‐1/+ verified that DNA replication was disrupted in endosperm and embryo, resulting in blocked mitosis. Moreover, we observed a decreased proportion of late S‐phase and M‐phase cells in the rfc4‐1/–FIS2;DD45;ABI3pro::AtRFC4 seedlings, suggesting that incomplete DNA replication triggered cell cycle arrest in cells of the root apical meristem. Therefore, we conclude that AtRFC4 is a crucial gene for DNA replication.
Mechanistic Features of the Enterococcal pCF10 Sex Pheromone Response and the Biology of Enterococcus faecalis in Its Natural Habitat
Authors: Breuer Rebecca J. , Hirt Helmut , Dunny Gary M.
Published: February 2018

Conjugative transfer of plasmids in enterococci is promoted by intercellular communication using peptide pheromones. The regulatory mechanisms that control transfer have been extensively studied
in vitro
. However, the complicated systems that regulate the spread of these plasmids did not evolve in the laboratory test tube, and remarkably little is known about this form of signaling in the intestinal tract, the primary niche of these organisms. Because the evolution of
Enterococcus faecalis
strains and their coresident pheromone-inducible plasmids, such as pCF10, have occurred in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, it is important to consider the functions controlled by pheromones in light of this ecology. This review summarizes our current understanding of the pCF10-encoded pheromone response. We consider how selective pressures in the natural environment may have selected for the complex and very tightly regulated systems controlling conjugation, and we pay special attention to the ecology of enterococci and the pCF10 plasmid as a gut commensal. We summarize the results of recent studies of the pheromone response at the single-cell level, as well as those of the first experiments demonstrating a role for pheromone signaling in plasmid transfer and in GI tract competitive fitness. These results will serve as a foundation for further
in vivo
studies that could lead to novel interventions to reduce opportunistic infections and the spread of antibiotic resistance.
Induction of Interferon Kappa in Human Papillomavirus 16 Infection by Transforming Growth Factor Beta-Induced Promoter Demethylation
Authors: Woodby Brittany L. , Songock William K. , Scott Matthew L. , Raikhy Gaurav , Bodily Jason M.
Published: February 2018

Persistent high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the major causal factor in cervical and other anogenital cancers. Because there are currently no therapeutics capable of preventing neoplastic progression of HPV infections, understanding the mechanisms of HPV-mediated persistence, including immune evasion, is a major research priority. The multifunctional growth factor transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) has been shown to inhibit expression of early viral transcripts from cells harboring integrated HPV genomes or cells infected with retroviruses expressing HPV oncoproteins. However, the mechanism of TGFβ-induced inhibition has not been fully defined. In this study, we have observed a previously uncharacterized ability of TGFβ to repress the differentiation-induced upregulation of late HPV16 gene expression. In addition, interferon kappa (IFN-κ), a keratinocyte-specific, constitutively expressed cytokine suppressed by differentiation, can be transcriptionally induced by TGFβ1. TGFβ-mediated IFN-κ transcription only occurs in cells containing HPV16, and this is due to TGFβ1-mediated reversal of HPV-induced methylation of the IFN-κ promoter through active DNA demethylation mediated by thymine DNA glycosylase (TDG). This novel interaction between growth factor and innate immune signaling may shed light on the mechanisms of HPV persistence and how the virus manipulates both immune and growth factor signaling to promote its life cycle.

IMPORTANCE
Persistent infection by high-risk HPVs is the primary risk factor for development of HPV-induced cancers. Persistence involves viral evasion of the immune response, including the IFN response. HPV is also known to suppress TGFβ signaling, which inhibits viral gene expression. Here, we show that the TGFβ and IFN pathways are interrelated in the context of HPV16 infection through the upregulation of IFN-κ by TGFβ. The ability of TGFβ to induce IFN-κ promoter demethylation and transcriptional activation provides a new explanation for why HPV has evolved mechanisms to inhibit TGFβ in infected cells.