bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Narrative in nursing research: an overview of three approaches
Authors: Casey Briege , Proudfoot Denise , Corbally Melissa
Published: January 2016

Aim

The aim of this paper is to present and discuss three popular narrative research approaches which have been successfully used by the authors in nursing research. Examples of each approach are offered to illustrate potential application in healthcare contexts.

Background

The creation, function and interpretation of narratives are of increasing interest to nurse researchers worldwide. Currently a variety of narrative research approaches are used to explore how people make sense of experience. While this diversity adds to the richness and scope of the methodology, practitioners new to narrative research may struggle in determining which approach best suits their research purposes and contexts.

Design

This discussion paper presents the philosophical basis, methodology, strengths and challenges of the following three commonly used narrative approaches: Murray's Narrative Framework, the Biographical Narrative Interpretive Method and Arts‐Based Narrative Methods.

Data sources

Data sources dating from 1934–2014 were used. These included seminal texts and articles from nursing and social science journals on narrative and narrative research found in the CINAHL, Medline and PsycInfo databases.

Implications for nursing

This discussion offers clarity and guidance to nurse researchers who are considering/ using narrative research methods to enquire into the storied nature of human experience and sense making processes.

Conclusions

Employing a specific narrative research approach requires close attention to the ‘fit’ of the research question/context with the particular method under consideration. While sharing some narrative commonalities, each of these three methods enables the emergence of unique analytic and interpretive perspectives about stories relevant to nursing practice.
Caught between compassion and control: exploring the challenges associated with inpatient adolescent mental healthcare in an independent hospital
Authors: Matthews Hannah , Williamson Iain
Published: January 2016

Aim

To extend our understanding of how healthcare assistants construct and manage demanding situations in a secure mental health setting and to explore the effects on their health and well‐being, to provide recommendations for enhanced support.

Background

Contemporary literature acknowledges high rates of occupational stress and burnout among healthcare assistants, suggesting the context in which they work places them at elevated risk of physical harm and psychological distress. Yet, there is a deficit of qualitative research exploring the experiences of healthcare assistants in adolescent inpatient facilities.

Design

An exploratory multi‐method qualitative approach was used to collect data about the challenges faced by healthcare assistants working on secure adolescent mental health wards in an independent hospital during 2014.

Method

Fifteen sets of data were collected. Ten participants completed diary entries and five participants were also interviewed allowing for triangulation. Data were analysed using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis.

Findings

The findings illustrated how inpatient mental healthcare is a unique and distinctive area of nursing, where disturbing behaviour is often normalized and detached from the outside world. Healthcare assistants often experienced tension between their personal moral code which orientate them towards empathy and support and the emotional detachment and control expected by the organization, contributing to burnout and moral distress.

Conclusions

This study yielded insights into mental health nursing and specifically the phenomenon of moral distress. Given the ever‐increasing demand for healthcare professionals, the effects of moral distress on both the lives of healthcare assistants and patient care, merits further study.
Effects of role model exposure on STEM and non‐STEM student engagement
Authors: Shin Jiyun Elizabeth L. , Levy Sheri R. , London Bonita
Published: January 2016

Studies examining factors (e.g., STEM stereotypes) that underlie the recruitment and retention of STEM students are critical as the demand for STEM professionals is rapidly increasing. This experimental study tested the effects of role model biographies that challenge common STEM stereotypes (i.e., STEM is for gifted individuals and for European American males) on 1035 STEM and non‐STEM undergraduate students. Findings showed that role model exposure had positive effects on both STEM and non‐STEM students’ interest in STEM as well as their perceived identity compatibility between the self and STEM. Role model exposure had a positive impact on academic sense of belonging among STEM and non‐STEM students, and a positive impact on academic self‐efficacy among STEM students, but not non‐STEM students.
Pre‐Pleistocene geological events shaping diversification and distribution of primitively segmented spiders on East Asian margins
Authors: Xu Xin , Liu Fengxiang , Chen Jian , Ono Hirotsugu , Agnarsson Ingi , Li Daiqin , Kuntner Matjaž
Published: January 2016

Aim

Phylogeographical research in the East Asian continent and islands (East Asian Margins, or EAM) suggests predominant Pleistocene over‐water dispersal events from continent to islands, but more ancient biogeographical patterns in EAM remain obscure. We explored biogeographical histories and population genetic structures of the primitively segmented spiders, Heptathela and Ryuthela (Liphistiidae), broadly codistributed across EAM islands. To test competing biogeographical hypotheses, we looked for geohistoric events that may have shaped their distributional patterns.

Location

Kyushu and Ryukyus.

Methods

We sampled 17 Heptathela and Ryuthela species on 10 out of 12 EAM islands and sequenced fragments of two mitochondrial and three nuclear genes. We performed phylogenetic, network, time‐calibrated and biogeographical analyses to identify lineages, estimate their divergence times, and reconstruct ancestral ranges. We also assessed genetic diversity and historic demography of each lineage.

Results

Phylogenetic origin of Heptathela + Ryuthela is estimated at 26.6–18.4 Ma (95% HPD) when EAM islands became separated from the continent. The crown ages of Heptathela (18.0–10.7 Ma) and Ryuthela (17.8–8.7 Ma) coincide with the formation of Japan Sea and Okinawa Trough respectively. A split within Ryuthela (13.9–6.0 Ma) coincides with the opening of the Kerama Gap, but a split within Heptathela (18.0–10.7 Ma) pre‐dates the formation of the Tokara Gap. Speciation within Heptathela and Ryuthela is relatively recent (6.0–0.3 Ma). Population genetic and demographic results suggest interrupted gene flow within and among islands, with most species exhibiting stable past populations.

Main conclusions

Historic biogeographical reconstructions strongly suggest predominant vicariant origins of EAM island liphistiids. Restricted gene flow following barrier formation is the dominant speciation force in these spiders. As they never seem to cross bodies of water, their past range expansion, successive fragmentation of EAM, and other vicariant events, must have shaped the detected genetic boundaries among and within islands.
Origin and history of the Dahomey Gap separating West and Central African rain forests: insights from the phylogeography of the legume tree Distemonanthus benthamianus
Authors: Demenou Boris B. , Piñeiro Rosalía , Hardy Olivier J.
Published: January 2016

Aim

The aim of this study was to understand the origin of the forest flora currently found in the Dahomey Gap (DG), a 200‐km‐wide forest‐savanna mosaic separating the West African and Central African rain forest blocks. More specifically, using a widespread rain forest tree species, Distemonanthus benthamianus (Fabaceae), we will test the hypothesis that the DG populations are remnants of a population dating back from the African Humid Period of the Holocene, when West African and Central African rain forests were supposedly connected.

Location

Tropical forests of Upper Guinea (West Africa) and Lower Guinea (Atlantic Central Africa) and the forest‐savanna mosaic of the DG extending from eastern Ghana to Benin.

Methods

Four hundred and twenty‐nine D. benthamianus samples from West to Central Africa were genotyped with 11 nuclear microsatellite markers. After detecting geographically coherent gene pools, their genetic diversity and differentiation were estimated and their demographic histories were inferred using coalescent simulations and approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) tests.

Results

Five parapatric gene pools were identified: three in Lower Guinea, one in Upper Guinea and one in the DG. ABC tests indicate that the DG gene pool probably originates from the admixture of adjacent Upper and Lower Guinean gene pools, with a higher contribution from Upper Guinea, at a timeframe consistent with the early Holocene (around 13–7 ka). The lower genetic diversity documented in the DG could result from a founder effect and/or from a demographic decline consistent with the Holocene climatic pejoration documented around 3 ka.

Main conclusions

This phylogeographical study inferring the history of the DG populations of D. benthamianus is consistent with palaeovegetation data that suggest that the forest flora of the DG might be essentially relicts of the early Holocene period when the Guineo‐Congolian forest reached its maximum geographical distribution.
Continental‐scale syntheses of Australian pyromes – misclassification of south‐western eucalypt woodlands misinforms management
Authors: Gosper Carl R. , Prober Suzanne M. , Yates Colin J.
Published: January 2016

Global and continental‐scale analysis of ecological phenomena can offer important insights through the identification of patterns and associations not detectable at smaller scales. However, using proxies for ecological phenomena, such as vegetation mapping for spatially projecting fire regime niches and post‐fire plant responses, require critical examination of predictions to determine utility. Using local studies in south‐western Australia, we demonstrate that while this approach has been largely successful in mallee woodland and shrubland, it has failed in eucalypt woodland, with the consequence that values for a range of fire‐related parameters from the continent‐wide approaches, if adopted in informing management, would result in undesirable conservation outcomes for the world's largest extant temperate woodland.
Bileaflet Mitral Valve Prolapse and Risk of Ventricular Dysrhythmias and Death
Authors: NORDHUES BENJAMIN D. , SIONTIS KONSTANTINOS C. , SCOTT CHRISTOPHER G. , NKOMO VUYISILE T. , ACKERMAN MICHAEL J. , ASIRVATHAM SAMUEL J. , NOSEWORTHY PETER A.
Published: January 2016

Dysrhythmias and Death in BiMVP

Introduction

Bileaflet mitral valve prolapse (BiMVP) is common among survivors of otherwise unexplained sudden cardiac death, but prognostic implications of BiMVP are unknown. This study evaluated whether patients with BiMVP are at higher risk for ventricular dysrhythmias, ICD placement, or death compared to controls with either single‐leaflet mitral valve prolapse (SiMVP) or no mitral valve prolapse (MVP).

Methods and Results

This retrospective, matched cohort study included 18,786 patients who underwent echocardiography at Mayo Clinic between June 1990 and September 2014. The study included three cohorts: BiMVP, SiMVP, and controls without MVP. We assessed rates of ventricular dysrhythmias, ICD placement, and all‐cause mortality between groups. BiMVP was associated with higher rates of ventricular tachycardia compared to SiMVP and controls (adjusted HR 1.48 [1.14–1.92], P = 0.003 and 1.40 [1.04–1.88], P = 0.026, respectively); however, there were no statistically significant differences in rates of ventricular fibrillation/cardiac arrest or ICD placement between groups. BiMVP was associated with a lower rate of all‐cause mortality compared to SiMVP and controls (adjusted HR 0.86 [0.79–0.94], P = 0.0008, and 0.55 [0.50–0.60], P < 0.0001, respectively).

Conclusion

Although BiMVP is associated with ventricular tachycardia, it is not associated with an increased risk of cardiac arrest/ventricular fibrillation or ICD implantation and is, paradoxically, associated with a better survival compared to SiMVP or matched controls. The findings suggest that, despite its association with ventricular tachycardia, BiMVP in the absence of other risk factors does not seem to portend a poor prognosis at the population level.
Wireless Ultrasound‐Guided Axillary Vein Cannulation for the Implantation of Cardiovascular Implantable Electric Devices
Authors: FRANCO EDUARDO , RODRIGUEZ MUÑOZ DANIEL , MATÍA ROBERTO , HERNANDEZ‐MADRID ANTONIO , CARBONELL SAN ROMÁN ALEJANDRA , SÁNCHEZ INMACULADA , ZAMORANO JOSE , MORENO JAVIER
Published: January 2016

Wireless Ultrasound‐Guided Axillary Vein Cannulation

Introduction

Ultrasound guidance for vascular cannulation seems safer and more effective than an anatomical landmark approach, though it has not gained widespread support partly due to workflow interference of wired probes. A wireless ultrasound transducer (WUST) may overcome this issue. We report the effectiveness, time consumption, and safety of the first‐in‐human experience in axillary vein cannulation guided with a novel WUST for the implantation of cardiovascular implantable electric devices (CIEDs).

Methods and Results

After a one‐month training period, we routinely performed WUST‐guided puncture to all first implants, prospectively registering data from the first 50 patients. We analyzed the time needed for preparing the WUST and for achieving each vein cannulation, and the rate of unsuccessful or accidental arterial punctures and complications. WUST‐guided axillary vein access was successful in 49 out of 50 patients, totaling 86 cannulated veins. Median WUST preparation time was 55 [44–62] seconds and median time needed for each venous cannulation was 56 [36–71] seconds. A total of 84.9% of the veins were cannulated at the first attempt. There were 7 unsuccessful puncture attempts and 1 accidental arterial puncture. No pneumothorax, hemothorax, or nervous injury occurred in the 49 successfully cannulated patients. The unsuccessful one (distal subclavian occlusion) developed a minor local subcutaneous emphysema with no confirmed radiologic pneumothorax, not requiring intervention. During a follow‐up of 2.5 ± 1.1 months, a patient developed a pocket infection, with no other significant complications.

Conclusion

Ultrasound‐guided axillary vein cannulation using a wireless transducer for the implantation of CIEDs is a feasible, fast, and safe method.
The association between chronic periodontitis and vasculogenic erectile dysfunction: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Wang Qianting , Kang Jian , Cai Xiang , Wu Yafei , Zhao Lei
Published: January 2016

Aim

The purpose of this systematic review and meta‐analysis was to explore the association between erectile dysfunction (ED) and chronic periodontitis (CP) in observational studies.

Materials and Methods

A literature search of PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane up to and including May 22, 2015, was conducted by two independent reviewers. Statistical analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.3, and the results are expressed as odds ratios (ORs) together with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), as determined using a random effects model. Subgroup analysis was performed by age.

Results

Of the 250 potentially eligible articles, four studies, involving 38,111 cases and 174,807 controls, were included. Based on random effects meta‐analysis, a significant association between CP and ED was identified (OR = 3.07, 95% CI: 1.87–5.05, p < 0.001). Sensitivity analysis was performed due to the presence of statistically extensive heterogeneity (I2 = 98%).

Conclusions

The results of this systematic review revealed a positive association between CP and ED; however, because the presence and extent of statistical heterogeneity limits the conclusiveness of our findings, larger and better‐controlled studies of socially homogeneous populations as well as pathophysiological studies are required to confirm the relationship between CP and ED and to explore the biological mechanisms involved.
Attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder and sluggish cognitive tempo throughout childhood: temporal invariance and stability from preschool through ninth grade
Authors: Leopold Daniel R. , Christopher Micaela E. , Burns G. Leonard , Becker Stephen P. , Olson Richard K. , Willcutt Erik G.
Published: January 2016

Background

Although multiple cross‐sectional studies have shown symptoms of sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) and attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to be statistically distinct, studies have yet to examine the temporal stability and measurement invariance of SCT in a longitudinal sample. To date, only six studies have assessed SCT longitudinally, with the longest study examining SCT over a 2‐year period. The overall goals of this study were to assess the 10‐year longitudinal stability and interfactor relationships of ADHD and SCT symptoms among a community sample of children.

Methods

Confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess the temporal invariance of ADHD and SCT symptoms in a large population‐based longitudinal sample (International Longitudinal Twin Study of Early Reading Development) that included children assessed at preschool and after kindergarten, first, second, fourth, and ninth grades (n = 489). Latent autoregressive models were then estimated to assess the stability of these constructs.

Results

Results demonstrated invariance of item loadings and intercepts from preschool through ninth grades, as well as invariance of interfactor correlations. Results further indicated that both ADHD and SCT are highly stable across these years of development, that these symptom dimensions are related but also separable, and that hyperactivity/impulsivity and SCT are both more strongly correlated with inattention than with each other and show differential developmental trajectories. Specifically, even in the presence of latent simplex analyses providing support for the developmental stability of these dimensions, linear comparisons indicated that that mean levels of hyperactivity/impulsivity decreased with time, inattentive ratings were generally stable, and SCT tended to increase slightly across development.

Conclusions

This study adds to the current literature by being the first to systematically assess and demonstrate the temporal invariance and stability of ADHD and SCT across a span of 10 years.
Subdimensions of social‐communication impairment in autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Bishop Somer L. , Havdahl Karoline Alexandra , Huerta Marisela , Lord Catherine
Published: January 2016

Background

More refined dimensions of social‐communication impairment are needed to elucidate the clinical and biological boundaries of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and other childhood onset psychiatric disorders associated with social difficulties, as well as to facilitate investigations in treatment and long‐term outcomes of these disorders.

Methods

This study was intended to identify separable dimensions of clinician‐observed social‐communication impairments by examining scores on a widely used autism diagnostic instrument. Participants included verbally fluent children ages 3–13 years, who were given a clinical diagnosis of ASD (n = 120) or non‐ASD (i.e. ADHD, language disorder, intellectual disability, mood or anxiety disorder; n = 118) following a comprehensive diagnostic assessment. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis examined the factor structure of algorithm items from the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), Module 3.

Results

Results indicated that a three‐factor model consisting of repetitive behaviors and two separate social‐communication behavior factors had superior fit compared to a two‐factor model that included repetitive behaviors and one social‐communication behavior factor. In the three‐factor model, impairments in ‘Basic Social‐Communication’ behaviors (e.g. eye contact, facial expressions, gestures) were separated from impairments in ‘Interaction quality.’ Confirmatory factor analysis in an independent sample of children in the Simons Simplex Collection (SSC) further supported the division of social‐communication impairments into these two factors. Scores in Interaction Quality were significantly associated with nonverbal IQ and male sex in the ASD group, and with age in the non‐ASD group, while scores in basic social communication were not significantly associated with any of these child characteristics in either diagnostic group.

Conclusions

Efforts to conceptualize level, or severity, of social‐communication impairment in children with neurodevelopmental disorders might be facilitated by separating the most basic (or proximal) social‐communication impairments from those that could arise from a range of other phenotypic variables. Identification of social‐communication subdimensions also highlights potential avenues for measuring different types of social‐communication impairments for different purposes (e.g. for differential diagnosis vs. response to treatment).
A randomized controlled trial into the effects of neurofeedback, methylphenidate, and physical activity on EEG power spectra in children with ADHD
Authors: Janssen Tieme W. P. , Bink Marleen , Geladé Katleen , van Mourik Rosa , Maras Athanasios , Oosterlaan Jaap
Published: January 2016

Background

The clinical and neurophysiological effects of neurofeedback (NF) as treatment for children with ADHD are still unclear. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) examined electroencephalogram (EEG) power spectra before and after NF compared to methylphenidate (MPH) treatment and physical activity (PA) – as semi‐active control group – during resting and active (effortful) task conditions to determine whether NF can induce sustained alterations in brain function.

Methods

Using a multicentre three‐way parallel group RCT design, 112 children with a DSM‐IV diagnosis of ADHD, aged between 7 and 13 years, were initially included. NF training consisted of 30 sessions of theta/beta training at Cz over a 10‐week period. PA training was a semi‐active control group, matched in frequency and duration. Methylphenidate was titrated using a double‐blind placebo controlled procedure in 6 weeks, followed by a stable dose for 4 weeks. EEG power spectra measures during eyes open (EO), eyes closed (EC) and task (effortful) conditions were available for 81 children at pre‐ and postintervention (n = 29 NF, n = 25 MPH, n = 27 PA). Clinical trials registration: Train Your Brain? Exercise and Neurofeedback Intervention for ADHD, https://clinicaltrials.gov/show/;NCT01363544, Ref. No. NCT01363544.

Results

Both NF and MPH resulted in comparable reductions in theta power from pre‐ to postintervention during the EO condition compared to PA (ηp2 = .08 and .12). For NF, greater reductions in theta were related to greater reductions in ADHD symptoms. During the task condition, only MPH showed reductions in theta and alpha power compared to PA (ηp2 = .10 and .12).

Conclusions

This study provides evidence for specific neurophysiological effects after theta/beta NF and MPH treatment in children with ADHD. However, for NF these effects did not generalize to an active task condition, potentially explaining reduced behavioural effects of NF in the classroom.
Renal threshold for glucose reabsorption predicts diabetes improvement by sodium‐glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor therapy
Authors: Osaki Aya , Okada Shuichi , Saito Tsugumichi , Yamada Eijiro , Ono Kumeo , Niijima Yawara , Hoshi Hiroto , Yamada Masanobu
Published: January 2016

In the present study we examined the efficacy of sodium‐glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors on improvement of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) in comparison with the renal threshold for glucose reabsorption in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Patients visited the hospital once a month for a regular follow‐up examination with the determination of blood glucose and HbA1c levels, and urinary glucose concentration from spot urine samples. Patient samples were compared before and after ipragliflozin administration. We defined the renal threshold for glucose reabsorption as the lowest blood glucose level that correlated with the first detectable appearance of urine glucose. These data showed a significant negative correlation between improvement of HbA1c level and renal threshold for glucose reabsorption in patients treated with the sodium‐glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor. These findings show that patients who have a higher renal threshold for glucose reabsorption can be expected to more effectively respond to sodium‐glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor therapy in terms of lowering HbA1c levels.
β‐Cell regeneration through the transdifferentiation of pancreatic cells: Pancreatic progenitor cells in the pancreas
Authors: Kim Hyo‐Sup , Lee Moon‐Kyu
Published: January 2016

Pancreatic progenitor cell research has been in the spotlight, as these cells have the potential to replace pancreatic β‐cells for the treatment of type 1 and 2 diabetic patients with the absence or reduction of pancreatic β‐cells. During the past few decades, the successful treatment of diabetes through transplantation of the whole pancreas or isolated islets has nearly been achieved. However, novel sources of pancreatic islets or insulin‐producing cells are required to provide sufficient amounts of donor tissues. To overcome this limitation, the use of pancreatic progenitor cells is gaining more attention. In particular, pancreatic exocrine cells, such as duct epithelial cells and acinar cells, are attractive candidates for β‐cell regeneration because of their differentiation potential and pancreatic lineage characteristics. It has been assumed that β‐cell neogenesis from pancreatic progenitor cells could occur in pancreatic ducts in the postnatal stage. Several studies have shown that insulin‐producing cells can arise in the duct tissue of the adult pancreas. Acinar cells also might have the potential to differentiate into insulin‐producing cells. The present review summarizes recent progress in research on the transdifferentiation of pancreatic exocrine cells into insulin‐producing cells, especially duct and acinar cells.
Diabetes mellitus is an independent risk factor for atrial fibrillation in a general Chinese population
Authors: Sun Guozhe , Ma Mingfeng , Ye Ning , Wang Jun , Chen Yintao , Dai Dongxue , Sun Yingxian
Published: January 2016

Aims/Introduction

To explore the association between atrial fibrillation (AF) and diabetes mellitus in a general Chinese population, and the influence of hypertension.

Materials and Methods

From January 2013 to August 2013, we carried out a cross‐sectional study involving 11,956 permanent residents aged ≥35 years from the general population in the Liaoning province of China (response rate 85.3%). Each participant completed a questionnaire, had a physical examination, and underwent an electrocardiogram and echocardiogram. AF was diagnosed on the basis of the electrocardiogram findings. Logistic regression analyses were carried out to estimate the associations between diabetes mellitus and AF. The associations were also analyzed in hypertensive and normotensive subgroups.

Results

There was a higher prevalence of AF in participants with diabetes mellitus than those without diabetes mellitus (1.2 vs 0.5%; P = 0.004). In the hypertensive subgroup, the prevalence of AF in participants with diabetes mellitus was significantly higher than in participants without diabetes mellitus (1.5 vs 0.6%; P = 0.008); however, the prevalences were similar in the normotensive subgroup (0.3 vs 0.4%; P = 1.000). Similar trends were present in both men and women. After adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors, the independent association between diabetes mellitus and AF remained in the total sample (odds ratio 2.33, 95% confidence interval 1.20–4.54) and hypertensive subgroup (odds ratio 3.15, 95% confidence interval 1.52–6.56), but not in the normotensive subgroup (odds ratio 0.64, 95% confidence interval 0.08–5.31).

Conclusions

Diabetes mellitus is an independent risk factor for AF in the general population in China, this association was present in total and hypertensive participants, but not in normotensive participants.
The effect of size and sex ratio experiences on reproductive competition in Nicrophorus vespilloides burying beetles in the wild
Authors: Hopwood P. E. , Moore A. J. , Tregenza T. , Royle N. J.
Published: January 2016

Male parents face a choice: should they invest more in caring for offspring or in attempting to mate with other females? The most profitable course depends on the intensity of competition for mates, which is likely to vary with the population sex ratio. However, the balance of pay‐offs may vary among individual males depending on their competitive prowess or attractiveness. We tested the prediction that sex ratio and size of the resource holding male provide cues regarding the level of mating competition prior to breeding and therefore influence the duration of a male's biparental caring in association with a female. Male burying beetles, Nicrophorus vespilloides were reared, post‐eclosion, in groups that differed in sex ratio. Experimental males were subsequently translocated to the wild, provided with a breeding resource (carcass) and filmed. We found no evidence that sex ratio cues prior to breeding affected future parental care behaviour but males that experienced male‐biased sex ratios took longer to attract wild mating partners. Smaller males attracted a higher proportion of females than did larger males, securing significantly more monogamous breeding associations as a result. Smaller males thus avoided competitive male–male encounters more often than larger males. This has potential benefits for their female partners who avoid both intrasexual competition and direct costs of higher mating frequency associated with competing males.
Males adjust their signalling behaviour according to experience of male signals and male–female signal duets
Authors: Rebar D. , Rodríguez R. L.
Published: January 2016

Sexual signals are conspicuous sources of information about neighbouring competitors, and species in which males and females signal during pair formation provide various sources of public information to which individuals can adjust their behaviour. We performed two experiments with a duetting vibrational insect, Enchenopa binotata treehoppers (Hemiptera: Membracidae), to ask whether males adjust their signalling behaviour according to (1a) their own experience of competitors' signals, (1b) how females adjust their mate preferences on the basis of their experience of male signals (described in prior work), and/or (2) their own experience of female response signals to competitors' signals. We presented males with synthetic male signals of different frequencies and combinations thereof for 2 weeks. We recorded males a day after their last signal exposure, finding that (1a) male signal rate increased in response to experience of attractive competitors, but that (1b) male signal frequency did not shift in a manner consistent with how females adjust their mate preferences in those experience treatments. Second, we presented males with different male–female duets for 2 weeks, finding that (2) male signal length increased from experience of female duets with attractive competitors. Males thus make two types of adjustment according to two sources of public information: one provided by experience of male signals and another by experience of female responses to male signals. Signalling plasticity can generate feedback loops between the adjustments that males and females make, and we discuss the potential consequences of such feedback loops for the evolution of communication systems.
Inter and intra‐population phenotypic and genotypic structuring in the European whitefish Coregonus lavaretus, a rare freshwater fish in Scotland
Authors: Adams C. E. , Bean C. W. , Dodd J. A. , Down A. , Etheridge E. C. , Gowans A. R. D. , Hooker O. , Knudsen R. , Lyle A. A. , Winfield I. J. , Præbel K.
Published: January 2016

This study revealed between‐lake genetic structuring between Coregonus lavaretus collected from the only two native populations of this species in Scotland, U.K. (Lochs Eck and Lomond) evidenced by the existence of private alleles (12 in Lomond and four in Eck) and significant genetic differentiation (FST = 0·056) across 10 microsatellite markers. Juvenile C. lavaretus originating from eggs collected from the two lakes and reared in a common‐garden experiment showed clear phenotypic differences in trophic morphology (i.e. head and body shape) between these populations indicating that these characteristics were, at least partly, inherited. Microsatellite analysis of adults collected from different geographic regions within Loch Lomond revealed detectable and statistically significant but relatively weak genetic structuring (FST = 0·001–0·024) and evidence of private alleles related to the basin structure of the lake. Within‐lake genetic divergence patterns suggest three possibilities for this observed pattern: (1) differential selection pressures causing divergence into separate gene pools, (2) a collapse of two formerly divergent gene pools and (3) a stable state maintained by balancing selection forces resulting from spatial variation in selection and lake heterogeneity. Small estimates of effective population sizes for the populations in both lakes suggest that the capacity of both populations to adapt to future environmental change may be limited.
Effect of Enzyme and Microwave Pretreatment on Oil Recovery from Canola
Authors: Patil Aniket , Singh A. K.
Published: January 2016

In this study, optimization of enzyme pretreatment and microwave pretreatment on extraction oil yield and oil quality from Canola (Variety GSC‐6) was investigated. Response surface methodology was used for optimization of experimental design by applying Box Bhenken design. Microwave pretreatment affected the acid as well as peroxide value of oil while no significant effect of enzyme pretreatment was observed. No effect on density and viscosity was observed by microwave pretreatment and enzyme pretreatment. Enzyme pre‐treatment was found to be the having more oil yield than the microwave pretreatment. The optimized conditions for oil recovery were moisture content 5%, heating temperature 60C, microwave duration 120 s and enzyme concentration 4%. Oil yield increased (7%) after application of a low cost enzyme and (5.6%) after microwave application, this corroborates our results of the experiment being cost effective.

Practical Applications

The application of microwaves and enzymes has a potential to increase the productivity and efficiency of the oil extraction from oilseeds. Canola seeds contain low erucic acid content and has good nutritional qualities. Canola meal is also an important source as animal feed enriched with protein. The ease of application is clearly the advantage of the both pretreatments, which increases the performance of oil expeller. These pretreatments being environmental friendly and cheap can be helpful in industries for enhancing the extraction processes.
Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Black Pepper at Different Temperatures
Authors: Ghodki Bhupendra M , Goswami T.K.
Published: January 2016

Black pepper is mainly preferred in the powder form that invariably requires the properties of the pepper for the design of the process and grinder. The thermal properties were investigated for a temperature range of −45 to 5°C, while, the breaking characteristics of the black pepper were examined at ambient (36°C) and subzero (−25°C) temperature conditions at a moisture content of 3.90% dry basis. The glass transition temperature (Tg) varied between −28.61 and −20.03°C with the peak value of −21.27°C indicating the phase transformation of black pepper from amorphous to crystalline (vice versa). Accordingly, the temperature showed a significant effect on the thermal and mechanical properties. The thermal conductivity (W/m.K) and thermal diffusivity (m2/s) decreased from 0.775 to 0.18 and 12.25 × 10−7 to 1.77 × 10−7 with the increase in the temperature. However, specific heat showed an increasing (1169 to 1907 J/kg.K) trend with the rise in temperature. Average failure force (90.62 N) and deformation modulus (54.10 N/mm) were found to be higher under the subzero temperature condition as compared with that of ambient condition (76.08 N and 30.13 N/mm). While failure deformation (0.89 mm), failure strain (17.67%), and failure energy 25.35 N.mm) showed lower values as compared with that of ambient condition (1.56 mm, 31.13% and 31.48 N.mm). These results will serve as a useful guide for the commercial production of high quality of the powder; indicating that a maximum grinding temperature of −21.27°C (below Tg) should be used for the cryogenic grinding of black pepper.

Practical Applications

The findings of this study facilitate the spice industry and the researchers to select relevant thermal and mechanical properties of black pepper for design and simulation of process and equipment for thermal processing, storage, cryogenic grinding, freezing, freeze drying and transportation to ensure the higher quality of end product and lower expenditure. Considering the example of the design of a cryogenic grinder the appropriate grinding temperature should be chosen based on the thermal and mechanical properties of grinding material, for example, black pepper and the grinder metal like stainless steel under such conditions. Further, for selection of the position of liquid nitrogen nozzle in the precooler and the grinder, the temperature profile of the process should be known, that also requires the basic thermal and mechanical properties of grinding material under such low temperature condition.
Potential Application of Ziziphora Clinopodioides Essential Oil and Nisin as Natural Preservatives Against Bacillus Cereus and Escherichia Coli O157: H7 in Commercial Barley Soup
Authors: Shahbazi Yasser , Shavisi Nassim , Mohebi Ehsan
Published: January 2016

The aim of this study was to investigate the antibacterial activity of nisin (250 and 500 IU/mL), Ziziphora clinopodioides essential oil (0.1 and 0.2%) and their combination against Bacillus cereus and Escherichia coli O157:H7 in commercial barley soup during refrigerated storage for 9 days. Carvacrol (64.22%) and thymol (19.22%) were the major components of the essential oil. In untreated samples, the populations of E. coli O157:H7 and B. cereus were reduced the value of 2.30 and 3.95 log10 CFU/mL, respectively, during refrigerated storage. The count of the pathogens were significantly affected (P<0.05) by the addition of the essential oil and nisin. The lowest population of the pathogens was found in the samples treated with the essential oil at 0.2% in combination with nisin at 500 IU/mL. Our findings indicate that the essential oil of Z. clinopodioides and nisin has potential to be applied as antimicrobial and preservative agents in food products especially commercial barley soup.

Practical Applications

According to the results of this study, commercial barley soup can be a very suitable food by adding Ziziphora clinopodioides essential oil and nisin. In this work, Z. clinopodioides essential oil and nisin had not adverse effects on sensory properties of barley soup. Z. clinopodioides essential oil, nisin and their combination were very effective in inhibiting growth of E. coli O157:H7 and B. cereus in commercial barley soup during storage at 4C.
Rapid Detection of Salmonella Enterica Serovar Enteritidis from Eggs and Chicken Meat by Real‐Time Recombinase Polymerase Amplification in Comparison with the Two‐Step Real‐Time PCR
Authors: Kim Ji Yeun , Lee Jung‐Lim
Published: January 2016

Salmonella is the most common cause of foodborne outbreaks throughout the world and Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis is one of the major causes of salmonellosis. We describe a rapid, sensitive and inexpensive method for the detection of S. Enteritidis from eggs and chicken meat using the real‐time recombinase polymerase amplification (Real‐time RPA) and compared this assay with the two‐step real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (Real‐time PCR). The detection sensitivity of the RPA and PCR assays was identical in pure culture, however, the reaction time was as short as 10 min compared with 40 min for the PCR assay. In food application, the detection sensitivity of the RPA assay was 10 cfu/g from eggs and 100 cfu/g from chicken samples without additional DNA purification steps before the amplification – therefore, the sensitivity of the RPA assay was 100 times greater from eggs and 10 times greater from chicken than the PCR assay.

Practical Applications

Numerous epidemiological investigations attributed the source of sporadic Salmonella outbreaks as poultry and poultry‐by‐products including eggs. This is the first study in which a real‐time RPA was developed to detect the Salmonella Enteritidis specifically. The whole procedure is fairly simple and does not require specific equipment, making it potentially applicable in the monitoring and detection of S. Enteritidis in eggs and poultry products.
Screening, Mutagenesis of Nitrite‐Degrading Lactobacilli in Chinese Traditional Fermented Sauerkraut and its Application in the Production of Sauerkraut
Authors: Ren Dayong , Chen Ping , Li Wentao , Su Xiaojing , Bao Kun , Wang Ying , Wang Jianan , Liu Hongfeng
Published: January 2016

Sauerkraut is a Chinese traditional fermented vegetable product. However, excessive nitrite in sauerkraut may cause food safety problems. This study screened three highly‐efficient nitrite‐degrading lactobacilli, namely, B1, C1 and D2, with over 75% degradation rate. According to the morphology, physiological and biochemical characteristics, as well as the 16S rDNA analysis, we found that B1 belonged to Lactobacillus pentosus, whereas C1 and D2 belonged to Lactobacillus plantarum. After ultraviolet (UV)‐nitrosoguanidine compound mutation, the degradation rates of the three lactobacilli to nitrite improved by 5.8, 8.0 and 12.7%, respectively. After the acclimation of sauerkraut juice with 80% concentration, single lactobacillus and mixed lactobacilli were applied in the sauerkraut product. The results indicated that the degradation effects of mixed strains on nitrite were better than that of single one. Compared with the control group (0–36.6 mg/kg), the mixed strains inoculated in the early fermentation period can significantly decrease the nitrite residue in sauerkraut (0–20.8 mg/kg) and the fermentation period can be shortened from 30 to 20 days. The sauerkraut produced showed good quality and flavor. Therefore, this study has significant application value for industrial production of sauerkraut.

Practical Applications

Nitrite formed in traditional fermented sauerkraut is an unsolved safety problem. This study screened three highly‐efficient nitrite‐degrading lactobacilli strains. After ultraviolet (UV)‐nitrosoguanidine compound mutation, the degradation rates of the three lactobacilli to nitrite were over 81.5%. Compared with the control group (36.6 mg/kg), the mixed strains inoculated in the early fermentation period could significantly decrease the nitrite residue in sauerkraut (20.8 mg/kg) and the fermentation period could be shortened from 30 to 20 days. Therefore, this study has significant application value for the industrial production of sauerkraut.
Trends in esophageal cancer survival in United States adults from 1973 to 2009: A SEER database analysis
Authors: Njei Basile , McCarty Thomas R , Birk John W
Published: January 2016

Background and Aim:

The rise in incidence of esophageal cancer (EC) in the USA over the last four decades has been well documented; however, data on trends in long‐term survival and impact on modern therapies associated with survival are lacking.

Methods:

The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database was queried to identify patients with confirmed EC. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to determine independent mortality factors.

Results:

Of 93 167 patients diagnosed with EC between 1973 and 2009, 49% had a histologic diagnosis of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). There was an increase (almost double) in the proportion of patients with adenocarcinoma from the 1970s to 2000s (n = 2,350; 35% to n = 32,212; 61%, P < 0.001). Surgery was performed for localized disease in a majority of EC regardless of type (n = 46 683; 89%). Use of surgical treatment increased significantly over the study period (49% to 64%, P < 0.001). There was also an increase in overall median survival (6 months versus 10 months, P < 0.001) and 5‐year survival rate (9% to 22%, P < 0.001). Median survival increased consistently for EAC and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) until the 1990s. After this period, median survival of EAC continued to increase more rapidly while SCC remained relatively stable.

Conclusion:

A significant survival improvement in esophageal cancer was seen from 1973 to 2009, largely because of earlier detection at a curative stage and greater utilization of treatment modalities (especially surgery). Despite the rising prevalence, patients with EAC have better long‐term survival outcomes than those SCC.
Sustained viral response and treatment‐induced cytopenia correlate with SLCs and KLF12 genotypes in interferon/ribavirin‐treated Chinese chronic hepatitis C patients
Authors: Mei Ruqi , Chi Xiumei , Wu Ruihong , Xu Hongqin , Wang Xiaomei , Gao Xiuzhu , Sun Haibo , Lv Juan , Yu Ge , Kong Fei , Jiang Jing , Sun Bing , Zhong Jin , Pan Yu , Niu Junqi
Published: January 2016

Background and aim

Genetic variations in solute carrier (SLC) genes are associated with liver diseases, and Kruppel‐like factor 12 (KLF12) affects the b chain of hemoglobin. We investigated possible correlations of SLC and KLF12 polymorphisms with viral clearance (spontaneous and treatment‐induced) and adverse effects in Chinese chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients.

Methods

We genotyped the single nucleotide polymorphisms in 525 CHC patients, 137 patients with spontaneous clearance, and 207 healthy controls. Three hundred fifty‐seven CHC patients received recombinant interferon‐alpha2b/ribavirin (IFN‐α2b/RBV) treatment, and 175 patients were chosen for analysis of drug‐induced cytopenia. All raw P‐values were corrected by the Bonferroni method.

Results

A higher rate of sustained viral response was detected in patients with SLC4A11 rs3810560 CC variant versus TT/TC variant (76.9% vs 59.2%; OR, 2.42; 95% CI, 1.06–5.56, P = 0.037 after adjustment), but there was no significant difference among different hepatitis C virus genotypes. RBV‐induced anemia was independently correlated with SLC29A1 rs760370 AA genotype (OR, 2.90; 95% CI, 1.29–6.54, P = 0.010), and the severity of IFN‐induced thrombocytopenia was related to GG genotype (OR, 4.98; 95% CI, 1.27–19.61; P = 0.021); the detected effects held true for HCV‐2a patients but weakened in HCV‐1b patients. A reactive increase in platelet count was closely associated with KLF12 rs9543524 TT variant.

Conclusion

SLC4A11 rs3810560 polymorphism independently affected the sustained viral response rates in CHC patients, whereas SLC29A1 rs760370 and KLF12 rs9543524 single nucleotide polymorphisms correlated with treatment‐induced adverse events. Clearly, the predictive power varied with HCV genotypes and the reason for genotype‐dependent discrepancy was not fully understood.