bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A common oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) polymorphism modulates intranasal oxytocin effects on the neural response to social cooperation in humans
Authors: Feng C. , Lori A. , Waldman I. D. , Binder E. B. , Haroon E. , Rilling J. K.
Published: July 2015

Intranasal oxytocin (OT) can modulate social‐emotional functioning and related brain activity in humans. Consequently, OT has been discussed as a potential treatment for psychiatric disorders involving social behavioral deficits. However, OT effects are often heterogeneous across individuals. Here we explore individual differences in OT effects on the neural response to social cooperation as a function of the rs53576 polymorphism of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR). Previously, we conducted a double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study in which healthy men and women were randomized to treatment with intranasal OT or placebo. Afterwards, they were imaged with functional magnetic resonance imaging while playing an iterated Prisoner's Dilemma Game with same‐sex partners. Within the left ventral caudate nucleus, intranasal OT treatment increased activation to reciprocated cooperation in men, but tended to decrease activation in women. Here, we show that these sex differences in OT effects are specific to individuals with the rs53576 GG genotype, and are not found for other genotypes (rs53576 AA/AG). Thus, OT may increase the reward or salience of positive social interactions for male GG homozygotes, while decreasing those processes for female GG homozygotes. These results suggest that rs53576 genotype is an important variable to consider in future investigations of the clinical efficacy of intranasal OT treatment.
Simulation of the phenological development of wheat and maize at the global scale
Authors: van Bussel L. G. J. , Stehfest E. , Siebert S. , Müller C. , Ewert F.
Published: July 2015

Aim

To derive location‐specific parameters that reflect the geographic differences among cultivars in vernalization requirements, sensitivity to day length (photoperiod) and temperature, which can be used to simulate the phenological development of wheat and maize at the global scale.

Location

Global.

Methods

Based on crop calendar observations and literature describing the large‐scale patterns of phenological characteristics of cultivars, we developed algorithms to compute location‐specific parameters to represent this large‐scale pattern. Vernalization requirements were related to the duration and coldness of winter, sensitivity to day length was assumed to be represented by the minimum and maximum day lengths occurring at a location, and sensitivity to temperature was related to temperature conditions during the vegetative development phase of the crop.

Results

Application of the derived location‐specific parameters resulted in high agreement between simulated and observed lengths of the cropping period. Agreement was especially high for wheat, with mean absolute errors of less than 3 weeks. In the main maize cropping regions, cropping periods were over‐ and underestimated by 0.5–1.5 months. We also found that interannual variability in simulated wheat harvest dates was more realistic when accounting for photoperiod effects.

Main conclusions

The methodology presented here provides a good basis for modelling the phenological characteristics of cultivars at the global scale. We show that current global patterns of growing season length as described in cropping calendars can be largely reproduced by phenology models if location‐specific parameters are derived from temperature and day length indicators. Growing seasons can be modelled more accurately for wheat than for maize, especially in warm regions. Our method for computing parameters for phenology models from temperature and day length offers opportunities to improve the simulation of crop productivity by crop simulation models developed for large spatial areas and for long‐term climate impact projections that account for adaptation in the selection of varieties.
Prognostic value of tumour budding in oesophageal cancer: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Almangush Alhadi , Karhunen Markku , Hautaniemi Sampsa , Salo Tuula , Leivo Ilmo
Published: July 2015

Recently, tumour budding (TB) has been suggested as a strong prognostic marker in oesophageal cancer. The aim of this systematic review is to test the prognostic value of TB in oesophageal cancer by a meta‐analysis of previously published studies. We systematically reviewed the literature related to TB by using the bibliographic databases of Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science. The search was limited to publications in the English language up to and including December 2014. There are 11 retrospective studies in which TB has been evaluated in oesophageal cancer. Two authors independently extracted the results from eligible studies. The meta‐analysis of eligible studies revealed that TB is a significant prognosticator for overall survival in oesophageal cancer, with a risk ratio (RR) of 2.97 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.81–4.85; P = 0.0023] in univariate analysis, and with an RR of 2.07 (95% CI 1.22–3.52; P = 0.017) in multivariate analysis. We conclude that a high TB score is a promising prognostic marker of poor survival in oesophageal cancer. Because of its simplicity, reproducibility and high predictive power, TB is strongly recommended to be included in the routine pathology report of oesophageal cancer.
No ‘Magic Bullets’: Children, Young People, Trafficking and Child Protection in the UK
Authors: Hynes Patricia
Published: July 2015

Trafficking of children and young people has become an increasingly debated issue in the UK, with official statistics often considered to reflect only the “tip of the iceberg” of cases. Identification of a child as “trafficked” relies upon referral to designated “first responders” and “competent authorities” within a National Referral Mechanism (NRM). This article explores the complex undertaking of identifying a child as “trafficked”. It is suggested that, like any other form of child protection, in cases of “trafficking” there are unlikely to be “magic bullets” providing immediate answers to why children are not always seen as being exploited and/or abused and consequently identified as “trafficked”. Drawing on findings from two qualitative studies into understandings of trafficking amongst agencies working with children, it is suggested that identifying “trafficking” of children could be enhanced if a broader range of agencies had roles in the process, particularly those working within community engagement frameworks in positions to form crucial relationships of trust with children.
A So Black People Stay: Bad‐mind, Sufferation, and Discourses of Race and Unity in a Jamaican Craft Market
Authors: Lewis Jovan Scott
Published: July 2015

Craft vendors in St. James, Jamaica, interpret the competive strategies of fellow vendors as acts of animosity understood through the trope “bad‐mind.” Despite facing a marketplace increasingly constricted by foreign‐made souvenirs imported by emigrant Sindhi Indian wholesalers, vendors attribute their economic failings and the conditions that create them to a chronic black Jamaican disunity inherited from slavery. In this context, vendors reconcile their limited prospects and normative expectation of failure through the rationale of “sufferation,” a notion broadly availed within Jamaican society, to contextualize and rationalize economic adversity. What emerges is an ethnicized framing of the market as a construct through which inferences of citizenship and racial discourses are produced.
Los márgenes del Estado al viento: autonomía y desarrollo de energías renovables en el sur de México
Authors: Howe Cymene , Boyer Dominic , Barrera Edith
Published: July 2015

En el istmo de Tehuantepec, Oaxaca, intereses públicos y privados han creado uno de los proyectos de desarrollo de energía eólica más ambiciosos del planeta. Este artículo se interesa en el proceso a través del cual un proyecto ecológicamente relevante y con sólidas bases financieras como el parque eólico “Mareña Renovables” termina fracasando al encontrarse con inesperados niveles de resistencia local. Las razones para el fracaso del parque incluyen la percepción de falta de transparencia, la manipulación de las autoridades locales y la preocupación acerca de la creciente inequidad social, polarización política y violencia en la región. Al explorar estos obstáculos ante lo que hubiese sido el parque eólico monofásico más grande de Latinoamérica, el artículo mapea la genealogía política del movimiento de resistencia anti‐Mareña y su compromiso con estructuras organizativas horizontales. Asimismo, el texto describe la manera en cómo la resistencia criticó las formas neoliberales de desarrollo y la intervención financiera extranjera. Finalmente, el artículo considera las preocupaciones medioambientales planteadas por la oposición local y las consecuencias sociales del desarrollo a nivel de “megaproyectos”. Al examinar el caso de Mareña los autores argumentan que si bien la transición hacia energías renovables tiene el potencial ético de promover el bienestar climático global, tal evolución puede también generar las condiciones para el fracaso si es considerada como una contravención a los reclamos por mayor autonomía, conocimiento y gestión ambiental local.
Nurses' views of shortcomings in patent care encounters in one hospital in Sweden
Authors: Nilsson Åsa , Skär Lisa , Söderberg Siv
Published: July 2015

Aim and objective

To describe nurses' views of shortcomings in patient care encounters in one hospital in Sweden.

Background

Shortcomings in encounters in healthcare have increased during recent years. Dissatisfaction with encounters in healthcare can affect patients' experiences of dignity, health and well‐being.

Design

A qualitative design was used in the study.

Methods

Three focus group discussions with 15 nurses were conducted. The nurses worked in five different wards. The focus group discussions were subjected to a thematic content analysis.

Results

The results are presented in two themes. The first theme, ‘Disregard for the patient's unique nursing needs’, describes that information without consideration of the patient's needs, and nurses not being completely present in the meeting with the patient affected healthcare encounters and experiences of quality of care. In the second theme, ‘Difficulty managing obstacles’, nurses described care situations over which they could not always prevail due to lack of time and/or lack of awareness of the patient's vulnerability.

Conclusion

The findings illustrate the importance of nurses and their approaches to patients. The nurse's attitude is important for the patient's experiences of participation, security, dignity, and well‐being. The findings also illustrate the importance of routines in the healthcare organisation that support and facilitate positive encounters between patients, their close relatives and the healthcare staff.

Relevance to clinical practice

Nurses require understanding, presence and commitment in their relationships to every unique patient, and their goal should be to adopt interventions with regard to positive healthcare encounters based on each patient's experiences of good nursing care.
Keeping Up with the Joneses: Friends’ Perfectionism and Students’ Orientation Toward Extrinsic Aspirations
Authors: Hope Nora , Koestner Richard , Holding Anne , Harvey Brenda
Published: July 2015

Kasser and Ryan (1993,1996) have contrasted two types of life values: intrinsic aspirations, which include community contribution, building close relationships, and self‐growth, and extrinsic aspirations, which include fame, wealth, and physical beauty. Prioritization of extrinsic relative to intrinsic aspirations has been related cross‐sectionally to decreased well‐being (Kasser, 2002). However, the influence of close others in the etiology of young adults' prioritization of extrinsic aspirations, and the prospective effects of aspirations on well‐being, are not well understood. In a multiple‐informant prospective study of 341 university students (mean age = 19.4; 64% Caucasian; 74% female), we examined the influence of friends’ and family members’ perfectionism on participants’ aspirations, and the outcomes of prioritization of extrinsic aspirations. Having friends high in other‐oriented perfectionism was significantly positively related to prioritization of extrinsic over intrinsic aspirations. Furthermore, living with friends amplified the effect. Last, prioritization of extrinsic aspirations at T1 was related to decreased subjective well‐being and self‐concordance for goals 3 months later. The study provides preliminary evidence for a relationship between friends’ other‐oriented perfectionism and students’ orientation toward extrinsic aspirations, as well as negative prospective consequences of students’ orientation to extrinsic aspirations.
ORGANIZATION STRUCTUREAND CORPORATE DEMANDFOR REINSURANCE: THE CASEOFTHE JAPANESE KEIRETSU
Authors: Yanase Noriyoshi , Limpaphayom Piman
Published: July 2015

ABSTRACT

This study investigates the impact of organization structure on corporate demand for reinsurance. Previous research has shown that the unique corporate groupings in Japan known as the “keiretsu” have relatively low bankruptcy costs, low agency conflicts, low information asymmetry, and low effective taxes. These conditions should mitigate the benefits of reinsurance purchase. This conjecture is tested by examining demand for reinsurance of Japanese non‐life insurance companies during 1974–2010. Consistent with the prediction, keiretsu non‐life insurers have lower reinsurance purchase than independent non‐life insurance companies. The effects of the keiretsu structure also receded when keiretsu groupings' power was weakened after the asset bubble burst and the breakdown of the convoy system in mid 1990s. Consistent with previous studies, Japanese mutual insurers also purchase more reinsurance than stock insurers.
HOW DOES TORT LAW AFFECT CONSUMER AUTO INSURANCE COSTS?
Authors: Heaton Paul
Published: July 2015

Although proponents of tort reform argue that it will benefit consumers through lowered insurance premiums and increased insurance availability, to date there is limited empirical evidence linking tort law to consumer outlays. Using data from the Consumer Expenditure Survey and a differences‐in‐differences research design, this article examines whether any of several common state‐level modifications to tort law affect consumer costs for auto insurance. Expenditures on auto insurance fall by 12 percent following no‐fault repeal and 6 percent following relaxation of collateral source restrictions, but are not measurably affected by bad faith reform, modifications to joint and several liability, or noneconomic damage caps. None of the modifications to tort law generate measurable increases in auto insurance take‐up. There is little variation in the impact of the reforms across income, education, and age groups, but no‐fault repeal and collateral source reform do disproportionately benefit consumers with lower cost policies.
Retracted: HDAC1 inhibition by melatonin leads to suppression of lung adenocarcinoma cells via induction of oxidative stress and activation of apoptotic pathways
Authors: Fan Chongxi , Pan Yunhu , Yang Yang , Di Shouyin , Jiang Shuai , Ma Zhiqiang , Li Tian , Zhang Zhipei , Li Weimiao , Li Xiaofei , Reiter Russel J. , Yan Xiaolong
Published: July 2015

Melatonin is an indoleamine synthesized in the pineal gland that shows a wide range of physiological and pharmacological functions, including anticancer effects. In this study, we investigated the effect of melatonin on drug‐induced cellular apoptosis against the cultured human lung adenocarcinoma cells and explored the role of histone deacetylase (HDAC) signaling in this process. The results showed that melatonin treatment led to a dose‐ and time‐dependent decrease in the viability of human A549 and PC9 lung adenocarcinoma cells. Additionally, melatonin exhibited potent anticancer activity in vitro, as evidenced by reductions of the cell adhesion, migration, and the intracellular glutathione (GSH) level and increases in the apoptotic index, caspase 3 activity, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in A549 and PC9 cells. Melatonin treatment also influenced the expression of HDAC‐related molecules (HDAC1 and Ac‐histone H3), upregulated the apoptosis‐related molecules (PUMA and Bax), and downregulated the proliferation‐related molecule (PCNA) and the anti‐apoptosis‐related molecule (Bcl2). Furthermore, the inhibition of HDAC signaling using HDAC1 siRNA or SAHA (a potent pan‐inhibitor of HDACs) sensitized A549 and PC9 cells to the melatonin treatment. In summary, these data indicate that in vitro‐administered melatonin is a potential suppressor of lung adenocarcinoma cells by the targeting of HDAC signaling and suggest that melatonin in combination with HDAC inhibitors may be a novel therapeutic intervention for human lung adenocarcinoma.
Talking Shape: Parental Language With Electronic Versus Traditional Shape Sorters
Authors: Zosh Jennifer M. , Verdine Brian N. , Filipowicz Andrew , Golinkoff Roberta Michnick , Hirsh‐Pasek Kathy , Newcombe Nora S.
Published: July 2015

As the traditional toys of the past are quickly being replaced with electronically “enhanced” toys, it is important to understand how these changes impact parent–child interactions, especially in light of the evidence that the richness and variety of these interactions have long‐term effects on diverse areas of cognition (Hart & Risley, 1995). Here, we compared the quantity and quality of the language children hear during play with either a traditional (nonelectronic) or an electronic shape sorter designed to teach children about geometric shapes. Spatial toys and spatial language, in particular, were explored since recent work has established that parents' use of spatial language links to children's short‐ and long‐term performance on spatial tasks (Pruden, Levine, & Huttenlocher, 2011), and that spatial skills are relevant to success in learning mathematics and science (Newcombe, 2010). Traditional toys prompted more parental spatial language and more varied overall language than did electronic toys.
The Relations Between Early Working Memory Abilities and Later Developing Reading Skills: A Longitudinal Study From Kindergarten to Fifth Grade
Authors: Nevo Einat , Bar‐Kochva Irit
Published: July 2015

This study investigated the relations of early working‐memory abilities (phonological and visual‐spatial short‐term memory [STM] and complex memory and episodic buffer memory) and later developing reading skills. Sixty Hebrew‐speaking children were followed from kindergarten through Grade 5. Working memory was tested in kindergarten and reading in Grades 1, 2, and 5. All memory measures, but phonological STM, correlated with reading up to Grade 5. Regression analyses (with intelligence quotient controlled) demonstrated that phonological complex memory predicted all reading skills in Grade 1, and accuracy in Grade 2. The rather understudied visual‐spatial memory predicted comprehension in Grades 2 (STM) and 5 (complex memory). The results point to an important role of the phonological complex memory in early assessment, and suggest a long‐lasting role of early visual‐spatial memory in predicting variance in reading. Whether this role of the visual‐spatial memory is unique to the Hebrew orthography because of its visual features requires, however, further investigation.
Developmental Brain Research With Participants From Underprivileged Communities: Strategies for Recruitment, Participation, and Retention
Authors: Habibi Assal , Sarkissian Alissa Der , Gomez Martha , Ilari Beatriz
Published: July 2015

Challenges associated with recruitment and retention of participants from underprivileged social communities, in addition to neuroscience researchers' unfamiliarity with these communities, possibly explain the limited number of individuals from these communities who participate in neuroscience research studies. The consequence is a scarcity of data in this fast‐growing segment of the population. In particular, developmental research involving children from ethnic minorities has yet to catch up with the number of studies available for middle‐class White children (Flores et al., 2002). This underrepresentation can lead to disparities in health and social services for children from these communities, as well as to a nonrepresentative knowledge base of child neurodevelopment. Developing and utilizing innovative and culturally sensitive approaches to recruiting participants from underprivileged communities can maximize their participation in research, as behavioral researchers have known for some time. Here, based on our experience recruiting low‐socioeconomic status (SES) Latino children from Los Angeles, we offer strategies to improve recruitment, involvement, and retention. We have a special focus on techniques relevant to recruiting for neuroimaging, which is associated with new challenges not faced to the same degree in research historically. Better inclusion of underrepresented children in research can ultimately lead to the development and improvement of effective public polices to support their needs, ranging from education to health care.
A clever solution to a vexing problem
Authors: Whitlock Michael C.
Published: July 2015

FST (as well as related measures such as GST) has long been used both as a measure of the relative amount of genetic variation between populations and as an indicator of the amount of gene flow among populations. Unfortunately, FST and its clones are also sensitive to mutation, particularly when the mutation rate per locus is greater than the migration rate among populations. Relatively high mutation rates cause estimates of FST and GST to be much lower than researchers sometimes expect, when migration rates are low in the studied species. Several recent suggestions for dealing with this problem have been unsatisfactory for one reason or another, and no general solution exists (if we are not to abandon these otherwise useful measures of differentiation). In an important article in this issue, Jinliang Wang (2015) shows that it is possible to identify whether the genetic markers in a given study are likely to give estimates of FST that are strongly affected by mutation. The proposed test is simple and elegant, and with it, molecular ecologists can determine whether the FST from their makers can be depended on for further inference about their species’ genome and the demographic forces which shaped its patterns.
PHO4 transcription factor regulates triacylglycerol metabolism under low‐phosphate conditions in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Yadav Kamlesh Kumar , Singh Neelima , Rajasekharan Ram
Published: July 2015

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, PHM8 encodes a phosphatase that catalyses the dephosphorylation of lysophosphatidic acids to monoacylglycerol and nucleotide monophosphate to nucleoside and releases free phosphate. In this report, we investigated the role of PHM8 in triacylglycerol metabolism and its transcriptional regulation by a phosphate responsive transcription factor Pho4p under low‐phosphate conditions. We found that the wild‐type (BY4741) cells accumulate triacylglycerol and the expression of PHM8 was high under low‐phosphate conditions. Overexpression of PHM8 in the wild‐type, phm8Δ and quadruple phosphatase mutant (pah1Δdpp1Δlpp1Δapp1Δ) caused an increase in the triacylglycerol levels. However, the introduction of the PHM8 deletion into the quadruple phosphatase mutant resulted in a reduction in triacylglycerol levels and LPA phosphatase activity. The transcriptional activator Pho4p binds to the PHM8 promoter under low‐phosphate conditions, activating PHM8 expression, which leads to the formation of monoacylglycerol from LPA. The synthesized monoacylglycerol is acylated to diacylglycerol by Dga1p, which is further acylated to triacylglycerol by the same enzyme.
Outer membrane protein P1 is the CEACAM‐binding adhesin of Haemophilus influenzae
Authors: Tchoupa Arnaud Kengmo , Lichtenegger Sabine , Reidl Joachim , Hauck Christof R.
Published: July 2015

Haemophilus influenzae is a Gram‐negative pathogen colonizing the upper respiratory tract mucosa. H. influenzae is one of several human‐restricted bacteria, which bind to carcinoembryonic antigen‐related cell adhesion molecules (CEACAMs) on the epithelium leading to bacterial uptake by the eukaryotic cells. Adhesion to CEACAMs is thought to be mediated by the H. influenzae outer membrane protein (OMP) P5. However, CEACAMs still bound to H. influenzae lacking OMP P5 expression, and soluble CEACAM receptor ectodomains failed to bind to OMP P5, when heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli. Screening of a panel of H. influenzae OMP mutants revealed that lack of OMP P1 completely abrogated CEACAM binding and supressed CEACAM‐mediated engulfment of H. influenzae by epithelial cells. Moreover, ectopic expression of OMP P1 in E. coli was sufficient to induce CEACAM binding and to promote attachment to and internalization into CEACAM‐expressing cells. Interestingly, OMP P1 selectively recognizes human CEACAMs, but not homologs from other mammals and this binding preference is preserved upon expression in E. coli. Together, our data identify OMP P1 as the bona fide CEACAM‐binding invasin of H. influenzae. This is the first report providing evidence for an involvement of the major OMP P1 of H. influenzae in pathogenesis.
Gliosarcomas arising from the pineal gland region: uncommon localization and rare tumors
Authors: Sugita Yasuo , Terasaki Mizuhiko , Tanigawa Ken , Ohshima Koichi , Morioka Motohiro , Higaki Koichi , Nakagawa Setsuko , Shimokawa Shoko , Nakashima Susumu
Published: July 2015

Gliosarcomas are a variant of glioblastomas and present a biphasic pattern, with coexisting glial and mesenchymal components. In this study, two unusual cases are presented. Case 1 is a 52‐year‐old woman with a headache and memory disturbance for a month. Case 2 is an 18‐year‐old man with a headache lasting two weeks. In both cases, an MRI revealed enhancing T1‐low to iso, T2‐iso to high intensity lesions in the pineal gland region. Histologically, in case 1, the tumor showed spindle cell proliferation with disorganized fascicles and cellular pleomorphism. Tumor cells variously exhibited oncocytic transformation. Immunohistochemically, most of the spindle tumor cells were positive for myoglobin and desmin. Some of the tumor cells were positive for GFAP and S‐100 protein. On the other hand, all tumor cells were positive for CD133, Musashi1, and SOX‐2 which are the markers of neural stem cells. In case 2, the tumor showed monotonous proliferation of short spindle cells with disorganized fascicles and cellular atypism. The morphological distinction between glial and mesenchymal components was not apparent. Immunohistochemically, most of the spindle tumor cells were positive for desmin. Glial tumor cells that were dispersed within the sarcoma as single cells were positive for GFAP. In addition, all tumor cells were positive for CD133, Musashi1 and SOX‐2. Based on these microscopic appearances, and immunohistochemical findings, these cases were diagnosed as gliosarcomas arising from the pineal gland region. These results also indicated that pluripotential cancer stem cells differentiated into glial and muscle cell lines at the time of tumor growth. In a survey of previous publications on gliosarcoma arising from the pineal gland, these cases are the second and third reports found in English scientific writings.
MEDIA ATTENTION AND THE DEMISE OF AGENCY INDEPENDENCE: EVIDENCE FROM A MASS ADMINISTRATIVE REORGANIZATION IN BRITAIN
Authors: BERTELLI ANTHONY M. , SINCLAIR J. ANDREW , LEE HARAM
Published: July 2015

When administrative agencies are terminated, do they quietly fade from public view? On the one hand, the terminated agencies may have weak issue networks and agency reputations, allowing them to lose public salience. On the other, strong issue networks and agency reputations may mean that termination increases attention to the agencies, making the government pay the cost of public attention generated by the actors within the issue networks. We assess these competing claims by using a unique dataset from a recent mass reorganization of independent agencies in Britain as well as data capturing media attention to agencies in major national newspapers. Using a difference‐in‐differences approach, we find that the agencies subject to termination experience reductions in the amount of media coverage in major newspapers, disappearing from public view during the post‐decision reform period.
New method for single‐breath fraction of exhaled nitric oxide measurement with improved feasibility in preschool children with asthma
Authors: Heijkenskjöld‐Rentzhog Charlotte , Kalm‐Stephens Pia , Nordvall Lennart , Malinovschi Andrei , Alving Kjell
Published: July 2015

Background

Respiratory societies recommend use of standardized methodologies for fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) measurements in adults and children, but in preschoolers, feasibility remains a problem. The exhalation time needed to obtain steady‐state FeNO is unclear. Our primary aim was to study the feasibility of an adapted single‐breath FeNO method with age‐adjusted exhalation times. We also studied the association between time to steady‐state NO level and height, as well as FeNO in relation to asthma and current treatment with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS).

Methods

Sixty‐three children aged 3–10 years performed FeNO measurements with a hand‐held electrochemical device with a newly developed flow‐control unit. Exhalation times were pre‐adapted to age. Exhaled air was simultaneously sampled to a chemiluminescence analyzer to measure time to steady‐state NO level.

Results

Eighty‐one percent of the children achieved at least one approved measurement. From 4 years upwards, success rate was high (96%). Time to steady‐state [NO] (median and interquartile range) was 2.5 s (2.4–3.5) at the age of 3–4 years and 3.5 s (2.7–3.8) at the age of 5–6 years. Height was associated with time to steady state (r2 = 0.13, p = 0.02). FeNO (geometric mean [95% CI]) was higher in ICS‐naïve asthmatic children (n = 19): 15.9 p.p.b. (12.2–20.9), than in both healthy controls (n = 8) 9.1 p.p.b. (6.6–12.4) and asthmatic subjects on treatment (n = 24) 11.5 p.p.b. (9.7–13.6).

Conclusion

We found this adapted single‐breath method with age‐adjusted exhalation times highly feasible for children aged 4–10 years. ICS‐naïve asthmatic children had FeNO levels under the current guideline cutoff level (20 p.p.b.), highlighting the importance of taking age into account when setting reference values.
Longitudinal functional changes, depression, and health‐related quality of life among stroke survivors living at home after inpatient rehabilitation
Authors: Mutai Hitoshi , Furukawa Tomomi , Nakanishi Kosuke , Hanihara Tokiji
Published: July 2015

Aim

This study investigated changes in functional status in home‐dwelling stroke survivors 1–3 years after inpatient rehabilitation. It also examined the factors associated with longitudinal functional changes and health‐related quality of life.

Methods

Survey evaluations were conducted at the homes of 27 stroke survivors. The Functional Independence Measure (FIM), Short Form 36, Frenchay Activities Index, and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale were used to assess functional status, quality of life, social activity, and depression symptoms, respectively.

Results

From the time of discharge to follow‐up (mean: 2.1 ± 0.6 years), total FIM and motor FIM scores were mildly improved, and cognitive FIM score was significantly improved. On the Short Form 36, physical functioning, general health, and vitality scores were lower than norm‐based scores. Multiple regression analyses showed a positive association between change in motor FIM score and Frenchay Activities Index score and a negative association between change in cognitive FIM score and elapsed time after discharge. With regard to health‐related quality of life, motor FIM score was associated with the physical component summary, whereas age and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale score were associated with the mental component summary.

Conclusion

Social participation was associated with long‐term improvement in activities of daily living, indicating that interventions targeting social function are important for maintaining and further improving activities of daily living in stroke survivors. Health‐related quality of life was correlated with activities of daily living and depression; therefore, interventions targeting these parameters are important in improving the quality of life of stroke survivors.
Sleep correlates of depression and anxiety in an elderly Asian population
Authors: Yu Junhong , Rawtaer Iris , Fam Johnson , Jiang Min‐Jun , Feng Lei , Kua Ee Heok , Mahendran Rathi
Published: July 2015

Background

Research looking at the association between sleep and psychiatric symptoms in elderly Asian populations is lacking. The present study examines the sleep correlates of depression and anxiety in a sample of cognitively healthy older adults.

Methods

The Geriatric Depression Scale, Geriatric Anxiety Inventory, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index were administered to a community sample of elderly participants (n = 107; 81 women; Mage = 71.3 years, SD = 5.7)

Results

Geriatric Depression Scale and Geriatric Anxiety Inventory scores are both significantly correlated with sleep disturbance. Geriatric Depression Scale scores are uniquely associated with daytime dysfunction, and Geriatric Anxiety Inventory scores are uniquely associated with perceived sleep quality, sleep latency, and global Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores.

Conclusions

Depression and anxiety in a cohort of elderly Asian subjects are associated with a number of sleep‐related issues; both are related to a somewhat different profile of sleep problems.
Advances in Breeding Management and Use of Ovulation Induction for Fixed‐time AI
Authors: Kirkwood RN , Kauffold J
Published: July 2015

Contents

The objective of the breeding herd is the predictable and consistent production of high quality pigs. To achieve this objective, an appropriate number of females need to be mated in each breeding week and they should maintain their pregnancy and deliver large litters. Many factors can impact achievement of optimal sow productivity, particularly breeding management. Most matings will involve artificial insemination (AI), and successful AI requires deposition into the cervix (or beyond) of sufficient viable high quality sperm at an appropriate time relative to ovulation. This is facilitated by improved knowledge of the sow's ovarian function prior to and during her oestrous period. Realization of the importance of establishing an adequate sperm reservoir in the oviduct at an appropriate time relative to ovulation has led to advances in the management of AI. The future of AI will likely involve insemination of single doses of high genetic merit semen, potentially having a reduced sperm concentration which is made possible by knowledge of the effect of site of sperm deposition on sow fertility. In particular, knowledge of when a sow is likely to ovulate during a natural or induced oestrous period will prove invaluable in the maintenance of herd productivity. This review will examine options for breeding management, including the control of oestrus and ovulation, on sow herd reproductive performance.
Factors Affecting the Efficient Production of Boar Sperm
Authors: Flowers WL
Published: July 2015

Contents

Efficient sperm production in boars has developmental and functional components. Factors affecting the developmental phase influence Sertoli cell mitosis, appear to be mostly stimulatory and have permanent effects on production of sperm. Birthweight appears to hold promise as a prospective screening tool as it appears to have a strong positive relationship with adult sperm production. Strategic cross‐fostering shortly after birth and socialization to humans between 4 and 9 weeks of age are strategies during the developmental phase that have been shown to increase spermatogenesis in adults. Factors affecting the functional phase influence the release of sperm by Sertoli cells and their subsequent maturation in the epididymi, appear to be mainly inhibitory and have temporary effects on spermatogenesis which can be corrected. The most common of these include exposure to elevated ambient temperature, nutrition, photoperiod, collection frequency and housing. Multiple deficiencies in several of these areas are common in commercial studs and have additive, negative effects on sperm production. However, there also is evidence that enhancements in one of these areas may be capable of offsetting deficiencies in others.
Sperm Encapsulation from 1985 to Date: Technology Evolution and New Challenges in Swine Reproduction
Authors: Perteghella S , Vigani B , Crivelli B , Spinaci M , Galeati G , Bucci D , Vigo D , Torre ML , Chlapanidas T
Published: July 2015

Contents

In the last 30 years, encapsulation technology has been applied to different species to minimize the loss of spermatozoa after artificial insemination. In particular, the vehiculation of boar sperm cells in barium alginate membrane has proved a valid strategy to reduce the risk of polyspermy and optimize in vivo fertilizing yields. Controlled release of male gametes into the female genital tract has reduced the minimum fertilizing dose of spermatozoa. Notwithstanding these results, encapsulation has not yet reached commercial application, largely due to the additional costs of production. However, encapsulation could be useful in advanced reproductive technology, such as sex sorting, to store sorted boar semen. The controlled release of flow cytometrically sorted spermatozoa could be a promising strategy to reduce the number of cells necessary for each insemination and hence allow the widescale use of sex sorting in this species.
The Fertility of Frozen Boar Sperm When used for Artificial Insemination
Authors: Knox RV
Published: July 2015

Contents

One of the limits to practical use of frozen boar sperm involves the lowered fertility when used for artificial insemination. Years of studies have shown that 5–6 billion sperm (approximately 3 billion viable) used in single or multiple inseminations results in pregnancy rates most often between 60 and 70% and with litter sizes between nine and 10 pigs. Yet today, it is not uncommon for studies to report pregnancy rates from 70 to 85% and litter sizes with 11–12 pigs. While global statements about the incidence and reasons for higher fertility are not conclusive, incremental fertility improvements appear independently associated with use of a minimum number of viable sperm (1–2 billion), insemination timing that increases the probability that sperm will be present close to ovulation for groups of females, selection for boar sperm survival following cryopreservation, and modification of the freeze and thaw conditions using additives to protect sperm from oxidative damage. Studies show that techniques such as intrauterine and deep uterine insemination can provide an opportunity to reduce sperm numbers and that control of time of ovulation in groups of females can reduce the need for multiple inseminations and improve the chance forAIclose to ovulation. However, optimal and consistent fertility with cryopreserved boar sperm may require a multifaceted approach that includes boar selection and screening, strategic use of additives during the freezing and thawing process, post‐thaw evaluation of sperm and adjustments in sperm numbers forAI, assessment of female fertility and ovulation induction for single insemination. These sequenced procedures should be developed and incorporated into a quality control system for improved fertility when using minimal numbers of cryopreserved boar sperm.
Challenges and Limits Using Antimicrobial Peptides in Boar Semen Preservation
Authors: Schulze M , Grobbel M , Müller K , Junkes C , Dathe M , Rüdiger K , Jung M
Published: July 2015

Contents

Antibiotics are of great importance for the preservation of ejaculates for livestock breading. The use of antibiotics, however, is not an appropriate compensation for a lack of hygiene standards in artificial insemination (AI) centres. Sophisticated hygiene management and the proper identification of hygienic critical control points (HCCPs) at AI centres provide the basis for counteracting the development of antibiotic resistance in contaminant bacteria and their settlement in AI centres. In recent years, efforts have been made to use antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in the preservation of boar semen. Investigations have included the testing of synthetic magainin derivatives and cyclic hexapeptides. One prerequisite for the application of AMPs is that they have a minor impact on eukaryotic cells. Bacterial selectivity, proteolytic stability, thermodynamic resistance, and mechanisms including synergistic interaction with conventional antibiotics have made cyclic hexapeptides highly promising candidates for potential application as peptide antibiotics for semen preservation.
The Real Exchange Rate and Growth in Emerging Markets: The Case of Zimbabwe
Authors: Brixiová Zuzana , Ncube Mthuli , Bicaba Zorobabel
Published: July 2015

Zimbabwe has been facing growth and external competitiveness challenges, as shown by declining shares in global exports, high current account deficits, external debt and a widening productivity gap with South Africa. Estimates of the real equilibrium exchange rate reveal periods of sizeable misalignment, both prior to 2008 and under the current multicurrency regime. Misalignment has an asymmetric impact on growth. While overvaluation hampers growth, we have not found robust evidence that undervaluation would raise it. Replacing the multicurrency regime anchored in the US dollar by the South African rand would help reduce overvaluation and stimulate exports and growth. Under any currency regime, Zimbabwe needs to implement sound macroeconomic policies and an environment conducive to investment.
Should Commodity Exporters Peg to the Export Price?
Authors: Vogel Lukas , Hohberger Stefan , Herz Bernhard
Published: July 2015

To account for the specific situation of commodity exporters, pegging to export prices (PEP) has been proposed elsewhere as an alternative to other conventional monetary regimes such as an exchange rate peg or inflation targeting. PEP is supposed to deliver automatic accommodation to terms‐of‐trade shocks, while retaining the credibility gain from a nominal anchor. This paper analyzes the PEP proposal in a dynamic general‐equilibrium model and compares it with a standard Taylor rule, consumer price index (CPI)‐level targeting and a nominal exchange rate peg. Judged by the degree of output stabilization, PEP performs very similar to CPI targeting for export demand as well as domestic demand shocks and underperforms in the case of shocks to the export price. The results suggest that PEP is not superior to conventional CPI targeting from a macroeconomic stabilization perspective.
Collective emotions
Authors: Sullivan Gavin Brent
Published: July 2015

Research on collective emotions has been limited until recently to theories of irrational crowds, scepticism about genuinely group‐level psychological phenomena and analyses of the unconscious or ritual sources of mass affective experience. However, collective emotion is now a thriving research area that combines studies from philosophy, anthropology, sociology, social psychology and neuroscience. This article examines neo‐Durkheimian theories of collective emotions and relevant contributions of discursive psychologists and other social scientists influenced by the “turn to affect.” I argue that future theoretical and empirical investigations should do the following: (1) critically examine theories focusing on diffuse emotional energy and discrete collective emotions by also exploring the generation and production of genuinely collective mixed emotions; (2) clarify problems with “bottom‐up” models of causal mechanisms through exploration of “affective practices”; and (3) explore the implications of Tuomela's () “top‐down” social ontology of “group agents” as a framework for theories and studies of collective emotion.
The challenge of authenticity for medical students
Authors: Roper Lucinda , Foster Kirsty , Garlan Karen , Jorm Christine
Published: July 2015

Background

The development of a professional identity occurs during medical school. Formal study of students' reflections on this process may provide insight into how to better support them.

Methods

A qualitative data analysis of 56 student essays was undertaken.

Results

Students' early interactions with patients seem to be influential in their process of identity development. Students were preoccupied with creating or preserving a professional persona in front of patients. They responded to this perceived challenge in three ways: some were concerned with controlling the experience and expression of emotion, others felt that they failed to be authentic, and the third group focused on the patient's experience of the interaction and agonised over what the patients might want.

Discussion

This article adds to the literature by highlighting the struggles medical students encounter trying to behave and feel the way they think they ought. Students may be less troubled and participate more naturally in empathic communication if they learn to access authentic emotions in their interactions with patients. This article discusses strategies for medical faculties and clinical tutors to support and encourage them to do so.

Students' early interactions with patients seem to be influential in their process of identity development
The use of big data in transfusion medicine
Authors: Pendry K.
Published: July 2015

‘Big data’ refers to the huge quantities of digital information now available that describe much of human activity. The science of data management and analysis is rapidly developing to enable organisations to convert data into useful information and knowledge. Electronic health records and new developments in Pathology Informatics now support the collection of ‘big laboratory and clinical data’, and these digital innovations are now being applied to transfusion medicine. To use big data effectively, we must address concerns about confidentiality and the need for a change in culture and practice, remove barriers to adopting common operating systems and data standards and ensure the safe and secure storage of sensitive personal information. In the UK, the aim is to formulate a single set of data and standards for communicating test results and so enable pathology data to contribute to national datasets. In transfusion, big data has been used for benchmarking, detection of transfusion‐related complications, determining patterns of blood use and definition of blood order schedules for surgery. More generally, rapidly available information can monitor compliance with key performance indicators for patient blood management and inventory management leading to better patient care and reduced use of blood. The challenges of enabling reliable systems and analysis of big data and securing funding in the restrictive financial climate are formidable, but not insurmountable. The promise is that digital information will soon improve the implementation of best practice in transfusion medicine and patient blood management globally.