bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analyzing discourses of emotion management onSurvivor, using micro- and macro-analytic discourse perspectives
Authors: Wingard Leah , Lovaas Karen E.
Published: May 2014

In this paper, we study discourses of emotion management on the reality television show Survivor. We analyze segments of the program that feature emotionally charged interactional moments and examine how these interactions are interwoven with contestants’ confessional interviews and framed by the narrator’s introductions of the segments. In a two part analysis, we first analyze the talk produced by the contestants and the host as individual texts, using a discourse analytic perspective that focuses on the details of the talk itself. We then consider the ways the talk constitutes a series of layered texts and analyze these texts, using a discourse analytic approach that attends to macro-level and critical perspectives. We conclude that Survivor largely reinforces dominant cultural discourses of emotion management as strategic interactional practice that allow a person to be competitive. Furthermore, the analysis links performances of emotion management to representations of specific aspects of contestants’ social identities.
(Im)politeness during Prime Minister’s Questions in the U.K. Parliament
Authors: Murphy James
Published: May 2014

Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) is a weekly, half-hour long session in the British House of Commons, which gives backbench Members of Parliament (MPs) and the Leader of the Opposition (LO) the opportunity to ask the Prime Minister (PM) questions on any topic relating to the government’s policies and actions. The discourse at PMQs is often described as adversarial (see Bull & Wells 2011) and in this paper I will show how the notion of impoliteness can be applied to both the questions and the answers which make up the session. Through the detailed analysis of six sessions of PMQs I will also demonstrate that PMQs is also a source of polite linguistic behaviour of the sort described in Brown & Levinson’s (1987) politeness theory. Comparisons between Gordon Brown’s and David Cameron’s speech styles will also be drawn.
Standardisation of Reduced Forms in English in an Academic Community of Practice
Authors: White Jonathan R.
Published: May 2014

The process of standardising reduced forms in English, such as clippings and informal forms, used in academic chat discourse is the focus of this article. Textchat data from an introductory MA linguistics course run by a university in Sweden involving non-native English-speaking students and their native English-speaking teachers is analysed to identify if any forms are standardised. Topic-specific forms are seen to be standardised as much as are high frequency forms, although few have been standardised. It is the students above all who lead the process, and the teachers do not have much influence even if they use a different reduction.
IKKβ links vascular inflammation to obesity and atherosclerosis
Authors: Sui Yipeng , Park Se-Hyung , Xu Jinxian , Monette Sébastien , Helsley Robert N. , Han Seong-Su , Zhou Changcheng
Published: May 2014

IκB kinase β (IKKβ), a central coordinator of inflammatory responses through activation of NF-κB, has been implicated in vascular pathologies, but its role in atherogenesis remains elusive. Here, we demonstrate that IKKβ functions in smooth muscle cells (SMCs) to regulate vascular inflammatory responses and atherosclerosis development. IKKβ deficiency in SMCs driven by a SM22Cre-IKKβ-flox system rendered low density lipoprotein receptor-null mice resistant to vascular inflammation and atherosclerosis induced by high-fat feeding. Unexpectedly, IKKβ-deficient mice were also resistant to diet-induced obesity and metabolic disorders. Cell lineage analysis revealed that SM22Cre is active in primary adipose stromal vascular cells and deficiency of IKKβ diminished the ability of these cells to differentiate, leading to accumulation of adipocyte precursor cells in adipose tissue. Mechanistically, reduction of IKKβ expression or pharmacological inhibition of IKKβ inhibited proteasome-mediated β-catenin ubiquitination and degradation in murine preadipocytes, resulting in elevated β-catenin levels and impaired adipocyte differentiation. Further, chronic treatment of mice with a potent IKKβ inhibitor decreased adipogenesis and ameliorated diet-induced obesity. Our findings demonstrate a pivotal role of IKKβ in linking vascular inflammation to atherosclerosis and adipose tissue development, and provide evidence for using appropriate IKKβ inhibitors in the treatment of obesity and metabolic disorders.
Personal health records, symptoms, uncertainty, and mood in brain tumor patients
Authors: Cahill Jennifer E. , Lin Lin , LoBiondo-Wood Geri , Armstrong Terri S. , Acquaye Alvina A. , Vera-Bolanos Elizabeth , Gilbert Mark R. , Padhye Nikhil S.
Published: May 2014

Background

The advantages of patient access to the electronic medical record (EMR) through integrated personal health records (PHR) may be substantial, and foremost is the enhanced information flow between patient and practitioner. Because this is an emerging technology, the actualized benefits to complex patient groups remain largely unknown. MD Anderson Cancer Center provides web-based PHR portal access to the EMR including clinic notes, MRI results, and pathology reports. This study sought to evaluate PHR use by glioma patients.

Methods

Cross-sectional survey and PHR-derived user data from 186 patients were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Logistic regression assessed disparities between users and nonusers. Dependence of PHR access on treatment stage was tested through linear regression. Path analysis evaluated PHR access, disease-related uncertainty, symptom experience, and mood.

Results

Patients averaged 44.2 years (range 19y–80y), 77% had a high-grade tumor, and 60% had accessed PHR at least one time (range 0–126). Strongest predictors of access included education level (college level or higher), low performance status, middle income, and in-state residency. Patients undergoing treatment were more active users. PHR access was associated with lower disease-related uncertainty and lower symptom severity. Mood was not directly related to PHR use but mediated an association between symptom severity and uncertainty.

Conclusions

While many reports presume better disease and symptom understanding for patients with EMR access, this study is the first to correlate PHR use to lower patient uncertainty levels. Early examination of PHR provides an important basis for critical evaluation and optimization to better structure this benefit for brain tumor patients.
Predicting Case Volume from the Accumulating Elective Operating Room Schedule Facilitates Staffing Improvements
Authors: Tiwari Vikram , Furman William R. , Sandberg Warren S.
Published: May 2014

Background:

Precise estimates of final operating room demand can only be made 1 or 2 days before the day of surgery, when it is harder to adjust staffing to match demand. The authors hypothesized that the accumulating elective schedule contains useful information for predicting final case demand sufficiently in advance to readily adjust staffing.

Methods:

The accumulated number of cases booked was recorded daily, from which a usable dataset comprising 146 consecutive surgical days (October 10, 2011 to May 7, 2012, after removing weekends and holidays), and each with 30 prior calendar days of booking history, was extracted. Case volume prediction was developed by extrapolation from estimates of the fraction of total cases booked each of the 30 preceding days, and averaging these with linear regression models, one for each of the 30 preceding days. Predictions were verified by comparison with actual volume.

Results:

The elective surgery schedule accumulated approximately three cases per day, settling at a mean ± SD final daily volume of 117 ± 12 cases. The model predicted final case counts within 8.27 cases as far in advance as 14 days before the day of surgery. In the last 7 days before the day of surgery, the model predicted the case count within seven cases 80% of the time. The model was replicated at another smaller hospital, with similar results.

Conclusions:

The developing elective schedule predicts final case volume weeks in advance. After implementation, overly high- or low-volume days are revealed in advance, allowing nursing, ancillary service, and anesthesia managers to proactively fine-tune staffing up or down to match demand.
A versatile and efficient markerless gene disruption system for Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans: application for characterizing a copper tolerance related multicopper oxidase gene
Authors: Wen Qing , Liu Xiangmei , Wang Huiyan , Lin Jianqun
Published: May 2014

The acidophilic bioleaching bacteria can usually survive in high concentrations of copper ions because of their special living environment. However, little is known about the copper homeostatic mechanisms of Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans, an important member of bioleaching bacteria. Here, a putative multicopper oxidase gene (cueO) was detected from the draft genome of A. thiooxidans ATCC 19377. The transcriptional level of cueO in response to 10 mM CuSO4 was upregulated 25.01 ± 2.59 folds. The response of PcueO to copper was also detected and might be stimulated by a putative CueR protein. Then, by using the counter‐selectable marker lacZ and enhancing the expression of endonuclease I‐SceI with tac promoter, a modified markerless gene disruption system was developed and the cueO gene disruption mutant (ΔcueO) of A. thiooxidans was successfully constructed with a markedly improved second homologous recombination frequency of 0.28 ± 0.048. The ΔcueO mutant was more sensitive to external copper and nearly completely lost the phenoloxidase activity; however, the activity could be restored after complementing the cueO gene. All results suggest the close relation of cueO gene to copper tolerance in A. thiooxidans. In addition, the developed efficient markerless gene knockout method can also be introduced into other Acidithiobacillus strains.
Sleep changes in smokers before, during and 3 months after nicotine withdrawal
Authors: Jaehne Andreas , Unbehaun Thomas , Feige Bernd , Cohrs Stefan , Rodenbeck Andrea , Schütz Anna-Lisa , Uhl Verena , Zober Alexander , Riemann Dieter
Published: May 2014

Nicotine may affect sleep by influencing sleep‐regulating neurotransmitters. Sleep disorders can increase the risk for depression and substance dependency. To detect the influence of sleep disturbances on the effect of smoking cessation, we investigated polysomnographically (PSG) the sleep of smoking subjects during a period of smoking, during withdrawal and after a period of abstinence from nicotine. Thirty‐three smokers (23 male, 10 female, median age 29 years, Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence score 6.3) were examined during smoking, 24–36 hours after smoking and 3 months after cessation. All subjects had an adaptation night followed by the PSG night. Compared with the smoking state, we found increased arousal index and wake time during nicotine withdrawal. Smokers who later relapsed (11) presented a higher degree of nicotine dependence and more withdrawal symptoms than those who abstained (22) and were characterized by less rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, a longer REM latency as well as by more intense sleep impairments in the subjective sleep rating during the withdrawal. Impairments of sleep during the withdrawal phase may reflect more severe nicotine dependence and may contribute to earlier relapse into smoking behaviours.
Study of fluid ingress through clear corneal incisions following phacoemulsification with or without the use of a hydrogel ocular bandage: a prospective comparative randomised study
Authors: Sykakis Evripidis , Karim Rushmia , Kinsella Matthew , Bhogal Maninder , Patel Sandeep , Parmar Dipak N.
Published: May 2014

Purpose

To assess the use of a hydrogel ocular bandage (HOB) on clear corneal incisions in phacoemulsification cataract surgery and determine whether HOB reduces ocular surface contaminants ingress after routine surgery.

Methods

In this prospective randomized controlled study, thirty eyes of patients undergoing uneventful phacoemulsification were recruited consecutively and randomly assigned to have a HOB applied to the corneal incision at the end of the surgery or not. At the end of the surgery, trypan blue (TRB) was instilled on the ocular surface, aqueous fluid was aspirated from the anterior chamber (AC) and its optical density was measured using ultraviolet spectrophotometry. The corneal incisions were examined postoperatively using anterior segment optical coherence tomography. Main outcome measures were concentration of TRB in the AC, corneal incision architecture, intraocular pressure (IOP) and Seidel test.

Results

All incisions were Seidel negative. The mean IOP in the immediate postoperative period was 18.1 ± 5.48 mmHg for the intervention group and 16.9 ± 5.7 mmHg for the control group (p > 0.05). No architectural differences of the incisions between the two groups were noted. The total mean length of the three‐step corneal incisions in the two groups was 2261.2 ± 96.92 μm and 2263 ± 119.75 μm, respectively (p > 0.05). No trace of TRB was detected in any of the samples.

Conclusion

Proper surgical wound construction without the use of a HOB is efficient in preventing the ingress of fluid through the main corneal incision postoperatively.
High‐level exogenous trans10, cis12 conjugated linoleic acid plays an anti‐lipogenesis role in bovine mammary epithelial cells
Authors: Wang Hongfang , Liu Hongyun , Liu Jianxin , Zhao Ke , Wang Chong , Yang Weiren
Published: May 2014

Primary bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMECs) were treated by 0, 37.5, 75, 112.5, 150 μmol/L trans10, cis12 conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) to evaluate the effects of different level trans10, cis12 CLA on lipogenesis in BMEC. Addition of 75–150 μmol/L trans10, cis12 CLA reduced significantly the triacylglycerol (TAG) content (P < 0.05), but did not have inhibiting action on cell proliferation (P > 0.05). Treatment with 150 μmol/L trans10, cis12 CLA for 48 h resulted in a 17.1% reduction (P < 0.0001) of medium chain fatty acids (MCFA, C14 < C < C16), a 26.5% reduction (P < 0.0001) of unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) and a corresponding reduction of the mRNA abundance of acetyl coenzyme A (acetylCoA) carboxylase (ACC) (P = 0.046), fatty acid synthase (FAS) (P = 0.017) and stearoylCoA desaturase1 (SCD1) (P = 0.002). Another finding was that trans10, cis12 CLA elevated expression of diacylglycerol acyltransferase2 (DGAT2) (P = 0.020) and long chain acylCoA synthetases (ACSL) (P = 0.032). In conclusion, higher trans10, cis12 CLA, not low trans10, cis12 CLA, inhibited milk fat synthesis and changed fatty acid composition by regulating the expression of FAS, ACC, SCD1, DGAT2 and ACSL.
Expression profiles of perforin, granzyme B and granulysin genes during the estrous cycle and gestation in the bovine endometrium
Authors: Ohta Tomokazu , Koshi Katsuo , Ushizawa Koichi , Hosoe Misa , Takahashi Toru , Yamaguchi Takahiro , Kizaki Keiichiro , Hashizume Kazuyoshi
Published: May 2014

The conceptus is susceptible to destruction by maternal cytotoxic lymphocytes, which have cytotoxic potential. Therefore, it is expected that mechanisms for regulating cytotoxic lymphocytes exist, but little is known about the expression of cytotoxic genes in the endometrium. In the present study, we examined the spatial and temporal expression patterns of the cytotoxic genes perforin, granzyme B, and granulysin during the estrous cycle and gestation in the bovine endometrium. Endometrial tissues were collected from cows during the estrous cycle and gestation. The gene expression patterns of the three cytotoxic genes were examined using quantitative polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridization, and cytotoxic lymphocyte subsets were characterized using immunohistochemistry. During mid‐ to late gestation in the intercaruncular (ICAR), granulysin expression was significantly increased, and a large number of granulysin‐expressing cells were localized in the luminal epithelium. Perforin and granzyme B displayed similar expression profiles and were highly expressed in the peri‐implantation endometrium, but few cells expressing these genes were found in the endometrial stroma. In conclusion, these findings suggest that in the ICAR epithelium granulysin may play important roles in the establishment and maintenance of gestation during normal pregnancy.
Beyond the platelet count: immature platelet fraction and thromboelastometry correlate with bleeding in patients with immune thrombocytopenia
Authors: Greene Lindsey A. , Chen Siqi , Seery Caroline , Imahiyerobo Allison M. , Bussel James B.
Published: May 2014

Platelet counts (PC) estimate bleeding risk in Immune Thrombocytopenia (ITP). We investigated whether measures of thromboelastometry and absolute immature platelet fraction (A‐IPF) would correlate better with acute bleeding score (ABS) than PC or mean platelet volume (MPV). Simultaneous determination of ABS, complete blood count and thromboelastometry was performed in 141 ITP patients; 112 underwent A‐IPF testing. Subgroup analyses were performed for paediatric subjects, PC <60 × 109/l and <30 × 109/l. PC significantly inversely correlated with ABS in all subjects, PC <30 × 109/l and total paediatric cohort. MPV did not correlate with ABS in any subgroup. Thromboelastometry measures of clot firmness, but not PC, significantly correlated with ABS in all subjects with PC <60 × 109/l, and children with PC <60 × 109/l and <30 × 109/l. A‐IPF demonstrated stronger correlation with ABS than did PC among all subjects, those with PC <60 × 109/l, all children and children with PC <30 × 109/l (r = −0·37; r = −0·34; r = −0·44; r = −0·60) versus ABS with PC (r = −0·36; ns; r = −0·32; ns). Stronger correlations of both thromboelastometry measures of clot firmness and A‐IPF than PC with ABS suggest factors beyond PC, i.e. related to platelet function, contribute to ITP bleeding pathophysiology. Thromboelastometry, A‐IPF and ABS can be incorporated into routine or acute visits.
Intergenerational Life Courses of Teenage Pregnancy in Ogbomosho South‐Western Nigeria
Authors: Salami Kabiru K. , Ayegboyin Matthew
Published: May 2014

Concern that the teenage pregnancy rate in an urban community in Southwest Nigeria has doubled within the last decade prompted an intergenerational survey of a sample of 277 respondents (163 pregnant teenagers, 91 teen parents and 23 adult parents who were once teen parents) selected through snowballing and then interviewed in four group discussions in Ogbomosho, Nigeria. Findings revealed that 43.5 per cent of the female and 48.5 per cent of the male teenagers informed their parents first when they became pregnant or made someone pregnant respectively. They also showed that lack of knowledge about puberty (21.3%) was a major factor that influenced teenage pregnancy. The majority (53.4%) of the respondents believed that their parents perceived teenage pregnancy as God's blessing, while it was perceived as sign of poverty by their school teachers (36.5%). Blame for unwanted pregnancy was put on the girls by 49.5 per cent of the respondents. Focused educational enlightenment for teenagers on sexual reproductive health is needed for reshaping teenagers' risky behaviours. This is in line with 25.6 per cent of the respondents who felt that community youth forum on sex education could reduce teenage pregnancy.
Toward consilience in reptile phylogeny: miRNAs support an archosaur, not lepidosaur, affinity for turtles
Authors: Field Daniel J. , Gauthier Jacques A. , King Benjamin L. , Pisani Davide , Lyson Tyler R. , Peterson Kevin J.
Published: May 2014

Understanding the phylogenetic position of crown turtles (Testudines) among amniotes has been a source of particular contention. Recent morphological analyses suggest that turtles are sister to all other reptiles, whereas the vast majority of gene sequence analyses support turtles as being inside Diapsida, and usually as sister to crown Archosauria (birds and crocodilians). Previously, a study using microRNAs (miRNAs) placed turtles inside diapsids, but as sister to lepidosaurs (lizards andSphenodon) rather than archosaurs. Here, we test this hypothesis with an expanded miRNA presence/absence dataset, and employ more rigorous criteria for miRNA annotation. Significantly, we find no support for a turtle + lepidosaur sister‐relationship; instead, we recover strong support for turtles sharing a more recent common ancestor with archosaurs. We further test this result by analyzing a super‐alignment of precursor miRNA sequences for every miRNA inferred to have been present in the most recent common ancestor of tetrapods. This analysis yields a topology that is fully congruent with our presence/absence analysis; our results are therefore in accordance with most gene sequence studies, providing strong, consilient molecular evidence from diverse independent datasets regarding the phylogenetic position of turtles.
Neuromagnetic brain responses to other person's eye blinks seen on video
Authors: Mandel Anne , Helokunnas Siiri , Pihko Elina , Hari Riitta
Published: May 2014

Eye blinks, typically occurring 15–20 times per minute, rarely capture attention during face‐to‐face interaction. To determine the extent to which eye blinks affect the viewer's brain activity, we recorded magnetoencephalographic brain responses to natural blinks, and to the same blinks slowed down to 38% of the original speed. The stimuli were presented on video once every 2.3–6.2 s. As a control, we presented two horizontal black bars moving with the same time courses and the same extent as the eyelids in the blink video. Both types of blinks and bars elicited clear responses peaking at about 200 ms in the occipital areas, with no systematic differences between hemispheres. For the bars, these main responses were (as expected) weaker (by 24%) and later (by 33 ms) to slow‐motion than normal‐speed stimuli. For blinks, however, the responses to both normal‐speed and slow‐motion stimuli were of the same amplitude and latency. Our results demonstrate that the brain not only responds to other persons' eye blinks, but that the responses are as fast and of equal size even when the blinks are considerably slowed down. We interpret this finding to reflect the increased social salience of the slowed‐down blinks that counteracted the general tendency of the brain to react more weakly and more slowly to slowly‐ vs. quickly‐changing stimuli. This finding may relate to the social importance of facial gestures, including eye blinks.
Nicotinamide enhances repair of ultraviolet radiation‐induced DNA damage in primary melanocytes
Authors: Thompson Benjamin C. , Surjana Devita , Halliday Gary M. , Damian Diona L.
Published: May 2014

Cutaneous melanoma is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Nicotinamide is a safe, widely available vitamin that reduces the immune suppressive effects of UV, enhances DNA repair in keratinocytes and has shown promise in the chemoprevention of non‐melanoma skin cancer. Here, we report the effect of nicotinamide on DNA damage and repair in primary human melanocytes. Nicotinamide significantly enhanced the repair of oxidative DNA damage (8‐oxo‐7,8‐dihydro‐2′‐deoxyguanosine) and cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers induced by UV exposure. It also enhanced the repair of 8‐oxo‐7,8‐dihydro‐2′‐deoxyguanosine induced by the culture conditions in unirradiated melanocytes. A significant increase in the percentage of melanocytes undergoing unscheduled but not scheduled DNA synthesis was observed, confirming that nicotinamide enhances DNA repair in human melanocytes. In summary, nicotinamide, by enhancing DNA repair in melanocytes, is a potential agent for the chemoprevention of cutaneous melanoma.
Hotspots of climate change impacts in sub‐Saharan Africa and implications for adaptation and development
Authors: Müller Christoph , Waha Katharina , Bondeau Alberte , Heinke Jens
Published: May 2014

Development efforts for poverty reduction and food security in sub‐Saharan Africa will have to consider future climate change impacts. Large uncertainties in climate change impact assessments do not necessarily complicate, but can inform development strategies. The design of development strategies will need to consider the likelihood, strength, and interaction of climate change impacts across biosphere properties. We here explore the spread of climate change impact projections and develop a composite impact measure to identify hotspots of climate change impacts, addressing likelihood and strength of impacts. Overlapping impacts in different biosphere properties (e.g. flooding, yields) will not only claim additional capacity to respond, but will also narrow the options to respond and develop. Regions with severest projected climate change impacts often coincide with regions of high population density and poverty rates. Science and policy need to propose ways of preparing these areas for development under climate change impacts.
A Theoretical Walk through the Political Economy of Urban Water Resource Management
Authors: Walker Gareth
Published: May 2014

The political economy of urban water management demands the interrogation of a highly socialised and engineered space. Many approaches are available to the researcher, yet they are often based on their own claims concerning the nature of society and space, which are contradictory and incommensurate with the next. This makes a synthesis of theory problematic, suggesting an ‘either/or’ decision to the researcher. This paper provides a critical genealogy of theoretical approaches to the political economy of urban water management and a framework through which their synthesis may be discussed. It employs a critical realist philosophy, mapping each approach to its respective ontological and epistemic grounding. A metaphorical ‘walk’ is then taken across the resulting map in order to provide a coherent and logical survey of theory. Finally, critical realism is employed to argue that struggles to synthesise theory are rooted in their competing ontological claims. Critical realism and in particular Bob Jessop's Strategic Relational Approach are assessed as means of reconciling tensions uncovered during the walk.
The Importance of Next Generation Farmers: A Conceptual Framework to Bring the Potential Successor into Focus
Authors: Chiswell Hannah Marie
Published: May 2014

Intergenerational succession is understood as an integral facet of the family farm. The importance of the succession process and more specifically, successor identification, are critically discussed in the context of the widely propagated projections of global population growth and associated demands on the agricultural sector. Having established the merits of successor identification, the article then highlights the absence of the ‘potential successor’ from contemporary research and continues by offering a conceptual framework, capable of bringing this important research subject into focus as an autonomous and valuable actor, which, given the anticipated renaissance in agriculture, is perhaps now, more important than ever.
Human Capital: A Comparison of Rustbelt and Sunbelt Cities
Authors: Poon Jessie , Yin Wei
Published: May 2014

Human capital studies in economic geography are dominated by themes associated with the following: (i) the creative class and (ii) skilled individuals' role in innovation spillovers. Both literatures highlight the efficacy of urban and regional agglomerations in creative and innovation activities through retention of the skilled and their knowledge production. They also favor large or Sunbelt cities while painting a dismal picture for smaller or uncool Rustbelt cities with significant implications for inter‐urban inequality. In this paper, we compare the human capital level of Sunbelt and Rustbelt cities. We find that Rustbelt cities are experiencing a brain gain that reflects the relocation and retention of college‐educated immigrants and natives in the region. Furthermore, skill ratios are higher in most Rustbelt than Sunbelt cities. We argue for a human capital narrative that is more spatially expansive, and that includes the effect of both skilled immigrants and natives on urban development.
Embracing the Second Best? Synchronization of Reform Speeds, Excess High Discretion Slack, and Performance of Transition Economy Firms
Authors: Banalieva Elitsa R.
Published: May 2014

I extend the institution‐based view by adopting a horse race perspective on pro‐market reforms. Specifically, I study how the synchronization of reform speeds (the extent of coordination across a country's reform rates of implementation) affects the performance of transition economy firms. I suggest that synchronized faster reforms (the horse race) yield mutually reinforcing and complementary benefits that enhance firm performance. Additionally, I propose that greater excess high discretion slack (the degree of internally generated excess liquidity a firm has after external demands on the firm's financial resources are met) further strengthens this positive relationship because it allows firms to pursue aggressively the market opportunities that proliferate in the rapidly transforming economy. Tests on a sample of 211 firms from 14 transition economies during 1991 to 2009 support this framework.
Comparison of periodontal conditions among three elderly populations in Japan and Germany
Authors: Hirotomi Toshinobu , Kocher Thomas , Yoshihara Akihiro , Biffar Reiner , Micheelis Wolfgang , Hoffmann Thomas , Miyazaki Hideo , Holtfreter Birte
Published: May 2014

Aim

There is a growing interest in comparing periodontal conditions between countries. This study compared periodontal disease conditions in three elderly populations‐ one from Japan and two from Germany.

Materials and Methods

We compared periodontal data of 70‐year‐old subjects from the Niigata Study with 65–74‐year‐old subjects from the Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP) and from West Germany (DMS III). A total of 489, 399 and 549 dentate subjects were analysed, respectively. Recording protocols were standardized. Linear or logistic models were used to compare Niigata Study with SHIP.

Results

Elderly German subjects in SHIP and DMS III had significantly more severe periodontal conditions and fewer remaining teeth compared to those in Niigata Study, though differences were less pronounced for DMS III. German subjects showed a significantly different pattern of various periodontal risk factors compared to Japanese subjects. Even after adjustment for putative periodontal risk factors, SHIP subjects still presented significantly higher adjusted values for most periodontal parameters compared to Niigata Study subjects (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

Periodontitis was more prevalent in SHIP compared with Niigata Study, even after comprehensive risk factor adjustment. Only to a very small extent, differences between studies could be explained by the risk factors explored.
Validity of and interrater agreement on the LINNEAUS Euro‐PC medication safety incident classification system in primary care in Poland
Authors: Kosiek Katarzyna , Vögele Anna , Lainer Miriam , Sönnichsen Andreas , Bowie Paul , Godycki‐Cwirko Maciek
Published: May 2014

Introduction

Medication safety incidents occur in all health care sectors and cause considerable morbidity and mortality, with 8.5% of all related incidents reported estimated to occur in primary care. A common incident classification system could facilitate collective learning from the analysis of medication‐related errors and improve patient safety

Objective

The objective of this study was to assess the validity of a new classification system of medication safety incidents in primary care in Poland.

Methods

Analysis of data from a descriptive, cross‐sectional, self‐reported survey on the Learning from International Networks about Errors and Understanding Safety in Primary Care (LINNEAUS Euro‐PC) medication safety incident classification for primary care with assessment of 10 case‐based clinical scenarios done by doctors and pharmacists form community‐based family medicine clinics and pharmacies in Lodz.

Main outcome measures

The percentages of overall agreement on judgements and a fixed‐marginal multirater kappa (κ) coefficient as statistical measures of interrater agreement for categorical items.

Results

The overall agreement levels were: category 1 – 86.3%; category 2 – 85.6%; category 3 – 72.1%; category 4 – 71.8%; and category 5 – 70.4%. The interrater agreement between the 15 evaluators varied as follows: category 1 fixed‐marginal κ = 0.144; category 5 fixed‐marginal κ = 0.565; category 3 fixed‐marginal κ = 0.607; category 4 fixed‐marginal κ = 0.634; and category 2 fixed‐marginal κ = 0.807.

Conclusions

This is the first known study on levels of agreement on the perception of medication safety incidents and assessment of the validity of a related classification system in primary health care in Poland. Interrater agreement in this study was surprisingly high, but still leaves room for improvement.
Implementation of a group‐based physical activity programme for ageing adults with ID: a process evaluation
Authors: van Schijndel‐Speet Marieke , Evenhuis Heleen M. , van Wijck Ruud , Echteld Michael A.
Published: May 2014

Rationale, aim and objectives

This paper describes the results of the process evaluation of a physical activity programme for people with intellectual disabilities (ID), including information about the concepts ‘fidelity’, ‘dose delivered’, ‘satisfaction’ and ‘context’.

Methods

Qualitative and quantitative methods among participants and programme leaders were used.

Results

The programme was well accepted, feasible and applicable to ageing people with ID. It was successfully implemented in terms of fidelity and dose delivered, although differences between day‐activity centres were observed.

Conclusions

The hampering factors that are revealed in this study and the facilitating activities that were part of the implementation plan may be used by care provider services for (ageing) people with ID and other groups of people with cognitive and/or physical deficits, such as frail elderly people or people with dementia when developing and or preparing implementation of health promotion programmes.
Urologists' personal feelings on PSA screening and prostate cancer treatment
Authors: Wenzler David L. , Rosenberg Bradley H.
Published: May 2014

Rationale, aims and objective

This study aimed to determine if urologists' feelings on prostate cancer screening with prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) and treatment on themselves are consistent with what they recommend to patients.

Methods

A survey regarding prostate cancer screening and treatment was assembled using the SurveyMonkey web site. The link to the survey was then emailed to urologists. Participation was voluntary.

Results

The survey was sent to 2672 American urologists and completed by 215 urologists; response rate was 8%. One hundred ninety‐eight (92%) were male. Most (56%) urologists recommend PSA screening beginning at age 50 for patients, and this corresponded with the age at which survey responders began their PSA screening. Two urologists did not recommend screening, and 10% were ‘not sure’ if screening saves lives. Of those that had not had their PSA checked, 34% plan to begin screening at 40–44 with 11% stating they ‘never’ plan to be screened. One hundred thirty‐eight (70%) men completing the survey had their PSA checked. The majority (86%) had it drawn for screening. Nineteen respondents had an elevated PSA with nine men diagnosed with prostate cancer. Eight of these had radical prostatectomy. When faced with the hypothetical diagnosis of an elevated PSA and low‐grade prostate cancer, respondents favoured repeat PSA (94%) and surveillance (48%), respectively, than any other option.

Conclusion

Despite recommendations from the American Urologic Association to screen men for prostate cancer, a significant percentage of urologists do not wish to be screened with PSA. Almost all, however, continue to recommend prostate cancer screening for their patients. Treatment recommendations also varied among the respondents.
Minimal clinically important difference for change in comfortable gait speed of adults with pathology: a systematic review
Authors: Bohannon Richard W. , Glenney Susan S.
Published: May 2014

Rationale, aims and objectives

Walking speed is an important performance variable, but information on the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) for the measure has not been consolidated. In this review, we aimed to summarize information on the MCID for change in comfortable gait speed measurements for patients with pathology.

Methods

Relevant literature was identified by searches of four databases (PubMed, Web of Knowledge, CINAHL and Scopus), hand searches and consultation with an expert. Inclusion required that articles reported a MCID for comfortable gait speed measurements. Articles were excluded if the MCID was not determined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Articles were abstracted for information on participants, interventions, gait speed documentation and the determination of MCID. Quality was assessed using a hybrid 9‐item (0–18 point) instrument.

Results

Seven articles were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. The populations studied included stroke (n = 3), hip fracture (n = 2), multiple sclerosis (n = 1) and mixed (n = 1). Using 13 different anchors the studies reported MCIDs of 0.08–0.26 m s−1. All but three of these MCIDs were between 0.10 and 0.20 m s−1. All MCIDs for which the area under the ROC curve exceeded 0.70 were between 0.10 and 0.17 m s−1.

Conclusions

Changes in gait speed of 0.10 to 0.20 m s−1 may be important across multiple patient groups.
Galanin‐Like Peptide (GALP) Neurone‐Specific Phosphoinositide 3‐Kinase Signalling Regulates GALP mRNA Levels in the Hypothalamus of Males and Luteinising Hormone Levels in Both Sexes
Authors: Aziz R. , Beymer M. , Negrón A. L. , Newshan A. , Yu G. , Rosati B. , McKinnon D. , Fukuda M. , Lin R. Z. , Mayer C. , Boehm U. , Acosta‐Martínez M.
Published: May 2014

Galanin‐like peptide (GALP) neurones participate in the metabolic control of reproduction and are targets of insulin and leptin regulation. Phosphoinositide 3‐kinase (PI3K) is common to the signalling pathways utilised by both insulin and leptin. Therefore, we investigated whether PI3K signalling in neurones expressing GALP plays a role in the transcriptional regulation of the GALP gene and in the metabolic control of luteinising hormone (LH) release. Accordingly, we deleted PI3K catalytic subunits p110α and p110β via conditional gene targeting (cKO) in mice (GALP‐p110α/β cKO). To monitor PI3K signalling in GALP neurones, these animals were also crossed with Cre‐dependent FoxO1GFP reporter mice. Compared to insulin‐infused control animals, the PI3K‐Akt‐dependent FoxO1GFP nuclear exclusion in GALP neurones was abolished in GALP‐p110α/β cKO mice. We next used food deprivation to investigate whether the GALP‐neurone specific ablation of PI3K activity affected the susceptibility of the gonadotrophic axis to negative energy balance. Treatment did not affect LH levels in either sex. However, a significant genotype effect on LH levels was observed in females. By contrast, no genotype effect on LH levels was observed in males. A sex‐specific genotype effect on hypothalamic GALP mRNA was observed, with fed and fasted GALP‐p110α/β cKO males having lower GALP mRNA expression compared to wild‐type fed males. Finally, the effects of gonadectomy and steroid hormone replacement on GALP mRNA levels were investigated. Compared to vehicle‐treated mice, steroid hormone replacement reduced mediobasal hypothalamus GALP expression in wild‐type and GALP‐p110α/β cKO animals. In addition, within the castrated and vehicle‐treated group and compared to wild‐type mice, LH levels were lower in GALP‐p110α/β cKO males. Double immunofluorescence using GALP‐Cre/R26‐YFP mice showed androgen and oestrogen receptor co‐localisation within GALP neurones. Our data demonstrate that GALP neurones are direct targets of steroid hormones and that PI3K signalling regulates hypothalamic GALP mRNA expression and LH levels in a sex‐specific fashion.
A Comparison of Laboratory‐Based and Home‐Based Tests of Consumer Preferences Using Kid and Lamb Meat
Authors: Guerrero A. , Campo M.M. , Cilla I. , Olleta J.L. , Alcalde M.J. , Horcada A. , Sañudo C.
Published: May 2014

The meat from 60 commercial suckling males of five Spanish goat breeds (n = 10 each) (Moncaína [MO], Pirenaica [PI], Negra Serrana [NS], Blanca Celtibérica [BC] [all meat or double purpose] and Murciano‐Granadina [MG] [dairy purpose]) and one dairy sheep breed (Churra [CH]) was compared in laboratory‐based (n = 119) and home‐based (n = 70) consumer tests. In the laboratory, flavor (P ≤ 0.01), tenderness (P ≤ 0.001) and overall acceptability (P ≤ 0.001) differed significantly among the breeds, and MO, NS, MG and CH had the highest overall acceptability. In the home‐based test, tenderness (P ≤ 0.01) and overall acceptability (P ≤ 0.05), but not flavor, differed significantly among the breeds, and MO, BC, MG and CH had the highest overall acceptability. In conclusion, the two consumer test evaluated were adequate for evaluating meat acceptability from suckling small ruminants, having comparable results, although consumer preferences were slightly higher and signification levels slightly lower under home conditions than under laboratory conditions.

Practical Applications

Consumer acceptance is a big aim of any food sector. Meat is a complex product to be evaluated because of its intrinsic variability and because it needs to be cooked previously to be assessed. Comparisons with the same animals, in different circumstances: cut, type of cooking and temperature, condiments, ambiance, as it occurs in home tests or laboratory tests hardly exist. In this paper, the same results have been obtained in both tests with meat from small ruminants. This will undoubtedly favor the development of meat consumer tests in the future.
Semi‐supervised classification of vegetation: preserving the good old units and searching for new ones
Authors: Tichý Lubomír , Chytrý Milan , Botta‐Dukát Zoltán
Published: May 2014

Aim

The unsupervised nature of traditional numerical methods used to classify vegetation hinders the development of comprehensive vegetation classification systems. Each new unsupervised classification yields partitions that are partly inconsistent with previous classifications and change group membership for some sites. In contrast, supervised methods account for previously established vegetation units, but cannot define new ones. Therefore, we introduce the concept of semi‐supervised classification to community ecology and vegetation science. Semi‐supervised classification formally reproduces the existing units in a supervised mode and simultaneously identifies new units among unassigned sites in an unsupervised mode. We discuss the concept of semi‐supervised clustering, introduce semi‐supervised variants of two clustering algorithms that produce groups with crisp boundaries, k‐means and partitioning around medoids (PAM), provide a free software tool to perform these classifications and demonstrate the advantages using example data sets of vegetation plots.

Methods

Semi‐supervised methods use a priori information about group membership for some sites to define centroids (k‐means) or medoids (PAM) of site groups that represent previously established vegetation units. They identify these groups in a species hyperspace and assign new sites to them. At the same time, they search for a user‐defined number of new groups. We compared the unsupervised, supervised and semi‐supervised methods using an example of a forest vegetation data set that was previously classified using expert knowledge, and assessed how well these methods reproduced vegetation units defined by experts. Then we compared supervised and semi‐supervised methods in a task when a grassland vegetation classification established in one country was extended to two neighbouring countries.

Results and conclusions

Example analyses of vegetation plot data sets demonstrated that semi‐supervised variants of k‐means and PAM are extremely valuable tools for extending existing vegetation classifications while preserving previously defined vegetation units. They can be used both for identifying so far unrecognized vegetation types in the regions where a vegetation classification already exists and for extending a vegetation classification from a particular region to neighbouring regions with partly identical but partly different vegetation types. Both k‐means and PAM provide site groups with crisp boundaries, which makes them a simpler alternative to fuzzy clustering methods.
Cytokine imbalance in irritable bowel syndrome: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Bashashati M. , Rezaei N. , Shafieyoun A. , McKernan D. P. , Chang L. , Öhman L. , Quigley E. M. , Schmulson M. , Sharkey K. A. , Simrén M.
Published: May 2014

Background

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal disorder of unknown etiology; although infection and inflammation have recently been considered as important etiologic agents. A recent meta‐analysis showed correlations between cytokine [interleukin‐10 (IL‐10) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)] gene polymorphisms and IBS; however, it is still unknown whether patients with IBS have different cytokine profiles compared to healthy population.

Methods

To determine the relationships between serum/plasma levels or mucosal expression of IL‐10/TNF‐α and IBS, we conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis based on case–control studies retrieved from PubMed and EMBASE search through August 2013. Standardized mean difference (SMD) was generated by using the inverse variance method. Heterogeneity was assessed based on I2 values.

Key Results

Serum/plasma levels of TNF‐α tended to be higher in IBS vs controls (p = 0.09); this reached significance in IBS subtypes vs controls and in female patients with IBS. However, serum/plasma levels of IL‐10 were not significantly different in IBS patients vs controls. Further analysis of serum/plasma IL‐10 levels in IBS subtypes did not show any difference; however, analysis based on gender showed a significantly lower serum/plasma IL‐10 levels in male patients with IBS vs male controls (p = 0.02). Colonic IL‐10 mRNA had a significantly lower expression in IBS vs control (p = 0.001).

Conclusions & Inferences

There is an imbalance of proinflammatory TNF‐α, and anti‐inflammatory IL‐10, cytokines in IBS. Stratifying IBS patients based on cytokine profile may represent an opportunity for personalized treatment of this condition.
Carboniferous (Tournaisian) fish assemblages from the Isle of Bute, Scotland: systematics and palaeoecology
Authors: Carpenter David K. , Falcon‐Lang Howard J. , Benton Michael J. , Henderson Elsa
Published: May 2014

We describe fish assemblages from the Carboniferous (mid‐ to late Tournaisian) Ballagan Formation at two localities, Hawk's Nib and Mill Hole, on the Isle of Bute, Scotland. Fossil material occurs in thin, locally reworked dolomitic limestone beds, interpreted as the deposits of very shallow lakes or lagoons, developed on, or adjacent to, a seasonally dry coastal plain. The mostly disarticulated fossils comprise isolated teeth, mandibles, scales, tesserae, dermal bones, lepidotrichia and vertebrae. The fauna includes rhizodonts (cf. Archichthys portlocki, cf. Strepsodus sauroides), lungfish (Sagenodus sp.), other sarcopterygians (Megalichthys sp.), one shark (Ageleodus pectinatus), climatiiform acanthodians and indeterminate actinopterygians. The Mill Hole assemblage is especially noteworthy because it includes some putative juvenile forms (Archichthys and Sagenodus). A critical review of the habitat preferences of the documented taxa suggests that most were either euryhaline or, in the case of Archichthys, probably endemic to brackish or freshwater settings. The Bute fish beds fall within a crucial evolutionary period during which many fish and other animal groups were infiltrating nonmarine environments, either passively or actively. It may be that lakes and lagoons may have functioned as protected nurseries for juveniles during this wave of colonization.