bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fiduciary duties of UK investment managers and conflicts: the arch financial products case
Authors: Penhall Winston
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The article analyses the findings of the Court in the Arch Cru case relating to manager fiduciary duties under English law and conflicts of interest compliance failings.

Design/methodology/approach

– This article summarises the Arch Cru case with a focus on fiduciary duties and practical compliance suggestions for conflicts of interest situations.

Findings

– The article addresses in particular the novelty of the fiduciary duty finding in the Arch Cru case and the justifiable concerns that compliance officers may have going forward given the nature of the regulatory enforcement approach taken by the FCA.

Practical implications

– The article highlights the nature of the fiduciary obligations owed by managers under English law together with a brief analysis of the causes of action for breach of fiduciary duty and the linkage to regulatory compliance obligations.

Originality/value

– The article is of value to investment managers, their compliance officers and general counsel where the manager provides investment management services under English law because it provides insight into the nature of investment manager fiduciary duties under English law and the impact of breaching those duties in a conflicts of interest scenario.
Peer-to-peer lending platforms: securities law considerations
Authors: Rosenblum Robert H. , Gault-Brown Susan A. , Caiazza Amy B.
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– To provide an overview of the basic model used by many peer-to-peer lending platforms and some of the key peer lending regulatory and structuring considerations under the federal securities laws.

Design/methodology/approach

– Explains how the basic peer lending model works, how “borrower dependent notes” or “BDNs” may be offered in private placements or less commonly through public offerings, how companies engaged in peer lending are compensated, how sponsors of peer lending programs generally avoid registration as broker-dealers under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as investment advisers under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and as investment companies under the Investment Company Act of 1940, and how peer lending platforms are structured to take into account the laws that govern online transactions, consumer privacy, and other related issues.

Findings

– The authors expect that peer-to-peer lending platforms will continue to mature and evolve, and they expect that the issues discussed in this article will continue to drive their structuring decisions, business models, and regulatory compliance under the federal securities laws.

Originality/value

– Practical guidance from experienced financial services lawyers.
Slow and steady progress: developing restorative justice in the Republic of Ireland
Authors: Gavin Paul
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to review the development of restorative justice in Ireland since the publication of the Final Report of the National Commission on Restorative Justice in 2009. It argues that although the development of restorative justice in Ireland has progressed slowly, it has also progressed steadily. There are still obstacles in the path of developing a restorative justice framework on a national level for both adult and young offenders, however, all signs indicate that these obstacles can and will be overcome in the future.

Design/methodology/approach

– The research for this paper was primarily a review of the very limited literature on restorative justice in Ireland.

Findings

– The development of restorative justice in Ireland has undergone slow and steady progress over the last decade. While a great deal of work is still needed before restorative justice can be rolled out nationally, the progress that has been made suggests that there is a real future for restorative justice in Ireland.

Research limitations/implications

– Statistics on restorative justice in Ireland are very limited and referral numbers are still lower than what they should be.

Practical implications

– Any research on restorative justice in Ireland will highlight the fact that more research and analysis is needed, especially in terms of measuring recidivism of offenders who take part in restorative practices.

Originality/value

– This paper adds to the growing literature on restorative justice in Ireland.
Restorative justice: the relevance of desistance and psychology
Authors: Horan Rachel N.
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this position paper is to assess the contribution of restorative justice to the desistance paradigm with a particular focus upon the psychology of these approaches.

Design/methodology/approach

– Risk, need and responsivity approaches to offender intervention are discussed and compared with the desistance paradigm. An integrative approach of the two methods is proposed and the value of desistance approaches is highlighted in understanding processes of change and how restorative justice approaches can best contribute.

Findings

– Discussion of desistance theory and the consideration of primary, secondary and tertiary desistance stages leads to the exploration of interplays in social and the human capital and the contribution of restorative justice to the desistance process. A desistance process that belongs to the desister is proposed to be supported by restorative justice processes.

Practical implications

– Conceptualising the interplay of human and social capital within primary, secondary and tertiary desistance is suggested improve the responsivity of restorative processes, promote desistance, reduce recidivism and better support children’s rights. It provides justification to extend restorative approaches to 18-24-year-old young adults and to different settings. Restorative justice evaluation should consider the process of restorative justice and its outcome measurement could better consider desistance stages.

Originality/value

– The position paper outlines the unique contribution that restorative justice approaches can make in supporting desistance. It outlines a relevant conceptualisation of desistance to advance knowledge through an improved understanding of process to improve responsivity of restorative approaches and of evaluation practice.
Clinical impact of wordless picture storybooks on bilingual narrative language production: A comparison of the ‘Frog’ stories
Authors: Heilmann John J. , Rojas Raúl , Iglesias Aquiles , Miller Jon F.
Published: September 2015

Background

Language sampling, recognized as a gold standard for expressive language assessment, is often elicited using wordless picture storybooks. A series of wordless storybooks, commonly referred to as ‘Frog’ stories, have been frequently used in language‐based research with children from around the globe.

Aims

To examine the impact that differences in stories have on narrative output by comparing narrative productions across a series of five storybooks produced by 831 bilingual (Spanish–English) children in kindergarten through third grade.

Methods & Procedures

Each participant produced oral narratives using one of the five Frog storybooks in both English and Spanish. The narratives were recorded, transcribed and coded for a variety of measures of language production.

Outcomes & Results

Negligible differences were observed in language measures when comparing groups of children who told different stories, with the exception of lexical diversity.

Conclusions & Implications

The implications of using different storybooks to elicit narrative language samples from children are discussed from the perspectives of research and clinical practice.
Building a case for good parenting in a family therapy systemic environment: resisting blame and accounting for children's behaviour
Authors: O'Reilly Michelle , Lester Jessica Nina
Published: September 2015

Systemic family therapy promotes a systemic reframing of individual problems to an understanding of the familial processes influencing family functioning. Parents often attend therapy identifying their child as the key problem, which raises issues of accountability and blame. In this article, we explored the discursive practices used by parents for constructing themselves as ‘good parents’. Using the basic principles of conversation analysis and discursive psychology, we analysed actual therapeutic sessions and found that parents used a range of strategies to display their good parenting. This included directly claiming to be a good parent, illustrating how they act in their child's best interests, showing that they parent in appropriate ways and by making appeals to scientific rhetoric. It was concluded that family therapists have a challenging task in managing competing versions of events and we discussed implications for practice.

Practitioner points

Parents tend to blame their children for the problems experienced and this blaming tends to be done in front of the children during the therapy.

By being explicitly aware of the discursive strategies parents employ in therapy, therapists can reflect on how to manage these challenging conversational practices.

Conversation analysis may serve as a tool to support reflection, as therapists examine their own interactions during the therapy.
Providing an Integrated Response to Family Violence: Governance Attributes of Local Networks in Victoria
Authors: Ross Stuart , Healey Lucy , Diemer Kristin , Humphreys Cathy
Published: September 2015

The establishment of integrated responses to family violence represents a significant implementation challenge for locally‐based networks. This research reports on the experiences of integrated family violence committees in Victoria, and the features of their governance associated with perceived effectiveness in committee functioning. There were consistent regional differences in the perceived effectiveness of committees. The main challenge for effective service integration was establishing and maintaining effective partnerships. There were substantial differences in the capacities of the committees to meet the challenges of integration, and the research points to the need for a stronger guidance and support role by central agencies.
Corporate Real Estate Ownership and Productivity Uncertainty
Authors: Zhao Daxuan , Sing Tien Foo
Published: September 2015

This article empirically tests the relationship between corporate real estate (CRE) holdings and productivity risks of firms. Using a large sample of public listed U.S. firms for the period from 1984 to 2011, we show that CRE ownership is significantly and negatively correlated with productivity risks of firms. Firms with high‐productivity risk own less CRE assets. When testing dynamic changes to CRE holdings, we estimate a significant and positive elasticity of CRE investments of 5.2% in response to cash flow shocks. If the adjustment cost is high, high‐risk firms are expected to hold less CRE assets, so that they could reduce potential losses associated with CRE holdings when negative productive shocks occur.
The Borrower's Perceived Risk in Mortgage Choice
Authors: Kim Dongshin , Ziobrowski Alan J.
Published: September 2015

We investigate how borrowers perceive the risk in the adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) versus fixed rate mortgage (FRM) choice. We develop a mortgage choice model where the coefficient on the long‐term bond risk premium is conditional on the borrower's perceived risk. We show that the perceived risk fluctuates over time according to the short‐term interest rate level and housing market conditions. We find that when the short‐term rate level is high (low), the borrowers perceive low (high) risk of a short‐term rate rise, thus opting for ARMs (FRMs). Also, during a down housing market they become more risk‐averse perceiving higher risk in choosing ARMs. The perceived risk level alters the borrowers’ sensitivity to the long‐term bond risk premium.
DEVELOPMENT AND FRACTURE OF A DISCIPLINE: LEGACIES OF THE SCHOOL OF CRIMINOLOGY AT BERKELEY
Authors: KOEHLER JOHANN
Published: September 2015

In the early twentieth century, the University of California—Berkeley opened its doors to police professionals for instruction in “police science.” This program ultimately developed into the full‐fledged School of Criminology, whose graduates helped shape American criminology and criminal justice until well into the 1970s. Scholarship at the School of Criminology eventually fractured into three distinct traditions: “Administrative criminology” applied scientific methods in pursuit of refining law enforcement practices, “law and society” coupled legal scholarship with social scientific methods, and “radical criminology” combined Marxist critiques of the state with community activism. Those scientific traditions relied on competing epistemic premises and normative aspirations, and they drew legitimacy from different sources. Drawing on oral histories and archival data permits a neo‐institutional analysis of how each of these criminological traditions emerged, acquired stability, and subsided. The Berkeley School of Criminology provides fertile ground to examine trends in the development of criminal justice as a profession, criminology as a discipline and its place in elite universities, the uncoupling of criminology from law and society scholarship, and criminal justice policy's disenchantment with the academy. These legacies highlight how the development of modern criminology and the professionalization of American law enforcement find precedent in events that originate at Berkeley.
Association between colorectal polyps and hypertension treatment
Authors: Watanabe Yoshitaka , Yamaji Yutaka , Kobayashi Yuka , Yoshida Shuntaro , Sugimoto Takafumi , Yamada Atsuo , Watabe Hirotsugu , Hirata Yoshihiro , Koike Kazuhiko
Published: September 2015

Objective

Patients who take drugs regularly are increasing, not least due to metabolic and orthopedic diseases. In the present study we aimed to investigate the association between the use of drugs, such as non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and low‐dose aspirin, and colorectal polyps diagnosed based on colonoscopic findings.

Methods

In total, 1318 consecutive patients who underwent total colonoscopy for the first time were cross‐sectionally analyzed. Personal data including comorbidities and all medications were obtained by a questionnaire. Their blood pressure, body weight and waist circumference were measured just before the colonoscopic examination.

Results

Colorectal polyps were found in 577 (43.8%) patients, with a prevalence of 57.6% (296/514) in patients receiving antihypertensive treatment and 35.0% (281/804) in patients not undergoing such treatment. A multivariate analysis showed that age, waist circumference, alcohol consumption, smoking and the use of antihypertensive drugs were independent risk factors for colorectal polyps. In a secondary multivariate analysis incorporating the parameters of measured blood pressure and medication status, the number of antihypertensive drugs was strongly associated with the risk of colorectal polyps, whereas blood pressure showed no significant association.

Conclusions

The use of antihypertensive drug may be a risk factor for colorectal polyps. Furthermore, this risk increases with the intensive use of antihypertensive drugs.
Efficacy of etanercept for treating the active rheumatoid arthritis: an updated meta‐analysis
Authors: Chen Meng , Peng Dayong , Zhang Zongzheng , Zuo Guilai , Zhao Gang
Published: September 2015

Aim

To evaluate the efficacy of etanercept (ETA) for treating active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) compared to placebo or methotrexate (MTX).

Methods

We searched Medline, Cochrane Library and Wiley databases. Pooled risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to compare efficacy.

Results

In total, 12 studies with 3878 active RA patients (including 2046 patients treated with ETA and 1832 patients treated with placebo or MTX) were included. The overall RRs in ACR20, 50 and 70 (20%, 50%, 70% improvement based on the criteria of American Rheumatism Association) were 2.10 (95% CI: 1.45–3.02, P < 0.0001), 2.87 (95% CI: 1.66–4.97, P = 0.0002) and 2.16 (95% CI: 1.49–3.13, P < 0.0001) within 24 weeks, respectively and were 1.19 (95% CI: 1.11–1.28, P < 0.00001), 1.37 (95% CI: 1.22–1.53, P < 0.00001) and 1.57 (95% CI: 1.28–1.92, P < 0.00001) within 1–3 years, respectively. Further, the overall RRs of 25 mg versus 10 mg ETA twice weekly in ACR20, 50 and 70 were 1.10 (95% CI: 1.02–1.19, P < 0.02), 1.37 (95% CI: 0.98–1.92, P < 0.07) and 1.27 (95% CI: 1.02–1.58, P < 0.03), respectively.

Conclusions

In active RA patients treated with ETA, there was significantly higher efficacy compared to the treatment of placebo or MTX. High doses of ETA were more effective for active RA patients.
Fibromyalgia syndrome and cognitive dysfunction in elderly: a case series
Authors: Nishioka Kenya , Hayashi Tetsuo , Suzuki Michimasa , Li Yuanzhe , Nakayama Sachiko , Matsushima Takashi , Usui Chie , Shibata Nobuto , Motoi Yumiko , Tanaka Ryota , Nishioka Kusuki , Hattori Nobutaka
Published: September 2015

Aim

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is an extremely rare complication of neurocognitive disorders (NCDs). We experienced seven such cases, and we discuss their clinical manifestation and pathomechanisms.

Methods

Seven patients with FMS as a complication of NCD were enrolled. We used the patients' medical records to identify clinical manifestations and obtain experimental data, such as pain questionnaire scores, cognitive tests, genetics and radiological imaging of the brain.

Results

The seven patients were clinically diagnosed with frontotemporal NCD (n = 3) or Alzheimer's disease (n = 4). No patient presented with any organic disorder that would explain their chronic pain. Through their courses, they experienced refractory widespread pain continuously despite analgesics. Brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed moderate or severe atrophic changes in the temporal lobes and hippocampus. Three‐dimensional stereotactic surface projection (3D‐SSP) analysis of brain single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), indicated severe hypoperfusion on the right side of the medial temporal lobe, both sides of the anterior corpus callosum, anterior cingulate gyrus, and primary sensory area. Genetic analysis uncovered no pathogenic mutations.

Conclusions

Neurodegenerative disorders are rarely complicated by FMS, which is associated with relatively severe pain. Central sensitization may be a possible risk factor of widespread pain in elderly patients with NCD.
The Pediatric Outcomes Data Collection Instrument for a Polish sample with juvenile idiopathic arthritis: psychometric properties of proxy version
Authors: Misterska Ewa , Adamczak Karolina , Kaminiarczyk‐Pyzałka Dominika , Adamczyk Katarzyna , Głowacki Jakub , Niedziela Marek , Glowacki Maciej
Published: September 2015

Aim

The aims of the study were to investigate the psychometric properties of the Pediatric Outcomes Data Collection Instrument (PODCI) for parents of children aged 2–10 years, in a Polish sample of juvenile idiopathic arthritis and to compare the results from children with chronic arthritis to the results from a normative sample.

Methods

The sample consisted of the parents of 29 (72.5%) girls and 11 (27.5%) boys. The ages of the children ranged from 2 to 10 years (mean 6.50, standard deviation [SD] 2.63). Disease course was classified as oligoarticular (n = 26, 65%) and polyarticular (n = 14, 35%). Parents who took part in the intrarater reliability study completed the Polish version of PODCI twice. The PODCI consists of the following subscales: Upper Extremity and Physical Function, Transfer and Mobility Tasks, Sports/Physical Functioning, Pain/Comfort, and Happiness. A Global Functioning Scale consists of the mean of the ‘mean of items’ values for the first four scales.

Results

The mean standarized Global Functioning Scale was 81.79 (SD 13.45), whereas the mean normative Global Functioning Scale score equaled 33.65 (SD 18.19). Cronbach's alpha value of the Global Functioning Scale was excellent and equaled 0.81. The effect size concerning the Global Functioning Scale equaled 0.123. Test–retest reliability equaled 0.98, whereas intrarater reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient) equaled 0.99.

Conclusions

The translation and cross‐cultural adaptation of the PODCI questionnaire provides a Polish equivalent to assess physical function in children with chronic arthritis.
Step‐down vs. step‐up noxious stimulation: differential effects on pain perception and patterns of brain activation
Authors: Choi J. C. , Kim J. , Kang E. , Choi J.‐H. , Park W. Y. , Choi Y.‐S. , Cha J. , Han C. , Park S. K. , Kim M. H. , Lee G. H. , Do H.‐J. , Jung S. W. , Lee J.‐M.
Published: September 2015

Background

We hypothesize that pain and brain responses are affected by changes in the presentation sequence of noxious stimuli that are, overall, identical in intensity and duration.

Methods

During functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning, 21 participants experienced three patterns of noxious stimulation: Up‐type (step‐up noxious stimulation, 15 s), Down‐type (step‐down noxious stimulation, 15 s), and Down–up‐type (decreasing and increasing pattern of noxious stimulation, 15 s). The total intensity and duration of the three noxious stimulation patterns were identical, but the stimulation sequences were different.

Results

Pain and unpleasantness ratings in the Down‐ and Down–up‐type noxious stimulations were lower than in the Up‐type noxious stimulation. The left prefrontal cortex [(PFC, BA (Brodmann area) 10, (−45, 50, 1)] was more highly activated in the Down‐ and Down–up‐type noxious stimulations than in the Up‐type noxious stimulation. The S1, S2, insula, bilateral PFC (BA 46), and midcingulate cortex were more highly activated in the Up‐type noxious stimulation than in the Down‐type noxious stimulation. PFC BA 10 was located at an inferior level compared to the bilateral PFC BA 46 (Z axis = 1 for BA 10, compared to 22 and 25 for the right and left BA 46, respectively). When cortisol level was increased, the left hippocampal cortex, along with the left parahippocampal cortex, was greatly activated for the Up‐type noxious stimulation.

Conclusion

When pain cannot be avoided in clinical practice, noxious stimuli should be applied to patients in a step‐down pattern that delivers the most intense pain first and the least intense pain last.
Intraoperative factors associated with delayed recovery of liver function after hepatectomy: analysis of 1969 living donors
Authors: Choi S.‐S. , Cho S.‐S. , Ha T.‐Y. , Hwang S. , Lee S.‐G. , Kim Y.‐K.
Published: September 2015

Background

The safety of healthy living donors who are undergoing hepatic resection is a primary concern. We aimed to identify intraoperative anaesthetic and surgical factors associated with delayed recovery of liver function after hepatectomy in living donors.

Methods

We retrospectively analysed 1969 living donors who underwent hepatectomy for living donor liver transplantation. Delayed recovery of hepatic function was defined by increases in international normalised ratio of prothrombin time and concomitant hyperbilirubinaemia on or after post‐operative day 5. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the factors associated with delayed recovery of hepatic function after living donor hepatectomy.

Results

Delayed recovery of liver function after donor hepatectomy was observed in 213 (10.8%) donors. Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that sevoflurane anaesthesia, synthetic colloid, donor age, body mass index, fatty change and remnant liver volume were significant factors for prediction of delayed recovery of hepatic function. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that independent factors significantly associated with delayed recovery of liver function after donor hepatectomy were sevoflurane anaesthesia (odds ratio = 3.514, P < 0.001), synthetic colloid (odds ratio = 1.045, P = 0.033), donor age (odds ratio = 0.970, P = 0.003), female gender (odds ratio = 1.512, P = 0.014) and remnant liver volume (odds ratio = 0.963, P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Anaesthesia with sevoflurane was an independent factor in predicting delayed recovery of hepatic function after donor hepatectomy. Although synthetic colloid may be associated with delayed recovery of hepatic function after donor hepatectomy, further study is required. These results can provide useful information on perioperative management of living liver donors.
Patterns of coexistence between two mesocarnivores in northern Patagonia in the presence of invasive hares and anthropogenic disturbance
Authors: Gantchoff M. G. , Belant J. L.
Published: September 2015

We analysed coexistence patterns between two mesocarnivores, Geoffroy's cat (Leopardus geoffroyi: Felidae) and culpeo fox (Pseudalopex culpaeus: Canidae), in northern Patagonia, Argentina. We examined spatial distribution influenced by land cover, anthropogenic disturbance and invasive hare presence, and analysed temporal activity patterns and dietary composition. If competitive exclusion accounts for carnivore coexistence in this system, we predicted segregation would occur in one or more of these aspects as a mechanism for coexistence. We performed camera trapping in Nahuel Huapi National Park, from February to May 2012 and January to April 2013. Using camera detections, we analysed spatial patterns with co‐occupancy modelling and temporal patterns by fitting kernel density estimates and measuring overlap. We performed a dietary meta‐analysis using available literature and performed a discriminant function analysis of diet categories between species. We observed high spatial and temporal overlap between Geoffroy's cats and culpeo foxes. We found no evidence of segregation in relation to land cover occupancy, anthropogenic disturbance, invasive hare occurrence or activity patterns. Though both species consumed predominantly small and medium mammals, Geoffroy's cats consumed more birds, reptiles and amphibians, and culpeo foxes consumed more large mammals, carrion and plant material; coexistence between these two carnivores in this Patagonian protected area appears to be facilitated by diet segregation.
Multiprofessional follow‐up programmes are needed to address psychosocial, neurocognitive and educational issues in children with brain tumours
Authors: van't Hooft I , Lindahl Norberg A , Björklund A , Lönnerblad M , Strömberg B
Published: September 2015

Aim

The aim of this study was to coordinate the structured psychosocial, neurocognitive and educational follow‐up of children treated for brain tumours with the medical protocol and apply the model in two Swedish healthcare regions.

Methods

We invited all children living in the two regions, who had been diagnosed with a brain tumour from October 1, 2010, through June 30, 2012, to participate along with their parents. The follow‐up programme evaluated the emotional status of the parents and patients and assessed the children's general cognitive level, working memory, speed of performance, executive functions and academic achievement from diagnosis through to adult care.

Results

During the study period, 61 children up to the age of 17.1 years were diagnosed with a brain tumour, but 18 of these were excluded for various reasons. The majority of the mothers (70%) displayed significantly poor emotional status, as did 34% of the fathers and 21% of the children. The majority of the children (57%) also showed poor neurocognitive performance and needed special adaptations at school (66%).

Conclusion

Our findings indicate the need for coordinated, multiprofessional follow‐up programmes, well anchored in the healthcare organisation, for children diagnosed with brain tumours
Rejoinder to “Reader Reaction: A Note on the Evaluation of Group Testing Algorithms in the Presence of Misclassification”
Authors: McMahan Christopher S. , Tebbs Joshua M. , Bilder Christopher R.
Published: September 2015

This article is the rejoinder to:
The Roles of Supply Chain Intelligence and Adaptability in New Product Launch Success
Authors: Schoenherr Tobias , Swink Morgan
Published: September 2015

Many new product introductions continue to be unsuccessful, and while researchers have studied product development processes, relatively few studies directly address new product launch. We do so in the present research and posit that supply chain intelligence, defined as technological and competitive knowledge sourced and integrated from suppliers, customers, and competitors, plays an important role in explaining new product launch success. We further employ the knowledge‐based view to theorize that both supply chain adaptability and product innovation capability act as important mediators of the effects of supply chain intelligence on new product launch success and firm financial performance. While the former capability refers to a firm's ability to quickly adjust its supply chain to react to market and product design changes, the latter refers to the firm's proficiency in developing innovative new products. We test hypothesized relationships among these factors utilizing data collected in a survey of 229 U.S. manufacturing firms. Results point to the central role of supply chain adaptability in capturing the benefits of supplier technological intelligence for enhanced product innovation capability, new product launch success, and firm financial performance. In contrast, product innovation capability serves as the generative means by which customer and competitor intelligence is translated into more successful new product launches, which, in turn, produce superior firm financial performance. Overall, these findings contribute to a better understanding of factors that can explain why certain product launches are more successful than others, and offer practical insights for appropriate investments in the development of related knowledge resources.
Nerve regeneration in chitosan conduits and in autologous nerve grafts in healthy and in type 2 diabetic Goto–Kakizaki rats
Authors: Stenberg Lena , Kodama Akira , Lindwall‐Blom Charlotta , Dahlin Lars B.
Published: September 2015

Knowledge about nerve regeneration after nerve injury and reconstruction in appropriate diabetic animal models is incomplete. Short‐term nerve regeneration after reconstruction of a 10‐mm sciatic nerve defect with either a hollow chitosan conduit or an autologous nerve graft was investigated in healthy Wistar and diabetic Goto–Kakizaki (GK) rats. After 21 days, axonal outgrowth, the presence of activated and apoptotic Schwann cells and the thickness of the formed matrix in the conduits were measured. In general, nerve regeneration was superior in autologous nerve grafts. In chitosan conduits, a matrix, which was thicker in diabetic rats, was formed and was positively correlated with length of axonal outgrowth. Axonal outgrowth in conduits and in nerve grafts extended further in diabetic rats than in healthy rats. There was a higher percentage of activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3)‐immunostained cells in nerve segments from healthy rats than in diabetic rats after autologous nerve graft reconstruction. In chitosan conduits, more cleaved caspase 3‐stained Schwann cells were generally observed in the matrix from the diabetic rats than in healthy rats. However, there were fewer apoptotic cells in the distal segment in diabetic rats reconstructed with a chitosan conduit. Preoperative glucose levels were positively correlated with axonal outgrowth after both reconstruction methods. Axonal regeneration was better in autologous nerve grafts than in hollow chitosan conduits and was enhanced in diabetic GK rats compared to healthy rats after reconstruction. This study provides insights into the nerve regeneration process in a clinically relevant diabetic animal model.
Test for latitudinal variation of life history, behavior and mortality in the strictly univoltine damselfly Sympecma fusca (Zygoptera: Lestidae)
Authors: Śniegula Szymon , Gołąb Maria J.
Published: September 2015

A wealth of evidence shows that combinations of ecological stressors interact in shaping life history traits, but little is known about how ecological stressors combine with different seasonal time constraints to shape life history, behavior and mortality across populations. We studied life history, behavior and mortality rate in two latitudinally distant populations of the strictly univoltine, adult‐overwintering damselfly Sympecma fusca. Results from laboratory common‐garden and outdoor experiments indicated countergradient variation of larval development time and growth rate: the more time‐constrained larvae showed faster development and a higher growth rate. This finding led to larger size at emergence in the more time‐constrained individuals. Under conditions of intraspecific interaction (outdoor experiment), northern individuals showed lower survival than southern ones, presumably due to cannibalism. In the absence of intraspecific interactions (laboratory experiment), northern and southern larvae did not differ in survival. Finally, laboratory‐grown northern and southern larvae did not differ in activity level. This is the first time that compensation for seasonal time constraints has been shown in a temperate odonate species that overwinters in the adult stage.
The pharmacokinetic–pharmacodynamic model of telmisartan and hydrochlorothiazide on blood pressure and plasma potassium after long‐term administration in spontaneously hypertensive rats
Authors: Yu Dan , Chen Yuancheng , Hao Kun
Published: September 2015

A pharmacokinetic–pharmacodynamic model was developed to describe the time course of blood pressure and plasma potassium after long‐term telmisartan and/or hydrochlorothiazide administration in spontaneously hypertensive rats. The spontaneously hypertensive rats were administered once daily for 6 weeks. The drug concentration, blood pressure and plasma potassium were monitored for several points. The time courses of blood pressure and plasma potassium were described by indirect response pharmacokinetic–pharmacodynamic model. The synergistic antihypertensive pharmacodynamic interaction between telmisartan and hydrochlorothiazide was observed, which was simulated by the inhibitory function of telmisartan and stimulatory function of hydrochlorothiazide after co‐administration of the two drugs. For plasma potassium, when hydrochlorothiazide administrated alone, the plasma potassium reached to a low steady‐state level at 4.64 mmol/L for 6 weeks. The plasma potassium increased to a steady‐state level at 4.84 mmol/L after co‐administration of telmisartan. The time courses of plasma potassium were successfully characterized by indirect response pharmacokinetic–pharmacodynamic model after long‐term administration of telmisartan and/or hydrochlorothiazide. The model captured turnovers of blood pressure and plasma potassium in the different time phases and dose conditions.
Diet composition of two larval headwater stream salamanders and spatial distribution of prey
Authors: Trice Amy E. , Rosemond Amy D. , Maerz John C.
Published: September 2015

Interspecific overlap in resource use can determine the degree to which different presumed guild members have distinct or similar effects on ecosystem processes or responses to environmental change. Many headwater streams of North America support multiple species of larval salamanders commonly defined as a single guild that can influence macroinvertebrate communities and nutrient dynamics and are sensitive to stream alteration.

We explored macroinvertebrate distributions in conjunction with stable isotope and gut content analyses of salamanders to examine similarities in diet between two sympatric larval salamander species (Desmognathus quadramaculatus and Eurycea cirrigera) in four headwater streams. We determined the degree to which larval salamanders used similar prey functional feeding groups (FFGs) and taxa and determined the primary source habitat (pools versus riffles) of prey.

Stable isotopes of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) suggest the two salamander species occupied similar trophic positions and individual‐based stable isotope mixing models indicated similar use of macroinvertebrate predators and filterers by both species. Diet analyses were generally consistent with stable isotope results in identifying prey FFGs that composed the largest biomass of salamander diets. However, despite similarities in diet at the resolution of FFGs, there was little overlap in the specific taxa consumed by the two salamander species: 52 prey taxa were consumed over all samples, with only 16 taxa in common. Further, only five prey taxa were common in dominating diet biomass of both species; there was more overlap in taxa in terms of diet abundance.

We assessed patterns in benthic macroinvertebrate biomass and compared the biomass of taxa that were in pools versus riffles to the biomass and abundance of taxa in salamander diets. Total macroinvertebrate biomass was generally higher in pools; however, the majority of salamander prey biomass was from riffle habitats, a trend that was stronger for D. quadramaculatus than for E. cirrigera. There was greater similarity in taxa comprising diet by abundance with the majority of prey items originating from pools.

The larval salamander species used similar prey FFGs but differed significantly in specific prey taxa. We hypothesise that species differences in diets were most likely a function of differences in larval size and microhabitat use. Consequently, the treatment of larval salamanders as a guild is probably inadequate for predicting the effect of larval salamander diversity on some stream processes, and species may differ in how they respond to factors affecting prey assemblages.
Industrial road crossings drive changes in community structure and instream habitat for freshwater fishes in the boreal forest
Authors: Maitland Bryan M. , Poesch Mark , Anderson Axel E. , Pandit Shubha N.
Published: September 2015

Stream crossing structures are an increasingly prevalent anthropogenic feature on North American riverscapes, particularly in watersheds affected by industrial resource development in sensitive boreal environments. If improperly managed, stream crossings have the potential to alter fish habitat and impede fish movement.

This study assessed instream habitat characteristics and fish communities from 33 culverted, bridged and reference streams in an industrialising region of the boreal forest in west‐central Alberta. Mixed‐effects modelling and multivariate analysis were used to determine impacts of stream crossings at three scales: whole‐stream scale, within‐stream scale and the interaction of scales.

Instream habitat characteristics such as mean depth, water velocity, percent fines, turbidity, water temperature and dissolved oxygen showed significant between‐stream as well as within‐stream differences among stream crossings. The majority of fish species exhibited significantly lower densities (n m−2) in upstream habitats as compared to downstream habitats, including a significant reduction in Slimy Sculpin densities in culverted streams. Multivariate tests corroborated these results, showing that fish assemblages differ as a function of stream type.

This study suggests industrial stream crossings influence abiotic habitat characteristics in freshwater ecosystems, restrict biotic connectivity and impact fish community structure at the whole‐stream and within‐stream scales. Alterations to stream ecosystems associated with stream crossings may be driving large‐scale changes in stream fish communities in the boreal forest. With expanded development expected in much of North America's boreal region, mitigation measures which limit impacts from stream crossings are needed to ensure proper ecosystem function in freshwater systems.
The structure of the littoral: effects of waterlily density and perch predation on sediment and plant‐associated macroinvertebrate communities
Authors: Kornijów Ryszard , Measey G. John , Moss Brian
Published: September 2015

Littoral zones are complex and important for mechanisms that maintain clear water and submerged plant dominance in lakes. Details of their structure are scarce, largely because sweep or grab sampling, the most commonly used approach, is unable to reveal much subtlety.

Invertebrate communities of plankton and sedimentary benthos, and of those living on submerged and floating leaves and their petioles of Nuphar lutea, were separately sampled from 2‐m2 mesocosms in a shallow lake, with different lily densities in the absence or presence of perch (Perca fluviatilis).

Increasing plant density led to reduced sedimentary benthos populations other than those of tubificids. This was ascribed to greater shading of algal producers on the surface sediment by the increasing leaf canopy.

Increasing leaf canopy increased the populations of several plant‐associated taxa, suggesting that habitat availability was potentially limiting for these.

Submerged leaves supported more invertebrates per unit area than submerged petioles or the undersides of floating leaves. Greater periphyton production on leaf surfaces that had thinner cuticles and less waxy surfaces was probably responsible.

Perch predation had unexpectedly little effect, although the perch fed widely among the subhabitats, and fish population densities were relatively high. Predation was most intense on the planktonic and sedimentary benthos communities, especially on actively motile invertebrates such as isopods and amphipods. Macroinvertebrates associated with plant surfaces, not least the predominant Acroloxus lacustris, were relatively immune. There were more predator effects on submerged leaves than on floating leaves and their petioles.

Perch fed less effectively on some taxa at naturally high plant densities than at low and medium densities, and overall, the littoral communities showed resilience to fish predation, probably through the complexity of the plant structure.
Fine‐scale habitat preferences influence within‐river population connectivity: a case‐study using two sympatricNewZealandGalaxiasfish species
Authors: Waters Jonathan M. , Burridge Christopher P.
Published: September 2015

Understanding the ecological factors governing population connectivity in freshwater systems represents an ongoing challenge for aquatic biologists.

We used genetic analysis to test the hypothesis that fine‐scale habitat preferences can influence within‐river connectivity patterns in freshwater‐limited fishes.

Genetic variation among sampling sites within systems was compared for co‐distributed fish taxaGalaxias gollumoides(low‐velocity pool/swamp habitat) versus an undescribed species,Galaxias‘southern’ (high‐velocity riffle habitat), usingϕstatistics. These analyses incorporated 1624 bp of mtDNA from 429 galaxiid specimens, encompassing 95 localities across four river systems in Southland, New Zealand.

Although similar numbers of haplotypes per river were detected in both taxa, spatial partitioning of this genetic variation within rivers was significantly stronger forG. gollumoides(meanϕST = 0.539) than forG. ‘southern’ (meanϕST = 0.142). Within‐catchment genetic divergence values were also higher for the former species.

These finding suggest that a combination of main‐channel habitat continuity and high water velocity facilitates relatively high connectivity inG. ‘southern’, whereasG. gollumoidespopulations are genetically isolated in fragmented low‐velocity habitats. We conclude that population connectivity can be strongly influenced by habitat preference, leading to profound differences in the phylogeography, diversity and conservation status of freshwater fish lineages.
Resection of bulky chromophobe renal cell carcinoma resolved severe idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura: A case report
Authors: Maekawa Shigekatsu , Nagata Masayoshi , Watanabe Hiroshi , Nozaki Keina , Takahashi Atsuko , Minowada Shigeru , Homma Yukio
Published: September 2015

Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura associated with renal cell carcinoma is relatively rare. We report the case of a 48‐year‐old woman with massive renal cell carcinoma, measuring approximately 20 × 14 × 14 cm, who presented with severe thrombocytopenia: platelet count, 2000 cells/μL. After confirming normal bone marrow, she received high‐dose dexamethasone and intravenous gamma globulin, which raised the platelet count to normal levels. She then underwent left radical nephrectomy. The pathological examination showed chromophobe renal cell carcinoma. After the resection, the platelet count was maintained within the normal range without any treatment. The current case is the first report of chromophobe renal cell carcinoma causative of severe idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura.
Characteristics of Alprazolam‐Related Deaths Compiled by a Centralized State Medical Examiner
Authors: Shah Neel A. , Abate Marie A. , Smith Michael J. , Kaplan James A. , Kraner James C. , Clay David J.
Published: September 2015

Background and Objective: Unintentional drug poisoning deaths represent a major health concern, particularly in rural areas. Although alprazolam is frequently detected in drug‐related deaths, characterization of its involvement is limited. Our objective was to compare the characteristics of alprazolam‐related deaths with nonalprazolam deaths in a predominantly rural state.

Methods: A comprehensive forensic drug database (FDD) was developed in 2005 to compile demographic, toxicology, and co‐morbidity information from all West Virginia (WV) drug‐related deaths. All FDD data from 2005 to mid‐November 2007 were analyzed.

Results: Alprazolam contributed to 204 (17.0%) of the 1,199 drug‐related deaths and was identified in 7.2% of the 363 deaths occurring during 2005 and in 27.5% of the 422 deaths entered in the database during 2007. At least one other drug, predominantly an opioid, was identified in 97.5% of the alprazolam cases, with concurrent benzodiazepines also found. Compared to nonalprazolam deaths, alprazolam decedents were significantly more likely to be obese and to have preexisting cardiovascular disease, but were less likely to have documented substance abuse. An alprazolam prescription existed in 52.5% of the alprazolam deaths, with 77.6% having a prescription for all drugs identified.

Conclusions: Alprazolam was a contributing cause of death in a substantial and increasing number of drug‐related deaths. Prescriptions for alprazolam and the other drugs detected were often present in these cases.

Scientific Significance: Controlled substance monitoring programs should be routinely used as one mechanism to help prevent potential drug misuse/abuse. Our findings provide a baseline for ongoing alprazolam‐related death surveillance. (Am J Addict 2012;21:S27–S34)