bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Long-term fatty liver-induced insulin resistance in orotic acid-induced nonalcoholic fatty liver rats
Authors: Han Xiuqing , Liu Chunhua , Xue Yong , Wang Jingfeng , Xue Changhu , Yanagita Teruyoshi , Gao Xiang , Wang Yuming
Published: January 2016

We investigated whether fatty liver preceded insulin resistance or vice versa using a long-term orotic acid (OA)-induced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) model without the confounding effects of obesity and hyperlipidemia and explored the role of the liver in insulin resistance. Male Wistar rats were fed with or without OA supplementation for 30, 60, and 90 days. The NAFLD group showed increased liver lipid at 30, 60, and 90 days; glucose intolerance was noted at 60 and 90 days. Furthermore, partial liver proteins and gene expressions related to upstream signaling of insulin were decreased. However, the liver glycogen content was elevated, and gluconeogenesis genes expressions were obviously decreased at 90 days. The occurrence of fatty liver preceded insulin resistance in OA-induced NAFLD without the interference of obesity and hyperlipidemia, and hepatic insulin resistance may not play a conclusive role in insulin resistance in this model.
The 1753 ‘Jew Bill’ Controversy: Jewish Restoration to Palestine, Biblical Prophecy, and English National Identity
Authors: Crome Andrew
Published: January 2016

Examinations of the controversy surrounding the Jewish Naturalization Act (or ‘Jew Bill’) of 1753 have tended to concentrate on the role of either systematic anti-Semitism or political expediency in attempting to explain the sudden, violent uproar that the Act occasioned. While both of these approaches shed light on the controversy, they ignore the central role of prophecy in debates surrounding the Act, both for its proponents and opponents. Both groups drew upon a reservoir of Restorationist images of the Jews, built on the biblical prophecies of a Jewish return to Palestine. For opponents, the ‘Jew Bill’ represented an attempt to discredit prophecies of Jewish separation and denigrate scripture. Restorationist concepts were used to portray the Jews as violent and disloyal, and to suggest that if naturalised they would use England as a staging ground for their conquest of Palestine. For supporters of the Act, naturalisation offered England a unique opportunity to fulfil prophecy. They saw the Act as allowing the nation to take the first steps in fulfilling the apocalyptic role God had prepared for it as the nation that would ‘bless’ the Jews. Both sides of the debate therefore used Restorationism to negotiate concepts of Englishness and alterity. This paper constructs its argument by examining a range of material surrounding the controversy including parliamentary debates, sermons, pamphlets and newspaper reports. It argues for the importance of a nuanced understanding of the role of religion in eighteenth-century political debates.
Taxation riots and the culture of popular protest in Ireland, 1714–1740
Authors: Watt Timothy D.
Published: January 2016

This article explores the connection that existed between government attempts to increase taxation yields in Ireland during the 1720s and 1730s and the rise in the number of violent protests. It challenges the generally-held view that rural popular violence was uncommon in early eighteenth-century Ireland. The first part of the article examines government measures to tackle illicit trade and challenge corrupt revenue officers. The extra revenue gained by these measures was used to pay for 12,000 British soldiers on the Irish establishment and a network of new barracks in Ireland. The article assesses the impact that the tax-raising measures had, not just on the ability of tax collectors to gather revenue but also on the relationships that existed between law enforcers and the public, and more generally rulers and the ruled. A study of reported cases of ‘riot and rescue’, which have been extracted from newspapers and the relatively under-used revenue commissioners’ minute books, explains more fully the causes, composition and character of resistance to taxation. Other aspects of taxation riots and government responses to the disorder are also explored. The restrained nature of the violence between rioters and law enforcers and the popular antipathy to informers points to a moral compass being used during conflict, on both sides. Finally, an examination of the nature of violence also helps to define the limits of the power of authorities and of mobs in early eighteenth-century Ireland.
A high-precision rule-based extraction system for expanding geospatial metadata in GenBank records
Authors: Tahsin Tasnia , Weissenbacher Davy , Rivera Robert , Beard Rachel , Firago Mari , Wallstrom Garrick , Scotch Matthew , Gonzalez Graciela
Published: January 2016

Objective The metadata reflecting the location of the infected host (LOIH) of virus sequences in GenBank often lacks specificity. This work seeks to enhance this metadata by extracting more specific geographic information from related full-text articles and mapping them to their latitude/longitudes using knowledge derived from external geographical databases.

Materials and Methods We developed a rule-based information extraction framework for linking GenBank records to the latitude/longitudes of the LOIH. Our system first extracts existing geospatial metadata from GenBank records and attempts to improve it by seeking additional, relevant geographic information from text and tables in related full-text PubMed Central articles. The final extracted locations of the records, based on data assimilated from these sources, are then disambiguated and mapped to their respective geo-coordinates. We evaluated our approach on a manually annotated dataset comprising of 5728 GenBank records for the influenza A virus.

Results We found the precision, recall, and f-measure of our system for linking GenBank records to the latitude/longitudes of their LOIH to be 0.832, 0.967, and 0.894, respectively.

Discussion Our system had a high level of accuracy for linking GenBank records to the geo-coordinates of the LOIH. However, it can be further improved by expanding our database of geospatial data, incorporating spell correction, and enhancing the rules used for extraction.

Conclusion Our system performs reasonably well for linking GenBank records for the influenza A virus to the geo-coordinates of their LOIH based on record metadata and information extracted from related full-text articles.
Assessing Strength of Evidence of Appropriate Use Criteria for Diagnostic Imaging Examinations
Authors: Lacson Ronilda , Raja Ali S , Osterbur David , Ip Ivan , Schneider Louise , Bain Paul , Mita Carol , Whelan Julia , Silveira Patricia , Dement David , Khorasani Ramin
Published: January 2016

Objective For health information technology tools to fully inform evidence-based decisions, recommendations must be reliably assessed for quality and strength of evidence. We aimed to create an annotation framework for grading recommendations regarding appropriate use of diagnostic imaging examinations.

Methods The annotation framework was created by an expert panel (clinicians in three medical specialties, medical librarians, and biomedical scientists) who developed a process for achieving consensus in assessing recommendations, and evaluated by measuring agreement in grading the strength of evidence for 120 empirically selected recommendations using the Oxford Levels of Evidence.

Results Eighty-two percent of recommendations were assigned to Level 5 (expert opinion). Inter-annotator agreement was 0.70 on initial grading (κ = 0.35, 95% CI, 0.23-0.48). After systematic discussion utilizing the annotation framework, agreement increased significantly to 0.97 (κ = 0.88, 95% CI, 0.77-0.99).

Conclusions A novel annotation framework was effective for grading the strength of evidence supporting appropriate use criteria for diagnostic imaging exams.
An Improved Single-Step Cloning Strategy Simplifies the Agrobacterium tumefaciens-Mediated Transformation (ATMT)-Based Gene-Disruption Method for Verticillium dahliae
Authors: Wang Sheng , Xing Haiying , Hua Chenlei , Guo Hui-Shan , Zhang Jie
Published: January 2016

The soilborne fungal pathogen Verticillium dahliae infects a broad range of plant species to cause severe diseases. The availability of Verticillium genome sequences has provided opportunities for large-scale investigations of individual gene function in Verticillium strains using Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (ATMT)-based gene-disruption strategies. Traditional ATMT vectors require multiple cloning steps and elaborate characterization procedures to achieve successful gene replacement; thus, these vectors are not suitable for high-throughput ATMT-based gene deletion. Several advancements have been made that either involve simplification of the steps required for gene-deletion vector construction or increase the efficiency of the technique for rapid recombinant characterization. However, an ATMT binary vector that is both simple and efficient is still lacking. Here, we generated a USER-ATMT dual-selection (DS) binary vector, which combines both the advantages of the USER single-step cloning technique and the efficiency of the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase negative-selection marker. Highly efficient deletion of three different genes in V. dahliae using the USER-ATMT-DS vector enabled verification that this newly-generated vector not only facilitates the cloning process but also simplifies the subsequent identification of fungal homologous recombinants. The results suggest that the USER-ATMT-DS vector is applicable for efficient gene deletion and suitable for large-scale gene deletion in V. dahliae.
Recent progress in direct exposure of interconnects on PCBs
Authors: Barbucha Robert , Mizeraczyk Jerzy
Published: January 2016

Purpose

– This paper aims to use a survey of techniques to present the patterning of electric circuitry on printed circuit boards (PCBs). Second, a proposal of a new technology for direct exposure of interconnects on PCBs, using a digital micromirror device (DMD) is presented.

Design/methodology/approach

– In this proposal, the DMD chip was incorporated into a prototype system for exposure of soldermask pattern for a mass scale production. As a light source, 52 semiconductor UV lasers were combined together to deliver UV powerful beam onto the DMD chip area.

Findings

– A laser beam power of around 9 W was achieved from a single exposure head. With five exposure heads installed into a single machine, it is possible to expose 1,400 PCB panels per day. Such a production rate from a single exposure machine satisfies the demands of biggest PCB factories.

Research limitations/implications

– The Gaussian energy distribution of the laser beam from the 52-lasers head on the PCB surface was experimentally found. Because the exposure image needs to be highly uniform, this made a problem when the printed circuitry quality is considered. This problem was solved by using a software algorithm.

Practical implications

– The use of UV lasers exposure heads brings economical advantages over conventional bulb UV lamps. The power consumption drops down ten times for lasers source.

Social implications

– Because the exposure processing can be made with lower electric costs and higher yield, it will make the PCBs cheaper.

Originality/value

– At present, the idea of collecting a great number of lasers as a UV source for exposure head is attractive solution.
Competencies of older workers and its influence on career success and job satisfaction
Authors: Hennekam Sophie
Published: January 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of the competencies motivation, integrity and social skills on both intrinsic and extrinsic career success.

Design/methodology/approach

– In total, 1,112 individuals aged 45 or above registered at a job agency specialized in older employees in the Netherlands filled out a survey. The results were analyzed using multiple regression.

Findings

– The three competencies had a positive relationship with intrinsic career success (job satisfaction). Motivation and social skills were also positively related to extrinsic career success, while integrity was unrelated.

Originality/value

– The influence of competencies on career success of older workers has received only little attention from researchers.
Employee beliefs regarding the impact of unconventional appearance on customers in Mexico and Turkey
Authors: Karl Katherine , Peluchette Joy Van Eck , Hall Leda McIntyre
Published: January 2016

Purpose

– The increasing prevalence of unconventional appearance attributes (e.g. tattoos, piercings, unnatural hair color, alternative clothing) is a concern among employers as these appearance attributes are often viewed negatively. Because much of the existing employee appearance research has been conducted in the USA, the purpose of this paper is to examine employee beliefs regarding the impact of unconventional employee appearance on customer perceptions of service quality in Mexico and Turkey. The authors also examine the impact of gender, age, and position level.

Design/methodology/approach

– The sample consisted of 295 white collar employees in various service industries in Turkey and Mexico. Respondents reported how they thought eight employee appearance factors (tattoos, facial piercings, unconventional hair color, unconventional hair styles, sweat pants, clothing with rips or tears, clothing that bears midriffs, belly-buttons, or cleavage, and uniforms) would affect customer perceptions of service quality.

Findings

– Employees in both Mexico and Turkey indicated that uniforms would have a positive impact on customer perceptions of service quality and all seven unconventional employee appearance attributes would have a negative impact. Significant differences for country, gender, age, and position level were also found.

Research limitations/implications

– Future research including a more diverse group of countries and cultures is needed. Future research should also attempt to control for differences in type of organization, organizational culture, and job type.

Practical implications

– Alternative fashion and appearance styles may be trendy but there are risks in how these might be perceived by customers and by colleagues at work.

Originality/value

– This study examines employee beliefs regarding the impact of a variety of unconventional employee appearance attributes on customers’ perceptions of service quality in Mexico and Turkey.
Competition and constraint
Authors: Koster Ferry , Wittek Rafael
Published: January 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate three distinct hypotheses about the relationship between human resource (HR) practices (discretion and skill enhancement) and the level of trade openness and foreign direct investments of countries.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study applies multilevel analysis using data of 16,701 employees living in 23 European countries.

Findings

– Based on the multilevel analysis mixed support is found for the hypothesis stating that economic openness is curvilinearly related (an inverted U) to the use of HR practices. While this holds for discretion, it does not for skill enhancement.

Originality/value

– While economic globalization is often mentioned as an important factor in understanding organizational relations, there have only been few international comparative studies explicitly linking measures of economic openness and HR practices. This study investigate whether economic globalization is important or not.
Annual hours, workplace partnership and mutual gains: exploring the links
Authors: Ryan Lorraine , Wallace Joseph
Published: January 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the capacity of annual hours (AH) to deliver gains to both workers and management and assesses the role of workplace partnership in three Irish companies that have adopted AH.

Design/methodology/approach

– Three case studies are compared and contrasted. The case studies were compiled through semi-structured interviews with management and trade union representatives, a survey of 205 workers and secondary material.

Findings

– The authors find that workplace partnership is not a prerequisite for achieving mutual gains where AH are concerned. The research draws attention to the importance of a mechanism for the creation of gains, in these cases, AH and that such gains can arise from different processes. Mutual gains output is not confined to workplace partnership but can arise from collective bargaining.

Originality/value

– The paper highlights the importance of comparing case studies so that the role of factors often seen as causal to mutual gains in exemplar cases can be critically evaluated. It also utilises directly workers’ opinions on AH and workplace partnership where typically, representative views of management and trade unions dominate the literature on these issues.
The impact of communication channels on communication style and information quality for hotel loyalty programs
Authors: Berezan Orie , Yoo Michelle , Christodoulidou Natasa
Published: January 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of communication channels on communication style and information quality as perceived by loyalty program members.

Design/methodology/approach

– An online survey was utilized to collect data, and multivariate analysis of variance was used to test the study hypothesis.

Findings

– Study results indicated that the choice of a communication channel has a significant impact on the perceived communication style and information quality.

Research limitations/implications

– The use of an online survey restricted the ability to generalize findings beyond those that use the internet. Replicating this study in other areas where customers seek information outside of loyalty programs would provide valuable insight into the impact of communication channels on communication style and perceived quality of communication.

Practical implications

– Communication style and information quality have been shown to impact customer loyalty. The results of this study indicate that the type of communication channel used impacts style and information quality, and thereby loyalty.

Social implications

– Executives should use these research findings as a guide to how they should structure and maintain relationships with their loyalty members.

Originality/value

– This manuscript provides executives with a taxonomy of the tools and channels available for communicating information to loyalty program members.
Attention, emotion and hedonic service experiences
Authors: Ma Jianya , Campos Ana Cláudia , Li Shanshi , Gardiner Sarah , Scott Noel
Published: January 2016

Purpose

– This paper aims to address the central guiding questions: What principles of services management need urgent re-thinking in the Asian Century? What opportunities and challenges lie ahead?

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper provides a review of relevant literature on hedonic consumption and related issues of emotion, attention, mental time travel and, importantly, how these phenomena may be measured.

Findings

– The paper addresses this question from a psychological and customer perspective. Services managers are well-positioned and have a great future for two reasons. First, services in general are the growing part of the global economy. Second, services managers provide the experiences required by increasingly affluent consumers. On the other hand, there is in general within the services sector, a lack of knowledge and expertise in understanding the consumer psychology of hedonic consumption. Additionally, and especially in Western countries, there is lack of knowledge about the cultural differences in experiential requirements of Asian consumers.

Originality/value

– The paper provides directions for future research in the area of tourism experiences and emotion.
Conceptualising the impact of culture and language upon hospitality service management
Authors: Tabari Saloomeh , Wilson Jonathan A.J. , Ingram Hadyn
Published: January 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the nature and definitions of culture and its relationship to language and cultural sensitivity in hospitality management services.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper takes the form of a critical literature review followed by a phenomenological exploratory pilot study, using template analysis.

Findings

– Previous studies indicate that the more individuals understand and embrace notions of intercultural sensitivity, then the better they become at being able to recognise and discriminate between cultural differences. Furthermore, as a by-product, there is an increased appetite and tendency towards adopting cultural perspectives other than ones’ own. However, the operationalisation of this process encourages benchmarking along linear scales, which is problematic and over-simplifies the dynamic and fluid nature of effective cultural transmission. The paper’s findings suggest that rather than there being singular cultural and language constructs, there are cultures, which in places overlap, but elsewhere do not and therefore cannot be placed on universal scales; second, the critical success factor is less about linguistic literacy linked to vocabulary and explicit rational comprehension, and more about a pre-emptive cultural interpretive intelligence which identifies emotion and sentiment.

Research limitations/implications

– This is largely a conceptual paper, which, it is suggested, needs further empirical investigation – both longitudinally and on a larger scale.

Originality/value

– This perspective moves management, marketing and service delivery away from zero-sum games and transactional exchanges, whether financial, social or linguistic, towards collective wealth creation and empowerment – manifest in social cultural capital and the generation of tacit knowledge. The challenge that remains is how this process can be formalised and the tacit and implicit knowledge gained and created can be preserved.
What needs re-thinking in services management in the dawning age of Asian travellers?
Authors: Dioko Leonardo (Don) A.N.
Published: January 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to draw upon the various articles in this theme issue and identify the key services management principles that merit re-thinking in the face of the growing and enduring trend of Asian travellers.

Design/methodology/approach

– As a conclusion, this paper reviews the findings of the articles in this theme issue collection and synthesizes them thematically as well as strategically for both scholars and practitioners of services management and marketing.

Findings

– There are five key assumptions that need re-thinking if services management organizations are to adequately meet the challenges of a more demographically diverse wave of travellers led by Asian visitors. Briefly, service organizations need to re-think: how they identify significant shifts in customer profile, the limits of their current service systems, decisions on service integration versus separation, how to transcend the traditional 5 Ps of services and, not least, how to prioritize humanism over efficiency in terms of service manpower training and development.

Research limitations/implications

– Though not exhaustive, the service management issues summarized and highlighted by this paper (and comprising this theme issue of WHATT) should serve to amplify the need to address the significant and enduring changes brought by the new wave of Asian travellers now enveloping services organizations throughout the world.

Originality/value

– The paper serves to identify several areas for service organizations to review and re-think which includes, among others, service interactions between front line service providers and customers, the evolving needs of visitors from Asia, how Asian customers perceive concepts of courtesy and politeness, as well as the use of language and culture in shaping and interpreting socio-cultural interactions in a service setting.
Serum levels of interleukin‐18‐binding protein isoform a: Clinical association with inflammation and pulmonary hypertension in systemic sclerosis
Authors: Nakamura Kouki , Asano Yoshihide , Taniguchi Takashi , Minatsuki Shun , Inaba Toshiro , Maki Hisataka , Hatano Masaru , Yamashita Takashi , Saigusa Ryosuke , Ichimura Yohei , Takahashi Takehiro , Toyama Tetsuo , Yoshizaki Ayumi , Miyagaki Tomomitsu , Sugaya Makoto , Sato Shinichi
Published: January 2016

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease characterized by extensive tissue fibrosis and various vascular complications. A wealth of evidence suggests the substantial contribution of pro‐inflammatory cytokines to the development of SSc, but the role of interleukin (IL)‐18 signaling in this disease still remains elusive. To address this issue, we herein determined serum levels of IL‐18‐binding protein isoform a (IL‐18BPa), a soluble decoy receptor for IL‐18, by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay in 57 SSc patients and 20 healthy controls and evaluated their clinical correlation. Serum IL‐18BPa levels were higher in SSc patients than in healthy controls, while comparable between diffuse cutaneous SSc and limited cutaneous SSc patients. Although serum IL‐18BPa levels were not associated with dermal and pulmonary fibrotic parameters in SSc patients, there was a significant positive correlation between serum IL‐18BPa levels and right ventricular systolic pressure estimated by echocardiography. Furthermore, in 24 SSc patients who underwent right heart catheterization, serum IL‐18BPa levels positively correlated with mean pulmonary arterial pressure. As for systemic inflammatory markers, significant positive correlations of circulating IL‐18BPa levels with erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C‐reactive protein were noted. These results suggest that the inhibition of IL‐18 signaling by IL‐18BPa may be involved in the development of pulmonary vascular involvement leading to pulmonary hypertension and modulate the systemic inflammation in SSc.
Treatment of lipoid proteinosis with acitretin in two patients from two unrelated Chinese families with novel nonsense mutations of the ECM1 gene
Authors: Luo Xiao‐Yan , Li Qiu , Tan Qi , Yang Huan , Xiang Juan , Miao Jing‐Kun , Wang Hua
Published: January 2016

Lipoid proteinosis is a rare recessive genetic disorder caused by loss‐of‐function mutations to chromosome 1 at 1q21, the extracellular matrix protein 1 (ECM1) gene. Two children with lipoid proteinosis were reported from two unrelated Chinese families, both manifesting with a typical hoarse voice, white acne‐like atrophic lesions and scarring on the skin, and beaded papules around the eyelids. The diagnosis had been confirmed by laboratory tests, skin biopsy and laryngoscope examination. Genomic DNA sequencing was performed for both children and their family members. The two children were treated with acitretin for 6 months and followed up for 1 year. Genomic DNA sequencing of the ECM1 gene showed a novel homozygous nonsense mutation of C1522>T (p.R508X) at exon 10 in one patient, and a novel compound heterozygote for a nonsense/frame‐shift combination of mutations of R281X/1596delG at exons 7 and 10 in the other patient. The symptom of hoarse voice was improved by 6‐month treatment with acitretin, while there was no improvement in the skin lesions. These results demonstrated that acitretin treatment may have efficacy for some of patients with lipoid proteinosis, with superior effect on laryngeal symptoms than skin lesions. However, the conclusive therapeutic effect and underlying mechanisms remain to be further investigated.
Rainfall variability and nitrogen addition synergistically reduce plant diversity in a restored tallgrass prairie
Authors: Smith Nicholas G. , Schuster Michael J. , Dukes Jeffrey S.
Published: January 2016

Climate change is expected to bring fewer, larger rainfall events and prolonged droughts (i.e. increased rainfall variability). Concurrently, the burning of fossil fuels and reliance on nitrogen (N) fertilizers are expected to continue to increase N availability in many ecosystems. These changes in water and N availability have the potential to alter plant community composition and structure.

We manipulated rainfall variability and N inputs in a restored tallgrass prairie over the course of two growing seasons.

Greater rainfall variability led to wetter soils throughout the majority of both growing seasons and provided punctuated relief from a severe drought that occurred during the first three months of the experiment.

Both rainfall variability‐ and fertilization‐induced increases in resource availability favoured fast‐growing, deeply rooted C3forbs, particularly the dominantSolidago canadensis, at the expense of species adapted to low resource conditions, particularly C4grasses and N‐fixing forbs.

This change in community composition decreased plant community diversity and evenness in plots receiving both supplemental N and more variable rainfall.

Synthesis and applications. These results suggest that future increases in rainfall variability and nitrogen (N) deposition could synergistically alter the structure of prairie restorations and jeopardize restoration targets related to increasing floral diversity. Mitigating N availability in restoration sites may help to maintain prairie diversity as rainfall patterns become more variable.
The G‐spot: an observational MRI pilot study
Authors: Maratos YK , Gombergh R , Cornier E , Minart JP , Amoretti N , Mpotsaris A
Published: January 2016

Objectives

To identify a G‐spot complex (GSC) in vivo in MRI examinations at 1.5 Tesla field strength.

Design

Observational study.

Setting

Single centre.

Population

Twenty‐one consecutive patients (January–March 2014).

Methods

Imaging analysis of routine imaging protocols for usual medical indications with and without concomitant opacification of the vaginal cavity with inert ultrasound gel. The gel distends the otherwise collapsed vaginal walls, allowing for an improved discrimination of anatomic features. The macroscopic and histological results recently derived from the dissections of fresh cadavers by Ostrzenski et al. were translated into imaging characteristics to be expected in the respective MRI sequences (e.g. T1‐ and T2‐weighted) in search of an in vivo correlate of the GSC. Age, menopause status, medical indication and diagnosis were co‐variables.

Main outcome measures

To analyse primarily whether MRI imaging is able to depict a distinct morphological entity in vivo matching the GSC, based on anatomical descriptions published recently. The elaboration of an appropriate MRI‐imaging protocol was a secondary aim.

Results

A total of 21 studies were obtained. A GSC was identified within the anterior vaginal wall in 13/21 patients (62%). In all, 10/21 (48%) had vaginal gel opacification. We identified a GSC in 10/10 patients (100%) with opacification in all three planes of the T2 images. This was only true for 3/11 cases (27%) without opacification.

Conclusions

There is evidence for an in vivo morphological correlate to the postmortem anatomical findings of a GSC described by Ostrzenski et al.; its visibility in MRI imaging can be significantly improved with vaginal opacification by ultrasound gel.

Tweetable abstract

Identification of G‐spot by MRI with vaginal gel‐opacification in 13/21 patients.
Trends in Indigenous and non‐Indigenous caesarean section births in the Northern Territory of Australia, 1986–2012: a total population‐based study
Authors: Thompson F , Dempsey K , Mishra G
Published: January 2016

Objective

To examine trends in caesarean section deliveries and factors associated with these trends for Indigenous and non‐Indigenous mothers.

Design

Total population‐based study.

Setting

Northern Territory of Australia, 1986–2012.

Population

Pregnancies among Northern Territory residents, limited to singleton live births with cephalic presentations delivered at 37–42 weeks’ gestation (n = 78 561).

Methods

Descriptive analyses of demographic and obstetric risk factors. Poisson regression with robust variance to estimate the likelihood of caesarean delivery with and without labour compared with vaginal delivery, over time and between Indigenous and non‐Indigenous mothers, adjusting for risk factors.

Main outcome measures

Trends in caesarean sections and risk of caesarean delivery compared with vaginal delivery.

Results

The total rate of caesarean deliveries in the Northern Territory increased between 1986 and 2012. From the year 2000, the rise was driven by increases in caesareans with labour among nulliparous mothers and no labour caesareans among multiparous mothers. Increases in demographic and obstetric risk factors explained the rise in caesareans with labour among nulliparous Indigenous mothers, whereas other unmeasured variables contributed to the rise among non‐Indigenous mothers. Increases in previous caesarean delivery contributed to the rise in all caesareans among multiparous mothers. Following adjustment, the risk of Indigenous nulliparous mothers having a caesarean with labour was 47% greater than for non‐Indigenous nulliparous mothers [adjusted risk ratio 1.47 (95% CI 1.34–1.60)].

Conclusions

Increases in demographic and obstetric risk factors partially explained the increase in caesarean rates in the Northern Territory and the contribution of these factors differed between Indigenous and non‐Indigenous mothers.

Tweetable abstract

Caesarean section rates increased between 1986 and 2012 in the Northern Territory of Australia.
The role of perceived management support and trust in mentors on protégés’ organizational citizenship behavior
Authors: Son SuJin , Kim Do‐Yeong
Published: January 2016

Drawing from social information processing theory and social exchange theory, the current study attempts to provide a more comprehensive explanation of the factors that lead to employees’ active engagement in mentoring relationships and of the extra‐role behaviors of protégés. Using survey data from 183 protégés in formal mentoring relationships at two Korean companies, we found that perceived management support for mentoring influenced protégés organizational citizenship behavior directly and indirectly through mentoring functions received and trust in mentors. We conclude by discussing the implications for mentoring researchers, practitioners, and future research.
Financial Innovation, Derivatives and the UK and US Interest Rate Swap Scandals: Drawing New Boundaries for the Regulation of Financial Innovation
Authors: Bavoso Vincenzo
Published: January 2016

A number of questions remained unanswered with respect to the regulation of large financial institutions after the global financial crisis (GFC) of 2007–08. Some pressing issues have resurfaced in the context of the recent interest rate swap scandals. These events provided the opportunity to reflect on the wider socio‐political agenda that involves the regulation of banks' behaviour vis‐à‐vis societal stakeholders. In particular, the Interest Rate Swap (IRS) scandals have shown the ability that banks have to first, innovate and customise complex financial products, and second, limit their legal liability when selling them to investors. This has resulted in a highly unfair balance of powers between financial institutions on the one hand and regulators and financial consumers on the other.
Diagnosis of an additional in situ melanoma does not influence survival for patients with a single invasive melanoma: A registry‐based follow‐up study
Authors: Youlden Danny R , Khosrotehrani Kiarash , Green Adèle C , Soyer H Peter , Kimlin Michael G , Youl Philippa H , Aitken Joanne F , Baade Peter D
Published: January 2016

Using a large (N= 25 493) population‐based cohort from Queensland, Australia, we compared melanoma survival among cases with a single invasive melanoma only against those who also had a diagnosis of a single in situ melanoma. After adjustment for sex, age, body site, clinicopathological subtype, thickness and ulceration, it was found that there was no difference (P = 0.99) in 10‐year melanoma‐specific mortality following a diagnosis of an invasive lesion, whether or not an in situ melanoma was also present. We conclude that in situ melanomas do not alter the prognosis of an invasive melanoma.
Heterogeneity of blastomycosis‐like pyoderma: A selection of cases from the last 35 years
Authors: Scuderi Salvatore , O'Brien Blake , Robertson Ivan , Weedon David
Published: January 2016

Blastomycosis‐like pyoderma is a form of pyoderma with variable clinical findings and histopathological features. We present a case series of 39 patients collected over a 35‐year period to demonstrate its clinical features and histological findings. The most common clinical presentations found were solitary plaques, solitary nodules, sinuses, crypts, verrucous plaques and discharge, usually on sun‐exposed skin. The most common histopathological findings were chronic granulomatous inflammation, suppurative inflammation, sinus and abscess formation, pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia, transepidermal elimination and scarring. We discuss its treatment and the recent literature that has focused on its response to acitretin.
L. D. Taylor: The Man Who Made Vancouver
Authors: Rawson Mary
Published: January 2016

This article examines the valuable work of Louis D. Taylor, an early mayor of Vancouver, with the aim of sorting out the sources of the cloud over his reputation. Taylor was mayor of Vancouver more times than anyone, intermittently, and over a long period—1910 to 1934. In spite of his solid on‐the‐ground accomplishments and proven electoral popularity, journalists today tend to ignore or dismiss him; historians keep alive doubts about his integrity; and, among the general public, his name is almost unknown. The author attempts to revive interest in and clarify misconceptions about Taylor by examining his long public career as the multi‐sided reform mayor of Vancouver.
Berkeley Mayor J. Stitt Wilson: Christian Socialist, Georgist, Feminist
Authors: Barton Stephen E.
Published: January 2016

J. Stitt Wilson (1868–1942) was a leading American Christian Socialist. When he was elected Mayor of the City of Berkeley in 1911 he had to shift focus from the broad moral and economic case for socialism to the specifics of municipal reform. He drew on the ideas of Henry George, feminist urban reformers in the Woman's Christian Temperance Union and the settlement house movement, and progressive and socialist mayors who preceded him. He became a leader in both the Socialist Party and the single‐tax movement in California from 1911 to 1917, working with the shared belief that society, as a society, creates tremendous value that should be used for public benefit rather than taken as private profit. His story illustrates the creativity that can result when people are active in and learn from multiple social movements as well as the difficulties that can result from the tensions within and between movements. It illustrates, as well, some of the varied strands of the urban reform movement that helped create modern city government in America.
Building the Planning Consensus: The Plan of Chicago, Civic Boosterism, and Urban Reform in Chicago, 1893 to 1915
Authors: McCabe Matthew P.
Published: January 2016

Since its publication in 1909, Daniel Burnham's Plan of Chicago has been criticized for its lack of attention to social issues and for the failure of subsequent reconstruction projects to live up to the ambition of the plan. These criticisms assume that the Plan of Chicago was insufficiently progressive, or they evaluate the Plan by reference to the successes and failures of subsequent decades of urban reconstruction in Chicago. This article argues that the key to understanding the Plan of Chicago is to place it in its historical context. Burnham's Plan of Chicago was an expression of the tradition of Chicago civic boosterism and earlier city‐building practices as much as it was of the nascent profession of city planning. Finally, while the Plan did neglect housing, poverty, and other social questions, it did possess a social vision based on civic inclusivity, rather than economic inclusivity. The Plan can be read as a reform document based on the assumption that physical environment shapes individual character and social relationships. It assumed the creation of a unified and harmonious physical city would produce a contented and productive citizenry. In short, the Plan of Chicago deployed a transformative vision in the service of conservative goals.
Hazen S. Pingree and the Detroit Model of Urban Reform
Authors: Lough Alexandra W.
Published: January 2016

Hazen S. Pingree was a remarkable civic leader. In his four terms as mayor of Detroit from 1889 to 1897, Pingree lowered the cost of vital public utilities, including gas, lighting, and transit; modernized the city's sewage system; and rooted out corruption and dishonesty in municipal government. He successfully spearheaded the movement for the three‐cent streetcar fare and brought Detroit to the brink of public ownership and operation of its own transit system. Pingree's social reform program for Detroit centered around two interrelated urban reform movements gathering steam at the turn of the 20th century: the movement for municipal ownership and the movement to equalize taxes by increasing taxes on corporate property. Both of these movements drew heavily from Henry George's single tax. In particular, Pingree's efforts to secure a municipally owned and operated street railway system and effort to increase taxation on corporate property illustrate the ways in which turn‐of‐the‐20th‐century civic leaders drew from the rhetoric and substance of George's ideas to implement progressive urban reforms.
Daniel Hoan and the Golden Age of Socialist Government in Milwaukee
Authors: Fulda Todd J.
Published: January 2016

This article examines Mayor Daniel Webster Hoan's socialist administration of Milwaukee from 1916–1940. The analysis delves into Hoan's challenges and victories—especially in the early years of his administration—and examines whether the citizens of Milwaukee actually embraced socialism. To answer that question, this article draws extensively from primary sources, including newspaper articles and archived documents, as well as several secondary sources. The evidence shows that Hoan's long tenure as mayor came in spite of, not because of, his socialism. Indeed, Hoan's popularity was due in part to his willingness to break from the Socialist Party platform when it was politically necessary. Ultimately, the people of Milwaukee embraced a popular reformer rather than the ideology he represented.
Tom L. Johnson and Cleveland Traction Wars, 1901–1909
Authors: Lough Alexandra W.
Published: January 2016

Tom L. Johnson made his mark on politics far from Capitol Hill, in the gritty world of turn‐of‐the‐century Cleveland, Ohio. Barely 30 years old and at the height of a successful career as an inventor, steel manufacturer, and street railway monopolist, Tom Loftin Johnson experienced a change of heart. After discovering the ideas of Henry George, Johnson became a lifelong advocate of the single tax, which he used to guide his new career in politics. In 1901, Cleveland voters elected Johnson to the first of his four terms as mayor of the industrial city of 400,000 people. During his eight‐year reign as chief executive, Cleveland took over essential services such as garbage collection, street cleaning, and lighting from private enterprise. Johnson helped humanize the city's correctional system by replacing the old workhouse with a network of farm colonies designed to rehabilitate wayward youths and adults convicted of petty crimes. Largely as a result of Johnson's efforts, Cleveland won constitutional home rule, a lower streetcar fare, the referendum, and higher taxes on the corporations that amassed giant fortunes through perpetual public franchise grants. For a short time, while he was still mayor, Cleveland owned and operated its own streetcar company, a rarity in early 20th‐century America. All of these accomplishments made Johnson something of a hero to progressive reformers. The muckraker Lincoln Steffens famously called Johnson “the best Mayor of the best‐governed city in the United States.”
Repolarization Vector Magnitude Differentiates Kawasaki Disease from Normal Children
Authors: Cortez Daniel , Patel Sonali S. , Sharma Nandita , Landeck Bruce F. , McCanta Anthony C. , Jone Pei‐Ni
Published: January 2016

Introduction

Kawasaki disease (KD) is the leading cause of acquired heart disease in children. The 12‐lead electrocardiogram (ECG) changes in patients during the acute phase of KD include flattened T waves and prolonged corrected QT intervals (QTc). We set out to determine the 12‐lead ECG and vectorcardiography predictors for identification of patients with KD and which of these predictors would be clinically useful for early identification of those with coronary artery anomalies (CAA).

Methods

A blinded, retrospective case‐control study of patients with KD and age‐matched controls was performed. Deep Q waves, QTc, spatial QRS‐T angles, and T‐wave vector magnitude (root mean square of the T wave, RMS‐T) were assessed. Comparisons between groups were performed to test for significant differences.

Results

Fifty patients with KD (mean age 3.1 ± 3.1 years, 26% female) were compared to 50 previously healthy control patients (mean age 3.8 ± 2.9 years, 44% female). Of the KD patients, 32 (64%) were diagnosed as incomplete KD and 28 (56%) of them had CAA. When compared to the control group, KD patients had abnormal Q waves (72% vs 44% P = 0.005), shorter QTc values (395.1 ± 24.7 ms vs 410.4 ± 34.7 ms, P = 0.013), and lower RMS‐T (0.42 ± 0.02 mV vs 0.63 ± 0.03 mV P < 0.001), respectively. Incomplete KD was also discriminated from controls by the same parameters. No differences were noted between KD patients with versus without CAA.

Conclusion

The RMS‐T differentiates complete and incomplete KD from controls. KD patients with CAA were not differentiated from those without CAA.
Ultrastructure of the mental gland of the Red‐Backed Salamander, Plethodon cinereus (Amphibia: Plethodontidae)
Authors: Sever David M.
Published: January 2016

Mental glands are sexually dimorphic glands found in the skin of the submandibular region in males of many species in the salamander family Plethodontidae. These glands have been demonstrated to secrete pheromones that increase female receptivity to courtship and mating. A number of studies exist on the morphology of mental glands at the light microscopy level, but ultrastructural studies on the glands exist for only two species, Eurycea quadridigitata and Hydromantes italicus. In this study, ultrastructure of the mental gland is described from seasonal samples of the eastern North American plethodontid Plethodon cinereus. The mental glands are most hypertrophied in males examined in mating condition (i.e. sperm in their Wolffian ducts) in October and April. In these specimens, 6‐ to 8‐μm electron‐dense secretory vacuoles are found in the apical cytoplasm (October) or throughout the entire epithelial cells (April). Mental glands from June and August contain only condensing vacuoles, and the cytoplasm is otherwise packed with stacks of rough endoplasmic reticulum. The ultrastructure of the mental gland of P. cinereus agrees with earlier descriptions for E. quadridigitata and H. italicus. Two other sexually dimorphic skin glands, the caudal courtship gland and the cloacal vent gland, were previously examined from males in this sample of P. cinereus. Although all three glands show similarities in histology and histochemistry at the light microscopy level, they are dissimilar in ultrastructure. Whereas the secretory vacuoles of mental glands are uniformly electron dense, those of caudal courtship glands are smaller (1.2–1.5 μm), oblong and biphasic, and vent glands have spherical biphasic secretory vacuoles (1.8–2.1 μm). This indicates a difference in secretory product and function for the three glands and needs further investigation. Whether other plethodontids show similar variation among sexually dimorphic glands is another topic for future research.