bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reductions in Medication‐Related Hospitalizations in Older Adults with Medication Management by Hospital and Community Pharmacists: A Quasi‐Experimental Study
Authors: Pellegrin Karen L. , Krenk Les , Oakes Sheena Jolson , Ciarleglio Anita , Lynn Joanne , McInnis Terry , Bairos Alistair W. , Gomez Lara , McCrary Mercedes Benitez , Hanlon Alexandra L. , Miyamura Jill
Published: October 2016

Objectives

To evaluate the association between a system of medication management services provided by specially trained hospital and community pharmacists (Pharm2Pharm) and rates and costs of medication‐related hospitalization in older adults.

Design

Quasi‐experimental interrupted time series design comparing intervention and nonintervention hospitals using a mixed‐effects analysis that modeled the intervention as a time‐dependent variable.

Setting

Sequential implementation of Pharm2Pharm at six general nonfederal acute care hospitals in Hawaii with more than 50 beds in 2013 and 2014. All five other such hospitals served as a contemporaneous comparison group.

Participants

Adult inpatients who met criteria for being at risk for medication problems (N = 2,083), 62% of whom were aged 65 or older.

Intervention

A state‐wide system of medication management services provided by specially trained hospital and community pharmacists serving high‐risk individuals from hospitalization through transition to home and for up to 1 year after discharge.

Measurements

Medication‐related hospitalization rate per 1,000 admissions of individuals aged 65 and older, adjusted for case mix; estimate of costs of hospitalizations and actual costs of pharmacist services.

Results

The predicted, case mix–adjusted medication‐related hospitalization rate of individuals aged 65 and older was 36.5% lower in the Pharm2Pharm hospitals after implementation than in the nonintervention hospitals (P = .01). The estimated annualized cost of avoided admissions was $6.6 million. The annual cost of the pharmacist services for all Pharm2Pharm participants was $1.8 million.

Conclusion

The Pharm2Pharm model was associated with an estimated 36% reduction in the medication‐related hospitalization rate for older adults and a 2.6:1 return on investment, highlighting the value of pharmacists as drug therapy experts in geriatric care.
Evaluation of the Alternative Healthy Eating Index as a predictor of 10‐year cardiovascular disease risk in a group of Iranian employees
Authors: Hariri N. , Darafshi Ghahroudi S. , Nasseri E. , Bondarianzadeh D. , Houshyar‐Rad A. , Zayeri F.
Published: October 2016

Background

Noncommunicable diseases, of which almost half are some form of cardiovascular disease (CVD), have overtaken communicable diseases as the world's major disease burden. There is growing evidence that indices of diet quality could have an association with a decreased risk of CVD in several countries. We aimed to examine the association between diet quality, as measured by the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), and 10‐year predicted CVD risk based on the Framingham Risk Score (FRS) in a group of Iranian employees.

Methods

A cross‐sectional descriptive study was conducted on 296 (232 male, 64 female) employees aged ≥30 years selected by nonrandom sampling. AHEI was calculated according to a food frequency questionnaire with complementary questions on intake of cooking fats and oils among households. The 10‐year risk of CVD was calculated based on FRS. Total and high‐density lipoprotein‐cholesterol, fasting blood sugar and blood pressure were measured to help in the calculation of FRS.

Results

AHEI did not have a significant relationship with FRS (r = −0.02, P = 0.67). However, some of its components, such as the intake of nuts and soy groups (r = −0.11, P = 0.04) and fruits (r = −0.14, P = 0.01), had a significant relationship with a reduced risk of CVD. According to stepwise multiple linear regression results, for every single increase in the intake of fruit servings, there would be a 0.14 reduction in the 10‐year CVD risk score (β = −0.14, P = 0.01).

Conclusions

The present study showed no significant relationship between AHEI and the 10‐year predicted risk of CVD among Iranian employees.
Vegetarianism and breast, colorectal and prostate cancer risk: an overview and meta‐analysis of cohort studies
Authors: Godos J. , Bella F. , Sciacca S. , Galvano F. , Grosso G.
Published: October 2016

Background

Vegetarian diets may be associated with certain benefits toward human health, although current evidence is scarce and contrasting. In the present study, a systematic review and meta‐analysis of prospective cohort studies was performed with respect to the association between vegetarian diets and breast, colorectal and prostate cancer risk.

Methods

Studies were systematically searched in Pubmed and EMBASE electronic databases. Eligible studies had a prospective design and compared vegetarian, semi‐ and pesco‐vegetarian diets with a non‐vegetarian diet. Random‐effects models were applied to calculate relative risks (RRs) of cancer between diets. Statistical heterogeneity and publication bias were explored.

Results

A total of nine studies were included in the meta‐analysis. Studies were conducted on six cohorts accounting for 686 629 individuals, and 3441, 4062 and 1935 cases of breast, colorectal and prostate cancer, respectively. None of the analyses showed a significant association of vegetarian diet and a lower risk of either breast, colorectal, and prostate cancer compared to a non‐vegetarian diet. By contrast, a lower risk of colorectal cancer was associated with a semi‐vegetarian diet (RR = 0.86, 95% confidence interval = 0.79–0.94; I2 = 0%, Pheterogeneity = 0.82) and a pesco‐vegetarian diet (RR = 0.67, 95% confidence interval = 0.53, 0.83; I2 = 0%, Pheterogeneity = 0.46) compared to a non‐vegetarian diet. The subgroup analysis by cancer localisation showed no differences in summary risk estimates between colon and rectal cancer.

Conclusions

A summary of the existing evidence from cohort studies on vegetarian diets showed that complete exclusion of any source of protein from the diet is not associated with further benefits for human health.
Development and validation of the Learning Disabilities Needs Assessment Tool (LDNAT), a HoNOS‐based needs assessment tool for use with people with intellectual disability
Authors: Painter J. , Trevithick L. , Hastings R. P. , Ingham B. , Roy A.
Published: October 2016

Background

In meeting the needs of individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) who access health services, a brief, holistic assessment of need is useful. This study outlines the development and testing of the Learning Disabilities Needs Assessment Tool (LDNAT), a tool intended for this purpose.

Method

An existing mental health (MH) tool was extended by a multidisciplinary group of ID practitioners. Additional scales were drafted to capture needs across six ID treatment domains that the group identified. LDNAT ratings were analysed for the following: item redundancy, relevance, construct validity and internal consistency (n = 1692); test–retest reliability (n = 27); and concurrent validity (n = 160).

Results

All LDNAT scales were deemed clinically relevant with little redundancy apparent. Principal component analysis indicated three components (developmental needs, challenging behaviour, MH and well‐being). Internal consistency was good (Cronbach alpha 0.80). Individual item test–retest reliability was substantial‐near perfect for 20 scales and slight‐fair for three scales. Overall reliability was near perfect (intra‐class correlation = 0.91). There were significant associations with five of six condition‐specific measures, i.e. the Waisman Activities of Daily Living Scale (general ability/disability), Threshold Assessment Grid (risk), Behaviour Problems Inventory for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities‐Short Form (challenging behaviour) Social Communication Questionnaire (autism) and a bespoke physical health questionnaire. Additionally, the statistically significant correlations between these tools and the LDNAT components made sense clinically. There were no statistically significant correlations with the Psychiatric Assessment Schedules for Adults with Developmental Disabilities (a measure of MH symptoms in people with ID).

Conclusions

The LDNAT had clinically utility when rating the needs of people with ID prior to condition‐specific assessment(s). Analyses of internal and external validity were promising. Further evaluation of its sensitivity to changes in needs is now required.
Formation, release, and internalization of stable tau oligomers in cells
Authors: Wegmann Susanne , Nicholls Samantha , Takeda Shuko , Fan Zhanyun , Hyman Bradley T.
Published: October 2016

Tau is a neuronal microtubule‐binding protein that, in Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases, can form oligomeric and large fibrillar aggregates, which deposit in neurofibrillary tangles. Tau's physiological state of multimerization appears to vary across conditions, and a stable dimeric form of soluble tau has been suggested from experiments using recombinant tau in vitro. We tested if tau dimerization or oligomerization, also occurs in cells, and if soluble tau oligomers are relevant for the release and internalization of tau. We developed a sensitive tau split‐luciferase assay to show the rapid intracellular formation of stable tau dimers that are released and taken up by cells. Our data further suggest that tau dimerization can be accelerated slightly by aggregation catalysts. We conclude that tau oligomers are a stable physiological form of tau, and that tau oligomerization does not necessarily lead to tau aggregation.

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Characterisation of aggression in Huntington's disease: rates, types and antecedents in an inpatient rehabilitation setting
Authors: Brown Anahita , Sewell Katherine , Fisher Caroline A.
Published: October 2016

Aims and objectives

To systematically review aggression in an inpatient Huntington's cohort examining rates, types and antecedents.

Background

Although the prevalence of aggression in Huntington's disease is high, research into this problematic behaviour has been limited. Few studies have investigated the nature of aggressive behaviour in Huntington's disease or antecedents that contribute to its occurrence.

Design

A systematic, double‐coded, electronic medical file audit.

Methods

The electronic hospital medical records of 10 people with Huntington's disease admitted to a brain disorders unit were audited for a 90‐day period using the Overt Aggression Scale‐Modified for Neurorehabilitation framework, yielding 900 days of clinical data.

Results

Nine of 10 clients exhibited aggression during the audit period. Both verbal (37·1%) aggression and physical aggression were common (33·8%), along with episodes of mixed verbal and physical aggression (15·2%), while aggression to objects/furniture was less prevalent (5·5%). The most common antecedent was physical guidance with personal care, far exceeding any other documented antecedents, and acting as the most common trigger for four of the nine clients who exhibited aggression. For the remaining five clients, there was intraindividual heterogeneity in susceptibility to specific antecedents.

Conclusion

In Huntington's sufferers at mid‐ to late stages following disease onset, particular care should be made with personal care assistance due to the propensity for these procedures to elicit an episode of aggression. However, given the degree of intraindividual heterogeneity in susceptibility to specific antecedents observed in the present study, individualised behaviour support plans and sensory modulation interventions may be the most useful in identifying triggers and managing aggressive episodes.

Relevance to clinical practice

Rates of aggression in Huntington's disease inpatients can be high. Knowledge of potential triggers, such as personal care, is important for nursing and care staff, so that attempts can be made to minimise distress for patients and maximise the personal safety of care staff.
Combined treatment with cervical pessary and vaginal progesterone for the prevention of preterm birth: A randomized clinical trial
Authors: Karbasian Niloofar , Sheikh Mahdi , Pirjani Reihaneh , Hazrati Shahla , Tara Fatemeh , Hantoushzadeh Sedigheh
Published: October 2016

Aim

We compared the effectiveness of a combined treatment involving cervical pessary plus vaginal progesterone to vaginal progesterone alone in decreasing the rate of preterm birth in women with short cervix in the second gestational trimester.

Methods

This prospective, open‐label, randomized clinical trial was conducted on 144 pregnant women with singleton pregnancy who had a cervical length ≤ 25 mm, at 18–22 gestational weeks (GW). Seventy‐three patients were assigned to receive 400 mg of daily vaginal progesterone (group A), and 73 to receive cervical pessary plus 400 mg of daily vaginal progesterone (group B), until the 37th GW. The patients were then followed until delivery.

Results

The rates of preterm birth were 16.4% in group A and 19.7% in group B, which were not statistically different (P = 0.6). There were no statistically significant differences in the rates of preterm birth at <37, <34, <32, and ≤26 GW between participants randomized to each group (P = 0.55). The rates of low‐birthweight delivery were 17.8% in group A, and 23.9% in group B, which were not statistically different (P = 0.36). The rates of premature rupture of membranes, chorioamnionitis, the requirement for neonatal intensive care unit admission, and fetal and neonatal deaths were similar between the two groups.

Conclusion

In pregnancies with short cervix at mid‐pregnancy, combination therapy of cervical pessary plus daily vaginal progesterone does not have any additional benefit over daily vaginal progesterone alone in reducing the rate of preterm birth and adverse pregnancy outcomes.
The Motivating Power of Visionary Images: Effects on Motivation, Affect, and Behavior
Authors: Rawolle Maika , Schultheiss Oliver C. , Strasser Alexandra , Kehr Hugo M.
Published: October 2016

Objective

Visionary images are identity‐relevant, picture‐like mental representations of a desirable and attainable future appearing regularly in a person's stream of thought. Prior research indicates that both mental and real images provide access to implicit motives. We therefore proposed that visionary images motivate people by arousing their implicit motives and tested this hypothesis in two experimental studies.

Method

We used guided visualizations to administer motive‐domain‐specific visionary images (Study 1: achievement and neutral, Mage = 24.4, 51 participants, 34 women; Study 2: affiliation and power, Mage = 24.01, 51 participants, 28 women) to arouse the respective implicit motive. Motivation was measured via residual changes in affective (i.e., changes in affective arousal), behavioral (i.e., performance on a concentration task, behavioral choices in a prisoner's dilemma), and mental (i.e., motive imagery in the Picture Story Exercise) indicators of motivation.

Results

The results largely confirmed our hypothesis. Visionary images increased motivation in the targeted domain. Some effects were moderated by participants' implicit motives.

Conclusions

The findings underscore the role of implicit motives in understanding the motivational effectiveness of visionary images.
Predictors of Obesity in a US Sample of High School Adolescents With and Without Disabilities
Authors: Papas Mia A. , Trabulsi Jillian C. , Axe Michelle , Rimmer James H.
Published: October 2016

BACKGROUND

Childhood obesity is a major public health concern. Children with disabilities have a higher prevalence of obesity.

OBJECTIVE

We examined factors associated with obesity within a cross‐sectional study of US adolescents with and without disabilities.

METHODS

Data were obtained from the 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Logistic regression models were fitted to assess effects of dietary habits, physical activity, and unhealthy weight control behaviors on obesity. Effect modification by disability status was examined.

RESULTS

Twenty percent (1986 of 9775 participants) reported a disability. Adolescents with disabilities were more likely to be obese (odds ratio [OR] = 1.7; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.3‐2.1) and have at least 1 unhealthy weight control behavior (OR = 2.0; 95% CI: 1.6‐2.5), and were less likely to be physically active (OR = 0.5; 95% CI: 0.4‐0.6). Lack of physical activity, increased television watching/video game playing, and unhealthy weight loss behaviors were significantly associated with obesity regardless of disability status (p‐for‐interaction >.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Successful obesity interventions should target diet, physical activity, and weight control among adolescents with disabilities. Understanding barriers to healthier diet and physical activity for this population is critical to developing effective obesity prevention programs and reducing the prevalence of unhealthy weight control behaviors.
Effectiveness of pre‐operative clown intervention on psychological distress: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Zhang Yongfu , Yang Yuan , Lau Wing YT , Garg Samradhvi , Lao Jianxin
Published: October 2016

Aim

This study aims to provide an overview of the current knowledge available on the effectiveness of pre‐operative clown intervention on psychological distress in children and parents.

Methods

PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase and PsycINFO databases were searched to identify relevant studies. Systematic review procedures were followed including a quality assessment. Meta‐analysis of suitable studies was conducted.

Results

Eight studies were included; six reported that clown intervention reduced children's pre‐operative anxiety, while one found that children's pre‐operative distress levels were unchanged. Two studies suggested that clown therapy decreased parents’ state anxiety, while three others found inconsistent results. No differences were found on parents’ trait anxiety score. Meta‐analysis of the available data confirmed that clown intervention has a great effect to reduce children's pre‐operative distress (six articles, 341 children, Hedges’ g = 0.867, 95% confidence intervals: 0.374–1.360, P = 0.001), and also had a small‐to‐medium effect on reducing parents’ state anxiety (five articles, 329 parents, Hedges’ g = 0.338, 95% confidence intervals: 0.112–0.564, P = 0.003).

Conclusions

While significant variability existed between studies, the meta‐analysis confirmed the effectiveness of pre‐operative clown therapy on reducing psychological distress in children and parents. Larger randomised controlled trails and cross‐cultural studies should be conducted to investigate the effectiveness of clown therapy in greater detail.
Utility of blood cultures in children admitted to hospital with community‐acquired pneumonia
Authors: Davis Tessa R , Evans Hannah R , Murtas Jennifer , Weisman Aimee , Francis J Lynn , Khan Ahmed
Published: October 2016

Aim

The aim of the study was to assess the utility of blood cultures in children admitted to hospital with community‐acquired pneumonia. The primary outcome was the number of positive blood culture results, and secondary outcomes included the effect of positive blood culture results on management, and the identification of other clinical/biochemical variables that could predict blood culture results or the course of illness.

Methods

A retrospective data analysis was carried out on all children admitted to Gosford Hospital during the 2‐year period from July 2013 to June 2015. Included were patients under 16 years old who had a diagnosis‐related group code of pneumonia. A review of blood culture results, chest X‐ray, serology, C‐reactive protein and white cell count and clinical outcomes were analysed.

Results

There were 215 paediatric admissions with a diagnosis of pneumonia during the 2‐year study period. A blood culture was collected in 82.3% (177/215). Although seven had a positive blood culture, only two of these were finally reported as true positives and both were Streptococcus pneumoniae. Both patients were treated with a cephalosporin and demonstrated clinical improvement. No changes were made to their treatment based on the blood culture results.

Conclusion

Blood cultures have a low yield and do not appear to be helpful when collected in all patients admitted to hospital with community‐acquired pneumonia.
A comparative study of the hypolipidaemic effects of a new polysaccharide, mannan Candida albicans serotype A, and atorvastatin in mice with poloxamer 407-induced hyperlipidaemia
Authors: Korolenko Tatyana , Johnston Thomas P , Lykov Alexander P , Shintyapina Alexandra B , Khrapova Marina V , Goncharova Natalya V , Korolenko Erik , Bgatova Nataliya P , Machova Eva , Nescakova Zuzana , Sakhno Ludmila V
Published: October 2016

Objectives

We evaluated the hypolipidaemic effect of mannan Candida albicans serotype A, relative to atorvastatin, in a mouse model of hyperlipidaemia.

Methods

Mannan serotype A was investigated in vitro and in vivo to determine its effects on macrophage proliferation, nitric oxide (NO) production by cultured macrophages, serum and liver lipids, changes in liver morphology and serum chitotriosidase activity and its expression in the liver.

Key findings

Mannan serotype A stimulates the macrophage proliferation and NO production in murine peritoneal macrophages in vitro. The activity of serum chitotriosidase (an enzyme released from the activated macrophages) was found to be significantly increased in P-407-induced hyperlipidaemic mice pretreated with low-dose mannan compared with mice administered P-407 only. Mannan treatment in mice was shown to significantly increase the chitotriosidase expression in the liver of both non-hyperlipidaemic and P-407-induced hyperlipidaemic mice. Lastly, mice pretreated with mannan before the induction of hyperlipidaemia with P-407 showed a significant reduction in the serum concentration of atherogenic LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, triglycerides and liver triglycerides.

Conclusions

It is suggested that mannan serotype A, like β-glucan, may represent another hypolipidaemic agent, which could potentially be used as an adjunctive therapy with conventional antihyperlipidaemic drugs (statins and fibrates) in humans.
Reported sulfate mineral in lunar meteorite PCA 02007 is impact glass
Authors: Gross Juliane , Treiman Allan H. , Harlow George E.
Published: October 2016

A grain of light‐blue sulfate material was reported in the lunar highlands regolith meteorite PCA 02007 (Satterwhite and Righter 2013). Allocated grains of that material are, in fact, aluminosilicate glass with a chemical composition like that of the bulk meteorite and other lunar highlands regoliths. The calcium sulfate detected in PCA 02007 was likely a surface coating, and reasonably of Antarctic (not lunar) origin.
Regulation of katanin activity in the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila
Authors: Waclawek Ewa , Joachimiak Ewa , Hall Malgorzata Hanna , Fabczak Hanna , Wloga Dorota
Published: October 2016

Katanin is a microtubule severing protein that functions as a heterodimer composed of an AAA domain catalytic subunit, p60, and a regulatory subunit, a WD40 repeat protein, p80. Katanin‐dependent severing of microtubules is important for proper execution of key cellular activities including cell division, migration, and differentiation. Published data obtained in Caenorhabditis elegans, Xenopus and mammals indicate that katanin is regulated at multiple levels including transcription, posttranslational modifications (of both katanin and microtubules) and degradation. Little is known about how katanin is regulated in unicellular organisms. Here we show that in the ciliated protist Tetrahymena thermophila, as in Metazoa, the localization and activity of katanin requires specific domains of both p60 and p80, and that the localization of p60, but not p80, is sensitive to the levels of microtubule glutamylation. A prolonged overexpression of either a full length, or a fragment of p80 containing WD40 repeats, partly phenocopies a knockout of p60, indicating that in addition to its activating role, p80 could also contribute to the inhibition of p60. We also show that the level of p80 depends on the 26S proteasome activity.
Meningeal SWI/SNF related, matrix‐associated, actin‐dependent regulator of chromatin, subfamily B member 1 (SMARCB1)‐deficient tumours: an emerging group of meningeal tumours
Authors: Dadone B. , Fontaine D. , Mondot L. , Cristofari G. , Jouvet A. , Godfraind C. , Varlet P. , Ranchère‐Vince D. , Coindre J.‐M. , Gastaud L. , Baudoin C. , Peyron A.‐C. , Thyss A. , Coutts M. , Michiels J.‐F. , Pedeutour F. , Burel‐Vandenbos F. ,   the RENOP
Published: October 2016

Aims

Bi‐allelic inactivation of SWI/SNF related, matrix‐associated, actin‐dependent regulator of chromatin, subfamily B member 1 (SMARCB1; also known as INI1) and loss of immunohistochemical expression of SMARCB1 define the group of SMARCB1‐deficient tumours. Initially highlighted in malignant rhabdoid tumours, this inactivation has subsequently been observed in several intra and extracranial tumours. To date, primary meningeal SMARCB1‐deficient tumours have not been described. We report two cases of meningeal SMARCB1‐deficient tumours occurring in adults.

Methods

We performed immunohistochemical analyses, comparative genomic hybridization, fluorescence in situ hybridization and targeted next‐generation sequencing.

Results

The first meningeal tumour was a solitary mass, composed of rhabdoid, adenoid, chordoid and sarcomatoid areas. The second case presented as multiple, bilateral, supra and infratentorial nodules, was composed of fusiform and ovoid cells embedded in a myxoid stroma. Tumour cells were positive for epithelial membrane antigen (EMA), vimentin and CD34 and negative for SMARCB1 and meningothelial, melanocytic, muscular, glial markers. In the first case, one allele of SMARCB1 was completely deleted, whereas in the second case, loss of expression of SMARCB1 was observed as a consequence of a homozygous deletion of SMARCB1.

Conclusions

The phenotype and genotype of these two cases did not fit diagnostically with entities already known to be SMARCB1‐deficient tumours. As both tumours shared common features, they are regarded as belonging to an emerging group of primary meningeal SMARCB1‐deficient tumours, not described to date. To facilitate the identification and characterization of these tumours, we recommend SMARCB1 immunohistochemistry for primary meningeal tumours which are difficult to classify, especially if immunopositive for EMA and CD34.
Two new synonyms in Heteranthera (Pontederiaceae, Commelinales)
Authors: de Oliveira Pellegrini Marco Octávio
Published: October 2016

Hydrothrix and Scholleropsis, two segregate monospecific genera placed within the Heteranthera s.l. clade, are here transferred to Heteranthera based on phylogenetic and morphological data. A brief discussion on the morphology and affinities of Heteranthera s.l. is given, along with the designation of lectotypes for the two new transfers.
Teucrium teresianum sp. nov. (Lamiaceae) from southern Spain
Authors: Blanca Gabriel , Cueto Miguel , Fuentes Julián
Published: October 2016

Teucrium teresianum, from southern Spain, is here newly described, illustrated, and compared with the most closely related species of the genus. The species is characterized by leaves that are 3(−4)‐whorled, oblong to oblong‐spathulate, and narrowly and progressively cuneate, and a calyx that is tubular‐campanulate, not flattened in the proximal part and with mucronate lobes, and creamy corolla.
On Early Thimbles: A Seventh‐Century‐AD Example from Punta Secca, Sicily, in Context
Authors: Wilson R.J.A.
Published: October 2016

A copper‐alloy thimble was found in 2010 at Punta Secca, Sicily, in a sealed context datable by coins to the first quarter of the seventh century AD. It has generally been thought that thimbles did not reach the Mediterranean area until the ninth century AD, but at least nine metal examples are in fact attested at various places from contexts datable between the late sixth century and the early ninth. It is suggested that the increasing use of silk in clothing in the Byzantine Empire during the seventh century, probably accompanied by the use for the first time of steel needles which made the use of a finger protector imperative, explains the apparent introduction of thimbles at this time. No securely dated metal thimbles are known from sites of Roman date, except for one at Ephesus of c.AD 100. It is very tentatively suggested that this last example might represent an import from China, where thimbles (and steel needles) are attested from at least the third century BC onwards.
An ECG Index of P‐Wave Force Predicts the Recurrence of Atrial Fibrillation after Pulmonary Vein Isolation
Authors: KANZAKI YASUNORI , INDEN YASUYA , ANDO MONAMI , KAMIKUBO YOSUKE , ITO TADAHIRO , MIZUTANI YOSHIAKI , KATO HIROYUKI , FUJII AYA , YANAGISAWA SATOSHI , HIRAI MAKOTO , MUROHARA TOYOAKI
Published: October 2016

Background

Although several prognostic factors of atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) have been investigated, the accurate prediction of AF recurrence remains difficult. We propose an electrocardiogram (ECG) index, the P‐wave force (PWF), which is the product of the amplitude of the negative terminal phase of the P wave in the V1 electrode and the filtered P‐wave duration, obtained by a signal‐averaged P‐wave analysis. This study was conducted to evaluate the impact of the PWF on the recurrence of AF after PVI.

Methods

We retrospectively evaluated 79 paroxysmal AF patients (64 ± 9 years, 56 males) who underwent PVI by cryoballoon ablation. Standard 12‐lead ECG and a P‐wave signal‐averaged electrocardiogram (SAECG) were recorded the day before and 1 month after the PVI procedure.

Results

During the mean follow‐up of 10.2 months, AF recurred in 11 (14%) patients. The PWF 1 month after ablation was significantly higher in the recurrence group compared to that in the nonrecurrence group (8.8 ± 3.1 mVms vs 6.5 ± 2.9 mVms, P = 0.017). The patients with a PWF value ≥9.3 mVms had a significantly greater risk of recurrence after the ablation compared to the patients with a PWF value <9.3 mVms (log‐rank test, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Higher PWF after cryoballoon ablation was associated with poor prognosis during follow‐up. The PWF may be a useful and noninvasive marker to predict the recurrence of AF.
Impact of Anatomically Guided Ganglionated Plexus Ablation on Electrical Firing from Isolated Pulmonary Veins
Authors: JIANG RU‐HONG , HU GEN‐SHENG , LIU QIANG , SHENG XIA , SUN YA‐XUN , YU LU , ZHANG PEI , ZHANG ZU‐WEN , CHEN SHI‐QUAN , YE YANG , ZHU JUN , FU GUO‐SHENG , JIANG CHEN‐YANG
Published: October 2016

Background

The mechanisms underlying atrial fibrillation (AF) initiation and pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) effectiveness remain unclear. Ganglionated plexus (GPs) have been implicated in AF initiation and maintenance. In this study, we evaluated the impact of GP ablation in patients with pulmonary vein (PV) firing after PVI.

Methods

Patients with drug‐refractory paroxysmal AF undergoing radiofrequency catheter ablation therapy with PVI were screened. Among 840 cases over a 3.75‐year period, 12 cases were identified with persistent PV firing (left = 4 and right = 8) after PVI was achieved and left atrial sinus rhythm restored. Adjacent GP ablation was performed anatomically and followed if necessary by additional PV ablation.

Results

In eight patients, PV firing was terminated during GP ablation outside of the circumferential ablation line. In one patient, additional PV ablation resulted in cessation of PV firing and in the remaining three patients, firing could not be terminated by GP ablation or additional PVI.

Conclusion

GP ablation outside of wide antral circumferential line frequently results in the cessation of rapid firing from electrically isolated PVs. These observations suggest that interactions between left atrium and PV beyond electrical conduction warrant consideration in AF mechanisms.
EUROPEANIZATION AND DE‐EUROPEANIZATION IN UK EMPLOYMENT POLICY: CHANGING GOVERNMENTS AND SHIFTING AGENDAS
Authors: COPELAND PAUL
Published: October 2016

This article analyses the UK's engagement with, and the subsequent impact of, the European Employment Strategy (EES). In doing so, it provides an example of the process of Europeanization under the Open Method of Coordination (OMC) in a Eurosceptic centralized polity. Under New Labour (1997–2010) the UK actively engaged to upload its preferences to the European political arena. At the national level, the UK experienced a process of Europeanization that was most evident in the cognitive and procedural dimensions. By contrast, during the coalition government the UK strategically withdrew from the EU governance process and reversed the procedural and cognitive shifts that had occurred under its predecessor. During the coalition government the UK therefore experienced a process of de‐Europeanization. The findings of the article highlight the limitations of OMC‐inspired Europeanization in a setting such as the UK.
Future‐Bias: A (Qualified) Defense
Authors: Dorsey Dale
Published: October 2016

The preferences of ordinary folks typically display a future‐bias. For instance, we care more about pains and pleasures in our future than pains and pleasures in our past. Indeed, this future‐bias is so pervasive, many have taken it for granted that the preferences of rational agents will, or at least can, display this future‐bias to some degree or other. However, the rationality of future‐biased preferences has recently come in for critique. However, in this article, I offer a defense of future‐biased preferences against three recent attempts – offered by David Brink, Preston Greene and Meghan Sullivan, and Tom Dougherty – to show such preferences irrational.
Cytological observation of anther structure and genetic investigation of a new type of cytoplasmic male sterile 0A193‐CMS in Brassica rapa L.
Authors: Huang Qianxin , Xin Xiaoyang , Guo Yuan , Hu Shengwu
Published: October 2016

Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS), a maternally transmitted failure in pollen formation, is an effective pollination control system in hybrid rapeseed (Brassica napus) breeding. However, CMS is not widely used in the related oilseed species Brassica rapa. In the past years, several male sterile plants have been isolated from the B. rapa landrace ‘0A193’, collected in Shaanxi, China, in 2011. It is noteworthy that the fertility expression of 0A193‐CMS was affected by temperature. In contrast to pol CMS, fertility tests with 18 B. rapa and 9 B. napus accessions suggest that a different system of maintaining and restoring is responsible for the observed phenotype. Further on, genetic investigation evidenced that fertility of 0A193‐CMS is controlled by both cytoplasmic and one pair of nuclear recessive genes. Interestingly, plants of the 0A193‐CMS type possess a highly specific fragment of the mitochondrial gene orf222, a crucial regulator of male sterility in nap CMS. Our study broadens the CMS resources in B. rapa and provides a highly applicable alternative to pol CMS and ogu CMS for hybrid breeding production.
The efficacy of valganciclovir for prevention of infections with cytomegalovirus and Epstein‐Barr virus after kidney transplant in children
Authors: Cameron Bernadette M. , Kennedy Sean E. , Rawlinson William D. , Mackie Fiona E.
Published: October 2016

This study evaluated the efficacy of prophylactic ValGCV in preventing CMV and EBV infections in a single‐center pediatric kidney transplant population (2008‐2014). Therapy duration was determined according to donor/recipient serostatus. EBV monitoring was performed using monthly plasma PCR for 18 months post‐transplant and for CMV, monthly for 6 months after prophylaxis cessation. Data were collected on 35 children, median age 10.6 years. There were 15 (42.9%) and 11 (31.4%) recipients seronegative for CMV or EBV, respectively, who received a kidney from a seropositive donor. Prophylaxis was ceased by 6 months in 24 (69%), between seven and 13 months in 10 (29%) children. Fourteen (40%) and eight (23%) children experienced CMV and EBV DNAemia, respectively. Ten of the 14 (71%) episodes of CMV DNAemia occurred in the first 6 months following cessation of prophylaxis. Shorter prophylaxis was associated with increased CMV DNAemia (P = 0.044). There was an inverse correlation between adjusted ValGCV dose and EBV incidence/timing. Neutropenia was more common if ValGCV dosage was ≥10% of the dose predicted (by BSA and creatinine clearance). ValGCV prevents CMV and may modify EBV infection risk. Frequent dosing adjustment for BSA and creatinine clearance is required to optimize safety and efficacy.
Feminist Approaches to Cognitive Disability
Authors: Carlson Licia
Published: October 2016

This essay explores various philosophical approaches to cognitive disability within feminist philosophy. In doing so, it addresses three broad questions: What positive contributions can feminist philosophy make to the philosophy of cognitive disability? How have feminist philosophers critiqued the presence and absence of cognitive disability in philosophy? And what challenges does cognitive disability pose to feminist philosophy itself? The essay begins with definitions and models of disability and then turns to feminist work on cognitive disability in moral and political philosophy, bioethics, and epistemology. It concludes with some methodological considerations.
Social movements
Authors: Kolers Avery
Published: October 2016

Social movements are ubiquitous in political life. But what are they? What makes someone a member of a social movement, or some action an instance of movement activity? Are social movements compatible with democracy? Are they required for it? And how should individuals respond to movement calls to action? Philosophers have had much to say on issues impinging on social movements but much less to say on social movements as such. The current article provides a philosophical overview of social movements. To do so it canvasses contemporary work on the nature of shared agency and collective action, social epistemology, democratic theory, and the theory of individual responsibility for structural injustice. The article finds that contemporary analytic philosophy has considerable work to do if it is to account for the nature, epistemology, ethics, and politics of social movements. There may be more things in the streets than are dreamt of in our philosophy.
Automated Co‐Registration of Satellite Images through Luminance Transformation
Authors: Gerçek Deniz , Çeşmeci Davut , Kemal Güllü M. , Ertürk Alp , Ertürk Sarp
Published: October 2016

This paper presents an extensive evaluation of a novel intensity‐based image co‐registration method called luminance transformed differences (LTD) which is compared with current alternatives. The proposed method suggests the use of the luminance transform operation (LTO) to reduce luminance differences between images that may well affect image registration accuracy. Registration is implemented in a block‐based fashion in order to achieve a non‐rigid transformation at a sub‐pixel accuracy level. Sample images from different sensors, exhibiting various geometric distortions, are registered to test the various intensity‐based image registration alternatives. LTD is found to outperform other methods; its high accuracy can be achieved even using small searching blocks which substantially reduce the computational cost.
Assessing the Merits of Decentralization: A Framework for Identifying the Causal Mechanisms Influencing Policy Outcomes
Authors: Adams Brian E.
Published: October 2016

Decentralization is a structural change designed to influence policy outcomes by changing the policy‐making process. Critical to assessing the merits of decentralization is an articulation of the causal mechanisms through which it alters the motivations and behavior of officials which, in turn, influence policy decisions. This article offers a new theoretical framework that explicates these causal mechanisms. It yields two sets of hypotheses. The first posits causal relationships between decentralization and the mix of resources and constraints that a government faces when addressing a policy problem. The second set of hypotheses explores how these resources and constraints influences decisions makers’ preferences, incentives, and capacity. This framework captures the potential ways through which decentralization could alter policy outcomes, pointing to a new research agenda that will allow scholars to empirically sort through the mixed and inconclusive findings on decentralization's impact.

Related Articles

Debrah,Emmanuel.2016. “.”Politics & Policy44():135–164.http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/polp.12146/abstract

Meza,Oliver.2015. “.”Politics & Policy43():723–753.http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/polp.12131/abstract

Waheduzzaman,Wahed, andSharifAs‐Saber.2015. “.”Politics & Policy43():474–501.http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/polp.12121/abstract

Related Media

Decentralization and Development: Making Local Governance Deliver.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v = P0NsYY2nK_A&index = 9&list = PLWa1aGn9LnaIpr767I7rHC1evmsnC6tw7

Federalism and Decentralization MOOC, Leiden University.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v = cWrSladgwxs

World Bank's Decentralization page.http://www1.worldbank.org/publicsector/decentralization/what.htm
Norms, Corruption, and Voting for Berlusconi
Authors: McNally Darragh
Published: October 2016

Why do people vote for corrupt politicians? Taking Silvio Berlusconi as an example of a politician who continually succeeded in attaining public office despite corruption accusations, corruption charges, and corruption convictions, I explore several hypotheses to understand voter support for Berlusconi. I show that social norms that justify corruption in one's peer group extend to voting and increase the likelihood of supporting Berlusconi at all points on the ideological spectrum. This work builds on previous work in psychology and sociology and brings into question assumptions that voters fail to sanction corrupt politicians because of a lack of information. By focusing on individual‐level political behavior, this article shows that increased information on corruption by the media and others may not have the intended effect: perceiving corruption as common may increase tolerance for corruption, rather than encouraging voters to punish corruption.

Related Articles

Pasquino, Gianfranco. 2014. “.” Politics & Policy 42 (): 548‐566. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/polp.12079/abstract

Lagunes, Paul F. 2012. “.” Politics & Policy 40 (): 802‐826. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2012.00384.x/abstract

Caillier, James. 2010. “.” Politics & Policy 38 (): 1015‐1035. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2010.00267.x/abstract

Related Media

The Quality of Government Institute. http://www.qog.pol.gu.se/

The Comparative Study of Electoral Systems. http://www.cses.org/

Talk by Jeremy Weinstein on a project examining political accountability around corruption and performance in Uganda. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6w3_w360rw
Biology of Southern rice black‐streaked dwarf virus: a novel fijivirus emerging in East Asia
Authors: Lv M.‐F. , Xie L. , Wang H.‐F. , Wang H.‐D. , Chen J.‐P. , Zhang H.‐M.
Published: October 2016

Southern rice black‐streaked dwarf virus (SRBSDV) was first reported in southern China in 2001 and causes a striking disease on rice and maize that leads to serious yield losses in several East Asian countries, such as China, Vietnam and Japan. A large research effort has been directed to understanding the virus and controlling the disease. Its geographic distribution, disease cycle via its insect vector, genome organization, relationship with host plants, and epidemiology are summarized in this review and the important role played by the vector, the white‐backed planthopper (Sogatella furcifera), is emphasized. Countermeasures to control the disease that have been developed and applied include molecular detection for precise forecasting, chemical, physical, and ecological pest management. There is widespread insecticide resistance in the vector population but it is hoped that current efforts to develop rice cultivars resistant to the virus will eventually provide effective and cost‐effective control.
Zinc hyperaccumulation substitutes for defense failures beyond salicylate and jasmonate signaling pathways of Alternaria brassicicola attack in Noccaea caerulescens
Authors: Gallego Berta , Martos Soledad , Cabot Catalina , Barceló Juan , Poschenrieder Charlotte
Published: October 2016

The hypothesis of metal defense as a substitute for a defective biotic stress signaling system in metal hyperaccumulators was tested using the pathosystem Alternaria brassicicola–Noccaea caerulescens under low (2 µM), medium (12 µM) and high (102 µM) Zn supply. Regardless the Zn supply, N. caerulescens responded to fungal attack with the activation of both HMA4 coding for a Zn transporter, and biotic stress signaling pathways. Salicylate, jasmonate, abscisic acid and indoleacetic acid concentrations, as well as biotic stress marker genes (PDF1.2, CHIB, LOX2, PR1 and BGL2) were activated 24 h upon inoculation. Based on the activation of defense genes 24 h after the inoculation an incompatible fungal–plant interaction could be predicted. Nonetheless, in the longer term (7 days) no effective protection against A. brassicicola was achieved in plants exposed to low and medium Zn supply. After 1 week the biotic stress markers were even further increased in these plants, and this compatible interaction was apparently not caused by a failure in the signaling of the fungal attack, but due to the lack of specificity in the type of the activated defense mechanisms. Only plants receiving high Zn exhibited an incompatible fungal interaction. High Zn accumulation in these plants, possibly in cooperation with high glucosinolate concentrations, substituted for the ineffective defense system and the interaction turned into incompatible. In a threshold‐type response, these joint effects efficiently hampered fungal spread and, consequently decreased the biotic stress signaling.
Don't Tread on Me: Constraint‐Challenging Presidents and Strategic Conflict Avoidance
Authors: Keller Jonathan W. , Foster Dennis M.
Published: October 2016

Recent research demonstrates that U.S. presidents’ psychological predispositions influence the frequency with which they choose diversionary foreign policy strategies. The purpose of this article is to extend the expectations of this “first‐image” theory of diversion to the strategic behavior of potential diversionary targets. We posit that U.S. presidents whose spontaneous public rhetoric indicates a willingness to challenge pacifying constraints should be viewed by potential enemies as more likely to engage in diversionary conflict. Building upon the “strategic conflict avoidance” perspective, we expect that when such presidents encounter diversionary incentives, other states will increase cooperation toward and avoid initiation of military disputes against the United States. Time‐series analyses of behavior toward the United States for the period 1953–2000 largely bear out this expectation, as interstate rivals increase cooperation toward, and all states decrease militarized incident initiation against, the United States when economic misery is high and presidents whose rhetoric has revealed a proclivity for challenging constraints are in office.