bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adaptation through bricolage: Indigenous responses to long‐term social‐ecological change in the Saskatchewan River Delta, Canada
Authors: Abu Razak , Reed Maureen G.
Published: May 2018

Social and ecological change in Canada's north challenges Indigenous communities to develop responses that secure the continuation of their livelihoods. Although there is significant evidence that effective response and adaptation opportunities exist in Indigenous communities, understanding of how such locally developed adaptations are constructed remains limited. This paper develops and applies the concept of bricolage to demonstrate how Indigenous societies build their adaptive capacity to address long‐term social‐ecological change. Our concept bridges institutional and productive forms of bricolage to explain how individuals and households make conscious decisions and adjustments to retain their livelihoods. The results of long‐term engagement with residents of Cumberland House, Saskatchewan through field observations, oral histories, and semi‐structured interviews demonstrate that Indigenous peoples improvise, hybridize, contest, and negotiate existing practices to create different kinds of adaptive arrangements. We find, further, that whereas certain livelihood practices have changed, cultural norms such as respect and reciprocity have remained. Our findings strengthen the argument that Indigenous peoples are well‐positioned to take direct roles in adaptation; hence, decision makers should consider them equal partners in adaptation decisions and learn from locally developed responses to focus adaptation planning on the relevant needs of Indigenous communities.
Sex‐specific associations of insulin‐like peptides in cord blood with size at birth
Authors: van Poppel Mireille NM. , Eder Martina , Lang Uwe , Desoye Gernot
Published: May 2018

Objective

Insulin‐like peptides (insulin, IGF‐1, IGF‐2) are essential regulators of foetal growth. We assessed the role of these peptides for birth size in a sex‐specific manner.

Design

Cross‐sectional cohort analysis.

Patients and Measurements

In 369 neonates, cord blood insulin, C‐peptide, IGF‐1 and IGF‐2 levels were measured. Outcomes were placenta weight, birthweight, length and ponderal index. In linear regression models, the association of insulin‐like peptides with growth outcomes was assessed, adjusted for gestational age and delivery mode. Interaction between insulin‐like peptides and neonatal sex was assessed.

Results

No sex differences in levels of insulin‐like peptides were observed. Significant interactions were found of sex with IGF‐1 for birthweight, and of sex with C‐peptide for all outcomes, except ponderal index. The association of IGF‐1 (ng/mL) with birthweight was stronger and only significant in males (beta coefficient 3.30 g; 95%CI 1.98‐4.63 in males and 1.45 g; −0.09‐2.99 in females). Associations of C‐peptide (ng/mL) with growth outcomes were stronger and only significant in females (placenta weight females: 181.3 g; 109.3‐253.3; P < .001, males: 29.8 g; −51.5‐111.1; P = .47, birthweight females: 598.5 g; 358.3‐838.7: P < .001, males: 113.7 g; −154.0‐381.4; P = .40). Associations of IGF2 with birthweight were similar in males and females. No associations were found with ponderal index.

Conclusions

C‐peptide and IGF‐1 in cord blood associate with birthweight, length and placenta weight in a sex‐specific manner, with stronger associations of C‐peptide levels with placenta weight, birthweight and length in females and stronger associations of IGF‐1 levels with birthweight in males.
Clinical translation of recommendations from randomized trials for management of herpes simplex virus keratitis
Authors: Cabrera‐Aguas Maria , Robaei Dana , McCluskey Peter , Watson Stephanie
Published: May 2018

Importance

To standardize initial anti‐viral therapy for herpes simplex keratitis (HSK).

Background

To determine prescribing trends for the management of HSK and compare the trends to available clinical trial evidence.

Design

Retrospective review of patients at the Sydney Eye Hospital, Australia.

Participants

Three hundred and one eyes of 296 patients prescribed anti‐virals for HSK aged 18 years and above, from 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2013.

Methods

Patients were identified from viral swab results, pharmacy records and International Classification of Diseases 10 (ICD‐10) coding data.

Main Outcome Measure

Initial anti‐viral therapy.

Results

Anti‐viral therapy was given for therapeutic and prophylactic indications at presentation in 256 (85%) and 45 (15%) eyes, respectively. Overall, anti‐virals prescribed included valaciclovir 500–1000 mg 1–3 times daily, aciclovir 200–400 mg 1–5 times daily, topical aciclovir 2–5 times daily and topical trifluorothymidine two hourly or as needed daily or combined oral and topical anti‐virals. Indication and dose of prescribed anti‐virals aligned with clinical evidence in 125 of 141 eyes (89%) with epithelial HSK, 2 of 22 eyes (9%) with stromal without ulceration HSK, 6 of 18 (28%) eyes with endothelial HSK and 31 of 45 (69%) eyes with HSK prophylaxis. Overall, 164 eyes (54%) received ‘evidence‐based’ anti‐viral therapy.

Conclusions and Relevance

Prescribing patterns for anti‐viral therapy to treat and prevent recurrence of HSK were diverse. Local guidelines are needed to standardize the indications and dose of initial anti‐viral therapy for HSK. Implementation of these guidelines will likely improve patient care and rationalize the use of health resources.
FitConnect: Connecting Noisy 2D Samples by Fitted Neighbourhoods
Authors: Ohrhallinger S. , Wimmer M.
Published: May 2018

We propose a parameter‐free method to recover manifold connectivity in unstructured 2D point clouds with high noise in terms of the local feature size. This enables us to capture the features which emerge out of the noise. To achieve this, we extend the reconstruction algorithm HNN‐Crust, which connects samples to two (noise‐free) neighbours and has been proven to output a manifold for a relaxed sampling condition. Applying this condition to noisy samples by projecting their k‐nearest neighbourhoods onto local circular fits leads to multiple candidate neighbour pairs and thus makes connecting them consistently an NP‐hard problem. To solve this efficiently, we design an algorithm that searches that solution space iteratively on different scales of k. It achieves linear time complexity in terms of point count plus quadratic time in the size of noise clusters. Our algorithm FitConnect extends HNN‐Crust seamlessly to connect both samples with and without noise, performs as local as the recovered features and can output multiple open or closed piecewise curves. Incidentally, our method simplifies the output geometry by eliminating all but a representative point from noisy clusters. Since local neighbourhood fits overlap consistently, the resulting connectivity represents an ordering of the samples along a manifold. This permits us to simply blend the local fits for denoising with the locally estimated noise extent. Aside from applications like reconstructing silhouettes of noisy sensed data, this lays important groundwork to improve surface reconstruction in 3D. Our open‐source algorithm is available online.
Where Inequality Takes Place: A Programmatic Argument for Urban Sociology
Authors: Benediktsson Mike Owen
Published: May 2018

Spatial inequality is an increasingly vital concept in urban sociology, capturing the inequitable allocation of resources across space. But it omits an important and often overlooked form of inequality that takes place at a more immediate and direct level, inhering not in the relationship between spaces, but within the fabric of place itself. This paper argues for “emplaced inequalities”—power imbalances that are manifest in the material, symbolic, and institutional frameworks that guide behavior in a specific urban setting. Drawing on a diverse body of research, I suggest an analytical vocabulary useful in describing and explaining emplaced inequality. At the center of this argument is the concept of the program—a pattern of social action that is endorsed or constrained by the social architecture of place. I then apply this vocabulary to an empirical case drawn from research on downwardly mobile suburbs in the New York Metropolitan Area.
Extemporaneous formulations in Germany – relevance for everyday clinical practice
Authors: Staubach Petra , Salzmann Stefan , Peveling‐Oberhag Adriane , Weyer Veronika , Zimmer Sebastian , Gradl Gabriele , Lang Berenice M.
Published: May 2018

Background

Extemporaneous formulations broaden the spectrum of therapeutic options for topical treatment in particular and thus improve patient care. The latest amendment to the Regulation on the Operation of Pharmacies issued in 2012 brought about changes in prescribing and manufacturing practices. The aim of the present study was to assess the relevance of extemporaneous formulations in everyday clinical practice.

Methods

We used data from the German Institute for Drug Use Evaluation (DAPI) to analyze the prescribing practice for compounded preparations in Germany between the fourth quarter of 2011 and the third quarter of 2014. In doing so, we determined the total cost associated with extemporaneous formulations covered by statutory health insurance funds in the outpatient setting.

Results

Approximately three out of ten prescriptions (30.54 %) by German dermatologists during the observation period were extemporaneous formulations. While dermatologists make up only 2.7 % of physicians working in the statutory health care system in Germany, they prescribe more than half of all compounded preparations (53.6 %). Each dermatologist prescribed an average of 270.4 formulations per quarter; that number was 13.5 (1.3 %) for all other medical specialties. On average, 1,983,687 extemporaneous formulations overall (1.3 % of all prescriptions) were prescribed per quarter, corresponding to a total cost of € 40,944,982 (0.55 %).

Conclusions

Apart from finished medicinal products, extemporaneous formulations play a key role in outpatient care. Based on the principles of evidence‐based and patient‐oriented medicine, the quality of compounded preparations and the prescribing practice of physicians (standardized vs. individual formulations) should be further investigated to optimize the quality of these preparations.
Dermatologische Rezepturen in Deutschland – Relevanz für die Versorgung
Authors: Staubach Petra , Salzmann Stefan , Peveling‐Oberhag Adriane , Weyer Veronika , Zimmer Sebastian , Gradl Gabriele , Lang Berenice M.
Published: May 2018

Hintergrund

Rezepturen sind Verordnungsoptionen, die die Patientenversorgung besonders in der topischen Therapie sinnvoll ergänzen und damit optimieren. Bedingt durch die letzte Apothekenbetriebsordnung (2012) ergaben sich Änderungen in der Verschreibungs‐ sowie Herstellungspraxis. Zielsetzung dieser Untersuchung ist es, die Relevanz von Rezepturen im aktuellen klinischen Alltag in Deutschland zu ermitteln.

Methodik

Im Untersuchungszeitraum 4. Quartal 2011 bis 3. Quartal 2014 wurden mit Daten des Deutschen Arzneiprüfungsinstitutes e. V. (DAPI) die Verordnungsgewohnheiten für Rezepturen in Deutschland untersucht. Dabei wurden Abgaben ermittelt, die zu Lasten der gesetzlichen Krankenversicherungen im ambulanten Sektor rezeptiert wurden.

Ergebnisse

Etwa drei von zehn Verordnungen (30,54 %) durch Dermatologen in Deutschland waren im Untersuchungszeitraum Rezepturen. Dermatologen stellen im deutschen kassenärztlichen Versorgungssystem 2,7 % aller Ärzte und rezeptieren mehr als die Hälfte (53,6 %) aller Rezepturen. Pro Quartal und Arzt wurden im Fachbereich Dermatologie durchschnittlich 270,4 Rezepturen verordnet, in allen anderen Arztgruppen durchschnittlich 13,5 (1,3 %). Während des Untersuchungszeitraums wurden pro Quartal im Mittel 1 983 687 Rezepturen (1,3 %) im Wert von 40 944 982 € (0,55 %) verordnet.

Schlussfolgerungen

Rezepturen spielen in der Praxis neben Fertigarzneimitteln eine bedeutende Rolle. Im Sinne der evidenzbasierten und patientenindividuellen Medizin sollten die Rezepturqualität und das Verschreibungsverhalten der Ärzte (Magistral‐ und Individualrezepturen) näher ermittelt werden, um die Qualität der Rezepturen zukünftig zu optimieren.
Psychoonkologische Versorgung von Melanompatienten in zertifizierten Hautkrebszentren
Authors: Meiss Frank , Loquai Carmen , Weis Joachim , Giesler Jürgen M. , Reuter Katrin , Nashan Dorothée
Published: May 2018

Hintergrund

Die Einrichtung und Zertifizierung von Hautkrebszentren (HKZ) entsprechend den Vorgaben der Deutschen Krebsgesellschaft stellt einen wesentlichen Beitrag zur qualitätsgesicherten Behandlung von Hautkrebserkrankungen dar. Die Bereitstellung eines qualifizierten psychoonkologischen Betreuungsangebotes ist durch die Zertifizierungskriterien vorgegeben. Es war davon auszugehen, dass die standortspezifische Umsetzung des psychoonkologischen Betreuungsangebotes mit unterschiedlichen Modellen verwirklicht wurde.

Methodik

Im Jahr 2014 wurden in einer Querschnittserhebung alle zu diesem Zeitpunkt zertifizierten HKZ (n = 43) schriftlich zu Merkmalen der Struktur‐ und Prozessqualität der psychoonkologischen Versorgung befragt.

Ergebnisse

81,4 % der HKZ (n = 35) haben an der Befragung teilgenommen. 37 % der HKZ organisieren die psychoonkologische Versorgung durch direkt am Zentrum angestellte psychoonkologische Fachkräfte. Nahezu alle Standorte halten Informationen/Beratung, Krisenintervention, Einzelgespräche und Sterbebegleitung als Unterstützungsangebote vor. In HKZ werden zur Ermittlung des psychoonkologischen Betreuungsbedarfs standardisierte Screeninginstrumente eingesetzt. Der Schwerpunkt der psychoonkologischen Versorgung liegt bei 83 % der Standorte im stationären Bereich. Der Anteil psychoonkologisch betreuter Melanompatienten betrug im Mittel 25,2 %. 97 % der HKZ gaben an, dass die Zertifizierungsvorgaben die psychoonkologische Versorgung verbessert hat. 71 % der HKZ waren mit der Umsetzung der Anforderungen zufrieden.

Schlussfolgerungen

Im Zuge der Zertifizierung von HKZ sind personelle, strukturelle und inhaltliche Voraussetzungen für eine psychoonkologische Versorgung von Hautkrebspatienten geschaffen worden. Eine mehrheitlich positive Beurteilung des erreichten Standes konnte ermittelt werden.
Chronische Urtikaria – Was bringt die neue Leitlinie?
Authors: Maurer Marcus , Zuberbier Torsten , Siebenhaar Frank , Krause Karoline
Published: May 2018

Patienten mit chronischer Urtikaria sind durch ihre Erkrankung erheblich beeinträchtigt und bedürfen einer wirksamen Therapie. Dies wird durch ein gründliches diagnostisches Vorgehen vorbereitet und erfolgt nach und unter der Bestimmung der Krankheitsaktivität, ‐last und ‐kontrolle mit etablierten Instrumenten. Die Therapie wird im Verlauf den Bedürfnissen des Patienten und dem Ansprechen angepasst – so viel wie nötig, so wenig wie möglich – in dieser Reihenfolge. Bei erreichter Therapiekontrolle empfehlen sich Auslassversuche, um eine Spontanremission zu erkennen. Eine chronische Urtikaria sollte so lange behandelt werden bis Spontanremission auftritt.
Neurobehavioral evaluation of neonates with congenital heart disease: a cohort study
Authors: Hogan Whitnee J , Winter Sarah , Pinto Nelangi M , Weng Cindy , Sheng Xiaoming , Conradt Elisabeth , Wood Janine , Puchalski Michael D , Tani Lloyd Y , Miller Thomas A
Published: May 2018

Aim

To describe neurobehavioral patterns in neonates with congenital heart disease (CHD).

Method

A cohort study describing neurobehavioral performance of neonates with CHD requiring cardiac surgery. The neonates were evaluated preoperatively and postoperatively with the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Network Neurobehavioral Scale (NNNS) and scores were compared with published normative values. Clinical factors were obtained by chart review to assess their association with behavior. The CHD NNNS score pattern was compared with previously reported profiles in other high‐risk populations.

Results

NNNS evaluations were completed on 67 neonates with CHD, resulting in 97 evaluations (50 preoperative, 47 postoperative). Compared with normative values, the cohort with CHD demonstrated decreased attention, regulation, asymmetry, stress, arousal, and excitability, along with increased non‐optimal reflexes, lethargy, and need for handling (p<0.05 for all). Additional clinical factors had a minimal effect on the neurobehavioral pattern. Compared with previously published patterns in high‐risk neonates without CHD, the cohort with CHD demonstrated a unique pattern of behavior.

Interpretation

Neonates with CHD demonstrate different neurobehavioral performance compared with typically developing neonates born at term as well as other high‐risk neonates. Our experience suggests there is a unique neonatal neurobehavioral pattern in the hospitalized population with CHD. Targeted neonatal neurobehavioral evaluations may be useful in developing specific therapies to improve neurodevelopmental outcomes in neonates with CHD.

What this paper adds

Neonates with congenital heart disease demonstrate different neurobehavioral performance than typically developing neonates.

Evaluation of neonatal neurobehavioral performance provides an opportunity to identify neurodevelopmental variability early.

Identification of neurobehavioral performance variability allows targeted interactions and therapy.
A new therapeutic approach for type 1 diabetes: Rationale for GNbAC1, an anti‐HERV‐W‐Env monoclonal antibody
Authors: Curtin Francois , Bernard Corinne , Levet Sandrine , Perron Hervé , Porchet Hervé , Médina Julie , Malpass Sam , Lloyd David , Simpson Richard ,   on behalf of the RAINBOW‐T1D investigators
Published: May 2018

We describe a newly identified therapeutic target for type 1 diabetes (T1D): an envelope protein of endogenous retroviral origin, human endogenous retrovirus W envelope (HERV‐W‐Env). HERV‐W‐Env was found to be detected in the blood of ~60% of patients with T1D and is expressed in acinar pancreatic cells of 75% of patients with T1D at post mortem examination. Preclinical experiments showed that this protein displays direct cytotoxicity on human β‐islet cells. In vivo HERV‐W‐Env impairs the insulin and glucose metabolism in transgenic mice expressing HERV‐W‐Env. GNbAC1, an IgG4 monoclonal antibody, has been developed to specifically target HERV‐W‐Env and to neutralize the effect of HERV‐W‐Env in vitro and in vivo. GNbAC1 is currently in clinical development for multiple sclerosis and > 300 subjects have been administered with GNbAC1 so far. GNbAC1 is now being tested in T1D in the RAINBOW‐T1D study, which is a randomized placebo‐controlled study with the objective of showing the safety and pharmacodynamic response of GNbAC1 in patients who have had T1D with a maximum of 4 years' duration. GNbAC1 is being tested vs placebo at the dose of 6 mg/kg in 60 patients during six repeated administrations for 6 months; a 6‐month open‐label extension will follow. The primary endpoint is to assess safety, and secondary endpoints are the pharmacodynamic responses to GNbAC1. GNbAC1 targeting HERV‐W‐Env is currently in clinical development in T1D, with the first safety and pharmacodynamic study. If the study results are positive, this may open the door to the development of an innovative non‐immunomodulatory disease‐modifying treatment for T1D.
Exposure‐response analysis for evaluation of semaglutide dose levels in type 2 diabetes
Authors: Petri Kristin C. C. , Ingwersen Steen H. , Flint Anne , Zacho Jeppe , Overgaard Rune V.
Published: May 2018

Aims

To evaluate dose levels for semaglutide, a glucagon‐like peptide‐1 analogue approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, by examining the effects of demographic factors on efficacy and safety in an exposure‐response analysis.

Methods

We analysed data from 1552 adults from four randomized phase III trials of 30 to 56 weeks' duration, investigating once‐weekly semaglutide doses 0.5 and 1.0 mg. Exposure‐response relationships were investigated using graphical and model‐based techniques to assess the two dose levels and subgroups with the highest and lowest exposure and response.

Results

The population had the following demographic characteristics: baseline mean age between 53.2 and 58.4 years, glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) between 64 and 67 mmol/mol (8.0% and 8.3%), body weight between 71.3 and 96.2 kg, and diabetes duration between 4.2 and 8.9 years. Exposure‐response analysis showed a clear HbA1c and weight reduction across exposures after 30 weeks, irrespective of baseline values. The exposure‐response for HbA1c was influenced by baseline HbA1c, and body weight exposure‐response was influenced by sex, with limited impact of other factors. Analyses for relevant subgroups of baseline body weight, baseline HbA1c and sex indicated clinically relevant additional benefits with regard to HbA1c and weight with 1.0 vs 0.5 mg semaglutide. The proportion of participants reporting gastrointestinal (GI) side effects increased with increasing exposure, but was counteracted by tolerance development.

Conclusions

The analysis showed that all subgroups obtained a clinically relevant benefit with semaglutide 0.5 mg and an additional benefit with semaglutide 1.0 mg. The increase in GI side effects with higher exposure was mitigated by gradually increasing the dose.
Hypothalamic arcuate nucleus glucokinase regulates insulin secretion and glucose homeostasis
Authors: Ma Yue , Ratnasabapathy Risheka , Izzi‐Engbeaya Chioma , Nguyen‐Tu Marie‐Sophie , Richardson Errol , Hussain Sufyan , De Backer Ivan , Holton Christopher , Norton Mariana , Carrat Gaelle , Schwappach Blanche , Rutter Guy A. , Dhillo Waljit S. , Gardiner James
Published: May 2018

Aims

To investigate the role of arcuate glucokinase (GK) in the regulation of glucose homeostasis.

Materials and methods

A recombinant adeno‐associated virus expressing either GK or an antisense GK construct was used to alter GK activity specifically in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (arc). GK activity in this nucleus was also increased by stereotactic injection of the GK activator, compound A. The effect of altered arc GK activity on glucose homeostasis was subsequently investigated using glucose and insulin tolerance tests.

Results.

Increased GK activity specifically within the arc increased insulin secretion and improved glucose tolerance in rats during oral glucose tolerance tests. Decreased GK activity in this nucleus reduced insulin secretion and increased glucose levels during the same tests. Insulin sensitivity was not affected in either case. The effect of arc GK was maintained in a model of type 2 diabetes.

Conclusions

These results demonstrate a role for arc GK in systemic glucose homeostasis.
Left and right ventricular morphology and function in athletes with elevated pulmonary systolic arterial pressure
Authors: Mirea Oana , Corîci Oana M. , Istrătoaie Octavian , Donoiu Ionuț , Iancău Maria , Militaru Constantin
Published: May 2018

Objectives

The objective of the study was to evaluate the prevalence and potential impact of elevated pulmonary arterial systolic pressure (PASP) on left and right cardiac morphology and function in young elite athletes.

Methods

In total, 85 professional athletes (40 endurance, 20 strength, and 25 mixed training, mean age 17.8 ± 4.0) and 50 sedentary controls (mean age 18.6 ± 3.3) underwent transthoracic echocardiographic examination. Two‐dimensional measurements of the right (RV) and left ventricle (LV) were obtained. PASP was estimated from the peak tricuspid regurgitant velocity (TRV). Speckle tracking‐derived longitudinal LV and RV strain measurements (RV_LS) were calculated for function estimation.

Results

Maximum TRV (2.2 ± 0.3 vs 2.0 ± 0.2 m/s, P < .01) and PASP (26 ± 5 vs 22 ± 5 mm Hg, P < .01) were higher in athletes compared to controls. PAPS above 30 mm Hg (35 ± 3 mm Hg, range 31–40 mm Hg) was identified in 11 athletes (12.9%). Athletes with elevated PASP demonstrated higher LV mass (P < .01), LV stroke volume indexed (P < .01), larger RV‐end‐systolic area (ESAi), RV‐end‐diastolic area (EDAi), right atrium ES volume and ED volume, and decreased RV fractional area change (FAC) (P < .01) when compared to matched controls and higher RV‐EDAi (13.0 ± 1.6 vs 11.1 ± 1.5, P < .01), RV‐ESAi (8.2 ± 1.5 vs 6.1 ± 0.9, P < .01), and significantly reduced RV FAC (38.1 ± 5.8 vs 44.6 ± 2.5, P < .01) when compared to matched athletes. LV global longitudinal strain and RV_LS showed no differences between the groups.

Conclusions

Pulmonary arterial systolic pressure elevation in young athletes is associated with pronounced right ventricular enlargement, even when compared to matched athletes. Conventional and speckle tracking echocardiography showed preserved right ventricular function.
Right ventricular dyssynchrony and its improvements after pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Kanar Batur , Ozben Beste , Yıldırım Elif , Ozmen İpek , Aydin Rüya
Published: May 2018

Purpose

Whether pathologic alterations of right ventricle (RV) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affect intra‐ and interventricular dyssynchrony due to changes in mechanical activation of the septum and RV is unclear. The aim of this study was to determine mechanical activation and its changes after pulmonary rehabilitation program (PRP) with speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) in COPD patients.

Methods

After the exclusion of 15 patients due to poor echogenicity and 5 patients not tolerating PRP out of 69 consecutive COPD patients undergoing PRP, the remaining 49 patients and 41 healthy subjects were enrolled. The mechanical activations of both ventricles were evaluated at admission and after PRP with STE.

Results

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients had intra‐ and interventricular dyssynchrony compared to controls. The interventricular dyssynchrony assessed by time to peak longitudinal systolic strain (PLSS) difference between RV free wall and left ventricle (LV) lateral wall and intraventricular dyssynchrony assessed by RV peak systolic strain dyssynchrony (PSSD) index were improved after PRP. In all, 18 patients were hospitalized due to symptoms of right heart failure within 1 year. The time to PLSS difference between RV free wall and LV lateral wall and RV PSSD index were independent predictors of hospitalization. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis revealed that a time to PLSS difference between RV free wall and LV lateral wall >15 ms predicted hospitalization within 1 year with 77.8% sensitivity and 64.5% specificity.

Conclusions

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was associated with intra‐ and interventricular dyssynchrony. PRP had an important impact on the improvement of both intra‐, and interventricular dyssynchrony, which might be used in predicting hospitalization within 1 year.
DO BETTER INFORMED INVESTORS ALWAYS DO BETTER? A BUYBACK PUZZLE
Authors: Boyle Glenn , Ward Gerald
Published: May 2018

We explore the value of private investment information using data from a singular source: auctions of yearling racehorses. Horse breeders possess superior information about their own horses and have strong financial incentives to buy the best of these back at auction. However, those they repurchase subsequently perform significantly worse on average, earning 30% less at the racetrack than horses purchased by outsiders. Moreover, this underperformance is concentrated in male horses, despite these being purchased exclusively for racing purposes. These puzzling findings cannot be explained by differences in horse risk or breeder abilities, or by nonfinancial objectives, or by behavioral or selection biases. (JEL G02, G11, G14, L83, D44)
A Revised European Stability Mechanism to Realize Risk Sharing on Public Debts at Market Conditions and Realign Economic Cycles in the Euro Area
Authors: Minenna Marcello , Aversa Dario
Published: May 2018

In this paper we propose an ambitious reform of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) to remove two main distortions of the current Eurozone landscape: sovereign yield spreads and large discrepancies in terms of the economic performance. Unlike proposals originated in German or French–German environments which basically pursue risk segregation within peripheral countries, our proposal moves from the recognition that no economic and monetary union can function without sharing risks between the Member States. Hence the idea of turning the European Stability Mechanism into a supranational guarantor of the public debts of all Eurozone governments and reaching—at the end of the transition period—a unique Eurozone federal debt with a unique term structure of interest rates. In return for the savings on the interest expenditure that a similar reform would provide them, risky countries would be required to pay new cash contributions to the ESM capital in the form of marked‐to‐market insurance premiums. This makes the proposal consistent with market logic, matches Germany claims on preventing moral hazard conducts and makes overall more fair and financially sustainable the new ESM set‐up. In addition, the improved capital endowment would allow the Stability Mechanism to keep its moderate leverage unchanged while issuing new liabilities to support high multiplier investments aimed at relaunching peripheral economies and support the re‐alignment of the economic cycles of Eurozone members.
Plant response to feeding aphids promotes aphid dispersal
Authors: Coppola Mariangela , Manco Elena , Vitiello Alessia , Di Lelio Ilaria , Giorgini Massimo , Rao Rosa , Pennacchio Francesco , Digilio Maria Cristina
Published: May 2018

Plant responses against biotic stress agents are affected by a number of environmental conditions, including the presence of other pests and pathogens. Moreover, the impact of infestation on subsequent plant colonization by conspecifics can vary, reflecting the high diversity in the co‐evolutionary processes shaping host‐plant interactions. Here, we address this issue by studying how aphid–plant interplay can influence the subsequent colonization of zucchini plants (Cucurbita pepo L., Cucurbitaceae) by conspecific Aphis gossypii Glover (Hemiptera: Aphididae, Aphidini). Previous infestation does not impact development time, longevity, and fertility of aphids. However, a previous infestation affects the distribution of the newly produced nymphs on the plant – they actively disperse on the plant, rather than starting their feeding activity where they were originally deposited, as observed in controls. Interestingly, this altered dispersal behaviour is reproduced by saliva application, suggesting the occurrence of an elicitor triggering a plant response affecting the strategy of host‐plant colonization by A. gossypii. The hypothesis that salicylic acid (SA) induction can trigger the observed behavioural response in a secondary infestation, was confirmed by exposure to methyl salicylate, a volatile product of the SA pathway. This evidence was further corroborated by analysis of gene expression profiles. Aphid infestation showed a transcriptional up‐regulation of genes underlying the biosynthesis of SA and of genes modulating the SA‐mediated defence response. Collectively, the experimental data consistently indicate regulation of aphid behaviour, mediated by plant metabolic changes following aphid infestation.
Getting ready for battle: do cabbage seeds treated with jasmonic acid and chitosan affect chewing and sap‐feeding insects?
Authors: Haas Jucelaine , Lozano Everton Ricardi , Haida Kimiyo Shimomura , Mazaro Sérgio Miguel , de Souza Vismara Edgar , Poppy Guy M.
Published: May 2018

Induced defence allows plants to manage energy reserves more efficiently by synthesizing defence compounds only when needed. A risk of induced defence is that when plants are challenged by herbivores, they may suffer considerable damage before the defence is mounted. Priming can cause a state of readiness for the induction of the defence response, leading to a reduction in the damage received in an energy‐efficient and less costly manner. Our objective was to verify whether seed coating with jasmonic acid (JA) and chitosan (CH) could prime plants against chewing and sap‐feeding herbivores by affecting their herbivory of treated plants. We used Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata cv. Derby Day (Brassicaceae) seeds treated with JA and CH, second‐instar Plutella xylostella L. (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), and newborn nymphs of Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae). We evaluated life‐history, performance, and fecundity traits of the insects. Neither JA nor CH affected B. oleracea leaf area. Both JA and CH affected P. xylostella. JA reduced the mean relative growth rate of P. xylostella and led to 84% pre‐imaginal mortality, whereas CH reduced oviposition. JA reduced significantly the intrinsic rate of increase in M. persicae, whereas CH did not differ from the control. Therefore, JA and CH seed coating lead to long‐term defence priming in B. oleracea against chewing and sap‐feeding insects.
Effects of short‐term exposure to naturally occurring thymol concentrations on transmission of a bumble bee parasite
Authors: Rothchild Kristina W. , Adler Lynn S. , Irwin Rebecca E. , Sadd Ben M. , Stevenson Philip C. , Palmer‐Young Evan C.
Published: May 2018

1. Plants produce antimicrobial phytochemicals that can reduce growth and infectivity of parasites in animals. Pollinator parasites are transmitted between hosts that forage on shared flowers. Floral transmission directly exposes parasites to phytochemicals on floral surfaces and in nectar, both at flowers and, post‐ingestion, in the crop. This exposure could directly affect parasite transmission to new hosts.

2. Nectar chemical analyses were combined with field and cell culture experiments to test the effects of the floral phytochemical thymol on the transmission potential of the trypanosomatid gut parasiteCrithidiainBombus impatiens. First, thymol concentrations inThymus vulgarisnectar were measured. Second, the effect of adding thymol to floral nectaries on parasite transmission to foraging bees was tested. Third, cell cultures were used to determine direct, dose‐dependent effects of short‐term thymol exposure on subsequentin vitroparasite growth.

3. A total of 26.1 ppm thymol was found inT. vulgarisnectar, five‐fold higher than previously documented in this species. However, addition of thymol to flowers of parasite‐inoculated inflorescences of four plant species did not affect acquisition ofCrithidiainfection during a foraging bout. Cell culture experiments showed that the thymol concentrations needed to reduce subsequentCrithidiagrowth by 50% (120 ppm) were 4.6‐fold higher than the highest detected nectar concentration.

4. Although thymol exposure can influenceCrithidiaviability,Crithidiaare robust to the duration and magnitude of exposure encountered during floral foraging under natural conditions. These experiments suggest that any effects of thymol alone onCrithidia–host infection dynamics probably reflect indirect, possibly host‐mediated, effects of chronic thymol ingestion.
Attenuated psychotic symptom interventions in youth at risk of psychosis: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Devoe Daniel J. , Farris Megan S. , Townes Parker , Addington Jean
Published: May 2018

Aim

Attenuated psychotic symptoms (APSs) have been the primary emphasis in youth at clinical high risk (CHR) for psychosis for assessing symptomology and determining subsequent transition to a psychotic disorder. Previous reviews primarily focused on the efficacy of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) on APS; however, a comprehensive assessment of other interventions to date is lacking. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis of all intervention studies examining APS in CHR youth.

Method

The authors searched Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Medline and EBM from inception to May 2017. Studies were selected if they included any intervention that reported follow‐up APS in youth at CHR. Interventions were evaluated and stratified by time using both pairwise and network meta‐analyses (NMAs). Due to the differences in APS scales, effect sizes were calculated as Hedges g and reported as the standardized mean difference (SMD).

Results

Forty‐one studies met our inclusion criteria. In pairwise meta‐analyses, CBT was associated with a trend towards reduction in APS compared to controls at 12‐months. In the NMA, integrated psychological therapy, CBT, supportive therapy, family therapy, needs‐based interventions, omega‐3, risperidone plus CBT and olanzapine were not significantly more effective at reducing APS at 6 and 12 months relative to any other intervention.

Conclusions

CBT demonstrated a slight trend at reducing APS at long‐term follow‐up compared to controls. No interventions were significantly more effective at reducing APS compared to all other interventions in the NMA.

[Correction added on 4 June 2018, after first online publication: Some parts of the Abstract section particularly ‘Results’ and ‘Conclusions’ have been corrected.]
Ictal and interictal electric source imaging in pre‐surgical evaluation: a prospective study
Authors: Sharma P. , Scherg M. , Pinborg L. H. , Fabricius M. , Rubboli G. , Pedersen B. , Leffers A.‐M. , Uldall P. , Jespersen B. , Brennum J. , Henriksen O. M. , Beniczky S.
Published: May 2018

Background and purpose

Accurate localization of the epileptic focus is essential for surgical treatment of patients with drug‐resistant epilepsy. Electric source imaging (ESI) is increasingly used in pre‐surgical evaluation. However, most previous studies have analysed interictal (II) discharges. Prospective studies comparing the feasibility and accuracy of II and ictal (IC) ESI are lacking.

Methods

We prospectively analysed long‐term video‐electroencephalography recordings (LTM) of patients admitted for pre‐surgical evaluation. We performed ESI of II and IC signals using two methods, i.e. equivalent current dipole (ECD) and a distributed source model (DSM). LTM recordings employed the standard 25‐electrode array (including inferior temporal electrodes). An age‐matched template head model was used for source analysis. Results were compared with intracranial recordings, conventional neuroimaging methods [magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), single‐photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)] and outcome at 1 year after surgery.

Results

A total of 87 consecutive patients were analysed. ECD gave a significantly higher proportion of patients with localized focal abnormalities (94%) compared with MRI (70%), PET (66%) and SPECT (64%). Agreement between the ESI methods and intracranial recording was moderate to substantial (k = 0.56–0.79). A total of 54 patients were operated (47 patients more than 1 year ago) and 62% of them became seizure‐free. The localization accuracy of II‐ESI was 51% for DSM and 57% for ECD, and that for IC‐ESI was 51% for DSM and 62% for ECD. The differences between the ESI methods were not significant. Differences in localization accuracy between ESI and MRI (55%), PET (33%) and SPECT (40%) were not significant.

Conclusions

The II‐ESI and IC‐ESI of LTM data have high feasibility and their localization accuracy is similar to that of conventional neuroimaging methods.
Pre‐ and postsurgical cognitive trajectories and quantitative MRI changes in Rasmussen syndrome
Authors: Rudebeck Sarah R. , Shavel‐Jessop Sara , Varadkar Sophia , Owen Tamsin , Cross J. Helen , Vargha‐Khadem Faraneh , Baldeweg Torsten
Published: May 2018

Objective

To quantify the longitudinal cognitive trajectory, before and after surgery, of Rasmussen syndrome (RS), a rare disease characterized by focal epilepsy and progressive atrophy of one cerebral hemisphere.

Method

Thirty‐two patients (mean age = 6.7 years; 17 male, 16 left hemispheres affected) were identified from hospital records. The changes in intelligence scores during 2 important phases in the patients’ journey to treatment were investigated: (1) during the preoperative period (n = 28, mean follow‐up 3.4 years) and (2) from before to after surgery (n = 21 patients, mean time to follow‐up 1.5 years). A volumetric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) analysis of longitudinal changes in gray matter volume was conducted in a subsample of 18 patients.

Results

(1) IQ during the preoperative period: At baseline assessment (on average 2.4 years after seizure onset), the left RS group had lower verbal than nonverbal intellectual abilities, whereas the right group exhibited more difficulties in nonverbal than verbal intellect. Verbal and nonverbal scores declined during the follow‐up in both groups, irrespective of the affected side. Hemispheric gray matter volumes declined over time in both groups in affected as well as unaffected hemispheres. (2) Postoperative IQ change: The left surgery group declined further in verbal and nonverbal intellect. The right group's nonverbal intellect declined after surgery, whereas verbal abilities did not. Patients with higher abilities preoperatively experienced large declines, whereas those with poorer abilities showed little change. Postoperative seizures negatively impacted on cognitive abilities.

Significance

During the chronic phase of the disease, parallel decline of verbal and nonverbal abilities suggest progressive bilateral hemispheric involvement, supported by evidence from MRI morphometry. Postsurgical cognitive losses are predicted by greater presurgical ability and continuing seizures. A shorter duration from seizure onset to surgery could reduce the postoperative cognitive burden by minimizing the decline in functions supported by the unaffected hemisphere.
FNLP‐ONT: A feasible ontology for improving NLP tasks in Persian
Authors: Hosseini Pozveh Zahra , Monadjemi Amirhassan , Ahmadi Ali
Published: May 2018

Natural language processing is a composition of several error‐prone and challenging tasks, including part of speech tagging, word sense disambiguation, named entity recognition, and compound verb detection. Studying intrasentence relations and roles is essential to improve the mentioned subtasks. Semi‐automatic schemes such as ontologies can be applied to clarify word's dependencies. This paper presents an ontology that is targeting to improve POS tagging, WSD, NER, and compound verb detection in Persian with extra properties that may ameliorate machine translation. The ontology is tested in combinations with several state‐of‐art algorithms on Dadegan corpus. The results show that coping semantic analysis with machine learning methods enhance relation detection and consequently precision of the mentioned subtasks, which is not widely addressed in Persian. Furthermore, the experimental results declare that the accuracy rate increases between 4.5 and 23% for different tasks.
Measuring Sovereign Risk: Are CDS Spreads Better than Sovereign Credit Ratings?
Authors: Rodríguez Iván M. , Dandapani Krishnan , Lawrence Edward R.
Published: May 2018

Using data for 54 countries over a 12‐year period, we find that the variation in average sovereign ratings in a given year can be explained by average credit default swap (CDS) spreads over the previous three years. In a horse race between CDS spreads and sovereign ratings, we find that CDS spread changes can predict sovereign events, while rating changes cannot. The predictability of CDS spreads is greater when there is disagreement between Moody's and the S&P for a country's rating.
Effects of incubation conditions on nutrient mineralisation rates in fish and shrimp
Authors: Oliveira‐Cunha Priscila , Capps Krista A. , Neres‐Lima Vinicius , Lourenço‐Amorim Christine , Tromboni Flavia , Moulton Timothy P. , Zandonà Eugenia
Published: May 2018

Consumer mineralisation of nutrients can affect ecosystem processes, such as primary productivity, community respiration and biogeochemical cycling. Researchers have not tested, however, the influence of standard incubation methods on mineralisation rates. Therefore, the influence of varied incubation methods on consumer mineralisation rates is poorly understood.

Here, we investigated how incubation conditions affected the mineralisation rates of ammonium and phosphate of two species of fish and two species of shrimp. For each species, we measured mineralisation rates during the day and at night in two incubation environments (standard and modified to reduce stress). We also estimated the effect of conspecific density (1, 3 or 5 individuals) and the duration of incubation (after 15, 30, 45, 60 and 75 min) on mineralisation for a species of shrimp.

Our results indicated mass‐specific N mineralisation by three species was influenced by the time of day, and for two of the species, mass‐specific N mineralisation was also influenced by incubation conditions. Mass‐specific mineralisation rates for both N and P by a species of shrimp decreased significantly with increasing incubation time, but we did not detect significant differences in mineralisation among incubation durations or densities for either element.

Mass‐specific mineralisation rates for P were negatively correlated with body size for all studied species, as previously reported. Only the two species of shrimp showed the expected negative relationship between mass‐specific N mineralisation rates and body size.

Our results suggest that the mechanisms by which organisms excrete elements are differentially influenced by incubation conditions. Our study highlights the need to develop methods specific to the organisms of interest, especially the duration and the time of day of the incubation. Additionally, our attempt to influence mineralisation rates by modifying chamber design was mostly ineffective, indicating that this measure may not be a priority for future studies.
Satellite sun‐induced chlorophyll fluorescence detects early response of winter wheat to heat stress in the Indian Indo‐Gangetic Plains
Authors: Song Lian , Guanter Luis , Guan Kaiyu , You Liangzhi , Huete Alfredo , Ju Weimin , Zhang Yongguang
Published: May 2018

Extremely high temperatures represent one of the most severe abiotic stresses limiting crop productivity. However, understanding crop responses to heat stress is still limited considering the increases in both the frequency and severity of heat wave events under climate change. This limited understanding is partly due to the lack of studies or tools for the timely and accurate monitoring of crop responses to extreme heat over broad spatial scales. In this work, we use novel spaceborne data of sun‐induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF), which is a new proxy for photosynthetic activity, along with traditional vegetation indices (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index NDVI and Enhanced Vegetation Index EVI) to investigate the impacts of heat stress on winter wheat in northwestern India, one of the world's major wheat production areas. In 2010, an abrupt rise in temperature that began in March adversely affected the productivity of wheat and caused yield losses of 6% compared to previous year. The yield predicted by satellite observations of SIF decreased by approximately 13.9%, compared to the 1.2% and 0.4% changes in NDVI and EVI, respectively. During early stage of this heat wave event in early March 2010, the SIF observations showed a significant reduction and earlier response, while NDVI and EVI showed no changes and could not capture the heat stress until late March. The spatial patterns of SIF anomalies closely tracked the temporal evolution of the heat stress over the study area. Furthermore, our results show that SIF can provide large‐scale, physiology‐related wheat stress response as indicated by the larger reduction in fluorescence yield (SIFyield) than fraction of photosynthetically active radiation during the grain‐filling phase, which may have eventually led to the reduction in wheat yield in 2010. This study implies that satellite observations of SIF have great potential to detect heat stress conditions in wheat in a timely manner and assess their impacts on wheat yields at large scales.