bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
“If You Call Them, They Will Come”: A Telephone Call Reminder to Decrease the No-Show Rate in an Outpatient Palliative Medicine Clinic
Authors: Lagman Ruth L. , Samala Renato V. , LeGrand Susan , Parala-Metz Armida , Patel Chirag , Neale Kyle , Carrino Cheryl , Rybicki Lisa , Gamier Pamela , Mauk Mary Ellen , Nowak Molly
Published: August 2020

Introduction:

A high outpatient clinic no-show rate affects clinical outcomes, increases healthcare costs, and reduces both access to care and provider productivity. In an effort to reduce the no-show rate at a busy palliative medicine outpatient clinic, a quality improvement project was launched consisting of a telephone call made by clinic staff prior to appointments. The study aimed to determine the effect of this intervention on the no-show rate, and assess the financial impact of a decreased no-show rate.

Methods and Materials:

The outpatient clinic no-show rate was measured from September 1 to December 31, 2015. Data from the first 8 months of the calendar year was removed since these could not be verified. Starting January 1, 2016, patients received a telephone call reminder 24 hours prior to their scheduled outpatient appointment for confirmation. No-show rate was again measured for the calendar year 2016. Opportunity costs were calculated for unfulfilled clinic visits.

Results:

Of the 1224 completed visits from September 1 to December 31, 2015, 271 were no-shows with an average rate of 11.8%. After the intervention, there were 4368 completed visits and 562 no-shows. The no-show rate for 2016 averaged 6.9% (p < 0.001), down 4.9% from the last 4 months of 2015. Estimated opportunity costs were about 396 no-show visits avoided, equivalent to an annual savings of about $79,200.

Conclusion:

A telephone call reminder to patients 24 hours prior to their appointment decreased the no-show rate in an outpatient palliative medicine clinic. Avoiding unfulfilled visits resulted in substantial opportunity costs.
Impact of Maternal Smoking on Nonsyndromic Clefts: Sex-Specific Associations With Side and Laterality
Authors: Kruse Teresa , Mangold Elisabeth , Braumann Bert
Published: August 2020

Objective:

To compare the incidence of right-sided versus left-sided, and unilateral versus bilateral, nonsyndromic clefting in the affected offspring of smoking and nonsmoking mothers.

Design:

Self-report data on periconceptual and first trimester smoking behavior were collected from 842 mothers of children with nonsyndromic orofacial clefting. Differences in the incidence of left- versus right-sided clefts, and of unilateral versus bilateral clefts, were analyzed between the children of smoking and nonsmoking mothers.

Setting:

Interviews and clinical examinations took place at 8 specialist centers in Germany.

Patients and Participants:

Children with nonsyndromic clefts were recruited during the course of surgical or orthodontic treatment, or within the context of the annual control consultation. Patients with cleft palate only or missing data were excluded. The final cohort comprised 842 patients (540 males and 302 females) with unilateral or bilateral clefts. The respective mothers were interviewed.

Main Outcome Measure:

Side and laterality of nonsyndromic clefts were the main outcome measures.

Results:

Children of smoking mothers more often had right-sided clefts than children of nonsmoking mothers (42% right-sided clefts in children of smoking mothers vs 31% of nonsmoking mothers). Children of smoking mothers more often had bilateral clefts than children of nonsmoking mothers (35% bilateral clefts in children of smoking mothers vs 29% of nonsmoking mothers). Sex-specific analyses confirmed substantially and statistically significant associations only for girls.

Conclusions:

The results suggest that maternal smoking is a sex-specific, exogenous determinant of laterality and side in nonsyndromic clefts.
Caring for the COVID Patient: A Clinical Pharmacist’s Perspective
Authors: Erstad Brian L.
Published: August 2020

Physicians and nurses have received many accolades in commercial and scientific media for their heroic efforts in caring for patients with COVID-19. These accolades are appropriate and deserved. However, there are a number of clinical pharmacists involved in the daily care of patients who are caring and competent practitioners, and also deserve our thanks and praise. The purpose of this article is to provide the impactful comments of a front-line, critical care pharmacist dedicated to providing the best possible care for patients with COVID-19 in a medical intensive care unit.
Association of Medicare Advantage Penetration With Per Capita Spending, Emergency Department Visits, and Readmission Rates Among Fee-for-Service Medicare Beneficiaries With High Comorbidity Burden
Authors: Park Sungchul , Langellier Brent A. , Burke Robert E. , Figueroa Jose F. , Coe Norma B.
Published: August 2020

Rapid growth of Medicare Advantage (MA) plans has the potential to change clinical practice for both MA and fee-for-service (FFS) beneficiaries, particularly for high-need, high-cost beneficiaries with multiple chronic conditions or a costly single condition. We assessed whether MA growth from 2010 to 2017 spilled over to county-level per capita spending, emergency department visits, and readmission rates among FFS beneficiaries, and how much this varied by the comorbidity burden of the beneficiary. We also examined whether the association between MA growth and per capita spending in FFS varied in beneficiaries with specific chronic conditions. MA growth was associated with decreased FFS spending and emergency department visits only among beneficiaries with six or more chronic conditions. MA growth was associated with decreased FFS spending among beneficiaries with 11 of the 20 chronic conditions. This suggests that MA growth may drive improvements in efficiency of health care delivery for high-need, high-cost beneficiaries.
Will the Questions Ever End? Person-Level Increases in Careless Responding During Questionnaire Completion
Authors: Bowling Nathan A. , Gibson Anthony M. , Houpt Joseph W. , Brower Cheyna K.
Published: August 2020

Is there a point within a self-report questionnaire where participants will start responding carelessly? If so, then after how many items do participants reach that point? And what can researchers do to encourage participants to remain careful throughout the entirety of a questionnaire? We conducted two studies (Study 1 N = 358; Study 2 N = 129) to address these questions. Our results found (a) consistent evidence that participants responded more carelessly as they progressed further into a questionnaire, (b) mixed evidence that participants who were warned that carelessness would be punished displayed smaller increases in carelessness, and (c) mixed evidence that increases in carelessness were greater within an unproctored online study (Study 1) than within a proctored laboratory study (Study 2). These findings help address when and why careless responding is likely to occur, and they suggest effective preventive strategies.
Breast Cancer Fear Among Mexican American Women in the United States
Authors: Flores-Luevano Silvia , Shokar Navkiran K , Dwivedi Alok Kumar , Shokar Gurjeet S , Defeu Sandrine N
Published: August 2020

Introduction:

Fear has been described as potentially important in affecting breast cancer screening completion. Limited information is available on the prevalence and determinants of fear among Mexican American women. This study describes perceived breast cancer fear and its association with personal characteristics and screening behavior among Mexican American women.

Methods:

This is a secondary analysis of data collected during the implementation of the Breast Cancer Education, Screening and NavigaTion program among eligible uninsured women in two Texas border counties. Participants completed a 26-item survey to assess eligibility, risk status, prior screening, and breast cancer fear. Descriptive statistics and multivariable analyses were used to determine associations between the fear score, personal characteristics, and mammography screening.

Results:

In all, 1916 of 2012 eligible women completed the study. The mean age was 57.3 years, 99.2% were Hispanic, and 88% were born in Mexico; 15% had a family history of breast cancer and 14% had never had a mammogram. The mean breast cancer fear score was 25.5 (standard deviation: 10.52; range: 8-40); 54.0 % (95% confidence interval: 52.1%-56.7%) had a high fear level. In multivariable analyses, better health status ( P < .001), older age ( P = .039), birth in the United States ( P = .020), and having a regular doctor ( P = .056) were associated with lower fear scores. There was no association between breast cancer fear and mammography screening.

Conclusion:

Breast cancer fear is high and varies by personal characteristics and health status among uninsured Mexican American border-residing women due for screening, but is not associated with screening behavior. Further research is needed to clarify the effect of interventions designed to help reduce breast cancer fear among these women, including educational interventions to reduce breast cancer fear.
Policy diffusion and transfer of the Bologna Process in Africa’s national, sub-regional and regional contexts
Authors: Eta Elizabeth Agbor , Mngo Zachary Y
Published: August 2020

This article traces the process of diffusion and transfer of the European Bologna Process reforms in Africa’s national, sub-regional and regional contexts and examines factors that drive these processes. Considering that African countries are not official signatories but are aligning their systems of education to the BP, and in the absence of a coordinated effort and the use of digital technology to produce and present data that documents and maps out progress, tracing the diffusion process in this context is challenging, which is the reason for limited research in this area. Based on a review of existing literature, this article argues that in Africa, the dissemination and transfer of BP-related reforms started as individual projects by national governments as early as 2000 before metamorphosing into sub-regional and regional initiatives. The article identifies economic, political and discursive factors as well as the selective and silent processes that shaped Bologna transfer at these different levels in Africa.
Design optimisation of permanently installed monitoring system for polycrystalline materials
Authors: Liu Yuan , Nagy Peter B. , Cawley Peter
Published: August 2020

This article presents a design procedure for structural health monitoring systems based on bulk wave ultrasonic sensors for structures fabricated from polycrystalline materials. When designing a monitoring system, maximum coverage per transducer is a general requirement in order for the system to be economic. For coarse-grained polycrystalline materials, monitoring is often made challenging by low signal-to-noise ratios caused by grain scattering. Therefore, when designing a monitoring system for these materials, in addition to the economic requirement, it needs to be ensured that an adequate signal-to-noise ratio can be obtained throughout the monitoring volume. This typically introduces a trade-off between volume coverage per transducer and sensitivity that must be investigated. In this article, this trade-off is studied and a methodology using signal-to-noise maps is presented to design the system, that is, choose the optimal transducer parameters and placement. First, a combined analytical and numerical approach is used to generate a signal-to-noise map. Then, the influence of various factors on signal-to-noise ratio is investigated. Finally, two representative examples, with different criteria, are given to illustrate the methodology. In one example, the full surface area of the testpiece is covered with transducers and the optimum gives the deepest coverage. The other one aims to achieve the minimum fractional surface area that has to be covered with transducers to monitor a narrow depth range far from the surface, which has a potential application in weld monitoring. Results show that the optimum is likely to be at much lower frequency than typically used in inspection, as tracking signals with time gives sensitivity gains. Experiments were carried out to illustrate that higher volume coverage can be obtained at lower frequencies.
Underrepresented Groups and Constitution-Making: The Mexico City Case
Authors: Cruz Ruiz Ernesto
Published: August 2020

Citizen calls and opportunities for more inclusion in democratic processes are on the rise, triggering the creation of innovative mechanisms to include more demands and stakeholders in decision-making. This article shows how political determination opened up the 2016 Constitution-making of Mexico City and examines the extent to which technology helped add and manage citizen inputs to their constitution. Empirically, it shows the stages and stakeholder deliberations and how collaborative writing, online petitions, and extensive surveys facilitated the inclusion of otherwise underrepresented groups’ agendas in a constitutional text. In general, the central argument of this symposium paper is that the combination of actor decisions and use of technology contribute positively to crafting participative, inclusive and informed constitutions.
High Impact Practices Through Experiential Student Philanthropy: A Case Study of the Mayerson Student Philanthropy Project and Academic Success at Northern Kentucky University
Authors: Larson Kajsa C. , Downing Megan S. , Nolan Joseph , Neikirk Mark
Published: August 2020

High impact educational practices are active learning strategies that benefit learning outcomes, increase student engagement, and support student retention. This study examines the retention and persistence impact of student philanthropy, an active learning approach that engages students with the community by incorporating a philanthropy component into college courses. Results from this study demonstrate that students who participated in one or more student philanthropy courses had a substantially higher four-year graduation rate in comparison to students overall. Participants also exhibited a greater number of completed credit hours compared to the general university population and a higher semester-to-semester retention rate. This affirms the value of student philanthropy as a High Impact Teaching Practice (HITP) that actively engages students inside and outside of the classroom, around the university campus, and in the community.
Structure-Function Properties in Sodium Channelopathies: Considerations for Targeted Therapy
Authors: Goldman Alica
Published: August 2020

[Box: see text]
Pushing the Rehabilitation Boundaries: Hand Motor Impairment Can Be Reduced in Chronic Stroke
Authors: Mawase Firas , Cherry-Allen Kendra , Xu Jing , Anaya Manuel , Uehara Shintaro , Celnik Pablo
Published: August 2020

Background. Stroke is one of the most common causes of physical disability worldwide. The majority of survivors experience impairment of movement, often with lasting deficits affecting hand dexterity. To date, conventional rehabilitation primarily focuses on training compensatory maneuvers emphasizing goal completion rather than targeting reduction of motor impairment. Objective. We aim to determine whether finger dexterity impairment can be reduced in chronic stroke when training on a task focused on moving fingers against abnormal synergies without allowing for compensatory maneuvers. Methods. We recruited 18 chronic stroke patients with significant hand motor impairment. First, participants underwent baseline assessments of hand function, impairment, and finger individuation. Then, participants trained for 5 consecutive days, 3 to 4 h/d, on a multifinger piano-chord-like task that cannot be performed by compensatory actions of other body parts (e.g., arm). Participants had to learn to simultaneously coordinate and synchronize multiple fingers to break unwanted flexor synergies. To test generalization, we assessed performance in trained and nontrained chords and clinical measures in both the paretic and the nonparetic hands. To evaluate retention, we repeated the assessments 1 day, 1 week, and 6 months post-training. Results. Our results showed that finger impairment assessed by the individuation task was reduced after training. The reduction of impairment was accompanied by improvements in clinical hand function, including precision pinch. Notably, the effects were maintained for 6 months following training. Conclusion. Our findings provide preliminary evidence that chronic stroke patient can reduce hand impairment when training against abnormal flexor synergies, a change that was associated with meaningful clinical benefits.
Game Workers and the Empire: Unionisation in the UK Video Game Industry
Authors: Ruffino Paolo , Woodcock Jamie
Published: August 2020

This article investigates some of the key debates that have emerged within the nascent union organising project Game Workers Unite, with a specific focus on its UK branch (GWU UK). The analysis is based on a period of participatory observation and a series of interviews with board members of GWU UK. This article evaluates Game Workers Unite (GWU) in relation to other recent attempts at unionising the game industry. It concludes that the strategies adopted to counter the hyper-visibility and individualisation of the game worker are key contributions of GWU in contemporary video game labour. This article draws on the work of Dyer-Witheford and de Peuter (2009) Games of empire: Global capitalism and video games to evaluate the historical specificity of GWU and the importance of the organisation for the contemporary video game industry.
Decolonial leadership for cultural resistance and social change: Challenging the social order through the struggle of identity
Authors: Jimenez-Luque Antonio
Published: August 2020

The current article focuses on subaltern social groups’ efforts that emphasize the struggle of identity with purposes of cultural resistance and social change. Through a critical approach that incorporates the reality of “coloniality” as the context within leadership emerges, the article draws from the experience of a Native American organization in a middle-size city of the United States that uses identity as a resource to challenge the dominant Eurocentric social order. The construct of “decolonial leadership” is proposed to illuminate the emancipatory process of this organization that aims to decolonize society debunking myths and narratives imposed with the dominant social order and taking control of reality from their cultural perspectives and leadership approaches. A process of decolonial leadership creates spaces from which developing collective actions and sense-making processes that eventually contribute to building symbolic power to change the dominant social order. Using a sociological and anthropological lens that challenges leader-centered perspectives and focuses on the collective dimensions of leadership, the study contributes insights to both the social change and the indigenous leadership literature.
Using artificial intelligence for improving stroke diagnosis in emergency departments: a practical framework
Authors: Abedi Vida , Khan Ayesha , Chaudhary Durgesh , Misra Debdipto , Avula Venkatesh , Mathrawala Dhruv , Kraus Chadd , Marshall Kyle A. , Chaudhary Nayan , Li Xiao , Schirmer Clemens M. , Scalzo Fabien , Li Jiang , Zand Ramin
Published: August 2020

Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States and a major cause of severe disability worldwide. Yet, recognizing the signs of stroke in an acute setting is still challenging and leads to loss of opportunity to intervene, given the narrow therapeutic window. A decision support system using artificial intelligence (AI) and clinical data from electronic health records combined with patients’ presenting symptoms can be designed to support emergency department providers in stroke diagnosis and subsequently reduce the treatment delay. In this article, we present a practical framework to develop a decision support system using AI by reflecting on the various stages, which could eventually improve patient care and outcome. We also discuss the technical, operational, and ethical challenges of the process.
“I Have Called You Friends”: Toward a Pedagogy of Friendship in the Classroom
Authors: Burt Noel Forlini
Published: August 2020

Aelred of Rievaulx, a 12th-century Cistercian abbot, penned a powerful dialogue about the complexity of friendship titled Spiritual Friendship. Aelred’s central claim is that friendship is the primary means through which Christ’s love enters the world. In this article, I apply Aelred’s insights on spiritual friendship to argue that Christ is the Friend at the center of the classroom. In particular, I suggest pedagogical practices that facilitate friendship as a Christian virtue, compelling learners to befriend one another, to befriend the subject, and to befriend God. Aelred does not suggest that everyone whom we love is to be a spiritual friend. Rather, those whom we choose to befriend are to be tested caringly and critically for their adherence to virtue. With the help of my ancient, theologian friends (Aelred, Augustine) and my friends who are leading voices in contemporary Christian pedagogy (David Smith, James K. A. Smith, Paul Griffiths), I aim to teach students to empathize with authors (and other learners) with whom they disagree, even to befriend them, even as they test whether those ideas are to be drawn into friendship.
Interactive patient education via an audience response system in cardiac rehabilitation
Authors: Stoevesandt Dietrich , Weber Andreas , Wienke Andreas , Bethge Steffi , Heinze Viktoria , Kowoll Simone , Schlitt Axel
Published: August 2020

Objectives:

Patient education and compliance play an important role in the success of rehabilitation in cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study is to analyze whether interactive learning methods, in this study, the audience response system with a “clicker,” can improve the learning success of patients during and after their rehabilitation process.

Methods:

In a randomized, prospective cohort study, a total of 260 patients were randomized to either an interactive training group using Athens audience response system or to a control group without the use of audience response system during the educational sessions. Patients were taught and tested on four different topics concerning their primary disease: heart failure, arterial hypertension, prevention of cardiovascular diseases, and coronary heart disease. After each session, the patients had to answer questions on the previously taught topics via questionnaires. These questions were asked again at the day of discharge, as well as 3 and 12 months after discharge. Additional information on the patients’ health, plus their mental status, was gathered with the help of further questionnaires (HADS and SF-12).

Results:

A total of 260 patients (201 men and 59 women) were recruited. The patients were on average 61.1 ± 11 years old. A significant short-term effect on the patients’ knowledge about their disease was found immediately after the educational sessions in the intervention group. However, there was no long-term effect in either the intervention or control group. Although there was no statistical significance found in any of the observations, a positive short-term effect on learning capacity as well as positive trends in mental and physical health after discharge could be found in patients after the use of audience response system during their rehabilitation.

Conclusion:

This study provides interesting and new data on the use of an interactive learning method for patients to gain knowledge about their primary disease and eventually improve their physical and mental health status in a long-term perspective. By implementing different and new ways of teaching and interaction during the hospitalization, not only patients, but also medical staff and caregivers could benefit.
Public-Private Partnership Policy in Primary Health Care: A Scoping Review
Authors: Tabrizi Jafar Sadegh , Azami-aghdash Saber , Gharaee Hojatolah
Published: August 2020

Background:

Given the challenges of governments to deliver primary health care (PHC), engaging private sector in the form of public-private partnership (PPP) can be effective policy. The aim of present study is to review the experiences of implementing PPP policy in PHC.

Methods:

This scoping review study was conducted in 2019 using the framework proposed by Arkesy and O’Malley. Required data were collected through search the related keywords in databases, manual search of some journals, websites, and other sources of information and through references check, from January 2000 to May 2019. All studies, which focused on the results of PPP in PHC, and published in English or Persian were included in the study.

Results:

A total of 108 articles were included in the study. The studies were mostly conducted in low- and middle-income countries. The quantitative studies have demonstrated the success of this policy in improving PHC indicators. Based on the qualitative studies PPP in PHC has many benefits, including access improvement, economic benefits, and service quality enhancement.

Conclusions:

The present study provides useful information on the experiences of different countries in the field of PPP in PHC that can be used by experts and decision makers to decide whether to engage the private sector in the form of PPP model.
Managing the Twentieth-Century Modern Heritage: Conservation and Management of Louis I Kahn Buildings at Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad
Authors: Somaya Brinda , Goiporia Homeyar , Jharia Ritika , Team SNK Conservation
Published: August 2020

This article talks about the challenges faced by twentieth century modern heritage in terms of its awareness, its conservation and its heritage management by elaborating the case study of Conservation of Louis I Kahn buildings (Vikram Sarabhai Library, faculty blocks, classroom complex and dormitories D1 to D18) at Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM-A), Gujarat, India and its recently restored Vikram Sarabhai Library. Through this case study, it elaborates its conservation process, the interdisciplinary nature of heritage management, various management decisions that emerge at critical stages during the process of conservation of these buildings, thereby implementing creativity and innovative solutions while preserving the integrity of the structures.
Normal Kinematics of the Syndesmosis and Ankle Mortise During Dynamic Movements
Authors: Hogg-Cornejo Veronica , Hunt Kenneth J. , Bartolomei Jonathan , Rullkoetter Paul J. , Myers Casey , Shelburne Kevin B.
Published: August 2020

Background:

Documenting the healthy articulation of the syndesmosis and talocrural joints, and measurement of 3D medial and lateral clear spaces may improve diagnostic and treatment guidelines for patients suffering from severe syndesmotic injury or chronic instability. This study aimed to define the range of motion (ROM) and displacement of the fibula and talus during static and dynamic activities, and measure the 3D movement in the tibiofibular (syndesmosis) and medial clear space.

Methods:

Six healthy volunteers performed dynamic weightbearing motions on a single-leg: heel-rise, squat, torso twist, and box jump. Participants posed in a nonweightbearing neutral stance as well as weightbearing neutral standing, plantarflexion, and dorsiflexion. High-speed stereoradiography measured 3D rotation and translation of the fibula and talus throughout each task. Medial clear space and tibiofibular gap distances were measured under each condition.

Results:

Total ROM for the fibula was greatest in internal-external rotation (9.3 ± 3.5 degrees), and anteroposterior (3.3 ± 2.2 mm) and superior-inferior (2.5 ± 0.9 mm) translation, rather than lateral widening (1.7 ± 1.0 mm). The total rotational ROM of the talus was greatest in dorsiflexion-plantarflexion (34.7 ± 12.9 degrees) and internal-external rotation (15.0 ± 3.4 degrees). Single-leg squatting increased the lateral clear space ( P = .045) and widened the medial tibiofibular joint, whereas single-leg heel-rises decreased the lateral clear space ( P = .001) and widened the tibiotalar space. Gap spaces in the tibiofibular and medial clear spaces did not exceed 2.3 ± 0.9 mm and 2.7 ± 1.2 mm, respectively.

Conclusion:

These data support a potential shift in the clinical understanding of fibula displacements during dynamic activities and how implant device constructs might be developed to restore physiologic mechanics.

Clinical Relevance:

Syndesmosis stabilization and rehabilitation should consider restoration of normal physiologic rotation and translation of the fibula and ankle mortise rather than focusing solely on the restriction of lateral translation.
The roles of vicariance and isolation by distance in shaping biotic diversification across an ancient archipelago: evidence from a Seychelles caecilian amphibian
Authors: Maddock Simon T. , Nussbaum Ronald A. , Day Julia J. , Latta Leigh , Miller Mark , Fisk Debra L. , Wilkinson Mark , Rocha Sara , Gower David J. , Pfrender Michael E.
Published: August 2020

Background

Island systems offer excellent opportunities for studying the evolutionary histories of species by virtue of their restricted size and easily identifiable barriers to gene flow. However, most studies investigating evolutionary patterns and processes shaping biotic diversification have focused on more recent (emergent) rather than ancient oceanic archipelagos. Here, we focus on the granitic islands of the Seychelles, which are unusual among island systems because they have been isolated for a long time and are home to a monophyletic radiation of caecilian amphibians that has been separated from its extant sister lineage for ca. 65–62 Ma. We selected the most widespread Seychelles caecilian species, Hypogeophis rostratus, to investigate intraspecific morphological and genetic (mitochondrial and nuclear) variation across the archipelago (782 samples from nine islands) to identify patterns and test processes that shaped their evolutionary history within the Seychelles.

Results

Overall a signal of strong geographic structuring with distinct northern- and southern-island clusters were identified across all datasets. We suggest that these distinct groups have been isolated for ca. 1.26 Ma years without subsequent migration between them. Populations from the somewhat geographically isolated island of Frégate showed contrasting relationships to other islands based on genetic and morphological data, clustering alternatively with northern-island (genetic) and southern-island (morphological) populations.

Conclusions

Although variation in H. rostratus across the Seychelles is explained more by isolation-by-distance than by adaptation, the genetic-morphological incongruence for affinities of Frégate H. rostratus might be caused by local adaptation over-riding the signal from their vicariant history. Our findings highlight the need of integrative approaches to investigate fine-scale geographic structuring to uncover underlying diversity and to better understand evolutionary processes on ancient, continental islands.
A 31-bp indel in the 5′ UTR region of GNB1L is significantly associated with chicken body weight and carcass traits
Authors: Ren Tuanhui , Yang Ying , Lin Wujian , Li Wangyu , Xian Mingjian , Fu Rong , Zhang Zihao , Mo Guodong , Luo Wen , Zhang Xiquan
Published: August 2020

Background

G-protein subunit beta 1 like (GNB1L) encodes a G-protein beta-subunit-like polypeptide. Chicken GNB1L is upregulated in the breast muscle of high feed efficiency chickens, and its expression is 1.52-fold that in low feed efficiency chickens. However, no report has described the effects of GNB1L indels on the chicken carcass and growth traits.

Results

This study identified a 31-bp indel in the 5′ untranslated region (UTR) of GNB1L and elucidated the effect of this gene mutation on the carcass and growth traits in chickens. The 31-bp indel showed a highly significant association with the body weight at 8 different stages and was significantly correlated with daily gains at 0 to 4 weeks and 4 to 8 weeks. Similarly, the mutation was significantly associated with small intestine length, breast width, breast depth and breast muscle weight. Moreover, DD and ID were superior genotypes for chicken growth and carcass traits.

Conclusions

These results show that the 31-bp indel of GNB1L significantly affects chicken body weight and carcass traits and can serve as a candidate molecular marker for chicken genetics and breeding programs.
Genome compartmentalization predates species divergence in the plant pathogen genus Zymoseptoria
Authors: Feurtey Alice , Lorrain Cécile , Croll Daniel , Eschenbrenner Christoph , Freitag Michael , Habig Michael , Haueisen Janine , Möller Mareike , Schotanus Klaas , Stukenbrock Eva H.
Published: August 2020

Background

Antagonistic co-evolution can drive rapid adaptation in pathogens and shape genome architecture. Comparative genome analyses of several fungal pathogens revealed highly variable genomes, for many species characterized by specific repeat-rich genome compartments with exceptionally high sequence variability. Dynamic genome structure may enable fast adaptation to host genetics. The wheat pathogenZymoseptoria triticiwith its highly variable genome, has emerged as a model organism to study genome evolution of plant pathogens. Here, we compared genomes ofZ. triticiisolates and of sister species infecting wild grasses to address the evolution of genome composition and structure.

Results

Using long-read technology, we sequenced and assembled genomes ofZ. ardabiliae,Z. brevis,Z. pseudotriticiandZ. passerinii, together with two isolates ofZ. tritici. We report a high extent of genome collinearity amongZymoseptoriaspecies and high conservation of genomic, transcriptomic and epigenomic signatures of compartmentalization. We identify high gene content variability both within and between species. In addition, such variability is mainly limited to the accessory chromosomes and accessory compartments. Despite strong host specificity and non-overlapping host-range between species, predicted effectors are mainly shared amongZymoseptoriaspecies, yet exhibiting a high level of presence-absence polymorphism withinZ. tritici. Usingin plantatranscriptomic data fromZ. tritici, we suggest different roles for the shared orthologs and for the accessory genes during infection of their hosts.

Conclusion

Despite previous reports of high genomic plasticity inZ. tritici, we describe here a high level of conservation in genomic, epigenomic and transcriptomic composition and structure across the genusZymoseptoria. The compartmentalized genome allows the maintenance of a functional core genome co-occurring with a highly variable accessory genome.
Genomic analysis of demographic history and ecological niche modeling in the endangered Chinese Grouse Tetrastes sewerzowi
Authors: Song Kai , Gao Bin , Halvarsson Peter , Fang Yun , Jiang Ying-Xin , Sun Yue-Hua , Höglund Jacob
Published: August 2020

Background

The Quaternary had worldwide consequences in forming the contemporary diversity of many populations, species and communities, which is characterized by marked climatic oscillations between glacial and interglacial periods. The origin and evolution of biodiversity in mountainous areas are highly dependent on historical orogenesis and associated climatic changes. The Chinese grouse Tetrastes sewerzowi is a forest-dwelling species endemic to the mountains to the east of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, which has been listed as Near Threatened with a decreasing trend by the IUCN because of ongoing deforestation and fragmentation of coniferous forests. It is important to place current population status into a broader ecological and evolutionary context to understand their demographic history.

Results

Analyses of the Chinese Grouse genome revealed fluctuations throughout the Pleistocene in effective population size. Populations decreased during early to middle Pleistocene but showed an expansion during late Pleistocene which was then followed by a sharp decline during the last glacial maximum (LGM). Ecological niche modeling indicated that a suitable habitat shift between high altitude regions to low altitude regions was due to a changing climate. This result parallels patterns of population size change in Chinese Grouse estimated from PSMC modelling, which suggested an expansion in population size from the last interglacial period (LIG) and then a peak and a bottleneck occurring at the last glacial maximum (LGM). Furthermore, the present-day distribution of Chinese Grouse is greatly reduced and fragmented. It will likely become even more fragmented in the future since coniferous forest cover is threatened in the region of their distribution and the availability of such habitat restricts their ecological niche.

Conclusions

The Chinese Grouse have experienced substantial population size changes from the beginning to the LIG and reached a peak before the LGM. A sharp decrease and bottleneck occurred during the LGM, when the coniferous forests were subjected to extensive loss. The results inferred from the whole genome sequencing and species distribution models both support historical population fluctuations. The distribution of the Chinese Grouse is strongly dependent on the coniferous forest cover. To protect the fragmented coniferous forests is an essential action to protect the Chinese Grouse.
Genomic content of chemosensory receptors in two sister blister beetles facilitates characterization of chemosensory evolution
Authors: Wu Yuan-Ming , Liu Yang-Yang , Chen Xiang-Sheng
Published: August 2020

Background

More than 2500 species belong to the Meloidae family (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea), members of which produce the potent defensive blistering agent cantharidin and are commonly known as blister beetles or Spanishflies. Cantharidin has recently been used for cancer therapy. Hycleus cichorii and Hycleus phaleratus have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for more than 2000 years due to their ability to biosynthesize cantharidin. To understand the role of the chemosensory system in beetle evolution, we comparatively analysed the chemosensory receptor families of both blister beetle species and compared them with those of other beetles.

Results

We identified 89 odorant receptors (ORs), 86 gustatory receptors (GRs), and 45 ionotropic receptors (IRs) in H. phaleratus and 149 ORs, 102 GRs and 50 IRs in H. cichorii. Nine groups of beetle ORs were recovered, and a similar pattern of ORs in Coleoptera emerged. Two evident expanded clades in Hycleus (Groups 5A and 3) were reconstructed in the phylogenetic tree. Four of eight genes with evidence of positive selection were clustered in the expanded clades of Group 5A. Three, eight and three orthologous pairs of CO2, sugar and fructose receptors, respectively, were identified in both blister beetles. Two evident expanded clades of putative bitter GRs in Hycleus were also found, and the GR in one clade had notably low divergence. Interestingly, IR41a was specifically expanded in blister beetles compared to other insects identified to date, and IR75 was also clearly expanded in both blister beetles based on our phylogenetic tree analysis. Moreover, evidence of positive selection was detected for eight ORs, three GRs and two IRs, half of which were from five duplicate clades.

Conclusions

We first annotated the chemosensory receptor families in a pair of sister beetle genomes (Meloidae: Hycleus), which facilitated evolutionary analysis of chemosensory receptors between sibling species in the Coleoptera group. Our analysis suggests that changes in chemosensory receptors have a possible role in chemical-based species evolution in blister beetles. Future studies should include more species to verify this correlation, which will help us understand the evolution of blister beetles.
Circular DNA intermediates in the generation of large human segmental duplications
Authors: Chicote Javier U. , López-Sánchez Marcos , Marquès-Bonet Tomàs , Callizo José , Pérez-Jurado Luis A. , García-España Antonio
Published: August 2020

Background

Duplications of large genomic segments provide genetic diversity in genome evolution. Despite their importance, how these duplications are generated remains uncertain, particularly for distant duplicated genomic segments.

Results

Here we provide evidence of the participation of circular DNA intermediates in the single generation of some large human segmental duplications. A specific reversion of sequence order from A-B/C-D to B-A/D-C between duplicated segments and the presence of only microhomologies and short indels at the evolutionary breakpoints suggest a circularization of the donor ancestral locus and an accidental replicative interaction with the acceptor locus.

Conclusions

This novel mechanism of random genomic mutation could explain several distant genomic duplications including some of the ones that took place during recent human evolution.
Biodegradation of atrazine and ligninolytic enzyme production by basidiomycete strains
Authors: Henn Caroline , Monteiro Diego Alves , Boscolo Mauricio , da Silva Roberto , Gomes Eleni
Published: August 2020

Background

Atrazine is one of the most widespread chlorinated herbicides, leaving large bulks in soils and groundwater. The biodegradation of atrazine by bacteria is well described, but many aspects of the fungal metabolism of this compound remain unclear. Thus, we investigated the toxicity and degradation of atrazine by 13 rainforest basidiomycete strains.

Results

In liquid medium, Pluteus cubensis SXS320, Gloelophyllum striatum MCA7, and Agaricales MCA17 removed 30, 37, and 38%, respectively, of initial 25 mg L− 1 of the herbicide within 20 days. Deficiency of nitrogen drove atrazine degradation by Pluteus cubensis SXS320; this strain removed 30% of atrazine within 20 days in a culture medium with 2.5 mM of N, raising three metabolites; in a medium with 25 mM of N, only 21% of initial atrazine were removed after 40 days, and two metabolites appeared in culture extracts. This is the first report of such different outcomes linked to nitrogen availability during the biodegradation of atrazine by basidiomycetes. The herbicide also induced synthesis and secretion of extracellular laccases by Datronia caperata MCA5, Pycnoporus sanguineus MCA16, and Polyporus tenuiculus MCA11. Laccase levels produced by of P. tenuiculus MCA11 were 13.3-fold superior in the contaminated medium than in control; the possible role of this enzyme on atrazine biodegradation was evaluated, considering the strong induction and the removal of 13.9% of the herbicide in vivo. Although 88% of initial laccase activity remained after 6 h, no evidence of in vitro degradation was observed, even though ABTS was present as mediator.

Conclusions

This study revealed a high potential for atrazine biodegradation among tropical basidiomycete strains. Further investigations, focusing on less explored ligninolytic enzymes and cell-bound mechanisms, could enlighten key aspects of the atrazine fungal metabolism and the role of the nitrogen in the process.
Searching for Programme theories for a realist evaluation: a case study comparing an academic database search and a simple Google search
Authors: Coleman Susanne , Wright Judy M. , Nixon Jane , Schoonhoven Lisette , Twiddy Maureen , Greenhalgh Joanne
Published: August 2020

Background

Realist methodologies are increasingly being used to evaluate complex interventions in health and social care. Programme theory (ideas and assumptions of how a particular intervention works) development is the first step in a realist evaluation or a realist synthesis, with literature reviews providing important evidence to support this. Deciding how to search for programme theories is challenging and there is limited guidance available. Using an example of identifying programme theories for a realist evaluation of Pressure Ulcer Risk Assessment Instruments in clinical practice, the authors explore and compare several different approaches to literature searching and highlight important methodological considerations for those embarking on a programme theory review.

Methods

We compared the performance of an academic database search with a simple Google search and developed an optimised search strategy for the identification primary references (i.e. documents providing the clearest examples of programme theories) associated with the use of Pressure Ulcer Risk Assessment Instruments (PU-RAIs). We identified the number of primary references and the total number of references retrieved per source. We then calculated the number needed to read (NNR) expressed as the total number of titles and abstracts screened to identify one relevant reference from each source.

Results

The academic database search (comprising CINAHL, The Cochrane Library, EMBASE, HMIC, Medline) identified 2 /10 primary references with a NNR of 1395.The Google search identified 7/10 primary references with a NNR of 10.1. The combined NNR was 286.3. The optimised search combining Google and CINAHL identified 10/10 primary references with a NNR of 40.2.

Conclusion

The striking difference between the efficiency of the review’s academic database and Google searches in finding relevant references prompted an in-depth comparison of the two types of search. The findings indicate the importance of including grey literature sources such as Google in this particular programme theory search, while acknowledging the need for transparency of methods. Further research is needed to facilitate improved guidance for programme theory searches to enhance practice in the realist field and to save researcher time and therefore resource.
Performance of the Framingham coronary heart disease risk score for predicting 10-year cardiac risk in adult United Arab Emirates nationals without diabetes: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Al-Shamsi Saif
Published: August 2020

Background

Primary prevention guidelines recommend the use of the Framingham risk score (FRS) to estimate the 10-year coronary heart disease (CHD) risk in patients without diabetes for statin eligibility. However, the FRS model has never been validated in an Arab population. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the clinical performance of the FRS model for predicting 10-year CHD risk in adult United Arab Emirates (UAE) nationals without diabetes.

Methods

This 10-year retrospective cohort study included patients from the primary care clinics and outpatient specialty departments of a large tertiary care hospital in Al-Ain, UAE. They were aged 30–79 without a baseline history of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The FRS for each subject was calculated. Follow-up data on hard CHD (hCHD) events (myocardial infarction or coronary death) for each participant were collected from the baseline visit in 2008 until December 31, 2019. The area under the time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUROC) was used to assess the FRS model discrimination. Calibration was measured by using the Hosmer-Lemeshow χ2 test and the calibration curve. The optimal cutoff-point for hCHD risk prediction was determined by ROC curve analysis.

Results

A total of 554 participants were included. The mean age was 48.0 ± 12.8 years and 45% were men. The mean predicted FRS of the study cohort was 5.2% and approximately 7% were classified as high-risk (≥ 20% threshold) by the FRS model. During a median follow-up of 10.2 years (interquartile range, 7.8–11.0 years), 26 hCHD events occurred. The FRS model displayed reasonably good discrimination (time-dependent AUROC value: 0.83) and calibration in predicting hCHD (Hosmer-Lemeshow χ2 statistic 11.2, P = 0.191). Applying the 20% high-risk threshold, the FRS model had a sensitivity of only 37% in identifying patients at high-risk for an hCHD event over 10 years. While a 7.5% optimal cutoff-point improved the sensitivity to 74%.

Conclusions

The FRS can be used in the prediction of coronary risk among UAE nationals without diabetes, however, the recommended hCHD risk threshold for statin eligibility may be too high. Lowering the cutoff-point to 7.5% could improve the identification of patients for preventive treatment.