bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Language in the information-seeking context
Authors: Sabbar Carol , Xie Iris
Published: December 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to specifically investigate information seeking strategies that are used by scholars in the USA conducting research in languages other than English and the types of shifts that scholars make between strategies in planned, disruptive, and problematic situations.

Design/methodology/approach

– Interviews and research diaries were employed to gather information from 16 subjects using seven different languages across seven disciplines. Grounded theory and the constant comparative method were used to analyze types of strategies and types of shifts between strategies.

Findings

– This study identified four formal system strategies, seven informal resource strategies, four interactive human strategies, and one hybrid strategy. Subjects in the study selected informal resource and interactive human strategies more often as initial strategies while informal resource strategies are used as final strategies. Moreover, the findings presented a variety of shifts between strategies in planned, disruptive, and problematic situations.

Research limitations/implications

– Theoretically, this study introduces a new conceptual model – the information triangle – which facilitates the classification of strategies used by scholars throughout an information seeking task as well as the characterization of the shifts between strategies. Practically, this paper discusses implications for system designers, publishers, and support providers to better meet the needs of this specific group. A primary limitation is related to isolating the variables of language, culture, and geography from other possible factors such as domain knowledge, system knowledge, or limitations of the systems being used.

Originality/value

– This study fills a gap in current research in relation to how language plays a role in the selection of and shifts between information seeking strategies used by scholars who rely on sources that are not in English.
The functional requirements for community information
Authors: Hider Philip
Published: December 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to consider the nature of community information (CI) and proposes a data model, based on the entity-relationship approach adopted in the Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR), which may assist with the development of future metadata standards for CI systems.

Design/methodology/approach

– The two main data structure standards for CI, namely the element set developed by the Alliance of Information and Referral Systems (AIRS) and the MARC21 Format for CI, are compared by means of a mapping exercise, after which an entity-relationship data model is constructed, at a conceptual level, based on the definitions of CI found in the literature.

Findings

– The AIRS and MARC21 data structures converge to a fair degree, with MARC21 providing for additional detail in several areas. However, neither structure is systematically and unambiguously defined, suggesting the need for a data model. An entity-relationship data modelling approach, similar to that taken in FRBR, yielded a model that could be used as the basis for future standards development and research. It was found to effectively cover both the AIRS and MARC21 element sets.

Originality/value

– No explicit data model exists for CI, and there has been little discussion reported about what data elements are required to support CI seeking.
Relaxing effect of a new ruthenium complex nitric oxide donor on airway smooth muscle of an experimental model of asthma in rats
Authors: Castro Patrícia Ferreira da Silva , de Andrade Daniela Lobo , Reis Carolina de Fátima , Costa Sérgio Henrique Nascente , Batista Aline Carvalho , da Silva Roberto Santana , Rocha Matheus Lavorenti
Published: December 2015

NO is a potent bronchodilator and NO‐donor compounds have demonstrated clinical significance for obstructive airway diseases. This study evaluated the relaxation mechanisms of two NO donors, a ruthenium compound (TERPY), and sodium nitroprusside (SNP), in rat tracheas with ovalbumin‐induced asthma (OVA group) and in another control group. The effect of TERPY and SNP was evaluated in tracheal rings in an isolated organ chamber. The contribution of K+ channels, sGC/cGMP pathway, phosphodiesterases, and extra and intracellular Ca2+ sources were analyzed. The TERPY and SNP‐induced tracheal smooth muscle relaxation in both groups. However, the maximum effect induced by TERPY was higher than that of SNP in both control (110.2 ± 3.2% vs 68.3 ± 3.1%, P < 0.001) and OVA groups (106.1 ± 1.5% vs 49.9 ± 2.7%, P < 0.001). In the control group, TERPY relaxation was induced by the activation of K+ channels and reduction of the calcium influx, while in the OVA group, these same effects were also brought about by TERPY, but with participation of the sGC/cGMP pathway. In both groups, SNP‐induced relaxation occurred through the activation of K+ channels, sGC/cGMP pathway and reduction of calcium influx. However, the activation of sGC pathway and reticular Ca2+‐ATPase seemed to be reduced in the OVA group. Furthermore, TERPY is capable of reversing the contraction of carbachol in asthmatic bronchioles. Finally, TERPY and SNP relaxation mechanisms were modified by asthma. SNP presented less relaxation than TERPY, which induced full relaxation with greater participation of K+ and Ca2+ fluxes through the membrane, thereby making TERPY a promising drug for reversing the narrowing of airways.
Value‐enhancing Learning from Industry‐wide Diversification Experience
Authors: Nguyen Thang , Cai Charlie X.
Published: December 2015

Diversification is an important strategic decision and a rare event. By definition, when undertaking a new diversification, a firm will not have direct internal experience of the venture. In this regard, external experience of similar diversifications provides a valuable lesson pool for the focal manager. While there are many studies of internal learning in organizational learning literature, research on external learning is still scarce. This paper proposes a theoretical framework for external experiential learning and applies it to a study of the effect of industry experience on diversification value. It reports the novel finding of a cubic relationship between external learning from industry experience and diversification value. This indicates that industry experience matters to the outcomes of strategic decisions, but that the effect of this external experience on learning is conditional upon certain characteristics of the experience: namely, specificity and heterogeneity.
A Wider Range of Friends: Multi‐speed Organising during the 2015 Labour Leadership Contest
Authors: Garland Jessica
Published: December 2015

The British Labour party's recent adoption of a partially open primary for the selection of its leader conforms to a trend seen across many European political parties of increasing rights and privileges in internal party decision‐making and expanding opportunities for more loosely affiliated supporters to participate in party activity. This dual trend can be seen as a response to changes in the membership environment, greater individualisation of political participation and growth in social movement politics and online activism. Yet as much as parties are responding to a changed membership environment, they are also driving that change, increasingly blurring the distinction between members and supporters. This article examines the recent impact of this change within the British Labour party and argues that, in line with Susan Scarrow's theory of ‘multi‐speed’ membership, the Labour party's experiment in expanding affiliation options has led directly to a tension in locating the source of authority within the party, creating a challenge for its new leader in accommodating his new supporters within his party's representative traditions.
Curving the social, or, why antagonistic rituals in Brazil are variations on a theme
Authors: Shapiro Matan
Published: December 2015

What can we learn about religious diversity in Brazil if we isolate ritual practices from their sociocultural surround? Using vocabulary developed by Don Handelman in his framework of ‘ritual in its own right’, I discuss this question in the context of low‐income Northeast Brazil. I demonstrate that Afro‐Brazilian possession rites and Christian‐Evangelical prayers (oração) transform the lives of the persons who practise them in ways that are intrinsic to their self‐organization, internal complexity, and differentiating ‘curves’. I consequently argue that these rites are not representations of antagonistic moral prescriptions for good living but rather variations on a single theme of sociality.
Risk of postnatal depression or suicide after in vitro fertilisation treatment: a nationwide case–control study
Authors: Vikström J , Sydsjö G , Hammar M , Bladh M , Josefsson A
Published: December 2015

Objective

To examine whether women who undergo in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment are at greater risk of postnatal suicide or postnatal depression (PND) requiring psychiatric care, compared with women who conceive spontaneously.

Design

Case–control study using data from national registers.

Setting

Sweden during the period 2003–2009.

Population

Cases were 3532 primiparous women who had given birth following IVF treatment. An aged‐matched control group of 8553 mothers was randomly selected from the medical birth register.

Methods

Logistic regression analyses were performed with PND as the outcome, and with known risk factors of PND as well as IVF/spontaneous birth as covariates.

Main outcome measures

Postnatal depression (PND), defined as diagnoses F32–F39 of the tenth edition of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD–10), within 12 months of childbirth.

Results

Initial analyses showed that PND was more common in the control group than in the IVF group (0.8 versus 0.4%; P = 0.04); however, these differences disappeared when confounding factors were controlled for. A history of any psychiatric illness (P = 0.000; odds ratio, OR = 25.5; 95% confidence interval, 95% CI = 11.7–55.5), any previous affective disorder (P = 0.000; OR = 26.0; 95% CI = 10.5–64.0), or specifically a personality disorder (P = 0.028; OR = 3.8; 95% CI = 1.2–12.7) increased the risk of PND. No woman in either group committed suicide during the first year after childbirth.

Conclusions

Whereas mothers who receive IVF treatment are not at increased risk of PND, the risk is increased among mothers with a history of mental illness.

Tweetable abstract

A Swedish study on 3532 women showed that IVF treatment does not increase the risk of postnatal depression.
Effects of Advice on Effectiveness and Efficiency of Tax Planning Tasks
Authors: Pinto Odette M.
Published: December 2015

Supervisory advice is generally given to tax professionals in public accounting firms before they commence tax planning tasks. The objectives of giving advice are to achieve effectiveness and efficiency in tax planning, as well as for training tax professionals. An experiment with 54 tax professionals, from accounting firms across Canada, was conducted to determine the effects of supervisory advice on effectiveness and efficiency in performing tax planning tasks of different complexity. Advice results in lower effectiveness in lower‐complexity tasks, as evidenced by more technically inadequate tax plans, signs of confusion and overdetermined solutions (i.e., unnecessary information in the tax plans). In higher‐complexity cases, the results suggest a limited improvement in effectiveness, as evidenced by more technically adequate plans, but at a cost of limiting insightful judgment. On the other hand, advice results in limited gains in efficiency for both the lower and higher‐complexity tasks. This study extends the advice and tax literatures by investigating the role of advice in the performance of tax planning tasks of different complexity, which has not been examined in other research. This study also contributes to tax practice, as public accounting firms should consider the limited gains in efficiency with the decrease in effectiveness for lower‐complexity tasks and the potential to limit insightful judgment for higher complexity tasks. The results of this study suggest that firms face trade‐offs in achieving efficiency, effectiveness and the training objective.
Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles for MR imaging of pancreatic cancer: Potential for early diagnosis through targeted strategies
Authors: Zhang Chongjie , Yan Yuzhong , Zou Qi , Chen Jie , Li Chunsheng
Published: December 2015

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION)‐based magnetic resonance imaging is a powerful, noninvasive tool in biomedical imaging. The recent embedding of SPIO in nanoencapsulations that had different controllable surface properties has now made it possible to use SPIO in the imaging of metabolic processes. The two major issues to realize maximized and selective SPIO cancer targeting are the minimization of macrophage uptake and the preferential binding to cancerous cells over healthy neighbor cells. The utility of SPIO has been shown in clinical applications using a series of marketed SPION‐based contrast agents. Applications have ranged from detecting inflammatory diseases to the specific identification of cell surface markers expressed on tumors. This review focuses on iron‐oxide‐based nanoparticles, to include the physiochemical properties of SPION surface engineering and its synthetic methods as well as SPIO imaging applications and specifically targeted SPIO conjugates (e.g. targeted probes) for labeling cancerous, cell‐surface molecules. As a specific application of this technology, we discuss its use in the imaging of pancreatic duct adenocarcinoma in addition to its potential for use in early diagnosis through targeted strategies.
Exploratory analysis of early treatment discontinuation and clinical outcomes of patients with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder
Authors: Wu Sheng Hu , Wang Ke , Chen Yun , Wang Wan Qi , Wang Fan , Montgomery William , Treuer Tamas
Published: December 2015

Introduction

This post‐hoc analysis was to investigate the impact of treatment discontinuation on clinical outcomes in patients with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Methods

Data are from a 12‐month, observational, multinational study that included outpatients aged 6–17 years who were diagnosed with ADHD and treated with atomoxetine, methylphenidate, or nootropic agents. Treatment effectiveness and proportions of patients who discontinued treatment were compared between China and the other non‐Western countries/regions combined. Propensity score matching was used to further estimate the association between treatment discontinuation and effectiveness.

Results

Of the 546 patients who entered the study, 337 patients had complete data and were included in the analyses. Compared with the other countries/regions, China subgroup had a higher treatment discontinuation rate (odds ratio = 25.80; P < 0.0001) and poorer treatment effectiveness: least‐squares (LS) mean changes were 5.74 versus 8.56 (P = 0.0225) for the Child Health and Illness Profile‐Child Edition (CHIP‐CE) Achievement domain and −1.87 versus −2.13 (P = 0.0401) for Clinical Global Impressions‐ADHD‐Severity (CGI‐ADHD‐S). Further analyses of matched discontinuer–maintainer pairs showed that discontinuers demonstrated poorer effectiveness: LS mean changes for the CHIP‐CE Achievement domain and CGI‐ADHD‐S (discontinuer versus maintainer) were 5.36 versus 9.10 (P = 0.0255) and −1.32 versus −1.96 (P = 0.0179) for overall population, respectively, and 4.40 versus 10.17 (P = 0.0065) and −1.48 versus −2.45 (P = 0.0089), respectively, for China subgroup.

Discussion

This analysis found that early treatment discontinuation was associated with worse clinical outcomes for patients with ADHD. China subgroup had substantially higher discontinuation rates and poorer effectiveness outcomes. Strategies to improve medication persistence have the potential to improve outcomes for ADHD patients in China.
Lead Isotope Analysis of Pewter Mounts from the Viking Ship Burial at Gokstad: on the Origin and Use of Raw Materials
Authors: Pedersen U. , Andersen T. , Simonsen S. , Erambert M.
Published: December 2015

Lead isotope analysis was combined with an investigation of style and technology in a study of pewter mounts from the Viking ship burial at Gokstad, Norway. The different methods reinforced one another and yielded a detailed picture of a ninth‐century working process, demonstrating the potential of applying lead isotope analysis to artefact studies independent of the question of provenance. They provided evidence of the mounts being produced as a set, and signs of mixing demonstrate that it is important to be cautious when discussing provenance. England and Melle, France are indicated to be the most likely origin of the lead.
A Cephalometric Study of the Sella Turcica in a 7–13‐Year‐Old Group: A Proposal for Age Estimation in Badly Preserved Sub‐Adult Skeletal Remains
Authors: Gibelli D. M. , Cerutti E. , Spagnoli L. , De Angelis D. , Mattia M. , Zago M. , Cattaneo C. , Sforza C.
Published: December 2015

Age estimation is a relevant field of application in archaeology, which is often limited by the fragmentation of recovered skeletal remains. There is therefore an urgent need for the development of novel methods. A potentially useful bone district is the sella turcica. The aim of this study was to evaluate the metrical standards of three different measurements of the sella turcica (length, depth and diameter) in 177 lateral cephalometric radiograms belonging to male and female individuals aged between 7 and 13 years, in order to find standards useful for age estimation. The results were evaluated by two‐way ANOVA. There was no significant interaction between sex and age in any variable. The linear regression model fitted to the age and diameter measurements yielded the following equation: age (years) = 4.14*diameter (cm) + 5.76. Slope and intercept 95% CIs were, respectively, 4.64–7.61 years per centimetre and 2.34–5.28 years. The relevant coefficient of determination was R2 = 0.15, while the root mean square error was 1.74 years. The present results provide a novel method that is useful for the age estimation of skeletal remains recovered in archaeological contexts: further studies are needed in order to improve the method on a larger sample.
The Moral Reasoning of U.S. Evangelical and Mainline Protestant Children, Adolescents, and Adults: A Cultural–Developmental Study
Authors: Jensen Lene Arnett , McKenzie Jessica
Published: December 2015

This cultural–developmental interview study examined moral reasoning in relation to religious culture (evangelical, mainline Protestants), age (children, adolescents, adults), and moral issue (public, private; N = 120). Compared to adolescents and adults, children used more Ethic of Autonomy and less Ethic of Community reasoning. With age, differences between religious cultures became pronounced. Mainline adults invoked an Ethic of Divinity for private issues. Evangelical adolescents and adults used this ethic frequently, but more for public than private issues. These and other findings indicate that evangelical and mainline Protestants diverge on what should be society's moral lingua franca, and cast new and nuanced light on America's “culture wars.” Results furthermore highlight comodulation of development and culture that requires life course research on moral reasoning.
What Could You Really Learn on Your Own?: Understanding the Epistemic Limitations of Knowledge Acquisition
Authors: Lockhart Kristi L. , Goddu Mariel K. , Smith Eric D. , Keil Frank C.
Published: December 2015

Three studies explored the abilities of 205 children (5–11 years) and 74 adults (18–72 years) to distinguish directly versus indirectly acquired information in a scenario where an individual grew up in isolation from human culture. Directly acquired information is knowledge acquired through firsthand experience. Indirectly acquired information is knowledge that requires input from others. All children distinguished directly from indirectly acquired knowledge (Studies 1–3), even when the indirectly acquired knowledge was highly familiar (Study 2). All children also distinguished difficult‐to‐acquire direct knowledge from simple‐to‐acquire direct knowledge (Study 3). The major developmental change was the increasing ability to completely rule out indirect knowledge as possible for an isolated individual to acquire.
Relationship between sputum clusterin levels and childhood asthma
Authors: Sol I. S. , Kim Y. H. , Park Y. A. , Lee K. E. , Hong J. Y. , Kim M. N. , Kim Y. S. , Oh M. S. , Yoon S. H. , Kim M. J. , Kim K. W. , Sohn M. H. , Kim K. E.
Published: December 2015

Background

Clusterin is a sensitive cellular biosensor of oxidative stress and has been studied as a biomarker for inflammation‐associated diseases. Clusterin levels in childhood asthma have not been evaluated.

Objectives

(1) To evaluate sputum clusterin levels in children with asthma compared to a control group. (2) To assess the relationships between sputum clusterin levels and airway inflammation, pulmonary function, and bronchial hyperresponsiveness.

Methods

This study included 170 children aged 5–18 years with stable asthma (n = 91), asthma exacerbation (n = 29), or no asthma (healthy controls; n = 50). Induced sputum, pulmonary function, and methacholine challenge tests were performed. Stable asthma was classified into two groups according to the severity. Clusterin levels in sputum were measured using an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay.

Results

Children with stable asthma had a higher clusterin level than healthy controls [4540 (3872–5651) pg/mL vs. 3857 (1054–4369) pg/mL, P < 0.001]. The clusterin level was also more elevated in eosinophil‐dominant sputum than in non‐eosinophilic sputum in stable asthma [5094 (4243–6257) pg/mL vs. 4110 (1871–4839) pg/mL, P = 0.0017]. Clusterin levels were associated with asthma severity. Paradoxically, clusterin levels were lower during asthma exacerbation than in stable asthma [1838 (350–4790] pg/mL vs. 4540 (3872–5651) pg/mL, P < 0.001]. Clusterin levels were strongly correlated with the methacholine concentration that caused a 20% decrease in the forced expiratory volume in 1 s (r = −0.617, P < 0.001); there was no significant correlation between clusterin levels and other pulmonary function parameters.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance

Clusterin levels were altered in children with stable asthma and asthma exacerbation because of its antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory effects. Clusterin may be a marker that reflects airway inflammation and severity of symptoms, and it can be used in the assessment and management of childhood asthma.
The role of IgE recognition in allergic reactions to amoxicillin and clavulanic acid
Authors: Torres M. J. , Montañez M. I. , Ariza A. , Salas M. , Fernandez T. D. , Barbero N. , Mayorga C. , Blanca M.
Published: December 2015

Betalactam (BL) antibiotics are the drugs most frequently involved in IgE‐mediated reactions. The culprit BL varies according to consumption patterns, with amoxicillin (AX) more prevalent in Southern Europe and penicillin V in Scandinavian countries. Nowadays, the combination of AX and clavulanic acid (CLV) is the most highly consumed BL containing medicine worldwide. Both BLs, AX and CLV, can independently be involved in reactions, which poses a diagnostic challenge. In patients with immediate allergic reactions to AX, two patterns of responses have been described, those responding to benzylpenicillin (cross‐reactors) and those selective to AX. In addition, selective reactions to CLV account for around 30% of allergic reactions to the combination AX‐CLV. These patterns of IgE recognition could be related to differences in the haptenation process, in the immunological response, or in the BL involved in the first sensitization. In this regard, patients with selective responses to CLV are generally younger than those allergic to AX or benzylpenicillin. So far, no evidence of cross‐reactivity between CLV and other BLs has been reported. This shows the importance of an accurate diagnosis of CLV allergy, as patients with selective reactions to CLV could take other BLs including AX. Diagnosis can be performed in vivo and in vitro, although no immunoassay currently exists. Research regarding the CLV antigenic determinants and protein conjugates is essential to improve diagnosis. BLs need to covalently bind to a carrier protein to be immunogenic. The antigenic determinant of AX is the amoxicilloyl amide, but CLV leads to unstable structures, many of which are unknown. Moreover, the nature of the BL–protein conjugates plays an important role in IgE recognition. This review aims to summarize current knowledge on the immunochemistry, diagnostic approaches as well as chemical and proteomic studies for both AX and CLV.
Preclinical Assessment of Inflammatory Pain
Authors: Muley Milind M. , Krustev Eugene , McDougall Jason J.
Published: December 2015

While acute inflammation is a natural physiological response to tissue injury or infection, chronic inflammation is maladaptive and engenders a considerable amount of adverse pain. The chemical mediators responsible for tissue inflammation act on nociceptive nerve endings to lower neuronal excitation threshold and sensitize afferent firing rate leading to the development of allodynia and hyperalgesia, respectively. Animal models have aided in our understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms responsible for the generation of chronic inflammatory pain and allowed us to identify and validate numerous analgesic drug candidates. Here we review some of the commonly used models of skin, joint, and gut inflammatory pain along with their relative benefits and limitations. In addition, we describe and discuss several behavioral and electrophysiological approaches used to assess the inflammatory pain in these preclinical models. Despite significant advances having been made in this area, a gap still exists between fundamental research and the implementation of these findings into a clinical setting. As such we need to characterize inherent pathophysiological pathways and develop new endpoints in these animal models to improve their predictive value of human inflammatory diseases in order to design safer and more effective analgesics.
NS383 Selectively Inhibits Acid‐Sensing Ion Channels Containing 1a and 3 Subunits to Reverse Inflammatory and Neuropathic Hyperalgesia in Rats
Authors: Munro Gordon , Christensen Jeppe K. , Erichsen Helle K. , Dyhring Tino , Demnitz Joachim , Dam Eva , Ahring Philip K.
Published: December 2015

Aims

Here, we investigate the pharmacology of NS383, a novel small molecule inhibitor of acid‐sensing ion channels (ASICs).

Methods

ASIC inhibition by NS383 was characterized in patch‐clamp electrophysiological studies. Analgesic properties were evaluated in four rat behavioral models of pain.

Results

NS383 inhibited H+‐activated currents recorded from rat homomeric ASIC1a, ASIC3, and heteromeric ASIC1a+3 with IC50 values ranging from 0.61 to 2.2 μM. However, NS383 was completely inactive at homomeric ASIC2a. Heteromeric receptors containing AISC2a, such as ASIC1a+2a and ASIC2a+3, were only partially inhibited, presumably as a result of stoichiometry‐dependent binding. NS383 (10–60 mg/kg, i.p.), amiloride (50–200 mg/kg, i.p.), acetaminophen (100–400 mg/kg, i.p.), and morphine (3–10 mg/kg, i.p.) all dose‐dependently attenuated nocifensive behaviors in the rat formalin test, reversed pathological inflammatory hyperalgesia in complete Freund's adjuvant‐inflamed rats, and reversed mechanical hypersensitivity in the chronic constriction injury model of neuropathic pain. However, in contrast to acetaminophen and morphine, motor function was unaffected by NS383 at doses at least 8‐fold greater than those that were effective in pain models, whilst analgesic doses of amiloride were deemed to be toxic.

Conclusions

NS383 is a potent and uniquely selective inhibitor of rat ASICs containing 1a and/or 3 subunits. It is well tolerated and capable of reversing pathological painlike behaviors, presumably via peripheral actions, but possibly also via actions within central pain circuits.
Stress and the Microbiota–Gut–Brain Axis in Visceral Pain: Relevance to Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Authors: Moloney Rachel D. , Johnson Anthony C. , O'Mahony Siobhain M. , Dinan Timothy G. , Greenwood‐Van Meerveld Beverley , Cryan John F.
Published: December 2015

Visceral pain is a global term used to describe pain originating from the internal organs of the body, which affects a significant proportion of the population and is a common feature of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). While IBS is multifactorial, with no single etiology to completely explain the disorder, many patients also experience comorbid behavioral disorders, such as anxiety or depression; thus, IBS is described as a disorder of the gut–brain axis. Stress is implicated in the development and exacerbation of visceral pain disorders. Chronic stress can modify central pain circuitry, as well as change motility and permeability throughout the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. More recently, the role of the gut microbiota in the bidirectional communication along the gut–brain axis, and subsequent changes in behavior, has emerged. Thus, stress and the gut microbiota can interact through complementary or opposing factors to influence visceral nociceptive behaviors. This review will highlight the evidence by which stress and the gut microbiota interact in the regulation of visceral nociception. We will focus on the influence of stress on the microbiota and the mechanisms by which microbiota can affect the stress response and behavioral outcomes with an emphasis on visceral pain.
Hearing in school‐aged children with trisomy 21 – results of a longitudinal cohort study in children identified at birth
Authors: Yaneza M.M.C. , Hunter K. , Irwin S. , Kubba H.
Published: December 2015

Objectives

To report the prevalence of hearing problems and the hearing sequelae in school‐aged children with trisomy 21 in a longitudinal study.

Design

All children with trisomy 21 were identified via schools, community‐based child development centres, general practitioners, or the universal newborn hearing screen. Audiological data and otorhinolaryngological problems were prospectively entered in to the Audiological Surveillance Programme database from each visit.

Setting

Retrospective review of the Audiological Surveillance Programme database in the Glasgow area (United Kingdom) of all children reviewed between 2004 and 2012.

Participants

All pre‐teenaged children with trisomy 21 of school age (aged 5–12 years old).

Main outcome measures

Hearing thresholds, aetiology of hearing loss and management of hearing loss was determined for the cohort of children.

Results

A total of 102 children were included. Fifty‐four had normal hearing. Twenty‐six had fluctuating otitis media with effusion; five had hearing in normal limits, six were managed with hearing aids, fourteen were managed conservatively, and one had ventilation tube insertion. Fifteen had persistent otitis media with effusion; four had ventilation tube insertion; and nine were managed with hearing aids. Seven had mixed hearing loss with four required hearing aids.

Conclusions

Otitis media with effusion was the commonest cause of hearing impairment; effusions may fluctuate through the pre‐teenaged years, and thus, hearing aids are beneficial. Ventilation tube insertion and bone‐conducting hearing aids were useful when ear‐level hearing aids were not tolerated. Mixed hearing loss occurred in later years as sensorineural hearing loss developed on a background of otitis media with effusion.
IgG subclass profile among anti‐Glutathione S‐transferase T1 antibodies in post‐transplant de novo immune hepatitis
Authors: Aguilera Isabel , Martinez‐Bravo Maria José , Sousa Jose Manuel , Pozo‐Borrego Antonio Jesús , Núñez‐Roldán Antonio
Published: December 2015

Although the pathogenic pathways leading to de novo immune hepatitis (IH) are not completely understood, we have shown strong evidences of an antidonor response against Glutathione S‐transferase T1 (GSTT1), an antigen exclusively expressed in the donor liver. The first sign of this process is the production of GSTT1 antibodies that, in 25% of the cases, will precede de novo IH. Because the presence of the antibodies is not sufficient to trigger the disease, we aimed to study GSTT1 IgG subclasses in a group of 18 liver transplant patients, 12 that developed de novo IH and 6 that remained free of disease. Surprisingly, the predominant subclasses were IgG1‐GSTT1 and IgG4‐GSTT1. The presence of IgG4‐expressing plasma cells was also investigated in 10 available liver biopsies. Six biopsies coinciding with diagnosis showed a mean value of 32.8 IgG4+ plasma cells/hpf vs. 5.55 in patients without the disease. We have not found a distinctive GSTT1‐IgG profile in patients with de novo IH, but the ratio IgG1‐GSTT1/IgG4‐GSTT1 in samples from close to the time of diagnosis seemed to be important. The novel finding of abundant IgG4‐GSTT1 in liver transplantation is intriguing, but their possible role in pathogenesis of de novo IH remains unknown.
EMMPRIN expression is involved in the development of interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy in human kidney allografts
Authors: Kemmner Stephan , Schulte Christian , Hann von Weyhern Claus , Schmidt Roland , Baumann Marcus , Heemann Uwe , Renders Lutz , Schmaderer Christoph
Published: December 2015

Background

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) are involved in the development of interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy (IF/TA) in renal disease. The synthesis of MMP is activated by the extracellular matrix metalloproteinases inducer protein (EMMPRIN). To analyze the role of EMMPRIN in IF/TA, we retrospectively detected EMMPRIN expression in specimens of human renal allografts with various levels of IF/TA.

Methods

Immunohistochemistry was performed to detect EMMPRIN expression. In a retrospective analysis, a total cohort of 50 specimens were divided according to BANFF‐classification into four subgroups (0–3): no, mild (≤25%), moderate (26–50%), or severe (>50%) IF/TA. Among other parameters, renal function was analyzed and compared to EMMPRIN expression.

Results

In 24 of 38 biopsies, we detected positive EMMPRIN staining. All nephrectomy (n = 12) samples were negative for EMMPRIN. Positive staining in the biopsy samples was detectable on the basolateral side of tubular epithelial cells. EMMPRIN staining was negatively correlated with IF/TA (p < 0.001). We found significant differences between the mean EMMPRIN expression in IF/TA groups 0 and 3 (p = 0.021) and groups 1 and 3 (p = 0.004). Furthermore, we found significant correlations between EMMPRIN staining and renal function.

Conclusion

Our data suggest that EMMPRIN is involved in the pathophysiology of IF/TA.
A comparative outcome analysis of incisional hernia repair in patients who underwent liver transplantation vs. those that underwent hepatopancreaticobiliary surgery using the EHS guidelines as a means of comparison
Authors: Lam Hwai‐Ding , Vanlander Aude , Berrevoet Frederik
Published: December 2015

Aim

We retrospectively analyzed incisional hernia (IH) outcomes of liver transplant (LT) vs. hepatopancreaticobiliary (HPB) cases sharing the same incision.

Methods

IH repair patients with a history of LT were compared with those with HPB surgical history sharing the same type of incision and using the European Hernia Society classification and nomenclature for reporting outcome.

Results

Eighty‐two patients (27 HPB and 55 LT) between February 2001 and February 2014 were analyzed. Baseline demographics showed that the LT group had more diabetes and steroid use, but were less physical active. Outcomes showed no differences in wound complication, SSI rate, and recurrence rate (recurrence rate of 11.1% and 16.4% for HPB and LT, respectively). Multivariate analysis showed longer operating time to be a risk factor for both wound complication and SSI. M‐tor inhibitor use was an additional risk factor for SSI. Interval to recurrence was significant longer in the LT group (35 vs. 61 months). Cox analysis showed steroid use, immunosuppression and not using a synthetic mesh as risk factors for recurrence.

Conclusion

Incisional hernia repair with synthetic mesh after liver transplantation does not result in more wound complications, SSI, and recurrences, when compared to patients without immunosuppression.
MicroRNA‐21 (miR‐21) expression in hypothermic machine perfusate may be predictive of early outcomes in kidney transplantation
Authors: Khalid Usman , Ablorsu Elijah , Szabo Laszlo , Jenkins Robert H. , Bowen Timothy , Chavez Rafael , Fraser Donald J.
Published: December 2015

Hypothermic machine perfusion is effective in improving outcome following kidney transplantation. Molecular analyses of hypothermic machine perfusate (HMP) have the potential to identify biomarkers of organ viability prior to transplantation, offering significant advantages to the transplant surgeon, and leading to a potential increase in the organ donor pool. MicroRNAs are emerging as important biomarkers in the context of kidney injury and transplantation. Recent data demonstrate increased microRNA‐21 (miR‐21) expression in the kidney following acute kidney injury. This study investigated the potential of miR‐21 detected in HMP to act as a sentinel for early kidney transplant outcomes. MiR‐21 was found to be readily detectable in HMP by RT‐qPCR. Eleven ECD kidneys were maintained on a hypothermic machine perfusion system for a median 627 (range 117–1027) minutes, and evaluation of flow and resistance characteristics suggested stability on the machine from 60 min post‐perfusion. MiR‐21 quantification at 60 min post‐perfusion correlated with eGFR at 6 and 12 months post‐transplantation. These data suggest that miR‐21 expression in HMP may be predictive of early outcomes following kidney transplantation. In the era of ECD kidneys, a reliable measure of organ quality is urgently needed, and this study suggests miR‐21 may be such a marker.
Big Data for Development: A Review of Promises and Challenges
Authors: Hilbert Martin
Published: December 2015

The article uses a conceptual framework to review empirical evidence and some 180 articles related to the opportunities and threats of Big Data Analytics for international development. The advent of Big Data delivers a cost‐effective prospect for improved decision‐making in critical development areas such as healthcare, economic productivity and security. At the same time, the well‐known caveats of the Big Data debate, such as privacy concerns and human resource scarcity, are aggravated in developing countries by long‐standing structural shortages in the areas of infrastructure, economic resources and institutions. The result is a new kind of digital divide: a divide in the use of data‐based knowledge to inform intelligent decision‐making. The article systematically reviews several available policy options in terms of fostering opportunities and minimising risks.
Economywide Impact of Maize Export Bans on Agricultural Growth and Household Welfare in Tanzania: A Dynamic Computable General Equilibrium Model Analysis
Authors: Diao Xinshen , Kennedy Adam
Published: December 2015

Export bans have been frequently used by developing countries in recent years in an attempt to ensure domestic food supplies and insulate domestic market prices from international price hikes. This article uses Tanzania to examine the impact of export bans using a computable general equilibrium model. We find that banning cross‐border maize exports has very little effect on the national food price index and that the benefits from lower maize prices are captured primarily by urban households, while maize producer prices decrease significantly. The export ban further decreases the wage rate for low‐skilled labour and the returns to land, while returns to non‐agricultural capital and wage rates for skilled labour increase, further hurting poor rural households and thus increasing poverty for the country as a whole.
Good Governance as Managerialism: Rationalisation and International Donors in Vietnam's Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Sector
Authors: Reis Nadine
Published: December 2015

Donors’ appreciation of their relationship with Vietnam as a ‘mature development partnership’ requires explanation. Drawing on Rural Water Supply and Sanitation policy, the article argues that the success of donor collaboration with Vietnam is based on Vietnamese political culture coincidentally aligning with a managerialist ‘world culture’, presently extant in the form of neoliberal ‘good governance’ development orthodoxy. The article shows that Vietnam ‘delivers’ rationalised development policy to international donors through its system of state administration and planning, the implementation of target‐oriented planning and the role of statistics in the policy process. The strength of the ‘darling’ partnership is explained in relation to this cultural dimension of legitimacy creation through the performance of rational development planning and administration.
Probing for Proof, Plausibility, Principle and Possibility: A New Approach to Assessing Evidence in a Systematic Evidence Review
Authors: Rigterink Anouk S. , Schomerus Mareike
Published: December 2015

This article proposes a new approach to assessing evidence during a systematic evidence review aiming to inform international development policy. Drawing lessons from a number of social science systematic evidence reviews, the article identifies how the method's limiting perspective on evidence (including the exclusive focus on ‘gold standard’ empirical information) has serious disadvantages for the usability of evidence reviews for policy. This article aims to provide an alternative framework that allows for a less exclusionary, yet policy‐practical, way of assessing evidence. We propose four perspectives on evidence, appropriate for different stages in the policy process: principle when setting or prioritising broad policy goals, plausibility when assessing specific future policies, proof when evaluating past policies and possibility when striving for innovation and allowing exchange of ideas.
Psychosis: clinical insight and beliefs in immigrants in their first episode
Authors: Berg Akiah Ottesen , Barrett Elizabeth Ann , Nerhus Mari , Büchman Camilla , Simonsen Carmen , Færden Ann , Andreassen Ole A. , Melle Ingrid
Published: December 2015

Aim

Lack of insight into illness is frequent in psychotic disorders and seen as part of their primary pathology. The recognition of symptoms as psychotic, and beliefs about treatment alternatives, is also influenced by socio‐cultural factors. Here we examined clinical insight into illness and beliefs about psychosis in immigrants in their first episode of psychosis compared with a reference group.

Methods

A total of 277 first‐episode psychosis participants were recruited to this cross‐sectional study; 40 first‐ and 40 second‐generation immigrants from Europe, Americas and Oceania (n = 37), Asia including Turkey (n = 28) or Africa (n = 15). The Birchwood Insight Scale was used to measure clinical insight and ‘The Attitudes and Beliefs about Mental Health Problems’ schizophrenia version to assess socio‐cultural beliefs.

Results

Immigrants did not differ from the reference sample in clinical insight. After controlling for education level, first‐generation immigrants were less likely to recognize psychotic symptoms (odds ratio (OR) 2.9; Wald = 8.977, degrees of freedom (d.f.) 1, P = 0.003) and viewed hospitalization (OR 5.2; Wald = 20.388, d.f. 1, P = 0.001) and treatment by a psychiatrist (OR 4.9; Wald = 6.609, d.f. 1, P = 0.01)) as less beneficial than the reference group. Immigrants from Asia held more alternative explanations (OR 0.3; Wald = 6.567, d.f. 1, P = 0.010). There were significantly stronger associations between clinical insight and socio‐cultural beliefs in the reference group.

Conclusions

Socio‐cultural beliefs about psychosis in immigrants in first‐episode psychosis call for more tailored information to this group, and emphasize the importance of treatment interventions involving both a cultural and personal perspective of insight.
Comparison of the affinity and extraction yield of trace amounts of three Cry proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis in contrasting types of soil
Authors: Hung T. P. , Truong L. V. , Binh N. D. , Frutos R. , Quiquampoix H. , Staunton S.
Published: December 2015

The use of insecticidal proteins known as Cry or Bt, either as biopesticides used in agriculture or as vector control or originating from commercial genetically modified crops (GM), is increasing rapidly. The fate of these proteins in the environment depends strongly on their adsorption on the organo–mineral complexes of soil. Environmental monitoring requires the quantification of the proteins and this entails their chemical extraction from soil. Three Cry proteins, Cry1Ac, Cry1C and Cry2A, present in commercial biopesticide formulations or synthesized by GM plants or both were studied. The adsorption of trace amounts of Cry proteins on over 40 types of soil with contrasting properties was measured in dilute suspension. After a short incubation the extraction yield was measured with a previously tested alkaline solution that contained surfactant and another protein. Each of the proteins had a strong affinity for soil. No soil property was observed to determine either the affinity for soil or the extraction yield. There was no simple relation between the affinity (assessed from the distribution coefficient, Kd) and the extraction yield, although there was a significant inverse relation (P < 0.05) for two of the proteins, Cry1Ac and Cry2A. The proteins differ in both their affinity for soil and their extraction yields. We conclude that these insecticidal proteins will be largely immobile in soil, but that routine environmental monitoring can give only semi‐quantitative values for protein in soil.
Epilepsy, seizures, physical exercise, and sports: A report from the ILAE Task Force on Sports and Epilepsy
Authors: Capovilla Giuseppe , Kaufman Kenneth R. , Perucca Emilio , Moshé Solomon L. , Arida Ricardo M.
Published: December 2015

People with epilepsy (PWEs) are often advised against participating in sports and exercise, mostly because of fear, overprotection, and ignorance about the specific benefits and risks associated with such activities. Available evidence suggests that physical exercise and active participation in sports may favorably affect seizure control, in addition to producing broader health and psychosocial benefits. This consensus paper prepared by the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) Task Force on Sports and Epilepsy offers general guidance concerning participation of PWEs in sport activities, and provides suggestions on the issuance of medical fitness certificates related to involvement in different sports. Sports are divided into three categories based on potential risk of injury or death should a seizure occur: group 1, sports with no significant additional risk; group 2, sports with moderate risk to PWEs, but no risk to bystanders; and group 3, sports with major risk. Factors to be considered when advising whether a PWE can participate in specific activities include the type of sport, the probability of a seizure occurring, the type and severity of the seizures, seizure precipitating factors, the usual timing of seizure occurrence, and the person's attitude in accepting some level of risk. The Task Force on Sports and Epilepsy considers this document as a work in progress to be updated as additional data become available.