bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Data rescue archive weather (DRAW)
Authors: Park Eun G. , Burr Gordon , Slonosky Victoria , Sieber Renee , Podolsky Lori
Published: April 2018

Purpose

To rescue at-risk historical scientific data stored at the McGill Observatory, the objectives of the Data Rescue Archive Weather (DRAW) project are: to build a repository; to develop a protocol to preserve the data in weather registers; and to make the data available to research communities and the public. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

The DRAW project adopts an open archive information system compliant model as a conceptual framework for building a digital repository. The model consists of data collection, conversion, data capture, transcription, arrangement, description, data extraction, database design and repository setup.

Findings

A climate data repository, as the final product, is set up for digital images of registers and a database is designed for data storage. The repository provides dissemination of and access to the data for researchers, information professionals and the public.

Research limitations/implications

Doing a quality check is the most important aspect of rescuing historical scientific data to ensure the accuracy, reliability and consistency of data.

Practical implications

The DRAW project shows how the use of historical scientific data has become a key element in research analysis on scientific fields, such as climatology and environmental protection.

Originality/value

The historical climate data set of the McGill Observatory is by nature unique and complex for preservation and research purposes. The management of historical scientific data is a challenge to rescue and describe as a result of its heterogeneous and non-standardized form.
Professional development in private university libraries in Ghana
Authors: Dzandza Patience Emefa , Akussah Harry
Published: April 2018

Purpose

There has been a significant change in the provision of library services due to the application of technology to every aspect of library services. This has posed a major challenge to library staff as they need to be abreast with current technologies and their application to library services. One means by which a librarian can overcome this challenge is through professional development (PD) programs. The purpose of this paper is to determine PD opportunities in private university libraries in Ghana.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional survey of 61 staff and interviews with 20 heads of libraries was conducted to collect data from 25 private universities in Ghana.

Findings

The study revealed that not all library staff in the private universities were allowed to attend PD programs. None of the private universities studied had a policy on PD and only three institutions made budgetary allocation to PD programs. Majority of the private universities did not have in-house PD programs and there were no means of knowledge sharing in most of the libraries studied.

Originality/value

In this paper, the researchers identified the major challenges encountered by library staff in private universities in Ghana and propose that librarians should see PD as a part of their own responsibility while, libraries should have a PD policy and make budgetary allocation toward PD.
WordDriver‐1: evaluating the efficacy of an app‐supported decoding intervention for children with reading impairment
Authors: Seiler Antonette , Leitão Suze , Blosfelds Mara
Published: April 2018

Background

Fluent word reading is a key characteristic of skilled reading, yet most children with reading disorders have impaired word‐reading skills. Previous research has demonstrated that multi‐component interventions targeting phonemic awareness and the alphabetic principle are effective for children with reading disorders. However, about 25% of children fail to respond to these interventions. While it has been difficult to isolate the active ingredient, the findings of some studies suggest that tasks targeting phonological recoding and orthographic processing are essential elements in improving decoding.

Aims

To develop and evaluate an intervention that specifically targets phonological recoding and orthographic processing (a decoding intervention) for children with persistent word‐reading impairment.

Methods & Procedures

A single‐subject crossover design with multiple treatments was used to examine the efficacy of the decoding intervention (15 × 20‐min sessions) compared with a language intervention that controlled for individual therapy time. Eight children (aged 7:6–8:11 years) with persistent word‐reading impairment were randomly assigned to one of two intervention sequences. The effect of the decoding intervention was evaluated by (1) changes in decoding accuracy measured by performance on researcher‐developed non‐word lists; and (2) generalization to other standardized measures of reading.

Outcomes & Results

The results showed that all participants demonstrated significant gains in non‐word reading on researcher‐developed non‐word lists and standardized measures of non‐word‐reading accuracy and efficiency. Trends for improvement on standardized measures of word‐reading efficiency, text‐reading accuracy and reading comprehension were observed.

Conclusions & Implications

This decoding intervention significantly improved non‐word decoding skills in all participants who had not responded to previous reading interventions. As such, it may be an efficient adjunct to the first stage of reading interventions for this population. The relative lack of generalization to other word‐reading skills may have been due to the nature of the outcome measures, the short intervention time and/or additional delays in participant orthographic processing skills.
Routine cervical spine immobilisation is unnecessary in patients with isolated cerebral gunshot wounds: A South African experience
Authors: Kong Victor Y , Weale Ross D , Sartorius Benn , Bruce John L , Laing Grant L , Clarke Damian L
Published: April 2018

Objective

Routine immobilisation of the cervical spine in trauma has been a long established practice. Very little is known in regard to its appropriateness in the specific setting of isolated traumatic brain injury secondary to gunshot wounds (GSWs).

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted over a 5 year period (January 2010 to December 2014) at the Pietermaritzburg Metropolitan Trauma Service, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa in order to determine the actual incidence of concomitant cervical spine injury (CSI) in the setting of isolated cerebral GSWs.

Results

During the 5 year study period, 102 patients were included. Ninety‐two per cent (94/102) were male and the mean age was 29 years. Ninety‐eight per cent of the injuries were secondary to low velocity GSWs. Twenty‐seven (26%) patients had cervical collar placed by the Emergency Medical Service. The remaining 75 patients had their cervical collar placed in the resuscitation room. Fifty‐five (54%) patients had a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) of 15 and underwent plain radiography, all of which were normal. Clearance of cervical spine based on normal radiography combined with clinical assessment was achieved in all 55 (100%) patients. The remaining 47 patients whose GCS was <15 all underwent a computed tomography (CT) scan of their cervical spine and brain. All 47 CT scans of the cervical spine were normal and there was no detectable bone or soft tissue injury noted.

Conclusion

Patients who sustain an isolated low velocity cerebral GSW are highly unlikely to have concomitant CSI. Routine cervical spine immobilisation is unnecessary, and efforts should be directed at management strategies aiming to prevent secondary brain injury. Further studies are required to address the issue in the setting of high velocity GSWs.
Twenty‐five years after: post‐introduction association of Mecinus janthinus s.l. with invasive host toadflaxes Linaria vulgaris and Linaria dalmatica in North America
Authors: Toševski I. , Sing S.E. , De Clerck‐Floate R. , McClay A. , Weaver D.K. , Schwarzländer M. , Krstić O. , Jović J. , Gassmann A.
Published: April 2018

Linaria vulgaris, common or yellow toadflax, and Linaria dalmatica, Dalmatian toadflax (Plantaginaceae), are Eurasian perennial forbs invasive throughout temperate North America. These Linaria species have been the targets of classical biological control programmes in Canada and the USA since the 1960s. The first effective toadflax biological control agent, the stem‐mining weevil Mecinus janthinus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) was introduced from Europe in the 1990s. This weevil has become established on L. dalmatica and L. vulgaris in both countries, although it has shown greater success in controlling the former toadflax species. Genetic and ecological studies of native range M. janthinus populations revealed that weevils previously identified as a single species in fact include two cryptic species, now recognised as M. janthinus, associated with yellow toadflax, and the recently confirmed species Mecinus janthiniformis, associated with Dalmatian toadflax. The results of a comprehensive study characterising haplotype identities, distributions and frequencies within M. janthinus s.l. native range source populations were compared to those populations currently established in the USA and Canada. The presence of both Mecinus species in North America was confirmed, and revealed with a few exceptions a high and consistent level of host fidelity throughout the adopted and native ranges. Genetic analysis based on mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit II gene (mtCOII) defined the origin and records the subsequent North American establishment, by haplotype, of the European founder populations of M. janthinus (northern Switzerland and southern Germany) and M. janthiniformis (southern Macedonia), and provided population genetic indices for the studied populations. This analysis together with existing North American shipment receipt, release and rearing records elucidates probable redistribution routes and sources of both weevil species from initially released and established adopted range populations.
The involvement of phosphorylation of myosin phosphatase targeting subunit 1 (MYPT1) and MYPT1 isoform expression in NO/cGMP mediated differential vasoregulation of cerebral arteries compared to systemic arteries
Authors: Lubomirov L. T. , Papadopoulos S. , Filipova D. , Baransi S. , Todorović D. , Lake P. , Metzler D. , Hilsdorf S. , Schubert R. , Schroeter M. M. , Pfitzer G.
Published: April 2018

Aim

Constitutive release of NO blunts intrinsic and stimulated contractile activity in cerebral arteries (CA). Here, we explored whether phosphorylation and expression levels of the PKG‐sensitive, leucine zipper positive (LZ+) splice variants of the regulatory subunit of myosin phosphatase (MYPT1) are involved and whether its expression is associated with higher cGMP sensitivity.

Methods

Vascular contractility was investigated by wire myography. Phosphorylation of MYPT1 was determined by Western blotting.

Results

Constitutive phosphorylation of MYPT1‐T696 and T853 was lower and that of S695 and S668 was higher in cerebral arteries from the circulus arteriosus (CA‐w) than in femoral arteries (FA), while total MYPT1 expression was not different. In CA‐w but not in FA, L‐NAME lowered phosphorylation of S695/S668 and increased phosphorylation of T696/T853 and of MLC20‐S19, plus basal tone. The increase in basal tone was attenuated in CA‐w and basilar arteries (BA) from heterozygous MYPT1‐T696A/+ mice. Compared to FA, expression of the LZ+‐isoform was ~2‐fold higher in CA‐w coincident with a higher sensitivity to DEA‐NONOate, cinaciguat and Y27632 in BA and 8‐Br‐cGMP (1 μmol/L) in pre‐constricted (pCa 6.1) α‐toxin permeabilized CAs. In contrast, 6‐Bnz‐cAMP (10 μmol/L) relaxed BA and FA similarly by ~80%.

Conclusion

Our results indicate that (i) regulation of the intrinsic contractile activity in CA involves phosphorylation of MYPT1 at T696 and S695/S668, (ii) the higher NO/cGMP/PKG sensitivity of CAs can be ascribed to the higher expression level of the LZ+‐MYPT1 isoform and (iii) relaxation by cAMP/PKA pathway is less dependent on the expression level of the LZ+ splice variants of MYPT1.
Mechanisms underlying blood pressure reduction by dietary inorganic nitrate
Authors: Carlström M. , Lundberg J. O. , Weitzberg E.
Published: April 2018

Nitric oxide (NO) importantly contributes to cardiovascular homeostasis by regulating blood flow and maintaining endothelial integrity. Conversely, reduced NO bioavailability is a central feature during natural ageing and in many cardiovascular disorders, including hypertension. The inorganic anions nitrate and nitrite are endogenously formed after oxidation of NO synthase (NOS)‐derived NO and are also present in our daily diet. Knowledge accumulated over the past two decades has demonstrated that these anions can be recycled back to NO and other bioactive nitrogen oxides via serial reductions that involve oral commensal bacteria and various enzymatic systems. Intake of inorganic nitrate, which is predominantly found in green leafy vegetables and beets, has a variety of favourable cardiovascular effects. As hypertension is a major risk factor of morbidity and mortality worldwide, much attention has been paid to the blood pressure reducing effect of inorganic nitrate. Here, we describe how dietary nitrate, via stimulation of the nitrate‐nitrite‐NO pathway, affects various organ systems and discuss underlying mechanisms that may contribute to the observed blood pressure‐lowering effect.
Necropsy findings of koalas from the Mount Lofty Ranges population in South Australia
Authors: Speight KN , Hicks P , Graham C , Boardman W , Breed WG , Manthorpe E , Funnell O , Woolford L
Published: April 2018

Objective

This study reports necropsy findings of koalas from the Mount Lofty Ranges region in order to identify health threats to this mainland South Australian population.

Methods

Koalas from the Mount Lofty Ranges region (n = 85) that had died or been euthanased on welfare grounds were examined at necropsy during 2012–13 at the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide. Disease findings, approximate age, sex and body condition of koalas were recorded. Histopathological examination was undertaken on gross lesions and in suspect cases, skin scrapings taken for microscopy and PCR performed for Chlamydia pecorum detection.

Results

Traumatic injury was the most common necropsy finding (48/85; 57%), caused by motor vehicle accidents (35/48; 73%), canine attacks (11/48; 23%) or bushfire burns (2/48; 4%). Oxalate nephrosis (27/85; 32%) was also more common than other conditions. Infectious diseases included chlamydiosis (10/85; 12%) and sarcoptic mange (7/85; 8%). Marked testis asymmetry was evident in 11% (6/56) of males, with histopathology suggestive of atrophic change in four animals. Other pathological conditions included gastrointestinal disease (7/85; 8%) and respiratory disease (3/85; 4%). Almost half of the koalas (38/85; 45%) were found to have two or more abnormalities at necropsy.

Conclusion

This study found trauma, mainly from motor vehicle accidents, and oxalate nephrosis to be the predominant causes of death and/or disease in koalas from the Mount Lofty Ranges region. Recent emergence of both clinical chlamydiosis and sarcoptic mange has also occurred, providing insight into the health status and causes of disease or injury in this South Australian mainland koala population.
Invisible megafauna
Authors: Wallach Arian D. , Lundgren Erick J. , Ripple William J. , Ramp Daniel
Published: April 2018

Article impact statement: Incorporating introduced populations into the moral universe of conservation shows the Anthropocene is astoundingly rich in megafauna.
Is trans‐anal total mesorectal excision really safe and better than laparoscopic total mesorectal excision with a perineal approach first in patients with low rectal cancer? A learning curve with case‐matched study in 68 patients
Authors: Mege D. , Hain E. , Lakkis Z. , Maggiori L. , Prost à la Denise J. , Panis Y.
Published: April 2018

Aim

To compare the learning curve for trans‐anal total mesorectal excision (TATME) with laparoscopic TME started by a perineal approach (LTME).

Method

The first 34 consecutive patients who underwent TATME for low rectal cancer were matched with LTME (performed by the same surgeon) for gender, body mass index and chemoradiation.

Results

Thirty‐four patients undergoing TATME (23 men; 58 ± 14 years) were matched with 34 undergoing LTME (23 men; 59 ± 13 years). Intra‐operative complications occurred more frequently during TATME (21%) than LTME (6%), but this difference was not significant (P = 0.07). The complications of TATME included rectal (n = 4), bladder (n = 1) and vaginal (n = 1) injury and bleeding (n = 1). Length of stay and postoperative overall and major morbidities were similar between groups. Early symptomatic anastomotic leakage (AL) occurred in 1/34 TATME and 5/34 LTME (15%; P = 0.02) procedures. Asymptomatic AL occurred in four TATME (12%) and four LTME (12%, P = 1). Thus, the overall rate of AL was 5/34 (15%) for TATME vs 9/34 (26%) for LTME (P = 0.4). No significant difference between the two groups was noted with regard to tumour, number of harvested and positive lymph nodes, R1 resection rate or completeness of the mesorectum. Metastatic recurrence was similar between groups (15% vs 18%, P = 0.7), but follow‐up was shorter after TATME (13 ± 6 months) than after LTME (25 ± 14 months; P < 0.0001).

Conclusion

The TATME learning curve seems to be associated with a significant rate of intra‐operative complications. Because no significant benefit has been reported to date, more evidence is needed before TATME can be considered as a better approach than laparoscopic TME with a perineal approach first in patients with low rectal cancer.
Droplet digital PCR for BCR/ABL(P210) detection of chronic myeloid leukemia: A high sensitive method of the minimal residual disease and disease progression
Authors: Wang Wen‐Jun , Zheng Chao‐Feng , Liu Zhuang , Tan Yan‐Hong , Chen Xiu‐Hua , Zhao Bin‐Liang , Li Guo‐Xia , Xu Zhi‐Fang , Ren Fang‐Gang , Zhang Yao‐Fang , Chang Jian‐Mei , Wang Hong‐Wei
Published: April 2018

Objective

This study intended to establish a droplet digital PCR (dd‐PCR) for monitoring minimal residual disease (MRD) in patients with BCR/ABL (P210)‐positive chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), thereby achieving deep‐level monitoring of tumor load and determining the efficacy for guided clinically individualized treatment.

Methods

Using dd‐PCR and RT‐qPCR, two cell suspensions were obtained from K562 cells and normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells by gradient dilution and were measured at the cellular level. At peripheral blood (PB) level, 61 cases with CML‐chronic phase (CML‐CP) were obtained after tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment and regular follow‐ups. By RT‐qPCR, BCR/ABL (P210) fusion gene was undetectable in PB after three successive analyses, which were performed once every 3 months. At the same time, dd‐PCR was performed simultaneously with the last equal amount of cDNA. Ten CML patients with MR4.5 were followed up by the two methods.

Results

At the cellular level, consistency of results of dd‐PCR and RT‐qPCR reached R2 ≥ 0.99, with conversion equation of Y = 33.148X1.222 (Y: dd‐PCR results; X: RT‐qPCR results). In the dd‐PCR test, 11 of the 61 patients with CML (18.03%) tested positive and showed statistically significant difference (P < .01). In the follow‐up of 10 CML patients who were in MR4.5. All patients were loss of MR4.0, and 4 were tested positive by dd‐PCR 3 months earlier than by RT‐qPCR.

Conclusion

In contrast with RT‐qPCR, dd‐PCR is more sensitive, thus enabling accurate conversion of dd‐PCR results into internationally standard RT‐qPCR results by conversion equation, to achieve a deeper molecular biology‐based stratification of BCR/ABL(P210) MRD. It has some reference value to monitor disease progression in clinic.
Recognition of cyclic‐di‐GMP by a riboswitch conducts translational repression through masking the ribosome‐binding site distant from the aptamer domain
Authors: Inuzuka Saki , Kakizawa Hitoshi , Nishimura Kei‐ichiro , Naito Takuto , Miyazaki Katsushi , Furuta Hiroyuki , Matsumura Shigeyoshi , Ikawa Yoshiya
Published: April 2018

The riboswitch is a class of RNA‐based gene regulatory machinery that is dependent on recognition of its target ligand by RNA tertiary structures. Ligand recognition is achieved by the aptamer domain, and ligand‐dependent structural changes of the expression platform then usually mediate termination of transcription or translational initiation. Ligand‐dependent structural changes of the aptamer domain and expression platform have been reported for several riboswitches with short (<40 nucleotides) expression platforms. In this study, we characterized structural changes of the Vc2 c‐di‐GMP riboswitch that represses translation of downstream open reading frames in a ligand‐dependent manner. The Vc2 riboswitch has a long (97 nucleotides) expression platform, but its structure and function are largely unknown. Through mutational analysis and chemical probing, we identified its secondary structures that are possibly responsible for switch‐OFF and switch‐ON states of translational initiation.
How Aquifer Characteristics of a Watershed Affect Transit Time Distributions of Groundwater
Authors: Abrams Daniel , Haitjema Henk
Published: April 2018

Article Impact Statement: The selection of lumped parameter models for groundwater transit time distributions should consider aquifer characteristics.
Rationale for treatment of hepatitis C virus infection in end‐stage renal disease patients who are not kidney transplant candidates
Authors: Al‐Rabadi Laith , Box Terry , Singhania Girish , Al‐Marji Catreena , Agarwal Adhish , Hall Isaac , Gordon Craig E. , Tran Huy
Published: April 2018

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a common problem in patients treated with maintenance hemodialysis (HD) and is associated with an increased morbidity and mortality and lower quality of life. The major causes of HCV‐associated mortality are liver and cardiovascular‐related death. HCV‐infected HD patients have a higher prevalence of inflammation‐related metabolic and vascular diseases, leading to high rates of cardiovascular mortality in patients with end‐stage renal disease. In the current era of highly effective direct‐acting antiviral regimens, HCV treatment may also confer hepatic, cardiovascular and other morbidity and mortality benefits even to dialysis‐dependent patients who do not qualify for kidney transplantation. Currently, the most accepted regimens in this patient population include elbasvir/grazoprevir and glecaprevir/pibrentasvir
Comparative study of β‐catenin and CD44 immunoexpression in oral lichen planus and squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Zargaran Massoumeh , Baghaei Fahimeh , Moghimbeigi Abbas
Published: April 2018

Background

Dysfunction of adhesion molecules is believed to play an early and important role in developing cancer. Accordingly, this study aims to compare beta‐catenin (β‐catenin) and CD44 expression in oral lichen planus (OLP) as a condition with malignant potential and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).

Methods

β‐Catenin and CD44 expression were evaluated in 15 patients with epithelial hyperplasia (group A), 20 OLP (group B), and 20 OSCC (group C) by immunohistochemistry.

Results

Quantitative and semi‐quantitative evaluations revealed β‐catenin, and CD44 membranous expression had significant differences among the three groups. Expression of these markers in the OSCC group decreased significantly compared to that of the OLP. Also, nuclear/cytoplasmic expression of β‐catenin was significantly different among the three groups, considering that nuclear expression was not observed in any of the epithelial hyperplasia and OLP samples.

Conclusions

According to the findings of this study, β‐catenin and CD44 can differentiate between behavior of OLP and OSCC, while the precancerous nature of OLP and malignant transformation potential of it are not suggested.
Prospective associations of age at complementary feeding and exclusive breastfeeding duration with body mass index at 5–6 years within different risk groups
Authors: Sirkka O. , Vrijkotte T. , Halberstadt J. , Abrahamse‐Berkeveld M. , Hoekstra T. , Seidell J. , Olthof M.
Published: April 2018

Background

Children with overweight or obesity are at risk for developing obesity in adulthood. Certain maternal characteristics, such as ethnicity, education, body mass index (BMI) or neighbourhood, are determinants for childhood overweight risk. There are large variations in how mothers differing in these characteristics feed their infants. Therefore, associations of age at complementary feeding, exclusive breast feeding duration with childhood overweight may differ in these groups. Understanding these associations would be essential to develop overweight prevention strategies.

Objectives

The objective of this study is to study the associations of age at complementary feeding, exclusive breastfeeding duration with BMI‐standard deviation score (SDS) at 5–6 years within risk groups.

Methods

Using data from the Amsterdam Born Children and their Development study, a population‐based birth cohort (n = 4495), we formed groups of children at varying risk of overweight according to maternal characteristics of ethnicity, education, pre‐pregnancy BMI and neighbourhood. Linear and logistic regression analyses were conducted.

Results

Complementary feeding after 5 months of age was associated with lower BMI‐SDS in children of mothers of Dutch ethnicity (B: −0.12; 95% CI: −0.21, −0.04), medium‐level education (−0.19; −0.30, −0.08), normal BMI (−0.08; −0.16, −0.01) and high‐risk neighbourhood (−0.16; −0.29, −0.02). Compared with exclusive breastfeeding for <3 months, exclusive breastfeeding for ≥6 months was associated with lower BMI‐SDS in groups of medium‐level education (−0.28; 0.44, −0.11), normal BMI (−0.18; −0.29, −0.08) and medium‐risk (−0.18; −0.33, −0.04) and high‐risk (−0.22; −0.42, −0.02) neighbourhoods.

Conclusions

Associations between infant feeding practices and childhood BMI may differ between risk groups, implying that overweight prevention strategies should be group‐specific.
A Method for Testing Additivity in Unreplicated Two‐Way Layouts Based on Combining Multiple Interaction Tests
Authors: Shenavari Zahra , Kharrati‐Kopaei Mahmood
Published: April 2018

There are several non‐functional‐form‐based interaction tests for testing additivity in unreplicated two‐way layouts. The distinctness of the various tests in this setting is somewhat unfortunate, as no single test can detect all patterns of possible interaction, and the tests are sensitive to a particular pattern of interaction. Therefore, it is reasonable to combine multiple interaction tests for testing additivity. The main problem is how we can combine multipledependenttests into a single test such that it has an acceptable performance in terms of controlling the type I error rate and maximizing the power. In this paper, we review six methods for combining interaction tests which utilize six different non‐functional‐form‐based interaction tests. We also propose two novel combination methods based on the Jacobi polynomial expansion and the Gaussian copula. We first compare these eight combination methods in terms of controlling the type I error rate via a simulation study. We then compare the six interaction tests and four combination methods in terms of power. The simulation results show that our proposed combination method that is based on the Jacobi polynomial expansion has the best performance in terms of controlling the type I error rate and maximizing the power. Therefore, we recommend this combination method as a test procedure for testing additivity. The major contribution of this work is to provide researchers with a testing approach which leverages many existing methods to detect disparate forms of non‐additivity. This alleviates the need for researchers to naively choose among highly specialized methods by instead allowing for a general approach that captures a number of interaction effects with reasonable power.
Do Employers Prefer Overqualified Graduates? A Field Experiment
Authors: Verhaest Dieter , Bogaert Elene , Dereymaeker Jeroen , Mestdagh Laura , Baert Stijn
Published: April 2018

We test whether employers prefer overqualified to adequately qualified job candidates. To this end, duos of fictitious applications by bachelor's and master's graduates are sent to real job openings with a bachelor's degree as a minimum requirement. For the overall sample, we find that overqualified master's graduates are 19 percent more likely to be directly invited for a job interview and 11 percent more likely to get any positive reaction. This relative advantage for overqualified workers is found to be higher for bottleneck occupations. Relative preferences also differ across employers within labor‐market segments.
Strong and super tough: Layered ceramic‐polymer composites with bio‐inspired morphology
Authors: Pogorelov Evgeny , Tushtev Kamen , Arnebold Andre , Koschek Katharina , Hartwig Andreas , Rezwan Kurosch
Published: April 2018

Bio‐inspired layered ceramic‐polymer composites with high strength and toughness were prepared from sintered aluminum oxide ceramic sheets and cationically curing epoxy resins toughened with poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL). The architecture of the composite is inspired by nacre but is arranged on a larger scale. Ceramic sheets with a nominal thickness of 250 μm were assembled into composite plates by adhesive layers with a nominal thickness of 20 μm. Before the manufacturing of the composites, the stress‐strain properties of the polymer component were tailored by the variation in the PCL content between 0 and 39 wt%. For composites with 4 and 15 ceramic layers, the bending strengths achieved 327 MPa and 376 MPa, which are higher than that of pure ceramic sheets. Moreover, composites with 15 ceramic layers show a 16 times higher toughness compared to that of the pure ceramic sheets. The results indicate that the toughness of the layered composites increases significantly with the number of layers. Inspired by the geometrical ratio of the natural sheet composite nacre, we have achieved a similar strength but a 2 times higher toughness than nacre by only adding up to 6 vol% of the polymer.
Dementia care mapping to support staff in the care of people with intellectual disability and dementia: a feasibility study
Authors: Schaap Feija D. , Fokkens Andrea S. , Dijkstra Geke J. , Reijneveld Sijmen A. , Finnema Evelyn J.
Published: April 2018

Background

The number of people with intellectual disability and dementia increases; this combination causes behavioural changes. Dementia Care Mapping (DCM) supports staff in dementia care in nursing homes and may be useful in intellectual disability‐care. This qualitative study examines the feasibility of DCM for older people with intellectual disability and dementia.

Methods

The present authors obtained data in focus groups and interviews with professional users and analysed using a framework for feasibility studies. With experts in dementia and intellectual disability researches, the present authors determined the overall feasibility.

Results

DCM was found to be feasible in intellectual disability‐care, regarding five domains of feasibility. Staff reported DCM to be useful and valuable and addresses to their demand for skills and knowledge. All professional users found DCM feasible in intellectual disability‐care, which was confirmed by experts.

Conclusions

DCM is feasible in intellectual disability‐care. When fully tailored to intellectual disability‐care, DCM is useful and provides opportunities to assess its effectiveness.
Disentangling the processes driving the biogeography of freshwater diatoms: A multiscale approach
Authors: Keck François , Franc Alain , Kahlert Maria
Published: April 2018

Aim

1. To disentangle the effects of local environmental conditions and space at multiple scales in order to uncover and explain biogeographical signals in microbial communities of freshwater diatoms. 2. To assess the role of species traits related to dispersal capacities in diatom biogeography.

Location

Rivers and streams of Sweden sampled over a total area of 450,000 km2.

Methods

We used partial redundancy analyses and variation partitioning coupled with spatial eigenfunctions analyses to separate the effects of environment and space at three different scales on diatoms community structure. As community analyses might give limited insight into species‐specific mechanisms, we also performed species by species variation partitioning and the amount of variance explained by each fraction was related to species cell length and attachment to the substrate.

Results

We found a strong effect of environment and space at a large scale suggesting environmental filtering and dispersal limitation over large distances. Additionally, species‐based analyses uncovered an effect of space at fine scale suggesting possible species‐specific mass effect dynamic or species sorting driven by missing environmental factors varying at fine scale. Environmental and spatial effects varied strongly among species, but this variation was not explained by cell length and attachment to the substrate.

Main conclusions

Our results confirm the importance of both environment and dispersal‐related processes in controlling diatom community structure and bring new perspectives on the role of dispersal in shaping microbial communities at biogeographical scale. Dispersal being a species‐specific mechanism, species associations are not necessarily conserved from site to site and species‐based approaches can detect different spatial patterns than those derived from traditional community analyses. Contrary to the conclusions of small‐scale analysis of connected metacommunities, interspecific trait variation seems to be of limited importance for long‐distance overland dispersal in diatoms.
Does leisure‐time physical activity attenuate or eliminate the positive association between obesity and high blood pressure?
Authors: Werneck André O , Oyeyemi Adewale L , Gerage Aline M , Cyrino Edilson S , Szwarcwald Célia L , Sardinha Luís B , Silva Danilo R
Published: April 2018

We examine the joint association of weight status and leisure‐time physical activity on high blood pressure in a nationally representative sample of adults and older adults in Brazil. This was a national cross‐sectional survey conducted in Brazil in 2013 (Brazilian Health Survey). The sample consisted of 59 402 participants (56% women, aged 18 to 100 years). Outcome was objectively assessed blood pressure. Body mass index (BMI) was objectively measured, while self‐reported information on leisure‐time physical activity, TV viewing, chronological age, race, educational status, tobacco smoking, sodium consumption, and hypertension medication was obtained using questionnaires. Logistic regression analysis with adjusted odds ratio was conducted to test the joint association of BMI and leisure‐time physical activity categories on high blood pressure. Overall, compared to normal weight (NW) and physically active group, the NW/inactive (OR = 1.28; 1.04 to 1.58), overweight/active (OR = 1.38; 1.08 to 1.78), overweight/inactive (OR = 1.89; 1.53 to 2.33), obese/active (OR = 2.19; 1.59 to 3.01) and obese/inactive (OR = 2.54; 2.05 to 3.15) groups were 28% to 254% more likely to have high blood pressure. The attenuation and high blood pressure was greater for women and adults than for men and older adults. Thus, leisure‐time physical inactivity and being overweight and obesity were associated with high blood pressure in Brazilian population. Engaging in sufficient level of physical activity during leisure could attenuate, but not eliminate, the negative influence of obesity on high blood pressure in Brazilian adults and older adults.
Chemical, biochemical, preclinical and clinical studies of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide as an approved drug for treating myopathy and other diseases in China
Authors: Zeng Pengjiao , Guo Zhihua , Zeng Xuan , Hao Cui , Zhang Yiran , Zhang Meng , Liu Yong , Li Hui , Li Juan , Zhang Lijuan
Published: April 2018

Ganoderma lucidum is an edible medicinal mushroom known as “Lingzhi” in China and “Reishi or Manetake” in Japan. It is a highly prized vitality‐enhancing herb for more than 2000 years. G. lucidum polysaccharide (GLPS) has been identified as one of the major bioactive components and developed into a drug named “Ji 731 Injection” in China since 1973. The large‐scale production of the drug began in 1985 and approved by the Chinese FDA as “Polysaccharidum of G. lucidum Karst Injection” (Ling Bao Duo Tang Zhu She Ye) in 2000, which is applied intramuscularly. After more than forty years of clinical use, its efficacy, safety and long‐term tolerability have been recognized by neurologists. It is one of a few non‐hormonal drugs used for treating refractory myopathy. It is also used for combination therapy, which reduces the amount of glucocorticoid required for myopathy patient who is in remission. In addition, it reduces adverse reactions and improves the quality of life for cancer patients during chemotherapy. We found 81 qualified chemical, biochemical, preclinical and clinical studies of GLPS both in English and in Chinese spanning from 1973 to 2017 by searching CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure), Wanfang database and PubMed. The molecular mechanisms underlying GLPS's antioxidant, anti‐tumour, immune‐modulatory, hypoglycaemic, hypolipidaemic and other activities are discussed. Both preclinical and clinical studies are either deliberated or indexed in the current article. We aimed at providing a molecular picture as well as a clinical basis to comprehend GLPS as one of few polysaccharide‐based modern medicines with complicated chemical and pharmacological properties that prevent it from entering the world's market.
Up‐regulation of miR‐10b‐3p promotes the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma cells via targeting CMTM5
Authors: Guan Lianyue , Ji Degang , Liang Na , Li Shuo , Sun Baozhen
Published: April 2018

In this study, we investigated how miR‐10b‐3p regulated the proliferation, migration, invasion in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) at both in vitro and in vivo levels. CMTM5 was among the differentially expressed genes (data from TCGA). The expression of miR‐10b‐3p and CMTM5 was detected by qRT‐PCR and Western blot (WB). TargetScan was used to acquire the binding sites. Dual‐luciferase reporter gene assay was used to verify the direct target relationship between miR‐10b‐3p and CMTM5. WB analysis proved that miR‐10b‐3p suppressed CMTM5 expression. Furthermore, proliferation, invasion and migration of HCC cells were measured by MTT assay, colony formation assay, transwell assay and wound‐healing assay, respectively. Kaplan‐Meier plotter valued the overall survival of CMTM5. Finally, xenograft assay was also conducted to verify the effects of miR‐10b‐3p/CMTM5 axis in vivo. Up‐regulation of miR‐10b‐3p and down‐regulation of CMTM5 were detected in HCC tissues and cell lines. CMTM5 was verified as a target gene of miR‐10b‐3p. The overexpression of CMTM5 contributed to the suppression of the proliferative, migratory and invasive abilities of HCC cells. Moreover, the up‐regulation of miR‐10b‐3p and down‐regulation of CMTM5 were observed to be associated with worse overall survival. Lastly, we have confirmed the carcinogenesis‐related roles of miR‐10b‐3p and CMTM5 in vivo. We concluded that the up‐regulation of miR‐10b‐3p promoted the progression of HCC cells via targeting CMTM5.
Brain‐based treatment—A new approach or a well‐forgotten old one?
Authors: Matanova Vanya , Kostova Zlatomira , Kolev Martin
Published: April 2018

For a relatively long period of time, mental functioning was mainly associated with personal profile while brain functioning went by the wayside. After the 90s of the 20th century, or the so called “Decade of the Brain”, today, contemporary specialists work on the boundary between fundamental science and medicine. This brings neuroscience, neuropsychology, psychiatry, and psychotherapy closer to each other.

Today, we definitely know that brain structures are being built and altered thanks to experience. Psychotherapy can be more effective when based on a neuropsychological approach—this implies identification of the neural foundations of various disorders and will lead to specific psychotherapeutic conclusions. The knowledge about the brain is continually enriched, which leads to periodic rethinking and updating of the therapeutic approaches to various diseases of the nervous system and brain dysfunctions.

The aim of translational studies is to match and combine scientific areas, resources, experience and techniques to improve prevention, diagnosis and therapies, and “transformation” of scientific discoveries into potential treatments of various diseases done in laboratory conditions.

Neuropsychological studies prove that cognition is a key element that links together brain functioning and behaviour. According to Dr. Kandel, all experimental events, including psychotherapeutic interventions, affect the structure and function of neuronal synapses.

The story of why psychotherapy works is a story of understanding the brain mechanisms of psychic processes, a story of how the brain has been evolving to ensure learning, forgetting, and the mechanisms of permanent psychological change.

The new evidence on brain functioning necessitates the integration of neuropsychological achievements in the psychotherapeutic process. An integrative approach is needed to take into account the dynamic interaction between brain functioning, psyche, soul, spirit, and social interaction, ie, development of a model of psychotherapeutic work based on cerebral plasticity!

Brain‐based psychotherapy aims at changing brain functioning not directly, but through experiences. This is neuro‐psychologically informed psychotherapy.
Pharmacist‐led discharge medication counselling: A scoping review
Authors: Bonetti Aline F. , Reis Wálleri C. , Lombardi Natália Fracaro , Mendes Antonio M. , Netto Harli Pasquini , Rotta Inajara , Fernandez‐Llimos Fernando , Pontarolo Roberto
Published: April 2018

Rationale, aims, and objectives

Discharge medication counselling has produced improved quality of care and health outcomes, especially by reducing medication errors and readmission rates, and improving medication adherence. However, no studies have assembled an evidence‐based discharge counselling process for clinical pharmacists. Thus, the present study aims to map the components of the pharmacist‐led discharge medication counselling process.

Methods

We performed a scoping review by searching electronic databases (Pubmed, Scopus, and DOAJ) and conducting a manual search to identify studies published up to July 2017. Studies that addressed pharmacist‐led discharge medication counselling, regardless of the population, clinical conditions, and outcomes evaluated, were included.

Results

A total of 1563 studies were retrieved, with 75 matching the inclusion criteria. Thirty‐two different components were identified, and the most prevalent were the indication of the medications and adverse drug reactions, which were reported in more than 50% of the studies. The components were reported similarly by studies from the USA and the rest of the world, and over the years. However, 2 differences were identified: the use of a dosage schedule, which was more frequent in studies published in 2011 or before and in studies outside the USA; and the teach‐back technique, which was used more frequently in the USA. Poor quality reporting was also observed, especially regarding the duration of the counselling, the number of patients, and the medical condition.

Conclusion

Mapping the components of the pharmacist‐led discharge counselling studies through a scoping review allowed us to reveal how this service is performed around the world. Wide variability in this process and poor reporting were identified. Future studies are needed to define the core outcome set of this clinical pharmacy service to allow the generation of robust evidence and reproducibility in clinical practice.
Welfare Consequences of Gradual Disinflation in Emerging Economies
Authors: SUNEL ENES
Published: April 2018

Emerging economies display considerable inequality in monetary asset holdings, rendering the recent disinflation nontrivial. Using a small open‐economy model with uninsurable idiosyncratic risk, this paper shows that a gradual decline of 12% in the quarterly inflation rate leads to an aggregate welfare gain of 0.40% in consumption equivalent terms. The poor gain less than the economy on aggregate, despite holding a more inflation‐prone financial portfolio. This is because unequal cash holdings make inflation tax payments of the poor much smaller than those of the rich. When inflation tax revenues finance redistributive transfers that provide insurance, cross‐sectional gains become even more dispersed.
Semiotic Collisions and the Metapragmatics of Culture Change in Dr. Song Yujin's “Chinese Medical Psychology”
Authors: Pritzker Sonya E. , Liang Kiki Q. Y.
Published: April 2018

This paper is about interaction in the clinic of Dr. Song Yujin, a physician who practices “Chinese medical psychology” in Beijing, China. In particular, we highlight how Dr. Song challenges deep‐seated ideas about family, personhood, and healing among his patients. Through close study of one interaction that Dr. Song has with a patient and her family, we demonstrate how Dr. Song draws upon prosody, gaze, teaching talk, and terminology to construct a local metapragmatic framework within which his utterances, gestures, and other semiotic devices can be interpreted as appropriate and familiar yet also strange and challenging. By examining Dr. Song's approach as it occurs in a contentious clinical “border zone” involving texts, bodies, and medical practices, we demonstrate how an emphasis on the micropolitics of interaction in specific clinical contexts can complement the scholarly study of cultural, social, medical, and personal change over time. This approach, we argue, has broad implications for the ways in which linguistic anthropology can contribute to the ethnographic study of cultural change as it emerges in complex interactions that often hinge on the tension between cooperation and resistance.