bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rice bean: nutritional vibrant bean of Himalayan belt (North East India)
Authors: Hoque Bepary Rejaul , Wadikar Dadasaheb D. , Patki Prakash E.
Published: June 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper was to analyse the present status of the information available on rice bean [Vigna umbellata (Thunb.)] cultivars with respect to its nutritional and functional characteristics. It is one of the non-conventional and under-utilized beans of South and Southeast Asia. In northeastern regions of India, it is an important crop for shifting cultivation or kitchen garden which is consumed as vegetable (tender pod) and pulse. The information gaps filling could be useful for several work proposals and for consumers and cultivators to know the nutritional strength and varied usability of the grain which in-turn can help in its commercialization.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach to information collection was emphasized on nutritional strength of the grain compared to other beans of Vigna family and the varied usability among the rice bean varieties of the Himalayan Belt.

Findings

The average carbohydrate, protein, fat, crude fibre and ash content of 75 genotypes of rice bean was found 59.96 ± 2.81, 20.78 ± 2.65, 1.74 ± 1.42, 5.07 ± 1.17 and 4.44 ± 1.03 per cent, respectively. It has high quality protein with all essential amino acid in balance manner. Among the minerals, it contains calcium, iron, zinc and potassium with high bio-availability of calcium (59.8 ± 0.3 per cent). The factors such as flatulence producing saccharides, trypsin inhibitors, polyphenols, phytic acid, saponin and tannins of rice bean were reported to be in the range of 3.28-5.87 per cent, 55.12-163.98 TIU/g, 0.58-1.82 1.88-8.17, 1.2-3.1 and 0.24-1.55 per cent, respectively. The toxic compounds such as hydrogen cyanide (0.09 mg/100 g) and L-3, 4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (0.36 mg/100 g) is lowest in rice bean. The nutritional advantages of rice bean over the other beans of Vigna family were required to emphasize to induce interest among the researchers, producers and consumers.

Research limitations/implications

In view of the recommended daily requirements with respect of amino acids, vitamin-B and minerals, rice bean could be a major component of the diet to fulfill them. However, the scanty information available on nutritional and functional components of rice bean varieties grown in northeastern India calls for the gap filing research to explore full potential of the bean.

Originality/value

The information about differences among the northeastern varieties of rice bean available on nutritional functional components essentially required the updating of research data to explore full potential and utility of the bean.
TLC vs Simvastatin vs Simvastatin and TLC in hypercholesterolemia
Authors: Kong Jian Pei , Ayub Azlee Bin , Bau Rawa Ak
Published: June 2016

Purpose

National Health and Morbidity Survey of Malaysia 2011 revealed that hypercholesterolemia (35.1 per cent, 6.2 million) was the primary leading causes of cardiovascular disease in Malaysia. Currently, three established recommended approaches such as therapeutic lifestyle change (TLC) diet, pharmacotherapy (simvastatin) and TLC + simvastatin are available to the public but, to our knowledge, have never been compared in Malaysia Primary Health Care setting. Hence, this paper aims to compare the lipid lowering effects of these three approaches in a primary health care clinic.

Design/methodology/approach

This randomized trial enrolled 180 patients with hypercholesterolemia who met adult treatment panel III (ATP III) criteria. All participants were randomized to TLC diet, simvastatin (10-20 mg/d) or TLC + simvastatin diets. The TLC group was enrolled in a 12-week multidisciplinary lifestyle program that involved monthly 45 minutes to hour meetings. The simvastatin group received medication, and traditional counseling was conducted by registered medical officer. Another group was enrolled into TLC + simvastain treatment. The primary outcome measure was the percentage change in low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol. Secondary measures were changes in weight loss, blood pressure and dietary changes. Assessments were repeated at three-month interval.

Findings

Lifestyle changes combined with simvastatin had a better lipid lowering effect compared to the other two treatments. However, TLC had a better weight and blood pressure reduction compared to the other two treatments. Nevertheless, TLC group showed reduction proportions similar to standard therapy with simvastatin or TLC + simvastatin. TLC has proven as an alternative approach to hyperlipidemia for a subset of patients unwilling or unable to take statins especially in a community-based, primary health care setting.

Research limitations/implications

Weight loss was not recorded for simvastatin participants, and this was the major drawback of this study, and there was no comparable weight loss reduction with other groups.

Originality/value

In Malaysia, the efficacy of hypocholesterolemic therapies among patients who are receiving the most common lipid-lowering drug, simvastatin, in primary health care setting has not been clearly defined. There is also a lack of research on the efficacy of TLC conducted by registered dietitian in a primary health care setting in Malaysia.
Kin effects on energy allocation in group‐living ground squirrels
Authors: Viblanc Vincent A. , Saraux Claire , Murie Jan O. , Dobson F. Stephen
Published: June 2016

The social environment has potent effects on individual phenotype and fitness in group‐living species.

We asked whether the presence of kin might act on energy allocation, a central aspect of life‐history variation.

Using a 22‐year data set on reproductive and somatic allocations in Columbian ground squirrels (Urocitellus columbianus), we tested the effects of co‐breeding and non‐breeding kin on the fitness and energy allocation balance between reproduction and personal body condition of individual females.

Greater numbers of co‐breeding kin had a positive effect on the number of offspring weaned, through the mechanism of altering energy allocation patterns. On average, females with higher numbers of co‐breeding kin did not increase energy income but biased energy allocation towards reproduction.

Co‐breeding female kin ground squirrels maintain close nest burrows, likely providing a social buffer against territorial invasions from non‐kin ground squirrels. Lower aggressiveness, lower risks of infanticide from female kin and greater protection of territorial boundaries may allow individual females to derive net fitness benefits via their energy allocation strategies.

We demonstrated the importance of kin effects on a fundamental life‐history trade‐off.
Does wildlife resource selection accurately inform corridor conservation?
Authors: Abrahms Briana , Sawyer Sarah C. , Jordan Neil R. , McNutt J. Weldon , Wilson Alan M. , Brashares Justin S.
Published: June 2016

Evaluating landscape connectivity and identifying and protecting corridors for animal movement have become central challenges in applied ecology and conservation. Currently, resource selection analyses are widely used to focus corridor planning where animal movement is predicted to occur. An animal's behavioural state (e.g. foraging, dispersing) is a significant determinant of resource selection patterns, yet has largely been ignored in connectivity assessments.

We review 16 years of connectivity studies employing resource selection analysis to evaluate how researchers have incorporated animal behaviour into corridor planning, and highlight promising new approaches for identifying wildlife corridors. To illustrate the importance of behavioural information in such analyses, we present an empirical case study to test behaviour‐specific predictions of connectivity with long‐distance dispersal movements of African wild dogs Lycaon pictus. We conclude by recommending strategies for developing more realistic connectivity models for future conservation efforts.

Our review indicates that most connectivity studies conflate resource selection with connectivity requirements, which may result in misleading estimates of landscape resistance, and lack validation of proposed connectivity models with movement data.

Our case study shows that including only directed movement behaviour when measuring resource selection reveals markedly different, and more accurate, connectivity estimates than a model measuring resource selection independent of behavioural state.

Synthesis and applications. Our results, using African wild dogs as a case study, suggest that resource selection analyses that fail to consider an animal's behavioural state may be insufficient in targeting movement pathways and corridors for protection. This failure may result in misidentification of wildlife corridors and misallocation of limited conservation resources. Our findings underscore the need for considering patterns of animal movement in appropriate behavioural contexts to ensure the effective application of resource selection analyses for corridor planning.
Bringing back Culture: Combatant and Civilian Attitudes during the Spanish Civil War, 1936–1939
Authors: HERNÁNDEZ BURGOS CLAUDIO
Published: June 2016

Although heavily studied, researchers have barely examined the social and cultural aspects of the Spanish Civil War. The aim of this article is to contribute to the sociocultural history of the war by reintroducing the cultural elements into the analysis. By taking them together with social and political factors, it provides a more complex outlook on the conflict. To reach these goals, this study examines the experience of those who were on the front line and those who remained in the rearguard. The first part explores soldiers’ conditions on the front line and their connection with the rearguard. The second section analyses the role played by cultural elements among combatants and civilians. Finally, special attention is paid to the influence of violence on the soldiers’ and civilians’ experience of war.
Maternal influenza and birth outcomes: systematic review of comparative studies
Authors: Fell DB , Savitz DA , Kramer MS , Gessner BD , Katz MA , Knight M , Luteijn JM , Marshall H , Bhat N , Gravett MG , Skidmore B , Ortiz JR
Published: June 2016

Background

Although pregnant women are considered at high risk for severe influenza disease, comparative studies of maternal influenza and birth outcomes have not been comprehensively summarised.

Objective

To review comparative studies evaluating maternal influenza disease and birth outcomes.

Search strategy

We searched bibliographic databases from inception to December 2014.

Selection criteria

Studies of preterm birth, small‐for‐gestational‐age (SGA) birth or fetal death, comparing women with and without clinical influenza illness or laboratory‐confirmed influenza infection during pregnancy.

Data collection and analysis

Two reviewers independently abstracted data and assessed study quality.

Main results

Heterogeneity across 16 studies reporting preterm birth precluded meta‐analysis. In a subgroup of the highest‐quality studies, two reported significantly increased preterm birth (risk ratios (RR) from 2.4 to 4.0) following severe 2009 pandemic H1N1 (pH1N1) influenza illness, whereas those assessing mild‐to‐moderate pH1N1 or seasonal influenza found no association. Five studies of SGA birth showed no discernible patterns with respect to influenza disease severity (pooled odds ratio 1.24; 95% CI 0.96–1.59). Two fetal death studies were of sufficient quality and size to permit meaningful interpretation. Both reported an increased risk of fetal death following maternal pH1N1 disease (RR 1.9 for mild‐to‐moderate disease and 4.2 for severe disease).

Conclusions

Comparative studies of preterm birth, SGA birth and fetal death following maternal influenza disease are limited in number and quality. An association between severe pH1N1 disease and preterm birth and fetal death was reported by several studies; however, these limited data do not permit firm conclusions on the magnitude of any association.

Tweetable abstract

Comparative studies are limited in quality but suggest severe pandemic H1N1 influenza increases preterm birth.
Key Provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA): A Systematic Review and Presentation of Early Research Findings
Authors: French Michael T. , Homer Jenny , Gumus Gulcin , Hickling Lucas
Published: June 2016

Objectives

To conduct a systematic literature review of selected major provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) pertaining to expanded health insurance coverage. We present and synthesize research findings from the last 5 years regarding both the immediate and long‐term effects of the ACA. We conclude with a summary and offer a research agenda for future studies.

Study Design

We identified relevant articles from peer‐reviewed scholarly journals by performing a comprehensive search of major electronic databases. We also identified reports in the “gray literature” disseminated by government agencies and other organizations.

Principal Findings

Overall, research shows that the ACA has substantially decreased the number of uninsured individuals through the dependent coverage provision, Medicaid expansion, health insurance exchanges, availability of subsidies, and other policy changes. Affordability of health insurance continues to be a concern for many people and disparities persist by geography, race/ethnicity, and income. Early evidence also indicates improvements in access to and affordability of health care. All of these changes are certain to ultimately impact state and federal budgets.

Conclusions

The ACA will either directly or indirectly affect almost all Americans. As new and comprehensive data become available, more rigorous evaluations will provide further insights as to whether the ACA has been successful in achieving its goals.
Sustainable mobility as Swiss cheese? – Exploring influences on urban transport strategy in Basel
Authors: Fenton Paul
Published: June 2016

This paper explores the development and implementation of strategies for sustainable mobility in Basel, Switzerland. Basel (Bâle, Basilea, Basle) has been identified as a ‘relatively successful’ practitioner of sustainable mobility, with an urban form that is not only conducive to walking and cycling, but also has an extensive public transport system and high levels of commuting using these sustainable modes of transport. With a low share of journeys by motor vehicles compared to many other European cities – combined with a legally‐binding objective to reduce vehicle traffic by a further 10% from 2010 to 2020 – Basel appears to be a forerunner with regard to sustainable mobility policy and practice. Five years after this objective was passed into law – following a public vote, as Basel is part of the Swiss confederation and practices direct democracy – this study aims to assess the extent of policy implementation and reflect on challenges and opportunities for the future. The paper presents findings from a series of interviews with stakeholders in Basel on the theme of sustainable mobility. Key questions include: is it possible to develop coherent strategies and policies to further reduce the role of motor vehicles and in doing so, achieve a modal shift? How does participation in a direct democracy influence strategy and policy development and outcomes? Do compromises and trade‐offs mean strategies and policies promoting sustainable mobility are, like Swiss cheese, riddled with holes? By illustrating challenges and opportunities when advancing sustainable mobility in a participative culture, the study provides insights for policymakers and researchers in other contexts. Among the conclusions is an emphasis on the importance of committed individuals capable of expanding the ‘strategy space’ of processes. Participation provides one such opportunity, yet may also generate divergent or contradictory trends causing incrementalism. A rapid transition to sustainable mobility is thus likely to require increased politicisation of the topic by both politicians and civil servants.
Silencing of odorant binding protein gene AlinOBP4 by RNAi induces declining electrophysiological responses of Adelphocoris lineolatus to six semiochemicals
Authors: Zhang Xue‐Ying , Zhu Xiao‐Qiang , Gu Shao‐Hua , Zhou Yan‐Le , Wang Song‐Ying , Zhang Yong‐Jun , Guo Yu‐Yuan
Published: June 2016

Odorant binding proteins (OBPs) are believed to be important for transporting semiochemicals through the aqueous sensillar lymph to the olfactory receptor cells within the insect antennal sensilla. Here, we injected AlinOBP4‐siRNA into the conjunctivum between prothorax and mesothorax of the lucerne plant bug, Adelphocoris lineolatus and evaluated the silencing of AlinOBP4 by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) analysis, quantitative real‐time PCR (qPCR) test and electroantennogram (EAG) assay. The combination of RT‐PCR and qPCR analyses revealed that the levels of messenger RNA transcript were significantly reduced ∼95% in AlinOBP4‐siRNA‐treated A. lineolatus males and ∼75% in RNAi‐treated females within 48 hours. It was found that there are different EAG responses between male and female bugs when the AlinOBP4 gene was silenced by RNAi. The EAGs of A. lineolatus to two plant volatiles, tridecanal and hexyl alcohol, were reduced 9.09% and 79.45% in RNAi‐treated males, 62.08% and 62.08% in RNAi‐treated females compared to the controls, separately. Antennae of RNAi‐treated bugs showed significantly lower electrophysiological responses to four sex pheromone analogs, butyl butanoate, 1‐hexyl butyrate, (E)‐2‐hexenyl butyrate and hexyl hexanoate. The EAG recordings were reduced 35.43%, 35.24%, 39.96% and 78.47% in RNAi‐treated males and 64.52%, 18.13%, 36.88% and 49.52% in RNAi‐treated females, respectively. The results suggested that AlinOBP4 might play dual‐roles in the identification of plant volatiles and sex pheromones. It was suspected that AlinOBP4 may have different functions in odor perception between male and female A. lineolatus.
Unrecognized diversity in New Guinean crayfish species (Decapoda, Parastacidae): The evidence from molecular data
Authors: BLÁHA Martin , PATOKA Jiří , KOZÁK Pavel , KOUBA Antonín
Published: June 2016

The phylogenetic relationships among imported ornamental crayfish belonging to the genus Cherax were inferred from a combined dataset of 3 mitochondrial genes (COI, 16S and 12S) and by comparison with available GenBank sequences of 14 Cherax species. Furthermore, the concordance of previously described species obtained from a wholesaler (Cherax boesemani, C. holthuisi and C. peknyi) with available GenBank sequences was verified based on COI with special respect to comparison with sequences assigned as Cherax species. Recently described species C. gherardiae, C. pulcher and C. subterigneus belong to the northern group of Cherax species. Comparison and analysis with other GenBank COI sequences show previously unreported diversity of New Guinean species, suggesting 5 putative new species. Surprisingly, species assigned to the subgenus Astaconephrops do not form a monophyletic clade; this subgenus should be reappraised relative to the purported typical morphological characteristic of the uncalcified patch on male chelae. Increasing importation of crayfish underscores the importance of accurate species identification. Use of basic molecular methods is a necessary requisite for documenting occurrence, abundance and population trends of target species. Consequently, it helps to support eventual conservation decision‐making by stakeholders.
Dispersal of invasive Phytolacca americana seeds by birds in an urban garden in China
Authors: LI Ning , YANG Wen , FANG Shubo , LI Xinhai , LIU Zhanchen , LENG Xin , AN Shuqing
Published: June 2016

Although seed dispersal is a key process determining the regeneration and spread of invasive plant populations, few studies have explicitly addressed the link between dispersal vector behavior and seedling recruitment to gain insight into the invasion process within an urban garden context. We evaluated the role of bird vectors in the dispersal of pokeweed (Phytolacca americana), a North American herb that is invasive in urban gardens in China. Fruiting P. americana attracted both generalist and specialist bird species that fed on and dispersed its seeds. The generalist species Pycnonotus sinensis and Urocissa erythrorhyncha were the most frequent dispersers. Seedling numbers of P. americana were strongly associated with the perching behavior of frugivorous birds. If newly recruited bird species use seedling‐safe perching sites, the P. americana will regenerate faster, which would enhance its invasive potential. Based on our observations, we conclude that the 2 main bird vectors, P. sinensis and U. erythrorhyncha, provide potential effective dispersal agents for P. americana. Our results highlight the role of native birds in seed dispersal of invasive plants in urban gardens.
Cancer risk of sulfonylureas in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review
Authors: Chen Yuehong , Du Liang , Li Ling , Ma Jun , Geng Xingyuan , Yao Xun , Liu Guanjian , Sun Xin
Published: June 2016

Background

Increasing evidence suggests that oral hypoglycemic agents used in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) may affect cancer risk. Sulfonylureas (SUs) are the most frequently used antidiabetic medications for T2DM. Whether using SUs has any effect on cancer has received considerable attention. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of SUs on cancer risk in T2DM patients.

Methods

Published studies were identified in PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Register of Clinical Studies, and ClinicalTrials.gov was searched for additional information to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs), cohort studies, and case–control studies. The abstracts and full text were screened, data collected, and the risk of bias assessed for each individual study.

Results

Seventy‐seven studies (33 RCTs, 27 cohort studies, and 17 case–control studies) were analyzed. The RCTs did not report a difference in the risk of malignant tumor between SU‐treated T2DM patients and controls (odds ratio [OR] 0.96; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.78–1.18); cohort studies showed that cancer risk was higher in patients using SUs than metformin (relative risk 1.60 [95%CI 1.37–1.87]; adjusted hazard ratio 1.13 [95%CI 1.06–1.19]), and case–control studies suggested a trend for increased cancer risk in those using SUs compared with non‐SU users (adjusted OR 1.13; 95%CI 0.93–1.37).

Conclusions

The available evidence clearly shows that SUs can significantly increase the risk of cancer compared with metformin. Although the evidence suggests the possibility that SU users may have a higher risk of cancer than those using alternative medications in addition to metformin, it remains inadequate to enable definitive conclusions to be drawn.
Deciphering the adaptation strategies of Desulfovibrio piezophilus to hydrostatic pressure through metabolic and transcriptional analyses
Authors: Amrani Amira , van Helden Jacques , Bergon Aurélie , Aouane Aicha , Ben Hania Wajdi , Tamburini Christian , Loriod Béatrice , Imbert Jean , Ollivier Bernard , Pradel Nathalie , Dolla Alain
Published: June 2016

Desulfovibrio piezophilus strain C1TLV30T is a mesophilic piezophilic sulfate‐reducer isolated from Wood Falls at 1700 m depth in the Mediterranean Sea. In this study, we analysed the effect of the hydrostatic pressure on this deep‐sea living bacterium at the physiologic and transcriptomic levels. Our results showed that lactate oxidation and energy metabolism were affected by the hydrostatic pressure. Especially, acetyl‐CoA oxidation pathway and energy conservation through hydrogen and formate recycling would be more important when the hydrostatic pressure is above (26 MPa) than below (0.1 MPa) the optimal one (10 MPa). This work underlines also the role of the amino acid glutamate as a piezolyte for the Desulfovibrio genus. The transcriptomic analysis revealed 146 differentially expressed genes emphasizing energy production and conversion, amino acid transport and metabolism and cell motility and signal transduction mechanisms as hydrostatic pressure responding processes. This dataset allowed us to identify a sequence motif upstream of a subset of differentially expressed genes as putative pressure‐dependent regulatory element.
Psychology and Disaster: Why We Do Not See Looming Disasters and How Our Way of Thinking Causes Them
Authors: Glöckner Andreas
Published: June 2016

To be able to decide and act quickly and efficiently in a complex world, individuals rely on mechanisms that reduce information in a meaningful way. Instead of holding a set of partially contradicting cognitions, individuals construct coherent interpretations or stories to make sense of the available information using interactive activation. Interactive activation describes cognitive processing as bidirectional propagation of activation among simple processing units, which allows individuals to integrate large amounts of information quickly and with little cognitive effort. However, interactive activation also has important downsides that can prevent individuals from detecting looming disasters and can even contribute to their emergence. I describe the functioning of interactive activation and how it can be modeled using connectionist networks. Later I explain how interactive activation causes a set of biases (e.g. coherence effects, overconfidence, hindsight bias and status‐quo bias) that make it hard to detect looming disasters and how these biases lead to discontinuities in understanding of problems and rapid behavioral switches that can contribute to the emergence of disasters.
Is International Law Conducive To Preventing Looming Disasters?
Authors: van Aaken Anne
Published: June 2016

Looming disasters mostly require collective action but international law is traditionally consent based. For a state to be bound by international law, it needs to have ratified a treaty (e.g. concerning climate change) or must be bound by customary international law. This horizontal form of cooperation makes the system sensitive to collective action problems (like free‐riding on global public good, overuse of commons, begging‐thy‐neighbor etc.). I explore the question of whether other forms of cooperation, e.g. cooperation through soft law or international organizations mitigate the problem and under what circumstances this might be so. Furthermore, international law design might need to take into account internal processes within states (breaking up the black box) as well as behavioral economic insights. The paper suggests some mechanisms to help states overcoming the cooperation problem with regard to looming disasters and highlights their limits as well. It submits that international lawyers need to look at all behavioral mechanisms of international law in order to understand how it can be designed and used to prevent looming disasters.
Catastrophes To Come: What Can Literature Tell Us?
Authors: Lavocat Françoise
Published: June 2016

Can literature and the arts in general help to prevent catastrophes? In the article this question is entertained through examination of the contrast between ancient cultural productions (comprising those legends and sermons which constitute ‘literature’ in the larger sense) and contemporary fiction. The article shows, first of all, how ancient culture not only engaged in forward‐looking thought when it came to catastrophes through the attribution of responsibility and by recommending moral reform but also by constituting a memory of catastrophes and in making practical suggestions. Our contemporary world has been swamped with fictional treatments of catastrophes – treatments that might seem to have the power of heralding these catastrophes and certainly of nurturing an obsessive fear of them. But contemporary fiction (literary or filmic) principally expresses a consciousness of its own impotence; if literature can prepare people for catastrophes, it can only be along ethical lines.
Collective Action to Avoid Catastrophe: When Countries Succeed, When They Fail, and Why
Authors: Barrett Scott
Published: June 2016

This article is concerned with situations in which avoiding a catastrophic outcome requires collective action. Using the logic of simple game theory, I identify circumstances that would cause rational players to act so as to guarantee that a catastrophe occurs, even when it is in their collective interests to avoid such an outcome – and when these players have the means at their disposal to ensure that such an outcome is avoided. I also identify circumstances that would cause rational players to act in concert to avert a catastrophe, and explain why other circumstances that might seem relevant to explaining these outcomes may be entirely inconsequential. Most of my discussion focuses on climate change. However, I also explain the relevance of the approach to three other areas: the millennium bug, drug resistance and nuclear arms control. In the final sections I discuss whether and how institutions might be designed to overcome, or at least reduce the likelihood of, catastrophic collective‐action failures at the international level.
Efficacy of a Universal Brief Intervention for Violence Among Urban Emergency Department Youth
Authors: Carter Patrick M. , Walton Maureen A. , Zimmerman Marc A. , Chermack Stephen T. , Roche Jessica S. , Cunningham Rebecca M.
Published: June 2016

Background

Violent injury is the leading cause of death among urban youth. Emergency department (ED) visits represent an opportunity to deliver a brief intervention (BI) to reduce violence among youth seeking medical care in high‐risk communities.

Objective

The objective was to determine the efficacy of a universally applied BI addressing violence behaviors among youth presenting to an urban ED.

Methods

ED youth (14 to 20 years old) seeking medical or injury‐related care in a Level I ED (October 2011–March 2015) and screening positive for a home address within the intervention or comparison neighborhood of a larger youth violence project were enrolled in this quasi‐experimental study. Based on home address, participants were assigned to receive either the 30‐minute therapist‐delivered BI (Project Sync) or a resource brochure (enhanced usual care [EUC] condition). The Project Sync BI combined motivational interviewing and cognitive skills training, including a review of participant goals, tailored feedback, decisional balance exercises, role‐playing exercises, and linkage to community resources. Participants completed validated survey measures at baseline and a 2‐month follow‐up assessment. Main outcome measures included self‐report of physical victimization, aggression, and self‐efficacy to avoid fighting. Poisson and zero‐inflated Poisson regression analyses analyzed the effects of the BI, compared to the EUC condition, on primary outcomes.

Results

A total of 409 eligible youth (82% participation) were enrolled and assigned to receive either the BI (n = 263) or the EUC condition (n = 146). Two‐month follow‐up was 91% (n = 373). There were no significant baseline differences between study conditions. Among the entire sample, mean (±SD) age was 17.7 (±1.9) years, 60% were female, 93% were African American, and 79% reported receipt of public assistance. Of participants, 9% presented for a violent injury, 9% reported recent firearm carriage, 20% reported recent alcohol use, and 39% reported recent marijuana use. Compared with the EUC group, participants in the therapist BI group showed self‐reported reductions in frequency of violent aggression (therapist, −46.8%; EUC, −36.9%; incident rate ratio [IRR] = 0.87; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.76 to 0.99) and increased self‐efficacy for avoiding fighting (therapist, +7.2%; EUC, −1.3%; IRR = 1.09; 95% CI = 1.02 to 1.15). No significant changes were noted for victimization.

Conclusions

Among youth seeking ED care in a high‐risk community, a brief, universally applied BI shows promise in increased self‐efficacy for avoiding fighting and a decrease in the frequency of violent aggression.
Testing the effect of portfolio holdings disclosure in an environment absent of mandatory disclosure
Authors: Chen Zhe , Gallagher David R. , Lee Adrian D.
Published: June 2016

This study examines a number of portfolio disclosure regimes with respect to accuracy and susceptibility to copycat behaviour in an environment absent of mandatory disclosure. We find that periodic portfolio disclosure tends to underestimate true excess performance as well as idiosyncratic risk in top‐quartile fund managers, with longer inter‐reporting intervals tending to result in greater differences. ‘Copycat funds’ following the disclosed holdings of top‐tier managers significantly underperform the underlying fund, while copycats following bottom‐tier managers significantly outperform the underlying fund. Our findings suggest that periodic reporting at monthly intervals or longer would not affect fund alpha generation.
A new species of Hydrellia (Diptera: Ephydridae) mining Hydrilla verticillata (Hydrocharitaceae) leaves in Singapore
Authors: Bownes Angela , Deeming John
Published: June 2016

A new species of ephydrid fly, Hydrellia purcelli Deeming sp. nov. from Singapore, is described and illustrated. Hydrellia purcelli larvae mine the leaves of a weedy aquatic macrophyte, Hydrilla verticillata (L.f.) Royle. Morphologically, Hydrellia purcelli is most similar to Hydrellia balciunasi Bock from Australia. However, the shape of the fused surstyli of the male fly is unique, in that the most basal part of the medial emargination is not slot‐like but almost a hairline division. Descriptions and illustrations of adults and immature stages are provided, and information on its biology and life history is detailed. Hydrellia purcelli is a candidate biological control agent for Hydrilla verticillata in South Africa.
Review of the seven new species of Isometopinae (Heteroptera: Miridae) in Australia and discussion of distribution and host plant associations of the subfamily on a worldwide basis
Authors: Namyatova Anna A , Cassis Gerasimos
Published: June 2016

The Isometopinae are a poorly known subfamily of Miridae (Heteroptera) with 42 genera and 239 described species worldwide. Prior to this study, the subfamily was represented in Australia by a single species, Eurocrypha thanatochlamus. In this work, three isometopine genera, Jozefus, Paratopus and Myiomma, are reported from Australia for the first time, and Australotopus gen. nov. is described as new to science. The following seven new species are described: Australotopus cooperensis sp. nov., Jozefus brunetus sp. nov., Jozefus monteithi sp. nov., Myiomma albalata sp. nov., Myiomma basseti sp. nov., Paratopus brunocapitus sp. nov. and Paratopus flavocapitus sp. nov. Habitus images, scanning electron micrographs, measurements and illustration of male and female genitalia are provided to support the diagnoses of the above taxa. The distribution and plant associations of the subfamily Isometopinae are discussed.
Dynamic Changes in High‐Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin I Are Associated with Dynamic Changes in Sum Absolute QRST Integral on Surface Electrocardiogram in Acute Decompensated Heart Failure
Authors: Tereshchenko Larisa G. , Feeny Albert , Shelton Erica , Metkus Thomas , Stolbach Andrew , Mavunga Ernest , Putman Shannon , Korley Frederick K.
Published: June 2016

Background

A three‐dimensional electrocardiographic (ECG) metric, the sum absolute QRST integral (SAI QRST), predicts ventricular arrhythmias in heart failure (HF) patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillator and mechanical response to cardiac resynchronization therapy. We hypothesized that there is an association between patient‐specific changes in SAI QRST and myocardial injury as measured by high‐sensitivity troponin I (hsTnI).

Methods

Sum absolute integral QRST on resting 12‐lead ECG and hsTnI were measured simultaneously, every 3 hours, and during 12‐hour observation period in a prospective cohort of emergency department patients (n = 398; mean age 57.8 ± 13.2 years; 54% female, 64% black), diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome (ACS, n = 28), acutely decompensated HF (acute decompensated heart failure, n = 35), cardiac non‐ACS (n = 19), or noncardiac condition (n = 316). Random‐effects linear regression analysis assessed the association of SAI QRST and myocardial injury, with adjustment for demographics (age, sex, race), prevalent cardiovascular disease (myocardial infarction, history of revascularization, stroke, and HF), risk factors (diabetes, smoking, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, and cocaine use), and left bundle branch block.

Results

Within the entire cohort, SAI QRST decreased by 3 (95%CI −5 to −1) mV*ms every 3 hours. A 10‐fold increase in hsTnI was associated with a 7.7 (0.6–14.9) mV*ms increase in SAI QRST. In the subgroup of acutely decompensated HF patients (n = 35), a 10‐fold increase in hsTnI was associated with a 61.0 (5.9–116.1) mV*ms increase in SAI QRST.

Conclusion

Patient‐specific time‐varying changes in the surface ECG scalar measure of global electrical heterogeneity, as measured by SAI QRST, and in myocardial injury as measured by hsTnI, are independently and directly associated with each other, likely reflecting a common underlying mechanism.
United and divided responses to complex urban issues: insights on the value of a transdisciplinary approach to flooding risk
Authors: Culwick Christina , Patel Zarina
Published: June 2016

Transdisciplinary research has increasingly been emphasised as desirable, particularly for managing complex issues that exist within socio‐political environmental systems. However, achieving true transdisciplinarity, both in academia and practice, has proved challenging. In the case of natural disasters, the risk of not acknowledging the inherent complexity has the potential to increase the risk of fatalities, damage to property and perpetuate poor disaster management. The example of flooding in Atlasville, Ekurhuleni (South Africa) is used to make a case for the usefulness of transdisciplinary approaches. Understanding and responding to local flooding episodes is explored through comparing two hypothetical methodological frameworks – a divided and a united approach. The divided (disciplinary) approach, based on typical disaster response patterns, separated investigations into environmental, government and social factors. In contrast, the united approach, based on a transdisciplinary model, investigated the flooding context along non‐traditional lines including: drivers; absorptive and adaptive capacity; and mitigation and preparation. The research highlights that reframing the flooding problem along transdisciplinary lines forces researchers to analyse the context more comprehensively as isolated analyses are unable to determine or consider the cumulative impacts of individual phenomena. The transformative potential of the transdisciplinary findings indicates that means of translating this hypothetical analysis into reality are urgently required because of the important implications transdisciplinary approaches have for disaster risk reduction, and for managing other complex issues.
The Unmaking of Self‐Determination: Twenty‐Five Years of Regional Autonomy in Nicaragua
Authors: GONZÁLEZ MIGUEL
Published: June 2016

The Nicaraguan autonomous regime has confronted important challenges in the promotion of multi‐ethnic citizenship, as it has been hindered by successive national administrations. This contribution reviews the performance of the autonomous regime by exploring the ongoing contentious reform process of what has become a hybrid model of subnational governance. The argument suggests that the FSLN (Sandinista Front for National Liberation) has continued to press forward its vision of national integration for the Caribbean Coast, and has promoted a political agenda which ultimately aims at subduing autonomy as an avenue for realising the right to self‐determination of Indigenous and Afro‐descendant Peoples.
Restoring Damage or Pursuing Justice? The Dilemma of Communitarian Miskitu Women Seeking a Life Free of Violence
Authors: ROMERO DOLORES FIGUEROA , BARBEYTO RODRIGUEZ ARELLY
Published: June 2016

This article analyses the options Miskitu women from Krukira have for negotiating the contradictions between two systems of justice – state justice and communitarian justice – in their pursuit of a life free of violence. While these two systems operate under different conceptions of justice and gender‐based violence, the communitarian system represents the most accessible option women can turn to for the reparation of damages. With a reflexive approach to the dynamics of the communitarian space, this article employs an intercultural perspective to contribute to the design of a regional model of justice that meets Miskitu women's demands.
Toward a Geography of Solidarity: Afro‐Nicaraguan Women's Land Activism and Autonomy in the South Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region
Authors: MORRIS COURTNEY DESIREE
Published: June 2016

This article explores efforts by Afro‐Nicaraguan women activists to enact their communal land rights in Bluefields during a 2009 land occupation. Creole women's interpretation of state power, underdevelopment, and the failure of the autonomy process suggest that a critical race understanding of regional politics not only reveals the persistence of structural anti‐black racism but also demonstrates how the state's disregard for the region as the nation's imagined site of racial Otherness harms all Costeños, including poor Mestizos. Creole women's articulation of a geography of solidarity rooted in racial justice rather than blame offers new strategies for confronting regional inequality and state neglect in the construction of regional autonomy.
Collaborative Organizations for Innovation: A Focus on the Management of Sociotechnical Imaginaries to Stimulate Industrial Ecosystems
Authors: Hooge Sophie , Le Du Laura
Published: June 2016

Confronted with the need to improve their innovation capabilities in an increasingly holistic context, companies are creating new forms of collaborative organizations to collectively explore potential radical innovation fields. In this paper, we propose a study of the nature of these new collectives for innovation through two managerial patterns: objects of collaboration and organizational mechanisms of co‐ordination. This research is based on longitudinal collaborative research with the French carmaker Renault and analyses the Renault Innovation Community, whose members participated in original collaborative initiatives to stimulate the industrial ecosystem of mobility and support the potential emergence of new ecosystems. The main results of the empirical research emphasize that: (1) tasks of collaboration favour a focus on the regeneration and dissemination of sociotechnical imaginaries rather than on societal expectations, and (2) organizational mechanisms of collaboration exceed open innovation logics to focus on the collective creation of favourable conditions for the emergence of new industrial ecosystems.
Pharmacokinetic profiles of significant adverse events with crizotinib in Japanese patients with ABCB1 polymorphism
Authors: Fujiwara Yutaka , Hamada Akinobu , Mizugaki Hidenori , Aikawa Hiroaki , Hata Toshiyuki , Horinouchi Hidehito , Kanda Shintaro , Goto Yasushi , Itahashi Kota , Nokihara Hiroshi , Yamamoto Noboru , Ohe Yuichiro
Published: June 2016

Crizotinib is a standard treatment for advanced ALK‐positive non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We undertook this study to investigate the pharmacokinetics of crizotinib and clinical and pharmacogenomic factors that may increase the risk of adverse events (AEs). We defined clinically significant AEs as grade 4 hematological toxicity, grade ≥3 non‐hematological toxicity, and any grade of interstitial lung disease. Eight subjects with ALK‐positive NSCLC scheduled to receive crizotinib 250 mg twice daily were studied. Six patients were female and two were male, and most of the patients had low body weight with a median body weight of 46.8 kg (range, 42.4–61.0 kg). All patients developed AEs, five developing six clinically significant AEs. Six patients required dose reduction. In pharmacokinetic analysis, blood samples were obtained on days 1 and 15. The mean area under the plasma concentration–time curve from 0–12 h (AUC0–12) on day 15 was significantly increased in patients with clinically significant AEs (n = 5) compared with those without (n = 3) (P = 0.04). Genetic polymorphisms of ABCB1 were analyzed. One patient with the ABCB1 1236TT‐2677TT‐3435TT genotype was an outlier, with an AUC0–12 and peak concentrations on day 15 of 2.84× and 2.61× the mean, respectively, compared with those with other genotypes. Our results suggest that some Japanese NSCLC patients treated with crizotinib developed clinically significant toxicities that were related to altered pharmacokinetics parameters due to genotype and body weight factors.
3‐aminopyrazolopyrazine derivatives as spleen tyrosine kinase inhibitors
Authors: Shen Jiayi , Li Xiaokai , Zhang Zhang , Luo Jingfeng , Long Huoyou , Tu Zhengchao , Zhou Xiaoping , Ding Ke , Lu Xiaoyun
Published: June 2016

Spleen tyrosine kinase is a new promising target for drug discovery to treat human cancer and inflammatory disorders. A series of pyrazolopyrazine‐3‐amine and pyrazolopyrimidine‐3‐amine derivatives was designed and synthesized as new spleen tyrosine kinase inhibitors. The efforts yielded compound 6h with promising spleen tyrosine kinase inhibition in both enzymatic and B‐lymphoma cell proliferation assays. Additionally, compound 6h dose dependently inhibited the activation of spleen tyrosine kinase signal in human B‐cell lymphoma cells. Compound 6h might serve as a lead for further development of new spleen tyrosine kinase inhibitors.
Whole exome sequencing identifies multiple diagnoses in congenital glaucoma with systemic anomalies
Authors: Reis L. M. , Tyler R. C. , Weh E. , Hendee K. E. , Schilter K. F. , Phillips J. A. , Sequeira S. , Schinzel A. , Semina E. V.
Published: June 2016

The genetic basis of congenital glaucoma with systemic anomalies is largely unknown. Whole exome sequencing (WES) in 10 probands with congenital glaucoma and variable systemic anomalies identified pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants in three probands; in two of these, a combination of two Mendelian disorders was found to completely explain the patients' features whereas in the third case only the ocular findings could be explained by the genetic diagnosis. The molecular diagnosis for glaucoma included two cases with compound heterozygous or homozygous pathogenic alleles in CYP1B1 and one family with a dominant pathogenic variant in FOXC1; the second genetic diagnosis for the additional systemic features included compound heterozygous mutations in NPHS1 in one family and a heterozygous 18q23 deletion in another pedigree. These findings show the power of WES in the analysis of complex conditions and emphasize the importance of CYP1B1 screening in patients with congenital glaucoma regardless of the presence/absence of other systemic anomalies.