bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hepatitis B Antigen (HB Ag) and Antibody (Anti‐HB Ag) in Cold Ethanol Fractions of Human Plasma
Authors: Holland P. V. , Alter H. J. , Purcell R. H. , Lander J. J. , Sgouris J. T. , Schmidt P. J.
Published: March 2017

Hepatitis B Antigen (HB Ag) has been found in human blood capable of transmitting viral hepatitis. HB Ag and anti‐HB Ag were therefore sought in the cold ethanol fractions of plasma from HB Ag+ patients collected into three different anticoagulant solutions, in fractions from individuals with anti‐complementary plasma containing anti‐HB Ag, and in fractions from large pools of ACD plasma from normal blood donors. HB Ag was present in all Cohn fractions except Fraction II (immune serum globulin, ISG) when prepared from HB Ag+ plasma regardless of the anticoagulant used. Five of eleven production lots of ISG and one of six NSA preparations contained measurable quantities of anti‐HB Ag, but none contained HB Ag.

Antibody to HB Ag was detected in Cohn Fractions I, II, III and, to a lesser extent, in V after the cold ethanol process when prepared from plasma from HB Ag+ hepatitis patients. Despite the simultaneous presence of HB Ag and anti‐HB Ag, these plasmas were not anticomplementary. HB Ag was not found in fractions of plasma from individuals with anti‐HB Ag whose sera were anticomplementary.

The radioimmunoassay technics for detecting HB Ag in Fraction II and ISG gave false positive reactions. Despite the improved sensitivity of these technics, they cannot be relied upon to give meaningful analyses for HB Ag in ISG preparations. In testing ISG for antibody to HB Ag, however, the hemagglutination and radioimmunoprecipitation tests appeared to give reliable results.
Antibodies to IGA in Pregnancy and in Recipient of Rho(D) Immune Globulin (Human)
Authors: Pai M. K. R. , Zipursky A. , Vyas G. N.
Published: March 2017

A group of 192 Rh‐negative postpartum women were studied to determine the role of pregnancy and of Rho (D) immune globulin (human) in the production of anti‐IgA antibodies. One hundred and thirty‐two women received 1–2 ml of Rho (D) immune globulin soon after delivery, and 57 women receiving no Rho (D) immune globulin served as controls. Both groups were reinvestigated at three to nine months postpartum for the presence of anti‐IgA. The incidence of anti‐IgA antibodies was similar in the control group and in the group receiving Rho (D) immune globulin. The prevalence of anti‐IgA antibodies of 24 per cent in pregnancy is significant, compared to a prevalence of 2 per cent in healthy male donors.
Studies of the Metabolic Integrity of Human Red Blood Cells After Cryopreservation
Authors: Derrick J. B. , McConn R. , Sorovacu M. L. , Rowe A. W.
Published: March 2017

The effects of freeze‐preservation on the metabolic integrity of human erythrocytes are shown to be largely dependent on the length of time they are stored in ACD at 4 C prior to being frozen. In vitro evaluation involving incubation for 12 hours at 37 C with adenine, inosine and buffering to pH 7.3 showed that when stored for ten days, red blood cells could be preserved by the low‐glycerol‐rapid‐freeze process with no deleterious effects on their capability to produce ATP and 2,3 DPG and to restore the oxygen dissociation curve and sodium ‐potassium gradient to normal. Storage for 20 days, however, resulted in changes in the metabolic response of red blood cells to the incubation so that ATP production was increased while that of 2,3 DPG was decreased and freeze‐preservation lowered production of both compounds. The findings indicate that red blood cells can be stored in ACD at 4 C for up to ten days prior to being freeze‐preserved and still be capable of resuming normal metabolic function. This, in view of previous evidence showing that the oxygen affinity and metabolic status of red blood cells remain unaffected by the low‐glycerol‐rapid‐freeze process, indicates that if the cells are frozen immediately after being drawn, preservation of their respiratory function will be optimal.
Storage of Human Platelets in Liquid Nitrogen–Isotopic Studies
Authors: Wybran J. , Stacquez C. , Govaerts A. E.
Published: March 2017

Concentrated platelet suspensions in 5% DMSO —5% PVP (MW 17,500) in plasma were frozen in sterile, slliconized glass vials at a rate of 1‐3C per minute to — 40C They were then immersed in liquid nitrogen and stored for a period of six to 12 months. After rapid thawing, platelets were labeled with 51Cr and injected into hematologically normal and ABO‐ and RH‐ compatible subjects.

The radioactive recovery of frozen platelets, two hours after injection, was 11 per cent (3.9‐22). The recovery of fresh platelets labelled under the same conditions was 36 per cent (30‐50%). The platelet survival time was found to be four to six days for frozen platelets and six to nine days for fresh platelets.

These results suggest that platelets frozen and stored in liquid nitrogen have a definite but reduced therapeutic efficiency. The method looks valuable for some blood banks.
A Comparison of Factor VIII Activity in Cryoprecipitates Prepared from ACD and CPD Plasma
Authors: Shanberge J. N. , Gruhl M. C. , Ikemori R. , Inoshita K. , Chalos M. K. , Aster R. H.
Published: March 2017

In an attempt to develop a method to produce a cryoprecipitate with a predictable Factor VIII potency, several variables were studied and statistically analyzed. These included the hematocrit, age, blood group and Rh type of the donor; possible epinephrine release; the degree of lipemia, volume, pH and Factor VIII activity of the donor plasma; the volume of cryoprecipitates, its Factor VIII activity and the per cent yield; and the Factor VIII activity of the supernatant plasma. Cryoprecipitates were prepared by the method of Pool and Shannon from the plasmas of 40 random male donors, half the bloods being drawn in ACD and half in CPD. None of the variables had a significant influence on the per cent yield of activity, although the mean values obtained suggest that the per cent yield of Factor VIII activity in the cryoprecipitates prepared from CPD plasmas is higher than in those prepared from ACD plasma. Although the per cent yield of Factor VIII in cryoprecipitates prepared from CPD plasma is not significantly different from that of ACD plasma, the mean total units of Factor VIII activity is significantly higher in CPD cryoprecipitates. It also was confirmed that a higher per cent Factor VIII activity in the donor results in a relatively higher activity in the cryoprecipitate. The data indicate that if CPD plasma collected from donors having above a certain minimum per cent activity were used for cryoprecipitate production, one could be assured of having a minimum of 100 units of Factor VIII activity per bag.
Aged Human Serum Albumin: Properties and Clinical Acceptability
Authors: Pappas P. , O'Donnell T. , Pennell R. B. , Clowes G. H. A. , Pyle H. M.
Published: March 2017

Sixty preparations of normal human serum albumin which had been in storage longer than the time legally permissible for suitability for clinical administration were examined. Chemical and physical measurements showed the albumins to meet all of the minimum requirements of the Division of Biologies Standards for clinically acceptable albumin. After pooling and sterilizing refiltration through 0.2 μ Millipore pads, the albumins were found acceptable for clinical use. Improvement in the clinical status of patients receiving the aged albumin compared favorably with the expected results from conventional albumin infusion. There was no evidence of adverse reactions.
Successful Pregnancy in a Patient with Hodgkin's Disease Complicated by Warm Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia and Anti‐e Alloimmunization
Authors: Blajchman M. A. , Gordon H.
Published: March 2017

A patient with Hodgkin's disease is described, whose first pregnancy was complicated by warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia and anti‐e allo‐immunization probably due to previously transfused blood. Therapy with large doses of prednisone produced a reduction in both autoantibody and allo‐antibody titers, and the patient was subsequently delivered of an infant having only mild hemolytic disease of the newborn.
Patterns and dynamics of European vegetation change over the last 15,000 years
Authors: Giesecke Thomas , Brewer Simon , Finsinger Walter , Leydet Michelle , Bradshaw Richard H.W.
Published: March 2017

Aim

Palaeoecological reconstructions document past vegetation change, with estimates of fast shifts in species distributions. The resulting rates of plant spread are often not matched by model simulations of climate‐driven vegetation dynamics. Genetic surveys of extant plant populations document directions of the post‐glacial spread of trees, challenging traditional interpretations. Our aim is to examine an updated continental pollen data set from Europe in the light of the new ideas about vegetation dynamics emerging from genetic research and vegetation modelling studies.

Location

Europe.

Methods

We use pollen data from the European Pollen Database (EPD) to construct interpolated maps of pollen percentages documenting changes in the distribution and abundance of major plant genera and the grass family in Europe over the last 15,000 years.

Results

Our analyses confirm high rates of post‐glacial spread with at least 1000 m year−1 for Corylus, Ulmus and Alnus and average rates of 400 m year−1 for Tilia, Quercus, Fagus and Carpinus. The late Holocene expansions of Picea and Fagus populations in many European regions cannot be explained by migrational lag. Both taxa shift their population centres towards the Atlantic coast suggesting that climate may have played a role in the timing of their expansions. The slowest rates of spread were reconstructed for Abies.

Main conclusions

The calculated rates of post‐glacial plant spread are higher in Europe than those from North America, which may be due to more rapid shifts in climate mediated by the Gulf Stream and westerly winds. Late Holocene anthropogenic land use practices in Europe had major effects on individual taxa, which in combination with climate change contributed to shifts in areas of abundance and dominance. The high rates of spread calculated from the European pollen data are consistent with rapid tracking of early Holocene climate change by common tree species, documenting that plants can spread fast tracing their climate space, regardless of their dispersal strategy.
Biogeographical assessment of myxomycete assemblages from Neotropical and Asian Palaeotropical forests
Authors: Dagamac Nikki Heherson A. , Novozhilov Yuri K. , Stephenson Steven L. , Lado Carlos , Rojas Carlos , dela Cruz Thomas Edison E. , Unterseher Martin , Schnittler Martin
Published: March 2017

Aim

Lowland/highland and Neotropical/Asian Palaeotropical assemblages of myxomycetes were compared to test the null hypothesis that neither species diversity nor species composition differs between the two ecoregions. This can be expected if myxomycetes behave as ubiquists and are capable of unlimited long distance dispersal.

Location

Four pairs (lowland/highland) of comprehensive regional surveys encompassing c. 7500 specimens were compared; these represented Neotropical (Yasuni/Maquipucuna in Ecuador; Guanacaste/Monteverde in Costa Rica) and Asian Palaeotropical forests (Cat Tien/Bi Dup Nui Ba in Vietnam; Chiang Mai in Thailand/South Luzon in the Philippines).

Methods

Each survey was carried out in an area characterized by relatively homogenous vegetation consisting of natural or near‐natural forests, and incorporated both field collecting and the use of moist chamber cultures, and all observed fructifications were recorded. Analyses of diversity (i.e. richness) and community composition were carried out with EstimateS and R.

Results

Between 400 and 2500 records per survey were obtained. Species accumulation curves indicated moderate to nearly exhaustive completeness (70–94% of expected species richness recorded). Multivariate analyses suggest that geographical separation (Neotropic versus Palaeotropic) explained the observed differences in composition of myxomycete assemblages better than habitat differences (lowland versus highland forests).

Main Conclusion

Both geographically restricted morphospecies and differences in myxomycete assemblages provide evidence that myxomycetes are not ubiquists but tend to follow the moderate endemicity hypothesis of protist biogeography.
Different antibiotic protocols in the treatment of severe chronic periodontitis: A 1‐year randomized trial
Authors: Borges Ivan , Faveri Marcelo , Figueiredo Luciene Cristina , Duarte Poliana Mendes , Retamal‐Valdes Belén , Montenegro Sheyla Christinne Lira , Feres Magda
Published: March 2017

Aim

To evaluate the clinical effects of different dosages of metronidazole (MTZ) and durations of MTZ + amoxicillin (AMX) in the treatment of generalized chronic periodontitis (GChP).

Material and Methods

Subjects with severe GChP were randomly assigned to receive scaling and root planing (SRP)‐only, or combined with 250 or 400 mg of MTZ + AMX (500 mg) thrice a day (TID), for 7 or 14 days. Subjects were monitored for 1 year.

Results

One hundred and nine subjects were enrolled. At 1 year, 61.9% and 63.6% of the subjects receiving AMX + 250 or 400 mg of MTZ for 14 days, respectively, reached the clinical endpoint for treatment (≤4 sites with probing depth ≥5 mm), against 31.8% of those taking 250 or 400 mg of MTZ for 7 days (p < .05) and 13.6% of those receiving SRP‐only (p < .05). Fourteen days of MTZ + AMX was the only significant predictor of subjects reaching the clinical endpoint at 1 year (OR, 5.26; 95% CI, 2.3–12.1, p = .0000). The frequency of adverse events did not differ among treatment groups (p > .05).

Conclusion

The adjunctive use of 400 or 250 mg of MTZ plus 500 mg of AMX/TID/14 days offers statistically significant and clinically relevant benefits over those achieved with SRP alone in the treatment of severe GChP. The added benefits of the 7‐days regimen in this population were less evident. (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02735395).
Performance of scoring systems to predict mortality of patients with acute‐on‐chronic liver failure: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Zheng Yi‐Xiang , Zhong Xiao , Li Ya‐Jun , Fan Xue‐Gong
Published: March 2017

Background and Aim

Acute‐on‐chronic liver failure (ACLF) has characteristic feature of multisystem organ failure, rapid progression, and low early transplant‐free survival. We performed a meta‐analysis to determine the accuracy of five scoring systems in predicting mortality of ACLF patients.

Methods

A systematic database search was performed, and retrieved articles were graded according to methodological quality. Collated data was meta‐analyzed by hierarchical summarized receiver operating characteristic model and bivariate model to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of scoring systems.

Results

Of 4223 studies identified, 26 studies involving 4732 ACLF patients were included. The model of end‐stage liver disease (MELD) score was found to have largest the area under summarized receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) (0.82) compared with other estimated scoring systems, especially for 3‐month mortality. MELD serum sodium (MELD‐Na) score showed homologous high accuracy, with the AUROC was 0.81. However, meta‐analyses of 16 studies showed that Child–Pugh–Turcotte score had least AUROC (0.71). Sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score presented moderately lower diagnostic accuracy, with AUROC being 0.73. Moreover, chronic liver failure‐SOFA score presented excellent accuracy of prognostication with highest diagnostic odds ratios.

Conclusion

This review demonstrated that MELD had moderate diagnostic accuracy to predict mortality of ACLF patients. Considering the expectative diagnostic value, chronic liver failure‐SOFA could be regarded as a promising replacement of MELD. To improve the predictive power of scoring systems, multicenter prospective studies of large sample sizes with long‐term follow‐up are needed.
Transcript profiling of a novel plant meristem, the monocot cambium
Authors: Zinkgraf Matthew , Gerttula Suzanne , Groover Andrew
Published: March 2017

While monocots lack the ability to produce a vascular cambium or woody growth, some monocot lineages evolved a novel lateral meristem, the monocot cambium, which supports secondary radial growth of stems. In contrast to the vascular cambium found in woody angiosperm and gymnosperm species, the monocot cambium produces secondary vascular bundles, which have an amphivasal organization of tracheids encircling a central strand of phloem. Currently there is no information concerning the molecular genetic basis of the development or evolution of the monocot cambium. Here we report high‐quality transcriptomes for monocot cambium and early derivative tissues in two monocot genera, Yucca and Cordyline. Monocot cambium transcript profiles were compared to those of vascular cambia and secondary xylem tissues of two forest tree species, Populus trichocarpa and Eucalyptus grandis. Monocot cambium transcript levels showed that there are extensive overlaps between the regulation of monocot cambia and vascular cambia. Candidate regulatory genes that vary between the monocot and vascular cambia were also identified, and included members of the KANADI and CLE families involved in polarity and cell‐cell signaling, respectively. We suggest that the monocot cambium may have evolved in part through reactivation of genetic mechanisms involved in vascular cambium regulation.
Molecular regulation of sucrose catabolism and sugar transport for development, defence and phloem function
Authors: Li Jun , Wu Limin , Foster Ryan , Ruan Yong‐Ling
Published: March 2017

Sucrose (Suc) is the major end product of photosynthesis in mesophyll cells of most vascular plants. It is loaded into phloem of mature leaves for long‐distance translocation to non‐photosynthetic organs where it is unloaded for diverse uses. Clearly, Suc transport and metabolism is central to plant growth and development and the functionality of the entire vascular system. Despite vast information in the literature about the physiological roles of individual sugar metabolic enzymes and transporters, there is a lack of systematic evaluation about their molecular regulation from transcriptional to post‐translational levels. Knowledge on this topic is essential for understanding and improving plant development, optimizing resource distribution and increasing crop productivity. We therefore focused our analyses on molecular control of key players in Suc metabolism and transport, including: (i) the identification of promoter elements responsive to sugars and hormones or targeted by transcription factors and microRNAs degrading transcripts of target genes; and (ii) modulation of enzyme and transporter activities through protein‐protein interactions and other post‐translational modifications. We have highlighted major remaining questions and discussed opportunities to exploit current understanding to gain new insights into molecular control of carbon partitioning for improving plant performance.
“Fear of Falling”: Economic Instability Enhances Collective Angst among Societies’ Wealthy Class
Authors: Jetten Jolanda , Mols Frank , Healy Nikita , Spears Russell
Published: March 2017

In 2008, an era of unprecedented growth and prosperity came to an end, and the world was plunged into the Great Recession, a Global Financial Crisis (GFC)—the worst since the 1930s Great Depression. We examined whether it is low‐ or high‐SES people that are most affected psychologically—and most likely to express concern about the future vitality of their group—by uncertainty associated with economic instability. In two experiments, we found that even though those lower in SES report more collective angst than their wealthier counterparts, those who are higher in SES are more likely to become concerned when presented with information that the economy is a bubble about to burst, elevating their collective angst levels. Both studies also showed that collective self‐definitions as competent and warm were affected by wealth but not by economic instability. Competence ratings increased with increasing wealth, whereas warmth ratings were lower for those both lower and higher in wealth, compared to those with moderate wealth. In Experiment 2, we also found that opposition to immigration was higher for the high‐income group in the unstable than in the stable economic prospect condition. We conclude that even though those lower in income experience chronic collective angst, collective angst levels for those higher in income are elevated when they fear they may be living in a bubble economy—a bubble that may burst any moment.
Why Do People from Low‐Status Groups Support Class Systems that Disadvantage Them? A Test of Two Mainstream Explanations in Malaysia and Australia
Authors: Owuamalam Chuma Kevin , Rubin Mark , Spears Russell , Weerabangsa Maas Misha'ari
Published: March 2017

The recent global recession revealed a huge social‐class divide between the economic outcomes of the affluent and their less endowed counterparts. Although this divide has bred social unrest in some societies, in many others such disturbances have been absent. Two mainstream theories of intergroup relations offer competing propositions for this paradox. System‐justification theory (SJT) proposes that people from lower status groups are most likely to support class systems that disadvantage them when their group interests are weak. In contrast, we put forward an explanation based on social identity theory (SIT) that proposes that class‐system justification is an identity‐management strategy that should be most apparent amongst individuals from lower‐status groups when group interests are strong. Results from three experiments (combined N = 626), conducted in Malaysia and Australia, which varied subjective social class, provided stronger support for the SIT‐based explanation that lower‐status individuals endorse societal class systems more strongly when group interests are strong (Studies 1 a‐b) and when the class system is perceived to be unstable in the long‐term (Study 2).
Poor but Warm, Rich but Cold (and Competent): Social Classes in the Stereotype Content Model
Authors: Durante Federica , Tablante Courtney Bearns , Fiske Susan T.
Published: March 2017

Social class divides worsened during and after the Great Recession; this article documents one cultural feature of this divide, social‐class stereotypes, both at the societal level (across nations) and at the individual level (personal beliefs about social‐class groups and individuals). The Stereotype Content Model provides the shared theoretical framework focused on perceived warmth and competence of different social classes. In the international data, across cultures, people with high SES (socioeconomic status) are perceived ambivalently as competent but cold, their warmth even lower in more unequal societies. Low‐SES people are seen as less competent but warmer, their alleged incompetence exaggerated under high inequality. The exaggerated warmth‐competence trade‐off helps justify the social‐class system, especially under inequality. For personal stereotypes, predictions focus on warmth‐competence trade‐offs for each social‐class target, and these results are most stable for the competent‐but‐not‐so‐warm high‐SES targets. Consistent with the international results, high‐SES people as a group are generally rated as more competent than warm. Similarly, a high‐SES individual exemplar is judged as competent but less warm, whereas lower‐SES individuals are seen as either more warm than competent or equally as warm as they are competent. Like the society‐level data, perceptions of high‐SES people are more stable than perceptions of lower‐SES people, within these American samples.
In This Together: Doing and Undoing Inequality and Social Class Divides
Authors: Markus Hazel Rose
Published: March 2017

This collection demonstrates that the social divides that people construct and the behavioral differences they foster are lawful in their origins and their effects. The articles provide examples of how these social differences can be systematically measured and manipulated in pursuit of a comprehensive science of inequality. In combination, the papers in the volume reveals that 1), an individual is a constituent part of a multilayered dynamic of ideas, institutions, interactions, and individuals that fuels inequality, and 2), that this dynamic could be reverse‐engineered to reduce this inequality.
The effect of smoking on inflammatory and bone remodeling markers in gingival crevicular fluid and subgingival microbiota following periodontal therapy
Authors: Bunæs D. F. , Mustafa M. , Mohamed H. G. , Lie S. A. , Leknes K. N.
Published: March 2017

Background and Objective

Periodontal health is mediated by suppressing microorganisms inducing a local inflammatory host response. Smoking may impair this process. This study compares gingival crevicular fluid levels of inflammatory and bone remodeling markers in heavy smokers and non‐smokers following active and supportive periodontal therapy in patients with chronic periodontitis.

Material and Methods

Gingival crevicular fluid and subgingival plaque were collected from the deepest periodontal pocket in 50 patients, 25 smokers and 25 non‐smokers, at baseline (T0), following active (T1) and 12 mo of supportive periodontal therapy (T2). Smoking status was validated measuring serum cotinine levels. Gingival crevicular fluid levels of 27 inflammatory and two bone remodeling markers were analyzed using multiplex and singleplex micro‐bed immunoassays, and subgingival plaque samples using checkerboard DNA–DNA hybridization. Amounts of markers in smokers and non‐smokers were compared calculating the effect size.

Results

Expression of inflammatory and bone‐remodeling markers in smokers demonstrated an overall reduced effect size at T0 and T2 (p < 0.001). In particular, proinflammatory markers (p < 0.001), chemokines (p = 0.007) and growth factors (p = 0.003) at T0, osteoprotegerin (p = 0.003) at T1, proinflammatory markers (p = 0.019) and chemokines (p = 0.005) at T2. At T2, interleukin‐8 was detected in significantly higher levels in smokers. Ten different markers in non‐smokers and none in smokers responded to periodontal therapy (p < 0.05). An overall negative association was revealed between smoking and subgroups of markers at sites presenting ≥ 105 red complex periodontal microbial species.

Conclusion

Except for an upregulation of interleukin‐8, smokers exhibited reduced gingival crevicular fluid levels of several inflammatory markers at baseline and following active and supportive periodontal therapy. Only inflammatory responses in non‐smokers adapted to periodontal therapy. Apparently, there seems to be an immunosuppressant effect of smoking regulating the local inflammatory response and bone remodeling markers captured in gingival crevicular fluid following periodontal therapy.
Planning focus group interviews with asylum seekers: Factors related to the researcher, interpreter and asylum seekers
Authors: Eklöf Niina , Hupli Maija , Leino‐Kilpi Helena
Published: March 2017

The aim of this article was to discuss factors related to the researcher, interpreter and asylum seekers when planning focus group interviews with asylum seekers. Focus group interview is one of the basic data collection methods in descriptive nursing and health research. It has been used in multicultural research, allowing an opportunity to participate without literacy and to have linguistic and cultural support from other participants. Asylum seekers form a specific, vulnerable group, and the growing number of asylum seekers increases the need for research related to them. A culturally, methodologically and ethically high‐quality focus group interview is based on the researcher's special knowledge and skills, acknowledgement of asylum seekers as both individuals and part of cultural and communal groups, and careful planning of the interpreter's role during the interviews.
Dietary and nutritional change in India: implications for strategies, policies, and interventions
Authors: Shankar Bhavani , Agrawal Sutapa , Beaudreault Amy R. , Avula Laxmaiah , Martorell Reynaldo , Osendarp Saskia , Prabhakaran Dorairaj , Mclean Mireille Seneclauze
Published: March 2017

Despite the global transition to overnutrition, stunting affected approximately 159 million children worldwide in 2014, while an estimated 50 million children were wasted. India is an important front in the fight against malnutrition and is grappling with the coexistence of undernutrition, overnutrition, and micronutrient deficiencies. This report summarizes discussions on trends in malnutrition in India, its evolution in the context of economic growth, intrahousehold aspects, infant and young child feeding practices, women's status, maternal nutrition, and nutrition policymaking. The discussion focuses on a review of trends in malnutrition and dietary intakes in India in the context of economic change over the past four decades, identification of household dynamics affecting food choices and their consequences for family nutritional status in India, and effective malnutrition prevention and treatment interventions and programs in India and associated policy challenges.
Heterogeneity in Labour Supply Responses: Evidence from a Major Tax Reform
Authors: Mastrogiacomo Mauro , Bosch Nicole M. , Gielen Miriam D. A. C. , Jongen Egbert L. W.
Published: March 2017

We use a large and rich administrative household panel data set to estimate labour supply responses for a large number of subgroups in the Netherlands. The identification of the parameters benefits from a major tax reform in the data period. We uncover large differences in behavioural responses. In particular, we find differences in labour supply responses between households with and without children that are much bigger than suggested by previous studies that had to pool these household types in the estimation of preferences. An efficient tax‐benefit system should take the substantial heterogeneity in behavioural responses into account.
Biodiversity in perennial and intermittent rivers: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Soria Maria , Leigh Catherine , Datry Thibault , Bini Luis Mauricio , Bonada Núria
Published: March 2017

Comprehensive knowledge of the effects of disturbances on biodiversity is crucial for conservation and management, not least because ecosystems with low biodiversity may be the most vulnerable. In rivers, the role of disturbance in shaping aquatic biodiversity has mainly focused on floods. Perennial rivers (PRs) often flood, whereas intermittent rivers (IRs) flood, stop flowing and dry. Despite the recent and significant increase in research on IRs, controversy remains about whether they are more or less biodiverse than PRs. Our aim was to determine (Q1) if PRs and IRs differ in biodiversity and (Q2) if the direction and magnitude of the differences (effect sizes) are related to environmental (climate, season, habitat, longitudinal zonation and anthropogenic disturbance) and/or biological factors (taxonomic group). We conducted a meta‐analysis on 44 published studies of PR and IR biodiversity that had replicated data. We applied random effects models to the data to obtain weighted mean effect sizes for differences between PRs and IRs, and their confidence intervals, by first considering all studies and then by splitting studies into groups on the basis of the above factors. We found that biodiversity was significantly higher in PRs than in IRs (Q1). We also detected significant differences (PRs> IRs) in studies of macroinvertebrates, in those conducted within arid and temperate climates, dry and wet sampling seasons, headwaters, and regions subject to different levels of anthropogenic disturbance (Q2). Our meta‐analysis suggests that the expected increase in the prevalence of IRs in certain regions of the world due to global change could result in a decrease in freshwater biodiversity. To better manage and preserve aquatic biodiversity under future global change scenarios and to avoid potential ecosystem consequences of biodiversity loss, conservation efforts should be targeted towards those environmental conditions or taxonomic groups with significant differences (PRs > IRs).
SyntEyes KTC: higher order statistical eye model for developing keratoconus
Authors: Rozema Jos J. , Rodriguez Pablo , Ruiz Hidalgo Irene , Navarro Rafael , Tassignon Marie‐José , Koppen Carina
Published: March 2017

Purpose

To present and validate a stochastic eye model for developing keratoconus to e.g. improve optical corrective strategies. This could be particularly useful for researchers that do not have access to original keratoconic data.

Methods

The Scheimpflug tomography, ocular biometry and wavefront of 145 keratoconic right eyes were collected. These data were processed using principal component analysis for parameter reduction, followed by a multivariate Gaussian fit that produces a stochastic model for keratoconus (SyntEyes KTC). The output of this model is filtered to remove the occasional incorrect topography patterns by either an automatic or manual procedure. Finally, the output of this keratoconus model is matched to that of the original model for normal eyes using the non‐corneal biometry to obtain a description of keratoconus development.

Results

The synthetic data generated by the model were found to be significantly equal to the original data (non‐parametric Mann–Whitney equivalence test; 145/154 passed). The variability of the synthetic data, however, was often significantly less than that of the original data, especially for the higher order Zernike terms of corneal elevation (non‐parametric Levene test; p < 0.05/154). These results remained generally the same after applying either filter procedure to remove the synthetic eyes with incorrect topographies. Interpolation between matched pairs of normal and keratoconic SyntEyes appears to provide an adequate model for keratoconus progression.

Conclusion

The synthetic data provided by the proposed keratoconus model closely resembles actual clinical data and may be used for a range of research applications when (sufficient) real data is not available.
Tracheal extubation practices following adenotonsillectomy in children: effects on operating room efficiency between two institutions
Authors: Kako Hiromi , Corridore Marco , Seo Sarah , Elmaraghy Charles , Lind Meredith , Tobias Joseph D.
Published: March 2017

Background

Adenotonsillectomy is one of the most commonly performed operative procedures in children. It is imperative to find the most efficient and cost‐effective methods of practice to facilitate operating room management while maintaining patient safety. We investigated the efficiency of two different approaches of tracheal extubation in pediatric patients following adenotonsillectomy at two tertiary care pediatric hospitals with large surgical volumes. The primary aim of the study was to determine the difference in the operating room time according to the institutional practice of tracheal extubation in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) as compared to the operating room.

Methods

After obtaining IRB approval, a retrospective chart review was performed over a 12‐month period at two large, tertiary care children's hospitals including the first hospital, where patients undergo tracheal extubation in the operating room after completion of the surgical procedure and a second hospital, where patients are brought directly to the PACU and undergo tracheal extubation in the PACU by nurses, with immediate availability of the pediatric anesthesiology faculty. Patients ≤12 years of age undergoing adenotonsillectomy were eligible for inclusion in the study. Patients with significant cardiopulmonary disease or scheduled for recovery in the critical care unit were excluded. Patient demographics, total time in the operating room, surgical time, total time in the PACU, and, when applicable, time until tracheal extubation, were noted.

Results

The study cohort included 672 patients from the first hospital and 700 patients from the second hospital. Average operating room time was 17 min shorter at the first hospital than at the other, with most of the difference due to a reduction in the time between surgery end and transport from the operating room. PACU times were also 26 min shorter at the first hospital than at the second children's hospital.

Conclusion

Tracheal extubation in the PACU is an efficient use of operating room time and resources.
Perceptions of health among Black adults living in a diverse urban community
Authors: Sachs Dahnika , Peltzer Jill N. , McGee Jerrihlyn L.
Published: March 2017

Objective

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's culture of health initiative advocates for making health a shared value. Health cannot be a shared value without an understanding of how health is defined and perceived. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to examine community members’ perceptions of health and influencing factors, including health care services.

Design and Sample

Data were collected through a purposive sample of nine focus groups with 52 participants who were primarily Black (94%) and female (65%). The mean age was 50 years. The average education was 14 years. Data were analyzed using inductive content analysis.

Results

Four themes were developed: health is resilience to deal with life's challenges describes health as necessary to deal with daily challenges; external perceptions affect community identity represents perceptions that other metropolitan counties are flourishing while this county remains depressed, negatively impacting individual and community identity; structural barriers negatively impact health describes a lack of adequate resources to achieve or maintain health, as defined by the participants; and mistrust influences health‐seeking behaviors reflects perceptions of differential treatment.

Conclusions

This study provides unique information to nurses and other health care providers about urban‐residing community members’ perceptions of health and health care services. Providing a voice to residents regarding personal, family, and community health is imperative in making health a shared value to achieve the goals of population health, well‐being, and equity.
The Phototoxic Potential of the Flavonoids, Taxifolin and Quercetin
Authors: Rajnochová Svobodová Alena , Ryšavá Alena , Psotová Michaela , Kosina Pavel , Zálešák Bohumil , Ulrichová Jitka , Vostálová Jitka
Published: March 2017

Quercetin, one of the most abundant polyphenols in the plant kingdom has been shown to be photodegraded on exposure to UV light. Despite the fact, it is a component of several dermatological preparations. Its phototoxic potential has not been evaluated to date. The aim of this study was to assess whether photo‐induced degradation of quercetin is linked to phototoxic effects on living cells. Its dihydro derivative, taxifolin, was included in the study. For evaluation, the 3T3 Neutral Red Uptake Phototoxicity Test according to OECD TG 432 was used. To better approximate human skin, HaCaT keratinocytes, normal human epidermal keratinocytes and dermal fibroblasts were used, apart from the Balb/c 3T3 cell line. Quercetin showed a dose‐dependent photodegradation in aqueous and organic environments and a phototoxic effect on all used cells. Quercetin pretreatment and following UVA exposure resulted in increased reactive oxygen species production and intracellular glutathione level depletion in human dermal fibroblasts. Taxifolin was found completely nonphototoxic and photostable. As only in vitro methodology was used, further studies using 3D skin models and/or human volunteers are needed to confirm whether exposure to sunlight, tanning sunbeds and/or phototherapy in people using cosmetics containing quercetin is a health risk.
Petrogenesis of Ore‐Related Granodiorite Porphyry in the Jiande Copper Deposit, SE China: Implications for the Tectonic Setting and Mineralization
Authors: Chen Hui , Ni Pei , Wang Guo‐Guang , Chen Ren‐Yi , Lü Zhi‐Cheng , Pang Zhen‐Shan , Geng Lin , Zhang Bai‐Sheng , Yuan Hui‐Xiang
Published: March 2017

Adakitic rocks and related Cu–Au mineralization are widespread along eastern Jiangnan Orogen in South China. Previous studies have mainly concentrated on those in the Dexing area in northeastern Jiangxi Province, but information is lacking on the genesis and setting of those in northwestern Zhejiang Province. The Jiande copper deposit is located in the suture zone between the Yangtze and Cathaysia blocks of South China. This paper presents systematic LA–ICP–MS zircon U–Pb dating and element and Sr–Nd–Hf isotopic data of the Jiande granodiorite porphyry. Zircon dating showed that the Jiande granodiorite porphyry was produced during the Middle Jurassic (ca. 161 Ma). The Jiande granodiorite porphyry is characterized by adakitic geochemical affinities with high Sr/Y and LaN/YbN ratios but low Y and Yb contents. The absence of a negative Eu anomaly, extreme depletion in Y and Yb, relatively low MgO contents, and relatively high 207Pb/204Pb ratios, indicated that the Jiande granodiorite porphyry was likely derived from partial melting of the thickened lower continental crust. In addition, the Jiande granodiorite porphyry shows arc magma geochemical features (e.g., Nb, Ta and Ti depletion), with bulk Earth‐like εNd (t) values (−2.89 to −1.92), εHf (t) values (−0.6 to +2.8), and initial 87Sr/86Sr (0.7078 to 0.7105). However, a non‐arc setting in the Middle Jurassic is indicated by the absence of arc rocks and the presence of rifting‐related igneous rock associations in the interior of South China. Combined with the regional Neoproterozoic Jiangnan Orogeny, it indicates that these arc magma geochemical features are possibly inherited from the Neoproterozoic juvenile continental crust formed by the ancient oceanic crust subduction along the Jiangnan Orogen. The geodynamic environment that is responsible for the development of the Middle Jurassic Jiande granodiorite porphyry is likely a localized intra‐continental extensional environment along the NE‐trending Jiangshan‐Shaoxing Deep Fault as a tectonic response to far‐field stress at the margins of the rigid South China Plate during the early stage of the paleo‐Pacific plate subduction. In terms of Cu mineralization, we suggest that the metal Cu was released from the subducted oceanic slab and reserved in the juvenile crust during Neoproterozoic subduction along the eastern Jiangnan Orogen region. Partial melting of the Cu rich Neoproterozoic juvenile crust during the Middle Jurassic time in the Jiande area caused the formation of adakitic rocks and the Cu deposit.
Deterrence and Risk Preferences in Sequential Attacker–Defender Games with Continuous Efforts
Authors: Payyappalli Vineet M. , Zhuang Jun , Jose Victor Richmond R.
Published: March 2017

Most attacker–defender games consider players as risk neutral, whereas in reality attackers and defenders may be risk seeking or risk averse. This article studies the impact of players' risk preferences on their equilibrium behavior and its effect on the notion of deterrence. In particular, we study the effects of risk preferences in a single‐period, sequential game where a defender has a continuous range of investment levels that could be strategically chosen to potentially deter an attack. This article presents analytic results related to the effect of attacker and defender risk preferences on the optimal defense effort level and their impact on the deterrence level. Numerical illustrations and some discussion of the effect of risk preferences on deterrence and the utility of using such a model are provided, as well as sensitivity analysis of continuous attack investment levels and uncertainty in the defender's beliefs about the attacker's risk preference. A key contribution of this article is the identification of specific scenarios in which the defender using a model that takes into account risk preferences would be better off than a defender using a traditional risk‐neutral model. This study provides insights that could be used by policy analysts and decisionmakers involved in investment decisions in security and safety.
A Community Perspective on Resilience Analytics: A Visual Analysis of Community Mood
Authors: López‐Cuevas Armando , Ramírez‐Márquez José , Sanchez‐Ante Gildardo , Barker Kash
Published: March 2017

Social networks are ubiquitous in everyday life. Although commonly analyzed from a perspective of individual interactions, social networks can provide insights about the collective behavior of a community. It has been shown that changes in the mood of social networks can be correlated to economic trends, public demonstrations, and political reactions, among others. In this work, we study community resilience in terms of the mood variations of the community. We have developed a method to characterize the mood steady‐state of online social networks and to analyze how this steady‐state is affected under certain perturbations or events that affect a community. We applied this method to study community behavior for three real social network situations, with promising results.
The Role of Risk Perception in Flu Vaccine Behavior among African‐American and White Adults in the United States
Authors: Freimuth Vicki S. , Jamison Amelia , Hancock Gregory , Musa Donald , Hilyard Karen , Quinn Sandra Crouse
Published: March 2017

Seasonal flu vaccination rates are low for U.S. adults, with significant disparities between African and white Americans. Risk perception is a significant predictor of vaccine behavior but the research on this construct has been flawed. This study addressed critical research questions to understand the differences between African and white Americans in the role of risk perception in flu vaccine behavior: (1) What is the dimensionality of risk perception and does it differ between the two races?  (2) Were risk perceptions of white and African‐American populations different and how were sociodemographic characteristics related to risk for each group? (3) What is the relation between risk perception and flu vaccine behaviors for African Americans and whites? The sample, drawn from GfK's Knowledge Panel, consisted of 838 whites and 819 African Americans. The survey instrument was developed from qualitative research. Measures of risk perception included cognitive and emotional measures of disease risk and risk of side effects from the vaccine. The online survey was conducted in March 2015. Results showed the importance of risk perception in the vaccine decision‐making process for both racial groups. As expected, those who got the vaccine reported higher disease risk than those who did not. Separate cognitive and emotional factors did not materialize in this study but strong evidence was found to support the importance of considering disease risk as well as risk of the vaccine. There were significant racial differences in the way risk perception predicted behavior.
The Real Dependent Variable Problem: The Limitations of Quantitative Analysis in Comparative Policy Studies
Authors: Spicker Paul
Published: March 2017

Comparative public policy relies heavily on processing quantitative data, typically done by looking for the relationship between variables or by grouping empirical data into categories. In methodological terms, comparative data commonly deal with nations as policy units, and observations are liable to be interconnected, rather than independent. In statistical terms, there are problems in the identification of appropriate data, violations of the assumptions are rife, and there are just not enough nations to be able to make comparisons sensibly in these terms.

The ‘dependent variable’ problem relates to the definition, operationalization and measurement of key variables, but the problems of comparison go deeper than that. The real dependent variable problem is whether it makes sense to look for a dependent variable at all. The evidence is always equivocal; a methodology that attempts to bracket off disparate influences cannot be valid; and attempting to apply general principles across different circumstances and conditions is inconsistent with what we know about policy development. Quantitative methods offer ways to sort and systematize information, but they do not provide a basis for generalization.