bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rural‐Urban Difference in Workplace Supports and Impacts for Employed Caregivers
Authors: Henning‐Smith Carrie , Lahr Megan
Published: June 2018

Purpose

This study examines rural‐urban differences in employed caregivers’ access to workplace supports, negative impacts of caregiving on work, and the association between work and caregiver strain, which can have negative impacts on health.

Methods

We used a cross‐sectional analysis of employed caregivers (n = 635) from the 2015 Caregiving in the US survey, including bivariate comparisons of caregiver characteristics, access to workplace benefits, and workplace impacts by rural‐urban location, as well as ordered logistic regression models to assess the relationship between workplace benefits and impacts and caregiver strain, stratified by rural‐urban location.

Findings

Employed rural caregivers had significantly fewer workplace benefits available to them (1.3 out of 5 vs 1.9, P < .001), compared with urban caregivers. In particular, employed rural caregivers were less likely to have access to telecommuting, employee assistance programs, and paid leave. For the full sample, having more negative workplace impacts was associated with greater caregiver strain (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 1.65, P < .001); for employed rural caregivers, using paid help for caregiving was associated with more strain (AOR: 4.39, P < .05).

Conclusions

More should be done to support all employed caregivers, especially those in rural locations who have more limited access to workplace supports and who may be more negatively impacted by the financial toll of caregiving and of missing work because of caregiving responsibilities. Interventions could range from employer‐initiated programs to local, state, or national policies to improve supports provided to employed caregivers in urban and rural areas.
Religious Service Attendance Aids Coping by Providing a Sense of Continuity: A Test of the Stress‐Support Matching Hypothesis Using Mental Health Outcome Measures
Authors: Rainville G.
Published: June 2018

We propose that religious service attendance (RSA) serves as a coping resource by providing a sense of continuity. As a source of continuity, and per the stress‐support matching hypothesis, RSA should consistently buffer the negative mental well‐being impacts of stressors related to discontinuity—the disruption of regular routines and relationships. Most, but not all, of the relevant previous studies we reviewed found that RSA served as an effective buffer for the negative mental health impacts of discontinuity stressors (such as unemployment, terminated relationships, etc.). This variability in previous findings warranted a formal exploration of the relationship between RSA and specific stressors. To that end, we conducted a series of OLS regression path analyses on a sample of Americans age 40 and older (N = 2,579). RSA was found to consistently buffer the negative impact of discontinuity stressors on mental well‐being but failed to do so for other stressors. Overall, our observations are (a) consistent with the stress‐support matching hypothesis, (b) suggest that RSA is particularly effective for reducing the negative impacts of discontinuity stressors, and (c) found no instance in which RSA exacerbated (i.e., made more severe) the effects of life event stressors on mental well‐being.
Longitudinally extensive vasogenic edema following spinal cord infarction
Authors: Gondo Takashi , Kurihara Masanori , Sugiyama Yusuke , Mano Tatsuo , Mori Harushi , Hayashi Toshihiro , Tsuji Shoji
Published: June 2018

Although transient lesion expansion has been reported after spinal cord infarction, longitudinally extensive lesion expanding more than several vertebral segments is extremely rare. We report a 45‐year‐old man having spinal cord infarction with subsequent longitudinally extensive lesion expansion on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) 10 days after the infarction. The length of T2 hyperintense lesion was four vertebral segments on initial MRI but enlarged to span 12 vertebral segments on subsequent MRI, with Lhermitte's sign, but otherwise without neurological deterioration. The expanded lesion extended beyond the anterior spinal artery region with high apparent diffusion coefficient value in the acute phase but improved within 10 days after starting cervical collar, suggesting that lesion expansion was due to vasogenic edema. This case illustrates that transient longitudinal lesion expansion accompanied by spinal cord infarction can reach lengths of up to 12 vertebral segments. Caution should be exercised while interpreting MRI findings to avoid excessive treatment or secondary damage.
Retrobulbar optic neuropathy associated with sphenoid sinus mucormycosis
Authors: Sano Tatsuhiko , Kobayashi Zen , Takaoka Ken , Ota Kiyobumi , Onishi Iichiroh , Iizuka Mihoko , Tomimitsu Hiroyuki , Shintani Shuzo
Published: June 2018

Because fungi usually spread from the paranasal sinuses to the orbital apex in invasive fungal sinusitis (IFS), IFS often presents as an orbital apex syndrome (OAS) characterized by dysfunction of cranial nerves II, III, IV, V1, and VI. We report a case of sphenoid sinus mucormycosis that presented as isolated retrobulbar optic neuropathy. A 94‐year‐old woman presented with acute blindness in the right eye. Examination revealed the absence of light perception and pupillary reflex in the right eye. Head MRI showed a mass in the right sphenoid sinus, which was contiguous with the right optic nerve. She underwent endoscopic surgery, and a histopathological diagnosis of mucormycosis was established. Treatment with intravenous liposomal amphotericin B reduced the size of the mass. She has survived for more than 1 year without recurrence. Clinicians should consider that IFS can present as isolated retrobulbar optic neuropathy.
Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis following Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection complicated by respiratory arrest due to concurrent bilateral lateral medullary lesions: A case report
Authors: Fukuoka Takuya , Nakazato Yoshihiko , Kawasaki Hitoshi , Ikeda Kei , Yamamoto Toshimasa
Published: June 2018

Reports on concurrent bilateral lateral medullary lesions in patients with neurological disorders are lacking. Herein, we discuss the case of a 40‐year‐old man who developed acute disseminated encephalomyelitis due to Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection. Brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed high signal intensities and demyelination in the concurrent bilateral lateral medulla and cervical spinal cord. Clinical features included respiratory arrest and psychiatric symptoms, although his symptoms improved several months following the initiation of artificial respiration and repeated steroid pulse therapy. Such findings emphasize the need to carefully monitor patients with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis exhibiting concurrent bilateral medullary lesions due to the risk of sudden respiratory arrest.
Behavioral interventions in health neuroscience
Authors: Dutcher Janine M. , Creswell J. David
Published: June 2018

Many chronic health concerns (obesity, addiction, stress, chronic pain, and depression) have garnered recent attention for their increasing frequency, intractability, and serious health consequences. Because they are often difficult to treat and there are not always effective pharmacological treatments, many patients are pursuing behavioral interventions for these conditions. Experimental behavioral intervention studies have shown some efficacy for health, but the mechanisms for these treatments are not well understood. Health neuroscience is a burgeoning field that seeks to link neural function and structure with physical and mental health. Through this lens, initial studies have begun to investigate how behavioral interventions modulate neural function in ways that lead to improvements in health markers and outcomes. Here, we provide a review of these studies in terms of how they modulate key neurobiological systems, and how modulation of these systems relates to physical health and disease outcomes. We conclude with discussion of opportunities for future research in this promising area of study.
Oral and dental health care during pregnancy: Evaluating a theory‐driven intervention
Authors: Ghaffari Mohtasham , Rakhshanderou Sakineh , Safari‐Moradabadi Ali , Torabi Sohila
Published: June 2018

Objective

The present research aimed to investigate the effect of an educational intervention based on the health belief model in pregnant women visiting the healthcare centers in the west of Tehran in 2016.

Materials and Methods

The present experimental research was conducted on 135 pregnant women visiting the healthcare centers in the west of Tehran. The subjects were selected through a randomized multistratified sampling and were divided into an experimental and a control group. The collected data were then statistically analyzed in SPSS ver.16. To do so, descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were used including the independent‐samples t‐test, repeated‐measures one‐way ANOVA and paired‐sample t‐test.

Results

The present findings revealed a statistically significant difference between the experimental and control groups in terms of immediate post‐test results including perceived sensitivity, severity, benefits, barriers, and self‐efficacy along with awareness and performance constructs (p ˂ 0.001). Moreover, two months after the intervention, except for the perceived sensitivity construct (p = 0.088), the two groups diverged significantly in terms of the other constructs (p ˂ 0.001).

Conclusions

The educational intervention driven by the health belief theory showed to be effective on pregnant women and can help to promote preventive behaviors of tooth decay.
Factors to Consider When Analyzing the Need for an Elected State Treasurer
Authors: Bunch Beverly S. , Ferrara Barbara E.
Published: June 2018

Since 2010, public officials or other stakeholders in at least seven states have proposed the elimination of the publicly‐elected state treasurer position in their respective states. Advocates claim this would cut costs while opponents argue that it would decrease accountability and checks and balances. During the mid‐1990s and early 2000s, three states (Texas, Minnesota, and Florida) eliminated the elected state treasurer position. This paper presents case studies of what happened in those states and uses the findings, along with other information, to discuss factors to consider when evaluating whether a state should eliminate its elected state treasurer position.
The auxin receptor TIR1 homolog (PagFBL 1) regulates adventitious rooting through interactions with Aux/IAA28 in Populus
Authors: Shu Wenbo , Zhou Houjun , Jiang Cheng , Zhao Shutang , Wang Liuqiang , Li Quanzi , Yang Zhangqi , Groover Andrew , Lu Meng‐Zhu
Published: June 2018

Adventitious roots occur naturally in many species and can also be induced from explants of some tree species including Populus, providing an important means of clonal propagation. Auxin has been identified as playing a crucial role in adventitious root formation, but the associated molecular regulatory mechanisms need to be elucidated. In this study, we examined the role of PagFBL1, the hybrid poplar (Populus alba × P. glandulosa clone 84K) homolog of Arabidopsis auxin receptor TIR1, in adventitious root formation in poplar. Similar to the distribution pattern of auxin during initiation of adventitious roots, PagFBL1 expression was concentrated in the cambium and secondary phloem in stems during adventitious root induction and initiation phases, but decreased in emerging adventitious root primordia. Overexpressing PagFBL1 stimulated adventitious root formation and increased root biomass, while knock‐down of PagFBL1 transcript levels delayed adventitious root formation and decreased root biomass. Transcriptome analyses of PagFBL1 overexpressing lines indicated that an extensive remodelling of gene expression was stimulated by auxin signalling pathway during early adventitious root formation. In addition, PagIAA28 was identified as downstream targets of PagFBL1. We propose that the PagFBL1‐PagIAA28 module promotes adventitious rooting and could be targeted to improve Populus propagation by cuttings.
Factors affecting the health‐related quality of life in community‐dwelling elderly people
Authors: Kim Geun Myun , Hong Myung Sun , Noh Wonjung
Published: June 2018

Objective

The purpose of this study was to investigate the determinants of the health‐related quality of life of elderly people in Korea by applying the Andersen model.

Design and Sample

This study was a descriptive survey. Participants were 240 elderly people over 65 years of age living in a community.

Measures

A hierarchical multiple regression was performed to analyze the factors related to the health‐related quality of life, including predisposing, enabling, and need factors, and health behaviors.

Results

Need factors, that is, self‐reported health status, were the most significant in influencing the health‐related quality of life of the elderly people; predisposing factors were age and education level, and enabling factors were income and activities of daily living.

Conclusion

The findings of this study can be used to develop a community‐based intervention program and to establish a policy for improving the quality of life of elderly people.
Constitutive Rules: Games, Language, and Assertion
Authors: Reiland Indrek
Published: June 2018

Many philosophers think that games like chess, languages like English, and speech acts like assertion are constituted by rules. Lots of others disagree. To argue over this productively, it would be first useful to know what it would be for these things to be rule‐constituted. Searle famously claimed in Speech Acts that rules constitute things in the sense that they make possible the performance of actions related to those things (Searle 1969). On this view, rules constitute games, languages, and speech acts in the sense that they make possible playing them, speaking them and performing them. This raises the question what it is to perform rule‐constituted actions (e. g. play, speak, assert) and the question what makes constitutive rules distinctive such that only they make possible the performance of new actions (e. g. playing). In this paper I will criticize Searle's answers to these questions. However, my main aim is to develop a better view, explain how it works in the case of each of games, language, and assertion and illustrate its appeal by showing how it enables rule‐based views of these things to respond to various objections.
How does capital control spur economic growth?
Authors: Huang Zongye , You Yu
Published: June 2018

This paper provides a conceptual and empirical framework for evaluating the effect of capital controls on long‐term economic growth. In a small open economy which relies on successful investment projects to provide capital goods, taking out short‐term loans has two contradictory impacts: (i) it reduces the interest costs of financing investment projects; and (ii) it also leads to larger asset losses in the scenario of short‐term debt run. In this work, we hypothesise that private financing decisions made by domestic investors are distorted towards excessive risk‐taking, leading to ineffective capital formation. Thus, capital control policies, particularly regulations on short‐term loans, can be socially beneficial as they alter the debt composition, promote capital formation and achieve a higher output level. Using a panel data set covering 77 countries from 1995 to 2009, we employ a system generalised method of moments (GMM) estimator to sequentially test three hypotheses and find strong empirical evidence that supports our theory.
Experiences and Coping Strategies of Children From Child-Headed Households in Swaziland
Authors: Thwala S’lungile K.
Published: June 2018

This study investigated the experiences and coping strategies of adolescent girl learners from child-headed families in the Shiselweni region of Swaziland. Forty (40) girls whose ages ranged from 13-18 years were participants in the study and were selected through purposive sampling in five selected rural schools. Data were collected on the experiences and coping strategies of adolescent girl learners through focus group discussions and individual interviews. The data were thematically analysed. The findings suggest that these girls experience lack of food security, poverty and strained extended family relations. The girls have also shown resilience despite their adversities which they indicated have been achieved through family unity, prayer and church support as coping strategies.
Robustness and Real Options for Vehicle Design and Investment Decisions Under Gas Price and Regulatory Uncertainties
Authors: Kang Namwoo , Bayrak Alparslan Emrah , Papalambros Panos Y.
Published: June 2018

Manufacturers must decide when to invest and launch a new vehicle segment or how to redesign vehicles existing segment under market uncertainties. We present an optimization framework for redesigning or investing in future vehicles using real options to address uncertainty in gas price and regulatory standards like the U.S. Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standard. In a specific study involving a product of gasoline, hybrid electric, and electric vehicles (EV), we examine the relationship between gas price and CAFE uncertainties to support decisions by manufacturers on product mix and by policy makers on proposing standards. A real options model is used for the time delay on investment, redesign, and pricing, integrated with a robust design formulation to optimize expected net present value (ENPV) and net present value (NPV) robustness. Results for nine different scenarios suggest that policy makers should consider gas price when setting CAFE standards; and manufacturers should consider the trade-off between ENPV and robust NPVs. Results also suggest that change of product mix rather than vehicle redesign better addresses CAFE standards inflation.
A new Aculodes species (Prostigmata: Eriophyoidea: Eriophyidae) associated with medusahead, Taeniatherum caput-medusae (L.) Nevski (Poaceae)
Authors: De Lillo Enrico , Vidović Biljana , Petanović Radmila , Cristofaro Massimo , Marini Francesca , Augé Matthew , Cvrković Tatjana , Babić Emilija , Mattia Chiara , Lotfollahi Parisa , Rector Brian
Published: June 2018

A new species of plant mite (Acari: Eriophyidae) was discovered on medusahead (Taeniatherum caput-medusae), an annual grass that is native to central Asia and the Mediterranean Basin. It is invasive in western North America. Aculodes altamurgiensis sp. nov., is described here and differentiated from other Aculodes spp., on the basis of morphology. Its DNA fingerprinting was reported and compared with Aculodes mckenziei collected from Elymus repens and Bromus inermis. Pairwise comparison of MT-CO1 sequences between A. altamurgiensis sp. nov., and A. mckenziei revealed 20.2–21.5% genetic divergence between these congeneric species. First collected in Parco Nazionale dell’Alta Murgia in Apulia, Italy in 2014, A. altamurgiensis sp. nov., has been subsequently collected from medusahead in Serbia, Bulgaria, Iran and Turkey. Based on these data and on preliminary observations on the effects of the mite on plant growth, A. altamurgiensis sp. nov., is currently being investigated as a candidate biological control agent of medusahead.
Beyond equilibrium thermodynamics in the low temperature plasma processor
Authors: Thimsen Elijah
Published: June 2018

Low temperature plasmas are open driven thermodynamic systems capable of increasing the free energy of the mass that flows through them. An interesting thing about low temperature plasmas is that different species have different temperatures at the same location in space. Since thermal equilibrium cannot be assumed, many of the familiar results of equilibrium thermodynamics cannot be applied in their familiar form to predict, e.g., the direction of a chemical reaction. From the perspective of classical processing governed by thermal equilibrium, examples of highly unexpected gas-phase chemical reactions (CO2 dissociation, NO, N2H4, O3 synthesis) and solid material transformations (surface activation, size-focusing, and hyperdoping) promoted by low temperature plasmas are presented. The lack of a known chemical reaction equilibrium criterion prevents assessment of predictive kinetics models of low temperature plasmas, to ensure that they comply with the laws of thermodynamics. There is a need for a general method to predict chemical reaction equilibrium in low temperature plasmas or an alternative method to establish the thermodynamic admissibility of a proposed kinetics model. Toward those ends, two ideas are explored in this work. The first idea is that chemical reactions in low temperature plasmas proceed toward a thermal equilibrium state at an effective temperature intermediate between the neutral gas temperature and the electron temperature. The effective temperature hypothesis is simple, and surprisingly is adequate for elucidation in some systems, but it lacks generality. The general equation for nonequilibrium reversible–irreversible coupling (GENERIC) is a general beyond equilibrium thermodynamics framework that can be used to rigorously establish the thermodynamic admissibility of a set of dynamic modeling equations, such as a kinetic model, without knowledge of the final state that the system is tending toward. The use of GENERIC is described by way of example using a two-temperature hydrodynamic model from the literature. The conclusion of the GENERIC analysis presented in this work is that the concept of superlocal equilibrium is thermodynamically admissible and may be applied to describe low temperature plasmas, provided that appropriate terms are included for exchange of internal energy and momentum between different species that may have different temperatures and bulk velocities at the same location in space. The concept of superlocal equilibrium is expected to be of utility in future work focused on deriving equilibrium criteria for low temperature plasmas.
Effects of RF plasma modification on the thermal and mechanical properties of electrospun chitosan/poly(vinyl alcohol) nanofiber mats
Authors: Latag Glenn V. , Vasquez Magdaleno R.
Published: June 2018

On the design and fabrication of biomedical devices, the mechanical integrity and the thermal stability of the materials used are of paramount consideration. In this study, the effects of 13.56 MHz radio frequency plasma modification using argon (Ar) and oxygen (O2) discharges on the morphology, thermal properties, and tensile properties of the nonwoven electrospun chitosan/poly(vinyl alcohol) nanofiber mats were investigated. The scanning electron microscope images showed a significant change in the morphology of the nanofiber mats due to the Ar and O2 plasma treatment. The thermogravimetric-differential thermogravimetry data revealed two major degradation steps for both the pristine samples and the Ar plasma-treated samples due to the molecular backbone degradation and decomposition of polyene and carbonyl residues. However, a third peak was observed for O2 plasma-treated samples which may be due to the oxygen functionalities imparted by the discharge as seen from the Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy data. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results have shown the glass transition temperature at 65–68 °C and a melting temperature at around 200–220 °C. Also, a decrease in the crystallinity of the plasma-treated samples were noted from the DSC thermograms. A significant (p < 0.05) decrease in the tensile strength, yield strength, Young's modulus, and elongation at break were noted for the plasma-treated samples due to the etching and ablation effects induced by energetic particle interactions. However, the mechanical properties are still comparable with the tensile properties of human tissues such as the skin. These nonwoven mats with tunable properties have potential use in biomedical engineering, particularly as tissue scaffolds, wound dressings, sutures, and antibacterial gauzes.
Orangutans venture out of the rainforest and into the Anthropocene
Authors: Spehar Stephanie N. , Sheil Douglas , Harrison Terry , Louys Julien , Ancrenaz Marc , Marshall Andrew J. , Wich Serge A. , Bruford Michael W. , Meijaard Erik
Published: June 2018

Examining how 70,000 years of human interaction shaped orangutans provides insights into conservation in the Anthropocene.
City-level climate change mitigation in China
Authors: Shan Yuli , Guan Dabo , Hubacek Klaus , Zheng Bo , Davis Steven J. , Jia Lichao , Liu Jianghua , Liu Zhu , Fromer Neil , Mi Zhifu , Meng Jing , Deng Xiangzheng , Li Yuan , Lin Jintai , Schroeder Heike , Weisz Helga , Schellnhuber Hans Joachim
Published: June 2018

Technological advancement in industrializing cities is critical for reducing CO
2
emissions while maintaining economic growth.
Branching geometry of valley networks on Mars and Earth and its implications for early Martian climate
Authors: Seybold Hansjoerg J. , Kite Edwin , Kirchner James W.
Published: June 2018

Valley network branching angles suggest that Mars’ ancient hydrology was not dominated by groundwater flow.
Preclinical assessment of antiviral combination therapy in a genetically humanized mouse model for hepatitis delta virus infection
Authors: Winer Benjamin Y. , Shirvani-Dastgerdi Elham , Bram Yaron , Sellau Julie , Low Benjamin E. , Johnson Heath , Huang Tiffany , Hrebikova Gabriela , Heller Brigitte , Sharon Yael , Giersch Katja , Gerges Sherif , Seneca Kathleen , Pais Mihai-Alexandru , Frankel Angela S. , Chiriboga Luis , Cullen John , Nahass Ronald G. , Lutgehetmann Marc , Toettcher Jared E. , Wiles Michael V. , Schwartz Robert E. , Ploss Alexander
Published: June 2018

An inbred mouse model for HDV infection can be used to study virally induced immune responses and for testing antiviral therapeutics.
Faulty fat cells linked to weight gain
Authors: Page Kathleen A.
Published: June 2018

Altered fat cell lipolysis predicts long-term weight gain and risk of type 2 diabetes.
Full-Length Genome Sequence of a Sindbis Virus Strain Isolated from Culex cinereus in 1977 in Bozo, Central African Republic
Authors: Sem Ouilibona Rita C. , Tchetgna Simo Huguette D. , Vickos Ulrich , Berthet Nicolas , Nakouné Emmanuel
Published: June 2018

We report here the complete genome sequence of a Sindbis virus (SINV) strain, ArB7761, isolated in 1977 in the Central African Republic. This strain, closely related to the Babanki virus, belongs to the SINV genotype I clade.
Whole-Genome Shotgun Sequencing of Three Listeria monocytogenes Strains Isolated from a Ready-to-Eat Salad-Producing Facility in Switzerland
Authors: Ziegler Matthias , Jang Hyein , Gopinath Gopal , Horlbog Jule Anna , Stephan Roger , Guldimann Claudia
Published: June 2018

Ready-to-eat (RTE) raw foods harbor the risk of transmitting
Listeria monocytogenes
from the environment to the consumer. We isolated three strains from a facility producing RTE salad.
Complete Genome Sequence of the Novel Virulent Phage PMBT28 with Lytic Activity against Thermotolerant Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica Serovar Senftenberg ATCC 43845
Authors: Koberg Sabrina , Brinks Erik , Albrecht Viktoria , Neve Horst , Franz Charles M. A. P.
Published: June 2018

The complete genome sequence of the novel virulent
Siphoviridae
phage PMBT28, which may potentially be utilized for the biocontrol of
Salmonella
spp., is reported here. The phage was isolated using
Salmonella enterica
subsp.
Draft Genome Sequence of Mycoplasma arginini Strain NGR_2017
Authors: Adeniji J. A. , Faleye T. O. C. , Adewumi O. M. , Olayinka O. A. , Donbraye E. , Oluremi B. , George U. E. , Arowolo O. A. , Omoruyi E. C. , Ifeorah M. I. , Akande A.
Published: June 2018

We present the draft genome of
Mycoplasma arginini
strain NGR_2017. This strain was recovered in Nigeria from cell culture in 2017.
Complete Draft Genome Sequence of an Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase-Producing Citrobacter freundii Strain Recovered from the Intestine of a House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) in Germany, 2017
Authors: Osieka Valerie , Grobbel Mirjam , Schmoger Silvia , Szentiks Claudia A. , Irrgang Alexandra , Käsbohrer Annemarie , Tenhagen Bernd-Alois , Hammerl Jens A.
Published: June 2018

Here, we announce the genome of an extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing
Citrobacter freundii
strain isolated from the cecum of a house sparrow that was found dead in Berlin-Lichtenberg, Germany, in 2017. This isolate exhibits increased MICs for several antimicrobials and a comprehensive set of acquired resistance determinants potentially involved in horizontal gene transfer.
Genome Sequence of Torulaspora microellipsoides CLIB 830
T
Authors: Galeote Virginie , Bigey Frédéric , Devillers Hugo , Ortiz-Merino Raúl A. , Dequin Sylvie , Wolfe Kenneth H. , Neuvéglise Cécile
Published: June 2018

We report here the genome sequence of the ascomycetous yeast
Torulaspora microellipsoides
CLIB 830
T
. A reference genome for this species, which has been found as a donor of genetic material in wine strains of
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
, will undoubtedly give clues to our understanding of horizontal transfer mechanisms between species in the wine environment.
Genome Sequence of Staphylococcus aureus Ex1, Isolated from a Patient with Spinal Osteomyelitis
Authors: Morcrette Helen , Morgan Marina S. , Farbos Audrey , O’Neill Paul , Moore Karen , Titball Richard W. , Studholme David J.
Published: June 2018

Here, we present the genome sequence of
Staphylococcus aureus
Ex1, isolated in 2015 from a patient with spinal osteomyelitis at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital in the United Kingdom. The availability of the Ex1 genome sequence provides a resource for studying the basis for spinal infection and horizontal gene transfer in
S. aureus
.
PD-L1, TIM-3, and CTLA-4 Blockade Fails To Promote Resistance to Secondary Infection with Virulent Strains of Toxoplasma gondii
Authors: Splitt Samantha D. , Souza Scott P. , Valentine Kristen M. , Castellanos Brayan E. , Curd Andrew B. , Hoyer Katrina K. , Jensen Kirk D. C.
Published: June 2018

T cell exhaustion is a state of hyporesponsiveness that develops during many chronic infections and cancer. Neutralization of inhibitory receptors, or “checkpoint blockade,” can reverse T cell exhaustion and lead to beneficial prognoses in experimental and clinical settings.
Identification and Biochemical Characterization of a Novel Protein Phosphatase 2C-Like Ser/Thr Phosphatase in Escherichia coli
Authors: Rajagopalan Krithika , Nagle Elizabeth , Dworkin Jonathan
Published: June 2018

Regulatory protein phosphorylation is a conserved mechanism of signaling in all biological systems. Recent phosphoproteomic analyses of phylogenetically diverse bacteria, including the model Gram-negative bacterium
Escherichia coli
, demonstrate that many proteins are phosphorylated on serine or threonine residues. In contrast to phosphorylation on histidine or aspartate residues, phosphorylation of serine and threonine residues is stable and requires the action of a partner Ser/Thr phosphatase to remove the modification. Although a number of Ser/Thr kinases have been reported in
E. coli
, no partner Ser/Thr phosphatases have been identified. Here, we biochemically characterize a novel Ser/Thr phosphatase that acts to dephosphorylate a Ser/Thr kinase that is encoded in the same operon.
Variation in analytic transparency in recent efficacy studies of antidepressant medication
Authors: Vannoy Steven , Brodt Madeline , Cosgrove Lisa , Shaughnessy Allen F
Published: June 2018

The validity of clinical trial results is influenced by researchers’ decisions regarding the management of missing data. Inadequate management of missing data has been identified as a significant source of bias that can result in an overestimation of drug efficacy. Transparency related to the management of missing data is essential to assess the strength of evidence reported in publications. In a subset of 17 randomised clinical trials for two new antidepressant medications, we present a case study in which we examined investigators’ decisions regarding how to handle missing data and if their chosen method took into account, possible violations of analytic requirements that could affect results. The majority of trials (76%) concluded that there was a benefit of antidepressant treatment and in 94% the methodology for handling missing data was identifiable. Of these, 50% imputed data using the last observation carried forward and half used a mixed-effects model repeated measure approach. Most reports did not provide a rationale for the method used, and no trials described analyses regarding differences between completers and dropouts. Sensitivity analysis was inconsistently reported and correction for multiple comparisons was not uniformly applied. Lack of transparency for analytic choices related to handling of missing data testing was common in this subset of RCTs. Because management of missing data can directly influence the quality of study results, it is critical that journal editors develop and enforce standards for methodological transparency.
Understanding for whom, why and in what circumstances payment for performance works in low and middle income countries: protocol for a realist review
Authors: Borghi Josephine , Singh Neha S , Brown Garrett , Anselmi Laura , Kristensen Soren
Published: June 2018

Background

Many low and middle income countries (LMIC) are implementing payment for performance (P4P) schemes to strengthen health systems and make progress towards universal health coverage. A number of systematic reviews have considered P4P effectiveness but did not explore how P4P works in different settings to improve outcomes or shed light on pathways or mechanisms of programme effect. This research will undertake a realist review to investigate how, why and in what circumstances P4P leads to intended and unintended outcomes in LMIC.

Methods

Our search was guided by an initial programme theory of mechanisms and involved a systematic search of Medline, Embase, Popline, Business Source Premier, Emerald Insight and EconLit databases for studies on P4P and health in LMIC. Inclusion and exclusion criteria identify literature that is relevant to the initial programme theory and the research questions underpinning the review. Retained evidence will be used to test, revise or refine the programme theory and identify knowledge gaps. The evidence will be interrogated by examining the relationship between context, mechanisms and intended and unintended outcomes to establish what works for who, in which contexts and why.

Discussion

By synthesising current knowledge on how P4P affects health systems to produce outcomes in different contexts and to what extent the programme design affects this, we will inform more effective P4P programmes to strengthen health systems and achieve sustainable service delivery and health impacts.
Effectiveness of targeting the health promotion settings for non-communicable disease control in low/middle-income countries: systematic review protocol
Authors: Jeet Gursimer , Thakur Jarnail Singh , Prinja Shankar , Singh Meenu , Paika Ronika , Kunjan Kunjan , Dhadwal Priya
Published: June 2018

Introduction

Settings-based approaches to health promotion, involving holistic and multidisciplinary methods, which integrate action across risk factors are important. Major advantage of focusing on these settings is the continuous and intensive contact with the participant. Despite the apparent advantages of addressing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) using targeted interventions for several developed country settings, a relative lack of evidence of effectiveness of such interventions in low/middle-income countries has led to poor allocation of resources towards these interventions. The focus is therefore on the settings rather than any one condition, and we therefore expect the findings to generalise to NCD prevention and control efforts. We intend to estimate the effectiveness of targeted interventions in low/middle-income countries.

Methods and analysis

We will search PubMed, Excerpta Medica Database, OVID, WHO Library and The Cochrane Library from the year 2000 to March 2018 without language restrictions. Study designs to be included will be randomised controlled trials. The primary outcome of effectiveness will be the percentage change in population having different behavioural risk factors. Subgroup analyses will be performed, and sensitivity analyses will be conducted to assess the robustness of the findings.

Ethics and dissemination

No ethical issues are foreseen. The Institute Ethics Committee of the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research approved the doctoral research protocol under which this review is being done. Dissemination will be done by submitting scientific articles to academic peer-reviewed journals. We will present the results at relevant conferences and meetings.

Study design

Systematic review.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42016042647; Pre-results.
Natural corollaries and recovery after acute ACL injury: the NACOX cohort study protocol
Authors: Kvist Joanna , Gauffin Håkan , Tigerstrand Grevnerts Hanna , Ardern Clare , Hägglund Martin , Stålman Anders , Frobell Richard
Published: June 2018

Introduction

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury can result in joint instability, decreased functional performance, reduced physical activity and quality of life and an increased risk for post-traumatic osteoarthritis. Despite the development of new treatment techniques and extensive research, the complex and multifaceted nature of ACL injury and its consequences are yet to be fully understood. The overall aim of the NACOX study is to evaluate the natural corollaries and recovery after an ACL injury.

Methods and analysis

The NACOX study is a multicentre prospective prognostic cohort study of patients with acute ACL injury. At seven sites in Sweden, we will include patients aged 15–40 years, within 6 weeks after primary ACL injury. Patients will complete questionnaires at multiple occasions over the 3 years following injury or the 3 years following ACL reconstruction (for participants who have surgical treatment). In addition, a subgroup of 130 patients will be followed with clinical examinations, several imaging modalities and biological samples. Data analyses will be specific to each aim.

Ethics and dissemination

This study has been approved by the regional Ethical committee in Linköping, Sweden (Dnr 2016/44-31 and 2017/221–32). We plan to present the results at national and international conferences and in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Participants will receive a short summary of the results following completion of the study.

Trial registration number

NCT02931084.
Use of patient-held information about medication (PHIMed) to support medicines optimisation: protocol for a mixed-methods descriptive study
Authors: Garfield Sara , Furniss Dominic , Husson Fran , Turley Margaret , Dean Franklin Bryony
Published: June 2018

Introduction

Risks of poor information transfer across health settings are well documented, particularly for medication. There is also increasing awareness of the importance of greater patient activation. Patients may use various types of patient-held information about medication (PHIMed) to facilitate medication transfer, which may be paper or electronic. However, it is not known how PHIMed should best be used, whether it improves patient outcomes, nor is its key ‘active ingredients’ known. Discussion with patients and carers has highlighted this as a priority for research. We aim to identify how PHIMed is used in practice, barriers and facilitators to its use and key features of PHIMed that support medicines optimisation in practice.

Methods and analysis

This study will take place in Greater London, England. We will include patients with long-term conditions, carers and healthcare professionals. The study has four work packages (WPs). WP1 involves qualitative interviews with healthcare professionals (n=16) and focus groups with patients and carers (n=20), including users and non-users of PHIMed, to study perceptions around its role, key features, barriers and facilitators, and any unintended consequences. WP2 will involve documentary analysis of how PHIMed is used, what is documented and read, and by whom, in a stratified sample of 60 PHIMed users. In WP3, we will carry out a descriptive analysis of PHIMed tools used/available, both electronic and paper, and categorise their design and key features based on those identified in WP1/2. Finally, in WP4, findings from WPs 1–3 will be integrated and analysed using distributed cognition as a theoretical framework to explore how information is recorded, transformed and propagated among different people and artefacts.

Ethics and dissemination

The study has National Health Service ethics approval. It will provide initial recommendations around the present use of PHIMed to optimise patient care for patients, carers and healthcare professionals.
Comparative safety of bowel cleansers: protocol for a systematic review and network meta-analysis
Authors: Barbeau Pauline , Wolfe Dianna , Yazdi Fatemeh , Rice Danielle B , Dube Catherine , Kanji Salmaan , Rostom Alaa , Skidmore Becky , Moher David , Hutton Brian
Published: June 2018

Introduction

The US Food and Drug Administration has withdrawn the bowel cleansing kit HalfLytely (PEG 3500) with 10 mg bisacodyl tablets due to an increased risk of ischaemic colitis compared with the same kit with only 5 mg bisacodyl. This is of interest in Canada given that the bowel cleansing kit Bi-Peglyte (PEG 3500) with 15 mg bisacodyl is currently approved for use. The objective is to assess the comparative safety of various bowel cleansers with or without bisacodyl, with a primary interest inpolyethylene glycol (PEG)-based and sodium-picosulfate-based products.

Methods and analysis

Given the existing volume of the literature, the review will be conducted in two stages. Stage 1 will consist of a scoping exercise by searching MEDLINE, Embase and the Cochrane Library (up to 21 November 2017) to identify randomised controlled trials, quasirandomised studies and non-randomised studies in which any bowel cleanser regimens were compared among persons undergoing colonoscopy. The outcomes will be mapped to establish a listing of the studies and their comparisons and outcomes currently available in the literature. From this, a data synthesis plan will be determined. In stage 2, a systematic review with meta-analyses will be pursued, focused on the bowel cleanser comparisons and outcomes of interest identified in stage 1. Two reviewers will screen, extract and quality assess the articles. Outcomes of interest include ischaemic colitis, electrolyte imbalances and their consequences, seizures, bowel perforation and patient tolerability. If sufficient data exist and studies are of sufficient homogeneity, network meta-analyses (NMAs) will be performed.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethics approval was not necessary due to study design. Updating the safety profile of bowel cleansers among the generally healthy population undergoing colonoscopy is pertinent given recent approval changes. This will be the first NMA within this population. Policy considerations may be reconsidered to minimise risk during bowel cleanser use.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42018084720.
Mental health benefits of interactions with nature in children and teenagers: a systematic review
Authors: Tillmann Suzanne , Tobin Danielle , Avison William , Gilliland Jason
Published: June 2018

Background

It is commonly believed that nature has positive impacts on children’s health, including physical, mental and social dimensions. This review focuses on how accessibility to, exposure to and engagement with nature affects the mental health of children and teenagers.

Methods

Ten academic databases were used to systematically search and identify primary research papers in English or French from 1990 to 1 March 2017. Papers were included for review based on their incorporation of nature, children and teenagers (0–18 years), quantitative results and focus on mental health.

Results

Of the 35 papers included in the review, the majority focused on emotional well-being and attention deficit disorder/hyperactivity disorder. Other outcome measures included overall mental health, self-esteem, stress, resilience, depression and health-related quality of life. About half of all reported findings revealed statistically significant positive relationships between nature and mental health outcomes and almost half reported no statistical significance.

Conclusions

Findings support the contention that nature positively influences mental health; however, in most cases, additional research with more rigorous study designs and objective measures of both nature and mental health outcomes are needed to confirm statistically significant relationships. Existing evidence is limited by the cross-sectional nature of most papers.
Lessons learnt from the Pietermaritzburg experience with damage control laparotomy for trauma
Authors: Weale Ross D , Kong V Y , Blodgett J M , Buitendag J , Ras A , Laing G , Bruce J L , Bekker W , Manchev V , Clarke D
Published: June 2018

Introduction

The modern concept of damage control surgery (DCS) for trauma was first introduced less than three decades ago. This audit aims to describe the spectrum and outcome of patients requiring DCS, to benchmark our experience against that reported from other centres and countries and to distil the pertinent teaching lessons from this experience.

Methods

All patients over the age of 15 years undergoing a laparotomy for trauma over the period from December 2012 to July 2016 were retrieved from the trauma registry of the Pietermaritzburg Metropolitan Trauma Service, South Africa. Physiological parameters and visceral injuries were assessed. Statistical analysis was performed using STATA V.15.0.

Results

A total of 562 patients underwent trauma laparotomy during the period under review. The mechanism was penetrating trauma in 81% of cases (453/562). A great proportion of trauma victims were male (503/562, 90%), with a mean age of 29.5±10.8. A total of 99 of these (18%) had a DCS procedure versus 463 (82%) non-DCS. Out of the 99 who required DCS, there were 32 mortalities (32%). The mean physiological parameters for the DCS patient demonstrated acidosis (pH 7.28±0.15) with a raised lactate (5.25 mmol/L±3.71). Our primary repair rates for enteric injuries were surprisingly high.

Conclusion

Just under 20% of trauma laparotomies require DCS. In this cohort of patients, the mortality rate is just under one-third. Further attention must be paid to refining the appropriate indications for DCS as the margin for error in such a cohort is very small and poor decision-making is difficult to correct. The major lesson from this analysis is that the decision to perform DCS must be made early and communicated appropriately to all those managing the patient.