bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hierarchical tree algorithm for collisional N-body simulations on GRAPE
Authors: Fukushige Toshiyuki , Kawai Atsushi
Published: March 2016

We present an implementation of the hierarchical tree algorithm on the individual timestep algorithm (the Hermite scheme) for collisional N-body simulations, running on the GRAPE-9 system, a special-purpose hardware accelerator for gravitational many-body simulations. Such a combination of the tree algorithm and the individual timestep algorithm was not easy on the previous GRAPE system mainly because its memory addressing scheme was limited only to sequential access to a full set of particle data. The present GRAPE-9 system has an indirect memory addressing unit and a particle memory large enough to store all the particle data and also the tree node data. The indirect memory addressing unit stores interaction lists for the tree algorithm, which is constructed on the host computer, and, according to the interaction lists, force pipelines calculate only the interactions necessary. In our implementation, the interaction calculations are significantly reduced compared to direct N2 summation in the original Hermite scheme. For example, we can achieve about a factor 30 of speedup (equivalent to about 17 teraflops) against the Hermite scheme for a simulation of an N = 106 system, using hardware of a peak speed of 0.6 teraflops for the Hermite scheme.
Identifying copy number variation of the dominant virulence factors msa and p22 within genomes of the fish pathogen Renibacterium salmoninarum
Authors: Brynildsrud Ola , Gulla Snorre , Feil Edward J. , Nørstebø Simen Foyn , Rhodes Linda D.
Published: March 2016

Renibacterium salmoninarum is the causative agent of bacterial kidney disease, an important disease of farmed and wild salmonid fish worldwide. Despite the wide spatiotemporal distribution of this disease and habitat pressures ranging from the natural environment to aquaculture and rivers to marine environments, little variation has been observed in the R. salmoninarum genome. Here we use the coverage depth from genomic sequencing corroborated by real-time quantitative PCR to detect copy number variation (CNV) among the genes of R. salmoninarum. CNV was primarily limited to the known dominant virulence factors msa and p22. Among 68 isolates representing the UK, Norway and North America, the msa gene ranged from two to five identical copies and the p22 gene ranged from one to five copies. CNV for these two genes co-occurred, suggesting they may be functionally linked. Isolates carrying CNV were phylogenetically restricted and originated predominantly from sites in North America, rather than the UK or Norway. Although both phylogenetic relationship and geographical origin were found to correlate with CNV status, geographical origin was a much stronger predictor than phylogeny, suggesting a role for local selection pressures in the repeated emergence and maintenance of this trait.
Anxiolytic treatment impairs helping behavior in rats
Authors: Ben-Ami Bartal I. , Shan H. Z. , Molasky N. M. R. , Murray T. M. , Williams J. Z. , Decety J. , Mason Peggy
Published: March 2016

Despite decades of research with humans, the biological mechanisms that motivate an individual to help others remain poorly understood. In order to investigate the roots of pro-sociality in mammals, we established the helping behavior test, a paradigm in which rats are faced with a conspecific trapped in a restrainer that can only be opened from the outside. Over the course of repeated test sessions, rats exposed to a trapped cagemate learn to open the door to the restrainer, thereby helping the trapped rat to escape (Ben-Ami Bartal et al., 2011). The discovery of this natural behavior provides a unique opportunity to probe the motivation of rodent helping behavior, leading to a deeper understanding of biological influences on human pro-sociality.

To determine if an affective response motivates door-opening, rats received midazolam, a benzodiazepine anxiolytic, and tested in the helping behavior test. Midazolam-treated rats showed less helping behavior than saline-treated rats or rats receiving no injection. Yet, midazolam-treated rats opened a restrainer containing chocolate, highlighting the socially specific effects of the anxiolytic. To determine if midazolam interferes with helping through a sympatholytic effect, the peripherally restricted beta-adrenergic receptor antagonist nadolol was administered; nadolol did not interfere with helping.

The corticosterone response of rats exposed to a trapped cagemate was measured and compared to the rats’ subsequent helping behavior. Rats with the greatest corticosterone responses showed the least helping behavior and those with the smallest responses showed the most consistent helping at the shortest latency. These results are discussed in terms of their implications for the interaction between stress and pro-social behavior.

Finally, we observed that door-opening appeared to be reinforcing. A novel analytical tool was designed to interrogate the pattern of door-opening for signs that a rat’s behavior on one session influenced his behavior on the next session. Results suggest that helping a trapped rat has a greater motivational value than does chocolate.

In sum, this series of experiments clearly demonstrates the fundamental role of affect in motivating pro-social behavior in rodents and the need for a helper to resonate with the affect of a victim.
Genomic and Metagenomic Analyses Reveal Parallel Ecological Divergence inHeliosperma pusillum(Caryophyllaceae)
Authors: Trucchi Emiliano , Frajman Božo , Haverkamp Thomas H.A. , Schönswetter Peter , Paun Ovidiu
Published: March 2016

Cases of parallel ecological divergence in closely related taxa offer an invaluable material to study the processes of ecological speciation. Applying a combination of population genetic and metagenomic tools on a high-coverage RAD sequencing dataset, we test for parallel evolution across six population pairs ofHeliosperma pusillumandH. veselskyi(Caryophyllaceae), two plant species found in the south-eastern Alps and characterized by clear morphological (glabrous vs. hairy) and ecological (alpine vs. montane, wet vs. dry) differentiation. Our analyses support a scenario of multiple independent instances of divergence between these species during the last 10,000 years. Structure analyses and simulations show that interspecific gene flow in each population pair is very low. A single locus, annotated as E3 ubiquitin ligase, an enzyme involved in plant innate immunity, shows a pattern of non-random segregation across populations of both species. A metagenomic analysis revealed information about contaminant exogenous DNA present in RAD sequencing libraries obtained from leaf material. Results of this analysis show clearly divergent bacterial and fungal phyllosphere communities between the species, but consistent communities across populations within each species. A similar set of biotic interactions is involved, together with abiotic factors, in shaping common selective regimes at different growing sites of each species. Different occurrences ofH. veselskyiappear now genetically isolated fromH. pusillumand from each other, and may independently proceed along the speciation continuum. Our work supports the hypothesis that repeated ecological divergence, observed here at an early stage, may be a common process of species diversification.
Unusual intragenic suppression of an IFT52 gene disruption links hypoxia to the intraflagellar transport inTetrahymena thermophila
Authors: Dave Drashti , Pandiyan Gautham , Wloga Dorota , Gaertig Jacek
Published: March 2016

IFT52 protein is a conserved intraflagellar transport protein (a part of the IFT complex B) that is essential for assembly and maintenance of cilia.Tetrahymenanull mutants with an insertion of aneogene cassette into theIFT52gene undergo frequent suppressions that lead to conditional assembly of cilia only under hypoxic conditions (Brown et al. 2003). Here we show that these conditional suppressions are intragenic and occur by a novel mechanism. First, the non-native (bacterial) portion of the DNA sequence of theneocassette is deleted during the process of genome rearrangement that occurs in the developing macronucleus of conjugatingTetrahymena. Next, the residual sequences of theneocassette (ofTetrahymenaorigin) within the IFT52 mRNA are recognized as multiple introns and undergo splicing, leading to a restoration of the translational frame ofIFT52. The resulting hypoxia-dependent IFT52 protein contains an insertion of 43 new amino acids that replace 7 original amino acids. Taken together with a study inChlamydomonas reinhardtiishowing a hypoxia-dependence of another IFT subunit mutant, IFT46, (Hou et al. 2007), our observations generalize that defective IFT complex subunits can regain functionality under hypoxia.
Evaluation of a Computational Diagnostic for Epistasis in Plant Breeding Populations
Authors: Howard Reka , Beavis William , Carriquiry Alicia
Published: March 2016

Previously we reported the inability of genomic prediction methods based on linear models to accurately predict trait values composed of an epistatic genetic architecture. We also reported non-parametric genomic prediction methods applied to the same data produced reasonably accurate predictions. The difference led us to propose analyses by paired parametric and non-parametric methods to the same data could be used as a diagnostic for epistatic genetic architectures in typical plant breeding populations. The suggested computational diagnostic was based on evaluation of 14 genomic prediction methods applied to eight sets of simulated conditions consisting of three factors, each with two levels. Because the potential set of factors that might affect accuracies of genomic predictions is unknown, there is a need for a systematic approach to identify combinations of factors that impact estimates of accuracy. Herein we propose the application of response surface methods to systematically identify conditions that maximize the difference between estimated accuracies of genomic prediction methods. The results indicate that genetic architecture and repeatability at their upper boundaries for complete epistasis and repeatability have the greatest influence on the differences between parametric and non-parametric estimated prediction accuracies. Further, the surface is very steep in the vicinity of the boundary conditions, indicating that the proposed diagnostic is of limited value for discovery of epistatic genetic architectures.
A redetermination from the original data of the crystal structure of 2-amino-4,6-dimethoxypyrimidin-1-ium 4-aminobenzoate
Authors: Fábry Jan
Published: March 2016

The title structure, C6H9.5N3O20.5+·C7H6.5NO20.5−, which might be named schematically as 2-amino-4,6-dimethoxypyrimidine-(μ2-hydrogen)-4-aminobenzoate to indicate a bridging H atom, has been redetermined from the data published by Thanigaimani, Muthiah & Lynch [Acta Cryst.(2006), E62, o2976–o2978]. The improvement of the present redetermination consists in a released geometry of the primary amine groups, which were originally assumed to be planar, as well as in a redetermination of the position of the hydroxy H atom. This H atom, whose parameters were originally constrained, turns out to be situated about the centre of the O...N hydrogen bond in two disordered positions with occupancies of 0.5 each.
2-(Naphthalen-1-yl)ethanol
Authors: Garozzo Lee Ann , Nazarenko Alexander Y.
Published: March 2016

The title compound, C12H11OH, crystallizes with two molecules,AandB, in the asymmetric unit with different conformations of the ethanol side chain; one isgauche[torsion angle = 59.58 (17)°] and the other isanti[176.20 (13)°]. In the crystal, [100] chains of alternatingAandBmolecules are linked by O—H...O hydrogen bonds.
Disaster resilience and complex adaptive systems theory
Authors: Coetzee Christo , Van Niekerk Dewald , Raju Emmanuel
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the emergence of resilience into the contemporary discourse of disaster risk. As a counter position to the current status quo in defining and addressing resilience, this paper introduces the theoretical lens of complex adaptive systems theory (CAS). Some of the key characterisitcs related to CAS are discussed and linkages are made to possible benefit that they might have in enhancing the understanding of disaster resilience.

Design/methodology/approach

– An indepth review of literature pertaining to disaster resilience and CAS was conducted to find common grounds for theoretical synergies.

Findings

– The inherent similarities between the concept of resilience and CAS provides ample practical and theoretical contributions to the field of disaster risk studies.

Originality/value

– The paper provides a different perspective to the contemporary discourse on disaster resilience. A better understanding of disaster resilience and its underlying dynamics as illuminated by the application of CAS could in future provide an effective tool to manage disaster risks and building of resilience.
Socio-political goals and responses to the reconstruction of the Chilean city of Constitución
Authors: Romero Hugo , Albornoz Cristian
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to discuss the political and economic objectives sought by the government of Chile to understand the characteristics of the reconstruction process for housing damaged by the earthquake and tsunami of 27 February 2010, contrasted with the opinions of the target communities, the instruments that were utilized and the generation of new vulnerabilities.

Design/methodology/approach

– The governmental objectives have been compiled from speeches publicized by the press and obtained from interviews with players from the public and community sectors. The areas of reconstruction in the city of Constitución have been represented in a geographical information system. The opinions of the community have been gathered through a survey conducted amongst the new residents.

Findings

– Case analysis shows that the political and economic efforts during the reconstruction process were focused on proving the success of the methods used: public-private alliances and consultation with the communities to precede reconstruction of housing and urban infrastructure. However, the results of the reconstruction process do neither reveal good governance nor functionality of the reconstructed areas.

Research limitations/implications

– The results cannot be applied to other localities devastated by the 2010 earthquake and tsunami in Chile, nor to other institutional or economic contexts. It is also necessary to observe the process of adaptation of the communities over a longer time period to verify the increase in vulnerability.

Practical implications

– The paper constitutes a complete evaluation of the reconstruction process that prompts institutional changes.

Social implications

– A contrast is offered between the objectives and actions of the diverse social and political actors, and the contradictions in their speeches and actions are shown.

Originality/value

– An unprecedented process is analysed in which a developing country uses its own resources to undertake a reconstruction under a political rhetoric that is not necessarily shared by the local society that must finally assume the additional costs.
Exploring the HRM-performance relationship: the role of creativity climate and strategy
Authors: Heffernan Margaret , Harney Brian , Cafferkey Kenneth , Dundon Tony
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– While an established stream of research evidence has demonstrated that human resource management (HRM) is positively related to organisational performance, explanations of this relationship remain underdeveloped, while performance has been considered in a narrow fashion. Exploring the relevant but often neglected impact of creativity climate, the purpose of this paper is to examine key processes (mediation and moderation) linking high-performance human resource practices with a broad range of organisational performance measures, including employee performance and HR performance.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper draws on a People Management Survey of 169 HR managers from top performing firms in the Republic of Ireland.

Findings

– The findings provide general support for the role of creativity climate as a key mediator in the HRM-performance relationship. The impact of HPWS on performance is judged universal with little evidence of variation by strategic orientation.

Practical implications

– Sophisticated HRM is found to directly impact a range of organisational performance outcomes. Creativity climate provides an understanding of the mechanisms through which such impact takes effect. Organisations should develop a clear and consistent HR philosophy to realise HR, employee and organisational performance.

Originality/value

– The paper offers a more intricate understanding of the key factors shaping both the operation and impact of the HRM-performance relationship. Creativity climate offers an important vehicle to better understand how the HRM-performance relationship actually operates. The paper also highlights the potential of examining multiple organisational performance outcomes to offer more nuanced and considered insights.
Union militancy during economic hardship
Authors: Bithymitris Giorgos
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– This paper examines the preconditions of the strike at the Greek steel company Hellenic Halyvourgia (HH) which started on 1 November 2011 and ended on 28 July 2012. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of current labour disputes in the context of economic crisis focusing on previous developments of mobilisation theory and social movement literature. The overall aim is to highlight the linkages between trade unions and society when a broader sense of injustice comes to the fore.

Design/methodology/approach

– Qualitative methods were employed in order to contextualise the strike events and examine the preconditions of the occurrence and the volume of the strike. Semistructured interviews, field notes, interviews taken by the media, documentaries, chronicles and articles, constructed the main body of empirical material.

Findings

– The HH case indicates that certain collective identities and leadership qualities account for high mobilisation potential with spillover effects which are in turn conditioned upon the situation of the strikers’ allies. Although there was an agency to transform the sense of injustice into collective action, the framing processes employed by the union did not have the kind of impact that would render state and management’s responses ineffective, as the strike message did not eventually penetrate other industries or even the rest factories of the HH.

Originality/value

– The present paper goes beyond the general description of the social turmoil during the Greek crisis by showing the critical bonds that were established through framing and identity-building processes among the strikers and the anti-austerity protesters in Greece and abroad.
Development of an adolescent alcohol misuse intervention based on the Prototype Willingness Model
Authors: Davies Emma , Martin Jilly , Foxcroft David
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to report on the use of the Delphi method to gain expert feedback on the identification of behaviour change techniques (BCTs) and development of a novel intervention to reduce adolescent alcohol misuse, based on the Prototype Willingness Model (PWM) of health risk behaviour.

Design/methodology/approach

– Four BCTs based on the PWM were identified and incorporated into a draft intervention that aimed to change alcohol prototypes and enable adolescents to deal with social pressure. Using the Delphi process, successive questionnaires were distributed to 20 international experts to build consensus on the theoretical validity of the intervention.

Findings

– In total, 15 experts completed round 1 and 11 completed round 2 of the Delphi study. A high level of consensus was achieved. Four priority areas were identified to improve the intervention: incorporating extra techniques to address social pressure; increasing intensity; providing incentives; and addressing credibility.

Research limitations/implications

– The sample of experts was self-selected and four participants were lost between the first and second round of the study.

Practical implications

– The effectiveness of the identified BCTs will be evaluated within an intervention to reduce alcohol misuse in adolescents. Further work should build towards a more unified approach to developing interventions based on the PWM. The Delphi method is likely to be particularly useful when there is no existing consensus about which BCTs to use that reflect certain theoretical constructs or that best target a specific population or behaviour.

Originality/value

– This paper is the first to address the identification of specific BCTs based on the PWM and thus makes an important contribution to the application of this model to interventions. This novel application of the Delphi method also makes a useful addition to the growing field of intervention development and design.
Energy storage system for peak shaving
Authors: Chua Kein Huat , Lim Yun Seng , Morris Stella
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– The main purpose of this study is to provide an effective sizing method and an optimal peak shaving strategy for an energy storage system to reduce the electrical peak demand of the customers. A cost-savings analytical tool is developed to provide a quick rule-of-thumb for customers to choose an appropriate size of energy storage for various tariff schemes.

Design/methodology/approach

– A novel sizing method is proposed to obtain the optimum size of energy storage for commercial and industrial customers based on their historical load profile. An algorithm is developed to determine the threshold level for peak shaving. One of the buildings at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR), Malaysia, is chosen for this study. A three-phase energy storage system rated at 15 kVA is developed and connected to the low-voltage electrical network in the building. An adaptive control algorithm is developed and implemented to optimize the peak shaving.

Findings

– The sizing analysis shows that the customer under the C2 tariff rate yields the highest saving, followed by E2, C1 and E1. The experimental results presented indicate that the proposed adaptive control algorithm has effectively optimized the peak demand to be shaved.

Research limitations/implications

– This study demonstrates the potential of energy storage in reducing the peak demand and cost of electricity. One of the main challenges of real-time peak shaving is to determine an appropriate threshold level such that the energy stored in the energy storage system is sufficient during the peak shaving process.

Originality/value

– The originality of the paper is the optimal sizing method of the energy storage system based on the historical load profile and adaptive control algorithm to optimize the peak demand deduction.
The advertising standardisation debate revisited
Authors: Turnbull Sarah , Howe-Walsh Liza , Boulanouar Aisha
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to bridge the gap between previous examinations of advertising standardisation and consideration of Islamic ethics to develop a better understanding of how Islamic values influence global advertising strategy.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper is based on a critical review of the literature. The paper presents a conceptual framework which considers both the environmental influences and Islamic ethics which need to be considered when developing advertising strategy in Middle East Islamic States.

Findings

– The authors assert the importance of considering Islamic ethics when planning advertising in the Islamic Middle East. In particular, six dominant ethical dimensions are provided for marketing scholars and practitioners to observe: unity (Tawheed),Iman(faith),Khilafah(trusteeship), Balance, Justice orAdland Free will.

Research limitations/implications

– The conceptual model presented provides a useful starting point to generate further academic debate and empirical verification.

Originality/value

– The paper extends our understanding of the influence of Islamic ethics on advertising and contributes to the wider marketing standardisation literature by considering religion as a key driver in the debate.
Religiosity moderates the relationship between ego-defensive function and attitude towards advertising
Authors: Kamalul Ariffin Shaizatulaqma , Ismail Ishak , Mohammad Shah Khairul Anuar
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– This paper aims to view the role of religiosity in moderating the relationship between ego-defensive function of Muslim consumers’ and attitude toward advertising of controversial product. There is a rising concern among Muslim consumers’ with regards to the halal status of many food outlets in Malaysia. This came out because many food operators do not understand what halal really means. Many of them are from Kopitiams food and beverages industry.

Design/methodology/approach

– Survey method was used for the purpose of data collection in April 2014, and quantitative approach has been used as well. This study applied functional theory of attitudes to support this framework. Respondents consisted of 375 Muslim consumers’ in Malaysia.

Findings

– The paper provides empirical insights about how religiosity moderates the relationship between ego-defensive function and consumer attitude toward advertising. Consumers with a high level of religiosity are more likely to respond less favorably toward the advertising, while consumers who have a low level of religiosity are more likely to respond more favorably toward the advertisement. In addition, it can be postulated that religiosity reduces negative effects of ego-defensive function.

Practical implications

– The fact that religious groups are more organized, equipped and motivated to register their concern, demands better understanding of such groups by marketers. To avoid any controversies, or potential business loss, a better understanding of what could ignite their reaction seems to be an appropriate preventive strategy.

Originality/value

– Only a few studies directly examined the influence of religion on marketing communication. The effects of religion on the advertising of controversial products remain largely unstudied to date. Therefore, this paper fills the gap in the research area.
Seed predation of Copaifera langsdorffii (Fabaceae): a tropical tree with supra‐annual fruiting
Authors: Souza Matheus Lopes , Fagundes Marcilio
Published: March 2016

Seed predation is an important ecological and evolutionary force that directly affects the distribution of plant species.
Copaifera langsdorffii
is a tropical tree species with supra‐annual fruiting, which has its seeds predated by a specialist endogenous insect (Rynochenus brevicollis: Curculionidae) in the Brazilian savanna. Three hypotheses were addressed: (i) the predator satiation hypothesis, (ii) the resource concentration hypothesis and (iii) the larger seed predation hypothesis. A total of 112 individual
C. langsdorffii
were monitored monthly from January to August during four consecutive years (from 2008 to 2011) to determine the presence of fruits on each plant. All trees produced fruits in the year 2008, whereas none of them produced flowers or fruits in 2009 or 2010. Moreover, only 65 individuals (58%) marked in 2008 produced fruits in 2011. The number of fruits per plant was approximately 21% greater in 2008 than in 2011, while the percentage of seed predation was 76% greater in 2011, thereby supporting the predator satiation hypothesis. The percentage of seeds predated was not affected by the number of fruits per plant. Therefore, our data did not support the resource concentration hypothesis. Plants producing large seeds experienced more seed predation by
R. brevicollis, supporting the larger seed predation hypothesis. In addition, we also observed a positive relationship between seed volume and adult
R. brevicollis
weight. This study demonstrates the importance of supra‐annual fruiting for increasing survivorship of
C. langsdorffii
seeds both at the individual and the population level, and suggests that seed predators select plants producing large seeds as a way of increasing the number of offspring.
Improving Medicare's Hospital Compare Mortality Model
Authors: Silber Jeffrey H. , Satopää Ville A. , Mukherjee Nabanita , Rockova Veronika , Wang Wei , Hill Alexander S. , Even‐Shoshan Orit , Rosenbaum Paul R. , George Edward I.
Published: March 2016

Objective

To improve the predictions provided by Medicare's Hospital Compare (HC) to facilitate better informed decisions regarding hospital choice by the public.

Data Sources/Setting

Medicare claims on all patients admitted for Acute Myocardial Infarction between 2009 through 2011.

Study Design

Cohort analysis using a Bayesian approach, comparing the present assumptions of HC (using a constant mean and constant variance for all hospital random effects), versus an expanded model that allows for the inclusion of hospital characteristics to permit the data to determine whether they vary with attributes of hospitals, such as volume, capabilities, and staffing. Hospital predictions are then created using directly standardized estimates to facilitate comparisons between hospitals.

Data Collection/Extraction Methods

Medicare fee‐for‐service claims.

Principal Findings

Our model that included hospital characteristics produces very different predictions from the current HC model, with higher predicted mortality rates at hospitals with lower volume and worse characteristics. Using Chicago as an example, the expanded model would advise patients against seeking treatment at the smallest hospitals with worse technology and staffing.

Conclusion

To aid patients when selecting between hospitals, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) should improve the HC model by permitting its predictions to vary systematically with hospital attributes such as volume, capabilities, and staffing.
Evaluating structured assessment of anaesthesiologists' non‐technical skills
Authors: Jepsen R. M. H. G. , Dieckmann P. , Spanager L. , Lyk‐Jensen H. T. , Konge L. , Ringsted C. , Østergaard D.
Published: March 2016

Background

Non‐technical skills (NTS) are essential for safe and efficient anaesthesia. Assessment instruments with appropriate validity evidence can be used to ensure that anaesthesiologists possess the NTS necessary to deliver high‐standard patient care. The aims were to collect validity evidence using a contemporary validity framework for the assessment instrument Anaesthesiologists’ Non‐Technical Skills in Denmark (ANTSdk) regarding response process and internal structure (including reliability), and to investigate the effect of rater training on these properties.

Methods

An explorative study was undertaken at the Danish Institute for Medical Simulation, Copenhagen, Denmark. In a 1‐day session, using ANTSdk, a convenience sample of 19 anaesthesiologists rated trainee anaesthesiologists’ NTS in nine video‐recorded simulation scenarios before and after a 3‐h training session.

Results

Response process evidence: participants considered ANTSdk useful and feasible for NTS assessment. Internal structure evidence: inter‐rater reliability (single measures) largely expressed substantial agreement (ICC ≥ 0.55 and ICC ≥ 0.60 for pre‐ and post‐training ratings respectively). Strong internal consistency of ratings was found (Spearman's correlation coefficient ≥ 0.82). Accuracy of participants’ ratings compared with reference ratings (± 1 scale point) was notable (76% and 78% for pre‐ and post‐training ratings, respectively). The results indicate that the elements ‘Demonstrating self‐awareness’, ‘Reassessing decisions’, ‘Assessing competencies’, and ‘Supporting others’ need more attention in future rater training.

Conclusion

The validity evidence collected on content, response process, and internal structure, suggests that ANTSdk is easy to use on video‐recorded simulation scenarios, indicating that ANTSdk is a feasible instrument for NTS assessment during anaesthesia training.
Scandinavian clinical practice guideline on fluid and drug therapy in adults with acute respiratory distress syndrome
Authors: Claesson J. , Freundlich M. , Gunnarsson I. , Laake J. H. , Møller M. H. , Vandvik P. O. , Varpula T. , Aasmundstad T. A.
Published: March 2016

Background

The objective of the Scandinavian Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine (SSAI) task force on fluid and drug therapy in adults with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) was to provide clinically relevant, evidence‐based treatment recommendations according to standards for trustworthy guidelines.

Methods

The guideline was developed according to standards for trustworthy guidelines, including a systematic review of the literature and use of the GRADE methodology for assessment of the quality of evidence and for moving from evidence to recommendations.

Results

A total of seven ARDS interventions were assessed. We suggest fluid restriction in patients with ARDS (weak recommendation, moderate quality evidence). Also, we suggest early use of neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBAs) in patients with severe ARDS (weak recommendation, moderate quality evidence). We recommend against the routine use of other drugs, including corticosteroids, beta2 agonists, statins, and inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) or prostanoids in adults with ARDS (strong recommendations: low‐ to high‐quality evidence). These recommendations do not preclude the use of any drug or combination of drugs targeting underlying or co‐existing disorders.

Conclusion

This guideline emphasizes the paucity of evidence of benefit – and potential for harm – of common interventions in adults with ARDS and highlights the need for prudence when considering use of non‐licensed interventions in this patient population.
Granger causality reveals a dominant role of memory circuit in chronic opioid dependence
Authors: Zhang Yi , Li Qiang , Wen Xiaotong , Cai Weiwei , Li Guanya , Tian Jie , Zhang Yi Edi , Liu Jixin , Yuan Kai , Zhao Jizheng , Wang Wei , Zhou Zhenyu , Ding Mingzhou , Gold Mark S. , Liu Yijun , Wang Gene‐Jack
Published: March 2016

Resting‐state magnetic resonance imaging has uncovered abnormal functional connectivity in heroin‐dependent individuals (HDIs). However, it remains unclear how brain regions implicated in addictions are related in baseline state without conditioned cues in heroin dependent individuals during opioid maintenance treatment (HDIs‐OMT). Previous connectivity analysis assessed the strength of correlated activity between brain regions but lacked the ability to infer directional neural interactions. In the current study, we employed Granger causality analysis to investigate directional causal influences among the brain circuits in HDIs‐OMT and non‐opioid users. The results revealed a weaker effective connectivity between the caudate nucleus implicated in mediating the reward circuit and other brain regions and also a weaker connectivity between the anterior cingulate cortex and medial prefrontal cortex implicated in mediating inhibitory control. Conversely, HDIs‐OMT exhibited stronger effective connectivity between the hippocampus and amygdala implicated in mediating learning‐memory, and the anterior cingulate cortex involved in mediating inhibitory control while the putamen mediated learned habits, suggesting that the hippocampus and amygdala may propel the memory circuit to override the control circuit and drive the learned habit in HDIs‐OMT. Alterations in learning‐memory and inhibitory control may contribute jointly and form a basis for relapse risk even after a period of heroin abstinence. Sustained neural effect of opioid dependence on methadone maintenance including hyperactivation in the memory circuit and impairment in the control circuit support the role of the memory circuitry in relapse and may help redefine targets for treatment.
Toll‐like receptor 2 gene polymorphisms in Korean women with human papillomavirus‐related cervical neoplasia
Authors: Kim Jin Hwi , Key Eun Young , Song Min Jong , Lee Sung Jong , Kim Chan Joo , Hur Soo Young , Park Tae Chul , Kim Tae Gyu , Park Jong Sup
Published: March 2016

Introduction

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between Toll‐like receptor 2 (TLR2) gene polymorphisms and human papillomavirus (HPV)‐related cervical neoplasia in Korean women.

Material and methods

Peripheral blood samples collected from 127 patients with HPV‐related cervical neoplasia and 175 healthy women were genotyped for the TLR2 −16934, +1350, intron1, and 3′ untranslated region (UTR) polymorphisms using the polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism method.

Results

The TLR2 −16934 A/A, intron1 A/A, and +1350 T/C genotypes were more frequent in patients than in controls [odds ratio (OR) = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.302–3.475, p = 0.002; OR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.168–3.169, p = 0.010; and OR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.211–3.123, p = 0.006, respectively]. The frequencies of the TLR2 + 1350 C and 3′UTR G alleles were also higher in patients (OR = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.236–3.121, p = 0.004 and OR = 1.7, 95% CI = 1.005–3.076, p = 0.046, respectively). The genotype frequencies of TLR2 −16934 A/A and intron1 A/A increased with increasing oncogenic risk of the HPV genotype, as follows. low‐risk type < high‐risk type < HPV‐16 and/or HPV‐18 type (p = 0.008).

Conclusions

Our study provides the first evidence that TLR2 gene polymorphisms are associated with high‐risk type HPV‐related cervical neoplasia and may play an important role in susceptibility to HPV infection. Further large‐scale and functional studies are needed to confirm the role of TLR2 gene polymorphisms in HPV‐related cervical neoplasia.
Creating ambiances, co‐constructing place: a poetic transect across the city
Authors: Jones Phil , Jam Chris
Published: March 2016

Debates in cultural geography around ideas of atmospheres have been considerably enriched in recent years by engagement with the literature on ambiances particularly associated with the Centre de recherche sur l'espace sonore et l'environnement urbain (CRESSON). Those working on both atmospheres and ambiances are concerned, among other things, with how places feel. In the ambiances literature, however, there is much greater emphasis on undertaking active interventions with the intention of re‐engineering the feeling of urban spaces. This paper reflects on a collaborative intervention undertaken by a cultural geographer and a professional poet. Methodologically we report on a novel extension to the idea of the urban transect as it has been deployed by scholars at CRESSON. Rather than simply recording the feeling of urban places for later analysis, we develop the use of an arts‐based intervention to actively manipulate urban ambiances in the field. We thus respond to Augoyard’s notion that artists alter ambiances through their creative practice, but we do so in a more democratic manner, asking non‐artists to engage with poetry as a means of remaking the immediate feeling of places. The analysis of this exercise presented here is comprised of both conventional academic and poetic writing. We conclude that the ambiances literature provides a powerful rationale for engaging in more activist collaborations between artists and scholars seeking to improve the feeling of places in partnership with residents.
Effects of dietary oil blend on fatty acid composition, oxidative stability and physicochemical properties of Longissimus thoracis et lumborum muscle in goats
Authors: Adeyemi Kazeem Dauda , Sabow Azad Behnan , Abubakar Ahmed , Samsudin Anjas Asmara , Sazili Awis Qurni
Published: March 2016

This study examined the effects of dietary blend of 80% canola oil and 20% palm oil (BCPO) on the physicochemical properties, antioxidant status, oxidative stability and fatty acid composition of Longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) muscle from goats during chill storage. Over a 14‐week feeding trial, 24 Boer bucks were randomly assigned to and supplemented with diets containing 0, 4 or 8% BCPO on a dry matter basis, slaughtered and the LTL was subjected to a 7 day chill storage. Neither diet nor post mortem ageing influenced (P > 0.05) antioxidant enzyme activities, chemical composition and cholesterol. Diet had no effect on the carbonyl content, free thiol content, water‐holding capacity, tenderness, pH and glycogen. Oil‐supplemented goats had higher (P < 0.05) C18:1 trans‐11, C18:3n‐3 and C20:5n‐3, carotenoid, tocopherol and redness, and lower thiobarbituric acid reactive substances values than the control goats. Post mortem ageing decreased (P < 0.05) shear force and oxidative stability of chevon. No significant (P > 0.05) changes were found in the proportion of individual fatty acids throughout storage. Total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) decreased while total saturated fatty acids increased as storage progressed. Dietary BCPO enhanced n‐3 PUFA without compromising the quality attributes of chevon.
Posterior musculofascial reconstruction after radical prostatectomy: an updated systematic review and a meta‐analysis
Authors: Grasso Angelica A.C. , Mistretta Francesco A. , Sandri Marco , Cozzi Gabriele , De Lorenzis Elisa , Rosso Marco , Albo Giancarlo , Palmisano Franco , Mottrie Alex , Haese Alexander , Graefen Markus , Coelho Rafael , Patel Vipul R. , Rocco Bernardo
Published: March 2016

To evaluate the influence of posterior musculofascial plate reconstruction (PR) on early return of continence after radical prostatectomy (RP); an updated systematic review of the literature. A systematic review of the literature was performed in June 2015, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) statement and searching Medline, Embase, Scopus and Web of Science databases. We searched the terms posterior reconstruction prostatectomy, double layer anastomosis prostatectomy across the ‘Title’ and ‘Abstract’ fields of the records, with the following limits: humans, gender (male), and language (English). The authors reviewed the records to identify studies comparing cohorts of patients who underwent RP with or without restoration of the posterior aspect of the rhabdosphincter. A meta‐analysis of the risk ratios estimated using data from the selected studies was performed. In all, 21 studies were identified, including three randomised controlled trials. The overall analysis of comparative studies showed that PR improved early continence recovery at 3–7, 30, and 90 days after catheter removal, while the continence rate at 180 days was statistically but not clinically affected. Statistically significantly lower anastomotic leakage rates were described after PR. There were no significant differences for positive surgical margins rates or for complications such as acute urinary retention and bladder neck stricture. The analysis confirms the benefits at 30 days after catheter removal already discussed in the review published in 2012, but also shows a significant advantage in terms of urinary continence recovery in the first 90 days. A multicentre prospective randomised controlled trial is currently being conducted in several institutions around the world to better assess the effectiveness of PR in facilitating an earlier recovery of postoperative urinary continence.
FDI, SECTORAL OUTPUT AND REAL EXCHANGE RATE DYNAMICS UNDER FINANCIAL OPENNESS
Authors: Lartey Emmanuel K.K.
Published: March 2016

This paper adopts an alternative approach to the study of the impact of capital inflow on the real exchange rate by foremost, analysing the effect of FDI inflow on the ratio of tradables to nontradables, and then estimating the relationship between the tradable‐nontradable ratio and the real exchange rate, while accounting for the role of financial openness. Based on data for a group of developing countries, the findings show that an increase in FDI inflow is associated with a decrease in the tradable‐nontradable ratio, and that an increase in the tradable‐nontradable ratio leads to a depreciation of the real exchange rate; this effect being greater with an increase in financial openness. This suggests that an increase in FDI inflow could result in an expansion of the nontradable sector, which would be associated with a greater appreciation of the real exchange rate under a higher level of financial openness.
Correlation between siblings in caries in Norway. A quantitative study
Authors: Dobloug Andreas , Grytten Jostein
Published: March 2016

Background

The role of the family for caries between siblings has been a focus for researchers for almost 100 years. However, the contribution of the family to the variation in caries has not been determined.

Objectives

To estimate the correlation between siblings in caries, and to investigate whether this varied according to number of siblings, mother's level of education, marital status and country of birth.

Methods

The population included families with two or more siblings, altogether 409 766 children and adolescents aged 6–18 years, and 181 551 mothers. Data on caries were from electronic dental journals, which were merged with data from Statistics Norway about the characteristics of the mothers. The analyses were performed using random‐effects regression, in which separate regressions were run for the extent of the carious lesion. Caries was scored for permanent teeth only. Mothers were used to identify siblings within families. The correlation between siblings in caries was measured using the intraclass correlation coefficient.

Results

The proportion of the variance in the outcome measures that was due to between‐family variability was in the range 13–29%. The intraclass correlation coefficients from the analyses of the subpopulations that described the characteristics of the mothers were fairly similar to the ICCs as estimated on the whole population.

Conclusion

We identified a fairly strong family effect, which confirms that the family is an important arena in which the dental health of the children is formed. An improvement in dental health for one of the siblings was associated with a positive effect on the dental health of the other sibling, and vice versa.
A Bootstrapping Model of Frequency and Context Effects in Word Learning
Authors: Kachergis George , Yu Chen , Shiffrin Richard M.
Published: March 2016

Prior research has shown that people can learn many nouns (i.e., word–object mappings) from a short series of ambiguous situations containing multiple words and objects. For successful cross‐situational learning, people must approximately track which words and referents co‐occur most frequently. This study investigates the effects of allowing some word‐referent pairs to appear more frequently than others, as is true in real‐world learning environments. Surprisingly, high‐frequency pairs are not always learned better, but can also boost learning of other pairs. Using a recent associative model (Kachergis, Yu, & Shiffrin, 2012), we explain how mixing pairs of different frequencies can bootstrap late learning of the low‐frequency pairs based on early learning of higher frequency pairs. We also manipulate contextual diversity, the number of pairs a given pair appears with across training, since it is naturalistically confounded with frequency. The associative model has competing familiarity and uncertainty biases, and their interaction is able to capture the individual and combined effects of frequency and contextual diversity on human learning. Two other recent word‐learning models do not account for the behavioral findings.