bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Continuous vs conventional bipolar plasma vaporisation of the prostate and standard monopolar resection: a prospective, randomised comparison of a new technological advance
Authors: Geavlete Bogdan , Stanescu Florin , Moldoveanu Cristian , Geavlete Petrisor
Published: June 2013

Objectives

To evaluate in a prospective, randomised trial the surgical efficiency and safety of a new energy source enabling a continuous bipolar plasma vaporisation of the prostate (C‐BPVP) by comparing with standard vaporisation (S‐BPVP) and monopolar transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

To comparatively assess the short‐term functional outcome of the three methods.

Patients and Methods

In all, 180 men with BPH with prostate volumes of 30–80 mL, maximum urinary flow rates (Qmax) of <10 mL/s and International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) of >19 were equally randomised for C‐BPVP, S‐BPVP and monopolar TURP.

All men were evaluated preoperatively and at 1, 3 and 6 months after surgery by IPSS, Qmax, health‐related quality of life (HRQL) score and post‐void residual urine volume (PVR).

The prostate volume and PSA level were postoperatively assessed at 6 months.

Results

The mean operation time was significantly reduced in C‐BPVP vs S‐BPVP and TURP, with a substantial 22.4% and 39.1% decrease in duration for C‐BPVP when compared with S‐BPVP and TURP, respectively.

The mean haemoglobin level decrease (0.4 and 0.6 vs 1.4 g/dL), capsular perforation rate (1.7% and 3.3% vs 10%), postoperative haematuria rate (1.7% and 1.7% vs 13.3%), catheterisation period (24.1 and 23.9 vs 73.6 h) and hospital stay (2.1 and 2.2 vs 4.5 days) were significantly lower for C‐BPVP and S‐BPVP vs TURP.

At 1, 3 and 6 months follow‐up, there were statistically ameliorated IPSS and Qmax measurements in the C‐BPVP and S‐BPVP series, while similar HRQL scores, PVRs, PSA levels and postoperative prostate volumes were found in all three study arms.

Conclusions

The operation time for C‐BPVP was on average 20% and 40% quicker than S‐BPVP and TURP, respectively.

Both C‐BPVP and S‐BPVP had better perioperative safety and improved follow‐up voiding and symptom scores than TURP.
Engagement in family activities: a quantitative, comparative study of children with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities and children with typical development
Authors: Axelsson A. K. , Granlund M. , Wilder J.
Published: June 2013

Background

Participation is known to be of great importance for children's development and emotional well‐being as well as for their families. In the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health – Children and Youth version participation is defined as a person's ‘involvement in a life situation’. Engagement is closely related to involvement and can be seen as expressions of involvement or degree of involvement within a situation. This study focuses on children's engagement in family activities; one group of families with a child with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD) and one group of families with children with typical development (TD) were compared.

Methods

A descriptive study using questionnaires. Analyses were mainly performed by using Mann–Whitney U‐test and Spearman's rank correlation test.

Results

Engagement in family activities differed in the two groups of children. The children with PIMD had a lower level of engagement in most family activities even though the activities that engaged the children to a higher or lesser extent were the same in both groups. Child engagement was found to correlate with family characteristics mostly in the children with TD and in the children with PIMD only negative correlations occurred. In the children with PIMD child engagement correlated with cognition in a high number of listed family activities and the children had a low engagement in routines in spite of these being frequently occurring activities.

Conclusions

Level of engagement in family activities in the group of children with PIMD was lower compared with that in the group of children with TD. Families with a child with PIMD spend much time and effort to adapt family living patterns to the child's functioning.
The Assistance to Participate Scale to measure play and leisure support for children with developmental disability: update following Rasch analysis
Authors: Bourke‐Taylor H. , Pallant J. F.
Published: June 2013

Background

The Assistance to Participate Scale (APS) was designed to measure the primary carer's estimate of the amount of assistance that their school‐aged child with a disability requires to participate in play and leisure activities. Previous research suggests that the 8‐item APS has good internal consistency. The construct validity of the scale is supported by strong correlations with instruments measuring similar constructs and discrimination between groups of children with developmental disability, based on extent of need for caregiver assistance.

Aim

The aim of this current study was to undertake further evaluation of the psychometric properties of the APS using Rasch analysis.

Method

Rasch analysis was conducted using the RUMM2030 program to assess the APS items in terms of their overall fit to the Rasch model, individual item fit, response format, targeting and dimensionality.

Results

Rasch analysis showed good fit to the model, with no misfitting items and good internal consistency (PSI = 0.85). There was no differential item functioning across mothers' age, education level or child's age. Dimensionality testing supported the combination of all items to create a total score. Most items showed disordered thresholds, suggesting some inconsistencies in the way respondents used the response scale options.

Conclusions

The APS has been subjected to substantial psychometric testing during development and evaluation, revealing a sound, brief and easy‐to‐use scale. The APS has a number of potential clinical and research uses measuring the amount of additional assistance that children require from their primary care giver to participate in play activities.
The youth report version of the Child and Adolescent Scale of Participation (CASP): assessment of psychometric properties and comparison with parent report
Authors: McDougall J. , Bedell G. , Wright V.
Published: June 2013

Objective

The Child and Adolescent Scale of Participation (CASP) parent report is a brief and valid measure for use with children and youth with chronic conditions/disabilities that has been shown to have good coverage at the chapter level of the ‘Activities and Participation’ component of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. The purpose of this research was to assess the psychometric properties of a CASP youth self‐report version, to further validate the parent report, and to compare parent and youth reports of youths' activity and participation.

Methods

Baseline data from a longitudinal study examining predictors of changes in quality of life for youth with chronic conditions/disabilities were used. CASP data were collected on 409 youth aged 11–17 with various conditions/disabilities using youth and parent reports. Internal consistency and factor structure were examined for both versions using Cronbach's alpha and exploratory factor analyses. Inter‐rater agreement and magnitude of differences between youth and parent report were evaluated using intraclass correlation coefficients and paired t‐tests respectively. Gender, age and condition/disability group differences in youth report CASP scores were examined using independent t‐tests or analyses of variance.

Results

Strong internal consistency and internal structure validity was demonstrated for the CASP youth and parent report. The youth report factor structure was similar to the parent report in this and other studies. Youth reported their activity/participation to be significantly higher than did their parents. Significant differences in CASP scores were found among condition/disability groups.

Conclusions

Findings show that, from a psychometric standpoint, the youth version of the CASP is a promising new self‐report measure of activity and participation. As youth perceive their activity and participation levels differently than their parents, it is important to collect data from both sources to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of this aspect of youths' lives.
A Collaborative Digital Pathology System for Multi‐Touch Mobile and Desktop Computing Platforms
Authors: Jeong W. , Schneider J. , Hansen A. , Lee M. , Turney S. G. , Faulkner‐Jones B. E. , Hecht J. L. , Najarian R. , Yee E. , Lichtman J. W. , Pfister H.
Published: June 2013

Collaborative slide image viewing systems are becoming increasingly important in pathology applications such as telepathology and E‐learning. Despite rapid advances in computing and imaging technology, current digital pathology systems have limited performance with respect to remote viewing of whole slide images on desktop or mobile computing devices. In this paper we present a novel digital pathology client–server system that supports collaborative viewing of multi‐plane whole slide images over standard networks using multi‐touch‐enabled clients. Our system is built upon a standard HTTP web server and a MySQL database to allow multiple clients to exchange image and metadata concurrently. We introduce a domain‐specific image‐stack compression method that leverages real‐time hardware decoding on mobile devices. It adaptively encodes image stacks in a decorrelated colour space to achieve extremely low bitrates (0.8 bpp) with very low loss of image quality. We evaluate the image quality of our compression method and the performance of our system for diagnosis with an in‐depth user study.
Characterization of an asymmetric add‐on collimator used with a hand‐held gamma probe for radioguided surgery and sentinel node detection: a demonstration of an alternative collimation method
Authors: Johnsrud Kjersti , Skretting Arne , Naum Alexandru G. , Bogsrud Trond V. , Bach‐Gansmo Tore
Published: June 2013

Objective

The aim of the study was to investigate a new principle for collimation of gamma probes for radioguided surgery and sentinel node detection: the use of asymmetric lateral shielding. The intension was to maintain the sensitivity in the lateral and forward directions on the unshielded side while at the same time to shield the probe against high activity sources that could mask the signal from the object to be detected.

Methods

The device was constructed to shield only against photons that come from a region in space that spans approximately 180° sideways and forwards relative to the detector. The intension of the study was to demonstrate the principle rather than to document its use in the clinic. Sensitivity profiles were derived from measurements obtained while stepwise moving the probe relatively to a point source of known activity surrounded by water. The measurements were taken in the symmetry plane of the collimator where the shielding effects were expected to be most pronounced.

Results

The asymmetric collimator led to nearly unchanged sensitivity in the lateral and forward directions. At the same time, the field of view was effectively shrunk on the shielded side. Contributions from sources lateral and close to the shield were reduced by factors up to 45.

Conclusion

By rotating the probe around its longitudinal axis, an asymmetric add‐on shield collimator could potentially make it easier to detect a sentinel node when this is located close to a neighbouring high activity region like the urinary bladder or the injection site.
Reliability of rehabilitative ultrasound imaging for the medial gastrocnemius muscle in poststroke patients
Authors: Cho Ki Hun , Lee Hwang Jae , Lee Wan Hee
Published: June 2013

Objective

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the suitability of rehabilitative ultrasound imaging for quantification of medial gastrocnemius muscle in poststroke patients.

Participants

Thirty stroke patients (15 men and 15 women; age 64·7 ± 5·66 years; stroke duration 437·40 ± 168·24 days) participated in this study.

Methods

Real‐time B‐mode ultrasonography with a 7·5‐MHz linear transducer was used to measure pennation angle and muscle thickness of the medial gastrocnemius muscles with ankle joint 90° and maximal plantar flexion. Two examiners acquired images from all participants during three separate testing sessions. After the first measurement was performed, the second measurement was performed one hour later, and the third measurement was performed 1 week later. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs(3,1)) were used for estimation of reliability.

Results

The ICC (95% CI) for all intra‐examiner reliability was good to very good, ranging from 0·69 to 0·99 (0·51–0·99), and the ICC for all interexaminer reliability was good to very good, ranging from 0·70 to 0·99 (0·46–0·99).

Conclusion

In this study, the intra‐ and interexaminer reliability of the pennation angle and muscle thickness measurements of the medial gastrocnemius muscle was good to very good. Therefore, we suggest that the pennation angle and muscle thickness measurements of the medial gastrocnemius muscle obtained from rehabilitative ultrasound imaging would be useful for clinical assessment in poststroke patients.
Cognitive outcome in childhood after unilateral perinatal brain injury
Authors: van Buuren Lenny M , van der Aa Niek E , Dekker Harmke C , Vermeulen R Jeroen , van Nieuwenhuizen Onno , van Schooneveld Monique M J , de Vries Linda S
Published: June 2013

Aim

The aim of the study was to assess cognitive outcome in children with periventricular haemorrhagic infarction (PVHI) or perinatal arterial ischaemic stroke (PAIS) and relate these findings to early developmental outcome and neonatal magnetic resonance imaging findings.

Method

A neuropsychological assessment was performed in 50 children (26 males, 24 females) with unilateral PVHI (n=21) or PAIS (n=29) at a median age of 11 years 9 months (range 6–20y). This included tests for intelligence, verbal memory, visual–motor integration, word comprehension, attention, reaction times, and executive function. The Griffiths Mental Development Scale was used for early developmental assessment at 24 months (range 18–32mo).

Results

In children with PVHI, both the early Griffiths scores (mean 87; 95% CI 83–92) and the Full‐scale IQ (FSIQ) scores at school age (mean 86; 95% CI 78–94) were below the test mean of 100. In the PAIS group, early Griffiths scores were within the normal range (mean 98; 95% CI 93–104), but at school age FSIQ scores were below average (mean 87; 95% CI 80–94). In children with PVHI, FSIQ scores correlated with the level of maternal education and were lower after ventricular dilatation, whereas both involvement of the basal ganglia and thalami and development of postneonatal epilepsy were associated with lower cognitive outcome in children who had experienced PAIS.

Interpretation

Cognitive outcome after PVHI or PAIS is below average, but still within 1SD for most children. Prediction of cognitive outcome remains challenging, but some early predictors can be recognized.
Helicobacter pylori infection associated with high HbA1c and type 2 diabetes
Authors: Hsieh Ming‐Chia , Wang Sophie S. W. , Hsieh Yi‐Ting , Kuo Fu‐Chen , Soon Maw‐Soan , Wu Deng‐Chyang
Published: June 2013

Background

Although the association between chronic Helicobacter pylori infection and type 2 diabetes has been suggested, findings have been inconsistent. This study evaluated the association between chronic H. pylori infection and glucose regulation.

Materials and Methods

We evaluated H. pylori infection status of participants recruited from the gastroenterology clinic at our hospital. At baseline, we performed blood tests including fasting plasma glucose, insulin, glycated haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and other biochemical measurements. Insulin resistance and beta‐cell function were assessed by homoeostasis model assessment (HOMA‐IR and HOMA‐B, respectively).

Results

A total of 2070 participants were recruited. Those who had H. pylori infections had higher serum HbA1c levels and lower HOMA‐B than those who did not (5·78% vs. 5·69%, P = 0·01 and 53·85 + 38·43 vs. 60·64 + 43·40, P = 0·009, respectively). They also had a significantly higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes (8·97% vs. 5·57%, P = 0·02). Chronic H. pylori infection was significantly associated with high levels of HbA1c and type 2 diabetes in participants above 65 years old (P = 0·001) and decreased insulin secretion and sensitivity in those under 45 years (P = 0·05).

Conclusions

Long‐term H. pylori infection is significantly associated with high levels of HbA1c and decreased insulin secretion in this Chinese population. Proper screening for H. pylori infection combined with regular monitoring of blood glucose and HbA1c levels might be effective for the early detection of glucose dysregulation and prevention of type 2 diabetes.
THE EVOLUTION OF THE SCIENTIFIC PRODUCTIVITY OF HIGHLY PRODUCTIVE ECONOMISTS
Authors: CARRASCO RAQUEL , RUIZ‐CASTILLO JAVIER
Published: June 2013

This paper studies the evolution of research productivity of a sample of economists working in the best 81 departments in the world in 2007. The main novelty is that, in so far as a productivity distribution can be identified with an income distribution, we measure productivity mobility in a dynamic context using an indicator inspired in an income mobility index suggested by Fields (2010) for a two‐period world. Productivity is measured in terms of publications, weighted by the citation impact of the journals where each article is published in the periodical literature. We study the evolution of average productivity, productivity inequality, the extent of rank reversals, and productivity mobility for seven cohorts, as well as the population as a whole. We offer new evidence confirming previous results about the heterogeneity of the evolution of productivity for top and other researchers. However, the major result is that—contrary to what was expected—for our sample of very highly productive scholars the effect of rank reversals between the two periods on overall productivity mobility offsets the effect of an increase in productivity inequality from the first to the second period in the youngest five out of seven cohorts. (JEL A11, A12, B41, D63, I32)
Biotic interaction strength and the intensity of selection
Authors: Benkman Craig W.
Published: June 2013

Although the ecological and evolutionary impacts of species interactions have been the foci of much research, the relationship between the strength of species interactions and the intensity of selection has been investigated only rarely. I develop a simple model demonstrating how the opportunity for selection varies with interaction strength, and then use the relationship between the maximum value of the selection differential and the opportunity for selection (Arnold & Wade 1984) to evaluate how selection differentials vary in relation to species interaction strength. This model predicts an initial deceleration and then an accelerating increase in the intensity of selection with increasing strength of antagonistic interactions and with decreasing strength of mutualistic interactions. Empirical data from several studies provide support for this model. These results further support an evolutionary mechanism for some striking patterns of evolutionary diversification including the latitudinal species gradient, and should be relevant to studies of eco‐evolutionary dynamics.
Social networks in elasmobranchs and teleost fishes
Authors: Wilson A D M , Croft D P , Krause J
Published: June 2013

Over the last decade, there has been an exponential increase in studies using social network analysis to describe the structure of animal societies. In this synthesis, we examine the contribution of social network analysis towards developing our understanding of the social organization of elasmobranchs and teleost fishes. We review and discuss the current state of knowledge of the mechanisms and functions underpinning social network structure in fishes with particular emphasis on cooperation, familiarity, site fidelity, population structure and the welfare of captive populations. We also discuss important methodological issues (e.g. how to identify and mark fish) and highlight new developments in this area of research and their implications for the study of fish behaviour. Finally, we outline promising future research areas for the application of social network analysis to teleost fishes and elasmobranchs.
Choosing vs. allocating: discrete choice experiments and constant‐sum paired comparisons for the elicitation of societal preferences
Authors: Skedgel Chris D. , Wailoo Allan J. , Akehurst Ron L.
Published: June 2013

Background

There is growing evidence of a reluctance to allocate health care solely on the basis of maximizing quality‐adjusted life years (QALYs). Stated preference methods can be used to elicit preferences for efficiency vs. equity in the allocation of health‐care resources.

Objective

To compare discrete choice experiment (DCE) and constant‐sum paired comparison (CSPC) methods for eliciting societal preferences.

Methods

Over a series of choice pairs, DCE respondents allocated a fixed budget to one preferred group and CSPC respondents allocated budget percentages between the groups. Questionnaires were compared in terms of completion rates, preference consistency, dominant preferences and derived attribute importance.

Results

There was no significant difference in the proportions that rated the questionnaires somewhat or extremely difficult, but a significantly greater proportion completed the DCE compared to the CSPC. Preference consistency was also higher in the DCE. The incidence of dominant preferences, including for aggregate QALYs, was low and not significantly different between questionnaires. Similarly, no CSCP respondents equalized budgets or outcomes in every task. Final health state was the most important attribute in both questionnaires, but the rankings diverged for the other attributes. Notably, the total patients' treated attribute was important in the CSPC but insignificant in the DCE, perhaps reflecting a ‘prominence effect’.

Conclusions

Despite lower completion rates and preference consistency, CSPC may offer advantages over DCE in eliciting preferences over the distribution of resources and/or outcomes as well as attribute levels, avoiding extreme ‘all‐or‐nothing’ distributions and possibly aligning respondent attention more closely with a societal perspective.
Numbers, Please!
Authors: Thelin John R.
Published: June 2013

Publishing deadlines can be a nuisance for an author. For example, in 1972 when the editor of Rolling Stone magazine pressed Truman Capote on why he had promptly cashed his advance payment check yet had failed to submit his manuscript more than a month after the publishing deadline, Capote replied, “Do you want an article that is timely or timeless?” Much to Capote's chagrin, the editor replied, “Both!” Capote's response was “Neither”—and the project fell apart. Little wonder, then, that I was pleasantly surprised to receive the invitation from the History of Education Quarterly to explain to colleagues what topic I would choose if I were to have the luxury of writing forever. After the exhilaration of being both timely and timeless wore off, I realized the invitation was problematic.
Indian Students and the Evolution of the Study‐Migration Pathway in Australia
Authors: Hawthorne Lesleyanne
Published: June 2013

In the past two years Australia's reputation as a safe high quality education destination has suffered devastating damage in India – a process exacerbated by 2010–12 changes to the study‐migration pathway. Within this context Indian enrolments dropped 27 per cent from 2010 to 2011 and 25 per cent from 2011 to 2012. This article examines the complex interplay of migration and education policies in relation to Indian students in the past decade. It assesses the quantitative evidence available concerning former Indian students’ study choices, engagement in two‐step migration, and employment outcomes relative to other international students and offshore Indian migrants to date. The likely impacts of the latest skilled migration policy trends are then explored, in a context where India remains Australia's second ranked export education market.
Rural and Regional Australian Public Accounting Firm Services: Service Provision, Concerns and Tensions
Authors: Wines Graeme L. , Carr Rodney A. , Cooper Barry J. , Ferguson Colin B. , Hellier Phil K. , Jackling Beverley F.
Published: June 2013

Public accounting firms provide a necessary and important service for rural and regional areas. However, the provision of high‐quality services is hindered by a number of factors. This paper reports the findings from a large‐scale survey of professional accounting firm practitioners located in rural and regional Australia, identifying factors causing concerns and tensions and quantifying their scope and importance. Prominent concerns and tensions identified include adverse effects arising from the employment market, communications technology developments and legislation such as the Corporate Law Economic Reform Program (Audit Reform and Corporate Disclosure) Act 2004 and the Financial Services Reform Act 2001.
Gender difference in interactions between MAOA promoter uVNTR polymorphism and negative familial stressors on body mass index among Chinese adolescents
Authors: Xie B. , Li D. , London S. J. , Palmer P. H. , Johnshon C. A. , Li Y. , Shih J. , Bergen A. W. , Nishita D. , Swan G. E. , Ahn R. , Conti D. V.
Published: June 2013

What is already known about this subject

Initial evidence from recent studies indicated a relationship between the high‐activity MAOA uVNTR polymorphism and lower risk of obesity even though findings were varied across populations, and hence replication studies with population‐based samples are clearly warranted.

What this study adds

Our findings confirmed the genetic effects of MAOA uVNTR polymorphism on body mass index in a Chinese adolescent population.

This study demonstrated a significant gene–environment interaction with negative familial stressors in girls only, which provides a new insight on the causes of obesity, and thus, potential avenues of prevention.

Objectives

Monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) modulates metabolism of serotonin and dopamine metabolism, neurotransmitters involved in regulation of appetite and food intake. The gene coding for MAOA contains a 30‐bp tandem repeat (uVNTR) polymorphism in its promoter region that has been previously identified to be associated with obesity with mixed findings in the literature. Our goals were to replicate the population effects of this functional polymorphism on obesity risk, and to further explore gender differences and interaction effects with negative stressors.

Methods

Analyses were conducted with data on genotypes, measured weight and height, and self‐reported behavioural characteristics among 1101 Chinese adolescents 11–15 years old living in Wuhan, China.

Results

Girls with the high‐activity allele had significantly lower body mass index (BMI; β = −0.25 ± 0.98, P = 0.011) compared to those with the low activity allele. Experience of negative familial stressors (e.g., death or illness of family members, hit or scolded by parents and increased quarrelling with parents, parents argued frequently) significantly weakened this protective genetic effect on BMI (P for interaction = 0.043). Stratified analyses showed a significant protective genetic effect on BMI only within the stratum of low stress level (β = −0.44 ± 0.14, P = 0.002). No similar effect was observed among boys.

Conclusions

Our findings confirm the genetic effects of MAOA uVNTR polymorphism on BMI in a Chinese adolescent population and suggest potential genetic interactions with negative familial stressors.
CC–LR: providing interactive, challenging and attractive Collaborative Complex Learning Resources
Authors: Caballé S. , Mora N. , Feidakis M. , Gañán D. , Conesa J. , Daradoumis T. , Prieto J.
Published: June 2013

Many researchers argue that students must be meaningfully engaged in the learning resources for effective learning to occur. However, current online learners still report a problematic lack of attractive and challenging learning resources that engage them in the learning process. This endemic problem is even more evident in online collaborative learning approaches whose resources lack of authentic interactivity, user empowerment, social identity and challenge, thus having a negative effect on learners' self‐motivation and engagement. To overcome these and other limitations and deficiencies, in this paper, a new type of learning resource named Collaborative Complex Learning Resources (CC–LR) is presented based on the virtualization of collaborative learning with the aim of leveraging knowledge elicited during live sessions. During the CC–LR execution, the collaborative sessions are animated so learners can observe how avatars discuss and collaborate, how discussion threads grow and how knowledge is been constructed, refined and consolidated. In addition, complex aspects of the learning process can be incorporated in the CC–LRs during their creation, such as cognitive assessment and emotional awareness. The system produced from this research is tested to evaluate the CC‐LR enriched with complex information and analyze its effects in the discussion process. The research reported in this paper was undertaken within the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) European project called ‘Adaptive Learning via Intuitive/Interactive, Collaborative and Emotional systems’.
Treatment of a simulated child with anaphylaxis: An in situ two‐arm study
Authors: O'Leary Fenton M , Hokin Belinda , Enright Kevin , Campbell Dianne E
Published: June 2013

Aim

This study aims to determine whether junior medical staff correctly identify and treat paediatric anaphylaxis and whether the presence or absence of hypotension influenced the treatment, using a standardised simulated patient encounter.

Methods

Junior medical staff from the emergency department of a large paediatric tertiary hospital were invited to participate in a two‐armed cohort study to assess recognition and management of anaphylaxis in a standardised scenario using a simulated patient with and without hypotension. The primary outcome measure was administration of adrenaline. The secondary outcome measures included time to adrenaline administration, ability to seek and identify relevant features of history and clinical examination and use of other medications.

Results

Fifty‐six junior medical staff participated (90% participation rate). Only 50% of participants administered adrenaline in scenarios of definite anaphylaxis. Adrenaline was more likely to be administered if the scenario included hypotension, where the junior medical officer had previous formal resuscitation training (Advanced Paediatric Life Support) and by medical officers with more years of training.

Conclusion

Anaphylaxis is a life‐threatening presentation and requires prompt recognition and appropriate adrenaline administration. Junior medical staff may require more emphasis on recognition and prompt adrenaline administration in both undergraduate and in hospital training and education. Simulated scenarios may provide a platform to deliver this training to ultimately improve patient care.
Production of Metal‐Chelating Compounds by Species of Heterobasidion annosum sensu lato
Authors: Mucha Joanna , Guzicka Marzenna , Łakomy Piotr , Zadworny Marcin
Published: June 2013

The role of iron and compounds that chelate iron in the development of fungal diseases and wood degradation is not well understood, and their involvement in the simultaneous pathogenic and wood‐decomposing capabilities of Heterobasidion annosum s.l. is unknown. In the current study, the production of low‐molecular‐mass compounds that can chelate iron, such as catecholate, hydroxamate and oxalate, by H. annosum s.l. was correlated positively with supplementation of the medium with iron. In contrast, iron supplementation did not increase the Fe3+‐reducing ability of H. annosum s.s. and H. abietinum hyphae. Indeed, H. annosum s.s. is known to cause higher mortality of the plant host, but produced a lower quantity of siderophores than H. abietinum or H. parviporum. Under iron supplementation, siderophore production was correlated with phenoloxidase activity in the low‐molecular‐mass fraction, which might have consequences for cell wall decomposition.
Effects of inclusion of graded amounts of soya bean hulls on feed intake, chewing activity and nutrient digestibility in dairy cows
Authors: Mohammadzadeh H. , Rezayazdi K. , Nikkhah A.
Published: June 2013

Twelve multiparous Holstein dairy cows were used in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square changeover design to evaluate the effects of graded inclusion of soya bean hulls (SHs) in replacement of diet forages at 0%, 10%, 20% and 30% of dietary dry matter (DM) basis on peNDF > 8 and peNDF > 1.18 contents of diets and their resulting effects on chewing activity, nutrient digestibility and milk production of dairy cattle. The control diet contained 50% forage, 50% concentrate and no SH. In the other three diets, SH was substituted for alfalfa hay, corn silage and wheat bran to supply 10%, 20% and 30% of the dietary DM. Increasing SH concentration in the diets resulted in decreasing concentrations of forage neutral detergent fibre (NDF), physically effective NDF (peNDF) and mean particle size (p < 0.01). Chewing activity per kilogram of daily dry matter intake (DMI) was not affected by the different diets tested. However, chewing activity significantly decreased for kilogram intake of NDF, but increased for peNDF > 1.18 when SH was included in the diets (p < 0.01). Total tract apparent digestibility of nutrients significantly increased for DM, organic matter (p < 0.05) and NDF (p < 0.01) but decreased for crude protein (p < 0.05) as the proportion of SH was increased in the diets. Rumen pH value of cattle was not influenced by the diets. Including medium and high amounts of SH in the diets decreased DMI of the animals (p < 0.05) without any significant effect on their daily milk or 4% fat‐corrected milk production. In conclusion, the results of this study showed that the NDF from a non‐forage fibre source like SH had a lower potential for stimulating chewing activity than did forage NDF. Despite this, the small size of dietary particles increased not only the chewing activity per kilogram of peNDF intake but also saliva secretion as well as the potential for rumen to neutralize acids. The findings of this study demonstrate the greater differences in peNDF > 8 among the diets and that these differences are better reflected in terms of DMI, chewing activity and nutrient digestibility, but not in rumen pH.
Evolutionary history and genetic parallelism affect correlated responses to evolution
Authors: Le Gac Mickael , Cooper Tim F. , Cruveiller Stéphane , Médigue Claudine , Schneider Dominique
Published: June 2013

We investigated the relationship between genomic and phenotypic evolution among replicate populations of Escherichia coli evolved for 1000 generations in four different environments. By resequencing evolved genomes, we identified parallel changes in genes encoding transcription regulators within and between environments. Depending on both the environment and the altered gene, genetic parallelism at the gene level involved mutations that affected identical codons, protein domains or were widely distributed across the gene. Evolved clones were characterized by parallel phenotypic changes in their respective evolution environments but also in the three alternative environments. Phenotypic parallelism was high for clones that evolved in the same environment, even in the absence of genetic parallelism. By contrast, clones that evolved in different environments revealed a higher parallelism in correlated responses when they shared mutated genes. Altogether, this work shows that after an environmental change or the colonization of a new habitat, similar ecological performance might be expected from individuals that share mutated genes or that experienced similar past selective pressures.
Ecological coassociations influence species' responses to past climatic change: an example from a Sonoran Desert bark beetle
Authors: Garrick Ryan C. , Nason John D. , Fernández‐Manjarrés Juan F. , Dyer Rodney J.
Published: June 2013

Ecologically interacting species may have phylogeographical histories that are shaped both by features of their abiotic landscape and by biotic constraints imposed by their coassociation. The Baja California peninsula provides an excellent opportunity to examine the influence of abiotic vs. biotic factors on patterns of diversity in plant‐insect species. This is because past climatic and geological changes impacted the genetic structure of plants quite differently to that of codistributed free‐living animals (e.g. herpetofauna and small mammals). Thus, ‘plant‐like’ patterns should be discernible in host‐specific insect herbivores. Here, we investigate the population history of a monophagous bark beetle, Araptus attenuatus, and consider drivers of phylogeographical patterns in the light of previous work on its host plant, Euphorbia lomelii. Using a combination of phylogenetic, coalescent‐simulation‐based and exploratory analyses of mitochondrial DNA sequences and nuclear genotypic data, we found that the evolutionary history of A. attenuatus exhibits similarities to its host plant that are attributable to both biotic and abiotic processes. Southward range expansion and recent colonization of continental Sonora from the Baja peninsula appear to be unique to this taxon pair and probably reflect influences of the host plant. On the other hand, abiotic factors with landscape‐level influences on a diverse suite of codistributed arid‐adapted taxa, such as Plio‐ and Pleistocene‐aged marine incursions in the region, also left genetic signatures in beetle and host plant populations. Superimposed on these similarities, bark beetle‐specific patterns and processes were also evident: our data revealed two secondarily sympatric, reproductively isolated genetic lineages, as well as a previously unrecognized mid‐peninsular warm desert refuge. Taken together, this work illustrates that the evolutionary history of species‐specific insect herbivores may represent a mosaic of influences, including—but not limited to—those imposed by the host plant.
Intertidal population genetic dynamics at a microgeographic seascape scale
Authors: Hu Zi‐Min
Published: June 2013

The intertidal community is among the most physically harsh niches on earth, with highly heterogeneous environmental and biological factors that impose strong habitat selection on population abundance, genetic connectivity and ecological adaptation of organisms in nature. However, most genetic studies to date have concentrated on the influence of basin‐wide or regional marine environments (e.g. habitat discontinuities, oceanic currents and fronts, and geographic barriers) on spatiotemporal distribution and composition of intertidal invertebrates having planktonic stages or long‐distance dispersal capability. Little is known about sessile marine organisms (e.g. seaweeds) in the context of topographic tidal gradients and reproductive traits at the microgeographic scale. In this issue of Molecular Ecology, Krueger‐Hadfield et al. () implemented an elaborate sampling strategy with red seaweed (Chondrus crispus) from a 90‐m transect stand near Roscoff and comprehensively detected genome‐scale genetic differentiation and biases in ploidy level. This study not only revealed that tidal height resulted in genetic differentiation between high‐ and low‐shore stands and restricted the genetic exchange within the high‐shore habitat, but also demonstrated that intergametophytic nonrandom fertilization in C. crispus can cause significant deviation from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. Such new genetic insights highlight the importance of microgeographic genetic dynamics and life history characteristics for better understanding the evolutionary processes of speciation and diversification of intertidal marine organisms.
Experimenting on Contextualism
Authors: HANSEN NAT , CHEMLA EMMANUEL
Published: June 2013

In this article we refine the design ofcontext shifting experiments, which play a central role in contextualist debates, and we subject a large number of scenarios involving different types of expressions of interest to contextualists, including ‘know’ and color adjectives like ‘green’, to experimental investigation. Our experiment (i) reveals an effect of changing contexts on the evaluation of uses of the sentences that we examine, thereby overturning the absence of results reported in previous experimental studies (so‐callednull results), (ii) uncovers evidence for a ‘truth bias' in favor of positive over negative sentences, and (iii) reveals previously unnoticed distinctions between the strength of the contextual effects displayed by scenarios involving knowledge ascriptions and scenarios concerning color and other miscellaneous scenarios.
The Redefinition of Aging in American Surgery
Authors: NEUMAN MARK D. , BOSK CHARLES L.
Published: June 2013

Context

Adults aged sixty‐five and over account for a large fraction of all surgeries performed in the United States each year. While historical growth in rates of surgery in this population is commonly attributed to financial incentives and technological innovations, the shifts in thought that underpinned the spread of surgery among the U.S. elderly remain largely unexplored. We examined changing perspectives on aging over time in American surgery through two case studies: the expansion of general surgical procedures among older U.S. adults between 1945 and 1965, and the spread of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) among the U.S. elderly between 1975 and 1995.

Methods

For this article, we used close readings of historical journal articles, textbook excerpts, survey reports, and government documents related to surgery and aging.

Findings

Similar perspectives on aging informed the spread of both general surgical procedures among older adults after World War II and CABG in the elderly from the mid‐1970s onward. In each case, surgeons argued against earlier views that surgery was contraindicated in old age using rhetoric that negated the relevance of age to medical decisions. Furthermore, surgeons elevated other types of information—such as the presence or absence of chronic diseases—to supplant age as an explanation for the high operative mortality rates seen among older patients. By stressing the modifiability of operative risk in the elderly, surgeons’ arguments positioned old age itself as a new surgical “frontier.”

Conclusions

Surgeons’ arguments for the expansion of surgery among the U.S. elderly over time worked to negate the relevance of age to medical decisions and to portray the wider use of surgery in the elderly as uniformly beneficial. While potentially promoting broader access to surgical care, such perspectives may also have contributed to ongoing health policy challenges by normalizing surgery at any stage in the life‐course, with implications for current patterns of surgical utilization and medical spending.
Human single‐chain urokinase is activated by the omptins PgtE of Salmonella enterica and Pla of Yersinia pestis despite mutations of active site residues
Authors: Järvinen Hanna M. , Laakkonen Liisa , Haiko Johanna , Johansson Tiira , Juuti Katri , Suomalainen Marjo , Buchrieser Carmen , Kalkkinen Nisse , Korhonen Timo K.
Published: June 2013

Fibrinolysis is important in cell migration and tightly regulated by specific inhibitors and activators; of the latter, urokinase (uPA) associates with enhancement of cell migration. Active uPA is formed through cleavage of the single‐chain uPA (scuPA). The Salmonella enterica strain 14028R cleaved human scuPA at the peptide bond Lys158‐Ile159, the site cleaved also by the physiological activator human plasmin. The cleavage led to activation of scuPA, while no cleavage or activation were detected with the mutant strain 14028R lacking the omptin protease PgtE. Complementation and expression studies confirmed the role of PgtE in scuPA activation. Similar cleavage and activation of scuPA were detected with recombinant Escherichia coli expressing the omptin genes pla from Yersinia pestis, ompT and ompP from E. coli, sopA from Shigella flexneri, and leo from Legionella pneumophila. For these omptins the activation of scuPA is the only shared function so far detected. Only poor cleavage and activation of scuPA were seen with YcoA of Y. pestis and YcoB of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis that are considered to be proteolytically inactive omptin variants. Point mutations of active site residues in Pla and PgtE had different effects on the proteolysis of plasminogen and of scuPA, indicating versatility in omptin proteolysis.
Life history and population dynamics of southern Alaska resident killer whales (Orcinus orca)
Authors: Matkin Craig O. , Ward Testa J. , Ellis Graeme M. , Saulitis Eva L.
Published: June 2013

Resident (fish eating) killer whales(Orcinus orca) in the North Pacific have been the subject of long‐term studies in several geographical regions. The current study examines population parameters in the southern Alaska resident population from 1984 to 2010 and develops a population model. The southern Alaska resident population ranges from southeastern Alaska through the Kodiak archipelago and contains over 700 individuals. We follow the life histories of 343 identifiable whales in 10 pods from two clans born before and during the study. Population parameters were comparable to those of the British Columbia northern resident population during the 1970s and 1980s, except that age of maturity was approximately one year earlier. The average annual rate of increase was slightly higher in Alaska (3.5%) than for the British Columbia northern residents (2.9%) and probably represents a population at r‐max (maximum rate of growth). Reasons for the high growth rate in Alaska could be a recovery following past anthropogenic mortalities, or more likely, a response to increasing salmon returns in recent decades, resulting in an increase in carrying capacity. The slow maturation and low rate of reproductive response makes these whales slow to recover from natural or anthropogenic catastrophes.