bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigation of liver dysfunction: who should we test for hepatitis E?
Authors: Wallace Sebastian J. , Webb Glynn W. , Madden Richie G. , Dalton Hugh C. , Palmer Joanne , Dalton Richard T. , Pollard Adam , Martin Rhys , Panayi Vasilis , Bennett Gwyn , Bendall Richard P. , Dalton Harry R.
Published: November 2016

Aim

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is endemic in developed countries, but unrecognized infection is common. Many national guidelines now recommend HEV testing in patients with acute hepatitis irrespective of travel history. The biochemical definition of ‘hepatitis’ that best predicts HEV infection has not been established. This study aimed to determine parameters of liver biochemistry that should prompt testing for acute HEV.

Methods

This was a retrospective study of serial liver function tests (LFTs) in cases of acute HEV (n=74) and three comparator groups: common bile duct stones (CBD, n=87), drug-induced liver injury (DILI, n=69) and patients testing negative for HEV (n=530). To identify the most discriminating parameters, LFTs from HEV cases, CBD and DILI were compared. Optimal LFT cutoffs for HEV testing were determined from HEV true positives and HEV true negatives using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.

Results

Compared with CBD and DILI, HEV cases had a significantly higher maximum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (P<0.001) and ALT/alkaline phosphatase (ALKP) ratio (P<0.001). For HEV cases/patients testing negative for HEV, area under receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.805 for ALT (P<0.001) and 0.749 for the ALT/ALKP ratio (P<0.001). Using an ALT of at least 300 IU/l to prompt HEV testing has a sensitivity of 98.6% and a specificity of 30.3% compared with an ALT/ALKP ratio higher than or equal to 2 (sensitivity 100%, specificity 9.4%).

Conclusion

Patients with ALT higher than or equal to 300 IU/l should be tested for HEV. This is simple, detects nearly all cases and requires fewer samples to be tested than an ALT/ALKP ratio higher than or equal to 2. Where clinically indicated, patients with an ALT less than 300 IU/l should also be tested, particularly if HEV-associated neurological injury is suspected.
A Unusual Lightning Death in an Indoor Setting
Authors: Ventura Francesco , Barranco Rosario , Bonsignore Alessandro , De Stefano Francesco
Published: November 2016

Death due to lightning strikes is infrequent, above all indoors. Some cases may take on a medical legal interest due to the unusual and uncommon circumstances in which they occur. The authors report an extremely rare case of electrocution occurred inside a house in a rural area. A 53-year-old man was reached by an electrical discharge originating from lightning while he was doing renovation work on a cottage. In this case, the correct interpretation of the autopsy and histological aspects and the attentive analysis of the circumstantial and environmental data led to the correct diagnosis of death and to the reconstruction of the dynamics with which it occurred. It was in fact possible to reconstruct that during a violent thunderstorm, lightning, discharging from the bottom upward formed an electric arc. The victim, who was close to metal objects (sawhorses), was struck on the left foot and the current exited from the right hand passing through the heart causing immediate death.
A systematic comparison reveals substantial differences in chromosomal versus episomal encoding of enhancer activity
Authors: Inoue Fumitaka , Kircher Martin , Martin Beth , Cooper Gregory M. , Witten Daniela M. , McManus Michael T. , Ahituv Nadav , Shendure Jay
Published: November 2016

Candidate enhancers can be identified on the basis of chromatin modifications, the binding of chromatin modifiers and transcription factors and cofactors, or chromatin accessibility. However, validating such candidates as bona fide enhancers requires functional characterization, typically achieved through reporter assays that test whether a sequence can increase expression of a transcriptional reporter via a minimal promoter. A longstanding concern is that reporter assays are mainly implemented on episomes, which are thought to lack physiological chromatin. However, the magnitude and determinants of differences in cis-regulation for regulatory sequences residing in episomes versus chromosomes remain almost completely unknown. To address this systematically, we developed and applied a novel lentivirus-based massively parallel reporter assay (lentiMPRA) to directly compare the functional activities of 2236 candidate liver enhancers in an episomal versus a chromosomally integrated context. We find that the activities of chromosomally integrated sequences are substantially different from the activities of the identical sequences assayed on episomes, and furthermore are correlated with different subsets of ENCODE annotations. The results of chromosomally based reporter assays are also more reproducible and more strongly predictable by both ENCODE annotations and sequence-based models. With a linear model that combines chromatin annotations and sequence information, we achieve a Pearson's R2 of 0.362 for predicting the results of chromosomally integrated reporter assays. This level of prediction is better than with either chromatin annotations or sequence information alone and also outperforms predictive models of episomal assays. Our results have broad implications for how cis-regulatory elements are identified, prioritized and functionally validated.
catena-Poly[[bis{2-[3-(carboxymethyl)adamantan-1-yl]acetato-κ2O,O′}cadmium(II)]-μ-N,N′-bis(pyridine-4-carboxamido)piperazine-κ2N:N′]
Authors: Travis Jamelah Z. , LaDuca Robert L.
Published: November 2016

In the title compound, [Cd(C14H19O4)2(C16H16N4O2)]n, the CdIIcation is coordinated in a distorted octahedral fashion bytranspyridyl N-atom donors from twoN,N′-bis(pyridine-4-carboxamido)piperazine (bpcp) ligands, and chelating carboxylate groups from two 2-[3-(carboxymethyl)adamantan-1-yl]acetate ligands. [Cd(adaH)(bpcp)]ncoordination polymer chains are oriented along [-111] and aggregate into supramolecular layers parallel to (122) by O—H...O hydrogen-bonding interactions. The supramolecular three-dimensional crystal structure is then constructed by interlayer C—H...O non-classical interactions. The O atoms of one of the carboxylate groups were refined as disordered over two sets of sites, with occupancies 0.553 (7) and 0.447 (7).
Effects of inclusion on corrosion resistance of weathering steel in simulated industrial atmosphere
Authors: Zhu Tengwei , Huang Feng , Liu Jing , Hu Qian , Li Wei
Published: November 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the atmospheric corrosion mechanism of structural materials to develop more advanced corrosion-control technologies and cost-reduction strategies. As a second phase in steels, the non-metallic oxide inclusions are considered to not only affect the mechanical properties of steel but also the corrosion resistance of steel. So, an important research goal in this paper is to investigate the indoor accelerated corrosion kinetics of Q450NQR1 weathering steel, analyzing the galvanic polarity of different inclusions in electrochemical corrosion microcell between the inclusion and steel matrix and then elucidating the influence mechanism of inclusions on corrosion resistance of weathering steel.

Design/methodology/approach

Two methods of inclusion modification are usually used to improve the properties of weathering steel: one is calcium treatment on aluminum killed steel and the other one is rare earth (RE) modification. Wet/dry cyclic immersion corrosion test field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) metallographic optical microscope.

Findings

The indoor accelerated corrosion kinetics of Q450NQR1 weathering steel could be divided into two stages with different log (thickness loss, D)-log (time, t) fitting functions, and the effect of inclusions on the corrosion resistance of Q450NQR1 weathering steel was only reflected in the initial stages of corrosion. The inclusions of CaS in Ca-modified test steel and RE oxides and sulfides in RE-modified test steel were preferentially dissolved in acid media, slowing down the corrosion rate of steel matrix, but the non-metallic inclusion Al2O3 may accelerate the corrosion rate of the steel matrix as a form of differential aeration corrosion.

Originality/value

The effects of inclusions on corrosion resistance of Q450NQR1 weathering steel was investigated by dry–wet cycle immersion test and FE-SEM. The effect of inclusions on the corrosion resistance of Q450NQR1weathering steel was only reflected in the initial stages of corrosion. The inclusions of CaS in Ca-modified test steel and rare earth (RE) oxides and sulfides in RE-modified test steel were preferentially dissolved in acid media, slowing down the corrosion rate of steel matrix, but the non-metallic inclusion Al2O3 may accelerate corrosion rate of the steel matrix as a form of differential aeration corrosion.
How do we know what is happening online?
Authors: Charalampidi Marina , Hammond Michael
Published: November 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the process of analysing online discussion and argue for the merits of mixed methods. Much research of online participation and e-learning has been either message-focused or person-focused. The former covers methodologies such as content and discourse analysis, the latter interviewing and surveys. The paper discusses the strengths and weaknesses of these approaches in the context of a study of an online social educational network for gifted students.

Design/methodology/approach

The design of this study included the use of content analysis, visualisation diagrams, interviews and questionnaire survey to understand the nature of online discussion and the experience of taking part.

Findings

It was found that the message-focused analysis provided insight into participation and interaction patterns, whereas the surveys and interviews enabled access to members’ preferences and attitudes.

Originality/value

The contribution of the paper is to argue for a mixed approach in which different types of data can be compared and contrasted. While the use of mixed methods in social research in general has long been suggested, its adoption in the field of online learning is yet to be widely established, possibly because of its time-consuming and demanding nature. Despite these constraints, a mixed-methods approach is advocated, as it allows for a comprehensive picture of the use of the network and the experience of online participation.
Motivations leading to customer citizenship behavior in services: scale development and validation
Authors: Choi Laee , Lotz Sherry
Published: November 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to better understand customer citizenship behavior (CCB) motivation through the development and validation of a new scale to measure the CCB motivation (CCBM) construct.

Design/methodology/approach

The mixed-methods study, combination of qualitative and quantitative research, is used to develop the scale item that measures CCBM. For nomological validity testing, data were collected from customers who had transacted with a specific service provider business in the past six months. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.

Findings

This study suggests that CCBM can be reliably measured by 12 items, composed of four sub-dimensions, self-enhancement, personal principles, desire to support the service provider and perception of the service provider’s past performance. In addition, nomological validity testing through three empirical models confirms that CCBM is a multi-dimensional construct with a second-order nature and an antecedent that positively influences CCB.

Originality/value

The research provides an original view regarding CCBM scale development in the services contexts and makes invaluable contributions to understanding a variety of motivations that lead customers to voluntary participation behaviors.
Buying organic – decision-making heuristics and empirical evidence from Germany
Authors: Moser Andrea K.
Published: November 2016

Purpose

Identifying the drivers that positively influence consumption of organic products is of utmost importance to reach consumers beyond the niche. Therefore, this study aims to propose an innovative framework which conceptualizes motivating beliefs and a simple decision-making heuristic as predictors of buying organic.

Design/methodology/approach

A structural equation approach is applied. Data were obtained from a nationwide panel (n= 1,760) and included survey data and scanner data for five different food categories.

Findings

The model is supported by actual purchasing data in all categories. While beliefs explained about 75 per cent of the variance in the decision-making heuristic for organic products, the heuristic in turn predicted up to 20 per cent of the variance in buying behavior.

Research limitations/implications

Further research should aim to validate the proposed constructs and relationships and refine the factors.

Practical implications

Consumers have to understand and value the benefits of organic products. Self-interested and environmental beliefs are equally strong motivations which can be seen as an opportunity for marketing.

Originality/value

The results contribute to understanding the structure and the impact of heuristics and quantify the competing beliefs by which heuristics are driven.
Sustainable human capacity development in the African built environment
Authors: Ene Gloria Unoma , Goulding Jack Steven , John Godfaurd Adjaie
Published: November 2016

Purpose

A growing recognition that human capital is a more critical factor than physical capital in wealth creation has led to the drive for individuals, organisations, industries and societies to become knowledge producing entities. Africa’s growing population, high rate of urbanisation and demand for sustainable infrastructure development have highlighted the need for human capacity development (HCD). However, studies indicate that the supply systems for learning which African construction organisations rely on are weak and immature generating wide spread reports of skills shortages, skills mismatches, skill deficiencies and concomitant high unemployment. This paper forms the prologue in a wider research aimed at developing a workforce capability optimising model for construction firms and the purpose of this paper is to review literature relating to HCD to highlight needs and to explore the applicability of emerging workforce development (WD) approaches in project-based construction workplaces.

Design/methodology/approach

Literature review, limited to peer reviewed academic publications in English from 2000 to 2016.

Findings

Much of the literature reviewed focus on educational aspects and consequently basic entry skills into the construction workforce. Workplace learning (WL), though acknowledged, is not given much attention. However, life-long learning, WL and self-directed learning have taken on greater significance because of the transient nature of knowledge in the Knowledge Age. WD practices of construction firms in Africa range from non-existent to average particularly at intermediate skills levels.

Originality/value

The paper makes a case for improved WD systems applicable to the African construction workplace and introduces elements of a proposed capability optimising framework that supports sustained effective learning environments and learners. Significantly, the model will incorporate HCD for intermediate skills and learning at the project level of the organisation.
Analysing the Role of Privacy Impact Assessments in Technological Development for Crisis Management
Authors: Easton Catherine
Published: November 2016

The ability to harness technology in crisis management has enabled an increase in wide‐scale interagency collaboration. This development has occurred alongside a move to accumulate and analyse crowdsourced responses. Given the scale and the nature of the information accessed and collected, there is a pressing need to ensure that technology is developed in a way that protects the interests of end‐users and stakeholders. Privacy impact assessments (PIAs) are increasingly used, in certain jurisdictions legally mandated, in projects to foresee risks to privacy and to plan strategies to avoid these. Once implemented, the EU's General Data Protection Regulation will, in certain circumstances, require the need for a PIA. This study focuses upon the PIA process in an EU‐funded project with the aim of developing cloud‐based disaster response technology. It introduces the project and then gives a background to the PIA process. Insights and observations are then made relating to how the PIA operates, with the aim of drawing conclusions that can both improve the current project and be transferable to other crisis management‐focused projects.
Organizational and Societal Impacts of Big Data in Crisis Management
Authors: Watson Hayley , Finn Rachel L. , Wadhwa Kush
Published: November 2016

This paper presents findings from a case study conducted as part of the EU project, BYTE – ‘The Big data roadmap and cross‐disciplinarY community for addressing socieTal Externalities’. The article seeks to outline the role of big data in the different stages of crisis management and the organizational and societal benefits associated with engagement with this data. This article supports findings from other studies in that big data is able to significantly contribute to crisis response efforts. Big data can support organizations in their efforts to be better informed as data are able to significantly contribute to situational awareness, which can in turn inform decision‐making, such as resource allocation. In addition, this study has demonstrated that big data is also able to positively inform preparation and precrisis efforts. However, at present, little is known about the contribution of big data to recovery efforts; demonstrating the need for further research in this area. As such, big data does appear to provide a number of positive benefits to organizations, benefits of which can then subsequently positively impact society.
Housing Price Forecastability: A Factor Analysis
Authors: Bork Lasse , Møller Stig V.
Published: November 2016

We examine U.S. housing price forecastability using principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares (PLS) and sparse PLS (SPLS). We incorporate information from a large panel of 128 economic time series and show that macroeconomic fundamentals have strong predictive power for future movements in housing prices. We find that (S)PLS models systematically dominate PCA models. (S)PLS models also generate significant out‐of‐sample predictive power over and above the predictive power contained by the price–rent ratio, autoregressive benchmarks and regression models based on small datasets.
Six years without pholcodine; Norwegians are significantly less IgE‐sensitized and clinically more tolerant to neuromuscular blocking agents
Authors: de Pater G. H. , Florvaag E. , Johansson S. G. O. , Irgens Å. , Petersen M. N. H. , Guttormsen A. B.
Published: November 2016

Background

As a strong inducer of IgE antibodies to substituted ammonium ion epitopes (QAI), pholcodine (PHO) is a postulated cause of allergic anaphylaxis to neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBAs). Three years after withdrawal of PHO in Norway, a significant reduction in IgE sensitization and anaphylaxis reporting was seen.

Objective

Six‐year follow‐up study on the effects of PHO withdrawal on IgE sensitization and anaphylaxis reporting.

Methods

From 650 acute consecutive reports (2005–2013) to the Norwegian Network for Anaphylaxis under Anaesthesia (NARA), total number of reports on suspected anaphylactic reactions, number of reactions where NMBAs were administered, number of reactions where serum IgE antibodies (≥0.35 kUA/l) to suxamethonium (SUX) and PHO were present at time of reaction and anaphylaxis severity grades were retrieved. In addition, NMBA sales and prevalence of IgE sensitization to PHO and SUX among ‘allergics’ were monitored.

Results

From baseline period P0 (PHO on the market) through the first (P1) and second (P2), three‐year periods after withdrawal, significant falls in total reports (P < 0.001) and reports with IgE antibodies to PHO (P = 0.008) and SUX (P = 0.001) at time of reaction were found. Total NMBA sales in P2 were 83% of P0, and SUX and rocuronium (ROC) together made up 86% of sales throughout the study. Five NMBA‐related anaphylactic deaths occurred during P0 and P1 and, however, none during P2. Prevalence of IgE sensitization to SUX in ‘allergics’ fell to 0% at 4 and 5 years after withdrawal.

Conclusions

Six years after PHO withdrawal, the Norwegian population has become significantly less IgE‐sensitized and clinically more tolerant to NMBAs.
Systematic review with meta‐analysis: comparative efficacy of immunosuppressants and biologics for reducing hospitalisation and surgery in Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis
Authors: Mao E. J. , Hazlewood G. S. , Kaplan G. G. , Peyrin‐Biroulet L. , Ananthakrishnan A. N.
Published: November 2016

Introduction

Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) have a progressive course leading to hospitalisation and surgery. The ability of existing therapies to alter disease course is not clearly defined.

Aim

To investigate the comparative efficacy of currently available inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) therapies to reduce hospitalisation and surgery.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review in MEDLINE/PubMed for randomised controlled trials (RCT) published between January 1980 and May 2016 examining efficacy of biological or immunomodulator therapy in IBD. We performed direct comparisons of pooled proportions of hospitalisation and surgery. Pair‐wise comparisons using a random‐effects Bayesian network meta‐analysis were performed to assess comparative efficacy of different treatments.

Results

We identified seven randomised controlled trials (5 CD; 2 UC) comparing three biologics and one immunomodulator with placebo. In CD, anti‐TNF biologics significantly reduced hospitalisation [Odds ratio (OR) 0.46, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.36–0.60] and surgery (OR 0.23, 95% CI 0.13–0.42) compared to placebo. No statistically significant reduction was noted with azathioprine or vedolizumab. Azathioprine was inferior to both infliximab and adalimumab in preventing CD‐related hospitalisation (>97.5% probability). Anti‐TNF biologics significantly reduced hospitalisation (OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.29–0.80) and surgery (OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.46–0.97) in UC. There were no statistically significant differences in the pair‐wise comparisons between active treatments.

Conclusions

In CD and UC, anti‐TNF biologics are efficacious in reducing the odds of hospitalisation by half and surgery by 33–77%. Azathioprine and vedolizumab were not associated with a similar improvement, but robust conclusions may be limited due to paucity of RCTs.
‘Fair Work’ and the Modernization of Australian Labour Standards: A Case of Institutional Plasticity Entrenching Deepening Wage Inequality
Authors: Buchanan John , Oliver Damian
Published: November 2016

Australia was long recognized for its relatively compressed wage structure. From the 1940s to the 1970s this was associated with a comprehensive regime of ‘award‐based’ minimum wages. Since the 1980s, this has been subjected to comprehensive ‘modernization’. After three decades of reform and in the most supportive economic environment in the OECD, Australian wage inequality has deepened. Although multiple political‐economic forces have been at play, the evolution of Australia's labour standards regime is an example of ‘institutional plasticity’ whereby the purpose and operations of wage‐setting institutions not only evolves but can actually be inverted over time.
The biogeography of sodium in Neotropical figs (Moraceae)
Authors: Bravo Adriana , Harms Kyle E.
Published: November 2016

Sodium is essential for animals but not for most plants. Terrestrial sodium comes largely from marine aerosols, so inland ecosystems should have greater potential for sodium limitation than coastal ecosystems. We report a significant decrease of sodium in fruits of four Neotropical Ficus species with distance from presumed marine source.
Parental and child factors associated with participation in a randomised control trial of an Internet‐assisted parent training programme
Authors: Fossum Sturla , Ristkari Terja , Cunningham Charles , McGrath Patrick J. , Suominen Auli , Huttunen Jukka , Lingley‐Pottie Patricia , Sourander Andre
Published: November 2016

Background

Parental training is an effective way to treat and prevent children's conduct problems, but knowledge of who participates in such initiatives is limited.

Method

This study examined child and family factors associated with participation in an Internet‐assisted parent training programme. The parents of 4‐year‐old children with high levels of disruptive behaviour in a region of Finland were offered the opportunity to participate in a randomised controlled trial of the Strongest Families Smart Website intervention (SFSW). The participants and nonparticipants were compared using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), duration of child problems and information about family demographics, which were routinely collected prior to randomisation to the SFSW and control group.

Results

We found that 464 (64.5%) of the 709 parents of children fulfilling the screening criteria, participated. In the multivariable analysis, nonparticipation was most strongly associated with a child only having minor difficulties [odds ratio (OR): 2.1; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.5–3.0] and a shorter duration of problems, for less than 12 months (OR: 1.7, 95% CI: 1.2–2.5), after controlling for other child factors. Nonparticipation was significantly associated with mothers spending a shorter time in the education system (OR: 1.6, 95% CI: 1.2–2.3) after controlling for other parental factors.

Conclusions

A larger percentage of parents of children with longer lasting and more severe problems seemed to be motivated to participate in this remote parent training programme. Future studies on how to encourage parents with shorter duration of education to participate in early intervention programmes are warranted.
Within‐Family Relations in Objective Sleep Duration, Quality, and Schedule
Authors: Kouros Chrystyna D. , El‐Sheikh Mona
Published: November 2016

The current study examined within‐family relations between mothers’, fathers’, and children's objectively assessed sleep. Participants were 163 children (Mage = 10.45 years; SD = 0.62) and their parents. For 7 nights, families wore actigraphs to assess sleep duration (minutes), quality (efficiency, long wake episode, total wake minutes), and schedule (wake time). A sleep log assessed bedtime. Multilevel models indicated that children's sleep minutes, sleep efficiency, wake minutes, and wake time were associated with fluctuations in their mothers’, but not fathers’, sleep that same night. The duration and quality of mothers’ sleep was associated with both fathers’ and children's sleep that night, whereas fathers’ sleep was positively associated with only mothers’ sleep. Findings highlight the importance of examining sleep within a family context.
Exploring the Co‐Development of Reading Fluency and Reading Comprehension: A Twin Study
Authors: Little Callie W. , Hart Sara A. , Quinn Jamie M. , Tucker‐Drob Elliot M. , Taylor Jeanette , Schatschneider Christopher
Published: November 2016

This study explores the co‐development of two related but separate reading skills, reading fluency and reading comprehension, across Grades 1–4. A bivariate biometric dual change score model was applied to longitudinal data collected from 1,784 twin pairs between the ages of 6 and 10 years. Grade 1 skills were influenced by highly overlapping genetic and environmental factors. Growth in both skills was influenced by highly overlapping shared environmental factors. Cross‐lagged parameters indicated bidirectional effects, with stronger effects from fluency to comprehension change than from comprehension to fluency change.
Urinary B cell activating factor (BAFF) and a proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL): potential biomarkers of active lupus nephritis
Authors: Phatak S , Chaurasia S , Mishra S K , Gupta R , Agrawal V , Aggarwal A , Misra R
Published: November 2016

B cell activating factor (BAFF) and a proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL) help in B cell activation, maintenance and plasma cell survival. B cell infiltration has been demonstrated in kidneys of patients with lupus nephritis (LN). Serum levels of BAFF and APRIL have shown inconsistent relationships with lupus disease activity. We evaluated urinary levels of BAFF and APRIL as biomarker for LN. Thirty-six patients with proliferative lupus nephritis (AN), 10 with active lupus without nephritis (AL) and 15 healthy controls (HC) were studied. APRIL and BAFF levels were measured in both serum and urine using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Urine levels were normalized for urinary creatinine excretion. Urine levels were correlated with conventional disease activity markers and histology. Levels were reassessed in 20 AN patients at 6 months after treatment with cyclophosphamide. Urinary APRIL (uAPRIL) and BAFF (uBAFF) levels were raised significantly in AN. uAPRIL, but not uBAFF, correlated moderately with renal Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) in AN (r = 0·36, P < 0·05). On receiver operator curve (ROC) analysis, uBAFF and uAPRIL showed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0·825 and 0·781, respectively, in differentiating between nephritis and non-nephritis, which performed better than low C3, C4 and raised anti-dsDNA antibodies. There was no correlation of serum levels with uBAFF (r = 0·187, P = 0·261) and uAPRIL (r = 0·114, P = 0·494). uAPRIL levels reduced after treatment (mean 125 pg/mg to 36 pg/mg, P < 0·05). uBAFF levels reduced in 16 responders while two of four non-responders had increase in levels. Thus, uBAFF and uAPRIL are potential biomarkers of proliferative lupus nephritis.
Gut microbiome in children with enthesitis-related arthritis in a developing country and the effect of probiotic administration
Authors: Aggarwal A , Sarangi A N , Gaur P , Shukla A , Aggarwal R
Published: November 2016

In Asia, enthesitis-related arthritis (ERA) is the most frequent category of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. ERA has a strong association with human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-B27 and subclinical gut inflammation. In an HLA-B27 transgenic rat model, the presence of Bacteroides bacteria in the gut appears to cause spondyloarthropathy (SpA). Thus, we studied gut microbiota in children with ERA. Stool specimens from 33 patients with ERA and 14 age-matched healthy controls were studied; none had any gastrointestinal symptom, or had received a drug known to affect gut motility or microbiota in the preceding 6 weeks. From each specimen, a cDNA library for the V3 region of bacterial 16S rRNA was subjected to high-throughput, massively parallel sequencing. Relationship of the specimens was studied using principal co-ordinate analysis (PCoA), and abundances of various bacterial taxa and alpha diversity were compared between groups. In eight patients, a repeat faecal specimen was studied after 12 weeks of probiotic therapy. The 55 specimens yielded a median (range) of 397 315 (102 093–1 502 380) high-quality reads each. In PCoA, gut microbiota from ERA showed a wider dispersion than those from controls. In patients, families Bacteroidaceae and Enterobacteriaceae were more abundant and Prevotellaceae were less abundant than in controls. Also, genera Bacteroides, Entercoccus and Klebsiella were over-represented and genus Prevotella was under-represented in ERA patients. Probiotic therapy led to a non-significant increase in Prevotellaceae. Patients with ERA have a dysbiosis in the gut, with increased abundance of Bacteroides and reduction of Prevotella. Probiotic supplementation in a subset of patients did not reverse these changes significantly.
The Impact of In Vitro Accelerated Aging, Approximating 30 and 60 Years In Vivo, on Commercially Available Zirconia Dental Implants
Authors: Monzavi Mona , Noumbissi Sammy , Nowzari Hessam
Published: November 2016

Background

Despite increased popularity of Zirconia dental implants, concerns have been raised regarding low temperature degradation (LTD) and its effect on micro‐structural integrity.

Purpose

This study evaluated the effect of LTD on four types of Zirconia dental implants at 0, 30, and 60 years of artificial aging. The impact of aging on t‐m transformation and micro crack formation was measured.

Materials and Methods

Accelerated aging at 15 and 30 hours, approximating 30 and 60 years in vivo, aged 36 Zirconia dental implants: Z systems® (A), Straumann® (B), Ceraroot® (C), and Zeramex® (D). Focused ion beam‐scanning electron microscopic analysis determined the micro structural features, phase transformation, and the formation of micro cracks.

Results

At 15 hours, type A implant presented with micro cracks and t‐m transformation of 0.9 µm and 3.1 µm, respectively. At 30 hours, micro cracks remained shallow (1 µm). At 15 hours, type B implant presented micro cracks (0.7 µm) and grain transformation (1.2 µm). At 30 hours, these features remained superficial at 0.6 and 1.5 µm, respectively. Type C implant presented surface micro cracks of 0.3 µm at 15 hours. The depth of t‐m transformation slightly increased to 1.4 µm. At 30 hours, number of micro cracks increased at the surface to an average depth of 1.5 µm. Depth of t‐m transformation increased to an average of 2.5 µm. At 15 hours, micro cracks remained superficial (0.8 µm) for type D implant and depth of t‐m transformation increased to 2.3 µm. At 30 hours, the depth of micro cracks increased to an average of 1.3 µm followed by increased t‐m transformation to a depth of 4.1 µm.

Conclusion

Depth of grain transformation remained within 1‐4 µm from the surface. The effect of aging was minimal for all Zirconia implants.
Positives and pathologies of natural resource management on private land‐conservation areas
Authors: Clements Hayley S. , Cumming Graeme S.
Published: November 2016

In managed natural resource systems, such as fisheries and rangelands, there is a recognized trade‐off between managing for short‐term benefits and managing for longer term resilience. Management actions that stabilize ecological attributes or processes can improve productivity in the supply of ecosystem goods and services in the short term but erode system resilience at longer time scales. For example, fire suppression in rangelands can increase grass biomass initially but ultimately result in an undesirable, shrub‐dominated system. Analyses of this phenomenon have focused largely on how management actions influence slow‐changing biophysical system attributes (such as vegetation composition). Data on the frequency of management actions that reduce natural ecological variation on 66 private land‐conservation areas (PLCAs) in South Africa were used to investigate how management actions are influenced by manager decision‐making approaches, a largely ignored part of the problem. The pathology of natural resource management was evident on some PLCAs: increased focus on revenue‐generation in decision making resulted in an increased frequency of actions to stabilize short‐term variation in large mammal populations, which led to increased revenues from ecotourism or hunting. On many PLCAs, these management actions corresponded with a reduced focus on ecological monitoring and an increase in overstocking of game (i.e., ungulate species) and stocking of extralimitals (i.e., game species outside their historical range). Positives in natural resource management also existed. Some managers monitored slower changing ecological attributes, which resulted in less‐intensive management, fewer extralimital species, and lower stocking rates. Our unique, empirical investigation of monitoring‐management relationships illustrates that management decisions informed by revenue monitoring versus ecological monitoring can have opposing consequences for natural resource productivity and sustainability. Promoting management actions that maintain resilience in natural resource systems therefore requires cognizance of why managers act the way they do and how these actions can gradually shift managers toward unsustainable strategies.
What Are the “True” Statistics of the Environment?
Authors: Feldman Jacob
Published: November 2016

A widespread assumption in the contemporary discussion of probabilistic models of cognition, often attributed to the Bayesian program, is that inference is optimal when the observer's priors match the true priors in the world—the actual “statistics of the environment.” But in fact the idea of a “true” prior plays no role in traditional Bayesian philosophy, which regards probability as a quantification of belief, not an objective characteristic of the world. In this paper I discuss the significance of the traditional Bayesian epistemic view of probability and its mismatch with the more objectivist assumptions about probability that are widely held in contemporary cognitive science. I then introduce a novel mathematical framework, the observer lattice, that aims to clarify this issue while avoiding philosophically tendentious assumptions. The mathematical argument shows that even if we assume that “ground truth” probabilities actually do exist, there is no objective way to tell what they are. Different observers, conditioning on different information, will inevitably have different probability estimates, and there is no general procedure to determine which one is right. The argument sheds light on the use of probabilistic models in cognitive science, and in particular on what exactly it means for the mind to be “tuned” to its environment.
Cutaneous polyarteritis nodosa localized to a region of lymphedema secondary to Streptococcus viridans cellulitis and multiple surgeries
Authors: Matsumoto Andrew , Al‐Rohil Rami N. , Bravin Marina , Anderson Lori , Wroblewski Danielle , Carlson John A.
Published: November 2016

Cutaneous polyarteritis nodosa (CPAN) is a chronic, indolent, single organ arteritis that generally presents with lower extremity nodules and/or livedo racemosa, accompanied by malaise and arthralgias. CPAN is often triggered by infection, commonly Group A streptococcal species, and is considered an autoimmune reaction. Scarring from surgery and obliterative lymphangiitis from bacterial cellulitis are the causes of lymphedema. Lymphedematous skin is predisposed to autoimmune disorders. Herein we report a 53‐year‐old woman who developed CPAN restricted to a localized area of the right upper arm–shoulder that had undergone multiple surgeries, complicated by episodes of Streptococcus viridans cellulitis. Clinically, a 15 cm diameter plaque exhibited violaceous, reticulate margins, subtle papules and nodules and central livedo racemosa. Biopsy showed numerous foci of arteritis in active, subacute and reparative stages. In addition, a broad zone of fibrosis replaced the deep dermis‐subcutis zone and harbored numerous dilated lymphatic vessels scar lymphedema. Treatment consisted of high potency topical corticosteroids under occlusion; remission after 3 months therapy and follow‐up. CPAN primarily affects the lower legs, a region of frequently affected by phlebolymphedema. This report of CPAN localized to an area of scar lymphedema underscores the importance of lymphatic function in the pathogenesis of CPAN.
Harms from alcohol consumption by strangers in five Indian states and policy implications
Authors: Esser Marissa B. , Gururaj Gopalkrishna , Rao Girish N. , Jayarajan Deepak , Sethu Lakshmanan , Murthy Pratima , Jernigan David H. , Benegal Vivek ,   Collaborators Group on Epidemiological Study of Patterns and Consequences of Alcohol Misuse in India
Published: November 2016

Introduction and Aims. India has a checkered history of alcohol prohibition; however, alcohol use is becoming more prevalent. We assessed the reporting of tangible and intangible harms from strangers' alcohol consumption by respondents' sex and how respondents' drinking and sociodemographic characteristics were associated with the reporting of these alcohol‐related harms by strangers. Design and Methods. We analysed cross‐sectional data from household interviews administered in five Indian states from October 2011 to May 2012. We analysed data among 7332 adults who responded to all 12 questions on alcohol‐related harms from strangers' drinking and for whom data were available on drinking status and sex. Result. In this sample, 63.2% reported experiences of one or more harms from strangers' drinking in the past year, with 47.4% reporting at least one tangible harm. Nearly one‐fifth reported being physically harmed from strangers' alcohol consumption. Drinking by women did not predict reports of alcohol‐related harms from strangers, while drinking by men was associated with at least 1.9 greater odds of reporting these harms compared with non‐drinkers. Living in rural areas was associated with reduced odds of reporting psychological harms from strangers' drinking among women but greater odds of reporting physical and sexual harms among men. Discussion and Conclusions. In five Indian states, both drinkers and non‐drinkers report being harmed by strangers' alcohol consumption. Greater implementation and enhanced enforcement of multilevel interventions may effectively reduce these alcohol‐related harms, such as regulating the density of alcohol outlets, screening and brief interventions in health settings and community empowerment initiatives. [Esser MB, Gururaj G, Rao GN, Jayarajan D, Sethu L, Murthy P, Jernigan DH, Benegal V. Harms from alcohol consumption by strangers in five Indian states and policy implications. Drug Alcohol Rev 2016;00:000‐000]
Spitz nevi: diverse clinical, dermatoscopic and histopathological features in childhood
Authors: Dika Emi , Neri Iria , Fanti Pier ­Alessandro , ­Barisani Alessia , Ravaioli Giulia Maria , Patrizi Annalisa
Published: November 2016

Background and objectives

The characterization of clinical features and biological potential of Spitz nevi has attracted a lot of interest in past decades. The aim of our paper was to describe the clinical, dermatoscopic features as well as the clinical outcome of surgically excised Spitz nevi in three different pediatric age groups.

Patients and methods

A retrospective study analyzing clinical features, videodermatoscopic images, histopathological diagnosis and patient outcome. The level of pigmentation was evaluated both clinically and histopathologically.

Results

72 spitzoid neoplasms were excised from 71 pediatric patients. Videodermatoscopic images were available for 41 patients. The distribution of pigmentation significantly correlated with patient age: hyperpigmented lesions were rather rare in preschool children, becoming more frequent in patients aged 7 to 12 years and older than 13 years. The histopathological diagnosis of atypical Spitz nevus was uncommon. None of the patients originally diagnosed with atypical Spitz nevi developed local recurrence or metastases during subsequent follow‐up.

Conclusions

Pigmented Spitz nevi were more common after 13 years of age. The study confirms other reports regarding the distribution of pigmentation patterns, and underlines the low number of atypical Spitz nevi in pediatric patients as well as their low recurrence rate during long‐term follow‐up.
Bilingualism affects 9‐month‐old infants’ expectations about how words refer to kinds
Authors: Byers‐Heinlein Krista
Published: November 2016

Infants are precocious word learners, and seem to possess systematic expectations about how words refer to object kinds. For example, while monolingual infants show a one‐to‐one mapping bias (e.g. mutual exclusivity), expecting each object to have only one basic level label, previous research has shown that this is less robust in bi‐ and multilinguals aged 1.5 years and older. This study examined the early origins of such one‐to‐one mapping biases by comparing monolingual and bilingual 9–10‐month‐olds’ expectations about the relationship between labels and object kinds. In a violation of expectation paradigm, infants heard a speaker name hidden objects with either one label (‘I see a mouba! I see a mouba!’) or two labels (‘I see a camo! I see a tenda!’). An occluder moved to reveal two objects that were either identical or of different kinds. Monolingual infants looked longest when two labels were associated with identical objects, and when one label was associated with objects of different kinds, showing that they found these outcomes unexpected. This replicated previous findings showing that monolinguals expect that distinct words label distinct object kinds (Dewar & Xu, ). Bilinguals looked equally to the outcomes regardless of the number of labels, showing no such expectations. This finding indicates that bilingualism influences young infants’ expectations about how words refer to kinds, and more broadly supports the position that language experience contributes to the development of word learning heuristics.
Did the Swedish Tobacco Monopoly Set Monopoly Prices?
Authors: Asplund Marcus
Published: November 2016

Empirical evidence is scarce on whether firms set profit‐maximizing prices, as these typically depend delicately on details of difficult‐to‐observe strategic interactions. To avoid this problem, this paper provides a detailed case study of the Swedish Tobacco Monopoly's pricing with data from 1916 to 1959. Prices are found to be below those that maximize the expected net present value of profits. However, the difference between actual and optimal price diminishes over time, and towards the end of the period the two are almost indistinguishable. The net present value of actual profits is approximately 60% of what could have been obtained. Overall, the pricing patterns appear more consistent with the firm learning about demand conditions than being the result of maximization of something other than profits.
ELECTRIC AND PLUG‐IN HYBRID VEHICLE DEMAND: LESSONS FOR AN EMERGING MARKET
Authors: Sheldon Tamara L. , DeShazo J. R. , Carson Richard T.
Published: November 2016

Understanding demand in the new plug‐in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) market is critical to designing more effective adoption policies. We use stated preference data from an innovative choice experiment to estimate demand for PHEVs relative to battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and to explore heterogeneity in demand for these vehicles. We find the gap between willingness to pay for PHEVs and their price premium over conventional vehicles is on the order of current subsidies, while that of BEVs is an order of magnitude larger. We use a latent class model to show PHEVs draw a different consumer segment into the market. (JEL Q5, R41)