bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Collective effects of common single nucleotide polymorphisms and genetic risk prediction in type 1 diabetes
Authors: Gui Y. , Lei X. , Huang S.
Published: December 2017

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a common autoimmune disease and may be related to multiple genetic and environmental risk factors. Previous genetic studies have focused on looking for individual polymorphic risk variants. Here, we studied the overall levels of genetic diversity in T1D patients by making use of a previously published study including 1865 cases and 2828 reference samples with genotyping data for 500 K common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). We determined the minor allele (MA) status of each SNP in the reference samples and calculated the total number of MAs or minor allele contents (MAC) of each individual. We found the average MAC of cases to be greater than that of the reference samples. By focusing on MAs with strong linkage to cases, we further identified a set of 112 SNPs that could predict 19.19% of cases. These results suggest that overall genetic variation over a threshold level may be a risk factor in T1D and provide a new genetic method for predicting the disorder.
A prospective, multi‐center study assessing early loading with short implants in posterior regions. A 3‐year post‐loading follow‐up study
Authors: Han Jie , Tang Zhihui , Zhang Xiao , Meng Huanxin
Published: December 2017

Background

Few prospective studies about early loading of short implant have been available and very little evidence exists on the outcomes longer than 3 years.

Purpose

To assess clinical and radiographic outcomes of 6 mm‐short implants placed in the posterior maxilla and mandible applying an early loading protocol.

Materials and methods

Ninety‐five short implants (6 mm‐short, Ø 4 mm) were placed in 45 subjects at 3 study sites, 2 or 3 implants per subject, using a one‐stage surgical procedure and loaded with a screw‐retained splinted fixed prosthesis 6 weeks later. Follow‐up took place at 6, 12, 24, and 36 months after loading. Marginal bone level changes, implant survival, clinical variables, and adverse events were assessed.

Results

The survival rate for all implants placed was 95.8%. From implant loading to 3 years follow‐up, mean marginal bone level changes were minimal (0.07 ± 0.49 mm) and the peri‐implant soft tissue status was healthy. No major technical or biological complications occurred except for the 4 early implant losses.

Conclusion

Three‐year data indicates that the use of splinted 6 mm‐short implants is a viable treatment in posterior regions with low marginal bone resorption. Early loading after 6 weeks should be taken cautiously in patients with known risk factors.
How fast can treatment with overdentures improve the masticatory function and OHRQoL of atrophic edentulous patients? A 1‐year longitudinal clinical study
Authors: Marcello‐Machado Raissa Micaella , Faot Fernanda , Schuster Alessandra Julie , Bielemann Amália Machado , Nascimento Gustavo Giacomelli , Del Bel Cury Altair Antoninha
Published: December 2017

Objectives

The aim of this prospective clinical study was to evaluate the masticatory function (MF) and subjective perception of patients with poor denture‐bearing tissue in relation to change and the time required to identify an improvement in these parameters after rehabilitation with mandibular overdentures (MO) by two narrow‐diameter two‐piece implants.

Material and methods

Twenty‐three edentulous patients were selected for MO installation. The masticatory function (MF) was evaluated with the masticatory performance (MP) and swallowing threshold (ST) tests. In the MP test, each volunteer was instructed to masticate a portion of Optocal (standardized artificial test food) for 40 masticatory cycles. During the swallowing threshold test, the patients were instructed to chew a new portion of Optocal cubes until they felt the desire to swallow. The MF tests were performed while complete denture (CD) wearers (baseline) and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after MO loading. In addition, the subjective perception was assessed through the questionnaires Dental Impact on Daily Living (DIDL), Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI), and Oral Health Impact Profile in Edentulous (OHIP‐ EDENT) at the baseline and 3, 6, and 12 months after MO loading.

Results

A significant improvement in masticatory function (p < .05) was observed already in the first month of loading. Three months after MO loading, a significant improvement (p < .05) was found in the subjective perception of patients. The effect size indicates that the MO had the greatest impact on the domains related to function and comfort of all questionnaires and in relation to psychosocial domain of the GOHAI. The level of patient satisfaction increased significantly after the MO loading and reached >90% satisfied patients at 12 months.

Conclusion

The MO improved both the MF of the patient and their oral health‐related quality of life and satisfaction regarding the prosthesis in a short time period.
A test of the substitution–habitat hypothesis in amphibians
Authors: Martínez‐Abraín Alejandro , Galán Pedro
Published: December 2017

Most examples that support the substitution‐habitat hypothesis (human‐made habitats act as substitutes of original habitat) deal with birds and mammals. We tested this hypothesis in 14 amphibians by using percentage occupancy as a proxy of habitat quality (i.e., higher occupancy percentages indicate higher quality). We classified water body types as original habitat (no or little human influence) depending on anatomical, behavioral, or physiological adaptations of each amphibian species. Ten species had relatively high probabilities (0.16–0.28) of occurrence in original habitat, moderate probability of occurrence in substitution habitats (0.11–0.14), and low probability of occurrence in refuge habitats (0.05–0.08). Thus, the substitution–habitat hypothesis only partially applies to amphibians because the low occupancy of refuges could be due to the negligible human persecution of this group (indicating good conservation status). However, low occupancy of refuges could also be due to low tolerance of refuge conditions, which could have led to selective extinction or colonization problems due to poor dispersal capabilities. That original habitats had the highest probabilities of occupancy suggests amphibians have a good conservation status in the region. They also appeared highly adaptable to anthropogenic substitution habitats.
Benefits of multimodal enhanced recovery pathway in patients undergoing kidney transplantation
Authors: Espino Kevin A. , Narvaez J. Reinier F. , Ott Michael C. , Kayler Liise K.
Published: December 2017

Background

Use of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) pathways to accelerate functional recovery and reduce length of stay (LOS) has rarely been investigated in kidney transplantation (KTX).

Materials and Methods

Consecutive adult isolated KTXs between July 2015 and July 2016 (ERAS, n = 139) were compared with a historical cohort between January 2014 and July 2015 (HISTORIC, n = 95).

Results

Enhanced recovery after surgery recipients were significantly more likely to receive kidneys that were non‐local (56.1% vs 4.2%), higher Kidney Donor Profile Index (36‐85, 58.4% vs 45.2%; >85, 15.2% vs 10.7%), cold ischemia time ≥30 h (62.4% vs 4.7%), induced with antithymocyte globulin (97.1% vs 87.4%), and to develop delayed graft function (46.4% vs 25.0%). LOS was shorter by 1 day among ERAS (mean 4.59) compared to HISTORIC patients (mean 5.65) predominantly due to a shift in discharges within 3 days (32.4% vs 4.2%); 30‐day readmission to the hospital (27.3% vs 27.4%) or emergency room visit (9.4% vs 7.4%) was similar. There was one 30‐day death in the ERAS group and none in the HISTORIC group. Return to bowel function and early meal consumption were significantly associated with ERAS, however, with somewhat higher diarrhea and emesis rates.

Conclusion

ERAS following KTX correlated with lower LOS without change in readmissions or ER visits despite higher delayed graft function rates.
Comparing levels of blood alcohol concentration and indicators of impairment in nightlife patrons
Authors: Droste Nic , Miller Peter , Kaestle Christine E. , Curtis Ashlee , Hyder Shannon , Coomber Kerri , Pennay Amy , Chikritzhs Tanya , Lam Tina , Gilmore William
Published: December 2017

Introduction and Aims

Breathalyser estimate of blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is widely used as an objective intoxication measure, but is not always practical in nightlife contexts. This study uses in situ data collected in nightlife environments to explore how four measures of intoxication are related so as to inform the development of a more practical and reliable method of differentiating intoxication for people working in the night‐time economy.

Design and Methods

Nightlife patron interviews were conducted in five Australian cities. Participants completed demographic questions and were asked about current session (past 12 h) alcohol use, and four different measures of intoxication were assessed: BAC, participant's self‐reported intoxication (0−10), interviewer rating of the participant's intoxication (0–10) and interviewer‐rated number of the participants’ of physical signs of intoxication.

Results

A total of 7028 patrons were surveyed and n = 5273 included in analysis. Mean age was 23.9 years (SD = 6.36); 61.5% were male. There was a significant difference in occurrence of all observable intoxication symptoms across differing levels of BAC (P < 0.001). All visible symptoms became more common as intoxication increased, except for talking very quickly/talkative and giggly symptoms. As BAC levels increase, the extent of the disagreement between self‐rated and interviewer‐rated intoxication measures widens. Exhibiting four or more visible intoxication symptoms emerged as a reliable method for observers to identify intoxicated patrons.

Discussion and Conclusions

As BAC increases, people become worse at estimating their own intoxication, but sober observers remain relatively accurate. Findings provide support for efforts to strengthen and enforce responsible service of alcohol.
Adolescent non‐drinkers: Who are they? Social relations, school performance, lifestyle factors and health behaviours
Authors: Larm Peter , Åslund Cecilia , Raninen Jonas , Nilsson Kent W.
Published: December 2017

Introduction and Aims

Traditionally, non‐drinking adults or young adults have been associated with health deficits rather than health benefits. However, as the proportion of Swedish non‐drinking adolescents has doubled since 2000, their health profiles are of interest. The aim of the present study is to examine whether social relations, school characteristics, lifestyle factors or health behaviours distinguish adolescent non‐drinkers from adolescent drinkers, and if their health profiles have changed from 2004 to 2012.

Design and Methods

Data from the Survey of Adolescent Life in Vestmanland, a health survey biennially distributed to all 9th graders (15–16 years) in a medium‐sized Swedish county, was used. In total, 2872 students in 2004 and 2045 students in 2012 were included.

Results

Non‐drinkers were distinguished from drinkers in both 2004 and 2012 by elevated parental supervision, a lower rate of school truancy and lower rates of cannabis use, use of other illicit drugs, daily smoking and lower scores on antisocial behaviour, but more problems of getting new friends. No differences between 2004 and 2012 were found.

Discussion and Conclusions

Non‐drinkers presented more adaptive and healthier behaviours than their drinking peers, but it is difficult to determine whether their health benefits were related to their improved alcohol status or to the more general trend towards adaptation that occurred from 2004 to 2012 among adolescents.
Parenting stress, anxiety, and depression in mothers with visually impaired infants: a cross‐sectional and longitudinal cohort analysis
Authors: Sakkalou Elena , Sakki Hanna , O'reilly Michelle A , Salt Alison T , Dale Naomi J
Published: December 2017

Aim

This study examined cross‐sectional and longitudinal patterns of parenting stress, adult anxiety, and depression in mothers of children with profound or severe visual impairment (PVI or SVI) at 1 year and 2 years of age.

Method

Mothers of a national longitudinal cohort (OPTIMUM Project) of infants with congenital disorders of the peripheral visual system and PVI (light perception at best) or SVI (basic ‘form’ vision of non‐light reflecting objects) participated. Infant age at baseline (T1) was 8 to 16 months. Mothers completed the Parenting Stress Index ‐ Short Form and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale at T1 (n=79) and at follow‐up 12 months later (T2) (n=73).

Results

Mothers of the total group had higher parenting stress levels (34.6% in clinical range) than community normative data at T1 (p=0.017). Mothers of infants in the PVI subgroup had elevated stress at T1 (p=0.014) and T2 (p=0.009). The PVI subgroup was also elevated in the Difficult Child subscale at T2 (p=0.001). Within‐sample differences in parenting stress between the visual impairment subgroups were found at T2 only: the PVI subgroup scored higher than the SVI subgroup (p=0.029). Adult anxiety and depression in the total group were not elevated compared with community normative data at T1 and T2; however, higher parenting stress was related to raised adult anxiety and depression levels at T1 and T2 (p=0.001). Regression analysis found parenting stress and lower child vision level (T1) predicted parenting stress (T2) (p=0.001; 42% variance).

Interpretation

Mothers of 1‐year‐old infants with visual impairment showed raised risk for parenting stress, which continued to be elevated for children with PVI and those perceived as ‘difficult’ at 2 years. This was also a psychological risk, with greater adult anxiety and depression in those mothers with raised parenting stress. The clinical significance is that identification of parenting stress and targeted parenting, and behavioural support of the child in the first years of life is highly indicated.

What this paper adds

Mothers of infants with visual impairment are at increased risk of parenting stress.

Parenting stress was higher in mothers of children with profound visual impairment than those with severe visual impairment.

High levels of parenting stress and lower infant vision at 1 year of age predicted higher parenting stress at 2 years of age.
Cross‐country diffusion of ideology viaFDI
Authors: Lin Faqin
Published: December 2017

This paper studies how foreign direct investment (FDI) contributes to ideological convergence across countries. In particular, this report focuses on whether multinational firms transfer freedom of speech (FOS) to local workers in China. Using a large source of individual survey data, it is found that those who work in foreign‐invested enterprises (FIEs), especially non‐Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan (non‐HMT) invested enterprises tend to preferFOS. This is in contrast to enterprises that do not work inFIEs. Such patterns are also observed in other related human rights and cultural measures common to Western democracies, but not China's political and local culture. Using policies onFDIas exogenous instruments, and other complementary identification strategies, a causal link for such an ideological transfer is established.
Psychotic conversion of individuals at ultra‐high risk for psychosis: The potential roles of schizotypy and basic symptoms
Authors: Bang Minji , Park Jin Young , Kim Kyung Ran , Lee Su Young , Song Yun Young , Kang Jee In , Lee Eun , An Suk Kyoon
Published: December 2017

Aim

To improve strategies for the early identification of individuals at a heightened risk for the development of psychosis, we investigated the relationships and interactions between 3 psychosis‐proneness dimensions for the development of schizophrenia spectrum psychosis: schizotypy, basic symptoms and the ultra‐high risk (UHR) criteria.

Methods

Seventy‐seven UHR individuals and 79 healthy controls were assessed for schizotypy and basic symptoms using self‐report questionnaires at baseline. UHR participants were monthly assessed for conversion to psychosis over a mean period of 25.8 months.

Results

Sixteen UHR participants (20.8%) converted to schizophrenia spectrum psychosis. In stepwise Cox regression, the interaction between basic symptoms and physical anhedonia was selected as a sole predictor of conversion in UHR participants, whereby the self‐reported number of the 8 basic symptoms significantly increased the risk for conversion in those with pronounced physical anhedonia.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that questionnaire‐assessed basic symptoms, irrespective of their predictive validity, may predict a psychotic breakdown in pre‐identified UHR individuals who are with genetic vulnerability to schizophrenia. Including all 3 psychosis‐proneness dimensions into prediction models might help establish a more valid pathogenetic model of schizophrenia, and moreover, may provide some clues about course alteration strategies in hopes of preventing UHR individuals from converting to psychosis.
The Graduating European Dentist—Domain III: Patient‐Centred Care
Authors: Field J. C. , Kavadella A. , Szep S. , Davies J. R. , DeLap E. , Manzanares Cespedes M. C.
Published: December 2017

This position paper outlines the areas of competence and learning outcomes of “The Graduating European Dentist” that specifically relate to patient‐centred care. This approach is becoming increasingly prominent within the literature and within policy documents. Whilst working to an evidence base is critical, dentists must also be aware of the scientific basis that underpins the treatment they provide. The evaluation process, which supports treatment planning, also requires dentists to be able to listen, collate, and record pertinent information effectively. In addition, the ability to account for a patient's social, cultural and linguistic needs (cultural competence) will result in a practitioner who is able to treatment plan for patient‐centred care.
Understanding the stoichiometric limitation of herbivore growth: the importance of feeding and assimilation flexibilities
Authors: Urabe Jotaro , Shimizu Yuichiro , Yamaguchi Toshiyasu
Published: December 2017

Ecological stoichiometry suggests that herbivore growth is limited by phosphorus when this element in the diet is < 8.6 μg P mg C−1 (C : P atomic ratio > 300). However, in nature, it is not necessarily related to the relative phosphorus content in diets. This may be the result of complex feeding and assimilation responses to diets. We examined these possibilities using herbivorous plankton fed mono‐specific and mixed algae varying in phosphorus content of 1.6 to 8.1 μg P mg C−1. The herbivores showed a 10‐fold growth rate difference among the diets. Growth rates related poorly with phosphorus content in the diets (r2 = 0.07), better with P ingestion rate (r2 = 0.41) and best with phosphorus assimilation rate (r2 = 0.69). Inclusion of assimilation rates for carbon and fatty acids increased 7% of the explained growth variance. These results indicate that the feeding and assimilation flexibilities play pivotal roles in acquiring a deficient element and in regulating growth rate.
Sex differences in adult mortality rate mediated by early‐life environmental conditions
Authors: Griffin Robert M. , Hayward Adam D. , Bolund Elisabeth , Maklakov Alexei A. , Lummaa Virpi
Published: December 2017

Variation in sex differences is affected by both genetic and environmental variation, with rapid change in sex differences being more likely due to environmental change. One case of rapid change in sex differences is human lifespan, which has become increasingly female‐biased in recent centuries. Long‐term consequences of variation in the early‐life environment may, in part, explain such variation in sex differences, but whether the early‐life environment mediates sex differences in life‐history traits is poorly understood in animals. Combining longitudinal data on 60 cohorts of pre‐industrial Finns with environmental data, we show that the early‐life environment is associated with sex differences in adult mortality and expected lifespan. Specifically, low infant survival rates and high rye yields (an important food source) in early‐life are associated with female‐bias in adult lifespan. These results support the hypothesis that environmental change has the potential to affect sex differences in life‐history traits in natural populations of long‐lived mammals.
Effects of local and landscape factors on the abundance of an endangered multivoltine butterfly at riverbanks
Authors: Zhang Xin , Miyashita Tadashi
Published: December 2017

Plebejus argyrognomon is one of the grassland‐dwelling butterflies undergoing rapid decline in recent decades. Grassland habitats for butterflies are generally threatened by fragmentation and invasive species, hence are among the most vulnerable ecosystems. We studied the seasonal abundance of P. argyrognomon at habitat patches along the banks of the Kinugawa River in eastern Japan, to identify environmental factors suitable for population persistence of this species, including habitat patch connectivity. Results showed that the patch's host plant cover had a positive effect on abundance in all three seasons, while the shading of the host plants by surrounding non‐host plants and nearby forested area showed negative effects. Additionally, habitat patch connectivity and nectar richness could be considered as positive factors in autumn and summer, respectively. Analysis of habitat connectivity also showed that the Kinugawa River did not appear to act as a dispersal barrier for P. argyrognomon. Our findings emphasize the importance of understanding environmental factors that may vary among seasons, and such understanding could contribute to habitat management of multivoltine butterflies in fragmented landscapes.
Randomized controlled study comparing the efficacy of rapid and slow withdrawal of antiepileptic drugs during long‐term video‐EEG monitoring
Authors: Kumar Shambhu , Ramanujam Bhargavi , Chandra PS , Dash Deepa , Mehta Santosh , Anubha Sharma , Appukutan Renjith , Rana Manit Kumar , Tripathi Manjari
Published: December 2017

Objective

Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are routinely withdrawn during long‐term video–electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring (LTM), to record sufficient number of seizures. The efficacy of rapid and slow AED taper has never been compared in a randomized control trial (RCT), which was the objective of this study.

Methods

In this open‐label RCT, patients aged 2‐80 years with drug‐resistant epilepsy (DRE) were randomly assigned (1:1) to rapid and slow AED taper groups. Outcome assessor was blinded to the allocation arms. Daily AED dose reduction was 30% to 50% and 15% to <30% in the rapid and slow taper groups, respectively. The primary outcome was difference in mean duration of LTM between the rapid and slow AED taper groups. Secondary outcomes included diagnostic yield, secondary generalized tonic–clonic seizure (GTCS), 4‐ and 24‐ hour seizure clusters, status epilepticus, and need for midazolam rescue treatment. The study was registered with Clinical Trial Registry‐India (CTRI/2016/08/007207).

Results

One hundred forty patients were randomly assigned to rapid (n = 70) or slow taper groups (n = 70), between June 13, 2016 and February 20, 2017. The difference in mean LTM duration between the rapid and slow taper groups was −1.8 days (95% confidence interval [CI] −2.9 to −0.8, P = .0006). Of the secondary outcome measures, time to first seizure (2.9 ± 1.7 and 4.6 ± 3.0 days in the rapid and slow taper groups respectively, P = .0002) and occurrence of 4‐hour seizure clusters (11.9% and 2.9% in the rapid and slow taper groups, respectively, P = .04) were statistically significant. None of the other safety variables were different between the 2 groups. LTM diagnostic yield was 95.7% and 97.1%, in rapid and slow taper groups respectively (P = .46).

Significance

Rapid AED tapering has the advantage of significantly reducing LTM duration over slow tapering, without any serious adverse events.
Troubling Love: Gender, Class, and Sideshadowing the “Happy Family” in Vietnam
Authors: Shohet Merav
Published: December 2017

Though socially and politically different, Vietnam's Confucian, colonial, socialist, and marketizing regimes share a common master narrative of ideal women as the moral bedrock of their nation: virtuous, self‐sacrificing mothers. Drawing on ethnographic material collected in Đà Nẵng, this essay examines how women deploy discourses about ethical sentiments and national development to make sense of their experiences of love. I focus on women's moral struggles with and reasoning about sacrifice and care to complicate understandings of romantic love as linked to capitalist individualism and modernity. Instead, I show how women subtly critique, yet remain committed to, forms of love that reinforce—through state policy and common practice—hierarchical gender, intergenerational, and class relations. This is achieved through the telling and living of sideshadowing narratives, that is, subjunctive tales that invite contingency and contradiction. This nonteleological narrative practice reveals the precarious nature of ethical life and the ways love entangles political economy, moral sentiments, and moral reasoning. [morality and ethics, love, class and gender, narrative practice, Vietnam]
Dreaming of the Kardashians: Media Content in the Dreams of US College Students
Authors: Sheriff Robin E.
Published: December 2017

The neurocognitive theory of dreaming posits that there is a specific neural network for dreaming and that dream content is continuous with a dreamer's waking concerns. This article extends this model of dreaming by arguing that the continuity principle applies not only to intrapsychic states; dream content also frequently indexes significant shifts in the cultural atmosphere. A prominent but understudied exemplar of such indices is the appearance of media content in dreams. This article underscores such media content as an area worthy of anthropological scrutiny and focuses on celebrity dreams among US college students as a site for theorizing the imbrication of dreaming, self, and culture. It is argued that celebrity dreams index recent and dramatic shifts in media ecologies (including embodied engagement with smartphones and formative encounters with reality television) as well as middle‐class young women's interiorized struggles over the expectations and exhortations associated with mounting a neoliberal and feminine public self.
Study on the fatigue life and damage accumulation of a compressor blade based on a modified nonlinear damage model
Authors: Fu X. , Zhang J. , Lin J.
Published: December 2017

Comparing with the fatigue test results of Ti‐6Al‐4V, the widely used Chaboche damage model shows considerable differences in fatigue life prediction under asymmetric load, which is potentially caused by the local plastic deformation. In this paper, a modified nonlinear damage accumulation model is developed to improve the prediction accuracy for asymmetric loading condition. To account for the elastic and plastic strains, an elastoplastic fatigue factor is developed with 2 weighting factors based on the Ramberg‐Osgood equation and introduced into the stress term of the damage model. The validation of the proposed damage model is verified against the experimental data of Ti‐6Al‐4V titanium alloy and 2024‐T3 aluminium alloy with various stress ratios. Comparing with the original Chaboche model, the predicted life of the proposed model shows much better agreement with the experimental results. Then, the proposed model is used to estimate the fatigue life of a compressor blade of aero‐engine. Considering the variable amplitude loads and the loading sequence, the damage accumulation and the fatigue life of the blade are calculated, and the results indicate a longer fatigue life with slower damage accumulation rate in the early life stage.
Frontiers in alley cropping: Transformative solutions for temperate agriculture
Authors: Wolz Kevin J. , Lovell Sarah T. , Branham Bruce E. , Eddy William C. , Keeley Keefe , Revord Ronald S. , Wander Michelle M. , Yang Wendy H. , DeLucia Evan H.
Published: December 2017

Annual row crops dominate agriculture around the world and have considerable negative environmental impacts, including significant greenhouse gas emissions. Transformative land‐use solutions are necessary to mitigate climate change and restore critical ecosystem services. Alley cropping (AC)—the integration of trees with crops—is an agroforestry practice that has been studied as a transformative, multifunctional land‐use solution. In the temperate zone,AChas strong potential for climate change mitigation through direct emissions reductions and increases in land‐use efficiency via overyielding compared to trees and crops grown separately. In addition,ACprovides climate change adaptation potential and ecological benefits by buffering alley crops to weather extremes, diversifying income to hedge financial risk, increasing biodiversity, reducing soil erosion, and improving nutrient‐ and water‐use efficiency. The scope of temperateACresearch and application has been largely limited to simple systems that combine one timber tree species with an annual grain. We propose two frontiers in temperateACthat expand this scope and could transform its climate‐related benefits: (i) diversification via woody polyculture and (ii) expanded use of tree crops for food and fodder. WhileACis ready now for implementation on marginal lands, we discuss key considerations that could enhance the scalability of the two proposed frontiers and catalyze widespread adoption.
Relative risk of home hemodialysis attrition in patients using a telehealth platform
Authors: Weinhandl Eric D. , Collins Allan J.
Published: December 2017

Introduction: Home hemodialysis (HHD) facilitates increased treatment frequency, which may improve patient outcomes. However, attrition due to technique failure limits the clinical effectiveness of the modality. Nx2me Connected Health is a telehealth platform that enables ongoing assessment of HHD patients using NxStage equipment, and that may reduce patient burden. We aimed to assess whether use of Nx2me was associated with risk of HHD attrition.

Methods: We compared risks of all‐cause attrition, dialysis cessation (i.e., death or transplant), and technique failure in Nx2me users and matched control patients, using a retrospective cohort study. We also compared the likelihood of HHD training graduation in patients who initiated use of Nx2me during training with the likelihood in matched control patients. Matching factors included date of HHD initiation, NxStage treatment duration at initiation of follow‐up, and prescribed treatment frequency. We used stratified Fine‐Gray and Cox regression to compare risks, with adjustment for demographic factors and vascular access modality, and stratification by matched cluster.

Findings: We identified 606 Nx2me users; 49.5% initiated use of Nx2me in <3 months after initiation of HHD with NxStage equipment. Adjusted hazard ratios (AHRs) of all‐cause attrition, dialysis cessation, and technique failure were 0.80 (95% confidence interval, 0.68–0.95), 1.10 (0.86–1.41), and 0.71 (0.57–0.87), respectively, for Nx2me users vs. matched controls. AHRs were similar in patients who initiated use of Nx2me in <3 months after initiation of HHD. The AHR of HHD training graduation was 1.61 (1.10–2.36) in patients who initiated use of Nx2me within 2 weeks of training initiation vs. matched controls.

Discussion: Use of Nx2me was associated with lower risk of all‐cause attrition, lower risk of technique failure, and higher likelihood of HHD training graduation. Further studies are needed to identify the mechanisms by which use of a telehealth platform may improve clinical outcomes and reduce patient burden.
Making Critically Conscious Disciples: A Zambian Pentecostal Pneumato‐Discipleship Missiology
Authors: Kaunda Chammah J.
Published: December 2017

This article calls for rethinking of discipleship withinmissio Spiritusfor political formation necessary for the viable functioning of Zambian Pentecostalism in the neo‐colonial context. It argues that the theme for the 2018 World Mission Conference in Arusha, Tanzania, “Moving in the Spirit: Called to Transforming Discipleship,” calls for pneumato‐discipleship in promoting human dignity. Through an empirical missiological approach, the article analyzes interviews conducted with various believers in various Pentecostal communities to demonstrate the emergingmissio Spirituspraxis among Zambian Pentecostals, which seeks to promote a missional ethics of resistance to neo‐colonial political culture. Pneumato‐discipleship, as pedagogy for critically conscious disciples, is geared toward realization of human dignity. It is the instrument of hope in the search for dignity and struggle against pervasive inhumanities.
Evangelism Challenges the Church's Identity
Authors: Ahonen Risto A.
Published: December 2017

The gospel of Christ has spread to hundreds of linguistic and cultural communities. Christian churches have come face to face with an extraordinarily positive but nevertheless perplexing problem: Can the churches find the common core message of the holistic gospel or will the actual content of faith become relativized into the interpretation of interpretations? Despite the many different definitions of evangelism/evangelization, evangelism always leads to consideration of the basic questions of faith: its profound understanding and its reception. Evangelism involves the questions of what I believe or believe in, and of what I commit to. In the midst of the constant flow of information and the hectic tempo of life, evangelism challenges the church again and again to reconsider how the gospel can be expressed compactly, but in a rich, understandable, and true‐to‐life way. In the ecumenical discussion, the concept of “witness” as a form of evangelism is becoming increasingly important, because it comprises all the essential dimensions of the whole gospel. Evangelism challenges churches and their members to boldly bear witness by word and deed to Jesus Christ.
Sign reversal in the relationship between income smoothing and cost of debt
Authors: Amiram Dan , Owens Edward
Published: December 2017

Despite the fact that income smoothing by managers is a pervasive phenomenon that has been widely researched, extant literature provides incomplete evidence on how smoothing is associated with cost of debt in general, and in the private loan market in particular. The institutional factors associated with private loan contracts, combined with the theoretical motivations for smoothing, make it unclear whether smoothing will be positively, negatively, or not associated with loan spread. Using both cross‐country and within‐country analyses on an international sample of private loans, we predict and provide evidence that income smoothing is associated with lower cost of debt when the threat of private benefits consumption by managers is low, but is associated with higher cost of debt when the threat of private benefits consumption by managers is high. We provide the first evidence in the literature that the garbling effect of smoothing can predictably dominate the signaling view of smoothing in debt contract design, and we identify private benefits consumption threat as the feature of the contracting environment that empirically reveals a sign reversal in the relationship between smoothing and cost of debt.
Soft tissue re‐growth after osseous resective surgery with and without fibre retention technique. Four‐year follow‐up of a randomized clinical trial
Authors: Aimetti Mario , Mariani Giulia Maria , Ercoli Elena , Audagna Martina , Romano Federica
Published: December 2017

Aim

The aim of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes and soft tissue rebound following Fibre Retention Osseous Resective Surgery (FibReORS) and Osseous Resective Surgery (ORS) over a 48‐month period.

Materials and Methods

Thirteen chronic periodontitis patients, displaying two contra‐lateral posterior sextants with residual intrabony defects ≤3 mm in single‐rooted or multi‐rooted teeth with no or grade I furcation involvement, were treated in a split‐mouth study model. ORS procedure was randomly applied on one side, while FibReORS on the contra‐lateral side. Clinical measurements were recorded at 12 and 48 months after surgery.

Results

All 13 patients were available for the 48‐month recall. At this time point, probing depth (PD) and keratinized tissue changes did not significantly differ between treatments. FibReORS‐treated sites exhibited less gingival recession than ORS‐treated sextants (2.1 ± 0.3 versus 2.5 ± 0.4 mm, p = .001), but comparable coronal soft tissue rebound. The mean difference of 0.4 ± 0.3 mm was consistent with higher amount of bone resection in the ORS group (0.92 ± 0.11 versus 0.38 ± 0.09 mm, p < .001).

Conclusion

FibReORS resulted in similar PD changes and soft tissue rebound compared with ORS in posterior teeth with no or limited furcation involvement.
The effect of horizontal and vertical furcation involvement on molar survival: A retrospective study
Authors: Nibali Luigi , Sun Chuanming , Akcalı Aliye , Yeh Yi‐Chun , Tu Yu‐Kang , Donos Nikos
Published: December 2017

Background

Periodontal involvement of the furcation area (furcation involvement, FI) has been reported to confer molars a higher risk of tooth loss.

Aims

The aim of this retrospective analysis was to assess the effect of FI on disease progression and tooth loss in molars of patients with chronic periodontitis undergoing supportive periodontal therapy (SPT) in a UK private practice setting.

Materials and Methods

Six‐hundred and thirty‐three molars were analysed in 100 chronic periodontitis patients treated with active periodontal therapy (APT) and followed up in SPT for at least 5 years. Molars were treated with a combination of resective, regenerative or conservative approaches, according to the different clinical needs.

Results

Twenty‐three molars were extracted during APT and a further 23 were lost during SPT. Multivariable analysis showed that both horizontal FI and vertical furcation component were associated with increased risk of tooth loss during SPT (OR 5.26, 95% CI: 1.46–19.03, p = .012 and OR 9.83, 95% CI: 1.83–50.11, p = .006, respectively).

Conclusion

Attention should be placed on both horizontal and vertical FI in molars, owing to their association with tooth loss during SPT.
Effects of prior exposure to antibiotics on bacterial adaptation to phages
Authors: Arias‐Sánchez F. I. , Allen R. C. , Hall A. R.
Published: December 2017

Understanding adaptation to complex environments requires information about how exposure to one selection pressure affects adaptation to others. For bacteria, antibiotics and viral parasites (phages) are two of the most common selection pressures and are both relevant for treatment of bacterial infections: increasing antibiotic resistance is generating significant interest in using phages in addition or as an alternative to antibiotics. However, we lack knowledge of how exposure to antibiotics affects bacterial responses to phages. Specifically, it is unclear how the negative effects of antibiotics on bacterial population growth combine with any possible mutagenic effects or physiological responses to influence adaptation to other stressors such as phages, and how this net effect varies with antibiotic concentration. Here, we experimentally addressed the effect of pre‐exposure to a wide range of antibiotic concentrations on bacterial responses to phages. Across 10 antibiotics, we found a strong association between their effects on bacterial population size and subsequent population growth in the presence of phages (which in these conditions indicates phage‐resistance evolution). We detected some evidence of mutagenesis among populations treated with fluoroquinolones and β‐lactams at sublethal doses, but these effects were small and not consistent across phage treatments. These results show that, although stressors such as antibiotics can boost adaptation to other stressors at low concentrations, these effects are weak compared to the effect of reduced population growth at inhibitory concentrations, which in our experiments strongly reduced the likelihood of subsequent phage‐resistance evolution.
Adaptive behaviour, executive function and employment in adults with Down syndrome
Authors: Tomaszewski B. , Fidler D. , Talapatra D. , Riley K.
Published: December 2017

Background

Individuals with Down syndrome (DS) demonstrate difficulties with aspects of executive function (EF) and adaptive behaviour across the lifespan. There is a current lack of information regarding how these difficulties relate to employment outcomes in adulthood. This study evaluated the adaptive behaviour and EF profiles of individuals with DS during early adulthood and the association between these areas of functioning and employment status.

Methods

Parents or caregivers of primarily young adults with DS (n = 31; mean chronological age = 25.9 years; SD = 5.92) completed the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales – Second Edition the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function – Adult version and a demographic questionnaire that requested information regarding adult employment status.

Results

Findings indicated a distinct pattern of relative strengths and challenges in adaptive behaviour and EF. In addition, the EF sub‐domain of working memory was a significant predictor of employment status.

Conclusions

Specific aspects of the DS cognitive profile may have an important influence on employment status in primarily young adults with DS. Implications for interventions are discussed.
A population‐based, cross‐sectional study of the prevalence and correlates of sedentary behaviour of adults with intellectual disabilities
Authors: Melville C. A. , McGarty A. , Harris L. , Hughes‐McCormack L. , Baltzer M. , McArthur L. A. , Morrison J. , Allan L. , Cooper S.‐A.
Published: December 2017

Background

High levels of sedentary behaviour have a negative impact on health and well‐being. There is limited evidence on the prevalence and correlates of sedentary behaviour of adults with intellectual disabilities (ID).

Methods

A population‐based sample of adults with ID were invited to take part in a comprehensive health check programme. Demographic and health data were collected during a structured interview and physical examination. Screen time was used as a proxy measure of sedentary behaviour. Bivariate and multivariate statistical modelling examined correlates of screen time.

Results

Fifty per cent of the 725 participants reported four or more hours of screen time per day. Male gender, higher levels of intellectual ability, mobility problems, obesity, not having hearing impairment and not having epilepsy were all significantly associated with higher screen time in the final multivariate model (R2 = 0.16; Hosmer–Lemeshow goodness of fit statistic P = 0.36).

Conclusions

This is the first study to publish population‐based data on the prevalence and correlates of sedentary behaviour in adults with ID. Compared with adults who do not have ID, adults with ID have higher levels, and different correlates, of sedentary behaviour. A better understanding of the social context of sedentary behaviour will inform the design of effective behaviour change programmes for adults with ID.
Examination of sacral tissue oxygen saturation among immobile patients
Authors: Ceylan Burcu , Yapucu Gunes Ulku , Uyar Mehmet
Published: December 2017

Aims and objectives

To explore the effect of immobility on sacral tissue oxygen saturation in patients lying on a supporting surface in supine position.

Background

Guidelines in regard to preventing pressure ulcers recommend that patients lying on a standard bed should change their positions every 2 hr and that patients on a supporting surface should change their positions every 4 hr. But there is no strong evidence that justifies this practice.

Design

Quasi‐experimental.

Methods

Data for the research were collected over the period October 2014–March 2015 at Anesthesiology and Reanimation and Neurosurgery Clinic Intensive Care Units. A total of 46 patients matching the research criteria were left in the supine position for 4 hr without having a position change, during which time sacral tissue oxygen saturation was measured every hour on the hour. Sacral tissue oxygen saturation was measured with the InSpectra Tissue Oxygenation Monitor.

Results

Mean sacral tissue oxygen saturation was 73.4% at baseline and was then measured as 74.9% at the first hour, 72.3% at the second hour, 71.9% at the third hour and 71.9% at the fourth hour. The changes observed between measuring times were not found to be statistically significant (p = .09).

Conclusions

No statistically significant differences were found between sacral tissue oxygen saturation values recorded over a period of 4 hr in immobile patients lying on a supporting surface in the supine position. However, it was observed that sacral tissue oxygen saturation values did not change significantly depending upon the type of supporting surface that was being used.

Relevance to clinical practice

The study outcome supports changing the position of a patient lying on a supporting surface every 4 hr and provides evidence that justifies the recommendation made in the guidelines.
What Social Science Research Says about Police Violence against Racial and Ethnic Minorities: Understanding the Antecedents and Consequences—An Introduction
Authors: Dukes Kristin Nicole , Kahn Kimberly Barsamian
Published: December 2017

Police violence against racial and ethnic minorities by law enforcement is an international social justice issue that has elicited substantial societal attention, both historically and more recently since the death of Michael Brown in 2014 in the United States. This volume of the Journal of Social Issues integrates theoretical and empirical research to examine police violence (i.e., disproportionate physical and psychological injury and maltreatment) against racial and ethnic minorities and provides policy recommendations directed at reducing this violence from a multidisciplinary perspective. Organized across two substantive sections, one section is devoted to evidence of and factors contributing to police violence against racial and ethnic minorities, including racial stereotyping, implicit bias, and contextual factors. The other section focuses on societal‐level, downstream consequences of exposure to this violence for both individual targets and their community, including attitudinal, physical, and mental health consequences. A concluding chapter integrates the special issue articles’ findings and provides new perspectives on policing and race. This opening article to the special issue reviews existing literature and outlines the unique contributions of the included articles on this topic.
Race and Reaction: Divergent Views of Police Violence and Protest against
Authors: Reinka Mora A. , Leach Colin Wayne
Published: December 2017

Since 2012, the United States has seen a renewed focus on police killings of racial and ethnic minorities, as well as protest against such violence. Moreover, recent polling data show an intensification of long‐standing differences in Black and White Americans’ attitudes toward police violence and protest. Here, we review recent polling, as well as our own series of experiments, to elucidate racial divides in attention, attitudes, and reactions to police violence and protest against it (e.g., Black Lives Matter). In addition, we report linguistic analyses of descriptions (N = 195) of protest images, showing that Black participants better understand the causes of these protests (d = .30) and view them more positively (d = .38) than Whites. If we wish for consensus on how to address police violence and protest against it, we must understand how and why the sociopolitical reality of race leads to divergent views of these issues.