bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The new wave of luxury: the meaning and value of luxury to the contemporary consumer
Authors: Kauppinen-Räisänen Hannele , Gummerus Johanna , von Koskull Catharina , Cristini Helene
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to explore what luxury represents to contemporary consumers in their own life contexts.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed-methods qualitative approach was adopted that comprised individual, personal interviews and focused interviews with small groups.

Findings

The study contributes to the field of luxury research by highlighting consumers’ interpretations of luxury as highly subjective, relative and contextual; showing that according to consumers, luxury relates to both consumption and non-consumption contexts; illustrating the value of luxury as a multidimensional construct in both contexts; and demonstrating how luxury may relate to a consumer’s desire to be meaningful and genuine, thereby generating prudential value. In these cases, luxury is closely linked to consumers’ perceptions of meaningfulness and well-being.

Practical implications

For marketing managers, the findings suggest that the wave of new luxury – seeking meaningfulness – may serve as a novel means of branding.

Originality/value

This study demonstrates that the significance of the concept of luxury transcends commercial settings and offerings, i.e. the brand, product or service. The findings show that luxury may also be generated in non-commercial contexts and specific activities (e.g. running, gardening). Based on these findings, it is proposed that luxury in non-commercial settings is characteristic of the new wave of luxury, and that in such settings, luxury may contribute to personal well-being, thereby generating prudential value.
Extending Janzen’s hypothesis to temperate regions: A test using subterranean ecosystems
Authors: Mammola Stefano , Piano Elena , Malard Florian , Vernon Philippe , Isaia Marco
Published: June 2019

Janzen’s hypothesis (1967; American Naturalist) predicts that tropical habitats with reduced thermal seasonality would select for species with narrow thermal tolerance, thereby limiting dispersal among sites of different elevations showing little overlap in temperature. These predictions have so far been tested by confronting tropical and temperate mountain communities, leaving unresolved the question of their generalization to habitats with low thermal seasonality outside the tropics.

We provide the first extension of Janzen’s hypothesis to temperate habitats, by testing for differences in thermal tolerance and elevational range among congeneric alpine spiders (Araneae: Linyphiidae: Troglohyphantes) occurring along a steep gradient of decreasing thermal seasonality with increasing cave depth. Using species from the same temperate region rather than from distinct biogeographic regions avoids confounding the effects of short‐ and long‐term climatic variability on thermal tolerance and elevational range extent.

Following Jansen’s assumptions, we predicted that cave habitats with low thermal seasonality would select for narrow thermal tolerance. Also, specialized subterranean species would exhibit both narrower elevational range extents and smaller realized thermal niche breadths. Initially, we showed that thermal seasonality and the overlap in temperature across caves were considerably lower in deep than in shallow cave habitats. Then, we measured thermal tolerance and used morphological traits to quantify the degree of specialization to subterranean life of 11 spider species.

We found that thermal tolerance decreased with increasing subterranean specialization. Deep subterranean species reached their critical temperature at 1–4°C above their habitat temperature, whereas shallow subterranean species withstood a twofold larger temperature increase. At last, we demonstrated that a species’ elevational range extent and the variation of temperature encountered across its range decreased with increasing specialization to deep subterranean life.

Our integrative work, being grounded in organismal and habitat measures, represents the first generalization of Janzen’s framework to caves and provides a conceptual framework to disentangle the effect of long‐term climate variability on subterranean biodiversity patterns. Extending Janzen’s thoughts to a broader range of ecosystems is key to understanding how the ecological specialization–dispersal trade‐off may constrain the response of species to climate change.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Behavioral and neural sensitivity to uncertain threat in individuals with alcohol use disorder: Associations with drinking behaviors and motives
Authors: Gorka Stephanie M. , Kreutzer Kayla A. , Petrey Kelsey M. , Radoman Milena , Phan Kinh Luan
Published: June 2019

A developing theory is that individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) display exaggerated reactivity to threats that are uncertain (U‐threat), which facilitates excessive drinking as a means of avoidance‐based coping. There is a promising initial behavioral evidence supporting this theory; however, the neural bases of reactivity to U‐threat in individuals with AUD have not been examined. The extent to which biomarkers of U‐threat reactivity map onto drinking behaviors and coping motives for alcohol use is also unknown. The current study therefore examined group differences in behavioral and neural reactivity to U‐threat in adults with and without AUD. The study also tested whether behavior and brain responses to U‐threat correlate with problematic drinking and coping motivated drinking. Volunteers (n = 65) with and without a history of AUD (38 AUD, 27 controls) were included and completed a well‐validated threat‐of‐shock task to probe responses to U‐threat and predictable threat (P‐threat) while startle eyeblink potentiation was collected. Individuals also completed a newly designed, analogous version of the task during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Results indicated that individuals with AUD displayed greater startle magnitude during U‐threat, but not P‐threat, and greater right insula and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) activation during both forms of threat compared with controls. Startle magnitude and insula activation during U‐threat positively correlated with self‐reported problem drinking and coping motives for alcohol use. Findings demonstrate that individuals with AUD display exaggerated sensitivity to U‐threat at the behavioral and neural level and that these multimethod biomarkers tap into negative reinforcement processes of alcohol abuse.
The Demographic Consequences of the End of Chile's Nitrate Boom, c.1907–1940
Authors: Rivero‐Cantillano Rodrigo , Navarrete‐Montalvo Juan , Ordenes Cristian , Llorca‐Jaña Manuel
Published: June 2019

This article deals with the demographic consequences of the end of Chile's nitrate boom following the 1929 crisis. The traditional economic historiography has maintained that this crisis impacted heavily on nitrate production, and that in turn the crisis triggered a permanent exodus from the nitrate districts to other geographical zones. Contrary to this widely held belief, we have shown in this article that: there was no substantial fall in production; there was indeed a fall in nitrate population, but this was limited; this took place in some nitrate areas only; overall, the decline in nitrate population was a short term phenomenon only. The population making a living from nitrate production (or activities directly related to it) did not emigrate in as large numbers as previously thought, since production remained high up to the 1960s.
Review: Transition from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) to Adult Mental Health Services (AMHS): a meta‐synthesis of parental and professional perspectives
Authors: Hill Adam , Wilde Sarah , Tickle Anna
Published: June 2019

Background

Transition between Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and Adult Mental Health Services (AMHS) can be stressful for the young person and family alike. Previous reviews have focused on specific aspects of transition or perspectives of young people, or have not used systematic approaches to data identification and analysis. The objective of this review was to develop the understanding of the transition between CAMHS and AMHS by systematically identifying and synthesising evidence regarding professionals’ and parents/carers’ perspectives.

Method

A systematic search in July 2018 was conducted on Medline, PsycINFO and CINAHL. Google Scholar and references of selected articles were also searched. Papers were included if they presented empirical qualitative research in peer‐reviewed journals with a primary focus on experiences of parents/carers and/or mental health professionals in relation to adolescents making the CAMHS‐AMHS transition. Data were extracted from each full‐text paper. The quality of included studies was appraised using an expanded Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (2018) tool, and studies’ results were synthesised using meta‐ethnography.

Results

Fourteen studies of variable quality were identified. Four main third‐order constructs were developed through synthesis: (a) Service cultures; (b) Service resources and gaps; (c) Working relationships between the services; and (d) Leaving secure relationships for new ones.

Conclusions

Professionals and parents experience adolescents’ transition from nurturing and comprehensive CAMHS to more individualistic AMHS as having many barriers. There is desire for better preparation for transition between services and relationships, more joint working and better CAMHS‐AMHS communication. AMHS service gaps exist, for example for those with neurodevelopmental conditions.
Exact Constraint Satisfaction for Truly Seamless Parametrization
Authors: Mandad M. , Campen M.
Published: June 2019

In the field of global surface parametrization a recent focus has been on so‐called seamless parametrization. This term refers to parametrization approaches which, while using an atlas of charts to enable the handling of surfaces of arbitrary topology, relate the parametrization across the cuts between charts via transition functions from special classes of transformations. This effectively makes the cuts invisible to applications which are invariant to these specific transformations in some sense. In actual implementations of these parametrization approaches, however, these restrictions are obeyed only approximately; errors stem from the tolerances of numerical solvers employed and, ultimately, from the limited accuracy of floating point arithmetic. In practice, robustness issues arise from these flaws in the seamlessness of a parametrization, no matter how small. We present a robust global algorithm that turns a given approximately seamless parametrization into an exactly seamless one ‐ that still is representable by standard floating point numbers. It supports common practically relevant additional constraints regarding boundary and feature curve alignment or isocurve connectivity, and ensures that these are likewise fulfilled exactly. This allows subsequent algorithms to operate robustly on the resulting truly seamless parametrization. We believe that the core of our method will furthermore be of benefit in a broader range of applications involving linearly constrained numerical optimization.
Accurate Synthesis of Multi‐Class Disk Distributions
Authors: Ecormier‐Nocca Pierre , Memari Pooran , Gain James , Cani Marie‐Paule
Published: June 2019

While analysing and synthesising 2D distributions of points has been applied both to the generation of textures with discrete elements and for populating virtual worlds with 3D objects, the results are often inaccurate since the spatial extent of objects cannot be expressed. We introduce three improvements enabling the synthesis of more general distributions of elements. First, we extend continuous pair correlation function (PCF) algorithms to multi‐class distributions using a dependency graph, thereby capturing interrelationships between distinct categories of objects. Second, we introduce a new normalised metric for disks, which makes the method applicable to both point and possibly overlapping disk distributions. The metric is specifically designed to distinguish perceptually salient features, such as disjoint, tangent, overlapping, or nested disks. Finally, we pay particular attention to convergence of the mean PCF as well as the validity of individual PCFs, by taking into consideration the variance of the input. Our results demonstrate that this framework can capture and reproduce real‐life distributions of elements representing a variety of complex semi‐structured patterns, from the interaction between trees and the understorey in a forest to droplets of water. More generally, it applies to any category of 2D object whose shape is better represented by bounding circles than points.
Deep Video‐Based Performance Cloning
Authors: Aberman K. , Shi M. , Liao J. , Lischinski D. , Chen B. , Cohen‐Or D.
Published: June 2019

We present a new video‐based performance cloning technique. After training a deep generative network using a reference video capturing the appearance and dynamics of a target actor, we are able to generate videos where this actor reenacts other performances. All of the training data and the driving performances are provided as ordinary video segments, without motion capture or depth information. Our generative model is realized as a deep neural network with two branches, both of which train the same space‐time conditional generator, using shared weights. One branch, responsible for learning to generate the appearance of the target actor in various poses, uses paired training data, self‐generated from the reference video. The second branch uses unpaired data to improve generation of temporally coherent video renditions of unseen pose sequences. Through data augmentation, our network is able to synthesize images of the target actor in poses never captured by the reference video. We demonstrate a variety of promising results, where our method is able to generate temporally coherent videos, for challenging scenarios where the reference and driving videos consist of very different dance performances.
Effects of Case and Transitivity on Processing Dependencies: Evidence From Niuean
Authors: Tollan Rebecca , Massam Diane , Heller Daphna
Published: June 2019

We investigate the processing of wh questions in Niuean, a VSO ergative–absolutive Polynesian language. We use visual‐world eye tracking to examine how preference for subject or object dependencies is affected (a) by case marking of the subject (ergative vs. absolutive) and object (absolutive vs. oblique), and (b) by the transitivity of the verb (whether the object is obligatory). We find that Niuean exhibits (a) an effect of case, whereby dependencies of arguments with absolutive case (whether subjects or objects) are preferred over dependencies of arguments with ergative or oblique case, and (b) an effect of transitivity, whereby dependencies of obligatory objects (i.e., of transitive verbs) are preferred over dependencies of optional objects (i.e., of intransitive verbs). These results constitute evidence against theories that appeal to a universal subject advantage, or to the linear distance between filler and gap. Instead, the effect of case is consistent with a frequency‐based account: Because absolutive case has a wider syntactic distribution than ergative or oblique, absolutive dependencies are easier to process. The effect of transitivity reflects sensitivity of the parser to whether or not an argument is obligatory. We propose that these two strategies could be unified if the parser prefers dependencies with arguments that are more likely to materialize.
Deconstructing the Financialization of Healthcare
Authors: Hunter Benjamin M. , Murray Susan F.
Published: June 2019

Financialization is promoted by alliances of multilateral ‘development’ organizations, national governments and owners and institutions of private capital. In the healthcare sector, the leveraging of private sources of finance is widely argued as necessary to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 3 target of universal health coverage. Employing social science perspectives on financialization, the authors of this article contend that this is a new phase of capital formation. The article traces the antecedents, institutions, instruments and ideas that facilitated the penetration of private capital in this sector, and the emergence of new asset classes that distinguish it. The authors argue that this deepening of financialization represents a fundamental shift in the organizing principles for healthcare systems, with negative implications for health and equality.
Digital Module 06: Bayesian Psychometrics—Posterior Predictive Model Checking https://ncme.elevate.commpartners.com
Authors: Ames Allison , Myers Aaron
Published: June 2019

Drawing valid inferences from modern measurement models is contingent upon a good fit of the data to the model. Violations of model‐data fit have numerous consequences, limiting the usefulness and applicability of the model. As Bayesian estimation is becoming more common, understanding the Bayesian approaches for evaluating model‐data fit models is critical. In this instructional module, Allison Ames and Aaron Myers provide an overview of Posterior Predictive Model Checking (PPMC), the most common Bayesian model‐data fit approach. Specifically, they review the conceptual foundation of Bayesian inference as well as PPMC and walk through the computational steps of PPMC using real‐life data examples from simple linear regression and item response theory analysis. They provide guidance for how to interpret PPMC results and discuss how to implement PPMC for other model(s) and data. The digital module contains sample data, SAS code, diagnostic quiz questions, data‐based activities, curated resources, and a glossary.
Can we teach old drugs new tricks?—Repurposing of neuropharmacological drugs for inflammatory skin diseases
Authors: Abels Christoph , Soeberdt Michael
Published: June 2019

Despite the “hype” for monoclonal antibodies, the so‐called biologics, which added significant value to the therapeutic armamentarium of dermatologists and improved the life of many patients, but may exhibit significant adverse effects, the vast majority of dermatological patients suffering from atopic dermatitis or psoriasis is still treated topically. Thus, there is a huge need for locally applied, locally acting drugs for inflammatory skin diseases with better risk‐benefit profiles compared to topical corticosteroids or calcineurin inhibitors. Drug repositioning is a complex process, but offers advantages, in particular for indications with lower revenues. In this viewpoint, the neuroendocrine system of the skin is described as an attractive drug target because it contributes significantly to neutralizing external noxious agents prior to inducing immune or vascular changes leading to the clinical signs of skin inflammation, for example, itch and erythema. In addition, epidermis and dermis are accessible for topically applied products which may act locally without pharmacodynamically relevant systemic exposure limiting adverse events. Moreover, since numerous drugs have been evaluated for various CNS diseases, some failed and some approved, this resource should be exploited for repurposing as anti‐inflammatory drugs for topical application, for example, cannabidiol, fingolimod or asimadoline. Finally, a screening algorithm is shared which gives direct evidence of links between drug and inflammatory skin diseases.
Cross‐taxon congruence of multiple diversity facets of freshwater assemblages is determined by large‐scale processes across China
Authors: Xu Jun , García Molinos Jorge , Su Guohuan , Matsuzaki Shin‐ichiro S. , Akasaka Munemitsu , Zhang Huan , Heino Jani
Published: June 2019

An intensively debated issue in ecology is whether variability in the patterns of diversity of different groups of organisms is congruent in space, a phenomenon referred to as cross‐taxon congruence. Whereas this has been previously mainly tested in terms of taxonomic dissimilarity, the role of ecological processes in determining the congruence of multiple diversity facets (i.e. α‐ and β‐diversity, taxonomic, and functional) remains poorly understood.

We used a data set of observation records for 469 macrophyte and 543 fish taxa at the catchment‐scale from the existing literature and data bases to test the existence of multi‐faceted congruence patterns and investigate the variables driving them across 214 catchments covering the whole Chinese mainland.

We found cross‐taxon congruence of multiple diversity aspects between fish and macrophyte communities. The energy (i.e. diversity is limited by energy availability), area/environmental heterogeneity (i.e. diversity is higher in larger and more heterogeneous areas), and dispersal (i.e. diversity is driven by dispersal) hypotheses were all significantly attributed to the cross‐taxon congruence, suggesting the existence of key repeated mechanisms underlying assemblage organisation.

Our study provides new evidence that can further our understanding of the factors and underlying processes explaining cross‐taxon congruence patterns at broad spatial scales in the freshwater realm, the studies of which significantly lag those in the marine and terrestrial realms. The present findings also provide important baseline information for freshwater conservation initiatives.
Annual winter water level drawdowns limit shallow‐water mussel densities in small lakes
Authors: Carmignani Jason R. , Roy Allison H. , Hazelton Peter D. , Giard Holly
Published: June 2019

Regulated water level fluctuations alter the physical, chemical, and biological environments in lakes. However, few studies have measured the effects of repeated annual winter drawdowns on freshwater mussel populations (Bivalvia: Unionida), and it is unknown whether drawdowns permanently constrain mussel populations to deeper depths or are resilient to the annual disturbance.

We quantified mussel densities during normal water levels and their mortality after the initiation of drawdown in lakes with annual winter (December–March) water level drawdown regimes that have existed for several decades. We used systematic quadrat sampling and visual snorkel surveys to estimate the number of live mussels at the surface and buried, and shell length in six drawdown and three control lakes at exposed (0.5‐m) and unexposed (1‐m) depths during winter drawdown. We also estimated mortality of mussels along the exposed lakebed for nine drawdown lakes.

Study lakes were dominated by Elliptio complanata and Pyganodon cataracta. During normal water levels, mussel densities were much lower in drawdown lakes than control lakes at 0.5‐m depths. When mussels were present in drawdown lakes at 0.5‐m depths, they were often burrowed in the substrate and smaller than buried mussels in control lakes. At unexposed 1‐m depths, mussel densities were primarily explained by geographic region (western versus central Massachusetts), and found higher densities in drawdown lakes compared to control lakes.

Mussel mortality after a single drawdown event in nine drawdown lakes was not correlated with drawdown magnitude or rate. Concordance of shell length‐frequency distributions between dead and buried living mussels in drawdown lakes suggests annual mortality of colonising individuals, which are typically small and presumably of young cohorts.

Annual winter drawdowns still limit densities of E. complanata and P. cataracta in shallow‐water habitats in the following autumn (September–October) after 4–5 months of potential recovery, and hence constrain their distribution in lakes exposed to drawdowns. The development of sustainable water level management practices will be essential to minimise impacts to native mussel populations.
Impact and biocompatibility studies on Mg2+‐substituted Apatite‐derived 3D porous scaffolds for hard tissue engineering
Authors: Ramadas Munusamy , Nivedha Vediyappan , EI Mabrouk Khalil , Ballamurugan Anbalagan M.
Published: June 2019

The objective of this study was to develop Mg2+‐substituted Apatite scaffolds by slip‐casting method. The Apatite scaffolds were prepared as engineering constructs with interconnected pore structure with a pore size of 128‐194 μm range. The physicochemical properties such as crystalline phase, functional group, microstructure, pore size distribution, and elemental compositions of the scaffolds were characterized. The bioactivity of the developed porous scaffolds was investigated in Simulated Body Fluid (SBF) for various time periods (3 and 7 days). In vitro bioactivity results confirm the hydroxyl Apatite layer formation of the scaffolds and results suggest that the developed microporous scaffold could be used as suitable candidates in bone tissue engineering.
Student Interior Design Projects in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Aburas Rehab
Published: June 2019

Interior design students should be able to use research and evidence‐based design outcomes to make decisions that promote health, safety and wellbeing. This approach will contribute to resolving social, environmental and community issues through design‐oriented thinking Accordingly, the aim of this research in a senior design studio course is to promote a better connection to the local environment needs without losing the creativity aspect. This study covered two semesters and used multiple data collection methods, including interviews, observational field notes, discussions and personal reflections. The findings showed that jury critiques and case study analysis were the most beneficial sources of information for students to develop their project ideas and solutions. The paper illustrates processes, products and aspects that are used in senior projects to find solutions to environmental needs. In addition, the study offers lessons learned and reflections to raise students’ awareness of the cultural needs in relation to the interior design field. This study shows findings similar to earlier research that found that students who identified and analysed a local case study understood the design problem better and were creative in linking their project design solution to the society's needs. The study also reveals that students who relied on analysis of well‐defined local case studies developed focused and detailed concepts and design solutions according to the instructor's and jurors’ assessments. The study also contributes to literature by using a multi‐method approach and offers implications for local and international policy‐makers on interior design curricula.
Communication barriers in maternity care of allophone migrants: Experiences of women, healthcare professionals, and intercultural interpreters
Authors: Origlia Ikhilor Paola , Hasenberg Gabriele , Kurth Elisabeth , Asefaw Fana , Pehlke‐Milde Jessica , Cignacco Eva
Published: June 2019

Aim

To describe communication barriers faced by allophone migrant women in maternity care provision from the perspectives of migrant women, healthcare professionals, and intercultural interpreters.

Background

Perinatal health inequality of migrant women hinges on barriers to services, with a major barrier being language. Their care is often also perceived as demanding due to conflicting values or complex situations. Potentially divergent perceptions of users and providers may hinder efficient communication.

Design

Qualitative explorative study.

Methods

A convenience sample of 36 participants was recruited in the German speaking region of Switzerland. The sample consisted of four Albanian and six Tigrinya speaking women, 22 healthcare professionals and four intercultural interpreters (March–June 2016) who participated in three focus group discussions and seven semi‐structured interviews. Audio recordings of the discussions and interviews were transcribed and thematically analysed.

Results

The analysis revealed three main themes: the challenge of understanding each other's world, communication breakdowns and imposed health services. Without interpretation communication was reduced to a bare minimum and thus insufficient to adequately inform women about treatment and address their expectations and needs.

Conclusion

A primary step in dismantling barriers is guaranteed intercultural interpreting services. Additionally, healthcare professionals need to continuously develop and reflect on their transcultural communication. Institutions must enable professionals to respond flexibly to allophone women's needs and to offer care options that are safe and in accordance to their cultural values.

Impact

Our results give the foundation of tenable care of allophonic women and emphasize the importance of linguistic understanding in care quality.
Drought alters the functional stability of stream invertebrate communities through time
Authors: Leigh Catherine , Aspin Thomas W. H. , Matthews Thomas J. , Rolls Robert J. , Ledger Mark E.
Published: June 2019

Aim

In fresh waters, most biogeographical understanding of how extreme events such as drought modify biodiversity and ecosystem functioning derives from static, spatial comparisons of ecological communities, between intact and disturbed sites or along stress gradients. Impacts of drought on the development of ecological communities over time remain poorly resolved, with information on parallel trends in community structure and function particularly scarce. In theory, drought could progressively eliminate both species and functional traits, rendering communities increasingly taxonomically and functionally nested subsets of their pre‐existing counterparts. Alternatively, drought could create new niche opportunities, producing a continuous turnover of species and traits, or simply constrain natural community succession.

Location

Dorset, UK.

Taxon

Aquatic invertebrates.

Methods

We studied temporal changes in community structure and function in artificial streams over 2 years, comparing drought (frequent drying) with control (constant flow) conditions. Temporal beta diversity was partitioned into turnover and nestedness components, calculated using both presence–absence and abundance data, and analysed using time‐lag and null modelling approaches.

Results

Community development was comparable taxonomically under control and drought conditions, driven primarily by temporal turnover of species. Under control conditions, corresponding trends in functional composition were not apparent, and species turnover was characterized by the progressive replacement of some species by others of equivalent abundance. By contrast, species turnover in disturbed communities was accompanied by both functional turnover and greater loss of individuals, indicating that new colonists were not equivalent, either functionally or numerically, to those they replaced. Furthermore, functional dissimilarities between time points were greatest under drought, and more similar in magnitude to taxonomic dissimilarities, implying that drying reduced the stability and redundancy of functional attributes.

Main conclusion

A shift to drier climate could disrupt the natural development of stream community structure, and undermine functional stability, at local and biogeographical scales, with potentially significant consequences for ecosystem services provisioning in fresh waters.
Exploring sociodemographic factors related to practice, attitude, knowledge, and skills concerning evidence‐based practice in clinical nursing
Authors: Tomotaki Ai , Fukahori Hiroki , Sakai Ikuko
Published: June 2019

Aim

This study aimed to explore sociodemographic factors related to evidence‐based practice (EBP) competency in Japanese nurses in university hospitals.

Methods

In March 2016, a survey was distributed to 843 clinical nurses who directly provide nursing care at two university hospitals in Japan. Multiple regression analyses were conducted on data received from 472 nurses using the Evidence‐Based Practice Questionnaire (Japanese version).

Results

Sociodemographic factors related to EBP competency were experience with conducting nursing research as a part of continuing education, education about EBP, advanced practice certification (certified nurse specialists/certified nurses), and years of experience in clinical nursing. These factors differed across the four subscales of the questionnaire: Practice, Attitude, Knowledge of Research and Practice, and Skills of Research and Practice. Specifically, experience with two or more nursing research activities was significantly positively associated with Attitude and Knowledge/Skills Concerning Research and Practice of EBP, but not related to the implementation of EBP itself. Advanced practice certification was significantly positively associated with Practice and Attitude of EBP.

Conclusions

Our study quantitatively identified sociodemographic factors including experience with conducting nursing research and advanced practice certification status that were found to be related to EBP competency and these factors were differently associated with the four subscales of the Evidence‐Based Practice Questionnaire (Japanese version). EBP education should depend on nurses' levels of EBP competency, and nursing educators and managers need to be cognizant of their nurses' sociodemographic factors when providing EBP education.
Women Coping With a Partner's Dementia‐Related Violence: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Band‐Winterstein Tova , Avieli Hila
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The aim of the present study was to differentiate between the lived experience of two groups of women caregiving for a partner with dementia. One group was coping with lifelong intimate partner violence (IPV) and dementia‐related violence (Group 1); the other group was coping with dementia‐related violence only (Group 2).

Design

An interpretive phenomenological analysis perspective was used. Data collection was performed through in‐depth, semistructured interviews with eight female spouses of men with dementia from each of the two above‐mentioned groups, followed by a content analysis.

Findings

Comparing the narratives of the aging women revealed their different experiences over several dimensions: (a) the identification of violence as a symptom of dementia; (b) the use of past couplehood memories; (c) feelings over time; (d) willingness to care for the partner with dementia; and (e) a prospective view of life.

Conclusions

The complexities of being old and having to cope with caregiving responsibilities for a spouse with dementia, accompanied by violent behaviors, emphasize the significance of the couple's past relationship. This notion should be taken into account in practical interventions.

Clinical Relevance

As part of the aging process, there is an increase in people who are engaged in dementia‐related violence. Nurses' education and practice should focus on the dynamics of dyads coping with violence and identify the particular needs of the caregiver spouse in this context.
Fetal seizure: A video recording and possible etiology
Authors: Takahashi Hironori , Matsubara Teppei , Horie Kenji , Kobayashi Ami , Furukawa Rieko , Matsubara Shigeki
Published: June 2019

Fetal seizure is rarely observed. Investigation of both video‐recording of seizures and cardiotocography is crucial for a precise diagnosis. Here, we report a case of fetal seizure, and also show a video‐ultrasound recording. A 40‐year‐old woman was admitted to us due to loss of variability in cardiotocography. Ultrasound repeatedly revealed opisthotonus‐like and clonic‐seizure‐like movements. After the abnormal movement, tachycardia up to 210 bpm (postictal tachycardia) was noted. Ultrasound revealed a nuchal cord. A careful investigation of video‐ultrasound recording by an epilepsy specialist led to the confirmation of epileptic seizures. At 364/7, she vaginally gave birth to an infant with an umbilical artery pH of 7.22. The infant died 30 min after birth. No clear video‐recordings associated with fetal seizure were available for cases reported so far in the literature. The video provided in this case may be of use for further analyses.
Quality of life in patients with oral leukoplakia
Authors: Min Ang Xin , Chi Khang Au Phil , Kwok Kevin , Yeon Park Ka , Kujan Omar , Frydrych Agnieszka M. , Farah Camile S.
Published: June 2019

Background

Oral leukoplakia (OL) is the most common oral potentially malignant disorder, yet despite its chronic and potentially disabling nature, the literature concerning impacts of OL on quality of life (QoL) is limited. This study aimed to evaluate QoL in subjects with OL compared to controls using QoL questionnaires.

Methods

Fifty individuals with OL and 50 controls matched for age, gender, smoking, and alcohol use were administered the Short Generic Health Questionnaire (SF‐12) and the discipline‐specific Oral Potentially Malignant Disorder Questionnaire (OPMDQ). Responses were compared between the two groups.

Results

Subjects with OL reported poorer QoL scores compared to controls in two domains “Role limitations due to physical problems” and “Pain” of the SF‐12 questionnaire, and in two domains “Difficulty with diagnosis” and “Effect of treatment on daily life” and in the overall scores of the OPMDQ. Females reported poorer QoL in the overall OPMD QoL score and in the domains of “Physical and function limitation” and “Psychological and social well‐being,” while older individuals in the domains of “Physical and function limitation” and “Effect of treatment on daily life.” Non‐alcohol drinkers and subjects with dysplastic or non‐homogeneous OLs also reported poorer QoL scores.

Conclusions

Quality of life assessments provide useful insight into the impact of OL on an individual's life and opportunity to improve clinical care.
Leukoencephalomyelopathy in cats linked to abnormal fatty acid composition of the white matter of the spinal cord and of irradiated dry cat food
Authors: van den Ingh Ted S. G. A. M. , Grinwis Guy C. M. , Corbee Ronald Jan
Published: June 2019

Four outbreaks of leukoencephalomyelopathy in colonies of SPF cats on a long‐term diet of irradiated dry cat food were observed in the Netherlands between 1989 and 2001. As a primary defect in myelin formation was suspected to be the cause of the disease and myelin consists mainly of lipids and their fatty acids, we investigated the fatty acid composition of the white matter of the spinal cord of affected and control cats and of irradiated and non‐irradiated food. The irradiated food had low levels of alpha‐linolenic acid compared to linoleic acid as well as a high total omega‐6:omega‐3 ratio of 7:1 in the irradiated and of 2:1 in the non‐irradiated food. The white matter of the spinal cord showed low levels of linoleic acid and absence of alpha‐linolenic acid in affected cats as well as absence of lignoceric and nervonic acid in both affected and control cats. These abnormalities in fatty acid composition of the white matter of the spinal cord may reflect an increased need for alpha‐linolenic acid as a substrate for longer chain omega‐3 fatty acids to compose myelin and thus indicate a particular species sensitivity to dietary deficiency in omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, particularly alpha‐linolenic acid in cats. Our findings indicate that abnormalities in fatty acid metabolism in myelin play an essential role in the pathogenesis of this acquired form of leukoencephalomyelopathy in cats.
HCV resistance compartmentalization within tumoral and non‐tumoral liver in transplanted patients with hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Sorbo Maria C , Carioti Luca , Bellocchi Maria C , Antonucci FrancescoPaolo , Sforza Daniele , Lenci Ilaria , Ciancio Manuelli Matteo , Armenia Daniele , De Leonardis Francesco , Milana Martina , Manzia Tommaso M , Angelico Mario , Tisone Giuseppe , Cento Valeria , Perno Carlo F , Ceccherini‐Silberstein Francesca
Published: June 2019

Background & aims

We investigated the HCV‐RNA amount, variability and prevalence of resistance‐associated substitutions (RASs), in plasma, hepatic tumoral and non‐tumoral tissue samples in patients undergoing liver‐transplant/hepatic‐resection (LT/HR), because of hepatocellular carcinoma and/or cirrhosis.

Methods

Eighteen HCV‐infected patients undergoing LT/HR, 94.0% naïve to direct‐acting antivirals (DAAs), were analysed. HCV‐RNA was quantified in all compartments. NS3/NS5A/NS5B in plasma and/or in tumoral/non‐tumoral tissues were analysed using Sanger and Ultra‐deep pyrosequencing (UDPS, 9/18 patients). RASs prevalence, genetic‐variability and phylogenetic analysis were evaluated.

Results

At the time of LT/HR, HCV‐RNA was quantifiable in all compartments of DAA‐naïve patients and was generally lower in tumoral than in non‐tumoral tissues (median [IQR] = 4.0 [1.2‐4.3] vs 4.3[3.1‐4.9] LogIU/µg RNA; P = 0.193). The one patient treated with sofosbuvir + ribavirin represented an exception with HCV‐RNA quantifiable exclusively in the liver, but with higher level in tumoral than in non‐tumoral tissues (51 vs 7 IU/µg RNA). RASs compartmentalization was found by Sanger in 4/18 infected‐patients, and by UDPS in other two patients. HCV‐compartmentalization resulted to be associated with HBcAb‐positivity (P = 0.013). UDPS showed approximately higher genetic‐variability in NS3/NS5A sequences in all compartments. Phylogenetic‐analysis showed defined and intermixed HCV‐clusters among/within all compartments, and were strongly evident in the only non‐cirrhotic patient, with plasma and non‐tumoral sequences generally more closely related.

Conclusions

Hepatic compartments showed differences in HCV‐RNA amount, RASs and genetic variability, with a higher segregation within the tumoral compartment. HBV coinfection influenced the HCV compartmentalization. These results highlight HCV‐strain diversifications within the liver, which could explain some of the failures occurring even today in the era of DAAs.
Individual risk factors and critical care unit effects on Invasive Candida Infection occurring in critical care units in the UK: A multilevel model
Authors: Patterson Lynsey , McMullan Ronan , Harrison David A.
Published: June 2019

Geographical variation is observed in invasive candida infection (ICI) and differences between critical care units (CCUs) may contribute. To examine rates, risk factors and individual and unit‐level variation of ICI in UK CCUs. Data from the Fungal Infection Risk Evaluation Study was used to examine individuals admitted to 96 CCUs in the UK; July 2009‐March 2011. Cases were non‐neutropenic individuals aged 18 years and over with ICI identified after admission. Mixed‐effects Poisson regression models adjusted for the CCU. There were 225 cases of ICI, a rate of 6.84/10 000 bed days and a threefold variation between the lowest and highest UK regions. Independent risk factors included abdominal surgery (adjusted incidence rate ratio (AIRR) 2.03 95% CI 1.49, 2.76), parenteral nutrition (AIRR 1.89 95% CI 1.33, 2.70), fungal colonisation at two or more sites (AIRR 2.30 95% CI 1.34, 3.95) and indwelling devices. Approximately 4% of the variation in ICI rates could be attributed to the CCU. We identified independent risk factors for ICI and showed, for the first time, that the critical care unit effect was small. Despite this, future studies should consider the hierarchical structure of the data to ensure robust estimates.
Accurate detection of renal leukemic involvement in children using 3‐D computed tomography modeling
Authors: Fujiki Toshihiro , Nishimura Ryosei , Mase Shintaro , Kuroda Rie , Ikawa Yasuhiro , Araki Raita , Maeba Hideaki , Yachie Akihiro
Published: June 2019

Background

The rate of renal involvement in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) at diagnosis varies between reports because renal involvement is diagnosed on renal size larger than aged‐matched standards on conventional modalities. We propose a new method for precise renal involvement detection using 3‐D enhanced computed tomography (CT) reconstruction.

Methods

Twenty‐five children with ALL were evaluated utilizing 3‐D enhanced CT reconstruction to measure renal volume before and after induction therapy, renal mass lesions and renal axis at diagnosis. Renal involvement was defined as a marked decrease of renal volume or the presence of mass lesions.

Results

According to the 3D‐CT criteria, nine of 25 patients (36%) had renal involvement. All of them had bilateral mass lesions except for one who had diffuse nephromegaly alone. This method detected renal involvement more accurately than ultrasonography. When using conventional criteria based on the length of the renal axis, 19 of 25 (76%) had renal involvement, including many cases of false‐positive nephromegaly. Patients with renal involvement had significantly more extramedullary involvement according to the 3D‐CT‐based criteria.

Conclusions

The use of 3D‐CT reconstruction was accurate in detecting renal involvement in childhood ALL, most of which consisted of piled up mass lesions. Patients with renal involvement should be worked up for the detection of other extramedullary lesions.
Vladimir Mayakovsky's Agit‐Semitism
Authors: LAVINE LUDMILA SHLEYFER
Published: June 2019

Images of Jewishness as ethnic, cultural, and biblical categories in Vladimir Mayakovsky's works are both plentiful and understudied. The present article attempts to bridge this gap while exploring the mechanisms that guide the poet's responses to anti‐Semitism. I begin by focusing on the function of the Exodus story in Stikhi ob Amerike (Verses about America), and then move to Mayakovsky's “agitational” works: his collaboration on the film Evrei na zemle (Jews on Earth, 1927), and his poems “Evrei (Tovarishcham iz OZETa)” (1926) and “‘Zhid’” (1928). I argue that, while Mayakovsky continues the established practice of reshuffling the svoi‐chuzhoi dichotomy as it pertains to minorities in the 1920s Soviet Union, he also goes beyond it. In battling a rising wave of popular anti‐Semitism, the poet both domesticates the Jew through features of the dominant culture and others the anti‐Semite by ascribing to him the pejorative markers of a Jewish stereotype. As a consequence of flipping reductionist slurs, the perpetrator is himself converted into a fixed caricature.
Controls on deposition of shallow marine carbonates and evaporites – lower Permian Gipshuken Formation, central Spitsbergen, Arctic Norway
Authors: Sorento Tone , Olaussen Snorre , Stemmerik Lars
Published: June 2019

The interbedded shallow marine carbonates and evaporites of the 95 to 105 m thick lower Permian Vengeberget member in central Spitsbergen form a lowstand to possibly early transgressive wedge sandwiched between open marine highstand carbonates along the northern margin of Pangea. Deposition took place on a wide (much greater than 40 000 km2) evaporitic platform separated from the open marine environments to the east by an inferred shelf margin barrier. Based on detailed description of facies in unique mountain‐scale outcrops, five CaSO4 and nine carbonate facies have been identified, all reflecting deposition in shallow evaporitic environments. The gypsum beds represent subaqueous deposition in broad hypersaline lagoons whereas the carbonates were deposited in protected shallow marine to peritidal environments and ooid‐dominated grainstone shoals. Cyclicity is expressed both as lithological shifts from carbonate to CaSO4 deposition and in the stacking of facies during CaSO4 and carbonate deposition. The number of carbonate–evaporite cycles varies from 12 to 28, but the overall thickness of the succession varies only slightly as a result of variations in cycle thickness, from 0·5 to 13·0 m. Two basic types of carbonate units can be recognized and reflect a combination of allocyclic and autocyclic controls. In addition, differential subsidence along older north–south orientated lineaments added to the complexity of cyclicity. The study provides insight into the complexity of the controls on deposition, architecture and dynamics of large‐scale mixed carbonate–evaporite successions formed in the shallow inner part of an epeiric sea or platform.