bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Employee Goal Orientation, Work Unit Goal Orientation and Employee Creativity
Authors: Lee Hsu‐Hua , Yang Tsau‐Tang
Published: May 2015

For employee creativity to occur, organizations must build a context conducive to creativity, in addition to identifying employees with creative potential. Complementing and extending earlier research, we develop and test a cross‐level model about how work unit goal orientation might relate to employee creativity. We also theorize and examine the mediating role of employee information elaboration linking work unit goal orientation and employee creativity. We conduct a questionnaire survey based on multi‐source data from 340 employees comprising 53 teams in eight Taiwanese organizations. The results indicate that the work unit goal orientation is positively, whereas the work unit performance‐avoidance orientation is negatively, related to employee creativity through employee information elaboration. Furthermore, work unit goal orientation also plays a cross‐level moderating role: the positive relationship between individual‐level learning orientation and information elaboration is stronger when work unit learning orientation is higher, but weaker when work unit avoidance orientation is higher.
Risk of catecholaminergic crisis following glucocorticoid administration in patients with an adrenal mass: a literature review
Authors: Barrett Catherine , van Uum Stan H.M. , Lenders Jacques W.M.
Published: May 2015

Background

Glucocorticoids as diagnostic or therapeutic agents have been reported to carry an increased risk of catecholaminergic crisis (CC) in patients with pheochromocytoma or paraganglioma (PPGL).

Methods

We searched literature databases using the following terms: pheochromocytoma, paraganglioma, adrenal incidentaloma, steroids, glucocorticoids, dexamethasone suppression test (DST), hypertensive crisis, cosyntropin and CRH. From all published case reports (1962–2013), we reviewed medical history, presenting symptoms, dose and route of steroid administration, location and size of adrenal mass, biochemical phenotype and outcome.

Results

Twenty‐five case reports describing a CC were identified. Three patients with an adrenal incidentaloma suffered a CC following high‐dose DST, and in one case, this was fatal. In two of these patients, biochemical testing missed the diagnosis, and in the third, a DST was done despite elevated urinary metanephrines. No CC has been reported for patients undergoing a low‐dose DST. Three of 16 patients who received therapeutic glucocorticoids and four of six patients following cosyntropin testing died. No specific biochemical phenotype was related to adverse events.

Conclusions

Although a causal relationship cannot be established from this review, it seems prudent to exclude a PPGL in patients with a large incidentaloma or when high‐dose DST is considered in a patient with an incidentaloma of any size. Our literature review does not support the need for biochemical testing for PPGL prior to a low‐dose (1 mg) DST. Finally, before starting therapeutic glucocorticoids, any clinical signs or symptoms of a potential PPGL should prompt reliable biochemical testing to rule out a PPGL.
The need for an objective measure in septorhinoplasty surgery: are we any closer to finding an answer?
Authors: Andrews P.J. , Choudhury N. , Takhar A. , Poirrier A.L. , Jacques T. , Randhawa P.S.
Published: May 2015

Objectives

To assess the reliability of nasal inspiratory peak flow (NIPF) in providing a clinically accurate objective measure following functional septorhinoplasty by comparing it to the validated disease‐specific quality‐of‐life questionnaire, SNOT‐22. Studies so far have demonstrated poor correlation between bilateral NIPF and symptom‐specific nasal questionnaires following septorhinoplasty.

Design

To perform a prospective comparative analysis between NIPF and the validated disease‐specific quality‐of‐life questionnaire SNOT‐22 and to determine whether a correlation exists following septorhinoplasty surgery.

Setting

The Royal National Throat Nose and Ear Hospital, London.

Participants

A total of 122 patients (78 males, 44 females; mean age 33.5 ± 12.2 years) were recruited from the senior authors rhinology clinic and underwent functional septorhinoplasty surgery.

Main outcome measures

Preoperative and postoperative nasal inspiratory peak flow (NIPF) measurements were performed in addition to the completion of three subjective quality‐of‐life and symptom assessment tool questionnaires; Sinonasal Outcome Test 22 (SNOT‐22), Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS: 0–10).

Results

The mean preoperative NIPF was 88.2 L/min, and the postoperative value was 101.6 L/min and showed a significant improvement following surgery (P = 0.0064). The mean total SNOT‐22 score improved significantly from 48.6 to 26.6 (P < 0.0001); the NOSE score from 14.1 to 6.6 (P < 0.0001); and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) blockage score from 6.9 to 3.2 (P < 0.0001). All individual domains assessed showed improvements postoperatively, but no correlation was found between the NIPF and SNOT‐22 score. Equally, we did not find a correlation between NIPF and the symptom‐specific NOSE questionnaire and the nasal blockage domain on the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scale.

Conclusion

We have demonstrated that NIPF does not correlate with the SNOT‐22 disease‐specific questionnaire, although both outcomes significantly improve postoperatively. At present, we are still lacking a clinically accurate objective measure of nasal function for the evaluation of patients undergoing septorhinoplasty surgery.
Seeing Like a Geologist: Bayesian Use of Expert Categories in Location Memory
Authors: Holden Mark P. , Newcombe Nora S. , Resnick Ilyse , Shipley Thomas F.
Published: May 2015

Memory for spatial location is typically biased, with errors trending toward the center of a surrounding region. According to the category adjustment model (CAM), this bias reflects the optimal, Bayesian combination of fine‐grained and categorical representations of a location. However, there is disagreement about whether categories are malleable. For instance, can categories be redefined based on expert‐level conceptual knowledge? Furthermore, if expert knowledge is used, does it dominate other information sources, or is it used adaptively so as to minimize overall error, as predicted by a Bayesian framework? We address these questions using images of geological interest. The participants were experts in structural geology, organic chemistry, or English literature. Our data indicate that expertise‐based categories influence estimates of location memory—particularly when these categories better constrain errors than alternative (“novice”) categories. Results are discussed with respect to the CAM.
Influential entomology: a short review of the scientific, societal, economic and educational services provided by entomology
Authors: LEATHER SIMON R.
Published: May 2015

1. Entomology as a written science probably originated with the ancient Greeks; Aristotle being regarded as the first published entomologist. It was, however, not until the Renaissance and the invention of the microscope that any further advances were made. The formation of national entomological societies in the early and mid‐19th century heralded the blossoming of entomology as a scientific discipline.

2. The role of entomology in the development of ecology as a science is often overlooked, but important concepts in ecology such as the role and types of mimicry, the theoretical development of population dynamics and island biogeography all have their roots in the pioneering work of entomologists.

3. Insect products have long played a part in the economies of human civilizations stretching back several thousand years from the development of the silk industry in China to modern day uses of the excretory products of Hemiptera such as cochineal and shellac.

4. The study of entomology has had indirect applications in human medicine and genetics, such as the development of cryostorage techniques based on an understanding of the freeze‐avoidance strategies of Antarctic insects to the direct use of Dipteran larvae in maggot debridement therapy.

5. Insects and their products have been used as sources of food by humans since before written records existed, the use of honey for example, being recorded in pre‐historic cave drawings. Insects as recognisable entities such as lepidopteran larvae and adult locusts, play a significant role in the diets of some cultures, but increasingly, the idea that processed insect material can be used as mainstream human and livestock food is gaining ground with a number of commercial enterprises being formed.

6. Culturally insects have long inspired humans, from ancient Egypt and their veneration of scarab beetles, portrayal of insects in ancient Mesoamerican art, in European painting from the medieval period onwards and in literature, poetry, and the performing arts including cinema and music. Although the depiction of insects has not always been positive, it is undeniable that they have had a marked influence on human culture.

7. Insects have also influenced engineers, with their form and function inspiring the development of airless tyres, desert water collection devices and unmanned aerial vehicles.
Imaging learned fear circuitry in awake mice using fMRI
Authors: Harris Anjanette P. , Lennen Ross J. , Marshall Ian , Jansen Maurits A. , Pernet Cyril R. , Brydges Nichola M. , Duguid Ian C. , Holmes Megan C.
Published: May 2015

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of learned behaviour in ‘awake rodents’ provides the opportunity for translational preclinical studies into the influence of pharmacological and genetic manipulations on brain function. fMRI has recently been employed to investigate learned behaviour in awake rats. Here, this methodology is translated to mice, so that future fMRI studies may exploit the vast number of genetically modified mouse lines that are available. One group of mice was conditioned to associate a flashing light (conditioned stimulus, CS) with foot shock (PG; paired group), and another group of mice received foot shock and flashing light explicitly unpaired (UG; unpaired group). The blood oxygen level‐dependent signal (proxy for neuronal activation) in response to the CS was measured 24 h later in awake mice from the PG and UG using fMRI. The amygdala, implicated in fear processing, was activated to a greater degree in the PG than in the UG in response to the CS. Additionally, the nucleus accumbens was activated in the UG in response to the CS. Because the CS signalled an absence of foot shock in the UG, it is possible that this region is involved in processing the safety aspect of the CS. To conclude, the first use of fMRI to visualise brain activation in awake mice that are completing a learned emotional task is reported. This work paves the way for future preclinical fMRI studies to investigate genetic and environmental influences on brain function in transgenic mouse models of disease and aging.
Occupational toxic epidermal necrolysis associated with dalbergia cochinchinensis: a retrospective comparative study of eight cases in China
Authors: Yang Yongsheng , Zhang Zhen , Lu Xiaonian , Zhu Xiaohua , Huang Qiong , Liang Jun , Xu Jinhua
Published: May 2015

Background

Occupational toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) related to Dalbergia cochinchinensis has seldom been reported in the past. Its clinical characteristic needs to be investigated. This study reports eight cases of such disease in China.

Methods

Eight patients with occupational TEN admitted from 2003 to 2012 were retrospectively analyzed and compared with 15 patients admitted with TEN caused by drugs as controls. Patients all received combination therapy of corticosteroid and intravenous immunoglobulin. The times for bullous ceasing, tapering of corticosteroid, and total hospitalization were compared between the two groups of patients. SCORTEN, a severity‐of‐illness scoring system for TEN prognosis, was applied to evaluate clinical outcome.

Results

The three time measurements in occupational TEN were longer than those in control, and the differences were statistically significant (P = 0.0023, 0.026, 0.0017), which means the total dose of corticosteroid needed in occupational TEN was higher than that in the control. There were no deaths in the two groups, although expected deaths were 0.612 and 0.836, respectively.

Discussion

Occupational TEN has a longer progression than TEN caused by drugs, and there is more difficulty in its treatment. Clinicians should pay attention to this disease. However, its mechanism and target therapy remain unclear.
The returns to exporting: evidence from UK firms
Authors: Kneller Richard , Pisu Mauro
Published: May 2015

Abstract The question of learning versus self‐selection has dominated the micro‐econometric literature on firm export decisions without leading to any firm conclusions. In part this reflects the limited information content of the data typically used. In this paper we use survey data on UK firms to offer some new insights into this debate. We find that the majority of firms report benefits to exporting across a wide range of performance measures, including size, profitability, and the introduction of new products. These effects do not decline as the number of years of exporting rises if the export intensity of the firm rises.
Training and worker effort: a signalling perspective
Authors: Fan C. Simon , Wei Xiangdong
Published: May 2015

Abstract This paper analyzes the interaction between firms’ investment in general skills training and workers’ incentives. It shows that when a firm has an informational advantage over its workers, its provision of free general skills training can serve as a signal that there will be a long‐term relationship between the firm and its workers. This signal induces the workers to exert more effort in learning firm‐specific skills, which enhances the firm's profits. In contrast with most of the existing literature, the model implies that firms may provide free general skills training even if there is no labour market friction.
Workplace organization and innovation
Authors: Zoghi Cindy , Mohr Robert D. , Meyer Peter B.
Published: May 2015

Abstract This study uses panel data on Canadian establishments to explore the relationship between the organization of work – in particular decentralization, information‐sharing, and incentive pay schemes – and innovation. Like other studies, ours finds a clear positive link between these factors. However, the data give strong indications that this relationship is not causal. We show that: (1) the correlation between workplace organization and innovation holds for information‐sharing but is much weaker for decentralized decision‐making or incentive pay programs, (2) controls for unobserved heterogeneity significantly weaken results, and (3) lagged variables give no clear evidence that organizational changes predate innovation.
Investment opportunities in the source country and temporary migration
Authors: Djajić Slobodan
Published: May 2015

Abstract This paper examines how attractive investment opportunities available to temporary migrants at home affect their saving behaviour and the optimal duration of stay abroad. The model predicts an inverse U‐shaped relationship between migration duration and the expected rate of return on repatriated savings. A higher rate provides an incentive to go back earlier and consume less abroad, while it can also trigger emigration aimed at generating the savings required for investment after return. The paper illustrates how the behaviour of temporary migrants reflects the interaction between their preferences and the opportunities available in labour and capital markets of both countries.
Trade theorems with search unemployment
Authors: Sheng Yu , Xu Xinpeng
Published: May 2015

Abstract We revisit the Heckscher‐Ohlin‐Samuelson model in the presence of labour market frictions à la Mortensen‐Pissarides. Relaxing the assumption of the one‐worker‐one‐firm matching rule, we show that the Stolper‐Samuelson theorem and the Rybczynski theorem may not hold in specific circumstances. We also demonstrate that the Factor Price Equalization theorem is valid only for capital and unemployed labour across countries, but not for employed labour. In equilibrium, trade patterns are determined by countries’ factor endowments and relative factor intensities in sectors (independent of factor intensities in production). Finally, our results suggest an additional explanation for the ‘missing trade’ phenomenon.
Optimal privatization of vertical public utilities
Authors: Wen Jean‐François , Yuan Lasheng
Published: May 2015

Abstract We examine restructuring, divestiture, and deregulation of a vertically integrated public utility, (e.g., electricity), from a public finance perspective. How an optimal restructuring plan for the utility depends on the cost of public funds and on the X‐efficiency gains from privatization, how the optimal degree of competition in the upstream and downstream segments are connected, and implications of privatization for consumer prices are examined. The higher the cost of public funds, the more likely the post‐privatization price will exceed the regulated public utility price. The greater the X‐efficiency gains from privatization, the more likely the post‐privatization price will fall.
Subjective mortality expectations and consumption and saving behaviours among the elderly
Authors: Salm Martin
Published: May 2015

Abstract Life expectancy is an important factor that individuals have to take into account for saving and consumption choices. The life‐cycle model of consumption and saving behaviour predicts that consumption growth should decrease with higher mortality rates. The aim of this study is to test this hypothesis based on data about subjective longevity expectations from the Health and Retirement Study merged with detailed consumption data from two waves of the Consumption and Activities Mail Survey. This study finds that an increase in subjective mortality by 1% corresponds to an annual decrease in consumption of non‐durable goods of around 1.8%.
Casino regulations and economic welfare
Authors: Chang Juin‐Jen , Lai Ching‐Chong , Wang Ping
Published: May 2015

Abstract This paper studies the entry and tax regulation of oligopolistically competitive privately run casinos and government‐run casinos in a jurisdiction. We highlight three important external effects from casino‐style gambling: non‐casino income creation, social disorder costs, and cross‐border gambling. The laissez‐faire equilibrium need not be overcrowding compared with regulated or government‐run regimes. Entry regulation may lead to higher jurisdiction welfare than tax regulation. Government‐run casinos always operate on a larger scale and achieve higher welfare than other regimes, given the same number of casinos. With an endogenous fraction of external gamblers, a dispersed casino configuration yields higher welfare than a centralized one.
Preschools for Science: The Child Study Centre at the University of British Columbia, 1960–1997
Authors: Clark Penney , Gleason Mona , Petrina Stephen
Published: May 2015

Although not entirely neglected, the history of preschool reform and child study in Canada is understudied. Historians have documented the fate of “progressivism” in Canadian schooling through the 1930s along with postwar reforms that shaped the school system through the 1960s. But there are few case studies of child study centers and laboratory schools in Canada, despite their popularity in the latter half of the twentieth century. Histories of child study and child development tend to focus on the well-known Institute of Child Study directed by the renowned William E. Blatz in the Department of Psychology at the University of Toronto (U of T). Yet there were over twenty other child study centers established in Canadian universities during the 1960s and 1970s directed by little-known figures such as Alice Borden and Grace Bredin at the University of British Columbia (UBC).
Effect of Gd Content on Luminescence Properties of Eu3+‐Doped La2−xGdxZr2O7 Transparent Ceramics
Authors: Wang Zhengjuan , Zhou Guohong , Zhang Jian , Qin Xianpeng , Zhang Fang , Ai Jianping , Wang Shiwei
Published: May 2015

3 at.% Eu3+‐doped La2−xGdxZr2O7 (x = 0–2.0) transparent ceramics were fabricated by vacuum sintering. The effect of Gd content on crystal structure, in‐line transmittance, and luminescence property of the ceramics were investigated. The ceramics are all cubic pyrochlore structure with high transparency. The cut‐off edge of the transmittance curve of the ceramics varied with Gd content and was also affected by the annealing process. The luminescence intensity became stronger for the ceramics annealed in air. As Gd content increased, the energy band structure as well as the luminescence behavior of the ceramics was changed; in addition, the symmetry of the crystal lattice reduced, resulting in the shift of the strongest luminescence peak from 585 nm to around 630 nm.
Physical Activity Levels Among Adolescent and Young Adult Women and Men with and without Intellectual Disability
Authors: Sundahl Lina , Zetterberg Marie , Wester Anita , Rehn Börje , Blomqvist Sven
Published: May 2015

Background

As physical activity can prevent overweight and promote general health, the aim was to investigate the amount of physical activity among adolescent and young adult women and men with intellectual disability (ID), compared to age‐matched control groups without intellectual disability. A further aim was to examine whether physical activity level was associated with the body mass index (BMI).

Materials and methods

Fifty‐two adolescent and young adult women and men with intellectual disability and 48 without intellectual disability, between the ages 16 and 20 years, BMIs ranging from 16.3 to 50.3 kg/m2, were measured for number of steps taken with a pedometer for five consecutive days (Sunday–Thursday).

Results

The only group to meet recommendations regarding number of steps (10 000–12 000/day) was women without intellectual disability. No significant associations were found between total number of steps taken and BMI.

Conclusion

As the majority of adolescents and young adults with intellectual disability, especially women, did not reach recommended activity levels regardless of their BMIs, this call for broad measures to increase physical activity.
Legislative Scrutiny? The Political Economy and Practice of Legislative Vetoes in the European Union
Authors: Kaeding Michael , Stack Kevin M.
Published: May 2015

This article examines the European Parliament's and Council of Ministers' use of legislative vetoes to override the European Commission's rule‐making. Well‐established principles of political economy suggest that the Parliament and Council will exercise their veto powers infrequently. Using an original data set of legislative vetoes of Commission acts by both European legislators from June 2006 to April 2014, we show that levels of formal exercise of the legislative veto to overrule the Commission's regulatory policies are indeed very low. Particularly interesting is the fact that the level of exercise of legislative veto provisions has not increased significantly since the Lisbon Treaty came into effect, suggesting that the ways in which the Treaty formally augmented the powers of legislative scrutiny have not resulted in appreciably greater formal exercise of these powers. Moreover, no significant differences appear between the two European Union legislative bodies.
Strong selection on male plumage in a hybrid zone between a hybrid bird species and one of its parents
Authors: Bailey R. I. , Tesaker M. R. , Trier C. N. , Sætre G.‐P.
Published: May 2015

Homoploid hybrid speciation (HHS) requires reproductive barriers between hybrid and parent species, despite incomplete reproductive isolation (RI) between the parents. Novel secondary sexual trait values in hybrids may cause prezygotic isolation from both parents, whereas signals inherited by the hybrid from one parent species may cause prezygotic isolation with the other. Here we investigate whether differences in male plumage function as a premating barrier between the hybrid Italian sparrow and one of its parent species, the house sparrow, in a narrow Alpine hybrid zone. Italian sparrow male plumage is a composite mosaic of the parental traits, with its head plumage most similar to its other parent, the Spanish sparrow. We use geographical cline analysis to examine selection on three plumage traits, 75 nuclear single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and hybrid indices based on theseSNPs. SeveralSNPs showed evidence of restricted introgression in the Alps, supporting earlier findings. Crown colour exhibited the narrowest plumage cline, representing a 37% (range 4–65%) drop in fitness. The cline was too narrow to be due to neutral introgression. Only crown colour was significantly bimodal in the hybrid zone. Bimodality may be due toRIor a majorQTL, although fitness estimates suggest that selection contributes to the pattern. We discuss the implications with respect toHHSand the species status of the Italian sparrow.
Prevalence of potentially inappropriate medicine use in older New Zealanders: a population‐level study using the updated 2012 Beers criteria
Authors: Narayan Sujita W. , Nishtala Prasad S.
Published: May 2015

Rational, aims and objectives

To examine the prevalence of potentially inappropriate medicines (PIMs) in older New Zealanders at a population level.

Methods

De‐identified prescription data for all individuals ≥65 years were obtained from the Pharmaceutical Claims Data Mart for 2011. International Classification of Diseases‐10‐AM (version 6) codes were used to extract diagnostic information from the National Minimum Datasets and PIMs were identified using the updated Beers 2012 criteria.

Results

40.9% of older people were prescribed PIMs with approximately half dispensed ≥2 PIMs in 2011. Exposure was highest in individuals aged 65–74 years (68.9 ± 2.9). The most prevalent PIMs dispensed were diclofenac (6.0%), amitriptyline (4.9%), ibuprofen (4.6%), zopiclone (3.2%) and naproxen (3.0%). 66.3% of individuals were dispensed ≥1 and 80.8% were dispensed ≥2 medicines with a potential for drug‐disease/syndrome interaction.

Conclusions

The updated Beers 2012 criteria identified that the use of PIMs at a population level is common in older New Zealanders.
First Molecular Characterization of Cryptosporidium spp. Infecting Buffalo Calves in Brazil
Authors: Aquino Monally C. C. , Widmer Giovanni , Zucatto Anaiza S. , Viol Milena A. , Inácio Sandra V. , Nakamura Alex A. , Coelho Willian M. D. , Perri Silvia H. V. , Meireles Marcelo V. , Bresciani Katia D. S.
Published: May 2015

With the aim of determining the occurrence of Cryptosporidium spp., 222 fecal samples were collected from Murrah buffalo calves aged up to 6 mo. Fecal DNA was genotyped with a nested polymerase chain reaction targeting the 18S rRNA gene and sequencing of the amplified fragment. Nested 18S PCR was positive for 48.2% of the samples. Sequence analysis showed that the most frequent species in these animals was Cryptosporidium ryanae, which was present in buffalo calves as young as 5 d. The zoonotic species Cryptosporidium parvum was detected in one animal. An uncommon Cryptosporidium 18S genotype was found in buffaloes.
Phylogeny, Diversity, Distribution, and Host Specificity of Haemoproteus spp. (Apicomplexa: Haemosporida: Haemoproteidae) of Palaearctic Tortoises
Authors: Javanbakht Hossein , Kvičerová Jana , Dvořáková Nela , Mikulíček Peter , Sharifi Mozafar , Kautman Matej , Maršíková Aneta , Široký Pavel
Published: May 2015

A complex wide‐range study on the haemoproteid parasites of chelonians was carried out for the first time. Altogether, 811 samples from four tortoise species from an extensive area between western Morocco and eastern Afghanistan and between Romania and southern Syria were studied by a combination of microscopic and molecular‐genetic methods. Altogether 160 Haemoproteus‐positive samples were gathered in the area between central Anatolia and eastern Afghanistan. According to variability in the cytochrome b gene, two monophyletic evolutionary lineages were distinguished; by means of microscopic analysis it was revealed that they corresponded to two previously described species—Haemoproteus anatolicum and Haemoproteus caucasica. Their distribution areas overlap only in a narrow strip along the Zagros Mts. range in Iran. This fact suggests the involvement of two different vector species with separated distribution. Nevertheless, no vectors were confirmed. According to phylogenetic analyses, H. caucasica represented a sister group to H. anatolicum, and both of them were most closely related to H. pacayae and H. peltocephali, described from South American river turtles. Four unique haplotypes were revealed in the population of H. caucasica, compared with seven haplotypes in H. anatolicum. Furthermore, H. caucasica was detected in two tortoise species, Testudo graeca and Testudo horsfieldii, providing evidence that Haemoproteus is not strictly host‐specific to the tortoise host species.
Quantifying alosine prey in the diets of marine piscivores in the Gulf of Maine
Authors: McDermott S. P. , Bransome N. C. , Sutton S. E. , Smith B. E. , Link J. S. , Miller T. J.
Published: May 2015

The objectives of this work were to quantify the spatial and temporal distribution of the occurrence of anadromous fishes (alewife Alosa pseudoharengus, blueback herring Alosa aestivalis and American shad Alosa sapidissima) in the stomachs of demersal fishes in coastal waters of the north‐west Atlantic Ocean. Results show that anadromous fishes were detectable and quantifiable in the diets of common marine piscivores for every season sampled. Even though anadromous fishes were not the most abundant prey, they accounted for c. 5–10% of the diet by mass for several marine piscivores. Statistical comparisons of these data with fish diet data from a broad‐scale survey of the north‐west Atlantic Ocean indicate that the frequency of this trophic interaction was significantly higher within spatially and temporally focused sampling areas of this study than in the broad‐scale survey. Odds ratios of anadromous predation were as much as 460 times higher in the targeted sampling as compared with the broad‐scale sampling. Analyses indicate that anadromous prey consumption was more concentrated in the near‐coastal waters compared with consumption of a similar, but more widely distributed species, the Atlantic herring Clupea harengus. In the context of ecosystem‐based fisheries management, the results suggest that even low‐frequency feeding events may be locally important, and should be incorporated into ecosystem models.
Validity of the Mini‐Mental State Examination and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment in the Prediction of Driving Test Outcome
Authors: Hollis Ann M. , Duncanson Haley , Kapust Lissa R. , Xi Patricia M. , O'Connor Margaret G.
Published: May 2015

Objectives

To evaluate the effectiveness of two cognitive screening measures, the Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), in predicting driving test outcome for individuals with and without cognitive impairment.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

A clinical driving evaluation program at a teaching hospital in the United States.

Participants

Adult drivers who underwent assessment with the MMSE and MoCA as part of a comprehensive driving evaluation between 2010 and 2014 (N = 92).

Measurements

MMSE and MoCA total scores were independent variables. The outcome measure was performance on a standardized road test.

Results

A preestablished diagnosis of cognitive impairment enhanced the validity of cognitive screening measures in the identification of at‐risk drivers. In individuals with cognitive impairment there was a significant relationship between MoCA score and on‐road outcome. Specifically, an individual was 1.36 times as likely to fail the road test with each 1‐point decrease in MoCA score. No such relationship was detected in those without a diagnosis of cognitive impairment.

Conclusion

For individuals who have not been diagnosed with cognitive impairment, neither the MMSE nor the MoCA can be reliably used as an indicator of driving risk, but for individuals with a preestablished diagnosis of cognitive impairment, the MoCA is a useful tool in this regard. A score on the MoCA of 18 or less should raise concerns about driving safety.
Consistent Differences in Medical Unit Fall Rates: Implications for Research and Practice
Authors: Staggs Vincent S. , Mion Lorraine C. , Shorr Ronald I.
Published: May 2015

Objectives

To determine the proportion of variation in long‐term fall rates attributable to variability between rather than within hospital units and to identify unit‐ and hospital‐level characteristics associated with persistently low‐ and high‐fall units.

Design

Retrospective study of administrative data on inpatient falls. Eighty low‐fall and 74 high‐fall units were identified based on monthly rankings of fall rates. Unit‐ and hospital‐level characteristics of these units were compared.

Setting

U.S. general hospitals participating in the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators.

Participants

Nonsubspecialty medical units (n = 800) with 24 consecutive months of falls data.

Measurements

Monthly self‐reported unit fall rates (falls per 1,000 patient‐days).

Results

An estimated 87% of variation in 24‐month fall rates was due to between‐unit differences. With the exception of patient‐days, a proxy for unit bed size, low‐ and high‐fall units did not differ on nurse staffing or any other unit or hospital characteristic variable.

Conclusion

There are medical units with persistently low and persistently high fall rates. High‐fall units had higher patient volume, suggesting patient turnover as a variable for further study. Understanding additional factors underlying variability in long‐term fall rates could lead to sustainable interventions for reducing inpatient falls.
Cost‐Effectiveness of a Barcelona Home Care Program for Individuals with Multimorbidity
Authors: Vilà Anna , Villegas Eulàlia , Cruanyes Jordi , Delgado Rosa , Sabaté Rosa‐Ana , Ortega Josep , Araguás Cristina , Humet Carlos ,   the Program for the Care of Patients with Multimorbidity
Published: May 2015

To improve the efficiency and effectiveness of care and optimize healthcare resources, a home healthcare program was created for individuals with multiple chronic conditions. Demographic and clinical characteristics of the 261 individuals (mean age 84) included in the program from its inception in 2011 through 2013 (mean stay in the program 203 ± 192 days) were prospectively analyzed. The number of hospital admissions, length of stay, and costs for individuals admitted to the program were compared for two time periods: the 6 months before admission to the program and their stay in the program. After admission to the program, the number of hospital admissions and the hospital length of stay per person per month decreased from 0.36 ± 0.21 to 0.19 ± 0.52 (P < .001) and from 3.5 to 1 day (P < .001), respectively. Surveys of randomly selected patients and caregivers showed high satisfaction with the program. Costs per person per day decreased from €54.65 (US$73.12) to €17.91 (US$23.96), a reduction of 67.1%. Fewer admissions and shorter hospital stays enabled the hospital to eliminate five acute beds for every 50 individuals admitted to the program. In conclusion, home care for individuals with chronic illness with multimorbidity reduced the number of hospital admissions and length of stay, resulting in good patient satisfaction and lower costs.
Changing Trends in, and Characteristics Associated with, Not Undergoing Cardiac Catheterization in Elderly Adults Hospitalized with ST‐Segment Elevation Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Tisminetzky Mayra , Erskine Nathaniel , Chen Han‐Yang , Gore Joel , Gurwitz Jerry , Yarzebski Jorge , Joffe Samuel , Shaw Peter , Goldberg Robert
Published: May 2015

Objectives

To describe decade‐ long trends (1999–2009) in the rates of not undergoing cardiac catheterization and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in individuals aged 65 and older presenting with an ST‐segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI) and factors associated with not undergoing these procedures.

Design

Observational population‐based study.

Setting

Worcester, Massachusetts, metropolitan area.

Participants

Individuals aged 65 and older hospitalized for an STEMI in six biennial periods between 1999 and 2009 at 11 central Massachusetts medical centers (N = 960).

Measurements

Analyses were conducted to examine the characteristics of people who did not undergo cardiac catheterization overall and stratified into two age strata (65–74, ≥75).

Results

Between 1999 and 2009, dramatic declines (from 59.4% to 7.5%) were observed in the proportion of older adults who did not undergo cardiac catheterization at all greater Worcester hospitals. These declines were observed in individuals aged 65 to 74 (58.4–6.7%) and in those aged 75 and older (69.4–13.5%). The proportion of individuals not undergoing PCI after undergoing cardiac catheterization decreased from 36.6% in 1999 to 6.5% in 2009. Women, individuals with a prior MI, those with do‐not‐resuscitate orders, and those with various comorbidities were less likely to have undergone these procedures than comparison groups.

Conclusion

Older adults who develop an STEMI are increasingly likely to undergo cardiac catheterization and PCI, but several high‐risk groups remain less likely to undergo these procedures.
Age‐Related Macular Degeneration and Mortality in Older Women: The Study of Osteoporotic Fractures
Authors: Pedula Kathryn L. , Coleman Anne L. , Yu Fei , Cauley Jane A. , Ensrud Kristine E. , Hochberg Marc C. , Fink Howard A. , Hillier Teresa A. ,   the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures Research Group
Published: May 2015

Objectives

To examine the association between age‐related macular degeneration (AMD) and all‐cause and cause‐specific mortality in a population of older women.

Design

Prospective cohort study.

Setting

Four U.S. clinical centers.

Participants

A random sample of 1,202 women with graded fundus photographs at the Year 10 visit of the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures (mean age 79.5).

Measurements

Forty‐five‐degree stereoscopic fundus photographs were graded for presence and severity (early vs late) of AMD. Vital status was adjudicated from death certificates. Cox proportional hazards models, adjusted for appropriate confounders, were used to estimate mortality hazards ratios.

Results

Prevalence of any AMD was 40.5% at baseline, with 441 (36.7%) having early AMD and 46 (3.8%) having late AMD. Cumulative mortality was 51.6% over 15 years of follow‐up. Overall, there was no significant association between AMD presence or severity and all‐cause or cause‐specific mortality. Because there was a significant interaction between AMD and age in predicting mortality (P < .05 for each mortality type), analyses were stratified according to age group. In women younger than 80, after adjusting for covariates, late AMD was associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality (hazard ratio (HR) = 2.61, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.05–6.46). In women aged 80 and older, early AMD was associated with all‐cause (HR = 1.39, 95% CI = 1.11–1.75) and non‐CVD, noncancer (HR = 1.45, 95% CI = 1.05–2.00) mortality. Any AMD was associated with all‐cause (HR = 1.42, 95% CI = 1.13–1.78) and CVD (HR = 1.45, 95% CI = 1.01–2.09) mortality in women aged 80 and older.

Conclusion

AMD is a predictor of poorer survival in women, especially those aged 80 and older. Determination of shared risk factors may identify novel pathways for intervention that may reduce the risk of both conditions.
Rosiglitazone‐activated PPARγ induces neurotrophic factor‐α1 transcription contributing to neuroprotection
Authors: Thouennon Erwan , Cheng Yong , Falahatian Vida , Cawley Niamh X. , Loh Yoke Peng
Published: May 2015

Brain peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily of ligand‐dependent transcription factors, is involved in neuroprotection. It is activated by the drug rosiglitazone, which then can increase the pro‐survival protein B‐cell lymphoma 2 (BCL‐2), to mediate neuroprotection. However, the mechanism underlying this molecular cascade remains unknown. Here, we show that the neuroprotective protein neurotrophic factor‐α1 (NF‐α1), which also induces the expression of BCL‐2, has a promoter that contains PPARγ‐binding sites that are activated by rosiglitazone. Treatment of Neuro2a cells and primary hippocampal neurons with rosiglitazone increased endogenous NF‐α1 expression and prevented H2O2‐induced cytotoxicity. Concomitant with the increase in NF‐α1, BCL‐2 was also increased in these cells. When siRNA against NF‐α1 was used, the induction of BCL‐2 by rosiglitazone was prevented, and the neuroprotective effect of rosiglitazone was reduced. These results demonstrate that rosiglitazone‐activated PPARγ directly induces the transcription of NF‐α1, contributing to neuroprotection in neurons.

image

We proposed the following cascade for neuroprotection against oxidative stress by rosiglitazone: Rosiglitazone enters the neuron and binds to peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) in the nucleus. The PPARγ‐rosiglitazone complex binds to the neurotrophic factor‐α1 (NF‐α1) promoter and activates the transcription of NF‐α1 mRNA which is then translated to the protein. NF‐α1 is the secreted, binds to a cognate receptor and activates the extracellular signal‐regulated kinases (ERK) pathway. This in turn enhances the expression of the pro‐survival protein, B‐cell lymphoma 2 (BCL‐2) and inhibition of caspase 3 (Csp‐3) to mediate neuroprotection under oxidative stress. Akt, protein kinase B (PKB).
Alteration of cartilage surface collagen fibers differs locally after immobilization of knee joints in rats
Authors: Nagai Momoko , Aoyama Tomoki , Ito Akira , Tajino Junichi , Iijima Hirotaka , Yamaguchi Shoki , Zhang Xiangkai , Kuroki Hiroshi
Published: May 2015

The purpose of this study was to examine the ultrastructural changes of surface cartilage collagen fibers, which differ by region and the length of the experimental period in an immobilization model of rat. Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into histological or macroscopic and ultrastructural assessment groups. The left knees of all the animals were surgically immobilized by external fixation for 1, 2, 4, 8 or 16 weeks (n = 5/time point). Sagittal histological sections of the medial mid‐condylar region of the knee were obtained and assessed in four specific regions (contact and peripheral regions of the femur and tibia) and two zones (superficial and deep). To semi‐quantify the staining intensity of the collagen fibers in the cartilage, picrosirius red staining was used. The cartilage surface changes of all the assessed regions were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). From histological and SEM observations, the fibrillation and irregular changes of the cartilage surface were more severe in the peripheral region than in the contact region. Interestingly, at 16 weeks post‐immobilization, we observed non‐fibrous structures at both the contact and peripheral regions. The collagen fiber staining intensity decreased in the contact region compared with the peripheral region. In conclusion, the alteration of surface collagen fiber ultrastructure and collagen staining intensity differed by the specific cartilage regions after immobilization. These results demonstrate that the progressive degeneration of cartilage is region specific, and depends on the length of the immobilization period.
Picking Winners? Investment Consultants’ Recommendations of Fund Managers
Authors: JENKINSON TIM , JONES HOWARD , MARTINEZ JOSE VICENTE
Published: May 2015

Investment consultants advise institutional investors on their choice of fund manager. Focusing on U.S. actively managed equity funds, we analyze the factors that drive consultants’ recommendations, what impact these recommendations have on flows, and how well the recommended funds perform. We find that investment consultants’ recommendations of funds are driven largely by soft factors, rather than the funds’ past performance, and that their recommendations have a significant effect on fund flows. However, we find no evidence that these recommendations add value, suggesting that the search for winners, encouraged and guided by investment consultants, is fruitless.
Detection and Identification of Phytoplasmas in Pomegranate Trees with Yellows Symptoms
Authors: Gazel Mona , Çağlayan Kadriye , Başpınar Hüseyin , Mejia Juan F. , Paltrinieri Samanta , Bertaccini Assunta , Contaldo Nicoletta
Published: May 2015

Symptoms resembling those associated with phytoplasma presence were observed in pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) trees in June 2012 in the Aegean Region of Turkey (Aydın province). The trees exhibiting yellowing, reduced vigour, deformations and reddening of the leaves and die‐back symptoms were analysed to verify phytoplasma presence. Total nucleic acids were extracted from fresh leaf midribs and phloem tissue from young branches of ten symptomatic and five asymptomatic plants. Nested polymerase chain reaction assays using universal phytoplasma‐specific 16S rRNA and tuf gene primers were performed. Amplicons were digested with Tru1I, Tsp509I and HhaI restriction enzymes, according to the primer pair employed. The phytoplasma profiles were identical to each other and to aster yellows (16SrI‐B) strain when digestion was carried out on 16Sr(I)F1/R1 amplicons. However, one of the samples showed mixed profiles indicating that 16SrI‐B and 16SrXII‐A phytoplasmas were present when M1/M2 amplicons were digested, the reamplification of this sample with tuf cocktail primers allowed to verify the presence of a 16SrXII‐A profile. One pomegranate aster yellows strain AY‐PG from 16S rRNA gene and the 16SrXII‐A amplicon from tuf gene designed strain STOL‐PG were directly sequenced and deposited in GenBank under the Accession Numbers KJ818293 and KP161063, respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first report of 16SrI‐B and 16SrXII‐A phytoplasmas in pomegranate trees.
An Empirical Sectoral Model of Unconventional Monetary Policy: The Impact of QE
Authors: Cloyne James , Thomas Ryland , Tuckett Alex , Wills Samuel
Published: May 2015

This paper describes a sectoral empirical model of money and credit in the UK that can be used for analysing unconventional monetary policies that affect banks’ balance sheets. The paper uses the model to assess the impact of QE on the UK economy focussing on the endogenous portfolio response of banks, financial companies and non‐financial companies. The baseline results support the quantitative estimates found by other studies, but suggest the impact of QE is sensitive to the assumption about whether and to what extent QE affects bank lending.
Choice, Rights, and Virtue: Prenatal Testing and Styles of Moral Reasoning in Aotearoa/New Zealand
Authors: Fitzgerald Ruth P. , Legge Michael , Park Julie
Published: May 2015

Using a Foucauldian biopower analytic, this article combines insights from several ethnographic research projects around the moral reasoning styles underpinning debates over selective reproductive technologies in Aotearoa/New Zealand. We show that divergent or shared public, private, state, individual, and community moral reasoning styles become highly politicized truth discourses that have the potential to, and at times do, affect one another, modifying a dominant, state‐supported, principal‐based bioethics framework. The styles of moral reasoning that we identify pivot on an aspirational cultural ideal of the provision of choice to citizens, which is taken as an appropriate position from which to regulate selective reproductive technologies.