bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diagnostic Performance of Placental Growth Factor in Women With Suspected Preeclampsia Attending Antenatal Facilities in Maputo, Mozambique
Authors: Ukah U. Vivian , Mbofana Francisco , Rocha Beatriz Manriquez , Loquiha Osvaldo , Mudenyanga Chishamiso , Usta Momade , Urso Marilena , Drebit Sharla , Magee Laura A. , von Dadelszen Peter
Published: January 2017

In well-resourced settings, reduced circulating maternal-free placental growth factor (PlGF) aids in either predicting or confirming the diagnosis of preeclampsia, fetal growth restriction, stillbirth, preterm birth, and delivery within 14 days of testing when preeclampsia is suspected. This blinded, prospective cohort study of maternal plasma PlGF in women with suspected preeclampsia was conducted in antenatal clinics in Maputo, Mozambique. The primary outcome was the clinic-to-delivery interval. Other outcomes included: confirmed diagnosis of preeclampsia, transfer to higher care, mode of delivery, intrauterine fetal death, preterm birth, and low birth weight. Of 696 women, 95 (13.6%) and 601 (86.4%) women had either low (<100 pg/mL) or normal (≥100 pg/mL) plasma PlGF, respectively. The clinic-to-delivery interval was shorter in low PlGF, compared with normal PlGF, women (median 24 days [interquartile range, 10–49] versus 44 [24–81],
P
=0.0042). Also, low PlGF was associated with a confirmed diagnosis of preeclampsia, higher blood pressure, transfer for higher care, earlier gestational age delivery, delivery within 7 and 14 days, preterm birth, cesarean delivery, lower birth weight, and perinatal loss. In urban Mozambican women with symptoms or signs suggestive of preeclampsia, low maternal plasma PlGF concentrations are associated with increased risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes, whether the diagnosis of preeclampsia is confirmed. Therefore, PlGF should improve the provision of precision medicine to individual women and improve pregnancy outcomes for those with preeclampsia or related placenta-mediated complications.
What Is Morphological Computation? On How the Body Contributes to Cognition and Control
Authors: Müller Vincent C. , Hoffmann Matej
Published: January 2017

The contribution of the body to cognition and control in natural and artificial agents is increasingly described as “offloading computation from the brain to the body,” where the body is said to perform “morphological computation.” Our investigation of four characteristic cases of morphological computation in animals and robots shows that the “offloading” perspective is misleading. Actually, the contribution of body morphology to cognition and control is rarely computational, in any useful sense of the word. We thus distinguish (1) morphology that facilitates control, (2) morphology that facilitates perception, and the rare cases of (3) morphological computation proper, such as reservoir computing, where the body is actually used for computation. This result contributes to the understanding of the relation between embodiment and computation: The question for robot design and cognitive science is not whether computation is offloaded to the body, but to what extent the body facilitates cognition and control—how it contributes to the overall orchestration of intelligent behavior.
Descriptions of eight species from the superfamilies Axioidea Huxley, 1879 and Callianassoidea Dana, 1852, with a revised key to the species of the genus Acanthaxius Sakai & De Saint Laurent, 1989 (Decapoda, Callianassidea)
Authors: Sakai Katsushi
Published: January 2017

In the present paper, two new species, Acanthaxius kashimaensis sp. nov. and A. pseudopolyacanthus sp. nov., are described and a revised key to the species of the genus Acanthaxius Sakai & De Saint Laurent, 1989 is presented. In addition, Balssaxius habereri (Balss, 1913) and Boasaxius princeps (Boas, 1880) of the family Axiidae Huxley, 1879, Neaxius glyptocercus (Von Martens, 1869) of the family Strahlaxiidae Poore, 1994, together with Trypaea truncata (Giard & Bonnier, 1890) of the family Callianassidae Dana, 1852, and two species, Calliax lobata (De Gaillande & Lagardère, 1966) and Calliaxina punica (De Saint Laurent & Manning, 1982), of the family Eucalliacidae Manning & Felder, 1991 [sensu Sakai, 2011], are commented upon. The descriptions given herein result from the examination of specimens collected from Ise-Shima, Mie Prefecture and Ôfunato-City, Iwate Prefecture, as well as from Iriomote Island, Ryukyu Islands, Japan, and from material collected from Salamis, Saronikos Gulf, Greece, and the Palinuro Seamount, southern Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy.
Heteromysis sabelliphila sp. nov. (Mysida, Mysidae, Heteromysinae) in facultative association with sabellids from the Cape Verde Islands (subtropical N.E. Atlantic)
Authors: Wittmann Karl J. , Wirtz Peter
Published: January 2017

A survey of crustaceans associated with benthic invertebrates in near-shore habitats at islands of the Cape Verde archipelago yielded a new species belonging to the genus Heteromysis, subgenus Olivemysis: H. sabelliphila sp. nov. shows a non-obligatory association with the sabellid polychaete Branchiomma nigromaculatum only during the night. This is the first documented mysid–polychaete association. The mysids apparently took particles collected by the polychaete, suggesting a kleptoparasitic interspecific relationship. A set of three specifically modified setae on the antennular trunk is shared by the new species with two Heteromysis species from Madeira (subtropical N.E. Atlantic), suggesting a close morphological relationship within the subgenus Olivemysis: with H. wirtzi, commensal of the sea anemone Telmatactis cricoides, and with H. dardani, commensal of the hermit crab Dardanus calidus. A key to the Heteromysinae of the E. Atlantic and Mediterranean is given.
Precocious mating in the freshwater crab Candidiopotamon rathbunae (De Man, 1914)
Authors: Liu Hung-Chang , Hartnoll Richard G.
Published: January 2017

In Brachyura copulation prior to the instar in which females become fully morphologically and functionally mature (i.e., produce fertile eggs) is exceptional. However, in the freshwater crab Candidiopotamon rathbunae (family Potamidae), adult males frequently mate with immature females (precocious mating). The size of female functional maturity is 22-23 mm carapace width. Immature females larger than 15 mm carapace width are observed mating, usually have sperm in their seminal receptacles, and this sperm is retained through subsequent moults. Precocious mating in C. rathbunae could potentially increase the reproductive capacity of females. It could have evolved as an adaptation to a seasonally amphibious life, during which the mating opportunities are reduced compared to a permanently aquatic lifestyle. Data from the few other brachyuran taxa with precocious mating fail to indicate a common rationale.
On a new species of Shanphusa Yeo & Ng, 2007 (Brachyura, Potamoidea, Potamidae), from a cave in central Myanmar
Authors: Ng Peter K. L. , Whitten Anthony J.
Published: January 2017

The potamid freshwater crab genus Shanphusa Yeo & Ng, 2007, currently contains two species from Shan State in Myanmar (= Burma): S. browneana (Kemp, 1918) (type species) and S. curtobates (Kemp, 1918). A third species, S. ywarngan sp. nov. is described from a cave in the region. The new species can easily be distinguished from its congeners by various carapace features, shape of the male telson, and structure of the male first gonopod.
Afrikaner Missionaries and the Slippery Slope of Praying for Rain
Authors: Müller Retief
Published: January 2017

Rain prayers and ‘rainmaking’ have been much commented upon in respect to African religions including Christianity. This ritual practice was one of the issues that many colonial-era missionaries to Southern and Central Africa mentioned in their diaries and other materials. Their responses were often quite negative, but in certain cases there were attempts by missionaries to meet the indigenous discourse, if not exactly halfway, then at least in some manner by substituting Christian rain prayers for what was often seen as ‘heathen superstition’. This article concerns a much neglected group of missionaries in academic discourse, Afrikaners from the Dutch Reformed Church in the Cape Colony to wider Africa. It considers how they responded to indigenous requests or demands for rain prayers, and subtly poses the thesis that they were in some cases influenced and even convinced against their self-proclaimed biases to consider rain prayers from the indigenous point of view.
Type revision of Asiatic bees of the genus Hylaeus F. described by Ferdinand Morawitz (Hymenoptera: Apoidea, Colletidae)
Authors: DATHE HOLGER H. , PROSHCHALYKIN MAXIM YU.
Published: January 2017

The type specimens of the bee genus Hylaeus Fabricius, 1793 described by Ferdinand Morawitz from Asia and deposited in the Zoological Museum of the Moscow State University and in the Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences St. Petersburg, are critically reviewed. Precise information with illustrations of types for 39 taxa is provided. New synonymy is established for Hylaeus incongruus Förster, 1871 (= H. biareolatus Morawitz, 1876, syn. nov.); H. breviceps Morawitz, 1876 (= H. bivittatus Morawitz, 1876, syn. nov.); H. punctiscapus Morawitz, 1876 (= H. citrinipes Morawitz, 1893, syn. nov.); H. dolichocephalus Morawitz, 1876 (=Prosopis heliaca Warncke, 1992, syn. nov.); H. laticeps Morawitz, 1876 (= H. nigritarsis Morawitz, 1876, syn. nov.); H. medialis Morawitz, 1890 (= H. bimaculatus Chen & Xu, 2013, syn. nov.). Lectotypes are here designated for the following six nominal taxa: Hylaeus citrinipes Morawitz, 1893, H. flavipes Morawitz, 1876, H. ibex Morawitz, 1877, H. punctiventris Morawitz, 1876, H. trisignatus Morawitz, 1876, and H. turanicus Morawitz, 1876.
A remarkable new species of Polochridium Gussakovskij, 1932 (Hymenoptera: Sapygidae) from China
Authors: YUE QI , LI YI-CHENG , XU ZAI-FU
Published: January 2017

A new species, Polochridium spinosum Yue, Li & Xu, sp. nov. (China: Hunan, Shaanxi, Henan), is described and illustrated. A key to the four Chinese species of Sapygidae is given.
NFLUX Satellite-Based Surface Radiative Heat Fluxes. Part II: Gridded Products
Authors: May Jackie C. , Rowley Clark , Barron Charlie N.
Published: January 2017

The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) ocean surface flux (NFLUX) system provides near-real-time satellite-based gridded surface heat flux fields over the global ocean within hours of the observed satellite measurements. NFLUX can serve as an alternative to current numerical weather prediction models—in particular, the U. S. Navy Global Environmental Model (NAVGEM)—that provide surface forcing fields to operational ocean models. This study discusses the satellite-based shortwave and longwave global gridded analysis fields, which complete the full suite of NFLUX-provided ocean surface heat fluxes. A companion paper discusses the production of satellite swath-level surface shortwave radiation and longwave radiation estimates. The swath-level shortwave radiation estimates are converted into clearness-index values. Clearness index reduces the dependency on solar zenith angle, which allows for the assimilation of observations over a given time window. An automated quality-control process is applied to the swath-level estimates of clearness index and surface longwave radiation. Then 2D variational analyses of the quality-controlled satellite estimates with background atmospheric model fields form global gridded radiative heat flux fields. The clearness-index analysis fields are converted into shortwave analysis fields to be used in other applications. Three-hourly shortwave and longwave analysis fields are created from 1 May 2013 through 30 April 2014. These fields are validated against observations from research vessels and moored-buoy platforms and compared with NAVGEM. With the exception of the mean bias, the NFLUX fields have smaller errors when compared with those of NAVGEM.
Diagnostic accuracy of lipopolysaccharide-binding protein for sepsis in patients with suspected infection in the emergency department
Authors: García de Guadiana Romualdo Luis , Albaladejo Otón María Dolores , Rebollo Acebes Sergio , Esteban Torrella Patricia , Hernando Holgado Ana , Jiménez Santos Enrique , Jiménez Sánchez Roberto , Ortón Freire Alejandro
Published: January 2017

Background

Biomarkers can facilitate the diagnosis of sepsis, enabling early management and improving outcomes. Lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) has been reported as a biomarker for the detection of infection, but its diagnostic value is controversial. In this study, we assessed the diagnostic accuracy of LBP for sepsis in the emergency department (ED) patients, comparing it with more established biomarkers of sepsis, including procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP).

Methods

LBP and other sepsis biomarkers, including PCT and CRP, were measured on admission in 102 adult patients presenting with suspected infection . Classification of patients was performed using the recently updated definition for sepsis (Sepsis-3). The diagnostic accuracy of LBP, CRP and PCT for sepsis was evaluated by using receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis.

Results

A total of 49 patients were classified as having sepsis. In these patients, median (interquartile range) LBP (41.8 [41.1] µg/dL vs. 26.2 [25] µg/dL), CRP (240 [205] mg/L vs. 160 [148] mg/dL) and PCT (5.19 [13.68] µg/L vs. 0.39 [1.09] µg/L) were significantly higher than in patients classified as not having sepsis ( P < 0.001 for all three biomarkers). ROC curve analysis and area under curve (AUC) revealed a value of 0.701 for LBP, similar to CRP (0.707) and lower than that for PCT (0.844) ( P = 0.012).

Conclusion

In adult ED patients with suspected infection, the diagnostic accuracy for sepsis of LBP is similar to that of CRP but lower than that of PCT.
Electronic Heath Record Prompts May Increase Screening for Secondhand Smoke Exposure
Authors: Thomas Katharine E.H. , Kisely Steve , Urrego Fernando
Published: January 2017

Introduction. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that pediatricians promote smoking cessation among caregivers at every visit. Currently, there are inconsistencies between recommendations and clinical practice. This study aims to compare results generated from 3 intervention methods on the rate at which pediatricians screen for secondhand smoke exposure (SHSe). Methods. Pediatricians were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 intervention groups: no lecture, changes in electronic health record (EHR) (G1); lecture, no changes in the EHR (G2); or a lecture and EHR changes (G3). Data between groups were compared using a 1-way analysis of variance. Results. Documentation of SHSe was statistically significantly greater in G3, when compared with G1 and G2 ( P < .01). Documentation of SHSe was statistically significantly greater in G1, when compared with G2 ( P < .05). Conclusion. A brief lecture with EHR prompts may be a simple way to increase screening for SHSe in the pediatric primary care setting.
Mental health and public policies implemented in the Northeast of Brazil: A systematic review with meta-analysis
Authors: Januário Sonilde Saraiva , das Neves Peixoto Florido Sampaio , Lima Nádia Nara Rolim , do Nascimento Vânia Barbosa , de Sousa Danilo Ferreira , Pereira Luz Dayse Christina Rodrigues , da Silva Claúdio Gleidiston Lima , Rolim Neto Modesto Leite
Published: January 2017

Introduction:

Studies about mental disorders are very rare in the Northeast of Brazil, especially when psychopathologies in children and adolescents are considered. The consequence is a small availability of data and an absence of a real epidemiological profile.

Methods:

This is a systematic review with meta-analysis, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) protocol, in the period from 2003 to 2015, using the databases LILACS, SciELO and BVS. The analysis comprised the keywords ‘models of primary and secondary healthcare in mental health’, ‘psychiatric reform’ and ‘policies and services in mental health’, using the Boolean operator ‘# AND’. Original texts based on secondary data from the Hospital Information System of the Brazilian Unified Health System were also included via the Citizen Electronic Record System, Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística, and Ministry of Health. Grey literature was used by means of hand searching.

Results:

A combined analysis of the strategies mentioned in the analyzed articles shows a combined odds ratio of 1.291 (confidence interval (CI) = 1.054–1.582), thus it demonstrates the efficacy of using such strategies in the elaboration of institutional apparatus in mental health. The p-value of the chi-square distribution resulted in .9753, which does not reject the hypothesis of association between strategies in mental health and possible development of institutional apparatus in mental health.

Conclusions:

A combined analysis of all strategies mentioned in the analyzed studies shows efficacy of using strategies to elaborate institutional apparatus in mental health.
Outcomes of a care coordinated service model for persons with severe and persistent mental illness: A qualitative study
Authors: Isaacs Anton N , Sutton Keith , Dalziel Kim , Maybery Darryl
Published: January 2017

Background:

Owing to difficulties faced by individuals with severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI) in accessing multiple services, the Australian Government trialed a care coordinated service model called the Partners in Recovery (PIR) initiative.

Material:

A total of 45 stakeholders in Gippsland were asked what difference the initiative had made.

Discussion:

The PIR initiative benefited not only clients and carers but also service providers. It addressed an unmet need in service delivery for individuals with SPMI.

Conclusion:

The PIR initiative has filled a gap in delivery of care for individuals with SPMI in Gippsland.
Policing through social networking
Authors: Aiello Michael F
Published: January 2017

Researchers are starting to explore predictive models for departmental usage of opportunities to self-represent online. This is the first study to independently address police social networking in the US across a variety of social media platforms. Using the sampling frame of the 558 ‘self-representing’ municipal police department respondents in the 2007 Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics (LEMAS) data, I collected information concerning whether departments maintained active accounts on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube in 2014. The LEMAS data provides key independent variables concerning each department’s community-oriented policing commitment and technological sophistication. Ultimately, these organisational features are not predictive of departmental use of any of the three social networking sites.
Branding Palliative Care Units by Avoiding the Terms “Palliative” and “Hospice”
Authors: Dai Ying-Xiu , Chen Tzeng-Ji , Lin Ming-Hwai
Published: January 2017

The term “palliative care” has a negative connotation and may act as a barrier to early patient referrals. Rebranding has thus been proposed as a strategy to reduce the negative perceptions associated with palliative care. For example, using the term “supportive care” instead of “palliative care” in naming palliative care units has been proposed in several studies. In Taiwan, terms other than “palliative” and “hospice” are already widely used in the names of palliative care units. With this in mind, this study investigated the characteristics of palliative care unit names in order to better understand the role of naming in palliative care. Relevant data were collected from the Taiwan Academy of Hospice Palliative Medicine, the National Health Insurance Administration of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the open database maintained by the government of Taiwan. We found a clear phenomenon of avoiding use of the terms “palliative” and “hospice” in the naming of palliative care units, a phenomenon that reflects the stigma attached to the terms “palliative” and “hospice” in Taiwan. At the time of the study (September, 2016), there were 55 palliative care units in Taiwan. Only 20.0% (n = 11) of the palliative care unit names included the term “palliative,” while 25.2% (n = 14) included the term “hospice.” Religiously affiliated hospitals were less likely to use the terms “palliative” and “hospice” (χ2 = 11.461, P = .001). There was also a lower prevalence of use of the terms “palliative” and “hospice” for naming palliative care units in private hospitals than in public hospitals (χ2 = 4.61, P = .032). This finding highlights the strong stigma attached to the terms “palliative” and “hospice” in Taiwan. It is hypothesized that sociocultural and religious factors may partially account for this phenomenon.
A New Perspective on Method Variance: A Measure-Centric Approach
Authors: Spector Paul E. , Rosen Christopher C. , Richardson Hettie A. , Williams Larry J. , Johnson Russell E.
Published: January 2017

A widespread methodological concern in the organizational literature is the possibility that observed results are due to the influence of common-method variance or mono-method bias. This concern is based on a conception of method variance as being produced by the nature of the method itself, and therefore, variables assessed with the same method would share common-method variance that inflates observed correlations. In this paper, we argue for a more complex view of method variance that consists of multiple sources that affect each measured variable in a potentially unique way. Shared sources among measures (common-method variance) act to inflate correlations, whereas unshared sources (uncommon-method variance) act to attenuate correlations. Two empirical examples, one from a simulation study and the other from a single-source survey, are presented to illustrate the complex action of multiple sources of method variance. A five-step approach is suggested whereby a theory of the measure is generated for each measured variable that would inform strategies to control for method variance by assessing and modeling the actions of identified method variance sources.
Electoral Politics in Indian Punjab
Authors: Kumar Ashutosh
Published: January 2017

The forthcoming Assembly elections in Punjab in early 2017 indicate signs of a new phase in the electoral history of this state, largely dominated earlier by various political alliances headed by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) under Jat Sikh leadership. Presented within the wider Indian electoral landscape, this article offers an analytical overview of Punjab’s electoral politics as it has evolved since partition from the vantage point of SAD. It is argued that there are several good reasons why traditional SAD domination and style of leadership are presently being challenged through a combination of new political actors and, significantly, changing awareness among a very diverse electorate about what to expect from any government one elects.
Detectable voice change with the edrophonium test in laryngeal myasthenia gravis
Authors: Tsunoda Koichi , Fujimaki Yoko , Morita Yoko
Published: January 2017

A case of laryngeal myasthenia gravis in a 65-year-old woman presenting with hoarseness as the sole symptom is reported. Voice spectrography was performed before and after injection of intravenous edrophonium. There was a marked improvement in the patient’s voice after the administration of edrophonium, which was confirmed by the changes seen on the sound spectrogram. This was the only objective indication of a diagnosis of myasthenia gravis. No thymoma was seen on chest X-ray and the patient was negative for anti-acetylcholine receptor antibodies. Treatment for laryngeal myasthenia gravis was initiated and the patient’s vocal problems resolved. This case emphasizes the need to consider systemic diseases in the differential diagnosis of hoarseness and demonstrates the need for careful follow-up in such patients.
Heparinized saline versus normal saline for maintaining peripheral venous catheter patency in China: An open-label, randomized controlled study
Authors: Xu Lichun , Hu Yan , Huang Xiaojin , Fu Jianguo , Zhang Jinhui
Published: January 2017

Objective

To evaluate the effects of heparin saline versus normal saline as locking solution for maintaining patency in peripheral venous catheters in Chinese patients.

Methods

This open-label, randomized controlled study was conducted in two hepatobiliary surgery wards, where patients received identical treatments, at a tertiary referral hospital. Patients were randomly divided into a normal saline group (NS, 3 ml) or a heparin saline group (HS, 50 IU/ml, 3 ml) for catheter sealing.

Results

The study enrolled 286 patients and 609 peripheral venous catheters were included in the analysis. The patients in the two groups had no local infections or catheter-related bloodstream infections. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of the rate of catheter obstruction, duration time, or the rates of phlebitis, infiltration, and accidental catheter removal.

Conclusions

No significant differences in the peripheral venous catheter sealing effects were observed between normal saline and heparin saline usage in Chinese patients.
New onset or worsening of psoriasis following biologic therapy: A case series
Authors: Bruzzese Vincenzo , De Francesco Vincenzo , Hassan Cesare , Lorenzetti Roberto , Scolieri Palma , Marrese Cinzia , Zullo Angelo
Published: January 2017

Biologic therapies may cause so-called “paradoxical side-effects,” that is, the onset or exacerbation of new symptoms/diseases for which biological treatment should be effective. Among these, psoriatic skin lesions have been described. We report a case series of ten patients with either new onset (seven cases) or worsening (three cases) of psoriasis occurring during a biologic therapy. Six patients were receiving a biologic monotherapy, while four patients were in combination treatment with methotrexate (MTX). Psoriasis remission was observed in two patients who discontinued biologic therapy. In the six patients in whom biologic therapy was not discontinued, a complete disappearance or a partial improvement of skin lesions was achieved following topic steroid therapy in two patients and three patients, respectively. In the remaining patient, psoriasis developed during Adalimumab monotherapy, which completely disappeared when the Infliximab and MTX combination was started. The potential pathogenetic mechanisms were shortly reviewed.
Endogenous bone morphogenetic protein 2 plays a role in vascular smooth muscle cell calcification induced by interleukin 6 in vitro
Authors: Sun Mingshu , Chang Qing , Xin Miaomiao , Wang Qian , Li Hua , Qian Jiaqi
Published: January 2017

Systemic inflammation is involved in vascular calcification and cardiovascular disease which is the leading cause of mortality in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A high level of serum interleukin (IL)-6 plays a key role in local and systemic inflammation in RA. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We established a human umbilical artery smooth muscle cell (HUASMC) culturing method to investigate the possible role of IL-6 on vascular calcification. HUASMCs were obtained from umbilical arteries of healthy neonates. To detect calcification effects, HUASMCs were treated with (experimental group) or without (control group) recombinant human (rh) IL-6. The calcium deposition stain and calcium concentrations were measured, as well as the mRNA and protein levels of the regulating factor of osteogenic differentiation-bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) 2 and those calcifying related molecules including bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BAP), osteoprotegerin (OPG), and osteopontin (OPN). Our study showed that rhIL-6 induced calcification of HUASMCs in a time- and dose-dependent manner, and upregulated expressions of BMP2, BAP, OPG, and OPN of HUASMCs. We then used the anti-BMP2 siRNA to knockdown the expression of endogenous BMP2 to confirm its role. HUASMCs were transfected with negative siRNA (control group) or the valid anti-BMP2 siRNA (experimental group) before they were treated with rhIL-6. Cells transfected with negative siRNA without IL-6 stimulating served as the blank group. The results showed that anti-BMP2 siRNA markedly decreased expressions of BMP2, BAP, OPG, and OPN, and also partly reduced the calcification of HUASMCs induced by rhIL-6. Collectively, according to our study, rhIL-6 could induce the extracellular calcification and osteogenic differentiation of human artery smooth muscle cells through upregulating endogenous BMP2 in vitro. This may be one of the underlying mechanisms of the overwhelming vascular calcification in RA.
The Novelty Penalty
Authors: Cooney Gus , Gilbert Daniel T. , Wilson Timothy D.
Published: January 2017

People often tell each other stories about their past experiences. But do they tell the right ones? Speakers and listeners predicted that listeners would enjoy hearing novel stories (i.e., stories about experiences the listeners had never had) more than familiar stories (i.e., stories about experiences the listeners had already had). In fact, listeners enjoyed hearing familiar stories much more than novel ones (Studies 1 and 2). This did not happen because the familiar and novel stories differed in their content or delivery (Study 3). Rather, it happened because human speech is riddled with informational gaps, and familiar stories allow listeners to use their own knowledge to fill in those gaps (Study 4). We discuss reasons why novel stories are more difficult to tell, and why familiar stories are more enjoyable to hear, than either speakers or listeners expect.
Confrontational yet submissive: Calculated ambivalence and populist parties’ strategies of responding to racism accusations in the media
Authors: Hatakka Niko , Niemi Mari K , Välimäki Matti
Published: January 2017

This article provides an analysis and typology of the discursive strategies nationalist-populist anti-immigration parties use when responding to racism accusations in mainstream news. The typology is based on a three-party comparative analysis of statements given in national public service media by the representatives of three electorally successful Northwestern European populist parties – the UK Independence Party, the Finns Party and the Sweden Democrats. When responding to racism accusations, populist parties use both submissive and confrontational sets of discursive strategies in varying combinations to communicate an ambivalent attitude towards racism. This ambivalence is communicated both on the level of an individual speaker utilizing several strategies and on the level of multiple speakers communicating contradictory messages. The comparative analysis suggests that country-specific contexts, and the statuses of both the persons under accusation and the responders giving statements, affect to what extent responses to racism accusations tend to be confrontational.
A Study of Childcare Teacher Retention in the Childcare Service Industry
Authors: Pek-Greer Philly , Wallace Michelle
Published: January 2017

There is relatively little research on teacher retention in the Singaporean early childhood industry, yet this is an important workforce issue because of the rapid expansion of childcare centres to meet the growing needs of parents in Singapore. This qualitative study aims to identify the dominant, contemporary factors that influence childcare teachers’ intentions to continue working in the Singaporean childcare industry. The unit of analysis is the individual; hence, the focus of investigation is on the lived experiences of current childcare teachers in the Singaporean workforce. This study provides important insights into childcare teachers’ perspectives on their work and factors that influence them in decisions about whether to continue working in the childcare sector in Singapore. In total, 102 qualified childcare teachers participated in this qualitative study. In summary, it was found that significant factors such as employee remuneration, employee benefits, work environment and professional development opportunities influence childcare teachers’ retention in the Singaporean early childhood industry.
Entrepreneurial Choice of Investment Capital for House-based Industries
Authors: Mukherjee Shrabani
Published: January 2017

The lack of access to formal credit at affordable cost is the most critical constraint faced by the rural entrepreneurs to get involved in business activities. This study captures the binding constraints for entrepreneurs to obtain their investment capital from subsidised formal credit market. A binary probit model confirms that formal and informal credit behave as imperfect substitutes for investment and an ordered probit analysis claims that huge complexity in lending process of formal sector becomes a major restraint to access the institutional credit and thus makes the formal credit costlier than alternative sources to use it for industrious purposes.
A pioneering era of accounting history: The contributions of nineteenth-century Italian literature and its enduring dissemination around the globe
Authors: Coronella Stefano , Antonelli Valerio , Lombrano Alessandro
Published: January 2017

The aim of this article is to show the contributions to the accounting history literature made by Italian scholars working in the second half of the nineteenth century. These scholars comprised the world’s first community of academics, practitioners, office bearers and historians dealing in a systematic way with accounting’s past. They invented the narrative of accounting history and their historical re-enactments on relevant topics have been the basis for further historical research for many years. The last decades of the nineteenth century saw great development in historical studies of accounting, both in and outside of the academies. These studies were mainly of three types: (a) general histories, which examined the evolution of accounting practices from antiquity to the late nineteenth century; (b) investigations of the origins of double-entry and Pacioli; and (c) research on the evolution of accounting practices. Some of the most prominent books and papers published in this period have become widely known abroad. This article contributes to knowledge of early international accounting historians and can be linked to the field of accounting history today. It also demonstrates the widespread dissemination of this early Italian literature around the world, thereby forming the first example of international accounting history.
Clinical use of nutraceuticals in the adjunctive treatment of depression in mood disorders
Authors: Sarris Jerome
Published: January 2017

Objectives:

The aim of this paper is to detail a summary of the current evidence in this area, to better inform clinical practice. Our recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses of nutrient pharmacotherapies in the treatment unipolar depression revealed primarily positive results for replicated studies testing S-adenosyl methionine (SAMe), methylfolate, omega-3 (EPA or ethyl-EPA), and Vitamin D; with supportive isolated studies found for creatine and an amino acid combination. Mixed results were found for zinc, folic acid, Vitamin C, and tryptophan; and non-significant study results for inositol. In bipolar depression, omega-3 and N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) were found to have supportive evidence, with an isolated study using a chelated mineral formula also displaying efficacy. No major adverse effects were noted in the studies (aside from occasional minor digestive disturbances with omega-3 and NAC).

Conclusions:

Several clinical considerations are needed when psychiatrists are considering prescribing nutrients, including knowledge of drug interactions, supplement safety and quality issues, individual psychological and biochemical individualities, in addition to cost factors.
Are people with severe mental illness ready for online interventions? Access and use of the Internet in Australian mental health service users
Authors: Thomas Neil , Foley Fiona , Lindblom Katrina , Lee Stuart
Published: January 2017

Objectives:

The Internet is increasingly used in mental health service delivery, but there are significant potential barriers to Internet access for persons with severe mental illness (SMI). There is a need to understand this group’s access to, and confidence with using, the Internet, and current views on using online resources as part of mental healthcare.

Method:

A survey was conducted of 100 consumers attending a specialist mental health service in Melbourne, Australia.

Results:

Approximately three-quarters of participants had regular access to the Internet, and two-thirds used the Internet weekly or more. Half of the sample used email at least weekly, and a third were regular users of social networking sites. Internet access was often via mobile devices. Only a minority of participants used the Internet for mental health information, with video streaming and general websites accessed more often than peer forums for mental health content. Most participants were positive about their mental health worker using tablet computers with them in appointments for delivery of mental health materials.

Conclusion:

Most people with SMI are active Internet users and, therefore, able to use interventions online.
“You didn’t tell us what to do”: trauma2 and critical incident responses in remote Indigenous settings
Authors: Hunter Ernest
Published: January 2017

Objective:

The aim of this paper is to outline engagement and practice principles for psychiatrists contributing to responses to critical incidents, based on three decades of experience in remote Indigenous Australia.

Conclusion:

Psychiatrists have important roles in these settings and situations, which should be considered in advance and informed by cultivated relationships.
Impact of Warfarin Persistence on Health-Care Utilization and Costs Among Patients With Atrial Fibrillation Managed in Anticoagulation Clinics in the United States
Authors: Deitelzweig Steven B. , Evans Michael , Trocio Jeffrey , Gupta Kiran , Lingohr-Smith Melissa , Menges Brandy , Lin Jay
Published: January 2017

Warfarin is a recommended therapy to reduce the risk of stroke in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). The objectives of this study were to identify potential factors associated with warfarin persistence and evaluate the impact of warfarin persistence on health-care resource utilization and costs among patients with NVAF in the United States. Patients (≥18 years) with ≥1 inpatient or ≥2 outpatient diagnoses of AF without valvular disease were identified from an electronic medical record database (January 1, 2004, to January 31, 2015). The patients with NVAF were grouped into 2 cohorts—persistent with warfarin therapy and not persistent (warfarin discontinuation in <365 days). A multivariable regression was used to identify potential predictors of warfarin persistence. Health-care costs were evaluated during a 12-month follow-up period for study cohorts. Among the study population, 52%, (n = 4086) were persistent with warfarin therapy and 48% (n = 3722) were not. Patients with NVAF with higher Charlson comorbidity index and CHADS2 scores versus those with scores of 0 were more likely to demonstrate persistence with warfarin therapy. After adjusting for patient characteristics, patients with NVAF persistent with warfarin therapy versus those who were not were 30% less likely to be hospitalized during the follow-up period ( P < .001). Additionally, total all-cause health-care costs (US $2183, P < .001) and stroke-related costs (US $788, P < .001) were significantly lower among patients persistent with warfarin therapy versus those who were not. Patients with NVAF who have greater comorbidity and stroke risk are more likely to be persistent with warfarin therapy. Patients with NVAF who are persistent with warfarin therapy versus those who are not have lower all-cause and stroke-related health-care costs.
Why a management concept fails to support managers’ work: The case of the ‘core competence of a corporation’
Authors: Schaupp Marika , Virkkunen Jaakko
Published: January 2017

Management concepts are both products and instruments of abstractive thinking. This conceptual article discusses the relationship between different forms of abstraction and the practical relevance of management concepts. It focuses on the difference between empirical and theoretical abstraction. The former serves to categorize while the latter serves to explain and construct. We argue that this distinction can partly explain the difficulties managers face when using the management concepts that researchers have introduced. To substantiate our claim, we analyse the creation and use of the concept of a corporation’s core competence. The analysis shows how, in this case, a theoretical abstraction of a novel strategic principle turned into an empirical abstraction, which in practice has triggered unproductive attempts to categorize existing competencies rather than create new ones.
Poverty, corruption, trade, or terrorism? Strategic framing in the politics of UK anti-bribery compliance
Authors: Gutterman Ellen
Published: January 2017

What explains longstanding UK non-compliance with international anti-bribery norms? Drawing on evidence from a comparative study of state compliance with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) anti-bribery Convention and building on the literature on ‘framing’ in Sociology and International Relations, this article identifies and illustrates the impact of strategic policy framing on UK anti-bribery policy in the years following the United Kingdom’s commitment to criminalize transnational business bribes, in 1997. The research examines the way in which anti-bribery proponents and opponents framed the practice of transnational bribery differently across four distinct policy contexts in the United Kingdom: international development and poverty reduction, domestic anti-corruption, strategic trade, and—following 11 September 2001—international anti-terrorism. The analysis shows that: (a) policy advocates’ choice of frame crucially affected the timing and scope of UK anti-bribery legislation and the extent of UK (non)compliance with international anti-corruption law; and (b) the expedient frame was not necessarily the most conducive to full compliance.
Design of a controllable variable buoyancy module and its performance analysis as a cascaded system for selective underwater deployment
Authors: Ranganathan Thiyagarajan , Singh Vijendra , Nair Ranjith , Thondiyath Asokan
Published: January 2017

Variable buoyancy systems (VBSs) are commonly used in underwater vehicles to achieve efficient heave motion. Most of the time, these systems are used as a part of conventional underwater vehicles with diverse methods to achieve the necessary buoyancy variation. The potential of VBSs as standalone systems for heave motion underwater has not been given due attention and is still an unexplored area. In this paper, the design of a VBS as a standalone module for heave control and the possibility of using multiple such modules in a cascaded structure for selective underwater deployment is presented. Such cascaded systems have a variety of applications ranging from coastal surveillance to selective deployment for ocean sampling, and so on. A metallic-bellows-based variable buoyancy module (VBM), actuated using linear actuators, is proposed here. The mathematical modelling of the VBM and its open-loop performance are analysed for suitability with regards to the system to be cascaded. Two prototypes have been developed based on the optimal design requirements and tested. The developed modules are simple and efficient for shallow water applications, and can be used as add-ons for existing underwater vehicles or can just be used as standalone systems. These two modules are then cascaded and the performance of the cascaded system is analysed with simulations and experiments. The analysis shows the suitability of the system for selective deployment at various depths.
A Cultural Competence Organizational Review for Community Health Services: Insights From a Participatory Approach
Authors: Truong Mandy , Gibbs Lisa , Pradel Veronika , Morris Michal , Gwatirisa Pauline , Tadic Maryanne , de Silva Andrea , Hall Martin , Young Dana , Riggs Elisha , Calache Hanny , Gussy Mark , Watt Richard , Gondal Iqbal , Waters Elizabeth
Published: January 2017

Cultural competence is an important aspect of health service access and delivery in health promotion and community health. Although a number of frameworks and tools are available to assist health service organizations improve their services to diverse communities, there are few published studies describing organizational cultural competence assessments and the extent to which these tools facilitate cultural competence. This article addresses this gap by describing the development of a cultural competence assessment, intervention, and evaluation tool called the Cultural Competence Organizational Review (CORe) and its implementation in three community sector organizations. Baseline and follow-up staff surveys and document audits were conducted at each participating organization. Process data and organizational documentation were used to evaluate and monitor the experience of CORe within the organizations. Results at follow-up indicated an overall positive trend in organizational cultural competence at each organization in terms of both policy and practice. Organizations that are able to embed actions to improve organizational cultural competence within broader organizational plans increase the likelihood of sustainable changes to policies, procedures, and practice within the organization. The benefits and lessons learned from the implementation of CORe are discussed.
An approximation method for evaluating the reliability of a dynamic k-out-of-n:F system subjected to cyclic alternating operation conditions
Authors: Lin Cong , Cui Lirong , Coit David , Lv Min
Published: January 2017

This article extends the finite Markov chain imbedding approach to evaluate the system reliability of a dynamic k-out-of- n:F system operating under two cyclic alternating conditions, and this article presents a method to obtain the optimal replacement interval of the system according to age-based replacement policy. In terms of the “dynamic k-out-of- n:F” model, we regard the system as two distinct k-out-of- n:F systems with different values of k while the system is operating under each condition. We apply the proposed model to analyze the reliability of a wireless sensor network, whose sensors switching into sleep state to save energy and shifting into listen state to detect the information alternatively. We also obtain the optimal replacement interval to redeploy the wireless sensor networks.
A new stress–strength model for systems subject to stochastic shocks
Authors: Levitin Gregory , Finkelstein Maxim
Published: January 2017

A new general approach for obtaining system survival probability under the Poisson shock process is suggested. It takes into account the explicitly defined distribution of shock magnitude (stress) and system strength deterioration caused by the previous shocks. The approach can be used for any form of stress distribution, strength deterioration function and stress–strength interplay model. Specifically, we use the contest success function to model the stress–strength interplay and a cumulative stress ratio form function to represent strength deterioration. Numerical examples illustrating the obtained results are presented.