bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Buddhism of Tibet
Authors: Waddell Laurence Austine
Published: June 2015

Laurence Austine Waddell (1854–1938) qualified in medicine and chemistry at Glasgow University and in 1880 embarked on a successful career in the colonial Indian Medical Service which took him to Darjeeling, Burma and Tibet, and eventually an academic post at Calcutta Medical College. In addition, Waddell studied Sanskrit and published extensively on Tibet (his books Among the Himalayas (1899) and Lhasa and its Mysteries (1905) are also reissued in the Cambridge Library Collection). This landmark study of Tibetan Buddhism first appeared in 1895. Waddell cites earlier European scholarship, including that of Burnouf (also reissued), but emphasises that his book is based on original field research at temples and among the lay population. It covers the history of Tibetan Buddhism, its relationship with other branches of Buddhism, doctrine, places of worship, rituals and festivals, popular religion and the occult. It also includes around 200 illustrations and a substantial bibliography.
Full Industry Equilibrium
Authors: Opocher Arrigo , Steedman Ian
Published: June 2015

This highly original book develops a systematic zero-net-profit comparative statics theory of the firm that challenges many widely held views in microeconomics. It builds a bridge between the marginalist long-run theory of the firm and Sraffian theory to create a unified theoretical framework that explains how firms react to exogenous shocks resulting in new equilibrium positions of the whole economy. The central message of the book is that too often economists expect more from the microeconomic laws of input demand and output supply than they can really give. The authors show that the zero-net-profit condition requires a more articulated analysis that sometimes yields qualitative results contrary to those of familiar economic laws. Written for academic researchers and graduate students, the book will be of particular interest to those working on the microeconomics of industry equilibrium, comparative statics and Sraffian economics.
Fastorum libri sex
Authors: Ovid
Published: June 2015

Sir James Frazer (1854–1941) is best remembered today for The Golden Bough, widely considered to be one of the most important early texts in the fields of psychology and anthropology. Originally a classical scholar, Frazer also published this five-volume edition of Ovid's Fasti in 1929. It contains the text and a parallel English translation, with commentary on the six books, indexes, illustrations, and plans. Frazer's interest in Ovid's unfinished final poem arose from his wide-ranging studies of ancient literature and the origins of myth. The work describes the origins of the Roman calendar with its sacred, feast, and remembrance days, and ranges from the deeds of major gods and heroes to the strange rites involved in placating the goddess of mildew. Volume 1 contains the text and translation of all six books. Other works by Frazer are also reissued in the Cambridge Library Collection.
Fastorum libri sex
Authors: Ovid
Published: June 2015

Sir James Frazer (1854–1941) is best remembered today for The Golden Bough, widely considered to be one of the most important early texts in the fields of psychology and anthropology. Originally a classical scholar, Frazer also published this five-volume edition of Ovid's Fasti in 1929. It contains the text and a parallel English translation, with commentary on the six books, indexes, illustrations, and plans. Frazer's interest in Ovid's unfinished final poem arose from his wide-ranging studies of ancient literature and the origins of myth. The work describes the origins of the Roman calendar with its sacred days, and ranges from the deeds of major gods and heroes to the strange rites involved in placating the goddess of mildew. Volume 4 contains Frazer's commentary on Books V and VI, dealing with the Roman months of May and June. Other works by Frazer are also reissued in the Cambridge Library Collection.
A History of the Later Roman Empire
Authors: Bury J. B.
Published: June 2015

The classical historian J. B. Bury (1861–1927) was the author of a history of Greece which was a standard textbook for over a century. He also wrote on later periods, and, in this two-volume work of 1889, examines Byzantine history from 395 to 800. Arguing for the underlying continuity of the Roman empire from the time of Augustus until 1453, Bury nevertheless begins his account in the year in which, on the death of Theodosius I, the empire was divided into eastern and western parts, and Constantinople began to take on the metropolitan role formerly held by Rome. Volume 2, after reviewing Justinian's legacy, takes the history down from the accession of Justin II to the death of Irene in 803. Topics examined include civil strife, including the period of iconoclasm, and the increasing problems of maintaining the imperial borders against incursions from both east and west.
Recherches sur les ossemens fossiles des quadrupèdes
Authors: Cuvier Georges
Published: June 2015

Georges Cuvier (1769–1832), one of the founding figures of vertebrate palaeontology, pursued a successful scientific career despite the political upheavals in France during his lifetime. In the 1790s, Cuvier's work on fossils of large mammals including mammoths enabled him to show that extinction was a scientific fact. In 1812 Cuvier published this collection of his geological and osteological papers, focusing on living and extinct pachyderms, ruminants, horses and pigs. Volume 1 begins with a substantial essay on human origins and the formation of the earth, which was translated into English by Robert Kerr in 1813 (also available). It also includes an essay on the Egyptian ibis mummy brought back from Napoleon's campaign in Egypt, and an updated version of Cuvier's influential 1810 geological description of the Paris basin, co-authored with Alexandre Brogniart (1770–1847), which helped establish the principle of faunal succession in rock strata of different ages.
Recherches sur les ossemens fossiles des quadrupèdes
Authors: Cuvier Georges
Published: June 2015

Georges Cuvier (1769–1832), one of the founding figures of vertebrate palaeontology, pursued a successful scientific career despite the political upheavals in France during his lifetime. In the 1790s, Cuvier's work on fossils of large mammals including mammoths enabled him to show that extinction was a scientific fact. In 1812 Cuvier published this four-volume illustrated collection of his papers on palaeontology, osteology and stratigraphy. It was followed in 1817 by his famous Le règne animal, available in the Cambridge Library Collection both in French and in Edward Griffith's expanded English translation (1827–35). Volume 2 of Recherches sur les ossemens fossiles describes eleven species of pachyderm found in recent alluvial deposits. They include elephants, mastodons, rhinoceros, hippopotamus, tapir and the hyrax (which Cuvier classified as an ungulate rather than a rodent). Cuvier argued from osteological comparisons with living species that all should be considered distinct species in their own right.
Recherches sur les ossemens fossiles des quadrupèdes
Authors: Cuvier Georges
Published: June 2015

Georges Cuvier (1769–1832), one of the founding figures of vertebrate palaeontology, pursued a successful scientific career despite the political upheavals in France during his lifetime. In the 1790s, Cuvier's work on fossils of large mammals including mammoths enabled him to show that extinction was a scientific fact. In 1812 Cuvier published this four-volume illustrated collection of his papers on palaeontology, osteology (notably dentition) and stratigraphy. It was followed in 1817 by his famous Le règne animal, available in the Cambridge Library Collection both in French and in Edward Griffith's expanded English translation (1827–35). Volume 3 of Recherches sur les ossemens fossiles recounts Cuvier's excitement at acquiring fossils from gypsum quarries near Paris, and the challenges of piecing the fragments together correctly. Cuvier describes the methodical reconstruction of the pachyderm fossils and lists other fossils occurring in the same rock formations: carnivores, an opossum, birds, reptiles, and fish.
Whole Genome Sequencing in Real-Time Investigation and Management of a Pseudomonas aeruginosa Outbreak on a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Davis Rebecca J. , Jensen Slade O. , Van Hal Sebastiaan , Espedido Björn , Gordon Adrienne , Farhat Rima , Chan Raymond
Published: June 2015

OBJECTIVE

To use whole genome sequencing to describe the likely origin of an outbreak of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a neonatal unit.

DESIGN

Outbreak investigation.

SETTING

The neonatal intensive care unit service of a major obstetric tertiary referral center.

PATIENTS

Infants admitted to the neonatal unit who developed P. aeruginosa colonization or infection.

METHODS

We undertook whole genome sequencing of P. aeruginosa strains isolated from colonized infants and from the neonatal unit environment.

RESULTS

Eighteen infants were colonized with P. aeruginosa. Isolates from 12 infants and 7 environmental samples were sequenced. All but one of the clinical isolates clustered in ST253 and no differences were detected between unmapped reads. The environmental isolates revealed a variety of sequence types, indicating a large diverse bioburden within the unit, which was subsequently confirmed via enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus–polymerase chain reaction typing of post-outbreak isolates. One environmental isolate, obtained from a sink in the unit, clustered within ST253 and differed from the outbreak strain by 9 single-nucleotide polymorphisms only. This information allowed us to focus infection control activities on this sink.

CONCLUSIONS

Whole genome sequencing can provide detailed information in a clinically relevant time frame to aid management of outbreaks in critical patient management areas. The superior discriminatory power of this method makes it a powerful tool in infection control.

Infect. Control Hosp. Epidemiol. 2015;36(9):1058–1064
The dynamic relationship between cash transfers and child health: can the child support grant in South Africa make a difference to child nutrition?
Authors: Zembe-Mkabile Wanga , Ramokolo Vundli , Sanders David , Jackson Debra , Doherty Tanya
Published: June 2015

Objective

Cash transfer programmes targeting children are considered an effective strategy for addressing child poverty and for improving child health outcomes in developing countries. In South Africa, the Child Support Grant (CSG) is the largest cash transfer programme targeting children from poor households. The present paper investigates the association of the duration of CSG receipt with child growth at 2 years in three diverse areas of South Africa.

Design

The study analysed data on CSG receipt and anthropometric measurements from children. Predictors of stunting were assessed using a backward regression model.

Setting

Paarl (peri-urban), Rietvlei (rural) and Umlazi (urban township), South Africa, 2008.

Subjects

Children (n746), median age 22 months.

Results

High rates of stunting were observed in Umlazi (28 %), Rietvlei (20 %) and Paarl (17 %). Duration of CSG receipt had no effect on stunting. HIV exposure (adjusted OR=2·30; 95 % CI 1·31, 4·03) and low birth weight (adjusted=OR 2·01, 95 % CI 1·02, 3·96) were associated with stunting, and maternal education had a protective effect on stunting.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that, despite the presence of the CSG, high rates of stunting among poor children continue unabated in South Africa. We argue that the effect of the CSG on nutritional status may have been eroded by food price inflation and limited progress in the provision of other important interventions and social services.
Effect of Different Stocking Densities on Growth and Production Performances of Chevron Snakehead Channa striata in Fiberglass Tanks
Authors: Amin S M N , Muntaziana M P A , Kamarudin M S , Rahim A A , Rahman M Aminur
Published: June 2015

Grow-out culture trials of the highly valued Chevron Snakehead Channa sriata were carried out under different stocking densities in fiberglass tanks. Fingerlings stocked at 20 individuals/m2 were designated as treatment 1 (T1), 30 individuals/m2 as treatment 2 (T2), and 40 individuals/m2 as treatment 3 (T3). The initial mean ± SE body weights (1.93 ± 0.01, 1.57 ± 0.16, and 1.90 ± 0.02 g, respectively) and initial mean ± SE body lengths (6.22 ± 0.05, 5.86 ± 0.20, and 6.26 ± 0.01 cm, respectively) of snakeheads at stocking were similar in all the treatments. After stocking, fish in all the experimental tanks were fed commercial pellets containing 44% crude protein and 6% crude fat. The feed was given at a rate of 6% of the estimated body weight of fish twice daily (0900 and 1700 hours). Physicochemical water quality conditions such as temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, and total ammonia nitrogen were maintained within the suitable range for fish culture. Final weight, final length, and weight gain of snakeheads were significantly higher in T1 than in T2 and T3. The specific growth rate (SGR) was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in T1 and T2 than in T3. The best feed conversion ratio (FCR) was obtained by fish in T2, followed by those in T1 and T3. Survival was slightly higher in T1 and T2 than in T3, but no significant differences were recognized among the treatments. Despite this, the significantly highest gross and net productions of snakehead were obtained at the highest density (T3) and the lowest at the lowest density (T1). Therefore, in terms of production, a stocking density of 40 individuals/m2 may be recommended for the large-scale culture of Chevron Snakehead in captivity.
Quantitative frame analysis and the annotation of GC-rich (and other) prokaryotic genomes. An application to Anaeromyxobacter dehalogenans
Authors: Oden Steve , Brocchieri Luciano
Published: June 2015

Motivation: Graphical representations of contrasts in GC usage among codon frame positions (frame analysis) provide evidence of genes missing from the annotations of prokaryotic genomes of high GC content but the qualitative approach of visual frame analysis prevents its applicability on a genomic scale.

Results: We developed two quantitative methods for the identification and statistical characterization in sequence regions of three-base periodicity (hits) associated with open reading frame structures. The methods were implemented in the N-Profile Analysis Computational Tool (NPACT), which highlights in graphical representations inconsistencies between newly identified ORFs and pre-existing annotations of coding-regions. We applied the NPACT procedures to two recently annotated strains of the deltaproteobacterium Anaeromyxobacter dehalogenans, identifying in both genomes numerous conserved ORFs not included in the published annotation of coding regions.

Availability and implementation: NPACT is available as a web-based service and for download at http://genome.ufl.edu/npact.

Contact:  lucianob@ufl.edu

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Sparse multi-view matrix factorization: a multivariate approach to multiple tissue comparisons
Authors: Wang Zi , Yuan Wei , Montana Giovanni
Published: June 2015

Motivation: Within any given tissue, gene expression levels can vary extensively among individuals. Such heterogeneity can be caused by genetic and epigenetic variability and may contribute to disease. The abundance of experimental data now enables the identification of features of gene expression profiles that are shared across tissues and those that are tissue-specific. While most current research is concerned with characterizing differential expression by comparing mean expression profiles across tissues, it is believed that a significant difference in a gene expression’s variance across tissues may also be associated with molecular mechanisms that are important for tissue development and function.

Results: We propose a sparse multi-view matrix factorization (sMVMF) algorithm to jointly analyse gene expression measurements in multiple tissues, where each tissue provides a different ‘view’ of the underlying organism. The proposed methodology can be interpreted as an extension of principal component analysis in that it provides the means to decompose the total sample variance in each tissue into the sum of two components: one capturing the variance that is shared across tissues and one isolating the tissue-specific variances. sMVMF has been used to jointly model mRNA expression profiles in three tissues obtained from a large and well-phenotyped twins cohort, TwinsUK. Using sMVMF, we are able to prioritize genes based on whether their variation patterns are specific to each tissue. Furthermore, using DNA methylation profiles available, we provide supporting evidence that adipose-specific gene expression patterns may be driven by epigenetic effects.

Availability and implementation: Python code is available at http://wwwf.imperial.ac.uk/~gmontana/.

Contact:  giovanni.montana@kcl.ac.uk

Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Electronic health record usability: analysis of the user-centered design processes of eleven electronic health record vendors
Authors: Ratwani Raj M , Fairbanks Rollin J , Hettinger A Zachary , Benda Natalie C
Published: June 2015

The usability of electronic health records (EHRs) continues to be a point of dissatisfaction for providers, despite certification requirements from the Office of the National Coordinator that require EHR vendors to employ a user-centered design (UCD) process. To better understand factors that contribute to poor usability, a research team visited 11 different EHR vendors in order to analyze their UCD processes and discover the specific challenges that vendors faced as they sought to integrate UCD with their EHR development. Our analysis demonstrates a diverse range of vendors’ UCD practices that fall into 3 categories: well-developed UCD, basic UCD, and misconceptions of UCD. Specific challenges to practicing UCD include conducting contextually rich studies of clinical workflow, recruiting participants for usability studies, and having support from leadership within the vendor organization. The results of the study provide novel insights for how to improve usability practices of EHR vendors.
Service Shedding in Local Governments: Why Do They Do It?
Authors: Lamothe Scott , Lamothe Meeyoung
Published: June 2015

Using four consecutive International City/County Management Association alternative service delivery arrangement surveys, this study explores the determinants of service shedding by local government in the United States. Our findings indicate that service shedding is fairly common, with almost 70% of jurisdictions experiencing at least one termination between 1992 and 1997. With regards to why jurisdictions shed services, we find that prior delivery mode is very influential. Specifically, services that were contracted out in the previous time period are much more likely to be dropped than are those that were produced in-house. We also find that the behavior of neighboring jurisdictions matters—if your neighbors tend to provide a service, you tend to continue to do so as well. We find little support for the idea that either budget stress or ideology is impactful in the decision to drop services.
Sphingosine 1-phosphate Receptor 2 Signaling Suppresses Macrophage Phagocytosis and Impairs Host Defense against Sepsis
Authors: Hou JinChao , Chen QiXing , Zhang Kai , Cheng BaoLi , Xie GuoHao , Wu XiaoLiang , Luo Cheng , Chen LiMin , Liu Hong , Zhao Bing , Dai KeZhi , Fang XiangMing
Published: June 2015

AbstractAbstract

Deficiency in sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 2 (S1PR2) enhanced bacterial clearance and improved survival in the mouse model of sepsis. These beneficial effects are attributed to an increase in the phagocytic activity of S1PR2-deficient macrophages. Interventions targeting S1PR2 signaling may thus offer a promising therapeutic approach for the prevention and/or treatment of sepsis.

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text.

Background:

Sepsis is characterized by an inappropriate systemic inflammatory response and bacteremia that promote multiorgan failure and mortality. Sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 2 (S1PR2) modulates endotoxin-induced inflammation in endothelium. However, as a highly expressed S1P receptor in macrophages, its role in regulating macrophage response to bacterial infection remains unclear.

Methods:

Cecal ligation and puncture or intratracheal instillation of Escherichia coli was induced in wild-type or S1pr2-deficient mice. The antibacterial ability of cell-specific S1PR2 was tested in bone marrow reconstitution mice or mice with macrophage-specific deletion. Signaling molecules responsible for S1PR2-mediated phagocytosis were also measured in the bone marrow–derived macrophages. In addition, S1PR2 expression levels and its correlation with severity of sepsis were determined in critically ill patients (n = 25).

Results:

Both genetic deletion and pharmaceutical inhibition of S1PR2 significantly limited bacterial burden, reduced lung damage, and improved survival (genetic deletion, 0% in S1pr2
+/+
vs. 78.6% in S1pr2
−/−, P < 0.001; pharmaceutical inhibition, 9.1% in vehicle vs. 22.2% in S1PR2 antagonist, P < 0.05). This protection was attributed to the enhanced phagocytic function of S1PR2-deficient macrophages (mean fluorescent intensity, 2035.2 ± 202.1 vs. 407.8 ± 71.6, P < 0.001). Absence of S1PR2 in macrophage inhibits RhoA-dependent cell contraction and promotes IQGAP1-Rac1-dependent lamellipodial protrusion, whose signaling pathways depend on extracellular stimulators. In septic patients, increased S1PR2 levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells were positively correlated with the severity of sepsis (r = 0.845, P < 0.001).

Conclusions:

This study implies that S1PR2, as a critical receptor in macrophage, impairs phagocytosis and antimicrobial defense in the pathogenesis of sepsis. Interventions targeting S1PR2 signaling may serve as promising therapeutic approaches for sepsis.
Lung Inhomogeneities and Time Course of Ventilator-induced Mechanical Injuries
Authors: Cressoni Massimo , Chiurazzi Chiara , Gotti Miriam , Amini Martina , Brioni Matteo , Algieri Ilaria , Cammaroto Antonio , Rovati Cristina , Massari Dario , di Castiglione Caterina Bacile , Nikolla Klodiana , Montaruli Claudia , Lazzerini Marco , Dondossola Daniele , Colombo Angelo , Gatti Stefano , Valerio Vincenza , Gagliano Nicoletta , Carlesso Eleonora , Gattinoni Luciano
Published: June 2015

AbstractAbstract

Ventilator-induced lung injury detected as an increased density on computed tomography scan, first occurred at inhomogeneous interfaces, including at the visceral pleura and the subpleural alveolar walls in anesthetized piglets ventilated with a tidal volume/end-expiratory lung volume more than 2.5. New lung densities were found within 8 h of the ventilation, and their number increased exponentially up to 15 h. Lung elastance and gas exchange deteriorated significantly after 18 h, and full lung edema developed after 20 h.

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text.

Background:

During mechanical ventilation, stress and strain may be locally multiplied in an inhomogeneous lung. The authors investigated whether, in healthy lungs, during high pressure/volume ventilation, injury begins at the interface of naturally inhomogeneous structures as visceral pleura, bronchi, vessels, and alveoli. The authors wished also to characterize the nature of the lesions (collapse vs. consolidation).

Methods:

Twelve piglets were ventilated with strain greater than 2.5 (tidal volume/end-expiratory lung volume) until whole lung edema developed. At least every 3 h, the authors acquired end-expiratory/end-inspiratory computed tomography scans to identify the site and the number of new lesions. Lung inhomogeneities and recruitability were quantified.

Results:

The first new densities developed after 8.4 ± 6.3 h (mean ± SD), and their number increased exponentially up to 15 ± 12 h. Afterward, they merged into full lung edema. A median of 61% (interquartile range, 57 to 76) of the lesions appeared in subpleural regions, 19% (interquartile range, 11 to 23) were peribronchial, and 19% (interquartile range, 6 to 25) were parenchymal (P < 0.0001). All the new densities were fully recruitable. Lung elastance and gas exchange deteriorated significantly after 18 ± 11 h, whereas lung edema developed after 20 ± 11 h.

Conclusions:

Most of the computed tomography scan new densities developed in nonhomogeneous lung regions. The damage in this model was primarily located in the interstitial space, causing alveolar collapse and consequent high recruitability.
Does electronic health record use improve hospital financial performance? Evidence from panel data
Authors: Collum Taleah H. , Menachemi Nir , Sen Bisakha
Published: June 2015

Purpose:

The aim of this study was to examine the impact of electronic health record (EHR) adoption on hospital financial performance.

Methodology/Approach:

We constructed a longitudinal panel using data from the three secondary sources: (a) the 2007–2010 American Hospital Association (AHA) Annual Survey, (b) the 2007–2010 AHA Annual Survey Information Technology Supplement, and (c) the 2007–2011 Medicare Cost Reports from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Because potential financial benefits attributable to EHR adoption may take some time to accrue, we ran regressions with lags of 1 and 2 years that included hospital and year fixed effects to examine the relationship between the level of EHR adoption and three hospital financial performance measures.

Findings:

A change in the level of EHR adoption was not associated with changes in operating margin or return on assets within hospitals. However, total margin was significantly improved, after 2 years, in hospitals that moved from no EHR to having a comprehensive EHR in all areas of their hospital (β = 0.030, p < .034). On the other hand, hospitals that increased their level of EHR adoption but did not achieve hospital-wide comprehensive adoption did not experience changes in any financial performance measures examined.

Practice Implications:

The improvements in total margin, as opposed to operating margin, are likely due to hospital incentive payments under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act that are reflected in nonpatient revenues and therefore show up in total margin calculations. Thus, after 2 years of EHR adoption, hospital financial performance is observed to improve based only on meaningful use incentive payments. More research will be needed to determine whether EHR adoption impacts financial performance on a longer time horizon.
Exploring the link between clinical managers involvement in budgeting and performance
Authors: Macinati Manuela S. , Rizzo Marco G.
Published: June 2015

Background:

The public health care sector has had an increase in initiatives, mostly inspired by New Public Management principles, aimed at assigning financial accountability to clinical managers. However, clinical managers might experience a scarce alignment between professional values and organizational requirements, which is a potentially important phenomena that may result in negative consequences on clinical managers' job performance.

Purposes:

Building on Psychological Ownership Theory and adopting a psychology-based management accounting research approach, we focus on the managerial (nonmedical) role the clinical manager fulfills and explore the budgetary participation–performance link via the indirect effects of job-based psychological ownership, role clarity, and clinical managers' affective commitment toward managerial roles.

Methodology/Approach:

The data were collected by a survey conducted in an Italian hospital. The research hypotheses were tested employing a path model.

Findings:

Our study revealed new insights that shed some light on underexplored processes through which mental states mediate the participation–performance link. Among these latter, the findings demonstrate that (a) budgetary participation has a direct effect on job-based psychological ownership; (b) role clarity mediates participation- and job-based psychological ownership link; (c) role clarity and job-based psychological ownership partially mediate the participation–commitment link; and (d) job-based psychological ownership, role clarity, and commitment fully mediate the participation–performance link.

Practice Implications:

From a managerial viewpoint, an understanding of how clinical managers' feelings of ownership toward managerial roles could be enhanced is imperative in health care because ownership accounts for important attitudinal and organizational consequences. Results suggest that health care organizations that invest in budgetary participation will directly and indirectly affect clinical managers' psychological ownership, and this, along with role clarity, motivates clinical managers' managerial work attitudes and performance.
Knowledge management, health information technology and nurses’ work engagement
Authors: Hendriks Paul H. J. , Ligthart Paul E. M. , Schouteten Roel L. J.
Published: June 2015

Background:

Knowledge management (KM) extends the health information technology (HIT) literature by addressing its impact on creating knowledge by sharing and using the knowledge of health care professionals in hospitals.

Purpose:

The aim of the study was to provide insight into how HIT affects nurses’ explicit and tacit knowledge of their ongoing work processes and work engagement.

Methodology:

Data were collected from 74 nurses in four wards of a Dutch hospital via a paper-and-pencil survey using validated measurement instruments. In a quasiexperimental research design, HIT was introduced in the two experimental wards in contrast to the two control wards. At the time of the HIT introduction, a pretest was administered in all four wards and was followed by a posttest after 3 months. Data were analyzed via partial least squares modeling.

Results:

Generally, nurses’ tacit knowledge (i.e., their insight into and their capacity to make sense of the work processes) appears to be a significant and strong predictor of their work engagement. In contrast, nurses’ explicit knowledge (i.e., information feedback about patients and tasks) only indirectly affects work engagement via its effect on tacit knowledge. Its effect on work engagement therefore depends on the mediating role of tacit knowledge. Interestingly, introducing HIT significantly affects only nurses’ explicit knowledge, not their tacit knowledge or work engagement.

Practice Implications:

Nurses’ tacit and explicit knowledge needs to be systematically distinguished when implementing HIT/KM programs to increase work engagement in the workplace. Tacit knowledge (insight into work processes) appears to be pivotal, whereas efforts aimed only at improving available information will not lead to a higher level of work engagement in nurses’ work environments.
Practical Approach to VTE Management in Hospitalized Patients
Authors: Reddy Pramod , Dupree Lori
Published: June 2015

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a commonly feared life-threatening complication in hospitalized patients. Physicians are frequently consulted to diagnose and manage VTE in obstetrics, neurology, and surgical services. VTE should be treated irrespective of the presentation (incidental or symptomatic), etiology (provoked vs. unprovoked), and location of the venous thrombosis (extremities, abdomen, or cerebral). In patients with high clinical suspicion for VTE, physicians are encouraged to empirically start anticoagulant therapy while awaiting diagnostic testing. Thrombolytic therapy is underused by physicians, which is proven to improve the mortality in hypotensive patients with pulmonary embolism. Retrievable inferior vena cava filters have an important role in the prophylaxis and management of selective groups of VTE patients. Physicians should not hesitate to place retrievable inferior vena cava filters when clinically indicated but also should make every effort to remove them when no longer needed. This article extensively reviews various diagnostic and management options based on several clinical situations.
Distinctive Intestinal Lactobacillus Communities in 6‐Month‐Old Infants From Rural Malawi and Southwestern Finland
Authors: Aakko Juhani , Endo Akihito , Mangani Charles , Maleta Kenneth , Ashorn Per , Isolauri Erika , Salminen Seppo
Published: June 2015

Objective:

Our aim was to compare the composition and diversity of Lactobacillus microbiota in infants living in Malawi and Southwestern Finland.

Methods:

The composition and diversity of the Lactobacillus group was analyzed in the feces of healthy 6‐month‐old infants living in rural Malawi (n = 44) and Southwestern Finland (n = 31), using the quantitative polymerase chain reaction method and PCR‐denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis fingerprinting.

Results:

Malawian infants had higher counts of lactobacilli than their Finnish counterparts (7.45 log cells/g vs 6.86 log cells/g, P < 0.001, respectively) and the Lactobacillus community was richer and more diverse in the Malawian infants. Leuconostoc citreum and Weissella confusa were the predominant species in both study groups, but Malawian infants were more often colonized by these species (100% vs 74.2%, P < 0.001; 95.5% vs 41.9%, P < 0.001, respectively). Moreover, Lactobacillus ruminis, Lactobacillus gasseri, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Lactobacillus mucosae were detected more often in the Malawian infants (59.1% vs 0.0%, P < 0.001; 38.6% vs 9.7%, P = 0.004; 29.5% vs 0.0%, P < 0.001; 22.7% vs 3.2%, P = 0.017, respectively). Lactobacillus casei group species, however, were only detected in the Finnish infants.

Conclusions:

Malawian infants have a more abundant Lactobacillus microbiota with a distinct composition compared with Finnish infants. The environment, including diet and hygiene, may be among the factors influencing these differences.
DISSECT: A new tool for analyzing extremely large genomic datasets
Authors: Canela-Xandri Oriol , Law Andy , Gray Alan , Woolliams John A. , Tenesa Albert
Published: June 2015

Computational tools are quickly becoming the main bottleneck to analyze large-scale genomic and genetic data. This big-data problem, affecting a wide range of fields, is becoming more acute with the fast increase of data available. To address it, we developed DISSECT, a new, easy to use, and freely available software able to exploit the parallel computer architectures of supercomputers to perform a wide range of genomic and epidemiologic analyses which currently can only be carried out on reduced sample sizes or in restricted conditions. We showcased our new tool by addressing the challenge of predicting phenotypes from genotype data in human populations using Mixed Linear Model analysis. We analyzed simulated traits from half a million individuals genotyped for 590,004 SNPs using the combined computational power of 8,400 processor cores. We found that prediction accuracies in excess of 80% of the theoretical maximum could be achieved with large numbers of training individuals.
Cell-cell communication in yeast using auxin biosynthesis and auxin responsive CRISPR transcription factors
Authors: Khakhar Arjun , Bolten Nicholas , Nemhauser Jennifer , Klavins Eric
Published: June 2015

A true engineering framework for synthetic multicellular systems requires a programmable means of cell-cell communication. Such a communication system would enable complex behaviors, such as pattern formation, division of labor in synthetic microbial communities, and improved modularity in synthetic circuits. However, it remains challenging to build synthetic cellular communication systems in eukaryotes due to a lack of molecular modules that are orthogonal to the host machinery, easy to reconfigure, and scalable. Here, we present a novel cell-to-cell communication system in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast) based on CRISPR transcription factors and the plant hormone auxin that exhibits several of these features. Specifically, we engineered a sender strain of yeast that converts indole-3-acetamide (IAM) into auxin via the enzyme iaaH from Agrobacterium tumefaciens. To sense auxin and regulate transcription in a receiver strain, we engineered a reconfigurable library of auxin degradable CRISPR transcription factors (ADCTFs). Auxin-induced degradation is achieved through fusion of an auxin sensitive degron (from IAA co-repressors) to the CRISPR TF and co-expression with an auxin F-box protein. Mirroring the tunability of auxin perception in plants, our family of ADCTFs exhibits a broad range of auxin sensitivities. We characterized the kinetics and steady state behavior of the sender and receiver independently, and in co-cultures where both cell types were exposed to IAM. In the presence of IAM, auxin is produced by the sender cell and triggers de-activation of reporter expression in the receiver cell. The result is an orthogonal, rewireable, tunable, and arguably scalable cell-cell communication system for yeast and other eukaryotic cells.
Involvement of Arabidopsis Hexokinase1 in Cell Death Mediated byMyo-Inositol Accumulation
Authors: Bruggeman Quentin , Prunier Florence , Mazubert Christelle , de Bont Linda , Garmier Marie , Lugan Raphaël , Benhamed Moussa , Bergounioux Catherine , Raynaud Cécile , Delarue Marianne
Published: June 2015

Programmed cell death (PCD) is essential for several aspects of plant life, including development and stress responses. We recently identified the mips1 mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana, which is deficient for the enzyme catalyzing the limiting step of myo-inositol (MI) synthesis. One of the most striking features of mips1 is the light-dependent formation of lesions on leaves due to salicylic acid (SA)-dependent PCD. Here, we identified a suppressor of PCD by screening for mutations that abolish the mips1 cell death phenotype. Our screen identified the hxk1 mutant, mutated in the gene encoding the hexokinase1 (HXK1) enzyme that catalyzes sugar phosphorylation and acts as a genuine glucose sensor. We show that HXK1 is required for lesion formation in mips1 due to alterations in MI content, via SA-dependant signaling. Using two catalytically inactive HXK1 mutants, we also show that hexokinase catalytic activity is necessary for the establishment of lesions in mips1. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses revealed a restoration of the MI content in mips1 hxk1 that it is due to the activity of the MIPS2 isoform, while MIPS3 is not involved. Our work defines a pathway of HXK1-mediated cell death in plants and demonstrates that two MIPS enzymes act cooperatively under a particular metabolic status, highlighting a novel checkpoint of MI homeostasis in plants.
The underlying basis for the trade‐off between leaf size and leafing intensity
Authors: Huang Yingxin , Lechowicz Martin J. , Price Charles A. , Li Lei , Wang Ying , Zhou Daowei
Published: June 2015

Recent studies have reported a consistent trade‐off between leaf size (mass) and leafing intensity (the number of leaves produced per unit of supporting stem tissue volume); however, a theoretical basis for this trade‐off has not been described.

We explore the mechanistic basis for this trade‐off and assess the relationship in the light of other prominent theories for allometric biomass partitioning. We show algebraically how the allocation of mass to leaves versus stems and the density of stem tissue can potentially influence this trade‐off. To assess these possible effects, we compared the relationship between leaf size and leafing intensity, expressed on both mass and volume basis, at the level of a single branch as well as the entire above‐ground plant in 61 forbs over a 3‐year period.

Our results support the idea that the trade‐off between leaf size and volume‐based leafing intensity depends on both biomass investment (leaves vs. stems) and stem bulk density (mass vs. volume), whereas the trade‐off between leaf size and mass‐based leafing intensity only depends on the biomass investment. Similar exponents in the scaling of leaf mass vs. stem mass and stem mass vs. stem volume at branch and whole plant levels lead to similar trade‐offs. An isometric trade‐off between leaf size and volume‐based leafing intensity is consistent with a constant biomass partitioning between leaves and stems as well as constant stem tissue density. Conversely, an allometric trade‐off between leaf size and volume‐based leafing intensity arises when biomass allocation is allometric and stem bulk density varies with plant size.
Letter from Ankara
Authors: Ugur Cinar Meral
Published: June 2015

This article focuses on the relationship between discourses of economic development and prospects for democracy in Turkey. It does so by tracing the political discourse of high‐ranking government officials and journalists close to them to show how they use arguments for economic development as a tool to politically legitimise interventions into liberal democracy. I first illustrate the dangers caused by the discourse surrounding economic development to democracy by looking at the Gezi protests. I show how demands for pluralism and respect for different lifestyles—which are crucial aspects of liberal democracy—were instead framed by the government as chaos created by agents of the so‐called ‘interest rate lobby’ and provocations caused by those who want to stop Turkey's economic development. I analyse Gezi in comparative perspective with presidentialism debates and the corruption scandal of December 2013. In these cases too, demands for democracy, transparency, checks and balances are pitted against economic development. Citizens are made to choose between a vaguely defined notion of economic development and democratisation.
Preliminary Characterization of Pottery by Cathodoluminescence and SEM–EDX Analyses: An Example from the Yeha Region (Ethiopia)
Authors: Weiss C. , Köster M. , Japp S.
Published: June 2015

Yeha was a political and cultural centre of the Ethio‐Sabaean culture (D’MT) in northern Ethiopia and southern Eritrea. Part of the archaeological research deals with pottery of local, regional and imported origin. The research—investigations and examinations—tries to classify local pottery in two ways: first, by analysing the mineralogy of the temper using light microscopy and cathodoluminescence; and, second, by analysing the main element composition of the clay matrix using a scanning electron microscope with energy‐dispersive X‐ray detection (SEM–EDX). The cathodoluminescence shows that the temper material has differences in the colours of feldspars with a similar mineralogical composition. The results demonstrate that the pottery was produced by using local material that originates from various sources in the Yeha region and that the same raw materials were used in different types of pottery.
Vitamin D toxicity resulting from overzealous correction of vitamin D deficiency
Authors: Kaur Parjeet , Mishra Sunil Kumar , Mithal Ambrish
Published: June 2015

Background

Vitamin D toxicity, often considered rare, can be life‐threatening and associated with substantial morbidity, if not identified promptly.

Objective

To describe clinical and biochemical features, risk factors and management of patients with vitamin D toxicity seen between January 2011 and January 2013.

Methodology

Patients presenting with vitamin D toxicity, between January 2011 and January 2013, at single tertiary care centre in Delhi‐NCR, India, were included. Evaluation included detailed clinical history and biochemical tests including serum calcium, phosphorus, creatinine, intact parathyroid hormone and 25‐hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D).

Results

Sixteen patients with vitamin D toxicity could be identified. Clinical manifestations included nausea, vomiting, altered sensorium, constipation, pancreatitis, acute kidney injury and weight loss. Median (range) age was 64·5 (42–86) years. Median (range) serum 25(OH)D level and median (range) serum total serum calcium level were 371 (175–1161) ng/ml and 13·0 (11·1–15·7) mg/dl, respectively. Overdose of vitamin D caused by prescription of mega‐doses of vitamin D was the cause of vitamin D toxicity in all cases. Median (range) cumulative vitamin D dose was 3 600 000 (2 220 000–6 360 000) IU.

Conclusion

Our data demonstrate an emergence of vitamin D toxicity as an increasingly common cause of symptomatic hypercalcaemia. Irrational use of vitamin D in mega‐doses resulted in vitamin D toxicity in all cases. Awareness among healthcare providers regarding the toxic potential of high doses of vitamin D and cautious use of vitamin D supplements is the key to prevent this condition.
ENM Components: a new set of web service‐based workflow components for ecological niche modelling
Authors: De Giovanni Renato , Williams Alan R. , Ernst Vera Hernández , Kulawik Robert , Fernandez Francisco Quevedo , Hardisty Alex R.
Published: June 2015

Ecological niche modelling (ENM) Components are a set of reusable workflow components specialized for performing ENM tasks within the Taverna workflow management system. Each component encapsulates specific functionality and can be combined with other components to facilitate the creation of larger and more complex workflows. One key distinguishing feature of ENM Components is that most tasks are performed remotely by calling web services, simplifying software setup and maintenance on the client side and allowing more powerful computing resources to be exploited. This paper presents the current set of ENM Components in the context of the Taverna family of tools for creating, publishing and sharing workflows. An example is included showing how the components can be used in a preliminary investigation of the effects of mixing different spatial resolutions in ENM experiments.
Plasticity in striatopallidal projection neurons mediates the acquisition of habitual actions
Authors: Shan Qiang , Christie MacDonald J. , Balleine Bernard W.
Published: June 2015

In instrumental conditioning, newly acquired actions are generally goal‐directed and are mediated by the relationship between the action and its consequences or outcome. With continued training, however, the performance of such actions can become automatic, reflexive or habitual and under the control of antecedent stimuli rather than their consequences. Recent evidence suggests that habit learning is mediated by plasticity in the dorsolateral striatum (DLS). To date, however, no direct evidence of learning‐related plasticity associated with overtraining has been reported in this region, nor is it known whether, or which, specific cell types are involved in this learning process. The striatum is primarily composed of two classes of spiny projection neurons, the striatonigral and striatopallidal spiny projection neurons, which express dopamine D1 and D2 receptors, and control direct and indirect pathways, respectively. Here we found evidence of a post‐synaptic depression in DLS striatopallidal projecting neurons in the indirect pathway during habit learning in mice. Moreover, this training‐induced depression occluded post‐synaptic depression induced by co‐activation of D2 receptors and transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) channels, implying that this pathway is involved in habit learning. This hypothesis was further tested by disrupting this signal pathway by knocking out TRPV1 channels, resulting in compromised habit learning. Our findings suggest that post‐synaptic plasticity at D2 neurons in the DLS mediates habit learning and, by implicating an interaction between the D2 receptor and TRPV1 channel activity, provide a potential drug target for influencing habitual action control.
First report of Plum pox virus on plum in Finland
Authors: Santala J. , Soukainen M.
Published: June 2015

In July 2014, leaves showing symptoms of a viral infection were collected from a plum tree serving as a mother tree in a Finnish nursery and found to be infected by Plum pox virus (PPV). A subsequent survey revealed additional infected trees originating from the infected mother tree. This paper provides the first report of PPV, the causal agent of the most destructive viral disease of Prunus, in Finland.