bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Targeting ofHelicobacter pylorithymidylate synthase ThyX by non-mitotoxic hydroxy-naphthoquinones
Authors: Skouloubris Stéphane , Djaout Kamel , Lamarre Isabelle , Lambry Jean-Christophe , Anger Karine , Briffotaux Julien , Liebl Ursula , de Reuse Hilde , Myllykallio Hannu
Published: June 2015

ThyX is an essential thymidylate synthase that is mechanistically and structurally unrelated to the functionally analogous human enzyme, thus providing means for selective inhibition of bacterial growth. To identify novel compounds with anti-bacterial activity against the human pathogenic bacteriumHelicobacter pylori, based on our earlier biochemical and structural analyses, we designed a series of eighteen 2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinones (2-OH-1,4-NQs) that targetHpThyX. Our lead-like molecules markedly inhibited the NADPH oxidation and 2′-deoxythymidine-5′-monophosphate-forming activities ofHpThyX enzymein vitro, with inhibitory constants in the low nanomolar range. The identification of non-cytotoxic and non-mitotoxic 2-OH-1,4-NQ inhibitors permitted testing theirin vivoefficacy in a mouse model forH. pyloriinfections. Despite the widely assumed toxicity of naphthoquinones (NQs), we identified tight-binding ThyX inhibitors that were tolerated in mice and can be associated with a modest effect in reducing the number of colonizing bacteria. Our results thus provide proof-of-concept that targeting ThyX enzymes is a highly feasible strategy for the development of therapies againstH. pyloriand a high number of other ThyX-dependent pathogenic bacteria. We also demonstrate that chemical reactivity of NQs does not prevent their exploitation as anti-microbial compounds, particularly when mitotoxicity screening is used to prioritize these compounds for further experimentation.
Silver spoon effects on plumage quality in a passerine bird
Authors: Minias Piotr , Włodarczyk Radosław , Surmacki Adrian , Iciek Tomasz
Published: June 2015

A silver spoon effect means that individuals who develop under favourable circumstances enjoy a fitness or performance advantage later in life. While there is large empirical support for silver spoon effects acting on different life-history traits in birds, such as survival and reproduction, the evidence for the carry-over effects of rearing conditions on the quality of future plumage generations is lacking. Here, we examined whether abilities of individuals to undergo extensive post-juvenile moult may depend on the quality of juvenile plumage developed during the nestling phase in a small passerine showing large individual variation in the extent of post-juvenile moult, the greenfinch (
Carduelis chloris
). We found that high structural quality and carotenoid chroma of juvenile feathers were positively linked to the extent of post-juvenile moult in this species, thus allowing young birds to attain more adult-like plumage. Silver spoon effects mediated by the juvenile plumage quality were also found to have other fitness-related consequences, as individuals with high-quality juvenile feathers were in better condition during their first winter. As far as we are aware, the results provide the first correlative evidence for a silver spoon effect acting on general plumage quality in birds.
A cryptic Allee effect: spatial contexts mask an existing fitness–density relationship
Authors: Terui Akira , Miyazaki Yusuke , Yoshioka Akira , Matsuzaki Shin-ichiro S.
Published: June 2015

Current theories predict that Allee effects should be widespread in nature, but there is little consistency in empirical findings. We hypothesized that this gap can arise from ignoring spatial contexts (i.e. spatial scale and heterogeneity) that potentially mask an existing fitness–density relationship: a ‘cryptic’ Allee effect. To test this hypothesis, we analysed how spatial contexts interacted with conspecific density to influence the fertilization rate of the freshwater mussel
Margaritifera laevis
. This sessile organism has a simple fertilization process whereby females filter sperm from the water column; this system enabled us to readily assess the interaction between conspecific density and spatial heterogeneity (e.g. flow conditions) at multiple spatial levels. Our findings were twofold. First, positive density-dependence in fertilization was undetectable at a population scale (approx. less than 50.5 m
2
), probably reflecting the exponential decay of sperm density with distance from the sperm source. Second, the Allee effect was confirmed at a local level (0.25 m
2
), but only when certain flow conditions were met (slow current velocity and shallow water depth). These results suggest that spatial contexts can mask existing Allee effects.
Competition and supply chain integration: a taxonomy perspective
Authors: Cao Zhi , Huo Baofeng , Li Yuan , Zhao Xiande
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of competition on supply chain integration (SCI).

Design/methodology/approach

– Survey data from 617 manufacturers in China were used in this study. Taxonomy with cluster analysis was used to investigate the patterns of competition, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to investigate the influence of these competition patterns on SCI.

Findings

– Seven competition patterns composed of local competition, international competition, and operational challenges were identified from the survey data. The ANOVA results showed that companies with different patterns achieved significantly different levels of SCI, indicating that higher levels of local competition, international competition, and operational challenges drove higher levels of SCI.Post hocanalyses revealed that international competition had stronger effects than local competition on SCI.

Research limitations/implications

– The data were collected from a single country, which may limit the generalization of the findings. The data were cross-sectional and thus lacked causal explanatory power.

Practical implications

– The findings provide suggestions for managers to use different configurations of SCI to adapt to different patterns of competition.

Originality/value

– This study makes three main contributions to the literature. First, it extends the research on the relationship between competition and cooperation to the supply chain management area. Second, it extends the concept of competition by incorporating not only competitive intensity, but also competitive scope and competitive capability. Third, the use of a configuration approach rather than a dimensional approach to investigate the effects of competition on SCI solves many methodological problems.
Emotions and continued usage of mobile applications
Authors: Ding Yi , Chai Kah Hin
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– A pressing issue with mobile applications (apps) is continued use. The expectancy disconfirmation theory is employed as the theoretical basis for most studies on continuance. Recognising the experiential aspects of using mobile apps, the purpose of this paper is to extend the existing disconfirmation model to account for the emotional experiences and their influences on continuance. In particular, the authors are interested in the factors that drive the experience of emotions, and how these cognitive drivers differ in shaping distinct emotional experiences (i.e. positive vs negative).

Design/methodology/approach

– Structural equation modelling was applied on 271 valid responses collected from an online survey conducted among mobile app users.

Findings

– Disconfirmation affects emotions in a non-linear fashion through arousal, and both positive and negative emotions influence continuance intention. Furthermore, positive emotions tend to be influenced by inherent benefits, whereas negative emotions are more likely to be influenced by instrumental benefits.

Research limitations/implications

– The generalisability of this study may be enhanced by collecting data from more diverse samples and validating the model on more mobile app categories.

Originality/value

– This study progresses from the demonstration of a mere impact of emotions on continuance as in several recent empirical inquiries to more nuanced understandings of the role of emotions in forming continuance intention.
Suicidal imagery, history of suicidality, and acquired capability in young adults
Authors: Holaday Tara C , Brausch Amy M
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of suicide-related mental imagery in suicidal behavior. It was hypothesized that greater frequency and vividness of suicide-related imagery would be associated with more suicidal behaviors, and acquired capability for suicide was expected to mediate this relationship. Hypotheses were tested by surveying 237 undergraduate students (59 percent female; mean age=20) who completed self-report measures that assessed suicidal cognitions, acquired capability for suicide, and history of self-harm behaviors.

Design/methodology/approach

– Hypotheses were tested by surveying 237 undergraduate students (59 percent female; mean age=20) who completed self-report measures that assessed suicidal cognitions, acquired capability for suicide, and history of self-harm behaviors.

Findings

– Results suggested that frequency and vividness of suicide-related imagery were positively correlated with suicidality. Acquired capability was not related to study variables; thus additional mediational analysis was unwarranted.

Originality/value

– Few studies have examined suicidal imagery and how it relates to actual self-harm behavior. The current study provides an exploratory view of features of imagery related to suicidal thoughts; findings imply that understanding mental imagery may play an important role in clinical risk assessment and treatment for suicidality.
Adding services to product-based portfolios
Authors: Kindström Daniel , Kowalkowski Christian , Alejandro Thomas Brashear
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the implications for the sales function of the infusion of services by formerly product-based firms. In particular, it aims at identifying the changes that need to be made at the sales-function level if the services are to be successfully sold.

Design/methodology/approach

– This research is an exploratory qualitative case study. Data were collected by focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with relevant managers in three large multinational companies based in Northern Europe, which were pursuing service-led growth.

Findings

– The effects of service infusion processes on the sales function could be seen with respect to the three parts of the analytical framework: organization, roles, and competences. The results illustrate the need for a changed perspective with respect to all three parts, if a product-based firm is to be successful in the infusing of associated services into its portfolio of offerings. Analysis of the results identifies key operational initiatives that management needs to understand and implement when corporate and marketing strategies increasingly focus on service-led growth.

Research limitations/implications

– The study was exploratory and vendor centric, which means that it did not quantitatively assess the results or directly involve the customers at whom the services were directed. Also, the choice of business-to-business firms limits the capacity to generalize the findings.

Originality/value

– Whereas relationship-based and value-based selling are approaches more geared to the sales-force level, the study reported in this paper set out to understand fundamental differences at the sales-function level when firms pursue service-led growth. The findings suggest that the realignment of corporate strategy toward an increased focus on services may have far-reaching implications for the sales function.
Analysis and optimisation of machinability behavior of GFRP composites using fuzzy logic
Authors: Mugundhu Jenarthanan Poornachary , Subramanian Suresh , Subramanian Ajay
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– Glass fibre reinforced plastics (GFRP) contain two phases of materials with drastically distinguished mechanical and thermal properties, which brings in complicated interactions between the matrix and the reinforcement during machining. Surface quality and dimensional precision will greatly affect parts during their useful life especially in cases where the components will be in contact with other elements or materials during their useful life. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the application of the Taguchi method with fuzzy logic to optimise the machining parameters for machining of GFRP composites with multiple characteristics.

Design/methodology/approach

– The machining tests were performed on a CNC milling machine using solid carbide (K10) End mill cutting tool with three different helix angles. Experiments were planned using Taguchi’s orthogonal array with the cutting conditions prefixed.

Findings

– The machining parameters, namely, helix angle of the end mill cutter, spindle speed, feed rate, depth of cut, and work piece fibre orientation (specially applied to the GFRP composites) were optimised with considerations of multiple response characteristics, including machining force, material removal rate, and delamination. The results from confirmation runs indicated that the determined optimal combination of machining parameters improved the performance of the machining process.

Originality/value

– Multi-response optimisation of machinability behaviour of GFRP composites using fuzzy logic has not been attempted previously.
Analysis of mixed-mode II/III fracture in sandwich beams
Authors: Rizov Victor
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to study theoretically the ability of the prestressed foam core composite sandwich Split Cantilever Beam (SCB) for generating mixed-mode II/III crack loading conditions (the mode II fracture was provided by prestressing the beam using imposed transverse displacements).

Design/methodology/approach

– The concepts of linear-elastic fracture mechanics were used. The fracture behavior was studied in terms of the strain energy release rate. For this purpose, a three-dimensional finite element model of the prestressed sandwich SCB was developed. The virtual crack closure technique was applied in order to analyze the strain energy release rate mode components distribution along the crack front.

Findings

– It was found that the distribution is non-symmetric. The analysis revealed that a wide mixed-mode II/III ratios range can be generated by varying the magnitude of the imposed transverse displacement. The influence of the sandwich core material on the mixed-mode II/III fracture behavior was investigated. For this purpose, three sandwich beam configurations with different rigid cellular foam core were simulated. It was found that the strain energy release rate decreases when the foam core density increases.

Originality/value

– For the first time, a mixed-mode II/III fracture study of foam core composite sandwich beam is performed.
The kinetics of isothermal and non-isothermal recovery within cold-rolled aluminum alloy
Authors: Shabaniverki Soheila , Serajzadeh Siamak
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to study the kinetics of static recovery in cold-rolled aluminum alloy under different heating rates.

Design/methodology/approach

– Deformation modeling was first performed to assess the distributions of plastic strain and stress within the deformed alloy. In the next stage, thermal analysis and the rate equation of static recovery were employed to determine the progress of static recovery under non-isothermal conditions. Accordingly, a thermal finite element analysis and the Runge-Kutta method were utilized to handle the transient heat conduction and the progress of static recovery. Finally, low temperature annealing heat treatments were conducted to verify the model predictions. Accordingly, the tensile tests were conducted to measure the yield stresses of cold-rolled plates subjected to the subsequent annealing treatment at different temperatures and durations.

Findings

– The results indicate that the employed algorithm can be used as an appropriate predictive tool for designing a low temperature heat treatment schedule to achieve the desired yield stress.

Originality/value

– The kinetics of non-isothermal recovery and resulting yield stress are well predicted under practical annealing conditions.
A new factor in UK students’ university attainment: the relative age effect reversal?
Authors: Roberts Simon J. , Stott Tim
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to study relative age effects (RAEs) in a selected sample of university students. The majority of education systems across the globe adopt age-related cut-off points for eligibility. This strategy has received criticism for (dis)advantaging those older children born closer to the “cut-off” date for entry into an academic year and for promoting the existence of RAEs. To date, there are only two studies which have examined the relative age phenomenon in a university setting specifically.

Design/methodology/approach

– Data of student records from the years 2006-2009 were analysed. Specifically this included date of birth, The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) entry points, gender, grade point averages and final year degree classification.

Findings

– Analysis of data collected from 460 university students revealed a significant RAE reversal. Specifically, relatively younger students achieved significantly higher first-class honours degrees than relatively older students (p< 0.01).

Research limitations/implications

– Limitations include the following: the sample was modest and restricted to only 460 students located within one of the universities five faculties. Recent RAE studies in education have recruited thousands of students; therefore, these findings may not be totally representative of the broader UK university population.

Originality/value

– This is only the second UK-based study to examine RAEs from a university perspective. The findings highlight an interesting and new insight into the RAE phenomenon and one that warrants further scientific attention.
A roadshow of library resources: familiarize students with what you have
Authors: Lai Katie
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to describe how the popular culture of flash mob inspired the creation of the library roadshows and elaborate on the conducting of flash outreach events to market music databases to students with limited resources.

Design/methodology/approach

– By not requesting faculty for in-class teaching time, the promotion of library e-resources took place beyond the library building, in places where students live and hangout, and during the short window when students mingle before classes. Simple set-up with laptops and a movable large screen TV was used for brief database demonstration.

Findings

– The provision of quick demos and on-the-go consultations of e-resources through the library roadshows proved to encourage usage and obtain a higher return on investment without requiring much extra manpower and funding. Students also welcomed this new way of learning without having to go to a class.

Social implications

– Seeing students and offering services where students live and hangout help make the library more visible and blend librarians in students’ campus life.

Originality/value

– While information literacy workshops oftentimes happen inside the library or during a class hour, the library roadshows go beyond physical boundaries and take information literacy instruction to where the targeted audience is. Not only are these flash outreach events quick and easy to conduct, but this casual learning also fits the learning behavior of the millennial generation who wants everything succinct and straight to the point.
It’s messy being authentic – lessons learned on the road to becoming an authentic leader
Authors: Wright Robin
Published: June 2015

Purpose

This is an exploration of authentic leadership of which there are as many forms as there are leaders. By stripping away professional and embracing a willing to be vulnerable and truthful, individuals can eventually find the core gift that they have to offer as a leader.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a personal story of one executive’s journey to becoming an authentic leader – shaped by both quiet personal experiences and headline-shaping world events.

Findings

Embracing one’s own vulnerability is an essential part in the journey to become an authentic leader. Authentic leaders see vulnerability not as a weakness, but as a necessary ingredient for innovation, creativity and change. The author sees the following as four important aspects of authentic leadership: the value of multiple perspectives, balance of EQ and IQ, development of internal honesty and external trust and the ability to commit to action.

Research limitations/implications

This is a personal journey with a sample size of one, so the conclusions are experiential and anecdotal in nature.

Practical implications

Companies and those in leadership positions need to examine ways that they can both formally and informally model and mentor both established and future leaders in discovering their own authentic leadership style.

Originality/value

For companies to be success with a modern workforce, old models of leadership need to be shed, and authentic leadership needs to become the norm. This means change for both established and rising leaders.
Dropping out of therapeutic community treatment; when is “unsuccessful”, successful?
Authors: Aslan Laura
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– It is common for people to view dropping out of substance misuse treatment as an unsuccessful attempt at recovery. The existing literature emphasises that those who drop out of treatment do worse than those who complete their treatment programme. More recently, however, those who discharge early are faring better than ever before.

Design/methodology/approach

– In total, 13 service users who discharged early from three residential therapeutic communities were interviewed over the phone to discuss life after treatment. Interview transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis and found four main themes evidencing that “unsuccessful” really can be successful.

Findings

– The study unearthed significant findings in the area of motivation for continued recovery in that 85 per cent of the sample were actively accessing further substance misuse treatment after leaving the service early. Five participants who had entered treatment as opiate users were all abstaining from Class A drugs at the time of interview; indeed 100 per cent of the sample were opiate free. Furthermore, self-reported psychological health had improved following discharge by 78 per cent.

Practical implications

– Recent changes in policy and treatment design within drug treatment services may explain such positive outcomes in that a more responsive programme allows people to gain skills and make changes in a shorter time frame.

Social implications

– Indeed, improved early discharge procedures and increased links to aftercare and follow on treatment may have impacted on this finding.

Originality/value

– This study therefore proposes the notion of “right dose of treatment” as opposed to “time in treatment” and highlights the importance of exit procedures and aftercare.
Villa Voortman: carte blanche or not?
Authors: Vandevelde Stijn , De Maeyer Jessica , De Ruysscher Clara , Bryssinck Dirk , Meesen Dirk , Vanderstraeten Johan , Broekaert Eric
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– Influenced by evolutions in mental health, a meeting house, “Villa Voortman”, was recently developed. It is based on an integration of therapeutic community (TC) and psychoanalytical Lacanian thinking. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the position of Villa Voortman in the treatment continuum for dually diagnosed clients. Two research questions are addressed: how does Villa Voortman operate ? and how do clients perceive the Villa?

Design/methodology/approach

– The first question was tackled by a personal account of the founders of Villa Voortman. The second question was addressed by a qualitative study using video-material of 19 visitors’ personal accounts.

Findings

– The visitors mentioned three themes: social inclusion, personal development and equality. These aspects are further refined into sub-themes including the provision of “asylum”; the instalment of a warm and welcoming atmosphere; the focus on real human encounter; a permissive, supportive and “waiting” environment; a minimal but “good enough” structure; the necessity of a place where persons can develop themselves; the striving for social inclusion and future perspectives; and the support in becoming inclusive citizens again.

Originality/value

– The value of the paper lies in disclosing the visitors’ lived experience. This is an essential part of shedding light on the “active ingredients” of support, In reference to the title, visitors nor treatment staff have “carte blanche” with regard to how support develops, as this is driven by the dialectal course of everything that occurs during the support process.
Fine‐scale hydrological niche differentiation through the lens of multi‐species co‐occurrence models
Authors: Letten Andrew D. , Keith David A. , Tozer Mark G. , Hui Francis K.C.
Published: June 2015

Theory suggests spatial heterogeneity can facilitate species co‐occurrence at fine scales, but environmental data are rarely collected at sufficiently high resolution to test this empirically. Whilst there is emerging evidence that subtle variation in soil hydrology represents a fundamental fine‐scale niche axis within plant communities, this is largely derived from studies of soil hydrology in isolation from other environmental factors.

We assessed the comparative importance of fine‐scale hydrological niche differentiation for species co‐occurrence using a high‐resolution study of soil hydrology and other edaphic variables, coupled with a long‐term (24 years) data set of herbaceous plant plots in a heathland community in south‐east Australia.

For the analysis, we employed novel latent variable models (LVMs), which offer an explicit, model‐based approach to partitioning out the different drivers of species co‐occurrence patterns. Whilst the regression component of an LVM models the species‐specific environmental responses, the latent variable component can be used to identify residual patterns of co‐occurrence, which may be attributable to unmeasured factors and/or biotic interactions.

Relative to a host of plant resources, non‐resource factors and ‘unmeasured’ latent variables, soil hydrology emerged as the best predictor of negative co‐occurrences within the community, with the dominant species exhibiting strongly differentiated responses across a comparatively narrow moisture gradient. Nevertheless, strong species‐specific responses to environmental variability only emerged at scales greater than those at which plants may be expected to compete for resources, throwing doubt on the direct role of spatial heterogeneity as a mechanism for local‐scale coexistence.

Synthesis. This study confirms the vital role of hydrological niches for the maintenance of within‐community plant diversity, but also highlights the need for more rigorous analysis of scale dependencies to better understand the underlying coexistence mechanisms at play. In addition, it illustrates the inferential gains made possible with model‐based approaches to the analysis of species co‐occurrence. r code illustrating model fitting and inference is provided as a supplement.
Honey feeding protects kidney against cisplatin nephrotoxicity through suppression of inflammation
Authors: Hamad Rania , Jayakumar Calpurnia , Ranganathan Punithavathi , Mohamed Riyaz , El‐Hamamy Mahmoud M. I. , Dessouki Amina A. , Ibrahim Abdelazim , Ramesh Ganesan
Published: June 2015

Cisplatin is a highly effective chemotherapeutic drug used to treat a wide variety of solid tumors. However, its use was limited due its dose‐limiting toxicity to the kidney. Currently, there are no therapies available to treat or prevent cisplatin nephrotoxicity. Honey is a naturally occurring complex liquid and widely used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine to treat many illnesses. However, its effect on cisplatin nephrotoxicity is unknown. To determine the role of honey in cisplatin nephrotoxicity, animals were pretreated orally for a week and then cisplatin was administered. Honey feeding was continued for another 3 days. Our results show that animals with cisplatin‐induced kidney dysfunction, as determined by increased serum creatinine, which received honey feeding had less kidney dysfunction. Improved kidney function was associated with better preservation of kidney morphology in honey‐treated group as compared to the cisplatin alone‐treated group. Interestingly, honey feeding significantly reduced cisplatin‐induced tubular epithelial cell death, immune infiltration into the kidney as well as cytokine and chemokine expression and excretion as compared to cisplatin treated animals. Western blot analysis shows that cisplatin‐induced increase in phosphorylation of NFkB was completely suppressed with honey feeding. In conclusion, honey feeding protects the kidney against cisplatin nephrotoxicity through suppression of inflammation and NFkB activation.
The placement of secondary school students withStatements of special educational needs in the more diversified system ofEnglish secondary schooling
Authors: Norwich Brahm , Black Alison
Published: June 2015

This article examines the pattern of placement of students with significant special educational needs atStatement andSchoolActionPlus levels inEnglish secondary schools, comparing sponsored and converter academies, maintained schools and the newly created free schools, studio schools and university technical colleges for 2013 and 2014. The analysis shows a clear pattern of differences: converter academies (which are governed by their own governing body) had significantly lower proportions of students with significant special educational needs overall than maintained (those remaining under local authority management) and sponsored academies (those considered to be weak/failing schools forced to become academies with outside sponsors that oversee the schools). There was a similar pattern of findings for most areas of special educational needs, except visual impairment and autistic spectrum disorder. The pattern of placement of students withStatements in the newly created free schools also showed that some free schools have unusually high proportions of students with special educational needs. These findings are discussed in terms of the increasing stratification ofEnglish secondary schools and the potential of small secondary schools to be more inclusive.
WI as a marker of pragmatic salience in the language of thekaqchikel chronicles
Authors: Matsumoto Mallory E.
Published: June 2015

This first analysis of the Kaqchikel (Mayan) elementwias it appears in theKaqchikel Chroniclesargues thatwiemphasizes pragmatically salient information communicated by other constituents that precedewiin the clause. Although its position immediately after the predicate is syntactically determined,wi's use is grammatically optional. The evidence indicates that its occurrence is motivated by information structure. By analysingwias an indicator of pragmatic salience, this model accounts forwi's association with contexts of both topic and focus and for its syntactic relationship with a variety of other constituents. This analysis has important consequences for our understanding of the pragmatics and distribution of the modern cognatewiin contemporary Kaqchikel as governed by other factors besides the influence of Spanish. In addition, it contributes to our understanding of information structure in general by suggesting that, in addition to their association with pre‐predicate syntactic positions, both topic and focus status in K'ichee'an languages share a discourse prominence that could be manifested in theChroniclesthrough the use ofwi.
Does low‐molecular‐weight heparin influence fetal growth or uterine and umbilical arterial Doppler in women with a history of early‐onset uteroplacental insufficiency and an inheritable thrombophilia? Secondary randomised controlled trial results
Authors: Abheiden CNH , Van Hoorn ME , Hague WM , Kostense PJ , van Pampus MG , de Vries JIP
Published: June 2015

Objective

Does low‐molecular‐weight heparin (LMWH) added to low‐dose aspirin influence fetal growth and flow velocity in uterine and umbilical arteries in women with an inheritable thrombophilia and previous early‐onset uteroplacental insufficiency?

Design

Secondary outcomes of the FRUIT‐RCT.

Setting

Multicentre, international.

Population

The FRUIT‐RCT included 139 women with inheritable thrombophilia before 12 weeks of gestation. Inclusion criteria were previous delivery before 34 weeks of gestation with a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy and/or small‐for‐gestational‐age infant and an inheritable thrombophilia.

Methods

After randomisation to either daily LMWH with aspirin, or aspirin only, ultrasound measurements were performed at 22–24, 28–30 and 34–36 weeks of gestation. Development during gestation of growth, birthweight and flow velocity of the umbilical artery was examined using the linear mixed model. Uterine artery flow velocity at a single time‐point (22–24 weeks) was examined using a chi‐square test.

Main outcome measures

Fetal growth over time including birthweight, using Scandinavian, Dutch and customised growth curves; and flow velocity within the uterine and umbilical arteries.

Results

No difference of fetal growth over time could be demonstrated between the study arms, regardless of which reference criteria were used. The flow velocity within the uterine artery and umbilical artery did not differ between study arms.

Conclusion

The addition of LMWH to aspirin did not influence fetal growth or umbilical artery flow velocity over time; nor did it influence uterine artery flow velocity.

Tweetable abstract

LMWH does not influence fetal growth or uterine or umbilical flow velocities.
Biosecurity Measures to Control Salmonella and Other Infectious Agents in Pig Farms: A Review
Authors: Andres Victor M. , Davies Rob H.
Published: June 2015

Salmonellosis is the 2nd most common cause of human bacterial food poisoning and can be acquired from meat or eggs, either via direct consumption or cross‐contamination in the kitchen. The European Commission has set the criteria to controlSalmonellainfections within the poultry sector and it is proposed that the swine sector should follow. Pork is considered, after eggs, the major source of infection in humans in the EU, withSalmonella typhimurium, including monophasic strains, being frequently implicated. Good control measures at the farm level are likely to correspond with lower prevalence ofSalmonellainfection and, subsequently, a reduction of cross‐contamination of carcasses processed at the slaughterhouse and a reduction in human salmonellosis. This review focuses on biosecurity measures in pig farms that can help to control important pig diseases at the same time as reducing the within‐herd prevalence ofSalmonella. This information is likely to provide an economic incentive for farmers to apply improved general standards of farm biosecurity and hygiene management that would have a positive impact in food safety.
Hospitalization and 1‐year all‐cause mortality in type 2 diabetic patients with chronic kidney disease at Stages 1 and 2: Effect of mild anemia
Authors: Nseir William , Artul Suheil , Nasrallah Najib , Mograbi Julnar , Mahamid Mahmud
Published: June 2015

Background

The effect of anemia in advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) on morbidity and mortality is known. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of mild anemia on hospitalization and 1‐year all‐cause mortality in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients with Stage 1 and 2 CKD.

Methods

Hospitalized T2DM patients (n = 307) with a glomerular filtration rate ≥ 60 mL/min per 1.73 m2 and urinary albumin excretion > 30 mg/24 h (Stage 1 and 2 CKD) were enrolled in the study and divided into two groups based on hemoglobin (Hb) concentrations: those with (mean [ ± SD] Hb 10.7 ± 0.7 g/dL) and without (mean Hb 13.3 ± 1.28 g/dL) anemia.

Results

There was no significant difference between patients with and without anemia in terms of age, gender, body mass index, HbA1c, and cardiovascular diseases. The mean length of hospitalization of the 130 anemic and 177 non‐anemic patients was 4.3 ± 3.5 and 3.5 ± 1.9 days, respectively (P < 0.001). Twelve anemic patients died within 1 year, compared with three patients without anemia (9.2% vs 1.7%, respectively; P = 0.002). After adjusting for confounding variables, multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that mild anemia was significantly associated with 1‐year all‐cause mortality (hazard ratio 2.15, 95% confidence interval 1.92–2.54; P = 0.033).

Conclusions

Mild anemia may increase the length of hospitalization and was associated with 1‐year all‐cause mortality among hospitalized T2DM patients with Stage 1 and 2 CKD.
Emotions, the Law and the Press in Britain: Seduction and Breach of Promise Suits, 1780‐1830
Authors: Barclay Katie
Published: June 2015

The role played by the press in shaping emotions is a topic of increasing interest. Moral panics and sexual scandals have long been recognised as key discursive sites in the shaping of modern Britain. This article contributes to that debate with an exploration of how the late eighteenth‐ and early nineteenth‐century press shaped an emotional public opinion through the reporting of breach of promise and seduction suits. It argues that the press directed men into roles as defenders of the nation through their protection of female virtue, using emotion to invest the British public in nation‐building.
What the radiologist needs to know about Charcot foot
Authors: Mautone Marcela , Naidoo Parm
Published: June 2015

Charcot neuropathic osteoarthropathy (CN) is a progressive disease affecting the bones, joints and soft tissue of the foot and ankle, most commonly associated with diabetic neuropathy. Patients with diabetes complicated by CN have especially high morbidity, frequency of hospitalisation, and therefore, significant utilisation of expensive medical resources. The diagnosis of early CN can be challenging and is based on clinical presentation supported by various imaging modalities. Imaging is important for the detection of early CN and is useful in monitoring progression and complications of the disease. The later stages of CN are potentially devastating for individuals and present an increasing socioeconomic challenge for health systems. The astute radiologist, particularly in the context of a multidisciplinary team, plays a critical role in diagnosis of the primary disease and its complications. This review article aims to outline the key features of CN, emphasising current clinical and radiologic concepts as an aid for the practising radiologist.
Four‐dimensional computed tomography (4DCT): A review of the current status and applications
Authors: Kwong Yune , Mel Alexandra Olimpia , Wheeler Greg , Troupis John M
Published: June 2015

The applications of conventional computed tomography (CT) have been widely researched and implemented in clinical practice. A recent technological innovation in the field of CT is the emergence of four‐dimensional computed tomography (4DCT), where a three‐dimensional computed tomography volume containing a moving structure is imaged over a period of time, creating a dynamic volume data set. 4DCT has previously been mainly utilised in the setting of radiation therapy planning, but with the development of wide field of view CT, 4DCT has opened major avenues in the diagnostic arena. The aim of this study is to provide a comprehensive narrative review of the literature regarding the current clinical applications of 4DCT. The applications reviewed include both routine diagnostic usage as well as an appraisal of the current research literature. A systematic review of the studies related to 4DCT was conducted. The Medline database was searched using the MeSH subject heading ‘Four‐Dimensional Computed Tomography’. After excluding non‐human and non‐English papers, 2598 articles were found. Further exclusion criteria were applied, including date range (since wide field of view CT was introduced in 2007), and exclusion of technical/engineering/physics papers. Further filtration of papers included identification of Review papers. This process yielded 67 papers. Of these, exclusion of papers not specifically discussing 4DCT (cone beam, 4D models) yielded 38 papers. As part of the review, the technique for 4DCT is described, with perspectives as to how it has evolved and its benefits in different clinical indications.
Obesity in regional anesthesia – a risk factor for peripheral catheter‐related infections
Authors: Bomberg H. , Albert N. , Schmitt K. , Gräber S. , Kessler P. , Steinfeldt T. , Hering W. , Gottschalk A. , Standl T. , Stork J. , Meißner W. , Teßmann R. , Geiger P. , Koch T. , Spies C. D. , Volk T. , Kubulus C.
Published: June 2015

Background

Obesity is believed to increase the risk of surgical site infections and possibly increase the risk of catheter‐related infections in regional anesthesia. We, therefore, analyzed the influence of obesity on catheter‐related infections defined within a national registry for regional anesthesia.

Methods

The German Network for Regional Anesthesia database with 25 participating clinical centers was analyzed between 2007 and 2012. Exactly, 28,249 cases (13,239 peripheral nerve and 15,010 neuraxial blocks) of patients ≥ 14 years were grouped in I: underweight (BMI 13.2–18.49 kg/m2, n = 597), II: normal weight (BMI 18.5–24.9 kg/m2, n = 9272), III: overweight (BMI 25.0–29.9 kg/m2, n = 10,632), and IV: obese (BMI 30.0–70.3 kg/m2, n = 7,744). The analysis focused on peripheral and neuraxial catheter‐related infections. Differences between the groups were tested with non‐parametric ANOVA and chi‐square (P < 0.05). Binary logistic regression was used to compare obese, overweight, or underweight patients with normal weight patients. Odds ratios (OR and 95% confidence interval) were calculated and adjusted for potential confounders.

Results

Confounders with significant influence on the risk for catheter‐related infections were gender, age, ASA score, diabetes, preoperative infection, multiple skin puncture, and prolonged catheter use. The incidence (normal weight: 2.1%, obese: 3.6%; P < 0.001) and the risk of peripheral catheter‐related infection was increased in obese compared to normal weight patients [adjusted OR: 1.69 (1.25–2.28); P < 0.001]. In neuraxial sites, the incidence of catheter‐related infections differed significantly between normal weight and obese patients (normal weight: 3.2%, obese: 2.3%; P = 0.01), whereas the risk was comparable [adjusted OR: 0.95 (0.71–1.28); P = 0.92].

Conclusion

This retrospective cohort study suggests that obesity is an independent risk factor for peripheral, but not neuraxial, catheter‐related infections.
The alcohol dependence syndrome: a legacy of continuing clinical and scientific importance
Authors: Stockwell Tim
Published: June 2015

This paper offers some reflections on Griffith Edwards’ continuing legacy with particular reference to his and Milton Gross's formulation of alcohol dependence as a ‘provisional’ clinical syndrome. The ideas and language from this seminal paper have heavily influenced international diagnostic classification systems. However, it is observed that there has also been significant (and increasing) divergence—in particular around the original proposal that dependence and negative alcohol‐related consequences are independent, if inevitably inter‐related dimensions. This is most apparent in the conflation of alcohol‐related problems and dependence phenomena implicit in DSM‐V. It is also argued that the alcohol dependence syndrome (ADS) has substantial continuing influence and relevance to current clinical practice. The hypothesis that degree of alcohol dependence is a useful indicator of the possibility of a return to controlled drinking continues to receive support, and underpins the widespread implementation of brief interventions for ‘early stage’ problem drinkers. It is suggested that the kind of careful clinical observations that underpinned the original concept of alcohol dependence have continuing relevance to the formulation of improved understanding, measurement instruments, diagnostic systems and clinical responses.
History and its contribution to understanding addiction and society
Authors: Berridge Virginia
Published: June 2015

This paper provides a personal memoir of historical work at the Addiction Research Unit, in particular the genesis of the bookOpium and the People. This topic had policy significance for US drug policy and a competing US study was funded. The development of the substance use history field is surveyed, and its expansion in recent times through a focused professional association and a critical mass of researchers in the area, covering a wide range of topics. The politics of using history in this area can be problematic. History now sits at the policy table more easily, but there is still a tendency for professionals in the field to use (and misuse) it, rather than calling on the interpretive and challenging approach they would obtain from professional historians. The paper calls for historians and others to move beyond a substance specific focus and to avoid the tendency for 'naive history' implicit in using only digitized industry archives as the sole source.
The development and testing of new nicotine replacement treatments: from ‘nicotine replacement’ to ‘smoking replacement’
Authors: Hajek Peter
Published: June 2015

Griffith Edwards, unusually in the 1970s, saw tobacco use as falling within the remit of addiction research, and brought Michael Russell to the Addiction Research Unit [ARU] to initiate research into smoking. The work of the tobacco section of ARU paved the way to a better understanding of tobacco dependence and to developing nicotine replacement treatments. Michael Russell pioneered the idea of attractive nicotine replacement products with an acceptable safety profile replacing cigarettes on the open market and ending the tobacco epidemic, envisaging a transition from medicinal and temporary ‘nicotine replacement’ to recreational and potentially permanent ‘smoking replacement’. Mike's prediction that the pharmaceutical industry would develop such devices did not materialize. Instead, two such products were generated by the tobacco industry (snus) and independent developers (electronic cigarettes). Another of Mike's hopes was that regulators would adopt rational policies, and that tobacco control activists would become supportive of smoking replacement once they thought through the implications. Until now, the ‘smoking replacement’ idea has been met with vigorous opposition from some tobacco control activists. The voices of researchers with historical links to ARU are prominent in arguing in favour of harm reduction and e‐cigarettes. The most important debate ever to occur in tobacco control is under way and it carries the signature of Griffith Edwards’ ARU.
Getting to grips with the cannabis problem: the evolving contributions and impact of Griffith Edwards
Authors: Hall Wayne
Published: June 2015

Griffith Edwards played an important role in cannabis policy debates within government advisory committees in the United Kingdom from the early 1970s until the early 1980s. This has largely been hidden from public knowledge by the confidentiality of these committee discussions. The purpose of this paper is to use Griffith's writings and the results of recent historical scholarship to outline the views he expressed, the reasons he gave for them, and to provide a brief assessment of his contribution to the development of British cannabis policy.