bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Local birthing services for rural women: Adaptation of a rural New South Wales maternity service
Authors: Durst Michelle , Rolfe Margaret , Longman Jo , Robin Sarah , Dhnaram Beverley , Mullany Kathryn , Wright Ian , Barclay Lesley
Published: July 2016

Objective

To describe the outcomes of a public hospital maternity unit in rural New South Wales (NSW) following the adaptation of the service from an obstetrician and general practitioner‐obstetrician (GPO)‐led birthing service to a low‐risk midwifery group practice (MGP) model of care with a planned caesarean section service (PCS).

Design

A retrospective descriptive study using quantitative methodology.

Setting

Maternity unit in a small public hospital in rural New South Wales, Australia.

Participants

Data were extracted from the ward‐based birth register for 1172 births at the service between July 2007 and June 2012.

Main outcome measures

Birth numbers, maternal characteristics, labour, birthing and neonatal outcomes.

Results

There were 750 births over 29 months in GPO and 277 and 145 births over 31 months in MGP and PCS, respectively, totalling 422 births following the change in model of care. The GPO had 553 (73.7%) vaginal births and 197 (26.3%) caesarean section (CS) births (139 planned and 58 unplanned). There were almost universal normal vaginal births in MGP (>99% or 276). For normal vaginal births, more women in MGP had no analgesia (45.3% versus 25.1%) or non‐invasive analgesia (47.9% versus 38.6%) and episiotomy was less common in MGP than GPO (1.9% versus 3.4%). Neonatal outcomes were similar for both groups with no difference between Apgar scores at 5 min, neonatal resuscitations or transfer to high‐level special care nurseries.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates how a rural maternity service maintained quality care outcomes for low‐risk women following the adaptation from a GPO to an MGP service.
Dressing up posture: The interactive effects of posture and clothing on competency judgements
Authors: Gurney Daniel J. , Howlett Neil , Pine Karen , Tracey Megan , Moggridge Rachel
Published: July 2016

Individuals often receive judgements from others based on their clothing and their posture. While both of these factors have been found to influence judgements of competency independently, their relative importance in impression formation is yet to be investigated. We address this by examining interactive effects of posture and clothing on four competency measures: confidence, professionalism, approachability, and likeliness of a high salary. Participants rated photographs of both male and female models pictured in different postures (strong, neutral, weak) in smart clothing (a suit for males; both a trouser suit and skirt suit for females) and casual clothing. We confirm that posture manipulations affected judgements of individuals differently according to the clothing they were pictured in. The nature of these interactions varied by gender and, for women, competency judgements differed according to attire type (trouser or skirt suit). The implications of these findings in relation to impression formation are discussed.
Health‐related quality of life in children with myelomeningocele: a systematic review of the literature
Authors: Bakaniene I. , Prasauskiene A. , Vaiciene‐Magistris N.
Published: July 2016

Myelomeningocele (MMC) is the most complex congenital birth defect compatible with life. To provide the best health care for children with MMC, clinicians and researchers have to understand health and functional status of their patients as well as factors influencing their quality of life (QOL). The objective is to review studies that assess health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) and determinants of HRQOL in children with MMC. The data sources include MEDLINE, along with reference lists of relevant reviews and included articles. Study eligibility criteria are quantitative studies that assess HRQOL using validated HRQOL instrument. Participants include children aged 0–18 years with diagnosis of MMC or spina bifida. Risk of bias was assessed using the Hayden system for non‐randomized studies. Narrative synthesis and tables of results of HRQOL studies were conducted. Children with MMC have decreased HRQOL compared with normative population. Physical HRQOL is the most exposed aspect of QOL, while discrepancies in psychosocial domains vary by study. Many determinants of QOL have been found, and it is still not clear which determinant can be described as the strongest predictor. Psychosocial factors are the most consistent determinants of HRQOL.Heterogeneous study sample size, study designs, determinant and outcomes measures limited synthesis of findings. The HRQOL in children with MMC is complex and mediated by a number of associated medical problems, together with a variety of psychosocial and environmental factors. Future research is needed (a) on the relation between complex medical problems, functional independence, parent's and clinician's expectation and HRQOL in children and (b) to assess the differences in HRQOL by social environment and healthcare system.
Atypia of undetermined significance on thyroid fine needle aspiration – risk factors for malignancy
Authors: Seo J.W. , Jang A.L. , Suh S.H. , Park H.S. , Kang M.K. , Hong J.C.
Published: July 2016

Objectives

This study is designed to determine the clinical predictors of malignancy in the atypia of undetermined significance (AUS) category resulted from thyroid fine needle aspiration (FNA).

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

Dong‐A University Medical Center, Busan, Korea.

Participants

Sixty‐two patients who underwent thyroid surgery from January 2010 to December 2013, following a diagnosis of AUS from preoperative thyroid FNA.

Main outcome measures

We investigated the age, gender, maximum size and site of the nodules, ultrasonographic findings, cytological features, BRAF gene mutation, surgical method, number of AUS on repeated FNA and final pathologic results.

Results

Forty‐one of sixty‐two patients underwent total thyroidectomy and the rest had lobectomy. The final pathologic results were 41 malignancies and 21 benign diseases. Nodules less than 1.5 cm, ultrasonographic findings suggestive of malignancy were risk factors for malignancy on univariated analysis (P < 0.001). Multivariated analysis showed that nodules less than 1.5 cm, ultrasonographic findings suggestive of malignancy and more than 2 results of atypia from repeated FNAs were significant risk factors for malignancy (P < 0.001). A BRAF gene mutation analysis was performed in 38 patients, and 13 patients had the mutation. All patients with the BRAF gene mutation had been diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer (P > 0.05).

Conclusions

We recommend close observation or diagnostic surgery in patients with nodules <1.5 cm and with two or more malignant ultrasound feature and a BRAF mutation, or with two or more AUS findings on repeated FNAs.
International Evidence on the Relationship between Insider and Bank Ownership and CSR Performance
Authors: Lopatta Kerstin , Jaeschke Reemda , Canitz Felix , Kaspereit Thomas
Published: July 2016

Manuscript Type

Empirical

Research Question/Issue

This study examines the relationship between blockholder and bank ownership and a firm's corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance. We analyze a multinational panel data sample for the period 2003–2012.

Research Findings/Insights

We find that the degree of blockholder ownership is negatively related to CSR performance, whereas the degree of bank ownership is positively related to CSR performance. The negative (positive) relationship between blockholder (bank) ownership and CSR performance is more pronounced in firms with high ownership dispersion.

Theoretical/Academic Implications

Our study contributes to existing literature by investigating the effects of blockholder and bank ownership on CSR performance within an international context. Prior research has predominantly examined local markets. Additionally, we identify ownership dispersion to strengthen the relationship between investors and CSR and thus provide further evidence on the factors influencing investors' CSR preferences. Conducting an instrumental variables approach supports our findings that bank ownership is positively, and blockholder ownership is negatively, related to CSR performance.

Practitioner/Policy Implications

Our results may assist firms in understanding the demand for CSR by blockholders and bank owners. An awareness of this demand may help firms to optimize their CSR performance in line with their investors' preferences. The knowledge produced in this article could assist firms in adopting the optimal level of CSR performance. Viewed from another perspective, knowing that either blockholder or bank ownership is present allows other shareholders, for instance sustainability funds, to anticipate the long‐run equilibrium level of firm‐specific CSR performance.
Student perspectives on using egocentric video recorded by smart glasses to assess communicative and clinical skills with standardised patients
Authors: Zahl D. A. , Schrader S. M. , Edwards P. C.
Published: July 2016

Introduction

This exploratory study evaluated student perceptions of their ability to self‐ and peer assess (i) interpersonal communication skills and (ii) clinical procedures (a head and neck examination) during standardised patient (SP) interactions recorded by Google Glass compared to a static camera.

Methods

Students compared the Google Glass and static camera recordings using an instrument consisting of 20 Likert‐type items and four open‐ and closed‐text items. The Likert‐type items asked students to rate how effectively they could assess specific aspects of interpersonal communication and a head and neck examination in these two different types of recordings. The interpersonal communication items included verbal, paraverbal and non‐verbal subscales. The open‐ and closed‐text items asked students to report on more globally the differences between the two types of recordings. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were conducted for all survey items. An inductive thematic analysis was conducted to determine qualitative emergent themes from the open‐text questions.

Results

Students found the Glass videos more effective for assessing verbal (t22 = 2.091, P = 0.048) and paraverbal communication skills (t22 = 3.304, P = 0.003), whilst they reported that the static camera video was more effective for assessing non‐verbal communication skills (t22 = −2.132, P = 0.044). Four principle themes emerged from the students' open‐text responses comparing Glass to static camera recordings for self‐ and peer assessment: (1) first‐person perspective, (2) assessment of non‐verbal communication, (3) audiovisual experience and (4) student operation of Glass.

Discussion and conclusion

Our findings suggest that students perceive that Google Glass is a valuable tool for facilitating self‐ and peer assessment of SP examinations because of students’ perceived ability to emphasise and illustrate communicative and clinical activities from a first‐person perspective.
Identifying particular areas for potential seed collections for restoration plantings under climate change
Authors: Booth Trevor H.
Published: July 2016

A method to assist identifying potential sites for seed collections for restoration plantings is demonstrated using the Atlas of Living Australia (ALA) and an example site near Albury (New South Wales). The mean annual temperature (MAT) and mean annual precipitation (MAP) of the example site are determined using the ALA. Data on likely changes in MAT and MAP are accessed from the ‘Climate Change in Australia’ website. The ALA's ‘define environmental envelope’ function is then used to identify areas currently experiencing conditions similar to the future climatic conditions projected for the site. Species distribution data in the ALA indicate locations where suitable provenances of the chosen species are likely to be present. In the case of trees, satellite images in the ALA can indicate whether isolated trees or extensive stands, that may be genetically diverse, exist at locations of interest. Shrublands, grasslands or wetlands may also be identified from the satellite images. The Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Improvement Tool (MERIT) within the ALA can be used to identify existing trials that may already be using suitable provenances for the restoration site. Some considerations for provenance selection under climate change are outlined, as well as the advantages and limitations of using the ALA for this purpose.
Epilepsy in cerebrovascular diseases: Review of experimental and clinical data with meta‐analysis of risk factors
Authors: Ferlazzo Edoardo , Gasparini Sara , Beghi Ettore , Sueri Chiara , Russo Emilio , Leo Antonio , Labate Angelo , Gambardella Antonio , Belcastro Vincenzo , Striano Pasquale , Paciaroni Maurizio , Pisani Laura Rosa , Aguglia Umberto ,   Epilepsy Study Group of the Italian Neurological Society
Published: July 2016

Objective

Seizures may occur in close temporal association with a stroke or after a variable interval. Moreover, epilepsy is often encountered in patients with leukoaraiosis. Although early post‐stroke seizures have been studied extensively, less attention has been paid to post‐stroke epilepsy (PSE) and to epilepsy associated with leukoaraiosis (EAL). The aim of this paper is to review data concerning pathophysiology, prognosis, and treatment of PSE and EAL.

Methods

We performed an extensive literature search to identify experimental and clinical articles on PSE and EAL. We also conducted a systematic review of risk factors for PSE and EAL among eligible studies.

Results

PSE is caused by enhanced neuronal excitability within and near the scar. The role played by white matter changes in EAL remains to be elucidated. Meta‐analysis showed that cortical involvement (odds ratio [OR] 3.71, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.34–5.90, p < 0.001), cerebral hemorrhage (OR 2.41, 95% CI 1.57–3.70, p < 0.001), and early seizures (OR 4.43, 95% CI 2.36–8.32, p < 0.001) are associated with an increased risk of PSE. As regards EAL, no prospective, population‐based studies evaluated the role of different variables on seizure risk. Studies about the management of PSE are limited. PSE is generally well controlled by drugs. Data about risk factors, prognosis, and treatment of EAL are lacking.

Significance

Pathophysiology and risk factors are well defined for PSE but need to be elucidated for EAL. Management of PSE and EAL relies on the clinician's judgment and should be tailored on an individual basis.
Association between comprehensive health literacy and frailty level in community‐dwelling older adults: A cross‐sectional study in Japan
Authors: Shirooka Hidehiko , Nishiguchi Shu , Fukutani Naoto , Adachi Daiki , Tashiro Yuto , Hotta Takayuki , Morino Saori , Nozaki Yuma , Hirata Hinako , Yamaguchi Moe , Aoyama Tomoki
Published: July 2016

Aim

The present study explored the association between comprehensive health literacy and frailty level in community‐dwelling older adults in Japan.

Methods

This was a cross‐sectional study. We enrolled 517 community‐dwelling older adults (mean age 73.2 ± 6.3 years; 410 women). We divided the cohort into two groups, non‐frail and any‐frail, based on Fried Frailty Index scores. We assessed comprehensive health literacy using a 14‐item health literacy scale, and classified the participants as having high or low health literacy. We carried out multivariate logistic regression analysis in which the dependent variable was the presence of non‐frailty and the independent variable was the presence of high health literacy. The analysis was adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, educational history and cognitive function.

Results

There were 132 (25.5%) and 385 (74.5%) participants in the non‐frail and any‐frail groups, respectively. The analysis showed that high health literacy was independently associated with the non‐frail group (odds ratio 1.64, 95% confidence interval 1.03–2.61).

Conclusions

The results showed that high health literacy was associated with non‐frailty. This result implies that comprehensive health literacy might play a salient role in maintaining good health status in community‐dwelling older adults in Japan. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 804‐809.
Ordovician backarc‐basin metadolerite and metabasalt of the South Kitakami Terrane, Northeast Japan
Authors: Uchino Takayuki , Kawamura Makoto
Published: July 2016

Basement rocks that occur along the northern margin of the South Kitakami Terrane in Japan consist of Ordovician ultramafic rocks (Hayachine ultramafic complex), gneissose amphibolite (Kuromoriyama amphibolite), and mafic rocks (Kagura igneous rocks, KIR). The KIR are composed of metagabbro, metadolerite, metabasalt, and minor felsic–intermediate dikes. Although the KIR contain green hornblende due to metamorphism of greenschist to epidote–amphibolite facies, they rarely retain primary brown hornblende. Approximately 30% of the metabasalt shows porphyritic textures, with phenocrysts of saussuritized plagioclase and/or altered mafic minerals. The geochemistry of the common metadolerite and metabasalt of the KIR shows a tholeiite trend, a low TiO2 content, and high Th/Nb and Ti/V ratios. The KIR are therefore indicative of a supra‐subduction zone tectonic setting, which implies a backarc origin (as also indicated by discrimination diagrams). Trace element patterns of the KIR resemble those of the backarc‐basin basalt of the Japan and Yamato basins in the Japan Sea. We propose that the KIR formed during backarc spreading from the Ordovician to Early Silurian. This view is supported by the geochemical data, the tectonic setting of the Hayachine ultramafic rocks, and the provenance of clastics within Silurian sedimentary rocks.
Sensory analysis of cosmetic powders: personal care ingredients and emulsions
Authors: Moussour M. , Lavarde M. , Pensé‐Lhéritier A.‐M. , Bouton F.
Published: July 2016

Objective

The powders are ingredients increasingly used in the formulation of cosmetic products for the sensory qualities they give. The objective of this study was the development of a lexicon and a referential for sensory characterization of these pure raw materials as well as formulations which contain them.

Methods

Eleven expert panellists from Ecole de biologie industrielle de Cergy (France) developed a lexicon and a referential based on 12 powders of different chemical natures. The selected attributes were then used for performing a quantitative descriptive profile of two powders and an emulsion containing or not one of these two powders.

Results

A lexicon has been established through a consensus approach of the panel. It contains seven attributes that allow the evaluation of the powders in four phases: the appearance, the pickup, the application and the after‐feel. This lexicon contains definitions and assessment protocols and provides references products. The quantitative descriptive profile of two powders of the same chemical nature, but different in physical quality showed significant differences in sensory level between products. These same attributes used to evaluate an emulsion containing the powder or not allowed to prove the contribution of these raw materials on the sensory specificities of the emulsion.

Conclusion

The lexicon developed in this study can be used for assessment of other powders but also to define the quantities necessary to put in the formulation to meet the sensory characteristics of these raw materials powder.
Essential content of evidence‐based clinical practice guidelines for bladder cancer: The Japanese Urological Association 2015 update
Authors: Kubota Yoshinobu , Nakaigawa Noboru ,   Committee for Establishment of the Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Bladder Cancer and the Japanese Urological Association
Published: July 2016

The Japanese Urological Association revised the clinical practice guidelines for bladder cancer in April 2015. This was the first update carried out in the 6 years since the development of the initial clinical practice guidelines for bladder cancer in 2009. The descriptive content was revised, and additions were made with a focus on new‐found evidence and advances in the latest medical practices, and on the basis of the increasingly aging population observed in the underlying social context in Japan. An algorithm for the treatment of bladder cancer has been presented as a new trial. In the present article, we will introduce the essential contents and clinical questions that address the present revisions.
“What is the work of Recovery Oriented Practice? A systematic literature review”
Authors: Chester Polly , Ehrlich Carolyn , Warburton Loretta , Baker David , Kendall Elizabeth , Crompton David
Published: July 2016

Concepts of personal and social recovery in mental illness are constantly evolving because the journey is fluid and subject to change over time. Dynamic interactions between the complexities of human nature and mental illness create ever‐altering landscapes of perplexity. The acknowledged ebb and flow of recovery in the presence of chronic and serious mental illness requires health professionals to provide a flexible suite of care, delivered through skills and methods that are responsive and meaningful to the recipient. We conducted a systematic search for qualitative literature that articulated the work of personally‐supportive recovery‐oriented practice (ROP) to determine the specific components of recovery‐supportive work. Twenty‐one articles were identified as meeting the inclusion criteria and were synthesized using a coding framework derived from Normalization Process Theory. We identified three kinds of recovery‐supportive work required from health professionals: alleviating stigma, delivering effective recovery‐supportive responses in the presence of complex health and social situations and managing challenges associated with the work of ROP. We discuss the resources needed for ROP and the barriers that inhibit health professionals' engagement in this work. By elucidating the work of ROP, we highlighted a disparity between health professionals' aspirations and achievements. These revelations could inform service delivery in order to better support consumer recovery in serious mental illness.
The Analysis of 52‐Week High Investing Strategy Based on Herding Behavior
Authors: Chang Chiao Yi , Chen Hsiang‐Lan , Kuo Wen‐Hsiu
Published: July 2016

The present study develops zero‐costing strategies that are based on the 52‐week high and herding behavior. Proximity of the current price to the 52‐week high and the level of herding behavior of individual/institutional investors are the two criteria used to screen stocks. Because herding behavior affects stocks that are associated with value‐related beliefs that investors are reluctant to revise, the level‐of‐herding criterion uses the 52‐week high strategy to improve profits. The present study examines strategy profits in Taiwan, a market in which more than 70% of investors are individuals and where the level of herding among individual investors is higher than that for institutional investors. Empirical results found that profits earned using zero‐costing strategies, identified both using the 52‐week high and herding, were larger than those earned using only the 52‐week high strategy. Furthermore, stocks with values that were far from their 52‐week high made significant and positive profits through buy‐herding and by shorting sell‐herding stocks.
Decoding colouration of begging traits by the experimental addition of the appetite enhancer cyproheptadine hydrochloride in magpiePica picanestlings
Authors: Martín‐Gálvez David , Soler Juan J.
Published: July 2016

The colouration of some traits in nestlings of altricial birds may influence parental food allocation as it may reflect physical condition or hunger. There is increasing evidence of the relationship between colouration of begging traits and nestling performance. However, evidence of the influence of hunger level on nestling colouration is scarce, mainly because of difficulty of distinguishing between the effects of physical condition and hunger levels. Here, we used the appetite stimulant cyproheptadine hydrochloride to increase the sensation of hunger of magpiePica picanestlings for eight days and assessed the effect on the colouration of rictal flanges, mouth and body skin. We found that nestlings administered with cyproheptadine had flanges more conspicuous (chromatic visual contrast), more UV coloured and less yellow coloured than their control nestmates. Conversely, mouths of experimental nestlings were more yellow coloured and less UV coloured than controls. Our pharmacological experiment affected the strength of the relationship between body mass and some colour components of body skin (chromatic and achromatic visual contrasts, UV–chroma and yellow–chroma) and of rictal flanges (chromatic visual contrasts, UV–chroma and yellow–chroma), but not for mouth colouration. These results taken together suggest that the effect of the cyproheptadine on nestling colourations is probably mediated by an increase in hunger levels of nestlings for rictal flanges and body skin colourations, and by an increase in physical condition in the case of mouth coloration.
Activity–composition relations for the calculation of partial melting equilibria in metabasic rocks
Authors: Green E. C. R. , White R. W. , Diener J. F. A. , Powell R. , Holland T. J. B. , Palin R. M.
Published: July 2016

A set of thermodynamic models is presented that, for the first time, allows partial melting equilibria to be calculated for metabasic rocks. The models consist of new activity–composition relations combined with end‐member thermodynamic properties from the Holland & Powell dataset, version 6. They allow for forward modelling in the system NaO–CaO–KO–FeO–MgO–AlO–SiO–HO–TiO–FeO. In particular, new activity–composition relations are presented for silicate melt of broadly trondhjemitic–tonalitic composition, and for augitic clinopyroxene with Si–Al mixing on the tetrahedral sites, while existing activity–composition relations for hornblende are extended to include KO and TiO. Calibration of the activity–composition relations was carried out with the aim of reproducing major experimental phase‐in/phase‐out boundaries that define the amphibolite–granulite transition, across a range of bulk compositions, at ≤13 kbar.
High‐grade metamorphism and partial melting of basic and intermediate rocks
Authors: Palin R. M. , White R. W. , Green E. C. R. , Diener J. F. A. , Powell R. , Holland T. J. B.
Published: July 2016

Rocks of basic and intermediate bulk composition occur in orogenic terranes from all geological time periods and are thought to represent significant petrological components of the middle and lower continental crust. However, the former lack of appropriate thermodynamic models for silicate melt, amphibole and clinopyroxene that can be applied to such lithologies at high temperature has inhibited effective phase equilibrium modelling of their petrological evolution during amphibolite‐ and granulite facies metamorphism. In this work, we present phase diagrams calculated in the Na2O–CaO–K2O–FeO–MgO–Al2O3–SiO2–H2O–TiO2–O2(NCKFMASHTO) compositional system for a range of natural basic and intermediate bulk compositions for conditions of 2–12 kbar and 600–1050 ∘C using newly parameterized activity–composition relationships detailed in a companion paper by Green et al. in this issue. Particular attention is given to mid‐ocean ridge basalt (MORB) and diorite protolith bulk compositions. Calculated subsolidus mineral assemblages in all basic and intermediate rock types are modally dominated by hornblende and plagioclase, with variable proportions of epidote, clinopyroxene, garnet, biotite, muscovite, quartz, titanite or ilmenite present at different pressures. The H2O‐saturated (wet) solidus has a negativeP−Tslope and occurs between ∼620–690∘C at mid‐ to lower‐crustal pressures of 5–10 kbar. The lowest‐Tmelts generated close to the wet solidus are calculated to have granitic major‐element oxide compositions. Melting at higher temperature is attributed primarily to multivariate hydrate‐breakdown reactions involving biotite and/or hornblende. Partial melt compositions calculated at 800–1050∘C for MORB show good correlation with analysed compositions of experimental glasses produced via hydrate‐breakdown melting of natural and synthetic basic protoliths, with Niggli norms indicating that they would crystallize to trondhjemite or tonalite. Diorite is shown to be significantly more fertile than MORB and is calculated to produce high‐Tmelts (>800 ∘C) of granodioritic composition. Subsolidus and suprasolidus mineral assemblages show no significant variation between different members of the basalt family, although theP−Tconditions at which orthopyroxene stabilizes, thus defining the prograde amphibolite–granulite transition, is strongly dependent on bulk‐rock oxidation state and water content. The petrological effects of open‐ and closed‐system processes on the mineral assemblages produced during prograde metamorphism and preserved during retrograde metamorphism are also examined via a case‐study analysis of a natural Archean amphibolite from the Lewisian Complex, northwest Scotland.
Reduced sterol regulatory element‐binding protein (SREBP) processing through site‐1 protease (S1P) inhibition alters oligodendrocyte differentiation in vitro
Authors: Monnerie Hubert , Romer Micah , Jensen Brigid K. , Millar John S. , Jordan‐Sciutto Kelly L. , Kim Sangwon F. , Grinspan Judith B.
Published: July 2016

The formation of the myelin membrane of the oligodendrocyte in the CNS is a fundamental process requiring the coordinated synthesis of many different components. The myelin membrane is particularly rich in lipids, however, the regulation of this lipid synthesis is not understood. In other cell types, including Schwann cells, the myelin‐forming cells of the PNS, lipid synthesis is tightly regulated by the sterol regulatory element‐binding protein (SREBP) family of transcription factors, but this has not been previously shown in oligodendrocytes. We investigated SREBPs' role during oligodendrocyte differentiation in vitro. Both SREBP‐1 and SREBP‐2 were expressed in oligodendrocyte precursor cells and differentiating oligodendrocytes. Using the selective site‐1 protease (S1P) inhibitor PF‐429242, which inhibits the cleavage of SREBP precursor forms into mature forms, we found that preventing SREBP processing inhibited process growth and reduced the expression level of myelin basic protein, a major component of myelin. Further, process extension deficits could be rescued by the addition of exogenous cholesterol. Blocking SREBP processing reduced mRNA transcription and protein levels of SREBP target genes involved in both the fatty acid and the cholesterol synthetic pathways. Furthermore, de novo levels and total levels of cholesterol synthesis were greatly diminished when SREBP processing was inhibited. Together these results indicate that SREBPs are important regulators of oligodendrocyte maturation and that perturbation of their activity may affect myelin formation and integrity.

image

Cover Image for this issue: doi: 10.1111/jnc.13781.
Relations between attorney temporal structure and children's response productivity in cases of alleged child sexual abuse
Authors: Klemfuss J. Zoe , Cleveland Kyndra C. , Quas Jodi A. , Lyon Thomas D.
Published: July 2016

Purpose

Previous research has demonstrated that attorney question format relates to child witness' response productivity. However, little work has examined the extent to which attorneys provide temporal structure in their questions, and the effects of this structure on children's responding. The purpose of this study was to address this gap in the literature to identify methods by which attorneys increase children's response productivity on the stand without risking objections from opposing counsel for ‘calling for narrative answers’.

Methods

In this study, we coded criminal court transcripts involving child witnesses (5–18 years) for narrative structure in attorney questions and productivity in children's responses. Half of the transcripts resulted in convictions, half in acquittals, balanced across key variables: child age, allegation severity, the child's relationship to the perpetrator, and the number of allegations.

Results

Prosecutors and defence attorneys varied substantially in their questioning tactics. Prosecutors used more temporal structure in their questions and varied their questioning by the age of the child. These variations had implications for children's response productivity.

Conclusions

Results indicate that temporal structure is a novel and viable method for enhancing children's production of case‐relevant details on the witness stand.
Development and validation of the brief esophageal dysphagia questionnaire
Authors: Taft T. H. , Riehl M. , Sodikoff J. B. , Kahrilas P. J. , Keefer L. , Doerfler B. , Pandolfino J. E.
Published: July 2016

Background

Esophageal dysphagia is common in gastroenterology practice and has multiple etiologies. A complication for some patients with dysphagia is food impaction. A valid and reliable questionnaire to rapidly evaluate esophageal dysphagia and impaction symptoms can aid the gastroenterologist in gathering information to inform treatment approach and further evaluation, including endoscopy.

Methods

1638 patients participated over two study phases. 744 participants completed the Brief Esophageal Dysphagia Questionnaire (BEDQ) for phase 1; 869 completed the BEDQ, Visceral Sensitivity Index, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Questionnaire, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale for phase 2. Demographic and clinical data were obtained via the electronic medical record. The BEDQ was evaluated for internal consistency, split‐half reliability, ceiling and floor effects, and construct validity.

Key Results

The BEDQ demonstrated excellent internal consistency, reliability, and construct validity. The symptom frequency and severity scales scored above the standard acceptable cutoffs for reliability while the impaction subscale yielded poor internal consistency and split‐half reliability; thus the impaction items were deemed qualifiers only and removed from the total score. No significant ceiling or floor effects were found with the exception of 1 item, and inter‐item correlations fell within accepted ranges. Construct validity was supported by moderate yet significant correlations with other measures. The predictive ability of the BEDQ was small but significant.

Conclusions & Inferences

The BEDQ represents a rapid, reliable, and valid assessment tool for esophageal dysphagia with food impaction for clinical practice that differentiates between patients with major motor dysfunction and mechanical obstruction.
Bringing critical realism to nursing practice: Roy Bhaskar's contribution
Authors: Williams Lynne , Rycroft‐Malone Jo , Burton Christopher R.
Published: July 2016

In the context of modern nursing practice that is embedded within complex social situations, critical discussions about the contribution of major philosophers are relevant and important. Whilst nurse theorists have advanced and shaped nursing as a discipline, other major philosophers can offer much to advance nursing enquiry. In this paper, we focus on philosopher Roy Bhaskar who, amongst others, developed critical realism, a philosophy for social science which connects with how many of us think about the world. Bhaskar's work focuses our attention on the interplay between structure and agency and on the search for the causative or generative mechanisms that explain the social world. Bhaskar was interested in human emancipation, and we suggest his work is of great importance to advance understanding of complex social situations. Critical realism has already been endorsed by a range of disciplines, especially in research which focuses on real problems and acknowledges the complexities of the social world. In recent evidence from healthcare literature, there has been a surge in research using realist methodology (realist evaluation and realist synthesis), which is underpinned by the philosophy of critical realism and which offers a different perspective to understanding nursing and healthcare problems through the realist lens. However, we suggest that sufficient attention is not always paid to the philosophical roots of this methodology. In this paper, we provide insight into Bhaskar's work and demonstrate how research positioned within critical realism and realist methodology can advance nursing and healthcare‐related knowledge. Through shining a light on Bhaskar, we illustrate how critical realism philosophy is a natural fit with human and health science enquiry, including nursing.
Sloughing esophagitis: a spectacular histologic and endoscopic disease without a uniform clinical correlation
Authors: Moawad Fouad J. , Appleman Henry D.
Published: July 2016

Sloughing esophagitis, also currently known as esophagitis dissecans superficialis, is a degenerative disease of the squamous epithelium characterized by superficial epithelial necrosis with parakeratosis, but without inflammation, and detachment of the superficial necrotic zone from the deep viable zone. This leads to a spectacular endoscopic appearance of sloughed mucosa in streaks and patches. The cause is unknown, and the clinical characteristics are variable, ranging from incidentally findings to esophageal symptoms. The disease seems to be self‐limited, as resolution of the changes was observed in the few cases for which follow‐up endoscopic examinations have been reported.
Mobile health: the power of wearables, sensors, and apps to transform clinical trials
Authors: Munos Bernard , Baker Pamela C. , Bot Brian M. , Crouthamel Michelle , de Vries Glen , Ferguson Ian , Hixson John D. , Malek Linda A. , Mastrototaro John J. , Misra Veena , Ozcan Aydogan , Sacks Leonard , Wang Pei
Published: July 2016

Mobile technology has become a ubiquitous part of everyday life, and the practical utility of mobile devices for improving human health is only now being realized. Wireless medical sensors, or mobile biosensors, are one such technology that is allowing the accumulation of real‐time biometric data that may hold valuable clues for treating even some of the most devastating human diseases. From wearable gadgets to sophisticated implantable medical devices, the information retrieved from mobile technology has the potential to revolutionize how clinical research is conducted and how disease therapies are delivered in the coming years. Encompassing the fields of science and engineering, analytics, health care, business, and government, this report explores the promise that wearable biosensors, along with integrated mobile apps, hold for improving the quality of patient care and clinical outcomes. The discussion focuses on groundbreaking device innovation, data optimization and validation, commercial platform integration, clinical implementation and regulation, and the broad societal implications of using mobile health technologies.
Persistent effects of chlorine inhalation on respiratory health
Authors: Hoyle Gary W. , Svendsen Erik R.
Published: July 2016

Chlorine gas is a toxic respiratory irritant that is considered a chemical threat agent because of the potential for release in industrial accidents or terrorist attacks. Chlorine inhalation damages the respiratory tract, including the airways and distal lung, and can result in acute lung injury. Some individuals exposed to chlorine experience a full recovery from acute injury, whereas others develop persistent adverse effects, such as respiratory symptoms, inflammation, and lung‐function decrements. In animal models, chlorine can produce persistent inflammation, remodeling, and obstruction in large or small airways, depending on species. Airways with pseudostratified epithelia are repaired efficiently, with surviving basal epithelial cells serving as progenitor cells that repopulate the complement of differentiated cell types. Distal airways lacking basal cells are repaired less efficiently, leading to chronic inflammation and fibrosis at these sites. Persistent chlorine‐induced airway disease in humans is treated with asthma medication to relieve symptoms. However, such treatment does not ameliorate the underlying disease pathogenesis, so treatments that are more effective at preventing initial development of airway disease after irritant gas exposure and at reversing established disease are needed.
Global Engagement and Returns Volatility
Authors: Girma Sourafel , Lancheros Sandra , Riaño Alejandro
Published: July 2016

This paper finds that a greater reliance on foreign market sales increases the volatility of firms’ stock returns, using high‐frequency data for publicly listed Japanese manufacturing firms over the period 2000–10. The two margins of global engagement we consider, namely, exports and sales via foreign affiliates (horizontal foreign direct investment), have both a positive and economically significant effect on firm‐level volatility. We find, however, that increasing the intensity of sales through foreign affiliates has a stronger effect on volatility than a similar change in export intensity. We also uncover evidence consistent with the notion that firms’ need to use external finance to cover the substantial costs involved in reaching foreign consumers can be an important channel through which firms’ participation in international markets increases their exposure to economic uncertainty.
Refugee child oral health
Authors: Riggs E , Rajan S , Casey S , Kilpatrick N
Published: July 2016

The number of people forced to flee their homes and move around the world is increasing rapidly. Such refugee populations are not only more likely to have poor physical, mental and social health outcomes but also to experience difficulties accessing health services in their new country. In particular, children from refugee backgrounds are at increased risk of poor oral health which in time is associated with poor adult oral health and impacts on child health (e.g. growth and development) and well‐being. To date, there is little evidence about the nature and extent of their oral health problems nor interventions to improve their oral health status. This article summarises the evidence surrounding the oral health status of children from refugee backgrounds. In addition, a systematic review of the international literature over the past 10 years is presented which identifies interventions to improve the oral health of these vulnerable paediatric populations. Based on this evidence, potential strategies available to dental service providers to optimise provision of responsive dental care are discussed.
A Different Kind of Discipline: Social Reproduction and the Transmission of Non‐cognitive Skills at an Urban Charter School
Authors: Kerstetter Katie
Published: July 2016

A key component of recent school reform policies has been the authorization of public charter schools. A subset of public charter schools, often termed “no excuses” schools, have received national attention for their students’ academic success; however, scholars have recently begun to question the role of the schools’ authoritarian discipline systems in the process of social reproduction. This study examines the extent to which authoritarian discipline systems are necessary for success at “no excuses” schools, drawing upon qualitative research at a strategic site: a school that adopts many of the practices of “no excuses” schools while also pursuing a relational approach to discipline. Qualitative analysis of classroom observation and interview data finds that a relational approach to discipline cultivates non‐cognitive skills more closely aligned with the evaluative standards of middle‐class institutions, such as skills in self‐expression, self‐regulation, problem‐solving, and conflict resolution. A comparison of academic achievement data also suggests that “no excuses” schools may be able to implement relational discipline approaches without sacrificing academic success on a key predictor of future academic performance.
Culture and Innovation: Evidence from the European Union and Neighbouring Countries
Authors: Kaasa Anneli
Published: July 2016

This exploratory study investigates the effect of different cultural dimensions on different innovation indicators covering as many EU countries and neighbouring countries as possible. The measures of cultural dimensions were composed on the basis of the EVS/WVS data with the help of confirmatory factor analysis. Correlation, regression, graphical and cluster analyses were used. It was confirmed that innovation processes are strongly reliant on culture: power distance, uncertainty avoidance and masculinity turned out to be negatively and individualism positively related to innovation performance. The final innovation performance may develop on the basis of the combined effect of the four cultural dimensions that may or may not balance each other in a particular country. Hence, the Culture Index was calculated on the basis of the four cultural dimensions and it appeared to explain the differences in innovation performance between different countries quite well.
First report of monomicrobial Candida parapsilosis necrotizing fasciitis
Authors: Gassiep I. , Douglas J. , Playford E.G.
Published: July 2016

Candida parapsilosis is an emerging pathogen worldwide. It commonly causes soft tissue infection; however, to our knowledge there has been no previous report of monomicrobial necrotizing soft tissue infection (NSTI) secondary to C. parapsilosis. We report the first case of NSTI caused by C. parapsilosis in an immunocompromised renal transplant patient, with the diagnosis proven both histologically and microbiologically. Our patient required aggressive surgical intervention and antifungal therapy, with postoperative survival at 90 days.
Time Zone Effect and the Margins of Exports
Authors: Bista Rishav , Tomasik Rebecca
Published: July 2016

The negative effect of time zone on trade flows has recently been established in the literature. However, thus far, no paper has explored the differing time zone effect on the intensive and extensive margin. Utilising product‐level trade data, this paper examines the impact of time zone differences on the intensive and extensive margin of exports. Furthermore, this paper examines the non‐linear impact of different levels of time zone differences on exports. Using the Poisson pseudo‐maximum likelihood estimation, the results indicate that the time zone differences negatively affect exports primarily via the extensive margin, with no effect on the intensive margin, which suggests that time zone differences act as a fixed cost of exporting. Furthermore, quartile analysis shows non‐linearities in the time zone measure, more specifically that time zones matter more at larger time zone differences. These results can have important policy implications for nations looking to increase their trade presence.