bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Alanine substitutions in the GXXXG motif alter C99 cleavage by γ‐secretase but not its dimerization
Authors: Higashide Hidekazu , Ishihara Seiko , Nobuhara Mika , Ihara Yasuo , Funamoto Satoru
Published: December 2016

The amyloid β (Aβ) protein is a major component of senile plaques, one of the neuropathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. Amyloidogenic processing of amyloid precursor protein (APP) by β‐ and γ‐secretases leads to production of Aβ. APP contains tandem triple repeats of the GXXXG motif in its extracellular juxtamembrane and transmembrane regions. It is reported that the GXXXG motif is related to protein–protein interactions, but it remains controversial whether the GXXXG motif in APP is involved in substrate dimerization and whether dimerization affects γ‐secretase‐dependent cleavage. Therefore, the relationship between the GXXXG motifs, substrate dimerization, and γ‐secretase‐dependent cleavage sites remains unclear. Here, we applied blue native poly acrylamide gel electrophoresis to examine the effect of alanine substitutions within the GXXXG motifs of APP carboxyl terminal fragment (C99) on its dimerization and Aβ production. Surprisingly, alanine substitutions in the motif failed to alter C99 dimerization in detergent soluble state. Cell‐based and solubilized γ‐secretase assays demonstrated that increasing alanine substitutions in the motif tended to decrease long Aβ species such as Aβ42 and Aβ43 and to increase in short Aβ species concomitantly. Our data suggest that the GXXXG motif is crucial for Aβ production, but not for C99 dimerization.

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Stereological analysis of size and density of hepatocytes in the porcine liver
Authors: Junatas Khan L. , Tonar Zbyněk , Kubíková Tereza , Liška Václav , Pálek Richard , Mik Patrik , Králíčková Milena , Witter Kirsti
Published: December 2016

The porcine liver is frequently used as a large animal model for verification of surgical techniques, as well as experimental therapies. Often, a histological evaluation is required that include measurements of the size, nuclearity or density of hepatocytes. Our aims were to assess the mean number‐weighted volume of hepatocytes, the numerical density of hepatocytes, and the fraction of binuclear hepatocytes (BnHEP) in the porcine liver, and compare the distribution of these parameters among hepatic lobes and macroscopic regions of interest (ROIs) with different positions related to the liver vasculature. Using disector and nucleator as design‐based stereological methods, the morphometry of hepatocytes was quantified in seven healthy piglets. The samples were obtained from all six hepatic lobes and three ROIs (peripheral, paracaval and paraportal) within each lobe. Histological sections (thickness 16 μm) of formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded material were stained with the periodic acid‐Schiff reaction to indicate the cell outlines and were assessed in a series of 3‐μm‐thick optical sections. The mean number‐weighted volume of mononuclear hepatocytes (MnHEP) in all samples was 3670 ± 805 μm3 (mean ± SD). The mean number‐weighted volume of BnHEP was 7050 ± 2550 μm3. The fraction of BnHEP was 4 ± 2%. The numerical density of all hepatocytes was 146 997 ± 15 738 cells mm−3 of liver parenchyma. The porcine hepatic lobes contained hepatocytes of a comparable size, nuclearity and density. No significant differences were identified between the lobes. The peripheral ROIs of the hepatic lobes contained the largest MnHEP with the smallest numerical density. The distribution of a larger MnHEP was correlated with a larger volume of BnHEP and a smaller numerical density of all hepatocytes. Practical recommendations for designing studies that involve stereological evaluations of the size, nuclearity and density of hepatocytes in porcine liver are provided.
Multisource feedback to graduate nurses: a multimethod study
Authors: McPhee Samantha , Phillips Nicole M , Ockerby Cherene , Hutchinson Alison M
Published: December 2016

Aims and objectives

(1) To explore graduate nurses’ perceptions of the influence of multisource feedback on their performance and (2) to explore perceptions of Clinical Nurse Educators involved in providing feedback regarding feasibility and benefit of the approach.

Background

Graduate registered nurses are expected to provide high‐quality care for patients in demanding and unpredictable clinical environments. Receiving feedback is essential to their development. Performance appraisals are a common method used to provide feedback and typically involve a single source of feedback. Alternatively, multisource feedback allows the learner to gain insight into performance from a variety of perspectives. This study explores multisource feedback in an Australian setting within the graduate nurse context.

Design

Multimethod study.

Methods

Eleven graduates were given structured performance feedback from four raters: Nurse Unit Manager, Clinical Nurse Educator, preceptor and a self‐appraisal. Thirteen graduates received standard single‐rater appraisals. Data regarding perceptions of feedback for both groups were obtained using a questionnaire. Semistructured interviews were conducted with nurses who received multisource feedback and the educators.

Results

In total, 94% (n = 15) of survey respondents perceived feedback was important during the graduate year. Four themes emerged from interviews: informal feedback, appropriateness of raters, elements of delivery and creating an appraisal process that is ‘more real’. Multisource feedback was perceived as more beneficial compared to single‐rater feedback. Educators saw value in multisource feedback; however, perceived barriers were engaging raters and collating feedback.

Conclusions

Some evidence exists to indicate that feedback from multiple sources is valued by graduates. Further research in a larger sample and with more experienced nurses is required.

Relevance to clinical practice

Evidence resulting from this study indicates that multisource feedback is valued by both graduates and educators and informs graduates’ development and transition into the role. Thus, a multisource approach to feedback for graduate nurses should be considered.
In Pursuit of Time: Business Plan Sequencing, Duration and Intraentrainment Effects on New Venture Viability
Authors: Hopp Christian , Greene Francis J.
Published: December 2016

In this study, we examine three under‐explored dimensions of the temporal relationship between formal written business plans and the achievement of new venture viability. First, we theorize and investigate the effects of plan sequencing; arguing that a business plan written early on in new venture development increases the prospects of venture viability. Second, we examine plan duration effects, and argue that there is a curvilinear relationship between spending time on a plan and achieving venture viability. Finally, we investigate plan intraentrainment effects (synchronization with other gestation activities). We theorize that if plans are synchronized with other gestation activities, venture viability is more likely. Using longitudinal data and controlling for truncation and endogeneity issues, we find that it is beneficial to plan early but that this is contingent on how long a founder spent on a plan and whether or not a plan is intraentrained with other gestation activities.
Boundary Capabilities in MNCs: Knowledge Transformation for Creative Solution Development
Authors: Tippmann Esther , Sharkey Scott Pamela , Parker Andrew
Published: December 2016

The management of knowledge across country units is critical to multinational corporations (MNCs). Building on the argument that boundary spanning leads to the development of creative problem solving outcomes, this study advances the concept of MNC knowledge transformation and examines its relationship with solution creativity. Using questionnaire data on 67 problem solving projects, we find that opportunity formation is an underlying mechanism linking MNC knowledge transformation to the development of creative solutions. These insights contribute to our understanding of boundary spanning in global organizations by substantiating MNC knowledge transformation and elaborating the relationship between boundary spanning and creative solution development. If successful at knowledge transformation, collaborators from across the MNC can construct previously unimagined opportunities for the generation of creative outcomes.
Toward a Framework of Leader Character in Organizations
Authors: Crossan Mary M. , Byrne Alyson , Seijts Gerard H. , Reno Mark , Monzani Lucas , Gandz Jeffrey
Published: December 2016

While the construct of character is well grounded in philosophy, ethics, and more recently psychology, it lags in acceptance and legitimacy within management research and mainstream practice. Our research seeks to remedy this through four contributions. First, we offer a framework of leader character that provides rigor through a three‐phase, multi‐method approach involving 1817 leaders, and relevance by using an engaged scholarship epistemology to validate the framework with practicing leaders. This framework highlights the theoretical underpinnings of the leader character model and articulates the character dimensions and elements that operate in concert to promote effective leadership. Second, we bring leader character into mainstream management research, extending the traditional competency and interpersonal focus on leadership to embrace the foundational component of leader character. In doing this, we articulate how leader character complements and strengthens several existing theories of leadership. Third, we extend the virtues‐based approach to ethical decision making to the broader domain of judgement and decision making in support of pursuing individual and organization effectiveness. Finally, we offer promising directions for future research on leader character that will also serve the larger domain of leadership research.
Antibody‐dependent and antibody‐independent uptake of HBsAg across human leucocyte subsets is similar between individuals with chronic hepatitis B virus infection and healthy donors
Authors: Tharinger H. , Rebbapragada I. , Samuel D. , Novikov N. , Nguyen M. H. , Jordan R. , Frey C. R. , Pflanz S.
Published: December 2016

Maintaining detectable levels of antibodies to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in serum after HBsAg sero‐conversion is the key clinical endpoint indicative of recovery from infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV). As HBV‐infected hepatocytes secrete HBsAg subviral particles in vast excess over HBV virions, detectable hepatitis B surface antibody (anti‐HBs) titres imply complete elimination of HBV virions as well as HBsAg particles. Although intrahepatic phagocytes, for example Kupffer cells, are thought to mediate clearance of HBsAg via antibody (Ab)‐dependent and Ab‐independent mechanisms, the relative contributions of circulating phagocytic cell types to HBsAg elimination are poorly characterized. Understanding the role of various immune cell subsets in the clearance of HBsAg is important because Ab‐dependent or Ab‐independent phagocytic HBsAg uptake may modulate presentation of HBsAg‐derived epitopes to antigen‐specific T cells and hence plays a critical role in adaptive immunity against HBV. This study aims to characterize phagocytic leucocyte subsets capable of internalizing HBsAg immune complexes (HBsAg:IC) or un‐complexed HBsAg particles in whole blood directly ex vivo. The data show that uptake of HBsAg:IC occurs most prominently in monocytes, B cells, dendritic cells and in neutrophils. In contrast, B cells, and to a lesser degree also monocytes, seem to be effective phagocytes for un‐complexed HBsAg. Importantly, a similar pattern of phagocytic HBsAg uptake was observed in blood from chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients compared to healthy controls, suggesting that phagocytosis‐related cellular functions are not altered in the context of CHB.
Socializing Distrust of the Justice System through the Family in Juvenile Delinquency Court
Authors: Pennington Liana
Published: December 2016

Juvenile delinquency courts in the United States generally require parents to attend all court hearings, but little is known about how parents' experiences in the court process affect their discussions of the justice system with their court‐involved children. Using multiperspectival and longitudinal data combining observations with interviews of parents and youth in two courts, this research finds that many parents discuss the legal process in negative terms with their children when parents are outside the presence of legal authorities. This research adds to the literature on legal socialization by examining how parents' perceptions of law and their experiences with the court become part of the socializing content provided by parents to their court‐involved children. Creating a more meaningful role for parents in the juvenile justice process may potentially lead to more positive discussions of the court process between parents and juvenile defendants.
Deep learning for sentiment analysis
Authors: Rojas‐Barahona Lina Maria
Published: December 2016

Research and industry are becoming more and more interested in finding automatically thepolarised opinionof the general public regarding a specific subject. The advent ofsocial networkshas opened the possibility of having access tomassive blogs,recommendations, andreviews. The challenge is to extract thepolarityfrom these data, which is a task ofopinion miningorsentiment analysis. The specific difficulties inherent in this task include issues related tosubjectiveinterpretation andlinguistic phenomenathat affect the polarity of words. Recently,deep learninghas become a popular method of addressing this task. However, different approaches have been proposed in the literature. This article provides an overview of deep learning for sentiment analysis in order to place these approaches in context.
Comparative Efficacy and Tolerability of Antimuscarinic Agents and the Selective β3‐Adrenoceptor Agonist, Mirabegron, for the Treatment of Overactive Bladder: Which is More Preferable as an Initial Treatment?
Authors: KOBAYASHI Minoru , NUKUI Akinori , KAMAI Takao
Published: December 2016

Objectives

The objective of the present study was to evaluate comparative efficacy and tolerability of antimuscarinics and mirabegron as primary and salvage therapy in patients with overactive bladder (OAB).

Methods

Patients ≥50 years with OAB symptoms were enrolled. Patients were initially treated with antimuscrinics or mirabegron for 8 weeks. When patients were refractory or intolerant to an initial treatment, drugs were switched to the other. The initial and second‐line efficacy was assessed at baseline, 4 and 8 weeks after the treatment having the following parameters of the International Prostatic Symptom Score (IPSS), quality of life (QOL) index, Overactive Bladder Symptom Score (OABSS) and post‐void residual (PVR) urine volume. Dry mouth and constipation were evaluated using dry mouth scale and constipation assessment scale, respectively.

Results

A total of 117 patients were enrolled. As an initial treatment, 60 patients were given antimuscarinics and 57 patients received mirabegron. Similar initial treatment efficacy was observed between the two drugs in the whole patients. However, mirabegron was more efficacious to men with OAB unresponsive to prior α1‐blocker. Dry mouth and constipation were less burdensome in patients treated with mirabegron. Such differences in efficacy and tolerability were associated with significantly greater persistence of mirabegron. As a second‐line setting, both drugs appear to be equally effective at least to relieve urgency symptoms remaining after an initial therapy.

Conclusion

The present study suggests that mirabegron seems to have priority as an initial therapy with a distinct efficacy/tolerability balance. Mirabegron also represents a reasonable alternative to antimuscarinics for patients who had insufficient efficacy and poor tolerability.
Temporal dynamics of microbial communities in microcosms in response to pollutants
Authors: Jiao Shuo , Zhang Zhengqing , Yang Fan , Lin Yanbing , Chen Weimin , Wei Gehong
Published: December 2016

Elucidating the mechanisms underlying microbial succession is a major goal of microbial ecology research. Given the increasing human pressure on the environment and natural resources, responses to the repeated introduction of organic and inorganic pollutants are of particular interest. To investigate the temporal dynamics of microbial communities in response to pollutants, we analysed the microbial community structure in batch microcosms that were inoculated with soil bacteria following exposure to individual or combined pollutants (phenanthrene, n‐octadecane, phenanthrene + n‐octadecane and phenanthrene + n‐octadecane + CdCl2). Subculturing was performed at 10‐day intervals, followed by high‐throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA genes. The dynamics of microbial communities in response to different pollutants alone and in combination displayed similar patterns during enrichment. Specifically, the repression and induction of microbial taxa were dominant, and the fluctuation was not significant. The rate of appearance for new taxa and the temporal turnover within microbial communities were higher than the rates reported in other studies of microbial communities in air, water and soil samples. In addition, conditionally rare taxa that were specific to the treatments exhibited higher betweenness centrality values in the co‐occurrence network, indicating a strong influence on other interactions in the community. These results suggest that the repeated introduction of pollutants could accelerate microbial succession in microcosms, resulting in the rapid re‐equilibration of microbial communities.
Transcriptomic imprints of adaptation to fresh water: parallel evolution of osmoregulatory gene expression in the Alewife
Authors: Velotta Jonathan P. , Wegrzyn Jill L. , Ginzburg Samuel , Kang Lin , Czesny Sergiusz , O'Neill Rachel J. , McCormick Stephen D. , Michalak Pawel , Schultz Eric T.
Published: December 2016

Comparative approaches in physiological genomics offer an opportunity to understand the functional importance of genes involved in niche exploitation. We used populations of Alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) to explore the transcriptional mechanisms that underlie adaptation to fresh water. Ancestrally anadromous Alewives have recently formed multiple, independently derived, landlocked populations, which exhibit reduced tolerance of saltwater and enhanced tolerance of fresh water. Using RNA‐seq, we compared transcriptional responses of an anadromous Alewife population to two landlocked populations after acclimation to fresh (0 ppt) and saltwater (35 ppt). Our results suggest that the gill transcriptome has evolved in primarily discordant ways between independent landlocked populations and their anadromous ancestor. By contrast, evolved shifts in the transcription of a small suite of well‐characterized osmoregulatory genes exhibited a strong degree of parallelism. In particular, transcription of genes that regulate gill ion exchange has diverged in accordance with functional predictions: freshwater ion‐uptake genes (most notably, the ‘freshwater paralog’ of Na+/K+‐ATPase α‐subunit) were more highly expressed in landlocked forms, whereas genes that regulate saltwater ion secretion (e.g. the ‘saltwater paralog’ of NKAα) exhibited a blunted response to saltwater. Parallel divergence of ion transport gene expression is associated with shifts in salinity tolerance limits among landlocked forms, suggesting that changes to the gill's transcriptional response to salinity facilitate freshwater adaptation.
Distal and proximal promoters co‐regulate pqsR expression in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Farrow John M. , Pesci Everett C.
Published: December 2016

The ubiquitous bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that can cause serious infections in immunocompromised individuals. P. aeruginosa virulence is controlled partly by intercellular communication, and the transcription factor PqsR is a necessary component in the P. aeruginosa cell‐to‐cell signaling network. PqsR acts as the receptor for the Pseudomonas quinolone signal, and it controls the production of 2‐alkyl‐4‐quinolone molecules which are important for pathogenicity. Previous studies showed that the expression of pqsR is positively controlled by the quorum‐sensing regulator LasR, but it was unclear how LasR is able to induce pqsR transcription. In this report, we further investigated the control of pqsR, and discovered two separate promoter sites that contribute to pqsR expression. LasR‐mediated activation occurs at the distal promoter site, but this activation can be antagonized by the regulator CysB. The proximal promoter site also contributes to pqsR transcription, but initiation at this site is inhibited by a negative regulatory sequence element, and potentially by the H‐NS family members MvaT and MvaU. We propose a model where positive and negative regulatory influences at each promoter site are integrated to modify pqsR expression. This arrangement could allow for information from both environmental signals and cell‐to‐cell communication to influence PqsR levels.
Stereotypes, Prejudice, and the Taxonomy of the Implicit Social Mind1
Authors: Madva Alex , Brownstein Michael
Published: December 2016

How do cognition and affect interact to produce action? Research in intergroup psychology illuminates this question by investigating the relationship between stereotypes and prejudices about social groups. Yet it is now clear that many social attitudes are implicit (roughly, nonconscious or involuntary). This raises the question: how does the distinction between cognition and affect apply to implicit mental states? An influential view—roughly analogous to a Humean theory of action—is that “implicit stereotypes” and “implicit prejudices” constitute two separate constructs, reflecting different mental processes and neural systems. On this basis, some have also argued that interventions to reduce discrimination should combat implicit stereotypes and prejudices separately. We propose an alternative (anti‐Humean) framework. We argue that all putative implicit stereotypes are affect‐laden and all putative implicit prejudices are “semantic,” that is, they stand in co‐activating associations with concepts and beliefs. Implicit biases, therefore, consist in “clusters” of semantic‐affective associations, which differ in degree, rather than kind. This framework captures the psychological structure of implicit bias, promises to improve the power of indirect measures to predict behavior, and points toward the design of more effective interventions to combat discrimination.
Contract theories and partnership in health care. A philosophical inquiry to the philosophy of John Rawls and Seyla Benhabib
Authors: Määttä Sylvia , Lützén Kim , Öresland Stina
Published: December 2016

Over the last 20 years, a paternalistic view in health care has been losing ground. The question about less asymmetrical positions in the healthcare professional–patient relationship is, for example, being addressed by the increased emphasis on person‐centred care, promoted in disciplines such as medicine and nursing. Partnership is considered as a key component in person‐centred care. Although the previous studies have addressed the attributes inherent in partnership, there is still potential for further discussion on how the various interpretations of partnership influence their use in healthcare literature. A vague understanding might also affect education and evaluation. As we see it, the philosophical underpinnings of the idea of partnership have not been sufficiently explored and discussed. The study reveals that partnership originates in the term “partener” defined as a relationship between individuals or groups characterized by cooperation and responsibility. Etymologically speaking, partnership is hence bound by a contract, which in this study is discussed in the frame of Rawls’ contract theory, which in turn intersects with Benhabib and her distinction between “the abstract” and “the concrete Other.” Further, the expression “equal partnership,” which often appears in the context of person‐centredness, is explored in relation to the philosophies of Rawls and Benhabib. The opportunity for partnership, as well as the risk of partnership becoming a tempting magnet with a vague and imprecise meaning, is discussed. Without exploration, reflection and discussion of the philosophical underpinnings, partnership carries a substantial risk of becoming an indistinct idea used in health care.
An alternative clinical routine for subjective refraction based on power vectors with trial frames
Authors: María Revert Antonia , Conversa Maria Amparo , Albarrán Diego César , Micó Vicente
Published: December 2016

Purpose

Subjective refraction determines the final point of refractive error assessment in most clinical environments and its foundations have remained unchanged for decades. The purpose of this paper is to compare the results obtained when monocular subjective refraction is assessed in trial frames by a new clinical procedure based on a pure power vector interpretation with conventional clinical refraction procedures.

Methods

An alternative clinical routine is described that uses power vector interpretation with implementation in trial frames. Refractive error is determined in terms of: (i) the spherical equivalent (M component), and (ii) a pair of Jackson Crossed Cylinder lenses oriented at 0°/90° (J0 component) and 45°/135° (J45 component) for determination of astigmatism. This vector subjective refraction result (VR) is compared separately for right and left eyes of 25 subjects (mean age, 35 ± 4 years) against conventional sphero‐cylindrical subjective refraction (RX) using a phoropter. The VR procedure was applied with both conventional tumbling E optotypes (VR1) and modified optotypes with oblique orientation (VR2).

Results

Bland‐Altman plots and intra‐class correlation coefficient showed good agreement between VR, and RX (with coefficient values above 0.82) and anova showed no significant differences in any of the power vector components between RX and VR. VR1 and VR2 procedure results were similar (p ≥ 0.77).

Conclusions

The proposed routine determines the three components of refractive error in power vector notation [M, J0, J45], with a refraction time similar to the one used in conventional subjective procedures. The proposed routine could be helpful for inexperienced clinicians and for experienced clinicians in those cases where it is difficult to get a valid starting point for conventional RX (irregular corneas, media opacities, etc.) and for refractive situations/places with inadequate refractive facilities/equipment.
Thoracic Endoscopic‐Assisted Mini‐Open Surgery for Thoracic and Thoracolumbar Spinal Cord Compression
Authors: Xu Bao‐shan , Xu Hai‐wei , Yuan Qiu‐ming , Liu Yue , Yang Qiang , Jiang Hong‐feng , Wang Dong‐bin , Ji Ning , Ma Xin‐long , Zhang Yang
Published: December 2016

Intervertebral disc herniation is a common cause of spinal cord compression, especially for the thoracic and thoracolumbar spinal cord, which has limited buffer space in the spinal canal. Spinal cord compression usually causes decreased sensation and paralysis of limbs below the level of compression, urinary and fecal incontinence, and/or urinary retention, which brings great suffering to the patients and usually requires surgical intervention. Thoracotomy or abdominothoracic surgery is usually performed for the thoracolumbar cord compression caused by hard intervertebral disc herniation. However, there is high risk of trauma and complications with this surgery. To reduce the surgical trauma and obtain good visibility, we designed athoracic endoscopic‐assisted mini‐open surgery for thoracic and thoracolumbar disc herniation, and performed this procedure on 10 patients who suffered from hard thoracic or thoracolumbar spinal cord compression. During the procedure, the thoracic endoscopy provided clear vision of the surgical field with a good light source. The compression could be fully exposed and completely removed, and no nerve root injury or spinal cord damage occurred. All patients achieved obvious recovery of neurological function after this procedure. This technique possesses the merits of minimal trauma, increased safety, and good clinical results. The aim of this study is to introduce this thoracic endoscopic‐assisted mini‐open surgery technique, and we believe that this technique will be a good choice for the thoracic and thoracolumbar cord compression caused by hard intervertebral disc herniation.
Comparison of Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion versus Posterior Cervical Foraminotomy in the Treatment of Cervical Radiculopathy: A Systematic Review
Authors: Liu Wei‐jun , Hu Ling , Chou Po‐Hsin , Wang Jun‐wen , Kan Wu‐sheng
Published: December 2016

Controversy remains over whether anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) or posterior cervical foraminotomy (PCF) is superior for the treatment of cervical radiculopathy. We therefore performed a systematic review including three prospective randomized controlled trails (RCT) and seven retrospective comparative studies (RCoS) by searching PubMed and EMBASE. These studies were assessed on risk of bias according to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions, and the quality of evidence and level of recommendation were evaluated according to the GRADE approach. Clinical outcomes, complications, reoperation rates, radiological parameters, and cost/cost‐utility were evaluated. The mean complication rate was 7% in the ACDF group and 4% in the PCF group, and the mean reoperation rate was 4% in the ACDF group and 6% in the PCF group within 2 years of the initial surgery. There was a strong level of recommendation that no difference existed in clinical outcome, complication rate and reoperation rate between the ACDF and the PCF group. There was conflicting evidence that the ACDF group had better clinical outcomes than the PCF group (one study with weak level of recommendation). PCF could preserve the range of motion (ROM) of the operated segment but did not increase the ROM of the adjacent segment (weak level of recommendation). Meanwhile, the average cost or cost‐utility of the PCF group was significantly lower than that of the ACDF group (weak level of recommendation). In conclusion, the PCF was just as safe and effective as the ACDF in the treatment of cervical radiculopathy. Meanwhile, PCF might have lower medical cost than ACDF and decrease the incidence of adjacent segment disease. Based on the available evidence, PCF appears to be another good surgical approach in the treatment of cervical radiculopathy.
Treatment for Periprosthetic Cyst after Total Hip Arthroplasty: Analysis of Six Cases
Authors: Cui Wei‐ding , Fan Wei‐min , Chen Zhe‐feng , Liu Feng
Published: December 2016

The present study investigates the pathogenesis of periprosthetic cysts after total hip replacement, and explores appropriate treatment appoaches. Six patients with periprosthetic cysts after total hip arthroplasty were treated at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between 2009 and 2014. During surgery, it was found that all cysts communicated with the hip and the hip prosthesis could be seen after cyst excision. Four patients simply underwent cyst excision, and light red liquid was found in the cyst. Among them, radiological examination revealed that a part of the hip prosthesis projected from the bone bed in one case. Postoperative pathology revealed a synovial cyst with inflammatory cell infiltration. Prostheses were loosened in two cases, so cystectomy and revision of the prosthesis were performed at the same time. Among the six patients, polyethylene wear particles could be seen in five patients through a pathological polarizing microscope. Out of the four patients who underwent simple cyst excision, two patients experienced cyst recurrence within 1 year after surgery; however, there was no cyst recurrence in the two patients who underwent cyst excision and revision of the prosthesis. The formation of a periprosthetic cyst after hip replacement is likely to be related to polyethylene wear and undesirable prosthesis position; in addition, when treated by simple cyst excision, the rate of recurrence was higher.
Maximalism versus Omnism about Permissibility
Authors: Portmore Douglas
Published: December 2016

Roughly speaking, maximalism is the view that only certain options are to be assessed in terms of whether they have some right‐making property (such as that of producing optimal consequences), whereas omnism is the view that all options are to be assessed in terms of whether they have this property. I argue that maximalism is preferable to omnism because it provides a more plausible solution to what's known as the problem of act versions and is not subject to any significant problems of its own. If I'm right, then most moral theories, which are versions of omnism, need revision.
Marker‐assisted selection for rice blast resistance genes Pi2 and Pi9 through high‐resolution melting of a gene‐targeted amplicon
Authors: Luo Wenlong , Huang Ming , Guo Tao , Xiao Wuming , Wang Jiafeng , Yang Guili , Liu Yongzhu , Wang Hui , Chen Zhiqiang , Zhuang Chuxiong
Published: December 2016

The use of host resistance (R) genes is considered the most cost‐effective option to control the rice blast disease. The two allelic R genes Pi2 and Pi9 confer very broad‐spectrum resistance against blast isolates collected worldwide. However, the two genes have not yet been widely deployed in rice breeding programmes. Availability of specific markers for them would facilitate incorporating the two R genes into new rice lines through marker‐assisted selection. Herein, we report the development and utilization of a robust and specific marker for the Pi2 and Pi9. This marker was derived from polymorphisms within the target gene, and achieved simultaneously distinguish Pi2 and Pi9 from other alleles through high‐resolution melting of a small amplicon. With the marker, we were able to transfer the Pi2 into an elite restorer line through marker‐assisted backcrossing, successfully obtained effective resistance to blast disease, and we were also able to, respectively, incorporate the Pi2 and Pi9 with two other R genes. As the additive effect, blast resistance in these stacking lines harbouring three R genes were significantly improved.
Clinical characteristics of urethral prolapse in Japanese children
Authors: Ninomiya Takahito , Koga Hiroshi
Published: December 2016

Background

Urethral prolapse (UP) in children is a rare condition and has commonly been reported in black girls. The aim of this study was to clarify the status of medical management for UP in Japanese children.

Methods

A secondary data analysis was conducted in Japanese children ≤15 years old with UP. The relationship between initial treatment approach and outcome was investigated, with symptom persistence or recurrence defined as treatment failure.

Results

Of 77 cases of UP in Japanese children reported since 1972, initial surgical treatment was performed in 42 cases (55%) and non‐surgical treatment in 35 cases (45%). Underlying conditions constituting possible causative factors were present in 26 cases (34%) in total. Treatment outcome was evaluated in 59 cases (surgical treatment, n = 28; non‐surgical treatment, n = 31) during a median follow‐up period of 10 months. The rate of treatment failure was significantly higher in the non‐surgical (81%, 25/31) than in the surgical treatment group (18%, 5/28; risk ratio, 4.2; 95%CI: 2.0–8.9; P < 0.001). Topical estrogen cream, a standard management worldwide, is not available as a prescription drug in Japan, and therefore was able to be used in only seven cases (20%) in the non‐surgical treatment group.

Conclusions

Surgical treatment is more effective than non‐surgical treatment in Japanese children, but both failure rates are high compared with that in non‐Asian children. Drug approval revision for prescription use of estrogen cream, centralizing treatment to specialized facilities, and an active policy of surgical management in cases of non‐surgical treatment failure may improve treatment outcomes for pediatric UP in Japan.
Immigration and Equal Ownership of the Earth
Authors: Oberman Kieran
Published: December 2016

A number of philosophers argue that the earth's resources belong to everyone equally. Suppose this is true. Does this entail that people have a right to migrate across borders? This article considers two models of egalitarian ownership and assesses their implications for immigration policy. The first is Equal Division, under which each person is granted an equal share of the value of the earth's natural resources. The second is Common Ownership, under which every person has the right to use the earth's natural resources, but not the right to exclude others from them. While these models and their associated ideas have a long history within Western political thought, this article will examine them as they are presented by two sets of contemporary philosophers: Hillel Steiner, who defends Equal Division, and Michael Blake and Mathias Risse, who defend Common Ownership. In the case of each model, the article does three things. First, it considers the implications of the model for immigration policy. Second, it defends the model against objections from those defending immigration restrictions. Third, it contends that the model does not go far enough in its opposition to immigration restrictions. More specifically, the article argues that both Equal Division and Common Ownership, as presented by their proponents, fail to respect the claims of people whose interest in the land is not primarily economic. If the earth belongs to everyone equally, then people should not be prevented from pursuing important migratory goals such as family reunification, career development and education. The article concludes with a proposal for combining Equal Division with Common Ownership. Under this combined model, people would be free to migrate across international borders.
Love and graves between Arquà and Avignon: a further contribution to the ‘Tombaide’ (1540) launched by Alessandro Piccolomini
Authors: L. Bertolio Johnny
Published: December 2016

When Alessandro Piccolomini (1508‐79) visited Petrarch's tomb in 1540, he composed a sonnet that was to launch a poetic exchange between fellow literati in his hometown of Siena and in the university town of Padua, where he was currently a student. Some decades later, another Sienese literato, Lattanzio Benucci (1521‐98), wrote a response sonnet closely following Piccolomini in structure, but adopting a different perspective – Benucci's poem does not pay homage to Petrarch's tomb, but to Laura's. This article will bring to light this previously unknown contribution to what has become known as the ‘Tombaide’ of 1540, and discuss the context in which it was composed. In the background lay the growing interest in the places associated with Petrarch and, more specifically, the alleged discovery of Laura's remains in Avignon in 1533. In composing a paean to Laura's tomb, Benucci may well have had his own Laura in mind, that is, his wife Dorotea Tancredi. At the crossroads of poetry and love, of the religious veneration for saints and the secular cult of literature, Benucci's poem illustrates not only an attempt to revive an earlier poetic exchange, but also a complex episode of cultural history in sixteenth‐century Europe.
Tectonic Settings and Geological Implications of Neoproterozoic Liujiaping VMS Deposit, Northwestern Yangtze Block, China
Authors: Su Yanping , Zhang Baolin , Zhang Guoliang , Xu Xingwang , Liu Ruilin
Published: December 2016

Liujiaping VMS (volcanic massive sulfide) deposit contains mainly copper and zinc, which is located at the Longmenshan orogenic belt of the northwestern margin of Yangtze block. The deposit is hosted in Neoproterozoic Datan terrane (composed of Datan granitoids and Liujiaping group) and is a typical, and the biggest, VMS deposit in this area. The Datan granitoids and Liujiaping group are contemporary and both parental magmas have the same genesis. The tectonic evolution history of Northwestern Yangtze is complicated. Chronology, isotope and geochemistry of the Liujiaping VMS ores and wall rocks (especially the Datan granitoids) are analyzed to restrict the tectonic progress. High‐precision secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) analysis of the Datan granitoids resulted in two concordant ages, 815.5 ± 3.2 Ma and 835.5 ± 2.6 Ma, which are contemporary with the Liujiaping Cu–Zn ore and volcanics. The wall rocks are characterized by enrichment in LREE and with a weak negative anomaly of Eu. The Pb isotope data of sulfide and volcanics from the Liujiaping deposit indicate that the material source is lower crust. Together with variable negative anomalies of high strength field elements HFSE (Th, Nb, Ta, Zr, Hf, P and Ti), positive εNd (825 Ma) values (+1.8 to +3.1) and the Nd model age T2DM = 1.2–1.3 Ga, it shows that the Liujiaping deposit and wall rocks were formed by partial melting of Mesoproterozoic lower crust. Geological and geochemical characteristics of Liujiaping deposit indicate that this deposit was formed during subduction of the oceanic crust. This study clarified that that the Liujiaping deposit and the northwestern margin of the Yangtze block were part of an arc setting at ~820 Ma rather than intra‐continental rift.
A Blueprint for Full Collective Flood Risk Estimation: Demonstration for European River Flooding
Authors: Serinaldi Francesco , Kilsby Chris G.
Published: December 2016

Floods are a natural hazard evolving in space and time according to meteorological and river basin dynamics, so that a single flood event can affect different regions over the event duration. This physical mechanism introduces spatio‐temporal relationships between flood records and losses at different locations over a given time window that should be taken into account for an effective assessment of the collective flood risk. However, since extreme floods are rare events, the limited number of historical records usually prevents a reliable frequency analysis. To overcome this limit, we move from the analysis of extreme events to the modeling of continuous stream flow records preserving spatio‐temporal correlation structures of the entire process, and making a more efficient use of the information provided by continuous flow records. The approach is based on the dynamic copula framework, which allows for splitting the modeling of spatio‐temporal properties by coupling suitable time series models accounting for temporal dynamics, and multivariate distributions describing spatial dependence. The model is applied to 490 stream flow sequences recorded across 10 of the largest river basins in central and eastern Europe (Danube, Rhine, Elbe, Oder, Waser, Meuse, Rhone, Seine, Loire, and Garonne). Using available proxy data to quantify local flood exposure and vulnerability, we show that the temporal dependence exerts a key role in reproducing interannual persistence, and thus magnitude and frequency of annual proxy flood losses aggregated at a basin‐wide scale, while copulas allow the preservation of the spatial dependence of losses at weekly and annual time scales.
The Perception of Inequality of Opportunity in Europe
Authors: Brunori Paolo
Published: December 2016

Does the way in which scholars measure inequality of opportunity correspond to how people perceive it? What other factors influence individual perception of this phenomenon? To answer these questions, we must first clarify how scholars define and measure inequality of opportunity. We discuss the possible mechanisms linking objective measures to subjective perception of the phenomenon, then propose a measure of perceived inequality of opportunity, and finally test our hypothesis by merging data from two sources: the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (2011) and the International Social Survey Programme (2009). We suggest that the prevailing perception of the degree of unequal opportunity in a large sample of respondents is only weakly correlated with its objective measure. We estimate a multilevel model considering both individual‐ and country‐level controls to explain individual perception of unequal opportunity. Our estimates suggest that the two most adopted measures of inequality of opportunity have no clear role in explaining its perception. Conversely, other country‐level variables and personal experiences of intergenerational social mobility are important determinants of how inequality of opportunity is perceived.
Strategies for implementing shared decision making in elective surgery by healthcare practitioners: a systematic review protocol
Authors: Lizarondo Lucylynn , Pham Clarabelle , Aromataris Edoardo , Munn Zachary , Gibb Catherine , Karnon Jonathan
Published: December 2016

Review objectives/questions:

The objectives of the review are to:

Identify and collect relevant international scientific evidence on strategies aimed facilitate or improving healthcare practitioners’ adoption of shared decision making (SDM) in elective surgery.

Evaluate the effectiveness of these strategies for the implementation of SDM by healthcare practitioners with patients for elective surgery.

Specifically, the review questions are:

What is the effectiveness of strategies for implementing SDM by healthcare practitioners with patients for elective surgery?

What are the characteristics of effective strategies?
Extravasation management in the pediatric oncology ward of Children's Hospital of Fudan University: a best practice implementation project
Authors: Wang Yingwen , Kong Meijing , Ge Youhong
Published: December 2016

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Background:

Extravasation in a pediatric patient can cause a serious adverse event, but many nurses have insufficient experience to deal with it during intravenous administration. Our division implemented a best practice project, which included extravasation kit instruction preparation, staff education and an update of institutional policy and procedures. The project focused on auditing the extent to which the protocol was implemented and promoting its implementation.

Objectives:

The objective of the project was to establish an evidence-based policy and procedure for extravasation management, improve knowledge regarding best practice of extravasation management among staff and formalize the documentation template for extravasation events.

Methods:

The Joanna Briggs Institute's Practical Application of Clinical Evidence System and Getting Research into Practice were used to examine compliance with criteria based on the best available evidence before and after the implementation of strategies to promote the use of the evidence-based practice protocol.

Results:

Four criteria showed a noticeable improvement in compliance: increased use of extravasation kit (0–100%), updated policies and procedure (0–94%), staff education (19–94%) and documented outcomes (13–88%).

Conclusions:

The project successfully established effective strategies for establishing an extravasation kit instruction sheet, updating policies and procedures, continuous staff education and nursing documentation to ensure best practice and improve patient outcomes.
Experiences of incivility among faculty and students in online nursing education: a qualitative systematic review protocol
Authors: Lampley Tammy M. , Curia Marianne , Vottero Beth , Hensel Desiree
Published: December 2016

Review question/objective:

The objective of this review is to synthesize available evidence of nursing faculty's and nursing students’ experiences and perceptions of incivility in online education with the objective of identifying the meaning of incivility in online nursing education. The specific questions to be addressed by this review are

What are nursing faculty's experiences of incivility in online nursing education?

What are nursing student's experiences of incivility in online nursing education?