bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Do latex and resin canals spur plant diversification? Re‐examining a classic example of escape and radiate coevolution
Authors: Foisy Michael R. , Albert Loren P. , Hughes Daniel W. W. , Weber Marjorie G.
Published: May 2019

The association between increased lineage diversification rates and the evolution of latex and resin canals is widely cited as a paradigmatic example of Ehrlich and Raven’s ‘escape‐and‐radiate’ hypothesis of co‐evolution. However, it has been over a quarter‐century since the original study, and updates to phylogenetic comparative methods, plant molecular systematics, and phenotypic data warrant a reassessment of this classic finding.

We gathered data on latex and resin canals across 345 families and 986 genera of vascular plants and conducted a multi‐scale test of the association between these traits and lineage diversification rates. At a broad scale (across clades), we used sister‐clade comparisons to test whether 28 canal‐bearing clades had higher net diversification rates than their canal‐lacking sister clades. At a finer scale (within clades), we used ancestral state reconstructions and phylogenetic models of lineage diversification rates to examine the relationship between trait evolution and the timing of diversification rate shifts in two better‐characterized clades – Araceae and Papaveraceae.

At both scales of our analyses we found poor support for the predicted relationship between diversification and the evolution of latex and resin canals. Follow‐up analyses clarified that the qualitative change between our results and those of the Farrell et al.’s classic study is not the result of different phylogenetic comparative methods. Instead, the differences are attributable to updates to plant systematic hypotheses and new data on laticifers and resin canal presence/absence.

Synthesis.Our updated study reveals that there is no longer strong evidence for latex or resin canals as general, consistently replicable drivers of species diversity across plants. However, we cannot rule out a relationship in all groups. We therefore argue that theoretical and empirical work aimed at understanding ecological factors that condition ‘escape‐and‐radiate’ dynamics will allow for more nuanced tests of the hypothesis in the future.
Macroevolutionary patterns in overexpression of tyrosine: An anti‐herbivore defence in a speciose tropical tree genus, Inga (Fabaceae)
Authors: Coley Phyllis D. , Endara María‐José , Ghabash Gabrielle , Kidner Catherine A. , Nicholls James A. , Pennington R. Toby , Mills Anthony G. , Soule Abrianna J. , Lemes Maristerra R. , Stone Graham N. , Kursar Thomas A.
Published: May 2019

Plant secondary metabolites are a key defence against herbivores, and their evolutionary origin is likely from primary metabolites. Yet for this to occur, an intermediate step of overexpression of primary metabolites would need to confer some advantage to the plant. Here, we examine the evolution of overexpression of the essential amino acid, L‐tyrosine and its role as a defence against herbivores.

We examined overexpression of tyrosine in 97 species of Inga (Fabaceae), a genus of tropical trees, at five sites throughout the Neotropics. We predicted that tyrosine could act as an anti‐herbivore defence because concentrations of 4% tyrosine in artificial diets halved larval growth rates. We also collected insect herbivores to determine if tyrosine and its derivatives influenced host associations.

Overexpression of tyrosine was only present in a single lineage comprising 21 species, with concentrations ranging from 5% to 20% of the leaf dry weight. Overexpression was pronounced in expanding but not in mature leaves. Despite laboratory studies showing toxicity of L‐tyrosine, Inga species with tyrosine suffered higher levels of herbivory. We therefore hypothesize that overexpression is only favoured in species with less effective secondary metabolites. Some tyrosine‐producing species also contained secondary metabolites that are derived from tyrosine: tyrosine‐gallates, tyramine‐gallates and DOPA‐gallates. Elevated levels of transcripts of prephenate dehydrogenase, an enzyme in the tyrosine biosynthetic pathway that is insensitive to negative feedback from tyrosine, were found only in species that overexpress tyrosine or related gallates. Different lineages of herbivores showed contrasting responses to the overexpression of tyrosine and its derived secondary metabolites in their host plants.

Synthesis. We propose that overexpression of some primary metabolites can serve as a chemical defence against herbivores, and are most likely to be selected for in species suffering high herbivory due to less effective secondary metabolites. Overexpression may be the first evolutionary step in the transition to the production of more derived secondary metabolites. Presumably, derived compounds would be more effective and less costly than free tyrosine as anti‐herbivore defences.
Current status of prison privatization research on American prisons and jails
Authors: Gaes Gerald G.
Published: May 2019

Research Summary

Private companies manage 8.4% of the U.S. prison population and 5.4% of the jail population. On average, the costs and quality of privatized facilities seem to be about the same as publicly operated prisons, but the lack of high‐quality studies limits a strong inference. Although states with increases in prison privatization have lower public‐sector costs, this may be a result of strong cost controls, not of their level of privatization. An increase in recidivism seems to occur for people placed in private facilities. This assertion is based on the findings of several studies in which regression controls are used and on only one study in which a strong counterfactual design is applied. Finally, there is no evidence that prison privatization was responsible for the dramatic growth in incarceration that peaked in 2009.

Policy Implications

Because many jurisdictions will continue to use privately operated facilities, it is incumbent on them to create monitoring mechanisms to ensure high‐quality services and efficient use of resources. In this article, I suggest many ways in which research findings can contribute to a better assessment of prison and jail performance promoting accountability for both the private and the public sector.
Equal or not? Private versus public corrections services, programming, and climate
Authors: Wooldredge John , Cochran Joshua C.
Published: May 2019

Research Summary

More rigorous comparisons of private and public corrections are needed to improve our understanding of the effects of privatization. We develop a three‐step procedure for assessing equivalence and then performance measures. To illustrate these arguments, we provide an empirical descriptive analysis of two private prisons and five structurally equivalent state‐run prisons in Ohio and document heterogeneity in resources, staff climate, and inmate behaviors.

Policy Implications

In our discussion and analyses, we underscore how comparability across private and public corrections should not be assumed. Comparisons should be focused on organizations with similar infrastructures and then systematically used to assess client needs and programming, client behavior, staff climate, and a diverse set of outcomes that bear directly and indirectly on clients’ well‐being. In so doing, researchers can better set the bar that privatization is supposed to reach or exceed. They can also conduct more credible impact assessments. Cost‐savings, for example, do not necessarily occur when contracted services do not match those offered through public corrections or when clientele differ dramatically between a private and a public organization.
International perspectives on the privatization of corrections
Authors: Byrne James , Kras Kimberly R. , Marmolejo Lina Maria
Published: May 2019

Research Summary

In this article, we provide a global snapshot of the recent (2000–2018) expansion of the private sector's involvement in both institutional and community corrections systems. Variation in the use of private‐sector organizations to manage both institutional and community correction populations is examined within and across global regions, with a focus specifically on the utilization of privatization in the 50 countries with the highest prison populations. The key private‐sector organizations in each global region are also identified, and the “new technology” acquisitions by these companies—documenting the expansion of prison‐based organizations into community corrections—are considered. In addition, the available evaluation research on the comparative effectiveness of private‐ versus public‐sector management of both prisons and community corrections is reviewed. Based on this review, we offer our assessment of the available data on global developments in the privatization of corrections, as well as the available research on the comparative performance of public‐sector and private‐sector corrections.

Policy Implications

Policy makers considering the advantages and disadvantages of privatization in either their institutional‐ or their community‐based corrections system need to consider not only whether performance improves when the private sector gets involved but also whether private‐sector involvement directly or indirectly undermines or enhances the legitimacy of either system. By examining how and why private‐sector involvement varies both within and across global regions, policy makers will likely glean critical insights into the need for public–private corrections partnerships. Through our review of the available research in which the performance of public versus privately operated corrections programs is directly compared, we underscore the need for independent, high‐quality evaluations in countries currently using privatization to help manage prison, jail, and/or community corrections populations.
Privatized corrections
Authors: Eisen Lauren‐Brooke
Published: May 2019

Research Summary

In this article, I look at some of the statutory and case law that has shaped the evolving regulation of the private prison industry. I also examine some critical gaps in legal issues regarding private contractors that manage prisons, jails, and detention facilities. The privatization of justice encompasses all for‐profit firms that make money in the prison‐industrial complex. Critical unanswered legal questions run the gamut from whether it is legal for corporations to pay undocumented detainees to work inside detention centers to whether it is legal for a private probation company to extend a probationer's supervision.

Policy Implications

The United States has never fully wrestled with many of the questions that private prisons raise. As private firms stretch across state lines contracting with the government at the local, state, and federal levels, their authority and accountability is not always settled law. Additionally, moral considerations have infrequently made their way into America's jurisprudential history in grappling with issues around privatizing corrections, raising possibilities of future litigation focusing on ideological grounds.
Measuring (and narrowing) the gap: The experience with attendance of Indigenous cancer patients for Radiation Therapy in the Northern Territory
Authors: Carruthers Scott , Pennefather Mary , Ward Linda , Giam Kar , Penniment Michael
Published: May 2019

Introduction

Barriers exist for both Indigenous and remote patients attending cancer care facilities. We sought to measure clinical attendance of all patients referred for consideration of radiation therapy (RT) at the single radiation therapy centre in the Northern Territory (NT), with particular attention to a comparison of Indigenous and non‐Indigenous patients, and to analyse methods introduced to address the attendance of patients.

Methods

Patients referred for radiation therapy over a 5 year period from the commencement of the Alan Walker Cancer Care Centre (AWCCC), NT, were analysed for attendance, and for possible improvement over time.

Results

Multivariate analysis of non‐attendance prior to RT (pre‐RT) showed significance for Indigenous status (P < 0.001), and female gender (P < 0.001), and during RT showed significance for Indigenous status (P < 0.001) and curative intent RT (P = 0.012). Attendance during RT over the 5 years showed significant improvement over time for Indigenous patients from 70.6% to 81.6% (P = 0.038). There was no significant improvement with pre‐RT attendance for either the Indigenous or non‐Indigenous cohort.

Conclusion

Indigenous patients experienced a lower level of attendance during RT, but this has significantly improved over the first 5 years of operation at AWCCC, as recognition and management of contributing factors has improved.
Retrospective analysis of breast radiotherapy treatment plans: Curating the ‘non‐curated’
Authors: Kairn Tanya , Crowe Scott B
Published: May 2019

Introduction

This paper provides a demonstration of how non‐curated data can be retrospectively cleaned, so that existing repositories of radiotherapy treatment planning data can be used to complete bulk retrospective analyses of dosimetric trends and other plan characteristics.

Methods

A non curated archive of 1137 radiotherapy treatment plans accumulated over a 12‐month period, from five radiotherapy centres operated by one institution, was used to investigate and demonstrate a process of clinical data cleansing, by: identifying and translating inconsistent structure names; correcting inconsistent lung contouring; excluding plans for treatments other than breast tangents and plans without identifiable PTV, lung and heart structures; and identifying but not excluding plans that deviated from the local planning protocol. PTV, heart and lung dose‐volume metrics were evaluated, in addition to a sample of personnel and linac load indicators.

Results

Data cleansing reduced the number of treatment plans in the sample by 35.7%. Inconsistent structure names were successfully identified and translated (e.g. 35 different names for lung). Automatically separating whole lung structures into left and right lung structures allowed the effect of contralateral and ipsilateral lung dose to be evaluated, while introducing some small uncertainties, compared to manual contouring. PTV doses were indicative of prescription doses. Breast treatment work was unevenly distributed between oncologists and between metropolitan and regional centres.

Conclusion

This paper exemplifies the data cleansing and data analysis steps that may be completed using existing treatment planning data, to provide individual radiation oncology departments with access to information on their own patient populations. Clearly, the well‐planned and systematic recording of new, high quality data is the preferred solution, but the retrospective curation of non‐curated data may be a useful interim solution, for radiation oncology departments where the systems for recording of new data have yet to be designed and agreed.
The Iron Gate
Authors: Farsiu Sara
Published: May 2019

Events such as the 1979 hostage crisis, 9/11, and the 2015 Paris attacks have led to a backlash against people from the Middle East, including Iranian migrants. This, in turn, has influenced how Iranians identify themselves and how they are identified by others, as well as their interactions with people in the communities in which they live and travel. In this personal narrative, I aim to offer readers an insight into an experience that many will never experience first hand. I offer my personal story of immigration and discrimination so that others may better know what it is like to be an Iranian, a Muslim, and a woman in the West. Mine is only one example of thousands of untold stories. We need to hear more firsthand narratives of the challenges faced by migrants.
Rural Emergency Laparotomy Audit
Authors: Watson Matthew M. , Maddern Guy J. , Mudalige V. Priyantha K. , Pradhan Chetan P. , Wichmann Matthias W.
Published: May 2019

Background

Emergency laparoscopy/laparotomy is associated with high levels of mortality. The aim of this study was to determine whether outcomes following emergency laparoscopy/laparotomy in rural and regional South Australian hospitals were comparable to those reported in the National Emergency Laparotomy Audit and Perth Emergency Laparotomy Audit.

Methods

A prospective multicentre audit of patients who undergo emergency laparoscopy/laparotomy. Participating hospitals included Mount Gambier and Districts Health Service, Whyalla Hospital and Riverland General Hospital. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were identical to the National Emergency Laparotomy Audit. A modified dataset for patients was collected if patients were up‐transferred to another hospital prior to operative management. Data collected included patient demographics, operative management, adherence to processes of care and outcomes.

Results

Data were collected for a total of 58 cases. Fifty‐one of these had emergency laparoscopy/laparotomy in a rural or regional hospital and seven were transferred in the preoperative period. The median Portsmouth‐Physiological and Operative Severity Score for the enUmeration of Mortality and Morbidity predicted 30‐day post‐operative mortality was 3.5%. One hundred percent of patients (51 out of 51) had a consultant anaesthetist and surgeon present in the operating theatre. There were no deaths reported within the 30‐day post‐operative period.

Conclusion

Outcomes following emergency laparoscopy/laparotomy in rural and regional South Australian hospitals are comparable to those reported in the National Emergency Laparotomy Audit and Perth Emergency Laparotomy Audit.
Subcutaneous neostigmine appears safe and effective for acute colonic pseudo‐obstruction (Ogilvie's syndrome)
Authors: Frankel Adam , Gillespie Christopher , Lu Cu‐Tai , Hewett Peter , Wattchow David
Published: May 2019

Background

Intravenous neostigmine is a well‐established treatment for acute colonic pseudo‐obstruction (ACPO). Its use is hampered by the perceived requirement for continuous cardiac monitoring, and patients are often transferred to high‐dependency units for close observation during treatment. Subcutaneous neostigmine has the potential to minimize adverse cardiovascular effects while maintaining efficacy. This study aims to assess the safety of subcutaneous neostigmine on ward inpatients with ACPO monitored with standard nursing care.

Methods

This is a retrospective case series of 30 patients with ACPO who were treated with subcutaneous neostigmine between August 2008 and October 2012. Data were collected prospectively. All patients were diagnosed using clinical examination and radiology and were assessed for contraindications to neostigmine. Patients were treated on regular wards and monitored with standard nursing observations. The main outcomes were time to flatus and bowels working and complications.

Results

No serious complications such as clinically evident bradycardia were encountered. Ninety‐three percent of patients had clinically successful resolution of ACPO. Two patients (7%) developed caecal tenderness and proceeded to colonoscopic decompression, which was successful in both instances.

Conclusions

Subcutaneous neostigmine appears to be safe for the treatment of ACPO. No clinically evident serious adverse events occurred, meaning continuous cardiac monitoring as a routine may not be necessary. In our cohort, we achieved similar success rates compared with reported rates using intravenous neostigmine.
Admixture analyses and phylogeographic relationships reveal complete genetic distinctiveness of Polish farm and wild red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and the North American origin of farm‐bred individuals
Authors: Zatoń‐Dobrowolska Magdalena , Mucha Anna , Morrice David , Wierzbicki Heliodor , Moska Magdalena , Dobrowolski Maciej
Published: May 2019

A number of studies showed that many mtDNA haplotypes were shared among contemporary farm red foxes bred on different continents and the historical wild red foxes of North American origin. Therefore, in this study, the population genetic structure and phylogeographic relationships of Polish red foxes kept on fur farms and their wild conspecifics were investigated to assess the ancestry of the farm red foxes in Poland. A total of 330 tissue samples (200 from farm foxes and 130 from wild foxes) were used for the genetic analyses. Thirty microsatellite loci and two regions of mtDNA were used to assess the level of admixture between farm‐ and wild red foxes, to construct haplotype networks and create a phylogenetic tree. The genetic structure analysis clearly indicated two genetic clusters as being the most probable number of genetically distinct populations. The fixation index revealed a significant genetic distance between the farm‐ and wild red fox populations (FST = 0.27, p < 0.05). Haplotype networks based on frequencies showing relationships between concatenated haplotypes of Polish farm‐ and wild red foxes and the constructed phylogenetic tree clearly indicated two genetically distinct groups. The results of this study provide strong evidence confirming the North American origin of red foxes bred on Polish farms and the genetic distinctiveness of both studied populations.
The Global Aging & Geriatric Experiments in Bipolar Disorder Database (GAGE‐BD) project: Understanding older‐age bipolar disorder by combining multiple datasets
Authors: Sajatovic Martha , Eyler Lisa T. , Rej Soham , Almeida Osvaldo P. , Blumberg Hilary P. , Forester Brent P. , Forlenza Orestes V. , Gildengers Ariel , Mulsant Benoit H. , Strejilevich Sergio , Tsai Shangying , Vieta Eduard , Young Robert C. , Dols Annemiek
Published: May 2019

Objective

There is a dearth of research about the aging process among individuals with bipolar disorder (BD). One potential strategy to overcome the challenge of interpreting findings from existing limited older‐age bipolar disorder (OABD) research studies is to pool or integrate data, taking advantage of potential overlap or similarities in assessment methods and harmonizing or cross‐walking measurements where different measurement tools are used to evaluate overlapping construct domains. This report describes the methods and initial start‐up activities of a first‐ever initiative to create an integrated OABD‐focused database, the Global Aging & Geriatric Experiments in Bipolar Disorder Database (GAGE‐BD) project.

Methods

Building on preliminary work conducted by members of the International Society for Bipolar Disorders OABD taskforce, the GAGE‐BD project will be operationalized in four stages intended to ready the dataset for hypothesis‐driven analyses, establish a consortium of investigators to guide exploration, and set the stage for prospective investigation using a common dataset that will facilitate a high degree of generalizability.

Results

Initial efforts in GAGE‐BD have brought together 14 international investigators representing a broad geographic distribution and data on over 1,000 OABD. Start‐up efforts include communication and guidance on meeting regulatory requirements, establishing a Steering Committee to guide an incremental analysis strategy, and learning from existing multisite data collaborations and other support resources.

Discussion

The GAGE‐BD project aims to advance understanding of associations between age, BD symptoms, medical burden, cognition and functioning across the life span and set the stage for future prospective research that can advance the understanding of OABD.
Is smartphone‐based mood instability associated with stress, quality of life, and functioning in bipolar disorder?
Authors: Faurholt‐Jepsen Maria , Frost Mads , Busk Jonas , Christensen Ellen Margrethe , Bardram Jakob Eyvind , Vinberg Maj , Kessing Lars Vedel
Published: May 2019

Objective

Mood instability in patients with bipolar disorder has been associated with impaired functioning and risk of relapse. The present study aimed to investigate whether increased mood instability is associated with increased perceived stress and impaired quality of life and functioning in patients with bipolar disorder.

Methods

A total of 84 patients with bipolar disorder used a smartphone‐based self‐monitoring system on a daily basis for 9 months. Data on perceived stress, quality of life, and clinically rated functioning were collected at five fixed time points for each patient during follow‐up. A group of 37 healthy individuals served as a control comparison of perceived stress, quality of life, and psychosocial functioning.

Results

The majority of patients presented in full or partial remission. As hypothesized, mood instability was significantly associated with increased perceived stress (B: 10.52, 95% CI: 5.25; 15.77, P < 0.0001) and decreased quality of life (B: −12.17, 95% CI. −19.54; −4.79, P < 0.0001) and functioning (B: −12.04, 95% CI: −19.08; −4.99, P < 0.0001) in patients with bipolar disorder. There were no differences in mood instability according to prescribed psychopharmacological treatment. Compared with healthy individuals, patients reported substantially increased perceived stress and experienced decreased quality of life and decreased functioning based on researcher‐blinded evaluation.

Conclusion

Mood instability in bipolar disorder is associated with increased perceived stress and decreased quality of life and functioning even during full or partial remission. There is a need to monitor and identify subsyndromal inter‐episodic symptoms. Future studies investigating the effect of treatment on mood instability are highly warranted.
Effect of grassland degradation on aggregate‐associated soil organic carbon of alpine grassland ecosystems in the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Dong Shikui , Zhang Jing , Li Yuanyuan , Liu Shiliang , Dong Qugnaming , Zhou Huakun , Yeomans Jane , Li Yv , Li Shuai , Gao Xiaoxia
Published: May 2019

One of the important mechanisms for the stabilization of soil organic carbon (SOC) is its spatial inaccessibility for microbial biodegradation within soil aggregates. However, little has been documented regarding soil aggregate stability with grassland degradation in the alpine region of the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau (QTP). In this study, we used physical and density fractions to elucidate the mechanisms of differences in SOC in non‐degraded and degraded grasslands of two grassland biomes, alpine meadow and alpine steppe in the QTP. There were considerable differences between non‐degraded and degraded grasslands for the soil physical and chemical properties, aggregate distribution and aggregate‐SOC content. The non‐degraded alpine meadow (AMND) had the largest value among all the alpine grasslands for the SOC content of the microaggregate fraction, with values of 31.83 g kg−1. The degraded grasslands showed significantly larger SOC content of macroaggregates than non‐degraded grasslands. The degraded alpine steppe (ASD) had the largest SOC content, with the value of 25.51 g kg−1. The aggregate distribution of the macroaggregate, microaggregate and free silt+clay fractions was consistent with the variation in SOC content of these three aggregate fractions. The fine intra‐aggregate particulate organic matter (fiPOM) content was significantly less in degraded grasslands, indicating that grassland degradation might have disrupted the fiPOM‐C. The increase in CO2 emissions was related to the destruction of soil aggregates in the alpine grasslands of the QTP.

Highlights

Effects of alpine grassland degradation on aggregate‐associated SOC were investigated.

Used soil aggregate fractions to evaluate the variation of aggregate‐associated SOC.

Grassland degradation promoted the destruction of soil aggregates in the alpine grasslands of the QTP.

Destruction of soil aggregates promoted CO2 emissions in the degraded alpine grasslands of the QTP.
Oxidative stress, inflammation and risk of neurodegeneration in a population sample
Authors: Cherbuin N. , Walsh E. , Baune B. T. , Anstey K. J.
Published: May 2019

Background and purpose

Inflammation and oxidative stress (OS) have been clearly linked to neurodegeneration. However, studies investigating the associations between peripheral markers of inflammation and cognitive decline have produced mixed results. This is possibly due to the fact that markers are typically tested individually despite the fact that biologically they function interactively. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the association between a combination of OS/inflammation markers and outcomes including mild cognitive impairment (MCI) diagnosis, cognitive decline and hippocampal atrophy.

Methods

Oxidative stress/inflammation status was assessed in 380 older community‐living individuals. Thirteen blood markers were assayed. Principal component analysis (PCA) of all markers was conducted to identify the more salient inflammatory components. Associations between significant principal components, MCI diagnosis, previous change in Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE) score and hippocampal atrophy were investigated through logistic and linear multiple regression.

Results

Two factors (PC1 and PC2) reflecting predominantly broad pro‐inflammatory activity and two factors (PC3 and PC4) reflecting predominantly OS activity were identified by PCA analysis. PC3 and PC4 were predictive of MCI. PC3 was also predictive of prior MMSE change. PC1, PC2 and PC3 were significantly associated with hippocampal atrophy.

Conclusions

Combined analysis of complex and interacting biomarkers revealed a protective association between antioxidant activity and MCI that is consistent with lifestyle factors shown to reduce risk of cognitive decline. OS and broad systemic inflammation were also found to be associated with hippocampal atrophy further highlighting the benefits of the PCA methodology applied in this study.
Transient and Transition Factors in Modeling Permafrost Thaw and Groundwater Flow
Authors: Langford Joelle E. , Schincariol Robert A. , Nagare Ranjeet M. , Quinton William L. , Mohammed Aaron A.
Published: May 2019

Permafrost covers approximately 24% of the Northern Hemisphere, and much of it is degrading, which causes infrastructure failures and ecosystem transitions. Understanding groundwater and heat flow processes in permafrost environments is challenging due to spatially and temporarily varying hydraulic connections between water above and below the near‐surface discontinuous frozen zone. To characterize the transitional period of permafrost degradation, a three‐dimensional model of a permafrost plateau that includes the supra‐permafrost zone and surrounding wetlands was developed. The model is based on the Scotty Creek basin in the Northwest Territories, Canada. FEFLOW groundwater flow and heat transport modeling software is used in conjunction with the piFreeze plug‐in, to account for phase changes between ice and water. The Simultaneous Heat and Water (SHAW) flow model is used to calculate ground temperatures and surface water balance, which are then used as FEFLOW boundary conditions. As simulating actual permafrost evolution would require hundreds of years of climate variations over an evolving landscape, whose geomorphic features are unknown, methodologies for developing permafrost initial conditions for transient simulations were investigated. It was found that a model initialized with a transient spin‐up methodology, that includes an unfrozen layer between the permafrost table and ground surface, yields better results than with steady‐state permafrost initial conditions. This study also demonstrates the critical role that variations in land surface and permafrost table microtopography, along with talik development, play in permafrost degradation. Modeling permafrost dynamics will allow for the testing of remedial measures to stabilize permafrost in high value infrastructure environments.
Serum retinol‐binding protein: a novel biomarker for recalcitrant cutaneous warts
Authors: El‐Esawy Fatma , Mustafa Amany I. , El‐Shimi Ola
Published: May 2019

Background

Cutaneous viral warts are benign epidermal proliferations caused by human papillomaviruses (HPVs). Despite treatment, a significant proportion of warts fail to resolve, becoming recalcitrant. Vitamin A (retinol) may disrupt the interplay of HPV replication and epithelial cell differentiation, allowing normal tissue to replace warts. Circulating retinol‐binding protein (RBP) concentrations highly correlate with retinol levels.

Aim

We aimed at evaluation of serum RBP level in patients with recalcitrant cutaneous warts in order to assess its correlation with disease pathogenesis.

Methods

Serum RBP level was measured by an ELISA technique in 50 patients with recalcitrant cutaneous warts and 30 apparently healthy controls.

Results

Serum RBP level was significantly lower in patients with recalcitrant warts than the control group (P < 0.001). However, it did not differ regarding different clinical parameters in studied patients (P > 0.05 each). RBP is a reliable biomarker for significant early detection and discrimination between patients and healthy controls (P < 0.001) at a cutoff value ≤1034.6 μg/ml, with sensitivity and specificity (100% each).

Conclusion

Our results revealed that low serum RBP as a relatively cheap biomarker with high specificity and sensitivity is a reliable indicator of vitamin A (retinol) deficiency that may play a role in the pathogenesis of recalcitrant cutaneous warts among our studied patients.
Intravesical irrigation might prevent bladder recurrence in patients undergoing radical nephroureterectomy for upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma
Authors: Yamamoto Satoshi , Sakamoto Shinichi , Imamura Yusuke , Sazuka Tomokazu , Nakamura Kazuyoshi , Inoue Toshihito , Chiba Kazuto , Miyazaki Kanetaka , Inoue Atsushi , Nagata Maki , Ichikawa Tomohiko
Published: May 2019

Objectives

To examine the effectiveness of intravesical irrigation with physiological saline solution or distilled water for the prevention of bladder recurrence in patients undergoing laparoscopic nephroureterectomy for upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma.

Methods

This retrospective study involved 109 upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma patients who underwent laparoscopic nephroureterectomy, and were evaluated at Chiba University Hospital and Yokohama Rosai Hospital between 2001 and 2018. We investigated the outcomes and analyzed various clinical factors including with or without intravesical irrigation related to bladder carcinoma recurrence after surgery. Physiological saline solution or distilled water was used for irrigation, which was carried out only during surgery.

Results

The median follow‐up period after surgery was 26.1 months. Bladder recurrence was confirmed within 2 years for 45 of the 109 patients in the present study. Irrigation was carried out for 48 cases (distilled water, 26 patients; physiological saline solution, 22 patients). Tumor grade (G1–2 vs G3; P = 0.05) and intravesical irrigation (yes vs no; P = 0.0058) were related to bladder recurrence on univariate analyses. On multivariate analyses, intravesical irrigation was the independent factor involved in the prevention of bladder recurrence (P = 0.0051). Comparison between the irrigation and non‐irrigation groups showed that bladder recurrence rates were significantly lower in the irrigation group (irrigation group vs non‐irrigation group: 25.0% vs 52.5%, P = 0.0066). There was no significant difference in the recurrence rate between the two solutions used for irrigation.

Conclusions

Intravesical irrigation during surgery of upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma might decrease postoperative bladder recurrence rates.
Potential of hyperbaric oxygen in urological diseases
Authors: Tanaka Tomoaki , Minami Akinori , Uchida Junji , Nakatani Tatsuya
Published: May 2019

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a promising medical technology that delivers oxygen to targeted tissues at high pressure to increase the amount of dissolved oxygen in the blood. Over the past three decades, hyperbaric oxygen has been used in a variety of conditions, including radiation‐induced tissue injuries, non‐healing states with ischemia and malignant neoplasms. In the field of urology, hyperbaric oxygen has also been applied to some pathological conditions (e.g. radiation‐induced hemorrhagic cystitis, Fournier gangrene, interstitial cystitis, male infertility, acute kidney injury and urological cancers). In normal and injured tissues, hyperoxia from hyperbaric oxygen therapy contributes to anti‐inflammation, angiogenesis through endothelial proliferation, enhanced fibroblastic activity, increased lymphocyte and macrophage activity, and bactericidal effects with the aim of wound repair. In cancerous tissues, the enhanced supply of oxygen into the hypoxic cancer cells can exert inhibitory effects on factors that contribute to their aggressiveness (e.g. cell survival, escape from apoptosis, epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition and tumor immunotolerance), and sensitize the tumor to radiation therapy and chemotherapy. However, further research, including multicenter clinical studies, is essential for determining the role of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in refractory urological diseases that are resistant to conventional therapies.
Hip fractures in patients with chronic kidney disease admitted to Victorian hospitals
Authors: Rao Nisha , Toussaint Nigel D.
Published: May 2019

There is a paucity of epidemiological data in Australia on fracture rates in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Using data from the Victorian Admitted Episodes Dataset, we assessed the incidence of hip fractures requiring hospitalisation between 2006 and 2015, comparing those coded with and without the co‐morbidity CKD. ICD‐9 and ICD‐10 codes were used to determine hip fractures and comorbidities. Overall, 7.4% of 77 076 Victorian hospital admissions for hip fractures had CKD as a co‐morbidity, with an increasing proportion over the study period. Mortality was significantly higher in the CKD cohort compared to no CKD, perhaps in part due to increased associated comorbidities of diabetes and ischaemic heart disease.
Monolingual and bilingual infants’ word segmentation abilities in an inter‐mixed dual‐language task
Authors: Orena Adriel John , Polka Linda
Published: May 2019

Previous studies show that young monolingual infants use language‐specific cues to segment words in their native language. Here, we asked whether 8 and 10‐month‐old infants (N = 84) have the capacity to segment words in an inter‐mixed bilingual context. Infants heard an English‐French mixed passage that contained one target word in each language, and were then tested on their recognition of the two target words. The English‐monolingual and French‐monolingual infants showed evidence of segmentation in their native language, but not in the other unfamiliar language. As a group, the English‐French bilingual infants segmented in both of their native languages. However, exploratory analyses suggest that exposure to language mixing may play a role in bilingual infants’ segmentation skills. Taken together, these results indicate a close relation between language experience and word segmentation skills.
Teacher assessments during compulsory education are as reliable, stable and heritable as standardized test scores
Authors: Rimfeld Kaili , Malanchini Margherita , Hannigan Laurie J. , Dale Philip S. , Allen Rebecca , Hart Sara A. , Plomin Robert
Published: May 2019

Background

Children in the UK go through rigorous teacher assessments and standardized exams throughout compulsory (elementary and secondary) education, culminating with the GCSE exams (General Certificate of Secondary Education) at the age of 16 and A‐level exams (Advanced Certificate of Secondary Education) at the age of 18. These exams are a major tipping point directing young individuals towards different lifelong trajectories. However, little is known about the associations between teacher assessments and exam performance or how well these two measurement approaches predict educational outcomes at the end of compulsory education and beyond.

Methods

The current investigation used the UK–representative Twins Early Development Study (TEDS) sample of over 5,000 twin pairs studied longitudinally from childhood to young adulthood (age 7–18). We used teacher assessment and exam performance across development to investigate, using genetically sensitive designs, the associations between teacher assessment and standardized exam scores, as well as teacher assessments’ prediction of exam scores at ages 16 and 18, and university enrolment.

Results

Teacher assessments of achievement are as reliable, stable and heritable (~60%) as test scores at every stage of the educational experience. Teacher and test scores correlate strongly phenotypically (r ~ .70) and genetically (genetic correlation ~.80) both contemporaneously and over time. Earlier exam performance accounts for additional variance in standardized exam results (~10%) at age 16, when controlling for teacher assessments. However, exam performance explains less additional variance in later academic success, ~5% for exam grades at 18, and ~3% for university entry, when controlling for teacher assessments. Teacher assessments also predict additional variance in later exam performance and university enrolment, when controlling for previous exam scores.

Conclusions

Teachers can reliably and validly monitor students’ progress, abilities and inclinations. High‐stakes exams may shift educational experience away from learning towards exam performance. For these reasons, we suggest that teacher assessments could replace some, or all, high‐stakes exams.
Vine Racial Comedy as Anti‐Hegemonic Humor: Linguistic Performance and Generic Innovation
Authors: Calhoun Kendra
Published: May 2019

This paper analyzes the semiotic features and sociopolitical commentary of anti‐hegemonic Vine racial comedy in videos of Viner King Bach. The following analysis demonstrates that Vine racial comedy is heavily influenced by the generic features of African American stand‐up and sketch comedians and existing multimodal genres of online discourse, but King Bach's adaptation of these features to the unique affordances of the Vine platform situates Vine racial comedy beyond the boundaries of the genres it draws on. Analysis of this digitally mediated multimodal discourse demonstrates that, while not deterministic, the medium through which discourse is constructed can significantly impact how a discourse genre is conceptually understood by expanding the semiotic resources through which the sociopolitical and discursive goals that define a genre are accomplished.
The Semiotics of Gallo Dictionaries: Indexing Modern Localness and Distributing Epistemic Authority in Minority Language Advocacy
Authors: Keller Sandra
Published: May 2019

In this article, I explore the semiotics of print dictionaries for Gallo, a minority Romance language of Brittany, France. Although dictionaries are generally understood as authoritative representations of semantic content, I show how the materiality of dictionaries was central to their embedding in Gallo advocacy and art. Drawing on performance and interactional data collected during twelve months of ethnographic fieldwork, I explore how advocates and performers at language festivals displayed dictionaries as icons of Gallo's existence and “weight” and indexes of Gallo's complementarity with modern life. Rather than enforcing a standard, dictionaries prompted display of local, heterogeneous linguistic expertise.
Liminal Spaces, Titanium Braces: Narrative Tropes of Competence among Wheelchair Basketball Players
Authors: Bloom Molly
Published: May 2019

Using a combination of auto‐ethnographic and narrative analysis, this paper sheds light on stories by wheelchair basketball players about their disabilities. Narrative is a means through which people recall experiences and place them into a meaningful series of events. In contrast to critiques of disabled athletes’ narratives emphasizing ‘overcoming’ disability and ‘passing’ as able‐bodied, I argue that wheelchair basketball players construct narratives of competence, which contrast with common stereotypes of disability. In doing so, they construct a shared sense of identity. I suggest that ‘narratives of competence’ are a more productive theoretical framework for understanding the stories of disabled athletes than ‘overcoming narratives’ because the storytellers are not attempting to pass as able‐bodied. Rather, they are presenting themselves as capable people, who are not trapped in liminal space due to their disabilities. In addition to arguing against previous accounts that describe disabled athletes as passing, this article contributes to the growing emphasis in anthropology to de‐medicalize disability.
Oro‐facial pain experience among symphony orchestra musicians in Finland is associated with reported stress, sleep bruxism and disrupted sleep—Independent of the instrument group
Authors: Ahlberg Jari , Wiegers Jetske W. , van Selms Maurits K. A. , Peltomaa Miikka , Manfredini Daniele , Lobbezoo Frank , Savolainen Aslak , Tuomilehto Henri
Published: May 2019

Background

To evaluate whether oro‐facial pain experience was related to the type of musical instrument and to learn more about the roles of sleep and sleep‐related issues in the pain among professional musicians.

Objectives

A standard questionnaire was sent to all Finnish symphony orchestras (n = 19), with altogether 1005 professional musicians and other personnel.

Methods

The questionnaire covered descriptive data, instrument group, items on perceived quality of sleep, possible sleep bruxism, stress experience and oro‐facial pain experience during the past 30 days.

Results

In the present study, which included the musicians only, the response rate was 58.7% (n = 488). All orchestras participated in the study, and there was no significant difference in the response rate between the orchestras. The mean age of men (52.3%) was 47.7 (SD 10.3) and of women (47.7%) was 43.4 (SD 9.8) years (P < 0.001). Overall, current pain in the oro‐facial area was reported by 28.9%, frequent bruxism by 12.1% and frequent stress by 20.8%. According to Somers' d, there were statistically significant but moderate correlations between overall pain reports in the oro‐facial area and disrupted sleep (d = 0.127, P = 0.001), sleep bruxism (d = 0.241, P < 0.001) and stress experiences (d = 0.193, P < 0.001). Logistic regression revealed, independent of the instrument group (string, woodwind, brass wind, percussion), that current oro‐facial pain experience was significantly associated with disrupted sleep (P = 0.001), frequent sleep bruxism (P < 0.001) and frequent stress (P = 0.002) experiences.

Conclusions

Among symphony orchestra musicians, oro‐facial pain experience seems to be related to perceptions of stress, sleep bruxism and disrupted sleep rather than the instrument group.