bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Income gradients within child and adolescent antisocial
behaviours
Authors: Piotrowska Patrycja J. , Stride Christopher B. , Maughan Barbara , Goodman Robert , McCaw Liz , Rowe Richard
Published: August 2015

Background

Low income is a widely studied risk factor for child and adolescent
behavioural difficulties. Previous research on this relationship has
produced mixed findings.

Aims

To investigate the level, shape and homogeneity of income gradients in
different types of antisocial behaviour.

Method

A representative sample of 7977 British children and adolescents, aged
5–16 years, was analysed. Hypotheses concerning the shapes and
homogeneity of the relationships between family socioeconomic status and
multiple antisocial behaviour outcomes, including clinical diagnoses of
oppositional-defiant disorder, conduct disorder and symptom subscales,
such as irritability and hurtfulness, were tested by structural equation
models.

Results

Consistent income gradients were demonstrated across all antisocial
behaviours studied. Disorder prevalence and mean symptom counts decreased
across income quintiles in a non-linear fashion.

Conclusions

Our findings emphasise that income gradients are similar across different
forms of antisocial behaviour and indicate that income may lead to
greater behavioural differences in the mid-income range and less
variation at low- and high-income extremes.
Complications and mortality in patients with schizophrenia and
diabetes: Population-based cohort study
Authors: Wu Chi-Shin , Lai Mei-Shu , Gau Susan Shur-Fen
Published: August 2015

Background

The long-term outcome of patients with both diabetes and schizophrenia
remains unclear.

Aims

To explore whether having schizophrenia increases the risk of advanced
complications and mortality in people with diabetes.

Method

This is a population-based matched cohort study using Taiwan's National
Health Insurance Research Database. A total of 11 247 participants with
diabetes and schizophrenia and 11 247 participants with diabetes but not
schizophrenia were enrolled. We used Cox proportional hazard models to
determine the effect of schizophrenia on macrovascular and microvascular
complications, and all-cause mortality.

Results

The adjusted hazard ratios were 1.49 (95% CI 1.32–1.68) for macrovascular
complications, 1.05 (95% CI 0.91–1.21) for microvascular complications
and 3.68 (95% CI 3.21–4.22) for all-cause mortality in patients with
diabetes and schizophrenia compared with those patients with diabetes but
not schizophrenia.

Conclusions

Patients with both diabetes and schizophrenia had an increased risk of
macrovascular complications and all-cause mortality but did not have
statistically significant elevated risk of microvascular
complications.
The effect of experimentally induced sedentariness on mood and
psychobiological responses to mental stress
Authors: Endrighi Romano , Steptoe Andrew , Hamer Mark
Published: August 2015

Background

Evidence suggests a link between sedentary behaviours and depressive
symptoms. Mechanisms underlying this relationship are not understood, but
inflammatory processes may be involved. Autonomic and inflammatory
responses to stress may be heightened in sedentary individuals
contributing to risk, but no study has experimentally investigated
this.

Aims

To examine the effect of sedentary time on mood and stress responses
using an experimental design.

Method

Forty-three individuals were assigned to a free-living sedentary
condition and to a control condition (usual activity) in a cross-over,
randomised fashion and were tested in a psychophysiology laboratory after
spending 2 weeks in each condition. Participants completed mood
questionnaires (General Health Questionnaire and Profile of Mood States)
and wore a motion sensor for 4 weeks.

Results

Sedentary time increased by an average of 32 min/day (P
= 0.01) during the experimental condition compared with control. Being
sedentary resulted in increases in negative mood independent of changes
in moderate to vigorous physical activity (δGHQ= 6.23, δPOMS= 2.80). Mood
disturbances were associated with greater stress-induced inflammatory
interleukin-6 (IL-6) responses (β = 0.37).

Conclusions

Two weeks of exposure to greater free-living sedentary time resulted in
mood disturbances independent of reduction in physical activity.
Stress-induced IL-6 responses were associated with changes in mood.
Pvr receptor tyrosine kinase promotes tissue closure by coordinating corpse removal and epidermal zippering
Authors: Garlena Rebecca A. , Lennox Ashley L. , Baker Lewis R. , Parsons Trish E. , Weinberg Seth M. , Stronach Beth E.
Published: August 2015

A leading cause of human birth defects is the incomplete fusion of tissues, often manifested in the palate, heart, or neural tube. To investigate the molecular control of tissue fusion, embryonic dorsal closure and pupal thorax closure in Drosophila are useful experimental models. We find that Pvr mutants have defects in dorsal midline closure with incomplete amnioserosa internalization and epidermal zippering, as well as cardia bifida. These defects are relatively mild in comparison to those seen with other signaling mutants such as the JNK pathway, and we demonstrate that JNK signaling is not perturbed by altering Pvr receptor tyrosine kinase activity. Rather, modulation of Pvr levels in the ectoderm has an impact on PIP3 membrane accumulation consistent with a link to PI3K signal transduction. Polarized PI3K activity influences protrusive activity from the epidermal leading edge and protrusion area changes in accord with Pvr signaling intensity, providing a possible mechanism to explain Pvr mutant phenotypes. Tissue specific rescue experiments indicate a partial requirement in epithelial tissue, but confirm the essential role of Pvr in the hemocytes for embryonic survival. Taken together, we argue that inefficient removal of the internalizing amnioserosa tissue by mutant hemocytes coupled with impaired midline zippering of mutant epithelium creates a situation in some embryos where dorsal midline closure is incomplete. Based on these observations, we suggest that efferocytosis (corpse clearance) could contribute to proper tissue closure and thus may underlie some congenital birth defects.
Coordinate post-transcriptional repression of Dpp-dependent transcription factors attenuates signal range during development
Authors: Newton Fay G. , Harris Robin E. , Sutcliffe Catherine , Ashe Hilary L.
Published: August 2015

Precise control of the range of signalling molecule action is critical for correct cell fate patterning during development. For example, Drosophila ovarian germline stem cells (GSCs) are maintained by exquisitely short-range BMP signalling from the niche. In the absence of BMP signalling, one GSC daughter differentiates into a cystoblast (CB) and this fate is stabilised by Brain Tumour (Brat) and Pumilio (Pum)-mediated post-transcriptional repression of mRNAs, including that encoding the Dpp transducer, Mad. However, the identity of other repressed mRNAs and the mechanism of post-transcriptional repression are currently unknown. Here, we identify the Medea and schnurri mRNAs, which encode transcriptional regulators required for activation and/or repression of Dpp target genes, as additional Pum-Brat targets suggesting that tripartite repression of the transducers is deployed to desensitise the CB to Dpp. In addition, we show that repression by Pum-Brat requires recruitment of the CCR4 and Pop2 deadenylases, with knockdown of deadenylases in vivo giving rise to ectopic GSCs. Consistent with this, Pum-Brat repression leads to poly(A) tail shortening and mRNA degradation in tissue culture cells and we detect a reduced number of Mad and shn transcripts in the CB relative to the GSC based on single molecule mRNA quantitation. Finally, we show generality of the mechanism by demonstrating that Brat also attenuates pMad and Dpp signalling range in the early embryo. Together our data serve as a platform for understanding how post-transcriptional repression restricts interpretation of BMPs and other cell signals in order to allow robust cell fate patterning during development.
FOXF1 inhibits hematopoietic lineage commitment during early mesoderm specification
Authors: Fleury Maud , Eliades Alexia , Carlsson Peter , Lacaud Georges , Kouskoff Valerie
Published: August 2015

The molecular mechanisms orchestrating early mesoderm specification are still poorly understood. In particular, how alternate cell fate decisions are regulated in nascent mesoderm remains mostly unknown. In the present study, we investigated both in vitro in differentiating embryonic stem cells and in vivo in gastrulating embryos the lineage specification of early mesodermal precursors expressing or not the Forkhead transcription factor FOXF1. Our data revealed that FOXF1-expressing mesoderm is derived from FLK1+ progenitors and that in vitro this transcription factor is expressed in smooth muscle and transiently in endothelial lineages but not in hematopoietic cells. In gastrulating embryos, FOXF1 marks most extra-embryonic mesoderm derivatives including the chorion, the allantois, the amnion and a subset of endothelial cells. Similarly to the in vitro situation, FOXF1 expression is excluded from the blood islands and blood cells. Further analysis revealed an inverse correlation between hematopoietic potential and FOXF1 expression in vivo with increase commitment toward primitive erythropoiesis in Foxf1 deficient embryos while FOXF1-enforced expression in vitro was shown to repress hematopoiesis. Altogether our data establish that, during gastrulation, FOXF1 marks all posterior primitive streak extra-embryonic mesoderm derivatives with the remarkable exception of the blood lineage. Our study further suggests that this transcription factor is implicated in actively restraining the specification of mesodermal progenitors to hematopoiesis.
A gene expression resource generated by genome-wide lacZ profiling in the mouse
Authors: Tuck Elizabeth , Estabel Jeanne , Oellrich Anika , Maguire Anna Karin , Adissu Hibret A. , Souter Luke , Siragher Emma , Lillistone Charlotte , Green Angela L. , Jones Hannah Wardle , Carragher Damian M. , Karp Natasha A. , Smedley Damian , Adams Niels C. ,   Sanger Institute Mouse Genetics Project, Bussell James N. , Adams David J. , Ramírez-Solis Ramiro , Steel Karen P. , Galli Antonella , White Jacqueline K.
Published: August 2015

Knowledge of the expression profile of a gene is a critical piece of information required to build an understanding of the normal and essential functions of that gene, and any role it may play in the development or progression of disease. High throughput, large scale efforts are on-going internationally to characterise reporter tagged knockout mouse lines. As part of that effort, we report an open access adult mouse expression resource in which the expression profile of 424 genes has been assessed in up to 47 different organs, tissues and sub-structures using a lacZ reporter gene. Many specific and informative expression patterns were noted. Expression was most commonly observed in the testis and brain, and was most restricted in white adipose tissue and mammary gland. Over half of the genes assessed presented with an absent or localised expression pattern (categorised as 0-10 positive structures). A link between complexity of expression profile and viability of homozygous null animals was observed; inactivation of genes expressed in ≥21 structures was more likely to result in reduced viability by postnatal day 14 compared with more restricted expression profiles. For validation purposes, this mouse expression resource was compared with Bgee, a federated composite of RNA based expression datasets. Strong agreement was observed indicating a high degree of specificity in our data. Furthermore, there were 1,207 observations of expression of a particular gene in an anatomical structure where Bgee had no data, indicating a large amount of novelty in our dataset. Examples of expression data corroborating and extending genotype-phenotype associations and supporting disease gene candidacy are presented to demonstrate the potential of this powerful resource.
Neighborhood Semantics for Basic and Intuitionistic Logic
Authors: Moniri Morteza , Maleki Fatemeh Shirmohammadzadeh
Published: August 2015

In this paper we present a neighborhood semantics for Intuitionistic Propositional Logic (IPL). We show that for each Kripke model of the logic there is a pointwise equivalent neighborhood model and vice versa. In this way, we establish soundness and completeness of IPL with respect to the neighborhood semantics. The relation between neighborhood and topological semantics are also investigated. Moreover, the notions of bisimulation and n-bisimulation between neighborhood models of IPL are defined naturally and some of their basic properties are proved. We also consider Basic Propositional Logic (BPL), a logic weaker than IPL introduced by Albert Visser, and introduce and study its neighborhood models in the same manner.
Image Politics and the Art of Resistance in Syria
Authors: Sacranie Nour K.
Published: August 2015

In what has quickly become one of the bloodiest and most protracted of the uprisings across the Arab world, Syria's revolution has attracted a breadth of coverage and academic research into the now ailing Ba'ath party and its historical stranglehold on power. This article will explore the use of the image and spectacle as methods of control and discipline under the rule of Hafiz and Bashar Al-Assad, and how they have been subverted through new media to create a counter-hegemonic cultural discourse. The complex relationship between image and subversion in Syria will be teased out using the works of Jacques Rancière, Michel Foucault, and Guy Debord.
R. A. Caldwell,
Fall Girls: Gender and the Framing of Torture at Abu Ghraib
Authors: Huggins Martha K.
Published: August 2015

None
Wage policy of medium and large Portuguese firms
Authors: Suleman Fátima , Lagoa Sérgio Chilra , Suleman Abdul , Pereira Marta Luís
Published: August 2015

The research on wage policies has been triggered by the interest in identifying whether labour market or institutional forces shape wage settings inside firms. This article draws on linked employer-employee data and uses a fuzzy c-means clustering analysis to identify the typical wage policies of medium and large firms in Portugal. Empirical evidence suggests firms are segmented into four clusters that can be labelled according to wage rules as regulated, asymmetric, hierarchical and discretionary. The first two clusters comprise low wage firms, and are highly responsive to market conditions. The firms belonging to the latter clusters take advantage of discretionary power to differentiate the workforce. Our findings therefore illustrate different dimensions of wage flexibility. Furthermore, we found that employment flexibility and wage adjustments can co-exist, and this affects female, young and blue-collar workers in particular.
Wage policy patterns at the firm level: An analysis of medium and large Italian firms
Authors: Sgobbi Francesca
Published: August 2015

This article provides an empirical analysis of wage policy at the firm level. Based on cluster analysis applied to a sample of medium and large Italian firms and their employees, this article classifies the wage policy patterns adopted, provides preliminary evidence on the dynamics of wage policy at the firm level and outlines the drivers underpinning the identified patterns. The results of the empirical analyses show that identified wage policy patterns present a mix of hybrid characteristics rather than alignment with the ideal types of the internal and the external labour markets hypothesized in the literature. The wage policy models adopted by sampled firms display significant dynamic patterns between 1989 and 2004: 28.9 per cent of the firms sampled in both years switch to a different wage policy, with an overall increase of firms providing leading pay rates.
Innovation, creativity and reward practices in academic spin-offs: The case of the IST Spin-off Community
Authors: Sousa Cristina , Luís Conceição
Published: August 2015

This article aims to study the role of reward practices in fostering the creativity process and the innovation performance of academic spin-offs. We start from the extant literature on the promotion of creativity and innovation in companies, stressing the role of rewards and other human resources management (HRM) practices. Then we conduct empirical research using purposely collected data on eighteen spin-off companies, whose parent organization is Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), a Portuguese engineering school. The results indicate that reward practices are mainly associated with the individual components of creativity (skills and processes) and that its positive effect on innovation is usually moderated by other practices of HRM, namely selection, teamwork, training and performance appraisal.
Cleavages, values and the vote in Portugal, 2005–09
Authors: Freire André
Published: August 2015

Electoral studies remain relatively underdeveloped in Portugal, but there is some consensus about the reduced impact of values on the vote. However, the previous studies used very limited sets of indicators. Because they included an extensive battery of ‘position issues’, the recent Portuguese National Election Studies, 2005–09, allow us to further the debate. Moreover, perhaps because it is embedded in the cleavage structures, research about the impact of values on the vote is scarce beyond Portugal. Thus, the present article allows us to integrate the Portuguese case into the western debate about the impact of values on the vote: the impact that is embedded in cleavage structures, and the impact that is independent of citizens’ social location. It is shown that by using the appropriate indicators for the position issues, we find a significant impact of values on the vote: citizens who favour income equality, more state intervention and who are more libertarian in their lifestyles are also more likely to vote for the left; while the opposite trend is true for right-wing voters. Additionally, we show that only part of the values’ impact on the vote is embedded in the cleavage structure; like in other more advanced polities, a significant part is not, thus showing that ‘value voting’ is also present and important in the Portuguese case.
Policy congruence in Europe: Testing three causal models at the individual, party and party system levels
Authors: Belchior Ana Maria
Published: August 2015

Over the last decades, a number of empirical studies have approached representation essentially on the basis of descriptive analyses of political or ideological deputy-voter congruence. Only a few studies have attempted to explain why parties are more or less correspondent to their electorates and none has adopted a comprehensive theoretical approach to that explanation. Trying to respond to this lacuna, this article begins by assessing the levels of policy preferences among Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and their voters using a set of eight policy issues (characterizing the left-right and libertarian-authoritarian dimensions), and then explores what may explain policy congruence by testing models working at the individual, party and party system levels. Three regression models are run corresponding to each of these levels. Each model regards the eight policy issues under study. The study looks at the political parties of the 27 countries of the European Union (EU) which ran in the 2009 European Parliament elections. The findings reveal that party congruence is generally moderate (no significant differences seem to emerge between left-right and libertarian-authoritarian issues) and that the individual model (namely voters’ education and intra-party polarization) and party-level model (MEPs’ and voters’ left-right and libertarian-authoritarian attitudes within parties) are those which best explain party policy congruence.
Evaluation of the educational programme for caregivers of the elderly in Windhoek and Rehoboth, Namibia
Authors: Kloppers Joan.M , Pretorius Louise , Kloppers Alfreda R. E.
Published: August 2015

There are many reasons why the elderly may be in need of care, for example, if an elderly person suffers a medical illness, such as a stroke or a diagnosis of dementia or Alzheimer's disease, he/she may need assistance and care (Boehlke, 2001).Another major problem for elderly people is the prevalence of co-morbidity (several chronic diseases in one person) which makes treatment and quality of care and life more difficult. In many instances care for the frail elderly, especially in long-term care institutions, is provided under minimal supervision by caregivers who lay people. This can lead to poor-quality care or neglect of the frail elderly. Clarke (2008) stated that the role of the caregiver involves the application to the principles of caring at any level of care. A qualitative, explorative, descriptive, contextual and phenomenology design was used to perform this study.The purpose of this study was to develop, implement and evaluate a supportive educational programme for caregivers of the elderly in old-age homes in Windhoek.The study was conducted in three phases. Firstly, a situational analysis was carried out to explore and describe the experiences and needs of the caregivers and the elderly. The situation analysis revealed themes in terms of interpersonal relationships that could be positive or negative regarding the elderly, with the sub-themes like communication, support and caring for elderly people. These themes and sub-themes include the following: Interpersonal relationships were viewed as an important aspect of the caring process. Lack of regular in-service training sessions for caregivers, with a subtheme of a lack of adequate knowledge of procedures. Lack of human resources, equipment and policies.In the second phase, a conceptual framework was derived from the results of phase 1, using the activities prescribed by Dickoff, James and Wiedenbach (1968). In the third phase, an educational programme was developed from of the findings of the previous phase. The Vicon project (2010) explains a programme as a plan of action for achieving something. The educational programme was implemented and evaluated and adjusted according to recommendations made. The feedback session with participants would indicate that their responses to the programme were positive, and they mentioned that the programme was indeed needed. The intention and hope are that the educational programme will help caregivers for the elderly to be competent and provide quality care.
Interfaces for tetraplegic people – review of solutions supporting activities of daily living
Authors: Augustyniak Piotr , Mikrut Zbigniew
Published: August 2015

Currently, a disabled person can participate in social life and proceed with independent individual development with the assistance of intelligent support from modern technology. This paper reviews various approaches and recent achievements in designing and prototyping of interfaces for tetraplegic people originating from Biocybernetics Laboratory AGH. After a short review of other available systems, three categories of activities of daily living (ADL)-supporting solutions are presented: input devices, control software, and stand-alone systems. As a result of testing other alternatives such as touchpad, tongue presspad, eye tracker, blow sensor, and direct sensor of brain electrical activity, joysticks were selected as preferable input devices. They are free from hygienic issues, tolerant to involuntary use or excessive force, and easily operable by using the chin or lips. The operational flexibility required for personalization of input devices is achieved with dedicated software defining the rules of interpretation of operators’ motions. To adapt the final signal to the specificity of a supported human, the interpretation process takes into account the identification of gesture, its duration, and coincidence. The paper also presents two stand-alone systems dedicated to supporting the selected ADL. One of them is a smart interface for infrared-based remote control of home appliances, and the second is a joystick-based emulator of a computer mouse. Both devices provide a learning mode that allows for adaptation to the particular environment (i.e. set of devices to be controlled) and specific abilities of their human operator.
Essential spectra of weighted composition operators with hyperbolic symbols
Authors: Hyvärinen Olli , Nieminen Ilmari
Published: August 2015

In this paperwe study both the spectra and the essential spectra ofweighted composition operators on Hardy spaces H
Loeys-Dietz syndrome in pregnancy
Authors: Zozzaro-Smith Paula , Bacak Stephen , Seligman Neil
Published: August 2015

Loeys-Dietz syndrome results from mutations in genes encoding the transforming growth factor-β receptor. Women with similar syndromes are at risk of obstetrical complications, including vessel and uterine rupture during labor. There are few reports regarding the safety of pregnancy in women with Loeys-Dietz syndrome, and the available literature recommends early cesarean delivery. We report a case of a successful vaginal delivery at 36 weeks of gestation in a primigravid woman. Prenatal imaging revealed no vascular abnormalities and echocardiogram demonstrated normal cardiac anatomy. Her pregnancy and delivery were uneventful, and the baby was also found to have the mutation on postnatal molecular testing. In a low-risk individual, vaginal delivery at term may be considered a reasonable approach in this group of women.
The D543N polymorphism of the SLC11A1/NRAMP1 gene is associated with treatment failure in male patients with pulmonary tuberculosis
Authors: Salinas-Delgado Yvain , Galaviz-Hernández Carlos , Toral René García , Ávila Rejón Carmen A. , Reyes-Lopez Miguel A. , Martínez Antonio Rojas , Martínez-Aguilar Gerardo , Sosa-Macías Martha
Published: August 2015

Background: Polymorphisms in SLC11A1/NRAMP1 have shown an important association with susceptibility to tuberculosis and progression to active disease. However, whether there is an association of these polymorphisms with treatment failure is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the association of SLC11A1 polymorphisms with treatment failure in Mexican subjects with pulmonary tuberculosis.

Methods: Thirty-three subjects with treatment failure were paired by age and body mass index with 33 patients who successfully completed treatment and were considered cured. We assessed the polymorphisms of SLC11A1 in the regions of D543N and INT4 via polymerase chain reaction real-time TaqMan® single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping.

Results: We found that D543N (G/A genotype) was associated with treatment failure in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis [odds ratio (OR) 11.61, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.66–36.78]. When adjusted by gender, this association remained significant in males (OR 11.09, 95% CI 3.46–35.51).

Conclusions: In our male population, the presence of the D543N polymorphism of SLC11A1 is a risk factor for treatment failure. This finding should be confirmed in other populations.
An exact solution for improved metal-composite joints reinforced by FG inter-layers
Authors: Bahri Abbas , Akhlaghi Mehdi , Salehi Manouchehr
Published: August 2015

A two-dimensional analytic solution based on linear elasticity theory is used to investigate the effect of using a functionally graded material (FGM) as an inter-layer in reducing the stress concentration in non-axisymmetric loaded metal-composite joints. The geometry of the joint consists of a metal cylinder surrounded in a composite thick plate and loaded arbitrarily by in-plane radial force profile, the condition of which occurs in double-lap pins, bolt joints, and T-bolt joints. The significant difference between the mechanical properties of the adjacent materials induces a stress concentration in the flexible part of the joint. In this work, an analytic solution based on the Airy stress function is used and derived into the strain compatibility equation in two-dimensional problems. The power law model is used for the FGM property variation, and a transversely isotropic model is considered for the composite plate. A two-dimensional condition is assumed for the structure. The results of several models are compared with the finite-element method and show good conformity between the two methods. In some cases, by using the FGM inter-layer, the stress level in the surrounding plate would be decreased significantly.
The Municipality as Negotiator in Multilevel Governance of Health Care
Authors: Hanssen Gro Sandkjær , Helgesen Marit Kristine , Tennås Holmen Ann Karin
Published: August 2015

This article focuses on the new role of municipalities–as negotiators in multilevel governance of health services. The 2012 health care coordination reform in Norway involves a partnership between health services at the national and municipal levels. Negotiations in these regional partnerships result in regionally different solutions concerning the provision of health services. What does this new role of municipalities require with regards to political steering and administrative management? From interviews in nine municipalities and two regional health authorities, the authors find that the formal cooperation agreements have affected the interaction between municipalities and regional health authorities, with a shift from professional deliberation to strategic negotiations. The new negotiating role of the municipalities requires political will to clarify the room of maneuver for the negotiating actors and support the negotiating solutions when these are within the defined frames. The negotiations stimulate integration between management and professionals, in order to inform the chief executive officer, who is often the negotiator. The negotiators assume an essential role as bridge-builders between the political and professional world in the municipalities, and the professional world of the hospitals and regional health authorities.
Clinical Research Informatics: Recent Advances and Future Directions
Authors: Dugas M.
Published: August 2015

Objectives: To summarize significant developments in Clinical Research Informatics (CRI) over the past two years and discuss future directions.

Methods: Survey of advances, open problems and opportunities in this field based on exploration of current literature.

Results: Recent advances are structured according to three use cases of clinical research: Protocol feasibility, patient identification/recruitment and clinical trial execution.

Discussion: CRI is an evolving, dynamic field of research. Global collaboration, open metadata, content standards with semantics and computable eligibility criteria are key success factors for future developments in CRI.
A Systematic Investigation on Barriers and Critical Success Factors for Clinical Information Systems in Integrated Care Settings
Authors: Schweitzer M. , Hoerbst A.
Published: August 2015

Objectives: Clinical Information Systems (CIS) have ever since the introduction of information technology in healthcare played an important role to support healthcare professionals and the process of treatment. With the rise of the concept of integrated care organizational borders, the sole focus on data aggregation or healthcare professionals as users disappear more and more. The manuscript discusses the concept of CISs and investigates critical success factors for CISs in the context of integrated care and in the course of time.

Methods: In order to identify critical success factors and barriers for CISs a systematic literature review was conducted based on the results from PubMed and Cochrane, using MaxQDA. Search results were thereby limited to reviews or meta-analysis.

Results: We have found 1919 references of which 40 met the inclusion criteria. The analysis of the manuscripts resulted in a comprehensive list of success factors and barriers related to CISs in integrated care settings. Most barriers were user-related whereas for the success factors an even distribution of organizational, technical and user-related factors was observed. The vast majority of publications was focused on healthcare professionals. Conclusion: It is important to incorporate experiences made/ collected over time, as the problems encountered seem to remain almost unvaried. In order to support further systematic investigations on the topic it is necessary to rethink existing concepts and definitions to realign them with the ideas of integrated care.
Modelling, Simulation and Social Network Data: What’s New for Public Health and Epidemiology Informatics?
Authors: Toubiana L. , Griffon N ,   Section Editors for the IMIA Yearbook Section on Public Health and Epidemiology Informatics
Published: August 2015

Objectives: Summarize excellent current research in the field of Public Health and Epidemiology Informatics.

Method: Synopsis of the articles selected for the IMIA Yearbook 2015.

Results: Four papers from international peer-reviewed journals have been selected as best papers for the section on Public Health and Epidemiology Informatics.

Conclusions: The selected articles illustrate current research regarding the impact and assessment of health IT and the latest developments in health information exchange.
Health Social Media and Patient-Centered Care: Buzz or Evidence?
Authors: Fernandez-Luque L. , Staccini P. ,   Section Editors for the IMIA Yearbook Section on Education and Consumer Health Informatics
Published: August 2015

Objective: To summarize the 2014 state of the art in the areas related to consumer health informatics and social media.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review of articles published in 2014 in PubMed with a predefined set of queries. We identified 439 articles relevant for the review. The two section editors independently screened those papers taking into account their relevance to the topics covered by the section. In a second step, they jointly selected the 20 most representative papers as candidate best papers. Candidate best papers were then submitted for full review and scoring by external reviewers. Based on the scoring, section editors together with the IMIA Yearbook editorial board selected the four best papers published in 2014 in consumer health informatics.

Results: Helping patients acquire a healthier lifestyle is a crucial part of patient empowerment. In this line of work, new studies are exploring the efficacy of online health interventions for patient behavioral change. The special case of smoking cessation for consumers with low socio-economic status is particularly noticeable. Another study has explored how an online intervention can reduce the anxiety of women who experience an abnormal mammography. The team of PatientsLikeMe has studied how online support groups could play a role in the quality of life of organ transplant recipients. The patient perspective of online forums’ users is also analyzed in the domain of anticoagulation therapy.

Conclusions: Online health interventions, many of them using social media, have confirmed their potential to impact consumer behavioral change. However, there are still many methodological issues that need to be addressed in order to prove cost-effectiveness.
Computerized Clinical Decision Support: Contributions from 2014
Authors: Koutkias V. , Bouaud J. ,   Section Editors for the IMIA Yearbook Section on Decision Support
Published: August 2015

Objective: To summarize recent research and propose a selection of best papers published in 2014 in the field of computerized clinical decision support for the Decision Support section of the IMIA yearbook.

Method: A literature review was performed by searching two bibliographic databases for papers related to clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) and computerized provider order entry systems in order to select a list of candidate best papers to be then peer-reviewed by external reviewers. A consensus meeting between the two section editors and the editorial team was finally organized to conclude on the selection of best papers.

Results: Among the 1,254 returned papers published in 2014, the full review process selected four best papers. The first one is an experimental contribution to a better understanding of unintended uses of CDSSs. The second paper describes the effective use of previously collected data to tailor and adapt a CDSS. The third paper presents an innovative application that uses pharmacogenomic information to support personalized medicine. The fourth paper reports on the long-term effect of the routine use of a CDSS for antibiotic therapy.

Conclusions: As health information technologies spread more and more meaningfully, CDSSs are improving to answer users’ needs more accurately. The exploitation of previously collected data and the use of genomic data for decision support has started to materialize. However, more work is still needed to address issues related to the correct usage of such technologies, and to assess their effective impact in the long term.
Adrenal suppression in patients taking inhaled glucocorticoids is highly prevalent and management can be guided by morning cortisol
Authors: Woods Conor P , Argese Nicola , Chapman Matthew , Boot Christopher , Webster Rachel , Dabhi Vijay , Grossman Ashley B , Toogood Andrew A , Arlt Wiebke , Stewart Paul M , Crowley Rachel K , Tomlinson Jeremy W
Published: August 2015

Context

Up to 3% of US and UK populations are prescribed glucocorticoids (GC). Suppression of the hypothalamo–pituitary–adrenal axis with the potential risk of adrenal crisis is a recognized complication of therapy. The 250 μg short Synacthen stimulation test (SST) is the most commonly used dynamic assessment to diagnose adrenal insufficiency. There are challenges to the use of the SST in routine clinical practice, including both the staff and time constraints and a significant recent increase in Synacthen cost.

Methods

We performed a retrospective analysis to determine the prevalence of adrenal suppression due to prescribed GCs and the utility of a morning serum cortisol for rapid assessment of adrenal reserve in the routine clinical setting.

Results

In total, 2773 patients underwent 3603 SSTs in a large secondary/tertiary centre between 2008 and 2013 and 17.9% (n=496) failed the SST. Of 404 patients taking oral, topical, intranasal or inhaled GC therapy for non-endocrine conditions, 33.2% (n=134) had a subnormal SST response. In patients taking inhaled GCs without additional GC therapy, 20.5% (34/166) failed an SST and suppression of adrenal function increased in a dose-dependent fashion. Using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis in patients currently taking inhaled GCs, a basal cortisol ≥348 nmol/l provided 100% specificity for passing the SST; a cortisol value <34 nmol/l had 100% sensitivity for SST failure. Using these cut-offs, 50% (n=83) of SSTs performed on patients prescribed inhaled GCs were unnecessary.

Conclusion

Adrenal suppression due to GC treatment, particularly inhaled GCs, is common. A basal serum cortisol concentration has utility in helping determine which patients should undergo dynamic assessment of adrenal function.
A High-Throughput Method for the Analysis of Larval Developmental Phenotypes in Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Olmedo María , Geibel Mirjam , Artal-Sanz Marta , Merrow Martha
Published: August 2015

Caenorhabditis elegans postembryonic development consists of four discrete larval stages separated by molts. Typically, the speed of progression through these larval stages is investigated by visual inspection of the molting process. Here, we describe an automated method to monitor the timing of these discrete phases of C. elegans maturation, from the first larval stage through adulthood, using bioluminescence. The method was validated with a lin-42 mutant strain that shows delayed development relative to wild-type animals and with a daf-2 mutant that shows an extended second larval stage. This new method is inherently high-throughput and will finally allow dissecting the molecular machinery governing the speed of the developmental clock, which has so far been hampered by the lack of a method suitable for genetic screens.
Flora and vegetation of Pulau Babi Tengah, Johor, Peninsular Malaysia
Authors: Senterre Bruno , Chew Ming Yee , Chung Richard C.K.
Published: August 2015

Pulau Babi Tengah is a small granitic island, ca. 106 ha, lying off the south-east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Except for plantation of coconut trees in the early 1900s and deforestation by refugees during the Vietnamese civil war, 1975–1981, the island has not been affected by human development and very few species have been introduced. Recently, a tourist resort has opened in the south and has initiated activities for the conservation of biodiversity. As part of that commitment, an exhaustive inventory of all terrestrial vascular plants has been done. The flora contains 312 taxa with 252 genera and 101 families. Several rare species, known only from this group of islands in Peninsular Malaysia, are recorded, as well as four Peninsular Malaysian endemic species. The most striking characteristic of Pulau Babi Tengah is the rarity of the exotic element, which is restricted to the anthropic areas.
Skillnader i klasstillhörighet och klassidentifikation
Authors: Fransson Sara
Published: August 2015

Abstract saknas
Korruptionen i det svenska folkstyret: vad säger medborgarna?
Authors: Andersson Staffan , Babajan Tigran
Published: August 2015

Prior research on corruption highlights the importance of considering ordinary citizens’ views of corruption in politics and public administration. A key reason for this is that these views appear to have a significant impact on people’s confidence in public institutions. Moreover, to get a better understanding of corruption in “least corrupt” democracies with functioning market economy, it is important not only to include bribery, but also other types of corruption. In this article we use country representative data from Survey 2012 of such a case, Sweden, to better understand the variation of corruption across levels of government and how respondents’ own experiences of corruption relate to their perceptions of corruption. Cross-country studies portray Sweden as one of the least corrupt. However, Swedes tend to see corruption as present in public administration and in the recent past Sweden has experienced several corruption scandals. Our results show, in line with previous studies, that corruption is perceived as more common in subnational government than state government. In addition, when asked about their own experience of corruption (or the experience of someone they know) we show this to vary depending on what type of corruption situation it concerns: More respondents have experience of nepotism than bribery. Another major finding of the present article concerns the relationship between respondents’ experience of corruption and their perception of how much corruption there is in government. In particular, perceptions of extensive corruption are more likely among those with own experience of corruption. Given the potential impact of corruption views on support for the democratic system, this link between citizens’ experience of corruption and perception of its prevalence merits further research.
Kalla krigets slut och ideologiska förändring
Authors: Hagevi Magnus
Published: August 2015

Abstract saknas
Personal Experience and Aesthetic Value of Artwork
Authors: Jackūnas Žibartas
Published: August 2015

Traditional Western theoretic culture conceives the results of a manifestation of the world in a human experience as an outcome determined mainly by the apprehended phenomena themselves and their objective properties. Such one-sided approach to reality was properly subjected to criticism by phenomenology, philosophy of language, hermeneutics, and postmodern thought. The above-indicated currents of philosophical thought stress the interpretive nature of the world and its understanding as well as the role semantic experience of a person plays in a process of interpretation. The article has the purpose to show, how both a forenamed approaches to reality – traditional and interpretive – determine the conception of an artwork and its aesthetic value. Traditional mode of thought prompts the investigators to see an artwork as an objective thing or artifact. This approach naturalizes a work of art, neglects its semantic and communicative dimension, remains in the background the meaning of an artwork and its relation to experience of a person involved in the process of its interpretation. Interpretive or semantic approach opens the possibility to elaborate a conception of aesthetic value of artwork based on the following semantic tenets: 1) aesthetic value can be directly ascribed only to aesthetic experience which manifests itself in the process of interpretation of an artwork. The process is, in its nature, interpretive par excellence; 2) manifestation of meanings, which form a semantic content of aesthetic experience, presupposes an active participation of generalized experience of a person taking part in the process of interpretation of artwork; 3) substantial part of personal experience, involved in the process of manifestation of aesthetic values of an artwork, consists of meanings related to value-system of a person; 4) an axiological dimension of aesthetic value of an artwork is related to two conjoint factors: a) emotional response to the meaning, conceived in the process of aesthetic interpretation of artwork; b) the changes in semantic experience (generalized) of a person, especially in his value-experience. The article comprises a more detailed characterization of the principles lying at the ground of traditional and semantic approaches to the problem of aesthetic value of artwork.
Arts Teacher Education in Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences
Authors: Banevičiūtė Birutė , Kudinovienė Jolita
Published: August 2015

The article analyses arts teacher education in Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences, the only university in Lithuania which prepares teachers of four arts subjects – dance, music, theater and visual arts both on bachelor and master’s level. Analyzing this phenomenon input of Arts Education Department of the university is revealed through scientific and pedagogical activities which are closely connected with arts teacher education programmes implemented by the department. Since 1993 when Arts Education Department was founded it went through various changes which led from general university study subject of Arts education towards six arts teacher preparation programmes: dance pedagogy bachelor, theater and film, pedagogy bachelor, dance education, theater education, visual arts education and music education master. Over 500 arts education teachers graduated from Arts Education Department study programmes in the period of 1997–2013.
The Interaction Among Lithuanian Folk Dance Ensembles in the Context of Cultural Education: Directors’ Attitude
Authors: Čyplytė Raminta
Published: August 2015

The article aims to reveal features and expression of the interaction between the state song and dance ensemble “Lietuva” and folk dance ensembles of higher education institutions in the process of youth cultural education. Since this aspect has not been analyzed in detail, the research was held among directors of folk dance ensembles of higher education institutions and the state song and dance ensemble „Lietuva“ and attempted to reveal two perspectives.The questioning of the directors showed that the interaction between ensemble “Lietuva” and folk dance ensembles of high schools in the context of youth cultural education exists and appears through folk dance ensembles connecting factors such as: genre of folk dance, common cultural activities and repertoire as well as common content of education which includes teaching methods, dance technique and its evaluation, other problems and relevant topics which forces to attract attention to the peculiarity of folk dance and its promotion in the contemporary cultural context.Directors of the ensemble “Lietuva” and high school ensembles stated that the ensemble “Lietuva” is still relevant today and actively participate in the cultural education of young people through folk dance, song and music hereby preserving national traditions and customs.