bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Microbial dispersal limitation to isolated soil habitats in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica
Authors: Archer Stephen , Lee Kevin , Caruso Tancredi , Maki Teruya , Lee Charles , Cowan Don , Maestre Fernando , Pointing Stephen
Published: December 2018

Dispersal is a critical yet poorly understood factor underlying macroecological patterns in microbial communities. Airborne microbial transport is assumed to occupy a central role in determining dispersal outcomes and extra-range dispersal has important implications for predicting ecosystem resilience and response to environmental change. One of the most pertinent biomes in this regard is Antarctica given its geographic isolation and vulnerability to climate change and human disturbance. Here we report the first characterisation of microbial diversity in near-ground and high-altitude air above a typical Antarctic Dry Valley as well as that of underlying soil microbial communities. We found that persistent airborne inputs were unable to fully explain local soil community assembly. Comparison with airborne microbial diversity from non-polar sources suggests that strong selection occurs during atmospheric transport resulting in regionally isolated airborne inputs and highly specialized soil communities where fungi displayed greater isolation than bacteria from non-polar sources. Overall microbial communities from this isolated Antarctic ecosystem displayed limited connectivity to the global microbial pool. Our findings provide critical insights to forecast the potential outcomes for microbial communities of climate change-mediated shifts in air circulation to the Dry Valleys, the largest ice-free region of Antarctica.
Oncogenes, tumor suppressor and differentiation genes represent the oldest human gene classes and evolve concurrently
Authors: Makashov A. , Malov S.V. , Kozlov A.P.
Published: December 2018

Earlier we showed that human genome contains many evolutionarily young or novel genes with tumor-specific or tumor-predominant expression. We suggested to call them TSEEN genes, i.e. Tumor Specifically Expressed, Evolutionarily New genes. In this paper we performed a study of the evolutionary ages of different classes of human genes, using homology searches in genomes of different taxa in human lineage. We discovered that different classes of human genes have different evolutionary ages and confirmed the existence of TSEEN gene classes. On the other hand, we found that oncogenes, tumor-suppressor genes and differentiation genes are among the oldest gene classes in humans and their evolution occurs concurrently. These findings confirm predictions made by our hypothesis of the possible evolutionary role of hereditary tumors.
Monocotyledonous vascular bundles characterized by image analysis and pattern recognition
Authors: da Silva Juliana Virginio , Comin Cesar , da Fontoura Costa Luciano
Published: December 2018

Recent advances in image analysis and pattern recognition have paved the way to several developments in plant science. In the present work, we report the comparative study, by using the aforementioned approaches, of vascular bundles of Dracaena marginata. More specifically, we used 33 measurements related to shape, density and regularity of imaged cross-sections of the stem. By using individual, pairwise and PCA projections of the adopted measurements, we were able to find the combinations of measurements leading to the best separation between the considered tissues. In particular, the best separation was obtained for entropy taken at a particular spatial scale combined with the equivalent diameter. The reported developments open several perspectives for applications in content-based retrieval, diagnosis, and species identification.
Public attitudes toward technological hazards after a technological disaster
Authors: Liu Peng , Wang Rui
Published: December 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand how the 2015 Tianjin Port explosion – which resulted in more than 100 deaths – changed local residents’ acceptance, perceived benefit and risk and trust related to hazardous goods warehouses and chemical plants (HGWCPs) and how it influenced local residents’ decisions about accepting HGWCPs through the lens of the trust heuristic.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey was conducted eight months after the disaster. Respondents were classified into two groups: involved (with direct experience of the explosion) and uninvolved (without direct experience). Their trust in those responsible for HGWCPs, and perceived benefit, perceived risk and acceptance associated with HGWCPs were surveyed.

Findings

The disaster reduced public acceptance of HGWCPs and trust and increased perceived risk. Trust retained an indirect effect on acceptance through perceived benefit in both groups and a direct effect on acceptance in the involved group. Trust partly accounted for the reduction in acceptance of HGWCPs.

Practical implications

Results remind the local government of the medium-term psychological consequences of the Tianjin Port explosion (e.g. increased perceived risk and reduced trust) and suggest the importance of building trust in mitigating risk perceptions of relevant technological hazards.

Originality/value

It represents a valuable addition to the literature on the medium-term psychological consequences of technological disasters and on the public’s decision making about hazardous technologies.
Environmental training and developing individual environmental sustainability competences in Brazilian chemical sector companies
Authors: Silva Marco Antonio Batista da , Costa Priscila Rezende da , Kniess Claudia Terezinha
Published: December 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse how the systematisation of environmental training can contribute to the development of individual competences aligned to the environmental dimension of sustainability.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative research approach was used in a multiple case study with three chemical companies: Braskem, Solvay and Beta (fictitious name).

Findings

Data analysis allowed descriptive characterisation of the phases of environmental training and the identification of individual competencies aligned to the environmental dimension of sustainability in the companies surveyed. The results showed that the systematised environmental training, its phases structured to meet the organisational strategic goals of sustainability, helps to develop individual competences of environmental sustainability in the companies analysed.

Research limitations/implications

The contribution of the study to the academy is presented in the deepening of the studies taking into account the gaps presented in the theoretical bases on the subject environmental education. This is the first study that seeks to investigate the stages of environmental training in the development of individual competences in the context of three Brazilian chemical industries. It was possible to describe the process of environmental training in a strategic dimension, used by the companies studied that can contribute to the market, assisting professionals in the areas of human resources and environmental management in the development of training actions.

Originality/value

The value of the paper is given by the reflection on the development of individual competencies for sustainability through environmental training, which can guide future public policies of environmental development for companies in the chemical sector.
Maintenance work for heritage buildings in Malaysia: owners’ perspectives
Authors: Zolkafli Umi Kalsum , Zakaria Norhanim , Mohammad Mazlan Aina , Ali Azlan Shah
Published: December 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to establish the impacts of good maintenance work for heritage buildings in Malaysia. This purpose is achieved through identifying factors that lead to the lack of maintenance of heritage buildings, establishing strategies to overcome the lack of maintenance of heritage buildings and analyzing the impact of good maintenance work on heritage buildings in Malaysia.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative method was employed for this study to identify the variables that most influence the maintenance of heritage buildings in Malaysia. The respondents were the owners of the heritage buildings in Peninsular Malaysia. There were 65 owners of heritage buildings identified from the official website of the Department of National Heritage, Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Malaysia. Simple random sampling was used to obtain the sample size of the targeted respondent. A total of 56 questionnaire surveys were distributed to the owners of heritage buildings. In total, 37 respondents returned the completed questionnaires, resulting in a response rate of 66 percent. The data were analyzed by Descriptive Statistics using Statistical Package for the Social Science software version 20.

Findings

Results show that the factors that lead to the lack of maintenance of heritage buildings are limited finance, the absence of maintenance guideline and ill-defined maintenance policy. The strategies to overcome the problem include providing a financial budget by the respective authorities, establishing a standard maintenance guideline and revising the existing policy.

Research limitations/implications

The paper is limited to the identification of factors that lead to a lack of maintenance and strategies to overcome the problem for the heritage buildings in Malaysia. The respondents are the owners of heritage buildings in Malaysia. The focus is given to them due to the fact that it will help them in understanding the importance of managing and operating for their buildings.

Practical implications

The results offer value-added information to building managers who are responsible for maintaining heritage buildings. Findings show that good maintenance work on heritage buildings can enhance the value and safety of the building as well as preventing heritage buildings from deteriorating.

Social implications

The quality of maintenance could be enhanced by focusing on the important variables that affect the quality of maintenance works of heritage buildings.

Originality/value

Limited studies had been carried out in the context of the maintenance of heritage buildings, especially in Malaysia.
The effects of cancer care pathways on waiting times
Authors: Smeds Magdalena , Poksinska Bozena Bonnie
Published: December 2018

Purpose

The Swedish health-care system currently implements cancer care pathways (CCPs) for better and more timely cancer diagnostics. The purpose of this paper is to elucidate and define “crowding out” effects associated with the CCP implementation.

Design/methodology/approach

A document study based on implementation reports and action plans from Swedish county councils (n = 21) and a case study in one county council were conducted. Qualitative data collection and analysis were used to acquire more knowledge about the “crowding out” effects associated with the CCP implementation.

Findings

Three effects discussed under “crowding out” were defined. The first effect, called the push-out effect, occurs when other patients have to wait for care longer in favour of CCP patients. Another effect is the inclusion effect, whereby “crowding out” is reduced for vulnerable patients due to the standardised procedures and criteria in the referral process. The final effect is the exclusion effect, where patients in need of cancer diagnostics are, for some reason, not referred to CCP. These patients are either not diagnosed at all or diagnosed outside CCP by a non-standard process, with the risk of longer waiting times.

Originality/value

“Crowding out” effects are an urgent topic related to CCP implementation. While these effects have been reported in international research studies, no shared definition has been established to describe them. The present paper creates a common base to measure the “crowding out” effects and support further development of CCPs to avoid the negative effects on waiting times.
Analysing eco‐evolutionary dynamics—The challenging complexity of the real world
Authors: De Meester Luc , Brans Kristien I. , Govaert Lynn , Souffreau Caroline , Mukherjee Shinjini , Vanvelk Héléne , Korzeniowski Konrad , Kilsdonk Laurens , Decaestecker Ellen , Stoks Robby , Urban Mark C.
Published: December 2018

The field of eco‐evolutionary dynamics is developing rapidly, with a growing number of well‐designed experiments quantifying the impact of evolution on ecological processes and patterns, ranging from population demography to community composition and ecosystem functioning. The key challenge remains to transfer the insights of these proof‐of‐principle experiments to natural settings, where multiple species interact and the dynamics are far more complex than those studied in most experiments.

Here, we discuss potential pitfalls of building a framework on eco‐evolutionary dynamics that is based on data on single species studied in isolation from interspecific interactions, which can lead to both under‐ and overestimation of the impact of evolution on ecological processes. Underestimation of evolution‐driven ecological changes could occur in a single‐species approach when the focal species is involved in co‐evolutionary dynamics, whereas overestimation might occur due to increased rates of evolution following ecological release of the focal species.

In order to develop a multi‐species perspective on eco‐evolutionary dynamics, we discuss the need for a broad‐sense definition of “eco‐evolutionary feedbacks” that includes any reciprocal interaction between ecological and evolutionary processes, next to a narrow‐sense definition that refers to interactions that directly feed back on the interactor that evolves.

We discuss the challenges and opportunities of using more natural settings in eco‐evolutionary studies by gradually adding complexity: (a) multiple interacting species within a guild, (b) food web interactions and (c) evolving metacommunities in multiple habitat patches in a landscape. A literature survey indicated that only a few studies on microbial systems so far developed a truly multi‐species approach in their analysis of eco‐evolutionary dynamics, and mostly so in artificially constructed communities.

Finally, we provide a road map of methods to study eco‐evolutionary dynamics in more natural settings. Eco‐evolutionary studies involving multiple species are necessarily demanding and might require intensive collaboration among research teams, but are highly needed.

A plain language summary is available for this article.
Human Capital and the CAP: The Case for Radical Policy Reform
Authors: Caskie Paul
Published: December 2018

Ambitious EU objectives for a more resilient, sustainable and competitive agricultural sector, cannot be achieved unless more attention is given to the development of human capital. Despite longstanding interventions to promote specialist agricultural education, farmer attainment metrics remain disappointing. Likewise participation rates in lifelong learning are much lower for farmers than for the working population generally. Based on experience in other sectors, there is potential to apply measures on minimum practitioner competency, practitioner accreditation and continuing professional development to agriculture. As part of this policy framework, a share of the future EU agriculture budget should be placed in a Knowledge Fund to be allocated in the form of Knowledge Vouchers. Given ingrained barriers to change that must be overcome, farmers using Knowledge Vouchers to finance training, skills and competency development should be rewarded with a cash payment. Farmers that do not engage in education and lifelong learning would see subsidy payments reduced. The prescribed policy change would improve overall value for public money and align with proposals for Member States to develop Strategic Plans to meet economic, environmental and social objectives, as part of post‐2020 CAP reforms.
Study Enrollment When “Preconsent” Is Utilized for a Randomized Clinical Trial of Two Treatments for Acute Agitation in the Emergency Department
Authors: Cole Jon B , Klein Lauren R. , Mullinax Samuel Z. , Nordstrom Kimberly D. , Driver Brian E. , Wilson Michael P.
Published: December 2018

Background

Acute agitation in the emergency department (ED) represents a danger to both patients and their caregivers. Medication is often needed, and few high‐quality randomized trials have evaluated the optimal drugs for this vulnerable population. In the United States, as of 2017, randomized trials of drugs typically cannot be conducted under Waiver of Consent (46 CFR 45.116), and Exception From Informed Consent trials (21 CFR 50.24) are limited to life‐threatening conditions, are onerous, and require filing an investigational new drug application with the FDA. We sought to conduct a randomized double‐dummy trial of inhaled loxapine versus intramuscular haloperidol + lorazepam for acute agitation in the ED by obtaining consent in advance (“preconsent”) in patients at risk of future agitation, allowing study drug administration up to 3 years later if the patient presented with acute agitation.

Objective

We sought to report the successful enrollment rate of patients preconsented at an earlier ED visit for this trial.

Methods

This was an analysis of patients age 18 to 64 with bipolar I disorder or schizophrenia preconsented for enrollment in the trial (clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02877108) conducted at a single urban academic center seeing approximately 60,000 patients per year. Eligible patients were assessed for capacity to consent by trained research associates, and informed consent was obtained at an ED visit for the possibility of administering drugs for agitation within the next 3 years. In the event the patient later presented to the ED and the attending physician deemed the patient required treatment for acute agitation, preconsent was confirmed and study drug would be administered.

Results

Over 67 days, 1,461 patients were screened in the ED, 269 had bipolar I or schizophrenia, 194 of whom had a contraindication to inhaled loxapine leaving 75 eligible patients; preconsent was obtained in 43 patients. Four additional patients who had not preconsented were consented for the trial in real time (three by surrogate, one patient had capacity while agitated) resulting in a total of 47 consented patients. Of these 47, a total of 12 were later removed from the study: 10 patients had unrecognized exclusion criteria for inhaled loxapine, one preconsented patient contacted the investigators at a later date and asked to be removed, and one surrogate revoked consent immediately after providing it. Only two patients were successfully enrolled, neither by preconsent: one was enrolled via a surrogate the day of enrollment, and the other was mildly agitated and had capacity to consent. The remaining patient with a valid surrogate consent did not receive study medication.

Conclusions

Utilization of preconsent to enroll patients in a randomized trial of treatments for acute agitation in the ED requires substantial resources and may not be feasible.
Reduced fear‐of‐self is associated with improvement in concerns related to repugnant obsessions in obsessive–compulsive disorder
Authors: Aardema Frederick , Wong Shiu F. , Audet Jean‐Sebastien , Melli Gabriele , Baraby Louis‐Philippe
Published: December 2018

Objective

The potential causal and maintaining role of vulnerable self‐themes and beliefs about the self in obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) have received increasing attention from cognitive‐behavioural theorists. This interest was translated into the development of a self‐report measurement of the feared self (the fear of who one might be or become), a construct theoretically and empirically pertinent to unwanted thoughts and impulses in OCD (i.e., repugnant obsessions).

Method

The current study aimed to provide converging evidence on the relevance of the feared self in OCD, by examining whether improvements in symptoms associated with repugnant obsessions (measured on the Vancouver Obsessional Compulsive Inventory [VOCI] obsessions subscale) would be predicted by reduced feared self‐perceptions (measured on the Fear‐of‐Self Questionnaire [FSQ]) in a sample of 93 patients receiving psychotherapy for OCD.

Results

Using a series of hierarchical linear regression models, we found that treatment‐related reductions on the FSQ significantly and uniquely predicted reductions on the VOCI obsessions subscale and the contamination subscale.

Conclusions

The current study thus replicated previous research suggesting the relevance of the feared possible self in psychological disorders such as OCD, where negative self‐perception is a dominant theme.

Practitioner points

Current results suggest that changes in feared self‐perceptions may be the mechanism through which OCD symptoms improve via therapy.

Interventions specifically aimed at changing feared self‐perceptions may prove effective in improving cognitive‐behavioural treatments for OCD.

One limitation of the current study is the lack of behavioural measures of OCD to supplement self‐report measures of OCD.

Another limitation is that the small number of patients receiving some of the treatments precludes investigations into which treatments may be more effective in altering feared self‐perceptions.
Bendamustine as part of conditioning of autologous stem cell transplantation in patients with aggressive lymphoma: a phase 2 study from the GELTAMO group
Authors: Redondo Alba M. , Valcárcel David , González‐Rodríguez Ana P. , Suárez‐Lledó María , Bello José L. , Canales Miguel , Gayoso Jorge , Colorado Mercedes , Jarque Isidro , del Campo Raquel , Arranz Reyes , Terol María J. , Rifón José J. , Rodríguez María J. , Ramírez María J , Castro Nerea , Sánchez Andrés , López‐Jiménez Javier , Montes‐Moreno Santiago , Briones Javier , López Aurelio , Palomera Luis , López‐Guillermo Armando , Caballero Dolores , Martín Alejandro ,   the Grupo Español de Linfomas y Trasplante Autólogo de Médula Ósea (GELTAMO)
Published: December 2018

We conducted a phase 2 trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of bendamustine instead of BCNU (carmustine) in the BEAM (BCNU, etoposide, cytarabine and melphalan) regimen (BendaEAM) as conditioning for autologous stem‐cell transplantation (ASCT) in patients with aggressive lymphomas. The primary endpoint was 3‐year progression‐free survival (PFS). Sixty patients (median age 55 [28–71] years) were included. All patients (except one who died early) engrafted after a median of 11 (9–72) and 14 (4–53) days to achieve neutrophil and platelet counts of >0.5 × 109/l and >20 × 109/l, respectively. Non‐relapse mortality at 100 days and 1 year were 3.3% and 6.7%, respectively. With a median follow‐up of 67 (40–77) months, the estimated 3‐year PFS and overall survival (OS) were 58% and 75%, respectively. Patients in partial response at study entry had significantly worse PFS and OS than patients who underwent ASCT in complete metabolic remission, and this was the only prognostic factor associated with both PFS (Relative risk [RR], 0.27 [95% confidence interval {CI} [0.12–0.56]) and OS (RR, 0.40 [95% CI 0.17–0.97]) in the multivariate analysis. BendaEAM conditioning is therefore a feasible and effective regimen in patients with aggressive lymphomas. However, patients not in complete metabolic remission at the time of transplant had poorer survival and so should be considered for alternative treatment strategies.
Outcome of sirolimus‐based immunosuppression, fifteen years post–live‐donor kidney transplantation: Single‐center experience
Authors: Hamdy Ahmed F , Elhadedy Muhammed A , Donia Ahmed F , Taha Noheir M , Bakr Mohamed A
Published: December 2018

In a prospective randomized controlled trial, between May 2001 and January 2003, 132 live‐donor kidney transplant recipients were randomized to receive sirolimus primary immunosuppression, either in combination with low dose tacrolimus (Tac group) or in combination with mycophenolate mofetil (MMF group). We have previously reported on 2‐ and 5‐year follow‐up results, with favorable patient and graft outcomes obtained in both groups. In view of recent published reports of increased risk of inferior outcomes among sirolimus‐treated patients, we herein present results of an observational extension of the previously randomized patients 15 years post‐transplantation. Mortality rates were 10.8% and 3% in Tac and MMF groups respectively after mean follow‐up period of 11.2‐11.8 years. Comparable graft survival rates were obtained in both groups ranging from 60% to 62.7%. The (MMF) group continued to have the advantage of remaining on primary plan of immunosuppression (56.7% of patients) as well as to maintain better graft function in terms of serum creatinine level. Herein, we presented longest term published data for sirolimus‐based immunosuppression among live‐donor kidney transplants with favorable outcome in terms of survival and graft function.
Uptake of direct acting antiviral therapies for the treatment of hepatitis C virus among people who inject drugs in a universal health‐care system
Authors: Butler Kerryn , Larney Sarah , Day Carolyn A. , Burns Lucinda
Published: December 2018

Introduction and Aims

Direct acting antiviral (DAA) treatment can reduce hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection incidence and mortality, although large scale uptake of these treatments is necessary to achieve those reductions. Targeting people who inject drugs (PWID) will be crucial to achieve the necessary reductions. Previously, treatment uptake has been very low (1–2%) among PWID, but these new DAAs have been subsidised in Australia since March 2016. This study describes treatment uptake among a sample of PWID in Australia and examines sociodemographic and drug use variables associated with treatment uptake.

Design and Methods

An Australian national cross‐sectional sample (n = 817) of regular PWID drawn from a convenience sentinel sample aged ≥18 years. Information on demographics, drug use, HCV antibody testing, RNA testing, recent DAA treatment initiation and DAA prescriber settings was collected via an interviewer‐administered survey.

Results

There were 291 HCV RNA positive participants, of who one‐third reported initiating DAA treatment since the introduction of subsidised DAA medications. Current opioid substitution treatment was significantly associated with increased treatment uptake (adjusted odds ratio 2.20, 95% confidence interval 1.31, 3.68) while those with unstable housing were less likely to initiate treatment (adjusted odds ratio 0.42, 95% confidence interval 0.22, 0.82).

Discussion and Conclusions

This study found that DAA treatment uptake has increased among current PWID, a priority population for treatment. Efforts to maintain this uptake through linking current PWID with treatment providers through harm reduction services such as opioid substitution therapy, needle and syringe programs, and outreach services are required to meet incidence and mortality reduction targets.
Early intervention following neonatal stroke: closer towards targeted therapy
Authors: Alderson Lucy
Published: December 2018

This commentary is on the original article by Guidice et al. on pages 667–671 of this issue.
Spatial and temporal diversity in hyperparasitoid communities of Cotesia glomerata on garlic mustard, Alliaria petiolata
Authors: Heinen Robin , Harvey Jeffrey A.
Published: December 2018

1. Interactions between two trophic levels can be very intimate, often making species dependent on each other, something that increases with specialisation. Some specialised multivoltine herbivores may depend on multiple plant species for their survival over the course of a growing season, especially if their food plants are short‐lived and grow at different times. Later generations may exploit different plant species from those exploited by previous generations.

2. Multivoltine parasitoids as well as their natural enemies must also find their hosts on different food plants in different habitats across the season. Secondary hyperparasitoid communities have been studied on cocoons of the primary parasitoid, Cotesia glomerata (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), on black mustard (Brassica nigra) – a major food plant of its host, the large cabbage white (Pieris brassicae) – which grows in mid‐summer.

3. Here, hyperparasitoid communities on C. glomerata pupal clusters were studied on an early‐season host, garlic mustard, Alliaria petiolata, over ‘time’ (one season, April–July) in six closely located ‘populations’ (c. 2 km apart), and within two different ‘areas’ at greater separation (c. 100 km apart). At the plant level, spatial effects of pupal ‘location’ (canopy or bottom) on the plant were tested.

4. Although large‐scale separation (area) did not influence hyperparasitism, sampling time and small‐scale separation (population) affected hyperparasitism levels and composition of hyperparasitoid communities. Location on the plant strongly increased proportions of winged species in the canopy and proportions of wingless species in bottom‐located pupae.

5. These results show that hyperparasitism varies considerably at the local level, but that differences in hyperparasitoid communities do not increase with spatial distance.
Romantic Conflict Narratives in Emerging Adult Couples: Viewpoint and Gender Matter
Authors: Feiring Candice , Markus Jessica , Simon Valerie A.
Published: December 2018

Healthy romantic relationships entail understanding the needs of the self and other when interpreting conflict events. Yet how couples make meaning around specific conflicts and their capacity to reflect on their own and their partners’ unmet needs is understudied. Using narratives, we examined destructive (e.g., extreme anger and break‐up anxiety) and constructive (e.g., perspective taking) interpretations of past romantic conflicts in 80 emerging adult heterosexual couples and the extent to which such interpretations varied by viewpoint and gender. Couple members were interviewed separately about two conflict episodes in which their partner did not meet their needs (victim viewpoint) and two episodes in which they did not meet their partners’ needs (perpetrator viewpoint). As anticipated, destructive interpretations were more evident in the victim viewpoint and for female couple members. In contrast, within constructive interpretations, the use of insight was greater in the perpetrator than the victim viewpoint. Although perspective taking was expected to be more common in the perpetrator viewpoint and in female narratives, this was not the case, as this type of constructive interpretation was infrequent in narratives about conflict. The findings revealed aspects of meaning making that might be useful to mental health professionals concerned with building skills to improve romantic competence in emerging adult couples.
An Evaluation of Methods for Assessing the Competence of Laboratories Based on Performance in the GeoPT Proficiency Testing Scheme
Authors: Potts Philip J. , Webb Peter C.
Published: December 2018

The original certification protocol, published by the International Association of Geoanalysts in 2003, specified that the competence of laboratories selected as competent to contribute certification measurements should be evaluated from their performance in the GeoPT proficiency testing programme. Round 39 of the IAG GeoPT proficiency testing programme provided an opportunity to examine four methods of evaluating laboratory competence based largely on the use of proficiency testing z‐scores as performance indicators. This opportunity arose because two test materials were co‐analysed by participating laboratories in this round: a syenite, SyMP‐1, supplied by the USGS, and an established CRM, the nepheline syenite, CGL 006. The performance of laboratories was assessed in four ways; in each case, consensus values and their uncertainties as derived from selective data sets of competent laboratories were compared with results derived from the routine GeoPT data assessment, involving all submitted measurements. An overall comparison of results showed no significant statistical differences in either consensus values or uncertainties between these data sets. This conclusion was unexpected and calls into question the widely held assumption that ‘better’ consensus data would be obtained from a subset of laboratories judged to be competent on the basis of proficiency testing performance indicators.
Affective virtuosity: Challenges for governance feminism in the context of the economic crisis
Authors: Elomäki Anna , Kantola Johanna , Koivunen Anu , Ylöstalo Hanna
Published: December 2018

This article explores the possibilities and constraints for feminist knowledge production and diffusion, and its influence over policy making and public debate in the context of austerity and neoliberal governance. By analysing the process in which a group of Finnish academic feminists used their expert position to influence government policy in 2015–2017, the article illustrates the strategies they adopted to engage in political debates and how they negotiated the new political landscape. The research material was derived from two years of action research and participant observation and is considered through the theoretical lens of governance feminism. The article makes a distinctive contribution to extant theories of governance feminism, by drawing upon theories of affects and ambivalence as a complement to governance feminism's focus on discourses and co‐optation. We coin the termaffective virtuosityto highlight the importance of affect in feminist knowledge production and diffusion, and in shaping the various perspectives available to feminist scholars in encounters with politicians and policymakers.
Just one of the guys until shower time: How symbolic embodiment threatens women's inclusion in the US military
Authors: Steidl Christina R. , Brookshire Aislinn Roxanne
Published: December 2018

The military constitutes a complex occupational field for women — one in which embodied masculinity is legitimized and rewarded, and women's bodies are often perceived as problems to the extent that they deviate from this masculine standard. Drawing from 33 in‐depth interviews with men and women who served on active duty in the US military between 2005 and 2015, we ask: How does female embodiment raise barriers to the full incorporation of women as equal workers in a total institution? Our analysis focuses on three primary aspects of what we call symbolic embodiment (female bodies as physically weak, as leaky/unclean and as sexually distracting), as they are rooted in the cultural imagination more than in any biological or experiential reality. We show how the symbolic embodiment of female workers effectively undermines individual claims of honorary masculinity by reasserting the pre‐eminence of naturalized capacities over individual performance and experience, and constructs women as second‐class workers within the masculine culture of the military. Our results extend the literature on the embodied self at work and reveal potential limits to Bourdieu's theory of the gendered habitus.
Selective nonanal molecular recognition with SnO2 nanosheets for lung cancer sensor
Authors: Masuda Yoshitake , Kato Kazumi , Kida Masahito , Otsuka Jun
Published: December 2018

SnO2 nanosheets were developed to detect nonanal gas in the order of ppb which was a marker of lung cancer. The nanosheets showed higher resistance change in nonanal gas than that in carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), acetone (CH3COCH3), hydrogen (H2), ethanol (C2H6O), ammonia (NH3), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), formaldehyde (HCHO), acetaldehyde (CH3CHO), or butanal (C4H8O). Crystal surfaces of the nanosheets would be effective for adsorption of nonanal molecules. Furthermore, it was shown that resistance changed with an increase in carbon number in aldehyde. The nanosheets had molecular selectivity for a series of aldehyde molecules. Molecular recognition of the nanosheets gave us a great advantage to detect nonanal gas which was produced by lung cancer.
Pediatric tinea capitis caused by Trichophyton violaceum and Trichophyton soudanense in Rochester, Minnesota, United States
Authors: Grigoryan Konstantin V. , Tollefson Megha M. , Olson Meredith A. , Newman Catherine C.
Published: December 2018

Background

Tinea capitis is a common pediatric dermatophyte infection. Its main pathogen in the United States is Trichophyton tonsurans accounting for greater than 95% of the infections. Other pathogens including Trichophyton violaceum and Trichophyton soudanense are common in Africa. Although rare in the United States, their prevalence is increasing, possibly because of immigration patterns. We evaluated the demographic characteristics, treatments, and resolution among pediatric patients with T. violaceum and T. soudanense infections.

Methods

Retrospective chart review of patients from Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, United States, with cultures positive for T. violaceum and T. soudanense from 1997 to 2014. Age at presentation, ethnic background, date and location of culture, and treatment were extracted.

Results

In total, 81 children (age <18 years) were identified as positive for T. violaceum and T. soudanense (mean [range] age, 6.0 [1–17] years). Race/ethnicity of 67 patients (82.7%) was African; four, African‐American; three, white; two, Asian; and five, unknown. After culture identification, 64 patients (79.0%) received griseofulvin; five, terbinafine; and three, itraconazole; nine patients had no documented oral antifungal therapy. Of 28 patients not lost to follow‐up, median time to clinical cure was 2.3 months (interquartile range, 2.8 months).

Conclusion

T. violaceum and T. soudanense are tinea capitis pathogens, most common among patients of African descent. The pathogens may be underrecognized because such tinea capitis causes are rare in the United States. Most patients had direct contact with persons who had similar symptoms, suggesting contagious nature. Griseofulvin and terbinafine appear to be acceptable treatments against these organisms.
A study to investigate the impact of a blended learning teaching approach to teach pharmacy law
Authors: Nazar Hamde , Omer Usmaan , Nazar Zachariah , Husband Andy
Published: December 2018

Objective

To describe the implementation and assess the effect of a blended learning approach to teach pharmacy law.

Methods

Twenty didactic pharmacy law lectures were redeveloped to 9 h of flipped classroom sessions. Presession online videos delivered factual content created in-house. In-class activities explored the application and nuances of law through simulated cases. Stage 2 Pharmacy undergraduate students (n = 69) were administered the Community of Inquiry Survey, measuring the social, teaching and cognitive presence of online learning experiences across 34 items on a Likert scale 1–5 (1 = ‘strongly agree’, to 5 = ‘strongly disagree’). Four focus groups were undertaken and analysed thematically to explore student perceptions. Performance at the final summative law examination was recorded and compared to that of two previous cohorts given traditional, didactic teaching.

Key findings

Fifty-three students (76.8% response) completed the survey. The mean ranking was 3.6 ± 0.7, 3.6 ± 0.6 and 3.3 ± 0.7 for teaching, social and cognitive presence, and most positively rated statements related to material design and organization. All students passed the summative law examination performing not significantly different to the previous cohorts. Focus group discussions demonstrated that students liked the online and interactive case-study materials, but wanted more direction and preferred smaller group sessions. Students had mixed feelings about needing an online social component.

Conclusions

Blended learning transformed the pharmacy law teaching from didactic to an interactive learning experience. The student feedback was generally mixed, but offered many recommendations to optimize the design and format of the course. Examination performance appeared to be unaffected by the change in teaching style.
Public support for the social rights and social obligations of the unemployed: Two sides of the same coin?
Authors: Laenen Tijs , Meuleman Bart
Published: December 2018

In light of the ever‐growing shift towards activation in European welfare states, the present article examines the relationship between citizens’ welfare generosity (i.e., support for social rights) and welfare conditionality (i.e., support for social obligations) with regard to the unemployed. Using data from the 2014 Belgian National Elections Study, we found that generosity and conditionality appear to be two sides of the same coin. The two factors are negatively correlated, and most of their respective attitudinal drivers are quite similar in strength, yet opposite in direction. In addition to self‐interest and conventionally recognised ideational beliefs, such as egalitarianism and individualism, beliefs about welfare deservingness – an explanatory factor that has remained understudied in the field – are particularly influential in shaping people’s welfare preferences. A stronger emphasis on criteria of deservingness such as control, attitude and reciprocity considerably lowers support for social rights and strengthens support for social duties.
Solution electrowriting of highly stable TiN nanofiber pattern for transparent electrode under extreme environment
Authors: Hu Sanyuan , Chen Tao , Liang Jianye , Zhou Huamin , Li Dequn , Li Heping , Yan Youwei
Published: December 2018

The fast developing electronic industry boosts higher demand of transparent electrode. Nanofiber network design provides a new platform for finding alternative materials to replace the traditional indium‐doped tin oxide (ITO) film as transparent electrode. In this work, the TiN nanofiber network with a micron‐scale precise geometry was firstly assembled by solution electrowriting. Unlike the ordinary opaque TiN film or bulk, the geometry patterned TiN nanofiber network achieved an ultrahigh transparency above 90%. Due to the electrical conductive virtue of TiN, the network reached a relatively low sheet resistance of 10.3 Ω/sq that can be comparable to ITO and even metal nanofibers. The combination of high transparency and low sheet resistance in TiN nanofiber network paves a way for its application as transparent electrode. Moreover, the figure‐of‐merit of TiN nanofiber transparent electrode was controllable by simply adjusting the geometry size of TiN nanofiber pattern. A series of oxidation resistance and corrosion resistance tests were additionally carried out, which caused little effect on the performance of TiN nanofiber transparent electrode. This excellent antioxidative and anticorrosive property demonstrates the high chemical durability of TiN nanofiber network, especially compared to metal nanofiber networks.
Material weakness disclosures and restatement announcements: The joint and order effects
Authors: He Li , Sarath Bharat , Wans Nader
Published: December 2018

We examine differences in stock price, option volatility, and litigation reactions to restatement announcements that are associated with a material weakness (MW) disclosure. Contrasted with restatements that are not associated with any MW disclosure, our analyses reveal that firms that announce both a restatement and an associated MW experience significantly more negative market returns, greater implied volatility, and higher likelihood of class action lawsuits. Separating the restatements into timely reporters, where the MW precedes the restatement, and non‐timely reporters, where the MW is concurrent with or follows the restatement, we find that timely reporters experience more negative returns at the time of the restatement, relative to non‐timely reporters, suggesting that investors perceive the early MW disclosure to signal more pervasive control‐related problems. Interestingly, we find that timely and non‐timely reporters are equally likely to be sued, consistent with the argument that wrongdoing (through either a timely or non‐timely MW disclosure) provides stronger grounds for establishing scienter. However, timely reporters appear to secure more favorable litigation outcomes: they face higher likelihood of lawsuit dismissals and pay much lower settlements, compared to non‐timely reporters. Overall, our evidence provides new insights into how market participants incorporate information about internal control weaknesses into their perceptions regarding the economic implications of financial restatements, and financial reporting quality.
When the principal knows better than the agent: Subjective evaluations as an optimal disclosure mechanism
Authors: Zhang Mengxi
Published: December 2018

When the firm has some private and unverifiable information about an employee’s ability, it can design a subjective evaluation mechanism, whereby payments are tied to evaluations, to communicate such information. In this paper, I investigate how to design an optimal disclosure mechanism for the firm. I characterize the firm’s optimal disclosure policy as a function of the worker’s ability distribution, with the hazard rate function playing a key role. I also demonstrate that with some reasonable restrictions on the ability distribution, the firm’s optimal strategy exhibits a particular pattern: it will reward the best workers aggressively, fire the worst ones, and assign one central rating to the rest. The predictions are consistent with the way firms utilize subjective evaluations in reality.
Effects of ultrasonication and thermal cooking pretreatments on the extractability and quality of cold press extracted rice bran oil
Authors: Phan Van Man , Junyusen Tiraporn , Liplap Pansa , Junyusen Payungsak
Published: December 2018

This research investigates the effects of different extraction processes on the extractability and quality of rice bran oil. The extraction processes included hexane extraction (HE) as Control 1, cold press extraction (CE) as Control 2, ultrasonic pre‐treatment combined with cold press extraction (UCE), and thermal cooking combined with cold press extraction (CCE). The results showed that oil extractability was positively correlated to ultrasonic power and duration; and to thermal cooking time. Meanwhile, the oil quality and ultrasonic intensity and thermal cooking period were inversely correlated. Specifically, the oxidative stability, and unsaturated fatty acids of short‐period CCE oil were significantly higher than those of long‐period CCE oil and higher‐power and longer‐duration UCE oil. Similar to HE and CE oils, oleic, linoleic, and palmitic acids were the dominant fatty acids in short‐period CCE oil. Essentially, short‐period CCE is optimal for rice bran oil extraction due to improved oil extractability and quality.

Practical applications

Rice bran oil is an excellent source of unsaturated fatty acids and natural antioxidants. It also has many proven health benefits. There are two conventional production methods of rice bran oil: pressing and solvent extraction. While the pressing method achieves low oil extractability, solvent extraction could deteriorate the oil quality. This research, thus, proposes two chemical‐free extraction techniques for rice bran oil that improves the oil extractability and preserves the oil quality: ultrasonic pretreatment combined with cold press extraction (UCE) and thermal cooking pretreatment combined with cold press extraction (CCE). The findings are expected to offer a possible solution to the extractability‐quality challenges associated with the conventional extraction methods.