bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The thin plate spline collocation method for solving integro-differential equations arisen from the charged particle motion in oscillating magnetic fields
Authors: Assari Pouria
Published: July 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to obtain a scheme for the numerical solution of Volterra integro-differential equations with time periodic coefficients deduced from the charged particle motion for certain configurations of oscillating magnetic fields.

Design/methodology/approach

The method reduces the solution of these types of integro-differential equations to the solution of two-dimensional Volterra integral equations of the second kind. The new method uses the discrete collocation method together with thin plate splines constructed on a set of scattered points as a basis.

Findings

The scheme can be easily implemented on a computer and has a computationally attractive algorithm. Numerical examples are included to show the validity and efficiency of the new technique.

Originality/value

The author uses thin plate splines as a type of free-shape parameter radial basis functions which establish an effective and stable method to solve electromagnetic integro-differential equations. As the scheme does not need any background meshes, it can be identified as a meshless method.
An exploration into design criteria for affordable housing in Malaysia
Authors: Olanrewaju AbdulLateef , Tan Seong Yeow
Published: July 2018

Purpose

The establishment of design criteria is an important activity in the initial phase of housing development. A lack of adequate information regarding design criteria will result in poor satisfaction of homebuyers, pre-occupancy obsolescence, high maintenance costs, property overhang and the abandonment of houses. In Malaysia, many of these consequences are prevalent. However, while information on homeowners’ requirements is inconclusive, paper aims to investigate the criteria upon which design teams/developers base their decisions in the design of affordable housing.

Design/methodology/approach

The present research conducted a cross-sectional survey questionnaire comprising 25 design criteria administered to 200 stakeholders in the housing industry. The design criteria were determined through a weighted mean. The associations between the criteria were analysed through a principal component analysis.

Findings

The results found that safety and security of home occupants and property, maintenance costs, noise and nuisance minimisation, extent of future modifications and waste disposal were the five major design criteria. Factor analysis narrowed down the 25 criteria to six factors, which explained 77 per cent of the total variance. The six underlying factors named of significance were operating costs, sustainability, comfort, neighbourhood, transportation and spatial. The findings also indicated that the design teams/developers paid little attention to a few critical design criteria.

Research limitations/implications

Future studies should involve a large sample size and increase the design criteria.

Practical implications

The study is important for improving homebuyers’ satisfactions because it provides information design team and developers decision-making factors.

Originality/value

This study is the first to address design criteria of affordable housing in Malaysia and elsewhere. This research provides fresh information on design management of affordable housing. The findings will be useful to policymakers, urban planners, place managers, design consultants and developers.
Cultural competence and relational closeness: examining refugee education
Authors: Nordgren R.D.
Published: July 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a historical and current accounting of the state of refugee education in both the USA and Sweden. The growing diaspora of people around the globe implores educators to utilize effective models and strategies to meet the needs of refugees, as well as to advocate policies that aid in this utilization. Sweden has the highest rate of refugee acceptance in Europe, and the USA has the greatest number of immigrants in the west.

Design/methodology/approach

A review of the literature formatted to provide the reader with a historical accounting of the states of refugee education in both host nations, as well as the current states. Strategies and promising policies are introduced based on the literature and the author’s own research conducted in Sweden.

Findings

The paper addresses the history and present situations of two host nations, Sweden and the USA, who have differing education systems and histories of immigration. Concerns and two possible solutions offered were to increase opportunities for interaction between native and refugee populations; and bolster funding for the education of refugee school-age children and adolescents, and adults so that effective strategies and environment described in the literature can be put into place by effectively trained educators. These solutions could improve the cultural competence among all peoples in both nations, better enabling the two countries to provide economically and socially sustainable environments for all of their inhabitants.

Research limitations/implications

The examination of these two nations’ education of refugees may shed light on the worldwide challenges of refugees and mass immigration.

Practical implications

The solutions offered in the paper could improve the cultural competence among all peoples in both nations, better enabling the two countries to provide economically and socially sustainable environments for all of their inhabitants.

Originality/value

A comparison of US refugee education with that of a high-volume European host nation does not yet appear to have been published.
Medical commitment to Lean: an inductive model development
Authors: Fournier Pierre-Luc , Jobin Marie-Hélène
Published: July 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the factors influencing doctors’ involvement in Lean change initiatives in public healthcare organizations in Canada.

Design/methodology/approach

An inductive research was conducted over a three-year span studying Lean implementation across three healthcare organizations in Canada. Various interviews were conducted with healthcare actors. Through analytical induction, analysis of the data allowed for multiple factors to be triangulated from which a conceptual model was developed.

Findings

Fifty-four interviews with 18 Lean healthcare actors allowed for the identification of ten factors possibly influencing the commitment of doctors towards Lean change. These factors are categorized into pre-change antecedents and change antecedents. Also, the level of transformational leadership demonstrated by a project manager was shown to potentially moderate the effect of medical behavioral support for change on change outcomes. These findings allowed us to develop a conceptual model of medical commitment and its impact of Lean change outcomes.

Originality/value

The paper investigates the role doctors play in Lean implementation, currently an important issue discussed among healthcare actors and researchers. Yet, very little academic research has been published on this subject.
Climate change initiatives in Mexico: a review
Authors: Silva Rodríguez de San Miguel Jorge Alejandro
Published: July 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the measures taken by the Mexican Government in relation to the country’s climate change and its management to improve it.

Design/methodology/approach

Much of the information which has guided this review was sourced from official documents referred to the climate change initiatives in Mexico, especially technical reports and working papers. The selection of literature was considered based on its recency, academic importance and veracity. The studies selected mainly ranged from 2001 to 2017.

Findings

This review finds that further research is required to assess Mexico’s climate change efforts objectively, which will help to ascertain if the nation’s plans and commitment are as ambitious and strong as the country claims.

Research limitations/implications

Most of the literature considered in this review was sourced from official documents and has not been subject to extensive academic peer review to guarantee that national decision and policy making are based on reliable scientific knowledge.

Originality/value

Mexico is one of the first countries to introduce a law dedicated to climate change, and its inclusion of short-term climate pollutants in its National Climate Change Strategy makes it more ambitious than that of many other Latin American countries. However, literature on the subject is limited and fragmented.
Assessing what police officers do “on the job”: toward a “public values” approach
Authors: Caputo Tullio , McIntyre Michael Louis , Wang Lucy Meng Yi , Hodgkinson Tarah K.
Published: July 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a test in a policing context of a performance assessment tool that is based on a “public values” approach. The Capability, Importance, and Value (CIV) Tool allows police organizations to examine the roles their members carry out to determine whether they are being capably done, are important, and deliver value to stakeholders.

Design/methodology/approach

Five focus groups were conducted with front line officers from a large Canadian police service. The focus group process incorporated elements of Appreciative Inquiry and Structured Brainstorming.

Findings

Valuable information can be collected from front line police officers with the CIV Tool. Police organizations could use this information to improve performance while ensuring that the roles undertaken by their members align with broader organizational goals and objectives including providing value to stakeholders.

Research limitations/implications

This study was designed as a limited test of the CIV Tool. More extensive testing is required with a larger sample that includes police investigators and members of other specialty units.

Practical implications

The CIV Tool can serve to augment existing police performance measurement strategies. It can help to identify which roles contribute to achieving organizational goals and which do not. Based on this information, ameliorative action can be taken.

Social implications

A “public values” approach places emphasis on stakeholder needs and expectations. Addressing these directly can result in enhanced performance as well as greater police transparency, responsiveness, and accountability.

Originality/value

Ongoing police performance assessment based on a “public values” approach is uncommon in policing. Its use has important implications for police organizations and their stakeholders.
Metabolic potential of microbial communities from ferruginous sediments
Authors: Vuillemin Aurèle , Horn Fabian , Friese André , Winkel Matthias , Alawi Mashal , Wagner Dirk , Henny Cynthia , Orsi William D. , Crowe Sean A. , Kallmeyer Jens
Published: July 2018

Ferruginous (Fe‐rich, SO4‐poor) conditions are generally restricted to freshwater sediments on Earth today, but were likely widespread during the Archean and Proterozoic Eons. Lake Towuti, Indonesia, is a large ferruginous lake that likely hosts geochemical processes analogous to those that operated in the ferruginous Archean ocean. The metabolic potential of microbial communities and related biogeochemical cycling under such conditions remain largely unknown. We combined geochemical measurements (pore water chemistry, sulfate reduction rates) with metagenomics to link metabolic potential with geochemical processes in the upper 50 cm of sediment. Microbial diversity and quantities of genes for dissimilatory sulfate reduction (dsrAB) and methanogenesis (mcrA) decrease with increasing depth, as do rates of potential sulfate reduction. The presence of taxa affiliated with known iron‐ and sulfate‐reducers implies potential use of ferric iron and sulfate as electron acceptors. Pore‐water concentrations of acetate imply active production through fermentation. Fermentation likely provides substrates for respiration with iron and sulfate as electron donors and for methanogens that were detected throughout the core. The presence of ANME‐1 16S and mcrA genes suggests potential for anaerobic methane oxidation. Overall our data suggest that microbial community metabolism in anoxic ferruginous sediments support coupled Fe, S and C biogeochemical cycling.
Effect of inoculation with a microbial consortium that degrades organic acids on the composting efficiency of food waste
Authors: Song Caihong , Zhang Yali , Xia Xunfeng , Qi Hui , Li Mingxiao , Pan Hongwei , Xi Beidou
Published: July 2018

In order to overcome the excessive acidification problem, a microbial consortium for the degradation of organic acids (MCDOA), which acts synergistically in degrading organic acids, was developed and used as an inoculum to improve the efficiency of food waste composting. MCDOA could eliminate the initial lag phase of the pile temperature rise because of excessive acidification and effectively shorten the composting period. Fluorescence regional integration analysis of the excitation‐emission matrix spectra of dissolved organic matter showed that compared with raw material, in compost with MCDOA inoculation, the percent fluorescence response (Pi,n) values of Regions I, II and IV decreased by 95.11%, 94.19% and 87.41%, respectively, and Pi,n of Region V increased by 172.57%. The decreased and increased levels were markedly higher than in the two control groups (MgO and K2HPO4 treatment, and uninoculated compost). These findings revealed that MCDOA accelerated the degradation of proteinaceous compounds and the formation of complicated humic‐like materials. Bacterial profiles implied that MCDOA could improve the indigenous bacterial community structure and diversities of acetic and propionic acid‐degrading and lignin‐degrading bacteria, which might account for the high composting efficiency and degree of humification of the inoculated compost.
MiR‐146a levels in rheumatoid arthritis and their correlation with disease activity: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Bae Sang‐Cheol , Lee Young H.
Published: July 2018

Objective

To evaluate the relationship between miR‐146a levels and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and the correlation with RA activity.

Methods

For the meta‐analysis, we searched the PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane databases, comparing miR‐146a levels in patients with RA and controls, and correlation coefficients between miR‐146a levels and Disease Activity Score for 28 joints (DAS28) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) in patients with RA.

Results

Fourteen studies, totaling 683 patients with RA and 477 controls, were available. miR‐146a levels were significantly higher in the RA group than in the control group (standardized mean difference [SMD] = 0.546, 95% CI = 0.033–1.059, P = 0.037). Stratification by adjustment for age and/or sex revealed significantly higher miR‐146a levels in the adjusted, but not in the non‐adjusted group (SMD = 0.747, 95% CI = 0.094–1.400, P = 0.025; SMD = 0.431, 95% CI = −0.430–1.291, P = 0.326, respectively). Stratification by sample size showed significantly higher miR‐146a levels in RA groups of large sample sizes (N ≥ 50), but not in those of small size. miR‐146a levels in synovial tissue/fluid were significantly higher in the RA group than in the OA group (SMD = 1.305, 95% CI = 1010–1.639, P < 0.001). A significant positive correlation was found between miR‐146a levels and ESR (correlation coefficient = 0.534, 95% CI = 0.029–0.822, P = 0.039).

Conclusions

Circulating and synovial tissue/fluid miR‐146a levels are high in patients with RA, and circulating miR‐146a levels positively correlate with ESR.
Case Series: Choreoathetoid movements associated with methamphetamine: A case report and review of literature
Authors: Das Aparna , Price Daniel , Clothier Jeffrey
Published: July 2018

Background and Objectives

Physicians and psychiatrists often encounter patients in the emergency department presenting after methamphetamine use. While physical and psychiatric manifestations associated with methamphetamine use are well known, movement disorders are relatively less common. The aim of this case report is to add to existing literature awareness about the possibility of movement disorders occurring after methamphetamine use, discuss the possible mechanism by which such use leads to dyskinesia, and describe possible management strategies.

Methods and Results

In this case report, we describe choreoathetoid movements occurring in a young female after relatively short‐term methamphetamine use.

Discussion and Conclusions

Evidence for treatment of methamphetamine induced choreoathetosis is limited. Expectant management of such symptoms is a viable option if there are no additional comorbidities that require therapy.

Scientific Significance

Clinicians should be alert to the possibility of movement disorders in methamphetamine users and familiar with treatment options. (Am J Addict 2018;27:364–367)
4 Political Ecology and the Event: Calusa Social Action in Early Colonial Entanglements
Authors: Thompson Victor D. , Thompson Amanda D. Roberts , Worth John E.
Published: July 2018

There are many examples of colonial entanglements resulting in shifts in religions, practices, subsistence, and political structures, largely linked to inequalities between the colonized and the colonizers. However, there are also examples in which practices, particularly among Native American societies, persisted in the context of social situations that intertwined peoples with diverse histories. At the time of Spanish arrival, the Calusa of southwestern Florida were a large‐scale, hierarchical society with supra‐community integration and were able to maintain high degrees of autonomy. Our focus here is to explicate the early colonial world of the Calusa. Specifically, we want to understand why early European interactions take such a dramatically different course in southwestern Florida than in other areas of Spanish colonization. To do so we use political ecology and recent scholarship on eventful archaeology to consider Calusa and Spanish social and political action. Our work focuses on interactions between the Spanish and the Calusa during the early and mid‐sixteenth century (ca. 1513 to 1569 CE). We argue that because the Calusa were fisher‐gatherer‐hunters, lacked maize agriculture, and had their capital on the defensible island of Mound Key, Spanish‐Calusa interactions and events transpired in a fundamentally different context compared to other Spanish outposts and colonies. With this example, we show how various events, knowledge, and traditions of the Calusa of southern Florida all worked to create a vastly different colonial entanglement that resulted in the Spanish abandonment of the area for some time.
5 Maintaining Social Bonds during the Preclassic: An Incipient Urban Landscape
Authors: Juarez Santiago
Published: July 2018

In this paper I utilize the perspective of political ecology to guide the study of incipient urbanization in the Preclassic site of Noh K'uh in Chiapas, Mexico. In my analysis of landscape formation and local settlement patterns, I demonstrate how the relationship between people and the environment was particularly intimate within the valley that is home to Noh K'uh. In this case, orientation, architecture, and natural landmarks demonstrate the physical manifestation of political, social, and ritual organization in this Late Preclassic community. By emphasizing the political ecology perspective, I am able to outline how ritual and politics used features of a sacred world to create and organize an incipient urban community in the New World.
Periprostatic fat adipokine expression is correlated with prostate cancer aggressiveness in men undergoing radical prostatectomy for clinically localized disease
Authors: Dahran Naief , Szewczyk‐Bieda Magdalena , Vinnicombe Sarah , Fleming Stewart , Nabi Ghulam
Published: July 2018

Objectives

To investigate the relationship between periprostatic adipose tissue (PPAT) adipokine expression and prostate cancer (PCa) aggressiveness using both pathological features of radical prostatectomy (RP) and multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging ( MRI) variables.

Patients and Methods

Sixty‐nine men were recruited to assess immunohistochemical expression of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)α and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) of periprostatic fat of RP specimens. Per cent immunopositivity was quantified on scanned slides using the Aperio Positive Pixel Count algorithm for PPAT TNFα, VEGF and androgen receptors. Periprostatic fat volume (PFV) was segmented on contiguous T1‐weighted axial MRI slices from the level of the prostate base to apex. PFV was normalized to prostate volume (PV) to account for variations in PV (normalized PFV = PFV/PV). MRI quantitative values (Kep, Ktrans and apparent diffusion coefficient) were measured from the PCa primary lesion using Olea Sphere software. Patients were stratified into three groups according to RP Gleason score (GS): ≤6, 7(3 + 4) and ≥7(4 + 3).

Results

The mean rank of VEGF and TNFα was significantly different between the groups [H(2) = 11.038, P = 0.004] and [H(2) = 13.086, P = 0.001], respectively. Patients with stage pT3 had higher TNFα (18.2 ± 8.95) positivity than patients with stage pT2 (13.27 ± 10.66; t [67] = −2.03, P = 0.047). TNFα expression significantly correlated with Ktrans (ρ = 0.327, P = 0.023). TNFα (P = 0.043), and VEGF (P = 0.02) correlated with high grade PCa (GS ≥ 7) in RP specimens and also correlated significantly with upgrading of GS from biopsy to RP histology.

Conclusions

The expression levels of TNFα and VEGF on immunostaining significantly correlated with aggressivity of PCa. As biomarkers, these indicate the risk of having high grade PCa in men undergoing RP.
Relational Goods and Endurance of Voluntary Associational Participation: The Case of the Indigenous Mapuche in Santiago de Chile
Authors: BRABLEC DANA
Published: July 2018

This article analyses the reasons for the continuing membership of Mapuche associations in Santiago de Chile after the promulgation of the Indigenous Law in 1993. By following a relational goods approach, the article suggests that the constructed nature of ethnicity leads the Mapuche to create and join ethnic associations in an urban milieu. This study reveals that the main motivations for sustaining an active associational engagement are threefold: identity recovery struggle, leaving an identity legacy and bonding with their ethnic peers; all of these identified as relational goods. This investigation is based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted over eight months.
Extensive clinical experience: Hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal axis recovery after adrenalectomy for corticotropin‐independent cortisol excess
Authors: Hurtado Maria Daniela , Cortes Tiffany , Natt Neena , Young William F. , Bancos Irina
Published: July 2018

Objective

To identify predictors of hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA) axis recovery interval and severity of glucocorticoid withdrawal symptoms (GWS) in patients undergoing adrenalectomy for corticotropin‐independent cortisol excess.

Design

This is a retrospective study of patients with mild autonomous cortisol excess (MACE), moderate and severe Cushing syndrome (CS) who developed adrenal insufficiency after unilateral adrenalectomy between 1998 and 2017.

Results

Adrenalectomy was performed in 81 patients (79% women, median age 52 years [IQR 42‐62]). HPA axis recovery occurred at a median of 4.3 months (IQR 1.6‐11.4) after adrenalectomy (severe CS vs moderate CS vs MACE: median 11.4 vs 2.8 vs 2.1 months, P < 0.01). Main predictors of HPA axis recovery interval included: preoperative serum cortisol concentration after 1‐mg overnight dexamethasone suppression test >10 μg/dL or >276 nmol/L (9.7 vs 1.3 months if cortisol ≤10 μg/dL or ≤276 nmol/L, P < 0.01); body mass index (for every 3 kg/m2 decrease, glucocorticoid taper increased by 1 month, P < 0.05); age <45 (11.4 vs 2.3 months if ≥45 years, P < 0.05); duration of symptoms prior to diagnosis >1 year (11.4 vs 2.8 months if ≤1 year); moon facies (11.4 vs 2.2 months if no rounding of the face); and myopathy (13.1 vs 2.7 months if no myopathy, P < 0.05). Patients with severe CS had a higher incidence of GWS compared to patients with MACE (66.7% vs 40.0%, P < 0.05) with a median of 1 and 0 events/patient, respectively.

Conclusions

The HPA axis recovery interval was the longest for patients with severe CS. Surprisingly, patients with moderate CS recovered their HPA axis as quickly as those with MACE. Glucocorticoid withdrawal symptoms were observed in all groups, with more events in patients with severe CS. This study emphasizes the need to counsel patients on expectations for HPA axis recovery and address intervention for GWS based on individual preoperative parameters.
A soft‐bodied euarthropod from the early Cambrian Xiaoshiba Lagerstätte of China supports a new clade of basal artiopodans with dorsal ecdysial sutures
Authors: Du Kun‐sheng , Ortega‐Hernández Javier , Yang Jie , Zhang Xi‐guang
Published: July 2018

We describe the exceptionally well‐preserved non‐trilobite artiopodan Zhiwenia coronata gen. et sp. nov. from the Cambrian Stage 3 Xiaoshiba Lagerstätte in Yunnan, China. The exoskeleton consists of a cephalic shield with dorsal sutures expressed as lateral notches that accommodate stalked lateral eyes, an elongate trunk composed of 20 tergites—the first of which is reduced—and a short tailspine with marginal spines. Appendicular data include a pair of multi‐segmented antennae, and homonomous biramous trunk limbs consisting of an endopod with at least seven podomeres and a flattened exopod with lamellae. Although the presence of cephalic notches and a reduced first trunk tergite invites comparisons with the petalopleurans Xandarella, Luohiniella and Cindarella, the proportions and exoskeletal tagmosis of Zhiwenia do not closely resemble those of any major group within Trilobitomorpha. Parsimony and Bayesian phylogenetic analyses consistently support Zhiwenia as sister‐taxon to the Emu Bay Shale artiopodan Australimicola spriggi, and both of them as closely related to Acanthomeridion from the Chengjiang. This new monophyletic clade, Protosutura nov., occupies a basal phylogenetic position within Artiopoda as sister‐group to Trilobitomorpha and Vicissicaudata, illuminates the ancestral organization of these successful euarthropods, and leads to a re‐evaluation of the evolution of ecdysial dorsal sutures within the group.
Anorectal symptoms during pregnancy and postpartum: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Ferdinande K. , Dorreman Y. , Roelens K. , Ceelen W. , De Looze D.
Published: July 2018

Aim

The aim was to determine the prevalence and risk factors of anal symptoms prepartum and postpartum.

Method

A prospective observational cohort study was carried out in Ghent University Hospital, Belgium. Ninety‐four pregnant women between their 19th and 25th week of pregnancy were included. An anal symptom questionnaire was filled in at four different times: in the second and third trimester, immediately postpartum and 3 months postpartum. Descriptive data were obtained from patient files. A proctological diagnosis was presumed on the basis of combined symptoms (i.e. rectal bleeding, anal pain and swelling). Constipation was defined by the Rome III criteria. Risk factors were identified using multivariate analysis.

Results

Sixty‐eight per cent of the patients developed anal symptoms. The most prevalent symptom was anal pain. Constipation was reported by 60.7% during the study period. Seven women (7.9%) suffered from faecal incontinence. The most prevalent diagnoses were haemorrhoidal thrombosis (immediately postpartum), haemorrhoidal prolapse (in the third trimester and immediately postpartum) and anal fissure (not episode related). The two independent risk factors for anal complaints were constipation, with a 6.3 odds ratio (95% CI 2.08–19.37), and a history of anal problems, with a 3.9 odds ratio (95% CI 1.2–13). The Bristol Stool Chart was shown to be a reliable indicator in pregnancy and postpartum as significant correlations were observed in all study periods.

Conclusion

Two‐thirds of pregnant women have anal symptoms during pregnancy and postpartum, especially haemorrhoidal complications and anal fissure. The most important risk factor is constipation. The prevention of constipation in pregnant women is therefore highly recommended.
Predator and floral traits change pollinator behaviour, with consequences for plant fitness
Authors: Gavini Sabrina S. , Quintero Carolina , Tadey Mariana
Published: July 2018

1. Flower‐dwelling predators may interfere in plant–pollinator interactions through changes in pollinator behaviour, leading to a reduction in pollination services. Although the context‐dependency of tri‐trophic interactions is often acknowledged, the relative contribution of predator, pollinator and flower traits in shaping pollinator behaviour has been rarely studied simultaneously.

2. Pollinators' responses to predation risk were evaluated using artificial spiders on Alstroemeria aurea flowers in order to experimentally test whether predator traits (colour and size) and nectar availability affect their behaviour and plant fitness.

3. Regarding the predator's traits, both sizes of artificial spiders used were similarly rejected, but spider colour was detected differently. In particular, red and black artificial spiders were more strongly rejected than the rest. In turn, nectar availability increased the time spent in the inflorescences, yet most pollinators rejected flowers with artificial spiders independently of nectar availability. Furthermore, responses to artificial spider colour and nectar availability varied significantly between dipterans and hymenopterans. Finally, artificial spiders reduced seed set and fruit weight of plants owing to changes in the behaviour of the most efficient pollinators.

4. It was shown that poorly studied predator traits such as colour and size may affect pollinator behaviour in different ways among taxa. In addition, feeding necessity in a rich‐resource environment was a weaker selecting force than predation risk. Hence, it is argued here that trade‐offs between predation and flower reward may arise depending on predator detection, relationship between pollinator and predator size, and resource availability in the ecosystem with consequences for plant fitness.
Comparison of the neurocognitive profiles of individuals with elevated psychotic or depressive symptoms
Authors: Grossman Michael , Best Michael W. , Harrison Allyson G. , Bowie Christopher R.
Published: July 2018

Aim

Neurocognitive deficits are pervasive and enduring features of severe mental illness that appear before the onset of clinical symptoms and contribute to functional disability. However, it remains unclear how individuals who display warning signs for psychotic or mood disorders compare on their neurocognitive profiles since previous studies have separately examined neurocognition in both groups. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to directly compare performance on a range of neurocognitive tasks in individuals with emerging psychotic or mood symptoms.

Methods

Participants were drawn from a database of individuals who completed a comprehensive assessment at a university‐based assessment centre. We examined 3 groups: individuals who endorsed elevated psychotic symptoms (EPS; n = 64), individuals who endorsed elevated depressive symptoms (EDS; n = 58), or non‐clinical comparisons (NCC; n = 57) without any elevated psychiatric symptoms or diagnoses.

Results

EPS participants performed worse than NCC and EDS groups on verbal comprehension, working memory and cognitive flexibility, and worse than NCC, but not EDS, on perceptual reasoning. There were no significant differences between groups on processing speed, verbal fluency and set‐shifting. EDS performed worse than both EPS and NCC groups on psychomotor speed. Dimensionally, poorer cognitive functioning was more strongly related to EPS than depressive symptoms.

Conclusions

These findings highlight the distinct yet overlapping neurocognitive profiles of both groups with emerging psychiatric symptoms, and suggest that, despite having no formal diagnosis, individuals with EPS exhibit observable cognitive impairment and may still benefit from interventions within academic and workplace contexts.
Genomic signatures of environmental selection despite near‐panmixia in summer flounder
Authors: Hoey Jennifer A. , Pinsky Malin L.
Published: July 2018

Rapid environmental change is altering the selective pressures experienced by marine species. While adaptation to local environmental conditions depends on a balance between dispersal and natural selection across the seascape, the spatial scale of adaptation and the relative importance of mechanisms maintaining adaptation in the ocean are not well understood. Here, using population assignment tests, Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC), and genome scans with double‐digest restriction‐site associated DNA sequencing data, we evaluated population structure and locus–environment associations in a commercially important species, summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus), along the U.S. east coast. Based on 1,137 single nucleotide polymorphisms across 232 individuals spanning nearly 1,900 km, we found no indication of population structure across Cape Hatteras, North Carolina (FST = 0.0014) or of isolation by distance along the coast using individual relatedness. ABC estimated the probability of dispersal across the biogeographic break at Cape Hatteras to be high (95% credible interval: 7%–50% migration). However, we found 15 loci whose allele frequencies were associated with at least one of four environmental variables. Of those, 11 were correlated with bottom temperature. For summer flounder, our results suggest continued fisheries management as a single population and identify likely response mechanisms to climate change. Broadly speaking, our findings suggest that spatial balancing selection can manifest in adaptive divergence on regional scales in marine fish despite high dispersal, and that these conditions likely result in the widespread distribution of adaptive alleles and a high potential for future genetic adaptation in response to changing environmental conditions. In the context of a rapidly changing world, a landscape genomics perspective offers a useful approach for understanding the causes and consequences of genetic differentiation.
Do recreational fisheries metrics vary on differently sized fishing grounds?
Authors: Lyach Roman , Čech Martin
Published: July 2018

This study aimed to assess the relationship between basic metrics in recreational fishing and the size of the fishing ground. Data were obtained from individual angling logbooks collected by the Czech Fishing Union over 12 years on 212 fishing grounds located in the regions of Prague and Central Bohemia in the Czech Republic. Small fishing grounds had the highest catch, yield, numbers of fishing visits and numbers of angling guard controls per hectare. Medium‐sized fishing grounds had the highest catch, yield, and numbers of both fishing visits and angling guard controls per fishing ground. Anglers returned to medium‐sized fishing grounds most frequently. The percentage of anglers who caught and took home at least one fish decreased with increasing size of the fishing ground. In conclusion, basic metrics in recreational fishing are related to the size of the fishing ground, which thus plays an important role in fisheries management.
Black Atlantic maritime networks, resistance and the American ‘domestic’ slave trade
Authors: RUPPRECHT ANITA
Published: July 2018

This article on the formation and operation of maritime networks of resistance and solidarity during the United States ‘domestic’ coastal slave trade contributes to the history of Atlantic maritime radicalism in the Age of Revolution. After 1807, the legal trans‐shipment of enslaved people from the Chesapeake to the antebellum slave markets enclosed the seas along the Atlantic seaboard and into the Gulf of Mexico. The legal, geopolitical and physical limitations of slavery at sea turned the Florida Straits – a densely trafficked maritime chokepoint – into a contested space. Rather than viewing this globally significant maritime space as primarily a site of contestation between British imperial sovereignty and US internecine national politics, the focus is on the undercurrents of collective black Atlantic political action, memory and connection that shaped the Straits as a transnational maritime route from slavery to freedom.
Geometries of ‘global’ evangelicalism
Authors: ROSE LENA
Published: July 2018

In this article, I explore the power dynamics at play in religious place‐making. I critically discuss the uneven co‐configurations of imaginaries of the ‘local’ and ‘global’ within global evangelicalism. Specifically, I analyse the recent recording of a live album by the famous charismatic Australian band Hillsong United (of Hillsong Church) at various locations in Israel‐Palestine, which was followed by a concert tour in Israel. Palestinian evangelical Christians were critical of this endeavour, for they felt that it marginalized and excluded them from their global evangelical faith family. The frictions between the Palestinian evangelical community and Hillsong United illustrate how dominant evangelical actors create an imagination of the ‘local’, which enters the imaginary of global evangelicalism (and bears material consequences). In the article, I thus argue that privileged financial and cultural resources and travel regimes lead to specific notions of geometries of power in global evangelicalism.
Real‐time dynamic torque values and axial forces during preparation of straight root canals using three different endodontic motors and hand preparation
Authors: Bürklein S. , Stüber J. P. , Schäfer E.
Published: July 2018

Aim

To assess the real‐time dynamic torque values and axial forces during preparation of straight root canals using three different endodontic motors and hand preparation.

Methodology

Sixty maxillary incisors were divided into four homogeneous groups (n = 15). After glide path establishment (size 20) the root canals were prepared to an apical size 40 using the rotary NiTi system F6 SkyTaper. Motors (DentaPort ZX OTR, EndoPilot and VDW.silver) were set to ‘auto‐torque‐reverse’ mode and DentaPort ZX was set to its specific OTR mode (optimum torque reverse). One group served as a control using manual balanced‐force canal preparation with K‐Flexofiles. Teeth were embedded in resin and fixed in a multi‐component sensor measuring axial and torsional load during active instrumentation with 50 Hz. Preparation time was also recorded. Data were statistically analysed using the Kruskal–Wallis test.

Results

The maximum axial forces (peak) and both peaks of dynamic clockwise and counter‐clockwise torque did not differ significantly when using the three different motors despite different gear ratios and pre‐settings. Only the VDW.silver motor exceeded the torque values during the use of 30 instruments (3.3%). The Morita OTR motor exceeded the maximum intrinsic torque set at 1.0 Ncm in approximately 53% of cases. The larger tapered F6 SkyTaper instruments (size 20, .06 taper and size 30, .06 taper) created significantly higher torque values (P < 0.0001). Manual instrumentation created significantly lower torque levels and higher axial values compared to rotary instrumentation (P < 0.0001) and was significantly more time consuming (P < 0.0001).

Conclusions

Manual preparation was associated with significantly lower torque peaks compared to rotary instrumentation. The three motors remained well within the safety torque values of the instruments.
Advancing Performance Measurement Theory by Focusing on Subjects: Lessons from the Measurement of Social Value
Authors: Beer Haley Allison , Micheli Pietro
Published: July 2018

Performance measurement and management (PMM) researchers have recently called for a closer inspection of social controls – the cultural and behavioural aspects of PMM inside organizations – as a complement to longstanding inquiries into technical controls – the rational and structural processes that enable measurement. The authors address this call by first reviewing the principal findings obtained in the field of social value measurement (SVM), which focuses on the measurement of how and to what extent individuals and groups perceive and realize subjective changes (i.e. in knowledge, access and health) from interactions with organizations. Subsequently, the authors distil the main characteristics of SVM research (i.e. the basic conceptualizations, stated purposes and normative principles). They find that SVM tends to highlight the importance of individual and group wellbeing and welfare, aim to understand how organizational actions influence these conditions, and focus on individuals’ lived experiences of measuring or being measured. In comparison, PMM research concentrates on technical controls, relies mainly on notions of systems and structured processes, and assumes people's behaviours are impacted by measures, but does not fully explore their responses. The authors argue that to acknowledge and integrate social aspects of PMM properly into research and practice, subjects – with their thoughts, emotions and experiences – should be included more explicitly in future studies and theorizations.
Stratification of hepatocellular carcinoma risk through modified FIB‐4 index in chronic hepatitis B patients on entecavir therapy
Authors: Wang Hung‐Wei , Lai Hsueh‐Chou , Hu Tsung‐Hui , Su Wen‐Pang , Lu Sheng‐Nan , Lin Chia‐Hsin , Hung Chao‐Hung , Chuang Po‐Heng , Wang Jing‐Houng , Lee Mei‐Hsuan , Chen Chien‐Hung , Peng Cheng‐Yuan
Published: July 2018

Background and Aim

Noninvasive fibrosis indices can predict the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Modified FIB‐4 (mFIB‐4) is a promising noninvasive index for predicting liver fibrosis. To investigate the predictive accuracy of several extant noninvasive fibrosis indices, including mFIB‐4, for HCC incidence in CHB patients receiving long‐term entecavir therapy.

Methods

We enrolled 1325 nucleos(t)ide analogue‐naïve CHB patients (noncirrhotic 844; cirrhotic 481) treated with entecavir. Baseline clinical features and fibrosis indices were collected and evaluated for predicting HCC risk through univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses.

Results

Of the 1325 patients, 105 (7.9%) developed HCC during a median follow‐up period of 4.1 years. Age (hazard ratio [HR], 1.039; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.020–1.059; P < 0.0001), diabetes mellitus (DM) (HR, 1.902; 95% CI, 1.185–3.052; P = 0.0077), and mFIB‐4 (HR, 4.619; 95% CI, 1.810–11.789; P = 0.0014) were independent predictors of HCC in all patients (mFIB‐4 ≥ 1.5 for the noncirrhotic cohort; DM and mFIB‐4 ≥ 2.0 for the cirrhotic cohort). A combination of mFIB‐4 and the DM status stratified the cumulative risk of HCC into three subgroups in all patients (high: mFIB‐4 ≥ 1.5/DM; intermediate: mFIB‐4 ≥ 1.5/non‐DM; and low: mFIB‐4 < 1.5, P < 0.0001) and in the cirrhotic cohort (high: mFIB‐4 ≥ 2.0/DM; intermediate: mFIB‐4 ≥ 2.0/non‐DM; and low: mFIB‐4 < 2.0, P = 0.0007). An mFIB‐4 cutoff value of 1.5 stratified the cumulative risk of HCC in the noncirrhotic cohort (P = 0.015).

Conclusions

The mFIB‐4 index alone or in combination with DM is the optimal noninvasive predictor of HCC risk in CHB patients receiving entecavir therapy.
Attitudes of health care professionals toward people with intellectual disability: a comparison with the general population
Authors: Morin D. , Valois P. , Crocker A. G. , Robitaille C. , Lopes T.
Published: July 2018

Background

Few studies have examined attitudes that may promote the social inclusion of persons with an intellectual disability (ID) among health care providers (HCPs). Yet these attitudes could impact the accessibility and quality of services provided to this population, as well as the general attitudes of HCPs. The objectives of this study were to (1) examine HCPs' pro‐inclusion attitudes toward people with ID, (2) compare these to the general population's attitudes and (3) examine how HCPs' attitudes vary as a function of their socio‐demographic characteristics.

Method

The Attitudes Toward Intellectual Disability Questionnaire was administered to 367 HCPs and a representative sample of the Québec population (N = 1605).

Results

Results indicated that at least half of HCPs displayed positive attitudes, that is, attitudes that are compatible with notions of social inclusion and equal rights, toward individuals with ID. Positive attitudes were less frequently observed for the Interaction and the Sensitivity or tenderness factors measured by the Attitudes Toward Intellectual Disability Questionnaire. In comparison with the general population, HCPs exhibited more positive attitudes on the Knowledge of causes and Sensitivity or tenderness factors and less positive attitudes on the Interaction factor. HCPs who regarded themselves as more knowledgeable about ID and those who reported higher quality contacts or interactions with persons with ID expressed attitudes that were more favourable toward social inclusion.

Conclusions

In addition to providing general knowledge about ID and the specific health care needs of individuals with ID, training programmes should also promote interactions with this population. Further studies are needed to document HCPs' pro‐inclusion attitudes toward people with ID and to assess the impact of interventions on these attitudes.
“Heart disease never entered my head”: Women's understanding of coronary heart disease risk factors
Authors: Smith Rita , Frazer Kate , Hyde Abbey , O'Connor Laserina , Davidson Patricia
Published: July 2018

Aims and Objectives

This study investigated experiences of women with a primary diagnosis of ACS (NSTEMI & Unstable Angina). The study explored how women interpreted their risk for coronary heart disease (CHD) and how this influenced their treatment‐seeking decisions.

Background

Efforts to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease, the number one killer of women, require aggressive risk factor modification, risk assessment and evidence‐based treatments. CHD is largely preventable; however, despite the availability of evidence on prevention and risk factor reduction, it appears that misunderstandings persist.

Design

A naturalistic case study design guided this study.

Methods

Thirty women participated (n = 30); a within‐case analysis was followed by a cross‐case analysis. Data collection included participant diaries and face‐to‐face interviews. Data were analysed using modified analytic induction which allowed the emergence of theoretical insights.

Results

This article provides insight into women's perception of risk for CHD, particularly in relation to smoking. The findings provide a platform for a wider discourse on women's interpretation of their risk for CHD and their treatment‐seeking decisions. The data reflect the ongoing misunderstanding that CHD affects men more than women.

Conclusions

More focus is needed on risk factor management and CHD symptom presentation in women. An emphasis on the chronic disease aspect of CHD may promote a timely focus on secondary prevention and the follow‐up needed through patient education and empowerment.

Relevance to Clinical Practice

This study demonstrates that primary and secondary prevention education initiatives are needed for CHD risk factor management and symptom interpretation. The implications of smoking on cardiovascular health need further dissemination. Efforts to support smoking cessation need to be strengthened and widely accessible. Primary care can have a key role to play in managing CHD risk and supporting women with positive risk factors.