bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Breaking and remaking a seed and seed predator interaction in the introduced range of Scotch Broom (Cytisus scoparius) in New Zealand
Authors: Paynter Quentin , Buckley Yvonne M. , Peterson Paul , Hugh Gourlay Allan , Fowler Simon V.
Published: October 2015

Introduced plants may initially experience enemy release, but some of those interactions may be reinstated through biological control. These cases provide opportunities to explore the dynamics of broken and remade consumer–resource interactions.

The European shrub broom (Cytisus scoparius) was introduced to New Zealand without a specialist seed predator (Bruchidius villosus) until a biological control programme reinstated this interaction in 1988.

Broom produces substantially larger seeds throughout its non‐native range, and there are differences in seedling establishment beneath broom canopies between the native and introduced ranges. We hypothesized that large broom seeds produce seedlings with a survival advantage in shaded conditions, consistent with establishment under broom canopies in the introduced range. We also predicted that the seed‐feeding beetle would experience increased fitness in larger seeds.

We found that seedling survival was correlated with seed weight in shaded conditions, consistent with the observed establishment of seedlings beneath broom stands in the non‐native range.

Beetle size was positively correlated with seed weight, and female fecundity increased with body size. Comparison of the size distributions of beetle populations before and after hibernation provided indirect evidence that overwintering survival of beetles is also size‐dependent. These findings are consistent with observed higher levels of abundance of B. villosus in New Zealand, compared to native habitats.

Selection gradients for seed size‐dependent seedling survival on broom occupancy were explored using the Rees–Paynter population model, demonstrating that a fitness benefit to the plant of large seed size through enhanced seedling survival beneath the parental canopy is only likely under low‐disturbance scenarios and moderate fecundity levels.

Synthesis. The dynamics of biocontrol systems provide an underexploited opportunity to examine the impact of removal and reinstatement of species interactions. Differences in seed size between native and non‐native ranges may result from varying intensities of conflicting selection pressures acting on seed size. It remains to be seen whether a decline in seed size towards that seen in the native range will result from the biocontrol agent introduction, as we have demonstrated that selection pressures on seed size vary with disturbance‐mediated population turnover and fecundity.
Success of spatial statistics in determining underlying process in simulated plant communities
Authors: Brown Calum , Illian Janine B. , Burslem David F. R. P.
Published: October 2015

Spatial statistics are widely used in studies of ecological processes in plant communities, especially to provide evidence of neutral or non‐neutral mechanisms that might support species coexistence. The contribution of such statistics has been substantial, but their ability to identify any links between underlying processes and emergent patterns is not certain.

We investigate the ability of a number of spatial statistics to distinguish theorized mechanisms of species coexistence (spatial and temporal niche differentiation, neutrality, the Janzen–Connell effect and heteromyopia) in a simulated plant community.

We find that individual statistics differ substantially in their sensitivity to these mechanisms, with those based on nearest neighbour species identities being the most sensitive. These differences are largely robust to changes in the strength of the modelled mechanisms when simulated independently and in combination. The spatial signal of niche differentiation is always distinct in simulations that combine mechanisms.

Synthesis. We describe full spatial signals of modelled coexistence mechanisms that are observed consistently across statistics and simulated strengths and combinations of mechanisms, and identify a set of spatial statistics that holds particular promise for empirical studies designed to investigate mechanisms of these kinds.
Depotentiation of intact rat cardiac muscle unmasks an Epac‐dependent increase in myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity
Authors: Kaur Sarbjot , Kong Cherrie HT , Cannell Mark B , Ward Marie‐Louise
Published: October 2015

Recently, a family of guanine nucleotide exchange factors have been identified in many cell types as important effectors of cyclic adenosine 3′,5′‐monophospahte (cAMP) signalling that is independent of protein kinase A (PKA). In the heart, investigation of exchange protein directly activated by cAMP (Epac) has yielded conflicting results. Since cAMP is an important regulator of cardiac contractility, this study aimed to examine whether Epac activation modulates excitation–contraction coupling in ventricular preparations from rat hearts. The study used 8‐(4‐chlorophenylthio)‐2′‐O‐methyladenosine‐3′, 5′‐cyclic monophosphate (cpTOME), an analogue of cAMP that activates Epac, but not PKA. In isolated myocytes, cpTOME increased Ca2+ spark frequency from about 7 to 32/100 μm3/s (n = 10), P = 0.05 with a reduction in the peak amplitude of the sparks. Simultaneous measurements of intracellular Ca2+ and isometric force in multicellular trabeculae (n = 7, 1.5 mmol/L [Ca2+]o) revealed no effect of Epac activation on either the amplitude of Ca2+ transients (Control 0.7 ± 0.1 vs cpTOME 0.7 ± 0.1; 340/380 fura‐2 ratio, P = 0.35) or on peak stress (Control 24 ± 5 mN/mm2 vs cpTOME 23 ± 5 mN/mm2, P = 0.20). However, an effect of Epac in trabeculae was unmasked by lowering extracellular [Ca2+]o. In these depotentiated trabeculae, activation of the Epac pathway increased myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity, an effect that was blocked by addition of KN‐93, a Ca2+/calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase II (CaMK‐II) inhibitor. This study suggests that Epac activation may be a useful therapeutic target to increase the strength of contraction during low inotropic states.
The Urban Emergency Department: A Potential Increased Occupational Hazard for Sharps‐related Injuries
Authors: Wilson Sean P. , Miller Joseph , Mahan Meredith , Krupp Seth
Published: October 2015

Objectives

Health care workers are at risk for sharps‐related injuries while working in the clinical arena. The authors sought to quantify and compare the frequency of these injuries for all health care personnel between the urban and community emergency department (ED).

Methods

A retrospective review was performed on the institutional human resources database of all self‐ or supervisor‐reported sharps‐related injuries that occurred to ED personnel in a single health system from January 2010 through September 2014. The health system was composed of a single urban academic Level I trauma center and seven community EDs, two of which were academic Level III trauma centers. Each sharps‐related injury was reviewed for site of injury, job class, and type of instrument causing the injury.

Results

There were 171 sharps‐related injuries reported during 447,986 urban and 1,350,623 community patient visits. Of the 171 injuries, 44.4% occurred to physicians, 39.2% to nurses, 12.9% to support staff, and 3.5% to physician assistants. Injuries occurred more frequently at the urban academic medical center when compared to the pooled community sites: 20.3 per 100,000 patient visits (n = 91) versus 5.9 per 100,000 patient visits (n = 80), respectively (odds ratio = 3.43, 95% confidence interval = 2.54 to 4.63, p < 0.001). They also occurred more frequently at the urban site when individually compared to each community site.

Conclusions

Physicians accounted for the largest proportion of health care workers reporting sharps‐related injuries. These injuries occurred more frequently in the urban ED than in the community EDs.
Health information on alcoholic beverage containers: has the alcohol industry's pledge in England to improve labelling been met?
Authors: Petticrew Mark , Douglas Nick , Knai Cécile , Durand Mary Alison , Eastmure Elizabeth , Mays Nicholas
Published: October 2015

Aims

In the United Kingdom, alcohol warning labels are the subject of a voluntary agreement between industry and government. In 2011, as part of the Public Health Responsibility Deal in England, the industry pledged to ensure that 80% of products would have clear, legible health warning labelling, although an analysis commissioned by Portman found that only 57.1% met best practice. We assessed what proportion of alcohol products now contain the required health warning information, and its clarity and placement.

Design

Survey of alcohol labelling data.

Setting

United Kingdom.

Participants

Analysis of the United Kingdom's 100 top‐selling alcohol brands (n = 156 individual products).

Measurements

We assessed the product labels in relation to the presence of five labelling elements: information on alcohol units, government consumption guidelines, pregnancy warnings, reference to the Drinkaware website and a responsibility statement. We also assessed the size, colour and placement of text, and the size and colouring of the pregnancy warning logo.

Findings

The first three (required) elements were present on 77.6% of products examined. The mean font size of the Chief Medical Officer's (CMO) unit guidelines (usually on the back of the product) was 8.17‐point. The mean size of pregnancy logos was 5.95 mm. The pregnancy logo was on average smaller on wine containers.

Conclusions

The UK Public Health Responsibility Deal alcohol labelling pledge has not been fully met. Labelling information frequently falls short of best practice, with font and logos smaller than would be accepted on other products with health effects.
PHACE syndrome – clinical features, aetiology and management
Authors: Winter Pieta R. , Itinteang Tinte , Leadbitter Phillip , Tan Swee T.
Published: October 2015

PHACE syndrome comprises a spectrum of anomalies including posterior fossa malformations, haemangioma, arterial anomalies, cardiac defects and eye anomalies. PHACE should be considered in any patient with a large facial segmental infantile haemangioma (IH), and multidisciplinary management is crucial. Low‐dose propranolol is effectively for the treatment of IH associated with PHACE syndrome. Recent evidence suggests IH is comprised of mesoderm‐derived haemogenic endothelium.

Conclusion

The embryonic developmental anomaly nature of IH provides an insight into the origin of PHACE syndrome.
Targeting molecules to medicine with mTOR, autophagy and neurodegenerative disorders
Authors: Maiese Kenneth
Published: October 2015

Neurodegenerative disorders are significantly increasing in incidence as the age of the global population continues to climb with improved life expectancy. At present, more than 30 million individuals throughout the world are impacted by acute and chronic neurodegenerative disorders with limited treatment strategies. The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR), also known as the mammalian target of rapamycin, is a 289 kDa serine/threonine protein kinase that offers exciting possibilities for novel treatment strategies for a host of neurodegenerative diseases that include Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, epilepsy, stroke and trauma. mTOR governs the programmed cell death pathways of apoptosis and autophagy that can determine neuronal stem cell development, precursor cell differentiation, cell senescence, cell survival and ultimate cell fate. Coupled to the cellular biology of mTOR are a number of considerations for the development of novel treatments involving the fine control of mTOR signalling, tumourigenesis, complexity of the apoptosis and autophagy relationship, functional outcome in the nervous system, and the intimately linked pathways of growth factors, phosphoinositide 3‐kinase (PI 3‐K), protein kinase B (Akt), AMP activated protein kinase (AMPK), silent mating type information regulation two homologue one (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) (SIRT1) and others. Effective clinical translation of the cellular signalling mechanisms of mTOR offers provocative avenues for new drug development in the nervous system tempered only by the need to elucidate further the intricacies of the mTOR pathway.
Malignancy and mesenteric panniculitis
Authors: Cross A. J. , McCormick J. J. , Griffin N. , Dixon L. , Dobbs B. , Frizelle F. A.
Published: October 2015

Aim

Mesenteric panniculitis (MP) is a chronic inflammatory process of the small bowel mesentery that has been reported in conjunction with malignancy. The objectives of the present study were to identify the frequency and type of cancers that may coexist with MP and whether these can be seen on the initial diagnostic computerised tomography (CT).

Method

A prospective database was kept of patients diagnosed with MP in the Canterbury region of New Zealand between 1 January 2003 and 31 December 2014. CT scans were independently reviewed. Clinical records were reviewed and family doctors were contacted for additional information.

Results

There were 302 patients with possible MP identified and 259 in whom it was confirmed on review. Seventy‐eight patients had a diagnosis of malignancy, with 54 having a current cancer (59 total cancers), 33 a past cancer and nine both. Of the 59 current cancers the most common primary sites were colorectum (19), lymph nodes (17), kidney (six) and prostate (four). Fifty‐four were at sites included on an abdominal CT scan. At all sites [except prostate (0/4)] there were high rates of detection on CT with 44/54 cancers visible including 20/23 gastrointestinal tract, 14/17 lymphomas and 9/9 non‐prostate urogenital tract malignancies. Six people were subsequently diagnosed with cancer after the index CT.

Conclusion

When MP occurs in association with malignancy, the commonest primary sites are large bowel, the lymph nodes and the urogenital tract. In those with MP on imaging, any cancer except prostate can usually be seen on the index CT. Further extensive investigation in asymptomatic patients is therefore likely to be of low yield.
CAN STATE TAX POLICIES BE USED TO GROW SMALL AND LARGE BUSINESSES?
Authors: Borchers Erin , Deskins John , Ross Amanda
Published: October 2015

The existing literature studying the relationship between small business activity and U.S. state tax policy has focused primarily on a few measures of small business. We expand this literature by estimating the effect of state tax policy on small businesses by using broader measures of small business activity using a longitudinal dataset for the U.S. states. We also estimate the relationship between state tax policy and large business activity. Results provide evidence that state tax policy can influence small business firm, establishment, payroll, and employment growth in important ways but provide limited evidence that such policy significantly influences large business growth. (JEL H2, H7, R1)
MORE MORTGAGES, LOWER GROWTH?
Authors: Bezemer Dirk , Grydaki Maria , Zhang Lu
Published: October 2015

In newly collected data on 46 economies over 1990–2011, we show that financial development since 1990 was mostly due to growth in credit to real estate and other asset markets, which has a negative growth coefficient. We also distinguish between growth effects of stocks and flows of credit. We find positive growth effects for credit flows to nonfinancial business but not for mortgage and other asset market credit flows. By accounting for the composition of credit stocks and for the effect of credit flows, we explain the insignificant or negative growth effects of financial development in recent times. What was true in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s when the field of empirical credit‐growth studies blossomed, is no longer true in the 1990s and 2000s. New bank lending is not primarily to nonfinancial business and financial development may no longer be good for growth. These trends predate the 2008 crisis. They prompt a rethink of the role of banks in the process of economic growth. (JEL E44, O16, O40, C33)
WHOSE PREFERENCES ARE REVEALED IN HOURS OF WORK?
Authors: Pencavel John
Published: October 2015

It has become orthodox in economics research to interpret the association between hourly earnings and working hours as the expression of the preferences of workers. This convention originated in H. Gregg Lewis' explanation for the decline in hours of work since the nineteenth century. His explanation rested on an explicit resolution of the identification problem inherent in any quantity (hours)–price (wage) relation. For over 40 years, researchers have neglected this identification problem with the result that the findings in the purported “labor supply” literature are of questionable value. (JEL J22, J23, C13)
Historical and contemporary determinants of global phylogenetic structure in tropical reef fish faunas
Authors: Leprieur Fabien , Colosio Simona , Descombes Patrice , Parravicini Valeriano , Kulbicki Michel , Cowman Peter F. , Bellwood David R. , Mouillot David , Pellissier Loïc
Published: October 2015

Identifying the main determinants of tropical marine biodiversity is essential for devising appropriate conservation measures mitigating the ongoing degradation of coral reef habitats. Based on a gridded distribution database and phylogenetic information, we compared the phylogenetic structure of assemblages for three tropical reef fish families (Labridae: wrasses, Pomacentridae: damselfishes and Chaetodontidae: butterflyfishes) using the net relatedness (NRI) and nearest taxon (NTI) indices. We then related these indices to contemporary and historical environmental conditions of coral reefs using spatial regression analyses. Higher levels of phylogenetic clustering were found for fish assemblages in the Indo‐Australian Archipelago (IAA), and more particularly when considering the NTI index. The phylogenetic structure of the Pomacentridae, and to a lower extent of the Chaeotodontidae and Labridae, was primarily associated with the location of refugia during the Quaternary period. Phylogenetic clustering in the IAA may partly result from vicariance events associated with coral reef fragmentation during the glacial periods of the Quaternary. Variation in the patterns among fish families further suggest that dispersal abilities may have interacted with past habitat availability in shaping the phylogenetic structure of tropical reef fish assemblages.
Synthetic datasets and community tools for the rapid testing of ecological hypotheses
Authors: Poisot Timothée , Gravel Dominique , Leroux Shawn , Wood Spencer A. , Fortin Marie‐Josée , Baiser Benjamin , Cirtwill Alyssa R. , Araújo Miguel B. , Stouffer Daniel B.
Published: October 2015

The increased availability of both open ecological data, and software to interact with it, allows the fast collection and integration of information at all spatial and taxonomic scales. This offers the opportunity to address macroecological questions in a cost‐effective way. In this contribution, we illustrate this approach by forecasting the structure of a stream food web at the global scale. In so doing, we highlight the most salient issues needing to be addressed before this approach can be used with a high degree of confidence.
Copper enhances cellular and network excitabilities, and improves temporal processing in the rat hippocampus
Authors: Maureira Carlos , Letelier Juan Carlos , Alvarez Osvaldo , Delgado Ricardo , Vergara Cecilia
Published: October 2015

Copper, an ion with many important metabolic functions, has also been proposed to have a role as modulator on neuronal function, mostly based on its effects on voltage‐ and neurotransmitter‐gated conductance as well as on neurological symptoms of patients with altered copper homeostasis. Nevertheless, the mechanisms by which copper exerts its neuromodulatory effects have not been clearly established in a functional neuronal network. Using rat hippocampus slices as a neuronal network model, the effects of copper in the range of 10–100 nm were tested on the intrinsic, synaptic and network properties of the CA1 region. Most of the previously described effects of this cation were in the micromolar range of copper concentrations. The current results indicate that copper is a multifaceted neuromodulator, having effects that may be grouped into two categories: (i) activity enhancement, by modulating synaptic communication and action potential (AP) conductances; and (ii) temporal processing and correlation extraction, by improving reliability and depressing inhibition. Specifically it was found that copper hyperpolarizes AP firing threshold, enhances neuronal and network excitability, modifies CA3–CA1 pathway gain, enhances the frequency of spontaneous synaptic events, decreases inhibitory network activity, and improves AP timing reliability. Moreover, copper chelation by bathocuproine decreases spontaneous network spiking activity. These results allow the proposal that copper affects the network activity from cellular to circuit levels on a moment‐by‐moment basis, and should be considered a crucial functional component of hippocampal neuronal circuitry.
Treatment‐related experiences and preferences of patients with lung cancer: a qualitative analysis
Authors: Aumann Ines , Kreis Kristine , Damm Kathrin , Golpon Heiko , Welte Tobias , Graf von der Schulenburg J. Matthias
Published: October 2015

Background

Lung cancer is one of the most common types of cancer worldwide, and it causes significant challenges for patients due to the poor survival rate and treatment‐related side‐effects. Because of lung cancer's great burden, identification and use of the patients' preferences can help to improve patients' quality of life.

Objective

Interviews with patients who have lung cancer were used to ascertain a range of experiences and to make recommendations regarding the improvement of treatment based on these patients' preferences. Because chemotherapy is the common treatment option for lung cancer, we focused on this treatment. The interviews were audio‐taped, verbally transcribed and evaluated via content analysis.

Setting and Participants

A total of 18 participants (11 men and 7 women) with small or non‐small‐cell lung cancer who were receiving chemotherapy in one clinic were interviewed between June and July 2013.

Results

Two main aspects with different subthemes were identified during the interviews. One main aspect focused on organizational context, such as the treatment day process, or experiences with different stakeholders, such as with the health insurance company or physicians. The other category referred to experiences that influenced psychosocial factors, including physical and mental experiences.

Discussion and Conclusion

Patients reported different experiences concerning physical, psychological and organizational areas during chemotherapy. Nevertheless, some potential areas for improving care, and therefore the quality of life of patients with lung cancer, could be identified. These improvement measures highlighted that with small, non‐time‐consuming and inexpensive changes, the treatment for patients with lung cancer can be improved.
Characterizing common and range expanding species
Authors: McGeoch Melodie A. , Latombe Guillaume
Published: October 2015

Climate change and biological invasions have increased the likelihood of the establishment, growth, spread and survival of some species. With the recent and strongly motivated call for balanced consideration of the ecology and conservation of common and rare species, species undergoing range expansion are of particular interest. The notion of essential biodiversity variables has also re‐focussed attention on the value of abundance and occupancy observations for assessing conservation values, threats and targets – species rare or common, contracting or expanding. Changes in the distribution and abundance of common and range expanding species deserve further attention, not only to better understand their dynamics, but also as the basis for monitoring range expansions and their consequences. With the aim of characterizing range expansion, here we combine perspectives from typological approaches to studying species conservation status with perspectives from spread ecology and macroecology. Closer examination of the properties and dynamics of common species is important not only because declines in their conservation status are underappreciated, but also because those species becoming more common have significant implications for biodiversity, ecosystems and society.
The Return of Politics – The European Union after the crises in the eurozone and Ukraine
Authors: van Middelaar Luuk
Published: October 2015

A crisis can reveal characteristics of a political order which in normal times remain invisible. Two such moments of clarification hit European Union (EU) countries in quick succession. The euro crisis tested the resolve of leaders and peoples to save the single currency. The geopolitical standoff around Ukraine necessitated a joint response to a show of force. In both cases we saw a ‘return of politics’. Geopolitical interests trumped economic ones; a need for government (and not just governance) made itself felt; European politics became more salient and intertwined with domestic politics. In the turmoil, notwithstanding calls for a big leap toward greater unity, the European Union also showed its dynamic in‐between nature. The public perceives this politicisation perfectly, hence both its disenchantment and the calls for more democracy. EU integration, after ‘permissive consensus’ and ‘constraining dissensus’, could be moving to the era of binding dissensus.
Performance evaluation of a sensorless adaptive optics multiphoton microscope
Authors: SKORSETZ MARTIN , ARTAL PABLO , BUENO JUAN M.
Published: October 2015

A wavefront sensorless adaptive optics technique was combined with a custom‐made multiphoton microscope to correct for specimen‐induced aberrations. A liquid‐crystal‐on‐silicon (LCoS) modulator was used to systematically generate Zernike modes during image recording. The performance of the instrument was evaluated in samples providing different nonlinear signals and the benefit of correcting higher order aberrations was always noticeable (in both contrast and resolution). The optimum aberration pattern was stable in time for the samples here involved. For a particular depth location within the sample, the wavefront to be precompensated was independent on the size of the imaged area (up to ∼360 × 360 μm2). The mode combination optimizing the recorded image depended on the Zernike correction control sequence; however, the final images hardly differed. At deeper locations, a noticeable dominance of spherical aberration was found. The influence of other aberration terms was also compared to the effect of the spherical aberration.
Reasons for returning to the emergency department following discharge from an internal medicine unit: perspectives of patients and the liaison nurse clinician
Authors: Vat Molywan , Common Carol , Laizner Andrea Maria , Borduas Coralie , Maheu Christine
Published: October 2015

Aims and objectives

To understand the patients' reasons for returning to the emergency department soon after their discharge from an internal medicine unit and to compare these reasons with the liaison nurse clinician's risk assessment tools used for discharge planning.

Background

Returns to the emergency departments soon after discharge from the hospital are a recurrent problem. Factors precipitating readmission to hospital have been analysed through the lens of health care providers, but few studies have explored the patients' perspectives on their reasons for returning to the emergency departments.

Design

A qualitative, descriptive study.

Methods

Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of eight patients recruited from a major teaching hospital in Montreal, Canada. Three different data sources were triangulated: patients' perspectives obtained through interviews and data from the tools used by the liaison nurse clinician, the Bounceback Probability Legend and the LACE Index Scoring Tool.

Results

Most patients attributed their return to the emergency department on being discharged too soon, feeling weak at discharge, having limited help at home with managing chronic illnesses and insufficient discharge instructions. participants' reasons for returning differed from those predicted by the liaison nurse clinician's evaluation using the risk assessment tools of each participant's risk of return.

Conclusions

This study highlights patients' frailty upon discharge from the hospital and their informational need on their health condition and their support need to rely on during convalescence at home. Patient's readiness and concerns were not integrated as part of the liaison nurse clinician's evaluation tools for discharge planning. This led to discrepancies between the perspectives of the patients and the liaison nurse clinician about discharge planning.

Relevance to clinical practice

Health care professionals should evaluate patients' understanding of their illness, their readiness for self‐management and work collaboratively with patients to assess concerns before discharge, so that appropriate support can be mobilised to prevent readmission.
A qualitative study to explore the attitude of clinical staff to the challenges of caring for obese patients
Authors: Lumley Elizabeth , Homer Catherine V. , Palfreyman Simon , Shackley Phil , Tod Angela Mary
Published: October 2015

Aims and objectives

To examine, from the perspective of staff, if obese patients have any additional care needs, and what the impact of these care requirements are on care provision. We have selected obese patients with venous leg ulceration as an example patient population to explore these questions.

Background

Anecdotal evidence indicates obesity can increase care requirements and have implications for obesity for care provision. However, little research exists nationally or internationally that provides evidence from a health care perspective. Obesity is a contributory causative factor of lower limb ulceration. In addition to affecting the development of venous leg ulceration, obesity may also impact on the care an obese patient may require and receive.

Design

Qualitative study using semi‐structured in interviews and framework analysis.

Methods

Interviews were conducted with 18 health care professionals and one focus group with 12 health care professionals who cared for patients with venous ulceration. Data were analysed to identify recurring themes relating to the impact of obesity on care provision.

Results

This study found that the increasing numbers of obese patients with leg ulcers are currently presenting challenges to care delivery in many different ways. There was an impact of obesity on patient experience in terms of dignity, safety and quality. Data indicated that neither hospital nor community care services were adequately set up to meet the needs of obese patients in general.

Conclusion

Health care providers need to recognise that increasing numbers of overweight and obese patients are presenting challenges to care delivery. The study also indicated the need for senior strategic leadership in planning for meeting the needs of obese patients.

Relevance to clinical practice

Nursing is well placed to provide specialist support to co‐ordinate services for obese/oversize patients if a suitable strategic and leadership role is developed. Nurses are used to offering patients help in areas of health promotion such as smoking cessation. Lessons learnt from this area could be applied to help and encourage staff to support patients with weight management.
Discriminant Analysis of Time Series in the Presence of Within‐Group Spectral Variability
Authors: Krafty Robert T.
Published: October 2015

Many studies record replicated time series epochs from different groups with the goal of using frequency domain properties to discriminate between the groups. In many applications, there exists variation in cyclical patterns from time series in the same group. Although a number of frequency domain methods for the discriminant analysis of time series have been explored, there is a dearth of models and methods that account for within‐group spectral variability. This article proposes a model for groups of time series in which transfer functions are modelled as stochastic variables that can account for both between‐group and within‐group differences in spectra that are identified from individual replicates. An ensuing discriminant analysis of stochastic cepstra under this model is developed to obtain parsimonious measures of relative power that optimally separate groups in the presence of within‐group spectral variability. The approach possesses favourable properties in classifying new observations and can be consistently estimated through a simple discriminant analysis of a finite number of estimated cepstral coefficients. Benefits in accounting for within‐group spectral variability are empirically illustrated in a simulation study and through an analysis of gait variability.
Does Democracy Foster the Fertility Transition?
Authors: Basso Alberto
Published: October 2015

Using an unbalanced panel covering the period 1870‐2000, we find that democracy favours fertility declines. This result suggests that democratic and autocratic environments might affect differently the proximate determinants of fertility. In our analysis we show that democracy affects fertility after controlling for education, mortality risk and GDP per capita. This paper adds to the literature that addresses the issue of identifying how democracy might affect development by identifying and assessing the relevance of a specific mechanism: that is, fostering the fertility transition.
An Activity‐Based Simulation Model for Assessing Function Space Assignment for Buildings: A Service Performance Perspective
Authors: Dzeng Ren‐Jye , Wang Wei‐Chih , Hsiao Fan‐Yi , Xie Yan‐Qing
Published: October 2015

Function space assignment determines the function of all spaces and is essential to the design of a remodeled building. Optimization of function space assignment that relies upon users' activities is difficult due to the lack of quantifiable and detailed data about users' activities. In this paper, an activity‐based simulation process model consisting of five phases is proposed and applied to an actual project. The phases include activity data collection, activity simulation, space movement pattern mining, function‐space assignment optimization, movement simulation and assessment. The process also allows the building administrator to adjust the optimized assignment to accommodate hard‐to‐quantify preferences via a variety of indexes such as movement distance, corridor flow, and other space usage‐related indexes. Results from application of the proposed model to an actual remodeling project indicated that the model offered the administrator a better assignment than the contracted architect, with a 5.79% increase in the objective function and a 23.92% decrease in movement distance. The adjusted assignment based on service‐related indices, such as noise interference, further improved service by accounting for parameters that were not easily included in the objective function for optimization.
Auxin and chloroplast movements
Authors: Eckstein Aleksandra , Krzeszowiec Weronika , Waligórski Piotr , Gabryś Halina
Published: October 2015

Auxin is involved in a wide spectrum of physiological processes in plants, including responses controlled by the blue light photoreceptors phototropins: phototropic bending and stomatal movement. However, the role of auxin in phototropin‐mediated chloroplast movements has never been studied. To address this question we searched for potential interactions between auxin and the chloroplast movement signaling pathway using different experimental approaches and two model plants, Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana tabacum. We observed that the disturbance of auxin homeostasis by shoot decapitation caused a decrease in chloroplast movement parameters, which could be rescued by exogenous auxin application. In several cases, the impairment of polar auxin transport, by chemical inhibitors or in auxin carrier mutants, had a similar negative effect on chloroplast movements. This inhibition was not correlated with changes in auxin levels. Chloroplast relocations were also affected by the antiauxin p‐chlorophenoxyisobutyric acid and mutations in genes encoding some of the elements of the SCFTIR1‐Aux/IAA auxin receptor complex. The observed changes in chloroplast movement parameters are not prominent, which points to a modulatory role of auxin in this process. Taken together, the obtained results suggest that auxin acts indirectly to regulate chloroplast movements, presumably by regulating gene expression via the SCFTIR1‐Aux/IAA‐ARF pathway. Auxin does not seem to be involved in controlling the expression of phototropins.
Sequence Analysis of Call Record Data:Exploring the Role of Different Cost Settings
Authors: Hanly Mark , Clarke Paul , Steele Fiona
Published: October 2015

Sequence analysis is widely used in life course research and more recently has been applied by survey methodologists to summarize complex call record data. However, summary variables derived in this way have proved ineffective for post-survey adjustments, owing to weak correlations with key survey variables. We reflect on the underlying optimal matching algorithm and test the sensitivity of the output to input parameters or ‘costs’, which must be specified by the analyst. The results illustrate the complex relationship between these costs and the output variables which summarize the call record data. Regardless of the choice of costs, there was a low correlation between the summary variables and the key survey variables, limiting the scope for bias reduction. The analysis is applied to call records from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, which is a nationally representative, face-to-face household survey.
Identification of a novel HLA‐A*29 allele, HLA‐A*29:01:09, by sequence‐based typing in a Korean individual
Authors: Han S.‐H. , Heo Y.‐A. , Kwon O.‐J. , Kim Y.‐J. , Lee K.‐R.
Published: October 2015

HLA‐A*29:01:09 differs from A*29:01:01:01 by one nucleotide difference at nucleotide position 414.
In pursuit of the perfect power suit
Authors: Cornwall Warren
Published: October 2015

A longstanding quest to augment human performance with robotic exoskeletons takes a softer approach.
How to fail out of your graduate program
57 Ways to Screw Up in Grad School Perverse Professional Lessons for Graduate Students
Kevin D. Haggerty and Aaron Doyle
University of Chicago Press, 2015. 199 pp.
Authors: Parsons Owen
Published: October 2015

A tongue-in-cheek guide aims to help students avoid common grad school mistakes.
Development of a Recombinant Xenogeneic Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha Protein Vaccine To Protect Mice from Experimental Colitis
Authors: Wan Yang , Li Meng , Zhang Hailong , Zheng Xiuran , Yu Chaoheng , He Gu , Luo Yan , Yang Li , Wei Yuquan
Published: October 2015

Previous studies have highlighted the efficacy of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) inhibitors, including monoclonal antibodies and soluble receptors, in the treatment and management of intestinal bowel disease (IBD). However, because of the immunogenicity of xenogeneic TNF-α inhibitors, antidrug antibodies (ADAs) can be triggered after repeated administration. An alternative way to target TNF-α is active immunization to elicit the production of high titers of neutralizing antibodies. In this study, we prepared a xenogeneic TNF-α protein vaccine and studied the protective effects in experimental colitis models. The xenogeneic TNF-α protein vaccine could overcome self-tolerance and induce TNF-α-specific neutralizing antibody. Moreover, the xenogeneic TNF-α protein vaccine could protect mice from acute and chronic colitis induced by dextran sodium sulfate (DSS). One possible explanation for this protective effect is the production of TNF-α-specific neutralizing antibody, which absorbed the biological activity of mouse TNF-α (mTNF-α) and failed to induce T lymphocyte apoptosis. In summary, use of the xenogeneic TNF-α protein vaccine may be a potent therapeutic strategy for IBD.
Preliminary Evaluation of the Research-Use-Only (RUO) iCubate iC-GPC Assay for Identification of Select Gram-Positive Bacteria and Their Resistance Determinants in Blood Culture Broths
Authors: Buchan Blake W. , Reymann Garrett C. , Granato Paul A. , Alkins Brenda R. , Jim Patricia , Young Stephen
Published: October 2015

The iC-GPC assay (iCubate, Huntsville, AL) provides a molecular option for the rapid, on-demand analysis of positive blood cultures. A preliminary evaluation of the iC-GPC assay using 203 clinical or seeded specimens demonstrated a sensitivity of 93.8% to 100% and a specificity of 98.0% to 100% for the identification of five Gram-positive bacterial species (
Staphylococcus aureus
,
Staphylococcus epidermidis
,
Streptococcus pneumoniae
,
Enterococcus faecalis
, and
Enterococcus faecium
) and three associated genetic resistance determinants (
mecA
,
vanA
, and
vanB
) in positive blood culture broths.
PB1-F2 Protein Does Not Impact the Virulence of Triple-Reassortant H3N2 Swine Influenza Virus in Pigs but Alters Pathogenicity and Transmission in Turkeys
Authors: Deventhiran Jagadeeswaran , Kumar Sandeep R. P. , Raghunath Shobana , Leroith Tanya , Elankumaran Subbiah
Published: October 2015

PB1-F2 protein, the 11th influenza A virus (IAV) protein, is considered to play an important role in primary influenza virus infection and postinfluenza secondary bacterial pneumonia in mice. The functional role of PB1-F2 has been reported to be a strain-specific and host-specific phenomenon. Its precise contribution to the pathogenicity and transmission of influenza virus in mammalian host, such as swine, and avian hosts, such as turkeys, remain largely unknown. In this study, we explored the role of PB1-F2 protein of triple-reassortant (TR) H3N2 swine influenza virus (SIV) in pigs and turkeys. Using the eight-plasmid reverse genetics system, we rescued wild-type SIV A/swine/Minnesota/1145/2007 (H3N2) (SIV 1145-WT), a PB1-F2 knockout mutant (SIV 1145-KO), and its N66S variant (SIV 1145-N66S). The ablation of PB1-F2 in SIV 1145 modulated early-stage apoptosis but did not affect the viral replication in swine alveolar macrophage cells. In pigs, PB1-F2 expression did not affect nasal shedding, lung viral load, immunophenotypes, and lung pathology. On the other hand, in turkeys, SIV 1145-KO infected poults, and its in-contacts developed clinical signs earlier than SIV 1145-WT groups and also displayed more extensive histopathological changes in intestine. Further, turkeys infected with SIV 1145-N66S displayed poor infectivity and transmissibility. The more extensive histopathologic changes in intestine and relative transmission advantage observed in turkeys infected with SIV 1145-KO need to be further explored. Taken together, these results emphasize the host-specific roles of PB1-F2 in the pathogenicity and transmission of IAV.

IMPORTANCE
Novel triple-reassortant H3N2 swine influenza virus emerged in 1998 and spread rapidly among the North American swine population. Subsequently, it showed an increased propensity to reassort, generating a range of reassortants. Unlike classical swine influenza virus, TR SIV produces a full-length PB1-F2 protein, which is considered an important virulence marker of IAV pathogenicity. Our study demonstrated that the expression of PB1-F2 does not impact the pathogenicity of TR H3N2 SIV in pigs. On the other hand, deletion of PB1-F2 caused TR H3N2 SIV to induce clinical disease early and resulted in effective transmission among the turkey poults. Our study emphasizes the continuing need to better understand the virulence determinants for IAV in intermediate hosts, such as swine and turkeys, and highlights the host-specific role of PB1-F2 protein.
An assessment of methods used in the investigation of iron status: findings in a population of young British South Asian children
Authors: Hinchliffe Roderick F , Vora Ajay J , Lennard Lynne
Published: October 2015

Aims

To assess the value of laboratory tests available for the investigation of iron status in a population of young British South Asian children.

Methods

Blood count, red cell distribution width (RDW), percentage hypochromic red cells (%hypo), concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP), zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP), ferritin, soluble transferrin receptor, plasma iron measurements and incidence of deletional forms of α-thalassaemia were determined.

Results

Haemoglobin, mean cell haemoglobin (MCH), ferritin and CRP values classified iron status in 151/205 (73.6%) consecutive children aged 4–43 months. Fifty-four could not be classified: 12 were anaemic with findings, other than normal CRP values, indistinguishable from those with anaemia of inflammation and 42 were non-anaemic with reduced MCH values. All 42 had normal ferritin concentration and 8 of 36 successfully tested had deletional α-thalassaemia trait. Despite apparent iron sufficiency the RDW, %hypo and ZPP values of these 42 were not significantly different from the 32 children classified with iron-deficient erythropoiesis. The gene frequency of deletional α-thalassaemia trait in the entire group was 8.6%.

Conclusions

Among 205 British South Asian children aged 4–43 months with high incidences of anaemia, iron deficiency, infection and α-thalassaemia, 151 (73.6%) were classified using haemoglobin, MCH, ferritin and CRP values. In 42 non-anaemic, iron-sufficient children with subnormal MCH values, that is with a phenotype of α-thalassaemia trait, RDW, %hypo and ZPP values did not differ significantly from those with iron-deficient erythropoiesis. Raised RDW, %hypo and ZPP values should be interpreted with caution in non-anaemic young British South Asian children with microcytosis.
Laboratory and field evaluation of several types of soil nails for different geological conditions
Authors: Cheng Y.M. , Au S.K. , Yeung Albert T.
Published: October 2015

For steep slopes with difficult access or slopes in a corrosive environment, there are various problems associated with the use of conventional steel reinforcement bars as soil nails. For loose-fill slopes or clay slopes, the development of adequate nail bond strength is another practical issue that should be considered. Carbon fiber–reinforced polymer (CFRP) and glass fiber–reinforced polymer (GFRP) in several forms and installation methods have been studied as the alternatives to the classical steel bar. Extensive laboratory tests on the materials and field tests on different types of soil nails with various methods of installation have been carried out in Hong Kong, Korea, and Australia. Test results support the use of these materials with an innovative installation method as soil nails under different geological conditions, and the suitability and performance of these materials under different conditions are assessed in the present study.