bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cross-cultural consumer perceptions of service quality in restaurants
Authors: Djekic Ilija , Kane Kevin , Tomic Nikola , Kalogianni Eleni , Rocha Ada , Zamioudi Lamprini , Pacheco Rita
Published: April 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to present results from a research that analyzed consumer perceptions of service quality in restaurants in four European cities – Belgrade (Serbia), Manchester (UK), Thessaloniki (Greece) and Porto (Portugal).

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 802 respondents have been interviewed using a structured questionnaire. The service quality statements covered food quality, building exterior, restaurant interior and layout, seating comfort, restrooms and servicing.

Findings

Within all analyzed categories (city, gender and age), servicing of food and taste of food were the most influential factors. However, this study confirmed that there are different patterns in analyzed cities. For each factor analyzed, in at least two cities, results for the items were significantly different. Consumers from different cities showed different perceptions regarding service quality in restaurants. Gender of consumers plays a significant role in the perception of interior, restroom and servicing factors in restaurants. Age of respondents was the category with no significant difference with respect to food quality, layout, restrooms and servicing.

Research limitations/implications

Given the great cultural and other differences within the four cities/countries, more research is necessary to determine if similar results would be derived from different samples across various other continental and Mediterranean European cities.

Originality/value

In addition to increasing the theoretical understanding of the cultural aspects of the service quality, this paper can be of managerial relevance.
Open data intermediaries: coproduction in budget transparency
Authors: da Silva Craveiro Gisele , Albano Claudio
Published: April 2017

Purpose

Although more public sector information is disclosed in an open format, the intermediaries are the key element to have value creation from it. This study aimed to identify elements about the role of these stakeholders: their characteristics, resources and partnerships within an ecosystem of budget transparency and open government data, in particular, to identify initiatives and opportunities that enable the co-production of value from public sector information.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was conducted in four Latin American countries, and data collection was carried out through interviews and document analysis.

Findings

The paper identifies intermediaries’ profiles, their network, results achieved and lessons learned.

Originality/value

This is the first study to cover in depth the intermediaries in a regional budget transparency ecosystem. Some findings emphasize the intermediary’s role, and others offered the authors elements to propose a framework for citizen coproduction that extends citizen sourcing and government as platform models, as some co-production initiatives identified seem to extrapolate their limits definitions.
Root morphology and mycorrhizal type strongly influence root production in nutrient hot spots of mixed forests
Authors: Chen Weile , Koide Roger T. , Eissenstat David M.
Published: April 2017

Plants compete for nutrients using a range of strategies. We investigated nutrient foraging within nutrient hot‐spots simultaneously available to plant species with diverse root traits. We hypothesized that there would be more root proliferation by thin‐root species than by thick‐root species, and that root proliferation by thin‐root species would limit root proliferation by thick‐root species.

We conducted a root ingrowth experiment in a temperate forest in eastern USA where root systems of different tree species could interact. Tree species varied in the thickness of their absorptive roots, and were associated with either ectomycorrhizal (EM) or arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. Thus, there were thin‐ and thick‐root AM and thin‐ and thick‐root EM plant functional groups. Half the ingrowth cores were amended with organic nutrients (dried green leaves). Relative root length abundance, the proportion of total root length in a given soil volume occupied by a particular plant functional group, was calculated for the original root population and ingrowth roots after 6 months.

The shift in relative root length abundance from original to ingrowth roots was positive in thin‐root species but negative in thick‐root species (p < .001), especially in unamended patches (AM: +6% vs. −7%; EM: +8% vs. −9%). Being thin‐rooted may thus allow a species to more rapidly recolonize soil after a disturbance, which may influence competition for nutrients. Moreover, we observed that nutrient additions amplified the shift in root length abundance of thin over thick roots in AM trees (+13% vs. −14%), but not in EM trees (+1% vs −3%). In contrast, phospholipid fatty acid biomarkers suggested that EM fungal hyphae strongly proliferated in nutrient hot‐spots whereas AM fungal hyphae exhibited only modest proliferation.

We found no evidence that when growing in the shared patch, the proliferation of thin roots inhibited the growth of thick roots.

Synthesis. Knowledge of root morphology and mycorrhizal type of co‐existing tree species may improve prediction of patch exploitation and nutrient acquisition in heterogeneous soils.
A catalogue of vice: a sense of failure and incapacity to act among Roma Muslims in Macedonia
Authors: Oustinova‐Stjepanovic Galina
Published: April 2017

Understood in terms of action and efficacy, the regnant notion of agency in anthropology is juxtaposed with an ethnographic category of failure. Agency is problematized and refined through the fieldwork‐grounded analysis of a faltering reform of a Sufi order in Macedonia, where failure was perceived and racially marked as the intrinsic incapacity of ‘Gypsies’ to commit to ritual action and overcome their propensity towards vice, thus achieving a desired self‐transformation into virtuous beings.
Effectiveness, safety, and acceptability of first‐trimester medical termination of pregnancy performed by non‐doctor providers: a systematic review
Authors: Sjöström S , Dragoman M , Fønhus MS , Ganatra B , Gemzell‐Danielsson K
Published: April 2017

Background

Previous systematic reviews have concluded that medical termination of pregnancy (TOP) performed by non‐doctor providers may be as effective and safe as when provided by doctors. Medical treatment of incomplete miscarriage by non‐doctor providers and the treated women's acceptance of non‐doctor providers of TOP has not previously been reviewed.

Objectives

To review the effectiveness, safety, and acceptability of first‐trimester medical TOP, including medical treatment for incomplete miscarriage, by trained non‐doctor providers.

Search strategy and selection criteria

A search strategy using appropriate medical subject headings was developed. Electronic databases (PubMed, Popline, Cochrane, CINAHL, Embase, and ClinicalTrials.gov) were searched from inception through April 2016. Randomised controlled trials and comparative observational studies were included.

Data collection and analysis

Meta‐analyses were performed for included randomised controlled trials regarding the outcomes of effectiveness and acceptability to women. Certainty of evidence was established using the GRADE approach assessing study limitations, consistency of effect, imprecision, indirectness and publication bias.

Main results

Six papers were included. Medical TOP and medical treatment of incomplete miscarriage is probably equally effective when performed by non‐doctor providers as when performed by doctors (RR 1.00; 95% CI 0.99–1.01). Women's acceptance, reported as overall satisfaction with the allocated provider, is probably equally high between groups (RR 1.00; 95% CI 1.00–1.01).

Conclusion

Medical TOP and medical treatment of incomplete miscarriage provided by trained non‐doctor providers is probably equally as effective and acceptable to women as when provided by doctors.

Tweetable abstract

Medical termination of pregnancy performed by doctors and non‐doctors can be equally effective and acceptable
The networking practices of women managers in an emerging economy setting: negotiating institutional and social barriers
Authors: de Klerk Saskia , Verreynne Martie‐Louise
Published: April 2017

Women managers face institutional and social barriers throughout their careers. In this research, we use networking and symbolic interactionism theories to explain how they network while negotiating these impediments in an emerging economy setting. Focus‐group data revealed three themes. The women in our study, as predicted by networking theory, use networks to bolster career outcomes, although some also use non‐influential networks or network ineffectively. Next, symbolic interactionism explains how expectations of, and personal reflections on, networking lead to a lack of confidence and feelings of guilt that can be career limiting. However, when women understand that their unique networking approach can be powerful, they gain social capital that enhances their leadership. Last, patriarchal cultures of emerging economy settings support stereotypical gender roles, leaving women conflicted between competition and mutual support, thus redefining the so‐called Queen Bee phenomenon. We conclude by showing how women can use networking to enhance career and personal development.
Jurassic Hornblende Gabbros in Dongga, Eastern Gangdese, Tibet: Partial Melting of Mantle Wedge and Implications for Crustal Growth
Authors: XU Bo , HOU Zengqian , ZHENG Yuanchuan , ZHOU Ye , ZHOU Limin , YANG Yu , HAN Yanwei , ZHEN Guo , WU Changda
Published: April 2017

The Gangdese batholith, more than 2500 km in length, is composed mainly of Jurassic‐Miocene igneous rocks. This batholith is one of the most important constituents of the Tibetan orogenesis and provides an ideal place for study of Neo‐Tethyan ocean geodynamic evolution and plateau uplift. Recent studies on the Gangdese Jurassic felsic magmatism highlight its juvenile source. However, important aspects concerning the genesis of the juvenile magmatism and related deep geodynamic evolution are still unclear. Here, we report detailed petrological, geochronological, geochemical, whole‐rock Sr‐Nd isotopic, and in situ Sr‐Hf isotopic data for a recently identified hornblende gabbro in the Dongga area, southern Lhasa sub‐block. This hornblende gabbro is dominated by hornblende and plagioclase, dated at Early Jurassic (ca. 180–190 Ma), and characterized by a narrow compositional range in SiO2 (49.38wt%–52.27wt%), MgO (4.08wt%–7.00wt%), FeO (10.43wt%–11.77wt%), Na2O (2.58wt%–3.51wt%), and K2O (0.48wt%–1.53wt%). It has depleted isotopic signatures, with whole‐rock (87Sr/86Sr)i ratios of 0.7033–0.7043, εNd(t) values of +4.90 to +6.99, in situ plagioclase (87Sr/86Sr)i ratios of 0.7034–0.7042, and zircon εHf(t) of +12.2 to +16.8. Our results integrated with published data suggest a model of Gangdese juvenile crustal growth by a subduction‐related water‐enriched mantle wedge. The hydrous partial melting of the lithosphere mantle was triggered by the dehydration of a Neo‐Tethyan oceanic slab. This mafic magmatism emplaced in the middle‐lower crust of intraoceanic arcs or active continental margins, leading to Jurassic juvenile crustal growth in southern Tibet.
40Ar/39Ar and Rb‐Sr Ages of the Tiegelongnan Porphyry Cu‐(Au) Deposit in the Bangong Co‐Nujiang Metallogenic Belt of Tibet, China: Implication for Generation of Super‐Large Deposit
Authors: LIN Bin , CHEN Yuchuan , TANG Juxing , WANG Qin , SONG Yang , YANG Chao , WANG Wenlei , HE Wen , ZHANG Lejun
Published: April 2017

The Tiegelongnan deposit is a newly discovered super‐large porphyry‐epithermal Cu‐(Au) deposit in the western part of the Bangong Co‐Nujiang metallogenic belt, Tibet (China). Field geology and geochronology indicate that the porphyry mineralization was closely related to the Early Cretaceous intermediate‐felsic intrusions (ca. 123–120 Ma). Various epithermal ore and gangue mineral types were discovered in the middle‐shallow part of the orebody, indicating the presence of epithermal mineralization at Tiegelongnan. Potassic, propylitic, phyllic and advanced argillic alteration zones were identified. 40Ar/39Ar dating of hydrothermal biotite (potassic zone), sericite (phyllic zone), and alunite (advanced argillic zone) in/around the ore‐bearing granodiorite porphyry yielded 121.1±0.6 Ma (1σ), 120.8±0.7 Ma (1σ) and 117.9±1.6 Ma (1σ), respectively. Five hydrothermal mineralization stages were identified, of which the Stage IV pyrite was Rb‐Sr dated to be 117.5±1.8 Ma (2σ), representing the end of epithermal mineralization. Field geology and geochronology suggest that both the epithermal and porphyry mineralization belong to the same magmatic‐hydrothermal system. The Tiegelongnan super‐large Cu‐(Au) deposit may have undergone a prolonged magmatic‐hydrothermal evolution, with the major mineralization event occurring at ca.120–117Ma.
Chemo‐ and Biostratigraphy of the Jurassic Oil Shales from the Qiangtang Basin, Northern Tibet, China: A Case Study of the Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event
Authors: CHEN Lan , XU Guiwen , DA Xuejuan , YI Haisheng , ZHU Zhangxiong , HUANG Zhaohui , LI Xiaogang
Published: April 2017

The marine oil shales of the Qiangtang Basin, northern Tibet, exposed in the Biluo Co, Tuonamu, Shenglihe and Changsheshan areas are believed to be important petroleum source rocks. This work comprehensively analyzed the carbon isotopes, trace elements, and calcareous nannofosills, ammonites and bivalves of the Biluo Co section in the Qiangtang Basin. The organic carbon isotopes show a positive excursion close to 2.17± (relative to PDB), which, albeit significantly smaller, may also be associated with other Early Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Events (T‐OAE) in the European epicontinental seas and the Tethyan continental margins. Coinciding with the Early Toarcian transgression, the oxygen deficiency in bottom water had led to dysoxic‐anoxic conditions and deposition of black shales lacking benthic fauna. Under such condition, the redox‐sensitive trace metals such as Mo, V, Ni, Cr, and U were enriched, in conjunction with high planktonic productivity of Watznaueriaceae calcareous nannofossils. Comparison of the results with the records of chemo‐ and biostratigraphy, as well as the palaeogeography during the Early Jurassic suggests that the anoxia linked to the Early Toarcian oceanic anoxic event was mainly caused by the high surface water temperature, sea‐level rise and an increase of surface water productivity.
Estimation of Seismic Landslide Hazard in the Eastern Himalayan Syntaxis Region of Tibetan Plateau
Authors: DU Guoliang , ZHANG Yongshuang , YANG Zhihua , IQBAL Javed , TONG Bin , GUO Changbao , YAO Xin , WU Ruian
Published: April 2017

The eastern Himalayan syntaxis is one of the most tectonically active and earthquake‐prone regions on Earth where earthquake‐induced geological disasters occur frequently and caused great damages. With the planning and construction of Sichuan‐Tibet highway, Sichuan‐Tibet railway and hydropower development on the Yarlung Zangbo River etc. in recent years, it is very important to evaluate the seismic landslide hazard of this region. In this paper, a seismic landslide hazard map is produced based on seismic geological background analysis and field investigation using Newmark method with 10% PGA exceedance probabilities in future 50 years by considering the influence of river erosion, active faults and seismic amplification for the first time. The results show that the areas prone to seismic landslides are distributed on steep slopes along the drainages and the glacier horns as well as ridges on the mountains. The seismic landslide hazard map produced in this study not only predicts the most prone seismic landslide areas in the future 50 years but also provides a reference for mitigation strategies to reduce the exposure of the new building and planning projects to seismic landslides.
A woman's Hismaic inscription from the Wādī Ramm desert: AMJ 2/J.14202 (Amman Museum)
Authors: Norris Jérôme
Published: April 2017

This article focuses on an unpublished Hismaic (Thamudic E) inscription housed in the Amman Museum (AMJ 2/J.14202), which was discovered in 1981 by W.J. Jobling in the area of Wādī Ramm, south‐western Jordan. The text presents some interest for the study of the history and language of the nomadic tribes who lived in southern Transjordan and northern Arabia in antiquity, as it represents a rare example of an inscription carved by a woman and because it contains the first attestation, in Hismaic, of the feminine singular form of the relative pronoun ḏ.
Vancomycin levels are frequently subtherapeutic in critically ill patients: a prospective observational study
Authors: Bakke V. , Sporsem H. , Von der Lippe E. , Nordøy I. , Lao Y. , Nyrerød H. C. , Sandvik L. , Hårvig K. R. , Bugge J. F. , Helset E.
Published: April 2017

Background

Appropriate utilization of vancomycin is important to attain therapeutic targets while avoiding clinical failure and the development of antimicrobial resistance. Our aim was to observe the use of vancomycin in an intensive care population, with the main focus on achievement of therapeutic serum concentrations (15–20 mg/l) and to evaluate how this was influenced by dose regimens, use of guidelines and therapeutic drug monitoring.

Methods

A prospective observational study was carried out in the intensive care units at two tertiary hospitals in Norway. Data were collected from 83 patients who received vancomycin therapy, half of these received continuous renal replacement therapy. Patients were followed for 72 h after initiation of therapy. Blood samples were drawn for analysis of trough serum concentrations. Urine was collected for calculations of creatinine clearance. Information was gathered from medical records and electronic health records.

Results

Less than 40% of the patients attained therapeutic trough serum concentrations during the first 3 days of therapy. Patients with augmented renal clearance had lower serum trough concentrations despite receiving higher maintenance doses and more loading doses. When trough serum concentrations were outside of therapeutic range, dose adjustments in accordance to therapeutic drug monitoring were made to less than half.

Conclusion

The present study reveals significant challenges in the utilization of vancomycin in critically ill patients. There is a need for clearer guidelines regarding dosing and therapeutic drug monitoring of vancomycin for patient subgroups.
Religion and Revolution: Theorizing of the Arab Spring in Accordance With the Selectorate Approach
Authors: Rabaia Ibrahim S. I. , Tumin Makmor , Yeoh Emile Kok‐Kheng
Published: April 2017

The selectorate theory introduces a framework to examine varying political structures, behavior, and systems with a fresh perspective. The theory proclaims that the political survival of a leader relies on a supportive coalition that continuously receives public and/or private payoffs. One revised revision of the selectorate theory elaborates on the classical selectorate model by investigating factors of political survival and regime stability in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and scrutinizing the elements of the recent MENA revolutions, such as the leaders’ religious preferences. This study demonstrates that the classical selectorate approach can perfectly satisfy the analysis of MENA transitions. We validated the revised model by showcasing the dynamics of political transition and confirming that selectorate expansion triggered a shift from private to public distribution of goods. Overall, our results were in support of the classical selectorate model and proclaimed religion as a public good, rather than a hindrance.
Government Reorganization in the Light of Quality of Democracy: South Korea
Authors: Heo Inhye
Published: April 2017

South Korea undergoes frequent and large‐scale government reorganizations (GRs) that have generated social, administrative, and political problems; all of these have negative impacts on the quality of democracy by lowering people's satisfaction with their government. This article critically reviews past literature's major discussions on the quality of democracy and argues that well‐performing democratic governance that not only secures democratic principles but also develops governments’ ability to perform well is required for the enhancement of democratic quality. Drawing insight from the Centripetal Democratic Governance perspective, this article defines the core principles of this governance model as institutional consistency, authority, and inclusion, and analyzes key features of Korea's GR, focusing on the science and technology administration system. The research results show that the features not only align directly with the problems engendered by frequent GR but also go against the core principles of well‐performing democratic governance. Last, this article addresses the policy and theoretical implications of this finding.
The Sea of Changes: Shifting Trajectories Across the Bay of Bengal
Authors: Bhattacharya Jayati
Published: April 2017

A major shift of geostrategic visions from territorial dimensions to maritime trajectories for China and India has made the study of Asian maritime spaces significant. In spite of strong historical connectivities, the maritime space of Bay of Bengal separated nation‐centric postcolonial states and became divided into zones, promoting geopolitical demarcations that have subsequently become deeply embedded in academic, political, and public discourses. This article attempts to examine the emergence of new economic and geostrategic horizons in this maritime space, a space that may well become a powerful pivot of a rising Asia. It proposes paradigm shifts in scholarly discourses in and around the Bay, distinct from the prism of conventional western historiography and the narrative of South‐Southeast Asia divergences. A trajectory of renegotiations in the understanding of flows and networks is envisaged, implying a strong possibility of this waterscape emerging as a specialized area of study, and thus a rethinking of scholarship and pedagogy in Asian studies.
Examination of toxicity and collagen linearity after the administration of the protein cross‐linker genipin in equine tendon and dermis: a pilot study
Authors: Bellefeuille M , Peters DF , Nolin M , Slusarewicz P , Telgenhoff D
Published: April 2017

Objective

Collagen cross‐linking is an attractive therapeutic route aimed at supplementing natural collagen stabilisation. In this study the toxicity of the cross‐linker genipin (GP) was examined in avascular (tendon) and vascular (dermis) tissue.

Methods

High doses of GP were injected intratendinously into three yearling horses and evaluated at various time points up to 30 days. A second group of three yearlings were injected into the dermis and evaluated at various time points up to 1 year. Metrics used included lameness, circumferential swelling, ultrasound evaluation, microscopic morphology, collagen production and systemic effect on blood parameters.

Results

The tendon injection sites exhibited mild lameness and swelling with no apparent systemic toxicity or stabilisation defects. Treated tendons exhibited increased linear collagen microscopically. Dermal injections showed similar results, with mild swelling at the injection site. Microscopic morphology resulted in a decrease in dermal collagen at 30 days post‐injection. Dermis injected at the high dose of 355 mmol/L examined 1 year post‐treatment appeared similar to the untreated biopsies; however, there was an increase in mature collagen.

Conclusion

GP injection appeared to be well tolerated, with transient lameness and mild circumferential swelling when injected into the tendon and local tissue swelling when injected into the dermis. No systemic hypersensitivities or toxicities were observed. Microscopically, GP resulted in increased linear collagen in tendons at 30 days post‐injection and overall increased collagen in dermal tissue when evaluated 1 year post‐injection.
Screening allergic reactions to resol resin based on phenol and formaldehyde in a clinic of occupational dermatology
Authors: Aalto‐Korte Kristiina , Suuronen Katri
Published: April 2017

Background

Allergic reactions to resol‐type phenol formaldehyde resin [phenol formaldehyde resin 2 (PFR2)] are relatively common. It has been suggested that PFR2 should be included in baseline series. However, a recent international study found clinical relevance in only 25% of patients.

Objectives

To report the results of screening with PFR2 over a 5‐year period (2012–2016), and to study the clinical relevance of allergic reactions to PFR2 over a 15‐year period (2002–2016).

Methods

At the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, PFR2 was added to the baseline series in 2012. We had previously tested PFR2 in the plastic and glue series. We searched the patch test files for patients with allergic reactions to PFR2, and analysed their patch test results, occupation, exposure, and diagnosis.

Results

During the screening period of 5 years, a total of 10 (1.6%) patients reacted positively to PFR2. Seven of these had occupational allergic contact dermatitis caused by phenol formaldehyde resin (PFR). In 3 patients, we found no exposure to PFR. Over the preceding 10 years, the clinical relevance of 10 additional allergic reactions to PFR2 was similarly high.

Conclusions

In an occupational dermatology clinic, 70% of PFR2 reactions were clinically relevant. Further studies in general dermatology clinics are needed.
Endoscopic findings following retroperitoneal pancreas transplantation
Authors: Pinchuk Alexey V. , Dmitriev Ilya V. , Shmarina Nonna V. , Teterin Yury S. , Balkarov Aslan G. , Storozhev Roman V. , Anisimov Yuri A. , Gasanov Ali M.
Published: April 2017

Aim

An evaluation of the efficacy of endoscopic methods for the diagnosis and correction of surgical and immunological complications after retroperitoneal pancreas transplantation.

Materials and Methods

From October 2011 to March 2015, 27 patients underwent simultaneous retroperitoneal pancreas–kidney transplantation (SPKT). Diagnostic oesophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) with protocol biopsy of the donor and recipient duodenal mucosa and endoscopic retrograde pancreatography (ERP) were performed to detect possible complications. Endoscopic stenting of the main pancreatic duct with plastic stents and three‐stage endoscopic hemostasis were conducted to correct the identified complications.

Results

Endoscopic methods showed high efficiency in the timely diagnosis and adequate correction of complications after retroperitoneal pancreas transplantation.
Mechanical dispersion and global longitudinal strain by speckle tracking echocardiography: Predictors of appropriate implantable cardioverter defibrillator therapy in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Authors: Candan Ozkan , Gecmen Cetin , Bayam Emrah , Guner Ahmet , Celik Mehmet , Doğan Cem
Published: April 2017

Purpose

In this study, we investigated whether mechanical dispersion which reflects electrical abnormality and other echocardiographic and clinic parameters predict appropriate ICD shock in patients undergone ICD implantation for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Methods

Sixty‐three patients who received ICD implantation for primary or secondary prevention were included in the study. Patients’ clinical, electrocardiographic, 2D classic, and speckle tracking echocardiographic data were collected. Mechanical dispersion was defined as the standard deviation of time to peak negative strain in 18 left ventricular segments. Appropriate ICD therapy was defined as cardioversion or defibrillation due to ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation. Patients were divided into two groups as occurrence or the absence of appropriate ICD therapy.

Results

A total of 17 (26.9%) patients were observed to have an appropriate ICD therapy during follow‐up periods. In patients who performed appropriate ICD therapy, a larger left atrial volume index, higher sudden cardiac death (SCD)‐Risk Score, longer mechanical dispersion, and decreased global longitudinal peak strain (GLPS) were observed. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, including (GLPS, mechanical dispersion, LAVi, and SCD‐Risk Score) was used to determine independent predictors of occurrence of appropriate ICD therapy during the follow‐up. Mechanical dispersion, GLPS, and SCD‐Risk Score were found to be independent predictors of occurrence of appropriate ICD therapy.

Conclusions

Mechanical dispersion, GLPS, and SCD‐Risk Score were found to be predictive for appropriate ICD therapy in patients receiving ICD implantation. Readily measurable mechanical dispersion and GLPS could be helpful to distinguish patients at high risk who could optimally benefit from ICD therapy.
Life‐threatening injury caused by complete impalement of a toothbrush: Case report
Authors: Umibe Akiko , Omura Kazuhiro , Hachisu Takuya , Anazawa Utaro , Tanaka Yasuhiro
Published: April 2017

Toothbrushes are the most common cause of foreign body injury to the oral cavity in children, but complete impalement by a toothbrush is an extremely rare occurrence and has not been reported previously. This report describes a 28‐month‐old girl who fell from a 1m ledge while brushing her teeth. Her toothbrush penetrated the oral cavity and could not be removed, and so she was rushed to the hospital with the toothbrush in place. Contrast‐enhanced computed tomography showed penetration of the toothbrush from the oral cavity into and through the right posterior neck at the level of the bifurcation of the common carotid artery. Angiography was performed under general anesthesia, and the toothbrush was removed. In consultation with pediatricians, antibiotic infusion therapy was started, and the patient was extubated on the 5th post‐operative day. There were no complications even after eating was resumed, and the patient was discharged on the 13th post‐operative day. A toothbrush is an essential item in daily life, but it can cause serious injuries in children in some circumstances.
Microtubule stabilization promoted axonal regeneration and functional recovery after spinal root avulsion
Authors: Li Heng , Wu Wutian
Published: April 2017

A spinal root avulsion injury disconnects spinal roots with the spinal cord. The rampant motoneuron death, inhibitory CNS/PNS transitional zone (TZ) for axonal regrowth and limited regeneration speed together lead to motor dysfunction. Microtubules rearrange to assemble a new growth cone and disorganized microtubules underline regeneration failure. It has been shown that microtubule‐stabilizing drug, Epothilone B, enhanced axonal regeneration and attenuated fibrotic scaring after spinal cord injury. Here, we are reporting that after spinal root avulsion+ re‐implantation in adult rats, EpoB treatment improved motor functional recovery and potentiated electrical responses of motor units. It facilitated axons to cross the TZ and promoted more and bigger axons in the peripheral nerve. Neuromuscular junctions were reformed with better preserved postsynaptic structure, and muscle atrophy was prevented by EpoB administration. Our study showed that EpoB was a promising therapy for promoting axonal regeneration after peripheral nerve injury.
Dissociable corticostriatal circuits underlie goal‐directed vs. cue‐elicited habitual food seeking after satiation: evidence from a multimodal MRI study
Authors: van Steenbergen Henk , Watson Poppy , Wiers Reinout W. , Hommel Bernhard , de Wit Sanne
Published: April 2017

The present multimodal MRI study advances our understanding of the corticostriatal circuits underlying goal‐directed vs. cue‐driven, habitual food seeking. To this end, we employed a computerized Pavlovian‐instrumental transfer paradigm. During the test phase, participants were free to perform learned instrumental responses (left and right key presses) for popcorn and Smarties outcomes. Importantly, prior to this test half of the participants had been sated on popcorn and the other half on Smarties – resulting in a reduced desirability of those outcomes. Furthermore, during a proportion of the test trials, food‐associated Pavlovian cues were presented in the background. In line with previous studies, we found that participants were able to perform in a goal‐directed manner in the absence of Pavlovian cues, meaning that specific satiation selectively reduced responding for that food. However, presentation of Pavlovian cues biased choice toward the associated food reward regardless of satiation. Functional MRI analyses revealed that, in the absence of Pavlovian cues, posterior ventromedial prefrontal cortex tracked outcome value. In contrast, during cued trials, the BOLD signal in the posterior putamen differentiated between responses compatible and incompatible with the cue‐associated outcome. Furthermore, we identified a region in ventral amygdala showing relatively strong functional connectivity with posterior putamen during the cued trials. Structural MRI analyses provided converging evidence for the involvement of corticostriatal circuits: diffusion tensor imaging data revealed that connectivity of caudate‐seeded white‐matter tracts to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex predicted responding for still‐valuable outcomes; and gray matter integrity in the premotor cortex predicted individual Pavlovian cueing effects.
How Kant Justifies Freedom of Agency (without Transcendental Idealism)
Authors: Westphal Kenneth R.
Published: April 2017

This paper argues that the problem of the apparent conflict between freedom of action and natural causal determinism has not been properly framed, because the key premiss—the thesis of universal causal determinism—is, in the domain of human behaviour, an unjustified conjecture based on over‐simplified, under‐informed explanatory models. Kant's semantics of singular cognitive reference (explained herein), which stands independently of his Transcendental Idealism, justifies and emphasises a quadruple distinction between causal description, causal ascription (predication), (approximately) true causal ascription (accurate predication) and cognitively justified causal ascription. Contemporary causal theories of mind, of action or of meaning do not suffice for causal ascription, and so cannot suffice for causal predication, and hence cannot justify causal determinism about human behaviour. More generally, the principle of universal causal determinism is a regulative principle governing causal inquiry and was so formulated by LaPlace. Only successful, sufficient causal explanation of particular events provides for causal knowledge of those events. Such knowledge we lack in the domain of human behaviour. Rational belief, including scientific belief, requires apportioning belief to justifying evidence; all else is conjecture or speculation, which do not justify premises of sound proofs. Causal determinism about human behaviour remains unjustified speculation, for sound Critical reasons Kant provided us in the Kritik der reinen Vernunft. In these regards, contemporary debates about these issues remain decidedly pre‐Critical.
Equine atypical myopathy in the UK: Epidemiological characteristics of cases reported from 2011 to 2015 and factors associated with survival
Authors: González‐Medina S. , Ireland J. L. , Piercy R. J. , Newton J. R. , Votion D. M.
Published: April 2017

Background

Equine atypical myopathy (AM) is a toxic rhabdomyolysis associated with ingestion of hypoglycin A, derived typically in Europe, from Acer pseudoplatanus tree. Despite the wide distribution of this tree species in the UK, the number of cases reported annually varies, and there has been an apparent increase in prevalence in recent years. Although AM was first recognised in the UK, epidemiological studies have never been conducted focused solely on this country.

Objectives

To describe the spatiotemporal distribution, presentation, treatment and outcome of AM cases reported in the UK.

Study design

Retrospective case series.

Methods

British AM cases reported to the atypical myopathy alert website, between 2011 and 2015 were included (n = 224). Data were obtained via standardised epidemiological questionnaires from owners and veterinarians. Factors associated with survival were assessed using logistic regression.

Results

Most cases reported were from England (87.9%). Survival was 38.6% (n = 73/189). Clinical factors associated with reduced odds of survival included, hypothermia (odds ratio [OR] 0.18; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.06–0.57; P = 0.01), bladder distension (OR 0.11; CI 0.02–0.59; P = 0.01), tachycardia (OR 0.97; CI 0.94–0.99; P = 0.04) and serum creatine kinase activity >100,000 IU/L (OR 0.17; CI 0.04–0.68; P = 0.01) in the univariable analysis as well as recumbency. The latter was the only sign retained in multivariable analysis (OR = 0.19; CI 0.06–0.62; P = 0.006). Administration of vitamins during the disease was associated with survival (OR 3.75; CI 1.21–11.57; P = 0.02).

Main limitations

Reporting cases to the Atypical Myopathy Alert Group is voluntary; therefore, under‐reporting will result in underestimation of AM cases; furthermore, direct owner‐reporting could have introduced misdiagnosis bias.

Conclusion

Some areas of the UK reported AM cases more commonly. Clinical signs such as recumbency, rectal temperature, distended bladder and serum creatine kinase activity might be useful prognostic indicators though should be considered in the context of the clinical picture. Treatment with vitamins increases odds of survival.
Depositional age of the Himenoura Group on the Amakusa‐Kamishima area, Kyushu, southwest Japan: Using zircon U–Pb dating of the acidic tuffs
Authors: Tsutsumi Yukiyasu , Miyake Yuka , Komatsu Toshifumi
Published: April 2017

The Upper Cretaceous Himenoura Group in the Amakusa‐Kamishima Island area, southwest Japan is subdivided into the Hinoshima and Amura Formations. In order to determine the numerical depositional age of the formations, zircon U–Pb ages were investigated using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA–ICP–MS) for acidic tuff samples from the lower part of the Hinoshima Formation and the upper part of the Amura Formation. Although the two samples contain some accidental zircons, the samples have a definite youngest age cluster and their weighted mean ages are 85.4 ± 1.3 and 81.5 ± 1.1 Ma, respectively (errors are 95 % confidence interval). These age data indicate that the Himenoura Group in the Amakusa‐Kamishima Island area was deposited mainly in the early Santonian to early Campanian which is consistent with biostratigraphic ages. Additionally, zircon age distributions of the two tuff samples from the upper part of the Hinoshima Formation do not show a distinct youngest peak of eruption age but characteristics of detrital zircons suggestive of maximum depositional age of the host sediments. These results demonstrate that the mean age of the youngest zircon age cluster of a tuff sample does not always indicate depositional age of the tuff, and statistical evaluation of age data is effective to determine depositional age of a tuff bed using zircon U–Pb ages.
Dispersal capacity shapes responses of river island invertebrate assemblages to vegetation structure, island area, and flooding
Authors: Vanbergen Adam J. , Woodcock Ben A. , Gray Alan , Andrews Christopher , Ives Stephen , Kjeldsen Thomas R. , Laize Cedric L. R. , Chapman Daniel S. , Butler Adam , O'Hare Matthew T.
Published: April 2017

Riparian invertebrate communities occupy a dynamic ecotone where hydrogeomorphological (e.g. river flows) and ecological (e.g. succession) processes may govern assemblage structure by filtering species according to their traits (e.g. dispersal capacity, niche).

We surveyed terrestrial invertebrate assemblages (millipedes, carabid beetles, spiders) in 28 river islands across four river catchments over 2 years. We predicted that distinct ecological niches would produce taxon‐specific responses of abundance and species richness to: (i) disturbance from episodic floods, (ii) island area, (iii) island vegetation structure, and (iv) landscape structure. We also predicted that responses would differ according to species’ dispersal ability (aerial vs. terrestrial only), indicating migration was sustaining community structure.

Invertebrate abundance and richness was affected by different combinations of vegetation structure, island area, and flood disturbance according to species’ dispersal capacity. Carabid abundance related negatively to episodic floods, particularly for flightless species, but the other taxa were insensitive to this disturbance. Larger islands supported greater abundance of carabids and all invertebrates able to disperse aerially. Vegetation structure, particularly tree canopy density and plant richness, related positively to invertebrate abundance across all taxa and aerial dispersers, whereas terrestrial disperser richness related positively to tree cover. Landscape structure did not influence richness or abundance.

Multiple ecological processes govern riparian invertebrate assemblages. Overall insensitivity to flood disturbance and responses contingent on dispersal mode imply that spatial dynamics subsidise the communities through immigration. Particular habitat features (e.g. trees, speciose vegetation) may provide refuges from disturbance and concentration of niches and food resources.
Saving costs through a coordinated care model for patients with hepatocellular cancer
Authors: Ow Tsai‐Wing , Ralton Lucy , Tse Edmund
Published: April 2017

Background

In keeping with recent trends, patients with hepatocellular cancer have had their care managed by a dedicated Nurse Coordinator at our tertiary Australian hospital since 2010. To date, there are few data to justify the cost‐effectiveness of this approach.

Aims

To quantify the potential cost saved through the employment of a Nurse Coordinator in the management of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma at a single tertiary‐level Australian hospital.

Methods

A retrospective audit of patients managed by the Nurse Coordinator between 2010 and 2015 was conducted. Consensus reports from previous meetings were reviewed, and nurse‐initiated radiological procedures and encounters were identified. Clinical activities were prospectively evaluated over a 1‐month period in July–August 2015. The equivalent annual number of outpatient medical encounters spared was calculated. Using the national average cost of each gastroenterology outpatient encounter, a total annual cost was determined and was compared against the cost of funding the position.

Results

The activity of the Nurse Coordinator resulted in an equivalent of at least 175 outpatient encounters being spared per year, with a minimum annual cost saving of $85 750. A total of 113 encounters resulted from the independent delivery and initiation of multidisciplinary team meeting plans; 10 were attributed to nurse‐led patient education, and 52 were equated to weekly clinical activities. This represented a net annual saving of $17 050.

Conclusion

The incorporation of the Nurse Coordinator in the care pathway of patients with hepatocellular cancer is associated with a reduction in medical outpatient load and, consequently, a significant annual cost saving.
Who takes workplace case‐study methods seriously? The influence of gender, academic rank and PhD training
Authors: McGovern Patrick , Alburez‐Gutierrez Diego
Published: April 2017

We examine whether differences in the reporting of workplace case‐study research methods are associated with gender, experience, academic rank and PhD training. Using a random sample of published articles, we find that women take more care reporting their research methods in the context of a general increase in methods reporting.
A model for solving incompatible fuzzy goal programming: an application to portfolio selection
Authors: Jiménez Mariano , Bilbao‐Terol Amelia , Arenas‐Parra Mar
Published: April 2017

For many fuzzy goal programming (GP) approaches, in order to build the membership functions of fuzzy aspiration levels, a tolerance threshold for each one of them should be determined. In this paper, we address the case in which the decision maker proposes incompatible thresholds, which could lead to an infeasible problem. We propose an alternative algebraic formulation of the membership functions, which allows us to formulate models capable of providing solutions, although some tolerance thresholds are surpassed. The objective values that do not violate their corresponding threshold are evaluated positively according to the degree of achievement to their fuzzy target, and in turn those who violate the threshold are penalized according to their unwanted deviation with respect to the threshold. Thus, our model jointly uses the fuzzy GP approach and the standard GP approach, which also allows incorporating fuzzy and crisp targets into the same problem. The proposed procedure is applied to socially responsible portfolio selection problems.
Which blood pressure measurement, systolic or diastolic, better predicts future hypertension in normotensive young adults?
Authors: Kanegae Hiroshi , Oikawa Takamitsu , Okawara Yukie , Hoshide Satoshi , Kario Kazuomi
Published: April 2017

The impact of age‐related differences in blood pressure (BP) components on new‐onset hypertension is not known. A follow‐up examination of 93 303 normotensive individuals (mean age 41.1 years) who underwent a health checkup in 2005 was conducted every year for 8 years. The primary end point was new‐onset hypertension (systolic BP [SBP]/diastolic BP [DBP] ≥140/90 mm Hg and/or the initiation of antihypertensive medications with self‐reported hypertension). During the mean 4.9 years of follow‐up, 14 590 subjects developed hypertension. The impact of DBP on the risk of developing hypertension compared with optimal BP (SBP <120 mm Hg and DBP <80 mm Hg) was significantly greater than that of SBP in subjects younger than 50 years (hazard ratios, 17.5 for isolated diastolic high‐normal vs 10.5 for isolated systolic high‐normal [P<.001]; 8.0 for isolated diastolic normal vs 4.1 for isolated systolic normal [P<.001]). Among the subjects 50 years and older, the corresponding effects of DBP and SBP were similar. Regarding the risk of new‐onset hypertension, high DBP is more important than SBP in younger adults (<50 years) with normal or high‐normal BP.
Methylglyoxal‐induced apoptosis is dependent on the suppression of c‐FLIPL expression via down‐regulation of p65 in endothelial cells
Authors: Jang Ji Hoon , Kim Eun‐Ae , Park Hye‐Jin , Sung Eon‐Gi , Song In‐Hwan , Kim Joo‐Young , Woo Chang‐Hoon , Doh Kyung‐Oh , Kim Kook Hyun , Lee Tae‐Jin
Published: April 2017

Methylglyoxal (MGO) is a reactive dicarbonyl metabolite of glucose, and its plasma levels are elevated in patients with diabetes. Studies have shown that MGO combines with the amino and sulphhydryl groups of proteins to form stable advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which are associated with vascular endothelial cell (EC) injury and may contribute to the progression of atherosclerosis. In this study, MGO induced apoptosis in a dose‐dependent manner in HUVECs, which was attenuated by pre‐treatment with z‐VAD, a pan caspase inhibitor. Treatment with MGO increased ROS levels, followed by dose‐dependent down‐regulation of c‐FLIPL. In addition, pre‐treatment with the ROS scavenger NAC prevented the MGO‐induced down‐regulation of p65 and c‐FLIPL, and the forced expression of c‐FLIPL attenuated MGO‐mediated apoptosis. Furthermore, MGO‐induced apoptotic cell death in endothelium isolated from mouse aortas. Finally, MGO was found to induce apoptosis by down‐regulating p65 expression at both the transcriptional and posttranslational levels, and thus, to inhibit c‐FLIPL mRNA expression by suppressing NF‐κB transcriptional activity. Collectively, this study showed that MGO‐induced apoptosis is dependent on c‐FLIPL down‐regulation via ROS‐mediated down‐regulation of p65 expression in endothelial cells.