bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effectiveness of an intervention to reduce alcohol‐related violence in premises licensed for the sale and on‐site consumption of alcohol: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Moore Simon C. , Alam M. Fasihul , Heikkinen Marjukka , Hood Kerenza , Huang Chao , Moore Laurence , Murphy Simon , Playle Rebecca , Shepherd Jonathan , Shovelton Claire , Sivarajasingam Vaseekaran , Williams Anne
Published: May 2017

Background and Aims

Premises licensed for the sale and consumption of alcohol can contribute to levels of assault‐related injury through poor operational practices that, if addressed, could reduce violence. We tested the real‐world effectiveness of an intervention designed to change premises operation, whether any intervention effect changed over time, and the effect of intervention dose.

Design

A parallel randomized controlled trial with the unit of allocation and outcomes measured at the level of individual premises.

Setting

All premises (public houses, nightclubs or hotels with a public bar) in Wales, UK.

Participants

A randomly selected subsample (n = 600) of eligible premises (that had one or more violent incidents recorded in police‐recorded crime data; n = 837) were randomized into control and intervention groups.

Intervention and comparator

Intervention premises were audited by Environmental Health Practitioners who identified risks for violence and provided feedback by varying dose (informal, through written advice, follow‐up visits) on how risks could be addressed. Control premises received usual practice.

Measurements

Police data were used to derive a binary variable describing whether, on each day premises were open, one or more violent incidents were evident over a 455‐day period following randomization.

Findings

Due to premises being unavailable at the time of intervention delivery 208 received the intervention and 245 were subject to usual practice in an intention‐to‐treat analysis. The intervention was associated with an increase in police recorded violence compared to normal practice (hazard ratio = 1.34, 95% confidence interval = 1.20–1.51). Exploratory analyses suggested that reduced violence was associated with greater intervention dose (follow‐up visits).

Conclusion

An Environmental Health Practitioner‐led intervention in premises licensed for the sale and on‐site consumption of alcohol resulted in an increase in police recorded violence.
CXCL10 and IL‐6: Markers of two different forms of intra‐amniotic inflammation in preterm labor
Authors: Romero Roberto , Chaemsaithong Piya , Chaiyasit Noppadol , Docheva Nikolina , Dong Zhong , Kim Chong Jai , Kim Yeon Mee , Kim Jung‐Sun , Qureshi Faisal , Jacques Suzanne M. , Yoon Bo Hyun , Chaiworapongsa Tinnakorn , Yeo Lami , Hassan Sonia S. , Erez Offer , Korzeniewski Steven J.
Published: May 2017

Problem

To determine whether amniotic fluid (AF) CXCL10 concentration is associated with histologic chronic chorioamnionitis in patients with preterm labor (PTL) and preterm prelabor rupture of the membranes (PROM).

Method of Study

This study included 168 women who had an episode of PTL or preterm PROM. AF interleukin (IL)‐6 and CXCL10 concentrations were determined by immunoassay.

Results

(i) Increased AF CXCL10 concentration was associated with chronic (OR: 4.8; 95% CI: 1.7‐14), but not acute chorioamnionitis; (ii) increased AF IL‐6 concentration was associated with acute (OR: 4.2; 95% CI: 1.3‐13.7) but not chronic chorioamnionitis; and (iii) an increase in AF CXCL10 concentration was associated with placental lesions consistent with maternal anti‐fetal rejection (OR: 3.7; 95% CI: 1.3‐10.4). (iv) All patients with elevated AF CXCL10 and IL‐6 delivered preterm.

Conclusion

Increased AF CXCL10 concentration is associated with chronic chorioamnionitis or maternal anti‐fetal rejection, whereas increased AF IL‐6 concentration is associated with acute histologic chorioamnionitis.
Peripartum cytokine flares in a multiethnic cohort of chronic hepatitis B carriers does not correlate with hepatitis B virus suppression or increased risk of liver disease
Authors: Joshi Shivali S. , Wong Daniel , Castillo Eliana , Swain Mark G. , Coffin Carla S.
Published: May 2017

Problem

In chronic hepatitis B (CHB) carriers, alanine transaminase (ALT) flares are common in the peripartum period. There are limited data on immunological changes of pregnancy in CHB. We hypothesize that in pregnant CHB carriers, the Th1/Th2 cytokine ratio is altered resulting in changes in biochemical/virological and liver fibrosis markers.

Study methods

Serum from 38 pregnant/post‐partum CHB carriers (median age 32 years, 53% Asian, 8 HBeAg+) was tested for HBV DNA, quantitative HBV surface antigen, ALT and liver fibrosis by transient elastography (TE). Serum cytokines were analyzed using a Luminex assay.

Results

Untreated CHB cases had mild ALT flares post‐partum, but showed normal TE, and no change in viral markers despite increased Th1 cytokines compared to healthy controls (P<.05).

Conclusion

CHB carriers show increased Th1 cytokines in the peripartum period albeit with no effect on viral load or liver disease suggesting an aborted antiviral immune response.
Allergen immunotherapy for allergic asthma: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Dhami S. , Kakourou A. , Asamoah F. , Agache I. , Lau S. , Jutel M. , Muraro A. , Roberts G. , Akdis C. A. , Bonini M. , Cavkaytar O. , Flood B. , Gajdanowicz P. , Izuhara K. , Kalayci Ö. , Mosges R. , Palomares O. , Pfaar O. , Smolinska S. , Sokolowska M. , Asaria M. , Netuveli G. , Zaman H. , Akhlaq A. , Sheikh A.
Published: May 2017

Background

To inform the development of the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology's (EAACI) Guidelines on Allergen Immunotherapy (AIT) for allergic asthma, we assessed the evidence on the effectiveness, cost‐effectiveness and safety of AIT.

Methods

We performed a systematic review, which involved searching nine databases. Studies were screened against predefined eligibility criteria and critically appraised using established instruments. Data were synthesized using random‐effects meta‐analyses.

Results

98 studies satisfied the inclusion criteria. Short‐term symptom scores were reduced with a standardized mean difference (SMD) of −1.11 (95% CI −1.66, −0.56). This was robust to a prespecified sensitivity analyses, but there was evidence suggestive of publication bias. Short‐term medication scores were reduced SMD −1.21 (95% CI −1.87, −0.54), again with evidence of potential publication bias. There was no reduction in short‐term combined medication and symptom scores SMD 0.17 (95% CI −0.23, 0.58), but one study showed a beneficial long‐term effect.

For secondary outcomes, subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) improved quality of life and decreased allergen‐specific airway hyperreactivity (AHR), but this was not the case for sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT). There were no consistent effects on asthma control, exacerbations, lung function, and nonspecific AHR.

AIT resulted in a modest increased risk of adverse events (AEs). Although relatively uncommon, systemic AEs were more frequent with SCIT; however no fatalities were reported.

The limited evidence on cost‐effectiveness was mainly available for sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) and this suggested that SLIT is likely to be cost‐effective.

Conclusions

AIT can achieve substantial reductions in short‐term symptom and medication scores in allergic asthma. It was however associated with a modest increased risk of systemic and local AEs. More data are needed in relation to secondary outcomes, longer‐term effectiveness and cost‐effectiveness.
Comparison of 5‐year oncological outcomes of breast cancer based on surgery type
Authors: Lee Jeeyeon , Jung Jin Hyang , Kim Wan Wook , Chae Yee Soo , Lee Soo Jung , Park Ho Yong
Published: May 2017

Background

A standardized classification system for breast surgery that incorporates oncoplastic techniques is needed. We classified the surgical techniques for breast cancer treatment into five groups according to the extent of surgery and reconstructive methods, i.e. conventional breast‐conserving surgery, partial mastectomy with volume displacement, partial mastectomy with volume replacement, simple mastectomy and total mastectomy with immediate reconstruction. We then evaluated the oncological outcomes for each of the five groups.

Methods

We analysed clinical data and 5‐year oncological results from patients with breast cancer who underwent breast surgery with reconstruction between 2008 and 2013. Local recurrence, distant metastasis and overall survival were investigated.

Results

In total, 1469 patients had 1504 breast surgeries performed with a mean follow‐up of 72.40 ± 16.76 months. There were 35 cases (2.3%) of locoregional recurrence and 85 cases (5.7%) of distant metastasis, and the 5‐year overall survival rate was 98.6%. No statistically significant differences were observed in local recurrence, distant metastasis or death among the five surgical technique groups (P = 0.218, 0.518 and 0.450, respectively).

Conclusion

Oncological outcomes among all patients and within each surgical technique group were excellent during the 5‐year follow‐up period. No significant differences in oncological results were observed among the five surgical technique groups.
Complexity, Dynamism, and Agency: How Can Dialectical Biology Inform Geography?
Authors: Royle Camilla
Published: May 2017

Dialectical approaches, variously interpreted, have been advocated for by geographers for several decades. At the same time, critical environmental geography has recently become dominated by vital materialist strands of thought, the advocates of which have sometimes framed their own work in opposition to dialectics. Critics perceive two major problems with a dialectical framework; that it cements a nature–society dualism and that it insufficiently accounts for the agency or vitality of non‐human life. This paper seeks to address these criticisms by engaging with work by biologists who have been influenced by dialectical ideas. I outline two examples, Richard Lewontin and Richard Levins’ understanding of the way organism and environment mutually construct each other and research by Ivette Perfecto and John Vandermeer that offers a non‐dualist approach to wildlife conservation in agricultural ecosystems. The article discusses some of the ways in which these understandings might inform contemporary debates in political ecology.
Exporter responses to FTA tariff preferences: evidence from Thailand
Authors: Jongwanich Juthathip , Kohpaiboon Archanun
Published: May 2017

This paper focuses on how exporters respond to free trade agreement (FTA) preferential schemes by analysing the administrative records of FTA implementation at the product level in Thailand. The key finding is that while there is growth in the number of FTAs with a potentially larger membership than existing FTAs, firms tend to prioritise existing FTAs. Moreover, only a narrow range of products are involved in applications for FTA preferential schemes. As a result, only one‐third of exports are covered by such arrangements. The key determinants of firms applying for preferential schemes include tariff margins, the ability to comply with rules of origins (ROOs) and the economic fundamentals influencing trade. Hence, it is less likely for FTAs to open up export opportunities for products that are either yet to be traded or of low prospective trade volume. Estimates of the costs of complying with ROOs average 8.6 per cent of tariff equivalence. The cost approaches zero for developed countries but is substantially higher for developing nations. The key policy inference is that the export‐enhancing effects of FTAs are passive at best, working only after economic fundamentals are established. For us to harness the trade‐inducing effects of FTAs, reducing costs incurred from the presence of ROOs from both exporting and importing countries should be the prime focus.
Exchange rate policy in the pacific: an evaluation of currency basket regimes
Authors: Yoshino Naoyuki , Helble Matthias , Danu Prasetyo Ahmad
Published: May 2017

The Pacific island countries have opted for exchange rate regimes with varying degrees of flexibility. Whereas several microstates have adopted an external currency as their legal tender, others have decided to use a basket currency, and yet others have chosen a managed float. The choice of exchange rate regime can have far reaching economic consequences. In the paper, we study the basket currency arrangements by Fiji, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, and Tonga. We first build a new four‐country exchange rate model that illustrates how monetary authorities should best determine the weights of the basket currencies given certain macroeconomic objective functions. In this model, we explicitly include tourism flows. In the second part of the paper, we estimate the de facto weights of foreign currencies in the currency basket of the four countries. We show how the composition has changed amid the global financial crisis. Finally, we demonstrate that the current weights are not optimal compared with the predictions of our model.
The impact of tax rebates on export performance: China's textile exports to the USA
Authors: Bao Qun , Hou Jack , Li Kunwang , Wang Xiaosong
Published: May 2017

The paper evaluates the effectiveness of China increasing its tax rebate on textile exports to the USA. Using the difference‐in‐differences technique and employing The Harmonized System six‐digit data, it is found that the tax rebate policy boosted the growth of textile exports to the USA. Approximately 6 to 25 per cent of the growth can be attributed to this policy. The difference‐in‐differences technique appears useful in evaluating such policies and opens the door to studies measuring the impact of polices. The effectiveness of the export tax rebate policy should be a lesson for policymakers facing slumps in their exports in economic downturns and perhaps become part of the standard trade policy arsenal.
Impacts of household loan regulation on financial stability: evidence from Korea
Authors: Shin Dong Jin , Kim Brian H.S.
Published: May 2017

The paper examines whether banking regulations and monetary policy contributed to controlling the fragility of household debt in Korea. The results show that housing loan regulations such as debt to income regulation contributed to a lower household debt delinquency ratio. Lowering the target interest rate provided additional stabilisation of the delinquency ratio. It is recommended that the government adopt an appropriate mix of regulation and monetary policy to control household financial fragility. The financial supervisory services need to be involved in managing debt to income regulation and minimising financial instability and financial market distortions. Further, the monetary authority has to adopt a more effective position in controlling the real lending interest rate and the delinquency ratio of household loans. Such a policy mix will improve effectiveness in controlling financial fragility, especially at a time of financial crisis.
Review article: recent insights into clinical decision‐making in severe alcoholic hepatitis
Authors: Dunne P. D. J. , Forrest E. H.
Published: May 2017

Background

Alcoholic hepatitis is a severe acute manifestation of alcoholic liver disease with a high mortality. Management of patients with this condition has been a matter of controversy for many years; however, recent clinical studies have sought to improve the clinical approach to these patients.

Aim

To use these recent studies in order to guide clinical management.

Methods

A MeSH search of Medline was performed to specifically identify recent studies which influenced clinical diagnosis, assessment and management of alcoholic hepatitis.

Results

Fulfilment of clear clinical criteria including a minimum threshold of bilirubin, defined periods of jaundice and alcohol ingestion negates the need for liver biopsy in most patients. Corticosteroids improve short‐term mortality only (28 day) with other factors such as abstinence likely to be significant in long‐term outcome. Pentoxifylline is not an effective treatment. The Glasgow Alcoholic Hepatitis Score (GAHS) score can identify those patients likely to benefit from corticosteroids, but scores that include the evolution of bilirubin over 1 week of such treatment (such as the Lille Score) define “response”. Underlying infection may contribute towards corticosteroid nonresponse and needs to be actively sought out and treated. Liver transplant remains controversial; however, it has been shown to be feasible in alcoholic hepatitis.

Conclusions

Recent studies have helped to define patients who may benefit from corticosteroid treatment. However, there remains a need for more accurate scores of prognosis and treatment response, and a clear need for alternative treatments for those patients not responding to corticosteroid therapy.
Psychological mechanisms and the ups and downs of personal recovery in bipolar disorder
Authors: Dodd Alyson L. , Mezes Barbara , Lobban Fiona , Jones Steven H.
Published: May 2017

Background

Personal recovery is recognized as an important outcome for individuals with bipolar disorder (BD) and is distinct from symptomatic and functional recovery. Recovery‐focused psychological therapies show promise. As with therapies aiming to delay relapse and improve symptoms, research on the psychological mechanisms underlying recovery is crucial to inform effective recovery‐focused therapy. However, empirical work is limited. This study investigated whether negative beliefs about mood swings and self‐referent appraisals of mood‐related experiences were negatively associated with personal recovery.

Design

Cross‐sectional online survey.

Method

People with a verified research diagnosis of BD (n = 87), recruited via relevant voluntary sector organizations and social media, completed online measures. Pearson's correlations and multiple regression analysed associations between appraisals, beliefs, and recovery.

Results

Normalizing appraisals of mood changes were positively associated with personal recovery. Depression, negative self‐appraisals of depression‐relevant experiences, extreme positive and negative appraisals of activated states, and negative beliefs about mood swings had negative relationships with recovery. After controlling for current mood symptoms, negative illness models (relating to how controllable, long‐term, concerning, and treatable mood swings are; β = −.38), being employed (β = .39), and both current (β = −.53) and recent experience of depression (β = .30) predicted recovery.

Limitations

Due to the cross‐sectional design, causality cannot be determined. Participants were a convenience sample primarily recruited online. Power was limited by the sample size.

Conclusions

Interventions aiming to empower people to feel able to manage mood and catastrophize less about mood swings could facilitate personal recovery in people with BD, which might be achieved in recovery‐focused therapy.

Practitioner points

Personal recovery is an important outcome for people living with bipolar disorder

More positive illness models are associated with better personal recovery in bipolar disorder, over and above mood symptoms

Recovery‐focused therapy should focus on developing positive illness models

Recovery‐focused therapy should address personally meaningful goals such as gaining employment
Goal disturbance changes pre/post‐renal transplantation are related to changes in distress
Authors: de Vries Alicia M. , Schulz Torben , Westerhuis Ralf , Navis Gerjan J. , Niesing Jan , Ranchor Adelita V. , Schroevers Maya J.
Published: May 2017

Objective

Renal transplantation (RTx) is considered the treatment of choice for end‐stage renal disease (ESRD) given its association with lower mortality, and improved overall quality of life and psychological functioning compared to dialysis. However, much less is known about which factors underlie these psychological improvements across RTx. Goal theory suggests that experienced disturbances in important goals are related to lower psychological functioning. This study aimed to (1) identify the most disturbed and most important goals for patients before RTx, (2) to examine changes in goal disturbance and goal importance pre/post‐RTx, and (3) to examine whether changes in goal disturbance are associated with changes in psychological distress over time, and whether this relationship is mediated by changes in perceived control.

Methods

In this longitudinal study, 220 patients completed questionnaires before and after RTx, including questionnaires to assess goals (GOALS questionnaire), psychological distress (GHQ‐12), and perceived control (Mastery scale).

Results

End‐stage renal disease affected both general and disease‐specific goals. Approximately 30% of the patients indicated to experience high or very high disturbance before transplantation. Goal disturbance generally decreased significantly pre‐ to post‐RTx, whereas goal importance did not change significantly pre‐ to post‐RTx. No mediation effect of perceived control was found. Instead, both changes in goal disturbance and perceived control showed independent effects on changes in distress.

Conclusions

Intervention strategies targeting attainable and realistic goal setting, and perceived control in RTx recipients who do not benefit optimally from RTx, might enhance psychological functioning in this population.

Statement of contribution

What is already known on this subject?

Kidney transplantation improves patients’ psychological functioning.

Experienced disturbances in important life goals are related to lower psychological functioning in chronic illness.

What does this study add?

Goal disturbance decreases after renal transplantation, and this is related to a decrease in distress over time.

Perceived control does not mediate the relationship between goal disturbance and distress pre/post‐transplantation.

Changes in perceived control have an additional main effect on changes in distress.
Validation of the Adolescent Drinking Expectancy Questionnaire and development of a short form
Authors: Patton Kiri A. , Connor Jason P. , Rundle‐Thiele Sharyn , Dietrich Timo , Young Ross McD. , Gullo Matthew J.
Published: May 2017

Aims

This study aimed to validate the Drinking Expectancy Questionnaire—Adolescent version (DEQ‐A) in a large adolescent sample and to develop and validate a brief measure, the Drinking Expectancy Questionnaire—Shortened Adolescent version (DEQ‐SA).

Design and Methods

Cross‐sectional survey of secondary school students (n = 2357, aged 13–16, M = 14.66 years, SD = 0.60). Students completed the DEQ‐A in school, and measures of alcohol consumption including the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test—Consumption. The data were randomly split, and Exploratory Factor Analysis was performed using subsample 1, and Confirmatory Factor Analysis and reliability and validity testing were performed using subsample 2.

Results

The 24‐item DEQ‐A was successfully reduced to 12 items (DEQ‐SA) without compromising psychometric properties. The DEQ‐A and the DEQ‐SA both demonstrated adequate‐to‐good fit to the data and very good internal reliability. The DEQ‐A and DEQ‐SA explained 20 and 18% of the variance in alcohol consumption. Adolescents who drank endorsed more positive alcohol expectancies, whereas alcohol‐naïve adolescents scored higher on negative alcohol expectancies. As the DEQ‐SA comprises two subscales of the DEQ‐A, the endorsement rates are applicable to both scales.

Discussion and Conclusions

The DEQ‐A and the short form of this scale developed in this study (DEQ‐SA) show good reliability, internal structure and account for a large proportion of variance in alcohol consumption. Both scales can assist in targeting cognitive change processes within tailored alcohol prevention and treatment approaches, and investigating hypothesised mechanisms of change. The DEQ‐SA is recommended for more time‐limited environments. [Patton KA, Connor JP, Rundle‐Thiele S, Dietrich T, Young RM, Gullo MJ. Validation of the Adolescent Drinking Expectancy Questionnaire and development of a short form.
Ensemble coding of faces occurs in children and develops dissociably from coding of individual faces
Authors: Rhodes Gillian , Neumann Markus , Ewing Louise , Bank Samantha , Read Ainsley , Engfors Laura M. , Emiechel Rachel , Palermo Romina
Published: May 2017

Ensemble coding allows adults to access useful information about average properties of groups, sometimes even in the absence of detailed representations of individual group members. This form of coding may emerge early in development with initial reports of ensemble coding for simple properties (size, numerosity) in young children and even infants. Here we demonstrate that ensemble coding of faces, which provides information about average properties of social groups, is already present in 6–8‐year‐old children. This access to average information increases with age from 6 to 18 years and its development is dissociable from age‐related improvements in the coding of individual face identities. This dissociation provides the first direct evidence that distinct processes underlie ensemble and individual coding of face identity, evidence that has been lacking from adult studies. More generally, our results add to the emerging evidence for impressively mature sensitivity to statistical properties of the visual environment in children. They indicate that children have access to gist information about social groups that may facilitate adaptive social behaviour.
Conceptualizations of fairness and legitimacy in the context of Ethiopian health priority setting: Reflections on the applicability of accountability for reasonableness
Authors: Petricca Kadia , Bekele Asfaw
Published: May 2017

A critical element in building stronger health systems involves strengthening good governance to build capacity for transparent and fair health planning and priority setting. Over the past 20 years, the ethical framework Accountability for Reasonableness (A4R) has been a prominent conceptual guide in strengthening fair and legitimate processes of health decision‐making. While many of the principles embedded within the framework are congruent with Western conceptualizations of what constitutes procedural fairness, there is a paucity in the literature that captures the degree of resonance between these principles and the views of decision makers from non‐Western settings; particularly in Africa, where many countries have only recently, within the last 20‐30 years, become more democratic. This paper contributes to the ethics literature by examining how Ethiopian decision makers conceptualize fair and legitimate health decision‐making, and reflects on the degree of conceptual resonance between these views and the principles embedded in A4R. A qualitative case study approach from three districts in Ethiopia was undertaken. Fifty‐eight decision makers from district, regional, zonal, and national levels were interviewed to describe their conceptualization of fairness and legitimacy in the district health planning process. Findings revealed that Ethiopians have a broad conception of fairness and legitimacy that while congruent with procedural justice, also aligned with principles of distributive and organizational justice. Researchers and practitioners seeking to strengthen procedural fairness in health priority setting must therefore recognize the significance of other philosophical dimensions influencing how fairness and legitimacy of health decision‐making are constructed within the Ethiopian setting.
Follow the leader! The peer effect in aid supply decisions
Authors: De Matteis Alessandro
Published: May 2017

This study assesses the existence of imitative behaviour among donors in terms of their aid supply. The urgency in addressing this subject is motivated by an increasing degree of aid volatility and unpredictability which may be linked to this imitative behaviour.

Our results highlight that while any connection among donor peers is a potential channel for the transmission of aid volatility, the extent of such volatility decreases significantly in the presence of established imitative behaviour.

This result suggests that the promotion of donor imitative behaviour would contribute to containing the current and growing trend of volatility in aid supply.
Actuarial senescence in laboratory and field populations of Lepidoptera
Authors: CARROLL JUSTIN , SHERRATT THOMAS N.
Published: May 2017

1. Recent observations of actuarial senescence – an increase in mortality rate with age – have challenged the assertion that the brevity of adult insect life spans precludes ageing.

2. Here the rate of senescence in 22 species of Lepidoptera was quantified by fitting demographic models to adult survivorship data drawn from a range of field and laboratory studies.

3. Senescence was evident in all 22 species investigated, with a model of age‐related mortality consistently fitting the survivorship curves significantly better than an alternative model which assumes constant mortality.

4. The rates of senescence varied significantly among species. The rates of senescence also differed significantly between sexes for all species tested, but not in a consistent way.
Host phylogeny and nutrient content drive galler diversity and abundance on willows
Authors: VOLF MARTIN , KADLEC JAN , BUTTERILL PHILIP T. , NOVOTNY VOJTECH
Published: May 2017

1. Different groups of specialised herbivores often exhibit highly variable responses to host plant traits and phylogeny. Gall‐forming insects and mites on willows are highly adapted to their hosts and represent one of the richest communities of gallers associated with a single genus of host plants.

2. The present study evaluated the effects of host plant secondary metabolites (salicylates, flavonoids, condensed tannins), physical traits (trichome density), nutrient content (N:C) and phylogeny on the abundance and richness of gall‐forming arthropods associated with eight willow species and Populus tremula.

3. Galler abundance was affected by N:C rather than by willow defensive traits or phylogeny, suggesting that gallers respond differently to host plant traits than to less specialised guilds, such as leaf‐chewing insects. None of the studied defensive traits had a significant effect on gall abundance. Gall morphospecies richness was correlated with the host phylogeny, mainly with the nodes representing the inner division of the willow subgenus Vetrix. This suggests that the radiation of some willow taxa could have been important for the speciation of gallers associated with willows.

4. In conclusion, it is shown that whereas willow traits, such as nutrient content, appeared to affect abundances of gallers, it is probably willow radiation that drives galler speciation.
A Framework for Policies and Practices to Improve Test Security Programs: Prevention, Detection, Investigation, and Resolution (PDIR)
Authors: Ferrara Steve
Published: May 2017

Test security is not an end in itself; it is important because we want to be able to make valid interpretations from test scores. In this article, I propose a framework for comprehensive test security systems: prevention, detection, investigation, and resolution. The article discusses threats to test security, roles and responsibilities, rigorous training for everyone involved in testing, and an evaluation of current practices in test security. I call on everyone responsible for testing programs—the Association of Test Publishers, Council of Chief State School Officers, National Council on Measurement in Education, U.S. Department of Education, and state assessment program managers, their vendors, and the research community—to collaborate on guidelines and practices for security violation prevention, detection, investigation, and resolution.
Mind the gap: temporal discrimination and dystonia
Authors: Sadnicka A. , Daum C. , Cordivari C. , Bhatia K. P. , Rothwell J. C. , Manohar S. , Edwards M. J.
Published: May 2017

Background and purpose

One of the most widely studied perceptual measures of sensory dysfunction in dystonia is the temporal discrimination threshold (TDT) (the shortest interval at which subjects can perceive that there are two stimuli rather than one). However the elevated thresholds described may be due to a number of potential mechanisms as current paradigms test not only temporal discrimination but also extraneous sensory and decision‐making parameters. In this study two paradigms designed to better quantify temporal processing are presented and a decision‐making model is used to assess the influence of decision strategy.

Methods

22 patients with cervical dystonia and 22 age‐matched controls completed two tasks (i) temporal resolution (a randomized, automated version of existing TDT paradigms) and (ii) interval discrimination (rating the length of two consecutive intervals).

Results

In the temporal resolution task patients had delayed (P = 0.021) and more variable (P = 0.013) response times but equivalent discrimination thresholds. Modelling these effects suggested this was due to an increased perceptual decision boundary in dystonia with patients requiring greater evidence before committing to decisions (P = 0.020). Patient performance on the interval discrimination task was normal.

Conclusions

Our work suggests that previously observed abnormalities in TDT may not be due to a selective sensory deficit of temporal processing as decision‐making itself is abnormal in cervical dystonia.
‘Comment on Saumitou et al. (2017): Elucidation of the genetic architecture of self‐incompatibility in olive: evolutionary consequences and perspectives for orchard management’
Authors: Breton Catherine , Koubouris Georgios , Villemur Pierre , Bervillé André Jean
Published: May 2017

The new self‐incompatibility system (SI) was presented by Saumitou‐Laprade, Vernet, Vekemans et al. (2017). Evolutionary Applications based on 89 crosses between varieties in the olive tree. Four main points are not clear. We are examining here as follows: (i) the assertion that the self‐incompatibility system is sporophytic was not sustained by pollen germination data; (ii) surprisingly, the new model does not explain that about one‐third of pairwise combinations of olive varieties leads to asymmetric fruit setting; (iii) DNA preparation from one seed may contain two embryos, and thus, embryos should be separated before seed extraction; (iv) although effective self‐fertility in olive varieties was reported by many studies, the DSI model fails to explain self‐fertility in some olive varieties. Moreover, we cannot discuss result data, as science cannot be verified because variety names were encoded, this does not allow comparison of data with previous works. The DSI model on olive self‐incompatibility should explain more features than the model based on four dominance levels shared by six S‐alleles. Perspectives for orchard management based on this model may face serious limitations. An olive variety does not have a fifty percent chance of cross‐incompatibility, but surely fewer, and thus, the sporophytic system limits fruit production. Evolutionary perspectives of self‐incompatibility in Oleaceae should include data from the Jasmineae tribe that displays heterostyly SI.
Local anaesthetic techniques for the equine head, towards guided techniques and new applications
Authors: Hermans H. , Veraa S. , Wolschrijn C. F. , van Loon J. P. A. M.
Published: May 2017

Perineural nerve blocks are often used in equine practice, especially since the use of diagnostic and surgical procedures in the standing sedated horse have expanded over recent decades. The purpose of this review is to discuss the different perineural nerve blocks for the equine head. The review starts with the currently most used blind approaches as described in textbooks and scientific studies. In human medicine, the role of guided techniques, such as ultrasound guidance, advanced imaging guidance and nerve stimulator guided techniques, is very extensively described. These techniques are promising to use in equine medicine as well. The first studies that describe these techniques in equine cases are also discussed in this review, as well as the possibilities for neuromodulation in equine pain syndromes like equine trigeminus‐mediated headshaking and the role of perineural nerve blocks in diagnosing this syndrome.
Elasmobranch fisheries in the Arabian Seas Region: Characteristics, trade and management
Authors: Jabado Rima W , Spaet Julia L Y
Published: May 2017

The Arabian Seas Region plays an important role in the global landings and trade of sharks and rays. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Yemen, two countries with stark socio‐economic differences, serve as major regional trade hubs for shark and ray products and four countries (Oman, Pakistan, UAE and Yemen) supply nearly 11% of dried fin exports to Hong Kong. Yet, little information is available on the characteristics of this trade and the fisheries contributing to it. Here, we review the fisheries characteristics, trade, utilization and distribution chain of sharks and rays in 15 countries of the Arabian Seas Region based on published and grey literature, landing surveys, field observations and interviews with fishermen and traders. Although regional shark fisheries remain mostly artisanal, reported shark and ray landings represent 28% of the regional total fish production, reaching 56,074 mt in 2012 (7.3% of total world catches), with Iran, Oman, Pakistan and Yemen ranking as the primary catchers. Utilization and distribution patterns are complex, vary between landing sites and countries, and remain unmonitored. Based on widespread over‐exploitation of most teleost fisheries, current exploitation levels for most sharks and rays are potentially unsustainable. The situation is exacerbated by limited research and political will to support policy development, the incomplete nature of fisheries data, as well as insufficient regulations and enforcement. A better understanding of shark and ray fisheries will be key for regulating trade, promoting conservation and developing management initiatives to secure food security, livelihoods and biodiversity conservation in the region.
Review of the ecosystem service implications of mangrove encroachment into salt marshes
Authors: Kelleway Jeffrey J. , Cavanaugh Kyle , Rogers Kerrylee , Feller Ilka C. , Ens Emilie , Doughty Cheryl , Saintilan Neil
Published: May 2017

Salt marsh and mangrove have been recognized as being among the most valuable ecosystem types globally in terms of their supply of ecosystem services and support for human livelihoods. These coastal ecosystems are also susceptible to the impacts of climate change and rising sea levels, with evidence of global shifts in the distribution of mangroves, including encroachment into salt marshes. The encroachment of woody mangrove shrubs and trees into herbaceous salt marshes may represent a substantial change in ecosystem structure, although resulting impacts on ecosystem functions and service provisions are largely unknown. In this review, we assess changes in ecosystem services associated with mangrove encroachment. While there is quantitative evidence to suggest that mangrove encroachment may enhance carbon storage and the capacity of a wetland to increase surface elevation in response to sea‐level rise, for most services there has been no direct assessment of encroachment impact. On the basis of current understanding of ecosystem structure and function, we theorize that mangrove encroachment may increase nutrient storage and improve storm protection, but cause declines in habitat availability for fauna requiring open vegetation structure (such as migratory birds and foraging bats) as well as the recreational and cultural activities associated with this fauna (e.g., birdwatching and/or hunting). Changes to provisional services such as fisheries productivity and cultural services are likely to be site specific and dependent on the species involved. We discuss the need for explicit experimental testing of the effects of encroachment on ecosystem services in order to address key knowledge gaps, and present an overview of the options available to coastal resource managers during a time of environmental change.
Oral flora in acute stroke patients: A prospective exploratory observational study
Authors: Boaden Elizabeth , Lyons Mary , Singhrao Sim K. , Dickinson Hazel , Leathley Michael , Lightbody Catherine E. , McLoughlin Alison , Khan Zarine , Crean Stjohn , Smith Craig , Higham Susan , Watkins Caroline
Published: May 2017

Objective

To describe the bacterial profile of the oral flora during the first 2 weeks following a stroke, examining changes in the condition of the oral cavity and infections.

Background

Dysphagia is common after a stroke and can lead to aspiration pneumonia. Oral flora changes associated with stroke have been implicated as a possible source of bacteria that can cause systemic infections.

Materials and methods

Seventy‐seven participants were recruited over a period of 9 months. Fifty participants had a complete set of swabs from four different oral sites and a saliva sample taken at three time points over a 14‐day period. Molecular identification of bacteria was performed on the pooled DNA extracted.

Results

A total of 103 bacterial phylotypes were identified, 29 of which were not in the Human Oral Microbiome Database (HOMD). Fourteen of the twenty most common bacterial phylotypes found in the oral cavity were Streptococcal species with Streptococcus salivarius being the most common. The condition of the oral cavity worsened during the study period. Fifteen (30%) patients had at least one infection.

Conclusions

There appears to be huge diversity of bacterial organisms in the oral cavity of stroke patients, and as most phylotypes identified were only found in one or two participants, no particular patterns linked to infection or the condition of the oral cavity could be discerned.
Local effects of the new land rush: How capital inflows transformed rural Russia
Authors: Wengle Susanne A.
Published: May 2017

Rising global prices for agricultural commodities have led to the inflow of capital to rural economies and to transfers of land ownership to new agricultural operators (NAOs) in developing and post‐Soviet countries. How capital inflows affect rural communities is often explained with the variable of institutional strength, an explanation aligned with the good governance approach to economic development: Capital inflows have positive developmental effects, if strong domestic institutions vet land deals and regulate NAOs. Contra the focus on institutional parameters as exogenous variables, this article highlights the role of political projects in shaping local outcomes and driving institutional change. Evolving political priorities are important to understand domestic rural transformations because they lead to interventions that privilege some actors as agents of change, while others are sidelined—hence transforming local economies. This theoretical suggestion is based on a study of Russia's rural transformation that followed a significant influx of capital.
Tics in TACs: A Step into an Avalanche? Systematic Literature Review and Conclusions
Authors: Wöber Christian
Published: May 2017

Background

Trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias (TACs) comprise cluster headache, paroxysmal hemicrania, short‐lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks, and hemicrania continua. In some cases, trigeminal neuralgia (TN, “tic douloureux”) or TN‐like pain may co‐occur with TACs.

Aim

This article will review the co‐occurrence and overlap of TACs and tics in order to contribute to a better understanding of the issue and an improved management of the patients.

Methods

For performing a systematic literature review Pubmed was searched using a total of ten terms. The articles identified were screened for further articles of relevance.

TACs are related to tics in various ways. TN or TN‐like paroxysms may co‐occur with CH, PH, and HC, labeled as cluster‐tic syndrome, PH‐tic syndrome, and HC‐tic syndrome. Such co‐occurrence was not only found in the primary TACs but also in secondary headaches resembling TACs. The initial onset of TAC and tic may be simultaneous or separated by months or years. In acute attacks, tic and TAC may occur concurrently or much more often independently of each other. The term “cluster‐tic syndrome” was also used in patients with a single type of pain in a twilight zone between TACs and TN fulfilling none of the relevant diagnostic criteria. Short‐lasting neuralgiform headache attacks overlap with TN in terms of clinical features, imaging findings, and therapy.
Aura and Other Neurologic Dysfunction in or with Migraine
Authors: Kissoon Narayan R. , Cutrer Fred Michael
Published: May 2017

Premise

Migraine can present with a wide range of neurological symptoms.

Problem

Based on currently available data, the symptoms of typical migraine aura are most likely related to cortical spreading depression (CSD), and evidence supports that CSD can lead to trigeminovascular activation resulting in the headache phase of migraine.

Potential Solution

An alternative diagnosis to migraine aura should be considered if migrainous headaches present with transient neurological symptoms that have features inconsistent with aura.
Phylogeography and diversification of an Amazonian understorey hummingbird: paraphyly and evidence for widespread cryptic speciation in the Plio‐Pleistocene
Authors: Araújo‐Silva Lucas E. , Miranda Leonardo S. , Carneiro Lincoln , Aleixo Alexandre
Published: May 2017

Straight‐billed Hermit Phaethornis bourcieri inhabits the understorey of upland terra firme forest throughout most of the Amazon basin. Currently, two allopatric taxa regarded as subspecies are recognized: P. b. bourcieri and P. b. major. However, the validity, interspecific limits and evolutionary history of these taxa are not yet fully elucidated. We use molecular characters to propose a phylogenetic hypothesis for populations and taxa grouped under Phaethornis bourcieri. Our results showed that P. bourcieri is part of the ‘Ametrornis’ clade, along with Phaethornis philippii and Phaethornis koepckeae, and that the subspecies major is more closely related to the latter two species than to populations grouped under nominate bourcieri. Our phylogenetic hypotheses recovered three main reciprocally monophyletic clades under nominate bourcieri separated by the lower Negro River and the Branco River or the Branco–Negro interfluve (clades B and C) and the upper Amazon (Solimões) or lower Marañon/Ucayali Rivers (clades C and D). Based on multi‐locus phylogeographic and population genetics approaches, we show that P. b. major is best treated as a separate species, and that P. b. bourcieri probably includes more than one evolutionary species, whose limits remain uncertain. The diversification of the ‘Ametrornis’ clade (P. bourcieri, P. philippii and P. koepckeae) is centred in the Amazon and appears to be closely linked to the formation of the modern Amazon drainage during the Plio‐Pleistocene.