bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A new procedure for extrapolating turnover regionalization at mid‐small spatial scales, tested onBritish butterflies
Authors: Dapporto Leonardo , Ciolli Gianni , Dennis Roger L. H. , Fox Richard , Shreeve Tim G.
Published: June 2015

Biotic regionalization provides fundamental information for biogeography and conservation. The current consensus is to couple turnover indices and clustering methods to identify regions with distinct biotic composition. Nevertheless, turnover indices can produce large numbers of zero and tied dissimilarity values generating multiple clustering solutions which vary according to the arbitrary order of cases in the input matrix. Zero and tied values are particularly numerous at mid‐small spatial scales where low signals for turnover occur. Turnover patterns can be also obscured by incomplete sampling.

We have designed a new method (recluster.region) based on the creation of a new dissimilarity matrix involving a continuous consensus of cell clustering among different random trees. This matrix minimizes the bias produced by zero and tied values before the final clustering. We created virtual data sets witha priorigenerated turnover areas and compared the power of the new and of classic methods in recognizing regionalization patterns on the basis of several evaluators (consistency among runs, correct attribution, mean silhouette width and explained dissimilarity) for different levels of sampling intensity [collection completeness (CC)]. We also used a real data set of British butterflies recorded for 10 × 10 km2cells to test our method.

All methods were sensitive to the order of cases in the dissimilarity matrix. Some methods (UPGMA,UPGMC,WPGMA,WPGMCand single linkage) also produced ineffective clustering solutions. Our recluster.region procedures had higher consistency compared to classic clustering and performed best in recognizing thea prioridetermined regions in virtual data sets (mostly when in association with Ward clustering). Moreover, for the real butterfly data set, recluster.region associated with Ward method and to a lesser extent withDIANAand complete linkage resulted in stable solutions, which largely agreed with the distribution of a set of species identified as responsible for generating the turnover pattern. The Ward method also performed best with low CC.

Regionalization can be greatly improved by using the recluster.region algorithm. For the data set of butterflies, it clearly revealed the occurrence of three faunistic regions, supporting the existence of a Holocene climatic refuge and a current Anthropocene refuge in northern and western Britain.
A new FST‐based method to uncover local adaptation using environmental variables
Authors: de Villemereuil Pierre , Gaggiotti Oscar E.
Published: June 2015

Genome‐scan methods are used for screening genomewide patterns of DNA polymorphism to detect signatures of positive selection. There are two main types of methods: (i) ‘outlier’ detection methods based on that detect loci with high differentiation compared to the rest of the genome and (ii) environmental association methods that test the association between allele frequencies and environmental variables.

We present a new ‐based genome‐scan method, BayeScEnv, which incorporates environmental information in the form of ‘environmental differentiation’. It is based on the F model, but, as opposed to existing approaches, it considers two locus‐specific effects: one due to divergent selection and the other due to various other processes different from local adaptation (e.g. range expansions, differences in mutation rates across loci or background selection). The method was developped in C++ and is available at http://github.com/devillemereuil/bayescenv.

A simulation study shows that our method has a much lower false positive rate than an existing ‐based method, BayeScan, under a wide range of demographic scenarios. Although it has lower power, it leads to a better compromise between power and false positive rate.

We apply our method to a human data set and show that it can be used successfully to study local adaptation. We discuss its scope and compare it to other existing methods.
Measuring resting energy expenditure during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: preliminary clinical experience with a proposed theoretical model
Authors: De Waele E. , van Zwam K. , Mattens S. , Staessens K. , Diltoer M. , Honoré P. M. , Czapla J. , Nijs J. , La Meir M. , Huyghens L. , Spapen H.
Published: June 2015

Background

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is increasingly used in patients with severe respiratory failure. Indirect calorimetry (IC) is a safe and non‐invasive method for measuring resting energy expenditure (REE). No data exist on the use of IC in ECMO‐treated patients as oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide elimination are divided between mechanical ventilation and the artificial lung. We report our preliminary clinical experience with a theoretical model that derives REE from IC measurements obtained separately on the ventilator and on the artificial lung.

Methods

A patient undergoing veno‐venous ECMO for acute respiratory failure due to bilateral pneumonia was studied. The calorimeter was first connected to the ventilator and oxygen consumption (VO2) and carbon dioxide transport (VCO2) were measured until steady state was reached. Subsequently, the IC was connected to the membrane oxygenator and similar gas analysis was performed. VO2 and VCO2 values at the native and artificial lung were summed and incorporated in the Weir equation to obtain a REEcomposite.

Results

At the ventilator level, VO2 and VCO2 were 29.5 ml/min and 16 ml/min. VO2 and VCO2 at the artificial lung level were 213 ml/min and 187 ml/min. Based on these values, a REEcomposite of 1703 kcal/day was obtained. The Faisy–Fagon and Harris–Benedict equations calculated a REE of 1373 and 1563 kcal/day.

Conclusion

We present IC‐acquired gas analysis in ECMO patients. We propose to insert individually obtained IC measurements at the native and the artificial lung in the Weir equation for retrieving a measured REEcomposite.
Probiotics in obstetrics and gynaecology
Authors: Griffin Christopher
Published: June 2015

Despite the great advances in modern medicine, our understanding of the most basic function of our complete genetic makeup is extremely poor. Our complete genetic make up is complemented by 100 trillion cells living within or on our body and is called the microbiome. Manipulation of the microbiome is in the embryological stages of investigation but promises great hope in targeting both pregnancy specific and general medical / gynaecological conditions. This review presents an undertanding of the microbiome manipulation with probiotics in women's health in 2015.
A randomised clinical trial to assess satisfaction with the levonorgestrel‐ releasing intrauterine system inserted at caesarean section compared to postpartum placement
Authors: Braniff Kathleen , Gomez Edmund , Muller Reinhold
Published: June 2015

Background

Insertion of levonorgestrel‐releasing intrauterine system (LNG‐IUS) at caesarean section (CS) provides contraception prior to resumption of ovulation or sexual activity. Patient satisfaction with insertion at CS has not previously been studied.

Aims

The aim of this study was to compare patient satisfaction with LNG‐IUS inserted at the time of lower uterine segment CS to six weeks postpartum.

Materials and Methods

Open‐label randomised controlled trial. Women booked for elective CS were randomised to LNG‐IUS insertion either at the time of CS (study group) or at six weeks postpartum (control group). The primary outcome measure was patient satisfaction. Outcomes were measured at six weeks, three months and six months postpartum.

Results

Forty‐eight women were randomised into two treatment groups. Twenty‐five women were randomised to have LNG‐IUS inserted at the time of CS, 23 of whom had the planned intervention and two had the LNG‐IUS inserted postpartum. Twenty‐three women were randomised to the control group, four of whom withdrew prior to treatment. The 44 remaining women contributed to data analysis. Patient satisfaction was high and similar in both groups. At six months postpartum, 90.5% of the study group were very satisfied or somewhat satisfied compared with 88.2% of the control group.

Conclusions

Patient satisfaction is high with LNG‐IUS insertion at CS and not different to that with delayed insertion. LNG‐IUS insertion may be an option for women who find postpartum contraception difficult to access.
Clinical outcomes of mesh exposure/extrusion: presentation, timing and management
Authors: Lo Tsia‐Shu , Tan Yiap Loong , Cortes Eileen Feliz M. , Wu Pei‐Ying , Pue Leng Boi , AL‐Kharabsheh Ahlam
Published: June 2015

Background

The Food and Drug Administration has recently highlighted an increase in reported complications associated with the use of transvaginal mesh.

Aims

To describe the clinical outcomes, presentation, timing and management of mesh exposure/extrusion

Materials and Methods

Retrospective study from December 2006 to March 2012. A total of 40 women had vaginal mesh exposure/extrusion secondary to prior transvaginal mesh (TVM) surgery. Descriptive statistics were used for demographics and pre‐operative data. Paired‐samples t‐test was applied for comparison of pre‐ and postoperation. A P value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

The mesh exposure/extrusion rate was noted to be 2.64% (17/642). Vaginal bleeding in 29 of 40 (72.5%) and hispareunia in 12 of 13 (92.3%) were identified as the most common symptoms for mesh exposure/extrusion. The onset of complications occurred in two peaks: between 3 and 4 months and after 1‐year of follow‐up. Initial conservative treatment was given for 12.5% (5/40) of women, while 87.5% (35/40) had undergone repair for mesh exposure/extrusion (21 outpatient and 14 inpatient cases). Among those who had conservative treatment, 80% (4/5) had persistent mesh exposure.

Conclusion

Persistent or new‐onset abnormal vaginal bleeding and hispareunia after TVM surgery should be considered as ‘red flag’ symptoms for mesh exposure/extrusion. Frequent follow‐up from the first 3–4 months up to 1 year postoperative may identify complications. Utilisation of mesh excision or trimming as the initial means of treatment may yield a better outcome.
Oceans apart, yet connected: Findings from a qualitative study on professional supervision in rural and remote allied health services
Authors: Ducat Wendy , Martin Priya , Kumar Saravana , Burge Vanessa , Abernathy LuJuana
Published: June 2015

Objective

Improving the quality and safety of health care in Australia is imperative to ensure the right treatment is delivered to the right person at the right time. Achieving this requires appropriate clinical governance and support for health professionals, including professional supervision. This study investigates the usefulness and effectiveness of and barriers to supervision in rural and remote Queensland.

Design

As part of the evaluation of the Allied Health Rural and Remote Training and Support program, a qualitative descriptive study was conducted involving semi‐structured interviews with 42 rural or remote allied health professionals, nine operational managers and four supervisors. The interviews explored perspectives on their supervision arrangements, including the perceived usefulness, effect on practice and barriers.

Results

Themes of reduced isolation; enhanced professional enthusiasm, growth and commitment to the organisation; enhanced clinical skills, knowledge and confidence; and enhanced patient safety were identified as perceived outcomes of professional supervision. Time, technology and organisational factors were identified as potential facilitators as well as potential barriers to effective supervision.

Conclusions

This research provides current evidence on the impact of professional supervision in rural and remote Queensland. A multidimensional model of organisational factors associated with effective supervision in rural and remote settings is proposed identifying positive supervision culture and a good supervisor–supervisee fit as key factors associated with effective arrangements.
Anal incontinence among first time mothers – What happens in pregnancy and the first year after delivery?
Authors: Johannessen Hege Hølmo , Wibe Arne , Stordahl Arvid , Sandvik Leiv , Mørkved Siv
Published: June 2015

Introduction

Pregnancy‐ and delivery‐related factors affect postpartum anal incontinence. We aimed to explore changes in continence status among primiparas from late pregnancy through the first year postpartum.

Material and methods

In this prospective cohort study set in two Norwegian hospitals, 862 healthy primiparas completed questionnaires about the main outcome measure anal incontinence, including flatus incontinence and urgency, at three time points; late pregnancy, 6 and 12 months postpartum. Socioeconomic and delivery‐related data were obtained from hospital records. Logistic regression analyses were applied to determine the association between continence status at 12 months postpartum, and continence status in late pregnancy, 6 months postpartum, demographic and delivery‐related characteristics.

Results

Among the 189 (22%) primiparas reporting anal incontinence in late pregnancy, 34 (18%) had persistent anal incontinence 1 year later. Forty‐eight (43%) of the 113 women incontinent at 6 months postpartum experienced persistent anal incontinence at 12 months. Eight percent of previously continent women reported new onset anal incontinence at 6 and 12 months after delivery. Occipitoposterior presentation was the only delivery‐related factor increasing the risk of postpartum anal incontinence [odds ratio (OR) 1.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.0–3.4]. Young age increased the risk of anal incontinence at 1 year after delivery, whereas incontinence in late pregnancy increased the risk of anal incontinence persisting through 6 and 12 months postpartum.

Conclusion

In most first‐time mothers with postpartum anal incontinence, the onset of anal incontinence was before delivery. Except for occipitoposterior presentation, no delivery‐related factors increased the risk of postpartum anal incontinence. This may indicate that hormonal, mechanical or neuromuscular changes in pregnancy affect long‐term anal incontinence more than vaginal delivery.
Limitations of a morphological criterion of adaptive inference in the fossil record
Authors: Ravosa Matthew J. , Menegaz Rachel A. , Scott Jeremiah E. , Daegling David J. , McAbee Kevin R.
Published: June 2015

Experimental analyses directly inform how an anatomical feature or complex functions during an organism's lifetime, which serves to increase the efficacy of comparative studies of living and fossil taxa. In the mammalian skull, food material properties and feeding behaviour have a pronounced influence on the development of the masticatory apparatus. Diet‐related variation in loading magnitude and frequency induce a cascade of changes at the gross, tissue, cellular, protein and genetic levels, with such modelling and remodelling maintaining the integrity of oral structures vis‐à‐vis routine masticatory stresses. Ongoing integrative research using rabbit and rat models of long‐term masticatory plasticity offers unique insight into the limitations of functional interpretations of fossilised remains. Given the general restriction of the palaeontological record to bony elements, we argue that failure to account for the disparity in the hierarchical network of responses of hard versus soft tissues may overestimate the magnitude of the adaptive divergence that is inferred from phenotypic differences. Second, we note that the developmental onset and duration of a loading stimulus associated with a given feeding behaviour can impart large effects on patterns of intraspecific variation that can mirror differences observed among taxa. Indeed, plasticity data are relevant to understanding evolutionary transformations because rabbits raised on different diets exhibit levels of morphological disparity comparable to those found between closely related primate species that vary in diet. Lastly, pronounced variation in joint form, and even joint function, can also characterise adult conspecifics that differ solely in age. In sum, our analyses emphasise the importance of a multi‐site and hierarchical approach to understanding determinants of morphological variation, one which incorporates critical data on performance.
The association between Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and metabolic syndrome: a statistical modelling approach
Authors: Ranasinha S. , Joham A.E. , Norman R.J. , Shaw J.E. , Zoungas S. , Boyle J. , Moran L. , Teede H.J.
Published: June 2015

Objective

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects 12–21% of women. Women with PCOS exhibit clustering of metabolic features. We applied rigorous statistical methods to further understand the interplay between PCOS and metabolic features including insulin resistance, obesity and androgen status.

Design

Retrospective cross‐sectional analysis.

Patients

Women with PCOS attending reproductive endocrine clinics in South Australia for the treatment of PCOS (n = 172). Women without PCOS (controls) in the same Australian region (n = 335) from the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study (AusDiab), a national population‐based study (age‐ and BMI‐matched within one standard deviation of the PCOS cohort).

Measurements

The factor structure for metabolic syndrome for women with PCOS and control groups was examined, specifically, the contribution of individual factors to metabolic syndrome and the association of hyperandrogenism with other metabolic factors.

Results

Women with PCOS demonstrated clustering of metabolic features that was not observed in the control group. Metabolic syndrome in the PCOS cohort was strongly represented by obesity (standardized factor loading = 0·95, P < 0·001) and insulin resistance factors (loading = 0·92, P < 0·001) and moderately by blood pressure (loading = 0·62, P < 0·001) and lipid factors (loading = 0·67, P = 0·002). On further analysis, the insulin resistance factor strongly correlated with the obesity (r = 0·70, P < 0·001) and lipid factors (r = 0·68, P < 0·001) and moderately with the blood pressure factor (loading = 0·43, P = 0·002). The hyperandrogenism factor was moderately correlated with the insulin resistance factor (r = 0·38, P < 0·003), but did not correlate with any other metabolic factors.

Conclusions

PCOS women are more likely to display metabolic clustering in comparison with age‐ and BMI‐matched control women. Obesity and insulin resistance, but not androgens, are independently and most strongly associated with metabolic syndrome in PCOS.
On Variational and PDE‐Based Distance Function Approximations
Authors: Belyaev Alexander G. , Fayolle Pierre‐Alain
Published: June 2015

In this paper, we deal with the problem of computing the distance to a surface (a curve in two dimensional) and consider several distance function approximation methods which are based on solving partial differential equations (PDEs) and finding solutions to variational problems. In particular, we deal with distance function estimation methods related to the Poisson‐like equations and generalized double‐layer potentials. Our numerical experiments are backed by novel theoretical results and demonstrate efficiency of the considered PDE‐based distance function approximations.
The Effect of Insertion Torque on the Clinical Outcome of Single Implants: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Barone Antonio , Alfonsi Fortunato , Derchi Giacomo , Tonelli Paolo , Toti Paolo , Marchionni Saverio , Covani Ugo
Published: June 2015

Background

The insertion torque value has been extensively used as an indicator for implant primary stability, which is considered a determining parameter for the implants success.

Purpose

The primary goal of the present randomized clinical trial was to evaluate and compare the clinical outcome for implants placed with high insertion torque (between 50 Ncm and 100 Ncm) and regular insertion torque (within 50 Ncm) in healed ridges.

Materials and Methods

Partially edentulous patients, missing one or more mandibular or maxillary teeth, having an adequate amount of bone, requiring implant placement, were randomized to receive Blossom CT implants with regular insertion torque (<50 Ncm) or CT implants with high insertion torque (≥50 Ncm). Implants were left to heal submerged for 3 months. Implants were restored with individualized abutments and cemented metal‐ceramic crowns. Acquired measurements were: insertion torque values (IT), thickness of buccal bone plate after implant osteotomy preparation (BBT), marginal bone level (MBL), and facial soft tissue level (FST). All patients were followed 12 months after implant placement.

Results

One hundred sixteen implants were placed in one hundred sixteen patients and enrolled for the study. Fifty‐eight implants were randomly allocated in regular‐IT and high‐IT groups with a mean insertion torque ranging from 20 Ncm to 50 Ncm and from 50 Ncm to 100 Ncm, respectively. Three implants failed, and another five implants showed at the 12‐month evaluation a marginal bone loss (ΔMBL) greater than 1.5 mm, being considered unsuccessful.

Conclusions

The findings suggested that implants inserted with high‐IT (≥50 Ncm) in healed bone ridges showed more peri‐implant bone remodeling and buccal soft tissue recession than implants inserted with a regular‐IT (<50 Ncm). Moreover, sites with a thick buccal bone wall (≥1 mm) – after implant osteotomy site preparation – seemed to be less prone to buccal soft tissue recession after 12 months than sites with a thin buccal bone wall (<1 mm).
Associations of intramyocellular lipid in vastus lateralis and biceps femoris with blood free fatty acid and muscle strength differ between young and elderly adults
Authors: Hioki Maya , Kanehira Nana , Koike Teruhiko , Saito Akira , Takahashi Hideyuki , Shimaoka Kiyoshi , Sakakibara Hisataka , Oshida Yoshiharu , Akima Hiroshi
Published: June 2015

The present study aimed to determine relationships between intramyocellular lipid and biochemical profiles or muscle strength in elderly (n = 15; mean age, 71 years) and young (n = 15; mean age, 21 years) male and female adults. Levels of intramyocellular lipid in the vastus lateralis and biceps femoris muscles were determined using 1H‐magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Fasting blood samples were collected to measure levels of glucose, insulin, haemoglobin A1c, total cholesterol, high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, free fatty acid, triglyceride, adiponectin, and high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein. Muscle strength was assessed as maximal voluntary contraction during isometric knee extension. Muscle cross‐sectional area in the vastus lateralis was measured using magnetic resonance imaging. Specific force (N cm−2) indicating force generation capacity was calculated as muscle strength (N) divided by the muscle cross‐sectional area of the vastus lateralis (cm2). The intramyocellular lipid content was similar in both muscles in both groups. The intramyocellular lipid content in the biceps femoris significantly correlated with serum free fatty acid levels (r = 0·62, P<0·05), and that in the vastus lateralis significantly and inversely correlated with specific force (r = −0·58, P<0·05) in the young, but not in the elderly adults. The relationship between the intramyocellular lipid content in the thigh muscles and biochemical profiles, or specific force differed between elderly and young adults. Age‐associated changes in morphology, function and metabolic factors apparently influence intramyocellular lipid metabolism in the thigh muscles.
Evidence for habitat and climatic specializations driving the long‐term distribution trends of UK and Irish bumblebees
Authors: Casey L. M. , Rebelo H. , Rotheray E. , Goulson D.
Published: June 2015

Aim

There is widespread concern over the current state of global pollinator populations; however, lack of monitoring means patterns of decline are not well characterized. We aimed to investigate the influence of habitat and climate specializations on bumblebee distribution trends over time using long‐term species data.

Location

Our study is based on data from the UK and Ireland, for which the most comprehensive set of bumblebee records exists. Previous analysis of the UK data highlighted severe range contractions for a number of species by the 1980s.

Methods

We use the most current dataset to quantify the extent of range change over three time periods (pre‐1960, 1960–80 and 1981–2012) and to investigate whether species are becoming more marginal, that is occupying areas with more extreme or specialized climatic conditions within the UK and Ireland. For species that have contracted or become more marginal, we predict their climatic specialization within the UK and Ireland using Maxent models, allowing us to associate records with climatic suitability values for each time period and to investigate whether or not species are contracting towards their climatic optimum.

Results

We find that populations of most rare bumblebee species appear to have stabilized post‐1980, while the more common species appear to have expanded in range. However, rare species tend to have become more marginal in the sites they occupy post‐1980, some have contracted towards their predicted climatic optimum and some of which also retracted towards coastal areas.

Main conclusions

Our results provide a mixed picture of the state of the UK and Ireland's bumblebee fauna, and must be interpreted with caution as changing patterns of recorder effort may distort real trends. They highlight the need for future monitoring of the abundance of pollinators on both a regional and global scale.
Attitudes toward Post‐Trial Access to Medical Interventions: A Review of Academic Literature, Legislation, and International Guidelines
Authors: Cook Kori , Snyder Jeremy , Calvert John
Published: June 2015

There is currently no international consensus around post‐trial obligations toward research participants, community members, and host countries. This literature review investigates arguments and attitudes toward post‐trial access. The literature review found that academic discussions focused on the rights of research participants, but offered few practical recommendations for addressing or improving current practices. Similarly, there are few regulations or legislation pertaining to post‐trial access. If regulatory changes are necessary, we need to understand the current arguments, legislation, and attitudes towards post‐trial access and participants and community members. Given that clinical trials conducted in low‐income countries will likely continue, there is an urgent need for consideration of post‐trial benefits for participants, communities, and citizens of host countries. While this issue may not be as pressing in countries where participants have access to healthcare and medicines through public schemes, it is particularly important in regions where this may not be available.
The biology of circulating microRNAs in cardiovascular disease
Authors: Min Pil‐Ki , Chan Stephen Y.
Published: June 2015

Background

Since their first description in mammalian cells, more than 2500 microRNA molecules have been predicted or verified within human cells. Recently, extracellular microRNAs have been described, protected from degradation by specialized packaging in extracellular vesicles or RNA‐binding proteins.

Materials and methods

We will discuss recent data regarding circulating microRNAs, their potential role as novel biomarkers and intercellular communicators, as well as future challenges of studying and applying such novel biology, particularly in the cardiovascular system.

Results

Circulating microRNAs have been proposed as attractive candidates as both diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in various diseases, including a spectrum of cardiovascular conditions. Moreover, consistent with our evolving appreciation of the role of exosomes and microvesicles in intercellular communication, it has been proposed that delivery of active microRNAs to recipient tissues may serve as a primary mode of intercellular communication. Indeed, the transfer of functional microRNAs has been demonstrated in in vitro models and has been reported in a few in vivo contexts. In addition, therapeutic application of extracellular microRNAs has also been explored.

Conclusion

Over recent years, increasing attention has been paid to the role of circulating miRNAs in cardiovascular disease. As biomarkers and intercellular communicators, circulating miRNAs could play important roles in the prediction, diagnosis and tailored treatment of cardiovascular diseases in the near future.
Mothers' and Fathers' Responses to Children's Negative Emotions: Family and Physiological Correlates
Authors: Blandon Alysia Y.
Published: June 2015

Parental physiological regulation and coparenting conflict were examined as correlates of mothers' and fathers' reactions to children's negative emotions. A within‐family design that included 70 families (mother, father, and two siblings between the ages of 2 and 5) was used. Parents completed questionnaires about their reactions to children's negative emotions and the other parent's coparenting. Parents' respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) was measured during a baseline task. Mothers were more emotionally supportive and less negative in response to children's negative emotions than fathers. The results from actor–partner interdependence models indicated that fathers' baseline RSA was positively associated with their own and the mothers' supportive reactions to children's negative emotions. Fathers reported using more negative parenting when mothers had higher baseline RSA. Coparenting conflict accounted for between‐family differences in parenting. The findings underscore the need for a greater focus on the complex family processes associated with mothers' and fathers' emotion‐related parenting behaviors.
Family Contexts of Informal Sex Education: Young Men's Perceptions of First Sexual Images
Authors: Allen Katherine R. , Lavender‐Stott Erin S.
Published: June 2015

Guided by a feminist perspective, the authors examined young men's recollection of their reactions to and the familial and social contexts in which they realized that they were seeing an explicit sexual image for the first time. The sample consisted of 199 young men enrolled in a human sexuality class who responded to questions regarding the what, when, where, with whom, and how they felt about and reacted to seeing a sexualized image. On average, participants were in elementary school and without adult supervision when they found their first image in a form of media that was readily available in the home. Implications for family life education for both parents and children include direct and knowledgeable communication about sexuality to counter the often sensationalizing, objectifying, and entitled culture in which boys are informally initiated into adult sexuality.
A time for every season: soil aggregate turnover stimulates decomposition and reduces carbon loss in grasslands managed for bioenergy
Authors: Bach Elizabeth M. , Hofmockel Kirsten S.
Published: June 2015

A primary goal of many next‐generation bioenergy systems is to increase ecosystem services such as soil carbon (C) storage and nutrient retention. Evaluating whether bioenergy management systems are achieving these goals is challenging in part because these processes occur over long periods of time at varying spatial scales. Investigation of microbially mediated soil processes at the microbe scale may provide early insights into the mechanisms driving these long‐term ecosystem services. Furthermore, seasonal fluctuations in microbial activity are rarely considered when estimating whole ecosystem functioning, but are central to decomposition, soil structure, and realized C storage. Some studies have characterized extracellular enzyme activity within soil structures (aggregates); however, seasonal variation in decomposition at the microscale remains virtually unknown, particularly in managed ecosystems. As such, we hypothesize that temporal variation in aggregate turnover is a strong regulator of microbial activity, with important implications for decomposition and C and nitrogen (N) storage in bioenergy systems. We address variation in soil microbial extracellular enzyme activity spatially across soil aggregates and temporally across two growing seasons in three ecosystems managed for bioenergy feedstock production: Zea mays L. (corn) agroecosystem, fertilized and unfertilized reconstructed tallgrass prairie. We measured potential N‐acetyl‐glucosaminidase (NAG), β‐glucosidase (BG), β‐xylosidase (BX), and cellobiohydrolase (CB) enzyme activity. Aggregate turnover in prairie systems was driven by precipitation events and seasonal spikes in enzyme activity corresponded with aggregate turnover events. In corn monocultures, soil aggregates turned over early in the growing season, followed by increasing, albeit low, enzyme activity throughout the growing season. Independent of management system or sampling date, NAG activity was greatest in large macroaggregates (>2000 μm) and CB activity was greatest in microaggregates (<250 μm). High microbial activity coupled with greater aggregation in prairie bioenergy systems may reduce loss of soil organic matter through decomposition and increase soil C storage.
Major Minor Form: Marginalia on Rahel Levin Varnhagen's Rahel. Ein Buch des Andenkens für ihre Freunde
Authors: Krauss Andrea
Published: June 2015

In this article, I outline theoretical approaches to an exuberant work: Rahel Levin Varnhagen's posthumously published writing project, Rahel. Ein Buch des Andenkens für ihre Freunde. A disparate constellation of Rahel's letters, excerpts from her diaries, aphoristic reflections, dreams, and multiple‐page essays on various topics, this project challenges the discursive format of the book and calls for further reflections on its principles of formation. In this essay, I undertake these reflections with regard to paratextual fringe zones, strategies of beginning and ending, questions of wholeness and fragmentariness, genre‐theoretical paradigms, and the concept of a work. I argue that the Buch des Andenkens should not be situated first and foremost with in the context of autobiography and the author function, but rather should be seen as a historically new and different form of the novel, along the lines of Goethe's Wanderjahre. This form is one that revises its principle of formation (dis)continuously in its process of becoming and thusmaywell transcend any norm of a work.
Narrating Silence: Gerhard Roth's Am Abgrund
Authors: Newman Gail
Published: June 2015

Gerhard Roth's novel from 1986, Am Abgrund, stands at the center of hismonumental and multi‐genre cycle, Die Archive des Schweigens. On one level, the novel can be read as an allegory of modern Austria, which Roth has called a “Reich des Schweigens.” Its main protagonists—the mute, ostensibly insane Lindner and the law student‐cum‐murderer Jenner—could represent the twinned dimensions of post‐war Austrian silence: guilt and trauma. More broadly, Am Abgrund enacts a post‐rational subjectivity that is dispersed over a ground of multivalent and supremely powerful silence. Narrative agency, scattered among multiple figures, is attenuated to the point of nearly disappearing. Roth has said “das Untersuchen ist eine Krankheitvon mir,” an illness he shares with the novel's third protagonist, the magistrate Sonnenberg. But through this pathologically tinged compulsion, Roth's fiction ultimately makes present a mute reality that can only be traced and silhouetted, but never penetrated, by language.
Self‐reported exhaustion associated with physical activity among older adults
Authors: Tsutsumimoto Kota , Doi Takehiko , Shimada Hiroyuki , Makizako Hyuma , Yoshida Daisuke , Uemura Kazuki , Anan Yuya , Park Hyuntae , Suzuki Takao
Published: June 2015

Aim

Self‐reported exhaustion (SE) is a clinical complaint that is associated with a wide range of chronic diseases. However, the association of SE with physical activity, physical function or cognitive function among the older adult Japanese population is unclear. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of SE, as well as whether physical function, cognitive function and physical activity were significant covariates.

Methods

A total of 4607 adults (mean age 71 years) were considered eligible for participation based on the study criteria. SE was evaluated using the Study of Osteoporotic Fracture Index. We also evaluated physical activity, physical function (grip strength, Timed Up & Go) and cognitive function (Mini‐Mental State Examination, Trail Making Test part A and B, Symbol Digit Substitution Task).

Results

The prevalence of SE ranged from 40.9% to 55.0%, and significantly increased with age. The results of the multiple logistic regression analyses showed that in the adjusted model of the 65–69 years age group, physical activity, Timed Up & Go and Symbol Digit Substitution Task were independently associated with SE. In the 70–79 years age group, physical activity, Timed Up & Go, Trail Making Test part A and B and Symbol Digit Substitution Task were independently associated with exhaustion. Only physical activity was associated with exhaustion in the ≥80 years age group.

Conclusions

The prevalence of SE increased with age in the older adult Japanese population. Exhaustion was strongly associated with reduced daily physical activity, especially in those aged ≥80 years. Further studies should be carried out to determine if physical activity causes SE. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2016; 16: 625–630.
Associations between healthy lifestyles and health outcomes among older Koreans
Authors: Lyu Jiyoung , Lee Seungah H , Kim Hae‐Young
Published: June 2015

Aim

Healthy lifestyles have been found to be positively associated with physical and mental health outcomes in later life. Although multiple health behaviors have the potential to enhance health among older adults, little is known about a multiple behavior approach. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between multiple healthy lifestyles and health outcomes among Korean older adults.

Methods

The study sample consisted of 3844 Korean older adults aged 65 years and older from a cross‐section sample being followed in the nationally representative dataset, the 2012 Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Healthy lifestyles included non‐smoking, normal drinking, physical activity and normal weight. Adjusting for covariates (age, sex, marital status, education, household income and having chronic condition), a multivariate logistic regression was carried out to examine self‐rated health, disability, cognitive impairment and depression as four individual health outcomes.

Results

Compared with respondents with no healthy lifestyle factors, respondents with at least one healthy lifestyle factor had better self‐rated health, respondents with at least two healthy lifestyle factors had reduced risk of disability, and respondents with at least three healthy lifestyle factors had reduced risk of cognitive impairment. Interestingly, having just two or three healthy lifestyle factor was associated with reduced risk of depression.

Conclusions

These results suggest that older Koreans with more healthy lifestyles are healthier than those with less healthy lifestyles. Also, the association between multiple healthy lifestyle factors and health outcomes is different by specific health outcome, showing different mechanisms between multiple healthy lifestyle factors and each health outcome. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2016; 16: 663–669.
Factors related to low serum vitamin B12 levels in elderly patients with non‐atrophic gastritis in contrast to patients with normal vitamin B12 levels
Authors: Kalkan Çağdaş , Karakaya Fatih , Tüzün Ali , Gençtürk Zeynep Bıyıklı , Soykan Irfan
Published: June 2015

Aim

Vitamin B12 deficiency is frequent in older patients, and the main reason is pernicious anemia. However, vitamin B12 deficiency can occur in patients who do not have atrophic gastritis. The aim of the present study was to investigate factors affecting serum vitamin B12 levels in older patients with non‐atrophic gastritis.

Methods

A total of 1256 out of 1607 patients aged over 60 years who had undergone upper gastrointestinal endoscopy for various reasons, and who had serum vitamin B12 value and were diagnosed as having “non‐atrophic gastritis” were analyzed by means of factors affecting low serum vitamin B12 levels.

Results

Non‐atrophic gastritis patients were divided into two groups: patients with normal serum vitamin B12 (group I, n = 759) and patients with low serum vitamin B12 (group II, n = 497). The median serum vitamin B12 was 339 pg/mL (range 201–987 pg/mL) in group I and 180 pg/mL (range 50–200 pg/mL) in group II. Helicobacter pylori (n = 154 vs 325, P < 0.001), neutrophil activity (n = 176 vs 367, P < 0.001), intestinal metaplasia (n = 35 vs 14, P < 0.001) and inflammation (n = 230 vs 386, P < 0.001) were present significantly more often in group II compared with group I. A total of 785 patients were both negative for Helicobacter pylori and atrophy. Of these 785 patients, neutrophil activity (n = 56, [32.6%] vs 25, [4.4%], P < 0.001) and inflammation (n = 69, [40.1%] vs 82, [13.4%], P < 0.001) scores were present significantly more often in group II compared with group I.

Conclusions

Helicobacter pylori was present significantly more often in older patients whose serum vitamin B12 levels were ≤200 pg/mL, and Helicobacter pylori density was inversely correlated with serum B12 level. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopic examination should be suggested for elderly patients with serum vitamin B12 level ≤200 pg/mL. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2015; ●●: ●●–●●.
Negotiating Contestations and ‘Chaotic Conceptions’: Engaging ‘Non‐Traditional’ Students in Higher Education
Authors: Trowler Vicki
Published: June 2015

Student engagement has been widely hailed as the solution to all that ails higher education but there is little agreement on the meaning or ambit of the term. Similarly, literature concerning ‘non‐traditional’ students is characterised by a multiplicity of meanings and assumptions, seldom spelled out, ascribed to the term, which is nonetheless imbued with analytical and predictive significance. This paper uses data from early stages of the research to illustrate the importance of conceptual clarity in a study of engaging non‐traditional students, illuminated through the lens of the Marxian notion of ‘chaotic conceptions’. The paper examines the ideological work being done in disguising interests and inequities through the use of chaotic conceptions and uses the examples of students who define themselves as ‘non‐traditional’ in their own study contexts to illustrate the problems of deploying such chaotic conceptions for purposes beyond description.
Dental flossing behaviour and its determinants among students in a suburb area of Tehran–Iran: using Transtheoretical Model
Authors: Kamalikhah T , Mazllomi Mahmood abad Ss , Khalighinejad N , Rahmati‐Najarkolaei F
Published: June 2015

Objectives

Oral health problems are a global concern particularly among underprivileged groups. This study aimed to use TTM model to assess the flossing behaviour and its determinants among students in a suburb area and compare the flossing behaviour between boys and girls using TTM.

Methods

Cluster sampling was employed to recruit 653 high school students from eight schools in Tehran suburban area, Iran. Two self‐administrated questionnaires: (i) stage of change questionnaire and (ii) TTM constructs questionnaire including demographic features, decisional balance (perceived benefits and barriers), self‐efficacy and process of change were used to assess the flossing behaviour and its psychological determinants. The statistical analysis of the data included Kruskal–Wallis test, t‐test, anova, Spearman correlation and binary logistic regression using SPSS ver15 software.

Results

In this study, 301 (46.1%) and 352 (53.9%) of participants were women and men, respectively. Nearly half of the students (51.4%) were in precontemplation stage with the rest distributed among the other stages of flossing behaviour change. There was no statistically significant difference between genders regarding the stages of change (P < 0.05). Flossing behaviour is related to TTM constructs such as self‐efficacy, perceived benefits, low perceived barriers and process of changes.

Conclusion

According to the results of this study, TTM is useful in determining the stages of interdental cleaning behaviour among students. However, further interventional researches are suggested to support the potential for eventual use of the TTM as a framework for understanding the determinants of interdental cleaning behaviour.
Intakes of Magnesium, Potassium, and Calcium and the Risk of Stroke among Men
Authors: Adebamowo Sally N. , Spiegelman Donna , Flint Alan J. , Willett Walter C. , Rexrode Kathryn M.
Published: June 2015

Background

Intakes of magnesium, potassium, and calcium have been inversely associated with the incidence of hypertension, a known risk factor for stroke. However, only a few studies have examined intakes of these cations in relation to risk of stroke.

Aim

The aim of this study was to investigate whether high intake of magnesium, potassium, and calcium is associated with reduced stroke risk among men.

Methods

We prospectively examined the associations between intakes of magnesium, potassium, and calcium from diet and supplements, and the risk of incident stroke among 42 669 men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, aged 40 to 75 years and free of diagnosed cardiovascular disease and cancer at baseline in 1986. We calculated the hazard ratio of total, ischemic, and haemorrhagic strokes by quintiles of each cation intake, and of a combined dietary score of all three cations, using multivariate Cox proportional hazard models.

Results

During 24 years of follow-up, 1547 total stroke events were documented. In multivariate analyses, the relative risks and 95% confidence intervals of total stroke for men in the highest vs. lowest quintile were 0·87 (95% confidence interval, 0·74–1·02; P, trend = 0·04) for dietary magnesium, 0·89 (95% confidence interval, 0·76–1·05; P, trend = 0·10) for dietary potassium, and 0·89 (95% confidence interval, 0·75–1·04; P, trend = 0·25) for dietary calcium intake. The relative risk of total stroke for men in the highest vs. lowest quintile was 0·74 (95% confidence interval, 0·59–0·93; P, trend = 0·003) for supplemental magnesium, 0·66 (95% confidence interval, 0·50–0·86; P, trend = 0·002) for supplemental potassium, and 1·01 (95% confidence interval, 0·84–1·20; P, trend = 0·83) for supplemental calcium intake. For total intake (dietary and supplemental), the relative risk of total stroke for men in the highest vs. lowest quintile was 0·83 (95% confidence interval, 0·70–0·99; P, trend = 0·04) for magnesium, 0·88 (95% confidence interval, 0·75–4; P, trend = 6) for potassium, and 3 (95% confidence interval, 79–09; P, trend = 84) for calcium. Men in the highest quintile for a combined dietary score of all three cations had a multivariate relative risk of 0·79 (95% confidence interval, 0·67–0·92; P, trend = 0·008) for total stroke, compared with those in the lowest.

Conclusions

A diet rich in magnesium, potassium, and calcium may contribute to reduced risk of stroke among men. Because of significant collinearity, the independent contribution of each cation is difficult to define.