bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Violent behavior and positive parenting
Authors: Davis Richard L.
Published: November 2014

Purpose

The majority of child, sibling, dating, intimate partner, spousal and elder abuse and bullying interventions have as a primary goal the cessation of physical assaults. However, too many contemporary domestic violence efforts are reactionary, most occur following the use of physical assaults or after coercive behavior is exhibited and almost all do not begin until school age or much later. Recent research suggests that children express anger and use aggression soon after birth and that children are physically able and use physical assaults before age one. Children also obtain understandings about social interactions and have ideas about causal relationships before age four. This paper aims to consider these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

The author gives a viewpoint on violent behavior and the effect of positive parenting, based on research in the USA.

Findings

All 50 states in the USA allow the use of physical assaults by parents and guardians against children with the goal of behavioral modification. To end the use of physical assaults regardless of age, gender or sexual orientation, all uses of physical assaults must be replaced with positive guidance and role modeling that condemns not condones the use of physical assaults.

Originality/value

These lessons must be role modeled, not lectured and begin the day children are born.
Ambicultural Ambassador between East and West
Authors: Ke Jie
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– This purpose of this article is to report the second part of a recent interview with Dr Ming-Jer Chen. He shares his values, beliefs and philosophies on life, business and scholarship; relates how these philosophies have shaped his approach to teaching, research and service; and outlines his strategies for making important career and professional decisions.

Design/methodology/approach

– Interview with Dr Ming-Jer Chen.

Findings

– Dr Ming-Jer Chen’s firm belief in the Oneness (精一) is reflected in his constant pursuit of “making the world smaller” by closing divides of various kinds. During his career journey, Dr Chen has applied the philosophy of “keeping a balanced and integrated view” to tackle professional and career challenges and reinforced that with the wisdom of his ambicultural perspective. His East–West background and beliefs shape his engagements with the research and business communities and his expertise includes management education and decision-making, as well as teaching, research and professional services.

Research limitations/implications

– Dr Chen’s unique life and career experiences make him a role model for those who intend to pursue a career in management research. His ambicultural insight and balanced and integrated perspective may help junior scholars to deal with challenges in their professional lives.

Originality/value

– The interview profiles a thought leader and strategist in management research and education, whose experience and wisdom may enlighten junior scholars along their career paths.
Suzhi development: indigenous approaches to enhancing the quality of human resources
Authors: Zheng Connie
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to examine the Chinese indigenous concept of suzhi (素质) by analyzing its historical evolution and its contemporary implications for human resource management (HRM) research and practice at the national and organizational levels.

Design/methodology/approach

– An integrated review of literatures in sinology, political science, anthropology and sociology concerned with suzhi-related research, combined with recent incidents associated with suzhi.

Findings

–Suzhiis an indigenous concept embedded in the centuries-long historical context of China.Suzhidevelopment has been focused on three key dimensions, moral, physical and mental, as a way of building quality employees and citizens. Yet developing and quantifying the moral aspects ofsuzhiis more challenging than measuring its physical and mental dimensions. Linkingsuzhidevelopment to human capital theory enriches the understanding of this indigenous concept at both organizational and national levels.

Research limitations/implications

– By analyzing a three-dimensionalsuzhicomposite, the article offers an example of howsuzhimay be linked to human capital theory and identifies directions for future research.

Originality/value

– By analyzingsuzhiat organizational and national levels for HRM purposes, this article broadens thesuzhiliterature from its place in the political sciences and social anthropology to encompass a theoretical analysis in HRM and development for the benefit of organizations and the society.
The use and determinants of credit derivatives in Italian banks
Authors: Broccardo Eleonora , Mazzuca Maria , Yaldiz Elmas
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to answer the following research questions: To what extent do banks use credit derivatives (CDs)? What are the differences between users and non-users? What are the main underlying motivations?

Design/methodology/approach

– The annual reports of 112 Italian banks are analysed during the 2005-2011 period. By estimating a probit regression model, two incentives for using CD are tested: managing credit risk, and increasing a bank’s income composition/diversification. Different sub-samples are considered. The motivations are further investigated to understand whether they vary before and after the crisis.

Findings

– A limited number of banks use CD and larger and listed banks are more likely to do so. The results do not support the hedging hypothesis. Signals pointing towards the financial distress hypothesis emerge. Less capitalised banks are more likely to use CD. For listed banks, the findings support the hypothesis that economies of scale exist. After the financial crisis, a number of determinants tend to gain significance, and a speculative driver emerges.

Originality/value

– Previous studies focus primarily on the USA, and single-country studies do not exist in the literature. Given the importance of risk management that the crisis has reinforced, investigating whether CD use has changed before and after the crisis is of interest. Given the incompleteness of the information on CDs, the paper contributes to increasing the available information on CDs by hand-collecting data from banks’ financial statements.
Executive compensation and securitization: pre-and post-crisis
Authors: Cooper Elizabeth , Kish Andrew
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to study bank executive compensation and securitization, two important strategic developments in finance that are central to the debate on the cause of the crisis.

Design/methodology/approach

– We study the relationship between securitization and executive pay in a sample of US banks from 2001 to 2010, using a series of multivariate regression models to test our hypotheses.

Findings

– Bank Chief Executive Officer (CEO) pay exhibits a positive pay-for-performance relationship. Since the crisis, this relationship is weakened. For banks that securitize, we find that prior to the crisis, higher securitization activity led to higher CEO compensation levels. While we do not find that securitization is related to bank CEO pay gap (the difference between CEO and the next-highest paid bank executive), we do see that bank ratings are a factor in pay gap and compensation level.

Research limitations/implications

– Bank regulatory ratings influence the relationship between compensation and securitization. Also, the relationship differs pre- and post-crisis.

Originality/value

– Our study is unique for several reasons. First, we look at the relationship between compensation and securitization over a time period that includes the recent financial crisis. Second, we include an analysis of pay gap. Third, we include bank regulatory ratings, which are proprietary and therefore not available for use in many banking studies.
Long‐term outcome after endoscopic submucosal dissection for early gastric cancer: Focusing on a group beyond the expanded indication
Authors: Kang Myung Soo , Hong Su Jin , Kim Dae Yong , Han Jae Pil , Choi Moon Han , Kim Hee Kyung , Ko Bong Min , Lee Moon Sung
Published: November 2014

Objective

To determine the long‐term outcome after endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) in patients with early gastric cancer (EGC) according to the pathological extent.

Methods

ESD were performed in 280 patients with 309 EGC. The tumors were classified by pathological severity based on absolute indication (AI), expanded indication (EI) or beyond expanded indication (BEI). The therapeutic outcomes among the three groups were analyzed.

Results

The complete resection rates of EGC were 96.4%, 78.7% and 41.2% in the AI‐EGC, EI‐EGC and BEI‐EGC groups, respectively (P = 0.000). En bloc resection rates were 97.6%, 87.4% and 86.3% in the AI‐EGC, EI‐EGC and BEI‐EGC groups, respectively (P = 0.023). The 5‐year tumor recurrence rates were 1.8%, 1.5% and 15.4% in the AI‐EGC, EI‐EGC and BEI‐EGC groups, respectively (P = 0.000). The 5‐year disease‐specific survival rates were 100%, 100% and 97.4% in the AI‐EGC, EI‐GEC and BEI‐EGC groups, respectively (P = 0.088). The 5‐year disease‐free survival rates were 98.2%, 98.5% and 84.6% in the AI‐EGC, EI‐EGC and BEI‐EGC groups, respectively (P = 0.000).

Conclusions

ESD was effective and safe in treating AI‐EGC and EI‐EGC, but there was a comparatively high rate of recurrence after ESD in the BEI‐EGC group. However, long‐term outcomes of patients with BEI‐EGC that did not receive additional surgery were better than those with an natural course of EGC. Thus, ESD may be considered for specific BEI‐EGC patients at high risk for surgery.
Longing for Home: Robert Hamilton, Nostalgia and the Emotional Life of the Eighteenth‐Century Soldier
Authors: Shaw Philip
Published: November 2014

This article focuses on Robert Hamilton's The Duties of a Regimental Soldier (1787; rev edn 1794). The article places Hamilton's case study of a common soldier suffering from nostalgia, a potentially fatal disease of the imagination arising in displaced young recruits and in young women removed from their families, within the broader contexts of the history of medical education, contemporary theories of the passions, ideas of military discipline and the culture of sensibility. Hamilton's treatment of nostalgia raises questions about the relations between class and sensibility, between literature and science, and between medical professionalism and the gendered nature of military identity.
Optimization of the genotyping‐by‐sequencing strategy for population genomic analysis in conifers
Authors: Pan Jin , Wang Baosheng , Pei Zhi‐Yong , Zhao Wei , Gao Jie , Mao Jian‐Feng , Wang Xiao‐Ru
Published: November 2014

Flexibility and low cost make genotyping‐by‐sequencing (GBS) an ideal tool for population genomic studies of nonmodel species. However, to utilize the potential of the method fully, many parameters affecting library quality and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) discovery require optimization, especially for conifer genomes with a high repetitive DNA content. In this study, we explored strategies for effective GBS analysis in pine species. We constructed GBS libraries using HpaII, PstI and EcoRI‐MseI digestions with different multiplexing levels and examined the effect of restriction enzymes on library complexity and the impact of sequencing depth and size selection of restriction fragments on sequence coverage bias. We tested and compared UNEAK, Stacks and GATK pipelines for the GBS data, and then developed a reference‐free SNP calling strategy for haploid pine genomes. Our GBS procedure proved to be effective in SNP discovery, producing 7000–11 000 and 14 751 SNPs within and among three pine species, respectively, from a PstI library. This investigation provides guidance for the design and analysis of GBS experiments, particularly for organisms for which genomic information is lacking.
Clinical characteristics of haematological malignancy patients diagnosed with leukaemia cutis: Experience of a single centre
Authors: Pamuk Gulsum Emel , Ak Recep , Tasci Murat , Harmandar Ferda , Demir Muzaffer , Arican Ozer
Published: November 2014

Background/Objectives

We evaluated the clinical characteristics of patients with haematological malignancies at our centre who were diagnosed with leukaemia cutis (LC). In addition, we describe the spectrum of other skin lesions, including, secondary skin malignancies and nonspecific benign skin lesions in haematological malignancy patients.

Methods

We defined 58 skin lesions that developed in 54 inpatients hospitalised in the Department of Haematology, Trakya University Medical Faculty, Turkey. All skin lesions that developed in inpatients between 2006 and 2012 had been evaluated by a dermatologist. The patients' clinical features, skin biopsy results and therapies were obtained from hospital files. The diagnosis of LC was based on clinical features and histopathological examinations of the skin biopsy.

Results

There were 11 patients with LC. Six (54.5%) had acute myeloblastic leukaemia. In nine patients (82%), LC was present at the initial presentation. Secondary skin malignancy was detected in 11 patients (five basal cell carcinoma, four Kaposi's sarcoma, one squamous cell carcinoma, one malignant melanoma); and malignancy was present in two patients (18%) at the initial presentation. Nonspecific benign skin lesions, the most frequent of which were drug eruptions, were determined in 32 of our patients. LC had a significantly higher likelihood of being present at initial presentation than other skin lesions (P < 0.01). The median survival in LC patients was quite short (4.5 months).

Conclusions

LC was usually diagnosed at the initial presentation of the patient or during the early course of the disease. Having LC was a poor prognostic factor.
Long‐Term Impact of Different Immunosuppressive Drugs on QT and PR Intervals in Renal Transplant Patients
Authors: Ikitimur Baris , Cosansu Kahraman , Karadag Bilgehan , Cakmak Huseyin Altug , Avci Burcak Kilickiran , Erturk Emre , Seyahi Nurhan , Ongen Zeki
Published: November 2014

Background

Sudden cardiac deaths due to arrhythmias are thought to be an important cause of mortality in patients with renal transplants. Exposure to immunosuppressive drugs may lead to QT or PR interval abnormalities which may consequently cause arrhythmias. Our study investigated the long term impact of four different immunosuppressive drugs on PR and corrected QT intervals (QTc) in renal transplant patients

Methods

The study population consisted of 98 kidney transplant recipients. Study patients were receiving immunosuppressive management with tacrolimus, cyclosporine A, everolimus or azathioprine according to the local protocols. QTc and PR intervals obtained from the most recent post‐transplant electrocardiograms were compared with the pre‐transplant intervals dated before the transplantation procedure.

Results

Post‐transplant QTc intervals had prolonged significantly in comparison to the pre‐transplant QTc intervals in all groups. However, there were no significant differences between the immunosuppressive agents with regard to post‐transplant QTc interval prolongation (p > 0.05). There were no significant differences between the groups with regard to the pre and post‐transplant PR interval changes (p > 0.05).

Conclusions

QT interval prolongation, a marker of risk for arrhythmias and sudden death, is highly prevalent among kidney transplant patients receiving different classes of immunosuppressive drugs.
Sensitivity and Specificity of Automated Detection of Early Repolarization in Standard 12‐Lead Electrocardiography
Authors: Kenttä Tuomas , Porthan Kimmo , Tikkanen Jani T. , Väänänen Heikki , Oikarinen Lasse , Viitasalo Matti , Karanko Hannu , Laaksonen Maarit , Huikuri Heikki V.
Published: November 2014

Background

Early repolarization (ER) is defined as an elevation of the QRS‐ST junction in at least two inferior or lateral leads of the standard 12‐lead electrocardiogram (ECG). Our purpose was to create an algorithm for the automated detection and classification of ER.

Methods

A total of 6,047 electrocardiograms were manually graded for ER by two experienced readers. The automated detection of ER was based on quantification of the characteristic slurring or notching in ER‐positive leads. The ER detection algorithm was tested and its results were compared with manual grading, which served as the reference.

Results

Readers graded 183 ECGs (3.0%) as ER positive, of which the algorithm detected 176 recordings, resulting in sensitivity of 96.2%. Of the 5,864 ER‐negative recordings, the algorithm classified 5,281 as negative, resulting in 90.1% specificity. Positive and negative predictive values for the algorithm were 23.2% and 99.9%, respectively, and its accuracy was 90.2%. Inferior ER was correctly detected in 84.6% and lateral ER in 98.6% of the cases.

Conclusions

As the automatic algorithm has high sensitivity, it could be used as a prescreening tool for ER; only the electrocardiograms graded positive by the algorithm would be reviewed manually. This would reduce the need for manual labor by 90%.
Detection of QTc Effects in Small Studies—Implications for Replacing the Thorough QT Study
Authors: Ferber Georg , Zhou Meijian , Darpo Borje
Published: November 2014

Background

ECG assessment with exposure response analysis applied to data from First‐in‐Man studies has been proposed to replace the thorough QT study for the detection of small QT effects.

Methods

Data from five thorough QT studies, three with moxifloxacin, one study with a drug with a large QTc effect (∼25 ms) and one with ketoconazole with a smaller QT effect (∼8 ms) were used. By subsampling, studies with 6–18 subjects on drug and six on placebo were simulated 1000 times per sample size to assess whether small QTc effects using ICH E14 criteria could be excluded and the impact of sample size on the estimate and variability of the slope of the concentration/QTc relation.

Results

With a sample size of nine or more on drug and six on placebo, the fraction of “false negative studies” was at or below 5% with data from the studies with moxifloxacin and from the drug with a large QTc effect. With the same sample size and no underlying QTc effect (placebo), the fraction of studies in which an effect above 10 ms could be excluded was above 85%. A treatment effect in the linear concentration‐effect model resulted in a lower proportion of “false negatives.” Sample size had little influence on the average slope estimate of the concentration/QTc relationship.

Conclusions

For drugs with a QTc effect of around 12–14 ms, exposure response analysis applied to First‐in‐Man studies with careful ECG assessment can be used to replace the through QT study.
Rare Association: Chagas' Disease and Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Pastore Carlos Alberto , Samesima Nelson , Filho Horácio Gomes Pereira , Varoni Leonardo Paschoal Camacho , Rochitte Carlos Eduardo , Vieira Marcelo Luiz , de Ávila Luiz Francisco Rodrigues , Melo Rodrigo de Jesus Louzeiro , Pereira Alexandre da Costa , Daheer Julia , Carlo Carlos Henrique del
Published: November 2014

A woman (49 years) with Chagas’ disease showed: ECG, right bundle‐branch block and left anterior–superior fascicular block; V1 has unusual R > R’, and elevated ST segment from V2 to V6. Additional imaging revealed concomitant HCM and Chagas, which is uncommon. Overlapping of ECG findings can be explained by this rare association of diseases.
Comparison of the invasiveness of conventional discectomy and microendoscopic discectomy for lumbar disc herniation: Differences in the methods of approach
Authors: Hara Manabu , Takahashi Hiroshi , Yokoyama Yuichirou , Wada Akihito , Hasegawa Keiji , Iida Yasuaki
Published: November 2014

Introduction

The aim of this study was to investigate whether differences in the methods of approach to the vertebral arch influence the invasiveness of conventional discectomy and microendoscopic discectomy (MED).

Methods

In this study, 41 Wistar rats were divided into four groups: controls (no surgery) (n = 10), shams (skin incision only) (n = 11), MED (n = 10), and conventional discectomy (n = 10). We performed ethological and blood biochemical examinations for three of the groups, excluding the control group, and a histological examination for three of the groups, excluding the sham group. In the ethological examination, we measured the threshold of postoperative pain using the von Frey test. In the blood chemical examination, we measured blood creatine phosphokinase and inflammatory cytokines, and compared the severity of tissue damage by histological examination using hematoxylin–eosin and immunohistochemical staining.

Results

The conventional discectomy group showed a significantly lower threshold of postoperative pain, compared with the MED group (P < 0.05). Blood biochemical investigation revealed that the creatine phosphokinase (P < 0.05) and tumor necrosis factor‐α levels (P < 0.05) of the conventional discectomy group were significantly higher than those in the MED group. In the histological examination, it was found that a wide range of paraspinal muscle damage occurred in the conventional discectomy group (P < 0.05) and that the damage was mostly confined to the periosteum and nearby nerve endings.

Conclusion

MED was found to be less invasive than conventional discectomy based on ethological, blood biochemical, and histological examinations.
Unionism and Employer Power Strategies in Spain: Ethnography of a Labor Struggle in an Iron and Steel Firm
Authors: Roca Beltrán , Rodríguez Lluis
Published: November 2014

This article describes one case of trade union struggle in a mid‐sized iron and steel company in the province of Cádiz (southern Spain). The authors propose an analytical framework that emphasizes power in the relations between capital and labor. According to them, the sources of labor power must be identified in order to study workers and management tactics. The described episode of a union campaign is used to illustrate management strategies to control the workforce, prevent conflict, and fight unions. The article finally provides a typology of management strategies based on the sort of labor power they aim to counter.
Labor and the Urban Landscape: Mobility, Risk, and Possibility amongSyrian Delivery Workers inBeirut
Authors: Monroe Kristin V.
Published: November 2014

In this article, I investigate the embodied, class, and political relations ofSyrian delivery workers on motor scooter who forge a livelihood by moving through the space ofBeirut,Lebanon. I develop an argument about how the work lives of these delivery drivers are characterized by various conditions of insecurity. Rushing around the city, these workers face certain bodily risks, as they are physically vulnerable in vehicular traffic, but they encounter still other forms of precarity as an outcome of both their position in the city's migrant labor regime and a fraughtLebanese political climate in which sentiment against theSyrian regime spills over into the mistreatment of ordinarySyrians. At the same time, I consider how delivery drivers understand their jobs to be constituted by certain forms of freedom and opportunity that make their work distinctive from that performed by mostSyrian laborers inBeirut. Drawing inspiration from anthropology's increased attunement to the particular and multiple forms of insecurity that shape labor and life in our contemporary age, the geographies of work I examine here are both urban and transnational, and thereby highlight the stakes involved in experiences of spatial movement at multiple scales.
Radical Entrepreneurs: First Nations Designers’ Approaches to Community Economic Development
Authors: Willmott Cory
Published: November 2014

Over the past 15 years, contemporary Native Canadian fashion designers have been gaining increasing visibility and economic viability. Yet, their roles and purposes remain poorly understood. This article identifies a problem with conventional approaches to the question of Community Economic Development and Aboriginal participants in the garment industry in the New Economy. It proposes an alternative model based on the concept of the “radical entrepreneur,” which incorporates ideas surrounding ethnic economies, “social entrepreneurship,” symbolic capital, and “rootedness” in indigenous cultures and societies. Insights drawn from participant observation among, and interviews with, members of a Canada‐wide network of contemporary aboriginal fashion designers demonstrate that these “radical entrepreneurs” work as agents of social change both within their own indigenous communities and among national and international participants in a global fashion geography.
Evaluating the validity of model for end‐stage liver disease exception points for hepatocellular carcinoma patients with multiple nodules <2 cm
Authors: Samoylova Mariya L. , Dodge Jennifer L. , Mehta Neil , Yao Francis Y. , Roberts John P.
Published: November 2014

Liver transplant allocation policy does not give model for end‐stage liver disease (MELD) exception points for patients with a single hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) <2 cm in size, but does give points to patients with multiple small nodules. Because standard‐of‐care imaging for HCC struggles to differentiate HCC from other nodules, it is possible that a subset of patients receiving liver transplant for multiple nodules <2 cm in size does not have HCC.

We evaluate risk of post‐transplant HCC recurrence and wait‐list dropout for patients with multiple small nodules using competing risks regression based on the Fine and Gray model.

We identified 5002 adult HCC patients in the OPTN/UNOS dataset diagnosed and transplanted between January 2006 and September 2010. Compared to patients with >1 tumor <2 cm, risk of developing recurrence was significantly higher in patients with one or more tumors with only one tumor ≥2 cm (SHR 1.63, p = 0.009), as well as in patients with 2–3 tumors ≥2 cm (SHR 1.84, p = 0.02). Dropout risk was not significantly different among size categories.

HCC recurrence risk was significantly lower in patients with multiple nodules <2 cm in size than in those with larger tumors, supporting the possibility that some patients received unnecessary transplants. The priority given to these patients must be re‐examined.
‘More time for what?’ Exploring intersecting notions of gender, work, age and leisure time among people with cognitive disabilities
Authors: Lövgren Veronica , Bertilsdotter Rosqvist Hanna
Published: November 2014

This article explores intersecting notions of leisure among middle‐aged people with intellectual disabilities in the setting of the Swedish welfare state. The participants are recipients of long‐term disability services and have experienced the changing ideological frameworks of the welfare effort, which has recently focused on normalisation, inclusion and participation. Structured activities are arranged by disability services in order to normalise living conditions and provide recreation for disabled people. However, the range of activities is constrained by financial resources, by notions of gender and age and by an institutionalised emphasis on the work ethic – leading to constructions of leisure partly as ‘time beside’ where ‘free time’ activities should not interfere with the duties of the working week. The participants' limited resources and their lack of a strong voice limit their ability to demand their legal rights and leave many of them with ‘too much time with too little to do’.

Key Practitioner Message: ● A common idea of leisure is the relationship between social and physical activities, well‐being and health; ● People with disabilities, regardless of age, engage in fewer leisure activities than the general population due to a lack of resources; ● Even with legal rights, the lack of a strong voice as well as institutional constraints limit their leisure opportunities.
Ecological niche modelling confirms potential north‐east range expansion of the nine‐banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) in the USA
Authors: Feng Xiao , Papeş Monica
Published: November 2014

The distribution of the nine banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), the only species in the family Dasypodidae found in the USA, has expanded greatly since the species was first recorded in southern Texas in 1849. Currently, the range of D. novemcinctus includes 15 states in the USA. Previous studies on the geographical expansion of this species, based on physiological experiments and distribution surveys, revealed a possible western moisture limit, a northern temperature limit, and potential north‐eastward range expansion in the USA. We applied an ecological niche modelling approach and produced a potential distribution map of D. novemcinctus with comparable western (102 °W) and northern (40 °N) limits, and confirmed the possibility of further north‐east range expansion to climatically suitable areas in the USA.
Reproductive mode evolution in lizards revisited: updated analyses examining geographic, climatic and phylogenetic effects support the cold‐climate hypothesis
Authors: Watson C. M. , Makowsky R. , Bagley J. C.
Published: November 2014

Viviparity, the bearing of live young, has evolved well over 100 times among squamate reptiles. This reproductive strategy is hypothesized to allow maternal control of the foetus' thermal environment and thereby to increase the fitness of the parents and offspring. Two hypotheses have been posited to explain this phenomenon: (i) the cold‐climate hypothesis (CCH), which advocates low temperatures as the primary selective force; and (ii) the maternal manipulation hypothesis (MMH), which advocates temperature variability as the primary selective force. Here, we investigate whether climatic and geographic variables associated with the CCH vs. the MMH best explain the current geographical distributions of viviparity in lizards while incorporating recent advances in comparative methods, squamate phylogenetics and geospatial analysis. To do this, we compared nonphylogenetic and phylogenetic models predicting viviparity based on point‐of‐capture data from 20 994 museum specimens representing 215 lizard species in conjunction with spatially explicit bioclimatic and geographic (elevation and latitude) data layers. The database we analysed emphasized Nearctic lizards from three species‐rich genera (Phrynosoma, Plestiodon and Sceloporus); however, we additionally analysed a less substantial, but worldwide sample of species to verify the universality of our Nearctic results. We found that maximum temperature of the warmest month (and, less commonly, elevation and maximum temperature of the driest quarter) was frequently the best predictor of viviparity and showed an association consistent with the CCH. Our results strongly favour the CCH over the MMH in explaining lizard reproductive mode evolution.
Host alkaloids differentially affect developmental stability and wing vein canalization in cactophilicDrosophila buzzatii
Authors: Padró J. , Carreira V. , Corio C. , Hasson E. , Soto I. M.
Published: November 2014

Host shifts cause drastic consequences on fitness in cactophilic species ofDrosophila. It has been argued that changes in the nutritional values accompanying host shifts may elicit these fitness responses, but they may also reflect the presence of potentially toxic secondary compounds that affect resource quality. Recent studies reported that alkaloids extracted from the columnar cactusTrichocereus terscheckiiare toxic for the developing larvae ofDrosophila buzzatii. In this study, we tested the effect of artificial diets including increasing doses of host alkaloids on developmental stability and wing morphology inD. buzzatii. We found that alkaloids disrupt normal wing venation patterning and affect viability, wing size and fluctuating asymmetry, suggesting the involvement of stress–response mechanisms. Theoretical implications are discussed in the context of developmental stability, stress, fitness and their relationship with robustness, canalization and phenotypic plasticity.
WEIGHTED‐AVERAGE LEAST SQUARES (WALS): A SURVEY
Authors: Magnus Jan R. , De Luca Giuseppe
Published: November 2014

Model averaging has become a popular method of estimation, following increasing evidence that model selection and estimation should be treated as one joint procedure. Weighted‐average least squares (WALS) is a recent model‐average approach, which takes an intermediate position between frequentist and Bayesian methods, allows a credible treatment of ignorance, and is extremely fast to compute. We review the theory of WALS and discuss extensions and applications.
Dried blood spot in the genotyping, quantification and storage of HCV RNA: a systematic literature review
Authors: Greenman Jamie , Roberts Teri , Cohn Jennifer , Messac Luke
Published: November 2014

The entry of new all‐oral direct acting antiviral therapy for hepatitis C provides an opportunity to scale up HCV care in low‐ and middle‐income countries. In HIV, use of dried blood spots (DBS) has facilitated the diagnosis and management of HIV in resource‐poor settings. DBS may be used in a similar way to facilitate diagnosis and management of HCV. Here, we present a systematic review of the literature of DBS for HCV RNA detection and genotyping. Using an a priori review protocol, three databases were searched for studies published up to August 2013 that reported the use of dried blood and serum spots in genotyping, detection and measurement of HCV RNA, as well as the rate of degradation of HCV RNA when stored in DBS at room temperature. Nine papers were eligible for inclusion; eight studied DBS and one dried serum. Two studies measured concordance between genotype and subtype determined by DBS and whole plasma and both found 100% concordance. Four studies measured endpoint detection limits of HCV RNA‐positive samples by DBS and found positive predictive values of 100% down to 250, 334, 2500 and 24160 IU/mL. Two studies found deterioration of HCV RNA in DBS samples stored at room temperature, while two others failed to detect such deterioration. These results support the potential use of DBS for genotyping and HCV RNA detection. Studies of the use of DBS for HCV RNA viral load measurement and of the rate of degradation of HCV RNA when stored in DBS at ambient temperatures remain inconclusive.
Plasma concentration‐dependent suppression of endogenous hydrocortisone in the horse after intramuscular administration of dexamethasone‐21‐isonicotinate
Authors: Ekstrand C. , Bondesson U. , Gabrielsson J. , Hedeland M. , Kallings P. , Olsén L. , Ingvast‐Larsson C.
Published: November 2014

Detection times and screening limits (SL) are methods used to ensure that the performance of horses in equestrian sports is not altered by drugs. Drug concentration–response relationship and knowledge of concentration–time profiles in both plasma and urine are required. In this study, dexamethasone plasma and urine concentration–time profiles were investigated. Endogenous hydrocortisone plasma concentrations and their relationship to dexamethasone plasma concentrations were also explored. A single dose of dexamethasone‐21‐isonicotinate suspension (0.03 mg/kg) was administered intramuscularly to six horses. Plasma was analysed for dexamethasone and hydrocortisone and urine for dexamethasone, using UPLC‐MS/MS. Dexamethasone was quantifiable in plasma for 8.3 ± 2.9 days (LLOQ: 0.025 μg/L) and in urine for 9.8 ± 3.1 days (LLOQ: 0.15 μg/L). Maximum observed dexamethasone concentration in plasma was 0.61 ± 0.12 μg/L and in urine 4.2 ± 0.9 μg/L. Terminal plasma half‐life was 38.7 ± 19 h. Hydrocortisone was significantly suppressed for 140 h. The plasma half‐life of hydrocortisone was 2.7 ± 1.3 h. Dexamethasone potency, efficacy and sigmoidicity factor for hydrocortisone suppression were 0.06 ± 0.04 μg/L, 0.95 ± 0.04 and 6.2 ± 4.6, respectively. Hydrocortisone suppression relates to the plasma concentration of dexamethasone. Thus, determination of irrelevant plasma concentrations and SL is possible. Future research will determine whether hydrocortisone suppression can be used as a biomarker of the clinical effect of dexamethasone.
Indulgent Representation: Theatricality and Sectarian Metaphor inThe Tempest
Authors: Woods Gillian
Published: November 2014

At the end ofThe Tempest, Prospero (or, perhaps, the actor playing him) urges the audience, ‘As you from crimes would pardoned be, / Let your indulgence set me free’ (5.1.337‐8). The lines are a plea for applause, for the audience to conclude the drama happily. As the play‐world dissolves into the real world, at the threshold between fiction and reality, Prospero appeals to be set free from representation. He strikes an ethical bargain in the mode of the Lord's Prayer (‘forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us’). But, in speaking of ‘pardon’ and ‘indulgence’, he also alludes to a much maligned Catholic practice of purchased remission of sins. Thus, the audience's decision over whether or not to applaud the drama is playfully implicated in trying out a confessional attitude. Even so, the status of these ‘Catholic’ terms as wordplay means that they only flirt with sectarian resonance, rather than declaring a theological message. Taking the play's self‐conscious theatricality as a starting point, this essay explores the ambiguity of this epilogue. It questions what it means for a post‐Reformation audience to ‘indulge’ in metaphorically ‘Catholic’ behaviour, and how a play that stages forgiveness as a form of revenge negotiates difference ethically. These themes are part of a broader theatrical dynamic in which representation is constantly destabilised. The essay offers a case‐study of the significance of equivocally Catholic material in post‐Reformation drama, suggesting that as much attention needs to be paid to dramaturgy as to theology.
On‐treatment prediction of sustained response to peginterferon alfa‐2a for HBeAg‐negative chronic hepatitis B patients
Authors: Goulis Ioannis , Karatapanis Stylianos , Akriviadis Evangelos , Deutsch Melanie , Dalekos George N. , Raptopoulou‐Gigi Maria , Mimidis Konstantinos , Germanidis George , Drakoulis Christos , Triantos Christos , Zintzaras Elias , Bakalos Georgios , Papatheodoridis George
Published: November 2014

Background & Aims

We assessed predictors of response in HBeAg‐negative chronic hepatitis B patients treated with peginterferon alfa‐2a in routine clinical practice.

Methods

Ninety‐five HBeAg‐negative patients received peginterferonalfa‐2a for 48 weeks and were followed‐up for 48 weeks post‐treatment. Serum HBsAg and HBV DNA levels were monitored during and after therapy with valid commercial assays. Sustained response (SR) was defined as HBV DNA <2000 IU/ml at study week 96.

Results

Twenty‐two patients (23%) achieved SR and nine (9.5%) lost HBsAg. HBsAg decline was more profound in patients with SR. HBsAg decline ≥10% from baseline to week 24 was significantly associated with SR [81% (17/21) vs 37% (21/57); Odds ratio: 7.286 (2.162–24.552), P = 0.001]. The PARC rule (no decrease in HBsAg and <2 log drop in HBV DNA at week 12) was evaluated in a subset of 47 patients. Among eight patients who fulfilled the PARC rule, none achieved SR. Of the 39 patients who did not fulfil the PARC rule, 24 (62%) had HBsAg decline of ≥10% at week 24 (12 achieved SR) and 15 (38%) had HBsAg decline of <10% (1 achieved SR; negative predictive value: 93%).

Conclusions

In HBeAg‐negative chronic hepatitis B patients treated with peginterferon alfa‐2a, HBsAg decline >10% at 24 weeks is significantly associated with SR. The combination of the PARC rule and week 24 decline in HBsAg can identify almost two‐thirds of patients who are unlikely to achieve SR. Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT01283074.
Cord blood and consecutive chitotriosidase activity: Relationship to prematurity and early prognosis
Authors: Gunes Sezgin , Yalaz Mehmet , Sozmen Eser , Altun Koroglu Ozge , Kultursay Nilgun
Published: November 2014

Background

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between plasma chitotriosidase activity, an inflammatory protein secreted mainly from macrophages, and neonatal morbidity and mortality in premature infants.

Methods

Cord blood chitotriosidase activity was studied in healthy control infants (53 term, group 1; 26 late preterm [33–37 gestational weeks], group 2) and 35 preterm infants (≤32 weeks; group 3). In group 3, consecutive samples at 3 h, 24 h, 72 h, 7 days, 14 days, and 36 weeks after conception were also analyzed. Group 3 was also evaluated for mortality, respiratory treatment and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC).

Results

Cord blood chitotriosidase activity was positively correlated with gestational age and birthweight. SNAPPE‐II score was correlated with chitotriosidase activity at 24 h. Consecutive chitotriosidase activity for group 3 was non‐significantly higher in infants who died in the early neonatal period. Higher chitotriosidase activity was observed in mechanically ventilated infants than infants treated with non‐invasive assisted ventilation. BPD, PDA, IVH and ROP, but not NEC, were related to higher chitotriosidase activity, being significant at some of the time points.

Conclusion

Neonatal stress such as invasive ventilation may create a risk for the development of BPD, PDA, IVH, and ROP by increasing macrophage activation in preterm infants as reflected in the higher chitotriosidase activity. High chitotriosidase activity may also be associated with disease severity and mortality.
Military Veterans' Experiences with Suicidal Ideation: Implications for Intervention and Prevention
Authors: Denneson Lauren M. , Teo Alan R. , Ganzini Linda , Helmer Drew A. , Bair Matthew J. , Dobscha Steven K.
Published: November 2014

We sought to understand Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) veterans' experiences with suicidal ideation. Semi‐structured interviews with 34 OEF/OIF veterans addressed circumstances leading up to disclosure of suicidal ideation during brief clinical assessments. We used an iterative, inductive and deductive thematic analysis approach. Results revealed three pervasive, persistent domains that reinforce the uniqueness of veteran suicidal thoughts: military culture, difficult deployment experiences, and postdeployment adjustment challenges. Within postdeployment, we identified four themes that serve as intervention targets: adjusting to civilian culture, changes to sense of self, feeling overwhelmed by stressors, and lacking life purpose or meaning.
Translation and validation of the Danish Foot Function Index (FFI‐DK)
Authors: Jorgensen J. E. , Andreasen J. , Rathleff M. S.
Published: November 2014

The objective of this study was to translate the Foot Function Index (FFI) for use in Danish‐speaking patients with foot complaints. The FFI consists of 23 items scored on a numeric rating scale from 0 to 10. The 23 items are grouped into three subscales: pain (nine items), activity limitation (five items), and disability (nine items). The Danish FFI was developed according to the recommended forward/backward translation protocol. The data analysis included reliability [intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) 2.1] and internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha). Excellent internal consistency was shown for the three subscales: pain (0.99), disability (0.98), and activity limitation (0.98), as for the total score (0.97). The test‐retest reliability was excellent: pain subscale: ICC 0.98 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.97–0.99]; activity limitation subscale: ICC: 0.95 (95% CI: 0.91–0.98); disability subscale: ICC 0.97 (95% CI: 0.95–0.98); total score: ICC: 0.95 (95% CI: 0.91 to 0.98). The mean difference between test and retest was below 1 point and P > 0.08. Bland–Altman plots showed no significant or clinically relevant differences from test to retest in any of the subscales or in the total score. The Danish version of the FFI was found to be valid and reliable and therefore acceptable for use in the Danish population.
Molecular Insights into Rab7‐Mediated Endosomal Recruitment of Core Retromer: Deciphering the Role of Vps26 and Vps35
Authors: Priya Amulya , Kalaidzidis Inna V , Kalaidzidis Yannis , Lambright David , Datta Sunando
Published: November 2014

Retromer, a peripheral membrane protein complex, plays an instrumental role in host of cellular processes by its ability to recycle receptors from endosomes to the trans‐Golgi network. It consists of two distinct sub‐complexes, a membrane recognizing, sorting nexins (SNX) complex and a cargo recognition, vacuolar protein sorting (Vps) complex. Small GTPase, Rab7 is known to recruit retromer on endosomal membrane via interactions with the Vps sub‐complex. The molecular mechanism underlying the recruitment process including the role of individual Vps proteins is yet to be deciphered. In this study, we developed a FRET‐based assay in HeLa cells that demonstrated the interaction of Rab7 with Vps35 and Vps26 in vivo. Furthermore, we showed that Rab7 recruits retromer to late endosomes via direct interactions with N‐terminal conserved regions in Vps35. However, the single point mutation, which disrupts the interaction between Vps35 and Vps26, perturbed the Rab7‐mediated recruitment of retromer in HeLa cells. Using biophysical measurements, we demonstrate that the association of Vps26 with Vps35 resulted in high affinity binding between the Vps sub‐complex and the activated Rab7 suggesting for a possible allosteric role of Vps26. Thus, this study provides molecular insights into the essential role of Vps26 and Vps35 in Rab7‐mediated recruitment of the core retromer complex.
Development of a Pedestrian Audit Tool to Assess Rural Neighborhood Walkability
Authors: Scanlin Kathleen , Haardoerfer Regine , Kegler Michelle C. , Glanz Karen
Published: November 2014

Background:

Recently, investigators have begun to refine audit instruments for use in rural areas. However, no studies have developed a walkability summary score or have correlated built environment characteristics with physical activity behavior.

Methods:

The Rural Pedestrian Environmental Audit Instrument was developed specifically for use in rural areas. Segments surrounding participant’s homes were selected to represent neighborhood streets (N = 116). Interrater reliability was conducted on a subset of streets (N = 42). Rural-specific domain and walkability scores were developed and correlated with individual-level data on perceptions of the neighborhood and self-reported physical activity behavior.

Results:

Interrater reliability for the instrument was substantial and all domains had high agreement. Walkability in the audited area was low with even the best segments demonstrating only moderate support for walking. There were no significant correlations between the neighborhood walkability score and self-reported neighborhood walkability, time spent walking, sedentary behavior, or BMI; however, a few correlations within the social/dynamic domain were significant.

Conclusions:

This study expands recent research refining audit instruments for rural areas. Findings suggest the usefulness of summarizing environmental data at the domain level and linking it to physical activity behavior to identify aspects of the neighborhood environment that are most strongly correlated with actual behavior.