bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Innovative Setup for High-Throughput Respirometry of Small Aquatic Animals
Authors: Drown M.K. , DeLiberto A.N. , Crawford D.L. , Oleksiak M.F.
Published: January 2020

Abstract

Metabolic rate is often measured as a phenotype in evolutionary genetics studies because it impacts organismal fitness, is repeatable and heritable, and is responsive to numerous environmental variables. Despite a wide body of literature about metabolic rates, key questions remain unanswered: 1) why do individuals from the same population exhibit up to three fold differences in metabolic rate, 2) how does metabolic rate change during an individual’s lifetime, and 3) what metabolic rate is advantageous in a specific environment? Current low throughput approaches to measure metabolic rate make it difficult to answer these and other relevant ecological and evolutionary questions that require a much larger sample size. Here we describe a scalable high-throughput intermittent flow respirometer (HIFR) design and use it to measure the metabolic rates of 20 aquatic animals simultaneously while reducing equipment costs and time by more than 50%.
Production location of the gelling agent Phytagel has a significant impact onArabidopsis thalianaseedling phenotypic analysis
Authors: Jacques Caitlin N. , Hulbert Anna K. , Westenskow Shelby , Neff Michael M.
Published: January 2020

Background

Recently, it was found that 1% Phytagel plates used to conductArabidopsis thalianaseedling phenotypic analysis no longer reproduced previously published results. This Phytagel, which is produced in China (Phytagel C), has replace American-made Phytagel (Phytagel), which is no longer commercially available. In this study, we present the impact of Phytagel produced in the United States vs. China on seedling phenotypic analysis. As a part of this study, an alternative gelling agent has been identified that is capable of reproducing previously published seedling morphometrics.

Results

Phytagel and Phytagel C were investigated based on their ability to reproduce the subtle phenotype of thesob3-4 esc-8double mutant. Fluence-rate-response analysis of seedlings grown on 1% Phytagel C plates failed to replicate thesob3-4 esc-8subtle phenotype seen on 1% Phytagel. Furthermore, root penetrance analysis showed a significant difference betweensob3-4 esc-8seedlings grown on 1% Phytagel and 1% Phytagel C. It was also found that 1% Phytagel C was significantly harder than 1% Phytagel. As a replacement for Phytagel C, Gellan was tested. 1% Gellan was able to reproduce the subtle phenotype ofsob3-4 esc-8. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in root penetration of the wild type orsob3-4 esc-8seedlings between 1% Phytagel and 1% Gellan. This may be due to the significant reduction in hardness in 1% Gellan plates compared to 1% Phytagel plates. Finally, we tested additional concentrations of Gellan and found that seedlings on 0.6% Gellan looked more uniform while also being able to reproduce previously published results.

Conclusions

Phytagel has been the standard gelling agent for several studies involving the characterization of subtle seedling phenotypes. After production was moved to China, Phytagel C was no longer capable of reproducing these previously published results. An alternative gelling agent, Gellan, was able to reproduce previously published seedling phenotypes at both 1% and 0.6% concentrations. The information provided in this manuscript is beneficial to the scientific community as whole, specifically phenomics labs, as it details key problematic differences between gelling agents that should be performing identically (Phytagel and Phytagel C).
A single nonsynonymous mutation on gene encoding E protein of Zika virus leads to increased neurovirulencein vivo
Authors: Liu Zhihua , Zhang Yawei , Cheng Mengli , Ge Ningning , Shu Jiayi , Xu Zhiheng , Tong Yigang , Qin Chengfeng , Jin Xia
Published: January 2020

Zika virus can infect a wide range of tissues including the developmental brain of human fetuses, causing from mild to severe clinical diseases. Whether its genetic characteristics impacts on viral pathogenesis is incompletely understood. We have obtained viral variants through serially passage of a clinical Zika virus isolate (SW01) in neonatal micein vivoand found some of which exhibited markedly increased virulence and neurotropism. By deep sequencing analysis, the more pathogenic viral variants were found to contain four dominant nonsynonymous nucleotide mutations on genes encoding E and NS2A proteins. Further investigation using molecularly cloned viruses revealed that a single 67D (Aspatic acid) to N (Asparagine) substitution on E protein is sufficient to confer the increased virulence and neurotropism. These findings provide new insight into Zika virus pathogenesis and suggest novel targets for the development of therapeutics.

Author Summary

Recent large outbreaks of Zika virus infection worldwide have revealed an association between the viral infection and increased cases of specific neurological problems including Congenital Zika Syndrome (including microcephaly) and adult Guillain–Barré Syndrome. However, the determinants of the increased neurovirulence of Zika virus remain uncertain. One hypothesis is that some unique changes across the Zika viral genome have led to the occurrence of these neurological diseases. To test this hypothesis, we continuously propagated a clinical isolate of contemporary Zika virus (SW01) in neonatal mice brain for 11 times to obtain an mouse central nervous system (CNS) adapted Zika virus (MA-SW01) that showed significantly increased neurovirulencein vivo. We then discovered that a single G to A nucleotide substitution at the 1069 site of Zika virus open reading frame leading to a D (aspartic acid) to N (asparagine) in viral Envelope protein is responsible for the increased neurovirulence. These findings improve our understanding of the neurological pathogenesis of Zika virus and provide clues for the development of antiviral strategy.
Connectomics analysis reveals first, second, and third order thermosensory and hygrosensory neurons in the adultDrosophilabrain
Authors: Marin Elizabeth C. , Roberts Ruairí J.V. , Büld Laurin , Theiss Maria , Pleijzier Markus W. , Sarkissian Tatevik , Laursen Willem J. , Turnbull Robert , Schlegel Philipp , Bates Alexander S. , Li Feng , Landgraf Matthias , Costa Marta , Bock Davi D. , Garrity Paul A. , Jefferis Gregory S.X.E.
Published: January 2020

Animals exhibit innate and learned preferences for temperature and humidity – conditions critical for their survival and reproduction. Here, we leveraged a whole adult brain electron microscopy volume to study the circuitry associated with antennal thermosensory and hygrosensory neurons, which target specific ventroposterior (VP) glomeruli in theDrosophila melanogasterantennal lobe. We have identified two new VP glomeruli, in addition to the five known ones, and the projection neurons (VP PNs) that relay VP information to higher brain centres, including the mushroom body and lateral horn, seats of learned and innate olfactory behaviours, respectively. Focussing on the mushroom body lateral accessory calyx (lACA), a known thermosensory neuropil, we present a comprehensive connectome by reconstructing neurons downstream of heating- and cooling-responsive VP PNs. We find that a few lACA-associated mushroom body intrinsic neurons (Kenyon cells) solely receive thermosensory inputs, while most receive additional olfactory and thermo- or hygrosensory PN inputs in the main calyx. Unexpectedly, we find several classes of lACA-associated neurons that form a local network with outputs to other brain neuropils, suggesting that the lACA serves as a general hub for thermosensory circuitry. For example, we find DN1 pacemaker neurons that link the lACA to the accessory medulla, likely mediating temperature-based entrainment of the circadian clock. Finally, we survey strongly connected downstream partners of VP PNs across the protocerebrum; these include a descending neuron that receives input mainly from dry-responsive VP PNs, meaning that just two synapses might separate hygrosensory inputs from motor neurons in the nerve cord. (249)

HIGHLIGHTS

Two novel thermo/hygrosensory glomeruli in the fly antennal lobe

First complete set of thermosensory and hygrosensory projection neurons

First connectome for a thermosensory centre, the lateral accessory calyx

Novel third order neurons, including a link to the circadian clock
Social media markets for prescription drugs: platforms as virtual mortars for drug types and dealers
Authors: Demant Jakob , Bakken Silje Anderdal , Hall Alexandra
Published: January 2020

Purpose

Internet use has changed the mechanics of drug dealing. Although this has spurred some initial academic interest in how markets and their users have been changing, the issue is still under-researched. The purpose of this paper is to understand how the organisation of the distribution of prescription drugs and other illegal drugs overlap in these online markets by analysing data gathered from observation of the Swedish Facebook drug market and its participants.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were gathered during three months of digital ethnography conducted among Swedish Facebook posters supplemented by 25 interviews with sellers (20) and buyers (5). Screenshots and interview data were coded by carrying out an NVivo-based content analysis. The analysis is based on descriptive statistics of drug types, co-occurrence with other drugs, group size and the demographic characteristics of sellers. Additionally, the interviewees’ descriptions of the marketplace and their drug dealing or buying activities were included in the analysis.

Findings

In total, 57 Swedish Facebook groups that sold illegal substances were located. The groups rarely specialised in specific drug types, but were convened around demographic factors, such as specific cities and locales. The sales of prescription drugs were part of the overall activity of groups selling other illegal drugs, but they were more often sold in separate Facebook posts, possibly by specialist sellers. Swedish Facebook sales primarily concerned alprazolam, tramadol, pregabalin and clonazepam, and were sold by both professional and amateur sellers.

Originality/value

This study reports findings from a Nordic comparative study on social media drug dealing, representing the first in-depth study of digitally mediated prescription drug dealing outside of cryptomarkets.
Theorizing coordination, collaboration and integration in multi-sourcing triads (B3B triads)
Authors: Vlachos Ilias , Dyra Selvie Carolin
Published: January 2020

Purpose

Supply chains are becoming more complex and uncertain, yet existing theories are predominately based on empirical research of dyads overlooking triadic settings. This study aims to bridge the gap between supply chain theories and praxis, this study examined multi-sourcing triads in terms of coordination, collaboration and integration.

Design/methodology/approach

Transaction cost economics, resource-based view in conjunction with social capital theory and agency theory were used to develop a research framework. Abductive, comparative research examined four triads. The triads comprised four retailers (EU, USA, Japan and one with a global presence), one third-party logistics provider (3PL) and 103 suppliers in textiles and the clothing industry.

Findings

All multi-sourcing triads achieved efficient coordination via network configuration showing varying degrees of collaboration and integration. Three research propositions were developed as follows: transaction complexity and dynamics necessitate triad coordination and control by the 3PL; relational and structural embeddedness emerge when actors invest in triad-specific resources and capabilities; information, relational and structural asymmetries may trigger bridge transfer and affect triad integration and performance.

Research limitations/implications

Empirical research on multi-sourcing triads complements existing research on logistics and service, transitive triads to uncover how triad coordination, embeddedness and power asymmetries affect supply chain performance. Future studies should examine the interrelationships between triad embeddedness, asymmetries and relational capital.

Practical implications

Compared to logistics or service triads, B3B triads excel in relational and structural embeddedness and offer unique production-distribution solutions that create value to end-consumers and triad actors.

Originality/value

B3B triads are a unique conceptualization in supply chain management that extends the concepts of logistics triads and service triads.
Thresholds of income inequality that mitigate the role of gender inclusive education in promoting gender economic inclusion in sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Asongu Simplice , Odhiambo Nicholas
Published: January 2020

Purpose

This study aims to provide the thresholds of inequality that should not be exceeded if gender inclusive education is to enhance gender inclusive formal economic participation in sub-Saharan Africa.

Design/methodology/approach

The empirical evidence is based on the generalised method of moments and data from 42 countries during the period 2004-2014.

Findings

The following findings are established. First, inclusive tertiary education unconditionally promotes gender economic inclusion, while the interaction between tertiary education and inequality is unfavourable to gender economic inclusion. Second, a Gini coefficient that nullifies the positive incidence of inclusive tertiary education on female labour force participation is 0.562. Second, the Gini coefficient and Palma ratio that crowd-out the negative unconditional effects of inclusive tertiary education on female unemployment are 0.547 and 6.118, respectively. Third, a 0.578 Gini coefficient, a 0.680 Atkinson index and a 6.557 Palma ratio are critical masses that wipe out the positive unconditional effects of inclusive tertiary education on female employment. The findings associated with lower levels of education are not significant.

Practical implications

As the main policy implication, income inequality should not be tolerated above the established thresholds for gender inclusive education to promote gender inclusive formal economic participation. Other implications are discussed in the light of sustainable development goals.

Originality/value

This study complements the existing literature by providing inequality thresholds that should not be exceeded for gender inclusive education to promote the involvement of women in the formal economic sector.
Depression and people with a learning disability: a way forward
Authors: Jahoda Andrew
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to outline what is known about the prevalence, causes and treatment of depression for people with learning disabilities, with a focus on psychosocial interventions.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a narrative review, and will provide evidence-based guidance for practitioners and those managing service delivery.

Findings

Depression is just as prevalent among people with learning disabilities as it is in the wider population and they are frequently exposed to known vulnerability factors for low mood such as lack of social support and purposeful activity. Yet there remains a paucity of evidence about effective interventions for depression.

Originality/value

Growing evidence about the effectiveness of psychological interventions for people with learning disabilities and depression is promising but insufficient. To make meaningful change, there also needs to be an implementation strategy that encompasses the broader context of people’s lives, including family, care and work settings.
Commentary on “Implementation of policy regarding restrictive practices in England”
Authors: Frederiks Brenda
Published: January 2020

Purpose

In the Netherlands, as in England, concerns exist about the extent of and frequency with which freedom-restricting measures are applied. The view is that use of these measures needs to decrease. The purpose of this paper is to outline new legislation that is expected to come into force in the Netherlands in 2020.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper provides a description of legislation entering into force on 1 January 2020.

Findings

Many of the new legislation’s practical implications remain unclear, including the definition of involuntary care.

Research limitations/implications

The new legislation will start being monitored directly after coming into force, and only then the authors will make out what works well and what does not.

Practical implications

Introducing new legislation on coercion is not sufficient. Careful implementation of the legislation is important, including the way it defines involuntary care.

Originality/value

In 2020, the Netherlands is introducing new legislation on involuntary care for people with an intellectual disability. This includes a definition of involuntary care.
Mitigating counterfeit risk in the supply chain: an empirical study
Authors: Kros John F. , Falasca Mauro , Dellana Scott , Rowe William J.
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to adopt a contingency theory from a quality perspective to develop a model for assessing the impact of counterfeit prevention efforts on supply chain (SC) performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the participation of 140 managers across ten industry sectors, a theoretical model is proposed and structural equation modeling is used to examine the relationships among SC risk management integration, SC counterfeit risk orientation (CRO), SC counterfeit risk mitigation (CRM), SC metric consistency (MC) and SC performance (service and cost benefits).

Findings

Findings suggest that firms with greater SC risk management integration have a stronger orientation toward counterfeit risk, greater maturity in CRM, more consistent SC metrics and better SC performance outcomes. CRO alone was not found to significantly improve SC MC.

Research limitations/implications

Results are based on managerial perceptions of SC counterfeit risk and performance metrics. Survey respondents were predominantly from the same country (the USA).

Practical implications

The paper represents a potential quality management framework for SC risk management, in the context of counterfeiting that includes a contingency perspective.

Originality/value

The study advances knowledge of how firms may address the challenging issue of counterfeiting in the SC. Empirical findings offer a firm-level quality management framework for managerial decision making in the context of counterfeiting.
From Narcissus to Narcosis
Authors: Berger Susanna
Published: January 2020

This essay examines the Narcissus (c. 1599–1620) that has been attributed to Caravaggio through the lens of cultural history before exploiting a methodology that understands Caravaggio's paintings and those of his followers as works that thematize their own fictiveness. I move beyond this method by thinking about how such self‐aware paintings could likewise thematize the potential fictiveness of visual experience. In so doing, I examine scientific medicine prevalent in Caravaggio's age to explain the ambiguities, dislocations, and shifting identities raised in part by a reading of the canvas's self‐reflexivity and to shed light on its sensual power. I argue that this painting shows Narcissus's own narcotic‐induced hallucination and could have cued a similar response in the painting's early modern beholders. The Narcissus both portrays a physical and emotional malaise and functioned as an instrument for alleviating it in the observer, first through an amplification of symptoms and then by opening a speculative route.
Autonomy, productiveness, and community: the rise of inequality in an Amazonian society
Authors: Buitron Natalia
Published: January 2020

In Amazonian societies, autonomy is said to be a core value motivating egalitarian politics. This article shows how the quest for autonomy and productiveness presently sets in motion processes that encroach upon these very values. Among the Shuar of Amazonian Ecuador, the realization of autonomy and productiveness increasingly depends on the capture of state resources. Shuar interact with the local state as members of relatively recent sedentary communities and through the mediation of elected leaders. In these processes, ‘community’ itself is transformed: being a channel to regenerate domestic livelihoods, it also becomes an end in itself, giving rise to new economistic attitudes while legitimizing inequalities between commoners and leaders. The article suggests that the pursuit of autonomy and productiveness within a process of village formation is central to the transformation of egalitarianism that occurs when small‐scale Amazonian polities engage with nation‐state politics.
Dismemberment and Mutilation: A Data‐Driven Exploration of Patterns, Motives, and Styles
Authors: Petreca Victor G. , Burgess Ann W. , Stone Michael H. , Brucato Gary
Published: January 2020

Classification of violent behavior, including dismemberment and mutilation, has become increasingly more significant. This study uses a data‐driven classification system based upon knowledge drawn from the pertinent literature, and examination of cases of offenders who have dismembered or mutilated their victims. The latter were extracted from the Serial Killer Database, as well as media sources, and assessed for characteristics of the perpetrators and victim(s). An informational form was developed and used to establish quantitative parameters and objectively extract pertinent information that could be used for comparison and pattern analysis. Motives and styles, as well as the organized/disorganized dichotomy for murder and dismemberment/mutilation, were examined for each case. The majority of cases demonstrated defensive styles (60%), with the second most common being offensive styles (26%), which differs from previous studies that do not exclude older cases. Additionally, 68% of cases reflected organized patterns for both murder and the acts of dismemberment or mutilation. The results support a data‐driven classification system that may serve as a foundational model for the investigation of specific motives of this type of deviant behavior in future research.
Predictive values of haematuria and hydronephrosis in suspected renal colic: An emergency department retrospective audit
Authors: Saw Jarel TS , Imeri Nerissa Nexhmije , Aldridge Emogene S , Buntine Paul G
Published: January 2020

Objective

To determine the predictive values of haematuria and hydronephrosis in suspected renal colic.

Methods

We undertook a retrospective audit of adult patients who received a computed tomography (CT) of the kidneys, ureter and bladder (CTKUB) for suspected renal colic, presenting to Eastern Health Emergency Departments in Melbourne, Australia, between 1 January 2016 and 30 June 2016. CT hydronephrosis was used as a substitute for ultrasound hydronephrosis. We looked at the association of haematuria and CT proven hydronephrosis with CT proven ureteric and obstructing pelvic calculi.

Results

Of 769 adult cases who received a CTKUB for suspected renal colic, 384 were positive (49.9%) and 385 were negative (50.1%). For haematuria and renal colic, sensitivity was 87.3% (83.3–90.7), specificity 33.8% (28.9–39.0), positive predictive value (PPV) 55.7% (53.7–57.8), negative predictive value (NPV) 73.6% (67.1–79.3). For CT hydronephrosis and renal colic, sensitivity was 88.0% (84.2–91.1), specificity 85.0% (80.9–88.5), PPV 85.7% (82.4–88.5), NPV 87.4% (84.0–90.2). Of 110 cases with both negative CT hydronephrosis and negative haematuria, four had ureteric calculi, NPV 96.4% (90.8–98.6).

Conclusion

This audit suggests that a diagnostic strategy relying on the absence of haematuria or hydronephrosis, or both, to rule out ureteric calculi may result in a small number of stones being missed.
Glacier Relics of the Last Glacial and Holocene Periods Discovered in the Middle‐low Mountains of Eastern China: Sedimentary Sequences and Environmental Evolution of Mengshan Mountain in Shandong Province since 80 ka
Authors: WANG Zhaobo , WANG Jiangyue , HE Lelong , ZHANG Jian
Published: January 2020

The goal of this research study is to describe academic issues which have been debated in the field of Chinese geosciences for a century. In 1922, Jonquei S. Lee (Li Siguang) discovered Quaternary glacial relics at Taihang Mountainin eastern China. In 1947, he published his research findings in the magazine Mount Lushan in Glacial Age. The research results had established three Ice Ages: Poyang (Gonzi), Dagu (Minde), and Lushan (Lisi). However, at that time, no Wurm glacial relics of the last Ice Age had been found in Lushan Mountain. Since then, the research team represented by Shi Yafeng, who is considered to be “the father of glaciers in China”, questioned Jonquei S. Lee's research results and concluded that “Professor Jonquei S. Lee's Quaternary glacier research in Lushan Mountain having misread the debris flow”. In 2005, the “middle‐low mountains” in eastern China were finally defined as follows: “We clearly and unambiguously believe that there were no glacial activities in the middle‐low mountainous areas of eastern China (east of 102° to 104°E; below 3,000 and 2,500 m) during the Quaternary Period”. Currently, the long‐standing academic debate appears to have come to a conclusion.

As of 2015, the author and others began to investigate and study the Quaternary glacial relics in Mengshan Mountain (1,156m above sea level), Shandong Province, one of the “middle‐low mountains” of eastern China. The relics have been observed to posses the systematic features of glacial erosion, trough and valley striations, and moraine deposits. The applied dating method shave confirmed that there were not only glacial relics of the last Ice Age (Wurm), but also Holocene glacial relics in the Mengshan Mountain area. Therefore, in order to further establish the corresponding relationship between the glacier, loess, stream sediment series, and MIS in the Mengshan Mountain area, a large number of chronological studies have been carried out regarding the various types of sediments in the area, and 24 dating datahave been obtained using OSL, CRN, and 14Cmethods. On this basis, the corresponding relationship between the sedimentary sequences and the MIS was established for the first time in eastern China, which in dicates the environmental changes which had occurred in eastern China since 80ka. These discoveries s and chronological study results confirm the existence of the Last Ice Age, as well as Holocene glacial relics at Mengshan Mountain, there by confirming that Quaternary glaciation had occurred in the middle‐low mountain areas of eastern China.
Origin of Phosphate‐bearing Carbonate Concretions in the Upper Triassic Lacustrine Black Shales of the Southern Ordos Basin, China
Authors: ZHANG Long , LIU Chiyang , ZHANG Dongdong , QU Shaodong , MA Huanhuan , JIANG Chong , LEI Kaiyu
Published: January 2020

Carbonate concretions are conspicuous in organic‐rich shales and are generally related to decomposition of organic matter. The black shales from the Chang 7 Member of the Upper Triassic Yanchang Formation of the southern Ordos Basin host abundant carbonate concretions, which provide a unique record of depositional and early diagenetic conditions of the paleo‐lake sediments. However, little attention has been given to the genesis and growth processes of the concretions in these lacustrine petroleum source rocks. New petrographic observations and geochemical analysis show that the concretions are composed of calcite, phosphate fossil fragments, K‐NH4‐feldspar, quartz, bitumen, and minor Fedolomite. Phosphate minerals, mainly carbonate fluorapatite (CFA), show pervasive replacement by calcite, most of which contains phosphorus, ranging in concentration from 0.26 to 2.35 wt%. This suggests that the phosphate minerals are the precursors for concretion growth. Positive δ13C (+5.6 to +12.4 ‰ V‐PDB) signatures and the absence of pyrite indicate that microbial methanogenesis was the dominant driver for concretion growth, rather than bacterial sulfate reduction. Quartz, bitumen, and Fe‐dolomite are the last cements that occurred, at deep burial depths and high temperatures. The formation of phosphate minerals might have been induced by upwelling of phosphate‐enriched deep water in the Late Triassic paleolake, which promoted phytoplankton blooms and further enrichment of organic matter. Extremely slow sedimentation rates of fine‐grained detrital minerals, relative to dead organism accumulation, led to the high permeabilities of the organic‐rich sediments and rapid concretion growth during shallow burial. The close association of phosphate‐bearing carbonate concretions and organic‐rich shales reflects that upwelling played a critical role in the formation of the high‐quality petroleum source rocks in the Triassic paleo‐Ordos lake.
Validation of the Brief Negative Symptom Scale in Korean patients with schizophrenia
Authors: Jeakal Eunju , Park Kiho , Lee Eunbyeol , Strauss Gregory P. , Choi Kee‐Hong
Published: January 2020

Introduction

The Brief Negative Symptom Scale (BNSS) was developed based on the current consensus on negative symptoms. We validated the Korean version of the BNSS (K‐BNSS) and explored the factor structure of negative symptoms among 173 Koreans with schizophrenia.

Methods

Clinical interviews and neurocognitive assessments were administered to evaluate the factor structure, validity, and reliability of the K‐BNSS.

Results

The five‐factor model of the K‐BNSS showed excellent reliability and validity.

Discussion

Our findings confirm that the K‐BNSS is a promising instrument for assessing negative symptoms of schizophrenia, and that negative symptoms are best conceptualized in the form of five domains.
Opioid prescriptions are associated with hepatic encephalopathy in a national cohort of patients with compensated cirrhosis
Authors: Moon Andrew M. , Jiang Yue , Rogal Shari S. , Tapper Elliot B. , Lieber Sarah R. , Barritt A. Sidney
Published: January 2020

Background

Opioids are often prescribed for pain in cirrhosis and may increase the risk of hepatic encephalopathy (HE).

Aim

To assess the association between opioids and HE in patients with well‐compensated cirrhosis.

Methods

We used the IQVIA PharMetrics (Durham, NC) database to identify patients aged 18‐64 years with cirrhosis. We excluded patients with any decompensation event from 1 year before cirrhosis diagnosis to 6 months after cirrhosis diagnosis. Over the 6 months after cirrhosis diagnosis, we determined the duration of continuous opioid use and classified use into short term (1‐89 days) and chronic (90‐180 days). We assessed whether patients developed HE over the subsequent year (ie 6‐18 months after cirrhosis diagnosis). We used a landmark analysis and performed multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression to assess associations between opioid use and HE, adjusting for relevant confounders.

Results

The cohort included 6451 patients with compensated cirrhosis, of whom 23.3% and 4.7% had short‐term and chronic opioid prescriptions respectively. Over the subsequent year, HE occurred in 6.3% patients with chronic opioid prescriptions, 5.0% with short‐term opioid prescriptions and 3.3% with no opioid prescriptions. In the multivariable model, an increased risk of HE was observed with short‐term (adjusted hazard ratio, HR 1.44, 95% CI 1.07‐1.94) and chronic opioid prescriptions (adjusted HR 1.83, 95% CI 1.07‐3.12) compared to no opioid prescriptions.

Conclusion

In this national cohort of privately insured patients with cirrhosis, opioid prescriptions were associated with the risk of incident HE. Opioid use should be minimised in those with cirrhosis and, when required, limited to short duration.
Review article: determination of the therapeutic range for therapeutic drug monitoring of adalimumab and infliximab in patients with inflammatory bowel disease
Authors: Gibson David J. , Ward Mark G. , Rentsch Clarissa , Friedman Antony B. , Taylor Kirstin M. , Sparrow Miles P. , Gibson Peter R.
Published: January 2020

Background

Clinical application of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) to optimise anti‐TNF therapies in patients with IBD depends upon target ranges.

Aims

To review methodology used to determine therapeutic ranges and critically compare and contrast its application to infliximab and adalimumab.

Methods

A systematic review was performed, and relevant literature was summarised and critically examined.

Results

Upper limits of the therapeutic range are determined by toxicity, a plateau response and cost. Lower limits are determined by optimal concentration on the target of action in vitro and/or in vivo, or by correlation of drug levels with clinical efficacy using area‐under‐receiver‐operator‐curve (AUROC) analysis. In 43 studies, there were huge variations in time at which infliximab and adalimumab levels were measured, the end‐points used (clinical remission to mucosal healing), the clinical setting (active disease vs maintenance phase) and the reason for TDM (proactive vs reactive). In the maintenance phase for infliximab, lower trough limits 2.8‐5.7 µg/mL are reported depending upon end‐points used, with consistent AUROC 0.68‐0.77. Adalimumab TDM targets are even less consistent with a lower limit 5.9‐11.8 µg/mL (AUROC 0.66‐0.83) in some studies, but no cut‐off can be identified that is significantly associated with outcome in others, related to inherent pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic differences, and heterogeneity of study design.

Conclusions

Evidence for exposure‐response relationship is stronger for infliximab than adalimumab. Due to heterogeneity in settings for drug level measurements, therapeutic ranges vary. These factors need to be taken into account when interpreting the evidence and extending this to therapeutic strategies for IBD patients.
Highly efficient stepped wedge designs for clusters of unequal size
Authors: Matthews John N. S.
Published: January 2020

The stepped wedge design (SWD) is a form of cluster randomized trial, usually comparing two treatments, which is divided into time periods and sequences, with clusters allocated to sequences. Typically all sequences start with the standard treatment and end with the new treatment, with the change happening at different times in the different sequences. The clusters will usually differ in size but this is overlooked in much of the existing literature. This paper considers the case when clusters have different sizes and determines how efficient designs can be found. The approach uses an approximation to the variance of the treatment effect, which is expressed in terms of the proportions of clusters and of individuals allocated to each sequence of the design. The roles of these sets of proportions in determining an efficient design are discussed and illustrated using two SWDs, one in the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases and one in renal replacement therapy. Cluster‐balanced designs, which allocate equal numbers of clusters to each sequence, are shown to have excellent statistical and practical properties; suggestions are made about the practical application of the results for these designs. The paper concentrates on the cross‐sectional case, where subjects are measured once, but it is briefly indicated how the methods can be extended to the closed‐cohort design.
Bariatric surgery‐induced weight loss in patients with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Carvalho Thatiany A. , Ronsoni Marcelo F. , Hohl Alexandre , van de Sande‐Lee Simone
Published: January 2020

Surgical treatment of obesity leads to weight loss and metabolic improvement, but it is unclear if the response differs between patients with and without type 2 diabetes. Retrospective cohort study comparing weight loss and metabolic outcomes between patients with and without type 2 diabetes, matched for body mass index (BMI), gender and age, 12 months after Roux‐en‐Y gastric bypass. Forty‐eight patients with type 2 diabetes (D) and 48 without type 2 diabetes (ND) were evaluated, 87.5% female, mean age 42.2 ± 0.9 years. The mean baseline weight and BMI of the D and ND groups were, respectively, 120.3 ± 21.6 vs 123.7 ± 20.8 kg (P = .45) and 47.2 ± 7.5 vs 47.2 ± 6.9 kg/m2 (P = .70). After 12 months, there was no significant difference in weight (40.4 ± 16.9 vs 44.1 ± 12.2 kg, P = .28) and BMI (15.8 ± 6.5 vs 16.9 ± 4.5 kg/m2, P = .26) variation between groups. The parameters that presented significant variation were (D vs ND): fasting blood glucose (41.6 ± 43.0 vs 12.7 ± 17.2 mg/dL, P < .01), HbA1c (1.8 ± 1.6 vs 0.6 ± 0.7%; P < .01), triglycerides (91.1 ± 100.4 vs 54.2 ± 43.8 mg/dL; P = .04), low‐density lipoprotein (27.2 ± 41.5 vs 37.5 ± 24.2 mg/dL; P < .01) and gamma glutamyl transferase (46.5 ± 55.3 vs 17.7 ± 11.9 UI/L; P = .04). Weight loss 12 months after a gastric bypass was similar in patients with and without type 2 diabetes, the greater metabolic benefits appearing in patients with type 2 diabetes as they had more pronounced changes at baseline.
Who Can We Trust: A New Approach for Fraudulent Rater Detection in Reputation Systems
Authors: Cai Yuanfeng , Zhu Dan
Published: January 2020

Reputation systems are widely applied in the electronic marketplace to provide reference information for consumers and alleviate their transactional risk. Despite the convenience of reputation systems, they are vulnerable to malicious ratings injected by fraudulent raters. Although several rating fraud detection methods have been proposed in previous research, their performance has limitations in relatively complicated attack scenarios. In this study, we have used real‐world rating datasets from Expedia.com, TripAdvisor.com, and Amazon.com to explore features of collaborative rating fraud. Leveraging these features, this study proposes a two‐phase approach for fraudulent rater detection. It first examines the rating series of each entity and identifies the suspicious entities. For raters of all suspicious entities, a clustering technique is then adopted to discriminate fraudulent raters. We have performed a series of empirical evaluations to compare the effectiveness of the proposed method with three benchmark methods using another real‐world dataset, in terms of fraudulent rater detection accuracy or rating difference. Our results show the advantages of the proposed method in various rating fraud scenarios.
Comparison of bispectral index and spectral entropy during isoflurane and medetomidine general anaesthesia in horses
Authors: Navarrete‐Calvo Rocío , Morgaz Juan , Gómez‐Villamandos Rafael J. , Quirós‐Carmona Setefilla , Domínguez Juan M. , Ruiz‐López Patricia , Granados María M.
Published: January 2020

Background

The bispectral index (BIS) has been evaluated as an indicator of central nervous system (CNS) depression in horses during general anaesthesia. The spectral entropy is another electroencephalographic device and it has not been evaluated yet in horses.

Objectives

To determine if spectral entropy can assess anaesthetic depth during the different phases of anaesthesia, define the value of state and response entropy during surgical plane of anaesthesia and compare them with BIS.

Study design

Clinical, prospective, non‐blinded observational study.

Methods

Thirty‐five horses ASA I or II undergoing scheduled surgical procedure were used. BIS and electromyography (EMG) with a BIS monitor and state and response entropy with a spectral entropy monitor were recorded at baseline after receiving 5 µg/kg bwt i.v. of medetomidine (sedation period), during the anaesthetic maintenance with isoflurane and medetomidine (intraoperative period) and once the trachea was extubated (recovery period). A general linear model for repeated measurements was employed. Correlation and agreement between methods were also assessed. Data are presented as mean ± SD.

Results

State entropy, response entropy and EMG showed significant differences according to the anaesthetic period (P < .001). There was no significant difference in BIS between baseline and sedation period, but there were differences between the remainder of the periods (P < .001). BIS (53.4 ± 11.2) was significantly higher (P < .001) than response entropy (35.1 ± 7.1) and state entropy (27.4 ± 4.8) during surgical plane of anaesthesia. The ICC between BIS and response entropy was 0.56 and between BIS and state entropy was 0.43, without agreement between them.

Main limitations

The need to shave the skin in contact with the sensors and the difficulty in taking measurements during recovery period.

Conclusions

Spectral entropy can be used to detect the different periods of an anaesthetic protocol, with the lowest values during the intraoperative period. A low correlation and no concordance were observed between both methods.
Characterization of the nonlinear fracture resistance parameters for an aviation GTE turbine disc
Authors: Shlyannikov Valery , Ishtyryakov Ivan , Tumanov Andrey
Published: January 2020

The effects of crack growth rate model formulation, based on the elastic‐plastic and undamaged/damaged creep crack tip fields on the behaviour of low‐cycle fatigue and creep fracture resistance parameter behaviour, are represented by numerical calculations. The crack growth rate models include the fracture process zone size and damage parameters. An aviation gas turbine engine (GTE) rotating turbine disc is the focus of this innovative application of basic analytical and numerical solutions. For the GTE turbine disc, the constraint parameters, local fracture process zone sizes, and nonlinear plastic (Kp) and creep (Kcr) stress intensity factors are calculated by finite element analysis to characterize the fracture resistance along the semielliptical crack front as a function of the flaw aspect ratio, operation temperature, and disc rotation speed. Predictions of the creep‐fatigue crack growth rate and residual lifetime are given for different combinations of operation loading conditions and damage of the GTE turbine disc.
Users' and researchers' construction of equity in research collaboration
Authors: Stuhlfauth Susanne , Knutsen Ingrid Ruud , Foss Christina
Published: January 2020

Background

Equity is described as an ideal in user involvement in research and is mentioned in the health service literature and in several guidelines. However, equity is described as being difficult to obtain and the concept is rarely clarified or concretized. Equity can be socially constructed.

Objective

This study explored users' and researchers' constructions of equity in research processes.

Design and Method

The study had a qualitative research design. Constructions of equity were analysed through the lens of positioning theory. Two focus group interviews consisting of both users and researchers were conducted.

Findings

The thirteen users and four researchers considered ‘equity’ as an important part of user involvement in research. Storylines about norms, responsibility, language, knowledge and usefulness evolved in the discussions. These storylines elucidated unequal access to rights and duties.

Discussion and conclusion

Users and researchers constructed equity in user involvement differently, but the difference was masked by an apparent agreement. Users and researchers drew on different storylines. The researchers emphasized the scientific discourse and although users acknowledged this discourse, they attempted to oppose this dominant discourse by drawing on a lay discourse. The identified constructions and negotiations of equity may contribute in new understandings of an equal collaboration in user involvement in research.
Genealogy of tabunka kyōsei: A Critical Analysis of the Reformation of the Multicultural Co‐living Discourse in Japan
Authors: Shiobara Yoshikazu
Published: January 2020

The Japanese government started to accept semi‐skilled foreign workers officially under the newly established tokutei ginō status in 2019, and national policies for supporting foreign residents are gradually being developed. However, it is unclear how the principles of tabunka kyōsei (multicultural coexistence or co‐living), the official slogan for supporting foreign residents since the mid‐2000s, have changed as a result of recent policy trends. In this article, I examine the transformation of logics for legitimizing policies for foreign residents using discourse analysis of the official government documents on tabunka kyōsei. Previous critical studies have revealed that tabunka kyōsei is based on the logic of a binary opposition between “Japanese” and “foreigners”. This was combined with the neoliberal logic of “supports for self‐reliance”, a paternalism that sees foreigners as being in need of support if they can live "just as" Japanese. This paternalism has prevented the development of recognizing the human rights and cultural differences of foreign residents as de facto immigrants. In addition, a logic has explicitly emerged in the tabunka kyōsei discourse at the end of the 2010s that sees foreigners as a threat to national security and that their acceptance should be strictly governed by the border control policy and socially controlled from the viewpoint of national interests. To deal with this situation, tabunka kyōsei must be recreated as a principle for recognizing foreign residents as immigrants and guaranteeing their human rights and cultural differences.
Labor Courts and Firing Costs: The Labor‐Market Effects of Trial Delays
Authors: Gianfreda Giuseppina , Vallanti Giovanna
Published: January 2020

Employment protection is the result of labor laws as well as of institutional factors not encompassed in official legislation. Courts' delays in settling labor disputes are among those factors. Using individual data from the Italian Labour Force Survey (2008–2010) and exploiting the territorial heterogeneity in the duration of labor trials across Italian regions we investigate the effect of courts’ delays on the composition of employment. We find that labor courts' delays reduce the employment rate and increase inactivity of specific categories of workers, i.e., women, young, and low‐skilled individuals; they also reduce the likelihood of accessing a permanent occupation and increase the incidence of long‐term unemployment for the same groups of workers.
Influence of adaptive behaviour on the quality of life of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities
Authors: Balboni Giulia , Mumbardó‐Adam Cristina , Coscarelli Alessandra
Published: January 2020

Background

This study evaluated the role of adaptive behaviour, individual variables (age, gender and problem behaviours) and environmental variables (living arrangements, employment status and city dimension) in affecting the quality of life of individuals with IDD measured from third‐party (caregiver) and individuals with IDD' perspective.

Method

For 93 adults with an IDD diagnosis (47% males) aged 19–65 years, third‐party and participants' perspective on participants' quality of life (Personal Outcome Scale), adaptive behaviour (Vineland‐II scale), problem behaviours (PIMRA and DASH‐II scales), and individual and environmental variables were collected.

Results

Adaptive behaviour was the main determinant of quality of life for individuals with IDD. The effect of adaptive behaviour was significant and relevant from both third‐party and participants' perspectives. Problem behaviours had a modest negative impact on the quality of life.

Conclusions

Adaptive behaviour is relevant for planning support and interventions for people with IDD to increase their quality of life.