bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Remarkable lives: Jo Mullen in conversation with Jerome Carson
Authors: Mullen Jo , Carson Jerome
Published: May 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a profile of Jo Mullen.

Design/methodology/approach

Jo provides a short background to her life and is then interviewed by Jerome.

Findings

Jo tells us about the teaching resources that she has developed to increase understanding of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD).

Research limitations/implications

While this is a single case study, it contains numerous helpful insights of how Jo has developed and presented her work, along with two mental health nurses, and of the high quality educational interventions she has produced.

Practical implications

Jo presents a model of co-production, where service partner and mental health professional are equals.

Social implications

It would be helpful if mental health services invested in supporting talented individuals like Jo, to develop and disseminate the tools she has created.

Originality/value

Thus far Jo has written her own personal account of what it is like to cope with BPD, a bigger training resource, “Wot R U Like?” and a board game, Personapoly, to help individuals solve social and personal problems.
A novel WiFi indoor positioning strategy based on weighted squared Euclidean distance and local principal gradient direction
Authors: Zhang Wei , Hua Xianghong , Yu Kegen , Qiu Weining , Zhang Shoujian , He Xiaoxing
Published: May 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to introduce the weighted squared Euclidean distance between points in signal space, to improve the performance of the Wi-Fi indoor positioning. Nowadays, the received signal strength-based Wi-Fi indoor positioning, a low-cost indoor positioning approach, has attracted a significant attention from both academia and industry.

Design/methodology/approach

The local principal gradient direction is introduced and used to define the weighting function and an average algorithm based on k-means algorithm is used to estimate the local principal gradient direction of each access point. Then, correlation distance is used in the new method to find the k nearest calibration points. The weighted squared Euclidean distance between the nearest calibration point and target point is calculated and used to estimate the position of target point.

Findings

Experiments are conducted and the results indicate that the proposed Wi-Fi indoor positioning approach considerably outperforms the weighted k nearest neighbor method. The new method also outperforms support vector regression and extreme learning machine algorithms in the absence of sufficient fingerprints.

Research limitations/implications

Weighted k nearest neighbor approach, support vector regression algorithm and extreme learning machine algorithm are the three classic strategies for location determination using Wi-Fi fingerprinting. However, weighted k nearest neighbor suffers from dramatic performance degradation in the presence of multipath signal attenuation and environmental changes. More fingerprints are required for support vector regression algorithm to ensure the desirable performance; and labeling Wi-Fi fingerprints is labor-intensive. The performance of extreme learning machine algorithm may not be stable.

Practical implications

The new weighted squared Euclidean distance-based Wi-Fi indoor positioning strategy can improve the performance of Wi-Fi indoor positioning system.

Social implications

The received signal strength-based effective Wi-Fi indoor positioning system can substitute for global positioning system that does not work indoors. This effective and low-cost positioning approach would be promising for many indoor-based location services.

Originality/value

A novel Wi-Fi indoor positioning strategy based on the weighted squared Euclidean distance is proposed in this paper to improve the performance of the Wi-Fi indoor positioning, and the local principal gradient direction is introduced and used to define the weighting function.
Stress in biological invasions: Introduced invasive grey squirrels increase physiological stress in native Eurasian red squirrels
Authors: Santicchia Francesca , Dantzer Ben , van Kesteren Freya , Palme Rupert , Martinoli Adriano , Ferrari Nicola , Wauters Lucas Armand
Published: May 2018

Invasive alien species can cause extinction of native species through processes including predation, interspecific competition for resources or disease‐mediated competition. Increases in stress hormones in vertebrates may be associated with these processes and contribute to the decline in survival or reproduction of the native species.

Eurasian red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) have gone extinct across much of the British Isles and parts of Northern Italy following the introduction of North American invasive grey squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis). We extracted glucocorticoid metabolites from faecal samples to measure whether the presence of the invasive species causes an increase in physiological stress in individuals of the native species.

We show that native red squirrels in seven sites where they co‐occurred with invasive grey squirrels had glucocorticoid concentrations that were three times higher than those in five sites without the invasive species. Moreover, in a longitudinal study, stress hormones in native red squirrels increased after colonisation by grey squirrels. When we experimentally reduced the abundance of the invasive grey squirrels, the concentration of faecal glucocorticoid metabolites in co‐occurring red squirrels decreased significantly between pre‐ and postremoval periods.

Hence, we found that the invasive species acts as a stressor which significantly increases the concentrations of glucocorticoids in the native species.

Given that sustained elevations in glucocorticoids could reduce body growth and reproductive rate, our results are consistent with previous studies where the co‐occurrence of the invasive grey squirrel was associated with smaller size and lower reproductive output in red squirrels.
Identifying language impairment in bilingual children in France and in Germany
Authors: Tuller Laurice , Hamann Cornelia , Chilla Solveig , Ferré Sandrine , Morin Eléonore , Prevost Philippe , dos Santos Christophe , Abed Ibrahim Lina , Zebib Racha
Published: May 2018

Background

The detection of specific language impairment (SLI) in children growing up bilingually presents particular challenges for clinicians. Non‐word repetition (NWR) and sentence repetition (SR) tasks have proven to be the most accurate diagnostic tools for monolingual populations, raising the question of the extent of their usefulness in different bilingual populations.

Aims

To determine the diagnostic accuracy of NWR and SR tasks that incorporate phonological/syntactic complexity as discussed in recent linguistic theory. The tasks were developed as part of the Language Impairment Testing in Multilingual Settings (LITMUS) toolkit, in two different national settings, France and Germany, and investigated children with three different home languages: Arabic, Portuguese and Turkish.

Methods & Procedures

NWR and SR tasks developed in parallel were administered to 151 bilingual children, aged 5;6–8;11, in France and in Germany, to 64 children in speech–language therapy (SLT) and to 87 children not in SLT, whose first language (L1) was Arabic, Portuguese or Turkish. Children were also administered standardized language tests in each of their languages to determine likely clinical status (typical development (TD) or SLI), and parents responded to a questionnaire including questions about early and current language use (bilingualism factors) and early language development (risk factors for SLI). Monolingual controls included 47 TD children and 29 children with SLI. Results were subjected to inter‐group comparisons, to diagnostic accuracy calculation, and to correlation and multiple regression analyses.

Outcomes & Results

In accordance with previous studies, NWR and SR identified SLI in the monolingual children, yielding good to excellent diagnostic accuracy. Diagnostic accuracy in bilingual children was fair to good, generally distinguishing children likely to have SLI from children likely to have TD. Accuracy was necessarily linked to the determination of clinical status, which was based on standardized assessment in each of the child's languages. Positive early development, a composite risk factor for SLI, and not variables related to language exposure and use, generally emerged as the strongest predictor of performance on the two tasks, constituting additional, independent support for the efficacy of NWR and SR in identifying impairment in bilingual children.

Conclusions & Implications

NWR and SR tasks informed by linguistic theory are appropriate for use as part of the diagnostic process for identifying language impairment in bilingual children for whom the language of assessment is different from the home language, in diverse sociolinguistic contexts.
Variation in electrode redox potential selects for different microorganisms under cathodic current flow from electrodes in marine sediments
Authors: Lam Bonita R. , Rowe Annette R. , Nealson Kenneth H.
Published: May 2018

Extracellular electron transport (EET) is a microbial process that allows microorganisms to transport electrons to and from insoluble substrates outside of the cell. Although progress has been made in understanding how microbes transfer electrons to insoluble substrates, the process of receiving electrons has largely remained unexplored. We investigated redox potentials favourable for donating electrons to dissolved and insoluble components in Catalina Harbor marine sediment by combining electrochemical techniques with geochemistry and molecular methods. Working electrodes buried in sediment microcosms were poised at seven redox potentials between −300 and −750 mV versus Ag/AgCl using a three‐electrode system. In electrode biofilms recovered after 2‐month incubations, overall community diversity increased with more negative redox potentials. Abundances of known EET‐capable groups (e.g., Alteromonadales and Desulfuromonadales) varied with redox potential. Motility and chemotaxis genes were found in greater abundance in electrode communities, suggesting a possible selective advantage of these pathways for colonization and utilization of the electrode. Our enrichments demonstrated the validity of this approach in capturing groups known, as well as novel groups (e.g., Campylobacterales) that perform EET. The diverse nature of the enriched cathode communities suggest that insoluble substrate oxidation may be a critical, although poorly described microbial metabolic process in marine sediment.
Expressed exome capture sequencing: A method for cost‐effective exome sequencing for all organisms
Authors: Puritz Jonathan B. , Lotterhos Katie E.
Published: May 2018

Exome capture is an effective tool for surveying the genome for loci under selection. However, traditional methods require annotated genomic resources. Here, we present a method for creating cDNA probes from expressed mRNA, which are then used to enrich and capture genomic DNA for exon regions. This approach, called “EecSeq,” eliminates the need for costly probe design and synthesis. We tested EecSeq in the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, using a controlled exposure experiment. Four adult oysters were heat shocked at 36°C for 1 hr along with four control oysters kept at 14°C. Stranded mRNA libraries were prepared for two individuals from each treatment and pooled. Half of the combined library was used for probe synthesis, and half was sequenced to evaluate capture efficiency. Genomic DNA was extracted from all individuals, enriched via captured probes, and sequenced directly. We found that EecSeq had an average capture sensitivity of 86.8% across all known exons and had over 99.4% sensitivity for exons with detectable levels of expression in the mRNA library. For all mapped reads, over 47.9% mapped to exons and 37.0% mapped to expressed targets, which is similar to previously published exon capture studies. EecSeq displayed relatively even coverage within exons (i.e., minor “edge effects”) and even coverage across exon GC content. We discovered 5,951 SNPs with a minimum average coverage of 80×, with 3,508 SNPs appearing in exonic regions. We show that EecSeq provides comparable, if not superior, specificity and capture efficiency compared to costly, traditional methods.
Benefits and challenges of maintaining national plant pest lists: an analysis of agricultural pests in Bhutan
Authors: van Klinken R.D. , Dorji S. , Om N. , Thinlay  , Loday P. , Zangpo T.
Published: May 2018

Developing and maintaining national plant pest lists helps fulfil international obligations for trading countries, and also provides a foundation for national biosecurity systems. However, if done, lists and analyses are rarely made publically available. We compiled a national plant pest list for Bhutan, a relatively small but agriculturally diverse country for which plant protection is a recent discipline. We treated this pest list as a case study to test the benefits and challenges of maintaining such lists. Six hundred and forty‐five pest species were recorded across 64 different crops. Of those, only 17.0% were listed for Bhutan in the widely used CABI Crop Protection Compendium. Most species (86.4%) were first recorded during the initial discovery phase (1985–88) of a long‐running European Community funded aid programme. Regular taxonomic changes means keeping pest lists up to date requires both effort and expertise (27.0% of the 407 species identified by 1988 have since undergone name changes). Confidence in taxonomic identifications reduced drastically as access to international expertise decreased, from about 69.1% of species being identified with high confidence prior to 1988 to 8.1% afterwards. Many recent records lacked reference material, and voucher specimens for older material are mostly located internationally, making any revision challenging. Of the best represented taxa, greatest taxonomic uncertainty was for nematodes and viruses. Similar patterns were evident for the 112 damaging pest species, defined as those that at least occasionally and locally cause significant losses or require management actions within Bhutan. Of the damaging pests identified to species, all but one was also recorded in India, Bhutan's most important trading partner, and only 16 were restricted to Asia. New damaging pests continue to be recorded, but only five species may represent new incursions since 1988. National pest lists are critical, but to be of greatest value they need to capture taxonomic uncertainty, and focus on pests of greatest significance. For most countries, the development, maintenance and use of a national plant pest list will require ongoing regional and global cooperation to overcome taxonomic impediments, and to maximise the benefits of such lists in terms of facilitating trade and guiding domestic biosecurity activities.
Change in Mallampati class during labor: Hypertensive versus normotensive parturients
Authors: Raza D. , Ismail S.
Published: May 2018

Background

Mallampati class has been shown to increase during labor. There are no prospective studies evaluating airway changes in hypertensive parturients during labor. The aim of our study was to observe the frequency of change in Mallampati class during labor in hypertensive compared to normotensive parturients.

Methods

In this prospective observational cohort study, 60 parturients were enrolled and divided into two groups of 30 each: hypertensive parturients and normotensive parturients. The Mallampati class was evaluated in each parturient at two points; during early labor (cervical dilation 1‐3 cm and regular contractions) taken as T1 and at 20 minutes after delivery taken as T2. The change in Mallampati class from T1 to T2 was compared between the two groups. Post‐stratification chi‐square test was applied and P value <.05 was considered as significant.

Results

The change in Mallampati class was significantly more frequent in hypertensive group as compared to normotensive group [80% (24/30) vs 46.7% (14/30); P = .002]. Overall, an increase in Mallampati class during labor was found with statistically significant difference between the hypertensive and normotensive group [80% (24/30) vs 42.9% (12/28); P = .004]. The risk of increase in Mallampati class was 2 times higher in hypertensive women as compared to normotensive 2.44; 95% CI: 1.19 to 5.02].

Conclusion

Mallampati class showed 2‐fold increase in hypertensive compared to normotensive parturients during labor; requiring additional caution during airway management.
People with dementia getting lost in Australia: Dementia‐related missing person reports in the media
Authors: MacAndrew Margaret , Schnitker Linda , Shepherd Nicole , Beattie Elizabeth
Published: May 2018

Objective

This study aimed to understand the circumstances in which people with dementia become lost, and the outcomes of these incidents.

Methods

A search was conducted of news articles published in Australia between 2011 and 2015 reporting a missing person with a diagnosis of dementia.

Results

Over the five‐year period, 130 missing person cases were reported. The average age of the missing person was 75 years with more men (74%) than women reported missing. Most missing persons travelled on foot (62%) and were last seen at home (66%). The newspaper reports described 92 (71%) of the individuals being found. Of these, 60% were found well, 20% were found injured, and 20% were deceased.

Conclusions

People with dementia are at risk of becoming lost from their homes or health‐care settings, and this can have catastrophic outcomes. Care strategies need to focus on promoting autonomy while ensuring adverse outcomes are minimised.
Incidence, trends and severity of primary postpartum haemorrhage in Australia: A population‐based study using Victorian Perinatal Data Collection data for 764 244 births
Authors: Flood Margaret , McDonald Susan J. , Pollock Wendy , Cullinane Fiona , Davey Mary‐Ann
Published: May 2018

Background

Increasing incidence and severity of postpartum haemorrhage, together with postpartum haemorrhage‐associated morbidities, have been reported in many high‐resource countries. In‐depth analysis of such factors in Victorian births since 2002 was lacking.

Aims

Our aim was to determine the incidence and trends for primary postpartum haemorrhage (World Health Organization and International Classification of Diseases 10th revision, Australian Modification definitions) for all confinements in Victoria, Australia, for the years 2003–2013 and the incidence and trends for severe postpartum haemorrhage (≥1500 mL) for 2009–2013.

Materials and methods

In this population‐based cross‐sectional study de‐identified data from the Victorian Perinatal Data Collection were analysed for confinements (excluding terminations) from 2003 to 2013 (n = 764 244). Perinatal information for all births ≥20 weeks (or of at least 400 g birthweight if gestation was unknown) were prospectively collected.

Results

One in five women (21.8%) who gave birth between 2009 and 2013 experienced a primary postpartum haemorrhage and one in 71 women (1.4%) experienced a severe primary postpartum haemorrhage. The increasing trends in incidence of primary postpartum haemorrhage, severe primary postpartum haemorrhage, blood transfusion, admission to an intensive care or high dependency unit and peripartum hysterectomy were significant (P < 0.001). Women who had an unassisted vaginal birth had the lowest incidence of primary postpartum haemorrhage. The highest incidence was experienced by women who had an unplanned caesarean section birth. Women who had a forceps birth had the highest incidence of severe primary postpartum haemorrhage.

Conclusions

The incidence of primary postpartum haemorrhage, severe primary postpartum haemorrhage and associated maternal morbidities have increased significantly over time in Victoria.
Development of a new analgesic index using nasal photoplethysmography
Authors: Choi B. M. , Park C. , Lee Y. H. , Shin H. , Lee S. H. , Jeong S. , Noh G. J. , Lee B.
Published: May 2018

Although surrogate measures to quantify pain intensity have been commercialised, there is a need to develop a new index with improved accuracy. The aim of this study was to develop a new analgesic index using nasal photoplethysmography data. The specially designed sensor was placed between the columella and the nasal septum to acquire nasal photoplethysmography in surgical patients. Nasal photoplethysmography and Surgical Pleth Index® (GE Healthcare) data were obtained for 14 min both in the absence (pre‐operatively) or presence (postoperatively) of pain in a group of surgical patients, each patient acting as their own control. Various dynamic photoplethysmography variables were extracted to quantify pain intensity; the most accurate index was selected using logistic regression as a classifier. The area under the curve of the receiver‐operating characteristic curve was measured to evaluate the accuracy of final model predictions. In total, 12,012 heart beats from 89 patients were used to develop a new Nasal Photoplethysmography Index for analgesic depth quantification. The two‐variable model (a combination of diastolic peak point variation and heart beat interval variation) was most accurate in discriminating between the presence and absence of pain (numerical rating scale (NRS) ≥ 3). The accuracy and area under the curve of the receiver‐operating characteristic curve for the Nasal Photoplethysmography Index were 75.3% and 0.8018, respectively, and 64.8% and 0.7034, respectively, for the Surgical Pleth Index. The Nasal Photoplethysmography Index clearly distinguished pain (NRS ≥ 3) in awake surgical patients with postoperative pain. The Nasal Photoplethysmography Index performed better than the Surgical Pleth Index. Further validation studies are needed to evaluate its feasibility to quantify pain intensity during general anaesthesia.
A dual role of miR‐22 in rhabdomyolysis‐induced acute kidney injury
Authors: Mathia S. , Rudigier L. J. , Kasim M. , Kirschner K. M. , Persson P. B. , Eckardt K.‐U. , Rosenberger C. , Fähling M.
Published: May 2018

Aim

In acute kidney injury (AKI), regions of the kidney are hypoxic. However, for reasons yet unknown, adaptation to hypoxia through hypoxia‐inducible factor (HIF) is limited. Here, we studied miR‐22, a potential HIF repressor, in normal kidneys, as well as in rhabdomyolysis‐induced AKI, a condition where miR‐22 is up‐regulated.

Methods

AKI in mice was provoked by IM injection of glycerol. Tissue homogenates were processed to determine the levels of candidate RNAs and proteins, as well as global gene expression profiles. Reporter assays quantified in vitro miR‐22 activity and its modulation by mimic or inhibitor molecules, under normoxia or hypoxia (1% O2) respectively. In vivo, anti–miR‐22 molecules were applied to normal mice or prior to induction of AKI. Renal outcome was assessed by measuring plasma creatinine, plasma urea and the levels of the injury markers Kim‐1 and Ngal.

Results

Renal miR‐22 is inducible by hypoxia and represses hypoxia‐inducible factor (HIF). Specific inhibition of miR‐22 regulates 1913 gene transcripts in kidneys controls and 3386 in AKI, many of which are involved in development or carcinogenesis. Specific inhibition of miR‐22 up‐regulates tissue protective HIF target genes, yet renal function and injury markers are unchanged or worsened.

Conclusions

miR‐22 is a HIF repressor constitutively expressed in the adult kidney and up‐regulated in AKI. Specific inhibition of miR‐22 is efficient in vivo and profoundly affects renal gene expression in health and disease, including up‐regulation of HIF. However, the net effect on rhabdomyolysis‐induced AKI outcome is neutral or even negative.
Community Asset Valuations by Non‐profit Government Entities
Authors: Czernkowski Robert , Lim Stephen
Published: May 2018

This paper examines an implication of applying International Financial Reporting Standards to the government sector in Australia. We posit both a self‐interest and a transparency motivation for local governments effecting revaluations of both infrastructure assets and community land. The self‐interest motivation was expected to manifest as a relationship between the amount of revaluation and CEO (or management team) remuneration. The transparency motivation was expected to result in a relationship between revaluation and the extent of spending on these assets, measured as both the quantum of materials and contracts expense, and as the quantum of contracts awarded by the entity above the disclosure threshold. We also speculated that revaluations may be used to signal to state governments a need for additional funds through capital and/or operating grants. At conventional levels of significance, we find no support for these relationships, suggesting that agency motivations at the local government level are either more subtle or non‐existent. As local government authorities in our study follow a reporting framework and standardised accounting procedures prescribed by the state government (in compliance with applicable AASB/IFRS standards), financial and public accountabilities are also likely to be a driver for the valuation of local infrastructure assets at fair value, and this is not likely to be undermined by the opportunistic incentives we have considered.
Non‐audit Services and Auditor Independence Depending on Client Performance
Authors: Kang Sun Min , Hwang In Tae , Hur Kang Sung
Published: May 2018

We posit that the effect of non‐audit fees on auditor independence in Korea is based on audit client performance. Further, we suggest that an audit client with low performance has an incentive to purchase non‐audit services (NAS) from an incumbent auditor to facilitate earnings management and steer accounting practices in a preferred direction. We find evidence that as non‐audit fees in Korea increase, auditor independence is reduced only for low‐performing audit clients. Thus, unconditional prohibition of NAS seems unnecessary. Regulators and policymakers should examine the motivation for purchasing NAS, particularly among audit clients with poor performance.
Predicting Private Company Failures in Italy Using Financial and Non‐financial Information
Authors: Wang Timothy
Published: May 2018

The study assesses the use of non‐financial information in predicting financial distress in private companies by developing credit risk models tailored to Italian private companies. The in‐sample and out‐of‐sample prediction test results are indicative of the incremental predictive ability of the two new non‐financial variables, that is, number of shareholders and number of subsidiaries, over accounting ratios and other widely used non‐financial information, including firm age and industry dummies. To be more specific, number of shareholders and number of subsidiaries are negatively associated with private company failures, and the models augmented by the two non‐financial variables improve forecasting performance from acceptable discrimination to excellent discrimination over one‐ to three‐year time horizons.
The impact of epidural analgesia on the duration of the second stage of labor
Authors: Shmueli Anat , Salman Lina , Orbach‐Zinger Sharon , Aviram Amir , Hiersch Liran , Chen Rony , Gabbay‐Benziv Rinat
Published: May 2018

Background

We aimed to describe the length of second stage of labor in a contemporary cohort. We calculated the 5th, 50th, and 95th percentiles for second‐stage length stratified by parity and epidural analgesia use and evaluated the effect of labor induction and oxytocin augmentation in our cohort.

Methods

We did a retrospective analysis of all live, singleton, term vaginal deliveries in one tertiary hospital. Multivariate linear regression was used to evaluate second‐stage duration confounders. First, we calculated the second‐stage length and presented it as 5th, 50th, and 95th percentiles stratified by epidural analgesia and parity. Second, we evaluated the effect of labor induction and oxytocin augmentation on second‐stage length, and third, we determined the demographic and obstetrical confounders that affected second‐stage length.

Results

Overall, 15 500 deliveries were included. Nulliparity, oxytocin augmentation, epidural use, birthweight, labor induction, lower body mass index, and higher maternal age were found to be significantly associated with prolongation of the second stage. Epidural use was associated with an additional 82 minutes for the 95th percentile for both nulliparas and multiparas and tripled the rate of prolonged second stage for the entire cohort. Labor induction was associated with clinically significant prolongation of the second stage in nulliparas with epidural analgesia only. Oxytocin was associated with longer duration of the second stage for nulliparas, regardless of epidural use.

Discussion

Our findings suggest a significant prolongation of the second stage in women receiving epidural analgesia. Recommendations for management of second stage should be reconsidered by contemporary data.
Predictors of treatment success after collagenase Clostridium histolyticum injection for Peyronie's disease: development of a nomogram from a multicentre single‐arm, non‐placebo controlled clinical study
Authors: Cocci Andrea , Russo Giorgio Ivan , Briganti Alberto , Salonia Andrea , Cacciamani Giovanni , Capece Marco , Falcone Marco , Timpano Massimiliano , Cito Gianmartin , Verze Paolo , Giammusso Bruno , Morgia Giuseppe , Mirone Vincenzo , Minervini Andrea , Gacci Mauro , Cai Tommaso , Serni Sergio , Carini Marco , Giubilei Gianluca , Mondaini Nicola
Published: May 2018

Objective

To build a nomogram able to predict treatment success after collagenase Clostridium histolyticum (CCH) for Peyronie's disease (PD).

Materials and Methods

Between November 2016 and November 2017, we enrolled 135 patients with PD into a multicentre single‐arm prospective study. All patients enrolled received CCH treatment. Success of therapy was defined as a decrease in penile curvature (PC) of ≥20° from baseline. Treatment satisfaction was assessed using a scale from 1 to 10, and high satisfaction was arbitrarily defined as a score of ≥8. Calcification level was classified as: absence of calcification; low perilesional calcification; and high calcification.

Results

The median (interquartile range [IQR]) patient age was 56.0 (45.0–65.0) years and the median (IQR) was PC was 30 (30.0–60.0)°. After the treatment protocol, we observed a significant median change in PC of −20.0° (P < 0.01). The median (IQR) PC improvement was 44 (28.0–67.0)%. Overall median (IQR) satisfaction score was 8.0 (7.0–9.0). Treatment efficacy was reported in a total of 77 patients (57.04%). When analysing factors associated with PC improvement after treatment, we found that baseline PC (odds ratio [OR] 1.14; P < 0.01), basal plaque (OR 64.27; P < 0.01), low calcification (OR 0.06; P < 0.01) and high calcification (OR 0.03; P < 0.01) were significant predictors of PC improvement. The c‐index for the model was 0.93.

Conclusions

Patients with longer PD duration, greater baseline PC and basal plaque location had a greater chance of treatment success. These results could be applied to clinical practice before external validation of our nomogram.
DO WE NEED MORE TIME TO GIVE LESS? EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCE FROM TUNISIA
Authors: Grolleau Gilles , Sutan Angela , El Harbi Sana , Jedidi Marwa
Published: May 2018

Using a laboratory dictator game in Tunisia, we investigate whether the donation level is influenced by the time allotted to take the giving decision. We found that when participants have more time to decide, they give less compared to a situation where they have less time to take their decision. Some policy and managerial implications are drawn.
Hebei loess section in the Anyemaqen Mountains, northeast Tibetan Plateau: a high‐resolution luminescence chronology
Authors: E Chongyi , Sohbati Reza , Murray Andrew S. , Buylaert Jan‐Pieter , Liu Xiangjun , Yang Long , Yuan Jie , Yan Wenting
Published: May 2018

The extensive aeolian deposits of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) represent important environmental archives, recording information about the past interplay between the Asian monsoon and Westerlies and the link between dust accumulation and Quaternary glaciations. In the northeast TP, mantles of sandy loess form a distinct belt lying between 3500 and 4500 m a.s.l. on the east‐facing slopes of the Anyemaqen Mountains. However, there is little chronological information about the loess deposits in this region. This study provides a detailed chronology for loess formation in the region using luminescence dating. A total of 29 samples were collected from an 8‐m‐thick homogeneous loess section at Hebei (HB) in order to date sand‐sized (63–90 μm) quartz and K‐feldspar fractions using optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL and pIRIR) signals, respectively. The resulting quartz and feldspar ages are in good agreement over the last 40 ka; beyond this (i.e. De >120 Gy), the quartz age is underestimated, and the pIRIR170 feldspar ages are considered more reliable. The HB loess section records continuous environmental information from c. 50 to c. 30 ka, i.e. throughout Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3. Mass accumulation rates (MARs) varied considerably over this period with increased dust accumulation around c. 38 ka and after c. 32 ka; in between, and at the beginning of MIS 3 (50–40 ka), the dust accumulation rate was ~50% lower. Finally, the HB section also records a MIS 2 hiatus of c. 17 ka duration, probably resulting from deflation. This study implies that loess deposition on the TP is predominantly an interglacial/interstadial phenomenon and the TP may be deflating at the same time as the Chinese Loess Plateau is accumulating, at least during MIS 2.
Ubiquitin‐specific protease 22 acts as an oncoprotein to maintain glioma malignancy through deubiquitinating B cell‐specific Moloney murine leukemia virus integration site 1 for stabilization
Authors: Qiu Guan‐Zhong , Mao Xiao‐Yuan , Ma Yue , Gao Xing‐Chun , Wang Zhen , Jin Ming‐Zhu , Sun Wei , Zou Yong‐Xiang , Lin Jing , Fu Hua‐Lin , Jin Wei‐Lin
Published: May 2018

Ubiquitin‐specific protease 22 (USP22) is a member of the “death‐from‐cancer” signature, which plays a key role in cancer progression. Previous evidence has shown that USP22 is overexpressed and correlates with poor prognosis in glioma. The effect and mechanism of USP22 in glioma malignancy, especially cancer stemness, remain elusive. Herein, we find USP22 is more enriched in stem‐like tumorspheres than differentiated glioma cells. USP22 knockdown inhibits cancer stemness in glioma cell lines. With a cell‐penetrating TAT‐tag protein, B cell‐specific Moloney murine leukemia virus integration site 1 (BMI1), a robust glioma stem‐cell marker, is found to mediate the effect of USP22 on glioma stemness. By immunofluorescence, USP22 and BMI1 are found to share similar intranuclear expression in glioma cells. By analysis with immunohistochemistry and bioinformatics, USP22 is found to positively correlate with BMI1 at the post‐translational level only rather than at the transcriptional level. By immunoprecipitation and in vivo deubiquitination assay, USP22 is found to interact with and deubiquitinate BMI1 for protein stabilization. Microarray analysis shows that USP22 and BMI1 mutually regulate a series of genes involved in glioma stemness such as POSTN, HEY2, PDGFRA and ATF3. In vivo study with nude mice confirms the role of USP22 in promoting glioma tumorigenesis by regulating BMI1. All these findings indicate USP22 as a novel deubiquitinase of BMI1 in glioma. We propose a working model of the USP22‐BMI1 axis, which promotes glioma stemness and tumorigenesis through oncogenic activation. Thus, targeting USP22 might be an effective strategy to treat glioma especially in those with elevated BMI1 expression.
Generation and application of human induced‐stem cell memory T cells for adoptive immunotherapy
Authors: Kondo Taisuke , Imura Yuki , Chikuma Shunsuke , Hibino Sana , Omata‐Mise Setsuko , Ando Makoto , Akanuma Takashi , Iizuka Mana , Sakai Ryota , Morita Rimpei , Yoshimura Akihiko
Published: May 2018

Adoptive T‐cell therapy is an effective strategy for cancer immunotherapy. However, infused T cells frequently become functionally exhausted, and consequently offer a poor prognosis after transplantation into patients. Adoptive transfer of tumor antigen‐specific stem cell memory T (TSCM) cells is expected to overcome this shortcoming as TSCM cells are close to naïve T cells, but are also highly proliferative, long‐lived, and produce a large number of effector T cells in response to antigen stimulation. We previously reported that activated effector T cells can be converted into TSCM‐like cells (iTSCM) by coculturing with OP9 cells expressing Notch ligand, Delta‐like 1 (OP9‐hDLL1). Here we show the methodological parameters of human CD8+ iTSCM cell generation and their application to adoptive cancer immunotherapy. Regardless of the stimulation by anti‐CD3/CD28 antibodies or by antigen‐presenting cells, human iTSCM cells were more efficiently induced from central memory type T cells than from effector memory T cells. During the induction phase by coculture with OP9‐hDLL1 cells, interleukin (IL)‐7 and IL‐15 (but not IL‐2 or IL‐21) could efficiently generate iTSCM cells. Epstein–Barr virus‐specific iTSCM cells showed much stronger antitumor potentials than conventionally activated T cells in humanized Epstein–Barr virus transformed‐tumor model mice. Thus, adoptive T‐cell therapy with iTSCM offers a promising therapeutic strategy for cancer immunotherapy.
Finance and Industrial Policy in Unsuccessful Developmental States: The Case of Pakistan
Authors: Naqvi Natalya
Published: May 2018

While a large body of research indicates that state‐directed finance worked for successful East Asian developers, the dominant assumption remains that countries with a weak state capacity, where corruption is rife, should not ‘try this at home’. In this article, that narrative is questioned through a case study of the role of the financial sector in Pakistan, which is widely considered to be a successful case of financial liberalization, contrasting the role of the publicly controlled financial system in the 1970s and 1980s with that of the liberalized financial system in the 2000s. Utilizing archival firm‐level and aggregate data, historic government documents, and interviews with policy makers, financial sector employees and industrialists, it is argued that in the Pakistani case, the withdrawal of state control over the financial sector led to a deterioration of outcomes. This resulted in the allocation of credit away from the productive sectors, namely industry and agriculture, towards unproductive sectors, for speculative purposes; and in the health of the financial sector not improving as expected, with non‐performing loans and corruption remaining a problem, and banks actually becoming a greater burden on government finances. This indicates that even states with weak capacity and flawed industrial policy may be better off with some degree of public control over finance.
Presence of chronic diabetic foot ulcers is associated with more frequent and more advanced retinopathy
Authors: Sellman A. , Katzman P. , Andreasson S. , Löndahl M.
Published: May 2018

Aims

To clarify the frequency and severity of diabetic retinopathy in a group of people with Type 2 diabetes and chronic diabetic foot ulcers, and to compare visual acuity, levels of retinopathy and clinical significant macular oedema with a matched control group of people with Type 2 diabetes without a history of chronic diabetic foot ulcers.

Methods

Visual acuity and fundus imaging were evaluated in 90 white people with at least 3 months’ duration of full‐thickness diabetic foot ulcers below the ankle and the results compared with those in 180 white people with Type 2 diabetes without a history of chronic diabetic foot ulcers (control group). Controls were matched for age, sex and duration of diabetes.

Results

Despite similar age and diabetes duration, severe non‐proliferative or proliferative diabetic retinopathy was present in 41% of the people in the diabetic foot ulcer group as compared to 15% in the control group (P<0.001). Only 6% in the diabetic foot ulcer group was without any diabetic retinopathy as compared to 34% among controls. Proliferative diabetic retinopathy was more common in the diabetic foot ulcer group (31% vs 8%; P<0.001), but time‐to‐proliferative diabetic retinopathy did not differ between groups. Clinically significant macular oedema was more frequently present, and the diabetic foot ulcer group exhibited significantly worse results in best and worst eye visual acuity testing.

Conclusions

In this northern European setting almost all people with Type 2 diabetes and chronic diabetic foot ulcers had diabetic retinopathy. Almost one‐third had proliferative diabetic retinopathy as compared to <10% in our matched control group. More advanced diabetic retinopathy was linked to worse visual acuity.
Hyperkalaemia in people with diabetes: occurrence, risk factors and outcomes in a Danish population‐based cohort study
Authors: Thomsen R. W. , Nicolaisen S. K. , Adelborg K. , Svensson E. , Hasvold P. , Palaka E. , Pedersen L. , Sørensen H. T.
Published: May 2018

Aims

To examine the incidence, risk factors and clinical outcomes of hyperkalaemia in people with diabetes in a real‐world setting.

Methods

Using Danish health registries, we identified a population‐based cohort of people with first‐time drug‐treated diabetes, in the period 2000−2012. First, the cumulative incidence of hyperkalaemia, defined as first blood test with potassium level >5.0 mmol/l after diabetes treatment initiation, was ascertained. Second, in a case–control analysis, risk factors were compared in people with vs without hyperkalaemia. Third, clinical outcomes were assessed among individuals with hyperkalaemia in a before–after analysis, and among people with and without hyperkalaemia in a matched cohort analysis.

Results

Of 68 601 individuals with diabetes (median age 62 years, 47% women), 16% experienced hyperkalaemia (incidence rate 40 per 1000 person‐years) during a mean follow‐up of 4.1 years. People who developed hyperkalaemia had a higher prevalence of chronic kidney disease [prevalence ratio 1.74 (95% CI 1.68−1.81)], heart failure [prevalence ratio 2.35 (95% CI 2.18−2.54)], use of angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors [prevalence ratio 1.24 (95% CI 1.20−1.28)], use of spironolactone [prevalence ratio 2.68 (95% CI 2.48−2.88)] and potassium supplements [prevalence ratio 1.59 (95% CI 1.52−1.67)]. In people with diabetes who developed hyperkalaemia, 31% were acutely hospitalized within 6 months before hyperkalaemia, increasing to 50% 6 months after hyperkalaemia [before–after risk ratio 1.67 (95% CI 1.61−1.72)]. The 6‐month mortality rate after hyperkalaemia was 20%. Compared with matched individuals without hyperkalaemia, the hazard ratio for death was 6.47 (95% CI 5.81−7.21).

Conclusions

One in six newly diagnosed people with diabetes experienced a hyperkalaemic event, which was associated with severe clinical outcomes and death.
Should we still be utilizing warfarin in the type 2 diabetic patient?
Authors: Bell David S. H. , Goncalves Edison
Published: May 2018

The frequency of non‐valvular atrial fibrillation is increased by 40% in type 2 diabetic individuals and the thromboembolic risk associated with atrial fibrillation is increased by 79% compared with the non‐diabetic individual with atrial fibrillation. Warfarin, the traditional anticoagulant used to prevent thromboembolism, is non‐specific and affects several proteins outside the coagulation system. Decreasing the levels of matrix Gla protein entails an increase in coronary and renal artery calcification, which has the potential to increase cardiovascular events and accelerate decline in renal function. The direct‐acting oral anticoagulants are specific, directly inhibiting either thrombin or factor Xa, and have been shown to be safer and more efficacious in studies of the type 2 diabetic patient.
Lipid‐lowering medication is associated with decreased risk of diabetic retinopathy and the need for treatment in patients with type 2 diabetes: A real‐world observational analysis of a health claims database
Authors: Kawasaki Ryo , Konta Tsuneo , Nishida Kohji
Published: May 2018

Aims

Fenofibrate and statins reduced the need for diabetic retinopathy (DR)‐related treatment in clinical trials. We aimed to determine whether use of lipid‐lowering medication reduces the risk of DR and the need for treatment in patients with type 2 diabetes using a real‐world health claims database.

Methods

This was an observational analysis using a nation‐wide health claims database of the Japan Medical Data Center (JMDC). Type 2 diabetes was defined according to ICD‐10 codes for use of glucose‐lowering medication. Use of lipid‐lowering medication for at least 1 year was confirmed by the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System. DR and diabetic macular edema (DME) were determined by ICD‐10 codes. DR‐related treatments were determined by health insurance claims. A propensity score for use of lipid‐lowering medication was estimated, and a doubly robust estimator, using the inverse probability weighting model with regression adjustment, was obtained to determine odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) for cumulative incidence of DR and its treatments over 3 years.

Results

There were 69 070 individuals with type 2 diabetes at baseline, among whom DR developed in 5687 over a period of 3 years. Use of lipid‐lowering medication was associated with decreased risk of incidence of DR (OR, 0.772; 95% CI, 0.720‐0.827; P < .001). Use of lipid‐lowering medication was also associated with decreased incidence of DME, any treatments for DR, laser photocoagulation and vitrectomy in patients with DR at baseline.

Conclusions

In a population of patients with type 2 diabetes with a variety of risk profiles, use of lipid‐lowering medication reduced the risk of DR and thus the risks involved in treatment with laser photocoagulation and vitrectomy.
Differential temporal beta‐diversity patterns of native and non‐native arthropod species in a fragmented native forest landscape
Authors: Matthews Thomas J. , Sadler Jon , Carvalho Rui , Nunes Rui , Borges Paulo A. V.
Published: May 2018

An important factor that hinders the management of non‐native species is a general lack of information regarding the biogeography of non‐natives, and, in particular, their rates of turnover. Here, we address this research gap by analysing differences in temporal beta‐diversity (using both pairwise and multiple‐time dissimilarity metrics) between native and non‐native species, using a novel time‐series dataset of arthropods sampled in native forest fragments in the Azores. We use a null model approach to determine whether temporal beta‐diversity was due to deterministic processes or stochastic colonisation and extinction events, and linear modelling selection to assess the factors driving variation in temporal beta‐diversity between plots. In accordance with our predictions, we found that the temporal beta‐diversity was much greater for non‐native species than for native species, and the null model analyses indicated that the turnover of non‐native species was due to stochastic events. No predictor variables were found to explain the turnover of native or non‐native species. We attribute the greater turnover of non‐native species to source‐sink processes and the close proximity of anthropogenic habitats to the fragmented native forest plots sampled in our study. Thus, our findings point to ways in which the study of turnover can be adapted for future applications in habitat island systems. The implications of this for biodiversity conservation and management are significant. The high rate of stochastic turnover of non‐native species indicates that attempts to simply reduce the populations of non‐native species in situ within native habitats may not be successful. A more efficient management strategy would be to interrupt source‐sink dynamics by improving the harsh boundaries between native and adjacent anthropogenic habitats.