bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Daphnia
invest in sexual reproduction when its relative costs are reduced
Authors: Gerber Nina , Kokko Hanna , Ebert Dieter , Booksmythe Isobel
Published: January 2018

The timing of sex in facultatively sexual organisms is critical to fitness, due to the differing demographic consequences of sexual versus asexual reproduction. In addition to the costs of sex itself, an association of sex with the production of dormant life stages also influences the optimal use of sex, especially in environments where resting eggs are essential to survive unfavourable conditions. Here we document population dynamics and the occurrence of sexual reproduction in natural populations of
Daphnia magna
across their growing season. The frequency of sexually reproducing females and males increased with population density and with decreasing asexual clutch sizes. The frequency of sexually reproducing females additionally increased as population growth rates decreased. Consistent with population dynamic models showing that the opportunity cost of sexual reproduction (foregoing contribution to current population growth) diminishes as populations approach carrying capacity, we found that investment in sexual reproduction was highest when asexual population growth was low or negative. Our results support the idea that the timing of sex is linked with periods when the relative cost of sex is reduced due to low potential asexual growth at high population densities. Thus, a combination of ecological and demographic factors affect the optimal timing of sexual reproduction, allowing
D. magna
to balance the necessity of sex against its costs.
The evolution of tail weaponization in amniotes
Authors: Arbour Victoria M. , Zanno Lindsay E.
Published: January 2018

Weaponry, for the purpose of intraspecific combat or predator defence, is one of the most widespread animal adaptations, yet the selective pressures and constraints governing its phenotypic diversity and skeletal regionalization are not well understood. Here, we investigate the evolution of tail weaponry in amniotes, a rare form of weaponry that nonetheless evolved independently among a broad spectrum of life including mammals, turtles and dinosaurs. Using phylogenetic comparative methods, we test for links between morphology, ecology and behaviour in extant amniotes known to use the tail as a weapon, and in extinct taxa bearing osseous tail armaments. We find robust ecological and morphological correlates of both tail lashing behaviour and bony tail weaponry, including large body size, body armour and herbivory, suggesting these life-history parameters factor into the evolution of antipredator behaviours and tail armaments. We suggest that the evolution of tail weaponry is rare because large, armoured herbivores are uncommon in extant terrestrial faunas, as they have been throughout evolutionary history.
Rapid phenotypic evolution following shifts in life cycle complexity
Authors: Bonett Ronald M. , Phillips John G. , Ledbetter Nicholus M. , Martin Samuel D. , Lehman Luke
Published: January 2018

Life cycle strategies have evolved extensively throughout the history of metazoans. The expression of disparate life stages within a single ontogeny can present conflicts to trait evolution, and therefore may have played a major role in shaping metazoan forms. However, few studies have examined the consequences of adding or subtracting life stages on patterns of trait evolution. By analysing trait evolution in a clade of closely related salamander lineages we show that shifts in the number of life cycle stages are associated with rapid phenotypic evolution. Specifically, salamanders with an aquatic-only (paedomorphic) life cycle have frequently added vertebrae to their trunk skeleton compared with closely related lineages with a complex aquatic-to-terrestrial (biphasic) life cycle. The rate of vertebral column evolution is also substantially lower in biphasic lineages, which may reflect the functional compromise of a complex cycle. This study demonstrates that the consequences of life cycle evolution can be detected at very fine scales of divergence. Rapid evolutionary responses can result from shifts in selective regimes following changes in life cycle complexity.
Metatranscriptome analysis of the vaginal microbiota reveals potential mechanisms for protection against metronidazole in bacterial vaginosis
Authors: Deng Zhi-Luo , Gottschick Cornelia , Bhuju Sabin , Masur Clarissa , Abels Christoph , Wagner-Döbler Irene
Published: January 2018

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a prevalent multifactorial disease of women in their reproductive years characterized by a shift from the Lactobacillus spp. dominated microbial community towards a taxonomically diverse anaerobic community. For unknown reasons, some women do not respond to therapy. In our recent clinical study, out of 37 women diagnosed with BV, 31 were successfully treated with metronidazole, while 6 still had BV after treatment. To discover possible reasons for the lack of response in those patients, we performed a metatranscriptome analysis of their vaginal microbiota, comparing them to patients who responded. Seven out of 8 Cas genes of Gardnerella vaginalis were highly up-regulated in non-responding patients. Cas genes, in addition to protecting against phages, might be involved in DNA repair thus mitigating the bactericidal effect of DNA damaging agents like metronidazole. In the second part of our study, we analyzed the vaginal metatranscriptomes of four patients over three months and showed high in vivo expression of genes for pore-forming toxins in L. iners and of genes encoding enzymes for the production of hydrogen peroxide and D-lactate in L. crispatus.
Reimplementation of the Potjans-Diesmann cortical microcircuit model: from NEST to Brian
Authors: Shimoura Renan Oliveira , Kamiji Nilton Liuji , de Oliveira Pena Rodrigo Felipe , Cordeiro Vinicius Lima , Ceballos Cesar Celis , Romaro Cecilia , Roque Antonio Carlos
Published: January 2018

1

This work targets the replicability of computational models to provide the community with tested and proven open-source models to be used in new studies and implementations. The Potjans-Diesmann model describes a cortical microcircuit containing two cell types (excitatory and inhibitory) distributed in four layers, and represents the cortical network below a surface of 1 mm2. The original implementation of the Potjans-Diesmann model was based on the NEST simulator and our goal here was to re-implement the model in the Brian 2 simulator and obtain the same results presented in the reference article. We did not replicate analyses that involve changes in the network structure. Our replicated network model presents activity dynamic patterns very similar to the ones observed in the original model, with comparisons made in terms of firing rates and synchrony and irregularity measures. In conclusion, the Potjans-Diesmann model was successfully replicated in a different platform than the one in which it was originally implemented.
Utility of the SWAN Scale for ADHD Trait-Based Genetic Research: A Validity and Polygenic Risk Study
Authors: Burton Christie L. , Wright Leah , Shan Janet , Xiao Bowei , Dupuis Annie , Goodale Tara , Shaheen S-M , Corfield Elizabeth C. , Arnold Paul D. , Schachar Russell J. , Crosbie Jennifer
Published: January 2018

Background

Valid and genetically-informative trait measures of psychopathology collected in the general population would provide a powerful complement to case/control genetic designs. We report the convergent, predictive and discriminant validity of the parent- and the self-report versions of the Strengths and Weaknesses of ADHD Symptoms and Normal Behavior Rating Scale (SWAN) for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) traits. We tested if SWAN ADHD scores were associated with ADHD diagnosis, ADHD polygenic risk, as well as with traits and polygenic risk for co-occurring disorders such as anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Methods

We collected parent- and self-report SWAN scores in a community sample (n=15,560; 6-18 years of age) and created norms. Sensitivity-specificity analyses determined SWAN cut-points that discriminated those with a community ADHD diagnosis (n=972) from those without a community diagnosis. We validated cut-points from the community sample in a clinical sample (266 ADHD cases; 36 controls). We tested if SWAN scores were associated with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive (OC) traits and polygenic risk for ADHD, OCD and anxiety disorders.

Results

Both the parent- and the self-report SWAN measures showed high convergent validity with established ADHD measures and distinguished ADHD participants with high sensitivity and specificity in the community sample. Cut-points established in the community sample discriminated ADHD clinic cases from controls with a sensitivity of 86% and specificity of 94%. High parent- and self-report SWAN scores and scores above the community-based cut-points were associated with polygenic risk for ADHD. High ADHD traits were associated with high anxiety traits, but not OC traits. SWAN scores were not associated with OCD or anxiety disorder polygenic risk.

Conclusion

The parent- and self-report SWAN are potentially useful in genetic research because they predict ADHD diagnoses and are associated with ADHD polygenic risk.
Risk Factors for Fouling Biomass: Evidence from Small Vessels in Australia
Authors: Hollings Tracey , Lane Stephen E. , Hayes Keith R. , McEnnulty Felicity R. , Green Mark , Georgiades Eugene , Robinson Andrew P.
Published: January 2018

Invasive marine non-indigenous species are a major threat to marine biodiversity and marine related industries. Recreational vessels are recognised as an important vector of non-indigenous species translocation, particularly the secondary translocation of species domestically.

This paper reports on a novel application of multilevel modelling and multiple imputation to biomass samples gathered from the hull and other external surfaces of recreational yachts and fishing vessels in order to quantify the relationship between the wet biomass of biofouling and vessel-level characteristics. Unsurprisingly, we find that the number of days since the vessel was last cleaned was strongly related to the wet weight of biomass. The number of days since the vessel was last used was also related to the wet weight of biomass, yet differed depending on the vessel type. Similarly, the median number of trips undertaken by the vessel was related to the wet weight of biomass, and varied according to the type of antifouling paint used by the vessel. The relationship between vessel size, as measured by hull surface area, and wet weight biomass per sample unit area was not significant.

In order to reduce the international and domestic spread of invasive species, small vessel owners should use an appropriate type of antifouling paint that suits their vessel’s operational profile, and be encouraged to maintain a maintenance
Finding decodable information that is read out in behaviour
Authors: Grootswagers Tijl , Cichy Radoslaw M. , Carlson Thomas A.
Published: January 2018

Multivariate decoding methods applied to neuroimaging data have become the standard in cognitive neuroscience for unravelling statistical dependencies between brain activation patterns and experimental conditions. The current challenge is to demonstrate that information decoded as such by the experimenter is in fact used by the brain itself to guide behaviour. Here we demonstrate a promising approach to do so in the context of neural activation during object perception and categorisation behaviour. We first localised decodable information about visual objects in the human brain using a spatially-unbiased multivariate decoding analysis. We then related brain activation patterns to behaviour using a machine-learning based extension of signal detection theory. We show that while there is decodable information about visual category throughout the visual brain, only a subset of those representations predicted categorisation behaviour, located mainly in anterior ventral temporal cortex. Our results have important implications for the interpretation of neuroimaging studies, highlight the importance of relating decoding results to behaviour, and suggest a suitable methodology towards this aim.
Lattice defects induce microtubule self-renewal
Authors: Schaedel Laura , Chrétien Denis , Aumeier Charlotte , Gaillard Jérémie , Blanchoin Laurent , Théry Manuel , John Karin
Published: January 2018

The dynamic instability of microtubules is powered by the addition and removal of tubulin dimers at the ends of the microtubule. Apart from the end, the microtubule shaft is not considered to be dynamic. However recent evidence suggests that free dimers can be incorporated into the shaft of a microtubule damaged by mechanical stress. Here we explored whether dimer exchange was a core property of the microtubule lattice independently of any external constraint. We found that dimers can be removed from and incorporated into the lattice at sites along the microtubule shaft. Furthermore, we showed by experiment and by modeling that rapid dimer renewal requires structural defects in the lattice, which occur in fast growing microtubules. Hence long-lived microtubules have the capacity to self-renew despite their apparent stability and thereby can potentially regulate signaling pathways and structural rearrangements associated with tubulin-dimer exchange at sites along their entire length.
Synthesis, crystal structure and characterization of a three-dimensional CdII coordination polymer constructed from 2,5-bis(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)terephthalate
Authors: Meng Li , Zhu Miao-Li , Lu Li-Ping
Published: January 2018

Bifunctional organic ligands are very popular for the design of coordination polymers because they allow the formation of a great diversity of structures. In the title coordination polymer, the new bifunctional inversion-symmetric ligand 2,5-bis(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)terephthalic acid (abbreviated as H2bttpa) links CdII cations, giving rise to the three-dimensional CdII coordination polymer catena-poly[diaqua[μ4-2,5-bis(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)terephthalato-κ4
O
1:O
4:N
4:N
4′]cadmium(II)], [Cd(C12H6N6O4)(H2O)2]
n
or [Cd(bttpa)(H2O)2]
n
. The asymmetric unit consists of half a CdII cation, half a bttpa2− ligand and one coordinated water molecule. The CdII cation is located on a twofold axis and is hexacoordinated in a distorted octahedral environment of four O and two N atoms. Four different bttpa2− ligands contribute to this coordination, with two carboxylate O atoms in trans positions and two triazole N atoms in cis positions. Two aqua ligands in cis positions complete the coordination sphere. The fully deprotonated bttpa2− ligand sits about a crystallographic centre of inversion and links two CdII cations to form a chain in a μ2-terephthalato-κ2
O
1:O
4 bridge. This chain extends in the other two directions via the triazole heterocycles, producing a three-dimensional framework. O—H...O hydrogen bonds and weak C—H...N interactions stabilize the three-dimensional crystal structure. The FT–IR spectrum, X-ray powder pattern, thermogravimetric behaviour and solid-state photoluminescence of the title polymer have been investigated. The photoluminescence is enhanced and red-shifted with respect to the uncoordinated ligand.
A versatile synthesis of cyclic dipeptides using the stepwise construction of the piperazine-2,5-dione ring from simple precursors: synthetic sequence and the structure of a representative product, (3RS)-4-(2-allyl-3,5-dimethylphenyl)-1-benzyl-3-phenylpiperazine-2,5-dione
Authors: Acosta Quintero Lina M. , Palma Alirio , Cobo Justo , Glidewell Christopher
Published: January 2018

A versatile synthesis of multiply substituted cyclic dipeptides has been designed, based on the stepwise construction of the piperazine-2,5-dione ring using molecular fragments from four different precursor molecules. Starting from substituted 2-allylanilines, reaction with methyl 2-bromo-2-phenylacetate yields the corresponding methyl 2-(2-allylanilino)-2-phenylacetates, which react with haloacetyl chlorides to give methyl 2-[N-(2-allylphenyl)-2-haloacetamido]-2-phenylacetates, which then undergo ring closure with benzylamine to yield the corresponding cyclic dipeptides of type 4-(2-allylphenyl)-1-benzyl-3-phenylpiperazine-2,5-dione. (3RS)-4-(2-Allyl-3,5-dimethylphenyl)-1-benzyl-3-phenylpiperazine-2,5-dione, C28H28N2O2, (IIId), crystallizes with Z′ = 2 in the space group P21/c; the allyl groups in the two independent molecules adopt different conformations and, in one of them, the allyl group is disordered over two sets of atomic sites having occupancies of 0.534 (4) and 0.466 (4). In both molecules, the piperazine-2,5-dione ring adopts a boat conformation, with the 3-phenyl ring in a quasi-axial site. The molecules of (IIId) are linked into a three-dimensional framework structure by a combination of three C—H...O hydrogen bonds and three C—H...π(arene) hydrogen bonds. Comparisons are made with some related structures.
Ambition meets reality: lessons from the taro boom in Nicaragua
Authors: Donovan Jason , Poole Nigel , Poe Keith , Herrera-Arauz Ingrid
Published: January 2018

Purpose

Between 2006 and 2011, Nicaragua shipped an average of US$9.4 million per year of smallholder-produced fresh taro (Colocasia esculenta) to the USA; however, by 2016, the US market for Nicaraguan taro had effectively collapsed. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the short-lived taro boom from the perspective of complex adaptive systems, showing how shocks, interactions between value chain actors, and lack of adaptive capacity among chain actors together contributed to the collapse of the chain.

Design/methodology/approach

Primary data were collected from businesses and smallholders in 2010 and 2016 to understand the actors involved, their business relations, and the benefits and setbacks they experienced along the way.

Findings

The results show the capacity of better-off smallholders to engage in a demanding market, but also the struggles faced by more vulnerable smallholders to build new production systems and respond to internal and external shocks. Local businesses were generally unprepared for the uncertainties inherent in fresh horticultural trade or for engagement with distant buyers.

Research limitations/implications

Existing guides and tools for designing value chain interventions will benefit from greater attention to the circumstances of local actors and the challenges of building productive inter-business relations under higher levels of risk and uncertainty.

Originality/value

This case serves as a wake-up call for practitioners, donors, researchers, and the private sector on how to identify market opportunities and the design of more robust strategies to respond to them.
Killing the goose? The value chain for sorghum beer in Kenya
Authors: Orr Alastair
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The decision by the Government of Kenya in 2013 to increase tax revenue by imposing excise duty of 50 percent on sorghum beer resulted in economic losses for smallholders, the brewery, and the government itself because it effectively killed the value chain. In 2015, the government reversed the policy decision and reduced excise duty to 10 percent. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of this policy decision on the value chain, adaptation by growers and the brewery, and the rationale for this policy change and its reversal.

Design/methodology/approach

The author analyzes this episode using a conceptual framework derived from complex adaptive systems, focusing on four properties of such systems: sudden, endogenous shocks, interacting agents, and adaptation.

Findings

The author shows how the nature of politics in Kenya exposed the value chain to endogenous shocks as the result of conflicts between interacting agents, where smallholder farmer organizations were important for successful adaptation. Conflicts between development and political objectives in neo-patrimonial states are sources of complexity and uncertainty in smallholder value chains.

Research limitations/implications

Complex adaptive systems proved a useful framework to understand decision making by government and business actors in the value chain.

Originality/value

The paper applies a novel conceptual framework to the analysis of an important value chain in Kenya.
Introduction to special issue: smallholder value chains as complex adaptive systems
Authors: Orr Alastair , Donovan Jason
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to introduce a new conceptual framework for smallholder value chains based on complex adaptive systems.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors review the application of the framework to three case studies and explore their implications. The authors reflect on the value of a framework based on complex adaptive systems compared to alternative frameworks.

Findings

The authors argue that the dynamics of smallholder value chains have received insufficient attention.

Research limitations/implications

By focusing on these dynamics and on the capacity for adaptation among value chain actors the framework provides a new perspective on smallholder value chains.

Originality/value

Complex adaptive systems provide a useful framework for analyzing value chain dynamics.
Primary scarring alopecia: A retrospective study of 89 patients in Taiwan
Authors: Su Hsing‐Jou , Cheng An‐Yu , Liu Cheng‐Han , Chu Chia‐Bau , Lee Chaw‐Ning , Hsu Chao‐Kai , Lee Julia Yu‐Yun , Yang Chao‐Chun
Published: January 2018

Primary scarring alopecia (PSA) is caused by irreversible damage to the hair epithelial stem cells that reside in hair follicles. There is limited published work regarding PSA amongst the Asian population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical features and to characterize the subtypes of PSA in southern Taiwan. In this retrospective case series, we reviewed 89 patients with pathology‐confirmed PSA. The data was collected from National Cheng Kung University Hospital between 1988 through 2016. The clinical and histological data were reviewed, and the patients were characterized into different subtypes of PSA based on the clinical features and histological findings. We noted seven different subtypes of PSA. The most common type was dissecting cellulitis (DC) (30.3%), followed by lichen planopilaris (LPP) (23.5%), central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA) (12.4%) and acne keloidalis nuchae (AKN) (12.4%). The other subtypes include folliculitis decalvans (FD), discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) and pseudopelade of Brocq (PPB). Interestingly, FD, DC and AKN were more common in males, while CCCA, LPP, DLE and PPB had a female predominance. The mean age of patients with DLE, DC and AKN were younger, while patients with CCCA, LPP, PPB and FD tend to be older. The pattern of hair loss was more likely to be unifocal‐ragged border in CCCA and DLE, multifocal‐interconnected in LPP and FD, and multifocal‐separated in DC. The pathogenesis of PSA may be influenced by sex, age and genetic background. It is important to identify the hair loss pattern to differentiate the subtypes of PSA.
Thermal limits in native and alien freshwater peracarid Crustacea: The role of habitat use and oxygen limitation
Authors: Verberk Wilco C. E. P. , Leuven Rob S. E. W. , van der Velde Gerard , Gabel Friederike
Published: January 2018

In order to predict which species can successfully cope with global warming and how other environmental stressors modulate their vulnerability to climate‐related environmental factors, an understanding of the ecophysiology underpinning thermal limits is essential for both conservation biology and invasion biology.

Heat tolerance and the extent to which heat tolerance differed with oxygen availability were examined for four native and four alien freshwater peracarid crustacean species, with differences in habitat use across species. Three hypotheses were tested: (1) Heat and lack of oxygen synergistically reduce survival of species; (2) patterns in heat tolerance and the modulation thereof by oxygen differ between alien and native species and between species with different habitat use; (3) small animals can better tolerate heat than large animals, and this difference is more pronounced under hypoxia.

To assess heat tolerances under different oxygen levels, animal survival was monitored in experimental chambers in which the water temperature was ramped up (0.25°C min−1). Heat tolerance (CTmax) was scored as the cessation of all pleopod movement, and heating trials were performed under hypoxia (5 kPa oxygen), normoxia (20 kPa) and hyperoxia (60 kPa).

Heat tolerance differed across species as did the extent by which heat tolerance was affected by oxygen conditions. Heat‐tolerant species, for example, Asellus aquaticus and Crangonyx pseudogracilis, showed little response to oxygen conditions in their CTmax, whereas the CTmax of heat‐sensitive species, for example, Dikerogammarus villosus and Gammarus fossarum, was more plastic, being increased by hyperoxia and reduced by hypoxia.

In contrast to other studies on crustaceans, alien species were not more heat‐tolerant than native species. Instead, differences in heat tolerance were best explained by habitat use, with species from standing waters being heat tolerant and species from running waters being heat sensitive. In addition, larger animals displayed lower critical maximum temperature, but only under hypoxia. An analysis of data available in the literature on metabolic responses of the study species to temperature and oxygen conditions suggests that oxygen conformers and species whose oxygen demand rapidly increases with temperature (low activation energy) may be more heat sensitive.

The alien species D. villosus appeared most susceptible to hypoxia and heat stress. This may explain why this species is very successful in colonizing new areas in littoral zones with rocky substrate which are well aerated due to continuous wave action generated by passing ships or prevailing winds. This species is less capable of spreading to other waters which are poorly oxygenated and where C. pseudogracilis is the more likely dominant alien species.

A plain language summary is available for this article.
Development and initial validity of the in‐hand manipulation assessment
Authors: Klymenko Gabrielle , Liu Karen P. Y. , Bissett Michelle , Fong Kenneth N. K. , Welage Nandana , Wong Rebecca S. M.
Published: January 2018

Background/aim

A review of the literature related to in‐hand manipulation (IHM) revealed that there is no assessment which specifically measures this construct in the adult population. This study reports the face and content validity of an IHM assessment for adults with impaired hand function based on expert opinion.

Methods

The definition of IHM skills, assessment tasks and scoring methods identified from literature was discussed in a focus group (n = 4) to establish face validity. An expert panel (n = 16) reviewed the content validity of the proposed assessment; evaluating the representativeness and relevance of encompassing the IHM skills in the proposed assessment tasks, the clarity and importance to daily life of the task and the clarity and applicability to clinical environment of the scoring method. The content validity was calculated using the content validity index for both the individual task and all tasks together (I‐CVI and S‐CVI). Feedback was incorporated to create the assessment.

Results

The focus group members agreed to include 10 assessment tasks that covered all IHM skills. In the expert panel review, all tasks received an I‐CVI above 0.78 and S‐CVI above 0.80 in representativeness and relevance ratings, representing good content validity. With the comments from the expert panel, tasks were modified to improve the clarity and importance to daily life. A four‐point Likert scale was identified for assessing both the completion of the assessment tasks and the quality of IHM skills within the task performance.

Conclusion

Face and content validity were established in this new IHM assessment. Further studies to examine psychometric properties and use within clinical practice are recommended.
Familiar communication partners’ facilitation of topic management in conversations with individuals with dementia
Authors: Hall Karinna , Lind Christopher , Young Jessica A. , Okell Elise , van Steenbrugge Willem
Published: January 2018

Background

Language and memory impairments affect everyday interactions between individuals with dementia and their communication partners. Impaired topic management, which compromises individuals’ construction of relevant, meaningful discourse, is commonly reported amongst individuals with dementia. Currently, limited empirical evidence describes the sequential patterns of behaviour comprising topic‐management practices in everyday conversation between individuals with dementia and their communication partners.

Aims

To describe the sequential patterns of behaviour relating to the manifestation of topic‐management impairments and facilitative behaviours in everyday interactions between individuals with dementia and their familiar communication partners (FCPs).

Methods & Procedures

Three 20‐min conversations between individuals with moderate to severe dementia and their FCPs were recorded. Conversation Analysis was used to examine sequences in which topic‐management appeared to be impaired.

Outcomes & Results

Conversational behaviours that reflected a difficulty in contributing on‐topic talk were pervasive in the talk of the three individuals with dementia. FCPs responded to these conversational difficulties by using two categories of facilitative behaviours. The first involved responding to an individual with dementia's explicit repair‐initiation by performing repair. In the second category, explicit repair‐initiation was absent; instead, the distance of the conversational difficulty from the prior topic‐shifting turn mediated the form and outcome of the FCPs’ facilitative behaviours. Each category successfully facilitated the individual with dementia to contribute on‐topic talk.

Conclusions & Implications

The findings contribute to a growing understanding of topic‐management abilities in everyday interactions involving individuals with dementia. Individuals with dementia took a proactive role in eliciting topic‐management support. The FCPs responded with turns that facilitated the individuals with dementia to talk on‐topic. Clinically, the results support and extend the current topic‐management recommendations available in communication partner training programmes, and promote conversations which attend to the personhood of the individual with dementia.
Looking Forward, Looking Back: British Journal of Management 2000–2015
Authors: Evanschitzky Heiner , Goergen Marc
Published: January 2018

This paper reflects on 16 years of the British Journal of Management (BJM) and discusses what the future holds. The paper analyses publication statistics and submission figures, as well as Special Interest Group (SIG) affiliation of submissions over the more recent period of 2007–2015. It is found that human resource management has a clear dominance among the SIGs. Other fields that are well represented include strategy, work psychology, corporate governance and performance management. The paper also highlights that submissions to BJM are predominantly made by UK‐based authors, possibly reflecting the concentration of UK‐based academics among the pool of associate editors and the editorial board members.
Effects of Playback Theatre on cognitive function and quality of life in older adults in Singapore: A preliminary study
Authors: Chung Krystal Shu Yi , Lee Eleena Shi Lynn , Tan Jia Qi , Teo Dylan Jin Hao , Lee Chris Ban Loong , Ee Sharifah Rose , Sim Sam Kim Yang , Chee Chew Sim
Published: January 2018

Objective

This study investigated the effects of Playback Theatre on older adults’ cognitive function and well‐being, specifically in the Singapore context.

Methods

Eighteen healthy older adults, older than 50 years of age, participated in the study. Due to practical limitations, a single‐group pre–post study design was adopted. Participants completed the outcome measures before and after the training program. There were six weekly sessions in total (about 1.5 hours, once weekly).

Results

Participants experienced a significant improvement in their emotional well‐being after training. However, there were no significant changes in participants’ cognitive function or health‐related quality of life.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that Playback Theatre as a community program has potential to improve the mental and emotional well‐being of older people.
The Role of Error Management Culture for Firm and Individual Innovativeness
Authors: Fischer Sebastian , Frese Michael , Mertins Jennifer Clarissa , Hardt‐Gawron Julia Verena
Published: January 2018

To innovate at work is risky as every new endeavour is also error‐prone. Therefore, the way errors are managed in organisations may be related to organisations' innovativeness. We studied error management culture as one important and often overlooked organisational culture factor hypothesised to be related to organisational and individual innovativeness. Error management culture implies that a firm accepts that people make errors and uses “organizational practices related to communicating about errors, to sharing error knowledge, to helping in error situations, and to quickly detecting and handling errors” to deal with errors (Van Dyck, Frese, Baer, & Sonnentag, , p. 1229). Our sample consists of 30 companies with N = 227 employees. To decrease the problem of common method variance, we split the samples within each company into two subsamples: one subsample was used for the measurement of error management culture and the other one for the measure of organisational innovativeness. A multilevel structural equation modelling (MSEM) analysis showed error management culture to be related to organisational and individual innovativeness. Organisational innovativeness was a mediator for the relationship between error management culture and individual innovativeness. A potential implication is that organisations wanting to increase their innovativeness may need to examine their error management culture.
Editorial: direct‐acting antivirals significantly improve quality of life in patients with hepatitis C virus infection
Authors: Sanagapalli S. , Danta M.
Published: January 2018

Linked Content

This article is linked to Younossi et al and Younossi papers. To view these articles visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14423 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14481.
Letter: more studies are needed to elucidate the impact of HBV/HCV coinfection on cirrhosis and its consequences—Authors’ reply
Authors: Pol S. , Haour G. , Fontaine H. , Dorival C. , Carrat F. ,   on the behalf of the French ANRS C022 Hepather Cohort
Published: January 2018

Linked Content

This article is linked to Pol et al and Huang et al papers. To view these articles visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14352 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14445.
Editorial: tofacitinib and biologics for moderate‐to‐severe ulcerative colitis—what is best in class?
Authors: Tsai H. H.
Published: January 2018

Linked Content

This article is linked to Bonovas et al papers. To view these articles visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14449 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14486.
The impact of diuretic use and ABCG2 genotype on the predictive performance of a published allopurinol dosing tool
Authors: Wright Daniel F. B. , Dalbeth Nicola , Phipps‐Green Amanda J. , Merriman Tony R. , Barclay Murray L. , Drake Jill , Tan Paul , Horne Anne , Stamp Lisa K.
Published: January 2018

Aim

This research aims to evaluate the predictive performance of a published allopurinol dosing tool.

Methods

Allopurinol dose predictions were compared to the actual dose required to achieve serum urate (SU) <0.36 mmol l−1 using mean prediction error. The influence of patient factors on dose predictions was explored using multilinear regression.

Results

Allopurinol doses were overpredicted by the dosing tool; however, this was minimal in patients without diuretic therapy (MPE 63 mg day−1, 95% CI 40–87) compared to those receiving diuretics (MPE 295 mg day−1, 95% CI 260–330, P < 0.0001). ABCG2 genotype (rs2231142, G>T) had an important impact on the dose predictions (MPE 201, 107, 15 mg day−1 for GG, GT and TT, respectively, P < 0.0001). Diuretic use and ABCG2 genotype explained 53% of the variability in prediction error (R2 = 0.53, P = 0.0004).

Conclusions

The dosing tool produced acceptable maintenance dose predictions for patients not taking diuretics. Inclusion of ABCG2 genotype and a revised adjustment for diuretics would further improve the performance of the dosing tool.
Social work, poverty, and child welfare interventions
Authors: Morris Kate , Mason Will , Bywaters Paul , Featherstone Brid , Daniel Brigid , Brady Geraldine , Bunting Lisa , Hooper Jade , Mirza Nughmana , Scourfield Jonathan , Webb Calum
Published: January 2018

The relationship between children's material circumstances and child abuse and neglect raises a series of questions for policy, practice, and practitioners. Children and families in poverty are significantly more likely to be the subject of state intervention. This article, based on a unique mixed‐methods study of social work interventions and the influence of poverty, highlights a narrative from practitioners that argues that, as many poor families do not harm their children, it is stigmatizing to discuss a link between poverty and child abuse and neglect. The data reveal that poverty has become invisible in practice, in part justified by avoiding stigma but also because of a lack of up‐to‐date research knowledge and investment by some social workers in an “underclass” discourse. We argue, in light of the evidence that poverty is a contributory factor in the risk of harm, that it is vital that social work engages with the evidence and in critical reflection about intervening in the context of poverty. We identify the need for fresh approaches to the harms children and families face in order to support practices that engage confidently with the consequences of poverty and deprivation.
Socioeconomic deprivation and the burden of head and neck cancer—Regional variations of incidence and mortality in Merseyside and Cheshire, North West, England
Authors: Taib B.G. , Oakley J. , Dailey Y. , Hodge I. , Wright P. , du Plessis R. , Rylands J. , Taylor‐Robinson D. , Povall S. , Schache A. , Shaw R. , Dingle A. , Jones T.M.
Published: January 2018

Objectives

The aim of this longitudinal study was to examine the distribution of head and neck cancer (HANC) disease burden across the region comparing it to national trends.

Design

We undertook a retrospective study of routine data combining it with indicators of deprivation and lifestyle at small geographical areas within the 9 Local Authorities (LAs) of Merseyside and Cheshire Network (MCCN) for head and neck cancers. Data from the North West of England and England were used as comparator regions.

Setting

This research was undertaken by the Cheshire and Merseyside Public Health Collaborative, UK.

Participants

The Merseyside and Cheshire region serves a population of 2.2 million. Routine data allowed us to identify HANC patients diagnosed with cancers coded ICD C00‐C14 and C30‐C32 within 3 cohorts 1998‐2000, 2008‐2010 and 2009‐2011 for our analysis.

Main Outcome Measures

Directly age‐standardised incidence rates and directly age‐standardised mortality rates in the LAs and comparator regions were measured. Lifestyle and deprivation indicators were plotted against them and measured by Pearson's correlation coefficients.

Results

The incidence of head and neck cancer has increased across the region from 1998‐2000 to 2008‐2010 with a peak incidence for Liverpool males at 35/100 000 population.

Certain Middle Super Output Areas contribute disproportionately to the significant effect of incidence and mortality within LAs. Income deprivation had the strongest correlation with incidence (r = .59) and mortality (r = .53) of head and neck cancer.

Conclusion

Our study emphasises notable geographical variations within the region which need to be addressed through public health measures.
Histological features and outcome of inverted type‐A melanocytic nevi
Authors: Dadras Soheil S. , Lu Jun , Zembowicz Artur , Flotte Thomas J. , Mihm Martin C.
Published: January 2018

The presence of enlarged epithelioid/spindled nests located deep in the reticular dermis of a biphasic melanocytic neoplasm can mimic melanoma arising in a pre‐existing nevus, causing over‐interpretation of malignancy. We aimed to define the clinicopathologic significance of epithelioid/spindled nests in melanocytic nevi. Retrospectively using clinical and histologic information, we characterized 121 patients with a single lesion showing epithelioid/spindled melanocytes in the reticular dermis or subcutaneous fat, surrounded by melanophages, sometimes blending in with the adnexa. The majority of nevi occurred in women in the ages of 10 to 39 years, where the most frequent presentation was a changing mole. While 78% of the lesions displayed an anatomic (Clark’s) level of IV‐V, there was no ulceration, significant regression or inflammation. Up to 2 mitoses were found in only 12% of the cases, not correlating with the severity of cytological atypia. No recurrence or metastasis occurred during 45.5 months (mean) of clinical follow up in 26 patients. Notwithstanding the deep dermal extension, these findings suggest a benign histopathology and clinical outcome. Having compared the overlapping histopathology and clinical features between deep penetrating/clonal nevus and combined nevus, we posit that “inverted type‐A nevus” might be considered a variant of the two.
It takes one to know one: Similarity to resident alien species increases establishment success of new invaders
Authors: Sheppard Christine S. , Carboni Marta , Essl Franz , Seebens Hanno ,   DivGrass Consortium, Thuiller Wilfried
Published: January 2018

Aim

Darwin's naturalization hypothesis states that dissimilarity to native species may benefit alien species establishment due to empty niches and reduced competition. We here add a new dimension to large‐scale tests of community invasibility, investigating the role that previously established alien species play in facilitating or hindering new invasions in plant communities.

Location

Permanent grasslands across France (including mainland and Corsica), as a receding ecosystem of great conservation importance.

Methods

Focusing on 121 alien plant species occurring in 7,215 vegetation plots, we quantified biotic similarity between new invaders and resident alien species (i.e., alien species with longer residence times) based on phylogenetic and trait distances. Additionally, we calculated distances to native species for each alien species and plot. Using multispecies distribution models, we analysed the influence of these biotic similarity measures and additional covariates on establishment success (presence/absence) of new invaders.

Results

We found that biotic similarity to resident alien species consistently increased establishment success of more recently introduced species. Phylogenetic relatedness to previous invaders had an equally strong positive effect as relatedness to native species. Conversely, trait similarity to natives hindered alien establishment as predicted by Darwin's naturalization hypothesis. These results highlight that various mechanisms may act simultaneously to determine alien establishment success.

Main conclusions

Our results suggest that, with greater similarity among alien species, invasion success increases. Such a pattern may arise either due to actual facilitation among invaders or as a result of weaker competitive interactions among invaders than between native and alien species, leading to an indirect facilitative effect. Alternatively, recent environmental changes (e.g., eutrophication, climate change) may have added new environmental filters. Determining how initial invasions might pave the road for subsequent invasions is crucial for effective multispecies management decisions and contributes a new aspect to our understanding of community assembly.
Cover Image, Volume 20, Issue 2
Authors: Seino Yutaka , Terauchi Yasuo , Osonoi Takeshi , Yabe Daisuke , Abe Nobuyuki , Nishida Tomoyuki , Zacho Jeppe , Kaneko Shizuka
Published: January 2018

The cover image, by Yutaka Seino et al., is based on the Original Article Safety and efficacy of semaglutide once weekly vs sitagliptin once daily, both as monotherapy in Japanese people with type 2 diabetes, DOI: 10.1111/dom.13082.

image
Operational sex ratio predicts the opportunity and direction of sexual selection across animals
Authors: Janicke Tim , Morrow Edward H.
Published: January 2018

The operational sex ratio (OSR) has long been assumed to be a key ecological factor determining the opportunity and direction of sexual selection. However, recent theoretical work has challenged this view, arguing that a biased OSR does not necessarily result in greater monopolisation of mates and therefore stronger sexual selection in the mate‐limited sex. Hence, the role of the OSR for shaping animal mating systems remains a conundrum in sexual selection research. Here we took a meta‐analytic approach to test whether OSR explains interspecific variation in sexual selection metrics across a broad range of animal taxa. Our results demonstrate that the OSR predicts the opportunity for sexual selection in males and the direction of sexual selection in terms of sex differences in both the opportunity for sexual selection and the Bateman gradient (i.e. the selection differential of mating success), as predicted by classic theory.
Environmentally engaged research: An interview with Paul Adam
Authors: Adam Paul , McDonald Tein
Published: January 2018

For over three decades, New South Wales ecologist Paul Adam has worked to promote the study and conservation of native ecosystems and has served on scores of agency and NGO committees. Here, Paul provides some insight into what motivates such a sustained contribution.
Multiple sclerosis as a universal disease and the challenges to immigrants in high prevalence countries
Authors: Rivera V. M.
Published: January 2018

Click here to view the accompanying paper in this volume.