bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ecosystem Management of the Boreal Forest
Authors: Kuuluvainen Timo
Published: May 2016

Boreal countries are rich in forest resources, and for their area, they produce a disproportionally large share of the lumber, pulp, and paper bound for the global market. These countries have long-standing strong traditions in forestry education and institutions, as well as in timber-oriented forest management. However, global change, together with evolving societal values and demands, are challenging traditional forest management approaches. In particular, plantation-type management, where wood is harvested with short cutting cycles relative to the natural time span of stand development, has been criticized. Such management practices create landscapes composed of mosaics of young, even-aged, and structurally homogeneous stands, with scarcity of old trees and deadwood. In contrast, natural forest landscapes are characterized by the presence of old large trees, uneven-aged stand structures, abundant deadwood, and high overall structural diversity. The differences between managed and unmanaged forests result from the fundamental differences in the disturbance regimes of managed versus unmanaged forests. Declines in managed forest biodiversity and structural complexity, combined with rapidly changing climatic conditions, pose a risk to forest health, and hence, to the long-term maintenance of biodiversity and provisioning of important ecosystem goods and services. The application of ecosystem management in boreal forestry calls for a transition from plantation-type forestry toward more diversified management inspired by natural forest structure and dynamics.
Measuring Soil Loss and Subsequent Nutrient and Organic Matter Loss on Farmland
Authors: Bagarello Vincenzo , Ferro Vito
Published: May 2016

Field plots are often used to obtain experimental data (soil loss values corresponding to different climate, soil, topographic, crop, and management conditions) for predicting and evaluating soil erosion and sediment yield. Plots are used to study physical phenomena affecting soil detachment and transport, and their sizes are determined according to the experimental objectives and the type of data to be obtained. Studies on interrill erosion due to rainfall impact and overland flow need small plot width (2–3 m) and length (< 10 m), while studies on rill erosion require plot lengths greater than 6–13 m. Sites must be selected to represent the range of uniform slopes prevailing in the farming area under consideration. Plots equipped to study interrill and rill erosion, like those used for developing the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE), measure erosion from the top of a slope where runoff begins; they must be wide enough to minimize the edge or border effects and long enough to develop downslope rills. Experimental stations generally include bounded runoff plots of known rea, slope steepness, slope length, and soil type, from which both runoff and soil loss can be monitored. Once the boundaries defining the plot area are fixed, a collecting equipment must be used to catch the plot runoff. A conveyance system (H-flume or pipe) carries total runoff to a unit sampling the sediment and a storage system, such as a sequence of tanks, in which sediments are accumulated. Simple methods have been developed for estimating the mean sediment concentration of all runoff stored in a tank by using the vertical concentration profile measured on a side of the tank. When a large number of plots are equipped, the sampling of suspension and consequent oven-drying in the laboratory are highly time-consuming. For this purpose, a sampler that can extract a column of suspension, extending from the free surface to the bottom of the tank, can be used. For large plots, or where runoff volumes are high, a divisor that splits the flow into equal parts and passes one part in a storage tank as a sample can be used. Examples of these devices include the Geib multislot divisor and the Coshocton wheel. Specific equipment and procedures must be employed to detect the soil removed by rill and gully erosion. Because most of the soil organic matter is found close to the soil surface, erosion significantly decreases soil organic matter content. Several studies have demonstrated that the soil removed by erosion is 1.3–5 times richer in organic matter than the remaining soil. Soil organic matter facilitates the formation of soil aggregates, increases soil porosity, and improves soil structure, facilitating water infiltration. The removal of organic matter content can influence soil infiltration, soil structure, and soil erodibility.
Cultivation and Impact of Wheat
Authors: Shewry Peter
Published: May 2016

Wheat is the most widely grown food crop in the world and the dominant staple crop in temperate countries where it contributes between about 20% and 50% of the total energy intake. About 95% of the wheat grown is hexaploid bread wheat, with tetraploid durum wheat being grown in the hot dry Mediterranean climate and very small volumes of ancient species. About 80% of the dry weight of the mature grain is starchy endosperm. This is the major grain storage tissue, which is separated by milling to give white flour, the outer layers and germ together forming the bran. However, white flour and bran differ significantly in their compositions, with white flour being rich in starch (about 80% dry wt) and protein (about 10% dry wt) and the bran rich in fiber, minerals, vitamins, and phytochemicals.

Most of the wheat consumed by humankind is in the form of bread, noodles, pasta, and other processed foods, and the quality for processing is determined by two major characteristics: the grain texture (hardness) and the viscoelastic properties conferred to dough by the gluten proteins.

In addition to being a source of energy, wheat also contributes protein and a range of other essential and beneficial components, particularly dietary fiber. However, because most of these components are concentrated in the bran, it is important to increase the consumption of whole grain products or to improve the composition of white flour. Although there is concern among consumers about possible adverse effects of consuming wheat products on health, these are unlikely to affect more than a small proportion of the population, and wheat should form part of a healthy balanced diet for the vast majority.
Soil Sediment Loading and Related Environmental Impacts from Farms
Authors: Ferro Vito
Published: May 2016

Beyond damage to rainfed agricultural and forestry ecosystems, soil erosion due to water affects surrounding environments. Large amounts of eroded soil are deposited in streams, lakes, and other ecosystems. The most costly off-site damages occur when eroded particles, transported along the hillslopes of a basin, arrive at the river network or are deposited in lakes. The negative effects of soil erosion include water pollution and siltation, organic matter loss, nutrient loss, and reduction in water storage capacity. Sediment deposition raises the bottom of waterways, making them more prone to overflowing and flooding. Sediments contaminate water ecosystems with soil particles and the fertilizer and pesticide chemicals they contain. Siltation of reservoirs and dams reduces water storage, increases the maintenance cost of dams, and shortens the lifetime of reservoirs. Sediment yield is the quantity of transported sediments, in a given time interval, from eroding sources through the hillslopes and river network to a basin outlet. Chemicals can also be transported together with the eroded sediments. Sediment deposition inside a reservoir reduces the water storage of a dam.

The prediction of sediment yield can be carried out by coupling an erosion model with a mathematical operator which expresses the sediment transport efficiency of the hillslopes and the channel network. The sediment lag between sediment yield and erosion can be simply represented by the sediment delivery ratio, which can be calculated at the outlet of the considered basin, or by using a distributed approach. The former procedure couples the evaluation of basin soil loss with an estimate of the sediment delivery ratio SDRW for the whole watershed. The latter procedure requires that the watershed be discretized into morphological units, areas having a constant steepness and a clearly defined length, for which the corresponding sediment delivery ratio is calculated. When rainfall reaches the surface horizon of the soil, some pollutants are desorbed and go into solution while others remain adsorbed and move with soil particles. The spatial distribution of the loading of nitrogen, phosphorous, and total organic carbon can be deduced using the spatial distribution of sediment yield and the pollutant content measured on soil samples. The enrichment concept is applied to clay, organic matter, and all pollutants adsorbed by soil particles, such as nitrogen and phosphorous. Knowledge of both the rate and pattern of sediment deposition in a reservoir is required to establish the remedial strategies which may be practicable. Repeated reservoir capacity surveys are used to determine the total volume occupied by sediment, the sedimentation pattern, and the shift in the stage-area and stage-storage curves. By converting the sedimentation volume to sediment mass, on the basis of estimated or measured bulk density, and correcting for trap efficiency, the sediment yield from the basin can be computed.
Ecosystem Services
Authors: Braat Leon C.
Published: May 2016

The concept of ecosystem services considers the usefulness of nature for human society. The economic importance of nature was described and analyzed in the 18th century, but the term ecosystem services was introduced only in 1981. Since then it has spurred an increasing number of academic publications, international research projects, and policy studies. Now a subject of intense debate in the global scientific community, from the natural to social science domains, it is also used, developed, and customized in policy arenas and considered, if in a still somewhat skeptical and apprehensive way, in the “practice” domain—by nature management agencies, farmers, foresters, and corporate business. This process of bridging evident gaps between ecology and economics, and between nature conservation and economic development, has also been felt in the political arena, including in the United Nations and the European Union (which have placed it at the center of their nature conservation and sustainable use strategies).

The concept involves the utilitarian framing of those functions of nature that are used by humans and considered beneficial to society as economic and social services. In this light, for example, the disappearance of biodiversity directly affects ecosystem functions that underpin critical services for human well-being. More generally, the concept can be defined in this manner: Ecosystem services are the direct and indirect contributions of ecosystems, in interaction with contributions from human society, to human well-being.

The concept underpins four major discussions: (1) Academic: the ecological versus the economic dimensions of the goods and services that flow from ecosystems to the human economy; the challenge of integrating concepts and models across this paradigmatic divide; (2) Social: the risks versus benefits of bringing the utilitarian argument into political debates about nature conservation (Are ecosystem services good or bad for biodiversity and vice versa?); (3) Policy and planning: how to value the benefits from natural capital and ecosystem services (Will this improve decision-making on topics ranging from poverty alleviation via subsidies to farmers to planning of grey with green infrastructure to combining economic growth with nature conservation?); and (4) Practice: Can revenue come from smart management and sustainable use of ecosystems? Are there markets to be discovered and can businesses be created? How do taxes figure in an ecosystem-based economy? The outcomes of these discussions will both help to shape policy and planning of economies at global, national, and regional scales and contribute to the long-term survival and well-being of humanity.
Mineral Dust Cycle
Authors: Sokolik Irina
Published: May 2016

There is scientific consensus that human activities have been altering the atmospheric composition and are a key driver of global climate and environmental changes since pre-industrial times (IPCC, 2013). It is a pressing priority to understand the Earth system response to atmospheric aerosol input from diverse sources, which so far remain one of the largest uncertainties in climate studies (Boucher et al., 2014; Forster et al., 2007). As the second most abundant component (in terms of mass) of atmospheric aerosols, mineral dust exerts tremendous impacts on Earth’s climate and environment through various interaction and feedback processes. Dust can also have beneficial effects where it deposits: Central and South American rain forests get most of their mineral nutrients from the Sahara; iron-poor ocean regions get iron; and dust in Hawaii increases plantain growth. In northern China as well as the midwestern United States, ancient dust storm deposits known as loess are highly fertile soils, but they are also a significant source of contemporary dust storms when soil-securing vegetation is disturbed. Accurate assessments of dust emission are of great importance to improvements in quantifying the diverse dust impacts.
Monitoring and Modeling of Outdoor Air Pollution
Authors: Reis Stefan
Published: May 2016

Air pollution has been a major threat to human health, ecosystems, and agricultural crops ever since the onset of widespread use of fossil fuel combustion and emissions of harmful substances into ambient air. As a basis for the development, implementation, and compliance assessment of air pollution control policies, monitoring networks for priority air pollutants were established, primarily for regulatory purposes. With increasing understanding of emission sources and the release and environmental fate of chemicals and toxic substances into ambient air, as well as atmospheric transport and chemical conversion processes, increasingly complex air pollution models have entered the scene. Today, highly accurate equipment is available to measure trace gases and aerosols in the atmosphere. In addition, sophisticated atmospheric chemistry transport models—which are routinely compared to and validated and assessed against measurements—are used to model dispersion and chemical processes affecting the composition of the atmosphere, and the resulting ambient concentrations of harmful pollutants. The models also provide methods to quantify the deposition of pollutants, such as acidifying and eutrophying substances, in vegetation, soils, and freshwater ecosystems. This article provides a general overview of the underlying concepts and key features of monitoring and modeling systems for outdoor air pollution.
Arid Environments
Authors: Laity Julie
Published: May 2016

Arid environments cover about one third of the Earth’s surface, comprising the most extensive of the terrestrial biomes. Deserts show considerable individual variation in climate, geomorphic surface expression, and biogeography. Climatically, deserts range from dry interior environments, with large temperature ranges, to humid and relatively cool coastal environments, with small temperature ranges. What all deserts share in common is a consistent deficit of precipitation relative to water loss by evaporation, implying that the biological availability of water is very low. Deserts develop because of climatic (persistent high-pressure cells), topographic (mountain ranges that cause rain shadow effects), and oceanographic (cold currents) factors that limit the amount of rain or snowfall that a region receives. Most global deserts are subtropical in distribution.

There is a large range of geomorphic surfaces, including sand sheets and sand seas (ergs), stone pavements, bedrock outcrops, dry lakebeds, and alluvial fans. Vegetation cover is generally sparse, but may be enhanced in areas of groundwater seepage or along river courses. The limited vegetation cover affects fluvial and slope processes and results in an enhanced role for the wind. While the majority of streams in deserts are ephemeral features, both intermittent and perennial rivers develop in response to snowmelt in nearby mountains or runoff from distant, more well-watered regions. Most drainage is endoreic, meaning that it flows internally into closed basins and does not reach the sea, being disposed of by seepage and evaporation.

The early study of deserts was largely descriptive. More process-based studies commenced with the study of North American deserts in the mid- to late-1800s. Since the late 20th century, research has expanded into many areas of the world, with notable contributions coming from China, but our knowledge of deserts is still more compete in regions such as North America, Australia, Israel, and southern Africa, where access and funding have been more consistently secure. The widespread availability of high-quality remotely sensed images has contributed to the spread of study into new global field areas. The temporal framework for research has also improved, benefiting from improvements in geochronological techniques. Geochronological controls are vital to desert research because most arid regions have experienced significant climatic changes. Deserts have not only expanded or contracted in size, but have experienced changes in the dominant geomorphic processes and biogeographic environment. Contemporary scientific work has also benefited from improvements in technology, notably in surveying techniques, and from the use of quantitative modeling.
A radio detection survey of narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies using very long baseline interferometry at 22 GHz
Authors: Doi Akihiro , Oyama Tomoaki , Kono Yusuke , Yamauchi Aya , Suzuki Syunsaku , Matsumoto Naoko , Tazaki Fumie
Published: May 2016

We conducted a high-sensitivity radio detection survey for 40 narrow-line Seyfert 1 (NLS1) galaxies using a very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) technique at 22 GHz through phase-referencing long-time integration and using a newly developing recorder with a data rate of 8 Gbps, which is a candidate of the next generation VLBI data recording systems of the Japanese VLBI Network. The baseline sensitivity was typically a few mJy. The observations resulted in a detection rate of 12/40 for our radio-selected NLS1 sample: 11 out of the 12 detected NLS1s showed inverted radio spectra between 1.4 and 22 GHz on the basis of the Very Large Array flux densities and the VLBI detections. These high fractions suggest that a compact radio core with a high brightness temperature is frequently associated with NLS1 nuclei. On the other hand, at least half of the sample indicated apparently steep spectra even with the limited VLBI sensitivity. Both the inverted and the steep spectrum radio sources are included in the NLS1 population.
Disentangling the relationship between high-involvement-work-systems and job satisfaction
Authors: Ollo-López Andrea , Bayo-Moriones Alberto , Larraza-Kintana Martin
Published: May 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to study how high-involvement work systems (HIWS) affect job satisfaction, and tries to disentangle the mechanisms through which the effect occurs.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors use data for a representative sample of 10,112 Spanish employees. In order to test the mediation mechanism implied by the hypotheses, the authors follow the procedure outlined in Baron and Kenny (1986). Given the nature of the dependent variables, ordered probit models were estimated to study the effect of HIWS on the mediating variables (job interest, effort and wages), and regression models were estimated to analyze the effect of HIWS on the final attitudinal variable (job satisfaction).

Findings

– Empirical results show that HIWS results in higher levels of effort, higher wages and perceptions of a more interesting job. Moreover, greater involuntary physical effort reduces job satisfaction while higher wages, greater voluntary effort, involuntary mental effort and having an interesting job increase job satisfaction. The net effect of these opposing forces on job satisfaction is positive.

Research limitations/implications

– The use of secondary data posits some constrains in aspects such as the type of measures or the failure to control for personal traits. Additionally, the non-longitudinal nature of the data set implies that some relationships cannot be considered causal in the intended direction.

Practical implications

– Managers should implement HIWS since in general they increase job satisfaction. A significant portion of this positive effect is channeled through perceptions of interesting job, higher wages and increased effort demands. Managers should pay attention to implementation issues.

Originality/value

– The paper contributes to enrich the understanding of the relationship between the HIWS and job satisfaction, proposing a model that aims to disentangle the mediating mechanisms through which HIPWS affect job satisfaction. Unlike previous attempts, this model integrates opposing views about the positive or negative effects associated with HIWS.
Validation of the Urdu version of the Measure of Criminal Social Identity within a sample of Pakistani incarcerated delinquents
Authors: Shagufta Sonia , Dhingra Katie , Debowska Agata , Kola-Palmer Derrol
Published: May 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the dimensionality, composite reliability, and incremental validity of the Measure of Criminal Social Identity (MCSI) in a sample of Pakistani incarcerated delinquents (n=315) following translation of the measure into Urdu.

Design/methodology/approach

– Four alternative factor models, with uncorrelated measurement error terms, were specified and tested using confirmatory factor analysis and bifactor modelling techniques.

Findings

– Results indicated that a three-factor model provided a better fit to the data than the alternative models tested. The reliability of the scale was established using composite reliability. Furthermore, structural equation modelling revealed that the three MCSI factors were differentially related with external variables, indicating that the MCSI measures substantially different domains.

Research limitations/implications

– Implications for theory and future research are discussed.

Originality/value

– The results add valuable evidence as to the cross-cultural applicability of the MCSI.
An inductive typology of the interrelations between different components of intellectual capital
Authors: Albertini Elisabeth
Published: May 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to enhance knowledge of the full set of interrelations between IC components by providing an inductive typology of their strategic interactions.

Design/methodology/approach

– To answer the research question the author conducted a content analysis of CEOs’ letters to shareholders published by 122 companies among the 200 first companies from the Fortune Global 500 from 2008 to 2012.

Findings

– The results show that these three IC components interact with each other around the central position held by relational and structural capital and to a lesser extent human capital. Companies that have a positive evolution in the ranking focus significantly more on the structural capital while those who have a negative evolution in the ranking mention more the relational capital.

Research limitations/implications

– The study is based on the CEOs’ letters that might limit the generalization of the findings. Nonetheless, this research highlights a full and fruitful set of interrelations between IC components providing a business practices-oriented typology.

Practical implications

– This study provides deep insights into the interrelations between IC components that can significantly help managers to identify the strategic connections between IC dimensions.

Originality/value

– This study contributes to the literature by expanding the actual academic classification of IC to five clusters of components. This research highlights that relational capital interacting with structural capital holds a central position in companies’ business strategy.
Identity and initial structure in inter-firm alliances: a social identity perspective
Authors: Uzuegbunam Ikenna
Published: May 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine how firms use the identities of their alliance partners in choosing initial governance structures in strategic alliances. It proposes that social identity from the perspective of an established firm participating in an inter-firm alliance can be constructed on the basis of ownership categories and market categories of the firm’s alliance partners.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study focusses on a sample of 478 alliances involving 36 focal firms in the US semiconductor industry over a nine-year period (1995-2003). The sample is analyzed using logistic regression methods.

Findings

– The author finds evidence suggesting that joint venture (JV) structures are more likely when an alliance has more partners that identify as privately held firms or subsidiaries of other firms. The results also suggest that JV structures are more likely when an alliance involves strong product market identity with partners and less likely when an alliance involves strong geographic identity with partners.

Originality/value

– These findings provide some novel insights into potential heuristics that alliance managers use in making initial alliance structure decisions. In particular, this paper contributes to a growing stream of research that considers the optimal alliance structures for different partner configurations by showing the potential influence of partners’ identities in simplifying these important decisions.
The inverted U curve and emergency medicine: Overdiagnosis and the law of unintended consequences
Authors: Fatovich Daniel M
Published: May 2016

We all think and assume that more is better, but unintended consequences can arise in a complex system. However, in our complex world, everything of consequence follows an inverted U curve. The inverted U curve helps us challenge our natural assumption that more is better. This leads us to the issue of overdiagnosis and the harms that result. Journals are now publishing lists of studies where more medical care caused harm. Changing diagnostic thresholds together with the fear of uncertainty by both patients and doctors has a synergistic and costly effect on the health system. The over‐reliance on technology tends to supplant clinical judgement. This intervention bias promotes the overutilisation of diagnostic testing. What patients actually value is thinking doctors who talk to them. Promoting clinical judgement reinforces the mantra that less is more, resulting in positively intended consequences. This essay aims to be a thought‐provoking commentary of our practice.
Imaging for patients presenting to an emergency department with back pain: Impact on patient pathway
Authors: McCaughey Euan J , Li Ling , Georgiou Andrew , Golding Michael HG , Westbrook Johanna I
Published: May 2016

Objective

The objective of the present study is to quantify utilisation of imaging for patients presenting to an ED with back pain, their characteristics and dispositions.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study of 1132 ED presentations for back pain to an Australian metropolitan ED in 2013 was performed. Patient demographics, rates of radiography, computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging and rates of subsequent admission and ED re‐presentation were analysed.

Results

Patients aged 26–35 years were the largest group presenting with back pain (19.4% of presentations), with the majority being female (52.3%). Imaging was requested at 29.5% (n = 334) of presentations (radiography n = 297; advanced imaging n = 63). Patients over 70 years had higher imaging rates than younger patients (49.4% vs 25.5%, P < 0.001). Imaging was not associated with attendance during or outside office hours (29.3% vs 31.8%, P = 0.4). Of presentations, 34.1% resulted in admission, with no association between imaging and admission (31.8% vs 36.0%, P = 0.2) or ED re‐presentation for back pain in the same year (6.5% vs 9.7%, P = 0.09).

Conclusion

This study provides benchmark data on the use of imaging for back pain in an Australian ED, an area which has been largely unexplored. The rate of imaging in the ED was higher than previously reported in a General Practice setting. Consistent with guidelines, patients older than 70 were more than twice as likely to receive imaging compared to younger patients. It was beyond the scope of the current study to determine whether these images were clinically indicated and further research is required to determine if initiatives to reduce imaging in this population are warranted.
Ocular autofluorescence in diabetes mellitus. A review
Authors: Calvo‐Maroto Ana M. , Perez‐Cambrodi Rafael J. , Garcia‐Lazaro Santiago , Ferrer‐Blasco Teresa , Cerviño Alejandro
Published: May 2016

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease with a considerable impact on healthcare owing to its increased prevalence and high mortality rate. Structural, morphological, and physiological changes in each of the ocular components have been described in detail. Autofluorescence has been described as a good indicator of metabolic activity. The aim of the present review is to provide an overview of ocular endogenous fluorophores in the cornea, the crystalline lens, and the retinal pigment epithelium, the effects of diabetes mellitus and therefore the potential of autofluorescence assessment for screening and monitoring changes in diabetic patients.
Global Emergency Medicine: A Review of the Literature From 2015
Authors: Becker Torben K. , Hansoti Bhakti , Bartels Susan , Bisanzo Mark , Jacquet Gabrielle A. , Lunney Kevin , Marsh Regan , Osei‐Ampofo Maxwell , Trehan Indi , Lam Christopher , Levine Adam C. ,   the Global Emergency Medicine Literature Review (GEMLR) Group
Published: May 2016

Objectives

The Global Emergency Medicine Literature Review (GEMLR) conducts an annual search of peer‐reviewed and gray literature relevant to global emergency medicine (EM) to identify, review, and disseminate the most important new research in this field to a global audience of academics and clinical practitioners.

Methods

This year 12,435 articles written in six languages were identified by our search. These articles were distributed among 20 reviewers for initial screening based on their relevance to the field of global EM. An additional two reviewers searched the gray literature. A total of 723 articles were deemed appropriate by at least one reviewer and approved by their editor for formal scoring of overall quality and importance. Two independent reviewers scored all articles.

Results

A total of 723 articles met our predetermined inclusion criteria and underwent full review. Sixty percent were categorized as emergency care in resource‐limited settings (ECRLS), 17% as EM development (EMD), and 23% as disaster and humanitarian response (DHR). Twenty‐four articles received scores of 18.5 or higher out of a maximum score 20 and were selected for formal summary and critique. Inter‐rater reliability between reviewers gave an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.71 (95% confidence interval = 0.66 to 0.75). Studies and reviews with a focus on infectious diseases, trauma, and the diagnosis and treatment of diseases common in resource‐limited settings represented the majority of articles selected for final review.

Conclusions

In 2015, there were almost twice as many articles found by our search compared to the 2014 review. The number of EMD articles increased, while the number ECRLS articles decreased. The number of DHR articles remained stable. As in prior years, the majority of articles focused on infectious diseases.
Risk factors and characteristics of suicide attempts among 381 suicidal adolescents
Authors: Hedeland Rikke Lindgaard , Teilmann Grete , Jørgensen Marianne Hørby , Thiesen Line Rejkjær , Andersen Jesper ,   Study‐Associated Pediatric Departments
Published: May 2016

Aim

This study explored the relationships between suicidal adolescents and their parents, siblings and friends. It examined how much adolescents talked to their parents before suicide attempts, the frequency of self‐mutilation, the extent of suicidal ideation, previous suicide attempts and suicide attempts in the adolescent's surroundings.

Methods

We performed a cross‐sectional case–control study that focused on 381 adolescents aged 10–17 years who were admitted to hospitals across Denmark after suicide attempts with acetaminophen and 296 age‐ and gender‐matched controls recruited from schools. The study used questionnaires and medical and child psychiatric records.

Results

The study group were ten times more likely to report dissociated parental relationships than the control group (41.5% versus 4%), and there were significant relationships between these reports and feelings of not being heard (p < 0.0001), dissociated relationships with friends (p < 0.0001) and siblings (p < 0.0001) and self‐mutilation (p = 0.009). Almost two‐thirds (62.5%) of the suicidal adolescents who tried to talk to their parents about their problems felt unheard, and there was a significant relationship between this feeling and the duration of suicidal ideation (p = 0.01) and self‐mutilation (p = 0.003).

Conclusion

Early risk factors for suicide were dissociated relationships with parents, siblings and friends, feeling unheard, self‐mutilation and extended suicidal ideation.
Risk factors and morbidity of infantile haemangioma: preterm birth promotes ulceration
Authors: Castrén Eeva , Salminen Päivi , Gissler Mika , Stefanovic Vedran , Pitkäranta Anne , Klockars Tuomas
Published: May 2016

Aim

We identified the characteristics of an infantile haemangioma (IH) that predispose children to complications, interventions and long‐term morbidity and examined perinatal risk factors for IH.

Methods

We studied children with IHs admitted to Helsinki University Hospital's paediatric vascular anomaly clinic in Finland in 2004–2007 and registered perinatal records, IH characteristics, complications and interventions. These patients received a questionnaire on perinatal data and long‐term morbidity resulting from IH. We analysed factors related to complications, interventions and morbidity and compared our cohort's perinatal data to the Finnish Medical Birth Register (FMBR) figures.

Results

We approached 185 families, of which 136 replied to the questionnaire. Children with facial, segmental and indeterminate IHs showed more complications, interventions and higher long‐term morbidity. Preterm birth predisposed infants to ulceration of IHs, with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 1.02–5.14 and odds ratio (OR) of 2.29. In addition to earlier known risks, maternal gestational diabetes mellitus rate was higher in our IH cohort than the rate in the FMBR (95% CI 1.39–4.95, OR 2.62).

Conclusion

Physicians treating IHs should consider the elevated ulceration risk in preterm infants. The association between gestational diabetes mellitus and child's risk for an IH is uncertain and requires further research.
Holocaust as the Prototype of Genocide. On Some Problems with the Modern State Crime Paradigm
Authors: Bilewicz Michal
Published: May 2016

The Holocaust plays a prominent role in Americans’ representation of genocide. Mazur and Vollhardt (2015) show that for this population, the prototypical genocide is a systematic large‐scale racist killing, perpetrated by the modern state as part of war. Seeking the roots of such representations, this article reviews philosophical, historical, psychological, and sociological writings that put the modernization, civilization, authoritarianism, and state at the center of their theorizing about genocide. Such a “modern state crime” paradigm can lead to biased views of the nature of genocide, as well as of the psychological factors responsible for its occurrence.
Effects of different source additives and wilt conditions on the pH value, aerobic stability, and carbohydrate and protein fractions of alfalfa silage
Authors: Tao Lian , Zhou He , Zhang Naifeng , Si Bingwen , Tu Yan , Ma Tao , Diao Qiyu
Published: May 2016

To improve the silage quality and reduce the silage additive cost, the present experiment was designed to evaluate the potential of applying the fermented juice of epiphytic lactic acid bacteria (FJLB) as an additive in alfalfa silage. The effects of FJLB on the fermentation quality, carbohydrate and protein fractions, and aerobic stability of alfalfa silage wilted under five different conditions were investigated and compared with commercial lactic acid bacteria (CLAB) and the control. The FJLB application decreased the pH value, the volatile fatty acids and non‐protein nitrogen content, and the loss of sugar by 9.9%, 22.9%, 19.6% and 9.6%, respectively; it increased the lactic acid concentration by 29.5% and the aerobic stability by 17 h in comparison to the control. The FJLB application also decreased the pH value (4.44 vs. 4.66) and volatile fatty acid content (38.32 vs. 44.82) and increased the lactic acid concentration (68.99 vs. 63.29) in comparison to the CLAB‐treated silage. However, the FJLB treatment had lower aerobic stability (254 h vs. 274 h) than the CLAB treatment. The FJLB application improved silage quality in comparison to the control; in addition, its effect as a fermentation stimulant may be comparable to or even better than CLAB.
Estimates of genetic parameters for chemical traits of meat quality in Japanese black cattle
Authors: Sakuma Hironori , Saito Kaoru , Kohira Kimiko , Ohhashi Fumie , Shoji Noriaki , Uemoto Yoshinobu
Published: May 2016

Genetic parameters for 54 carcass and chemical traits, such as general composition (moisture, crude fat and crude protein), fatty acid composition and water‐soluble compounds (free amino acids, peptides, nucleotides and sugars) of 587 commercial Japanese Black cattle were assessed. Heritability estimates for carcass traits and general composition ranged between 0.19–0.28, whereas those for fatty acid composition ranged between 0.11–0.85. Most heritability estimates for water‐soluble compounds were lower than 0.30; these traits were affected by aging period. Moderate heritability was observed for glutamine, alanine, taurine, anserine, inosine 5′‐monophosphate (IMP), inosine and myo‐inositol. In particular, heritability estimates were the highest (0.66) for taurine. Traits with moderate heritability were unaffected by aging period, with the exception of IMP, which was affected by aging period but exhibited moderate heritability (0.47). Although phenotypic correlations of water‐soluble compounds with carcass weight (CW), beef marbling standard (BMS) and monounsaturated fatty acid were generally low, genetic correlations between these traits were low to high. At the genetic level, most of the water‐soluble compounds were positively correlated with monounsaturated fatty acid but negatively correlated with CW and BMS. Thus, our results indicate that genetic variance and correlations could exist and be captured for some of the water‐soluble compounds.
Identification of an IGSF1‐specific deletion in a five‐generation pedigree with X‐linked Central Hypothyroidism without macroorchidism
Authors: Hughes James N. , Aubert Matthew , Heatlie Jessica , Gardner Alison , Gecz Jozef , Morgan Thomas , Belsky Joseph , Thomas Paul Q.
Published: May 2016

Objectives

IGSF1 deficiency syndrome (IDS) is a recently described X‐linked congenital central hypothyroidism disorder characterized by loss‐of‐function mutations in the immunoglobulin superfamily member 1 (IGSF1) gene. The phenotypic spectrum and intrafamilial variability associated with IDS remain unclear due to a paucity of large, well‐characterized pedigrees. Here, we present phenotypic analysis and molecular characterization of a five‐generation pedigree with IGSF1 deficiency containing 10 affected males.

Patients and methods

Pituitary function was assessed in all available family members (n = 8 affected males and n = 5 carrier females). Molecular characterization of the family was performed by Sanger sequencing of PCR products amplified from the IGSF1 locus and by array comparative genomic hybridization.

Results

A 42‐kb IGSF1 deletion spanning the entire coding sequence was identified in all affected males. TSH deficiency, although subclinical in one case, was identified in all affected males (n = 8). PRL and GH deficiency were also present in 5 of 6 and 4 of 8 affected males, respectively. In contrast to previous reports, macroorchidism was not detected in any of the four affected males who were examined for this feature. Only 1 of 5 carrier females had pituitary dysfunction (TSH and GH deficiency).

Conclusion

Individuals with identical IGSF1 deletions can exhibit variable pituitary hormone deficiencies, of which overt TSH deficiency is the most consistent feature. We also show that macroorchidism is not obligatory in males with IDS. Mutations of IGSF1 should therefore be considered in males with isolated hypopituitarism that includes TSH deficiency.
Presacral and intrathoracic extramedullary hematopoiesis in a patient with β thalassemia minor
Authors: Lalueza Antonio , Silva Carlos Patricio , Alcalá‐Galiano Andrea , Arrieta Estibaliz , Cánovas José Miguel , Calero Maria Rosa , Álvarez Carlos
Published: May 2016

Extramedullary hematopoiesis (EMH) is a rare disease characterized by the presence of hematopoietic elements outside the bone marrow as a compensatory phenomenon in several hematological diseases, including thalassemia. We report a 64‐year‐old man with epigastric pain of 3‐months' duration radiated to the back. Imaging workup showed multiple paravertebral, retrosternal and presacral masses. Cytology findings obtained by CT‐guided FNAC were compatible with the diagnosis of EMH. Peripheral blood smear confirmed the presence of β‐thalassemia.
Nodular tracheobronchitis in a patient with lymphoma: an unusual presentation of viridans streptococcal respiratory tract infection
Authors: Lee Min A , Shin Kyung Min , Lim Jae‐Kwang , Cho Seung Hyun , Kim Hye Jung , Kim Gab Chul , Lee So Mi , Yoo Seung Soo
Published: May 2016

Bacterial tracheobronchitis without lung parenchymal involvement is extremely rare in adults, except in patients who are intubated or mechanically ventilated. We present a case of nodular tracheobronchitis caused by viridans streptococci in a non‐ventilated lymphoma patient. To our knowledge, this is the first report of viridans streptococcal infection that has caused nodular tracheobronchitis.
Risk factors for acute liver allograft rejection and their influences on treatment outcomes of rescue therapy in living donor liver transplantation
Authors: Shindoh Junichi , Akamatsu Nobuhisa , Tanaka Tomohiro , Kaneko Junichi , Tamura Sumihito , Sakamoto Yoshihiro , Hasegawa Kiyoshi , Sugawara Yasuhiko , Makuuchi Masatoshi , Kokudo Norihiro
Published: May 2016

Background

Several clinical factors are reportedly correlated with acute cellular rejection (ACR) after liver transplantation. However, the factors that determine the response to rescue therapies remain unclear.

Methods

A prospective database of 413 consecutive adult patients who underwent living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) was reviewed.

Results

Ninety‐nine (24%) patients developed ACR after LDLT. A multivariate analysis revealed that a positive T‐lymphocytotoxic test (odds ratio [OR], 3.85; P=.017), HLA‐DR mismatch (OR, 2.99; P=.013), autoimmune disease (OR, 2.61; P=.001), and a younger recipient age (OR, 0.60 for +10 years; P<.001) were independent risk factors for ACR. Among these, autoimmune disease was significantly correlated with refractoriness to the standard rescue therapy (53% vs 30%, P=.02) and relapse of cellular rejection (34% vs 16%, P=.04). After rescue therapy, 98 of the 99 (99%) patients eventually recovered from ACR and graft loss was observed in only one patient. None of the risk factors for ACR impaired both graft survival and overall survival after LDLT.

Conclusions

Autoimmune liver disease is associated with refractoriness to rescue therapy for ACR and the relapse of rejection. However, ACR does not affect the long‐term outcomes of LDLT if it is well controlled.
CLL/SLL with initial presentation as a longstanding cutaneous plaque: a rare case
Authors: Fulton Edward , Alapat Daisy , Mabry Andrea , Gao Ling , Shalin Sara C.
Published: May 2016

While chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) is the most common leukemia in the western world, it uncommonly initially presents as a cutaneous lesion. When it does, it is often found incidentally in the context of another distinct lesion. We present a case of CLL/SLL that initially presented as a solitary nodular erythematous plaque on the left flank of a healthy 60‐year‐old man without lymphadenopathy or constitutional symptoms. The lesion had been present for many years, but had recently begun to grow and become pruritic and painful. Excisional biopsy revealed a large nodular aggregate of variably sized CD20(dim), CD5(+), CD23(+), BCL‐2(+) atypical lymphocytes in the dermis without epidermotropism. The lymphocytes were negative for BCL‐1/cyclinD1, BCL‐6, and CD10, and no other background lesion was identified. This constellation of biopsy findings was consistent with CLL/SLL. This case emphasizes the potential for involvement by CLL/SLL in the cutaneous biopsies of otherwise asymptomatic patients.
Co‐occurrence statistics as a language‐dependent cue for speech segmentation
Authors: Saksida Amanda , Langus Alan , Nespor Marina
Published: May 2016

To what extent can language acquisition be explained in terms of different associative learning mechanisms? It has been hypothesized that distributional regularities in spoken languages are strong enough to elicit statistical learning about dependencies among speech units. Distributional regularities could be a useful cue for word learning even without rich language‐specific knowledge. However, it is not clear how strong and reliable the distributional cues are that humans might use to segment speech. We investigate cross‐linguistic viability of different statistical learning strategies by analyzing child‐directed speech corpora from nine languages and by modeling possible statistics‐based speech segmentations. We show that languages vary as to which statistical segmentation strategies are most successful. The variability of the results can be partially explained by systematic differences between languages, such as rhythmical differences. The results confirm previous findings that different statistical learning strategies are successful in different languages and suggest that infants may have to primarily rely on non‐statistical cues when they begin their process of speech segmentation.
The organization of exploratory behaviors in infant locomotor planning
Authors: Kretch Kari S. , Adolph Karen E.
Published: May 2016

How do infants plan and guide locomotion under challenging conditions? This experiment investigated the real‐time process of visual and haptic exploration in 14‐month‐old infants as they decided whether and how to walk over challenging terrain – a series of bridges varying in width. Infants’ direction of gaze was recorded with a head‐mounted eye tracker and their haptic exploration and locomotor actions were captured on video. Infants’ exploration was an organized, efficient sequence of visual, haptic, and locomotor behaviors. They used visual exploration from a distance as an initial assessment on nearly every bridge. Visual information subsequently prompted gait modifications while approaching narrow bridges and haptic exploration at the edge of the bridge. Results confirm predictions about the sequential, ramping‐up process of exploration and the distinct roles of vision and touch. Exploration, however, was not a guarantee of adaptive decisions. With walking experience, exploratory behaviors became increasingly efficient and infants were better able to interpret the resulting perceptual information in terms of whether it was safe to walk.