bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Early death and causes of death of people with intellectual disabilities: A systematic review
Authors: O'Leary Lisa , Cooper Sally‐Ann , Hughes‐McCormack Laura
Published: October 2017

Background

Death of people with intellectual disabilities is considered to be earlier than for the general population.

Methods

Databases were searched for key words on intellectual disabilities and death. Strict inclusion/exclusion criteria were used. Information was extracted from selected papers, tabulated and synthesized. Prospero registration number:CRD42015020161.

Results

Of 19,111 retrieved articles, 27 met criteria. Death was earlier by 20 years. It has improved in recent decades; however, the same inequality gap with the general population remains. More severe intellectual disabilities, and/or additional comorbidities rendered it shortest. Standardized mortality rates showed a greater inequality for women than men. Respiratory disease and circulatory diseases (with greater congenital and lesser ischaemic disease compared with the general population) were the main causes of death. Cancer was less common, and cancer profile differed from the general population. Some deaths are potentially avoidable. All research is from high‐income countries, and cause of death is surprisingly little investigated.

Conclusions

Improved health care, including anticipatory care such as health checks, and initiatives addressing most relevant lifestyle behaviours and health risks are indicated.
So close and yet so far away: A psychological distance account of the effectiveness of leader appeals
Authors: van Houwelingen Gijs , Stam Daan , Giessner Steffen
Published: October 2017

Contradictory recommendations persist on how leaders best communicate goals to followers. Whereas scholars of visionary leadership recommend emphasizing the desirability of preferred end‐states, scholars of goal setting argue that the perceived feasibility of a goal determines motivation. This paper proposes and tests a synthesis based on construal level theory. Under relatively high (i.e., abstract) levels of construal, such as when leader–follower distance is relatively large, leader appeals that emphasize desirability (i.e., desirable appeals) are more likely to be effective than appeals that emphasize feasibility (i.e., feasible appeals). Under relatively low (i.e., concrete) levels of construal, such as when leader–follower distance is relatively small, feasible appeals are more likely to be effective. Two experimental studies in two different countries provide support for our predictions.
Some Reflections on the Governance Framework of the Single Resolution Board
Authors: Božina Beroš Marta
Published: October 2017

First embodied by the European Supervisory Authorities in 2010, agency governance in the financial sector has gained momentum with the creation of the Single Resolution Board (SRB) – an EU agency with considerable competencies in banking prudential policy. Within a short period, backed by the ‘ESMA‐Short Selling case’ judgment, agencies have progressed from supporting the European Commission with their quasi‐rule making, to a more prominent role in the decision‐making process, potentially influencing policy‐makers' agenda. By engaging in a qualitative analysis of legal documents, official texts and relevant scholarship, this research note examines the formal framework and practical aspects of SRB's governance, in order to substantiate whether its establishment presents a ‘qualitative increase’ in financial sector agencification. At the same time, the research note highlights problematic issues arising because of the limitations set by the Meroni doctrine arguing that the Board's wide powers ‘on paper’ may prove challenging to implement in practice.
Corruption and Trust in the European Union and National Institutions: Changes over the Great Recession across European States
Authors: Obydenkova Anastassia V. , Arpino Bruno
Published: October 2017

Does corruption influence trust in national institutions in the same way as trust in international institutions? Did this influence change over the economic crisis 2008? Using data from the European Social Survey, we examined the association between corruption and trust in national and European parliaments before and after the start of the Great Recession 2008. We found that over the Crisis, the effect of corruption on trust in national parliament became more negative than it was before 2008. We also discovered a positive association between corruption and trust in the EU before the Crisis. That is, states with a higher level of national corruption seem to have more trust in international institutions, such as the EU. However, this relationship disappears after 2008. Our findings contribute to the debates on the impact of corruption on trust in national and international institutions, and on the consequences of the Great Recession.
Safety and efficacy of the combination of the glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonist liraglutide with an oral antidiabetic drug in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes: Post‐hoc analysis of a randomized, 52‐week, open‐label, parallel‐group trial
Authors: Kiyosue Arihiro , Seino Yutaka , Nishijima Keiji , Bosch‐Traberg Heidrun , Kaku Kohei
Published: October 2017

Aims/Introduction

The aim of the present post‐hoc analysis was to investigate the safety and efficacy of liraglutide in combination with one oral antidiabetic drug (OAD) across different OAD classes.

Materials and Methods

This was a post‐hoc analysis using data from a 52‐week, open‐label, parallel‐group trial, in which patients with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled with a single OAD (α‐glucosidase inhibitor, glinide, metformin or thiazolidinedione) were randomized to either pretrial OAD in combination with liraglutide 0.9 mg/day (liraglutide group) or pretrial OAD in combination with an additional OAD (additional OAD group). The primary outcome investigated in this post‐hoc analysis was the incidence of adverse events.

Results

The proportions of patients experiencing adverse events across the different groups of pretrial OADs were comparable between liraglutide and additional OAD (α‐glucosidase inhibitor 74.6 vs 70.0%; glinide 93.1 vs 87.1%; metformin 91.8 vs 87.1%; thiazolidinedione 86.2 vs 96.4%, respectively). Minor hypoglycemia was infrequent (seven episodes in two patients randomized to liraglutide, and two episodes in two patients randomized to additional OAD). The mean reduction in glycated hemoglobin appeared greater with liraglutide therapy, with the estimated mean treatment difference (95% confidence interval [CI]) for liraglutide vs additional OAD ranging from −0.14%, 95% CI: −0.48 to 0.21 (−1.5 mmol/mol, 95 CI: −5.2 to 2.3) to −0.44%, 95% CI:−0.79 to −0.09 (−4.8 mmol/mol, 95% CI: −8.6 to −1.0).

Conclusions

The present analysis suggests that Japanese patients on OAD monotherapy might benefit from a greater improvement in glycemic control, without impacting tolerability, by combining their OAD with liraglutide rather than another OAD, regardless of which OAD monotherapy they are receiving.
The impact of improving access to primary care
Authors: Glass David P. , Kanter Michael H. , Jacobsen Steven J. , Minardi Paul M.
Published: October 2017

Objectives

To measure the size and timing of changes in utilization and costs for employees and dependents who had major access barriers to primary care removed, across an 8‐year period (2007 to 2014).

Study design and methods

Retrospective observational study examining patterns of utilization and costs before and after the implementation of a worksite medical office in 2010. The worksite office offered convenient primary care services with no travel from work, essentially guaranteed same day access, and no co‐pay. Trends in visit rates and costs were compared for an intervention fixed cohort group (employees and dependents) at the employer (n = 1211) with a control fixed cohort group (n = 542 162) for 6 types of visits (primary, urgent, emergency, inpatient, specialty, and other outpatient). Difference‐in‐differences methods assessed the significance of between‐group changes in utilization and costs.

Results

The worksite medical office intervention group had an increase in primary care visits relative to the control group (+43% vs +4%,P < 0.001). This was accompanied by a reduction in urgent care visits by the intervention group compared with the control group (−43% vs −5%,P < 0.001). There were no differences in the other types of visits, and the total visit costs for the intervention group increased 5.7% versus 2.7% for the control group (P = 0.008).

A sub‐group analysis of the intervention group (comparing dependents to employees) found that that the dependents achieved a reduction in costs of 2.7% (P < 0.001) across the study period.

Conclusions

The potential for long‐term reduction in utilization and costs with better access to primary care is significant, but not easily nor automatically achieved.
Phylogeny and Redescription of the Testate Amoeba Diaphoropodon archeri (Chlamydophryidae, Thecofilosea, Cercozoa), De Saedeleer 1934, and Annotations on the Polyphyly of Testate Amoebae with Agglutinated Tests in the Cercozoa
Authors: Dumack Kenneth , Bonkowski Michael , Clauß Steffen , Völcker Eckhard
Published: October 2017

The genus Diaphoropodon, Archer 1869, comprises filose amoebae with agglutinated tests made of quartz grains, diatom frustules and other particulate materials. The key trait of the genus is a hyaline theca covered with numerous 5‐ to 10‐μm‐long, hairlike rods. Based on SSU rDNA phylogeny, we show that Diaphoropodon groups closely to Lecythium, a testate amoeba genus with a flexible but naked theca. Electron microscopic images reveal that the rods of Diaphoropodon are not perforating the test but lie randomly distributed on the surface of the amoeba. Comparing fairly naked cells from our cultures with cells from the environment leads to the conclusion that these rods play a role in agglutinating the material on the test.
Self‐reported psychological wellbeing in adolescents: the role of intellectual/developmental disability and gender
Authors: Boström P. , Åsberg Johnels J. , Broberg M.
Published: October 2017

Background

The Wellbeing in Special Education Questionnaire was developed to assess subjective wellbeing in young persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD) as this perspective is rarely included in research. The present study explored how ID/DD and gender are related to self‐reported wellbeing among adolescents.

Method

Students with (n = 110) or without (n = 110) ID/DD, aged 12–16 years, completed the Wellbeing in Special Education Questionnaire. Analyses of the effects of gender and disability status on peer relations and conflict, mental health, mental ill‐health, school environment and family relations were carried out.

Results

The experiences of the school environment and of positive mental health aspects did not differ between students with and without ID/DD, but those with ID/DD reported more mental health problems and less positive experiences of peer relations and family. Generally, boys reported more positive experiences of school and less mental health problems than girls.

Conclusions

Including the subjective perspective of young persons with ID/DD through self‐reports can provide essential information about wellbeing that cannot be gained from proxy ratings. The results suggest both differences and similarities in self‐reported wellbeing between boys and girls with and without ID/DD and potentially also in how they perceived the concepts measured.
Neonatal overfeeding by small‐litter rearing sensitises hippocampal microglial responses to immune challenge: Reversal with neonatal repeated injections of saline or minocycline
Authors: De Luca S. N. , Ziko I. , Dhuna K. , Sominsky L. , Tolcos M. , Stokes L. , Spencer S. J.
Published: October 2017

The early‐life period is extremely vulnerable to programming effects from the environment, many of which persist into adulthood. We have previously demonstrated that adult rats overfed as neonates have hypothalamic microglia that are hyper‐responsive to an immune challenge, as well as hippocampal microglia that respond less efficiently to learning. We therefore hypothesised that neonatal overfeeding would alter the ability of hippocampal microglia to respond to an immune challenge with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and that concomitant minocycline, a tetracycline antibiotic that suppresses microglial activity, could restore these responses. We induced neonatal overfeeding by manipulating the litter sizes in which Wistar rat pups were raised, so the pups were suckled in litters of four (neonatally overfed) or 12 (control‐fed). We then examined the hippocampal microglial profiles 24 hour after an immune challenge with LPS and found that the neonatally overfed rats had dramatically increased microglial numbers in the hippocampus after immune challenge compared to control‐fed rats. Attempts to reverse these effects with minocycline revealed repeated that neonatal injections, whether with minocycline or with saline, markedly suppressed microglial number and density throughout the hippocampus and abolished the difference between the groups in their responses to LPS. These data suggest that neonatal overfeeding not only can have lasting effects on hippocampal immune responses, but also that neonatal exposure to a protocol of repeated injections, irrespective of treatment, has a pronounced long‐term impact, highlighting the importance of considering these effects when interpreting experimental data.
Impaired hypothalamic cocaine‐ and amphetamine‐regulated transcript expression in lateral hypothalamic area and paraventricular nuclei of dehydration‐induced anorexic rats
Authors: García‐Luna C. , Soberanes‐Chávez P. , de Gortari P.
Published: October 2017

Negative energy balance promotes physiological adaptations that ensure the survival of animals. The hypothalamic‐pituitary‐thyroid axis regulates basal energy expenditure and its down‐regulating adaptation to negative energy balance is well described: in fasting, the serum content of thyrotrophin (TSH) and thyroid hormones (TH) decreases, enhancing the survival odds of individuals. By contrast, dehydration‐induced anorexic (DIA) rats present an impaired hypothalamic‐pituitary‐thyroid (HPT) axis adaptation despite their negative energy balance: increased circulating TSH levels. The implication of cocaine‐ and amphetamine‐regulated transcript (CART), an anorexic peptide, in HPT axis function impairment and food‐avoidance behaviour displayed by DIA animals is unknown. Because CART is co‐expressed with the peptide that regulates the HPT axis in hypophysiotrophic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) neurones (TSH‐releasing hormone), we analysed CART expression and possible implications with respect to high TSH levels of DIA animals. We examined whether changes in CART expression from the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) and arcuate nucleus (ARC) could participate in food‐avoidance of DIA rats. DIA and forced‐food restricted (FFR) animals reduced their body weight and food intake. FFR rats had a down‐regulation of their HPT axis (reduced serum TH and TSH content), whereas DIA animals had reduced TH but increased TSH levels. CART mRNA expression in the ARC decreased similarly between experimental groups and diminished in anterior, medial PVN and in LHA of FFR animals, whereas DIA animals showed unchanged levels. This impaired CART mRNA expression in the anterior PVN and LHA could be related to the aberrant feeding behaviour of DIA rats but not to their deregulated HPT axis function.
Using Z‐scores to evaluate levator hiatal dimensions with four‐dimensional translabial ultrasound
Authors: Wen Lieming , Zhang Jing , Zeng Shi , Zhou Qichang
Published: October 2017

Aim

This study represents the first attempt to use ‘Z‐scores’ to assess levator hiatal dimensions and quantify hiatal expansion.

Methods

We undertook a retrospective study on the data of 110 nulliparae and 73 pelvic organ prolapse (POP) patients who had a clinical POP exam and translabial 4‐D ultrasound. We used Z‐scores to normalize the dimensions of nulliparae levator hiatus and to build a Z‐score model to evaluate the ‘hiatal ballooning’ against the POP staging.

Results

Valid data were gathered from 102 nulliparae and 64 POP patients. We built the Z‐score models as follows: Z‐Av = (measured value – 17.19) / 2.98, Z‐Lv = (measured value – 55.65) / 5.48, where ‘Av’ and ‘Lv’ represented the ‘hiatal area’ and the ‘anterior–posterior diameter’ on Valsalva, respectively. The ‘90% reference range’ of Z‐Av was (−1.8−+1.8) and that of Z‐Lv was (−2.0−+2.0). On receiver–operator curve analysis, the cut‐off against POP stage 2 for Av was 20 cm2 (sensitivity of 79%, specificity of 66%), and that for Lv was 6.0 cm (sensitivity of 68%, specificity of 65%), which were approximately equal to a Z‐Av of 1.0 and a Z‐Lv of 1.0, correspondingly. For POP stage 3, the cut‐off was an Av of 24 cm2 (sensitivity of 85%, specificity of 83%) or an anterior–posterior diameter of 6.3 cm (sensitivity of 77%, specificity of 80%), which was approximately equal to a Z‐Av of 2.0 or a Z‐Lv of 1.5, respectively.

Conclusion

‘Normal hiatal dimension’ was defined as Z‐Av ≤ 1.0 or Z‐Lv ≤ 1.0, and ‘hiatal ballooning’ was defined as Z‐Av ≥ 2.0 or Z‐Lv ≥ 1.5.
Preparation Ferrule Design Effect on Endocrown Failure Resistance
Authors: Einhorn Michael , DuVall Nicholas , Wajdowicz Michael , Brewster John , Roberts Howard
Published: October 2017

Purpose

To evaluate the effect of preparation ferrule inclusion with fracture resistance of mandibular molar endocrowns.

Materials and Methods

Recently extracted mandibular third molars were randomly divided into 3 groups (n = 12) with the coronal tooth structure removed perpendicular to the root long axis approximately 2 mm above the cemento‐enamel junction with a slow‐speed diamond saw. The pulp chamber was exposed using a diamond bur in a high‐speed handpiece with pulpal remnants removed and canals instrumented using endodontic hand instruments. The chamber floor was restored using a resin core material with a two‐step, self‐etch adhesive and photopolymerized with a visible light‐curing unit to create a 2 mm endocrown preparation pulp chamber extension. One and two millimeter ferrule height groups were prepared using a diamond bur in a high‐speed handpiece following CAD/CAM guidelines. Completed preparation surface area was determined using a digital measuring microscope. Scanned preparations were restored with lithium disilicate restorations with a self‐adhesive resin luting agent. All manufacturer recommendations were followed. Specimens were stored at 37°C/98% humidity and tested to failure after 24 hours at a 45° angle to the tooth long axis using a universal testing machine. Failure load was converted to MPa using the available bonding surface area with mean data analyzed using Kruskal‐Wallis/Dunn (p = 0.05).

Results

Calculated failure stress found no difference in failure resistance among the three groups; however, failure load results identified that the endocrown preparations without ferrule had significantly lower fracture load resistance. Failure mode analysis identified that all preparations demonstrated a high number of catastrophic failures.

Conclusions

Under the conditions of this study, ferrule‐containing endocrown preparations demonstrated significantly greater failure loads than standard endocrown restorations; however, calculated failure stress based on available surface area for adhesive bonding found no difference between the groups. Lower instances of catastrophic failure were observed with the endocrown preparations containing 1 mm of preparation ferrule design; however, regardless of the presence of ferrule, this study found that all endocrown restorations suffered a high proportion of catastrophic failures but at loads greater than reported under normal masticatory function.
Resistance characterization of ledipasvir and velpatasvir in hepatitis C virus genotype 4
Authors: Camus G. , Han B. , Asselah T. , Hsieh D. , Dvory‐Sobol H. , Lu J. , Svarovskaia E. , Martin R. , Parhy B. , Miller M. D. , Brainard D. M. , Kersey K. , Abergel A. , Mo H.
Published: October 2017

HCV genotype 4 (GT4) has often been overlooked in drug development, even though it infects ~20 million people worldwide. Ledipasvir/sofosbuvir and sofosbuvir/velpatasvir were highly efficacious in GT4 HCV‐infected patients from GS‐US‐337‐1119 and GS‐US‐342‐1138. Here, we characterize the resistance profile of ledipasvir (LDV) and velpatasvir (VEL) in patients with GT4 HCV infection. NS5A deep‐sequencing was performed for 454 patients infected with HCV GT4 at baseline, including 44 patients enrolled in GS‐US‐337‐1119 and 116 patients enrolled in GS‐US‐342‐1138, and at relapse for patients with virologic failure. LDV and VEL susceptibilities of 56 patient isolates were determined. In GS‐US‐337‐1119, SVR12 rates were 100% for all subtypes except 4b and 4r. Phenotypic assessment of 56 HCV NS5A patient isolates from various GT4 subtypes indicated that LDV had high potency for the common subtypes 4a/d, and subtypes 4c/f/k/l/m/n/o/p/r/t despite the presence of resistance‐associated substitutions (RASs). For the rare GT4b, LDV median EC50 was higher, but with a broad range of individual values. Importantly, all GT4b isolates tested had 2‐4 NS5A RASs, some including Y93H. Similarly, the 2 GT4r infected patients who had virologic relapse had rare triple RASs. Reversion of these substitutions to the consensus residue significantly increased LDV susceptibility. In GS‐US‐342‐1138, all patients achieved SVR12, regardless of their subtype or presence of RASs. In vitro data confirmed that VEL is potent against all GT4 isolates tested.

LDV and VEL are potent antiviral drugs, estimated to be effective against >95% and >99%, respectively, of GT4 HCV isolates.
Sustained virological response to ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir and dasabuvir treatment for hepatitis C: Real‐world data from a large healthcare provider
Authors: Weil C. , Mehta D. , Koren G. , Pinsky B. , Samp J. C. , Chodick G. , Shalev V.
Published: October 2017

Treatment with ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir and dasabuvir, with or without ribavirin (OPrD ± RBV), was the first interferon‐free direct‐acting antiviral for hepatitis C virus (HCV) introduced to Israel's national basket of health services in February 2015. Patients with HCV genotype 1 (GT1) and advanced fibrosis (F3‐F4) were eligible for treatment in 2015. This study aimed to characterize patients initiating OPrD ± RBV and assess sustained virological response (SVR). A retrospective cohort study was performed using the database of Maccabi Healthcare Services (MHS), a 2‐million‐member health plan in Israel. The study population included adults who initiated OPrD ± RBV through December 2015 per health basket criteria. A gap in medication fills (>14 days between a fill's run‐out and the next fill) was used to estimate adherence. SVR was defined by the viral tests at least 12‐week post‐treatment. The study population consisted of 403 patients (56.3% male), with a mean age of 60.7 years (SD 11.0). Overall, 71.0% were naïve to prior HCV treatment, and 95.6% were treated with a 12‐week regimen. A total of 348 patients (86.4%) completed the regimen in the usual time frame (highly adherent), whereas 8.2% completed with a gap, and 4.7% purchased less than the recommended dose. SVR rates overall and among highly adherent patients were 395/403 (98.0%; 95% CI 96.1‐99.1) and 346/348 (99.4%; 95% CI 97.9‐99.9), respectively. GT1b patients on 12‐week regimens attained SVR rates of 194/196 (fibrosis F3) and 170/176 (cirrhosis). After a first year of provision of OPrD ± RBV with good adherence, high SVR rates were achieved in various patient subgroups and comorbidities.
Two‐year follow‐up of a postpartum weight loss intervention: Results from a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Huseinovic Ena , Bertz Fredrik , Brekke Hilde Kristin , Winkvist Anna
Published: October 2017

We recently reported that a 12‐week diet intervention among postpartum women produced a weight loss of 12% after 1 year, compared to 5% in controls. Here, we present 2‐year results after 1 year of unsupervised follow‐up. In total, 110 women with a self‐reported body mass index of ≥27 kg/m2 at 6–15‐week postpartum were randomized to diet group (D‐group) or control group (C‐group). D‐group received a 12‐week diet intervention by a dietitian followed by monthly e‐mails up to the 1‐year follow‐up. C‐group received a brochure on healthy eating. No contact was provided from 1 to 2 years to either group. Eighty‐nine women (81%) completed the 2‐year follow‐up. Median (1st; 3rd quartile) weight change from 0 to 2 years was −6.9 (−11.0; −2.2) kg in D‐group and −4.3 (−8.7; −0.2) kg in C‐group. There was no group by time interaction at 2 years (p = .082); however, when women with a new pregnancy between 1 and 2 years were excluded, the interaction became significant (−8.2 vs. −4.6 kg, p = .038). From 1 to 2 years, women in D‐ and C‐group gained 2.5 ± 5.0 kg and 1.1 ± 4.4 kg, respectively (p = .186). Women who gained weight from 1 to 2 years reported a decrease in self‐weighing frequency compared to women who maintained or lost weight (p = .008). Both groups achieved clinically relevant 2‐year weight loss, but the significant between‐group‐difference observed at 1 year was not maintained at 2 years in the main analysis. However, when women with a new pregnancy between 1 and 2 years were excluded, a significant weight loss effect was observed also at 2 years.
Novel bi‐allelic splice mutations in CARD9 causing adult‐onset Candida endophthalmitis
Authors: Gavino Christina , Mellinghoff Sibylle , Cornely Oliver A. , Landekic Marija , Le Catherine , Langelier Melanie , Golizeh Makan , Proske Susanna , Vinh Donald C.
Published: October 2017

CARD9 deficiency (CANDF2; OMIM# 212050) is an autosomal‐recessive monogenic inborn error of immunity conferring susceptibility to invasive fungal diseases, including the very distinct syndrome of spontaneous central nervous system candidiasis, in which opportunistic yeast of the genus Candida infect the central nervous system (either brain parenchyma and/or meninges) in the absence of trauma, chemotherapy or underlying systemic disease. We present a patient with spontaneous endophthalmitis of the right eye due to Candida albicans; further investigations revealed concomitant cerebral abscess. She had a history of left endophthalmitis due to the dematiaceous mould, Aureobasidium pullulans, 15 years earlier. Targeted sequencing of the CARD9 gene revealed 2 novel variants (c.184G>A and c.288C>T). Analysis in silico predicted each variant altered splicing, which was confirmed by sequencing of cDNA from proband and carrier offsprings: c.184G>A results in a 4‐base pair frameshift deletion with loss of allelic expression; c.288C>T results in an in‐frame 36‐bp pair deletion with detectable protein. CARD9 deficiency can present with a phenotype of spontaneous candidal endophthalmitis. We report 2 novel mutations in CARD9, both affecting splicing, expanding the range of morbid variants causing CARD9 deficiency, emphasising the importance of both genomic and cDNA sequencing for this condition.
Approaching Negotiation at the Organizational Level
Authors: Borbély Adrian , Caputo Andrea
Published: October 2017

How can an organization improve its negotiation skills? The following article aims to answer this question by investigating how, and why, an organization's negotiation capability should be developed. We propose a four‐level Organizational Model of Negotiation (OMoN), in which the individual level (I) concerns how people interact at the negotiation table; the linkages level (II) concerns how different negotiations impact one another; the infrastructure level (III) concerns how an organization may organize its negotiation functions; and finally, the capability level (IV) concerns how negotiation can be the source of competitive advantage. Our framework opens the path for developing the understanding of this issue by presenting teaching resources and identifying a possible theoretical underpinning. The article also presents a broad research agenda, which offers the basis for future studies to integrate concepts from different fields of research, such as from the management and strategy literature, into the field of negotiation.
Evolutionary ecology of telomeres: a review
Authors: Olsson Mats , Wapstra Erik , Friesen Christopher R.
Published: October 2017

Telomere‐induced selection could take place if telomere‐associated disease risk shortens reproductive life span and differently reduces relative fitness among individuals. Some of these diseases first appear before reproductive senescence and could thus influence ongoing selection. We ask whether we can estimate the components of the breeder's equation for telomeres, in which the response to selection (R, by definition “evolution”) is the product of ongoing selection (S) and heritability (h2). However, telomere inheritance is a conundrum: in quantitative genetics, traits can usually be allocated to categories with relatively high or low heritability, depending on their association with relative fitness. Telomere traits, however, show wide variation in heritability from zero to one, across taxa, gender, ethnicity, age, and disease status. In spite of this, there is divergence in telomere length among populations, supporting past and ongoing telomere evolution. Rates of telomere attrition and elongation vary among taxa with some, but not complete, taxonomic coherence. For example, telomerase is commonly referred to as “restricted to the germ line in mammals,” but inbred mice and beavers have telomerase upregulation in somatic tissue, as do many ectotherms. These observations provoke a simplistic understanding of telomere evolutionary biology—clearly much is yet to be discovered.
Strategies to retain properties of bone marrow–derived mesenchymal stem cellsex vivo
Authors: Zhou Yaxian , Tsai Tsung‐Lin , Li Wan‐Ju
Published: October 2017

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been extensively used for cell therapies and tissue engineering. The current MSC strategy requires a large quantity of cells for such applications, which can be achieved through cell expansion in culture. In the body, stem cell fate is largely determined by their microenvironment, known as the niche. The complex and dynamic stem cell niche provides physical, mechanical, and chemical cues to collaboratively regulate cell activities. It remains a great challenge to maintain the properties of MSCs in culture. Constructing a microenvironment as an engineered stem cell niche in culture to maintain MSC phenotypes, properties, and functions is a viable strategy to address the issue. Here, we review the current understanding of MSC behavior in the bone marrow niche, describe different strategies to engineer anin vitromicroenvironment for maintaining MSC properties and functions, and discuss previous findings on environmental factors critical to the modulation of MSC activities in engineered microenvironments.
Pitfalls in using fluorescence tagging of nanomaterials: tecto‐dendrimers in skin tissue as investigated by Cluster‐FLIM
Authors: Volz Pierre , Schilrreff Priscila , Brodwolf Robert , Wolff Christopher , Stellmacher Johannes , Balke Jens , Morilla Maria J. , Zoschke Christian , Schäfer‐Korting Monika , Alexiev Ulrike
Published: October 2017

Targeted topical application promises high drug concentrations in the skin and low systemic adverse effects. To locate drugs and drug‐delivery systems like nanocarriers, fluorescent dyes are commonly used as drug surrogates or nanocarrier labels in micrographs of tissue sections. Here, we investigate how labeling degree, concentration of fluorophore, and nanocarrier may affect the interpretation of these micrographs. False‐negative penetration results due to inter‐ and intramolecular quenching effects are likely. Using tecto‐dendrimers as an example, we present a detailed analysis of pitfalls in the (semi‐)quantitative evaluation of skin nanocarrier penetration. Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) allows distinguishing the target fluorescence of dye‐tagged nanocarriers from skin autofluorescence, providing a highly sensitive tool for clear‐cut localization of the nanocarriers. Cluster‐FLIM images reveal that FITC‐labeled tecto‐dendrimers penetrate the stratum corneum of human skin ex vivo and reconstructed human skin but do not cross the tight junction barrier.
Host–microbiota interplay in mediating immune disorders
Authors: Felix Krysta M. , Tahsin Shekha , Wu Hsin‐Jung Joyce
Published: October 2017

To maintain health, the immune system must maintain a delicate balance between eliminating invading pathogens and avoiding immune disorders such as autoimmunity and allergies. The gut microbiota provide essential health benefits to the host, particularly by regulating immune homeostasis. Dysbiosis, an alteration and imbalance of the gut microbiota, is associated with the development of several autoimmune diseases in both mice and humans. In this review, we discuss recent advances in understanding how certain factors, such as age and gender, affect the gut microbiota, which in turn can influence the development of autoimmune diseases. The age factor in microbiota‐dependent immune disorders indicates a window of opportunity for future diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. We also discuss unique commensal bacteria with strong immunomodulatory activity. Finally, we provide an overview of the potential molecular mechanisms whereby gut microbiota induce autoimmunity, as well as the evidence that gut microbiota trigger extraintestinal diseases by inducing the migration of gut‐derived immune cells. Elucidating the interaction of gut microbiota and the host immune system will help us understand the pathogenesis of immune disorders, and provide us with new foundations to develop novel immuno‐ or microbe‐targeted therapies.
Immunoprotective effects of a hemin‐binding peptide derived from hemagglutinin‐2 against infection with Porphyromonas gingivalis
Authors: Zhu Y.C. , An T. , Liu Y. , Zhang Z.L. , Yang Q.B.
Published: October 2017

The principal etiologic agent in periodontal disease, Porphyromonas gingivalis, generates cysteine proteases that bind heme with domains such as hemagglutinin‐2 (HA2). High‐affinity HA2–hemin binding supplies the porphyrin and ferric iron needed for growth and virulence. The DHYAVMISK peptide, recently identified at the hemin‐binding site of HA2, inhibits hemin binding. We now evaluate the protective effect of vaccination with DGFPGDHYAVMISK (termed DK) against P. gingivalis using a rat infection model. Rats immunized with DK generated anti‐peptide serum IgGs and salivary sIgAs (as measured by ELISA). In a subcutaneous abscess model, the protective effect of immunization was then investigated by measuring abscess size following subcutaneous injection with P. gingivalis. In an oral infection model, a ligature inoculated with P. gingivalis was used to induce periodontitis. The degree of bone erosion, ordinarily provoked by infection, was then evaluated by micro‐computed tomography. We found that anti‐peptide antibody titers of serum IgGs and salivary sIgAs for rats immunized with DK and adjuvant were significantly higher than for sham‐immunized rats (injected with adjuvant/PBS alone; P < .05). In the subcutaneous abscess model, the DK + adjuvant‐vaccinated rats recovered faster than sham‐vaccinated animals, with their abscess sizes significantly smaller (P < .05). Further, in the experimental periodontitis model, bone loss at the molar palatal side for DK + adjuvant‐vaccinated rats was significantly lower than for sham‐vaccinated animals (P < .05). Collectively, these data demonstrate the potential of (DK) peptide immunization in terms of eliciting an immunoprotective effect against infection with P. gingivalis.
Cacao biotechnology: current status and future prospects
Authors: Wickramasuriya Anushka M. , Dunwell Jim M.
Published: October 2017

Theobroma cacao—The Food of the Gods, provides the raw material for the multibillion dollar chocolate industry and is also the main source of income for about 6 million smallholders around the world. Additionally, cocoa beans have a number of other nonfood uses in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Specifically, the potential health benefits of cocoa have received increasing attention as it is rich in polyphenols, particularly flavonoids. At present, the demand for cocoa and cocoa‐based products in Asia is growing particularly rapidly and chocolate manufacturers are increasing investment in this region. However, in many Asian countries, cocoa production is hampered due to many reasons including technological, political and socio‐economic issues. This review provides an overview of the present status of global cocoa production and recent advances in biotechnological applications for cacao improvement, with special emphasis on genetics/genomics, in vitro embryogenesis and genetic transformation. In addition, in order to obtain an insight into the latest innovations in the commercial sector, a survey was conducted on granted patents relating to T. cacao biotechnology.
A practical approach to estimate diffusional leakages of leaf chamber of open gas exchange systems using intact leaves
Authors: Kitao Mitsutoshi , Harayama Hisanori , Uemura Akira
Published: October 2017

We propose a novel approach to determine the coefficient of CO2 diffusional leakage (k_CO2) in the chamber of a portable open gas exchange system (Li‐6400, Li‐Cor Inc., NE, USA) using intact leaves. Assuming that dark respiration rate (Rn) is constant at various CO2 concentrations, at least in a short term, k_CO2 should be the value that makes the leak‐corrected Rn constant. We used 2 representative tree species native to northern Japan, Japanese white birch (Betula platyphylla var. japonica) and Japanese oak (Quercus mongolica var. crispula), to determine k_CO2, by measuring Rn at various CO2 concentrations. Irrespective of the species, k_CO2 estimated by the present approach was well correlated with the diffusional leak coefficient (k_flow) estimated by the generally used approach that utilizes CO2 concentrations inside and outside the chamber based on thermally killed leaves at various flow rates. Furthermore, the present approach does not require the ambient CO2 concentration outside the chamber (Ca) if Ca in the laboratory is stable, which provides a feasible way to correct the photosynthetic rate, taking diffusional leakage into account.
Recruiting a representative sample in adherence research—The MALT multisite prospective cohort study experience
Authors: Shemesh Eyal , Mitchell Jeffrey , Neighbors Katie , Feist Susan , Hawkins Andre , Brown Amanda , Wanrong Yin , Anand Ravinder , Stuber Margaret L. , Annunziato Rachel A.
Published: October 2017

Medication adherence is an important determinant of transplant outcomes. Attempts to investigate adherence are frequently undermined by selection bias: It is very hard to recruit and retain non‐adherent patients in research efforts. This manuscript presents recruitment strategies and results from the MALT (Medication Adherence in children who had a Liver Transplant) multisite prospective cohort study. MALT sites recruited 400 pediatric liver transplant patients who agreed to be followed for 2 years. The primary purpose was to determine whether a marker of adherence, the Medication Level Variability Index (MLVI), predicts rejection outcomes. The present manuscript describes methods used in MALT to ensure that a representative sample was recruited, and presents detailed recruitment results. MALT sites were able to recruit a nationally representative sample, as determined by a comparison between the MALT cohort and a national sample of transplant recipients. Strategies that helped ensure that the sample was representative included monitoring of the outcome measure in comparison with a national sample, drastically limiting patient burden, and specific recruitment methods. We discuss the importance of a representative sample in adherence research and recommend that future efforts to study adherence pay special attention to sample characteristics.
Relational approaches to Frege's puzzle
Authors: Gray Aidan
Published: October 2017

Frege's puzzle is a fundamental challenge for accounts of mental and linguistic representation. This piece surveys a family of recent approaches to the puzzle that posit representational relations. I identify the central commitments of relational approaches and present several arguments for them. I also distinguish two kinds of relationism—semantic relationism and formal relationism—corresponding to two conceptions of representational relations. I briefly discuss the consequences of relational approaches for foundational questions about propositional attitudes, intentional explanation, and compositionality.
Aesthetic values in science
Authors: Ivanova Milena
Published: October 2017

Scientists often use aesthetic values in the evaluation and choice of theories. Aesthetic values are not only regarded as leading to practically more useful theories but are often taken to stand in a special epistemic relation to the truth of a theory such that the aesthetic merit of a theory is evidence of its truth. This paper explores what aesthetic considerations influence scientists' reasoning, how such aesthetic values relate to the utility of a scientific theory, and how one can justify the epistemic role for such values. The paper examines ways in which the link between beauty and truth can be defended, the challenges facing such accounts, and explores alternative epistemic roles for aesthetic values in scientific practice.
The “white horse is not horse” debate
Authors: Indraccolo Lisa
Published: October 2017

The so‐called “white horse is not horse” (bái mǎ fēi mǎ 白馬非馬) debate, or “white horse” (bái mǎ 白馬) dialogical argument, is beyond doubt the most famous case of argumentation (biàn 辯) in the history of Classical Chinese philosophy. The somewhat disorienting statement at the center of this debate is discussed at length by two anonymous fictive characters, a persuader and their opponent, in the ‘Báimǎ lùn’ 白馬論 (Disquisition on White and Horse). The ‘Báimǎ lùn’ usually appears as the first chapter in the received text Gōngsūn Lóngzǐ 公孫龍子 (Master Gongsun Long). The Gōngsūn Lóngzǐ is a composite collection of heterogeneous materials in six chapters. The collection includes an anecdotal preface, three partially incomplete and/or corrupted dialogues, and two short and extremely intricate treatises. In particular, the dialogues included in the collection are structured in a fairly similar way and focus on what have been defined as paradoxes or sophisms belonging to the repertoire of a rather loose group of thinkers, the so‐called Logicians or Chinese “Sophists” (míngjiā 名家, literally “experts on names”), allegedly active during the Warring States period (475–221 B.C.E.).
What is implicit bias?
Authors: Holroyd Jules , Scaife Robin , Stafford Tom
Published: October 2017

Research programs in empirical psychology over the past few decades have led scholars to posit implicit biases. This is due to the development of innovative behavioural measures that have revealed aspects of our cognitions which may not be identified on self‐report measures requiring individuals to reflect on and report their attitudes and beliefs. But what does it mean to characterise such biases as implicit? Can we satisfactorily articulate the grounds for identifying them as bias? And crucially, what sorts of cognitions are in fact being measured; what mental states or processes underpin such behavioural responses? In this paper, we outline some of the philosophical and empirical issues engaged when attempting to address these three questions. Our aim is to provide a constructive taxonomy of the issues, and how they interrelate. As we will see, any view about what implicit bias is may depend on a range of prior theoretical choices.
Racial Profiling And Cumulative Injustice
Authors: Mogensen Andreas
Published: October 2017

This paper tries to explain why racial profiling involves a serious injustice and to do so in a way that avoids the problems of existing philosophical accounts. An initially plausible view maintains that racial profiling is pro tanto wrong in and of itself by violating a constraint on fair treatment that is generally violated by acts of statistical discrimination based on ascribed characteristics. However, consideration of other cases involving statistical discrimination suggests that violating a constraint of this kind may not be an especially serious wrong in and of itself. To fully capture the significant wrong that occurs when racial profiling is targeted at black Americans or other similarly situated groups, it is argued that we should appeal to the idea that this basic injustice is exacerbated when it forms part of a larger pattern of similar actions that collectively realize a state of cumulative injustice.
Adverse Maternal and Birth Outcomes in Women Admitted to Hospital for Hyperemesis Gravidarum: a Population‐Based Cohort Study
Authors: Fiaschi Linda , Nelson‐Piercy Catherine , Gibson Jack , Szatkowski Lisa , Tata Laila J.
Published: October 2017

Background

Evidence for risks of adverse maternal and birth outcomes in women with hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) is predominantly from small studies, unknown, or conflicting.

Methods

A population‐based cohort study using secondary health care records (Hospital Episode Statistics covering all of England from 1997 to 2012) was used to calculate odds ratios (OR) with 99% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between HG hospital admission and adverse outcomes, adjusting for maternal and pregnancy confounders.

Results

Within 8 211 850 pregnancies ending in live births or stillbirths, women with HG had increased odds of anaemia (OR 1.28, 99% CI 1.23, 1.33), preeclampsia (OR 1.16, 99% CI 1.09, 1.22), eclampsia (OR 1.84, 99% CI 1.07, 3.18), venous thromboembolism antenatally (OR 1.94, 99% CI 1.57, 2.39 for deep vein thrombosis, and OR 2.54, 99% CI 1.89, 3.40 for pulmonary embolism) and post‐partum. Odds of stillbirth (OR 0.77, 99% CI 0.66, 0.89) and post‐term (OR 0.86, 99% CI 0.81, 0.92) delivery were decreased. Women were more likely to be induced (OR 1.20, 99% CI 1.16, 1.23), to deliver preterm (OR 1.11, 99% CI 1.05, 1.17), very preterm (OR 1.18, 99% CI 1.05, 1.32), or by caesarean section (OR 1.12, 99% CI 1.08, 1.16), to have low birthweight (OR 1.12, 99% CI 1.08, 1.17) or small for gestational age (OR 1.06, 99% CI 1.01, 1.11) babies and although absolute risks were small, their offspring were more likely to undergo resuscitation or neonatal intensive care.

Conclusion

HG may have important antenatal and postnatal consequences that should be considered in communications between health care professionals and women to best manage HG and prevent progression during pregnancy.