bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predicting functional decline in older emergency patients—the Safe Elderly Emergency Discharge (SEED) project
Authors: Lowthian Judy A. , Straney Lahn D. , Brand Caroline A. , Barker Anna , Smit P. de Villiers , Newnham Harvey , Hunter Peter , Smith Cathie , Cameron Peter A.
Published: October 2016

Objective

to profile the trajectory of, and risk factors for, functional decline in older patients in the 30 days following Emergency Department (ED) discharge.

Methods

prospective cohort study of community-dwelling patients aged ≥65 years, discharged home from a metropolitan Melbourne ED, 31 July 2012 to 30 November 2013. The primary outcome was functional decline, comprising either increased dependency in personal activities of daily living (ADL) or in skills required for living independently instrumental ADL (IADL), deterioration in cognitive function, nursing home admission or death. Univariate analyses were used to select risk factors and logistic regression models constructed to predict functional decline.

Results

at 30 days, 34.4% experienced functional decline; with 16.7% becoming more dependent in personal ADL, 17.5% more dependant in IADL and 18.4% suffering deterioration in cognitive function. Factors independently associated with decline were functional impairment prior to the visit in personal ADL (Odds Ratio [OR] 3.21, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.26–4.53) or in IADL (OR 6.69, 95% CI 4.31–10.38). The relative odds were less for patients with moderately impaired cognition relative to those with normal cognition (OR 0.38, 95% CI 0.19–0.75). There was a 68% decline in the relative odds of functional decline for those with any impairment in IADL who used an aid for mobility (OR 0.32, 95% CI 0.14–0.7).

Conclusion

older people with pre-existing ADL impairment were at high risk of functional decline in the 30 days following ED presentation. This effect was largely mitigated for those who used a mobility aid. Early intervention with functional assessments and appropriate implementation of support services and mobility aids could reduce functional decline after discharge.
Controlling the joint local false discovery rate is more powerful than meta-analysis methods in joint analysis of summary statistics from multiple genome-wide association studies
Authors: Jiang Wei , Yu Weichuan
Published: October 2016

Motivation

In genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of common diseases/traits, we often analyze multiple GWASs with the same phenotype together to discover associated genetic variants with higher power. Since it is difficult to access data with detailed individual measurements, summary-statistics-based meta-analysis methods have become popular to jointly analyze datasets from multiple GWASs.

Results

In this paper, we propose a novel summary-statistics-based joint analysis method based on controlling the joint local false discovery rate (Jlfdr). We prove that our method is the most powerful summary-statistics-based joint analysis method when controlling the false discovery rate at a certain level. In particular, the Jlfdr-based method achieves higher power than commonly used meta-analysis methods when analyzing heterogeneous datasets from multiple GWASs. Simulation experiments demonstrate the superior power of our method over meta-analysis methods. Also, our method discovers more associations than meta-analysis methods from empirical datasets of four phenotypes.

Availability and Implementation

The R-package is available at: http://bioinformatics.ust.hk/Jlfdr.html.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Finding the imposter: brain connectivity of lesions causing delusional misidentifications
Authors: Darby R Ryan , Laganiere Simon , Pascual-Leone Alvaro , Prasad Sashank , Fox Michael D
Published: October 2016

See McKay and Furl (doi: 10.1093/aww323) for a scientific commentary on this article.

Focal brain injury can sometimes lead to bizarre symptoms, such as the delusion that a family member has been replaced by an imposter (Capgras syndrome). How a single brain lesion could cause such a complex disorder is unclear, leading many to speculate that concurrent delirium, psychiatric disease, dementia, or a second lesion is required. Here we instead propose that Capgras and other delusional misidentification syndromes arise from single lesions at unique locations within the human brain connectome. This hypothesis is motivated by evidence that symptoms emerge from sites functionally connected to a lesion location, not just the lesion location itself. First, 17 cases of lesion-induced delusional misidentifications were identified and lesion locations were mapped to a common brain atlas. Second, lesion network mapping was used to identify brain regions functionally connected to the lesion locations. Third, regions involved in familiarity perception and belief evaluation, two processes thought to be abnormal in delusional misidentifications, were identified using meta-analyses of previous functional magnetic resonance imaging studies. We found that all 17 lesion locations were functionally connected to the left retrosplenial cortex, the region most activated in functional magnetic resonance imaging studies of familiarity. Similarly, 16 of 17 lesion locations were functionally connected to the right frontal cortex, the region most activated in functional magnetic resonance imaging studies of expectation violation, a component of belief evaluation. This connectivity pattern was highly specific for delusional misidentifications compared to four other lesion-induced neurological syndromes (P < 0.0001). Finally, 15 lesions causing other types of delusions were connected to expectation violation (P < 0.0001) but not familiarity regions, demonstrating specificity for delusion content. Our results provide potential neuroanatomical correlates for impaired familiarity perception and belief evaluation in patients with delusional misidentifications. More generally, we demonstrate a mechanism by which a single lesion can cause a complex neuropsychiatric syndrome based on that lesion's unique pattern of functional connectivity, without the need for pre-existing or hidden pathology.
ArabidopsisMADS-box transcription factor AGL21 acts as environmental surveillance for seed germination by regulatingABI5
Authors: Yu Lin-Hui , Wu Jie , Miao Zi-Qing , Zhao Ping-Xia , Wang Zhen , Xiang Cheng-Bin
Published: October 2016

Seed germination is a crucial checkpoint for plant survival under unfavorable environmental conditions. Abscisic acid (ABA) and its signaling play a vital role in integrating environmental information to regulate seed germination. MCM1/AGAMOUS/DEFICIENS/SRF (MADS)-box transcription factors are mainly known as key regulators of seed and flower development inArabidopsis. However, their functions in seed germination are still poorly understood. Here we report that MADS-box transcription factor AGL21 negatively modulates seed germination and post-germination growth by controlling the expression ofABA-INSENSITIVE 5(ABI5) inArabidopsis. AGL21responds to multiple environmental stresses and plant hormones. TheAGL21-overexpressing plants are hypersensitive to ABA, salt and osmotic stresses during seed germination and early post-germination growth, whereasagl21mutants are less sensitive. AGL21 positively regulatesABI5expression in seeds. Genetic analyses reveal thatAGL21is epistatic toABI5in controlling seed germination. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays further demonstrate that AGL21 could directly bind to theABI5promoter in plant cells. Taken together, our results suggest that AGL21 acts as a surveillance integrator that incorporates environmental cues and endogenous hormonal signals into ABA signaling to regulate seed germination and early post-germination growth.
Single-cell entropy for accurate estimation of differentiation potency from a cell’s transcriptome
Authors: Teschendorff Andrew E
Published: October 2016

The ability to quantify differentiation potential of single cells is a task of critical importance for single-cell studies. So far however, there is no robust general molecular correlate of differentiation potential at the single cell level. Here we show that differentiation potency of a single cell can be approximated by computing the signaling promiscuity, or entropy, of a cell’s transcriptomic profile in the context of a cellular interaction network, without the need for model training or feature selection. We validate signaling entropy in over 7,000 single cell RNA-Seq profiles, representing all main differentiation stages, including time-course data. We develop a novel algorithm calledSingleCellEntropy (SCENT), which correctly identifies known cell subpopulations of varying potency, enabling reconstruction of cell-lineage trajectories. By comparing bulk to single cell data, SCENT reveals that expression heterogeneity within single cell populations is regulated, pointing towards the importance of cell-cell interactions. In the context of cancer, SCENT can identify drug resistant cancer stem-cell phenotypes, including those obtained from circulating tumor cells. In summary, SCENT can directly estimate the differentiation potency and plasticity of single-cells, allowing unbiased quantification of intercellular heterogeneity, and providing a means to identify normal and cancer stem cell phenotypes.

Software Availability

SCENT is freely available as an R-package from github:https://github.com/aet21/SCENT
Rapid evolution of the human mutation spectrum
Authors: Harris Kelley , Pritchard Jonathan K.
Published: October 2016

DNA is a remarkably precise medium for copying and storing biological information. This high fidelity results from the action of hundreds of genes involved in replication, proofreading, and damage repair. Evolutionary theory suggests that in such a system, selection has limited ability to remove genetic variants that change mutation rates by small amounts or in specific sequence contexts. Consistent with this, using SNV variation as a proxy for mutational input, we report here that mutational spectra differ substantially among species, human continental groups and even some closely-related populations. Close examination of one signal, an increased TCC→TTC mutation rate in Europeans, indicates a burst of mutations from about 15,000 to 2,000 years ago, perhaps due to the appearance, drift, and ultimate elimination of a genetic modifier of mutation rate. Our results suggest that mutation rates can evolve markedly over short evolutionary timescales and suggest the possibility of mapping mutational modifiers.
Non-polio enteroviruses in faeces of children diagnosed with acute flaccid paralysis in Nigeria
Authors: Faleye TOC , Adewumi MO , Japhet MO , David OM , Oluyege AO , Adeniji JA , Famurewa O
Published: October 2016

Background

The need to investigate the contribution of non-polio enteroviruses to acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) cannot be over emphasized as we move towards a poliovirus free world. Hence, we aim to identify non-polio enteroviruses recovered from the faeces of children diagnosed with AFP in Nigeria.

Methods

Ninety-six isolates, (95 unidentified and one previously confirmed Sabin poliovirus 3) recovered on RD cell culture from the stool of children <15 years old diagnosed with AFP in 2014 were analyzed. All isolates were subjected to RNA extraction, cDNA synthesis and three different PCR reactions (one panenterovirus 5′-UTR and two VP1 amplification assays). VP1 amplicons were then sequenced isolates identified.

Results

93.75% (90/96) of the isolates were detected by at least one of the three assays as an enterovirus. Precisely, 79.17% (76/96), 6.25% (6/96), 7.295% (7/96) and 6.25% (6/96) of the isolates were positive for both, positive and negative, negative and positive, as well as negative for both the 5′-UTR and VP1 assays, respectively. In this study, sixty-nine (69) of the 83 VP1 amplicons sequenced were identified as 27 different enterovirus types. The most commonly detected were CV-B3 (10 isolates) and EV-B75 (5 isolates). Specifically, one, twenty-four and two of the enterovirus types identified in this study belong to EV-A, EV-B and EV-C respectively.

Discussion

This study reports the circulating strains of 27 non-polio enterovirus types in Nigerian children with AFP in 2014 and Nigerian strains of CV-B2, CV-B4, E17, EV-B80, EV-B73, EV-B97, EV-B93, EV-C99 and EV-A120.
The structured diversity of specialized gut symbionts of the New World army ants
Authors: Łukasik Piotr , Newton Justin A. , Sanders Jon G. , Hu Yi , Moreau Corrie S. , Kronauer Daniel J. C. , O’Donnell Sean , Koga Ryuichi , Russell Jacob A.
Published: October 2016

Symbiotic bacteria play important roles in the biology of their arthropod hosts. Yet the microbiota of many diverse and influential groups remain understudied, resulting in a paucity of information on the fidelities and histories of these associations. Motivated by prior findings from a smaller scale, 16S rRNA-based study, we conducted a broad phylogenetic and geographical survey of microbial communities in the ecologically dominant New World army ants (Formicidae: Dorylinae). Amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene across 28 species spanning the five New World genera showed that the microbial communities of army ants consist of very few common and abundant bacterial species. The two most abundant microbes, referred to as Unclassified Firmicutes and Unclassified Entomoplasmatales, appear to be specialized army ant associates that dominate microbial communities in the gut lumen of three host genera,Eciton, LabidusandNomamyrmex. Both are present in other army ant genera, including those from the Old World, suggesting that army ant symbioses date back to the Cretaceous. Extensive sequencing of bacterial protein-coding genes revealed multiple strains of these symbionts co-existing within colonies, but seldom within the same individual ant. Bacterial strains formed multiple host species-specific lineages on phylogenies, which often grouped strains from distant geographic locations. These patterns deviate from those seen in other social insects, and raise intriguing questions about the influence of army ant colony swarm-founding and within-colony genetic diversity on strain co-existence, and the effects of hosting a diverse suite of symbiont strains on colony ecology.
Interplay of Driver, Mini-Driver, and Deleterious Passenger Mutations on Cancer Progression
Authors: Li Xin , Thirumalai D.
Published: October 2016

Cancer is caused by the accumulation of a critical number of somatic mutations (drivers) that offer fitness advantage to tumor cells. Moderately deleterious passengers, suppressing cancer progression, and mini-drivers, mildly beneficial to tumors, can profoundly alter the cancer evolutionary landscape. This observation prompted us to develop a stochastic evolutionary model intended to probe the interplay of drivers, mini-drivers and deleterious passengers in tumor growth over a broad range of fitness values and mutation rates. Below a (small) threshold number of drivers tumor growth exhibits a plateau (dormancy) with large burst occurring when a driver achieves fixation, reminiscent of intermittency in dissipative dynamical systems. The predictions of the model, in particular the relationship between the average number of passenger mutations versus drivers in a tumor, is in accord with clinical data on several cancers. When deleterious drivers are included, we predict a non-monotonic growth of tumors as the mutation rate is varied with shrinkage and even reversal occurring at very large mutation rates. This surprising finding explains the paradoxical observation that high chromosomal instability (CIN) correlates with improved prognosis in a number of cancers compared with intermediate CIN.
Phosphorylation energy and nonlinear kinetics as key determinants for G2/M transition in fission yeast cell cycle
Authors: Wang Teng , Zhao Jian , Ouyang Qi , Qian Hong , Fu Yu V. , Li Fangting
Published: October 2016

The living cell is an open nonequilibrium biochemical system, where ATP hydrolysis serves as the energy source for a wide range of intracellular processes including the assurance for decision-making. In the fission yeast cell cycle, the transition from G2 phase to M phase is triggered by the activation of Cdc13/Cdc2 and Cdc25, and the deactivation of Wee1. Each of these three events involves a phosphorylation-dephosphorylation (PdP) cycle, and together they form a regulatory circuit with feedback loops. Almost all quantitative models for cellular networks in the past have invalid thermodynamics due to the assumption of irreversible enzyme kinetics. We constructed a thermodynamically realistic kinetic model of the G2/M circuit, and show that the phosphorylation energy (ΔG), which is determined by the cellular ATP/ADP ratio, critically controls the dynamics and the bistable nature of Cdc2 activation. Using fission yeast nucleoplasmic extract (YNPE), we are able to experimentally verify our model prediction that increased ΔG, being synergistic to the accumulation of Cdc13, drives the activation of Cdc2. Furthermore, Cdc2 activation exhibits bistability and hysteresis in response to changes in phosphorylation energy. These findings suggest that adequate maintenance of phosphorylation energy ensures the bistability and robustness of the activation of Cdc2 in the G2/M transition. Free energy might play a widespread role in biological decision-making processes, connecting thermodynamics with information processing in biology.
Consequences of earnings management for corporate reputation
Authors: Rodriguez-Ariza Lázaro , Martínez-Ferrero Jennifer , Bermejo-Sánchez Manuel
Published: October 2016

Purpose

Based on earnings management (EM) practices, the purpose of this research is to analyze their market social consequences on corporate reputation. Moreover, this paper illustrates this impact in the context of family firms which are led and controlled by family members, whose main interest is the long-run survival through succession.

Design/methodology/approach

A sample comprising 1,169 international listed companies for the period 2006-2010 was used.

Findings

The empirical evidence shows the negative impact of these discretionary accounting practices on corporate image. However, family firms have more incentives for controlling and monitoring managerial decisions, avoiding information asymmetries and, thus, EM behavior and their subsequent loss of reputation. Therefore, fewer negative effects on corporate reputation are observed in highly concentrated ownership structures as a result of the negative link between family control and EM.

Originality/value

This study presents a number of contributions because of its focus on specific discretionary practices and on family firms. This study contributes to previous literature on family firms, as previous papers do not tend to focus on EM issues. Moreover, in contrast to most of the studies that have focused on only one country, we use an international panel database. This leads to potentially more powerful and generalized results. In addition, this paper is the first attempt (to the authors' knowledge) to study the possible impact of EM on corporate reputation in the family firm context.
The relationship between board leadership structure and earnings management in Asia-Pacific
Authors: Yasser Qaiser Rafique , Mamun Abdullah Al
Published: October 2016

Purpose

This study aims to review the growing research area of behavioral corporate governance; it explores the relationship between CEO duality attributes and earning management in the context of Asia-Pacific countries. Over time, the use by boards of chief executive officer (CEO) duality has fluctuated, and the scholarly conceptualizations of the phenomenon have become more complex.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses panel data from 330 firm years from Australia, Malaysia, The Philippines and Pakistan by taking a sample of three years from 2011 to 2013.

Findings

The results of the analysis reveal that the board leadership structure was not associated with firm performance and financial reporting quality. However, female CEOs impacted negatively on firm performance in Malaysia, The Philippines and Pakistan. Further analyses expose that the firm size was negatively related with performance, whereas established firms in Australia had strong reporting quality. However, large boards assured healthier reporting quality in Australia and Malaysia.

Practical implications

This paper provides empirical evidence that a unitary leadership pattern has no significant impact on companies in the Asia-Pacific, and it would be of interest to regulatory bodies, business practitioners and academic researchers.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the literature on corporate governance and earnings management by introducing a framework for identifying and analyzing moderating variables that affect the relationship between the leadership structure and a firm’s financial reporting quality.
A community forensic team for people with intellectual disabilities
Authors: Browning Morna , Gray Rosemary , Tomlins Rose
Published: October 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the characteristics of adults with intellectual disabilities supported by a Community Forensic Learning Disability Team (CFT) and interventions delivered. It discusses the clinical implications of these and examines outcomes such as recidivism.

Design/methodology/approach

A retrospective case note review of all 70 service users open to the CFT during June 2013 was carried out, using a structured service evaluation tool.

Findings

The majority of service users (74.3 per cent) had a mild intellectual disability. Multiple mental health and/or physical health diagnoses were common, and 28 per cent had problematic drug or alcohol abuse. Almost half of service users had been victims of physical or sexual abuse, or neglect. Sexual offences were the most common index offence, followed by assault and fire-setting. A wide range of multi-disciplinary interventions were delivered within the Community Forensic Team. Following CFT involvement there was an increase in service users living in supported living in the community and a decrease in people in secure or out of area placements. Over half of service users engaged in no further offending behaviour since their referral, and those who did offend generally showed a decrease in the severity of offending behaviours. There was a large decrease in the number of convictions received.

Practical implications

The study shows the benefits of a multi-disciplinary Community Forensic Team for offenders with intellectual disabilities in terms of reduced recidivism and range of interventions delivered. It highlights the importance of clinicians within such a team having the skills to work with people with co-morbid diagnoses (e.g. autism) and people with trauma backgrounds and problematic substance use.

Originality/value

This paper demonstrates the complexity of the service users who are supported by the CFT, as well as the integral role played in supporting individuals to move to less restrictive settings, with positive outcomes.
Supporting competence in practitioners working in personality disorder services
Authors: Johnson Helen , Gredecki Neil , Wilks-Riley Fiona Rachel
Published: October 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a “spotlight” on the literature relating the selection, recruitment and development of staff working in personality disorder (PD) services.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reviews key documentation in the field of PD practice in relation to staff.

Findings

Despite the publication of guidelines for working with PD clients, a number of large scale enquiries suggest that some services have often failed to absorb and implement the recommendations made which has resulted in serious consequences.

Practical implications

A number of considerations relating to enhancing staff competency when working in PD units are presented.

Originality/value

The review outlines a number of good practice guidelines relating to the different stages of recruitment and employment for staff working with PD clients.
Does good corporate governance constrain cash flow manipulation? Evidence from India
Authors: Nagar Neerav , Raithatha Mehul
Published: October 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine whether firm-level corporate governance measures and regulatory reforms constrain manipulation of operating cash flows, an important firm performance indicator.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample comprises firms from an emerging market, India, with data from 2005 to 2011. The authors use the methodology given in the paper by Lee (2012) and multiple regressions.

Findings

The authors find that cash flow manipulation is likely to increase with an increase in the controlling ownership. Furthermore, board diligence and better audit fail to curb such manipulation. However, the authors do find that such manipulation has gone down in the recent years, and diligent boards constrain it, possibly due to the recent steps taken by the Indian Government for improving the corporate governance environment in India.

Practical implications

The findings can act as feedback for the regulators and policy makers. Potential investors and analysts may also benefit from the study, since they can be more vigilant about the firms’ cash flow manipulation practices and can demand better governance.

Originality/value

The findings suggest that good corporate governance makes managers substitute earnings management with cash flow manipulation.
Diversification and market risk exposure of single-listed versus dual-listed ADRs
Authors: Rodriguez Javier , Romero Herminio
Published: October 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to contrast market risk exposure and diversification of single-listed American depository receipts (“ADRs”) with those of dual-listed ADRs from the same geographical region during 2004-2012.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses orthogonal returns in two-factor models to infer exposure to the US and ADRs’ home markets.

Findings

The authors found that both ADR types provide no diversification and are significantly exposed to US market risk. The authors also found that portfolios of both single- and dual-listed ADRs behave significantly differently than their home markets.

Originality/value

Only several academic papers discuss single-listed ADRs, and to the best of the knowledge, this study is the first to assess their diversification value.
Corporate sustainable business practices and talent attraction
Authors: Magbool Mohamad Abu Huzaifah bin , Amran Azlan , Nejati Mehran , Jayaraman Krishnaswamy
Published: October 2016

Purpose

This study aims to investigate whether organizations can leverage on their sustainable business practices to attract valuable talents to gain competitive advantage over their competitors.

Design/methodology/approach

Using factorial design, the authors conducted an experiment to assess the attractiveness of an organization in line with the social identity theory, based on the Bursa Malaysia corporate social responsibility (CSR) framework attributes (including environmental performance, community relation, workplace and marketplace performance).

Findings

The findings of the current study supported the notion of social identity theory, as study subjects were attracted more to organizations with high corporate sustainable business (CSB) practices than organizations with low CSB practices. Specifically, findings of the current study revealed that job applicants have a higher intention to join and willingness to accept a job offer from organizations with more sustainable business practices.

Research limitations/implications

This study is limited by its sample size and selection, self-reported measures and its cross-sectional nature.

Practical implications

Understanding the most preferred attribute of CSB practices will enable organizations to focus their valuable resources rightfully to market their CSR efforts for obtaining higher organizational attractiveness and competitive advantage.

Social implications

As many organizations perceive sustainable outcomes to be costly, demonstrating the positive link between CSB practices and organizational attractiveness for talents warrants a win-win paradigm.

Originality/value

Talented workforce is essential for differentiating an organization from its competitors. As human resources are mostly unique and non-imitable, it has been recommended as a newly minted strategy to enable organization to achieve sustainable competitive advantages.
Effects of Land Use and Sample Location on Nitrate‐Stream Flow Hysteresis Descriptors during Storm Events
Authors: Feinson Lawrence S. , Gibs Jacob , Imbrigiotta Thomas E. , Garrett Jessica D.
Published: October 2016

The U.S. Geological Survey's New Jersey and Iowa Water Science Centers deployed ultraviolet‐visible spectrophotometric sensors at water‐quality monitoring sites on the Passaic and Pompton Rivers at Two Bridges, New Jersey, on Toms River at Toms River, New Jersey, and on the North Raccoon River near Jefferson, Iowa to continuously measure in‐stream nitrate plus nitrite as nitrogen (NO3 + NO2) concentrations in conjunction with continuous stream flow measurements. Statistical analysis of NO3 + NO2 vs. stream discharge during storm events found statistically significant links between land use types and sampling site with the normalized area and rotational direction of NO3 + NO2‐stream discharge (N‐Q) hysteresis patterns. Statistically significant relations were also found between the normalized area of a hysteresis pattern and several flow parameters as well as the normalized area adjusted for rotational direction and minimum NO3 + NO2 concentrations. The mean normalized hysteresis area for forested land use was smaller than that of urban and agricultural land uses. The hysteresis rotational direction of the agricultural land use was opposite of that of the urban and undeveloped land uses. An r2 of 0.81 for the relation between the minimum normalized NO3 + NO2 concentration during a storm vs. the normalized NO3 + NO2 concentration at peak flow suggested that dilution was the dominant process controlling NO3 + NO2 concentrations over the course of most storm events.
Burnout, stress and satisfaction among Australian and New Zealand radiation oncology trainees
Authors: Leung John , Rioseco Pilar
Published: October 2016

Introduction

To evaluate the incidence of burnout among radiation oncology trainees in Australia and New Zealand and the stress and satisfaction factors related to burnout.

Methods

A survey of trainees was conducted in mid‐2015. There were 42 Likert scale questions on stress, 14 Likert scale questions on satisfaction and the Maslach Burnout Inventory‐Human Services Survey assessed burnout. A principal component analysis identified specific stress and satisfaction areas. Categorical variables for the stress and satisfaction factors were computed. Associations between respondent's characteristics and stress and satisfaction subscales were examined by independent sample t‐tests and analysis of variance. Effect sizes were calculated using Cohens's d when significant mean differences were observed. This was also done for respondent characteristics and the three burnout subscales. Multiple regression analyses were performed.

Results

The response rate was 81.5%. The principal component analysis for stress identified five areas: demands on time, professional development/training, delivery demands, interpersonal demands and administration/organizational issues. There were no significant differences by demographic group or area of interest after P‐values were adjusted for the multiple tests conducted. The principal component analysis revealed two satisfaction areas: resources/professional activities and value/delivery of services. There were no significant differences by demographic characteristics or area of interest in the level of satisfaction after P‐values were adjusted for the multiple tests conducted. The burnout results revealed 49.5% of respondents scored highly in emotional exhaustion and/or depersonalization and 13.1% had burnout in all three measures. Multiple regression analysis revealed the stress subscales ‘demands on time’ and ‘interpersonal demands’ were associated with emotional exhaustion. ‘Interpersonal demands’ was also associated with depersonalization and correlated negatively with personal accomplishment. The satisfaction of value/delivery of services subscale was associated with higher levels of personal accomplishment.

Conclusions

There is a significant level of burnout among radiation oncology trainees in Australia and New Zealand. Further work addressing intervention would be appropriate to reduce levels of burnout.
The Effect of Perineal Lacerations on Pelvic Floor Function and Anatomy at 6 Months Postpartum in a Prospective Cohort of Nulliparous Women
Authors: Leeman Lawrence , Rogers Rebecca , Borders Noelle , Teaf Dusty , Qualls Clifford
Published: October 2016

Objective

To determine the effect of perineal lacerations on pelvic floor outcomes, including urinary and anal incontinence, sexual function, and perineal pain in a nulliparous cohort with low incidence of episiotomy.

Methods

Nulliparous women were prospectively recruited from a midwifery practice. Pelvic floor symptoms were assessed with validated questionnaires, physical examination, and objective measures in pregnancy and 6 months postpartum. Two trauma groups were compared, those with an intact perineum or only 1st degree lacerations and those with second‐, third‐, or fourth‐degree lacerations.

Results

Four hundred and forty‐eight women had vaginal deliveries. One hundred and fifty‐one sustained second‐degree or deeper perineal trauma and 297 had an intact perineum or minor trauma. Three hundred and thirty‐six (74.8%) presented for 6‐month follow‐up. Perineal trauma was not associated with urinary or fecal incontinence, decreased sexual activity, perineal pain, or pelvic organ prolapse. Women with trauma had similar rates of sexual activity; however, they had slightly lower sexual function scores (27.3 vs 29.1). Objective measures of pelvic floor strength, rectal tone, urinary incontinence, and perineal anatomy were equivalent. The subgroup of women with deeper (> 2 centimeter) perineal trauma demonstrated increased likelihood of perineal pain (15.5% vs 6.2%) and weaker pelvic floor muscle strength (61.0% vs 44.3%) compared with women with more superficial trauma.

Conclusion

Women having second‐degree lacerations are not at increased risk for pelvic floor dysfunction other than increased pain, and slightly lower sexual function scores at 6 months postpartum.
Parochial Compliance: Young Children's Biased Consideration of Authorities’ Preferences Regarding Intergroup Interactions
Authors: Benozio Avi , Diesendruck Gil
Published: October 2016

Prosocial behavior is arguably influenced by an interaction between intrinsic dispositions (e.g., group bias) and extrinsic factors (e.g., institutional regulations). The current study investigated this interaction developmentally. Preschoolers (3‐ to 4‐year‐olds) and kindergarteners (5‐ to 6‐year‐olds;N = 111) participated in a resource distribution task in which they had to consider both the recipients’ group membership (minimal color‐based groups), and their own teachers’ preferences regarding how to distribute (give “all” or “none”). The results revealed that only kindergarteners were influenced by the experimental factors and differently across genders. Specifically, when the recommendation was to give “none,” girls followed it indiscriminately toward in‐ and out‐group recipients, but boys did so only toward out‐group recipients. Thus, boys exploited an authority's legitimization to act antisocially, according to a parochial bias.
Evaluative Conditioning and the Development of Attitudes in Early Childhood
Authors: Halbeisen Georg , Walther Eva , Schneider Michael
Published: October 2016

Many attitudes are acquired in early childhood. However, due to a lack of experimental research, little is known about the processes of how they are acquired. Two experiments were therefore conducted with 153 German kindergarten children aged 3–6 years that provide first evidence for childhood attitude formation in terms of evaluative conditioning. Specifically, it was found that children preferred novel stimuli previously paired with liked stimuli over novel stimuli previously paired with disliked stimuli. This effect occurred independently of age, generalized toward similar novel stimuli, and did not depend on children's recollection of how stimuli were paired. The findings are discussed in terms of the processes underlying childhood attitude formation, and implications for related research areas are highlighted.
Counting cases of cerebral palsy
Authors: Platt Mary Jane
Published: October 2016

This commentary is on the original article by Toyokawa et al. on pages 317–321 of this issue.
Oral health status of children and young adults with autism spectrum disorders: systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: da Silva Silvana Nunes , Gimenez Thais , Souza Rafael Celestino , Mello‐Moura Anna Carolina Volpi , Raggio Daniela Prócida , Morimoto Susana , Lara Juan Sebastian , Soares Giovana Correia , Tedesco Tamara Kerber
Published: October 2016

Background

Individuals with special needs are often affected by oral disorders such as dental caries and periodontal disease. Current data regarding prevalence of these conditions in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are controversial.

Aim

To conduct a systematic review and meta‐analysis to verify the prevalence of dental caries and periodontal disease in individuals with ASD, especially children and young adults.

Design

Searches were conducted through MEDLINE/PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases in December 2015. Studies were included if fulfilled the following eligibility criteria: to evaluate the oral health status of individuals with ASD; to be an observational study; and to assess the prevalence of dental caries and/or periodontal disease. Meta‐analyses were conducted considering prevalence of dental caries and periodontal disease in individuals as outcome.

Results

Search strategy identified 928 potentially relevant articles and seven of them were included in this review. All included studies reported dental caries prevalence, and the pooled prevalence was 60.6% (95% CI: 44.0–75.1). Moreover, only three studies showed prevalence of periodontal disease, resulting in pooled prevalence of 69.4% (95% CI: 47.6–85.0).

Conclusion

Prevalence of dental caries and periodontal disease in children and young adults with ASD can be considered as high, pointing to the need for oral health policies focused on these individuals.
Crystallization kinetics and enhanced Bi NIR luminescence of transparent silicate glass‐ceramics containing Sr2YbF7 nanocrystals
Authors: Li Xiaoman , Hu Fangfang , Peng Mingying , Zhang Qinyuan , Yin Min
Published: October 2016

Bismuth‐doped glasses and crystals have been widely investigated due to their intriguing potential applications in superbroadband fiber amplifier and lasers in new NIR spectral range. However, few reports have been devoted so far to bismuth‐doped transparent glass‐ceramics. Here, this work reports on bismuth‐doped silicate glasses and glass‐ceramics, which were prepared by melt‐quenching and consequent annealing processes, respectively. On the basis of the analyses on crystallization kinetics, nucleation and growth rate of crystalline phase can be modulated and Sr2YbF7 nanophase can, therefore, be precipitated uniformly inside the glass matrix in a controlled way to maintain proper transparence especially in optical telecommunication windows. Once the nanophase comes into being, enhanced bismuth NIR luminescence can be observed by more than 40 times upon excitation of 470 nm. Similar enhancement can appear upon different excitation schemes and the mechanism is discussed accordingly. Such Bi doped transparent glass‐ceramics with improved luminescence efficiency might find application in fiber lasers for future optical fiber communication.
The impact of fraudulent and irreproducible data to the translational research crisis – solutions and implementation
Authors: Schulz Jörg B. , Cookson Mark R. , Hausmann Laura
Published: October 2016

One of the aims of basic neuroscience research is ultimately the development of therapeutics to cure diseases. Funders granting money to research institutions increasingly express interest into how their financial resources are used and look for successful translation in clinical practice. Disappointingly, many findings that started out promising in basic research projects and phase I trials did not live up to the promise of therapeutic efficacy in later phase II or III trials. An inordinately high amount of time and money is thus spent on research that does not always have the required human impact. Potential reasons for these problems are numerous. Although research misconduct occurs and contributes to this shortcoming, it is not the only important factor. Frequently, basic science results turn out to be irreproducible. Irreproducibility, outside of malfeasance, is multifactorial and can include poor experimental design, conduct, statistical analysis, reporting standards, and conceptual flaws. Further confounding problems include an insufficient transferability of animal to human physiology, as well as intersubject group variability, for example, sexual dimorphisms. While the causes of poor data reproducibility are therefore numerous, equally there are many groups that can contribute to improvements in how basic science is reported. Here, we will review how the Journal of Neurochemistry can contribute to increasing the value of preclinical and translational research.

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Despite a vast amount of very promising basic research findings, these failed to successfully translate into the clinical practice so far. The reasons for this ‘data reproducibility crisis’ are numerous, for example, rooting in insufficient experimental design, conceptual flaws, incorrect statistical planning and evaluation, incomplete model system that do not adequately reproduce the human physiology, and further reasons discussed in this Review with the aim to present practical solutions that can be implemented by researchers, journals editors, and reviewers. We will also explain measures the Journal of Neurochemistry have implemented to overcome these issues and weaknesses in preclinical research. These includes adherence to the ARRIVE ( www.nc3rs.org) guidelines, NINDS standards (doi: 10.1038/nature11556), and The Transparency and Openness Promotion Guidelines (TOP) Committee guidelines (https://cos.io/top/#TOP).

This article is part of the 60th Anniversary special issue.
Percutaneous interventional management of biliary complications after pediatric liver transplantation: A 16‐year single‐institution experience
Authors: Prajapati Hasmukh J. , Kavali Pavan , Kim Hyun S.
Published: October 2016

The aim of the study was to investigate the BiCx after the pediatric OLT and to assess the efficacy of the fluoroscopic‐guided PBI in the patients with BiCx as compared to the SR. A total of 340 OLTs were performed in 302 patients over the last 16 years. The inclusion criteria were the presence of BS or BL as a complication after OLT. The management of the BiCx was studied. Graft revision, graft loss, and survival were evaluated following PBI and SR. BiCx occurred in 17.1% (58/339) of the transplants; 6.2% (21/339) of transplants demonstrated BL and 12.7% (43/339) of the transplants had BS. Overall graft survival rates at 1 and 3 years in OLT with BL treated with PBI were 75.0% and 68.8% as compared with 75% and 66.7% in OLT treated with SR (P>.05). Overall graft survival rates at 1 and 3 years in OLT with BS treated with PBI were 70.6% and 54.5% as compared with 71.4% and 50% in OLT with SR or ERCP, respectively (P>.05). Based on the results, we conclude that PBI is as effective as SR in patients with the BL and BS after OLT.
Robust Estimation of Encouragement Design Intervention Effects Transported Across Sites
Authors: Rudolph Kara E. , Laan Mark J.
Published: October 2016

We develop robust targeted maximum likelihood estimators (TMLEs) for transporting intervention effects from one population to another. Specifically, we develop TMLEs for three transported estimands: the intent-to-treat average treatment effect (ATE) and complier ATE, which are relevant for encouragement design interventions and instrumental variable analyses, and the ATE of the exposure on the outcome, which is applicable to any randomized or observational study. We demonstrate finite sample performance of these TMLEs by using simulation, including in the presence of practical violations of the positivity assumption. We then apply these methods to the ‘Moving to opportunity’ trial: a multisite, encouragement design intervention in which families in public housing were randomized to receive housing vouchers and logistical support to move to low poverty neighbourhoods. This application sheds light on whether effect differences across sites can be explained by differences in population composition.
Measurements of scar properties by SkinFibroMeter®, SkinGlossMeter®, and Mexameter® and comparison with Vancouver Scar Scale
Authors: Seo S. R. , Kang N. O. , Yoon M. S. , Lee H. J. , Kim D. H.
Published: October 2016

Background

An objective measurement of scar is important for evaluating treatment outcomes. However, to date, there is no ‘gold standard’ for quantitative measurement of properties of hypertrophic scar. Existing objective modalities are neither portable nor easy to use.

Objective

This study aims to validate the correlation between objective measurements with SkinFibrometer®, SkinGlossMeter®, and Mexameter® and subjective assessment with Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS) of keloid and hypertrophic scar.

Methods

A total of 25 patients with keloids and hypertrophic scars were enrolled in this study. Patients were treated with intralesional triamcinolone acetonide at 2–6 week intervals. Scar assessments using VSS, Skinfibrometer, Skinglossmeter, and Mexameter were performed in both scars and contralateral normal skin at each treatment session. Correlations between the measurements by these tools and VSS parameters were examined.

Results

We found statistically significant differences between scar and contralateral normal skin using Skinfibrometer, Skinglossmeter, and Mexameter. A strong correlation was found between the VSS pliability scores and the stiffness of skin of Skinfibrometer (r = 0.628, P < 0.001). VSS vascularity scores showed weak correlation with erythema index of Mexameter (r = 0.372, P < 0.001). However, no correlation appeared to exist between any parameters of VSS and Skinglossmeter and between VSS pigmentation scores and the melanin index of Mexameter.

Conclusion

In our study, Skinfibrometer can be an objective noninvasive evaluation tool for pliability of the scar.
Is Color Experience Cognitively Penetrable?
Authors: Brogaard Berit , Gatzia Dimitria E.
Published: October 2016

Is color experience cognitively penetrable? Some philosophers have recently argued that it is. In this paper, we take issue with the claim that color experience is cognitively penetrable. We argue that the notion of cognitive penetration that has recently dominated the literature is flawed since it fails to distinguish between the modulation of perceptual content by non‐perceptual principles and genuine cognitive penetration. We use this distinction to show that studies suggesting that color experience can be modulated by factors of the cognitive system do not establish that color experience is cognitively penetrable. Additionally, we argue that even if color experience turns out to be modulated by color‐related beliefs and knowledge beyond non‐perceptual principles, it does not follow that color experience is cognitively penetrable since the experiences of determinate hues involve post‐perceptual processes. We conclude with a brief discussion of the implications that these ideas may have on debates in philosophy.