bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The relation between birthweight, childhood body mass index, and overweight and obesity in late adolescence: a longitudinal cohort study from Norway, The Tromsø Study, Fit Futures
Authors: Evensen Elin , Emaus Nina , Kokkvoll Ane , Wilsgaard Tom , Furberg Anne-Sofie , Skeie Guri
Published: June 2017

Objectives

Childhood overweight/obesity is associated with later overweight/obesity. However, the association between birth weight and later overweight/obesity has not been established. The aim of this study was to investigate the relation between both birth weight and childhood body mass index (BMI), and adolescent overweight/obesity in a Norwegian population.

Methods

The Tromsø Study – Fit Futures is a population-based cohort study conducted in 2010–2011 and 2012–2013 in Tromsø, Norway. A representative sample of 961 adolescents participated. Longitudinal anthropometric data were obtained from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway, childhood health records at 2–4 and 5–7 years of age, and repeated measurements at 15–18 and 18–20 years of age. Outcome was defined as normal weight (adult BMI <25 kg/m2) or overweight/obese (adult BMI ≥2 5 kg/m2) at 15–20 years of age according to international age- and sex-specific cut-off values for children. Associations were investigated using generalised estimating equations.

Results

In adjusted analyses, a 1-SD (586 g) higher birth weight was associated with a higher OR for overweight/obesity at 15–20 years of age (OR 1.25, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.48). Childhood BMI was also associated with overweight/obesity at 15–20 years of age: a 1-SD (1.35 kg/m2) increase in BMI at age 2–4 years rendered an OR of 1.66 (95% CI 1.40 to 1.96); a 1-SD (1.83 kg/m2) increase in BMI at age 5–7 years rendered an OR of 3.23 (95% CI 2.56 to 4.07). When compared with normal-weight children, those with severe overweight/obesity in childhood (adult BMI ≥27 kg/m2) showed stronger associations with overweight/obesity at 15–20 years of age: OR 3.01 (95% CI 1.47 to 6.18) and OR 11.51 (95% CI 6.63 to 19.99) at ages 2–4 and 5–7, respectively.

Conclusion

Associations between birth weight and overweight/obesity at 15–20 years of age were modest, whereas the influence of BMI at 2–4 and 5–7 years on overweight/obesity at 15–20 years was moderate to strong.
Effect of ultrasonography surveillance in patients with liver cancer: a population-based longitudinal study
Authors: Chiang Jui-Kun , Chih-Wen Lin , Kao Yee-Hsin
Published: June 2017

Objective

Liver cancer is a growing global public health problem. Ultrasonography is an imaging tool widely used for the early diagnosis of liver cancer. However, the effect of ultrasonography surveillance (US) on the survival of patients with liver cancer is unknown. Therefore, this study examined the association between survival and US frequency during the 2 years preceding patients’ liver cancer diagnosis.

Methods

This population-based longitudinal study was conducted in Taiwan, a region with high liver cancer incidence, by using the National Health Insurance Research Database. We compared survival between patients who received US three times or more (≥3 group) and less than three times (<3 group) during the 2 years preceding their liver cancer diagnosis, and identified the predictors for the ≥3 group.

Results

This study enrolled 4621 patients with liver cancer who had died between 1997 and 2010. The median survival rate was higher in the ≥3 group (1.42 years) than in the <3 group (0.51 years). Five-year survival probability was also significantly higher in the ≥3 group (14.4%) than in the <3 group (7.7%). The multivariate logistic regression results showed that the three most common positive predictors for receiving three or more US sessions were indications of viral hepatitis, gallbladder diseases and kidney–urinary–bladder diseases; the most common negative predictors for receiving three or more US sessions were male sex and indications of abdominal pain.

Conclusion

Patients with liver cancer who received US three times or more during the 2 years preceding their liver cancer diagnosis exhibited a higher 5-year survival probability.
A combined randomised and observational study of surgery for fractures in the distal radius in the elderly (CROSSFIRE)—a study protocol
Authors: Harris Ian, A , Naylor Justine, M , Lawson Andrew , Buchbinder Rachelle , Ivers Rebecca , Balogh Zsolt , Smith Paul , Mittal Rajat , Xuan Wei , Howard Kirsten , Vafa Arezoo , Yates Piers , Rieger Bertram , Smith Geoff , Elkinson Ilia , Kim Woosung , Chehade Mellick , Sungaran Jai , Latendresse Kim , Wong James , Viswanathan Sameer , Richardson Martin , Shrestha Kush , Drobetz Herwig , Tran Phong , Loveridge Jeremy , Page Richard , Hau Raphael , Bingham Roger , Mulford Jonathan , Incoll Ian
Published: June 2017

Fractures of the distal radius are common and occur in all age groups. The incidence is high in older populations due to osteoporosis and increased falls risk. Considerable practice variation exists in the management of distal radius fractures in older patients ranging from closed reduction with cast immobilisation to open reduction with plate fixation. Plating is currently the most common surgical treatment. While there is evidence showing no significant advantage for some forms of surgical fixation over conservative treatment, and no difference between different surgical techniques, there is a lack of evidence comparing two of the most common treatments used: closed reduction and casting versus plating. Surgical management involves significant costs and risks compared with conservative management. High-level evidence is required to address practice variation, justify costs and to provide the best clinical outcomes for patients.

Methods and analysis

This pragmatic, multicentre randomised comparative effectiveness trial aims to determine whether plating leads to better pain and function and is more cost-effective than closed reduction and casting of displaced distal radius fractures in adults aged 60 years and older. The trial will compare the two techniques but will also follow consenting patients who are unwilling to be randomised in a separate, observational cohort. Inclusion of non-randomised patients addresses selection bias, provides practice and outcome insights about standard care, and improves the generalisability of the results from the randomised trial.

Ethics and dissemination

CROSSFIRE(Combined Randomised and Observational Study of Surgery for Fractures In the distal Radius in the Elderly) was reviewed and approved by The Hunter New England HREC (HNEHREC Reference No: 16/02/17/3.04). The results of the trial will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and will be disseminated via various forms of media. Results will be incorporated in clinical recommendations and practice guidelines produced by professional bodies.

Registration

CROSSFIRE has been registered with the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR: ACTRN12616000969460).
Vitamin D status and associated factors among Portuguese older adults: results from the Nutrition UP 65 cross-sectional study
Authors: Santos Alejandro , Amaral Teresa F , Guerra Rita S , Sousa Ana S , Álvares Luisa , Moreira Pedro , Padrão Patrícia , Afonso Cláudia , Borges Nuno
Published: June 2017

Objectives

To evaluate vitamin D status and its associated factors in Portuguese older adults from the Nutrition UP 65 study.

Design

Cross-sectional observational study.

Participants and methods

Nationwide cluster sample of 1500 Portuguese subjects ≥65 years old. Participants were classified, according to US Institute of Medicine cut-offs, as presenting normal 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels (≥50.0 nmol/L), at risk of inadequacy (30.0–49.9 nmol/L) or at risk of deficiency (<30 nmol/L). The association between individuals’ characteristics and 25(OH)D levels was analysed through multinomial logistic regression analysis.

Results

Median 25(OH)D serum value was 36.1 (interquartile range (IQR): 35.5) nmol/L. According to the used cut-offs, 39.6% of participants were at risk of 25(OH)D deficiency and 29.4% were at risk of 25(OH)D inadequacy. In the adjusted model, having higher skin pigmentation and waist circumference >88 cm for women and >102 cm for men were associated with higher odds of 25(OH)D deficiency. Otherwise, living in Lisbon Metropolitan Area and in Madeira, 1–12 years of schooling, being married or in a common-law marriage, monthly income ≥€1000, alcohol consumption, medication or supplements with vitamin D supplement use, and blood samples collected in spring or summer were associated with lower odds of being at risk of 25(OH)D deficiency. In this model, season of blood sample collection, medication or supplements use, and waist circumference were the factors more strongly associated with 25(OH)D levels.

Conclusions

Despite using the conservative Institute of Medicine cut-offs, over two-thirds of these study participants presented inadequate 25(OH)D levels, warranting the implementation of corrective measures. Potentially modifiable factors were strongly associated with 25(OH)D levels in this study. These findings may be particularly relevant to the development of public health policies in southern European countries.
The 2015 Middle Childhood Survey (MCS) of mental health and well-being at age 11 years in an Australian population cohort
Authors: Laurens Kristin R , Tzoumakis Stacy , Dean Kimberlie , Brinkman Sally A , Bore Miles , Lenroot Rhoshel K , Smith Maxwell , Holbrook Allyson , Robinson Kim M , Stevens Robert , Harris Felicity , Carr Vaughan J , Green Melissa J
Published: June 2017

Purpose

The Middle Childhood Survey (MCS) was designed as a computerised self-report assessment of children’s mental health and well-being at approximately 11 years of age, conducted with a population cohort of 87 026 children being studied longitudinally within the New South Wales (NSW) Child Development Study.

Participants

School Principals provided written consent for teachers to administer the MCS in class to year 6 students at 829 NSW schools (35.0% of eligible schools). Parent or child opt-outs from participation were received for 4.3% of children, and MCS data obtained from 27 808 children (mean age 11.5 years, SD 0.5; 49.5% female), representing 85.9% of students at participating schools.

Findings to date

Demographic characteristics of participating schools and children are representative of the NSW population. Children completed items measuring Social Integration, Prosocial Behaviour, Peer Relationship Problems, Supportive Relationships (at Home, School and in the Community), Empathy, Emotional Symptoms, Conduct Problems, Aggression, Attention, Inhibitory Control, Hyperactivity-Inattention, Total Difficulties (internalising and externalising psychopathology), Perceptual Sensitivity, Psychotic-Like Experiences, Personality, Self-esteem, Daytime Sleepiness and Connection to Nature. Distributions of responses on each item and construct demarcate competencies and vulnerabilities within the population: most children report mental health and well-being, but the population distribution spanned the full range of possible scores on every construct.

Future plans

Multiagency, intergenerational linkage of the MCS data with health, education, child protection, justice and early childhood development records took place late in 2016. Linked data were used to elucidate patterns of risk and protection across early and middle child development, and these data will provide a foundation for future record linkages in the cohort that will track mental and physical health, social and educational/occupational outcomes into adolescence and early adulthood.
Improving patient blood management in obstetrics: snapshots of a practice improvement partnership
Authors: Flores Cindy J , Sethna Farah , Stephens Ben , Saxon Ben , Hong Frank S , Roberts Trish , Spigiel Tracey , Burgess Maria , Connors Belinda , Crispin Philip
Published: June 2017

Iron deficiency and anaemia are common in pregnancy. Audit data from our tertiary obstetrics unit demonstrated 22% of maternity patients experiencing a postpartum haemorrhage received a transfusion; a third of whom were anaemic on admission intrapartum. Australian Patient Blood Management (PBM) Module 5 Obstetrics guidelines focuses on maximising red cell mass at the time of delivery and reducing the reliance on transfusion as a salvage therapy to treat blood loss. A clinical practice improvement partnership began in February 2015 and completed in April 2016; which aimed to implement systems to improve antenatal identification and management of iron deficiency, and improve postpartum anaemia management. In order to develop change strategies, reasons for poor detection and correction of iron deficiency in the antenatal period were identified following a quality improvement methodology. Education was delivered to maternity healthcare providers. Standardised algorithms and an oral iron prescription handout were developed and piloted. Follow-up audit, staff and patient feedback, and other hospital data were collected to measure outcomes. The rate of anaemia on admission intrapartum fell from 12.2% in 2013 to 3.6% in 2016 following the introduction of unselective ferritin screening and other antenatal interventions. Sixty to 70% of maternity patients screened each month had iron deficiency. The algorithms aided staff to become confident in blood test interpretation and management of iron deficiency and anaemia. Patients found the oral iron prescription handout helpful. Additionally, single unit transfusions significantly increased from 35.4% to 50% (p=0.037) over the project timeframe. This project demonstrated the potential to improve patient blood management in obstetrics, reduce anaemia and transfusions by active antenatal interventions.
Acute kidney injury; improving the communication from secondary to primary care
Authors: Nye Clemency , Lake Suzanna
Published: June 2017

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common but preventable event in secondary care. It is known to be associated with poorer outcomes for the patient's future health. Patients therefore require specific after-care in the community following an AKI, both in the short and long term. However, information about an inpatient AKI is often not communicated to primary care at discharge. Only 11.0% of discharge summaries contained full information about an AKI (including stage of AKI, changes to medications and follow-up required) in August 2015.

We aimed to improve communication about AKI on discharge summaries via implementation of a series of interventions between June 2015 and March 2016. A specific section was added to the discharge summary software to prompt inclusion of information regarding AKI. An automatic warning message was added later as an additional prompt. A programme of education was provided for the junior doctors. A ward-based campaign was rolled out using the animated character ‘Ned the Nephron,’ using posters, emails and screen savers. We also introduced an AKI warning sticker for drug charts, which reminds the discharging doctor that the patient has had an AKI during the admission.

Our primary outcome was the percentage of discharge summaries that had the AKI section completed, as this contained all the desired information, including stage of AKI and frequency of follow up blood tests in primary care. Monthly data collections showed that this gradually increased from 4.7% in September 2015 to 35.0% in January 2016. We expect further increases with the recent introduction of the drug chart sticker.
Preventing running-related injuries using evidence-based online advice: the design of a randomised-controlled trial
Authors: Fokkema Tryntsje , Vos Robert-Jan de , van Ochten John M , Verhaar Jan AN , Davis Irene S , Bindels Patrick JE , Bierma-Zeinstra Sita MA , Middelkoop Marienke van
Published: June 2017

Introduction

Running-related injuries (RRIs) are frequent and can lead to cessation of health promoting activities. Several risk factors for RRIs have been identified. However, no successful injury prevention programme has been developed so far. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of an evidence-based online injury prevention programme on the number of RRIs.

Methods and analysis

The INSPIRE trial is a randomised-controlled trial with a 3-month follow-up. Both novice and more experienced runners, aged 18 years and older, who register for a running event (distances 5 km up to 42.195 km) will be asked to participate in this study. After completing the baseline questionnaire, participants will be randomised into either the intervention group or control group. Participants in the intervention group will get access to the online injury prevention programme. This prevention programme consists of information on evidence-based risk factors and advices to reduce the injury risk. The primary outcome measure is the number of self-reported RRIs in the time frame between registration for a running event and 1 month after the running event. Secondary outcome measures include the running days missed due to injuries, absence of work or school due to injuries, and the injury location.

Ethics and dissemination

An exemption for a comprehensive application is obtained by the Medical Ethical Committee of the Erasmus University Medical Centre Rotterdam, Netherlands. The results of the study will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented on international congresses.

Trial registration number

NTR5998. Pre-results
Microtubule-Organizing Centers
Authors: Wu Jingchao , Akhmanova Anna
Published: June 2017

The organization of microtubule networks is crucial for controlling chromosome segregation during cell division, for positioning and transport of different organelles, and for cell polarity and morphogenesis. The geometry of microtubule arrays strongly depends on the localization and activity of the sites where microtubules are nucleated and where their minus ends are anchored. Such sites are often clustered into structures known as microtubule-organizing centers, which include the centrosomes in animals and spindle pole bodies in fungi. In addition, other microtubules, as well as membrane compartments such as the cell nucleus, the Golgi apparatus, and the cell cortex, can nucleate, stabilize, and tether microtubule minus ends. These activities depend on microtubule-nucleating factors, such as γ-tubulin-containing complexes and their activators and receptors, and microtubule minus end–stabilizing proteins with their binding partners. Here, we provide an overview of the current knowledge on how such factors work together to control microtubule organization in different systems.
Origin and Evolution of Regional Biotas: A Deep-Time Perspective
Authors: Patzkowsky Mark E.
Published: June 2017

Historical processes tens to hundreds of millions of years in the past have shaped not only the trajectory of life through time but also the distribution and composition of life today. Studies aimed at the origin and evolution of regional biotas promise to forge a stronger link among paleobiology, ecology, and evolutionary biology. Improvements in high-resolution stratigraphic interpretation, numerical modeling of the fossil record, and the application of phylogenetic methods to extinct groups will lead to advances in understanding of (a) assembly of regional biotas, (b) the ecology of extinct taxa, (c) the diversification and environmental expansion of major groups, (d) the processes underlying regional ecosystem persistence and pulsed change, and (e) whether or not diversity has limits over geologic time.
Evolution of Hormone Signaling Networks in Plant Defense
Authors: Berens Matthias L. , Berry Hannah M. , Mine Akira , Argueso Cristiana T. , Tsuda Kenichi
Published: June 2017

Studies with model plants such as Arabidopsis thaliana have revealed that phytohormones are central regulators of plant defense. The intricate network of phytohormone signaling pathways enables plants to activate appropriate and effective defense responses against pathogens as well as to balance defense and growth. The timing of the evolution of most phytohormone signaling pathways seems to coincide with the colonization of land, a likely requirement for plant adaptations to the more variable terrestrial environments, which included the presence of pathogens. In this review, we explore the evolution of defense hormone signaling networks by combining the model plant-based knowledge about molecular components mediating phytohormone signaling and cross talk with available genome information of other plant species. We highlight conserved hubs in hormone cross talk and discuss evolutionary advantages of defense hormone cross talk. Finally, we examine possibilities of engineering hormone cross talk for improvement of plant fitness and crop production.
Adaptation to the Host Environment by Plant-Pathogenic Fungi
Authors: van der Does H. Charlotte , Rep Martijn
Published: June 2017

Many fungi can live both saprophytically and as endophyte or pathogen inside a living plant. In both environments, complex organic polymers are used as sources of nutrients. Propagation inside a living host also requires the ability to respond to immune responses of the host. We review current knowledge of how plant-pathogenic fungi do this. First, we look at how fungi change their global gene expression upon recognition of the host environment, leading to secretion of effectors, enzymes, and secondary metabolites; changes in metabolism; and defense against toxic compounds. Second, we look at what is known about the various cues that enable fungi to sense the presence of living plant cells. Finally, we review literature on transcription factors that participate in gene expression in planta or are suspected to be involved in that process because they are required for the ability to cause disease.
EIF1AX and NRAS Mutations Co-occur and Cooperate in Low-Grade Serous Ovarian Carcinomas
Authors: Etemadmoghadam Dariush , Azar Walid J. , Lei Ying , Moujaber Tania , Garsed Dale W. , Kennedy Catherine J. , Fereday Sian , Mitchell Chris , Chiew Yoke-Eng , Hendley Joy , Sharma Raghwa , Harnett Paul R. , Li Jason , Christie Elizabeth L. , Patch Ann-Marie , George Joshy , Au-Yeung George , Mir Arnau Gisela , Holloway Timothy P. , Semple Timothy , Pearson John V. , Waddell Nicola , Grimmond Sean M. , Köbel Martin , Rizos Helen , Lomakin Ivan B. , Bowtell David D.L. , deFazio Anna ,   for The Australian Ovarian Cancer Study Group
Published: June 2017

Low-grade serous ovarian carcinomas (LGSC) are associated with a poor response to chemotherapy and are molecularly characterized by RAS pathway activation. Using exome and whole genome sequencing, we identified recurrent mutations in the protein translational regulator EIF1AX and in NF1, USP9X, KRAS, BRAF, and NRAS. RAS pathway mutations were mutually exclusive; however, we found significant co-occurrence of mutations in NRAS and EIF1AX. Missense EIF1AX mutations were clustered at the N-terminus of the protein in a region associated with its role in ensuring translational initiation fidelity. Coexpression of mutant NRAS and EIF1AX proteins promoted proliferation and clonogenic survival in LGSC cells, providing the first example of co-occurring, growth-promoting mutational events in ovarian cancer. Cancer Res; 77(16); 4268–78. ©2017 AACR.
Amlexanox Downregulates S100A6 to Sensitize KMT2A/AFF1-Positive Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia to TNFα Treatment
Authors: Tamai Hayato , Yamaguchi Hiroki , Miyake Koichi , Takatori Miyuki , Kitano Tomoaki , Yamanaka Satoshi , Yui Syunsuke , Fukunaga Keiko , Nakayama Kazutaka , Inokuchi Koiti
Published: June 2017

Acute lymphoblastic leukemias (ALL) positive for KMT2A/AFF1 (MLL/AF4) translocation, which constitute 60% of all infant ALL cases, have a poor prognosis even after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). This poor prognosis is due to one of two factors, either resistance to TNFα, which mediates a graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) response after allo-HSCT, or immune resistance due to upregulated expression of the immune escape factor S100A6. Here, we report an immune stimulatory effect against KMT2A/AFF1-positive ALL cells by treatment with the anti-allergy drug amlexanox, which we found to inhibit S100A6 expression in the presence of TNF-α. In KMT2A/AFF1-positive transgenic (Tg) mice, amlexanox enhanced tumor immunity and lowered the penetrance of leukemia development. Similarly, in a NOD/SCID mouse model of human KMT2A/AFF1-positive ALL, amlexanox broadened GVL responses and extended survival. Our findings show how amlexanox degrades the resistance of KMT2A/AFF1-positive ALL to TNFα by downregulating S100A6 expression, with immediate potential implications for improving clinical management of KMT2A/AFF1-positive ALL. Cancer Res; 77(16); 4426–33. ©2017 AACR.
Quality of Care in Chinese Hospitals: Processes and Outcomes After ST‐segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Downing Nicholas S. , Wang Yongfei , Dharmarajan Kumar , Nuti Sudhakar V. , Murugiah Karthik , Du Xue , Zheng Xin , Li Xi , Li Jing , Masoudi Frederick A. , Spertus John A. , Jiang Lixin , Krumholz Harlan M.
Published: June 2017

Background

China has gaps in the quality of care provided to patients with ST‐elevation myocardial infarction, but little is known about how quality varies between hospitals.

Methods and Results

Using nationally representative data from the China
PEACE
‐Retrospective
AMI
Study, we characterized the quality of care for ST‐elevation myocardial infarction at the hospital level and examined variation between hospitals. Two summary measures were used to describe the overall quality of care at each hospital and to characterize variations in quality between hospitals in 2001, 2006, and 2011. The composite rate measured the proportion of opportunities a hospital had to deliver 6 guideline‐recommended treatments for ST‐elevation myocardial infarction that were successfully met, while the defect‐free rate measured the proportion of patients at each hospital receiving all guideline‐recommended treatments for which they were eligible. Risk‐standardized mortality rates were calculated. Our analysis included 12 108 patients treated for ST‐elevation myocardial infarction at 162 hospitals. The median composite rate increased from 56.8% (interquartile range [
IQR
], 45.9–72.0) in 2001 to 80.5% (
IQR
, 74.7–84.8) in 2011; however, substantial variation remained in 2011 with defect‐free rates ranging from 0.0% to 76.9%. The median risk‐standardized mortality rate increased from 9.9% (
IQR
, 9.1–11.7) in 2001 to 12.6% (
IQR
, 10.9–14.6) in 2006 before falling to 10.4% (
IQR
, 9.1–12.4) in 2011.

Conclusions

Higher rates of guideline‐recommended care and a decline in variation between hospitals are indicative of an improvement in quality. Although some variation persisted in 2011, very top‐performing hospitals missed few opportunities to provide guideline‐recommended care. Quality improvement initiatives should focus on eliminating residual variation as well as measuring and improving outcomes.

Clinical Trial Registration

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier:
NCT
01624883.
Liver Cirrhosis in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: Would Oral Anticoagulation Have a Net Clinical Benefit for Stroke Prevention?
Authors: Kuo Ling , Chao Tze‐Fan , Liu Chia‐Jen , Lin Yenn‐Jiang , Chang Shih‐Lin , Lo Li‐Wei , Hu Yu‐Feng , Tuan Ta‐Chuan , Liao Jo‐Nan , Chung Fa‐Po , Chen Tzeng‐Ji , Lip Gregory Y. H. , Chen Shih‐Ann
Published: June 2017

Background

Patients with liver cirrhosis have been excluded from randomized clinical trials of oral anticoagulation therapy for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation. We hypothesized that patients with liver cirrhosis would have a positive net clinical benefit for oral anticoagulation when used for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation.

Methods and Results

This study used the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. Among 289 559 atrial fibrillation patients aged ≥20 years, there were 10 336 with liver cirrhosis, and 9056 of them having a
CHA
2
DS
2
‐
VAS
c score ≥2 were divided into 3 groups, that is, no treatment, antiplatelet therapy, and warfarin. Patients with liver cirrhosis had a higher risk of ischemic stroke (hazard ratio=1.10,
P
=0.046) and intracranial hemorrhage (hazard ratio=1.20,
P
=0.043) compared with those without. Among patients with liver cirrhosis, patients taking antiplatelet therapy had a similar risk of ischemic stroke (hazard ratio=1.02, 95%
CI
=0.88‐1.18) compared to those without antithrombotic therapies, but the risk was significantly lowered among warfarin users (hazard ratio=0.76, 95%
CI
=0.58‐0.99). For intracranial hemorrhage, there were no significant differences between those untreated and those taking antiplatelet therapy or warfarin. The use of warfarin was associated with a positive net clinical benefit compared with being untreated or receiving only antiplatelet therapy.

Conclusions

For atrial fibrillation patients with liver cirrhosis in the current analysis of an observational study, warfarin use was associated with a lower risk of ischemic stroke and a positive net clinical benefit compared with nontreatment, and thus, thromboprophylaxis should be considered for such patients.
The Convergence of Migrants and Refugees
Authors: Jureidini Ray , Reda Latife
Published: June 2017

The paper addresses the migrant-refugee debate in relation to recent refugee flows from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and other countries gaining unauthorized entry into Europe. This is compared with the accusations (and denials) that the wealthy countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (gcc) states have not accepted any refugees from Syria in particular. It is argued that the definition of migrants and refugees is problematic in that they often converge with respect to livelihood needs and rights. Current provisions should adapt to contemporary circumstances as in the current refugee ‘crisis’ and perhaps more regard by Muslim states in the use of Islamic ethical principles applicable to the treatment of migrants and refugees. In this sense, there is a serendipitous convergence of recent arguments about refugee livelihood requirements and practices of Muslim countries such as the gcc. The primary difference is that for refugees, resettlement is assumed to be permanent, while the gcc states only offer temporary residence status.
The “Humane Economy”: Migrant Labour and Islam in Qatar and the uae
Authors: Babar Zahra
Published: June 2017

The Gulf region has emerged as one of the largest hubs of international migration and more recently has also become a site of contestation for debates over the treatment of international labour migrants. This paper reviews the labour migration system in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, studies the unfolding human rights discourse on Gulf migration, and examines how Islamic principles might be applied to the labour reforms taking place in these countries. The paper suggests that there is a fragmented landscape around the human rights discourse of migrant workers globally. There are also tensions around the adoption of international human rights norms as a framework for addressing the vulnerabilities of Gulf migrants. In conclusion, the paper argues that the category of current Gulf labour migrant is best served if placed within the Islamic view of how an ethical economy ought to function. Islamic precepts on the ‘humane’ economy can serve to provide guidance on how to balance the interests of workers and employers, and elevate the standards for migrant workers’ rights in this region.
Shari‘ah Law and Capitulations Governing the Non-Muslim Foreign Merchants in the Ottoman Empire
Authors: Mughal Abdul Ghaffar , Sadiki Larbi
Published: June 2017

Muslim-non-Muslim relations have a long and checkered history. The concept of Siyar (Muslim code governing international-interfaith relations) developed by early Muslim jurists, provided the legal basis for coexistence with ‘foreignness’ and ‘foreigners. Yet, the classical norms of Siyar were seldom strictly implemented by Muslim rulers. Thus, Capitulations, governing the presence and movement of foreign merchants and diplomats in the Ottoman empire, increasingly broke with the classical norms of Siyar in their successive incarnations. However, there have been few investigations of how the religious establishment’s stance vis-à-vis Capitulations evolved over time. The present study is a modest attempt to fill this gap. The paper departs from essentialist conceptions of Shariah Law, and examines how successive Ottoman jurists interpreted Siyar and accommodated it to the changing political and economic realities. Our investigation bears out the non-essentialist position that Islamic laws have been anchored in empirical realities, pre-Islamic norms, and legalistic traditions.
The Precariat in China: A Comment on Conceptual Confusion
Authors: Standing Guy
Published: June 2017

This comment critiques the concept of “the informal sector” and explains the meaning of the precariat in considering the perspectives of the authors of the articles in this special issue. (This article is in English.)
A Literary Approach to Avoiding Objectification of the Text: Reading Kezilahabi and Beyond
Authors: Gaudioso Roberto
Published: June 2017

It is well known that, in contemporary studies, the cultural and post-colonial critique mainly focuses on the context of art and literature. My paper highlights the importance of a new Werkimmanente Interpretation, which focuses on the text qua aesthetic process. Thus, in other words, the text will be considered as a living event, meaning an experience of senses and knowledge. The text should be the centre of different hermeneutic approaches which involve translation and comparison, reader’s reception, theories of knowledge, immanent interpretation of the text and literary language. Translation is not only a product, but a process of comprehension (incorporation) and restitution (incarnation) of a text through the constitution of an analogue. This paper intends to propose a multi-systematic mode of poetry analysis, related especially to the poetics of the Swahili writer Euphrase Kezilahabi.
Reconsidering Territorial Governance to Account for Enhanced Rural-Urban Interdependence in America
Authors: Brown David L. , Shucksmith Mark
Published: June 2017

The urban-rural interface is structured by intense social, economic, and environmental interdependencies among urban and rural places. Accordingly, we argue that the rural-urban interface should be governed in a new, hybrid manner—one that accounts for both place-based and relational exigencies. The United States lacks a coherent, coordinated approach to multijurisdictional planning and governance, but multijurisdictional governance can and often does succeed through cooperation at the state and local levels. To illustrate this point, and to ground the theoretical discussion, we present three examples of multijurisdictional planning that are effective at the local level, and one example that has failed to accomplish such goals. Governance of the zone of rural-urban interactions will be more effective and accountable if policies and programs involve not only the constituent municipalities located in this space, but also the social, economic, and environmental relationships in which these communities are embedded.
Ethnoracial Diversity across the Rural-Urban Continuum
Authors: Lee Barrett A. , Sharp Gregory
Published: June 2017

Scholarship and popular opinion regard cities as more racially and ethnically diverse than rural communities. However, recent trends hint at the possibility of less distinctive diversity profiles on either side of the metro-nonmetro divide. To explore this, we compare the magnitude and structure of ethnoracial diversity in more than 27,000 census-defined places arrayed across ten different types of county contexts that spanned the rural-urban continuum in 2010. Even as average residents’ exposure to diversity steadily declines as contexts become more rural and remote, place-based (unweighted) results show an uneven pattern of diversity across most of the continuum. Multivariate analysis supports the unevenness scenario: when place characteristics are taken into account, many of the associations between type of context and diversity weaken to the point of nonsignificance. Taken together, these findings suggest a blurring of rural-urban boundaries with respect to community ethnoracial composition.
Food Insecurity across the Rural-Urban Divide: Are Counties in Need Being Reached by Charitable Food Assistance?
Authors: Gundersen Craig , Dewey Adam , Hake Monica , Engelhard Emily , Crumbaugh Amy S.
Published: June 2017

An extensive literature has described U.S. food insecurity and its determinants, but there has been little work on the geographic distribution of food insecurity and no work on the distribution of private food assistance by geography. To study the former, we use data from the Map the Meal Gap (MMG) project, which is broken down by Rural-Urban Continuum Codes. For the latter, we combine MMG data with data from the Hunger in America 2014 (HIA 2014) survey to determine the geographic distribution of charitable food assistance. At the national level, we find few differences across the rural-urban interface, but we do find differences within and across regions. We also find that regardless of how it is measured, the distribution of charitable food assistance is directed more toward counties with smaller populations—a finding that holds even after controlling for factors that influence the distribution of charitable assistance.
Political Polarization along the Rural-Urban Continuum? The Geography of the Presidential Vote, 2000–2016
Authors: Scala Dante J. , Johnson Kenneth M.
Published: June 2017

This article documents the diversity of political attitudes and voting patterns along the urban-rural continuum of the United States. We find that America’s rural and urban interface, in terms of political attitudes and voting patterns, is just beyond the outer edges of large urban areas and through the suburban counties of smaller metropolitan areas. Both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton performed well in densely populated areas on the urban side of the interface, but they faced increasingly difficult political climates and sharply diminished voter support on the rural side of the interface. The reduction in support for Clinton in 2016 in rural areas was particularly pronounced. Even after controlling for demographic, social, and economic factors (including geographic region, education, income, age, race, and religious affiliation) in a spatial regression, we find that a county’s position in the urban-rural continuum remained statistically significant in the estimation of voting patterns in presidential elections.
Upward Mobility of Low-Income Youth in Metropolitan, Micropolitan, and Rural America
Authors: Weber Bruce A. , Fannin J. Matthew , Cordes Sam M. , Johnson Thomas G.
Published: June 2017

We analyze county-level social, demographic, and economic data in U.S. counties to explore how economic mobility in the United States varies across the geography of the rural-urban interface. We reveal that micropolitan areas—small and medium urban centers—appear to play a unique role in the geography of intergenerational economic mobility. Micropolitan areas help to define the blurred boundaries of the new rural-urban interface, and play a unique and potentially powerful role in supporting the upward mobility of low-income youth. In some geographic areas, micropolitan counties serve as cores of nonmetropolitan America, supporting upward mobility in ways that take advantage of their density and scale. In other domains, they are relatively low-density transition zones between remote noncore rural counties and metropolitan America, supporting upward mobility of low-income youth in ways that exploit the opportunities and reveal weaknesses associated with nonmetropolitan small size, lack of density, and limited technological capacity.
A Qualitative Census of Rural and Urban Poverty
Authors: Alexander J. Trent , Andersen Robert , Cookson Peter W. , Edin Kathryn , Fisher Jonathan , Grusky David B. , Mattingly Marybeth , Varner Charles
Published: June 2017

If we want to build authentic evidence-based policy, we need a strong descriptive foundation of evidence on the everyday experience of poverty. The National Poverty Study (NPS), which is currently in development, provides this foundation with a new “qualitative census” of the everyday conditions of poverty in rural, suburban, and urban sites. The NPS will allow us to build new evidence-based theories of poverty, evaluate and improve existing place-based antipoverty policies, validate official poverty measures, and assist local communities in improving the safety net for vulnerable populations.
The Rural-Urban Interface: New Patterns of Spatial Interdependence and Inequality in America
Authors: Lichter Daniel T. , Ziliak James P.
Published: June 2017

America’s rural-urban divide seemingly has never been greater, a point reinforced by large geographic disparities in support for Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election. But it is also the case that big cities and rural communities are more tightly integrated than ever and are increasingly interdependent, both economically and socially. This new rural-urban interface is highlighted in this collection of articles, which are organized and developed around the general concept of changing symbolic and social boundaries. Rural-urban boundaries—how rural and urban people and places are defined and evaluated—reflect and reinforce institutional forces that maintain spatial inequality and existing social, economic, and political hierarchies. This volume makes clear that rural-urban boundaries are highly fluid and that this should be better reflected in research programs, in the topics that we choose to study, and in the way that public policy is implemented.
Perceived Teacher Encouragement as Buffer to Substance Use in Urban African American Adolescents: Implications for Disconnected Youth
Authors: Lee Xzania White , Cunningham Michael
Published: June 2017

The variety of experiences of African American adolescents is still misunderstood and neglected. Empirical and lay reports consistently report that drug use is rampant within African American communities despite the fact that national statistics show that African Americans engage in substance use less than their White counterparts. Thus, the current study investigates the relations between African American adolescents’ school encouragement, academic future expectations (AFE), and substance use engagement. The participants are 206 African American adolescents (females = 65.7%), mean age 15.78 ( SD = 1.18), who reside in a southern, urban city. The regression results indicated that there was an inverse, trend level relation between school encouragement and the global substance use assessment (β = −.05, p < .10; Δ R2 = .02). AFE moderated the relation between school encouragement and all of the substance use variables except alcohol. Simple slopes analyses revealed that AFE only significantly moderated the relation between school encouragement and substance use for students who reported low levels of AFE, indicating that increased school encouragement may serve as a protective factor against substance use engagement for those students who may be disconnected from academic achievement.
Psychological Barriers to Energy Conservation Behavior: The Role of Worldviews and Climate Change Risk Perception
Authors: Lacroix Karine , Gifford Robert
Published: June 2017

We proposed and tested a conceptual model of how cultural cognition worldviews, climate change risk perception, and psychological barriers are related to reported energy conservation behavior frequency. Egalitarian and communitarian worldviews were correlated with heightened climate change risk perception, and egalitarian worldviews were correlated with weaker perceived barriers to reported energy conservation behavior. Heightened climate change risk perception was, in turn, associated with fewer perceived barriers to engagement in energy conservation behavior and more reported energy conservation behaviors. The relation between cultural worldviews and perceived barriers was partly mediated by climate change risk perception. Individuals with distinct worldviews perceived psychological barriers differently, and some barrier components were more strongly related to energy conservation behavior than others. Overall, climate change risk perception was the strongest predictor of perceived barriers and of energy conservation behavior frequency. Future efforts should focus on reducing the psychological barriers to energy conservation behavior identified in this study.
Beyond Iraq
Authors: White Adam
Published: June 2017

Through the lens of veterans studies, we know a great deal about the fate of those soldiers who have recently returned home following a period of deployment in Iraq and Afghanistan, yet counterintuitively we know nothing about the plight of the private military contractors who worked alongside them. Addressing this blind spot, the article explores the socioeconomic trajectories of “private military veterans” from a life-course perspective. Specifically, it addresses three questions regarding their status in the civilian labor market. What occupations do they work in? To what extent do they work in similar occupations to public military veterans? To what extent do they work in similar occupations to the general population? Focusing on the U.K. case, it reveals that private military veterans are significantly overrepresented in the “protective service occupations,” where they primarily work in the private security industry, and offers a multilayered explanation for this distinctive clustering effect.
Voicing the Puppet: Accommodating Unresolved Institutional Tensions in Digital Open Practices
Authors: Thorén Claes , Ågerfalk Pär J. , Rolandsson Bertil
Published: June 2017

This paper examines managerial control and the tensions caused by digital open practices. Drawing on qualitative interviews with managers of a prominent Swedish newspaper corporation, we apply the theoretical lens of institutional logics to analyse the institutional tensions stemming from pressure to integrate user-generated content, and the strategies for managing multiple logics that emerge as a result. Specifically, by linking managerial control to the logics of ‘profession’, the ‘market’ and the ‘corporation’, we use the concept of ventriloquism to show how managers recreate professional legitimacy when handling digital open practices by letting the corporate logic mimic the values of the profession. The study at hand contributes to the understanding of how digital open practices leverage managerial and corporate control, and the consequences thereof, and how the newspaper industry still has not fully managed to reconcile with user-generated content. Prior research is inconclusive as to whether digital open practices increase or decrease managerial control. This study concludes that framing the market logic in digital media exerts pressure on managers to find a defensive compromise to cope with unresolved tensions between the corporate and professional logics.