bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Excessive drinking of fluids in children and adults on the autism spectrum: a brief report
Authors: Mills Richard , Wing Lorna
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– Excessive drinking of fluids occurs across the autism spectrum but despite the detrimental and potentially hazardous consequences very few studies of this phenomenon have been published. Literature on the topic is sparse. The purpose of this paper is to explore the issues via a large on-line survey and a clinic sample. It is hoped this study will encourage further interest in and investigation including exploration of the links with the neurology underlying autistic conditions.

Design/methodology/approach

– Results were obtained via a large on-line survey of autistic individuals and parents and carers (n=637) and data from referrals to a single diagnostic assessment and diagnostic clinic.

Findings

– Of 634 respondents of the on-line survey 474 reported excessive drinking of fluids in severe form. Almost two-thirds stated that this started before the age of five years. Of the children and adults seen at the clinic approximately one-third had dunk fluids excessively in the past. The effects of gender, type of autism condition, intellectual disability, reported stress and associated conditions were examined as were the type of fluids drunk and rate of drinking. The response to having to wait for a drink and the occurrence of vomiting and diarrhoea were also examined.

Research limitations/implications

– This is a preliminary study but with a large sample size. Limitations lie in the sparse amount of literature on this topic as it affects autism and reliance on parental and self-reports from an on-line survey, the majority of whom responded to an appeal for participants for whom excessive drinking of fluids was an established problem. The clinic sample comprised children and adults who had not been referred for reasons connected to excessive drinking of fluids but for whom this was still a significant problem. A further limitation concerns the absence of data on sensory profiles. This would be worth including in any follow up.

Practical implications

– It is important to be aware of the implications of excessive drinking of fluids on the health and well-being of children and adults on the autism spectrum. As there are potentially lethal consequences associated with such behaviours it is essential that they are recognised, understood and responded to.

Social implications

– Excessive drinking of fluids has implications for the development of the child and far reaching consequences for physical and social well-being.

Originality/value

– This is an original paper that draws on the limited literature available but is primarily based on the results of a unique on-line survey and evaluation of a clinic sample.
The brand origin meaning transfer model (BOMT): an integrative theoretical model
Authors: D'Antone Simona , Merunka Dwight
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore how brand origin (BO) cues affect the consumer’s association of a new brand with BO learning and the subsequent effects on brand image (BO semiotics). An integrative theoretical framework is proposed that includes both processes.

Design/methodology/approach

– The proposed model is based on analogical learning theory and triadic semiotic theory.

Findings

– Two types of BO knowledge form BO meanings in consumer minds: country-related categories and exemplar brands, which have a classification and/or inferential role. The brand cues (indexes or icons) used by consumers to identify BO generate one or the other type of BO knowledge. Indexes trigger the classification function of country-related categories while icons trigger the inferential role of country-related categories and exemplar brands. BO knowledge informs the meaning transfer when consumers interpret the meaning of a new brand, leading to either a transfer of relations or a transfer of attributes to the new brand.

Practical implications

– Marketers should monitor BO exemplar brands that consumers use as meaning sources and carefully select the signs used in their communications to evoke BO.

Originality/value

– The proposed framework contrasts with dominant categorisation perspectives, re-establishing the dual role of categories and emphasising the relevance of brand cues in BO identification and BO exemplar brands in the BO meaning transfer process. A meaning-centred perspective is adopted to integrate BO identification and the related transfer mechanisms.
Participation in medical college activities: a case study of the Australasian experience
Authors: McNeil Nicola , Leggat Sandra , Bartram Timothy
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– Medical Colleges rely on the volunteer labour of their Fellows to undertake their key functions. In the Australasian context, there is anecdotal evidence to suggest that Fellow participation is declining. The purpose of this paper is to examine the main factors that influence Fellows’ participation in the activities of a Medical College.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors conducted three focus groups with Fellows who exhibit varying levels of participation with the Medical College in 2012.

Findings

– The research identified individual and organisational factors which influence the propensity of Fellows to volunteer their time to the Medical College. At an individual level, Fellows cite a number of factors which motivate them to volunteer their time to the Medical College, including: altruistic reasons; giving back to the profession and community; and the benefits that Fellow’s receive from their participation in College activities, including enhancing their status within the profession. However, Fellows also report issues of work-family integration, balancing Medical College and work-related responsibilities as factors precluding them from participating in Medical College activities. Fellows also noted several factors related to the operation of the Medical College which inhibited their participation in the Medical College, including the perceived exclusivity of the Medical College, a lack of service orientation towards Fellows, a lack of recognition of the work of Fellows and a perceived lack of advocacy on the part of the Medical College.

Originality/value

– This paper highlights that the participation of Fellows in their Medical Colleges is essential to maintaining quality standards and the effective operation of Australasian healthcare. These preliminary results indicate that there are several factors which discourage Fellow participation in Medical College activities, suggesting a need for Medical Colleges to develop strategies to address these issues.
Sri Lankan entrepreneurs in Australia: chance or choice?
Authors: Samaratunge Ramanie , Barrett Rowena , Rajapakse Tissa
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– Ethnic entrepreneurship is, and always has been, a means of survival. However, there is limited literature on ethnic entrepreneurship in Australia and therefore, an understanding of ethnic entrepreneurs’ motivations to become self-employed. The purpose of this paper is to report the influential factors in the decision to engage in self-employment through case studies of members of Melbourne’s Sri Lankan community informed by the mixed embeddedness approach.

Design/methodology/approach

– The mixed embeddedness approach frames the study where the authors examine the motivations for business of five Sri Lankan entrepreneurs. Narratives are used to construct individual case studies, which are then analyzed in terms of the motivations for, resources used and challenges faced on the entrepreneurial journey.

Findings

– For these ethnic entrepreneurs, their entrepreneurial activity results from a dynamic match between local market opportunities and the specific ethnic resources available to them at the time of founding. The self-employment decision was not prompted by a lack of human capital but an inability to use that human capital in alternative means of employment at specific points in time. Moreover the authors highlight the importance of social and cultural capital as resources used to overcome challenges on the entrepreneurial journey.

Originality/value

– In this community, entrepreneurship was not a result of a lack of human capital but how it was utilized in combination with social and cultural capitals in the given opportunity structure. The mixed embeddedness approach enables the uncovering of how ethnic network ties were used in light of the opportunities available to build entrepreneurial activity.
Uses and gratifications of social media: a comparison of microblog and WeChat
Authors: Gan Chunmei , Wang Weijun
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to explore the general and specific gratifications obtained from using microblog and WeChat.

Design/methodology/approach

– To shed light on the difference of gratifications to use microblog and WeChat, 18 interviews with social media users in China were conducted.

Findings

– Results reveal that three types of gratifications were obtained from using both microblog and WeChat: content gratification, social gratification and hedonic gratification. Also, the strength and components of each gratification for microblog and WeChat were different. Content gratification plays the most salient role in using microblog, while social gratification is the most important for WeChat usage. In addition, content gratification of microblog usage is related to information seeking and information sharing, while social gratification of WeChat usage is constituted by private social networking and convenient communication. Furthermore, content gratification of WeChat usage refers to high-quality information provided and information sharing, and entertainment and passing time develop hedonic gratification of microblog usage, while that of WeChat usage refers to entertainment.

Originality/value

– Extant research has mainly focused on the gratifications of one social media and lacks studies comparing the motivations in using different social media. Also, only little research has identified the components of different gratifications and how they affect the adoption of different social media. The current study attempts to fill these research gaps.
From steps to home range formation: species‐specific movement upscaling among sympatric ungulates
Authors: Tablado Zulima , Revilla Eloy , Dubray Dominique , Saïd Sonia , Maillard Daniel , Loison Anne
Published: November 2015

Animals move to interact with the environment in order to find food resources and cover. Intrinsic characteristics affecting feeding and antipredatory strategies likely shape variation in movement patterns and home range formation between individuals, populations and species.

Browsing herbivores selectively forage on patchily distributed resources in areas with more canopy cover, whereas mixed feeders and grazers feed on more open grasslands and tend to aggregate as an antipredatory strategy. We therefore predicted that at small temporal scales, browsers will show greater net displacements (i.e. typical of searching patterns) than mixed feeders or grazers; but at larger temporal scales, we expect the opposite pattern, since gregarious species will need to use larger areas to feed the whole herd. We also predicted that the feeding/antipredatory strategy will determine the behavioural responses to other environmental factors.

To test this, we compared spatial movement patterns at multiple scales (from 20‐min intervals to annual home ranges) of three sympatric, similar‐sized, alpine ungulates which differ in their feeding/antipredatory strategy: roe deer (solitary browsers), mouflon (gregarious grazers) and chamois (intermediate feeders in smaller groups). We used location data from GPS‐collared females of the three species in the French Alps.

As predicted, we found that multi‐scale spatial patterns depended on the feeding/antipredatory strategy. Browsers foraged within smaller range areas, searching back and forth. Mixed feeders and, especially, grazers covered larger areas, presumably to satisfy herd needs. The feeding/antipredatory strategies also determined the interspecific variability in behavioural responses to factors such as maternal status, weather, habitat type or human disturbance, supporting our hypothesis.

Exploring interspecific variability, we showed how movement behaviour and home range formation vary substantially, even among species within the same guild. This mechanism might be important to maintain intra‐guild multi‐species associations and increase biodiversity, through contributing to niche segregation and, thus, coexistence.
Tick exposure and extreme climate events impact survival and threaten the persistence of a long‐lived lizard
Authors: Jones Alice R. , Bull C. Michael , Brook Barry W. , Wells Konstans , Pollock Kenneth H. , Fordham Damien A.
Published: November 2015

Assessing the impacts of multiple, often synergistic, stressors on the population dynamics of long‐lived species is becoming increasingly important due to recent and future global change.

Tiliqua rugosa (sleepy lizard) is a long‐lived skink (>30 years) that is adapted to survive in semi‐arid environments with varying levels of parasite exposure and highly seasonal food availability. We used an exhaustive database of 30 years of capture–mark–recapture records to quantify the impacts of both parasite exposure and environmental conditions on the lizard's survival rates and long‐term population dynamics.

Lizard abundance was relatively stable throughout the study period; however, there were changing patterns in adult and juvenile apparent survival rates, driven by spatial and temporal variation in levels of tick exposure and temporal variation in environmental conditions. Extreme weather events during the winter and spring seasons were identified as important environmental drivers of survival.

Climate models predict a dramatic increase in the frequency of extreme hot and dry winter and spring seasons in our South Australian study region; from a contemporary probability of 0·17 up to 0·47–0·83 in 2080 depending on the emissions scenario. Our stochastic population model projections showed that these future climatic conditions will induce a decline in the abundance of this long‐lived reptile of up to 67% within 30 years from 2080, under worst case scenario modelling.

The results have broad implications for future work investigating the drivers of population dynamics and persistence. We highlight the importance of long‐term data sets and accounting for synergistic impacts between multiple stressors. We show that predicted increases in the frequency of extreme climate events have the potential to considerably and negatively influence a long‐lived species, which might previously have been assumed to be resilient to environmental perturbations.
The March Towards Post‐Democracy, Ten Years On
Authors: Crouch Colin
Published: November 2015

Events since I published my book Post‐democracy in 2004 suggest that democracy continues to decline in effectiveness in those parts of the world where it has been most strongly established. The global financial crisis, the consequent euro crisis, the likely shape of a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and growing evidence of the political power of giant mass media corporations all suggest that the dominant forces in today's politics are not those of democratic will. Movements like Syriza in Greece possibly suggest a democratic reawakening, but that is too early to determine. Meanwhile, it is important also to be aware of democracy's limits, and to try to resolve the problem of post‐democracy by extending its reach beyond its competence.
Sensemaking and the co‐production of safety: a qualitative study of primary medical care patients
Authors: Rhodes Penny , McDonald Ruth , Campbell Stephen , Daker‐White Gavin , Sanders Caroline
Published: November 2015

This study explores the ways in which patients make sense of ‘safety’ in the context of primary medical care. Drawing on qualitative interviews with primary care patients, we reveal patients’ conceptualisation of safety as fluid, contingent, multi‐dimensional, and negotiated. Participant accounts drew attention to a largely invisible and inaccessible (but taken for granted) architecture of safety, the importance of psycho‐social as well as physical dimensions and the interactions between them, informal strategies for negotiating safety, and the moral dimension of safety. Participants reported being proactive in taking action to protect themselves from potential harm. The somewhat routinised and predictable nature of the primary medical care consultation, which is very different from ‘one off’ inpatient spells, meant that patients were not passive recipients of care. Instead they had a stock of accumulated knowledge and experience to inform their actions. In addition to highlighting the differences and similarities between hospital and primary care settings, the study suggests that a broad conceptualisation of patient safety is required, which encompasses the safety concerns of patients in primary care settings.
Locating care at the end of life: burden, vulnerability, and the practical accomplishment of dying
Authors: MacArtney John I , Broom Alex , Kirby Emma , Good Phillip , Wootton Julia , Adams Jon
Published: November 2015

Home is frequently idealised as the preferred location for end‐of‐life care, while in‐patient hospital care is viewed with suspicion and fear. Yet many people with a terminal illness spend their final days in some form of medicalised institutional setting, such as a specialist palliative care in‐patient unit. Drawing on semi‐structured interviews with in‐patients at a specialist palliative care unit, we focus on their difficulties in finding a better place of care at the end of their life. We found that participants came to conceptualise home though a sense of bodily vulnerabilities and that they frequently understood institutional care to be more about protecting their family from the social, emotional and relational burdens of dying. For a significant number of participants the experience of dying came to be understood through what could be practically accomplished in different locales. The different locales were therefore framed around providing the best care for the patient and their family.
Health risks, social relations and class: an analysis of occupational health discourse in Finnish newspaper and women's magazine articles 1961–2008
Authors: Varje Pekka , Väänänen Ari
Published: November 2015

In this article we examine the treatment of psychosocial risks in public occupational health discourse in Finnish newspaper and magazine articles between the 1960s and 2000s, using discourse analysis. Building on class theories, our aim is to investigate how class expectations have been linked with the redefinition of occupational health risks during this period. Our results suggest that as social relations at the workplace became problematised in the occupational health discussions after the 1970s, the image of the hierarchical and naturally conflictual organisation was replaced by idealised middle‐class notions of smoothly functioning, harmonious organisations that offered rewarding work experiences. However, this same period since the late 1970s has also been characterised by increasing economic competition and neoliberal market ideology. We conclude that the concern about work‐related psychosocial risks and health problems expressed in Finnish newspaper and magazine articles during the last three decades has been shaped in many respects by a collision between the dominant middle‐class expectations of harmony and equality and the neoliberal production of competition and inequality.
Antenatal corticosteroid treatment in singleton, small‐for‐gestational‐age infants born at 24–31 weeks’ gestation: a population‐based study
Authors: Riskin‐Mashiah S , Riskin A , Bader D , Kugelman A , Boyko V , Lerner‐Geva L , Reichman B ,   in collaboration with the Israel Neonatal Network
Published: November 2015

Objective

To assess the impact of antenatal corticosteroid therapy on mortality and severe morbidities in preterm, small‐for‐gestational‐age (SGA) neonates compared with preterm non‐SGA neonates.

Design

Population‐based study.

Setting/population

Israel National Very Low Birth Weight infant database from 1995–2012.

Methods

Singleton infants of 24–31 weeks’ gestation, without major malformations. Antenatal corticosteroids were considered either any treatment or no treatment.

Main outcome measures

Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the effect of antenatal corticosteroids on neonatal mortality and a composite adverse outcome of mortality or severe neonatal morbidity.

Results

Among the 10 887 study infants, 1771 were SGA. Of these, 70.4% of SGA and 66.7% of non‐SGA neonates were exposed to antenatal corticosteroids. Among SGA neonates, antenatal corticosteroids were associated with decreased mortality (32.2 versus 19.3%, P < 0.0001) and composite adverse outcome (54.1 versus 43.4%, P < 0.0001), similar to the effect in non‐SGA neonates (mortality 26.7 versus 12.2%, P < 0.0001; composite outcome 50.5 versus 34.6%, P < 0.0001). Multivariable logistic regression analyses demonstrated a 50% reduction in mortality risk among SGA and 57% reduction in non‐SGA neonates exposed to corticosteroids [OR = 0.50, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.39–0.64 and OR = 0.43, 95% CI 0.38–0.47, respectively], P‐value for interaction = 0.08. Composite adverse outcome risk was significantly reduced in SGA (OR = 0.67, 95% CI 0.54–0.83) and non‐SGA infants (OR = 0.57, 95% CI 0.52–0.63), P‐value for interaction = 0.04.

Conclusions

Antenatal corticosteroids significantly reduced mortality and severe morbidities among preterm SGA neonates, with slightly a less pronounced effect compared with non‐SGA preterm infants. Antenatal corticosteroids should be given to fetuses suspected of intrauterine growth retardation, at risk for preterm delivery, in order to improve perinatal outcome.

Tweetable abstract

Antenatal steroids reduced mortality and severe morbidities among singleton, preterm SGA neonates.
Inhibitory Effect of Epigallocatechin Gallate on the Virulence of Clostridium difficile PCR Ribotype 027
Authors: Yun Bohyun , Oh Seunghan , Song Minyu , Hong Young‐Shick , Park Sungsu , Park Dong‐June , Griffiths Mansel W. , Oh Sejong
Published: November 2015

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is the most prevalent cause of health‐care‐associated infections. CDI‐related health‐care costs and deaths are both increasing annually on a global scale. C. difficile have been reported in food products in Canada, Europe, and the United States; however, the systematic transmission of C. difficile between humans and animals is yet to be understood. Because of the limitations of current therapeutic options, there is a need for the development of new patient treatments. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is a major catechin compound found in green tea extracts and exhibits antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. This study was conducted to investigate the inhibitory effects of EGCG on the expression of virulence genes in C. difficile and in C. difficile‐associated diseases by inhibition of quorum sensing. The protein expression of autoinducer‐2 (AI‐2) was evaluated by AI‐2 activity. EGCG at various concentrations had an inhibitory effect on AI‐2 production, especially at 10 μg/mL. EGCG also significantly repressed the transcription of virulence genes, including luxS and tcdA, and prolonged the survival of Caenorhabditis elegans infected with C. difficile. Furthermore, treatment with EGCG effectively protected C. difficile‐infected mice from C. difficile‐induced death. Histological analysis of the colon and cecum of these mice revealed that EGCG protected tissues of the lower intestinal tract from damage. EGCG exerted growth‐inhibitory and bactericidal activities on C. difficile in C. difficile‐infected mice. Our results suggest that EGCG has significant antipathogenic effects on C. difficile and can be used to prevent or treat C. difficile‐associated diseases or C. difficile infections.
Using latent variable models to identify large networks of species‐to‐species associations at different spatial scales
Authors: Ovaskainen Otso , Abrego Nerea , Halme Panu , Dunson David
Published: November 2015

We present a hierarchical latent variable model that partitions variation in species occurrences and co‐occurrences simultaneously at multiple spatial scales. We illustrate how the parameterized model can be used to predict the occurrences of a species by using as predictors not only the environmental covariates, but also the occurrences of all other species, at all spatial scales.

We leverage recent progress in Bayesian latent variable models to implement a computationally effective algorithm that enables one to consider large communities and extensive sampling schemes.

We exemplify the framework with a community of 98 fungal species sampled in c. 22 500 dead wood units in 230 plots in 29 beech forests.

The networks identified by correlations and partial correlations were consistent, as were networks for natural and managed forests, but networks at different spatial scales were dissimilar.

Accounting for the occurrences of the other species roughly doubled the predictive powers of the models compared to accounting for environmental covariates only

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Uncovering hidden spatial structure in species communities with spatially explicit joint species distribution models
Authors: Ovaskainen Otso , Roy David B. , Fox Richard , Anderson Barbara J.
Published: November 2015

Modern species distribution models account for spatial autocorrelation in order to obtain unbiased statistical inference on the effects of covariates, to improve the model's predictive ability through spatial interpolation and to gain insight in the spatial processes shaping the data. Somewhat analogously, hierarchical approaches to community‐level data have been developed to gain insights into community‐level processes and to improve species‐level inference by borrowing information from other species that are either ecologically or phylogenetically related to the focal species.

We unify spatial and community‐level structures by developing spatially explicit joint species distribution models. The models utilize spatially structured latent factors to model missing covariates as well as species‐to‐species associations in a statistically and computationally effective manner.

We illustrate that the inclusion of the spatial latent factors greatly increases the predictive performance of the modelling approach with a case study of 55 species of butterfly recorded on a 10 km × 10 km grid in Great Britain consisting of 2609 grid cells.
Reduced Circulating Concentration of Brain‐derived Neurotrophic Factor is Associated with Peri‐ and Post‐implantation Failure following In Vitro Fertilization–Embryo Transfer
Authors: Ramer Ilana , Kruczek Alexis , Doulaveris Georgios , Orfanelli Theofano , Shulman Brittney , Witkin Steven S. , Spandorfer Steven D.
Published: November 2015

Problem

We evaluated associations between brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin‐4 (NT4) and pregnancy outcome in women undergoing in vitro fertilization–embryo transfer (IVF‐ET).

Method of study

Sera obtained on days 24 and 28 of an IVF cycle from women with a live birth, spontaneous abortion, biochemical pregnancy, not pregnant, or an ectopic pregnancy were retrospectively analyzed for BDNF and NT4 by ELISA.

Results

Median BDNF levels were higher in women with a live birth compared to women with an ectopic pregnancy (P < 0.0001), spontaneous abortion (P < 0.0001), or a biochemical pregnancy (P = 0.0004), but not in women who did not become pregnant. NT4 was detected in <25% of sera and did not differ by outcome. There was no association between BDNF level and oocyte or pre‐transfer embryo parameters.

Conclusion

Decreased circulating BDNF early in an IVF cycle is associated with adverse peri‐ and/or post‐implantation events and subsequent pregnancy failure.
Immunomodulation of Lactobacillus reuteri CRL1324 on Group B Streptococcus Vaginal Colonization in a Murine Experimental Model
Authors: De Gregorio Priscilla Romina , Juárez Tomás María Silvina , Nader‐Macías María Elena Fátima
Published: November 2015

Problem

Maternal Group B Streptococcus (GBS) colonization is a risk factor for infectious disease in newborns. One promising strategy is the modulation of vaginal defense to increase the host's ability to combat infection.

Method of Study

The effect of intravaginal (i.va.) Lactobacillus reuteri CRL1324 inoculation on different immune cell populations, cytokines, and immunoglobulin isotypes in a murine model of GBS vaginal colonization was evaluated.

Results

Seven i.va. inoculations of L. reuteri CRL1324 previous to GBS challenge showed an immunomodulatory effect on the cells and mediators of innate immunity, decreasing the number of neutrophils induced by the pathogen and increasing the activated macrophage population. Moreover, increases in B lymphocytes and IgA and IgG subclasses were observed in mice inoculated with L. reuteri CRL1324 and then challenged with GBS.

Conclusion

Lactobacillus reuteri CRL1324 shows a protective effect against GBS colonization that could be mediated by the modulation of the immune response.
Death and Turnout: The Human Costs of War and Voter Participation in Democracies
Authors: Koch Michael T. , Nicholson Stephen P.
Published: November 2015

War heightens public interest in politics, especially when human lives are lost. We examine whether, and how, combat casualties affect the decision to vote in established democracies. Drawing from social psychology research on mortality salience, we expect increasing casualties to increase the salience of death, information that moves people to defend their worldview, especially nationalistic and ideological values. By heightening the importance of values, we propose that combat casualties increase the benefits of voting. In particular, we expect the effect of combat casualties to be pronounced among the least politically engaged. Using both cross‐national data of elections in 23 democracies over a 50‐year period and survey data from the United States and United Kingdom during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, we found that mounting casualties increase turnout. Furthermore, as expected, we found the effect of casualties to be most pronounced among those least interested in politics.
Myopia and/or longer axial length are protective against diabetic retinopathy: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Fu Yu , Geng Dengfeng , Liu Hua , Che Huixin
Published: November 2015

Purpose

To evaluate the current evidence of the relationship between myopia, together with its structural and refractive component, and diabetic retinopathy (DR) risk.

Methods

A systematic search was performed up to April, 2015. Summary odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated employing random‐effects models. Three models were used to assess the association between myopia and risk of DR: axial length (AL) (per millimetre increase) and DR; myopia (myopia versus non‐myopia) and DR; refractive error (RE) (per D decrease) and DR. Publication bias of the literature was evaluated using Begg's funnel plots and Egger's test.

Results

A total of 11 studies that met the predefined criteria were included in this meta‐analysis. Overall, longer AL (per millimetre increase) was associa‐ted with a significantly decreased risk of DR (combined OR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.65–0.86; p < 0.001); myopic eyes (myopia versus non‐myopia) showed a lower risk of DR (combined OR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.58–0.85; p < 0.001). A greater degree of myopic RE (per D decrease) also revealed a significantly decreased risk of DR (combined OR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.85–0.93; p < 0.001). The sensitivity analyses and cumulative meta‐analysis showed similar results. No publication bias was detected in any of the three models.

Conclusions

This meta‐analysis suggests that both myopic refraction and longer AL are associated with a lower risk of DR. Further studies are needed to determine exact mechanisms underpinning the protective effect of myopia against DR.
Multicenter clinical trial of high‐intensity focused ultrasound treatment in glaucoma patients without previous filtering surgery
Authors: Aptel Florent , Denis Philippe , Rouland Jean‐François , Renard Jean‐Paul , Bron Alain
Published: November 2015

Purpose

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the ultrasonic circular cyclocoagulation procedure in patients with open‐angle glaucoma naïve of previous filtering surgery.

Methods

Prospective non‐comparative interventional clinical study conducted in five French University Hospitals. Thirty eyes of 30 patients with open‐angle glaucoma, intra‐ocular pressure (IOP) > 21 mmHg and with no previous filtering glaucoma surgeries were sonicated with a probe comprising six piezoelectric transducers. The six transducers were activated with a 6‐s exposure time. Complete ophthalmic examinations were performed before the procedure and at 1 day, 1 week, 1, 2, 3, 6 and 12 months after the procedure. Primary outcomes were qualified surgical success (defined as IOP reduction from baseline ≥20% and IOP > 5 mmHg with possible re‐intervention and without hypotensive medication adjunction) and complete surgical success (defined as IOP reduction from baseline ≥20%, IOP > 5 mmHg and IOP < 21 mmHg with possible re‐intervention and without hypotensive medication adjunction) at the last follow‐up visit and vision‐threatening complications. Secondary outcomes were mean IOP at each follow‐up visit compared with baseline, medication use, complications and re‐interventions.

Results

Intra‐ocular pressure was significantly reduced (p < 0.05) from a mean pre‐operative value of 28.2 ± 7.2 mmHg (n = 3.6 hypotensive medications) to 19.6 ± 7.9 mmHg at 12 months (n = 3.1 hypotensive medications and n = 1.1 procedures) (mean IOP reduction of 30%). Qualified success was achieved in 63% of eyes (19/30) (mean IOP reduction of 37% in these eyes) and complete success in 46.7% of eyes (14/30) (mean IOP reduction of 37% in these eyes) at the last follow‐up. No major intra‐ or post‐operative complications occurred.

Conclusions

The UC3 procedure seems to be an effective and well‐tolerated method to reduce IOP in patients with open‐angle glaucoma without previous filtering surgery.
Hearing in older adults with exfoliation syndrome/exfoliation glaucoma or primary open‐angle glaucoma
Authors: Tryggvason Geir , Jonasson Fridbert , Cotch Mary Frances , Li Chuan‐Ming , Hoffman Howard J. , Themann Christa L. , Eiriksdottir Gudny , Sverrisdottir Jóhanna Eyrún , Harris Tamara B. , Launer Lenore J. , Gudnason Vilmundur , Petersen Hannes
Published: November 2015

Purpose

To determine whether adults, aged 66–96 years, with exfoliation syndrome (XFS)/exfoliation glaucoma (XFG), or primary open‐angle glaucoma (POAG) have poorer hearing than controls of similar age.

Methods

Case (XFS/XFG and POAG) and control status was diagnosed in the Reykjavik Glaucoma Studies (RGS) using slit‐lamp examination, visual field testing and optic disc photographs; the RGS data were merged with the Age, Gene/Environment Susceptibility–Reykjavik Study that collected hearing data using air‐conduction, pure‐tone thresholds obtained at 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8 kHz categorized by better ear and worse ear, based on pure‐tone averages (PTAs) calculated separately for low and middle frequencies (PTA512 – mean of thresholds at 0.5, 1 and 2 kHz) and high frequencies (PTA3468 – mean of thresholds at 3, 4, 6 and 8 kHz). Multivariable linear regression was used to test for differences in PTAs between cases and controls.

Results

The mean age for 158 XFS/XFG cases (30.4% male) was 77.4 years, 95 POAG cases (35.8% male) was 77.9 years, and 123 controls (46.3% male) was 76.8 years. Using multivariable linear regression analysis, there were no consistent, statistically significant differences in PTAs between the two case groups and controls in either the low‐ or high‐frequency range, even when stratified by age group.

Conclusion

Among the older individuals examined in this study hearing loss is highly prevalent and strongly associated with male gender and increasing age. As we did not find consistent statistically significant difference in hearing between cases and controls the diagnosis of XFS/XFG or POAG does not as such routinely call for audiological evaluation.
Increased binding of circulating systemic lupus erythematosus autoantibodies to recombinant interferon alpha 2b
Authors: Khan Wahid Ali , Qureshi Javed Anwer
Published: November 2015

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multisystem autoimmune disease characterized by various types of immunological abnormalities including circulating and tissue‐fixed autoantibodies reactive with autoantigens. The mechanism that can explain the production of these antibodies is unclear. Here we address the binding specificity of SLE autoantibodies with recombinant alpha interferon 2b (hrIFN α‐2b), commercially available interferon (IFN α‐2b), and the gene (cIFN α‐2b) encoding this interferon. hrIFN α‐2b showed higher binding with naturally occurring SLE autoantibodies as compared to IFN α‐2b (p < 0.05) or cIFN α‐2b gene (p < 0.001) as assessed by direct binding, inhibition ELISA, and quantitative precipitin titration. The relative affinity of SLE autoantibodies for hrIFN α‐2b, IFN α‐2b, and cIFN α‐2b gene was in the order of 1.13 × 10−7, 1.38 × 10−6, and 1.22 × 10−6, respectively. hrIFN α‐2b is shown to have unique epitopes that would explain the possible antigenic role of hrIFN α‐2b in the generation of SLE autoantibodies. Anti‐hrIFN α‐2b antibodies have been shown to represent an alternative immunological probe for the estimation of interferon alpha 2b in the serum of SLE patients.
Antibiotic susceptibility among Staphylococcus epidermidis isolated from prosthetic joint infections, with focus on doxycycline
Authors: Hamad Tarza , Hellmark Bengt , Nilsdotter‐Augustinsson Åsa , Söderquist Bo
Published: November 2015

In recent years, coagulase‐negative staphylococci such as Staphylococcus epidermidis have gained importance as nosocomial pathogens, especially in immunocompromised patients and prosthetic joint infections (PJIs). These infections are often long lasting and difficult to treat due to the production of bacterial biofilm and the transformation of the bacteria into a stationary growth phase. Rifampicin is able to penetrate the biofilm, but to reduce the risk of development of rifampicin resistance it should be used in combination with an additional antibiotic. In this study we used Etest to investigate the antimicrobial susceptibility of 134 clinical isolates of S. epidermidis obtained from PJIs to six oral antibiotics: doxycycline, rifampicin, linezolid, fusidic acid, clindamycin, and ciprofloxacin. We also performed synergy testing on doxycycline in combination with each of the remaining antibiotics. Ninety‐three (69%) of the 134 isolates were susceptible to doxycycline, 94/134 (70%) to rifampicin, 56/134 (42%) to clindamycin, 25/134 (19%) to ciprofloxacin, 81/134 (60%) to fusidic acid, and 100% to linezolid. Thirty‐two (80%) of the 40 isolates not fully susceptible to rifampicin were susceptible to doxycycline. Doxycycline in combination with each of the other investigated antibiotics exerted an additive effect on nearly half of the isolates, with the exception of clindamycin, which displayed an even higher percentage of additive effect (69%). To conclude, as the majority of the S. epidermidis isolates were susceptible to doxycycline, this antimicrobial agent may provide a potential alternative for combination therapy together with rifampicin.
Antimycobacterial action of a new glycolipid‐peptide complex obtained from extracellular metabolites of Raoultella ornithinolytica
Authors: Fiołka Marta J. , Grzywnowicz Krzysztof , Mendyk Ewaryst , Zagaja Mirosław , Szewczyk Rafał , Rawski Michał , Keller Radosław , Rzymowska Jolanta , Wydrych Jerzy
Published: November 2015

In this paper, an antimycobacterial component of extracellular metabolites of a gut bacterium Raoultella ornithinolytica from D. veneta earthworms was isolated and its antimycobacterial action was tested using Mycobacterium smegmatis. After incubation with the complex obtained, formation of pores and furrows in cell walls was observed using microscopic techniques. The cells lost their shape, stuck together and formed clusters. Surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy analysis showed that, after incubation, the complex was attached to the cell walls of the Mycobacterium. Analyses of the component performed with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy demonstrated high similarity to a bacteriocin nisin, but energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy analysis revealed differences in the elemental composition of this antimicrobial peptide. The component with antimycobacterial activity was identified using mass spectrometry techniques as a glycolipid–peptide complex. As it exhibits no cytotoxicity on normal human fibroblasts, the glycolipid–peptide complex appears to be a promising compound for investigations of its activity against pathogenic mycobacteria.
Elevated serum levels of Interleukin‐37 are associated with inflammatory cytokines and disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Yang Libin , Zhang Jun , Tao Jingang , Lu Tan
Published: November 2015

Interleukin‐37 (IL‐37) is closely associated with several inflammatory diseases. However, the role of IL‐37 in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) remains unclear. The aim of this study was to assess the associations between serum levels of IL‐37 and disease activity, inflammatory cytokines, and bone loss in patients with RA. Serum cytokines levels were examined by Enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Radiographic bone erosion was assessed using the van der Heijde‐modified Sharp score and bone mineral density (BMD) was measured using DXA. Serum IL‐37 levels in RA patients were significantly higher than those in HCs (p < 0.001), and were significantly positively correlated with clinical parameters of disease activity and serum levels of IL‐17 and IL‐23. In addition, serum IL‐37 levels were significantly higher in patients with stage IV of radiographic bone erosion than those with stage III and stage I–II, and they were significantly higher in those with osteopenia and osteoporosis than in those with normal BMD. Our results suggest that serum IL‐37 levels were increased in patients with RA and were positively associated with disease activity, IL‐17/IL‐23 and bone loss in RA, suggesting that IL‐37 may play a critical role in the pathogenesis of RA.
Aberrant metastatic behavior and particular features of early gastric cancer
Authors: Gurzu Simona , Jung Ioan , Kadar Zoltan
Published: November 2015

In this paper, we have focused on the metastatic behavior of EGC and its particularities. The main factors that are currently considered as predictors of the metastatic behavior and that are used in the therapeutic decision (endoscopic resection vs surgical removal) are the tumor size (upper or bellow 2 cm), depth of infiltration, angiolymphatic invasion, the presence or absence of ulceration, and histologic type (undifferentiated vs differentiated carcinomas). However, most of the metastatic cases were published as case reports or case series. This is the reason why a proper estimation of metastatic risk in EGC is not well known. To date, 79 cases presenting bone metastases, three reports of brain metastases, and one EGC that was associated with skin metastasis were published. However, occult metastasis, lymph node micrometastasis, and skip metastasis can also occur and should be identified. Making a synthesis of the literature data that is correlated with our experience, we finally proposed the inclusion of the six Japanese subgrouping system, tumor size, angiolymphatic invasion, and micrometastasis as components of the pTNM staging system, which should be particularly adapted for EGC.
Portal and splanchnic hemodynamics after partial splenic embolization in cirrhotic patients with hypersplenism
Authors: Helaly Ahmed Z. , Al‐Warraky Mohamed S. , El‐Azab Gasser I. , Kohla Mohamed A. S. , Abdelaal Elsayed E.
Published: November 2015

To assess the acute effects of partial splenic embolization (PSE) on portal and splanchnic hemodynamics in patients with cirrhosis. Ninety‐five patients with hypersplenism were included in the study. Duplex examinations were performed before and 3 and 7 days after PSE. Portal and splanchnic hemodynamics including vessel cross‐sectional area (CSA), mean flow velocities (cm/s), blood flows (mL/min), Doppler indices as portal congestion index (CI), liver vascular index, hepatic artery and superior mesenteric artery (SMA) pulsatility and resistive indices (PI and RI), were performed before and after PSE. In our study, 69 of 95 patients were males (72.6%) and 26 females (27.3%). Chronic hepatitis C virus infection was the main cause of cirrhosis (81.1%). PSE failed technically in six patients (6.3%). After PSE, both CSA and CI significantly decreased (p < 0.05 and <0.01). The portal vein velocity significantly increased (p < 0.01). The portal flow volume (892.4 ± 151 mL/min) did not show significant changes. The hepatic artery RI and PI showed a steady increase that became significant 7 days post‐PSE (p < 0.05). The RI and PI of SMA increased significantly after 7 days of PSE (p < 0.05). PSE has an immediate portal decompression effect in patients with portal hypertension without reduction in portal flow. This effect on portal pressure should be investigated in future studies as a potential tool for management of acute variceal bleeding when other medical procedures fail.
Nuclear and mitochondrial DNAs microsatellite instability and mitochondrial DNA copy number in adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma of lung: a pilot study
Authors: Lee Deok Heon , Lee Jae‐Ho , Kim Dae‐Kwang , Keum Dong Yoon
Published: November 2015

Mitochondrial genetic changes are considered as a key molecular step of mutations in various cancers. To clarify the role of genetic instability in lung cancer, we analyzed clinicopathological characteristics and frequencies of nuclear and mitochondrial microsatellite instability (nMSI and mtMSI), and alteration of mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtCN) in adenocarcinoma (ADC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of lung. DNA was isolated from 48 patients with ADC and 42 with SCC. Markers for nMSI, BAT 25 and 26, and markers for mtMSI, (C)n and (CA)n in mitochondrial D‐loop region, were utilized. The mtCN were measured by real‐time polymerase chain reaction. The nMSI was found in two patients (4.2%) of ADC and 6 (14.3%) of SCC. The mtMSI was detected in 10 patients (20.8%) of ADC and 8 (19.0%) of SCC. Mean mtCN was 5.05 ± 8.17 and 3.34 ± 5.14 in ADC and SCC respectively. The mtCN was increased in 35 patients (72.9%) of ADC and 30 (71.4%) of SCC. The mtMSI more frequently appeared in more advanced pathologic T stage in ADC (p = 0.003). Alterations of mtCN and a high frequency of mtMSI in our patient samples indicate that mitochondrial DNA is a potential molecular marker in lung cancers (ADC and SCC) correlating with their histological classification.