bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Left alone when the cops go home: evaluating a post-mental health crisis assistance program
Authors: Bonkiewicz Luke , M. Green Alan , Moyer Kasey , Wright Joseph
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to evaluate a police department's Post-Crisis Assistance Program (PCAP) for consumers who experienced a police-abated mental health crisis. The authors analyzed three questions: First, does PCAP reduce a consumer's future mental health calls for service (CFS)? Second, does PCAP reduce a consumer's odds of being arrested? Third, does PCAP reduce the odds of a consumer being taken into emergency protective custody (EPC)?

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors use propensity score matching to analyze data from a sample of individuals (n=739) who experienced a police-abated mental health crisis.

Findings

– The authors find that PCAP consumers generated fewer mental health CFS, were less likely to be arrested, and were less likely to be taken into EPC than non-PCAP consumers six months following a police-abated mental health crisis.

Research limitations/implications

– The research only examined outcomes six months after a mental health crisis. The authors encourage future research to examine whether the benefits of PCAP persist over longer periods of time.

Practical implications

– The study demonstrates that partnerships between police departments and local mental health groups can help police officers better serve citizens with mental health conditions.

Originality/Value

– To the knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the impact of a PCAP for citizens experiencing police-abated mental health crises.
Factors affecting police officers’ tendency to cooperate with private investigators
Authors: Lee Chang-Hun , Yun Ilhong
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors that influence police officers’ tendency to cooperate with private investigators.

Design/methodology/approach

– A questionnaire survey method was used on a sample of 377 police officers in South Korea.

Findings

– The findings suggested that, unlike previous literature, police officers’ rational choice (cost vs benefit calculation) was the most important factor, and characteristics of cases also significantly influenced police officers’ tendency to work with private investigators. Also, officers’ job assignment was relevant, unlike the organizational cultural context for cooperation.

Originality/value

– Prior studies have continuously emphasized the importance of cooperation between public police and private police (particularly private investigators) in order to enhance effectiveness in crime fighting and the preventive functions of policing. However, the studies have not produced empirical evidence as to how cooperation between the two sectors could be enhanced. This study fills this void in the literature.
Social identity in people with multiple sclerosis: a meta-synthesis of qualitative research
Authors: B. Barker Alex , das Nair Roshan , B. Lincoln Nadina , Hunt Nigel
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– Many aspects of the self are lost as a consequence of having multiple sclerosis (MS). A person's identity can be altered by negative self-concepts, which are associated with poor psychological wellbeing and can lead individuals to reconstruct their sense of self. The Social Identity Model of Identity Change argues that previously established identities form a basis of continued social support, by providing grounding and connectedness to others to facilitate the establishment of new identities. Family support is a salient factor in adjustment to MS and may enable the establishment of new identities. The purpose of this paper is to investigate identity reconstruction following a diagnosis of MS.

Design/methodology/approach

– A meta-synthesis of the qualitative literature was conducted to examine the relationship between identity change and family identity of people with MS and other family members.

Findings

– In all, 16 studies were identified that examined identity change and the family following a diagnosis of MS. Coping strategies used by people with MS and their wider family groups, affect the reconstruction of people's identity and the adjustment to MS. Receiving support from the family whilst a new identity is constructed can buffer against the negative effects of identity loss.

Practical implications

– The family base is strengthened if MS-related problems in daily life are adapted into the individual and family identity using positive coping styles.

Originality/value

– This review provides an interpretation and explanation for results of previous qualitative studies in this area.
Medico‐Legal Evaluation of Firearm Injuries—An Original Study from India with Review of Literature
Authors: Kumar Alok , Sachan Rahul , Verma Archana
Published: November 2014

Firearm (FA) injuries pose great health burden and presents enormous challenge for health and national economies. This study was undertaken to analyze the characteristics of fatal gunshot injuries, their pattern, associated factors, and postmortem findings in central India, to provide data for such fatalities in this region, which has not been reported earlier. This is a descriptive, retrospective cross‐sectional study carried out on the victims of FA injuries referred to the mortuary. Of the autopsies conducted during study, 2.09% were firearm‐related deaths. Of the cases, males (92.42%) notably outnumbered females in a ratio of 12.2:1. Homicidal attacks were maximum, and unlicensed, illegal country‐made weapons were the preferred choice. Suicides were least. Result signifies that illegal country‐made weapons should be strictly limited to save the precious lives. A holistic approach encompassing public awareness, behavioral modification, and stringent management of law and order is the need of the hour.
Classification of Pelvic Ring Fractures in Skeletonized Human Remains
Authors: Báez‐Molgado Socorro , Bartelink Eric J. , Jellema Lyman M. , Spurlock Linda , Sholts Sabrina B.
Published: November 2014

Pelvic ring fractures are associated with high rates of mortality and thus can provide key information about circumstances surrounding death. These injuries can be particularly informative in skeletonized remains, yet difficult to diagnose and interpret. This study adapted a clinical system of classifying pelvic ring fractures according to their resultant degree of pelvic stability for application to gross human skeletal remains. The modified Tile criteria were applied to the skeletal remains of 22 individuals from the Cleveland Museum of Natural History and Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México that displayed evidence of pelvic injury. Because these categories are tied directly to clinical assessments concerning the severity and treatment of injuries, this approach can aid in the identification of manner and cause of death, as well as interpretations of possible mechanisms of injury, such as those typical in car‐to‐pedestrian and motor vehicle accidents.
Heart Pigmentation in the Gray Bichir, Polypterus senegalus (Actinopterygii: Polypteriformes)
Authors: Reyes‐Moya I. , Torres‐Prioris A. , Sans‐Coma V. , Fernández B. , Durán A. C.
Published: November 2014

The occurrence of pigment cells in the heart is well documented in amphibians, birds and mammals. By contrast, information on heart pigmentation in fish is extremely sparse. The aim is to report the presence of pigment cells over the entire surface of the heart in the gray bichir, Polypterus senegalus. The sample consisted of 12 hearts, which, after gross anatomical examination, were studied using histochemical and immunohistochemical techniques for light microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The pigment cells were located in the subepicardium, showing a regular distribution pattern across the whole heart, except for the anterior end of the outflow tract, where the pigmentation was much more intense. The cells contained dark, ovoid‐shaped organelles which was consistent with a melanosome cell identity. As in other vertebrates, the physiological role of the pigment cells in the heart of the gray bichir is unknown. The absence of such cells in hearts of other polypteriforms suggests that cells containing melanin are not essential for normal fish heart function. Basing on literature data concerning tetrapods, it can be inferred that the pigment cells of the heart of the gray bichir derive from the neural crest. If this were true, our findings would provide the first evidence for the presence of neural crest‐derived cells in the subepicardium of adult hearts of early actinopterygians.
Autoantibodies Isolated from Patients with Preeclampsia Induce Soluble Endoglin Production from Trophoblast Cells Via Interactions with Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor
Authors: Kobayashi Yusuke , Yamamoto Tatsuo , Chishima Fumihisa , Takahashi Hideki , Suzuki Manami
Published: November 2014

Problem

This study investigated whether angiotensin II type 1 receptor agonistic autoantibodies (AT1‐AAs) mediate the increased release of soluble endoglin (sEng) in women with preeclampsia.

Method of study

Serum samples were obtained from women with normal pregnancies or with preeclampsia. Human first‐trimester trophoblast cells were cultured with purified IgG derived from these sera, and the sEng protein and mRNA expression levels were measured in the supernatants. We also determined the effects of the AT1‐AAs on these cells following treatment with an AT1 receptor antagonist (losartan).

Results

Compared with the IgG isolated from the women with normal pregnancies, treatments of the preeclamptic patients markedly increased sEng production and mRNA expression in trophoblast cells. Co‐treatment with losartan significantly attenuated the release of sEng and sEng mRNA expression in the trophoblast cells.

Conclusion

AT1‐AAs may be related to the increased release of sEng observed during preeclampsia and may play important roles in the pathology of this disorder.
Fatty liver indices in the multiethnic United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
Authors: Ruhl C. E. , Everhart J. E.
Published: November 2014

Background

Validated non‐invasive measures of fatty liver are needed that can be applied across populations and over time. A fatty liver index (FLI) including body mass index, waist circumference, triglycerides and gamma glutamyltransferase (GGT) activity was developed in an Italian municipality, but has not been validated widely or examined in a multiethnic population.

Aims

We evaluated this FLI in the multiethnic U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and also to explore whether an improved index for the U.S. population (US FLI) could be derived. The US FLI would then used to examine U.S. time trends in fatty liver prevalence.

Methods

We studied 5869 fasted, viral hepatitis negative adult participants with abdominal ultrasound data on fatty liver in the 1988–1994 NHANES. Time trend analyses included 21 712 NHANES 1988–1994 and 1999–2012 participants.

Results

The prevalence of fatty liver was 20%. For the FLI, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC; 95% confidence interval (CI)] was 0.78 (0.74–0.81). The US FLI included age, race‐ethnicity, waist circumference, GGT activity, fasting insulin and fasting glucose and had an AUC (95% CI) of 0.80 (0.77–0.83). Defining fatty liver as a US FLI ≥ 30, the prevalence increased from 18% in 1988–1991 to 29% in 1999–2000 to 31% in 2011–2012.

Conclusions

For predicting fatty liver, the US FLI was a modest improvement over the FLI in the multiethnic U.S. population. Using this measure, the fatty liver prevalence in the U.S. population increased substantially over two decades.
Characterizing the PK/PD relationship for inhibition of capsaicin‐induced dermal vasodilatation by MK‐3207, an oral calcitonin gene related peptide receptor antagonist
Authors: Li Chi‐Chung , Vermeersch Steve , Denney William S. , Kennedy William P. , Palcza John , Gipson Adrianna , Han Tae H. , Blanchard Rebecca , De Lepeleire Inge , Depré Marleen , Murphy M. Gail , Van Dyck Kristien , de Hoon Jan N.
Published: November 2014

Aims

Calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonists are effective acute migraine treatments. A capsaicin‐induced dermal vasodilatation (CIDV) model has been developed to provide target‐engagement information in healthy volunteers. In the model, CGRP release is provoked after dermal capsaicin application, by activating transient receptor potential vanilloid‐type‐1 (TRPV1) receptors at peripheral sensory nerves. Laser Doppler imaging is used to quantify CIDV and subsequent inhibition by CGRP receptor antagonists. We sought to evaluate a CGRP receptor antagonist, MK‐3207, in the biomarker model and to assess the predictability of the CIDV response to migraine clinical efficacy.

Methods

An integrated population pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) model was developed to describe the exposure−response relationship for CIDV inhibition by CGRP and TRPV1 receptor antagonists. MK‐3207 dose−response predictions were made based on estimated potency from the PK/PD model and mean plasma concentrations observed at the doses investigated.

Results

The results suggested that a 20 mg dose of MK‐3207 (EC50 of 1.59 nm) would be required to attain the peripheral CIDV response at a target level that was shown previously to correlate with 2 h clinical efficacy based on phase 3 telcagepant clinical data, and that a plateau of the dose−response would be reached around 40–100 mg. These predictions provided a quantitative rationale for dose selection in a phase 2 clinical trial of MK‐3207 and helped with interpretation of the efficacy results from the trial.

Conclusions

The integrated CIDV PK/PD model provides a useful platform for characterization of PK/PD relationships and predictions of dose−response relationships to aid in future development of CGRP and TRPV1 receptor antagonists.
Migration Pessimism and the Subjective Well‐Being of Migrant Households in Mexico
Authors: JONES RICHARD
Published: November 2014

A new migration pessimism argues that the economic benefits of international labour migration for migrant households may not justify the social costs. This article provides a test of this argument based on the author's survey of 304 households in Jerez municipio (municipality), Zacatecas, Mexico, in 2009. The results indicate that active households (those with at least one migrant abroad) perceived their economic situation to have improved more, but both their social cohesion and their happiness to be less than those of non‐active households. Social cohesion (family unity and maintenance of values) is shown to be pivotal in the happiness differential enjoyed by the non‐active households.
Caveolins in cardioprotection – translatability and mechanisms
Authors: Schilling Jan M , Roth David M , Patel Hemal H
Published: November 2014

Translation of preclinical treatments for ischaemia‐reperfusion injury into clinical therapies has been limited by a number of factors. This review will focus on a single mode of cardiac protection related to a membrane scaffolding protein, caveolin, which regulates protective signalling as well as myocyte ultrastructure in the setting of ischaemic stress. Factors that have limited the clinical translation of protection will be considered specifically in terms of signalling and structural defects. The potential of caveolin to overcome barriers to protection with the ultimate hope of clinical translation will be discussed.

Linked Articles

This article is part of a themed section on Conditioning the Heart – Pathways to Translation. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2015.172.issue‐8
Novel strategies and underlying protective mechanisms of modulation of vagal activity in cardiovascular diseases
Authors: He Xi , Zhao Ming , Bi Xueyuan , Sun Lei , Yu Xiaojiang , Zhao Mei , Zang Weijin
Published: November 2014

Cardiovascular disease remains a major cause of disability and death worldwide. Autonomic imbalance, characterized by suppressed vagal (parasympathetic) activity and increased sympathetic activity, correlates with various pathological conditions, including heart failure, arrhythmia, ischaemia/reperfusion injury and hypertension. Conventionally, pharmacological interventions, such as β‐blocker treatment, have primarily targeted suppressing sympathetic over‐activation, while vagal modulation has always been neglected. Emerging evidence has documented the improvement of cardiac and vascular function mediated by the vagal nerve. Many investigators have tried to explore the effective ways to enhance vagal tone and normalize the autonomic nervous system. In this review, we attempt to give an overview of these therapeutic strategies, including direct vagal activation (electrical vagal stimulation, ACh administration and ACh receptor activation), pharmacological modulation (adenosine, cholinesterase inhibitors, statins) and exercise training. This overview provides valuable information for combination therapy, contributing to establishment of a comprehensive system on vagal modulation from the aspects of clinical application and lifestyle improvement. In addition, the mechanisms contributing to the benefits of enhancing vagal tone are diverse and have not yet been fully defined. We endeavour to outline the recent findings that advance our knowledge regarding the many favourable effects exerted by vagal activation: anti‐inflammatory pathways, modulation of NOS and NO signalling, regulation of redox state, improvement of mitochondrial biogenesis and function, and potential calcium regulation. This review may help to develop novel therapeutic strategies targeting enhancing vagal activity for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

Linked Articles

This article is part of a themed section on Chinese Innovation in Cardiovascular Drug Discovery. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2015.172.issue-23
Reduced CD5+CD24hiCD38hi and interleukin-10+ regulatory B cells in active anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody-associated vasculitis permit increased circulating autoantibodies
Authors: Aybar L T , McGregor J G , Hogan S L , Hu Y , Mendoza C E , Brant E J , Poulton C J , Henderson C D , Falk R J , Bunch D O
Published: November 2014

Pathogenesis of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis is B cell-dependent, although how particular B cell subsets modulate immunopathogenesis remains unknown. Although their phenotype remains controversial, regulatory B cells (Bregs), play a role in immunological tolerance via interleukin (IL)-10. Putative CD19+CD24hiCD38hi and CD19+CD24hiCD27+ Bregs were evaluated in addition to their CD5+ subsets in 69 patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV). B cell IL-10 was verified by flow cytometry following culture with CD40 ligand and cytosine–phosphate–guanosine (CpG) DNA. Patients with active disease had decreased levels of CD5+CD24hiCD38hi B cells and IL-10+ B cells compared to patients in remission and healthy controls (HCs). As IL-10+ and CD5+CD24hiCD38hi B cells normalized in remission within an individual, ANCA titres decreased. The CD5+ subset of CD24hiCD38hi B cells decreases in active disease and rebounds during remission similarly to IL-10-producing B cells. Moreover, CD5+ B cells are enriched in the ability to produce IL-10 compared to CD5neg B cells. Together these results suggest that CD5 may identify functional IL-10-producing Bregs. The malfunction of Bregs during active disease due to reduced IL-10 expression may thus permit ANCA production.
Molecular phylogeny ofIndo‐Pacific carpenter ants (Hymenoptera:Formicidae,Camponotus) reveals waves of dispersal and colonization from diverse source areas
Authors: Clouse Ronald M. , Janda Milan , Blanchard Benjamin , Sharma Prashant , Hoffmann Benjamin D. , Andersen Alan N. , Czekanski‐Moir Jesse E. , Krushelnycky Paul , Rabeling Christian , Wilson Edward O. , Economo Evan P. , Sarnat Eli M. , General David M. , Alpert Gary D. , Wheeler Ward C.
Published: November 2014

Ants that resembleCamponotus maculatus(Fabricius, 1782) present an opportunity to test the hypothesis that the origin of the Pacific island fauna was primarily New Guinea, the Philippines, and the Indo‐Malay archipelago (collectively known as Malesia). We sequenced two mitochondrial and four nuclear markers from 146 specimens from Pacific islands, Australia, and Malesia. We also added 211 specimens representing a larger worldwide sample and performed a series of phylogenetic analyses and ancestral area reconstructions. Results indicate that the Pacific members of this group comprise several robust clades that have distinctly different biogeographical histories, and they suggest an important role for Australia as a source of Pacific colonizations. Malesian areas were recovered mostly in derived positions, and one lineage appears to be Neotropical. Phylogenetic hypotheses indicate that the orange, pan‐Pacific form commonly identified asC. chloroticusEmery 1897 actually consists of two distantly related lineages. Also, the lineage on Hawaiʻi, which has been calledC. variegatus(Smith, 1858), appears to be closely related toC. tortuganusEmery, 1895 in Florida and other lineages in the New World. In Micronesia and Polynesia theC. chloroticus‐like species support predictions of the taxon‐cycle hypothesis and could be candidates for human‐mediated dispersal.
Using Strategic Foresight to Assess Conservation Opportunity
Authors: COOK CARLY N. , WINTLE BONNIE C. , ALDRICH STEPHEN C. , WINTLE BRENDAN A.
Published: November 2014

The nature of conservation challenges can foster a reactive, rather than proactive approach to decision making. Failure to anticipate problems before they escalate results in the need for more costly and time‐consuming solutions. Proactive conservation requires forward‐looking approaches to decision making that consider possible futures without being overly constrained by the past. Strategic foresight provides a structured process for considering the most desirable future and for mapping the most efficient and effective approaches to promoting that future with tools that facilitate creative thinking. The process involves 6 steps: setting the scope, collecting inputs, analyzing signals, interpreting the information, determining how to act, and implementing the outcomes. Strategic foresight is ideal for seeking, recognizing, and realizing conservation opportunities because it explicitly encourages a broad‐minded, forward‐looking perspective on an issue. Despite its potential value, the foresight process is rarely used to address conservation issues, and previous attempts have generally failed to influence policy. We present the strategic foresight process as it can be used for proactive conservation planning, describing some of the key tools in the foresight tool kit and how they can be used to identify and exploit different types of conservation opportunities. Scanning is an important tool for collecting and organizing diverse streams of information and can be used to recognize new opportunities and those that could be created. Scenario planning explores how current trends, drivers of change, and key uncertainties might influence the future and can be used to identify barriers to opportunities. Backcasting is used to map out a path to a goal and can determine how to remove barriers to opportunities. We highlight how the foresight process was used to identify conservation opportunities during the development of a strategic plan to address climate change in New York State. The plan identified solutions that should be effective across a range of possible futures. Illustrating the application of strategic foresight to identify conservation opportunities should provide the impetus for decision makers to explore strategic foresight as a way to support more proactive conservation policy, planning, and management.
The Grain of Spatially Referenced Economic Cost and Biodiversity Benefit Data and the Effectiveness of a Cost Targeting Strategy
Authors: SUTTON N. J. , ARMSWORTH P. R.
Published: November 2014

Facing tight resource constraints, conservation organizations must allocate funds available for habitat protection as effectively as possible. Often, they combine spatially referenced economic and biodiversity data to prioritize land for protection. We tested how sensitive these prioritizations could be to differences in the spatial grain of these data by demonstrating how the conclusion of a classic debate in conservation planning between cost and benefit targeting was altered based on the available information. As a case study, we determined parcel‐level acquisition costs and biodiversity benefits of land transactions recently undertaken by a nonprofit conservation organization that seeks to protect forests in the eastern United States. Then, we used hypothetical conservation plans to simulate the types of ex ante priorities that an organization could use to prioritize areas for protection. We found the apparent effectiveness of cost and benefit targeting depended on the spatial grain of the data used when prioritizing parcels based on local species richness. However, when accounting for complementarity, benefit targeting consistently was more efficient than a cost targeting strategy regardless of the spatial grain of the data involved. More pertinently for other studies, we found that combining data collected over different spatial grains inflated the apparent effectiveness of a cost targeting strategy and led to overestimation of the efficiency gain offered by adopting a more integrative return‐on‐investment approach.
Histologic findings following use of hydrophilic polymer with potassium ferrate for hemostasis
Authors: Barlev Danny , Spicknall Kerith E.
Published: November 2014

Hydrophilic polymer with potassium salt is a hemostatic agent marketed for use by healthcare professionals and as an over‐the‐counter product available to healthcare consumers. In particular, dermatologic surgeons may use hydrophilic polymer for hemostasis in wounds left to heal by secondary intention. Foreign body reaction to hydrophilic polymer was recently reported. The microscopic findings in four additional patients treated with hydrophilic polymer are presented. The wounds of three patients were treated with hydrophilic polymer following a dermatologic surgical procedure while one patient used over‐the‐counter hydrophilic polymer on an abrasion. Three patients developed a foreign body reaction. Histopathologic examination revealed angulated fragments of deep purple material representing hydrophylic polymer admixed with round orange‐red bodies and yellow‐brown granules representing potassium ferrate. The components were found both free in the dermis and within multinucleated giant cells. Hydrophilic polymer must be differentiated from other materials observed in re‐excision specimens, including ferric subsulfate, aluminum chloride and Gelfoam® (Pharmacia and Upjohn Co., New York, NY, USA).
Immunocytochemical staining for stratifin and OCIAD2 in bronchial washing specimens increases sensitivity for diagnosis of lung cancer
Authors: Itoguchi N. , Nakagawa T. , Murata Y. , Li D. , Shiba‐Ishii A. , Minami Y. , Noguchi M.
Published: November 2014

Objective

Brushing or washing cytology taken at bronchoscopy is a standard diagnostic procedure for lung cancer. The present study evaluated the sensitivity of immunocytochemical diagnosis of lung cancer using bronchial washing materials.

Methods

We collected bronchial washing samples taken at bronchoscopy between July 2012 and July 2013 at Tsukuba University Hospital and studied 106 cases that were finally diagnosed as lung cancer. We collected exfoliated cells using a thin‐layer advanced cytology assay system (TACAS™) and performed cytological diagnosis using Papanicolaou staining. As controls, we randomly selected 30 tumour‐negative cases from among samples collected during the same period. Using these materials, we also examined the expression of stratifin (14‐3‐3 sigma) (n = 92) and OCIAD2 ovarian immunoreactive antigen domain 2) (n = 106) by immunocytochemistry, as these are considered to be broad spectrum immune markers for lung adenocarcinoma including early invasive lung adenocarcinoma.

Results

Using Papanicolaou staining, 52 out of 106 lung cancers (49.1%) were diagnosed as positive. However, positivity was increased to 63.0% by immunocytochemistry using anti‐stratifin or anti‐OCIAD2 antibodies. Biopsies were taken in 103/106 cases and cancer was diagnosed in 60/103, (58.3%). The sensitivity of stratifin or OCIAD2 was significantly higher than that of Papanicolaou staining (P = 0.027), but immunocytochemistry detected false‐positive cells in 3/30 cases (10%) for stratifin and 2/30 cases (7%) for OCIAD2.

Conclusion

Immunocytochemical staining for stratifin and OCIAD2 improved diagnostic sensitivity for lung cancers but diagnostic specificity was lower than that for cytology alone. The immunostains carried up to a 10% risk of a false‐positive result and therefore positive staining must be confirmed by morphological evidence of malignancy.
Outsourcing cytological samples to a referral laboratory for EGFR testing in non‐small cell lung cancer: does theory meet practice?
Authors: Vigliar E. , Malapelle U. , Bellevicine C. , de Luca C. , Troncone G.
Published: November 2014

Objective

Guidelines from the College of American Pathologists (CAP), the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) and the Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) consider cytology suitable for testing epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations in lung adenocarcinoma. The guidelines recommend that cytopathologists first discuss the possibility of testing squamous cell carcinomas (SqCC) in multidisciplinary meetings. Second, cell blocks should be analysed rather than smear preparations and, third, specimens should be sent to external molecular laboratories within three working days of receiving requests. This study monitored how these recommendations are met in practice.

Methods

Our laboratory received 596 requests from cytologists from 13 different institutions. For each case, the cytological diagnosis, cytopreparation type, and time between the request and sample mailing were compared with the recommendations.

Results

Of the 596 samples, 32 (5.4%) had been reported as SqCC. Three of these (9.4%) showed EGFR mutation. Cytological slides, either ThinPrep™ (51.2%) or direct smears (43.2%), were more frequently received than cell blocks (5.7%). The mean time between the oncologist's request and specimen dispatching was 5.8 working days.

Conclusions

The occurrence of mutations in samples reported as SqCC was higher than expected. This questions the reliability of the original diagnosis, which reinforced the recommendation to evaluate the opportunity for testing non‐adenocarcinoma cytology on a case‐by‐case basis. In spite of CAP/IASLC/AMP recommendations, cell blocks were underutilized for EGFR testing, but cytological slides were suitable for DNA analyses. Significant efforts are needed to avoid delays in outsourcing cytological samples for EGFR testing.
Has the Income Share of the Middle and Upper‐middle Been Stable around the ‘50/50 Rule’, or Has it Converged towards that Level? The ‘Palma Ratio’ Revisited
Authors: Palma José Gabriel
Published: November 2014

In an article published in this journal in 2011, an alternative measure of inequality was suggested, which has subsequently become known as ‘the Palma Ratio’. In this new article, the author of the original proposal revisits the argument for such a measure. Using new data, he examines whether the current remarkable homogeneity in the income share of the middle and upper‐middle around the world — the foundation of the so‐called ‘Palma Ratio’ — is an historically stable stylized fact, or whether it is a new phenomenon, the outcome of a process of convergence towards the current ‘50/50 Rule’ (in which half of the population in each country located within deciles 5 to 9 tends to appropriate about 50 per cent of the national income, or just above). Although partly written in response to a comment on the 2011 paper (published in this issue), the article also makes a substantive further contribution to the literature on inequality and the statistics to measure it.
Independent invention in Italy during the Liberal Age, 1861–1913
Authors: Nuvolari Alessandro , Vasta Michelangelo
Published: November 2014

This article examines the phenomenon of independent invention in Italy during the Liberal Age (1861–1913). It makes use of a new dataset comprising all patents granted in Italy in five benchmark years: 1864–5, 1881, 1891, 1902, and 1911. The following exercises are carried out. First, an examination is undertaken of the shares of independent, corporate, and foreign inventions and their evolution over time and across industries. Second, by exploiting the peculiarities of Italian patent legislation, which was characterized by relatively cheap fees and a flexible renewal scheme, the relative quality of independent and corporate patents is assessed. The results indicate that in Italy independent inventors made an important contribution to technological change in terms of number of patents, but the quality of their patents was significantly lower than that of firms and of foreign patentees.
Climate warming increases biological control agent impact on a non‐target species
Authors: Lu Xinmin , Siemann Evan , He Minyan , Wei Hui , Shao Xu , Ding Jianqing
Published: November 2014

Climate change may shift interactions of invasive plants, herbivorous insects and native plants, potentially affecting biological control efficacy and non‐target effects on native species. Here, we show how climate warming affects impacts of a multivoltine introduced biocontrol beetle on the non‐target native plant Alternanthera sessilis in China. In field surveys across a latitudinal gradient covering their full distributions, we found beetle damage on A. sessilis increased with rising temperature and plant life history changed from perennial to annual. Experiments showed that elevated temperature changed plant life history and increased insect overwintering, damage and impacts on seedling recruitment. These results suggest that warming can shift phenologies, increase non‐target effect magnitude and increase non‐target effect occurrence by beetle range expansion to additional areas where A. sessilis occurs. This study highlights the importance of understanding how climate change affects species interactions for future biological control of invasive species and conservation of native species.
From the Editors: Epilepsia's 2014 Operational Definition of Epilepsy Survey
Authors: Mathern Gary W. , Beninsig Laurie , Nehlig Astrid
Published: November 2014

Objective

From March 19 to June 30, 2014, Epilepsia conducted an open access online survey asking directed questions related to the 2014 Operational Definition of Epilepsy. This study reports the findings of that poll.

Methods

The survey consisted of seven questions. Three questions addressed: (1) Criteria for when a person could be considered to have epilepsy after a single seizure; (2) if individuals with reflex seizures (unprovoked) have epilepsy; and (3) when epilepsy could be considered “resolved.” Four added questions asked if responders were medical personal compared with patients and family members, geographic region of residence based on International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) regions, and if responders had read the paper and if they were ILAE/International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE) members.

Results

Of 476 that started the survey, 324 (68%) completed it. As recommended in the ILAE report, 43% agreed that if the chance of a second seizure after a first one was 61–90%, then a person could be considered to have epilepsy. More medical professionals agreed with the 61–90% criteria (55%) compared with patients (21%), while more patients indicated that epilepsy should only be defined after two unprovoked seizures (51%) compared with medical professionals (21%; p < 0.0001). The majority indicated that reflex seizures qualify a person as having epilepsy (79%). As recommended in the ILAE report, 51% agreed that the definition of a person with “resolved” epilepsy would be 10 years seizure‐free and off medication for the last 5 years. More medical professionals agreed with this definition (59%) compared with patients (37%), while more patients indicated that epilepsy is never resolved (32%) compared with medical professionals (7%; p < 0.0001). There were no differences based on geographic residence.

Significance

This survey found that the ILAE recommendations had the highest responses. However, there was clear disagreement with identified differences comparing medical personal with patients. These findings support the notion that there is a need and further opportunities for the ILAE to educate medical professionals and patients and their families on the 2014 Operational Definition of Epilepsy.
Carbon stock loss from deforestation through 2013 in Brazilian Amazonia
Authors: Nogueira Euler Melo , Yanai Aurora M , Fonseca Frederico O R , Fearnside Philip Martin
Published: November 2014

The largest carbon stock in tropical vegetation is in Brazilian Amazonia. In this ~5 million km2 area, over 750 000 km2 of forest and ~240 000 km2 of nonforest vegetation types had been cleared through 2013. We estimate current carbon stocks and cumulative gross carbon loss from clearing of premodern vegetation in Brazil's ‘Legal Amazonia’ and ‘Amazonia biome’ regions. Biomass of ‘premodern’ vegetation (prior to major increases in disturbance beginning in the 1970s) was estimated by matching vegetation classes mapped at a scale of 1 : 250 000 and 29 biomass means from 41 published studies for vegetation types classified as forest (2317 1‐ha plots) and as either nonforest or contact zones (1830 plots and subplots of varied size). Total biomass (above and below‐ground, dry weight) underwent a gross reduction of 18.3% in Legal Amazonia (13.1 Pg C) and 16.7% in the Amazonia biome (11.2 Pg C) through 2013, excluding carbon loss from the effects of fragmentation, selective logging, fires, mortality induced by recent droughts and clearing of forest regrowth. In spite of the loss of carbon from clearing, large amounts of carbon were stored in stands of remaining vegetation in 2013, equivalent to 149 Mg C ha−1 when weighted by the total area covered by each vegetation type in Legal Amazonia. Native vegetation in Legal Amazonia in 2013 originally contained 58.6 Pg C, while that in the Amazonia biome contained 56 Pg C. Emissions per unit area from clearing could potentially be larger in the future because previously cleared areas were mainly covered by vegetation with lower mean biomass than the remaining vegetation. Estimates of original biomass are essential for estimating losses to forest degradation. This study offers estimates of cumulative biomass loss, as well as estimates of premodern carbon stocks that have not been represented in recent estimates of deforestation impacts.
Nutrient‐dependent growth defects and mutability of mutators in Escherichia coli
Authors: Ishizawa Yuuka , Ying Bei‐Wen , Tsuru Saburo , Yomo Tetsuya
Published: November 2014

So‐called mutators emerge when mismatch repair and proofreading mechanisms are defective. Mutators not only accelerate the accumulation of mutations that are beneficial for adaptation but also cause a large number of deleterious mutations that are disadvantageous for cell growth. However, such growth defects may be compensated by nutrient availability. How the growth burden is associated with high mutability in relation to nutritional variation is an intriguing question. To address this question, we constructed a variety of Escherichia coli mutator strains through combinatorial deletions of mismatch repair and proofreading genes and quantitatively evaluated their growth and mutation rates under different nutritional conditions. Growth defects caused by high mutation rates were commonly observed in all mutators, and these defects were alleviated by nutrient supplementation in most mutators. In addition, the mutation rates of the mutators fluctuated greatly in response to nutritional conditions, in contrast to the nearly constant mutation rate of the wild‐type strain under varying nutritional conditions. The results showed conditional growth defects and nutrition‐sensitive mutability as general features of mutators. This study indicates the importance of modulating mutability in response to changing nutrient conditions to minimize the risk of extinction due to genetic load.
Efficacy and safety of prophylactic treatment with plasma‐derived factor XIII concentrate (human) in patients with congenital factor XIII deficiency
Authors: Ashley C. , Chang E. , Davis J. , Mangione A. , Frame V. , Nugent D. J.
Published: November 2014

Congenital factor XIII (FXIII) deficiency is an extremely rare, potentially life‐threatening bleeding disorder. Routine prophylactic management is recommended for individuals with clinically relevant FXIII deficiency. This prospective, multicentre, open‐label study evaluated the long‐term efficacy and safety of prophylactic infusions of FXIII concentrate (human) 40 IU kg−1 in patients with congenital FXIII deficiency. FXIII concentrate (human) was administered every 4 weeks for 12 months. Dosing was adjusted to maintain trough FXIII activity levels of 5–20%. Logistical and ethical constraints precluded use of a placebo control group. Annualized incidence of spontaneous bleeding was compared with historical rates; safety was assessed as a secondary objective. Forty‐one patients were enrolled and completed the study. The annualized rate for spontaneous bleeding episodes requiring FXIII treatment was 0.000 episodes per patient‐year (95% CI: 0.000; 0.097). The study met its primary endpoint: the upper limit of the 95% CI was substantially below the historical rate of 2.5 bleeding episodes per patient‐year. Five spontaneous bleeding episodes (involving three patients; none requiring FXIII treatment) and eight trauma‐related bleeding episodes (two requiring FXIII treatment) occurred. Five patients had surgery during the study, only one of whom required FXIII treatment for post‐surgical bleeding. Most patients (≥85%) had trough FXIII activity levels ≥10%. No patient discontinued treatment due to an adverse event. No adverse events related to thromboembolism or viral transmission were reported. Prophylactic treatment with FXIII concentrate (human) was well tolerated and prevented spontaneous bleeding episodes that were serious enough to require treatment with FXIII‐containing product. Clinical trial registration:www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00885742.
Haemophilia Experiences, Results and Opportunities (HERO) study: treatment‐related characteristics of the population
Authors: Nugent D. , Kalnins W. , Querol F. , Gregory M. , Pilgaard T. , Cooper D. L. , Iorio A.
Published: November 2014

The HERO (Haemophilia Experiences, Results and Opportunities) quantitative surveys collected information on characteristics and perceptions of adult persons with haemophilia (PWH) and parents of children with haemophilia. The aim of this article is to describe the perceptions of PWH and parents on psychosocial aspects related to treatment. Two online surveys (one for PWH, one for parents) were conducted in 10 countries. Among 675 PWH respondents, 77% reported having responsibility for their own care; 72% of 561 parent respondents had the main responsibility for their son. PWH were most commonly treated on demand (45% of 648 adults using factor concentrate), with 32% on regular prophylaxis and 23% treated on demand with short‐term prophylaxis (e.g. for sports/physiotherapy). Children were most often treated with prophylaxis (65% of 549 children using factor concentrate), with 26% treated on demand and 8% treated on demand with short‐term prophylaxis. Factor was generally used as instructed at home. Some respondents (41% PWH; 30% parents) had difficulties/concerns with factor availability/affordability. PWH reported more bleeds in the last 12 months than parents reporting their son's bleeds (mean 17.8 vs. 8.7). Both PWH and parents generally perceived that overall, their (their son's) haemophilia was well controlled. Results differed by country. The HERO study captured new, patient‐based data regarding many facets of life relevant to PWH, including treatment. The information conveyed in this article largely represents new insights regarding perceptions of treatment and provides initial benchmark statistics for further research.
Correlation between conjunctival and corneal calcification and cardiovascular calcification in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis
Authors: Sun Wenxue , Sun Mei , Zhang Minghui , Liu Yi , Lin Xiaomin , Zhao Sisi , Ma Lulu
Published: November 2014

The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation of conjunctival and corneal calcification (CCC) with cardiovascular calcification in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (MHD). A total of 122 patients undergoing MHD in our hospital were included in this study. Conjunctival and corneal calcification was examined by slit lamp and graded. Abdominal aortic calcification (AAC), aortic valve calcification (AVC), and mitral valve calcification (MVC) were determined by X‐ray or ultrasound. The correlation of CCC with AAC, AVC, and MVC was analyzed. Biochemical, hematological, and cardiovascular data were compared between patients with different severity of CCC or AAC. Mitral valve calcification was significantly associated with AAC in our patients. Conjunctival and corneal calcification positively correlated with AAC. We also found that patients with severe CCC exhibited significantly higher levels of serum calcium, phosphate, product of calcium and phosphate, serum copper, cystatin, intact parathyroid hormone, and vitamin D than patients with mild CCC. In addition to significantly increased levels of serum calcium, product of calcium and phosphate, serum copper, and cystatin, patients with severe AAC also had higher high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein level and greater left ventricular posterior wall thickness and left ventricular end‐diastolic interventricular septum thickness than patients with mild AAC. Our results suggest that patients undergoing MHD with severe CCC or AAC have high degree of mineral metabolism disorder, inflammation, and cardiovascular function disorder. The strong correlation between CCC and AAC indicates that CCC score might be used as an indirect indicator to predict cardiovascular risks in patients undergoing MHD.
The Bodymind Problem and the Possibilities of Pain
Authors: Price Margaret
Published: November 2014

What is a crip politics of bodymind? Drawing upon Rosemarie Garland‐Thomson's theory of the misfit, I explain my understanding of crip and bodymind within a feminist materialist framework, and argue that careful investigation of a crip politics of bodymind must involve accounting for two key, but under‐explored, disability studies (DS) concepts: desire and pain. I trace the turn toward desire that has characterized DS theory for the last decade, and argue that while acknowledging disability desire, we must also attend to the aspects of disability, including pain, that are sometimes bad. Although I don't argue that pain is always and only bad, I call for recognition of the ways pain complicates disability desire, as well as the possibilities it opens for specifically located, collective forms of care.