bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Single-Compartment Model of Calcium Dynamics in Nerve Terminals and Dendrites
Authors: Helmchen Fritjof , Tank David W.
Published: February 2015

This introduction describes a single-compartment model of calcium dynamics that has been applied to fluorescence measurements of intracellular free calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) changes in neurons. The model describes intracellular calcium handling under simplified conditions, for which analytical expressions for the amplitude and the time constants of [Ca2+]i changes can be explicitly derived. In particular, it reveals the dependence of the measured [Ca2+]i changes on the calcium indicator concentration. Applied to experimental data from small cells or subcellular compartments, the model equations have been extremely useful for obtaining quantitative information about essential parameters of Ca2+ influx, buffering, and clearance. We illustrate also several changes that occur when the basic assumptions do not hold (e.g., when calcium diffusion, dye saturation, or kinetic effects become significant). Finally, we discuss how the changes in calcium dynamics, which are explained by the model, have been exploited for measuring properties of calcium-driven reactions, such as those regulating short-term synaptic enhancement, vesicle recycling, and adaptation.
Temporal Focusing Microscopy
Authors: Oron Dan , Silberberg Yaron
Published: February 2015

Axial localization of multiphoton excitation to a single plane is achieved by temporal focusing of an ultrafast pulsed excitation. We take advantage of geometrical dispersion in an extremely simple experimental setup, where an ultrashort pulse is temporally stretched and hence its peak intensity is lowered outside the focal plane of the microscope. Using this strategy, out-of-focus multiphoton excitation is dramatically reduced, and the achieved axial resolution is comparable to line-scanning multiphoton microscopy for wide-field excitation and to point-scanning multiphoton microscopy for line excitation. In this introduction, we provide a detailed description of the considerations in choosing the experimental parameters, as well as the alignment of a temporal focusing add-on to a multiphoton microscope. We also review current advances and applications for this technique.
The square-planar to flattened-tetrahedral CuX42−(X= Cl, Br) structural phase transition in 1,2,6-trimethylpyridinium salts
Authors: Kelley Annette , Nalla Sowjanya , Bond Marcus R.
Published: February 2015

The abrupt green-to-yellow thermochromism observed for certainA2CuCl4compounds has long been attributed to the presence of strong N—H hydrogen bonding in the low-temperature phase that favors square-planar CuCl42−(green in color) through reduction of ligand–ligand repulsion. Weakening of the hydrogen bonding at higher temperature results in the transformation to (far more common) flattened-tetrahedral geometry – the expected geometry for CuBr42−complexes due to their greater ligand–ligand repulsion. The square-planar to flattened-tetrahedral transitions in (1,2,6-trimethylpyridinium)2CuX4provide the first examples of this phase transformation in the absence of N—H hydrogen bonding and for a CuBr42−complex. These results suggest that the square-planar to flattened-tetrahedral transformation in CuX42−systems may be more common than previously thought.
Entrance and diffusion pathway of CO2and dimethyl ether in silicalite-1 zeolite channels as determined by single-crystal XRD structural analysis
Authors: Fujiyama Shinjiro , Yoza Kenji , Kamiya Natsumi , Nishi Koji , Yokomori Yoshinobu
Published: February 2015

The entrance and diffusion pathway of CO2and dimethyl ether (DME) in MFI-type zeolite channels were investigated by a selective sealing method using large silicalite-1 crystals. The MFI-type zeolite has two kinds of orthogonal channels: straight channels and sinusoidal channels. The mouths of the straight channels are on (010) crystal faces, while those of the sinusoidal channels are on (100) faces. The channel mouths are directly sealed by silicone resin on the (100) and (010) faces so as to restrict the entrance and diffusion pathways to straight and sinusoidal channel pathways, respectively. The locations and loadings of the guest CO2and DME molecules are determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction structural analysis. The loadings show the difference of the adsorption rates between the pathways. The straight channel pathway is 4.2 times faster than the sinusoidal channel pathway for the CO2, and the sinusoidal channel pathway is 5.1 times faster than the straight channel pathway for the DME. It reveals their dominant pathways and the anisotropy of adsorption. The dominant pathway correlates to the stability of the channel as adsorption sites.
Leaving the cocoon: university course design and delivery vis-a-vis competitive strategy
Authors: Gould Anthony Morven , Power Thomas Michael
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– This article aims to ask how Michael Porter’s seminal notions of generic competitive strategy may be applied to an emerging university industry where course design and delivery is conceived of as able to be undertaken using distinctive modes.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study is principally a polemic piece. However, its method is to view course delivery modes as generic strategies and overlay these on Porter’s strategy grid. Each mode of course delivery is viewed as a strategy because it is associated with a rationale that can be reconciled with the axes of advantage that Porter has defined. These axes are “kind of benefit” and “target market”.

Findings

– The study finds four generic methods of tertiary course delivery. These can be placed – largely without ambiguity – on Porter’s grid.

Research limitations/implications

– Further research may recreate findings using methods that draw on more data; possibly, survey evidence or multiple interviews, etc.

Practical implications

– The work has implications for university administrators and strategic planners within the tertiary sector. It connects sector-specific planning with theory and research about Porter’s generic strategies.

Social implications

– The article has public policy implications. It offers a portrait of how public-sector education is likely to look in a deregulated context. It offers implicit advice of securing competitive advantage for individual institutions.

Originality/value

– The article undertakes an exercise that has not been done before. The theory used for interpretation purposes is likely to be unfamiliar to those interested in planning within the tertiary sector (particularly, the public sector), although care is taken to justify new application of the theory.
First trimester maternal serum biochemical markers of aneuploidy in pregnancies with abnormally invasive placentation
Authors: Thompson O , Otigbah C , Nnochiri A , Sumithran E , Spencer K
Published: February 2015

Objective

To examine whether differences exist in routine first trimester maternal serum screening analyte measurements between normal pregnancies, placenta praevia and abnormally invasive placentation (AIP).

Design

Multidisciplinary audit.

Setting

Associated university teaching hospital with 9000 annual deliveries.

Population

Five hundred and sixteen pregnancies in total, including 344 normal controls, 17 with AIP and 155 placenta praevia cases.

Methods

Comparison of maternal serum free βhCG and PAPP‐A MoMs distribution in pregnancies with abnormally invasive placentation, placenta praevia and normal controls, after correcting for known confounding factors between October 2005 and September 2013. Data from a previously published first trimester AIP and biochemistry study were combined with our study data and compared in the above way to complete the analysis.

Main outcome measures

Differences in first trimester maternal serum PAPP‐A and free βhCG in AIP, placenta praevia, and normal pregnancies.

Results

Median free βhCG MoM in the control group was 1.04, and 1.08 (P = 0.859) in the placenta praevia group compared with 0.81 in the AIP group (P = 0.06). Median PAPP‐A MoM was 1.01 in the control group and 1.05 (P = 0.83) in praevia, compared with 1.22 in AIP cases (0.16). The combined AIP dataset gave an overall PAPP‐A median MoM of 1.40, and free βhCG of 0.85. Both markers showed a significantly different distribution from controls (PAPP‐A P = 0.002 and free βhCG P = 0.031).

Conclusions

There may be differences between first trimester maternal serum biochemical markers between normal pregnancies and those complicated by abnormally invasive placentation. If upheld, this may provide useful information for the early identification of abnormally invasive placentation. More studies are required.
Does the response to induction chemotherapy impact the timing of thoracic radiotherapy for limited‐stage small‐cell lung cancer?
Authors: Wang Peng , Liu Weishuai , Zhao Lujun , Wang Ping
Published: February 2015

Background

To investigate whether the response to induction chemotherapy (IC) would impact the timing of thoracic radiotherapy (TRT) in limited‐stage small‐cell lung cancer (LS‐SCLC).

Methods

A total of 146 patients with LS‐SCLC who had received two to six cycles of IC followed by TRT from January 2009 to December 2011 at our hospital were included in this study. Patients were divided into two groups based on the time TRT was administered: early TRT (administered after 2–3 cycles of chemotherapy) or late TRT (administered after 4–6 cycles). Overall survival (OS) and progression‐free survival (PFS) were analyzed using the Kaplan‐Meier method. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to evaluate the independent factors affecting survival.

Results

The median OS for patients who received early TRT and late TRT was 29.0 and 19.9 months, respectively, (P = 0.018) and the median PFS was 18.5 and 13.8 months, respectively (P = 0.049). In patients who achieved complete remission (CR) or partial remission (PR) after two to three cycles of IC, the median OS was 36.1 and 22.5 months in the early and late TRT subgroups, respectively (P = 0.009); the corresponding median PFS was 20.2 and 13.8 months, respectively (P = 0.038). In the patients who did not achieve CR or PR, no statistic difference was found in OS or PFS between the two subgroups.

Conclusion

Patients who received early TRT had more favorable outcomes than those who received late TRT. Patients who achieved CR or PR after two to three cycles of IC obtained more benefit from early TRT.
Distribution of Vesicular Glutamate Transporter 2 and Ionotropic Glutamate Receptors in the Auditory Ganglion and Cochlear Nuclei of Pigeons (Columba livia)
Authors: Karim M. R. , Atoji Y.
Published: February 2015

Glutamate is a principal excitatory neurotransmitter in the auditory system. Our previous studies revealed localization of glutamate receptor mRNAs in the pigeon cochlear nuclei, suggesting the existence of glutamatergic input from the auditory nerve to the brainstem. This study demonstrated localization of mRNAs for vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (vGluT2) and ionotropic glutamate receptors (AMPA, kainate and NMDA) in the auditory ganglion (AG) and cochlear nuclei (magnocellular, angular and laminar nuclei). VGluT2 mRNA was intensely expressed in AG and intensely or moderately in the cochlear nuclei. The AG and cochlear nuclei showed intense‐to‐moderate mRNA signals for GluA2, GluA3, GluA4, GluK4 and GluN1. These results suggest that the pigeon AG neurons receives glutamatergic input from hair cells and in turn projects to the magnocellular and angular nuclei. Glutamate may play a pivotal role in the excitatory synapse transmission in the peripheral auditory pathway of birds.
The Achilles Heel of Plurality Systems: Geography and Representation in Multiparty Democracies
Authors: Calvo Ernesto , Rodden Jonathan
Published: February 2015

Building on the unfinished research program of Gudgin and Taylor (1979), we analytically derive the linkage between a party's territorial distribution of support and the basic features of its vote‐seat curve. We then demonstrate the usefulness of the corresponding empirical model with an analysis of elections in postwar Great Britain, focusing in particular on the transformation of the Liberals from a territorially concentrated to a dispersed party in the 1970s. We show that majoritarian biases increase with the number of parties, and majoritarian systems harm small parties when their vote is more dispersed than average, and large parties when their vote is more concentrated than average. Moreover, the evolving experiences of Labour and Conservatives demonstrate how a party's territorial support, and hence its expected seat premium or penalty, changes with its electoral fortunes. This model has a wide variety of applications in multiparty majoritarian democracies around the world.
Captive bodies: migrant kidnapping and deportation in Mexico
Authors: Slack Jeremy
Published: February 2015

Kidnapping, originally considered a problem for the super wealthy, has quickly spread to epidemic proportions among the relative poor, especially among clandestine international migrants. This article examines how people's relationship to the US–Mexico border shapes their vulnerability to kidnapping. Moreover, through one long ethnographic vignette and survey data of deportees' experiences with kidnapping, this article explores how the border helps produce and shape kidnapping. By exploring the border as topological, based on the relationships created through clandestine migration and deportation, we can see how kidnapping operates to produce certain, highly varied subjectivities. Moreover, this article explores the contours of sexuality and masculinity for a feminist geopolitical take on some of the darkest chapters of the war on drugs in Mexico.
Improving magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations: Development and evaluation of an intervention to reduce movement in scanners and facilitate scan completion
Authors: Powell Rachael , Ahmad Mahadir , Gilbert Fiona J. , Brian David , Johnston Marie
Published: February 2015

Objectives

The movement of patients in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners results in motion artefacts which impair image quality. Non‐completion of scans leads to delay in diagnosis and increased costs. This study aimed to develop and evaluate an intervention to enable patients to stay still inMRIscanners (reducing motion artefacts) and to enhance scan completion. Successful scan outcome was deemed to be completing the scan with no motion artefacts.

Design and methods

Previous research indicated self‐efficacy to predict successful scan outcome, and interviews with patients identified a need for procedural and sensory information to facilitate successful scan behaviour. ADVDintervention was developed which targeted self‐efficacy and included procedural and sensory information. It was successfully piloted with 10 patients and then evaluated in a randomized controlled trial compared with the standard hospital information leaflet (intervention groupN = 41; control groupN = 42). The clinic radiographer, who was blind to group allocation, ratedMRIscans for motion artefact and recorded whether the participant completed the scan; participants completedMRIself‐efficacy and anxiety measures.

Results

Only one participant reported not finding theDVDuseful. Thirty‐five participants in the intervention group and 23 in the control group completed scans and had no motion artefacts, χ2(1, 83) = 7.84,p < .001 (relative risk of an unsatisfactory outcome in the control group/intervention group = 3.09). The intervention effect was mediated by self‐efficacy.

Conclusions

TheDVDintervention was efficacious and warrants further research to examine generalizability.

Statement of contribution

What is already known on this subject?

Motion artefacts and scan incompletion result in repeat scans, delay in diagnosis, and increased health care costs.

Self‐efficacy predicts successful scan behaviour (completion of the scan without motion artefact).

What does this study add?

The development of a theory‐ and evidence‐based intervention targeting self‐efficacy is described.

The intervention was acceptable and efficacious in improving scan behaviour.

The intervention has potential to be routinely implemented; it is easy to administer and low in cost.
Serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D level and the risk of mild cognitive impairment and dementia: the Korean Longitudinal Study on Health and Aging (KLoSHA)
Authors: Moon J.H. , Lim S. , Han J.W. , Kim K.M. , Choi S.H. , Kim K.W. , Jang H.C.
Published: February 2015

Objective

The association of low vitamin D status with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a preclinical condition that can lead to dementia, has not yet been fully explored. Our aim was to investigate the association between vitamin D status and the future risk of MCI and dementia in older adults.

Design, setting and participants

We conducted a population‐based prospective study as a part of the Korean Longitudinal Study on Health and Aging. Four hundred and twelve elderly participants who completed evaluations of cognitive function and metabolic parameters in 2005–2006 and 2010–2011 were analysed.

Major outcome measure

The rate of development of MCI or dementia during the study period was compared according to baseline vitamin D status. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate any independent association between vitamin D status and the risks of MCI or dementia.

Results

Among 405 subjects that remained after excluding seven demented subjects at baseline, 338 subjects remained unchanged or improved in their diagnosis for cognitive function during the study period, whereas 67 subjects showed progression to MCI or dementia. When analyzing 236 subjects whose baseline mini‐mental state examination (MMSE) scores were <27, severe vitamin D deficiency at baseline, defined as <25 nmol/l, was independently associated with the progression of cognitive impairment. Among 297 subjects who were normal at baseline, 50 acquired MCI and 247 remained normal. Severe vitamin D deficiency was also independently associated with the development of MCI when analyzing 145 subjects whose baseline MMSE scores were <27.

Conclusion

Severe vitamin D deficiency was independently associated with the future risk of MCI as well as dementia, especially in older adults whose baseline MMSE scores had decreased only modestly.
Genetic counselors' practices and confidence regarding variant of uncertain significance results and reclassification from BRCA testing
Authors: Scherr C.L. , Lindor N.M. , Malo T.L. , Couch F.J. , Vadaparampil S.T.
Published: February 2015

Studies indicate variant of uncertain significance (VUS) results are challenging for genetic counselors and patients, often resulting in negative patient outcomes. Genetic counselors' current practices regarding VUS are unknown. This study utilized a national survey of genetic counselors (n = 932) to examine current practices and confidence related to disclosing BRCA VUS results and reclassification information. For participants (n = 398), descriptive statistics were calculated regarding patient demographic characteristics, practices and confidence, and cross tabulation was used to identify participant's actions when receiving a reclassified VUS. Upon receiving a BRCA VUS report, the majority reported providing patients with information about the frequency with which their VUS was seen and patient ancestry, but a minority discussed DNA banking. Most were confident in their understanding of, and ability to explain, VUS results to patients, but felt less confident about achieving high levels of patient understanding. Upon reclassification, the majority reported calling the patient and mailing the results, but when the reclassification was deleterious, the majority also met with the patient face‐to‐face. Given the lack of standard professional guidelines about informing patients of initial and reclassified VUS results, this overview provides important insight into genetic counselors' current practices and confidence.
Making Sense of After‐School Care Dilemmas in Mothers' Stories of After‐School Care in Finland and Sweden
Authors: Karlsson Marie , Perälä‐Littunen Satu , Böök Marja Leena , Löfdahl Hultman Annica
Published: February 2015

The study focuses on dilemmas in storied experiences of everyday after‐school care arrangements among Swedish and Finnish mothers. Finland and Sweden, which share a history of strong labour market attachment among women, arrange institutional after‐school care in similar ways. The data consist of interviews with three Swedish and six Finnish mothers. A positioning analysis of four stories shows how decisions related to children's after‐school hours were allocated among different actors. Two reoccurring dilemmas, Competent‐dependent child stories and Unburdened‐deficient mother stories, emerged from the data analysis as related to prevailing moral discourses on childhood and motherhood.
Molecular phylogeny of Lymantriinae (Lepidoptera, Noctuoidea, Erebidae) inferred from eight gene regions
Authors: Wang Houshuai , Wahlberg Niklas , Holloway Jeremy D. , Bergsten Johannes , Fan Xiaoling , Janzen Daniel H. , Hallwachs Winnie , Wen Lijun , Wang Min , Nylin Sӧren
Published: February 2015

To understand the evolutionary history of Lymantriinae and test the present higher‐level classification, we performed the first broad‐scale molecular phylogenetic analysis of the subfamily, based on 154 exemplars representing all recognized tribes and drawn from all major biogeographical regions. We used two mitochondrial genes (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and 16S ribosomal RNA) and six nuclear genes (elongation factor‐1α, carbamoylphosphate synthase domain protein, ribosomal protein S5, cytosolic malate dehydrogenase, glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase and wingless). Data matrices (in total 5424 bp) were analysed by parsimony and model‐based evolutionary methods (maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference). Based on the results of the analyses, we present a new phylogenetic classification for Lymantriinae composed of seven well‐supported tribes, two of which are proposed here as new: Arctornithini, Leucomini, Lymantriini, Orgyiini, Nygmiini, Daplasini trib. nov. and Locharnini trib. nov. We discuss the internal structure of each of these tribes and address some of the more complex problems with the genus‐level classification, particularly within Orgyiini and Nygmiini.
Who Drives Corporate Restructuring? Co‐Existing Owners in French Firms
Authors: Kavadis Nikolaos , Castañer Xavier
Published: February 2015

Manuscript Type

Empirical

Research Question/Issue

This study aims to explain who drives corporate restructuring, after a period of important corporate governance changes in France, and where the respective role of Anglo‐American institutional investors and domestic family owners have been the object of debate.

Research Findings/Insights

Using extensive longitudinal data from French publicly‐listed firms during the 2000–2007 period, we find that domestic family ownership is positively related to restructuring. This effect is magnified under conditions of high Anglo‐American institutional investor ownership and poor firm performance. We also find that restructuring improves subsequent firm performance.

Theoretical/Academic Implications

We contribute to corporate governance research on family firms with a contingent framework about the relative influence of different types of owners with supposedly different value systems and preferences on restructuring. Domestic family owners, even from a country where shareholder value maximization is not historically preeminent, promote restructuring. In contrast, the influence of Anglo‐American institutional investors is indirect: the more they are present in the firm's capital, the more French family owners will further support restructuring, as a means to preserve their socio‐emotional wealth. Anglo‐American institutional investor influence on French family owners is further accentuated under conditions of poor firm performance.

Practitioner/Policy Implications

Practitioners and, in particular, (potential and current) owners can use our findings to reflect on the implications for corporate decisions of the relative presence of different owners coming from different institutional environments and thus with potentially different objectives. Our results may also be informative to policy makers to further enhance effective regulation.
Preemptive Genotyping of CYP2C8 and CYP2C9 Allelic Variants Involved in NSAIDs Metabolism for Sickle Cell Disease Pain Management
Authors: Jaja Cheedy , Bowman Latanya , Wells Leigh , Patel Niren , Xu Hongyan , Lyon Matt , Kutlar Abdullah
Published: February 2015

Interindividual variability in analgesic effects of nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs prescribed for sickle cell disease (SCD) pain is attributed to polymorphisms in the CYP2C8 and CYP2C9 enzymes. We described CYP2C8 and CYP2C9 genotype/phenotype profiles and frequency of emergency department (ED) visits for pain management in an African American SCD patient cohort. DNA from 165 unrelated patients was genotyped for seven CYP2C8 and 15 CYP2C9 alleles using the iPLEX ADME PGx multiplexed panel. CYP2C8*1 (0.806),*2 (0.164), *3 (0.018), and *4 (0.012) alleles were identified. Genotype frequencies were distributed as homozygous wild type (66.7%), heterozygous (27.8%), and homozygous variant/compound heterozygous (5.4%), respectively. CYP2C9*1 (0.824), *2 (0.027), *3 (0.012), *5 (0.009), *6 (0.009), *8 (0.042), *9 (0.061), and *11(0.015) were observed with extensive (68.5%), intermediate (18.1%) and poor predicted metabolizers (0.6%), respectively. Fifty‐two and 55 subjects, respectively had at least one variant CYP2C8 or CYP2C9 allele. Although the distribution of the CYP2C9 (p = 0.0515) phenotypes was marginally significantly in high and low ED users; some CYP2C8 and CYP2C9 allelic combinations observed in 15.2% (25) of the cohort are associated with higher risks for analgesic failure. CYP2C8 and CYP2C9 preemptive genotyping could potentially enable clinicians to identify patients with impaired metabolic phenotypes.
Would a Commodity‐based Trade Approach Improve Market Access for Africa? A Case Study of the Potential of Beef Exports from Communal Areas of Namibia
Authors: Naziri Diego , Rich Karl M. , Bennett Ben
Published: February 2015

Market access for African livestock products has long been stymied by a variety of animal diseases endemic in the region. The concept of commodity‐based trade (CBT) has been advanced to make trade dependent on process‐related attributes of production that ensure freedom from disease rather than the geographical origin of the animals themselves. This article looks at the potential of CBT in improving market access for beef from communal areas of Namibia, which have historically been excluded from high‐value export markets. Model results suggest only modest gains from CBT, given the substantial costs of compliance with SPS and quality standards required for high‐value markets. Regional markets may still offer the best option for beef exports from these areas.
Soil carbon dynamics following land‐use change varied with temperature and precipitation gradients: evidence from stable isotopes
Authors: Zhang Kerong , Dang Haishan , Zhang Quanfa , Cheng Xiaoli
Published: February 2015

Knowledge of soil organic matter (SOM) dynamics following deforestation or reforestation is essential for evaluating carbon (C) budgets and cycle at regional or global scales. Worldwide land‐use changes involving conversion of vegetation with different photosynthetic pathways (e.g. C3 and C4) offer a unique opportunity to quantify SOM decomposition rate and its response to climatic conditions using stable isotope techniques. We synthesized the results from 131 sites (including 87 deforestation observations and 44 reforestation observations) which were compiled from 36 published papers in the literatures as well as our observations in China's Qinling Mountains. Based on the 13C natural abundance analysis, we evaluated the dynamics of new and old C in top soil (0–20 cm) following land‐use change and analyzed the relationships between soil organic C (SOC) decomposition rates and climatic factors. We found that SOC decomposition rates increased significantly with mean annual temperature and precipitation in the reforestation sites, and they were not related to any climatic factor in deforestation sites. The mean annual temperature explained 56% of variation in SOC decomposition rates by exponential model (y = 0.0014e0.1395x) in the reforestation sites. The proportion of new soil C increased following deforestation and reforestation, whereas the old soil C showed an opposite trend. The proportion of new soil C exceeded the proportion of old soil C after 45.4 years' reforestation and 43.4 years' deforestation, respectively. The rates of new soil C accumulation increased significantly with mean annual precipitation and temperature in the reforestation sites, yet only significantly increased with mean annual precipitation in the deforestation sites. Overall, our study provides evidence that SOC decomposition rates vary with temperature and precipitation, and thereby implies that global warming may accelerate SOM decomposition.
Oil, human capital and diversification: the challenge of transition in the UAE and the Arab Gulf States
Authors: Ewers Michael C
Published: February 2015

This research studies the labour and human capital dimensions of diversification and structural change in oil economies, with a focus on the case of the UAE and the Arab Gulf States. It examines how oil‐driven development in the Gulf has resulted in entrenched patterns of employment and migration, which have forestalled efforts by these countries to transition into more sustainable, post‐oil economies. Utilising a mixed methods approach based on secondary data analysis and a survey conducted with 300 firms, it studies how these distortions have evolved as the region has embarked on a number of major diversification efforts over the past four decades. Oil wealth has provided Gulf economies with the capital to create competitive new sources of economic growth, but the challenge remains sustainability: reproducing the labour force in non‐oil industries locally.
Factors associated with a positive attitude towards receiving cancer information: a population‐based study in Spain
Authors: Sanz‐Barbero Belén , Prieto María Eugenia , Cambas Naiara
Published: February 2015

Background

It is necessary to raise a positive attitude towards cancer information to improve disease prevention and control.

Objective

To identify social factors, health characteristics and cancer‐related perceptions and knowledge associated with a positive attitude towards cancer information.

Design

We ran multivariate logistic regression models to analyse population‐based data from OncoBarómetro‐2010, a Spanish representative survey on perceptions and knowledge, related to cancer, conducted among 7938 people aged 18 years or more.

Measurement

Attitudes towards cancer information. A positive attitude includes feeling motivated to keep informed, to have screening tests or to change lifestyle. A negative attitude includes feeling indifference, concern, frustration or fear.

Results

38.3% of the studied population reported having received information related to cancer (within the last 6 months). Among those, 31.5% expressed a negative attitude towards cancer information. People more likely to have a positive attitude towards cancer information (reference category: negative attitude) were people aged 35–74 (ref: aged 18–34) (P < 0.001) and cancer survivors (ref: those who had not had cancer) (OR: 3.05; 95% CI: 1.73–5.38). The likelihood of a positive attitude increased with the level of education (P < 0.001). The variables negatively associated with a positive attitude towards cancer information were poor self‐rated health status (ref: fair) (OR: 0.63; 95% CI: 0.42–0.95) and high self‐perceived risk of developing cancer (ref: low) (OR: 0.75; 95% CI: 0.60–0.92).

Conclusions

These findings have potential to inform programmes designed to promote cancer prevention behaviours. Policies should target population groups with low socio‐economic groups, those with poor self‐rated health and individuals with high self‐perceived risk of cancer. Further, in order to increase knowledge of cancer symptoms, we need to focus on individuals with unhealthy lifestyles.
The fig wasp followers and colonists of a widely introduced fig tree, Ficus microcarpa
Authors: Wang Rong , Aylwin Robert , Barwell Louise , Chen Xiao‐Yong , Chen Yan , Chou Lien‐Siang , Cobb James , Collette Daniel , Craine Lamara , Giblin‐Davis Robin M. , Ghana Salah , Harper Maximilian , Harrison Rhett D. , McPherson John R. , Peng Yan‐Qiong , Pereira Rodrigo A.S. , Reyes‐Betancort Alfredo , Rodriguez Lillian J.V. , Strange Emily , van Noort Simon , Yang Hui‐Wen , Yu Hui , Compton Stephen G.
Published: February 2015

The transportation of plants and insects between countries often has negative consequences, but also provides opportunities to study community processes. Fig trees are a species‐rich group of largely tropical and subtropical plants, characterised by their unusual inflorescences (figs).

Ficus microcarpa is a native of Asia and Australasia and frequently planted elsewhere. Widespread introductions of its pollinator fig wasp, Eupristina verticillata, have allowed the tree to reproduce and become increasingly invasive. Non‐pollinating fig wasps (NPFW) are also widely introduced.

Here, we combine previously published records of the distributions of fig wasps associated with F. microcarpa with the results of our extensive surveys across much of its introduced and native ranges. At least 43 morpho‐species of fig wasps are associated with figs of F. microcarpa, most of which have only been recorded from this host. Twenty‐one NPFW have become established outside their native ranges, but there has been only limited colonisation by locally native fig wasps within countries of introduction.

Fig wasp communities in colonised areas are less species‐rich and contain a lower proportion of parasitoids. The pollinator and two phytophagous NPFW are the most widely introduced species, and usually the first species to arrive in countries where the host fig has become established. The pace of colonisation appears to be accelerating.

The rarity of faunal acquisition on introduced F. microcarpa contrasts strongly with that of introduced gall wasps on oaks and chestnuts.
H1N1 viral proteome peptide microarray predicts individuals at risk for H1N1 infection and segregates infection versus Pandemrix® vaccination
Authors: Ambati Aditya , Valentini Davide , Montomoli Emanuele , Lapini Guilia , Biuso Fabrizio , Wenschuh Holger , Magalhaes Isabelle , Maeurer Markus
Published: February 2015

A high content peptide microarray containing the entire influenza A virus [A/California/08/2009(H1N1)] proteome and haemagglutinin proteins from 12 other influenza A subtypes, including the haemagglutinin from the [A/South Carolina/1/1918(H1N1)] strain, was used to gauge serum IgG epitope signatures before and after Pandemrix® vaccination or H1N1 infection in a Swedish cohort during the pandemic influenza season 2009. A very narrow pattern of pandemic flu‐specific IgG epitope recognition was observed in the serum from individuals who later contracted H1N1 infection. Moreover, the pandemic influenza infection generated IgG reactivity to two adjacent epitopes of the neuraminidase protein. The differential serum IgG recognition was focused on haemagglutinin 1 (H1) and restricted to classical antigenic sites (Cb) in both the vaccinated controls and individuals with flu infections. We further identified a novel epitope VEPGDKITFEATGNL on the Ca antigenic site (251–265) of the pandemic flu haemagglutinin, which was exclusively recognized in serum from individuals with previous vaccinations and never in serum from individuals with H1N1 infection (confirmed by RNA PCR analysis from nasal swabs). This epitope was mapped to the receptor‐binding domain of the influenza haemagglutinin and could serve as a correlate of immune protection in the context of pandemic flu. The study shows that unbiased epitope mapping using peptide microarray technology leads to the identification of biologically and clinically relevant target structures. Most significantly an H1N1 infection induced a different footprint of IgG epitope recognition patterns compared with the pandemic H1N1 vaccine.
A secondary meta‐synthesis of qualitative studies of gender and access to cardiac rehabilitation
Authors: Angus Jan E. , King‐Shier Kathryn M. , Spaling Melisa A. , Duncan Amanda S. , Jaglal Susan B. , Stone James A. , Clark Alexander M.
Published: February 2015

Aims

To discuss issues in the theorization and study of gender observed during a qualitative meta‐synthesis of influences on uptake of secondary prevention and cardiac rehabilitation services.

Background

Women and men can equally benefit from secondary prevention/cardiac rehabilitation and there is a need to understand gender barriers to uptake.

Design

Meta‐method analysis secondary to meta‐synthesis. For the meta‐synthesis, a systematic search was performed to identify and retrieve studies published as full papers during or after 1995 and contained: a qualitative research component wholly or in a mixed method design, extractable population specific data or themes for referral to secondary prevention programmes and adults ≥18 years.

Data sources

Databases searched between January 1995–31 October 2011 included: CSA Sociological Abstracts, EBSCOhost CINAHL, EBSCOhost Gender Studies, EBSCOhost Health Source Nursing: Academic Edition, EBSCOhost SPORTDiscus, EBSCOhost SocINDEX.

Review methods

Studies were reviewed against inclusion/exclusion criteria. Included studies were subject to quality appraisal and standardized data extraction.

Results

Of 2264 screened articles, 69 were included in the meta‐method analysis. Only four studies defined gender or used gender theories. Findings were mostly presented as inherently the characteristic of gendered worldviews of participants. The major themes suggest a mismatch between secondary prevention/cardiac rehabilitation services and consumers’ needs, which are usually portrayed as differing according to gender but may also be subject to intersecting influences such as age or socioeconomic status.

Conclusion

There is a persistent lack of theoretically informed gender analysis in qualitative literature in this field. Theory‐driven gender analysis will improve the conceptual clarity of the evidence base for gender‐sensitive cardiac rehabilitation programme development.
Health of the Nation Outcome Scales in a psychiatric inpatient setting: Assessing clinical change
Authors: Egger Stephan T. , Weniger Godehard , Prinz Susanne , Vetter Stefan , Müller Mario
Published: February 2015

Rationale, aims and objectives

The aim of this study was to examine the validity of the Health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HoNOS) in terms of change in relation to sex, clinical characteristics and level of clinical change as assessed using other measures.

Methods

The sample consisted of N = 690 admissions from one Swiss psychiatric hospital who were assessed at admission and discharge using the HoNOS and the clinical global impression (CGI) scale. Repeated measures analyses of variance were conducted to compare changes in HoNOS scores over time stratified by sex, diagnostic category and CGI level of change, controlled for age and previous hospitalizations. Two‐way interactions between time and these factors were calculated and post hoc t‐tests were conducted to compare changes in HoNOS scores between admission and discharge at factor levels.

Results

HoNOS scores significantly decreased from admission to discharge in bivariate analyses although no main effect of time was found in multivariate models. Sex was found to moderate change in HoNOS behavioural subscale scores; primary diagnosis at admission moderated change in HoNOS total scores, the behavioural subscale and the social subscale; and CGI level of change moderated the change in all HoNOS scales.

Conclusions

Our findings confirmed the sensitivity to change of the HoNOS in psychiatric settings from admission to discharge. Furthermore, we found that this change reflected similar changes in the CGI, a well‐established measure for the evaluation of clinical outcomes, which, in turn supports the validity of the HoNOS.
Collectivity, evil and the dynamics of moral value
Authors: Backström Joel , Nykänen Hannes
Published: February 2015

The paper aims at making explicit and question the dominant conception that morality is a matter of values and valuation. This conception is usually taken as the self‐evident frame of analysis, both in ethical theorizing and in everyday life and also in most discussions of ethics in medical contexts (e.g. in debates about ‘values‐based practice’). We argue that the dominant conception is deeply flawed insofar as it implies a repression of the fundamental importance of I–you relationships. As a consequence of this repression, what are commonly taken to be ‘personal’ and even ‘individualist’ moral outlooks are, in fact, merely the reverse side of collective norms and values, just as ‘particularism’ in ethics is not a real alternative to ‘universalism’, but rather both are variations on the same repressive theme. In showing this, we also outline the sense in which the moral relationship between an ‘I’ and a ‘you’ has an altogether different ‘grammar’ or sense.
Five new records of Luvarus imperialis (Acanthuroidei: Luvaridae) in the south‐west Atlantic Ocean
Authors: Domingues R. R. , Montealegre‐Quijano S. , Soto J. M. R. , Amorim A. F.
Published: February 2015

Five new records of louvars Luvarus imperialis are documented for the south‐west Atlantic Ocean, extending its distribution range in this ocean. The presence of one ripe specimen, associated with the previous records of larvae and juveniles, suggests that L. imperialis spawn in this region. The possible association of juveniles with shoals of skipjack tuna Katsuwonus pelamis is discussed.
Statewide hepatitis C model of care for rural and remote regions
Authors: Cheng Wendy , Nazareth Saroj , Flexman James Patrick
Published: February 2015

The evolution of management of hepatitis C virus (HCV) has seen a majority of patients treated being regarded as cured. Despite this development, uptake of treatment remains low in Australia, and this is particularly true in rural and remote areas. The largest state in Australia, Western Australia (WA), covers an area of 2500 km2. As the rural and remote population of WA is scattered in small areas rather than major centers, poor accessibility to remote areas and lack of adequate of medical and nursing resources pose major problems in providing equity of care to patients with chronic HCV. A statewide hepatitis model of care, established in 2009, has led to an increase in identification and treatment of patients living with HCV. Strategies used to facilitate these changes include telehealth, a nurse practitioner model, and general practitioner shared‐care model. The statewide program will be modified to meet the changing needs of patients as all‐oral treatment regimens become available, with further emphasis being placed on the role of rural and remote health professionals in identifying patients with HCV and initiating and monitoring treatment.
Development and Validation of the Geriatric In‐Hospital Nursing Care Questionnaire
Authors: Persoon Anke , Bakker Franka C. , van der Wal‐Huisman Hanneke , Olde Rikkert Marcel G.M.
Published: February 2015

Objectives

To develop a questionnaire, the Geriatric In‐hospital Nursing Care Questionnaire (GerINCQ), to measure, in an integrated way, the care that older adults receive in the hospital and nurses’ attitudes toward and perceptions about caring for older adults.

Design

Questionnaire development.

Setting

Twelve university and teaching hospitals.

Participants

Thirteen experienced geriatric nurses and three geriatricians from 12 hospitals evaluated an initial version of the questionnaire. Two hundred seventy‐one nurses, primarily registered nurses from 11 geriatric, medical, and surgical departments in six hospitals, validated the final questionnaire.

Measurements

Items from two published instruments were extracted for use in the questionnaire. Content validity was confirmed using the Delphi technique with an expert panel. Internal consistency was measured by calculating Cronbach alpha; intrarater reliability was measured using test–retest correlations and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs); differences between hospital departments were analyzed using analysis of variance. Sensitivity to detect before‐and‐after changes with implementation of a geriatric care program was determined using the Student t‐test.

Results

Consensus was reached after three Delphi rounds. The GerINCQ is a self‐administered questionnaire to be filled out by hospital nurses that comprises five subscales with 67 items. It has good content validity (each item content validity index >0.9) and good internal consistency (Cronbach alpha = 0.86). Intrarater reliability revealed high test–retest results (ICC = 0.87). The questionnaire detected significant differences between nurses in three types of hospital departments (medical, surgical, and geriatric (P < .01). The GerINCQ was sensitive to changes after an educational program (P < .02) and had a large effect size (0.5).

Conclusion

The GerINCQ is a reliable and valid tool and is sensitive to change over time. It is clinically relevant because it provides a quantitative measure of hospital nurses’ geriatric practices, attitudes, and perceptions. Moreover, the GerINCQ is suitable for monitoring progress after implementation of geriatric improvement programs.
Eight‐Year Parallel Change in Baroreflex Sensitivity and Memory Function in a Sample of Healthy Older Adults
Authors: Saint Martin Magali , Roche Frédéric , Thomas‐Anterion Catherine , Barthélémy Jean Claude , Sforza Emilia ,   the PROgnostic OF cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events study group
Published: February 2015

Objectives

To examine whether changes in the cardiac autonomic nervous system (ANS) over time, as expressed by baroreflex sensitivity (BRS), were associated with long‐term changes in cognitive performance in elderly individuals without dementia.

Design

Community‐based 8‐year longitudinal study.

Setting

Clinical settings.

Participants

Individuals aged 66.9 ± 0.9 (N = 425).

Measurements

At baseline and follow‐up, subjects underwent a clinical interview, autonomic and vascular measurements, and a neuropsychological evaluation including attentional, executive, and memory tests using standardized Z‐scores. BRS was defined as being normal, moderate, or severe alteration at each evaluation. On the basis of the longitudinal changes subjects were stratified as being stable, moderate or improved.

Results

Mean attentional, executive, and memory change Z‐scores were −0.41 ± 0.9, −0.15 ± 0.7, and −0.14 ± 0.8, respectively. BRS of 56% of the subjects remained unchanged, of 20% decreased, and of 24% improved. After regression analysis, the worsened BRS group was 1.88 times as likely to have greater memory change as the group with stable BRS (P = .02). No significant association was found between longitudinal change in BRS and attentional and executive changes.

Conclusion

In healthy elderly individuals, BRS decrease was associated with a weak but significant decrease in memory function. The long‐term effect of BRS on memory changes may suggest a role of the ANS in cognitive decline.