bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genomic breeding values,SNPeffects and gene identification for disease traits in cow training sets
Authors: Naderi S. , Bohlouli M. , Yin T. , König S.
Published: April 2018

Holstein Friesian cow training sets were created according to disease incidences. The different datasets were used to investigate the impact of random forest (RF) and genomicBLUP(GBLUP) methodology on genomic prediction accuracies. In addition, for further verifications of some specific scenarios, single‐step genomicBLUPwas applied. Disease traits included the overall trait categories of (i) claw disorders, (ii) clinical mastitis and (iii) infertility from 80 741 first lactation Holstein cows kept in 58 large‐scale herds. A subset of 6744 cows was genotyped (50KSNPpanel). Response variables for all scenarios were de‐regressed proofs (DRPs) and pre‐corrected phenotypes (PCPs). Initially, all sick cows were allocated to the testing set, and healthy cows represented the training set. For the ongoing cow allocation schemes, the number of sick cows in the training set increased stepwise by moving 10% of the sick cows from the testing to the training set in each step. The size of training and testing sets was kept constant by replacing the same number of cows in the testing set with (randomly selected) healthy cows from the training set. For both theRFandGBLUPmethods, prediction accuracies were larger forDRPs compared toPCPs. ForPCPs as a response variable, the largest prediction accuracies were observed when the disease incidences in training sets reflected the disease incidence in the whole population. A further increase in prediction accuracies for some selected cow allocation schemes (i.e. larger prediction accuracies compared to corresponding scenarios withRForGBLUB) was achieved via single‐stepGBLUPapplications. Correlations between genome‐wide association studySNPeffects andRFimportance criteria for singleSNPs were in a moderate range, from 0.42 to 0.57, when consideringSNPs from all chromosomes or from specific chromosome segments.RFidentified significantSNPs close to potential positional candidate genes:GAS1,GPAT3andCYP2R1for clinical mastitis;SPINK5andSLC26A2for laminitis; andFGF12for endometritis.
The Coal Mine Mafia of India: A Mirror of Corporate Power
Authors: Goyal Yugank
Published: April 2018

An investigation of the source of power of mafia‐type organizations may reveal how other non‐state actors can operate as if they are independent of the state. This study of the coal mafia in Dhanbad, India shows that power often derives from socially hierarchical relationships involving debt and/or caste. It also demonstrates how state policies that are thoughtlessly implemented may solidify existing hierarchies. By analogy, modern corporations gain some of their power by behaving as if they were semi‐sovereign institutions that draw their strength informally from social networks and other extralegal relationships.

The mafia in the Dhanbad coalfields emerged through a series of institutional changes. Labor shortages were initially resolved by labor intermediaries, who eventually controlled the labor through linkages associated with debt, caste, and social obligations. These intermediaries eventually assumed official positions in labor unions, which gave them a platform for electoral politics. When the coal industry was nationalized, the union leaders further solidified their position in the nationalized corporation. In this way, private labor intermediaries became local political leaders who controlled the state apparatus to some extent.

Corporations follow similar patterns. Both mafias and corporations exploit weak governments, collude with them, and often operate with a high degree of independence. Like mafias, corporations often derive their power from socially embedded networks that they craft in local communities and populations. Because the roots of their influence are embedded in social networks, simple legal and regulatory changes are often insufficient to limit their power. Transnational corporations engaged in extraction of natural resources share with mafias the ability to leverage monopoly power in one domain into control of other domains. As a result, this case study of the coal mafia in India offers a unique entry point to understand corporate sovereignty.
Transnational Corporations and Urban Development
Authors: Obeng‐Odoom Franklin
Published: April 2018

Transnational corporations (TNCs) in Africa play significant roles in controlling utilities, privately appropriating common resources, and planning urban space. On the one hand, the extralegal powers of TNCs are legitimized with patronizing discourses about the incompetence of African nations in managing their own affairs and with the specter of a “resource curse” that supposedly immobilizes the self‐governing capacities of Africans. On the other hand, TNCs arrogate to themselves statutory municipal power, ignore or manipulate various channels of accountability, and privately appropriate sociallycreated rents. Some critics of TNCs propose a withdrawal from globalization or greater regulation to limit the power of TNCs. But protectionist or isolationist approaches are entirely mistaken and further undermine the social management of the commons in Africa. Instead, Africans should seek directly to break the chains of monopoly and oligopoly, especially over natural resources. They should also strive to use land for the common good and to systematically build social states in Africa to overcome subservience to TNCs. While previous attempts at autonomous development in Africa have sometimes led to military action by former colonizers and current neo‐colonial imperialists, recent evidence from Africa suggests that such a strategy might succeed now. This article proposes to extend the politics of urban reform in the Gilded Age and Progressive Era in the United States to contemporary Africa. In doing so, it shows how African cities today are working to create local capacity by municipalizing services that have been privatized, such as distribution of water. Despite many obstacles posed by TNCs and their home governments, Africans are making great strides to overcome the enduring legacies of colonialism.
Immigration and Criminality: Australia's Post‐War Inquiries
Authors: Kaladelfos Andy , Finnane Mark
Published: April 2018

The relationship between immigration and crime rates has long been a topic of robust debate in criminology and sociology, especially for scholars of the United States. Researchers in those fields have highlighted divergent factors to explain high arrest rates including the presence of ethnic gangs, media reporting, racial profiling, over‐policing of immigrant communities, and wider issues of social dislocation brought about by migration. By contrast, historians have given little consideration to the topic. This lack of historical investigation is particularly curious in studies of Australia's post‐war immigration given the political importance of the issue at the time. Immigration and criminality — or more precisely, whether immigrants committed more crime or worse crimes than the Australian‐born population — became a prominent topic of media coverage and political interest in the early 1950s. In fact, the question of migrants’ criminality was so important that it was the subject of the first research inquiries ever ordered by the Department of Immigration. Our article examines this research, explaining the impetus for the inquiries, their findings, and their historical significance. We conclude by outlining how this topic can illuminate new areas of inquiry in immigration history.
John Howard's “Use” of the Anzac Legend: Applying an Epideictic Lens
Authors: Flanagan Jason
Published: April 2018

While many have remarked upon Prime Minister John Howard's “use” of the Anzac legend for political purposes, our understanding of the nature and dynamics of such use remains fragmented and underdeveloped. Using the area of foreign policy as a case study, this essay approaches Howard's Anzac Day and related ceremonial rhetoric as examples of the epideictic genre, which presents speakers with a combination of unique rhetorical opportunities and strict generic constraints. While often perceived as apolitical and inconsequential, the genre embodies a form of argumentation that serves not only to increase the “intensity of adherence” to certain values, thus laying the groundwork for later deliberative appeals, but also creates a “disposition to act at the appropriate moment”. This paper will argue that Howard's employment of Anzac was bounded and defined by the nature and dynamics of the epideictic genre, of which Howard proved to be a savvy user.
A History of Australasian Economic Thought
Authors: Coleman William
Published: April 2018

A History of Australasian Economic Thought. By Alex Millmow (New York: Routledge, 2017), pp.250, AU$200.00 (hb).
Victor Klemperer. Munich 1919. Diary of a Revolution
Authors: Fitzpatrick Matthew P.
Published: April 2018

Victor Klemperer. Munich 1919. Diary of a Revolution. Translated by Jessica Spengler (Cambridge: Polity, 2017), pp.x + 190. Sixteen b/w plates. £15.51 (hb).
Australians in Shanghai: Race, Rights and Nation in Treaty Port China
Authors: Diamond Marion
Published: April 2018

Australians in Shanghai: Race, Rights and Nation in Treaty Port China. By Sophie Loy‐Wilson (London: Routledge, 2017), pp.164. £110.00 (hb).
Who's Afraid of International Law?
Authors: Frater Vickie
Published: April 2018

Who's Afraid of International Law? Edited by Raimond Gaita and Gerry Simpson (Clayton: Monash University Press, 2017), pp. xliv + 191. AU$29.95 (pb).
Effect of matrix metalloproteinase‐21 (572C/T) polymorphism on HIV‐associated neurocognitive disorder
Authors: Singh HariOm , Samani Dharmesh , Nambiar Nayana , Ghate Manisha V. , Gangakhedkar R. R.
Published: April 2018

Remodeling of extracellular matrix (ECM) by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) is a presumed reason for the development of HIV‐associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND). The coding region polymorphism in MMP‐21 572C/T gene may have a potential functional effect on ECM remodeling. Hence, we aimed to examine the association of MMP‐21 polymorphism with the modulation of HAND severity and its prevalence in HIV‐infected and healthy individuals. Genotyping of MMP‐21 572C/T polymorphism was performed by PCR‐RFLP in total 150 HIV‐infected individuals, 50 with HAND, 100 without HAND and 150 healthy controls. MMP‐21 572TT genotype was predominantly higher in HAND patients compared with no HAND (OR = 1.63, p = 0.57). MMP‐21 572T allele was associated with reduce risk for HAND severity (OR = 0.50, p = 0.04). Similarly, MMP‐21 572TT genotype underrepresented in HIV‐infected individuals compared to healthy controls (3.0% vs 6.7%, OR = 0.27, p = 0.08). MMP‐21 572CT genotype and early HIV disease stage showed a higher risk for the advancement of HIV disease with marginal significance (OR = 1.89, p = 0.07). MMP‐21 572CT genotype increased the risk for the modulation of HAND severity in tobacco users (OR = 1.98, p = 0.43). MMP‐21 572CT genotype among tobacco and alcohol users showed elevated risk for the development of HAND in HIV‐infected individuals (OR = 2.30, p = 0.15; OR = 1.86, p = 0.23). Similarly, MMP‐21 572TT genotype enhanced the risk for the development of HAND in tobacco users (OR = 3.48, p = 0.40). In conclusion, the presence of coding region 572T allele may have protection for HAND severity. MMP‐21 572C/T polymorphism and tobacco and alcohol usage may facilitate the development of HAND.
Letter: the role of direct‐acting anti‐virals in determining the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma development in patients with hepatitis C virus‐induced cirrhosis
Authors: Kao W.‐Y. , Su C.‐W.
Published: April 2018

Linked content

This article is linked to Mettke et al and Mettke and Wedemeyer papers. To view these articles visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14427 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14582.
Clinical Study of Patients with Renal Carcinoma Surviving for more than 10 Years after Nephrectomy
Authors: ONISHI T. , MACHIDA T. , MASUDA F. , IIZUKA N. , SHIRAKAWA H. , HATANO T.
Published: April 2018

Of 207 patients with renal carcinoma we studied 50 who survived for more than 10 years after nephrectomy. These 50 patients were younger than the others at the time of operation and included more females. They had lower stage and lower grade tumours. Recurrence was detected in 18/50 patients and 6 died from cancer. Recurrence developed approximately 10 years after nephrectomy. Eleven patients with recurrences had metastases to a single organ and 9 received multidisciplinary treatment, mainly surgery and radiotherapy.

The survival rate 10 years after nephrectomy was lower in patients with recurrences than in those without recurrent tumours and there was a significant decrease in the survival rate 17 years after nephrectomy. Although the patients had low grade and low stage tumours 10 years after nephrectomy, careful follow‐up is recommended in such cases as it is possible that they may have dormant tumours.
Epidural Anaesthesia in the Management of the Painful Bladder
Authors: HAMPSON S. J. , BOWEN-WRIGHT R. M. , WORTH P. H.
Published: April 2018

Bladder pain is a difficult symptom to manage. Epidural anaesthesia, which was used in 10 patients with sensory disorders, carries a low morbidity and helps to define those patients with severe bladder pain who might benefit from denervation procedures.
Rome Pouch: Pre‐peritoneal Continent Ileal Reservoir with Hydraulic Valve
Authors: RONZONI G. , DE VECCHIS M. , RASCHI R. , CUNEO L. , CAGOSSI M.
Published: April 2018

We present our experience with a modified technique for constructing a continent ileal reservoir, using the terminal ileum in a pre‐peritoneal position. The ureters were implanted using the Le Duc‐Camey technique; the Benchekroun valve was used as a continence mechanism. This technique was used in 18 patients and its advantages and complications are discussed.
Irrigation or No Irrigation after Transurethral Prostatectomy?
Authors: BRITTON J. P. , FLETCHER M. S. , HARRISON N. W. , ROYLE M. G.
Published: April 2018

Urologists remain divided as to the need for routine irrigation following transurethral prostatectomy (TURP). This randomised prospective study compared a policy of irrigation with that of no irrigation in a consecutive group of 200 patients undergoing TURP. In the irrigation group, a mean of 15 litres of irrigating fluid was used in each patient and one‐third of patients required at least one bladder washout. In the no irrigation group, although two‐thirds of the patients required at least one bladder washout, only one‐third required more than one washout. No significant difference in blood loss, electrolyte balance, infection rate or recovery was seen in the 2 groups. This study led to a local change in practice, converting from a policy of routine irrigation to one of no irrigation.
Spotlight on small molecules in cardiovascular diseases
Authors: Wang Xin , Huang Yu , Ji Yong
Published: April 2018

Linked Articles

This article is part of a themed section on Spotlight on Small Molecules in Cardiovascular Diseases. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v175.8/issuetoc
Cannabidiol regulates behavioural alterations and gene expression changes induced by spontaneous cannabinoid withdrawal
Authors: Navarrete Francisco , Aracil‐Fernández Auxiliadora , Manzanares Jorge
Published: April 2018

Background and Purpose

Cannabidiol (CBD) represents a promising therapeutic tool for treating cannabis use disorder (CUD). This study aimed to evaluate the effects of CBD on the behavioural and gene expression alterations induced by spontaneous cannabinoid withdrawal.

Experimental Approach

Spontaneous cannabinoid withdrawal was evaluated 12 h after cessation of CP‐55,940 treatment (0.5 mg·kg−1 every 12 h, i.p.; 7 days) in C57BL/6J mice. The effects of CBD (5, 10 and 20 mg·kg−1, i.p.) on withdrawal‐related behavioural signs were evaluated by measuring motor activity, somatic signs and anxiety‐like behaviour. Furthermore, gene expression changes in TH in the ventral tegmental area, and in the opioid μ receptor (Oprm1), cannabinoid CB1 receptor (Cnr1) and CB2 receptor (Cnr2) in the nucleus accumbens, were also evaluated using the real‐time PCR technique.

Key Results

The administration of CBD significantly blocked the increase in motor activity and the increased number of rearings, rubbings and jumpings associated with cannabinoid withdrawal, and it normalized the decrease in the number of groomings. However, CBD did not change somatic signs in vehicle‐treated animals. In addition, the anxiogenic‐like effect observed in abstinent mice disappeared with CBD administration, whereas CBD induced an anxiolytic‐like effect in non‐abstinent animals. Moreover, CBD normalized gene expression changes induced by CP‐55,940‐mediated spontaneous withdrawal.

Conclusions and Implications

The results suggest that CBD alleviates spontaneous cannabinoid withdrawal and normalizes associated gene expression changes. Future studies are needed to determine the relevance of CBD as a potential therapeutic tool for treating CUD.
La nostalgie comme catégorie géographique : une proposition théorique
Authors: Colin Clément
Published: April 2018

La nostalgie comme catégorie géographique : une proposition théorique

Dans la littérature scientifique, la nostalgie a été critiquée pour sa supposée capacité à falsifier les narrations historiques, idéaliser un passé et masquer les divisions sociales et les rapports de force existants dans la revalorisation mémorielle et patrimoniale. Prenant le contrepied de ces analyses, l'article aborde et questionne la nostalgie non seulement comme un sentiment individuel et collectif, mais aussi comme un discours et une pratique socioculturelle qui s'incarnent dans l'espace et le présent. À partir d'une revue de littérature, cet article propose des pistes de réflexions théoriques afin de construire la nostalgie comme catégorie d'analyse capable d'interroger à la fois la relation affective de l'être humain à l'espace, sa relation subjective au temps et aux matérialités et la manière dont les pratiques et discours qui en sont issus participent à la production de l'espace. L'article est une invitation à prendre part aux débats à propos des dimensions géographiques de la nostalgie.
Efficacy and safety of 3‐month dosing regimen of degarelix in Japanese subjects with prostate cancer: A phase III study
Authors: Ozono Seiichiro , Tsukamoto Taiji , Naito Seiji , Horie Shigeo , Ohashi Yasuo , Uemura Hiroji , Yokomizo Yumiko , Fukasawa Satoshi , Kusuoka Hidehito , Akazawa Rio , Saito Masako , Akaza Hideyuki
Published: April 2018

Non‐inferiority in the cumulative castration rate of the 3‐month formulation of degarelix compared with the 3‐month formulation of goserelin was evaluated in subjects with prostate cancer. A phase III, open‐label, parallel‐arm study was carried out. An initial dose of 240 mg degarelix or 3.6 mg goserelin was given s.c.; after day 28, a maintenance dose of 480 mg degarelix or 10.8 mg goserelin was given once every 84 days. Non‐inferiority in castration rate and safety of degarelix to goserelin were evaluated. The primary end‐point was the cumulative castration rate from day 28 to day 364 and the non‐inferiority margin was set to be 10%. A total of 234 subjects with prostate cancer were randomized to the degarelix group (n = 117) and the goserelin group (n = 117). The cumulative castration rate was 95.1% in the degarelix group and 100.0% in the goserelin group. As there were no events in the goserelin group, an additional analysis was carried out using 95% confidence intervals of the difference in the proportion of subjects with castration. Analyses indicated the non‐inferiority of the 3‐month formulation of degarelix to goserelin. Degarelix showed more rapid decreases in testosterone, luteinizing hormone, follicle stimulating hormone, and prostate‐specific antigen levels compared with goserelin. The most common adverse events in the degarelix group were injection site reactions. Non‐inferiority of the 3‐month formulation of degarelix to goserelin was shown for testosterone suppression. The 3‐month formulation of degarelix was also found to be tolerated as an androgen deprivation therapy for patients with prostate cancer. This trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier NCT01964170).
Relational Foodwork: Young People and Food Insecurity
Authors: Cairns Kate
Published: April 2018

This paper explores the interdependency of food relations through young people's accounts of food insecurity. Drawing on ethnographic research with a youth urban agriculture program in Camden, New Jersey (USA), I show how young people articulate experiences of food insecurity through the lens of maternal foodwork, describing efforts to support mothers who are struggling to provide in the context of poverty. As these teens articulate efforts to share foodwork with mothers, they not only challenge common conceptions of generational feeding relations but also reveal the inadequacy of individualizing approaches to the autonomous food consumer.
The Socio‐Economic Boundaries Shaping Young People's Lunchtime Food Practices on a School Day
Authors: Wills Wendy J. , Danesi Giada , Kapetanaki Ariadne B. , Hamilton Laura K.
Published: April 2018

Not enough is known about the relationship between socio‐economic deprivation and places where young people purchase food at lunchtime on a school day. This paper draws on qualitative data from 600 +  young people aged 13–15 years and illustrates that socioeconomic factors form boundaries that young people have a feeling for when buying food. This informs where they seek out lunch (at school or in local food outlets) and what products, service and prices they access and find acceptable. Such insights help to understand why inequalities in young people's health and eating practices prevail.
Eating with Friends, Family or Not at All: Young People's Experiences of Food Poverty in the UK
Authors: Knight Abigail , O'Connell Rebecca , Brannen Julia
Published: April 2018

The paper draws on findings from a study called ‘Families and Food in Hard Times’, which is examining food poverty among children and families in three European countries. In the UK, qualitative interviews were carried out with 45 11–15 year olds and their parents or carers. Young people's narratives reveal food poverty as a multi‐dimensional experience, including hunger, poor quality food and social exclusion. Analysis suggests a limited degree of sharing of food between young people and how they contribute to the family's management of food practices in constrained circumstances. Generally young people contest the dominant discourses which blame food poverty on individuals and families.
Temporary non‐flared fully covered self‐expandable metal stent placement for refractory benign choledochojejunal anastomotic stricture
Authors: Yamauchi Hiroshi , Tadehara Masayoshi , Kida Mitsuhiro
Published: April 2018

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Paediatric convulsive status epilepticus, epilepsy, and behavioural outcomes
Authors: Wright Ingram
Published: April 2018

This commentary is on the original article by Martinos et al. on pages 409–416 of this issue.
Spasticity in children with cerebral palsy: what are we treating?
Authors: Gough Martin
Published: April 2018

This commentary is on the original article by Willerslev‐Olsen et al. on pages 672–679 of this issue.
Interprofessional education in dental education: An international perspective
Authors: Davis J. M. , Janczukowicz J. , Stewart J. , Quinn B. , Feldman C. A.
Published: April 2018

Interprofessional collaborative care (IPC) is defined as working within and across healthcare disciplines and is considered essential to achieve a more inclusive, patient‐centred care, provide a means to support patient safety and address global healthcare provider shortages. Interprofessional education (IPE) provides the knowledge and experience students need to achieve these goals. ADEE/ADEA held a joint international meeting 8‐9 May 2017, with IPE being one of four topic areas discussed. The highly interactive workshop format, where “everyone was an expert,” supported discussion, sharing and creative problem‐solving of over seventy‐one participants from twenty‐nine countries. IPE participants broke out into five groups over a two‐day period discussing three main areas: challenges and barriers to implementing IPE within their institution or country; discussion of successful models of introducing and assessing IPE initiatives, and exploring best practices and next steps for implementation for each group member. A mind‐mapping model was used to graphically display participants’ thoughts and suggestions. Key themes, revealed through the visual mind maps and discussion, included the following: IPE should lead to and enhance patient‐centred care; student involvement is key to IPE success; faculty development and incentives can facilitate adoption and implementation of IPE; the role of a “champion” and leadership structure and commitment is important to move IPE forward; and IPE must be tailored to the unique issues found in each country. Overall, there was a high level of interest to continue both collaboration and discussion to learn from others beyond the London meeting.
(Re)shaping educational research through ‘programmification’: Institutional expansion, change, and translation in Norway
Authors: Zapp Mike , Helgetun Jo B. , Powell Justin J. W.
Published: April 2018

Educational research in Norway has experienced unprecedented structural expansion and cognitive shifts over the last two decades because of greater state investments and the strategic use of extensive and multi‐year thematic programmes to fund research projects. Using a neo‐institutionalist framework, we examine institutionalisation dynamics in cultural‐cognitive, normative and regulative dimensions by means of interviews, research programme calls, policy documents and funding data. In the cultural‐cognitive dimension, we find references to the knowledge society, the perceived importance of evidence in policymaking and ideas of quality, excellence and relevance. In the normative dimension, we find the introduction of new professional and methodological standards, reflecting broader global patterns of academic and epistemic drift. In the regulative dimension, the strengthened role of both government and the Research Council of Norway is manifest in substantial growth in both funding and large‐scale, long‐term planning, including thematic choices—evidence of ‘programmification’. The importance of external models has grown in an era of internationalisation, yet translation occurs at every level of the governance of educational research. This results in a specific Norwegian research model, guided by a mode of governance of programmes that maintains social values that are traditionally strong in Nordic societies.
Director Networks and Credit Ratings
Authors: Benson Bradley W. , Iyer Subramanian Rama , Kemper Kristopher J. , Zhao Jing
Published: April 2018

We explore the effect of director social capital, directors with large and influential networks, on credit ratings. Using a sample of 11,172 firm‐year observations from 1999 to 2011, we find that larger board networks are associated with higher credit ratings than both firm financial data and probabilities of default predict. Near‐investment grade firms improve their forward‐looking ratings when their board is more connected. Last, we find that larger director networks are more beneficial during recessions, and times of increased financial uncertainty. Our results are robust to controls for endogeneity. Tests confirm that causality runs from connected boards to credit ratings.
Corporate Governance and Firm Survival
Authors: Goktan M. Sinan , Kieschnick Robert , Moussawi Rabih
Published: April 2018

We explore how various aspects of corporate governance influence the likelihood of a public corporation surviving as a separate public entity, after addressing potential endogeneity that arises from competing corporate exit outcomes: acquisitions, going‐private transactions, and bankruptcies. We find that some corporate governance features are more important determinants of the form of a firm's exit than many economic factors that have figured prominently in prior research. We also find evidence that outsider‐dominated boards and lower restrictions on internal governance play major roles in the way firms exit public markets, particularly when a firm's industry suffers a negative shock. Overall, our results suggest that failure to recognize competing risks produces biased estimates, resulting in faulty inferences.
How I investigate Clonal cytogenetic abnormalities of undetermined significance
Authors: Tang G. , Medeiros L. J. , Wang S. A.
Published: April 2018

Myelodysplastic syndromes are a group of hematopoietic stem cell diseases characterized by cytopenia(s), morphological dysplasia, and clonal hematopoiesis. In some patients, the cause of cytopenia(s) is uncertain, even after thorough clinical and laboratory evaluation. Evidence of clonal hematopoiesis has been used to support a diagnosis of myelodysplastic syndrome in this setting. In patients with cytopenia(s), the presence of clonal cytogenetic abnormalities, except for +8, del(20q) and −Y, can serve as presumptive evidence of myelodysplastic syndrome. Recent advances in next‐generation sequencing have detected myeloid neoplasm‐related mutations in patients who do not meet the diagnostic criteria for myelodysplastic syndrome. Various terms have been adopted to describe these cases, including clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) and clonal cytopenia of undetermined significance (CCUS). Similarly, studies have shown that certain chromosomal abnormalities, including ones commonly detected in myelodysplastic syndrome, may not be associated necessarily with an underlying myelodysplastic syndrome. These clonal cytogenetic abnormalities of undetermined significance (CCAUS) are similar to CHIP and CCUS. Here, we review the features of CCAUS, distinguishing CCAUS from clonal cytogenetic abnormalities associated with myelodysplastic syndrome, and the potential impact of CCAUS on patient management.
Exposure to liquid sweetness in early childhood: artificially‐sweetened and sugar‐sweetened beverage consumption at 4–5 years and risk of overweight and obesity at 7–8 years
Authors: Macintyre A. K. , Marryat L. , Chambers S.
Published: April 2018

Background

A significant gap exists in longitudinal evidence on early exposure to artificially sweetened beverages (ASBs) and weight outcomes for paediatric populations.

Objective

The objective of this study is to examine the relationship between ASB/sugar‐sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption at 4–5 years and risk of overweight and obesity at 7–8 years.

Methods

Data from a nationally representative cohort (n = 2986) in Scotland were analysed using logistic regression to evaluate the association between exposure to ASBs/SSBs at 4–5 years and risk of overweight and obesity at 7–8 years.

Results

There were positive unadjusted associations between ASB consumption and risk of obesity, and following adjustment for confounders, ASB associations attenuated, and only the middle consumption category (1 to 6 times per week) remained significant (odds ratio 1.57, 95% confidence interval {CI} 1.05–2.36). For SSB consumption, there were no significant unadjusted associations, and following adjustment for confounders, only the middle consumption category was significant (odds ratio 1.65, 95% CI 1.12–2.44). There were no significant associations for risk of overweight.

Conclusions

Longitudinal analysis from 4–5 to 7–8 years demonstrated some evidence of associations between ASBs/SSB consumption and risk of obesity. However, non‐linear patterns and wide CIs suggest cautious interpretation and need for future studies with long‐term follow‐up.
Sickness Absence and Works Councils: Evidence from German Individual and Linked Employer–Employee Data
Authors: Arnold Daniel , Brändle Tobias , Goerke Laszlo
Published: April 2018

Using both household and linked employer–employee data for Germany, we assess the effects of nonunion representation in the form of works councils on (1) individual sickness absence rates and (2) a subjective measure of personnel problems due to sickness absence as perceived by a firm's management. We find that the existence of a works council is positively correlated with the incidence and the annual duration of absence. Further, personnel problems due to absence are more likely to occur in plants with a works council.
Burden and epidemiology of influenza‐ and respiratory syncytial virus‐associated severe acute respiratory illness hospitalization in Madagascar, 2011‐2016
Authors: Rabarison Joelinotahina H. , Tempia Stefano , Harimanana Aina , Guillebaud Julia , Razanajatovo Norosoa H. , Ratsitorahina Maherisoa , Heraud Jean‐Michel
Published: April 2018

Background

Influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections are responsible for substantial global morbidity and mortality in young children and elderly individuals. Estimates of the burden of influenza‐ and RSV‐associated hospitalization are limited in Africa.

Methods

We conducted hospital‐based surveillance for laboratory‐confirmed influenza‐ and RSV‐associated severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) among patients of any age at one hospital and a retrospective review of SARI hospitalizations in five hospitals situated in Antananarivo during 2011‐2016. We estimated age‐specific rates (per 100 000 population) of influenza‐ and RSV‐associated SARI hospitalizations for the Antananarivo region and then extrapolated these rates to the national level.

Results

Overall, the mean annual national number of influenza‐associated SARI hospitalizations for all age groups was 6609 (95% CI: 5381‐7835‐rate: 30.0; 95% CI: 24.4‐35.6), 4468 (95% CI: 3796‐5102‐rate: 127.6; 95% CI: 108.4‐145.7), 2141 (95% CI: 1585‐2734‐rate: 11.6; 95% CI: 8.6‐14.8), and 339 (95% CI: 224‐459‐rate: 50.0; 95% CI: 36.3‐74.4) among individuals aged <5, ≥5, and ≥65 years, respectively. For these same age groups, the mean annual number of RSV‐associated SARI hospitalizations was 11 768 (95% CI: 10 553‐12 997‐rate: 53.4; 95% CI: 47.9‐59.0), 11 299 (95% CI: 10 350‐12 214‐rate: 322.7; 95% CI: 295.6‐348.8), 469 (95% CI: 203‐783‐rate: 2.5;95% CI: 1.1‐4.2), and 36 (95% CI: 0‐84‐rate: 5.8; 0.0‐13.5), respectively.

Conclusion

The burden of influenza‐ and RSV‐associated SARI hospitalization was high among children aged <5 years. These first estimates for Madagascar will enable government to make informed evidence‐based decisions when allocating scarce resources and planning intervention strategies to limit the impact and spread of these viruses.
An actuarial balance sheet of the Swiss old‐age pension scheme
Authors: Metzger Christoph
Published: April 2018

Following the recent update of the international System of National Accounts (2008 SNA), internationally comparable estimates of accrued‐to‐date pension liabilities (ADL) of unfunded social security pension schemes will soon be available in the supplementary table to the National Accounts. Against this background, this article analyzes the medium‐term sustainability of the Swiss old‐age pension scheme (Alters‐ und Hinterlassenenversicherung – AHV). This is achieved by estimating a “Swedish” actuarial balance sheet, which compares pension liabilities with the explicit and implicit assets of the pension scheme. Our results show that the current financing of the AHV is unsustainable, with about 30 per cent of the liabilities not backed by corresponding assets. In order to close this financing gap either the contribution rate should rise from 8.4 per cent to 12 per cent or all pension liabilities should be cut by about 38 per cent.
Proteinuria and risk of stroke in patients with hypertension: The Kailuan cohort study
Authors: Wang Anxin , Dai Liye , Su Zhaoping , Chen Shuohua , Li Junjuan , Wu Shouling , Wang Yongjun , Wang Yilong
Published: April 2018

Proteinuria is associated with stroke, but the effects of changes in proteinuria on stroke risk are not well understood in the hypertensive population. This study examined whether proteinuria changes across 2‐year assessments were associated with incident stroke in individuals with hypertension. We used visit data from 24 300 participants with hypertension of the Kailuan study who were stroke free at baseline. Based on the baseline and 2‐year dipstick screening results, participants were classified as having no, remittent, incident, or persistent proteinuria. The relationship between proteinuria and stroke was analyzed using Cox proportional‐hazards models after adjusting for potential variables. During a median of 6.89‐year follow‐up, we identified 1197 people with stroke. Compared to those with no proteinuria, stroke risk was significantly increased in participants with incident (hazard ratio [HR] 1.41, 95% CI, 1.05‐1.77) and persistent proteinuria (HR 1.49, 95% CI, 1.25‐1.89) after adjustment for other factors, which was consistent in ischemic stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage. No interaction was found between changes of proteinuria and diabetes mellitus in the hypertensive population. Changes in proteinuria exposure, particularly persistent proteinuria, play a role in reflecting the risk of stroke in patients with hypertension.
Commentary: Biological embedding of childhood adversity: where do we go from here? A reflection on Koss and Gunnar (2018)
Authors: Danese Andrea
Published: April 2018

The review by Koss & Gunna provides a scholarly overview of the role of the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA) axis in mediating the association between childhood adversity and psychopathology. Through their insightful observations, the authors craft a rich framework to critically appraise the current evidence and inform future research in this area. Overall, the review calls for a new generation of studies testing biological embedding hypotheses with greater attention to design, measurement, statistical models, and translational approaches. These new studies are much needed. By uncovering the causal pathways underlying the biological embedding of childhood adversity, we can gain important new tools to prevent the most impairing forms of psychopathology among the most vulnerable individuals in society.
Annual Research Review: The state of autism intervention science: progress, target psychological and biological mechanisms and future prospects
Authors: Green Jonathan , Garg Shruti
Published: April 2018

Background

There has been recent systematic review of key evidence in psychosocial intervention in autism but little review of biological treatments.

Methods

We analyse the current literature from the perspective of intervention and mechanism targets across social and biological development.

Results

The overall quality of trials evidence in autism intervention remains relatively low, despite some recent progress. Many treatments in common use have little or no evidence base. This is very concerning in such an important disorder. A variety of psychosocial interventions can show effect to improve some short‐term effects on children's immediate dyadic social interactions, for instance with caregivers. But showing true effectiveness in this developmental disorder requires generalisation of such effects into wider social contexts, on autism symptoms and in long‐term progress in development. Only a few interventions so far have begun to show this. A number of early phase interventions on biological targets have shown real promise, but none has yet progressed to larger scale effectiveness trials on behavioural or symptom outcomes.

Conclusions

There has been enough progress in psychosocial intervention research now to be able to begin to identify some evidence‐based practice in autism treatment. To consolidate and improve outcomes, the next phase of intervention research needs improved trial design, and an iterative approach building on success. It may also include the testing of potential synergies between promising biological and psychosocial interventions.
Commentary: Understanding the impact of domestic violence on children, recognizing strengths, and promoting resilience: reflections on Harold and Sellers (2018)
Authors: Osofsky Joy D.
Published: April 2018

Violence and abuse in families occurs frequently with significant impact on children of all ages. However, this type of interpersonal violence is often the least disclosed or discussed. Therefore, the Harold and Sellers paper is important to bring attention to the broad range of both behavioral and neuroscience research in this area and the clinical implications for children and adolescents including risk for later psychopathology. The commentary also expands an understanding of the impact and outcomes for very young children exposed to domestic violence. The authors provide a thorough description of the many prevention and intervention programs and approaches to help children exposed to domestic violence. In conclusion, it is essential to recognize that even at times of adversity for children and families, such as when domestic violence occurs, it is important to recognize strengths and support resilience.
Reimagining the environment in developmental psychopathology: from molecules to effective interventions
Authors: Fearon Pasco
Published: April 2018

The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry's Annual Research Review (ARR) is a must‐read special issue of the journal that presents a series of major reviews of key topics in the field. This year the ARR consists of eight reviews, each accompanied by a commentary from a leading expert in the field, on a diverse range of topics addressing, in complementary ways, the key role of the environment in child psychopathology and in leveraging change in the service of prevention and intervention. Topics include epigenetics, stress physiology, neonatal imaging, interparental conflict, bullying, autism treatments and suicide. The papers considered together represent the very best of contemporary child psychology and psychiatry research.
Commentary: Randomized controlled trials in autism spectrum disorder: state of the field and challenges for the future
Authors: Simonoff Emily
Published: April 2018

This issue of the Journal includes two articles summarizing the evidence from clinical trials aimed at improving symptoms of autism. French and Kennedy (Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 2018, xx, xxxx) systematically review randomized controlled trials (RCTs) aimed at an “early intervention” and focus on trials including children with or at risk of autism under age 6 years. Although no type of intervention were excluded from their review, none of the included 48 RCTs employed pharmacological modalities and the overwhelming majority tested psychological/behavioural interventions aimed at modifying aspects of observed behaviours that are abnormal in children with autism. Using the standard Cochrane tool for evaluating risk of bias, French and Kennedy conclude that many RCTs are of low quality, which throws into question the reliance that should be placed on the findings.
Early developmental and allometric patterns in the electric yellow cichlidLabidochromis caeruleus
Authors: Saemi‐Komsari M. , Mousavi‐Sabet H. , Kratochwil C. F. , Sattari M. , Eagderi S. , Meyer A.
Published: April 2018

The electric yellow cichlidLabidochromis caeruleusis a mouth‐brooding haplochromine cichlid from Lake Malawi and one of the most popular cichlids in the ornamental fish industry. To investigate the early development ofL. caeruleusfrom hatching until the juvenile stage, we studied its morphological development and allometric growth patterns. In newly‐hatched larvae, most organs and body parts were not yet differentiated and continued to develop until 15 days post hatching (dph). The yolk sac was depleted at 13 dph. There was allometric growth, primarily in the anterior and posterior regions of the body, and inflection points when trajectories of allometric growth changed. Head and tail growth was prioritized, suggesting that body parts linked to feeding and swimming behaviour mature earlier than the rest of the body. Additionally, growth patterns revealed that development of organs related to vital functions such as branchial respiration, sensation, exogenous feeding and swimming was prioritized. Comparisons with other African and Neotropical cichlids revealed differences in ontogenetic processes and allometric growth along the anterior–posterior axis as well as variation in developmental timing. These results indicate how early morphological development and ontogenic processes might respond to the distinctive parental care observed in mouth‐brooding cichlids.
Do Macroforecasters Herd?
Authors: CLEMENTS MICHAEL P.
Published: April 2018

We show that typical tests of whether forecasters herd will falsely indicate herding behavior for a variety of types of behavior and forecasting environments that give rise to disagreement among forecasters. We establish that forecasters will appear to herd if differences between them reflect noise as opposed to private information, or if they arise from informational rigidities. Noise can have a behavioral interpretation and if so will depend on the behavioral model under consideration. An application of the herding tests to U.S. quarterly survey forecasts of inflation and output growth data 1981–2013 does not support herding behavior.
Greenspan's Conundrum and the Fed's Ability to Affect Long‐Term Yields
Authors: THORNTON DANIEL L.
Published: April 2018

In February 2005 Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan noticed that the 10‐year Treasury yields failed to increase despite a 150‐basis‐point increase in the federal funds rate and called it a “conundrum.” This paper investigates the historical relationship between the 10‐year Treasury yield and the federal funds rate and finds that the relationship changed dramatically in the late 1980s, well in advance of Greenspan's observation. The paper evaluates three competing hypotheses for the change. The evidence from a variety of sources supports the conclusion that the most plausible explanation is that the change occurred because the FOMC began using the federal funds rate as a policy instrument.
International Transmission Channels of U.S. Quantitative Easing: Evidence from Canada
Authors: DAHLHAUS TATJANA , HESS KRISTINA , REZA ABEER
Published: April 2018

The U.S. Federal Reserve responded to the great recession by implementing quantitative easing, or large‐scale asset purchases, when its conventional policy rate reached the zero lower bound. We assess the international spillover effects of this quantitative easing program on the Canadian economy in a factor‐augmented vector autoregression (FAVAR) framework, by considering a counterfactual scenario in which the Federal Reserve's long‐term asset holdings do not rise in response to the recession. We find that U.S. quantitative easing boosted Canadian output, mainly through the financial channel.