bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Child Pain Catastrophizing Mediates the Relation Between Parent Responses to Pain and Disability in Youth With Functional Abdominal Pain
Authors: Cunningham Natoshia R. , Lynch‐Jordan Anne , Barnett Kimberly , Peugh James , Sil Soumitri , Goldschneider Kenneth , Kashikar‐Zuck Susmita
Published: August 2014

Objectives:

Functional abdominal pain (FAP) in youth is associated with substantial impairment in functioning, and prior research has shown that overprotective parent responses can heighten impairment. Little is known about how a range of parental behaviors (overprotection, minimizing, and/or encouragement) in response to their child's pain interact with child coping characteristics (eg, catastrophizing) to influence functioning in youth with FAP. In this study, it was hypothesized that the relation between parenting factors and child disability would be mediated by children's levels of maladaptive coping (ie, pain catastrophizing).

Methods:

Seventy‐five patients with FAP presenting to a pediatric pain clinic and their caregivers participated in the study. Youth completed measures of pain intensity (Numeric Rating Scale), pain catastrophizing (Pain Catastrophizing Scale), and disability (Functional Disability Inventory). Caregivers completed measures of parent pain catastrophizing (Pain Catastrophizing Scale), and parent responses to child pain behaviors (Adult Responses to Child Symptoms: Protection, Minimizing, and Encouragement/Monitoring subscales).

Results:

Increased functional disability was significantly related to higher child pain intensity, increased child and parent pain catastrophizing, and higher levels of encouragement/monitoring and protection. Parent minimization was not related to disability. Child pain catastrophizing fully mediated the relation between parent encouragement/monitoring and disability and partially mediated the relation between parent protectiveness and disability.

Conclusions:

The impact of parenting behaviors in response to FAP on child disability is determined, in part, by the child's coping style. Findings highlight a more nuanced understanding of the parent–child interaction in determining pain‐related disability levels, which should be taken into consideration in assessing and treating youth with FAP.
Understanding the basis of antibiotic resistance: a platform for drug discovery
Authors: Piddock Laura J. V.
Published: August 2014

There are numerous genes in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium that can confer resistance to fluoroquinolone antibiotics, including those that encode topoisomerase proteins, the primary targets of this class of drugs. However, resistance is often multifactorial in clinical isolates and it is not uncommon to also detect mutations in genes that affect the expression of proteins involved in permeability and multi-drug efflux. The latter mechanism, mediated by tripartite efflux systems, such as that formed by the AcrAB–TolC system, confers inherent resistance to many antibiotics, detergents and biocides. Genetic inactivation of efflux genes gives multi-drug hyper-susceptibility, and in the absence of an intact AcrAB–TolC system some chromosomal and transmissible antibiotic resistance genes no longer confer clinically relevant levels of resistance. Furthermore, a functional multi-drug resistance efflux pump, such as AcrAB–TolC, is required for virulence and the ability to form a biofilm. In part, this is due to altered expression of virulence and biofilm genes being sensitive to efflux status. Efflux pump expression can be increased, usually due to mutations in regulatory genes, and this confers resistance to clinically useful drugs such as fluoroquinolones and β-lactams. Here, I discuss some of the work my team has carried out characterizing the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium from the late 1980s to 2014.

A video of this Prize Lecture, presented at the Society for General Microbiology Annual Conference 2014, can be viewed via this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCRumMV99Yw.
Novel porcine-like human G26P[19] rotavirus identified in hospitalized paediatric diarrhoea patients in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Authors: My Phan Vu Tra , Rabaa Maia A. , Donato Celeste , Cowley Daniel , Phat Voong Vinh , Dung Tran Thi Ngoc , Anh Pham Hong , Vinh Ha , Bryant Juliet E. , Kellam Paul , Thwaites Guy , Woolhouse Mark E. J. , Kirkwood Carl D. , Baker Stephen
Published: August 2014

During a hospital-based diarrhoeal disease study conducted in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam from 2009 to 2010, we identified four symptomatic children infected with G26P[19] rotavirus (RV) – an atypical variant that has not previously been reported in human gastroenteritis. To determine the genetic structure and investigate the origin of this G26P[19] strain, the whole genome of a representative example was characterized, revealing a novel genome constellation: G26–P[19]–I5–R1–C1–M1–A8–N1–T1–E1–H1. The genome segments were most closely related to porcine (VP7, VP4, VP6 and NSP1) and Wa-like porcine RVs (VP1–3 and NSP2–5). We proposed that this G26P[19] strain was the product of zoonotic transmission coupled with one or more reassortment events occurring in human and/or animal reservoirs. The identification of such strains has potential implications for vaccine efficacy in south-east Asia, and outlines the utility of whole-genome sequencing for studying RV diversity and zoonotic potential during disease surveillance.
Shadow enhancers enable Hunchback bifunctionality in the Drosophila embryo
Authors: Staller Max V. , Vincent Ben J. , Bragdon Meghan D.J. , Zeba Wunderlich Tara Lydiard-Martin , Estrada Javier , DePace Angela H.
Published: August 2014

Hunchback (Hb) is a bifunctional transcription factor that activates and represses distinct enhancers. Here, we investigate the hypothesis that Hb can activate and repress the same enhancer. Computational models predicted that Hb bifunctionally regulates the even-skipped (eve) stripe 3+7 enhancer (eve3+7) in Drosophila blastoderm embryos. We measured and modeled eve expression at cellular resolution under multiple genetic perturbations and found that the eve3+7 enhancer could not explain endogenous eve stripe 7 behavior. Instead, we found that eve stripe 7 is controlled by two enhancers: the canonical eve3+7 and a sequence encompassing the minimal eve stripe 2 enhancer (eve2+7). Hb bifunctionally regulates eve stripe 7, but it executes these two activities on different pieces of regulatory DNA–it activates the eve2+7 enhancer and represses the eve3+7 enhancer. These two “shadow enhancers” use different regulatory logic to create the same pattern.

Significance statement

Enhancers are regions of regulatory DNA that control gene expression and cell fate decisions during development. Enhancers compute the expression pattern of their target gene by reading the concentrations of input regulatory proteins. Many developmental genes contain multiple enhancers that control the same output pattern, but it is unclear if these enhancers all compute the pattern in the same way. We use measurements in single cells and computational models inDrosophilaembryos to demonstrate that two enhancers that encode the same gene expression pattern compute differently: the same regulatory protein represses one enhancer and activates the other. Pairs of enhancers that output the same pattern by performing different computations may impart special properties to developmental systems.
Ideal and Non-Ideal Theory in Elizabeth Anderson's the Imperative of Integration
Authors: Hertzberg Benjamin R.
Published: August 2014

Elizabeth Anderson's The Imperative of Integration is most notable for its creative application of her conception of non-ideal theory. I assess Anderson's conception and argue that it does not adequately account for the necessary role of political ideals in non-ideal theory. Political ideals, I argue, determine what counts as a political problem and shape the practice of non-ideal theorizing in ways Anderson does not fully address. This methodological difference leads me to depart in a small but significant way from her criticism of the color-blind ideal: by failing to consider the role of ideals in defining political problems, Anderson's criticisms of the color-blind ideal fail to note the contradiction advocates of that ideal find between the critical implications of their view and its alleged policy prescriptions.
Comparison of the Microbiological Quality of Environmentally Friendly and Conventionally Grown Vegetables Sold at Retail Markets in Korea
Authors: Ryu Jee‐Hoon , Kim Minju , Kim Eun‐Gyeong , Beuchat Larry R. , Kim Hoikyung
Published: August 2014

Fresh produce is usually eaten raw without cooking or heating, which may increase the probability of foodborne infection. The microbiological quality of 11 types of fresh, raw vegetables (romaine lettuce, sesame leaves, crown daisy, garlic chives, iceberg lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, leek, chili pepper, capsicum, and zucchini) purchased at retail markets in Iksan, Korea as affected by cultivation method (environmentally friendly vegetables [organic, pesticide‐free, and low‐pesticide vegetables] and conventionally grown vegetables) and harvest season was determined. Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella were not detected in all samples of vegetables tested. Aerobic mesophiles (>6 log cfu/g) were detected in environmentally friendly romaine lettuce and crown daisy and environmentally friendly and conventionally grown garlic chives, which also contained coliforms (>3 log cfu/g). Sesame leaf and crown daisy (regardless of cultivation method), as well as conventionally grown romaine lettuce and leek, contained >1 log cfu/g of E. coli. The overall microbiological quality of environmentally friendly and conventionally grown vegetables was not significantly different (P > 0.05). However, there were seasonal effects on populations of coliforms and generic E. coli on vegetables. The greatest numbers of microorganisms were isolated from environmentally friendly or conventionally grown vegetables purchased in winter. The vegetables, regardless of cultivation method or season, should be subjected to appropriate antimicrobial treatment to enhance their microbial safety.
An Improved and Validated Sample Cleanup Method for Analysis of Ethyl Carbamate in Chinese Liquor
Authors: Xia Qiang , Yuan Huawei , Wu Chongde , Zheng Jia , Zhang Suyi , Shen Caihong , Yi Bin , Zhou Rongqing
Published: August 2014

Ethyl carbamate (EC) is a potential human carcinogen widely existing in fermented foods and alcoholic beverages. The solid‐phase extraction (SPE) coupled to gas chromatography mass spectrometry is a widely‐used method to determine EC levels, but the accuracy varies with sample matrix and the effects of operation parameters are rarely examined. In this study, the influence factors involved in EC determination were investigated using Chinese liquor as sample matrix, and the improved method was further applied. Three types of SPE columns, including diatomite, Florisil, and primary‐secondary amine, were compared in extraction efficiency, and the diatomite column exhibited the highest extraction efficiency. The optimal volumes of elution solvents with diatomite column were 15 mL for 3‐mL samples solution loaded. In addition, the alcoholic strength for EC determination should be diluted below 20% (v/v) to avoid the enhancement of matrix‐induced chromatographic response. Moreover, the pH neutralization could help improve EC recovery and peak resolution, reducing interfering effects. Based on these results, the improved method showed that the limit of detection, the limit of quantification, and average recoveries were 1.10 μg/L, 3.65 μg/L, and 93.06%, respectively. To further elucidate the underlying factors related to EC accumulation, partial least square regression analysis was conducted, and the results suggested that EC levels had the closest relationship with alcoholic strength among the remaining precursors.
Four types of Bifidobacteria trigger autophagy response in intestinal epithelial cells
Authors: Lin Rong , Jiang Ye , Zhao Xin Yan , Guan Yang , Qian Wei , Fu Xiao Chao , Ren Hun Yu , Hou Xiao Hua
Published: August 2014

Objectives

To investigate the influence of gut microbiota on autophagy activation in intestinal epithelial cells (IEC) and to evaluate the IEC autophagy response to different types of Bifidobacteria.

Methods

IEC‐18 cells were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) derived from enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) O127:B8 and culture medium supernatants of four types of Bifidobacteria. Transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) was measured using an epithelial voltohmmeter. Autophagy was determined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), the ratio of LC3‐II to LC3‐I and the persistence of both green fluorescent protein (GFP) and mCherry signals using a tandem mCherry‐GFP‐LC3 construct. The expression of Atg12–Atg5–Atg16 complex was measured by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction.

Results

EPEC‐LPS significantly diminished the TEER of IEC compared with untreated controls by 45–55%. This reduction was not observed after treated with Bifidobacteria at all time points. Bifidobacteria could initiate the activation of autophagy in IEC, based on both the ratio of LC3‐II to LC3‐I and TEM. There was no difference in the influence of the four types of Bifidobacteria on the autophagy response. Compared with Bifidobacteria, IEC reacted to EPEC‐LPS much more intensively by autophagy accumulation. More mCherry+LC3 autophagic puncta and increased expressions of autophagy genes Atg5, Atg12 and Atg16 could be detected after being treated with Bifidobacteria and EPEC‐LPS.

Conclusions

Bifidobacteria initiate autophagy activation in IEC. The Atg12–Atg5–Atg16 multimeric complex might participate in the activation of Bifidobacteria‐induced cell autophagy.
Dessiné d'après nature: Renditions from Life in the Journal des Dames et des Modes, 1798‐9
Authors: Bissonnette Anne
Published: August 2014

This paper examines the strengths and limitations of late Directoire Journal des Dames et des Modes fashion plates. It observes the phenomenon of ‘drawn‐from‐life’ sub‐captioned plates from 1798 to 1799, which provide contextualising factual information. The research questions the assumed omnipresence of the sheer, white, short‐sleeved, columnal Directoire dress. The Journal's plates tell a different story, where certain traditions persist and a much broader range of dress styles, silhouettes and colours subsist. The study demonstrates the limits of broad generalisation and seeks to expand our understanding of classicism's influence on dress and embodiment practices in the late eighteenth century.
Patient Safety Training in Pediatric Emergency Medicine: A National Survey of Program Directors
Authors: Wolff Margaret , Macias Charles G. , Garcia Estevan , Stankovic Curt
Published: August 2014

Objectives

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education requires training in patient safety and medical errors but does not provide specification for content or methods. Pediatric emergency medicine (EM) fellowship directors were surveyed to characterize current training of pediatric EM fellows in patient safety and to determine the need for additional training.

Methods

From June 2013 to August 2013, pediatric EM fellowship directors were surveyed via e‐mail.

Results

Of the 71 eligible survey respondents, 57 (80.3%) completed surveys. A formal curriculum was present in 24.6% of programs, with a median of 6 hours (range = 1 to 18 hours) dedicated to the curriculum. One program evaluated the efficacy of the curriculum. Nearly 91% of respondents without formal programs identified lack of local faculty expertise or interest as the primary barrier to implementing patient safety curricula. Of programs without formal curricula, 93.6% included at least one component of patient safety training in their fellowship programs. The majority of respondents would implement a standardized patient safety curriculum for pediatric EM if one was available.

Conclusions

Despite the importance of patient safety training and requirements to train pediatric EM fellows in patient safety and medical errors, there is a lack of formal curriculum and local faculty expertise. The majority of programs have introduced components of patient safety training and desire a standardized curriculum.
Lower subcortical gray matter volume in both younger smokers and established smokers relative to non‐smokers
Authors: Hanlon Colleen A. , Owens Max M. , Joseph Jane E. , Zhu Xun , George Mark S. , Brady Kathleen T , Hartwell Karen J.
Published: August 2014

Although established adult smokers with long histories of nicotine dependence have lower neural tissue volume than non‐smokers, it is not clear if lower regional brain volume is also observed in younger, less established smokers. The primary goal of this study was to investigate neural tissue volume in a large group of smokers and non‐smokers, with a secondary goal of measuring the impact of age on these effects. We used voxel‐based morphometry to compare regional gray matter volume in 118 individuals (59 smokers, 59 age‐ and gender‐matched non‐smokers). Younger smokers had significantly lower gray matter volume in the left thalamus and the left amygdala than their non‐smoking peers (family‐wise error‐corrected clusters, P < 0.05). There was no correlation between smoking use variables and tissue volume among younger smokers. Established smokers had significantly lower gray matter volume than age‐matched non‐smokers in the insula, parahippocampal gyrus and pallidum. Medial prefrontal cortex gray matter volume was negatively correlated with pack‐years of smoking among the established smokers, but not the younger smokers. These data reveal that regional tissue volume differences are not limited exclusively to established smokers. Deficits in young adults indicate that cigarette smoking may either be deleterious to the thalamus and amygdala at an earlier age than previously reported, or that pre‐existing differences in these areas may predispose individuals to the development of nicotine dependence.
Synergistic effects of temperature, diet and colony size on the competitive ability of two ant species
Authors: Barbieri Rafael F. , Grangier Julien , Lester Philip J.
Published: August 2014

Multiple biotic and abiotic factors influence species coexistence and co‐occurrence patterns. In a competitive environment, for example, temperature and diet variation may modify both foraging behaviour and aggression, thereby changing competitive interactions and species co‐occurrence patterns. In New Zealand, two endemic ant species (Prolasius advenus and Monomorium antarcticum) often form allopatric distributions; though also periodically do co‐occur in the same habitat. Here, we performed a long‐term laboratory experiment in an attempt to understand how diet, colony size and environmental conditions may influence these co‐occurrence patterns. The consequences of temperature and diet variation differed between P. advenus and M. antarcticum. Colonies of P. advenus exhibited increased aggression and foraging activities at higher temperatures. In addition, P. advenus colonies augmented their foraging activities when deprived of a carbohydrate‐rich food source. Conversely, small M. antarcticum colonies exhibited higher aggression than when in large colonies, and increased their foraging activities at lower temperatures. The modulation of aggression and foraging behaviour may influence the likelihood of small P. advenus and M. antarcticum colonies persisting in the long term. Our results are compatible with the hypothesis that the environment is likely to be a strong filter for the negative co‐occurrence patterns we observe between P. advenus and M. antarcticum in New Zealand. Furthermore, this study provides a mechanistic explanation for potential impacts of climate warming on community structure. Environmental modification of aggression and foraging behaviour could potentially alter competitive interactions and influence community assembly.
The Women's Squad in Ukraine's protests: Feminism, nationalism, and militarism on the Maidan
Authors: PHILLIPS SARAH D.
Published: August 2014

Although women and men participated in nearly equal numbers in Ukraine's 2013–14 Maidan protests, women were excluded from some of the more dangerous activities and their contributions went largely unrecognized. I examine women's modes of participation in and their exclusion from the Maidan and the creative responses of feminists to this exclusion, including creation of so‐called Women's Squads. The protests generated important feminist initiatives and discussions about women's roles in Ukraine's past and future, which were partially couched in discourses of nationalism and militarism. Examining debates about women's roles during and after the protests suggests that the Maidan provided Ukraine's feminists with opportunities to articulate divergent yet reconcilable perspectives on women's activism, social change, and national sovereignty. Their creative responses to the challenges of the protests have potentially paved the way for broadening the base of Ukrainian feminism, introducing women's rights principles to segments of the population previously reluctant to embrace feminism.
The social unit of debt: Gender and creditworthiness in Paraguayan microfinance
Authors: SCHUSTER CAROLINE E.
Published: August 2014

Paraguayan microcredit poverty‐alleviation programs are built around instrumentalizing women's economic ties through group‐based loans guaranteed by no more than the promise of women's solidarity and joint liability for their collective loan repayment. I track the production and regulation of the social unit of borrowing in different aspects of microcredit, drawing on examples of individual loans, loans to “committees of women entrepreneurs,” credit scores, and a short‐lived program of “men's committees.” I illustrate how the institutionalized management of creditworthiness actually produces the very flexible and relational feminized borrowers to which microcredit initiatives seek to appeal and, in so doing, creates certain kinds of gendered sociality by enacting and embodying different social units of debt.
“Fraternal” nations and challenges to sovereignty in Ukraine: The politics of linguistic and religious ties
Authors: WANNER CATHERINE
Published: August 2014

Vladimir Putin's recent assertions that Russian “compatriots” were suffering in Ukraine contributed to a rapid escalation of instability and violence in this borderland country that defines the margins of Europe and the edge of Eurasia. After 23 years of independence, Ukraine retains significant regional diversity and strong local identities. At the same time, social differences understood in terms of ethnicity, language choice, and religious affiliation have become less defined, as Ukrainians have embraced fluid linguistic and religious practices that defy easy characterization. On the basis of long‐term fieldwork in Ukraine, I argue that “non‐accommodating bilingualism” and “ambient faith” characterize everyday linguistic and religious practices in this postcolonial, post‐Soviet‐socialist space. This flexibility is adaptive domestically. Paradoxically, it contributes to the vulnerability of Ukrainian sovereignty when polarizing, politicized categories based on supposedly identifiable cultural attributes inject a spurious precision into everyday practices with the aim of redefining state sovereignty.
Neuroaxonal dystrophy in Merino‐Border Leicester × Polled Dorset lambs
Authors: Finnie JW , Jerrett IV , Manavis J , Cave J
Published: August 2014

Case report

The clinicopathological features of neuroaxonal dystrophy (NAD) in 2 lambs are described. Of 40 Merino‐Border Leicester × Polled Dorset lambs on a property in north‐eastern Victoria, 4 presented with marked ataxia and listlessness, and 2 affected animals (2 days and 2 weeks of age, respectively) of both sexes were necropsied. Numerous axonal swellings (spheroids) were found in the central nervous system, particularly in brainstem nuclei and spinal cord grey matter, and there was severe spinal cord demyelination.

Conclusions

This is the first report of NAD in such crossbred lambs; the affected animals were much younger than in previously described cases of ovine NAD and myelin loss was of much greater magnitude than previously reported.
Identifying optimal biomarker combinations for treatment selection via a robust kernel method
Authors: Huang Ying , Fong Youyi
Published: August 2014

Treatment‐selection markers predict an individual's response to different therapies, thus allowing for the selection of a therapy with the best predicted outcome. A good marker‐based treatment‐selection rule can significantly impact public health through the reduction of the disease burden in a cost‐effective manner. Our goal in this article is to use data from randomized trials to identify optimal linear and nonlinear biomarker combinations for treatment selection that minimize the total burden to the population caused by either the targeted disease or its treatment. We frame this objective into a general problem of minimizing a weighted sum of 0‐1 loss and propose a novel penalized minimization method that is based on the difference of convex functions algorithm (DCA). The corresponding estimator of marker combinations has a kernel property that allows flexible modeling of linear and nonlinear marker combinations. We compare the proposed methods with existing methods for optimizing treatment regimens such as the logistic regression model and the weighted support vector machine. Performances of different weight functions are also investigated. The application of the proposed method is illustrated using a real example from an HIV vaccine trial: we search for a combination of Fc receptor genes for recommending vaccination in preventing HIV infection.
Hypoalbuminaemia is associated with mortality in patients undergoing cytoreductive nephrectomy
Authors: Corcoran Anthony T. , Kaffenberger Samuel D. , Clark Peter E. , Walton John , Handorf Elizabeth , Piotrowski Zack , Tomaszewski Jeffery J. , Ginzburg Serge , Mehrazin Reza , Plimack Elizabeth , Chen David Y.T. , Smaldone Marc C. , Uzzo Robert G. , Morgan Todd M. , Kutikov Alexander
Published: August 2014

Objective

To evaluate whether poor nutrition is associated with mortality in patients undergoing cytoreductive nephrectomy (CN) for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC).

Patients and Methods

A multi‐institutional review of prospective databases identified 246 patients meeting inclusion criteria who underwent CN for mRCC from 1993 to 2012. Nutritional markers evaluated were: body mass index <18.5 kg/m2, serum albumin <3.5 g/dL, or preoperative weight loss of ≥5% of body weight. Primary outcomes were overall (OS) and disease‐specific survival (DSS). Secondary outcome was ‘early mortality’ defined as death at ≤6 months of surgery. Survival curves were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier product‐limit method and multivariate analysis using logistic regression was used to test associations between nutritional markers and survival outcomes.

Results

In all, 119 patients (median follow‐up 17 months) were categorised as having any abnormal nutrition parameter (48%). Hypoalbuminaemia was the only independent predictor of OS and DSS (OS: median 8 vs 23 months, P < 0.001; DSS: 11 vs 33 months, P < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, hypoalbuminaemia remained a significant predictor of death for both overall [hazard ratio (HR) 2, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4–2.8; P < 0.001) and disease‐specific mortality (HR 2.2, 95% CI 1.4–3.3; P < 0.001). Hypoalbuminaemia was also associated with early mortality (overall: P < 0.001 and disease specific: P = 0.002).

Conclusion

Patients with mRCC and hypoalbuminaemia undergoing CN have decreased OS and CSS, and increased risk of all‐cause and disease‐specific early mortality. As such, serum albumin may help risk stratify patients selected as candidates for CN. Furthermore, future work should evaluate whether nutritional depletion is a modifiable risk factor.
Survival disparities between Māori and non‐Māori men with prostate cancer in New Zealand
Authors: Obertová Zuzana , Scott Nina , Brown Charis , Stewart Alistair , Lawrenson Ross
Published: August 2014

Objective

To examine temporal trends and current survival differences between Māori and non‐Māori men with prostate cancer in New Zealand (NZ).

Patients and Methods

A cohort of 37 529 men aged ≥40 years diagnosed with prostate cancer between 1996 and 2010 was identified from the New Zealand Cancer Registry and followed until 25 May 2011. Cause of death was obtained from the Mortality Collection by data linkage. Survival for Māori compared with non‐Māori men was estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method, and Cox proportional hazard regression models, adjusted for age, year of diagnosis, socioeconomic deprivation and rural/urban residence.

Results

The probability of surviving was significantly lower for Māori compared with non‐Māori men at 1, 5 and 10 years after diagnosis. Māori men were more likely to die from any cause [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 1.84, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.72–1.97] and from prostate cancer (aHR 1.94, 95% CI 1.76– 2.14). The aHR of prostate cancer death for Māori men diagnosed with regional extent was 2.62‐fold (95% CI 1.60–4.31) compared with non‐Māori men. The survival gap between Māori and non‐Māori men has not changed throughout the study period.

Conclusion

Māori men had significantly poorer survival than non‐Māori, particularly when diagnosed with regional prostate cancer. Despite improvements in survival for all men diagnosed after 2000, the survival gap between Māori and non‐Māori men has not been reduced with time. Differences in prostate cancer detection and management, partly driven by higher socioeconomic deprivation in Māori men, were identified as the most likely contributors to ethnic survival disparities in NZ.
Light Availability Influences Growth‐Defense Trade‐Offs in Big‐Leaf Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla King)
Authors: Abdala‐Roberts Luis , Moreira Xoaquín , Cervera José Carlos , Parra‐Tabla Víctor
Published: August 2014

We report on findings from a common garden experiment showing that the magnitude of change in the production of phenolic compounds in response to different amounts of light availability is tissue‐specific in saplings of big‐leaf mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla). Moreover, we show that trade‐offs between growth and the production of chemical defenses emerge only under light‐limited conditions. These findings emphasize the need for considering the specificity of plant defensive responses to resource availability, as well as the influence of the abiotic environment (via trade‐offs) on plant defense allocation patterns.
Effects of Historical Selective Logging on Anuran Communities in a Wet Evergreen Forest, South India
Authors: Seshadri K. S.
Published: August 2014

Vast areas of tropical evergreen forests have been selectively logged in the past, and many areas continue to be logged. The impacts of such logging on amphibians are poorly understood. I examined the response of anuran communities to historical selective logging in a wet evergreen forest in south India. Anuran assemblages in unlogged forest were compared with assemblages in selectively logged forest. Forty 10 m × 10 m quadrats in forest, riparian zones, and streams of unlogged and selectively logged forests were searched at night for anurans. Species richness did not appear to be affected by logging. However, anuran density varied significantly and was 42 percent lower in selectively logged forests compared to unlogged forests. Anuran densities also varied significantly across microhabitats, with highest densities in streams of both selectively logged and unlogged forests. Patterns of niche overlap varied with selective logging as niche breadth either expanded, contracted, or remained neutral for different species. Ordination analysis explained 95 percent of the variation in species assemblage across selectively logged and unlogged forests. The assemblage in selectively logged forest was nested within unlogged forest. Among the habitat characteristics, litter thickness and water depth had the highest influence on the assemblage. This was followed by litter/water temperature, air temperature, and lastly relative humidity. It appears that species richness and composition of anurans in selectively logged forests is converging with unlogged forests, but the effects of historical logging seem to persist on anuran densities and their niche characteristics even ca 40 yr since logging ceased.
Should Firms Outsource their Basic Research? The Impact of Firm Size on In‐House versus Outsourced R&D Productivity
Authors: Andries Petra , Thorwarth Susanne
Published: August 2014

It has been long known that firms can benefit substantially from basic research. Recently, however, the open innovation literature has questioned whether firms should conduct these basic research activities in‐house and has suggested that outsourcing is more appropriate both for small and large firms. However, existing empirical work investigates the performance implications of R&D outsourcing in general, but does not take into account the differences between basic research on the one hand and more applied R&D on the other. This paper therefore studies whether outsourced basic research indeed contributes equally to firm productivity as in‐house basic research, while explicitly incorporating the moderating effect of firm size. A production function approach is applied to firm‐level data stemming from three waves of the Flemish R&D survey, combined with data from firms' annual accounts. The results show that small firms benefit from outsourcing their basic research activities. For medium‐sized and large firms, however, in‐house basic research is more productive than outsourced basic research. These results contradict the general belief that small firms benefit little from basic research and cast doubts on the recent trend to close medium‐sized and large firms' corporate labs.
Architecture and morphology of the human ventromedial prefrontal cortex
Authors: Mackey Scott , Petrides Michael
Published: August 2014

A previous report identified the location of comparable architectonic areas in the ventral frontal cortex of the human and macaque brains [S. Mackey & M. Petrides (2010) Eur. J. Neurosci., 32, 1940–1950]. The present article provides greater detail with regard to the definition of architectonic areas within the ventromedial part of the human ventral frontal cortex and describes their location: (i) in Montreal Neurological Institute proportional stereotactic space; and (ii) in relation to sulcal landmarks. Structural magnetic resonance scans of four brains were obtained before the preparation of the histological specimens, so that the architectonic parcellation could be reconstructed in its original three‐dimensional volume. The areal density of individual cortical layers was sampled quantitatively in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex of eight brains (16 hemispheres). The agranular cortex along the ventral edge of the corpus callosum and posterior margin of the ventromedial surface is replaced by a graded series of increasingly granular and more complexly laminated areas that succeed one another in a posterior‐to‐anterior direction. In parallel, the width of the supragranular layers (i.e. layers II and III) increases as compared with the infragranular layers (i.e. layers V and VI) from posterior to anterior. A measure of how rapidly cortical features change at areal boundaries also showed that the rate of change in the granule and pyramidal cell densities of layers IV and V, respectively, was greater at the borders between posterior areas than between anterior areas. This article will facilitate the anatomical identification and comparison of experimental data involving the human vmPFC.
Rabbit haemorrhagic disease: virus persistence and adaptation in Australia
Authors: Schwensow Nina I. , Cooke Brian , Kovaliski John , Sinclair Ron , Peacock David , Fickel Joerns , Sommer Simone
Published: August 2014

In Australia, the rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) has been used since 1996 to reduce numbers of introduced European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) which have a devastating impact on the native Australian environment. RHDV causes regular, short disease outbreaks, but little is known about how the virus persists and survives between epidemics. We examined the initial spread of RHDV to show that even upon its initial spread, the virus circulated continuously on a regional scale rather than persisting at a local population level and that Australian rabbit populations are highly interconnected by virus‐carrying flying vectors. Sequencing data obtained from a single rabbit population showed that the viruses that caused an epidemic each year seldom bore close genetic resemblance to those present in previous years. Together, these data suggest that RHDV survives in the Australian environment through its ability to spread amongst rabbit subpopulations. This is consistent with modelling results that indicated that in a large interconnected rabbit meta‐population, RHDV should maintain high virulence, cause short, strong disease outbreaks but show low persistence in any given subpopulation. This new epidemiological framework is important for understanding virus–host co‐evolution and future disease management options of pest species to secure Australia's remaining natural biodiversity.
Finite element analysis of crack mouth opening displacement compliance in crack length evaluation for clamped single edge tension specimens
Authors: Wang E. , Omiya M.
Published: August 2014

In the unloading compliance method developed for clamped single edge tension (SE(T)) specimens, six crack mouth opening displacement (CMOD)‐based compliance equations (i.e.a/W = f(BCE′)) were proposed for the crack length evaluation without clearly clarifying the corresponding predictive accuracies. In addition, the effective elastic modulus (Ee) that reflects the actual state of stress should also be introduced in the crack length evaluation for SE(T) specimens, because the actual state of stress in the remaining ligament of the test specimen is neither plane stress (E) nor plane strain (E′). In this study, two‐dimensional (2D) plane strain and three‐dimensional (3D) finite element analyses (FEAs) are carried out to investigate predictive accuracies of the six compliance equations. In both 2D and 3D FEA, specimens with a wide range of crack lengths and geometric configurations are included. For a given specimen, the value ofEethat presents the equivalent stress state in the remaining ligament is calculated on the basis of 3D FEA data. A set of formulae for the clamped SE(T) specimen is proposed that allows to evaluateEefrom the corresponding CMOD compliance. This approach is verified using numerical data. The observations of the numerical verification suggest that the use ofEeinstead ofEorE′ in CMOD‐based compliance equations markedly improves the accuracy of the predicted crack length for clamped SE(T) specimens.
Stoichiometric and growth responses of a freshwater filamentous green alga to varying nutrient supplies: slow and steady wins the race
Authors: Middleton Colleen M. , Frost Paul C.
Published: August 2014

We examined how the nutrient stoichiometry of the filamentous green alga, Mougeotia sp., is affected by the relative availability of dissolved nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). Using a bioassay experiment, we grew Mougeotia in medium having a range of dissolved N and P concentrations and N:P ratios (0.62 to 411 by mol). After growing Mougeotia in an environmental chamber for 17 days, we measured its carbon (C), N and P content (% of dry mass), molar C:N:P ratios, mass‐specific growth rate (MSGR, day−1), chlorophyll a concentration (Chl, μg L−1) and carbon:chlorophyll a (C:Chl) ratios.

Due largely to variation in cellular %N and %P, Mougeotia C:N:P ratios varied considerably at the end of the experiment, with C:N ratios ranging from 6 to 41, C:P ratios ranging from 85 to 999 and N:P ratios ranging from 4 to 118. We found Mougeotia to be weakly homeostatic with respect to N:P content, with non‐homeostatic tendencies found for N content and P content. Despite the wide range of N and P concentrations in the medium at the start of the experiment, Mougeotia MSGR was relatively invariant. Nevertheless, high C:Chl ratios observed for N‐ and P‐limited Mougeotia largely matched those expected for algae experiencing nutrient‐limited growth.

We further compared our experimental results with stoichiometric data for Mougeotia collected from the Kawartha Lakes in southern Ontario. The high C:P and N:P ratios found in field samples matched those of laboratory Mougeotia experiencing intense and sustained P limitation and are suggestive of severe P limitation of Mougeotia in Kawartha Lakes throughout the summer.

The slow growth rates and flexible stoichiometry of this alga would enable it to continue growing even during periods of acute nutrient stress. Hence, future management and control of this nuisance alga may prove difficult if it is unlikely to respond strongly to reductions in external P loading and lower water column P concentrations.
Suture granuloma mimicking a recurrent sacro‐coccygeal pilonidal sinus after Limberg flap
Authors: Ardelt Michael , Dittmar Yves , Schulz Birte , Rauchfuss Falk , Scheuerlein Hubert , Settmacher Utz
Published: August 2014

Sacro‐coccygeal pilonidal sinus disease is classified as an asymptomatic, acutely abscess‐forming or chronic subcutaneous inflammation in the sacro‐coccygeal region featuring characteristic pits in the bottom cleft. Due to high rates of recurrence, two flap techniques have been established in the course of the past three decades. One of them is the Karydakis operation, the other option is a rotation flap named Limberg procedure. We report about a case of suture granuloma in the area of a Limberg flap after recurrent pilonidal sinus with extrusion of the suture material, thus mimicking recurrence. In case of recurrent pilonidal sinus following plastic coverage or primary closure, respectively, the differential diagnosis of suture granuloma should be considered.
Assessment of patients' wound‐related pain experiences in University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria
Authors: Obilor Helen N , Adejumo Prisca O , Ilesanmi Rose E
Published: August 2014

This study was necessitated by the international recognition of wound‐related pain (WRP) as a must‐address issue and patient‐centred concerns. The aim of this study was to assess patients' WRP experiences at rest and in relation to dressing change. This descriptive study utilised a WRP questionnaire which incorporated a visual analogue scale of 0–10 for data collection. A total of 109 patients participated in this study; 95·4% of the participants experienced wound pain at rest and during performance of activities of daily living, which were moderate (47·1%) and severe (30·8%) in intensity. Also, 91·7% of the participants experienced wound dressing change‐related pain, mostly as moderate (47·0%) and severe (28·0%) pain. The major factors that worsened WRP experiences were touch/handling, change in position/movement, wound cleansing, removal of dressings and usage of honey as a dressing agent, while the use of analgesic and brief rest between dressing change were considered the major strategies that can relieve WRP. WRP experiences have been reported by patients at rest, during performance of activities of daily living and at wound dressing change. A need to incorporate WRP assessment has been observed, which is vital in improving wound care outcome.
Morphological and Thermodynamic Comparison of the Lesions Created by 4 Open‐Irrigated Catheters in 2 Experimental Models
Authors: MORENO JAVIER , QUINTANILLA JORGE G. , MOLINA‐MORÚA ROBERTO , GARCÍA‐TORRENT MARÍA JESÚS , ANGULO‐HERNÁNDEZ MARÍA JOSÉ , CURIEL‐LLAMAZARES CAROLINA , RAMIRO‐BARGUEÑO JULIO , GONZÁLEZ PABLO , CAAMAÑO ANTONIO J. , PÉREZ‐CASTELLANO NICASIO , ROJO‐ÁLVAREZ JOSÉ LUIS , MACAYA CARLOS , PÉREZ‐VILLACASTÍN JULIÁN
Published: August 2014

Thermodynamic Evaluation of 4 Open‐Irrigated Catheters

Introduction

New generation open‐irrigated catheters aim to improve irrigation efficiency. This may change lesion patterns, challenging operators. Indeed, safety issues have recently arisen. We aimed to experimentally assess 4 open‐irrigated catheters, comparing lesion size, safety, and heat transfer.

Methods

The thigh lesion model was employed in 6 anesthetized pigs to assess the morphology of perpendicular and tangential lesions (n = 140) created by the newer catheters ThermoCool® SF, CoolFlex™, and Blazer™ Open‐Irrigated, and the standard ThermoCool®, at a constant power of 30 W (60 seconds). To evaluate the propensity for deep‐tissue overheating, a set of 120 applications were performed at 50 W (180 seconds) comparing pop rates. Thermal assessment of the lesion generation process (20 W, 60 seconds, n = 32) was performed with an infrared camera on bovine ventricular tissue.

Results

At 30 W, the newer catheters showed lower temperature readings compared with the ThermoCool®. No major efficacy or safety differences were found at tangential applications; however, at perpendicular applications: (1) the SF at 17 mL/min better preserved the superficial layers and focused its maximum thermal effect deeper, but at recommended flow rates (8 mL/min) it generated the largest superficial lesions; (2) CoolFlex™ created smaller lesions than SF and readily induced steam pops at 50 W without temperature control; and (3) no major differences were found comparing Blazer™ Open‐Irrigated and ThermoCool®.

Conclusions

The lower temperature readings in the newer catheters make them more prone to deliver the maximum programmed power. Under experimental conditions, the SF catheter focuses its maximum effect deeper and the CoolFlex™ can be more prone to induce steam pops at high power settings.
Contrasting Effects of Geriatric Versus General Medical Multimorbidity on Quality of Ambulatory Care
Authors: Min Lillian , Kerr Eve A. , Blaum Caroline S. , Reuben David , Cigolle Christine , Wenger Neil
Published: August 2014

Objectives

To determine whether greater burden of geriatric conditions would have contrasting effects on quality of care (QOC) than nongeriatric, general medical conditions.

Design

Cross‐sectional observation over 1 year of ambulatory care.

Setting

The Assessing Care of Vulnerable Elders‐2 study.

Participants

Older adults prospectively screened for falls, incontinence, and dementia (N = 644).

Measurements

Participant‐level QOC in absolute percentage points calculated using 65 ambulatory care care‐process quality indicators (QIs) for 13 general medical and geriatric conditions (#QIs provided/#QIs eligible). Secondary outcomes were geriatric QOC (a subset of 38 geriatric care QIs) and medical QOC (the 27 remaining nongeriatric QIs). Exposure variables were number of six medical conditions (medical comorbidity) and six geriatric conditions (geriatric comorbidity), controlling for age, sex, number of primary care visits, and site.

Results

Medical and geriatric comorbidity were unrelated to each other (correlation coefficient = 0.04, P = .27) yet had opposite effects on QOC. Each additional medical condition was associated with a 3.2‐percentage point (95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.3–4.2 percentage point) increment in QOC, and each additional geriatric condition was associated with 4.9‐percentage point (95% CI = 3.5–6.5 percentage point) decrement in QOC. Participants with greater geriatric comorbidity received poorer medical and geriatric QOC.

Conclusion

Greater burden of geriatric conditions, or geriatric multimorbidity, is associated with poorer QOC. Geriatric multimorbidity should be targeted for better care using a comprehensive approach.