bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of feeding early‐harvested orchardgrass–perennial ryegrass mixed silage instead of heading stage harvested timothy silage on digestion and milk production in dairy cows
Authors: Miyaji Makoto , Yajima Akira , Tada Shingo , Sudo Kenji , Aoki Yasuhiro
Published: May 2020

We evaluated the effects of replacement of heading stage harvested timothy silage with early‐harvested orchardgrass–perennial ryegrass mixed (OP) silage while maintaining or reducing concentrate input on dry matter intake (DMI), milk production, nutrient digestibility, and N balance in dairy cows. Nine multiparous Holstein cows were used in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design with three dietary treatments: TYL, a diet containing timothy silage where forage‐to‐concentrate ratio (FC) was 50:50; OPL, a diet containing OP silage where FC ratio was 50:50; and OPH, a diet containing OP silage where FC ratio was 60:40. We observed that an equal replacement of timothy with OP silage increased DMI, milk yield, milk protein production, and nutrient digestibility but decreased milk fat content (TYL versus OPL). We observed that replacing timothy with OP silage while reducing concentrate input increased milk fat and protein yield, nutrient digestibility, and feed efficiency and reduced urinary N loss with no effect on DMI or milk fat content (TYL versus OPH). These results show that replacing timothy with OP silage can be a good approach to improve milk production, feed efficiency, and N utilization and reduce concentrate input. However, milk fat depression should be considered when an equal substitution is performed.
Bayesian group selection in logistic regression with application to MRI data analysis
Authors: Lee Kyoungjae , Cao Xuan
Published: May 2020

We consider Bayesian logistic regression models with group‐structured covariates. In high‐dimensional settings, it is often assumed that only a small portion of groups are significant, and thus, consistent group selection is of significant importance. While consistent frequentist group selection methods have been proposed, theoretical properties of Bayesian group selection methods for logistic regression models have not been investigated yet. In this paper, we consider a hierarchical group spike and slab prior for logistic regression models in high‐dimensional settings. Under mild conditions, we establish strong group selection consistency of the induced posterior, which is the first theoretical result in the Bayesian literature. Through simulation studies, we demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms existing state‐of‐the‐art methods in various settings. We further apply our method to a magnetic resonance imaging data set for predicting Parkinson's disease and show its benefits over other contenders.
Gamification of in‐class activities in flipped classroom lectures
Authors: Sailer Michael , Sailer Maximilian
Published: May 2020

For higher education, the question of how in‐class activities can be supported in large lectures is of great relevance. This paper suggests a gamified flipped classroom approach to address this challenge. In an experimental study,N = 205 educational science students performed either gamified in‐class activities using a gamified quiz with points and a team leaderboard, or non‐gamified in‐class activities using exercise sheets. In line with the theory of gamified learning, the results show a positive indirect effect of gamification on application‐oriented knowledge that is mediated by learning process performance. Furthermore, based on a self‐determination theory framework, the results show positive effects of gamified in‐class activities on intrinsic motivation and social relatedness, but no significant effect on competence need satisfaction. The study provides insights into a particular casual construct of game design elements (points and team leaderboards) triggering specific mechanisms (immediate task‐level feedback and team competition) affecting a mediator (learning process performance) that in turn affects a learning outcome (application‐oriented knowledge).
The relative role of rivers, environmental heterogeneity and species traits in driving compositional changes in southeastern Amazonian bird assemblages
Authors: Maximiano Marina Franco de Almeida , d'Horta Fernando Mendonça , Tuomisto Hanna , Zuquim Gabriela , Van doninck Jasper , Ribas Camila Cherem
Published: May 2020

Amazonian rivers have been proposed to act as geographic barriers to species dispersal, either driving allopatric speciation or defining current distribution limits. The strength of the barrier varies according to the species’ ecological characteristics and the river's physical properties. Environmental heterogeneity may also drive compositional changes but has not been well assessed in Amazonia. Aiming to understand the contributions of riverine barriers and environmental heterogeneity in shaping compositional changes in Amazonian forest bird assemblages, we focus on the Tapajós River. We investigate how spatial variation in species composition is related to physical barriers (Tapajós and Jamanxim rivers), species’ ecological characteristics (distinct guilds), and environmental heterogeneity (canopy reflectance, soils, and elevation). We sampled birds through point‐counts and mist nets on both banks of the Tapajós and Jamanxim rivers. To test for relationships between bird composition and environmental data, we used Mantel and partial Mantel tests, NMDS, and ANOVA + Tukey HSD. The Mantel tests showed that the clearest compositional changes occurred across the Tapajós River, which seems to act unequally as a significant barrier to the bird guilds. The Jamanxim River was not associated with differences in bird communities. Our results reinforce that the Tapajós River is a biogeographical boundary for birds, while environmental heterogeneity influences compositional variation within interfluves. We discuss the combined influence of geographical barriers, environmental heterogeneity, and ecological characteristics of species in shaping species distributions and community composition and the complexity of extrapolating the patterns found for birds to other Amazonian organisms.

Abstract in Portuguese is available with online material.
Role of effector T cells in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Chihara Norio
Published: May 2020

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system, and the imbalance between autoimmunity and immune tolerance is considered to be the key factor for its pathogenesis. Effector T cells are shown to be involved not only in the early relapsing–remitting phase of this disease but also in the later progressive phase, which is thought to further promote the disease pathogenesis. Given the clinical benefits of the immune‐modulating reagents, which are designated as disease‐modifying treatments, growing evidence has demonstrated their association with the amelioration of pathogenic T cells further suggesting their relevance in the treatment of MS, which is an immune‐mediated disease. T cells, a type of lymphocytes, play a central role in the immune response and have also been thought to play a pivotal role in MS. It has been well described that the effector CD4+ T cells, such as T helper (Th)1 and Th17 cells, orchestrate inflammation in the early phase including both infiltrating immune cells and brain‐resident glia cells and further disrupt the myelin sheath resulting in neurologic symptoms. Furthermore, recent reports have highlighted the role of CD8+ T cells as well as T cells in the progressive phase of this disease. In this review, an overview of effector T cells orchestrating pathogenesis of MS and recent advances in the field are discussed.
Immediate vs conventional loading of Facility‐Equator system in mandibular overdenture wearers: 1‐year RCT with clinical, biological, and functional evaluation
Authors: Schuster Alessandra J. , Marcello‐Machado Raissa M. , Bielemann Amália M. , Possebon Anna Paula da Rosa , Chagas Júnior Otacílio L. , Faot Fernanda
Published: May 2020

Background

The use of immediate loading (IML) is still poorly explored in elderly patients and implant‐retained mandibular overdenture (IMO) wearers. For this reason, more comparisons to conventional loading (CL) are required.

Purpose

To evaluate the clinical, biological, functional, and oral health‐related quality of life (OHRQOL) influence of CL and IML loading on elders wearing IMO retained by the Facility‐Equator system up to 1 year after implant installation.

Material and Methods

Twenty edentulous patients received two narrow diameter implants in the mandible; the loading type (CL or IML) was randomized. The clinical parameters were monitored along with prosthetic events, marginal bone loss (MBL) and bone level change (BLC), implant stability quotients (ISQ), masticatory performance outcomes, and Interleukin 1 beta (IL‐1β) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) levels in the peri‐implant crevicular fluid during the first year of loading. The OHRQoL was assessed via the Oral Health Impact Profile‐EDENT questionnaire. Data were analyzed by the Mann‐Whitney, χ2, Wilcoxon paired, and McNemar tests.

Results

After 1 year, MBL, BLC and ISQ were statistically identical (P > .05) in the CL and IML groups. The probing depth at 12 months in the CL group (2.19 mm) was higher than in the IML group (1.29 mm; P ≤ .0001). TNF‐α was 33.6% higher in the CL group at 6 months (P = .043), while IL‐1β was significantly higher in the IML group up to 6 months. The survival rate was 90% in the CL group and 85% in the IML group; 33 prosthetic events occurred in CL group and 23 in IML group.

Conclusions

After 12 months, both loading protocols are viable and result in similar clinical, biological, functional, and OHRQOL outcomes. However, IML generates better adaptation of the peri‐implant tissues, faster improvement in OHRQoL and fewer prosthetic intercurrences than CL.
Aspect category detection using statistical and semantic association
Authors: Kumar Ashish , Saini Mayank , Sharan Aditi
Published: May 2020

Aspect category detection (ACD) is an important subtask of aspect‐based sentiment analysis (ABSA). It is a challenging problem due to subjectivity involved in categorization, as well as the existence of overlapping classes. Among various approaches that have been applied to ACD include rule‐based approaches along with other machine learning approaches, and most of them are statistical in nature. In this article, we have used an association rule‐based approach. To deal with the statistical limitation of association rules, we proposed a hybridized rule‐based approach that combines association rules with the semantic association. For semantic associations, we have used the notion of word‐embeddings. Experiments were performed on SemEval dataset, a standard benchmark dataset for aspect categorization in the restaurant domain. We observed that semantic associations can complement statistical association and improve the accuracy of classification. The proposed method performs better than several state‐of‐the‐art methods.
An Imagined Archive of Institutional Memory – A Visual Essay on the Artwork of Parragirls
Authors: Hibberd Lily , Djuric Bonney , Lewis Nina
Published: May 2020

For this focus section of Curator, Lily Hibberd with Bonney Djuric and Nina Lewis revisit their research paper and workshop presented at the ‘Archive as Art & The Imagined Archive’ 14th Community Informatics Research Network (CIRN) conference in 2017. Parragirls – former residents of an Australian state‐run child welfare institution – have deployed art as a device to contest both public memory and the official institutional record. Structured as an annotated portfolio and conversation between the three contributors, this visual essay reflects on a range of artistic strategies, including experimental printmaking, that interrogate and activate the living archive of Parramatta Girls Home through the women’s own testimony, memory and creative agency.
Archival Art: Memory Practices, Interventions, and Productions
Authors: Carbone Kathy
Published: May 2020

The widespread preoccupation with memory continues to endure in contemporary art, academic discourses, and social practices such as commemorations, observances, and memorials across the globe. Archives, as spaces of and catalysts for memory, play a central role in society’s modes of remembering, and over the past several decades, artists’ engagements with archives – whether as source, concept, or subject – has turned a spotlight on the workings and transmissions of archival memory. This essay examines some of the critical activators of contemporary art practice with archives to contemplate the mnemonic possibilities of archives and artworks made with them.
Does Outward Foreign Direct Investment Facilitate China's Export Upgrading?
Authors: Zhang Song , Chen Chunlai
Published: May 2020

This paper empirically investigates the impact of China's outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) on its export sophistication. Using a provincial‐level panel dataset and applying fixed effects and instrumental variable regression techniques, the study finds that, on average, OFDI has no significant impact on China's export sophistication. However, after the full sample is divided into different regions, the study finds that OFDI has a positive and significant impact on export sophistication in the developed coastal region, but no such impact is observed in the less developed inland regions. Further investigation using a panel threshold model reveals that only when GDP, per capita GDP, human capital, and the research and development intensity of a home economy reach a certain level can OFDI promote export sophistication. The findings suggest that accelerating eco nomic development and increasing absorptive capacity can facilitate the contribution of OFDI to China's export sophistication.
Long‐standing morphea and the risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the skin
Authors: Heck Johannes , Olk Joanna , Kneitz Hermann , Hamm Henning , Goebeler Matthias
Published: May 2020

Scleroderma is a heterogeneous group of fibrosing connective tissue disorders of unknown etiology. Morphea is a localized form of scleroderma that occasionally leads to chronic erosions and ulcerations of the skin. Fibrosis, inflammation and chronic ulcerations may eventually promote skin neoplasms; morphea is therefore a rare but established risk factor for cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC). We present a review of 16 scleroderma patients: 15 case reports from the literature (identified by a PubMed search) and one case from our clinic of a patient who had developed cSCC, and we discuss potential underlying mechanisms. Statistical analysis revealed that the lower extremities were the body site most commonly affected by cSCC in these scleroderma patients. The mean time interval between the onset of scleroderma and the development of cSCC was ten to twenty years. In patients with morphea, we recommend checking for skin tumors during follow‐up examinations as well as a careful risk‐benefit analysis when considering the application of immunosuppressants or phototherapy in view of their potential carcinogenic side effects.
Applied phyloepidemiology: Detecting drivers of pathogen transmission from genomic signatures using density measures
Authors: Wirth Thierry , Wong Vanessa , Vandenesch François , Rasigade Jean‐Philippe
Published: May 2020

Understanding the driving forces of an epidemic is key to inform intervention strategies against it. Correlating measures of the epidemic success of a pathogen with ancillary parameters such as its drug resistance profile provides a flexible tool to identify such driving forces. The recently described time‐scaled haplotypic density (THD) method facilitates the inference of a pathogen's epidemic success from genetic data. Contrary to demogenetic approaches that define success in an aggregated fashion, the THD computes an independent index of success for each isolate in a collection. Modeling this index using multivariate regression, thus, allows us to control for various sources of bias and to identify independent predictors of success. We illustrate the use of THD to address key questions regarding three exemplary epidemics of multidrug‐resistant (MDR) bacterial lineages, namely Mycobacterium tuberculosis Beijing, Salmonella Typhi H58, and Staphylococcus aureus ST8 (including ST8‐USA300 MRSA), based on previously published, international genetic datasets. In each case, THD analysis allowed to identify the impact, or lack thereof, of various factors on the epidemic success, independent of confounding by population structure and geographic distribution. Our results suggest that rifampicin resistance drives the MDR Beijing epidemic and that fluoroquinolone resistance drives the S. aureus ST8/USA300 epidemic, in line with previous evidence of a lack of resistance‐associated fitness cost in these pathogens. Conversely, fluoroquinolone resistance measurably hampered the success of S. Typhi H58 and non‐H58. These findings illustrate how THD can help leverage the massive genomic datasets generated by molecular epidemiology studies to address new questions. THD implementation for the R platform is available at https://github.com/rasigadelab/thd.
The stress of Arctic warming on polar bears
Authors: Boonstra Rudy , Bodner Korryn , Bosson Curtis , Delehanty Brendan , Richardson Evan S. , Lunn Nicholas J. , Derocher Andrew E. , Molnár Péter K.
Published: May 2020

Arctic ecosystems are changing rapidly in response to climate warming. While Arctic mammals are highly evolved to these extreme environments, particularly with respect to their stress axis, some species may have limited capacity to adapt to this change. We examined changes in key components of the stress axis (cortisol and its carrier protein—corticosteroid binding globulin [CBG]) in polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from western Hudson Bay (N = 300) over a 33 year period (1983–2015) during which time the ice‐free period was increasing. Changing sea ice phenology limits spring hunting opportunities and extends the period of onshore fasting. We assessed the response of polar bears to a standardized stressor (helicopter pursuit, darting, and immobilization) during their onshore fasting period (late summer–autumn) and quantified the serum levels of the maximum corticosteroid binding capacity (MCBC) of CBG, the serum protein that binds cortisol strongly, and free cortisol (FC). We quantified bear condition (age, sex, female with cubs or not, fat condition), sea ice (breakup in spring–summer, 1 year lagged freeze‐up in autumn), and duration of fasting until sample collection as well as cumulative impacts of the latter environmental traits from the previous year. Data were separated into “good” years (1983–1990) when conditions were thought to be optimal and “poor” years (1991–2015) when sea ice conditions deteriorated and fasting on land was extended. MCBC explained 39.4% of the variation in the good years, but only 28.1% in the poor ones, using both biological and environmental variables. MCBC levels decreased with age. Changes in FC were complex, but more poorly explained. Counterintuitively, MCBC levels increased with increased time onshore, 1 year lag effects, and in poor ice years. We conclude that MCBC is a biomarker of stress in polar bears and that the changes we document are a consequence of climate warming.
A study of system execution of performance appraisal
Authors: McClendon John A. , Deckop John R. , Han Soojung , Petrucci Tony
Published: May 2020

Dissatisfaction with traditional performance appraisal (PA) has led some organizations to eliminate formal reviews entirely and to substitute alternative methods of performance feedback, while other firms search for ways to improve the formal process. This study attempts to contribute to the ongoing debate about the future of PA by investigating the effects of an understudied aspect of the PA process: how well the PA system is executed by the supervisor. Our results indicate that system execution explains a significant amount of variance in intention to improve over and above a host of variables studied in previous PA studies, and that these effect sizes suggest clear practical significance.
Effectiveness of school‐based mental well‐being interventions among adolescents: A systematic review
Authors: Cilar Leona , Štiglic Gregor , Kmetec Sergej , Barr Owen , Pajnkihar Majda
Published: May 2020

Aims

This systematic review aimed to identify school‐based interventions for ensuring mental health and well‐being of adolescents, synthesize existing interventions, and summarize the quality of identified studies.

Design

A systematic review, analysis, and synthesis were performed.

Data sources

Search was performed in Cochrane Library, PsychARTICLES, Web of Science, CINAHL, and Medline.

Review methods

Literature search was performed in March 2019 using inclusion and exclusion criteria. PRISMA guidelines were followed. Identified records were reviewed by title, abstract, and by the full text by two independent researchers. Three authors independently made a quality assessment of the included studies. Included studies were extracted and synthesized. A systematic review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42019128919).

Results

The initial search yielded 1,199 articles. Of them, 57 articles were included in the final analysis and synthesis. Only four studies were assessed as high quality. Identified themes were mental health and well‐being, positive psychology, problem‐solving and stress reduction, mindfulness, and physical activity. More than half (N = 32, 56.14%) interventions showed a positive outcome after implementation. Most of those interventions focused on positive psychology and mindfulness.

Conclusion

Mental well‐being is important for the healthy development of adolescents. Countries are aware that healthy adolescents will become healthy adults who will contribute to his/her community and will lower costs of the absence of work and treatments. Thus, they support and invest in interventions that prevent mental disorders. There is a need for developing multidimensional mental well‐being interventions that are effective in low‐ and secondary‐income countries.

Impact

This study ensured rigorous methodology, followed PRISMA recommendations and evaluated quality of identified literature using the GRADE guidelines. A critical synthesis was performed to produce an integrated conceptualization of the evidence. The synthesis represents a list of effective school interventions for the promotion of adolescents’ mental well‐being.
Redundancy or progress? A response to Driscoll et al. (2019)
Authors: Katinas Liliana , Ladle Richard J.
Published: May 2020

Driscoll et al. (Journal of Biogeography, 2019, 46, 2850–2859) provide a critique of ‘Countryside Biogeography’, but also include ‘Conservation Biogeography’ and ‘Agriculture Biogeography’ in their criticisms. Their main thesis is that these new sub‐disciplines offer a ‘conceptual wrapper’ rather than distinctive frameworks and that the consequent redundancy of terms has the potential to sow confusion among biogeographers and slow progress. Here we argue that, far from sowing confusion Conservation Biogeography, for example, has provided important focal points for emerging scientific discourse, promoting new research, spawning undergraduate and graduate courses, and facilitating the formation of new scientific collaborations. The success or failure of a new sub‐discipline depends on its utility. If new framings sow confusion, introduce redundancy and provide no new insights they will not be widely adopted and cited. The development of new sub‐disciplines is a strong indicator of a vibrant, socially relevant and intellectually adventurous research area.
Serum proteome profiling reveals SOX3 as a candidate prognostic marker for gastric cancer
Authors: Shen Jiajia , Zhai Jing , Wu Xinqian , Xie Guiping , Shen Lizong
Published: May 2020

Searching for the novel tumour biomarkers is pressing for gastric cancer diagnostication and prognostication. The serum specimens from patients diagnosed with locally advanced gastric carcinoma before operation and 4 week after surgery were collected, respectively, and serum proteome profiling was conducted by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (MS)/MS. Fifty‐five proteins were identified to be up‐regulated and 16 proteins were down‐regulated, and these differentially expressed proteins participated in various biological processes. Serum levels of SOX3, one of down‐regulated proteins, in stomach cancer patients were higher than in healthy controls. SOX3 levels in cancer tissues were remarkably related to tumour differentiation, lymph node metastasis, primary tumour invasion and pTNM (pathological TNM) stage. Analysis with The Cancer Genome Atlas database indicated that SOX3 level and pTNM stage were the independent risk factors for the patient survival and that the overall survival was negatively associated with the SOX3 levels. Loss‐of‐function showed that SOX3 promoted gastric cancer cell invasion and migration in vitro and in vivo. SOX3 silence inhibits the expression of MMP9, and SOX3 is responsible for MMP9 expression transcriptionally. Our study highlights the potentiality of the paired pre‐ and post‐operation serum proteome signatures for the detection of biomarkers and reveals that SOX3 may serve as a candidate prognosis marker for gastric cancer.
Protection of melatonin against acidosis‐induced neuronal injuries
Authors: Shi Yan , Cai Er‐Li , Yang Can , Ye Chao‐Yuan , Zeng Peng , Wang Xiao‐Ming , Fang Ying‐Yan , Cheng Zhi‐Kang , Wang Qun , Cao Fu‐Yuan , Zhou Xin‐Wen , Tian Qing
Published: May 2020

Acidosis, a common feature of cerebral ischaemia and hypoxia, plays a key role in these pathological processes by aggravating the ischaemic and hypoxic injuries. To explore the mechanisms, in this research, we cultured primary neurons in an acidic environment (potential of hydrogen [pH]6.2, 24 hours) to mimic the acidosis. By proteomic analysis, 69 differentially expressed proteins in the acidic neurons were found, mainly related to stress and cell death, synaptic plasticity and gene transcription. And, the acidotic neurons developed obvious alterations including increased neuronal death, reduced dendritic length and complexity, reduced synaptic proteins, tau hyperphosphorylation, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress activation, abnormal lysosome‐related signals, imbalanced oxidative stress/anti‐oxidative stress and decreased Golgi matrix proteins. Then, melatonin (1 × 10−4 mol/L) was used to pre‐treat the cultured primary neurons before acidic treatment (pH6.2). The results showed that melatonin partially reversed the acidosis‐induced neuronal death, abnormal dendritic complexity, reductions of synaptic proteins, tau hyperphosphorylation and imbalance of kinase/phosphatase. In addition, acidosis related the activations of glycogen synthase kinase‐3β and nuclear factor‐κB signals, ER stress and Golgi stress, and the abnormal autophagy‐lysosome signals were completely reversed by melatonin. These data indicate that melatonin is beneficial for neurons against acidosis‐induced injuries.
Definition of minimal disease activity in psoriasis
Authors: Carretero G. , Carrascosa J.M. , Puig L. , Sánchez‐Carazo J.L. , López‐Ferrer A. , Cueva P. , Soria C. , Rivera R. , Belinchón I. ,   The Psoriasis Group of the Spanish Academy of Dermatology, Venereology
Published: May 2020

Objective

To generate an operational definition to adequately reflect the construct ‘Minimal Disease Activity (MDA)’ in psoriasis.

Methods

A systematic review of domains included in clinical trials of psoriasis was presented to a panel of dermatologists and patients. Further domains were elicited by panel discussions. Domains (and instruments measuring these) were items of two consecutive Delphi rounds targeting dermatologists from the Psoriasis Group of the Spanish Academy of Dermatology and Venereology and patients from the Acción Psoriasis association. The instruments selected were used to generate 388 patient vignettes. The expert group then classified these vignettes as ‘No MDA/MDA/Unclassifiable’. The items were further reduced by factorial analysis. Using the classification variable as gold standard, several operational constructions were tested in regression models and ROC curves and accuracy was evaluated with area under the curve (AUC).

Results

The following domains were included: itching, scaling, erythema and visibility by 0–10 scales, extension by BSA, impact on quality of life by DLQI, special location and presence of arthritis as yes/no. The definition with the highest AUC and best balance between sensitivity and specificity was the one including no presence of arthritis plus at least three others below the upper limit of the 95% confidence interval (AUC, 0.897; sensitivity, 95.2%, specificity, 84.1%).

Conclusion

This study provides, for the very first time, the construct of ‘Minimal Disease Activity’ in psoriasis as agreed by dermatologists and patients. MDA is defined as absence of active arthritis plus 3 out of 6: itching ≤ 1/10; scaling ≤ 2/10; redness ≤ 2/10; visibility ≤ 2/10; BSA ≤ 2; DLQI ≤ 2; and no lesions in special locations. By design, domains are representative of disease impact. This MDA definition may be used as a measure of adequate management and replace other subjective or restrictive tools.
Epidemiologic study in a real‐world analysis of patients with treatment for psoriasis in the French national health insurance database
Authors: Grodner C. , Sbidian E. , Weill A. , Mezzarobba M.
Published: May 2020

Background

Psoriasis is one of the most frequent chronic inflammatory dermatoses in the world. Data on the prevalence of psoriasis in adults differ depending on the study.

Objective

To estimate the prevalence of patients with treatment for psoriasis in France and to identify and characterize patients receiving systemic treatments.

Methods

This was a French, nationwide cohort study based on health administrative data from the French national health insurance scheme linked to the national hospital discharge database (SNDS‐PMSI). All adults with psoriasis registered in the SNDS between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2016 were eligible for inclusion. All patients with a new prescription for a systemic treatment for psoriasis were included.

Results

A total of 874 549 patients were identified as having psoriasis (mean ± SD age 53.8 ± 17 years; 52.4% males); 112 969 (13%) had filled at least one prescription for a systemic medication used to treat psoriasis. The prevalence of patients with treatment for psoriasis was estimated at 1.3%. Overall, 73 168 and 16 545 were new users of conventional systemic treatments and biologics, respectively. The most frequent comorbidities associated with psoriasis were hypertension, dyslipidaemia, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Conclusion

The prevalence of psoriasis we found was lower than in other studies. It was probably underestimated because we identified only patients with treatment for psoriasis. Our results concerning comorbidities associated with psoriasis patients requiring systemic treatment were similar to those from other published studies using other data sources, highlighting our ability to catch moderate‐to‐severe psoriasis. This study highlights the usefulness and reliability of the use of insurance databases in studies, because they allow for a better application to the general population.
A Response Time Process Model for Not‐Reached and Omitted Items
Authors: Lu Jing , Wang Chun
Published: May 2020

Item nonresponses are prevalent in standardized testing. They happen either when students fail to reach the end of a test due to a time limit or quitting, or when students choose to omit some items strategically. Oftentimes, item nonresponses are nonrandom, and hence, the missing data mechanism needs to be properly modeled. In this paper, we proposed to use an innovative item response time model as a cohesive missing data model to account for the two most common item nonresponses: not‐reached items and omitted items. In particular, the new model builds on a behavior process interpretation: a person chooses to skip an item if the required effort exceeds the implicit time the person allocates to the item (Lee & Ying, 2015; Wolf, Smith, & Birnbaum, 1995), whereas a person fails to reach the end of the test due to lack of time. This assumption was verified by analyzing the 2015 PISA computer‐based mathematics data. Simulation studies were conducted to further evaluate the performance of the proposed Bayesian estimation algorithm for the new model and to compare the new model with a recently proposed “speed‐accuracy + omission” model (Ulitzsch, von Davier, & Pohl, 2019). Results revealed that all model parameters could recover properly, and inadequately accounting for missing data caused biased item and person parameter estimates.
Agricultural holdings with undefined boundaries, communal systems and counter‐hegemonies: The persistence of the peasantry in Argentina
Authors: Paz Raúl G.
Published: May 2020

The presence of agricultural holdings with undefined boundaries (AHUBs) and their heterogeneous geographical distribution questions the supposed hegemony of agribusiness in Argentina. Given the lack of defined boundaries, these holdings generate a communal culture among dwellers, which is reflected in both the strategies of the use of commons and the initiatives for the defence of land in the conflicts between peasants and entrepreneurs. This article describes two counter‐enclosure experiences that were generated and have developed on the bedrock of AHUBs and a communal matrix. Those defence strategies are employed by families that possess the land but have not title to it, being a defence tactic against attempts of eviction. AHUB not only is a new census category that allows us to enhance our knowledge of the rural world but also proposes modes of production that differ from those of the capitalist model, showing possible counter‐hegemonic development alternatives that arise from the practices used in these holdings.
Prosthesis Survival Rates and Prosthetic Complications of Implant‐Supported Fixed Dental Prostheses in Partially Edentulous Patients
Authors: Chochlidakis Konstantinos , Fraser David , Lampraki Evangelia , Einarsdottir Erna R. , Barmak Abdul Basir , Papaspyridakos Panos , Ercoli Carlo , Tsigarida Alexandra
Published: May 2020

Purpose

To determine the prevalence and distribution of prosthetic complications affecting implant‐supported fixed dental prostheses (ISFDPs).

Materials and Methods

Subjects previously treated with one or more ISFDP(s) were identified from an electronic health record search and recalled for comprehensive clinical examination. Past prosthesis failures and complications were identified from the patient records while any existing complications, not previously recorded, were assessed during examination. ISFDP survival and failure rates were calculated with Kaplan‐Meier curves and life table analysis, while regression Poisson analysis was used to identify associations between outcomes and possible patient‐ and prosthesis‐based risk factors.

Results

Seventy‐four subjects with 107 ISFDPs were enrolled in the study with a mean time between prosthesis delivery and exam of 3.14 years (range: 1.00‐9.00 years). Four prostheses failed, resulting in a cumulative prosthesis survival rate of 96.26%. Prosthetic complications affected 48.59% of ISFDPs, the majority (94.87%) of them minor complications. Only the use of a nightguard was associated with a lower prevalence of prosthetic screw loosening (HR 0.11, 95% CI 0.02‐0.59, p = 0.007) while no outcome differences were noted for other variables. Patient satisfaction was high regardless of presence or number of complications.

Conclusions

ISFDPs demonstrated a high survival rate and overall high, patient‐reported satisfaction. Minor prosthetic complications were common but were only significantly associated with nightguard use.
Categorical versus geometric morphometric approaches to characterizing the evolution of morphological disparity in Osteostraci (Vertebrata, stem Gnathostomata)
Authors: Ferrón Humberto G. , Greenwood Jenny M. , Deline Bradley , Martínez‐Pérez Carlos , Botella Héctor , Sansom Robert S. , Ruta Marcello , Donoghue Philip C. J.
Published: May 2020

Morphological variation (disparity) is almost invariably characterized by two non‐mutually exclusive approaches: (1) quantitatively, through geometric morphometrics; and (2) in terms of discrete, ‘cladistic’, or categorical characters. Uncertainty over the comparability of these approaches diminishes the potential to obtain nomothetic insights into the evolution of morphological disparity and the few benchmarking studies conducted so far show contrasting results. Here, we apply both approaches to characterizing morphology in the stem‐gnathostome clade Osteostraci in order to assess congruence between these alternative methods as well as to explore the evolutionary patterns of the group in terms of temporal disparity and the influence of phylogenetic relationships and habitat on morphospace occupation. Our results suggest that both approaches yield similar results in morphospace occupation and clustering, but also some differences indicating that these metrics may capture different aspects of morphology. Phylomorphospaces reveal convergence towards a generalized ‘horseshoe’‐shaped cranial morphology and two strong trends involving major groups of osteostracans (benneviaspidids and thyestiids), which probably reflect adaptations to different lifestyles. Temporal patterns of disparity obtained from categorical and morphometric approaches appear congruent, however, disparity maxima occur at different times in the evolutionary history of the group. The results of our analyses indicate that categorical and continuous data sets may characterize different patterns of morphological disparity and that discrepancies could reflect preservational limitations of morphometric data and differences in the potential of each data type for characterizing more or less inclusive aspects of overall phenotype.
School health promotion in South‐East Asia by Japan and partners
Authors: Estrada Crystal Amiel M. , Gregorio Ernesto R. , Kanyasan Kethsana , Hun Jeudyla , Tomokawa Sachi , Dumlao Maria Corazon , Kobayashi Jun
Published: May 2020

School health promotion in South‐East Asia has developed rapidly in recent years, and Japan has been one of the significant contributors to the reinforcement of school health promotion in the region. Starting from the Hashimoto Initiative on global parasite control, Japan advocated for international partnerships with several agencies for the development of school health programs in South‐East Asia. Through a strengthened collaboration with international organizations, countries such as the Lao PDR, Cambodia, the Philippines, and Thailand have created and implemented school health programs on nutrition, sanitation, and deworming, among others. In addition to school health program formulation and implementation, the expanded network in South‐East Asia led to more capable school health personnel, with many workers in the education and health sectors benefitting from the training programs jointly held by collaborating organizations.
Prevention of Terrorism–An Assessment of Prior POM Work and Future Potentials
Authors: Gupta Sushil , Starr Martin K. , Zanjirani Farahani Reza , Ghodsi Mahsa Mahboob
Published: May 2020

In this study, we review POM‐based research related to prevention of terrorism. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) terrorist attacks have the potential to be prevented. Consequently, the focus of this study is on security enhancement and improving the resiliency of a nation to prevent terrorist attacks. Accordingly, we review articles from the 25 top journals, [following procedures developed by Gupta et al. (2016)], in the fields of Production and Operations Management, Operations Research, Management Science, and Supply Chain Management. In addition, we searched some selected journals in the fields of Information Sciences, Political Science, and Economics. This literature is organized and reviewed under the following seven core capabilities defined by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS): (1) Intelligence and Information Sharing, (2) Planning, (3) Interdiction and Disruption, (4) Screening, Search, and Detection, (5) Forensics and Attribution, (6) Public Information and Warning, and (7) Operational Coordination. We found that POM research on terrorism is primarily driven by the type of information that a defending country and a terrorist have about each other. Game theory is the main technique that is used in most research papers. Possible directions for future research are discussed.
Children’s individual voices are required for adequate management of fear and pain during hospital care and treatment
Authors: Kleye Ida , Hedén Lena , Karlsson Katarina , Sundler Annelie J. , Darcy Laura
Published: May 2020

Background

Children often report both fear and pain in conjunction with clinical care and treatment. Interventions developed in the field have still not been sufficient to prevent and relieve children's fear and pain. More knowledge, from children’s own perspectives, is needed about how they deal with their experiences.

Aim

To explore child‐identified strategies that children use to manage fear and pain during needle‐related medical procedures in hospital.

Methods

Interviews with children, age 4–12 years, with experience of hospital care were analysed qualitatively using content analysis.

Results

Children have self‐identified strategies for dealing with fear and pain during hospital care and treatment. The strategies vary depending on examination or treatment and on how the child felt at that particular day. Children describe what they can do themselves, how adults can empower them and support from surroundings as strategies that give them a choice and a voice. Children wished to have influence, decide when and how information should be given, scream out loud or squeeze something hard, to deal with fear and pain. The results also show that children tried to be brave, gain control and think positively. Something nice to look at and opportunities to play with others also contributed.

Conclusions

Strategies vary between children and are used differently on different occasions. Healthcare professionals pose a threat to the child's needs and ability to use their strategies due to lack of knowledge of the child’s chosen strategies.
Uniform slip rates of the Altyn Tagh and the Kunlun faults likely reflect lateral variation of frictional strength of the faults
Authors: Zhu Xiaojie , He Jiankun , Xiao Jie , Wang Xinguo
Published: May 2020

The slip rate predicted from geodetic and geomorphological measurements is quite uniform on ~800–1,000 km length of the Altyn Tagh and the Kunlun faults. GPS velocity field documents that tectonic loading on the two active faults changes greatly along their strikes. To explore the mechanical relationship between far‐field tectonic loading and fault slip‐rate accumulation, we built a 3D viscoelastic finite‐element model with fault motion governed by frictional strength of contact interfaces. Based on numerical experiments, it is found that the observed uniform slip rate could reflect lateral variation of frictional strength along fault strike. Variation of predicted frictional coefficient ranges from ~0.13 to ~0.02, verifying that the two active faults must be weak for their mechanical strength. In addition, the good fitness between the relatively weak segment of faults and the location of strong earthquakes suggests that seismic activity along the two faults could be related to their frictional strength.
A case–case study comparing the individual risk factors and symptomatology of Salmonella Heidelberg and Salmonella Typhimurium in Ontario in 2015, following implementation of the Ontario Investigation Tools
Authors: Paphitis Katherine , Pearl David L. , Berke Olaf , McEwen Scott A. , Trotz‐Williams Lise
Published: May 2020

Salmonella Heidelberg and Salmonella Typhimurium are among the most common serotypes responsible for human salmonellosis in Ontario. Introduction of the Ontario Investigation Tools (OIT) in 2014 allowed for standardized case investigation and reporting. This study compared the risk factors and symptomatology for sporadic S. Heidelberg and S. Typhimurium cases reported in Ontario in 2015, following implementation of the OIT. Multilevel logistic regression models were applied to assess associations between serotype and individual‐level demographic characteristics, exposures and symptoms for sporadic confirmed cases of S. Heidelberg and S. Typhimurium in Ontario in 2015. There were 476 sporadic cases of S. Typhimurium (n = 278) and S. Heidelberg (n = 198) reported in Ontario in 2015. There were significant associations between the odds of the isolate from a case being one of these serotypes, and travel, consumption of sprouts (any type), contact with reptiles and development of malaise, fever or bloody diarrhoea. The S. Typhimurium and S. Heidelberg cases differed in both symptom presentation and risk factors for illness. Case–case comparisons of Salmonella serotypes have some advantages over case–control studies in that these are less susceptible to selection and recall bias while allowing for rapid comparison of cases to identify potential high‐risk exposures that are unique to one of the serotypes when compared to the other. Comparing cases of two different Salmonella serotypes can help to highlight risk factors that may be uniquely associated with one serotype, or more strongly associated with one serotype compared to another. This information may be useful for understanding relative source attribution between common serotypes of Salmonella.
Identifying the environmental drivers of Campylobacter infection risk in southern Ontario, Canada using a One Health approachs
Authors: Cousins Melanie , Sargeant Jan M. , Fisman David N. , Greer Amy L.
Published: May 2020

Background

Campylobacter bacteria infect both humans and animals. Sources of human exposure include contaminated food and water, contact with animals and/or their faeces, and contact with infected individuals. The objectives of this study were to: (a) identify environmental conditions associated with the occurrence of Campylobacter in humans in four regions of Ontario, and (b) identify pooled measures of effect across all four regions and potential sources of heterogeneity.

Methods

To address objective 1, human Campylobacter cases from four health regions of Ontario, Canada were analysed using negative binomial regression and case cross‐over analysis to identify relationships between environmental factors (temperature, precipitation and hydrology of the local watershed) and the risk of human infection. To address objective 2, meta‐analytic models were used to explore pooled measures of effect and when appropriate, meta‐regression models were used to explore potential sources of heterogeneity.

Results

Human incidence exhibited strong seasonality with cases peaking in the late spring and summer. There was a decreasing yearly effect in three of the four health regions. A significant pooled effect was found for mean temperature after a 1‐week lag (OR = 1.03, 95% CI 1.02, 1.04). No significant pooled effects were found for precipitation or water flow. However, increased precipitation was associated with lower odds of campylobacteriosis in Wellington and York regions at 2‐ and 3‐week lags, respectively, from the case cross‐over analysis.

Conclusion

These results demonstrate that a climatic factor (specifically, mean temperature in the week prior) was associated with human case occurrence after a biologically plausible time period, but hydrologic factors are not.