bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Survival prediction models in motor neuron disease
Authors: Agosta F. , Spinelli E. G. , Riva N. , Fontana A. , Basaia S. , Canu E. , Castelnovo V. , Falzone Y. , Carrera P. , Comi G. , Filippi M.
Published: March 2019

Background and purpose

This study aimed to assess the predictive value of multimodal brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on survival in a large cohort of patients with motor neuron disease (MND), in combination with clinical and cognitive features.

Methods

Two hundred MND patients were followed up prospectively for a median of 4.13 years. At baseline, subjects underwent neurological examination, cognitive assessment and brain MRI. Grey matter volumes of cortical and subcortical structures and diffusion tensor MRI metrics of white matter tracts were obtained. A multivariable Royston–Parmar survival model was created using clinical and cognitive variables. The increase of survival prediction accuracy provided by MRI variables was assessed.

Results

The multivariable clinical model included predominant upper or lower motor neuron presentations and diagnostic delay as significant prognostic predictors, reaching an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of a 4‐year survival prediction of 0.79. The combined clinical and MRI model including selected grey matter fronto‐temporal volumes and diffusion tensor MRI metrics of the corticospinal and extra‐motor tracts reached an AUC of 0.89. Considering amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients only, the clinical model including diagnostic delay and semantic fluency scores provided an AUC of 0.62, whereas the combined clinical and MRI model reached an AUC of 0.77.

Conclusion

Our study demonstrated that brain MRI measures of motor and extra‐motor structural damage, when combined with clinical and cognitive features, are useful predictors of survival in patients with MND, particularly when a diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is made.
Ecological factors affecting flight initiation distance in Daurian ground squirrels (Spermophilus dauricus)
Authors: Shuai Ling‐Ying , Zhou Yang , Yang Yu‐Xia , Xue Qi‐Qian , Xie Zi‐Yang , Zhang Fu‐Shun
Published: March 2019

More often than not, animals forage under predation risk. Foragers, therefore, face a challenge to balance between two conflicting tasks, namely energy intake and safety. Flight initiation distance (FID, defined as the distance between a prey and a predator when the prey starts to flee) has been widely measured in many taxa to study such economic trade‐offs. However, FID may also be affected by limitations on the prey's ability to detect predators, especially when there is visual obstruction caused by surrounding vegetation. Although both vegetation cover and vegetation height may contribute to such obstruction, the effect of vegetation height on FID has not been well studied. In this study, we explored the effects of vegetation height, vegetation cover and distance to refuge on FID in free‐living Daurian ground squirrels (Spermophilus dauricus) inhabiting a grassland in Inner Mongolia, China. Multiple linear regressions suggested that both vegetation height and distance to refuge significantly affected FID in S. dauricus. Ground squirrels fled earlier when vegetation was low or when foraging farther away from a refuge. No significant effect of vegetation cover on FID was detected. Our results have implications for ecologically based pest control, and FID may be used as an effective and easy‐to‐use behavioral indicator in wildlife management.
Getting the basic nature of systemic corruption right: A reply to Marquette and Peiffer
Authors: Persson Anna , Rothstein Bo , Teorell Jan
Published: March 2019

In reply to Marquette and Peiffer's article “Grappling With the ‘Real Politics’ of Systemic Corruption: Theoretical Debates Versus ‘Real‐World’ Functions,” this article employs three criticisms: Marquette and Peiffer's call to grapple with the “real politics of corruption” does not bring much new to the table, is conceptually flawed, and risks serving as an excuse for corrupt elites to pursue “business as usual.” In response, we reaffirm three insights gained from collective action‐based approaches toward corruption. Although corruption might solve individual‐level problems in the short term, it is still a de facto problem at the aggregate level, the tools derived from principal–agent theory will not solve the collective action problem of systemic corruption, and elites will be the least likely to implement reform. We conclude by calling for the continued fight against corruption—a fight informed by empirical and theoretical knowledge.
Brain white matter microstructure in end‐stage kidney disease, cognitive impairment, and circulatory stress
Authors: Eldehni Mohamed T. , Odudu Aghogho , Mcintyre Christopher W.
Published: March 2019

Introduction: Structural and functional brain white matter abnormalities are poorly characterized in patients with end‐stage kidney disease.

Methods: We examined the prevalence of the brain white matter microstructure disruption using diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging and its association with hemodynamic performance and cognitive defects in 49 incident hemodialysis (HD) patients and compared these to 25 age‐matched normal controls. We analyzed fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) maps of the images, a voxelwise statistical analysis was done using tract‐based spatial statistics. Hemodynamic assessment was done using extrema points analysis model of continuous blood pressure monitoring.

Findings: We found significant white matter damage in HD patients compared with normal controls (peak FA 0.471 ± 0.031 vs 0.486 ± 0.022 P = 0.023, peak MD 0.00194 ± 0.000363 10−3 mm2.s−1 vs 0.00167 ± 0.0003 10−3 mm2.s−1 P = 0.002). There was diffuse pattern of white matter damage in HD patients, which was independent of age, gender, and the presence of ischaemic heart disease and diabetes with significantly lower FA values in HD patients than normal controls (0.467 ± 0.037 vs 0.507 ± 0.026, P < 0.05 corrected for family wise error. HD patients had worse cognitive scores that correlated with white matter damage (for peak FA, Montreal cognitive assessment r = 0.478 P = 0.001, Trail A r = −0.486 P = 0.001, Trail B r = −0.464 P = 0.001; for peak MD, Montreal cognitive assessment r = −0.533 P < 0.001, Trail A r = 0.641 P < 0.001, Trail B r = 0.514 P < 0.001). In a multivariable linear regression analysis that included age, smoking, the presence of ischaemic heart disease, and diabetes mellitus, higher frequency of mean arterial blood pressure extrema points during HD was independently associated with white matter damage (β = −0.296, P = 0.036, Adjusted R2 for the whole model = 0.400).

Discussion: End‐stage kidney disease patients on HD have more brain white matter damage and cognitive impairment than age‐matched controls that are linked to hemodynamic functional measures.
The prevalence of histologic atrophy and intestinal metaplasia in the corpus has decreased over 15 years in females in the Korean population
Authors: Kwon Young Jae , Kim Nayoung , Baek Sung Min , Lee Hye Seung , Lee Jaebong , Hwang Young Jae , Yoon Hyuk , Shin Cheol Min , Park Young Soo , Kim Jin‐Wook , Lee Dong Ho
Published: March 2019

Background

The aim of this study was to investigate the trends of atrophy and intestinal metaplasia (IM) in 2002 subjects without significant gastroduodenal diseases.

Materials and Methods

A total of 2002 subjects were prospectively enrolled and divided into three periods (2003‐2007, 2008‐2012, and 2013‐2018). Trends of H pylori and atrophy/IM scored by Updated Sydney System were analyzed according to sex, and multivariate logistic analysis was performed for the risk factors for atrophy/IM.

Results

H pylori‐negative and H pylori‐positive subjects were 1220 (61.0%) and 782 (38.0%), respectively. H pylori positivity decreased from 149/303 (49.2%), 207/515 (40.2%) and 426/1184 (36.0%), in the three periods, respectively (P < 0.001). The prevalence of atrophy (P < 0.001) and IM in the corpus (P < 0.001) significantly decreased over 15 years in females, but not in males. The mean grade of atrophy and IM was higher in males (0.36 and 0.51) than in females (0.28 and 0.41) in the corpus (P = 0.027) and in the antrum (P = 0.006), respectively. Similarly, the mean grade of IM in males (0.34) was higher in females (0.19; P < 0.001) in the corpus. Multivariate analysis showed that old age, study period, and H pylori were statistically significant in atrophy of antrum and corpus, and IM in the corpus. In cases of IM of antrum, old age, H pylori, and smoking were statistically significant.

Conclusion

A significant decrease in atrophy and IM in the corpus in females over 15 years suggests sex‐ or gender‐specific characteristics.
Nontoxic glasses: Preparation, structural, electrical and biological properties
Authors: Gavinho Sílvia R. , Prezas Pedro R. , Ramos Diogo J. , Sá‐Nogueira Isabel , Borges Joao P. , Lança M. Carmo , Silva Jorge C. , Henriques Célia M. R. , Pires Eduardo , Kumar Jakka Suresh , Graça M. P. F.
Published: March 2019

Bacterial infections affect about 1 in 5 patients who receive a dental implant within 5 years of surgery. To avoid the implant rejection it is necessary for the development of innovative biomaterials, with addition or substitution of the ions, for implant coatings that promote a strong bond with the new host bone and antibacterial action. The objective of this work was to synthesize a bioactive glass with different silver concentrations to evaluate their antibacterial performance. The glasses were synthesized with up to 2% silver content by melt‐quenching. Structural, morphological, biological, and electrical properties of all samples were studied. The biological behavior was evaluated through cytotoxicity tests and antibacterial activity. The structural analysis shows that the introduction of silver do not promote significant changes, not altering the advantageous properties of the bioglass of the bioglass. It was verified that the glasses with a silver content from 0.5% to 2%, completely prevented the growth of both Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli while being nontoxic toward mammalian cells. Therefore, these bioglasses are promising materials to be used in the production of dental implants with antimicrobial activity.
Impact of standardized templates and skin cancer learning modules for teledermatology consultations
Authors: Cumsky Helen J. L. , Maly Connor J. , Costello Collin M. , Buras Matthew R. , Ranieri LeeAnn M. , Grover Michael L. , Comfere Nneka I. , Nelson Steven A. , Pittelkow Mark R. , Mangold Aaron R.
Published: March 2019

Background

Little research has been done in teledermatology to examine the effects of standardized templates and subject‐specific learning modules.

Methods

We performed a prospective study examining the effects of standardized templates and standardized cutaneous oncology learning modules on teledermatology referrals at Mayo Clinic. This data was then compared to previous teledermatology referrals before standardized templates were adopted.

Results

A total of 42 teledermatology consultations were performed during the 4‐month study period. The use of standardized templates resulted in an absolute reduction in face‐to‐face referrals. Teledermatology consultation increased the absolute diagnostic and management concordance by 26.2% (P = 0.02) and 33.3% (P < 0.01), respectively, and decreased the absolute diagnostic and management discordance by 19.1% (P = 0.03) and 31.0% (P < 0.01), respectively. The largest knowledge gaps were identified in cutaneous oncology. Educational intervention improved theoretical referral rates and confidence in diagnosis and management overall.

Conclusion

The implementation of standardized intake templates reduces the rate of face‐to‐face referrals. Teledermatology improves primary care‐based dermatological care and reduces theoretical referral rates.
Olympic Games in Japan and East Asia: Images and Legacies: An Introduction
Authors: Featherstone Mike , Tamari Tomoko
Published: March 2019

This is the Introduction to the special issue entitled "The Olympic Games in Japan and East Asia: Images and Legacies.”
Helper T‐cell signaling and inflammatory pathway lead to formation of calcium phosphate but not calcium oxalate stones on Randall's plaques
Authors: Taguchi Kazumi , Hamamoto Shuzo , Okada Atsushi , Sugino Teruaki , Unno Rei , Ando Ryosuke , Gao Bing , Tozawa Keiichi , Kohri Kenjiro , Yasui Takahiro
Published: March 2019

Objectives

To elucidate the difference in the lithogenesis of calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate stones.

Methods

Renal papillary tissues were obtained from 23 idiopathic calcium oxalate and seven calcium phosphate stone patients who had undergone endoscopic lithotripsy. Samples were individually collected from two different regions in each patient: the papillary mucosa containing Randall's plaque and mucosa not containing Randall's plaque. A microarray analysis was carried out on those tissues to compare their gene expression patterns. Furthermore, a causal pathway analysis comparing their differences was carried out.

Results

Cluster analysis showed that gene expression profiles of calcium phosphate stone patients markedly differed from those of calcium oxalate stone patients. Disease and function analysis showed that Randall's plaque‐containing tissues of calcium phosphate stone‐forming patients had significantly higher movement and migration of mononuclear leukocytes, and lower tendency toward infection and lymph node formation than Randall's plaque‐containing tissues of calcium oxalate stone formers. Additional pathway analysis showed increased immune cell signaling in calcium phosphate formers, such as the helper T cell 1 and 2 pathways, which was confirmed by their messenger ribonucleic acid expression.

Conclusions

The present results show the upregulation of helper T‐cell signaling pathways in Randall's plaque‐containing papillae in calcium phosphate, but not in calcium oxalate stone formers. Thus, helper T‐cell immune responses and the related inflammatory processes seem to lead to the formation of calcium phosphate stones on Randall's plaques.
Associations Between Maternal Postpartum Depression, Infant Social Behavior With a Stranger, and Infant Cognitive Development
Authors: Smith‐Nielsen Johanne , Lange Theis , Wendelboe Katrine I. , von Wowern Rie K. , Væver Mette S.
Published: March 2019

Maternal postpartum depression (PPD) has been found to be related to infant social withdrawal during mother–infant interaction, and this may spill over on infant interactive behavior in other social contexts and impact infant psychosocial development. We investigated whether PPD was associated with infant social withdrawal during interaction with a tester in a psychological test situation and whether infant social withdrawal in the test situation mediated the association between PPD and infant cognitive scores reported in a previous study. Participants were 28 PPD dyads and 41 control dyads. We assessed infant social behavior and cognitive development with the Alarm Distress Baby Scale and the cognitive scale of the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, third edition, at four months. More symptoms of maternal depression were associated with more infant social withdrawal. The association between maternal depressive symptoms and cognitive scores was at most partially mediated by infant social withdrawal in the test situation (<29.6%). Our results add to the existing literature on the effects of PPD on infant social behavior in other contexts than the one constituted by the mother. More research is needed to shed light on the mechanisms through which PPD impacts infant cognitive development.
An MO‐GVNS algorithm for solving a multiobjective hybrid flow shop scheduling problem
Authors: de Siqueira Eduardo Camargo , Souza Marcone Jamilson Freitas , de Souza Sérgio Ricardo
Published: March 2019

This paper addresses the multiobjective hybrid flow shop (MOHFS) scheduling problem. In the MOHFS problem considered here, we have a set of jobs that must be performed in a set of stages. At each stage, we have a set of unrelated parallel machines. Some jobs may skip stages. The evaluation criteria are the minimizations of makespan, the weighted sum of the tardiness, and the weighted sum of the earliness. For solving it, an algorithm based on the multiobjective general variable neighborhood search (MO‐GVNS) metaheuristic, named adapted MO‐GVNS, is proposed. This work also presents and compares the results obtained by the adapted MO‐GVNS with those of four other algorithms: multiobjective reduced variable neighborhood search, nondominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA‐II), and NSGA‐III, and another MO‐GVNS from the literature. The results were evaluated based on the Hypervolume, Epsilon, and Spacing metrics, and statistically validated by the Levene test and confidence interval charts. The results showed the efficiency of the proposed algorithm for solving the MOHFS problem.
Efficacy of a Photovoice‐based video as an online mental illness anti‐stigma intervention and the role of empathy in audience response: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Tippin Gregory K. , Maranzan K. Amanda
Published: March 2019

This study examined the efficacy of a Photovoice‐based video as a novel online anti‐stigma video in reducing mental illness stigma, as well as the role of empathic concern in stigma reduction. Photovoice is a grassroots process by which members of a marginalized group, such as people with a mental illness, document and convey their experience; in this study’s context, the experience of living with a mental illness and the stigma associated with this experience. Canadian undergraduate university students (n = 303; average age = 21) were randomly assigned to view either a Photovoice‐based anti‐stigma intervention video (n = 156) or a control video (n = 147). Compared to the control condition, the Photovoice‐based video was efficacious in reducing mental illness stigma, including reduced fear and anger toward people with a mental illness, decreased perceptions of dangerousness, and decreased desired social distance. In addition, the intervention was efficacious in maintaining reduced desired social distance relative to the control at 1‐month post‐intervention. Finally, empathic concern was found to mediate the relationship between the Photovoice‐based video and reduced mental illness stigma, suggesting that one way the intervention reduced mental illness stigma was by eliciting empathy in the viewer.
Targeting the ROS/PI3K/AKT/HIF‐1α/HK2 axis of breast cancer cells: Combined administration of Polydatin and 2‐Deoxy‐d‐glucose
Authors: Zhang Tao , Zhu Xinying , Wu Haichong , Jiang Kangfeng , Zhao Gan , Shaukat Aftab , Deng Ganzhen , Qiu Changwei
Published: March 2019

It is well established that cancer cells depend upon aerobic glycolysis to provide the energy they need to survive and proliferate. However, anti‐glycolytic agents have yielded few positive results in human patients, in part due to dose‐limiting side effects. Here, we discovered the unexpected anti‐cancer efficacy of Polydatin (PD) combined with 2‐deoxy‐D‐glucose (2‐DG), which is a compound that inhibits glycolysis. We demonstrated in two breast cell lines (MCF‐7 and 4T1) that combination treatment with PD and 2‐DG induced cell apoptosis and inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Furthermore, we determined the mechanism of PD in synergy with 2‐DG, which decreased the intracellular reactive oxygen (ROS) levels and suppressed the PI3K/AKT pathway. In addition, the combined treatment inhibited the glycolytic phenotype through reducing the expression of HK2. HK2 deletion in breast cancer cells thus improved the anti‐cancer activity of 2‐DG. The combination treatment also resulted in significant tumour regression in the absence of significant morphologic changes in the heart, liver or kidney in vivo. In summary, our study demonstrates that PD synergised with 2‐DG to enhance its anti‐cancer efficacy by inhibiting the ROS/PI3K/AKT/HIF‐1α/HK2 signalling axis, providing a potential anti‐cancer strategy.
Regulation of drug metabolizing enzymes in the leukaemic bone marrow microenvironment
Authors: Su Meng , Chang Yu‐Ting , Hernandez Daniela , Jones Richard J. , Ghiaur Gabriel
Published: March 2019

The bone marrow (BM) microenvironment contributes to drug resistance in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and multiple myeloma (MM). We have shown that the critical drug metabolizing enzymes cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4 and cytidine deaminase (CDA) are highly expressed by BM stroma, and play an important role in this resistance to chemotherapy. However, what factors influence the chemoprotective capacity of the BM microenvironment, specifically related to CYP3A4 and CDA expression, are unknown. In this study, we found that the presence of AML cells decreases BM stromal expression of CYP3A4 and CDA, and this effect appears to be at least partially the result of cytokines secreted by AML cells. We also observed that stromal CYP3A4 expression is up‐regulated by drugs commonly used in AML induction therapy, cytarabine, etoposide and daunorubicin, resulting in cross‐resistance. Cytarabine also up‐regulated CDA expression. The up‐regulation of CYP3A4 associated with disease control was reversed by clarithromycin, a potent inhibitor of CYP3A4. Our data suggest that minimal residual disease states are characterized by high levels of stromal drug metabolizing enzymes and thus, strong microenvironment‐mediated drug resistance. These results further suggest a potential role for clinically targeting drug metabolizing enzymes in the microenvironment.
Commentary: A pathway forward for implementation science in the search to accelerate the delivery of effective mental health treatment and services for youth: reflections on Williams and Beidas (2019)
Authors: Pintello Denise
Published: March 2019

Over the past several decades, implementation science has emerged as a promising new field designed to reduce the gap between research and practice. One population that has not fully benefitted from recent efforts to implement evidence‐based mental health treatment and services are children and adolescents. In the review by Williams and Beidas, the authors provide a thoughtful discussion on where the implementation science field has previously been within the area of child psychology and psychiatry, identified the scientific limitations of prior phases or ‘waves’ in the historical development of implementation science, and recommend where the field needs to go – by underscoring the importance of developing and testing multilevel, integrated causal theories and mechanism‐based approaches. This commentary draws attention to the importance of the perspectives and recommendations proposed in this review, which offer the potential to generate new advances in the field of implementation science that will ultimately, improve mental health care and clinical outcomes for youth.
Commentary: ‘Ready or not here I come’: developmental immaturity as a driver of impairment and referral in young‐for‐school‐grade ADHD children. A reformulation inspired by Whitely et al. (2019)
Authors: Sonuga‐Barke Edmund J.S. , Fearon R.M. Pasco
Published: March 2019

The search for objective biological tests, sufficiently reliable, and predictive enough to be diagnostic of psychiatric disorders, continues apace – yet their discovery remains a distant dream. It seems increasingly unlikely that current diagnostic structures and concepts map biologically in a straight forward way – with heterogeneity within, and sharing across, existing diagnostic boundaries being the biological rule rather than the exception. Indeed, it now appears that the science of biological psychiatry is more likely to redraw those boundaries than it is to confirm and mark them (Sonuga‐Barke, Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 2016, 57, 1). Clinical identification of childhood psychiatric disorders therefore remains, for the foreseeable future at least, an exercise in regulated social perception – reliant on the fallible and subjective judgements of parents, teachers and clinicians. Social perception of this sort is an active and motivated process and therefore prone, like all social perception, to bias and distortions – both systematic and idiosyncratic. Progress has certainly been made over the last 50 years in reducing such judgement bias by, for instance filtering perceptions through the lens of standardised instruments (questionnaires and interviews) with carefully operationalised items and a degree of reliability and validity. However, such instruments often play only a peripheral role in actual diagnostic encounters and when they are used, there is still sufficient ambiguity to leave open plenty of room for interpretation. When we acknowledge that psychiatric diagnoses are social constructions – we are not saying that symptoms of inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity are not real or do not cluster together in meaningful ways or that they do not cause real distress and disability but that their interpretation and meaning are often informed by social constructs such as ethnic or gender norms and stereotypes (Meyer, Stevenson, & Sonuga‐Barke, Journal of Attention Disorders, 2019).
Commentary: ADHD lifetime trajectories and the relevance of the developmental perspective to Psychiatry: reflections on Asherson and Agnew‐Blais, (2019)
Authors: Polanczyk Guilherme V. , Casella Caio , Jaffee Sara R.
Published: March 2019

Asherson and Agnew‐Blais review evidence from prospective, longitudinal studies in Brazil, New Zealand, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States showing that ADHD can emerge for the first time in adolescence or young adulthood. These findings defy conventional wisdom specifying that ADHD is, by definition, a disorder that emerges in childhood. We discuss possible explanations for the late‐onset of ADHD, including the removal in adolescence or young adulthood of features of a young person's environment that played a buffering role against the emergence of symptoms and heterotypic continuity in a general liability to psychopathology that is present from childhood.
Editorial: The rise and rise of developmental perspectives in child psychology and psychiatry
Authors: Jaffee Sara R.
Published: March 2019

When developmental psychopathology emerged as a discipline in the late 1970s and early 1980s, its proponents were as careful to explain what it was not, as they were to define what it was (e.g. Sroufe & Rutter, 1984). In particular, they differentiated developmental psychopathology from child psychiatry, which is primarily concerned with the differential diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of childhood disorders. In contrast, developmental psychopathology was defined as ‘the study of the origins and course of individual patterns of behavioral maladaptation, whatever the age of onset, whatever the causes, whatever the transformations in behavioral manifestation, and however complex the course of the developmental pattern may be’ (Sroufe & Rutter, 1984, p. 18).
The role and mechanism of icmF in Aeromonas hydrophila survival in fish macrophages
Authors: Wang Suyun , Yan Qingpi , Zhang Meimei , Huang Lixing , Mao Leilei , Zhang Mengmeng , Xu Xiaojin , Chen Liwei , Qin Yingxue
Published: March 2019

Survival in host macrophages is an effective strategy for pathogenic bacteria to spread. Aeromonas hydrophila has been found to survive in fish macrophages, but the mechanisms remain unknown. In this paper, the roles and possible mechanisms of IcmF in bacterial survival in fish macrophages were investigated. First, a stable silencing strain icmF‐RNAi was constructed by shRNA and RT‐qPCR confirmed the expression of icmF was down‐regulated by 94.42%. The expression of Hcp, DotU and VgrG was also decreased in icmF‐RNAi. The intracellular survival rate of the wild‐type strain was 92.3%, while the survival rate of icmF‐RNAi was only 20.58%. The escape rate of the wild‐type strain was 20%, while that of the icmF‐RNAi was only 7.5%. Further studies indicated that the expression of icmF can significantly affect the adhesion, biofilm formation, motility and acid resistance of A. hydrophila, but has no significant effect on the growth of A. hydrophila even under the stress of H2O2. The results indicated that IcmF of A. hydrophila not only acts as a structural protein which participates in virulence‐related characteristics such as bacterial motility, adhesion and biofilm formation, but also acts as a key functional protein which participates in the interaction between bacteria and host macrophages.
Tissue‐specific Hi‐C analyses of rice, foxtail millet and maize suggest non‐canonical function of plant chromatin domains
Authors: Dong Pengfei , Tu Xiaoyu , Li Haoxuan , Zhang Jianhua , Grierson Donald , Li Pinghua , Zhong Silin
Published: March 2019

Chromatins are not randomly packaged in the nucleus and their organization plays important roles in transcription regulation, which is best studied in the mammalian models. Using in situ Hi‐C, we have compared the 3D chromatin architectures of rice mesophyll and endosperm, foxtail millet bundle sheath and mesophyll, and maize bundle sheath, mesophyll and endosperm tissues. We found that their global A/B compartment partitions are stable across tissues, while local A/B compartment has tissue‐specific dynamic associated with differential gene expression. Plant domains are largely stable across tissues, while new domain border formations are often associated with transcriptional activation in the region. Genes inside plant domains are not conserved across species, and lack significant co‐expression behavior unlike those in mammalian TADs. Although we only observed chromatin loops between gene islands in the large genomes, the maize loop gene pairs’ syntenic orthologs have shorter physical distances in small genome monocots, suggesting that loops instead of domains might have conserved biological function. Our study showed that plants’ chromatin features might not have conserved biological functions as the mammalian ones.
Predictors of Postnatal Care Services Utilization Among Women in Nigeria: A Facility‐Based Study
Authors: Olajubu Aanuoluwapo O. , Olowokere Adekemi E. , Ogundipe Mayowa J. , Olajubu Temitope O.
Published: March 2019

Purpose

Adequate utilization of postnatal care (PNC) services is a major contributing factor to reducing maternal mortality among women. Hence, this study was designed to assess the level of utilization of PNC services and its predictors among postpartum women in Ekiti State, Nigeria.

Design

The study adopted a cross‐sectional descriptive design.

Methods

A total of 405 postpartum women from primary healthcare centers in five selected local government areas in Ekiti State participated in this study. A self‐structured questionnaire was used to collect data, which were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 20 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Data were presented using descriptive (means, frequencies, and percentages) and inferential (Pearson's chi square and binary logistic regression) statistics.

Findings

The mean age of the women was 27 ± 8 years. A preponderance of the respondents (98.8%) were aware of PNC services, of which only 22% utilized PNC services after their last delivery. Those who did not utilize PNC services identified some of the barriers to their utilization, which included poor attitude of the healthcare providers and insufficient financial resources. The rate of utilization was found to be significantly higher among those who were 25 to 34 years of age (p = .03), who had formal education (p = .04), who were employed (p = .01), who had made use of an antenatal care (ANC) clinic (p = .02), and who had a good level of knowledge about PNC (p = .02). Furthermore, a prior experience with PNC services reduced by almost 90% the odds of a mother's subsequent utilization after her last delivery (odds ratio 0.10; confidence interval 0.05–0.24).

Conclusions

The majority of respondents in this study were aware of PNC services, but this did not translate to utilization of the services. Also, the rate of utilization of PNC services was significantly associated with certain sociodemographic factors such as age, educational status, employment status, use of an ANC clinic, and level of knowledge about PNC.

Clinical Relevance

This study provides pertinent knowledge for healthcare providers, especially nurses, who provide PNC services.
Role of Career Satisfaction in Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction and Career Commitment of Nurses in Nigeria: A Self‐Determination Theory Perspective
Authors: Onyishi Ike E. , Enwereuzor Ibeawuchi K. , Ogbonna Martina N. , Ugwu Fabian O. , Amazue Lawrence O.
Published: March 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to test how basic psychological needs satisfaction contributes to career commitment through career satisfaction among nurses.

Background

There is an increasing rate of turnover among nurses and a general shortage of nurses in many countries. This has made it necessary for researchers to focus on the career satisfaction of nurses and their commitment to their careers.

Design and Methods

A cross‐sectional design was employed in a survey of 233 nurses in public hospitals in southeastern Nigeria. Participants responded to self‐report measures of career commitment, career satisfaction, and work‐related basic needs satisfaction.

Findings

In the regression‐based path analysis, basic psychological needs satisfaction was positively related to career satisfaction (p < .001) and career commitment (p < .001) of nurses. Career satisfaction was positively related to career commitment (p < .05). Career satisfaction mediated the relationship between basic psychological needs satisfaction and career commitment (95% confidence interval [.009, .068]).

Conclusions

The results show that basic psychological needs are relevant for employee commitment, giving support to the self‐determination theory. Career satisfaction provides further explanations for the relationship between psychological needs satisfaction and career commitment, although there could be reverse causal links.

Clinical Relevance

The results advance knowledge on how satisfaction of basic psychological needs can increase career satisfaction and foster more career commitment. Designing work environments that help employees to fulfil their basic psychological needs is important in the retention of nurses.
Animation and Consumer Perceptions of DTC Pharmaceutical Advertisement
Authors: Shah Esta D. , Larson Lindsay R. L. , Denton Luther L.
Published: March 2019

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has noted that animation within direct‐to‐consumer (DTC) pharmaceutical advertising may impact perceptions of risk or benefit, and that there have been few if any comprehensives studies of the impact animation may exert upon consumers. This article proposes that the use of animation in pharmaceutical advertising potentially disrupts the encoding process in the mind of the consumer, impacting perceptions of prescription drug benefits and risks. Using novel stimuli employing a rotoscoping technique, it is found that animation significantly reduces perceptions of perceived risk (but not benefits), and that this effect is driven by disruptions in encoding (Study 1). These findings are extended to examine deeper consumer inferences (Study 2). Implications for the pharmaceutical industry, consumer protection agencies, and consumers are considered.
Perspectives of women experiencing Menorrhagia: A descriptive qualitative study
Authors: Kamaludin Seri Andani Nadimah , Zhang Xin Rong , Shorey Shefaly
Published: March 2019

Objective

To describe the perspectives and support needs of women experiencing menorrhagia in Singapore.

Background

Women with menorrhagia lack awareness regarding the severity of menorrhagia. There is a dearth of literature understanding the support needs of women with menorrhagia.

Design

A descriptive qualitative study design was adopted. The Consolidated crieteria for Reportig Qualitative Research (COREQ) was used to report the findings of this study.

Methods

The study was conducted at a tertiary public hospital in Singapore from July 2017–October 2017. Semi‐structured interviews were used to collect data from 16 women who were diagnosed with menorrhagia. The total number of interviews was concluded based on data saturation. The interviews were transcribed verbatim, and thematic analysis was used to analyse the interview transcripts. The COREQ was used to report the findings of this study.

Results

Participants reported that they were unaware about menorrhagia and its severity. Various internal and external factors influenced the participants’ awareness and understanding of menorrhagia. Although the participants received support to cope with menorrhagia, the support was deemed insufficient. The women shared that menorrhagia had affected their lives physically, emotionally, socially and financially. They used both external and internal coping mechanisms to cope with their conditions and looked for information through close contacts and the Internet. They longed to learn more about their conditions.

Conclusion

Multiethnic Singaporean women with menorrhagia lacked awareness about their conditions and the severity, which affected their lives negatively. There should be greater efforts to raise the public's awareness of menorrhagia so that women can seek medical help early and minimise its negative influence on their lives.

Relevance to clinical practice

Healthcare providers need to pay greater attention to menorrhagia in order to provide more holistic care and support for those experiencing this condition. Healthcare professionals should understand their patients’ experiences with menorrhagia and evaluate their current support resources in order to create a strong support system.
State Physical Education Policy Changes From 2001 to 2016
Authors: Dauenhauer Brian , Keating Xiaofen , Stoepker Peter , Knipe Robert
Published: March 2019

BACKGROUND

State policies influence the quantity and quality of educational programs delivered in schools. This study examined state physical education policy changes from 2001 to 2016 by analyzing data reported in The Shape of the Nation Report.

METHODS

Policies related to state mandates for physical education, time/credit requirements, assessment and fitness testing requirements, adoption of state standards, and allowance of substitutions were analyzed over 5 editions of the report using repeated measures statistics.

RESULTS

A majority of state physical education‐related policies have not changed over the past 15 years despite calls by numerous public health agencies for enhanced physical education in schools. There was, however, a significant increase in the number of states adopting teaching standards and requiring assessment and fitness testing in physical education, mirroring a broader shift in education toward standards, assessment, and accountability.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite improved rigor in physical education through the adoption of standards and assessment practices, physical education continues to be marginalized in schools by a lack of curricular time and inappropriate substitution policies. Stronger policies are needed for physical education to have a substantial impact on school health.
School Wellness in Wisconsin: Evaluating Policies for Practices to Prevent Pediatric Obesity
Authors: Weymouth Lindsay , Joyner Hilary , Skalitzky Erin , Cotter Avery , Engstrom Kellyn , Jorgensen Lauren
Published: March 2019

BACKGROUND

We examined written language in Wisconsin school wellness policies (SWPs) for federal mandate compliance, quality related to obesity prevention, and school characteristics associated with variations in quality. This is the first near census of Wisconsin SWPs and examines whether adhering to federal mandates results in strong policies aimed at preventing pediatric obesity.

METHODS

Policies were coded using the WellSAT 2.0. Policy quality was computed as comprehensiveness and strength based on 6 subscales and 2 overall scores. Variations in policy quality were examined by district size, free/reduced lunch percentage, and year of last revision.

RESULTS

We received SWPs from 91% of districts. Six of the 8 federal mandates were addressed by the majority of districts, although less than one fourth addressed all. Most comprehensiveness scores were weak to moderate, and strength scores were weak. All school characteristics were significantly related to overall policy quality; effect sizes were small.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results confirm the necessity of statewide focus on SWP improvement and suggest that while districts may be meeting federal mandates related to pediatric obesity, few policies include health promotion practices beyond those required. Policies remain fragmented and lack focus on obesity prevention practices; we identify modifiable areas for improvement.
In pursuit of social meaning
Authors: Meyerhoff Miriam
Published: March 2019

Meaning and Linguistic Variation: The Third Wave in Sociolinguistics is a collection of works published in a variety of edited collections, journals, and conference proceedings. It also includes one unpublished conference paper. The collection traces the (ongoing) development of the concept of social meaning in language variation in 11 different papers. These are contextualized with personal reflections on variationist sociolinguistics and the profession of linguistics that frame each paper. This review article highlights some of the key themes in the collection: As well as social meaning itself, issues with style, clustering of variables, peripheral and core members of communities, and agency are discussed. Eckert's innovative proposal that variables can be differentiated on the basis of their relative “interiority” is considered, as is the assertion that linguistics transcends the referential properties of language to include the expressive and moral.
Auricular reconstruction
Authors: Cubitt Jonathan J , Chang Ling‐Yun , Liang Derek , Vandervord John , Marucci Damian D
Published: March 2019

External ear abnormalities are common. These may affect ear shape, size, prominence and degree of development. They may also be associated with hearing loss. The early identification and management of hearing loss is essential. There are several options for reconstruction of the external ear using both autologous and non‐autologous techniques. The aim of this article is to outline the different reconstructive options.
Subjective sleep quality as a mediator in the relationship between pain severity and sustained attention performance in patients with fibromyalgia
Authors: Fang Su‐Chen , Wu Yu‐Lin , Chen Shih‐Ching , Teng Hao‐Wen , Tsai Pei‐Shan
Published: March 2019

Pain severity and sleep are associated with cognitive performance in patients with fibromyalgia. This study examined whether sleep mediates the relationships of pain severity with psychomotor vigilance and attention in patients with fibromyalgia by analysing 80 patients with fibromyalgia. Cognitive performance, pain severity and sleep parameters were determined using the Psychomotor Vigilance Task, Brief Pain Inventory–Short Form and sleep diaries of seven consecutive nights, respectively. The patients’ demographic data were analysed for potential confounding factors. After adjustment for these confounders, a series of regression analyses was performed to examine the mediating role of sleep. The results indicated that higher pain severity was strongly associated with poorer sustained attention and lower sleep quality, the total effects of pain severity on psychomotor vigilance and attention were significant (c path: β = 0.23, p = 0.04), and pain severity was a significant sleep quality predictor (a path: β = −0.33, p < 0.01). When sleep quality was entered into the regression model (a × b path), the effects of pain severity on psychomotor vigilance and attention became non‐significant (c′ path: β = 0.15, p = 0.20) after adjustment of age, indicating a complete mediating effect of sleep quality in the pain severity–cognitive performance relationship. In conclusion, sleep quality mediates the pain severity–cognitive performance relationship: pain affects sleep quality, which in turn impairs sustained attention. Our findings provide further insight into the processes underlying the relationship between pain and poor cognitive function. Improved sleep quality may offset the detrimental effects of pain on sustained attention.
Post‐sigh sleep apneas in mice: Systematic review and data‐driven definition
Authors: Bastianini Stefano , Alvente Sara , Berteotti Chiara , Bosi Marcello , Lo Martire Viviana , Silvani Alessandro , Valli Alice , Zoccoli Giovanna
Published: March 2019

Sleep apneas can be categorized as post‐sigh (prevailing in non‐rapid eye movement sleep) or spontaneous (prevailing in rapid eye movement sleep) according to whether or not they are preceded by an augmented breath (sigh). Notably, the occurrence of these apnea subtypes changes differently in hypoxic/hypercapnic environments and in some genetic diseases, highlighting the importance of an objective discrimination. We aim to: (a) systematically review the literature comparing the criteria used in categorizing mouse sleep apneas; and (b) provide data‐driven criteria for this categorization, with the final goal of reducing experimental variability in future studies. Twenty‐two wild‐type mice, instrumented with electroencephalographic/electromyographic electrodes, were placed inside a whole‐body plethysmographic chamber to quantify sleep apneas and sighs. Wake–sleep states were scored on 4‐s epochs based on electroencephalographic/electromyographic signals. Literature revision showed that highly different criteria were used for post‐sigh apnea definition, the intervals for apnea occurrence after sigh ranging from 1 breath up to 20 s. In our data, the apnea occurrence rate during non‐rapid eye movement sleep was significantly higher than that calculated before the sigh only in the 1st and 2nd 4‐s epochs following a sigh. These data suggest that, in mice, apneas should be categorized as post‐sigh only if they start within 8 s from a sigh; the choice of shorter or longer time windows might underestimate or slightly overestimate their occurrence rate, respectively.
Electronic health record year and country of birth testing and patient navigation to increase diagnosis of chronic viral hepatitis
Authors: de la Torre Andrew , Ahmad Maliha , Ayoub Farhan , Korogodsky Maria , Pichardo Norma , Green Lisa , Montesdeoca Angelo , McDowall Patricia , Danko Cherie
Published: March 2019

The United States Preventive Services Task Force recommends hepatitis C testing people born from 1945 to 1965, “birth cohort” as well as hepatitis C and hepatitis B testing people from countries of birth with endemic infection risk. We automated the hospital electronic health record system to test birth cohort and those born in countries with endemic infection risk. A script is launched searching the laboratory database upon registration for any hepatitis C antibody, hepatitis C RNA and/or hepatitis B surface antigen result. If no positive result was found, a hepatitis C antibody/reflex RNA and/or hepatitis B surface antigen were ordered. A patient navigator received weekly results and assisted patients with positive serology to schedule an appointment with their primary care provider or treatment specialist. A total of 10 726 participants were hepatitis C antibody tested, with 6.9% antibody positive. Monthly hepatitis C testing from January to July 2016 compared to August 2016‐August 2017 increased 342% as a result of "birth cohort" testing. Following country of birth testing, monthly hepatitis B and hepatitis C testing increased 91%, and 44%, respectively, during June‐August 2017 compared to September 2017‐March 2018. 67% of hepatitis C‐positive patients were linked to care. If the navigator contacted the patient, 92% were linked to care, and 32% were treated. Of hepatitis B surface antigen‐positive patients, 43% were linked to care, 5% were on treatment, and 15% started treatment. Automated electronic health record ordering of hepatitis C and/or hepatitis B testing is feasible and increases testing. In the population tested, much improvement is needed with linkage to care and treatment.