bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Experimental conical‐head abutment screws on the microbial leakage through the implant‐abutment interface: an in vitro analysis using target‐specific DNA probes
Authors: Pita Murillo S. , do Nascimento Cássio , dos Santos Carla G. P. , Pires Isabela M. , Pedrazzi Vinícius
Published: May 2016

Objectives

The aim of this in vitro study was to identify and quantify up to 38 microbial species from human saliva penetrating through the implant‐abutment interface in two different implant connections, external hexagon and tri‐channel internal connection, both with conventional flat‐head or experimental conical‐head abutment screws.

Material and methods

Forty‐eight two‐part implants with external hexagon (EH; n = 24) or tri‐channel internal (TI; n = 24) connections were investigated. Abutments were attached to implants with conventional flat‐head or experimental conical‐head screws. After saliva incubation, Checkerboard DNA–DNA hybridization was used to identify and quantify up to 38 bacterial colonizing the internal parts of the implants. Kruskal–Wallis test followed by Bonferroni's post‐tests for multiple comparisons was used for statistical analysis.

Results

Twenty‐four of thirty‐eight species, including putative periodontal pathogens, were found colonizing the inner surfaces of both EH and TI implants. Peptostreptococcus anaerobios (P = 0.003), Prevotella melaninogenica (P < 0.0001), and Candida dubliniensis (P < 0.0001) presented significant differences between different groups. Means of total microbial count (×104, ±SD) for each group were recorded as follows: G1 (0.27 ± 2.04), G2 (0 ± 0), G3 (1.81 ± 7.50), and G4 (0.35 ± 1.81).

Conclusions

Differences in the geometry of implant connections and abutment screws have impacted the microbial leakage through the implant‐abutment interface. Implants attached with experimental conical‐head abutment screws showed lower counts of microorganisms when compared with conventional flat‐head screws.
Using historical ecology to reassess the conservation status of coniferous forests in Central Europe
Authors: Szabó Péter , Kuneš Petr , Svobodová‐Svitavská Helena , Švarcová Markéta Gabriela , Křížová Lucie , Suchánková Silvie , Müllerová Jana , Hédl Radim
Published: May 2016

Forests cover approximately one‐third of Central Europe. Oak (Quercus) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica) are considered the natural dominants at low and middle elevations, respectively. Many coniferous forests (especially of Picea abies) occur primarily at midelevations, but these are thought to have resulted from forestry plantations planted over the past 200 years. Nature conservation and forestry policy seek to promote broadleaved trees over conifers. However, there are discrepancies between conservation guidelines (included in Natura 2000) and historical and palaeoecological data with regard to the distribution of conifers. Our aim was to bring new evidence to the debate on the conservation of conifers versus broadleaved trees at midelevations in Central Europe. We created a vegetation and land‐cover model based on pollen data for a highland area of 11,300 km2 in the Czech Republic and assessed tree species composition in the forests before the onset of modern forestry based on 18th‐century archival sources. Conifers dominated the study region throughout the entire Holocene (approximately 40–60% of the area). Broadleaved trees were present in a much smaller area than envisaged by current ideas of natural vegetation. Rather than casting doubt on the principles of Central European nature conservation in general, our results highlight the necessity of detailed regional investigations and the importance of historical data in challenging established notions on the natural distribution of tree species.
Acetophenone azine: a new allergen responsible for severe contact dermatitis from shin pads
Authors: Raison‐Peyron Nadia , Bergendorff Ola , Bourrain Jean Luc , Bruze Magnus
Published: May 2016

Background

Contact dermatitis resulting from the use of shin pads is usually caused by rubber components, dyes, benzoyl peroxide, or formaldehyde resins.

Objectives

To investigate and identify a new allergen in shin pads that was responsible for severe contact dermatitis in a young football player.

Methods

High‐performance liquid
chromatography (HPLC) of samples of shin pads was performed. The boy was patch tested with pieces of shin pads and with acetophenone azine, a chemical substance identified by HPLC in the foam of the shin pads.

Results

HPLC identified acetophenone azine at concentrations of approximately 20 µg/g of shin pad samples. Patch tests gave strongly positive reactions to pieces of shin pads and to acetophenone azine down to 0.001% in acetone, whereas acetophenone and hydrazine sulfate were both negative. Twenty controls were negative for acetophenone azine 0.01% in acetone.

Conclusions

Acetophenone azine is a new, strong allergen of shin pads, and more generally of other sport equipment based on ethylene vinyl acetate. It may be used as a biocide, but this has to be confirmed. Further investigations are needed to understand factors such as exposure, cross‐reaction patterns, metabolism, and the optimal patch test preparation.
ESSCA results with the baseline series, 2002–2012: p‐phenylenediamine
Authors: Schuttelaar Marie‐Louise A. , Vogel Tatiana A. , Rui Francesca , Kręcisz Beata , Chomiczewska‐Skora Dorota , Kieć‐Świerczyńska Marta , Uter Wolfgang , Larese Filon Francesca
Published: May 2016

Background

Allergic contact dermatitis caused by p‐phenylenediamine (PPD) is common among all age groups and both sexes. Monitoring of prevalence and intensity of sensitization is important.

Objective

To evaluate contact allergy to PPD in Europe, and to compare reaction intensities in different European regions.

Methods

Data collected by the European Surveillance System on Contact Allergies (ESSCA) network between 2002 and 2012 from 12 European countries were analysed regarding prevalence, grading of positive reactions to PPD, and relevance.

Results

A total of 99 926 PPD‐positive patients from 63 departments were included for analysis. The overall (2002–2012) prevalence of PPD sensitization in Europe is ∼4%. Stratified for country, the highest overall standardized prevalence was found in Lithuania, and the lowest in Slovenia. The prevalence of PPD sensitization did not decline over the years. In the southern European countries, higher numbers of strong and extremely strong reactions were registered. The clinical relevance of PPD sensitization varied from half to three‐quarters.

Conclusion

The prevalence of PPD sensitization has not changed over time. Strong and extremely strong patch test reactions are seen more often in the South, probably because of the higher number of PPD‐containing hair dye products.
Improving Shift‐Reduce Phrase‐Structure Parsing with Constituent Boundary Information
Authors: Chen Wenliang , Zhu Muhua , Zhang Min , Zhang Yue , Zhu Jingbo
Published: May 2016

Shift‐reduce parsing enjoys the property of efficiency because of the use of efficient parsing algorithms like greedy/deterministic search and beam search. In addition, shift‐reduce parsing is much simpler and easy to implement compared with other parsing algorithms. In this article, we explore constituent boundary information to improve the performance of shift‐reduce phrase‐structure parsing. In previous work, constituent boundary information has been used to speed up chart parsers successfully. However, whether it is useful for improving parsing accuracy has not been investigated. We propose two different models to capture constituent boundary information, based on which two sets of novel features are designed for a shift‐reduce parser. The first model is a boundary prediction model that uses a classifier to predict the boundaries of constituents. We use automatically parsed data to train the classifier. The second one is a Tree Likelihood Model that measures the validity of a constituent by its likelihood which is calculated on automatically parsed data. Experimental results show that our proposed method outperforms a strong baseline by 0.8% and 1.6% in F‐score on English and Chinese data, respectively, achieving the competitive parsing accuracies on Chinese (84.8%) and English (90.8%). To our knowledge, this is the first time for shift‐reduce phrase‐structure parsing to advance the state‐of‐the‐art with constituent boundary information.
Coping power for preschool‐aged children: a pilot randomized control trial study
Authors: Muratori Pietro , Giuli Consuelo , Bertacchi Iacopo , Orsolini Lara , Ruglioni Laura , Lochman John E.
Published: May 2016

Aim

Preschoolers with behavioural difficulties, both at clinical and sub‐clinical levels, are at higher risk for several negative outcomes. The current paper reports the results from a randomized clinical trial evaluating an adaptation of the Coping Power for preschool‐aged children. In the present study, Coping Power is adapted as a universal prevention intervention, in which teachers deliver a curriculum that is designed to improve children's social competence and reduce problem behaviours.

Methods

Ten nursery school classes (164 children, mean age 54.40 months) from two Italian schools were randomly assigned to Coping Power or to the control group, which received the standard academic curriculum provided in Italian nursery schools. Teachers in the five intervention classes implemented weekly lessons and extension activities over a 6‐month period. Teacher and parent reports of child behaviour assessments were collected at the beginning and end of the school year. At each assessment period, teachers completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire.

Results

The findings suggest that after exposure to Coping Power, intervention children showed lower levels of behavioural difficulties, rated both by parents and teachers.

Conclusions

The results of this study are promising and can be interpreted as providing initial support for the efficacy of the preschool version of Coping Power.
Activity of aldehyde dehydrogenase in B‐cell and plasma cell subsets of monoclonal gammopathy patients and healthy donors
Authors: Všianská Pavla , Bezděková Renata , Kryukov Fedor , Almáši Martina , Pour Luděk , Penka Miroslav , Hájek Roman , Říhová Lucie
Published: May 2016

Background

Aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) is highly active in physiological stem cells as well as in tumor‐initiating cells of some malignancies including multiple myeloma (MM). Finding higher activity of ALDH in some cell subsets in monoclonal gammopathies (MG) could identify potential source of myeloma‐initiating cells (MICs).

Methods

Bone marrow of 12 MM, 9 monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), and 10 healthy donors (HD) were analyzed by flow cytometry. ALDH activity of B‐cells and plasma cells (PC) was analyzed using Aldefluor.

Results

Similar changes of ALDH activity were found during B‐cell development in HD and MG. Decreasing of ALDH activity from immature to naïve B‐cells was found. In postgerminal stages, the activity started to increase, and in PCs, the ALDH activity was the same as in immature B‐cells. Increased ALDH activity of all PC subsets compared to naïve B‐cells was found in MM as well as in HD, while in MGUS, only CD19−PCs have higher ALDH activity. In HD, ALDH activity was higher in CD19+PCs compared with MG.

Conclusions

Our results indicate that changes of ALDH activity are the natural phenomenon in B‐cell development; thus, high ALDH activity as a single marker is not appropriate for MICs identification.
Patient‐tailored analysis of minimal residual disease in acute myeloid leukemia using next‐generation sequencing
Authors: Malmberg Erik B.R. , Ståhlman Sara , Rehammar Anna , Samuelsson Tore , Alm Sofie J. , Kristiansson Erik , Abrahamsson Jonas , Garelius Hege , Pettersson Louise , Ehinger Mats , Palmqvist Lars , Fogelstrand Linda
Published: May 2016

Next‐generation sequencing techniques have revealed that leukemic cells in acute myeloid leukemia often are characterized by a limited number of somatic mutations. These mutations can be the basis for the detection of leukemic cells in follow‐up samples. The aim of this study was to identify leukemia‐specific mutations in cells from patients with acute myeloid leukemia and to use these mutations as markers for minimal residual disease. Leukemic cells and normal lymphocytes were simultaneously isolated at diagnosis from 17 patients with acute myeloid leukemia using fluorescence‐activated cell sorting. Exome sequencing of these cells identified 240 leukemia‐specific single nucleotide variations and 22 small insertions and deletions. Based on estimated allele frequencies and their accuracies, 191 of these mutations qualified as candidates for minimal residual disease analysis. Targeted deep sequencing with a significance threshold of 0.027% for single nucleotide variations and 0.006% for NPM1 type A mutation was developed for quantification of minimal residual disease. When tested on follow‐up samples from a patient with acute myeloid leukemia, targeted deep sequencing of single nucleotide variations as well as NPM1 was more sensitive than minimal residual disease quantification with multiparameter flow cytometry. In conclusion, we here describe how exome sequencing can be used for identification of leukemia‐specific mutations in samples already at diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia. We also show that targeted deep sequencing of such mutations, including single nucleotide variations, can be used for high‐sensitivity quantification of minimal residual disease in a patient‐tailored manner.
Relational Resilience in Māori, Pacific, and European Sole Parent Families: From Theory and Research to Social Policy
Authors: Waldegrave Charles , King Peter , Maniapoto Maria , Tamasese Taimalieutu Kiwi , Parsons Tafaoimalo Loudeen , Sullivan Ginny
Published: May 2016

This study reports findings and policy recommendations from a research project that applied a relational resilience framework to a study of 60 sole parent families in New Zealand, with approximately equal numbers of Māori, Pacific, and European (White) participants. The sole parent families involved were already known to be resilient and the study focused on identifying the relationships and strategies underlying the achievement and maintenance of their resilience. The study was carried out to provide an evidence base for the development and implementation of policies and interventions to both support sole parent families who have achieved resilience and assist those who struggle to do so. The three populations shared many similarities in their pathways to becoming sole parents and the challenges they faced as sole parents. The coping strategies underlying their demonstrated resilience were also broadly similar, but the ways in which they were carried out did vary in a manner that particularly reflected cultural practices in terms of their reliance upon extended family‐based support or support from outside the family. The commonalities support the appropriateness of the common conceptual framework used, whereas the differences underline the importance of developing nuanced policy responses that take into account cultural differences between the various populations to which policy initiatives are directed.
Do patient‐reported measures of symptoms and health status predict mortality in hemodialysis? An assessment of POS‐S Renal and EQ‐5D
Authors: Sexton Donal J. , Lowney Aoife C. , O'Seaghdha Conall M. , Murphy Marie , O'Brien Tony , Casserly Liam F. , McQuillan Regina , Plant William D. , Eustace Joseph A. , Kinsella Sinead M. , Conlon Peter J.
Published: May 2016

Introduction Experience with the use of patient‐reported outcome measures such as EQ‐5D and the symptom module of the Palliative care Outcome Scale—Renal Version (POS‐S Renal) as mortality prediction tools in hemodialysis is limited.

Methods A prospective survival study of people receiving hemodialysis (N = 362). The EQ‐5D and the POS‐S Renal were used to assess symptom burden and self‐rated health (with a self‐rated component). Participants were followed from instrument completion to death or study end. Competing risks survival analysis was used to evaluate associations with time to death, with renal transplant as a competing risk.

Findings 32% (N = 116) of participants died over a median (25th–75th centile) of 2.6 (1.41–3.38) years. Factors most notably associated with mortality adjusted hazard ratio (95%CI) included: lower EQ VAS score 2.7 (1.4, 5.2) P = 0.004 (lowest tertile), higher POS‐S Renal score 2.4 (1.3, 4.3) P = 0.004 (highest tertile), and lower EQ‐5D score 2.6 (1.3, 5.3) P = 0.01 (lowest tertile) as well as the presence of: “problems with mobility?” 2 (1.1, 3.3) P = 0.01, or “problems with usual activities?” 2.1 (1.4, 3.3), P < 0.001. After age adjustment area under the receiver operating curves (AUC) (95%CI) for mortality were: 0.71 (0.62, 0.79) for EQ VAS score, 0.71 (0.63, 0.80) for POS‐S Renal‐S Renal score, and 0.76 (0.68, 0.84) for EQ‐5D score. AUC 95%CI was highest for our fourth model at 0.79 (0.72, 0.86) comprised of individual elements from both instruments and established risk factors.

Discussion EQ VAS scores and predictive models based on combinations of elements from the POS‐S Renal and EQ‐5D instruments may aid in mortality discrimination and possibly in the delivery of supportive care services.
3‐(3,4,5‐Trimethoxybenzylidene)‐2,4‐pentanedione: Design of a novel photostabilizer with in vivo SPF boosting properties and its use in developing broad‐spectrum sunscreen formulations
Authors: Chaudhuri R. K. , Ollengo M. A. , Singh P. , Martincigh B. S.
Published: May 2016

Objective

The study concerned the synthesis of a novel photostabilizer based on benzylidenepentanedione chemistry and the evaluation of its potential in developing a broad‐spectrum sunscreen formulation containing avobenzone.

Methods

3‐(3,4,5‐Trimethoxybenzylidene)‐2‐4‐pentanedione (TMBP) was synthesized through a condensation reaction and incorporated into a sunscreen formulation containing, inter alia, avobenzone. The SPF, critical wavelength and in vitro photostability of the product were measured. The photostability was compared with that afforded by current avobenzone photostabilizers, namely octocrylene, ethylhexylmethoxycrylene and diethylhexylsyringylidenemalonate. The photostability of TMBP either alone or in the presence of avobenzone in a methanolic solution was also evaluated by UV spectrophotometric and HPLC analyses. The optical properties of TMBP were estimated experimentally and supported by time‐dependent density functional theory (TD‐DFT) calculations.

Results

The ability of TMBP to stabilize avobenzone under ultraviolet (UV) light exposure was shown both in formulated products and in solution. A comparative stability study incorporating various combinations of avobenzone, TMBP (vs. three commercial photostabilizers) and UVB sunscreens clearly showed TMBP to be a very effective stabilizer. The photostabilizing effect of TMBP arises from triplet‐state energy transfer from avobenzone to TMBP and through light‐induced reactions that preserve the main chromophores. Interestingly, a 50% in vivo SPF boosting was observed when TMBP was used with organic and inorganic sunscreens when alone it has no contribution to SPF. TMBP‐containing sunscreen formulations clearly showed a critical wavelength of well over 370 nm and can thus be categorized as broad‐spectrum sunscreens.

Conclusion

We were able to design a very effective photostabilizer, trimethoxybenzylidene pentanedione (INCI name), based on benzylidenepentanedione chemistry. TMBP is very efficient in stabilizing avobenzone in formulated products and boosts in vivo SPF by >50% for organic and inorganic sunscreens, and the formulations have critical wavelengths of >370 nm. These efficacious properties make it a promising additive for inclusion in broad‐spectrum photoprotective products.
Alternative perspectives of safety in home delivered health care: a sequential exploratory mixed method study
Authors: Jones Sarahjane
Published: May 2016

Aim

The aim of this study was to discover and describe how patients, carers and case management nurses define safety and compare it to the traditional risk reduction and harm avoidance definition of safety.

Background

Care services are increasingly being delivered in the home for patients with complex long‐term conditions. However, the concept of safety remains largely unexplored.

Deign

A sequential, exploratory mixed method design.

Methods

A qualitative case study of the UK National Health Service case management programme in the English UK National Health Service was deployed during 2012. Thirteen interviews were conducted with patients (n = 9) and carers (n = 6) and three focus groups with nurses (n = 17) from three community care providers. The qualitative element explored the definition of safety. Data were subjected to framework analysis and themes were identified by participant group. Sequentially, a cross‐sectional survey was conducted during 2013 in a fourth community care provider (patient n = 35, carer n = 19, nurse n = 26) as a form of triangulation.

Findings

Patients and carers describe safety differently to case management nurses, choosing to focus on meeting needs. They use more positive language and recognize the role they have in safety in home‐delivered health care. In comparison, case management nurses described safety similarly to the definitions found in the literature. However, when offered the patient and carer definition of safety, they preferentially selected this definition to their own or the literature definition.

Conclusion

Patients and carers offer an alternative perspective on patient safety in home‐delivered health care that identifies their role in ensuring safety and is more closely aligned with the empowerment philosophy of case management.
When relative allocation depends on total resource acquisition: implication for the analysis of trade‐offs
Authors: Descamps S. , Gaillard J.‐M. , Hamel S. , Yoccoz N. G.
Published: May 2016

A central tenet of evolutionary biology states that life‐history traits are linked via trade‐offs, as classically exemplified by the van Noordwijk and de Jong model. This model, however, assumes that the relative resource allocation to a biological function varies independently of the total resource acquisition. Based on current empirical evidence, we first explored the dependency between the total resource acquisition and the relative resource allocation to reproduction and showed that such dependency is the rule rather than the exception. We then derived the expression of the covariance between traits when the assumption of independence is relaxed and used simulations to quantify the importance of such dependency on the detection of trade‐offs between current reproduction and future survival. We found that the dependency between the total energy acquisition and the relative allocation to reproduction can influence the probability to detect trade‐offs between survival and reproduction. As a general rule, a negative dependency between the total energy acquisition and the relative allocation to reproduction should lead to a higher probability of detecting a trade‐off in species with a fast pace of life, whereas a positive dependency should lead to a higher probability of detecting a trade‐off in species with a slow pace of life. In addition to confirming the importance of resource variation to reveal trade‐offs, our finding demonstrates that the covariance between resource allocation and resource acquisition is generally not null and also plays a fundamental role in the detection of trade‐offs.
Distinguishing internal property from external property in kidney transplantation
Authors: Prasad G. V. Ramesh
Published: May 2016

What determines the ownership of human body parts? In this paper, I argue that this question can be informed by an exploration of the cognitive distinction between property external to the human body such as houses, cars or land, and internal property such as organs that are located within anatomical body confines. Each type of property has distinct brain representations and possibly different effects on the sense of self. This distinction may help explain the divergence in post‐donation outcomes seen in different kidney donor populations. Poor outcomes in some types of kidney donors may be due not only to a failure in their proper selection by standard medical testing or post‐donation care but may also be a manifestation of differing effects on sense of self resulting from transfer of their internal property. Because a kidney is internal property, a hypothesis worth exploring is that those who experience good outcomes post‐donation experience dopaminergic activation and a feeling of reward, while those experiencing bad outcomes are instead overcoming cortisol or adrenergic‐based stress or fear responses without a corresponding feeling of reward, disrupting of their sense of self. Discussions about the rules for internal property transfer must be based not only on values and laws designed to govern external property but also on cognitive science‐based facts, values and judgments that discussions of external property do not presently accommodate. Any future system of rules for governing organ distribution requires a framework different from that of external property to prevent harm to living kidney donors.
Baboon vaginal microbial flora
Authors: Obiero Jael A. , Waititu Kenneth K. , Mulei Isaac , Omar Farah I. , Jaoko Walter , Mwethera Peter G.
Published: May 2016

Background

Knowledge of the composition of vaginal microbial ecosystem is essential for understanding the etiology, prevention, and treatment of vaginal diseases. A baboon model has been used to provide detailed understanding of reproductive physiology and immunology applicable to women. However, little is known about the composition of its vaginal microbial ecosystem.

Methods

Gram stain and Nugent scores were used for assessment of baboon vaginal microbial flora. Biochemical identification and analysis of isolates were performed using the api® kits and identification software.

Results

Species of Lactobacilli, Staphylococci, Clostridia, Bacilli, Corynebacteria, Gram‐negative rods, other Gram‐positive rods, cocci and Candida, were isolated. Healthy vaginal microbiota consisted mainly of lactobacillus morphotypes. Animals with high Nugent scores had increased number of Gram‐positive cocci and variable rods, with increased number of Gram‐negative morphotypes.

Conclusions

The baboon vaginal microbiota is heterogeneous in terms of species composition and is typified by a scarcity of lactobacilli.
Safe sleep, day and night: mothers' experiences regarding infant sleep safety
Authors: Lau Annie , Hall Wendy
Published: May 2016

Aims and Objectives

To explore Canadian mothers' experiences with infant sleep safety.

Background

Parents decide when, how and where to place their infants to sleep. It is anticipated that they will follow international Sudden Infant Death Syndrome prevention sleep safety guidelines. Limited evidence is available for how parents take up guidelines; no studies have explored Canadian mothers’ experiences regarding infant sleep safety.

Design

An inductive qualitative descriptive study using some elements of grounded theory, including concurrent data collection and analysis and memoing.

Methods

Semi‐structured interviews and constant comparative analysis were employed to explore infant sleep safety experiences of 14 Canadian mothers residing in Metro Vancouver. Data collection commenced in December 2012 and ended in July 2013.

Findings

The core theme, Infant Sleep Safety Cycle, represents a cyclical process encompassing sleep safety from the prenatal period to the first six months of infants’ lives. The cyclical process includes five segments: mothers’ expectations of sleep safety, their struggles with reality as opposed to maternal visions, modifications of expectations, provision of rationale for choices and shifts in mothers’ views of infants’ developmental capabilities. Mothers’ experiences were influenced by four factors: perceptions of everyone's needs, familial influences, attitudes and judgments from outsiders and resource availability and accessibility.

Conclusion

To manage infants’ sleep, mothers reframed sleep safety guidelines and downplayed the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome for all forms of sleep at all times. Healthcare providers can support mothers’ efforts to manage their infants’ sleep challenges. During prenatal and postpartum periods, providers’ interventions can influence mothers’ efforts to adhere to sleep safety principles.

Relevance to clinical practice

The study findings support healthcare providers’ efforts to assist mothers to modify expectations and develop strategies to support sleep safety principles while acknowledging their challenges.
Minority language revitalization and educational assessment: Do language‐related factors impact performance?
Authors: Elosua Paula
Published: May 2016

In contexts of minority language revitalization, educational assessment should consider the effect of language‐related factors on performance. Student score comparisons might be unfair if assessment does not take into account the student's language background, language of instruction or the level of minority language standardization. Including language‐related variables in assessment may improve validity, reduce sociolinguistic bias, and make it possible to monitor the progress of the revitalization plans. In this study, we present research conducted in the Basque Autonomous Community, where Spanish and Basque co‐exist. Based on population data (N = 16,270) from a study of fourth‐grade students, results show a positive relationship between the percentage of minority language speakers in the school catchment area and mathematical competence. Results also highlight differences in performance as a function of sociolinguistic groups based on the combination of family language and instruction language, showing better average performance for the Basque‐Basque group.
Pharmacokinetic investigations of the marker active metabolites 4‐methylamino‐antipyrine and 4‐amino‐antipyrine after intramuscular injection of metamizole in healthy piglets
Authors: Burmańczuk A. , Kowalski C. , Giorgi M. , Owen H. , Grabowski T.
Published: May 2016

Metamizole (MT) is a pyrazolone nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drug labelled for humans and animals. The aim of this study was to assess the pharmacokinetics of its active metabolites 4‐methylamino‐antipyrine (MAA) and 4‐amino‐antipyrine (AA) in male piglets after a single intramuscular injection of MT. Eight healthy male piglets were administered MT (100 mg/kg) intramuscularly. Blood was sampled at scheduled time intervals, and drug plasma concentrations evaluated by a validated HPLC method. MAA and AA plasma concentrations were quantitatively detectable from 0.25 to 48 h and 0.50 to 72 h, respectively, in 6 of 8 and 7 of 8 animals. The average maximum concentrations of MAA and AA were of 47.59 and 4.94 mg/mL, respectively. The average half‐lives were 8.57 and 13.3 h for MAA and AA, respectively. This study showed that the amount of MAA and AA produced in piglets is different to that in the animal species previously investigated. Further studies are necessary to understand whether these differences in MAA and AA plasma concentrations between animal species necessitate diverse therapeutic drug dosing.
UTILITY MAXIMIZATION IN A LARGE MARKET
Authors: Mostovyi Oleksii
Published: May 2016

We study the problem of expected utility maximization in a large market, i.e., a market with countably many traded assets. Assuming that agents have von Neumann–Morgenstern preferences with stochastic utility function and that consumption occurs according to a stochastic clock, we obtain the “usual” conclusions of the utility maximization theory. We also give a characterization of the value function in a large market in terms of a sequence of value functions in finite‐dimensional models.
The gut microbiota of the pine weevil is similar across Europe and resembles that of other conifer‐feeding beetles
Authors: Berasategui Aileen , Axelsson Karolin , Nordlander Göran , Schmidt Axel , Borg‐Karlson Anna‐Karin , Gershenzon Jonathan , Terenius Olle , Kaltenpoth Martin
Published: May 2016

The pine weevil (Hylobius abietis, Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is an important pest of conifer seedlings in Europe. Despite its economic importance, little is known about the composition of its gut microbial community and the role it plays in mediating the weevil's ability to utilize conifers as a food source. Here, we characterized the gut bacterial communities of different populations of H. abietis across Europe and compared them to those of other beetles that occupy similar ecological niches. We demonstrate that the microbial community of H. abietis is similar at higher taxonomic levels (family and genus) across locations in Europe, with Wolbachia as the dominant microbe, followed by Enterobacteria and Firmicutes. Despite this similarity, we observed consistent differences between countries and locations, but not sexes. Our meta‐analysis demonstrates that the gut bacterial community of the pine weevil is very similar to that of bark beetles that also exploit conifers as a food source. The Enterobacteriaceae symbionts of both host taxa are especially closely related phylogenetically. Conversely, the microbiota of H. abietis is distinct from that of closely related weevils feeding on nonconifer food sources, suggesting that the microbial community of the pine weevil is determined by the environment and may be relevant to host ecology. Furthermore, several H. abietis‐associated members of the Enterobacteriaceae family are known to contain genes involved in terpenoid degradation. As such, we hypothesize that the gut microbial community is important for the utilization of conifer seedlings as a food source, either through the detoxification of plant secondary metabolites or through the supplementation of essential nutrients.
Elucidation of a mechanism of oxidative stress regulation in Francisella tularensis live vaccine strain
Authors: Ma Zhuo , Russo Vincenzo C. , Rabadi Seham M. , Jen Yu , Catlett Sally V. , Bakshi Chandra Shekhar , Malik Meenakshi
Published: May 2016

Francisella tularensis causes a lethal human disease known as tularemia. As an intracellular pathogen, Francisella survives and replicates in phagocytic cells, such as macrophages. However, to establish an intracellular niche, Francisella must overcome the oxidative stress posed by the reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by the infected macrophages. OxyR and SoxR/S are two well‐characterized transcriptional regulators of oxidative stress responses in several bacterial pathogens. Only the OxyR homolog is present in F. tularensis, while the SoxR homologs are absent. The functional role of OxyR has not been established in F. tularensis. We demonstrate that OxyR regulates oxidative stress responses and provides resistance against ROS, thereby contributing to the survival of the F. tularensis subsp. holarctica live vaccine strain (LVS) in macrophages and epithelial cells and contributing to virulence in mice. Proteomic analysis reveals the differential production of 128 proteins in the oxyR gene deletion mutant, indicating its global regulatory role in the oxidative stress response of F. tularensis. Moreover, OxyR regulates the transcription of the primary antioxidant enzyme genes by binding directly to their putative promoter regions. This study demonstrates that OxyR is an important virulence factor and transcriptional regulator of the oxidative stress response of the F. tularensis LVS.
Why there is no supernatural morality: response to Miller's opening statement
Authors: Shermer Michael
Published: May 2016

If one is going to argue that objective morality depends on an Archimedean point outside the natural world, then it would seem to imply that this source is necessarily supernatural. Thus, Christian Miller begins by defining precisely who he thinks this supernatural moral law giver is: the omniscient, omnipotent, and omnibenevolent creator of the universe who is still actively involved with human affairs—Elohim, Jehovah, Yahweh, or Allah—aka God. Already I'm skeptical.
Incorrect tooth extraction – Never say never?
Authors: McKernon S.L. , Taylor K.H. , Reid S. , Balmer M.C.
Published: May 2016

Aim

The aim of this study was to seek expert opinion on the re‐implantation of a tooth following wrong site extraction.

Methods

We suggest as human error can never be completely eradicated, a protocol must be developed to deal with the after effects of wrong site tooth extraction to produce the most beneficial outcome for the patient. In order to produce this, we sought expert opinion. An online survey was designed to gather information relevant to the subject. This was produced on SurveyMonkey® and distributed to all members of the British Association of Oral Surgeons (BAOS) in May 2015.

Results

The results indicated regardless of current grade, clinicians would be in favour of re‐implanting an incorrectly extracted tooth. Interestingly, 62% would not proceed with the planned surgery.

Conclusions

Despite much written in the literature regarding never events, no suggested protocol has been published on how to manage these events. Therefore following this study, we present a suggested protocol.
Graft‐versus‐host disease in paediatric solid organ transplantation: A review of the literature
Authors: Green Thomas , Hind Jonathan
Published: May 2016

GvHD is a rare and serious complication of organ transplantation. The literature is sparse following solid organ transplantation. The aim of this report was to review the literature of GvHD in paediatric solid organ transplantation. We searched PubMed for English‐language full‐text manuscripts between 1990 and 2015 for eligible studies. A total of 28 publications were found pertaining to paediatric GvHD following solid organ transplantation. GvHD had a mean incidence of 11% (range 8.3–13.4%) following SBTx and 1.5% following liver transplantation. Where described, the most common sites for presentation of GvHD were the skin (87%), the native GI tract (43%), the lungs (7%), the eyes (4%), HA (4%), and the kidneys (1%). Diagnosis was confirmed with biopsy (93%) and/or chimerism (41%). Treatments used include steroids (80%), of which 75% showed partial or complete resolution. Mortality was 33.3% (range 0–100%). Novel therapies include ECP and MSC therapy. GvHD is a rare but serious disease with high mortality. Novel therapies may offer hope in the future, but currently there is limited evidence for their efficacy in the context of intestinal or liver transplantation.
Comparative seed germination traits in alpine and subalpine grasslands: higher elevations are associated with warmer germination temperatures
Authors: Fernández‐Pascual E. , Jiménez‐Alfaro B. , Bueno Á.
Published: May 2016

Seed germination traits in alpine grasslands are poorly understood, despite the sensitivity of these communities to climate change. We hypothesise that germination traits predict species occurrence along the alpine–subalpine elevation gradient. Phylogenetic comparative analyses were performed using fresh seeds of 22 species from alpine and subalpine grasslands (1600–2400 m) of the Cantabrian Mountains, Spain (43° N, 5° W). Laboratory experiments were conducted to characterise germinability, optimum germination temperature and effect of cold and warm stratification on dormancy breaking. Variability in these traits was reduced by phylogenetic principal component analysis (phyl.PCA). Phylogenetic generalised least squares regression (PGLS) was used to fit a model in which species average elevation was predicted from their position on the PCA axes. Most subalpine species germinated in snow‐like conditions, whereas most alpine species needed accumulation of warm temperatures. Phylogenetic signal was low. PCA1 ordered species according to overall germinability, whilst PCA2 ordered them according to preference for warm or cold germination. PCA2 significantly predicted species occurrence in the alpine–subalpine gradient, as higher elevation species tended to have warmer germination preferences. Our results show that germination traits in high‐mountain grasslands are closely linked to the alpine–subalpine gradient. Alpine species, especially those from stripped and wind‐edge communities, prefer warmer germination niches, suggesting that summer emergence prevents frost damage during seedling establishment. In contrast, alpine snowfield and subalpine grassland plants have cold germination niches, indicating that winter emergence may occur under snow to avoid drought stress.
Characterization of Botryosphaeriaceae species associated with diseased loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) in Spain
Authors: González‐Domínguez E. , Alves A. , León M. , Armengol J.
Published: May 2016

Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) is an important subtropical fruit crop in Spain and other Mediterranean countries. In recent years, characteristic symptoms of branch canker and dieback have been observed in the main cultivated areas of loquat in Spain. The goal of this study was to identify and characterize the species of Botryosphaeriaceae associated with these symptoms. For this, 36 affected orchards were surveyed between 2010 and 2011 in six provinces of southeastern Spain. Eighty‐four isolates belonging to the family Botryosphaeriaceae were recovered from samples with symptoms. These isolates were characterized by means of phenotypical studies, DNA sequence analyses of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and part of the translation elongation factor 1‐α regions, and pathogenicity tests. Ten fungal species were identified: Diplodia malorum, Diplodia olivarum, Diplodia seriata, Diplodia pseudoseriata/Diplodia alatafructa, Diplodia sp., Dothiorella sarmentorum, Neofusicoccum mediterraneum, N. parvum, Spencermartinsia plurivora and S. viticola. In addition, Diplodia eriobotryicola and Dothiorella eriobotryae are newly described. The most frequent species isolated from cankers was D. seriata and, as far as is known, this is the first report of D. malorum, and species belonging to the complex D. pseudoseriata/D. alatafructa, in Spain. All species were pathogenic to 1‐year‐old loquat plants cv. Algerie, with Diplodia sp. and S. viticola as the most virulent.
Population‐Attributable Risk of Risk Factors for Recurrent Wheezing in Moderate Preterm Infants During the First Year of Life
Authors: Blanken Maarten O. , Korsten Koos , Achten Niek B. , Tamminga Saskia , Nibbelke Elisabeth E. , Sanders Elisabeth A.M. , Smit Henriette A. , Groenwold Rolf H.H. , Bont Louis ,   the Dutch RSV Neonatal Network
Published: May 2016

Background

Recurrent wheezing in young infants has a high prevalence, influences quality of life, and generates substantial health care costs. We previously showed that respiratory syncytial virus infection is an important mechanism of recurrent wheezing in moderate preterm infants. We aimed to provide population‐attributable risks (PAR) of risk factors for recurrent wheezing during the first year of life in otherwise healthy moderate preterm infants.

Methods

RISK is a multicentre prospective birth cohort study of 4424 moderate preterm infants born at 32–35 weeks gestation. We estimated PAR of risk factors for recurrent wheezing, which was defined as three or more parent‐reported wheezing episodes during the first year of life.

Results

We evaluated 3952 (89%) children at 1 year of age, of whom 705 infants (18%) developed recurrent wheezing. Fourteen variables were independently associated with recurrent wheezing. Hospitalisation for respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis had a strong relationship with recurrent wheezing (RR 2.6; 95% confidence interval, CI, 2.2, 3.1), but a relative modest PAR (8%; 95% CI 6, 11%) which can be explained by a low prevalence (13%). Day‐care attendance showed a strong relationship with recurrent wheezing (RR 1.9; 95% CI 1.7, 2.2) and the highest PAR (32%; 95% CI 23, 37%) due to a high prevalence (67%). The combined adjusted PAR for the 14 risk factors associated with recurrent wheezing was 49% (95% CI 46, 52%).

Conclusions

In moderate preterm infants, day‐care attendance has the largest PAR for recurrent wheezing. Trial evidence is needed to determine the potential benefit of delayed day‐care attendance in this population.
Can Elected Minority Representatives Affect Health Worker Visits? Evidence from India
Authors: Kaletski Elizabeth , Prakash Nishith
Published: May 2016

This paper examines the relationship between elected minority representatives, i.e. Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) and health worker visits in rural India. We estimate the effect of minority representation on the frequency of visits to villages by health workers by exploiting the state variation in the share of seats reserved for the two minority groups in state legislative assemblies mandated by the Constitution of India. Using data from state and village level surveys on 15 major Indian states, we find that ST representatives increase the frequency of visits by both doctors and mobile medical units. In contrast, SC representatives have a tendency to decrease the frequency of visits by mobile medical units. Potential explanations for the differential impact of SC and ST representatives are also explored, including geographic isolation, support for the Congress Party, a shift in power, and relative population shares.
Small Area Forecasts of Cause-Specific Mortality: Application of a Bayesian Hierarchical Model to US Vital Registration Data
Authors: Foreman Kyle J. , Li Guangquan , Best Nicky , Ezzati Majid
Published: May 2016

Mortality forecasts are typically limited in that they pertain only to national death rates, predict only all-cause mortality or do not capture and utilize the correlation between diseases. We present a novel Bayesian hierarchical model that jointly forecasts cause-specific death rates for geographic subunits. We examine its effectiveness by applying it to US vital statistics data for 1979–2011 and produce forecasts to 2024. Not only does the model generate coherent forecasts for mutually exclusive causes of death, but also it has lower out-of-sample error than alternative commonly used models for forecasting mortality.
Emerging Patterns of Hispanic Residential Segregation: Lessons from Rural and Small‐Town America
Authors: Lichter Daniel T. , Parisi Domenico , Taquino Michael C.
Published: May 2016

The past two decades have ushered in a period of widespread spatial diffusion of Hispanics well beyond traditional metropolitan gateways. This article examines emerging patterns of racial and ethnic residential segregation in new Hispanic destinations over the 1990–2010 period, linking county, place, and block data from the 1990, 2000, and 2010 decennial censuses. Our multiscalar analyses of segregation are framed by classical models of immigrant assimilation and alternative models of place stratification. We ask whether Hispanics are integrating spatially with the native population and whether recent demographic and economic processes have eroded or perpetuated racial boundaries in nonmetropolitan areas. We show that Hispanic residential segregation from whites is often exceptionally high and declining slowly in rural counties and communities. New Hispanic destinations, on average, have higher Hispanic segregation levels than established gateway communities. The results also highlight microscale segregation patterns within rural places and in the open countryside (i.e., outside places), a result that is consistent with emerging patterns of “white flight.” Observed estimates of Hispanic‐white segregation across fast‐growing nonmetropolitan counties often hide substantial heterogeneity in residential segregation. Divergent patterns of rural segregation reflect local‐area differences in population dynamics, economic inequality, and the county employment base (using Economic Research Service functional specialization codes). Illustrative maps of Hispanic boom counties highlight spatially uneven patterns of racial diversity. They also provide an empirical basis for our multivariate analyses, which show that divergent patterns of local‐area segregation often reflect spatial variation in employment across different industrial sectors.