bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The value of peer support for self‐management of diabetes among veterans in the Empowering Patients In Chronic care intervention
Authors: Arney J. B. , Odom E. , Brown C. , Jones L. , Kamdar N. , Kiefer L. , Hundt N. , Gordon H. S. , Naik A. D. , Woodard L. D.
Published: December 2019

Aim

To examine the value of peer support in the self‐management of diabetes among veterans in an integrated health care system.

Methods

We conducted semi‐structured in‐depth interviews with veterans and clinicians 6 months after their participation in Empowering Patients in Chronic Care (EPIC), a group‐based diabetes intervention with a peer‐support component. Interviews elicited clinicians' narratives of how peer support unfolded in the groups and veterans' experiences of giving and receiving support from their peers. Data analysis was guided by principles of framework analysis using Heisler's peer‐support model.

Results

Findings support Heisler's peer‐support model and provide evidence supporting professional‐led group visits with peer exchange. Clinicians and veterans endorsed informational and emotional support received in EPIC groups. Clinicians often referred to EPIC as an open forum or a support group where veterans could both give and receive help. Veterans noted the benefits of shared problem‐solving and the support they received. Clinicians and veterans perceived the peer‐support component of EPIC as facilitating increased empowerment in terms of self‐efficacy, increased perceived social support and increased understanding of self‐care. Ultimately, many veterans acknowledged that their participation in EPIC facilitated improved health‐related quality of life, improved health behaviours and improved chronic disease control.

Conclusions

Findings emphasize the value of peer support in managing chronic illness. Peer‐support programmes may address veterans' unique challenges and have the potential to improve physical and mental health.
Epipericardial fat necrosis as a differential diagnosis of chest pain—A case report
Authors: Neto Ana , Seabra Daniel , Moreno Nuno , Magalhães Sara , Pires Lindora , Pinto Paula
Published: December 2019

Epipericardial fat necrosis (EFN) is an uncommon self‐limiting benign condition that can present with substantial chest pain. We present a case of an otherwise healthy 42‐year‐old man who presented with severe chest pain in the emergency department. Initial cardiopulmonary workup was unrevealing. Contrast‐enhanced thorax CT demonstrated an increased radiolucency and nodularity of anterior pericardial fat consistent with epipericardial fat necrosis. The transthoracic echocardiogram was normal, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging confirmed the lesion. Combined anti‐inflammatory therapy was started with favorable evolution.
A continental measure of urbanness predicts avian response to local urbanization
Authors: Callaghan Corey T. , Major Richard E. , Cornwell William K. , Poore Alistair G. B. , Wilshire John H. , Lyons Mitchell B.
Published: December 2019

Understanding species‐specific relationships with their environment is essential for ecology, biogeography and conservation biology. Moreover, understanding how these relationships change with spatial scale is critical to mitigating potential threats to biodiversity. But methods which measure inter‐specific variation in response to environmental parameters that are also generalizable across multiple spatial scales are scarce. We used broad‐scale avian citizen science data, over continental Australia, integrated with remotely‐sensed products, to produce a measure of urban‐tolerance for a given species at a continental‐scale. We then compared these urban‐tolerances to modelled responses to urbanization at a local‐scale, based on systematic sampling within four small cities. For 49 species which had sufficient data for modelling, we found a significant relationship (R2 = 0.51) between continental‐scale urbanness and local‐scale urbanness. We also found that relatively few citizen science observations (~250) are necessary for reliable estimates of continental‐scale species‐specific urban scores to predict local‐scale response to urbanization. Our approach demonstrates the applicability of broad‐scale citizen science data, contrasting both the spatial grain and extent of standard point‐count surveys generally only conducted at small spatial scales. Continental‐scale responses in Australia are representative of small‐scale responses to urbanization among four small cities in Australia, suggesting that our method of producing species‐specific urban scores is robust and may be generalized to other locations lacking appropriate data.
Strategies of the beetle Oochrotus unicolor (Tenebrionidae) thriving in the waste dumps of seed‐harvesting Messor ants (Formicidae)
Authors: Parmentier Thomas , Gaju‐Ricart Miquel , Wenseleers Tom , Molero‐Baltanás Rafael
Published: December 2019

1. A diverse group of arthropods have adapted to the niches found inside the nests of social insects. Studies mostly focused on very specialised parasites residing in the brood chambers. However, the biology and strategies of symbionts occupying other niches, such as waste dumps, are underexplored.

2. Using a series of complementary experiments, this study demonstrated that the Mediterranean beetle Oochrotus unicolor has adapted to the waste dump niche found in the nests of Messor harvester ants.

3. Laboratory experiments confirmed field observations that the beetle preferentially resided in the refuse pits. Next, it was shown that the beetles readily consumed seeds and flour, whereas other food sources were poorly accepted and ant brood was never even eaten. The beetles did not elicit a strong aggression response in Messor ants, and they could tolerate very high densities of workers without clear costs. The beetles modestly mimicked the nest recognition cues of their Messor host. This imperfect mimicry could promote the adoption of the beetle in the ant colony, in concert with mechanical defence generated by its tank‐like body. Isolation of the beetle from its host did not significantly affect the beetle's chemical cuticular profile nor did it provoke elevated ant aggression, indicating that the beetle does not acquire the chemicals passively from its host.

4. This paper discusses the fact that waste dumps in social insect nests are hotspots for arthropod symbionts. It shows that symbionts in this niche may employ behavioural, trophic and chemical strategies that are different from those found in other niches of social insect nests.
Locke on the role of judgment in perception
Authors: Ott Walter
Published: December 2019

How much is given in perceptual experience, and how much must be constructed? John Locke's answer to this question contains two prima facie incompatible strands. On the one hand, he claims that ideas of primary qualities come to us passively, through multiple senses: the idea of a sphere can be received either by sight or touch. On the other hand, Locke seemingly thinks that a faculty he calls “judgment” is needed to create visual ideas of three‐dimensional shapes. How can these accounts be made consistent? The problem comes to a head in the discussion of Molyneux's problem: can a person born blind and then made to see identify a sphere and a cube, when he had only touched them in the past? Locke's answer is no, but, as George Berkeley points out, it is hard to see why: if the ideas of shapes come to us through sight as well as touch, nothing should stop Molyneux man from instantly recognizing sphere and cube. Pace much of the existing literature, I argue that although Locke does think we receive visual ideas of primary qualities, the faculty of judgment is required to “inflate” those ideas into three dimensions and to correct for other perspectival distortions. I then show how this answer is consistent with the rest of his theory of perception.
Hippocampal profiling: Localized magnetic resonance imaging volumetry and T2 relaxometry for hippocampal sclerosis
Authors: Vos Sjoerd B. , Winston Gavin P. , Goodkin Olivia , Pemberton Hugh G. , Barkhof Frederik , Prados Ferran , Galovic Marian , Koepp Matthias , Ourselin Sebastien , Cardoso M. Jorge , Duncan John S.
Published: December 2019

Objective

Hippocampal sclerosis (HS) is the most common cause of drug‐resistant temporal lobe epilepsy, and its accurate detection is important to guide epilepsy surgery. Radiological features of HS include hippocampal volume loss and increased T2 signal, which can both be quantified to help improve detection. In this work, we extend these quantitative methods to generate cross‐sectional area and T2 profiles along the hippocampal long axis to improve the localization of hippocampal abnormalities.

Methods

T1‐weighted and T2 relaxometry data from 69 HS patients (32 left, 32 right, 5 bilateral) and 111 healthy controls were acquired on a 3‐T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. Automated hippocampal segmentation and T2 relaxometry were performed and used to calculate whole‐hippocampal volumes and to estimate quantitative T2 (qT2) values. By generating a group template from the controls, and aligning this so that the hippocampal long axes were along the anterior‐posterior axis, we were able to calculate hippocampal cross‐sectional area and qT2 by a slicewise method to localize any volume loss or T2 hyperintensity. Individual patient profiles were compared with normative data generated from the healthy controls.

Results

Profiling of hippocampal volumetric and qT2 data could be performed automatically and reproducibly. HS patients commonly showed widespread decreases in volume and increases in T2 along the length of the affected hippocampus, and focal changes may also be identified. Patterns of atrophy and T2 increase in the left hippocampus were similar between left, right, and bilateral HS. These profiles have potential to distinguish between sclerosis affecting volume and qT2 in the whole or parts of the hippocampus, and may aid the radiological diagnosis in uncertain cases or cases with subtle or focal abnormalities where standard whole‐hippocampal measurements yield normal values.

Significance

Hippocampal profiling of volumetry and qT2 values can help spatially localize hippocampal MRI abnormalities and work toward improved sensitivity of subtle focal lesions.
Expressive Writing and Marital Satisfaction: A Writing Sample Analysis
Authors: Allgood Scot M. , Seedall Ryan B. , Williams Rachel B.
Published: December 2019

Objective

To examine the relationship between marital satisfaction and two linguistic elements in the context of writing: use of personal pronouns and affective language.

Background

Expressive writing (EW) is an effective way of identifying and processing thoughts and emotions. It also promotes individual, physical, and psychological health. However, much less literature has examined the relationship between EW and relationship health.

Method

We used the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC2007) to examine the writing of 78 married, heterosexual couples who were instructed to write freely on a topic they felt strongly about in their relationship. Multilevel modeling within SPSS was used to examine our research questions.

Results

Findings suggest a relationship between marital satisfaction and use of (a) first‐person plural pronouns (we, us, our, ours), (b) positive affective language, and (c) linguistic indicators of anger when writing about one's relationship.

Conclusion

The results provide further impetus for examining relationship processes within an EW framework and, in particular, for examining the merits of EW as a potential intervention for couples.

Implications

Findings suggest that expressive writing may be a potentially important indicator of mutuality (we‐ness), the ability to up‐regulate positive emotion, and negative affective processes (i.e., anger).
Dysphagia is associated with oral, physical, cognitive and psychological frailty in Japanese community‐dwelling elderly persons
Authors: Nishida Takahiro , Yamabe Kazumi , Honda Sumihisa
Published: December 2019

Objective

To investigate which domains of frailty are associated with dysphagia in community‐dwelling elderly persons.

Background

Dysphagia is a common cause of aspiration pneumonia in frail elderly persons in Japan. Although frailty is considered to be multidimensional, it is unclear which domains of frailty affect dysphagia.

Methods

The participants were 3475 independent Japanese elderly persons (≥65 years; 1555 men and 1920 women). A self‐report questionnaire with a frailty checklist consisting of several domains (lifestyle, physical function, nutrition, oral function, homebound status, cognitive function and depressive mood) was used to determine the participants’ characteristics. Dysphagia was defined as impaired swallowing in the oral function domain. To determine the associations between dysphagia and age, sex and the other domains on the frailty checklist, adjusted odds ratios (AORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated using multiple logistic regression analysis.

Results

The multiple logistic regression analysis showed that dysphagia was independently associated with female sex (AOR = 1.35; 95% CI = 1.08‐1.68), chewing ability (AOR = 1.70; 95% CI = 1.32‐2.18), oral dryness (AOR = 1.94; 95% CI = 1.48‐2.54), physical function (AOR = 2.19; 95% CI = 1.66‐2.90), cognitive function (AOR = 1.68; 95% CI = 1.34‐2.12) and depressive mood (AOR = 1.82; 95% CI = 1.41‐2.35).

Conclusion

Dysphagia was independently associated with oral, physical, cognitive and psychological frailty. These results suggest that frailty prevention strategy including swallowing training might be useful for community‐dwelling independent elderly persons aged ≥65 years.
Comparative analysis of programmed cell death ligand 1 assays in renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Lee Kyu Sang , Choe Gheeyoung , Yun Sumi , Lee Kyoungyul , Moon Seyoung , Lee Sangchul , Hong Sung Kyu , Byun Seok‐Soo , Lee Sang Eun
Published: December 2019

Aims

The importance of programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD‐L1) expression has emerged in clinical trials of PD‐L1 target therapy in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). This study compares PD‐L1 assays in RCC.

Methods and results

Two US Food and Drug Administration‐approved PD‐L1 assays (22C3 and SP142) and one research‐use only antibody (E1L3N) were used in a retrospective cohort of 591 patients with RCC. PD‐L1 positivity on tumour cells (TCs) and immune cells (ICs) and combined positive score (CPS) were evaluated. With the 22C3, SP142 and E1L3N assays, positive PD‐L1 expression on TCs ≥1% was observed in 24 (4.1%), 12 (2.0%) and 16 (2.7%) cases and on ICs ≥1% was observed in 132 (22.3%), 120 (20.3%) and 65 (11.0%) cases, respectively. PD‐L1 expression scores among the three assays showed moderate–high positive correlation (ρ = 0.599–0.835, P < 0.001). Assays appeared similar, although staining in ICs was comparatively less frequent with E1L3N. 22C3 showed frequent positivity in TCs. PD‐L1 expression on TCs was associated with papillary type 2 RCC (P < 0.001). IC infiltration and PD‐L1 expression on ICs were predominantly found in clear cell and papillary type 1 RCC (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Programmed death 1 (PD‐1)/PD‐L1 target therapy may be beneficial for patients with papillary type 2 RCC, even if they are categorised as a heterogeneous group. PD‐L1 assays should be carefully selected, and accurate histological subtyping of RCC is needed prior to decisions on PD‐L1 testing, because of the different PD‐L1 expression observed among varying RCC subtypes.
No‐arbitrage matrices of exchange rates: Some characterizations
Authors: Maldonado Wilfredo L. , Egozcue Juan José , Pawlowsky‐Glahn Vera
Published: December 2019

We provide some characterizations of the absence of triangular arbitrage in the spot exchange rates of a group of countries. When the matrix of exchange rates of the group does not fulfill the conditions given in those characterizations, we provide a measure of distance to the space of matrices of exchange rates that are triangular arbitrage‐free. Using this distance, we compute the closest no‐arbitrage matrix of exchange rates of the group. We apply the methodology developed to the exchange rates between the currencies of Brazil (real), European Union (euro), Great Britain (pound sterling), and USA (dollar) to analyze the possibility of triangular arbitrage in those foreign exchange markets.
Pancreatic stellate cells in the islets as a novel target to preserve the pancreatic β‐cell mass and function
Authors: Yang Yeoree , Kim Ji‐Won , Park Heon‐Seok , Lee Eun‐Young , Yoon Kun‐Ho
Published: December 2019

There are numerous lines of clinical evidence that inhibition of the renin–angiotensin system (RAS) can prevent and delay the development of diabetes. Also, the role of RAS in the pathogenesis of diabetes, including insulin resistance and β‐cell dysfunction, has been extensively investigated. Nevertheless, this role had not yet been fully shown. A variety of possible protective mechanisms for RAS blockers in the regulation of glucose homeostasis have been suggested. However, the direct effect on pancreatic islet fibrosis has only recently been spotlighted. Various degrees of islet fibrosis are often observed in the islets of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, which can be associated with a decrease in β‐cell mass and function in these patients. Pancreatic stellate cells are thought to be deeply involved in this islet fibrosis. In this process, the activation of RAS in islets is shown to transform quiescent pancreatic stellate cells into the activated form, stimulates their proliferation and consequently leads to islet fibrotic destruction. In this article, we introduce existing clinical and experimental evidence for diabetes prevention through inhibition of RAS, and review the responsible local RAS signaling pathways in pancreatic stellate cells. Finally, we propose possible targets for the prevention of islet fibrosis.
Up‐regulation of astrocyte excitatory amino acid transporter 2 alleviates central sensitization in a rat model of chronic migraine
Authors: Zhou Xue , Liang Jie , Wang Jiang , Fei Zhaoyang , Qin Guangcheng , Zhang Dunke , Zhou Jiying , Chen Lixue
Published: December 2019

Central sensitization is the potential pathogenesis of chronic migraine (CM) and is related to persistent neuronal hyperexcitability. Dysfunction of excitatory amino acid transporter 2 (EAAT2) leads to the accumulation of glutamate in the synaptic cleft, which may contribute to central sensitization by overactivating glutamate N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptors and enhancing synaptic plasticity. However, the therapeutic potential of CM by targeting glutamate clearance remains largely unexplored. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of EAAT2 in CM central sensitization and explore the effect of EAAT2 expression enhancer LDN‐212320 in CM rats. The glutamate concentration was measured by high‐performance liquid chromatography in a rat model of CM. Then, q‐PCR and western blots were performed to detect EAAT2 expression, and the immunoreactivity of astrocytes was detected by immunofluorescence staining. To understand the effect of EAAT2 on central sensitization of CM, mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia and central sensitization‐associated proteins were examined after administration of LDN‐212320. In addition, the expression of synaptic‐associated proteins was examined and Golgi‐Cox staining was used to observe the dendritic spine density of trigeminal nucleus caudalis neurons. Also, the synaptic ultrastructure was observed by transmission electron microscope (TEM) to explore the changes of synaptic plasticity. In our study, elevated glutamate concentration and decreased EAAT2 expression were found in the trigeminal nucleus caudalis of CM rats, administration of LDN‐212320 greatly up‐regulated the protein expression of EAAT2, alleviated hyperalgesia, decreased the concentration of glutamate and the activation of astrocytes. Furthermore, reductions in calcitonin gene‐related peptide, substance P(SP), and phosphorylated NR2B were examined after administration of LDN‐212320. Moreover evaluation of the synaptic structure, synaptic plasticity‐, and central sensitization‐related proteins indicated that EAAT2 might participate in the CM central sensitization process by regulating synaptic plasticity. Taken together, up‐regulation of EAAT2 expression has a protective effect in CM rats, and LDN‐212320 may have clinical therapeutic potential.

image

Cover Image for this issue: https://doi.org/10.1111/jnc.14769.
Soluble Aβ oligomers and protofibrils induce NLRP3 inflammasome activation in microglia
Authors: Lučiūnaitė Asta , McManus Róisín M. , Jankunec Marija , Rácz Ildikó , Dansokho Cira , Dalgėdienė Indrė , Schwartz Stephanie , Brosseron Frederic , Heneka Michael T.
Published: December 2019

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder causing memory loss, language problems and behavioural disturbances. AD is associated with the accumulation of fibrillar amyloid‐β (Aβ) and the formation of neurofibrillary tau tangles. Fibrillar Aβ itself represents a danger‐associated molecular pattern, which is recognized by specific microglial receptors. One of the key players is formation of the NOD‐, LRR‐ and pyrin domain‐containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, whose activation has been demonstrated in AD patient brains and transgenic animal models of AD. Here, we investigated whether Aβ oligomers or protofibrils that represent lower molecular aggregates prior to Aβ deposition are able to activate the NLRP3 inflammasome and subsequent interleukin‐1 beta (IL‐1β) release by microglia. In our study, we used Aβ preparations of different sizes: small oligomers and protofibrils of which the structure was confirmed by atomic force microscopy. Primary microglial cells from C57BL/6 mice were treated with the respective Aβ preparations and NLRP3 inflammasome activation, represented by caspase‐1 cleavage, IL‐1β production, and apoptosis‐associated speck‐like protein containing a CARD speck formation was analysed. Both protofibrils and low molecular weight Aβ aggregates induced a significant increase in IL‐1β release. Inflammasome activation was confirmed by apoptosis‐associated speck‐like protein containing a CARD speck formation and detection of active caspase‐1. The NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitor MCC950 completely inhibited the Aβ‐induced immune response. Our results show that the NLRP3 inflammasome is activated not only by fibrillar Aβ aggregates as reported before, but also by lower molecular weight Aβ oligomers and protofibrils, highlighting the possibility that microglial activation by these Aβ species may initiate innate immune responses in the central nervous system prior to the onset of Aβ deposition.

image

Cover Image for this issue: https://doi.org/10.1111/jnc.14773.
Optogenetic stimulation of kisspeptin neurones within the posterodorsal medial amygdala increases luteinising hormone pulse frequency in female mice
Authors: Lass Geffen , Li Xiao Feng , de Burgh Ross A. , He Wen , Kang Yanping , Hwa‐Yeo Shel , Sinnett‐Smith Lydia C. , Manchishi Stephen M. , Colledge William H. , Lightman Stafford Louis , O'Byrne Kevin T.
Published: December 2019

Kisspeptin within the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus is a critical neuropeptide in the regulation of reproduction. Together with neurokinin B and dynorphin A, arcuate kisspeptin provides the oscillatory activity that drives the pulsatile secretion of gonadotrophin‐releasing hormone (GnRH), and therefore luteinising hormone (LH) pulses, and is considered to be a central component of the GnRH pulse generator. It is well established that the amygdala also exerts an influence over gonadotrophic hormone secretion and reproductive physiology. The discovery of kisspeptin and its receptor within the posterodorsal medial amygdala (MePD) and our recent finding showing that intra‐MePD administration of kisspeptin or a kisspeptin receptor antagonist results in increased LH secretion and decreased LH pulse frequency, respectively, suggests an important role for amygdala kisspeptin signalling in the regulation of the GnRH pulse generator. To further investigate the function of amygdala kisspeptin, the present study used an optogenetic approach to selectively stimulate MePD kisspeptin neurones and examine the effect on pulsatile LH secretion. MePD kisspeptin neurones in conscious Kiss1‐Cre mice were virally infected to express the channelrhodopsin 2 protein and selectively stimulated by light via a chronically implanted fibre optic cannula. Continuous stimulation using 5 Hz resulted in an increased LH pulse frequency, which was not observed at the lower stimulation frequencies of 0.5 and 2 Hz. In wild‐type animals, continuous stimulation at 5 Hz did not affect LH pulse frequency. These results demonstrate that selective activation of MePD Kiss1 neurones can modulate hypothalamic GnRH pulse generator frequency.
Bordetella bronchiseptica experimental model development in pigs and efficacy evaluation of a single intramuscular injection of gamithromycin (Zactran® for Swine) against Bordetella bronchiseptica‐associated respiratory disease in experimentally infected piglets
Authors: Gupta Aradhana , Cortes‐Dubly Marie‐Laure , Buellet Prescillia , Richard‐Mazet Alexandra , Merdy Olivier , Targa Norba L. , Dumont Pascal
Published: December 2019

In the Bordetella bronchiseptica infection model development study, twenty‐eight piglets were inoculated with B. bronchiseptica strain of either canine (109 CFU/ml) or swine (108 and 109 CFU/ml) origin; swine origin strain at 109 CFU/ml was chosen for the efficacy assessment study due to higher incidence and severity of gross and histopathological lesions compared with other strains. To assess efficacy of gamithromycin against B. bronchiseptica, forty piglets were experimentally inoculated on Day 0 and clinical signs were scored as per severity. Animals were then treated either with gamithromycin or saline on Day 3. The Global Clinical Scores in gamithromycin‐treated group were consistently lower than the saline‐treated control group from Day 4 onwards and were 0 and 40 in the gamithromycin‐treated and saline‐treated control groups, respectively, on Day 6. Severity and frequency of gross and histopathological observations were significantly lower in gamithromycin‐treated animals compared with saline‐treated controls. The efficacy of Zactran® for Swine at the label dose for the treatment of B. bronchiseptica–associated respiratory disease was demonstrated based on the faster reduction in clinical signs as early as 1 day post‐gamithromycin treatment and based on the significant difference in the severity of macroscopic and microscopic lung lesions 10 days post‐gamithromycin treatment.
Statistical learning abilities and their relation to language
Authors: Siegelman Noam
Published: December 2019

Numerous studies on statistical learning (SL) have demonstrated humans' sensitivity to complex statistical properties in their sensory environment. These observations have had a profound impact on the study of language, highlighting statistical aspects of the linguistic input that can be learned from experience, leading to the widespread claim that SL plays a key role in language acquisition and processing. But how can this theorized link be experimentally demonstrated? One increasingly popular avenue comes from studies of individual differences, which tie individual variability in SL to variance in linguistic behavior. This review presents the theoretical advances stemming from this line of research, as well as some of the challenges it currently faces. It contends that while previous studies had an important role in establishing the existence of some coarse‐grained link between SL and language, recent developments in SL research suggest that the exact nature of this relationship is more complex than originally conceived and is still far from being fully understood. I specifically discuss three outstanding challenges: (a) understanding individual differences in light of the componential nature of SL, (b) mapping the full array of SL processes given the complexity of real‐world statistics, and (c) estimating the strength of current empirical evidence while taking into account both positive and null findings. Confronting these issues, I argue, is a necessary step towards a full theory of the role of SL across language.
Situational judgement tests for selection: Traditional vs construct‐driven approaches
Authors: Tiffin Paul A. , Paton Lewis W. , O'Mara Deborah , MacCann Carolyn , Lang Jonas W. B. , Lievens Filip
Published: December 2019

Context

Historically, situational judgement tests (SJTs) have been widely used for personnel selection. Their use in medical selection in Europe is growing, with plans for further expansion into North America and Australasia, in an attempt to measure and select on ‘non‐academic’ personal attributes. However, there is a lack of clarity regarding what such tests actually measure and how they should be designed, scored and implemented within the medical and health education selection process. In particular, the theoretical basis from which such tests are developed will determine the scoring options available, influencing their psychometric properties and, ultimately, their validity.

Methods

The aim of this article is to create an awareness of the previous theory and practice that has informed SJT development. We describe the emerging interest in the use of the SJT format to measure specific constructs (eg ‘resilience’, ‘dependability’, etc.), drawing on the tradition of ‘individual differences’ psychology. We compare and contrast this newer ‘construct‐driven’ method with the traditional, pragmatic approach to SJT creation, often employed by organisational psychologists. Making reference to measurement theory, we highlight how the anticipated psychometric properties of traditional vs construct‐driven SJTs are likely to differ.

Conclusions

Compared to traditional SJTs, construct‐driven SJTs have a strong theoretical basis, are uni‐ rather than multidimensional, and may behave more like personality self‐report instruments. Emerging evidence also suggests that construct‐driven SJTs have comparable predictive validity for workplace performance, although they may be more prone to ‘faking’ effects. It is possible that construct‐driven approaches prove more appropriate at early stages of medical selection, where candidates have little or no health care work experience. Conversely, traditional SJTs may be more suitable for specialty recruitment, where a range of hypothetical workplace scenarios can be sampled in assessments.
Approaching culture in medical education: Three perspectives
Authors: Watling Christopher J. , Ajjawi Rola , Bearman Margaret
Published: December 2019

Background

The notion of culture is increasingly invoked in the medical education literature as a key influence on how educational strategies unfold, and culture change is frequently identified as a necessary precursor to progress. A meaningful perspective on what culture means is often missing from these discussions, however. Without a theoretically grounded notion of culture, calls for culture change are challenging to interpret and to act upon.

Objective

In this cross‐cutting edge paper, we explore how culture has been defined and theorised using three lenses: the organisational perspective; the identity perspective, and the practice perspective. We consider what each perspective might offer to medical education researchers.

Results

Each of these perspectives draws on a range of disciplinary influences, and none represents a singular theory of culture. Broadly, the organisational perspective directs our attention to the shared assumptions and values that bind individuals within an organisation. It tends to view culture through a strategic lens; culture may be either a barrier to or a facilitator of the changes that are inevitably required of an organisation if it is to maintain its relevance. The identity perspective, particularly the notion of figured worlds, alerts us to the power of communal narratives to shape how individuals see themselves within particular cultural worlds. The practice perspective emphasises what actually occurs in practice, avoiding symbolic ideas about culture and shared values and instead privileging activity and human‐material networks or arrangements.

Conclusions

These diverse perspectives share a common thread— they shift our research gaze beyond the individual, allowing us instead to see how those individuals form organisations, inhabit cultural worlds and constitute practices. They afford substance and direction for explorations of culture, and thus offer the promise of a more nuanced understanding of some of medical education's most challenging problems.
Cell wall‐anchored 5′‐nucleotidases in Gram‐positive cocci
Authors: Soh Kar Yan , Loh Jacelyn M. S. , Proft Thomas
Published: December 2019

5′‐nucleotidases (5′‐NTs) are enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of nucleoside monophosphates to produce nucleosides and phosphate. Since the identification of adenosine synthase A (AdsA) in Staphylococcus aureus in 2009, several other 5′‐NTs have been discovered in Gram‐positive cocci, mainly in streptococci. Despite some differences in substrate specificity, pH range and metal ion requirements, all characterized 5′‐NTs use AMP and ADP, and in some cases ATP, to produce the immunosuppressive adenosine, which dampens pro‐inflammatory immune responses. Several 5′‐NTs are also able to use dAMP as substrate to generate deoxy‐adenosine which is cytotoxic for macrophages. A synergy between 5′‐NTs and exonucleases which are commonly expressed in Gram‐positive cocci has been described, where the nucleases provide dAMP as a cleavage product from DNA. Some of these nucleases produce dAMP by degrading the DNA backbone of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) resulting in a “double hit” strategy of immune evasion. This Micro Review provides an overview of the biochemical properties of Gram‐positive cell wall‐anchored 5′‐NTs and their role as virulence factors. A potential use of 5′‐NTs for vaccine development is also briefly discussed.
Molecular evidence for the adaptive evolution of Geobacter sulfurreducens to perform dissimilatory iron reduction in natural environments
Authors: Liu Xing , Ye Yin , Xiao Ke , Rensing Christopher , Zhou Shungui
Published: December 2019

The electrically conductive pili (e‐pili) of Geobacter species enable extracellular electron transfer to insoluble metallic minerals, electrodes and other microbial species, which confers biogeochemical significance and global prevalence on Geobacter in diverse anaerobic environments. E‐pili are constructed by truncated PilA which is considered to have evolved from full‐length pilin by gene fission under positive evolutionary selection. However, this hypothesis is based on phylogenetic analysis and has not yet been experimentally confirmed. Here, we reconstructed an ancestral strain of G. sulfurreducens (designated COMB) carrying full‐length PilA by combining genes GSU1496 and GSU1497. The results demonstrated that strain COMB expressed and assembled the full‐length fused PilA and exhibited an outer membrane c‐type cytochrome profile similar to the wild‐type strain. Surprisingly, the generated COMB‐pili were also conductive, indicating the evolution of truncated PilA did not occur for conductivity. Moreover, strain COMB minimally reduced Fe(III) oxides but maintained its ability to respire electrodes, demonstrating the truncation of pilin enables iron respiration. This study provides the first experimental evidence that the truncation of pilin in Geobacter species confers adaption to Fe(III)‐mineral‐mediated selective pressures, and suggests an evolutionary event during which the separation of the GSU1497 gene helped Geobacter survive and thrive in natural environments.
Seasonal variation in Arctic marine mammal acoustic detection in the northern Bering Sea
Authors: Chou Emily , Antunes Ricardo , Sardelis Stephanie , Stafford Kathleen M. , West Leigh , Spagnoli Christopher , Southall Brandon L. , Robards Martin , Rosenbaum Howard C.
Published: December 2019

Declines in Arctic sea ice cover are influencing the distribution of protected endemic marine mammals, many of which are important for local Indigenous Peoples, and increasing the presence of potentially disruptive industrial activities. Due to increasing conservation concerns, we conducted the first year‐round acoustic monitoring of waters off Gambell and Savoonga (St. Lawrence Island, Alaska), and in the Bering Strait to quantify vocalizing presence of bowhead whales, belugas, walruses, bearded seals, and ribbon seals. Bottom‐mounted archival acoustic recorders collected data for up to 10 months per deployment between 2012 and 2016. Spectrograms were analyzed for species‐typical vocalizations, and daily detection rates and presence/absence were calculated. Generalized additive models were used to model call presence as a function of time‐of‐year, sea surface temperature, and sea ice concentration. We identified seasonality in call presence for all species, corroborating previous acoustic and distribution studies, and identified finer‐scale spatiotemporal distribution via occurrence of call presence between different monitoring sites. Time‐of‐year was the strongest significant effect on call presence for all species. These data provide important information on Arctic endemic species' spatiotemporal distributions in biologically and culturally important areas within a rapidly changing Arctic region.
Disentangling the effects of environment and ontogeny on tree functional dimensions for congeneric species in tropical forests
Authors: Fortunel Claire , Stahl Clément , Heuret Patrick , Nicolini Eric , Baraloto Christopher
Published: December 2019

Soil water and nutrient availability are key drivers of tree species distribution and forest ecosystem functioning, with strong species differences in water and nutrient use. Despite growing evidence for intraspecific trait differences, it remains unclear under which circumstances the effects of environmental gradients trump those of ontogeny and taxonomy on important functional dimensions related to resource use, particularly in tropical forests.

Here, we explore how physiological, chemical, and morphological traits related to resource use vary between life stages in four species within the genus Micropholis that is widespread in lowland Amazonia. Specifically, we evaluate how environment, developmental stage, and taxonomy contribute to single‐trait variation and multidimensional functional strategies.

We find that environment, developmental stage, and taxonomy differentially contribute to functional dimensions. Habitats and seasons shape physiological and chemical traits related to water and nutrient use, whereas developmental stage and taxonomic identity impact morphological traits –especially those related to the leaf economics spectrum.

Our findings suggest that combining environment, ontogeny, and taxonomy allows for a better understanding of important functional dimensions in tropical trees and highlights the need for integrating tree physiological and chemical traits with classically used morphological traits to improve predictions of tropical forests’ responses to environmental change.
Natural history of trigeminal neuralgia—A hospital‐based retrospective study
Authors: Debta Priyanka , Sarode Gargi , Sarode Sachin , Gadbail Amol , Debta Fakir Mohan , Swain Santosh Kumar , Mishra Ekagrata , Sahu Mahesh Chandra
Published: December 2019

Objective

The objective of this study was to assess the natural history of trigeminal neuralgia (TN) and pretrigeminal neuralgia (PTN) in a hospital‐based sample using a retrospective and descriptive study design.

Methods

This study followed a retrospective study design, which yielded a sample size of 216 patients who were reclassified as per the new classification and diagnostic grading for practice and research proposed by the American Academy of Neurology. Based on an in‐depth analysis of patient history and the treatments administered, a possible state of PTN prior to TN development was determined.

Results

TN shows a female predilection with predominantly unilateral involvement. A total of 45.83% of patients had left‐side involvement with V3 primarily affected. Additionally, 11.11% of patients did not have any clinically apparent trigger zone, while 68.05% had a single trigger zone. Twenty‐one patients were found to have suspected PTN prior to TN. The time interval between PTN onset and TN development ranged from 6 months to 6 years. The PTN pain varied, and the clinical overlap between the site of PTN and the site of future TN was 100%.

Conclusion

An in‐depth patient history can serve as a reliable modality for TN diagnosis. PTN should be considered as a differential diagnosis for pain of orofacial origin because of its overlapping features with other painful conditions.
A perspective on stage‐structured mutualism and its community consequences
Authors: Nakazawa Takefumi
Published: December 2019

Ontogenetic variation is the most fundamental biological aspect of an organism, and stage‐structured (size‐structured) prey–predator relationships have increasingly been studied for better understanding food webs. However, little is known about stage‐structured mutualism and its community consequences (i.e. when and where it occurs and how it matters in community ecology). This article aims to argue that mutualism can be viewed as inherently stage‐structured while drawing research attention to the little‐studied issue. First, to conceptualize stage‐structured mutualism, I present possible community modules, such as inter‐stage partner sharing, ontogenetic antagonism–mutualism coupling and ontogenetic partner shift, which are mechanistically obtained due to the ontogenetic variation in associated costs and benefits. A synthesis of the literature across different mutualisms (e.g. pollination, seed dispersal, nutritional and defensive) demonstrates that mutualism is commonly stage‐structured, and those examples can be categorized into the different community modules conceptualized above. To integrate structural diversity and complexity, I present a general theoretical framework for describing community dynamics mediated by stage‐structured mutualism. It can provide testable hypotheses regarding how stage‐specific partners can affect each other through the life history of a shared host and how they jointly determine the lifetime fitness of the host. For the establishment of the ontogenetic perspective of mutualism, both empirical and theoretical efforts are needed to collect and incorporate individual‐level interaction data into community ecology theories, which will provide valuable insights not only into mutualism‐mediated community dynamics but also into biodiversity conservation and ecosystem management.
The cryptic impacts of invasion: functional homogenization of tropical ant communities by invasive fire ants
Authors: Wong Mark K. L. , Guénard Benoit , Lewis Owen T.
Published: December 2019

The diversity and distribution of traits in an ecological community shapes its responses to change and the ecosystem processes it modulates. This ‘functional diversity’, however, is not necessarily a direct outcome of taxonomic diversity. Invasions by exotic insects occur in ecosystems worldwide, but there is limited understanding of how they impact functional diversity. We present the first comprehensive trait‐based investigation of the impacts of an ant invasion, and the first incorporating intraspecific polymorphisms in species‐level functional diversity. The fire ant Solenopsis invicta is an invasive species with a global distribution. Focusing on invaded and uninvaded plots in tropical grasslands of Hong Kong, we investigated how the presence of S. invicta affects the diversity and distribution of ant species and traits within and across communities, the functional identities of communities, and functionally unique species. Using trait probability density functions, we built trait spaces for 29 different species, and scaled up these components to calculate functional diversity at community and landscape levels. We found that invasion had limited effects on species and functional richness but pronounced effects on functional composition. Specifically, invaded communities had fewer functionally‐unique individuals, and were characterized by species with narrower heads and bodies and shorter mandibles. Moreover, invaded communities showed substantially higher levels of functional redundancy (+56%) due to a clustering of trait values. Consequently, across the landscape, invaded communities displayed 23% less functional turnover than uninvaded communities despite showing comparable levels of taxonomic turnover – a result confirming theoretical predictions of the effects of high local functional redundancy. In sum, the presence of S. invicta alters the functional properties of multiple local communities selectively, resulting in functional homogenization across the landscape. The disparities between taxonomic and functional impacts of invasion highlight the need to consider how trait diversity across ecological scales shapes biodiversity and its responses to change.
Water restriction induces behavioral fight but impairs thermoregulation in a dry‐skinned ectotherm
Authors: Rozen‐Rechels David , Badiane Arnaud , Agostini Simon , Meylan Sandrine , Le Galliard Jean‐François
Published: December 2019

Behavioral fight responses to desiccation risk are important to predict the vulnerability of terrestrial animals to climate change and yet, they have received little attention so far. In terrestrial ectotherms, behavioral regulation of the water balance (i.e. hydroregulation) is likely to be plastic and may tradeoff with thermoregulation behavior because water loss rates are generally higher in warmer environments and body temperatures. When low water availability and heat stress cause physiological dehydration, we expect to highlight a shift to behavioral water‐conservation strategies including changes in activity patterns, micro‐habitat selection and thermoregulation strategies. Here, we compared the behavior of adult common lizards Zootoca vivipara in indoor arenas that either had a permanent access to water or underwent a one‐week long experimental water restriction. Water‐restricted lizards reduced their behavioral activity, selected more often cooler and wetter refuges during daytime, and performed less accurate thermoregulation than control lizards. The activity of water‐restricted gravid females shifted towards the cooler and wetter early hours of the day. In addition, they had lower body temperatures and preferred lower body temperatures at the end of the experiment (i.e. thermal depression). Water‐restricted lizards suffered from a mild physiological dehydration and had a lower mass change. Heat stress was simulated every second day, which led to a range of heat avoidance and water conservation strategies independent from water restriction. Altogether, these results confirm that chronic water restriction and dehydration induce responses towards water conservation that conflict with thermoregulation accuracy.