bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Does ownership structure affect the quality of auditor pair composition?
Authors: Alfraih Mishari M.
Published: May 2017

Purpose

This study examines the effects of institutional and government ownership on audit quality in Kuwait. Kuwait provides an interesting regulatory context as listed firms are legally required to appoint two external auditors from different auditing firms. This offers a unique opportunity to examine differentiation in demand for audit quality when there are three potential combinations of auditors: two non-Big 4, one Big 4 and one non-Big 4 and two Big 4.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample consists of all firms listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange in 2013. Multinomial logistic regression examines the influence of ownership structure on audit quality. Analyses are controlled for the effect of company characteristics. Control variables are: firm size, complexity, growth, leverage, profitability and industry category.

Findings

The results show that institutional ownership is positively related to the number of Big 4 auditing firms that audit a company’s financial statements. This reflects the powerful and influential role institutional investors play in discouraging management from choosing lower-quality providers. In contrast, government ownership has a negative impact on audit quality. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that audit quality is a function of, among other factors, the structure of equity ownership.

Practical implications

Given the importance of audits, knowledge of the determinants of audit quality is of particular interest to regulators, enforcement agencies and investors. The findings imply that different ownership structures have different effects on the demand for audit quality; some structures strengthen it, while others weaken it. The negative relation between government ownership and audit quality raises serious questions about the effectiveness of government in monitoring its investments.

Originality/value

This paper extends the literature by investigating the determinants of the choice of auditors in an emerging market where there is a joint audit requirement. It highlights the important role played by ownership structure in shaping demand for audit quality. A distinguishing feature in previous research is the classification of the audit quality proxy into two choices (Big 4 vs non-Big 4 auditors). However, the regulatory context in Kuwait means that there are three choices. Thus, unusually, a multinomial logistic regression is used for the analysis.
Audit-related attributes, regulatory reforms and timely disclosure
Authors: Samaha Khaled , Khlif Hichem
Published: May 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the impact of audit-related attributes and regulatory reforms on timely disclosure as proxied by audit report lag (ARL) in an emerging market setting, namely, Egypt.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper used the balanced panel data of 372 firm-years observations of the most actively traded companies on the Egyptian Stock Exchange over the period from 2007 to 2010. The study measures the dependent variable of ARL as the number of days between the client’s fiscal year-end and the audit report.

Findings

Multivariate analysis indicates that audit committee activity (proxy for regulatory reforms) and external auditor type (proxy for audit-related attributes) contribute significantly to the reduction of ARL and increase disclosure timeliness. Furthermore, the paper found that ARL witnessed a slight decrease following the adoption of the new Egyptian Standards on Auditing (ESA). Finally, the paper’s findings show that industry types moderate the relationship between ARL and several audit-related variables and corporate governance attributes.

Practical implications

The results may have policy implications for both regulators and investors. For instance, policymakers in Egypt can enact new rules to reduce the Chief Executive Officer duality and establish the minimum required number of audit committee meetings to improve transparency level and, thus, increase disclosure timeliness. Besides, if future regulations aiming to increase disclosure timeliness are intended by Egyptian regulators, this paper’s findings suggest that this may have implications for the audit market because the Big Four audit firms will be more able to meet shorter audit delays.

Originality/value

The empirical evidence provided in this study further enhances the understanding of timely disclosure in Egypt which represents one of the leading emerging markets in the Middle East and North Africa region.
Consequences of symbiont co‐infections for insect host phenotypes
Authors: McLean Ailsa H. C. , Parker Benjamin J. , Hrček Jan , Kavanagh James C. , Wellham Peter A. D. , Godfray H. Charles J.
Published: May 2017

Most animals host communities of symbiotic bacteria. In insects, these symbionts may have particularly intimate interactions with their hosts: many are intracellular and can play important roles in host ecology and evolution, including protection against natural enemies.

We investigated how interactions between different species or strains of endosymbiotic bacteria within an aphid host influence the outcome of symbiosis for both symbiont and host.

We first asked whether different combinations of facultative symbiont species or strains can exist in stable co‐infections. We then investigated whether the benefits that facultative bacteria confer on their hosts (protection against natural enemies) are enhanced, reduced or unaltered by the presence of a co‐infecting symbiont. We asked this both for co‐infecting symbionts that confer different phenotypes on their hosts (protection against fungal pathogens vs. parasitoid wasps) and symbionts with overlapping functions. Finally, we investigated the additional survival costs to aphids of carrying multiple infections of symbiont species or strains, and compared symbiont titres in double and single infections.

We found that stable co‐infections were possible between all of the combinations of facultative symbiont species (Regiella insecticola + Hamiltonella defensa, Regiella + Rickettsiella sp., Regiella + Spiroplasma sp.) and strains (Hamiltonella) that we studied. Where symbionts provided protection against different natural enemies, no alteration in protection was observed in the presence of co‐infections. Where symbionts provided protection against the same natural enemy, the level of protection corresponded to the higher of the two symbionts present. In some instances, aphid hosts suffered additional survival costs when hosting double infections. In the case of Hamiltonella, however, infection with multiple strains of the same symbiont led to lower symbiont titres than single infections, and actually improved aphid survival.

We conclude that the long‐term maintenance of symbiont co‐infections in aphids is likely to be determined primarily by costs of co‐infections and in some instances by redundancy of symbiont benefits.
Lender Steering in Residential Mortgage Markets
Authors: Agarwal Sumit , Ambrose Brent W. , Yao Vincent W.
Published: May 2017

In this article, we examine the incentives for lenders to steer borrowers into piggyback loan structures to circumvent regulations requiring primary mortgage insurance (PMI) for loans with loan‐to‐value ratios (LTV) above 80%. Our empirical analysis focuses on propensity score‐matched portfolios of piggyback and single‐lien loans having the same combined LTV based on a full set of observed risk characteristics. Our results confirm that mortgages originated with the piggyback structure have much lower ex post default rates and faster prepayment speeds than corresponding PMI loans. We also find a significant causal effect of interstate banking deregulation on the growth of piggybacks in these years, confirming that the ex post performance gap is primarily driven by lender steering on the supply side and not by borrower self‐selection. We then perform a number of tests to explore different origination and execution channels of mortgage steering.
Can resonance frequency analysis detect narrow marginal bone defects around dental implants? An ex vivo animal pilot study
Authors: Yao CJ , Ma L , Mattheos N
Published: May 2017

Background

Resonance frequency analysis (RFA) is applied to assess implant stability, as expressed by the implant stability quotient (ISQ). This study aimed to investigate the potential of RFA devices to identify narrow marginal bone defects around implants.

Methods

Twenty‐eight Straumann bone level (BL) implants and 28 bone level tapered (BLT) implants were placed ex vivo in porcine ribs. Implants in the control group (A) were fully submerged in the bone. In three experimental groups, implants were placed with a 0.9‐mm circumferential marginal bone defect extending 2 mm (B), 4 mm (C) and 6 mm (D) apically. Two RFA devices were used to measure implant stability.

Results

ISQ values decreased as the defects’ depth increased, with the greatest reduction observed between full bone (A) and 2‐mm defects (B) (P < 0.001). No significant differences were found in the ISQ values recorded from BL and BLT implants.

Conclusions

ISQ values can effectively detect narrow, intrabony marginal bone defects, in particular when involving the first coronal 2 mm. This finding could have implications for the early diagnosis of conditions affecting the marginal bone, such as peri‐implantitis. Further research is required to investigate if such findings can be replicated after osseointegration is achieved.
Synopsis of the parasitoid wasp genus Choeras Mason (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Microgastrinae) from Australasia, with the description of two new species
Authors: Fagan‐Jeffries Erinn P , Austin Andrew D
Published: May 2017

The Microgastrinae are a highly diverse, cosmopolitan subfamily of Braconidae that parasitise Lepidoptera. In this study, we provide a synopsis of Choeras for Australasia; the seven described species are diagnosed on the basis of their holotypes and newly collected material, and two new species are described, Choeras koalascatocola sp. nov. and Choeras morialta sp. nov. A key to species is provided along with information on their distribution and biology; one of the new species, C. koalascatocola sp. nov., was reared from an unknown species of Lepidoptera feeding on koala scats. The substantial morphological variation among Choeras species for a number of key characters is discussed and supports the possibility that the genus is polyphyletic.
Adaptations to endurance training depend on exercise‐induced oxidative stress: exploiting redox interindividual variability
Authors: Margaritelis N. V. , Theodorou A. A. , Paschalis V. , Veskoukis A. S. , Dipla K. , Zafeiridis A. , Panayiotou G. , Vrabas I. S. , Kyparos A. , Nikolaidis M. G.
Published: May 2017

Aim

The aim of this study was to reveal the role of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) in exercise adaptations under physiological in vivo conditions and without the interference from other exogenous redox agents (e.g. a pro‐oxidant or antioxidant).

Methods

We invented a novel methodological set‐up that exploited the large redox interindividual variability in exercise responses. More specifically, we used exercise‐induced oxidative stress as the ‘classifier’ measure (i.e. low, moderate and high) and investigated the physiological and redox adaptations after a 6‐week endurance training protocol.

Results

We demonstrated that the group with the low exercise‐induced oxidative stress exhibited the lowest improvements in a battery of classic adaptations to endurance training (VO2 max, time trial and Wingate test) as well as in a set of redox biomarkers (oxidative stress biomarkers and antioxidants), compared to the high and moderate oxidative stress groups.

Conclusion

The findings of this study substantiate, for the first time in a human in vivo physiological context, and in the absence of any exogenous redox manipulation, the vital role of RONS produced during exercise in adaptations. The stratification approach, based on a redox phenotype, implemented in this study could be a useful experimental strategy to reveal the role of RONS and antioxidants in other biological manifestations as well.
Connectivity as a multiple: In, with and as “nature”
Authors: Hodgetts Timothy
Published: May 2017

Connectivity is a central concept in contemporary geographies of nature, but the concept is often understood and utilised in plural ways. This is problematic because of the separation, rather than the confusion, of these different approaches. While the various understandings of connectivity are rarely considered as working together, the connections between them have significant implications. This paper thus proposes re‐thinking connectivity as a “multiple”. It develops a taxonomy of existing connectivity concepts from the fields of biogeography and landscape ecology, conservation biology, socio‐economic systems theory, political ecology and more‐than‐human geography. It then considers how these various understandings might be re‐thought not as separate concerns, but (following Annemarie Mol) as “more than one, but less than many”. The implications of using the connectivity multiple as an analytic for understanding conservation practices are demonstrated through considering the creation of wildlife corridors in conservation practice. The multiple does not just serve to highlight the practical and theoretical linkages between ecological theories, social inequities and affectual relationships in more‐than‐human worlds. It is also suggestive of a normative approach to environmental management that does not give temporal priority to biological theories, but considers these as always already situated in these social, often unequal, always more‐than‐human ecologies.
Preliminary validation of the Perceived Locus of Causality scale for academic motivation in the context of university studies (PLOC‐U)
Authors: Sánchez de Miguel Manuel , Lizaso Izarne , Hermosilla Daniel , Alcover Carlos‐Maria , Goudas Marios , Arranz‐Freijó Enrique
Published: May 2017

Background

Research has shown that self‐determination theory can be useful in the study of motivation in sport and other forms of physical activity. The Perceived Locus of Causality (PLOC) scale was originally designed to study both.

Aim

The current research presents and validates the new PLOC‐U scale to measure academic motivation in the university context. We tested levels of self‐determination before and after academic examinations. Also, we analysed degree of internalization of extrinsic motivation in students' practical activities.

Sample

Two hundred and eighty‐seven Spanish university students participated in the study.

Method

Data were collected at two time points to check the reliability and stability of PLOC‐U by a test–retest procedure. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed on the PLOC‐U. Also convergent validity was tested against the Academic Motivation Scale (EME‐E).

Results

Confirmatory factor analysis showed optimum fit and good reliability of PLOC‐U. It also presented excellent convergent validity with the EME‐E and good stability over time. Our findings did not show any significant correlation between self‐determination and expected results before academic examinations, but it did so afterwards, revealing greater regulation by and integration of extrinsic motivation. The high score obtained for extrinsic motivation points to a greater regulation associated with an external contingency (rewards in the practical coursework).

Conclusions

PLOC‐U is a good instrument for the measurement of academic motivation and provides a new tool to analyse self‐determination among university students.
Subsequent primary malignancies after diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma in the modern treatment era
Authors: Tao Li , Clarke Christina A. , Rosenberg Aaron S. , Advani Ranjana H. , Jonas Brian A. , Flowers Christopher R. , Keegan Theresa H. M.
Published: May 2017

With the addition of rituximab and other treatment advances, survival after diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL) has improved, but subsequent primary malignancies (SPMs) have emerged as an important challenge for DLBCL survivorship. We calculated standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for SPMs among 23 879 patients who survived at least 1 year after a first primary DLBCL diagnosed during 1989–2012, compared to the general population in California. Cumulative incidence (CMI) of SPMs, accounting for the competing risk of death, also was calculated. We found that the incidence of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) nearly doubled in the post‐rituximab era [SIR (95% CI) 4·39 (2·51–7·13) pre‐ (1989–2000) and 8·70 (6·62–11·22) post‐rituximab (2001–2012)]. Subsequent thyroid cancer was rare pre‐rituximab, but increased substantially after 2001 [0·66 (0·08–2·37) vs. 2·27(1·44–3·41)]. The 5‐year CMI for all SPMs (4·77% pre‐ vs. 5·41% post‐rituximab, P = 0·047), AML (0·15% vs. 0·41%, P = 0·003), thyroid cancer (0·03% vs. 0·15%, P = 0·003) and melanoma (0·25% vs. 0·42%, P = 0·020) were greater in DLBCL patients diagnosed in the post‐ versus pre‐rituximab period. This study provides insight into the changing pattern of SPM occurrence after the introduction of rituximab, which may elucidate the aetiology of SPMs and should guide future cancer surveillance efforts among DLBCL patients.
A qualitative study of younger men's experience of heart attack (myocardial infarction)
Authors: Merritt Christopher J. , de Zoysa Nicole , Hutton Jane M.
Published: May 2017

Objectives

The effects of heart attack, or myocardial infarction (MI), across psychosocial domains may be particularly acute in younger adults, for whom serious health events are non‐normative. MI morbidity is declining in Western countries, but in England MI numbers have plateaued for the under‐45 cohort, where approximately 90% of patients are male. Qualitative research on younger adults’ experience of MI is limited, and no study has sampled exclusively under‐45s. This study aimed to understand how a sample of men under 45 adjusted to and made sense of MI.

Design

Qualitative research design based on semi‐structured in‐depth interviews.

Methods

Ten men aged under 45 who had experienced MI in the past 3–6 months were purposively recruited and interviewed. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis.

Results

Seven superordinate themes were identified. This article focuses in depth on the three most original themes: (1) ‘I'm less of a man’, which described experiences of losing ‘maleness’ (strength, independence, ability to provide) post‐MI; (2) ‘Shortened horizons’, which covered participants’ sense of foreshortened future and consequent reprioritization; and (3) ‘Life loses its colour’, describing the loss of pleasure from lifestyle‐related changes.

Conclusion

Themes broadly overlapped with the qualitative literature on younger adult MI. However, some themes (e.g., loss of ‘maleness’ post‐MI, and ambivalence towards MI risk factors) appeared unique to this study. Themes were also discussed in relation to risk factors for anxiety and depression and how this might inform clinical care for a younger, male population.

Statement of contribution

What is already known on this subject?

Myocardial infarction (MI) morbidity is not declining in England for under‐45s.

Adjustment to MI is particularly challenging for younger adults, perhaps because it is non‐normative.

However, little is known about the experience of MI in younger adults.

What does this study add?

This is the first qualitative study to sample MI patients exclusively under 45, thereby mapping to epidemiological trends.

Further support is provided for some themes identified in the existing young adult MI literature.

New themes are identified here which can provide insights relevant to clinical care in this population.
Trade Protection and Firm Productivity: Evidence from Thai Manufacturing
Authors: Jongwanich Juthathip , Kohpaiboon Archanun
Published: May 2017

This paper examines the effect of trade protection on firm productivity, using the Thai manufacturing sector as a case study. While our main finding is in favor of a liberal trade policy environment, we argue input and output tariffs should be treated separately in examining their impact on productivity. Ceteris paribus, lowering input tariffs potentially has at least two opposite effects. It allows firms to benefit in several ways, enhancing their productivity, while also discouraging their efforts to improve productivity due to the increased level of effective protection. This necessitates caution when pursuing trade policy reform in not placing too much focus on input tariffs while leaving output tariffs untouched. Even though input and output tariffs work differently in promoting firms’ productivity, any trade policy reform process should take both input and output tariffs into consideration in ensuring that trade is actually liberalized.
CT : Extending the application of the consolidation methodology even further
Authors: Ibarguren Igor , Pérez Jesús M. , Muguerza Javier , Gurrutxaga Ibai
Published: May 2017

The consolidation process, originally applied to the C4.5 tree induction algorithm, improved its discriminating capacity and stability. Consolidation creates multiple samples and builds a simple (nonmultiple) classifier by applying the ensemble process during the model construction phase. The work presented in this paper aims to show the consolidation process can improve algorithms other than C4.5 by applying the consolidation process to three tree induction algorithms: a variant of the chi‐squared automatic interaction detector (CHAID*), C4.4, and CHAIC (also a contribution of this paper). The consolidation of CHAID* and CHAIC, required solving the handicap of consolidating the value groupings proposed by each CHAID* or CHAIC tree for discrete attributes. The experimentation is divided in 3 classification contexts for 96 datasets. Results show that consolidated algorithms perform robustly, ranking competitively in all contexts, never falling into lower positions unlike most of the other rule‐induction algorithms considered in the study. When performing a global comparison consolidated algorithms rank in top positions.
On the global limits of bioenergy and land use for climate change mitigation
Authors: Strapasson Alexandre , Woods Jeremy , Chum Helena , Kalas Nicole , Shah Nilay , Rosillo‐Calle Frank
Published: May 2017

Across energy, agricultural and forestry landscapes, the production of biomass for energy has emerged as a controversial driver of land‐use change. We present a novel, simple methodology, to probe the potential global sustainability limits of bioenergy over time for energy provision and climate change mitigation using a complex‐systems approach for assessing land‐use dynamics. Primary biomass that could provide between 70 EJ year−1 and 360 EJ year−1, globally, by 2050 was simulated in the context of different land‐use futures, food diet patterns and climate change mitigation efforts. Our simulations also show ranges of potential greenhouse gas emissions for agriculture, forestry and other land uses by 2050, including not only above‐ground biomass‐related emissions, but also from changes in soil carbon, from as high as 24 GtCO2eq year−1 to as low as minus 21 GtCO2eq year−1, which would represent a significant source of negative emissions. Based on the modelling simulations, the discussions offer novel insights about bioenergy as part of a broader integrated system. Whilst there are sustainability limits to the scale of bioenergy provision, they are dynamic over time, being responsive to land management options deployed worldwide.
In vitro physical mutagenesis of giant reed (Arundo donax L.)
Authors: Valli Fabio , Trebbi Daniele , Zegada‐Lizarazu Walter , Monti Andrea , Tuberosa Roberto , Salvi Silvio
Published: May 2017

Giant reed (Arundo donax L.) is a C3 perennial, warm‐season, rhizomatous grass of emerging interest for bioenergy and biomass derivatives production, and for phytoremediation. It only propagates vegetatively and very little genetic variation is found among ecotypes, basically precluding breeding efforts. With the objective to increase the genetic variation in this species, we developed and applied a mutagenesis protocol based on γ‐irradiation of in vitro cell cultures from which regenerants were obtained. Based on a radiosensitivity test, the irradiation dose reducing to 50% the number of regenerants per callus (RD50) was estimated at 35 Gy. A large mutagenic experiment was carried out by irradiating a total of 3120 calli with approx. 1×, 1.5× and 2× RD50. A total of 1004 regenerants from irradiated calli were hardened in pots and transplanted to the field. Initial phenotypic characterization of the collection showed correlated responses of biomass‐related quantitative traits to irradiation doses. Approx. 10% of field‐grown clones showed remarkable morphological aberrations including dwarfism, altered tillering, abnormal inflorescence, leaf variegation and others, which were tested for stability over generations. Clone lethality reached 0.4%. Our results show for the first time that physical mutagenesis can efficiently induce new genetic and phenotypic variation of agronomic and prospective industrial value in giant reed. The methodology and the plant materials described here may contribute to the domestication and the genetic improvement of this important biomass species.
The Refined Best Reply Correspondence and Backward Induction
Authors: Balkenborg Dieter , Kuzmics Christoph , Hofbauer Josef
Published: May 2017

Fixed points of the (most) refined best reply correspondence, introduced in Balkenborg et al. (2013), in the agent normal form of extensive form games with perfect recall have a remarkable property. They induce fixed points of the same correspondence in the agent normal form of every subgame. Furthermore, in a well-defined sense, fixed points of this correspondence refine even trembling hand perfect equilibria, while, on the other hand, reasonable equilibria that are not weak perfect Bayesian equilibria are fixed points of this correspondence.
Can Non‐Europeans Philosophize? Transnational Literacy and Planetary Ethics in a Global Age
Authors: Dhawan Nikita
Published: May 2017

Defenders of the Enlightenment highlight the long neglected anticolonial writings of thinkers like Immanuel Kant, which serve as a corrective to the misrepresentation of the Enlightenment's epistemological investment in imperialism. One of the most pervasive repercussions of the claim that the Enlightenment was always already anti‐imperial is that postcolonial critique is rendered redundant, and the project of decolonizing European philosophy becomes unnecessary. Contesting the exoneration of Enlightenment philosophers of racism and sexism, this article debunks the claim that Kantian cosmopolitanism was an antidote to colonialism. Addressing the ambivalent legacies of the European Enlightenment for the postcolonial world, with special focus on the “Syrian refugee crisis,” the article examines the enduring normative violence exerted by Enlightenment principles of cosmopolitanism and outlines the contested terrains that inflect current geopolitics of knowledge‐production. Given that the normative idea of philosophy, as defined during the Enlightenment, continues to delegitimize non‐European perspectives, the integration of previously marginalized knowledges into the philosophical canon is insufficient; rather, in order to desubalternize non‐Western epistemologies, it is imperative to undo the uneven distribution of epistemic agency globally. Drawing on Gayatri Spivak's ideas of transnational literacy and planetary ethics, the article concludes by underscoring the contribution of postcolonial‐feminist critique in imagining postimperial philosophy in a global age.
Marriage in Kumasi, Ghana: Locally Emergent Practices in the Colonial/Modern Gender System
Authors: Nave Carmen
Published: May 2017

In this article, I use ethnographic and historical evidence to consider marriage as a particular locus of what Maria Lugones has called “the colonial/modern gender system.” By bringing specific research on marriage among the matrilineal Asante of Kumasi, Ghana, together with a consideration of global ideals of marriage and gender, I argue that marriage and the family are key sites through which the subjugation of women in Africa can be understood, but that this requires local and historical contextualization. To do this, I trace the emergence and current local expression of “companionate marriage,” an ideal of marriage that is associated with romantic love and personal choice, and that is often seen as a gender‐progressive marriage ideal. In Kumasi, “companionate” ideals began to emerge during the colonial period, not as an empowering force, but in complicated interactions with other gendered changes that limited wives' claims to husbands' reciprocal support and isolated women from their matrilineal kin. Today, customary marriage is often considered harmful to women and distinct from other forms of marriage; however, I show that such assumptions impose categorial differences where none may exist, and occlude the complexities of women's lives and struggles.
Evening versus morning dosing regimen drug therapy for chronic kidney disease patients with hypertension in blood pressure patterns: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Wang Caixia , Ye Yuqiu , Liu Chunyong , Zhou Yongming , Lv Linsheng , Cheng Cailian , Li Shaomin , Lou Tanqi , Liu Xun
Published: May 2017

Background

Evening dosing regimen drug therapy on blood pressure (BP) control is used widely, but its clinical benefits and preservation or re‐establishment of the normal 24‐h BP dipping pattern in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients is not known.

Aims

To investigate the effect of an evening dosing regimen of antihypertensive drugs on BP patterns of CKD patients with hypertension.

Methods

A systematic review was conducted by searching PUBMED, EMBASE, ASN‐ONLINE, the Cochrane Library and the reference lists of relevant articles of published papers. All trials designed to evaluate the effects of evening versus morning dosing regimen drug therapy for CKD patients with hypertension were included. Meta‐analysis was performed using random or fixed effects models.

Results

Five randomised controlled trials and one comparative study, including 3732 patients, met the inclusion criteria. Compared with morning dosing regimen drug therapy, evening administration of antihypertensive medication was associated with a significant reduction of 40% in non‐dipper BP patterns (risk ratio (RR), 95% CI, (0.43, 0.84)). We noted a significant decrease in nocturnal systolic blood pressure (SBP) (MD −3.17 mmHg, 95% CI (−5.41, −0.94)), a significant reduction in nocturnal diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (MD −1.37 mmHg, 95% CI (−2.05, −0.69)) and a significant increase in awake SBP (MD 1.15 mmHg, 95% CI (0.10, 2.19)) in patients assigned to the evening dosing regimen drug therapy group. Patients showed no significant differences for all‐cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality.

Conclusion

This review shows that evening dosing regimen drug therapy could reverse non‐dipper BP patterns in hypertensive CKD patients.
Research Review: What do we know about psychopathic traits in children?
Authors: Salekin Randall T.
Published: May 2017

Background

Research on the topic of child psychopathy has advanced over the past decade increasing what we know.

Method

This qualitative review examines the research base for child psychopathy and emphasizes its three dimensions: grandiose‐manipulative, callous‐unemotional, and daring‐impulsive. Literature is reviewed addressing the cognitive, emotional, motivational, personality, parenting, and biological correlates.

Results

Support has emerged for the phenotypic construct of child psychopathy, while questions remain regarding definitional issues and key external correlates (e.g., reward and punishment processing, parenting, molecular genetics, brain imaging).

Conclusions

While the construct appears to be valid, future work should broaden its focus from callous unemotional traits to all three dimensions of the construct, enhance measurement precision, and examine dimension interactions. Such research could have important implications for CD specification for future versions of the DSM and ICD and speed etiological knowledge and clinical care for youth with conduct problems.
Fish Parasite Dinoflagellates Haidadinium ichthyophilum and Piscinoodinium Share a Recent Common Ancestor
Authors: Hehenberger Elisabeth , James Erick R. , del Campo Javier , Buckland‐Nicks John A. , Reimchen Thomas E. , Keeling Patrick J.
Published: May 2017

The dinoflagellate Haidadinium ichthyophilum Buckland‐Nicks, Reimchen and Garbary 1997 is an ectoparasite of the spine‐deficient, three‐spine stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus L. Reimchen 1984, a fish endemic to Rouge Lake, Haida Gwaii. Haidadinium ichthyophilum proved difficult to assign taxonomically because its morphology and complex life cycle exhibited defining characteristics of both autotrophic and heterotrophic dinoflagellates, and was tentatively assigned to the Phytodiniales. Here, we characterized a 492 bp fragment of the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) from preserved H. ichthyophilum cysts. In SSU phylogeny, H. ichthyophilum branches with the fish parasites, Piscinoodinium sp., strongly supporting the inclusion of H. ichthyophilum within the Suessiales.
Effects of cognitive impairment on prosodic parameters of speech production planning in multiple sclerosis
Authors: De Looze Céline , Moreau Noémie , Renié Laurent , Kelly Finnian , Ghio Alain , Rico Audrey , Audoin Bertrand , Viallet François , Pelletier Jean , Petrone Caterina
Published: May 2017

Cognitive impairment (CI) affects 40–65% of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). CI can have a negative impact on a patient's everyday activities, such as engaging in conversations. Speech production planning ability is crucial for successful verbal interactions and thus for preserving social and occupational skills. This study investigates the effect of cognitive‐linguistic demand and CI on speech production planning in MS, as reflected in speech prosody. A secondary aim is to explore the clinical potential of prosodic features for the prediction of an individual's cognitive status in MS. A total of 45 subjects, that is 22 healthy controls (HC) and 23 patients in early stages of relapsing‐remitting MS, underwent neuropsychological tests probing specific cognitive processes involved in speech production planning. All subjects also performed a read speech task, in which they had to read isolated sentences manipulated as for phonological length. Results show that the speech of MS patients with CI is mainly affected at the temporal level (articulation and speech rate, pause duration). Regression analyses further indicate that rate measures are correlated with working memory scores. In addition, linear discriminant analysis shows the ROC AUC of identifying MS patients with CI is 0.70 (95% confidence interval: 0.68–0.73). Our findings indicate that prosodic planning is deficient in patients with MS‐CI and that the scope of planning depends on patients’ cognitive abilities. We discuss how speech‐based approaches could be used as an ecological method for the assessment and monitoring of CI in MS.
Green discolouration of urine following propofol infusion in a dog
Authors: Flaherty D. , Auckburally A.
Published: May 2017

A three‐year‐old, female neutered Weimaraner was presented with a history of neck pain and tetraparesis. MRI revealed an extradural mass at the level of C3 vertebra, which was thought to be a spinal abscess, and the dog was scheduled for surgical exploration the following morning. Overnight the dog developed an exaggerated ventilatory pattern, with paradoxical inward movement of the thorax on inspiration. Arterial blood gas analysis revealed respiratory acidosis and ventilator support was initiated to prevent excessive respiratory fatigue. During mechanical ventilation, anaesthesia was maintained using a propofol target‐controlled infusion system and, subsequently, the dog produced bright green urine in the urine collection system. Although previously documented in humans, this appears to be the first report of green urine in a dog following propofol use.
Penalised Complexity Priors for Stationary Autoregressive Processes
Authors: Sørbye Sigrunn Holbek , Rue Håvard
Published: May 2017

The autoregressive (AR) process of orderp(AR(p)) is a central model in time series analysis. A Bayesian approach requires the user to define a prior distribution for the coefficients of the AR(p) model. Although it is easy to write down some prior, it is not at all obvious how to understand and interpret the prior distribution, to ensure that it behaves according to the users' prior knowledge. In this article, we approach this problem using the recently developed ideas of penalised complexity (PC) priors. These prior have important properties like robustness and invariance to reparameterisations, as well as a clear interpretation. A PC prior is computed based on specific principles, where model component complexity is penalised in terms of deviation from simple base model formulations. In the AR(1) case, we discuss two natural base model choices, corresponding to either independence in time or no change in time. The latter case is illustrated in a survival model with possible time‐dependent frailty. For higher‐order processes, we propose a sequential approach, where the base model for AR(p) is the corresponding AR(p−1) model expressed using the partial autocorrelations. The properties of the new prior distribution are compared with the reference prior in a simulation study.
Sensitivity and Specificity of PlasmaALT,ALP, and Bile Acids for Hepatitis in Labrador Retrievers
Authors: Dirksen K. , Burgener I.A. , Rothuizen J. , van den Ingh T.S.G.A.M , Penning L.C. , Spee B. , Fieten H.
Published: May 2017

Background

Biochemical indicators for diagnosing liver disease are plasma alanine aminotransferase activity (ALT), alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP), and bile acid concentration (BA).

Objectives

To determine the sensitivity and specificity ofALT,ALP, andBAfor detecting primary hepatitis (PH) in clinically healthy Labrador retrievers and investigate whetherALTandALPcan discriminate between dogs withPHand nonspecific reactive hepatitis (RH).

Animals

191 clinically healthy and 51 clinically ill Labrador retrievers with hepatic histopathology.

Methods

Retrospective study. Medical records were reviewed forALT,ALP, preprandialBA, liver histopathology, and hepatic copper concentrations.

Results

In 64% (122/191) of the clinically healthy Labrador retrievers, hepatic histology revealed inflammatory infiltrates. This frequency might be biased because part of them was included as first‐line relatives of dogs with copper‐associated hepatitis. Sensitivity ofALT,ALP, andBAin this population for detecting acute hepatitis was 45, 15, and 15%, respectively. For chronic hepatitis, sensitivity was 71, 35, and 13%, respectively. Specificity ofALT,ALP, andBAwas >90% forAH,CH, andRH. When increased liver enzymes were present, medianALTwas significantly higher inPHcases (312 U/L, range 38–1,369) compared toRHcases (91 U/L, range 39–139) (P< .001). There was no difference inALPbetween dogs with aPHand aRH(P= .361).

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Histopathologic abnormalities in the liver were present in the majority of apparent clinically healthy Labrador retrievers. The sensitivity ofALT,ALP, andBAfor detecting acute and chronic hepatitis in this population was low. More sensitive biomarkers are needed for early detection of liver disease in apparent clinically healthy dogs.
Interventional Closure of a Patent Ductus Arteriosus Using an Amplatz Canine Duct Occluder in an Alpaca Cria
Authors: Chapel E.C. , Lozier J. , Lakritz J. , Schober K.E.
Published: May 2017

A 6‐month old female alpaca cria presented to The Ohio State University for evaluation of a cardiac murmur. Echocardiography revealed a left‐to‐right shunting patent ductus arteriosus, a restrictive left‐to‐right shunting perimembranous ventricular septal defect, and secondary moderate left atrial and ventricular dilation. Aortic root angiography demonstrated a type IIA patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). Interventional closure of the PDA was successfully performed, without complication, using an Amplatz canine duct occluder. This case report describes the materials and methods used for interventional closure of a PDA in an alpaca cria.
Serum biomarkers can predict a change in liver fibrosis 1 year after lifestyle intervention for biopsy‐proven NASH
Authors: Vilar‐Gomez Eduardo , Calzadilla‐Bertot Luis , Friedman Scott L. , Gra‐Oramas Bienvenido , Gonzalez‐Fabian Licet , Lazo‐del Vallin Sacha , Diago Moises , Adams Leon A.
Published: May 2017

Background & Aims

The dynamic response of serum fibrosis biomarkers to histological changes within the liver following lifestyle intervention (LI) is unknown. We explored relationships between changes in serum biomarkers and liver fibrosis in NASH patients undergoing LI.

Methods

Paired liver biopsies were performed in 261 NASH patients to assess fibrosis change after 1 year of LI. We explored the utility of serum fibrosis markers to predict changes in hepatic fibrosis and developed and internally validated a model for predicting fibrosis improvement in patients with baseline fibrosis.

Results

Regression, stabilization and worsening of fibrosis occurred in 51 (20%), 165 (63%) and 45 (17%) patients respectively. By multivariable analysis, change in HbA1c (OR, 0.39, P<.01), platelets (OR, 1.22, P<.01) and NFS (OR, 0.27, P<.01), as well as ALT normalization (OR, 9.7, P<.01) were independently associated with fibrosis improvement, whereas change in platelets (OR, 0.96, P<.01), and NFS (OR, 1.8, P<.01) as well as ALT normalization (OR, 0.21, P<.01) were linked to fibrosis progression. A model, including change in HbA1c, platelet and ALT normalization, was significantly more accurate (AUC of 0.96, 95% CI, l0.94‐0.99) than NFS, FIB‐4 and APRI for predicting fibrosis improvement. Using a threshold of ≥0.497, positive and negative predictive values were 94% (95% CI, 84‐98) and 91% (95% CI, 81‐96) respectively.

Conclusions

Change in NFS, platelets and ALT normalization are associated with change in liver fibrosis after 1 year of LI. A model including change in HbA1c, platelet and ALT normalization discriminated patients with fibrosis improvement significantly better than other biomarkers.
The Political Ecology of Dignity: Human Dignity and the Inevitable Returns of Animality
Authors: Meyer Eric Daryl
Published: May 2017

Human dignity names a two‐tier political ecology: one moral‐political community whose members bear a special status of inviolability, and another larger community where violence and degradation are routine. Because ecological relations are never uni‐directional, the routinized violence that “belongs” in interactions with nonhuman animals returns, normalizing violence across gendered, racialized, and politicized lines of human difference. An account of dignity that begins from creaturely vulnerability rather than anthropological exceptionalism not only better expresses key theological insights of the Christian tradition, it also resists the repressed and disavowed violence generated by prevalent accounts of dignity.
Persistent oral ulceration and enlarged necrotic lymph nodes: a clinicopathological conference
Authors: Razzak A. , Frezzini C. , Khan M. , Hollows P.
Published: May 2017

Syphilis is an infectious disease caused by the anaerobic spirochaete Treponema pallidum. Syphilis is known to present with oral manifestations, namely transient ulcers in its primary form, snail‐track ulcers in the secondary form and gumma formation in its tertiary form. The patient was presented to the oral and maxillofacial clinic with persistent oral ulceration in the left buccal mucosa, with rolled margins and rapid onset cervical lymphadenopathy therefore mimicking the appearance of oral squamous cell carcinoma. Biopsies of the oral ulceration and of the lymph nodes revealed no malignancy, but features consistent with an infectious process. This case report highlights the diagnostic challenges with the diagnosis of oral syphilis. It also discusses the laboratory tests used to finalise a diagnosis of syphilis, and aims to raise awareness of potential differential diagnosis.
Spinal Metastatic Disease: A Review of the Role of the Multidisciplinary Team
Authors: Curtin Mark , Piggott Robert P , Murphy Evelyn P , Munigangaiah Sudarshan , Baker Joseph F , McCabe John P , Devitt Aiden
Published: May 2017

Historically, a simple approach centered on palliation was applicable to the majority of patients with metastatic spinal disease. With advances in diagnosis and treatment, a more complicated algorithm has devolved requiring a multidisciplinary approach with institutional commitment and support. We performed a database review including pertinent articles exploring the multidisciplinary management of spinal metastatic disease. The wide variation in clinical presentation and tumor response to treatment necessitates a multidisciplinary approach that integrates the diagnosis and treatment of the cancer, symptom management, and rehabilitation for optimal care of patients with spinal metastases. Advances in the field of radiology have led to earlier and more focused diagnosis of spinal metastasis and acts to guide therapy. Advances in surgical techniques, neurophysiologic monitoring, and anesthetic expertise have allowed surgeons to perform more extensive procedures leading to improved outcomes and reduced morbidity. Radiation oncology input that is essential as external beam radiation therapy can provide significant pain relief. Non‐operative measures may include bisphosphonate infusions, management of complications (e.g. hypercalcemia of malignancy), monoclonal antibody infusions, and chemotherapy if indicated in the treatment of the primary malignancy. Input from psychology services is necessary to address the biopsychosocial ramifications of spinal metastasis. Allied health professionals in the form of physiotherapists, social workers, and dieticians also contribute in maximizing patients’ quality of life and well‐being.
Permanent nonselective His bundle pacing in an adult with L‐transposition of the great arteries and complete AV block
Authors: Kean Adam C. , Kay W. Aaron , Patel Jyoti K. , Miller John M. , Dandamudi Gopi
Published: May 2017

We report the placement of a permanent transvenous nonselective His bundle pacing lead in conjunction with a transvenous pacemaker/implantable cardioverter‐defibrillator in an adult with Levo‐Transposition of the Great Arteries (L‐TGA) and a stenotic coronary sinus (CS) ostium, which would not accommodate a transvenous left ventricular (LV) pacing lead. Nonselective His bundle pacing provided a nearly identical ventricular activation pattern in this previously unpaced patient. Many L‐TGA patients will have an eventual need for permanent pacing and, given the challenges of CS cannulation, His bundle pacing may represent a preferred modality rather than pure morphologic LV pacing or surgical systemic ventricular lead placement to achieve optimal electrical synchrony.