bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Behavioral Hazard in Health Insurance
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Authors: Baicker Katherine , Mullainathan Sendhil , Schwartzstein Joshua
Published: July 2015

A fundamental implication of standard moral hazard models is overuse of low-value medical care because copays are lower than costs. In these models, the demand curve alone can be used to make welfare statements, a fact relied on by much empirical work. There is ample evidence, though, that people misuse care for a different reason: mistakes, or “behavioral hazard.” Much high-value care is underused even when patient costs are low, and some useless care is bought even when patients face the full cost. In the presence of behavioral hazard, welfare calculations using only the demand curve can be off by orders of magnitude or even be the wrong sign. We derive optimal copay formulas that incorporate both moral and behavioral hazard, providing a theoretical foundation for value-based insurance design and a way to interpret behavioral “nudges.” Once behavioral hazard is taken into account, health insurance can do more than just provide financial protection—it can also improve health care efficiency.
Radio and the Rise of The Nazis in Prewar Germany
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Authors: Adena Maja , Enikolopov Ruben , Petrova Maria , Santarosa Veronica , Zhuravskaya Ekaterina
Published: July 2015

How do the media affect public support for democratic institutions in a fragile democracy? What role do they play in a dictatorial regime? We study these questions in the context of Germany of the 1920s and 1930s. During the democratic period, when the Weimar government introduced progovernment political news, the growth of Nazi popularity slowed down in areas with access to radio. This effect was reversed during the campaign for the last competitive election as a result of the pro-Nazi radio broadcast following Hitler’s appointment as chancellor. During the consolidation of dictatorship, radio propaganda helped the Nazis enroll new party members. After the Nazis established their rule, radio propaganda incited anti-Semitic acts and denunciations of Jews to authorities by ordinary citizens. The effect of anti-Semitic propaganda varied depending on the listeners’ predispositions toward the message. Nazi radio was most effective in places where anti-Semitism was historically high and had a negative effect in places with historically low anti-Semitism.
Standardized cancer incidence disparities in Upper Manhattan New York City neighborhoods: the role of race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and known risk factors
Authors: Hashim Dana , Farhat Zeinab , Wallenstein Sylvan , Manczuk Marta , Holcombe Randall F. , Thorpe Lorna , Schymura Maria J. , Lucchini Roberto G. , Boffetta Paolo
Published: July 2015

We examined the effects of race/ethnicity and neighborhood, a proxy of socioeconomic status, on cancer incidence in New York City neighborhoods: East Harlem (EH), Central Harlem (CH), and Upper East Side (UES). In this ecological study, Community Health Survey data (2002–2006) and New York State Cancer Registry incidence data (2007–2011) were stratified by sex, age, race/ethnicity, and neighborhood. Logistic regression models were fitted to each cancer incidence rate with race/ethnicity, neighborhood, and Community Health Survey-derived risk factors as predictor variables. Neighborhood was significantly associated with all cancers and 14 out of 25 major cancers. EH and CH residence conferred a higher risk of all cancers compared with UES (OR=1.34, 95% CI 1.07–1.68; and OR=1.39, 95% CI 1.12–1.72, respectively). The prevalence of diabetes and tobacco smoking were the largest contributors toward high cancer rates. Despite juxtaposition and similar proximity to medical centers, cancer incidence disparities persist among EH, CH, and UES neighborhoods. Targeted, neighborhood-specific outreach may aid in reducing cancer incidence rates.
Network Meta-Analysis on the Efficacy of Dexmedetomidine, Midazolam, Ketamine, Propofol, and Fentanyl for the Prevention of Sevoflurane-Related Emergence Agitation in Children
Authors: Fang Xiang-Zhi , Gao Ju , Ge Ya-Li , Zhou Luo-Jing , Zhang Yang
Published: July 2015

Sevoflurane is associated with a relatively high incidence of emergence agitation (EA) in children. Prophylactic treatment, including midazolam, dexmedetomidine, ketamine, fentanyl and propofol, has been used to prevent EA. However, the question of which prophylactic treatment should be preferred to decrease the incidence of EA is still unclear. We conducted a network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials to investigate the comparative efficacy of midazolam, dexmedetomidine, ketamine, fentanyl, and propofol for the prevention of sevoflurane-related EA in children. First, we used the odds ratios and 95% confidence interval as effect size. The results revealed that dexmedetomidine 0.19 (0.14–0.27), midazolam 0.22 (0.07–0.60), ketamine 0.28 (0.16–0.51), propofol 0.23 (0.10–0.53), and fentanyl 0.25 (0.17–0.36) led to a significant reduction of the incidence of EA when compared with placebo. With placebo as the standard of comparison, the degree of incoherence (a measure of how closely the entire network fits together) was small (ω = 8.66728e-08). The logor were dexmedetomidine −1.75 (−2.11 to −1.39), midazolam −1.07 (−1.54 to −0.60), ketamine −1.292 (−1.92 to −0.66), and fentanyl −1.13 (−1.56 to −0.70). When compared with dexmedetomidine, the logor were placebo 1.75 (1.39–2.11), midazolam 0.67 (0.09–1.25), ketamine 0.45 (−0.25–1.15), propofol 0.75 (0.19–1.31), and fentanyl 0.617 (0.13–1.11). When compared with ketamine, the logor were placebo 1.29 (0.66–1.92), midazolam 0.22 (−0.56 to 1.00), dexmedetomidine −0.45 (−1.15–0.25); propofol 0.29 (−0.45–1.03); and fentanyl 0.16 (−0.59–0.92). The study that showed dexmedetomidine, midazolam, ketamine, propofol, and fentanyl could significantly decrease the incidence of EA when compared with placebo. One interesting finding of this network meta-analysis is that dexmedetomidine might be the best choice to prevent EA. However, there is weak evidence that dexmedetomidine is better than ketamine for the prevention of sevoflurane-related EA in children. As a result, more studies are needed to compare dexmedetomidine with ketamine.
Mesorhizobium acaciae sp. nov., isolated from root nodules of Acacia melanoxylon R. Br.
Authors: Zhu Ya Jie , Lu Jun Kun , Chen Ying Long , Wang Sheng Kun , Sui Xin Hua , Kang Li Hua
Published: July 2015

Three novel strains, RITF741T, RITF1220 and RITF909, isolated from root nodules of Acacia melanoxylon in Guangdong Province of China, have been previously identified as members of the genus Mesorhizobium, displaying the same 16S rRNA gene RFLP pattern. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the three strains belong to the genus Mesorhizobium and had highest similarity (100.0 %) to Mesorhizobium plurifarium LMG 11892T. Phylogenetic analyses of housekeeping genes recA, atpD and glnII revealed that these strains represented a distinct evolutionary lineage within the genus Mesorhizobium. Strain RITF741T showed >73 % DNA–DNA relatedness with strains RITF1220 and RITF909, but < 60 % DNA–DNA relatedness with the closest type strains of recognized species of the genus Mesorhizobium. They differed from each other and from their closest phylogenetic neighbours by presence/absence of several fatty acids, or by large differences in the relative amounts of particular fatty acids. While showing distinctive features, they were generally able to utilize a wide range of substrates as sole carbon sources based on API 50CH and API 20NE tests. The three strains were able to form nodules with the original host Acacia melanoxylon and other woody legumes such as Acacia aneura, Albizia falcataria and Leucaena leucocephala. In conclusion, these strains represent a novel species belonging to the genus Mesorhizobium based on the data obtained in the present and previous studies, for which the name Mesorhizobium acaciae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is RITF741T ( = CCBAU 101090T = JCM 30534T), the DNA G+C content of which is 64.1 mol% (T
m).
Alteromonas confluentis sp. nov., isolated from the junction between the ocean and a freshwater spring
Authors: Park Sooyeon , Kang Chul-Hyung , Won Sung-Min , Park Ji-Min , Kim Byung-Chan , Yoon Jung-Hoon
Published: July 2015

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-spore-forming, non-flagellated and coccoid, ovoid or rod-shaped bacterial strain, DSSK2-12T, was isolated from the place where the ocean and a freshwater spring meet at Jeju island, South Korea. Strain DSSK2-12T grew optimally at 30 °C, at pH 7.0–8.0 and in the presence of 2.0 % (w/v) NaCl. The neighbour-joining phylogenetic tree based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain DSSK2-12T fell within the clade comprising the type strains of species of the genus Alteromonas. Strain DSSK2-12T exhibited 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity values of 97.2–98.1 % to the type strains of Alteromonas litorea, Alteromonas marina, Alteromonas hispanica and Alteromonas genovensis and of 95.39–96.98 % to those of other species of the genus Alteromonas. Strain DSSK2-12T contained Q-8 as the predominant ubiquinone and summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c), C16 : 0 and C18 : 1ω7c as the major fatty acids. The major polar lipids of strain DSSK2-12T were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and one unidentified aminolipid. The DNA G+C content of strain DSSK2-12T was 48.6 mol% and its mean DNA–DNA relatedness values with the type strains of A. litorea, A. marina, A. hispanica and A. genovensis were 9–21 %. The differential phenotypic properties, together with phylogenetic and genetic distinctiveness, revealed that strain DSSK2-12T is separated from other species of the genus Alteromonas. On the basis of the data presented, strain DSSK2-12T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Alteromonas, for which the name Alteromonas confluentis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is DSSK2-12T ( = KCTC 42603T = CECT 8870T).
In vitro activity of colistin in antimicrobial combination against carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolated from patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia in Vietnam
Authors: Le Minh Vien , Thi Khanh Nhu Nguyen , Vinh Phat Voong , Thompson Corinne , Huong Lan Nguyen Phu , Thieu Nga Tran Vu , Thanh Tam Pham Thi , Tuyen Ha Thanh , Hoang Nhu Tran Do , Van Hao Nguyen , Thi Loan Huynh , Minh Yen Lam , Parry Christopher M. , Trung Nghia Ho Dang , Campbell James I. , Hien Tran Tinh , Thwaites Louise , Thwaites Guy , Van Vinh Chau Nguyen , Baker Stephen
Published: July 2015

Acinetobacter baumannii has become one of the major infection threats in intensive care units (ICUs) globally. Since 2008, A. baumannii has been the leading cause of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in our ICU at an infectious disease hospital in southern Vietnam. The emergence of this pathogen in our setting is consistent with the persistence of a specific clone exhibiting resistance to carbapenems. Antimicrobial combinations may be a strategy to treat infections caused by these carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii. Therefore, we assessed potential antimicrobial combinations against local carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii by measuring in vitro interactions of colistin with four antimicrobials that are locally certified for treating VAP. We first performed antimicrobial susceptibility testing and multilocus variable number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) genotyping on 74 A. baumannii isolated from quantitative tracheal aspirates from patients with VAP over an 18-month period. These 74 isolates could be subdivided into 21 main clusters by MLVA and >80 % were resistant to carbapenems. We selected 56 representative isolates for in vitro combination synergy testing. Synergy was observed in four (7 %), seven (13 %), 20 (36 %) and 38 (68 %) isolates with combinations of colistin with ceftazidime, ceftriaxone, imipenem and meropenem, respectively. Notably, more carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii isolates (36/43; 84 %) exhibited synergistic activity with a combination of colistin and meropenem than carbapenem-susceptible A. baumannii isolates (2/13; 15 %) (P = 0.023; Fisher's exact test). Our findings suggest that combinations of colistin and meropenem should be considered when treating carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii infections in Vietnam, and we advocate clinical trials investigating combination therapy for VAP.
Floral resource-landscapes and pollinator-mediated interactions in plant communities
Authors: Nottebrock Henning , Schmid Baptiste , Mayer Katharina , Devaux Céline , Esler Karen J. , Katrin Böhning-Gaese , Schleuning Matthias , Pagel Jörn , Schurr Frank M.
Published: July 2015

Plant communities provide floral resource-landscapes for pollinators. Yet, it is insufficiently understood how these landscapes shape pollinator-mediated interactions among multiple plant species. Here, we study how pollinators and the seed set of plants respond to the distribution of a floral resource (nectar sugar) in space and across plant species, inflorescences and flowering phenologies. In a global biodiversity hotspot, we quantified floral resource-landscapes on 27 sites of 4 ha comprising 127,993 shrubs of 19 species. Visitation rates of key bird pollinators strongly depended on the phenology of site-scale resource amounts. Seed set of focal plants increased with resources of conspecific neighbours and with site-scale resources, notably with heterospecific resources of lower quality (less sugar per inflorescence). Floral resources are thus a common currency determining how multiple plant species interact via pollinators. These interactions may alter conditions for species coexistence in plant communities and cause community-level Allee effects that promote extinction cascades.
Adaptive variation in human toll-like receptors is contributed by introgression from both Neandertals and Denisovans
Authors: Dannemann Michael , Andres Aida M. , Kelso Janet
Published: July 2015

Pathogens and the diseases they cause have been among the most important selective forces experienced by humans during their evolutionary history. Although adaptive alleles generally arise by mutation, introgression can also be a valuable source of beneficial alleles. Archaic humans, who lived in Europe and Western Asia for over 200,000 years, were likely well-adapted to the environment and its local pathogens, and it is therefore conceivable that modern humans entering Europe and Western Asia who admixed with them obtained a substantial immune advantage from the introgression of archaic alleles.

Here we document a cluster of three toll-like receptors (TLR6-TLR1-TLR10)in modern humans that carries three distinct archaic haplotypes, indicating repeated introgression from archaic humans. Two of these haplotypes are most similar to Neandertal genome, while the third haplotype is most similar to the Denisovan genome. The toll-like receptors are key components of innate immunity and provide an important first line of immune defense against bacteria, fungi and parasites. The unusually high allele frequencies and unexpected levels of population differentiation indicate that there has been local positive selection on multiple haplotypes at this locus. We show that the introgressed alleles have clear functional effects in modern humans; archaic-like alleles underlie differences in the expression of the TLR genes and are associated with reduced microbial resistance and increased allergic disease in large cohorts. This provides strong evidence for recurrent adaptive introgression at theTLR6-TLR1-TLR10locus, resulting in differences in disease phenotypes in modern humans.
Employers hire for attitude and train for skill
Authors: Rao M.S
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– Lays emphasis on the importance of presenting a positive attitude to grab an offer of employment.

Design/methodology/approach

– Stresses the significance of transferable skills to ensure a successful career shift from one industry to another.

Findings

– Argues that the judicious identification and effective deployment of inborn talents and acquired skills can help in the achievement of career success.

Practical implications

– Shows that these findings can be applied in any organization and sector of the economy.

Social implications

– Seeks support from educational institutions to make students more employable in the corporate world.

Originality/value

– Highlights the importance of taking an inventory of strengths and weaknesses – building on the former and seeking to rectify the latter.
Individuals, teams and organizations score with gamification
Authors: Sarangi Swatee , Shah Shreya
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– Explains how gamification can help to motivate employees and boost individual and organizational performance.

Design/methodology/approach

– Defines gamification and provides some examples of how it can work in practice.

Findings

– Charts how gamification helps to engage employees by infusing vigor, making them dedicated and enabling them to be absorbed in their work.

Practical implications

– Explains that gamification can help in infusing a feel of ownership of performance and results.

Social implications

– Outlines some of the social forces that can help to make gamification a success.

Originality/value

– Reveals that through gamification – designed sensitively, crafted creatively and implemented positively – organizations can target burn-out and help to foster an engaging work environment.
Linkage of plant trait space to successional age and species richness in boreal forest understorey vegetation
Authors: Kumordzi Bright B. , de Bello Francesco , Freschet Grégoire T. , Le Bagousse‐Pinguet Yoann , Lepš Jan , Wardle David A.
Published: July 2015

Determining the changes in within‐ and between‐species functional diversity in plant communities, and their contribution to overall species trait overlap, can enhance efforts at understanding mechanisms of species coexistence. However, little is known about how variation in species functional diversity influences variation in species trait overlap among contrasting environments.

Here, we studied the understorey vegetation in a well‐characterized 5000‐year‐old chronosequence involving 30 forested islands that differ greatly in size, soil fertility and species diversity. Across this chronosequence, we expected consistent changes in both within‐ and between‐species functional diversity that would lead to decreasing overall species trait overlap with increasing successional age, species richness, understorey vegetation density and spatial heterogeneity of soil resources.

For each island, we measured specific leaf area (SLA) of each of ten individuals of each plant species present. Using a variance decomposition method, we partitioned the total community functional diversity of SLA on each island into within‐ and between‐species functional diversity. Further, we estimated overall species trait overlap as the ratio of within‐species functional diversity to total functional diversity. Using regression analyses, we then explored relationships of within‐ and between‐species functional diversity, and of overall species trait overlap, with several environmental variables across the 30 islands.

Consistent with our hypotheses, overall species trait overlap decreased with successional age due to a statistically significant decrease in within‐species functional diversity, and decreased with species richness due to a simultaneous decrease in within‐species functional diversity and increase in between‐species functional diversity. Against our predictions, overall species trait overlap increased in more competitive environments and did not change with increasing spatial heterogeneity of soil N or P.

Synthesis. Our study suggests niche packing as a key mechanism for species coexistence in plant communities. Using SLA as an integrator of plant ecological strategy, we show that community successional age and species richness are significantly linked to trait space distribution of plant individuals of boreal forest understorey vegetation and therefore to local species coexistence. Our results also suggest that the trait space of dominant and subordinate species may respond differently to local environmental variables.
Determinants of bacterial communities in Canadian agroforestry systems
Authors: Banerjee Samiran , Baah‐Acheamfour Mark , Carlyle Cameron N. , Bissett Andrew , Richardson Alan E. , Siddique Tariq , Bork Edward W. , Chang Scott X.
Published: July 2015

Land‐use change is one of the most important factors influencing soil microbial communities, which play a pivotal role in most biogeochemical and ecological processes. Using agroforestry systems as a model, this study examined the effects of land uses and edaphic properties on bacterial communities in three agroforestry types covering a 270 km soil‐climate gradient in Alberta, Canada. Our results demonstrate that land‐use patterns exert stronger effects on soil bacterial communities than soil zones in these agroforestry systems. Plots with trees in agroforestry systems promoted greater bacterial abundance and to some extent species richness, which was associated with more nutrient‐rich soil resources. While Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria and Alphaproteobacteria were the dominant bacterial phyla and subphyla across land uses, Arthrobacter, Acidobacteria_Gp16, Burkholderia, Rhodanobacter and Rhizobium were the keystone taxa in these agroforestry systems. Soil pH and carbon contents emerged as the major determinants of bacterial community characteristics. We found non‐random co‐occurrence and modular patterns of soil bacterial communities, and these patterns were controlled by edaphic factors and not their taxonomy. Overall, this study highlights the drivers and co‐occurrence patterns of soil microbial communities in agroforestry systems.
Intersectionality in family therapy training: inviting students to embrace the complexities of lived experience
Authors: Butler Catherine
Published: July 2015

While intersectionality has become an established and much used theory in feminist and critical race studies, the concept remains relatively underused by systemic family therapists and on family therapy training courses. And yet systemic therapy embraces the multiplicity of human existence and examines the interplay of power relations. This article attempts to fill this gap by emphasizing the usefulness of intersectionality in representing the complexities of lived experience and by presenting an exercise to introduce students to intersectionality in family therapy training.

Practitioner points

Therapists and trainers should be aware of the privileges and oppressions that the intersections of their social locations create.

Therapists and trainers should be ready to initiate conversations with clients and students about intersecting identities and their influence.

Help students to apply intersectionality theory through structured, well‐paced exercises with plenty of in‐built reflexive discussion.
Perpetuating the Military Myth – Why the Psychology of the 2014 Australian Defence Pay Deal Is Irrelevant
Authors: Balint Peter , Dobos Ned
Published: July 2015

There is a widespread belief that members of the armed forces have a unique psychological relationship with their institution and their nation, and that it is this relationship that leads to loyalty and self‐sacrifice. Yet this ‘military myth’ does not hold. Many soldiers serve for ‘occupational’ rather than ‘institutional’ reasons, and as the experience of private military contractors demonstrates, this need not reduce operational effectiveness. In this article, we argue that the concern expressed in the recent commentary in this journal by Williamson et. al. (2015) that the dispute over the 2014 Australian Defence Pay Deal may damage the ‘psychological contract’, turn it from ‘relational’ to ‘transactional’, and undermine operational effectiveness is unfounded and seems to buy into this military myth.
America's Other Guantánamo: British Foreign Policy and the US Base on Diego Garcia
Authors: Harris Peter
Published: July 2015

The British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) is one of Britain's most controversial Overseas Territories. Its indigenous people, the Chagossians, were exiled from their homes in the 1960s and 1970s so that BIOT could play host to a US military base on the island of Diego Garcia. Meanwhile, Diego Garcia has been tarnished by revelations regarding its role in the CIA's ‘extraordinary rendition’ programme and by allegations of torture. And earlier this year, an international tribunal ruled that the UK government had violated international law by pushing through a Marine Protected Area to cover the territory over and above the protestations of neighbouring states. In this article, I argue that allowing the resettlement of BIOT by the Chagossians would go a long way towards improving the way that the territory has been governed for the past five decades.
Soilwater Conductivity Analysis to Date and Locate Clandestine Graves of Homicide Victims
Authors: Pringle Jamie K. , Cassella John P. , Jervis John R. , Williams Anna , Cross Peter , Cassidy Nigel J.
Published: July 2015

In homicide investigations, it is critically important that postmortem interval and postburial interval (PBI) of buried victims are determined accurately. However, clandestine graves can be difficult to locate; and the detection rates for a variety of search methods (ranging from simple ground probing through to remote imaging and near‐surface geophysics) can be very low. In this study, simulated graves of homicide victims were emplaced in three sites with contrasting soil types, bedrock, and depositional environments. The long‐term monthly in situ monitoring of grave soil water revealed rapid increases in conductivity up to 2 years after burial, with the longest study evidencing declining values to background levels after 4.25 years. Results were corrected for site temperatures and rainfall to produce generic models of fluid conductivity as a function of time. The research suggests soilwater conductivity can give reliable PBI estimates for clandestine burials and therefore be used as a grave detection method.
Body, Mind and Spirits: The Physiology of Sexuality in the Culture of Sensibility
Authors: Wagner Darren N.
Published: July 2015

Current scholarship recognises both physiology and sexuality as central elements of the eighteenth‐century culture of sensibility. But scholars have yet really to explore the physiology of sexuality. Through an interdisciplinary approach this article demonstrates the profound resonance of late seventeenth‐century physiological discussions about nerves and animal spirits as the basis for understandings about sexuality and sensibility. Those discussions particularly emphasised specific ways that sex affected the sensible body and rational mind. The physiology of animal spirits – and associated ideas about the body and mind – would underpin representations of sexuality in the art and literature of sensibility in the mid‐eighteenth century.
A nonlethal sampling method to obtain, generate and assemble whole blood transcriptomes from small, wild mammals
Authors: Huang Zixia , Gallot Aurore , Lao Nga T. , Puechmaille Sébastien J. , Foley Nicole M. , Jebb David , Bekaert Michaël , Teeling Emma C.
Published: July 2015

The acquisition of tissue samples from wild populations is a constant challenge in conservation biology, especially for endangered species and protected species where nonlethal sampling is the only option. Whole blood has been suggested as a nonlethal sample type that contains a high percentage of bodywide and genomewide transcripts and therefore can be used to assess the transcriptional status of an individual, and to infer a high percentage of the genome. However, only limited quantities of blood can be nonlethally sampled from small species and it is not known if enough genetic material is contained in only a few drops of blood, which represents the upper limit of sample collection for some small species. In this study, we developed a nonlethal sampling method, the laboratory protocols and a bioinformatic pipeline to sequence and assemble the whole blood transcriptome, using Illumina RNA‐Seq, from wild greater mouse‐eared bats (Myotis myotis). For optimal results, both ribosomal and globin RNAs must be removed before library construction. Treatment of DNase is recommended but not required enabling the use of smaller amounts of starting RNA. A large proportion of protein‐coding genes (61%) in the genome were expressed in the blood transcriptome, comparable to brain (65%), kidney (63%) and liver (58%) transcriptomes, and up to 99% of the mitogenome (excluding D‐loop) was recovered in the RNA‐Seq data. In conclusion, this nonlethal blood sampling method provides an opportunity for a genomewide transcriptomic study of small, endangered or critically protected species, without sacrificing any individuals.
Accuracy of conventional digital palpation and ultrasound of the cricothyroid membrane in obese women in labour
Authors: You‐Ten K. E. , Desai D. , Postonogova T. , Siddiqui N.
Published: July 2015

Success of cricothyroidotomy depends on accurate identification of anatomical neck landmarks. Anaesthetists palpated the cricothyroid membrane of 28 obese and 28 non‐obese women in labour (cut‐off BMI 30 kg.m−2) and marked the entry point for device insertion with an ultraviolet invisible pen. Ultrasonography was used to mark the midpoint of the cricothyroid membrane and the distance between the two marks was measured. The median (IQR [range]) distance between the two marks was significantly greater in the obese than the non‐obese patients (5 (2–9.5 [0–34]) mm vs 1.8 (0.1–6 [0–15]) mm, respectively; p = 0.02). The cricothyroid membrane was accurately identified with digital palpation in only 39% (11/28) of obese compared with 71% (20/28) of non‐obese patients (p = 0.03). Increased neck circumference in obese patients was significantly associated with inaccuracy in locating the cricothyroid membrane. Percutaneous identification of the cricothyroid membrane in obese women in labour was poor. Pre‐procedural ultrasound may help improved the identification of neck landmarks for cricothyroidotomy.
Looking back at the John Mitchell Crouch Fellowship: the most prestigious research award of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
Authors: Boult Margaret , Babidge Wendy , Pleass Susan , Scott David
Published: July 2015

The John Mitchell Crouch Fellowship is a generous endowment made to the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) by the young neurosurgeon's family, following his death from a brain tumour. In this article, we examine the significance and legacy of the grant since its inception in 1979. This is the highest level of research fellowship awarded by the RACS recognizing early career excellence, as part of its significant research funding programme (over $1.7 million in 2015). John Mitchell Crouch recipients have been pioneers in various areas of medicine where they have developed new technologies, established research centres, improved patient safety and military surgery and embraced evidence‐based medicine. The funds they received have directly contributed to research published in numerous highly respected peer‐reviewed journals such as The New England Journal of Medicine; established new laboratories, helped fund clinical trials and allowed new directions of research to be pursued. Recipients of the John Mitchell Crouch Fellowship have been recognized with many awards including 11 Australian and New Zealand Honours to date. Many other significant research funds have been subsequently bestowed, including over 120 National Health Medical Research Council (NHMRC) grants to Australian and New Zealand recipients subsequent to their Fellowship. This article also shows the range of disciplines in which the award has supported cutting‐edge research leading to benefits for patients and health care.
Australia‐Malaysia Security Cooperation as a Pivotal Component for More Stable Bilateral Relations
Authors: Snyder Craig A.
Published: July 2015

In the 1980s and 1990s, Australian‐Malaysian relations reached a critical juncture due to a series of crises, such as the 1986 capital punishment of convicted drug smugglers Barlow and Chambers, and the 1993 “recalcitrant” jibe by Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating. Following the election of the Howard government in 1996, relations continued to be on a roller coaster with the Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad leading anti‐Australia protests over the “Howard Doctrine,” the Australian leadership of the 1999 intervention in East Timor, and the “Deputy Sheriff” controversy. Despite this, defense relations between the two remained strong. The success of this cooperation rests on shared political commitment to the security of the region. This article examines the impact that positive cooperation in “high politics” has had in mitigating the negative aspects of crises in “low politics.” It argues that close bilateral defense relations have worked to prevent the emergence of further critical junctures in 2012 following the collapse of the Australian‐Malaysian refugee swap deal and statements by Australian politicians about Malaysia's poor treatment of asylum seekers, and in 2013 over the overt support by many Australian politicians of the opposition, especially Anwar Ibrahim, during the Malaysian general elections.
The Eagle Eyes the Dragon and the Elephant: American Perspectives on the Rise of China and the Rise of India
Authors: Wei‐cheng Wang Vincent
Published: July 2015

The global financial crisis that originated in the United States in 2008 and the economic turmoil in Europe symbolize the relative decline of Western powers that had dominated world politics and economics since the end of World War II. Against this backdrop, the rapid growth of several large developing countries has altered the contours of international relations (IR). The rise of China and India, in particular, entail far‐reaching geopolitical and geoeconomic implications. Does this portend a hegemonic transition and a shift of world power and plenty toward Asia? This article presents a representative set of American perspectives on the rise of China and the rise of India by investigating through three dimensions: theories (e.g., power transition theory; the realist, liberal‐institutionalist, and constructivist paradigms in IR); empirics (indicators of power and public opinion); and policies (major policy statements). How do contending IR theories help us understand the rise of China and India? How do American elites and publics generally perceive the rise of these two giants? Are there qualitative differences between American perceptions on the rise of China and on the rise of India? The article presents comparative economic and military data, summarizes the key findings from important opinion polls, and interprets several key U.S. policy documents and pronouncements.
Ambulance Transfer in Case of Postpartum Hemorrhage after Birth in Primary Midwifery Care in The Netherlands: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Stolp Ineke , Smit Marrit , Luxemburg Sanne , van den Akker Thomas , de Waard Jan , van Roosmalen Jos , de Vos Rien
Published: July 2015

Background

The objective of this prospective cohort study was to assess whether the 45‐minute prehospital limit for ambulance transfer is met in case of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) after midwifery‐supervised home birth in The Netherlands and evaluate the process of ambulance transfer, maternal condition during transfer, and outcomes in relation to whether this limit was met.

Methods

Using ambulance report forms and medical charts, ambulance intervals, urgency coding, clinical condition (using the lowest Revised Trauma Score, [RTS]), and maternal outcomes were collected. From April 2008 to April 2010, midwives reported 72 cases of PPH. Associations between duration of the ambulance transfer, maternal condition during ambulance transfer and outcomes were analyzed. The main outcome measures were duration of ambulance transfer, RTS, blood loss, surgical procedures, and blood transfusions.

Results

Seventy‐two cases were reported, 18 (25%) were excluded: 54 cases were analyzed. In 63 percent, the 45‐minute prehospital limit was met, 75.9 percent received a RTS of 12, indicating optimal Glasgow Coma Scale, systolic blood pressure, and respiratory frequency. In 24.1 percent a decrease in systolic blood pressure was found (RTS 10 or 11). We found no difference in outcomes between women with different RTS or in whom the 45‐minute prehospital limit was or was not met.

Conclusions

We found no relation between the duration of ambulance transfer and maternal condition or outcomes. All women fully recovered. The low‐risk profile of women in primary care, well‐organized midwifery, and ambulance care in The Netherlands are likely to contribute to these findings.
Lateglacial and early Holocene climatic fluctuations recorded in the diatom flora of Xiaolongwan maar lake, NE China
Authors: Gao Qiang , Rioual Patrick , Chu Guoqiang
Published: July 2015

A palaeolimnological study of the annually laminated sediment sequence of Lake Xiaolongwan, a small maar lake in northeastern China, revealed distinct diatom responses to Lateglacial and early Holocene climate change between c. 19 700 and c. 10 700 a BP. In addition to analyses of diatom assemblage composition and of the biovolume accumulation rate of planktonic diatoms, geochemical (total nitrogen, total organic carbon) and physical (varve type and thickness) indicators were used to assess past environmental change. The diatom assemblages reveal a complex interplay between direct climate effects on the seasonal lake conditions (timing of ice cover break‐up, water column mixing and thermal stratification), catchment‐mediated effects on the concentrations of nutrients and dissolved organic carbon and, possibly, biotic interactions between the different algal groups present in the phytoplankton of Lake Xiaolongwan (diatoms, Chrysophyceae and Dinophyceae). The most remarkable changes in the aquatic system were: (i) a sharp increase in Asterionella formosa and the collapse of Handmannia balatonis at c. 14 780 a BP, corresponding with the onset of the Bølling – Allerød interstadial; (ii) a sharp rise in Stephanodiscus minutulus at c. 12 840 a BP, marking the start of the Younger Dryas event and (iii) when the lake phytoplankton became dominated by Dinophyceae instead of diatoms at c. 11 170 a BP, after the Pre‐Boreal oscillation. Two diatom assemblage zones characterize the Younger Dryas at Lake Xiaolongwan, suggesting a bipartite division of this stadial event as in several records from eastern Asia and Europe. The quasi‐synchronicity of these events with the oscillations described in the North Atlantic realm demonstrates that during the Lateglacial, North Atlantic dynamics at centennial and millennial time scales had a strong control upon the climate in northeastern China.
Variable implementation of good practice recommendations for the assessment and management of UK children with neurodisability
Authors: Gray L. , Gibbs J. , Jolleff N. , Williams J. , McConachie H. , Parr J. R.
Published: July 2015

Objectives

The aims of this study were to determine whether UK child development teams (CDTs) have implemented good practice recommendations for the co‐ordinated assessment and support of children with neurodisability and to explore some of the factors associated with variations in good practice implementation.

Design

Surveys were sent to every UK CDT in 2009/2010. Responses about CDT provision and ways of working were compared with good practice recommendations from national policy documents and professional organizations. The extent to which CDTs in England and Wales met 11 selected good practice recommendations was scored; teams in Scotland and Northern Ireland were given a score out of 9 to reflect the optional use of the common assessment framework and early support materials in these countries.

Results

Responses were received from 225/240 (94%) UK CDTs. Thirty‐seven per cent of CDTs in England and Wales had implemented nine or more of the 11 recommendations. Fifty‐nine per cent of teams in Scotland and 78% of teams in Northern Ireland met between six and nine recommendations of good working practice. Higher levels of implementation of recommendations were found when the CDT had a Child Development Centre base and for teams who had received increased funding in the 5 years preceding the survey.

Conclusions

There was considerable variability in the degree to which CDTs implemented good practice recommendations for the diagnosis and management of children with neurodisability. Evidence about child and parent satisfaction, and the effectiveness of CDT practices and provision, is required, so policymakers, healthcare commissioners and clinicians can provide the most appropriate services to children with neurodisability and their families.
Quantification and regulation of adipsin in human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
Authors: Schmid Andreas , Hochberg Alexandra , Berghoff Martin , Schlegel Jutta , Karrasch Thomas , Kaps Manfred , Schäffler Andreas
Published: July 2015

Context

Data on quantification and regulation of adipsin in human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are sparse, and the physiological role of adipsin as an adipokine crossing the blood–brain barrier (BBB) is uncertain.

Objectives

This study quantified adipsin concentrations in paired serum and CSF samples of patients undergoing neurological evaluation and spinal puncture.

Design

A total of 270 consecutive patients with specified neurological diagnosis were included in this study without prior selection.

Main outcome measures

Adipsin serum and CSF concentrations were measured by ELISA. A variety of serum and CSF routine parameters were measured by standard procedures. Anthropometric data, medication and patient history were available.

Results

Adipsin concentrations ranged between 467 and 5148 ng/ml in serum and between 4·2 and 133·5 ng/ml in CSF. Serum adipsin concentrations were correlated positively with respective CSF concentrations and were approximately 40‐fold higher when compared to CSF. The mean CSF/serum ratio for adipsin was 27 ± 22 × 10−3. Serum and CSF adipsin levels were independent of gender and significantly higher in overweight/obese individuals. Serum and CSF adipsin levels correlated significantly with age and were higher in patients suffering from diabetes mellitus or hypertension. CSF adipsin concentrations showed a significant correlation with markers of inflammation in CSF, but not with CSF total cell count or the presence of oligoclonal bands. Patients suffering from infectious diseases had higher CSF levels of adipsin than multiple sclerosis patients.

Conclusions

Adipsin is present in human CSF under pathophysiological conditions. The positive correlation between serum and CSF concentrations, the positive correlation between the CSF/serum ratios for adipsin and total protein and the lack of association with CSF cell count argue against an autochthonous production in the central nervous system. In contrast, the present data argue for a significant BBB permeability to adipsin.
Comparison of swept source optical coherence tomography and spectral domain optical coherence tomography in polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy
Authors: Ting Daniel SW , Cheung Gemmy CM , Lim Laurence S , Yeo Ian YS
Published: July 2015

Background

Swept source optical coherence tomography (SS‐OCT, Topcon Medical System, Japan) is known to have longer wavelength than spectral domain OCT (SD‐OCT, Spectralis, Heidelberg Engineering, Germany), allowing a deeper penetration into retina and choroidal layers. This objective of this study was to compare the visibility of retinal and choroidal features in polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) using SS‐OCT and SD‐OCT.

Design

This study employs prospective comparative observational case series in Singapore National Eye Center.

Participants

There were 20 eyes (20 patients) with PCV confirmed with indocyanine green angiogram.

Methods

Six pre‐specified OCT parameters (presence of polyps, sharp pigment epithelial detachment [PED] peak, notched PED and visibility of full maximum height of PED, inner segment/outer segment [IS/OS] line and choroid‐scleral interface [CSI]) were graded using SS‐OCT and SD‐OCT.

Main Outcome Measures

The Kappa statistics between the two imaging modalities were calculated.

Results

Both SS‐OCT and SD‐OCT were able to detect polypoidal lesions in the majority of eyes (90% and 85%, respectively). However, SS‐OCT had better detection for CSI and IS/OS lines (CSI: 80% vs 45%, P = 0.05; IS/OS line: 65% vs 45%, P = 0.34). For sharp PED peak, notched PED, ability to visualize the full PED height and retinal pigment epithelial line, both OCT machines were able to detect in ≥80% of the eyes.

Conclusion

In conclusion, SS‐OCT and SD‐OCT appeared to be similarly effective at detecting most features associated with PCV. However, SS‐OCT is more superior in detecting the CSI.
IN TANDEM OR OUT OF SYNC? ACADEMIC ECONOMICS RESEARCH AND PUBLIC POLICY MEASURES
Authors: Kosnik Lea‐Rachel
Published: July 2015

This paper investigates whether academic research attention to certain policy‐related measures (including gross domestic product, unemployment, and inflation) is correlated with empirical measurements of the measures themselves. In other words, when unemployment rises, does research attention to the matter increase? Or do economists pursue research (in the short run) relatively uninfluenced by policy shocks on the ground? Text analysis implies that economic attention to key policy terms does correlate with empirical movements of the terms in most instances; however, the stronger and more consistent correlation is between use of policy terms in the literature and discussion of them by the broader public. (JEL A11, H00)
Reduced common carotid artery longitudinal wall motion and intramural shear strain in individuals with elevated cardiovascular disease risk using speckle tracking
Authors: Tat Jimmy , Au Jason S. , Keir Peter J. , MacDonald Maureen J.
Published: July 2015

Longitudinal motion of the intima–media and adventitia layers of the common carotid artery (CCA) wall were assessed with ultrasound speckle tracking in seven individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI), who are considered at increased risk of cardiovascular disease, and in seven able‐bodied participants. CCA longitudinal wall displacement and intramural shear strain were compared to traditional markers of arterial health, including CCA stiffness and intima–media thickness (IMT). For each cardiac cycle, longitudinal CCA wall motion was characterized by bidirectional movement patterns containing motion retrograde to blood flow during systole, followed by antegrade motion during diastole. Relative displacement of the intima–media versus the adventitia was used to calculate longitudinal intramural shear strain and provided insight to local arterial wall properties. The retrograde intramural shear strain was smaller in individuals with SCI by 60·2% (P<0·05) compared to able‐bodied participants, showing smaller peak displacements in both the intima–media (P<0·05) and adventitia (P<0·05). In the antegrade direction, there were no group differences in either longitudinal displacements or shear strain. The group differences observed in the retrograde wall motion phase were greater than those observed for CCA stiffness or IMT and were found to be independent of both indices, indicating indices of the retrograde phase intramural shear strain may be a novel and sensitive marker of vascular health. Our findings demonstrate that assessment of longitudinal arterial wall shear strain may provide valuable insight into vascular structure and function and may hold potential for the early detection of cardiovascular disease.