bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fitting Marginal Structural and G-Estimation Models Under Complex Treatment Patterns: Investigating the Association Between De Novo Vitamin D Supplement Use After Breast Cancer Diagnosis and All-Cause Mortality Using Linked Pharmacy Claim and Registry Data
Authors: Madden Jamie M , Leacy Finbarr P , Zgaga Lina , Bennett Kathleen
Published: October 2019

Studies have shown that accounting for time-varying confounding through time-dependent Cox proportional hazards models may provide biased estimates of the causal effect of treatment when the confounder is also a mediator. We explore 2 alternative approaches to addressing this problem while examining the association between vitamin D supplementation initiated after breast cancer diagnosis and all-cause mortality. Women aged 50–80 years were identified in the National Cancer Registry Ireland (n = 5,417) between 2001 and 2011. Vitamin D use was identified from linked prescription data (n = 2,570). We sought to account for the time-varying nature of vitamin D use and time-varying confounding by bisphosphonate use using 1) marginal structural models (MSMs) and 2) G-estimation of structural nested accelerated failure-time models (SNAFTMs). Using standard adjusted Cox proportional hazards models, we found a reduction in all-cause mortality in de novo vitamin D users compared with nonusers (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.84, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.73, 0.99). Additional adjustment for vitamin D and bisphosphonate use in the previous month reduced the hazard ratio (HR = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.33, 0.63). Results derived from MSMs (HR = 0.44, 95% CI: 0.32, 0.61) and SNAFTMs (HR = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.34, 0.52) were similar. Utilizing MSMs and SNAFTMs to account for time-varying bisphosphonate use did not alter conclusions in this example.
From Snapshots of Practice to a Movie: Researching Long-Term Social Work and Child Protection by Getting as Close as Possible to Practice and Organisational Life
Authors: Ferguson Harry , Leigh Jadwiga , Cooner Tarsem Singh , Beddoe Liz , Disney Tom , Warwick Lisa , Plumridge Gillian
Published: October 2019

Research into social work and child protection has begun to observe practice to find out what social workers actually do, however, no such ethnographic research has been done into long-term practice. This article outlines and analyses the methods used in a study of long-term social work and child protection practice. Researchers spent fifteen months embedded in two social work departments observing organisational practices, culture and staff supervision. We also regularly observed social worker’s encounters with children and families in a sample of thirty cases for up to a year, doing up to twenty-one observations of practice in the same cases. Family members were also interviewed up to 3 times during that time. This article argues that a methodology that gets as close as possible to practitioners and managers as they are doing the work and that takes a longitudinal approach can provide deep insights into what social work practice is, how helpful relationships with service users are established and sustained over time, or not, and the influence of organisations. The challenges and ethical dilemmas involved in doing long-term research that gets so close to social work teams, casework and service users for up to a year are considered.
Action perception recruits the cerebellum and is impaired in patients with spinocerebellar ataxia
Authors: Abdelgabar Abdel R , Suttrup Judith , Broersen Robin , Bhandari Ritu , Picard Samuel , Keysers Christian , De Zeeuw Chris I , Gazzola Valeria
Published: October 2019

Using a combination of neuroimaging and behavioural studies, Abdelgabar et al. show that the cerebellum helps us perceive the actions of others. Disorders such as spinocerebellar ataxia type 6, which disrupt cerebellar functioning, impair our ability to perceive the kinematics of other people’s actions, with potential implications for social cognition.
Genetic variability in response to amyloid beta deposition influences Alzheimer’s disease risk
Authors: Salih Dervis A , Bayram Sevinc , Guelfi Sebastian , Reynolds Regina H , Shoai Maryam , Ryten Mina , Brenton Jonathan W , Zhang David , Matarin Mar , Botia Juan A , Shah Runil , Brookes Keeley J , Guetta-Baranes Tamar , Morgan Kevin , Bellou Eftychia , Cummings Damian M , Escott-Price Valentina , Hardy John
Published: October 2019

Genome-wide association studies of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease risk have previously identified genes primarily expressed in microglia that form a transcriptional network. Using transgenic mouse models of amyloid deposition, we previously showed that many of the mouse orthologues of these risk genes are co-expressed and associated with amyloid pathology. In this new study, we generate an improved RNA-seq-derived network that is expressed in amyloid-responsive mouse microglia and we statistically compare this with gene-level variation in previous human Alzheimer’s disease genome-wide association studies to predict at least four new risk genes for the disease (OAS1, LAPTM5, ITGAM/CD11b and LILRB4). Of the mouse orthologues of these genes Oas1a is likely to respond directly to amyloid at the transcriptional level, similarly to established risk gene Trem2, because the increase in Oas1a and Trem2 transcripts in response to amyloid deposition in transgenic mice is significantly higher than both the increase of the average microglial transcript and the increase in microglial number. In contrast, the mouse orthologues of LAPTM5, ITGAM/CD11b and LILRB4 (Laptm5, Itgam/CD11b and Lilra5) show increased transcripts in the presence of amyloid plaques similar in magnitude to the increase of the average microglial transcript and the increase in microglia number, except that Laptm5 and Lilra5 transcripts increase significantly quicker than the average microglial transcript as the plaque load becomes dense. This work suggests that genetic variability in the microglial response to amyloid deposition is a major determinant for Alzheimer’s disease risk, and identification of these genes may help to predict the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. These findings also provide further insights into the mechanisms underlying Alzheimer’s disease for potential drug discovery.
Maximum cardiac performance of Antarctic fishes that lack haemoglobin and myoglobin: exploring the effect of warming on nature’s natural knockouts
Authors: Egginton Stuart , Axelsson Michael , Crockett Elizabeth L , O’Brien Kristin M , Farrell Anthony P
Published: October 2019

Antarctic notothenioids, some of which lack myoglobin (Mb) and/or haemoglobin (Hb), are considered extremely stenothermal, which raises conservation concerns since Polar regions are warming at unprecedented rates. Without reliable estimates of maximum cardiac output ($\dot{Q}$), it is impossible to assess their physiological scope in response to warming seas. Therefore, we compared cardiac performance of two icefish species, Chionodraco rastrospinosus (Hb−Mb+) and Chaenocephalus aceratus (Hb−Mb−), with a related notothenioid, Notothenia coriiceps (Hb+Mb+) using an in situ perfused heart preparation. The maximum $\dot{Q}$, heart rate (fH), maximum cardiac work (WC) and relative ventricular mass of N. coriiceps at 1°C were comparable to temperate-water teleosts, and acute warming to 4°C increased fH and WC, as expected. In contrast, icefish hearts accommodated a higher maximum stroke volume (VS) and maximum $\dot{Q}$ at 1°C, but their unusually large hearts had a lower fH and maximum afterload tolerance than N. coriiceps at 1°C. Furthermore, maximum VS, maximum $\dot{Q}$ and fH were all significantly higher for the Hb−Mb+ condition compared with the Hb−Mb− condition, a potential selective advantage when coping with environmental warming. Like N. coriiceps, both icefish species increased fH at 4°C. Acutely warming C. aceratus increased maximum $\dot{Q}$, while C. rastrospinosus (like N. coriiceps) held at 4°C for 1 week maintained maximum $\dot{Q}$ when tested at 4°C. These experiments involving short-term warming should be followed up with long-term acclimation studies, since the maximum cardiac performance of these three Antarctic species studied seem to be tolerant of temperatures in excess of predictions associated with global warming.
Comparative leucocyte populations between two sympatric carnivores (Nasua narica and Procyon lotor)
Authors: Rendón-Franco Emilio , López-Díaz Osvaldo , Rodríguez-Espinosa Oscar , Rojas-Serranía Nora , Rodríguez-Cabo-Mercado Roberto , Moreno-Altamirano Maria M B , Muñoz-García Claudia I , Villanueva-García Claudia , Aguilar-Setién Alvaro
Published: October 2019

Coatis (Nasua narica) and raccoons (Procyon lotor) potentially play an important role in zoonotic diseases because they may carry pathogens and can transmit them to humans. To date, our understanding of the immune function of these two carnivores is deficient. The aim of this study was to compare the number of leucocyte subtypes and the phagocytic capacity between the coati and the raccoon. Blood samples were collected, and leucocyte subtypes were characterized and counted by flow cytometry and microscopy, respectively. Phagocytosis was analysed by kinetic assay. Differences in leucocytes between these two species were found; the total count of neutrophils was higher in raccoons than in coatis, but lymphocytes and eosinophils were higher in coatis than in raccoons. Antigen reduction was more rapid for the coatis. However, raccoons had a higher efficient endocytic process than coatis. This study provides the basis for understanding the procyonid immune system, which informs conservation, particularly since some procyonids are imperilled.
Progression of left anterior descending artery dissection due to stent implantation for spontaneous coronary artery dissection of left circumflex artery: a case report
Authors: Matsushita Kensuke , Ristorto Jessica , Morel Olivier , Ohlmann Patrick
Published: October 2019

Background

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a rare disease that predominantly affects woman. Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is recommended only in patients with ongoing ischaemia because it carries a high risk of procedural complications in SCAD patients.

Case summary

A 51-year-old woman was admitted to our institution owing to severe chest pain. Coronary angiography showed a diffuse narrowing and radiolucent luminal flap which runs parallel to the vessel wall in the proximal left circumflex coronary artery and SCAD was diagnosed. After PCI was undertaken, optical coherence tomography disclosed a circular haematoma at the stent distal segment and an intimal tear at the distal left main coronary artery. A conservative approach was decided owing to patient stability without evidence of ongoing ischaemia and normal coronary flow. Thirty minutes later, the patient started to complain of chest pain with the ST-segment elevation in leads I, aVL, and V2–3. Coronary angiography demonstrated a total occlusion of the second diagonal brunch and double lumen morphology at the proximal-potion of left anterior descending with TIMI2 distal flow suggesting the extension of coronary dissection. Optical coherence tomography imaging revealed that the entry door of the dissection was located where the small intimal tear was found. Percutaneous coronary intervention was successfully performed, and the patient was discharged without any complication.

Discussion

Although the underlying mechanism of recurrent SCAD remain largely unknown, our case suggests that the residual inlet of the dissection may associate with the extension of the coronary dissection.
Is College Completion Associated with Better Cognition in Later Life for People Who Are the Least, or Most, Likely to Obtain a Bachelor’s Degree?
Authors: Greenfield Emily A , Akincigil Ayse , Moorman Sara M
Published: October 2019

Objectives

Drawing on insights from theorizing on cumulative dis/advantage (CDA), we aimed to advance understanding of educational attainment as a protective factor for later-life cognition by examining whether associations between obtaining a bachelor’s degree and later-life cognition differ according to individuals’ likelihood of completing college based on characteristics in adolescence.

Methods

We conducted a propensity score analysis with data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS). Measures to predict college completion were assessed prospectively in adolescence, and a global measure of later-life cognition was based on cognitive assessments at age 65.

Results

College completion by age 25 (vs high school only) was associated with better later-life cognition for both men and women. Among men specifically, associations were stronger for those who were less likely as adolescents to complete college.

Discussion

Results indicate the utility of a CDA perspective for investigating the implications of interconnected early life risk and protective factors for later-life cognition, as well as ways in which college education can both contribute to, as well as mitigate, processes of CDA.
Structural analysis of urinary glycosaminoglycans from healthy human subjects
Authors: Han Xiaorui , Sanderson Patience , Nesheiwat Sara , Lin Lei , Yu Yanlei , Zhang Fuming , Amster I Jonathan , Linhardt Robert J
Published: October 2019

Urinary glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) can reflect the health condition of a human being, and the GAGs composition can be directly related to various diseases. In order to effectively utilize such information, a detailed understanding of urinary GAGs in healthy individuals can provide insight into the levels and structures of human urinary GAGs. In this study, urinary GAGs were collected and purified from healthy males and females of adults and young adults. The total creatinine-normalized urinary GAG content, molecular weight distribution and disaccharide compositions were determined. Using capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE)–mass spectrometry (MS) and CZE–MS/MS relying on negative electron transfer dissociation, the major components of healthy human urinary GAGs were determined. The structures of 10 GAG oligosaccharides representing the majority of human urinary GAGs were determined.
Brexit identities and British public opinion on China
Authors: Chow Wilfred M. , Han Enze , Li Xiaojun
Published: October 2019

Many studies have explored the importance of public opinion in British foreign policy decision-making, especially when it comes to the UK's relations with the United States and the European Union. Despite its importance, there is a dearth of research on public opinion about British foreign policy towards other major players in the international system, such as emerging powers like China. We have addressed this knowledge gap by conducting a public opinion survey in the UK after the Brexit referendum. Our research findings indicate that the British public at large finds China's rise disconcerting, but is also pragmatic in its understanding of how the ensuing bilateral relations should be managed. More importantly, our results show that views on China are clearly split between the two opposing Brexit identities. Those who subscribe strongly to the Leave identity, measured by their aversion to the EU and antipathy towards immigration, are also more likely to hold negative perceptions of Chinese global leadership and be more suspicious of China as a military threat. In contrast, those who espouse a Remain identity—that is, believe that Britain would be better served within the EU and with more immigrants—are more likely to prefer closer engagement with China and to have a more positive outlook overall on China's place within the global community.
Residual Effects of Termiticides on Mortality of Formosan Subterranean Termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) on Substrates Subjected to Flooding
Authors: Sapkota Rajani , Stout Michael J , Henderson Gregg
Published: October 2019

Concerns on efficacies of termiticides used for soil treatment to prevent Formosan subterranean termite (Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki) infestations have prompted pest control companies to suggest that retreatments are necessary after flooding of homes. Therefore, to address concerns about the efficacy of termiticides after flooding, we designed a flooding simulation experiment in the laboratory. We used four formulated termiticides containing fipronil, imidacloprid, chlorantraniliprole, or bifenthrin as active ingredients (a.i.) and two colonies of field-collected C. formosanus for this study. Evaluations of each chemical at concentrations of 1, 10, and 25 ppm in both sand and soil were conducted in the laboratory by comparing termite mortalities in no-choice bioassays after exposure to flooded (for 1 wk) and unflooded substrates. Toxicity from bifenthrin and fipronil were not affected by flooding regardless of substrate type except at the lowest concentration tested. Toxicity from chlorantraniliprole was lower in flooded sand at 1 ppm but otherwise similar among flooding treatments. In flooded soil, toxicity from chlorantraniliprole was low at 1 ppm, but unexpectedly high in flooded conditions at 10 and 25 ppm. For all concentrations of imidacloprid-treated sand, mortality of C. formosanus was reduced after a flood. However, like chlorantraniliprole, 10 and 25 ppm of imidacloprid-treated soil in flooded conditions resulted in an increased toxicity on C. formosanus. Our study supports the idea that chemicals with a higher water solubility like imidacloprid may require a home to be retreated with less water-soluble termiticides or baits after a flood.
Acetylation of ezrin regulates membrane–cytoskeleton interaction underlying CCL18-elicited cell migration
Authors: Song Xiaoyu , Wang Wanjuan , Wang Haowei , Yuan Xiao , Yang Fengrui , Zhao Lingli , Mullen McKay , Du Shihao , Zohbi Najdat , Muthusamy Saravanakumar , Cao Yalei , Jiang Jiying , Xia Peng , He Ping , Ding Mingrui , Emmett Nerimah , Ma Mingming , Wu Quan , Green Hadiyah-Nicole , Ding Xia , Wang Dongmei , Wang Fengsong , Liu Xing
Published: October 2019

Ezrin, a membrane–cytoskeleton linker protein, plays an essential role in cell polarity establishment, cell migration, and division. Recent studies show that ezrin phosphorylation regulates breast cancer metastasis by promoting cancer cell survivor and promotes intrahepatic metastasis via cell migration. However, it was less characterized whether there are additional post-translational modifications and/or post-translational crosstalks on ezrin underlying context-dependent breast cancer cell migration and invasion. Here we show that ezrin is acetylated by p300/CBP-associated factor (PCAF) in breast cancer cells in response to CCL18 stimulation. Ezrin physically interacts with PCAF and is a cognate substrate of PCAF. The acetylation site of ezrin was mapped by mass spectrometric analyses, and dynamic acetylation of ezrin is essential for CCL18-induced breast cancer cell migration and invasion. Mechanistically, the acetylation reduced the lipid-binding activity of ezrin to ensure a robust and dynamic cycling between the plasma membrane and cytosol in response to CCL18 stimulation. Biochemical analyses show that ezrin acetylation prevents the phosphorylation of Thr567. Using atomic force microscopic measurements, our study revealed that acetylation of ezrin induced its unfolding into a dominant structure, which prevents ezrin phosphorylation at Thr567. Thus, these results present a previously undefined mechanism by which CCL18-elicited crosstalks between the acetylation and phosphorylation on ezrin control breast cancer cell migration and invasion. This suggests that targeting PCAF signaling could be a potential therapeutic strategy for combating hyperactive ezrin-driven cancer progression.
Bombing and Mining in War: Evidence from Cambodia
Authors: Kohama Shoko , Ohtsuki Kazuto , Tominaga Yasutaka
Published: October 2019

This study explores the political-economic determinants of military strategy during civil war to explain the intensity of suffering that certain conflict zones and their inhabitants suffer due to aerial bombing and landmines. Adversaries seeking post-war rents consider distinct consequences of weapons use in the target society: bombing causes instantaneous destruction, whereas landmines cause persistent but fading negative externalities on human activities, such as labor. Thus, it is expected that economic rents with different characteristics are associated with the use of different types of weapons because the benefits derived from these rents after the conflict vary. By focusing on the nature of economic rents available in conflict zones, this study demonstrates that aerial bombing is more likely when the targeted territory relies economically on renewable resources and industries such as agriculture, whereas landmines are more likely to be used in territories endowed with perishable resources such as gemstones. An empirical analysis utilizing newly compiled geo-coded data on the locations of US airstrikes and landmine contamination during the Cambodian Civil War finds strong positive associations between agricultural productivity and the number of airstrikes, and between the proximity to large gem deposits and landmine contamination, holding major tactical variables constant. The results suggest that societies' economic structures have a sizable effect on the manner in which adversaries fight a war and, therefore, affect how people suffer from it.
MaGenDB: a functional genomics hub for Malvaceae plants
Authors: Wang Dehe , Fan Weiliang , Guo Xiaolong , Wu Kai , Zhou Siyu , Chen Zonggui , Li Danyang , Wang Kun , Zhu Yuxian , Zhou Yu
Published: October 2019

Malvaceae is a family of flowering plants containing many economically important plant species including cotton, cacao and durian. Recently, the genomes of several Malvaceae species have been decoded, and many omics data were generated for individual species. However, no integrative database of multiple species, enabling users to jointly compare and analyse relevant data, is available for Malvaceae. Thus, we developed a user-friendly database named MaGenDB (http://magen.whu.edu.cn) as a functional genomics hub for the plant community. We collected the genomes of 13 Malvaceae species, and comprehensively annotated genes from different perspectives including functional RNA/protein element, gene ontology, KEGG orthology, and gene family. We processed 374 sets of diverse omics data with the ENCODE pipelines and integrated them into a customised genome browser, and designed multiple dynamic charts to present gene/RNA/protein-level knowledge such as dynamic expression profiles and functional elements. We also implemented a smart search system for efficiently mining genes. In addition, we constructed a functional comparison system to help comparative analysis between genes on multiple features in one species or across closely related species. This database and associated tools will allow users to quickly retrieve large-scale functional information for biological discovery.
Shewanella algae Infections in United States Naval Special Warfare Trainees
Authors: Bauer Matthew J , Stone-Garza Kristi K , Croom Daniel , Andreoli Cheryl , Woodson Peter , Graf Paul C F , Maves Ryan C
Published: October 2019

Shewanella infections are uncommon in immunocompetent hosts. We report 6 cases of Shewanella algae infection in young, healthy Naval Special Warfare trainees in San Diego during 2 consecutive El Niño seasons, defining a unique population at risk and adding to the epidemiologic understanding of this potentially virulent organism.
Exactly solvable discrete quantum mechanical systems and multi-indexed orthogonal polynomials of the continuous Hahn and Meixner–Pollaczek types
Authors: Odake Satoru
Published: October 2019

We present new exactly solvable systems of the discrete quantum mechanics with pure imaginary shifts, whose physical range of coordinates is a whole real line. These systems are shape invariant and their eigenfunctions are described by the multi-indexed continuous Hahn and Meixner–Pollaczek orthogonal polynomials. The set of degrees of these multi-indexed polynomials is $\{\ell_{\mathcal{D}},\ell_{\mathcal{D}}+1,\ell_{\mathcal{D}}+2,\ldots\}$, where $\ell_{\mathcal{D}}$ is an even positive integer ($\mathcal{D}$: a multi-index set), but they form a complete set of orthogonal basis in the weighted Hilbert space.
EXPOSURE OF THE BIOGAS STATION OPERATORS WORKING WITH CONTAMINATED BIOMASS
Authors: Škrkal Jan , Možnar Radim , Kajan Miroslav , Fantínová Karin
Published: October 2019

The article deals with evaluation of irradiation of an operator of a 1 MW biogas station (BGS), processing silage plant biomass contaminated by 137Cs and 134Cs. External irradiation and internal irradiation by the means of aerosol particles inhalation were considered. For calculation of the external irradiation, a BGS model was created in the MCNP. The calculated total committed effective doses received by the operator during annual handling of biomass contaminated by 1 kBq per kg of 137Cs or 134Cs were 34 or 69 μSv, respectively. Three scenarios of contamination were evaluated: freshly contaminated silage after model accident, silage right after the Chernobyl accident and at the current radiation situation in the Czech Republic.
Effects of group-size-floor space allowance during the nursery phase of production on future litter size and retention of sows through three parities1
Authors: Callahan Stuart R , Cross Amanda J , DeDecker Ashley E , Lindemann Merlin D , Estienne Mark J
Published: October 2019

We previously reported that reduced floor space allowance caused by increasing the number of gilts per pen decreased growth and affected blood chemistry and immunology. The current objective was to determine effects of nursery group-size-floor space allowance on future litter sizes and retention in the breeding herd through three parities in sows. A 3 × 3 factorial arrangement of treatments was employed with 2,537 gilts classified as large (6.92 ± 0.06 kg), medium (5.60 ± 0.06 kg), or small (4.42 ± 0.06 kg), and placed in nursery pens of 14, 11, or 8 pigs to allow 0.15, 0.19, or 0.27 m2 floor space/pig, respectively. After the nursery and grow-finish periods, 1,453 gilts selected for breeding were relocated to one of 11 sow farms. Total litter size and pigs born alive increased (P < 0.01) with increasing parity and total litter size was 12.94, 13.28, and 13.99 (SE = 0.13) and pigs born alive was 12.21, 12.64, and 13.23 (SE = 0.11) for Parities 1, 2, and 3, respectively. There was a tendency (P = 0.08) for a quadratic relationship of group-size-floor space allowance and total litter size (13.39, 13.54, and 13.27 [SE = 0.13] for gilts allowed 0.15, 0.19, or 0.27 m2 floor space/pig, respectively). A linear effect of size of pig at weaning (P = 0.03) on pigs born dead was detected and was 0.64, 0.75, and 0.75, for small, medium, and large size pigs, respectively. There was no effect of group-size-floor space allowance on the percentages of gilts completing zero (P = 0.36), one (P = 0.35), two (P = 0.32), or three (P = 0.50) parities. In contrast, the percentage of small gilts that failed to complete one parity was greater (P < 0.05) and the percentage completing one parity (P < 0.05) was less than for either large or medium gilts. Abortion rate was greater (P < 0.01) in gilts classified as small (2.51%) or medium (1.36%) at weaning compared with those classified as large (0.20%). Size at weaning did not affect the proportion of gilts completing two (P = 0.88) or three (P = 0.72) parities. Group-size-floor space allowance during the nursery phase of production did not have remarkable effects on future litter sizes or retention in sows. Likewise, size of pig at weaning did not affect litter size and pigs born alive. Compared with larger pigs, however, more pigs classified as small at weaning and entering the breeding herd did not complete a parity and displayed a greater abortion rate.
Pingu virus: A new picornavirus in penguins from Antarctica
Authors: de Souza William Marciel , Fumagalli Marcílio Jorge , Martin Matheus Cavalheiro , de Araujo Jansen , Orsi Maria Angela , Sanfilippo Luiz Francisco , Modha Sejal , Durigon Edison Luiz , Proença-Módena José Luiz , Arns Clarice Weis , Murcia Pablo Ramiro , Figueiredo Luiz Tadeu Moraes
Published: October 2019

Picornaviridae family comprises single-stranded, positive-sense RNA viruses distributed into forty-seven genera. Picornaviruses have a broad host range and geographic distribution in all continents. In this study, we applied a high-throughput sequencing approach to examine the presence of picornaviruses in penguins from King George Island, Antarctica. We discovered and characterized a novel picornavirus from cloacal swab samples of gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua), which we tentatively named Pingu virus. Also, using RT-PCR we detected this virus in 12.9 per cent of cloacal swabs derived from P. papua, but not in samples from adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) or chinstrap penguins (Pygoscelis antarcticus). Attempts to isolate the virus in a chicken cell line and in embryonated chicken eggs were unsuccessful. Our results expand the viral diversity, host range, and geographical distribution of the Picornaviridae.
Free Primary Education, Fertility, and Women’s Access to the Labor Market: Evidence from Ethiopia
Authors: Chicoine Luke
Published: October 2019

This article investigates the causal relationship between women’s schooling and fertility by exploiting variation generated by the removal of school fees in Ethiopia. The increase in schooling caused by the reform is identified using both geographic variation in the intensity of its impact and temporal variation generated by the timing of the implementation. The model finds that the removal of school fees led to an increase in schooling for Ethiopian women and that each additional year of schooling led to a reduction in fertility. An investigation of the underlying mechanisms linking schooling and fertility finds that the decline in fertility is associated with an increase in labor market opportunity and a reduction in women’s ideal number of children.
Web-Based Tailored Nursing Intervention to Support Medication Self-management
Authors: Côté José , Fortin Marie-Chantal , Auger Patricia , Rouleau Geneviève , Dubois Sylvie , Vaillant Isabelle , Gélinas-Lemay Élisabeth , Boudreau Nathalie
Published: October 2019

Optimal adherence to immunosuppressive medication is essential to kidney graft success. A Web-based tailored virtual nursing intervention was developed to promote medication adherence and support self-management among kidney transplant recipients. A qualitative study was undertaken in a hospital setting in Montreal (Canada) to document how users experience the intervention and to explore medication intake self-management behaviors. To participate, transplant recipients had to be at least 18 years old and had to have completed at least one computer session of the intervention. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 10 participants (two women, eight men) with a mean age of 47.8 years. They reported receiving their latest renal transplant on average 10.6 years prior. Content analysis of the interview transcripts yielded five major themes: (1) kidney transplant is a gift from life; (2) routinization of medication intake; (3) intervention is a new and positive experience; (4) using the intervention offers many benefits; and (5) individual relevance of the intervention. Patient experience shows the intervention is acceptable and can help better manage medication intake. Results also underscore the importance of offering the intervention early in the care trajectory of transplant recipients. Web-based tailored virtual nursing interventions could constitute an easily available adjunct to existing specialized services.
Screening Instruments for Developmental and Behavioral Concerns in Pediatric Hispanic Populations in the United States: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Bevan Stacey L. , Liu Jianghong , Wallis Kate E. , Pinto-Martin Jennifer A.
Published: October 2019

Background:

Racial and ethnic disparities in the identification of developmental and behavioral concerns in children are public health problems in the United States. Early identification of developmental delay using validated screening instruments provides a pathway to prevention and intervention in pediatric health care settings. However, the validity of Spanish-language screening instruments, used in clinical settings in the United States, has not been systematically examined.

Objective:

This study aims to review the literature of clinically administered developmental and behavioral instruments with Hispanic caregivers to investigate implementation variation due to language and cultural factors.

Methods:

A systematic literature review using PubMed and PsycINFO was conducted of articles published from January 1, 2006 to December 12, 2017. Abstract, full-text, and critical appraisal resulted in 11 studies that met criteria for inclusion.

Results:

Five different instruments were used to screen Hispanic or Spanish-speaking caregivers of children younger than 6 years. None of the instruments established validity and reliability apart from Spanish translation. Two studies identified differences in screening results with Spanish-speaking caregivers due to language and 6 described cultural differences that impacted screening implementation. Two studies reported differential item functioning in Spanish-translated instruments.

Conclusions:

Language and cultural considerations are critical to the administration of valid and reliable screening in pediatric health care settings. Available developmental and behavioral Spanish-language-screening instruments function differently because of both language and culture, suggesting the tools are not as psychometrically valid when administered to Spanish-speaking families. Validation of translated screening instruments is essential to eliminate the possibility of detection bias or misidentification of developmental risk, improving early access to clinical services for Hispanic and Spanish-speaking families.
Voluntary Hospital Reporting of Performance in Cancer Care: Does Volume Make a Difference?
Authors: Jin Bonnie , Nembhard Ingrid M.
Published: October 2019

Little is known about which hospitals participate in voluntary public reporting of quality processes and what influences their performance, particularly in cancer care. We hypothesize that patient volume is positively associated with both reporting and performance. In 2014, when Pennsylvania became the first and only state to have public reporting for cancer care, it became possible to test these hypotheses, which we did in cross-sectional study of the 72 Pennsylvania hospitals accredited by the Commission on Cancer. Hospitals that publicly reported their performance (57 of 72) had higher patient volumes than hospitals that did not release performance. Among reporting hospitals, no association was found between patient volume and performance on process of care metrics. These findings suggest the importance of attending to volume effects in public reporting of cancer care and recognizing that volume is not a predictor of performance for reporting hospitals, which indicates the need for research to identify other factors that differentiate performance within and across reporting and nonreporting hospitals.
Constitutional Mismatch Repair Gene Defect Syndrome Presenting With Adenomatous Polyposis and Cafe au Lait Spots: A Case Report
Authors: Sağ Elif , Erkut Murat , Saygin İsmail , Çebi Alper Han , Bahadir Aysenur , Erduran Erol , Saruhan Haluk , Cakir Murat
Published: October 2019

Introduction:

Adenomatous polyps in the gastrointestinal system rarely occur in childhood and are accompanied by syndromes such as Familial adenomatous polyposis, attenuated familial adenomatous polyposis, and MUTYH-associated polyposis, Gardner and Turcot syndrome, and also mismatch repair (MMR) gene defects. In this article, we want to present a rare patient who had adenomatous polyposis and in situ carcinoma and was detected biallelic MMR gene defect.

Case:

A 16-year-old female patient admitted with painless rectal bleeding, chronic abdominal pain, and anorexia for 1 year. Her physical examination was notable for multiple cafe au lait spots. The colonoscopic and histopathologic examination revealed multiple adenomatous polyps that one of them contains low-high grade dysplasia and in situ carsinoma. Genetic analysis revealed a homozygous mutation in the PMS2 gene [c.1164delT (p.H388Qfs*10) (p.His388GInfsTer10)] and she was diagnosed with constitutional MMR gene defect syndrome. Polypectomy was performed 4 times in 2 years period. Then, the patient’s last colonoscopic examination revealed a large broad polyp in the rectum and multiple polyps in the other colon segments, and she underwent colectomy because of high risk of colorectal cancer.

Conclusions:

Adenomatous polyps are very important in childhood because of rarity. In particular, the presence of cafe au lait spots and a history of malignancy detected in relatives at an early age must be considered for CMMRD.
Matched Comparison of Microsurgical Anastomoses Performed with Loupe Magnification versus Operating Microscope in Traumatic Lower Extremity Reconstruction
Authors: Stranix John T. , Azoury Said C. , Lee Z-Hye , Kozak Geoffrey , Plana Natalie , Thanik Vishal D. , Saadeh Pierre B. , Levine Jamie P. , Levin L. Scott , Kovach Stephen J.
Published: October 2019

Background:

Although the surgical microscope remains the most common tool used for visual magnification for microsurgical anastomoses in free tissue transfer, loupe-only magnification for free flap breast reconstruction has been demonstrated to be safe and effective. To evaluate the loupe-only technique in lower extremity free flap reconstruction, the authors compared perioperative outcomes between microsurgical anastomoses performed with loupe magnification versus a surgical microscope.

Methods:

The authors conducted a two-institution retrospective study of soft-tissue free flaps for traumatic below-knee reconstruction. Optimal subgroup matching was performed using patient age, defect location, flap type (muscle versus fasciocutaneous), and time from injury (acute, <30 days; remote, >30 days) for conditional logistic regression analysis of perioperative outcomes.

Results:

A total of 373 flaps met inclusion criteria for direct matched comparison of anastomoses performed with loupe magnification (n = 150) versus a surgical microscope (n = 223). Overall major complication rates were 15.3 percent: take-back for vascular compromise, 7.8 percent; partial flap failure, 7.8 percent; and total flap loss, 5.4 percent. No differences were observed between the loupe and microscope groups regarding major complications (14.0 percent versus 16.1 percent; OR, 0.78; 95 percent CI, 0.38 to 1.59), take-back for vascular compromise (5.3 percent versus 9.4 percent; OR, 0.51; 95 percent CI, 0.19 to 1.39), any flap failure (13.3 percent versus 13.0 percent; OR, 1.21; 95 percent CI, 0.56 to 2.64), partial flap failure (7.3 percent versus 8.1 percent; OR, 1.04; 95 percent CI, 0.43 to 2.54), and total flap loss (6.0 percent versus 4.9 percent; OR, 1.63; 95 percent CI, 0.42 to 6.35).

Conclusions:

Perioperative complication rates, take-backs for vascular compromise, partial flap losses, and total flap failure rates were not significantly different between the matched loupe and microscope groups. Overall microsurgical success rates in traumatic lower extremity free flap reconstruction appear to be independent of the microsurgical technique used for visual magnification.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:

Therapeutic, III.
Development of the Reporting Information about Networks and Groups (RING) task: a method for eliciting information from memory about associates, groups, and networks
Authors: Hope Lorraine , Kontogianni Feni , Geyer Kristoffer , Thomas Wayne
Published: October 2019

Purpose

Eliciting detailed and comprehensive information about the structure, organisation and relationships between individuals involved in organised crime gangs, terrorist cells and networks is a challenge in investigations and debriefings. Drawing on memory theory, the purpose of this paper is to develop and test the Reporting Information about Networks and Groups (RING) task, using an innovative piece of information elicitation software.

Design/methodology/approach

Using an experimental methodology analogous to an intelligence gathering context, participants (n=124) were asked to generate a visual representation of the “network” of individuals attending a recent family event using the RING task.

Findings

All participants successfully generated visual representations of the relationships between people attending a remembered social event. The groups or networks represented in the RING task output diagrams also reflected effective use of the software functionality with respect to “describing” the nature of the relationships between individuals.

Practical implications

The authors succeeded in establishing the usability of the RING task software for reporting detailed information about groups of individuals and the relationships between those individuals in a visual format. A number of important limitations and issues for future research to consider are examined.

Originality/value

The RING task is an innovative development to support the elicitation of targeted information about networks of people and the relationships between them. Given the importance of understanding human networks in order to disrupt criminal activity, the RING task may contribute to intelligence gathering and the investigation of organised crime gangs and terrorist cells and networks.
A dynamic model of strategic outsourcing with emphasis on human resources and work experience in power industry of Iran
Authors: Shafie Nikabadi Mohsen , Hoseini Delshad
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The production of a good or service requires that the supplier performs a wide range of activities. Many companies are trying to fit outsourcing with the dimensions of their organization. Outsourcing is increasingly being used among Iranian companies in the field of the electric power industry. Human resources are among the factors that consider outsourcing as an obstacle for their growth because staffs declare that the development of outsourcing is a serious threat for unemployment of them and ultimately expulsion from work. Thus, this study surveys the dynamic effects of human resources and work experience on outsourcing decisions. This paper aims to propose a model for dynamic strategic outsourcing focusing on human resource and work experience.

Design/methodology/approach

Presenting a model for strategic outsourcing can help organizations to resolve their outsourcing problems. The data needed for examining the dynamic impact of human resources and work experience on outsourcing have been compiled using library and field studies. The method used in this study is an integrated approach, so the model could consider the general effects of manpower and present a systematic view. After interviewing with experts in power industry, the causal relationships of the variables were determined, and a dynamic model based on the applications of the dynamic system was developed in VENSIM software. The research model will be completed in a three-year period (2016-2019) in the power industry of Iran.

Findings

For completing projects in an organization, cooperation between internal employees and external contractors is needed; thus, results based on both external contractors and internal staff have shown that outsourcing through working of a number of contractors will be more effective than frequent use of one contractor. On the other hand, improving the quality of projects could be done by training new employees using skilled and expert employees.

Originality/value

Existence of one-dimensional models (only with qualitative factors or only with quantitative factors) in the context of outsourcing in the past studies has prompted to study different types of factors together as a dynamic model. This paper presents a quantitative and qualitative model in the field of strategic outsourcing with emphasis on human resources and work experience. In the past studies, there was no way to formulate the qualitative factors, and they simply used the data from the organization, and the only formulation in their works was based on quantitative factors. But in this study, both factors with dynamic modeling have been formulated.
Customer engagement and co-created value in social media
Authors: Quach Sara , Shao Wei , Ross Mitchell , Thaichon Park
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand the relationship between customer participation, co-created value and customer engagement as well as customer motivation involved in this process.

Design/methodology/approach

Respondents were randomly exposed to one of the six types of social media scenarios. A total of 181 respondents were drawn from an MTurk opt-in survey panel of individuals who resided in America and were over the age of 18 years.

Findings

Overall, the results of this study showed that as the level of customer participation increased, the level of co-created value decreased. The relationship between customer participation and customer engagement was fully mediated by co-created value. Extrinsic motivation was found to moderate the relationship between customer participation and co-created value but did not moderate the relationship between customer participation and customer engagement. Moreover, customer engagement was at its highest when an external reward was not offered, in other words, when customers were intrinsically motivated. Furthermore, when an external reward was offered, a significant effect of privacy concern on customer engagement was observed.

Originality/value

The study extends the current understanding of customer engagement through value co-creation, customer participation and perceptions of privacy in firm-initiated activities in social media.
General Practitioner's use of online resources during medical visits: managing the boundary between inside and outside the clinic
Authors: Stevenson Fiona , Hall Laura , Seguin Maureen , Atherton Helen , Barnes Rebecca , Leydon Geraldine , Pope Catherine , Murray Elizabeth , Ziebland Sue
Published: October 2019

In an increasingly connected world, information about health can be exchanged at any time, in any location or direction, and is no longer dominated by traditional authoritative sources. We consider the ways information and advice given in consultations by doctors transcends the boundary between the clinic and the home. We explore how information that is widely accessible outside the consultation is transformed by General Practitioners (GPs) into a medical offering. Data comprise 18 consultations identified from 144 consultations between unselected patients and five GPs. We use conversation analytic methods to explore four ways in which GPs used online resources; (i) to check information; (ii) as an explanatory tool; (iii) to provide information for patients for outside the consultation; (iv) to signpost further explanation and self‐help. We demonstrate the interactional delicacy with which resources from the Internet are introduced and discussed, developing and extending Nettleton's (2004) idea of ‘e‐scaped medicine’ to argue that Internet resources may be ‘recaptured’ by GPs, with information transformed and translated into a medical offering so as to maintain the asymmetry between patients and practitioners necessary for the successful functioning of medical practice.