bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the HPV Clinical Trial Survey for Parents (CTSP‐HPV) Using Traditional Survey Development Methods and Community Engagement Principles
Authors: Cunningham Jennifer , Wallston Kenneth A. , Wilkins Consuelo H. , Hull Pamela C. , Miller Stephania T.
Published: November 2015

Objective

This study describes the development and psychometric evaluation of HPV Clinical Trial Survey for Parents with Children Aged 9 to 15 (CTSP‐HPV) using traditional instrument development methods and community engagement principles.

Methods

An expert panel and parental input informed survey content and parents recommended study design changes (e.g., flyer wording). A convenience sample of 256 parents completed the final survey measuring parental willingness to consent to HPV clinical trial (CT) participation and other factors hypothesized to influence willingness (e.g., HPV vaccine benefits). Cronbach's a, Spearman correlations, and multiple linear regression were used to estimate internal consistency, convergent and discriminant validity, and predictively validity, respectively.

Results

Internal reliability was confirmed for all scales (a ≥ 0.70.). Parental willingness was positively associated (p < 0.05) with trust in medical researchers, adolescent CT knowledge, HPV vaccine benefits, advantages of adolescent CTs (r range 0.33–0.42), supporting convergent validity. Moderate discriminant construct validity was also demonstrated. Regression results indicate reasonable predictive validity with the six scales accounting for 31% of the variance in parents’ willingness.

Conclusions

This instrument can inform interventions based on factors that influence parental willingness, which may lead to the eventual increase in trial participation. Further psychometric testing is warranted.
Disseminated cutaneous Curvularia infection in an immunocompromised host; diagnostic challenges and experience with voriconazole
Authors: Balla Agnes , Pierson Joseph , Hugh Jeremy , Wojewoda Christina , Gibson Pamela , Greene Laura
Published: November 2015

An increasing spectrum and number of opportunistic fungal pathogens have been reported to cause disease in humans over the past decade. Disseminated phaeohyphomycoses caused by rare dematiaceous molds in immunocompromised patients have a high mortality rate and are increasingly reported in the literature. Early diagnosis of disseminated phaehyphomycosis is critical especially in neutropenic patients but can be hindered by the low sensitivity of fungal blood cultures and low clinical suspicion. Cutaneous manifestations are often the earliest sign of disease and conducting a thorough skin exam in febrile neutropenic patients can lead to more rapid diagnosis and initiation of treatment. PCR amplification and sequencing of mold RNA extracted from paraffin‐embedded tissue can be useful for diagnosing rare fungal infections when negative fungal cultures preclude morphologic diagnosis. Effective treatment for disseminated phaehyphomycosis is lacking and there is a need to report experiences with the use of newer antifungals.
Does Diversification Improve Livelihoods? Pastoral Households in Xinjiang, China
Authors: Liao Chuan , Barrett Christopher , Kassam Karim‐Aly
Published: November 2015

Diversification is routinely promoted to improve poor rural peoples’ livelihoods. However, policy recommendations for livelihood diversification based on evidence from crop‐cultivating sedentary rural societies may not work for mobile pastoral communities, where socio‐ecological conditions predetermine livestock herding as the preferred livelihood strategy. Using survey and semi‐structured interview data collected from 159 households in the Altay and Tianshan Mountains of Xinjiang, China, this study applies cluster analysis to identify six distinct groups based on livelihood strategies: pastoralists, agropastoralists, crop farmers, wage labourers, hired herders and mixed smallholders. Although pastoralism is the least diverse of these in terms of sources of income, it is significantly more diverse in ecological dimensions such as spatial movement, land use pattern and livestock portfolio. Patterns of livelihood diversification and their relationship with household incomes indicate that pastoralism, although preferred, is unattainable for 55 per cent of households given their meagre asset endowments and the pressure of government policies toward sedentarization. The results strongly suggest that livelihood diversification does not improve welfare for pastoral households. Future development interventions should promote policies that enable households to regain flexible access to pastures and should aim to correct the imbalance of opportunities that exists in northern Xinjiang.
THE DUAL‐PROCESS DRIFT DIFFUSION MODEL: EVIDENCE FROM RESPONSE TIMES
Authors: Caplin Andrew , Martin Daniel
Published: November 2015

We introduce a model of response time and choice that borrows from two distinct psychological traditions. As in dual‐process models, rapid (automatic) decisions are qualitatively different from considered decisions. As in the drift diffusion model, delayed (considered) decisions occur when confidence hits a threshold level. We conduct a simple experiment in which our hybrid model matches key properties of the data. As our model predicts, decision times are bimodal, automatic decisions are of far lower quality than considered decisions, and automatic decisions are more prevalent when prior information improves, thereby raising their quality. (JEL D83, D87, C91)
Identifying clinical correlates for suicide among epilepsy patients in South Korea: A case–control study
Authors: Park Sung‐Jin , Lee Hochang Benjamin , Ahn Myung Hee , Park Subin , Choi Eun Ju , Lee Hoon‐Jin , Ryu Han Uk , Kang Joong‐Koo , Hong Jin Pyo
Published: November 2015

Objective

Suicide is a major cause of premature mortality in patients with epilepsy. We aimed to identify the clinical correlates of suicide in these patients.

Methods

We conducted a matched, case–control study based on a clinical case registry of epilepsy patients (n = 35,638) treated between January 1994 and December 2011 at an academic tertiary medical center in Seoul, Korea. Each epilepsy patient in the suicide group (n = 74) was matched with three epilepsy patients in the nonsuicide group (n = 222) by age, gender, and approximate time at first treatment. The clinical characteristics of the patients in both groups were then compared.

Results

In a univariate analysis, seizure frequency during the year before suicide, use of antiepileptic drug polytherapy, lack of aura before seizure, diagnosis of temporal lobe epilepsy, use of levetiracetam, psychiatric comorbidity, and use of antidepressants were all significantly higher in the suicide group than in the nonsuicide group. Multivariate analysis revealed that a high seizure frequency (odds ratio [OR] 3.3, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.04–10.2), a lack of aura before seizure (OR 4.0, 95% CI 1.7–9.3), temporal lobe epilepsy (OR 3.7, 95% CI 1.6–8.6), and use of levetiracetam (OR 7.6, 95% CI 1.1–53.7) and antidepressants (OR 7.2, 95% CI 1.5–34.1) were all associated with a higher probability of suicide.

Significance

Patients with temporal lobe epilepsy who experience seizures weekly or more frequently, experience a lack of aura, use levetiracetam, or take antidepressants are all at a higher risk of suicide and should be monitored closely.
Structure of the light‐driven sodium pump KR2 and its implications for optogenetics
Authors: Gushchin Ivan , Shevchenko Vitaly , Polovinkin Vitaly , Borshchevskiy Valentin , Buslaev Pavel , Bamberg Ernst , Gordeliy Valentin
Published: November 2015

A key and common process present in organisms from all domains of life is the maintenance of the ion gradient between the inside and the outside of the cell. The gradient is generated by various active transporters, among which are the light‐driven ion pumps of the microbial rhodopsin family. Whereas the proton‐pumping and anion‐pumping rhodopsins have been known for a long time, the cation (sodium) pumps were described only recently. Following the discovery, high‐resolution atomic structures of the pump KR2 were determined that revealed the complete ion translocation pathway, including the positions of the characteristic Asn‐Asp‐Gln (NDQ) triad, the unusual ion uptake cavity acting as a selectivity filter, the unique N‐terminal α‐helix, capping the ion release cavity, and unexpected flexibility of the retinal‐binding pocket. The structures also revealed pentamerization of KR2 and binding of sodium ions at the interface. Finally, on the basis of the structures, potassium‐pumping KR2 variants have been designed, making the findings even more important for optogenetic applications. In this Structural Snapshot, we analyse the implications of the structural findings for understanding the sodium translocation mechanism and application of the pump and its mutants in optogenetics.
Horses and rangelands: perspectives in Europe based on a French case study
Authors: Jouven M. , Vial C. , Fleurance G.
Published: November 2015

The horse industry has soared in Europe in the last decades. This article analyses the existing and possible interactions between horses and rangelands, by taking horse feeding as well as environmental and socio‐economic issues into consideration. Due to the amount of recent data available for France, this country serves as a case study for theEU. Even though rangeland‐based feeding is common in traditional horse‐farming systems and still exists today on some pastoral farms, most horses are fed on conserved forage and concentrates, especially when the economic value of the horse is high. Scientific literature and recent field data suggest that rangelands can be used as the main feed source for mares and growing horses, providing not only nutrition but also a suitable environment for training and welfare. Horses can contribute to the sustainable development of rangelands, if they are well integrated into the local agricultural context and if horse grazing is carefully managed. To achieve this, a better integration of horses in the agricultural sector (from the field to research activities) is needed. An issue of utmost importance is the access of horse owners to land and technical support, taking into account that horses are herbivores similar to ruminants, as well as the peculiarities of the horse industry.
The effects of defoliating grass in winter or spring on herbage yields and ensilage characteristics
Authors: Moloney T. , O'Riordan E. G. , Sheridan H. , O'Kiely P.
Published: November 2015

Under Irish conditions, the digestibility in May of grass managed for silage production is sometimes lower than expected. In each of two successive years, replicate field plots were established to examine the effects of three defoliation heights (uncut or cut to a stubble height of 10 or 5 cm) applied in winter and/or spring on herbage yields harvested in May and again in July, and on chemical composition and conservation characteristics associated with first‐cut silage. Swards that were not defoliated in December or March had a dry‐matter (DM) yield and in vitro DM digestibility (DMD) in mid‐May of 6597 kg ha−1 and 736 g kg−1, respectively, in Year 1, and corresponding values of 7338 kg ha−1 and 771 g kg−1 in Year 2. Defoliating swards to 5 cm in December reduced (P < 0·001) May DM yields compared to swards that were not defoliated in both December and March, while herbage DMD in May increased (P < 0·001) when defoliated in December or March. There were no clear effects of defoliation height or its timing on herbage ensilability or resultant conservation efficiency characteristics. The effects of defoliation on July yield were the reverse of those observed for May, while the total yield of the December and March defoliations plus the two silage harvests increased as defoliation height was lowered in Year 2 only. It is concluded that defoliation in winter and/or spring can increase herbage digestibility but will likely reduce DM yields in May.
Do you use social media? A study into new nursing and midwifery graduates' uptake of social media
Authors: Tuckett Anthony , Turner Catherine
Published: November 2015

Social media use is expanding rapidly, so too is its use within hospitals and amongst healthcare professionals. This study describes the use of social media by Australian and New Zealand nursing and midwifery graduates of the Graduate e‐Cohort study; there were 112 (93%) respondents from a 2014 sample of 121 nurses and midwives. Findings suggest that the professional peak body goal of using social media as a vehicle for professional education requires consideration of the social media platforms that are actually being used by new graduates. We recommend that work by the respective professions at both an undergraduate and graduate level needs to focus on the implications of social media use or policy and practice to ensure that everyone is aware of when and how to engage in social media platforms and what to do and how to behave when using social media.
Geographical range in liverworts: does sex really matter?
Authors: Laenen Benjamin , Machac Antonin , Gradstein S. Robbert , Shaw Blanka , Patiño Jairo , Désamoré Aurélie , Goffinet Bernard , Cox Cymon J. , Shaw Jonathan , Vanderpoorten Alain
Published: November 2015

Aim

Why some species exhibit larger geographical ranges than others remains a fundamental, but largely unanswered, question in ecology and biogeography. In plants, a relationship between range size and mating system was proposed over a century ago and subsequently formalized in Baker's Law. Here, we take advantage of the extensive variation in sexual systems of liverworts to test the hypothesis that dioecious species compensate for limited fertilization by producing vegetative propagules more commonly than monoecious species. As spores are assumed to contribute to random long‐distance dispersal, whereas vegetative propagules contribute to colony maintenance and frequent short‐distance dispersal, we further test the hypothesis that monoecious species exhibit larger geographical ranges than dioecious ones.

Location

Worldwide.

Methods

We used comparative phylogenetic methods to assess the correlation between range size and life history traits related to dispersal, including mating systems, spore size and production of specialized vegetative propagules.

Results

No significant correlation was found between dioecy and production of vegetative propagules. However, production of vegetative propagules is correlated with the size of geographical ranges across the liverwort tree of life, whereas sexuality and spores size are not. Moreover, variation in sexual systems did not have an influence on the correlation between geographical range and production of asexual propagules.

Main conclusions

Our results challenge the long‐held notion that spores, and not vegetative propagules, are involved in long‐distance dispersal. Asexual reproduction seems to play a major role in shaping the global distribution patterns of liverworts, so that monoecious species do not tend to display, on average, broader distribution ranges than dioecious ones. Our results call for further investigation on the spatial genetic structure of bryophyte populations at different geographical scales depending on their mating systems to assess the dispersal capacities of spores and asexual propagules and determine their contribution in shaping species distribution ranges.
Global change and climate‐driven invasion of the Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) along European coasts: a bioenergetics modelling approach
Authors: Thomas Yoann , Pouvreau Stéphane , Alunno‐Bruscia Marianne , Barillé Laurent , Gohin Francis , Bryère Philippe , Gernez Pierre
Published: November 2015

Aim

The spread of non‐indigenous species in marine ecosystems world‐wide is one of today's most serious environmental concerns. Using mechanistic modelling, we investigated how global change relates to the invasion of European coasts by a non‐native marine invertebrate, the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas.

Location

Bourgneuf Bay on the French Atlantic coast was considered as the northern boundary of C. gigas expansion at the time of its introduction to Europe in the 1970s. From this latitudinal reference, variations in the spatial distribution of the C. gigas reproductive niche were analysed along the north‐western European coast from Gibraltar to Norway.

Methods

The effects of environmental variations on C. gigas physiology and phenology were studied using a bioenergetics model based on Dynamic Energy Budget theory. The model was forced with environmental time series including in situ phytoplankton data, and satellite data of sea surface temperature and suspended particulate matter concentration.

Results

Simulation outputs were successfully validated against in situ oyster growth data. In Bourgneuf Bay, the rise in seawater temperature and phytoplankton concentration has increased C. gigas reproductive effort and led to precocious spawning periods since the 1960s. At the European scale, seawater temperature increase caused a drastic northward shift (1400 km within 30 years) in the C. gigas reproductive niche and optimal thermal conditions for early life stage development.

Main conclusions

We demonstrated that the poleward expansion of the invasive species C. gigas is related to global warming and increase in phytoplankton abundance. The combination of mechanistic bioenergetics modelling with in situ and satellite environmental data is a valuable framework for ecosystem studies. It offers a generic approach to analyse historical geographical shifts and to predict the biogeographical changes expected to occur in a climate‐changing world.
Estimation of Daily Sodium and Potassium Excretion Using Spot Urine and 24‐Hour Urine Samples in a Black Population (Benin)
Authors: Mizéhoun‐Adissoda Carmelle , Houehanou Corine , Chianéa Thierry , Dalmay François , Bigot André , Preux Pierre‐Marie , Bovet Pascal , Houinato Dismand , Desport Jean‐Claude
Published: November 2015

The 24‐hour urine collection method is considered the gold standard for the estimation of ingested potassium and sodium. Because of the impracticalities of collecting all urine over a 24‐hour period, spot urine is often used for epidemiological investigations. This study aims to assess the agreement between spot urine and 24‐hour urine measurements to determine sodium and potassium intake. A total of 402 participants aged 25 to 64 years were randomly selected in South Benin. Spot urine was taken during the second urination of the day. Twenty‐four‐hour urine was also collected. Samples (2‐mL) were taken and then stored at ‐20°C. The analysis was carried out using potentiometric dosage. The agreement between spot urine and 24‐hour urine measurements was established using Bland‐Altman plots. A total of 354 results were analyzed. Daily sodium chloride and potassium chloride urinary excretion means were 10.2±4.9 g/24 h and 2.9±1.4 g/24 h, respectively. Estimated daily sodium chloride and potassium chloride means from the spot urine were 10.7±7.0 g/24 h and 3.9±2.1 g/24 h, respectively. Concordance coefficients were 0.61 at d=−0.5 g, (d±2SD=−11 g and 10.1 g) for sodium chloride and 0.61 at d=−1 g, (d±2SD=−3.8 g and 1.8 g) for potassium chloride. Spot urine method is acceptable for estimating 24‐hour urinary sodium and potassium excretion to assess sodium and potassium intake in a black population. However, the confidence interval for the mean difference, which is too large, makes the sodium chloride results inadmissible at a clinical level.
Effects of Combined Ohmic–Infrared Cooking Treatment on Microbiological Inactivation of Meatballs
Authors: Sengun Ilkin Yucel , Icier Filiz , Kor Gamze
Published: November 2015

The effectiveness of combined ohmic–infrared cooking system on the microbiological quality of meatballs was studied. In the first step, samples were precooked in an ohmic heater at 15.26 V/cm. In the second step, ohmically precooked samples were processed in the infrared heater for the final cooking purpose at different combinations of heat fluxes (3.7, 5.7, 8.5 kW/m2), application distances (10.5, 13.5, 16.5 cm) and application times (4, 8, 12 min). The effects of infrared process conditions on total mesophilic aerobic bacteria (TMAB) counts of meatball samples were investigated. TMAB counts of meatball samples were reduced, ranging between 1.96 and 4.50 logarithmic units, depending on infrared process conditions used. Mold and yeast, Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium perfringens, Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli O157:H7 were not detected in the treated meatball samples. The effects of different infrared cooking conditions both on cooking value and pasteurization value were also determined. These results demonstrate the considerable potential for the application of ohmic–infrared combination cooking process to the meatballs.

Practical Applications

Meat is a nutritious substrate for the growth of microorganisms and is highly susceptible to spoilage. The raw meat contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms is one of the main sources of foodborne illness. During conventional cooking, the interior region may not heat sufficiently and pathogens could survive in the product, unless the meat products have been properly heat‐treated. Therefore, there is a potential need for alternative cooking technologies, which provide a valuable tool to reduce the risk of pathogen growth in the products while shortening the treatment time. In this study, the combination of ohmic and infrared heating technologies was used for cooking of the meatball.
An Innovative Shelf Life Model Based on Smart Logistic Unit for an Efficient Management of the Perishable Food Supply Chain
Authors: La Scalia G. , Nasca A. , Corona O. , Settanni L. , Micale R.
Published: November 2015

Despite the recent interest towards food safety and control, it is generally difficult to ensure full products traceability through industrial food chains, due to the lack of efficient information and communication systems. Consequently, nowadays, the protection of food products often ends at the gates of the producer without any investigation about the status of their quality at the consumer's location. The aim of this paper was the development of a supply chain monitoring system based on a smart logistic unit (SLU) to support the integrated management of the food supply chain from “farm to fork” in order to guarantee and control food safety and shelf life (SL) of products in agreement with logistic efficiency and system sustainability. For this purpose we have conducted a research involving the selection of a perishable product significantly affected by logistic decisions, the determination of the set parameters representative of its quality and the development of a prototype of SLU, based on a sensor network for monitoring the identified parameters. Finally, an experimental SL model has been determined, based on the volatile organic compounds emitted from fruits and monitored by the SLU. We have validated the model by simulating real transport conditions and assessing the residual SL of the product at different time intervals.

Practical Applications

The practical application obtainable from our research is the development of a prototype of a smart logistic unit able to translate the acquired parameters into valuable information for supply chain management. In particular the proposed research establishes a correlation between volatile organic compounds and bacterial growth to obtain a mathematical model to predict the residual shelf life of the products and to assess the effects of vibration, caused by simulated transport. The knowledge of the residual shelf life in real time could finally be exploited for developing advanced supply chain strategies e.g., picking and transport routing policies.
Association Between Pain and Functional Independence in Older Adults During and After Admission to Rehabilitation After an Acute Illness or Injury
Authors: Rodriguez Juan C. , Dzierzewski Joseph M. , Fung Constance H. , Jouldjian Stella , Josephson Karen R. , Mitchell Michael N. , Song Yeonsu , Martin Jennifer L. , Alessi Cathy A.
Published: November 2015

Objectives

To investigate the association between pain and functional independence in older adults during and after admission to rehabilitation after an acute illness or injury.

Design

Prospective, observational cohort study.

Setting

One community and one Veterans Affairs rehabilitation center.

Participants

Individuals aged 65 and older admitted for rehabilitation after an acute illness or injury (postacute rehabilitation) (N = 245; mean age 80.6, 72% male)).

Measurements

Pain was assessed using the Geriatric Pain Measure (GPM, score 0–100). Functional independence was measured using the motor component of the Functional Independence Measure (mFIM, score 13–91). Both scores were obtained at admission; discharge; and 3‐, 6‐, and 9‐month follow‐up. In bivariate analyses, discharge GPM and persistent pain (lasting >3 months) were evaluated as predictors of mFIM score at 9 months. Applying a multilevel modeling (MLM) approach, individual deviations in GPM scores were used to predict variations in mFIM.

Results

At admission, 210 participants (87.9%) reported pain (16.3% mild (GPM<30); 49.3% moderate (GPM: 30–69); 22.1% severe (GPM>70)); 21.3% reported persistent pain after discharge. The bivariate analyses did not find statistically significant associations between discharge GPM or persistent pain and mFIM score at 9 months, but in the MLM analysis, deviations in GPM were significant predictors of deviations in mFIM score, suggesting that, when individuals experienced above‐average levels of pain (GPM > their personal mean GPM), they also experienced worse functional independence (mFIM < their personal mean mFIM).

Conclusion

Twenty‐one percent of older adults undergoing postacute rehabilitation reported persistent pain after discharge from rehabilitation. The bivariate analysis did not find association between pain and functional independence, but MLM analysis showed that, when participants experienced more pain than their average, they had less functional independence.
Medications That Older Adults in Hospice Care in the United States Take, 2007
Authors: Dwyer Lisa L. , Lau Denys T. , Shega Joseph W.
Published: November 2015

Objectives

To describe medications that older adults in hospice with cancer, dementia, debility, heart disease, and lung disease take during the last week of life.

Design

Retrospective cross‐sectional study.

Setting

Nationally representative sample of 695 U.S. hospices in the 2007 National Home and Hospice Care Survey.

Participants

Individuals aged 65 and older with a primary diagnosis of cancer (49%), dementia (12%), debility (14%), heart disease (16%), or lung disease (10%) who received end‐of‐life care during their last week of life (N = 2,623).

Measurements

Medication data were obtained from hospice staff, who were asked, “What are the names of all the medications and drugs the patient was taking 7 days prior to and on the day of his or her death while in hospice? Please include any standing, routine, or PRN medications.”

Results

The unweighted survey response rate was 71%. The average number of medications taken was 10.2. The most common therapeutic classes were analgesics (98%); antiemetic and antivertigo medications (78%); anxiolytics, sedatives, and hypnotics (76%); anticonvulsants (71%); and laxatives (53%). Approximately one‐quarter of the individuals took proton pump inhibitors, anticoagulants, and antidepressants, and fewer than 20% took antacids and antibiotics. A smaller percentage of individuals with dementia and debility than of those with cancer took opioid analgesics. Individuals with heart disease were more likely than individuals in the other clinical cohorts to take diuretics, and those with lung disease were more likely than those in the other clinical cohorts to take bronchodilators. A higher percentage of individuals with dementia and with debility than with cancer and lung disease took antidepressants.

Conclusion

People continue to receive disease‐focused therapies at the end of life rather than therapies exclusively for palliation of symptoms, suggesting that treatments may vary according to the person's primary diagnosis.
Cold loops applied to bipolar resectoscope: A safe “one‐step” myomectomy for treatment of submucosal myomas with intramural development
Authors: Di Spiezio Sardo Attilio , Calagna Gloria , Di Carlo Costantino , Guida Maurizio , Perino Antonio , Nappi Carmine
Published: November 2015

Aim

To assess the safety and efficacy of cold loop myomectomy applied to bipolar resectoscope to perform “one‐step” myomectomy of submucosal myomas with intramural involvement.

Methods

Seventy‐two patients with at least one symptomatic G1 or G2 myoma (Wamsteker's classification) underwent cold loop myomectomy from January 2011 to January 2013. All surgical procedures were performed using a 26Fr resectoscope and bipolar energy source. At one month after the procedure, all patients underwent an office hysteroscopy check‐up. A subgroup of seven infertile patients underwent an office hysteroscopy every two‐weeks to evaluate recovery time of the myometrial fovea.

Results

Resectoscopic myomectomies were successfully performed in one surgical step in 70 out of 72 patients without any significant complications. Overall, the mean diameter of resected myomas was 32.2 ± 9 mm. Median operative time was 34.2 ± 24.1 min. Median fluid deficit was 761.22 ± 480.34 ml. The fovea was almost completely restored (>80%) six weeks after surgery in six of the seven infertile patients who underwent repeated follow‐up office hysteroscopies every two weeks.

Conclusions

Data from the present study show that the use of cold loops applied to bipolar resectoscope represent an effective, safe technique for “one‐step” myomectomy of G1‐G2 myomas, allowing rapid recovery of the myometrial fovea.
A Urologist's Guide to Ingredients Found in Top-Selling Nutraceuticals for Men's Sexual Health
Authors: Cui Tao , Kovell Robert C. , Brooks David C. , Terlecki Ryan P.
Published: November 2015

Introduction

Use of supplements is common among men seeking urologic evaluation for sexual health matters. With a dizzying array of formulations available and little regulation on the dosage, purity, or ingredients found in these products, the health effects of nutraceuticals are often confusing to patients and medical practitioners alike.

Aim

In this review, we set out to concisely summarize the data on ingredients found within the top-selling nutraceutical agents marketed for men's sexual health in order to provide a clinical guide for urologists.

Methods

We used sales data from the most popular retail provider of men's health supplements to identify the top-selling products marketed toward improvement of men's sexual health. We summarized the available information related to the ingredients, dosage, cost, and mechanism of action for these substances and performed an extensive literature search to identify and review the current evidence available for each of the most common ingredients found in these nutraceuticals.

Results

The top-selling nutraceuticals marked for men's sexual health contain a blend of multiple supplements (up to 33 in one formulation identified), the most common being ginseng, tribulus, zinc, horny goat weed, B complex vitamins/trace minerals, fenugreek, L-arginine, maca, DHEA, ginkgo, and yohimbine. The currently available medical literature evaluating the efficacy of these substances is generally of low quality.

Conclusions

Despite the dearth of evidence supporting nutraceutical agents in the men's health arena, these substances are still commonly used by patients. As these products can affect the health and well-being of men presenting to a urology clinic, a familiarity with commonly used agents can help the urologist appropriately counsel their patients.
The Fusarium solani species complex: ubiquitous pathogens of agricultural importance
Authors: Coleman Jeffrey J.
Published: November 2015

Members of the Fusarium solani species complex (FSSC) are capable of causing disease in many agriculturally important crops. The genomes of some of these fungi include supernumerary chromosomes that are dispensable and encode host‐specific virulence factors. In addition to genomics, this review summarizes the known molecular mechanisms utilized by members of the FSSC in establishing disease.

Taxonomy

Kingdom Fungi; Phylum Ascomycota; Class Sordariomycetes; Order Hypocreales; Family Nectriaceae; Genus Fusarium.

Host range

Members of the FSSC collectively have a very broad host range, and have been subdivided previously into formae speciales. Recent phylogenetic analysis has revealed that formae speciales correspond to biologically and phylogenetically distinct species.

Disease symptoms

Typically, FSSC causes foot and/or root rot of the infected host plant, and the degree of necrosis correlates with the severity of the disease. Symptoms on above‐ground portions of the plant can vary greatly depending on the specific FSSC pathogen and host plant, and the disease may manifest as wilting, stunting and chlorosis or lesions on the stem and/or leaves.

Control

Implementation of agricultural management practices, such as crop rotation and timing of planting, can reduce the risk of crop loss caused by FSSC. If available, the use of resistant varieties is another means to control disease in the field.

Useful websites

http://genome.jgi‐psf.org/Necha2/Necha2.home.html
Localization and expression of TRPV1 and TRPA1 in the human oropharynx and larynx
Authors: Alvarez‐Berdugo D. , Rofes L. , Farré R. , Casamitjana J. F. , Enrique A. , Chamizo J. , Padrón A. , Navarro X. , Clavé P.
Published: November 2015

Background

Previous studies have found that TRPV1 and TRPA1 receptor agonists improve swallow response in patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD), but little is known about the expression of these receptors in the human oropharynx. The aim of this study was to assess the expression and localization of TRPV1 and TRPA1 in human samples from the oropharynx of healthy patients, to provide the basis for new pharmacological treatments for OD.

Methods

Samples from oropharyngeal regions innervated by cranial nerves V, IX, and X (tongue, pharynx, and epiglottis) were obtained during ENT surgery and processed either for mRNA (21 patients) or for immunohistochemical assays (seven patients). The expression analysis was performed with RT‐qPCR using ACTBh as reference gene. Hemotoxylin and eosin staining was used to study the histology; the immunohistochemical assay used (i) neuron‐specific enolase to detect nerve fibers or (ii) fluorescent probes to locate TRPV1 and TRPA1.

Results

TRPV1 was expressed in the three studied regions, with higher levels in CN V region (tongue) than in CN X region (epiglottis; p < 0.05), and was localized at epithelial cells and nociceptive fibers in all studied regions. TRPA1 was also expressed in all studied regions, but was always localized below the basal lamina. No immunoreactivity for TRPA1 was found on epithelial cells.

Conclusions & Inferences

TRPV1 and TRPA1 are widely expressed in the human oropharynx with two distinct patterns. Our study further confirms that TRPV1/A1 receptors are promising therapeutic targets to develop active treatments for OD patients.
Trophic interactions in an ant nest microcosm: a combined experimental and stable isotope (δ13C/δ15N) approach
Authors: Parmentier Thomas , Bouillon Steven , Dekoninck Wouter , Wenseleers Tom
Published: November 2015

Living in close association with other organisms has proven to be a widespread and successful strategy in nature. Some communities are completely driven by symbiotic associations and therefore, intimate relationships among the partners can be expected. Here, we analyzed in‐depth the food web of a particularly rich community of arthropods found in strict association with European red wood ants (Formica rufagroup). We studied the trophic links between different ant‐associated myrmecophiles and food sources associated with the host ant, but also tested predator–prey links among myrmecophiles themselves. Our approach combined direct feeding tests and stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses for a large number of myrmecophiles. The results of the direct feeding tests reveal a complex food web. Most myrmecophiles were found to parasitize on ant brood. Moreover, we encountered multiple trophic predator– prey links among the myrmecophiles. The results of the stable isotope analyses complement these findings and indicate the existence of multiple trophic levels and trophic isotopic niche compartmentalization. δ15N values were strongly correlated with the trophic levels based on the direct tests, reflecting that δ15N values of myrmecophiles increased with higher trophic levels. This strong correlation underlines the strength of stable isotopes as a powerful tool to assess trophic levels. In addition, the stable isotope data suggest that most species only facultatively prey on ant brood. The presence of numerous trophic interactions among symbionts clearly contrasts with the traditional view of social insects nests as offering an enemy‐free space for symbionts. Interestingly, the ant host can indirectly benefit from these interactions because brood predators are also preyed upon by other myrmecophiles. Overall, this study provides unique insights into the complex interactions in a small symbiont microcosm system and suggests that the interactions between host and symbiont might be mediated by other symbionts in the same community.
Fiction, History and the Possible
Authors: Meretoja Hanna
Published: November 2015

The article explores the problematic assumptions underlying the traditional view that literature deals with the realm of the possible and history with the realm of the actual. This dichotomy risks dismissing how a sense of the possible constitutes an important dimension of every actual world, how literary fiction provides interpretations of actual worlds, and how it has its own literary means of giving us a sense of a past world as a space of possibilities. This argument is developed by analysing Jonathan Littell's Les Bienveillantes (2006, The Kindly Ones), which has created a heated controversy on the contribution of literature to the understanding of the Holocaust. The article contributes to developing narrative hermeneutics as an approach which, first, suggests that both historiography and fiction are ways of interpreting the world past and present, and, second, is sensitive to how fiction requires specific modes of interpretation and engagement. The analysis of Littell's novel shows that the interplay between immersiveness and critical distance can produce a narrative dynamic that allows the reader to engage emotionally with an ethically problematic lifeworld without uncritically adopting the protagonist's perspective. One important way in which fiction can produce insights into history is its ability to cultivate, through its specifically fictional means, a sense of history as a sense of the possible while at the same time reflecting on the conditions and limits of narrating, representing and understanding history.
Airway management in laryngotracheal injuries from blunt neck trauma in children
Authors: Chatterjee Debnath , Agarwal Rita , Bajaj Lalit , Teng Sarena N. , Prager Jeremy D.
Published: November 2015

Pediatric laryngotracheal injuries from blunt neck trauma are extremely rare, but can be potentially catastrophic. Early diagnosis and skillful airway management is critical in avoiding significant morbidity and mortality associated with these cases. We present a case of a patient who suffered a complete tracheal transection and cervical spine fracture following a clothesline injury to the anterior neck. A review of the mechanisms of injury, clinical presentation, initial airway management, and anesthetic considerations in laryngotracheal injuries from blunt neck trauma in children are presented.
Cognitive‐behavioural therapy for heroin and cocaine use: Ecological momentary assessment of homework simplification and compliance
Authors: Willner‐Reid Jessica , Whitaker Damiya , Epstein David H. , Phillips Karran A. , Pulaski Amber R. , Preston Kenzie L. , Willner Paul
Published: November 2015

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of homework‐task difficulty and electronic‐diary reminders on written homework completion during cognitive‐behavioural therapy (CBT) for addiction. Completion of homework is an important element in CBT that may affect outcome.

Design

All participants received all combinations of our two interventions in a factorial 2 × 2 counterbalanced Latin‐square design.

Methods

Methadone‐maintained cocaine and heroin users were given homework between each of 12 weekly CBT sessions and carried electronic diaries that collected ecological momentary assessment (EMA) data on craving and exposure to drug‐use triggers in four 3‐week blocks assessing two levels of homework difficulty and prompted and unprompted homework.

Results

Neither simplified (picture‐based) homework nor electronic reminders increased homework completion. In EMA reports, standard but not simplified homework seemed to buffer the craving that followed environmental exposure to drug cues. EMA recordings before and after the CBT intervention confirmed a decrease over time in craving for cocaine and heroin.

Conclusions

These findings demonstrate the utility of EMA to assess treatment effects. However, the hypothesis that simplified homework would increase compliance was not supported.

Practitioner points

Our simplifications of homework assignments for cognitive‐behavioural therapy were mostly ineffective, or even counterproductive, perhaps because they did not engage sufficient depth of processing or because they were perceived as too simplistic.

Our reminder beeps for homework were mostly ineffective, or even counterproductive, suggesting that mobile electronic interventions for substance‐use disorders may need to be more interactive.
Managing the Revenue of Sales Platforms: Insights into Service Fees
Authors: Jia Justin
Published: November 2015

Online sales platforms have grown substantially in recent years. These platforms assist sellers to conduct sales, and in return, collect service fees from sellers. We study the fee policies by considering a fee‐setting platform, on which a seller may conduct a sale with a reserve price to a group of potential buyers: the seller retains the object for sale if the final trading price is below the reserve price. The platform may charge two types of fees as in current practice: a reserve fee as a function of the seller's reserve price and a final value fee as a function of the sale's final trading price. We derive the optimality condition for fee policies, and show that the platform can use either just a final value fee or just a reserve fee to achieve optimality. In the former case, the optimal final value fee charged by the platform is independent of the number of buyers. In the latter case, the optimal reserve fee is often a decreasing, instead of increasing, function of the seller's reserve price. An increasing reserve fee may make the seller reluctant to use a positive reserve price and hurt the platform's revenue. In general, the optimal fees are nonlinear functions, but in reality, linear fees are commonly used because of their simplicity for implementation. We show that a linear fee policy is indeed optimal in the case that the seller's valuation follows a power distribution. In other cases, our numerical analysis suggests close‐to‐optimal performance of the linear policy.
Impact of delirium on weaning from mechanical ventilation in medical patients
Authors: Jeon Kyeongman , Jeong Byeong‐Ho , Ko Myeong Gyun , Nam Jimyoung , Yoo Hongseok , Chung Chi Ryang , Suh Gee Young
Published: November 2015

Background and objective

Delirium is an important predictor of negative clinical outcomes in intensive care unit (ICU), including prolonged mechanical ventilation (MV). However, delirium has not yet proven to be directly linked to weaning difficulties. The objective of this cohort study was to evaluate the association between delirium, as observed on the day of the weaning trial, and subsequent weaning outcomes in medical patients.

Methods

This is a retrospective analysis with prospectively collected data on weaning from mechanical ventilation (MV) and delirium, as assessed by bedside ICU nurses using the Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU (CAM‐ICU) between October 2011 and September 2013.

Results

During the study period, a total of 393 patients with MV support underwent a spontaneous breathing trial (SBT) according to the standardized protocol. Of these patients, 160 (40.7%) were diagnosed with delirium on the day of the first SBT. Patients without delirium were more successfully extubated than those with delirium (81.5% vs 69.4%, P = 0.005). Delirium was found to be associated with final weaning outcomes, including difficult (OR 1.962, 95% CI 1.201–3.205) and prolonged weaning (OR 2.318, 95% CI 1.272–4.226) when simple weaning was used as a reference category. After adjusting for potential confounding factors, delirium was still significantly associated with difficult weaning (adjusted OR 2.073, 95% CI 1.124–3.822), but not with prolonged weaning (adjusted OR 2.001, 95% CI 0.875–4.575).

Conclusion

Delirium, as assessed by the CAM‐ICU at the time of first weaning trial, was significantly associated with weaning difficulties in medical patients.
The influence of motivation and attentional style on affective, cognitive, and behavioral outcomes of an exercise class
Authors: Jones L. , Karageorghis C. I. , Lane A. M. , Bishop D. T.
Published: November 2015

Exercise classes are a popular form of physical activity. A greater understanding of the individual difference factors that might influence the outcomes of such classes could help to minimize the high dropout rates associated with exercise. The study explored the effects of dominant attentional style and degree of self‐determination on affective, cognitive, and behavioral outcomes following structured exercise classes. Data from 417 female participants revealed that those with a dominant attentional style for association (Associators) reported significantly (P < 0.05) more positive affective, cognitive, and behavioral outcomes than did Dissociators, and were more self‐determined. Highly self‐determined individuals reported the most positive outcomes. Almost 29% of the variance in participants' affective valence could be explained by Dissociators' behavioral regulations. Results lend support to the notion that attentional style is associated with motivation. The combination of attentional style and degree of self‐determination appear to be noteworthy individual difference factors that influence responses to exercise classes and could thus have a bearing on long‐term exercise adherence.