bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Location impact on source and linguistic features for information credibility of social media
Authors: Aladhadh Suliman , Zhang Xiuzhen , Sanderson Mark
Published: November 2018

Purpose

Social media platforms provide a source of information about events. However, this information may not be credible, and the distance between an information source and the event may impact on that credibility. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to address an understanding of the relationship between sources, physical distance from that event and the impact on credibility in social media.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the authors focus on the impact of location on the distribution of content sources (informativeness and source) for different events, and identify the semantic features of the sources and the content of different credibility levels.

Findings

The study found that source location impacts on the number of sources across different events. Location also impacts on the proportion of semantic features in social media content.

Research limitations/implications

This study illustrated the influence of location on credibility in social media. The study provided an overview of the relationship between content types including semantic features, the source and event locations. However, the authors will include the findings of this study to build the credibility model in the future research.

Practical implications

The results of this study provide a new understanding of reasons behind the overestimation problem in current credibility models when applied to different domains: such models need to be trained on data from the same place of event, as that can make the model more stable.

Originality/value

This study investigates several events – including crisis, politics and entertainment – with steady methodology. This gives new insights about the distribution of sources, credibility and other information types within and outside the country of an event. Also, this study used the power of location to find alternative approaches to assess credibility in social media.
An exploratory approach to the computational quantification of journalistic values
Authors: Choi Sujin
Published: November 2018

Purpose

News algorithms not only help the authors to efficiently navigate the sea of available information, but also frame information in ways that influence public discourse and citizenship. Indeed, the likelihood that readers will be exposed to and read given news articles is structured into news algorithms. Thus, ensuring that news algorithms uphold journalistic values is crucial. In this regard, the purpose of this paper is to quantify journalistic values to make them readable by algorithms through taking an exploratory approach to a question that has not been previously investigated.

Design/methodology/approach

The author matched the textual indices (extracted from natural language processing/automated content analysis) with human conceptions of journalistic values (derived from survey analysis) by implementing partial least squares path modeling.

Findings

The results suggest that the numbers of words or quotes news articles contain have a strong association with the survey respondent assessments of their balance, diversity, importance and factuality. Linguistic polarization was an inverse indicator of respondents’ perception of balance, diversity and importance. While linguistic intensity was useful for gauging respondents’ perception of sensationalism, it was an ineffective indicator of importance and factuality. The numbers of adverbs and adjectives were useful for estimating respondents’ perceptions of factuality and sensationalism. In addition, the greater numbers of quotes, pair quotes and exclamation/question marks in news headlines were associated with respondents’ perception of lower journalistic values. The author also found that the assessment of journalistic values influences the perception of news credibility.

Research limitations/implications

This study has implications for computational journalism, credibility research and news algorithm development.

Originality/value

It represents the first attempt to quantify human conceptions of journalistic values with textual indices.
Quantitative integration of 3D and 4D seismic impedance into reservoir simulation model updating in the Norne Field
Authors: Maleki Masoud , Davolio Alessandra , Schiozer Denis José
Published: November 2018

The ultimate goal of reservoir simulation in reservoir surveillance technology is to estimate long‐term production forecasting and to plan development and management of petroleum fields. However, maintaining reliable reservoir models which honour available static and dynamic data, involve inherent risks due to the uncertainties in space and time of the distribution of hydrocarbons inside reservoirs. Recent applications have shown that these uncertainties can be reduced by quantitative integration of seismic data into the reservoir modelling workflows to identify which areas and reservoir attributes of the model should be updated. This work aims using seismic data to reduce ambiguity in calibrating reservoir flow simulation model with an uncertain petro‐elastic model, proposing a circular workflow of inverted seismic impedance (3D and 4D) and engineering studies, with emphasis on the interface between static and dynamic models. The main contribution is to develop an updating procedure for adjusting reservoir simulation response before using it in the production forecasting and enhance the interpretive capability of reservoir properties. Accordingly, the workflow evaluates consistency of reservoir simulation model and inverted seismic impedance, assisted by production history data, to close the loop between reservoir engineering and seismic domains. The methodology is evaluated in a complex, faulted, sandstone reservoir, the Norne benchmark field, where a significant reservoir behaviour understanding (about the static and dynamic reservoir properties) is obtained towards the quantitative integration of seismic impedance data. This leads to diagnosis of the reservoir flow simulation reliability and generation of an updated simulation model consistent with observed seismic and well production history data, as well as a calibrated petro‐elastic model. Furthermore, as Norne Field is a benchmark case, this study can be considered to enrich the discussions over deterministic or probabilistic history matching studies.
Superannuation in Australia: A Survey of the Literature
Authors: Kingston Geoffrey , Thorp Susan
Published: November 2018

In 2017 Australian superannuation assets stood at 148 per cent of GDP, or $2.5 trillion in absolute terms. This was the world's fourth largest pool of retirement savings, a remarkable outcome over 25 years of the operation of the Superannuation Guarantee. We survey the local academic, industry and policy literature on the economics of superannuation during the last quarter of a century. Topics include the policy debate, the positive, normative and behavioural economics of household interaction with superannuation, and the structure, conduct and performance of the superannuation industry. We encourage further research into effective tax rates, the need to hedge human capital and the automation of financial advice.
Neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio, mean platelet volume and platelet‐to‐lymphocyte ratio in Behçet’s disease and their correlation with disease activity: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Lee Young Ho , Song Gwan Gyu
Published: November 2018

Aim

We aimed to evaluate the relationship between mean platelet volume (MPV), neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and Behçet’s disease (BD).

Methods

We searched Medline, Embase, and Cochrane databases, and performed a meta‐analysis to compare MPV, NLR, and PLR between patients with BD and healthy controls, and to evaluate these parameters in BD according to disease activity and thrombosis.

Results

In total, 14 studies were included. MPV was not higher in the BD group than in the control group (standardized mean difference [SMD], 0163; 95% confidence interval [CI], −0.125 to 0.451; P = 0.268), while NLR was significantly higher in the BD group than in the control group (SMD, 1.176; 95% CI, 0.392‐1.960, P = 0.003) and PLR showed a non‐significant trend of association with BD (SMD, 0.441; 95% CI, −0.025 to 0.907, P = 0.063). MPV did not differ between patients with active and inactive BD (SMD, −0.129; 95% CI, −0.323 to 0.085, P = 0.191), and between patients with BD with and without thrombosis (SMD, 0.231; 95% CI, −0.155 to 0.617, P = 0.241). Conversely, NLR was significantly higher in patients with active BD than in those with inactive BD (SMD, 1.774; 95% CI, 0.179‐3.368, P = 0.029), but not significantly higher in patients with BD with thrombosis than in those without thrombosis (SMD, 0.258; 95% CI, −0.277 to 0.792, P = 0.345).

Conclusions

This finding suggests that NLR may be a potential index to evaluate the disease activity of BD, although there are limitations of small number of studies and heterogeneity of individual characteristics.
From Schism to Prism: Equitable Relief in Employee Benefit Plans
Authors: Muir Dana
Published: November 2018

Denials of relief for even clear violations of statutory protections have left some injured benefit plan participants and beneficiaries without compensation and failed to provide appropriate incentives for compliance. Many of the remedial failures can be traced to a 1993 U.S. Supreme Court case, which narrowly construed the relevant statute's provision for appropriate equitable relief. I argue that since 2002, the Supreme Court slowly and subtly has been shifting its approach to equitable relief in benefits cases. Because the Court's development of the remedial jurisprudence has been subtle and incremental, neither lower courts nor scholars have fully recognized the shift. I rely on theoretical approaches to equity, scholarly commentary across fields of law, and the Supreme Court's jurisprudence to consider the definition of appropriate equitable relief. I then articulate a detailed analysis for use in determining when appropriate equable relief should be available in benefits cases. Applying the analysis to three important categories of benefits cases shows that, properly interpreted, the Employee Retirement Income Act's provision for appropriate equitable relief is neither so unconstrained as to threaten the viability of benefit plans nor so pinched as to deny remedies for rights granted by the statute.
SLAPPed by RICO: Corporations Punishing Social Activism
Authors: Sprague Robert
Published: November 2018

Since mid‐twentieth century, courts and state legislatures have recognized that legitimate petitioning and free speech activities should not be subject to civil litigation. Laws meant to regulate or proscribe one form of activity should not be abused to curb First Amendment activities. Over the past thirty years a number of states have enacted legislation to protect individuals and organizations active in social and environmental causes, as well as local development issues, from groundless lawsuits, known as Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs), brought to silence them. But these anti‐SLAPP statutes are of little use to an organization that must spend years in litigation fighting accusations that its protected activities constitute criminal predicate acts under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). This article advocates a federal statute that can protect individuals and organizations that speak out from meritless lawsuits grounded in federal law—particularly RICO. As discussed in this article, there are procedural and constitutional challenges to such a law. However, those obstacles can and must be overcome to prevent a law aimed at criminal racketeering from being used to stifle First Amendment rights.
Evolutionary distinctiveness and conservation priorities in a large radiation of songbirds
Authors: Funk E. R. , Burns K. J.
Published: November 2018

Human‐induced impacts such as climate change and habitat alterations, coupled with limits on funding, have forced conservation actions into a mode of triage. Although no current method has been agreed upon as the best approach to select species for conservation, many studies have demonstrated the utility of incorporating phylogenetic diversity into these decisions. In many cases, degree of phylogenetic relatedness is thought to provide a measure of functional diversity, and greater phylogenetic distinctiveness is likely linked to ecosystem stability. Despite recent debate over the validity of this notion, phylogenetic information remains an important factor to consider in evaluating species and regions for conservation attention. Emberizoidea is a large radiation of 830 species, representing roughly 17% of all songbirds and 8% of all birds. Species in this clade are found throughout the Americas and occur in all terrestrial biomes in the region. The large distribution of this clade, coupled with its morphological and ecological diversity, makes it an important radiation to study from an evolutionary and conservation perspective. This study provides conservation priorities for all species in Emberizoidea using evolutionary distinctiveness (ED) and Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) values from a pseudoposterior distribution of time‐calibrated supertrees. We found that threat level is not correlated with degree of ED, indicating that the most threatened species do not represent a disproportionate amount of ED. In addition, threatened species are slightly clustered across the phylogeny, indicating similar threats may be affecting groups of closely related species such as island radiations or geographically restricted radiations in highly disturbed regions.
Evaluation of varenicline usage on ventricular repolarization after smoking cessation
Authors: Yıldırım Duygu İlke , Hayıroğlu Mert İlker , Ünal Neriman , Eryılmaz Mehmet Ali
Published: November 2018

Background

Varenicline, which is a selective partial agonist of the alpha4–beta2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, is used for the smoking cessation pharmacotherapy. Cardiovascular adverse effects have been reported after varenicline usage in patients who stop smoking. We investigated the effect of varenicline usage on ventricular repolarization after smoking cessation.

Methods

In this prospective cohort study, we evaluated the cardiac arrhythmic effects of varenicline by comparing smoking patients (n = 214) before and after varenicline usage. Varenicline administered patients were also compared to ex‐smoker individuals (n = 50) who quit smoking without varenicline usage in terms of ventricular repolarization parameters.

Results

After calculated according to Fridericia's and Framingham's formulas, QTc intervals were significantly increased when patients compared before and after smoking cessation with varenicline (402.9 ± 24.5 ms vs. 409.1 ± 25.0 ms p < 0.001 and 376.5 ± 15.2 ms, vs. 380.6 ± 13.5 ms; p < 0.001, respectively). There was no arrhythmic event during the follow‐up. The change in Tp‐e and QTc following varenicline usage was negatively correlated with the smoking packet/year. (ρ: −0.443, p < 0.001 and ρ = −0.601, p < 0.001)

Conclusion

Varenicline usage was demonstrated to prolong ventricular repolarization parameters similar to animal studies. Varenicline may have a role to predispose cardiac dysrhythmias after utilization in smoking cessation.
Territorial (In) Coherence: Labour and Special Economic Zones in Laos's Border Manufacturing
Authors: Brown James Alan
Published: November 2018

This article engages literature on special economic zones and territory in global development. I suggest a focus on labour's spatial class composition as constitutive of territorial coherence provides insights into how the Savan‐Seno Special Economic Zone in Lao PDR operates as an economic border territory bridging Laos to the regional and global economies. The distanciated global connections which special economic zones aim to create are predicated on zones gaining internal coherence for capital accumulation. I suggest zones’ internal coherence depends on zone firms reworking the local class composition of labour, itself constituted by workers’ spatial practices. In the Savan‐Seno zone this occurred through immobilising a mobile labour force and taking advantage of its continuing embeddedness within a subsistence rice‐producing village economy. The argument aims to illustrate how zones producing for global markets act as territories of complex spatiality which span and connect multiple spaces of production and workers’ social reproduction.
Loss of paraspinal muscle mass is a gender‐specific consequence of cirrhosis that predicts complications and death
Authors: Engelmann Cornelius , Schob Stefan , Nonnenmacher Ines , Werlich Luise , Aehling Niklas , Ullrich Sebastian , Kaiser Thorsten , Krohn Sandra , Herber Adam , Sucher Robert , Bartels Michael , Surov Alexey , Hasenclever Dirk , Kahn Thomas , Seehofer Daniel , Moche Michael , Berg Thomas
Published: November 2018

Background

Loss of skeletal muscle mass is a recognised complication with a prognostic impact in patients with cirrhosis.

Aim

To explore in a retrospective analysis which muscle compartment most reliably predicts the occurrence of cirrhosis‐associated complications and if there are gender‐related differences.

Methods

795 patients with cirrhosis listed for liver transplantation between 2001 and 2014 met the inclusion and exclusion criteria including an abdominal CT scan (±200). Controls were 109 patients who underwent a CT scan after polytrauma. The paraspinal muscles index (PSMI), the abdominal wall muscles index (AWMI) and its combination skeletal muscle index (SMI) were assessed at L3/L4, normalised to the height (cm2/m2).

Results

62.0% of patients with cirrhosis had alcoholic liver disease, and 70.6% were male. As compared to controls, a reduction in PSMI and SMI but not AWMI was associated with high model of end‐stage liver disease (MELD) score, high Child‐Pugh class, and the presence or history of cirrhosis‐associated complications in males but not females. PSMI independently predicted the occurrence of bacterial infections (HR 0.932), spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (HR 0.901), hepatic encephalopathy (HR 0.961), and hepatorenal syndrome (HR 0.946) by multivariate Cox regression analysis in a gender‐independent manner. Post‐transplant survival was not associated with the PSMI; neither AWMI nor SMI predicted any clinical endpoints.

Conclusions

This study links muscle wasting in patients with cirrhosis predominantly to males. However, the presence of a low PSMI mass is a gender‐independent predictor of developing cirrhosis‐associated complications and death. Scores combining the MELD with muscle parameters should be re‐validated by utilizing the PSMI.
Care and caring: An ecological framework
Authors: Bowlby Sophie , McKie Linda
Published: November 2018

This paper proposes a framework to guide research and analysis of informal care building on, and developing, earlier ideas about “caringscapes” and “carescapes.” We use the metaphor of a “care ecology” to suggest an overarching framework in which individuals’ “caringscapes” are viewed as dynamically interacting with the resources and services of a “carescape.” We start by summarising the main features of the caringscape and carescape frameworks, and then explore possible forms of interaction in the “care ecology.” First, we discuss the processes of reciprocation, “entrainment” and care accounting through which people use or develop social networks to provide informal care support as resources and needs for care change. We examine the links between formal and informal care and suggest how these may assist organisation and re‐organisation of care and encourage small, localised innovations, adaptations and initiatives which may create new forms of institutionalised or community support or spur wider political activism. We conclude by discussing the concept of a “care ecology.”
Exendin‐4 from Heloderma suspectum venom: From discovery to its latest application as type II diabetes combatant
Authors: Yap Michelle Khai Khun , Misuan Nurhamimah
Published: November 2018

Type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic non‐communicable disease due to abnormal insulin actions causing uncontrolled hyperglycaemia. The treatment for T2DM, for instance, metformin and incretin mimetic, mainly focuses on the restoration of insulin sensitivity and secretion. Exendin‐4 is a short incretin‐mimetic peptide consisting of 39 amino acids. It is discovered in the venom of Heloderma suspectum as a full agonist for the glucagon‐like peptide 1 (GLP‐1) receptor and produces insulinotropic effects. It is more resistant to enzymatic degradation by dipeptidyl‐peptidase‐4 and has a longer half‐life than the endogenous GLP‐1; thus, it is further developed as an incretin hormone analogue used to treat T2DM. The helical region of the peptide first interacts with the extracellular N‐terminal domain (NTD) of GLP‐1 receptor while the C‐terminal extension containing the tryptophan cage further enhances its binding affinity. After binding to the NTD of the receptor, it may cause the receptor to switch from its auto‐inhibited state of the receptor to its auto‐activated state. Exendin‐4 enhances the physiological functions of β‐cells and the up‐regulation of GLP‐1 receptors, thus reducing the plasma glucose levels. Moreover, exendin‐4 has also been found to ameliorate neuropathy, nephropathy and ventricular remodelling. The therapeutic effects of exendin‐4 have also been extrapolated into several clinical trials. Although exendin‐4 has a reasonable subcutaneous bioavailability, its half‐life is rather short. Therefore, several modifications have been undertaken to improve its pharmacokinetics and insulinotropic potency. This review focuses on the pharmacology of exendin‐4 and the structure‐function relationships of exendin‐4 with GLP‐1 receptor. The review also highlights some challenges and future directions in the improvement of exendin‐4 as an anti‐diabetic drug.
Second‐generation antipsychotic long‐acting injections in bipolar disorder: Systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Prajapati Asta R. , Wilson Jon , Song Fujian , Maidment Ian
Published: November 2018

Background

Non‐adherence is a significant problem in bipolar disorder. Second‐generation antipsychotics (SGA) long‐acting injections (LAIs) may improve adherence in bipolar disorder and may prevent relapses. However, the evidence is limited and conflicting.

Objective

The objective of this study was to evaluate efficacy and safety of SGA LAIs in bipolar disorder.

Method

Systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) (≥6 months duration) investigating safety and efficacy of SGA LAIs for bipolar disorder. We searched Pubmed, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane, PsycINFO, LiLACS, www.clinicaltrials.gov up to October 2016. We also contacted the manufacturers of SGA LAIs. Primary efficacy and safety outcomes were relapse rate and all‐cause discontinuation respectively.

Results

Total of seven RCTs (n = 1192) were included. SGA LAIs show superiority over placebo for study‐defined relapse rate (RR = 0.58, 95% CI = 0.49‐0.68, P < 0.00001) and all‐cause discontinuation (RR = 0.72, 95% CI = 0.64‐0.82, P < 0.00001). However, no significant difference was found between SGA LAIs and oral active control for relapse rate (RR = 0.92, P = 0.79) and all‐cause discontinuation (RR = 1.2, P = 0.31). In terms of secondary outcomes, SGA LAIs performed better than placebo in relapse to mania/hypomania, young mania rating scales (YMRS), clinical global impression‐severity (CGI‐S), montgomery‐asberg depression rating scale (MADRS). There was no significant difference between SGA LAIs and oral active control regarding relapse to mania/hypomania, YMRS, CGI‐S, extra‐pyramidal side effects (EPSEs), weight gain. However, the active control performed better than SGA LAIs in relapse to depression, MADRS, and prolactin‐related AEs.

Conclusions

Current evidence is very limited to support the use of SGA LAIs (compared to oral medication) in bipolar disorder. Further high‐quality studies, particularly comparing SGA LAIs with active control, are warranted.
Impacts of peers’ unethical behavior on employees’ ethical intention: Moderated mediation by Machiavellian orientation
Authors: Ruiz‐Palomino Pablo , Bañón‐Gomis Alexis , Linuesa‐Langreo Jorge
Published: November 2018

Research suggests a direct negative relationship between peers’ unethical behavior and employees’ ethical intention. But several possible mechanisms might explain this relationship in more detail. For example, Machiavellianism is a personality trait characterized by interpersonal manipulation and the use of unethical means to achieve certain self‐interested ends, whether useful or pleasant. This article adopts an Aristotelian understanding of philia, related to three goods on which human relationships rest: useful, pleasant, and honest. We propose that Machiavellianism, a self‐interested, pragmatic personality orientation, might explicate the relationship between peers’ unethical behavior and ethical intention. The results of a structural equation model applied to a sample of 436 banking employees in Spain reveals that Machiavellianism partially mediates the relationship between peers’ unethical behavior and employees’ ethical intention. We also find that with a greater level of peers’ unethical behavior, the negative effect of Machiavellianism on ethical intention increases, and that when peers’ unethical behavior is nonexistent, the negative effect of Machiavellianism on ethical intention disappears. These findings advance current literature by revealing that unethical peers can indirectly influence ethical intention, through shaping Machiavellianism. Our study is also the first to show that pairing high Machiavellians with ethical peers can help to cancel out the negative influence of Machiavellianism on ethical intention.
Midwifery presence in United States medical centers and labor care and birth outcomes among low‐risk nulliparous women: A Consortium on Safe Labor study
Authors: Neal Jeremy L. , Carlson Nicole S. , Phillippi Julia C. , Tilden Ellen L. , Smith Denise C. , Breman Rachel B. , Dietrich Mary S. , Lowe Nancy K.
Published: November 2018

Background

The presence of midwives in a health system may affect perinatal outcomes but has been inadequately described in United States settings. Our objective was to compare labor processes and outcomes for low‐risk nulliparous women birthing in United States medical centers with interprofessional care (midwives and physicians) versus noninterprofessional care (physicians only).

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study using Consortium on Safe Labor data from low‐risk nulliparous women who birthed in interprofessional (n = 7393) or noninterprofessional centers (n = 6982). Unadjusted, adjusted (age, race, health insurance type), propensity‐adjusted, and propensity‐matched logistic regression models were used to compare outcomes.

Results

There was concordance across logistic regression models, the most restrictive and conservative of which were propensity‐matched models. With this approach, women at interprofessional medical centers, compared with women at noninterprofessional centers, were 74% less likely to undergo labor induction (risk ratio [RR] 0.26; 95% CI 0.24‐0.29) and 75% less likely to have oxytocin augmentation (RR 0.25; 95% CI 0.22‐0.29). The cesarean birth rate was 12% lower at interprofessional centers (RR 0.88; 95% CI 0.79‐0.98). Adverse neonatal outcomes occurred in only 0.3% of births and were thus too rare to be modeled.

Conclusions

The care processes and birth outcomes at interprofessional and noninterprofessional medical centers differed significantly. Nulliparous women receiving care at interprofessional centers were less likely to experience induction, oxytocin augmentation, and cesarean than women at noninterprofessional centers. Labor care and birth outcome differences between interprofessional and noninterprofessional centers may be the result of the presence of midwives and interprofessional collaboration, organizational culture, or both.
The translational science of hodgkin lymphoma
Authors: Cirillo Melita , Reinke Sarah , Klapper Wolfram , Borchmann Sven
Published: November 2018

Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL) is an unusual B‐cell lymphoma because the malignant cells exist as a minority population in a densely cellular microenvironment. The microenvironment is comprised predominately of inflammatory and immune cells with fibrosis in some cases. There are multiple dysregulated signalling pathways that sustain HL within this microenvironment, such as the Nuclear factor‐κB and Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription pathways. Advances in genomic medicine have enabled a better characterisation of the rare tumour cells and improved our understanding of the signalling mechanisms that exist between the malignant cell and its microenvironment. Current therapy for HL produces excellent clinical outcomes in most younger patients. However, problems with current treatment approaches include poorer outcomes in the elderly, toxicity of highly‐effective combination chemotherapy regimens and relapse in high‐risk patients. Better understanding of disease biology aids in upfront prognostication of patients, defines new methods for treatment monitoring and assists in the recognition of novel targets for therapy. Biology‐driven therapies, including anti‐CD30 antibody conjugates, cellular immunotherapies and immune modulation, particularly with checkpoint inhibitors, have changed treatment algorithms for relapsed/refractory patients. Future challenges exist in incorporating immune‐based therapies earlier in treatment algorithms to reduce toxicity and prevent relapse for patients with HL.
Can sediment supply variations create sequences? Insights from stratigraphic forward modelling
Authors: Zhang Jinyu , Burgess Peter M. , Granjeon Didier , Steel Ronald
Published: November 2018

Classic sequence stratigraphy suggests depositional sequences can form due to changes in accommodation and due to changes in sediment supply. Accommodation‐dominated sequences are problematic to define rigorously, but are commonly interpreted from outcrop and subsurface data. In contrast, supply‐dominated sequences are much less commonly identified. We employ numerical stratigraphic forward modelling to compare stratal geometries forced by cyclic changes in relative sea level with stratal geometries forced by sediment discharge and water discharge changes. Our quantitative results suggest that both relative sea‐level oscillations and variations in sediment/water discharge ratio are able to form sequence‐bounding unconformities independently, confirming previous qualitative sequences definitions. In some of the experiments, the two types of sequence share several characteristics, such as an absence of coastal‐plain topset deposits and stratal offlap, something typically interpreted as the result of falling relative sea level. However, the stratal geometries differ when variations in amplitude and frequency of relative sea‐level change, sediment/water discharge ratio, transport diffusion coefficient and initial bathymetry are applied. We propose that the supply‐dominated sequences could be recognised in outcrop or in the subsurface if the observations of stratal offlap and the absence of coastal‐plain topset can be made without any strong evidence of relative sea‐level fall (e.g. descending shoreline trajectory). These quantitative results suggest that both supply‐dominated and accommodation‐dominated sequences are likely to occur in the ancient record, as a consequence of multiple, possibly complex, controls.
Phenotero: Annotate as you write
Authors: Hombach Daniela , Schwarz Jana M. , Knierim Ellen , Schuelke Markus , Seelow Dominik , Köhler Sebastian
Published: November 2018

In clinical genetics, the Human Phenotype Ontology as well as disease ontologies are often used for deep phenotyping of patients and coding of clinical diagnoses. However, assigning ontology classes to patient descriptions is often disconnected from writing patient reports or manuscripts in word processing software. This additional workload and the requirement to install dedicated software may discourage usage of ontologies for parts of the target audience. Here we present Phenotero, a freely available and simple solution to annotate patient phenotypes and diseases at the time of writing clinical reports or manuscripts. We adopt Zotero, a citation management software to create a tool which allows to reference classes from ontologies within text at the time of writing. We expect this approach to decrease the additional workload to a minimum while ensuring high quality associations with ontology classes. Standardized collection of phenotypic information at the time of describing the patient allows for streamlining the clinic workflow and efficient data entry. It will subsequently promote clinical and molecular diagnosis with the ultimate goal of better understanding genetic diseases. Thus, we believe that Phenotero eases the usage of ontologies and controlled vocabularies in the field of clinical genetics.
Institutional complementarities and corporate governance: The case of hostile takeover attempts
Authors: Zhou Nan , Guillén Mauro F.
Published: November 2018

Research Question/Issue

Do institutions reinforce each other when it comes to shaping the economic and organizational environment? We investigate national institutional complementarities by examining how different types of institutions jointly influence the occurrence of hostile takeover attempts, a practice in corporate governance whose frequency differs across countries. We distinguish among regulative, normative, and cultural‐cognitive institutions and examine how they interact to influence the occurrence of hostile takeover attempts worldwide.

Research Findings/Insights

Using panel data on hostile takeover activity of 45 countries between 1988 and 2016, we find evidence supporting the impact of institutions individually and of institutional complementarities.

Theoretical/Academic Implications

This study shows that important corporate governance practices such as hostile takeover attempts are indeed influenced by different aspects of institutional environment. It thus helps us better understand the effectiveness of corporate governance practice across different countries.

Practitioner/Policy Implications

This study sheds new light on policies facilitating certain corporate governance practice such as hostile takeovers. It also provides managers with a tool to analyze the prevalence of hostile takeovers in a country.
Arterial adaptations in athletes of dynamic and static sports disciplines – a pilot study
Authors: Sotiriou Panagiota , Kouidi Evangelia , Karagiannis Asterios , Koutlianos Nikolaos , Geleris Parashos , Vassilikos Vasileios , Deligiannis Asterios
Published: November 2018

Background

Structural and functional arterial adaptations with regard to the type and level of training in young athletes are understudied. Our research aimed at evaluating them in two types of exercise (dynamic and static) and two levels of engagement (high and recreational).

Methods

A total of 76 volunteers formed five groups. Group A included 17 high‐level dynamic sports athletes 30·9 ± 6·4 years old, group B 14 recreational ones aged 28·7 ± 6·2 years, group C 15 high‐level static sports athletes 26·4 ± 3·9 years old and group D 16 recreational ones, aged 25·8 ± 4·8 years. Fourteen sedentary men 30 ± 3·8 years old formed control group E. Structural indices of left cardiac chambers and thoracic aorta were echographically obtained, as well as common carotid intima‐media thickness (cIMT). Furthermore, applanation tonometry was conducted, at rest and during a handgrip strength test, for the acquisition of central arterial pressure parameters, carotid‐femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) and total arterial compliance (Cτ).

Results

No significant differences in structural arterial markers were observed. However, group A obtained the highest handgrip central systolic pressure values (13·1% compared to group D, P<0·05). Resting cfPWV was lower in group B by 13·8% (P<0·05) than C and by 16·7% (P<0·01) than E, whereas Cτ was higher in group Β by 33·3% than C (P<0·05) and by 40·9% than E (P<0·01).

Conclusion

Functional arterial exercise‐induced adaptations become apparent at an early age, without being in conjunction with structural ones. Recreational dynamic exercise results in the most favourable arterial characteristics.
Outbreak of mycoplasmal round pneumonia in an adult population: A case series
Authors: Wen Wen , Gu Lei , Yu Guo Qing , Wang Ai Ming , Zeng Hua , Yu Ping , Liu Wei , Jia De Sheng , Xia Wen Jie , Lai Guo Xiang , Liu Wei
Published: November 2018

Background

Mycoplasmal pneumonia is a common type of adult community‐acquired pneumonia in China, but round/spherical pneumonia caused by mycoplasma pneumoniae has rarely been reported. Here, we report an outbreak of mycoplasmal round pneumonia in a military dormitory in China.

Methods

We analysed epidemiological, clinical, imaging and laboratory data from a series of adults affected by an outbreak of mycoplasmal round pneumonia in the dormitory of a military hospital (Fuzhou General Hospital) in Fuzhou, China. The dormitory included 2 separate buildings. Mycoplasma antibody was detected using a passive agglutination assay.

Results

The first case in our series, a 23‐year‐old male intern, presented on July 16, 2015 with a 3‐day history of low‐grade fever, dizziness, fatigue and chest tightness. Chest computed tomography revealed spherical masses. Over the following 4 days, 11 individuals who had been in close contact with the first patient were found to have similar masses. All 12 cases were mildly symptomatic or asymptomatic, and fever was the only sign visible upon physical examination. Chest radiology revealed single, round consolidations in 3 cases and multiple round consolidations in 9 cases; consolidations ranged in size from 0.2 to 2.9 cm. Most cases had normal blood cell count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C reactive protein level. Nasopharyngeal swabs from all cases tested negative for 25 pathogens, including Mycoplasma pneumoniae, in a PCR‐based assay performed on August 1, 2015. All 12 patients showed a 4‐fold increase in the titre of anti‐mycoplasmal pneumonia antibody in paired sera on August 13, 2015. Patients were given the antibiotic moxifloxacin or symptomatic treatment, and 11 of the 12 cases showed complete resolution of round pneumonia lesions within 4 weeks.

Conclusion

This case series illustrates the diversity of clinical manifestations as well as imaging findings for mycoplasmal pneumonia, to which clinicians should pay more attention. Mycoplasmal round pneumonia should be included in differential diagnosis of multiple pulmonary nodules in adults in order to enable accurate clinical identification of disease and successful treatment and resolution.
A case study of gastric‐type adenocarcinoma in situ of the uterine cervix
Authors: Tay Amos , Gudi Mihir , Lim Timothy Yong Kuie , Bing Cheng Wu , Tan Joyce S. L. , Aw Man Hua , Yeo Yen Ching
Published: November 2018

Adenocarcinoma in situ of the uterine cervix of gastric subtype is a rare non‐HPV related lesion that poses a diagnostic challenge. We describe the cytological features of a case to emphasise the subtle clues to diagnosis and help to prevent misdiagnosis in cervical cytology practice.
2018 update on dermatologic laser therapy: Part 1 – epilation, vascular lesions and pigments
Authors: Paasch Uwe , Grunewald Sonja
Published: November 2018

Technical advances in recent years have led to new dermatologic laser systems, light sources, and treatment concepts. Commonly used wavelengths – generated today with LED‐based devices – allow for the combination of various tissue effects and are associated with improved outcomes. Laser hair removal has become more efficient with the use of diode lasers that emit multiple wavelengths simultaneously. In the near future, novel LED‐based lasers will also be introduced for the treatment of vascular lesions. Here, too, the combination of different wavelengths promises to be beneficial. Picosecond lasers have led to advances in the field of pigment removal (tattoos).
Autophagy in childhood neurological disorders
Authors: Zhu Ye , Runwal Gautam , Obrocki Pawel , Rubinsztein David C
Published: November 2018

Autophagy is a tightly modulated lysosomal degradation pathway. Genetic disorders of autophagy during nervous system development may lead to developmental delay, neurodegeneration, and other neurological signs in children. Here we aimed to summarize single gene disorders that perturb various steps of autophagy pathway and their roles in the causation of childhood neurological diseases. Numerous childhood‐onset disorders are caused by mutations that impact the autophagy pathway. These can manifest with a range of features including ataxia, spastic paraplegia, and intellectual disability. Defective proteins causing such diseases can interfere with autophagy flux at different stages of the itinerary. Defective autophagy may be an important contributor to the pathological features of various childhood neurodegenerative diseases and lead to the accumulation of aberrant protein and dysfunctional organelles. Insights into the relevant cell biological processes may help understand pathophysiological mechanisms and inspire autophagy‐restoring therapeutic approaches.

What this paper adds

Numerous childhood‐onset disorders are caused by mutations that impact the autophagy pathway.

Defective autophagy is a feature of some mutations that cause ataxia, spastic paraplegia, and intellectual disability.
Outcome of paediatric acute flaccid myelitis associated with enterovirus D68: a case series
Authors: Kirolos Amir , Mark Kate , Shetty Jay , Chinchankar Nandita , Mcdougall Catherine , Eunson Paul , Stevenson Janet , Templeton Kate ,   NHS Lothian EV‐D68 Associated AFM Study Group
Published: November 2018

Enterovirus D68 (EV‐D68) is an emerging infection associated with acute flaccid myelitis (AFM). Cases of AFM associated with EV‐D68 infection have increased in recent years and the evidence for a causal link is growing. However, our understanding of the epidemiology, clinical features, prognosis, and neurological sequelae of EV‐D68 requires ongoing surveillance and investigation. We report five cases of AFM in previously typically developing children (2–6y) from South East Scotland during September and October 2016 after infection with EV‐D68 (all detected in the nasopharyngeal aspirates). All cases presented with significant neurological symptoms, which were severe in two cases requiring intensive care support because of respiratory paralysis. At 18‐month follow‐up, two cases remain ventilator‐dependent with other cases requiring ongoing community rehabilitation. These cases represent one of the largest reported paediatric cluster of AFM associated with EV‐D68 in Europe. The epidemiology and clinical information add to the knowledge base and the 18‐month outcome will help clinicians to counsel families.

What this paper adds

Nasopharyngeal aspirate is more sensitive for viral isolation and isolated in all cases.

Clinical outcome at 18 months after enterovirus D68 with acute flaccid myelitis provides information on extent of recovery and level of disability.
Utilizing Matrimonial Web sites Among Saudi Users: An Empirical Study
Authors: Bajnaid Ayman , Alessandro Veltri Giuseppe , Elyas Tariq , Masa’deh Ra’ed
Published: November 2018

Given that little research has been done on unconventional means of finding and courting a potential spouse via matrimonial Web sites, this emerging form of courtship, differs substantially from Western‐style online dating. This research examines the impressions Saudi users intended to form when constructing their profiles on matrimonial Web sites, the characteristics these users seek in their potential spouses, and the acceptable Saudi script for courtships initiated on matrimonial Web sites. It unites the hyperpersonal theory, sexual strategies theory, and script theory into a theoretical framework. Using a quantitative questionnaire (N = 302), the results of the research contribute to the debate in the literature on Computer‐Mediated Communication regarding whether online settings provide rich information about other users, as they show that online interactions can provide more information about the opposite sex for users who belong to gender‐segregated societies than they can get through their offline lives. The results also reveal that there are similarities and differences between mate preferences proposed by Sexual Strategies Theory and Saudis’ mate preferences. Such findings contribute to the theories on mate preferences in general and the sexual strategies theory in particular by advancing the understanding of mate preferences in an Islamic context.
The age of mass migration in Latin America
Authors: Sánchez‐Alonso Blanca
Published: November 2018

The experiences of Latin American countries are not fully incorporated into current debates concerning the age of mass migration, even though 13 million Europeans migrated to the region between 1870 and 1930. This survey draws together different aspects of the Latin America immigration experience. Its main objective is to rethink the role of European migration to the region, addressing several major questions in the economics of migration: whether immigrants were positively selected from their sending countries, how immigrants assimilated into the host economies, the role of immigration policies, and the long‐run effects of immigration. Immigrants came from the economically backward areas of southern and eastern Europe, yet their adjustment to the host labour markets in Latin America seems to have been successful. The possibility of rapid social upgrading made Latin America attractive for European immigrants. Migrants were positively selected from origin according to literacy. The most revealing aspect of new research is showing the positive long‐run effects that European immigrants had in Latin American countries. The political economy of immigration policies deserves new research, particularly for Brazil and Cuba. The case of Argentina shows a more complex scenario than the classic representation of landowners constantly supporting an open‐door policy.
Sensitivity of MG‐ADL for generalized weakness in myasthenia gravis
Authors: de Meel R. H. P. , Raadsheer W. F. , van Zwet E. W. , Verschuuren J. J. G. M. , Tannemaat M. R.
Published: November 2018

Background and purpose

Myasthenia gravis activities of daily living (MG‐ADL) is a commonly used questionnaire in MG trials. To investigate whether MG‐ADL is equally sensitive to oculobulbar and generalized weakness, its correlation with the oculobulbar and generalized domain of the quantitative myasthenia gravis (QMG) score was analyzed (QMGob and QMGgen, respectively). To test whether the sensitivity of MG‐ADL for generalized weakness could be improved, the additional value of ACTIVLIM on top of MG‐ADL in the prediction QMGgen in was investigated.

Methods

MG‐ADL, QMG and ACTIVLIM, an ADL questionnaire focusing on generalized weakness, were analyzed in a prospective cohort of 112 MG patients. A generalized linear model was used to calculate the correlation of MG‐ADL with QMGob and QMGgen and to assess the additional value of ACTIVLIM on top of MG‐ADL for its correlation with QMGgen.

Results

MG‐ADL had a higher correlation with QMGob than with QMGgen (B = 0.68, P < 0.001, and B = 0.38, P < 0.001, respectively). A similar trend was found for changes in the scores (B = 0.68, P = 0.132, and B = 0.39, P = 0.492, respectively). ACTIVLIM had a significant additional value on top of MG‐ADL in the prediction of QMGgen, both cross‐sectionally (B = −0.61, P < 0.001) and for changes within individual patients (B = −0.93, P = 0.041).

Conclusion

MG‐ADL has a lower sensitivity for generalized weakness than for oculobulbar weakness. Adding questions on generalized weakness would improve the sensitivity of the MG‐ADL for generalized weakness.