bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hedonic Valuation in an Urban High‐Rise Housing Market
Authors: Liu Lu , Jakus Paul M.
Published: September 2014

This study estimates the effect of spatial heterogeneity and housing‐unit attributes on the value of apartment housing in a densely urban Chinese housing market. This paper contributes to the literature in two ways. First, high‐rise housing complexes present complications in that the vertical dimension is important in purchase decisions—yet the spatial econometric literature has focused exclusively on two dimensions. We introduce a three‐dimensional (3‐D) spatial weights matrix to capture the potential for “within project” correlation among housing units located on different floors within a project. Second, a significant proportion of the world's population lives in urban high‐rise buildings but the literature has, for the most part, completely ignored such markets. Test statistics support the use of a 3‐D weight matrix; our application of the hedonic methodology to a dense, vertical housing market shows that it can be used to value amenities located within or adjacent to housing complex amenities. In our empirical example, though, we observe little difference in marginal valuation of amenities under a 3‐D weight matrix relative to a standard 2‐D weight matrix.
Delayed bleeding after endoscopic submucosal dissection for non‐ampullary superficial duodenal neoplasias might be prevented by prophylactic endoscopic closure: Analysis of risk factors
Authors: Hoteya Shu , Kaise Mitsuru , Iizuka Toshiro , Ogawa Osamu , Mitani Toshifumi , Matsui Akira , Kikuchi Daisuke , Furuhata Tsukasa , Yamashita Satoshi , Yamada Akihiro , Kimura Ryusuke , Nomura Kousuke , Kuribayashi Yasutaka , Miyata Yoshifumi , Yahagi Naohisa
Published: September 2014

Background and Aim

Duodenal endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is technically challenging because of anatomical specificities and, to date, has not been validated concerning the high rate of complications such as perforation and delayed bleeding. In the present study, the risk factors for delayed bleeding after duodenal ESD are presented with the goal of establishing preventive measures.

Methods

We analyzed 63 patients with non‐ampullary superficial duodenal neoplasias treated by ESD from April 2005 to March 2014. To analyze the risk factors of delayed bleeding after duodenal ESD, we divided the patients into a delayed bleeding group and a non‐bleeding group. To verify the risk factors of delayed bleeding after duodenal ESD, we analyzed various patient‐, lesion‐, and treatment‐related factors.

Results

Delayed bleeding was experienced in 11 patients (17.5%) Univariate analysis of patient‐related risk factors of delayed bleeding indicated no significant risk factor. Univariate analysis of lesion‐related and treatment‐related risk factors indicated only endoscopic closure as a significant risk factor. Multivariate analysis also identified endoscopic closure (not done > done: P = 0.049) as an independent factor significantly associated with delayed bleeding after duodenal ESD. Hypertension (present > absent: P = 0.055) showed a non‐significant tendency of association by multivariate analysis.

Conclusions

This retrospective evaluation found that endoscopic closure was associated with a reduced risk of delayed bleeding after duodenal ESD. Delayed bleeding after duodenal ESD might be prevented by prophylactic endoscopic closure.
Variation in prescribing of lipid‐lowering medication in primary care is associated with incidence of cardiovascular disease and all‐cause mortality in people with screen‐detected diabetes: findings from the ADDITION‐Denmark trial
Authors: Simmons R. K. , Carlsen A. H. , Griffin S. J. , Charles M. , Christiansen J. S. , Borch‐Johnsen K. , Sandbæk A. , Lauritzen T.
Published: September 2014

Aims

To examine variation between general practices in the prescription of lipid‐lowering treatment to people with screen‐detected Type 2 diabetes, and associations with practice and participant characteristics and risk of cardiovascular events and all‐cause mortality.

Methods

Observational cohort analysis of data from 1533 people with screen‐detected Type 2 diabetes aged 40–69 years from the ADDITION‐Denmark study. One hundred and seventy‐four general practices were cluster randomized to receive: (1) routine diabetes care according to national guidelines (623 individuals), or (2) intensive multifactorial target‐driven management (910 individuals). Multivariable logistic regression was used to quantify the association between the proportion of individuals in each practice who redeemed prescriptions for lipid‐lowering medication in the two years following diabetes diagnosis and a composite cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcome, adjusting for age, sex, prevalent chronic disease, baseline CVD risk factors, smoking and lipid‐lowering medication, and follow‐up time.

Results

The proportion of individuals treated with lipid‐lowering medication varied widely between practices (0–100%). There were 118 CVD events over 9431 person‐years of follow‐up. For the whole trial cohort, the risk of CVD was significantly higher in practices in the lowest compared with the highest quartile for prescribing lipid‐lowering medication [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 3.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.6–7.3]. Similar trends were found for all‐cause mortality.

Conclusions

More frequent prescription of lipid‐lowering treatment was associated with a lower incidence of CVD and all‐cause mortality. Improved understanding of factors underlying practice variation in prescribing may enable more frequent use of lipid‐lowering treatment. The results highlight the benefits of intensive treatment of people with screen‐detected diabetes (Clinical Trials Registry No; NCT 00237549).
Increase in the pharmacological management of Type 2 diabetes with pay‐for‐performance in primary care in the UK
Authors: Gallagher N. , Cardwell C. , Hughes C. , O'Reilly D.
Published: September 2014

Aims

To determine whether the financial incentives for tight glycaemic control, introduced in the UK as part of a pay‐for‐performance scheme in 2004, increased the rate at which people with newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes were started on anti‐diabetic medication.

Methods

A secondary analysis of data from the General Practice Research Database for the years 1999–2008 was performed using an interrupted time series analysis of the treatment patterns for people newly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes (n = 21 197).

Results

Overall, the proportion of people with newly diagnosed diabetes managed without medication 12 months after diagnosis was 47% and after 24 months it was 40%. The annual rate of initiation of pharmacological treatment within 12 months of diagnosis was decreasing before the introduction of the pay‐for‐performance scheme by 1.2% per year (95% CI −2.0, −0.5%) and increased after the introduction of the scheme by 1.9% per year (95% CI 1.1, 2.7%). The equivalent figures for treatment within 24 months of diagnosis were −1.4% (95% CI −2.1, −0.8%) before the scheme was introduced and 1.6% (95% CI 0.8, 2.3%) after the scheme was introduced.

Conclusion

The present study suggests that the introduction of financial incentives in 2004 has effected a change in the management of people newly diagnosed with diabetes. We conclude that a greater proportion of people with newly diagnosed diabetes are being initiated on medication within 1 and 2 years of diagnosis as a result of the introduction of financial incentives for tight glycaemic control.
Ethnicity‐specific obesity cut‐points in the development of Type 2 diabetes – a prospective study including three ethnic groups in the United Kingdom
Authors: Tillin T. , Sattar N. , Godsland I. F. , Hughes A. D. , Chaturvedi N. , Forouhi N. G.
Published: September 2014

Aims

Conventional definitions of obesity, e.g. body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 kg/m2 or waist circumference cut‐points of 102 cm (men) and 88 cm (women), may underestimate metabolic risk in non‐Europeans. We prospectively identified equivalent ethnicity‐specific obesity cut‐points for the estimation of diabetes risk in British South Asians, African‐Caribbeans and Europeans.

Methods

We studied a population‐based cohort from London, UK (1356 Europeans, 842 South Asians, 335 African‐Caribbeans) who were aged 40–69 years at baseline (1988–1991), when they underwent anthropometry, fasting and post‐load (75 g oral glucose tolerance test) blood tests. Incident Type 2 diabetes was identified from primary care records, participant recall and/or follow‐up biochemistry. Ethnicity‐specific obesity cut‐points in association with diabetes incidence were estimated using negative binomial regression.

Results

Diabetes incidence rates (per 1000 person years) at a median follow‐up of 19 years were 20.8 (95% CI: 18.4, 23.6) and 12.0 (8.3, 17.2) in South Asian men and women, 16.5 (12.7, 21.4) and 17.5 (13.0, 23.7) in African‐Caribbean men and women, and 7.4 (6.3, 8.7), and 7.2 (5.3, 9.8) in European men and women. For incidence rates equivalent to those at a BMI of 30 kg/m2 in European men and women, age‐ and sex‐adjusted cut‐points were: South Asians, 25.2 (23.4, 26.6) kg/m2; and African‐Caribbeans, 27.2 (25.2, 28.6) kg/m2. For South Asian and African‐Caribbean men, respectively, waist circumference cut‐points of 90.4 (85.0, 94.5) and 90.6 (85.0, 94.5) cm were equivalent to a value of 102 cm in European men. Waist circumference cut‐points of 84.0 (74.0, 90.0) cm in South Asian women and 81.2 (71.4, 87.4) cm in African‐Caribbean women were equivalent to a value of 88 cm in European women.

Conclusions

In prospective analyses, British South Asians and African‐Caribbeans had equivalent diabetes incidence rates at substantially lower obesity levels than the conventional European cut‐points.
Vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of retinopathy in Chinese patients with Type 2 diabetes
Authors: He R. , Shen J. , Liu F. , Zeng H. , Li L. , Yu H. , Lu H. , Lu F. , Wu Q. , Jia W.
Published: September 2014

Aims

To investigate the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and diabetic retinopathy.

Methods

In total, 1520 patients with Type 2 diabetes were recruited and divided into three groups according to their fundus oculi results: no diabetic retinopathy (n = 625, 41.12%); non‐sight‐threatening diabetic retinopathy (n = 562, 36.97%); and sight‐threatening diabetic retinopathy (n = 333, 21.91%). Vitamin D deficiency was defined as a serum circulating 25–hydroxyvitamin D level < 20 ng/ml. Clinical characteristics and biochemical parameters were detected and compared.

Results

The patients with sight‐threatening diabetic retinopathy had significantly lower serum 25–hydroxyvitamin D concentrations and higher prevalence of vitamin D deficiency than other two groups (all P < 0.05). In addition, there was a downward trend in average 25–hydroxyvitamin D level with the increased stages of diabetic retinopathy (P < 0.01). The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy and sight‐threatening diabetic retinopathy in patients with vitamin D deficiency was also higher than in those without vitamin D deficiency (both P < 0.01). After adjusting for all potential confounders, vitamin D deficiency was still associated with increased risk of diabetic retinopathy (odds ratio 1.93) and sight‐threatening diabetic retinopathy (odds ratio 2.42) (both P < 0.01). Logistical regression analysis further revealed that vitamin D deficiency was an independent risk factor for diabetic retinopathy (β = 0.66) and sight‐threatening diabetic retinopathy (β = 0.93) (both P < 0.01). ROC analysis indicated that a serum 25–hydroxyvitamin D level < 15.57 ng/ml suggested the occurrence of sight‐threatening diabetic retinopathy (odds ratio 2.38, P < 0.01).

Conclusions

Vitamin D deficiency is an independent risk factor for diabetic retinopathy and sight‐threatening diabetic retinopathy. The prevalence of sight‐threatening diabetic retinopathy doubles when the serum 25–hydroxyvitamin D level is < 15.57 ng/ml.
Increased abundance of European eel (Anguilla anguilla) in acidified Norwegian rivers after liming
Authors: Larsen Bjørn M. , Hesthagen Trygve , Thorstad Eva B. , Diserud Ola H.
Published: September 2014

The prevalence and abundance (density 100 m−2) of European eel (Anguilla anguilla) were studied by means of electrofishing in 13 acidified rivers in Norway that had been limed to restore acceptable water quality for Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Status of Atlantic salmon in these rivers varied prior to liming, from being entirely lost in six highly acidified rivers and in different stages of decline in seven less acidified rivers. Four of the rivers are heavily affected by hydropower development. The abundance and prevalence of European eel increased significantly during the study period. The best model for predicting eel abundance was that with four explanatory variables: time after liming, time after liming squared, status of salmon stocks and hydropower regulation. The eel density was expected to increase by a factor of almost 5 after 10 years of liming. The model also predicts that a river with a formerly reduced Atlantic salmon stock has a 2.8 times higher density of eel than rivers with formerly lost salmon stocks. Before liming, European eel were on average recorded at 15 and 41% of the sampling stations in rivers with formerly lost and reduced Atlantic salmon populations, respectively, increasing to 49 and 68% in individual rivers, respectively, after 10 years of liming. The recovery of European eel in these formerly acidified rivers by means of liming took place during the same period as their abundance declined in other parts of their distribution area in Norway and elsewhere in Europe.
Quantitative assessment of the equine hoof using digital radiography and magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Grundmann I. N. M. , Drost W. T. , Zekas L. J. , Belknap J. K. , Garabed R. B. , Weisbrode S. E. , Parks A. H. , Knopp M. V. , Maierl J.
Published: September 2014

Reasons for performing study

Evaluation of laminitis cases relies on radiographic measurements of the equine foot. Reference values have not been established for all layers of the foot.

Objectives

To establish normal hoof wall and sole measurements using digital radiography (DR) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and to document tissue components present in the dorsal hoof wall and solar layers seen onDR.

Study design

Prospective observational case–control study.

Methods

Digital radiography andMRIwere performed on 50 cadaver front feet from 25 horses subjected to euthanasia for nonlameness‐related reasons. Four observers measured hoof wall (dorsal, lateral and medial) and sole thickness (sagittal, lateral and medial) usingDRand magnetic resonance images. One observer repeated the measurements 3 times. Inter‐ and intraobserver correlation was assessed.

Results

Digital radiography andMRImeasurements for the normal hoof wall and sole were established. Inter‐ and intraobserver pairwisePearson's correlation forDR(r>0.98) andMRImeasurements (r>0.99) was excellent. Based onMRI, the less radiopaque layer onDRis comprised of the stratum lamellatum and stratum reticulare.

Conclusions

NormalDRandMRImeasurements for the hoof wall and sole were established. OnDRimages, the less radiopaque layer of the foot observed corresponds to the critical tissues injured in laminitis, the strata lamellatum and reticulare. These reference measurements may be used by the clinician to detect soft‐tissue changes in the laminitic equine foot and provide a foundation for future research determining changes in these measurements in horses with laminitis.
Mother and Teen Daughter Socialization Toward Ethical Apparel Consumption
Authors: Ogle Jennifer Paff , Hyllegard Karen H. , Yan Ruoh‐Nan , Littrell Mary A.
Published: September 2014

Informed by socialization theory, this study explored whether and how mothers and their teen daughters socialize one another with respect to ethical apparel consumption. The study also examined variables that may influence mothers' and teen daughters' ethical apparel consumption. An online survey provided useable data from 100 mother–daughter pairs. Paired‐sample t‐tests revealed that mothers and daughters differed relative to the attributes they valued in making apparel purchases (e.g., ethical, functional, social acceptance, and personal aesthetics) as well as in their levels of fashion involvement, materialism, charitable/social cause involvement, and ethical apparel consumption. Mothers and daughters perceived that the mothers were more likely to initiate conversations about ethical consumption, supporting a traditional model of socialization. Mothers' ethical apparel purchase behavior was predicted by ethical attributes of apparel and frequency of mother–daughter communication about ethical consumption. Daughters' ethical apparel purchase behavior was predicted by ethical attributes and their involvement in charitable/social causes.
Thermoplastic 3D Printing—An Additive Manufacturing Method for Producing Dense Ceramics
Authors: Scheithauer Uwe , Schwarzer Eric , Richter Hans‐Jürgen , Moritz Tassilo
Published: August 2014

In our new approach—thermoplastic 3D printing—a high‐filled ceramic suspension based on thermoplastic binder systems is used to produce dense ceramic components by additive manufacturing. Alumina (67 vol%) and zirconia (45 vol%) suspensions were prepared by ball milling at a temperature of about 100°C to adjust a low viscosity. After the preparation the suspension solidified at cooling. For the sintered samples (alumina at 1600°C, zirconia at 1500°C), a density of about 99% and higher was obtained. FESEM studies of the samples' cross section showed a homogenous microstructure and a very good bond between the single printed layers.
A comparison of the education and work experiences of immigrant and the United States of America‐trained nurses
Authors: Mazurenko O. , Gupte G. , Shan G.
Published: September 2014

Aim

This study examined the education and work experience of immigrant and American‐trained registered nurses from 1988 to 2008.

Background

The USA increasingly relies on immigrant nurses to fill a significant nursing shortage. These nurses receive their training overseas, but can obtain licenses to practice in different countries.

Introduction

Although immigrant nurses have been in the USA workforce for several decades, little is known about how their education and work experience compares with USA‐trained nurses. Yet much is presumed by policy makers and administrators who perpetuate the stereotype that immigrant nurses are not as qualified.

Methods

We analysed the National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses datasets from 1988 to 2008 using the Cochran–Armitage trend tests.

Results

Our findings showed similar work experience and upward trends in education among both groups of nurses. However, American‐trained nurses were more likely to further advance their education, whereas immigrant nurses were more likely to have more work experience and practice in a wider range of healthcare settings.

Discussion

Although we discovered differences between nurses trained in the USA and abroad, we theorize that these differences even out, as education and work experience each have their own distinct caregiving advantages.

Conclusion

Immigrant nurses are not less qualified than their American‐trained counterparts. However, healthcare providers should encourage them to further pursue their education and certifications.

Implications for nursing and health policy

Even though immigrant nurses' education and work experience are comparable with their American counterparts, workforce development policies may be particularly beneficial for this group.
Self‐Determination Theory and Well‐Being in the Health Care Profession
Authors: Bernard Diane , Martin Jeffrey J. , Kulik Noel
Published: September 2014

In the current study, we predicted two forms of well‐being using basic needs theory (BNT). We examined domain‐specific (i.e., exercise) and global basic needs satisfaction (e.g., competence). One‐hundred twenty‐one pharmacists and nurses from eight hospitals in a large Midwest inner city participated. We predicted 24% and 44% of the variance in mindfulness and vitality, respectively, with basic needs in exercise and life in general making significant contributions. Our findings supported the importance of competence satisfaction as the most critical basic need compared to autonomy and relatedness. Regular physical activity alleviates negative psychological states but can also potentially enhance positive mood states such as mindfulness and vitality if the exercise setting promotes a need satisfaction for competence.
Development of the Spatial Rainfall Generator (SRGEN) for the Agricultural Policy/Environmental Extender Model
Authors: Jeong Jaehak , Williams Jimmy R. , Rossi Colleen G. , Taylor Robin A. , Wang Xiuying , Fox William E.
Published: September 2014

Accurate spatial representation of climatic patterns is often a challenge in modeling biophysical processes at the watershed scale, especially where the representation of a spatial gradient in rainfall is not sufficiently captured by the number of weather stations. The spatial rainfall generator (SRGEN) is developed as an extension of the “weather generator” (WXGEN), a component of the Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) model. SRGEN generates spatially distributed daily rainfall using monthly weather statistics available at multiple locations in a watershed. The spatial rainfall generator as incorporated in APEX is tested on the Cowhouse watershed (1,178 km2) in central Texas. The watershed presented a significant spatial rainfall gradient of 2.9 mm/km in the lateral (north‐south) directions based on four rainfall gages. A comparative analysis between SRGEN and WXGEN indicates that SRGEN performs well (PBIAS = 2.40%). Good results were obtained from APEX for streamflow (NSE = 0.99, PBIAS = 8.34%) and NO3‐N and soluble P loads (PBIAS ≈ 6.00% for each, respectively). However, APEX underpredicted sediment yield and organic N and P loads (PBIAS: 24.75‐27.90%) with SRGEN, although its uncertainty in output was lower than WXGEN results (PBIAS: −13.02 to −46.13%). The overall improvement achieved in rainfall generation by SRGEN is demonstrated to be effective in the improving model performance on flow and water quality output.
Sustainable Rainwater Catchment Systems for Micronesian Atoll Communities
Authors: Wallace Corey D. , Bailey Ryan T.
Published: September 2014

Atoll island communities rely on rainwater catchment systems (RWCS) as a primary method of storing freshwater. However, stored freshwater can be depleted during times of drought, requiring importation of water to sustain community living. To maintain adequate water supply under future climatic conditions, the functioning of RWCS for atoll communities must be analyzed and optimal designs must be adopted. In this study, a quantitative analysis of stored daily water volumes is provided for atoll islands within the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), with Nikahlap Island, Pakein Atoll, and a generic island in western FSM used as representative cases. Using a daily water balance model for the RWCS, baseline conditions are simulated for the 1997‐1999 time period, during which an intense El Niño‐induced drought occurred, and a sensitivity analysis is performed to quantify the influence of RWCS features on water system outputs, whereupon an optimal RWCS design using existing infrastructure is analyzed. Results indicate the strong influence of catchment area, system efficiency, and storage capacity on water volumes and the depletion of water during dry seasons and drought periods using current RWCS infrastructure. Adequate storage can be maintained during a major drought if unused RWCS features are employed and if minimal rationing is adopted. Study results provide water resource managers and government officials with valuable data for consideration in water security measures.
An assessment of treatment history and its association with clinical outcomes and relapse in 155 pemphigus patients with response to a single cycle of rituximab
Authors: Amber K.T. , Hertl M.
Published: September 2014

Background

Studies of pemphigus vulgaris and foliaceus patients treated with rituximab have used several different dosing protocols. Likewise, patients' clinical history varies in the length of the disease prior to initiation of rituximab, previous immunosuppressants used and adjuvants used during rituximab treatment.

Objective

We sought to assess clinical factors associated with improved outcomes and a greater duration from last dose of rituximab to time of relapse in patients responding to a single cycle of rituximab.

Methods

We retrospectively evaluated published cases of pemphigus patients treated with a single cycle of rituximab.

Results

One hundred and fifty‐five patients were evaluated. An increased number of months with disease before receiving treatment were associated with failure to achieve complete remission. Patients treated using the low‐dose rheumatoid arthritis protocol (2 × 500 mg) experienced a lower rate of complete response and a decrease in the time to relapse. Patients treated using the standard lymphoma protocol (375 mg/m2 × 4 weeks) demonstrated improved time to relapse. There was no difference seen in the rate of patients reaching complete response in patients treated with the standard lymphoma protocol vs. the standard rheumatoid arthritis protocol (1000 mg × 2). The use of adjuvant plasma exchange or immunoadsorption was associated with an increase in the time to relapse.

Conclusion

Based on these observations, the low‐dose rheumatoid arthritis protocol should not be recommended due to the inferior clinical response and shortened time to relapse.
Theorizing Children's Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence Using Johnson's Typology
Authors: Haselschwerdt Megan L.
Published: September 2014

Exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) is known to negatively affect children in a variety of psychosocial domains. Nevertheless, the literature on children's exposure has remained rather unsophisticated despite tremendous advances in the adult IPV literature. Although Johnson's typology of IPV has been widely utilized and validated in the adult literature, there are no exposure studies to date that apply Johnson's typology or the concept of coercive control. To address this gap in the literature, I applied Johnson's typology to 27 studies of children's exposure based on different sampling approaches, dimensions of physical violence, and potential indicators of coercive control. Future research that explicitly measures coercive control and other contextual factors is needed to better understand the impact of IPV exposure.
Exploring Revenge as a Feature of Family Life
Authors: Yoshimura Stephen M. , Boon Susan D.
Published: September 2014

In this article, we argue that approaching the study of family conflict from a revenge perspective may offer novel and important theoretical insights. In building this argument, we discuss issues associated with defining and operationalizing revenge, review research on the parameters of revenge as studied in personal relationships to date, provide illustrative examples of several contexts in which family revenge might emerge, and highlight methodological and ethical issues involved in studying revenge in family relationships.
ETHNIC AND CULTURAL CHALLENGES AT THE END OF LIFE: SETTING THE SCENE
Authors: Brown Edwina A.
Published: September 2014

Patients with advanced kidney disease come from diverse ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds. This potentially causes conflict when considering end‐of‐life management for patients from minority ethnic groups in a Western healthcare system that is dominated by the principles of patient autonomy, beneficence, non‐maleficence and avoiding futile care. This article explores the impact of religion and culture on truth telling and futile care at end of life.
IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF COMMUNICATION AND SERVICE PROVISION FOR RENAL PATIENTS OF SOUTH ASIAN ORIGIN: THE CONTRIBUTION OF A CULTURAL AND HEALTH IMPROVEMENT OFFICER
Authors: Akhtar Tahira , Hipkiss Vicki , Stoves John
Published: September 2014

A large number of patients with advanced chronic kidney disease in Bradford, UK are of South Asian origin. Effective delivery of care for these patients demands a consistently high standard of communication between patients, their families and renal unit staff. Communication may be problematic for a number of reasons, including language barriers and an incomplete appreciation of important cultural or religious beliefs. In 2010, we received charitable funding for an Ethnic Liaison Support Worker, renamed Cultural and Health Improvement Officer (CHIO). The CHIO is able to engage with and support patients, relatives and other members of the multidisciplinary renal team. Core responsibilities include ensuring that patients and their families feel at ease whenever they are in communication with the renal services team in Bradford; contributing to formal discussion and explanation of important clinical issues in the patient's first language (typically Urdu or Punjabi), thereby encouraging patients to feel more involved in decisions about their care; listening to ad hoc patient queries and concerns and addressing these directly or indirectly through timely involvement of other members of the renal team; cultivating a greater awareness of and empathy towards the holistic needs of patients and their families within the renal MDT; and strengthening the links between renal and social care services. The involvement of the CHIO is especially important when discussing sensitive and complex issues such as conservative and end‐of‐life care with patients and their families, as communication needs to be detailed, precise and unequivocal. This is crucial to providing a bespoke supportive service for our all patients, especially those who have opted for conservative management. The significant contribution of the CHIO to the quality of renal services in Bradford has been recognised and a permanent CHIO post has now been established.
Osmotic concentration of prey affects food discrimination behaviour in the Australian pelican
Authors: Troup G. , Dutka T. L.
Published: September 2014

The Australian pelican Pelecanus conspicillatus is the largest of all pelican species and can consume up to half their body weight per day, feeding predominantly on teleost fishes. Anecdotally, it has been suggested that pelicans preferentially avoid the consumption of small portions of elasmobranch fishes (e.g. sharks and rays), which prompted this investigation into their food discrimination behaviour. The large differences in the osmolarity and/or urea content between elasmobranch and teleost fishes are likely to underpin this behaviour. Osmoconformers such as elasmobranchs maintain an internal osmotic concentration similar to seawater, with this state being achieved primarily by the retention of the osmolyte urea, while other osmoconforming organisms such as squid likely conserve ions such as Na+ and Cl–. In contrast, osmoregulating teleosts maintain an osmolarity much lower than seawater and approximately the same as pelicans. Consequently, ingestion of teleost fishes results in minimal water movement; however, if a large bolus of osmoconformers are consumed this may lead to dehydration. It was hypothesized that pelicans would preferentially avoid the consumption of osmoconformers and accept osmoregulators. In addition, we investigated the underlying physiological basis for elasmobranch rejection, and which sense(s) are primarily utilized for such behaviour. We found that pelicans freely chose to accept offerings of osmoregulators at a significantly greater frequency than osmoconformers. Furthermore, the osmotic concentration (and not specifically urea) was considered to be the most likely cause of rejection, as squid, which do not conserve urea, were rejected equally as often as elasmobranchs. Finally, vision appears to be the sense utilized for this behaviour because when elasmobranchs were made to appear visibly ‘similar’ to teleost fishes they were consumed at equal frequencies. This study provides new insight into food discrimination in pelicans and might also be applicable to other seabirds.
Virulent strain of Lichtheimia corymbifera shows increased phagocytosis by macrophages as revealed by automated microscopy image analysis
Authors: Kraibooj Kaswara , Park Hea‐Reung , Dahse Hans‐Martin , Skerka Christine , Voigt Kerstin , Figge Marc Thilo
Published: September 2014

Lichtheimia corymbifera is a ubiquitous soilborne zygomycete fungus, which is an opportunistic human pathogen in immunocompromised patients. The fungus can cause life‐threatening diseases by attacking the lung during early stages of invasion and by disseminating during later phases causing systemic infection. Since infections have drastically increased during the last decades, it is a major goal to investigate the mechanisms underlying pathogenicity of L. corymbifera. One of the first barriers, which the fungus needs to cope with in the lung tissue, is phagocytosis by alveolar macrophages. Here, we report on phagocytosis assays for murine alveolar macrophages co‐incubated with resting, swollen and opsonised spores of a virulent and an attenuated L. corymbifera strain. A major finding of this study is the significantly increased phagocytosis ratio of the virulent strain if compared to the attenuated strain. We quantify the phagocytosis by performing automated analysis of fluorescence microscopy images and by computing ratios for (i) fungal phagocytosis, (ii) fungal adhesion to phagocytes and (iii) fungal aggregation and spore cluster distribution in space. Automation of the image analysis yields objective results that overcome the disadvantages of manual analyses being time consuming, error‐prone and subjective. Therefore, it can be expected that automated image analysis of confrontation assays will play a crucial role in future investigations of host–pathogen interactions.
Accumulation of dipeptide repeat proteins predates that of TDP‐43 in frontotemporal lobar degeneration associated with hexanucleotide repeat expansions in C9ORF72 gene
Authors: Baborie Atik , Griffiths Timothy D. , Jaros Evelyn , Perry Robert , McKeith Ian G. , Burn David J. , Masuda‐Suzukake Masami , Hasegawa Masato , Rollinson Sara , Pickering‐Brown Stuart , Robinson Andrew C. , Davidson Yvonne S. , Mann David M. A.
Published: September 2014

Aims

Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) and motor neurone disease are linked by the possession of a hexanucleotide repeat expansion in C9ORF72, and both show neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions within cerebellar and hippocampal neurones which are TDP‐43 negative but immunoreactive for p62 and dipeptide repeat proteins (DPR), these being generated by a non‐ATG RAN translation of the expanded region of the gene.

Methods

Twenty‐two cases of FTLD from Newcastle were analysed for an expansion in C9ORF72 by repeat primed PCR and Southern blot. Detailed case note analysis was performed, and blinded retrospective clinical impressions were achieved by review of clinical histories. Sections from all major brain regions were immunostained for TDP‐43, p62 and DPR. The extent of TDP‐43 and DPR pathology in expansion bearers was compared with that in 13 other previously identified cases from the Manchester Brain Bank with established disease.

Results

Three Newcastle patients bearing an expansion in C9ORF72 were identified. These three patients died prematurely, two from bronchopneumonia within 10 months and 3 years of onset, and one from myocardial infarction 3 years after onset. In all three, DPR were plentiful throughout all cerebral cortical regions, hippocampus and cerebellum, but TDP‐43 pathological changes were sparse. The severity of DPR pathological changes in these three patients was similar to that in the Manchester series, although the extent of TDP‐43 pathology was significantly less.

Conclusion

Widespread accumulation of DPR within nerve cells may occur much earlier than that of TDP‐43 in patients with FTLD bearing expansion in C9ORF72.
Dwarf trees, super‐sized shrubs and scaling: why is plant stature so important?
Authors: MENCUCCINI M.
Published: September 2014

This article comments on:Coordination between water transport capacity, biomass growth, metabolic scaling and species stature in co‐occurring shrub and tree species
Outcome of duct‐to‐duct vs. Roux‐en‐Y hepaticojejunostomy biliary anastomoses in below 15‐kg pediatric liver transplant recipients
Authors: Shaheen Mohammed F. , Alabdulkarim Moayad S. , Hamshow Mohammad M. , Abdullah Khalid O. , O'Hali Wael A.
Published: September 2014

The best type of biliary anastomosis to use in lower weight pediatric liver transplant recipients is debatable. In this study, we share a single center's experience comparing the rate of anastomotic biliary complications based on the type of biliary anastomosis performed in this population of patients. A retrospective review of pediatric liver transplants for recipients weighing <15 kg from 11/2003 till 12/2011 was performed. Patients were grouped based on the type of biliary anastomosis into two groups: duct‐to‐duct (d‐d) and Roux‐en‐Y hepaticojejunostomy (h‐j) anastomoses. A total of 24 patients (12 males, 12 females) with a mean age of 26 ± 20 months and a mean weight of 9.27 ± 2.63 kg (range = 5.3–13.9 kg) were studied. All anastomotic complications occurred in patients who received left lateral segments. No statistical differences were found in the post‐operative biliary (p = 0.86) or vascular (p = 0.99) complications between the two groups. Acknowledging the limited sample size, our data suggest that duct‐to‐duct anastomosis can be performed safely in pediatric liver transplantation recipients weighing below 15 kg.
Prolonged fever and splenic lesions caused by Malassezia restricta in an immunocompromised patient
Authors: de St Maurice Annabelle , Frangoul Haydar , Coogan Alice , Williams John V.
Published: September 2014

Malassezia species are commonly found on human skin as commensals but can cause invasive infections in premature infants and immunocompromised hosts. Due to their fastidious growth, diagnosis of Malassezia infections can prove challenging. Molecular techniques can aid in diagnosis and treatment of invasive infections. We describe the case of a pediatric oncology patient with splenic lesions secondary to Malassezia restricta.
Photoprotection mechanism in the ‘Fuji’ apple peel at different levels of photooxidative sunburn
Authors: Zhang Jiangli , Niu Junping , Duan Ying , Zhang Mengxia , Liu Jingying , Li Pengmin , Ma Fengwang
Published: September 2014

The xanthophyll cycle, flavonoid metabolism, the antioxidant system and the production of active oxygen species were analyzed in the peel of ‘Fuji’ apples re‐exposed to sunlight after extended periods of fruit bagging treatment, resulting in different levels of photooxidative sunburn. After re‐exposing bagged fruits to sunlight, the production of active oxygen species and the photoprotective capacity in apple peels were both significantly enhanced. As sunburn severity increased, the concentration of hydrogen peroxide increased, while xanthophyll cycle pool size decreased. For the key genes involved in flavonoid synthesis, expressions of MdMYB10 and MdPAL were upregulated, whereas the expressions of MdCHS, MdANS, MdFLS and MdUFGT were downregulated in sunburnt fruit peel. Correspondingly, concentrations of both quercetin‐3‐glycoside and cyanidin‐3‐galactoside decreased. Total ascorbate concentrations decreased as sunburn severity increased, with the decrease being faster for oxidized than for reduced ascorbate. Transcription levels of MdGMP, MdGME, MdGGP, MdGPP, MdGalDH and MdGalLDH, the genes involved in ascorbate synthesis, were similar in non‐sunburnt and sunburnt fruit peels, whereas activities of l‐galactose dehydrogenase and l‐galactono‐1,4‐lactone dehydrogenase decreased in severely sunburnt peel. Although activities of superoxide dismutase and ascorbate peroxidase increased, the activities of monodehydroascorbate reductase, dehydroascorbate reductase and glutathione reductase decreased as sunburn severity increased. In summary, the occurrence of photooxidative sunburn in ‘Fuji’ apple peel is closely associated with a relatively lower xanthophyll cycle pool size, reduced levels of ascorbate reduction and synthesis and reduced flavonoid synthesis. Our data are consistent with the idea that ascorbate plays a key role in protecting apple fruit from photooxidative sunburn.
Lariation of Learning Intensity in Late Adolescence and the Effect on Personality Traits
Authors: Thiel Hendrik , Thomsen Stephan L. , Büttner Bettina
Published: September 2014

Empirical studies have shown plasticity of personality traits until early adulthood. The extent to which schooling is a crucial determinant in this context has not yet been analysed coherently. Although they have left the curriculum largely unchanged, most German states have abolished the final year of higher secondary schooling to enable earlier graduation. We use this exogenous shift in policy in one German federal state to evaluate the effects of an increase in the amount of curriculum per unit of time on different personality traits. The results indicate that the development of personality does not depend on schooling characteristics at that particular age.
The Child in Chekhov
Authors: PETERSON NADYA L.
Published: September 2014

The focus of my research is on representation of childhood in Chekhov's stories. In this article I look at two stories (“Grisha” and “At Home”) published at the height of Chekhov's interest in children in the mid‐1880s. I have chosen this material because one of the stories appears on Leo Tolstoy's list of known favorites, both stories are written in the form of a dramatic sketch, and both narratives address two crucial stages in the development of the child protagonist. My aim is to sketch the literary and extraliterary background on the topic, and to identify the salient features of Chekhov's model through a careful reading of the stories. A close reading of Chekhov's texts provides an opportunity to see the outlines of Chekhov's model in its dialogical relationship with the prevalent discourses of the time.
Getting Together then Falling Apart: Tomsky and British Trade Unionists during NEP
Authors: WYNN CHARTERS
Published: September 2014

Mikhail Tomsky, who is best known as the chairman of Soviet trade unions and a member of the “Right Opposition” to Stalin in the Politburo, also played a central role in international affairs when the Soviet leadership adopted the tactic of pursuing “united fronts” with non‐communist organizations during the 1920s. Tomsky, among the most moderate and appealing Bolshevik leaders, proved to be the only one who could make that happen. He orchestrated one of the Soviet Union's few foreign policy achievements of the period, the creation of the Anglo‐Russian Committee in 1924, linking British and Soviet trade unions together. Tomsky achieved this success by charming British trade unionists while holding his hardline Soviet critics at bay. But his balancing act between the moderate trade union leaders in London, who proved open to his overtures in the mid‐1920s, and critics of his pragmatic policies in Moscow following the failure of the 1926 British general strike, could not be sustained and the Anglo‐Russian Committee collapsed in 1927.
Noah's Ark Landed in the Ural Mountains: Ethnic and Ecological Apocalypse in Tatarstan
Authors: KEFELI AGNÈS
Published: September 2014

The place where Noah's ark landed still matters in Tatarstan. Before the French revolution, European theologians used the flood story in Genesis as an example of divine retribution and redemption. In modern Turkey, the creationist, Harun Yahya, has drawn on the work of American fundamentalists to prove that Noah's Ark landed in his native land–God's sign that Christians and Muslims should unite against scientific materialism and secularism, and that Turkey would play a special role in the return of all Turkic peoples to the bosom of Islam. In Russia, however, the famous Tatar nationalist writer, Fäwziyä Bäyrämova does not view the search for Noah's ark as a possible bridge between Muslims and Christians against Darwinism and secularism, but as a way to reintroduce the supernatural into Tatar political discourse and reassert ethnic Islam as the only principle of communal identity. Aside from drawing a new synthesis of past and current eschatological narratives, her new reading of Noah's story reflects the unique cultural challenges of a Muslim minority in an overwhelmingly Christian and secular environment, very different from the Middle East.
CBC Systems with Mikhailov Reductions by Coxeter Automorphism: I. Spectral Theory of the Recursion Operators
Authors: Gerdjikov V. S. , Yanovski A. B.
Published: September 2014

We consider the Caudrey–Beals–Coifman linear problem (CBC problem) and the theory of the Recursion Operators (Generating Operators) related to it in the presence of ‐reductions of Mikhailov type defined by Coxeter automorphism of the underlying algebra. We discuss mainly the spectral aspects of the theory of the Recursion Operators related to the expansions over the adjoint solutions of the CBC problem but pay attention also to the algebraic issues related to the recursion relations through which the hierarchies of the nonlinear evolution equations associated with the CBC auxiliary problem are obtained.
Iron-doped apatite nanoparticles for improvement of phage therapy
Authors: Andriolo Jessica M. , Hensleigh Ryan M. , McConnell Casey A. , Pedulla Marisa , Hailer Katie , Kasinath Rajendra , Wyss Gary , Gleason William , Skinner Jack L.
Published: September 2014

Interest in phage therapy is currently on the rise. As bacterial strains become more and more resistant to antibiotic treatment, research into improved and alternative methods for treating bacterial disease becomes increasingly pertinent. Bacteriophages, or simply phage, are bacteria-specific viruses that provide an alternative treatment in addition to possessing biological traits that allow them avoid bacterial resistance. The authors have found specific apatite nanoparticles exhibit an unprecedented effect on phage infections in vitro. Through the addition of 30% iron-doped apatite nanoparticles (IDANPs) to phage in solution, bacterial death zone (plaque) totals increase up to 128% higher than phage alone. These results are therefore of great interest for antibacterial applications. Extensive investigations and characterization evaluations of these IDANPs and mechanisms involved are an ongoing focus and effort of our researchers. In this article, the authors describe and document the in vitro and characterization results they have amassed thus far.