bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Loreto Day School, Sealdah
Authors: Sharma Rajeev , Choudhury Geeta
Published: December 2019

The case presents the situation prevailing in Loreto Day School, Sealdah, when Sister Cyril took over as the principal of the school. It details the initiatives taken by her to turn around the school. With her active interest and concern for marginalised children, the school started admitting a greater number of non - fee paying children, bringing their number to half of the total enrolled children in the school. Several programmes like providing shelter to street children and integrating them into the education system, weekly visits by school children to nearby village schools, addressing the problem of hidden child labour, programmes for platform children and training for barefoot teachers were organised along with other teaching and learning activities in the school. Pedagogic changes like activity oriented science teaching, value education, work education, and an assessment programme which took into account the effort put in by children were also initiated. Views of a cross-section of parents, some of whom had high praise for the school while some others expressed concerns about its divergent activities are also included.
The effectiveness of game dynamics in cooperation networks
Authors: Silva Luciano Francisco Silveira da , Verschoore Jorge Renato , Bortolaso Ingridi Vargas , Brambilla Flávio Régio
Published: December 2019

Purpose

In line with the recent adoption of game dynamics to promote motivation and engagement in business contexts, the purpose of this paper is to analyze how gamification tools (i.e. points, levels, challenges, badges and ranking) are used to manage cooperation networks.

Design/methodology/approach

To develop this purpose, an exploratory case study is conducted on the RedeMac Qualifying Program as a set of tools to enhance customer service in RedeMac, a cooperation network of hardware stores in southern Brazil.

Findings

The results showed the motivating role of gamification in engaging associates to the network’s decisions. The findings also indicated the effectiveness of points and badges in engaging members and highlighted opportunities to apply tools of challenge. In addition, the paper argues about the constraints for ranking in cooperation networks.

Research limitations/implications

The study reinforces literature assumptions that stand for the motivating potential of points, levels, badges and challenges. However, the case study highlighted the constraints to adopt the ranking tool in cooperation networks.

Practical implications

From the managerial point of view, the study informs managers about the adoption of gamification tools to promote motivation and engagement of associates in cooperation networks, facilitating the achievement of collective goals.

Originality/value

In spite of the growth of empirical literature in applying gamification to business contexts, there are no reports of research about the adoption of gamification tools on cooperative relations in a network organization.
El bueno, El malo y El FeoEfectividad organizacional en los procesos de recursos humanos
Authors: Gaytán-Jiménez María de Guadalupe GG , López-Hernández Carlos Eduardo , Cordero-Estefan Jaqueline
Published: December 2019

Learning outcomes

Se espera que los estudiantes logren: Identificar los requisitos previos y básicos a un proceso de institucionalización. Priorizar procesos estratégicos de recursos humanos como base para el crecimiento de la empresa. Analizar la importancia de las etapas en la gestión de recursos humanos. Definir las áreas de oportunidad y sus respectivos planes de acción. Proponer las habilidades de liderazgo que requiere un líder

Case overview/synopsis

Tramuntana® es una agencia de viajes que destaca por ser un servicio de primer nivel, promovida por sus propios clientes. Su fundador desea institucionalizar la empresa. El principal problema al que se enfrenta para crecer y consolidarse es mantener sus recursos humanos y que no pueden ser retenidos, por lo tanto, no tienen una estructura sólida.

Complexity academic level

Escuela de pregrado y posgrado de negocios y educación ejecutiva

Supplementary materials

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Subject code

CSS 1: Accounting and Finance
Expert recommendation in community question answering: a review and future direction
Authors: Yang Zhengfa , Liu Qian , Sun Baowen , Zhao Xin
Published: December 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to make it convenient for those who have only just begun their research into Community Question Answering (CQA) expert recommendation, and for those who are already concerned with this issue, to ease the extension of our understanding with future research.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, keywords such as “CQA”, “Social Question Answering”, “expert recommendation”, “question routing” and “expert finding” are used to search major digital libraries. The final sample includes a list of 83 relevant articles authored in academia as well as industry that have been published from January 1, 2008 to March 1, 2019.

Findings

This study proposes a comprehensive framework to categorize extant studies into three broad areas of CQA expert recommendation research: understanding profile modeling, recommendation approaches and recommendation system impacts.

Originality/value

This paper focuses on discussing and sorting out the key research issues from these three research genres. Finally, it was found that conflicting and contradictory research results and research gaps in the existing research, and then put forward the urgent research topics.
Achieving SME performance through individual entrepreneurial orientation
Authors: Fatima Tehreem , Bilal Ahmad Raza
Published: December 2019

Purpose

This study has advanced the role of individual entrepreneurial orientation (IEO) as a precedent of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) performance in the emerging economies. This study aims to use the action regulation theory (ART) to show that active social networking of SME owners acts as a conduit in the above-mentioned relationship and how the social skills of SME owners improve their ability to leverage on entrepreneurial orientation and strengthen their social networking.

Design/methodology/approach

A three-wave time-lagged survey approach was deployed to collect data from SME owners in the service and manufacturing sector of Pakistan through cluster sampling. The analysis of results was carried out by Models 1 and 4 of Hayes (2017) PROCESS macro.

Findings

The findings revealed a positive association in the IEO of SME owners and their performance through a partial mediating role of active social networking. Furthermore, SME owners’ social skills played a moderating role in linking IEO of SME owners and active development of social networks.

Originality/value

Based on ART, this study has targeted a scantly examined psychological perspective in SME performance research and it has shown that by having entrepreneurial orientation and social skills, SME owners can develop active social networks that are an important yet neglected performance precursor in the emerging economy of Pakistan.
Empowerment and organizational identification
Authors: Ertürk Alper , Albayrak Taner
Published: December 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the mechanism through which perceived empowerment practices in a firm influence employees’ organizational identification. Specifically, the authors posit the mediating role of leader‒member exchange (LMX) and the moderating role of leader trustworthiness in the relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected through survey from 236 white-collar employees working in 20 private companies in Turkey. The authors tested the model using hierarchical regression and conditional process analysis.

Findings

Findings of this study are as follows: first, LMX mediates the relationship between empowerment practices and organizational identification, second, leader integrity, a dimension of trustworthiness, moderates the relationship between empowerment practices and LMX and the relationship between LMX and organizational identification and, third, leader integrity moderates the indirect effect of empowerment practices on organizational identification via LMX. These direct and indirect effects are stronger when leaders have higher integrity than when they have lower integrity.

Originality/value

This study enhances the understanding of the mechanism through which empowerment practices influence employees’ organizational identification.
Land‐use change affects size spectra, energy flux and ecosystem functions in litter and soil invertebrates
Authors: Ehnes Roswitha B.
Published: December 2019

In Focus: Potapov, A. M., Klarner, B., Sandmann, D., Widyastuti, R. and Scheu, S. (2019). Linking size spectrum, energy flux and trophic multifunctionality in soil food webs of tropical land‐use systems. Journal of Animal Ecology, 88, 1845–1859. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.13027

Potapov et al. (2019) advance our understanding of the various levels of the consequences of human impact on ecosystems. They examine the communities of litter and soil invertebrates in four different forests (from rainforest to oil palm plantations). Data on abundance, body masses and trophic guild in litter and soil invertebrates are expanded to a study towards biodiversity, biomass, energy flux and ecosystem functions. Their results show that size spectra are affected differently for decomposers, herbivores, omnivores and predators. Most of these groups decrease in abundance with increasing land use, and only large decomposers increase strongly. Moreover, creating trophic‐group food webs for litter and soil invertebrates of each forest demonstrates the changes in energy flux and ecosystem functions. With their study, Potapov et al. (2019) present new insights into ecosystem functions and the sensitivity of communities to changes in land use.
Decadal changes in masting behaviour of oak trees with rising temperature
Authors: Shibata Mitsue , Masaki Takashi , Yagihashi Tsutomu , Shimada Takuya , Saitoh Takashi
Published: December 2019

Decadal changes in masting behaviour—directional changes in seed production with fluctuations on a decadal time‐scale—are attracting widespread attention in the context of global climate change. However, our mechanistic understanding of the effects of climate on seed production on a decadal scale is unsatisfactory, partly because of the insufficient statistical analyses of long‐term data on masting.

We detected decadal changes in masting behaviour in the Japanese oak Quercus crispula based on long‐term data (38 years: 1980–2017) from the Kitakami Mountains of Japan. The moving average of seed production in a 20‐year sliding window increased, whereas the coefficient of variation decreased. A wavelet power spectrum, as well as a second‐order log‐linear autoregressive (AR) model showed that masting intervals shortened from 3‐ or 4‐year cycle to a 2‐year cycle.

The moving average of seed production increased linearly as the moving average of temperature increased. Temporal variations of the two AR model coefficients as a function of temperature were well described by concave curves.

Synthesis. By conducting the statistical analyses of a long‐term seed production dataset, we obtained significant evidence of decadal changes in the masting behaviour of the Japanese oak and showed that the shortening of the masting interval was associated with rising temperature. A resource allocation shift and an environmental veto were discussed as possible mechanisms underlying the decadal change.
Fatal and Nonfatal Rip Saw Injuries
Authors: Handlosová Klára , Klabal Ondřej , Dokoupil Marek , Vojtek Vladimír , Uvíra Matěj , Handlos Petr
Published: December 2019

This paper deals with a fatal stab wound suffered by a 29‐year‐old man and nonfatal injuries of 35‐year‐old and 67‐year‐old saw operators. Rip saw is a machine that is specially designed for making a rip cut, a cut made parallel to the direction of the wood grain. Rip‐saw‐related injuries mostly occur when a person is struck by the cutting material, which usually involves splinters of irregular shape and diameter. When the splinter strikes the body diagonally, the injuries may include abrasions, lacerations, and cut wounds; in situations where the victim is struck directly, the most common injuries are oval‐ or star‐shaped stab wounds with a varying width of abrasions around the wounds. Therefore, such injuries may come across as injuries produced by a knife‐like instrument, which is an added difficulty in the interpretation of such injuries.
Environmental DNA facilitates accurate, inexpensive, and multiyear population estimates of millions of anadromous fish
Authors: Pochardt Meredith , Allen Jennifer M. , Hart Ted , Miller Sophie D. L. , Yu Douglas W. , Levi Taal
Published: December 2019

Although environmental DNA shed from an organism is now widely used for species detection in a wide variety of contexts, mobilizing environmental DNA for management requires estimation of population size and trends in addition to assessing presence or absence. However, the efficacy of environmental‐DNA‐based indices of abundance for long‐term population monitoring have not yet been assessed. Here we report on the relationship between six years of mark‐recapture population estimates for eulachon (Thaleichthys pacificus) and “eDNA rates” which are calculated from the product of stream flow and DNA concentration. Eulachon are a culturally and biologically important anadromous fish that have significantly declined in the southern part of their range but were historically rendered into oil and traded. Both the peak eDNA rate and the area under the curve of the daily eDNA rate were highly predictive of the mark‐recapture population estimate, explaining 84.96% and 92.53% of the deviance, respectively. Even in the absence of flow correction, the peak of the daily eDNA concentration explained an astonishing 89.53% while the area under the curve explained 90.74% of the deviance. These results support the use of eDNA to monitor eulachon population trends and represent a >80% cost savings over mark‐recapture, which could be further increased with automated water sampling, reduced replication, and focused temporal sampling. Due to its logistical ease and affordability, eDNA sampling can facilitate monitoring a larger number of rivers and in remote locations where mark‐recapture is infeasible.
Prevalence and nature of resident‐to‐resident abuse incidents in Australian residential aged care
Authors: Joyce Catherine M.
Published: December 2019

Objectives

To determine the prevalence of resident‐to‐resident abuse (RRA) in aged care facilities and to explore the nature, contributing factors and outcomes of abuse incidents.

Methods

Retrospective cohort study of residents in 13 aged care facilities between 1 January and 31 December 2017, using data extracted from organisational incident reports.

Results

A total of 169 RRA incidents were recorded, representing 0.56 incidents per 1000 bed days. 7.6% of residents were targets, and 6.9% exhibited aggression, in one or more RRA incidents over one year. In the majority of incidents (152, 89.9%), the aggressor had a cognitive impairment. Impacts on targets were mostly minor. The most common aggressor intervention was behaviour management (142; 84.0%).

Conclusions

Resident‐to‐resident abuse was found to be lower than in other reports. Typically, it involves residents with cognitive impairment and does not result in serious harm. Managing behavioural symptoms associated with cognitive impairment is critical in preventing and managing RRA.
Changes in mediators of pro‐cell growth, senescence, and inflammation during murine gestation
Authors: Lavu Narmada , Sheller‐Miller Samantha , Kechichian Talar , Cayenne Samir , Bonney Elizabeth A. , Menon Ramkumar
Published: December 2019

Problem

Senescence of the fetal membranes and senescence‐associated inflammation have been associated with parturition at term and pre‐term in both mice and humans. Using a pregnant mouse model, we determined changes in multiple molecular signalers contributing to senescence and inflammation associated with parturition.

Method of study

Fetal membranes were collected from timed‐pregnant CD‐1 mice on gestation days (E) 13, 15, 17, 18, and 19. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) localized pro‐cell growth factors glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) and β‐catenin. Gestational age‐associated changes in pro‐cell growth vs senescence mediators (p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase [p38MAPK]), prooxidants (heme oxygenase‐1 [HO‐1], peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor γ [PPARγ]), and pro‐ and anti‐inflammatory cytokines (IL‐6, IL‐8, IL‐10, and IL‐1β) were determined by Western blots and Luminex assays.

Results

Fetal membrane expressions of phosphorylated forms of GSK3β (inactivation) and p38MAPK (activation) increased, while β‐catenin expression decreased, as gestation progressed. Antioxidant HO‐1 expression decreased while PPARγ increased toward term gestation. IL‐6 and IL‐8 concentrations were highest on E19 (day of delivery), while IL‐10 and IL‐1β concentrations were highest on E15.

Conclusion

Mouse fetal membranes showed a progressive senescence marker increase coincided with downregulation of cell growth factors. Development of senescence is associated with inflammation. Senescence‐associated changes are natural and physiologic and indicative of fetal membranes' readiness for parturition.
Structural relations of language and cognitive skills, and topic knowledge to written composition: A test of the direct and indirect effects model of writing
Authors: Kim Young‐Suk Grace
Published: December 2019

Background

Writing involves multiple processes, drawing on a number of language, cognitive, and print‐related skills, and knowledge. According to the Direct and Indirect Effects model of Writing (DIEW; Kim & Park, 2019,Reading and Writing, 32, 1319), these multiple factors have hierarchical, interactive, and dynamic relations.

Aims

I examined the hierarchical relations of language and cognitive skills to written composition as well as the relation of topic knowledge to written composition, using DIEW as a theoretical framework.

Sample

One hundred thirty‐two English‐speaking students in Grade 4 were assessed on written composition, topic knowledge, oral language (vocabulary, grammatical knowledge, discourse‐level oral production), higher order cognitions (inference, perspective taking [theory of mind], monitoring), domain‐general cognitions (working memory and attention), and transcription skills (spelling and handwriting fluency).

Methods

Structural equation modelling was used to compare hierarchical relations models with a direct or flat relations model.

Results

The hierarchical relations model was supported. Discourse oral language skills and transcription skills completely mediated the relations of the other component skills to written composition, and the included component skills explained 82% of variance in written composition. Substantial total effects were found for discourse language, transcription, attention, working memory, vocabulary, theory of mind, and grammatical knowledge. Topic knowledge was moderately related to writing, but this relation became weak once the other skills were accounted for.

Conclusions

Component skills have hierarchical structural relations and make direct and indirect contributions to written composition. Furthermore, the role of topic knowledge in written composition appears constrained by language and transcription skills for developing writers.
Academics' perceptions of students' motivation for learning and their own motivation for teaching in a marketized higher education context
Authors: King Naomi , Bunce Louise
Published: December 2019

Background

The marketization of higher education (HE), which positions students as consumers and academics as service providers, may adversely affect students’ motivation for learning and academics’ motivation for teaching. According to self‐determination theory (SDT), high‐quality forms of motivation are achieved when individuals experience fulfilment of three psychological needs: competence, autonomy, and relatedness.

Aims

This study applied SDT to examine academics’ perceptions of whether the marketized HE context in England, UK, supported or undermined these three psychological needs for their students and for themselves. It also examined their perceptions of the impact that this context had on their teaching.

Sample

Participants were 10 academics teaching at five post‐1992 HE institutions in England, UK.

Method

Semi‐structured interviews were conducted and subsequently analysed using thematic analysis.

Results

Academics observed that students identifying as consumers seemed to display lower levels of competence, autonomy, and relatedness. This contributed to an HE environment that diminished the academics’ own psychological needs. Although some felt able to improve student motivation through their teaching, others felt demotivated and disempowered by top‐down pressure from managers and bottom‐up pressure from students.

Conclusions

The marketized HE context may undermine high‐quality motivation for students’ learning and academics’ teaching. Academics should be supported to teach in ways that facilitate competence, autonomy, and relatedness in their students and themselves.
Understanding Social Display Rules: Using One Person’s Emotional Expressions to Infer the Desires of Another
Authors: Wu Yang , Schulz Laura E.
Published: December 2019

In social contexts, people’s emotional expressions may disguise their true feelings but still be revealing about the probable desires of their intended audience. This study investigates whether children can use emotional expressions in social contexts to recover the desires of the person observing, rather than displaying the emotion. Children (7.0–10.9 years, N = 211 across five experiments) saw a protagonist express one emotional expression in front of her social partner, and a different expression behind her partner’s back. Although the protagonist expressed contradictory emotions (and the partner expressed none), even 7‐year‐olds inferred both the protagonist’s and social partner’s desires. These results suggest that children can recover not only the desire of the person displaying emotion but also of the person observing it.
A systematic review of oral health in people with multiple sclerosis
Authors: Manchery Nithin , Henry Julie D. , Nangle Matthew R.
Published: December 2019

Objectives

Despite more than 25 years of research focused on this topic, it remains unclear whether people with multiple sclerosis are more likely to present with oral health problems. The aim of this study was to provide the first systematic review of this literature.

Methods

A literature search for studies focused on oral health and multiple sclerosis was conducted using PRISMA guidelines. Electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, MEDLINE and CINAHL) were searched up until February 2019. Two independent coders extracted data, and study quality graded using the Newcastle‐Ottawa Scale (NOS).

Results

From 1281 articles identified, 17 met all the eligibility criteria. Of the seventeen studies, more than half included a nonclinical control group, and the majority were observational studies. The included studies were of poor to moderate quality. Taken together, the results provided only very limited evidence that people with multiple sclerosis are more likely to present with dental caries and gingival disease. There was suggestive evidence that people with multiple sclerosis may be at higher risk of periodontal disease and present with poorer oral hygiene, and moderate evidence for an association between multiple sclerosis and temporomandibular disorders.

Conclusions

This systematic review provides evidence of an association between multiple sclerosis and at least some oral health problems. When temporomandibular disorders and periodontal status specifically have been assessed, most studies provide evidence of an association with multiple sclerosis. However, this review also clearly highlights the need for further, high‐quality studies in this area.
Making Parameter Dependencies of Time‐Series Segmentation Visually Understandable
Authors: Eichner Christian , Schumann Heidrun , Tominski Christian
Published: December 2019

This work presents an approach to support the visual analysis of parameter dependencies of time‐series segmentation. The goal is to help analysts understand which parameters have high influence and which segmentation properties are highly sensitive to parameter changes. Our approach first derives features from the segmentation output and then calculates correlations between the features and the parameters, more precisely, in parameter subranges to capture global and local dependencies. Dedicated overviews visualize the correlations to help users understand parameter impact and recognize distinct regions of influence in the parameter space. A detailed inspection of the segmentations is supported by means of visually emphasizing parameter ranges and segments participating in a dependency. This involves linking and highlighting, and also a special sorting mechanism that adjusts the visualization dynamically as users interactively explore individual dependencies. The approach is applied in the context of segmenting time series for activity recognition. Informal feedback from a domain expert suggests that our approach is a useful addition to the analyst's toolbox for time‐series segmentation.
Integrated analysis of exosomal lncRNA and mRNA expression profiles reveals the involvement of lnc‐MKRN2‐42:1 in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease
Authors: Wang Qiao , Han Chun‐Lei , Wang Kai‐Liang , Sui Yun‐Peng , Li Zhi‐Bao , Chen Ning , Fan Shi‐Ying , Shimabukuro Michitomo , Wang Feng , Meng Fan‐Gang
Published: December 2019

Background

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common movement disorder for which diagnosis mainly depends on the medical history and clinical symptoms. Exosomes are now considered an additional mechanism for intercellular communication, allowing cells to exchange proteins, lipids, and genetic material. Long noncoding (lnc) RNA in exosomes plays a critical role in many diseases, including neurodegenerative disease.

Aim

To study expression differences for lncRNAs in peripheral blood exosomes of PD patients compared with healthy individuals and to look for lncRNAs that might be related to the pathogenesis of PD.

Materials and Methods

We recruited PD patients along with age‐ and sex‐matched healthy individuals as healthy controls and evaluated levels of lncRNAs extracted from exosomes in plasma samples via next‐generation sequencing and real‐time quantitative PCR. Correlation analysis was conducted for the clinical characteristics of PD patients and the expression of selected lncRNAs.

Results

We found 15 upregulated and 24 downregulated exosomal lncRNAs in the PD group. According to bioinformatics analyses, we chose lnc‐MKRN2‐42:1 for further study. Interestingly, lnc‐MKRN2‐42:1 was positively correlated with the MDS‐UPDRS III score for PD patients.

Conclusion

Our study suggested that lnc‐MKRN2‐42:1 may be involved in the occurrence and development of PD.
Vulnerable species and ecosystems are falling through the cracks of environmental impact assessments
Authors: Simmonds Jeremy S. , Reside April E. , Stone Zoe , Walsh Jessica C. , Ward Michelle S. , Maron Martine
Published: December 2019

Proponents of development projects (e.g., new roads, mines, dams) are frequently required to assess and manage their impacts on threatened biodiversity. Here, we propose that the environmental legislation and standards that mandate such assessments are failing those threatened species and ecological communities listed as vulnerable. Using a case study of Australia's key environmental legislation, we highlight that vulnerable ecological communities receive no statutory protection, while vulnerable species are held to a less stringent standard in the impact assessment process compared with those that are endangered or critically endangered. In the 19 years since Australia's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 was enacted, four times as many vulnerable species have declined in their threat status than have improved. Beyond Australia, we demonstrate the global relevance of this issue, as it applies to internationally recognized best practice impact assessment guidelines. These cases provide a cautionary tale: without greater attention and stricter assessment criteria in the impact assessment process, the vulnerable species of today risk becoming the endangered species of tomorrow, with all the attendant costs and missed opportunities for recovery that this implies.
Effect of two different early rescue surfactant treatments on mortality in preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome
Authors: Kadıoğlu Şimşek Gülsüm , Kanmaz Kutman Hayriye Gözde , Canpolat Fuat Emre , Oğuz Şerife Suna
Published: December 2019

Introduction

Although current evidence suggests that initial dose of 200 mg/kg poractant alfa reduces mortality in the treatment of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), these data were obtained in a highly heterogeneous group of patients and neither of them addressed mortality as primary outcome.

Objective

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of poractant alfa and beractant on mortality when administered as early rescue surfactant therapy in very preterm infants.

Methods

We retrospectively evaluated preterm infants followed in our unit between May 2017 and November 2018 whose gestational age (GA) was ≤28 weeks and received surfactant within the first 2 hours of life. Morbidities and mortality rates were compared between infants who received initial doses of 200 mg/kg poractant alfa and 100 mg/kg beractant.

Results

Data from 200 infants who met the inclusion criteria were analyzed. There were 112 patients in the poractant alfa group and 88 patients in beractant group. Mean gestational age in these groups was 26 ± 2 and 25.8 ± 1.8 weeks (P = 0.45) and mean birth weight was 812 ± 243 and 840 ± 208 g (P = 0.39), respectively. The poractant alfa and beractant groups had similar rates of overall mortality (53.5% vs 56.8%), mortality in first 7 days (30.5% vs 25.8%), and beyond day 7 (16.4% vs 13.3%) (P > 0.05). There were no differences in the incidence of preterm morbidities among the two groups.

Conclusion

We were unable to demonstrate the superiority of poractant in terms of mortality in very preterm infants with RDS. These findings need to be supported by multicenter, randomized controlled trials.
Biomarker discovery in cardiac allograft vasculopathy using targeted aptamer proteomics
Authors: Almufleh Aws , Zhang Liyong , Mielniczuk Lisa M. , Stadnick Ellamae , Davies Ross A. , Du Qiujiang , Rayner Katey , Liu Peter P. , Chih Sharon
Published: December 2019

Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) limits long‐term survival after heart transplantation. Non‐invasive evaluation is challenging, and currently, there is no validated biomarker for CAV diagnosis or prognostication. To identify potential candidate CAV biomarkers, we utilized the Slow Off‐rate Modified Aptamer (SOMAscan) assay, which evaluates over 1000 serum proteins, including many relevant to biological pathways in CAV. We evaluated three heart transplant patient groups according to angiographic ISHLT CAV grade: CAV1‐2 (mild‐moderate CAV), CAV3 (severe CAV), and CAV0 (normal control). SOMAscan assays were performed and proteins quantitated. Comparisons of proteins between study groups were performed using one‐way ANOVA (false discovery rate q‐value < 0.10). Thirty‐one patients (12 mild‐moderate CAV, 9 severe CAV, 10 controls) were included: 81% male, median age 57 years and median 1.1 years post‐transplant. Compared to controls, patients with mild‐moderate CAV had similar characteristics, while patients with severe CAV had longer time from transplant and increased allosensitization. Statistical/bioinformatics analysis identified 14 novel biomarkers for CAV, including 4 specific for mild‐moderate CAV. These proteins demonstrated important actions including apoptosis, inflammation, and platelet/coagulation activation. Upon preliminary receiver operating characteristics curve analysis, our protein biomarkers showed moderate‐to‐high discriminative ability for CAV (area under curve: 0.72 to 0.94). These candidate biomarkers are being validated in prospective studies.
Need for tracheostomy after lung transplant predicts decreased mid‐ and long‐term survival
Authors: Huddleston Stephen J. , Brown Roland , Rudser Kyle , Goswami Umesh , Tomic Rade , Lemke Nicholas T. , Shaffer Andrew W. , Soule Matthew , Hertz Marshall , Shumway Sara , Kelly Rose , Loor Gabriel
Published: December 2019

Background

Tracheostomy is an important adjunct for lung transplant patients requiring prolonged ventilation. We explored the effects of post‐transplant tracheostomy on survival and bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome after lung transplant.

Methods

A retrospective, single center analysis was performed on all lung transplant recipients during the Lung Allocation Score (LAS) era. Risk factors for post‐transplant tracheostomy or death within 30 days were assessed. Kaplan‐Meier estimates and Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the association between tracheostomy within 30 days after transplant and survival at 1 and 3 years. A total of 403 patients underwent single or bilateral lung transplant between May 2005 and February 2016 with complete data for 352 cases, and 35 patients (9.9%) underwent tracheostomy or died (N = 10, 2.8%) within 30 days.

Results

In adjusted analyses, primary graft dysfunction grade 3 (PGD3) was associated with a composite end point of tracheostomy or death within 30 days (HR 3.11 (1.69, 5.71), P‐value < .001). Tracheostomy within 30 days was associated with decreased survival at 1(HR 4.25 [1.75, 10.35] P‐value = .001) and 3 years (HR 2.74 [1.30, 5.76], P‐value = .008), as well as decreased bronchiolitis obliterans (BOS)‐free survival at 1 (HR 1.87 [1.02, 3.41] P‐value = .042) and 3 years (HR 2.15 [1.33, 3.5], P‐value = .002).

Conclusion

Post‐transplant tracheostomy is a marker for advanced lung allograft dysfunction with significant reduction in long‐term overall and BOS‐free survival.
Young people and gambling content in social media: An experimental insight
Authors: Kaakinen Markus , Sirola Anu , Savolainen Iina , Oksanen Atte
Published: December 2019

Introduction and Aims

Online gambling advertising and user‐generated gambling content have increased. This study used a social psychological online experiment to analyse young people's reactions towards and self‐reported interests in social media gambling messages.

Design and Methods

A vignette experiment with a two‐level between‐subjects factor (group condition or control condition) and three two‐level within‐subjects factors (expressed stance on gambling, narrative perspective and majority opinion) was conducted with two samples of young Finnish people aged 15 to 25 years (N = 1200, 50% female, mean age 21.29 years) and 15 to 30 years (N = 230, 53% female, mean age 24.35 years). Participants were asked to indicate how they would react to presented gambling messages (i.e. like or dislike the content) and how interesting would the content appear to them. In addition to experimental factors, the Attitudes Towards Gambling Scale and a global self‐esteem measure were used as the independent variables. A statistical analysis included multilevel linear and logistic regressions.

Results

Young people preferred anti‐gambling messages instead of pro‐gambling messages. This effect was moderated by personal gambling attitudes as participants with highly positive gambling attitudes preferred pro‐gambling content. Fact‐driven messages were favoured over experience‐driven messages. Positive majority opinions predicted more favourable reactions and positive interest.

Discussion and Conclusions

Young people prefer anti‐gambling content and factual argumentation but their online behaviour is also influenced by perceived group norms. The potential risks of online gambling promotion mainly concern young people already interested in gambling.
Influence of placebo effects on quality of life and wound healing in patients with chronic venous leg ulcers
Authors: Jockenhöfer Finja , Knust Christopher , Benson Sven , Schedlowski Manfred , Dissemond Joachim
Published: December 2019

Introduction

Placebo effects are used in the treatment of various medical conditions. To date, there is little scientific data in this regard as it relates to skin diseases in general and hardly any data with respect to wound healing in particular.

Material and methods

In a prospective randomized controlled trial, patients with chronic venous leg ulcers were observed for a period of 14 weeks. The objective was to investigate whether raising patients’ expectations with regard to a novel wound treatment might have an effect on wound healing processes as well as wound‐related quality of life, anxiety, depression and pain.

Results

Overall, 20 patients were included in the trial. They were stratified based on gender and randomized to either the intervention (IG) or the control group (CG). In both groups, the wound area decreased significantly over the course of the observation period. Unlike patients in the CG, those in the IG experienced significant improvement in wound‐related quality of life (wound‐QoL) in terms of both the overall score and the various subscales. Neither group showed significant changes with respect to pain, anxiety and depression.

Conclusions

Our study is the first to show that – merely by raising patients’ expectations for a novel treatment – placebo effects can significantly improve quality of life in patients with chronic venous leg ulcers. In the future, our findings should be integrated into the development of treatment concepts for patients with chronic wounds and should be investigated in larger cohorts.
How has psycho‐behavioural research advanced our understanding of hypoglycaemia in type 1 diabetes?
Authors: Hendrieckx C. , Gonder‐Frederick L. , Heller S. R. , Snoek F. J. , Speight J.
Published: December 2019

Almost 100 years since the discovery of insulin, hypoglycaemia remains a barrier for people with type 1 diabetes to achieve and maintain blood glucose at levels which prevent long‐term diabetes‐related complications. Although hypoglycaemia is primarily attributable to the limitations of current treatment and defective hormonal counter‐regulation in type 1 diabetes, the central role of psycho‐behavioural factors in preventing, recognizing and treating hypoglycaemia has been acknowledged since the early 1980s. Over the past 25 years, as documented in the present review, there has been a substantial increase in psycho‐behavioural research focused on understanding the experience and impact of hypoglycaemia. The significant contributions have been in understanding the impact of hypoglycaemia on a person's emotional well‐being and aspects of life (e.g. sleep, driving, work/social life), identifying modifiable psychological and behavioural risk factors, as well as in developing psycho‐behavioural interventions to prevent and better manage (severe) hypoglycaemia. The impact of hypoglycaemia on family members has also been confirmed. Structured diabetes education programmes and psycho‐behavioural interventions with a focus on hypoglycaemia have both been shown to be effective in addressing problematic hypoglycaemia. However, the findings have also revealed the complexity of the problem and the need for a personalized approach, taking into account the individual's knowledge of, and emotional/behavioural reactions to hypoglycaemia. Evidence is emerging that people with persistent and recurrent severe hypoglycaemia, characterized by deeply entrenched cognitions and lack of concern around hypoglycaemia, can benefit from tailored cognitive behavioural therapy.
Can network metrics predict vulnerability and species roles in bird‐dispersed plant communities? Not without behaviour
Authors: Morán‐López Teresa , Espíndola Walter D. , Vizzachero Benjamin S. , Fontanella Antonio , Salinas Letty , Arana César , Amico Guillermo , Pizo Marco A. , Carlo Tomás A. , Morales Juan M.
Published: December 2019

Network metrics are widely used to infer the roles of mutualistic animals in plant communities and to predict the effect of species' loss. However, their empirical validation is scarce. Here we parameterized a joint species model of frugivory and seed dispersal with bird movement and foraging data from tropical and temperate communities. With this model, we investigate the effect of frugivore loss on seed rain, and compare our predictions to those of standard coextinction models and network metrics. Topological coextinction models underestimated species loss after the removal of highly linked frugivores with unique foraging behaviours. Network metrics informed about changes in seed rain quantity after frugivore loss. However, changes in seed rain composition were only predicted by partner diversity. Nestedness, closeness, and d’ specialisation could not anticipate the effects of rearrangements in plant–frugivore communities following species loss. Accounting for behavioural differences among mutualists is critical to improve predictions from network models.
Subgroup comparison according to clinical phenotype and serostatus in autoimmune encephalitis: a multicenter retrospective study
Authors: Gastaldi M. , Mariotto S. , Giannoccaro M. P. , Iorio R. , Zoccarato M. , Nosadini M. , Benedetti L. , Casagrande S. , Di Filippo M. , Valeriani M. , Ricci S. , Bova S. , Arbasino C. , Mauri M. , Versino M. , Vigevano F. , Papetti L. , Romoli M. , Lapucci C. , Massa F. , Sartori S. , Zuliani L. , Barilaro A. , De Gaspari P. , Spagni G. , Evoli A. , Liguori R. , Ferrari S. , Marchioni E. , Giometto B. , Massacesi L. , Franciotta D.
Published: December 2019

Background and purpose

Autoimmune encephalitides (AE) include a spectrum of neurological disorders whose diagnosis revolves around the detection of neuronal antibodies (Abs). Consensus‐based diagnostic criteria (AE‐DC) allow clinic‐serological subgrouping of AE, with unclear prognostic implications. The impact of AE‐DC on patients’ management was studied, focusing on the subgroup of Ab‐negative‐AE.

Methods

This was a retrospective multicenter study on patients fulfilling AE‐DC. All patients underwent Ab testing with commercial cell‐based assays (CBAs) and, when available, in‐house assays (immunohistochemistry, live/fixed CBAs, neuronal cultures) that contributed to defining final categories. Patients were classified as Ab‐positive‐AE [N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate‐receptor encephalitis (NMDAR‐E), Ab‐positive limbic encephalitis (LE), definite‐AE] or Ab‐negative‐AE (Ab‐negative‐LE, probable‐AE, possible‐AE).

Results

Commercial CBAs detected neuronal Abs in 70/118 (59.3%) patients. Testing 37/48 Ab‐negative cases, in‐house assays identified Abs in 11 patients (29.7%). A hundred and eighteen patients fulfilled the AE‐DC, 81 (68.6%) with Ab‐positive‐AE (Ab‐positive‐LE, 40; NMDAR‐E, 32; definite‐AE, nine) and 37 (31.4%) with Ab‐negative‐AE (Ab‐negative‐LE, 17; probable/possible‐AE, 20). Clinical phenotypes were similar in Ab‐positive‐LE versus Ab‐negative‐LE. Twenty‐four/118 (20.3%) patients had tumors, and 19/118 (16.1%) relapsed, regardless of being Ab‐positive or Ab‐negative. Ab‐positive‐AE patients were treated earlier than Ab‐negative‐AE patients (P = 0.045), responded more frequently to treatments (92.3% vs. 65.6%, P < 0.001) and received second‐line therapies more often (33.3% vs. 10.8%, P = 0.01). Delays in first‐line therapy initiation were associated with poor response (P = 0.022; odds ratio 1.02; confidence interval 1.00–1.04).

Conclusions

In‐house diagnostics improved Ab detection allowing better patient management but was available in a patient subgroup only, implying possible Ab‐positive‐AE underestimation. Notwithstanding this limitation, our findings suggest that Ab‐negative‐AE and Ab‐positive‐AE patients share similar oncological profiles, warranting appropriate tumor screening. Ab‐negative‐AE patients risk worse responses due to delayed and less aggressive treatments.
Language impairment in children aged 5 and 8 years after antiepileptic drug exposure in utero – the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study
Authors: Husebye E. S. N. , Gilhus N. E. , Spigset O. , Daltveit A. K. , Bjørk M. H.
Published: December 2019

Background and purpose

The purpose was to examine the consequences of antiepileptic drug (AED) exposure during pregnancy on language abilities in children aged 5 and 8 years of mothers with epilepsy.

Methods

The study population included children of mothers with and without epilepsy enrolled in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study 1999–2008. Mothers prospectively provided information on epilepsy diagnosis, AED use during pregnancy and the child’s language abilities at age 5 and 8 years, in questionnaires with validated language screening tools. AED concentrations in gestation week 17–19 and in the umbilical cord were measured.

Results

The study population included 346 AED‐exposed and 388 AED‐unexposed children of mothers with epilepsy, and 113 674 children of mothers without epilepsy. Mothers of 117 and 121 AED‐exposed children responded to the questionnaires at age 5 and 8 years, respectively. For AED‐exposed children, the adjusted odds ratio for language impairment was 1.6 [confidence interval (CI) 1.1–2.5, P = 0.03] at age 5 years and 2.0 (CI 1.4–3.0, P < 0.001) at age 8 years, compared to children of mothers without epilepsy. Children exposed to carbamazepine monotherapy had a significantly increased risk of language impairment compared to control children at age 8 years (adjusted odds ratio 3.8, CI 1.6–9.0, P = 0.002). Higher maternal valproate concentrations correlated with language impairment at age 5 years. Periconceptional folic acid supplement use protected against AED‐associated language impairment.

Conclusion

Foetal AED exposure in utero is associated with an increased risk of language impairment in children aged 5 and 8 years of mothers with epilepsy. Periconceptional folic acid use had a protective effect on AED‐associated language impairment.
Emergency decision making with extended axiomatic design approach under picture fuzzy environment
Authors: Ding Xue‐Feng , Zhang Ling , Liu Hu‐Chen
Published: December 2019

Timely and effective emergency decision making (EDM) is the key to control the spread of disasters and reduce the casualties and property losses caused by emergencies. However, due to limited time and insufficient data, it is difficult for decision makers to provide accurate information about emergency incidents. Moreover, the EDM problems become complicated and unstructured requiring the deployment of advanced mathematical techniques to derive the most acceptable response. In this paper, we propose a new EDM approach by using picture fuzzy sets and axiomatic design technique for determining the optimal rescue plan to reduce the damages of emergencies. The contribution of this paper is to apply the picture fuzzy sets to handle the uncertainty and ambiguity of decision makers' assessments on emergency alternatives, apply the picture fuzzy hybrid averaging operator to aggregate decision makers' opinions into a group evaluation matrix and extend the axiomatic design technique to identify the best emergency solution for EDM. Finally, a real example is provided, and the result is compared with existing methods to demonstrate the feasibility and practicability of our proposed EDM approach.