bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Being John Harper: Using evolutionary ideas to improve understanding of global patterns in plant traits
Authors: Moles Angela T.
Published: December 2017

This review summarizes current understanding of five key plant traits: seed mass, plant height, wood density, leaf mass per unit area and leaf size, emphasizing ways in which our understanding of large‐scale patterns in plant traits have improved over the last two decades.

Notable advances include: (1) large‐seeded species have greater seed dispersal distances than do small‐seeded species, (2) leaf mass per unit area is not strongly or consistently related to plant traits outside the leaf economics spectrum, or to broad gradients in environmental conditions, and (3) fleshy fruit could not have first evolved for seed dispersal, as the first fleshy fruit appeared millions of years before the first potential seed dispersers.

While quantifying large‐scale patterns in plant traits has yielded many important discoveries, it is clear that the next major leap in understanding will not come from simply including ever more variables in our analyses. I suggest that we build upon Harper's “Darwinian approach to plant ecology” and apply evolutionary ideas to large‐scale trait ecology. For example, quantifying trait impacts on lifetime fitness rather than on particular stages of plant regeneration can allow us to understand the coordination between seemingly disparate traits. I use this approach to bring seed mass and plant height together as integrated parts of a species’ life‐history spectrum. I then point out problems associated with the implicit assumption that selection acts on species’ mean trait values and show how considering the way selection acts can improve our understanding of the effects of climate on plant traits. A goal for the future is to quantify the full suite of biotic and abiotic factors that shape plant strategy in complex, real‐world situations.

Synthesis. Enormous data availability and ever more powerful computational and statistical tools have given ecologists unprecedented power to quantify large‐scale patterns in plant ecology. However, there is a limit to how far big data alone can take us. The time is ripe for a new generation of hypotheses and ecological theory built on strong evolutionary foundations. Let the creativity begin!
Simultaneous synergist, antagonistic and additive interactions between multiple local stressors all degrade algal turf communities on coral reefs
Authors: Fong Caitlin R. , Bittick Sarah J. , Fong Peggy
Published: December 2017

Ecological communities are subjected to multiple anthropogenic stressors at both global and local scales that are increasing in number and magnitude. Stressors can interact in complex ways and are classified as additive, synergistic or antagonistic; the nature of the interaction is key to predicting changes and understanding community resilience. Coral reefs are among the most impacted communities and have shifted from coral‐ to algal‐dominated states, and overfishing, nutrient enrichment and sedimentation are local stressors that often co‐occur and may support degraded algal states. Short algal turfs are abundant benthic space holders on healthy reefs that may be pushed by local stressors to long algal turfs, a more degraded state that may prevent recovery to coral dominance.

We conducted a fully crossed three‐factor field experiment on short algal turf communities manipulating herbivory pressure (+/−cages), nutrients (+/−fertilizer) and sediments (natural accumulation/removal). We applied stressors for 16 days, removed them and monitored turf height during and after manipulations.

We found that significant pair‐wise interactions between all stressors pushed the community towards a degraded state with longer algal turfs. All three types of interactions (additive, synergistic and antagonistic) were common and occurred in equal frequency, suggesting more investigations into all types are needed to accurately predict community responses to multiple stressors. For example, when herbivores were present, nutrients and sediments interacted additively, while in the absence of herbivores, nutrients and sediments interacted synergistically. All interactions broke down following termination of experimental manipulations and all effects were undetectable after 49 days, indicating that this reef may be resilient, at least when stressors are applied on a short time‐scale.

Synthesis. Because management of local stressors is often more tractable than global stressors, local management has been proposed as a means to offset global stressors. However, ecological communities often experience multiple local stressors simultaneously, and interactions between stressors, including synergisms and antagonisms, may be the source of nonlinear shifts in communities or “ecological surprises.” The majority of interactions in our study were both strong and nonlinear, and we suggest that, if pervasive across systems, nonlinear interactions may drive the recent global increase in “ecological surprises.”
Mitochondrial donation, patient engagement and narratives of hope
Authors: Herbrand Cathy , Dimond Rebecca
Published: December 2017

This article develops the sociology of hope and patient engagement by exploring how patients’ perceptions and actions are shaped by narratives of hope surrounding the clinical introduction of novel reproductive techniques. In 2015, after extensive public debates, the UK became the first country to legalise a mitochondrial donation technique aimed at preventing the transmission of inherited disorders. The article draws on the accounts of twenty‐two women of reproductive age who are at risk of having a child with mitochondrial disease and would be the potential target of the technique. We explore the extent to which our participants engaged with the public debates and how they accounted for their support of mitochondrial donation. We show that while the majority of our participants were in favour of legalisation, they did not necessarily wish to use the technique themselves. We found that hope was multi‐faceted, involving hope for self, hope for family and hope for society. We conclude by considering the implications of hope narratives for patients and families and the important but potentially limited role that patients can play as advocates for technology.
Operating (on) the self: transforming agency through obesity surgery and treatment
Authors: Vogel Else
Published: December 2017

In this article, I describe the processes through which patients diagnosed with ‘morbid obesity’ become active subjects through undergoing obesity surgery and an empowerment lifestyle programme in a Dutch obesity clinic. Following work in actor‐network theory and material semiotics that complicates the distinction between active and passive subjects, I trace how agency is configured and re‐distributed throughout the treatment trajectory. In the clinic's elaborate care assemblage – consisting of dieticians, exercise coaches and psychologists – the person is not only actively involved in his/her own change, the subject of intervention is the self as ‘actor’: his/her material constitution, inclinations and feelings. The empirical examples reveal that a self becomes capable of self‐care only after a costly and laborious conditioning through which patients are completely transformed. In this work, the changed body, implying a new, potentially disruptive reality that patients must learn to cope with, is pivotal to what the patient can do and become. Rather than striving to be disembodied, self‐contained liberal subjects that make sensible decisions for their body, patients become empowered through submission and attachment and by arranging support.
Low‐temperature chemotaxis, halotaxis and chemohalotaxis by the psychrophilic marine bacterium Colwellia psychrerythraea 34H
Authors: Showalter G. M. , Deming J. W.
Published: December 2017

A variety of ecologically important processes are driven by bacterial motility and taxis, yet these basic bacterial behaviours remain understudied in cold habitats. Here, we present a series of experiments designed to test the chemotactic ability of the model marine psychrophilic bacterium Colwellia psychrerythraea 34H, when grown at optimal temperature and salinity (8°C, 35 ppt) or its original isolation conditions (–1°C, 35 ppt), towards serine and mannose at temperatures from −8°C to 27°C (above its upper growth temperature of 18°C), and at salinities of 15, 35 and 55 ppt (at 8°C and −1°C). Results indicate that C. psychrerythraea 34H is capable of chemotaxis at all temperatures tested, with strongest chemotaxis at the temperature at which it was first grown, whether 8°C or −1°C. This model marine psychrophile also showed significant halotaxis towards 15 and 55 ppt solutions, as well as strong substrate‐specific chemohalotaxis. We suggest that such patterns of taxis may enable bacteria to colonize sea ice, position themselves optimally within its extremely cold, hypersaline and temporally fluctuating microenvironments, and respond to various chemical signals therein.
How do goannas find sea turtle nests?
Authors: Lei Juan , Booth David T.
Published: December 2017

Squamate reptiles rely heavily on visual and chemical cues to detect their prey, so we expected yellow‐spotted goannas (Varanus panoptes) which are predators of sea turtle nests on mainland beaches in northern Australia would use these cues to find sea turtle nests. Ghost crabs (Ocypode ceratophthalmus and Ocypode cordimanus) are also common on Australian sea turtle nesting beaches and frequently burrow into sea turtle nests. However, the potential for ghost crab burrowing activity at sea turtle nests to signal the location of a nest to goannas has not been investigated. Here, we used camera traps and presence of tracks at nests to record goanna activity around selected nests during the incubation period and 10 days after hatchling turtles emerged from their nests. We also recorded the number of ghost crab burrows around nests to evaluate ghost crab activity. Our results indicated that nest discovery by goannas was independent of nest age, but that the nest visitation rate of goannas and crabs increased significantly after a nest had been opened by a goanna or after hatchlings had emerged from the nest. There was no apparent connection between ghost crab burrows into a nest and the likelihood of that nest being predated by goannas.
Pseudomesotheliomatous carcinoma of the pleura: an autopsy case of metastasis from a G‐CSF‐producing anaplastic carcinoma of the pancreas
Authors: Hattori Yui , Sentani Kazuhiro , Hattori Takuya , Oue Naohide , Yasui Wataru
Published: December 2017

Pseudomesotheliomatous carcinoma is a malignant tumor that extends along the pleura mimicking malignant mesothelioma. An 81‐year‐old male patient presented to our hospital with epigastralgia, and abdominal computed tomography (CT) showed a 36‐mm tumor in the pancreatic tail. The laboratory data revealed a high leukocyte count (>44 000/μL). Chest CT showed left pleural thickening with pleural effusion. The cancer showed a poor response to chemotherapy, and the patient died of respiratory failure at 5 months after the onset of disease. Autopsy showed solid tumor with hemorrhage, measuring 6 cm in diameter, in the pancreatic tail, with wide invasion to the stomach, left adrenal gland, spleen, and diaphragm. The left pleura, which was circumferentially thickened by the involved tumor, macroscopically resembled pleural mesothelioma. Histologically, the primary pancreatic tumor was diagnosed as anaplastic carcinoma, due to the absence of glandular structures or other features that would indicate a definite direction of differentiation. The primary lesion and carcinoma involving the left pleura were all positive for G‐CSF. We recently experienced an autopsy case of G‐CSF‐producing anaplastic carcinoma with pseudomesotheliomatous spread.
Bumetanide blocks the acquisition of conditioned fear in adult rats
Authors: Ko Meng‐Chang , Lee Ming‐Chung , Tang Tso‐Hao , Amstislavskaya Tamara G , Tikhonova Maria A , Yang Yi‐Ling , Lu Kwok‐Tung
Published: December 2017

Background and Purpose

Bumetanide has anxiolytic effects in rat models of conditioned fear. As a loop diuretic, bumetanide blocks cation–chloride co‐transport and this property may allow bumetanide to act as an anxiolytic by modulating GABAergic synaptic transmission in the CNS. Its potential for the treatment of anxiety disorders deserves further investigation. In this study, we evaluated the possible involvement of the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala in the anxiolytic effect of bumetanide.

Experimental Approach

Brain slices were prepared from Wistar rats. extracellular recording, stereotaxic surgery, fear‐potentiated startle response, locomotor activity monitoring and Western blotting were applied in this study.

Key Results

Systemic administration of bumetanide (15.2 mg·kg−1, i.v.), 30 min prior to fear conditioning, significantly inhibited the acquisition of the fear‐potentiated startle response. Phosphorylation of ERK in the basolateral nucleus of amygdala was reduced after bumetanide administration. In addition, suprafusion of bumetanide (5 or 10 μM) attenuated long‐term potentiation in the amygdala in a dose‐dependent manner. Intra‐amygdala infusion of bumetanide, 15 min prior to fear conditioning, also blocked the acquisition of the fear‐potentiated startle response. Finally, the possible off‐target effect of bumetanide on conditioned fear was excluded by side‐by‐side control experiments.

Conclusions and Implications

These results suggest the basolateral nucleus of amygdala plays a critical role in the anxiolytic effects of bumetanide.
Chile Crece Contigo: Implementation, results, and scaling‐up lessons
Authors: Torres A. , Lopez Boo F. , Parra V. , Vazquez C. , Segura‐Pérez S. , Cetin Z. , Pérez‐Escamilla R.
Published: December 2017

Background

Chile Crece Contigo (ChCC) is defined as a comprehensive, intersectoral, and multicomponent policy that aims to help all children reach their full potential for development, regardless of their socio‐economic status.

Methods

This case study was developed on the basis of grey literature review and key informants' interviews.

Results

ChCC behaves as a complex adaptive system that combines universal and targeted benefits for the more vulnerable starting since gestation and until the children are 4 years old. Three key ministries are involved in ChCC management: health, education, and social development. Studies show adequate programme implementation and positive effects of ChCC on child development. In addition, it was found that the more families use ChCC benefits and the longer the subsystem has been operating in the commune, the greater the positive effects.

Conclusions

Strong political support based on principles of equity and child rights combined with strong evidence and funding commitment from government has been central to emergence, scaling up, and sustainability of ChCC. Further sustainability of ChCC will rely on firmly establishing a well‐trained and compensated cadre of early child development professionals and paraprofessionals as well as an improved management and evaluation decentralized system.
Care for Child Development: an intervention in support of responsive caregiving and early child development
Authors: Lucas J. E. , Richter L. M. , Daelmans B.
Published: December 2017

Background

An estimated 43% of children younger than 5 years of age are at elevated risk of failing to achieve their human potential. In response, the World Health Organization and UNICEF developed Care for Child Development (CCD), based on the science of child development, to improve sensitive and responsive caregiving and promote the psychosocial development of young children.

Methods

In 2015, the World Health Organization and UNICEF identified sites where CCD has been implemented and sustained. The sites were surveyed, and responses were followed up by phone interviews. Project reports provided information on additional sites, and a review of published studies was undertaken to document the effectiveness of CCD for improving child and family outcomes, as well as its feasibility for implementation in resource‐constrained communities.

Results

The inventory found that CCD had been integrated into existing services in diverse sectors in 19 countries and 23 sites, including child survival, health, nutrition, infant day care, early education, family and child protection and services for children with disabilities. Published and unpublished evaluations have found that CCD interventions can improve child development, growth and health, as well as responsive caregiving. It has also been reported to reduce maternal depression, a known risk factor for poor pregnancy outcomes and poor child health, growth and development. Although CCD has expanded beyond initial implementation sites, only three countries reported having national policy support for integrating CCD into health or other services.

Conclusions

Strong interest exists in many countries to move beyond child survival to protect and support optimal child development. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals depend on children realizing their potential to build healthy and emotionally, cognitively and socially competent future generations. More studies are needed to guide the integration of the CCD approach under different conditions. Nevertheless, the time is right to provide for the scale‐up of CCD as part of services for families and children.
Laplace–Beltrami Operator on Point Clouds Based on Anisotropic Voronoi Diagram
Authors: Qin Hongxing , Chen Yi , Wang Yunhai , Hong Xiaoyang , Yin Kangkang , Huang Hui
Published: December 2017

The symmetrizable and converged Laplace–Beltrami operator () is an indispensable tool for spectral geometrical analysis of point clouds. The , introduced by Liu et al. [LPG12] is guaranteed to be symmetrizable, but its convergence degrades when it is applied to models with sharp features. In this paper, we propose a novel , which is not only symmetrizable but also can handle the point‐sampled surface containing significant sharp features. By constructing the anisotropic Voronoi diagram in the local tangential space, the can be well constructed for any given point. To compute the area of anisotropic Voronoi cell, we introduce an efficient approximation by projecting the cell to the local tangent plane and have proved its convergence. We present numerical experiments that clearly demonstrate the robustness and efficiency of the proposed for point clouds that may contain noise, outliers, and non‐uniformities in thickness and spacing. Moreover, we can show that its spectrum is more accurate than the ones from existing for scan points or surfaces with sharp features.
The score distribution and factor structure of the Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences‐Positive Scale (CAPE‐P15) in a Canadian sample
Authors: Haque Mashal K. , Jacobson Jill A. , Bowie Christopher R. , Munhall Kevin G.
Published: December 2017

Aim

Psychotic‐like experiences (PLEs) share several risk factors with psychotic disorders and confer greater risk of developing a psychotic disorder. Thus, individuals with PLEs not only comprise a valuable population in which to study the aetiology and premorbid changes associated with psychosis, but also represent a high‐risk population that could benefit from clinical monitoring or early intervention efforts.

Method

We examined the score distribution and factor structure of the current 15‐item Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences‐Positive Scale (CAPE‐P15) in a Canadian sample. The CAPE‐P15, which measures current PLEs in the general population, was completed by 1741 university students.

Results

The distribution of total scores was positively skewed, and confirmatory factor analysis indicated that a 3‐factor structure produced the best fit.

Conclusion

The CAPE‐P15 has a similar score distribution and consistently measures three types of positive PLEs: persecutory ideation, bizarre experiences and perceptual abnormalities when administered in Canada vs Australia.
Effect of fishing effort on catch rate and catchability of largemouth bass in small impoundments
Authors: Wegener M. G. , Schramm H. L. , Neal J. W. , Gerard P. D.
Published: December 2017

Largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides (Lacepède) catch rates decline with sustained fishing effort, even without harvest. It is unclear why declines in catch rate occur, and little research has been directed at how to improve catch rate. Learning has been proposed as a reason for declining catch rate, but has never been tested on largemouth bass. If catch rate declines because fish learn to avoid lures, periods of no fishing could be a management tool for increasing catch rate. In this study, six small impoundments with established fish populations were fished for two May to October fishing seasons to evaluate the effect of fishing effort on catch rate. Closed seasons were implemented to test whether a 2‐month period of no fishing improved catch rates and to determine whether conditioning from factors other than being captured reduced catch rate. Mixed‐model analysis indicated catch rate and catchability declined throughout the fishing season. Catch rate and catchability increased after a 2‐month closure but soon declined to the lowest levels of the fishing season. These changes in catch rate and catchability support the conclusion of learned angler avoidance, but sustained catchability of fish not previously caught does not support that associative or social learning affected catchability.
Perinatal nutrition interacts with genetic background to alter behavior in a parent‐of‐origin‐dependent manner in adult Collaborative Cross mice
Authors: Schoenrock S. A. , Oreper D. , Farrington J. , McMullan R. C. , Ervin R. , Miller D. R. , Pardo‐Manuel de Villena F. , Valdar W. , Tarantino L. M.
Published: December 2017

Previous studies in animal models and humans have shown that exposure to nutritional deficiencies in the perinatal period increases the risk of psychiatric disease. Less well understood is how such effects are modulated by the combination of genetic background and parent‐of‐origin (PO). To explore this, we exposed female mice from 20 Collaborative Cross (CC) strains to protein deficient, vitamin D deficient, methyl donor enriched or standard diet during the perinatal period. These CC females were then crossed to a male from a different CC strain to produce reciprocal F1 hybrid females comprising 10 distinct genetic backgrounds. The adult F1 females were then tested in the open field, light/dark, stress‐induced hyperthermia, forced swim and restraint stress assays. Our experimental design allowed us to estimate effects of genetic background, perinatal diet, PO and their interactions on behavior. Genetic background significantly affected all assessed phenotypes. Perinatal diet exposure interacted with genetic background to affect body weight, basal body temperature, anxiety‐like behavior and stress response. In 8 of 9 genetic backgrounds, PO effects were observed on multiple phenotypes. Additionally, we identified a small number of diet‐by‐PO effects on body weight, stress response, anxiety‐ and depressive‐like behavior. Our data show that rodent behaviors that model psychiatric disorders are affected by genetic background, PO and perinatal diet, as well as interactions among these factors.
Efficacy and safety of rifaximin in Japanese patients with hepatic encephalopathy: A phase II/III, multicenter, randomized, evaluator‐blinded, active‐controlled trial and a phase III, multicenter, open trial
Authors: Suzuki Kazuyuki , Endo Ryujin , Takikawa Yasuhiro , Moriyasu Fuminori , Aoyagi Yutaka , Moriwaki Hisataka , Terai Shuji , Sakaida Isao , Sakai Yoshiyuki , Nishiguchi Shuhei , Ishikawa Toru , Takagi Hitoshi , Naganuma Atsushi , Genda Takuya , Ichida Takafumi , Takaguchi Koichi , Miyazawa Katsuhiko , Okita Kiwamu
Published: December 2017

Aim

The efficacy and safety of rifaximin in the treatment of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) are widely known, but they have not been confirmed in Japanese patients with HE. Thus, two prospective, randomized studies (a phase II/III study and a phase III study) were carried out.

Methods

Subjects with grade I or II HE and hyperammonemia were enrolled. The phase II/III study, which was a randomized, evaluator‐blinded, active‐comparator, parallel‐group study, was undertaken at 37 institutions in Japan. Treatment periods were 14 days. Eligible patients were randomized to the rifaximin group (1200 mg/day) or the lactitol group (18–36 g/day). The phase III study was carried out in the same patients previously enrolled in the phase II/III study, and they were all treated with rifaximin (1200 mg/day) for 10 weeks.

Results

In the phase II/III study, 172 patients were enrolled. Blood ammonia (B‐NH3) concentration was significantly improved in the rifaximin group, but the difference between the two groups was not significant. The portal systemic encephalopathy index (PSE index), including HE grade, was significantly improved in both groups. In the phase III study, 87.3% of enrolled patients completed the treatment. The improved B‐NH3 concentration and PSE index were well maintained from the phase II/III study during the treatment period of the phase III study. Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) were seen in 13.4% of patients who received rifaximin, but there were no severe ADRs leading to death.

Conclusion

The efficacy of rifaximin is sufficient and treatment is well tolerated in Japanese patients with HE and hyperammonemia.
Spark plasma sintered HA‐ZnO ultrafine composite: Mechanical, bactericidal, and cytocompatibility properties
Authors: Bajpai Indu , Basu Bikramjit
Published: December 2017

Calcium‐phosphate based hydroxyapatite (HA) biomaterials are widely being investigated due to their osseointegration property, but those inherently lack antibacterial property. In the present work, wet‐chemically synthesized rod‐shaped zinc oxide (ZnO) is embedded in HA and its role as antibacterial agent without compromising cytocompatability property is established. In particular, HA‐xZnO (x = 0, 5, 10 wt.%) composites were consolidated by spark plasma sintering at 950°C in vacuum. A host of the spectroscopy and microscopy techniques were utilized to analyze the nature of distribution of ZnO as well as surface chemical characteristics. While the bactericidal property is expectedly induced, the elastic modulus as well as cell adhesion property remains uncompromised.
Physical properties of supercritical fluid extrusion products composed of milk protein concentrate with carbohydrates
Authors: Liu Hongzhi , Hebb Richard Lebaron , Putri Novita , Rizvi Syed S. H.
Published: December 2017

Supercritical fluid extrusion (SCFX) is a novel process combining traditional extrusion and supercritical fluid technologies. The objective of this study was (i) to assess the effect of sugar, maltodextrin and cornstarch on the physical properties of milk protein concentrate (MPC) puffed extrudates and (ii) to compare the physical and textural properties of SCFX puffed MPC products with commercially puffed cereal products. Results showed that the nutritious MPC puffed products with carbohydrates can be made with textural properties (hardness, brittleness and crispness) resembling those of the commercial samples. The porosity of F2 (0.573) was assessed to the commercial product C1 (0.543) and C2 (0.595), the specific length of F3 (50.41) was assessed to C1 (45.51) and F4 (80.14) was assessed to C2 (78.12). The hardness of extrudate F3 (435.49 KPa) was assessed to C2 (482.7 KPa). The Young's modulus of F5 (87.03) was assessed to C2 (80.57). The starches affected the crispness of the extrudates, and sugar affected the hardness and brittleness significantly.
Therapy‐related acute myeloid leukaemia and myelodysplastic syndrome in Victoria, Australia 2003–2014
Authors: Ong Doen Ming , Farrugia Helen , Wei Andrew
Published: December 2017

Background

The burden of therapy‐related acute myeloid leukaemia (tAML)/therapy‐related myelodysplastic syndrome (tMDS) in Australia has not been characterised.

Aims

To provide insights into the incidence, associated cancers, latency and survival outcomes of patients with tAML/tMDS in Victoria, Australia, based on a state‐wide cancer registry and to assess if these features are different in tAML/tMDS compared with de novo AML/MDS.

Methods

We analysed adults aged ≥20 years at diagnosis of AML/MDS reported to the Victorian Cancer Registry (VCR) between 2003 and 2014.

Results

In total, 73 of 3120 (2.3%) AML cases were classified tAML. tAML patients were younger than non‐tAML patients at diagnosis (median age 66 vs 71 years, P = 0.000). Median overall survival was similar (6 months). Median latency to tAML was 82 months, with two incidence peaks at 1–4 and 7–8 years. In total, 59 of 73 patients had recorded cancers, the most frequent being non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL, 32.2%) and breast cancer (16.9%). In total, 532 of 3120 (14.1%) additional AML cases had ≥1 prior cancer (confirmation of chemoradiotherapy unavailable). tAML incidence increased (0.0/100 000 persons in 2003, 0.5/100 000 persons in 2014), as did the incidence of non‐tAML with previous cancer (0.8/100 000 persons in 2003, 1.1/100 000 persons in 2014). In total, 101 of 4435 (2.3%) MDS cases were classified tMDS. Although tMDS incidence fluctuated (range 0–0.4/100 000 persons/year), the incidence of non‐tMDS with prior cancer rose (1.4/100 000 persons in 2003, 1.9/100 000 persons in 2014). Compared to tAML, the tMDS cohort was older (median age 70 vs 66 years, P = 0.007). Median latency to tMDS was 42.5 months. NHL was also the most common cancer preceding tMDS, but the second most common cancer was myeloma (17.8%). In total, 1287 of 5061 (20.3%) non‐tMDS patients had a prior cancer.

Conclusions

The burden of tAML/tMDS in Victoria is likely to be underestimated. Linkage between VCR and clinical registries is needed to provide more accurate insights.
High‐temperature stability of YSZ and MSZ ceramic materials in CaF2–MgF2–MgO molten salt system
Authors: Kwon Sukcheol , Cho Soo‐Haeng , Nersisyan Hayk H. , Lee Jinyoung , Kang Jungshin , Lee Jong‐Hyeon
Published: December 2017

The high‐temperature stability of YSZ and MSZ specimens was investigated in CaF2–MgF2–MgO molten salt at 1200°C. YSZ was mostly composed of m‐ZrO2 and a small part of YF3 in the early stages. The formation of YF3 was attributed to the chemical reaction between Y2O3 and MgF2, which can lead to the leaching of Y2O3 from YSZ. With an increase in exposure time, the degraded surface was coarser, and considerable amount of cracks, pores, and spallations were formed. Furthermore, no Y2O3 was found up to 120 μm of the YSZ bulk in the early stages. MSZ was composed of t‐ZrO2 after 24 hours. However, the volume fraction of m‐ZrO2 was 72% after 72 hours, and CaZrO3 was formed by the chemical reaction between CaO and ZrO2 after 168 hours. In addition, the volume fraction of m‐ZrO2 was 60% in 2.5 wt% MgO and 49% in 10 wt% MgO. In 5 wt% MgO, CaZrO3 was formed. We demonstrate that the high‐temperature stability of MSZ was better than that of YSZ, and that 10 wt% MgO was much more stable than the other concentrations of MgO.
Effect of CeO2 and Al2O3 contents on Ce‐ZrO2/Al2O3 composites
Authors: Guo Wei‐Ming , Zeng Ling‐Yong , Wu Li‐Xiang , Wang Hong‐Jian , Sun Shi‐Kuan , Lin Hua‐Tay , Wu Shang‐Hua , Wang Cheng‐Yong
Published: December 2017

Effect of CeO2 and Al2O3 contents on phase composition, microstructures, and mechanical properties of Ce–ZrO2/Al2O3 composites was studied. The CeO2 content in CeO2–ZrO2 varied from 7 to 16 mol%, and the Al2O3 content in Ce‐ZrO2/Al2O3 composites were 7 and 22 wt%. When CeO2 content was ≤10 mol%, high Al2O3 content contributed to hinder the tetragonal‐to‐monoclinic ZrO2 phase transformation during cooling and decrease the density of microcracks in the composites. Tetragonal ZrO2 single‐phase was obtained in the composites with ≥12 mol% CeO2, regardless of the Al2O3 content. Hardness, flexural strength, and toughness were dependent on CeO2 and Al2O3 contents which were related to the microcracks, grain size, and phase transformation. The high flexural strength and toughness of the composites with 7wt% Al2O3 could be obtained at an optimum CeO2 content of 12 mol%, whereas those of the composites with 22 wt% Al2O3 could be achieved in the wide CeO2 content range of 8.5‐12 mol%.
Baseline Characteristics and Outcomes of Older Adults Seeking Care in Ambulatory Urgent Care Clinics
Authors: Reyes Bernardo J. , Lopez Javier M , Galindo Diana J. , Briceno Maria , Ouslander Joseph G.
Published: December 2017

Objectives

To determine the most common clinical conditions associated with older adults visiting Urgent care centers (UCCs) and the potential need for further resource use.

Design

Cross‐sectional retrospective study.

Setting

Nonprofit academic medical center with campuses and multiple satellite offices in Ohio and Florida.

Participants

Individuals aged 55 and older who visited UCCs between August 2014 and March 2015 (N = 9,445; average age 63.1 ± 10.1, 64% female). Of those, 2,445 had at least one encounter within the same healthcare system within 30 days after the index visit and were included in our final analysis.

Measurements

30‐day ED visits and hospitalizations.

Results

Of the 2,445 patients, 578 (23.6%) visited the emergency department (ED) or were hospitalized, 974 (39.8%) returned to the UCC, and 895 (63.4%) visited their primary care physician's office. A significantly higher proportion (38.4%, n = 68/177) of individuals aged 85 and older visited the ED or were hospitalized within 30 days (P < .010) than of those younger than 65 (20.0%, n = 273/1,367). Diabetes mellitus (odds ratio (OR) = 1.73, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.40–2.15, P < .001), coronary artery disease or cerebrovascular disease (OR = 2.45 CI 1.95–3.09, P < .001), chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder or asthma (OR = 1.57, 95% CI = 1.23–2.01, P < .001), polypharmacy (OR = 1.45, 95% CI = 1.18–1.78, P = .004), and cognitive impairment (OR = 2.74, 95% CI = 1.74–4.31, P < .010) were associated with higher rates of ED visits or hospitalizations within 30 days of the UCC visit.

Conclusion

Older adults (especially those aged ≥85) and those with conditions such as polypharmacy and dementia are at higher risk of being hospitalized or visit the ED after seeking care at UCCs than younger adults and those without these conditions.
Dietary intake in people consuming a low‐carbohydrate diet in the UK Biobank
Authors: Shafique M. , Russell S. , Murdoch S. , Bell J. D. , Guess N.
Published: December 2017

Background

Low‐carbohydrate diets are becoming increasingly popular, although their dietary quality outside of clinical studies is unknown. A previous study analysed the dietary intake in people consuming a reduced‐carbohydrate diet (<40% calories). However, it is not clear what foods people consume when carbohydrate is reduced to below 26% of total calories.

Methods

In the present cross‐sectional study, the dietary and nutrient intake collected via up to five consecutive 24‐h dietary recalls and a food frequency questionnaire of 444 individuals (aged 46‐79 years) consuming <26% of calories from carbohydrate (LCHO) was compared with that of 131 897 individuals consuming ≥45% calories from carbohydrate (NCHO) using the UK Biobank Dataset. Absolute cut‐offs to define the low‐carbohydrate group (<130 g day–1; n = 1953 versus ≥225 g day–1, n = 113 036) were also used.

Results

Both NCHO (>45% calories and ≥225 g) groups consumed significantly more high‐sugar, high‐fat snacks [median 6.0, interquartile range (IQR) = 2.0–11.0 and median 6.0, IQR = 3.0–11.8, respectively) compared to the LCHO (<26% calories and <130 g) groups (median 0, IQR = 0–2.8 and median 1, IQR = 0–3.8, respectively) (P < 0.0001). Both LCHO groups reported consuming significantly more red meat, oily fish, nuts and seeds but fewer fruits, vegetables and pulses compared to the NCHO groups. In general, the consumption of oily fish, nuts, seeds and pulses was low across the whole cohort and differences in intake between the LCHO and NCHO groups were small. After adjusting for socio‐economic status, most differences remained.

Conclusions

Carbohydrate restriction is associated with both beneficial and potentially deleterious dietary changes compared to a normal carbohydrate intake.
Cartel Attributes and Cartel Performance: The Impact of Trade Associations
Authors: Schuldt Robert F. , Taylor Jason E.
Published: December 2017

This paper employs a cartel policy experiment, the National Industrial Recovery Act of 1933, to examine whether industries that have trade associations in place prior to cartelization were better able to attain collusive outcomes than otherwise. Trade associations could potentially help industries better formulate effective cartel rules and could help with monitoring. We find that industries with trade associations were more successful in achieving collusion–proxied by either reductions in industry output or increases in industry prices–than those without. In fact, industries without trade associations were generally unable to successfully collude under the NIRA.
Influencing factors in quantitative measurement using activated platelet levels and platelet‐activating capacity for the assessment of thrombosis in pre‐metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Okano Kozue , Shitamoto Kazuki , Araki Minako , Kawamoto Chie , Kawano Reo , Nogaki Hiroshi
Published: December 2017

Activated platelet levels and platelet‐activating capacity are well recognized as useful index parameters for the physiological and pharmacological prediction of thrombotic events. Recently, quantitative measurements for platelet functions using a flow cytometer have been increasing gradually. However, the relation of physiological factors, such as sex, aging, and laboratory tests, to platelet functions has not been well documented. We conducted a blood analysis of people with normal/pre‐metabolic syndrome and patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus to clarify the pathological factors. The levels of basal (non‐stimulated)‐activated, platelet‐expressed P‐selectin and activated platelet stimulated by agonists were measured by a flow cytometer, and ratios of platelet‐activating capacity were also calculated. Statistical analyses indicated significantly high basal‐activated platelet in pre‐metabolic syndrome, and basal‐activated platelet was positively associated with hyperlipidemia and hepatic damage. Platelet‐activating capacity was significantly low in aging and hyperlipidemia, but high in hyperglycemia, and was negatively associated with hyperlipidemia and hepatic damage. Aging and high nutrient condition impaired platelet functions. Quantitative measurements of basal‐activated platelet and platelet‐activating capacity are precise parameters for the prediction of thrombotic events.
Photoprotection by sunscreen depends on time spent on application
Authors: Heerfordt Ida M. , Torsnes Linnea R. , Philipsen Peter A. , Wulf Hans Christian
Published: December 2017

Background

To be effective, sunscreens must be applied in a sufficient quantity and reapplication is recommended. No previous study has investigated whether time spent on sunscreen application is important for the achieved photoprotection.

Aim

To determine whether time spent on sunscreen application is related to the amount of sunscreen used during a first and second application.

Methods

Thirty‐one volunteers wearing swimwear applied sunscreen twice in a laboratory environment. Time spent and the amount of sunscreen used during each application was measured. Subjects' body surface area accessible for sunscreen application (BSA) was estimated from their height, weight and swimwear worn. The average applied quantity of sunscreen after each application was calculated.

Results

Subjects spent on average 4 minutes and 15 seconds on the first application and approximately 85% of that time on the second application. There was a linear relationship between time spent on application and amount of sunscreen used during both the first and the second application (P < .0001). Participants applied 2.21 grams of sunscreen per minute during both applications. After the first application, subjects had applied a mean quantity of sunscreen of 0.71 mg/cm2 on the BSA, and after the second application, a mean total quantity of 1.27 mg/cm2 had been applied.

Conclusion

We found that participants applied a constant amount of sunscreen per minute during both a first and a second application. Measurement of time spent on application of sunscreen on different body sites may be useful in investigating the distribution of sunscreen in real‐life settings.
Exercise‐related severe cardiac events
Authors: Vicent L. , Ariza‐Solé A. , González‐Juanatey J. R. , Uribarri A. , Ortiz J. , López de Sá E. , Sans‐Roselló J. , Querol C. T. , Codina P. , Sousa‐Casasnovas I. , Martínez‐Sellés M. ,   the Cardiac Arrest and Myocardial Infarction Notified After Marathon Or Similar effort (CAMINAMOS) registry
Published: December 2017

Physical activity has benefits on health. However, there is a small risk of effort‐related adverse events. The aim of this study is to describe exercise‐related severe cardiovascular events and to relate them with the type of sport performed. We performed a ten‐year retrospective study in eight Spanish cardiac intensive care units. Adverse cardiac events were defined as acute myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest or syncope related to physical activity. From 117 patients included, 109 were male (93.2%), and mean age was 51.6 ± 12.3 years; 56 presented acute myocardial infarction without cardiac arrest (47.9%), 55 sudden cardiac death (47.0%) and six syncope (5.1%). The sports with higher number of events were cycling (33%‐28.2%), marathon or similar running competitions (19%‐16.2%), gymnastics (18%‐15.3%) and soccer (17%‐14.5%). Myocardial infarction was observed more frequently in cyclists compared to other sports (69.7% vs 39.3%, P = .001). The most common cause of sudden cardiac death was myocardial infarction in those >35 years (23%‐63.9%) and idiopathic ventricular fibrillation in younger patients (5%‐62.5%). Significant coronary artery disease was present in 85 (79.4%). Only one patient with cardiac arrest presented with a non‐shockable rhythm (asystole). Eleven patients (9.4%) died during hospitalization; in all cases, they had presented cardiac arrest. All discharged patients were alive at the end of follow‐up. Exercise‐related severe cardiac events are mainly seen in men. Coronary heart disease is very frequent; about half present acute myocardial infarction and the other half cardiac arrest. In our cohort, prognosis was good in patients without cardiac arrest.
Grandparent support and mental and behavioural health in middle childhood
Authors: Van Heerden Ashley , Wild Lauren G.
Published: December 2017

This study explored the significance of grandparents in middle childhood and assessed the level of grandparental support provided to children in relation to other social network members. The association between grandparental support and grandchildren's mental and behavioural health was also examined. We conducted structured interviews with 120 grade 4 and 5 learners (mean age = 10.41 years) from four schools in Cape Town, South Africa. Results indicated that subsequent to parents, children perceived grandparents as the most important and close relationship category. Furthermore, grandparents provided the highest levels of support to grandchildren after parents. Grandmothers provided more support than grandfathers. No associations between grandparental support and children's internalizing and externalizing behaviours were found. However, results revealed that grandparental support was positively associated with children's prosocial behaviour, independent of child gender, and the amount of support provided by other relationship categories (p = .04). Findings underscore a need for research to move beyond the nuclear family when considering potential influences on children's well‐being.
Influence of soil phosphorus status, texture,pHand metal content on the efficacy of amendments to pig slurry in reducing phosphorus losses
Authors: O’ Flynn C. J. , Fenton O. , Wall D. , Brennan R. B. , McLaughlin M. J. , Healy M. G.
Published: December 2017

Cost‐effective strategies for using chemically amended organic fertilizers need to be developed to minimize nutrient losses in surface and groundwater. Coupling specific soil physical and chemical characteristics with amendment type could increase their effectiveness. This study investigated how water‐extractable phosphorus (P) was affected by chemical amendments added to pig slurry and how this effect varied with soil properties. A 3‐month incubation study was conducted on 18 different mineral soils, stored at 10 °C and 75% humidity and treated with unamended and amended slurry which was incorporated at a rate equivalent to 19 kg total P (TP)/ha. The amendments examined were commercial‐grade liquid alum, applied at a rate of 0.88:1 [Al:TP], and commercial‐grade liquid poly‐aluminium chloride (PAC), applied at a rate of 0.72:1 [Al:TP]. These amendments were previously identified by the authors as being effective in reducing incidental losses of P. The efficacy of the amendments varied with the soil test P, the degree of P saturation (DPS) and the Mehlich aluminium, iron and calcium, but not soil texture. Chemical amendments were most effective in soils withDPSover approximately 20%. Due to their high cost, the incorporation of amendments into existing management practices can only be justified as part of a holistic management plan where soils have highDPS.
Exchange rate jumps and exports: Evidence from China
Authors: Li Guangzhong , Li Jie , Zhu Jiaqing
Published: December 2017

We apply the autoregressive conditional jump intensity (ARJI) model to monthly exchange rate returns of China against 81 countries and investigate the impact of exchange rate volatility on exports over the period of 1995–2004. We decompose bilateral exchange rate volatility into continuous and discrete components and find that only the discrete part of exchange rate volatility, that is, the exchange rate jumps, has a significantly negative effect on exports, which to some extent reconciles the old yet unsettled debate in previous literature on the role of exchange rate volatility in international trade. There is also some evidence suggesting that the development of domestic financial market will boost international trade, but it does not help attenuate the negative effect of bilateral exchange rate jump risk on exports.