bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Organizational justice and officer “buy in” in American policing
Authors: Rosenbaum Dennis P. , McCarty William P.
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the dimensions of organizational justice in police organizations and evaluate how they contribute to organizational commitment, job satisfaction and compliance with agency rules.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey of 15,236 sworn officers from a national sample of 88 agencies was used, as well as other agency- and community-level variables. Multi-level models assessed how four dimensions of organizational justice affected these outcomes.

Findings

More favorable perceptions of organizational justice were strongly related to increased commitment to the organization, job satisfaction and compliance with agency rules. Perceptions of organization-wide justice, leadership justice and diversity justice were especially important in predicting those outcome measures.

Research limitations/implications

While the sample of agencies was broad and diverse, it should not be considered representative of smaller municipal police departments and sheriff’s offices in the USA.

Practical implications

The findings suggest that “buy in” to reforms and police compliance with rules is much more likely when supervisors and leaders are fair, respectful, give officers input, provide growth opportunities and show concern for officers’ welfare. As such, agencies would benefit from leadership and leadership training that values the core principals of organizational justice.

Originality/value

The study provides clarity about how organizational justice is perceived by police officers, including women and officers of color, and provides an unprecedented test of organizational justice theory in diverse police agencies.
Police supervision: perspectives of subordinates
Authors: Cronin Shea , McDevitt Jack , Cordner Gary
Published: March 2017

Purpose

Given the central role of supervision in shaping police agency outcomes and the impact of the supervisor-subordinate relationship, the purpose of this paper is to understand subordinates’ ratings of supervisor performance overall and on several distinct dimensions.

Design/methodology/approach

Descriptive and explanatory analyses are conducted on subordinate views of supervision based on a survey of officers and detectives (n=7,085) in 89-agencies.

Findings

Reporting high ratings of supervisor performance overall, subordinates also view supervisors as fair, supportive and engaged in practices that set expectations. These dimensions are highly correlated with overall satisfaction; other variables, such as age, race and gender demonstrate weak relationships to overall satisfaction and perceptions of fairness, support and direction.

Research limitations/implications

The study is based on subordinates’ perceptions of supervisors and does not address the supervisors’ own perceptions or actual behavior. Future studies should collect identical information from supervisors as well as examine agency-level variation in both subordinate and supervisor outlooks and styles.

Practical implications

The results support modern approaches to police supervision that emphasize not just direction and control but also fair and supportive relationships with subordinates.

Originality/value

The study examines the views of thousands of line-level police across a large number of representative US agencies and explores relationships using a comprehensive set of variables.
The Police-Community Interaction Survey: measuring police performance in new ways
Authors: Rosenbaum Dennis P. , Maskaly Jon , Lawrence Daniel S. , Escamilla Justin H. , Enciso Georgina , Christoff Thomas E. , Posick Chad
Published: March 2017

Purpose

There is widespread interest in moving beyond crime statistics to measure police performance in new ways, especially the quality of police-community interactions that influence police legitimacy and public trust. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the Police-Community Interaction Survey (PCIS) developed by the National Police Research Platform.

Design/methodology/approach

The PCIS collected data from 53 police agencies around the USA in 2013-2014. The psychometric properties of the constructs measured are presented. This study also offers a preliminary test of the effects of an alternatively specified and expanded procedural justice model on willingness to cooperate with the police, mediated through perceptions of officer trustworthiness.

Findings

Scales were developed with good reliability and validity that measure various aspects of the police-community interactions. The authors find evidence that empathy is an important addition to the procedural justice model, and that the effects of procedural justice on willingness to cooperate with the police are partially mediated through perceptions of officer trustworthiness.

Originality/value

This is the first attempt to validate the measurement of police-community interactions on a large scale in the USA with policy implications at the local and national levels. The findings can help local police agencies incorporate new performance metrics at the individual, group, and agency levels. Nationally, the science of policing can be advanced by specifying the antecedents and consequences of respectful and empathic actions, including behavior that strengthens police-community relations.
Unlearning established organizational routines – Part II
Authors: Fiol C. Marlena , O’Connor Edward J.
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of Part II of this two-part paper is to uncover important differences in the nature of the three unlearning subprocesses, which call for different leadership interventions to motivate people to move through them.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper draws on research in behavioral medicine and psychology to demonstrate that initial destabilizing of old patterns and the subsequent behavioral processes of discarding the old and experimenting with the new are qualitatively different.

Findings

Leadership interventions must fit the unique requirements of each unlearning subprocess. Discarding old routines requires continued focus on the costs of not doing so, as well as a progressive refocus on positive possibilities and engaging people in activities to explore them. When aspects of the old routine resurface, the costs of relapse must again become salient, leading to further discarding-from-use, followed by further positive experimentation. Finally, maintaining long-term release of an embedded routine requires recognition of the emerging new patterns and a shift from future-oriented visioning of possibilities to current satisfaction with the new.

Originality/value

All empirical studies of organizational unlearning imply some form of destabilization of old learning as an antecedent to unlearning, and many of them discuss subsequent behavioral and cognitive displacement. However, they have not clearly distinguished between these subprocesses to fine-tune how to motivate people to move through them. This paper addresses that gap.
Is the learning organisation still alive?
Authors: Pedler Mike , Burgoyne John G.
Published: March 2017

Purpose

It has recently been suggested that the learning organisation (LO) is dead (Pedler, 2013). The authors make the case here that it is still alive. This paper provides a brief history of LO and organisational learning, follows this with some survey findings, a discussion and an exploration of some related contemporary issues and concludes with an overview and summary of the conclusions.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey of practitioners.

Findings

From this small survey, whilst some of the 16 respondents are still excited by the idea, a larger group sees the learning organisation as more of a background concept, performed in ways that might not fit with the aspirations of 20 years ago.

Research limitations/implications

The authors started with the question: is the LO idea still alive in 2016? No clear answer emerges. Given the variety of the responses, it is difficult to sum them up in a simple way. The yea-sayer will find plenty of evidence for the LO’s continued existence and relevance, but the nay-sayers will also feel at least partly vindicated. What does emerge clearly arise from the mixed messages, are the opportunities for further research.

Practical implications

This paper calls for further research and suggests useful directions.

Social implications

LO is still seen as socially useful.

Originality/value

The paper is based on small empirical sample of practitioners who display multivocality on this concept.
Competition during thermoregulation altered the body temperatures and hormone levels of lizards
Authors: Rusch Travis W. , Angilletta Michael J.
Published: March 2017

Every organism must thermoregulate to maximize its performance, but competing organisms limit access to preferred microclimates. Such competition often creates hierarchies in which dominant individuals have more access to limited resources than subordinate individuals.

To assess the costs of competition during thermoregulation, we measured thermoregulation, movement, and hormones of male lizards (Sceloporus jarrovi) when alone and when paired with a smaller or larger conspecific.

Large males were 31% closer to the heat source when paired than when alone, resulting in a higher mean body temperature (35·7 vs. 33·9 °C). Conversely, small males were 40% farther from the heat source when paired, resulting in lower mean body temperature (32·1 vs. 33·6 °C).

When paired, large and small males circulate 26 and 44% more corticosterone, respectively. Conversely, large males circulated 26% more testosterone when paired, whereas small males circulated 26% less testosterone.

Both dominant and subordinate males incurred costs when paired, including poorer thermoregulation, more movement and greater physiological stress. Thus, competition for thermal resources should feature more prominently in ecological and evolutionary models of thermoregulation.

A lay summary is available for this article.
The effects of spaces on word segmentation in Chinese reading: Evidence from eye movements
Authors: Liu Pingping , Lu Qin
Published: March 2017

This paper studies the mechanisms behind the differential effects of inserting a space either before or after a two‐character unit on information processing through the examination of eye movements in Chinese, a language where there is no word delimiters. A two‐character unit in this study is either a word‐preserving stimulus or a word‐disrupting stimulus (i.e., nonword). The study aims for a better understanding of the cognitive mechanisms for lexical processing that may underlie observed facilitory or inhibitory effects of the spacing conditions in sentence context. Results show that inserting a space after a word facilitates lexical processing, but inserting a space before a word does not. Inserting a space before and after a nonword, however, does not show these effects. These results indicate that the effects of spaces before and after words are mainly influenced by word segmentation mechanisms rather than landing position effects or other factors.

What is already known about this topic

Prior studies have found that differential effects of inserting a space either before or after a two‐character unit on information processing. However, the explanation for this finding is still unclear.

What this paper adds

This paper indicates that the differential effects of spaces before and after words are mainly caused by word segmentation mechanisms rather than landing position effects or other factors.

Implications for theory, policy, or practice

The present results are consistent with the assumptions of word segmentation and recognition model (Li, Rayner, & Cave, Cognitive Psychology, 2009). Furthermore, the implications for saccade target selection theories are also discussed.
Womanliness in the Slums: A Free Kindergarten in Early Twentieth‐Century Edinburgh
Authors: Darling Elizabeth
Published: March 2017

This paper considers the intersection of Spiritual Motherhood, early childhood education and child welfare in early twentieth‐century Edinburgh. Its focus is St Saviour's Child Garden (SSCG), which opened in the Canongate, in November 1906, part of the Free Kindergarten movement that emerged in Europe and North America in the late nineteenth century. The paper focuses on the SSCG's founder Lileen Hardy, in order to trace the development of this new approach to child welfare and women's work in Britain. It discusses her training at the Sesame House for Home‐Life Training in London, her move to Edinburgh, and the network of predominantly women reformers, whose interests ranged from urban reform to medical welfare, she found there. It shows how this network facilitated the founding of the SSCG and discusses the form it took and Hardy's implementation of a modified form of Froebelian praxis. In so doing its concern is to show how Free Kindergarten forms part of a wider history of social welfare and urban reform as well as to the history of early childhood education, and to move attention away from the men usually associated with innovations in Scottish social reform like Patrick Geddes, and onto a group of women who created a women and child‐centred proto‐Welfare State in pre‐First World War Edinburgh.
Examining Teachers' Understanding of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Authors: Guerra Federico , Tiwari Ashwini , Das Ajay , Cavazos Vela Javier , Sharma Manisha
Published: March 2017

The aim of this study was to examine teachers’ knowledge, misconceptions and concerns about students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This mixed methods study involved 173 school teachers from five elementary schools. Knowledge of Attention Deficit Disorders Scale (KADDS) was used to measure teachers’ knowledge and perspectives about ADHD. The data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Additionally, themes were created based on the responses from open‐ended responses. The findings indicate that the majority of the teachers did not have coursework related to students with ADHD in their teacher preparation programme. The teachers indicated inadequate administrative support and access to professional development as primary reasons for their inability to include ASHD in their classrooms. This study concludes that given a rise in the numbers of students with ADHD, it is imperative that teachers receive specific and advanced training related to ADHD signs and symptoms to implement specific teaching strategies. Furthermore, future research should focus on evaluating teacher training programmes to demonstrate how emotional health as a result of ADHD could impact students’ performances negatively.
Evaluation of the Infection Risk in Dialysis and Chronic Kidney Disease Patients Using an ATP Monitoring Assay
Authors: Kusano Junichi , Kato Rei , Matsuda Hiroto , Hara Yoshikazu , Fujii Yoshiaki , Suzuki Shinya , Sekiyama Masao , Ando Eiki , Sugiyama Kentaro , Hirano Toshihiko
Published: March 2017

The ATP monitoring assay is a useful biomarker for risk monitoring to detect infection and rejection episodes in transplant recipients. Hemodialysis patients have a higher rate of infectious mortality. Infections in hemodialysis patients are mainly caused by venous catheters, uremia, malnutrition and inflammation. However, the risk of infection episodes has not been evaluated using a lymphocyte ATP monitoring assay in hemodialysis and chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. We measured the ATP amounts in the peripheral CD4+ cells of CKD (N = 85) and dialysis patients (N = 17) using an “Immuknow” assay kit. These CKD patients were divided, according to kidney disease stage, into G3a, G3b, G4, and G5 groups. The ATP amounts in CD4+ cells of the dialysis patients and each of the CKD groups were compared with healthy subjects. In both the dialysis and CKD patients, the ATP amounts in CD4+ cells were lower than in healthy subjects. Furthermore, there were significant differences in the ATP amounts between healthy subjects and each of the CKD‐G3a, CKD‐G3b, and CKD‐G4 groups (P < 0.05). Patients with CKD‐G3a, CKD‐G3b and CKD‐G4 were evaluated as being at high risk for infection according to the lymphocyte ATP monitoring assay. However, the ATP amounts in the dialysis and CKD‐G5 patients did not differ from those in healthy subjects to a statistically significant extent. These results suggest that the ATP amount in the CD4+ cells of these patients with serve renal failure are influenced by dialysis treatment, uremia and/or oxidative stress.
Advancing interests through informal voice: a study of professional workers in Sri Lanka's knowledge outsourcing sector
Authors: Fernando Weerahannadige Dulini Anuvinda
Published: March 2017

Drawing on a rhetorical approach, this article examines how early career professional workers challenge ‘ideal worker expectations’ through informal voice. Informal ‘voice’ is shown as a powerful way of advancing workers' interests, leading to incremental changes that improve their conditions of work. Striking are the power dynamics underpinning informal voice. Highlighting how ideal worker expectations are continuously legitimised and de‐legitimised as employees and their managers rhetorically engage with each other, ideal worker expectations are theorised as a process while illuminating a pluralistic, contextualised view of organisational culture shaped by the past, present and anticipated future.
Oxidative Stability in Oil‐in‐Water Emulsions with Quercetin or Rutin Under Iron Catalysis or Riboflavin Photosensitization
Authors: Yi BoRa , Ka HaeJung , Kwon YongJun , Choi HyungSeok , Kim Sunghwa , Kim Jisu , Kim Mi‐Ja , Lee JaeHwan
Published: March 2017

The effects of quercetin and rutin on the oxidative stability of oil‐in‐water (O/W) emulsions were tested under riboflavin (RF) photosensitization in the presence or absence of FeCl2. The degree of oxidation in O/W emulsions was determined by headspace oxygen content, conjugated dienes, and lipid hydroperoxides. Quercetin chelated more metal than did rutin in iron catalyzed O/W emulsions. Generally, 0.1 mM quercetin and rutin was oxidative while 0.5 and 1.0 mM quercetin and rutin was antioxidative in O/W emulsions under RF photosensitization. Depending on the analysis method, the antioxidants had different strengths. The antioxidative or oxidative properties of quercetin and rutin vary in O/W emulsions and depend the quercetin and rutin concentrations and oxidative forces like transition metals, RF photosensitization, or a combination thereof.
Impact of UV‐C Light on the Fatty Acid Profile and Oxidative Stability of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) Fillets
Authors: Monteiro Maria Lúcia G. , Mársico Eliane T. , Canto Anna Carolina V. da C. S. , Costa‐Lima Bruno R. C. da , Costa Marion P. da , Viana Fernanda M. , Silva Teofilo J. P. da , Conte‐Junior Carlos A.
Published: March 2017

The influence of different ultraviolet (UV‐C) doses (0.103 and 0.305 J/cm2) was investigated by instrumental color parameters, pH, lipid, and protein oxidations, fatty acids (FA) composition and biogenic amines (BAs) in Nile tilapia fillets during 11 d at 4 ± 1 °C. The UV‐C treatment increased (P < 0.05) a* values and protein oxidation in a dose‐dependent manner, and delayed (P < 0.05) the formation of BAs over the course of the storage period. L* values and lipid oxidation were not influenced (P > 0.05) by UV‐C light. Fillets treated with a low UV‐C dose exhibited greater (P < 0.05) total polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) than their untreated counterparts. Therefore, a low UV‐C dose can be recommended in tilapia fillets as an alternative processing method to control pH and BAs, as well as improve the total PUFA amount and overall nutritional quality.
History of adaptation determines short‐term shifts in performance and community structure of hydrogen‐producing microbial communities degrading wheat straw
Authors: Valdez‐Vazquez Idania , Morales Ana L. , Escalante Ana E.
Published: March 2017

This study addresses the question of ecological interest for the determination of structure and diversity of microbial communities that degrade lignocellulosic biomasses to produce biofuels. Two microbial consortia with different history, native of wheat straw (NWS) and from a methanogenic digester (MD) fed with cow manure, were contrasted in terms of hydrogen performance, substrate disintegration and microbial diversity. NWS outperformed the hydrogen production rate of MD. Microscopic images revealed that NWS acted on the cuticle and epidermis, generating cellulose strands with high crystallinity, while MD degraded deeper layers, equally affecting all polysaccharides. The bacterial composition markedly differed according to the inocula origin. NWS almost solely comprised hydrogen producers of the phyla Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, with 38% members of Enterococcus. After hydrogen fermentation, NWS comprised 8% Syntrophococcus, an acetogen that cleaves aryl ethers of constituent groups on the aromatic components of lignin. Conversely, MD comprised thirteen phyla, primarily including Firmicutes with H2‐producing members, and Bacteroidetes with non‐H2‐producing members, which reduced the hydrogen performance. Overall, the results of this study provide clear evidence that the history of adaptation of NWS enhanced the hydrogen performance from untreated wheat straw. Further, native wheat straw communities have the potential to refine cellulose fibers and produce biofuels simultaneously.
Taxonomy‐free molecular diatom index for high‐throughput eDNA biomonitoring
Authors: Apothéloz‐Perret‐Gentil Laure , Cordonier Arielle , Straub François , Iseli Jennifer , Esling Philippe , Pawlowski Jan
Published: March 2017

Current biodiversity assessment and biomonitoring are largely based on the morphological identification of selected bioindicator taxa. Recently, several attempts have been made to use eDNA metabarcoding as an alternative tool. However, until now, most applied metabarcoding studies have been based on the taxonomic assignment of sequences that provides reference to morphospecies ecology. Usually, only a small portion of metabarcoding data can be used due to a limited reference database and a lack of phylogenetic resolution. Here, we investigate the possibility to overcome these limitations using a taxonomy‐free approach that allows the computing of a molecular index directly from eDNA data without any reference to morphotaxonomy. As a case study, we use the benthic diatoms index, commonly used for monitoring the biological quality of rivers and streams. We analysed 87 epilithic samples from Swiss rivers, the ecological status of which was established based on the microscopic identification of diatom species. We compared the diatom index derived from eDNA data obtained with or without taxonomic assignment. Our taxonomy‐free approach yields promising results by providing a correct assessment for 77% of examined sites. The main advantage of this method is that almost 95% of OTUs could be used for index calculation, compared to 35% in the case of the taxonomic assignment approach. Its main limitations are under‐sampling and the need to calibrate the index based on the microscopic assessment of diatoms communities. However, once calibrated, the taxonomy‐free molecular index can be easily standardized and applied in routine biomonitoring, as a complementary tool allowing fast and cost‐effective assessment of the biological quality of watercourses.
Fibromyalgia remains a significant burden in rheumatoid arthritis patients in Australia
Authors: Gist Anthea C. , Guymer Emma K. , Eades Laura E. , Leech Michelle , Littlejohn Geoffrey O.
Published: March 2017

Aim

High rates of fibromyalgia (FM) are reported in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Advances in RA management have occurred, but information regarding current significance of FM in RA is limited. This investigation estimated the prevalence and health effects of concomitant FM in Australian RA patients.

Methods

Participants were recruited from Australian rheumatology clinics. Subjects were assessed using the 1990 and 2011 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) FM criteria and the polysymptomatic distress score (PDS) was calculated. A medical history and a clinical examination were recorded. RA Disease Activity Score of 28 joints – erythrocyte sedimentation rate (DAS‐28 ESR), and the Short Form‐36 survey (SF‐36) were completed.

Results

Of 117 RA patients, 33.3% (n = 39) met 1990 ACR FM criteria and 41.9% (n = 49) met 2011 ACR FM criteria. RA patients with comorbid FM had worse outcomes across all domains of health as defined by the SF‐36 (P < 0.05). There was correlation between both physical and mental health outcomes and the PDS (P < 0.001). RA patients with FM on average took 1.18 extra ongoing prescribed medications (P < 0.05), despite comparable RA disease activity (DAS‐28: 3.09 vs. 3.27, P = NS). Comorbid central sensitivity conditions were more common in patients with FM (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

FM continues to demonstrate a high prevalence in a population of RA patients. RA patients with FM have more symptoms of other chronic sensitivity syndromes in addition to FM. They have a lower quality of life outcome and higher medication use. This has important clinical implications in terms of diagnosis, response to therapy, prescribing choices and clinical outcomes.
A New Insight into the World Economic Forum Global Risks
Authors: Evans John , Allan Neil , Cantle Neil
Published: March 2017

The World Economic Forum (WEF) recognises in their recent global risk reports the need to better understand the dynamics of the global economic system, and in particular the interconnectedness in the system in order to better appreciate the possibility of both single and multiple risk events occurring. This paper applies a cladistics analysis technique to identify the commonality of identified characteristics across a sample set of the 2014 WEF global risks (WEF 2014) as a basis for a new understanding of the linkages and potential evolution of the WEF risks. This approach shows strong potential to provide deeper insights into the nature and interdependency of global risks and in particular how this allows for more efficient management of these risks.
Female breast cancer incidence and mortality in China, 2013
Authors: Zuo Ting‐Ting , Zheng Rong‐Shou , Zeng Hong‐Mei , Zhang Si‐Wei , Chen Wan‐Qing
Published: March 2017

Background

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women. Population‐based cancer registration data from the National Central Cancer Registry were used to analyze and evaluate the incidence and mortality rates in China in 2013, providing scientific information for cancer prevention and control.

Methods

Pooled data were stratified by area (urban/rural), gender, and age group. National new cases and deaths were estimated using age‐specific rates and the corresponding population in 2013. The Chinese population in 2000 and Segi's world population were used to calculate age‐standardized rates.

Results

The estimated number of new breast cancer cases was about 278 800 in China in 2013. The crude incidence, age‐standardized rate of incidence by Chinese standard population, and age‐standardized rate of incidence by world standard population were 42.02/100 000, 30.41/100 000, and 28.42/100 000, respectively. The estimated number of breast cancer deaths was about 64 600 in China in 2013. The crude mortality, age‐standardized rate of mortality by Chinese standard population, and age‐standardized rate of mortality by world standard population were 9.74/100 000, 6.54/100 000, and 6.34/100 000, respectively. Both incidence and mortality were higher in urban than in rural areas. Age‐specific breast cancer incidence significantly increased with age, particularly after age 20, and peaked at 50–55 years, while age‐specific mortality increased rapidly after 25 years, peaking at 85+ years.

Conclusions

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Chinese women, especially women in urban areas. Comprehensive measures are needed to reduce the heavy burden of breast cancer.
Timing orthodontic treatment: early or late?
Authors: Fleming PS
Published: March 2017

The timing of orthodontic interventions has been a contentious topic for many years with early treatment to address or indeed to prevent skeletal discrepancies in all three spatial planes and to alleviate crowding in common practice. In terms of effectiveness, however, broadly speaking early intervention has not been shown to be superior to later intervention. As such, in view of the additional burden and duration of early intervention, the weight of evidence points to reserving early treatment for localized problems and specific situations with definitive treatment typically initiated in the late mixed or early permanent dentition.
Different genetic alteration of A20 in a Sézary syndrome case with Vα2‐Jα22 T cell clone
Authors: Zhou Lingling , Zheng Haitao , Huang Xin , Zhu Lihua , Wu Suijing , Zeng Chengwu , Yang Lijian , Chen Shaohua , Luo Gengxin , Du Xin , Li Yangqiu
Published: March 2017

Background

The comprehensive genetic alterations underlying the pathogenesis of Sézary syndrome (SS) remains largely unknown. Previous studies showed that alterations of tumor necrosis factor‐α‐induced protein 3 gene (TNFAIP3; A20) are frequent in SS. In this study, we characterized the mutation and polymorphisms of A20 in a case with SS and compared with the genetic feature of A20 in T‐cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T‐ALL).

Methods

Using a novel approach based on the combination of fine‐tiling array comparative genomic hybridization ( and ligation‐mediated polymerase chain reaction (LM‐PCR) to identify SS clone, the polymorphisms in the A20 gene (promoter, exons 2–9 [coding region] and 3′UTR) were detected by PCR and sequencing.

Results

The malignant SS clone was identified as TCR Vα2‐Jα22 rearrangement without deletion at the A20 loci (6q23‐27 region) in the SS case. Six polymorphisms were identified, all of them are belonging to single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are recorded in genebank: rs5029924, rs5029937, rs2230926, rs582757 and rs77191406, while rs2307859 was not identified in the SS sample, which is found in all T‐ALL. The alteration pattern of A20 in this case seemed different from the T‐ALL samples, in contrast, it is similar to the alteration of A20 in samples from rheumatoid arthritis or systemic lupus erythematosus with poor clinical outcome and cancer developing.

Conclusions

The genetic alteration of A20 in the SS case was different from the T‐ALL samples and similar to the cases with refractory autoimmune disease and related to tumorigenesis. The findings lead to discuss whether such SNPs of A20 may link the refractory autoimmune inflammation and the tumorigenesis.
End‐of‐life care: Where do cancer patients want to die? A systematic review
Authors: Nilsson Jonas , Blomberg Carl , Holgersson Georg , Carlsson Tobias , Bergqvist Michael , Bergström Stefan
Published: March 2017

The importance to die at preferred death place is substantial among terminally ill cancer patients. Previously, several studies have investigated this issue, but no systematic review has been made for many years. This systematic review was made in order to investigate preferred death place among cancer patients. A systematic search was made in PubMed library and a total of 399 articles were found, of which 23 were eligible and included in the review. Preference of home death averaged by 59.9% (39.7–100%) across all studies. Information about actual death place was only reported in 12 studies with an average of 40.4% (14–65.2%); thus, the incongruence between preferred and actual death place seems to be substantial. This highlights the importance of health care providers to discuss the issue with the patients and their families. However, study designs must improve and publications of socioeconomic data should be unified to ease interpretation in future studies.
Using the Nippita classification system for women undergoing induction of labour in a large metropolitan maternity service: Bringing simplicity and certainty to an important quality improvement process
Authors: Biro Mary A. , East Christine E.
Published: March 2017

In 2015 Nippita and colleagues developed a novel system to classify women undergoing induction of labour (IOL), which sought to overcome the problems of indication‐based classification. We explored the utility and feasibility of this new system at Monash Health in Melbourne. We found overall induction rates of 24.7% compared with the New South Wales rates of 25.4% reported by Nippita et al. The classification system was easy to apply because it uses routinely and accurately collected data. There was no misinterpretation of the classification groups. The system provides a robust means for auditing IOLs and reviewing their appropriateness.
Randomized trial of laparoscopic cholecystectomy procedure‐specific consent form
Authors: Crozier Jack , Williams Ann , Chan Steven T. F. , Thompson Graeme
Published: March 2017

Background

Prior to all surgical procedures, possible risks are outlined to patients during an informed consent discussion, and they are invited to ask questions. Written consent records this discussion and signals a patient's willingness to proceed with surgery. This study aims to improve the documentation of complications discussed during laparoscopic cholecystectomy consent through the introduction of a procedure‐specific consent form.

Methods

Phase 1 included a retrospective analysis of possible complications documented on standard consent forms for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Phase 2 was a prospective randomized comparison of existing standard consent forms versus procedure‐specific consent forms measuring the documentation of significant complications as identified from the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons brochure for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. These include bile duct injury, bile leak, bleeding, infection, conversion and damage to other organs. The proportion of participants in each cohort with the documentation of specific complications was assessed using the two‐sample test of differences in proportions.

Results

Phase 1 of the study found that the possible risk of bleeding was documented in 82.1% of cases, while damage to other organs was only documented in 7.7%. Phase 2 of the study showed significant improvements in the documentation of specific complications for both standard and procedure‐specific consent cohorts; 76.5% of participants in the procedure‐specific consent cohort had all complications documented, while no participants in the phase 1 cohort had all complications documented.

Conclusion

Introduction of a procedure‐specific consent form for laparoscopic cholecystectomy has improved the documentation of a standard set of complications.
Enlarged posterior fossa on prenatal imaging: differential diagnosis, associated anomalies and postnatal outcome
Authors: Wüest Anja , Surbek Daniel , Wiest Roland , Weisstanner Christian , Bonel Harald , Steinlin Maja , Raio Luigi , Tutschek Boris
Published: March 2017

Introduction

The primary aim of this study was to ascertain the prevalence of the individual conditions and of associated anomalies in fetuses with the prenatal diagnosis of enlarged posterior fossa (PF) and to explore the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound in these anomalies. The secondary aim was to evaluate the postnatal outcome of children affected by PF anomalies.

Material and methods

All fetuses with enlarged PF detected by prenatal sonography at a referral center from 2001 to 2015 were analyzed retrospectively. Some were also studied by fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or volume ultrasound examinations. Fetal sonographic and MRI were compared using following classification: Dandy–Walker malformation (DWM); megacisterna magna (MCM); Blake's pouch cyst; isolated vermian hypoplasia; vermian agenesis; PF arachnoid cyst (AC); and cerebellar hypoplasia (CH).

Results

The ultrasound diagnoses of the 69 fetuses were as follows: MCM (n = 29; of these isolated n = 15), DWM (n = 28, isolated n = 4), vermian hypoplasia (n = 5, isolated n = 4), Blake's pouch cyst (n = 4, isolated n = 1), CH (n = 2; none isolated) and AC in the PF (n = 1, isolated). Thirteen of the 41 karyotyped fetuses were aneuploid, including seven with DWM. Associated malformations were found in 37/69 cases. There were 39 live births, including 11 with confirmed DWM, six of whom show a normal development. Twelve infants with isolated MCM show normal development. There were eight false‐positive prenatal diagnoses (or resolution until birth) of “enlarged PF”: three with Blake's pouch cyst, two with MCM and one with vermian hypoplasia.

Conclusions

An enlarged PF requires specific diagnoses for the best possible counseling. The term “Dandy–Walker variant” should not be used anymore. Isolated MCM and Blake's pouch cyst can either resolve or be normal variants, but may also indicate the presence of a more severe anomaly or associated malformations.
Obtaining Black Carbon—A Simple Method for the Safe Removal of Mineral Components from Soils and Archaeological Layers
Authors: Bartůněk V. , Dobrovolný K. , Švecová M. , Matějka P. , Šída P. , Pokorný P. , Kuchař M. , Černá E.
Published: March 2017

In this study, we present a novel, safe method for how to remove inorganic components from soil samples studied for archaeological purposes, in order to improve studies of the distribution of black carbon in the sedimentary record. As the depositional history of this material depends on the interaction between humans and the natural environment, this method can be widely used in archaeology, landscape archaeology, palaeoecology, environmental geology and sedimentology. Our method does not require the use of dangerous hydrofluoric acid, which is commonly used for the removal of silicon oxide from such samples; therefore, this procedure allows even less chemically trained scientists to analyse soil samples with an increased level of work safety.
C4‐Plant Foraging in Northern Italy: Stable Isotopes, Sr/Ca and Ba/Ca Data of Human Osteological Samples from Roccapelago (16th–18th Centuries AD)
Authors: Lugli F. , Brunelli D. , Cipriani A. , Bosi G. , Traversari M. , Gruppioni G.
Published: March 2017

Human osteological samples (n = 23) taken from different anatomical parts of 11 individuals from the early modern (16th–18th century AD) site of Roccapelago (Modena, Italy) were systematically analysed for δ13C, δ15N and trace elements to investigate their diet. δ13C and δ15N correlate and show a high variability between individuals, attesting to the dietary contribution of C4 plants. This is supported by pollen analysis of the burial site samples, which revealed the presence of maize. δ15N correlates with Sr/Ca, suggesting that the main protein source could have been milk and dairy. We therefore interpret the strong correlation between δ13C and δ15N as evidence for C4‐plant foraging practice and the exploitation of livestock for meat and milk, combined with possible direct intake of C4 plants. The Roccapelago site represents an important case study to track the evolution of the post‐medieval diet and the introduction of maize cultivation in southern Europe, as also attested by historical sources.
Linked life courses in fieldwork: researcher, participant and field
Authors: Lewis Nathaniel M
Published: March 2017

This article discusses the ways in which fieldwork transforms, and is transformed by, the life trajectories of researchers, participants and the field itself. I suggest that fieldwork interweaves the past training and ongoing development of the researcher, the personal and professional life courses of his/her research participants, and the cultural and institutional histories of both academic fields and the physical sites in which fieldwork is conducted. Each of these life course strands involves geographically contingent subjectivities and perspectives that coalesce in fieldwork and lead to productive exchanges as well as conflicts. Early career researchers in particular may face extensive challenges negotiating these conflicts in the context of competitive and neo‐liberal academic environments.
Histology of mental and caudal courtship glands in three genera of plethodontid salamanders (Amphibia: Plethodontidae)
Authors: Rupp Ariana E. , Sever David M.
Published: March 2017

Salamanders in the family Plethodontidae exhibit a unique tail‐straddle walk during courtship that can include the use of sexually dimorphic mental and caudal courtship glands. This study presents novel histological and fine structure data on mental glands and caudal courtship glands in Plethodon mississippi, Desmognathus conanti and Eurycea quadridigitata using both light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. This study represents the first use of scanning electron microscopy to observe these glands. Both mental and caudal courtship glands were observed to vary seasonally in gland diameter and histology according to the breeding season of each species. Morphological variation was observed across the three species studied in both clustering and relative size of the glands compared to neighbouring mucous and granular glands. Hypertrophied mental glands are larger than mucous or granular glands in all species, but relationships among caudal courtship glands and other skin glands vary among species. In E. quadridigitata, active caudal courtship glands are larger than mucous and granular glands, but in D. conanti, caudal courtship glands are similar in size to granular glands and larger than mucous glands. In P. mississippi, caudal courtship glands are scattered among significantly larger granular glands and are similar in size to mucous glands.
Anti‐leukaemic activity of the TYK2 selective inhibitor NDI‐031301 in T‐cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia
Authors: Akahane Koshi , Li Zhaodong , Etchin Julia , Berezovskaya Alla , Gjini Evisa , Masse Craig E. , Miao Wenyan , Rocnik Jennifer , Kapeller Rosana , Greenwood Jeremy R. , Tiv Hong , Sanda Takaomi , Weinstock David M. , Look A. Thomas
Published: March 2017

Activation of tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) contributes to the aberrant survival of T‐cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (T‐ALL) cells. Here we demonstrate the anti‐leukaemic activity of a novel TYK2 inhibitor, NDI‐031301. NDI‐031301 is a potent and selective inhibitor of TYK2 that induced robust growth inhibition of human T‐ALL cell lines. NDI‐031301 treatment of human T‐ALL cell lines resulted in induction of apoptosis that was not observed with the JAK inhibitors tofacitinib and baricitinib. Further investigation revealed that NDI‐031301 treatment uniquely leads to activation of three mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPKs), resulting in phosphorylation of ERK, SAPK/JNK and p38 MAPK coincident with PARP cleavage. Activation of p38 MAPK occurred within 1 h of NDI‐031301 treatment and was responsible for NDI‐031301‐induced T‐ALL cell death, as pharmacological inhibition of p38 MAPK partially rescued apoptosis induced by TYK2 inhibitor. Finally, daily oral administration of NDI‐031301 at 100 mg/kg bid to immunodeficient mice engrafted with KOPT‐K1 T‐ALL cells was well tolerated, and led to decreased tumour burden and a significant survival benefit. These results support selective inhibition of TYK2 as a promising potential therapeutic strategy for T‐ALL.
Long‐term follow‐up of patients receiving allogeneic stem cell transplant for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia: mixed T‐cell chimerism is associated with high relapse risk and inferior survival
Authors: Thompson Philip A. , Stingo Francesco , Keating Michael J. , Wierda William G. , O'Brien Susan M. , Estrov Zeev , Ledesma Celina , Rezvani Katayoun , Qazilbash Muzaffar , Shah Nina , Parmar Simrit , Popat Uday , Anderlini Paolo , Yago Nieto , Ciurea Stefan O. , Kebriaei Partow , Champlin Richard , Shpall Elizabeth J. , Hosing Chitra M.
Published: March 2017

There is limited information regarding the immunological predictors of post‐allogeneic stem cell transplant (alloSCT) outcome in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), such as mixed T‐cell chimerism. We analysed 143 consecutive patients with relapsed/refractory CLL, transplanted between 2000 and 2012, to determine the prognostic relevance of mixed chimerism post‐alloSCT and the ability of post‐transplant immunomodulation to treat relapse. Mixed T‐cell chimerism occurred in 50% of patients at 3 months and 43% at 6 months post‐alloSCT; upon 3‐ and 6‐month landmark analysis, this was associated with inferior progression‐free survival (PFS) [Hazard ratio (HR) 1·93, P = 0·003 and HR 2·58, P < 0·001] and survival (HR 1·66, P = 0·05 and HR 2·17, P < 0·001), independent of baseline patient characteristics, and a lower rate of grade II–IV acute graft‐versus‐host disease (GHVD) (16% vs. 52%, P < 0·001). Thirty‐three patients were treated with immunomodulation for relapse post‐alloSCT (immunosuppression withdrawal, n = 6, donor lymphocyte infusion, n = 27); 17 achieved complete response (CR), which predicted superior PFS (53 months vs. 10 months, P < 0·001) and survival (117 months vs. 30 months, P = 0·006). Relapsed patients with mixed chimerism had inferior response to immunomodulation; conversion to full donor chimerism was highly correlated both with CR and with the development of severe acute GVHD, which was fatal in 3/8 patients. Novel therapeutic strategies are required for patients with mixed T‐cell chimerism post‐alloSCT for CLL.
Comprehensive assessment of renal tumour complexity in a large percutaneous cryoablation cohort
Authors: Bhindi Bimal , Thompson Robert Houston , Mason Ross J. , Haddad Mustafa M. , Geske Jennifer R. , Kurup Anil Nicholas , Hannon James D. , Boorjian Stephen A. , Leibovich Bradley C. , Atwell Thomas D. , Schmit Grant D.
Published: March 2017

Objective

To evaluate the association between renal tumour complexity and outcomes in a large cohort of patients undergoing percutaneous cryoablation (PCA).

Patients and Methods

Patients with renal tumours treated with PCA were identified using our prospectively maintained ablation registry (2003–2015). Salvage procedures and inherited tumour syndromes were excluded. The associations between R.E.N.A.L. nephrometry score (NS) and risk of complications, renal function impairment, local failure and cancer‐specific mortality (CSM) were evaluated using univariate and multivariable logistic, linear and Cox regression models.

Results

The cohort included 618 tumours treated during 580 procedures in 565 patients. The median (interquartile range [IQR]) follow‐up was 34 (14.66) months. Complications (any grade) during a procedure (n[total] = 87, 15%) were more frequent with higher NS (NS 4–6: 10%; NS 7–9: 14%; NS 10–12: 36%; P < 0.001). Higher NS was independently associated with risk of complications (odds ratio [OR; per 1 point] = 1.3; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2–1.5; P < 0.001). Of all the NS components, tumour size was the most strongly associated with complication risk (OR 3.4; 95% CI 2.2–5.2; P < 0.001). The median (IQR) decline in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) from baseline was 9% (0, 22) at last follow‐up. Each additional point in NS was associated with a 1.3% (95% CI 0.4–2.1; P = 0.005) greater GFR decline from baseline. NS was not significantly associated with local failure (n [total] = 14, 2%; NS 4–6: 2%; NS 7–9: 3%; NS 10–12: 5%; P = 0.32) or CSM (n [total] = 8, 2%; NS 4–6: 2%; NS 7–9: 3%; NS 10–12: 2%; P = 0.88).

Conclusion

In high‐complexity tumours PCA was associated with a tumour size‐driven increased risk of post‐procedural complications. Higher NS was associated with a small, clinically minor additional decline in renal function. Risks for local failure and CSM were low, regardless of tumour complexity.