bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Validating the shortened Quality of Life in Childhood Epilepsy Questionnaire (QOLCE‐55) in a sample of children with drug‐resistant epilepsy
Authors: Conway Lauryn , Widjaja Elysa , Smith Mary Lou , Speechley Kathy N. , Ferro Mark A.
Published: February 2017

Objective

The aim of this study was to validate the newly developed shortened Quality of Life in Childhood Epilepsy Questionnaire (QOLCE‐55) in a sample of children with drug‐resistant epilepsy.

Methods

Data came from 136 children enrolled in the Impact of Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery on Health‐Related Quality of Life Study (PEPSQOL), a multicenter prospective cohort study. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess the higher‐order factor structure of the QOLCE‐55. Convergent and divergent validity was assessed by correlating subscales of the KIDSCREEN‐27 with the QOLCE‐55. Measurement equivalence of the QOLCE‐55 was evaluated using multiple‐group confirmatory factor analysis of children with drug‐resistant epilepsy from PEPSQOL versus children with new‐onset epilepsy from HERQULES (Health‐Related Quality of Life in Children with Epilepsy Study).

Results

The higher‐order factor structure of the QOLCE‐55 demonstrated adequate fit: Comparative Fit Index (CFI) = 0.948; Tucker‐Lewis Index (TLI) = 0.946; Root Mean Square of Approximation (RMSEA) = 0.060 (90% confidence interval [CI] 0.054–0.065); Weighted Root Mean Square Residuals (WRMR) = 1.247. Higher‐order factor loadings were strong, ranging from λ = 0.74 to 0.81. Internal consistency reliability was excellent (α = 0.97, subscales α > 0.82). QOLCE‐55 subscales demonstrated moderate to strong correlations with similar subscales of the KIDSCREEN‐27 (ρ = 0.43–0.75) and weak to moderate correlations with dissimilar subscales (ρ = 0.25–0.42). The QOLCE‐55 demonstrated partial measurement equivalence at the level of strict invariance – χ2 (2,823) = 3,727.9, CFI = 0.961, TLI = 0.962, RMSEA = 0.049 (0.044, 0.053), WRMR = 1.834.

Significance

The findings provide support for the factor structure of the QOLCE‐55 and contribute to its robust psychometric profile as a reliable and valid measure. Researchers and health practitioners should consider the QOLCE‐55 as a viable option for reducing respondent burden when assessing health‐related quality of life in children with epilepsy.
Scavenging Opportunities Modulate Escape Responses over a Small Geographic Scale
Authors: Fleming Patricia A. , Bateman Philip W.
Published: February 2017

Many species that inhabit anthropogenically altered landscapes also opportunistically use human food refuse. Gulls readily exploit anthropogenic food sources (e.g. rubbish dumps and other places of human refuse) and often ‘steal’ food from people eating out of doors. Their behaviour suggests that gulls perceive little risk around people and so we examined whether opportunity costs, that is access to anthropogenic food sources, influence risk monitoring and escape responses in Silver Gulls (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae) around outdoor restaurants (‘food’ sites), where the gulls would scavenge food from people. We recorded alert distance (AD) and flight initiation distance (FID) and compared them with nearby sites where the same cohort of gulls was not interacting with people (‘no‐food’ sites). We used two approach speeds (with the prediction that gulls would take greater efforts to avoid a potential predation threat when approached at speed). Gulls foraging at food sites had lower AD and FID than those approached at no‐food sites. They were not simply ignoring the person, as they demonstrated longer AD when approached at speed but no difference in FID and therefore appeared to be responding to a small geographic scale ‘behavioural footprint’ of anthropogenic influences. Our study also challenges universality of the assumption that starting distance is necessarily correlated with FID, especially in sites where there are many people that animals are constantly monitoring – to determine the risk they represent as well as the likelihood of potential food opportunities.
The political geographies of diaspora strategies: Rethinking the ‘sending state’
Authors: Dickinson Jen
Published: February 2017

Diaspora strategies have been at the forefront of new studies of the political geographies of state‐led transnationalism, contributing important insights into the widespread socio‐economic impacts of initiatives used to engage émigrés in extra‐territorial nation‐building. The conceptualization of the ‘sending state’ as a central territorialized bureaucratic form has however contributed to binary framings of diasporic space by failing to capture the range of interplays in and between multiple scales and spaces that characterises the formulation of a states’ diaspora strategies, their evolution over time, and their variegated material outcomes. Alternative conceptualizations of the ‘sending state’ as a multi‐sited network of governing entities disrupts binary readings of diaspora space, but it is argued here that such an approach reproduces top‐down views of political agency. The review concludes by suggesting that scholars of diaspora strategies would benefit from exploring assemblage thinking, where a sustained engagement with spatial emergence and distributed socio‐material agencies has the potential to reveal the dynamic topological connections through which diasporic spatio‐political formations emerge, endure and may be unsettled. This has implications for understanding the variegated outcomes of diaspora strategies for individual diasporic subjectivities and ideas of common citizenship.
Antioxidant and tyrosinase inhibitory activity of Rosa roxburghii fruit and identification of main bioactive phytochemicals by UPLC‐Triple‐TOF/MS
Authors: Zeng Fangfang , Ge Zhiwei , Limwachiranon Jarukitt , Li Li , Feng Simin , Wang Yansheng , Luo Zisheng
Published: February 2017

The content of bioactive phytochemicals, antioxidant activity and tyrosinase inhibitory activity of the hydroalcoholic extracts of Rosa roxburghii were determined. Yellow fruits of cultivated R. roxburghii showed the highest phenolic content (154.81 mg gallic acid g−1), and the green fruits of wild R. roxburghii showed higher content of flavonoid and triterpenoid. Rosa roxburghii fruits from different cultivars and maturity stages all demonstrated as good antioxidant agents and tyrosinase inhibitors, with IC50 value about twice of the positive standard in the DPPH assay and triple of the standard in the tyrosinase inhibitory activity assay. Nineteen compounds, mainly ellagic acids and its derivatives, flavonoids and their glycosides were identified by UPLC‐Triple‐TOF/MS analysis. As the first study of bioactive phytochemicals of R. roxburghii by UPLC‐MS, the present research may provide valuable information for fulfilling the potential of R. roxburghii in the functional food area.
Optimisation of extraction conditions for recovering carotenoids and antioxidant capacity from Gac peel using response surface methodology
Authors: Chuyen Hoang V. , Roach Paul D. , Golding John B. , Parks Sophie E. , Nguyen Minh H.
Published: February 2017

The peel of Gac fruit is regarded as waste product in the processing of Gac although it contains high level of carotenoids and possesses a significant antioxidant capacity. This study optimised the extraction yields of carotenoids and antioxidant capacity from Gac peel. Different organic solvents were examined to determine the most suitable solvent for the extraction. The extraction conditions including time, temperature and solvent–solid ratio were then optimised for maximising extraction yields of carotenoids and antioxidant capacity from Gac peel using response surface methodology. Ethyl acetate was identified as the most suitable solvent. The optimal extraction time, temperature and solvent–solid ratio were 150 min, 40.7 °C and 80 mL g−1, respectively. The carotenoid extraction yield and the antioxidant capacity extraction yield were 271 mg/100 g DW and 737 μm TE/100 g DW, respectively. Thus, the extraction using ethyl acetate with the ratio of 80:1 (mL solvent per g Gac peel) for 150 min at 40.7 °C is suggested for recovering carotenoids and antioxidant capacity from Gac peel.
Using MCDA to evaluate the performance of the logistics process in public hospitals: the case of a Brazilian teaching hospital
Authors: Longaray André , Ensslin Leonardo , Ensslin Sandra , Alves Glaucia , Dutra Ademar , Munhoz Paulo
Published: February 2017

The increasing complexity of hospital management indicates a greater need for scientific instruments that underlie the performance evaluations of the organizational processes in this sector. From this perspective, this work evaluates the performance of the main activities of the internal logistics process of a Brazilian public teaching hospital's supply chain. To this end, a multicriteria decision analysis approach is used as an instrument of intervention. The multicriteria model constructed serves as a decision support system to aid decision makers, allowing managers to measure logistics performance in the hospital context and to visualize the performance profile of the main logistics activities, enabling the identification of activities requiring greater attention and improvement.
Multitasking scheduling with multiple rate‐modifying activities
Authors: Zhu Zhanguo , Liu* Ming , Chu Chengbin , Li Jinlin
Published: February 2017

This paper considers scheduling problems with human operators having the option to perform multiple rate‐modifying activities (MRMAs) while they are carrying out multitasking. Thus, the processing of a selected task suffers jointly from interruptions by other available but unfinished tasks and MRMAs. Two types of objective functions are studied: single‐criterion minimizing the total completion time, and multicriteria minimizing a weighted combination of the total completion time, the total absolute differences in completion times, and a weighted combination of the total waiting time and the total absolute differences in waiting times. We propose optimal solution algorithms for all the studied problems and also analyze some special cases of them.
Extracorporeal shockwave therapy for the treatment of chronic wound of lower extremity: current perspective and systematic review
Authors: Omar Mohammed TA , Gwada Rehab FM , Shaheen Afaf AM , Saggini Raoul
Published: February 2017

The purpose of this study was to provide an up‐to‐date review for the accurate estimation of the efficacy of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) on the healing of chronic wounds on the lower extremity (CWLE). A systematic review of 10 databases for clinical trials about ESWT in the management of CWLE published between 2000 and 2016 was performed. A total of 11 studies with 925 patients were found. Expert therapists assessed the methodological qualities of the selected studies using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale and categorised each study according to Sackett's levels of evidence. Eight studies were categorised as level II; two studies were categorised as level III and one study was categorised as level V. In conclusion, this review demonstrated mild to moderate evidence to support the use of ESWT as an adjuvant therapy with a standardised wound care programme. However, it is difficult to draw firm conclusions about the efficacy of ESWT. So, future researches with high methodological quality are required to assess the efficacy and cost‐effectiveness of this relatively new physical therapy application.
Around the pole: evolution of sub‐Antarctic Ranunculus
Authors: Lehnebach Carlos A. , Winkworth Richard C. , Becker Matthias , Lockhart Peter J. , Hennion Françoise
Published: February 2017

Aim

Despite an improved understanding of Southern Hemisphere plant biogeography, the origins and evolution of sub‐Antarctic floras remain poorly studied. Here, we investigate the historical biogeography of sub‐Antarctic representatives of the genus Ranunculus. We aimed to establish when and from where the sub‐Antarctic ranunculi originated as well as to examine the extent to which ecomorphological traits explain contemporary biogeographical patterns.

Location

Southern temperate and sub‐Antarctic zones.

Methods

We first estimated a dated phylogeny for Ranunculus using combined chloroplast and nuclear data for 53 accessions; divergence times were inferred based on three temporal calibrations. We then used non‐parametric multidimensional scaling to evaluate the ecomorphological diversity of 67 austral ranunculi representing a combination of sub‐Antarctic species and those restricted to lower latitude landmasses.

Results

Phylogenetic analyses indicated that several Ranunculus lineages have colonized the sub‐Antarctic islands. Divergence time estimates suggest recent arrival from source areas in Australia, New Zealand or South America. Species exhibiting two distinct ecomorphological trait combinations occur in both sub‐Antarctic and lower latitude habitats; the proportions of each combination differed significantly between these areas.

Main conclusions

Ranunculus has colonized the sub‐Antarctic on several occasions, most often arriving from the lower latitude landmasses prior to the Last Glacial Maximum. Taken together our analyses suggest that chance effects are likely to have influenced species arrival. However, following arrival trait–environment interactions appear to have been important for the subsequent establishment and persistence of ranunculi in sub‐Antarctic habitats.
Connectivity and vagility determine beta diversity and nestedness in North American and European freshwater fish
Authors: Griffiths David
Published: February 2017

Aim

This study assesses the extent to which biogeographic patterns in freshwater fish beta diversity and nestedness are due to dispersal limitation, from differences in dispersal opportunity across geographic areas and in dispersal ability across species.

Location

Europe and the Atlantic and Pacific realms of North America (NA), east and west of the Continental Divide.

Methods

The effects of glaciation, realm shape, connectivity, current climate and vagility on regional‐level beta diversity and nestedness were investigated. Turnover and nestedness‐resultant dissimilarity components of beta diversity and the nestedness metric based on overlap and decreasing fill (NODF) were calculated from regional species lists and the contributions of turnover and segregation to nestedness structure quantified.

Results

Geographic distance was a stronger predictor of beta diversity than climatic and environmental heterogeneity distances. Species range shapes varied with postglacial colonization direction, being more extensive in an east–west direction in Europe than in Atlantic NA. Turnover increased with declining connectivity, in unglaciated areas, and in non‐migratory species. Species were significantly less nested than expected because of high turnover and within‐realm heterogeneity in regional faunas. Deviations from nestedness were greater in unglaciated areas and in migratory species. Non‐migrants, but not migrants, exhibited coincident range boundaries.

Main conclusions

Spatial trends in beta diversity and nestedness in freshwater fish in NA and Europe result primarily from differences in postglacial recolonization opportunity across realms and in dispersal ability across species. Multiple metrics are necessary to identify the processes determining the spatial structure of species assemblages.
Changes in leaf physiognomy of New Zealand woody assemblages in response to Neogene environmental cooling
Authors: Reichgelt Tammo , Lee William G. , Lusk Christopher H. , Kennedy Elizabeth M.
Published: February 2017

Aim

To identify New Zealand Neogene leaf physiognomy change by comparing Miocene fossil floras to modern assemblages and assess the contributions of extinction, immigration and adaptation to leaf morphology evolution.

Location

New Zealand.

Methods

Woody angiosperm leaf assemblages were collected from modern forests throughout New Zealand and early/middle Miocene leaf assemblages (23–11 Ma) from New Zealand outcrops. All leaves were scored for 25 attributes of margin morphology, area, apex, base and general shape, and length:width ratio. Additionally, Miocene and modern Queensland leaf assemblages were compared because of their supposed climatic similarity.

Results

Modern New Zealand angiosperm leaves are generally smaller, and have rounder apex/base shapes than early/middle Miocene assemblages. The occurrence of leaf serrations and attenuate apices are markedly similar between modern and Miocene assemblages. Leaf size ranges of New Zealand Miocene assemblages appear to be similar to those of modern Queensland. Comparison of leaf sizes in plant families in Australia and New Caledonia with extinct and extant representatives in New Zealand, reveals that there is no consistent pattern of extinction or persistence based on leaf size.

Main conclusions

Late Neogene cooling in New Zealand has selected for smaller leaves with rounder apex/base shapes. Genus‐ and species‐level extinction of broad‐leaved plants contributed to leaf morphological change since the Miocene. However, it is unclear why certain broad‐leaved genera persisted while others from the same family did not. The most potent drivers of late Neogene physiognomic change are the persistence, adaptation and radiation of selected pre‐existing families to cooling (e.g. Rubiaceae and Ericaceae) and the arrival and diversification of cold‐adapted families in the late Cenozoic (e.g. Asteraceae and Plantaginaceae). Lack of change in other characteristics, such as entire margin occurrence, suggests that these traits were not under strong selection.
Patriotism, Preferences and Serendipity: Understanding the Adoption of the Defence Transfers Directive
Authors: Fiott Daniel
Published: February 2017

The 2009 adoption of the EU directive on intra‐Community transfers of defence equipment (‘ICT directive’) (2009/43/EC) aims to harmonize defence transfer licencing in the EU. The directive is part of a ‘defence package’ – along with a directive on defence procurement (2009/81/EC) – that is geared to liberalizing and regulating the European Defence Equipment Market (EDEM). A major theoretical question is why the EU Member States would agree to the ICT directive when it did not ultimately make much difference to the functioning of the EDEM. A number of competing theories exist that help explain why the 2009 ‘defence package’ was adopted. In the hope of engaging with this theoretical debate, and expanding our empirical understanding of the ICT directive, this article contends that insights from judicial politics, economic patriotism and liberal intergovernmentalism are best placed to explain why the EU Member States eventually adopted the directive.
Impact of anthropometric features on the applicability and accuracy of FibroScan® (M and XL) in overweight/obese patients
Authors: Puigvehí Marc , Broquetas Teresa , Coll Susanna , Garcia‐Retortillo Montserrat , Cañete Nuria , Fernández Rosa , Gimeno Javier , Sanchez Juan , Bory Felipe , Pedro‐Botet Juan , Solà Ricard , Carrión José A
Published: February 2017

Background and Aim

Transient elastography is the reference method for liver stiffness measurement (LSM) in the general population, having lower applicability in obese patients. We evaluated the applicability and diagnostic accuracy of the M and XL probes in overweight/obese patients to establish the most appropriate approach.

Methods

From May 2013 to March 2015, we evaluated patients with a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 28 kg/m2. We constructed an algorithm with variables independently related to unreliable LSM with the M probe.

Results

A total of 1084 patients were evaluated. M and XL probe applicability was 88.8% and 98%, respectively. Waist circumference (WC) (OR; 95% CI; P) (0.97; 0.94–0.99; P < 0.001) and skin‐capsule distance (SCD) (0.83; 0.79–0.87; P < 0.001) were independently related to unreliable LSM (M probe). The SCD was > 25 mm in 5.5% of individuals with a BMI ≤ 35 kg/m2 and a WC ≤ 117 cm, with LSM (M probe) applicability rising to 94.3%. In contrast, 36.9% of patients with a BMI > 35 kg/m2 and/or a WC > 117 cm presented an SCD > 25 mm, with M probe applicability being 73.1%. The diagnostic accuracy (area under the receiver operator characteristic) using the M probe to identify significant steatosis (0.76), fibrosis (0.89), and cirrhosis (0.96) was very high in patients with a BMI ≤ 35 kg/m2 and a WC ≤ 117 cm.

Conclusions

The applicability and accuracy of the FibroScan® M probe to identify fibrosis and steatosis was excellent in overweight and obesity grade I (BMI ≤ 35 kg/m2) with a WC ≤ 117 cm. The XL probe increased the applicability of transient elastography in obesity grade II–III (BMI > 35 kg/m2).
Applications of induced pluripotent stem cell technologies in spinal cord injury
Authors: Nagoshi Narihito , Okano Hideyuki
Published: February 2017

Numerous basic research studies have suggested the potential efficacy of neural precursor cell (NPC) transplantation in spinal cord injury (SCI). However, in most such studies, the origin of the cells used was mainly fetal tissue or embryonic stem cells, both of which carry potential ethical concerns with respect to clinical use. The development of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) opened a new path toward regenerative medicine for SCI. iPSCs can be generated from somatic cells by induction of transcription factors, and induced to differentiate into NPCs with characteristics of cells of the central nervous system. The beneficial effect of iPSC‐derived NPC transplantation has been reported from our group and others working in rodent and non‐human primate models. These promising results facilitate the application of iPSCs for clinical applications in SCI patients. However, iPSCs also have issues, such as genetic/epigenetic abnormalities and tumorigenesis because of the artificial induction method, that must be addressed prior to clinical use. The selection of somatic cells, generation of integration‐free iPSCs, and characterization of differentiated NPCs with thorough quality management are all needed to address these potential risks. To enhance the efficacy of the transplanted iPSC‐NPCs, especially at chronic phase of SCI, administration of a chondroitinase or semaphorin3A inhibitor represents a potentially important means of promoting axonal regeneration through the lesion site. The combined use of rehabilitation with such cell therapy approaches is also important, as repetitive training enhances neurite outgrowth of transplanted cells and strengthens neural circuits at central pattern generators. Our group has already evaluated clinical grade iPSC‐derived NPCs, and we look forward to initiating clinical testing as the next step toward determining whether this approach is safe and effective for clinical use.

This article is part of the mini review series “60th Anniversary of the Japanese Society for Neurochemistry”.

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60th Anniversary of the Japanese Society for Neurochemistry
Authors: Imaizumi Kazunori
Published: February 2017

To welcome the 60th anniversary of the Japanese Society for Neurochemistry (JSN), in this issue, we publish five articles from leading groups of the JSN in the Journal of Neurochemistry. These five reviews are regarding molecular base‐investigation of neuronal regulation, and the research styles and its destination are exhibiting the characteristics that identify our society. Here, we introduce what we have archived in the neurochemical fields of research, including Ca2+ neurobiology, synaptic plasticity, neurogenesis and neuroregeneration. With the achievements in the past decades in mind, we will continue to contribute to the development of neurochemistry from now on too.

This article is part of the mini review series “60th Anniversary of the Japanese Society for Neurochemistry”.
Buccal films as a dressing for the treatment of aphthous lesions
Authors: Daněk Zdeněk , Gajdziok Jan , Doležel Petr , Landová Hana , Vetchý David , Štembírek Jan
Published: February 2017

Background

Buccal flexible films in the form of solid, thin, mucoadhesive patches can be used as dressings separating aphthous lesions from the environment of the oral cavity, which can in turn shorten the treatment period and reduce the pain perception.

Methods

The clinical study was performed on 36 volunteers suffering from aphthous lesions. The first group was treated using standard means—by application of an oral gel containing cholin salicylate (Mundisal) on the aphthous lesion. The second group was treated with the same preparation; however, the lesion was covered with a mucoadhesive film following the application of the gel. The criteria for statistical evaluation were the size of lesions in relation to the length of the treatment and the subjective perception of the treatment results.

Results and conclusions

The application of buccal films covering aphthous lesions during the treatment significantly increased the rate of healing when compared with the standard methods of treatment. While the pain improvement was statistically significant as soon as Day 3 in the experimental group, it was only apparent on Day 5 in the control group, and the number of successfully treated patients (pain perception improving tovisual analogue scale2 or less) was at all time points higher in the experimental group than in the control group. The results imply that the use of buccal films for treatment of aphthous lesions is very promising and can lead to a significant reduction in the duration of patients’ discomfort.
Multinucleated giant cell reaction in lower lip squamous cell carcinoma: a clinical, morphological, and immunohistochemical study
Authors: Santos Hellen Bandeira de Pontes , Miguel Márcia Cristina da Costa , Pinto Leão Pereira , Gordón‐Núñez Manuel Antonio , Alves Pollianna Muniz , Nonaka Cassiano Francisco Weege
Published: February 2017

Background

Multinucleated giant cell (MGC) reactions have been identified in several malignancies, but their frequency and significance in lower lip squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) are not established. This study evaluated the MGC reactions and their association with clinicopathological parameters in lower lip SCCs. The polarization profile of these cells (M1 or M2 macrophages) was also assessed.

Methods

The presence and distribution of MGC reactions in high‐power fields (400×) were evaluated in hematoxylin/eosin‐stained histological sections of 91 lower lip SCCs. The histopathological grade of malignancy was evaluated using two grading systems (World Health Organization [WHO] and Malignancy Grading of the Deep Invasive Margins). The histiocytic nature (CD68) and polarization profile (M1‐HLA‐DR+ or M2‐CD163+) of MGCs were evaluated by immunohistochemistry.

Results

Multinucleated giant cell reaction was identified in 36 (39.6%) cases, and its frequency was 3.3 times higher in well/moderately differentiated tumors than in poorly differentiated tumors (WHO grading system) (P = 0.006). For Malignancy Grading of the Deep Invasive Margins, the frequency was 2.03 times higher in highly/moderately keratinized tumors than in tumors with minimal/no keratinization (P = 0.012). No significant associations were observed between the presence/distribution of MGCs and clinical parameters (tumor size, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, and clinical stage) (P > 0.05). All MGCs were positive for CD68 and there was a predominance of HLA‐DR+ over CD163+ MGCs (P = 0.031).

Conclusions

Multinucleated giant cell reactions may not be involved in tumor progression in lower lip SCCs. In this microenvironment, MGCs tend to exhibit a predominantly M1 phenotype and may represent a foreign body reaction to SCC keratin pearls.
Melatonin prevents obesity through modulation of gut microbiota in mice
Authors: Xu Pengfei , Wang Jialin , Hong Fan , Wang Sheng , Jin Xi , Xue Tingting , Jia Li , Zhai Yonggong
Published: February 2017

Excess weight and obesity are severe public health threats worldwide. Recent evidence demonstrates that gut microbiota dysbiosis contributes to obesity and its comorbidities. The body weight‐reducing and energy balancing effects of melatonin have been reported in several studies, but to date, no investigations toward examining whether the beneficial effects of melatonin are associated with gut microbiota have been carried out. In this study, we show that melatonin reduces body weight, liver steatosis, and low‐grade inflammation as well as improving insulin resistance in high fat diet (HFD)‐fed mice. High‐throughput pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA demonstrated that melatonin treatment significantly changed the composition of the gut microbiota in mice fed an HFD. The richness and diversity of gut microbiota were notably decreased by melatonin. HFD feeding altered 69 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) compare with a normal chow diet (NCD) group, and melatonin supplementation reversed 14 OTUs to the same configuration than those present in the NCD group, thereby impacting various functions, in particular through its ability to decrease the Firmicutes‐to‐Bacteroidetes ratio and increase the abundance of mucin‐degrading bacteria Akkermansia, which is associated with healthy mucosa. Taken together, our results suggest that melatonin may be used as a probiotic agent to reverse HFD‐induced gut microbiota dysbiosis and help us to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms governing the various melatonin beneficial effects.
Successful treatment of a metastatic, gastrointestinal stromal tumour in a dog with toceranib phosphate (Palladia)
Authors: Elliott J. W. , Swinbourne F. , Parry A. , Baines L.
Published: February 2017

A ten‐year‐old, female‐entire English springer spaniel presented with a large intra‐abdominal mass but no other clinical signs. Gastrointestinal stromal tumour of the caecum with widespread abdominal metastasis was confirmed. Treatment with toceranib phosphate resulted in complete response, despite the absence of exon‐8 or exon‐11 c‐kit mutation. There was no clinical evidence of tumour recurrence nine months after diagnosis.
The health‐related quality of life of children, adolescents, and young adults with neurofibromatosis type 1 and their families: Analysis of narratives
Authors: Draucker Claire Burke , Nutakki Kavitha , Varni James W. , Swigonski Nancy L.
Published: February 2017

Purpose

Provide an in‐depth description of the health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) in youth diagnosed with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) and their families.

Design and Methods

Data were drawn from qualitative interviews conducted for a larger study aimed at developing the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ (PedsQL™) NF1 module.

Results

Youth with NF1 and their families experience a wide range of concerns related to HRQoL due to the varied symptom expression and uncertain trajectory of the disorder.

Practice Implications

Pediatric nurses should routinely assess for HRQoL in this population and develop strategies tailored to those concerns that require intervention.
Nurses perceptions of barriers to implementing family‐centered care in a pediatric setting: A qualitative study
Authors: Boztepe Handan , Kerimoğlu Yıldız Gizem
Published: February 2017

Purpose

This was a qualitative study conducted to explore the views of nurses regarding the practice of family‐centered care (FCC).

Design and Methods

Eighteen nurses working in different units of a children's hospital in Turkey were included in the study. In‐depth interviews were conducted with the nurses to obtain detailed information about their perspectives on FCC activities.

Results

Two main themes emerged from the data, each with subthemes. The first theme pertained to the nurses’ opinions on FCC, and the second theme included their views on parents’ participation during nursing rounds.

Practice Implications

This study indicated that nurses had positive views of FCC activities and that they recognized the need for the family's continuing presence in the child's life, which were important findings. However, they stated that families’ cultural characteristics were an obstacle. Therefore, to better implement this model, nurses should not only understand the model conceptually but also understand the rights, roles, and responsibilities of parents. To practice FCC appropriately, nurses need to have sufficient resources, appropriate education, and support from their managers.
Intersectional Coalitions: The Paradoxes of Rights-Based Movement Building in LGBTQ and Immigrant Communities
Authors: Adam Erin M.
Published: February 2017

Over the past decade, inter- and intra-movement coalitions composed of organizations within the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) and immigrant rights movements have formed at the local level. These coalitions speak to a massive organizing effort that has achieved some rights campaign successes. However, coalition unity that culminated in “wins” like marriage equality came at a cost. While both movements expanded and unified, they simultaneously ossified around goals that matter to the most privileged segments of their respective communities. The result is a paradox: coalitions do sometimes form within and across movements, promote enduring unity across seemingly divergent movements, and facilitate rights campaign “wins.” However, coalitions simultaneously reinforce hierarchical exclusions through the continued marginalization of issues that uproot conventional power dynamics, like police violence, economic inequality, and gender justice. This essay argues that the construction of a common “civil rights past” identity within coalitions can help to explain this paradox. The development of this collective identity expands movements, occasionally thwarting the power dynamics responsible for the centering of the interests of the most privileged constituencies within social movements. However, the episodic nature of rights-based campaigns simultaneously contains and undermines the formation of this collective identity, reinforcing movement divisions based on race, gender, and class.
The Elastic Ceiling: Gender and Professional Career in Chinese Courts
Authors: Zheng Chunyan , Ai Jiahui , Liu Sida
Published: February 2017

Since the 1990s, the number of women in Chinese courts has been increasing steadily. Many women judges have risen to mid-level leadership positions, such as division chiefs and vice-chiefs, in the judicial bureaucracy. However, it remains difficult for women to be promoted to high-level leadership positions, such as vice-presidents and presidents. What explains the stratified patterns of career mobility for women in Chinese courts? In this article, we argue that two social processes are at work in shaping the structural patterns of gender inequality: dual-track promotion and reverse attrition. Dual-track promotion is dominated by a masculine and corrupt judicial culture on the political track that prevents women from obtaining high-level promotions, but still allows them to rise to mid-level leadership positions on the professional track based on their expertise and work performance. Reverse attrition enables women to take vacant mid-level positions left by men who exit the judiciary to pursue other careers. Taken together, the vertical and horizontal mobility of judges in their career development presents a processual logic to gender inequality and shapes women's structural positions in Chinese courts, a phenomenon that we term the “elastic ceiling.”
Legal Attitudes of Immigrant Detainees
Authors: Ryo Emily
Published: February 2017

A substantial body of research shows that people's legal attitudes can have wide-ranging behavioral consequences. In this article, I use original survey data to examine long-term immigrant detainees’ legal attitudes. I find that the majority of detainees express a felt obligation to obey the law, and do so at a significantly higher rate than other U.S. sample populations. I also find that the detainees’ perceived obligation to obey U.S. immigration authorities is significantly related to their evaluations of procedural justice, as measured by their assessments of fair treatment while in detention. This finding remains robust controlling for a variety of instrumental and detainee background factors, including the detainees’ experiences with the legal system and legal authorities in their countries of origin. Finally, I find that vicarious procedural justice evaluations based on detainees’ assessments of how others are treated are as important to detainees’ perceived obligation to obey U.S. immigration authorities as their personal experiences of fair or unfair treatment. I discuss the broader implications of these findings and their contributions to research on procedural justice and legal compliance, and research on legal attitudes of noncitizens.
Can Origen Help Us Understand Adam?
Authors: Opderbeck David W.
Published: February 2017

This paper examines Origen's views of “Adam” and considers whether aspects of Origen's views might prove helpful in contemporary debates about Adam and original sin. The question “who was Adam” presents difficult issues for Christian theology. In response to these concerns, many contemporary theologians suggest that “Eastern” traditions, which are less connected to the “Western”/Augustinian view of original sin, can more easily manage these tensions. These gestures towards “Eastern” thought are helpful in the sense that they do highlight the “mythic” dimensions of the Biblical creation narratives and the irreducibly social construction of human identity. They tend, however, towards broad generalizations that often do not account for the more nuanced and complex philosophical matrix that informed many of the Eastern Church Fathers as they thought about creation, humanity, and the Fall. In this regard, Origen is an interesting figure to study because of the historic anathemas against his supposedly aberrant neo‐Platonic views about the pre‐existence of souls. Origen did indeed draw heavily on Platonism, but his views about Adam and the Fall were far more subtle than is often supposed. Elements of Origen's views could be useful to a contemporary Christian theology of Adam and original sin.
Can nursing epistemology embrace p‐values?
Authors: Ou Christine H. K. , Hall Wendy A. , Thorne Sally E.
Published: February 2017

The use of correlational probability values (p‐values) as a means of evaluating evidence in nursing and health care has largely been accepted uncritically. There are reasons to be concerned about an uncritical adherence to the use of significance testing, which has been located in the natural science paradigm. p‐values have served in hypothesis and statistical testing, such as in randomized controlled trials and meta‐analyses to support what has been portrayed as the highest levels of evidence in the framework of evidence‐based practice. Nursing has been minimally involved in the rich debate about the controversies of treating significance testing as evidentiary in the health and social sciences. In this paper, we join the dialogue by examining how and why this statistical mechanism has become entrenched as the gold standard for determining what constitutes legitimate scientific knowledge in the postpositivistic paradigm. We argue that nursing needs to critically reflect on the limitations associated with this tool of the evidence‐based movement, given the complexities and contextual factors that are inherent to nursing epistemology. Such reflection will inform our thinking about what constitutes substantive knowledge for the nursing discipline.
Cuffed endotracheal tubes in children: the effect of the size of the cuffed endotracheal tube on intracuff pressure
Authors: Krishna Senthil G. , Hakim Mumin , Sebastian Roby , Dellinger Heather L. , Tumin Dmitry , Tobias Joseph D.
Published: February 2017

Background

In children, the size of the cuffed endotracheal tube is based on various age‐based formulas. However, such formulas may over or underestimate the size of the cuffed endotracheal tube. There are no data on the impact of different‐sized cuffed endotracheal tubes (ETT) on the intracuff pressure in children.

Aim

The current study measures intracuff pressure with different‐sized cuffed ETT.

Method

The study was conducted in an in vitro and in vivo phase. For the in vitro phase, 10 cuffed ETT of size 4.0, 4.5, and 5 mm internal diameter (ID) each were randomly placed inside a 1.0 cm ID plastic tube (mimicking the trachea), which was in turn connected to a 1 l test lung. After inflation of the cuff using the air leak test at a continuous positive airway pressure of 20 cmH2O, the intracuff pressure was measured. The in vivo phase was conducted in 100 children (4–8 years) and were randomly divided into two groups to receive either a cuffed endotracheal tube based on the Khine formula (Group R) or a cuffed endotracheal tube that was a half‐size (0.5 mm ID) smaller (Group S). Following the inflation of the cuff to seal the trachea, the intracuff pressure was measured.

Results

In the in vitro phase, the intracuff pressure was 45 ± 6, 23 ± 1, and 14 ± 6 cmH2O with size 4.0, 4.5, and 5 mm ID cuffed ETT, respectively (F‐test P < 0.001 for difference among three groups). In the in vivo phase, the mean intracuff pressure in Group R was 25 ± 19 cmH2O vs 37 ± 35 cmH2O in Group S (95% CI of difference: 1, 23; P = 0.039).

Conclusion

If the cuffed endotracheal tube is too small, the trachea can still be sealed by inflating the cuff with additional air. However, this transforms the cuff from the intended high‐volume, low‐pressure cuff to an undesirable high‐volume, high‐pressure cuff.
Sirolimus for Vincristine‐Resistant Kasabach–Merritt Phenomenon: Report of Eight Patients
Authors: Wang Huaijie , Duan Yitao , Gao Ya , Guo Xinkui
Published: February 2017

Background

The use of sirolimus for patients with multidrug‐resistant Kasabach–Merritt phenomenon (KMP) has been reported in recent years. We present the experience of a single center in treating vincristine‐resistant KMP using sirolimus alone.

Methods

Children with vincristine‐resistant KMP who were treated with oral sirolimus alone were eligible for inclusion in the study. We evaluated responses according to graded response criteria and acute toxicities according to the National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria.

Results

Between March 2012 and October 2014, eight patients underwent sirolimus treatment. The response rate of hematologic parameters was 100% (8/8). Three tumors shrank enough to allow excision. The tumors were resected after hematologic parameters normalized. Of the five patients with unresectable vascular lesions, three had complete response, and two had partial response of their tumors at the completion of long‐term (39.7 ± 24.4 wks) sirolimus treatment. Grade 3 or 4 adverse events were not documented during treatment or follow‐up. No recurrence or progression of the disease was observed during follow‐up.

Conclusion

In this small case series, we found sirolimus to be highly effective, with minimal side effects, for vincristine‐resistant KMP. A larger study to compare sirolimus and vincristine for KMP is warranted.
Analysis of group composition in multimember multigroup data
Authors: LEDERMANN THOMAS , RUDAZ MYRIAM , GROB ALEXANDER
Published: February 2017

Data from groups often have a multimember multigroup (MMMG) structure. Examples are two‐parent families with a female or male child (three members, two groups), two same‐gender and opposite‐gender peers of different status (two members, four groups), or gay, lesbian, and heterosexual couples (two members, three groups). To analyze such data, a framework called MMMG actor–partner interdependence model (MMMG APIM) is presented considering group composition. Three models are discussed in detail: the three‐member two‐group APIM, the two‐member four‐group APIM, and the two‐member three‐group APIM. Structural equation modeling and cross‐sectional and longitudinal data are used to illustrate the approach. To ease the interpretation of APIM findings, a proposal of a general classification scheme is made.
Psychosocial predictors of medication adherence in pediatric heart and lung organ transplantation
Authors: Killian Michael O.
Published: February 2017

Few studies have identified the psychosocial characteristics of those children and their families associated with future non‐adherence to immunosuppressive medications following a heart or lung transplant. UNOS data and medical records information were used to test the association between patient and family psychosocial characteristics and medication adherence. Medication adherence outcomes were obtained using the physician assessments in the UNOS data and measured through patient‐level standard deviation scores of immunosuppressive medication blood levels. Complete data were collected on 105 pediatric heart and lung transplant recipients and their families. Multivariate, stepwise analyses were conducted with each adherence outcome. Physician reports of adherence were associated with age of the child at transplantation, parental education, two‐parent families, significant psychosocial problems, and the pretransplant life support status of the child. The resulting model (χ2=28.146, df=5, P<.001) explained approximately 39.5% of the variance in physician reports of adherence (Nagelkerke r2=.395). Blood level standard deviation scores were predicted by age at transplant (F=5.624, P=.02, r2=.05). Results point to the difficulties experienced by children and families when undergoing a heart or lung transplantation. Efforts to develop standardized and evidence‐based pretransplant psychosocial assessments in pediatric populations are suggested, especially those surrounding familial risk factors.
Novel Bi2WO6‐coupled Fe3O4 Magnetic Photocatalysts: Preparation, Characterization and Photodegradation of Tetracycline Hydrochloride
Authors: Wang Tianye , Zhong Shuang , Zou Shuang , Jiang Fuhuan , Feng Limin , Su Xiaosi
Published: February 2017

Novel Bi2WO6‐coupled Fe3O4 magnetic photocatalysts with excellent and stable photocatalytic activity for degrading tetracycline hydrochloride and RhB were successfully synthesized via a facile solvothermal route. Through the characterization of the as‐prepared magnetic photocatalysts by X‐ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectra, it was found that the as‐prepared magnetic photocatalysts were synthesized by the coupling of Bi2WO6 and Fe3O4, and introduction of appropriated Fe3O4 can improve nanospheres morphology and visible‐light response. Among them, BFe2 (0.16% Fe3O4) exhibited the best photocatalytic activity for degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH), reaching 81.53% after 90 min. Meanwhile, the as‐prepared magnetic photocatalysts showed great separation and recycle property. Moreover, the results of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy demonstrated that the well conductivity of Fe3O4 can promote photogenerated charge carriers transfer and inhibit recombination of electron–hole pairs, so that Bi2WO6/Fe3O4 exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity on degradation of TCH and RhB. Hence, this work provides a principle method to synthesize Bi2WO6/Fe3O4 with excellent photocatalytic performance for actual application, in addition, it showed that introduction of Fe3O4 not only can provide magnetism, but also can enhance photocatalytic activity of Bi2WO6/Fe3O4 magnetic photocatalysts.