bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Computerized analysis of fetal heart rate variability signal during the stages of labor
Authors: Annunziata Maria Laura , Tagliaferri Salvatore , Esposito Francesca Giovanna , Giuliano Natascia , Mereghini Flavia , Di Lieto Andrea , Campanile Marta
Published: January 2016

Aim

To analyze computerized cardiotocographic (cCTG) parameters (baseline fetal heart rate, baseline FHR; short term variability, STV; approximate entropy, ApEn; low frequency, LF; movement frequency, MF; high frequency, HF) in physiological pregnancy in order to correlate them with the stages of labor. This could provide more information for understanding the mechanisms of nervous system control of FHR during labor progression.

Methods

A total of 534 pregnant women were monitored on cCTG from the 37th week before the onset of spontaneous labor and during the first and the second stage of labor. Statistical analysis was performed using Kruskal–Wallis test and Wilcoxon rank‐sum test with the Bonferroni adjusted α (< 0.05).

Results

Statistically significant differences were seen between baseline FHR, MF and HF (P < 0.001), in which the first two were reduced and the third was increased when compared between pre‐labor, and the first and second stages of labor. Differences between some of the stages were found for ApEn, LF and for LF/(HF + MF), where the first and the third were reduced and the second was increased.

Conclusions

cCTG modifications during labor may reflect the physiologic increased activation of the autonomous nervous system. Using computerized fetal heart rate analysis during labor it may be possible to obtain more information from the fetal cardiac signal, in comparison with the traditional tracing.
Effect of mercury vapor inhalation on rat ovary: Stereology and histopathology
Authors: Altunkaynak Berrin Zuhal , Akgül Nilgun , Yahyazadeh Ahmad , Altunkaynak Muhammed Eyup , Turkmen Aysin Pinar , Akgül Hayati Murat , Ünal Bunyami
Published: January 2016

Aim

Mercury, an environmental contaminant, is a risk factor for health in whole living organisms. In this study, we investigated whether mercury vapor (HgO) inhalation has an effect on rat ovary.

Methods

Twelve Wistar albino rats were divided equally into experimental (Hg) and control groups (n = 6). Animals in the Hg group were exposed to HgO for 45 days at a dose 1 mg/m3/day, after which, histological and stereological assessment were carried out.

Results

Ovaries exposed to HgO had histo‐morphometric alterations. HgO inhalation resulted in reduction of the total number of primordial, primary and Graaf follicles. Also, mean volume of ovary, medulla and cortex, corpus luteum (c. luteum) and Graaf follicles was decreased in the Hg group. Moreover, there was a significant increase in total volume of the atretic follicles. On light microscopy, thickening of tunica albuginea, increase of fibrils within the connective tissue, congestion of the capillaries and venous vessels, thinned walls and fibrin deposition in some large blood vessels, and edema were seen. Also, irregular follicle and oocyte borders, and hydropic degeneration in follicular granulosa cells were detected.

Conclusion

Structural alterations could be attributed to the toxic influence of HgO on rat ovary. The use of Hg should therefore be more controlled to minimize its toxic effect.
Randomized double‐blind comparison of the effects of intramyometrial and intravenous oxytocin during elective cesarean section
Authors: Akinaga Chieko , Uchizaki Sakiko , Kurita Tadayoshi , Taniguchi Mizuki , Makino Hiroshi , Suzuki Akira , Uchida Toshiyuki , Suzuki Kazunao , Itoh Hiroaki , Tani Shigeki , Sato Shigehito , Terui Katsuo
Published: January 2016

Aim

Obstetricians sometimes administer intramyometrial oxytocin to stimulate uterine contraction during cesarean section, but its effects have not been well investigated. We performed a randomized, double‐blind study to test the hypothesis that a small dose of intramyometrial oxytocin would induce acceptable uterine contractility more quickly and with fewer hemodynamic side‐effects than the same dose administered intravenously.

Methods

Forty women with a single fetus at ≥36 weeks of gestational age scheduled for elective cesarean section under spinal anesthesia were randomized to the intravenous and intramyometrial groups to receive oxytocin at 0.07 IU/kg. The drug was administered immediately after umbilical cord clamping. Systolic blood pressure, heart rate, intraoperative blood loss, uterine tone, total amount of intraoperative oxytocin, and additional uterotonic drugs administered in the first 24 h were compared.

Results

Maximum uterine contractility was achieved after 2 and 10 min for the intravenous and intramyometrial groups, respectively. The mean hemodynamic parameters of the intramyometrial group were stable. In contrast, the intravenous group showed a reduction in systolic blood pressure after 2–4 min and increased heart rate after 1–2 min. Intraoperative blood loss, total oxytocin dose, and frequency of additional uterotonic drugs were comparable between the two groups.

Conclusion

Although intraoperative blood loss was comparable, a small dose of intramyometrial oxytocin was inappropriate to obtain a prompt and acceptable uterine contraction during cesarean section.
Transformational leadership and proactive work behaviour: A moderated mediation model including work engagement and job strain
Authors: Schmitt Antje , Den Hartog Deanne N. , Belschak Frank D.
Published: January 2016

This study explores the role of work engagement as an affective–motivational mechanism through which transformational leadership may relate to proactive behaviour. In line with a resource‐based approach (Hobfoll, ), we hypothesize that employees only invest resources provided through work engagement into proactivity when job strain is low. Under conditions of high job strain, work engagement is less likely to translate into proactive behaviours. In contrast, for core task‐related job performance, we expect work engagement to be positively related to core job performance regardless of job strain. The hypotheses were tested in a multisource field study among 148 employee–colleague dyads. Focal employees self‐rated their work engagement, job strain, and their supervisor's transformational leadership. Employee proactivity (personal initiative and voice behaviour) and core job performance were rated by colleagues. The findings support the moderated mediation model. Transformational leadership related positively to work engagement and in turn to proactivity in terms of both personal initiative and voice. Low job strain formed a necessary precondition for work engagement to translate into higher proactivity, whereas the relationship between work engagement and core job performance was independent from job strain.

Practitioner points

Organizations need to avoid high stress that might evoke strain in employees and thereby prevent work engagement from translating into proactivity. This can be achieved, for instance, through training interventions based on a cognitive‐behavioural approach and through organizational interventions aimed at increasing employees’ job autonomy and decision‐making, as well as the implementation of rest periods.

Organizations can improve transformational leadership skills in supervisors to increase employee proactivity. Transformational leadership skills can be developed through education, training, and coaching interventions that are based on action‐oriented methods and are aimed at fostering self‐reflection in supervisors.
Effect of Trajectories of Friends' and Parents' School Involvement on Adolescents' Engagement and Achievement
Authors: Im Myung Hee , Hughes Jan N. , West Stephen G.
Published: January 2016

In a sample of 527 academically at‐risk youth, we investigated trajectories of friends' and parents' school involvement across ages 12–14 and the joint contributions of these trajectories to adolescents' age 15 school engagement and academic achievement. Girls reported higher levels of friends' and parents' school involvement than boys. Both parents' and friends' school involvement declined across ages 12–14. Combined latent growth models and structural equation models showed effects of the trajectories of friends' and parents' school involvement on adolescents' age 15 school engagement and academic achievement, over and above adolescents' prior performance. These effects were additive rather than interactive. Strategies for enhancing parent involvement in school and students' affiliation with peers who are positively engaged in school are discussed.
The Impact of Adolescents' Classroom and Neighborhood Ethnic Diversity on Same‐ and Cross‐Ethnic Friendships Within Classrooms
Authors: Munniksma Anke , Scheepers Peer , Stark Tobias H. , Tolsma Jochem
Published: January 2016

This study examines how classroom and neighborhood ethnic diversity affect adolescents' tendency to form same‐ versus cross‐ethnic friendships when they enter middle school. Hypotheses are derived from exposure, conflict, and constrict theory. Hypotheses are tested among 911 middle school students (43 classrooms, nine schools) in the Netherlands. Multilevel (p2) social network analyses show that students were more likely to engage in same‐ethnic rather than cross‐ethnic friendships. In line with conflict theory, greater classroom and neighborhood diversity were related to stronger tendencies to choose same‐ethnic rather than cross‐ethnic friends, among both ethnic majority and minority students. Diversity did not hamper reciprocity, as students in more ethnically diverse classrooms were even more likely to reciprocate friendships.
Formononetin upregulates nitric oxide synthase in arterial endothelium through estrogen receptors and MAPK pathways
Authors: Sun Tao , Cao Lei , Ping Na-Na , Wu Yue , Liu Dong-Zheng , Cao Yong-Xiao
Published: January 2016

Objectives

Formononetin, a phytoestrogen, can improve arterial endothelial cell function by upregulating endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). The estrogen receptor plays an important role in the regulation of eNOS. This study investigated the hypothesis that formononetin upregulates eNOS through estrogen receptors and MAPK pathways.

Methods

The rat superior mesenteric arteries were cultured with formononetin or formononetin plus inhibitors for 24 h. The isometric tension of the arteries was measured using a myograph system. The mRNA and protein expression levels of eNOS were determined by real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry, respectively.

Key findings

Acetylcholine (ACh) relaxed the mesenteric arteries precontracted with 5-hydroxytryptamine. This relaxation could be enhanced by formononetin. The removal of endothelium or incubation with l-NAME (a NOS inhibitor) completely abolished the formononetin-enhanced relaxation induced by ACh, suggesting that the formononetin-enhanced vasodilatation is dependent on endothelium and NO pathway. The estrogen receptor inhibitor ICI 182780 attenuated the formononetin-enhanced vasodilatation induced by ACh, suggesting that the formononetin-enhanced arterial relaxation is mediated by the estrogen receptor. Formononetin increased the mRNA and protein expression levels of eNOS. ICI 182780, U0126 (an ERK1/2 inhibitor) and SP600125 (a JNK inhibitor) prevented the increases in arterial relaxation and eNOS levels.

Conclusions

Formononetin upregulates eNOS expression in mesenteric arteries via estrogen receptors, ERK1/2 and JNK pathways.
Insurance and reinsurance in theFairchildenclave
Authors: Merkin Rob
Published: January 2016

The dreadful disease of mesothelioma, caused by exposure to asbestos, has a number of features that pose almost intractable problems for tort law and liability insurance, notably the time lag of some 35 years between exposure and injury, and the accepted current impossibility of science proving exactly which exposure has given rise to the disease. The Supreme Court has addressed tort and insurance issues on no fewer than six occasions, most recently inZurich Insurance PLC UK Branch v International Energy Group Ltd (IEG), a case in which a specially convened seven-judge panel split 4:3 on the correct analysis of the insurance position. This paper analyses the reasoning and its implications. As will be seen,IEGis unlikely to be the end of the story. Most of the cases have involved exposure of employees to asbestos, and discussion is directed primarily to that context. A brief outline of the authorities will suffice to set the background toIEG.
The extracytoplasmic function σ factor σC regulates expression of a branched quinol oxidation pathway in Corynebacterium glutamicum
Authors: Toyoda Koichi , Inui Masayuki
Published: January 2016

Bacteria modify their expression of different terminal oxidases in response to oxygen availability. Corynebacterium glutamicum, a facultative anaerobic bacterium of the phylum Actinobacteria, possesses aa3‐type cytochrome c oxidase and cytochrome bd‐type quinol oxidase, the latter of which is induced by oxygen limitation. We report that an extracytoplasmic function σ factor, σC, is responsible for the regulation of this process. Chromatin immunoprecipitation with microarray analysis detected eight σC‐binding regions in the genome, facilitating the identification of a consensus promoter sequence for σC recognition. The promoter sequences were found upstream of genes for cytochrome bd, heme a synthesis enzymes and uncharacterized membrane proteins, all of which were upregulated by sigC overexpression. However, one consensus promoter sequence found on the antisense strand upstream of an operon encoding the cytochrome bc1 complex conferred a σC‐dependent negative effect on expression of the operon. The σC regulon was induced by cytochrome aa3 deficiency without modifying sigC expression, but not by bc1 complex deficiency. These findings suggest that σC is activated in response to impaired electron transfer via cytochrome aa3 and not directly to a shift in oxygen levels. Our results reveal a new paradigm for transcriptional regulation of the aerobic respiratory system in bacteria.
A quorum sensing‐defective mutant of Pectobacterium carotovorum ssp. brasiliense 1692 is attenuated in virulence and unable to occlude xylem tissue of susceptible potato plant stems
Authors: Moleleki Lucy Novungayo , Pretorius Rudolph Gustav , Tanui Collins Kipngetich , Mosina Gabolwelwe , Theron Jacques
Published: January 2016

Pectobacterium carotovorum ssp. brasiliense 1692 (Pcb1692) is an important emerging pathogen of potatoes causing blackleg in the field and soft rot during post‐harvest storage. Blackleg diseases involve the bacterial colonization of vascular tissue and the formation of aggregates, also known as biofilms. To understand the role of quorum sensing in vascular colonization by Pcb1692, we generated a Pcb1692ΔexpI mutant strain. Inactivation of expI led to the reduced production of plant cell wall‐degrading enzymes (PCWDEs), the inability to produce acyl homoserine lactone (AHL) and reduced virulence in potato tubers and stems. Complementation of the mutant strain with the wild‐type expI gene in trans successfully restored AHL and PCWDE production as well as virulence. Transmission electron microscopy and in vitro motility assays demonstrated hyperpiliation and loss of flagella and swimming motility in the mutant strain compared with the wild‐type Pcb1692. Furthermore, we noted that, in the early stages of infection, Pcb1692 wild‐type cells had intact flagella which were shed at the later stages of infection. Confocal laser microscopy of PcbΔexpI‐inoculated plants showed that the mutant strain tended to aggregate in intercellular spaces, but was unable to transit to xylem tissue. On the contrary, the wild‐type strain was often observed forming aggregates within xylem tissue of potato stems. Gene expression analyses confirmed that flagella are part of the quorum sensing regulon, whereas fimbriae and pili appear to be negatively regulated by quorum sensing. The relative expression levels of other important putative virulence genes, such as those encoding different groups of PCWDEs, were down‐regulated in the mutant compared with the wild‐type strain.
Isolation and identification of Malassezia species from Chinese and Korean patients with seborrheic dermatitis and in vitro studies on their bioactivity on sebaceous lipids and IL‐8 production
Authors: Kim Soo Young , Kim Se Hyun , Kim Su Na , Kim Ah‐Reum , Kim Yu Ri , Kim Min Jung , Park Won‐Seok , Lee John Hwan , Jung Won Hee , Lee Yang Won , Choe Yong Beom , Ahn Kyu Joong
Published: January 2016

We investigated the distribution of Malassezia yeast in 120 Chinese (20 patients from each of six cities) and 20 Korean patients with scalp seborrheic dermatitis (SD) and dandruff (SD/D) using ITS1 and ITS2 polymerase chain reaction‐restriction fragment length polymorphism. Bioactivity was studied by quantifying sebum lipid production by human primary sebocytes and inflammatory cytokine, interleukin‐8 (IL‐8) production was studied by exposing HaCaT keratinocytes with extracts of five standard Malassezia strains; M. globosa, M. restricta, M. sympodialis, M. dermatis and M. slooffiae. M. restricta and M. globosa were the most frequently encountered species from both Chinese and Korean patients. These two Malassezia species also promoted neutral lipid synthesis although the result was not statistically significant and induced significant increase in IL‐8 production among the five Malassezia species studied. The study suggests a possible role of these organisms in the pathogenesis of SD/D.
Environmental factors and ground disturbance affecting the composition of species and functional traits of ground layer lichens on grey dunes and dune heaths of Estonia
Authors: Jüriado Inga , Kämärä Marja‐Liisa , Oja Ede
Published: January 2016

A unique, species‐rich and endangered lichen biota can be found on European coastal and inland sand dunes. However, it is increasingly affected by natural succession as well as by anthropogenic disturbances. We studied lichen diversity on the grey dunes and dune heaths of coastal and inland regions of Estonia. A total of 28 study plots were investigated; in each 0.1 ha study plot general environmental variables and anthropogenic disturbances were described and all epigeic lichen species were identified. We found 66 lichenized fungus (lichen) species, including several rare and ten red‐listed lichens. Multivariate analysis (DCA, CCA) was performed to examine gradients in species composition and to relate variation in species data to environmental factors. In addition, we used redundancy analysis (RDA) to relate variation in species’ trait composition to environmental factors. Species composition on grey dunes differed significantly from that on dune heaths. The characteristic species for grey dunes are, besides several Cladonia species, foliose lichens, e.g. Hypogymnia physodes, Parmelia sulcata and Peltigera spp. Also species’ traits composition was different for either habitat, indicating that sorediate lichens, foliose lichens, lichens with cyanobacterium as the main photobiont, and sparsely branched Cladonia species dominate on grey dunes, while esorediate, green‐algal, crustose and richly branched fruticose lichens are common on dune heaths. Soil pH was the most essential environmental variable for determining both species composition and species’ traits composition. The composition of lichen species was also significantly influenced by forest closeness, soil Mg content and cover of bare sand; the effect of ground disturbances was low compared to the effect of these environmental factors. To protect and conserve the species‐rich lichen biota, it is necessary to protect the dune habitats from building activity, to avoid overtrampling in recreation areas and to regularly remove shrubs and trees.
Na+/Ca2+ exchanger‐heterozygote knockout mice display increased relaxation in gastric fundus and accelerated gastric transit in vivo
Authors: Azuma Y. T. , Hayashi S. , Nishiyama K. , Kita S. , Mukai K. , Nakajima H. , Iwamoto T. , Takeuchi T.
Published: January 2016

Background

For the contraction and relaxation of gastric smooth muscles to occur, the intracellular Ca2+ concentration must be increased and decreased, respectively. The Na+/Ca2+ exchanger (NCX) is a plasma membrane transporter that is involved in regulating intracellular Ca2+ concentrations.

Methods

To determine the role of NCX in gastrointestinal tissues, we examined electric field stimulation (EFS)‐induced relaxations in the circular muscles of the gastric fundus in NCX1 and NCX2 heterozygote knockout mice (HET).

Key Results

The myenteric plexus layers and the longitudinal and circular muscle layers in the gastric fundus of wild‐type mice (WT) were strongly immunoreactive to NCX1 and NCX2. EFS induced a transient relaxation that was apparent during the stimulus and a sustained relaxation that persisted after the end of the stimulus. The amplitudes of EFS‐induced transient relaxation and sustained relaxation were greater in NCX1 HET and NCX2 HET than in WT. When an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase was added following the EFS, neither NCX1 HET nor NCX2 HET exhibited transient relaxation, similar to WT. Furthermore, when a PACAP antagonist was added following the EFS, sustained relaxation in NCX1 HET and NCX2 HET was not observed, similar to WT. Next, we examined the effect of NCX heterozygous deficiency on relaxation in response to NO and PACAP in smooth muscles. The magnitude of NOR‐1‐ and PACAP‐induced relaxations in NCX1 HET and NCX2 HET was similar to that of WT.

Conclusions & Inferences

In this study, we demonstrate that NCX1 and NCX2 expressed in neurons regulate the motility in the gastric fundus.
Natural extracellular matrix scaffolds recycled from human salivary digests: a morphometric study
Authors: Lilliu MA , Seo YJ , Isola M , Charbonneau AM , Zeitouni A , El‐Hakim M , Tran SD
Published: January 2016

Objective

A challenge in engineering tissues is to supply parenchymal cells with suitable scaffolds which ideally reproduce the extracellular matrix (ECM). This study tested the hypothesis of preserving the ‘residual connective tissue’ remaining after mechanical and enzymatic release of cells from human submandibular gland biopsies (that we named ‘natural ExtraCellular Matrix scaffolds’, nECMsc) to be used as recycled natural scaffolds. The objective was to test whether nECMsc and native salivary tissue were comparable morphologically, in ECM proteins composition, and in cell seeding efficiency.

Methods

Following cell isolation procedures, nECMsc were kept, either fresh or frozen (sectioned into 12‐μm‐thick slices), and examined with high‐resolution electron microscopy (HRSEM) for its three‐dimensional structure, and with picrosirius red staining and immunogold staining for ECM protein composition and distribution, respectively. nECMsc were seeded with human epithelial cells and fibroblasts to assess cell attachment and proliferation in short‐term experiments.

Results

Under HRSEM, nECMsc had comparable fiber arrangement to original glands. Histochemical and immunogold‐labeling examinations revealed the presence of collagen types I, III, and IV. Seeded epithelial cells and fibroblasts attached, proliferated (14–55%), and were alive (86–99%) after 4–8 days of culture.

Conclusions

nECMsc retained native ECM proteins and maintained their distribution. Seeded cells remained viable on nECMsc.
Creative writing and dementia care: ‘making it real’
Authors: Bailey Catherine , Jones Romi , Tiplady Sue , Quinn Isabel , Wilcockson Jane , Clarke Amanda
Published: January 2016

Background

Health professionals continue to seek ways to promote positive communication and self‐worth when supporting people living with dementia. The value of creative writing techniques as part of reflective practice in nursing and caring for older people with dementia needs further exploration.

Aim

To introduce creative writing techniques to health professionals as part of dementia‐related reflective practice.

Method

A local experienced author facilitated creative writing workshops with nine preregistration nursing students (general and mental health), one family carer and five care professionals working with people with dementia.

Findings

The student nurses reported that the creative writing exercises felt more ‘real’ than the reflective practice models they had used in their academic and practical studies. Workshop participants also reported they had learnt some creative writing techniques to reduce work‐related stress and anxiety. They also saw the impact of writing activities with people living with dementia, which can enable creativity and ‘alleviate the common symptoms of depression and anxiety’.

Conclusion

Creative writing techniques can support insightful, reflective dementia focused practice.

Implications for practice

Creative writing, as a tool in reflective practice, may enable health professionals and family carers to become confident and creative partners in older people's care. The added value, time and investment needed to introduce creative writing need to be articulated and acknowledged from within supervision and staffing teams.
Aligning Order Picking Methods, Incentive Systems, and Regulatory Focus to Increase Performance
Authors: deVries Jelle , deKoster René , Stam Daan
Published: January 2016

A controlled field experiment investigates order picking performance in terms of productivity. We examined three manual picker‐to‐parts order picking methods (parallel, zone, and dynamic zone picking) under two different incentive systems (competition‐based vs. cooperation‐based) for pickers with different regulatory foci (prevention‐focus vs. promotion‐focus). The study was carried out in a warehouse erected especially for the purposes of order picking research. Our results show that when using a parallel picking method, a competition‐based incentive system increases productivity compared to a cooperation‐based incentive system, and that when using a zone picking method it is more productive to use a cooperation‐based incentive system. This pattern of results was especially pronounced for pickers with a dominant promotion focus. Dominantly, prevention‐focused pickers were more productive in zone picking with a cooperation‐based incentive system than a competition‐based incentive system, but in the other two picking methods the incentive systems delivered a similar productivity performance. No effects on order picking quality were identified. The analyses demonstrate that by aligning order picking methods, incentive systems, and regulatory focus, warehouses can substantially improve productivity.
What Happens When Manufacturers Perform The Retailing Functions?
Authors: Li Jia , Chan Tat Y. , Lewis Michael
Published: January 2016

This study examines the effects of a relatively new channel structure on prices and sales in a large department store, which in recent years has switched the management of many of its product categories from a traditional retailer‐managed system to a manufacturer‐managed system. We find that the change caused overall retail prices to decrease. However, there was significant heterogeneity in the response across brands. In the cell phone category, brands with high market shares and inelastic demand did not change prices. In the watch category, the retail prices of relatively low‐end brands decreased while the prices of premium brands increased substantially after the switch. In addition to sales increases due to lower prices, we find that the channel structure change further caused sales to increase by 9–10% in the cell phone category and by 11–17% in the watch category. These results are consistent with previous theoretical predictions. We believe that our results provide important academic and managerial implications due to the increasing prevalence of manufacturer‐managed systems in the retail industry.
Changes in job stress and coping skills among caregivers after dementia care practitioner training
Authors: Takizawa Takeya , Takahashi Megumi , Takai Michiko , Ikeda Taichiro , Miyaoka Hitoshi
Published: January 2016

Background

Dementia care practitioner training is essential for professional caregivers to acquire medical knowledge and care skills for dementia patients. We investigated the significance of training in stress management by evaluating caregivers' job stress and coping style before and after they have completed training.

Methods

The subjects included 134 professional caregivers (41 men, 93 women) recruited from participants in training programmes held in Kanagawa Prefecture from August 2008 to March 2010. A survey using a brief job stress questionnaire and a coping scale was carried out before and after they completed their training. A t‐test and multiple regression analysis were performed to evaluate the effects of the training.

Result

After the training, the scores of modifiers on the job stress scale and of the coping scale increased, whereas the scores of stress reactions on the job stress scale decreased. However, there were no changes in participants' subjective cognition concerning their workplace environment. Furthermore, the change in stress reaction score tended to correlate with the change in consultation score in all participants and with the change in problem‐solving and consultation in male participants. Among female participants, the change in stress reaction score tended to correlate with change in support from superiors and colleagues as modifiers. The factors that correlated to the change in stress reaction score differed between genders.

Conclusion

The findings suggest that training caregivers improves their stress reaction and coping skills.
A preliminary study on how hypohydration affects pain perception
Authors: Bear Tracey , Philipp Michael , Hill Stephen , Mündel Toby
Published: January 2016

Chronic pain is a prevalent health issue with one in five people suffering from some form of chronic pain, with loss of productivity and medical costs of chronic pain considerable. However, the treatment of pain can be difficult, as pain perception is complex and can be affected by factors other than tissue damage. This study investigated the effect of hypohydration (mild, voluntary dehydration from ∼24 h of limiting fluid intake, mimicking someone drinking less than usual) on a person's pain perception. Seventeen healthy males (age 27 ± 5 years) visited the laboratory on three occasions, once as a familiarization and then twice again while either euhydrated (urine specific gravity: 1.008 ± 0.005) or hypohydrated (urine specific gravity: 1.024 ± 0.003, and −1.4 ± 0.9% body mass). Each visit, they performed a cold pressor test, where their feet were placed in cold water (0–3°C) for a maximum of 4 min. Measures of hydration status, pain sensitivity, pain threshold, and catastrophization were taken. We found that hypohydration predicted increased pain sensitivity (β = 0.43), trait pain catastrophizing, and baseline pain sensitivity (β = 0.37 and 0.47, respectively). These results are consistent with previous research, and suggest that a person's hydration status may be an important factor in their perception of acute pain.
Measuring business model innovation: conceptualization, scale development, and proof of performance
Authors: Clauss Thomas
Published: January 2016

Business model innovation is a topic that has received much attention from academia as well as from business practice. After extensive research on the definition and conceptualization of the concept and publication of many case‐based results, recently scholars have been calling for more generalizable results, large‐scale investigations and greater empirical sophistication. Despite the great importance of measuring business model innovation for various purposes, a validated measurement scale is still not available. I fill this gap by systematically developing a new scale for business model innovation. I follow a rigorous scale development approach to ensure validity and reliability. Specifically, I collected two large‐scale samples of 126 and 232 firms to specify and assess the scale. As a result, I provide a hierarchical three‐level scale for measuring business model innovation. At the first level, 41 reflective items are provided to measure ten subconstructs of business model innovation. These can be used as formative measures of three dimensions of business model innovation at the second level, namely value creation innovation, value proposition innovation and value capture innovation. At the third level, these three dimensions form the metaconstruct of business model innovation.
Import Security: Assessing the Risks of Imported Food
Authors: Welburn Jonathan , Bier Vicki , Hoerning Steven
Published: January 2016

We use data on food import violations from the FDA Operational and Administrative System for Import Support (OASIS) to address rising concerns associated with imported food, quantify import risks by product and by country of origin, and explore the usefulness of OASIS data for risk assessment. In particular, we assess whether there are significant trends in violations, whether import violations can be used to quantify risks by country and by product, and how import risks depend on economic factors of the country of origin. The results show that normalizing import violations by volume of imports provides a meaningful indicator of risk. We then use regression analysis to characterize import risks.  Using this model, we analyze import risks by product type, violation type, and economic factors of the country of origin.  We find that OASIS data are useful in quantifying food import risks, and that the rate of refusals provides a useful decision tool for risk management.  Furthermore, we find that some economic factors are significant indicators of food import risk by country.
The Family under Siege: Leningrad, 1941–44
Authors: PIANKEVICH VLADIMIR L.
Published: January 2016

Studying families that went through the Blockade of Leningrad gives scholars a window into the dynamics of a social group under catastrophic conditions, when years of experience can be compressed into a few days. The families that dealt with the blockade displayed common characteristics as well as unique, subjective hallmarks that hold important lessons for understanding not only the Soviet world of that day but also the internal family dynamics for any number of sociohistorical contexts. In every home, and in every room of communal apartments in the besieged city, residents witnessed and participated in the most extraordinary and, at the same time, banal events that had nothing to do with official government policy but were, instead, intensely personal. Reconstructing these personal histories is possible only by utilizing the observations, opinions, and conclusions of those who directly experienced these tragic events, material that can be found in the diaries, letters, memoirs, and interviews of Leningraders. Among other things, the evidence suggests that ordinary people interpret and experience even the most significant events through the lens of family members and those closest to them.
Encountering geopolitical pasts in the present: young people's everyday engagements with memory in the Falkland Islands
Authors: Benwell Matthew C
Published: January 2016

Young people's geopolitical subjectivities are heavily informed by past events in ways that have not been sufficiently acknowledged in the existing literature on youth geopolitics. This paper demonstrates how work on memory can be brought into dialogue with critical geopolitics to identify the assemblage of socio‐spatial practices that shape how young people learn about geopolitics. It interrogates what memories and their attendant landscape manifestations and rituals ‘do’ to young people growing up in the Falkland Islands, a society that continues to live with the legacies of a sovereignty dispute that triggered the Falklands War just over 30 years ago. Young Islanders’ embodied and relational encounters with memory through the surrounding environment and adults are shown to play an important role in shaping their perceptions of contemporary geopolitical relations with Argentina. These can both reproduce and/or rework collective memory narratives, emphasising the importance of looking beyond mnemonic discourses manifest in institutional and official spaces. The paper makes a conceptual contribution to debates about young people's agency in relation to geopolitics. While children and young people are considered active agents capable of forming their own views, they are also presented with potent memories of past geopolitical eras that propagate certain understandings of international relations. Engaging scholarship on memory can help address the tensions inherent to recognising children and young people as social and (geo)political actors, within the context of structures, institutions and relationships that have a strong bearing on how their agency is expressed. In a methodological sense the paper illustrates how research might productively incorporate the adults who are influential in the formation of young people's geopolitical subjectivities.
Changes of synapses in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis by using Fasudil
Authors: Yu Jie‐Zhong , Chen Chan , Zhang Qiong , Zhao Yong‐Fei , Feng Ling , Zhang Hai‐Fei , Meng Jian , Ma Cun‐Gen , Xiao Bao‐Guo
Published: January 2016

The ROCK signaling pathway is involved in numerous fundamental cellular functions such as cell migration, apoptosis, inflammatory responses, and neurite outgrowth. Previous studies demonstrate that Fasudil exhibited therapeutic potential of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) possibly through immune‐modulation and anti‐inflammation. In this study, we observed the effect of Fasudil on synaptic protection of EAE mice. Fasudil ameliorated the clinical severity of EAE and inhibited Rho kinase (ROCK), especially ROCK II, in brain and spinal cord of EAE mice. Protein extracts from spinal cord of Fasudil‐treated EAE mice promoted the formation of neurite outgrowth when co‐cultured with primary neurons, indicating that peripheral administration of Fasudil can enter the central nervous system (CNS) and exhibited its biological effect on the formation of neurite outgrowth. Synapse‐related molecule synaptophysin was enhanced, and CRMP‐2, AMPA receptor, and GSK‐3β were declined in spinal cord of Fasudil‐treated mice. Neurotrophic factor BDNF and GDNF as well as immunomodulatory cytokine IL‐10 in spinal cord were elevated in Fasudil‐treated mice, while inflammatory cytokine IL‐17, IL‐1β, IL‐6, and TNF‐α were obviously inhibited, accompanied by the decrease of inflammatory M1 iNOS and the increase of anti‐inflammatory M2 Arg‐1, providing a microenvironment that contributes to synaptic protection. Our results indicate that Fasudil treatment protected against synaptic damage and promoted synaptic formation, which may be related with increased neurotrophic factors as well as decreased inflammatory microenvironment in the CNS of EAE mice.
What Registered Nurses Do and Do Not in the Management of Pediatric Peripheral Venous Catheters and Guidelines: Unpacking the Outcomes of Computer Reminders
Authors: Eldh Ann Catrine , Tollne AnnaMaria , Förberg Ulrika , Wallin Lars
Published: January 2016

Background

Clinical practical guidelines (CPGs) may enhance evidence‐based practice, but require implementation. Computer reminders have previously shown various effects in supporting implementation; in a concomitant study, we found no effect on complications in peripheral venous catheters (PVCs) or registered nurses’ (RNs) adherence to a CPG in pediatric care. Yet, there is a need to determine how reminders operate in particular contexts.

Aim

To depict if, in what context, and how computer reminders regarding evidence‐based management of PVC in pediatric care are applied according to RNs’ actions and experience.

Methods

Qualitative data from nonparticipant observations and interviews with 18 RNs in four intervention units at a pediatric hospital were analyzed with content analysis.

Findings

Attention given to the computer reminders varied; the RNs noticed them in units where there was an agreement about the management and recording of PVCs, but not elsewhere. Rather, computer reminders did not facilitate adherence to the PVC‐CPG where the CPG was not acknowledged from the start. RNs who knew how to manage PVCs had peer support and received additional reminders, which suggested that the computer reminders added to the significance of PVCs in pediatric care.

Linking Evidence to Action

While the computer reminders alone did not support CPG implementation, they further increased the attention to PVCs in contexts where there was a readiness to change along with a supportive culture. We suggest further studies tailoring implementation strategies to include electronic means if there is a beneficial context.
A Guide to Writing a Qualitative Systematic Review Protocol to Enhance Evidence‐Based Practice in Nursing and Health Care
Authors: Butler Ashleigh , Hall Helen , Copnell Beverley
Published: January 2016

Background

The qualitative systematic review is a rapidly developing area of nursing research. In order to present trustworthy, high‐quality recommendations, such reviews should be based on a review protocol to minimize bias and enhance transparency and reproducibility. Although there are a number of resources available to guide researchers in developing a quantitative review protocol, very few resources exist for qualitative reviews.

Aims

To guide researchers through the process of developing a qualitative systematic review protocol, using an example review question.

Methodology

The key elements required in a systematic review protocol are discussed, with a focus on application to qualitative reviews: Development of a research question; formulation of key search terms and strategies; designing a multistage review process; critical appraisal of qualitative literature; development of data extraction techniques; and data synthesis. The paper highlights important considerations during the protocol development process, and uses a previously developed review question as a working example.

Implications for Research

This paper will assist novice researchers in developing a qualitative systematic review protocol. By providing a worked example of a protocol, the paper encourages the development of review protocols, enhancing the trustworthiness and value of the completed qualitative systematic review findings.

Linking Evidence to Action

Qualitative systematic reviews should be based on well planned, peer reviewed protocols to enhance the trustworthiness of results and thus their usefulness in clinical practice. Protocols should outline, in detail, the processes which will be used to undertake the review, including key search terms, inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the methods used for critical appraisal, data extraction and data analysis to facilitate transparency of the review process. Additionally, journals should encourage and support the publication of review protocols, and should require reference to a protocol prior to publication of the review results.
A new perspective on the reduction of cephalic scales in fossorial legless skinks (Squamata, Scincidae)
Authors: Miralles Aurélien , Jono Teppei , Mori Akira , Gandola Robert , Erens Jesse , Köhler Jörn , Glaw Frank , Vences Miguel
Published: January 2016

In this study, we provide an extended multilocus phylogenetic analysis combining mitochondrial and nuclear DNA of a group of fossorial and miniaturized legless lizards (genus Paracontias) from Madagascar, including the description of two species new to science, P. ampijoroensis sp. nov. and P. mahamavo sp. nov. Our analyses revealed the existence of two distinct, parapatric and diagnosable clades within the genus: (i) the ‘kankana clade’ (including P. kankana and the two newly described species), located in the north (but absent from the extreme northern tip) of the island and characterized by a pattern of cephalic scales very unusual for Malagasy Scincinae, with large loreal scales extending to and meeting each other at dorsal midline, and (ii) the ‘brocchii clade’ (including all other studied species), endemic to the north of Madagascar and characterized by small loreal scales separated from each other by the rostral and the frontonasal scale. By combining phylogenetic results with morphological traits observed among species, we develop novel hypotheses on the simplification of the cephalic scalation pattern within this genus, a trend frequently encountered among various lineages of legless squamates that convergently adapted to a burrowing lifestyle. Additionally, a user‐friendly graphical identification key for species of Paracontias is provided and made available as supplementary information.
Nonlinear Dynamics of Functionally Graded Cylindrical Shells With Internal Fluid
Authors: Silva Frederico M. A. , Montes Roger Otávio P. , Gonçalves Paulo B. , del Prado Zenón J. G. N.
Published: January 2016

This work analyzes the nonlinear vibrations of a simply supported functionally graded cylindrical shell considering the effects of an internal fluid and static preloading. The cylindrical shell is subjected to a time dependent axial loading. The fluid is considered to be incompressible, non-viscous and irrotational and its effect on the shell wall is obtained using the potential flow theory. The shell is modeled by Donnell nonlinear shallow shell theory. The axial and circumferential displacement fields are described in terms of lateral displacement, thus generating a low-dimensional model, while the lateral displacement field is determined by a perturbation procedure which provides a general expression for the nonlinear vibration modes. These modal expansions satisfy the boundary and symmetry conditions of the problem. The discretized equations of motion are obtained by applying the Galerkin method. Various numerical techniques are employed to obtain the resonance curves and time responses of the cylindrical shell, showing the influence of the geometry, the internal fluid, static preloading and functionally graded material law on the shell dynamics and stability.
Synthesis of Watt II Mechanisms for Four Simultaneous Positions
Authors: Larochelle Pierre , Sundram Jugesh , Zimmerman Ronald A.
Published: January 2016

This article presents the kinematic synthesis of Watt II six-bar mechanisms for simultaneously guiding two bodies through four prescribed positions. The two bodies to be moved are connected by a revolute joint and the motion generation task is defined by the four desired positions of one body and the relative angle of the second body with respect to the first body. The methodology uses an algebraic geometry formulation of the exact synthesis of planar RR dyads for four prescribed positions from classical Burmester theory. The result is a dimensional synthesis technique for designing Watt II mechanisms for four simultaneous positions. A case study illustrating the application of the synthesis algorithm is included.
A Manufacturing Agent to Retrieve Machining Knowledge in Model-Based Manufacturing
Authors: Yang Lei , Gilman Charles R. , Jia Ming
Published: January 2016

Model-Based Definition (MBD) gathers and manages all the product and process data using computer models. It is believed that applying MBD in product development can bring benefits such as: reduction in cost, increase in quality, and decrease in schedule. However, the application of MBD to downstream manufacturing and inspection processes still has not been fully realized, and more effort is needed to fully implement a model-based manufacturing system. In this paper, a Manufacturing Agent module is proposed and developed to retrieve machining knowledge for process engineers, which connects design phase to manufacturing phase in a pure 3D environment. The design intent and manufacturing information is defined in the MBD and is interpreted and analyzed to extract the manufacturing knowledge for the machining process. In this solution, the master 3D MBD is used in both design and manufacturing, and thus time and cost promises to be saved by eliminating engineering drawings and redundant models. The system framework and the core functional modules are presented, and a prototype system is implemented to demonstrate the feasibility of the system and its effectiveness.