bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Green and competitive: empirical evidence from ISO 9001 certified Brazilian companies
Authors: Jabbour Charbel Jose Chiappetta , de Freitas Thiago Pignatti , Soubihia Davi Fouad , Gunasekaran Angappa , Jabbour Ana Beatriz Lopes de Sousa
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– There are many arguments in the literature on environmental management stating that companies that have a significant environmental performance tend to be more competitive, because environmental management tends to generate positive effects on their operational performance. Despite the fact that such arguments are widely accepted, there is little empirical evidence yet of such a relationship in manufacturing contexts that are rarely studied thus far, such as those of developing countries. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– With the objective of testing the positive relationship between environmental performance and operational performance, this research presents the data of a survey conducted with 75 ISO 9001-certified Brazilian companies. Such data were analyzed by means of structural equation modeling.

Findings

– The paper discovered that, indeed, environmental management relates in a positive, significant manner and large effect to the operational performance of companies.

Originality/value

– This is the first exploratory research relating environmental management and operational performance in Brazilian companies with ISO 9001.
Prioritizing quality problems in SMEs: a methodology
Authors: Teixeira Humberto Nuno , Lopes Isabel , Sousa Sérgio
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to propose a new methodology to be used by small and medium enterprises to characterize their performance in quality, highlighting weaknesses and areas for improvement. The methodology aims to identify the main causes of quality problems and help to prioritize improvement initiatives. This is a methodology that intends to be easy to implement by companies with low maturity level in quality.

Design/methodology/approach

– Based on the literature review a methodology for diagnosing and prioritizing quality problems is proposed. Then two longitudinal case studies are performed to refine and validate the proposed methodology. The methodology is organized in six different steps which include gathering information about predetermined processes and sub-processes of quality management, defined based on Juran’s trilogy, and about predetermined results categories.

Findings

– The application of the methodology was successful in two case studies and a report was produced on the quality state of each industry, including a prioritization of the causes of poor performance.

Research limitations/implications

– The methodology may have to be adapted to better suit the needs of companies from different sectors, either by reviewing the processes, by integrating new tools or refining the existing ones.

Practical implications

– This paper presents a new methodology for identifying and prioritizing quality problems.

Originality/value

– Due to its simplicity and comprehensiveness, it is believed that the developed methodology can be applied periodically by companies as self-diagnostic and prioritization tool, aimed at continuous improvement.
Pemphigus in the Arab world
Authors: Saleh Marwah A.
Published: January 2015

The Arab world lies geographically between the Atlantic coasts of northern Africa and the Arabian Gulf. This area has wide latitudinal differences as well as variable environmental conditions ranging from deserts to forests. Approximately 370 million individuals who share the Arabic language live in this area. Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) and pemphigus foliaceus (PF) are the main subtypes of the pemphigus disease. Both pemphigus subtypes are present in many Arab countries; however, there is variation in the predominant subtype among countries. PV is the most common subtype in Egypt, Sudan, Morocco, Syria, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. On the other hand, PF is more prevalent in Libya and is endemic in Tunisia. Interestingly, there is variation in the dominant subtype in some cities within Morocco. For example, PF is more common in Marrakech which is the second largest city. The presence of anti‐desmoglein 1 antibodies in the sera of normal Tunisians and the presence of anti‐desmoglein 3 in normal Egyptians' sera suggested that environmental factors played a role in the disease pathogenesis in those areas. Further researches detected that traditional cosmetics were among the risk factors in Tunisia. Moreover, farming was suggested as a risk factor in Egypt, Tunisia and Sudan. Because there is no consensus for pemphigus treatment among the Arab countries, there is diversity in their pemphigus treatment regimens. Studying the demographic characteristics and the environmental conditions which caused the variations in the prevailing clinical phenotype will help us fill the gaps to understand the pathogenesis of the pemphigus disease.
Outcome measures for autoimmune blistering diseases
Authors: Zhao Cathy Y. , Murrell Dédée F.
Published: January 2015

Outcome measures are crucial in assessing an autoimmune blistering disease's (AIBD) severity as well as its impact on the patient's quality of life (QOL). The standardization of AIBD outcome measures is pivotal to accurately monitor the patient and to pool results from randomized controlled trials for meta‐analysis, and thereby provide knowledge of the optimal AIBD therapies. In the past decade, several AIBD severity outcome measures have been developed and validated. For pemphigus severity, the Pemphigus Disease Area Index (PDAI) developed by the International Pemphigus Definitions Group was shown to be the most superior, followed by the Autoimmune Bullous Skin Disorder Intensity Score (ABSIS) by the German group. For bullous pemphigoid severity, the Bullous Pemphigoid Disease Area Index (BPDAI) was shown to be an accurate and valid measure. To quantify the burden of AIBD and its treatments on QOL, the Autoimmune Bullous Disease Quality of Life (ABQOL) and the Treatment of Autoimmune Bullous Disease Quality of Life (TABQOL) were also developed, validated, and are now being validated in multiple languages and cultures.
Comparisons of soil‐water content between a Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) forest and an evergreen broadleaved forest in western Japan
Authors: Shinohara Yoshinori , Otsuki Kyoichi
Published: January 2015

In Japan, forests of Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens, an exotic invasive giant bamboo) have naturalized and expanded rapidly, replacing surrounding broadleaved and coniferous forests. To evaluate impacts caused by these forest‐type replacements on the hydrological cycle, soil‐water content and its spatial variability in a Moso bamboo forest were compared with those in an adjacent evergreen broadleaved forest, in a case study of a stand in western Japan (northern Kyushu). The volumetric soil‐water content averaged over depths between 0 and 60 cm was consistently higher in the bamboo stand than that in the broadleaved stand. These results contrast with previous studies comparing the soil‐water content in Moso bamboo forests with that in other forest types. The sum of canopy transpiration and soil evaporation (E) in the bamboo stand tended to be larger than that in the broadleaved stand. Small canopy interception loss was reported in the bamboo forest. Therefore, the large amount of E would counterbalance the small canopy interception loss in the bamboo forest. Differences in soil characteristics between the two stands may be the main factor causing differences in soil‐water content. Spatial variation in soil‐water content in the bamboo stand was larger than that in the broadleaved stand, confirming findings in a previous series of our study. This could happen because the well‐developed root‐system in the bamboo forest enhances preferential flow in the soil. To evaluate the effects of aggressive invasion of alien giant bamboo on the ecosystem functions, we recommend further studies measuring various hydrological components in various Moso bamboo forests.
External validation of the paediatric risk of malignancy index
Authors: Hermans AJ , Kluivers KB , Massuger LF , Coppus SF
Published: January 2015

Objective

This study aimed to validate the paediatric risk of malignancy index (PRMI), as previously published.

Design

External validation study.

Setting

Academic hospital: Radboud University Medical Center.

Population

Female paediatric patients under the age of 18 years diagnosed with, or treated for, an adnexal mass between January 1999 and October 2013.

Methods

Information was collected on diagnosis, presenting symptoms, and signs and imaging characteristics. The PRMI was calculated for each patient. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were calculated, and the results were visualised using a receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC curve).

Main outcome measures

Histological diagnosis, discriminative performance using the area under the curve (AUC) of the ROC curve and sensitivity and specificity.

Results

Seventy‐eight patients were included, with a median age of 12 years. A malignant mass was found in 17 patients (21.8%). The PRMI with a cut‐off value of 7 resulted in a sensitivity of 70.1% (95% CI 44.1–89.6%) and a specificity of 85.3% (95% CI 73.8–93.0%). The area under the ROC curve was 0.868 (95% CI 0.756–0.980).

Conclusions

The PRMI showed less discriminative capacity than originally published, but its performance was still good; however, further prospective validation studies are needed to define whether the model is useful in daily clinical practice.
Acid Diffusion into Rice Boluses is Influenced by Rice Type, Variety, and Presence of α‐Amylase
Authors: Mennah‐Govela Yamile A. , Bornhorst Gail M. , Singh R. Paul
Published: January 2015

Breakdown of rice during gastric digestion may be influenced by rice structure, presence of salivary α‐amylase, and hydrolysis by gastric acid. During mastication, saliva is mixed with rice, allowing α‐amylase to begin starch hydrolysis. This hydrolysis may continue in the gastric environment depending on the rate at which gastric acid penetrates into the rice bolus. The objective of this study was to determine the acid uptake into rice boluses with and without α‐amylase in saliva. Two types each of brown and white rice (medium and long grain), were formed into a cylindrical‐shaped bolus. Each bolus was sealed on all sides except one to allow one‐dimensional mass transfer, and incubated by immersion in simulated gastric juice at 37 °C under static conditions. Acidity of the boluses was measured by titration after 1 to 96 h of incubation. Effective diffusivity of the gastric juice through the bolus was estimated using MATLAB. Average acidity values ranged from 0.04 mg HCl/g dry matter (medium grain white rice, no incubation) to 10.01 mg HCl/g dry matter (long‐grain brown rice, 72 h incubation). The rice type, presence of α‐amylase, and incubation time all significantly influenced rice bolus acidity (P < 0.001). Effective diffusivity of gastric juice into the bolus was greater in brown rice than in white rice. These results indicate that starch hydrolysis by α‐amylase may continue in the stomach before the gastric acid penetrates the rice bolus, and the rate of acid uptake will depend on the type of rice consumed.
Glycopyrrolate‐induced respiratory arrest: an unusual side effect
Authors: D'SOUZA S. , GOWLER V.
Published: January 2015

A descriptive case report of a 22‐year‐old woman, scheduled for elective laparotomy who had a respiratory arrest after premedication with inj glycopyrrolate and ondansetron. Respiratory arrest is an uncommon side effect of glycopyrrolate with very few published reports. Ondansteron can also cause respiratory arrest, however is most often associated with bradycardia. This patient had tachycardia and respiratory arrest and is suggestive of glycopyrrolate‐induced respiratory arrest. This case report highlights the importance of strict vigilance by the anaesthesiologist even during premedication.
Current smoking is associated with worse cognitive and adaptive functioning in serious mental illness
Authors: Depp C. A. , Bowie C. R. , Mausbach B. T. , Wolyniec P. , Thornquist M. H. , Luke J. R. , McGrath J. A. , Pulver A. E. , Patterson T. L. , Harvey P. D.
Published: January 2015

Objective

Cigarette smoking is highly prevalent among people with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. Few studies have examined whether smoking history is associated with adaptive functioning among individuals diagnosed with these serious mental illnesses.

Method

In a large relatively homogenous cohort of patients with either bipolar disorder (n = 363) or schizophrenia (n = 400), we investigated the association between cigarette smoking status, intensity, and cumulative exposure and performance on a comprehensive battery of neurocognitive, functional capacity, and informant‐rated functional measures. The associations were adjusted for variation in sociodemographic indicators, psychopathologic symptoms, and substance use.

Results

There was an average of 12 pack years of smoking across the sample. People with schizophrenia reported double the rate of current smoking compared to patients with bipolar disorder. Adjusting for demographic covariates, current smokers had worse composite cognitive functioning and poorer functional outcome than past or never smokers. There were no significant differences between never and past smokers, and these effects were evident in both bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

Conclusion

Current smokers with either schizophrenia or bipolar disorder evidence worse cognitive and adaptive functioning functional outcome, even when demographic covariates are considered.
Risk factors for poor neonatal adaptation after exposure to antidepressants in utero
Authors: Kieviet Noera , Hoppenbrouwers Chris , Dolman Koert M , Berkhof Johannes , Wennink Hanneke , Honig Adriaan
Published: January 2015

Aim

Infants exposed to antidepressants in utero are at risk of developing poor neonatal adaptation (PNA). This study identified risk factors for PNA.

Methods

In this cohort study, data on mothers and infants admitted to the maternity ward of a general hospital between 2007 and 2012 were analysed. All infants were exposed to an antidepressant during the last trimester of foetal life. The main outcome measure was PNA, defined as at least one Finnegan scores of four or more during admission. Risk factors analysed for their possible association with PNA included type of feeding, type and dosage of antidepressant, prematurity and maternal smoking, anxiety and depression.

Results

We included 247 infants in the study and 157 (64%) developed PNA. Formula feeding was associated with an increased risk of PNA compared to breastfeeding or mixed feeding (OR 3.16 95% CI 1.40–7.13 p = 0.003). Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) were associated with an increased risk of PNA compared to serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (OR 2.52 95% CI 1.07–5.95 p = 0.04). Dosage did not influence the risk of PNA (OR 1.50 95% CI 0.89–2.52 p = 0.13).

Conclusion

Formula feeding and exposure to SSRIs were associated with development of PNA, but dosage was not.
Sleep in adolescent depression: physiological perspectives
Authors: Urrila A. S. , Paunio T. , Palomäki E. , Marttunen M.
Published: January 2015

Depression and disturbed sleep are intimately and bidirectionally related. During adolescence, the incidence of both insomnia and major depression increases simultaneously, in a gender‐specific manner. The majority of depressed adolescents suffer from different types of subjective sleep complaints. Despite these complaints, the results from polysomnographic studies in depressed adolescents remain inconsistent. In general, similar features to those seen among adults with depressive disorder (e.g. abnormalities in rapid eye movement sleep and difficulties in sleep onset) have been reported, but expressed to a lesser degree. The inconsistency in findings may be linked with maturational factors, factors related to the stage of illness and greater heterogeneity in the clinical spectrum of depression among adolescents. The exact neurobiological mechanisms by which sleep alterations and depression are linked during adolescence are not fully understood. Aberrations in brain maturation, expressed at different levels of organization, for example gene expression, neurotransmitter and hormone metabolism, and activity of neuronal networks have been suggested. The circadian systems may change in adolescent depression beyond that observed during healthy adolescent development (i.e. beyond the typical circadian shift towards eveningness). A number of therapeutic approaches to alleviate sleep disruption associated with depression have been proposed, but research on the efficacy of these interventions in adolescents is lacking. Knowledge of the neurobiological links between sleep and depression during adolescence could lead to new insights into effective prevention and treatment of depression.
Sodium butyrate epigenetically modulates high‐fat diet‐induced skeletal muscle mitochondrial adaptation, obesity and insulin resistance through nucleosome positioning
Authors: Henagan Tara M , Stefanska Barbara , Fang Zhide , Navard Alexandra M , Ye Jianping , Lenard Natalie R , Devarshi Prasad P
Published: January 2015

Background and Purpose

Sodium butyrate (NaB), an epigenetic modifier, is effective in promoting insulin sensitivity. The specific genomic loci and mechanisms underlying epigenetically induced obesity and insulin resistance and the targets of NaB are not fully understood.

Experimental Approach

The anti‐diabetic and anti‐obesity effects of NaB treatment were measured by comparing phenotypes and physiologies of C57BL/6J mice fed a low‐fat diet (LF), high‐fat diet (HF) or high‐fat diet plus NaB (HF + NaB) for 10 weeks. We determined a possible mechanism of NaB action through induction of beneficial skeletal muscle mitochondrial adaptations and applied microccocal nuclease digestion with sequencing (MNase‐seq) to assess whole genome differences in nucleosome occupancy or positioning and to identify associated epigenetic targets of NaB.

Key Results

NaB prevented HF diet‐induced increases in body weight and adiposity without altering food intake or energy expenditure, improved insulin sensitivity as measured by glucose and insulin tolerance tests, and decreased respiratory exchange ratio. In skeletal muscle, NaB increased the percentage of type 1 fibres, improved acylcarnitine profiles as measured by metabolomics and produced a chromatin structure, determined by MNase‐seq, similar to that seen in LF. Targeted analysis of representative nuclear‐encoded mitochondrial genes showed specific repositioning of the −1 nucleosome in association with altered gene expression.

Conclusions and Implications

NaB treatment may be an effective pharmacological approach for type 2 diabetes and obesity by inducing −1 nucleosome repositioning within nuclear‐encoded mitochondrial genes, causing skeletal muscle mitochondrial adaptations that result in more complete β‐oxidation and a lean, insulin sensitive phenotype.

Linked Articles

This article is part of a themed section on Epigenetics and Therapy. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2015.172.issue‐11
Ischaemic conditioning: pitfalls on the path to clinical translation
Authors: Przyklenk Karin
Published: January 2015

The development of novel adjuvant strategies capable of attenuating myocardial ischaemia‐reperfusion injury and reducing infarct size remains a major, unmet clinical need. A wealth of preclinical evidence has established that ischaemic ‘conditioning’ is profoundly cardioprotective, and has positioned the phenomenon (in particular, the paradigms of postconditioning and remote conditioning) as the most promising and potent candidate for clinical translation identified to date. However, despite this preclinical consensus, current phase II trials have been plagued by heterogeneity, and the outcomes of recent meta‐analyses have largely failed to confirm significant benefit. As a result, the path to clinical application has been perceived as ‘disappointing’ and ‘frustrating’. The goal of the current review is to discuss the pitfalls that may be stalling the successful clinical translation of ischaemic conditioning, with an emphasis on concerns regarding: (i) appropriate clinical study design and (ii) the choice of the ‘right’ preclinical models to facilitate clinical translation.

Linked Articles

This article is part of a themed section on Conditioning the Heart – Pathways to Translation. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2015.172.issue‐8
Cord serum dipeptidyl‐peptidase 4 activity in gestational diabetes
Authors: Al‐Aissa Zahra , Rosta Klára , Hadarits Orsolya , Harreiter Jürgen , Zóka András , Bancher‐Todesca Dagmar , Patócs Attila , Kiss Katalin , Sármán Beatrix , Pusztai Péter , Sziller István , Rigó János , Rácz Károly , Somogyi Anikó , Kautzky‐Willer Alexandra , Firneisz Gábor
Published: January 2015

Background

Tissue‐specific dipeptidyl‐peptidase 4 (DPP4) dysregulation has been described in adults with diabetes mellitus. The DPP4 ‐incretin system has not been studied in foetal life. In this study, DPP4 activity and glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) levels were assessed in cord blood of neonates born to women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and nondiabetic controls.

Material and methods

This study has been conducted in two Hungarian and one Austrian centres. Patients: A total of 568 pregnant women were enrolled in the study after their OGTT between the 24th and 28th gestational week. Cord blood samplings with DPP4 activity and GLP‐1 level measurements were possible in 270 (DPP4: 159 control, 111 GDM) and 112 (GLP‐1: 72 control, 40 GDM) cases. OGTT (24–28th gestational week) and cord blood sampling at delivery were performed. Cord serum DPP4 activity was determined in a continuous monitoring microplate‐based kinetic assay, and cord plasma GLP‐1 was measured using a fluorescence ELISA method.

Results

Cord serum DPP4 activity was lower in GDM [mean (95% CI): 28·07 U/L (26·32–29·82 U/L)] than in controls [31·61 U/L (29·93–33·29 U/L), MWU P = 0·0015]. Cord plasma active GLP‐1 levels were close to the lower detection limit and were not altered in GDM (control: mean = 3·43 pM, 95% CI: 3·04–3·82 pM, GDM: mean = 3·61 pM, 95% CI: 2·96–4·28 pM – MWU test P = 0·6).

Conclusions

Decreased cord serum DPP4 activity in gestational diabetes mellitus might be the result of an adaptive foetal response or an early dysregulation in the entero‐insular axis with consequences beyond the incretin system. Cord plasma GLP‐1 levels may reflect the missing oral intake with a limited glucose sensing of L cells via the circulation in foetal life.
Money Laundering and Its Regulation
Authors: Chong Alberto , Lopez‐De‐Silanes Florencio
Published: January 2015

The recent wave of terrorist attacks has increased the attention to money laundering activities, and the role played by the regulatory frameworks controlling feeder activities. We investigate empirically the determinants of money laundering and its regulation in close to 100 countries. We use various methodologies to put together a cross‐country dataset on proxies for money laundering and construct specific money laundering regulation indices based on specific laws and their enforcement. Results show that tougher money laundering regulation, particularly those that criminalize feeding activities and improve disclosure, are linked to lower levels of money laundering across countries. The relevance of historical factors in explaining the variation of money laundering regulation across countries sheds light on the theories of institutions and provides room for further action, particularly in the areas of the law that reduce the burden of proof, increase the liability of intermediaries and improve disclosure.
Taxonomic revision of the Tuberculatus quercicola group (Hemiptera: Aphididae: Drepanosiphinae), myrmecophilous aphids associated with Quercus species, based on morphometric and molecular phylogenetic studies
Authors: Watanabe Tomoko , Yao Izumi , Akimoto Shin‐ichi
Published: January 2015

In this paper, we revised the taxonomy of the Tuberculatus quercicola group, myrmecophilous drepanosiphine aphids that are associated with Quercus dentata and Q. crispula in Japan, based on morphometry and molecular phylogeny. This species group has been recognized as T. quercicola with some junior synonyms. Morphometric analysis of 11 morphological characters divided the group into three clusters: (i) the Q. crispula‐associated population; (ii) the central Hokkaido group of the Q. dentata‐associated population; and (iii) the eastern Hokkaido group of the Q. dentata‐associated population. Most parsimony and maximum likelihood analyses of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I COI gene indicated that samples of the T. quercicola group are separated, with high bootstrap supports, into two monophyletic groups that are associated with either Q. dentata or Q. crispula. However, no genetic differentiation was detected between the central Hokkaido group and the eastern Hokkaido group of the Q. dentata‐associated population. These results led us to conclude that populations associated with Q. dentata are genetically and morphologically distinct from those associated with Q. crispula, and thus they are in a full specific status. On the other hand, we treated the two local groups of the Q. dentata‐associated population as local races based on morphology. We formally redescribed the Q. crispula‐associated and Q. dentata‐associated populations under the names T. quercicola and T. macrotuberculatus stat. rev., respectively.
Novel KRT83 and KRT86 mutations associated with monilethrix
Authors: van Steensel Maurice , Vreeburg Maaike , Urbina Maria T. , López Paul , Morice‐Picard Fanny , van Geel Michel
Published: January 2015

Monilethrix is an autosomal dominant hair disorder caused by mutations in the hard keratins KRT81, KRT83 and KRT86. The affected hairs are fragile and break easily, leading to scarring alopecia. Follicular hyperkeratosis in the neck and on extensor sides of extremities is a frequently associated finding. The disorder is rare, but probably underreported because its manifestations may be mild. Mutations in KRT81 and KRT86 are the most common. Here, we report new cases from Venezuela, the Netherlands, Belgium and France. The Venezuelan kindred is special for having patients with digenic novel nucleotide changes, a KRT86 mutation associated with monilethrix and a KRT81 variant of unknown clinical significance. In the French and Dutch patients, we found novel KRT86 and KRT83 mutations. Our findings expand the mutational spectrum associated with monilethrix.
‘Do I need to become someone else?’ A qualitative exploratory study into the experiences and needs of adults with ADHD
Authors: Schrevel Samuel J. C. , Dedding Christine , van Aken Jeroen A. , Broerse Jacqueline E. W.
Published: January 2015

Background

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common psychiatric disorder in childhood which has recently been acknowledged to persist into adulthood in two‐thirds of cases. However, the problems faced by adults with ADHD in their daily lives remain largely unexplored.

Objective

To assess the perspectives, problems and needs of adults with ADHD.

Design and Participants

In this exploratory qualitative study, adults (n = 52) with a primary ADHD or ADD diagnosis, aged 21 years or older, participated in eight focus groups in five cities in the Netherlands.

Results

Although core symptoms of ADHD were perceived as a problem, participants placed greater emphasis on social problems that arise from living with ADHD and their subsequent effects on self‐image. Accompanying problems were feelings of powerlessness, lack of acceptance by their social environment and poor self‐image. Adults with ADHD would like to see greater acceptance of ADHD and its accompanying problems, together with appreciation for personal competences and strengths in certain domains, such as creative or associative thinking.

Conclusion

Our study adds to previous research by providing insight into how these problems are interrelated and their strong link to the social environment. Perceived powerlessness, failure and negative reactions of the social environment lead to a persistent low self‐image. This merits substantial attention in future research, particularly when considering on‐going care options.
Foreign Bodies: The New Victims of Unethical Experimentation
Authors: Rawlinson Paddy , Yadavendu Vijay Kumar
Published: January 2015

Despite a number of beneficent outcomes, clinical trials on human subjects have exposed some of the worst forms of state crime, most notably in Nazi Germany. Even with the subsequent establishment of guidelines for the protection of human subjects, such as the Nuremberg Code, clinical trials resulting in death and injury is a continuing feature of medical research, especially as Western states outsource more trials to the private sector where profit margins often trump personal safety. Focusing on the clinical trials business in India, the article argues that the exploitation of human subjects in developing countries, affecting as it does the most vulnerable groups, must be understood as a form of state‐corporate crime. In this way, the moral distance we prefer to place between Nazi medical crimes and those committed in the interests of neoliberal values becomes less viable and the need for effective responses to unethical clinical trials more pressing.
Policing for Whom?
Authors: Whyte David
Published: January 2015

This article presents an analysis of recent evidence emerging from the building industry about British state tolerance, and encouragement, of an illegal ‘blacklist’ of workers in the industry. As part of this process, the article argues that the form of policing/regulation that is observable in the case of the blacklisted workers is one that ultimately seeks to guarantee as its primary concern, not the rule of law, but the orderly reproduction of surplus value in the building industry. The article does not suggest that the latter purpose is all that concerns policing/regulation, but it does suggest that it is the principal effect of a combination of various policing and regulatory techniques. In order to achieve orderly reproduction of surplus value, it is argued that building workers are confronted by a form of economic force which is given shape by, and ultimately underpinned by, the system of policing/regulation that at the same time, claims to protect them.
Taxonomy of the Narcissus Flycatcher Ficedula narcissina complex: an integrative approach using morphological, bioacoustic and multilocus DNA data
Authors: Dong Lu , Wei Min , Alström Per , Huang Xi , Olsson Urban , Shigeta Yoshimitsu , Zhang Yanyun , Zheng Guangmei
Published: January 2015

The taxonomy of the Narcissus Flycatcher Ficedula narcissina–Yellow‐rumped Flycatcher Ficedula zanthopygia complex from East Asia has long been debated. Most authors recognize two species: F. narcissina, with the subspecies narcissina (most of Japan and Sakhalin Island), owstoni (south Japanese islands) and elisae (northeast China) and F. zanthopygia (monotypic), although species status has been proposed for elisae and sometimes for owstoni. Here, we revise the taxonomy of this complex based on an integrative approach utilizing morphology, songs and mitochondrial and nuclear DNA for all taxa. All taxa were diagnosably different in plumage, and there were also structural differences among them, although the northernmost populations of owstoni (sometimes recognized as jakuschima and shonis) were somewhat intermediate in plumage, structure and male plumage maturation between southern populations of owstoni and narcissina. All taxa had different songs, and a discriminant function analysis of four song variables correctly classified 100% of all songs. A strongly supported phylogeny was recovered based on three mitochondrial genes and three nuclear introns (total of 3543 bp), revealing a sister relationship between F. zanthopygia and the other taxa, between F. n. narcissina and F. n. owstoni, and between F. n. elisae and F. n. narcissina + F. n. owstoni. The corrected COI distances among the three F. narcissina subspecies ranged from 2.8% (narcissina–owstoni) to 8.2% (narcissina–elisae). We suggest that the congruent differences in multiple independent traits and the deep genetic divergences among the four taxa in the F. narcissina–F. zanthopygia complex support treatment of all of these taxa as separate species. However, we acknowledge the paucity of data for F. owstoni and recommend further studies of this taxon. We suggest listing both F. elisae and F. owstoni, which have small and fragmented populations, as globally threatened.
Effect of Thermal Initiator Concentrations on the Structure and Optical Band Gaps of Polyvinylsilazane‐Derived SiOCN Ceramics
Authors: Li Yan , Yu Yuxi , San Haisheng , Wang Yansong , Han Qingkai , Fang Jiyu , An Linan
Published: January 2015

SiOCN ceramics are formed by the thermal decomposition of a polyvinylsilazane precursor in the presence of a dicumyl peroxide (DP) thermal initiator with different concentrations. The SiOCN ceramics pyrolyzed at 1000°C with different concentrations of DP are characterized with X‐ray diffraction, transmission electron microscope, electron paramagnetic resonance, and UV‐visible spectroscopy. We find that the structure and optical band gap of the SiOCN ceramics can be changed by altering the concentration of DP. There is a critical concentration, at which the structural and optical behavior varied in different ways as a function of the concentration of DP. The detailed mechanism is discussed.
Do infant vocabulary skills predict school‐age language and literacy outcomes?
Authors: Duff Fiona J. , Reen Gurpreet , Plunkett Kim , Nation Kate
Published: January 2015

Background

Strong associations between infant vocabulary and school‐age language and literacy skills would have important practical and theoretical implications: Preschool assessment of vocabulary skills could be used to identify children at risk of reading and language difficulties, and vocabulary could be viewed as a cognitive foundation for reading. However, evidence to date suggests predictive ability from infant vocabulary to later language and literacy is low. This study provides an investigation into, and interpretation of, the magnitude of such infant to school‐age relationships.

Methods

Three hundred British infants whose vocabularies were assessed by parent report in the 2nd year of life (between 16 and 24 months) were followed up on average 5 years later (ages ranged from 4 to 9 years), when their vocabulary, phonological and reading skills were measured.

Results

Structural equation modelling of age‐regressed scores was used to assess the strength of longitudinal relationships. Infant vocabulary (a latent factor of receptive and expressive vocabulary) was a statistically significant predictor of later vocabulary, phonological awareness, reading accuracy and reading comprehension (accounting for between 4% and 18% of variance). Family risk for language or literacy difficulties explained additional variance in reading (approximately 10%) but not language outcomes.

Conclusions

Significant longitudinal relationships between preliteracy vocabulary knowledge and subsequent reading support the theory that vocabulary is a cognitive foundation of both reading accuracy and reading comprehension. Importantly however, the stability of vocabulary skills from infancy to later childhood is too low to be sufficiently predictive of language outcomes at an individual level – a finding that fits well with the observation that the majority of ‘late talkers’ resolve their early language difficulties. For reading outcomes, prediction of future difficulties is likely to be improved when considering family history of language/literacy difficulties alongside infant vocabulary levels.
Diet and feeding behaviour of longnosed skate Dipturus oxyrinchus
Authors: Mulas A. , Bellodi A. , Cannas R. , Cau Al. , Cuccu D. , Marongiu M. F. , Porcu C. , Follesa M. C.
Published: January 2015

A total of 255 longnosed skate Dipturus oxyrinchus caught in Sardinian waters (central‐western Mediterranean Sea), was analysed with respect to fish total length (LT), season and depth, in order to provide information on diet and feeding behaviour. Specimens ranging from 93 to 1153 mm LT, were collected at depths between 121 and 671 m, during experimental trawl surveys carried out from 2005 to 2010. The diet comprised crustaceans [prey specific index of relative importance (%IPSRI) = 72·69], teleosts (%IPSRI = 10·28) and molluscs (%IPSRI = 10·94). Levins' index (Bi) showed a narrow niche breadth (Bi = 0·35). The mean ± s.e. trophic level (TL) was 3·63 ± 0·50. The analysis showed major ontogenetic changes in the feeding behaviour. Early life stages were characterized by a benthic diet, which changed to benthopelagic during growth. Mysids, particularly Lophogaster typicus (%IPSRI = 34·51), were the main prey items of immature individuals, replaced by euphausiids, mainly Meganyctiphanes norvegica (%IPSRI = 13·19), in maturing fish. Crustaceans became less important in mature specimens, being replaced by molluscs (%IPSRI = 28·99) and teleosts (%IPSRI = 24·56). A concomitant increase of the TL was recorded (mean ± s.e. = 3·41 ± 0·44, 3·75 ± 0·54 and 4·28 ± 0·61 for immature, maturing and mature individuals). These feeding patterns ensured low levels of intraspecific competition. This study provides new information about the role that the D. oxyrinchus plays in the marine food chain and data now essential to formulate new and effective management plans for this species.
Does the abundance of girellids and kyphosids correlate with cover of the palatable green algae, Ulva spp.? A test on temperate rocky intertidal reefs
Authors: Ferguson A. M. , Harvey E. S. , Rees M. J. , Knott N. A.
Published: January 2015

This study assessed whether the abundance of girellids and kyphosids was related to cover of the palatable green algae, Ulva australis and Ulva compressa, on rocky intertidal reefs in Jervis Bay, New South Wales, Australia. No relationship was found between Ulva spp. cover and abundance of Girella tricuspidata, Girella elevata and Kyphosus sydneyanus during a period of relatively low Ulva spp. cover (i.e. February 2011 to March 2011), but during a period of significantly higher Ulva spp. cover (i.e. October 2011 to November 2011) there was a strong correlation between Ulva spp. cover and G. tricuspidata abundance. Spatial analysis indicated that the abundance of G. tricuspidata was consistent across time, suggesting G. tricuspidata were not moving between reefs in response to variation in Ulva spp. cover between periods but rather that large schools of G. tricuspidata resided on reefs that had relatively higher Ulva spp. cover at certain times of the year.
Demography and treatment response in patients with predominant non‐erosive reflux disease or functional dyspepsia
Authors: Miwa Hiroto , Haruma Ken , Sakamoto Shigeru , Sanada Katsuyuki , Hiroi Shinzo , Kinoshita Yoshikazu
Published: January 2015

Background and Aim

Non‐erosive reflux disease (NERD) and functional dyspepsia (FD) share some common features, and the appropriateness of managing these diseases independently has been questioned. A post‐hoc subgroup analysis of the LEGEND study was performed to compare demographics and treatment response between patients with NERD and patients with FD.

Methods

Patients with reflux and dyspepsia symptoms who had no endoscopic evidence of mucosal breaks and/or erosions were included and divided into groups with predominant NERD (n = 1546) or FD (n = 614). Patients received lansoprazole for 4 weeks, and their symptoms were evaluated using questionnaires.

Results

FD patients were significantly younger than NERD patients (54 vs 60 years), more likely to have a body mass index < 25 kg/m2 (72.4% vs 67.1%), less likely to have a hiatal hernia (24.0% vs 31.2%), and more likely to feel continuous stress (54.7% vs 48.0%). After 4 weeks of treatment, > 60% of both patients reported an improvement in reflux symptoms and in most dyspepsia symptoms. The improvement rate for reflux symptoms was lower in FD patients than in NERD patients (P < 0.05), whereas the improvement rate for dyspepsia symptoms did not differ between patient groups.

Conclusion

Although no clinically significant differences in pathophysiology exist between NERD and FD, there are some between‐group differences in demographic characteristics and improvement rates for reflux symptoms after treatment with lansoprazole. It remains to be discussed whether it is necessary to make a strict differential diagnosis between these two conditions.
The psychology of cooperation in animals: an ecological approach
Authors: McAuliffe K. , Thornton A.
Published: January 2015

There has been a recent push to study the psychological processes supporting cooperation in nonhuman animals. However, progress has been limited thus far due to differences in approaches between psychologists and behavioral ecologists. Although the former tend to use controlled experiments to pinpoint precise cognitive mechanisms, these experiments often lack ecological validity. In contrast, behavioral ecologists seek to understand the adaptive function of cooperative behavior of animals in the wild but typically neglect the underlying psychological mechanisms. Here we appraise and integrate evidence from these two approaches to understand the potential cognitive solutions to four fundamental challenges that animals face during cooperative interactions under natural conditions: (1) when to cooperate; (2) with whom to cooperate; (3) what to do in cooperative interactions; (4) how much to contribute to cooperation. We argue that an ecologically motivated approach is critical to understanding the psychological mechanisms of cooperation and how these mechanisms evolve.
The outcomes of adult liver transplants in the United States from 1987 to 2013
Authors: Stepanova Maria , Wai Homan , Saab Sammy , Mishra Alita , Venkatesan Chapy , Younossi Zobair M.
Published: January 2015

Background & Aims

In the past three decades, there have been major advances in the procedure and candidate selection for liver transplantation. The aim of this study was to assess the changes in outcomes of liver transplantations in the Unites States.

Methods

This observational study uses the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) that includes all liver transplants from 1987 to 2013 (N = 108 707 adults).

Results

Four study cycles were introduced: 1987–1993, 1994–2000, 2001–2006, 2007–2013. The length of inpatient stay for receiving liver transplant substantially shortened (42–20 days), and so did the rate of acute post‐transplant rejections (33–4%). The use of high risk donors and donors with chronic diseases increased significantly. Of transplant outcomes, despite recently reported unfavourable changes in clinico‐demographic profile of liver transplant recipients (older age, substantial increases in all major comorbidities), the proportion of patients discharged alive increased from 78.2 to 91.8%. On the other hand, post‐discharge 1‐, 3‐ and 5‐year mortality varied between 6.7 and 8.0%, 15.2 to 17.2% and 22.5 to 24.5%, respectively, and no consistent trend was found. Despite this, the rates of graft failure decreased: an approximately two‐fold decrease in 1 year graft loss, and a 1.6‐fold decrease in 5 year graft loss were observed.

Conclusion

Despite all improvements in liver transplant technique and patient management, the changes in post‐transplant outcomes vary. While inpatient mortality, graft losses and post‐transplant infect‐ion rates improved substantially, post‐discharge mortality remains stable because of increasing losses to competing risks in patients with non‐liver comorbidities.
Distribution and mixing of old and new nonstructural carbon in two temperate trees
Authors: Richardson Andrew D. , Carbone Mariah S. , Huggett Brett A. , Furze Morgan E. , Czimczik Claudia I. , Walker Jennifer C. , Xu Xiaomei , Schaberg Paul G. , Murakami Paula
Published: January 2015

We know surprisingly little about whole‐tree nonstructural carbon (NSC; primarily sugars and starch) budgets. Even less well understood is the mixing between recent photosynthetic assimilates (new NSC) and previously stored reserves. And, NSC turnover times are poorly constrained.

We characterized the distribution of NSC in the stemwood, branches, and roots of two temperate trees, and we used the continuous label offered by the radiocarbon (carbon‐14, 14C) bomb spike to estimate the mean age of NSC in different tissues.

NSC in branches and the outermost stemwood growth rings had the 14C signature of the current growing season. However, NSC in older aboveground and belowground tissues was enriched in 14C, indicating that it was produced from older assimilates. Radial patterns of 14C in stemwood NSC showed strong mixing of NSC across the youngest growth rings, with limited ‘mixing in’ of younger NSC to older rings.

Sugars in the outermost five growth rings, accounting for two‐thirds of the stemwood pool, had a mean age < 1 yr, whereas sugars in older growth rings had a mean age > 5 yr. Our results are thus consistent with a previously‐hypothesized two‐pool (‘fast’ and ‘slow’ cycling NSC) model structure. These pools appear to be physically distinct.
TLR2‐dependent amelioration of allergic airway inflammation by parasitic nematode type II MIF in mice
Authors: Cho M. K. , Park M. K. , Kang S. A. , Park S. K. , Lyu J. H. , Kim D.‐H. , Park H.‐K. , Yu H. S.
Published: January 2015

In our previous studies, the recombinant type II macrophage migration inhibitory factor homologue (rAs‐MIF) secreted from Anisakis simplex suppressed experimental inflammation mouse model through IL‐10 production and CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ T‐cell recruitment. Also, TLR2 gene expression was significantly increased following rAs‐MIF treatment. To know the relation between TLR2 and amelioration mechanisms of rAs‐MIF, we induced allergic airway inflammation by ovalbumin and alum with or without rAs‐MIF under TLR2 blocking systems [anti‐TLR2‐specific antibody (α‐mTLR2 Ab) treatment and using TLR2 knockout mice]. As a result, the amelioration effects of rAs‐MIF in allergic airway inflammation model (diminished inflammation and Th2 response in the lung, increased IL‐10 secretion, CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ T‐cell recruitment) were diminished under two of the TLR2 blocking model. The expression of TLR2 on the surface of lung epithelial cell was significantly elevated by rAs‐MIF treatment or Pam3CSK (TLR2‐specific agonist) treatment, but they might have some competition effect on the elevation of TLR2 expression. In addition, the elevation of IL‐10 gene expression by rAs‐MIF treatment was significantly inhibited by α‐mTLR2 Ab or Pam3CSK pretreatment. In conclusion, anti‐inflammatory effects of the rAs‐MIF on OVA‐induced allergic airway inflammation might be closely related to TLR2.