bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Incidence and prevalence of non‐melanoma skin cancer in Australia: A systematic review
Authors: Perera Eshini , Gnaneswaran Neiraja , Staines Carolyn , Win Aung Ko , Sinclair Rod
Published: February 2015

Non‐melanoma skin cancer (NMSC), including basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), is the most common cancer occurring in people with fair skin. Australia has been reported to have the highest incidence of NMSC in the world. Using a systematic search of the literature in EMBASE and Medline, we identified 21 studies that investigated the incidence or prevalence of NMSC in Australia. Studies published between 1948 and 2011 were identified and included in the analysis. There were six studies that were conducted on national level, two at state level and 13 at the regional level. Overall, the incidence of NMSC had steadily increased over calendar‐years in Australia. The incidence of NMSC per 100 000 person‐years was estimated to be 555 in 1985; 977 in 1990; 1109 in 1995; 1170 in 2002 and 2448 in 2011. The incidence was higher for men than women and higher for BCC than SCC. Incidence varied across the states of Australia, with the highest in Queensland. The prevalence of NMSC was estimated to be 2% in Australia in 2002. The incidence and prevalence of NMSC still need to be accurately established at both national and state levels to determine the costs and burden of the disease on the public health system in Australia.
Patients with eating disorders showed no signs of coeliac disease before and after nutritional intervention
Authors: Kaltsa Maria , Garoufi Anastasia , Tsitsika Artemis , Tsirogianni Alexandra , Papasteriades Chryssa , Kossiva Lydia
Published: February 2015

Aim

This study assessed the presence of specific antibodies for coeliac disease in outpatients suffering from eating disorders before and after nutritional intervention. We also evaluated whether those patients should undergo regular screening for coeliac disease.

Methods

The sample consisted of 154 patients with a mean age of 16.7 years – ranging from one to 19 years of age – suffering from eating disorders. Serology screening for coeliac disease and total immunoglobulin A (IgA) levels was evaluated in the 154 children before the nutritional intervention and in 104 patients after the intervention. The patients consumed an adequate amount of gluten in both phases.

Results

Postintervention evaluation revealed that 92 patients (88.5%) achieved a normal body weight, while the remaining 12 (11.5%) became obese. Postprandial abdominal discomfort and pain were resolved. The serology tests were negative in all patients, before and after intervention. None displayed IgA deficiency.

Conclusion

To the best of our knowledge, this was the first prospective study where patients underwent a screening serology for coeliac disease before and after nutritional intervention. No indication of the coexistence of eating disorders and coeliac disease was documented, and the patients in our study were unlikely to require regular screening for coeliac disease.
Natural history of bleeding risk in colonic diverticulosis patients: a long‐term colonoscopy‐based cohort study
Authors: Niikura R. , Nagata N. , Shimbo T. , Aoki T. , Yamada A. , Hirata Y. , Sekine K. , Okubo H. , Watanabe K. , Sakurai T. , Yokoi C. , Mizokami M. , Yanase M. , Akiyama J. , Koike K. , Uemura N.
Published: February 2015

Background

The natural history of bleeding risk from colonic diverticulosis remains unclear.

Aim

To identify the incidence of bleeding in colonic diverticulosis patients and associated risk factors.

Methods

A cohort of 1514 patients with colonoscopy‐confirmed asymptomatic diverticulosis was selected between 2001 and 2013. Age, sex and location of colonic diverticulosis (right or left side, or bilateral) were assessed. The endpoint was a bleeding event, and data were censored at the time of last colonoscopy. The cumulative and overall incidences of bleeding were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier and person‐years methods. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate age‐ and sex‐adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs).

Results

The median follow‐up period was 46 months. Bleeding events occurred in 35 patients, and the median time‐to‐event interval was 50 months. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that the cumulative incidence of diverticular bleeding was 0.21% at 12 months, 2.2% at 60 months and 9.5% at 120 months. By the person‐years method, the overall incidence rate of bleeding was 0.46 per 1000 patient‐years. On multivariate analysis, age ≥70 (aHR. 3.7) and bilateral diverticulosis (aHR, 2.4) were significant risk factors for bleeding.

Conclusions

This long‐term follow‐up study demonstrated that the cumulative incidence of bleeding from diverticulosis was approximately 2% at 5 years and 10% at 10 years, and the overall incidence was 0.46 per 1000 patient‐years. Bilateral diverticulosis increased the risk of bleeding.
The Microstructure of Action Perception in Infancy: Decomposing the Temporal Structure of Social Information Processing
Authors: Gredebäck Gustaf , Daum Moritz M.
Published: February 2015

In this article, we review recent evidence of infants' early competence in perceiving and interpreting the actions of others. We present a theoretical model that decomposes the timeline of action perception into a series of distinct processes that occur in a particular order. Once an agent is detected, covert attention can be allocated to the future state of the agent (priming), which may lead to overt gaze shifts that predict goals (prediction). Once these goals are achieved, the consequence of the agents' actions and the manner in which the actions were performed can be evaluated (evaluation). We propose that all of these processes have unique requirements, both in terms of timing and cognitive resources. To understand more fully the rich social world of infants, we need to pay more attention to the temporal structure of social perception and ask what information is available to infants and how this changes over time.
Accuracy of digital mRNA profiling of oesophageal biopsies as a novel diagnostic approach to eosinophilic oesophagitis
Authors: Lexmond W. S. , Hu L. , Pardo M. , Heinz N. , Rooney K. , LaRosa J. , Dehlink E. , Fiebiger E. , Nurko S.
Published: February 2015

Background

Quantification of tissue eosinophils remains the golden standard in diagnosing eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE), but this approach suffers from poor specificity. It has been recognized that histopathological changes that occur in patients with EoE are associated with a disease‐specific tissue transcriptome.

Objective

We hypothesized that digital mRNA profiling targeted at a set of EoE‐specific and Th2 inflammatory genes in oesophageal biopsies could help differentiate patients with EoE from those with reflux oesophagitis (RE) or normal tissue histology (NH).

Methods

The mRNA expression levels of 79 target genes were defined in both proximal and distal biopsies of 196 patients with nCounter® (Nanostring) technology. According to clinicopathological diagnosis, these patients were grouped in a training set (35 EoE, 30 RE, 30 NH) for building of a three‐class prediction model using the random forest method, and a blinded predictive set (n = 47) for model validation.

Results

A diagnostic model built on ten differentially expressed genes was able to differentiate with 100% sensitivity and specificity between conditions in the training set. In a blinded predictive set, this model was able to correctly predict EoE in 14 of 18 patients in distal (sensitivity 78%, 95% CI 52–93%) and 16 of 18 patients in proximal biopsies (sensitivity 89%, 95% CI 64–98%), without false‐positive diagnosis of EoE in RE or NH patients (specificity 100%, 95% CI 85–100%). Sensitivity was increased to 94% (95% CI 71–100%) when either the best predictive distal or proximal biopsy was used.

Conclusion and Clinical Relevance

We conclude that mRNA profiling of oesophageal tissue is an accurate diagnostic strategy in detecting EoE.
A 5‐Year Prospective Study on Cone‐Anchored Implants in the Edentulous Maxilla
Authors: Eerdekens Liesbeth , Schols Marlies , Coelst Ludo , Quirynen Marc , Naert Ignace
Published: February 2015

Purpose

To investigate dentist‐ as well as patient‐centered outcomes of the implant‐supported cone‐anchored removable prosthesis in the edentulous maxilla over 5 years.

Materials and Methods

Ten patients, edentulous in the maxilla, received six Ti implants after which they were delayed loaded through a cone‐anchored removable prosthesis. Clinical parameters such as plaque and bleeding indices, PTV, implant success, marginal bone loss, device and prosthesis complications, and patient satisfaction (visual analogue scale) were collected at follow‐up visits scheduled 1, 3, 6, 12, 24, 36, and 60 months postprosthesis delivery.

Results

After at least 5 years of follow‐up (mean: 63.7 months), 53/59 implants were rated successful, while two of 59 failed and one implant was kept sleeping. Mean marginal bone loss from prosthesis delivery until 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively, was; 0.15 (SD: 0.87), 0.36 (SD: 1.07), and 0.60 mm (SD: 1.12). The mean Periotest® values at baseline and 5 years did not differ significantly. After 1 year, a significant improvement in patient satisfaction was recorded compared with the old denture, and this remained stable over the 5‐year period.

Conclusions

Cone‐anchored removable dental prostheses retained by secondary splinted implants offer a safe alternative for patients with an edentulous maxilla in need of more comfort. Dentist‐ as well as patient‐centered outcomes compete with reports using other prosthetic anchoring devices. Larger replica studies are encouraged to further validate this concept.
Experimental Peri‐Implantitis around Different Types of Implants – A Clinical and Radiographic Study in Dogs
Authors: Fickl Stefan , Kebschull Moritz , Calvo‐Guirado José Luis , Hürzeler Markus , Zuhr Otto
Published: February 2015

Background

The influence of the implant micro and macrostructure on peri‐implantitis is not fully understood.

Purpose

To determine the effect of ligature‐induced peri‐implantitis on three commercially available implant types.

Materials and Methods

Five beagle dogs were used. Two months following tooth extraction, three different implant types (BIOMET 3i T3, BIOMET 3i, Palm Beach Gardens, FL, USA; Straumann Bone Level, Straumann GmbH, Basel, Switzerland; Nobel Replace Tapered, Nobel Biocare, Gothenburg, Sweden) were placed in a randomized fashion in each hemi‐mandible. Peri‐implantitis was initiated by ligature placement and soft diet. Ligatures were added every 2 weeks for a total of four ligature advancements. After 2 weeks, the ligatures were removed, oral hygiene measures initiated for 3 weeks, and clinical (probing depth, mucosal recession, bleeding on probing), intrasurgical (intrasurgical defect depth, intrasurgical defect width), and radiographic (radiographic bone level) parameters assessed.

Results

Nobel Replace Tapered implants showed significantly higher intrasurgical defect depth, intrasurgical defect width, probing depths, and radiographic bone level when compared to BIOMET 3i T3 or Straumann Bone Level implants. Straumann Bone Level implants showed largely similar clinical outcomes to BIOMET 3i T3. No significant differences between the groups were observed for mean mucosal recession.

Conclusion

In an experimental peri‐implantitis model, Nobel Replace Tapered implants are associated with pronounced tissue loss.
Prospective randomized controlled clinical study comparing two dental implant types: volumetric soft tissue changes at 1 year of loading
Authors: Sanz Martin Ignacio , Benic Goran I. , Hämmerle Christoph H. F. , Thoma Daniel S.
Published: February 2015

Objective

To evaluate the volumetric changes occurring from prosthesis insertion to the 1‐year follow‐up (FU) using one‐ and two‐piece dental implants.

Methods

Sixty patients were randomly assigned to receive one‐piece or two‐piece implants. Casts were obtained at baseline (insertion of final reconstruction) and at 1 year of loading. Finally, 33 pairs of casts (BRA = 18, STM = 15) were deemed appropriate for volumetric analysis of the peri‐implant tissues. If the patients had more than one implant, one was randomly selected for analysis. Casts were scanned to obtain stereolithography (STL) files. Baseline and 1‐year FU digital models were superimposed with an image analysis program. Linear and volumetric measurements were performed including (i) crown height changes (CHCs), (ii) volumetric changes, and (iii) changes in tissue thickness at three levels below the mucosal margin on the buccal side of the implants (at 1,3, and 5 mm). The Mann–Whitney U‐test and the paired t‐test were used to analyze the data between the two groups using the patient as the unit of analysis.

Results

No significant baseline differences were observed between the one‐ and two‐piece groups for the linear measurements. The mean CHCs in the two‐piece group amounted to 0.02 mm (SD ± 0.32), whereas the one‐piece group exhibited a change of −0.17 mm (±0.57). The mean volume changes (VCs) were −0.12 mm (±0.27) (two‐piece group) and −0.03 mm (±0.29) (one‐piece group). With regard to the changes in tissue thickness, the two‐piece group presented a change of −0.15 mm (±0.20) at 1 mm, −0.06 mm (±0.20) at 3 mm, and −0.2 mm (±0.51) at 5 mm. The respective values for the one‐piece group were −0.03 mm (±0.35), 0.01 mm (±0.28), and −0.01 mm (±0.51) at the three levels. None of the differences in linear measurements between baseline and the 1‐year FU reached significance. Positive correlations were seen for tissue thickness changes at 1 and 3 mm for both groups (P < 0.05). Significant positive correlations were found for VCs and tissue thickness at 1 mm for the two‐piece group and for VCs and tissue thickness at 1,3, and 5 mm for the one‐piece group (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Within the first year of loading, minimal changes occur with regard to tissue thickness, crown height, and facial volume for both implant types.
Olfactory screening: validation of Sniffin' Sticks in Denmark
Authors: Fjaeldstad A. , Kjaergaard T. , Van Hartevelt T.J. , Moeller A. , Kringelbach M.L. , Ovesen T.
Published: February 2015

Objectives

The Sniffin' Sticks 12‐identification test (SIT‐12) is the most commonly applied Danish olfaction screening tool; however, it has never been validated in a Danish population. The screening score depends on familiarity with descriptors, which is strongly influenced by linguistic and cultural factors, why validation is mandatory. This study aimed to validate the SIT‐12 in a Danish population.

Design

Prospective controlled study.

Setting

Otorhinolaryngology department.

Participants

The SIT‐12 was applied to 100 normosmic, healthy adult Danish participants.

Main outcome measures

Choice of descriptors was registered, along with nasal endoscopic examination, screening for cognitive impairment, depression and sinonasal symptoms. Descriptors of the original version of SIT‐12 were evaluated in 50 participants, and misleading descriptors were identified. Modifications to these descriptors were subsequently validated in a comparable group of 50 participants.

Results

Mean odorant identification score in the evaluation group was 11.0 of a possible 12, and 11.6 in the validation group (P < 0.0001). Among all odorant identification errors in the evaluation group, 60% were due to two incorrect descriptors having close resemblance to the correct descriptors, lemon and cinnamon. Two additional descriptors were unfamiliar to more than half the participants. There was a significant difference in the distribution of wrong identification answers between odorants in the evaluation group (P < 0.001), but not in the validation group.

Conclusions

The identified systematically wrong descriptors have been modified and validated in the Danish SIT‐12.
Chrousos syndrome: from molecular pathogenesis to therapeutic management
Authors: Nicolaides Nicolas C. , Charmandari Evangelia
Published: February 2015

Background

Primary Generalized Glucocorticoid Resistance or Chrousos syndrome is a rare genetic condition characterized by end‐organ insensitivity to glucocorticoids owing to inactivating mutations of the NR3C1 gene.

Materials and methods

We conducted a systematic review of the published, peer‐reviewed medical literature using MEDLINE (1975 through November 2014) to identify original articles and reviews on this topic. The search terms included ‘primary generalized glucocorticoid resistance’, ‘Chrousos syndrome’, ‘glucocorticoid receptor gene’ and ‘glucocorticoid receptor mutations’.

Results

Only a few cases of Chrousos syndrome have been described to date, ranging from asymptomatic to severe forms of mineralocorticoid and/or androgen excess. All reported cases have been associated with point mutations or deletions in the NR3C1 gene. The tremendous progress of molecular biology has enabled us to apply standard methods to investigate the molecular mechanisms of action of the mutant glucocorticoid receptors (GRs). We and others have identified and functionally characterized novel mutations causing Chrousos syndrome, while structural biology has enabled us to have a better understanding of how conformational changes of the receptor cause glucocorticoid resistance. In this review, we also present our results of the functional characterization of two recently described mutations, and we discuss the diagnostic approaches and therapeutic management of patients with Chrousos syndrome.

Conclusions

Although Chrousos syndrome is a rare condition, many clinical cases remain unrecognized for a long time. We recommend determination of the 24‐h urinary free cortisol excretion and sequencing of the NR3C1 gene in patients with hyperandrogenism and/or hypertension of unknown origin.
Unveiling trade‐offs in resource selection of migratory caribou using a mechanistic movement model of availability
Authors: Bastille‐Rousseau Guillaume , Potts Jonathan R. , Schaefer James A. , Lewis Mark A. , Ellington E. Hance , Rayl Nathaniel D. , Mahoney Shane P. , Murray Dennis L.
Published: February 2015

Habitat selection is a multi‐level, hierarchical process that should be a key component in the balance between food acquisition and predation risk avoidance (food–predation trade‐off). However, to date, studies have not fully elucidated how fine‐ and broad‐scale habitat decisions by individual prey can help balance food versus risk. We studied broad‐scale habitat selection by Newfoundland caribou Rangifer tarandus, focusing on trade‐offs between predation risk versus access to forage during the calving and post‐calving period. We improved traditional measures of habitat availability by incorporating fine‐scale movement patterns of caribou into the availability kernel, thus enabling separation of broad and fine scales of selection. Remote sensing and field surveys served to create a spatio‐temporal model of forage availability, whereas GPS telemetry locations from 66 black bears Ursus americanus and 59 coyotes Canis latrans provided models of predation risk. We then used GPS telemetry locations from 114 female caribou to assess food–predation trade‐offs through the prism of our refined model of caribou habitat availability. We noted that migratory movements of caribou were oriented mainly towards habitats with abundant forage and lower risk of bear and (to a lesser extent) coyote encounter. These findings were generally consistent across caribou herds and would not have been evident had we used traditional methods instead of our refined model when estimating habitat availability. We interpret these findings in the context of stereotypical migratory behaviour observed in Newfoundland caribou, which occurs despite the extirpation of wolves Canis lupus nearly a century ago. We submit that caribou are able to balance food acquisition against predation risk using a complex set of factors involving both finer and broader scale selection. Accordingly, our study provides a strong argument for using refined habitat availability estimates when assessing food–predation trade‐offs.
Coping and the stages of psychosis: an investigation into the coping styles in people at risk of psychosis, in people with first‐episode and multiple‐episode psychoses
Authors: Kommescher Mareike , Gross Sonja , Pützfeld Verena , Klosterkötter Joachim , Bechdolf Andreas
Published: February 2015

Aim

The concept of coping is central to recent models of psychosis. The aim of the present paper is to explore whether specific coping styles relate to certain stages of the disorder.

Methods

Thirty‐nine clients at clinical high risk (CHR) of first‐episode psychosis, 19 clients with first‐episode psychosis and 52 clients with multiple‐episode psychosis completed a Stress Coping Questionnaire. This questionnaire consists of 114 items defining one overall positive coping scale (with three subscales) and one negative coping scale. Analyses of variance with group as between‐subject factor and coping behaviour as within‐subject factor were used to identify different coping patterns.

Results

On the level of subscales no group differences could be detected, but analysis of variance revealed slightly different patterns: CHR clients used significantly more negative than positive coping styles (P = 0.001), followed by patients with multiple‐episode psychosis (P = 0.074). First‐episode patients were most likely to use negative as well as positive coping (P = 0.960). Across all stages of illness, stress control was significantly preferred compared to the other positive coping styles distraction and devaluation. Again, this pattern was especially pronounced for at‐risk clients and patients with multiple‐episode psychosis, whereas patients with first‐episode psychosis were most likely to use devaluation as well as distraction.

Conclusions

The overall coping styles were similar across the different stages of psychosis. However, at‐risk persons presented especially pronounced negative coping and a small range of strategies, indicating a specific need for psychosocial support in this stage of the disorder.
Negative and paranoid symptoms are associated with negative performance beliefs and social cognition in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome
Authors: Schneider Maude , Van der Linden Martial , Menghetti Sarah , Debbané Martin , Eliez Stephan
Published: February 2015

Aims

22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) is a neurogenetic condition associated with an increased risk of developing schizophrenia. Previous studies have shown that negative symptoms represent the most specific clinical characteristic of psychosis in 22q11.2DS and are strongly associated with outcome. However, the psychological mechanisms associated with these symptoms in this population are poorly understood. In accordance with recent conceptualizations in the field of schizophrenia, the present study aims at investigating whether negative symptoms are associated with the presence of negative performance beliefs and cognitive deficits.

Methods

Thirty‐five participants with 22q11.2DS and 24 typically developing individuals aged between 11 and 24 years were included in the study. Self‐reported schizotypal symptoms (cognitive‐perceptual, paranoid, negative and disorganization symptoms) and dysfunctional beliefs (negative performance beliefs and need for approval) were assessed. Measures of processing speed, verbal memory, working memory, executive functioning and face recognition were also extracted from a broad cognitive evaluation protocol.

Results

Adolescents with 22q11.2DS reported significantly higher score on the negative dimension of the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire than controls, even when controlling for the influence of anxiety/depression and intellectual functioning. Negative and paranoid symptoms were associated with the severity of negative performance beliefs and lower face recognition abilities. Mediation analyses revealed that negative performance beliefs significantly mediated the association between face recognition and negative/paranoid symptoms.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that negative performance beliefs and basic social cognitive mechanisms are associated with negative and paranoid symptoms in individuals with 22q11.2DS. Implications for intervention are discussed in this article.
For Money or Love? Financial and Socioemotional Considerations in Family Firm Succession
Authors: Jaskiewicz Peter , Lutz Eva , Godwin Melissa
Published: February 2015

In mid–2012, Charles Gilman, the founder and sole owner of the custom fixture manufacturer/installation company CustomFittings, was approached by a local competitor, Jack Miller, with an offer to buy his company for $9.5 million. This tangible offer forced Charles to decide what to do with CustomFittings, as he and his wife, Christine Gilman, were approaching retirement age. Although their son, Bill Gilman, was keen on taking over the company, Charles and Christine were depending on the firm to fund their retirement—but Bill did not have enough capital to buy the firm and thus provide them with a suitable retirement sum. While accepting the offer from Jack would put the couple in a comfortable position financially, the move might jeopardize their son's career, their employees’ jobs, and the family's legacy and reputation.
Attracting New Talent to Family Firms: Who is Attracted and under what Conditions?
Authors: Hauswald Hannes , Hack Andreas , Kellermanns Franz W. , Patzelt Holger
Published: February 2015

In making a decision to enter into a long–term employment relationship with a firm, job seekers often compare their needs and values with the perceived organizational characteristics of the firm. In the case of family firms, the communication of family influence can be a unique factor in shaping beliefs about firm attributes. Family influence is often associated with trustworthiness, security, and stability. However, family influence is also associated with inflexibility and resistance to change. Using the idea of person–organization fit, we hypothesize that although family influence attracts job seekers in general, applicants who value conservation or self–transcendence are particularly attracted, while applicants who emphasize openness to change or self–enhancement are less attracted. Furthermore, we propose that the attractive effects of family influence are more pronounced in more hostile economic environments. We find evidence for our hypotheses using a conjoint experiment and 5,600 assessments of family influence nested within 175 job seekers.
Vegetation and its spatial pattern analysis on salinized grasslands in the semiarid Inner Mongolia steppe
Authors: Chen Jun , Shiyomi Masae , Wuyunna  , Hori Yoshimichi , Yamamura Yasuo
Published: February 2015

We determined how the vegetation and spatial heterogeneity (spatial variation) in species richness and species composition in salinized grasslands are affected by soil salinity level, and whether the Grime's hypothesis regarding species richness is accepted, to understand vegetation on salinized soil. To address these questions, we surveyed three grassland sites in Inner Mongolia. All sites had been degraded heavily by livestock grazing, and had different salinity levels: heavy (electrical conductivity 1.18–8.15 dS m−1), intermediate (0.38–0.70 dS m−1) and non‐salinized (0.07–0.20 dS m−1). We set 50 square quadrats (0.25 m2 per quadrat), divided into four sub‐quadrats (0.0625 m2 each), along two 25 m transects in each site, and recorded all plant species in each sub‐quadrat. The species richness of the sites per 0.25 m2 was in the order: intermediate salinity > non‐salinized > heavy salinity. At the heavy and intermediate sites, the spatial heterogeneity of vegetation per sub‐quadrat was higher than expected from a random pattern, but not at the non‐salinized site. At the heavily salinized site, the spatial patterns of two halophytes with the highest occurrences drove the high spatial heterogeneity in species richness. In contrast, at the non‐salinized site, two low‐level halophytes with the highest occurrences determined the random pattern. The intermediate salinity site, where high‐ and low‐level halophytes could coexist in accordance with small‐scale spatial changes in salinity, had the highest species richness with relatively high spatial heterogeneity (which accepted the Grime's hypothesis). Our working hypothesis for remediating vegetation and soil in salinized grasslands is to inhibit grazing, and to grow species that accumulate organic matter in soil. For this, halophyte species with large spatial heterogeneity/body size would be effective.
In from the cold?BenRoberts and Conservative industrial relations reform
Authors: Kelly John
Published: February 2015

Over the course of his career Professor Ben Roberts became an increasingly vocal critic of the trade union movement and a firm advocate of the case for legal restrictions on their activities. The growing influence of neoliberal ideas inside the Conservative Party, driven by think tanks such as the Institute of Economic Affairs, could have provided him with the opportunity to exert some influence over industrial relations policymaking, after years of political isolation. In fact Ben Roberts remained on the margins of the policy networks that constructed the Thatcherite programme of industrial relations reform. His labour movement background and lack of involvement in think tank seminars and activities made it difficult for him to penetrate the tight and cohesive networks that were integral to Conservative policymaking. In any case his main focus was institution building in the academic world of industrial relations, rather than policymaking in the political world, and his legacy continues today in the British Journal of Industrial Relations and the International Labour and Employment Relations Association.
Semiconductive Behavior of Polymer‐Derived SiCN Ceramics for Hydrogen Sensing
Authors: Hu Lung‐Hao , Raj Rishi
Published: February 2015

A low‐cost sensing mechanism of hydrogen gas is developed using polymer‐derived ceramic, a liquid organic precursor, polysilazane with the addition of 5 wt% of photoinitiator, 2,2 Dimethoxy‐2‐phenyl acephenone. UV photopolymerization is utilized to partially cross‐link the H‐shaped free standing specimen, and then pyrolyzed at 1400°C in hot isostatic press under nitrogen gas to convert the partially cross‐linked polymer into conducting and amorphous ceramic, silicon carbonitride. This work presents the preparation of free standing silicon carbonitride specimens as the sensor body for sensing hydrogen gas, depending on the semiconductive behavior of polymer‐derived ceramics in high‐temperature environments. The band gap of silicon carbonitride would be varied from adsorbing hydrogen molecules on the surface of the H‐shaped free standing specimen with two different thicknesses. An amenable specimen‐geometry for the four‐point test of measuring resistance is developed in a furnace filled with pure hydrogen and vacuumed environments.
Paediatric cutaneous lymphomas: a review and comparison with adult counterparts
Authors: Kempf W. , Kazakov D. V. , Belousova I. E. , Mitteldorf C. , Kerl K.
Published: February 2015

Primary cutaneous lymphomas (CL) in children is rare. Only a few studies focused specifically on paediatric CL and therefore little is known whether primary CL in children are similar to or different from their adult counterparts with respect to the clinicopathological presentation, behaviour and prognosis. An extensive literature search using PubMed/MEDLINE from January 1995 through July 2014 was undertaken for articles reporting cases of paediatric CL. In addition, we identified 31 children with CL in our institutions. Mycosis fungoides and lymphomatoid papulosis are the two most prevalent lymphoma forms in children. A few entities of cutaneous lymphomas such as cutaneous diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma leg type, and Sézary syndrome have not been reported so far in children. Other lymphoma entities such as hydroa vacciniforme‐like lymphoma are mostly seen in certain geographic areas (Asia, Central and South America). In the paediatric population, low‐malignant indolent forms such as primary cutaneous marginal zone lymphoma and primary cutaneous follicle centre lymphoma are very rare, whereas the more aggressive forms of B‐cell lymphomas, precursor lymphoblastic lymphomas, and blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm are the most common forms in children, mostly involving the skin secondarily. Most paediatric lymphomas have similar clinicopathological features and course as their adults counterparts, particularly in the group of cutaneous T‐cell lymphomas. The spectrum of cutaneous B‐cell lymphomas in children significantly differs from the one in adults. Diagnostic work‐up and treatment of paediatric patients with lymphomas are best achieved in close collaboration with paediatric haematopathologists and oncologists.
Bees explain floral variation in a recent radiation ofLinaria
Authors: Blanco‐Pastor J. L. , Ornosa C. , Romero D. , Liberal I. M. , Gómez J. M. , Vargas P.
Published: February 2015

The role of pollinators in floral divergence has long attracted the attention of evolutionary biologists. Although abundant studies have reported the effect of pollinators on flower‐shape variation and plant speciation, the influence of pollinators on plant species differentiation during rapid radiations and the specific consequences of shifts among similar pollinators are not well understood. Here, we evaluate the association between pollinators and floral morphology in a closely related and recently diversifying clade ofLinariaspecies (sect.Supinaesubsect.Supinae). Our approach combined pollinator observations, functional floral morphometric measures and phylogenetic comparative analyses. The fauna visitingLinariaspecies was determined by extensive surveys and categorized by a modularity algorithm, and the size and shape of flowers were analysed by means of standard and geometric morphometric measures. Standard measures failed to find relationships between the sizes of representative pollinators and flowers. However, discriminant function analyses of geometric morphometric data revealed that pollination niches are finer predictors of flower morphologies inLinariaif compared with phylogenetic relationships. Species with the most restrictive flowers displayed the most slender spurs and were pollinated by bees with larger proboscides. These restrictive flower shapes likely appeared more than once during the evolutionary history of the study group. We show that floral variation can be driven by shifts between pollinators that have been traditionally included in a single functional group, and discuss the consequences of such transitions for plant species differentiation during rapid radiations.
Idiosyncratic evolution of maternal effects in response to juvenile malnutrition in Drosophila
Authors: Vijendravarma R. K. , Kawecki T. J.
Published: February 2015

Maternal effects often affect fitness traits, but there is little experimental evidence pertaining to their contribution to response to selection imposed by novel environments. We studied the evolution of maternal effects in Drosophila populations selected for tolerance to chronic larval malnutrition. To this end, we performed pairwise reciprocal F1 crosses between six selected (malnutrition tolerant) populations and six unselected control populations and assessed the effect of cross direction on larval growth and developmental rate, adult weight and egg‐to‐adult viability expressed under the malnutrition regime. Each pair of reciprocal crosses revealed large maternal effects (possibly including cytoplasmic genetic effects) on at least one trait, but the magnitude, sign and which traits were affected varied among populations. Thus, maternal effects contributed significantly to the response to selection imposed by the malnutrition regime, but these changes were idiosyncratic, suggesting a rugged adaptive landscape. Furthermore, although the selected populations evolved both faster growth and higher viability, the maternal effects on growth rate and viability were negatively correlated across populations. Thus, genes mediating maternal effects can evolve to partially counteract the response to selection mediated by the effects of alleles on their own carriers’ phenotype, and maternal effects may contribute to evolutionary trade‐offs between components of offspring fitness.
‘One mission accomplished, more important ones remain’: commentary onEvery‐Palmer,S.,Howick,J. (2014) How evidence‐based medicine is failing due to biased trials and selective publication.Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 20 (6), 908–914
Authors: Wyer Peter , Alves da Silva Suzana
Published: February 2015

Every‐Palmer andHowick suggest that evidence‐based medicine (EBM) is failing in its mission because of contamination of research by manufacturer and researcher‐motivated bias and self‐interest. They fail to define that mission and to distinguish between theEBMmovement and the research enterprise it was developed to critique. An educational movement,EBMaccomplished its mission to simplify and package clinical epidemiological concepts in a form accessible to clinical learners. Its wide adoption within educational circles fostered critical literacy among several generations of practitioners. Illumination of bias, subterfuge and incomplete reporting of research has been a strength ofEBM. Increased uptake and use of clinical research within the health care system properly defines the failing mission that eludesEvery‐Palmer andHowick. Responsibility for failure to make progress towards its achievement is shared by virtually all relevant streams within the system, including policy, clinical guideline development, educational movements and the development of approaches to evidence synthesis. Discordance between the epistemological premises pervading today's research and health care community and the complex social processes that ultimately determine research use constitutes an important factor that must be addressed as part of a remedy. Enhanced emphasis on and demonstration of alternative approaches to research such as realism and realist synthesis and the momentum towards development of a learning health care system hold promise as guideposts for the rapidly evolving health care environment.
Weight‐loss strategies used by baby boomer men: a mixed methods approach
Authors: James D. C. S. , Wirth C. K. , Harville C. , Efunbumi O.
Published: February 2015

Background

Baby Boomer men (those born in 1946–1964) are becoming obese at an earlier age compared to previous generations. The present study aimed to identify weight‐loss strategies used by Baby Boomer men, to determine whether those strategies varied by weight status and to explore their dieting experiences.

Methods

The study used a cross‐sectional survey of 211 men and 20 in‐depth interviews.

Results

Men had a mean (SD) body mass index (BMI) of 29.35 (5.07) kg m–2, with 82% being overweight or obese. Fifty‐six percent were currently trying to lose weight. Healthy weight‐loss strategies included reducing portions, increasing physical activity, cutting back on fried foods, cutting back on sweets, cutting back on alcohol, using meal replacement drinks/bars and joining a weight‐loss programme. Unhealthy strategies included skipping meals and using over‐the‐counter ‘diet pills’. Men who reduced portions, skipped meals, cut back on sweets, joined a weight‐loss programme and used diet pills had significantly higher BMIs than men who said they did not (P < 0.05 for all). Interviews revealed that older men struggle to lose weight, ‘I've been struggling for the last 2–3 years’. ‘The last time I really tried to lose weight I stayed on the diet for just a day or two’. Wives were considered essential to their weight management success.

Conclusions

Men used a do‐it‐yourself weight‐loss approach using both healthy and unhealthy strategies. Obese men were more likely to use unhealthy practices than overweight men.
Knowledge and Control in the Contemporary Land Rush: Making Local Land Legible and Corporate Power Applicable in Rural Sierra Leone
Authors: Millar Gearoid
Published: February 2015

Substantial media and academic attention has recently focused on changing patterns of land control in the ‘Global South’, wherein foreign governments and corporations seek to control land for food, fuel and feed production. Recent scholarship describes such projects as symptomatic of a broader liberalization of global governance. However, few studies investigate how such liberal governance is applied on the ground in host countries. This paper fills this need by examining one such case in Sierra Leone, and describing the various technologies of control deployed to make local land legible to the corporate eye and therefore manageable within the liberal model. As I show, such imported technologies are disrupting and displacing traditional modes of authority and allowing the company concerned to apply power and manage both the land and the local people. At the same time, however, these technologies generate frictions on the ground, creating dangerous tensions between the various actors in the local setting.
Comparison of Automated Brain Volume Measures obtained with NeuroQuant® and FreeSurfer
Authors: Ochs Alfred L. , Ross David E. , Zannoni Megan D. , Abildskov Tracy J. , Bigler Erin D.
Published: February 2015

PURPOSE

To examine intermethod reliabilities and differences between FreeSurfer and the FDA‐cleared congener, NeuroQuant®, both fully automated methods for structural brain MRI measurements.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

MRI scans from 20 normal control subjects, 20 Alzheimer's disease patients, and 20 mild traumatically brain‐injured patients were analyzed with NeuroQuant® and with FreeSurfer. Intermethod reliability was evaluated.

RESULTS

Pairwise correlation coefficients, intraclass correlation coefficients, and effect size differences were computed. NeuroQuant® versus FreeSurfer measures showed excellent to good intermethod reliability for the 21 regions evaluated (r: .63 to .99/ICC: .62 to .99/ES: –.33 to 2.08) except for the pallidum (r/ICC/ES = .31/.29/–2.2) and cerebellar white matter (r/ICC/ES = .31/.31/.08). Volumes reported by NeuroQuant were generally larger than those reported by FreeSurfer with the whole brain parenchyma volume reported by NeuroQuant 6.50% larger than the volume reported by FreeSurfer. There was no systematic difference in results between the 3 subgroups.

CONCLUSION

NeuroQuant® and FreeSurfer showed good to excellent intermethod reliability in volumetric measurements for all brain regions examined with the only exceptions being the pallidum and cerebellar white matter. This finding was robust for normal individuals, patients with Alzheimer's disease, and patients with mild traumatic brain injury.
The Eileen Skellern Lecture 2014: physical restraint: in defence of the indefensible?
Authors: Duxbury J. A.
Published: February 2015

Accessible summary

What is known on the subject: The physical and psychological trauma that can occur as a result of physical restraint is increasingly highlighted in the media and literature across the globe. Despite this, the use of physical restraint continues without a strong evdience base for its value or efficacy.

What this paper adds to existing knowledge: A number of common defences for the use of physical restraint are outlined and considered in light of existing research in this area. The potential for adopting restrictive intervention minimization programmes of work is highlighted as a way forward.

What are the implications for practice: The implementation of approaches to prevent and reduce physical restraint is required. A combination of factors including the use of advance planning tools, recognition of potential injury and death, and the importance of trauma informed care is necessary. Patients can be severely traumatized by the use of restraint, and there is an increasing drive to examine, reflect upon, and to reduce the use and impact of these.

Aggression is reported to be prevalent in psychiatric inpatient care and its frequency towards healthcare professionals is well documented. While aggression may not be entirely avoidable, its incidence can be reduced through prevention and the minimization of restrictive practices such as physical restraint. This paper aims to explore three common ‘defences’ to account for the use of physical restraint; to challenge each defence with regard to the evidence base; and to identify how services are responding to the challenge of reducing the use of restrictive interventions. Following a number of investigations to highlight serious problems with the use of physical restraint, it seems timely to examine its efficacy in light of the evidence base. A combination of interventions to minimize the use of restraint including advance planning tools, and recognition of potential trauma is necessary at an organizational and individual level. Patients can be traumatized by the use of restrictive practices and there is a growing momentum to promote models that incorporate trauma informed care (TIC) and person centredness.
Foot Health and Mobility in People With Intellectual Disabilities
Authors: Courtenay Ken , Murray Anita
Published: February 2015

Foot disorders affect people with intellectual disability and have an impact on their ability to mobilize; their prevalence appears to be higher than in the general population. Foot problems are recognized as part of certain syndromes associated with intellectual disabilities. Bony deformities of the foot, general health disorders, musculoskeletal disorders, and inappropriate footwear contribute to the development and aggravation of foot disorders. People with intellectual disability generally are disadvantaged as they do not have sufficient access to podiatric services even when foot problems are well known. Attention to people's foot health has important benefits to their health, social functioning, and mobility. Issues in the management of foot problems include awareness by carers and podiatrists of foot disorders in people with intellectual disabilities, effective communication with the person, and the assessment of mental capacity by podiatrists when proposing interventions to manage the problems. Maintaining people's mobility through active attention to their foot health has benefits not just for the persons but their access to community life and reduced costs in meeting their health needs.
Expression of microRNA‐155 correlates positively with the expression of Toll‐like receptor 7 and modulates hepatitis B virus via C/EBP‐β in hepatocytes
Authors: Sarkar N. , Panigrahi R. , Pal A. , Biswas A. , Singh S. P. , Kar S. K. , Bandopadhyay M. , Das D. , Saha D. , Kanda T. , Sugiyama M. , Chakrabarti S. , Banerjee A. , Chakravarty R.
Published: February 2015

Effective recognition of viral infection and successive activation of antiviral innate immune responses are vital for host antiviral defence, which largely depends on multiple regulators, including Toll‐like receptors (TLRs) and microRNAs. Several early reports suggest that specific TLR‐mediated immune responses can control hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication and express differentially with disease outcome. Considering the versatile function of miR‐155 in the TLR‐mediated innate immune response, we aimed to study the association between miR‐155 and TLRs and their subsequent impact on HBV replication using both a HBV‐replicating stable cell line (HepG2.2.15) and HBV‐infected liver biopsy and serum samples. Our results showed that miR‐155 was suppressed during HBV infection and a subsequent positive correlation of miR‐155 with TLR7 activation was noted. Further, ectopic expression of miR‐155 in vitro reduced HBV load as evidenced from reduced viral DNA, mRNA and subsequently reduced level of secreted viral antigens (HBsAg and HBeAg). Our results further suggested that CCAAT/enhancer‐binding protein‐β (C/EBP‐β), a positive regulator of HBV transcription, was inhibited by miR‐155. Taken together, our study established a correlation between miR‐155 and TLR7 during HBV infection and also demonstrated in vitro that increased miR‐155 level could help to reduce HBV viral load by targeting C/EBP‐β.