bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A study on statistical methods used in six journals of library and information science
Authors: Zhang Jin , Zhao Yuehua , Wang Yanyan
Published: May 2016

Purpose

– Quantitative methods, especially statistical methods, play an increasingly important role in research of library and information science (LIS). For different journals, the uses of statistical methods vary substantially due to different journal scopes and aims. The purpose of this paper is to explore the characteristics of statistical methodology uses in six major scholarly journals in LIS.

Design/methodology/approach

– Research papers that used statistical methods from the six major journals were selected and investigated. Content analysis method, descriptive statistical analysis method, and temporal analysis method were used to compare and analyze statistical method uses in research papers of the investigated journals.

Findings

– The findings of this study show that there was a clear growth trend of statistical method uses in five of the investigated journals; statistical methods were used most inThe Journal of the Association for Information Science and TechnologyandInformation Processing & Management; and the top three most frequently used statistical methods weret-test, ANOVA test, andχ2-test.

Originality/value

– The findings can be used to better understand the application areas, patterns, and trends of statistical methods among the investigated journals and their statistical methodology orientations in research studies of LIS.
Connected communities? LGB older people and their risk of exclusion from decent housing and neighbourhoods
Authors: Kneale Dylan
Published: May 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the way in which the housing and neighbourhood accessibility and neighbourhood connectedness of older lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people aged 50 and over, differ compared to non-LGB older people.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper utilises data collected as part of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing as well as theories around social exclusion to explore these issues, using information from 5,442 survey respondents including 260 identified as LGB.

Findings

– Little evidence is uncovered of a link between being LGB and experiencing exclusion from decent housing, public transport or neighbourhood amenities. Significant differences were uncovered in levels of home ownership and the numbers who reported having seen a friend the previous day, the likelihood of which were both lower for LGB people compared to non-LGB people.

Research limitations/implications

– All analyses are subject to caveats around the size of the sample and the method of identifying LGB older people. The findings could suggest older LGB people may be less likely to have property wealth from which to draw down in retirement. Furthermore, the findings on older LGB people being less likely to have seen a friend the previous day, may suggest a need for more opportunities to be made available for LGB people to maintain their social networks closer to home to offset the risk of social isolation.

Originality/value

– This is one of the first studies to examine how the housing and neighbourhood accessibility and connectedness patterns of older LGB people differ from non-LGB people in the UK.
Mobility changes during the first years of retirement
Authors: Berg Jessica
Published: May 2016

Purpose

– Mobility is an important aspect of well-being, activity and participation. Retiring from paid work is a transition in later life when people need to adjust to a new daily structure and fill the day with activities other than work. Life-course transitions influence demands for mobility and choice of travel mode as people adapt to new circumstances and learning processes. The purpose of this paper is to explore how mobility strategies develop during the first years of retirement.

Design/methodology/approach

– A qualitative analysis based on initial interviews with a total of 27 retired people during their first year of retirement and again, about three years later.

Findings

– Important changes during the first years of retirement included illness or a decline in physical health. Mobility had become a means of achieving certain goals after an illness, such as learning to walk, being able to drive or enjoying the time that was left. While some enjoyed not having commitments, others experienced difficulties in filling the day. The results indicate four dimensions of mobility: means of carrying out activities which are needed and desired; resources for creating activities; a leisure activity in itself; and subordinate to staying at home.

Originality/value

– Gives a deeper understanding of the mobility challenges people ultimately face in later life, and how these are managed, which is important for transport planning and public health policy aimed at improving mobility, activity participation and well-being in later life.
Genetically Similar Isolates ofSalmonella entericaSerotype Enteritidis Persistent in China for a Long‐Term Period
Authors: Song Qifa , Shen Xuanyi , Yang Yuanbin , Zhang Danyang , Gao Hong
Published: May 2016

Salmonella entericaserotype Enteritidis (S. Enteritidis) is an important causative agent of nontyphoidal salmonellosis in human populations. In this study, we collected 72S. Enteritidis strains from 2004 to 2014 in Ningbo, mid‐east China. Of the 72 strains, we identified a dominant clone of 58 strains recovered from patient's feces (n= 48), blood (n= 1), pleural effusion (n= 1), chickens (n= 3), and dessert cakes (n= 5) by pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and variable‐number of tandem repeat analysis (MLVA). The profile arrangements of MLVA were SE1‐SE2‐SE3‐SE5‐SE6‐SE8‐SE9: 4‐4‐3‐11‐10‐1‐3. These dominant strains were susceptible to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, cefotaxime and trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole, and resistant to nalidixic acid. Additionally, all isolates harboured virulence genesinvA,sipA,sopE, andspvBwhen tested by PCR. Our results reveal that genetically similarS. Enteritidis strains which accounted for several outbreaks as well as blood infection and pleural cavity infection are prevalent in China for a long‐term period. This situation calls for further attention in the prevention and control of foodborne disease caused bySalmonellaspecies.
Incidence rate of female breast cancer in urban Shijiazhuang in 2012 and modifiable risk factors
Authors: Wen Denggui , He Yutong , Wei Lizhen , Zhang Nan , Li Shumei , Wen Xiaoduo , Yang Yi , Wang Guiying , Wang Shijie , Geng Cuizhi , Liu Yunjiang , Shan Baoen
Published: May 2016

Background

Breast cancer is diagnosed more frequently among urban than rural women in China; however, the incidence among women in Shijiazhuang is unknown.

Methods

As registered Chinese citizens are entitled to complete public medical insurance coverage, the incidence rate was estimated using reimbursement records of first hospitalization.

Results

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in Shijiazhuang. The crude rate and age‐standardized incidence rates by China (ASRC) and world (ASRW) standards were 59.6, 48.5 and 45.5/100 000 in 2012. Mean age at diagnosis was 55.1 years. Incidence increased with age, peaking at 165.1 at 70–74. In comparison with urban women in other Chinese cities, incidence in Shijiazhuang was similar to Shanghai (ASRC 46.6) and Suzhou (ASRW 45). When compared with 31 other Chinese cities, Shijiazhuang ranked second highest behind Guangzhou (ASRW 46.6), and the ASRW correlated significantly with gross domestic product per capita among the 32 cities. The breast cancer ASRW in Shijiazhuang was 2.7 times the rate of 41 rural Chinese counties (17). When compared with GLOBOCAN 2012 data according to the Human Development Index, breast cancer incidence in Shijiazhuang matched countries with a high human development index (ASRW 45.2).

Conclusion

Breast cancer incidence in Shijiazhuang in 2012 was the highest in China, matching the rate in countries with high social economic development. This rate may continue to rise, parallel with urbanization, and may be associated with changing reproductive patterns and Westernization. Prevention methods need to be incorporated.
Relationship between oxygen saturation of the retinal vessels and visual field defect in glaucoma patients: comparison with each hemifield
Authors: Shimazaki Takeru , Hirooka Kazuyuki , Nakano Yuki , Nitta Eri , Ukegawa Kaori , Sato Shino , Tsujikawa Akitaka
Published: May 2016

Purpose

This study aimed to elucidate the relationship between visual field defects in the upper and lower hemifields and the corresponding oxygen saturation of the retinal vessels in patients with glaucoma.

Methods

Patients with glaucoma (n = 44) exhibiting more than a 10 dB difference between the upper and lower total deviation (TD) were enrolled in the study. After measuring the retinal vessel oxygen saturation by a non‐invasive spectrophotometric retinal oximeter, the hemifields in one eye of each patient were divided into worse (worse TD) and better (better TD) hemifield areas. We additionally evaluated a separate group of 40 patients with glaucoma who exhibited less than a 5 dB difference between the upper and lower TD. Statistical analysis was performed using a Student's t‐test.

Results

A higher mean venous saturation of oxygen (SaO2) was observed in the worse (59.0 ± 8.0%) hemifield compared to the better (55.4 ± 7.2%) hemifield (p < 0.01). The mean arteriovenous difference in the SaO2 was lower in the worse (44.4 ± 9.0%) hemifield compared to the better (48.6 ± 11.4%) hemifield (p = 0.02). However, when we evaluated the worse and better hemifields in the patients who had less than a 5 dB difference in the upper and lower hemifield TD, we found no statistically significant differences for either the retinal SaO2 in the venous vessels or the arteriovenous difference.

Conclusions

Advanced glaucomatous visual field defects were associated with increased SaO2 in the venous vessels and a decreased arteriovenous difference in the SaO2. The present results suggest there is a reduced retinal oxygen extraction in eyes with glaucomatous damage due to retinal ganglion cell loss.
RGTA in corneal wound healing after transepithelial laser ablation in a rabbit model: a randomized, blinded, placebo‐controlled study
Authors: Xeroudaki Maria , Peebo Beatrice , Germundsson Johan , Fagerholm Per , Lagali Neil
Published: May 2016

Purpose

To evaluate the efficacy of the agent RGTA for epithelial, stromal and nerve regeneration after laser‐induced corneal wounding in rabbits.

Methods

After excimer laser wounding of the anterior cornea in 25 New Zealand white rabbits, topical RGTA or placebo was applied in a randomized, masked manner. Fluorescein epithelial staining was performed on the first 5 postoperative days. In vivo confocal microscopy of corneal subbasal nerves and stroma was performed preoperatively and on week 2, 4, 8 and 16. At 16 weeks, corneas were stained for beta‐III tubulin expression.

Results

Postoperatively, all epithelia had closed by at least 90% after the third postoperative day. No significant difference in epithelial wound size was found between RGTA and placebo‐treated groups, and RGTA did not hinder fluorescein binding. After epithelial wound closure, corneas remained transparent to 16 weeks. By confocal microscopy, subclinical stromal haze was significantly deeper in placebo‐treated eyes (mean depth 60 μm) relative to RGTA group (52 μm), p = 0.02. Regenerating beta‐III tubulin‐positive subbasal nerves were observed in all corneas, but partial masking by haze rendered quantitative analysis unreliable.

Conclusions

RGTA restored stromal microarchitecture and reduced subclinical haze relative to placebo. The mild epithelial wound quickly healed regardless of treatment suggesting an optimal natural healing process in freshly wounded healthy corneas, and indicating that RGTA may be more suitable for healing of chronic or more aggressive wounds. Limitations of the rabbit model for nerve quantification in the presence of haze should also be recognized.
De Ritis ratio (aspartate transaminase/alanine transaminase ratio) as a significant prognostic factor after surgical treatment in patients with clear‐cell localized renal cell carcinoma: a propensity score‐matched study
Authors: Lee Hakmin , Lee Sang Eun , Byun Seok‐Soo , Kim Hyeon Hoe , Kwak Cheol , Hong Sung Kyu
Published: May 2016

Objective

To evaluate the associations of preoperative De Ritis ratio (aspartate transaminase [AST]/alanine transaminase [ALT]) with postoperative clinical outcomes after surgical treatment of localized RCC.

Materials and Methods

We retrospectively reviewed data from 2 965 patients surgically treated for non‐metastatic RCC. Propensity scores for high AST/ALT ratio were calculated and 430 patients with a high AST/ALT ratio were matched to 1 117 patients with a low AST/ALT ratio. The association between AST/ALT ratio and postoperative outcomes was tested. Multivariate Cox analyses were performed to identify the independent predictors of progression‐free (PFS), overall (OS) and cancer‐specific survival (CSS).

Results

According to the receiver‐operating curve of AST/ALT for cancer‐specific mortality, we stratified the patients into two groups using a threshold of 1.5. Before matching, patients with a high AST/ALT ratio had worse PFS, OS and CSS (all P < 0.001). In the propensity score‐matched cohort with 1 547 patients, patients with a high AST/ALT ratio had inferior PFS, OS and CSS outcomes (all P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that a high AST/ALT ratio was an independent predictor of disease progression (hazard ratio [HR] 1.372, 95% CI 1.003–1.882; P = 0.048), overall mortality (HR 1.559, 95% CI 1.069–2.272; P = 0.021), and cancer‐specific mortality (HR 1.974, 95% CI 1.250–3.118; P = 0.004). In a subgroup analysis according to tumour histology, high AST/ALT had a significant association with postoperative survival in clear‐cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC), but not in non‐clear‐cell RCC.

Conclusion

An elevated AST/ALT ratio was significantly associated with worse postoperative survival in patients surgically treated for localized clear‐cell RCC. Further prospective studies are needed to understand the prognostic value of preoperative AST/ALT ratio.
Can a decline in search cost increase prices?
Authors: Gilgenbach Ruth G.
Published: May 2016

This paper provides a new explanation of why a decline in consumers’ price search cost may not lead to lower prices. In a duopoly with price competition, I show that when some consumers are captive to one firm, there may be a non‐monotonic relationship between search cost and market power; firms may charge high prices with higher probability and the average price charged may be higher when consumers’ price search cost falls below a critical level. Furthermore, when firms have asymmetric captive segments, expected prices charged by each firm may move in opposite directions as search cost declines.
Identification of technology shocks using misspecified VARs
Authors: Demirel Ufuk Devrim
Published: May 2016

Studies that evaluate the effects of technology shocks often employ structural VARs identified with long‐run restrictions. In the presence of a mismatch between the lag structures of the true data‐generating process and the adopted VAR, estimates based on long‐run restrictions can be biased. This paper offers a method that can reduce this bias substantially. Using artificial data, I assess the performance of the proposed method and find that it can outperform a range of alternative procedures. Applying the procedure to the US data, I find that per‐capita hours exhibit a positive hump‐shaped response profile in response to a technology shock.
A model of firm heterogeneity in factor intensities and international trade
Authors: Emami Namini Julian , Facchini Giovanni , López Ricardo A.
Published: May 2016

Empirical evidence suggests that exporters are, in addition to being more productive, significantly more skilled‐labour intensive than non‐exporters. In a setting that captures both these features, we show that the firm selection induced by trade liberalization works along two dimensions. First, export growth increases competition for skilled labour. This leads to the exit of some of the skilled‐labour intensive firms, while benefitting unskilled‐labour intensive ones. Second, within the group of firms with the same factor intensities, the reallocation of factors is towards the exporters. We show that the increased competition for skilled labour dampens the positive effect of trade liberalization on sector‐wide TFP and real income.
Identifying fiscal policy (in)effectiveness from the differential counter‐cyclicality of government spending in the interwar period
Authors: Martineau Nicolas‐Guillaume , Smith Gregor W.
Published: May 2016

Differences across decades in the counter‐cyclical stance of fiscal policy can identify whether the growth in government spending affects output growth and so speeds recovery from a recession. We study government‐spending reaction functions from the 1920s and 1930s for twenty countries. There are two main findings. First, surprisingly, government spending was less counter‐cyclical in the 1930s than in the 1920s. Second, the growth of government spending did not have a significant effect on output growth, so that there is little evidence that this feature of fiscal policy played a stabilizing role in the interwar period.
Per capita income and the extensive margin of bilateral trade
Authors: Hepenstrick Christian , Tarasov Alexander
Published: May 2016

This paper quantitatively explores the role of demand in explaining the positive correlation between an importer's per capita income and the extensive margin of bilateral trade. The theoretical mechanism is based on agents that increase the set of goods they consume with income. This affects the structure of a country's import demand and therewith the extensive margin of trade. We formalize this intuition by incorporating preferences that allow for binding non‐negativity constraints into an otherwise standard Ricardian multi‐country model. We quantify the model and find that the behaviour of the model's extensive margin of trade is consistent with the data.
Trade, tasks and training: The effect of offshoring on individual skill upgrading
Authors: Hogrefe Jan , Wrona Jens
Published: May 2016

We offer a theoretical explanation and empirical evidence for a positive link between increased offshoring and individual skill upgrading. Skill upgrading takes the form of on‐the‐job training, complementing the existing literature, which mainly focuses on the retraining of displaced workers. To establish a link between offshoring and on‐the‐job training, we introduce an individual skill upgrading margin into the Grossman and Rossi‐Hansberg model of offshoring. By scaling up worker's wages, offshoring creates previously unexploited skill upgrading possibilities, which lead to more training. Using data from German manufacturing, we establish a causal link between industry‐level offshoring growth and increased individual skill upgrading.
Computing, the bootstrap and economics
Authors: Davidson Russell
Published: May 2016

A major contention in this paper is that scientific models can be viewed as virtual realities, implemented, or rendered, by mathematical equations or by computer simulations. Their purpose is to help us understand the external reality that they model. In economics, particularly in econometrics, models make use of random elements, so as to provide quantitatively for phenomena that we cannot or do not wish to model explicitly. By varying the realizations of the random elements in a simulation, it is possible to study counterfactual outcomes, which are necessary for any discussion of causality. The bootstrap is virtual reality within an outer reality. The principle of the bootstrap is that, if its virtual reality mimics as closely as possible the reality that contains it, it can be used to study aspects of that outer reality. The idea of bootstrap iteration is explored, and a discrete model discussed that allows investigators to perform iteration to any desired level.
Chasing after “good jobs.” Do they exist and does it matter if they do?
Authors: Green David A.
Published: May 2016

Most people believe that there are such things as good jobs—jobs that a worker would consider herself lucky to get. But for economists, the existence of good jobs is debatable. In this paper, I provide a definition of a good job based on various theories of the labour market: a job that involves a surplus captured partly by the worker. I use that definition to guide an empirical investigation of the existence and importance of good jobs. I conclude that good jobs do exist—that the labour market does not just function according to a Roy model with wage differentials reflecting only skill differentials, compensating differentials or bond posting—and that their impact on the overall wage structure is substantial. Finally, I discuss the implications of the existence of good jobs for policy setting and for assessments of the justice of a society.
Whisker experience‐dependent mGluR signaling maintains synaptic strength in the mouse adolescent cortex
Authors: Kubota Jun , Mikami Yoshinori , Kanemaru Kazunori , Sekiya Hiroshi , Okubo Yohei , Iino Masamitsu
Published: May 2016

Sensory experience‐dependent plasticity in the somatosensory cortex is a fundamental mechanism of adaptation to the changing environment not only early in the development but also in adolescence and adulthood. Although the mechanisms underlying experience‐dependent plasticity during early development have been well documented, the corresponding understanding in the mature cortex is less complete. Here, we investigated the mechanism underlying whisker deprivation‐induced synaptic plasticity in the barrel cortex in adolescent mice. Layer 4 (L4) to L2/3 excitatory synapses play a crucial role for whisker experience‐dependent plasticity in rodent barrel cortex and whisker deprivation is known to depress synaptic strength at L4–L2/3 synapses in adolescent and adult animals. We found that whisker deprivation for 5 days or longer decreased the presynaptic glutamate release probability at L4–L2/3 synapses in the barrel cortex in adolescent mice. This whisker deprivation‐induced depression was restored by daily administration of a positive allosteric modulator of the type 5 metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR5). On the other hand, the administration of mGluR5 antagonists reproduced the effect of whisker deprivation in whisker‐intact mice. Furthermore, chronic and selective suppression of inositol 1,4,5‐trisphosphate (IP3) signaling in postsynaptic L2/3 neurons decreased the presynaptic release probability at L4–L2/3 synapses. These findings represent a previously unidentified mechanism of cortical plasticity, namely that whisker experience‐dependent mGluR5‐IP3 signaling in the postsynaptic neurons maintains presynaptic function in the adolescent barrel cortex.
Primer Part 1—The building blocks of epilepsy genetics
Authors: Helbig Ingo , Heinzen Erin L. , Mefford Heather C. ,   the ILAE Genetics Commission
Published: May 2016

This is the first of a two‐part primer on the genetics of the epilepsies within the Genetic Literacy Series of the Genetics Commission of the International League Against Epilepsy. In Part 1, we cover the foundations of epilepsy genetics including genetic epidemiology and the range of genetic variants that can affect the risk for developing epilepsy. We discuss various epidemiologic study designs that have been applied to the genetics of the epilepsies including population studies, which provide compelling evidence for a strong genetic contribution in many epilepsies. We discuss genetic risk factors varying in size, frequency, inheritance pattern, effect size, and phenotypic specificity, and provide examples of how genetic risk factors within the various categories increase the risk for epilepsy. We end by highlighting trends in epilepsy genetics including the increasing use of massive parallel sequencing technologies.
Association between oral health habits and dental caries among children in Pyongyang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Authors: Tarvonen P‐L , Suominen AL , Yang GS , Ri YS , Sipilä K
Published: May 2016

Aim

To evaluate the self‐reported oral health habits and their association with the occurrence of dental caries among children in Pyongyang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), after 6 years of activities under the auspices of the Children's Oral Health Promotion Programme (COHPP).

Methods

The data were collected in September 2013 in two of the most central districts of Pyongyang City, DPRK. The sample consisted of 492 children aged 10 and 13 years who had participated in the COHPP for 6 years. The children filled in a self‐completed, structured questionnaire on oral health habits and were examined clinically by a dentist. The differences in mean (SD) number of decayed primary (dt) and permanent teeth (DT) and their sum (dt + DT) subdivided according to genders, age groups, districts and self‐reported oral health habits were evaluated using Mann–Whitney U‐test. The associations between self‐reported oral health habits and the occurrence of dental caries were evaluated with chi‐square test and logistic regression analyses.

Results

The school‐aged children commonly reported healthy oral hygiene habits but sweet snacks were commonly used. The occurrence of dental caries associated statistically significantly with the frequency of sweet snacking (p=0.011) but not with the frequency of tooth brushing (p=0.725) or the use of water for thirst instead of sugary beverages (p=0.189).

Conclusion

A more effective promotion of healthy dietary habits with innovative approaches and close collaboration with different social actors will be needed in future.
Dielectric Characteristics of UV‐Curable CaCu3Ti4O12 Composite Thick Film Capacitors on Cu Foils
Authors: Choi Hong Rak , Sekhar Koppole , Jo Ah Ra , Cho Yong Soo
Published: May 2016

Dielectric composite thick films containing a high dielectric constant CaCu3Ti4O12 (CCTO) filler in a UV‐cured polymer matrix were investigated as flexible planar capacitors on Cu foils. Dielectric performance depended on the volume fraction and size of CCTO particles dispersed in the cured polymer matrix. As a result, the thick films containing 33.3 vol.% CCTO with an average particle size of 0.47 μm exhibited a dielectric constant of ~80 and a dielectric loss of ~0.06 at 10 kHz. The effective medium theory model incorporating a morphology fitting parameter has been proven to be most close to the experimental values.
Influence of Chemical Composition on the Bioactivity of Spray Pyrolyzed Mesoporous Bioactive Glass
Authors: Shih Shao‐Ju , Sari Dyka Rahayu Meyla , Lin Yu‐Chien
Published: May 2016

SiO2‐CaO‐P2O5‐based mesoporous bioactive glass (MBG) is a potential material for bone implants due to its superior bioactivity. Sol‐gel is a common technique for preparing MBG. Early studies showed that for MBG, the composition and surface area have critical influences on the bioactivity of MBG. However, there is a counteractive effect if both factors are used to enhance the bioactivity of MBG: a higher Ca content (lower Si content) provides more nonbridging oxygen groups, which enhance the bioactivity, but a higher Ca content also allows a lower viscosity at high temperature. Low viscosity is not able to prevent the MBG liquid flowing into the mesopores and results in the reduction of the surface area, which deteriorates the bioactivity. Unlike sol‐gel, spray pyrolysis (SP) offers a rapid cooling rate, which can avoid the lower viscosity and resultant damage to the mesoporous structure, and the rapid cooling rate also preserves more metastable siloxane groups, which enhance the bioactivity. In this study, MBG particles with various Si:Ca ratios were synthesized using SP, and the morphology and bioactivity were investigated. Two typical morphologies, spherical mesoporous and wrinkled mesoporous, were observed. Also, a faster hydroxyl apatite formation time was observed in MBG with lower silica concentration (70 mol% SiO2).
Effects of K2O Evaporation on the Structural Properties of KSbO3 Compounds
Authors: Park Jongseong , Kim Dae‐Hyeon , Park Su‐Jin , Lee Tae‐gon , Im Mir , Kim Jeong‐Seog , Nahm Sahn
Published: May 2016

A specimen having a stoichiometric composition of KSbO3·(KSb) calcined at 800°C has an R rhombohedral structure (RS), and changes to a Pn cubic structure (CS) when calcined at 1100°C. Finally, a <111>‐oriented rhombohedral phase is formed in the specimen calcined at 1230°C. K/Sb ratio decreases from 1.0 in RS, 0.93 in CS, and finally to 0.85 in <111>‐oriented rhombohedral phases. On the other hand, a specimen having a K‐excess composition of K1.1SbO3 calcined at 800°C shows a RS that is maintained in the K‐excess specimen calcined at 1230°C. The composition of these specimens is very close to KSb. Therefore, the RS with a space group of R is a stable form of KSbO3. The formation of Pn cubic and <111>‐oriented R phases can be explained by the evaporation of K2O during the calcination process at temperatures above 1100°C.
Teaching by (bad) example: what a confused attempt to “advance” EBM reveals about its underlying problems: commentary on Jenicek, M. (2015). Do we need another discipline in medicine? From epidemiology and evidence‐based medicine to cognitive medicine and medical thinking. Journal of evaluation in clinical practice, 21:1028‐1034
Authors: Loughlin Michael , Wyer Peter , Tanenbaum Sandra J.
Published: May 2016

Professor Jenicek's paper is confused in that his proposal to ‘integrate’ what he means by ‘evidence‐based scientific theory and cognitive approaches to medical thinking’ actually embodies a contradiction. But, although confused, he succeeds in teaching us more about the EBM debate than those who seem keen to forge ahead without addressing the underlying epistemological problems that Jenicek brings to our attention. Fundamental questions about the relationship between evidence, knowledge and reason still require resolution if we are to see a genuine advance in this debate.
Norovirus Infections in Long‐Term Care Facilities
Authors: Rajagopalan Shobita , Yoshikawa Thomas T.
Published: May 2016

Noroviruses have emerged as one of the leading causes of viral gastroenteritis worldwide, affecting community‐dwelling and institutionalized older adults. Recent global epidemics present a growing challenge to the healthcare system and to long‐term care facilities. Noroviruses spread readily and rapidly through multiple routes (e.g., person‐to‐person contact, contact with contaminated surfaces, airborne dissemination of vomitus) and thus are able to sustain an epidemic efficiently and successfully. Although norovirus gastroenteritis is a short self‐limited illness in healthy immunocompetent individuals, it can result in significant morbidity and mortality in vulnerable compromised persons such as frail elderly persons and older residents of nursing homes. Diagnosis is made by clinical assessment and confirmed primarily by stool evaluation using polymerase chain reaction. Treatment is confined to supportive measures. Public health prevention and control strategies provide guidance regarding surveillance and the necessary steps to curb the clinical effect and spread of norovirus infections in various settings, including long‐term care.
Depressive Symptoms and Orthostatic Hypotension Are Risk Factors for Unexplained Falls in Community‐Living Older People
Authors: Menant Jasmine C. , Wong Alfred K. W. , Trollor Julian N. , Close Jacqueline C. T. , Lord Stephen R.
Published: May 2016

Objectives

To investigate risk factors for unexplained falls in older community‐dwelling individuals.

Design

Prospective cohort study.

Setting

Community population, Sydney, Australia.

Participants

Older adults (N = 529; mean age 79.8 ± 4.4, 52.2% female).

Measurements

Participants provided information demographic, medical, and medication characteristics and completed cardiovascular (tilt table test, pulse wave velocity), cognitive, and sensorimotor assessments at baseline. Falls were then recorded in monthly fall diaries for 12 months. Unexplained fallers (UFs) were those who reported falls due to a blackout, dizziness, feeling faint, or “found themselves suddenly on the ground.”

Results

Of the 523 participants available at follow‐up, 238 (45.5%) reported one or more falls; 35 participants fulfilled the definition of UFs. UFs were more likely than balance‐related fallers (BFs) (n = 203) and nonfallers (n = 291) to have orthostatic hypotension (39.4%, 20.5% and 22.4%, respectively) and depressive symptoms (24.2%, 10.1%, and 7.9% respectively). More UFs (88.6%) than BFs (70.9%) had injurious falls. A multivariate logistic regression model revealed that depressive symptoms and orthostatic hypotension were significant and independent determinants of UF status.

Conclusion

Approximately 15% of fallers had unexplained falls, which were more likely to result in injuries. Depressive symptoms and orthostatic hypotension increased the risk of unexplained falls, whereas cognitive deficits and sensorimotor and balance impairments did not. Future research should investigate whether psychotherapy and physical exercise to improve mood and medication reviews and nonpharmacological therapies for the treatment of orthostatic hypotension and depression are effective at reducing the risk of unexplained falls in older people.
Effect of transarterial embolization for post‐partum hemorrhage on subsequent pregnancy
Authors: Nakamura Yuko , Aoki Shigeru , Takebayashi Shigeo , Hirahara Fumiki
Published: May 2016

Although pregnancy after transarterial embolization (TAE) has occasionally been reported, gelatin sponge was used as the embolic agent in most of these cases. Reports on the effect of TAE with permanent embolic agents such as N‐butyl cyanoacrylate or coil on subsequent pregnancies are rare. We describe placenta accreta associated with difficult hemostasis in two patients who became pregnant after TAE with permanent embolic agents. In pregnancy after TAE with permanent embolic agents, placenta accreta occurs frequently and well‐developed collateral vessels are highly likely, resulting in difficult hemostasis. Although the acceptability of pregnancy after TAE with permanent embolic agents is controversial, patients should be informed that pregnancy is extremely high risk.
Susceptibility‐Weighted Imaging of Glioma: Update on Current Imaging Status and Future Directions
Authors: Hsu Charlie Chia‐Tsong , Watkins Trevor William , Kwan Gigi Nga Chi , Haacke E. Mark
Published: May 2016

Susceptibility‐weighted imaging (SWI) provides invaluable insight into glioma pathophysiology and internal tumoral architecture. The physical contribution of intratumoral susceptibility signal (ITSS) may correspond to intralesional hemorrhage, calcification, or tumoral neovascularity. In this review, we present emerging evidence of ITSS for assessment of intratumoral calcification, grading of glioma, and factors influencing the pattern of ITSS in glioblastoma. SWI phase imaging assists in identification of intratumoral calcification that aids in narrowing the differential diagnosis. Development of intratumoral calcification posttreatment of glioma serves as an imaging marker of positive therapy response. Grading of tumors with ITSS using information attributed to microhemorrhage and neovascularity in SWI correlates with MR perfusion parameters and histologic grading of glioma and enriches preoperative prognosis. Quantitative susceptibility mapping may provide a means to discriminate subtle calcifications and hemorrhage in tumor imaging. Recent data suggest ITSS patterns in glioblastoma vary depending on tumoral volume and sublocation and correlate with degree of intratumoral necrosis and neovascularity. Increasingly, there is a recognized role of obtaining contrast‐enhanced SWI (CE‐SWI) for assessment of tumoral margin in high‐grade glioma. Significant higher concentration of gadolinium accumulates at the border of the tumoral invasion zone as seen on the SWI sequence; this results from contrast‐induced phase shift that clearly delineates the tumor margin. Lastly, absence of ITSS may aid in differentiation between high‐grade glioma and primary CNS lymphoma, which typically shows absence of ITSS. We conclude that SWI and CE‐SWI are indispensable tools for diagnosis, preoperative grading, posttherapy surveillance, and assessment of glioma.
Xanthomonas citri ssp. citri requires the outer membrane porin OprB for maximal virulence and biofilm formation
Authors: Ficarra Florencia A. , Grandellis Carolina , Galván Estela M. , Ielpi Luis , Feil Regina , Lunn John E. , Gottig Natalia , Ottado Jorgelina
Published: May 2016

Xanthomonas citri ssp. citri (Xcc) causes canker disease in citrus, and biofilm formation is critical for the disease cycle. OprB (Outer membrane protein B) has been shown previously to be more abundant in Xcc biofilms compared with the planktonic state. In this work, we showed that the loss of OprB in an oprB mutant abolishes bacterial biofilm formation and adherence to the host, and also compromises virulence and efficient epiphytic survival of the bacteria. Moreover, the oprB mutant is impaired in bacterial stress resistance. OprB belongs to a family of carbohydrate transport proteins, and the uptake of glucose is decreased in the mutant strain, indicating that OprB transports glucose. Loss of OprB leads to increased production of xanthan exopolysaccharide, and the carbohydrate intermediates of xanthan biosynthesis are also elevated in the mutant. The xanthan produced by the mutant has a higher viscosity and, unlike wild‐type xanthan, completely lacks pyruvylation. Overall, these results suggest that Xcc reprogrammes its carbon metabolism when it senses a shortage of glucose input. The participation of OprB in the process of biofilm formation and virulence, as well as in metabolic changes to redirect the carbon flux, is discussed. Our results demonstrate the importance of environmental nutrient supply and glucose uptake via OprB for Xcc virulence.
The Wage Inflation‐Unemployment Curve at the Macroeconomic Level
Authors: López‐Villavicencio Antonia , Saglio Sophie
Published: May 2016

Based on the reduced form New Keynesian Wage Phillips Curve, we estimate wage rigidity and indexation at the aggregate level in several advanced countries for the 1985–2014 period. We document that the wage setting process is heterogenous among our sample of countries: nominal wage rigidities are more important in the United States, while wage indexation is dominant in European Countries. We also present evidence that indexation to past inflation has decrease as inflation stabilizes at lower levels. In addition, our results suggest that wage rigidity is not linked to the institutional environment at the macroeconomic level. Finally, we show that there is significant time variation in the estimated coefficients on the implied equation that is usually not taken into account in the theoretical literature.
Woodstoich III: Integrating tools of nutritional geometry and ecological stoichiometry to advance nutrient budgeting and the prediction of consumer‐driven nutrient recycling
Authors: Sperfeld Erik , Halvorson Halvor M. , Malishev Matthew , Clissold Fiona J. , Wagner Nicole D.
Published: May 2016

Within the last two decades, ecological stoichiometry (ES) and nutritional geometry (NG, also known as geometric framework for nutrition) have delivered novel insights into core questions of nutritional ecology. These two nutritionally explicit frameworks differ in the ‘nutrient currency’ used and the focus of their past research; behavioural feeding strategies in NG, mainly investigating terrestrial organisms, and trophic ecology in ES, mainly in aquatic settings. However, both NG and ES have developed in explaining patterns across various scales of biological organization. Integrating specific tools of these frameworks could advance the field of nutritional ecology by unifying theoretical and empirical approaches from the organismal to ecosystem level processes. Toward this integration, we identified 1) nutrient/element budgets as a shared concept of both frameworks that encompass nutrient intake, retention, and release, 2) response surface plots of NG as powerful tools to illustrate processes at the organismal level and 3) the concept of consumer‐driven nutrient recycling (CNR) of ES as a useful tool bridging organism and ecosystem scales. We applied response surface plots to element budget data from an ES study to show how this approach can deliver new insights at the organismal level, e.g. by showing the interplay between egestion and excretion depending simultaneously on the consumed amount of carbon and phosphorus based on variation across individuals. By integrating concepts of ES and NG to model microbial uptake and mineralization of nitrogenous wastes reported in a NG study, we also demonstrate that considering biochemically explicit mineralization rates of organic wastes can improve predictions of CNR by reducing over‐ or underestimation of mineralization depending on the quality of the consumer's diet. Our presented tools and approaches can help to bridge the organismal and ecosystem level, advancing the predictive power of studies in nutritional ecology at multiple ecological scales.
Defibrillation Testing Strategies of Pediatric and Adult Congenital Electrophysiologists during ICD Implantation
Authors: BAYSA SHERRIE JOY A. , OLEN MELISSA , KANTER RONALD J. , FISHBERGER STEVEN B.
Published: May 2016

Background

Recently, there has been an increasing number of internal medicine‐trained electrophysiologists who choose not to test for acute defibrillation efficacy during implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) implantation. It is not known whether this same trend is seen in pediatric electrophysiologists, who care primarily for patients with congenital heart disease or primary electrical problems.

Methods

Through a 14‐question survey created on Survey Monkey, we asked the members of the Pediatric and Adult Congenital Electrophysiology Society (PACES) for their approach to ICD implantation. In particular, respondents were asked for their individual practice preferences on testing for acute defibrillation efficacy, including methods used for testing.

Results

There were 108 survey respondents. Thirty‐nine percent test acute defibrillation efficacy at all implants, while 46% test in most patients, barring any clinical concerns. Another 14% routinely test during initial ICD system implants but not during generator changes with existing leads. Less than 1% of respondents do not routinely test acute defibrillation efficacy.

Conclusions

The practice preferences of pediatric electrophysiologists in evaluating for acute defibrillation efficacy during ICD implants are in contrast to the recent trend in their internal medicine‐trained counterparts. More studies are needed to determine if practice changes should be considered in the pediatric and adult congenital patient population.
Ablating the Imperceptible: A Novel Application of Para‐Hisian Pacing
Authors: IP JAMES E. , CHEUNG JIM W. , LIU CHRISTOPHER F. , THOMAS GEORGE , MARKOWITZ STEVEN M. , LERMAN BRUCE B.
Published: May 2016

In some elderly patients with atrial fibrillation, especially in combination with heart failure, a rate control strategy may be preferred. When pharmacological therapy is ineffective or not tolerated, it is reasonable to perform atrioventricular (AV) node ablation with ventricular pacing. We describe a case in which this approach was necessary for management. However, the presence of periprocedural, drug‐induced AV block just before ablation provided a unique and challenging circumstance. We discuss the steps taken to ensure a successful procedure.
Personality Traits and Political Ideology: A First Global Assessment
Authors: Fatke Matthias
Published: May 2016

This article presents the first assessment of how the five‐factor model of personality and political ideology are associated across the world. Personality traits become more and more important in the study of political behavior. And the relationship with ideology virtually parallels the history of this line of research. Yet, many existing studies are limited to single, highly developed countries and mostly draw on nonrandom or nonrepresentative samples. Our study, in contrasts, makes use of the most recent wave of the World Value Survey and analyzes the relationship comparatively in 21 countries from all continents. Results corroborate the most prominent findings about personality and ideology. However, effects of personality traits cannot be generalized easily across the world as effects vary considerably from country to country. Therefore, we additionally analyze specific preferences concerning social and economic policies on the one side. On the other, we theorize as well as model the moderating role of the country context by introducing cross‐level interaction effects.
Molecular phylogeny, morphology and toxigenicity of Ostreopsis cf. siamensis (Dinophyceae) from temperate south‐east Australia
Authors: Verma Arjun , Hoppenrath Mona , Harwood Tim , Brett Steve , Rhodes Lesley , Murray Shauna
Published: May 2016

Ostreopsis is a genus of dinoflagellates that includes species producing palytoxin and structurally related compounds. The distribution of Ostreopsis species in Australia is largely unknown, but they have been reported from north Queensland (18°
S) to Tasmania (41–43°
S). Ostreopsis spp. have been recurrently reported from estuaries around New South Wales, with persistent occurrences in Merimbula Lake inlet throughout the year. We isolated and characterized a strain of Ostreopsis cf. siamensis using light and scanning electron microscopy as well as molecular sequences of small subunit (SSU), large subunit (LSU) and ITS regions of ribosomal DNA. The strain grew significantly faster in low nutrient concentrations. Palytoxin‐like compounds were produced by the strain, as determined by chemical analysis, and the LD
50 of the cell extract by intraperitoneal injection in mice was 25.1 mg kg−1. This is the first comprehensive molecular, morphological and toxicological study of an Ostreopsis species from Australian waters. Increasing reports of Ostreopsis from temperate waters suggest an empirical need to expand the knowledge of their diversity and distribution to aid aquaculture monitoring in Australian estuaries.
Incorporating Time‐Dose‐Response into Legionella Outbreak Models
Authors: Prasad Bidya , Hamilton Kerry A. , Haas Charles N.
Published: May 2016

A novel method was used to incorporate in vivo host–pathogen dynamics into a new robust outbreak model for legionellosis. Dose‐response and time‐dose‐response (TDR) models were generated for Legionella longbeachae exposure to mice via the intratracheal route using a maximum likelihood estimation approach. The best‐fit TDR model was then incorporated into two L. pneumophila outbreak models: an outbreak that occurred at a spa in Japan, and one that occurred in a Melbourne aquarium. The best‐fit TDR from the murine dosing study was the beta‐Poisson with exponential‐reciprocal dependency model, which had a minimized deviance of 32.9. This model was tested against other incubation distributions in the Japan outbreak, and performed consistently well, with reported deviances ranging from 32 to 35. In the case of the Melbourne outbreak, the exponential model with exponential dependency was tested against non‐time‐dependent distributions to explore the performance of the time‐dependent model with the lowest number of parameters. This model reported low minimized deviances around 8 for the Weibull, gamma, and lognormal exposure distribution cases. This work shows that the incorporation of a time factor into outbreak distributions provides models with acceptable fits that can provide insight into the in vivo dynamics of the host‐pathogen system.