bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Futures engineering in complex systems
Authors: Bashiri Hassan , Nazemi Amir , Mobinidehkordi Ali
Published: April 2017

Purpose

This paper attempts to apply complex theory in futures studies and addresses prediction challenges when the system is complex. The purpose of the research is to design a framework to engineer the futures in complex systems where components are divers and inter-related. Relations cannot be interpreted by cause and effect concept.

Design/methodology/approach

First, the authors shaped a conceptual framework based on engineering, complex theory and uncertainty. To extract tacit knowledge of experts, an online questionnaire was developed. To validate the proposed framework, a workshop method was adapted with NetLogo simulation.

Findings

Opinion of participants in the workshop which is collected through quantitative questionnaire shows that the framework helps us in understanding and shaping scenarios. Harnessing the complexity in developing the futures was the main objective of this paper with the proposed framework which has been realized based on the experience gained from the workshop.

Originality/value

Iterative processes are very important to harness the complexity in systems with uncertainty. The novelty of the research is a combination of engineering achievements in terms of computation, simulation and applying tools with futures studies methods.
The diversity of befriending by, and of, older people
Authors: Moriarty Jo , Manthorpe Jill
Published: April 2017

Purpose

There is increasing interest in befriending services that aim to combat loneliness among older people. The purpose of this paper is to use the Equality Act 2010 as a framework for considering why older people might need these services and why some groups are over and under represented among service users.

Design/methodology/approach

Databases, websites and other resources were searched systematically for material on befriending. The final review consisted of 80 items, ranging from research articles, reports, and toolkits.

Findings

Individual face to face befriending has been the mainstay of the type of befriending support for older people. The increasing diversity of the older population and reductions in funding has led to adaptations of this model for different groups living in different circumstances.

Research limitations/implications

The resources and time available to conduct the review were limited. It is possible that some relevant material was not identified.

Practical implications

Practitioners working with older people need to know about befriending schemes available in their area and consider the reasons why some groups of older people might be reluctant to use them or require specialist schemes.

Originality/value

Existing research on befriending rarely reports the demographic characteristics of those using the service in detail or considers why some groups of older people might have greater needs for befriending services or be reluctant to use them. The Equality Act 2010 provides a structured framework for considering diversity in access to, and use of, services.
Falls prevention: access and acceptability to all?
Authors: Manthorpe Jill , Moriarty Jo
Published: April 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the equalities’ dimension of falls prevention services in light of the Equality Act 2010 and its protected characteristics. Research and policy are discussed in light of the Act and public services’ duties to be aware of their responsibilities.

Design/methodology/approach

An initial research review was undertaken in 2012 and updated in 2016.

Findings

The research on falls prevention services does not always collect data on users of the service and services do not always collect data about their users that would enable them to build a picture of their users in line with the Equality Act 2010.

Practical implications

Services and commissioners will need to be able to show that the services funded by the public purse are accessible, acceptable and appropriate to the UK’s increasingly diverse older population. This paper describes some of the existing resources and research papers that contain elements of attention to the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010.

Originality/value

This is an update on a research review undertaken in 2012.
Community-based research and approaches to loneliness prevention
Authors: Barke Jenny
Published: April 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report on research with older people that explored experiences of loneliness in order to consider community level approaches to prevent and reduce feelings of loneliness.

Design/methodology/approach

This research was co-produced with a community research group and involved a series of in-depth interviews (n=14) with older people. Interviews were thematically analysed.

Findings

Analysis revealed three key themes: connecting and disconnecting, points of vulnerability and older identity. Social connections were important to participants and many felt disconnected at times. Findings underline the importance of understanding the social perceptions of older people and how individuals themselves conceptualise older age.

Research limitations/implications

Further research is needed to explore the value of social media in reducing feelings of loneliness generally. With regards to social implication the author suggests that older people need to be more visible and loneliness needs to be normalised and discussed without stigmatisation. In practical terms as people get older, and particularly as they retire, people need opportunities to re/engage with their geographically local community. The author suggests that preventing loneliness may mean finding supportive structures to enable this such as local community-based retirement classes. It is important to note that this research concentrated on one particular community in Bristol and needs to be replicated in order to further explore findings.

Originality/value

This research adopted a co-produced approach and involved community professionals, academics and local older people working together to explore the issue of loneliness. The author believes this has led to a greater breadth and depth of insight.
Bone mineral density and fractures after surgical menopause: systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Fakkert IE , Teixeira N , Abma EM , Slart RHJA , Mourits MJE , de Bock GH
Published: April 2017

Background

Oophorectomy is recommended for women at increased risk for ovarian cancer. When performed at premenopausal age oophorectomy induces acute surgical menopause, with unwanted consequences.

Objective

To investigate bone mineral density (BMD) and fracture prevalence after surgical menopause.

Search strategy

A literature search of PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane library was performed with no date restriction. Date of last search was March 1st, 2016.

Selection criteria

Primary studies reporting on BMD, T‐scores or fracture prevalence in women with surgical menopause and age‐matched control groups.

Data collection and analysis

Data were extracted on BMD (g/cm2), T‐scores and fracture prevalence in women with surgical menopause and control groups. Quality was assessed by an adaptation of the Downs and Black checklist. Random effects models were used to meta‐analyse results of studies reporting on BMD or fracture rates.

Main results

Seventeen studies were included, comprising 43 386 women with surgical menopause. Ten studies provided sufficient data for meta‐analysis. BMD after surgical menopause was significantly lower than in premenopausal age‐matched women [mean difference lumbar spine, −0.15 g/cm2 (95% CI, −0.19 to −0.11 g/cm2); femoral neck, −0.17 g/cm2 (95% CI, −0.23 to −0.11 g/cm2)] but not lower than in women with natural menopause [lumbar spine, −0.02 g/cm2 (95% CI, −0.04 to 0.00 g/cm2); femoral neck, 0.04 g/cm2 (95% CI, −0.09 to 0.16 g/cm2)]. Hip fracture rate was not higher after surgical menopause compared with natural menopause [hazard ratio: 0.85 (95% CI, 0.70 to 1.04)].

Author's conclusions

No evident effect of surgical menopause was observed on BMD and fracture prevalence compared with natural menopause. However, available studies are prone to bias and need to be interpreted with caution.

Tweetable abstract

Bone health after menopause: no evidence for additional effect of surgical menopause on BMD and fractures.
Quantification of Methamphetamine in Mouse Thighbones Buried in Soil
Authors: Nakao Ken‐ichiro , Tatara Yuki , Kibayashi Kazuhiko
Published: April 2017

Bone samples are used for analysis of drugs in decomposed or skeletonized bodies. Toxicological analyses of buried bones are important for determining the causes and circumstances of death. In this study, methamphetamine and amphetamine concentrations in heart blood, thigh muscles, and thighbones were analyzed using solid‐phase extraction with liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Methamphetamine concentrations in heart blood, thigh muscle, and thighbone ranged from 0.041 to 0.873 μg/mL, 0.649 to 2.623 μg/g, and 56.543 to 643.371 μg/g, respectively. Thighbone concentrations were significantly higher than those in heart blood or thigh muscles were. Methamphetamine concentrations in buried thighbone (4.010–45.785 μg/g) were significantly lower than those of unburied thighbones were (56.543–643.371 μg/g). Methamphetamine and amphetamine were detected in thighbones buried for 7–180 days. These findings indicate that the methamphetamine concentrations in bone are higher and decrease after burial in soil.
Factors influencing hospital foodservice staff's capacity to deliver a nutrition intervention
Authors: Collins Jorja , Huggins Catherine E. , Porter Judi , Palermo Claire
Published: April 2017

Aim

Implementation of an intervention can result in a discrepancy between what was planned and what is delivered, affecting outcomes for recipients. The aim was to explore, from the perspective of hospital foodservice staff, their experiences delivering a nutrition intervention and the barriers and enablers to its implementation.

Methods

A process evaluation of a pilot study was undertaken using qualitative description. A purposive sample (n = 15) of hospital foodservice supervisors and foodservice assistants responsible for delivering a higher energy menu to hospital patients participated in focus groups and semistructured interviews. Theoretical frameworks of behaviour underpinned the method. Content analysis elicited factors (sub‐themes) influencing foodservice staff's capability, opportunity and motivation to provide the nutrition intervention. Thematic analysis (by two independent researchers) further explored factors (themes) related to the process of the intervention's implementation.

Results

Five key themes (and 15 sub‐themes) explained factors effecting implementation of the nutrition intervention. Aspects of the foodservice environment and patients’ resistance were barriers to implementation and perceived sustainability. Teamwork, problem solving, leadership and job satisfaction were enablers. There was an opportunity to optimise training and feedback. Characteristics of foodservice staff, including their: knowledge, beliefs and perceptions of diet, health and their job role, had the potential to influence their behaviours and decision making.

Conclusions

A number of interacting factors influenced foodservice staff's delivery of a higher energy menu as planned. Addressing the challenges of time, foodservice structure, patients’ resistance, gaps in knowledge and misconceptions among foodservice staff may enhance similar nutrition interventions in the future.
Endobronchial and transbronchial biopsy experience: A United Kingdom survey
Authors: Fallon Janet , Medford Andrew R.L.
Published: April 2017

Background

Trainees are performing fewer bronchoscopies as a result of the increased use of endobronchial ultrasound‐guided transbronchial needle aspiration. Workforce planning and changes in trainee working patterns may also have compounded this situation. We investigated current trends in endobronchial biopsy (EBB) and transbronchial biopsy (TBB) training and competency in respiratory trainees and consultants across the United Kingdom.

Methods

We performed a national survey and received 131 online responses from 58 consultants and 73 registrars across 13 United Kingdom deaneries.

Results

A significant proportion (31%) of consultants, more than half of which were new consultants, had performed <500 bronchoscopies. Bronchoscopic biopsy experience varies widely across trainees and consultants (9.1% of senior trainees and 14.3% of new consultants had performed <100 bronchoscopies). Most trainees and some new consultants reported performing relatively low numbers of EBB (13% <20 and 52% <50 procedures) and TBB (75% of trainees, 36% of new consultants, 12% of established consultants <10 procedures). Significant numbers of trainees do not feel competent in EBB (24%) and TBB (89% of junior trainees, 64% of senior trainees) and some consultants (24% of new and established consultants) wish for support with TBB.

Conclusions

These results have implications for future specialist training, curriculum planning, and service configuration. Training and performance of EBB and TBB may become concentrated in centers with an adequate volume of these procedures. Higher volumes of EBB and TBB may well be more likely to occur paradoxically in centers without endobronchial ultrasound‐guided transbronchial needle aspiration; however, this hypothesis requires further study.
Association of waist circumference with outcomes in an acute general surgical unit
Authors: Ryan Thomas , Gosal Preet , Seal Alexa , McGirr Joe , Williams Nicholas
Published: April 2017

Background

Obesity prevalence is increasing in Australia, particularly in non‐metropolitan areas. The effect of obesity on acute surgical outcomes is not known. We aimed to record waist circumference (WC) (surrogate for obesity) amongst acute surgical unit (ASU) patients in a New South Wales regional hospital, and compare outcome measures (length of stay (LOS), unplanned return to theatre, readmission rates, intensive care unit (ICU) admission and mortality).

Methods

Retrospective cohort study of 4 months of consecutive ASU admissions, excluding age <16, pregnancy, out‐of‐area transfer and incomplete data. Patients were classified according to World Health Organization WC definitions as high‐risk or non‐high‐risk (increased‐risk and no‐risk).

Results

Of 695 admissions, 512 met the inclusion criteria (47.1% female, average age 52.8 years (SD 22.3)), with 85.1% (P < 0.001) of females and 69.4% (P = 0.166) of males having an increased‐ or high‐risk WC. This compares to rates amongst inner regional populations of 71.0% (female) and 66.4% (male). LOS was longer for high‐risk patients (5.0 days versus 3.7 days, P = 0.002). However, the mean age of high‐risk patients was greater (56.6 years versus 46.9 years, P = 0.001) and LOS was longer for those aged ≥60 (P < 0.001). After controlling for age, high‐risk WC was not associated with any outcome measure, except amongst ICU admissions, where high‐risk patients stayed longer (15.5 days versus 6.8 days, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Increased‐ and high‐risk WC was overrepresented amongst female ASU patients. High‐risk WC was associated with a significantly greater LOS in patients admitted to ICU. High‐risk WC was not associated with other outcomes independent of age. WC is useful for quantifying obesity in the inpatient setting.
Uterine adenomyosis and infertility, review of reproductive outcome after in vitro fertilization and surgery
Authors: Dueholm Margit
Published: April 2017

This review includes an analysis of the clinical studies evaluating reproductive outcome and adenomyosis, and a review of studies on reproductive outcome and surgical treatment options for adenomyosis. Strict diagnostic criteria and classification of disease are needed for an image diagnosis of adenomyosis. Studies of in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) populations and women with surgically treated deep endometriosis have suggested that adenomyosis has a negative impact on reproductive outcome, although there are substantial variations between studies. Few data are available on the relation between the extent of disease and impact on reproductive outcome, but a correlation appears to exist. Case series seem to confirm a positive effect of gonadotropin‐releasing hormone analog treatment and surgery on reproductive outcome, but there are no controlled trials. Evidence is impaired by the poor quality of many studies, a lack of strict image diagnosis, and the absence of a classification of the extent of disease. Selection of the optimal evidence‐based treatment options for adenomyosis in the fertility clinic is difficult because of a lack of evidence regarding the relation between fertility and the degree and composition of adenomyosis. Adenomyosis may reduce implantation so severely that surgical or other treatment options should be recommended, but the benefit of these treatment options needs to be verified. Referral of women with adenomyosis and recurrent miscarriage and repeated failure of assisted reproductive technology to centers with a special interest in adenomyosis research and treatment may be critical.
Using internal and external reviewers can help to optimise neonatal mortality and morbidity conferences
Authors: Assaad Michael‐Andrew , Janvier Annie , Lapointe Anie
Published: April 2017

Aim

This study determined whether there was a difference in the conclusions reached by neonatologists in morbidity and mortality conferences based on their level of involvement in a case.

Methods

All neonatal deaths occurring between August 2014 and September 2015 at the neonatal intensive care unit of Sainte‐Justine Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, were reviewed by internal physicians involved in the case and external physicians who were not. The reviewers were asked to identify positive and negative clinical practice items and provide written recommendations. These were classified into eight categories and compared for each case.

Results

During the study, 55 patients died leading to 110 reviews and a total of 590 positive and negative items. Most items were in the communication (25.2%), ethical decision‐making (16.7%) and clinical management (14.8%) categories. Both the internal and external reviewers were in agreement 48.5% of the time for positive items and 44.8% for negative items. There were 242 written recommendations, which differed significantly among the internal and external reviewers.

Conclusion

Reviews of neonatal deaths by two independent reviewers, internal physicians and external physicians, led to different positive and negative practice items and recommendations. This could allow for a richer discussion and improve recommendations for patient care.
Control mechanisms for producing antimicrobial factors in ruminant mammary gland
Authors: Isobe Naoki
Published: April 2017

Mastitis, a symptom of inflammation in mammary tissue by infection with various kinds of bacteria, causes huge economic losses in the milk industry. One of the popular methods for treatment of mastitis is antibiotics, although this prohibits milk shipping and sometimes causes resistant microbes. Therefore, a new strategy to treat mastitis without antibiotics is eagerly required around the world. Antimicrobial factors belong to innate immunity and can start their function extremely early after bacterial stimulation. These factors have antimicrobial activity for a broad spectrum of bacteria. Elucidation of causal mechanisms and functions of antimicrobial factors in the mammary gland is thought to result in suitable methods for prevention and treatment of mastitis. Therefore, this review introduces traits of some antimicrobial factors and the mechanisms for expressing, producing and secreting them in the mammary gland. For antimicrobial factors, lingual antimicrobial peptide (LAP), S100A7, cathelicidin and lactoferrin are controlled in different sites and different time courses, suggesting that antimicrobial factors play different roles for local defense against bacterial infection in the mammary gland. These findings will contribute to the development of prevention and treatment methods for mastitis.
Social defeat models in animal science: What we have learned from rodent models
Authors: Toyoda Atsushi
Published: April 2017

Studies on stress and its impacts on animals are very important in many fields of science, including animal science, because various stresses influence animal production and animal welfare. In particular, the social stresses within animal groups have profound impact on animals, with the potential to induce abnormal behaviors and health problems. In humans, social stress induces several health problems, including psychiatric disorders. In animal stress models, social defeat models are well characterized and used in various research fields, particularly in studies concerning mental disorders. Recently, we have focused on behavior, nutrition and metabolism in rodent models of social defeat to elucidate how social stresses affect animals. In this review, recent significant progress in studies related to animal social defeat models are described. In the field of animal science, these stress models may contribute to advances in the development of functional foods and in the management of animal welfare.
Does IFRS Mandatory Adoption Affect Information Asymmetry in the Stock Market?
Authors: Abad David , Cutillas‐Gomariz M. Fuensanta , Sánchez‐Ballesta Juan Pedro , Yagüe José
Published: April 2017

The purpose of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), adopted mandatorily by European listed firms in 2005, is to increase the transparency and the comparability of accounting information, which should have led to improvements in these firms’ information environments. This study uses market microstructure proxies for information asymmetry to examine the effects of IFRS adoption on the level of information asymmetry in the Spanish stock market. Therefore, we consider a setting with substantial differences between local standards – Spanish Accounting Standards (SAS) ‒ and IFRS and where the level of enforcement is low. By controlling for conventional determinants of information asymmetry and firms’ characteristics that influence their information environments, we find a reduction of information asymmetry after IFRS adoption. Our findings suggest that the mandatory switch from local accounting standards to IFRS conveys benefits to the market, even when the enforcement level is not strong.
Bitcoin – Its Economics for Financial Reporting
Authors: Tan Boon Seng , Low Kin Yew
Published: April 2017

Despite its increasing popularity, no official guidance on the financial reporting of Bitcoin transactions has been provided by standard setters, although tax accounting guidance began to appear in 2014. Designed as a decentralised currency, Bitcoin is not intended to become a reporting currency and will instead complement fiat money. We argue that in the case of Bitcoin the accounting principle of faithful representation requires interpretation of the economic substance for financial reporting that varies with reporting entity: trading firms recognise Bitcoin like a foreign currency and measure the revenue, or expense, at the equivalent amount of the reporting currency and digital currency exchanges recognise Bitcoin as goods in line with tax accounting treatment. An Economica paper by Radford (1945), which describes the use of cigarettes as commodity money in a prisoner of war camp alludes to this economic basis. This paper applies accounting principles to a practical issue and contributes to the process by which standard setters may issue an interpretation.
The Effect of Corporate Social Responsibility on Gender Diversity in the Workplace: Econometric Evidence from Japan
Authors: Kato Takao , Kodama Naomi
Published: April 2017

Using panel data on corporate social responsibility (CSR) matched with corporate proxy statement data for a large and representative sample of 1,492 publicly traded firms in Japan over 2006–2014, we provide fixed effect estimates on the positive and significant effects on gender diversity of CSR. Such effects are, however, felt only after two to three years. The CSR effects are larger and more significant for firms that adhere more closely to the participatory Japanese management system. Our findings are robust to the inclusion of controls capturing the mediating effects of various work–life balance practices, pointing to the direct impact of CSR on gender diversity.
Commonness, rarity, and oligarchies of woody plants in the tropical dry forests of Mexico
Authors: Williams John N. , Trejo Irma , Schwartz Mark W.
Published: April 2017

We assessed woody plant communities in two widely separated forests in the tropical dry forest (TDF) biome of Mexico for evidence of similar patterns of species commonness and rarity. We used belt transects laid out along contour lines (i.e., constant elevation) and stratified across elevation gradients at sites in Jalisco and Oaxaca to sample woody plant species diversity, abundance, relative frequency and basal area. We assembled a combined species list and compared species found in both sites (shared) to species found in only one site, assessing whether the most and least common species at a site tended to be shared or unshared. Of the 8242 individuals sampled, 370 species or morpho‐species were identified, with 222 species recorded at the Jalisco site and 270 at the Oaxaca site—122 (33%) species were shared across sites. Abundance, frequency and basal area of shared species were greater on average than for unshared species, and were positively correlated across sites. A subset of 68 shared species (18%) accounted for over half of all individuals encountered at the two sites. Species in the most common quartile were more likely to be shared than expected by chance, while species in the least common quartile were less likely. A genus‐level analysis found similar patterns. Our findings suggest that theTDFof Pacific coast Mexico shows evidence of widespread dominance by a small subset of species. These findings have potentially important implications for predicting species composition, understanding the role of oligarchic species in ecological processes, and conserving rare species.
The Influence of First‐Hand Testimony and Hearsay on Children's Belief in the Improbable
Authors: Lane Jonathan D. , Ronfard Samuel , El‐Sherif Diana
Published: April 2017

Children (3.5–8.5 years; n = 105) heard claims about the occurrence of improbable or impossible events, then were asked whether the events could really happen. Some claims were based on informants' first‐hand observations and others were hearsay. A baseline group (n = 56) reported their beliefs about these events without hearing testimony. Neither first‐hand claims nor hearsay influenced beliefs about impossible events, which remained low across the age range. Hearsay (but not first‐hand claims) did influence beliefs about improbable events. Preschoolers expressed greater belief following hearsay, compared to their beliefs following first‐hand claims and compared to the baseline group's beliefs. By contrast, older children expressed less belief following hearsay, compared to their beliefs following first‐hand claims and compared to the baseline group's beliefs.
Metformin as targeted treatment in fragile X syndrome
Authors: Dy A.B.C. , Tassone F. , Eldeeb M. , Salcedo‐Arellano M.J. , Tartaglia N. , Hagerman R.
Published: April 2017

Background

Individuals with fragile X syndrome (FXS) have both behavioral and medical comorbidities and the latter include obesity in approximately 30% and the Prader‐Willi Phenotype (PWP) characterized by severe hyperphagia and morbid obesity in less than 10%. Metformin is a drug used in individuals with type 2 diabetes, obesity or impaired glucose tolerance and it has a strong safety profile in children and adults. Recently published studies in the Drosophila model and the knock out mouse model of FXS treated with metformin demonstrate the rescue of multiple phenotypes of FXS.

Materials and Methods

We present 7 cases of individuals with FXS who have been treated with metformin clinically. One case with type 2 diabetes, 3 cases with the PWP, 2 adults with obesity and/or behavioral problems and, a young child with FXS. These individuals were clinically treated with metformin and monitored for behavioral changes with the Aberrant Behavior Checklist and metabolic changes with a fasting glucose and HgbA1c.

Results

We found consistent improvements in irritability, social responsiveness, hyperactivity, and social avoidance, in addition to comments from the family regarding improvements in language and conversational skills. No significant side‐effects were noted and most patients with obesity lost weight.

Conclusion

We recommend a controlled trial of metformin in those with FXS. Metformin appears to be an effective treatment of obesity including those with the PWP in FXS. Our study suggests that metformin may also be a targeted treatment for improving behavior and language in children and adults with FXS.
Limited evidence of abnormal intra‐colonic pressure profiles in diverticular disease – a systematic review
Authors: Jaung R. , Robertson J. , O'Grady G. , Milne T. , Rowbotham D. , Bissett I. P.
Published: April 2017

Aim

Abnormal colonic pressure profiles and high intraluminal pressures are postulated to contribute to the formation of sigmoid colon diverticulosis and the pathophysiology of diverticular disease. This study aimed to review evidence for abnormal colonic pressure profiles in diverticulosis.

Method

All published studies investigating colonic pressure in patients with diverticulosis were searched in three databases (Medline, Embase, Scopus). No language restrictions were applied. Any manometry studies in which patients with diverticulosis were compared with controls were included. The Newcastle−Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale (NOS) for case−control studies was used as a measure of risk of bias. A cut‐off of five or more points on the NOS (fair quality in terms of risk of bias) was chosen for inclusion in the meta‐analysis.

Results

Ten studies (published 1962−2005) met the inclusion criteria. The studies followed a wide variety of protocols and all used low‐resolution manometry (sensor spacing range 7.5−15 cm). Six studies compared intra‐sigmoid pressure, with five of six showing higher pressure in diverticulosis vs controls, but only two reached statistical significance. A meta‐analysis was not performed as only two studies were above the cut‐off and these did not have comparable outcomes.

Conclusion

This systematic review of manometry data shows that evidence for abnormal pressure in the sigmoid colon in patients with diverticulosis is weak. Existing studies utilized inconsistent methodology, showed heterogeneous results and are of limited quality. Higher quality studies using modern manometric techniques and standardized reporting methods are needed to clarify the role of colonic pressure in diverticulosis.
Does bowel preparation for inflammatory bowel disease surgery matter?
Authors: Shwaartz C. , Fields A. C. , Sobrero M. , Divino C. M.
Published: April 2017

Aim

The purpose of this study was to determine if bowel preparation influences outcomes in patients with inflammatory bowel disease undergoing surgery.

Methods

The database of the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program, Procedure Targeted Colectomy, from 2012 to 2014 was analyzed. Inflammatory bowel disease patients undergoing colorectal resection with or without bowel preparation were included in the study.

Results

In all, 3679 patients with inflammatory bowel disease were identified. 42.5% had no bowel preparation, 21.5% had mechanical bowel preparation only, 8.8% had oral antibiotic bowel preparation only and 27.2% had combined mechanical and oral antibiotic preparation. Combined mechanical and oral antibiotic preparation is associated with lower rates of anastomotic leak, ileus, surgical site infection, organ space infection, wound dehiscence and sepsis/septic shock.

Conclusion

Combined mechanical and oral antibiotic preparation for inflammatory bowel disease patients undergoing colectomy is associated with decreased rates of surgical site infection, anastomotic leak, ileus. Combined bowel preparation should be the standard of care for inflammatory bowel disease patients undergoing colorectal resection.
Sea ice resource selection models for polar bears in the Barents Sea subpopulation
Authors: Lone Karen , Merkel Benjamin , Lydersen Christian , Kovacs Kit M. , Aars Jon
Published: April 2017

The extent, thickness and age of Arctic sea ice has dramatically declined since the late 1990s, and these trends are predicted to continue. Exploring the habitat use of sea‐ice‐dependent species can help us understand which resources they use and how their distribution responds to a changing environment. The goal of this study was to develop predictive models of the habitat use of an Arctic apex predator. Polar bear Ursus maritimus habitat use in the Barents Sea subpopulation was modelled with seasonal resource selection functions (RSFs) using satellite‐linked telemetry data from 294 collars deployed on female polar bears between 1991 and 2015. Polar bears selected habitat in the Marginal Ice Zone, with a preference for intermediate sea ice concentrations (40–80%). They spent most time in areas with relatively short travel distances to 15 or 75% ice concentration, and during spring and autumn they exhibited a preference for sea ice areas over the continental shelf or over shallower bathymetry). Predictions of the distribution of polar bears in the Barents Sea area can be made for specific sea ice scenarios using these models. Two such predictive distribution maps based on the autumn seasonal model were made and validated against two independent polar bear survey datasets collected in August 2004 and August 2015. The distribution of optimal polar bear habitat has shifted strongly northwards in all seasons of the year during the 25 yr study period.
Retail revolution and the village shop, c. 1660–1860
Authors: Stobart Jon , Bailey Lucy
Published: April 2017

Village shops have been largely overlooked in the recent literature on British retailing in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, which has sought to redefine the parameters and timing of retail transformation. While urban shops have been explored in detail, often in ways that highlight their role in a parallel transformation in consumption patterns, little attempt has been made to look inside village shops or examine the character and practices of rural retailers. This article addresses this lacuna and offers fresh insights into the shifting position of village shops in these broader economic, business, and social changes. Taking a long view of the period c. 1660–1860, it draws on a wide range of sources to examine the stock sold and the degree of specialization exhibited by village shops, and the changing trading practices of village shopkeepers, including the provision of credit, the pricing of goods, and marketing activities. In doing so, the article highlights both long‐term continuities and important innovations of the type that also characterize urban shops, and argues that village shops, while central to rural social and economic networks, were also intimately bound into broader retail systems.
PISA and its consequences: Shaping education policies through international comparisons
Authors: Niemann Dennis , Martens Kerstin , Teltemann Janna
Published: April 2017

As the field of education has become a highly internationalised policy field in the last decade, international organisations such as the OECD play an ever more decisive role in the dissemination of knowledge, monitoring of outcomes, and research in education policy. Although the OECD lacks any binding governance instruments to put coercion on States or to provide material incentive, it has successively expanded its competences in this field. OECD advanced its status as an expert organisation in the field of education mainly by designing and conducting the international comparative PISA study. With PISA, the OECD was able to greatly influence national education systems. Basically, States were faced with external advice based on sound empirical data that challenged existing domestic policies, politics, and ideas. One prominent case for the impact of PISA is Germany. PISA was a decisive watershed in German education policy‐making. Almost instantly after the PISA results were publicised in late 2001, a comprehensive education reform agenda was put forward in Germany. The experienced reform dynamic was highly surprising because the traditional German education system and politics were characterised by deep‐rooted historical legacies, many involved stakeholders at different levels, and reform‐hampering institutions. Hence, a backlog of grand education reforms have prevailed in Germany since the 1970s. The external pressure exerted by PISA completely changed that situation.
Coparenting Conflict and Academic Readiness in Children of Teen Mothers: Effortful Control as a Mediator
Authors: Jahromi Laudan B. , Zeiders Katharine H. , Updegraff Kimberly A. , Umaña‐Taylor Adriana J. , Bayless Sara Douglass
Published: April 2017

Children's exposure to coparenting conflict has important implications for their developmental functioning, yet limited work has focused on such processes in families with diverse structures or ethnically and culturally diverse backgrounds. This longitudinal study examined the processes by which Mexican‐origin adolescent mothers' coparenting conflict with their 3‐year‐old children's grandmothers and biological fathers (N = 133 families) were linked to children's academic and social skills at 5 years of age, and whether children's effortful control at 4 years of age mediated the link between coparenting conflict and indices of children's academic readiness. Findings revealed that adolescent mothers' coparenting conflict with their child's biological father was linked to indices of children's academic and social school readiness through children's effortful control among girls, but not boys, whereas conflict with grandmothers was directly linked to boys' and girls' social functioning 2 years later. Findings offer information about different mechanisms by which multiple coparenting units in families of adolescent mothers are related to their children's outcomes, and this work has important implications for practitioners working with families of adolescent mothers.
CMBS Subordination, Ratings Inflation, and Regulatory‐Capital Arbitrage
Authors: Stanton Richard , Wallace Nancy
Published: April 2017

Using detailed origination and performance data on a comprehensive sample of commercial mortgage‐backed security (CMBS) deals, along with their underlying loans and a set of similarly rated residential mortgage‐backed securities (RMBS), we apply reduced‐form and structural modeling strategies to test for regulatory‐capital arbitrage and ratings inflation in the CMBS market. We find that the spread between CMBS and corporate‐bond yields fell significantly for ratings AA and AAA after a loosening of capital requirements for highly rated CMBS in 2002, whereas no comparable drop occurred for lower rated bonds (which experienced no similar regulatory change). We also find that CMBS rated below AA upgraded to AA or AAA significantly faster than comparable RMBS (for which there was no change in risk‐based capital requirements). We use a structural model to investigate these results in more detail and find that little else changed in the CMBS market over this period except for the rating agencies' persistent reductions in subordination levels between 1997 and late 2007. Indeed, had the 2005 vintage CMBS used the subordination levels from 2000, there would have been no losses to the senior bonds in most CMBS structures.
Delaying cognitive and physical decline through multidomain interventions for residents with mild‐to‐moderate dementia in dementia care units in Taiwan: A prospective cohort study
Authors: Liang Chih‐Kuang , Chou Ming‐Yueh , Chen Liang‐Yu , Wang Kuei‐Yu , Lin Shih‐Yi , Chen Liang‐Kung , Lin Yu‐Te , Liu Tsung‐Yun , Loh Ching‐Hui
Published: April 2017

Aim

To develop experimental multi‐domain interventions for older people with mild‐to‐moderate dementia, and to evaluate the effect of delaying cognitive and physical decline, and improvement or prevention of geriatric syndromes during 1‐year follow up.

Methods

Participants aged 65 years and older with mild‐to‐moderate dementia (clinical dementia rating [CDR] 1 or 2) were grouped as intervention in Jia‐Li Veterans Home and usual care model in the community (Memory clinic). All residents in Jia‐Li Veterans Home received comprehensive intervention, including Multi‐disciplinary team consultation and intervention, Multi‐component non‐pharmacological management, geriatric syndromes survey and intervention by CGA, and a dementia friendly medical Green channel Approach (2MCGA). The decline of cognitive and physical function are determined by the change of Mini‐Mental State Examination score, CDR and the sum of CDR box, as well as activities of daily living based on the Barthel Index. We also screened geriatric syndromes at baseline and 1 year later.

Results

Participants in the intervention group were older and had a lower educational level, lower body mass index, poor baseline activities of daily living function, lower visual impairment, and higher rates of hearing impairment, polypharmacy and risk of malnutrition. The residents receiving 2MCGA had lower baseline Mini‐Mental State Examination scores, and higher CDR. For residents in Jia‐Li Veterans Home, all cognitive measurements except Mini‐Mental State Examination were significantly associated with delaying the decline of cognition after analyzing by multiple linear regression, and multivariate logistic regression also showed that patients living in the community was independently associated with a higher odds ratio for activities of daily living decline (3.180, 95% CI 1.384–7.308, P = 0.006). There are also more improvement in their baseline geriatric syndromes and suffered less from new geriatric syndromes, including falls, urinary incontinence, and risk of malnutrition.

Conclusions

The 2MCGA intervention shows strong delays in the decline of cognition and physical function for older residents with mild‐to‐moderate dementia. Furthermore, this strategy can also improve or prevent the onset of new geriatric syndromes, especially fall episodes, urinary incontinence and risk of malnutrition. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17 (Suppl. 1): 36–43.
Reduced infectivity of waterborne viable but nonculturable Helicobacter pylori strain SS1 in mice
Authors: Boehnke Kevin F. , Eaton Kathryn A. , Fontaine Clinton , Brewster Rebecca , Wu Jianfeng , Eisenberg Joseph N.S. , Valdivieso Manuel , Baker Laurence H. , Xi Chuanwu
Published: April 2017

Background

Helicobacter pylori infection has been consistently associated with lack of access to clean water and proper sanitation, but no studies have demonstrated that the transmission of viable but nonculturable (VBNC) H. pylori can occur from drinking contaminated water. In this study, we used a laboratory mouse model to test whether waterborne VBNCH. pylori could cause gastric infection.

Materials and Methods

We performed five mouse experiments to assess the infectivity of VBNCH. pylori in various exposure scenarios. VBNC viability was examined using Live/Dead staining and Biolog phenotype metabolism arrays. High doses of VBNCH. pylori in water were chosen to test the “worst‐case” scenario for different periods of time. One experiment also investigated the infectious capabilities of VBNC SS1 using gavage. Further, immunocompromised mice were exposed to examine infectivity among potentially vulnerable groups. After exposure, mice were euthanized and their stomachs were examined for H. pylori infection using culture and PCR methodology.

Results

VBNC cells were membrane intact and retained metabolic activity. Mice exposed to VBNCH. pylori via drinking water and gavage were not infected, despite the various exposure scenarios (immunocompromised, high doses) that might have permitted infection with VBNCH. pylori. The positive controls exposed to viable, culturable H. pylori did become infected.

Conclusions

While other studies that have used viable, culturable SS1 via gavage or drinking water exposures to successfully infect mice, in our study, waterborne VBNC SS1 failed to colonize mice under all test conditions. Future studies could examine different H. pylori strains in similar exposure scenarios to compare the relative infectivity of the VBNC vs the viable, culturable state, which would help inform future risk assessments of H. pylori in water.
Petrogensis and tectonic setting of the Yemaquan granite from the iron‐polymetallic ore area of Qimantag, Eastern Kunlun Mountains, Qinghai–Tibet Plateau
Authors: Zhang Aikui , Mo Xuanxue , Yuan Wanming , Khattak Nimat U. , Feng Chengyou , Zhang Wenquan , Liu Guanglian , Jing Xiangyang , Hao Nana
Published: April 2017

Being a part of the Paleo‐Tethys Ocean, closing of the Buqingshan‐Anyemaqen oceanic basin left a rich geologic record in the East Kunlun Orogenic Belt. The genesis and tectonic setting of the granites including quartz monzodiorite, granodiorite and mozogranite is discussed in light of the geochemical and U–Pb chronological data obtained. U–Pb dating studies on zircon from the quartz monzodiorite and monzogranite of the research area yielded ages of 220.11 ± 0.49 Ma ((Mean Square Weighted Deviates) MSWD = 0.046) and 223.33 ± 0.54 Ma (MSWD = 0.14), respectively, by Laser Ablation Multiple Collector Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA–MC–ICP–MS) method. According to sedimentological and structural investigations, the Paleo‐Tethys Ocean in the Qimantag region began to close at about 235 Ma, and completely disapperared at about 220 Ma. The three types of granites in this study are considered to intrude the syn‐ to post‐collisional stages. The quartz monzodiorite and granodiorite belong to the I‐type granite whereas the monzogranite is of the S‐type granite. These two types of granites were formed by different ways of partial melting: first, partial melting of the lower crust took place as a result of asthenosphere upwelling triggered by break‐up of the leading edge or tearing of the descending oceanic slab. Subsequently partial melting of the middle–lower crust was caused by the underplating of basaltic magma formed by partial melting of the mantle wedge fluxed by fluids liberated by the oceanic slab dehydration. The magma responsible for the formation of S‐type granites appears to have originated from partial melting of the upper crustal material at a shallower level with a clear signature of continental crust.