bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Understanding ageing well in Australian rural and regional settings: Applying an age‐friendly lens
Authors: Hancock Shaun , Winterton Rachel , Wilding Clare , Blackberry Irene
Published: August 2019

Objective

This study investigates how rural community‐dwelling older adults' views on what is important in maintaining health and wellbeing align with the eight age‐friendly domains proposed by the World Health Organisation, and which domains are most salient.

Design

Data were gathered through open‐ended response postcards distributed using a whole‐of‐community approach.

Setting

The Rural City of Wangaratta, a rural local government area located in north‐east Victoria.

Participants

262 postcards were returned by rural older adults, carers and family members.

Main outcome measure

Thematic analysis of open‐ended responses to the following question: what is important to you as you grow older (or your loved one), in terms of keeping healthy and well?

Results

Even though all eight age‐friendly domains were identified as important for health and wellbeing, community and health services was the most frequently discussed domain, followed by transportation and access to outdoor spaces and buildings. However, individual‐level factors, inclusive of personal activities, attitudes and capacities, were also identified as important to rural older adults.

Conclusion

Findings support the use of the World Health Organization's age‐friendly city framework in assessing what is important to rural older adults' health and wellbeing, with the community and health services domain most salient. However, individual‐level activities, attitudes and capacities must also be considered.
Swallowing disorders in an older fractured hip population
Authors: Beric Emily , Smith Rebecca , Phillips Karen , Patterson Corey , Pain Tilley
Published: August 2019

Objective

Dysphagia is prevalent in the older population and might lead to complications, such as pneumonia, malnutrition and dehydration. This study examines an older population post hip‐fracture surgery to examine the factors correlated with dysphagia, severity of dysphagia and the incidence of dysphagia in a regional setting.

Design

This prospective cohort study replicates Love et al's (2013, Age Ageing, 42:782) and compares the studies' results. Participants were assessed for dysphagia within 72 hours post hip‐fracture surgery. Descriptive statistics were used to calculate the incidence and severity of dysphagia, and collate pre‐operative and post‐operative characteristics. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to describe relationships between dysphagia and explanatory variables, and to predict the presence of post‐operative oropharyngeal dysphagia.

Setting

General orthopaedic ward at a North Queensland regional hospital.

Participants

One‐hundred‐three participants: 78 women and 25 men, aged 65‐94 years.

Main outcome measure(s)

The presence and severity of dysphagia were identified based on the clinical judgement of speech pathologists with at least 2 years' experience in managing patients with acute dysphagia.

Result

Fifty‐four per cent of the participants were diagnosed with dysphagia of varying severity. Female sex, post‐operative confusion and living in a residential aged‐care facility prior to admission, significantly predicted dysphagia post‐surgery. Post‐operative confusion and living in a residential aged‐care facility prior to admission, were also significantly correlated with severity of dysphagia post‐operatively.

Conclusion

Dysphagia was present in a higher proportion of this cohort than that reported by Love et al. This highlights the necessity of timely assessment and management of dysphagia in an older population post‐surgery for a fractured hip.
The ageing farming workforce and the health and sustainability of agricultural communities: A narrative review
Authors: O'Meara Peter
Published: August 2019

Objective

To review and synthesise research related to the ageing farming workforce influence on the health and sustainability of agricultural communities.

Design

Using the PRISMA framework as a guide, the CINHAL and Medline databases were searched. Search 1 used the key search terms of ageing OR aging, farm*, workforce. Search 2 used health, sustainability and ‘agricultural OR farm communit*. Search 3 combined Searches 1 and 2. Search 4 followed journal citations to identify other relevant articles. A process of narrative synthesis was applied to the results through the prism of rural social capital that described the current state of knowledge and understanding under four themes.

Result

Database searches and searching of citations identified 16 contemporary articles. Seven of the papers were from Australia, and the balance from five other high‐income countries. The four that themes emerged are: vulnerabilities of ageing farmers; economic and climatic drivers; social capital and sustainability; and integrative strategies, that might offer a way forward.

Conclusion

Integrating these forces of nature, economics and sociology to address the ageing farming workforce and the associated health and sustainability of agricultural communities remains a major challenge for researchers, governments, the agricultural sector and rural communities.
The change in quality of life for older Australians: A rural and urban comparison
Authors: Hancock Shaun , Wells Yvonne
Published: August 2019

Objective

To assess the quality of life of older Australians living in rural and urban communities over time.

Design

Panel survey conducted in 2012‐2013 and 2014‐2015.

Setting

Participants lived in metropolitan Melbourne (urban sample, N = 279), rural Victoria (N = 98) or Tasmania (N = 47).

Participants

All participants (N = 424) were clients of aged care providers or residents in retirement housing or residential care.

Main outcome measures

Quality of life.

Result

A repeated‐measures analysis of variance showed a decrease in quality of life over time. There was no difference in change in quality of life over time by location of participants (urban vs rural). Multiple regression analysis showed that resilience predicted baseline quality of life in all three locations.

Conclusion

These findings generally did not support significant differences between geographic locations in trajectories of older adults' quality of life over time. Instead, individuals' resilience appears to be the strongest predictor of quality of life.
Racial Inequality between Gentrifiers: How the Race of Gentrifiers Affects Retail Development in Gentrifying Neighborhoods
Authors: Somashekhar Mahesh
Published: August 2019

Research often links gentrification to racial inequality. Nevertheless, scholars know surprisingly little about whether the racial composition of gentrifiers moderates the consequences of gentrification. Few quantitative studies compare the effects of gentrification across different racial groups, and those that do tend to limit their outcome of interest to housing. This paper represents perhaps the first ever large–scale assessment of the ways in which gentrifiers’ racial composition is associated with local retail development. Using data on retailers in over 500 U.S. cities between 2000 and 2010, the paper shows that retail development was significantly slower in neighborhoods gentrified by Blacks rather than Whites. Put differently, White gentrifiers gained a disproportionate amount of the retail development associated with gentrification. Scholars must acknowledge that the consequences of gentrification vary depending on the racial composition of gentrifiers, which is likely one reason why the field struggles to appropriately operationalize and measure gentrification.
“Change Agents” on Two Wheels: Claiming Community and Contesting Spatial Inequalities through Cycling in Los Angeles
Authors: Candipan Jennifer
Published: August 2019

This study uses participant observation to examine how an all–female collective in Los Angeles uses urban cycling culture as a way to contest inequalities and advocate for social change in communities of color. Bridging the literatures on gentrification and social movements, I examine how the collective uses the bicycle as a unifying tool to draw disparate individuals together and, through the group's practices and rituals, generates a shared sense of collective identity and politicized consciousness embedded within the uneven spatial development of Los Angeles. I demonstrate how this politicized consciousness drives a collective spirit of resistance that challenges gentrification by reimagining and re–embodying space through organized actions and everyday practices. I find that organized anti–gentrification resistance is not merely reactionary, but rather entails pre–figurative action and visioning for space and community. Overall, findings speak more broadly to how communities of color facing exclusion and marginalization make claims to space and community.
A City for Itself: A Peripheral Mixed City's Struggle for Cultural Capital
Authors: Yavo–Ayalon Sharon , Aharon–Gutman Meirav , Alon–Mozes Tal
Published: August 2019

Based on the case study of a Fringe theatre festival in a peripheral city in Israel, this article identifies and analyzes a moment of change in power relations between a peripheral city and the country's central city. It offers an alternative perspective to urban discourse, which analyzes art projects in peripheral cities as duplicating colonial relations. We adapted the Marxist concept of a class in itself and a class for itself, from the socioeconomic realm to the urban realm, by using Bourdieu's field theory as a link between the sociology of art and the urban realm. We argue that by taking control over the festival's productive forces, the city evolved from a city in itself to a city for itself. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork and architectural research, the article analyzes four decades of urban dynamics leading to this change and proposes a theoretical and methodological framework for deciphering contemporary urban process.
Genetics of century‐old fish scales reveal population patterns of decline
Authors: Price Michael H.H. , Connors Brendan M. , Candy John R. , McIntosh Brenda , Beacham Terry D. , Moore Jonathan W. , Reynolds John D.
Published: August 2019

Conservation scientists rarely have the information required to understand changes in abundance over more than a few decades, even for important species like Pacific salmon. Such lack of historical information can underestimate the magnitude of decline for depressed populations. We applied genetic tools to a unique collection of 100‐year‐old salmon scales to reveal declines of 56%–99% in wild sockeye populations across Canada's second largest salmon watershed, the Skeena River. These analyses reveal century‐long declines that are much greater than those based on modern era abundance data, which suggested that only 7 of 13 populations declined over the last five decades. Populations of larger‐bodied fish have declined the most in abundance, likely because of size‐selective commercial fisheries. Our findings illustrate how a deep historical perspective can expand our understanding of past abundances to a time before species incurred significant losses from fishing, and help inform conservation for diminished populations.
Livelihoods, precarity, and disaster vulnerability: Nicaragua and Hurricane Mitch
Authors: Loebach Peter
Published: August 2019

How livelihoods determine vulnerability to disasters is a recent topic of inquiry. Few quantitative works have been produced to date. The empirical analysis that follows draws on household‐level data available for Nicaragua, preceding and following Hurricane Mitch, a devastating Category 5 storm that made landfall in Central America in October 1998, to examine differentials in disaster recovery outcomes vis‐à‐vis household livelihood profiles. Livelihoods are distinguished according to economic sector along with ownership of productive means, a central mechanism of vulnerability under sociological labour frameworks. The findings indicate uneven recovery outcomes in relation to livelihoods. During the year immediately following the event, agricultural wage earners and agricultural owner‐producers experienced marked losses owing to the disaster, whereas business owners saw an improvement in condition. Analysis of long‐term recovery reveals that households reliant on agricultural wage employment exhibit lagged recovery relative to other livelihood profiles. The findings are discussed with respect to the dynamic pressures posed by contemporary developmental processes.
The availability of open‐access videos offered by dental schools
Authors: Dias da Silva Marco Antonio , Pereira Andresa Costa , Walmsley Anthony Damien
Published: August 2019

Background

The Internet has become an established learning tool in dental education where students can access online videos on a range of dental subjects. However, finding reliable peer‐reviewed content is not straightforward.

Aim

To evaluate the video content offered by UK and Republic of Ireland (RoI) Dental Schools on their YouTube channels and public websites.

Methods

Free videos offered on UK and RoI Dental schools websites and YouTube channels were watched and set according to its purpose, as educational or non‐educational. The number of views, length, category and date of publication were analysed.

Results

A total of 627 videos offered by dental courses were evaluated. Videos were available on 83% of the websites, but only 9% was educational content. Dental courses YouTube channels received more than 2.3 million views, but less than 5% of the material offered is educational. Instructional videos found on the websites (3.2 min) were shorter than those found on YouTube (8.5 min) (P = .03). The majority of the videos, provided by Universities, were not educational and focused on promoting the dental courses. Most websites have demonstrated a password‐protected area where quality content may be offered.

Conclusion

Students wishing to watch instructional videos will find limited educational content provided by UK and RoI dental courses. Therefore, they are likely to access course‐related material elsewhere on the Internet that may not be necessarily peer‐reviewed.
Axonal projection‐specific differences in somatodendritic α2 autoreceptor function in locus coeruleus neurons
Authors: Wagner‐Altendorf Tobias A. , Fischer Beatrice , Roeper Jochen
Published: August 2019

The locus coeruleus (LC) contains the majority of central noradrenergic neurons sending wide projections throughout the entire CNS. The LC is considered to be essential for multiple key brain functions including arousal, attention and adaptive stress responses as well as higher cognitive functions and memory. Electrophysiological studies of LC neurons have identified several characteristic functional features such as low‐frequency pacemaker activity with broad action potentials, transient high‐frequency burst discharges in response to salient stimuli and an apparently homogeneous inhibition of firing by activation of somatodendritic α2 autoreceptors (α2AR). While stress‐mediated plasticity of the α2AR response has been described, it is currently unclear whether different LC neurons projecting to distinct axonal targets display differences in α2AR function. Using fluorescent beads‐mediated retrograde tracing in adult C57Bl6/N mice, we compared the anatomical distributions and functional in vitro properties of identified LC neurons projecting either to medial prefrontal cortex, hippocampus or cerebellum. The functional in vitro analysis of LC neurons confirmed their mostly uniform functional properties regarding action potential generation and pacemaker firing. However, we identified significant differences in tonic and evoked α2AR‐mediated responses. While hippocampal‐projecting LC neurons were partially inhibited by endogenous levels of norepinephrine and almost completely silenced by application of saturating concentrations of the α2 agonist clonidine, prefrontal‐projecting LC neurons were not affected by endogenous levels of norepinephrine and only partially inhibited by saturating concentrations of clonidine. Thus, we identified a limited α2AR control of electrical activity for prefrontal‐projecting LC neurons indicative of functional heterogeneity in the LC‐noradrenergic system.
Microstimulation of primate neocortex targeting striosomes induces negative decision‐making
Authors: Amemori Satoko , Amemori Ken‐ichi , Yoshida Tomoko , Papageorgiou Georgios K. , Xu Rui , Shimazu Hideki , Desimone Robert , Graybiel Ann M.
Published: August 2019

Here, we combined MRI‐guided electrical microstimulation and viral tracing to examine the function of a corticostriatal circuit implicated by previous cortical microstimulation as modulating affective judgment and decision‐making. Local microstimulation of a small part of the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex (pACC) was found to increase avoidance decisions in a cost‐benefit decision‐making task (Ap‐Av task) in which differing amounts of “good” and “bad” options were given simultaneously. No effect of such stimulation was found when the monkeys performed a task in which both offers were rewarding, but given in different amounts. We asked whether we could identify the targets of such corticostriatal circuits when the cortical microstimulation sites were explicitly identified as affecting approach or avoidance in the Ap‐Av task. We explored the pACC and caudal orbitofrontal cortex (cOFC) to look for such sites. For each cortical region, we found sites at which microstimulation induced increased avoidance behavior. After identifying these sites, we injected viral tracers carrying constructs allowing subsequent track‐tracing post‐mortem. For each site identified behaviorally as increasing avoidance choices, we found strong fiber projections to the anterior striatum with large parts of these targeting striosomes subsequently identified by serial section immunohistochemistry. With fMRI, we demonstrated that microstimulation in an anesthetized monkey at sites pre‐identified as affecting Ap‐Av choices induced blood oxygen level dependent activation of the anterior striatum, confirming that the microstimulation method that we applied was effective in activating the striatum. These findings outline circuits leading from pACC/cOFC to striosomes and causally modulating decision‐making under emotional conflict.
Ln‐γ 2 chain of laminin‐332 is a useful marker in differentiating between benign and malignant sclerosing adnexal neoplasms
Authors: Koga Kaori , Anan Takashi , Fukumoto Takaya , Fujimoto Masakazu , Nabeshima Kazuki
Published: August 2019

Aims

Laminin (Ln)‐γ 2, one of the chains of Ln‐332, is a marker of invasive tumours and is frequently expressed as a monomer in malignant tumours. Desmoplastic trichoepithelioma (DTE), some types of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) (infiltrating and morphoeic BCC) and microcystic adnexal carcinoma (MAC) belong to a group of tumours known as sclerosing adnexal neoplasms (SAN) that are frequently difficult to differentiate and often require immunohistochemistry for diagnosis. The aim of this study was to assess the usefulness of Ln‐γ 2 expression in the differential diagnosis of DTE, infiltrating/morphoeic BCC, MAC and syringoma.

Methods and results

In this study, we compared the expression of Ln‐γ 2 in infiltrating/morphoeic BCC (n = 28), DTE (n = 26), MAC (n = 10) and syringoma (n = 20). Immunohistochemically, Ln‐γ 2 positivity was noted in 96% (27 cases) of infiltrating/morphoeic BCC and 90% (nine cases) of MAC, while all DTE and syringoma cases were negative. Furthermore, Ln‐γ 2 expression pattern in infiltrating/morphoeic BCC was different from that in MAC. Ln‐γ 2 expression was found in the cytoplasm of tumour cells in infiltrating/morphoeic BCC tumour cells, while in MAC linear expression was noted both along tumour nests and in the cytoplasm.

Conclusion

Ln‐γ 2 is a helpful adjunct in the differential diagnosis of SAN.
Alendronate inhibits osteocyte apoptosis and inflammation via IL‐6, inhibiting bone resorption in periapical lesions of ovariectomized rats
Authors: Silva R. A. B. , Sousa‐Pereira A. P. , Lucisano M. P. , Romualdo P. C. , Paula‐Silva F. W. G. , Consolaro A. , Silva L. A. B. , Nelson‐Filho P.
Published: August 2019

Aim

To evaluate the effect of alendronate (ALN) on the development of periapical lesions induced in ovariectomized rats.

Methodology

Twenty‐five rats were divided into three groups: sham (control), ovariectomy (OVX) and OVX + ALN. One day after OVX, animals from the OVX + ALN group received the medication via gavage. After 9 weeks, the first molars of all animals were submitted to periapical lesion induction. After 21 days, the animals were euthanized. Femurs were analysed for bone mineral density. The blocks of bone tissue containing the mandibular first molars were submitted to histotechnical processing and staining with haematoxylin and eosin (HE) for periapical lesion analysis under conventional microscopy. At the same time, the morphometric analysis of the periapical lesion area was performed in the fluorescence mode, as well as the histoenzimology for the quantification of osteoclasts and 4′‐6‐diamidino‐2‐phenylindole staining for the quantification of apoptotic osteocytes. In addition, the first maxillary molars were used for analysis of the gene expression of proinflammatory cytokines (IL‐1β, IL‐6 and TNF‐α) and osteoclastogenesis markers (RANKL/OPG). The results were submitted to ANOVA and Kruskal–Wallis tests and Tukey and Dunn post‐tests (significance level of 5%).

Results

Ovariectomy reduced bone mineral density of the femur, and treatment with ALN was able to prevent bone loss (P < 0.001). Regarding the microscopic analysis of the periapical region, the sham and OVX + ALN groups had moderately increased periodontal ligament and inflammatory infiltrate, while the OVX group had these parameters increased intensely. The periapical lesions of the OVX group were significantly larger in area in comparison to the other groups (P < 0.001). The OVX group had the largest amount of apoptotic osteocytes, and ALN was able to prevent the apoptosis of these cells, in addition to significantly reducing IL‐6 expression (P < 0.05). OVX and ALN had no effect on RANKL/OPG expression and did not influence the number of osteoclasts around the periapical lesion (P > 0.05).

Conclusion

The hypoestrogenic condition induced by OVX aggravated bone resorption, inducing the death of osteocytes and provoking larger periapical lesions. ALN treatment inhibited osteocyte apoptosis and inflammation via IL‐6, inhibiting bone resorption in periapical lesions of ovariectomized rats.
The molecular mechanism underlying GABAergic dysfunction in nucleus accumbens of depression‐like behaviours in mice
Authors: Ma Ke , Zhang Hongxiu , Wang Shiyuan , Wang Huaxin , Wang Yuan , Liu Juhai , Song Xiaobin , Dong Zhenfei , Han Xiaochun , Zhang Yanan , Li Honglei , Rahaman Abdul , Wang Shijun , Baloch Zulqarnain
Published: August 2019

Depression is the most frequent psychiatric disorder in the world. Recent evidence has shown that stress‐induced GABAergic dysfunction in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) contributed to the pathophysiology of depression. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these pathological changes remain unclear. In this study, mice were constantly treated with the chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) till showing depression‐like behaviours expression. GABA synthesis, release and uptake in the NAc tissue were assessed by analysing the expression level of genes and proteins of Gad‐1, VGAT and GAT‐3 by qRT‐PCR and Western blotting. The miRNA/mRNA network regulating GABA was constructed based on the bioinformatics prediction software and further validated by dual‐luciferase reporter assay in vitro and qRT‐PCR in vivo, respectively. Our results showed that the expression level of GAT‐3, Gad‐1 and VGAT mRNA and protein significantly decreased in the NAc tissue from CUMS‐induced depression‐like mice than that of control mice. However, miRNA‐144‐3p, miRNA‐879‐5p, miR‐15b‐5p and miRNA‐582‐5p that directly down‐regulated the expression of Gad‐1, VGAT and GAT‐3 were increased. In the mRNA/miRNA regulatory GABA network, Gad‐1 and VGAT were directly regulated by binding seed sequence of miR‐144‐3p, and miR‐15b‐5p, miR‐879‐5p could be served negative post‐regulators by binding to the different sites of VGAT 3′‐UTR. Chronic stress causes the impaired GABA synthesis, release and uptake by up‐regulating miRNAs and down‐regulating mRNAs and proteins, which may reveal the molecular mechanisms for the decreased GABA concentrations in the NAc tissue of CUMS‐induced depression.
A General Framework for the Validation of Embedded Formative Assessment
Authors: Hopster‐den Otter Dorien , Wools Saskia , Eggen Theo J. H. M. , Veldkamp Bernard P.
Published: August 2019

In educational practice, test results are used for several purposes. However, validity research is especially focused on the validity of summative assessment. This article aimed to provide a general framework for validating formative assessment. The authors applied the argument‐based approach to validation to the context of formative assessment. This resulted in a proposed interpretation and use argument consisting of a score interpretation and a score use. The former involves inferences linking specific task performance to an interpretation of a student's general performance. The latter involves inferences regarding decisions about actions and educational consequences. The validity argument should focus on critical claims regarding score interpretation and score use, since both are critical to the effectiveness of formative assessment. The proposed framework is illustrated by an operational example including a presentation of evidence that can be collected on the basis of the framework.
Examining Psychometric Properties and Level Classification of the van Hiele Geometry Test Using CTT and CDM Frameworks
Authors: Chen Yi‐Hsin , Senk Sharon L. , Thompson Denisse R. , Voogt Kevin
Published: August 2019

The van Hiele theory and van Hiele Geometry Test have been extensively used in mathematics assessments across countries. The purpose of this study is to use classical test theory (CTT) and cognitive diagnostic modeling (CDM) frameworks to examine psychometric properties of the van Hiele Geometry Test and to compare how various classification criteria assign van Hiele levels to students. The findings support the hierarchical property of the van Hiele theory and levels. Using conventional and combined criteria to determine mastery of a level, the percentages of students classified into an overall level were relatively high. Although some items had aberrant difficulties and low item discrimination, varied selection of the criteria across levels improved item discrimination power, especially for those items with low item discrimination index (IDI) estimates. Based on the findings, we identify items on the van Hiele Geometry Test that might be revised and we suggest changes to classification criteria to increase the number of students who can be assigned an overall level of geometry thinking according to the theory. As a result, practitioners and researchers may be better positioned to use the van Hiele Geometry Test for classroom assessment.
Changes in distribution, morphology and ultrastructure of chloride cell in Atlantic salmon during an AGD infection
Authors: Chang Yao‐Chung , Hamlin‐Wright Harry , Monaghan Sean , Herath Tharangani , Baily Johanna , del Pozo Jorge , Downes Jamie , Preston Andrew , Chalmers Lynn , Jayasuriya Nilantha , Bron James E. , Adams Alexandra , Fridman Sophie
Published: August 2019

Amoebic gill disease (AGD) is emerging as one of the most significant health challenges affecting farmed Atlantic salmon in the marine environment. It is caused by the amphizoic amoeba Neoparamoeba perurans, with infestation of gills causing severe hyperplastic lesions, compromising overall gill integrity and function. This study used histology, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), immunohistochemistry and transcript expression to relate AGD‐associated pathological changes to changes in the morphology and distribution of chloride cells (CCs) in the gills of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) showing the progression of an AGD infection. A marked reduction in numbers of immunolabelled CCs was detected, and a changing pattern in distribution and morphology was closely linked with the level of basal epithelial hyperplasia in the gill. In addition, acute degenerative ultrastructural changes to CCs at the lesion site were observed with TEM. These findings were supported by the early‐onset downregulation of Na+/K+‐ATPase transcript expression. This study provides supportive evidence that histological AGD lesion assessment was a good qualitative tool for AGD scoring and corresponded well with qPCR genomic Paramoeba perurans quantification. Ultrastructural changes induced in salmon CCs as a result of AGD are reported here for the first time.
Congenital jugular vein phlebectasia or aneurysma: A rare entity in prenatal diagnosis
Authors: D'Ambrosio Valentina , Corno Sara , Pajno Cristina , Vena Flaminia , Ventriglia Flavia , Manganaro Lucia , Brunelli Roberto , Benedetti Panici Pierluigi , Giancotti Antonella
Published: August 2019

Vascular malformations arising from the wall of the external jugular vein are rare and appeared most commonly in pediatric population. Here, we present a case of vascular malformation in the left external jugular vein diagnosed in a fetus during third trimester ultrasound. This is the first described case in prenatal diagnosis.
Feeling exhausted or vigorous in anticipation of high workload? The role of worry and planning during the evening
Authors: Casper Anne , Sonnentag Sabine
Published: August 2019

In this diary study, we focused on the anticipatory phase of the stress process. We investigated how work‐related worry and planning during the evening relate to next‐morning exhaustion and vigour, respectively. Moreover, we examined how afternoon workload anticipation is related to next‐morning exhaustion versus next‐morning vigour, depending on worry and planning in the evening. A sample of 112 employees took part in a daily diary study with three daily measurement occasions over two consecutive workweeks. Results of multilevel regression analyses showed that work‐related worry during the evening was positively related to next‐morning exhaustion. Moreover, worry interacted with workload anticipation in predicting next‐morning exhaustion: On days when worry was high, workload anticipation was positively related to next‐morning exhaustion. Work‐related planning was not related to next‐morning vigour and did not interact with workload anticipation in predicting next‐morning vigour. Our study suggests that work‐related worry is an important factor in the anticipatory phase of the stress process.

Practitioner points

On days when employees worry about their next workday during the evening, high workload may already be associated with employees’ well‐being even before employees are facing it.

Worry about one’s next workday is associated with lower well‐being in the next morning, while planning one’s next workday is not associated with next‐morning well‐being.

In anticipation of high workload, employees should refrain from worry about work during leisure time, for instance by engaging in absorbing leisure activities.
Consensus‐based clinical guidelines for ambulatory electromyography and contingent electrical stimulation in sleep bruxism
Authors: Lobbezoo Frank , Aarab Ghizlane , Ahlers M. Oliver , Baad‐Hansen Lene , Bernhardt Olaf , Castrillon Eduardo E. , Giannakopoulos Nikolaos Nikitas , Grønbeck Anders , Hauschild Justus , Holst‐Knudsen Marianne , Skovlund Naja , Thymi Magdalini , Svensson Peter
Published: August 2019

As yet, there are still no evidence‐based clinical diagnostic and management guidelines for ambulatory single‐channel EMG devices, like the BUTLER® GrindCare® (GrindCare), that are used in patients with sleep bruxism. Therefore, a consensus meeting was organised with GrindCare developers, researchers, and academic and non‐academic clinicians experienced with the use of ambulatory EMG devices. The aim of the meeting was to discuss and develop recommendations for clinical guidelines for GrindCare usage, based on the existing clinical and research experience of the consensus meeting's participants. As an important outcome of the consensus meeting, clinical guidelines were proposed in which an initial 2‐week baseline phase with the device in its inactive (non‐stimulus) mode for habituation and assessment of the number of jaw‐muscle activities is followed by a 4‐week active phase with contingent electrical stimuli suppressing the jaw‐muscle activities. As to avoid the commonly reported reduction in sensitivity to the stimuli, a 2‐week inactive phase is subsequently installed, followed by a repetition of active and inactive phases until a lasting reduction in the number of jaw‐muscle activities and/or associated complaints has been achieved. This proposal has the characteristics of a single‐patient clinical trial. From a research point of view, adoption of this approach by large numbers of GrindCare users creates a great opportunity to recruit relatively large numbers of study participants that follow the same protocol.
Development of a comprehensive protein microarray for immunoglobulin E profiling in horses with severe asthma
Authors: White Samuel , Moore‐Colyer Meriel , Marti Eliane , Coüetil Laurent , Hannant Duncan , Richard Eric A. , Alcocer Marcos
Published: August 2019

Background

Severe asthma in horses, known as severe equine asthma (SEA), is a prevalent, performance‐limiting disease associated with increased allergen‐specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) against a range of environmental aeroallergens.

Objective

To develop a protein microarray platform to profile IgE against a range of proven and novel environmental proteins in SEA‐affected horses.

Animals

Six SEA‐affected and 6 clinically healthy Warmblood performance horses.

Methods

Developed a protein microarray (n = 384) using protein extracts and purified proteins from a large number of families including pollen, bacteria, fungi, and arthropods associated with the horses, environment. Conditions were optimized and assessed for printing, incubation, immunolabeling, biological fluid source, concentration techniques, reproducibility, and specificity.

Results

This method identified a number of novel allergens, while also identifying an association between SEA and pollen sensitization. Immunolabeling methods confirmed the accuracy of a commercially available mouse anti‐horse IgE 3H10 source (R2= 0.91). Biological fluid source evaluation indicated that sera and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) yielded the same specific IgE profile (averageR2= 0.75). Amicon centrifugal filters were found to be the most efficient technique for concentrating BALF for IgE analysis at 40‐fold. Overnight incubation maintained the same sensitization profile while increasing sensitivity. Reproducibility was demonstrated (R2= 0.97), as was specificity using protein inhibition assays. Arthropods, fungi, and pollens showed the greatest discrimination for SEA.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

We have established that protein microarrays can be used for large‐scale IgE mapping of allergens associated with the environment of horses. This technology provides a sound platform for specific diagnosis, management, and treatment of SEA.
The state of health advocacy training in postgraduate medical education: a scoping review
Authors: McDonald Madeline , Lavelle Conor , Wen Mei , Sherbino Jonathan , Hulme Jennifer
Published: August 2019

Context

Health advocacy is an essential component of postgraduate medical education, and is part of many physician competency frameworks such as the Canadian Medical Education Directives for Specialists (CanMEDS) roles. There is little consensus about how advocacy should be taught and assessed in the postgraduate context. There are no consolidated guides to assist in the design and implementation of postgraduate health advocacy curricula.

Objectives

This scoping review aims to identify and analyse existing literature pertaining to health advocacy education and assessment in postgraduate medicine. We specifically sought to summarise themes from the literature that may be useful to medical educators to inform further health advocacy curriculum interventions.

Methods

MEDLINE, Embase and ERIC were searched using MeSH (medical student headings) and non‐MeSH search terms. Additional articles were found using forward snowballing. The grey literature search included Google and relevant stakeholder websites, regulatory bodies, physician associations, government agencies and academic institutions. We followed a stepwise scoping review methodology, followed by thematic analysis using an inductive approach.

Results

Of the 123 documents reviewed in full, five major themes emerged: (i) conceptions of health advocacy have evolved towards advocating with rather than for patients, communities and populations; (ii) longitudinal curricula were less common but appeared the most promising, often linked to scholarly or policy objectives; (iii) hands‐on, immersive opportunities build competence and confidence; (iv) community‐identified needs and partnerships are increasingly considered in designing curriculum, and (v) resident‐led and motivated programmes appear to engage residents and allow for achievement of stated outcomes. There remain significant challenges to assessment of health advocacy competencies, and assessment tools for macro‐level health advocacy were notably absent.

Conclusions

There is considerable heterogeneity in the way health advocacy is taught, assessed and incorporated into postgraduate curricula across programmes and disciplines. We consolidated recommendations from the literature to inform further health advocacy curriculum design, implementation and assessment.
MicroRNA528, a hub regulator modulating ROS homeostasis via targeting of a diverse set of genes encoding copper‐containing proteins in monocots
Authors: Zhu Hong , Chen Chengjie , Zeng Jun , Yun Ze , Liu Yuanlong , Qu Hongxia , Jiang Yueming , Duan Xuewu , Xia Rui
Published: August 2019

Plant microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate vital cellular processes, including responses to extreme temperatures with which reactive oxygen species (ROS) are often closely associated.

In the present study, it was found that aberrant temperatures caused extensive changes in abundance to numerous miRNAs in banana fruit, especially the copper (Cu)‐associated miRNAs. Among them, miR528 was significantly downregulated under cold stress and it was found to target genes encoding polyphenol oxidase (PPO), different from those identified in rice and maize. Expression of PPO genes was upregulated by > 100‐fold in cold conditions, leading to ROS surge and subsequent peel browning of banana fruit.

Extensive comparative genomic analyses revealed that the monocot‐specific miR528 can potentially target a large collection of genes encoding Cu‐containing proteins. Most of them are actively involved in cellular ROS metabolism, including not only ROS generating oxidases, but also ROS scavenging enzymes.

It also was demonstrated that miR528 has evolved a distinct preference of target genes in different monocots, with its target site varying in position among/within gene families, implying a highly dynamic process of target gene diversification. Its broad capacity to target genes encoding Cu‐containing protein implicates miR528 as a key regulator for modulating the cellular ROS homeostasis in monocots.
But it’s legal, isn’t it? Law and ethics in nursing practice related to medical assistance in dying
Authors: Schiller Catharine J. , Pesut Barbara , Roussel Josette , Greig Madeleine
Published: August 2019

In June 2015, the Supreme Court of Canada struck down the Criminal Code's prohibition on assisted death. Just over a year later, the federal government crafted legislation to entrench medical assistance in dying (MAiD), the term used in Canada in place of physician‐assisted death. Notably, Canada became the first country to allow nurse practitioners to act as assessors and providers, a result of a strong lobby by the Canadian Nurses Association. However, a legislated approach to assisted death has proven challenging in a number of areas. Although it facilitates a degree of accountability, precision and accessibility, it has also resulted in particular challenges negotiating the diverse perspectives of such a morally contentious act. One of these challenges is the tendency to conflate what is legal and what is moral in a modern liberal constitutionalism that places supreme value on autonomy and choice. Such a conflation tends to render invisible the legal and moral/ethical considerations necessary for nurses and nurse practitioners to remain ethical actors. In this paper, we introduce this conflation and then discuss the process of lawmaking in Canada, including the legalization of MAiD and the contributions of nursing to that legalization. We then engage in a hypothetical dialogue about the legal and moral/ethical implications of MAiD for nursing in Canada. We conclude with an appeal for morally sustainable workspaces that, when implementing MAiD, appropriately balance patient choices and nurses’ moral well‐being.
A rapid and universal method for isolating starch granules in plant tissues
Authors: Niu Liangjie , Ding Huiying , Hao Ruiqi , Liu Hui , Wu Xiaolin , Hu Xiuli , Wang Wei
Published: August 2019

Starch is the major form of carbohydrate storage in plants and exists as discrete starch granules (SGs). Isolation of high‐quality SGs in different plant tissues is a prerequisite for studying the roles of SGs during plant growth, development, and responses to abiotic stress. However, it is difficult to isolate transitory SGs from leaves and storage SGs from pollen grains due to their small sizes and low quantities. Herein, we develop a novel method for isolating SGs by using the aqueous two‐phase system (ATS) of ethanol/NaH2PO4. The ATS method efficiently separated SGs from contaminants based on their differences in density, solubility, and polarity. Using this method, we first isolated and purified three kinds of SGs from maize seeds, pollen, and leaves. The biochemical, microscopic, and proteomic analyses demonstrated the high purity of the isolated SGs. Proteomic analysis revealed distinct differences in SG‐bound proteins between seed SGs and pollen SGs. As a simple, rapid, and low‐cost method, the ATS‐based method exhibits highly universal and reproducible results for starch‐containing tissues in various plant species.
Childhood lead poisoning from domestic products in China: A case study with implications for practice, education, and policy
Authors: Wang Ju , El‐Fahmawi Ayah , Yan Chonghuai , Liu Jianghong
Published: August 2019

Objective

This study aimed to report three representative childhood lead poisoning cases in China from domestic products exposure and to highlight their critical implications for practice, education, and policy in prevention and treatment of childhood lead poisoning by health care providers, especially public health nurses.

Design and Sample

Three representative childhood lead poisoning cases occurring in 2017 were collected and analyzed.

Results

The lead exposure sources of three cases were evaluated by experts in the field and determined to be tin pots, home factories for tinfoil, and contamination of folk medicine, respectively. These cases demonstrated that the lack of lead exposure risk assessment, insufficient knowledge of potential lead exposure sources, underdeveloped policy, and regulations were areas for improvement.

Conclusions

The best strategies for preventing lead poisoning include an appropriate risk assessment of lead exposure, implementation of comprehensive parental health education, conduction of further research by public health providers, and the application of policy strategies by the government. It was determined that public health nurses are at the frontline of prevention of lead poisoning in children.
Children's and adults' perceptions of child necessities in Hong Kong
Authors: Lau Maggie K.W. , Gordon David , Zhang Mary F. , Bradshaw Jonathan
Published: August 2019

There is growing interest in child poverty and well‐being in East Asia. However, empirical studies predominantly adopt “expert‐led” measures (such as adult‐derived child deprivation measures), which usually assume that parents or guardians provide reliable reports about all their children's needs and that the allocation of household resources is effectively equal across all members. Studies of child poverty from a child‐rights or child‐agency perspective are rare in East Asia. Using a consensual deprivation approach, this article examines the extent of agreement between children and adults about which child possessions and activities constitute necessities of life in Hong Kong. The data are drawn from the second wave of the Strategic Public Policy Research project—Trends and Implications of Poverty and Social Disadvantages in Hong Kong: A Multi‐disciplinary and Longitudinal Study. A total of 595 adults and 636 school‐aged children from the first wave of the study were reinterviewed and asked if they considered 16 possessions and activities as essential for children in contemporary Hong Kong. The results showed that adults were significantly more likely to believe that almost all material and social deprivation items were necessities compared with their children, even after controlling for individual‐level factors (i.e., gender and birthplace) and household‐level factors (i.e., number of children in the household, number of working adults, and household income). The findings highlight the importance of incorporating children's views into our understanding of child poverty.
The Kerr–Mills Act and the Puzzles of Health‐Care Reform
Authors: Gritter Matthew
Published: August 2019

Objective

This article explores the passage and implementation of the Kerr–Mills Act of 1960. The Kerr–Mills Act created the Medical Assistance for the Aged program that preceded the 1965 creation of Medicare and Medicaid.

Method

Using primary and secondary sources, I seek to explore how the legislation was passed and how it was implemented.

Results

Kerr–Mills was passed because of an alliance between policy entrepreneur Wilbur Cohen and conservative southern Democratic members of Congress, Wilbur Mills and Roger Kerr. Cohen helped to craft a modest bill that gained easy approval. Three years after the passage of the law less than 1 percent of older Americans were covered, not every state implemented the legislation, and there were large discrepancies in terms of services and access. However, individual states reported success in creating programs. The Medicaid program took the structure of Kerr–Mills but included dependent children as recipients and incentives for states to participate.

Conclusion

While criticized as an unsuccessful program, Kerr–Mills provided the template for what is today the largest health insurance program: Medicaid.
Sari vs. Dim Sum – Business Improvement Areas and the Branding of Toronto's Ethnic Neighbourhoods
Authors: Schmiz Antonie
Published: August 2019

Under the umbrella of Toronto's city motto, ‘Diversity our Strength’, ethnically labelled Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) have become the object of branding strategies. While these branding processes generate tourist places and multicultural neighbourhoods for the creative and cosmopolitan, they challenge social cohesion. Branding often leads to urban revitalisation and thus causes the displacement of diverse communities and migrant enterprises through rising rents. Furthermore, ethnic place‐making and branding activity can create local conflicts around identity and urban images in which migrant agency plays a central role. This paper compares two ethnically‐branded BIAs in a political‐economy perspective to show that marketability between ethnic groups varies. It provides systematic analysis of urban policies towards the branding of migrant entrepreneurial neighbourhoods in Toronto. It further shows how heterogeneous power structures influence ethnic entrepreneurial neighbourhoods.