bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MetaWRAP - a flexible pipeline for genome-resolved metagenomic data analysis
Authors: Uritskiy Gherman V , DiRuggiero Jocelyne , Taylor James
Published: March 2018

Background:

The study of microbiomes using whole-metagenome shotgun sequencing enables the analysis of uncultivated microbial populations that may have important roles in their environments. Extracting individual draft genomes (bins) facilitates metagenomic analysis at the single genome level. Software and pipelines for such analysis have become diverse and sophisticated, resulting in a significant burden for biologists to access and use them. Furthermore, while bin extraction algorithms are rapidly improving, there is still a lack of tools for their evaluation and visualization.

Results:

To address these challenges, we present metaWRAP, a modular pipeline software for shotgun metagenomic data analysis. MetaWRAP deploys state-of-the-art software to handle metagenomic data processing starting from raw sequencing reads and ending in metagenomic bins and their analysis. MetaWRAP is flexible enough to give investigators control over the analysis, while still being easy-to-install and easy-to-use. It includes hybrid algorithms that leverage the strengths of a variety of software to extract and refine high-quality bins from metagenomic data through bin consolidation and reassembly. MetaWRAP’s hybrid bin extraction algorithm outperforms individual binning approaches and other bin consolidation programs in both synthetic and real datasets. Finally, metaWRAP comes with numerous modules for the analysis of metagenomic bins, including taxonomy assignment, abundance estimation, functional annotation, and visualization.

Conclusions:

MetaWRAP is an easy-to-use modular pipeline that automates the core tasks in metagenomic analysis, while contributing significant improvements to the extraction and interpretation of high-quality metagenomic bins. The bin refinement and reassembly modules of metaWRAP consistently outperform other binning approaches. Each module of metaWRAP is also a standalone component, making it a flexible and versatile tool for tackling metagenomic shotgun sequencing data. MetaWRAP is open-source software available at https://github.com/bxlab/metaWRAP.
ExTraMapper: Exon- and Transcript-level mappings for orthologous gene pairs
Authors: Ay Ferhat , Chakraborty Abhijit , Davuluri Ramana V.
Published: March 2018

Access to large-scale genomics and transcriptomics data from various tissues and cell lines allowed the discovery of wide-spread alternative splicing events and alternative promoter usage in mammalians. However, evolutionary studies primarily focus on gene-level orthology relationships, which hinders the importance of transcript-level diversity. Between human and mouse, gene-level orthology is currently present for nearly 16k protein-coding genes spanning a diverse repertoire of over 200k total transcript isoforms. Here we describe a novel method, ExTraMapper, which leverages sequence conservation between exons of a pair of organisms and identifies a fine-scale orthology mapping at the exon and then transcript level. ExTraMapper identifies more than 250k exon, as well as 30k transcript mappings between human and mouse using only sequence and gene annotation information. We demonstrate that ExTraMapper identifies a larger number of exon and transcript mappings compared to previous methods. Further, it identifies exon fusions, splits, and losses due to splice site mutations, and finds mappings between microexons that are previously missed. By reanalysis of RNA-seq data from 13 matched human and mouse tissues, we show that ExTraMapper improves the correlation of transcript-specific expression levels suggesting a more accurate mapping of human and mouse transcripts. ExTraMapper also reports better transcript-level mappings compared to Ensembl orthology for the human proto-oncogene BRAF and its mouse ortholog as well as several other example genes with important isoform-specific functions. ExTraMapper is applicable to any pair of organisms that have orthologous gene pairs and is available at https://github.com/ay-lab/ExTraMapper and http://ay-lab-tools.lji.org/extramapper
Functional Asymmetries between Central and Peripheral Retinal Ganglion Cells in a Diurnal Rodent
Authors: Escobar María-José , Otero Mónica , Reyes César , Herzog Rubén , Araya Joaquin , Ibaceta Cristóbal , Palacios Adrián G.
Published: March 2018

The segregated properties of the visual system processing central or peripheral regions of the visual field have been widely studied in the visual cortex and the LGN, but rarely reported in retina. The retina performs complex computational strategies to extract spatial-temporal features that are in coherence with animal behavior and survival. Even if a big effort has been done to functionally characterize different retinal ganglion cell (RGC) types, a clear account of the particular functionality of central and peripheral cells is still missing. Here, using electrophysiological data obtained with a 256-MEA recording system on female diurnal rodent retinas (Octodon degus), we evidenced that peripheral RGCs have larger receptive fields, more sustained, faster and shorter temporal responses and sensitive to higher temporal frequencies with a broader frequency bandwidth than the center. Additionally, we also compared the asymmetries between ON and OFF cell populations present in each region, reporting that these asymmetries are dependent on the eccentricity. Finally, the presence of the asymmetries here reported emphasizes even more the complexity of computational strategies performed by the retina, which could serve as inspiration for the development of artificial visual systems.
eWOM through social networking sites and impact on purchase intention and brand image in Iran
Authors: Farzin Milad , Fattahi Majid
Published: March 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to build a conceptual framework which provides both practical and theoretical insights into drivers of consumer use of social network sites (SNSs) as an electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) tool and its impact on brand image (BI) and purchase intention (PI).

Design/methodology/approach

For assessment of the research constructs, the measures proposed in the social psychology and marketing literature were adapted. These scales were examined for the face validity by the authors’ academic colleagues. Using the survey data collected from the students of the Islamic Azad University, these scales were further examined in terms of convergent and discriminant validity as well as reliability. Structural equation modelling technique was used to test the effect of eWOM antecedents on consumer eWOM intention and the eWOM impact on BI and consumer PI.

Findings

The results confirmed significance of the constructs consumer trust, informational influence, sense of belonging, altruism, moral obligation, and knowledge self-efficacy for consumer engagement in eWOM. The results further indicated that eWOM, in turn, played a significant role in shaping BI in the mind of consumers and their PI.

Research limitations/implications

Obviously, university students do not exactly represent the whole population of SNSs members. The eWOM intention can be investigated across generations in terms of intergenerational differences. The authors admit that in addition to the constructs used in this study there are other equally important constructs that can be adapted from relevant fields (e.g. psychology) as the eWOM antecedents. As for eWOM consequences, different aspects of brand equity could be additionally explored and investigated.

Practical implications

The results of this study would help marketing department of companies and advertising agencies make advertisements in accordance with consumer characteristics. The results would also benefit providers of online platforms by giving them insight into behaviour of their members. Finally, the finding that eWOM intention is likely to create PI among consumers is of particular interest to producers of goods.

Originality/value

Given its bidimensional perspective to eWOM behaviour (i.e. considering both antecedents and consequences of eWOM), this study provides valuable insights into the phenomenon eWOM in the context of social networks as well as a basis for further research in this field.
Fraud prevention in Malaysian small and medium enterprises (SMEs)
Authors: N’Guilla Sow Abdoulaye , Basiruddin Rohaida , Mohammad Jihad , Abdul Rasid Siti Zaleha
Published: March 2018

Purpose

In Malaysia, as in most of the developing countries, small businesses play pivotal roles in the economy. Yet, despite the contribution of small businesses, previous researchers have overlooked the fraud issues that are threating the sustainability of those businesses and instead focus mainly on large and public listed companies. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify how small businesses can prevent fraudulent activities.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used self-administer questioners and distributed 126 questionnaires to general managers, financial managers and supervisors in Malaysian small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Multiple regression was used to test the theoretical model.

Findings

The output of multiple regressions showed that culture of honesty and high integrity, anti-fraud processes and controls and appropriate oversight functions has a positive and significant effective on fraud prevention mechanisms.

Practical implications

Overall, this study suggests effective fraud prevention measures to mitigate the fraud risk surrounding Malaysian SMEs and other SMEs in emerging countries.

Originality/value

There has been a dearth of empirical studies on the effect of culture of honesty, anti-fraud processes and appropriate oversight functions on effective fraud prevention in non-western context, and this study has fulfilled the need for this research.
Combatting organised crime and terrorism in Central Asia
Authors: Santen Emma van
Published: March 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the shift away from the traditional distinction between organised crime and terrorist groups towards their conceptual convergence under the crime-terror nexus narrative in the context of international security and development policy in post-Soviet Central Asia. It assesses the empirical basis for the crime-terror and state-crime nexus in three Central Asian countries – Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan – and argues that the exclusion of the state from the analytical framework undermines the relevance of the crime-terror paradigm for policy-making.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper draws on a literature review of academic research, recent case studies highlighting new empirical evidence in Central Asia and international policy publications.

Findings

There is a weak empirical connection between organised crime and Islamic extremists, such as the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and Hizbut Tahrir, in Central Asia. The state-crime paradigm, including concepts of criminal capture, criminal sovereignty and criminal penetration, hold more explanatory power for international policy in Central Asia. The crime-terror paradigm has resulted in a narrow and ineffective security-oriented law enforcement approach to counter-narcotics and counter-terrorism but does not address the underlying weak state governance structures and political grievances that motivate organised crime and terrorist groups respectively.

Originality/value

International policy and scholarship is currently focussed on the areas of convergence between organised crime and terrorist groups. This paper highlights the continued relevance of the traditional conceptual separation of terrorist and organised crime groups based on their different motives, methods and relationship with the state, for security and democratic governance initiatives in the under-researched Central Asian region.
Investigation of influence of heat treatment on mechanical strength of FDM printed 3D objects
Authors: Jo Wonjin , Kwon O-Chang , Moon Myoung-Woon
Published: March 2018

Purpose

Despite the rapid development of fused deposition modeling (FDM), the insufficient mechanical strength of the printed objects is one of the biggest stumbling blocks for practical applications. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to emphasize on the importance of homogeneous heating condition and heating effect in the improvement of the mechanical strength of objects.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors first analyze the problem of the present heating system under a heating bed and chamber by using a commonly used home FDM printer. Next, they investigate the heating effect on the mechanical properties of FDM-printed objects in terms of layer thickness, heating duration and additional pressure with heating. The printed objects are treated in a mold by forced convection heating.

Findings

As the layer thickness decreases, the mechanical performance of the FDM-printed objects is remarkably enhanced by thermal heating because of the result of strong interfacial bonding among the rasters and layers. In addition, longer heating duration and higher external pressure play pivotal roles in the mechanical performance by reducing voids in the internal structure of the printed objects, leading to high densification and complete filling at the interfaces.

Originality/value

The present findings, for the first time, show that controlling uniform heat transfer is highly important for the mechanical performance of FDM three-dimensional printed objects. The authors suggest that the future developed home or personal FDM types should consider the homogeneous temperature environment during the printing process by properly heating the inside chamber. In addition, the results indicate the effectiveness of heating and pressure treatment to the objects for the reinforced mechanical performance and better surface finish.
A business model typology for destination management organizations
Authors: Reinhold Stephan , Beritelli Pietro , Grünig Rouven
Published: March 2018

Purpose

The need and legitimacy of destination management organizations (DMOs) are increasingly questioned. Still, the tourism literature provides little advice on how DMOs change and finance their activities for the benefit of their destination-given contextual change. This conceptual article aims to contribute to filling this gap. The authors do so by proposing a typology of business models for destination management organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

With the help of typological reasoning, the authors develop a new framework of DMO business model ideal types. To this end, the authors draw on extant literature on business model typologies and identify key dimensions of DMO business models from the tourism literature.

Findings

The challenges DMOs face, as discussed in the tourism literature, relate to both ends of their business model: On the one end, the value creation side, the perceived value of the activities they traditionally pursue has been declining; on the other end, the value capture side, revenue streams are less plentiful or attached to more extensive demands. On the basis of two dimensions, configurational complexity and perceived control, the authors identify four distinct ideal types of DMO business models: the destination factory, destination service center, value orchestrator and value enabler.

Originality/value

The authors outline a “traditional” DMO business model that stands in contrast to existing DMO classifications and that relates DMO challenges to the business model concept. The typology provides an integrated description of how DMO business models may be positioned to create and capture value for the organization and the destination(s) it serves. The ideal types point to important interdependencies of specific business model design choices.
Social status mediates the fitness costs of infection with canine distemper virus in Serengeti spotted hyenas
Authors: Marescot Lucile , Benhaiem Sarah , Gimenez Olivier , Hofer Heribert , Lebreton Jean‐Dominique , Olarte‐Castillo Ximena A. , Kramer‐Schadt Stephanie , East Marion L.
Published: March 2018

The extent to which the fitness costs of infection are mediated by key life‐history traits such as age or social status is still unclear. Within populations, individual heterogeneity in the outcome of infection is the result of two successive processes; the degree of contact with the pathogen (exposure) and the immune response to infection. In social mammals, because individuals holding high social status typically interact more frequently with group members, they should be more often in contact with infected individuals than those of low social status. However, when access to resources is determined by social status, individuals with a high social status are often better nourished, have a greater opportunity to allocate resources to immune processes and therefore should have a smaller chance of succumbing to infection than individuals with low social status.

We investigated the risk and fitness costs of infection during a virulent epidemic of canine distemper virus (CDV) in a social carnivore, the spotted hyena, in the Serengeti National Park. We analysed two decades of detailed life‐history data from 625 females and 816 males using a multi‐event capture–mark–recapture model that accounts for uncertainty in the assignment of individual infection states.

Cubs of mothers with a high social status had a lower probability ofCDVinfection and were more likely to survive infection than those with low social status. Subadult and adult females with high social status had a higher infection probability than those with low social status. Subadult females and pre‐breeder males that had recovered fromCDVinfection had a lower survival than susceptible ones.

Our study disentangles the relative importance of individual exposure and resource allocation to immune processes, demonstrates fitness costs of infection for juveniles, particularly for those with low social status, shows that patterns of infection can be driven by different mechanisms among juveniles and adults and establishes a negative relationship between infection and fitness in a free‐ranging mammal.

Aplain language summaryis available for this article.
Understanding Trends in Medicare Spending, 2007–2014
Authors: Keohane Laura M. , Gambrel Robert J. , Freed Salama S. , Stevenson David , Buntin Melinda B.
Published: March 2018

Objectives

To analyze the sources of per‐beneficiary Medicare spending growth between 2007 and 2014, including the role of demographic characteristics, attributes of Medicare coverage, and chronic conditions.

Data Sources

Individual‐level Medicare spending and enrollment data.

Study Design

Using an Oaxaca–Blinder decomposition model, we analyzed whether changes in price‐standardized, per‐beneficiary Medicare Part A and B spending reflected changes in the composition of the Medicare population or changes in relative spending levels per person.

Data Extraction Methods

We identified a 5 percent sample of fee‐for‐service Medicare beneficiaries age 65 and above from years 2007 to 2014.

Results

Mean payment‐adjusted Medicare per‐beneficiary spending decreased by $180 between the 2007–2010 and 2011–2014 time periods. This decline was almost entirely attributable to lower spending levels for beneficiaries. Notably, declines in marginal spending levels for beneficiaries with chronic conditions were associated with a $175 reduction in per‐beneficiary spending. The decline was partially offset by the increasing prevalence of certain chronic diseases. Still, we are unable to attribute a large share of the decline in spending levels to observable beneficiary characteristics or chronic conditions.

Conclusions

Declines in spending levels for Medicare beneficiaries with chronic conditions suggest that changing patterns of care use may be moderating spending growth.
Should impaired mobility on presentation be a vital sign?
Authors: Brabrand M. , Kellett J. , Opio M. , Cooksley T. , Nickel C. H.
Published: March 2018

Introduction

Vital signs are routinely used to assess acutely ill patients, but they do not detect all patients at risk of death. This retrospective multicenter cohort study compares the prediction of death by impaired mobility with age, co‐morbidities, and vital sign changes.

Methods

On first assessment, patients from a combined cohort of 9684 Danish and Irish patients and a separate cohort of 1010 Ugandan patients were stratified by impaired mobility on presentation (IMOP), vital sign changes assessed by the National Early Warning Score (NEWS), the Charlson Co‐morbidity Index, and age.

Results

Fourteen percent of Danish and Irish patients had IMOP compared with 42% of Ugandan patients. The odds ratios of IMOP for 7‐day mortality were similar for both cohorts (i.e. 11.8, 95% CI 5.8–24.0 for Ugandan patients versus 6.7, 95% CI 5.0–9.0 for Danish and Irish patients). Univariate analysis of Ugandan patients showed that none of the parameters tested (i.e. low blood pressure, pulse, elevated respiratory rate, hypothermia, low oxygen saturation, old age, and coma) had a statistically higher odds ratio for either 7‐day mortality than IMOP. Multivariate logistic regression analysis of Danish and Irish patients also showed that none of these parameters or the Charlson Co‐morbidity Index had a statistically higher odds ratio than IMOP for either 7‐day or 30‐day mortality.

Conclusion

Immobility on presentation is a vital sign and predicts mortality for acutely ill patients independently of the traditional vital signs, age, and co‐morbidities.
A novel technique for endobronchial blocker placement for one‐lung ventilation in children under 2 years
Authors: Guo X. , Song X. , Chen X. , Liu W. , Wang H. , Xia H.
Published: March 2018

Background

The present study aimed to report our clinical experience with intraluminal calculated distance for endobronchial blocker placement (ICEB) and to find out whether ICEB could reduce the number of hypoxemia episodes during blocker placement compared with extraluminal blocker placement for one‐lung ventilation in children under the age of 2 years.

Methods

The medical records of all children under the age of 2 years with a 5 French (F) or 4F WeiLi (WeiLi medical Inc, Guangzhou, China) endobronchial blocker for one‐lung ventilation in thoracic surgery from July 2015 through July 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. After November 2015, one‐lung ventilation was achieved using the ICEB technique, while before November 2015, extraluminal blocker placement was used. The success rate of blocker placement, quality of lung deflation, number of hypoxemia episodes, blocker dislodgement, and successful reposition after dislodgement were compared between the two groups.

Result

The incidence of hypoxemia episodes during blocker placement was lower in the ICEB group compared to the extraluminal placement group. Moreover, the success rate of blocker reposition during the operation was higher in the ICEB group than the extraluminal placement group. The success rate of endobronchial blocker placement was similar between the two groups.

Conclusions

Intraluminal calculated distance for endobronchial blocker placement is a feasible method to achieve lung isolation and could reduce hypoxemia episodes during blocker placement in children under the age of 2 years.
Counting the spots: The use of a spatially explicit capture–recapture technique and GPS data to estimate leopard (Panthera pardus) density in the Eastern and Western Cape, South Africa
Authors: Devens Carolyn , Tshabalala Thulani , McManus Jeannine , Smuts Bool
Published: March 2018

Estimating species population density directly contributes to the conservation of species. As keystone species, carnivores are important to conserve; however, estimating density of wide‐ranging, elusive and solitary carnivores has proven difficult. The leopard (Panthera pardus) is the last large free‐roaming top carnivore in South Africa, and no formal density study had been conducted across the Eastern and Western Cape. We estimated leopard density and abundance using GPS data from 21 collared leopards and a spatially explicit capture–mark–recapture (SECR) method with camera trap survey data. Four regional sites were surveyed using 173 camera trap locations over 15,390 camera trap days, capturing 740 leopard images of which 77 individuals were identified. SECR averaged 0.95 leopards/100 km2 and the two GPS methods averaged 1 and 1.11 leopards/100 km2. Based on predicted available leopard habitat for the region, leopard abundance was estimated between 467 (±112.8) and 553 (±168.8) in the Western Cape and between 365 (±93.2) and 430 (±139.9) in the Eastern Cape. Discrepancies in density estimates can be complex stemming from biological behaviour, anthropogenic factors and prey density. However, our estimates appear to show relatively little variation, suggesting that SECR methods and GPS data capture the population density estimates of the species well.
Gastrografin may reduce time to oral diet in prolonged post‐operative ileus: a pooled analysis of two randomized trials
Authors: Milne Tony G. E. , Vather Ryash , O'Grady Gregory , Miquel Jordi , Biondo Sebastiano , Bissett Ian
Published: March 2018

Background

Gastrografin has been suggested as a rescue therapy for prolonged post‐operative ileus (PPOI) but trial data has been inconclusive. This study aimed to determine the benefit of gastrografin use in patients with PPOI by pooling the results of two recent randomized controlled trials assessing the efficacy of gastrografin compared to placebo given at time of PPOI diagnosis.

Methods

Anonymized, individual patient data from patients undergoing elective bowel resection for any indication were included, stoma closure was excluded. The primary outcome was duration of PPOI. Secondary outcomes were time to tolerate oral diet, passage of flatus/stool, requirement and duration of nasogastric tube, length of post‐operative stay and rate of post‐operative complications.

Results

Individual patient data were pooled for analysis (53 gastrografin, 55 placebo). Gastrografin trended towards a reduction in PPOI duration compared to placebo, respectively, median 96 h (interquartile range, IQR, 78 h) versus median 120 h (IQR, 84 h), however, this result was non‐significant (P = 0.11). In addition, no significant difference was detected between the two groups for time to passage of flatus/stool (P = 0.36) and overall length of stay (P = 0.35). Gastrografin conferred a significantly faster time to tolerate an oral diet compared to placebo (median 84 h versus median 107 h, P = 0.04). There was no difference in post‐operative complications between the two interventions (P > 0.05).

Conclusion

Gastrografin did not significantly reduce PPOI duration or length of stay after abdominal surgery, but did reduce time to tolerate a solid diet. Further studies are required to clarify the role of gastrografin in PPOI.
Maternal steroid therapy for fetuses with second‐degree immune‐mediated congenital atrioventricular block: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Ciardulli Andrea , D'Antonio Francesco , Magro‐Malosso Elena R. , Manzoli Lamberto , Anisman Paul , Saccone Gabriele , Berghella Vincenzo
Published: March 2018

Introduction

The aim of this study was to explore the effect of maternal fluorinated steroid therapy on fetuses affected by second‐degree immune‐mediated congenital atrioventricular block.

Material and methods

Studies reporting the outcome of fetuses with second‐degree immune‐mediated congenital atrioventricular block diagnosed on prenatal ultrasound and treated with fluorinated steroids compared with those not treated were included. The primary outcome was the overall progression of congenital atrioventricular block to either continuous or intermittent third‐degree congenital atrioventricular block at birth. Meta‐analyses of proportions using random effect model and meta‐analyses using individual data random‐effect logistic regression were used.

Results

Five studies (71 fetuses) were included. The progression rate to congenital atrioventricular block at birth in fetuses treated with steroids was 52% (95% confidence interval 23–79) and in fetuses not receiving steroid therapy 73% (95% confidence interval 39–94). The overall rate of regression to either first‐degree, intermittent first‐/second‐degree or sinus rhythm in fetuses treated with steroids was 25% (95% confidence interval 12–41) compared with 23% (95% confidence interval 8–44) in those not treated. Stable (constant) second‐degree congenital atrioventricular block at birth was present in 11% (95% confidence interval 2–27) of cases in the treated group and in none of the newborns in the untreated group, whereas complete regression to sinus rhythm occurred in 21% (95% confidence interval 6–42) of fetuses receiving steroids vs. 9% (95% confidence interval 0–41) of those untreated.

Conclusions

There is still limited evidence as to the benefit of administered fluorinated steroids in terms of affecting outcome of fetuses with second‐degree immune‐mediated congenital atrioventricular block.
The costs and benefits of exchange rate protection in China
Authors: Riedel James
Published: March 2018

From 2002 to 2011, China ran large surpluses in both the current and capital accounts of its balance of payments, which the People's Bank of China (PBOC) purchased and held at official foreign reserves to avoid nominal appreciation of the currency. Concurrently, with its massive purchases of foreign exchange, the PBOC compelled commercial banks to buy PBOC ‘sterilisation bonds’ and raised commercial bank reserve requirement ratios to avoid monetisation of its foreign exchange purchases and concomitant upward pressure on the price level (that is, real appreciation of the currency). Sterilising foreign exchange intervention, as China did for a decade, constitutes a violation of the implicit rules of a fixed exchange rate regime and as such can be seen as a mercantilist policy of manipulating the real exchange rate to gain, or avoid losing, international price competitiveness—what Corden (1981) termed ‘exchange rate protection’. This paper sets out the simple theory of the costs and benefits of exchange rate protection and provides back‐of‐the‐envelope estimates of their magnitude in China in the 2000s. It also explores the ‘other side of the story’, the decline in US manufacturing employment in the 2000s, which recent literature attributes to a ‘China Trade Shock’ that allegedly resulted from the US granting Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) to China in 2001. Here, it is argued that the so‐called China Trade Shock resulted from China's sterilised intervention policy, not the granting of PNTR. The implications of these competing hypotheses are considered in the conclusions.
Letter: extensive intestinal metaplasia is associated with the presence of incomplete intestinal metaplasia subtype and could be an easier marker for high risk of gastric cancer
Authors: Quach D. T. , Hiyama T.
Published: March 2018

Linked Content

This article is linked to Pittayanon et al and Pittayanon and Barkun papers. To view these articles visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14082 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14555.
Letter: extensive intestinal metaplasia is associated with the presence of incomplete intestinal metaplasia subtype and could be an easier marker for high risk of gastric cancer Authors' reply
Authors: Pittayanon R. , Barkun A.
Published: March 2018

Linked Content

This article is linked to Pittayanon et al and Quach and Hiyama papers. To view these articles visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14082 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14553.
Letter: predicting azathioprine‐associated pancreatitis in IBD—phenotype or genotype? Authors' reply
Authors: Wilson A. , Jansen L. E. , Rose R. V. , Gregor J. C. , Ponich T. , Chande N. , Khanna R. , Yan B. , Jairath V. , Khanna N. , Sey M. , Beaton M. , McIntosh K. , Teft W. A. , Kim R. B.
Published: March 2018

Linked Content

This article is linked to Wilson et al and Teich et al papers. To view these articles visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14483 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14545.
Editorial: NAFLD in Asia—clinical associations with advanced disease become clearer. Authors' reply
Authors: Chan W.‐K. , Dan Y. Y. , Wong V. W.‐S. ,   the GO ASIA Initiative
Published: March 2018

Linked Content

This article is linked to Chan et al and Hardy and McPherson papers. To view these articles visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14506 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14557.
Editorial: clinical trials in IBD—how much of a difference is enough?
Authors: Sparrow M. P.
Published: March 2018

Linked Content

This article is linked to Olivera et al paper. To view this article visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14514.
Vascular risk factors for male and female urgency urinary incontinence at age 68 years from a British birth cohort study
Authors: Tsui Alex , Kuh Diana , Cardozo Linda , Davis Daniel
Published: March 2018

Objective

To investigate the prevalence of urgency urinary incontinence (UUI) at age 68 years and the contribution of vascular risk factors to male and female UUI pathogenesis in addition to the associations with raised body mass index (BMI).

Subjects and methods

In all, 1 762 participants from the Medical Research Council (MRC) National Survey for Health and Development birth cohort who answered the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire short form (ICIQ‐SF), at age 68 years, were included. Logistic regression was used to estimate associations between UUI and earlier life vascular risk factors including: lipid status, diabetes, hypertension, BMI, previous stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA) diagnosis; adjusting for smoking status, physical activity, co‐presentation of stress UI symptoms, educational attainment; and in women only, type of menopause, age at period cessation, and use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

Results

UUI was reported by 12% of men and 19% of women at age 68 years. Female sex, previous stroke or TIA diagnosis, increased BMI and hypertension (in men only) at age 60–64 years were independent risk factors for UUI. Female sex, increased BMI, and a previous diagnosis of stroke/TIA increased the relative risk of more severe UUI symptoms. Type and timing of menopause and HRT use did not alter the estimated associations between UUI and vascular risk factors in women.

Conclusion

Multifactorial mechanisms lead to UUI and vascular risk factors may contribute to the pathogenesis of bladder overactivity in addition to higher BMI. Severe UUI appears to be a distinct presentation with more specific contributory mechanisms than milder UUI.
Landscape‐scale lidar analysis of aboveground biomass distribution in secondary Brazilian Atlantic Forest
Authors: Becknell Justin M. , Keller Michael , Piotto Daniel , Longo Marcos , Nara dos‐Santos Maiza , Scaranello Marcos A. , Bruno de Oliveira Cavalcante Rodrigo , Porder Stephen
Published: March 2018

Secondary forests account for more than half of tropical forests and represent a growing carbon sink, but rates of biomass accumulation vary by a factor of two or more even among plots in the same landscape. To better understand the drivers of this variability, we used airborne lidar to measure forest canopy height and estimate biomass over 4529 ha at Serra do Conduru Park in Southern Bahia, Brazil. We measured trees in 30 georeferenced field plots (0.25‐ha each) to estimate biomass using allometry. Then we estimated aboveground biomass density (ABD) across the lidar study area using a statistical model developed from our field plots. This model related the 95th percentile of the distribution of lidar return heights toABD. We overlaid this map ofABDon a Landsat‐derived forest age map to determine rates of biomass accumulation. We found rapid initial biomass regeneration (~6 Mg/ha yr), which slowed as forests aged. We also observed high variability in both height and biomass across the landscape within forests of similar age. Nevertheless, a regression model that accounted for spatial autocorrelation and included forest age, slope, and distance to roads or open areas explained 62 and 77 percent of the landscape variation inABDand canopy height, respectively. Thus, while there is high spatial heterogeneity in forest recovery, and the drivers of this heterogeneity warrant further investigation, we suggest that a relatively simple set of predictor variables is sufficient to explain the majority of variance in both height andABDin this landscape.
Flooding and soil composition determine beta diversity of lowland forests in Northern South America
Authors: Stevenson Pablo R. , Aldana Ana M. , Cárdenas Sasha , Negret Pablo José
Published: March 2018

Beta diversity may be determined by dispersal limitation, environment, and phylogeographic history. Our objective was to advance the understanding of plant species turnover in rain forests in northern South America and determine which factors are affecting species beta diversity. We evaluated the relative effect of environmental variables (i.e., soil, climate, fragmentation, and flooding frequency) and dispersal limitation (i.e., geographical distance and resistance distance due mountain barriers) on tree beta diversity in 32 1‐ha lowland forest plots. We found that tree species turnover was better explained by environmental distance than by geographical distance. Although soil conditions and flooding regime were good predictors of tree species composition, almost half of the variance remained unexplained. In our study system, the eastern Andean ridge had no significant effect on plant beta diversity, probably because of its young age in relation to the phylogeny. Our results provide support for the importance of environmental factors and suggest a more restricted role of dispersal limitation. Therefore, we advise that conservation strategies of lowland trees should consider specific forest types (e.g., seasonally flooded vs.terra firme, as well as piedmont vs. central Amazonian forests).
Familiar Object Salience Affects Novel Word Learning
Authors: Pomper Ron , Saffran Jenny R.
Published: March 2018

Children use the presence of familiar objects with known names to identify the correct referents of novel words. In natural environments, objects vary widely in salience. The presence of familiar objects may sometimes hinder rather than help word learning. To test this hypothesis, 3‐year‐olds (N = 36) were shown novel objects paired with familiar objects that varied in their visual salience. When the novel objects were labeled, children were slower and less accurate at fixating them in the presence of highly salient familiar objects than in the presence of less salient familiar objects. They were also less successful in retaining these word‐referent pairings. While familiar objects may facilitate novel word learning in ambiguous situations, the properties of familiar objects matter.
Understanding Social Performance: A ‘Practice Drift’ at the Frontline of Microfinance Institutions in Bangladesh
Authors: Maîtrot Mathilde
Published: March 2018

This article examines the role of microfinance staff and procedures in enabling microfinance's social mission. It does so primarily through studying institutional ruling relations and practices in rural Bangladesh. Attempting to move away from the linear and deterministic approaches of impact studies, it ethnographically scrutinizes the everyday practices of implementers. Findings point to the emergence of systemic practices that jeopardize microfinance institutions’ potential to perform their social mission. These include low client‐selection standards, hard selling of loans and forceful loan renewal, little follow‐up on loan use, and abusive and violent client‐retention and repayment‐collection strategies. This is conceptualized as a ‘practice drift’ as distinct from the commonly reported ‘mission drift’. Rather than stemming from planned, top‐down changes in institutional mission and strategy, practice drift emerges from a displacement of decision‐making processes to the branches. The article argues that observed changes in microfinance practice are enabled by decentralized structures and management systems that leave the choice of tactics used to achieve targets to the discretion of field staff.
Long‐term pragmatic use of stiripentol for Dravet syndrome
Authors: Chiron Catherine
Published: March 2018

This commentary is on the original article by Myers et al. on pages 574–578 of this issue.
Meals, Mindfulness, & Moving Forward: A feasibility study to a multi‐modal lifestyle approach in early psychosis
Authors: Usher Craigan , Thompson Andie , Griebeler Meridith , Senders Angela , Seibel Celeste , Ly Richard , Murchison Charles , Hagen Kirsten , Afong Keith‐Allen , Bourdette Dennis , Ross Rachel , Borgatti Alena , Shinto Lynne
Published: March 2018

Aim

The primary aim was to demonstrate adherence to a novel 6‐week lifestyle intervention program (“Meals, Mindfulness, & Moving Forward” [M3]) designed to help improve lifestyle practices of youth with a history of at least 1 psychotic episode.

Methods

M3 used a non‐equivalent control group design involving clients from a community early intervention program. Seventeen individuals in the active M3 program and 16 controls were assessed for secondary outcomes at baseline, 6‐weeks, and 12‐weeks (6 weeks post‐intervention) on cardiometabolic and symptomatic outcomes.

Results

The program met its primary aim with 88% (15/17) of participants meeting adherence criteria. Compared with the controls, M3 participants showed significant improvement in positive psychotic symptoms (P = .002).

Conclusion

This pilot study showed that young people involved in a community early intervention program adhered to an activity‐based lifestyle program which included mindfulness meditation, yoga and nutrition education, warranting further evaluation with a larger sample size.
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation reveals a role for the left inferior parietal lobule in matching observed kinematics during imitation
Authors: Reader Arran T. , Royce Ben P. , Marsh Jade E. , Chivers Katy‐Jayne , Holmes Nicholas P.
Published: March 2018

Apraxia (a disorder of complex movement) suggests that the left inferior parietal lobule (IPL) plays a role in kinematic or spatial aspects of imitation, which may be particularly important for meaningless (i.e. unfamiliar intransitive) actions. Mirror neuron theories indicate that the IPL is part of a frontoparietal system that can support imitation by linking observed and stored actions through visuomotor matching, and have less to say about different subregions of the left IPL, or how different types of action (i.e. meaningful or meaningless) are processed for imitation. We used repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to bridge this gap and better understand the roles of the left supramarginal gyrus (SMG) and left angular gyrus (AG) in imitation. We also examined whether these areas are differentially involved in meaningful and meaningless action imitation. We applied rTMS over the left SMG, over the left AG or during a no‐rTMS baseline condition, and then asked participants to imitate a confederate's actions whilst the arm and hand movements of both individuals were motion‐tracked. rTMS over both the left SMG and the left AG reduced the velocity of participants’ finger movements relative to the actor during imitation of finger gestures, regardless of action meaning. Our results support recent claims in apraxia and confirm a role for the left IPL in kinematic processing during gesture imitation, regardless of action meaning.
Neural capacity limits during unconscious semantic processing
Authors: Nakamura Kimihiro , Makuuchi Michiru , Oga Tatsuhide , Mizuochi‐Endo Tomomi , Iwabuchi Toshiki , Nakajima Yasoichi , Dehaene Stanislas
Published: March 2018

A growing body of neuroimaging data suggests that direct measurements of brain activity can reveal subliminal effects that remain invisible with behavior measures alone. We examined whether sentence comprehension processes could be triggered by a sequence of masked words. On each trial, participants viewed a rapid sequence of masked or unmasked words, including a subject noun, three adverbs and followed by a visible target verb. To probe the capacity limits of unconscious processing, we measured event‐related potentials associated with the semantic congruency between the noun and the verb, while varying the subject position in each sentence. Unmasked sentences produced significant behavioral effects of congruency, paralleled by robust N400 effects, independently of subject–verb distance. By contrast, masked sentences produced no behavioral effect and elicited N400 effects only when subjects and verbs were separated by 0 or 1 word. The present results suggest that semantic integration of multiple words can occur unconsciously only if the distance between the words to be integrated does not exceed two words. Although the possibility remains that even longer sequence of invisible words may produce similar neural effects in different experimental settings, our ERP data show that only conscious perception gives access to a buffer that enables robust sentence‐level processing independently of temporal distance.
Super‐resolution structural analysis of dendritic spines using three‐dimensional structured illumination microscopy in cleared mouse brain slices
Authors: Sawada Kazuaki , Kawakami Ryosuke , Shigemoto Ryuichi , Nemoto Tomomi
Published: March 2018

Three‐dimensional (3D) super‐resolution microscopy technique structured illumination microscopy (SIM) imaging of dendritic spines along the dendrite has not been previously performed in fixed tissues, mainly due to deterioration of the stripe pattern of the excitation laser induced by light scattering and optical aberrations. To address this issue and solve these optical problems, we applied a novel clearing reagent, LUCID, to fixed brains. In SIM imaging, the penetration depth and the spatial resolution were improved in LUCID‐treated slices, and 160‐nm spatial resolution was obtained in a large portion of the imaging volume on a single apical dendrite. Furthermore, in a morphological analysis of spine heads of layer V pyramidal neurons (L5PNs) in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of chronic dexamethasone (Dex)‐treated mice, SIM imaging revealed an altered distribution of spine forms that could not be detected by high‐NA confocal imaging. Thus, super‐resolution SIM imaging represents a promising high‐throughput method for revealing spine morphologies in single dendrites.
Risk of epilepsy after a single seizure in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Mahamud Z. , Burman J. , Zelano J.
Published: March 2018

Background and purpose

The 2014 International League Against Epilepsy clinical definition of epilepsy allows diagnosis after a single unprovoked seizure if the 10‐year recurrence risk exceeds 60%. Multiple sclerosis (MS) carries an increased risk of epilepsy, but the risk after a first seizure is unknown. We aimed to investigate the risk of epilepsy in patients with MS who had suffered a first seizure.

Methods

We cross‐referenced data from the Swedish MS register with the national patient register for 15 810 patients with MS and 43 635 controls and included 289 patients with MS and 222 controls with a first diagnosis of seizure or status epilepticus (SE) without prior epilepsy or presumed symptomatic aetiology. Kaplan–Meier curves were used to estimate the risk of epilepsy.

Results

The 10‐year risk of epilepsy was 51.4% [95% confidence interval (CI), 44.0–58.9] for patients with MS and 41.3% (95% CI, 33.5–49.1) for controls. The risk was 46.1% (95% CI, 35.3–56.9) for patients with relapsing‐remitting MS and 60.7% (95% CI, 46.6–74.8) for patients with secondary progressive MS. For patients with MS with SE, the 10‐year risk of epilepsy was 85.9% (95% CI, 67.9–100).

Conclusions

Our data indicate that patients with relapsing‐remitting MS have a similar risk as controls of developing epilepsy after a single seizure. Patients with secondary progressive MS could run a greater risk of subsequent epilepsy, but our data do not indicate a risk that, with certainty, exceeds the threshold specified by the International League Against Epilepsy. Patients with SE have a high risk of epilepsy, possibly motivating diagnosis and treatment.