bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Product Standards and Firms’ Export Decisions
Authors: Fernandes Ana M , Ferro Esteban , Wilson John S
Published: January 2017

Two novel datasets are used to estimate the effect of product standards on firms’ export decisions. The first covers all exporting firms in 42 developing countries. The second covers pesticide standards for 243 agricultural and food products in 80 importing countries over 2006–2012. The analysis shows that product standards affect significantly foreign market access. An increase in the stringency of standards in the destination country, relative to the exporting country, lowers firms’ probability of exporting, deters exporters from entering new markets, and fosters exit from existing markets. Smaller exporters are more affected in their market entry and exit decisions by the relative stringency of destination standards than larger exporters. Networks of other exporters from the same country can help overcome the negative effects of the relative stringency of destination standards on exporter entry and exit.
Comparing mitogenomic timetrees for two African savannah primate genera (Chlorocebus and Papio)
Authors: Dolotovskaya Sofya , Torroba Bordallo Juan , Haus Tanja , Noll Angela , Hofreiter Michael , Zinner Dietmar , Roos Christian
Published: January 2017

Complete mitochondrial (mtDNA) genomes have proved to be useful in reconstructing primate phylogenies with higher resolution and confidence compared to reconstructions based on partial mtDNA sequences. Here, we analyse complete mtDNA genomes of African green monkeys (genus Chlorocebus), a widely distributed primate genus in Africa representing an interesting phylogeographical model for the evolution of savannah species. Previous studies on partial mtDNA sequences revealed nine major clades, suggesting several cases of para- and polyphyly among Chlorocebus species. However, in these studies, phylogenetic relationships among several clades were not resolved, and divergence times were not estimated. We analysed complete mtDNA genomes for ten Chlorocebus samples representing major mtDNA clades to find stronger statistical support in the phylogenetic reconstruction than in the previous studies and to estimate divergence times. Our results confirmed para- and polyphyletic relationships of most Chlorocebus species, while the support for the phylogenetic relationships between the mtDNA clades increased compared to the previous studies. Our results indicate an initial west–east division in the northern part of the Chlorocebus range with subsequent divergence into north-eastern and southern clades. This phylogeographic scenario contrasts with that for another widespread African savannah primate genus, the baboons (Papio), for which a dispersal from southern Africa into East and West Africa was suggested.
Grid cells show field-to-field variability and this explains the aperiodic response of inhibitory interneurons
Authors: Dunn Benjamin , Wennberg Daniel , Huang Ziwei , Roudi Yasser
Published: January 2017

Research on network mechanisms and coding properties of grid cells assume that the firing rate of a grid cell in each of its fields is the same. Furthermore, proposed network models predict spatial regularities in the firing of inhibitory interneurons that are inconsistent with experimental data. In this paper, by analyzing the response of grid cells recorded from rats during free navigation, we first show that there are strong variations in the mean firing rate of the fields of individual grid cells and thus show that the data is inconsistent with the theoretical models that predict similar peak magnitudes. We then build a two population excitatory-inhibitory network model in which sparse spatially selective input to the excitatory cells, presumed to arise from e.g. salient external stimuli, hippocampus or a combination of both, leads to the variability in the firing field amplitudes of grid cells. We show that, when combined with appropriate connectivity between the excitatory and inhibitory neurons, the variability in the firing field amplitudes of grid cells results in inhibitory neurons that do not exhibit regular spatial firing, consistent with experimental data. Finally, we show that even if the spatial positions of the fields are maintained, variations in the firing rates of the fields of grid cells are enough to cause remapping of hippocampal cells.
Nucleotide sequence and DNaseI sensitivity are predictive of 3D chromatin architecture
Authors: Schreiber Jacob , Libbrecht Maxwell , Bilmes Jeffrey , Noble William Stafford
Published: January 2017

Recently, Hi-C has been used to probe the 3D chromatin architecture of multiple organisms and cell types. The resulting collections of pairwise contacts across the genome have connected chromatin architecture to many cellular phenomena, including replication timing and gene regulation. However, high resolution (10 kb or finer) contact maps remain scarce due to the expense and time required for collection. A computational method for predicting pairwise contacts without the need to run a Hi-C experiment would be invaluable in understanding the role that 3D chromatin architecture plays in genome biology. We describe Rambutan, a deep convolutional neural network that predicts Hi-C contacts at 1 kb resolution using nucleotide sequence and DNaseI assay signal as inputs. Specifically, Rambutan identifies locus pairs that engage in high confidence contacts according to Fit-Hi-C, a previously described method for assigning statistical confidence estimates to Hi-C contacts. We first demonstrate Rambutan’s performance across chromosomes at 1 kb resolution in the GM12878 cell line. Subsequently, we measure Rambutan’s performance across six cell types. In this setting, the model achieves an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve between 0.7662 and 0.8246 and an area under the precision-recall curve between 0.3737 and 0.9008. We further demonstrate that the predicted contacts exhibit expected trends relative to histone modification ChlP-seq data, replication timing measurements, and annotations of functional elements such as promoters and enhancers. Finally, we predict Hi-C contacts for 53 human cell types and show that the predictions cluster by cellular function. [NOTE: After our original submission we discovered an error in our calling of statistically significant contacts. Briefly, when calculating the prior probability of a contact, we used the number of contacts at a certain genomic distance in a chromosome but divided by the total number of bins in the full genome. When we corrected this mistake we noticed that the Rambutan model, as it curently stands, did not outperform simply using the GM12878 contact map that Rambutan was trained on as the predictor in other cell types. While we investigate these new results, we ask that readers treat this manuscript skeptically.]
Radiative energy budgets of phototrophic surface-associated microbial communities and their photosynthetic efficiency under diffuse and collimated light
Authors: Lichtenberg Mads , Brodersen Kasper Elgetti , Kühl Michael
Published: January 2017

We investigated the radiative energy budgets of a heterogeneous photosynthetic coral reef sediment and a compact uniform cyanobacterial biofilm on top of coastal sediment. By combining electrochemical, thermocouple and fiber-optic microsensor measurements of O2, temperature and light, we could calculate the proportion of the absorbed light energy that was either dissipated as heat or conserved by photosynthesis. We show, across a range of different incident light regimes, that such radiative energy budgets are highly dominated by heat dissipation constituting up to 99.5% of the absorbed light energy. Highest photosynthetic energy conservation efficiency was found in the coral sediment under light-limiting conditions and amounted to ~13% of the absorbed light energy. Additionally, the effect of light directionality, i.e., diffuse or collimated light, on energy conversion efficiency was tested on the two surface-associated systems. The effects of light directionality on the radiative energy budgets of these phototrophic communities were not unanimous but, resulted in local spatial differences in heat-transfer, gross photosynthesis and light distribution. The light acclimation index, Ekwas >2 times higher in the coral sediment compared to the biofilm and changed the pattern of photosynthetic energy conservation under light-limiting conditions. At moderate to high incident 45 irradiances, the photosynthetic conservation of absorbed energy was highest in collimated light; a tendency that changed in the biofilm under sub-saturating incident irradiances, where higher photosynthetic efficiencies were observed under diffuse light. Our results suggest that the optical properties and the structural organization of phytoelements are important traits affecting the photosynthetic efficiency of biofilms and sediments.
Applying polygenic risk scoring for psychiatric disorders to a large family with Bipolar Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder
Authors: Jong Simone de , Abdalla Diniz Mateus Jose , Saloma Rodrigues Andiara Calado , Gadelha Ary , Santoro Marcos L , Ota Vanessa K , Noto Cristiano ,   Major Depressive Disorder and Bipolar Disorder Working Groups of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, Curtis Charles , Patel Hamel , Hall Lynsey S , O’Reilly Paul F , Belangero Sintia I , Bressan Rodrigo , Breen Gerome
Published: January 2017

We aim to investigate the application of polygenic risk scoring within a family context. Polygenic risk profiles could aid in unraveling the role that common variation confers on disease risk within a pedigree that would have traditionally been viewed through the prism of monogenic inheritance only. We illustrate our discussion by analyzing polygenic risk scores for schizophrenia, major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder in a large pedigree (n~260) in which 30% of family members suffer from major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder. We apply polygenic risk scores to study patterns of assortative mating and anticipation, whereby it appears increased polygenic risk for psychiatric disorders is contributed by affected individuals who married into the family, resulting in an increasing genetic risk over generations in the family. This may explain the observation of anticipation in mood disorders, whereby onset is earlier and the severity of a disease increases over the generations of a family. Joint analyses of both rare and common variation may be the most powerful way to understand the familial genetics of mood and psychiatric disorders.
Comprehensive annotation of BRCA1 and BRCA2 missense variants by functionally validated sequence-based computational prediction models
Authors: Hart Steven N , Hoskin Tanya , Shimelis Hermela , Moore Raymond , Feng Bingjian , Thomas Abigail , Lindor Noralane , Montiero Alvaro , Goldgar David , Iversen Edwin , Suman Vera , Couch Fergus N
Published: January 2017

Missense variants of uncertain significance (VUS) in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 cancer predisposition genes confound clinical interpretation. To improve methods for classification of VUS, functional data for 248 BRCA1 and 207 BRCA2 variants were comprehensively compared to 40 in-silico prediction algorithms, using default and optimized thresholds. Integrated frameworks predicting the pathogenicity of BRCA1 and BRCA2 missense variants were also developed using a random forest model (RF) and a naive voting method (NVM). Both models yielded high area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) (>0.90) for pathogenic variants in these genes. When applied to other genes, the predictive ability of the models were superior to other algorithms. The quantitative prediction of functional impact of all possible variants in clinically relevant functional domains of BRCA1 and BRCA2 using these models provides the first high-throughput validated method for classification of VUS identified by clinical genetic testing.
Genome-wide Search for Zelda-like Chromatin Signatures Identifies GAF as a Pioneer Factor in Early Fly Development
Authors: Moshe Arbel , Kaplan Tommy
Published: January 2017

The protein Zelda was shown to play a key role in early Drosophila development, binding thousands of promoters and enhancers prior to maternal-to-zygotic transition (MZT), and marking them for transcriptional activation. Recently, we showed that Zelda acts through specific chromatin patterns of histone modifications to mark developmental enhancers and active promoters. Intriguingly, some Zelda sites still maintain these chromatin patterns in Drosophila embryos lacking maternal Zelda protein. This suggests that additional Zelda-like pioneer factors may act in early fly embryos. We developed a computational method to analyze and refine the chromatin landscape surrounding early Zelda peaks, using a multi-channel spectral clustering. This allowed us to characterize their chromatin patterns through MZT (mitotic cycles 8-14). Specifically, we focused on H3K4me1, H3K4me3, H3K18ac, H3K27ac, and H3K27me3 and identified three different classes of chromatin signatures, matching "promoters", "enhancers" and "transiently bound" Zelda peaks. We then further scanned the genome using these chromatin patterns and identified additional loci - with no Zelda binding - that show similar chromatin patterns, resulting with hundreds of Zelda- independent putative enhancers. These regions were found to be enriched with GAGA factor (GAF, Trl), and are typically located near early developmental zygotic genes. Overall our analysis suggests that GAF, together with Zelda, plays an important role in activating the zygotic genome. As we show, our computational approach offers an efficient algorithm for characterizing chromatin signatures around some loci of interest, and allows a genome-wide identification of additional loci with similar chromatin patterns.
Authenticity in branding – exploring antecedents and consequences of brand authenticity
Authors: Fritz Kristine , Schoenmueller Verena , Bruhn Manfred
Published: January 2017

Purpose

Consumer demand for authentic brands is steadily rising. With increased pressure to accommodate this demand, researchers and marketers seek to understand how to influence a brand’s perceived authenticity. The purpose of this paper is to build a link between previous research on authenticity and thus gain a deeper understanding of the influencing factors of brand authenticity and its consumer outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

Building on an extensive literature review, the authors identify various antecedents of brand authenticity that are closely connected with the brand’s past, its virtuousness, consumers’ self-identification with the brand perceiver’s own self and individuals representing the brand, as well as relational outcomes as consequences of a brand’s perceived authenticity. As brand authenticity is a subjective construct, the authors include brand involvement to test for moderator effects. For data collection, they conduct an online survey that generates 509 datasets. To test the hypotheses, the authors use structural equation modeling.

Findings

The results demonstrate that brand authenticity can be influenced by the identified variables (i.e. brand heritage, brand nostalgia, brand commercialization, brand clarity, brand’s social commitment, brand legitimacy, actual self-congruence and employee’s passion). Moreover, brand authenticity positively affects brand relationship quality, which in turn positively influences consumers’ behavioral intentions. The analyzed relationships do not vary due to consumer-specific characteristics (i.e. brand involvement).

Originality/value

In sum, the results regarding the antecedents of brand authenticity demonstrate that a company can influence brand authenticity through different approaches, and that it is therefore important to analyze which of the identified antecedents brand management should manipulate to positively impact the perception of the brand’s authenticity. In addition, the findings confirm the positive consequences on consumer behavior ascribed to the authenticity concept by marketing literature.
The impact of market size on new market entry: a contingency approach
Authors: Min Sungwook , Kim Namwoon , Zhan Ge
Published: January 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to offer explanations of the wide variation in the impact of market size on new market entry decisions – i.e. its positive impact lessens because of unreliable predictability of market size on post-entry profit and entry motivations other than post-entry profit.

Design/methodology/approach

On the basis of the two explanations, this paper builds a contingency frame that the impact of market size on new market entry depends on entry-context-specific variables. It validates the contingency frame, empirically analyzing 219 parameter estimates of the impact of market size on market entry obtained from 41 existing empirical studies.

Findings

The meta-analysis results reveal that the entry-context-specific variables used in this study – niche market entry, high-tech market entry, entry by industry incumbent firms and the year of market entry – notably moderate the impact of market size on new market entry decisions, as the research frame suggests.

Research limitations/implications

This study examines the various literature and study outcomes in the areas of marketing, economics and strategy to elucidate whether and when market size is a critical driver of new market entry. In most cases, the greater the new market size, the greater is the propensity to enter the market. However, the contingency arguments stated in this paper suggest that firms may and do enter a new market even if the market size is not large at the time of entry.

Originality/value

This paper enhances the understanding of the relative importance of market size in market entry decisions, which depend on various entry contexts. It clarifies the direction and magnitude of the impact of such entry contexts.
My role and experiences as a mother (“carer”) for my daughter
Authors: O’Connor Kay
Published: January 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe a mother’s experience of having a daughter who experienced mental health problems.

Design/methodology/approach

Narrative account.

Findings

The author wants to convey the enormous pride that the author feel for her wonderful daughter, and some of the challenges that the author has encountered. The author also writes about what helps her and what helps her daughter, the lessons that the author has learnt, and the benefits that a local recovery initiative have brought for the author and her daughter.

Originality/value

A mother’s account of the benefits a local recovery initiative has brought to her and her daughter.
Population pharmacokinetics analysis of intravenous busulfan in Chinese patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
Authors: Wu Xuemei , Xie Helin , Lin Weiwei , Yang Ting , Li Nainong , Lin Shanshan , Yuan Xiaohong , Ren Jinhua , Li Xiaofan , Huang Xian
Published: January 2017

There are several reports describing population pharmacokinetic (popPK) models of busulfan (BU). However, limited information is available in Chinese hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) patients. The present study aimed to establish a popPK model of intravenous BU in Chinese HSCT patients for individualized drug therapy. The popPK model of BU was developed from a total of 284 concentration–time points from 53 patients. The effects of demographic and biochemical covariates were investigated by nonlinear mixed effect model (NONMEM) software. Plots, visual predictive check (VPC), bootstrap and normalized prediction distribution error (NPDE) were performed to determine the stability and the reliability of the final model. A one‐compartment model with first‐order elimination process was confirmed as the final structural model for BU. For a typical patient whose body surface area (BSA) is 1.7 m2, the population typical values of CL and Vd were 11.86 L/h, and 48.2 L, respectively. The result suggested BSA showed significant influence on CL and Vd (P<.001). Plots revealed the final model was performing a goodness fit. The steady rate verified by bootstrap was 100%, relative deviation was less than 4.00%, estimated value of final model was in the 95% confidence interval (CI). The VPC results showed the observed values were almost all positioned within the 5th and 95th CIs. The mean and variance of the NPDE were 0.0363 (Wilcoxon signed‐rank test, 0.298) and 0.877 (Fisher variance test, 0.134; SW test of normality, 0.108), respectively. The global adjusted P value was 0.305, which indicated that the prediction of the BU popPK model was adequate. A physician‐friendly Microsoft Excel‐base tool was implemented using the final popPK model for designing individualized dosing regimens.
A NEW LOOK AT THE EMPLOYMENT AND RECIDIVISM RELATIONSHIP THROUGH THE LENS OF A CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK*
Authors: DENVER MEGAN , SIWACH GARIMA , BUSHWAY SHAWN D.
Published: January 2017

Criminal background checks are increasingly being incorporated into hiring decisions by employers. Although originally uncompromising—almost anyone with a criminal record could be denied employment—court rulings and policy changes have forced criminal background checks to become more nuanced. One motivation for allowing more individuals with criminal records to work is to decrease recidivism and encourage desistance. In this article, we estimate the causal impact of receiving a clearance to work on subsequent arrests for individuals with criminal records who have been provisionally hired to work in certain nonlicensed health‐care jobs in New York State (N = 6,648). We employ an instrumental variable approach based on a substantive understanding of the state‐mandated criminal background check process. We examine age‐graded effects within this group of motivated individuals and differential effects by sex in the rapidly growing health‐care industry, which is typically dominated by women. Our estimated local average treatment effect indicates a 2.2‐percentage‐point decrease in the likelihood of a subsequent arrest in 1 year and a 4.2‐percentage‐point decrease over 3 years. We find meaningful variations by sex; men are 8.4 percentage points less likely to be arrested over the 3‐year period when cleared compared with a 2.4‐percentage‐point (and nonsignificant) effect for women. Older women in particular are driving the nonsignificant results for women.
Expert, Crowd, Students or Algorithm: who holds the key to deep‐sea imagery ‘big data’ processing?
Authors: Matabos Marjolaine , Hoeberechts Maia , Doya Carol , Aguzzi Jacopo , Nephin Jessica , Reimchen Thomas E. , Leaver Steve , Marx Roswitha M. , Branzan Albu Alexandra , Fier Ryan , Fernandez‐Arcaya Ulla , Juniper S. Kim
Published: January 2017

Recent technological development has increased our capacity to study the deep sea and the marine benthic realm, particularly with the development of multidisciplinary seafloor observatories. Since 2006, Ocean Networks Canada cabled observatories, have acquired nearly 65 TB and over 90 000 h of video data from seafloor cameras and remotely operated vehicles. Manual processing of these data is time‐consuming and highly labour‐intensive, and cannot be comprehensively undertaken by individual researchers. These videos are a crucial source of information for assessing natural variability and ecosystem responses to increasing human activity in the deep sea.

We compared the performance of three groups of humans and one computer vision algorithm in counting individuals of the commercially important sablefish (or black cod) Anoplopoma fimbria, in recorded video from a cabled camera platform at 900 m depth in a submarine canyon in the Northeast Pacific. The first group of human observers were untrained volunteers recruited via a crowdsourcing platform and the second were experienced university students, who performed the task for their ichthyology class. Results were validated against counts obtained from a scientific expert.

All groups produced relatively accurate results in comparison to the expert and all succeeded in detecting patterns and periodicities in fish abundance data. Trained volunteers displayed the highest accuracy and the algorithm the lowest.

As seafloor observatories increase in number around the world, this study demonstrates the value of a hybrid combination of crowdsourcing and computer vision techniques as a tool to help process large volumes of imagery to support basic research and environmental monitoring. Reciprocally, by engaging large numbers of online participants in deep‐sea research, this approach can contribute significantly to ocean literacy and informed citizen input to policy development.
Emon: an R‐package to support the design of marine ecological and environmental studies, surveys and monitoring programmes
Authors: Barry Jon , Maxwell David , Jennings Simon , Walker David , Murray Joanna
Published: January 2017

Marine systems and their biota are always changing, in response to environmental and human pressures such as climate variation and change, eutrophication, fisheries exploitation, litter, noise and accidental releases or regular discharges of contaminants, radioactivity and hazardous substances. Studies, surveys and monitoring help to describe and understand system responses to these pressures, and provide evidence to assess the needs for, and effects of, management interventions. Studies, surveys and monitoring are often costly, especially offshore, so small investments in preliminary data collection and systematic planning of these activities can help to make best use of resources and inform trade‐offs between budgets and expectations.

To meet recognised needs for accessible tools to plan some aspects of studies, surveys and monitoring, we developed the R package emon. Emon includes routines for study design through power analysis (assuming independence of observations) and feature detection; which are the focus of this paper.

We hope that access to the functions in emon, many drawing on work which was previously published but without code for implementation, will raise awareness of what marine studies, surveys and monitoring can achieve, thus encouraging cost‐effective, needs‐ and evidence‐based designs.
Alternative models of disorders of traumatic stress based on the new ICD‐11 proposals
Authors: Shevlin M. , Hyland P. , Karatzias T. , Fyvie C. , Roberts N. , Bisson J. I. , Brewin C. R. , Cloitre M.
Published: January 2017

Objective

Although there is emerging evidence for the factorial validity of the distinction between post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD (CPTSD) proposed in ICD‐11, such evidence has been predominantly based on using selected items from individual scales that describe these factors. We have attempted to address this gap in the literature by testing a range of alternative models of disorders of traumatic stress using a broader range of symptoms and standardized measures.

Method

Participants in this cross‐sectional study were a sample of individuals who were referred for psychological therapy to a National Health Service (NHS) trauma centre in Scotland (N = 195). Participants were recruited over a period of 18 months and completed measures of stressful life events, DSM‐5 PTSD, emotion dysregulation, self‐esteem and interpersonal difficulties.

Results

Overall, results indicate that a structural model incorporating six first‐order factors (re‐experiencing, avoidance of traumatic reminders, sense of threat, affective dysregulation, negative self‐concept and disturbances in relationships) and two second‐order factors (PTSD and disturbances in self‐organization [DSO]) was the best fitting. The model presented with good concurrent validity. Childhood trauma was found to be more strongly associated with DSO than with PTSD.

Conclusion

Our results are in support of the ICD‐11 proposals for PTSD and CPTSD.
Social media and professionalism: does the profession need to re‐think the parameters of professionalism within social media?
Authors: Holden ACL
Published: January 2017

Social media is no longer a new concept, with social media platforms dominating how many communicate. It would be unrealistic to expect that dentistry would not become involved in the use of social media for professional reasons, as well as professionals using social media platforms privately. Despite it being acceptable for dental professionals to have social media presence, those dental professionals have a framework of professional, ethical and legal obligations to which they must conform when using social media. This article seeks to discuss how unintentionally professionalism may be breached by dental professionals not making a distinction between social media and other facets of professional life. There is need for a discussion about how as a profession, dentistry may perceive the effects of professional interaction with social media on the profession's wider relationship with society and whether current regulatory advice goes far enough to protecting the interests of patients. It is important for the use of social media by dental professionals to fit within the established social contract between the profession and society and failure to observe the terms of this will cause damage to the patient–professional relationship.
Epidemiological study of paediatric germ cell tumours revealed the incidence and distribution that was expected, but a low mortality rate
Authors: Evers Madeline , Rechnitzer Catherine , Graem Niels , Skov Wehner Peder , Schroeder Henrik , Rosthoej Steen , Mosbech Christiane Hammershaimb , Hoei‐Hansen Christina Engel , Sehested Astrid , Treger Taryn D. , Brok Jesper
Published: January 2017

Aim

Germ cell tumours (GCTs) are a rare heterogeneous tumour group derived from primordial germ cells, which can be benign or malignant and occur in the gonads or extragonadally. This study mapped the paediatric GCTs in Denmark from 1984 to 2013 to study the incidence and outcome.

Methods

We identified paediatric GCTs from the Danish Childhood Cancer and National Pathology Registries and reviewed the case records for patient characteristics, tumour characteristics and clinical outcome.

Results

We identified 403 (71% female) paediatric GCTs and the crude incidence was 1.43 per 100 000. Of these, 79 (20%) were malignant, 39 (10%) were potentially malignant and 285 (70%) were benign. Extragonadal GCTs (39%) were mainly observed in early childhood and were predominately sacrococcygeal teratomas. Gonadal GCTs (61%) in late childhood were most frequently mature teratomas in the ovaries. Nearly all patients underwent surgery. Of the malignant tumours, 62% were treated with chemotherapy. Radiotherapy was only administered to intracranial GCTs. In the cohort, 12 patients died (3%).

Conclusion

Paediatric GCTs in Denmark were mainly benign and mortality was low, even for malignant tumours. We identified a peak of extragonadal GCTs in early childhood and a peak of gonadal GCTs in late childhood, which was comparable to previous reports.
High‐temperature short‐time pasteurisation of human breastmilk is efficient in retaining protein and reducing the bacterial count
Authors: Klotz Daniel , Joellenbeck Mirjam , Winkler Karl , Kunze Mirjam , Huzly Daniela , Hentschel Roland
Published: January 2017

Aim

Milk banks are advised to use Holder pasteurisation to inactivate the cytomegalovirus, but the process adversely affects the bioactive properties of human breastmilk. This study explored the antibacterial efficacy of an alternative high‐temperature short‐time (HTST) treatment of human breastmilk and its effect on marker proteins, compared with the Holder method.

Methods

Breastmilk samples were obtained from 27 mothers with infants in a German neonatal intensive care unit. The samples were either heated to 62°C for five seconds using HTST or processed using Holder pasteurisation, at 63 ± 0.5°C for 30 minutes. Immunoglobulin A, lactoferrin, lysozyme, alkaline phosphatase and bile salt‐stimulated lipase concentrations and bacterial colony‐forming units/mL were measured before and after heating.

Results

HTST‐treated samples retained higher rates of immunoglobulin A (95% versus 83%), alkaline phosphatase (6% versus 0%) and bile salt‐stimulated lipase (0.8% versus 0.4%) than Holder pasteurisation samples (all p < 0.01), but not lactoferrin (32% versus 20%, p = 0.18) and lysozyme (72% versus 65%, p = 1). No difference in antibacterial efficacy was noted between the two groups (p = 0.29).

Conclusion

Using the HTST treatment protocol retained some of the bioactive properties of human breastmilk and appeared to have similar antibacterial efficacy to Holder pasteurisation.
Fibrin sealants in soft tissue surgery of the head and neck: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomised controlled trials
Authors: Bajwa M.S. , Tudur‐Smith C. , Shaw R.J. , Schache A.G.
Published: January 2017

Background

Fibrin sealants (FS) are commercially available products used in surgical wounds as adjuncts to haemostasis and closure of dead space. The role of FS in soft tissue head and neck surgery has not been established.

Objectives

To assess whether FS improves wound‐related outcomes in patients undergoing soft tissue surgery of the head and neck anatomical region that would commonly require a drain.

Type of review

Systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs).

Search strategy

MEDLINE (1946‐2016), EMBASE (1974‐2016), PubMed (2016), CENTRAL (2016), ClinicalTrials.gov (2016), WHO International Clinical Trials Registry and Platform (2016), Research Gate (2016).

Evaluation method

Two independent reviewers screened and selected studies. Included studies were assessed for risk of bias and data extracted using a predetermined data collection form.

Results

Of the 421 studies that were screened, 11 RCTs met the inclusion criteria. There were two RCTs on thyroidectomy, three on “surgery involving neck dissection” (central or lateral), five on rhytidectomy and one on parotidectomy. There was a tendency for FS to reduce “mean total drainage volume” (mean difference −26.86 mL, 95% CI −43.41 to −10.31, I2=97%, P=.001). Subgroup analysis of thyroidectomy (mean difference −36.36 mL, 95% CI −72.82 to 0.10, I2=79%, P=.05), “surgery involving neck dissection” (mean difference −33.21 mL, 95% CI −70.01 to 3.59, I2=94%, P=.08) and rhytidectomy (mean difference −13.79 mL, 95% CI −17.57 to −10.01, I2=0%, P < .00001) concurred with the overall analysis. There was a suggestion that FS may reduce “mean retention time of drains” by 1.24 days (95% CI −3.32 to 0.85, I2=99%, P=.25) and “hospital length of stay” by 2.09 days (95% CI −5.18 to 0.99, I2=97%, P=.18), but this was not statistically significant. There was also a suggestion that FS may protect against adverse events (RR 0.69, 95% CI 0.35 to 1.38, I2=0%, P=.29) and haematoma/seroma formation (RR 0.49, 95% CI 0.22 to 1.07, I2=0%, P=0.07).

Conclusions

There was considerable heterogeneity within the RCTs included in this study, thus restricting definitive conclusions. FS has however shown a definite benefit in rhytidectomy and potential benefit in other soft tissue head and neck surgical procedures. Further pragmatic trials are required particularly in the field of lateral neck dissection.
Corticosteroid wean after heart transplantation—Is there a risk for antibody formation?
Authors: Elboudwarej Omeed , Phan Derek , Patel Jignesh K. , Liou Frank , Aintablian Tamar , Osborne Ashley , Yu Zhe , Reinsmoen Nancy , Kobashigawa Jon A.
Published: January 2017

Background

Corticosteroid withdrawal after heart transplantation is limited to select immune‐privileged patients but it is not known whether this predisposes patients to a higher risk for sensitization.

Methods

A total of 178 heart transplant recipients had panel‐reactive antibody (PRA) measurements at transplant and every 6 months and were monitored for rejection with protocol endomyocardial biopsies. Corticosteroid withdrawal was initiated at 6 months post‐transplant in select patients.

Results

Patients successfully weaned off prednisone (SPW; n=103) had lower PRA compared to those maintained on prednisone (MP; n=51) at pretransplant (34% vs 63%), 6 months (18% vs 49%), 12 months (19% vs 51%), and 18 months (15% vs 47%) after transplant (P<.05). Among 68 nonsensitized patients at transplant in the SPW group, seven (10%) developed de novo PRA at 12 months, compared to four of 19 (21%) of MP patients. Freedom from any treated rejection (97% vs 69% vs 67%), acute cellular rejection (100% vs 86% vs 71%), and antibody‐mediated rejection (100% vs 88% vs 88%; all P≤.001) at 2 years was higher in SPW compared to MP and those who failed prednisone wean, respectively.

Conclusion

Few patients successfully weaned off prednisone after heart transplant develop de novo circulating antibodies but are not at increased risk for developing rejection.
An assessment of left atrial function in patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy before and 1 year after septal ablation by two‐dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography
Authors: Fang Hui , Tang Hailin , Li Peng , Xiong Li , Hu Gongpai , Li Li , Yu Yonghong , Zhao Bowen
Published: January 2017

Objective

The objective of this study was to assess left atrial (LA) function with two‐dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2DSTE) in addition to standard echocardiographic assessments in patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) before and 1 year after septal ablation (SA).

Methods

The study included 31 patients with HOCM, who underwent SA. Each patient with HOCM underwent a complete two‐dimensional transthoracic echocardiography before and 1 year after the SA. The measurements included basal septal thickness, left ventricular outflow trace (LVOT) gradient, mitral regurgitation (MR) grade, LA dimensions, left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction, and tissue Doppler parameters of lateral mitral annular e′ and septal mitral annular e′. The LA wall was tracked on a frame‐by‐frame basis using 2DSTE, and LA volume waveforms were generated. The maximum LA volume (LAVmax), minimal LA volume (LAVmin), and the LA volume before atrial contraction (LAVpre‐a) were measured. The LA reservoir function was calculated as the expansion index and diastolic emptying index. The LA conduit function was calculated as the passive emptying percentage of total emptying (PE) and the passive emptying index (PEI). The LA booster function was calculated as the active emptying percentage of total emptying (AE) and the active emptying index (AEI).

Results

The LVOT gradient, end‐diastolic septal base thickness, the grade of MR, and LA end‐diastolic size were significantly decreased in patients with HOCM before and 1 year after the SA (All P<.05). The lateral mitral annular e′ was significantly increased (P<.05), and the E/lateral e′ ratio was significantly decreased (P<.05), whereas septal mitral annular e′ was significantly decreased (P<.05), and the E/septal e′ ratio was significantly increased (P<.05). LAVImax, LAVImin, and LAVIpre‐a were significantly decreased 1 year after the SA (All P<.05). The expansion and diastolic emptying indices were significantly increased (All P<.05) at 1 year after the SA. PE and PEI were significantly increased (All P<.05). The AE and AEI were significantly decreased (All P<.05). LAVImax, LAVImin, and LAVIpre‐a of the responders group were significantly lower than those of the nonresponders group (All P<.05). The expansion and diastolic emptying indices of the responders group were significantly higher than those of the nonresponders group (All P<.05). The PE and PEI of the responders were significantly higher than those of the nonresponders group (All P<.05). The AE and AEI of the responders were significantly lower than those of the nonresponders group (All P<.05).

Conclusions

We found an improvement in the LA reservoir and conduit function but a reduction in LA booster pump function 1 year after the SA in the responders.
Testosterone‐induced neuroendocrine changes in the medial preoptic area precede song activation and plasticity in song control nuclei of female canaries
Authors: Shevchouk Olesya T. , Ghorbanpoor Samar , Ball Gregory F. , Cornil Charlotte A. , Balthazart Jacques
Published: January 2017

Testosterone plays a key role in the control of seasonal changes in singing behavior and its underlying neural circuitry. After administration of exogenous testosterone, song quality and song control nuclei volumes change over the course of weeks, but song rate increases within days. The medial preoptic nucleus (POM) controls sexual motivation and testosterone action in POM increases sexually motivated singing. In this study, we investigated the time course of testosterone action in the song control nuclei and POM, at the gross anatomical and cellular level. Photosensitive female canaries were injected with BrdU to label newborn neurons. One day later they were transferred to a long‐day photoperiod and implanted with testosterone‐filled or empty implants. Brains and blood were collected 1, 2, 9 or 21 days later. Testosterone increased POM volume within 1 day, whereas the volume of song control nuclei increased significantly only on day 21 even if a trend was already observed for HVC on day 9. The density of newborn neurons in HVC, labeled by Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) and doublecortin, was increased by testosterone on days 9 and 21 although a trend was already detectable on day 2. In POM, testosterone increased the number and size of aromatase‐immunoreactive neurons already after 1 day. This rapid action of testosterone in POM supports its proposed role in controlling singing motivation. Although testosterone increased the number of newborn neurons in HVC rapidly (9, possibly 2 days), it is unlikely that these new neurons affect singing behavior before they mature and integrate into functional circuits.
Towards a critical geography of disaster recovery politics: Perspectives on crisis and hope
Authors: Cretney Raven Marie
Published: January 2017

As disasters increasingly affect a greater proportion of the population with growing strength and frequency it is becoming even more important to comprehend how recovery from these events is mediated and managed by society. Emerging from several decades of concerted work on the social determinants of disaster, vulnerability and risk, research is now being established that underlies the importance of the politics and power in shaping the processes and outcomes of disaster recovery. In particular, there is a need to situate the central role of neoliberal capitalism in shaping the values and practices of reconstruction and recovery, particularly through engagements with crisis politics. At the same time, disasters may open up space for contestation and resistance that allows for alternative and transformative forms of recovery politics. In this paper I draw on geographies of crisis and hope to frame a theoretical perspective that encapsulates both the capitalist dynamics of disaster recovery and the radical potential of post capitalist politics for facilitating transformative action at the community scale.
Milk yield and nitrogen excretion of dairy cows grazing binary and multispecies pastures
Authors: Bryant R. H. , Miller M. E. , Greenwood S. L. , Edwards G. R.
Published: January 2017

Three grazing experiments were carried out in late spring (early lactation), summer (mid‐lactation) and autumn (late lactation) to compare the effects of perennial ryegrass cultivar or grass species, sown in binary or multispecies mixtures, on milk yield and nitrogen excretion of dairy cows. Replicated groups of multiparous Holstein Friesian × Jersey cows were offered either a control or high‐sugar perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) or tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) base grass in a binary mixture with white clover (Trifolium repens) or in a multispecies mixture with additional legumes, bromegrass (Bromus willdenowii) and forbs. During each 9‐day experiment, botanical composition, milk production and faecal and urine composition were measured. Milk solid (MS) yield for the control ryegrass, high‐sugar ryegrass and tall fescue grass types averaged, respectively, 1.53, 1.64 and 1.70 kg MS cow−1 day−1 for a binary mixture sward, compared with 1.65, 1.54 and 1.53 kg MS cow−1 day−1 for a multispecies sward. Legume content influenced milk production more than the number of species present in a mixture. There was lower urine N concentration from a multispecies sward compared with a binary mixture. Urine N concentration of cows grazing the control ryegrass, high‐sugar ryegrass and tall fescue grass types averaged, respectively, 4.6, 5.3 and 6.8 g N L−1 for a binary mixture, compared with 4.1, 3.9 and 3.9 g N L−1 for a multispecies mixture. Feeding dairy cows on multispecies swards containing forbs presents an opportunity to reduce N losses without compromising milk yield.
Clinical, morphological and immunohistochemical evidence that small‐cell carcinoma of the ovary of hypercalcaemic type (SCCOHT) may be a primitive germ‐cell neoplasm
Authors: McCluggage W Glenn , Witkowski Leora , Clarke Blaise A , Foulkes William D
Published: January 2017

Aims

The histogenesis and cell lineage of small‐cell carcinoma of the ovary of hypercalcaemic type (SCCOHT) is unknown. We aim to provide evidence that this may be a primitive germ‐cell neoplasm arising from a teratoma.

Methods and results

Following the identification of two cases of SCCOHT associated with germ‐cell tumours (one dermoid cyst, one immature teratoma with a focus of yolk sac tumour), we undertook a literature review to look for any prior reports of SCCOHT in association with other neoplasms or elements. This revealed two cases associated with immature teratomas, one arising in an ovary where a cystectomy had been undertaken previously for a teratoma and another in association with a mucinous borderline tumour. Mucinous elements have also been reported in SCCOHT, this type of epithelium potentially being of teratomatous derivation. We stained whole tissue sections of nine cases of SCCOHT and a tissue microarray (TMA) containing 34 different SCCOHT with germ‐cell markers SALL4, OCT3/4, alpha fetoprotein (AFP) and glypican 3. All except one of the whole tissue sections and approximately half the TMA cases were positive with SALL4, while all cases were OCT3/4‐, AFP‐ and glypican 3‐negative, except for focal glypican 3 staining in an occasional case.

Conclusions

Our findings provide additional evidence to that proposed by others that SCCOHT is a primitive germ‐cell neoplasm arising from a teratoma.
Cytotoxicity of peracetic acid: evaluation of effects on metabolism, structure and cell death
Authors: Viola K. S. , Rodrigues E. M. , Tanomaru‐Filho M. , Carlos I. Z. , Ramos S. G. , Guerreiro‐Tanomaru J. M. , Faria G.
Published: January 2017

Aim

To evaluate the cytotoxicity and the mechanism of cell aggression of peracetic acid (PA) in comparison with sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl).

Methodology

L929 fibroblasts were exposed to 1% PA and 2.5% NaOCl, at several dilutions for 10 min. The following parameters were evaluated: cell metabolism by methylthiazol tetrazolium assay, external morphology by scanning electron microscopy, ultrastructure by transmission electron microscopy, the cytoskeleton by means of actin and α‐tubulin labelling, and the type of cell death by flow cytometry (apoptosis/necrosis). The data were analysed by two‐way anova and the Bonferroni post‐test (α = 0.05).

Results

The PA group had lower cell viability and a higher percentage of necrotic cells than the NaOCl group (P < 0.05). Both solutions diminished cell metabolism, led to destructuring of the cytoskeleton, created changes in the external morphology, resulted in the accumulation of proteins in the rough endoplasmic reticulum and induced cell death predominantly by necrosis. However, these changes were observed in lower doses of PA when compared with NaOCl.

Conclusions

Although they had the same mechanism of cytotoxicity, 1% PA had greater cytotoxic potential than 2.5% NaOCl.