bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Job Displacement and First Birth Over the Business Cycle
Authors: Hofmann Barbara , Kreyenfeld Michaela , Uhlendorff Arne
Published: June 2017

In this article, we investigate the impact of job displacement on women’s first-birth rates as well as the variation in this effect over the business cycle. We use mass layoffs to estimate the causal effects of involuntary job loss on fertility in the short and medium term, up to five years after displacement. Our analysis is based on rich administrative data from Germany, with an observation period spanning more than 20 years. We apply inverse probability weighting (IPW) to flexibly control for the observed differences between women who were and were not displaced. To account for the differences in the composition of the women who were displaced in a downturn and the women who were displaced in an upswing, we use a double weighting estimator. Results show that the extent to which job displacement has adverse effects on fertility depends on the business cycle. The first-birth rates were much lower for women who were displaced in an economic downturn than for those who lost a job in an economic upturn. This result cannot be explained by changes in the observed characteristics of the displaced women over the business cycle.
Plague and Music in the Renaissance
Authors: Chiu Remi
Published: June 2017

Plague, a devastating and recurring affliction throughout the Renaissance, had a major impact on European life. Not only was pestilence a biological problem, but it was also read as a symptom of spiritual degeneracy and it caused widespread social disorder. Assembling a picture of the complex and sometimes contradictory responses to plague from medical, spiritual and civic perspectives, this book uncovers the place of music - whether regarded as an indispensable medicine or a moral poison that exacerbated outbreaks - in the management of the disease. This original musicological approach further reveals how composers responded, in their works, to the discourses and practices surrounding one of the greatest medical crises in the pre-modern age. Addressing topics such as music as therapy, public rituals and performance and music in religion, the volume also provides detailed musical analysis throughout to illustrate how pestilence affected societal attitudes toward music.
You Can't Count on Me: The Impact of Electricity Unreliability on Productivity
Authors: Poczter Sharon
Published: June 2017

While access to reliable electricity can significantly constrain industrial production, little is known as to how unreliability impacts firm level productivity. This is a particularly salient issue for firms in developing countries, where electricity provision is still unreliable and self-generation is costly. This paper analyzes the impact of electricity provision on productivity, instrumenting for electricity demand with district level solar irradiance. Results indicate that firms exhibit decreasing productivity in the initial stages of electricity adoption that decreases over time. Furthermore, I find that unreliability negatively impacts productivity initially and over time, and this effect is larger for smaller firms.
Basal topographic controls on the stability of the West Antarctic ice sheet: lessons from Foundation Ice Stream
Authors: Huybers Kathleen , Roe Gerard , Conway Howard
Published: June 2017

Using observations of basal topography, ice thickness and modern accumulation rates, we use theory and a dynamic flowline model to examine the sensitivity of Antarctica's Foundation Ice Stream to changes in sea level, accumulation and buttressing at the grounding line. Our sensitivity studies demonstrate that the steep, upward-sloping basal topography inland from the grounding line serves to stabilize retreat of the ice stream, while the upward-sloping submarine topography downstream from the grounding line creates the potential for significant advance under conditions of modest sea-level lowering and/or increased accumulation rate. Extrapolating from Foundation Ice Stream, many nearby Weddell Sea sector ice streams are in a similar configuration, suggesting that the historical and projected responses of this sector's ice streams may contrast with those in the Amundsen or Ross Sea sectors. This work reaffirms that the greatest concerns for rapid West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) retreat are locations of reverse slopes, muted basal topography and limited lateral support.
Epidemiological Effectiveness and Cost of a Fungal Meningitis Outbreak Response in New River Valley, Virginia: Local Health Department and Clinical Perspectives
Authors: Dorratoltaj Nargesalsadat , O’Dell Margaret L. , Bordwine Paige , Kerkering Thomas M. , Redican Kerry J. , Abbas Kaja M.
Published: June 2017

Objective

We evaluated the effectiveness and cost of a fungal meningitis outbreak response in the New River Valley of Virginia during 2012-2013 from the perspective of the local public health department and clinical facilities. The fungal meningitis outbreak affected 23 states in the United States with 751 cases and 64 deaths in 20 states; there were 56 cases and 5 deaths in Virginia.

Methods

We conducted a partial economic evaluation of the fungal meningitis outbreak response in New River Valley. We collected costs associated with the local health department and clinical facilities in the outbreak response and estimated the epidemiological effectiveness by using disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) averted.

Results

We estimated the epidemiological effectiveness of this outbreak response to be 153 DALYs averted among the patients, and the costs incurred by the local health department and clinical facilities to be $30,413 and $39,580, respectively.

Conclusions

We estimated the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $198 per DALY averted and $258 per DALY averted from the local health department and clinical perspectives, respectively, thereby assisting in impact evaluation of the outbreak response by the local health department and clinical facilities. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2018;12:38–46)
Bacterial Infections in Neonates Following Mupirocin-Based MRSA Decolonization: A Multicenter Cohort Study
Authors: Pierce Rebecca , Bryant Kristina , Elward Alexis , Lessler Justin , Milstone Aaron M.
Published: June 2017

OBJECTIVE

To characterize the risk of infection after MRSA decolonization with intranasal mupirocin.

DESIGN

Multicenter, retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

Tertiary care neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) from 3 urban hospitals in the United States ranging in size from 45 to 100 beds.

METHODS

MRSA-colonized neonates were identified from NICU admissions occurring from January 2007 to December 2014, during which a targeted decolonization strategy was used for MRSA control. In 2 time-to-event analyses, MRSA-colonized neonates were observed from the date of the first MRSA-positive surveillance screen until (1) the first occurrence of novel gram-positive cocci in sterile culture or discharge or (2) the first occurrence of novel gram-negative bacilli in sterile culture or discharge. Mupirocin exposure was treated as time varying.

RESULTS

A total of 522 MRSA-colonized neonates were identified from 16,144 neonates admitted to site NICUs. Of the MRSA-colonized neonates, 384 (74%) received mupirocin. Average time from positive culture to mupirocin treatment was 3.5 days (standard deviation, 7.2 days). The adjusted hazard of gram-positive cocci infection was 64% lower among mupirocin-exposed versus mupirocin-unexposed neonates (hazard ratio, 0.36; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.17–0.76), whereas the adjusted hazard ratio of gram-negative bacilli infection comparing mupirocin-exposed and -unexposed neonates was 1.05 (95% CI, 0.42–2.62).

CONCLUSIONS

In this multicentered cohort of MRSA-colonized neonates, mupirocin-based decolonization treatment appeared to decrease the risk of infection with select gram-positive organisms as intended, and the treatment was not significantly associated with risk of subsequent infections with organisms not covered by mupirocin’s spectrum of activity.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol2017;38:930–936
Appropriateness of Surgical Antibiotic Prophylaxis in Pediatric Patients in Italy
Authors: Giordano Mariavalentina , Squillace Lorena , Pavia Maria
Published: June 2017

OBJECTIVES

Appropriate use of surgical antibiotic prophylaxis (SAP) reduces intraoperative wound contamination in pediatric surgery, thus minimizing the risk of surgical site infection (SSIs). Conversely, inappropriate use of SAP exposes patients to the risk of antibiotic side effects and contributes to the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. Our aims were to describe SAP administration and to analyze factors associated with nonadherence in pediatric patients.

DESIGN

Descriptive study.

SETTING

Overall, 955 pediatric patients underwent 1,038 surgical procedures.

METHODS

We assessed adherence to SAP international guidelines for surgical procedures performed on children aged <18 years in 2015 in 4 randomly selected hospitals in Calabria (Italy). The clinical records of these patients were retrospectively reviewed.

RESULTS

Appropriate SAP administration or nonadministration pertained to 754 surgical procedures (72.6%). Surgical antibiotic prophylaxis was administered in 88.5% of 358 procedures with an SAP indication. Adherence to guidelines for appropriate drug choice were followed in 5.7% of cases, for route of administration in 76.7% of cases, for timing in 48.6% of cases, for duration in 14.5% of cases, and for dose in 91.5% of cases, and for all components in only 5 cases (1.6%). Among 680 procedures without SAP indication, 35.7% case patients received antibiotics. Inappropriate administration of antibiotics in procedures without SAP indication was associated with surgical specialty wards (P=.008), ordinary admission (P<.001), head and neck surgical procedures (P=.020), clean surgery (P=.017), and surgical duration (P=.010).

CONCLUSIONS

Discrepancies between SAP guidelines and actual practice behavior more frequently indicate excessive use of antibiotics than underuse. Increased awareness of SAP guidelines is required.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2017;38:823–831
Early-Season Treatment of Fig Buttercup (Ranunculus ficaria)
Authors: Frey Mark N. , Schmit John Paul
Published: June 2017

Fig buttercup is a perennial herb native to Europe, temperate Asia, and northern Africa. In eastern North America, fig buttercup competes with native spring ephemerals, complicating control techniques. If chemical control could be shifted earlier in the year, the potential to negatively impact spring ephemerals would be reduced. We tested glyphosate applications on fig buttercup in northern Virginia under three early phenological phases (preflowering, early flowering, and 50% flowering) to assess the effectiveness of early-season treatment. Treating when approximately half of the plants in the population were in flower resulted in a 95% decline in fig buttercup. Treating when the first flower in the population had emerged resulted in a 90% decline. No later phenological phases were treated. Control of fig buttercup led to an increase in cover of Japanese stiltgrass, an invasive grass.
On the apparent permeability of porous media in rarefied gas flows
Authors: Wu Lei , Ho Minh Tuan , Germanou Lefki , Gu Xiao-Jun , Liu Chang , Xu Kun , Zhang Yonghao
Published: June 2017

The apparent gas permeability of a porous medium is an important parameter in the prediction of unconventional gas production, which was first investigated systematically by Klinkenberg in 1941 and found to increase with the reciprocal mean gas pressure (or equivalently, the Knudsen number). Although the underlying rarefaction effects are well known, the reason that the correction factor in Klinkenberg’s famous equation decreases when the Knudsen number increases has not been fully understood. Most of the studies idealize the porous medium as a bundle of straight cylindrical tubes; however, according to the gas kinetic theory, this only results in an increase of the correction factor with the Knudsen number, which clearly contradicts Klinkenberg’s experimental observations. Here, by solving the Bhatnagar–Gross–Krook equation in simplified (but not simple) porous media, we identify, for the first time, two key factors that can explain Klinkenberg’s experimental results: the tortuous flow path and the non-unitary tangential momentum accommodation coefficient for the gas–surface interaction. Moreover, we find that Klinkenberg’s results can only be observed when the ratio between the apparent and intrinsic permeabilities is ${\lesssim}30$; at large ratios (or Knudsen numbers) the correction factor increases with the Knudsen number. Our numerical results could also serve as benchmarking cases to assess the accuracy of macroscopic models and/or numerical schemes for the modelling/simulation of rarefied gas flows in complex geometries over a wide range of gas rarefaction. Specifically, we point out that the Navier–Stokes equations with the first-order velocity-slip boundary condition are often misused to predict the apparent gas permeability of the porous medium; that is, any nonlinear dependence of the apparent gas permeability with the Knudsen number, predicted from the Navier–Stokes equations, is not reliable. Worse still, for some types of gas–surface interactions, even the ‘filtered’ linear dependence of the apparent gas permeability with the Knudsen number is of no practical use since, compared to the numerical solution of the Bhatnagar–Gross–Krook equation, it is only accurate when the ratio between the apparent and intrinsic permeabilities is ${\lesssim}1.5$.
The Territorial Expansion of the Colonial State: Evidence from German East Africa 1890–1909
Authors: Pierskalla Jan , De Juan Alexander , Montgomery Max
Published: June 2017

What explains states’ sub-national territorial reach? While large parts of the state-building literature have focused on national capabilities, little is known about the determinants of the unevenness of state presence at the sub-national level. This article seeks to fill this gap by looking at early attempts at state building: it investigates the processes of state penetration in the former colony of German East Africa. Contrary to previous studies – which largely emphasized antecedent or structural factors – the current study argues that geographical patterns of state penetration have been driven by the state’s strategic imperative to solidify control over territory and establish political stability. The article tests these propositions using an original, geo-referenced grid-cell dataset for the years 1890 to 1909 based on extensive historical records in German colonial yearbooks and maps.
Prokaryotic functional expression and activity comparison of three CYP9A genes from the polyphagous pestHelicoverpa armigera
Authors: Liu D. , Tian K. , Yuan Y. , Li M. , Zheng M. , Qiu X.
Published: June 2017

Cytochrome P450s (CYPs or P450s) have been long recognized as very important enzymes in the metabolism of xenobiotic and endogenous compounds, but only a few CYPs have been functionally characterized in insects. The effort in functional characterization of insect P450s is heavily hindered by technical difficulties in preparing active, individual P450 enzymes directly from the target insect. In this paper, we describe the functional expression of two additional pyrethroid resistance-associated CYP9A genes (CYP9A12andCYP9A17) from the polyphagous pestHelicoverpa armigerain the facileEscherichia coli. The functionality ofE. coliproduced CYP9A12, CYP9A14, and CYP9A17 was investigated and activities of these CYP9As were compared against three probe substrates after reconstitution with NADPH-dependent cytochrome P450 reductase. The results showed that active forms of CYP9A12 and CYP9A17 were expressed inE. coliwith a content of about 1.0–1.5 nmol mg−1protein in membrane preparations.In vitroassays showed that CYP9A14 was capable of catalyzing O-dealkylation of methoxyresorufin (MROD), ethoxyresorufin (EROD), and benzyloxyresorufin (BROD), while CYP9A12 and CYP9A17 exhibited only MROD and EROD activities. Kinetic studies demonstrated that CYP9A14 had the greatestkcat/Kmvalue for MROD, and CYP9A17 for EROD, while the lowestkcat/Kmvalues for both MROD and EROD were observed for CYP9A12. The distinct biochemical traits suggest that the three paralogous CYP9As may play different roles in xenobiotic metabolism in this important pest.
Seed treatments with thiamine reduce the performance of generalist and specialist aphids on crop plants
Authors: Hamada A.M. , Fatehi J. , Jonsson L.M.V.
Published: June 2017

Thiamine is a vitamin that has been shown to act as a trigger to activate plant defence and reduce pathogen and nematode infection as well as aphid settling and reproduction. We have here investigated whether thiamine treatments of seeds (i.e. seed dressing) would increase plant resistance against aphids and whether this would have different effects on a generalist than on specialist aphids. Seeds of wheat, barley, oat and pea were treated with thiamine alone or in combination with the biocontrol bacteriaPseudomonas chlororaphisMA 342 (MA 342). Plants were grown in climate chambers. The effects of seed treatment on fecundity, host acceptance and life span were studied on specialist aphids bird cherry-oat aphid (Rhopalosiphum padiL.) and pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisumHarris) and on the generalist green peach aphid (Myzus persicae, Sulzer). Thiamine seed treatments reduced reproduction and host acceptance of all three aphid species. The number of days to reproduction, the length of the reproductive life, the fecundity and the intrinsic rate of increase were found reduced for bird cherry-oat aphid after thiamine treatment of the cereal seeds. MA 342 did not have any effect in any of the plant-aphid combinations, except a weak decrease of pea aphid reproduction on pea. The results show that there are no differential effects of either thiamine or MA 342 seed treatments on specialist and generalist aphids and suggest that seed treatments with thiamine has a potential in aphid pest management.
Silurian radiolarians from the Sepon Mine, Truong Son Terrane, central Laos and their palaeogeographic and tectonic significance
Authors: THASSANAPAK HATHAITHIP , UDCHACHON MONGKOL , BURRETT CLIVE
Published: June 2017

A Silurian radiolarian fauna based on 18 species is described from cherts from three sections in two quarries in the Sepon Mine area, central Laos. Each section contains distinctive assemblages butFutobari morishitai,F. solidus,Zadrappolus yoshikiensisandZ. tenuisare found in all three sections and are characteristic of the Ludlow–PridoliZ. yoshikiensisAssemblage. In addition, the Hoei Yang pit section containsZadrappolus hitoeganensis,Pseudospongoprunum sagittatum,Futobarisp. andSecuicollactasp. Section CQ containsPseudospongoprunum sagittatum,P. tazukawaensis,Praespongocoelia parva,P. sp.,Rotasphaerasp. cf.R. quadrata,Secuicollactasp. cf.cassa. Section QM also containsPseudospongoprunum parvispina,P.sp.,Zadrappolussp. andDevoniglansus(?)seponensisnew species Thassanapak is common. Evidence from Silurian and Devonian strata of the southern Truong Son Terrane indicates deepening towards the southern margin as defined by the Thakhek–Danang Shear Zone and exemplified by deep-marine Ludlow–Pridoli radiolarian cherts in the south, shallowing to fossiliferous, shallow-water sediments to widespread Old Red Sandstone type terrestrial facies 85 km further NE. The radiolarian cherts are in faulted contact with probable Llandovery limestone and Upper Ordovician – Llandovery graptolitic shales. The graptolitic shales are overlain with slight angular unconformity by the submarine fan, volcaniclastic-dominated, Namphuc Formation of Llandovery age. This fan received andesitic materials from the nearby Long Dai Volcanic Arc which extends eastwards to the Tamky Suture in Vietnam. This plutonic–volcanic arc was probably maintained by northwards subduction along the trend of the Permian–Recent Thakhek–Danang Shear Zone.
Geochronology, petrology and geochemistry of the Mesozoic Dashizhuzi granites and lamprophyre dykes in eastern Hebei – western Liaoning: implications for lithospheric evolution beneath the North China Craton
Authors: XIONG LE , WEI JUNHAO , SHI WENJIE , FU LEBING , LI HUAN , ZHOU HONGZHI , CHEN JIAJIE , CHEN MENGTING
Published: June 2017

Geochronological, elemental and isotopic data of the Dashizhuzi granites and lamprophyre dykes from the eastern Hebei – western Liaoning on the northern North China Craton (NCC) provide an insight into the nature of their magma sources and subcontinental lithospheric mantle. The Dashizhuzi granites have an emplacement age of 226 Ma. They have enriched lithospheric mantle type 1 (EM1-like) Sr–Nd isotopic compositions, and have distinctive features of high Na2O and Sr and low Y with high Sr/Y and (La/Yb)Nratios. These characteristics show that the Dashizhuzi granites originated directly from melting of mafic lower crust composed of pre-existing ancient crustal and enriched mantle-derived juvenile crustal materials at normal continental crustal depth of 33–40 km. The lamprophyre dykes are dated at 167 Ma, and can be divided into two groups. The Group 1 dykes have variable Sr–Nd isotopic compositions and mid-ocean-ridge basalt (MORB-) like Th/U, Ba/Th and Ce/Pb ratios, whereas the Group 2 dykes have enriched Sr–Nd isotopic compositions and notable high Co, Cr, MgO and low Al2O3characteristics. These distinctive features suggest that the Group 1 dykes were derived from a relatively fertile lithospheric mantle source (garnet-facies amphibole-bearing lherzolite) which has experienced variable degrees of asthenospheric mantle-derived melt–peridotite interaction prior to melting. However, the Group 2 dykes were derived from an ancient garnet-facies phlogopite and/or amphibole-bearing lherzolite lithospheric mantle. Thinning of the Early Mesozoic lithospheric mantle beneath the northern NCC is dominantly through melt–peridotite interaction and thermo-mechanical erosion prior to Middle Jurassic time. The chemical compositions have been modified at the bottom of the lithospheric mantle through melt–peridotite interaction processes.
Carbon isotope perturbations and faunal changeovers during the Guadalupian mass extinction in the middle Yangtze Platform, South China
Authors: WEI HENGYE , BAIMA QUZONG , QIU ZHEN , DAI CHAOCHENG
Published: June 2017

The Guadalupian mass extinction took place during the major global environmental changes during Phanerozoic time. Large-scale sea-level fluctuations and a negative shift ofδ13C were associated with this crisis. However, the diagenetic or primary origin of the decreasedδ13C across the Guadalupian–Lopingian (G–L) boundary and the potential causes for this biotic crisis are still being intensely debated. Integrated analyses, including detailed petrographic examination, identification of foraminifer and fusulinid genera, and analysis of carbonateδ13Ccarband bulkδ13Corgacross the G–L boundary were therefore carried out at Tianfengping, Hubei Province, South China. Our results show that: (1) some foraminifer and most fusulinid genera disappear in the upper Maokou Formation (upper Guadalupian); (2) the negative shift ofδ13Ccarbin the uppermost Maokou Formation is of diagenetic origin, but the values ofδ13Ccarbin the remainder of the Maokou Formation and in the Wuchiaping Formation represent a primary signal of coeval seawater; and (3) the bulkδ13Corgperturbation across the G–L boundary at Tianfengping is mainly controlled by organic matter (OM) source, that is, terrestrial OM contribution. We suggest that theδ13Ccarbnegative shift in the lower Wuchiaping Formation (Wuchiapingian) compared to that in the lower–middle Maokou Formation (Capitanian) were probably caused by the re-oxidization of12C-rich OM during regression. Global regression resulted in the negative shift ofδ13Ccarbat the G–L boundary in South China and led to the loss of shallow-marine benthic habitat. Large-scale global regression is probably one of the main causes for this bio-crisis.
Doll's House/Dollhouse: Models and Agency
Authors: WHARTON ANNABEL
Published: June 2017

Models – economic, mathematical, toys, manikins – are ubiquitous. This article probes one model, the Stettheimer doll's house, in order to understand all models better. The Stettheimers, three wealthy unmarried sisters living in New York in the early the twentieth century, attracted a remarkable melange of Camp artists and writers, identified by Arthur Danto as “the American Bloomsbury.” The Stettheimers were involved in many of New York's happenings, including the Harlem Renaissance and the innovative stage productions of Gertrude Stein. Androgyny, excess, racial mixing and theatricality flourished in the Stettheimer milieu. Carrie Stettheimer's doll's house, now housed in the Museum of the City of New York, captured this life. I consider this model for two related purposes. First, and more narrowly, I document the various effects this eccentric doll's house had on the artistic production of those in its vicinity, most notably on the novels of her sister Ettie and on the paintings both of her sister Florine and Marcel Duchamp. Second, I use the evidence of the doll's house's affect to discuss the agency of models in general.
MEDIATION MODELS OF PREGNANCY DESIRES AND UNPLANNED PREGNANCY IN YOUNG, UNMARRIED WOMEN
Authors: Miller Warren B. , Barber Jennifer S. , Gatny Heather H.
Published: June 2017

This paper examines the proposition that sexual and contraceptive behaviours mediate the relationship between the pregnancy desires of young, unmarried women and their having an unplanned pregnancy. The sample consisted of 854 18- to 19-year-old women living in Michigan, USA. First, the positive and negative pregnancy desires of these women were measured, as were the women’s perceptions of the positive and negative desires of their sexual partners. Then the extent to which these four types of desires, as well as several types of interactions between them, prospectively predicted the occurrence of subsequent pregnancies were tested with logistic regression analyses, initially alone and then after the addition of several types of sexual and contraceptive mediator variables. The results demonstrated that four of the ten significant motivational predictors became non-significant following the introduction of the contraceptive mediator variables and that the predictive strength of the other six significant motivational predictors was substantially reduced by their introduction. A number of factors that may account for only a partial mediational effect in some models are discussed.
Univariate and multivariate models for the prediction of life-threatening complications in 586 cases of deep neck space infections: retrospective multi-institutional study
Authors: Mejzlik J , Celakovsky P , Tucek L , Kotulek M , Vrbacky A , Matousek P , Stanikova L , Hoskova T , Pazs A , Mittu P , Chrobok V
Published: June 2017

Objective:

To identify deep neck infection factors related to life-threatening complications.

Methods:

This retrospective multi-institutional study comprised 586 patients treated for deep neck infections between 2002 and 2012. The statistical significance of variables associated with life-threatening complications of deep neck infections was assessed.

Results:

During treatment, life-threatening complications occurred in 60 out of 586 cases. On univariate analysis, life-threatening complications were linked to: dyspnoea, neck movement disturbance and dysphonia (all p < 0.001); and parapharyngeal, anterior visceral or pretracheal deep neck involvement (all p < 0.002). Aetiology was significantly linked to tonsils (p < 0.001). Regarding infection type, fasciitis was a significant factor (p < 0.001). Candida albicans was a significant bacterial culture (p < 0.001). A multivariate step-wise model disclosed fewer significant variables: retropharyngeal space (p = 0.005) and major blood vessels area (p = 0.006) involvement, and bacterial culture C albicans (p < 0.001).

Conclusion:

It can be predicted that patients with deep neck infections, with neck movement disturbances, dysphonia, dyspnoea and swelling of the external neck, accompanied by severe pain, and inflammatory changes in the retropharyngeal space and large vessel areas, with culture-confirmed infection of C albicans, are likely to develop life-threatening complications.
Opium and Migration: Jardine Matheson's imperial connections and the recruitment of Chinese labour for Assam, 1834–39
Authors: NEAL STAN
Published: June 2017

This article examines the role of the private merchant firm Jardine Matheson in procuring Chinese tea cultivators for the East India Company's experimental tea plantations in Assam in the 1830s. Where existing literature has detailed the establishment of a Tea Committee by the East India Company to oversee these tea plantations, the focus of this article is on the way that the illicit opium-distribution network of Jardine Matheson was used to extract labour, tea specimens, and knowledge from China. The colonial state's experimental tea plantations were directly connected to the devastation of the opium trade. The multiple uses of Jardine Matheson's drug-distribution networks and skilled employees becomes evident upon examination of their role in facilitating Chinese migration. The recruitment of tea cultivators from China in the 1830s also impacted on colonial concepts of racial hierarchy and the perceived contrast between savagery and civilization. Ultimately, Jardine Matheson's extraction of skilled labour from the China coast informs our understanding of the evolving private networks that became crucial to British imperialism in Asia, and through which labour, capital, people, information, and ideas could be exchanged.
Applicability of plant-based products in the treatment ofTrypanosoma cruziandTrypanosoma bruceiinfections: a systematic review of preclinicalin vivoevidence
Authors: PEREIRA RODRIGO M. , GRECO GLÍCIA M. Z. , MOREIRA ANDREIA M. , CHAGAS PABLO F. , CALDAS IVO S. , GONÇALVES REGGIANI V. , NOVAES RÔMULO D.
Published: June 2017

Chagas disease and sleeping sickness are neglected tropical diseases closely related to poverty, for which the development of plant-derived treatments has not been a promising prospect. Thus, we systematicaly review the preclinicalin vivoevidence on the applicability of plant-based products in the treatment ofTrypanosoma cruziandTrypanosoma bruceiinfections. Characteristics such as disease models, treatments, toxicological safety and methodological bias were analysed. We recovered 66 full text articles from 16 countries investigating 91 plant species. The disease models and treatments were highly variable. Most studies used native (n= 36, 54·54%) or exotic (n= 30, 45·46%) plants with ethnodirected indication (n= 45, 68·18%) for trypanosomiasis treatment. Complete phytochemical screening and toxicity assays were reported in only 15 (22·73%) and 32 (48·49%) studies, respectively. The currently available preclinical evidence is at high risk of bias. The absence of or incomplete characterization of animal models, treatment protocols, and phytochemical/toxicity analyses impaired the internal validity of the individual studies. Contradictory results of a same plant species compromise the external validity of the evidence, making it difficult determine the effectiveness, safety and biotechnological potential of plant-derived products in the development of new anti-infective agents to treatT. cruziandT. bruceiinfections.
Genetic and environmental aspects in the association between attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms and binge-eating behavior in adults: a twin study
Authors: Capusan A. J. , Yao S. , Kuja-Halkola R. , Bulik C. M. , Thornton L. M. , Bendtsen P. , Marteinsdottir I. , Thorsell A. , Larsson H.
Published: June 2017

Background

Prior research demonstrated that attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with binge-eating behavior, binge-eating disorder (BED), and bulimia nervosa (BN). The aim of this study was to investigate these associations in an adult twin population, and to determine the extent to which ADHD symptoms and binge-eating behavior share genetic and environmental factors.

Methods

We used self-reports of current ADHD symptoms and lifetime binge-eating behavior and associated characteristics from a sample of over 18 000 adult twins aged 20–46 years, from the population-based Swedish Twin Registry. Mixed-effects logistic regression was used to examine the association between ADHD and lifetime binge-eating behavior, BED, and BN. Structural equation modeling was used in 13 773 female twins to determine the relative contribution of genetic and environmental factors to the association between ADHD symptoms and binge-eating behavior in female adult twins.

Results

ADHD symptoms were significantly associated with lifetime binge-eating behavior, BED, and BN. The heritability estimate for current ADHD symptoms was 0.42 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.41–0.44], and for lifetime binge-eating behavior 0.65 (95% CI 0.54–0.74). The genetic correlation was estimated as 0.35 (95% CI 0.25–0.46) and the covariance between ADHD and binge-eating behavior was primarily explained by genetic factors (91%). Non-shared environmental factors explained the remaining part of the covariance.

Conclusions

The association between adult ADHD symptoms and binge-eating behavior in females is largely explained by shared genetic risk factors.
PHARMACOECONOMIC STUDIES IN WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN COUNTRIES: REPORTING COMPLETENESS
Authors: Alefan Qais , Rascati Karen
Published: June 2017

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the extent of reporting necessary information in published health economic research in World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Countries (WHO EMC).

Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed and Google Scholar to identify pharmacoeconomic studies conducted in WHO EMC. The inclusion criteria for the studies were: (i) original studies, (ii) compared pharmaceutical services or drugs, (iii) conducted in WHO EMC, (iv) manuscript published in English. The articles were reviewed by two independent reviewers using the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards (CHEERS) checklist.

Results: A total of seventeen studies were included, each of which were published in seventeen different journals. The mean CHEERS checklist score was 16 ± 4. Most studies were published in journals outside WHO EMC (n = 12; 71 percent). Cost-effectiveness (n = 5; 29 percent) and cost-utility analyses (n = 5; 29 percent) were the most frequently used methods of economic evaluation.

Conclusions: Pharmacoeconomic studies in WHO EMC are limited and sometimes incomplete. Economic evaluation of pharmaceuticals should be encouraged in WHO EMC to ensure the appropriate allocation of healthcare resources.
HARMONIZING HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT PRACTICES IN UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS: TO WHAT EXTENT IS THE MINI-HTA MODEL SUITABLE IN THE FRENCH CONTEXT?
Authors: Martelli Nicolas , Devaux Capucine , van den Brink Hélène , Billaux Mathilde , Pineau Judith , Prognon Patrice , Borget Isabelle
Published: June 2017

Background: The number of new medical devices for individual use that are launched annually exceeds the assessment capacity of the French national health technology assessment (HTA) agency. This has resulted in hospitals, and particularly university hospitals (UHs), developing hospital-based HTA initiatives to support their decisions for purchasing innovative devices. However, the methodologies used in such hospitals have no common basis. The aim of this study was to assess a mini-HTA model as a potential solution to harmonize HTA methodology in French UHs.

Methods: A systematic review was conducted on Medline, Embase, Health Technology Assessment database, and Google Scholar to identify published articles reporting the use of mini-HTA tools and decision support-like models. A survey was also carried out in eighteen French UHs to identify in-house decision support tools. Finally, topics evaluated in the Danish mini-HTA model and in French UHs were compared using Jaccard similarity coefficients.

Results: Our findings showed differences between topics evaluated in French UHs and those assessed in decision support models from the literature. Only five topics among the thirteen most evaluated in French UHs were similar to those assessed in the Danish mini-HTA model. The organizational and ethical/social impacts were rarely explored among the surveyed models used in French UHs when introducing new medical devices.

Conclusions: Before its widespread and harmonized use in French UHs, the mini-HTA model would first require adaptations to the French context.
Regional Integration through Law and International Courts – the Interplay betweenDe JureandDe FactoSupranationality in Central America and the Caribbean
Authors: CASERTA SALVATORE
Published: June 2017

The article proposes an innovative theoretical framework outlining preconditions for Regional International Courts (RICs) to act as engines of supranationality in different institutional and socio-political contexts. In so doing, the article nuances the theoretical approaches to supranationality and supranational adjudication. The article focuses on the Central American Court of Justice (CACJ) and the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). Both courts have been branded institutional copies of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU); they have even borrowed key jurisprudential principles from the Luxembourg Court with the goal of expanding the reach of Central American and Caribbean Community Laws. Yet, both the CACJ and the CCJ have thus far failed to foster supranationality in their respective systems. This is because the conditions allowing RICs to become engines of integration lie, for the most part, beyond the direct control of the judges, most notably, with other institutional, political, and societal actors, such as national judges, regional organs, legal and political elites, as well as academics. The article thus suggests that RICs can become engines of supranationality only to the extent to which they are supported by a set of institutional, political, and societal pre-conditions allowing for the concrete enforcement of the rulings of the RIC at the regional and national levels.
Thirty years of human infections caused by Yersinia enterocolitica in northern Spain: 1985–2014
Authors: MARIMON J. M. , FIGUEROA R. , IDIGORAS P. , GOMARIZ M. , ALKORTA M. , CILLA G. , PÉREZ-TRALLERO E.
Published: June 2017

Yersinia enterocolitica infection is a zoonosis with worldwide distribution, gastroenteritis being by far the most common clinical manifestation of human infection. In Gipuzkoa, northern Spain, human Y. enterocolitica infections increased from the mid-1980s to the beginning of the 21st century (from 7·9 to 23·2 annual episodes per 100 000 population) to decrease to 7·2 annual episodes per 100 000 population in the last years of the study. The hospital admission rate due to yersiniosis during the last 15 years of the study was 7·3%. More than 99% of isolates were serotype O:3. Infection affected mainly children under 5 years of age (average rate: 140 episodes per 100 000 population). The incidence in adults was low but hospitalisation increased with age, exceeding 50% in people over 64 years old.
Pertussis diagnosis in Belgium: results of the National Reference Centre for Bordetella anno 2015
Authors: MARTINI H. , RODEGHIERO C. , VAN DEN POEL C. , VINCENT M. , PIERARD D. , HUYGEN K.
Published: June 2017

In 2015, the Belgian National Reference Centre for Bordetella analyzed 4110 respiratory samples by qPCR and 4877 serum samples by serology. Whereas about 50% of respiratory samples were from infants and children below the age of five, serum samples were distributed among all age categories. A total of 394 (9·6%) cases was diagnosed as positive for Bordetella pertussis by qPCR and 844 (17·3%) cases were diagnosed as acute infection by serology (anti-pertussis toxin (PT) IgG > 125 IU/ml). Another 1042 (21·4%) sera had anti-PT IgG between 55 and 125 IU/ml reflecting a vaccination or pertussis infection during the last 1–2 years. Seventy per cent of the pertussis cases diagnosed by qPRC were in infants and children younger than 14 years old, whereas the highest number of sera with anti-PT levels >125 IU/ml was in the age group of 10–14 years old. Based on the limited data of the last vaccination (reported for only 15% of the samples), recent booster vaccination in the teenager group may have contributed only minimally to these elevated anti-PT levels. The highest number of sera with anti-PT titers between 55 and 125 IU/ml was found in the age category 50–59 years old. It is clear that pertussis continues to be a problem in Belgium and that other vaccination strategies (maternal vaccination, cocoon vaccination) and ultimately better vaccines will be needed to control this highly infectious respiratory disease.
The commercial NLP landscape in 2017
Authors: DALE ROBERT
Published: June 2017

The commercialisation of natural language processing began over 35 years ago, but it’s only in the last year or two that it’s become substantially more visible, largely because of the intense popular interest in artificial intelligence. So what’s the state of commercial NLP today? We survey the main industry categories of relevance, and offer comment on where the action is today.
Statistically Derived Subtypes and Associations with Cerebrospinal Fluid and Genetic Biomarkers in Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Latent Profile Analysis
Authors: Eppig Joel S. , Edmonds Emily C. , Campbell Laura , Sanderson-Cimino Mark , Delano-Wood Lisa , Bondi Mark W. ,   for the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Published: June 2017

Objectives: Research demonstrates heterogeneous neuropsychological profiles among individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, few studies have included visuoconstructional ability or used latent mixture modeling to statistically identify MCI subtypes. Therefore, we examined whether unique neuropsychological MCI profiles could be ascertained using latent profile analysis (LPA), and subsequently investigated cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers, genotype, and longitudinal clinical outcomes between the empirically derived classes. Methods: A total of 806 participants diagnosed by means of the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) MCI criteria received a comprehensive neuropsychological battery assessing visuoconstructional ability, language, attention/executive function, and episodic memory. Test scores were adjusted for demographic characteristics using standardized regression coefficients based on “robust” normal control performance (n=260). Calculated Z-scores were subsequently used in the LPA, and CSF-derived biomarkers, genotype, and longitudinal clinical outcome were evaluated between the LPA-derived MCI classes. Results: Statistical fit indices suggested a 3-class model was the optimal LPA solution. The three-class LPA consisted of a mixed impairment MCI class (n=106), an amnestic MCI class (n=455), and an LPA-derived normal class (n=245). Additionally, the amnestic and mixed classes were more likely to be apolipoprotein e4+ and have worse Alzheimer’s disease CSF biomarkers than LPA-derived normal subjects. Conclusions: Our study supports significant heterogeneity in MCI neuropsychological profiles using LPA and extends prior work (Edmonds et al., 2015) by demonstrating a lower rate of progression in the approximately one-third of ADNI MCI individuals who may represent “false-positive” diagnoses. Our results underscore the importance of using sensitive, actuarial methods for diagnosing MCI, as current diagnostic methods may be over-inclusive. (JINS, 2017, 23, 564–576)
25-Hydroxyvitamin D supplementation and health-service utilization for upper respiratory tract infection in young children
Authors: Omand Jessica A , To Teresa , O’Connor Deborah L , Parkin Patricia C , Birken Catherine S , Thorpe Kevin E , Maguire Jonathon L
Published: June 2017

Objective

Upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) are the most common and costly condition of childhood. Low vitamin D levels have been hypothesized as a risk factor for URTI. The primary objective was to determine if serum vitamin D levels were associated with health-service utilization (HSU) for URTI including hospital admission, emergency department visits and outpatient sick visits. The secondary objectives were to determine whether oral vitamin D supplementation in pregnancy or childhood was associated with HSU for URTI.

Design

Cohort study. HSU was determined by linking each child’s provincial health insurance number to health administrative databases. Multivariable quasi Poisson regression was used to evaluate the association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D, vitamin D supplementation and HSU for URTI.

Setting

Toronto, Canada.

Subjects

Children participating in the TARGet Kids! network between 2008 and 2013.

Results

Healthy children aged 0–5 years (n 4962) were included; 52 % were male and mean 25-hydroxyvitamin D was 84 nmol/l (range 11–355 nmol/l). There were 105 (2 %), 721 (15 %) and 3218 (65 %) children with at least one hospital admission, emergency department visit or outpatient sick visit for URTI, respectively. There were no statistically significant associations between 25-hydroxyvitamin D or vitamin D supplementation and HSU for URTI.

Conclusions

A clinically meaningful association between vitamin D (continuously and dichotomized at <50 and <75 nmol/l) and HSU for URTI was not identified. While vitamin D may have other benefits for health, reducing HSU for URTI does not appear to be one of them.
Drivers of dietary behaviours in women living in urban Africa: a systematic mapping review
Authors: Gissing Stefanie C , Pradeilles Rebecca , Osei-Kwasi Hibbah A , Cohen Emmanuel , Holdsworth Michelle
Published: June 2017

Objective

To (i) systematically review the literature to determine the factors influencing diet and dietary behaviour in women living in urban Africa; (ii) present these in a visual map; and (iii) utilize this to identify potentially important areas for future research.

Design

Systematic mapping review. The review protocol was registered at PROSPERO (http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/; registration number CRD42015017749). Six databases were systematically searched, followed by reference and citation searching. Eligibility criteria included women aged 18–70 years living in urban Africa, any design/methodology, exploring any driver, using any measure of dietary behaviour. Quality appraisal occurred parallel with data extraction. Twelve predominantly cross-sectional quantitative studies were included; reported in seventeen publications. Determinants were synthesized narratively and compiled into a map adapted from an existing ecological model based on research in high-income countries.

Setting

Urban Africa.

Subjects

African women aged 18–70 years.

Results

Determinants significantly associated with unhealthy dietary behaviour ranged from the individual to macro level, comprising negative body image perception, perceptions of insufficient food quantity and poorer quality, poorer food knowledge, skipping meals, snacking less, higher alcohol consumption, unhealthy overall lifestyle, older age, higher socio-economic status, having an education, lower household food expenditure, frequent eating outside the home and media influence. Marital status and strong cultural and religious beliefs were also identified as possible determinants.

Conclusions

Few studies have investigated drivers of dietary behaviours in urban African settings. Predominantly individual-level factors were reported. Gaps in the literature identified a need for research into the neglected areas: social, physical and macro-level drivers of food choice.