bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A multilocus association analysis method integrating phenotype and expression data reveals multiple novel associations to flowering time variation in wild‐collected Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Zan Yanjun , Carlborg Örjan
Published: January 2018

The adaptation to a new habitat often results in a confounding between genomewide genotype and beneficial alleles. When the confounding is strong, or the allelic effects is weak, it is a major statistical challenge to detect the adaptive polymorphisms. We describe a novel approach to dissect polygenic traits in natural populations. First, candidate adaptive loci are identified by screening for loci directly associated with the adaptive trait or the expression of genes known to affect it. Then, a multilocus genetic architecture is inferred using a backward elimination association analysis across all candidate loci with an adaptive false discovery rate‐based threshold. Effects of population stratification are controlled by accounting for genomic kinship in both steps of the analysis and also by simultaneously testing all candidate loci in the multilocus model. We illustrate the method by exploring the polygenic basis of an important adaptive trait, flowering time in Arabidopsis thaliana, using public data from the 1,001 genomes project. We revealed associations between 33 (29) loci and flowering time at 10 (16)°C in this collection of natural accessions, where standard genomewide association analysis methods detected five (3) loci. The 33 (29) loci explained approximately 55.1 (48.7)% of the total phenotypic variance of the respective traits. Our work illustrates how the genetic basis of highly polygenic adaptive traits in natural populations can be explored in much greater detail using new multilocus mapping approaches taking advantage of prior biological information, genome and transcriptome data.
trackdem: Automated particle tracking to obtain population counts and size distributions from videos in r
Authors: Bruijning Marjolein , Visser Marco D. , Hallmann Caspar A. , Jongejans Eelke
Published: January 2018

The possibilities for image analysis in scientific research are substantial: the costs of digital cameras and data storage are sharply decreasing, and automated image analyses greatly increase the scale, reproducibility and robustness of biological studies. However, automated image analysis in ecological and evolutionary studies is still in its infancy. There is a clear need for easy to use and accessible tools.

Here, we provide a general purpose method to obtain estimates of population densities, individual body sizes and behavioural metrics from video material of moving organisms. The methods are supplied as a new r‐package trackdem, which provides a flexible, easy to install and use, generally applicable and accurate way to analyse ecological video data. The package can detect and track moving particles, count individuals and estimate individual sizes using background detection, particle identification and particle tracking algorithms. Machine learning is implemented to reduce the influence of noise in lower quality videos or to distinguish a single species in multi‐species systems.

We show that trackdem provides accurate population counts and body size distributions. Using a series of simulations, we show that our estimates are robust against high levels of noise in videos. When applied to live populations of Daphnia magna, our methods obtained accurate and unbiased estimates of population counts, individual sizes and size distributions, as verified by manual counting and measuring. The package trackdem is also directly usable for movement analysis, for instance in behavioural ecology, as illustrated by the tracking of insects, fish, cars and humans.

Within 24 hr, we obtained 192 accurate population counts and body sizes of 22,154 individuals. Such results underscore that automated analysis can improve robustness and reproducibility, and greatly increase the scope of studies in ecology and evolution.
Incorporating measurement error in testing for changes in biodiversity
Authors: Mason Norman W. H. , Holdaway Robert J. , Richardson Sarah J.
Published: January 2018

The effect of measurement error on biodiversity metrics is problematic for conservation planning and testing ecological theories, but there are few methods for including it in statistical analyses. We present a framework for incorporating measurement error in testing for significant change in almost any type of biodiversity metric.

We used repeat measurements of 20 × 20 m2 forest plots to quantify measurement error for species composition and mean stem diameter. With these data we illustrate generalizable methods for incorporating measurement error in testing for change in three types of metric—(1) species composition, (2) mean stem diameter, and (3) proportional richness of ungulate palatability groups—between surveys conducted 7 years apart on a national plot monitoring network.

Turnover in species composition (Jaccard dissimilarity) from measurement error was considerable, with a mean of 36% (ranging from 23% to 52%), but observed turnover between surveys was significantly greater (for Jaccard and both its richness dependent and independent components) than expected from measurement error alone. Measurement error increased the standard deviation for diameter change by an average of 10%, and increased sample size needed to detect a pre‐defined change by an average of 21%, although in both cases variation across species was considerable (0%–50%, and −1%–110% respectively). The effects of measurement error on uncertainty for palatability groups were even more variable, ranging from 13% to 100% for standard deviation and from 26% to 299% for required sample size. Importantly, four of the eight species that yielded significant changes in mean diameter with observed data showed no significant shift in diameter when measurement error was included in paired t tests. Exclusion of measurement error can therefore alter conclusions drawn from monitoring networks, risking spurious claims of change.

Our study demonstrates that measurement error can be incorporated in testing change for three numerically different (continuous, proportional and multivariate) classes of biodiversity metric at both the species and community level. This shows that it is possible to incorporate measurement error in assessing change for almost all biodiversity metrics.
Skeletal muscle ex vivo mitochondrial respiration parallels decline in vivo oxidative capacity, cardiorespiratory fitness, and muscle strength: The Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging
Authors: Gonzalez‐Freire Marta , Scalzo Paul , D'Agostino Jarod , Moore Zenobia A. , Diaz‐Ruiz Alberto , Fabbri Elisa , Zane Ariel , Chen Brian , Becker Kevin G. , Lehrmann Elin , Zukley Linda , Chia Chee W. , Tanaka Toshiko , Coen Paul M. , Bernier Michel , de Cabo Rafael , Ferrucci Luigi
Published: January 2018

Mitochondrial function in human skeletal muscle declines with age. Most evidence for this decline comes from studies that assessed mitochondrial function indirectly, and the impact of such deterioration with respect to physical function has not been clearly delineated. We hypothesized that mitochondrial respiration in permeabilized human muscle fibers declines with age and correlates with phosphocreatine postexercise recovery rate (kPCr), muscle performance, and aerobic fitness. Mitochondrial respiration was assessed by high‐resolution respirometry in saponin‐permeabilized fibers from vastus lateralis muscle biopsies of 38 participants from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA; 21 men, age 24–91 years) who also had available measures of peak oxygen consumption (VO2max) from treadmill tests, gait speed in different tasks, 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy, isokinetic knee extension, and grip strength. Results indicated a significant reduction in mitochondrial respiration with age (p < .05) that was independent of other potential confounders. Mitochondrial respiratory capacity was also associated with VO2max, muscle strength, kPCr, and time to complete a 400‐m walk (p < .05). A negative trend toward significance (p = .074) was observed between mitochondrial respiration and BMI. Finally, transcriptional profiling revealed a reduced mRNA expression of mitochondrial gene networks with aging (p < .05). Overall, our findings reinforce the notion that mitochondrial function declines with age and may contribute to age‐associated loss of muscle performance and cardiorespiratory fitness.
Defending the Realm: The Appointment of Female Defense Ministers Worldwide
Authors: Barnes Tiffany D. , O'Brien Diana Z.
Published: January 2018

Though the defense ministry has been a bastion of male power, a growing number of states have appointed women to this portfolio. What explains men's dominance over these positions? Which factors predict women's appointments? With comprehensive cross‐national data from the post–Cold War era, we develop and test three sets of hypotheses concerning women's access to the defense ministry. We show that women remain excluded when the portfolio's remit reinforces traditional beliefs about the masculinity of the position, particularly in states that are engaged in fatal disputes, governed by military dictators, and large military spenders. By contrast, female defense ministers emerge when expectations about women's role in politics have changed—that is, in states with female chief executives and parliamentarians. Women are also first appointed to the post when its meaning diverges from traditional conceptions of the portfolio, particularly in countries concerned with peacekeeping and in former military states with left‐wing governments.
Cohort study from 11 European countries highlighted differences in the use and efficacy of hypothermia prevention strategies after very preterm birth
Authors: Wilson Emilija , Zeitlin Jennifer , Piedvache Aurélie , Misselwitz Bjoern , Christensson Kyllike , Maier Rolf F. , Norman Mikael , Edstedt Bonamy Anna‐Karin ,   the EPICE Research Group
Published: January 2018

Aim

This study investigated the different strategies used in 11 European countries to prevent hypothermia, which continues to affect a large proportion of preterm births in the region.

Methods

We examined the association between the reported use of hypothermia prevention strategies in delivery rooms and body temperatures on admission to neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in 5861 infants born at 22 + 0 to 31 +6 weeks of gestation. The use of plastic bags, wraps, caps, exothermic heat and mattresses was investigated.

Results

The proportion of infants born in units that systematically used one or more hypothermia prevention strategies was 88.2% and 50.9% of those infants were hypothermic on admission to NICUs. Of the 9.6% born in units without systematic hypothermia prevention, 73.2% were hypothermic. Only 2.2% of infants were born in units with no reported prevention strategies. Lower gestational age increased the probability of hypothermia. No significant differences were found between the various hypothermia prevention strategies. Hyperthermia was seen in 4.8% of all admitted infants.

Conclusion

Very preterm infants had lower risks of hypothermia on NICU admission if the unit used systematic prevention strategies. All the strategies had similar effects, possibly due to implementation rather than a strategy's specific efficacy.
National population‐based cohort study found that visual‐motor integration was commonly affected in extremely preterm born children at six‐and‐a‐half years
Authors: Bolk Jenny , Fredriksson Kaul Ylva , Hellström‐Westas Lena , Stjernqvist Karin , Padilla Nelly , Serenius Fredrik , Hellgren Kerstin , Åden Ulrika
Published: January 2018

Aim

This study aimed to explain the relationship between visual‐motor integration (VMI) abilities and extremely preterm (EPT) birth, by exploring the influence of perinatal variables, cognition, manual dexterity and ophthalmological outcomes.

Methods

This was part of the population‐based national Extremely Preterm Infant Study in Sweden (EXPRESS) study. We studied 355 children, born at a gestational age of <27 weeks from April 2004 to March 2007, and 364 term‐born controls. At six‐and‐a‐half years of age, we assessed VMI, cognitive function, motor skills and vision. VMI impairment was classified as <−1 standard deviation (SD).

Results

The mean (SD) VMI score was 87 (±12) in preterm children compared to 98 (±11) in controls (p < 0.001). VMI impairment was present in 55% of preterm infants and in 78% of children born at 22–23 weeks. Male sex and postnatal steroids showed a weak association with poorer visual‐motor performance, whereas low manual dexterity and cognitive function showed a stronger association.

Conclusion

Poor VMI performance was common in this EXPRESS cohort of children born EPT. Its strong association to cognition and manual dexterity confirms that all of these factors need to be taken into account when evaluating risks in preterm born children.
New applications of LA–ICP–MS for sourcing archaeological ceramics: microanalysis of inclusions as fingerprints of their origin
Authors: Gehres B. , Querré G.
Published: January 2018

This paper presents the latest methodological advances using the LA‐ICP–MS technique for differentiating the origin of petrographically and chemically similar ceramic raw materials. Based on several examples form the Armorican Massif (France), from a chronological period extending from the Neolithic to the Second Iron Age, we will show that the comparison of the chemical signatures of minerals included in fired clay with those from clay and source rocks enables us to distinguish productions and to accurately trace the sources of the raw materials used by potters.
Factors controlling shrub encroachment in subtropical montane systems
Authors: Dechoum Michele S. , Peroni Nivaldo , Pugnaire Francisco I.
Published: January 2018

Aim

We aimed to assess the effects of temperature rise and neighbour removal on growth and performance of juvenile individuals of Baccharis uncinella shrubs in a montane grassland. We hypothesized that removal of neighbouring grasses and increased air temperature would enhance B. uncinella growth.

Location

High‐elevation forest–grassland patches, southern Brazil.

Methods

An experiment with factorial design was carried out from Aug 2014 to Sept 2015 using air temperature and neighbour removal as factors with two levels each. Air temperature was increased using acrylic open‐top chambers (OTC). For the neighbour removal treatment we removed neighbouring grasses from 30 cm around randomly selected B. uncinella juveniles. Survival, growth and plant physiological status were assessed at the end of the experiment.

Results

Plants with OTCs grew more than plants without them. Neighbour removal did not have a significant effect on plant growth. These data suggest that an increase in temperature may enhance encroachment of B. uncinella in the studied grasslands, and that neighbour grasses may act as facilitators for B. uncinella shrubs by improving water balance.

Conclusions

Considering the capacity of B. uncinella to expand from forest edges towards grasslands, it is likely that montane grasslands in southern Brazil will be subject to B. uncinella encroachment within the next decades. The potential synergistic – negative – effects of global warming and habitat loss might jeopardize the high biodiversity of this ecosystem. Specific management actions and conservation public policies are needed to protect this already threatened montane system.
Vegetation response to restoration management of a blanket bog damaged by drainage and afforestation
Authors: Hancock Mark H. , Klein Daniela , Andersen Roxane , Cowie Neil R.
Published: January 2018

Questions

Does restoration management of a formerly afforested blanket bog lead to the vegetation, and the environmental conditions it indicates, becoming similar to intact bog?

Location

A 147‐ha blanket bog in Scotland's Flow Country, afforested in the 1980s but undergoing restoration since 1998.

Methods

Vegetation in the restoration area was surveyed in nine, 1.6–6.4‐ha plots, in 1998, 2003 and 2011. Each plot was matched to nearby plots that were either intact bog or remained afforested. Principal Response Curves were used to highlight the main axes of vegetation variation and test whether plant community trajectories in the restoration area differed from intact bog. The following restoration outcomes were assessed: floristic similarity to bog vegetation; and moisture, fertility and acidity, as inferred from vegetation using Ellenberg indicator values.

Results

In the 6 years after restoration began, vegetation developed towards bog‐like conditions. In the subsequent 8 years, overall vegetation change stalled, and spatial variability increased, reflecting diverging trajectories in wetter and drier parts of the site. Ellenberg's F‐values implied significant re‐wetting in the restoration area, reaching moisture levels similar to intact bog. Other restoration outcomes progressed in wetter microsites and areas (furrows and flat ground), but stalled in drier locations (plough‐ridges and steeper slopes).

Conclusions

Overall moisture conditions, as indicated by plants, have recovered. However, restoration progress has stalled in drier areas, where additional management may be needed. Long‐term vegetation monitoring has helped clarify barriers to recovery and the management needed to overcome them. The value of such monitoring schemes in guiding restoration should be reflected in their wider implementation, within an adaptive management framework.
Episode forecasting in bipolar disorder: Is energy better than mood?
Authors: Ortiz Abigail , Bradler Kamil , Hintze Arend
Published: January 2018

Objective

Bipolar disorder is a severe mood disorder characterized by alternating episodes of mania and depression. Several interventions have been developed to decrease high admission rates and high suicides rates associated with the illness, including psychoeducation and early episode detection, with mixed results. More recently, machine learning approaches have been used to aid clinical diagnosis or to detect a particular clinical state; however, contradictory results arise from confusion around which of the several automatically generated data are the most contributory and useful to detect a particular clinical state. Our aim for this study was to apply machine learning techniques and nonlinear analyses to a physiological time series dataset in order to find the best predictor for forecasting episodes in mood disorders.

Methods

We employed three different techniques: entropy calculations and two different machine learning approaches (genetic programming and Markov Brains as classifiers) to determine whether mood, energy or sleep was the best predictor to forecast a mood episode in a physiological time series.

Results

Evening energy was the best predictor for both manic and depressive episodes in each of the three aforementioned techniques. This suggests that energy might be a better predictor than mood for forecasting mood episodes in bipolar disorder and that these particular machine learning approaches are valuable tools to be used clinically.

Conclusions

Energy should be considered as an important factor for episode prediction. Machine learning approaches provide better tools to forecast episodes and to increase our understanding of the processes that underlie mood regulation.
Young children's preference for solitary play: Implications for socio‐emotional and school adjustment
Authors: Ooi Laura L. , Baldwin Danielle , Coplan Robert J. , Rose‐Krasnor Linda
Published: January 2018

The purpose of this study was to provide additional psychometric support for the Preference for Solitary Play Interview (PSPI) and to examine the associations between self‐reported preference for solitary play and indices of adjustment in early childhood. Participants were N = 340 children attending kindergarten and grade 1. Children completed the PSPI, and teachers provided assessments of children's socio‐emotional and school adjustment. In support of the validity of the PSPI, preference for solitary play was positively associated with asocial behaviours. Further, preference for solitary play displayed an indirect (but not direct) association with peer exclusion via asocial behaviours. Findings are discussed in terms of the social and behavioural implications of preference for solitary play in early childhood.

Statement of contribution

What is already known on this subject?

Children who spend more time alone are at increased risk of adjustment difficulties.

However, some individuals desire to spend time alone because of an appreciation for solitude.

A preference for solitude is not associated with negative adjustment in adults and older youth.

What does this study add?

This study is among the first to examine self‐reported preference for solitary in early childhood.

Preference for solitude may not be related to emotional or school difficulties in young children.

However, a heightened display of solitary behaviours may still evoke negative responses from peers.
Epigenetics and the maintenance of developmental plasticity: extending the signalling theory framework
Authors: Laubach Zachary M. , Perng Wei , Dolinoy Dana C. , Faulk Christopher D. , Holekamp Kay E. , Getty Thomas
Published: January 2018

Developmental plasticity, a phenomenon of importance in both evolutionary biology and human studies of the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD), enables organisms to respond to their environment based on previous experience without changes to the underlying nucleotide sequence. Although such phenotypic responses should theoretically improve an organism's fitness and performance in its future environment, this is not always the case. Herein, we first discuss epigenetics as an adaptive mechanism of developmental plasticity and use signaling theory to provide an evolutionary context for DOHaD phenomena within a generation. Next, we utilize signalling theory to identify determinants of adaptive developmental plasticity, detect sources of random variability – also known as process errors that affect maintenance of an epigenetic signal (DNA methylation) over time, and discuss implications of these errors for an organism's health and fitness. Finally, we apply life‐course epidemiology conceptual models to inform study design and analytical strategies that are capable of parsing out the potential effects of process errors in the relationships among an organism's early environment, DNA methylation, and phenotype in a future environment. Ultimately, we hope to foster cross‐talk and interdisciplinary collaboration between evolutionary biology and DOHaD epidemiology, which have historically remained separate despite a shared interest in developmental plasticity.
Queen palm fruit selection and foraging techniques of squirrels in the Atlantic Forest
Authors: Alves Briza Cristina , Mendes Calebe Pereira , Ribeiro Milton Cezar
Published: January 2018

Queen palm seeds (Syagrus romanzoffiana) are a vital source of nutrients for Ingram's squirrel (Guerlinguetus ingrami), a common inhabitant of the Atlantic forest biome of Brazil. G. ingrami acts as both a seed predator and disperser of this important palm; however, little is known about how G. ingrami selects or efficiently opens queen palm seeds. The objectives of this study were to: (1) investigate the squirrel's capacity to determine the germinal orifice among the fruit's three pores, which permits more efficient opening of the fruit; (2) assess whether the thickness and size of the fruit endocarp influence the squirrel's palm selection during foraging; and (3) evaluate whether the rodents preferentially select fruits with invertebrate infestations. To answer these questions, we used a series of behavioral experiments measuring patterns of squirrel feeding behavior (fruit opening, fruit selection, and patch selection), controlling for environmental variables. We found that (1) squirrels identify the queen palm germinal pore by its greater relative depth to the other pores; (2) the average size and thickness of fruit does not influence the squirrel's choice of palm for foraging; and (3) squirrels preferentially consume fruits infested by invertebrates. The development of methods for more efficient processing of queen palm fruit highlights the importance of this resource for G. ingrami. In addition, due to its preferential selection of infested fruits, G. ingrami may benefit palms by reducing parasite population loads.
Association of single nucleotide polymorphisms in WNT genes with the risk of nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate
Authors: Rafighdoost Houshang , Hashemi Mohammad , Asadi Hossein , Bahari Gholamreza
Published: January 2018

Nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate is a common congenital deformity worldwide with multifaceted etiology. Interaction of genes and environmental factors has been indicated to be related with susceptibility to nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate. Some WNT genes which are involved in craniofacial embryogenesis may play a key role in the pathogenesis of nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate. In the present study, we aimed to inspect the relationship between WNT3 (rs3809857 and rs9890413), WNT3A (rs752107 and rs3121310), and WNT10a rs201002930 (c.392 C>T) polymorphisms and nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate in an Iranian population. The present case‐control study was carried out on 120 unrelated nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate patients and 112 healthy subjects. The variants were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction‐restriction fragment length polymorphism method. The findings suggest that the rs3809857 polymorphism significantly decreased the risk of nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate in codominant (odds ratio = 0.16, 95% confidence interval = 0.03–0.75, P = 0.020, TT vs GG), recessive (odds ratio = 0.16, 95% confidence interval = 0.03–0.72, P = 0.009, TT vs GG + GT) inheritance models. The rs9890413 variant marginally decreased the risk of nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate in codominant (odds ratio = 0.41, 95% confidence interval = 0.17–0.99, P = 0.047, AG vs AA) model. Regarding C392T variant, the findings revealed that this variant significantly decreased the risk of nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate in codominant (odds ratio = 0.24, 95% confidence interval = 0.10–0.58, P = 0.002, CT vs CC) and allele (odds ratio = 0.26, 95% confidence interval = 0.11–0.62, P = 0.002, T vs C) models. No significant association was observed between the rs752107 and rs3121310 variants and risk/protection of nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate. Stratified analysis showed that WNT10a rs201002930 (c.392 C>T) significantly decreased the risk of cleft lip with cleft palate and cleft palate only. In summary, the results suggest an association between WNT genes polymorphisms and the risk nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate in a sample of the southeast Iranian population.
A Survey of Surface‐Based Illustrative Rendering for Visualization
Authors: Lawonn Kai , Viola Ivan , Preim Bernhard , Isenberg Tobias
Published: January 2018

In this paper, we survey illustrative rendering techniques for 3D surface models. We first discuss the field of illustrative visualization in general and provide a new definition for this sub‐area of visualization. For the remainder of the survey, we then focus on surface‐based models. We start by briefly summarizing the differential geometry fundamental to many approaches and discuss additional general requirements for the underlying models and the methods' implementations. We then provide an overview of low‐level illustrative rendering techniques including sparse lines, stippling and hatching, and illustrative shading, connecting each of them to practical examples of visualization applications. We also mention evaluation approaches and list various application fields, before we close with a discussion of the state of the art and future work.
How adolescents decide on bariatric surgery: an interpretative phenomenological analysis
Authors: Doyle J. , Colville S. , Brown P. , Christie D.
Published: January 2018

The National Institute of Clinical Excellence states that bariatric surgery may be considered for adolescents with severe obesity in ‘exceptional circumstances’. However, it is not clear what is deemed to be exceptional, and there is a lack of long‐term outcomes data or research, which would inform patient selection. This is an in‐depth qualitative study involving five adolescents who had previously undergone bariatric surgery (between 1 and 3 years postoperatively) and four who were being assessed for the treatment. All patients were from one tertiary NHS weight management service offering bariatric surgery to adolescents. Participants were interviewed to explore how young people decide whether bariatric surgery is an appropriate intervention for them. Of the nine adolescents recruited, four were male and five female, aged between 17 and 20 years at the time of interview. Participants who had already undergone surgery did so between the ages of 16 and 18. The data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis, and key themes were identified, such as (i) wanting a different future, (ii) experiences of uncertainty, (iii) managing the dilemmas and (iv) surgery as the last resort. The findings suggest that young people are prepared to accept a surgical solution for obesity despite numerous dilemmas. Young people choose this intervention as a way of ‘normalizing’ when they perceive there is nothing better available. It is argued that these findings may have implications for the counselling of young people living with overweight and obesity and for government policy.
Participatory development of incentives to coexist with jaguars and pumas
Authors: Amit Ronit , Jacobson Susan K.
Published: January 2018

Reducing costs and increasing benefits for rural communities coexisting with large carnivores is necessary for conservation of jaguar (Panthera onca) and puma (Puma concolor). To design acceptable incentives, stakeholders must be involved in the process. We conducted an innovative, structured, group communication process based on a Delphi technique as a template for identifying potential incentives. Community workshops with 133 members of 7 communities and surveys with 25 multidisciplinary experts from government, nongovernmental organizations, and academia provided iterative data to design a plan of incentives through 4 rounds of discussion. The final product integrated 862 ideas into 6 types of incentives: organization of communities, mechanisms for improved dialogue, citizen technical assistance, green labeling for community products, payment for the ecosystem service of biodiversity, and an assessment of financial alternatives. We used quantitative and qualitative techniques to indicate support for decisions about the design of incentives, which reduced researcher subjectivity. The diverse incentives developed and the cooperation from multiple stakeholders resulted in an incentive plan that integrated issues of governance, equity, and social norms.
A Large‐Scale Analysis of Variance in Written Language
Authors: Johns Brendan T. , Jamieson Randall K.
Published: January 2018

The collection of very large text sources has revolutionized the study of natural language, leading to the development of several models of language learning and distributional semantics that extract sophisticated semantic representations of words based on the statistical redundancies contained within natural language (e.g., Griffiths, Steyvers, & Tenenbaum, ; Jones & Mewhort, ; Landauer & Dumais, ; Mikolov, Sutskever, Chen, Corrado, & Dean, ). The models treat knowledge as an interaction of processing mechanisms and the structure of language experience. But language experience is often treated agnostically. We report a distributional semantic analysis that shows written language in fiction books varies appreciably between books from the different genres, books from the same genre, and even books written by the same author. Given that current theories assume that word knowledge reflects an interaction between processing mechanisms and the language environment, the analysis shows the need for the field to engage in a more deliberate consideration and curation of the corpora used in computational studies of natural language processing.
Health insurance and use of recommended routine care in adults with cystic fibrosis
Authors: Li Susan S. , Hayes Don , Tobias Joseph D. , Morgan Wayne J. , Tumin Dmitry
Published: January 2018

Background

Low socioeconomic status is correlated with worse outcomes in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Whether insurance status impacts adherence to care in this population is unknown.

Methods

Patients ≥18 years old in the CF Foundation Patient Registry (2005‐2013) were grouped based on reported annual insurance as private, public (Medicaid, Medicare or state medical assistance program), others or no insurance. Random effects logistic regression evaluated association between change in insurance status and annual use of recommended routine care.

Results

A total of 18 358 patients contributed 94 690 years of data to the analysis. In descriptive analysis, adherence to recommended routine care (≥4 clinic visits, ≥4 respiratory cultures and ≥2 pulmonary function tests per year) and recommended chronic medications for those with moderate to severe lung disease (dornase alfa and inhaled tobramycin or aztreonam if Pseudomoas aeruginosa in respiratory cultures) was most common in public insurance compared to other insurance types. In multivariable logistic regression, public insurance was associated with greater use of recommended care relative to private insurance (OR = 1.16; 95% confidence interval: 1.10‐1.22; P < .001), while being uninsured was associated with lower odds of using recommended care (OR = 0.37; 95% confidence interval: 0.31‐0.46; P < .001).

Conclusions

For adults with CF in the United States, public insurance was associated with greater use of routine care than private coverage. Being uninsured was strongly associated with not using routine care. Further efforts to improve access to CF care should address the feasibility of universal and continuous insurance coverage in the CF population.
Adherence and medication belief in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension or chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension: A nationwide population‐based cohort survey
Authors: Ivarsson Bodil , Hesselstrand Roger , Rådegran Göran , Kjellström Barbro
Published: January 2018

Background

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) are rare diseases with a gradual decline in physical health. Adherence to treatment is crucial in these very symptomatic and life threatening diseases.

Objective

To describe PAH and CTEPH patients experience of their self‐reported medication adherence, beliefs about medicines and information about treatment.

Methods

A quantitative, descriptive, national cohort survey that included adult patients from all PAH‐centres in Sweden. All patients received questionnaires by mail: The Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS‐8) assesses treatment‐related attitudes and behaviour problems, the Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire‐Specific scale (BMQ‐S) assesses the patient's perception of drug intake and the QLQ‐INFO25 multi‐item scale about medical treatment information.

Results

The response rate was 74% (n = 325), mean age 66 ± 14 years, 58% were female and 69% were diagnosed with PAH and 31% with CTEPH. Time from diagnosis was 4.7 ± 4.2 years. More than half of the patients (57%) reported a high level of adherence. There was no difference in the patients' beliefs of the necessity of the medications to control their illness when comparing those with high, medium or low adherence. Despite high satisfaction with the information, concerns about potential adverse effects of taking the medication were significantly related to adherence.

Conclusions

Treatment adherence is relatively high but still needs improvement. The multi‐disciplinary PAH team should, together with the patient, seek strategies to improve adherence and prevent concern.
Effects of school‐based mindfulness training on emotion processing and well‐being in adolescents: evidence from event‐related potentials
Authors: Sanger Kevanne Louise , Thierry Guillaume , Dorjee Dusana
Published: January 2018

In a non‐randomized controlled study, we investigated the efficacy of a school‐based mindfulness curriculum delivered by schoolteachers to older secondary school students (16–18 years). We measured changes in emotion processing indexed by P3b event‐related potential (ERP) modulations in an affective oddball task using static human faces. ERPs were recorded to happy and sad face oddballs presented in a stimulus stream of frequent faces with neutral expression, before and after 8 weeks of mindfulness training. Whilst the mean amplitude of the P3b, an ERP component typically elicited by infrequent oddballs, decreased between testing sessions in the control group, it remained unchanged in the training group. Significant increases in self‐reported well‐being and fewer doctor visits for mental health support were also reported in the training group as compared to controls. The observed habituation to emotional stimuli in controls thus contrasted with maintained sensitivity in mindfulness‐trained students. These results suggest that in‐school mindfulness training for adolescents has scope for increasing awareness of socially relevant emotional stimuli, irrespective of valence, and thus may decrease vulnerability to depression.
Mitral leaflet separation to evaluate the severity of mitral stenosis: Validation of the index by transesophageal three‐dimensional echocardiography
Authors: Bigdelu Leila , Poorzand Hoorak , Azari Ali , Jarahi Lida , Ghaderi Fereshteh , Fazlinejad Afsoon , Alimi Hedieh , Rohani Atooshe , Manavifar Negar
Published: January 2018

Background

Determining severity of mitral stenosis (MS) by planimetry of mitral valve orifice area (MVA) has been a challenging issue in clinical practice, especially for less experienced cardiologists. Mitral leaflet separation (MLS) has shown a good correlation with MVA measurements. However, it has never been validated against multiplane 3DTEE planimetry (MVA3D). We aimed to evaluate the accuracy of MLS index (MLSI2D) in predicting MS severity.

Methods

We prospectively enrolled 144 patients with MS who underwent clinically indicated 2DTTE and 3DTEE. MLSI2D was yield by averaging the maximal leaflet tip distance in diastole, in parasternal long‐axis and apical four‐chamber views. MVA3D was used as the reference method.

Results

MLSI2D showed an excellent discriminatory ability between different grades of MS (P < .001). There was a significant positive correlation between MLSI2D and MVA3D (r = .93, P < .001) irrespective of concurrent mitral regurgitation (r = .94, P < .001) and/or atrial fibrillation (r = .92, P < .001). By receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, MLSI2D ≤ 8.6 mm showed 100% sensitivity and 76% specificity for very severe MS. MLSI2D ≥ 11.2 mm determined progressive MS with 100% sensitivity and 82% specificity. The study population was then divided into a derivation group and a validation group. A regression equation for MVA by MLSI2D was derived in first group. Then, the MVA was calculated by this equation in validation group and was not significantly different from MVA3D.

Conclusion

MLSI2D showed an excellent ability to assess MS severity and correlates well with planimetered MVA measured by 3DTEE.
Exposure of the developing heart to diabetic environment and early cardiac assessment: A review
Authors: Asoglu Mehmet R. , Gabbay‐Benziv Rinat , Turan Ozhan M. , Turan Sifa
Published: January 2018

Hyperglycemia during organogenesis is associated with an increased risk of congenital cardiac defects (CHDs). The pathophysiology leading to CHDs is not completely uncovered. However, elevated oxidative stress is considered to be the primary trigger that causes CHDs in fetuses of diabetic mothers. Maternal diabetes has been found to increase the risk for all types of CHDs. Diabetes may also impact the fetal cardiac performance at all gestational ages. Early detection of CHDs has certain advantages, such as making early decision about termination of pregnancy, enabling early genetic testing, and early reassurance if scan is normal. Combined transabdominal and transvaginal approach at 13–14 weeks of gestation is a reasonable strategy to assess fetal heart in diabetic women. Diagnostic accuracy of early fetal echocardiography has reached to above a reasonable cutoff when it is done in the late first trimester or early second trimester in the hands of expert sonographers. However, the literature is less certain to provide a firm conclusion about functional heart assessment in fetuses of diabetic mothers.
Firm Growth and Legal Environment
Authors: Miroshnychenko Ivan , Bozzi Stefano , Barontini Roberto
Published: January 2018

An effective country‐level legal environment is crucial for promoting access to finance, development, and ultimately economic growth. Based on a sample of large companies listed in Continental Europe in the period 2002–2011, this study suggests that investor protection level is related to firm growth. Specifically, investor protection: a) enhances the growth rate of the firm; b) affects growth sensitivity to leverage and cash flow. These results provide empirical support to recommendations by policy makers advocating for increased investor protection in Europe.
Imperfect detection distorts depth‐related trends in marine macrofaunal species richness
Authors: Karenyi Natasha , Sink Kerry , Nel Ronel , Clark Allan E. , Altwegg Res
Published: January 2018

Ecology and biodiversity research are underpinned by species richness patterns and their environmental drivers. However, a key topic in this discussion is the accuracy of these patterns which are greatly dependent on species detection probabilities. Due to variations in detection of species, true ecological patterns may be distorted. This is particularly true for subtidal macro‐infaunal communities. We tested three hypothesized relationships between marine benthic macrofaunal diversity and depth using species richness per site estimated with a capture–recapture heterogeneity model that accounts for variable detection probabilities. These metrics were based on data from 42 replicated sites across the continental shelf of the Southern Benguela. Average detection probability decreased with greater depth but species richness increased along the same depth gradient. The conflation of these trends in observed diversity data resulted in a positively near‐linear depth–diversity relationship, while accounting for variable species detection revealed a much stronger relationship. Ignoring species detection in ecosystems with imperfect detection could therefore distort species richness patterns, which has implications for ecological theory, management and conservation.
Feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a smartphone application intervention for subthreshold depression
Authors: Takahashi Kana , Takada Koki , Hirao Kazuki
Published: January 2018

Aim

We developed a motion picture‐reproducing smartphone application (app) designed to improve self‐confidence in individuals with subthreshold depression (StD) and examined the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of an app intervention for individuals with StD.

Methods

We conducted an open‐label, single‐arm pre‐post study of 22 young adults with StD. Our intervention involved app usage for at least 70 min/wk for 5 weeks. The primary outcome measure was the adherence rate. Secondary outcome measures were safety and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES‐D) scores.

Results

No participants dropped out during the study. The adherence rate was 50%. The mean time of app use over 5 weeks was 124.23 ± 81.94 min/wk. No adverse events were reported. The CES‐D scores were significantly improved at 5 weeks post‐intervention.

Conclusions

Although this app intervention has the potential to reduce depressive symptoms, the app needs to be improved to increase adherence rates.
Mentoring and teachers’ professional development in Albania
Authors: Gjedia Robert , Gardinier Meg P.
Published: January 2018

The role of teachers is becoming increasingly important in advancing student learning outcomes. This article discusses one area that is still in need of significant reform in Albania: the induction and mentoring of new teacher‐candidates. Based on a mixed‐method study involving 275 Albanian teachers and mentors, it provides insights into the benefits and challenges of current practices. The study identifies a number of key areas in need of improvement, including: the selection of mentors; professional training for mentors; communication among different stakeholders; and overall planning and coordination of mentoring services. These issues are discussed within a wider European policy context that situates mentoring as an important component of teachers’ ongoing professional development.
How does innovative continuous professional development (CPD) operate in the ECEC sector? Insights from a cross‐analysis of cases in Denmark, Italy and Poland
Authors: Bove Chiara , Jensen Bente , Wysłowska Olga , Iannone Rosa Lisa , Mantovani Susanna , Karwowska‐Struczyk Małgorzata
Published: January 2018

This article offers insights into what characterises innovative continuous professional development (CPD) in the field of early childhood education and care (ECEC) by analysing similarities and differences from case studies of exemplary approaches to innovative CPD in Denmark, Italy and Poland. The comparative analysis focuses on four features that are particularly relevant for innovation in CPD in the field of ECEC: the social dimension of innovation as a strengthening component; the benefit of dynamic learning processes aimed at integrating theory and practice; the role of key figures in the quality of CPD; and measurements of CPD impact, outcomes and sustainability. This analysis sheds light on the effects of dynamic factors (e.g., regular team‐based reflection sessions based on documentation and observation), the importance of work conditions (e.g., contractual obligations to provide time for reflection), the critical role of pedagogical leaders (coordinators, principals and head teachers, supervisors), the importance of inter‐organisational networking at a local level and the facilitating role of collaboration with research institutes.