bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Unveiling the origin of Quercus serrata subsp. mongolicoides found in Honshu, Japan, by using genetic and morphological analyses
Authors: Aizawa Mineaki , Maekawa Kaya , Mochizuki Hiroko , Saito Hideyuki , Harada Ko , Kadomatsu Masahiko , Iizuka Kazuya , Ohkubo Tatsuhiro
Published: April 2018

Quercus mongolica is a tree found in temperate deciduous forests in east Asia. In Japan, Q. mongolica var. crispula is commonly found; moreover, an oak whose morphology is similar to that of Q. mongolica var. mongolica of the Asian continent has been found in certain areas of Honshu and Hokkaido. Recently, the oak found in Honshu was described as Q. serrata subsp. mongolicoides (QSM). However, genetic comparison between this oak and Q. mongolica var. mongolica of the Asian continent has not been performed; the origin of QSM is thus unknown. Therefore, we aimed to determine the origin of QSM by conducting nuclear microsatellite (nSSR), chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) and leaf morphology analyses for the three taxa, as well as other congeners. The cpDNA variation overlapped among the three taxa, suggesting low discrimination ability for these taxa. Although morphological congruency was found between QSM and Q. mongolica var. mongolica, results of nSSR analyses showed that QSM contained a genetic admixture of Q. mongolica var. mongolica of the Asian continent and Q. mongolica var. crispula of Japan, bolstering an admixture hypothesis. The nSSR and cpDNA analyses suggested that Q. mongolica var. crispula can be the progenitor of Q. mongolica var. mongolica and harbors the ancestral cpDNA haplotypes. Therefore, we concluded that QSM might have been created by an admixture that likely occurred within Japan between Q. mongolica var. crispula and putative relict Q. mongolica var. mongolica, which might have diverged in or around Japan from Q. mongolica var. crispula during the late Pleistocene.
Family therapy and systemic interventions for child‐focused problems: the current evidence base
Authors: Carr Alan
Published: April 2018

This review updates previous similar papers published in JFT in 2000, 2009 and 2014. It presents evidence from meta‐analyses, systematic literature reviews, narrative literature reviews and controlled trials for the effectiveness of systemic interventions for families of children and adolescents with common mental health problems and other difficulties. In this context, systemic interventions include both family therapy and other family‐based approaches such as parent training, or parent implemented behavioural programmes. The evidence supports the effectiveness of systemic interventions either alone or as part of multimodal programmes for sleep, feeding and attachment problems in infancy; recovery from child abuse and neglect; conduct problems, emotional problems, eating disorders, somatic problems, and first episode psychosis.
The Party's View of Dyadic Responsiveness: A Survey Experiment in Sweden
Authors: Naurin Elin , Öhberg Patrik
Published: April 2018

When responding to citizens who make direct contact, politicians perform an act that matters not only to themselves and the contacting citizen, but also to colleagues within the party. This article studies whether some types of responsive behaviour are more accepted within the party than others. It also studies the circumstances that increase and decrease acceptability for party colleagues’ responsiveness. In a survey experiment, 1,660 Swedish politicians were asked to approve of different communicative and adaptive responses given by a fictive colleague. Results show that responses that aim at changing the party from within are well regarded, but that open and external responses, which are more visible to voters, are considerably less liked by the politician's colleagues. The implication is that norms surrounding dyadic responsiveness are strong within parties and that they are likely to influence when and how citizens get responses from individual politicians.
‘Essentially it's just a lot of bedrooms’: architectural design, prescribed personalisation and the construction of care homes for later life
Authors: Nettleton Sarah , Buse Christina , Martin Daryl
Published: April 2018

This article draws on ethnographic data from a UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funded study called ‘Buildings in the Making’. The project aims to open up the black box of architectural work to explore what happens between the commissioning of architectural projects through to the construction of buildings, and seeks to understand how ideas about care for later life are operationalised into designs. Drawing on recent scholarship on ‘materialities of care’ and ‘practising architectures’, which emphasise the salience of material objects for understanding the politics and practices of care, we focus here on ‘beds’. References to ‘beds’ were ubiquitous throughout our data, and we analyse their varied uses and imaginaries as a ‘way in’ to understanding the embedded nature of architectural work. Four themes emerged: ‘commissioning architectures and the commodification of beds’; ‘adjusting architectures and socio‐spatial inequalities of beds’; ‘prescribing architectures and person‐centred care beds’; and ‘phenomenological architectures and inhabiting beds’. We offer the concept prescribed personalisation to capture how practising architectures come to reconcile the multiple tensions of commodification and the codification of person centred care, in ways that might mitigate phenomenological and serendipitous qualities of life and living in care settings during later life.
The impact of candidate selection rules and electoral vulnerability on legislative behaviour in comparative perspective
Authors: FERNANDES JORGE M. , GEESE LUCAS , SCHWEMMER CARSTEN
Published: April 2018

Legislators are political actors whose main goal is to get re‐elected. They use their legislative repertoire to help them cater to the interests of their principals. It is argued in this article that we need to move beyond treating electoral systems as monolithic entities, as if all legislators operating under the same set of macro‐rules shared the same set of incentives. Rather, we need to account for within‐system variation – namely, candidate selection rules and individual electoral vulnerability. Using a most different systems design, Germany, Ireland and Portugal are leveraged with both cross‐system and within‐system variation. An original dataset of 345,000 parliamentary questions is used. Findings show that candidate selection rules blur canonical electoral system boundaries. Electoral vulnerability has a similar effect in closed‐list and mixed systems, but not in preferential voting settings.
Concerning values: what underlies public polarisation about climate change?
Authors: Lucas Chloe H.
Published: April 2018

Climate change is a partisan issue, with increasingly politically polarised responses, particularly in Anglophone countries. While politics clearly have a role in determining attitudes to climate science and policy, understanding the human values that underlie attitudes offers advantages over a focus on political differences. This study examines public concern about climate change in Hobart, the state capital of Tasmania, Australia. Hobart is a microcosm of polarisation about environmental issues due to its long history of conflict over natural resource use. Using a survey of 522 citizens of Hobart, the research examines the values underlying concern and unconcern about climate change. Applying an innovative analysis of human values to this area of research, I have found that, in the Tasmanian context, the unconcerned may be categorised into two groups with opposing values: people who prioritise national security, social order, and tradition; and people who value freedom of choice and the ability to make their own decisions. High levels of climate change concern are associated strongly with care for nature, suggesting that climate change is seen primarily as a threat to the environment, rather than to humanity. In this article, I argue that understanding the values underlying divergent interpretations of the threat of climate change is essential to resolving deadlock in political discourse. The work draws lessons for re‐engaging the unconcerned in inclusive conversations about climate change through narratives addressing a broader range of values.
Planning the post‐political city: exploring public participation in the contemporary Australian city
Authors: Legacy Crystal , Cook Nicole , Rogers Dallas , Ruming Kristian
Published: April 2018

This special section examines the possibility of meaningful debate and contestation over urban decisions and futures in politically constrained contexts. In doing so, it moves with the post‐political times: critically examining the proliferation of deliberative mechanisms; identifying the informal assemblages of diverse actors taking on new roles in urban socio‐spatial justice; and illuminating the spaces where informal and formal planning processes meet. These questions are particularly pertinent for understanding the processes shaping Australian cities and public participation today.
Late Cretaceous‐Cenozoic Multi‐Stage Denudation at the Western Ordos Block: Constraints by the Apatite Fission Track Dating on the Langshan
Authors: CUI Xianyue , ZHAO Qihua , ZHANG Jin , WANG Yannan , ZHANG Beihang , NIE Fengjun , QU Junfeng , ZHAO Heng
Published: April 2018

The apatite fission track dating of samples from the Dabashan (i.e., the Langshan in the northeastern Alxa Block) by the laser ablation method and their thermal history modeling of AFT ages are conducted in this study. The obtained results and lines of geological evidence in the study region indicate that the Langshan has experienced complicated tectonic‐thermal events during the the Late Cretaceous‐Cenozoic. Firstly, it experienced a tectonic‐thermal event in the Late Cretaceous (∼90–70 Ma). The event had little relation with the oblique subduction of the Izanagi Plate along the eastern Eurasian Plate, but was related to the Neo‐Tethys subduction and compression between the Lhasa Block and Qiangtang Block. Secondly, it underwent the dextral slip faulting in the Eocene (∼50–45 Ma). The strike slip fault may develop in the same tectonic setting as sinistral slip faults in southern Mongolia and thrusts in West Qinling to the southwest Ordos Block in the same period, which is the remote far‐field response to the India‐Eurasia collision. Thirdly, the tectonic thermal event existed in the late Cenozoic (since ∼10 Ma), thermal modeling shows that several samples began their denudation from upper region of partial annealing zone (PAZ), and the denudation may have a great relationship with the growth of Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau to the northeast. In addition, the AFT ages of Langshan indicate that the main body of the Langshan may be an upper part of fossil PAZ of the Late Cretaceous (∼70 Ma). The fossil PAZ were destroyed and deformed by tectonic events repeatedly in the Cenozoic along with the denudation.
Middle Cretaceous pCO2 Variation in Yumen, Gansu Province and its Response to the Climate Events
Authors: LEI Xiangtong , DU Zhen , DU Baoxia , ZHANG Mingzhen , SUN Bainian
Published: April 2018

The palaeo‐atmospheric CO2 concentration (pCO2) variation in the Yumen, Gansu Province during the middle Cretaceous has been reconstructed using the newly established plant photosynthetic gas exchange mechanistic model, and the results show that the pCO2 values are in the range of about 550–808 ppmv. The present pCO2 values are higher than the pCO2 results (531–641 ppmv) of the previous study according to the Recent standardization of the stomatal ratio method, and much lower than the pCO2 results (882–1060 ppmv) according to the Carboniferous standardization of the stomatal ratio method. The present pCO2 variation is not only within the error range of GEOCARB II and GEOCARB III but also is similar to the reconstructed results based on the biochemistry and carbon isotope models. Besides, the present Brachyphyllum specimens were collected from four consecutive horizons of the upper Zhonggou Formation of the Hanxia Section, and the reconstructed pCO2 exhibits the reconstructed pCO2 exhibits a decline trend during the late Aptian to early Albian. This decline variation is probably associated with the Oceanic Anoxic Events (OAE1b) and the Cold snap event. With the combination of pCO2 during the Albian to Cenomanian recovered by the plant photosynthetic gas exchange mechanistic model, the pCO2 showed a prominent increase during the late Aptian to early Cenominian, which indicates a response to the greenhouse warming during the middle Cretaceous. Therefore, the mechanical model of the plant photosynthetic gas exchange shows a relatively strong accuracy in the reconstruction of the pCO2 and can reflect a strong relation between the atmospheric CO2 concentrations and climatic events.
Emergency Department Adult Fiberoptic Intubations: Incidence, Indications, and Implications for Training
Authors: Hayden Emily M. , Pallin Daniel J. , Wilcox Susan R. , Gordon James A. , Carlson Jestin N. , Walls Ron M. , Brown Calvin A. ,   the National Emergency Airway Registry (NEAR) III Investigators
Published: April 2018

Objective

The objective was to describe the frequency, indications, and outcomes of flexible fiberoptic intubations (FFI) performed in the emergency department (ED).

Methods

From the National Emergency Airway Registry (NEAR), we identified all encounters from July 1, 2002, through December 31, 2012, with the use of FFI. We determined patient, provider, and intubation characteristics; success and failure rates; and modes of intubation rescue.

Results

Among 17,910 intubations of patients > 15 years old at 13 EDs, FFI was used in 204 cases (1.1%, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.26%–2.0%). FFI was the first method chosen (primary FFI) in 180 encounters (1%, 95% CI = 0.2%–1.8%). The most common indication for FFI was airway obstruction (36.1%, 95% CI = 24.6%–47.7%). For primary FFI, first‐attempt intubation success was 51.1% (95% CI = 43.6%–58.6%), and overall intubation success with FFI was 74.3% (95% CI = 65.7%–82.9%). FFI was used as a rescue airway strategy in 24 cases (0.1% of all encounters) and was successful in 17 of those (70.8%, 95% CI = 65.4%–85.2%).

Conclusions

Emergency department FFI is uncommon and typically used as a nonsurgical alternative for airway obstruction. First‐attempt ED FFI is successful in half of cases and in two‐thirds of rescue attempts. These data provide an important baseline to help better characterize the nature of FFI as a rare critical procedure in the ED and offer an empiric basis for ongoing discussions on the optimal role of FFI in ED training and practice.
Does Managerial Ability Matter in Private Firms? Evidence from Korea
Authors: Hwang Lee‐Seok , Jung Taejin , Yang Seunghee , Yu Kyunghwa
Published: April 2018

Using a large dataset of Korean private firms, we examine the value consequences of managerial ability. We document that private firms with more able managers achieve better performance, are less likely to over‐invest, and are more likely to go public. However, we find that these firms experience more severe underperformance following an IPO than firms with less able managers. We provide evidence of more capable managers exhibiting lower earnings quality before an IPO, which is a potential explanation for our findings. The results are consistent with the notion that in the absence of effective monitoring mechanisms, owner‐managers in private firms can use their discretion in an opportunistic way.
Credible Commitment in Covert Affairs
Authors: Spaniel William , Poznansky Michael
Published: April 2018

A recurring challenge in politics is to convince actors to take cooperative actions against their self‐interest. This is especially challenging for executives conducting covert activities, as infractions are unobservable and institutional reforms often require the executive's consent. We develop a model based in the auditing literature to investigate when executives agree to reforms that credibly constrain their behaviors. If the revelation cost falls in a high range, the risk of whistleblowing convinces executives to restrain themselves. Executives cannot credibly commit to this when the costs are low, resulting in inefficient investigations from watchdog groups that tax executive resources. We show that executives are sometimes better off in the first case than the second, which results in executives endogenously reforming institutions to achieve this outcome. We illustrate the mechanism with a case study of Gerald Ford's executive reforms to the intelligence community in the 1970s.
How and When Do Core Self‐Evaluations Predict Career Satisfaction? The Roles of Positive Goal Emotions and Occupational Embeddedness
Authors: Holtschlag Claudia , Reiche B. Sebastian , Masuda Aline D.
Published: April 2018

We draw on theories of self‐verification and situational strength to examine how and when core self‐evaluations (CSE) predict career satisfaction. We tested our hypotheses using a time‐lagged study with 139 alumni of two business schools across three measurement waves. Results showed that compared to individuals with lower CSE those with higher CSE were more satisfied with their careers because they associated more positive emotions with pursuing their career goals. However, a high degree of occupational embeddedness attenuated the indirect effect of the CSE–career satisfaction relationship through positive goal emotions and compensated for low levels of positive goal emotions. We discuss theoretical and practical implications.
The Effect of a Majority Group's Orientation Toward Acculturation on a Minority Group's Feelings of National Identity
Authors: Pilvisto Halja , Valk Aune
Published: April 2018

In the present study, 136 ethnic Russian students in Estonia read one of two fictitious scenarios about the results of a national survey. The first scenario led participants to believe that members of the majority group (Estonians) prefer minority groups to assimilate to the dominant, majority culture. The second scenario led participants to believe that the majority group prefers a multicultural orientation that values all cultural groups. After reading one of the two scenarios, participants completed measures of national identity and ethnic identity. Participants' responses revealed that the effect of the majority's acculturation orientation on feelings of national identity was moderated by the minority group's self‐identification and the strength of their ethnic identity. Specifically, the different acculturation scenarios produced different intensities of national identity, but only for persons who identified as monocultural or reported a high degree of ethnic identity.
Review article: therapeutic bile acids and the risks for hepatotoxicity
Authors: Ashby K. , Navarro Almario E. E. , Tong W. , Borlak J. , Mehta R. , Chen M.
Published: April 2018

Background

Bile acids play important roles in cholesterol metabolism and signal through farnesoid X receptor and G protein‐coupled receptors. Given their importance in liver biology, bile acid therapy enables therapeutic applications beyond the treatment of cholestatic liver disease. However, predicting hepatotoxicity of bile acids in humans is obscured due to inconsistent extrapolations of animal data to humans.

Aim

To review the evidence that could explain discordant bile acids hepatotoxicity observed in humans and animals.

Method

Literature search was conducted in PubMed using keywords “bile acid,” “transporter,” “hepatotoxicity,” “clinical study,” “animal study,” “species difference,” “mechanism,” “genetic disorder.” Relevant articles were selected for review.

Results

Clinically significant hepatotoxicity was reported in response to certain bile acids, namely chenodeoxycholic acid, which was given a boxed warning for potential hepatotoxicity. The chemical structure, specifically the number and orientation of hydroxyl groups, significantly affects their hydrophobicity, an important factor in bile acid toxicity. Experimental studies show that hydrophobic bile acids can lead to liver injury through various mechanisms, such as death receptor signalling, mitochondrial dysfunction and inflammation. Although animal studies play a central role in investigating bile acid safety, there are considerable differences in bile acid composition, metabolism and hepatobiliary disposition across species. This does not allow appropriate safety inference, especially for predicting hepatotoxicity in humans. Exploring evidences stemming from inborn errors, genetic models of disease and toxicology studies further improves an understanding of bile acid hepatotoxicity.

Conclusion

Species differences should be considered in the development of bile acid related therapeutics. Although the mechanism of bile acid hepatotoxicity is still not fully understood, continued mechanistic studies will deepen our understanding.
ISA 570: Italian Auditors’ and Academics’ Perceptions of the Going Concern Opinion
Authors: Bava Fabrizio , Gromis di Trana Melchior
Published: April 2018

This study aims to identify which of the indicators used to assess whether an entity may not be able to continue as a going concern are regarded by Italian partners in auditing firms and Italian accounting and finance academics as being the most important. The indicators and ratios are those pursuant to auditing standard ISA 570 Going Concern, the literature and professional practice. ISA 570 does not suggest a hierarchy of these indicators, because they are only examples of events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the entity's ability to continue as a going concern (GC), nor does it suggest specific ratios. To this end, an online survey was administered to partners in auditing firms and to the university faculty of Accounting and Finance. The paper contributes to enriching previous literature by providing insights into how Italian auditors and Italian financial reporting scholars prioritise GC indicators suggested by ISA 570. The results have the potential to help auditors and directors focus on the most relevant indicators in a GC assessment.
THE WELFARE CONSEQUENCES OF A QUANTITATIVE SEARCH AND MATCHING APPROACH TO THE LABOR MARKET
Authors: Kashiwagi Masanori
Published: April 2018

This paper explores the quantitative impact on welfare of different parametric assumptions about bargaining power in a standard search and matching model of the labor market. This study computes the welfare loss if social efficiency is not attained and finds that, for a broad range of bargaining power, the welfare loss is less than 1 percent of the social optimum. This paper also investigates which aspects of the parameterization are important for welfare consequences. Further, I investigate how the welfare consequences are altered in the presence of a fixed matching cost and increasing returns to scale in the matching function.
Cytokine expression profile in the bone‐anchored hearing system: 12‐week results from a prospective randomized, controlled study
Authors: Calon Tim George Ate , van Tongeren Joost , Omar Omar , Johansson Martin Lars , Stokroos Robert‐Jan
Published: April 2018

Objective

To study the effect of implanting the percutaneous bone‐anchored hearing system (BAHS) itself and inflammation of the peri‐abutment skin warrant clarification. In this study, we aimed to acquire further insight into the immune responses related to BAHS surgery and peri‐implant skin inflammation.

Materials and Methods

During surgery and 12 weeks post‐implantation, skin biopsies were obtained. If applicable, additional biopsies were taken during cases of inflammation. The mRNA expression of IL‐1β, IL‐6, IL‐8, TNFα, IL‐17, IL‐10, TGF‐ß, MIP‐1α, MMP‐9, TIMP‐1, COL1α1, VEGF‐A, FGF‐2 TLR‐2, and TLR‐4 was quantified using qRT‐PCR.

Results

Thirty‐five patients agreed to the surgery and 12‐week biopsy. Twenty‐two patients had mRNA of sufficient quality for analysis. Ten were fitted with a BAHS using the minimally invasive Ponto surgery technique. Twelve were fitted with a BAHS using the linear incision technique with soft‐tissue preservation. Five biopsies were obtained during episodes of inflammation. The post‐implantation mRNA expression of IL‐1β (P = .002), IL‐8 (P = .003), MMP9 (P = .005), TIMP‐1 (P = .002), and COL1α1 (P < .001) was significantly up‐regulated. IL‐6 (P = .009) and FGF‐2 (P = .004) mRNA expression was significantly down‐regulated after implantation. Within patients, no difference between post‐implantation mRNA expression (at 12 weeks) and when inflammation was observed. Between patients, the expression of IL‐1β (P = .015) and IL‐17 (P = .02) was higher during cases of inflammation compared with patients who had no inflammation at 12‐week follow‐up.

Conclusions

As part of a randomized, prospective, clinical trial, the present study reports the molecular profile of selected cytokines in the soft tissue around BAHS. Within the limit of this study, the results showed that 12 weeks after BAHS implantation the gene expression of some inflammatory cytokines (IL‐8 and IL‐1β) is still relatively high compared with the baseline, steady‐state, expression. The up‐regulation of anabolic (COL1α1) and tissue‐remodeling (MMP‐9 and TIMP1) genes indicates an ongoing remodeling process after 12 weeks of implantation. The results suggest that IL‐1β, IL‐17, and TNF‐α may be interesting markers associated with inflammation.
Urbanisation supplements ecosystem functioning in disturbed estuaries
Authors: Olds Andrew D. , Frohloff Brooke A. , Gilby Ben L. , Connolly Rod M. , Yabsley Nicholas A. , Maxwell Paul S. , Henderson Christopher J. , Schlacher Thomas A.
Published: April 2018

Humans have urbanised and fragmented landscapes across the globe, with detrimental impacts to biodiversity, habitats and food webs in most biomes. Urbanisation might also modify the provision of ecological functions, but these putative effects of landscape transformation are rarely measured. Coastal cities are typically located near estuaries, and we tested for potential impacts of these on ecological functions. Our study used 22 estuaries in eastern Australia as model systems to examine how urbanisation shapes the consumption of carrion by fish, a pivotal ecological function in estuaries. Fish assemblages varied among estuaries according to the extent of shoreline hardening, and this was correlated with changes in the rate of carrion consumption. In estuaries with low levels of shoreline hardening and abundant remnant mangroves, most carrion was consumed by toadfishes (Tetraodontidae). By contrast, in moderately urban estuaries (i.e. where 20–60% of shorelines had been hardened with artificial structures) yellowfin bream (Sparidae) replaced toadfish and performed the bulk of the scavenging function. Bream are particularly effective scavengers that utilize artificial structures as habitat for both foraging and sheltering. We show that by augmenting habitat for an important species of scavenger, the moderate addition of urban structures to estuarine shorelines also helped to supplement a key ecological function in estuaries. Urbanisation impacts diversity in all ecosystems, but many opportunistic species flourish in urban habitats. Identifying and conserving taxa that perform important roles in urban environments is now a critical conservation challenge for maintaining ecological functions across disturbed landscapes.
Visualization of the activation of the histamine H3 receptor (H3R) using novel fluorescence resonance energy transfer biosensors and their potential application to the study of H3R pharmacology
Authors: Liu Ying , Zeng Hong , Pediani John D. , Ward Richard J. , Chen Lu‐Yao , Wu Nan , Ma Li , Tang Mei , Yang Yang , An Su , Guo Xiao‐Xi , Hao Qian , Xu Tian‐Rui
Published: April 2018

Activation of the histamine‐3 receptor (H3R) is involved in memory processes and cognitive action, while blocking H3R activation can slow the progression of neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia and narcolepsy. To date, however, no direct way to examine the activation of H3R has been utilized. Here, we describe a novel biosensor that can visualize the activation of H3R through an intramolecular fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) signal. To achieve this, we constructed an intramolecular H3R FRET sensor with cyan fluorescent protein (CFP) attached at the C terminus and yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) inserted into the third intracellular loop. The sensor was found to internalize normally on agonist treatment. We measured FRET signals between the donor CFP and the acceptor YFP in living cells in real time, the results of which indicated that H3R agonist treatment (imetit or histamine) increases the FRET signal in a time‐ and concentration‐dependent manner with Kon and Koff values consistent with published data and which maybe correlated with decreasing cAMP levels and the promotion of ERK1/2 phosphorylation. The FRET signal was inhibited by H3R antagonists, and the introduction of mutations at F419A, F423A, L426A and L427A, once again, the promotion of ERK1/2 phosphorylation, was diminished. Thus, we have built a H3R biosensor which can visualize the activation of receptor through real‐time structure changes and which can obtain pharmacological kinetic data at the same time. The FRET signals may allow the sensor to become a useful tool for screening compounds and optimizing useful ligands.
UVA‐1 phototherapy for the management of atopic dermatitis: a large retrospective study conducted in a low‐middle income country
Authors: Ordóñez Rubiano María F. , Arenas Claudia M. , Chalela Juan G.
Published: April 2018

Background

Medium‐dose ultraviolet light A – 1 (UVA‐1) phototherapy, given in short courses, has shown efficacy in atopic dermatitis flares; little is known about its use, efficacy, and side effects in prolonged exposure used in the chronic disease despite its extensive use.

Methods

A descriptive retrospective study was conducted; convenience sampling of patients with atopic dermatitis treated with UVA‐1 phototherapy was made; evaluation of clinical response by SCORAD, adverse effects, and protocols used in each patient were evaluated.

Results

Patients exposed to UVA‐1 phototherapy showed a decrease in the SCORAD (30.1 points) – total cumulative dose‐dependent (P < 0.0001) – regardless of multiple variables studied. There were low rates of relapse and adverse effects. The most frequent doses were 30 and 60 J/cm2, three times per week; patients had similar clinical responses and adverse effects in these groups independent of the other variables studied (P = 0.057).

Conclusion

UVA‐1 phototherapy can be an alternative for patients with severe atopic dermatitis even at lower doses than those described in other series (30 J/cm2) and not only for acute flares. Cumulative total dose is a variable that affects the clinical response directly. Large prospective studies are needed.
Exposure to Bisphenol A and phthalates metabolites in the third trimester of pregnancy and BMI trajectories
Authors: Yang T. C. , Peterson K. E. , Meeker J. D. , Sánchez B. N. , Zhang Z. , Cantoral A. , Solano M. , Tellez‐Rojo M. M.
Published: April 2018

Background

Bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates metabolites are linked to a variety of adverse health consequences but studies have not explored their association with growth trajectories.

Objective

Explore body mass index (BMI) trajectories for tertile exposures to BPA and phthalates metabolites in the third trimester of pregnancy.

Methods

We constructed BMI (kg/m2) trajectories from birth to 14 years in a birth cohort of 249 children from Mexico City using tertiles of third trimester maternal urinary concentrations of BPA and phthalates metabolites. Fractional age polynomials and mixed effects models were fit separately by sex. Predicted models were plotted for each metabolite tertile with the covariates mother's education and BMI centered at average values.

Results

Highest predicted BMI trajectories for female children were observed for third tertile exposure to the phthalate metabolite mono(2‐ethyl‐5‐carboxypentyl) phthalate. In male children, first tertile exposure to mono‐isobutyl phthalate and monobenzyl phthalate and second tertile exposure to mono(2‐ethylhexyl) phthalate and mono(2‐ethyl‐5‐hydroxyhexyl) phthalate predicted the highest BMI trajectory by adolescence. There was no relationshsip between BPA and child growth trajectory.

Conclusions

These results suggest sex‐specific differences in BMI trajectories by levels of metabolite exposure. Additional studies are needed to consider growth through adolescence in assessing the association of pregnancy exposures on child's BMI.
Using a hybrid two‐stage DEA model to analyze the profitability and marketability of medical manufacturing firms
Authors: Huang Chin‐wei
Published: April 2018

The purpose of this study is to develop a modification of the model developed by Chen and Zhu in 2004. Calculating stage and overall efficiencies precisely and consistently has become a major challenge of the two‐stage DEA model. However, most other models do not calculate the optimality of intermediates. Although the model developed by Chen and Zhu measures the optimality of intermediates, the calculated efficiency scores still have some shortfalls. The modified model, named the hybrid two‐stage DEA model, fills the gap between calculating the optimality of intermediates and the consistency of overall efficiency scores. In addition to obtaining an accurate measurement for the optimality of intermediates, the model confines efficiency scores to a range from zero to one (a ratio efficiency score). In an empirical evaluation, we use data from 64 medical manufacturing firms to test the performance of the hybrid model and offer recommendations for the industry.
Non‐pharmacological therapies for sleep disturbances in people with Parkinson's disease: A systematic review
Authors: Lee JuHee , Kim Yonji , Kim Yie Lin
Published: April 2018

Aim

To determine the effectiveness of non‐pharmacological therapies for sleep disturbances in people with Parkinson's disease (PD).

Background

Sleep disturbances, which are common in people with PD, may diminish their quality of life. Non‐pharmacological therapies are preferred over pharmacological therapies for improving sleep quality, owing to fewer adverse effects.

Design

Systematic literature review.

Data sources

A systematic search of eight databases and hand searching was conducted for papers published between 1 January 2000 – 1 January 2016.

Review methods

The Cochrane methods were followed. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias Tool.

Results

Eight studies were identified for data extraction. Therapeutic domains included physical exercise, cognitive behavioural and complementary interventions. Therapies in four of the eight studies significantly improved sleep quality and the unified PD rating scale score. Other studies showed no clear effects on sleep (N = 1), limited effects on sleep (N = 1) or effects in both the intervention and control groups, indicating that the intervention had no distinctive effects (N = 2).

Conclusions

The non‐pharmacological intervention types and sleep‐related measured outcomes were heterogeneous. Most therapies had inconsistent effects on sleep. The insufficient evidence for non‐pharmacological treatments seems related to the unique motor‐associated clinical features of PD, which restrict the use of physical exercise therapy, or to individual “wearing‐off” periods, which limit group therapy. Further studies on non‐pharmacological therapies are required to identify the best interventions for improving sleep quality in people with PD.
Nest reuse in arctic‐breeding shorebirds: an analysis of potential benefits and factors affecting the occurrence of this rare behavior
Authors: Herzog Patrick , Saalfeld Sarah T. , Kaatz Hans‐Hinrich , Lanctot Richard B.
Published: April 2018

During a 13‐yr study near Utqiaġvik (formerly Barrow), Alaska, we documented the prevalence of nest reuse in eight arctic‐breeding shorebirds. We evaluated whether nest reuse saved individuals time and energy, enhanced nest survival, or was related to nest density. We documented 208 (6.2%) cases of nest reuse among 3336 nesting attempts. Nest reuse occurred in all years but the first and in all species, with greatest reuse in semipalmated sandpiper (10.9%) and American golden‐plover (10.0%). While most cases of nest reuse occurred with conspecifics, many cases of heterospecific nest reuse were also observed, indicating high niche overlap in nest site preferences among species. We found that individuals reusing old nests may have benefited by nesting earlier, but nest reuse did not generally enhance nest survival. A significant positive relationship was also found between nest reuse and nest density at the community level and for four of the eight species, suggesting high inter‐ or intraspecific competition combined with limited suitable nest sites may force individuals to reuse old nests. Our observations also suggest that upland nesting species may be the most dependent on old nest sites. Preferential development of these sites may therefore have a previously unknown detrimental effect on these species, although further study is needed to better determine the impact of such habitat loss.
Activity patterns at the Arctic Circle: nocturnal eagle owls and interspecific interactions during continuous midsummer daylight
Authors: Eriksen Ane , Wabakken Petter
Published: April 2018

Circadian rhythms result from adaptations to biotic and abiotic environmental conditions that cycle through the day, such as light, temperature, or temporal overlap between interacting species. At high latitudes, close to or beyond the polar circles, uninterrupted midsummer daylight may pose a challenge to the circadian rhythms of otherwise nocturnal species, such as eagle owls Bubo bubo. By non‐invasive field methods, we studied eagle owl activity in light of their interactions with their main prey the water vole Arvicola amphibius, and their competitor the white‐tailed eagle Haliaeetus albicilla during continuous midsummer daylight on open, treeless islands in coastal northern Norway. We evaluated circadian rhythms, temporal overlap, exposure, and spatial distribution. The owls maintained a nocturnal activity pattern, possibly because slightly dimmer light around midnight offered favourable hunting conditions. The eagles were active throughout the 24‐h period as opposed to the strictly diurnal rhythm reported elsewhere, thus increasing temporal overlap and the potential for interference competition between the two avian predators. This may indicate an asymmetry, with the owls facing the highest cost of interference competition. The presence of eagles combined with constant daylight in this open landscape may make the owls vulnerable to interspecific aggression, and contrary to the available literature, eagle owls rarely exposed themselves visually during territorial calls, possibly to avoid detection by eagles. We found indications of spatial segregation between owls and eagles reflecting differences in main prey, possibly in combination with habitat‐mediated avoidance. Eagle owl vocal activity peaked in the evening before a nocturnal peak in visual observations, when owls were active hunting, consistent with the hypothesis of a dusk chorus in nocturnal bird species. The owls may have had to trade‐off between calling and foraging during the few hours around midnight when slightly dimmer light reduced the detection risk while also providing better hunting conditions
The impact of fixed‐dose combination versus free‐equivalent combination therapies on adherence for hypertension: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Du Li‐Ping , Cheng Zhong‐Wei , Zhang Yu‐Xuan , Li Ying , Mei Dan
Published: April 2018

Nonadherence to antihypertensive medication is considered as a reason of inadequate control of blood pressure. This meta‐analysis aimed to systemically evaluate the impact of fixed‐dose combination (FDC) therapy on hypertensive medication adherence compared with free‐equivalent combination therapies. Articles were retrieved from MEDLINE and Embase databases using a combination of terms “fixed‐dose combinations” and “adherence or compliance or persistence” and “hypertension or antihypertensive” from January 2000 to June 2017 without any language restriction. A meta‐analysis was performed to parallel compare the impact of FDC vs free‐equivalent combination on medicine adherence or persistence. Studies were independently reviewed by two investigators. Data from eligible studies were extracted and a meta‐analysis was performed using R version 3.1.0 software. A total of nine studies scored as six of nine to eight of nine for Newcastle‐Ottawa rating with 62 481 patients with hypertension were finally included for analysis. Results showed that the mean difference of medication adherence for FDC vs free‐equivalent combination therapies was 14.92% (95% confidence interval, 7.38%–22.46%). Patients in FDC group were more likely to persist with their antihypertensive treatment, with a risk ratio of 1.84 (95% confidence interval, 1.00–3.39). This meta‐analysis confirmed that FDC therapy, compared with free‐equivalent combinations, was associated with better medication adherence or persistence for patients with hypertension. It can be reasonable for physicians, pharmacists, and policy makers to facilitate the use of FDCs for patients who need to take two or more antihypertensive drugs.
The impact of a computerised test of attention and activity (QbTest) on diagnostic decision‐making in children and young people with suspected attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: single‐blind randomised controlled trial
Authors: Hollis Chris , Hall Charlotte L. , Guo Boliang , James Marilyn , Boadu Janet , Groom Madeleine J. , Brown Nikki , Kaylor‐Hughes Catherine , Moldavsky Maria , Valentine Althea Z. , Walker Gemma M. , Daley David , Sayal Kapil , Morriss Richard ,   the AQUA Trial Group
Published: April 2018

Background

Diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) relies on subjective methods which can lead to diagnostic uncertainty and delay. This trial evaluated the impact of providing a computerised test of attention and activity (QbTest) report on the speed and accuracy of diagnostic decision‐making in children with suspected ADHD.

Methods

Randomised, parallel, single‐blind controlled trial in mental health and community paediatric clinics in England. Participants were 6–17 years‐old and referred for ADHD diagnostic assessment; all underwent assessment‐as‐usual, plus QbTest. Participants and their clinician were randomised to either receive the QbTest report immediately (QbOpen group) or the report was withheld (QbBlind group). The primary outcome was number of consultations until a diagnostic decision confirming/excluding ADHD within 6‐months from baseline. Health economic cost‐effectiveness and cost utility analysis was conducted. Assessing QbTest Utility in ADHD: A Randomised Controlled Trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02209116).

Results

One hundred and thirty‐two participants were randomised to QbOpen group (123 analysed) and 135 to QbBlind group (127 analysed). Clinicians with access to the QbTest report (QbOpen) were more likely to reach a diagnostic decision about ADHD (hazard ratio 1.44, 95% CI 1.04–2.01). At 6‐months, 76% of those with a QbTest report had received a diagnostic decision, compared with 50% without. QbTest reduced appointment length by 15% (time ratio 0.85, 95% CI 0.77–0.93), increased clinicians’ confidence in their diagnostic decisions (odds ratio 1.77, 95% CI 1.09–2.89) and doubled the likelihood of excluding ADHD. There was no difference in diagnostic accuracy. Health economic analysis showed a position of strict dominance; however, cost savings were small suggesting that the impact of providing the QbTest report within this trial can best be viewed as ‘cost neutral’.

Conclusions

QbTest may increase the efficiency of ADHD assessment pathway allowing greater patient throughput with clinicians reaching diagnostic decisions faster without compromising diagnostic accuracy.
Integrating clinical and economic evidence in clinical guidelines: More needed than ever!
Authors: Knies Saskia , Severens Johan L. , Brouwer Werner B.F.
Published: April 2018

Rationale, aims, and objectives

In recent years, several expensive new health technologies have been introduced. The availability of those technologies intensifies the discussion regarding the affordability of these technologies at different decision‐making levels. On the meso level, both hospitals and clinicians are facing budget constraints resulting in a tension to balance between different patients' interests. As such, it is crucial to make optimal use of the available resources. Different strategies are in place to deal with this problem, but decisions on a macro level on what to fund or not can limit the role and freedom of clinicians in their decisions on a micro level. At the same time, without central guidance regarding such decisions, micro level decisions may lead to inequities and undesirable treatment variation between clinicians and hospitals. The challenge is to find instruments that can balance both levels of decision making.

Discussion

Clinicians are becoming increasingly aware that their decisions to spend more resources (like time and budget) on 1 particular patient group reduce the resources available to other patients. Involving clinicians in thinking about the optimal use of limited resources, also in an attempt to bridge the world of economic reasoning and clinical practice, is crucial therefore. We argue that clinical guidelines may prove a clear vehicle for this by including both clinical and economic evidence to support the recommendations made. The development of such guidelines requires cooperation of clinicians, and health economists are cooperating with each other.

Conclusion

The development of clinical guidelines which combine economic and clinical evidence should be stimulated, to balance central guidance and uniformity while maintaining necessary decentralized freedom. This is an opportunity to combine the reality of budgets and opportunity costs with clinical practice. Missing this opportunity risks either variation and inequity or central and necessarily crude measures.
Re‐racialization of Addiction and the Redistribution of Blame in the White Opioid Epidemic
Authors: Mendoza Sonia , Rivera Allyssa Stephanie , Hansen Helena Bjerring
Published: April 2018

New York City has the largest number of opioid dependent people of U.S. cities, and within New York, Whites have the highest rate of prescription opioid and heroin overdose deaths. The rise of opioid abuse among Whites has resulted in popular narratives of victimization by prescribers, framing of addiction as a biological disease, and the promise of pharmaceutical treatments that differ from the criminalizing narratives that have historically described urban Latino and black narcotic use. Through an analysis of popular media press and interviews with opioid prescribers and community pharmacists in Staten Island—the epicenter of opioid overdose in New York City and the most suburban and white of its boroughs—we found that narratives of white opioid users disrupted notions of the addict as “other,” producing alternative logics of blame that focus on prescribers and the encroachment of dealers from outside of white neighborhoods.
Transforming Society from Theory to Practice: Celebrating the Achievements of Rubin Award Recipients from the International Association for Conflict Management
Authors: Gross Michael A.
Published: April 2018

This special issue of Negotiation and Conflict Management Research celebrates the scholarship and intellectual contributions of four recipients of the Jeffrey Z. Rubin Theory‐to‐Practice Award from the International Association for Conflict Management (IACM). The IACM Rubin Award recognizes individuals whose professional contributions over the span of a career emphasize their ability to move effectively and skillfully between theory and practice in their professional activities. Each article in this special issue highlights the scholarly impact of a recipient, offers insights for building an academic career, and identifies directions for future research in conflict management.