bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adjunctive loading dose of cilostazol in preventing periprocedural myocardial infarction
Authors: Xu Ling‐Xia , Chen Kang‐Yin , Liu Tong , Zheng Xin‐Tian , Jiao Zhan‐Quan , Xu Yanmin , Li Guangping
Published: May 2016

Introduction

Periprocedural myocardial infarction (PMI) is a common complication of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). This study evaluated the safety and efficacy of adjunctive loading dose of cilostazol in preventing PMI in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

Methods

A total of 113 patients with ACS undergoing PCI were randomized to receive loading doses of dual (aspirin plus clopidogrel; DAPT group; n=57) or triple antiplatelet therapy (aspirin plus clopidogrel plus cilostazol; TAPT group; n=56). The loading and maintenance doses were 100 and 50 mg bid for cilostazol. Patients in the TAPT group received adjunctive cilostazol for 1 week. Cardiac biomarkers were measured before PCI, 8 and 24 hours after PCI to determine the incidence of PMI.

Results

There was no significant difference in the incidence of PMI between the TAPT and DAPT groups (32.1% vs 47.4%, P=.098). However, in the antiplatelet‐naïve subgroup, TAPT significantly lowered the incidence of PMI compared to DAPT (17.9% vs 42.9%, P=.042). In the antiplatelet‐treated subgroup, the incidences of PMI were comparable (46.4% vs 51.7%, P=.698). Multivariable logistic analysis showed that antiplatelet‐treated (vs antiplatelet‐naïve) (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.45; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.09–5.52; P=.030) subgroup was independently associated with PMI. However, TAPT (vs DAPT) (HR: 0.51; 95% CI: 0.23–1.14; P=.102) was not an independent protective factor of PMI.

Conclusions

The present single‐center, randomized study indicates that TAPT with adjunctive cilostazol was not associated with lower incidence of PCI‐related PMI in patients with ACS. Further study with large study population is needed to get definite conclusions.
Seasonal changes in supercooling capacity and major cryoprotectants of overwinteringAsian longhorned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis) larvae
Authors: Feng Yuqian , Xu Lili , Li Wenbo , Xu Zhichun , Cao Meng , Wang Jinlin , Tao Jing , Zong Shixiang
Published: May 2016

TheAsian longhorned beetle is a destructive trunk borer in forests and urban landscape trees.

Dynamic changes in the supercooling capacity ofAnoplophora glabripennislarvae in a natural population and the mechanism of cold hardiness during different overwintering periods at physiological and biochemical levels were explored.

The results showed that the supercooling point of overwintering larvae decreased initially before increasing subsequently with seasonal changes in ambient temperature. Fresh mass and glycogen tended to decrease initially and then reached their minimum levels inJanuary. Total amounts of low molecular weight substances and free amino acids in the haemolymph increased gradually as the ambient temperature decreased. Glycerol (779.80 ± 29.10 µm/mL) and trehalose (104.35 ± 12.38 µm/mL) concentrations were always higher than those of glucose and mannitol. All low molecular weight substances (besides trehalose) were almost metabolized by early spring. The concentrations of serine, phenylalanine, valine, leucine, proline, glutamic acid and alanine all reached their highest level in the colder winter months.

The results of the present study suggest thatA. glabripennislarvae accumulate cryoprotectants to improve their supercooling capacity, and enhance cold hardiness by reducing the supercooling point with respect to a decrease in ambient temperature until freezing temperatures appear.Anoplophora glabripennislarvae are a freeze‐tolerant insect.
Maternal ethnicity, stillbirth and neonatal death risk in Western Australia 1998–2010
Authors: Farrant Brad M. , Shepherd Carrington C.J.
Published: May 2016

This study investigated the scale of difference in stillbirth and neonatal death rates in Western Australia (1998–2010) by maternal ethnicity. Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) mothers, African mothers and mothers from ‘Other’ ethnic backgrounds were found to have increased risk of stillbirth compared with Caucasian mothers. Babies of Indigenous mothers also had increased risk of neonatal death. The gap between the stillbirth and neonatal death rates for Indigenous mothers and non‐Indigenous mothers did not close over the study period.
Carceral Space: Prisoners and Animals
Authors: Morin Karen M.
Published: May 2016

This paper develops a framework for exploring resonances across human and nonhuman carceral geographies. I illustrate the close linkages across prisoner and animal carcerality and captivity focusing on three types of sites and institutions: the prison execution chamber and the animal slaughterhouse; sites of laboratory testing of pharmaceutical and other products on incarcerated humans and captive animals; and sites and institutions of exploited prisoner and animal labor. The main themes that call for a “carceral comparison” among these sites include: the emotional and psychological strain and violence enacted on bodies that is interwoven into their day‐to‐day operations; their geographies (locations, design, and layout) and carefully regulated movements within them; relationships between carcerality and “purpose breeding” that extends across both nonhuman and human populations; the ways in which “animalization” of incarcerated bodies works to create conditions for social death and killability; and the legal and political contexts that produce certain lives as disposable “bare lives”.
Models for change in tumour size, appearance of new lesions and survival probability in patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer
Authors: Zecchin Chiara , Gueorguieva Ivelina , Enas Nathan H. , Friberg Lena E.
Published: May 2016

Aims

The aims of this study were (i) to develop a modelling framework linking change in tumour size during treatment to survival probability in metastatic ovarian cancer; and (ii) to model the appearance of new lesions and investigate their relationship with survival and disease characteristics.

Methods

Data from a randomized Phase III clinical trial comparing carboplatin monotherapy to gemcitabine plus carboplatin combotherapy in 336 patients with metastatic ovarian cancer were used. A population model describing change in tumour size based on drug treatment information was established and its relationship with time to appearance of new lesions and survival were investigated with time to event models.

Results

The tumour size profiles were well characterized as evaluated by visual predictive checks. Metastasis in the liver at enrolment and change in tumour size up to week 12 were predictors of time to appearance of new lesions. Survival was predicted based on the patient tumour size and ECOG performance status at enrolment and on appearance of new lesions during treatment and change in tumour size up to week 12. Tumour size and survival data from a separate study were adequately predicted.

Conclusions

The proposed models simulate tumour dynamics following treatment and provide a link to the probability of developing new lesions as well as to survival. The models have potential to be used for optimizing the design of late phase clinical trials in metastatic ovarian cancer based on early phase clinical study results and simulation.
How we diagnose and treat vitreoretinal lymphoma
Authors: Fend Falko , Ferreri Andrés J. M. , Coupland Sarah E.
Published: May 2016

The eye is a rare site for the development of malignant lymphoma. Based on cell type and involved intraocular structures, which as a whole represent an immune‐privileged site, several subtypes of primary intraocular lymphoma need to be discerned. Primary vitreoretinal lymphoma (PVRL), the most common form, is an aggressive B‐cell malignancy and considered a subtype of primary central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma. Ocular symptoms are non‐specific and often mimic uveitis, frequently resulting in delayed diagnosis. Bilateral ocular involvement and dissemination/relapse in the CNS are common. Diagnosis of PVRL is usually based on the analysis of vitreous biopsy material. In addition to cytological and immunocytochemical examination, measurements of cytokine levels and molecular determination of B‐cell clonality and recurrent mutations increase the diagnostic yield. Both systemic chemotherapy and exclusively local treatment, including ocular radiotherapy and intravitreal chemotherapy, are successful approaches for the management of PVRL, although it is currently not predictable which patients require systemic treatment in order to avoid cerebral dissemination, a complication associated with a considerably worse prognosis.
Childhood, adolescent and young adult non‐Hodgkin lymphoma: state of the science
Authors: Cairo Mitchell S. , Pinkerton Ross
Published: May 2016

The 5th International Symposium on Childhood, Adolescent and Young Adult (CAYA) Non‐Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) was held in Varese, Italy, from 21–25 October 2015. This review represents a summary of the scientific sessions of this international symposium including childhood, adolescent and young adult (AYA) NHL in countries with limited socio‐economic resources, AYA NHL, anaplastic large cell lymphoma, post‐transplant lymphoproliferative disease, B‐cell NHL, lymphoblastic lymphoma, T/natural killer cell NHL and immunological therapies in NHL. Most importantly, the new International Paediatric NHL Staging System (IPNHLSS) and International Paediatric NHL Response Criteria (IPNHLRC) were introduced during the symposium. The symposium brought together a multinational and multidisciplinary group of clinicians and basic scientists focused in this field of haematological malignancies.
CCAT1: a pivotal oncogenic long non‐coding RNA in human cancers
Authors: Xin Yu , Li Zheng , Shen Jianxiong , Chan Matthew T. V. , Wu William Ka Kei
Published: May 2016

Long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) compose a group of non‐protein‐coding RNAs ‐ more than 200 nucleotides in length. Recent studies have shown that lncRNAs play important roles in different cellular processes, including proliferation, differentiation, migration and invasion. Deregulation of lncRNAs has been widely reported in human tumours, in which they are able to function as either oncogenes (on the one hand) or tumour suppressor genes (on the other). Deregulation of CCAT1 (colon cancer–associated transcript‐1), an oncogenic lncRNA, has been documented in different types of malignancy, such as gastric cancer, colorectal cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma. In this regard, enforced expression of CCAT1 exerts potent tumorigenic effects by promoting cell proliferation, invasion and migration. Recent evidence has also shown that CCAT1 may serve as a prognostic cancer biomarker. In this review, we provide an overview of current evidence relating to the role and biological function of CCAT1 in tumour development.
GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION, LAND MARKET, AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT: EVIDENCE FROM CHINESE CITIES
Authors: Zhang Jipeng , Fan Jianyong , Mo Jiawei
Published: May 2016

This article investigates how government intervention in land market affects China's urban development, using data from prefecture‐level cities between 2000 and 2010. We find that government intervention enlarges the impact of positive productivity shocks on housing price appreciation, through mainly the government control over residential land supply. However, we find no significant evidence that high government intervention constrains population growth and leads to wage increase. Such patterns of urban dynamics can be explained by the fact that migrant workers are the driving force behind China's urbanization, but they have limited housing demand and are not well compensated. (JEL P52, R12, H11)
Extended finite element fracture analysis of a cracked isotropic shell repaired by composite patch
Authors: Zarrinzadeh H. , Kabir M. Z. , Deylami A.
Published: May 2016

An extended finite element method (XFEM) is developed to study fracture parameters of cracked metal plates and tubes that are repaired on top of the crack with a composite patch. A MATLAB® stand‐alone code is prepared to model such structures with eight‐noded doubly curved shell elements in the XFEM framework. Crack trajectory studies are performed for a diagonally cracked panel under fatigue loading. Verification studies are investigated on different shell type structures such as a cracked spherical shell and cracked cylindrical pipe with different crack orientations. The effects of using patch repairs with different fibre orientations on the reduction of stress intensity factors (SIFs) is also studied which can be useful for design purposes. XFEM is selected as any crack geometry can be embedded in the finite element mesh configuration with no need to coincide the crack geometry with meshed elements and so re‐meshing with fine mesh generation is not needed in the current method.
Three‐dimensional analyses of in‐plane and out‐of‐plane crack‐tip constraint characterization for fracture specimens
Authors: Mu M Y , Wang G Z , Tu S T , Xuan F Z
Published: May 2016

Three‐dimensional elastic–plastic finite element analyses have been conducted for 21 experimental specimens with different in‐plane and out‐of‐plane constraints in the literature. The distributions of five constraint parameters (namely T‐stress, Q, h, Tz and Ap) along crack fronts (specimen thickness) for the specimens were calculated. The capability and applicability of the parameters for characterizing in‐plane and out‐of‐plane crack‐tip constraints and establishing unified correlation with fracture toughness of a steel were investigated. The results show that the four constraint parameters (T‐stress, Q, h and Tz) based on crack‐tip stress fields are only sensitive to in‐plane or out‐of‐plane constraints. Therefore, the monotonic unified correlation curves with fracture toughness (toughness loci) cannot obtained by using them. The parameter Ap based on crack‐tip equivalent plastic strain is sensitive to both in‐plane and out‐of‐plane constraints, and may effectively characterize both of them. The monotonic unified correlation curves with fracture toughness can be obtained by using Ap. In structural integrity assessments, the correlation curves may be used in the failure assessment diagram (FAD) methodology for incorporating both in‐plane and out‐of‐plane constraint effects in structures for improving accuracy.
Nitrogen enrichment regulates calcium sources in forests
Authors: Hynicka Justin D. , Pett‐Ridge Julie C. , Perakis Steven S.
Published: May 2016

Nitrogen (N) is a key nutrient that shapes cycles of other essential elements in forests, including calcium (Ca). When N availability exceeds ecosystem demands, excess N can stimulate Ca leaching and deplete Ca from soils. Over the long term, these processes may alter the proportion of available Ca that is derived from atmospheric deposition vs. bedrock weathering, which has fundamental consequences for ecosystem properties and nutrient supply. We evaluated how landscape variation in soil N, reflecting long‐term legacies of biological N fixation, influenced plant and soil Ca availability and ecosystem Ca sources across 22 temperate forests in Oregon. We also examined interactions between soil N and bedrock Ca using soil N gradients on contrasting basaltic vs. sedimentary bedrock that differed 17‐fold in underlying Ca content. We found that low‐N forests on Ca‐rich basaltic bedrock relied strongly on Ca from weathering, but that soil N enrichment depleted readily weatherable mineral Ca and shifted forest reliance toward atmospheric Ca. Forests on Ca‐poor sedimentary bedrock relied more consistently on atmospheric Ca across all levels of soil N enrichment. The broad importance of atmospheric Ca was unexpected given active regional uplift and erosion that are thought to rejuvenate weathering supply of soil minerals. Despite different Ca sources to forests on basaltic vs. sedimentary bedrock, we observed consistent declines in plant and soil Ca availability with increasing N, regardless of the Ca content of underlying bedrock. Thus, traditional measures of Ca availability in foliage and soil exchangeable pools may poorly reflect long‐term Ca sources that sustain soil fertility. We conclude that long‐term soil N enrichment can deplete available Ca and cause forests to rely increasingly on Ca from atmospheric deposition, which may limit ecosystem Ca supply in an increasingly N‐rich world.
Silages containing bioactive forage legumes: a promising protein‐rich feed source for growing lambs
Authors: Copani G. , Niderkorn V. , Anglard F. , Quereuil A. , Ginane C.
Published: May 2016

Forage legumes that contain secondary compounds are considered to be less susceptible to proteolysis than other legumes, with improved silage quality and possibly improved animal performance. This was investigated feeding five groups of growing lambs for 10 weeks, five silages composed of pure timothy (T; Phleum pratense), mixtures of T with red clover (Trifolium pratense; T‐RC, 50/50 on DM basis), sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia; T‐SF), or both (T‐RC‐SF, 50/25/25), or a mixture of the two legumes (RC‐SF). Including SF and/or RC in silages improved silage fermentation as shown by higher lactic acid and lower soluble N and NH3 contents than in T silage. Voluntary intakes were higher with all the RC‐containing silages than with T and T‐SF. The T‐SF silage had the lowest, and RC‐containing silages the highest average values for daily gain, feed conversion efficiency, live weight and carcass weight. The differing effects of these silages cannot be totally explained by differences in their nutritive value and so may be due to their bioactive compounds impacting differently on feeding motivation and digestive efficiency. These results suggest that including RC in silages is a promising strategy to combine improved animal performance with reduced environmental pressure.
Seeking identity: the transborder lives of mainland Chinese families with children born in Hong Kong
Authors: XIYUAN LI
Published: May 2016

Between 2001 and 2013, Hong Kong regulations permitted pregnant women from mainland China to travel to Hong Kong to deliver their babies. In this article, based on 30 in‐depth interviews, I explore the transborder lives and identities of these mainland Chinese families who, motivated by cost considerations, citizenship and anticipated benefits for their children, chose to give birth to their babies in Hong Kong. In some cases, family networks providing flexible residential practices and family care, supported these transborder activities. However, the complexities of transborder life reveal the diverse ‘identifications’ within Hong Kong society and mainland families. Because neither administration totally accepts them, they are not full members of either society and so the identities they form are both plural and fragmented.
Global governance and ICTs: exploring online governance networks around gender and media
Authors: PADOVANI CLAUDIA , PAVAN ELENA
Published: May 2016

In this article, we address transformations in global governance brought about by information and communication technologies (ICTs). Focusing on the specific domain of ‘gender‐oriented communication governance ’, we investigate online interactions among different kinds of actors active in promoting gender equity in and through the media. By tracing and analysing online issue networks, we investigate which actors are capable of influencing the framing of issues and of structuring discursive practices. From the analysis, different forms of power emerge, reflecting diverse modes of engaging in online interactions, where actors can operate as network ‘programmers’, ‘mobilizers’, or ‘switchers’. Our case study suggests that, often, old ways of conceiving actors’ interactions accompany the implementation of new communication tools, while the availability of a pervasive networked infrastructure does not automatically translate into meaningful interactions among all relevant actors in a specific domain.
Vernacularization of liberal civil society by transnational Islamist NGO networks
Authors: ATALAY ZEYNEP
Published: May 2016

Over the last two decades, informal Islamic networks have been re‐establishing themselves as formal NGOs and building transnational coalitions. These newly formed faith‐based NGOs retain their original agendas: promoting Islamic revival and global solidarity by supporting Muslim communities around the world. However, they now reposition themselves as ‘civil society initiatives’ and selectively appropriate the liberal civil society discourse. In this article, I analyse the discursive strategies that local actors undertake when they vernacularize external idea packages that challenge their cognitive preconceptions. The empirical findings of the article demonstrate that the ideological self‐positioning of the local norm‐taker is a key determinant of the vernacularization of micro processes. To reconcile the perceived normative conflict between political Islamist and liberal civil society frameworks, vernacularizers prune the civil society concept down to its associational and communitarian elements, discard its Western connotative associations, reconstruct the concept to match their institutional and cultural preconceptions, and claim its original ownership.
A hegemon fighting for equal rights: the dominant role of COC Nederland in the LGBT transnational advocacy network
Authors: OSTERBUR MEGAN , KIEL CHRISTINA
Published: May 2016

Networks are alternatives to hierarchical organizational forms. However, actors in networks have different resources at their disposal, and more powerful participants will try to influence the network as a whole. We identify a dominant node in the European LGBT advocacy network, and explore whether a hegemonic actor in the transnational advocacy network will affect less powerful groups' issue framing. Our project uses software that locates the issue network on the internet, highlighting how transnational advocacy work and digital communication have become inextricably connected. We confirm that Cultuur – en Ontspannings Centrum, known as COC Netherland has higher‐than average centrality measures in the LGBT network. Noting the limitations of hyperlink analysis, we conduct a content analysis of select nodes illustrating the impact of a hegemon. We focus on marriage equality and find tentative support for our hypothesis: organizations with links to COC advocate for stronger forms of legalized same‐sex union than do organizations without ties.
Diasporas and transitional justice: transnational activism from local to global levels of engagement
Authors: KOINOVA MARIA , KARABEGOVIĆ DŽENETA
Published: May 2016

Scholarship on transitional justice, transnational social movements, and transnational diaspora mobilization has offered little understanding about how memorialization initiatives with substantial diaspora involvement emerge transnational and are embedded and sustained in different contexts. We argue that diasporas play a galvanizing role in transnational interest‐based and symbolic politics, expanding claim‐making from the local to national, supranational, and global levels of engagement. Using initiatives to memorialize atrocities committed at the former Omarska concentration camp in Bosnia and Herzegovina, we identify a four‐stage mobilization process. First, initiatives emerged and diffused across transnational networks after a local political opportunity opened in the homeland. Second, attempts at coordination of activities took place transnational through an NGO. Third, initiatives were contextualized on the nation‐state level in different host‐states, depending on the political opportunities and constraints available there. Fourth, memorialization claims were eventually shifted from the national to the supranational and global levels. The article concludes by demonstrating the potential to apply the analysis to similar global movements in which diasporas are directly involved.
The multipolar regionalization of cities in multinational firms' networks
Authors: ROZENBLAT CÉLINE , ZAIDI FARAZ , BELLWALD ANTOINE
Published: May 2016

This article identifies the most cohesive multi‐polar regions of the network of world cities, which differ from the unipolar centre–periphery model largely created by the high weight of central city connections. We use a community detection algorithm that outlines the high densities of city networks (in relative weights). Various patterns of industries and services, which are divided into two skill levels, are identified. We use a global database of the network of 1.2 million direct and indirect ownership links between the 800,000 subsidiaries of the top 3000 multinational groups in 2013, allowing us to build four comparable networks of 503 metropolitan areas. Comparing the obtained partitions with continental, regional and economic benchmarks, classes of cities partially correspond to free trade zones (FTZs) but exhibit interesting cross‐continental patterns. A few cities, changing their classes according to the activities, are discussed in the light of the multinational firms' strategies.
Influence of exposure parameters on the detection of simulated root fractures in the presence of various intracanal materials
Authors: Pinto M. G. O. , Rabelo K. A. , Sousa Melo S. L. , Campos P. S. F. , Oliveira L. S. A. F. , Bento P. M. , Melo D. P.
Published: May 2016

Aim

To investigate how the exposure parameters used when producing CBCT scans affect diagnostic accuracy when detecting simulated vertical root fractures and how various filling materials affect image quality.

Methodology

A total of 160 extracted single‐rooted human teeth were divided into four groups based on the materials within the root canals: unrestored, gutta‐percha, metallic post and fibreglass post. Half of the sample of each group was selected for the induction of vertical root fractures. Each tooth was placed in an empty socket of a dry skull which was scanned on a CBCT unit (9000 3D scanner; Kodak Dental Systems, Carestream Health, Rochester, NY, USA) using the following exposure parameters: 74 kV/12 mA; 74 kV/10 mA; 74 kV/8 mA; 74 kV/6.3 mA; 70 kV/12 mA; 70 kV/10 mA; 70 kV/8 mA; 70 kV/6.3 mA. Two observers assessed all images using a 5‐point confidence scale for fracture detection and a 4‐point score for the presence of artefacts. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and area under ROC curve were compared by two‐way anova and Tukey's test. Artefact formation was evaluated by descriptive statistics.

Results

There were no significant differences in the sensitivity (P = 0.370), specificity (P = 0.660), accuracy (P = 0.084) and area under the ROC curve (P = 0.674) values amongst the various exposure parameters within the same group. There were some significant differences when the groups were compared for each intracanal material. The sensitivity and accuracy of the group containing metallic posts were significantly lower than the unrestored and fibreglass post groups (P ≤ 0.017).

Conclusion

The variations in exposure parameters did not interfere with the diagnosis of vertical root fractures, independent of the root canal restorative status. Metallic posts were associated with greater artefact formation and compromised the diagnostic performance. It is possible to decrease the kVp/mA settings to reduce the probability of biological effects due to radiation, without losing diagnostic accuracy.
A 12‐month follow‐up study on the preventive effect of oral lansoprazole on acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Xiong Wei , Zhang Quan‐san , Zhao Wei , Ding Wei , Liu Jin‐ming , Zhao Yun‐feng
Published: May 2016

The objective of this study was to evaluate the preventive effects of oral administration of lansoprazole on acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Patients with COPD in groups C and D in the stable phase were stratified into a group with neither gastroesophageal reflux nor lansoprazole therapy (group A) and a group subjected to oral lansoprazole therapy (group B1) and a group not subjected to oral lansoprazole therapy (group B2). The frequency scale for the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (FSSG) questionnaire, COPD assessment test (CAT) questionnaire, pulmonary function test and the 6‐minute walk test were applied; in addition, arterial blood gas, white blood cell (WBC), hs‐CRP, liver function and the levels of IL‐1β, IL‐6, IL‐8, TNF‐α and GM‐CSF in sputum were monitored during follow‐up. In the 12‐month follow‐up period, the frequency of exacerbation in group B2 was statistically higher than that in groups A and B1 (P < 0.05). After a 3‐month follow‐up, the score of groups A and B1 in the FSSG questionnaire was significantly lower than that of group B2 (P < 0.05). After the 1‐year follow‐up, the CAT score, FEV1, 6‐min walk test, the total number of WBC, hs‐CRP, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, pH of the arterial blood, PaO2, PaCO2 and the levels of IL‐1β, IL‐6, IL‐8, TNF‐α and GM‐CSF in the sputum were statistically different in group B2 compared with groups A and B1 (P < 0.05). Oral lansoprazole therapy decreased the frequency of acute exacerbation of COPD by alleviating gastroesophageal reflux and lowering the levels of IL‐1β, IL‐6, IL‐8, TNF‐α and GM‐CSF in the sputum.
Ontogenetic changes in diet and related morphological adaptations in Ocypode gaudichaudii
Authors: Lim Shirley S.L. , Yong Adeline Y.P. , Christy John H.
Published: May 2016

There are conflicting reports as to whether Ocypode gaudichaudii individuals switch from carnivory as juveniles to deposit‐feeding primarily on diatoms as adults, or whether they expand diet range and become omnivorous with maturity. At the onset of deposit‐feeding, crabs develop specialized claws with truncated ends that they use to shovel sediment during foraging. Eighty‐eight crabs were collected from Culebra Island (Republic of Panama) to study how the diet of this crab shifts with changes in claw shape, mouthpart proportions, and setation, as well as gastric mill width. Forty‐four crabs had identifiable material in their foreguts: 30 had animal material, 12 had diatoms, and two had a mix of both. There were no differences between the gastric mill, mandibles, and the proximal endites of the first maxillipeds of predators and deposit‐feeders, but extra rows of plumose setae were present on the second maxilliped of deposit‐feeding crabs with carapace length (CL) >10.6 mm. All individuals with CL <12.3 mm and non‐truncated claws ate animals, but those with larger CL and truncated claws had animal, diatom, or mixed diets; hence, claw truncation does not restrict the crab's diet to diatoms but, instead, broadens the diet to include both animals and diatoms. Perhaps this is a strategy to balance the economics of foraging on animals and diatoms on medium to low‐energy beaches that lack the larger invertebrates that adults of other species of ghost crabs eat. More generally, our study shows that specialized feeding structures need not imply a narrow or specialist diet.
Flexible and Highly Temperature Resistant Polynanocrystalline Zirconia Nanofibrous Membranes Designed for Air Filtration
Authors: Mao Xue , Bai Ying , Yu Jianyong , Ding Bin
Published: May 2016

Polynanocrystalline yttria‐stabilized zirconia (YSZ) nanofibrous membranes with robust flexibility and heat resistant were fabricated by a combination of electrospinning and heat‐treatment process. The morphology and crystallographic structure of YSZ nanofibrous membranes were revealed and regulated by varying polymer composition in precursor solutions, which resulting in an effective control of mechanical properties from brittleness to robust tensile strength of 5.04 MPa. In addition, the relationship between the precursor composition and grain size is deeply discussed during the calcination process. Meanwhile, an inverse Hall–Petch effect of nanocrystalline materials was displayed on the YSZ nanofibrous membranes, due to the abundantly existence of ribbons. Furthermore, the flexible YSZ nanofibrous membranes with excellent bending resistance of 400 times and heat resistance of 1473 K exhibit high filtration efficiency of 99.996% for NaCl particles in the size range 300–500 nm, which suggested them to be promising candidate for high‐temperature filtration fields including metallurgy, steel, electric power, incineration, cement industries, etc.
A comparison of methods to estimate genomic relationships using pedigree and markers in livestock populations
Authors: Forneris N.S. , Steibel J.P. , Legarra A. , Vitezica Z.G. , Bates R.O. , Ernst C.W. , Basso A.L. , Cantet R.J.C.
Published: May 2016

Accurate prediction of breeding values depends on capturing the variability in genome sharing of relatives with the same pedigree relationship. Here, we compare two approaches to set up genomic relationship matrices for precision of genomic relationships (GR) and accuracy of estimated breeding values (GEBV). Real and simulated data (pigs, 60k SNP) were analysed, and GR were estimated using two approaches: (i) identity by state, corrected with either the observed (GVR‐O) or the base population (GVR‐B) allele frequencies and (ii) identity by descent using linkage analysis (GIBD‐L). Estimators were evaluated for precision and empirical bias with respect to true pedigree IBD GR. All three estimators had very low bias. GIBD‐L displayed the lowest sampling error and the highest correlation with true genome‐shared values. GVR‐B approximated GIBD‐L's correlation and had lower error than GVR‐O. Accuracy of GEBV for selection candidates was significantly higher when GIBD‐L was used and identical between GVR‐O and GVR‐B. In real data, GIBD‐L's sampling standard deviation was the closest to the theoretical value for each pedigree relationship. Use of pedigree to calculate GR improved the precision of estimates and the accuracy of GEBV.
The ‘Leap’ from Coordination to Harmonization in Social Policy: Labour Mobility and Occupational Pensions in Europe
Authors: Guardiancich Igor
Published: May 2016

The Supplementary Pension Rights Directive, legislated in 2014, represents a leap from minimum co‐ordination of social security rights to minimal harmonization, thereby facilitating the portability of occupational pensions across the EU. The Lisbon Treaty, which relaxed the voting requirements in the Council, accelerated its adoption. In the ‘shadow of the vote’, opponents (mainly continental CMEs) abandoned the defence of the status quo for less exacting legislation. The majority of Member States instead understood that consensus was necessary to appease the domestic concerns of countries like Germany and to strengthen their negotiating position vis‐à‐vis the Parliament. Despite the inevitable watering‐down, the final law modifies domestic pension arrangements across the EU, thereby benefiting mobile workers. The implications are twofold. First, political economists should take into account the growing European influence on domestic pension policy‐making. Second, the extension of QMV to sensitive areas of social policy will probably enhance overall harmonization.
Practitioner Review: Treatments for Tourette syndrome in children and young people – a systematic review
Authors: Whittington Craig , Pennant Mary , Kendall Tim , Glazebrook Cristine , Trayner Penny , Groom Madeleine , Hedderly Tammy , Heyman Isobel , Jackson Georgina , Jackson Stephen , Murphy Tara , Rickards Hugh , Robertson Mary , Stern Jeremy , Hollis Chris
Published: May 2016

Background

Tourette syndrome (TS) and chronic tic disorder (CTD) affect 1–2% of children and young people, but the most effective treatment is unclear. To establish the current evidence base, we conducted a systematic review of interventions for children and young people.

Methods

Databases were searched from inception to 1 October 2014 for placebo‐controlled trials of pharmacological, behavioural, physical or alternative interventions for tics in children and young people with TS or CTD. Certainty in the evidence was assessed with the GRADE approach.

Results

Forty trials were included [pharmacological (32), behavioural (5), physical (2), dietary (1)]. For tics/global score there was evidence favouring the intervention from four trials of α2‐adrenergic receptor agonists [clonidine and guanfacine, standardised mean difference (SMD) = −0.71; 95% CI −1.03, −0.40; N = 164] and two trials of habit reversal training (HRT)/comprehensive behavioural intervention (CBIT) (SMD = −0.64; 95% CI −0.99, −0.29; N = 133). Certainty in the effect estimates was moderate. A post hoc analysis combining oral clonidine/guanfacine trials with a clonidine patch trial continued to demonstrate benefit (SMD = −0.54; 95% CI −0.92, −0.16), but statistical heterogeneity was high. Evidence from four trials suggested that antipsychotic drugs improved tic scores (SMD = −0.74; 95% CI −1.08, −0.40; N = 76), but certainty in the effect estimate was low. The evidence for other interventions was categorised as low or very low quality, or showed no conclusive benefit.

Conclusions

When medication is considered appropriate for the treatment of tics, the balance of clinical benefits to harm favours α2‐adrenergic receptor agonists (clonidine and guanfacine) as first‐line agents. Antipsychotics are likely to be useful but carry the risk of harm and so should be reserved for when α2‐adrenergic receptor agonists are either ineffective or poorly tolerated. There is evidence that HRT/CBIT is effective, but there is no evidence for HRT/CBIT alone relative to combining medication and HRT/CBIT. There is currently no evidence to suggest that the physical and dietary interventions reviewed are sufficiently effective and safe to be considered as treatments.
Autonomic arousal in children of parents with and without social anxiety disorder: a high‐risk study
Authors: Nikolić Milica , de Vente Wieke , Colonnesi Cristina , Bögels Susan M.
Published: May 2016

Objective

Autonomic hyperarousal in social situations is considered a genetic vulnerability factor for social anxiety disorder (SAD), but so far it is unstudied in children at risk for developing SAD. We examined autonomic activity during socially stressful tasks in children of mothers and fathers with and without lifetime SAD to reveal possible biological mechanisms of intergenerational transmission of SAD.

Methods

One hundred ten children aged 4.5 years were asked to sing a song in front of an audience and watch back their performance in the presence of that audience. Heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), electrodermal activity (EDA), and blushing (cheek blood flow and temperature) were measured in anticipation of, during, and after the tasks. Both parents’ lifetime SAD status was assessed, and both parents reported about their own and their child's social anxiety symptoms.

Results

Children of parents with lifetime SAD blushed more during the socially challenging tasks than children of parents without SAD. Moreover, children of parents with more social anxiety symptoms showed increased EDA throughout the tasks. Finally, more blushing, increased EDA, and reduced HRV were associated with greater child social anxiety.

Conclusions

This study adds to the current knowledge on the intergenerational transmission of SAD by providing evidence that children at risk for SAD are characterized by excessive blushing in socially challenging situations. The findings also demonstrate that heightened autonomic activity is a characteristic of social anxiety already during early childhood. Hence, autonomic hyperarousal, and blushing in particular, is likely to play an etiological role in the development of SAD.
Factors differentiating callous‐unemotional children with and without conduct problems
Authors: Wall Tina D. , Frick Paul J. , Fanti Kostas A. , Kimonis Eva R. , Lordos Alexandros
Published: May 2016

Background

Callous‐unemotional (CU) traits are a risk factor for a severe, aggressive, and persistent pattern of conduct problems (CP). This study investigated characteristics that might differentiate children with elevated CU traits with and without CP in an effort to identify factors that may reduce the risk for CP in children with limited prosocial emotions.

Methods

Utilizing a sample of 1,366 children from Cyprus, five groups were identified for further study based on latent profile analysis: low‐risk (67.2%), high‐CP/low‐CU (7.9%), high‐CU (9.4%), moderate‐CP/CU (8.4%), and high‐CP/CU (7.2%). The identified groups were compared on behavioral and social measures.

Results

There were significant main effects of group for: impulsivity and executive functioning; parenting; and connectedness to school. The high‐CU group had significantly lower hyperactivity‐impulsivity and executive functioning deficits, significantly higher self‐regulation, and their mothers reported more maternal involvement and positive parenting than those in the high‐CP/CU group. Also, the high‐CU group showed more school connectedness than those in the high‐CP/CU group.

Conclusions

These findings highlight several factors in the child and in his or her social environment that are associated with CU traits in the absence of serious CP and that may suggest targets for intervention for youth who may lack prosocial emotions.
Short‐term effects of a computer‐based nutritional nursing training program for inpatient hospital care
Authors: Westergren Albert , Edfors Ellinor , Norberg Erika , Stubbendorff Anna , Hedin Gita , Wetterstrand Martin , Hagell Peter
Published: May 2016

Rationale

This study aimed to explore whether a computer‐based training in eating and nutrition for hospital nursing staff can influence the precision in nutritional treatment and care.

Method

A pre‐intervention and post‐intervention study was conducted with a cross‐sectional design at each time point. The settings were one intervention (IH) and two control hospitals (CH1 and CH2). Hospital inpatients >18 years old at baseline (2012; n = 409) and follow‐up (2014; n = 456) were included. The computer‐based training was implemented during a period of 3 months in the IH with 297 (84%) participating registered nurses and nurse assistants. Nutritional risk was screened for using the Minimal Eating Observation and Nutrition Form. Nutritional treatment and care was recorded using a standardized protocol

Results

In the IH, there was an increase in the share of patients at UN risk that received energy‐dense food (+16.7%) and dietician consultations (+17.3%) between baseline and follow‐up, while fewer received feeding assistance (−16.2%). There was an increase in the share of patients at UN risk that received energy‐dense food (+19.5%), a decrease in oral nutritional supplements (‐30.5%) and food‐registrations (−30.6%) in CH1, whereas there were no changes in CH2. ‘Overtreatment’ (providing nutritional treatment to those not at UN risk) was significantly higher in CH2 (52.7%) than in CH1 (14.3%) and in the IH (25.2%) at follow‐up.

Conclusion

The computer‐based training seemed to increase the probability for patients at UN risk in the IH to receive nutritional treatment without increasing overtreatment.
Reassortant betanodavirus infection in turbot (Scophthalmus maximus)
Authors: Souto S , Olveira J G , Dopazo C P , Bandín I
Published: May 2016

In this study, the susceptibility of turbot juveniles to two betanodavirus strains was assessed, a RGNNV/SJNNV reassortant (Ss160.03) and a SJNNV strain. The reassortant isolate exhibits a slightly modified SJNNV CP, with two amino acid substitutions in the C‐terminal domain (positions 247 and 270). To analyse the role of these residues as virulence and host determinants in turbot, three recombinant strains (rSs160.03247, rSs160.03270, rSs160.03247+270) harbouring site‐specific mutations in the CP sequence were also tested in experimental trials. Moderate mortalities (up to 50%) were recorded at 18 °C in the fish challenged with the Ss160.03 strain, whereas low mortalities (17%) were observed in the group challenged with the SJNNV strain. A slight decrease (around 10%) was observed in the mortalities caused by the mutants rSs160.03247 and rSs160.03270, whilst the mutation of both positions reduced mortality by more than half of that observed in fish challenged with the wild strain. These results are confirmed by the replication in brain tissues, because whereas the wild strain was detected from 5 to 30 dpi and reached the highest viral load, the recombinant virus harbouring both mutations was not detected in the brain until 20 dpi and with a moderate viral load.
The epidemiology of pancreas disease in salmonid aquaculture: a summary of the current state of knowledge
Authors: Jansen M D , Bang Jensen B , McLoughlin M F , Rodger H D , Taksdal T , Sindre H , Graham D A , Lillehaug A
Published: May 2016

Pancreas disease (PD) is a viral disease caused by Salmonid alphavirus (SAV) that affects farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum)) in the seawater phase. Since its first description in Scotland in 1976, a large number of studies have been conducted relating to the disease itself and to factors contributing to agent spread and disease occurrence. This paper summarizes the currently available, scientific information on the epidemiology of PD and its associated mitigation and control measures. Available literature shows infected farmed salmonids to be the main reservoir of SAV. Transmission between seawater sites occurs mainly passively by water currents or actively through human activity coupled with inadequate biosecurity measures. All available information suggests that the current fallowing procedures are adequate to prevent agent survival within the environment through the fallowing period and thus that a repeated disease outbreak at the same site is due to a new agent introduction. There has been no scientific evaluation of currently used on‐site biosecurity measures, and there is limited information on the impact of available mitigation measures and control strategies.
The experiences of chronically ill patients and registered nurses when they negotiate patient care in hospital settings: a feminist poststructural approach
Authors: Griscti Odette , Aston Megan , Martin‐Misener Ruth , Mcleod Deborah , Warner Grace
Published: May 2016

Aims and objectives

The aim of this study was to understand the experiences of chronically ill patients and registered nurse in negotiating patient care in hospital. Specifically, we explored how social and institutional discourses shaped power relations and negotiation of patient care.

Background

Current literature indicates that although nurses embrace this notion, such partnerships are not easily implemented. Most existing studies focus on the role of the nurse as the leader of the partnership with little attention paid to how social and institutional values, beliefs and practices shape nurse/patient power relations; or how these relationships are negotiated between nurses and patients.

Design

The theoretical and methodological approaches used in this study are based on the precepts of Foucault and feminist poststructural theorists.

Methods

In depth interviews were conducted with eight chronically ill patients and 10 registered nurses.

Results

Both nurses and patients commented about the relationships that develop between nurses and chronically ill patients and how these relationships facilitate negotiation of patient care. Both parties described challenging moments and how institutional discourses may hinder positive negotiations of care. In this paper we highlight three themes that emerged: getting to know each other, they are not the sickest patients and finding time to listen.

Conclusions

This study offers an innovative way of unpacking negotiation of care between chronically ill patients and registered nurses. It exposes how social and institutional discourses play a pivotal role in shaping negotiations between nurses and chronically ill patients.

Relevance to clinical practice

Negotiating care with chronically ill patients is not as asymmetric as portrayed in some of the literature and tends to be based on mutual agreements between nurses and patients. Nurses make it a point to listen to patients’ needs and resist institutional discourses that preclude them from spending time with patients.