bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The entrepreneurial profile of Brazilian business administration students
Authors: Amaral Marcelo , Toledo Hernandez Cecília , Rodrigues Bastos Marcellus Henrique
Published: April 2018

Purpose

This study aims to focus on the entrepreneurial education and profile in undergraduate business administration programs in Brazil, particularly in the southern region of the state of Rio de Janeiro. Assuming that the entrepreneurial profile can be developed by teaching and learning processes.

Design/methodology/approach

The research performed qualitative approach through interviews and a quantitative approach using multiple criteria decision-making methods. Data were collected along 2015 in a survey with a population of 412 students from three high education institutions (HEIs) and analyzed using the analytic hierarchy process with ratings.

Findings

The study has found that the key entrepreneurial trait for all groups was the ability to “plan”. Other relevant dimensions were “self-realization”, “innovative” and “leader”. The dimensions “risk taking” and “sociability” were considered not important in the opinion of all groups.

Practical implications

The entrepreneurial profile does not seem to evolve over the four-year college period, thus suggesting a failure of the entrepreneurial education at the three surveyed HEIs to impact the overall perception of students about the requirements for creating and developing new ventures. Actions to revert this trend should be taken.

Originality/value

This research aims to identify differences in perception about the entrepreneurial profile among freshmen and senior undergraduates. The theme is relevant in a knowledge era where academy has to prepare students to be entrepreneurs. Similar studies were done around in Brazil and around the world but no one in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The work has a contribution by proposing and applying a method to compare students groups, programs, institutions and countries over time.
An approach to task recommendation in crowdsourcing based on 2-tuple fuzzy linguistic method
Authors: Zhang Xuefeng , Su Jiafu
Published: April 2018

Purpose

Task recommendation is an important way for workers and requesters to get better outcomes in shorter time in crowdsourcing. This paper aims to propose an approach based on 2-tuple fuzzy linguistic method to recommend tasks to the workers who would be capable of completing and accept them.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, worker’s capability-to-complete (CTC) and possibility-to-accept (PTA) for a task needs to be recommended are proposed, measured and aggregated to determine worker’s priority for task recommendation. Therein, the similarity between the recommended task and its similar tasks and worker’s performance on these similar tasks are computed and aggregated to determine worker’s CTC quantitatively. In addition, two factors of worker’s active degree and worker’s preferences to a task category are presented to reflect and determine worker’s PTA. In the process of measuring them, 2-tuple fuzzy linguistic method is used to represent, process and aggregate vague and imprecise information.

Findings

To demonstrate the implementation process and performance of the proposed approach, an illustrative example is conducted on Taskcn, a widely used Chinese online crowdsourcing market. The experimental results show that the proposed approach outperformed the self-selection approach, especially for complex or creative tasks. Moreover, comparing with task recommendation considering worker’s CTC solely, the proposed approach would be better in terms of workers’ response rate. Additionally, the use of linguistic terms and fuzzy linguistic method facilitates the expression of vague and subjective information and makes recommendation process more practical.

Research limitations/implications

In the study, the authors capture alternative workers, collect workers’ behaviors and compute workers’ CTC and PTA manually. However, as the number of tasks and alternative workers grow, the issue, i.e. how to conveniently collect workers’ behaviors and determine their CTC and PTA, becomes conspicuous and needs to be studied further.

Practical implications

The proposed approach provides an alternative way to perform tasks posted in crowdsourcing platforms. It can assist workers to contribute to right tasks, and requesters to get outcomes with high quality more efficiently.

Originality/value

This study proposes an approach to task recommendation in crowdsourcing that integrates workers’ CTC and PTA for the recommended tasks and can deal with vague and imprecise information.
The effects of entrepreneurial orientation dimensions on performance in the tourism sector
Authors: Fadda Nicoletta
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) dimensions on firm performance in the tourism sector. The goal is twofold: on the one hand, the paper aims to test whether EO dimensions are still significant determinants of performance after controlling for possible confounding factors; on the other hand, it aims to address the question of which EO dimension exerts the strongest effect on performance.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey was carried out in the Sardinian accommodation sector in 2012 and 224 questionnaires were collected. The multidimensional EO constructs were adopted.

Findings

The results show that innovativeness, proactiveness and autonomy were significantly associated with tourism firm performance, whereas risk-taking and competitiveness were not.

Research limitations/implications

The results are limited to the Sardinian accommodation context. Self-reported data were used to measure firm performance. Further research works could replicate the analyses using objective firm performance not only in similar touristic destinations but also in other countries and incorporating other industries.

Practical implications

The study suggests educational and managerial implications. Entrepreneurs in the tourism sector should be encouraged to adopt an innovative, autonomous and proactive approach in managing their firms.

Originality/value

The study advances entrepreneurial knowledge in the tourism sector and in particular in the accommodation industry. The multidimensional EO approach has never been adopted among touristic firms. Furthermore, considering that EO research has been overlooked in the country of Italy, this study’s contribution is also providing evidence from an area that has received minimal attention to date.
Horn growth variation and hunting selection of the Alpine ibex
Authors: Büntgen Ulf , Galván Juan D. , Mysterud Atle , Krusic Paul J. , Hülsmann Lisa , Jenny Hannes , Senn Josef , Bollmann Kurt
Published: April 2018

Selective hunting can affect demographic characteristics and phenotypic traits of the targeted species. Hunting systems often involve harvesting quotas based on sex, age and/or size categories to avoid selective pressure. However, it is difficult to assess whether such regulations deter hunters from targeting larger “trophy” animals with longer horns that may have evolutionary consequences.

Here, we compile 44,088 annually resolved and absolutely dated measurements of Alpine ibex (Capra ibex) horn growth increments from 8,355 males, harvested between 1978 and 2013, in the eastern Swiss Canton of Grisons. We aim to determine whether male ibex with longer horns were preferentially targeted, causing animals with early rapid horn growth to have shorter lives, and whether such hunting selection translated into long‐term trends in horn size over the past four decades.

Results show that medium‐ to longer‐horned adult males had a higher probability of being harvested than shorter‐horned individuals of the same age and that regulations do affect the hunters’ behaviour. Nevertheless, phenotypic traits such as horn length, as well as body size and weight, remained stable over the study period.

Although selective trophy hunting still occurs, it did not cause a measurable evolutionary response in Grisons’ Alpine ibex populations; managed and surveyed since 1978. Nevertheless, further research is needed to understand whether phenotypic trait development is coinfluenced by other, potentially compensatory factors that may possibly mask the effects of selective, long‐term hunting pressure.
Rapamycin protects against early brain injury independent of cerebral blood flow changes in a mouse model of subarachnoid haemorrhage
Authors: Sasaki Kazumasu , Yamamoto Shuzo , Mutoh Tatsushi , Tsuru Yoshiharu , Taki Yasuyuki , Kawashima Ryuta
Published: April 2018

We evaluated the neuroprotective role of rapamycin, a mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) kinase inhibitor, in cerebral ischaemia and locomotor function in a mouse model of subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH). Pretreatment with rapamycin, an mTOR kinase inhibitor, resulted in better recovery from cerebral hypoxia early after SAH than control (P < .05), while the values of peak flow velocity in the middle cerebral artery did not change significantly (P > .05). Average distance travelled and the ratio of central‐area distance/total travelled distance determined by open‐field test after day 14 was significantly higher in mice pretreated with rapamycin than in control mice (P < .05). Inhibition of the mTOR pathway could be protective against post‐SAH early brain injury, ameliorating brain tissue hypoxia and locomotor hypoactivity.
Penumbral role of beta blockade on heart rate recovery in heart failure
Authors: Pan Alan
Published: April 2018

We would agree that Heart Rate Variability (HRR) is a measure of parasympathetic activity, which may need to be augmented in chronic management of Heart Failure (HF). A viable next step would be the determination of the relative strength of the sympathetic response versus the decrease of parasympathetic tone in HF, while taking into consideration the suppression of the sympathetic nervous system by virtue of Beta Blockade, which constitutes standard therapy.
Race, Crime, and Criminal Justice
Authors: Fernandes April D. , Crutchfield Robert D.
Published: April 2018

Fifty years ago, the U.S. President's Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice under President Johnson did not frequently mention race and ethnicity in its discussion of and recommendations for the criminal justice system, but it did have a lot to say about race and crime. Through the use of arrest rates to measure racial differentials in criminal involvement, the Commission concluded that Blacks commit more crime as a consequence of Black people living in greater numbers in criminogenic “slum” conditions. To address racial differences, the Commission favored the Great Society programs of Johnson's War on Poverty. Contemporary criminologists continue to debate the racial distribution of crime, the causes of crimes, and the best policies to reduce crime and racial differentials. The Commission did not anticipate the current debate among scholars regarding how much racial disproportionality exists in the criminal justice system and its causes and consequences. The policies that led to mass incarceration have been significant drivers of continued criminal justice racial disparity. Those policies are inconsistent with the recommendation in The Challenge of Crime in a Free Society (1967), upending the pursuit of a more fair and just system.
Narcotics and Drug Abuse
Authors: Pardo Bryce , Reuter Peter
Published: April 2018

Fifty years ago, the U.S. President's Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice saw drugs as a modest but growing problem for the criminal justice system. The reemergence of heroin occupied the Commission's attention. Many recommendations are admirable, such as a focus on public health interventions and a concern about the appropriateness of criminal prohibitions on marijuana use. Throughout the past 50 years, the problem has both massively expanded and changed in many ways; the principal drug of abuse has shifted multiple times, as has the populations most affected by them. Policy, largely stuck on tough enforcement for 30 years, is now moving in a direction more consistent with the Commission's views. Researchers have made only modest advances in understanding what enforcement can do to reduce drug use and related problems, but society has made some progress in developing interventions that have both a sound theoretical base and the promise of avoiding the unintended negative consequences of the highly punitive system of the 1980s and 1990s. A Commission in 2018 would face a much different and larger problem that has transformed many aspects of criminal justice. Investing in more data collection and evaluation research would be among its major recommendations, as would an admission of considerable uncertainty about what to do with the latest twist in the U.S. drug problem, the addition of the much more dangerous fentanyls.
The usage of procalcitonin in Finland
Authors: Tujula B. , Kokki M. , Pulkki K. , Romppanen J. , Sjövall S. , Tuominen H. , Kokki H.
Published: April 2018

Background

We have surveyed the use of procalcitonin (PCT) in Finland with a specific emphasis on intensive care unit (ICU) patients.

Methods

The PCT use was surveyed from all 11 laboratories providing services for all 15 secondary and all five tertiary care hospitals in Finland. The laboratories reported the PCT use of each hospital in 2014 and 2015. Four hospitals were analysed for the first 100 adult ICU patients with PCT measurements in 2015. The indication for PCT measurement and whether PCT values affected antibiotic treatment were collected from patient records.

Results

The overall national PCT use was similar between 2014 and 2015 with around 15 000 measurements annually. The PCT use varied greatly between hospitals and specialities; one tertiary care hospital used 5600 measurements annually, while another tertiary care hospital did not use PCT at all. Over half of the requests for PCT were in the ICU. There were significant differences in PCT use for ICU patients: in the most frequent user, PCT was mainly used for follow‐up of antibiotic treatment, whereas in the other three hospitals, PCT was mainly used for differential diagnosis. The most frequent user also had the highest per patient rate of PCT measurements, with a mean of six PCT tests/patient compared to two PCT tests/patient in the three other hospitals. PCT had an effect on antibiotic treatment in every 5th case.

Conclusion

The use of PCT in Finland varies significantly between hospitals, even though the national guideline proposes its use for septic patients.
Pattern of care and survival of anaplastic lymphoma kinase rearranged non–small cell lung cancer (ALK+ NSCLC) in an Australian Metropolitan Tertiary Referral Centre: A retrospective cohort analysis
Authors: Itchins Malinda , Hayes Sarah A. , Gill Anthony J. , Cooper Wendy , O'Connell Rachel , Howell Viive M. , Clarke Stephen J. , Pavlakis Nick
Published: April 2018

Aim

To report on the pattern of care and survival of anaplastic lymphoma kinase rearranged non–small cell lung cancer (ALK+NSCLC) in a real‐world retrospective cohort from an Australian tertiary referral center.

Methods

Individuals with a pathological diagnosis of ALK+NSCLC via immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization and a radiological diagnosis of stage IV disease were eligible. Patients were identified via the Pathology Department specimen database and electronic patient chart review. Data were collected and analyzed for baseline demographics, radiological pattern of disease and response to treatment, treatment sequencing, toxicity and survival.

Results

Thirty‐five patients were identified over a 7‐year period from 2010 to 2016 and followed for a median of 23 months. Median overall survival (OS) in the entire cohort was immature at data cut, 46.0 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 22.53–69.47 months), with the longest surviving patient was alive 62.1 months since diagnosis. Objective radiological response rate overall across six potential treatments and six treatment lines (range 1–6) was 58.2%. Almost 50% received at‐least two lines of ALK inhibitor therapy with median OS in this group estimated to be 53.4 months (95% CI, 35.1 months–not reached). Toxicity was manageable with a low rate of ≥ grade 3 toxicity (n = 7). Forty‐eight percent relapsed within the CNS and 43% overall died due to CNS progression. In those with CNS diagnosis at baseline and/or progression within the CNS (n = 32), median OS was also 46.0 months (95% CI, 24.22–66.78 months).

Conclusion

This retrospective cohort analysis of a single tertiary institution experience in treating ALK+NSCLC demonstrates impressive OS and the importance and impact of careful management of CNS disease in this patient population.
Allergen immunotherapy in people, dogs, cats and horses – differences, similarities and research needs
Authors: Mueller R. S. , Jensen‐Jarolim E. , Roth‐Walter F. , Marti E. , Janda J. , Seida A. A. , DeBoer D.
Published: April 2018

In human patients with seasonal allergic rhinoconjunctivitis sensitized to grass pollen, the first successful allergen immunotherapy (AIT) was reported in 1911. Today, immunotherapy is an accepted treatment for allergic asthma, allergic rhinitis and hypersensitivities to insect venom. AIT is also used for atopic dermatitis and recently for food allergy. Subcutaneous, epicutaneous, intralymphatic, oral and sublingual protocols of AIT exist. In animals, most data are available in dogs where subcutaneous AIT is an accepted treatment for atopic dermatitis. Initiating a regulatory response and a production of “blocking” IgG antibodies with AIT are similar mechanisms in human beings and dogs with allergic diseases. Although subcutaneous immunotherapy is used for atopic dermatitis in cats, data for its efficacy are sparse. There is some evidence for successful treatment of feline asthma with AIT. In horses, most studies evaluate the effect of AIT on insect hypersensitivity with conflicting results although promising pilot studies have demonstrated the prophylaxis of insect hypersensitivity with recombinant antigens of biting midges (Culicoides spp.). Optimizing AIT using allergoids, peptide immunotherapy, recombinant allergens and new adjuvants with the different administration types of allergen extracts will further improve compliance and efficacy of this proven treatment modality.
Increasing success in outpatient laparoscopic cholecystectomy by an optimal clinical pathway
Authors: Greilsamer Tristan , Orion François , Denimal Fabrice , De Kerviler Benoît , Jean Marc‐Henri , Dimet Jérôme , Comy Michel , Abet Emeric
Published: April 2018

Background

The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of more convincing and reassuring remarks from the surgeon in the preoperative consult associated with a dedicated outpatient facility to increase our rate of success in outpatient laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Methods

A one‐centre prospective clinical study was conducted between February 2013 and May 2015. During the first time period (February 2013–March 2014), patients were hospitalized in conventional care unit and given the possibility to choose an outpatient procedure. In the second phase (April 2014–May 2015), the patients were held in a dedicated outpatient facility. Outpatient success rate was evaluated using Chung's discharge score 6 h after surgery.

Results

Eighty patients were included (30 in a traditional setting, 50 in an optimal clinical pathway). Both groups were comparable for mean age, American Society of Anesthesiologists score and mean operative time (P = 0.36, P = 1 and P = 0.09, respectively). Success in outpatient surgery was significantly higher in the optimal clinical pathway group (73.3% versus 96%, P = 0.005). The only criteria which was significantly improved in Chung score was perambulation (P = 0.001). There was no significant difference between the two groups for post‐operative complications (P = 0.28) or readmission (P = 1).

Conclusion

Optimal clinical pathway (more convincing and reassuring remarks in the preoperative consult and a dedicated outpatient facility) is the key to increase success in outpatient laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
Immunophenotypic analysis of cell cycle status in acute myeloid leukaemia: relationship to cytogenetics, genotype and clinical outcome
Authors: Sellar Rob S. , Gale Rosemary E. , Khwaja Asim , Garbowski Maciej , Loddo Marco , Stoeber Kai , Williams Gareth H. , Linch David C.
Published: April 2018

Cell cycle status may play an important role in directing patient therapy. We therefore determined the cell cycle status of leukaemic cells by immunophenotypic analysis of bone marrow trephine biopsies from 181 patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and correlated the results with biological features and clinical outcome. There was considerable heterogeneity between patients. The presenting white cell count significantly correlated with the proportion of non‐quiescent cells (P < 0·0001), of cycling cells beyond G1 (P < 0·0001) and the speed of cycling (P < 0·0001). Profiles in acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL) differed from non‐APL and were consistent with more differentiated cells with reduced proliferative potential, but no significant differences were observed between non‐APL cytogenetic risk groups. NPM1 mutations but not FLT3 internal tandem duplication (FLT3ITD) were significantly associated with a higher proportion of cells beyond G1 (P = 0·002) and faster speed of cycling (P = 0·003). Resistance to standard cytosine arabinoside and daunorubicin induction chemotherapy was significantly related to a slower speed of cycling (P = 0·0002), as was a higher relapse rate (P = 0·05), but not with the proportion of non‐quiescent cells or actively cycling cells. These results show a link between the cycling speed of AML cells and the response to chemotherapy, and help to identify a group with a very poor prognosis.
An effective modestly intensive re‐induction regimen with bortezomib in relapsed or refractory paediatric acute lymphoblastic leukaemia
Authors: Kaspers Gertjan J. L. , Niewerth Denise , Wilhelm Bram A. J. , Scholte‐van Houtem Peggy , Lopez‐Yurda Marta , Berkhof Johannes , Cloos Jacqueline , de Haas Valerie , Mathôt Ron A. , Attarbaschi Andishe , Baruchel André , de Bont Eveline S. , Fagioli Franca , Rössig Claudia , Klingebiel Thomas , De Moerloose Barbara , Nelken Brigitte , Palumbo Giuseppe , Reinhardt Dirk , Rohrlich Pierre‐Simon , Simon Pauline , von Stackelberg Arend , Zwaan Christian Michel
Published: April 2018

This trial explored the efficacy of re‐induction chemotherapy including bortezomib in paediatric relapsed/refractory acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Patients were randomized 1:1 to bortezomib (1.3 mg/m2/dose) administered early or late to a dexamethasone and vincristine backbone. Both groups did not differ regarding peripheral blast count on day 8, the primary endpoint. After cycle 1, 8 of 25 (32%) patients achieved complete remission with incomplete blood count recovery, 7 (28%) a partial remission and 10 had treatment failure. Most common grade 3–4 toxicities were febrile neutropenia (31%) and pain (17%). Bortezomib was safely combined with vincristine. Bortezomib rarely penetrated the cerebrospinal fluid.
Intuition from Beginning to End? Bion's Clinical Approaches
Authors: Hinshelwood R.D.
Published: April 2018

This paper is intended to offer a foundation for comparison of the approaches of Wilfred Bion and Donald Winnicott. In particular, I try to plot the oscillation of Bion's clinical method from his early Group period at the Tavistock Clinic (up to around 1950) when he emphasized countertransference; his part‐object interpretation method in the 1950s after his analysis with Klein when he and colleagues were experimenting with the psychoanalysis of people in psychotic states (1953–59); and then his return to his investigation of the intuitive approach to clinical data, around 1965–70.
Questions and Thoughts on Winnicott/Bion Inspired by Lesley Caldwell's ‘A Psychoanalysis of Being’
Authors: Goldberg Peter
Published: April 2018

This response to Lesley Caldwell's paper on Winnicott and Being explores some of the ramifications of Winnicott's work on current developments in clinical theory. Four questions are posed, touching on the topics of psychosomatic dissociation, the place of the object in Winnicott's thought, the role of non‐communication, and the status of the concept of regression.
Together I Can! Joint Attention Boosts 3‐ to 4‐Year‐Olds’ Performance in a Verbal False‐Belief Test
Authors: Psouni Elia , Falck Andreas , Boström Leni , Persson Martin , Sidén Lisa , Wallin Maria
Published: April 2018

Effects of joint attention were addressed on 3‐ to 4‐year‐olds’ performance in a verbal false‐Belief Test (FBT), featuring the experimenter as co‐watcher rather than narrator. In two experiments, children (N = 183) watched a filmed‐FBT jointly with a test leader, disjointed from a test leader, or alone. Children attending jointly with a test leader were more likely to pass the FBT compared with normative data and to spontaneously recall information indicating false‐belief understanding, suggesting that joint attention strengthens the plausibility of the FBT and renders plot‐critical information more salient. In a third experiment (N = 59), results were replicated using a typical, image‐based FBT. Overall findings highlight the profound impact of experimenter as social context in verbal FBTs, and link recall of specific story features to false‐belief understanding.
Synergistic effect of interleukin-17 and tumour necrosis factor-α on inflammatory response in hepatocytes through interleukin-6-dependent and independent pathways
Authors: Beringer A , Thiam N , Molle J , Bartosch B , Miossec P
Published: April 2018

The proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-17 and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α are targets for treatment in many chronic inflammatory diseases. Here, we examined their role in liver inflammatory response compared to that of IL-6. Human hepatoma cells (HepaRG, Huh7.5 and HepG2 cells) and primary human hepatocytes (PHH) were cultured with IL-6, IL-17 and/or TNF-α. To determine the contribution of the IL-6 pathway in the IL-17/TNF-α-mediated effect, an anti-IL-6 receptor antibody was used. IL-17 and TNF-α increased in synergy IL-6 secretion by HepaRG cells and PHH but not by Huh7.5 and HepG2 cells. This IL-17/TNF-α synergistic cooperation enhanced the levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT) in HepaRG cell and PHH cultures through the induction of IL-6. IL-17/TNF-α also up-regulated IL-8, monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 and chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 20 (CCL20) chemokines in synergy through an IL-6-independent pathway. Interestingly, first exposure to IL-17, but not to TNF-α, was crucial for the initiation of the IL-17/TNF-α synergistic effect on IL-6 and IL-8 production. In HepaRG cells, IL-17 enhanced IL-6 mRNA stability resulting in increased IL-6 protein levels. The IL-17A/TNF-α synergistic effect on IL-6 and IL-8 induction was mediated through the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)-mitogen-activated protein kinase, nuclear factor-κB and/or protein kinase B (Akt)–phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase signalling pathways. Therefore, the IL-17/TNF-α synergistic interaction mediates systemic inflammation and cell damage in hepatocytes mainly through IL-6 for CRP and ASAT induction. Independently of IL-6, the IL-17A/TNF-α combination may also induce immune cell recruitment by chemokine up-regulation. IL-17 and/or TNF-α neutralization can be a promising therapeutic strategy to control both systemic inflammation and liver cell attraction.
Participation in planning and social networks increase social monitoring in community‐based conservation
Authors: Alexander Steven M. , Epstein Graham , Bodin Örjan , Armitage Derek , Campbell Donovan
Published: April 2018

Biodiversity conservation is often limited by inadequate investments in monitoring and enforcement. However, monitoring and enforcement problems may be overcome by encouraging resource users to develop, endorse, and subsequently enforce conservation regulations. In this article, we draw upon the literature on common‐pool resources and social networks to assess the impacts of participation and network ties on the decisions of fishers to voluntarily report rule violations in two Jamaican marine reserves. Data was collected using questionnaires administered through personal interviews with fishers (n = 277). The results suggest that local fishers are more likely to report illegal fishing if they had participated in conservation planning and if they are directly linked to community‐based wardens in information sharing networks. This research extends well‐established findings regarding the role and impacts of participation on biodiversity conservation by highlighting the importance of synergies between participation and social networks for voluntary monitoring of conservation regulations.
The major barriers to evidence‐informed conservation policy and possible solutions
Authors: Rose David C. , Sutherland William J. , Amano Tatsuya , González‐Varo Juan P. , Robertson Rebecca J. , Simmons Benno I. , Wauchope Hannah S. , Kovacs Eszter , Durán América Paz , Vadrot Alice B. M. , Wu Weiling , Dias Maria P. , Di Fonzo Martina M. I. , Ivory Sarah , Norris Lucia , Nunes Matheus Henrique , Nyumba Tobias Ochieng , Steiner Noa , Vickery Juliet , Mukherjee Nibedita
Published: April 2018

Conservation policy decisions can suffer from a lack of evidence, hindering effective decision‐making. In nature conservation, studies investigating why policy is often not evidence‐informed have tended to focus on Western democracies, with relatively small samples. To understand global variation and challenges better, we established a global survey aimed at identifying top barriers and solutions to the use of conservation science in policy. This obtained the views of 758 people in policy, practice, and research positions from 68 countries across six languages. Here we show that, contrary to popular belief, there is agreement between groups about how to incorporate conservation science into policy, and there is thus room for optimism. Barriers related to the low priority of conservation were considered to be important, while mainstreaming conservation was proposed as a key solution. Therefore, priorities should focus on convincing the public of the importance of conservation as an issue, which will then influence policy‐makers to adopt pro‐environmental long‐term policies.
Conversion from tacrolimus‐mycophenolate mofetil to tacrolimus‐mTOR immunosuppression after kidney‐pancreas transplantation reduces the incidence of both BK and CMV viremia
Authors: Knight Richard J. , Graviss Edward A. , Nguyen Duc T. , Kuten Samantha A. , Patel Samir J. , Gaber Lillian , Gaber A. Osama
Published: April 2018

Background

We sought to determine whether conversion from tacrolimus/mycophenolate mofetil (TAC‐MMF) into tacrolimus/mTOR inhibitor (TAC‐mTOR) immunosuppression would reduce the incidences of BK and CMV viremia after kidney/pancreas (KP) transplantation.

Methods

In this single‐center review, the TAC‐mTOR cohort (n = 39) was converted at 1 month post‐transplant to an mTOR inhibitor and reduced‐dose tacrolimus. Outcomes were compared to a cohort of KP recipients (n = 40) maintained on TAC‐MMF.

Results

At 3 years post‐transplant, KP survivals and incidences of kidney/pancreas rejection were equivalent between mTOR and MMF‐treated cohorts. (P = ns). BK viremia‐free survival was better for the mTOR vs MMF‐treated group (P = .004). In multivariate analysis, MMF vs mTOR immunosuppression was an independent risk factor for BK viremia (hazard ratio 12.27, P = .02). Similarly, mTOR‐treated recipients displayed better CMV infection‐free survival compared to the MMF‐treated cohort (P = .01). MMF vs mTOR immunosuppression (hazard ratio 18.77, P = .001) and older recipient age (hazard ratio 1.13 per year, P = .006) were independent risk factors for CMV viremia. Mean estimated GFR and HgbA1c levels were equivalent between groups at 1, 2, and 3 years post‐transplantation.

Conclusion

Conversion from TAC/MMF into TAC/mTOR immunosuppression after KP transplantation reduced the incidences of BK and CMV viremia with an equivalent risk of acute rejection and similar renal/pancreas function.
Impact of pretransplant donor‐specific antibodies on kidney allograft recipients with negative flow cytometry cross‐matches
Authors: Kwon Hyunwook , Kim Young Hoon , Choi Ji Yoon , Shin Sung , Jung Joo Hee , Park Su‐Kil , Han Duck Jong
Published: April 2018

The Luminex test can detect low levels of donor‐specific antibody (DSA) that cannot be detected by flow‐cytometric cross‐matching (FCXM) in kidney transplantation (KT). This study evaluated the impact of DSA on clinical outcomes in KT recipients negative on FCXM. Of 575 consecutive patients who underwent living donor KT between January 2013 and July 2016, 494 (85.9%) were DSA‐negative and 81 (14.1%) were DSA‐positive. Although rates of acute cellular rejection (ACR) at 1 year were similar in the 2 groups (P = .54), the incidence of antibody‐mediated rejection (ABMR) was significantly higher in the DSA‐positive group (P < .01). There was no statistically significant association between rejection‐free graft survival (RFGS) rates and pretransplant class I DSA. However, evaluation of pretransplant class II DSA showed that RFGS rates were significantly lower in patients with mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) >3000 than in patients with DSA‐negative (P < .01). On multivariate analyses, class II DSA MFI ≥5000 was a significant risk factor for acute rejection (hazard ratio, 7.48; P < .01). These findings suggested that pretransplant DSA alone did not affect graft survival in KT recipients without desensitization. However, class II DSA MFI >5000 was an independent predictor of acute rejection in DSA‐positive patients.
Turnover and nestedness in subtropical dung beetle assemblages along an elevational gradient
Authors: da Silva Pedro G. , Lobo Jorge M. , Hensen Maristela C. , Vaz‐de‐Mello Fernando Z. , Hernández Malva I. M.
Published: April 2018

Aim

We investigated changes in dung beetle β‐diversity components along a subtropical elevational gradient, to test whether turnover or nestedness‐related processes drive the dissimilarity of assemblages at spatial and temporal scales.

Location

An elevational gradient (200–1,600 m a.s.l.) of the Atlantic Forest in southern Brazil.

Methods

We investigated the extent to which β‐diversity varied along the elevational gradient (six elevations) at both spatial (among sites at different elevations) and temporal (different months at the same site) scales. We compared both the turnover and nestedness‐related dissimilarity of species and genera using multiple‐site or multiple‐month measures and tested whether these measurements were different from random expectations.

Results

A mid‐elevation peak in species richness along the elevational gradient was observed, and the lowest richness occurred at the highest elevations. We found two different groups of species, lowland and highland species, with a mixing of groups at intermediate elevations. The turnover component of β‐diversity was significantly higher for both spatial (i.e. elevational) and temporal changes in species composition. However, when the data for genera by site were considered, the elevational turnover value decreased in relative importance. Nestedness‐related processes are more important for temporal dissimilarity patterns at higher elevation sites.

Main conclusions

Spatial and temporal turnover of dung beetle species is the most important component of β‐diversity along the elevational gradient. High‐elevation assemblages are not subsets of assemblages that inhabit lower elevations, but this relationship ceases when β‐diversity is measured at the generic level. Environmental changes across elevations may be the cause of the differential establishment of distinctive species, but these species typically belong to the same higher taxonomic rank. Conservation strategies should consider elevational gradients in case‐specific scenarios as they may contain distinct species assemblages in lowlands vs. highlands.
Efficacy and safety of cold versus hot snare polypectomy for resecting small colorectal polyps: Systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Shinozaki Satoshi , Kobayashi Yasutoshi , Hayashi Yoshikazu , Sakamoto Hirotsugu , Lefor Alan Kawarai , Yamamoto Hironori
Published: April 2018

Background and Aim

Safety and effectiveness of cold snare polypectomy (CSP) compared with hot snare polypectomy (HSP) has been reported. The aim of the present study is to carry out a meta‐analysis of the efficacy and safety of HSP and CSP.

Methods

Randomized controlled trials were reviewed to compare HSP with CSP for resecting small colorectal polyps. Outcomes reviewed include complete resection rate, polyp retrieval, delayed bleeding, perforation and procedure time. Outcomes were documented by pooled risk ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) using the Mantel‐Haenszel random effect model.

Results

Eight studies were reviewed in this meta‐analysis, including 1665 patients with 3195 polyps. Complete resection rate using HSP was similar to CSP (RR: 1.02, 95% CI: 0.98–1.07, P = 0.31). Polyp retrieval after HSP was similar to CSP (RR: 1.00, 95% CI: 1.00–1.01, P = 0.60). Delayed bleeding rate after HSP was higher than after CSP, although not significantly (patient basis: RR: 7.53, 95% CI: 0.94–60.24, P = 0.06; polyp basis: RR: 7.35, 95% CI: 0.91–59.33, P = 0.06). Perforation was not reported in all eight studies. Total colonoscopy time for HSP was significantly longer than CSP (mean difference 7.13 min, 95% CI: 5.32–8.94, P < 0.001). Specific polypectomy time for HSP was significantly longer than CSP (mean difference 30.92 s, 95% CI: 9.15–52.68, P = 0.005).

Conclusion

This meta‐analysis shows significantly shorter procedure time using CSP compared with HSP. CSP tends toward less delayed bleeding compared with HSP. We recommend CSP as the standard treatment for resecting small benign colorectal polyps.
Serum ApoA4 levels predicted the progression of renal impairment in T2DM
Authors: Cheng Chao‐Wen , Chang Che‐Chang , Chen Hsiu‐Wen , Lin Ching‐Yu , Chen Jin‐Shuen
Published: April 2018

Background

Among multiple causes, diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the major underlying renal disease that leads to end‐stage renal disease (ESRD), and early diagnosis can effectively prevent or delay the progression to ESRD. Therefore, the current study aimed to develop noninvasive, accurate detection markers.

Materials & Methods

For this study, 62 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients, 59 DN patients and 21 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited. All participants’ serum samples were subjected to concavanalin (Con) A affinity chromatography, which utilizes glycoproteins to discover potential markers.

Results

From nano LC‐MS and Western blot analysis, apolipoprotein A‐IV (ApoA4) was selected which featured a gradual, almost twofold increase in the order of HC, DM and DN. In the Con A‐based ELISA, the DM group was 1.91‐fold higher than the HC group, while the DN group was 2.56‐fold higher than the HCs and 1.33‐fold higher than the DM group. In addition, significant positive correlations were observed between ApoA4 and blood urea nitrogen levels and between ApoA4 and creatine levels, while significant negative correlations were seen between serum protein levels and between serum albumin levels in comparisons of DM and DN samples.

Conclusions

Serum Con A‐bound ApoA4 levels were higher in the DM group than in HCs, and further increased in the DN group. Levels of ApoA4 were positively correlated with blood urea nitrogen and creatine, but negatively correlated with serum protein and albumin. This evidence supports serum Con A‐bound ApoA4 as a circulating marker for predicting the progression of renal impairment in DM patients.
DOES FINANCE ALTER THE RELATION BETWEEN INEQUALITY AND GROWTH?
Authors: Braun Matías , Parro Francisco , Valenzuela Patricio
Published: April 2018

This paper introduces a model in which greater inequality reduces growth in economies with low levels of financial development but that this effect is attenuated in economies with more developed systems. The model also predicts that individuals in economies with developed financial markets have a higher tolerance to inequality. Using a panel dataset that covers a large number of countries, this paper shows empirical evidence that is consistent with the main predictions of the model. Overall, this paper's major findings highlight that some of the pernicious effects of inequality can be attenuated by improving access to credit. (JEL D3, E6, P1, O4, I2)
Narrow lenses for capturing the complexity of fisheries: A topic analysis of fisheries science from 1990 to 2016
Authors: Syed Shaheen , Borit Melania , Spruit Marco
Published: April 2018

Despite increased fisheries science output and publication outlets, the global crisis in fisheries management is as present as ever. Since a narrow research focus may be a contributing factor to this failure, this study uncovers topics in fisheries research and their trends over time. This interdisciplinary research evaluates whether science is diversifying fisheries research topics in an attempt to capture the complexity of the fisheries system, or whether it is multiplying research on similar topics, attempting to achieve an in‐depth, but possibly marginal, understanding of a few selected components of this system. By utilizing latent Dirichlet allocation as a generative probabilistic topic model, we analyse a unique dataset consisting of 46,582 full‐text articles published in the last 26 years in 21 specialized scientific fisheries journals. Among the 25 topics uncovered by the model, only one (Fisheries management) refers to the human dimension of fisheries understood as socio‐ecological complex adaptive systems. The most prevalent topics in our dataset directly relating to fisheries refer to Fisheries management, Stock assessment, and Fishing gear, with Fisheries management attracting the most interest. We propose directions for future research focus that most likely could contribute to providing useful advice for successful management of fisheries.
Voltammetric Determination of High Field‐Strength Elements (Ti, Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta) in Geological Matrices
Authors: Biver Marc , Filella Montserrat
Published: April 2018

A voltammetric method for the determination of the high field‐strength elements Ti, Zr, Hf, Nb and Ta by adsorptive stripping of their tartrate complexes is presented. The applicability of the method to geological and metallurgical samples is illustrated by the analysis of certified reference materials (USGS BCR‐2 basalt, BCS‐CRM 388 zircon and Euronorm CRM 579‐1 ferroniobium). Suitable sample preparation techniques, involving fusion with LiBO2 and acidic and basic fluxes, followed by preliminary separation by anion chromatography are described. The method is rapid, affordable and environmentally friendly as it does not require problematic compounds such as hydrofluoric acid or toxic solvents and represents an alternative to more commonly used methods (AAS, ICP‐OES, ICP‐MS).
Incorporating sedimentological data in UK flood frequency estimation
Authors: Longfield S.A. , Faulkner D. , Kjeldsen T.R. , Macklin M.G. , Jones A.F. , Foulds S.A. , Brewer P.A. , Griffiths H.M.
Published: April 2018

This study presents a new analytical framework for combining historical flood data derived from sedimentological records with instrumental river flow data to increase the reliability of flood risk assessments. Historical flood records were established for two catchments through re‐analysis of sedimentological records; the Nant Cwm‐du, a small, steep upland catchment in the Cambrian Mountains of Wales, and a piedmont reach of the River Severn in mid Wales. The proposed framework is based on maximum likelihood and least‐square estimation methods in combination with a Generalised Logistic distribution; this enables the sedimentological data to be combined effectively with existing instrumental river flow data. The results from this study are compared to results obtained using existing industry standard methods based solely on instrumental data. The comparison shows that inclusion of sedimentological data can have an important impact on flood risk estimates, and that the methods are sensitive to assumptions made in the conversion of the sedimentological records into flood flow data. As current industry standard methods for flood risk analysis are known to be highly uncertain, the ability to include additional evidence of past flood events derived from sedimentological records as demonstrated in this study can have a significant impact on flood risk assessments.
Proton‐Pump Inhibitors and Long‐Term Risk of Community‐Acquired Pneumonia in Older Adults
Authors: Zirk‐Sadowski Jan , Masoli Jane A. , Delgado Joao , Hamilton Willie , Strain W. David , Henley William , Melzer David , Ble Alessandro
Published: April 2018

Objectives

To estimate associations between long‐term use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and pneumonia incidence in older adults in primary care.

Design

Longitudinal analyses of electronic medical records.

Setting

England

Participants

Individuals aged 60 and older in primary care receiving PPIs for 1 year or longer (N=75,050) and age‐ and sex‐matched controls (N=75,050).

Measurements

Net hazard ratios for pneumonia incidence in Year 2 of treatment were estimated using the prior event rate ratio (PERR), which adjusts for pneumonia incidence differences before initiation of treatment. Inverse probability weighted models adjusted for 78 demographic, disease, medication, and healthcare usage measures.

Results

During the second year after initiating treatment, PPIs were associated with greater hazard of incident pneumonia (PERR‐adjusted hazard ratio=1.82, 95% confidence interval=1.27–2.54), accounting for pretreatment pneumonia rates. Estimates were similar across age and comorbidity subgroups. Similar results were also obtained from propensity score– and inverse probability–weighted models.

Conclusion

In a large cohort of older adults in primary care, PPI prescription was associated with greater risk of pneumonia in the second year of treatment. Results were robust across alternative analysis approaches. Controversies about the validity of reported short‐term harms of PPIs should not divert attention from potential long‐term effects of PPI prescriptions on older adults.
Electron backscattered diffraction analysis of friction stir processed nanocomposites produced via spark plasma sintering
Authors: SADEGHI B. , CAVALIERE P. , SHAMANIAN M. , SANAYEI M. , SZPUNAR J.A. , NOSKO M.
Published: April 2018

In the present study, Spark Plasma Sintered (SPSed) aluminium matrix composites were severely deformed through Friction stir processing (FSP). Pure aluminium powders and bimodal sized Al2O3 particles (80 nm and 25 m) were firstly mixed by ball milling and then consolidated by spark plasma sintering. The effect of the heat input as well the bimodal particle size of the alumina on the materials’ microstructure and texture development was evaluated by electron back scattered diffraction (EBSD) analysis. The EBSD analysis clearly showed that the SPSed nanocomposites possessed bimodal aluminium matrix grain structure as well as a crystallography characterised by random texture. In addition, microstructural examination revealed that the partial recrystallisation occurred during SPS for all the nanocomposites. Also, it is revealed that the Zener pinning effect of Al2O3 nanoparticles retarded recrystallised grain growth following recrystallisation during FSP and then leading to grain refinement of the aluminium. The results revealed that the heat generated during FSP has a remarkable effect on the grain distribution as well as on the crystallographic orientation. Also, a mixture of {112} <110> shear elements and an ideal strong B/ component were observed. The microstructural changes, occurred during FSP in the stir zone region for Al‐Al2O3 nanocomposites, were attributed to both the discontinuous along with the continuous recrystallisation (DDRX/CDRX). It should be pointed out that with increasing the heat input, recrystallised grains portion increased.