bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quadriceps Weakness
Authors: Shaibani Aziz
Published: April 2015

Quadriceps muscles extend the knees and are important for walking and balance. Knee buckling is the most common presentation of quadriceps weakness. Knee buckling is common in the elderly as it can also be caused by knee arthritis. Patients with quadriceps weakness often modify their lifestyle for years before they seek medical advice. Quadriceps muscles are very sensitive to immobility and they may lose 50% of their bulk within 2 weeks of immobility. On the other hand, they build mass quickly by exercises. Sometimes, quadriceps muscles are selectively and severely involved, leading to an early disability. Severe thigh pain, if continued for a few weeks, may lead to disuse atrophy. Severe neuropathic thigh pain and atrophy are typically seen in diabetic amyotrophy. Other causes of thigh pain include L3 radiculopathy, meralgia paresthetica, and muscle infarction. Examination of the knee extension should never be deleted from neuromuscular evaluation.
Distal Arm Weakness
Authors: Shaibani Aziz
Published: April 2015

Distal arm weakness may be caused by involvement of the intrinsic hand muscles (interossi, thenar and hypothenar muscles, lumbricals) or extrinsic hand muscles (long finger flexors and extensors). ALS is typical for the former type, and IBM is typical for the latter type. Incoordination of skilled finger movement due to cerebellar disease is associated with normal strength. Poor mobility due to joints pain and swelling should not be confused with muscle weakness. Mononeuropathies such as ulnar, radial, median, and AIN,lesions usually cause differential loss of function. Myasthenia sometimes causes weakness of the wrist and finger extensors. A small but distinct group of distal hereditary myopathies should always be borne in mind. Progressive sensorimotor neuropathies are usually associated with sensory symptoms. Multifocal motor neuropathy can be a diagnostic challenge.
Distal Leg Weakness
Authors: Shaibani Aziz
Published: April 2015

Plantar flexion and/or extension weakness is usually neuromuscular in nature. Rarely, focal foot dystonia, ankle arthritis, and spasticity lead to diagnostic confusion. Painful sequential foot drop is a common feature of vasculitis. Preserved EDB bulk in the face of foot drop is a feature of myopathy. Progressive painless weakness of the foot flexion and extension with normal sensation and brisk deep tendon reflexes are typically seen in ALS. In patients with chronic bilateral foot drop, examination of the scapulae is essential to rule out scapuloperoneal syndrome and FSHD. In inflammatory neuropathies, distal leg weakness is the last to respond to therapy and some residual deficit is common.
Muscle Atrophy and Hypertrophy
Authors: Shaibani Aziz
Published: April 2015

Muscle atrophy is usually caused by interruption of axonal flow (axonal neuropathies, motor neuron diseases, etc.). If weakness is out of proportion to atrophy, conduction block due to demyelinating neuropathy should be suspected. Chronic myopathies and immobility may also cause atrophy, but no EMG evidence of denervation or myopathy is respectively found. The pattern of atrophy is often helpful to localize the lesion. Atrophy of the interossi and preservation of the bulk of the thenar muscles suggest ulnar neuropathy, but atrophy of both would suggest a C8 or plexus pathology. Muscle enlargement may be due to tissue replacement (fatt, amyloid), which can be confirmed by EMG and MRI, or may be due to real muscle hypertrophy from excessive discharges (neuromyotonia).
Muscle Stiffness and Cramps
Authors: Shaibani Aziz
Published: April 2015

Muscle stiffness is a nonspecific term meaning limited muscle mobility that is not due to weakness. It is opposite to flexibility. Muscle and joint pain may be described as stiffness. Painful sustained muscle cramps are usually associated with muscle stiffness. A careful history is paramount. Exercise-induced muscle cramps are usually myopathic (metabolic or mitochondrial myopathy), while resting and nocturnal cramps are neurogenic (neuropathy, motor neuron disease, etc). Metabolic cramps are electrically silent. Focal or generalized stiffness is typically seen in stiff person syndrome. Upper motor neuron lesions are associated with spasticity and stiffness (HSP, PLS, myelopathies, etc.). Painful cramps and fasciculations are important clues to peripheral nerve hyperexcitability disorder, which may also present with neuromyotonia. Not unusually, no cause is found for muscle cramps and stiffness. Symptomatic treatment frequently helps.
Myotonia
Authors: Shaibani Aziz
Published: April 2015

Myotonia is a slow relaxation phase of a muscle after normal contraction. Patients report myotonia as muscle stiffness and sometimes pain. They usually adapt to it well. Falls due to myotonia may lead to accidents. Checking for percussion and action myotonia should be part of neuromuscular examination. Electrically silent myotonia is a sign of Brody’s syndrome. Myotonia may be incidentally discovered during EMG. The most important task is to differentiate between myotonia and paramyotonia clinically and electromyographically. Most myotonic disorders are caused by mutations of sodium, and chloride channels. There has been a significant understanding of the underlying channelopathies recently. Severe myotonia respond well to Mexiletine.
Pseudoneurologic Syndromes
Authors: Shaibani Aziz
Published: April 2015

The word “functional” has rightly replaced the word “psychogenic” in the medical literature to describe disorders for which no organic etiology is found. Pseudoseizures, tremors, weakness and numbnessare the most common functional neurological disorders.
It takes experience and knowledge of the patterns of presentation of neuromuscular disorders and some understanding of the common functional disorders in order to diagnose the latter correctly and early enough to avoid unnecessary investigations.
Some genuine neuromuscular disorders such as myasthenia gravis, small fiber neuropathy, and chronic inflammatory sensory polyradiculopathy may be diagnosed as functional due to the lack of objective clinical and lab abnormalities. One has to differentiate functional disorders (hysterical conversion, somatization) from malingering, hypochondriasis, and factitious disorders. Some organic disorders are modified by “sickness behavior” leading to diagnostic confusion such as a hand numbness due to carpal tunnel syndrome may lead to functional numbness of the that entire side to mimic an imagined stroke.
Fatigability
Authors: Shaibani Aziz
Published: April 2015

Undue fatigability is common in neuromuscular clinics but non-neuromuscular causes are much more common than neuromuscular causes. Generalized fatigue is commonly caused by anemia, hypothyroidism, obstructive sleep apnea, depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, uremia, COPD, etc. Physiological fatigue is accentuated by neuromuscular disorders. Most strikingly, myasthenia gravis causes undue fatigue of the ocular, chewing, swallowing, and breathing muscles. However, ALS, myopathies, and motor neuropathies are also associated with abnormal fatigue. Myasthenia rarely causes isolated fatigue. Examination for fatigability should be part of neuromuscular evaluation and is conducted by inducing repetitive or sustained contraction of the suspected muscles (typically extraocular muscles) for a minute and reevaluation after 2 minutes of rest of the tested muscles.
Skin Signs
Authors: Shaibani Aziz
Published: April 2015

Many neuromuscular diseases are expressed by skin manifestations such as dermatomyositis. Skin changes of dermatomyositis are of many types and can be subtle in dark skin. Skin rash may be the only finding in dermatomyositis (amyopathic dermatomyositis). Many systemic inflammatory diseases are associated with skin lesions and neuromuscular involvement such as vasculitis, SLE, and scleroderma. Steroids may lead to acne-like skin lesions that should be differentiated from the rash of the underlying disease. Since the skin and nervous system are both ectodermal in origin, many hereditary and congenital disorders affect both (neurocutaneous syndromes). This chapter provides examples of skin signs that are associated with neuromuscular diseases.
EMG Findings
Authors: Shaibani Aziz
Published: April 2015

While this chapter and even this book are not intended to be a textbook in electrodiagnosis, we have chosen video samples of typical abnormal discharges that neuromuscular specialists often face, such as myopathic units, myotonic discharges, myokymia, fibrillations, and neurogenic firing. Other EMG clips are embedded in other chapters. It is not unusual for referred neuromuscular patients to carry an erroneous clinical diagnosis based on incidental EMG discharges such as myotonic discharges. On the other hand, voluntary activity may be reported as abnormal discharges and a diagnosis of denervation is erroneously given. Knowledge of anatomy, physiology, and clinical neuromuscular medicine are important for an EMG to be useful in the diagnosis.
Regulation of early T-lineage gene expression and developmental progression by the progenitor cell transcription factor PU.1
Authors: Champhekar Ameya , Damle Sagar S. , Freedman George , Carotta Sebastian , Nutt Stephen L. , Rothenberg Ellen V.
Published: April 2015

The ETS family transcription factor PU.1 is essential for the development of several blood lineages, including T cells, but its function in intrathymic T-cell precursors has been poorly defined. In the thymus, high PU.1 expression persists through multiple cell divisions in early stages but then falls sharply during T-cell lineage commitment. PU.1 silencing is critical for T-cell commitment, but it has remained unknown how PU.1 activities could contribute positively to T-cell development. Here we employed conditional knockout and modified antagonist PU.1 constructs to perturb PU.1 function stage-specifically in early T cells. We show that PU.1 is needed for full proliferation, restricting access to some non-T fates, and controlling the timing of T-cell developmental progression such that removal or antagonism of endogenous PU.1 allows precocious access to T-cell differentiation. Dominant-negative effects reveal that this repression by PU.1 is mediated indirectly. Genome-wide transcriptome analysis identifies novel targets of PU.1 positive and negative regulation affecting progenitor cell signaling and cell biology and indicating distinct regulatory effects on different subsets of progenitor cell transcription factors. Thus, in addition to supporting early T-cell proliferation, PU.1 regulates the timing of activation of the core T-lineage developmental program.
Why and how should the international volunteer tourism experience be improved?
Authors: Benson Angela M.
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to introduce the theme issue question “why and how should the international volunteer tourism experience be improved?”.

Design/methodology/approach

– An Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funded Festival of Social Science event entitled “Pursuing Quality in International Volunteering” was held at the University of Brighton in November 2013. This event brought together academics and practitioners in a successful debate, but it was also recognised that this was the first step on a long journey. The articles in this theme issue are drawn both from attendees at the ESRC event and from the wider international volunteer tourism network of academics and practitioners.

Findings

– This paper introduces the key stakeholders of international volunteer tourism and the extent to which their voices are prominent (or not) in respect of the issues of achieving quality. Further, the paper highlights a number of quality mechanisms that are offered as solutions to the challenges that currently beleaguer international volunteer tourism.

Research limitations/implications

– Whilst not all the key stakeholder voices are represented in this theme issue, the discussions and implications that are drawn out are of importance to all stakeholder groups.

Originality/value

– This is the first time a journal issue has focused on the challenges of achieving quality in respect of international volunteer tourism.
A clash with volunteer tourists? An extreme case study in Guatemala
Authors: Klaver Ferdi R.M.
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine value change and changed consciousness with reference to three projects operated by a Guatemalan volunteer organization.

Design/methodology/approach

– An extreme case field study design is used. It was extreme in terms of Hofstede’s cultural dimension individualism versus collectivism. Semi-structural interviews were held with 28 staff members in local projects, 43 volunteer tourists and the Guatemalan Country Manager. Two tests to measure cultural psychological concepts were held with 151 children (M = 12.26, SD = 2.96) and the volunteer tourists (M = 25.54 years old, SD = 13.07 years). Finally, an ethnographical analysis was made through volunteering at each of the three projects for one month.

Findings

– All but two volunteer tourists had positive volunteer experiences. The culture clash did not influence the positive experience of each other, but neither did value exchange occur.

Research limitations/implications

– It is crucial for volunteer tourists to address the needs of the host community, for the volunteer organization to offer projects wherein people really are in need and for researchers, media and non-governmental organization watchers to generate more transparency at the volunteer organizations.

Originality/value

– This paper focuses on all stakeholders in relation to the volunteering experience. More specifically, it focuses on the cultural differences of stakeholders to examine the relative influence on volunteering. Furthermore, this paper introduces new concepts like the hidden fact and awareness change.
Marketing and communication of responsibility in volunteer tourism
Authors: Smith Victoria Louise , Font Xavier
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to test whether volunteer tourism organisations are prepared to learn from feedback on the quality of their responsibility communications, and consider whether analysis and communication of results can influence market improvement.

Design/methodology/approach

– A purposive sample of five influential website pages of eight volunteer tourism organisations are scored across 19 responsible voluntourism criteria, and compared against the results of two years previously.

Findings

– The authors report mixed results on how communicating results has encouraged change and industry improvement in responsibility, based on previous research that showed responsibility to be communicated inconsistently at best, potentially greenwashing at worst, across organisations, product types and responsible values.

Research limitations/implications

– The paper applies sustainability marketing literature to explain the changes in responsibility communication performance using an innovative tool to benchmark and audit responsibility in online marketing content and providing insight into how best practice marketing necessitates responsible operations. This paper considers whether and how, when presented with evidence, organisations choose to improve for a more responsible voluntourism offer.

Originality/value

– The paper is original in providing a practical, industry-informed analysis of the reasons why volunteer operators communicate in the way they do, and the ability to influence their communications to be more reliable, in the context of increased criticism for shallow volunteering. This experiment allows industry associations and lobby groups to influence industry practice based on the evidence that improved communications are possible when specific, tailored advice is provided.
Online portrayals of volunteer tourism in Nepal
Authors: Easton Siân , Wise Nicholas
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– This study aims to contribute perspective into how user-generated content (UGC) can be found to reinforce, or challenge, the commercial promotion of volunteer tourism in Nepal. Volunteer tourism is an expanding alternative niche market spanning the globe. More understanding is needed to identify potential conflicts that may arise in relation to information communicated via official promotional materials from volunteer tourism organisation websites and from UGC on sites such as TripAdvisor.

Design/methodology/approach

– A qualitative content analysis of websites and online UGC gathered from identified promotional websites and TripAdvisor used to inform and persuade tourists was analysed.

Findings

– Three themes emerged from the analysis of promotional websites: perspective outcomes of volunteerism on locals and VolunTourists, requirements of participating volunteers and the ability of volunteer organisations to effectively meet expectations. The TripAdvisor forum content is broken down into two main areas: requests/recommendations and critical reflections. UGC is playing a pivotal role to inform future VolunTourists, based on experiences by previous volunteers. Commercial websites emphasise achievable positive outcomes by unskilled/unqualified volunteers, with the support of credible volunteer organisations. Conversely, UGC focusses on negative outcomes associated with volunteer tourism.

Research limitations/implications

– This study provides insights into how online platforms are being used by consumers. This study suggests that significant disparities exist between content communicated via promotional websites and UGC, with a number of important implications discussed.

Originality/value

– This study aims to address this gap in the understanding of the authors through the analysis of emerged themes communicated via Nepal volunteer websites and TripAdvisor forums. Moreover, there is a need for volunteers to be more informed about the complexities of the industry and volunteer organisations, acknowledging more needs to be considered to meet the requirements/expectations of volunteers.
DELINQUENT PEER INFLUENCE ON OFFENDING VERSATILITY: CAN PEERS PROMOTE SPECIALIZED DELINQUENCY?
Authors: THOMAS KYLE J.
Published: April 2015

The consistent and robust relationship between peers and frequency of offending is often cited as evidence that friends play an important role in adolescent behavioral tendencies. But Warr (2002) has argued that the empirical support for peer perspectives remains equivocal in part because research has not demonstrated that individuals and their peers display similarities in the qualitative form of their delinquent behavior (i.e., the tendency to specialize in delinquent acts). By using data from the Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) evaluation (N = 1,390) and the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health (AddHealth) (N = 1,848), this study seeks to fill this void in the literature by examining whether having friends who display specialization in specific delinquent acts relative to other offense types predicts an individual's own tendency to display specializing in those same crime types. Consistent with peer influence perspectives, the results of multilevel latent‐trait models (Osgood and Schreck, 2007) suggest that individuals who associate with friends who demonstrate specialization in violence, theft, and substance use are more likely to display greater levels of specialization in those offense types themselves.
Prevalence of diabetes mellitus and prediabetes in the adult Romanian population: PREDATORR study
Authors: Mota Maria , Popa Simona Georgiana , Mota Eugen , Mitrea Adina , Catrinoiu Doina , Cheta Dan Mircea , Guja Cristian , Hancu Nicolae , Ionescu‐Tirgoviste Constantin , Lichiardopol Radu , Mihai Bogdan Mircea , Popa Amorin Remus , Zetu Cornelia , Bala Cornelia Gabriela , Roman Gabriela , Serafinceanu Cristian , Serban Viorel , Timar Romulus , Veresiu Ioan Andrei , Vlad Adrian Radu
Published: April 2015

Background

The PREDATORR (PREvalence of DiAbeTes mellitus, prediabetes, overweight, Obesity, dyslipidemia, hyperuricemia and chronic kidney disease in Romania) study is the first national study analyzing the prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) and prediabetes, and their association with cardiometabolic, sociodemographic, and lifestyle risk factors in the Romanian population aged 20–79 years.

Methods

This was an epidemiological study with a stratified, cross‐sectional, cluster random sampling design. Sociodemographic, lifestyle, and anamnestic data were collected through self‐ and interviewer‐administered questionnaires, and biochemical assays and oral glucose tolerance tests were performed.

Results

In all, 2728 participants from 101 clinics of general practitioners were randomly selected, with a probability proportional to population size according to the 2002 Romanian Census.

The participation rate was 99.6%. Impaired glucose regulation (prediabetes, known and unknown DM) was found in 28.1% of the study population. The overall age‐ and sex‐adjusted prevalence of DM was 11.6% (95%CI 9.6%–13.6%), of which 2.4% (95%CI 1.7%–3.1%) had unknown DM. The prevalence of DM increased with age and was higher in men than in women. The age‐ and sex‐adjusted prevalence of prediabetes was 16.5% (95%CI 14.8%–18.2%), with the highest percentage in the 60–79 year age group and in women. Obesity, abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia, low education level, and a family history of diabetes were associated with glucose metabolism disorders.

Conclusions

The PREDATORR study shows a high prevalence of impaired glucose regulation in the adult Romanian population, providing data on the prevalence of DM and prediabetes and their association with several risk factors.
In a world of white, flower colour matters: A white–purple transition signals lack of reward in an alpine Euphrasia
Authors: McGimpsey Vicky J. , Lord Janice M.
Published: April 2015

The New Zealand alpine flora displays a range of unusual characteristics compared with other alpine floras, in particular the high frequency of species with small white flowers. The presence of both white and bright purple flowers on the same plant in the New Zealand alpine annual creeping eyebright (Euphrasia dyeri Wettst.) provides an ideal opportunity to investigate the significance of flower colour in an environment where coloured flowers are rare. The relationships among flower age, gender phase, reward availability and petal colour were assessed in natural populations of E. dyeri. The effect of pollination on flower colour was tested using hand pollination of bagged flowers. Direct observations and videos of flowers were used to assess patterns of flower visitation by native and introduced pollinators. Unpollinated white E. dyeri flowers changed from white to purple within 6 days. However, pollination of white flowers triggered a significantly faster colour change, typically within 1–2 days. White flowers had receptive stigmas, large amounts of lipid‐rich pollen and small amounts of nectar, whereas stigmas of purple flowers are not receptive and flowers did not provide pollen or nectar rewards. Flowers were mainly visited by native syrphid flies. Both native syrphids and introduced Bombus bees showed a marked avoidance of purple flowers, tending to preferentially visit white flowers. Our study suggests that flower colour change from white to bright purple in E. dyeri functions to direct pollinators to rewarding, receptive flowers. As many Euphrasia L. species are described as having variably coloured flowers, this mechanism may be more widespread in the genus. Furthermore, our results add to the growing evidence that the dominance of white flowers in the New Zealand alpine is not simply due to a lack of colour discrimination among pollinators.
Regulation of the abundance and turnover of copepod species by temperature, turbidity and habitat type in a large river basin
Authors: Perbiche‐Neves Gilmar , Boxshall Geoffrey Allan , Previattelli Daniel , Naliato Danilo Augusto Oliveira , Pie Marcio Roberto , da Rocha Carlos Eduardo Falavigna , Nogueira Marcos Gomes
Published: April 2015

Freshwater copepods were sampled in the La Plata River basin to identify the processes that affect beta diversity and to determine the main factors influencing their geographical distribution and patterns of endemism. Beta diversity patterns exhibited strong dissimilarity between locations; the turnover process was predominant and indicated a replacement of species along the basin. Redundancy analysis indicated the presence of two large sets of species separated geographically by a boundary zone, with several associated variables. Northern species were associated with water transparency and temperature, mean air temperature, mean air temperature during winter and minimum air temperature of coldest month, indicating that these species are not tolerant to low temperatures and are abundant in reservoirs that are common in the upper stretch of the Paraná River basin. Southern species were related with amplitude of air temperature, turbidity, total phosphorus and total suspended matter, indicating that these species are polythermic and have adapted to live in river stretches. From 20 environmental variables analyzed in our study, partial least squares analysis indicated four variables with increased retention of effects on copepod abundance: air temperature, minimum temperature of coldest month, turbidity and transparency. Because almost all of the species found in this study occurred across a wide range of habitat types, the cause of the separation between river and reservoir species could be considered to be more anthropogenic than natural, and it primarily affected species abundance. For certain members of the northern group of copepod species, distribution was dependent on high temperatures, whereas the distribution of the southern group indicated that the species were polythermic.
Statistical Methods for Association Tests of Multiple Continuous Traits in Genome‐Wide Association Studies
Authors: Wu Baolin , Pankow James S.
Published: April 2015

Multiple correlated traits are often collected in genetic studies. The joint analysis of multiple traits could have increased power by aggregating multiple weak effects and offer additional insights into the aetiology of complex human diseases by revealing pleiotropic variants. We propose to study multivariate test statistics to detect single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) association with multiple correlated traits. Most existing methods have been based on the generalized estimating equation (GEE) approach without explicitly modelling the trait correlations. In this article, we explore an alternative likelihood‐based framework to test the multiple trait associations. It is based on the familiar multinomial logistic regression modelling of genotypes, which can be readily implemented using widely available software, and offers very competitive performance. We demonstrate through extensive numerical studies that the proposed method has competitive performance. Its usefulness is further illustrated with application to association analysis of diabetes‐related traits in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study.
Patients’ ability to treat anaphylaxis using adrenaline autoinjectors: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Umasunthar T. , Procktor A. , Hodes M. , Smith J. G. , Gore C. , Cox H. E. , Marrs T. , Hanna H. , Phillips K. , Pinto C. , Turner P. J. , Warner J. O. , Boyle R. J.
Published: April 2015

Background

Previous work has shown patients commonly misuse adrenaline autoinjectors (AAI). It is unclear whether this is due to inadequate training, or poor device design. We undertook a prospective randomized controlled trial to evaluate ability to administer adrenaline using different AAI devices.

Methods

We allocated mothers of food‐allergic children prescribed an AAI for the first time to Anapen or EpiPen using a computer‐generated randomization list, with optimal training according to manufacturer's instructions. After one year, participants were randomly allocated a new device (EpiPen, Anapen, new EpiPen, JEXT or Auvi‐Q), without device‐specific training. We assessed ability to deliver adrenaline using their AAI in a simulated anaphylaxis scenario six weeks and one year after initial training, and following device switch. Primary outcome was successful adrenaline administration at six weeks, assessed by an independent expert. Secondary outcomes were success at one year, success after switching device, and adverse events.

Results

We randomized 158 participants. At six weeks, 30 of 71 (42%) participants allocated to Anapen and 31 of 73 (43%) participants allocated to EpiPen were successful – RR 1.00 (95% CI 0.68–1.46). Success rates at one year were also similar, but digital injection was more common at one year with EpiPen (8/59, 14%) than Anapen (0/51, 0%, P = 0.007). When switched to a new device without specific training, success rates were higher with Auvi‐Q (26/28, 93%) than other devices (39/80, 49%; P < 0.001).

Conclusions

AAI device design is a major determinant of successful adrenaline administration. Success rates were low with several devices, but were high using the audio‐prompt device Auvi‐Q.
Dominant hand operating probe vs needle: a comparison study of ultrasound‐guided needle placement in phantom models
Authors: Johnston D. F. , Stafford M.
Published: April 2015

We conducted a replicated crossover design study to assess if using one's dominant hand for operating a probe vs directing a needle would affect the time taken, the number of needle passes and the accuracy of an ultrasound‐guided procedure in phantom models. Twenty ultrasound‐novice participants completed the task 10 times for each hand arrangement (alternating between attempts). The time taken and number of needle passes required for both dominant hand–probe and hand–needle decreased over time (p = 0.001). Dominant hand–needle had a lower mean time used (p = 0.001) and fewer needle passes (p = 0.02) compared with hand–probe. Sixty‐five per cent of participants preferred using their dominant hand to direct the needle. When learning ultrasound‐guided needle procedures on phantom models, use of the dominant hand to operate the needle is associated with a shorter procedure time and fewer needle passes.
Bilingualism and the Development of Executive Function: The Role of Attention
Authors: Bialystok Ellen
Published: April 2015

In this article, I review research examining the effect of bilingualism on children's cognitive development and in particular, executive function. I describe studies reporting bilingual advantages in various tasks to identify the process or component of executive function that might be responsible for this bilingual advantage, discussing several possibilities, including inhibitory control. Finally, I propose attention is a fundamental process that initiates developmental differences in bilingual children from as early as infancy.
Worlds Apart But Not Alone: How Wiki Technologies Influence Productivity and Decision‐Making in Student Groups
Authors: Heidrich Balázs , Kása Richárd , Shu Wesley , Chandler Nick
Published: April 2015

Regardless of the size of an organization, collaboration has become a fundamental element with regard to engagement between the organization and internal and external stakeholders. With the rapid advance of communication technologies and the free‐flow of information, the concept of collaboration extends beyond physical locations and time zones in the form of globally connected virtual teams. This study considers how modern Web 2.0‐based collaborative technologies (wikis) relate to higher decision quality and productivity, and identifies if these collaborative technologies are better suited to tasks requiring extensive asynchronous collaboration in an educational setting. Controlled experiments involving student teams that worked in technologically and demographically diverse groups showed that wiki technologies do not suit all kinds of tasks, and do not always increase productivity or the decision quality of team collaboration.
Two new species of Phraortes from the Ryukyus, Japan (Phasmatodea: Phasmatidae)
Authors: Saito Taro
Published: April 2015

Two new species of Phraortes are described from the Ryukyus of Japan. Phraortes kumensis sp. nov. is described from Kume‐jima Island, and P. yonaguniensis sp. nov. from Yonaguni‐jima Island. The morphology of the females, males and eggs of the new species is illustrated.
Virus disease in wheat predicted to increase with a changing climate
Authors: Trębicki Piotr , Nancarrow Narelle , Cole Ellen , Bosque‐Pérez Nilsa A. , Constable Fiona E. , Freeman Angela J. , Rodoni Brendan , Yen Alan L. , Luck Jo E. , Fitzgerald Glenn J.
Published: April 2015

Current atmospheric CO2 levels are about 400 μmol mol−1 and are predicted to rise to 650 μmol mol−1 later this century. Although the positive and negative impacts of CO2 on plants are well documented, little is known about interactions with pests and diseases. If disease severity increases under future environmental conditions, then it becomes imperative to understand the impacts of pathogens on crop production in order to minimize crop losses and maximize food production. Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) adversely affects the yield and quality of economically important crops including wheat, barley and oats. It is transmitted by numerous aphid species and causes a serious disease of cereal crops worldwide. This study examined the effects of ambient (aCO2; 400 μmol mol−1) and elevated CO2 (eCO2; 650 μmol mol−1) on noninfected and BYDV‐infected wheat. Using a RT‐qPCR technique, we measured virus titre from aCO2 and eCO2 treatments. BYDV titre increased significantly by 36.8% in leaves of wheat grown under eCO2 conditions compared to aCO2. Plant growth parameters including height, tiller number, leaf area and biomass were generally higher in plants exposed to higher CO2 levels but increased growth did not explain the increase in BYDV titre in these plants. High virus titre in plants has been shown to have a significant negative effect on plant yield and causes earlier and more pronounced symptom expression increasing the probability of virus spread by insects. The combination of these factors could negatively impact food production in Australia and worldwide under future climate conditions. This is the first quantitative evidence that BYDV titre increases in plants grown under elevated CO2 levels.
Avoiding verisimilitude when modelling ecological responses to climate change: the influence of weather conditions on trapping efficiency in European badgers (Meles meles)
Authors: Noonan Michael J. , Rahman M. Abidur , Newman Chris , Buesching Christina D. , Macdonald David W.
Published: April 2015

The signal for climate change effects can be abstruse; consequently, interpretations of evidence must avoid verisimilitude, or else misattribution of causality could compromise policy decisions. Examining climatic effects on wild animal population dynamics requires ability to trap, observe or photograph and to recapture study individuals consistently. In this regard, we use 19 years of data (1994–2012), detailing the life histories on 1179 individual European badgers over 3288 (re‐) trapping events, to test whether trapping efficiency was associated with season, weather variables (both contemporaneous and time lagged), body‐condition index (BCI) and trapping efficiency (TE).PCAfactor loadings demonstrated thatTEwas affected significantly by temperature and precipitation, as well as time lags in these variables. From multi‐model inference,BCIwas the principal driver ofTE, where badgers in good condition were less likely to be trapped. Our analyses exposed that this was enacted mechanistically via weather variables drivingBCI, affectingTE. Notably, the very conditions that militated for poor trapping success have been associated with actual survival and population abundance benefits in badgers. Using these findings to parameterize simulations, projecting best‐/worst‐case scenario weather conditions andBCIresulted in 8.6% ± 4.9SDdifference in seasonalTE, leading to a potential 55.0% population abundance under‐estimation under the worst‐case scenario; 38.6% over‐estimation under the best case. Interestingly, simulations revealed that while any single trapping session might prove misrepresentative of the true population abundance, due to weather effects, prolonging capture–mark–recapture studies under sub‐optimal conditions decreased the accuracy of population estimates significantly. We also use these projection scenarios to explore how weather could impact government‐led trapping of badgers in theUK, in relation toTBmanagement. We conclude that population monitoring must be calibrated against the likelihood that weather conditions could be altering trap success directly, and therefore biasing model design.
RNA pol II transcript abundance controls condensin accumulation at mitotically up‐regulated and heat‐shock‐inducible genes in fission yeast
Authors: Nakazawa Norihiko , Sajiki Kenichi , Xu Xingya , Villar‐Briones Alejandro , Arakawa Orie , Yanagida Mitsuhiro
Published: April 2015

Condensin plays fundamental roles in chromosome dynamics. In this study, we determined the binding sites of condensin on fission yeast (Schizosaccharomyces pombe) chromosomes at the level of nucleotide sequences using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and ChIP sequencing (ChIP‐seq). We found that condensin binds to RNA polymerase I‐, II‐ and III‐transcribed genes during both mitosis and interphase, and we focused on pol II constitutive and inducible genes. Accumulation sites for condensin are distinct from those of cohesin and DNA topoisomerase II. Using cell cycle stage and heat‐shock‐inducible genes, we show that pol II‐mediated transcripts cause condensin accumulation. First, condensin's enrichment on mitotically activated genes was abolished by deleting the sep1+ gene that encodes an M‐phase‐specific forkhead transcription factor. Second, by raising the temperature, condensin accumulation was rapidly induced at heat‐shock protein genes in interphase and even during mid‐mitosis. In interphase, condensin accumulates preferentially during the postreplicative phase. Pol II‐mediated transcription was neither repressed nor activated by condensin, as levels of transcripts per se did not change when mutant condensin failed to associate with chromosomal DNA. However, massive chromosome missegregation occurred, suggesting that abundant pol II transcription may require active condensin before proper chromosome segregation.
Trp250‐hK2 is defective in intracellular trafficking and activates the unfolded protein response
Authors: Choi Eun Ju , Yoon Sei Mee , Lee Suman , Lee Jinu
Published: April 2015

hK2, a member of the kallikrein protease family encoded by KLK2, is expressed exclusively in prostate and is a putative adjunct tumor marker for prostate cancer screening. The T allele of rs198977, a single nucleotide polymorphism in exon 5 of KLK2, codes for W‐hK2 and is associated with lower serum hK2 levels and higher risk of prostate cancer than the C allele encoding R‐hK2. To elucidate the mechanism that underlies this SNP's function, we transfected plasmids expressing R‐hK2 or W‐hK2 into PC3, HeLa and HEK293A cells and measured the hK2 level in cell lysates and conditioned media. The level of W‐hK2 was lower than R‐hK2 in conditioned media but was not different from R‐hK2 in cell lysates. W‐hK2 was hardly colocalized with Golgi‐targeted fluorescent protein whereas R‐hK2 colocalized. Reporter assays related to the unfolded protein response (UPR) and phospho‐eIF2α immunoblot showed that W‐hK2 increased UPR activity more than R‐hK2. These results indicated that W‐hK2 had a defect in cellular trafficking from the ER to the Golgi complex due to its misfolding and that it activated the UPR, suggesting a mechanism to explain the association of the T allele with higher prostate cancer risk.
Mismatch between health‐care professionals' and patients' views on a diabetes patient decision aid: a qualitative study
Authors: Lee Ping Yein , Khoo Ee Ming , Low Wah Yun , Lee Yew Kong , Abdullah Khatijah Lim , Azmi Syahidatul Akmal , Ng Chirk Jenn
Published: April 2015

Background

Malaysia is an Asian country with population of diverse culture and health perceptions. Patient decision aid (PDA) is a new tool in Malaysia. Patients' and health‐care professionals' (HCPs) expectation of a PDA is unknown.

Aim

We aimed to explore patients' and health‐care professionals'(HCPs) views on the information needed in a patient decision aid (PDA) on insulin initiation developed for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Design

We used a qualitative design and thematic approach.

Setting

Three main primary health‐care settings in Malaysia: public university‐based primary care clinics, public health‐care clinics and private general practices.

Method

We conducted focus groups and one‐to‐one interviews with a purposive sample of health professionals and patients with type 2 diabetes.

Results

We interviewed 18 patients and 13 HCPs. Patients viewed the content of the PDA as simple and clear. However, HCPs felt the PDA might be difficult for patients with low literacy to understand. HCPs thought the PDA was too lengthy. Nevertheless, patients would prefer more information. HCPs tended to focus on benefits of insulin, while patients wanted to know the impact of insulin on their quality of life and practical issues regarding insulin and its side‐effects. Patients preferred numbers to weigh the risks and benefits of treatment options. HCPs' views that presenting numbers in a PDA would be too complex for patients to understand.

Conclusion

It is important to consider including issues related to psycho‐social impact of treatment to patients when developing a patient decision aid.
The Development of Statistical Computing at Rothamsted
Authors: Gower John C.
Published: April 2015

An account is given of the development of statistical computing at Rothamsted. It is concerned mainly with the period from 1954 (when the first electronic computer was delivered) until 1985 (when this article was written). Initially, many specialised programs were written, but it was soon realised that, for efficiency, general‐purpose programs—each unifying many statistical techniques—were required. The development of these programs was gradual and required corresponding developments in statistical theory. Now, the bulk of statistical work, not only for Rothamsted but also for the Agricultural and Food Research Service (AFRS) as a whole, is covered by a few programs, notably Genstat that has an international market. Further developments of these programs are required to make them more accessible to scientists who are not well versed in statistics and to take advantage of technological advances.
Parametric Portfolio Policies in the Surplus Consumption Ratio
Authors: Inkmann Joachim , Shi Zhen
Published: April 2015

The surplus consumption ratio plays a central role as a state variable in successful attempts to explain the time series properties of stock and bond prices with consumption‐based asset pricing models. In this paper, optimal portfolio policies for a strategic investor who maximizes the conditionally expected utility of terminal wealth are parameterized as a polynomial in the surplus consumption ratio. Optimal portfolio policies are estimated using a method of moments estimator based on Euler equations. Unconditional portfolio policies are rejected in favor of conditional policies. Lower order polynomials are rejected in favor of higher order polynomials. Optimal stock and bond allocations are clearly countercyclical.
Workers and social movements of the developing world: Time to rethink the scope of industrial relations?
Authors: SEN Ratna , LEE Chang‐Hee
Published: April 2015

Against the background of decline in traditional industrial relations institutions in post‐Fordist economies, the authors review the patterns of counter‐movement to globalization that are emerging in the defence of workers in developing countries, with a particular focus on Asia. From the Marxian struggle they identify in China to the widely varied forms of protest and representational organization they observe in India, they argue for a more inclusive approach to industrial relations, both in practice and in research. The future, they suggest, will be shaped by the interplay of reform from above and the social movements spontaneously filling today's representational vacuum.
Preparation of Sound‐Insulating Lightweight Ceramics from Aluminosilicate Rocks with High CaCO3 Content
Authors: Kazantseva Lidia K. , Lygina Talia Z. , Rashchenko Sergey V. , Tsyplakov Dmitry S.
Published: April 2015

A sound‐insulating lightweight ceramics with “pseudo‐open” porosity was obtained from calcite‐zeolite rock using energy‐saving procedure. A thorough analysis of chemical processes occurring during material preparation revealed that decomposition of CaCO3 with extensive gas release destroys cellular structure of thermally softened material. The latter, however, can be overpassed by proper alkali activation, which leads to transformation of CaCO3 into sodium carbonates (like trona and thermonatrite) with lower decomposition temperature. The reported results suggest that quality lightweight ceramics with sound‐insulating properties can be obtained even from poorly zeolitized rocks with high CaCO3 content previously treated as unsuitable for such application.
Editorial: Diet and children's behaviour problems – disentangling urban myth from clinical reality
Authors: Sonuga‐Barke Edmund J. S.
Published: April 2015

This Editorial focuses on diet and behaviour problems ‐ seeking to disentangle the modern urban myth of the toxic effects of the modern diet on children's brains from the reality of its actual effects on behaviour. It suggests we need to navigate a course between these two opposing extremes, seeing the proposed diet–behaviour link more as a hypothesis to test, than a truth to defend or a myth to debunk. It summarises the history and standing of the current diet‐behaviour hypothesis and the use of dietary exclusions and dietary supplements for behaviour problems, in the light of current empirical evidence and the impetus this provides for further research in this field.
Arrow physicians: Are economics and medicine philosophically incompatible?
Authors: Tsang Sandro
Published: April 2015

Economics is en route to its further expansion in medicine, but many in the medical community remain unconvinced that its impact will be positive. Thus, a philosophical enquiry into the compatibility of economics and medicine is necessary to resolve the disagreements. The fundamental mission of medicine obliges physicians to practise science and compassion to serve the patient's best interests. Conventional (neoclassical) economics assumes that individuals are self‐interested and that competitive markets will emerge optimal states. Economics is seemingly incompatible with the emphasis of putting patients' interests first. This idea is refuted by Professor Kenneth Arrow's health economics seminal paper. Arrow emphasizes that medical practice involves agency, knowledge, trust and professionalism, and physician–patient relation critically affects care quality. The term Arrow Physician is used to mean a humanistic carer who has a concern for the patient and acts on the best available evidence with health equity in mind. To make this practice sustainable, implementing appropriate motivations, constitutions and institutions to enable altruistic agency is critical. There is substantial evidence that polycentric governance can encourage building trust and reciprocity, so as to avoid depletion of communal resources. This paper proposes building trusting institutions through granting altruistic physicians adequate autonomy to direct resources based on patients' technical needs. It also summarizes the philosophy bases of medicine and economics. It, therefore, contributes to developing a shared language to facilitate intellectual dialogues, and will encourage trans‐disciplinary research into medical practice. This should lead to medicine being reoriented to care for whole persons again.