bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Factors Associated With Poor Outcome in Childhood Swimming Pool Submersions
Authors: Shenoi Rohit P. , Koerner Christine E. , Cruz Andrea T. , Frost Mary H. , Jones Jennifer L. , Camp Elizabeth A. , Alam Sartaj , Fraser John J.
Published: March 2016

Objectives

The aims of the study were to determine factors associated with poor outcome in childhood swimming pool submersions and to study the association of bystander resuscitation with clinical outcome.

Methods

This was a retrospective study of swimming pool submersion victims younger than 18 years in a metropolitan area from 2003 to 2007. Submersion, prehospital, and victim data were obtained from hospital, Emergency Medical Services, and fatality records. Outcome based on survival at hospital discharge was favorable (baseline/mild impairment) or poor (death/severe impairment). Logistic regression determined factors associated with poor outcome.

Results

There were 260 submersions. Outcomes were available for 211 (81%). The median age was 4 years; 68% were males. Most incidents occurred at single residential pools (48%) and multiresidential pools (35%). Mortality was 23%; 75% had favorable outcomes. Favorable outcomes occurred in 8.6% (3/35) of victims with absent pulse at the scene. Descriptive analyses revealed significant differences in submersions that occurred on weekdays, during the summer, submersions lasting 5 minutes or more, with on-scene apnea or cardiac arrest needing cardiopulmonary resuscitation, rescuer type, and transfer to tertiary care. Logistic regression revealed that poor outcome was significantly associated with prolonged submersions and those that occurred on a weekday. Furthermore, hospitalization reduced the odds of a poor outcome by 81% when compared with victims who were not hospitalized. Bystander resuscitation was not significantly associated with outcome.

Conclusions

Childhood swimming pool submersions, which occur on weekdays and with prolonged submersion times, are associated with poor outcome. Bystander resuscitation is not significantly associated with outcome.
The Utility of Cranial Ultrasound for Detection of Intracranial Hemorrhage in Infants
Authors: Elkhunovich Marsha , Sirody Joseph , McCormick Taylor , Goodarzian Fariba , Claudius Ilene
Published: March 2016

Objective

The objective of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of cranial ultrasound (CUS) for detection of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) in infants with open fontanels.

Methods

This was a retrospective study of infants younger than 2 years who had a CUS performed for the evaluation of potential ICH. We excluded patient with CUSs that were done for reasons related to prematurity, transplant or oncologic evaluations, routine follow-up or preoperative screen, or congenital and known perinatal anomalies. Two clinicians independently classified each of the patients with ICH into significant or insignificant based on the radiology reports.

Results

Of 4948 CUS studies performed during the 5-year study period, 283 studies fit the inclusion criteria. Patient age ranged from 0 to 458 days, with a median of 33 days. There were 39 total cases of ICH detected, with 27 significant bleeds and 12 insignificant bleeds. Using computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, or clinical outcome as criterion standard, the overall ultrasound sensitivity and specificity for bleed were 67% (confidence interval [CI], 50%–81%) and 99% (CI, 97%–100%), respectively. For those with significant bleeds, the overall sensitivity was 81% (CI, 62%–94%), and for those with insignificant bleeds, it was 33% (CI, 1%–65%).

Conclusions

The sensitivity of CUS is inadequate to justify its use as a screening tool for detection of ICH in young infants.
Non-Neoplastic Conditions of the Ovaries in Grossly Normal Adnexa: A Clinicopathologic Study of 403 Completely Embedded Cases
Authors: Seidman Jeffrey D. , Krishnan Jayashree
Published: March 2016

Most non-neoplastic lesions of the ovaries have not been comprehensively examined in the contemporary literature. We evaluated completely embedded ovaries from 403 unselected, consecutive patients who had grossly normal adnexa. These included prophylactic specimens in high-risk women with BRCA mutations (38 women) and women with a personal history of breast cancer or a family history of breast and/or ovarian cancer (79 women). Transitional cell (Brenner) nests were found in 9.1%; 31% of these lesions were smaller than 1 mm, and 8 were solitary nests. Cortical granulomas were found in 20.5%, fatty metaplasia in 5.3%, mucinous metaplasia of surface epithelial inclusions in 5.5%, and smooth muscle stromal metaplasia in 2%. One or more types of stromal hyperplasia were found in 24.3%. Endometriosis was found in 22% of adnexa. There were no significant differences in the findings in high-risk women compared with non-high-risk except those attributable to age differences between the groups. These findings establish baseline frequencies for non-neoplastic ovarian lesions, and suggest that transitional cell nests are so common that they can be regarded as a normal finding.
Hospital Quality and Performance of a Complex Surgical Procedure after Traumatic Digit Amputation
Authors: Swiatek Peter R. , Pandit Anita , Chung Kevin C. , Mahmoudi Elham
Published: March 2016

Background:

Traumatic digit amputations are prevalent injuries that have long-term disabling consequences. Although replantation after traumatic digit amputation is a complex procedure, the aesthetic, functional, and long-term economic benefits of replantation render it preferable to revision amputation when clinically indicated. The authors adapted the Donabedian quality-of-care conceptual framework to examine the association between hospital outcome quality measured by observed-to-expected mortality ratio and the treatment received after traumatic digit amputation. The authors hypothesized that the probability of undergoing replantation is higher in hospitals with lower observed-to-expected mortality ratios.

Methods:

Data from 106 qualified Level I and II trauma centers included in the 2007 to 2012 National Trauma Data Bank were used to estimate hospital-specific observed-to-expected mortality ratio. The authors then used a two-level logistic hierarchical model, adjusting for patient, clinical, and hospital characteristics, to examine whether observed-to-expected mortality ratio, as one of the commonly used hospital quality measures, is a predictor of the treatment received for 4169 patients with traumatic digit amputation.

Results:

Compared with trauma centers with high observed-to-expected mortality ratios, the probability of undergoing replantation was substantially higher in trauma centers with low observed-to-expected mortality ratios (OR, 5.09; 95 percent CI, 2.51 to 10.30; p < 0.001). Seeking care at hospitals with more than 400 beds increased the probability of digit replantation (OR, 2.08; 95 percent CI, 1.08 to 4.01; p = 0.029). Having no insurance decreased the odds of undergoing replantation (OR, 0.70; 95 percent CI, 0.53 to 0.91; p = 0.009).

Conclusions:

Hospital observed-to-expected mortality ratio was the greatest predictor of undergoing replantation after digit amputation injury. The observed-to-expected mortality ratio, as an outcome measure of hospital quality, is an important predictor of the treatment received.
Expenditures for Persons Living With HIV Enrolled in Medicaid, 2006–2010
Authors: Fleishman John A. , Monroe Anne K. , Voss Cindy C. , Moore Richard D. , Gebo Kelly A.
Published: March 2016

Background:

Costs of care for persons living with HIV have been high historically. Cost estimates based on data from 1 health care site may underestimate total expenditures; using insurance claims avoids this limitation. We used Medicaid claims data to comprehensively assess payments for care for persons living with HIV between 2006 and 2010.

Methods:

Five sites from the HIV Research Network (HIVRN) provided information on patients with Medicaid coverage. Medicaid data were obtained from the sites' states (MD, NY, and MA) and 3 surrounding states and matched to HIVRN medical record–based data. Individuals less than 18, those with Medicare, and those in Medicaid managed care plans were excluded. Medicaid and HIVRN data were compared to ascertain concordance in capturing any inpatient event and any antiretroviral (ART) medication use.

Results:

Of 6892 unique HIVRN identifiers, 6196 (90%) were linked to Medicaid data. The analytic sample included 11,341 person-years of Medicaid claims data from 3695 individuals in fee-for-service (FFS) programs. The mean annual FFS payment for all services was $47,434; mean annual FFS payment for only medical services was $38,311. Concordance between Medicaid and HIVRN data was excellent for ART use, but HIVRN data did not record a substantial proportion of years in which Medicaid recorded inpatient use.

Conclusions:

Estimated Medicaid payment amounts in this study are higher than some previous estimates. More complete capture of expensive inpatient hospitalizations in Medicaid data may partially explain this finding. Although inpatient care and ART medications contribute the most, expenditures for nonmedical services are substantial.
Poorly Controlled HIV Infection: An Independent Risk Factor for Liver Fibrosis
Authors: Kim H. Nina , Nance Robin , Van Rompaey Stephen , Delaney Joseph C. , Crane Heidi M. , Cachay Edward R. , Geng Elvin , Boswell Stephen L. , Rodriguez Benigno , Eron Joseph J. , Saag Michael , Moore Richard D. , Kitahata Mari M.
Published: March 2016

Background:

Liver disease is a major cause of mortality among HIV-infected persons. There is limited information about the extent to which HIV disease severity impacts liver disease progression.

Methods:

We determined the incidence and predictors of advanced hepatic fibrosis measured by the Fibrosis-4 index (≥3.25) in a large diverse population of HIV-infected patients without significant liver disease at baseline (Fibrosis-4 score <1.45) in care between January 2000 and March 2014. We used Cox proportional hazards analysis to examine factors associated with progression to Fibrosis-4 score ≥3.25.

Results:

Among 14,198 HIV-infected patients, hepatitis C virus (HCV) coinfection [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 1.9, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.6 to 2.1], hepatitis B virus coinfection (aHR 1.5, 95% CI: 1.2 to 1.8), alcohol-use disorder (aHR 1.4, 95% CI: 1.2 to 1.6), and diabetes (aHR 1.9, 95% CI: 1.6 to 2.3) were associated with progression to advanced fibrosis in multivariable analysis. In addition, patients at each lower level of time-varying CD4 cell count had a significantly greater risk of progression, with ∼7-fold higher risk in those with CD4 <100 cells per cubic millimeter (aHR 6.9, 95% CI: 5.8 to 8.3) compared with CD4 ≥500 cells per cubic millimeter. An increasing gradient of risk was also observed among patients with higher time-varying HIV viral load (VL), with the greatest risk noted with VL ≥100,000 copies per milliliter (aHR 2.6, 95% CI: 2.2 to 3.1) compared with VL <500 copies per milliliter.

Conclusions:

Lower CD4 cell count and higher HIV VL were significantly associated with progression to advanced hepatic fibrosis in a dose-dependent manner, independent of the risk associated with traditional factors: hepatitis C virus or hepatitis B virus coinfection, alcohol, and diabetes. Our findings suggest that early treatment of HIV infection could mitigate liver disease.
PrEP Adherence Patterns Strongly Affect Individual HIV Risk and Observed Efficacy in Randomized Clinical Trials
Authors: Dimitrov Dobromir T. , Mâsse Benoît R. , Donnell Deborah
Published: March 2016

Background:

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) suggest that the efficacy of tenofovir-based preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) strongly depends on the consistency of PrEP use. We explore how the patterns of pill taking and waning of PrEP protection may affect PrEP efficacy for HIV prevention.

Methods:

A 2-arm RCT was simulated by mathematical models assuming that the prescribed daily doses were skipped periodically, randomly, or in large blocks. Risk-driven adherence, in which PrEP was taken when sex was expected, was also investigated. Three temporal PrEP protection profiles were explored: long (5 days), intermediate (3 days), and short (24 hours). Modeling results were compared to the efficacy observed in completed RCTs.

Results:

The expected PrEP efficacy was 60% with periodic, 50% with random, and 34% with block adherence when PrEP had a long protection profile and pills were taken only 50% of the days. Risk-driven pill taking resulted in 29% and 37% daily pills taken and efficacy of 43% and 51%, respectively, for long protection. High PrEP efficacy comparable with that observed in Partners PrEP and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Botswana trials was simulated under long protection, high overall adherence, and limited block pill taking; the moderate efficacy observed in iPrEx and Bangkok trials was comparable with the 50% adherence scenarios under random pill taking and long protection.

Conclusions:

Pill-taking patterns may have a substantial impact on the protection provided by PrEP even when the same numbers of pills are taken. When PrEP retains protection for longer than a day, pill-taking patterns can explain a broad range of efficacies observed in PrEP RCTs.
Temporal Trends and Geographic Variations in Dementia Mortality in China Between 2006 and 2012
Authors: Yin Peng , Feng Xiaoqi , Astell-Burt Thomas , Page Andrew , Liu Jiangmei , Liu Yunning , Liu Shiwei , Wang Lijun , Wang Limin , Zhou Maigeng
Published: March 2016

Objectives:

We aimed to explore the temporal trends and geographic variations in dementia mortality in China.

Materials and Methods:

Annual dementia mortality counts (years 2006 to 2012) in 161 counties and districts (Disease Surveillance Points, DSP) were extracted from the nationally representative China Mortality Surveillance System and stratified by 5-year age group (aged >65), sex, and time. These counts were linked to annually adjusted denominator populations. Multilevel negative binomial regression with random intercepts and slopes were used to investigate spatiotemporal variation in dementia mortality.

Results:

Dementia mortality varied over 2-fold between DSPs (median rate ratio: 2.59). Significant variation in DSP slopes through time (variance 0.075, SE 0.020) indicated spatiotemporal variations. Mortality rates were significantly higher in the east (rate ratio 2.28; 95% confidence intervals, 1.45-3.60) compared with the north. There was a declining trend in 2 (east and northwest) of the 7 regions. Dementia mortality decreased by 15% in urban areas but increased by 24% in rural areas.

Conclusions:

Our findings indicate that regional inequalities in dementia mortality are salient, and the increase in mortality rates in rural areas is an emerging public health challenge in China. Tailored preventive health strategies should be in place to narrow down this avoidable and wholly unnecessary inequality.
Mechanisms for action prediction operate differently in observers with motor experience
Authors: Colling Lincoln J , Thompson William F , Sutton John
Published: March 2016

Recent theoretical and empirical work has suggested an important role for the motor system in generating predictions about the timing of external events. We tested the hypothesis that motor experience with an observed action changes how observers generated predictions about these actions by comparing the performance of naïve and experienced observers on a task that required participants to predict the timing of particular critical points in an ongoing observed action. Crucially, we employed action and non-action stimuli with identical temporal dynamics, and we predicted that motor experience would enhance prediction accuracy specifically for actions and would have a reduced or negligible effect on enhancing prediction accuracy for non-action stimuli. Our results showed that motor experience did modulate prediction accuracy for action stimuli relative to non-action stimuli. No difference between conditions was observed for the naïve observers.
Quantification of Focal Outflow Enhancement using Differential Canalograms
Authors: Loewen Ralitsa T. , Brown Eric N. , Scott Gordon , Parikh Hardik , Schuman Joel S. , Loewen Nils A.
Published: March 2016

Purpose:

To quantify regional changes of conventional outflow caused by ab interno trabeculectomy (AIT).

Methods:

Gonioscopic, plasma-mediated ab interno trabeculectomy (AIT; Trabectome, Neomedix, Tustin, CA) was established in enucleated pig eyes. We developed a program to automatically quantify outflow changes (R, package eye-canalogram, github.com) using a fluorescent tracer reperfusion technique. Trabecular meshwork (TM) ablation was demonstrated with fluorescent spheres in 6 eyes before formal outflow quantification with two dye reperfusion canalograms in 6 further eyes. Eyes were perfused with a central, intracameral needle at 15 mmHg. Canalograms and histology were correlated for each eye.

Results:

The pig eye provided a model with high similarity to AIT in human patients. Histology indicated ablation of TM and unroofing of most Schlemm’s canal segments. Spheres highlighted additional circumferential and radial outflow beyond the immediate area of ablation. Differential canalograms showed that AIT caused an increase of outflow of 17±5 fold inferonasally (IN), 14±3 fold superonasally (SN) and also an increase in the opposite quadrants with a 2±1 fold increase superotemporally (ST) and 3±3 inferotemporally (IT). Perilimbal specific flow image analysis showed an accelerated nasal filling with an additional perilimbal flow direction into adjacent quadrants.

Conclusion:

A quantitative, differential canalography technique was developed that allows to quantify supraphysiological outflow enhancement by AIT.
Automated SWATH Data Analysis Using Targeted Extraction of Ion Chromatograms
Authors: Röst Hannes L. , Aebersold Ruedi , Schubert Olga T.
Published: March 2016

Targeted mass spectrometry comprises a set of methods able to quantify protein analytes in complex mixtures with high accuracy and sensitivity. These methods, e.g., Selected Reaction Monitoring (SRM) and SWATH MS, use specific mass spectrometric coordinates (assays) for reproducible detection and quantification of proteins. In this protocol, we describe how to analyze in a targeted manner data from a SWATH MS experiment aimed at monitoring thousands of proteins reproducibly over many samples. We present a standard SWATH MS analysis workflow, including manual data analysis for quality control (based on Skyline) as well as automated data analysis with appropriate control of error rates (based on the OpenSWATH workflow). We also discuss considerations to ensure maximal coverage, reproducibility and quantitative accuracy.
Connecting the sequence-space of bacterial signaling proteins to phenotypes using coevolutionary landscapes
Authors: Cheng R. R. , Nordesjö O. , Hayes R. L. , Levine H. , Flores S. C. , Onuchic J. N. , Morcos F.
Published: March 2016

Two-component signaling (TCS) is the primary means by which bacteria sense and respond to the environment. TCS involves two partner proteins working in tandem, which interact to perform cellular functions while limiting interactions with non-partners (i.e., “cross-talk”). We construct a Potts model for TCS that can quantitatively predict how mutating amino acid identities affect the interaction between TCS partners and non-partners. The parameters of this model are inferred directly from protein sequence data. This approach drastically reduces the computational complexity of exploring the sequence-space of TCS proteins. As a stringent test, we compare its predictions to a recent comprehensive mutational study, which characterized the functionality of 204mutational variants of the PhoQ kinase inEscherichia coli. We find that our best predictions accurately reproduce the amino acid combinations found in experiment, which enable functional signaling with its partner PhoP. These predictions demonstrate the evolutionary pressure to preserve the interaction between TCS partners as well as prevent unwanted “crosstalk”. Further, we calculate the mutational change in the binding affinity between PhoQ and PhoP, providing an estimate to the amount of destabilization needed to disrupt TCS.
Clinical study of Dermatophyte Test Strip, an immunochromatographic method, to detect tinea unguium dermatophytes
Authors: Tsunemi Yuichiro , Hiruma Masataro
Published: March 2016

The Dermatophyte Test Strip visualizes mycotic antigens by immunochromatography. It allows easy and fast detection of dermatophytes. A multicenter, single‐arm, comparative clinical study was designed to evaluate the capacity of Dermatophyte Test Strip to detect dermatophytes in suspected tinea unguium specimens in comparison with direct microscopy and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Signed consent was obtained from 222 subjects and all subjects completed the study. With the Dermatophyte Test Strip, dermatophytes were detected in 201 of 222 (90.5%) specimens but not in 21 of 222 (9.5%) specimens. With direct microscopy, dermatophytes were detected in 170 of 222 (76.6%) specimens but not in 52 of 222 (23.4%). Of the 45 specimens that showed inconsistent results between the two methods, PCR gave further results for 40 specimens, of which 37 (92.5%) specimens were positive and three (7.5%) were negative for dermatophytes. The positive concordance rate, negative concordance rate and overall concordance rate between the Dermatophyte Test Strip and direct microscopy were 81.1%, 66.7% and 79.7%, respectively. When inconsistent results were corrected using the results of PCR, these rates were 97.5%, 71.4% and 95.0%, respectively. When five specimens that could not be tested by PCR because no piece for the PCR test was left were excluded from analysis, these rates were 99.0%, 78.9% and 97.2%, respectively. The present results indicate good detection capacity of the Dermatophyte Test Strip. The Dermatophyte Test Strip provides a reliable, convenient and quick method to test for tinea unguium.
Food, temperature and endurance: effects of food deprivation on the thermal sensitivity of physiological performance
Authors: Gilbert Anthony L. , Miles Donald B.
Published: March 2016

Studies of thermal ecology and physiology (e.g. the change in performance with temperature) provide critical data for predicting the potential responses of ectothermic organisms to climate change. Projected modification of current ambient temperature in the future is expected to result in shifts in whole‐organismal performance, which could lead to a diminishment in individual fitness, resulting in demographic collapse.

The anticipated responses of ectothermic organisms to climate change focus on the direct effects of temperature and neglect other potential concomitant changes to the environment. Climate models forecast dramatic alteration in precipitation patterns, which in some regions will lead to prolonged drought. Rising temperatures coupled with decreased rainfall will disrupt patterns of net primary productivity and as a consequence alter the prey base and seasonal food availability. Individuals exposed to lower food availability are expected to adjust thermoregulatory behaviour to reduce their daily energetic expenditures.

The consequences of fasting in lizards have received scant attention; consequently, we examined the effects of alteration in food availability on both preferred body temperatures in a thermal gradient and the thermal sensitivity of locomotor performance in the lizard Urosaurus ornatus. We experimentally manipulated food access to two groups of lizards and compared thermal preference and thermal performance curves.

We found distinct shifts in preferred body temperature and locomotor performance when food availability is restricted. Fasted lizards exhibited reduced preferred body temperatures compared to fed lizards. The position and shape of thermal performance curves differed between fasted and fed lizards. Fasted lizards had lower optimal temperatures of performance and wider thermal performance breadths than fed lizards.

Restricted access to food resources leads to thermal biological patterns favouring lower temperatures. Lizards with low food access may be restricted to shaded regions of their habitat, unable to cope with the stressful situation of activity at warmer temperatures, and thus be at a selective disadvantage for procuring energetic or reproductive opportunities. By characterizing the interaction between thermal physiology and food availability, our study provides more clarification regarding the bioenergetic pressures likely to affect lizards in warmer environments.

A lay summary is available for this article.
Family morph matters: factors determining survival and recruitment in a long‐lived polymorphic raptor
Authors: Sumasgutner Petra , Tate Gareth J. , Koeslag Ann , Amar Arjun
Published: March 2016

From an evolutionary perspective, recruitment into the breeding population represents one of the most important life‐history stages and ultimately determines the effective population size. In order to contribute to the next generation, offspring must survive to sexual maturity, secure a territory and find a mate.

In this study, we explore factors influencing both offspring survival and their subsequent recruitment into the local breeding population in a long‐lived urban raptor, the black sparrowhawk (Accipiter melanoleucus). Adult black sparrowhawks show discrete colour polymorphism (dark and light morphs), and in South Africa, morphs are distributed clinally with the highest proportion of dark morphs (c.75%) present in our study population on the Cape Peninsula.

Parental morph was associated with both survival and recruitment. For survival, parental morph combination was important – with young produced by pairs of contrasting morphs having higher survival rates than young fledged from like‐pairs. The association between recruitment and morph was more complex; with an interaction between male morph and breeding time, whereby recruitment of offspring from dark morph fathers was more likely when fledging earlier in the season. The opposite relationship was found for light morph fathers, with their offspring more likely to be recruited if fledged later in the season.

This interaction may be due to differential morph‐specific hunting success of fathers (males contribute most food provisioning), linked to background matching and crypsis in different weather conditions. Dark morph males may hunt more successfully in rainier and cloudier conditions, which occur more frequently earlier in the breeding season, and light morph males may be more successful later on, when weather conditions become increasingly brighter and drier. Our results reveal a complex situation whereby the family morph combination influences survival, and the father morphs specifically recruitment, revealing morph‐specific benefits dependent on the timing of breeding. These empirical data are among the first to support the idea that differential fitness consequence of morph combination may explain balanced polymorphism in a vertebrate population.
Tailored flower strips promote natural enemy biodiversity and pest control in potato crops
Authors: Tschumi Matthias , Albrecht Matthias , Collatz Jana , Dubsky Viktor , Entling Martin H. , Najar‐Rodriguez Adriana J. , Jacot Katja
Published: March 2016

Sown flower strips are increasingly implemented within agri‐environment schemes (AES) to increase functional biodiversity and ecosystem services such as pollination or natural pest control, but their effectiveness in achieving these goals remains poorly studied.

We tested the performance of experimentally sown annual flower strips specifically designed to promote natural enemies of aphids and their pest control services (tailored flower strips) in adjacent potato crops (n = 8) compared with control fields (n = 10). Flower strips consisted of 11 plant species providing abundant floral and extra‐floral resources.

The abundance of key natural enemies of aphids (hoverflies, lacewings and ladybirds) and hoverfly species richness was greatly enhanced in tailored flower strips compared with potato control strips. This resulted in an average increase in the number of eggs deposited by hoverflies and lacewings by 127% and 48%, respectively, and a reduction in the number of aphids by 75% in adjacent potato crops.

Synthesis and applications. We conclude that tailored flower strips can be an effective agri‐environmental measure to enhance natural enemies and aphid control in nearby crops. Indeed, tailored flower strips may help to reduce insecticide input in potato production as they significantly decrease the probability that action thresholds are reached. Promoting natural enemy abundance and diversity, as observed for hoverflies, may increase the stability of pest control and provide additional benefits to agro‐ecosystems in terms of natural enemy conservation. We thus recommend establishing tailored flower strips as a promising management option to reconcile the objectives of ecological intensification and biodiversity conservation.
Plant toxin levels in nectar vary spatially across native and introduced populations
Authors: Egan Paul A. , Stevenson Phillip C. , Tiedeken Erin Jo , Wright Geraldine A. , Boylan Fabio , Stout Jane C.
Published: March 2016

Secondary compounds in nectar can function as toxic chemical defences against floral antagonists, but may also mediate plant–pollinator interactions. Despite their ecological importance, few studies have investigated patterns of spatial variation in toxic nectar compounds in plant species, and none outside their native range.

Grayanotoxin I (GTX I) occurs in nectar of invasive Rhododendron ponticum where it is toxic to honeybees and some solitary bee species. We examined (i) geographic variation in the composition of nectar GTX I, as well as GTX III (which is not toxic to these species), in the native and introduced range of R. ponticum, (ii) how their expression is structured at patch and landscape scales within ranges, and (iii) whether climatic and environmental factors underpin spatial patterns.

While both GTXs varied within ranges, variation in GTX I, but not GTX III, was detected between ranges. GTX I expression was thus markedly lower or (in 18% of cases) absent from nectar in introduced plants. Spatial autocorrelation was apparent at both patch and landscape scales and in part related to heat load interception by plants (a function of latitude, aspect and slope).

As expression of nectar GTXs was generally robust to environmental variation, and aggregated in space, this trait has the potential to be spatially discriminated by consumers. Given the specificity of change to GTX I, and its differential toxicity to some bee species, we conclude that its expression was likely to have been influenced during invasion by interaction with herbivores/consumers, either via pollinator‐mediated selection or enemy release from floral antagonists.

Synthesis. As the first demonstration of large‐scale geographic variation and spatial structure in toxic nectar compounds, this work deepens our understanding of the chemical ecology of floral interactions in native and introduced species. Spatially explicit studies of nectar secondary compounds are thus required to show how the extent and structure of spatial variation may affect floral ecology. Future development of invasion theory should incorporate a holistic view of plant defence, beyond antagonistic interactions, which integrates the consequences of chemically defended mutualist rewards.
Work participation for people with severe mental illnesses: An integrative review of factors impacting job tenure
Authors: Williams Anne E. , Fossey Ellie , Corbière Marc , Paluch Tamar , Harvey Carol
Published: March 2016

Background

Enabling people with severe mental illness to sustain employment remains a challenge. This is despite most wishing to be employed, and the development of effective vocational interventions and employment supports for this population. To better understand how to enable their sustained involvement in the workforce, this review sought to identify, analyse and summarise studies investigating the factors that impact the job tenure of workers with severe mental illness, irrespective of the type of employment support they received.

Methods

An integrative literature review approach was employed to locate, appraise and synthesise quantitative and qualitative research focused on job tenure published in the 20 years up to 2013. Findings from nineteen studies were extracted and integrated using thematic analytic strategies.

Results

Job tenure was mostly conceptualised across the reviewed studies as time spent in individual jobs rather than as ongoing participation in the workforce. Three themes describe the factors contributing to job tenure: (1) the worker's experience of doing the current job; (2) natural supports in the workplace; and (3) strategies for integrating work, recovery and wellness, each of which could either support or impede ongoing employment.

Conclusion

Occupational therapists, other vocational specialists and mental health staff can use these factors as a guide to supporting people with severe mental illness in employment. More detailed examination of job tenure is required in future research not only on job duration but also on the quality of jobs held, their value for career development and the role of services in supporting tenure.
β‐asarone and levodopa co‐administration increase striatal dopamine level in 6‐hydroxydopamine induced rats by modulating P‐glycoprotein and tight junction proteins at the blood‐brain barrier and promoting levodopa into the brain
Authors: Huang Liping , Deng Minzhen , He Yuping , Lu Shiyao , Ma Ruanxin , Fang Yongqi
Published: March 2016

Levodopa (L‐dopa) is widely considered as one of the most effective drug constituents in the treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD), but the blood‐brain barrier (BBB) permeability of L‐dopa is <5%, which causes low efficacy. Neuroprotective effects of β‐asarone on 6‐hydroxydopamine (6‐OHDA)‐induced PD rats were demonstrated by our previous studies. Co‐administration of β‐asarone and L‐dopa has not been explored until being investigated on PD rats in this study. PD rats were divided into four groups: untreated, L‐dopa‐treated, β‐asarone‐treated and co‐administered‐treated groups. All of the treatments were administered to the rats twice per day for 30 days. The L‐dopa, dopamine (DA), 3,4‐dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and homovanillic acid (HVA), S100β and neuron‐specific enolase (NSE) levels were subsequently determined. The P‐glycoprotein (P‐gp), zonula occludens‐1 (ZO‐1), claudin‐5, occludin and actin expression was also assessed in cortex. Changes in BBB ultrastructure were observed using transmission electron microscopy. Our results showed that the co‐administered treatment increased levels of L‐dopa, DA, DOPAC and HVA in striatum, and S100β in plasma, but down‐regulated NSE, P‐gp, ZO‐1, occludin, actin and claudin‐5 in cortex. Crevices were observed between capillary endothelial cells at intercellular tight junction of the striatum in co‐administered‐treated group, while the endothelial cells in untreated group were tightly jointing each other. In addition, the correlations of L‐dopa or DA and P‐gp or tight junction proteins respectively were significantly negative in co‐administered‐ and β‐asarone‐treated groups. These findings suggest that co‐administered treatment may enhance the L‐dopa BBB permeability and attenuate brain injury, which may be beneficial to PD treatment.
A Simple Model of Contract Enforcement Institutions
Authors: Kunieda Takuma , Okada Keisuke , Shibata Akihisa
Published: March 2016

We demonstrate that in highly productive economies contract enforcement institutions are endogenously established, and partnership contracts correct inefficient land allocation. In less productive economies, however, such institutions are not established, and partnership contracts are not formed. In economies with intermediate productivity levels, multiple Nash equilibria exist; that is, contract enforcement institutions are established in the high Nash equilibrium whereas they are not formed in the low Nash equilibrium. In this case, institutional quality can be diverse across economies. We also prove that improvement in institutional quality reduces within‐country inequality. All these outcomes are consistent with cross‐country observations.
World Trade and the Environment: Issues and Policies
Authors: Chang Winston W.
Published: March 2016

This paper provides an overview of trade, environmental and related public issues and policies. It discusses the pollution problem, the recent global warming trend, the attempts of various institutions, including the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, regional, national and other organizations, to solve the global trade and environmental issues. The paper also discusses a number of basic theoretical issues and empirical findings, such as the free‐rider problem, the tragedy of the commons, the theory of second best, the relative efficacy of price and quantity control, carbon leakage, border carbon adjustments, the cap‐and‐trade system, the pollution haven hypothesis, the optimal social discount rate and the environmental Kuznets curve. Some computable general equilibrium models are reviewed and several notable World Trade Organization environmental and health‐related trade dispute cases are analysed, including the tuna–dolphin, shrimp–turtle, eco‐labelling, beef‐hormone and genetically modified organism cases.
Monetary policy regime change and regional inflation dynamics: looking through the lens of sector‐level data for Korea
Authors: Choi Chi‐Young , Lee Joo Yong , O'Sullivan Róisín
Published: March 2016

This paper explores the impact of the adoption of inflation targeting (IT) on the dynamics of city‐level inflation in Korea using both aggregate and sector‐level data. When looking at aggregate regional inflation, we find that the mean, volatility and persistence fell in all cities in the wake of the monetary policy regime change, consistent with other evidence in the literature. Delving more deeply into the disaggregate data reveals additional insights however. For most of the changes we observe in the dynamics of regional inflation, we find that the aggregate effects are being driven primarily by sectors that fall into the ‘Services’ category. We posit that the impact of better anchored inflationary expectations is primarily on the less‐traded services sectors of the economy, where the domestic monetary policy framework has a relatively larger influence. When it comes to the increased co‐movement observed across regions under an IT regime, however, it is the ‘Commodities’ sectors rather than ‘Services’ that are responsible, probably because services inflation becomes relatively more influenced by local factors once it has stabilized within the target range. Therefore, adoption of IT may not necessarily increase all measures of regional synchronization even when the goal of better‐anchored inflationary expectations is achieved.
Provider Experience and the Comparative Safety of Laparoscopic and Open Colectomy
Authors: Sheetz Kyle H. , Norton Edward C. , Birkmeyer John D. , Dimick Justin B.
Published: March 2016

Objective

To evaluate the comparative safety of laparoscopic and open colectomy across surgeons varying in experience with laparoscopy.

Data Sources

National Medicare data (2008–2010) for beneficiaries undergoing laparoscopic or open colectomy.

Study Design

Using instrumental variable methods to address selection bias, we evaluated outcomes of laparoscopic and open colectomy. Our instrument was the regional use of laparoscopy in the year prior to a patient's operation. We then evaluated outcomes stratified by surgeons' annual volume of laparoscopic colectomy.

Principal Findings

Laparoscopic colectomy was associated with lower mortality (OR: 0.75, 95 percent CI: 0.70–0.78) and fewer complications than open surgery (OR: 0.82, 95 percent CI: 0.79–0.85). Increasing surgeon volume was associated with better outcomes for both procedures, but the relationship was stronger for laparoscopy. The comparative safety depended on surgeon volume. High‐volume surgeons had 40 percent lower mortality (OR: 0.60, 95 percent CI: 0.55–0.65) and 30 percent fewer complications (OR: 0.70, 95 percent CI: 0.67–0.74) with laparoscopy. Conversely, low‐volume surgeons had 7 percent higher mortality (OR: 1.07, 95 percent CI: 1.02–1.13) and 18 percent more complications (OR: 1.18, 95 percent CI: 1.12–1.24) with laparoscopy.

Conclusions

This population‐based study demonstrates that the comparative safety of laparoscopic and open colectomy is influenced by surgeon volume. Laparoscopic colectomy is only safer for patients whose surgeons have sufficient experience.
DNA Profiling Success Rates from Degraded Skeletal Remains in Guatemala
Authors: Johnston Emma , Stephenson Mishel
Published: March 2016

No data are available regarding the success of DNA Short Tandem Repeat (STR) profiling from degraded skeletal remains in Guatemala. Therefore, DNA profiling success rates relating to 2595 skeletons from eleven cases at the Forensic Anthropology Foundation of Guatemala (FAFG) are presented. The typical postmortem interval was 30 years. DNA was extracted from bone powder and amplified using Identifiler and Minifler. DNA profiling success rates differed between cases, ranging from 50.8% to 7.0%, the overall success rate for samples was 36.3%. The best DNA profiling success rates were obtained from femur (36.2%) and tooth (33.7%) samples. DNA profiles were significantly better from lower body bones than upper body bones (p = <0.0001). Bone samples from males gave significantly better profiles than samples from females (p = <0.0001). These results are believed to be related to bone density. The findings are important for designing forensic DNA sampling strategies in future victim recovery investigations.
Trends in computed tomography utilisation in the emergency department: A 5 year experience in an urban medical centre in northern Taiwan
Authors: Chang Julia Chia‐Yu , Lin Yan‐Ying , Hsu Teh‐Fu , Chen Yen‐Chia , How Chorng‐Kuang , Huang Mu‐Shun
Published: March 2016

Background

Steady increase in computed tomography (CT) utilisation in the ED was observed in countries such as the USA, Canada, China and Korea; however, limited empirical data are available regarding Taiwan.

Objective

The objective of the present study is to quantify and compare trends in CT utilisation in the ED over a 5 year period in a medical centre in Taiwan.

Methods

Electronic chart review was performed in a medical centre with an annual ED census of 80 000 patients. Subjects >20 years of age who underwent CT scans during ED visits from 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2009 were identified.

Results

Among the 333 673 adult ED visits, 43 635 received CT scans, with a utilisation rate of 131 per 1000. Within the 5 year span, patient volume increased by 7.7%, whereas CT utilisation increased by 42.7%. The rates of increase in patient volume and CT utilisation were 5.0% and 32.4% in non‐trauma; 19.7% and 97.8% in trauma. CT scans were mostly performed on the head (47%), abdomen (36%), followed by chest (10%) and miscellaneous (7%). An increase of 168% in spinal CTs for trauma patients was observed. An increase in CT utilisation was found in all age groups with a proportionate increase with increasing age in both trauma and non‐trauma.

Conclusion

ED CT utilisation has increased at a rate far exceeding the growth in ED patient volume. This may be attributed to the improved utility of CT in diagnosing serious pathology, more diagnostic indications for CT, ready availability and the necessity for diagnostic certainty in the ED.
Recent Changes in Stream Flashiness and Flooding, and Effects of Flood Management in North Carolina and Virginia
Authors: Mogollón Beatriz , Frimpong Emmanuel A. , Hoegh Andrew B. , Angermeier Paul L.
Published: March 2016

The southeastern United States has undergone anthropogenic changes in landscape structure, with the potential to increase (e.g., urbanization) and decrease (e.g., reservoir construction) stream flashiness and flooding. Assessment of the outcome of such change can provide insight into the efficacy of current strategies and policies to manage water resources. We (1) examined trends in precipitation, floods, and stream flashiness and (2) assessed the relative influence of land cover and flow‐regulating features (e.g., best management practices and artificial water bodies) on stream flashiness from 1991 to 2013. We found mean annual precipitation decreased, which coincided with decreasing trends in floods. In contrast, stream flashiness, overall, showed an increasing trend during the period of study. However, upon closer examination, 20 watersheds showed stable stream flashiness, whereas 5 increased and 6 decreased in flashiness. Urban watersheds were among those that increased or decreased in flashiness. Watersheds that increased in stream flashiness gained more urban cover, lost more forested cover and had fewer best management practices installed than urban watersheds that decreased in stream flashiness. We found best management practices are more effective than artificial water bodies in regulating flashy floods. Flashiness index is a valuable and straightforward metric to characterize changes in streamflow and help to assess the efficacy of management interventions.
A new virus discovered by immunocapture of double‐strandedRNA, a rapid method for virus enrichment in metagenomic studies
Authors: Blouin Arnaud G. , Ross Howard A. , Hobson‐Peters Jody , O'Brien Caitlin A. , Warren Ben , MacDiarmid Robin
Published: March 2016

Next‐generation sequencing technologies enable the rapid identification of viral infection of diseased organisms. However, despite a consistent decrease in sequencing costs, it is difficult to justify their use in large‐scale surveys without a virus sequence enrichment technique. As the majority of plant viruses have anRNAgenome, a common approach is to extract the double‐strandedRNA(dsRNA) replicative form, to enrich the replicating virus genetic material over the host background. The traditional dsRNAextraction is time‐consuming and labour‐intensive. We present an alternative method to enrich dsRNAfrom plant extracts using anti‐dsRNAmonoclonal antibodies in a pull‐down assay. The extracted dsRNAcan be amplified by reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction and sequenced by next‐generation sequencing. In our study, we have selected three distinct plant hosts: Māori potato (Solanum tuberosum), rengarenga (Arthropodium cirratum) and broadleaved dock (Rumex obtusifolius) representing a cultivated crop, a New Zealand‐native ornamental plant and a weed, respectively. Of the sequence data obtained, 31–74% of the reads were of viral origin, and we identified five viruses includingPotato virus YandPotato virus Sin potato;Turnip mosaic virusin rengarenga (a new host record); and in the dock sampleCherry leaf roll virusand a novel virus belonging to the genusMacluravirus. We believe that this new assay represents a significant opportunity to upscale virus ecology studies from environmental, primary industry and/or medical samples.