bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The epistemic costs of compromise in bioethics
Authors: Devolder Katrien , Douglas Thomas
Published: December 2017

Bioethicists sometimes defend compromise positions, particularly when they enter debates on applied topics that have traditionally been highly polarised, such as those regarding abortion, euthanasia and embryonic stem cell research. However, defending compromise positions is often regarded with a degree of disdain. Many are intuitively attracted to the view that it is almost always problematic to defend compromise positions, in the sense that we have a significant moral reason not to do so. In this paper, we consider whether this common sense view can be given a principled basis. We first show how existing explanations for the problematic nature of compromise fall short of vindicating the common sense view, before offering our own explanation, which, we claim, comes closer to vindicating that view. We argue that defending a compromise will typically have two epistemic costs: it will corrupt attempts to use the claims of ethicists as testimonial evidence, and it will undermine standards that are important to making epistemic progress in ethics. We end by suggesting that the epistemic costs of compromise could be reduced by introducing a stronger separation between ethical debate aimed at fulfilling the epistemic role of ethics, and ethical debate that aims to directly produce good policy or practice.
‘It's when you're not doing too much you feel tired’: A qualitative exploration of fatigue in end‐stage kidney disease
Authors: Picariello Federica , Moss‐Morris Rona , Macdougall Iain C , Chilcot Joseph
Published: December 2017

Background

Fatigue is commonly experienced in end‐stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients. In order to develop patient‐centred psychosocial interventions to help patients manage fatigue symptoms, a more in‐depth understanding regarding the experience of fatigue is needed.

Objective

The objective of this study was to explore renal patients’ experiences of fatigue, across renal replacement therapy (RRT) modalities.

Methods

Twenty‐five in‐depth semi‐structured interviews were conducted. Interviews were audio‐taped, transcribed, and analysed using inductive thematic analysis.

Results

Main themes included the strong role of the illness and treatment in the aetiology of fatigue. Two contrasting streams of illness–fatigue interpretations emerged: catastrophizing versus normalizing. Participants emphasized the importance of having a sense of purpose in facilitating active management of fatigue. Many participants described the consequences of fatigue on their functioning. Low mood, frustration, and anger were common emotional consequences of fatigue. Three dominant fatigue management strategies emerged: one related to accommodation of activities around fatigue, another on increasing activities to counteract fatigue, and the third one revolved around self‐compassion. Social support emerged as an important aspect of the fatigue experience, serving as a source of motivation, yet participants were wary of becoming a burden to others.

Conclusion

Findings identify casual attributions, behavioural and emotional reactions, management strategies, and facilitators of active management of fatigue in ESKD. Untying fatigue from the illness and treatment may help patients to develop alternative less catastrophic perceptions of fatigue, increase their perception of control over fatigue, and facilitate active fatigue management.

Statement of contribution

What is already known on this subject?

Fatigue is persistent and debilitating in end‐stage kidney disease (ESKD), with no consistent treatment model.

Promising evidence is available for psychological fatigue interventions in other chronic conditions.

There is a gap in studies looking at the fatigue experiences of patients with ESKD across renal replacement therapies.

What does this study add?

Fatigue is not inherently negative, but shaped by patients’ beliefs and behaviours.

Findings provide novel insights, for example, on the important role social support seems to play in fatigue.

An in‐depth understanding of fatigue may help to inform a future patient‐centred intervention in ESKD.
Outcomes of subsequent non‐muscle‐invasive bladder cancer treated with intravesical Bacillus Calmette‐Guérin after radical nephroureterectomy for upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma
Authors: Miyake Makito , Tatsumi Yoshihiro , Matsumoto Hiroaki , Nagao Kazuhiro , Matsuyama Hideyasu , Inamoto Teruo , Azuma Haruhito , Yasumoto Hiroaki , Shiina Hiroaki , Fujimoto Kiyohide ,   The Nishinihon Uro‐Oncology Collaborative Group
Published: December 2017

Objectives

To describe the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of subsequent non‐muscle‐invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) after radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) for upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC), and particularly its response to intravesical Bacillus Calmette‐Guérin (BCG).

Patients and Methods

An observational study was conducted in 1463 patients with UTUC who had undergone RNU and in 1555 patients with primary NMIBC. Of the 1463 patients with UTUC, 256 (17%) subsequently developed NMIBC (UTUC‐NMIBC group) and were available for the analysis. The clinicopathological background and outcomes, including intravesical recurrence‐free survival and bladder progression‐free survival, were compared between the patients with UTUC‐NMIBC and the patients with primary NMIBC treated with intravesical BCG. Propensity score matching was performed to adjust for the potential differences in the backgrounds of the two groups. To validate the utility of the CUETO scoring model in the UTUC‐NMIBC group, risk scores were calculated and compared with the published probabilities for recurrence and progression.

Results

Compared with the unadjusted primary NMIBC group (n = 352), the UTUC‐NMIBC group (n = 75) were found to have a worse prognosis for intravesical recurrence and progression, before propensity score matching. After propensity score matching for potential confounding factors, however, a worse prognosis was observed only for intravesical recurrence. The validation test of the CUETO scoring model for the UTUC‐NMIBC group showed a significant difference in the rate of intravesical recurrence and progression for the 0–4 and 5–6 score groups between the UTUC‐NMIBC group and the CUETO risk table reference data.

Conclusion

Compared with the primary NMIBC group, the UTUC‐NMIBC group had a worse prognosis after intravesical BCG, especially with regard to intravesical recurrence. This suggests that patients with UTUC‐NMIBC are inherently poor responders to BCG exposure. An optimal treatment strategy and risk scoring model to select patients for adjuvant intravesical BCG, chemotherapy or immediate radical cystectomy should be established.
Evolution of cystectomy care over an 11‐year period in a high‐volume tertiary referral centre
Authors: Brassetti Aldo , Möller Axel , Laurin Oscar , Höijer Jonas , Adding Christofer , Miyakawa Ayako , Hosseini Abolfazl , Wiklund Peter
Published: December 2017

Objectives

To describe the evolution in radical cystectomy (RC) care over 11 years at a referral centre.

Patients and Methods

The clinical data of patients undergoing either open RC (ORC) or robot‐assisted RC (RARC) for cT1‐4aN0M0 bladder cancer (BCa) at our centre between January 2006 and December 2016 were retrospectively evaluated. Crude and propensity score‐weighted log‐binomial regression analyses were conducted to assess the association between pre‐ and peri‐operative variables and the risk of reoperation, intensive care unit (ICU) admission and death <90 days after RC.

Results

A total of 814 patients were considered. The percentage of RARCs performed increased (from 10% to 100%) between 2006 and 2013. Overall, 29% of the patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (12–37% from 2006 to 2016). Despite no differences in terms of operating time, pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) was more commonly attempted during RARC and extended PLND was more frequently performed in the RARC group (72% vs 19%; P < 0.001). Ileal conduit was the preferred urinary diversion in both groups, and more patients in the RARC group underwent neobladder construction (34% vs 14%; P < 0.001). The overall rates of re‐intervention, ICU admission and death within 90 days of RC were 8.9%, 5.4% and 2.9%, respectively. On crude analysis, RARC was associated with a reduced risk of ICU admission (relative risk [RR] 0.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.23–0.77; P = 0.005), reintervention (RR 0.58, 95% CI 0.37–0.90; P = 0.015) and death (RR 0.37, 95% CI 0.16–0.85; P = 0.020); however, these risk reductions were not statistically significant on weighted analyses.

Conclusions

The introduction of RARC has coincided with a reduction in the rate of ICU admission, reoperation and death within 90 days of surgery, without compromising operating time, PLND extent or neobladder utilization.
Simvastatin activates single skeletal RyR1 channels but exerts more complex regulation of the cardiac RyR2 isoform
Authors: Venturi Elisa , Lindsay Chris , Lotteau Sabine , Yang Zhaokang , Steer Emma , Witschas Katja , Wilson Abigail D , Wickens James R , Russell Angela J , Steele Derek , Calaghan Sarah , Sitsapesan Rebecca
Published: December 2017

Background and Purpose

Statins are amongst the most widely prescribed drugs for those at risk of cardiovascular disease, lowering cholesterol levels by inhibiting 3‐hydroxy‐3‐methylglutaryl (HMG)‐CoA reductase. Although effective at preventing cardiovascular disease, statin use is associated with muscle weakness, myopathies and, occasionally, fatal rhabdomyolysis. As simvastatin, a commonly prescribed statin, promotes Ca2+ release from sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) vesicles, we investigated if simvastatin directly activates skeletal (RyR1) and cardiac (RyR2) ryanodine receptors.

Experimental Approach

RyR1 and RyR2 single‐channel behaviour was investigated after incorporation of sheep cardiac or mouse skeletal SR into planar phospholipid bilayers under voltage‐clamp conditions. LC‐MS was used to monitor the kinetics of interconversion of simvastatin between hydroxy‐acid and lactone forms during these experiments. Cardiac and skeletal myocytes were permeabilised to examine simvastatin modulation of SR Ca2+ release.

Key Results

Hydroxy acid simvastatin (active at HMG‐CoA reductase) significantly and reversibly increased RyR1 open probability (Po) and shifted the distribution of Ca2+ spark frequency towards higher values in skeletal fibres. In contrast, simvastatin reduced RyR2 Po and shifted the distribution of spark frequency towards lower values in ventricular cardiomyocytes. The lactone pro‐drug form of simvastatin (inactive at HMG‐CoA reductase) also activated RyR1, suggesting that the HMG‐CoA inhibitor pharmacophore was not responsible for RyR1 activation.

Conclusion and Implications

Simvastatin interacts with RyR1 to increase SR Ca2+ release and thus may contribute to its reported adverse effects on skeletal muscle. The ability of low concentrations of simvastatin to reduce RyR2 Po may also protect against Ca2+‐dependent arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death.
Adiponectin concentration data improve the estimation of atherosclerotic risk in normal and in overweight subjects
Authors: Bertolami Adriana , de Lima‐Júnior José C. , Cintra Riobaldo M. , Carvalho Luiz S. , Gonzaga Carolina de C. , Sulzbach Martha L. , Petisco Ana C.G.P. , Barbosa José E.M. , Faludi André A. , Plutzky Jorge , Bertolami Marcelo C. , Sposito Andrei C.
Published: December 2017

Background

The combinations of adipokines and body mass parameters to estimate carotid atherosclerotic disease have not been completely delineated.

Objective

To test the combinations of well‐established, easily accessible body mass indices and circulating biomarkers to identify increased carotid intima‐media thickness (cIMT) in a primary prevention setting.

Design and patients

In a cross‐sectional analysis of 339 asymptomatic individuals with no history of cardiovascular events, inflammatory and insulin sensitivity biomarkers as well as adipokine levels were measured and combined with body mass parameters to evaluate the best marker for increased cIMT.

Results

As isolated parameters, body mass index (BMI) and adiponectin best identified abnormal cIMT (P = .04). Adiponectin levels were also linked to the relationship between BMI and cIMT (β = 0.0371; P = .01). Twenty‐nine individuals with increased cIMT were missed by BMI alone but detected by combining BMI and adiponectin measurements. When compared with BMI alone, the combination of adiponectin plus BMI improved the c‐statistic (0.549‐0.567) and the integrated discrimination improvement index (0.01725; P = .021). Segregation of individuals by the combined use of BMI + adiponectin is associated with significant differences in insulin sensitivity, glomerular filtration rate, systemic inflammatory activity, dyslipidaemia and cIMT.

Conclusions

Combining plasma adiponectin measurements and BMI improves estimation of cIMT as compared to anthropometric parameters.
Psychosocial health of cochlear implant users compared to that of adults with and without hearing aids: Results of a nationwide cohort study
Authors: Bosdriesz J.R. , Stam M. , Smits C. , Kramer S.E.
Published: December 2017

Objectives

This study aimed to examine the psychosocial health status of adult cochlear implant (CI) users, compared to that of hearing aid (HA) users, hearing‐impaired adults without hearing aids and normally hearing adults.

Design

Cross‐sectional observational study, using both self‐reported survey data and a speech‐in‐noise test.

Setting

Data as collected within the Netherlands Longitudinal Study on Hearing (NL‐SH) between September 2011 and June 2016 were used.

Participants

Data from 1254 Dutch adults (aged 23‐74), selected in a convenience sample design, were included for analyses.

Mean outcome measures

Psychosocial health measures included emotional and social loneliness, anxiety, depression, distress and somatisation. Psychosocial health, hearing status, use of hearing technology and covariates were measured by self‐report; hearing ability was assessed through an online digit triplet speech‐in‐noise test.

Results

After adjusting for the degree of hearing impairment, HA users (N = 418) and hearing‐impaired adults (N = 247) had significantly worse scores on emotional loneliness than CI users (N = 37). HA users had significantly higher anxiety scores than CI users in some analyses. Non‐significant differences were found between normally hearing (N = 552) and CI users for all psychosocial outcomes.

Conclusions

Psychosocial health of CI users is not worse than that of hearing‐impaired adults with or without hearing aids. CI users’ level of emotional loneliness is even lower than that of their hearing‐impaired peers using hearing aids. A possible explanation is that CI patients receive more professional and family support, and guidance along their patient journey than adults who are fitted with hearing aids.
Representing, Running, and Revising Mental Models: A Computational Model
Authors: Friedman Scott , Forbus Kenneth , Sherin Bruce
Published: December 2017

People use commonsense science knowledge to flexibly explain, predict, and manipulate the world around them, yet we lack computational models of how this commonsense science knowledge is represented, acquired, utilized, and revised. This is an important challenge for cognitive science: Building higher order computational models in this area will help characterize one of the hallmarks of human reasoning, and it will allow us to build more robust reasoning systems. This paper presents a novel assembled coherence (AC) theory of human conceptual change, whereby people revise beliefs and mental models by constructing and evaluating explanations using fragmentary, globally inconsistent knowledge. We implement AC theory with Timber, a computational model of conceptual change that revises its beliefs and generates human‐like explanations in commonsense science. Timber represents domain knowledge using predicate calculus and qualitative model fragments, and uses an abductive model formulation algorithm to construct competing explanations for phenomena. Timber then (a) scores competing explanations with respect to previously accepted beliefs, using a cost function based on simplicity and credibility, (b) identifies a low‐cost, preferred explanation and accepts its constituent beliefs, and then (c) greedily alters previous explanation preferences to reduce global cost and thereby revise beliefs. Consistency is a soft constraint in Timber; it is biased to select explanations that share consistent beliefs, assumptions, and causal structure with its other, preferred explanations. In this paper, we use Timber to simulate the belief changes of students during clinical interviews about how the seasons change. We show that Timber produces and revises a sequence of explanations similar to those of the students, which supports the psychological plausibility of AC theory.
Contribution of cervical cytology in the diagnostic work‐up of patients with endometrial cancer
Authors: Amkreutz L. C. M. , Pijnenborg J. M. A. , Joosten D. W. L. , Mertens H. J. M. M. , Van Kuijk S. M. J. , Engelen M. J. A. , Bergmans M. , Nolting W. E. , Kruitwagen R. F. P. M.
Published: December 2017

Introduction

Abnormal cervical cytology in patients with endometrial cancer (EC) has been associated with poor outcome. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether cervical cytology could contribute to an improved preoperative identification of high‐grade EC (serous, clear cell, carcinosarcoma, high‐grade endometrioid EC) in final histology.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was performed in five hospitals in the Netherlands. A total of 554 patients with EC that underwent primary surgical treatment between 2002 and 2010 were included. Primary outcome was defined as the contribution of abnormal cervical cytology in the preoperative identification of high‐grade EC. As secondary outcome, recurrence‐free survival (RFS) and disease‐specific survival were determined based on preoperative cervical cytology, and compared to the currently established risk factors: myometrial invasion, high‐grade and lymph vascular space invasion.

Results

Abnormal cervical cytology was present in 45.1%. For patients with preoperative inconclusive and high‐grade histology, the presence of abnormal cervical cytology contributed to an improved identification of high‐grade EC in final histology (odds ratio [OR] 6.40 [95% confidence interval {CI}: 1.92‐21.26]; OR 2.86 [95% CI: 1.14‐7.14]), respectively.

Patients with abnormal cervical cytology had a significant worse 5‐year median RFS. Abnormal cervical cytology was independently related to RFS (hazard ratio 1.67 [95% CI: 1.04‐2.68]) and disease‐specific survival (hazard ratio 3.15 [95% CI: 1.74‐5.71]).

Conclusions

Abnormal cytology contributes to the preoperative identification of patients with high‐grade EC, and is associated with compromised outcome. Future studies are warranted to determine whether cervical cytology could be incorporated into preoperative prediction models for lymph node metastasis.
Dapsone for topical use in extemporaneous preparations
Authors: Wohlrab Johannes , Michael Julia
Published: December 2017

Background

The sulfone dapsone has an established role in systemic therapy. Its pharmacological and toxicological properties are well known. Topically, dapsone is used in a gel formulation for the treatment of acne vulgaris. In addition, there have been individual case reports on the efficacy of topical dapsone preparations in the treatment of various neutrophilic dermatoses. To date, no finished medicinal product for topical use has been available in Germany.

Material and methods

Against this background, we set out to develop extemporaneous preparations containing dapsone (5 %) that meet the quality requirements of the European Pharmacopoeia as well as the manufacturing requirements of the German Ordinance on the Operation of Pharmacies (ApBetrO). These formulations included the incorporation of dapsone in a hydrophobic cream base (“hydrophobe Basiscreme DAC”) as well as in methylprednisolone aceponate 0.1 % ointment (alternatively, in the latter's cream base without active ingredient).

Results

Tests aimed at investigating the physical, chemical, and microbiological stability of these formulations showed them to meet the aforementioned quality requirements.

Conclusion

The extemporaneous formulations presented herein broaden the therapeutic options for topical treatment, in particular for patients with chronic inflammatory dermatoses associated with a neutrophilic pathogenesis.
‘I followed the flood’: a gender analysis of the moral and financial economies of forced migration
Authors: Krystalli Roxanne , Hawkins Allyson , Wilson Kim
Published: December 2017

What would a gender analysis of refugee crises reveal if one expanded the focus beyond female refugees, and acts of physical violence? This paper draws on qualitative research conducted in Denmark, Greece, Jordan, and Turkey in July and August 2016 to spotlight the gendered kinship, hierarchies, networks, and transactions that affect refugees. The coping strategies of groups often overlooked in the gender conversation are examined throughout this study, including those of male refugees and those making crossings outside of the context of a family unit. The analysis is theoretically situated at the intersection of critical humanitarianism and the politics of vulnerability, and rooted in debates about the feminisation of refugees and corresponding protection agendas. A key contribution of this work is the ethnographic tracing of how refugees embody these politics along their journeys. In closing, the paper sketches out some implications of the findings for humanitarian practice and identifies avenues for further research.
‘That thing of human rights’: discourse, emergency assistance, and sexual violence in South Sudan's current civil war
Authors: Luedke Alicia Elaine , Logan Hannah Faye
Published: December 2017

One of the most widely covered aspects of the current conflict in South Sudan has been the use sexual violence by rival factions of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) and other armed groups. While this has had the positive effect of ensuring that sexual violence is an integral component of intervention strategies in the country, it has also had a number of unintended consequences. This paper demonstrates how the narrow focus on sexual violence as a ‘weapon of war’, and the broader emergency lens through which the plight of civilians, especially women, has been viewed, are overly simplistic, often neglecting the root causes of such violence. More specifically, it highlights how dominant discourses on sexual violence in South Sudan's conflict have disregarded the historically violent civil–military relations that have typified the SPLM/A's leadership, and the structural violence connected with the local political economy of bride wealth and the associated commodification of feminine identities and bodies.
Gender, sexuality, and violence in humanitarian crises
Authors: Hilhorst Dorothea , Porter Holly , Gordon Rachel
Published: December 2017

Gender, sexuality, and violence have attracted significant attention in the sphere of humanitarianism in recent years. While this shift builds on the earlier ‘Gender and Development’ approach and the ‘Women, Peace, and Security Agenda’, analytical depth is lacking in practice. Notably, ‘gender’ often means a singular concern for women, neglecting questions of agency and the dynamic and changing realities of gendered power relations. This introductory paper examines why this neglect occurs and proposes a more relational approach to gender. It explores how the contributions to this special issue of Disasters revisit classic gender issues pertaining to violence, livelihoods, and institutions in different settings of humanitarian emergencies, while expanding one's vision beyond them. It draws from the seven papers a number of lessons for humanitarianism, concerning the entangled nature of gender relations, the risks of the unintended effects of gender programming, and the importance of paying sustained attention to how gender relations unfold in a time of crisis.
Protecting Property: The Politics of Redistribution, Expropriation, and Market Openness
Authors: Pond Amy
Published: December 2017

This paper develops a formal model to disentangle the competing political incentives for redistribution, expropriation, and market openness. Although redistribution and expropriation are both types of government extraction, redistribution re‐allocates wealth within the citizenry, while expropriation re‐allocates wealth from citizens to the government. Representative political institutions increase redistribution and reduce expropriation. Market openness changes these incentives, as foreign investors prefer reductions in both redistribution and expropriation. When political institutions are representative, the government will rely more on reducing expropriation, rather than limiting redistribution, to attract foreign investment. Under representative institutions then, openness partially reinforces the preferences of voters rather than undermining them. In addition, market liberalization occurs only when the policy changes needed to attract foreign investment are relatively small. If existing policies are satisfactory to foreign investors, moves toward openness may be accompanied by greater redistribution and expropriation, as governments are tempted by a larger base for extraction. Thus, openness has ambiguous effects on economic policy, at times encouraging and at times constraining extraction.
Migration and movement profiles of a potadromous fish (Brachymystax lenok Pallas 1773) in a highly connected river system (Mongolia)
Authors: Kaus Andrew , Büttner Olaf , Karthe Daniel , Schäffer Michael , Borchardt Dietrich
Published: December 2017

Understanding a species’ spatial and temporal movements along with the way these shift under extreme environmental conditions is vital for developing scientifically sound conservation and management strategies. The aim of this research was to describe and quantify the seasonal migration patterns and fine‐scale movement profiles of Brachymystax lenok, a threatened, potadromous salmonid that inhabits the highly connected, boreal river basins of Siberia and northern Asia. During this study 21 mature individuals were monitored over a 15 month period in the upper Eroo River basin, Mongolia, using passive acoustic telemetry. Mean (±SD) B. lenok home ranges were 19.1 ± 15.1 km (median = 11.5 km), with maximum longitudinal movements detected > 45.3 km. Two periods of increased movements were identified; the first in late summer/early autumn when 10 B. lenok moved into deeper, overwintering pools, with the second period occurring in late spring and early summer when nine B. lenok were detected entering the surrounding tributaries. Diel activity and depth typically increased during daylight hours followed by decreased activity or resting periods in shallower river sections at night. These results highlight the need to maintain a high level of river connectivity and adequate fishing season closures by implementing and enforcing an expansive spatiotemporal management plan that can better protect and recover the Mongolian B. lenok populations. Such measures should be transferable to other threatened, potadromous fish species residing throughout the world's boreal river basins.
Monoclonal gammopathies: Electronic subspecialty consultation
Authors: Burwick Nicholas , Stein Jacob , Garcia David A. , Broudy Virginia C. , Richard Robert E.
Published: December 2017

Importance

Electronic consultation (e‐consult) is an important component of care for patients in the Veterans Health Administration who require subspecialty consultation but not urgent face‐to‐face evaluation. Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) is a common reason for e‐consult. While often benign, MGUS requires careful evaluation and persistent surveillance over time.

Objective

To identify areas to improve MGUS care delivery by e‐consult.

Methods

We performed a retrospective review of our e‐consult database and identified a cohort of 152 MGUS patients triaged for e‐consult over a 5‐year period (2010‐2014).

Results

The median time to completion of an e‐consult was 2 days. Ninety‐six percent of MGUS e‐consults had a hemoglobin >10 g/dL, and 90% had a creatinine <2 mg/dL. While the majority of e‐consults were low risk, paraprotein surveillance varied over time and tracked with consult utilization. With a median follow‐up of 44 months, there were 6 documented progression events, representing a mean rate of progression of 1% per year.

Conclusions

E‐consult is a helpful mechanism for the evaluation of MGUS, reducing the need for outpatient appointments. However, timely risk stratification and persistent surveillance over time are critical for e‐consult to work well.
Modesty as an excellence in moral perspective taking
Authors: O'Hagan Emer
Published: December 2017

I argue for an egalitarian conception of modesty. Modesty is a virtue because an apt expression of what is, and is not, morally salient in our attitudes toward persons and is important because we are prone to arrogance, self‐importance, and hero worship. To make my case, I consider 3 claims which have shaped recent discussions: first, that modesty is valuable because it obviates destructive social rankings; second, that modesty essentially involves an indifference to how others evaluate one's accomplishments; and third, the widespread but normatively fraught assumption that the modest person is deserving of credit. Although the first 2 features identify something significant about modesty, they fail to ground it. I argue that appeals to deserved credit bear a larger explanatory burden than has been supposed; they can smuggle in the illegitimate social hierarchies that modesty is supposed to counter. I make my case for modesty as an excellence in moral perspective by arguing that prominent, nonegalitarian, accounts of modesty allow for or promote illegitimate forms of social privilege. Modesty is valuable because it expresses a commitment to fair distribution of basic moral recognition and a skillful response to unjust social hierarchies at odds with this fair distribution.
Making ecological models adequate
Authors: Getz Wayne M. , Marshall Charles R. , Carlson Colin J. , Giuggioli Luca , Ryan Sadie J. , Romañach Stephanie S. , Boettiger Carl , Chamberlain Samuel D. , Larsen Laurel , D’Odorico Paolo , O’Sullivan David
Published: December 2017

Critical evaluation of the adequacy of ecological models is urgently needed to enhance their utility in developing theory and enabling environmental managers and policymakers to make informed decisions. Poorly supported management can have detrimental, costly or irreversible impacts on the environment and society. Here, we examine common issues in ecological modelling and suggest criteria for improving modelling frameworks. An appropriate level of process description is crucial to constructing the best possible model, given the available data and understanding of ecological structures. Model details unsupported by data typically lead to over parameterisation and poor model performance. Conversely, a lack of mechanistic details may limit a model's ability to predict ecological systems’ responses to management. Ecological studies that employ models should follow a set of model adequacy assessment protocols that include: asking a series of critical questions regarding state and control variable selection, the determinacy of data, and the sensitivity and validity of analyses. We also need to improve model elaboration, refinement and coarse graining procedures to better understand the relevancy and adequacy of our models and the role they play in advancing theory, improving hind and forecasting, and enabling problem solving and management.
Serum neurofilament light chain in patients with acute cerebrovascular events
Authors: De Marchis G. M. , Katan M. , Barro C. , Fladt J. , Traenka C. , Seiffge D. J. , Hert L. , Gensicke H. , Disanto G. , Sutter R. , Peters N. , Sarikaya H. , Goeggel‐Simonetti B. , El‐Koussy M. , Engelter S. , Lyrer P. A. , Christ‐Crain M. , Arnold M. , Kuhle J. , Bonati L. H.
Published: December 2017

Background and purpose

Serum neurofilaments are markers of axonal injury. We addressed their diagnostic and prognostic role in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and transient ischemic attack (TIA).

Methods

Nested within a prospective cohort study, we compared levels of serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) drawn within 24 h from symptom onset in patients with AIS or TIA. Patients without magnetic resonance imaging on admission were excluded. We assessed whether sNfL was associated with: (i) clinical severity on admission, (ii) diagnosis of AIS vs. TIA, (iii) infarct size on admission magnetic resonance diffusion‐weighted imaging (MR‐DWI) and (iv) functional outcome at 3 months.

Results

We analyzed 504 patients with AIS and 111 patients with TIA. On admission, higher National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores were associated with higher sNfL: NIHSS score < 7, 13.1 pg/mL [interquartile range (IQR), 5.3–27.8]; NIHSS score 7–15, 16.7 pg/mL (IQR, 7.4–34.9); and NIHSS score > 15, 21.0 pg/mL (IQR, 9.3–40.4) (P = 0.01). Compared with AIS, patients with TIA had lower sNfL levels [9.0 pg/mL (95% confidence interval, 4.0–19.0) vs. 16.0 pg/mL (95% confidence interval, 7.3–34.4), P < 0.001], also after adjusting for age and NIHSS score (P = 0.006). Among patients with AIS, infarct size on admission MR‐DWI was not associated with sNfL, either in univariate analysis (P = 0.15) or after adjusting for age and NIHSS score on admission (P = 0.56). Functional outcome 3 months after stroke was not associated with sNfL after adjusting for established predictors.

Conclusions

In conclusion, among patients admitted within 24 h of AIS or TIA onset, admission sNfL levels were associated with clinical severity on admission and TIA diagnosis, but not with infarct size on MR‐DWI acquired on admission or functional outcome at 3 months.
Geometric morphometrics in entomology: Basics and applications
Authors: Tatsuta Haruki , Takahashi Kazuo H. , Sakamaki Yositaka
Published: December 2017

The recent expansion of a variety of morphometric tools has brought about a revolution in the comparison of morphology in the context of the size and shape in various fields including entomology. First, an overview of the theoretical issues of geometric morphometrics is presented with a caution about the usage of traditional morphometric measurements. Second, focus is then placed on two broad approaches as tools for geometric morphometrics; that is, the landmark‐based and the outline‐based approaches. A brief outline of the two methodologies is provided with some important cautions. The increasing trend of entomological studies in using the procedures of geometric morphometrics is then summarized. Finally, information is provided on useful toolkits such as computer software as well as codes and packages of the R statistical software that could be used in geometric morphometrics.
An update on equine post‐operative ileus: Definitions, pathophysiology and management
Authors: Lisowski Z. M. , Pirie R. S. , Blikslager A. T. , Lefebvre D. , Hume D. A. , Hudson N. P. H.
Published: December 2017

Post‐operative ileus (POI) is a serious condition which any horse undergoing abdominal surgery is at risk of developing, leading to increased hospitalisation time and resulting costs. Advances in the understanding of the development of equine POI are mainly based on human and rodent literature, where manipulation‐induced inflammation has been identified as a trigger, with activation of residentmuscularis externamacrophages playing a crucial role in the pathophysiology. Despite many pharmacological trials in all species, there is no single completely successful treatment for POI, highlighting that the condition is multifactorial in cause and requires a multimodal approach to minimise its incidence.
Out Drinking the Joneses: Neighborhood Factors Moderating the Effects of Drinking on Relationship Quality over the First Four Years of Marriage
Authors: Crasta Dev , Funk Janette L. , Lee Soonhee , Rogge Ronald D.
Published: December 2017

Neighborhood quality has been cross‐sectionally linked to both relationship behaviors and relationship well‐being. Consistent with the Vulnerability Stress‐Adaptation model of relationship functioning (Karney & Bradbury, 1995), we hypothesized that associations between social behaviors (e.g., drinking) and relationship quality could be moderated by neighborhood factors. Specifically, we characterized neighborhoods along multiple dimensions using multiple methods (self‐report, census) to investigate how neighborhood factors might clarify ambiguous effects of alcohol use on marital functioning. A nationally recruited sample of 303 newlywed couples completed a baseline assessment around the time of marriage and was then assessed yearly across the first 4 years of marriage (94% retention). Three level HLM slope‐intercept models were used to model changes in relationship satisfaction across the first 4 years of marriage. Results suggested that, for couples living in highly disordered neighborhoods, positive shifts in overall levels of drinking within specific waves of assessment were associated with corresponding negative shifts in satisfaction whereas in neighborhoods without perceived disorder, this effect was reversed. For couples living in neighborhoods with low levels of domestic structures (high census rates of single renters without children), within‐couple discrepancies favoring higher rates of husband drinking in specific waves predicted poorer relationship quality for both partners in those same waves whereas those same discrepancies predicted higher satisfaction in high domesticity neighborhoods (high census rates of married homeowners with children). The findings provide insight into the different roles of alcohol use in relationship maintenance and highlight the importance of using external context to understand intradyadic processes.
Analysis of the plastic zone near the crack tips under the uniaxial tension using ordinary state‐based peridynamics
Authors: Zhou X.P. , Shou Y.D. , Berto F.
Published: December 2017

In this paper, the plastic model of ordinary state‐based peridynamics is established. The size and shape of plastic zone around crack tips with the different inclination angles are simulated using ordinary state‐based peridynamics. Comparison of the size and shape of plastic zone around the crack tips obtained from peridynamic solution and analytic solution is made. It is found that the relative errors between the analytical and peridynamic solution are very little. Therefore, it is feasible to predict the plastic zone around crack tips using ordinary state‐based peridynamics.
Exaggerating good governance: Regime type and score inflation among executive survey informants
Authors: Shockley Bethany , Ewers Michael , Nardis Yioryos , Gengler Justin
Published: December 2017

Researchers and policymakers often rely on executive surveys to understand and promote good governance. In doing so, they assume that the evaluations provided by these well‐informed respondents are not systematically influenced by regime type. However, regime‐embedded executives often have a personal stake in the survey outcomes, incentivizing them to exaggerate good governance. This paper compares World Economic Forum Executive Opinion Survey responses to corollary measures of key governance concepts in democracies, anocracies, and autocracies. It finds evidence of significant score inflation among executives in closed regimes. The individual‐level mechanisms are explored in one autocracy by comparing responses from regime‐embedded informants based at firms headquartered within the country with those managing businesses headquartered abroad. These micro‐level data likewise reveal evidence of widespread inflation, particularly on items related to governance. Finally, a closer look at Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index demonstrates the broader impact Executive Opinion Survey inflation for measuring governance within closed regimes.
Lethal and sub‐lethal impacts of respiratory cryptosporidiosis on Red Grouse, a wild gamebird of economic importance
Authors: Baines David , Allinson Helen , Duff JAMES Paul , Fuller Harriet , Newborn David , Richardson Michael
Published: December 2017

Respiratory cryptosporidiosis was first diagnosed in Red Grouse Lagopus lagopus scotica, the UK subspecies of Willow Ptarmigan, in 2010. In the next 3 years, respiratory infection by Cryptosporidium baileyi had manifested itself in Grouse on half the moors in northern England and 80% of moors in the North Pennine Hills. In this first account of the impact of respiratory cryptosporidiosis on the population dynamics of a wild bird we fitted 111 diseased and 67 healthy Grouse with radio‐transmitters at two North Pennine moors where disease prevalence averaged 8.1% and monitored their survival and fecundity between autumn 2013 and autumn 2015. Six‐month natural survival rates (excluding shooting) were 0.70 in healthy Grouse, but only 0.44 in diseased females, and 0.22 in diseased males. Some 39% of diseased birds died from their infection, whereas 28% of healthy birds were shot. A similar proportion of each group were killed by predators, either by Stoat Mustela erminea or raptors. Diseased females bred 8 days later than healthy females, but clutch size, egg volume and nesting success did not differ in relation to disease status. Productivity was 43% lower among pairs with a diseased member than in healthy pairs, but appeared impaired only if the female was diseased, not the male. Differences in productivity were related to chick survival rather than the proportion of pairs that reared broods, with chick survival being lower in the 10 days after hatching and again when chicks were 20–50 days old. This latter period was when respiratory infection among chicks was first noticed and the onset of infection may have been a contributing factor to higher mortality during this period. Described levels of respiratory infection reduced the number of birds available to shoot in August by 6%, which represented a mean annual loss of £0.9 million in revenue across managed grouse moors. Likely reductions in shoot economics could escalate should prevalence increase. This disease is a welfare concern and potentially a conservation concern, too, should infection cross to other bird species occupying the same moors.
Extended studies on surface‐treated graphite vis‐à‐vis its application in high alumina refractory castable
Authors: Das Paromita , Dutta Sarbasree , Das Nandini , Mukhopadhyay Sunanda
Published: December 2017

This investigation entails our continued research on calcium aluminate coated graphite for application in alumina‐carbon monolithic refractories. Surface treatment of graphite flakes by a scalable sol‐gel route has been utilized to develop stable bonds between ceramic phases with the functionalized graphite sheets. This study has been primarily conducted to differentiate between the coating evolution pattern at green and calcined conditions. In this regard, C‐H‐N analysis, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), x‐ray diffraction (XRD) with Rietveld analysis, Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and zeta potential studies of three kinds of graphites had been compared and critically estimated. These results were supplemented with thermogravimetry (TG), pore size distribution, oxidation resistance and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of selected samples. A schematic outline of the work has also been proposed. An appreciable improvement of bulk density, apparent porosity and crushing strength of the respective castable has been correlated with the compatibility of the coating to the reactive matrix constituents of the refractory in wide temperature region (110‐1500°C).
Gender differences in financial socialization in the home—An exploratory study
Authors: Agnew Steve , Maras Pam , Moon Amy
Published: December 2017

Recent literature has stressed the need for research examining the causes of females in general having lower levels of financial literacy than males. This article uses social cognitive theory of gender development as a framework to propose differing financial socialization of children in the home by gender as a possible cause of gender differences later in life. Evidence is found of gender based differences in the financial socialization of eleven and twelve year olds. Findings include more frequent parent‐child discussions being correlated to more positive financial attitudes, but not to saving behaviour. Saving behaviour of children is influenced by attitudes to money along with the presence of parents when spending, which is subject to a same sex gender bias for girls, with large effect sizes. Girls are over 200% more likely to state they save some of their pocket money if their mother is present when they spend their pocket money, compared to having no parent present. This difference does not exist for male children. When a boy is with both parents when spending, they are 245% more likely to report saving some of their pocket money then when neither parent is present. Having a father present when spending does not yield significantly different results to when no parent is present. These findings of gender biased financial socialization in the home are important considerations for the design of school‐based financial literacy programmes. Specifically, these programmes should consider a goal of encouraging discussion and questioning gender based attitudes and roles in the home. They are also important findings in terms of going some way to explaining the existence of a gender difference in financial knowledge in adulthood.
Impact of wheat bran addition on the temperature‐induced state transitions in dough during bread‐baking process
Authors: S. Padma Ishwarya , Desai Kiran M. , Naladala Srinivasulu , Anandharamakrishnan C.
Published: December 2017

Wheat bran‐mediated effects on temperature‐induced state transitions of proofed bread dough were studied as function of its level of replacement (5%–15%) to wheat flour. Proofed dough was subjected to rheological tests at small deformations. During heating of proofed dough from 30 °C to 95 °C, the value of elastic modulus (G′) attained its maximum at a temperature () that represented peak gelatinisation temperature (TP). Dough with 15% bran depicted significant increase inTPover other formulations. Bran addition increased glass transition temperature (Tg) of dough and suppressed drop in elastic modulus (G′) atT > Tg. The above events resulted in decreased loaf‐specific volume and increased crumb hardness. The former was caused by retarded bubble expansion during initial stages of baking, explained by reduced uniaxial and biaxial extensibilities of dough. Mean bubble size depicted an inverse relationship with the hardness of breadcrumb.