bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Deference in Numbers: Consensus, Dissent and Judgement in Mill's Account of Authority
Authors: Moore Alfred
Published: July 2013

The need for deference to well-grounded claims to expert authority often seems to conflict with democratic ideals and practices of equality and contestation. In this article I identify a parallel tension in Mill's work on authority. Against the idea that Mill's thought is contradictory, I argue that in both his early and later work he was very clear about the tension between the good of thinking for oneself and the necessity of epistemic dependence, and in particular deference to a consensus of experts. He does not resolve this tension, but he makes it productive in the figure of the ‘competent observer’, who exercises judgement in deferring to authorities. Mill's contribution is to focus on the process of questioning and scrutiny that underpins this sort of judgement. I conclude with some observations about the value and limitations of Mill's account of authority for understanding contemporary problems of expertise in democratic systems.
Public–Private Partnerships for the Development of Disaster Resilient Communities
Authors: Chen Justine , Chen Ted Hsuan Yun , Vertinsky Ilan , Yumagulova Lilia , Park Chansoo
Published: July 2013

Increasingly, countries around the world are adopting policies that emphasize the importance of partnerships for disaster resilience. The overarching questions that this paper investigates are how to form and sustain (1) effective collaborative arrangements involving governments, businesses, non‐governmental organizations and communities to ensure development of disaster resilient communities, and (2) governance institutions that can effectively mobilize geographically dispersed disaster response resources with fragmented ownership. We have reviewed case studies of alternative inter‐sectoral collaborative arrangements that were formed to (1) promote the development of resilient communities and critical physical and social systems; (2) mitigate or respond to emerging crises; or (3) facilitate post‐disaster recovery and learning. We have developed grounded propositions articulating the antecedents of performance of inter‐sectoral collaborative arrangements.
Moisture sorption isotherms of dietetic Rabri at different storage temperatures
Authors: Ghayal Gajanan , Jha Alok , Sahu Jatindra K , Kumar Arvind , Gautam Anuj , Kumar Ravindra , Rasane Prasad
Published: July 2013

Moisture sorption isotherms of dietetic Rabri were determined at 10, 25 and 37 °C over a water activity range of 0.113–0.868. Sorption isotherms at 37 °C were sigmoidal (type II) curves, while at 10 °C, they were of type V and Type I at 25 °C for both adsorption and desorption processes. Five sorption models were tested to fit the experimental data. Halsey's model for 10 °C, Caurie's model for 25 °C and Modified Mizrahi's model for 37 °C were found to be the best fit. There was a clear hysteresis effect at 10 °C, whereas the effect gradually decreased and diminished at 37 °C.
Implementation of the INTERGROWTH‐21st Project in Italy
Authors: Giuliani F , Bertino E , Oberto M , Di Nicola P , Gilli G , Knight HE , Cheikh Ismail L ,   for the International Fetal and Newborn Growth Consortium for the 21 Century (INTERGROWTH‐21)
Published: July 2013

Turin, Italy, was one of the two European sites for the INTERGROWTH‐21st Project. The sample for the Newborn Cross‐Sectional Study (NCSS) was drawn from two obstetric hospitals that together account for 79% of the city's approximately 12 000 births per year. Women were recruited for the Fetal Growth Longitudinal Study (FGLS) from ten antenatal clinics serving the city's largest obstetric hospital, Azienda Ospedaliera OIRM—S. Anna. Special activities to encourage participation and raise awareness of the project in this population included obtaining an endorsement from the coordinator of the city's antenatal care service, and disseminating information about the project to women through posters and leaflets in antenatal clinics. One of the major challenges at this site was the low recruitment rate in the early phase of FGLS because of the high prevalence of smoking and of women >35 years old in the population. The addition of six extra recruiting clinics served to increase the pool of potentially eligible women who could be screened and led to a marked improvement in the recruitment rate.
Standardisation of neonatal clinical practice
Authors: Bhutta ZA , Giuliani F , Haroon A , Knight HE , Albernaz E , Batra M , Bhat B , Bertino E , McCormick K , Ochieng R , Rajan V , Ruyan P , Cheikh Ismail L , Paul V ,   for the International Fetal and Newborn Growth Consortium for the 21 Century (INTERGROWTH‐21)
Published: July 2013

The International Fetal and Newborn Growth Consortium for the 21st Century (INTERGROWTH‐21st) is a large‐scale, population‐based, multicentre project involving health institutions from eight geographically diverse countries, which aims to assess fetal, newborn and preterm growth under optimal conditions. Given the multicentre nature of the project and the expected number of preterm births, it is vital that all centres follow the same standardised clinical care protocols to assess and manage preterm infants, so as to ensure maximum validity of the resulting standards as indicators of growth and nutrition with minimal confounding. Moreover, it is well known that evidence‐based clinical practice guidelines can reduce the delivery of inappropriate care and support the introduction of new knowledge into clinical practice. The INTERGROWTH‐21st Neonatal Group produced an operations manual, which reflects the consensus reached by members of the group regarding standardised definitions of neonatal morbidities and the minimum standards of care to be provided by all centres taking part in the project. The operational definitions and summary management protocols were developed by consensus through a Delphi process based on systematic reviews of relevant guidelines and management protocols by authoritative bodies. This paper describes the process of developing the Basic Neonatal Care Manual, as well as the morbidity definitions and standardised neonatal care protocols applied across all the INTERGROWTH‐21st participating centres. Finally, thoughts about implementation strategies are presented.
A British Investment Bank: Why and How?
Authors: Wigstrom Christian Westerlind
Published: July 2013

This article presents the case for a state‐owned British Investment Bank and discusses its institutional design and capitalisation on the basis of the experiences of the Nordic Investment Bank (BIB). Current supply‐side policies aimed at increasing investment in the infrastructure and small‐ and medium‐sized enterprise (SME) sectors are likely to fail because they neglect constraints and market failures on the demand side. In contrast, a commercially operated but mandate‐driven public investment bank can mitigate market failures on both sides by not only supplying capital on favourable terms to financially viable projects but also stimulating demand through policy‐signalling effects. A focus on offering additionality would be key to the BIB's success. In addition to the ‘economic case’ for the BIB, this article discusses the ‘political case’: how to make it interesting to a government bent on fiscal retrenchment.
Synchronous rise and fall of bark beetle and parasitoid populations in windthrow areas
Authors: Wermelinger B. , Obrist M. K. , Baur H. , Jakoby O. , Duelli P.
Published: July 2013

Windthrows in spruce forests provide a prime substrate for the population build‐up of bark beetles. Until now, no information has been available on the population development of associated parasitoids.

The development of bark beetle and parasitoid populations was monitored on cleared and uncleared windthrow areas for 4 years, corresponding to the second to fifth growing seasons after the storm.

The population level of both groups quickly increased synchronously from the second to the third season, and gradually declined thereafter until the fifth growing season. The parasitoids showed no time lag.

At the species level, the same pattern was found for the pest Ips typographus (L.) and its specific parasitoid Dinotiscus eupterus (Walk.).

During the 4 years under study, a succession of different bark beetle and parasitoid species was found.

Bark beetles and parasitoids were more abundant on uncleared windthrow areas than on cleared areas, whereas predatory beetles generally preferred the adjacent forest.

Once the deteriorated phloem quality precludes further bark beetle development, no more bark beetle‐relevant parasitoids are produced in windthrows.
Neurological Evidence for the Relationship between Suppression and Aggressive Behavior: Implications for Workplace Aggression
Authors: Kim Min Young , James Lawrence R.
Published: July 2013

Scientific research on the relationship between suppression and aggression is rather scarce. Consequently, practitioners searching for means to reduce workplace aggression do not have adequate data on which factors are related to aggressive behavior in the workplace. To shed light on this relationship, this study investigated emotional suppression in a sample of 17 participants by using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and examined their aggressive behavior by using an inventory assessing five types of aggressive behavior. Results of fMRI analysis suggest that the insula, cingulate cortex, and calcarine sulcus are involved in suppression. When the blood‐oxygen‐level–dependent signals of all the significant regions were tested for correlation with the ratings of the five types of aggression given by the participants’ significant others (e.g. family members and/or close friends), a significant correlation was found between activation in the calcarine sulcus during suppression and property aggression. The findings not only indicate the potential neural correlates of observed aggressive behaviors but also emphasise the detrimental effect of unsuccessful, superficial emotion regulation on organisations.
The Conceptualisation and Measurement of Pacing Styles
Authors: Gevers Josette , Mohammed Susan , Baytalskaya Nataliya
Published: July 2013

Pacing style reflects how individuals distribute their effort over time in working toward deadlines. As a new construct introduced in 2002, the notion of pacing style has intuitive appeal, but has been under‐researched, in part, due to a measurement need. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to improve the conceptualisation of pacing style and to develop and validate a new scale‐based measure. The result was the nine‐item Pacing Action Categories of Effort Distribution (PACED), consisting of deadline (complete work in a short time period just before the due date), steady (spread task activities evenly over time), and U‐shaped (invest most of the effort at the start and finish of a task, with a break in between) action styles. Across eight independent samples of students, faculty, and organisational employees, we examined the dimensionality, internal consistency, stability (temporal and situational), and validity (construct, convergent, discriminant, predictive) of PACED. Results support the use of PACED as a reliable and valid measure, and we discuss several research avenues that would benefit from incorporating the concept of pacing style.
Milk yield, gross composition and fatty acid profile of dual‐purpose Aosta Red Pied cows fed separate concentrate‐forage versus total mixed ration
Authors: Renna Manuela , Cornale Paolo , Lussiana Carola , Battaglini Luca Maria , Turille Germano , Mimosi Antonio
Published: July 2013

This study was designed to evaluate the effects of two feeding methods on milk yield, composition and fatty acid (FA) profile obtained from dual‐purpose cattle. Twenty‐four Aosta Red Pied cows beyond peak of lactation were assigned to two groups and fed hay and concentrates in the proportions 0.69 and 0.31 on a dry matter basis for 10 weeks. Concentrates were offered separately from forages 6 times a day (separate ration, SR) or as a total mixed ration (TMR). The feeding method did not significantly influence dry matter intake (16.8 vs. 16.9 kg/head/day for SR‐ and TMR‐fed cows, respectively), milk yield (17.4 vs. 17.5 kg/head/day), milk fat, protein and lactose contents (36.4 vs. 35.2, 33.5 vs. 32.8, and 47.3 vs. 47.4 g/kg) and yields (607.9 vs. 613.4, 567.4 vs. 572.7 and 805.5 vs. 829.7 g/head/day). The overall milk FA profile was very similar between groups. Milk concentrations of FA used as indirect markers of rumen function (C18:2 t10c12, odd‐ and branched‐chain FA) and the extent of ruminal biohydrogenation were comparable (P > 0.05) between SR‐ and TMR‐fed cows, suggesting that ruminal pH did not vary considerably as a consequence of the feeding strategy applied.
Inference for Optimal Dynamic Treatment Regimes Using an Adaptive m‐Out‐of‐n Bootstrap Scheme
Authors: Chakraborty Bibhas , Laber Eric B. , Zhao Yingqi
Published: July 2013

A dynamic treatment regime consists of a set of decision rules that dictate how to individualize treatment to patients based on available treatment and covariate history. A common method for estimating an optimal dynamic treatment regime from data is Q‐learning which involves nonsmooth operations of the data. This nonsmoothness causes standard asymptotic approaches for inference like the bootstrap or Taylor series arguments to breakdown if applied without correction. Here, we consider the m‐out‐of‐n bootstrap for constructing confidence intervals for the parameters indexing the optimal dynamic regime. We propose an adaptive choice of m and show that it produces asymptotically correct confidence sets under fixed alternatives. Furthermore, the proposed method has the advantage of being conceptually and computationally much simple than competing methods possessing this same theoretical property. We provide an extensive simulation study to compare the proposed method with currently available inference procedures. The results suggest that the proposed method delivers nominal coverage while being less conservative than alternatives. The proposed methods are implemented in the qLearn R‐package and have been made available on the Comprehensive R‐Archive Network (http://cran.r‐project.org/). Analysis of the Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression (STAR*D) study is used as an illustrative example.
FDR Control with Pseudo‐Gatekeeping Based on a Possibly Data Driven Order of the Hypotheses
Authors: Farcomeni A. , Finos L.
Published: July 2013

We propose a multiple testing procedure controlling the false discovery rate. The procedure is based on a possibly data driven ordering of the hypotheses, which are tested at the uncorrected level q until a suitable number is not rejected. When the order is data driven, larger effect sizes are considered first, therefore selecting more interesting hypotheses with larger probability. The proposed procedure is valid under independence for the test statistics. We also propose a modification which makes our procedure valid under arbitrary dependence. It is shown in simulation that we compare particularly well when the sample size is small. We conclude with an application to identification of molecular signatures of intracranial ependymoma. The methods are implemented in an R package (someMTP), freely available on CRAN.
BAS: Balanced Acceptance Sampling of Natural Resources
Authors: Robertson B. L. , Brown J. A. , McDonald T. , Jaksons P.
Published: July 2013

To design an efficient survey or monitoring program for a natural resource it is important to consider the spatial distribution of the resource. Generally, sample designs that are spatially balanced are more efficient than designs which are not. A spatially balanced design selects a sample that is evenly distributed over the extent of the resource. In this article we present a new spatially balanced design that can be used to select a sample from discrete and continuous populations in multi‐dimensional space. The design, which we call balanced acceptance sampling, utilizes the Halton sequence to assure spatial diversity of selected locations. Targeted inclusion probabilities are achieved by acceptance sampling. The BAS design is conceptually simpler than competing spatially balanced designs, executes faster, and achieves better spatial balance as measured by a number of quantities. The algorithm has been programed in an R package freely available for download.
New Agreement Measures Based on Survival Processes
Authors: Guo Ying , Li Ruosha , Peng Limin , Manatunga Amita K.
Published: July 2013

The need to assess agreement arises in many scenarios in biomedical sciences when measurements were taken by different methods on the same subjects. When the endpoints are survival outcomes, the study of agreement becomes more challenging given the special characteristics of time-to-event data. In this article, we propose a new framework for assessing agreement based on survival processes that can be viewed as a natural representation of time-to-event outcomes. Our new agreement measure is formulated as the chance-corrected concordance between survival processes. It provides a new perspective for studying the relationship between correlated survival outcomes and offers an appealing interpretation as the agreement between survival times on the absolute distance scale. We provide a multivariate extension of the proposed agreement measure for multiple methods. Furthermore, the new framework enables a natural extension to evaluate time-dependent agreement structure. We develop nonparametric estimation of the proposed new agreement measures. Our estimators are shown to be strongly consistent and asymptotically normal. We evaluate the performance of the proposed estimators through simulation studies and then illustrate the methods using a prostate cancer data example.
Ultra‐mini percutaneous nephrolithotomy (UMP): one more armamentarium
Authors: Desai Janak , Solanki Ronak
Published: July 2013

Objective

To describe our newly developed technique for the removal of renal stones, which we have called ultra‐mini percutaneous nephrolithotomy (UMP).

Methods

UMPwas performed in 62 patients using a 3.5‐Fultra‐thin telescope and specially designed inner and outer sheaths. A standard puncture was made and the tract was dilated up to 13F.

The outer sheath was introduced into the pelvicalyceal system and the stone was disintegrated with a 365‐μ holmium laser fibre, introduced through the inner sheath.

Stone fragments were evacuated using the specially designed sheath by creating an eddy current of saline; the fragments then came out automatically.

Results

The mean calculus size was 16.8 mm. Four of the 62 patients were children, three had a solitary kidney and two were obese.

UMPwas feasible in all cases with a mean (sd) 1.4 (1.0) gm/dL haemoglobin decrease and a mean hospital stay of 1.2 (0.8) days. The stone‐free rate at 1 month was 86.66%.

In two patients intraoperative bleeding obscured vision, requiring conversion to mini‐percutaneous nephrolithotomy. There was one postoperative complication of hydrothorax, but there were no other postoperative complications and no auxiliary procedures were required.

Conclusions

UMPis a very safe and effective method of removing renal calculi up to 20 mm. The use of consumables and disposables is minimal and the patient recovery was fast.

Further clinical studies and direct comparison with other available techniques are required to define the place ofUMPin the treatment of low‐bulk and medium‐bulk renal urolithiasis. It may be particularly useful for lower calyx calculi and paediatric cases.
Vegetable‐based dietary pattern and liver cancer risk: Results from the Shanghai Women's and Men's Health Studies
Authors: Zhang Wei , Xiang Yong‐Bing , Li Hong‐Lan , Yang Gong , Cai Hui , Ji Bu‐Tian , Gao Yu‐Tang , Zheng Wei , Shu Xiao‐Ou
Published: July 2013

Although dietary patterns, specific foods, and their constituents have been linked to cancer risk, the role of dietary patterns and specific food groups in liver cancer risk has not been investigated. In the Shanghai Women's Health Study (SWHS) and Shanghai Men's Health Study (SMHS), two cohort studies of 132 837 Chinese women and men, we evaluated the relationship between dietary patterns, food groups, and liver cancer risk. Through in‐person interviews, dietary information intake over the preceding year was collected by using a validated food‐frequency questionnaire. Cox regression model was used to estimate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals with adjustment for potential confounders. During an average follow‐up of 10.9 (SWHS) or 5.5 (SMHS) years, 267 incident liver cancer cases were identified after the first 2 years of study enrolment. Three dietary patterns were derived by factor analysis. A vegetable‐based dietary pattern was inversely associated with liver cancer; hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) for the lowest to highest quartiles were: 1.00; 0.98 (0.71–1.35); 0.93 (0.67–1.29); and 0.58 (0.40–0.84); Ptrend = 0.01. The association was stronger among participants with a history of chronic liver disease. Further analyses showed high intakes of celery, mushrooms, allium vegetables, composite vegetables (including asparagus lettuce and garland chrysanthemum), legumes and legume products were associated with reduced liver cancer risk (all Ptrend < 0.05). Fruit‐ and meat‐based dietary patterns were not associated with liver cancer risk. Our study suggests that a vegetable‐based dietary pattern is associated with reduced liver cancer risk.
The United Kingdom Primary Immune Deficiency (UKPID) Registry: report of the first 4 years' activity 2008–2012
Authors: Edgar J D M , Buckland M , Guzman D , Conlon N P , Knerr V , Bangs C , Reiser V , Panahloo Z , Workman S , Slatter M , Gennery A R , Davies E G , Allwood Z , Arkwright P D , Helbert M , Longhurst H J , Grigoriadou S , Devlin L A , Huissoon A , Krishna M T , Hackett S , Kumararatne D S , Condliffe A M , Baxendale H , Henderson K , Bethune C , Symons C , Wood P , Ford K , Patel S , Jain R , Jolles S , El-Shanawany T , Alachkar H , Herwadkar A , Sargur R , Shrimpton A , Hayman G , Abuzakouk M , Spickett G , Darroch C J , Paulus S , Marshall S E , McDermott E M , Heath P T , Herriot R , Noorani S , Turner M , Khan S , Grimbacher B
Published: July 2013

This report summarizes the establishment of the first national online registry of primary immune deficency in the United Kingdom, the United Kingdom Primary Immunodeficiency (UKPID Registry). This UKPID Registry is based on the European Society for Immune Deficiency (ESID) registry platform, hosted on servers at the Royal Free site of University College, London. It is accessible to users through the website of the United Kingdom Primary Immunodeficiency Network (http://www.ukpin.org.uk). Twenty-seven centres in the United Kingdom are actively contributing data, with an additional nine centres completing their ethical and governance approvals to participate. This indicates that 36 of 38 (95%) of recognized centres in the United Kingdom have engaged with this project. To date, 2229 patients have been enrolled, with a notable increasing rate of recruitment in the past 12 months. Data are presented on the range of diagnoses recorded, estimated minimum disease prevalence, geographical distribution of patients across the United Kingdom, age at presentation, diagnostic delay, treatment modalities used and evidence of their monitoring and effectiveness.
Increased long‐term remission after adequate medical cortisol suppression therapy as presurgical treatment in Cushing's disease
Authors: van den Bosch O. F. C. , Stades A. M. E. , Zelissen P. M. J.
Published: July 2013

Objective

In the last decade, pre‐operative medical cortisol suppression therapy has frequently been used in Cushing's disease to normalize cortisol concentrations pre‐operatively. Our aim was to assess the efficacy of presurgical medical cortisol suppression therapy in Cushing's disease.

Design and Methods

We retrospectively assessed the medical files of all patients with Cushing's disease that received presurgical cortisol suppression therapy with ketoconazole or metyrapone and underwent subsequent transsphenoidal surgery between 1990 and 2010 at our centre. We retrieved the pretreatment regimen, adequacy of pretreatment, early postoperative serum cortisol levels, adverse effects and long‐term remission status.

Results

Nineteen of 33 patients (58%) obtained long‐term remission after pituitary surgery without additional postoperative therapy. Thirteen of 16 patients with adequate presurgical cortisol suppression therapy had postoperative cortisol concentrations <50 nmol/l. The 16 patients with adequate presurgical cortisol suppression had a higher long‐term remission rate after primary surgery compared with the 13 patients with borderline or inadequate pretreatment (81% vs 38%; P < 0·05).

Conclusions

Adequate presurgical cortisol suppression treatment with ketoconazole or metyrapone in Cushing's disease seems to be associated with suppressed postoperative cortisol concentrations and an increased long‐term remission rate.
LQTS in Northern BC: homozygosity for KCNQ1V205M presents with a more severe cardiac phenotype but with minimal impact on auditory function
Authors: Jackson H.A. , McIntosh S. , Whittome B. , Asuri S. , Casey B. , Kerr C. , Tang A. , Arbour L.T.
Published: July 2013

Long QT syndrome (LQTS), a rare congenital cardiac condition associated with life‐threatening ventricular arrhythmias is characterized by a prolonged QT interval on electrocardiograph corrected for heart rate [corrected QT (QTc)]. LQTS has been historically categorized into the autosomal dominant Romano–Ward syndrome (RWS) and the autosomal recessive Jervell and Lange‐Nielsen syndrome (JLNS). JLNS is associated with prelingual sensorineural deafness. Both types of LQTS can be caused by mutations in channel genes (e.g. KCNQ1) responsible for potassium homeostasis in cardiac myocytes and cochlea. Autosomal dominant mutations often cause the RWS phenotype and homozygous or compound heterozygous mutations contribute to JLNS. Two First Nations communities in northern British Columbia are affected disproportionately with LQTS largely due to the V205M mutation in KCNQ1, however, the pathology and phenotypic expression for those V205M homozygous has been unknown. Here, we show that four V205M homozygous individuals have a significantly higher ‘peak’ QTc, and a more severe cardiac phenotype compared with 41 V205M heterozygous carriers and 57 first to third degree relatives without mutations. Given the lack of prelingual deafness the homozygous V205M LQTS patients present with a phenotype more typical of RWS than JLNS.
Thinking about Health‐Related Outcomes: What Do We Need Evidence about?
Authors: Glasgow Russell E. , Brownson Ross C. , Kessler Rodger S.
Published: July 2013

Background

There is an urgent need for efficient, equitable interventions across the disease spectrum from prevention to palliative care. To identify and prioritize such interventions, evidence of effectiveness important to potential constituents is needed on outcomes relevant to them.

Methods

To inform practice and policy, evidence is needed on actionable, harmonized outcomes which are feasible to collect in most settings and relevant to citizens, practitioners, and decision makers. We propose that increased priority should be given to certain outcomes that are infrequently collected across multiple domains.

Results

A modification of a logic model of health outcomes by Proctor et al. is used to propose key domains and measures of implementation, service delivery, biomarkers, and health and functioning outcomes. Recommendations are made to give increased priority to implementation (especially reach, resource requirements/costs; and fidelity/adaptation); Institute of Medicine service delivery categories of equity and safety; and patient reported health and functioning outcomes.

Conclusions

Implications of this outcomes framework include that biomarkers are not always the most important or relevant outcomes; that harmonized, pragmatic, and actionable measures are needed for each of these types of outcomes, and that significant changes in training and review of grants and publications are needed.
The significance of possible selves in patients of an early intervention programme for psychotic disorders
Authors: Norman Ross M.G. , Windell Deborah , Lynch Jill , Manchanda Rahul
Published: July 2013

Aims

To assess the possible importance of patients' perceptions of possible future selves in determining self‐esteem and mood.

Methods

One hundred and two patients of an early intervention programme for psychotic disorders completed measures of perceived positive and negative current and possible future selves, as well as indices of self‐esteem and mood.

Results

Measures of current and possible selves generally showed bivariate correlations with self‐esteem, depression and anger/hostility. Perceived negative possible self was the most important independent predictor of self‐esteem, depression and anger/hostility.

Conclusions

Perceptions of possible negative future selves may be a particularly important determinant of self‐esteem and negative mood states. Addressing fears about possible future self is likely to be an important aspect of recovery from psychotic disorders.
The role of dopamine in the perceptual modulation of nociceptive stimuli by monetary wins or losses
Authors: Becker Susanne , Gandhi Wiebke , Elfassy Nathaniel M. , Schweinhardt Petra
Published: July 2013

Dopamine has been suggested to have direct antinociceptive effects. However, effects on the motivation to endure or to avoid nociceptive stimulation would be more in line with dopamine's well‐established role in the motivation to obtain reward. Thus, dopamine might either inhibit or facilitate the perception of nociceptive stimuli to bias an organism towards endurance or avoidance depending on the relative importance of the nociceptive input. To test this hypothesis, we conducted two psychophysical experiments in human volunteers. In Experiment 1, the respective antinociceptive and pro‐nociceptive effects of monetary wins and losses were assessed by administering thermal stimuli (three intensities, within‐subject factor) while participants simultaneously won, lost, or neither won nor lost (neutral condition) money (within‐subject factor) in a wheel‐of‐fortune task. In Experiment 2, we tested the effect of low‐dose sulpiride (a centrally‐acting D2‐receptor antagonist increasing the synaptic availability of dopamine via predominant pre‐synaptic blockade) on the same task as in Experiment 1 using a placebo‐controlled, cross‐over design. Monetary wins decreased and losses enhanced the perception of nociceptive stimuli, which was highly reproducible. Sulpiride augmented perceptual modulation by monetary outcomes. This augmentation was driven by increased effects of monetary losses on the perception of nociceptive stimuli. The perception of nociceptive stimuli in the absence of monetary wins and losses was not affected by sulpiride. Based on these findings, we propose a new role of dopamine in the context of nociception: biasing the organism towards a decision in situations with conflicting motivations, depending on the relative importance of the nociceptive input.
Plumbagin inhibits cytokinesis in Bacillus subtilis by inhibiting FtsZ assembly – a mechanistic study of its antibacterial activity
Authors: Bhattacharya Anusri , Jindal Bhavya , Singh Parminder , Datta Anindya , Panda Dulal
Published: July 2013

The assembly of FtsZ plays a central role in construction of the cytokinetic Z‐ring that orchestrates bacterial cell division. A naturally occurring naphthoquinone, plumbagin, is known to exhibit antibacterial properties against several types of bacteria. In this study, plumbagin was found to perturb formation of the Z‐ring in Bacillus subtilis 168 cells and to cause elongation of these cells without an apparent effect on nucleoid segregation, indicating that it may inhibit FtsZ assembly. Furthermore, it bound to purified B. subtilis FtsZ (BsFtsZ) with a dissociation constant of 20.7 ± 5.6 μm, and inhibited the assembly and GTPase activity of BsFtsZ in vitro. Interestingly, plumbagin did not inhibit either the assembly or GTPase activity of Escherichia coli FtsZ (EcFtsZ) in vitro. Using docking analysis, a putative plumbagin‐binding site on BsFtsZ was identified, and the analysis indicated that hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonds predominate. Based on the in silico analysis, two variants of BsFtsZ, namely D199A and V307R, were constructed to explore the binding interaction of plumbagin and BsFtsZ. The effects of plumbagin on the assembly and GTPase activity of the variant BsFtsZ proteins in vitro indicated that the residues D199 and V307 may be involved in the binding of plumbagin to BsFtsZ. The results suggest that plumbagin inhibits bacterial proliferation by inhibiting the assembly of FtsZ, and provide insight into the binding site of plumbagin on BsFtsZ, which may help in the design of potent FtsZ‐targeted antibacterial agents.
Characterization of an alpine tree line using airborne LiDAR data and physiological modeling
Authors: Coops Nicholas C. , Morsdorf Felix , Schaepman Michael E. , Zimmermann Niklaus E.
Published: July 2013

Understanding what environmental drivers control the position of the alpine tree line is important for refining our understanding of plant stress and tree development, as well as for climate change studies. However, monitoring the location of the tree line position and potential movement is difficult due to cost and technical challenges, as well as a lack of a clear boundary. Advanced remote sensing technologies such as Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) offer significant potential to map short individual tree crowns within the transition zone despite the lack of predictive capacity. Process‐based forest growth models offer a complementary approach by quantifying the environmental stresses trees experience at the tree line, allowing transition zones to be defined and ultimately mapped. In this study, we investigate the role remote sensing and physiological, ecosystem‐based modeling can play in the delineation of the alpine tree line. To do so, we utilize airborne LiDAR data to map tree height and stand density across a series of altitudinal gradients from below to above the tree line within the Swiss National Park (SNP), Switzerland. We then utilize a simple process‐based model to assess the importance of seasonal variations on four climatically related variables that impose non‐linear constraints on photosynthesis. Our results indicate that all methods predict the tree line to within a 50 m altitudinal zone and indicate that aspect is not a driver of significant variations in tree line position in the region. Tree cover, rather than tree height is the main discriminator of the tree line at higher elevations. Temperatures in fall and spring are responsible for the major differences along altitudinal zones, however, changes in evaporative demand also control plant growth at lower altitudes. Our results indicate that the two methods provide complementary information on tree line location and, when combined, provide additional insights into potentially endangered forest/grassland transition zones.
Leaf and fine root carbon stocks and turnover are coupled across Arctic ecosystems
Authors: Sloan Victoria L. , Fletcher Benjamin J. , Press Malcolm C. , Williams Mathew , Phoenix Gareth K.
Published: July 2013

Estimates of vegetation carbon pools and their turnover rates are central to understanding and modelling ecosystem responses to climate change and their feedbacks to climate. In the Arctic, a region containing globally important stores of soil carbon, and where the most rapid climate change is expected over the coming century, plant communities have on average sixfold more biomass below ground than above ground, but knowledge of the root carbon pool sizes and turnover rates is limited. Here, we show that across eight plant communities, there is a significant positive relationship between leaf and fine root turnover rates (r2 = 0.68, P < 0.05), and that the turnover rates of both leaf (r2 = 0.63, P < 0.05) and fine root (r2 = 0.55, P < 0.05) pools are strongly correlated with leaf area index (LAI, leaf area per unit ground area). This coupling of root and leaf dynamics supports the theory of a whole‐plant economics spectrum. We also show that the size of the fine root carbon pool initially increases linearly with increasing LAI, and then levels off at LAI = 1 m2 m−2, suggesting a functional balance between investment in leaves and fine roots at the whole community scale. These ecological relationships not only demonstrate close links between above and below‐ground plant carbon dynamics but also allow plant carbon pool sizes and their turnover rates to be predicted from the single readily quantifiable (and remotely sensed) parameter of LAI, including the possibility of estimating root data from satellites.
Self‐perceived quality of sleep and mortality in Norwegian dialysis patients
Authors: Brekke Fredrik B. , Waldum Bård , Amro Amin , Østhus Tone B. H. , Dammen Toril , Gudmundsdottir Helga , Os Ingrid
Published: July 2013

Sleep complaints are prevalent and associated with poor health‐related quality of life (HRQoL), depression and possibly mortality in dialysis patients. This study aimed to explore possible associations between sleep quality, daytime sleepiness and mortality in dialysis patients. In this study, 301 dialysis patients were followed up to 4.3 years. HRQoL was evaluated at baseline with the Kidney Disease and Quality of Life—Short Form (KDQoL‐SF), depression with Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), sleep quality with Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and daytime sleepiness with Epworth Sleepiness Scale. The single item “on a scale from 0–10, how would you evaluate your sleep?” in the sleep subscale in KDQoL‐SF was used to identify poor (0–5) and good sleepers (6–10). A total of 160 patients (53.3%) were characterized as poor sleepers. They were younger (r = 0.241, P < 0.001), had more depression (BDI: 8.72 ± 6.79 vs. 13.60 ± 8.04, P < 0.001), a higher consumption of hypnotics and antidepressants and reduced HRQoL (Mental Component Summary score: 45.4 ± 11.0 vs. 50.0 ± 10.4, P < 0.001. Physical Component Summary score: 35.0 ± 9.9 vs. 38.5 ± 10.5, P = 0.004). In multivariate analyses, poor sleepers had nearly a twofold increase in mortality risk (hazard ratio [HR] 1.92, confidence interval [CI] 1.10‐3.35, P = 0.022). Daytime sleepiness was not related to mortality (HR 1.01, CI 0.95‐1.08, P = 0.751). Sleep complaints predicted increased mortality risk in dialysis patients and should therefore be routinely assessed. Further studies are needed to find suitable treatment options for poor sleep in dialysis patients as it may affect both HRQoL and survival.
Spontaneous clearance of serum hepatitis C virus RNA during the clinical course of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with chronic hepatitis C
Authors: Minami Tatsuya , Tateishi Ryosuke , Shiina Shuichiro , Fujiwara Naoto , Mikami Shintaro , Sato Masaya , Uchino Koji , Enooku Kenichiro , Asaoka Yoshinari , Kondo Yuji , Yoshida Haruhiko , Koike Kazuhiko
Published: July 2013

Aim

Spontaneous clearance of serum hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA in chronic HCV carriers is assumed to be rare especially after development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We analyzed patients with chronic hepatitis C who spontaneously resolved serum HCV RNA after the treatment for HCC.

Methods

A database search was performed to identify patients with HCC in whom serum HCV RNA was positive before the treatment for HCC and became negative during the clinical course. Those who received interferon therapy were excluded.

Results

A total of 1145 patients with HCC who had not received interferon therapy were positive for HCV RNA before the treatment. Among them, five patients (M/F = 4/1) spontaneously resolved viremia during the clinical course, with the incidence rate of at least 0.11%/person‐year (95% confidence interval: 0.05%–0.26%). The mean age at the time of negative test for HCV RNA was 77 (range: 52–84). Three and two were infected with HCV genotype 1 and 2, respectively. The mean initial viral load was 9.0 K IU/mL (range: 1.6–31.6). The alanine aminotransferase level decreased to within the normal range in all patients after the clearance of serum HCV RNA. Fibrosis grade of background liver, evaluated according to METAVIR classification, was F1 in 1, F2 in 1, F4 in 2, and unknown in 1. All patients survived more than 7 years after the initial treatment for HCC.

Conclusion

Spontaneous clearance of serum HCV RNA after HCC development possibly occurs even in elderly patients. The prognosis was good probably due to improved inflammation in the liver.
Role of platelets in chronic liver disease and acute liver injury
Authors: Nowatari Takeshi , Murata Soichiro , Fukunaga Kiyoshi , Ohkohchi Nobuhiro
Published: July 2013

Platelets contain not only hemostatic factors but also many growth factors that play important roles in wound healing and tissue repair. Platelets have already been used for the promotion of tissue regeneration in the clinical setting, such as dental implantation and plastic surgery. Thrombocytopenia, which is frequently found in patients with chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, is due to various causes such as decreased thrombopoietin production and accelerated platelet destruction caused by hypersplenism. However, the relationship between thrombocytopenia and hepatic pathogenesis and the role of platelets in chronic liver disease are poorly understood. In acute liver injury, it is reported that platelets are recruited to the liver and contribute to liver damage by promoting the induction of chemotactic factors and the accumulation of leukocytes in the liver, whereas platelets or mediators released by platelets can have a protective effect against liver injury. In this review, we highlight the recent accumulated knowledge concerning the role of platelets in chronic liver disease and acute liver injury.
‘I take for granted that patients know’ – oral health professionals' strategies, considerations and methods when teaching patients how to use fluoride toothpaste
Authors: Jensen O , Gabre P , Sköld UM , Birkhed D , Povlsen L
Published: July 2013

Objectives

The aim of this study was to explore the oral health professionals' (OHPs') perspectives regarding their strategies, considerations and methods when teaching their patients the most effective way of toothbrushing with fluoride (F) toothpaste.

Methods

A qualitative research method was used to collect data. To stimulate interactivity among the participants, interviews were performed in focus groups. Five groups of OHPs, including dentists, dental hygienists and dental nurses, were interviewed a total of 23 individuals. The interviews were analysed using manifest and latent qualitative content analysis. Data were systematically condensed and coded to the relevant phrases that identified their content.

Results

Three categories were identified in the manifest and latent content analysis: (i) strategies and intentions, (ii) providing oral hygiene information and instruction and (iii) barriers to optimal oral healthcare education. Health promotion and seeing to the patients' best interest were driving forces among the OHPs as well as personal success in their preventive work. They focused on toothbrushing techniques more than on how to use F toothpaste. Barriers to oral health information were cost to the patients and, to some extent, the opinion of the OHPs that some patients were impossible to motivate or that patients already know what to do.

Conclusion

The OHPs described toothbrushing with F toothpaste as very important, although the plaque removal perspective dominated. They did not focus on how to use F toothpaste, because they believed that knowledge about and appropriate behaviour concerning F toothpaste were already familiar to their patients.
Stroke thrombolysis in patients taking dabigatran
Authors: Jayathissa S. , Gommans J. , Harper P.
Published: July 2013

Stroke thrombolysis is becoming a common practice in Australian and New Zealand hospitals. There are no established guidelines for thrombolysis of patients who are taking dabigatran, and accurate medication reconciliation may not be possible. Patients with normal activated partial thromboplastin time are unlikely to have clinically significant dabigatran concentration in the blood. For safest outcomes, we suggest incorporating thrombin time assay for acute stroke patients suspected to be taking dabigatran.
Parathyromatosis following spontaneous rupture of a parathyroid adenoma: natural history and the challenge of management
Authors: Sim I.‐W. , Farrell S. , Grodski S. , Jung C. , Ng K. W.
Published: July 2013

Parathyromatosis, the presence of small nodules of hyper‐functioning parathyroid tissue scattered throughout the soft tissues of the neck and superior mediastinum, is a rare cause of persistent primary hyperparathyroidism. We report the first case of parathyromatosis secondary to spontaneous rupture of a parathyroid adenoma. Despite running an indolent course, this case highlights the potential challenges of management of parathyromatosis and the value of calcimimetic therapy as an adjunct to surgery for disease control.
The patient is the teacher: ambulatory patient‐centred student‐based interprofessional education where the patient is the teacher who improves patient care outcomes
Authors: Fiddes P. J. , Brooks P. M. , Komesaroff P.
Published: July 2013

The patient's role as the key to medical student education was enunciated by Osler in 1903 and remains central to the broader imperative of interprofessional education. Interprofessional education needs to progress from the patient's passive bedside or office role to assume a more active and primary role by his/her participation as the teacher, immersed in student education. To date, the achievements in interprofessional education have been limited, but ambulatory patient‐centred learning opportunities involving direct student to patient dialogues and mixed health professional student engagement with patients as teachers are emerging within various interprofessional student clinic formats. There is good evidence that such approaches lead to actual improvements in patient outcomes.
The binding sites of monoclonal antibodies to the non‐reducing end of Francisella tularensis O‐antigen accommodate mainly the terminal saccharide
Authors: Lu Zhaohua , Rynkiewicz Michael J. , Yang Chiou‐Ying , Madico Guillermo , Perkins Hillary M. , Wang Qi , Costello Catherine E. , Zaia Joseph , Seaton Barbara A. , Sharon Jacqueline
Published: July 2013

We have previously described two types of protective B‐cell epitopes in the O‐antigen (OAg) of the Gram‐negative bacterium Francisella tularensis: repeating internal epitopes targeted by the vast majority of anti‐OAg monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), and a non‐overlapping epitope at the non‐reducing end targeted by the previously unique IgG2a mAb FB11. We have now generated and characterized three mAbs specific for the non‐reducing end of F. tularensis OAg, partially encoded by the same variable region germline genes, indicating that they target the same epitope. Like FB11, the new mAbs, Ab63 (IgG3), N213 (IgG3) and N62 (IgG2b), had higher antigen‐binding bivalent avidity than internally binding anti‐OAg mAbs, and an oligosaccharide containing a single OAg repeat was sufficient for optimal inhibition of their antigen‐binding. The X‐ray crystal structure of N62 Fab showed that the antigen‐binding site is lined mainly by aromatic amino acids that form a small cavity, which can accommodate no more than one and a third sugar residues, indicating that N62 binds mainly to the terminal Qui4NFm residue at the nonreducing end of OAg. In efficacy studies with mice infected intranasally with the highly virulent F. tularensis strain SchuS4, N62, N213 and Ab63 prolonged survival and reduced blood bacterial burden. These results yield insights into how antibodies to non‐reducing ends of microbial polysaccharides can contribute to immune protection despite the smaller size of their target epitopes compared with antibodies to internal polysaccharide regions.