bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
What are student preschool teachers learning about diet in their education in Norway?
Authors: Øvrebø Else Marie
Published: August 2016

This article is based on a qualitative study on diet education among student preschool teachers. The problem under discussion is: What does a student preschool teacher learn in his education about food, meals, and nutrition? The material used in the article comprises interviews with student preschool teachers at one university and one college in Norway. Preschool teacher education is a three years university college study with bachelor degree. The survey results show that student preschool teachers do not receive even the most element training, when it comes to food and meals, including nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, although education must prepare them for a job outside the kindergarten. Practical cooking was almost completely absent in their education, including hygiene. Most student preschool teachers did not know what fat they were to use in cooking. Food and senses, allergies, and food and culture were not discussed in their education. There was little correlation between the formal curricula in connection with food and meals and the training the preschool teacher students received in their education.
Revised annotation of Plutella xylostella microRNAs and their genome‐wide target identification
Authors: Etebari K. , Asgari S.
Published: August 2016

The diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella, is the most devastating pest of brassica crops worldwide. Although 128 mature microRNAs (miRNAs) have been annotated from this species in miRBase, there is a need to extend and correct the current P. xylostella miRNA repertoire as a result of its recently improved genome assembly and more available small RNA sequence data. We used our new ultra‐deep sequence data and bioinformatics to re‐annotate the P. xylostella genome for high confidence miRNAs with the correct 5p and 3p arm features. Furthermore, all the P. xylostella annotated genes were also screened to identify potential miRNA binding sites using three target‐predicting algorithms. In total, 203 mature miRNAs were annotated, including 33 novel miRNAs. We identified 7691 highly confident binding sites for 160 pxy‐miRNAs. The data provided here will facilitate future studies involving functional analyses of P. xylostella miRNAs as a platform to introduce novel approaches for sustainable management of this destructive pest.
What are the similarities and differences in antimicrobial prescribing between Australian public and private hospitals?
Authors: Cotta M. O. , Chen C. , Tacey M. , James R. S. , Buising K. L. , Marshall C. , Thursky K. A.
Published: August 2016

Background

Identifying themes associated with inappropriate prescribing in Australian public and private hospitals will help target future antimicrobial stewardship initiatives.

Aims

To describe current antimicrobial prescribing practices, identify similarities and differences between hospital sectors and provide target areas for improvement specific to each hospital sector.

Methods

All hospitals included in the study were part of the 2014 national antimicrobial prescribing survey and conducted one of the following: a whole hospital point prevalence survey, serial point prevalence surveys or a sample of randomly selected patients. Data on the types of antibiotics used, their indications for use and the quality of prescription based on compliance with national and local prescribing guidelines were collected.

Results

Two hundred and two hospitals (166 public and 36 private) comprising 10 882 patients and 15 967 antimicrobial prescriptions were included. Public hospitals had higher proportions of prescriptions for treatment (81.5% vs 48.4%) and medical prophylaxis (8.8% and 4.6%), whilst private hospitals had significantly higher surgical prophylaxis use (9.6% vs 46.9%) (P < 0.001). In public hospitals, the main reasons for non‐compliance of treatment prescriptions were spectrum being too broad (30.5%) while in private it was incorrect dosing. Prolonged duration was the main reason for non‐compliance among surgical prophylaxis prescriptions in both types of hospitals.

Conclusions

Australian hospitals need to target specific areas to improve antimicrobial use. Specifically, unnecessary broad‐spectrum therapy should be a priority area in public hospitals, whilst emphasis on curtailing antimicrobial overuse in surgical prophylaxis needs to be urgently addressed across in the private hospital sector.
What's the Use of a Hashtag? A Case Study
Authors: Carr Helen , Cowan Dave
Published: August 2016

Although there are now sophisticated techniques for the analysis of social media, socio‐legal studies has yet to draw on them fully. In this article, we demonstrate how Twitter can produce insights about protest, law, and legality, through a case study of protests against the ‘bedroom tax’. The first involved challenging a policy in the courts using a test case or cases. We discuss the litigation strategies and the mess they created and counterpose those strategies with those of four prolific ‘tweeps’ who participated in our study. We argue that, despite the small number of participants, these people have, in their own way, been enormously influential and made things happen. Our position is not evaluative of the different strategies – but, rather, one that recognizes that legality is mobilized in different ways.
Contemporary Left-wing Populism in Latin America: Leadership, Horizontalism, and Postdemocracy in Chávez's Venezuela
Authors: Stavrakakis Yannis , Kioupkiolis Alexandros , Katsambekis Giorgos , Nikisianis Nikos , Siomos Thomas
Published: August 2016

Critical engagement with the case ofChavismoin Venezuela can offer valuable insights for a fuller understanding of contemporary populism in Latin America. While for some scholars Chávez's populism has fostered popular empowerment, others dwell on the newly confirmed tensions between populism, liberal rights, and democratic proceduralism. This article embraces both positions but moves beyond their one-sidedness to castChavistapopulism as an inherently contradictory phenomenon that has constituted an ambivalent and transitory process in response to the gradual closure of liberal (post)democracy.Chavista“caesaro-plebeian” populism is construed as a site of tension and contention, which entails both promises and dangers for democracy. To make these points, the article draws on the discursive analysis of populism and on a new, productive shift in the study of populism in Venezuela, which pursues ethnographic field research on social movements instead of focusing exclusively on the figure of the leader.
Institutions, Civilian Resistance, and Wartime Social Order: A Process-driven Natural Experiment in the Colombian Civil War
Authors: Arjona Ana
Published: August 2016

Why do armed groups fighting in civil wars establish different institutions in territories where they operate? This article tests the mechanisms of a theory that posits that different forms of wartime social order are the outcome of a process in which an aspiring ruler—an armed group—expands the scope of its rule as much as possible unless civilians push back. Instead of being always at the mercy of armed actors, civilians arguably have bargaining power if they can credibly threaten combatants with collective resistance. Such resistance, in turn, is a function of the quality of preexisting local institutions. Using a process-driven natural experiment in three villages in Central Colombia, this article traces the effects of institutional quality on wartime social order.

The FARC were everything in this village. They had the last word

on every single dispute among neighbors. They decided what

could be sold at the stores, the time when we should all go home, and

who should leave the area never to come back.... They also

managed divorces, inheritances, and conflicts over land borders.

They were the ones who ruled here, not the state.

— Local leader, village of Librea, municipality of Viotá

We [the peasant leaders] are the authority here.

People recognize us as such. [The FARC] could not take

that away from us. They didn’t rule us.

— Local leader, village of Zama, municipality of Viotá
Quality of life and patient benefit following transition from methotrexate to ustekinumab in psoriasis
Authors: Augustin M. , Blome C. , Paul C. , Puig L. , Luger T. , Lambert J. , Chimenti S. , Girolomoni G. , Kragballe K. , Naessens D. , Bergmans P. , Smirnov P. , Barker J. , Reich K.
Published: August 2016

Background

TRANSIT (NCT01059773) compared immediate and gradual transition from methotrexate to ustekinumab in psoriasis patients via multiple measures, including patient‐reported outcomes.

Objective

To evaluate patient perception of treatment benefits in TRANSIT.

Methods

A total of 489 psoriasis patients received ustekinumab, with immediate cessation of methotrexate (Arm 1) or 4 weeks’ overlap with decreasing methotrexate dose (Arm 2). Ustekinumab was administered at weeks 0, 4, 16, 28 and 40. Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), EuroQol 5‐item (EQ‐5D), visual analogue scale (VAS) valuation technique and patient benefit index (PBI) were employed.

Mean global PBI and sub‐scores were calculated from the sum of the benefit items weighted by their respective relevance at baseline. Patient‐relevant benefit was defined as PBI ≥1 (scale: 0 [no benefit] to 4 [maximum benefit]). Correlations of global PBI with Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) and DLQI were examined.

Results

Relationships between PBI and clinical data were evaluable in 340 patients. The most important treatment goals at baseline included: ‘be healed of all skin defects’, ‘have confidence in therapy’, ‘get better skin quickly’ and ‘regain control of the disease’. Benefit in PBI global score was achieved at week 4 by 93% of patients in Arm 1 and 91% in Arm 2. Global PBI scores increased in both Arms between weeks 4 and 52. Global PBI correlated weakly with PASI change from baseline (correlation coefficient range: −0.22 to −0.40), and moderately with DLQI (−0.29 to −0.54). Overall DLQI score was lower than baseline at all times; and the percentage of patients with an overall score of 0 or 1 increased with time. Correspondingly, EQ VAS scores increased with time. DLQI and EQ VAS results were similar between arms.

Conclusions

Regardless of the strategy for transitioning from methotrexate, ustekinumab was associated with rapid and sustained improvement in patient‐reported outcomes. PBI appears a suitable tool for assessing patient‐relevant treatment benefits in psoriasis patients.
Merkel Cell Carcinoma: rising incidence in the East of England
Authors: Goon P.K.C. , Greenberg D.C. , Igali L. , Levell N.J.
Published: August 2016

Background

Merkel Cell Carcinoma (MCC) is an infrequent but highly aggressive skin cancer. Five‐year survival rates are poor, as there are high rates of metastases at primary diagnoses. Recurrences are also common. There is controversy about actual incidence rates which vary considerably between developed countries with majority populations of fair skin types.

Objectives

We report the age‐standardized incidence rates of MCC for both males and females from the East of England, and use linear regression analyses to estimate numbers of cases for 2020 and 2025 to aid healthcare planning and allocation of resources.

Methods

All cases of MCC diagnosed histopathologically between 1st January 2004 and 31st December 2013 were extracted from the databases of the Eastern Office, National Cancer Registration Service, Public Health England, and the Pathology department of the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, which serves as the tertiary referral centre for the region. Age‐standardization incidence rate calculations (ASIs) and linear regression analyses were performed.

Results

The ASIs (expected cases in the standard world population) for males and females were 0.19 and 0.24 per 100 000 person‐years respectively. The total age standardised incidence rate was 0.21 per 100 000 person‐years. The ratio of female: male disease was 3:2. The total number of cases for this region over the time period studied was 73. There has been a threefold increase over this period. Estimated cases for this region are 17 in 2020, and 22 in 2025. Estimated UK cases for 2020 are 920, and 1134 in 2025.

Conclusions

MCC is increasing steadily in the East of England, and has risen threefold over the last 10 years. These data are slightly higher than previous UK estimates, and may suggest that the incidence rate is also rising in other regions of the UK.
Methyl aminolevulinate photodynamic therapy for onychomycosis: a multicentre, randomized, controlled clinical trial
Authors: Gilaberte Y. , Robres M.P. , Frías M.P. , García‐Doval I. , Rezusta A. , Aspiroz C.
Published: August 2016

Background

Onychomycosis is a common fungal nail infection that responds poorly to antifungals.

Objective

To investigate the efficacy and safety of methyl aminolevulinate (MAL) photodynamic therapy (PDT) in the treatment of onychomycosis.

Methods

A multicentre (3), randomized, placebo‐controlled clinical trial compared the effects of three sessions of urea (40%) plus conventional MAL‐PDT with urea (40%) plus placebo (red light) photodynamic therapy (pPDT) in onychomycosis patients. Efficacy, both clinical (onychomycosis severity index, OSI) and microbiological, was blindly evaluated after 36 weeks of follow‐up.

Results

Forty patients were analysed in the trial. Twenty‐two received MAL‐PDT and 18 pPDT. A complete response (OSI = 0) was observed for four patients (18.18%) in the MAL‐PDT group and one (5.56%) in the pPDT group (NTT 7.92, 95% CI: 2.98–9.69, P = 0.23). A decrease in OSI score of over 75% (OSI75) was achieved by 40.91% of the patients in the MAL‐PDT group and 16.67% in the pPDT group (P = 0.096). Microbiological cure was achieved by seven patients (31.82%) in the MAL‐PDT group and two (11.11%) in the pPDT group (P = 0.178). MAL‐PDT resulted in better rates of clinical response [OSI >75%: 53.85% vs. 18.75% (P =0.048)] and microbiological cure [41.56% vs. 7.14% (P = 0.037)] in non‐dystrophic vs. dystrophic onychomycosis patients. No significant side‐effects were reported. The limitations of the study were the reduced sample size and the unexpected efficacy of the control treatment, which was attributed to the 40% urea pre‐treatment.

Conclusion

This study did not show significant differences between urea 40% + MAL‐PDT and urea 40% + pPDT in the treatment of onychomycosis. However, some results suggest that this treatment may constitute an alternative for dermatophyte and non‐dermatophyte mould onychomycosis in patients not eligible for systemic treatment, particularly in the absence of total nail dystrophy.
Diet, bite force and skull morphology in the generalist rodent morphotype
Authors: Maestri R. , Patterson B. D. , Fornel R. , Monteiro L. R. , de Freitas T. R. O.
Published: August 2016

For many vertebrate species, bite force plays an important functional role. Ecological characteristics of a species' niche, such as diet, are often associated with bite force. Previous evidence suggests a biomechanical trade‐off between rodents specialized for gnawing, which feed mainly on seeds, and those specialized for chewing, which feed mainly on green vegetation. We tested the hypothesis that gnawers are stronger biters than chewers. We estimated bite force and measured skull and mandible shape and size in 63 genera of a major rodent radiation (the myomorph sigmodontines). Analysis of the influence of diet on bite force and morphology was made in a comparative framework. We then used phylogenetic path analysis to uncover the most probable causal relationships linking diet and bite force. Both granivores (gnawers) and herbivores (chewers) have a similar high bite force, leading us to reject the initial hypothesis. Path analysis reveals that bite force is more likely influenced by diet than the reverse causality. The absence of a trade‐off between herbivores and granivores may be associated with the generalist nature of the myomorph condition seen in sigmodontine rodents. Both gnawing and chewing sigmodontines exhibit similar, intermediate phenotypes, at least compared to extreme gnawers (squirrels) and chewers (chinchillas). Only insectivorous rodents appear to be moving towards a different direction in the shape space, through some notable changes in morphology. In terms of diet, natural selection alters bite force through changes in size and shape, indicating that organisms adjust their bite force in tandem with changes in food items.
Arsenic trioxide intravenous infusion combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma with pulmonary metastasis: Long‐term outcome analysis
Authors: Hu Hong Tao , Yao Quan Jun , Meng Yan Li , Li Hai Liang , Zhang Hao , Luo Jun Peng , Guo Chen Yang , Geng Xiang
Published: August 2016

Objective

To evaluate the safety, clinical efficacy, and long‐term outcome of arsenic trioxide (As2O3) intravenous infusion for pulmonary metastases in patients with HCC.

Materials and Methods

Sixty consecutive patients who were diagnosed with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with pulmonary metastasis were randomized 1:1 into the treatment and control groups. Treatment group underwent transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) for the primary liver tumor and then underwent As2O3 treatment, whereas control group underwent TACE alone. The treatment group underwent a continuous 5‐h intravenous infusion of 10 mg/day As2O3. The course of As2O3 treatment was initiated 3–5 days after TACE (to allow liver and gastrointestinal function to recover) and continued for 14 consecutive days. All patients in the treatment group underwent at least four treatment courses. Response to treatment was evaluated after four treatment courses.

Result

In treatment group, two patients had a complete response (CR), six had a partial response (PR), 10 had stable disease (SD), and 12 had progressive disease. A clinically effective rate (CR + PR) was achieved in 26.7%, and the clinical benefit rate (CR + PR + SD) was 60%. In the control group, no patients had a CR or PR, five had SD, and 25 had progressive disease. The clinically effective rate was 0%, and the clinical benefit rate was 16.7%. The overall 1‐year survival was 56.7% in treatment group and 36.7% in control group. The overall 2‐year survival was 16.7% in treatment group and 3.3% in control group.

Conclusion

Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization plus an intravenous infusion of As2O3 effectively controlled pulmonary metastasis and prolonged overall survival in patients with HCC compared with TACE alone.
Checking up on Couples—A Meta‐Analysis of the Effect of Assessment and Feedback on Marital Functioning and Individual Mental Health in Couples
Authors: Fentz Hanne N. , Trillingsgaard Tea
Published: August 2016

The primary aim of the current meta‐analysis was to investigate the overall effect of a relationship checkup (RC), a couple‐oriented assessment, and feedback intervention. Systematic literature searches revealed 12 eligible randomized trials published between 1995 and 2015. Results showed significant overall pre–post effect of an RC on marital functioning (Hedge's g = 0.20) and individual mental health (g = 0.44). The between‐group controlled effect size was significant at postassessment (g = 0.23) and up to six‐month follow‐up (g = 0.23). Characteristics of the RC format, therapist‐guided versus self‐directed, or the study samples, distressed versus healthy, did not moderate the overall effect of the RC. Thus, our results suggest an RC to improve couples' marital functioning up to six‐month follow‐up, while the effect on individual mental health and repeated delivery of a RC awaits further research.
Three‐dimensional bright‐field scanning transmission electron microscopy elucidate novel nanostructure in microbial biofilms
Authors: HICKEY WILLIAM J. , SHETTY AMEESHA R. , MASSEY RANDALL J. , TOSO DANIEL B. , AUSTIN JOTHAM
Published: August 2016

Bacterial biofilms play key roles in environmental and biomedical processes, and understanding their activities requires comprehension of their nanoarchitectural characteristics. Electron microscopy (EM) is an essential tool for nanostructural analysis, but conventional EM methods are limited in that they either provide topographical information alone, or are suitable for imaging only relatively thin (<300 nm) sample volumes. For biofilm investigations, these are significant restrictions. Understanding structural relations between cells requires imaging of a sample volume sufficiently large to encompass multiple cells and the capture of both external and internal details of cell structure. An emerging EM technique with such capabilities is bright‐field scanning transmission electron microscopy (BF‐STEM) and in the present report BF‐STEM was coupled with tomography to elucidate nanostructure in biofilms formed by the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon‐degrading soil bacterium, Delftia acidovorans Cs1‐4. Dual‐axis BF‐STEM enabled high‐resolution 3‐D tomographic recontructions (6–10 nm) visualization of thick (1250 and 1500 nm) sections. The 3‐D data revealed that novel extracellular structures, termed nanopods, were polymorphic and formed complex networks within cell clusters. BF‐STEM tomography enabled visualization of conduits formed by nanopods that could enable intercellular movement of outer membrane vesicles, and thereby enable direct communication between cells. This report is the first to document application of dual‐axis BF‐STEM tomography to obtain high‐resolution 3‐D images of novel nanostructures in bacterial biofilms. Future work with dual‐axis BF‐STEM tomography combined with correlative light electron microscopy may provide deeper insights into physiological functions associated with nanopods as well as other nanostructures.
Enough Time for Housework? Low‐Wage Work and Desired Housework Time Adjustments
Authors: Stanczyk Alexandra B. , Henly Julia R. , Lambert Susan J.
Published: August 2016

Although studies examine preferences for hours spent in paid employment, little attention has been given to preferences for hours spent in unpaid household labor. This study examines the extent to which women working in low‐paid retail jobs would prefer to spend more or less time on household work and how alignment between preferred and actual time on housework is related to characteristics of paid work. Using original survey data and company records on a sample of women working at a U.S. retail firm (N = 277), the authors found that mismatch between preferred and actual time on household work was common. Roughly 42% wanted more time on household work and 18% wanted less. Working multiple jobs, work schedule unpredictability, and nonstandard work timing contributed to wanting more time on housework. Findings add to understanding of how low‐wage, precarious employment shapes workers' ability to attend to necessary tasks of household management.
Neuroticism Increases PTSD Symptom Severity by Amplifying the Emotionality, Rehearsal, and Centrality of Trauma Memories
Authors: Ogle Christin M. , Siegler Ilene C. , Beckham Jean C. , Rubin David C.
Published: August 2016

Objective

Although it is well established that neuroticism increases the risk of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), little is known about the mechanisms that promote PTSD in individuals with elevated levels of neuroticism. Across two studies, we examined the cognitive‐affective processes through which neuroticism leads to greater PTSD symptom severity.

Method

Community‐dwelling adults with trauma histories varying widely in severity (Study 1) and clinically diagnosed individuals exposed to DSM‐IV‐TR A1 criterion traumas (Study 2) completed measures of neuroticism, negative affectivity, trauma memory characteristics, and PTSD symptom severity.

Results

Longitudinal data in Study 1 showed that individuals with higher scores on two measures of neuroticism assessed approximately three decades apart in young adulthood and midlife reported trauma memories accompanied by more intense physiological reactions, more frequent involuntary rehearsal, and greater perceived centrality to identity in older adulthood. These properties of trauma memories were in turn associated with more severe PTSD symptoms. Study 2 replicated these findings using cross‐sectional data from individuals with severe trauma histories and three additional measures of neuroticism.

Conclusions

Results suggest that neuroticism leads to PTSD symptoms by magnifying the emotionality, availability, and centrality of trauma memories as proposed in mnemonic models of PTSD.
Relational Political Contribution under Common Agency
Authors: ISHIHARA AKIFUMI
Published: August 2016

Motivated by commitment problems of contracts in lobbying, this paper studies a model of a repeated common agency where monetary transfers must be voluntary. First, we show that the optimal punishment strategy for a principal takes a two‐phase scheme, which is similar to the punishment characterized by Goldlücke and Kranz. Second, we investigate whether an outcome of standard menu auctions with binding contracts can be supported by implicit contracts. We define the environment to be more preference‐diverse if an efficient decision is less attractive to each principal. We show that the discount factor must be high to support the outcome of the standard menu auction if the environment is preference‐diversified.
Can Minimum Wages Raise Workers’ Incomes in the Long Run?
Authors: ECONOMIDES GEORGE , MOUTOS THOMAS
Published: August 2016

Using an intertemporal model of saving and capital accumulation with two types of agents we demonstrate that it is impossible for any binding minimum wage to increase the after‐tax incomes of workers if the production function is Cobb–Douglas with constant returns to scale, or if there are no differences in ability among workers. Moreover, it is impossible to increase the incomes of employed workers through minimum wage legislation, even under decreasing returns to scale and heterogeneity of ability among workers, unless the support provided to unemployed workers is far below what they would earn in the absence of minimum wages.
Optimal Universal and Categorical Benefit Provision with Classification Errors and Imperfect Enforcement
Authors: SLACK SEAN , ULPH DAVID
Published: August 2016

We determine the optimal combination of a universal benefit and categorical benefit when individuals differ in their ability to work and, if able to work, their productivity. The categorical benefit is conditioned ex ante on applicants being unable to work and ex post on recipients not working. The awards test makes Type I/II errors. If the ex post condition is (i) not enforced, the optimal categorical benefit is positive only if the awards test has discriminatory power, while maximum welfare falls with both error propensities; but if (ii) fully enforced, the optimal categorical benefit is positive always and maximum welfare can increase with the Type II error propensity.
Leader or Lobbyist? How Organizational Politics and Top Supply Chain Manager Political Skill Impacts Supply Chain Orientation and Internal Integration
Authors: Thornton LaDonna M. , Esper Terry L. , Autry Chad W.
Published: August 2016

Despite myriad attempts by supply chain managers and exhortation by scholars, many firms remain insufficiently integrated across internal functional areas. Supply chain management research has hinted that the difficulty may be due to social dynamics occurring within and between organizational departments (i.e., organizational politics) and the perceptions thereof held by employees. This study examines whether perceptions of organizational politics held by firm employees negatively impact internal integration directly, or indirectly via inhibiting the firm's supply chain orientation. Based on social exchange theory and social influence theory, the research also assesses whether the potentially harmful impacts of political perceptions on internal integration are/can be mitigated by employees' perception of the political skill of the top supply chain management executive—a person charged with ensuring the firm's supply chain will function successfully. The findings of a broad managerial survey conducted within the U.S. retail industry suggest that perceptions of organizational politics within organizations do directly influence internal integration. Furthermore, the relationship between organizational politics and supply chain orientation is impacted when the top supply chain executive is perceived to be politically skilled.
Linkages among canopy tree neighbourhoods, small mammal herbivores and herbaceous communities in temperate forests
Authors: Schnurr Jaclyn , Canham Charles D.
Published: August 2016

Question

Small mammals are important consumers of tree seeds in forests worldwide. Few studies, however, have addressed the impacts of small mammals as consumers of herbaceous species in the forest understorey. Local neighbourhood‐scale variation in canopy tree composition has strong effects on resource availability for understorey plants, but can also influence the distribution, abundance and foraging behaviour of small mammals, primarily through spatial and temporal variation in seed rain. In this study we examine the direct and indirect effects of canopy tree neighbourhoods and herbivory by small mammals on the diversity, abundance and flowering of herbaceous species in a temperate forest.

Location and Methods

In 1994 we established 36 1 m × 2 m fenced small mammal exclosures, paired with similar‐sized control plots, under the major canopy tree species found at Great Mountain Forest, in Norfolk,CT,US.

Results

When re‐sampled in 2005, after 10 yrs of small mammal exclusion, the abundance of herbaceous plants had increased inside the exclosures (F = 5.005,df = 1,38,P = 0.031), as did the proportion of plants flowering (t = −2.11,df = 60,P = 0.039). However, species richness and Shannon–Wiener diversity (H′) were similar inside and outside of exclosures. At one site the identity of the canopy tree species did impact species richness (F = 4.494,df = 5,18,P = 0.008), independent of exclosure. Plots underFraxinus americana(white ash) had the highest species richness (average number of species = 7.5) while the lowest diversity was found in plots underTsuga canadensis(Eastern hemlock; average number of species = 2.25) andQuercus rubra(northern red oak; average number of species = 1.5).

Conclusions

The results demonstrate that small mammal herbivores can directly affect the abundance and reproduction of herbaceous species, and that local conditions (such as the surrounding canopy tree neighbourhood) can also play direct and indirect roles in the maintenance of the herbaceous layer in temperate deciduous forests.
Evaluation of CD4+CD25+/−CD39+ T‐cell populations in peripheral blood of patients following kidney transplantation and during acute allograft rejection
Authors: McRae Jennifer L , Chia Joanne SJ , Pommey Sandra A , Dwyer Karen M
Published: August 2016

Aim

Regulatory T cells (Treg) are important in mediating immune tolerance and outcomes of allotransplantation. CD4+CD25+CD39+ co‐expression identifies memory Treg; CD4+CD25−CD39+ memory T effectors. We sought to determine CD4+CD25+/−CD39+ expression from the peripheral blood of patients with end stage renal failure, following transplantation and during episodes of acute cellular rejection.

Methods

CD4+ T cells were isolated from peripheral blood leucocytes and analysed for CD25 and CD39 expression by flow cytometry. Treg suppressive function was measured by suppression of autologous effector T‐cell proliferation by Treg in co‐culture.

Results

CD4+CD25+/−CD39+ T‐cell subsets were tracked longitudinally in the peripheral blood of 17 patients following renal transplantation. Patients with acute T‐cell‐mediated rejection diagnosed on biopsy had reduced CD4+CD25+CD39+ mTreg (P < 0.05) and CD4+CD25−CD39+ mTeff (P < 0.01) cells compared with non‐rejecting patients. CD4+CD25+CD39+ mTreg (P < 0.05) and CD4+CD25−CD39+ mTeff (P = 0.057) were reduced in long‐term transplant patients (>1 year) compared with non‐immunosuppressed controls. Interestingly, remaining CD4+CD25+CD39+ mTreg in the stable transplant patients displayed more potent suppressive capacity compared with non‐immunosuppressed controls (83.2% ± 3.1% vs 45.7% ± 8.0%, nTeff:Treg ratio 8:1, P < 0.01).

Conclusion

CD4+CD25+CD39+ mTreg and CD4+CD25−CD39+ mTeff in peripheral blood can be tracked in renal transplant patients. Acute cellular rejection was accompanied by reduced mTreg and mTeff. Determining changes in these T‐cell subsets may help to identify patients with, or at high risk of, renal allograft rejection.
Allometry in Anisian (Middle Triassic) segminiplanate conodonts and its implications for conodont taxonomy
Authors: Chen Yanlong , Neubauer Thomas A. , Krystyn Leopold , Richoz Sylvain
Published: August 2016

Conodonts are a clade of chordates and are valuable indicator fossils for biostratigraphy. The segminiplanate (neogondolelliform) conodonts represent a major morphological group ranging from upper Carboniferous to Upper Triassic marine sediments. However, the morphological similarity of segminiplanate P1 elements generates problems for taxonomy, especially in the Permian and Triassic clades. This paper represents the first study of morphological variation in Triassic segminiplanate conodonts using a geometric morphometric approach. The laminar microstructures observed in conodont cross‐sections indicate that, within our analysed specimens, smaller conodonts with fewer laminae are generally from an earlier ontogenetic stage while larger conodonts with more laminae are from a later stage of ontogeny. Using linear regressions between relative warp scores from both upper and lateral views and conodont length, we demonstrate strongly allometric growth patterns for the species Paragondolella bifurcata Budurov & Stefanov. Our results indicate that the species‐group taxon Pg. praeszaboi bystrickyi (Kovacs et al.) is an early growth stage of Pg. bifurcata and thus synonymous. We suggest that the allometry of conodonts should be considered seriously, especially when there are numerous transitional morphologies between large‐ and small‐sized conodonts. Reconstructing the ontogenetic series and using larger‐sized conodonts within the numerous transitional morphologies in the population of a rock sample for the definition of new species are suggested for future studies.
Blood pressure and heart rates in neonates and preschool children: an analysis from 10 years of electronic recording
Authors: Sottas Cedric E. , Cumin David , Anderson Brian J.
Published: August 2016

Background

An acceptable systolic or mean arterial blood pressure for children 0–6 years during anesthesia is unknown. Accepted blood pressures reported in standard charts for healthy awake children may not apply to those undergoing anesthesia.

Aim

Our goal was to define observed blood pressures (BP) and heart rate (HR) in children 0–5 years during anesthesia.

Methods

Data from the electronic health record database were available for a 10‐year period from June 29, 2005 to July 22, 2015. A simple band‐pass filter was applied to remove artifact in the physiologic time‐series data for heart rate and blood pressure, with heart rate values 40 or above 250, mean or diastolic blood pressures below 20 or above 200, and systolic blood pressures below 30 or above 200 all excluded. For each anesthetic, the centiles of physiological variables (BP, HR) were calculated.

Results

Data were available for 54 896 anesthetics in children 6 years and younger. There were 898 anesthesia reports available that included blood pressure measures immediately before induction. A larger number of anesthesia records (n = 30 008) were available for intraoperative blood pressure recording. The BP decrease after anesthesia induction was most pronounced in infants 0–10 weeks of age where there was a mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) decrease of 16.6–34.5% (mean 28.6%). Systolic blood pressure decreased by 16.3–32.6% (mean 25.5%). Values above a systolic blood pressure of 60 mm Hg were only noted in half the neonates during anesthesia. Heart rates, both before and after anesthesia induction, were similar.

Conclusion

Heart rate while under anesthesia appears a poor indicator for blood pressure changes. Recorded blood pressures in this current study, measured immediately before induction, were consistent with those in the literature. A mean MAP decrease of 28.6% was typical in those infants 0–10 weeks of age.
How Do Credit Rating Agencies Rate? An Implementation Perspective on the Assessment of Austerity Programs during the European Debt Crisis
Authors: Sager Fritz , Hinterleitner Markus
Published: August 2016

During the recent European debt crisis, credit rating agencies (CRAs) and the ratings they were producing became a frequent bone of contention. We analyze which factors are considered by CRAs when they judge a state's credibility in implementing an announced austerity program. The results of a fuzzy‐set Qualitative Comparative Analysis of credit ratings show that implementation‐related factors had a comparatively minor impact while the level of economic competitiveness of the evaluated country displayed high explanatory power. The findings highlight the desolate implications for less competitive countries that emanate from credit ratings and their influence on refinancing costs. While competitive states are deemed better able to generate future growth and therefore get positive evaluations, less competitive states cannot prevent (further) downgrades in the short‐ or middle‐term by announcing austerity programs.

Related Articles

Hazakis, Konstantinos J. 2015. “.” Politics & Policy 43 (): 822‐854. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/polp.12141/abstract

Exadaktylos, Theofanis, and
Nikolaos Zahariadis. 2014. “.” Politics & Policy 42 (): 160‐183. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/polp.12058/abstract

Luckhurst, Jonathan. 2012. “.” Politics & Policy 40 (): 740‐782. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2012.00387.x/abstract

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2016. “Eurosystem Publishes More Detailed Criteria for Accepting Rating Agencies.” ECB Economic Bulletin Issue 1/2016—Box 3. http://www.ecb.europa.eu/pub/pdf/other/eb201601_focus03.en.pdf

. 2016. “Ratings Criteria.” http://www.standardandpoors.com/en_US/web/guest/ratings/ratings-criteria/-/articles/criteria/governments/filter/sovereigns
The Effect of Historical Pact Making and Civic Associations on Democratic Outcomes
Authors: Tusalem Rollin F.
Published: August 2016

Scholarship in comparative democratization finds that dialogue between the opposition and the old regime before the advent of democratic elections has consistently produced stable democracies least susceptible to reversals. This is because such “pacted” transitions promote values such as conciliation, compromise building, and consensus seeking. Yet the debate concerning how historical pact making affects the quality of democracy remains mainly anecdotal. Using a dataset of transitional states, I find that not all variants of pacted transitions facilitate consolidation. Pacted transitions initiated by the ancien régime are susceptible to democratic reversal, while transitions where the balance of power between the ancien régime and civic forces is equal in initiating regime change are associated with better democratic outcomes least susceptible to democratic collapse. The article also shows that regime transitions are very much influenced by other historical path‐dependent factors—specifically the role of civic associations and coalitions during the transitional process.

Related Articles

Sarquís, David. 2012. “.” Politics & Policy 40 (): 871–903. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2012.00381.x/full

Beal, Amanda, and
Leah Graham. 2014. “.” Politics & Policy 41 (): 311–345. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/polp.12077/full

Luckhurst, Jonathan. 2012. “.” Politics & Policy 40 (): 958–977. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2012.00386.x/full

Related Media

. 2013. “Reconsidering Democratic Transitions 2 Francis Fukuyama, Donald Horowitz, Larry Diamond.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDUwmxcx_UI

. 2015. “Transitions from above Pacted Transitions.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-GPhuDWb3w

Coleman, Isobel. 2014. “Democracy Can Still Deliver.” Council on Foreign Relations. http://blogs.cfr.org/coleman/category/democratization/
Does Global Market Integration Weaken Opinion‐Policy Congruence in the American States?
Authors: Anderson Bret , Krueger Brian S. , Xu Ping
Published: August 2016

Theories of economic globalization suggest that public opinion‐public policy congruence should be affected by a state's degree of integration with international markets. With as much attention researchers have given to the opinion‐policy linkage in the American states, it is surprising that this literature has neglected these well‐known globalization frameworks. We take advantage of the wide variation in U.S. states’ integration in global markets, public policies, and political orientations of citizens, to assess whether global market integration depresses the association between citizen opinion and public policies. Using three decades of state‐level data, our results suggest that high global market integration does not attenuate the relationship between state opinion and state public spending. Not only does this finding run counter to the well‐known policy convergence thesis, but our results also suggest that the association between opinion and policy in the American states may be strongest under conditions of high global market integration.

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Pierson, Chris, and
Louise Humpage. 2016. “.” Politics & Policy 44 (): 261‐293.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/polp.12150/full

Butz, Adam M., and
Jason E. Kehrberg. 2015. “.” Politics & Policy 43 (): 256‐286.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/polp.12115/abstract

Anderson, Lori. 2014. “.” Politics & Policy 42 (): 459‐473.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/polp.12075/full

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Higgins, Parker. 2015. “TPP's Copyright Trap.” Electronic Frontier Foundation.

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2015/07/tpp-copyright-trap-our-last-stand-against-undemocratic-international-agreements

Trumka, Richard. 2015. “Richard Trumka: TPP ‘Designed To Be Infinitely Expandable,’ May Be ‘The Last Trade Agreement.’”

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2015/04/22/afl-cio_president_richard_trumka_tpp_designed_to_be_infinitely_expandable_may_be_the_last_trade_agreement_we_negotiate.html
Contextual Identity among Liberian Refugees in Ghana: Identity Salience in a Protracted Refugee Situation
Authors: Byrne Jennifer
Published: August 2016

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of a protracted refugee situation on identity among Liberian refugees in Ghana. A strong national identity was observed among Liberians within the context of Buduburam Refugee Camp, despite previous ethnic divisions in their home country during the two Liberian civil wars. According to social identity theory, individuals may hold several identities at one time, but the expression of these identities are dependent on context. Using a grounded theory approach, I find three theoretical explanations for this phenomenon. Three identity primes heightened the salience of being Liberian. First, identity discontinuity resulting from trauma focused awareness on shared past experiences, creating a shared generational identity among residents at Buduburam. Second, a shared refugee status, and third, shared perceptions of difference between the Liberians and Ghanaians, played key roles in activating and sustaining a collective national identity among Liberian refugees in Ghana.

Related Articles

Byrne, Jennifer, and
Gregory C. Dixon. 2013. “.” Politics & Policy 42 (): 83‐116. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/polp.12002/abstract

Catalinac, Amy L. 2007. “.” Politics & Policy 35 (): 58‐100. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2007.00049.x/abstract

. 2011. “.” Politics & Policy 39 (): 271‐294. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2011.00291.x/abstract

Related Media

. n.d. “Home for Homeless People.” http://buduburam.com/

. 2014. “Liberian Refugees in Ghana.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k85CJe5JWAw
Diary of a Telepathic Solipsist
Authors: Sorensen Roy A.
Published: August 2016

A thorough telepath in an otherwise mindless world would have an observational basis for solipsism. He would perceive an absence of other minds. How would things appear to the lone telepath? Given sufficient scepticism about introspection, exactly as they now seem to you. This perceptual solipsist would exclude other minds on the basis of evidence rather than the absence of evidence. He would be open‐minded, ready to revise his opinion as rapidly as any perceiver. Any intransigence would be a side‐effect of his theory about the senses. Temperamentally, he need not be a loner. The solipsist's ethics could be altruistic, his politics democratic, and his social preferences gregarious. At the same time, his solipsism would inform his hopes for immortality, his career choice and his means of communication.
Racialized and Classed Contexts: Shifting Audiences and Changes in Emotional Labor Among Restaurant Servers
Authors: Billingsley Brianna L.
Published: August 2016

This ethnographic study examines the importance of context in the emotional labor of restaurant servers. While the emotional labor of workers in the service industry has been studied extensively, little attention has been paid to the differing audiences and demands of restaurant servers in the front‐ and backstages and the ways these spaces and performances are racialized and classed. Relying on organizational materials, face‐to‐face interviews, and participant observation conducted from September through December 2013, this article addresses this gap. Findings indicate that the emotional labor that servers engage in the frontstage is processed in backstage spaces where servers interact out of earshot of customers. In this space, servers mitigate the stress associated with the emotional labor demands from the frontstage by relying on racialized and classed discourse about their customers, processes that may, in turn, contribute to the reproduction of social hierarchies.
Production of the forage halophyte Atriplex amnicola in metal‐contaminated soils
Authors: Eissa M. A. , Ahmed E. M. , Reichman S. M.
Published: August 2016

Clean‐up of contaminated soils is a costly and slow process that requires long periods of time to be effective. Therefore, direct use of contaminated sites with appropriate management is often likely to be a more efficient use of such land. Consequently, the production of safe animal forages from contaminated soils was the aim of this research. Field studies were conducted to evaluate the growth and elemental composition of river saltbush (Atriplex amnicola) grown on a metal‐contaminated soil. The soil was amended with compost at rates of 0, 15 and 30 t/ha to assess its role on plant growth and metal uptake. Compost application significantly (P < 0.05) increased biomass yield, crude protein (CP) and ash content of river saltbush; in contrast, it decreased the Zn and Pb concentrations in shoot tissues. When 30 t/ha of compost was added, the Pb concentrations in the stems and leaves decreased by 32 and 38%, respectively. Despite the large total and extractable content of metals in the studied soil, shoot concentrations of these metals in A. amnicola were always maintained below potentially toxic levels. The biomass material of A. amnicola had a high nutritive value compared to conventional forage crops and could safely be used as animal forage. This work demonstrates that an Atriplex spp, A. amnicola, has significant potential for use as a safe forage crop in the sustainable on‐site management of contaminated soils.