bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prospective Study of Gastroesophageal Reflux, Use of Proton Pump Inhibitors and H2-Receptor Antagonists, and Risk of Hearing Loss
Authors: Lin Brian M. , Curhan Sharon G. , Wang Molin , Jacobson Brian C. , Eavey Roland , Stankovic Konstantina M. , Curhan Gary C.
Published: August 2016

Objectives:

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is common and often treated with proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) or H2-receptor antagonists (H2-RAs). GERD has been associated with exposure of the middle ear to gastric contents, which could cause hearing loss. Treatment of GERD with PPIs and H2-RAs may decrease exposure of the middle ear to gastric acid and decrease the risk of hearing loss. We prospectively investigated the relation between GERD, use of PPIs and H2-RAs, and the risk of hearing loss in 54,883 women in Nurses’ Health Study II.

Design:

Eligible participants, aged 41 to 58 years in 2005, provided information on medication use and GERD symptoms in 2005, answered the question on hearing loss in 2009 or in 2013, and did not report hearing loss starting before the date of onset of GERD symptoms or medication use. The primary outcome was self-reported hearing loss. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to adjust for potential confounders.

Results:

During 361,872 person-years of follow-up, 9842 new cases of hearing loss were reported. Compared with no GERD symptoms, higher frequency of GERD symptoms was associated with higher risk of hearing loss (multivariable adjusted relative risks: <1 time/month 1.04 [0.97, 1.11], several times/week 1.17 [1.09, 1.25], daily 1.33 [1.19, 1.49]; p value for trend <0.001). After accounting for GERD symptoms, neither PPI nor H2-RA use was associated with the risk of hearing loss.

Conclusions:

GERD symptoms are associated with higher risk of hearing loss in women, but use of PPIs and H2-RAs are not independently associated with the risk.
Age-Related Differences in Listening Effort During Degraded Speech Recognition
Authors: Ward Kristina M. , Shen Jing , Souza Pamela E. , Grieco-Calub Tina M.
Published: August 2016

Objectives:

The purpose of the present study was to quantify age-related differences in executive control as it relates to dual-task performance, which is thought to represent listening effort, during degraded speech recognition.

Design:

Twenty-five younger adults (YA; 18–24 years) and 21 older adults (OA; 56–82 years) completed a dual-task paradigm that consisted of a primary speech recognition task and a secondary visual monitoring task. Sentence material in the primary task was either unprocessed or spectrally degraded into 8, 6, or 4 spectral channels using noise-band vocoding. Performance on the visual monitoring task was assessed by the accuracy and reaction time of participants’ responses. Performance on the primary and secondary task was quantified in isolation (i.e., single task) and during the dual-task paradigm. Participants also completed a standardized psychometric measure of executive control, including attention and inhibition. Statistical analyses were implemented to evaluate changes in listeners’ performance on the primary and secondary tasks (1) per condition (unprocessed vs. vocoded conditions); (2) per task (single task vs. dual task); and (3) per group (YA vs. OA).

Results:

Speech recognition declined with increasing spectral degradation for both YA and OA when they performed the task in isolation or concurrently with the visual monitoring task. OA were slower and less accurate than YA on the visual monitoring task when performed in isolation, which paralleled age-related differences in standardized scores of executive control. When compared with single-task performance, OA experienced greater declines in secondary-task accuracy, but not reaction time, than YA. Furthermore, results revealed that age-related differences in executive control significantly contributed to age-related differences on the visual monitoring task during the dual-task paradigm.

Conclusions:

OA experienced significantly greater declines in secondary-task accuracy during degraded speech recognition than YA. These findings are interpreted as suggesting that OA expended greater listening effort than YA, which may be partially attributed to age-related differences in executive control.
Does Specialty Bias Trump Evidence in the Management of High-risk Prostate Cancer?
Authors: Kishan Amar U. , Duchesne Gillian , Wang Pin-Chieh , Rwigema Jean-Claude M. , Saigal Christopher , Rettig Matthew , Steinberg Michael L. , King Christopher R.
Published: August 2016

Objective:

The objective was to query how specialty influences treatment recommendations for high-risk prostate cancer in 3 clinical settings: upfront management, postoperative management, and management of biochemical recurrences (BCRs) after radiotherapy (RT). We hypothesized that specialty bias would manifest in all settings, trumping available evidence.

Methods:

A survey of practicing urologists and radiation oncologists was distributed through electronic mail. Questions pertained to upfront management, postoperative treatment, and local salvage for postradiation BCRs. The associations between 26 selected categorical responses and specialty were assessed using multivariate logistic regression. Training level/expertise, practice setting, percentage of consultation caseload consisting of prostate cancer, and nationality were set as effect modifiers.

Results:

One thousand two hundred fifty-three physicians (846 radiation oncologists and 407 urologists) completed the survey. Radiation oncologists were more likely to recommend adjuvant RT and consider it to be underutilized, and more likely to recommend salvage RT at lower prostate-specific antigen thresholds (P<0.0001). Urologists were more likely to recommend salvage radical prostatectomy or cryoablation for local salvage after RT, whereas radiation oncologists were more likely to recommend RT-based modalities and more likely to report that local salvage was underutilized after RT (P<0.0001). Urologists were more likely to report that upfront radical prostatectomy was a better definitive treatment (P<0.0001), whereas radiation oncologists were more likely to report the opposite (P=0.005).

Conclusions:

Specialty biases permeate recommendations for upfront management and management in the postoperative and post-RT BCR setting, irrespective of available evidence. These data reveal the critical need for multidisciplinary clinics and cross-specialty training as potential solutions for overcoming specialty bias.
Anticonvulsant activity of the antidepressant drug, tianeptine, against pentylenetetrazole-induced seizures mitigates cognitive impairment in rats
Authors: Reeta KH. , Prabhakar Pankaj , Gupta Yogendra K.
Published: August 2016

Treatment of depression, a common comorbidity in patients with epilepsy, is restricted as certain antidepressants are considered to be proconvulsants. In contrast, anticonvulsant effects have been reported with some antidepressants. In the present study, the effect of tianeptine, an antidepressant, was evaluated against pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced seizures, cognitive impairment and oxidative stress in rats. Tianeptine was administered in three doses (20, 40 and 80 mg/kg) 30 min before PTZ (60 mg/kg, intraperitoneally). MK801, an N-methyl-d-aspartate antagonist, and naloxone, an opioid receptor antagonist, were administered with tianeptine to evaluate the involvement of N-methyl-d-aspartate and opioid receptors, respectively. Morris water maze, elevated plus maze and passive avoidance tests were performed for behavioural assessment. Brain malondialdehyde and reduced glutathione levels were estimated as markers of oxidative stress. Tianeptine showed dose-dependent protection against PTZ seizures. Coadministration of tianeptine with MK801 potentiated the anticonvulsant effect of tianeptine. The protective effect of tianeptine against PTZ seizures was mitigated when tianeptine was administered with naloxone. Impairment of learning and memory by PTZ was prevented by tianeptine. Tianeptine also attenuated the seizure-induced increased oxidative stress. Thus, tianeptine showed an anticonvulsant effect along with amelioration of seizure-induced cognitive impairment and oxidative stress. Hence, tianeptine could be a useful drug in epileptic patients with depression, with the advantage of having both antidepressant and antiepileptic effects.
Dural stimulation in rats causes brain-derived neurotrophic factor–dependent priming to subthreshold stimuli including a migraine trigger
Authors: Burgos-Vega Carolina C. , Quigley Lilyana D. , Avona Amanda , Price Theodore , Dussor Gregory
Published: August 2016

Migraine is one of the most common and most disabling disorders. Between attacks, migraine patients are otherwise normal but are sensitized to nonnoxious events known as triggers. The purpose of these studies was to investigate whether a headache-like event causes sensitization, or priming, to subsequent subthreshold events. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) was applied to the rat cranial dura mater which produced cutaneous facial and hind paw allodynia that lasted 24 hours. At 72 hours, IL-6–treated rats developed allodynia in response to dural stimulation with either a pH 6.8 or pH 7.0 solution and to a systemic nitric oxide (NO) donor, a well-known migraine trigger. Vehicle-treated rats did not respond to either pH stimulus or to the NO donor, demonstrating that IL-6 exposure primes rats to subthreshold stimuli. Inhibitors of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling given either systemically or intracisternally 24 hours after IL-6 eliminated responses to dural pH stimulation at 72 hours. Additionally, intracisternal administration of BDNF without previous dural stimulation produced allodynia and once resolved, animals were primed to dural pH 6.8/pH 7.0 and a systemic NO donor. Finally, hind paw IL-6 produced paw allodynia but not priming to paw injection of pH 7.0 at 72 hours demonstrating differences in priming depending on location. These data indicate that afferent input from the meninges produces BDNF-dependent priming of the dural nociceptive system. This primed state mimics the interictal period of migraine where attacks can be triggered by normally nonnoxious events and suggests that BDNF-dependent plasticity may contribute to migraine.
Characterizing the pain score trajectories of hospitalized adult medical and surgical patients: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Kannampallil Thomas , Galanter William L. , Falck Suzanne , Gaunt Michael J. , Gibbons Robert D. , McNutt Robert , Odwazny Richard , Schiff Gordon , Vaida Allen J. , Wilkie Diana J. , Lambert Bruce L.
Published: August 2016

Pain care for hospitalized patients is often suboptimal. Representing pain scores as a graphical trajectory may provide insights into the understanding and treatment of pain. We describe a 1-year, retrospective, observational study to characterize pain trajectories of hospitalized adults during the first 48 hours after admission at an urban academic medical center. Using a subgroup of patients who presented with significant pain (pain score >4; n = 7762 encounters), we characterized pain trajectories and measured area under the curve, slope of the trajectory for the first 2 hours after admission, and pain intensity at plateau. We used mixed-effects regression to assess the association between pain score and sociodemographics (age, race, and gender), pain medication orders (opioids, nonopioids, and no medications), and medical service (obstetrics, psychiatry, surgery, sickle cell, intensive care unit, and medicine). K-means clustering was used to identify patient subgroups with similar trajectories. Trajectories showed differences based on race, gender, service, and initial pain score. Patients presumed to have dissimilar pain experiences (eg, sickle vs obstetrical) had markedly different pain trajectories. Patients with higher initial pain had a more rapid reduction during their first 2 hours of treatment. Pain reduction achieved in the 48 hours after admission was approximately 50% of the initial pain, regardless of the initial pain. Most patients' pain failed to fully resolve, plateauing at a pain score of 4 or greater. Visualizing pain scores as graphical trajectories illustrates the dynamic variability in pain, highlighting pain responses over a period of observation, and may yield new insights for quality improvement and research.
A data science approach to candidate gene selection of pain regarded as a process of learning and neural plasticity
Authors: Ultsch Alfred , Kringel Dario , Kalso Eija , Mogil Jeffrey S. , Lötsch Jörn
Published: August 2016

The increasing availability of “big data” enables novel research approaches to chronic pain while also requiring novel techniques for data mining and knowledge discovery. We used machine learning to combine the knowledge about n = 535 genes identified empirically as relevant to pain with the knowledge about the functions of thousands of genes. Starting from an accepted description of chronic pain as displaying systemic features described by the terms “learning” and “neuronal plasticity,” a functional genomics analysis proposed that among the functions of the 535 “pain genes,” the biological processes “learning or memory” (P = 8.6 × 10−64) and “nervous system development” (P = 2.4 × 10−40) are statistically significantly overrepresented as compared with the annotations to these processes expected by chance. After establishing that the hypothesized biological processes were among important functional genomics features of pain, a subset of n = 34 pain genes were found to be annotated with both Gene Ontology terms. Published empirical evidence supporting their involvement in chronic pain was identified for almost all these genes, including 1 gene identified in March 2016 as being involved in pain. By contrast, such evidence was virtually absent in a randomly selected set of 34 other human genes. Hence, the present computational functional genomics–based method can be used for candidate gene selection, providing an alternative to established methods.
2016 IANS International Guidelines for Practice Standards in the Detection of Anal Cancer Precursors
Authors: Hillman Richard John , Cuming Tamzin , Darragh Teresa , Nathan Mayura , Berry-Lawthorn Michael , Goldstone Stephen , Law Carmella , Palefsky Joel , Barroso Luis F. , Stier Elizabeth A. , Bouchard Céline , Almada Justine , Jay Naomi
Published: August 2016

Objectives

To define minimum standards for provision of services and clinical practice in the investigation of anal cancer precursors.

Methods

After initial face to face meetings of experts at the International Papillomavirus meeting in Lisbon, September 17 to 21, 2015, a first version was drafted and sent to key stakeholders. A complete draft was reviewed by the Board of the International Anal Neoplasia Society (IANS) and uploaded to the IANS Web site for all members to provide comments. The final draft was ratified by the IANS Board on June 22, 2016.

Results

The essential components of a satisfactory high-resolution anoscopy (HRA) were defined. Minimum standards of service provision, basic competencies for clinicians, and standardized descriptors were established. Quality assurance metrics proposed for practitioners included a minimum of 50 HRAs per year and identifying 20 cases or more of anal high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSILs). Technically unsatisfactory anal cytological samples at first attempt in high-risk populations should occur in less than 5% of cases. Where cytological HSIL has been found, histological HSIL should be identified in ≥ 90% of cases. Duration of HRA should be less than 15 minutes in greater than 90% of cases. Problematic pain or bleeding should be systematically collected and reported by 10% or lesser of patients.

Conclusions

These guidelines propose initial minimum competencies for the clinical practice of HRA, against which professionals can judge themselves and providers can evaluate the effectiveness of training. Once standards have been agreed upon and validated, it may be possible to develop certification methods for individual practitioners and accreditation of sites.
The Pathophysiology of Nitrogen Dioxide During Inhaled Nitric Oxide Therapy
Authors: Petit Priscilla C. , Fine David H. , Vásquez Gregory B. , Gamero Lucas , Slaughter Mark S. , Dasse Kurt A.
Published: August 2016

Administration of inhaled nitric oxide (NO) with the existing compressed gas delivery systems is associated with unavoidable codelivery of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), an unwanted toxic contaminant that forms when mixed with oxygen. The NO2 is generated when NO is diluted with O2-enriched air before delivery to the patient. When NO2 is inhaled by the patient, it oxidizes protective antioxidants within the epithelial lining fluid (ELF) and triggers extracellular damage in the airways. The reaction of NO2 within the ELF triggers oxidative stress (OS), possibly leading to edema, bronchoconstriction, and a reduced forced expiratory volume in 1 second. Nitrogen dioxide has been shown to have deleterious effects on the airways of high-risk patients including neonates, patients with respiratory and heart failure, and the elderly. Minimizing co-delivery of NO2 for the next generation delivery systems will be a necessity to fully optimize the pulmonary perfusion of NO because of vasodilation, whereas minimizing the negative ventilatory and histopathological effects of NO2 exposure during inhaled NO therapy.
Use of Eculizumab in Atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, Complicating Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Authors: Bermea Rene S. , Sharma Niharika , Cohen Kenneth , Liarski Vladimir M.
Published: August 2016

Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome is characterized by the presence of thrombocytopenia, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, and end-organ injury. In this report, we describe two patients with systemic lupus erythematosus who presented with findings compatible with atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome, complicated by acute kidney injury that was refractory to conventional therapies. Both patients exhibited a response to eculizumab, a monoclonal antibody to complement protein C5, with stabilization of their platelet count. On 1-year follow-up from their initial presentation, their hematologic disease remained in remission without recurrence.
The sclerostin-neutralizing antibody AbD09097 recognizes an epitope adjacent to sclerostin's binding site for the Wnt co-receptor LRP6
Authors: Boschert V. , Frisch C. , Back J. W. , van Pee K. , Weidauer S. E. , Muth E.-M. , Schmieder P. , Beerbaum M. , Knappik A. , Timmerman P. , Mueller T. D.
Published: August 2016

The glycoprotein sclerostin has been identified as a negative regulator of bone growth. It exerts its function by interacting with the Wnt co-receptor LRP5/6, blocks the binding of Wnt factors and thereby inhibits Wnt signalling. Neutralizing anti-sclerostin antibodies are able to restore Wnt activity and enhance bone growth thereby presenting a new osteoanabolic therapy approach for diseases such as osteoporosis. We have generated various Fab antibodies against human and murine sclerostin using a phage display set-up. Biochemical analyses have identified one Fab developed against murine sclerostin, AbD09097 that efficiently neutralizes sclerostin's Wnt inhibitory activity.
In vitro
interaction analysis using sclerostin variants revealed that this neutralizing Fab binds to sclerostin's flexible second loop, which has been shown to harbour the LRP5/6 binding motif. Affinity maturation was then applied to AbD09097, providing a set of improved neutralizing Fab antibodies which particularly bind human sclerostin with enhanced affinity. Determining the crystal structure of AbD09097 provides first insights into how this antibody might recognize and neutralize sclerostin. Together with the structure–function relationship derived from affinity maturation these new data will foster the rational design of new and highly efficient anti-sclerostin antibodies for the therapy of bone loss diseases such as osteoporosis.
How could fully scaled carps appear in natural waters in Madagascar?
Authors: Hubert Jean-Noël , Allal François , Hervet Caroline , Ravakarivelo Monique , Jeney Zsigmond , Vergnet Alain , Guyomard René , Vandeputte Marc
Published: August 2016

The capacity of organisms to rapidly evolve in response to environmental changes is a key feature of evolution, and studying mutation compensation is a way to evaluate whether alternative routes of evolution are possible or not. Common carps (Cyprinus carpio) carrying a homozygous loss-of-function mutation for the scale cover genefgfr1a1, causing the ‘mirror’ reduced scale cover, were introduced in Madagascar a century ago. Here we show that carps in Malagasy natural waters are now predominantly covered with scales, though they still all carry the homozygous mutation. We also reveal that the number of scales in mutated carps is under strong polygenic genetic control, with a heritability of 0.49. As a whole, our results suggest that carps submitted to natural selection could evolve a wild-type-like scale cover in less than 40 generations from standing polygenic genetic variation, confirming similar findings mainly retrieved from model organisms.
Human demographic history impacts genetic risk prediction across diverse populations
Authors: Martin Alicia R. , Gignoux Christopher R. , Walters Raymond K. , Wojcik Genevieve L. , Neale Benjamin M. , Gravel Simon , Daly Mark J. , Bustamante Carlos D. , Kenny Eimear E.
Published: August 2016

The vast majority of genome-wide association studies are performed in Europeans, and their transferability to other populations is dependent on many factors (e.g. linkage disequilibrium, allele frequencies, genetic architecture). As medical genomics studies become increasingly large and diverse, gaining insights into population history and consequently the transferability of disease risk measurement is critical. Here, we disentangle recent population history in the widely-used 1000 Genomes Project reference panel, with an emphasis on populations underrepresented in medical studies. To examine the transferability of single-ancestry GWAS, we used published summary statistics to calculate polygenic risk scores for six well-studied traits and diseases. We identified directional inconsistencies in all scores; for example, height is predicted to decrease with genetic distance from Europeans, despite robust anthropological evidence that West Africans are as tall as Europeans on average. To gain deeper quantitative insights into GWAS transferability, we developed a complex trait coalescent-based simulation framework considering effects of polygenicity, causal allele frequency divergence, and heritability. As expected, correlations between true and inferred risk were typically highest in the population from which summary statistics were derived. We demonstrated that scores inferred from European GWAS were biased by genetic drift in other populations even when choosing the same causal variants, and that biases in any direction were possible and unpredictable. This work cautions that summarizing findings from large-scale GWAS may have limited portability to other populations using standard approaches, and highlights the need for generalized risk prediction methods and the inclusion of more diverse individuals in medical genomics.
Inferring physiological energetics of loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) from existing data using a general metabolic theory
Authors: Marn Nina , Kooijman S.A.L.M. , Jusup Marko , Legović Tarzan , Klanjšček Tin
Published: August 2016

Loggerhead turtle is an endangered sea turtle species with a migratory lifestyle and worldwide distribution, experiencing markedly different habitats throughout its lifetime. Environmental conditions, especially food availability and temperature, constrain the acquisition and the use of available energy, thus affecting physiological processes such as growth, maturation, and reproduction. These physiological processes at the population level determine survival, fecundity, and ultimately the population growth rate—a key indicator of the success of conservation efforts. As a first step towards the comprehensive understanding of how environment shapes the physiology and the life cycle of a loggerhead turtle, we constructed a full life cycle model based on the principles of energy acquisition and utilization embedded in the Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) theory. We adapted the standard DEB model using data from published and unpublished sources to obtain parameter estimates and model predictions that could be compared with data. The outcome was a successful mathematical description of ontogeny and life history traits of the loggerhead turtle. Some deviations between the model and the data existed (such as an earlier age at sexual maturity and faster growth of the post-hatchlings), yet probable causes for these deviations were found informative and discussed in great detail. Physiological traits such as the capacity to withstand starvation, trade-offs between reproduction and growth, and changes in the energy budget throughout the ontogeny were inferred from the model. The results offer new insights into physiology and ecology of loggerhead turtle with the potential to lead to novel approaches in conservation of this endangered species.
Scalable genomics: from raw data to aligned reads on Apache YARN
Authors: Versaci Francesco , Pireddu Luca , Zanetti Gianluigi
Published: August 2016

The adoption of Big Data technologies can potentially boost the scalability of data-driven biology and health workflows by orders of magnitude. Consider, for instance, that technologies in the Hadoop ecosystem have been successfully used in data-driven industry to scale their processes to levels much larger than any biological- or health-driven work attempted thus far. In this work we demonstrate the scalability of a sequence alignment pipeline based on technologies from the Hadoop ecosystem – namely, Apache Flink and Hadoop MapReduce, both running on the distributed Apache YARN platform. Unlike previous work, our pipeline starts processing directly from the raw BCL data produced by Illumina sequencers. A Flink-based distributed algorithm reconstructs reads from the Illumina BCL data, and then demultiplexes them – analogously to the bcl2fastq2 program provided by Illumina. Subsequently, the BWA-MEM-based distributed aligner from the Seal project is used to perform read mapping on the YARN platform. While the standard programs by Illumina and BWA-MEM are limited to shared-memory parallelism (multi-threading), our solution is completely distributed and can scale across a large number of computing nodes. Results show excellent pipeline scalability, linear in the number of nodes. In addition, this approach automatically benefits from the robustness to hardware failure and transient cluster problems provided by the YARN platform, as well as the scalability of the Hadoop Distributed File System. Moreover, this YARN-based approach complements the up-and-coming version 4 of the GATK toolkit, which is based on Spark and therefore can run on YARN. Together, they can be used to form a scalable complete YARN-based variant calling pipeline for Illumina data, which will be further improved with the arrival of distributed in-memory filesystem technology such as Apache Arrow, thus removing the need to write intermediate data to disk.

Original article

This paper was presented at the IEEE International Conference on Big Data, 2016 and is available athttps://doi.org/10.1109/BigData.2016.7840727
Molecular Counting with Localization Microscopy: A Bayesian estimate based on single fluorophore statistics
Authors: Nino D. , Rafiei N. , Wang Y. , Zilman A. , Milstein J. N.
Published: August 2016

Super-resolved localization microscopy (SLM) has the potential to serve as an accurate, singlecell technique for counting the abundance of intracellular molecules. However, the stochastic blinking of single fluorophores can introduce large uncertainties into the final count. Here we provide a theoretical foundation for applying SLM to the problem of molecular counting based on the distribution of blinking events from a single fluorophore. We also show that by redundantly tagging single-molecules with multiple, blinking fluorophores, the accuracy of the technique can be enhanced by harnessing the central limit theorem. The coefficient of variation (CV) then, for the number of moleculesMestimated from a given number of blinksB, scales like, whereNlis the mean number of labels on a target. As an example, we apply our theory to the challenging problem of quantifying the cell-to-cell variability of plasmid copy number in bacteria.
Determining the factors driving selective effects of new nonsynonymous mutations
Authors: Huber Christian D. , Kim Bernard , Marsden Clare D. , Lohmueller Kirk E.
Published: August 2016

The distribution of fitness effects (DFE) of new mutations is a fundamental parameter in evolutionary genetics1–3. While theoretical models have emphasized the importance of distinct biological factors, such as protein folding4, back mutations5, species complexity6,7, and mutational robustness8at determining the DFE, it remains unclear which of these models can describe the DFE in natural populations. Here, we show that the theoretical models make distinct predictions about how the DFE will differ between species. We further show that humans have a higher proportion of strongly deleterious mutations thanDrosophila melanogaster. Comparing four categories of theoretical models, only Fisher’s Geometrical Model (FGM) is consistent with our data. FGM assumes that multiple phenotypes are under stabilizing selection, with the number of phenotypes defining a complexity of the organism. It suggests that long-term population size and cost of complexity drive the evolution of the DFE, with many implications for evolutionary and medical genomics.
Does knowledge matter to seniors’ usage of mobile devices? Focusing on motivation and attachment
Authors: Kim Myung Ja , Kim Woo Gon , Kim Joung Man , Kim Chulwon
Published: August 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships among determinant (ease of use), extrinsic (usefulness) and intrinsic motivations (enjoyment), attachment and usage intention regarding seniors’ use of mobile devices for tourism. In addition, this study examines the moderating role of knowledge in these relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

The researchers collected data via online surveys to reach the target population of this study, 55 years and older adults who had used mobile devices for tourism. The researchers used the partial least squares approach for this study.

Findings

The results reveal that ease of use has significant effects on extrinsic and intrinsic motivations. The motivations of usefulness and enjoyment significantly affect attachment, which, in turn, influences usage intention. The relationships between ease of use and usefulness, ease of use and enjoyment and enjoyment and attachment were stronger for the high-knowledge group than for the low-knowledge group. The relationship between usefulness and attachment was stronger for the low-knowledge group than for the high-knowledge group.

Research limitations/implications

The findings of this study provide compelling implications for academics and practitioners in the senior tourism field.

Originality/value

The compelling insight of this study is the development of a research model that combines an emergent construct of attachment as a mediator and knowledge of technology as a moderator.
The effect of national culture on corporate social responsibility in the hospitality industry
Authors: Kang Kyung Ho , Lee Seoki , Yoo Changsok
Published: August 2016

Purpose

This study aims to examine the effects of different dimensions of national culture on corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities of hospitality firms, including lodging, casino and restaurant firms.

Design/methodology/approach

This study performs a panel regression analysis to examine the effect of Hofstede’s national culture dimensions on the total CSR score, positive CSR score and negative CSR of the sampled hospitality firms. The sample period spans fiscal years 1993 to 2011and 365 firm-year observations are used for the study’s analysis.

Findings

This study finds a positive and significant effect of uncertainty avoidance on the total CSR score. Further, the study’s results show a positive and significant effect of power distance both on positive and negative CSR scores, while individualism appears to have a negative and significant effect both on positive and negative CSR scores. Masculinity reveals a negative and significant effect on the positive CSR score.

Research limitations/implications

Although the study’s results may not be generalizable to private or non-hospitality firms, according to the findings, multinational hospitality firms are encouraged to conceive a CSR portfolio consisting of localized CSR strategies that consider the effects of national culture on CSR.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the body of hospitality literature by filling the void regarding the relationship between national culture and CSR. At the same time, the findings of this study serve as guidelines for multinational hospitality firms’ implementing CSR activities.
Corporate governance provisions and firm financial performance
Authors: Madanoglu Melih , Karadag Ersem
Published: August 2016

Purpose

Borrowing from arguments of agency theory, the present study aims to investigate the moderating effect of the deviation from optimal franchising on the relationship between corporate governance provisions and firm financial performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample consists of 35 publicly listed US restaurant firms for the 1990-2008 period. The study uses a hierarchical regression with cross-sectional time-series fixed effects.

Findings

The results show that the deviation from optimal franchising worsens the negative relationship between corporate governance provisions and firm performance.

Research limitations/implications

The availability of governance data restricts our sample to large publicly listed firms in the US restaurant industry, limiting the ability to generalize results for small and privately held restaurant firms.

Practical implications

Firm executives should not only pay attention to which corporate governance provisions they adopt but also strive to maintain an optimal level of franchising.

Originality/value

The key contribution of this study to governance literature is that this study demonstrates how the presence of multiple governance mechanisms influences firm performance.
Why is employees’ emotional intelligence important?
Authors: Jung Hyo Sun , Yoon Hye Hyun
Published: August 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of hospitality employees’ emotional intelligence (EI) on their stress-coping styles and job satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample consisted of 366 food and beverage employees in the Korean hospitality industry. The validity and reliability of the respondents’ replies regarding EI, stress-coping styles and job satisfaction were tested through exploratory factor analysis, reliability analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. Once the measure was validated, a structural equation model was used to test the validity of the proposed model and hypotheses.

Findings

The results showed that the elements of EI (i.e. self-emotion appraisal [SEA], use of emotion [UOE], regulation of emotion [ROE] and others’ emotion appraisal [OEA]) had a significant, positive effect on the cognitive-appraisal coping style, whereas only SEA and UOE had a significant, positive effect on the problem-solving coping style. Meanwhile, SEA had a significant, negative effect on the emotion-focused coping style. In addition, employees’ problem-solving and cognitive-appraisal stress-coping styles showed a significant, positive effect on their job satisfaction. Employees’ UOE and ROE demonstrated a significant, positive effect on job satisfaction.

Research limitations/implications

The generalizability and, therefore, implications are limited to the Korean hotels and family restaurants. Future research needs to closely examine models and variables which may become the causes of individual traits, relationship traits and leadership.

Originality/value

Strategies to cope with stress and job satisfaction used by family restaurant employees showed more sensitive effects of control than hotel employees did in the organic causal relationships between EI and strategies to cope with stress/job satisfaction. The results of this study, which indicate that hospitality companies can increase employees’ job satisfaction by enhancing their employees’ EI, suggest detailed and practical alternatives to human resource management, as employees with higher degrees of EI can bring positive outcomes to both organizations and employees. Hospitality employees’ EI is significant in terms of organizational performance.
Effects of disinfectants against norovirus virus‐like particles predict norovirus inactivation
Authors: Sato Jun , Miki Motohiro , Kubota Hiromi , Hitomi Jun , Tokuda Hajime , Todaka‐Takai Reiko , Katayama Kazuhiko
Published: August 2016

Human noroviruses (NoVs) are a major cause of epidemic and sporadic acute gastroenteritis worldwide. Public and personal hygiene is one of the most important countermeasures for preventing spread of NoV infection. However, no a practicable cell culture system for NoV had been developed, initial tests of the virucidal effectiveness of anti‐NoV disinfectants and sanitizers have been performed using surrogate viruses. In this study, NoV virus‐like particles (VLPs) were used as a new surrogate for NoVs and a method for evaluating NoV inactivation using them developed. This method is based on morphological changes in VLPs after treatment with sodium hypochlorite. VLP specimens were found to become deformed and degraded in a concentration‐dependent manner. Based on these results, the effects of sodium hypochlorite on VLPs were classified into four phases according to morphological changes and number of particles. Using the criteria thus established, the efficacy of ethanol, carbonates and alkali solutions against VLPs was evaluated. Deformation and aggregation of VLPs were observed after treatment with these disinfectants under specific conditions. To determine the degradation mechanism(s), VLPs were examined by SDS‐PAGE and immunoblotting after treatment with sodium hypochlorite and ethanol. The band corresponding to the major capsid protein, VP1, was not detected after treatment with sodium hypochlorite at concentrations greater than 500 ppm, but remained after treatment with ethanol. These results suggest that VLPs have excellent potential as a surrogate marker for NoVs and can be used in initial virucidal effectiveness tests to determine the mechanism(s) of chemical agents on NoVs.
Ductal carcinoma in situ: Is core needle biopsy ever enough?
Authors: Caswell‐Smith Peter , Wall Madeleine
Published: August 2016

Introduction

This study investigates the rate of histological underestimation of invasive breast carcinoma following diagnosis of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) on a radiologically guided core needle biopsy, and factors that may influence this upgrade rate.

Methods

A retrospective review of the results of breast core biopsies performed between 1st January, 2005 and 2nd July, 2014 was conducted, and those with a diagnosis of DCIS were identified. Data including final excision pathology, lesion size, performing radiologist, core biopsy system and guidance method used were collected and included in the analysis.

Results

We report an overall upgrade rate to invasive cancer of 20.5% (95% CI = 16.1–24.9%). No statistically significant relationship was identified between biopsy systems used or clinicians performing the biopsies and the rate of upgrade to invasive cancer. Initially a statistically significant relationship was demonstrated between upgrade rates and lesion size, DCIS grade, as well as guidance method. Subsequent multivariable analysis showed no statistically significant relationship between guidance method and upgrade rates but a trend towards statistical significance (P < 0.1).

Conclusion

Our recommendation is to inform women diagnosed with DCIS preoperatively in our programme, that there is a one in five chance the diagnosis will prove to be invasive cancer on definitive surgery. This is particularly important for women contemplating whether or not to undergo surgery for DCIS. Additionally, as the most significant predictor of upgrade rate demonstrated in this study is increasing lesion size, consideration should be given to increasing the number of core samples taken of larger lesions.
The importance of food supply in high‐productivity ecosystems: Short‐term experimental tests with small rodents
Authors: Prevedello Jayme A. , Vieira Marcus V. , Vieira Emerson M. , Dickman Chris R.
Published: August 2016

Food availability is considered to be a primary factor affecting animal populations, yet few experimental tests have been performed to evaluate its actual importance in species‐rich ecosystems such as rainforests. It has been suggested that in such systems certain plant species may act as “keystone” resources for animals, but the importance of presumed keystone resources for populations has not been quantified experimentally. Using complementary seed removal and seed‐addition experiments, we determined how the supply of a presumed keystone resource, seeds of Araucaria angustifolia, affects short‐term demography of their main consumer group (small rodents) in a biodiversity hotspot, the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We hypothesized that (i) the harvest of A. angustifolia seeds by human populations has negative impacts on rodents, and (ii) these seeds are a limiting resource for rodent populations. To test these hypotheses, we monitored populations of two species of numerically dominant rodents (Delomys dorsalis and Akodon montensis) within replicated control‐experimental plots. Manipulations of seed supply over 2 years had little effect on population size, body condition, survival, or reproduction of the two rodents, suggesting that, in the short‐term (within one generation), their populations are not food limited in Araucaria forests. Despite apparently having all the characteristics of a keystone resource, as currently defined in the literature, the seeds of A. angustifolia had limited influence on the short‐term demography of their main consumer group. In situations where purported keystone resources are seasonally abundant, their actual importance may be lower than generally assumed, and these resources then may have only localized and temporary effects on consumer populations.
Metabolic and immunologic aspects of fetoplacental insufficiency
Authors: Bekmukhambetov Yerbol , Mamyrbayev Arstan , Dzharkenov Timur , Kravtsova Natalia , Utesheva Zhanar , Tusupkaliev Akylbek , Ryzhkova Svetlana , Darzhanova Klara , Bekzhanova Maral
Published: August 2016

Problem

The chronic placental insufficiency is the most common cause of intrauterine hypoxia, retardation of fetal growth, and other threatening conditions. Immune disturbances may occur in the system “mother–placenta–fetus.”

Method of study

Biochemical blood indicators were studied on an automated biochemical analyzer. Pattern of lymphocyte subpopulations was detected by direct membrane immunofluorescence.

Results

Study revealed imbalance of immune parameters, caused by placental insufficiency (increase natural killers (CD16+, CD56+), B lymphocytes (CD19+ CD3−), T and B lymphocytes with HLA‐DR+ antigen, and early activation of immune cells (by CD25+), as well as disorders in apoptotic mechanisms (by CD95+)).

Conclusion

Placental insufficiency leads to abnormalities of the immune system in pregnant, parturient women and maternity patients which were evaluated by localization of activation markers CD25+ CD95+ on the CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD16+, CD56+ lymphocytes. This is reflected in the change of lymphocyte functions in newborns.
The delaying effect of stigma on mental health help‐seeking in Sri Lanka
Authors: Fernando Sunera M. , Deane Frank P. , McLeod Hamish J.
Published: August 2016

Background

Mental health stigma has been associated with delays in seeking treatment.

Aims

To describe perceived stigma experienced by patients and carers in Sri Lanka and to determine the effects of stigma on help‐seeking delay.

Methods

Survey of outpatients and family carers (n = 118 dyads) attending two psychiatric hospitals in Sri Lanka, using the Disclosure and Discrimination subscales of the Stigma Scale.

Results

Stigma was positively related to help‐seeking delay for carers but not patients. Public stigma experienced by carers accounted for 23% of the variance in help‐seeking delay.

Conclusion

Reducing stigma may reduce help‐seeking delays during the course of treatment.
Unions and Collective Bargaining in the Wake of the Great Recession: Evidence from Portugal
Authors: Addison John T. , Portugal Pedro , Vilares Hugo
Published: August 2016

Against the backdrop of its industrial relations architecture, characteristic of the ‘southern European group’ and intimately linked to the recommendations of the Troika, this paper examines four key aspects of Portuguese collective bargaining. First, it provides definitive estimates of private sector union density for that nation. Second, it models the determinants of union density at firm level. Third, it yields estimates of the union wage gap for different ranges of union density. The final issue examined is contract coverage. The received notion that the pronounced reduction in the number of industry‐wide agreements and extension ordinances of late is to be equated with a fall in coverage is shown to be a chimera, the number of workers covered by new and existing agreements remaining largely unaffected by the economic crisis. The reduced frequency of new agreements and extensions is instead attributed to downward nominal wage rigidity in low‐inflation regimes.
Non‐enhanced MR lymphography of the thoracic duct: improved visualization following ingestion of a high fat meal–initial experience
Authors: Chen Shuo , Tan Xiangliang , Wu Renhua , Xu Yikai , Yang Canhong , Wang Maoqiang , Liu Fengyong , Wang Zhijun , Yuan Kai
Published: August 2016

Purpose

The objective of this study was to compare the clarity of magnetic resonance lymphography (MRL) images of the thoracic duct (TD) obtained from subjects following an overnight fast with those obtained from the same subjects after ingestion of a high fat meal.

Methods

Nineteen healthy volunteers were included in this study. TD images were acquired on a 3·0T MRI system with the imaging sequence of magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography. TD MRL images were obtained from subjects following an overnight fast and from the same subjects 3–4 h after ingestion of a high fat meal. Images were displayed in maximum intensity projection format and degree of visualization was evaluated using a scoring system.

Results

The mean TD score obtained following an overnight fast was significantly lower than the mean TD score obtained 3–4 h after ingestion of a high fat meal (P<0·05).

Conclusion

The clarity of TD MRL images is improved if subjects have ingested a high fat meal 3–4 h prior to examination.