bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Safe and easy technique for the laparoscopic application of Seprafilm® in gynecologic surgery
Authors: Ota Kuniaki , Sato Kenji , Ogasawara Jun , Takahashi Toshifumi , Mizunuma Hideki , Tanaka Mamoru
Published: December 2018

Introduction

Laparoscopic surgery is a minimally invasive surgery, and the rate of postoperative adhesions is low. Although Seprafilm® helps to reduce adhesions, its application in the abdominal cavity during laparoscopic surgery is difficult because of its material. Therefore, we propose an easy method for applying this adhesion barrier.

Materials and Surgical Technique

The Seprafilm is cut into four equal pieces. The four pieces are stacked, firmly folded twice, and grasped with the forceps. The reducer sleeve is slid over the bundle of Seprafilm. The forceps with the reducer sleeve is inserted through a 12‐mm trocar near the target area. The reducer sleeve is then slid down the forceps to uncover the Seprafilm. Finally, each piece of Seprafilm is applied over the suture area. In all cases, the Seprafilm was successfully applied to the intended target. There were no cases in which Seprafilm was incompletely applied or in which it could not be used because of moistening. The average application times of surgeon 1 and surgeon 2 were 4.8 min and 5.0 min, respectively; this difference was not significant. There were no postoperative complications in any case.

Discussion

It is safe and easy to use our simple technique to apply Seprafilm adhesion barrier laparoscopically. Further studies are warranted to prove Seprafilm's efficacy after such application.
Successful anti‐reflux treatment post‐esophagectomy using endoscopic suturing with Overstitch
Authors: Li Xuan , Peng Lei , Zhang Guoxin
Published: December 2018

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Impulsivity trait and proactive cognitive control: An fMRI study
Authors: Gavazzi Gioele , Rossi Arianna , Orsolini Stefano , Diciotti Stefano , Giovannelli Fabio , Salvadori Emilia , Pantoni Leonardo , Mascalchi Mario , Viggiano Maria Pia
Published: December 2018

The ability to flexibly regulate our behavior is a fundamental feature of human cognition and requires efficient functioning of cognitive control. During movement preparation, proactive inhibitory control plays a crucial role in regulating the excitatory activity carried out by alertness. The balance between alertness and proactive inhibition could be altered in people with motor impulsivity trait, determining the typical failure in the inhibition of prepotent motor responses. To test this hypothesis, 36 young adults were administered the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale to assess motor impulsivity trait and underwent fMRI acquisition during the execution of an event‐related Go/Nogo task. To investigate motor preparation processes, we analyzed the “readiness” period, in which subjects were waiting and preparing for the upcoming stimulus (Go or Nogo). We found a positive significant correlation between motor impulsivity scores and the activation of left sensorimotor cortices. This result indicates that motor impulsivity trait might be associated with a disinhibition of the motor system, characterized by a diminished reactivity threshold and a reduced control over covert urges. Furthermore, we observed a positive significant correlation between motor impulsivity scores and the activation in left inferior and superior parietal lobule, which might be related to a more pronounced proactive control, probably reflecting a compensatory mechanism implemented by participants with a higher degree of motor impulsivity trait to reach a correct inhibition. Current findings provide a rationale for further studies aiming to better understand proactive control functioning in healthy impulsive subjects and under clinical conditions.
History, development and current advances concerning the evolutionary roots of human right‐handedness and language: Brain lateralisation and manual laterality in non‐human primates
Authors: Prieur Jacques , Lemasson Alban , Barbu Stéphanie , Blois‐Heulin Catherine
Published: December 2018

This review highlights the scientific advances concerning the origins of human right‐handedness and language (speech and gestures). The comparative approach we adopted provides evidence that research on human and non‐human animals’ behavioural asymmetries helps understand the processes that lead to the strong human left‐hemisphere specialisation. We review four major non‐mutually exclusive environmental factors that are likely to have shaped the evolution of human and non‐human primates’ manual asymmetry: socioecological lifestyle, postural characteristics, task‐level complexity and tool use. We hypothesise the following scenario for the evolutionary origins of human right‐handedness: the right‐direction of modern humans’ manual laterality would have emerged from our ecological (terrestrial) and social (multilevel system) lifestyle; then, it would have been strengthened by the gradual adoption of the bipedal stance associated with bipedal locomotion, and the increasing level of complexity of our daily tasks including bimanual coordinated actions and tool use. Although hemispheric functional lateralisation has been shaped through evolution, reports indicate that many factors and their mutual intertwinement can modulate human and non‐human primates’ manual laterality throughout their life cycle: genetic and environmental factors, mainly individual sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., age, sex and rank), behavioural characteristics (e.g., gesture per se and gestural sensory modality) and context‐related characteristics (e.g., emotional context and position of target). These environmental (evolutionary and life cycle) factors could also have influenced primates’ manual asymmetry indirectly through epigenetic modifications. All these findings led us to propose the hypothesis of a multicausal origin of human right‐handedness.
Soil microbial community structure and enzymatic activity responses to nitrogen management and landscape positions in switchgrass (Panicum virgatumL.)
Authors: Sekaran Udayakumar , McCoy Cameron , Kumar Sandeep , Subramanian Senthil
Published: December 2018

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatumL.) is usually grown on marginal land for biofuel system, in which nitrogen (N) is an essential management practice, and landscape position is a key topographical factor in impacting the production. However, limited information is available regarding how the N application and landscape positions affect soil microbial communities and enzyme activities under switchgrass. Thus, the specific objective of this study was to evaluate the responses of N rate (high, 112 kg N/ha; medium, 56 kg N/ha; and low, 0 kg N/ha) and landscape positions (shoulder and footslope) on soil biological health under switchgrass field. Data showed that N addition significantly influenced carbon and N fractions. The hot water‐soluble organic carbon (HWC) and nitrogen (HWN) fractions were significantly higher at footslope position than the shoulder position. The amount of total phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA), total bacterial, actinomycetes, gram‐negative and gram‐positive bacteria, total fungi, arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, and saprophytes PLFAs were highest with medium and high N rates and footslope position. The N addition increased total PLFAs in N fertilizer treatments, viz. medium (5,946 ng PLFA‐C/g soil) and high N rates (5,871 ng PLFA‐C/g soil). Microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen and enzyme activities (urease, β‐glucosidase, acid phosphatase and arylsulfatase) were significantly enhanced by N fertilization (medium and high N rates) compared to control (low N rates) under footslope position. The urease activity under medium (36.3 µmol N‐NH4+ g−1 soil hr−1) and high N rates (31.4 µmol N‐NH4+ g−1 soil hr−1) was 42.9% and 23.6% higher than low N rates, respectively. This study suggests that the application of medium N rate in footslope position to switchgrass can enhance the soil biological properties and hence can protect the environment from the excessive use of N fertilizer.
Don't go there – It's not a nice place: Older adults’ experiences of delirium
Authors: Weir Elizabeth , O'Brien Anthony J.
Published: December 2018

Delirium is a common neuropsychiatric disorder that causes fluctuations in consciousness and attention, impairments in cognitive functioning and information processing, and changes in how individuals perceive what is going on around them. Delirium is associated with increased mortality, ongoing impairment in cognitive functioning, and a high possibility of discharge to residential care. The experience of delirium may be distressing for the patient and their family. Despite the frequency of delirium in hospitalized elderly patients, there is a dearth of literature that examines their experience of this phenomenon, and how it affects individuals as they continue their lives. This study uses descriptive qualitative methodology to explore the question: ‘What is the experience of delirium for older adults during hospitalisation?’ Data were collected from older adults who had received hospital care in a tertiary general hospital setting. Seven participants were recruited between January and June 2017. Semi‐structured individual interviews were used to gather data which was analysed using content analysis. Four themes were identified. These were sense of confusion, disrupted sense of autonomy, perceptual disturbances, and emotional response. Participants exercised agency in the way they responded to these experiences. The study highlighted the need for delirium prevention, and education to improve nurses’ recognition, understanding, and management of delirium. In particular, there is a need for nurses to attend to the psychological and emotional experience of delirium.
Understanding assessment on a hospital ward for older people: A qualitative study
Authors: Wiltjer Hanneke , Seers Kate , Tutton Elizabeth
Published: December 2018

Aim

To explore assessment on a hospital ward for older people from the perspectives of patients and healthcare professionals.

Design

A qualitative study drawing on grounded theory was undertaken between February 2015 ‐ January 2016.

Methods

Interviews with 15 patients and 22 healthcare professionals, a focus group with six healthcare professionals, 45 hr of observation and review of 18 sets of patient notes. Analysis was conducted using initial and focused coding, continuously comparing data, emerging codes and themes.

Findings

The core category was navigating, constructed through three themes: containing complexity, networking, and situating the process. Navigating assessment was a complex, flexible, context dependent, and social process where healthcare professionals used a combination of formal, informal, visible, and invisible ways of working. Registered nurses were at the centre of networking and focused on gathering and sharing information in the multi‐disciplinary team, whilst patients had a passive role despite a variety of preferences about their involvement.

Conclusions

Navigating the assessment of older people is contextually situated, includes networking and a professional focus on containing complexity. This process may be enhanced by: (a) making informal assessment visible to others; (b) developing the nurses’ role beyond chasing information towards coordinating care; and (c) asking patients and acting on how they would like to be involved in decision‐making.

Impact

Acknowledging that navigating assessment is a social, flexible and complex process, including different ways of working to meet patient needs, may enhance the usability of current assessment guidelines and their development.
Assessing consumer food safety education needs across the state of Washington: Implications for nationwide extension programming
Authors: Smith Stephanie A. , Rachmat Mirza , Beck Rachael , Sielaff Aleksandra Checinska
Published: December 2018

Washington State University Extension conducted a statewide consumer food safety assessment, to evaluate consumer food safety practices within Washington state, with the intent of creating and delivering new and effective food safety programming. The results of this study showed a lack of consumer knowledge across a broad spectrum. Moreover, the results showed that Extension needs to play a greater role in educating consumers about food safety. Social media and websites are more likely to drive consumer education. Statewide data was sometimes inconsistent with nationwide data, and geographical and demographic differences may play a role in local food safety knowledge.

Practical applications

Extension plays a major role in food safety education across the United States. Classical extension programming and access has a far lesser reach in todays internet‐based society. The information presented below can help direct new methods of education and outreach, by focusing efforts on behavior change and consumer access through web‐based resources.
Wishing to be perceived as a capable and resourceful person—A qualitative study of melanoma patients’ experiences of the contact and interaction with healthcare professionals
Authors: Hultstrand Ahlin Cecilia , Hörnsten Åsa , Coe Anna‐Britt , Lilja Mikael , Hajdarevic Senada
Published: December 2018

Aims and objectives

To explore patients’ experiences of contact and interaction with healthcare professionals (HCPs) during the diagnostic process of melanoma.

Background

In Sweden, most patients with suspected skin lesions seek care at the primary level of services in the first instance. Previous research describes the diagnostic process as a complex journey with uncertainty. Nonetheless, the importance of contact and interaction between patient and HCPs during the diagnostic process is rarely explored.

Design

This study adopted a qualitative design in which semi‐structured interviews were conducted and the COREQ‐checklist for qualitative studies employed (EQUATOR guidelines).

Methods

A sample of 30 patients (15 women, 15 men) diagnosed with melanoma was included. Secondary analysis of interviews was carried out using qualitative content analysis.

Results

One theme emerged: Wishing to be perceived as a capable and resourceful person that consisted of three categories: (a) The need of being valued, (b) The need of being informed and (c) The need of taking actions.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that patients wish to be valued as capable and resourceful persons as well as to be provided with honest and sufficient information about the diagnosis and subsequent procedures. By fulfilling these wishes, HCPs can involve patients in the diagnostic process and reduce patients’ uncertainty. A need of supportive and accessible health care to manage the diagnostic process and to reduce patients’ struggle for care was also identified.

Relevance to the clinical practice

Patients are satisfied when health care is organised in a patient‐/person‐centred manner, that is, in accordance with patients’ needs, avoiding gatekeeping, and when HCPs interact respectfully in encounters. Accessible HCPs during the diagnostic process of melanoma are required to inform, support and navigate patients within the healthcare system and through their diagnostic journey.
Political Connections and Allocative Distortions
Authors: SCHOENHERR DAVID
Published: December 2018

Exploiting a unique institutional setting in Korea, this paper documents that politicians can increase the amount of government resources allocated through their social networks to the benefit of private firms connected to these networks. After winning the election, the new president appoints members of his networks as CEOs of state‐owned firms that act as intermediaries in allocating government contracts to private firms. In turn, these state firms allocate significantly more procurement contracts to private firms with a CEO from the same network. Contracts allocated to connected private firms are executed systematically worse and exhibit more frequent cost increases through renegotiations.
Comparing a full and reduced version of a consumer‐led lexicon to measure emotional response to beer
Authors: Eaton Curtis , Chaya Carolina , Smart Katherine A. , Hort Joanne
Published: December 2018

Verbal self‐report emotion measures in sensory and consumer science commonly include a long lexicon of terms with an associated potential for participant boredom and fatigue. This study assessed the effectiveness of reducing the number of terms in a product‐specific lexicon by comparing a reduced form to a full form. The relative abilities of each lexicon to discriminate between beer samples were evaluated. Focus groups of UK beer consumers generated 43 emotion terms in response to a set of sensorially distinct lager samples. These terms were used by the participants to individually rate their emotional responses to lager samples. Cluster analysis, modified via linguistic checks, was used to group terms by similarity into emotion categories. Nine categories were defined which became the reduced lexicon. Subsequently, naïve beer consumers (n = 109) rated their emotional responses to the samples using both the full and reduced lexicons. The emotional spaces generated by both lexicons were comparable, although there were relative gains and losses in discrimination associated with each. However, overall, the forms were consistent in sample discriminability and use of the reduced emotion form was concluded to be preferable for product comparisons because of the significant savings in both time and resources.

Practical applications

Emotion measurement has been previously shown to go beyond hedonic measures in product discrimination. The present research has shown that, in commercial environments, a reduced product‐specific emotion lexicon may be preferable to a full version given the similarity between form lengths for sample discriminability in addition to significant savings in both time and resources.
Phospholipase Cγ2 signalling contributes to the haemostatic effect of Notoginsenoside Ft1
Authors: Liu Yingqiu , Liu Tianyi , Zhao Jing , He Taotao , Chen Hua , Wang Jiaqing , Zhang Weimin , Ma Wuren , Fan Yunpeng , Song Xiaoping
Published: December 2018

Objectives

The drawback of bleeding caused by chronic antiplatelet therapy is persecuting patients with thrombotic diseases severely. Based on the dual-directional regulatory effect of Panax notoginseng on platelet, the present study focused on the effect of Notoginsenoside Ft1, a saponin with effect in promoting platelet aggregation.

Key findings

According to the present study, Notoginsenoside Ft1 cannot stimulate platelet aggregation independently. However, the effect in enhancing aggregation induced by thrombin, collagen and ADP is peaked at 5–10 μm. In addition, thrombin-induced activation of PLCγ2-IP3/DAG-[Ca2+]/PKC-TXA2 signalling was potentiated by Notoginsenoside Ft1, as well. Furthermore, the mice tail bleeding time was shortened by administration of Notoginsenoside Ft1 significantly. And the bleeding time prolonged by aspirin was also restored by Ft1.

Conclusions

The haemostatic effect of Notoginsenoside Ft1 was exerted through potentiation of PLCγ2-IP3/DAG-[Ca2+]/PKC-TXA2 signalling pathway stimulated by other stimulators. Notoginsenoside Ft1 has the potential to be developed into supplements in antiplatelet therapy to prevent the drawback of bleeding.
Pre‐medical majors in the humanities and social sciences: impact on communication skills and specialty choice
Authors: Hirshfield Laura E , Yudkowsky Rachel , Park Yoon Soo
Published: December 2018

Context

Medical school admissions committees use a variety of criteria to determine which candidates to admit to their programmes. Effective communication is increasingly considered a key requisite to the practice of effective medicine. Medical students with pre‐medical backgrounds in the humanities and social sciences may be more likely to acquire skills relevant to patient‐centred communication, either prior to or during medical school.

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between pre‐medical backgrounds in the humanities and social sciences and outcomes in medical school, including in communication and interpersonal skills (CIS), licensure examination results and postgraduate specialty choice (primary care versus non‐primary care specialties).

Methods

The American Medical College Application Service database was used to identify pre‐medical college majors, demographic characteristics, Medical College Admission Test scores and college grade point averages for medical students at a large, midwestern medical school. Data were obtained for 465 medical students across three cohorts (classes of 2014–2016). Correlation and regression analyses were used to examine relationships between pre‐medical background, performance on graduation competency examination standardised patient encounter CIS scores and on United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 and Step 2 Clinical Knowledge scores, and postgraduate specialty choice.

Results

Graduating medical students with pre‐medical humanities or social sciences majors performed significantly better in terms of CIS than those with natural science majors (Cohen's d = 0.28, p = 0.011). There were no significant associations between pre‐medical majors and USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 Clinical Knowledge scores or postgraduate specialty choice.

Conclusions

These results suggest that considering humanistic factors as part of admissions criteria may promote the selection and training of physicians with good communication skills.
Surfacing tensions through making explicit our evaluative judgements of research
Authors: Ajjawi Rola
Published: December 2018

Ajjawi highlights tensions regarding research quality in diverse fields such as medical education. Is open peer‐review the answer?
3AC: dealing with tensions in assessment (and elsewhere)
Authors: Moroz Alex
Published: December 2018

Moroz reviews various ways of dealing with tensions that are common in medical education assessment, including avoidance, acceptance and change‐making.
Can universal credit help loosen the grip of poverty?
Authors: Schmuecker Katie
Published: December 2018

With a rising tide of in‐work poverty, we need to reform universal credit so people can build a better life
Characterization of peristaltic motility in the striated muscle portion of the esophagus using a novel in vivo method in rats
Authors: Horii Kazuhiro , Shiina Takahiko , Naitou Kiyotada , Nakamori Hiroyuki , Horii Yuuki , Shimaoka Hiroki , Shimizu Yasutake
Published: December 2018

Background

Esophageal peristalsis is controlled by the brainstem via vago‐vagal reflex. However, the precise regulatory mechanisms in the striated muscle portion are largely unknown. The aim of this study was to characterize peristaltic motility in the portion of the esophagus using a novel in vivo method in rats.

Methods

A balloon‐tipped catheter was placed in the esophagus of a rat anesthetized with urethane. To induce esophageal peristalsis, the balloon was inflated by water injection.

Key Results

When the balloon was inflated near the bronchial bifurcation, the balloon was transported in the aboral direction. Vagotomy abolished the peristaltic response. The threshold volume for inducing esophageal peristalsis varied according to the velocity of balloon distention; the volume being effective to induce peristalsis at a low inflation speed was smaller than the threshold volume at a rapid inflation speed. Even in the absence of inflation, keeping the balloon inside the esophagus during an interval period prevented subsequent induction of peristaltic motility. In addition, a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor abolished the induction of esophageal peristalsis.

Conclusions and Inferences

Our findings suggest that (a) in addition to the intensity, the velocity of distention is important for activating the mechanosensory mechanism to induce esophageal peristalsis, (b) tonic inputs from afferent fibers located at the mucosa may reduce the excitability of mechanosensors which is necessary for inducing peristalsis, and (c) nitric oxide plays essential roles in the induction of esophageal peristalsis. These results provide novel insights into the regulatory mechanisms of esophageal motility.
Clinical investigation of esophageal injury from cryoballoon ablation of persistent atrial fibrillation
Authors: Shigeta Takatoshi , Okishige Kaoru , Aoyagi Hideshi , Nishimura Takuro , Nakamura Rena A. , Ito Naruhiko , Tsuchiya Yusuke , Asano Mitsutoshi , Shimura Tsukasa , Suzuki Hidetoshi , Kurabayashi Manabu , Fukami Yuichi , Sakita Shinya , Keida Takehiko , Sasano Tetsuo , Hirao Kenzo , Yamauchi Yasuteru
Published: December 2018

Background

The cryoballoon (CB) can be utilized for extra pulmonary vein (PV) ablation such as for a left atrial (LA) posterior wall (LAPW) isolation. However, scrutiny of the esophageal injuries during the LAPW isolation has never been performed. We sought to thoroughly investigate the esophageal lesions (ELs) and gastric hypomotility (GH) caused by an LAPW isolation using a CB.

Methods

A total of 101 persistent atrial fibrillation patients who underwent an LAPW isolation using a CB were enrolled. The CB was applied on the roof and bottom area of the LAPW after a PV isolation. The luminal esophageal temperature (LET) was monitored by a thermistor probe during the CB applications. When the LET reached 15°C, the freezing application was prematurely interrupted. Esophagogastroscopy was performed on the next day following the ablation.

Results

All PVs were successfully isolated in all patients. A successful LAPW isolation solely with CB ablation was performed in 72 (71.3%) patients. Cryofreezing applications were prematurely interrupted due to low LETs in 49 (48.5%) patients predominantly during the LA bottom line ablation. ELs and GH were observed in 11 (10.9%) and 16 patients (15.8%), respectively. The nadir LET tended to be lower in patients with ELs and GH than in those without (ELs: 14.8 ± 4.5°C vs 17.4 ± 6.0°C, P = 0.17; GH: 15.5 ± 4.5°C vs 17.5 ± 6.1°C, P = 0.23, respectively).

Conclusions

Esophageal complications such as ELs and GH occur during the LAPW isolation with a CB. There was no reliable predictor of those adverse events.
Quality control and stability of ketamine, remifentanil, and sufentanil syringes in a pediatric operating theater
Authors: Bourdon Florence , Simon Nicolas , Lannoy Damien , Berneron Christophe , Décaudin Bertrand , Reumaux Laurence , Duhamel Alain , Richart Pierre , Odou Pascal
Published: December 2018

Background

Transforming a drug from its commercial form into a ready‐to‐use drug is common practice, especially in pediatrics. However, the risk of compounding error is real and data on drug stability in practice are not always available.

Aims

The aim of this study was to assess, in real conditions, both the error rate and stability of three drugs: ketamine, remifentanil, and sufentanil.

Methods

A new rapid and easy‐to‐use high‐performance liquid chromatography method with a diode array detector has been developed and validated to quantify these drugs and detect their degradation products. Over a 1‐month period, 151 syringes were collected in the postanesthesia care unit. Seventy‐three were stock solution syringes containing a 10‐fold dilution of commercial drugs and 78 were serial dilution syringes made from successive dilutions of stock solutions. A comparison between real and expected concentrations as well as the detection of possible degradation products was carried out on these samples.

Results

All stock solution syringes had good chemical stability throughout the working day. A 4‐µg/mL remifentanil serial dilution syringe, however, had to be discarded as a degradation peak was detected. Overall, 15.3% (95% CI, 9.5‐21.1%) of syringes had a drug concentration outside the ±10% acceptability range, that is, 11.0% (95% CI, 3.7‐18.2%) and 19.5% (95% CI, 10.6%‐28.4%) of stock and diluted syringes respectively, with drug amounts ranging from −25.3% to 22.0%. The highest error rates were observed with sufentanil syringes: 20% and 28% for stock solution and serial dilution, respectively.

Conclusion

The study shows that stock solution syringes prepared in advance are chemically stable throughout the day, unlike certain serial dilution syringes, indicating that the latter should be prepared just before administration to ensure chemical stability. Our results show that the error rate for serial dilution syringes is twice that of stock solution. Different safety measures are under discussion and have to be further studied.
EgRBP42 from oil palm enhances adaptation to stress in Arabidopsis through regulation of nucleocytoplasmic transport of stress‐responsive mRNAs
Authors: Yeap Wan‐Chin , Namasivayam Parameswari , Ooi Tony Eng Keong , Appleton David Ross , Kulaveerasingam Harikrishna , Ho Chai‐Ling
Published: December 2018

Abiotic stress reduces plant growth and crop productivity. However, the mechanism underlying posttranscriptional regulations of stress response remains elusive. Herein, we report the posttranscriptional mechanism of nucleocytoplasmic RNA transport of stress‐responsive transcripts mediated by EgRBP42, a heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein‐like RNA‐binding protein from oil palm, which could be necessary for rapid protein translation to confer abiotic stress tolerance in plants. Transgenic Arabidopsis overexpressing EgRBP42 showed early flowering through alteration of gene expression of flowering regulators and exhibited tolerance towards heat, cold, drought, flood, and salinity stresses with enhanced poststress recovery response by increasing the expression of its target stress‐responsive genes. EgRBP42 harbours nucleocytoplasmic shuttling activity mediated by the nuclear localization signal and the M9‐like domain of EgRBP42 and interacts directly with regulators in the nucleus, membrane, and the cytoplasm. EgRBP42 regulates the nucleocytoplasmic RNA transport of target stress‐responsive transcripts through direct binding to their AG‐rich motifs. Additionally, EgRBP42 transcript and protein induction by environmental stimuli are regulated at the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels. Taken together, the posttranscriptional regulation of RNA transport mediated by EgRBP42 may change the stress‐responsive protein profiles under abiotic stress conditions leading to a better adaptation of plants to environmental changes.
Talking Politics? Educational Category Salience Reinforces Differences in People’s Willingness to Participate in Deliberative Initiatives
Authors: Spruyt Bram , Kuppens Toon , Spears Russell , van Noord Jochem
Published: December 2018

Against the background of an ever‐growing body of literature that documents educational differentials in different forms of political participation, scholars have started to study whether education itself becomes the object of intergroup behavior. Informed by social identity theory and self‐categorization theory, we examine whether making educational categories and the associated status differences salient affects people’s prospective political participation. Two large survey experiments carried out in samples from Flanders (Belgium; N = 1,097) and the United States (N = 629) were used to assess categorization effects of education on people’s willingness to participate in deliberative political‐participation initiatives. In general, our results indicated that rendering educational categories salient increased educational differentials in prospective political participation in a way that is disadvantageous to the less educated. We elaborate on the implications of our findings.
Liberalism and Conservatism, for a Change! Rethinking the Association Between Political Orientation and Relation to Societal Change
Authors: Proch Jutta , Elad‐Strenger Julia , Kessler Thomas
Published: December 2018

According to common wisdom, which is supported by extant psychological theorizing, a core feature of political conservatism (vs. liberalism) is the resistance to (vs. acceptance of) societal change. We propose that an empirical examination of the actual difference in political liberals’ and conservatives’ attitudes toward change across different sociopolitical issues may call into question this assumed association between political orientation and relation to change. We examined this proposition in four studies conducted in Germany. In Study 1, we assessed lay people's intuitions about liberals’ and conservatives’ attitudes toward change. Results of this study concur with theoretical assumptions that liberals accept and conservatives resist change. In Study 2a, Study 2b, and Study 3, self‐identified liberals and conservatives were asked whether they would resist or accept change on various sociopolitical issues. Results of these studies suggest that both conservatives and liberals resist and accept societal changes, depending on the extent to which they approve or disapprove of the status quo on a given sociopolitical issue. Overall, our findings provide no evidence for a one‐directional association between political orientation and the tendency to accept or resist change. These findings therefore challenge theoretical and lay assumptions regarding general, context‐independent psychological differences underlying political ideologies.
Four Decades of Public Participation in Risk Decision Making
Authors: Webler Thomas , Tuler Seth
Published: December 2018

Over the past four decades, the promise of public participation to improve decisions, obtain legitimacy, and build capacity for risk decision making and management has had a mixed record. In this article, we offer a narrative of how public participation has evolved in the United States and we examine prospects for its future. We trace three forces that have had significant impact on practice: an emergent emphasis on democratic deliberation, a transition from dichotomous thinking about science versus politics to an integrated perspective, and the recognition that different parties to the decision‐making process bring valid epistemological contributions. The promise of public participation in risk decision making is challenged by loss of trust in institutions and individuals and by broad socio‐political dynamics that are weakening democratic values and processes. These include the scarcity of attitudes and aptitudes supportive of public participation among both individuals and institutions; an anti‐democratic political atmosphere that promotes disrespect; pursuit of private interests over the common good; failure to appreciate the limitations of dialogue and learning; underutilization of existing knowledge; and insufficient knowledge of how context matters. We end by offering several suggestions for focusing further research and improving practice.
Retracted: Urinary circulating DNA and circulating antigen for diagnosis of schistosomiasis mansoni: a field study
Authors: Diab Radwa Galal , Mady Rasha Fadly , Tolba Mona Mohamed , Ghazala Rasha Abdelmawla
Published: December 2018

Objective

To evaluate three non‐invasive assays for the diagnosis of schistosomiasis mansoni in an Egyptian village.

Methods

Urine was collected for the detection of circulating cathodic antigen (CCA) and cell‐free parasite DNA (cfpd) by Point‐of‐contact (POC)‐cassette assay and PCR, respectively. These tests were compared to Kato‐Katz (KK) faecal thick smear for detection of Schistosoma mansoni eggs.

Results

Disease prevalence by POC‐CCA assay was 86%; by PCR it was 39% vs. 27% by KK. Compared to KK, the sensitivity of POC‐CCA reached 100%, but its specificity was only 19.2% with 41% accuracy. Sensitivity of the PCR assay for cfpd was 55.56%, and specificity was 67.12% with 64% accuracy. A new end point was calculated for combined analysis of KK, POC‐CCA assay and PCR. Sensitivity for the three tests was 52.94%, 90.2% and 76.47%; specificity was 100% for KK and PCR and 18.37% for POC‐CCA. The accuracy calculated for the three tests at the end point was 76% for KK, 55% for POC‐CCA assay and 88% for PCR.

Conclusion

Conventional PCR assay for detection of cfpd provides a potential screening tool for intestinal schistosomiasis with reliable specificity, reasonable accuracy and affordable financial and technical cost.
The effect of body condition on postoperative recovery of dachshunds with intervertebral disc disease treated with postoperative physical rehabilitation
Authors: Gordon‐Evans Wanda J. , Johnson Ann L. , Knap Kim E. , Griffon Dominique J.
Published: December 2018

Objective

To determine the impact of obesity on postoperative recovery from thoracolumbar hemilaminectomy in dachshunds treated with rehabilitation.

Study design

Prospective observational trial.

Animals

Thirty‐two dachshunds with thoracolumbar intervertebral disk disease and pain perception.

Methods

Dachshunds were entered into the study after unilateral thoracolumbar hemilaminectomy. Lean muscle and fat contents were measured with dual‐energy x‐ray absorptiometry (DEXA) at the beginning and at week 12 of the study. Aggressive rehabilitation was performed 1, 2, 4, and 6 weeks after surgery. Logistic regressions were used to determine the odds ratios between potential risk factors (age, duration of clinical signs, weight, body condition score, percentage body fat, percentage lean muscle mass, and disability index [DI] score at presentation) and return benchmarks of recovery.

Results

Body condition score, percentage body fat, percentage lean muscle mass, weight, and age did not influence the odds ratio for recovery. An increase in preoperative DI score was associated with increased risk of a slow postoperative recovery (P < .05). The odds ratios were 2.5, 4.8, and 1.8 for >7 days until standing, > 30 days until strong ambulation, and failure to return to normal within the study period, respectively. On average, dogs lost weight (2.2 kg) and body fat (2.4%) but gained muscle mass (3.0%) over the study period (P < .05).

Conclusion

Preoperative disability but not body condition was a risk factor for a slow recovery after thoracolumbar hemilaminectomy in dachshunds with rehabilitation.

Clinical significance

A slower recovery is likely with increased preoperative disability, but body condition does not seem to affect the postoperative prognosis of dachshunds treated with rehabilitation.
On the Sliding Wear Behavior of PAEK Composites in Vacuum Environment
Authors: Theiler Géraldine , Harsha A. P. , Gradt Thomas
Published: December 2018

In the present study, the tribological behavior of polyaryletherketones (PAEKs) and their composites was investigated in air and vacuum environment. Polymer matrices were filled with either glass or carbon fibers and compared with a standard bearing material containing 10% carbon fiber (CF), 10% graphite, and 10% polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). The samples were tested in a pin-on-disk configuration under continuous sliding against a rotating steel disk (AISI 52100) at different sliding speeds. The results indicated that the tribological performance of these materials in vacuum depends on both compositions and test conditions. At low sliding speed, a very low friction and wear coefficients were obtained while at higher speed, severe wear occurred. In particular, CF filled composites showed excessive wear that led to the ignition after opening the vacuum chamber. Experimental results are discussed by analyzing the transfer film and wear debris.
Influence of Heat Treatment on the Wear Behavior of a Haynes 282® Nickel-Based Superalloy
Authors: Ramírez-Ramírez Javier H. , Manuel Alvarado-Orozco Juan , Pérez-González Francisco A. , Colás Rafael , Garza-Montes-de-Oca Nelson F.
Published: December 2018

Superalloys are metallic systems commonly used in components for aerospace and energy generation applications. In this paper, results of an investigation developed to analyze the effect of heat treatment on the wear behavior of a Haynes 282® superalloy under sliding, nonlubricated conditions are presented. Room temperature pin-on-roll wear tests were undertaken at a constant load and for a fixed sliding distance of 7.5 km. It was found that the wear rate of the alloys was greater for the heat treated specimens compared to the specimens that were tested in a cast and forged condition. Inspection of the alloys in both metallurgical conditions suggests that the wear phenomenon was characterized mostly by severe plastic deformation of the alloy matrix at both surface and subsurface regions by the well-known mechanism of plowing. The test specimens also experienced the formation of a tribofilm whose characteristics were different for each test condition. The formation of tribofilms also had a considerable influence on the wear behavior of the systems studied because they were also present on the surface of the counter rolls with this phenomenon being an additional wear mechanism experienced by the tribosystems studied.
Approximate Analytical Solutions of Reliability for Controlled Single First-Integral Nonlinear Stochastic Systems
Authors: Wang Shenlong , Deng Maolin , Zhao Shilun
Published: December 2018

We study the reliability of stochastically excited and controlled single first-integral systems and present an approximate analytical solution for the first-passage rate (FPR). By introducing the stochastic averaging method (SAM), we reduce the dimension of the original system to an averaged one-dimensional controlled Ito^ differential equation. We then modify the classic Laplace integral method (LIM) and apply it to deal with the arduous integrals in the expression of reliability function. The procedure of acquiring the analytical solution for the reliability is illuminated in detail as well. In addition, we provide two controlled single first-integral nonlinear vibration systems, namely, the classical bistable model and the two coupled nonlinear oscillators, as examples. By comparing the results obtained from the modified Laplace integral method (MLIM) to Monte Carlo simulations (MCS), we verify the effectiveness and exactness of the proposed procedure. We identified two properties in the obtained analytical solution: One is that the solutions are independent of the initial system state. The other is that they are only effective in the high passage threshold range. Finally, a reasonable explanation has been given to explain these two properties.
Observation and comparison of tower vibration and underwater noise from offshore operational wind turbines in the East China Sea Bridge of Shanghai
Authors: Yang Chun-Mei , Liu Zong-Wei , Lü Lian-Gang , Yang Guang-Bing , Huang Long-Fei , Jiang Ying
Published: December 2018

Underwater operational turbine noise emitted by China's first offshore wind farm in the East China Sea Bridge of Shanghai was measured and analyzed in this study. Two sensors were used in the measurement: a hydrophone recording the underwater sound and an accelerometer placed in the turbine tower detecting the tower vibrations. Measurements were performed at two different types of wind turbines: a Sinovel 3 MW SL3000 turbine and a Shanghai Electric 3.6 MW W3600 turbine. The two turbines show similar tower vibration characteristics, characterized by a number of tonal components, mainly in the low-frequency domain (30–500 Hz). The peak vibration frequencies changed with the wind speed until the turbine approached its nominal power rating. Spectral analysis of the underwater acoustic data showed that the amplitude spectra had a strong correlation with the spectra of the turbine vibration intensity level, indicating that the measured underwater noise was generated by the tower mechanical vibration.
Ireland slashes peat power to lower emissions
Authors: Toner Emily
Published: December 2018

Harvested from drained and denuded bogs, peat is more polluting than coal.
Population Genetics and Characterization of Campylobacter jejuni Isolates from Western Jackdaws and Game Birds in Finland
Authors: Kovanen Sara , Rossi Mirko , Pohja-Mykrä Mari , Nieminen Timo , Raunio-Saarnisto Mirja , Sauvala Mikaela , Fredriksson-Ahomaa Maria , Hänninen Marja-Liisa , Kivistö Rauni
Published: December 2018

The roles of environmental reservoirs, including wild birds, in the molecular epidemiology of
Campylobacter jejuni
have not been assessed in depth. Our results showed that game birds may pose a risk for acquiring campylobacteriosis, because they had
C. jejuni
genomotypes highly similar to human isolates detected previously. Therefore, hygienic measures during slaughter and meat handling warrant special attention. On the contrary, a unique phylogeny was revealed for the western jackdaw isolates, and certain genomic characteristics identified among these isolates are hypothesized to affect their host specificity and virulence. Comparative genomics within sequence types (STs), using whole-genome multilocus sequence typing (wgMLST), and phylogenomics are efficient methods to analyze the genomic relationships of
C. jejuni
isolates.
Survival of
Escherichia coli
in Manure-Amended Soils Is Affected by Spatiotemporal, Agricultural, and Weather Factors in the Mid-Atlantic United States
Authors: Sharma Manan , Millner Patricia D. , Hashem Fawzy , Vinyard Bryan T. , East Cheryl L. , Handy Eric T. , White Kathryn , Stonebraker Richard , Cotton Corrie P.
Published: December 2018

Current language in the Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule states no objection to a 90- or 120-day interval between application of untreated BSAAO and harvest of crops to minimize transfer of pathogens to produce intended for human consumption with the intent to limit potential cases of foodborne illness. This regional multiple season, multiple location field trial determined survival durations of
Escherichia coli
in soils amended with manure to determine whether this interval is appropriate. Spatiotemporal factors influence survival durations of
E. coli
more than amendment type, total amount of
E. coli
present, organic or conventional soil management, and depth of manure application. Overall, these data show poultry litter may support extended survival of
E. coli
compared to horse manure or dairy manure, but spatiotemporal factors like site and season may have more influence than manure type in supporting survival of
E. coli
beyond 90 days in amended soils in the Mid-Atlantic United States.
LysPBC2, a Novel Endolysin Harboring a Bacillus cereus Spore Binding Domain
Authors: Kong Minsuk , Na Hongjun , Ha Nam-Chul , Ryu Sangryeol
Published: December 2018

Bacteriophages produce highly evolved lytic enzymes, called endolysins, to lyse peptidoglycan and release their progeny from bacterial cells. Due to their potent lytic activity and specificity, the use of endolysins has gained increasing attention as a natural alternative to antibiotics. Since most endolysins from Gram-positive-bacterium-infecting phages have a modular structure, understanding the function of each domain is crucial to make effective endolysin-based therapeutics. Here, we report the functional and biochemical characterization of a
Bacillus cereus
phage endolysin, LysPBC2, which has an unusual spore binding domain and a cell wall binding domain. A single point mutation in the spore binding domain greatly enhanced the lytic activity of endolysin at the cost of reduced thermostability. This work contributes to the understanding of the role of each domain in LysPBC2 and will provide insight for the rational design of efficient antimicrobials or diagnostic tools for controlling
B. cereus
.