bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Understanding Advanced Prostate Cancer Decision Making Utilizing an Interactive Decision Aid
Authors: Jones Randy A. , Hollen Patricia J. , Wenzel Jennifer , Weiss Geoff , Song Daniel , Sims Terran , Petroni Gina
Published: November 2016

Background:

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer deaths among men in the United States. Patients with advanced prostate cancer are vulnerable to difficult treatment decisions because of the nature of their disease.

Objective:

The aims of this study were to describe and understand the lived experience of patients with advanced prostate cancer and their decision partners who utilized an interactive decision aid, DecisionKEYS, to make informed, shared treatment decisions.

Methods:

This qualitative study uses a phenomenological approach that included a sample of 35 pairs of patients and their decision partners (16 pairs reflected patients with <6 months since their diagnosis of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer; 19 pairs reflected patients with >6 months since their diagnosis of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer). Qualitative analysis of semistructured interviews was conducted describing the lived experience of patients with advanced prostate cancer and their decision partners using an interactive decision aid.

Results:

Three major themes emerged: (1) the decision aid facilitated understanding of treatment options; (2) quality of life was more important than quantity of life; and (3) contact with healthcare providers greatly influenced decisions.

Conclusions:

Participants believed the decision aid helped them become more aware of their personal values, assisted in their treatment decision making, and facilitated an interactive patient–healthcare provider relationship.

Implications for Practice:

Decision aids assist patients, decision partners, and healthcare providers make satisfying treatment decisions that affect quality/quantity of life. These findings are important for understanding the experiences of patients who have to make difficult decisions.
Factors That Influence Care Transitions of End-Stage Heart Failure Patients to Palliative Home Care
Authors: Lowey Susan E. , Liebel Dianne V.
Published: November 2016

Although palliative care has been shown to be an effective way to manage distressing symptoms in end-stage heart failure, patients are infrequently referred to palliative home care following hospital discharge for an exacerbation. The purpose of this 2-phase mixed-methods study was to examine factors that influence the transition of patients with end-stage heart failure to palliative home care. A 45-item online survey was randomly distributed to 92 home care agencies across New York State. Two-thirds of the home care agencies offered palliative care, whereas one-third had only hospice. Although the majority of nurses (87.7%) reported ability to refer patients to palliative care, nurse managers were identified as the main source for referrals. Nurse demographics were not correlated with a greater number of palliative care referrals, whereas experience with palliative care was. Diagnosis was associated with a greater number of palliative care referrals than presence of pain or declining functional status. Improvements in discharge planning protocols that can evaluate patients who could benefit from palliative care prior to home care admission are needed. Home-based palliative care could improve quality of life by managing symptoms and exacerbations, which could reduce hospital readmissions.
Validity of the Associated Symptom Criteria for Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Authors: Lee Siau Pheng , Ong Clarissa , Vaingankar Janhavi Ajit , Chong Siow Ann , Subramaniam Mythily
Published: November 2016

Previous findings on the diagnostic validity and reliability of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)–associated symptom criteria suggest need for further evaluation. The current study examined convergent validity and specificity of GAD-associated symptoms in a representative Singapore community sample. The Singapore of Mental Health Study a cross-sectional epidemiological survey conducted among 6166 Singapore residents aged 18 and older. The Composite International Diagnostic Interview version 3.0 was used to diagnose mental disorders. Associated symptoms in the GAD criteria and autonomic hyperactivity symptoms showed convergent validity with a GAD diagnosis. However, associated symptoms of GAD were also linked to major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, suggesting lack of adequate specificity. The inability of the diagnostic criteria to differentiate GAD from symptoms of other conditions highlights the need to better define its associated symptoms criteria. The relationship of overlapping symptoms between GAD and MDD is also discussed.
Hypochondriasis Differs From Panic Disorder and Social Phobia
Authors: Höfling Volkmar , Weck Florian
Published: November 2016

Studies of the comorbidity of hypochondriasis have indicated high rates of cooccurrence with other anxiety disorders. In this study, the contrast among hypochondriasis, panic disorder, and social phobia was investigated using specific processes drawing on cognitive-perceptual models of hypochondriasis. Affective, behavioral, cognitive, and perceptual processes specific to hypochondriasis were assessed with 130 diagnosed participants based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, criteria (66 with hypochondriasis, 32 with panic disorder, and 32 with social phobia). All processes specific to hypochondriasis were more intense for patients with hypochondriasis in contrast to those with panic disorder or social phobia (0.61 < d < 2.67). No differences were found between those with hypochondriasis with comorbid disorders and those without comorbid disorders. Perceptual processes were shown to best discriminate between patients with hypochondriasis and those with panic disorder.
The Immunohistochemical Analysis of SOCS3 Protein Identifies a Subgroup of Prostatic Cancer Biopsies With Aggressive Behavior
Authors: Pierconti Francesco , Martini Maurizio , Cenci Tonia , Larocca Luigi M.
Published: November 2016

Background:

Recently, we demonstrated that hypermethylation of SOCS3 determines a significant reduction of its mRNA and protein expression and identifies a subgroup of prostate cancer with aggressive behavior. In this paper, our objective was to investigate whether the immunohistochemical expression of the SOCS3 protein could represent an alternative method to molecular analysis for the individualization of aggressive prostate carcinoma.

Materials and Methods:

We analyzed the SOCS3 immunohistochemical expression in 65 patients undergoing biopsies at the Institute of Urology of our hospital between September 2011 and October 2011 (median age, 66.4 y; range, 50 to 73 y), and in 35 cases, a subset of 65 cases originally used for the immunohistochemical study, we studied the methylation status of the SOCS3 promoter.

Results:

We found that the percentage of cases with SOCS3 negativity (-) or with SOCS3 weak staining in <50% of the neoplastic glands (+/-) correlated to the worst prognosis in terms of the Gleason score (P=0.0001; Fisher’s exact test), the pT stage (P=0.012; Fisher’s exact test), and progression-free survival (P=0.0334; hazard ratio, 0.34; and 95% confidence interval, from 0.1261 to 0.9188). Moreover, some cases with an SOCS3 unmethylated pattern showed SOCS3-negative immunostaining (-) or SOCS3-negative glands with weak cytoplasmatic staining in <50% of the neoplastic glands (+/-).

Conclusions:

Our data suggest that in prostatic cancer biopsies, the immunohistochemical analysis of SOCS3 protein expression may provide a method that is less expensive and easier to apply than SOCS3 methylation analysis for the distinction of a subgroup of prostate cancer with a more aggressive behavior.
Pediatric Critical Care Transport as a Conduit to Terminal Extubation at Home: A Case Series*
Authors: Noje Corina , Bernier Meghan L. , Costabile Philomena M. , Klein Bruce L. , Kudchadkar Sapna R.
Published: November 2016

Objectives:

To present our single-center’s experience with three palliative critical care transports home from the PICU for terminal extubation.

Design:

We performed a retrospective chart review of patients transported between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2014.

Setting:

All cases were identified from our institutional pediatric transport database.

Patients:

Patients were terminally ill children unable to separate from mechanical ventilation in the PICU, who were transported home for terminal extubation and end-of-life care according to their families’ wishes.

Interventions:

Patients underwent palliative care transport home for terminal extubation.

Measurements and Main Results:

The rate of palliative care transports home for terminal extubation during the study period was 2.6 per 100 deaths. The patients were 7 months, 6 years, and 18 years old and had complex chronic conditions. The transfer process was protocolized. The families were approached by the PICU staff during multidisciplinary goals-of-care meetings. Parental expectations were clarified, and home hospice care was arranged pretransfer. All transports were performed by our pediatric critical care transport team, and all terminal extubations were performed by physicians. All patients had unstable medical conditions and urgent needs for transport to comply with the families’ wishes for withdrawal of life support and death at home. As such, all three cases presented similar logistic challenges, including establishing do-not-resuscitate status pretransport, having limited time to organize the transport, and coordinating home palliative care services with available community resources.

Conclusions:

Although a relatively infrequent practice in pediatric critical care, transport home for terminal extubation represents a feasible alternative for families seeking out-of-hospital end-of-life care for their critically ill technology-dependent children. Our single-center experience supports the need for development of formal programs for end-of-life critical care transports to include patient screening tools, palliative care home discharge algorithms, transport protocols, and resource utilization and cost analyses.
Implementation of a Nurse-Driven Sedation Protocol in a PICU Decreases Daily Doses of Midazolam
Authors: Gaillard-Le Roux Bénédicte , Liet Jean-Michel , Bourgoin Pierre , Legrand Arnaud , Roze Jean-Christophe , Joram Nicolas
Published: November 2016

Objectives:

To evaluate the impact of a nurse-driven sedation protocol on the length of mechanical ventilation, total daily doses of sedatives, and complications of sedation.

Design:

A single-center prospective before and after study was conducted from October 2010 to December 2013.

Setting:

Twelve-bed surgical and medical PICU of the university-affiliated hospital in Nantes, France.

Patients:

A total of 235 patients, between 28 days and 18 years old, requiring mechanical ventilation for at least 24 hours were included in the study; data from 194 patients were analyzed.

Interventions:

During the first study phase, no protocol was used. During the second phase, patients were sedated according to a nurse-driven protocol.

Measurements and Main Results:

In the whole population, the length of mechanical ventilation did not differ between protocol and control groups (protocol, 4 [3–8] vs control, 5 [3–7.5]; p = 0.44). Analyzing age subgroups, the length of mechanical ventilation was significantly shorter in the protocol group than in the control group in children older than 12 months (4 [3–8] vs 5 [2.75–11.25] d; p = 0.04). Daily dose of midazolam decreased during the protocol phase compared with the control phase (1 [0.56–1.8] and 1.2 [0.85–2.4] mg/kg/d, respectively; p = 0.02). No differences were shown regarding other daily dose of drugs. In the control group, 68% of children had more than 20% of COMFORT-behavior scale assessment under the target (oversedation) versus 59% in the protocol group (p = 0.139).

Conclusions:

Implementation of a nurse-driven sedation protocol in a PICU is feasible and safe, allowed a decrease in daily dose of benzodiazepines, and decreased the duration of mechanical ventilation in older patients.
Bedside Ultrasound for the Diagnosis of Abnormal Diaphragmatic Motion in Children After Heart Surgery
Authors: Gil-Juanmiquel Laura , Gratacós Margarida , Castilla-Fernández Yolanda , Piqueras Joaquim , Baust Tracy , Raguer Nuria , Balcells Joan , Perez-Hoyos Santiago , Abella Raul F. , Sanchez-de-Toledo Joan
Published: November 2016

Objective:

To assess the utility of bedside ultrasound combining B- and M-mode in the diagnosis of abnormal diaphragmatic motion in children after heart surgery.

Design:

Prospective post hoc blinded comparison of ultrasound performed by two different intensivists and fluoroscopy results with electromyography.

Setting:

Tertiary university hospital.

Subjects:

Children with suspected abnormal diaphragmatic motion after heart surgery.

Interventions:

None.

Measurements and Main Results:

Abnormal diaphragmatic motion was suspected in 26 children. Electromyography confirmed the diagnosis in 20 of 24 children (83.3%). The overall occurrence rate of abnormal diaphragmatic motion during the study period was 7.5%. Median patient age was 5 months (range, 16 d to 14 yr). Sensitivity and specificity of chest ultrasound performed at the bedside by the two intensivists (91% and 92% and 92% and 95%, respectively) were higher than those obtained by fluoroscopy (87% and 83%). Interobserver agreement (k) between both intensivists was 0.957 (95% CI, 0.87–100).

Conclusions:

Chest ultrasound performed by intensivists is a valid tool for the diagnosis of diaphragmatic paralysis, presenting greater sensitivity and specificity than fluoroscopy. Chest ultrasound should be routinely used after pediatric heart surgery given its reliability, reproducibility, availability, and safety.
Unclassifiable Malignant Extraovarian Sex Cord-Stromal Tumors: Report of 3 Cases and Review of Extraovarian Sex Cord-Stromal Tumors
Authors: Shah Rajeev , McCluggage W. Glenn
Published: November 2016

We report 3 cases of primary extraovarian unclassifiable malignant sex cord-stromal tumors. In all cases, the tumors involved the pelvis, peritoneum, and/or omentum and the morphologic features were essentially those of a poorly differentiated malignant neoplasm. A diagnosis of sex cord-stromal tumor was made on the basis of expression of several markers of ovarian sex cord-stromal tumors and exclusion of other neoplasms. In 1 case, an elevated serum testosterone was present at tumor progression. In reporting these cases, we draw attention to the problems in establishing a diagnosis that can be attributed to the extreme rarity of sex cord-stromal tumors in an extraovarian location and the rarity of unclassifiable malignant sex cord-stromal tumors in general, resulting in pathologists not considering this diagnosis. We review sex cord-stromal tumors occurring in an extraovarian location.
Brain size and the risk of getting shot
Authors: Møller Anders Pape , Erritzøe Johannes
Published: November 2016

Hunting kills hundreds of millions of animals annually, potentially constituting an important selection pressure on hunted species. We hypothesized that hunted individuals differing from survivors by having better ability to distinguish between dangerous humans and other human beings would be at a selective advantage. We tested whether shot individual birds had smaller brains than survivors, under the assumption that individuals with larger brains had superior escape ability. We used a large database on birds from Denmark to test whether getting shot was predicted by brain mass, while controlling statistically for the potentially confounding effects of age, sex, body mass and body condition. Analyses based on all species, or only species that were hunted, while controlling for differences in sampling effort in random effects models, showed consistently that shot individuals had smaller brains than survivors.
Inferring phage–bacteria infection networks from time-series data
Authors: Jover Luis F. , Romberg Justin , Weitz Joshua S.
Published: November 2016

In communities with bacterial viruses (phage) and bacteria, the phage–bacteria infection network establishes which virus types infect which host types. The structure of the infection network is a key element in understanding community dynamics. Yet, this infection network is often difficult to ascertain. Introduced over 60 years ago, the plaque assay remains the gold standard for establishing who infects whom in a community. This culture-based approach does not scale to environmental samples with increased levels of phage and bacterial diversity, much of which is currently unculturable. Here, we propose an alternative method of inferring phage–bacteria infection networks. This method uses time-series data of fluctuating population densities to estimate the complete interaction network without having to test each phage–bacteria pair individually. We use
in silico
experiments to analyse the factors affecting the quality of network reconstruction and find robust regimes where accurate reconstructions are possible. In addition, we present a multi-experiment approach where time series from different experiments are combined to improve estimates of the infection network. This approach also mitigates against the possibility of evolutionary changes to relevant phenotypes during the time course of measurement.
Length filtration of the separable states
Authors: Chen Lin , Ðoković Dragomir Ž.
Published: November 2016

We investigate the separable states
ρ
of an arbitrary multi-partite quantum system with Hilbert space

H

of dimension
d
. The length
L
(
ρ
) of
ρ
is defined as the smallest number of pure product states having
ρ
as their mixture. The length filtration of the set of separable states,

S

, is the increasing chain

∅
⊊

S

1
′

⊆

S

2
′

⊆
⋯

, where

S

i
′

=
{
ρ
∈

S

:
L
(
ρ
)
≤
i
}

. We define the maximum length,

L

max

=

max

ρ
∈

S

L
(
ρ
)

, critical length,
L
crit
, and yet another special length,
L
c
, which was defined by a simple formula in one of our previous papers. The critical length indicates the first term in the length filtration whose dimension is equal to

Dim

 

S

. We show that in general
d
≤
L
c
≤
L
crit
≤
L
max
≤
d
2
. We conjecture that the equality
L
crit
=
L
c
holds for all finite-dimensional multi-partite quantum systems. Our main result is that
L
crit
=
L
c
for the bipartite systems having a single qubit as one of the parties. This is accomplished by computing the rank of the Jacobian matrix of a suitable map having

S

as its range.
Thirty per cent contrast in secondary-electron imaging by scanning field-emission microscopy
Authors: Zanin D. A. , De Pietro L. G. , Peter Q. , Kostanyan A. , Cabrera H. , Vindigni A. , Bähler Th. , Pescia D. , Ramsperger U.
Published: November 2016

We perform scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) in a regime where primary electrons are field-emitted from the tip and excite secondary electrons out of the target—the scanning field-emission microscopy regime (SFM). In the SFM mode, a secondary-electron contrast as high as 30% is observed when imaging a monoatomic step between a clean W(110)- and an Fe-covered W(110)-terrace. This is a figure of contrast comparable to STM. The apparent width of the monoatomic step attains the 1 
nm
mark, i.e. it is only marginally worse than the corresponding width observed in STM. The origin of the unexpected strong contrast in SFM is the material dependence of the secondary-electron yield and not the dependence of the transported current on the tip–target distance, typical of STM: accordingly, we expect that a technology combining STM and SFM will highlight complementary aspects of a surface while simultaneously making electrons, selected with nanometre spatial precision, available to a macroscopic environment for further processing.
netDx: Interpretable patient classification using integrated patient similarity networks
Authors: Pai Shraddha , Hui Shirley , Isserlin Ruth , Shah Muhammad A , Kaka Hussam , Bader Gary D
Published: November 2016

Patient classification has widespread biomedical and clinical applications, including diagnosis, prognosis and treatment response prediction. A clinically useful prediction algorithm should be accurate, generalizable, be able to integrate diverse data types, and handle sparse data. A clinical predictor based on genomic data needs to be easily interpretable to drive hypothesis-driven research into new treatments. We describe netDx, a novel supervised patient classification framework based on patient similarity networks. netDx meets the above criteria and particularly excels at data integration and model interpretability. As a machine learning method, netDx demonstrates consistently excellent performance in a cancer survival benchmark across four cancer types by integrating up to six genomic and clinical data types. In these tests, netDx has significantly higher average performance than most other machine-learning approaches across most cancer types and its best model outperforms all other methods for two cancer types. In comparison to traditional machine learning-based patient classifiers, netDx results are more interpretable, visualizing the decision boundary in the context of patient similarity space. When patient similarity is defined by pathway-level gene expression, netDx identifies biological pathways important for outcome prediction, as demonstrated in diverse data sets of breast cancer and asthma. Thus, netDx can serve both as a patient classifier and as a tool for discovery of biological features characteristic of disease. We provide a software complete implementation of netDx along with sample files and automation workflows in R.
Can you catch Ebola from a stork bite? Inductive reasoning influences on zoonosis risk perception
Authors: Davis Tyler , Goldwater Micah B. , Ireland Molly E. , Gaylord Nicholas , Van Allen Jason
Published: November 2016

Emerging zoonoses are a prominent global health threat. Human beliefs are central to drivers of emerging zoonoses, yet little is known about the factors that influence perceived risks of animal contact. We present an inductive account of zoonosis risk perception, suggesting that beliefs about the range of animals that are able to transmit diseases to each other influence zoonosis risk perception. Consistent with our account, in Study 1, we find that participants who endorse higher likelihoods of cross-species disease transmission have stronger intention to report animal bites. In Study 2, using real world descriptions of Ebola virus from the WHO and CDC, we find that communications conveying a broader range of animals as susceptible increase intentions to report animal bites and decrease perceived safety of wild game meat. These results suggest that cognitive factors may be harnessed to modulate zoonosis risk perception and combat emerging infectious diseases.
Fine-scale temporal analysis of genotype-dependent mortality at settlement in the Pacific oysterCrassostrea gigas
Authors: Plough Louis V
Published: November 2016

Settlement and metamorphosis mark a critical transition in the life cycle of marine invertebrates, during which larvae undergo substantial morphological, sensory, and genetic changes. High mortality during or after metamorphosis is commonly observed in both wild and hatchery settings, however, the underlying causes of this mortality remain poorly understood. Previous pair-crossing experiments with the Pacific oyster,Crassostrea gigasshowed that substantial genotype-dependent mortality (GDM) occurs around metamorphosis, but, owing to sparse temporal sampling, it remains unknown whether mortality occurs just before, during, or after settlement. In this laboratory study, microsatellite marker segregation ratios were followed daily throughout the settlement and metamorphosis of an inbred, F2cross of the Pacific oyster to examine the fine-scale patterns of GDM in larvae and spat. Genetic control of settlement timing was also examined using a quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping approach. Settlement occurred over nine days (day 18 to day 27 post-fertilization) with 68% of individuals settling on an early (day 19) and a late (day 24) time point. Tracking the survival of spat for 40 days after initial settlement revealed almost no post-settlement mortality. Temporal analysis revealed that three of 11 loci exhibited segregation distortion at metamorphosis, one of which (Cg205) was followed throughout settlement. Alternative temporal patterns of selection against each homozygote atCg205suggest possible defects in both the competency pathway (inability to initiate metamorphosis) and the morphogenesis pathway (mortality during the metamorphic transition). QTL mapping of settlement timing identified three individual and one epistatic QTL (29% of the variance explained), however, two of these loci were closely linked to markers exhibiting GDM at metamorphosis, thus making it difficult to distinguish between genetic variance in settlement timing and differential mortality early or late in settlement. Overall, results from this study highlight the complex temporal patterns of viability selection during metamorphosis and show that endogenous mortality during the larval-juvenile transition appears to be focused during or just prior to metamorphosis. Fine-scale experimental analysis of settlement can reveal important genetic insights into larval settlement behavior and the sources of larval mortality, and future studies should be able to further dissect the functional targets of selection during metamorphosis.
Visual processing mode switching regulated by VIP cells
Authors: Hoon Lee Jung , Mihalas Stefan
Published: November 2016

The responses of neurons in mouse primary visual cortex (V1) to visual stimuli depend on behavioral states. Specifically, surround suppression is reduced during locomotion. Although locomotion-induced vasoactive intestinal polypeptide positive (VIP) interneuron depolarization can account for the reduction of surround suppression, the functions of VIP cell depolarization are not fully understood. Here we utilize a firing rate model and a computational model to elucidate the potential functions of VIP cell depolarization during locomotion. Our analyses suggest 1) that surround suppression sharpens the visual responses in V1 to a stationary scene, 2) that depolarized VIP cells enhance V1 responses to moving objects by reducing self-induced surround suppression and 3) that during locomotion V1 neuron responses to some features of the moving objects can be selectively enhanced. Thus, VIP cells regulate surround suppression to allow pyramidal neurons to optimally encode visual information independent of behavioral state.
Sleep regulation of the distribution of cortical firing rates
Authors: Levenstein Daniel , Watson Brendon O. , Rinzel John , Buzsáki György
Published: November 2016

Sleep is thought to mediate mnemonic and homeostatic functions. However, the mechanism by which this brain state can implement both the “selective” plasticity needed to consolidate novel memory traces as well as the “general” plasticity necessary to maintain a well-functioning neuronal system is unclear. Recent findings show that both of these functions differentially affect neurons based on their intrinsic firing rate, a ubiquitous neuronal heterogeneity. Furthermore, they are both implemented by the NREM slow oscillation, which also distinguishes neurons based on firing rate during sequential activity at the DOWN->UP transition. These findings suggest a mechanism by which spiking activity during the slow oscillation acts to maintain network statistics that promote a skewed distribution of neuronal firing rates, and “perturbation” of that activity by hippocampal replay acts to integrate new memory traces into the existing cortical network.
Micrococcal Nuclease Digestion of Schizosaccharomyces pombe Chromatin
Authors: Cam Hugh P. , Whitehall Simon
Published: November 2016

Digestion of chromatin with micrococcal nuclease (MNase) is widely used to probe nucleosome organization. Analysis of MNase digests by end-labeling techniques or overlapping quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) can be used to map locus-specific nucleosome positions. Furthermore, the application of genomic technologies can provide genome-wide views of nucleosome position and occupancy. This protocol provides a basic method for MNase digestion of Schizosaccharomyces pombe chromatin and depends on the production of permeabilized spheroplasts.
Peter J. W. Debye – a whole life devoted to science
Authors: Dalba Giuseppe
Published: November 2016

In 1915 P. Debye, one of the most prominent scientists in the field of condensed-matter physics and physical chemistry, published an X-ray scattering equation for randomly oriented scattering sites. This formula, since then used for describing the structure of powders, liquids and gases, has become a model for material analysis at the nanoscale. This paper re-examines briefly Debye's works on the origin and evolution of the scattering equation and its first uses. The career of the great scientist and some of his other numerous and diverse contributions to science are also reviewed. Additionally the paper addresses aspects of his life as a teacher, as a science manager and as a man, including the recent controversy about his conduct during the Third Reich regime.
Bis(N,N-diethyldithiocarbamato-κ2S,S′)(3-hydroxypyridine-κN)zinc and bis[N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-N-methyldithiocarbamato-κ2S,S′](3-hydroxypyridine-κN)zinc: crystal structures and Hirshfeld surface analysis
Authors: Jotani Mukesh M. , Arman Hadi D. , Poplaukhin Pavel , Tiekink Edward R. T.
Published: November 2016

The common feature of the molecular structures of the title compounds, [Zn(C5H10NS2)2(C5H5NO)], (I), and [Zn(C4H8NOS2)2(C5H5NO)], (II), are NS4donor sets derived fromN-bound hydroxypyridyl ligands and asymmetrically chelating dithiocarbamate ligands. The resulting coordination geometries are highly distorted, being intermediate between square pyramidal and trigonal bipyramidal for both independent molecules comprising the asymmetric unit of (I), and significantly closer towards square pyramidal in (II). The key feature of the molecular packing in (I) is the formation of centrosymmetric, dimeric aggregates sustained by pairs of hydroxy-O—H...S(dithiocarbamate) hydrogen bonds. The aggregates are connected into a three-dimensional architecture by methylene-C—H...O(hydroxy) and methyl-C—H...π(chelate) interactions. With greater hydrogen-bonding potential, supramolecular chains along thecaxis are formed in the crystal of (II), sustained by hydroxy-O—H...O(hydroxy) hydrogen bonds, with ethylhydroxy and pyridylhydroxy groups as the donors, along with ethylhydroxy-O—H...S(dithiocarbamate) hydrogen bonds. Chains are connected into layers in theacplane by methylene-C—H...π(chelate) interactions and these stack along thebaxis, with no directional interactions between them. An analysis of the Hirshfeld surfaces clearly distinguished the independent molecules of (I) and reveals the importance of the C—H...π(chelate) interactions in the packing of both (I) and (II).
5-(2-Methylfuran-3-yl)-N-phenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-amine
Authors: Paswan Santosh , Bharty Manoj K. , Gupta Sushil K. , Butcher Ray J. , Jasinski Jerry P.
Published: November 2016

In the title compound, C13H11N3O2, the furan ring is disordered over two orientations, with occupancies of 0.902 (2) and 0.098 (2). The dihedral angles between the central oxadiazole ring and the pendant phenyl ring and the furan ring (major disorder component) are 10.12 (11) and 1.76 (15)°, respectively. A short intramolecular C—H...O contact generates anS(6) ring. In the crystal, inversion dimers linked by pairs of N—H...N hydrogen bonds generateR22(8) loops. The dimers are linked by C—H...π and π–π interactions [range of centroid–centroid distances = 3.301 (7)–3.689 (1) Å], generating a three-dimensional network.
Motherhood: an impediment to workplace progression? The case of Cyprus
Authors: Socratous Maria , Galloway Laura , Kamenou-Aigbekaen Nicolina
Published: November 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify potential explanations on why motherhood affects the non-progression of women, in Cyprus, to the top of the organisational ladder.

Design/methodology/approach

For the purposes of the study a qualitative approach was taken and semi-structured interviews were used. The interviews were conducted with specific, preselected employment groups. These were chartered accountants from the Big Four (PWC, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG) companies in Cyprus and academics working at the University of Cyprus.

Findings

It has been identified through the interviews that women in Cyprus are faced with impediments on their way to the upper levels of the organisational ladder. The reasons for this vary and one of the most important is the motherhood effect. In particular, the research suggests that cultural norms and perceptions that women should be the primary caregiver are a barrier to advancement for women and there is a lack of family friendly policies and childcare facilities at least in the organisations included in this study.

Originality/value

This paper sheds light into a previously under-researched area; gender equality in Cyprus. The author also denotes the problems a mother is faced with on her way to the top of the organisational ladder and that culture is of utmost importance with regards to the role of women in the society and the workplace in Cyprus and elsewhere.
Racial dissimilarity and diversity climate effect organizational identification
Authors: Cole Brooklyn , Jones Raymond J. , Russell Lisa M.
Published: November 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine the relationship between psychological diversity climate (PDC) and organizational identification (OID) when influenced by racial dissimilarity between the subordinate and supervisor.

Design/methodology/approach

Ordinary least squares hierarchical regression analysis was run for hypotheses testing.

Findings

Three of the four hypothesized relationships were supported. Support was found for the direct relationship between PDC and OID. The moderator race was significant thus also supported. The moderator of dissimilarity was not supported. Finally the three-way interaction with race and dissimilarity was supported.

Practical implications

OID is an important variable for overall organizational success. OID influences a wealth of organizationally relevant outcomes including turnover intentions. Considering higher turnover exists for minority employees, understanding how diversity climate perceptions vary by employee race and therefore impact OID differently, helps managers when making decisions about various initiatives.

Originality/value

This study is the first the authors know of to investigate the impact of dissimilarity on the PDC-OID relationship.
Local tropical forest restoration strategies affect tree recruitment more strongly than does landscape forest cover
Authors: Holl Karen D. , Reid John Leighton , Chaves‐Fallas José Miguel , Oviedo‐Brenes Federico , Zahawi Rakan A.
Published: November 2016

Developing restoration strategies that accelerate natural successional processes and are resource‐efficient is critical to facilitating tropical forest recovery across millions of hectares of deforested lands in the tropics.

We compared tree recruitment after a decade in three restoration treatments (natural regeneration, applied nucleation/island tree planting and plantation) and nearby reference forest in the premontane rain forest zone in southern Costa Rica. The study was replicated at 13 sites with a range of surrounding forest cover, enabling us to evaluate the relative influence of local restoration treatments and landscape forest cover on tree recruitment.

Density of small‐seeded (<5 mm), animal‐dispersed recruits was lower in natural regeneration than in applied nucleation, plantation or reference forest plots. Species richness, species density and density of medium (5–10 mm)‐ and large (>10 mm)‐seeded, animal‐dispersed recruits were greatest in reference forest, intermediate in applied nucleation and plantation and lowest in natural regeneration plots.

Recruit composition differed substantially between reference forest and all restoration treatments. In general, plantation recruit composition was more similar to reference forests and natural regeneration least similar; however, there was high within‐treatment variation.

Models suggested weak support for the effect of surrounding forest cover on tropical tree recruit density and composition, as compared to restoration treatment and site conditions (e.g. elevation), in this intermediate forest cover landscape.

Synthesis and applications. Applied nucleation appears to be a cost‐effective strategy as compared to plantation‐style planting to accelerate tropical forest recovery regardless of the amount of forest cover immediately adjacent to the site. However, even with active restoration interventions, forest recovery is a multidecade process that proceeds at highly variable rates.
Whole of Government: the Solution to Managing Crises?
Authors: Carayannopoulos George
Published: November 2016

The frequency and severity of natural disasters has placed a clear emphasis on the role of governments in responding to these crises. During the past decade, disaster events have had a significant impact on the relevant communities as well as raising questions regarding the role of government and the bureaucratic coordination of planning and response processes. These events have placed a renewed focus on the ability of governments to plan, prepare, and respond in an effective way to crises. They have also tended to indicate that there remain serious challenges to government coordination and that crises create a unique series of challenges for the public sector. At the heart of understanding how governments respond to crises are notions of bureaucratic coordination. It has been suggested that joined‐up or whole of government arrangements may provide an appropriate means in which to approach crisis management. As a result a number of key themes emerge including the nature of crisis management, role of leadership, understanding coordination, impact of organisational culture, and the interactions between individuals and institutions. This paper will consider these issues and provide a review of the relevant literature, to understand the synergies that exist in connected responses to crises.
Writing the patient down and out: the construal of the patient in medical certificates of disability
Authors: Aarseth Guri , Natvig Bård , Engebretsen Eivind , Maagerø Eva , Lie Anne Helene Kveim
Published: November 2016

We analysed a set of medical certificates to investigate howGPs portray patients who seek disability benefits in Norway, focusing on patient centredness, agency and involvement. We performed a qualitative linguistic analysis of 33 medical certificates collected throughout Norway that were strategically selected based on the patients’ sex, age and diagnosis. We found that patients were represented as passive carriers of symptoms, in whom agency was low, failed, conditional or non‐existing, or as passive objects of the actions of impersonalised others. Conversely, symptoms were foregrounded as independent and powerful actors. The patient's experience of illness was sometimes reported, but the perspective of theGPtended to be doctor oriented, rather than patient centred. The policy of the social services, which emphasises patient involvement, patient centredness and work, rather than social benefits, was almost completely absent from these medical certificates. If medical certificates are to be a valid basis for decisions within the social services, we suggest that doctor paternalism in these documents must give way to considering the patient as an involved and co‐responsible individual in the processes of disability assessment.
The Charms of Women and Priests: Sex, Magic, Gender and Public Order in Late Medieval Italy
Authors: Wieben Corinne
Published: November 2016

How did judicial authorities in late medieval Italy understand the relationship between gender, sexuality, social status, magic and public order, especially when magic was used to facilitate the crime of adultery? What might this reveal about the intersection of gender, magic and public order in a place and time so fraught with political and social tensions? This study qualitatively compares four love‐magic trials from fourteenth‐century Lucca and suggests that the anxieties underpinning these trials were both particular to late medieval Italian communes and projected onto two populations, women and priests, whose unchecked sexuality posed the greatest threat to civic order. Historians examining gender in medieval European magic trials have often treated judicial officials’ anxieties as portents of the ‘witch craze’ of early modern Europe. Historians of medieval Lucca have tended to treat the political and gender histories of the city as largely separate. This article suggests that the courts’ increasing regulation of gender and sexuality in late medieval Lucca reflected larger ecclesiastical and communal concerns about the dissolution of civic order. In a world of civic power that increasingly belonged to secular men, the unchecked sexuality of women and clergy represented a dual threat to the stability of the family and, by extension, the city. This article argues that secular and ecclesiastical judicial officials feared not magic itself, but the ability of magic to invert power relations between men and women and between clergy and laity, destroying public order.
Planning in Turbulent Times: Exploring Planners' Agency in Jerusalem
Authors: Rokem Jonathan , Allegra Marco
Published: November 2016

This article explores the role of planning in the deeply divided and politically polarized context of Jerusalem. The overall argument developed throughout the article is that the relation between planning and politics is a non‐hierarchical set of interactions, negotiated within specific historical, geographical, legal and cultural contexts—in other words, orders don't come down from the politicians to be slavishly followed by planners. In this respect our findings, based on in‐depth interviews with Israeli planners, suggest that the case of Jerusalem represents a particularly dramatic illustration of the fact that the function of planning expertise can only be understood in relation to the surrounding socio‐political environment. Furthermore, contrary to conventional wisdom, planners in Jerusalem are not destined to either complicity or irrelevance in the face of political imperatives; planners' agency, however, does not simply reflect their mastery of specific professional knowledge and tools, but also their ability to act strategically in relation to the context in which they operate.
How Social Media Is Changing Crisis Communication Strategies: Evidence from the Updated Literature
Authors: Cheng Yang
Published: November 2016

By incorporating social media strategies into the traditional framework of crisis communication strategies (CCS), this article presents a comprehensive review of the scholarship on CCS within a global context. Through a content analysis of articles published in 11 journals listed in the Social Science Citation Index (SSCI), 73 articles focusing on the social‐mediated crisis management (SMCM) are identified. Findings show that new strategies such as enhancing and transferring from the organizational perspective are added, the stakeholders and their desired strategies are analysed and an asymmetrical CCS pattern from a contextual perspective is proposed within the SMCM research. Results also point out some weaknesses within the current literature. An interactive crisis communication (ICC) model is proposed for future research agenda.
Overall Quality Properties of Kiwifruit Treated by Cinnamaldehyde and Citral: Microbial, Antioxidant Capacity during Cold Storage
Authors: Wang Yuan , Shan Tingting , Yuan Yahong , Yue Tianli
Published: November 2016

This work was undertaken to evaluate the microbiological characteristics and antioxidant and physiological activities in kiwifruits (Actinida deliciosa var. Qinmei) with/without cinnamaldehyde (C1) and citral (C2) fumigation treatments (5 μL/L) during 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12 d of storage at 4 °C. Essential oils (EOs) treatment lowered the total viable counts, yeast, and mold to 1.54, 2.36, and 2.05 log CFU/g, respectively. Moreover, EOs improved the antioxidant activities of kiwifruit. They enhanced phenolics and flavonoids content in fruit tissue by 49.48% at day 3 and 56.93% at day 6, respectively. In addition, ascorbic acid in treated groups had the lower losing rate. Similarly, MDA (malondialdehyde), H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide), and •O2– (superoxide anion) production were effectively decreased in the range of 27.27% to 54.38%. Physicochemical characteristics showed that kiwifruits from treated group maintained higher levels of flesh luminosity and firmness. EOs also decreased the levels of reducing sugar by 45.97% at day 3, and increased the content of soluble protein and hydrolyzed amino acid. Therefore, postharvest EOs treatment has positive effects on delaying senescence and enhancing antioxidant capacities in kiwifruit.
Long‐Lasting Effects of Chronic Intermittent Alcohol Exposure in Adolescent Mice on Object Recognition and Hippocampal Neuronal Activity
Authors: Beaudet Gregory , Valable Samuel , Bourgine Joanna , Lelong‐Boulouard Véronique , Lanfumey Laurence , Freret Thomas , Boulouard Michel , Paizanis Eleni
Published: November 2016

Background

Binge drinking is popular and highly prevalent in teenagers. However, the long‐term cognitive and neurobiological consequences of such practices are not yet fully understood. In this context, we therefore assessed in mice whether a chronic intermittent alcohol (CIA) exposure in adolescence had long‐term consequences on object discrimination and memory performances, emotional behaviors, brain activity, and morphology.

Methods

C57BL/6JRj mice were treated with either saline or ethanol (EtOH) (2 g/kg/d, i.p., from postnatal days [PND] 30 to PND 44 every other day). The day following the last administration or later in adulthood (PND 71) mice were tested for different behavioral tests (novel object recognition, spontaneous alternation, light–dark box, elevated plus‐maze, actimeter test), to assess object recognition, working memory performances, anxiety‐like behavior, and locomotor activity. We also investigated neuronal activation of hippocampus, prefrontal and perirhinal cortices, and anatomical changes using immediate‐early gene expression and longitudinal brain magnetic resonance imaging.

Results

Our results showed that adolescent mice exposed to CIA present a critical and persistent impairment of short‐term object recognition performances. By contrast, spatial working memory was not impaired, nor was anxiety‐like behavior. This altered object discrimination was associated with a biphasic change in neuronal activity in the hippocampus but without morphological changes. Indeed, c‐Fos expression was specifically increased in the dorsal dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus after the binge exposure, but then became significantly lower in adulthood both in the DG and the CA1 part of the hippocampus compared with adult saline pretreated mice.

Conclusions

These findings provide evidence for adolescent vulnerability to the effects of intermittent binge EtOH exposure on object discrimination and hippocampal activity with long‐lasting consequences.