bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Patient‐reported outcome measures (PROMs) and maintenance events in 2‐implant‐supported mandibular overdenture patients: A 5‐year prospective study
Authors: Zhang Yuxuan , Chow Luke , Siu Adam , Fokas George , Chow Tak W. , Mattheos Nikos
Published: February 2019

Objective

To prospectively evaluate patient‐reported outcome measures (PROMs) and treatment outcomes of mandibular two‐implant retained overdentures (IOD) in an edentulous geriatric cohort with history of deficient complete dentures (CD).

Materials and Methods

A total of 103 patients with deficient CD received new optimal CD. After a period of 3 months, 80 of the patients voluntarily received IOD. Outcomes collected at pre‐, post‐CD/post‐IOD treatment annually up to 5 years, included (a) Clinical outcomes: denture‐quality (Woelfel's index), complications, and maintenance events, (b) PROMs: patient complaints (maxillary, mandibular functional complaint scores, generic aesthetic complaint scores, frequency, and intensity of complaints) and patient satisfaction, and (c) Maintenance events: technical complications and adverse events.

Results

Five‐year data were collected from 67 patients (mean age at initiation = 71.3 years, mean observation = 5.9 years) with cumulative implant survival rate = 98.72%. Multiple comparisons for 8 time points showed significant improvements in denture quality and PROMs after new CD and IOD delivery. Further significant improvements were only after IOD delivery in: mandibular denture‐quality, mandibular and generic functional complaints, frequency, intensity of complaints, and overall patient satisfaction score. Thereafter, denture‐quality and PROMs remained stable. Maintenance events clustered on 1st year and within a minority of patients. Technical complications and overall maintenance events significantly correlated with overall patient satisfaction score at 1st year.

Conclusions

Mandibular IOD was a beneficial treatment option for seniors with history of deficient CD, improving denture‐quality, patient satisfaction, and reducing patient complaints up to 5 years. Maintenance events clustered on 1st year, showing no significant impact on long‐term patient satisfaction and other PROMs.
Psychological distress among bariatric surgery candidates: The roles of body image and emotional eating
Authors: Geller Shulamit , Levy Sigal , Goldzweig Gil , Hamdan Sami , Manor Anat , Dahan Shiran , Rothschild Eyal , Stukalin Yelena , Abu‐Abeid Subhi
Published: February 2019

The increased risk of psychological distress among bariatric surgery candidates may be attributed, at least in part, to body image dissatisfaction (BID). The aim of the present study was to test the hypotheses that body image could be correlated with the psychological distress variables, and that emotional eating behaviours could mediate the relationship between body image and psychological distress. A sample of consecutive participants seeking bariatric surgery (N = 169, 67% females, mean age, 41.8 years [SD = 11.46], mean body mass index 42.0 kg/m2 [SD = 11.0]) was recruited from a university‐based bariatric centre, a week prior to scheduled surgery. Results showed that BID was positively correlated with suicidality (r = 0.18, P < 0.05), depression (r = 0.39, P < 0.01) and anxiety (r = 0.20, P < 0.05). The relation between BID and depression was partially mediated by emotional eating, whereas the relation between BID and suicidality was fully mediated by emotional eating. Physicians and other health professionals who treat bariatric surgery patients should be encouraged to detect behaviours indicating emotional eating, as these could be an indicator of psychological distress resulting from poor body image.
An Irish National Diabetes in Pregnancy Audit: aiming for best outcomes for women with diabetes
Authors: Egan A. M. , Brassill M. J. , Brosnan E. , Carmody L. , Clarke H. , Coogan Kelly C. , Culliney L. , Durkan M. , Fenlon M. , Ferry P. , Hanlon G. , Higgins T. , Hoashi S. , Khamis A. , Kinsley B. , Kinsley T. , Kirwan B. , Liew A. , McGurk C. , McHugh C. , Murphy M. S. , Murphy P. , O'Halloran D. , O'Mahony L. , O'Sullivan E. , Nolan M. , Peter M. , Roberts G. , Smyth A. , Todd M. , Tuthill A. , Wan Mahmood W. A. , Yousif O. , P Dunne F. ,   the National Diabetes in Pregnancy Audit working group
Published: February 2019

Aims

The purpose of this study was to identify the number of pregnancies affected by pre‐gestational diabetes in the Republic of Ireland; to report on pregnancy outcomes and to identify areas for improvement in care delivery and clinical outcomes.

Methods

Healthcare professionals caring for women with pre‐gestational diabetes during pregnancy were invited to participate in this retrospective study. Data pertaining to 185 pregnancies in women attending 15 antenatal centres nationally were collected and analysed. Included pregnancies had an estimated date of delivery between 1 January and 31 December 2015.

Results

The cohort consisted of 122 (65.9%) women with Type 1 diabetes and 56 (30.3%) women with Type 2 diabetes. The remaining 7 (3.8%) pregnancies were to women with maturity‐onset diabetes of the young (MODY) (n = 6) and post‐transplant diabetes (n = 1). Overall women were poorly prepared for pregnancy and lapses in specific areas of service delivery including pre‐pregnancy care and retinal screening were identified. The majority of pregnancies 156 (84.3%) resulted in a live birth. A total of 103 (65.5%) women had a caesarean delivery and 58 (36.9%) infants were large for gestational age.

Conclusions

This audit identifies clear areas for improvement in delivery of care for women with diabetes in the Republic of Ireland before and during pregnancy.
The effect of the mandibular plane angle on fracture line stability: An ex vivo experimental study
Authors: Ben Said Muhammed , Yildirimturk Senem , Sirin Yigit
Published: February 2019

Background/Aims

Mandibular angle fractures fixated with plate osteosynthesis techniques have to withstand the effects of muscle attachments. Individual variations in the craniofacial morphology may alter the biomechanical resistance of the bone‐plate construct. The aim of the present study was to determine the influence of variations in the mandibular plane angle (MPa) on the biomechanical stability of sheep mandibular angle fractures (MAFs).

Materials and Methods

Sixty sheep hemi‐mandibles were used. The mandibles were positioned on a test jig that simulated low (15°, group L), normal (25°, group N), and high (35°, group H) MPa. Unfavorable MAFs were created with thin diamond cutting disks. One four‐hole, 9.0‐mm‐spacing, standard titanium miniplate of 2.0 mm thickness and 5.0‐mm‐long screws were inserted at the superior border of the alveolar bone in monoplanar orientation. Specimens were then subjected to vertical loads between 10 N and 150 N in a universal testing machine. The displacement values at each 10 N force increment and the load magnitude at which 3.0 mm displacement limit was reached were recorded.

Results

Starting from 40 N, the displacement values at each 10 N increment in the H group were significantly higher than those of the L and N groups until 150 N (P < 0.05). The force magnitude required to reach 3.0 mm of displacement in the H group was significantly lower than that for the L and N groups (P < 0.05 for each).

Conclusions

The one‐miniplate monoplanar fixation technique used in sheep MAF with high MPa is more likely to offer lower biomechanical resistance to the vertical forces applied over the molar region than do the normal and low MPa.
Self‐perceptions and actual employment patterns amongst recent Australian dental graduates
Authors: Penco Rebecca J. , Ngo Hanh T. T. , Farah Camile S.
Published: February 2019

Introduction

With nine dental schools across Australia graduating over 500 dental students each year, in addition to nearly 200 overseas‐qualified dentists entering the workforce, dental students are anecdotally advised that they are joining a profession ubiquitous with workforce oversupply. The aim of this study was to shed light on the employment patterns of recent dental graduates from Australian universities and their self‐perceptions of the job market.

Materials and Methods

This cross‐sectional pilot study involved an online survey conducted in 2017 on recent dental graduates from all Australian dental schools. Graduates’ demographics, their perception of the dental employment prospects, their employment‐related behaviours and employment outcomes, and the relationships between these variables were explored.

Results

Data on seventy‐one survey respondents (approximately 12% of the total sampling frame) were analysed. They suggested that recent Australian dental graduates are seeking work (73.2%) and undertaking work experience (54.9%) prior to graduation, successfully finding employment within the first‐year post‐graduation (97%), yet not always in their perceived ideal workplace environment (42.2%). Relationships between age, perception of market competitiveness and job searching patterns were revealed. Graduates expressed a desire for more workplace mentorship. The small sample size of this study limits the generalisability of the results, indicating that further research is required.

Conclusions

The dental employment landscape appears to have adequate employment opportunities for recent dental graduates, yet not always in their perceived ideal workplace environment. Graduates are seeking more mentorship in the workplace.
Foucault's neoliberal ideology
Authors: Sherman David
Published: February 2019

Foucault's analysis of neoliberalism in The Birth of Biopolitics has had a considerable influence on the way that it is currently regarded. Nevertheless, his analysis is beset by numerous metatheoretical and methodological problems, which cause him to badly frame the phenomenon empirically. One expression of these problems is Foucault's willingness to accept at face value the way that neoliberalism's leading theorists portray it. Yet, over the past 40 years, what neoliberal theorists have said about neoliberalism has sharply deviated from its actual practices, which suggests that neoliberalism is an ideology, but because Foucault rejects the concept of ideology, his framework cannot entertain this possibility. Those who critique neoliberalism on the basis of his analysis, even when in opposition to Foucault's own inclinations, generally start from his uncritical assumptions and therefore often undercut the very purposes for which they put him to use. One such example is Wendy Brown, whose own influential Undoing the Demos demonstrates this inclination.
Dysphagia screening in acute ischaemic stroke
Authors: Al‐Khaled M.
Published: February 2019

Click here to view the accompanying paper in this volume.
Prodrome in relapsing‐remitting and primary progressive multiple sclerosis
Authors: Wijnands J. M. A. , Zhu F. , Kingwell E. , Zhao Y. , Evans C. , Fisk J. D. , Marrie R. A. , Tremlett H.
Published: February 2019

Background and purpose

The multiple sclerosis prodrome remains poorly understood. We aimed to examine the prodrome in people with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis at onset (RMS) and primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS).

Methods

We conducted a matched cohort study using clinical and linked health administrative data in two Canadian provinces. We identified people with RMS, PPMS and age‐ sex‐ and geographically‐matched population controls, and compared the number of physician encounters (total number, per International Classification of Diseases chapter, and per physician speciality) in the five years before symptom onset. Negative binomial regression models were sex, age, socioeconomic status and calendar year adjusted.

Results

We identified 1887 RMS, 171 PPMS cases, and 9837 matched population controls. No difference existed in the total number of encounters in the five years before index between RMS and PPMS, or between the phenotypes and their respective controls. Compared to RMS cases, PPMS cases had more nervous system‐related encounters (adjusted rate ratio, 3.00; 95% confidence interval, 1.06–8.49) and fewer encounters with dermatologists (adjusted rate ratio 0.53; 95% confidence interval, 0.30–0.96).

Conclusion

Findings suggest that people with RMS and PPMS may both experience a prodrome, although aspects may differ.
MAVS polymers smaller than 80 nm induce mitochondrial membrane remodeling and interferon signaling
Authors: Hwang Ming‐Shih , Boulanger Jérôme , Howe Jonathan D. , Albecka Anna , Pasche Mathias , Mureşan Leila , Modis Yorgo
Published: February 2019

Double‐stranded RNA (dsRNA) is a potent proinflammatory signature of viral infection and is sensed primarily by RIG‐I‐like receptors (RLRs). Oligomerization of RLRs following binding to cytosolic dsRNA activates and nucleates self‐assembly of the mitochondrial antiviral‐signaling protein (MAVS). In the current signaling model, the caspase recruitment domains of MAVS form helical fibrils that self‐propagate like prions to promote signaling complex assembly. However, there is no conclusive evidence that MAVS forms fibrils in cells or with the transmembrane anchor present. We show here with super‐resolution light microscopy that MAVS activation by dsRNA induces mitochondrial membrane remodeling. Quantitative image analysis at imaging resolutions as high as 32 nm shows that in the cellular context, MAVS signaling complexes and the fibrils within them are smaller than 80 nm. The transmembrane domain of MAVS is required for its membrane remodeling, interferon signaling, and proapoptotic activities. We conclude that membrane tethering of MAVS restrains its polymerization and contributes to mitochondrial remodeling and apoptosis upon dsRNA sensing.
Consequences of climatic thresholds for projecting fire activity and ecological change
Authors: Young Adam M. , Higuera Philip E. , Abatzoglou John T. , Duffy Paul A. , Hu Feng Sheng
Published: February 2019

Aim

Ecological properties governed by threshold relationships can exhibit heightened sensitivity to climate, creating an inherent source of uncertainty when anticipating future change. We investigated the impact of threshold relationships on our ability to project ecological change outside the observational record (e.g., the 21st century), using the challenge of predicting late‐Holocene fire regimes in boreal forest and tundra ecosystems.

Location

Boreal forest and tundra ecosystems of Alaska.

Time period

850–2100 CE.

Major taxa studied

Not applicable.

Methods

We informed a set of published statistical models, designed to predict the 30‐year probability of fire occurrence based on climatological normals, with downscaled global climate model data for 850–1850 CE. To evaluate model performance outside the observational record and the implications of threshold relationships, we compared modelled estimates with mean fire return intervals estimated from 29 published lake‐sediment palaeofire reconstructions. To place our results in the context of future change, we evaluate changes in the location of threshold to burning under 21st‐century climate projections.

Results

Model–palaeodata comparisons highlight spatially varying accuracy across boreal forest and tundra regions, with variability strongly related to the summer temperature threshold to burning: sites closer to this threshold exhibited larger prediction errors than sites further away from this threshold. Modifying the modern (i.e., 1950–2009) fire–climate relationship also resulted in significant changes in modelled estimates. Under 21st‐century climate projections, increasing proportions of Alaskan tundra and boreal forest will approach and surpass the temperature threshold to burning, with > 50% exceeding this threshold by > 2 °C by 2070–2099.

Main conclusions

Our results highlight a high sensitivity of statistical projections to changing threshold relationships and data uncertainty, implying that projections of future ecosystem change in threshold‐governed ecosystems will be accompanied by notable uncertainty. This work also suggests that ecological responses to climate change will exhibit high spatio‐temporal variability as different regions approach and surpass climatic thresholds over the 21st century.
Surveillance for avian influenza viruses in wild birds at live bird markets, Egypt, 2014‐2016
Authors: Kayed Ahmed S. , Kandeil Ahmed , Gomaa Mokhtar R. , El‐Shesheny Rabeh , Mahmoud Sara , Hegazi Nabil , Fayez Mohamed , Sheta Basma , McKenzie Pamela P. , Webby Richard J. , Kayali Ghazi , Ali Mohamed A.
Published: February 2019

Aim

Egypt is the habitat for a large number of bird species and serves as a vital stopover for millions of migratory birds during their annual migration between the Palearctic and Afrotropical ecozones. Surveillance for avian influenza viruses (AIVs) is critical to assessing risks for potential spreading of these viruses among domestic poultry. Surveillance for AIV among hunted and captured wild birds in Egypt was conducted in order to understand the characteristics of circulating viruses.

Methods

Sampling of wild bird species occurred in two locations along the Mediterranean Coast of Egypt in the period from 2014 to 2016. A total of 1316 samples (cloacal and oropharyngeal swabs) were collected from 20 different species of hunted or captured resident and migratory birds sold at live bird markets. Viruses were propagated then sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis and receptor binding affinities were studied.

Results

Eighteen AIVs (1.37%) were isolated from migratory Anseriformes at live bird markets. Further characterization of the viral isolates identified five hemagglutinin (H3, H5, H7, H9, and H10) and five neuraminidase (N1, N2, N3, N6, and N9) subtypes, which were related to isolates reported in the Eurasian region. Two of the 18 isolates were highly pathogenic H5N1 viruses related to clade 2.2.1, while three isolates were G1‐like H9N2 viruses.

Conclusions

Our data show significant diversity of AIVs in Anserifromes sold at live bird markets in Egypt. This allows for genetic exchanges between imported and enzootic viruses and put the exposed humans at a higher risk of infection.
The amount of keratinized mucosa may not influence peri‐implant health in compliant patients: A retrospective 5‐year analysis
Authors: Lim Hyun‐Chang , Wiedemeier Daniel B. , Hämmerle Christoph H. F. , Thoma Daniel S.
Published: February 2019

Aim

(a) To investigate the influence of the keratinized mucosa (KM) on peri‐implant health or disease and (b) to identify a threshold value for the width of KM for peri‐implant health.

Materials and Methods

The total dataset was subsampled, that is one implant was randomly chosen per patient. In 87 patients, data were extracted at baseline (prosthesis insertion) and 5 years including the width of mid‐buccal KM, bleeding on probing, probing depth, plaque index and marginal bone level (MB). Spearman correlations with Holm adjustment for multiple testing were used for potential associations.

Results

Depending on the definition of peri‐implant diseases, the prevalence of peri‐implantitis ranged from 9.2% (bleeding on probing threshold: <50% or ≥50%) to 24.1% (threshold: absence or the presence). The prevalence of peri‐implant mucositis was similar, irrespective of the definition (54%–55.2%). The width of KM and parameters for peri‐implant diseases demonstrated negligible (Spearman correlation coefficients: −0.2 < ρ < 0.2). No threshold value was detected for the width of mid‐buccal KM in relation to peri‐implant health.

Conclusion

The width of KM around dental implants correlated to a negligible extent with parameters for peri‐implant diseases. No threshold value for the width of KM to maintain peri‐implant health could be identified.
Clinical protocols for adults with acute abdominal pain in Australian emergency departments
Authors: Chong Vivienne , Schultz Timothy J. , Donnelly Frank
Published: February 2019

Rationale, Aims and Objectives

Patients with acute abdominal pain are a common presentation in hospital emergency departments; however, international studies have demonstrated that hospitals often lack clinical protocols to guide care. This study aimed to investigate whether Australian hospital emergency departments have acute abdominal pain clinical protocols, identify hospital‐level predictors of the presence of these clinical protocols, and assess the quality of protocols.

Methods

A survey was sent to all Australian hospitals with emergency departments, collecting data on hospital characteristics and the presence of acute abdominal pain clinical protocols. Participating hospitals (n = 73, 26% response rate) were also asked to provide a copy of these protocols. The quality of these protocols was assessed using Appraisal of Guidelines for REsearch & Evaluation (AGREE) II.

Results

Slightly more than half (n = 40) of the hospitals surveyed had acute abdominal pain clinical protocols, while 16 had a general pain protocol. In binomial logistic regression, two independent variables were related to the presence of a protocol, geographic region (P = 0.008) and advanced practice nurses/nurse practitioners' presence on staff (P = 0.024). The mean score for the overall quality assessment of these protocols was 4.2 on a seven‐point Likert scale; in terms of the six domains of quality, “Clarity of presentation” and “Scope and purpose” were highest. The overall quality of clinical protocols increased with remoteness, χ2 (3) = 8.341, P = 0.039, and was lower in hospitals with medical staff on site (U = 2.5, P = 0.007).

Conclusion

There is a documented standard for pain management of acute abdominal pain in about three quarters of participating Australian emergency departments. The use and quality of clinical protocols is influenced by the physical location of hospitals and staff and skill mix of clinicians.
Identity in bipolar disorder: Self‐worth and achievement
Authors: Ironside Manon L. , Johnson Sheri L. , Carver Charles S.
Published: February 2019

This article considers self and self‐concept in bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder, defined on the basis of manic symptoms, is a highly debilitating psychopathology. It is heavily grounded in biology but symptom course is still very responsive to psychological and social forces in the lives of persons who have the disorder. This review assumes an overall view of the self that is typical of personality psychology: self as traits, self as goals and aspirations, and ongoing efforts to attain those goals. In this review, we will discuss two different facets of self and identity in bipolar disorder. First, we review a body of goal pursuit literature suggesting that persons with bipolar disorder endorse heightened ambitions for attaining goals and recognition from others. Second, we will review multiple findings which suggest that among persons with bipolar disorder, self‐worth depends on measurable success in an extreme way. We will consider how the intersection of these two themes may lead to unique identity challenges for people with bipolar disorder, drawing from self‐report, behavioral, and neuroscience findings to critically examine this viewpoint.
Bee pollen and propolis as dietary supplements for rabbit: Effect on reproductive performance of does and on immunological response of does and their offspring
Authors: Attia Youssef A. , Bovera Fulvia , Abd Elhamid Abd El‐Hamid , Nagadi Sameer A. , Mandour Mohamed A. , Hassan Saber Sh.
Published: February 2019

To evaluate the effect of bee pollen (BP) and/or propolis (Pro) supplementation on rabbit does, 64 nulliparous NZW rabbits does were distributed among eight groups (eight animals/group). One unsupplemented group was the control; the other seven groups were supplemented, respectively, with zinc bacitracin (ZnB) at 100 mg, BP at 150 and 300 mg, Pro at 150 and 300 mg, BP+Pro at 150 and 300 mg of each three times/week, day after day continuously along eight parities. The BP300, Pro300 and BP+Pro150 groups had higher body weight of litter at birth and number of kids born alive. The BP supplementation at 150 mg increased plasma total protein and albumin than the control group. The BP or Pro at 150 mg decreased plasma T3 than the other groups except for BP+Pro150. The ZnB group had significantly greater T3/T4 ratio compared to BP, Pro and BP+Pro at 150 mg. The BP+Pro150 group had less ALT than the control; BP300 and Pro 300 mg resulted in lower plasma AST than the groups Pro150 with or without BP and the control group. The plasma alkaline phosphatase of BP at 150 or 300 mg and BP+Pro150 was significantly greater than that of the Pro150 group. The BP+Pro300 group had higher WBCs than the other groups. In contrast, the lymphocytes were greater in the Pro and BP+Pro300 groups than in BP, Pro and BP+Pro at 150 mg. The groups supplemented with BP and BP+Pro at 150 and 300 mg had significantly greater SRBCs of doe rabbits and their offspring compared to the control and the ZnB group. The BP at 300 mg increased the serum albumin and α1‐globulin than the control group. The Pro300 group had greater serum α2‐globulin and β‐globulin than the control group. The total globulin was significantly greater for the 300 mg propolis‐supplemented groups than the control.
Effective pollinia transfer by settling moths’ legs in an orchid Habenaria aitchisonii
Authors: Xiong Ying‐Ze , Jia Li‐Bing , Liu Chang‐Qiu , Huang Shuang‐Quan
Published: February 2019

A great diversity of flower morphology in orchids has long been thought to be selected by diverse pollinators. Habenaria Willd. (Orchidaceae) species are generally characterized by long nectar spurs and pollinated by long‐tongued insects (Lepidoptera), the mechanical fit between the spur and pollinator proboscis length being supposedly caused by “arms race” reciprocal selection. Here, we report that flowers of Habenaria aitchisonii Rchb. f. with nectar spurs (approximately 9 mm) were pollinated by three species of settling noctuid moths whose proboscises varied in length from 10 to 16 mm. When a settling moth crawled on the spikes and probed the flowers for nectar, pollinia were placed on the moths’ legs rather than on other body parts. Our 5‐year survey of pollinia movement and 3‐year supplemental pollination experiments indicated that fruit and seed production in this orchid were not often pollen‐limited at flower level. In a natural population in Shangri‐La, Southwest China, the proportions of pollinia removal and deposition on stigmas by moth legs were 93.8% and 83.5%, respectively. This finding of efficient pollen transfer by the pollinators’ legs in H. aitchisonii adds a new example of diverse pollinia placement on pollinators (here settling moths) in the Orchidaceae.
Louse flies of Eleonora’s falcons that also feed on their prey are evolutionary dead‐end hosts for blood parasites
Authors: Gangoso Laura , Gutiérrez‐López Rafael , Martínez‐de la Puente Josué , Figuerola Jordi
Published: February 2019

Host shifts are widespread among avian haemosporidians, although the success of transmission depends upon parasite‐host and parasite‐vector compatibility. Insular avifaunas are typically characterized by a low prevalence and diversity of haemosporidians, although the underlying ecological and evolutionary processes remain unclear. We investigated the parasite transmission network in an insular system formed by Eleonora's falcons (the avian host), louse flies that parasitize the falcons (the potential vector), and haemosporidians (the parasites). We found a great diversity of parasites in louse flies (16 Haemoproteus and 6 Plasmodium lineages) that did not match with lineages previously found infecting adult falcons (only one shared lineage). Because Eleonora's falcon feeds on migratory passerines hunted over the ocean, we sampled falcon kills in search of the origin of parasites found in louse flies. Surprisingly, louse flies shared 10 of the 18 different parasite lineages infecting falcon kills. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that all lineages found in louse flies (including five new lineages) corresponded to Haemoproteus and Plasmodium parasites infecting Passeriformes. We found molecular evidence of louse flies feeding on passerines hunted by falcons. The lack of infection in nestlings and the mismatch between the lineages isolated in adult falcons and louse flies suggest that despite louse flies’ contact with a diverse array of parasites, no successful transmission to Eleonora's falcon occurs. This could be due to the falcons’ resistance to infection, the inability of parasites to develop in these phylogenetically distant species, or the inability of haemosporidian lineages to complete their development in louse flies.
Density‐dependent fitness, not dispersal movements, drives temporal variation in spatial genetic structure in dark‐eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis)
Authors: Liebgold Eric B. , Gerlach Nicole M. , Ketterson Ellen D.
Published: February 2019

Some studies have found that dispersal rates and distances increase with density, indicating that density‐dependent dispersal likely affects spatial genetic structure. In an 11‐year mark–recapture study on a passerine, the dark‐eyed junco, we tested whether density affected dispersal distance and/or fine‐scale spatial genetic structure. Contrary to expectations, we found no effect of predispersal density on dispersal distance or the proportion of locally produced juveniles returning to the population from which they hatched. However, even though density did not affect dispersal distance or natal return rates, we found that density still did affect spatial genetic structure. We found significant positive spatial genetic structure at low densities of (postdispersal) adults but not at high densities. In years with high postdispersal (adult) densities that also had high predispersal (juvenile) densities in the previous year, we found negative spatial genetic structure, indicating high levels of dispersal. We found that density also affected fitness of recruits, and fitness of immigrants, potentially linking these population parameters with the spatial genetic structure detected. Immigrants and recruits rarely nested in low postdispersal density years. In contrast, in years with high postdispersal density, recruits were common and immigrants had equal success to local birds, so novel genotypes diluted the gene pool and effectively eliminated positive spatial genetic structure. In relation to fine‐scale spatial genetic structure, fitness of immigrants and new recruits is poorly understood compared to dispersal movements, but we conclude that it can have implications for the spatial distribution of genotypes in populations.
Class II contact‐dependent growth inhibition (CDI) systems allow for broad‐range cross‐species toxin delivery within the Enterobacteriaceae family
Authors: Virtanen Petra , Wäneskog Marcus , Koskiniemi Sanna
Published: February 2019

Contact‐dependent growth inhibition (CDI) allows bacteria to recognize kin cells in mixed bacterial populations. In Escherichia coli, CDI mediated effector delivery has been shown to be species‐specific, with a preference for the own strain over others. This specificity is achieved through an interaction between a receptor‐binding domain in the CdiA protein and its cognate receptor protein on the target cell. But how conserved this specificity is has not previously been investigated in detail. Here, we show that class II CdiA receptor‐binding domains and their Enterobacter cloacae analog are highly promiscuous, and can allow for efficient effector delivery into several different Enterobacteriaceae species, including Escherichia, Enterobacter, Klebsiella and Salmonella spp. In addition, although we observe a preference for the own receptors over others for two of the receptor‐binding domains, this did not limit cross‐species effector delivery in all experimental conditions. These results suggest that class II CdiA proteins could allow for broad‐range and cross‐species growth inhibition in mixed bacterial populations.
Markov Switching Oil Price Uncertainty
Authors: Serletis Apostolos , Xu Libo
Published: February 2019

We investigate whether the United States economy responds negatively to oil price uncertainty and whether oil price shocks exert asymmetric effects on economic activity. In doing so, we relax the assumption in the existing literature that the data are governed by a single process, modifying the Elder and Serletis (2010) bivariate structural GARCH‐in‐Mean VAR to accommodate Markov regime switching in order to account for changing oil price dynamics over the sample period. We find evidence of asymmetries, against those macroeconomic theories that predict symmetries in the relationship between real aggregate economic activity and the real price of oil.
Predation risk and resource abundance mediate foraging behaviour and intraspecific resource partitioning among consumers in dominance hierarchies
Authors: Naman Sean M. , Ueda Rui , Sato Takuya
Published: February 2019

Dominance hierarchies and the resulting unequal resource partitioning among individuals are key mechanisms of population regulation. The strength of dominance hierarchies can be influenced by size‐dependent tradeoffs between foraging and predator avoidance whereby competitively inferior subdominants can access a larger proportion of limiting resources by accepting higher predation risk. Foraging‐predation risk tradeoffs also depend on resource abundance. Yet, few studies have manipulated predation risk and resource abundance simultaneously; consequently, their joint effect on resource partitioning within dominance hierarchies are not well understood. We addressed this gap by measuring behavioural responses of masu salmon Oncorhynchus masou ishikawae to experimental manipulations of predation risk and resource abundance in a natural temperate forest stream. Responses to predation risk depended on body size and social status such that larger fish (often social dominants) exhibited more risk‐averse behaviour (e.g. lower foraging and appearance rates) than smaller subdominants after exposure to a simulated predator. The magnitude of this effect was lower when resources were elevated, indicating that dominant fish accepted a higher predation risk to forage on abundant resources. However, the influence of resource abundance did not extend to the population level, where predation risk altered the distribution of foraging attempts (a proxy for energy intake) from being skewed towards large individuals to being skewed towards small individuals after predator exposure. Our results imply that size‐dependent foraging–predation risk tradeoffs can weaken the strength of dominance hierarchies by allowing competitively inferior subdominants to access resources that would otherwise be monopolized.
The education of nurses working in care homes for older people: An Appreciative Inquiry
Authors: Jack Kirsten , Tetley Josie , Chambers Alison
Published: February 2019

Aim

To explore the education and developmental needs of care home nursing staff.

Background

With an increasing ageing population, the need for high‐quality care provision is set to rise and will require nursing staff with the desired knowledge, skills and values. However, multiple concerns have been identified when considering the development of nurses working in care homes. Moreover, challenges in the care home sector have also contributed to a situation where some nurses view care home work as being of low status and choose this work to fit around other commitments, rather than viewing it as a viable career pathway.

Method

A qualitative approach based on the principles of Appreciative Inquiry. Fifteen participants working in five care homes with nursing, based in England (UK), took part in this study. Data were collected during 2016–2017 and involved managerial, qualified and unqualified staff.

Results

Data analysis revealed three distinct themes: an effective learning environment; the care home as a nursing student placement; and the need for financial investment. These themes were found to have the most influence on the development and education of care home nursing staff.

Conclusion

This research provides important insights into the care home as an educational environment, not only for nursing students but also for those employees already working in such settings. Exploration of the ways in which higher education organisations and care home teams could collaborate more closely could be mutually beneficial to the quality of care and to raising the profile of care home work.

Implications for practice

Care homes can provide a rich learning environment for both staff and nursing students. Collaboration and appreciative ways of working enhance opportunities for developing practice and care.
Improving the Identification of Antigenic Sites in the H1N1 Influenza Virus Through Accounting for the Experimental Structure in a Sparse Hierarchical Bayesian Model
Authors: Davies Vinny , Harvey William T. , Reeve Richard , Husmeier Dirk
Published: February 2019

Understanding how genetic changes allow emerging virus strains to escape the protection afforded by vaccination is vital for the maintenance of effective vaccines. We use structural and phylogenetic differences between pairs of virus strains to identify important antigenic sites on the surface of the influenza A(H1N1) virus through the prediction of haemagglutination inhibition (HI) titre: pairwise measures of the antigenic similarity of virus strains. We propose a sparse hierarchical Bayesian model that can deal with the pairwise structure and inherent experimental variability in the H1N1 data through the introduction of latent variables. The latent variables represent the underlying HI titre measurement of any given pair of virus strains and help to account for the fact that, for any HI titre measurement between the same pair of virus strains, the difference in the viral sequence remains the same. Through accurately representing the structure of the H1N1 data, the model can select virus sites which are antigenic, while its latent structure achieves the computational efficiency that is required to deal with large virus sequence data, as typically available for the influenza virus. In addition to the latent variable model, we also propose a new method, the block-integrated widely applicable information criterion biWAIC, for selecting between competing models. We show how this enables us to select the random effects effectively when used with the model proposed and we apply both methods to an A(H1N1) data set.
Catching aggression from one's peers: A longitudinal and multilevel analysis
Authors: Jung Janis , Busching Robert , Krahé Barbara
Published: February 2019

Exposure to peer aggression is a major risk factor for the development of aggressive behavior in childhood and adolescence. Furthermore, peer aggression has the propensity to spread and affect individuals who were not exposed to the original source of aggression. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate that peer aggression is in many regards similar to a contagious disease. By presenting a program of research based on longitudinal and multilevel studies, we provide evidence for the contagious quality of aggressive behavior, show that individuals vary in their susceptibility to peer aggression, and describe group‐level characteristics that moderate the influence of peer aggression. We discuss mechanisms that may explain how individuals catch aggressive behavior from their peers and how the effects on the development of individuals' aggressive behavior unfold over time. Further, we examine processes that may increase the risk of being exposed to peers' aggressive behavior. We conclude with discussing implications for future studies on the contagious nature of peer aggression.
The determination of total phosphorus improves the accuracy of the bicarbonate extraction as an availability index
Authors: Recena Ramiro , Díaz‐de la Torre Isabel , García‐López Ana M. , Delgado Antonio
Published: February 2019

The efficient use of phosphorus (P) in agriculture should rely on accurate soil P tests (SPT). Organic P contributes to P supply to plants; however, it is not usually taken into account in assessing P fertilizer requirements. We hypothesized that there would be an increased accuracy of bicarbonate extraction as SPT in predicting P uptake by plants if total P (TP) in this soil extract is taken into account. We conducted a soil P depletion experiment with 36 soils involving four consecutive crops in pots. Molybdate‐reactive P (MRP) and total P were determined in extracts centrifuged at 19,000 g (Bic‐MRPC and Bic‐TPC) or not (Bic‐MRP and Bic‐TP). MRP in extracts explained <47% of the variance in the cumulative P uptake, while total P (centrifuged at 19,000 g or not) provided the most accurate estimation of P uptake (59% with Bic‐TP) and threshold values for fertilizer response (R2 = 0.58 with Bic‐TPc). When soils were separated in two groups according to their Ca carbonate equivalent to clay ratio, the variance in the cumulative P uptake explained by Bic‐MRP was above 63%, and that explained by Bic‐TP was above 73%. This separation also enabled more realistic estimation of the threshold values for fertilizer response. It can be concluded that the use of total P instead of MRP in bicarbonate extraction was promising in terms of improving its accuracy in assessing P fertilizer requirements.
Prevention and surveillance of surgical infections: A review
Authors: Burgess Brandy A.
Published: February 2019

Optimal patient care cannot be realized without effectively managing risks related to healthcare‐associated infections (HAI). Among human hospital admissions in the United States in 2002, there were approximately 4.5 HAI per 100 admissions, with surgical site infections (SSI) accounting for an estimated 20%, or approximately 2 SSI per 100 procedures. When considering the occurrence of disease in a population, it is important to remember that disease does not occur randomly in populations. Therefore, when thinking about managing risks associated with the occurrence of SSI, consideration should be given to key factors in disease development (the agent, the host, and the environment), and a multifaceted approach to prevention efforts should be considered, including the identification of high‐risk populations, adherence to aseptic principles, judicious use of antimicrobial drugs, and surveillance targeting SSI to better inform infection control practices within a facility. Although not all HAI are preventable, it is important to focus efforts on the preventable fraction and to take all reasonable precautions to mitigate foreseeable risks.
Field analysis of PSA O2–ozone production process for water recycling
Authors: Watcharasuwanseree Supawat , Phalakornkule Chantaraporn
Published: February 2019

The use of an oxygen generator based on pressure swing adsorption technology (PSA) has been investigated as an alternative method for supplying oxygen for onsite ozone production. During the investigation period of 1040 h, the oxygen purity from the PSA process fluctuated within a range of 90.5–93 O2% (v/v). Using the working ratio of 2.8 mol of O2 to 1 m3 of raw water, the PSA process in series with a corona discharge ozone generator yielded an oxidation–reduction potential of ca. 200 mV and a concentration of 22.8 mg/L dissolved oxygen. The average efficiency of the raw water treatment was as follows: 47% chemical oxygen demand removal, 78% biological oxygen demand removal, 36% sulphide removal and 34% colour removal. The operating cost of the PSA O2 generation was reduced 3 times compared with the cost of high‐pressure oxygen cylinders.
Impact of a Hospital Evidence‐Based Practice Center (EPC) on Nursing Policy and Practice
Authors: Lavenberg Julia G. , Cacchione Pamela Z. , Jayakumar Kishore L. , Leas Brian F. , Mitchell Matthew D. , Mull Nikhil K. , Umscheid Craig A.
Published: February 2019

Background

In 2006, our healthcare system created a hospital Evidence‐based Practice Center (EPC) to support the local delivery of high‐quality, safe and high value patient care. Since then, the importance of healthcare staff work life has also been highlighted, and together these four elements form the Quadruple Aim framework. Synergistic to this Aim, the Magnet® program promotes and recognizes organizational nursing excellence.

Objective

To examine the EPC's work to inform nursing policy and practice in support of the goals of the Quadruple Aim framework and Magnet® designation.

Methods

Methods used included the following: (1) descriptive analysis of the hospital EPC's database of rapid reviews; and (2) administration of a 40‐item electronic questionnaire to nurses who requested an EPC review during fiscal years (FY) 2015 and 2016.

Results

Of 308 rapid reviews completed in the EPC's first 10 years, 59 (19%) addressed nursing topics. The proportion of reviews relevant to nursing increased from 5% (2/39) in the center's first 2 years to 44% (25/60) in FY 2015–2016. The majority of nursing reviews (39/59) examined processes of care. Of 23 nurses eligible to participate in the survey, 21 responded (91%). Nurses with administrative or managerial responsibilities requested 70% of reviews; clinical nurse specialists and bedside nurses requested 17% and 9%, respectively. Reviews were used to support clinical program development (48%), provide clinical guidance (33%), update nursing policies or procedures (24%) and develop training and curricula (24%). Nurses were satisfied with the hospital EPC reviews (mean; 4.7/5), and 95% indicated they were likely to request a future review.

Linking Evidence to Action

A dedicated hospital EPC in partnership with nursing offers a unique mechanism for promoting a culture of evidence‐based practice. Nurses at all organizational levels use the services of a hospital EPC to inform nursing policy and practice and are highly satisfied with the process, supporting the Quadruple Aim and Magnet® designation.
Fractional Hermite-Hadamard type inequalities for functions whose derivatives are extended s-(?,m)-preinvex
Authors: Meftah Badreddine , Souahi Abdourazek
Published: February 2019

In this paper, we introduce the class of extended s-(alpha,m)-preinvex functions. We establish a new fractional integral identity and derive some new fractional Hermite-Hadamard type inequalities for functions whose derivatives are in this novel class of function.