bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Identifying language impairment in bilingual children in France and in Germany
Authors: Tuller Laurice , Hamann Cornelia , Chilla Solveig , Ferré Sandrine , Morin Eléonore , Prevost Philippe , dos Santos Christophe , Abed Ibrahim Lina , Zebib Racha 
Published: May 2018

AbstractBackgroundThe detection of specific language impairment (SLI) in children growing up bilingually presents particular challenges for clinicians. Non‐word repetition (NWR) and sentence repetition (SR) tasks have proven to be the most accurate diagnostic tools for monolingual populations, raising the question of the extent of their usefulness in different bilingual populations.AimsTo determine the diagnostic accuracy of NWR and SR tasks that incorporate phonological/syntactic complexity as discussed in recent linguistic theory. The tasks were developed as part of the Language Impairment Testing in Multilingual Settings (LITMUS) toolkit, in two different national settings, France and Germany, and investigated children with three different home languages: Arabic, Portuguese and Turkish.Methods & ProceduresNWR and SR tasks developed in parallel were administered to 151 bilingual children, aged 5;6–8;11, in France and in Germany, to 64 children in speech–language therapy (SLT) and to 87 children not in SLT, whose first language (L1) was Arabic, Portuguese or Turkish. Children were also administered standardized language tests in each of their languages to determine likely clinical status (typical development (TD) or SLI), and parents responded to a questionnaire including questions about early and current language use (bilingualism factors) and early language development (risk factors for SLI). Monolingual controls included 47 TD children and 29 children with SLI. Results were subjected to inter‐group comparisons, to diagnostic accuracy calculation, and to correlation and multiple regression analyses.Outcomes & ResultsIn accordance with previous studies, NWR and SR identified SLI in the monolingual children, yielding good to excellent diagnostic accuracy. Diagnostic accuracy in bilingual children was fair to good, generally distinguishing children likely to have SLI from children likely to have TD. Accuracy was necessarily linked to the determination of clinical status, which was based on standardized assessment in each of the child's languages. Positive early development, a composite risk factor for SLI, and not variables related to language exposure and use, generally emerged as the strongest predictor of performance on the two tasks, constituting additional, independent support for the efficacy of NWR and SR in identifying impairment in bilingual children.Conclusions & ImplicationsNWR and SR tasks informed by linguistic theory are appropriate for use as part of the diagnostic process for identifying language impairment in bilingual children for whom the language of assessment is different from the home language, in diverse sociolinguistic contexts.
Variation in electrode redox potential selects for different microorganisms under cathodic current flow from electrodes in marine sediments
Authors: Lam Bonita R. , Rowe Annette R. , Nealson Kenneth H. 
Published: May 2018

SummaryExtracellular electron transport (EET) is a microbial process that allows microorganisms to transport electrons to and from insoluble substrates outside of the cell. Although progress has been made in understanding how microbes transfer electrons to insoluble substrates, the process of receiving electrons has largely remained unexplored. We investigated redox potentials favourable for donating electrons to dissolved and insoluble components in Catalina Harbor marine sediment by combining electrochemical techniques with geochemistry and molecular methods. Working electrodes buried in sediment microcosms were poised at seven redox potentials between −300 and −750 mV versus Ag/AgCl using a three‐electrode system. In electrode biofilms recovered after 2‐month incubations, overall community diversity increased with more negative redox potentials. Abundances of known EET‐capable groups (e.g., Alteromonadales and Desulfuromonadales) varied with redox potential. Motility and chemotaxis genes were found in greater abundance in electrode communities, suggesting a possible selective advantage of these pathways for colonization and utilization of the electrode. Our enrichments demonstrated the validity of this approach in capturing groups known, as well as novel groups (e.g., Campylobacterales) that perform EET. The diverse nature of the enriched cathode communities suggest that insoluble substrate oxidation may be a critical, although poorly described microbial metabolic process in marine sediment.
Expressed exome capture sequencing: A method for cost‐effective exome sequencing for all organisms
Authors: Puritz Jonathan B. , Lotterhos Katie E. 
Published: May 2018

AbstractExome capture is an effective tool for surveying the genome for loci under selection. However, traditional methods require annotated genomic resources. Here, we present a method for creating cDNA probes from expressed mRNA, which are then used to enrich and capture genomic DNA for exon regions. This approach, called “EecSeq,” eliminates the need for costly probe design and synthesis. We tested EecSeq in the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, using a controlled exposure experiment. Four adult oysters were heat shocked at 36°C for 1 hr along with four control oysters kept at 14°C. Stranded mRNA libraries were prepared for two individuals from each treatment and pooled. Half of the combined library was used for probe synthesis, and half was sequenced to evaluate capture efficiency. Genomic DNA was extracted from all individuals, enriched via captured probes, and sequenced directly. We found that EecSeq had an average capture sensitivity of 86.8% across all known exons and had over 99.4% sensitivity for exons with detectable levels of expression in the mRNA library. For all mapped reads, over 47.9% mapped to exons and 37.0% mapped to expressed targets, which is similar to previously published exon capture studies. EecSeq displayed relatively even coverage within exons (i.e., minor “edge effects”) and even coverage across exon GC content. We discovered 5,951 SNPs with a minimum average coverage of 80×, with 3,508 SNPs appearing in exonic regions. We show that EecSeq provides comparable, if not superior, specificity and capture efficiency compared to costly, traditional methods.
Benefits and challenges of maintaining national plant pest lists: an analysis of agricultural pests in Bhutan
Authors: van Klinken R.D. , Dorji S. , Om N. , Thinlay  , Loday P. , Zangpo T. 
Published: May 2018

AbstractDeveloping and maintaining national plant pest lists helps fulfil international obligations for trading countries, and also provides a foundation for national biosecurity systems. However, if done, lists and analyses are rarely made publically available. We compiled a national plant pest list for Bhutan, a relatively small but agriculturally diverse country for which plant protection is a recent discipline. We treated this pest list as a case study to test the benefits and challenges of maintaining such lists. Six hundred and forty‐five pest species were recorded across 64 different crops. Of those, only 17.0% were listed for Bhutan in the widely used CABI Crop Protection Compendium. Most species (86.4%) were first recorded during the initial discovery phase (1985–88) of a long‐running European Community funded aid programme. Regular taxonomic changes means keeping pest lists up to date requires both effort and expertise (27.0% of the 407 species identified by 1988 have since undergone name changes). Confidence in taxonomic identifications reduced drastically as access to international expertise decreased, from about 69.1% of species being identified with high confidence prior to 1988 to 8.1% afterwards. Many recent records lacked reference material, and voucher specimens for older material are mostly located internationally, making any revision challenging. Of the best represented taxa, greatest taxonomic uncertainty was for nematodes and viruses. Similar patterns were evident for the 112 damaging pest species, defined as those that at least occasionally and locally cause significant losses or require management actions within Bhutan. Of the damaging pests identified to species, all but one was also recorded in India, Bhutan's most important trading partner, and only 16 were restricted to Asia. New damaging pests continue to be recorded, but only five species may represent new incursions since 1988. National pest lists are critical, but to be of greatest value they need to capture taxonomic uncertainty, and focus on pests of greatest significance. For most countries, the development, maintenance and use of a national plant pest list will require ongoing regional and global cooperation to overcome taxonomic impediments, and to maximise the benefits of such lists in terms of facilitating trade and guiding domestic biosecurity activities.
Change in Mallampati class during labor: Hypertensive versus normotensive parturients
Authors: Raza D. , Ismail S. 
Published: May 2018

BackgroundMallampati class has been shown to increase during labor. There are no prospective studies evaluating airway changes in hypertensive parturients during labor. The aim of our study was to observe the frequency of change in Mallampati class during labor in hypertensive compared to normotensive parturients.MethodsIn this prospective observational cohort study, 60 parturients were enrolled and divided into two groups of 30 each: hypertensive parturients and normotensive parturients. The Mallampati class was evaluated in each parturient at two points; during early labor (cervical dilation 1‐3 cm and regular contractions) taken as T1 and at 20 minutes after delivery taken as T2. The change in Mallampati class from T1 to T2 was compared between the two groups. Post‐stratification chi‐square test was applied and P value <.05 was considered as significant.ResultsThe change in Mallampati class was significantly more frequent in hypertensive group as compared to normotensive group [80% (24/30) vs 46.7% (14/30); P = .002]. Overall, an increase in Mallampati class during labor was found with statistically significant difference between the hypertensive and normotensive group [80% (24/30) vs 42.9% (12/28); P = .004]. The risk of increase in Mallampati class was 2 times higher in hypertensive women as compared to normotensive 2.44; 95% CI: 1.19 to 5.02].ConclusionMallampati class showed 2‐fold increase in hypertensive compared to normotensive parturients during labor; requiring additional caution during airway management.
People with dementia getting lost in Australia: Dementia‐related missing person reports in the media
Authors: MacAndrew Margaret , Schnitker Linda , Shepherd Nicole , Beattie Elizabeth 
Published: May 2018

ObjectiveThis study aimed to understand the circumstances in which people with dementia become lost, and the outcomes of these incidents.MethodsA search was conducted of news articles published in Australia between 2011 and 2015 reporting a missing person with a diagnosis of dementia.ResultsOver the five‐year period, 130 missing person cases were reported. The average age of the missing person was 75 years with more men (74%) than women reported missing. Most missing persons travelled on foot (62%) and were last seen at home (66%). The newspaper reports described 92 (71%) of the individuals being found. Of these, 60% were found well, 20% were found injured, and 20% were deceased.ConclusionsPeople with dementia are at risk of becoming lost from their homes or health‐care settings, and this can have catastrophic outcomes. Care strategies need to focus on promoting autonomy while ensuring adverse outcomes are minimised.
Incidence, trends and severity of primary postpartum haemorrhage in Australia: A population‐based study using Victorian Perinatal Data Collection data for 764 244 births
Authors: Flood Margaret , McDonald Susan J. , Pollock Wendy , Cullinane Fiona , Davey Mary‐Ann 
Published: May 2018

BackgroundIncreasing incidence and severity of postpartum haemorrhage, together with postpartum haemorrhage‐associated morbidities, have been reported in many high‐resource countries. In‐depth analysis of such factors in Victorian births since 2002 was lacking.AimsOur aim was to determine the incidence and trends for primary postpartum haemorrhage (World Health Organization and International Classification of Diseases 10th revision, Australian Modification definitions) for all confinements in Victoria, Australia, for the years 2003–2013 and the incidence and trends for severe postpartum haemorrhage (≥1500 mL) for 2009–2013.Materials and methodsIn this population‐based cross‐sectional study de‐identified data from the Victorian Perinatal Data Collection were analysed for confinements (excluding terminations) from 2003 to 2013 (n = 764 244). Perinatal information for all births ≥20 weeks (or of at least 400 g birthweight if gestation was unknown) were prospectively collected.ResultsOne in five women (21.8%) who gave birth between 2009 and 2013 experienced a primary postpartum haemorrhage and one in 71 women (1.4%) experienced a severe primary postpartum haemorrhage. The increasing trends in incidence of primary postpartum haemorrhage, severe primary postpartum haemorrhage, blood transfusion, admission to an intensive care or high dependency unit and peripartum hysterectomy were significant (P < 0.001). Women who had an unassisted vaginal birth had the lowest incidence of primary postpartum haemorrhage. The highest incidence was experienced by women who had an unplanned caesarean section birth. Women who had a forceps birth had the highest incidence of severe primary postpartum haemorrhage.ConclusionsThe incidence of primary postpartum haemorrhage, severe primary postpartum haemorrhage and associated maternal morbidities have increased significantly over time in Victoria.
Development of a new analgesic index using nasal photoplethysmography
Authors: Choi B. M. , Park C. , Lee Y. H. , Shin H. , Lee S. H. , Jeong S. , Noh G. J. , Lee B. 
Published: May 2018

SummaryAlthough surrogate measures to quantify pain intensity have been commercialised, there is a need to develop a new index with improved accuracy. The aim of this study was to develop a new analgesic index using nasal photoplethysmography data. The specially designed sensor was placed between the columella and the nasal septum to acquire nasal photoplethysmography in surgical patients. Nasal photoplethysmography and Surgical Pleth Index® (GE Healthcare) data were obtained for 14 min both in the absence (pre‐operatively) or presence (postoperatively) of pain in a group of surgical patients, each patient acting as their own control. Various dynamic photoplethysmography variables were extracted to quantify pain intensity; the most accurate index was selected using logistic regression as a classifier. The area under the curve of the receiver‐operating characteristic curve was measured to evaluate the accuracy of final model predictions. In total, 12,012 heart beats from 89 patients were used to develop a new Nasal Photoplethysmography Index for analgesic depth quantification. The two‐variable model (a combination of diastolic peak point variation and heart beat interval variation) was most accurate in discriminating between the presence and absence of pain (numerical rating scale (NRS) ≥ 3). The accuracy and area under the curve of the receiver‐operating characteristic curve for the Nasal Photoplethysmography Index were 75.3% and 0.8018, respectively, and 64.8% and 0.7034, respectively, for the Surgical Pleth Index. The Nasal Photoplethysmography Index clearly distinguished pain (NRS ≥ 3) in awake surgical patients with postoperative pain. The Nasal Photoplethysmography Index performed better than the Surgical Pleth Index. Further validation studies are needed to evaluate its feasibility to quantify pain intensity during general anaesthesia.
A dual role of miR‐22 in rhabdomyolysis‐induced acute kidney injury
Authors: Mathia S. , Rudigier L. J. , Kasim M. , Kirschner K. M. , Persson P. B. , Eckardt K.‐U. , Rosenberger C. , Fähling M. 
Published: May 2018

AbstractAimIn acute kidney injury (AKI), regions of the kidney are hypoxic. However, for reasons yet unknown, adaptation to hypoxia through hypoxia‐inducible factor (HIF) is limited. Here, we studied miR‐22, a potential HIF repressor, in normal kidneys, as well as in rhabdomyolysis‐induced AKI, a condition where miR‐22 is up‐regulated.MethodsAKI in mice was provoked by IM injection of glycerol. Tissue homogenates were processed to determine the levels of candidate RNAs and proteins, as well as global gene expression profiles. Reporter assays quantified in vitro miR‐22 activity and its modulation by mimic or inhibitor molecules, under normoxia or hypoxia (1% O2) respectively. In vivo, anti–miR‐22 molecules were applied to normal mice or prior to induction of AKI. Renal outcome was assessed by measuring plasma creatinine, plasma urea and the levels of the injury markers Kim‐1 and Ngal.ResultsRenal miR‐22 is inducible by hypoxia and represses hypoxia‐inducible factor (HIF). Specific inhibition of miR‐22 regulates 1913 gene transcripts in kidneys controls and 3386 in AKI, many of which are involved in development or carcinogenesis. Specific inhibition of miR‐22 up‐regulates tissue protective HIF target genes, yet renal function and injury markers are unchanged or worsened.ConclusionsmiR‐22 is a HIF repressor constitutively expressed in the adult kidney and up‐regulated in AKI. Specific inhibition of miR‐22 is efficient in vivo and profoundly affects renal gene expression in health and disease, including up‐regulation of HIF. However, the net effect on rhabdomyolysis‐induced AKI outcome is neutral or even negative.
Community Asset Valuations by Non‐profit Government Entities
Authors: Czernkowski Robert , Lim Stephen 
Published: May 2018

AbstractThis paper examines an implication of applying International Financial Reporting Standards to the government sector in Australia. We posit both a self‐interest and a transparency motivation for local governments effecting revaluations of both infrastructure assets and community land. The self‐interest motivation was expected to manifest as a relationship between the amount of revaluation and CEO (or management team) remuneration. The transparency motivation was expected to result in a relationship between revaluation and the extent of spending on these assets, measured as both the quantum of materials and contracts expense, and as the quantum of contracts awarded by the entity above the disclosure threshold. We also speculated that revaluations may be used to signal to state governments a need for additional funds through capital and/or operating grants. At conventional levels of significance, we find no support for these relationships, suggesting that agency motivations at the local government level are either more subtle or non‐existent. As local government authorities in our study follow a reporting framework and standardised accounting procedures prescribed by the state government (in compliance with applicable AASB/IFRS standards), financial and public accountabilities are also likely to be a driver for the valuation of local infrastructure assets at fair value, and this is not likely to be undermined by the opportunistic incentives we have considered.
Non‐audit Services and Auditor Independence Depending on Client Performance
Authors: Kang Sun Min , Hwang In Tae , Hur Kang Sung 
Published: May 2018

AbstractWe posit that the effect of non‐audit fees on auditor independence in Korea is based on audit client performance. Further, we suggest that an audit client with low performance has an incentive to purchase non‐audit services (NAS) from an incumbent auditor to facilitate earnings management and steer accounting practices in a preferred direction. We find evidence that as non‐audit fees in Korea increase, auditor independence is reduced only for low‐performing audit clients. Thus, unconditional prohibition of NAS seems unnecessary. Regulators and policymakers should examine the motivation for purchasing NAS, particularly among audit clients with poor performance.
Predicting Private Company Failures in Italy Using Financial and Non‐financial Information
Authors: Wang Timothy 
Published: May 2018

AbstractThe study assesses the use of non‐financial information in predicting financial distress in private companies by developing credit risk models tailored to Italian private companies. The in‐sample and out‐of‐sample prediction test results are indicative of the incremental predictive ability of the two new non‐financial variables, that is, number of shareholders and number of subsidiaries, over accounting ratios and other widely used non‐financial information, including firm age and industry dummies. To be more specific, number of shareholders and number of subsidiaries are negatively associated with private company failures, and the models augmented by the two non‐financial variables improve forecasting performance from acceptable discrimination to excellent discrimination over one‐ to three‐year time horizons.
The impact of epidural analgesia on the duration of the second stage of labor
Authors: Shmueli Anat , Salman Lina , Orbach‐Zinger Sharon , Aviram Amir , Hiersch Liran , Chen Rony , Gabbay‐Benziv Rinat 
Published: May 2018

AbstractBackgroundWe aimed to describe the length of second stage of labor in a contemporary cohort. We calculated the 5th, 50th, and 95th percentiles for second‐stage length stratified by parity and epidural analgesia use and evaluated the effect of labor induction and oxytocin augmentation in our cohort.MethodsWe did a retrospective analysis of all live, singleton, term vaginal deliveries in one tertiary hospital. Multivariate linear regression was used to evaluate second‐stage duration confounders. First, we calculated the second‐stage length and presented it as 5th, 50th, and 95th percentiles stratified by epidural analgesia and parity. Second, we evaluated the effect of labor induction and oxytocin augmentation on second‐stage length, and third, we determined the demographic and obstetrical confounders that affected second‐stage length.ResultsOverall, 15 500 deliveries were included. Nulliparity, oxytocin augmentation, epidural use, birthweight, labor induction, lower body mass index, and higher maternal age were found to be significantly associated with prolongation of the second stage. Epidural use was associated with an additional 82 minutes for the 95th percentile for both nulliparas and multiparas and tripled the rate of prolonged second stage for the entire cohort. Labor induction was associated with clinically significant prolongation of the second stage in nulliparas with epidural analgesia only. Oxytocin was associated with longer duration of the second stage for nulliparas, regardless of epidural use.DiscussionOur findings suggest a significant prolongation of the second stage in women receiving epidural analgesia. Recommendations for management of second stage should be reconsidered by contemporary data.