bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Complexity, Dynamism, and Agency: How Can Dialectical Biology Inform Geography?
Authors: Royle Camilla 
Published: May 2017

AbstractDialectical approaches, variously interpreted, have been advocated for by geographers for several decades. At the same time, critical environmental geography has recently become dominated by vital materialist strands of thought, the advocates of which have sometimes framed their own work in opposition to dialectics. Critics perceive two major problems with a dialectical framework; that it cements a nature–society dualism and that it insufficiently accounts for the agency or vitality of non‐human life. This paper seeks to address these criticisms by engaging with work by biologists who have been influenced by dialectical ideas. I outline two examples, Richard Lewontin and Richard Levins’ understanding of the way organism and environment mutually construct each other and research by Ivette Perfecto and John Vandermeer that offers a non‐dualist approach to wildlife conservation in agricultural ecosystems. The article discusses some of the ways in which these understandings might inform contemporary debates in political ecology.
Review article: recent insights into clinical decision‐making in severe alcoholic hepatitis
Authors: Dunne P. D. J. , Forrest E. H. 
Published: May 2017

SummaryBackgroundAlcoholic hepatitis is a severe acute manifestation of alcoholic liver disease with a high mortality. Management of patients with this condition has been a matter of controversy for many years; however, recent clinical studies have sought to improve the clinical approach to these patients.AimTo use these recent studies in order to guide clinical management.MethodsA MeSH search of Medline was performed to specifically identify recent studies which influenced clinical diagnosis, assessment and management of alcoholic hepatitis.ResultsFulfilment of clear clinical criteria including a minimum threshold of bilirubin, defined periods of jaundice and alcohol ingestion negates the need for liver biopsy in most patients. Corticosteroids improve short‐term mortality only (28 day) with other factors such as abstinence likely to be significant in long‐term outcome. Pentoxifylline is not an effective treatment. The Glasgow Alcoholic Hepatitis Score (GAHS) score can identify those patients likely to benefit from corticosteroids, but scores that include the evolution of bilirubin over 1 week of such treatment (such as the Lille Score) define “response”. Underlying infection may contribute towards corticosteroid nonresponse and needs to be actively sought out and treated. Liver transplant remains controversial; however, it has been shown to be feasible in alcoholic hepatitis.ConclusionsRecent studies have helped to define patients who may benefit from corticosteroid treatment. However, there remains a need for more accurate scores of prognosis and treatment response, and a clear need for alternative treatments for those patients not responding to corticosteroid therapy.
Psychological mechanisms and the ups and downs of personal recovery in bipolar disorder
Authors: Dodd Alyson L. , Mezes Barbara , Lobban Fiona , Jones Steven H. 
Published: May 2017

BackgroundPersonal recovery is recognized as an important outcome for individuals with bipolar disorder (BD) and is distinct from symptomatic and functional recovery. Recovery‐focused psychological therapies show promise. As with therapies aiming to delay relapse and improve symptoms, research on the psychological mechanisms underlying recovery is crucial to inform effective recovery‐focused therapy. However, empirical work is limited. This study investigated whether negative beliefs about mood swings and self‐referent appraisals of mood‐related experiences were negatively associated with personal recovery.DesignCross‐sectional online survey.MethodPeople with a verified research diagnosis of BD (n = 87), recruited via relevant voluntary sector organizations and social media, completed online measures. Pearson's correlations and multiple regression analysed associations between appraisals, beliefs, and recovery.ResultsNormalizing appraisals of mood changes were positively associated with personal recovery. Depression, negative self‐appraisals of depression‐relevant experiences, extreme positive and negative appraisals of activated states, and negative beliefs about mood swings had negative relationships with recovery. After controlling for current mood symptoms, negative illness models (relating to how controllable, long‐term, concerning, and treatable mood swings are; β = −.38), being employed (β = .39), and both current (β = −.53) and recent experience of depression (β = .30) predicted recovery.LimitationsDue to the cross‐sectional design, causality cannot be determined. Participants were a convenience sample primarily recruited online. Power was limited by the sample size.ConclusionsInterventions aiming to empower people to feel able to manage mood and catastrophize less about mood swings could facilitate personal recovery in people with BD, which might be achieved in recovery‐focused therapy.Practitioner points

Personal recovery is an important outcome for people living with bipolar disorder

More positive illness models are associated with better personal recovery in bipolar disorder, over and above mood symptoms

Recovery‐focused therapy should focus on developing positive illness models

Recovery‐focused therapy should address personally meaningful goals such as gaining employment
Goal disturbance changes pre/post‐renal transplantation are related to changes in distress
Authors: de Vries Alicia M. , Schulz Torben , Westerhuis Ralf , Navis Gerjan J. , Niesing Jan , Ranchor Adelita V. , Schroevers Maya J. 
Published: May 2017

ObjectiveRenal transplantation (RTx) is considered the treatment of choice for end‐stage renal disease (ESRD) given its association with lower mortality, and improved overall quality of life and psychological functioning compared to dialysis. However, much less is known about which factors underlie these psychological improvements across RTx. Goal theory suggests that experienced disturbances in important goals are related to lower psychological functioning. This study aimed to (1) identify the most disturbed and most important goals for patients before RTx, (2) to examine changes in goal disturbance and goal importance pre/post‐RTx, and (3) to examine whether changes in goal disturbance are associated with changes in psychological distress over time, and whether this relationship is mediated by changes in perceived control.MethodsIn this longitudinal study, 220 patients completed questionnaires before and after RTx, including questionnaires to assess goals (GOALS questionnaire), psychological distress (GHQ‐12), and perceived control (Mastery scale).ResultsEnd‐stage renal disease affected both general and disease‐specific goals. Approximately 30% of the patients indicated to experience high or very high disturbance before transplantation. Goal disturbance generally decreased significantly pre‐ to post‐RTx, whereas goal importance did not change significantly pre‐ to post‐RTx. No mediation effect of perceived control was found. Instead, both changes in goal disturbance and perceived control showed independent effects on changes in distress.ConclusionsIntervention strategies targeting attainable and realistic goal setting, and perceived control in RTx recipients who do not benefit optimally from RTx, might enhance psychological functioning in this population.
Statement of contribution

What is already known on this subject?

Kidney transplantation improves patients’ psychological functioning.

Experienced disturbances in important life goals are related to lower psychological functioning in chronic illness.

What does this study add?

Goal disturbance decreases after renal transplantation, and this is related to a decrease in distress over time.

Perceived control does not mediate the relationship between goal disturbance and distress pre/post‐transplantation.

Changes in perceived control have an additional main effect on changes in distress.
Validation of the Adolescent Drinking Expectancy Questionnaire and development of a short form
Authors: Patton Kiri A. , Connor Jason P. , Rundle‐Thiele Sharyn , Dietrich Timo , Young Ross McD. , Gullo Matthew J. 
Published: May 2017

AbstractAimsThis study aimed to validate the Drinking Expectancy Questionnaire—Adolescent version (DEQ‐A) in a large adolescent sample and to develop and validate a brief measure, the Drinking Expectancy Questionnaire—Shortened Adolescent version (DEQ‐SA).Design and MethodsCross‐sectional survey of secondary school students (n = 2357, aged 13–16, M = 14.66 years, SD = 0.60). Students completed the DEQ‐A in school, and measures of alcohol consumption including the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test—Consumption. The data were randomly split, and Exploratory Factor Analysis was performed using subsample 1, and Confirmatory Factor Analysis and reliability and validity testing were performed using subsample 2.ResultsThe 24‐item DEQ‐A was successfully reduced to 12 items (DEQ‐SA) without compromising psychometric properties. The DEQ‐A and the DEQ‐SA both demonstrated adequate‐to‐good fit to the data and very good internal reliability. The DEQ‐A and DEQ‐SA explained 20 and 18% of the variance in alcohol consumption. Adolescents who drank endorsed more positive alcohol expectancies, whereas alcohol‐naïve adolescents scored higher on negative alcohol expectancies. As the DEQ‐SA comprises two subscales of the DEQ‐A, the endorsement rates are applicable to both scales.Discussion and ConclusionsThe DEQ‐A and the short form of this scale developed in this study (DEQ‐SA) show good reliability, internal structure and account for a large proportion of variance in alcohol consumption. Both scales can assist in targeting cognitive change processes within tailored alcohol prevention and treatment approaches, and investigating hypothesised mechanisms of change. The DEQ‐SA is recommended for more time‐limited environments. [Patton KA, Connor JP, Rundle‐Thiele S, Dietrich T, Young RM, Gullo MJ. Validation of the Adolescent Drinking Expectancy Questionnaire and development of a short form.
Ensemble coding of faces occurs in children and develops dissociably from coding of individual faces
Authors: Rhodes Gillian , Neumann Markus , Ewing Louise , Bank Samantha , Read Ainsley , Engfors Laura M. , Emiechel Rachel , Palermo Romina 
Published: May 2017

AbstractEnsemble coding allows adults to access useful information about average properties of groups, sometimes even in the absence of detailed representations of individual group members. This form of coding may emerge early in development with initial reports of ensemble coding for simple properties (size, numerosity) in young children and even infants. Here we demonstrate that ensemble coding of faces, which provides information about average properties of social groups, is already present in 6–8‐year‐old children. This access to average information increases with age from 6 to 18 years and its development is dissociable from age‐related improvements in the coding of individual face identities. This dissociation provides the first direct evidence that distinct processes underlie ensemble and individual coding of face identity, evidence that has been lacking from adult studies. More generally, our results add to the emerging evidence for impressively mature sensitivity to statistical properties of the visual environment in children. They indicate that children have access to gist information about social groups that may facilitate adaptive social behaviour.
Conceptualizations of fairness and legitimacy in the context of Ethiopian health priority setting: Reflections on the applicability of accountability for reasonableness
Authors: Petricca Kadia , Bekele Asfaw 
Published: May 2017

AbstractA critical element in building stronger health systems involves strengthening good governance to build capacity for transparent and fair health planning and priority setting. Over the past 20 years, the ethical framework Accountability for Reasonableness (A4R) has been a prominent conceptual guide in strengthening fair and legitimate processes of health decision‐making. While many of the principles embedded within the framework are congruent with Western conceptualizations of what constitutes procedural fairness, there is a paucity in the literature that captures the degree of resonance between these principles and the views of decision makers from non‐Western settings; particularly in Africa, where many countries have only recently, within the last 20‐30 years, become more democratic. This paper contributes to the ethics literature by examining how Ethiopian decision makers conceptualize fair and legitimate health decision‐making, and reflects on the degree of conceptual resonance between these views and the principles embedded in A4R. A qualitative case study approach from three districts in Ethiopia was undertaken. Fifty‐eight decision makers from district, regional, zonal, and national levels were interviewed to describe their conceptualization of fairness and legitimacy in the district health planning process. Findings revealed that Ethiopians have a broad conception of fairness and legitimacy that while congruent with procedural justice, also aligned with principles of distributive and organizational justice. Researchers and practitioners seeking to strengthen procedural fairness in health priority setting must therefore recognize the significance of other philosophical dimensions influencing how fairness and legitimacy of health decision‐making are constructed within the Ethiopian setting.
Follow the leader! The peer effect in aid supply decisions
Authors: De Matteis Alessandro 
Published: May 2017

AbstractThis study assesses the existence of imitative behaviour among donors in terms of their aid supply. The urgency in addressing this subject is motivated by an increasing degree of aid volatility and unpredictability which may be linked to this imitative behaviour.Our results highlight that while any connection among donor peers is a potential channel for the transmission of aid volatility, the extent of such volatility decreases significantly in the presence of established imitative behaviour.This result suggests that the promotion of donor imitative behaviour would contribute to containing the current and growing trend of volatility in aid supply.
Actuarial senescence in laboratory and field populations of Lepidoptera
Authors: CARROLL JUSTIN , SHERRATT THOMAS N. 
Published: May 2017

1. Recent observations of actuarial senescence – an increase in mortality rate with age – have challenged the assertion that the brevity of adult insect life spans precludes ageing.2. Here the rate of senescence in 22 species of Lepidoptera was quantified by fitting demographic models to adult survivorship data drawn from a range of field and laboratory studies.3. Senescence was evident in all 22 species investigated, with a model of age‐related mortality consistently fitting the survivorship curves significantly better than an alternative model which assumes constant mortality.4. The rates of senescence varied significantly among species. The rates of senescence also differed significantly between sexes for all species tested, but not in a consistent way.
Host phylogeny and nutrient content drive galler diversity and abundance on willows
Authors: VOLF MARTIN , KADLEC JAN , BUTTERILL PHILIP T. , NOVOTNY VOJTECH 
Published: May 2017

1. Different groups of specialised herbivores often exhibit highly variable responses to host plant traits and phylogeny. Gall‐forming insects and mites on willows are highly adapted to their hosts and represent one of the richest communities of gallers associated with a single genus of host plants.2. The present study evaluated the effects of host plant secondary metabolites (salicylates, flavonoids, condensed tannins), physical traits (trichome density), nutrient content (N:C) and phylogeny on the abundance and richness of gall‐forming arthropods associated with eight willow species and Populus tremula.3. Galler abundance was affected by N:C rather than by willow defensive traits or phylogeny, suggesting that gallers respond differently to host plant traits than to less specialised guilds, such as leaf‐chewing insects. None of the studied defensive traits had a significant effect on gall abundance. Gall morphospecies richness was correlated with the host phylogeny, mainly with the nodes representing the inner division of the willow subgenus Vetrix. This suggests that the radiation of some willow taxa could have been important for the speciation of gallers associated with willows.4. In conclusion, it is shown that whereas willow traits, such as nutrient content, appeared to affect abundances of gallers, it is probably willow radiation that drives galler speciation.
Mind the gap: temporal discrimination and dystonia
Authors: Sadnicka A. , Daum C. , Cordivari C. , Bhatia K. P. , Rothwell J. C. , Manohar S. , Edwards M. J. 
Published: May 2017

Background and purposeOne of the most widely studied perceptual measures of sensory dysfunction in dystonia is the temporal discrimination threshold (TDT) (the shortest interval at which subjects can perceive that there are two stimuli rather than one). However the elevated thresholds described may be due to a number of potential mechanisms as current paradigms test not only temporal discrimination but also extraneous sensory and decision‐making parameters. In this study two paradigms designed to better quantify temporal processing are presented and a decision‐making model is used to assess the influence of decision strategy.Methods22 patients with cervical dystonia and 22 age‐matched controls completed two tasks (i) temporal resolution (a randomized, automated version of existing TDT paradigms) and (ii) interval discrimination (rating the length of two consecutive intervals).ResultsIn the temporal resolution task patients had delayed (P = 0.021) and more variable (P = 0.013) response times but equivalent discrimination thresholds. Modelling these effects suggested this was due to an increased perceptual decision boundary in dystonia with patients requiring greater evidence before committing to decisions (P = 0.020). Patient performance on the interval discrimination task was normal.ConclusionsOur work suggests that previously observed abnormalities in TDT may not be due to a selective sensory deficit of temporal processing as decision‐making itself is abnormal in cervical dystonia.
‘Comment on Saumitou et al. (2017): Elucidation of the genetic architecture of self‐incompatibility in olive: evolutionary consequences and perspectives for orchard management’
Authors: Breton Catherine , Koubouris Georgios , Villemur Pierre , Bervillé André Jean 
Published: May 2017

AbstractThe new self‐incompatibility system (SI) was presented by Saumitou‐Laprade, Vernet, Vekemans et al. (2017). Evolutionary Applications based on 89 crosses between varieties in the olive tree. Four main points are not clear. We are examining here as follows: (i) the assertion that the self‐incompatibility system is sporophytic was not sustained by pollen germination data; (ii) surprisingly, the new model does not explain that about one‐third of pairwise combinations of olive varieties leads to asymmetric fruit setting; (iii) DNA preparation from one seed may contain two embryos, and thus, embryos should be separated before seed extraction; (iv) although effective self‐fertility in olive varieties was reported by many studies, the DSI model fails to explain self‐fertility in some olive varieties. Moreover, we cannot discuss result data, as science cannot be verified because variety names were encoded, this does not allow comparison of data with previous works. The DSI model on olive self‐incompatibility should explain more features than the model based on four dominance levels shared by six S‐alleles. Perspectives for orchard management based on this model may face serious limitations. An olive variety does not have a fifty percent chance of cross‐incompatibility, but surely fewer, and thus, the sporophytic system limits fruit production. Evolutionary perspectives of self‐incompatibility in Oleaceae should include data from the Jasmineae tribe that displays heterostyly SI.
Local anaesthetic techniques for the equine head, towards guided techniques and new applications
Authors: Hermans H. , Veraa S. , Wolschrijn C. F. , van Loon J. P. A. M. 
Published: May 2017

SummaryPerineural nerve blocks are often used in equine practice, especially since the use of diagnostic and surgical procedures in the standing sedated horse have expanded over recent decades. The purpose of this review is to discuss the different perineural nerve blocks for the equine head. The review starts with the currently most used blind approaches as described in textbooks and scientific studies. In human medicine, the role of guided techniques, such as ultrasound guidance, advanced imaging guidance and nerve stimulator guided techniques, is very extensively described. These techniques are promising to use in equine medicine as well. The first studies that describe these techniques in equine cases are also discussed in this review, as well as the possibilities for neuromodulation in equine pain syndromes like equine trigeminus‐mediated headshaking and the role of perineural nerve blocks in diagnosing this syndrome.
Elasmobranch fisheries in the Arabian Seas Region: Characteristics, trade and management
Authors: Jabado Rima W , Spaet Julia L Y 
Published: May 2017

AbstractThe Arabian Seas Region plays an important role in the global landings and trade of sharks and rays. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Yemen, two countries with stark socio‐economic differences, serve as major regional trade hubs for shark and ray products and four countries (Oman, Pakistan, UAE and Yemen) supply nearly 11% of dried fin exports to Hong Kong. Yet, little information is available on the characteristics of this trade and the fisheries contributing to it. Here, we review the fisheries characteristics, trade, utilization and distribution chain of sharks and rays in 15 countries of the Arabian Seas Region based on published and grey literature, landing surveys, field observations and interviews with fishermen and traders. Although regional shark fisheries remain mostly artisanal, reported shark and ray landings represent 28% of the regional total fish production, reaching 56,074 mt in 2012 (7.3% of total world catches), with Iran, Oman, Pakistan and Yemen ranking as the primary catchers. Utilization and distribution patterns are complex, vary between landing sites and countries, and remain unmonitored. Based on widespread over‐exploitation of most teleost fisheries, current exploitation levels for most sharks and rays are potentially unsustainable. The situation is exacerbated by limited research and political will to support policy development, the incomplete nature of fisheries data, as well as insufficient regulations and enforcement. A better understanding of shark and ray fisheries will be key for regulating trade, promoting conservation and developing management initiatives to secure food security, livelihoods and biodiversity conservation in the region.