bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
3D spatial conservation prioritisation: Accounting for depth in marine environments
Authors: Venegas‐Li Rubén , Levin Noam , Possingham Hugh , Kark Salit 
Published: September 2017

AbstractWhile marine environments are three‐dimensional (3D) in nature, current approaches and tools for planning and prioritising actions in the ocean are predominantly two dimensional. Here, we develop a novel 3D marine spatial conservation prioritisation approach, which explicitly accounts for the inherent vertical heterogeneity of the ocean. This enables both vertical and horizontal spatial prioritisation to be performed simultaneously. To our knowledge, this is the first endeavour to develop prioritisation of conservation actions in 3D.We applied the 3D spatial conservation prioritisation approach to the Mediterranean Sea as a case study. We first subdivided the Mediterranean Sea into 3D planning units by assigning them azcoordinate (representing depth). We further partitioned these 3D planning units vertically into three depth layers; this allowed us to quantify biodiversity (1,011 species and 19 geomorphic features) and the cost of conservation actions at different depths. We adapted the prioritisation software Marxan to identify 3D networks of sites where biodiversity conservation targets are achieved for the minimum cost.Using the 3D approach presented here, we identified networks of sites where conservation targets for all biodiversity features were achieved. Importantly, these networks included areas of the ocean where only particular depth layers along the water column were identified as priorities for conservation. The 3D approach also proved to be more cost‐efficient than the traditional 2D approach. Spatial priorities within the networks of sites selected were considerably different when comparing the 2D and 3D approaches.Prioritising in 3D allows conservation and marine spatial planners to target specific threats to specific conservation features, at specific depths in the ocean. This provides a platform to further integrate systematic conservation planning into the wider ongoing and future marine spatial planning and ocean zoning processes.
A call for viewshed ecology: Advancing our understanding of the ecology of information through viewshed analysis
Authors: Aben Job , Pellikka Petri , Travis Justin M. J. 
Published: September 2017

Abstract

There has been rapid increase of interest in the role that information acquisition plays in ecological process and in shaping life histories and their evolution. Compared to auditory and olfactory cues, the range at which visual cues are likely to be informative to animals is particularly sensitive to the spatial structure of the environment. However, quantification of and accounting for availability of visual information in fundamental and applied ecological research remains extremely limited.

We argue that a comprehensive understanding of animal behaviour in a spatial context would greatly benefit from objective quantification of the area an animal can potentially obtain visual information from and therefore draw broad attention to viewshed analysis. This analysis identifies all cells of a gridded surface that are connected by lines‐of‐sight to a viewpoint, hence, providing information on how much of the environment surrounding a location can be seen. Although heavily used in non‐ecological disciplines including civil planning and archaeology, viewshed analysis has seldom been applied in an ecological context.

Here, we highlight the opportunity to make use of viewshed approaches in conjunction with three‐dimensional remote sensing data and data from animal tracking to make major progress in understanding how visual information influences animal spatial behaviour, ecology and evolution.
Low medical morbidity and mortality after acute courses of electroconvulsive therapy in a population‐based sample
Authors: Blumberger D. M. , Seitz D. P. , Herrmann N. , Kirkham J. G. , Ng R. , Reimer C. , Kurdyak P. , Gruneir A. , Rapoport M. J. , Daskalakis Z. J. , Mulsant B. H. , Vigod S. N. 
Published: September 2017

BackgroundTo determine event rates for specific medical events and mortality among individuals receiving electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).MethodPopulation‐based cohort study using health administrative data of acute ECT treatments delivered in Ontario, Canada, from 2003 to 2011. We measured the following medical event rates, per 10 000 ECT treatments, up to 7 and 30 days post‐treatment: stroke, seizure, acute myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, pneumonia, pulmonary embolus, deep vein thrombosis, gastrointestinal bleeding, falls, hip fracture, and mortality.ResultsA total of 135 831 ECT treatments were delivered to 8810 unique patients. Overall medical event rates were 9.1 and 16.8 per 10 000 ECT treatments respectively. The most common medical events were falls (2.7 and 5.5 per 10 000 ECT treatments) and pneumonia (1.8 and 3.8 per 10 000 ECT treatments). Fewer than six deaths occurred on the day of an ECT treatment. This corresponded to a mortality rate of less than 0.4 per 10 000 treatments. Deaths within 7 and 30 days of an ECT treatment, excluding deaths due to external causes (e.g., accidental and intentional causes of death), were 1.0 and 2.4 per 10 000 ECT treatments respectively.ConclusionMorbidity and mortality events after ECT treatments were relatively low, supporting ECT as a low‐risk medical procedure.
Nabilone pharmacotherapy for cannabis dependence: A randomized, controlled pilot study
Authors: Hill Kevin P. , Palastro Matthew D. , Gruber Staci A. , Fitzmaurice Garrett M. , Greenfield Shelly F. , Lukas Scott E. , Weiss Roger D. 
Published: September 2017

Background and ObjectivesWe assessed the safety, tolerability, and preliminary efficacy of nabilone, a cannabinoid agonist, to treat cannabis dependence.MethodsEighteen adults with DSM‐IV cannabis dependence were randomized to receive either 2 mg/day of nabilone (n = 10) or placebo (n = 8) for 10 weeks in addition to medication management. Twelve participants, six in each group, completed treatment. The safety and tolerability of nabilone was assessed at each visit. Any side effects from nabilone or the placebo were documented. Cannabis use outcomes were assessed via self‐report of days of use and twice‐weekly urine cannabinoid tests; secondary outcomes included cannabis craving and anxiety.ResultsWe assessed safety and tolerability at each study visit. A total of eight adverse events, all mild or moderate, were reported in two participants in the nabilone group, and six events were reported in four participants in the placebo group during study treatment. A total of eight adverse events were reported in two participants in the nabilone group and six events were reported in four participants in the placebo group during study treatment. All reported adverse events were rated mild‐to‐moderate. There were no side effects deemed serious enough to be classified as an FDA‐defined serious adverse event. In general, participants in both groups reported reduced cannabis use according to self‐report over the course of the study, although these reductions were not statistically discernible. Moreover, there was no difference in cannabis use between the nabilone group and the placebo group as measured by self‐report.Discussion and ConclusionsNabilone pharmacotherapy was safe and well‐tolerated in participants with cannabis dependence. Future studies might evaluate a higher dose of nabilone to determine its effects on cannabis use outcomes in participants with cannabis dependence.Scientific SignificanceThere remains a clear need for additional pharmacotherapy trials for cannabis dependence, and nabilone remains a candidate for such trials. (Am J Addict 2017;26:795–801)
AllergoOncology: Opposite outcomes of immune tolerance in allergy and cancer
Authors: Jensen‐Jarolim E. , Bax H. J. , Bianchini R. , Crescioli S. , Daniels‐Wells T. R. , Dombrowicz D. , Fiebiger E. , Gould H. J. , Irshad S. , Janda J. , Josephs D. H. , Levi‐Schaffer F. , O′Mahony L. , Pellizzari G. , Penichet M. L. , Redegeld F. , Roth‐Walter F. , Singer J. , Untersmayr E. , Vangelista L. , Karagiannis S. N. 
Published: September 2017

AbstractWhile desired for the cure of allergy, regulatory immune cell subsets and nonclassical Th2‐biased inflammatory mediators in the tumour microenvironment can contribute to immune suppression and escape of tumours from immunological detection and clearance. A key aim in the cancer field is therefore to design interventions that can break immunological tolerance and halt cancer progression, whereas on the contrary allergen immunotherapy exactly aims to induce tolerance. In this position paper, we review insights on immune tolerance derived from allergy and from cancer inflammation, focusing on what is known about the roles of key immune cells and mediators. We propose that research in the field of AllergoOncology that aims to delineate these immunological mechanisms with juxtaposed clinical consequences in allergy and cancer may point to novel avenues for therapeutic interventions that stand to benefit both disciplines.
Neoadjuvant systemic therapy for breast cancer: the Westmead experience
Authors: Cocco Annelise M. , Messer David , Brown Alexander , Sriram Nina , Gilchrist Jenny , Al‐Mansouri Loma , Kefford Richard , Meybodi Farid , French James , Hsu Jeremy , Elder Elisabeth 
Published: September 2017

BackgroundNeoadjuvant systemic therapy (NAST) can be used to treat breast cancer. Pathologic complete response (pCR) is a surrogate marker for improved survival. This study examined response in the breast and axilla to NAST and identified features associated with pCR.MethodsPatients undergoing NAST and surgery between January 2012 and June 2016 by surgeons at Westmead Breast Cancer Institute were identified. Patients with inflammatory or metastatic disease were excluded. Data were analysed to identify factors predictive of pCR.ResultsNinety‐one patients were identified. Mean age was 49 years. Forty‐one patients had axillary metastases identified prior to NAST. Eighty‐three patients received chemotherapy alone, six endocrine therapy alone and two had both. Thirty‐seven patients had mastectomy and 54 had breast‐conserving surgery. The overall breast pCR rate was 29% higher in patients with triple‐negative (50%) or HER2‐positive (39%) disease and lower in luminal disease (11.6%, P = 0.001). Forty percent of node‐positive patients became node negative. The only variable associated with pCR was tumour biology. Patients with HER2‐positive breast cancer were more likely to have axillary pCR than those with luminal cancer (odds ratio: 28, P = 0.00005).ConclusionpCR in either the breast or axilla was most likely to be achieved in patients with HER2‐positive or triple‐negative breast cancers. In patients with luminal cancers, the goal of NAST is best considered to facilitate surgical options rather than obtaining a pCR.
Medium‐term outcomes of fenestrated endovascular repair of juxtarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms
Authors: Shiraev Timothy P. , Kwok Trevor M. Y. , Dubenec Steven R. 
Published: September 2017

BackgroundAbdominal aortic aneurysms pose a substantial clinical burden, and a significant proportion are not anatomically suitable for open repair or standard endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR), instead requiring fenestrated EVAR (fEVAR). We sought to compare clinical outcomes and trends over time in patients undergoing fEVAR in Australia.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective analysis of all patients undergoing fEVAR at a tertiary referral centre between 2010 and 2015, including outcomes and complications, both as inpatients and after discharge.ResultsThirty‐nine patients underwent fEVAR during the study period, with mean age of 75 years and mean aneurysm size of 61 mm. One hundred and thirty‐four target vessels were treated and inhospital mortality was 5% (two patients). There were nine inhospital, eight Type II and one Type III endoleaks. Ten patients suffered acute kidney injury, one of whom required dialysis. Mean follow‐up was 14.5 months (range: 0–46.7). Target vessel patency was 99.2% at follow‐up. There were six Type II endoleaks at follow‐up, and two patients died during the follow‐up period (of non‐aneurysm‐related causes).ConclusionfEVAR is an effective treatment with low morbidity and mortality, and we have demonstrated excellent survival and target vessel patency at a mean follow‐up of 14 months. Endoleak rates were low, despite the high complexity of the aneurysms treated.
Functional outcome of low rectal resection evaluated by anorectal manometry
Authors: Ihnát Peter , Vávra Petr , Prokop Jiří , Pelikán Anton , Ihnát Rudinská Lucia , Penka Igor 
Published: September 2017

BackgroundLow anterior resection syndrome (LARS) covers disordered bowel function after rectal resection, leading to deterioration in patients’ quality of life. The aim of this study was to evaluate anorectal function after laparoscopic low anterior resection (LAR) by means of standardized instruments.MethodsThis was a prospective clinical cohort study conducted in a single institution to assess functional outcome of patients 1 year after laparoscopic LAR by means of LARS score and high‐resolution anorectal manometry.ResultsIn total, 65 patients were enrolled in the study. Mean tumour height was 9.4 ± 1.8 cm; total mesorectal excision during laparoscopic LAR with low end‐to‐end colorectal anastomosis was performed in all patients. One year after the surgery, minor LARS was detected in 33.9% of patients, major LARS in 36.9% of patients. Anorectal manometry revealed decreased resting pressure and normal squeeze pressure of the anal sphincters in the majority of our patients. Rectal compliance and rectal volume tolerability (first sensation, urge to defaecate and discomfort volume) were significantly reduced. The statistical testing of the correlation between LARS and manometry parameters showed that with increasing seriousness of LARS, values of some parameters (resting pressure, first sensation, urge to defaecate, discomfort volume and rectal compliance) were reduced.ConclusionThis study indicates that the majority of patients after laparoscopic LAR experience symptoms of minor or major LARS. These patients have decreased resting anal sphincter pressures, decreased rectal volume tolerability and decreased rectal compliance.
In labor or in limbo? The experiences of women undergoing induction of labor in hospital: Findings of a qualitative study
Authors: Jay Annabel , Thomas Hilary , Brooks Fiona 
Published: September 2017

AbstractBackgroundInduction of labor currently accounts for around 25% of all births in high‐resource countries, yet despite much research into medical aspects, little is known about how women experience this process. This study aimed to explore in depth the induction experience of primiparous women.MethodsA qualitative study was undertaken, using a sample of 21 first‐time mothers from a maternity unit in the south of England. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted in women's homes between 3 and 6 weeks postnatally. Data were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed thematically.ResultsWomen awaiting induction on the prenatal ward appeared to occupy a liminal state between pregnancy and labor. Differences were noted between women's and midwives’ notions of what constituted “being in labor” and the ward lacked the flexibility to provide individualized care for women in early labor. Unexpected delays in the induction process were common and were a source of anxiety, as was separation from partners at night. Women were not always clear about their plan of care, which added to their anxiety.ConclusionsConceptualizing induction as a liminal state may enhance understanding of women's feelings and promote a more woman‐centered approach to care. Thorough preparation for induction, including an explanation of possible delays is fundamental to enabling women to form realistic expectations. Care providers need to consider whether women undergoing induction are receiving adequate support, analgesia, and comfort aids conducive to the promotion of physiological labor and the reduction of anxiety.
The vicious circle of patient–physician mistrust in China: health professionals’ perspectives, institutional conflict of interest, and building trust through medical professionalism
Authors: Nie Jing‐Bao , Cheng Yu , Zou Xiang , Gong Ni , Tucker Joseph D. , Wong Bonnie , Kleinman Arthur 
Published: September 2017

AbstractTo investigate the phenomenon of patient–physician mistrust in China, a qualitative study involving 107 physicians, nurses and health officials in Guangdong Province, southern China, was conducted through semi‐structured interviews and focus groups. In this paper we report the key findings of the empirical study and argue for the essential role of medical professionalism in rebuilding patient‐physician trust. Health professionals are trapped in a vicious circle of mistrust. Mistrust (particularly physicians’ distrust of patients and their relatives) leads to increased levels of fear and self‐protection by doctors which exacerbate difficulties in communication; in turn, this increases physician workloads, adding to a strong sense of injustice and victimization. These factors produce poorer healthcare outcomes and increasingly discontented and angry patients, escalate conflicts and disputes, and result in negative media coverage, all these ultimately contributing to even greater levels of mistrust. The vicious circle indicates not only the crisis of patient‐physician relationship but the crisis of medicine as a profession and institution. Underlying the circle is the inherent conflict of interest in the healthcare system by which health professionals and hospitals have become profit‐driven. This institutional conflict of interest seriously compromises the fundamental principle of medical professionalism—the primacy of patient welfare—as well as the traditional Chinese ideal of “medicine as the art of humanity”. Patient trust can be restored through rectifying this institutional conflict of interest and promoting medical professionalism via a series of recommended practical measures.
Aid and its impact on domestic change: The case of police reforms in Macedonia
Authors: Jusufi Islam 
Published: September 2017

AbstractThis article examines the role that aid from the European Union (EU) has played in leading to change in non‐EUMember States. It particularly explores whether theEU's financial assistance has led to change in Macedonia. The question of police reforms in Macedonia, and of theEU's impact on these, are complex because of the sensitivity of such reforms in terms of the functioning of the country's multi‐ethnic democracy. Using the institutionalism approach, the article argues that the police reforms have indeed been heavily dependent onEUfunding and traces theEU's role in the implementation of police reforms in Macedonia.
Decline in effort capacity with age: Echocardiographic stress analysis in the elderly
Authors: Milman Anat , Keren Gad , Topilsky Yan 
Published: September 2017

BackgroundThe present study was designed to assess the underlying mechanism of decline in effort capacity seen with aging.MethodsWe analyzed 250 healthy senior patients (≥65 years) with an ejection fraction ≥60% who underwent a stress echocardiogram test. The seniors (aged 65–94) were divided into 3 equal age groups (groups 1, 2, and 3), and their echo characteristics at rest and peak exercise (measured and calculated) were compared.ResultsDiastolic function at rest declined significantly (E lateral, E septal, E/E′, A) with age, while other rest parameters were similar. There was a significant reduction in peak cardiac output (CO) associated with age (time × age group interaction; P < .05), which was attributed to the combination an attenuated stroke volume (SV) and heart rate (HR) response. The decline in effort capacity with age was the product of the combined effect of cardiac (reduced LVEDV and HR response) and noncardiac (reduction in arteriovenous difference; P = .02 for interaction) causes.ConclusionThe cardiovascular system undergoes several age‐related changes. Decline in effort capacity is an ongoing process of aging and consists of several changes in the cardiac and noncardiac systems, comprising a decline in CO and its components, specifically the peak exercise LVEDV, peak heart rate, and the ability of the muscles to extract enough oxygen for the necessary effort.
Infant mortality decline in rural and urban Bavaria: fertility, economic transformation, infant care, and inequality in Bavaria and Munich, 1825–1910†
Authors: Brown John C. , Guinnane Timothy W. 
Published: September 2017

AbstractDuring most of the nineteenth century, Bavaria was notorious for infant mortality rates that were among the highest in Europe. After 1870, infant mortality in Bavaria began a sustained decline. This decline, which was impressive in urban areas, was even more dramatic in Bavaria's capital, Munich. From a peak of 40 deaths per 100 births in the 1860s, infant mortality had fallen two‐thirds by 1914. This article examines the causes of infant mortality in rural and urban districts of Bavaria from 1880 to 1910 and in Munich from 1825 up to shortly before the First World War. In rural Bavaria, structural change in agriculture lowered infant mortality, even as stark differences in infant survival driven by income gaps and deficient infant care remained. In urban areas, high fertility was strongly associated with high infant mortality. Individual‐level data from Munich reveal that infant care, fertility, and incomes mattered. Even prior to industrialization, occupational status influenced infant survival. Munich's growth into a leading industrial centre after 1875 apparently widened the gap between rich and poor. Families at the top of the occupational distribution and couples able to acquire real property saw the steepest declines in infant mortality. The poorest one‐third without property saw little improvement.
Modulating vicarious tactile perception with transcranial electrical current stimulation
Authors: Bowling Natalie C. , Banissy Michael J. 
Published: September 2017

AbstractOur capacity to share the experiences of others is a critical part of social behaviour. One process thought to be important for this is vicarious perception. Passively viewing touch activates some of the same network of brain regions as the direct experience of touch. This vicarious experience is usually implicit, but for some people, viewing touch evokes conscious tactile sensations (mirror‐touch synaesthesia). Recent work has attempted to induce conscious vicarious touch in those that do not normally experience these sensations, using transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). Anodal tDCS applied to primary somatosensory cortex (SI) was found to induce behavioural performance akin to mirror‐touch synaesthesia on a visuotactile interference task. Here, we conducted two experiments that sought to replicate and extend these findings by examining: (i) the effects of tDCS and high‐frequency transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) targeted at SI and temporo‐parietal junction (TPJ) on vicarious tactile perception, (ii) the extent to which any stimulation effects were specific to viewing touch to humans vs. inanimate agents and (iii) the influence of visual perspective (viewing touch from one's own vs. another's perspective) on vicarious perception. In Experiment 1, tRNS targeted at SI did not modulate vicarious perception. In Experiment 2, tDCS targeted at SI, but not TPJ, resulted in some modulation of vicarious perception, but there were important caveats to this effect. Implications regarding mechanisms of vicarious perception are discussed. Collectively, the findings do not provide convincing evidence for the potential to modulate vicarious tactile perception with transcranial electrical current stimulation.