bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cultural competence and social relationships: a social network analysis
Authors: Dauvrin M. , Lorant V. 
Published: November 2016

AimThis study investigated the role of social relationships in the sharing of cultural competence by testing two hypotheses: cultural competence is a socially shared behaviour; and central healthcare professionals are more culturally competent than non‐central healthcare professionals.BackgroundSustaining cultural competence in healthcare services relies on the assumption that being culturally competent is a socially shared behaviour among health professionals. This assumption has never been tested.IntroductionOrganizational aspects surrounding cultural competence are poorly considered. This therefore leads to a heterogeneous implementation of cultural competence – especially in continental Europe.MethodsWe carried out a social network analysis in 24 Belgian inpatient and outpatient health services. All healthcare professionals (ego) were requested to fill in a questionnaire (Survey on social relationships of health care professionals) on their level of cultural competence and to identify their professional relationships (alter). We fitted regression models to assess whether (1) at the dyadic level, ego cultural competence was associated with alter cultural competence, and (2) health professionals of greater centrality had greater cultural competence.ResultsAt the dyadic level, no significant associations were found between ego cultural competence and alter cultural competence, with the exception of subjective exposure to intercultural situations. No significant associations were found between centrality and cultural competence, except for subjective exposure to intercultural situations.DiscussionBeing culturally competent is not a shared behaviour among health professionals. The most central healthcare professionals are not more culturally competent than less central health professionals.Conclusions and implications for health policiesCulturally competent health care is not yet a norm in health services. Health care and training authorities should either make cultural competent health care a licensing criteria or reward culturally competent health care.
Seed Shattering of Cañahua (Chenopodium pallidicaule Aellen)
Authors: Rodríguez J. P. , Aro M. , Coarite M. , Jacobsen S.‐E. , Ørting B. , Sørensen M. , Andreasen C. 
Published: November 2016

AbstractCañahua (Chenopodium pallidicaule Aellen) is a semi‐domesticated relative of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) with high nutritious quality. It is tolerant to frost, drought, saline soils and pests. One seed yield limitation is seed loss during the maturity stages. Two greenhouse experiments in Denmark and field experiments in Bolivia were carried out to determine seed shattering in landraces and cultivars with different growth habits. 15–21 % of the seed shattering in the fields took place whilst the plants still were flowering and 25–35 % during physiological maturity. Seed shattering varied between locations on the Bolivian Altiplano. Cañahua types with the semi‐prostrate growth (‘lasta’) had the highest seed shattering rate in the greenhouse experiments. The Umacutama landrace had lower seed shattering (1 %) than the cultivar Kullaca (7.2 %) both of the ‘lasta’ type. Under field conditions, the cultivar Illimani with the erect growth (‘saihua’) had the highest seed shattering rate (6.4–33.7 %) at both locations and at four different sowing dates. The Umacutama had the lowest rate (0.5–1.5 %). There were no significant differences between plants of the ‘lasta’ and the ‘saihua’ types. The landrace had significantly less seed loss than the cultivars. However, in the greenhouse, the landrace yield was approximately 25 % lower than the yields of the cultivars. In general, cañahua cultivars had higher yield compared to landraces, but also a higher seed shattering rate. Landraces may be used in breeding programmes to develop high‐yielding cultivars with reduced seed shattering.
Evaluation of the outcomes of care of nurse‐led continence care clinics for Chinese patients with lower urinary tract symptoms, a 2‐year prospective longitudinal study
Authors: Chin Weng Yee , Choi Edmond P.H. , Wan Eric Y.F. , Chan Anca K.C. , Chan Karina H.Y. , Lam Cindy L.K. 
Published: November 2016

AbstractAimThe aim of this study was to evaluate the 24‐month outcomes of a nurse‐led continence care service for Chinese primary care patients with lower urinary tract symptoms.BackgroundMost studies evaluating the outcomes of continence care services have had short follow‐up durations with limited knowledge on whether benefits are sustained beyond 12 months.DesignTwenty‐four month cohort study.MethodsTwo comparison groups were recruited: (1) Patients with lower urinary tract symptoms attending a nurse‐led community‐based continence care programme; (2) Primary care patients with lower urinary tract symptoms identified by screening, receiving usual medical care. Self‐reported symptom severity, health‐related quality of life, patient enablement and general health perception were measured at baseline and 24 months. Data collection occurred from March 2013–August 2015.ResultsBaseline and 24‐month data were available for 170 continence care and 158 usual care subjects. After controlling for baseline characteristics, the continence care group was observed to have greater reductions in symptom severity and larger improvements in disease‐specific health‐related quality of life, patient enablement and general health perception than the usual care group. Deterioration in the mental components of generic health‐related quality of life was observed in the usual care group, but not in the continence care group.ConclusionOver 24 months, when compared with usual medical care, nurse‐led continence care services were effective in reducing symptom severity and improving health‐related quality of life, patient enablement and general health perception and provided protection against deterioration in the mental components of health‐related quality of life in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms.
Artificial selection on ant female caste ratio uncovers a link between female‐biased sex ratios and infection by Wolbachia endosymbionts
Authors: Pontieri L. , Schmidt A. M. , Singh R. , Pedersen J. S. , Linksvayer T. A. 
Published: November 2016

AbstractSocial insect sex and caste ratios are well‐studied targets of evolutionary conflicts, but the heritable factors affecting these traits remain unknown. To elucidate these factors, we carried out a short‐term artificial selection study on female caste ratio in the ant Monomorium pharaonis. Across three generations of bidirectional selection, we observed no response for caste ratio, but sex ratios rapidly became more female‐biased in the two replicate high selection lines and less female‐biased in the two replicate low selection lines. We hypothesized that this rapid divergence for sex ratio was caused by changes in the frequency of infection by the heritable bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia, because the initial breeding stock varied for Wolbachia infection, and Wolbachia is known to cause female‐biased sex ratios in other insects. Consistent with this hypothesis, the proportions of Wolbachia‐infected colonies in the selection lines changed rapidly, mirroring the sex ratio changes. Moreover, the estimated effect of Wolbachia on sex ratio (~13% female bias) was similar in colonies before and during artificial selection, indicating that this Wolbachia effect is likely independent of the effects of artificial selection on other heritable factors. Our study provides evidence for the first case of endosymbiont sex ratio manipulation in a social insect.
Comparison of the Rome IV and Rome III criteria for IBS diagnosis: A cross‐sectional survey
Authors: Bai Tao , Xia Jing , Jiang Yudong , Cao Huan , Zhao Yong , Zhang Lei , Wang Huan , Song Jun , Hou Xiaohua 
Published: November 2016

AbstractBackground and AimsThe aims of this study were to investigate the proportion of clinical irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) at a tertiary hospital in China, to compare the Rome III and Rome IV criteria with regard to IBS diagnosis, to describe the agreement between the Rome III and Rome IV criteria, and to identify differences between Rome IV‐positive and ‐negative IBS patients.MethodsA cross‐sectional survey was performed among outpatients in the gastrointestinal (GI) department of a tertiary hospital. The patients were categorized as having IBS using Rome III and Rome IV criteria.ResultsIn total, 1,376 (91.7%) patients completed a GI symptom questionnaire. Among them, 352 were suspected of having IBS and 175 were diagnosed with IBS using the Rome III or Rome IV criteria. In particular, 170 (12.4%) patients were diagnosed with IBS using the Rome III criteria, and 84 (6.1%) patients were diagnosed using the Rome IV criteria. Rome IV IBS patients experienced more pain symptoms (P<0.01) and showed higher IBS severity scores. In contrast, no significant differences were noted for demographic characteristics, stool frequency, IBS subtype, disease course, operation history or GI infection history between Rome IV IBS patients and IBS patients not diagnosed with the Rome IV criteria.ConclusionsRome IV‐positive IBS patients represented approximately half of Rome III‐positive IBS patients at a tertiary hospital in China. More specifically, Rome IV‐positive IBS was mainly a subgroup of Rome III‐positive IBS with more serious symptoms.
The association between gastroesophageal reflux disease with sleep quality, depression, and anxiety in a cohort study of Australian men
Authors: On Zhi Xiang , Grant Janet , Shi Zumin , Taylor Anne W , Wittert Gary A , Tully Phillip J , Hayley Amie C , Martin Sean 
Published: November 2016

AbstractBackground and AimPrevious clinical studies have demonstrated a relationship between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) with anxiety and depression; however, few population‐based studies have controlled for sleep disorders. The current study aimed to assess the relationship between GERD and anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders in a community‐based sample of Australian men.MethodsParticipants comprised a subset of 1612 men (mean age: 60.7 years, range: 35–80) who participated in the Men Androgen Inflammation Lifestyle Environment and Stress Study during the years 2001–2012, who had complete GERD measures (Gastresophageal Reflux Disease Questionnaire), and were not taking medications known to impact gastrointestinal function (excluding drugs taken for acid‐related disorders). Current depression and anxiety were defined by (i) physician diagnosis, (ii) symptoms of depression (Beck Depression Inventory and Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale) or anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder‐7), and/or current depressive or anxiolytic medication use. Previous depression was indicated by past depressive diagnoses/medication use. Data on sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and obstructive sleep apnea were collected along with several health, lifestyle, and medical factors, and these were systematically evaluated in both univariate and multivariable analyses.ResultsOverall, 13.7% (n = 221) men had clinically significant GERD symptoms. In the adjusted models, an association between GERD and anxiety (odds ratio [OR] 2.7; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.0–6.8) and poor sleep quality (OR 1.8; 95% CI 1.2–2.9) was observed; however, no effect was observed for current depression (OR 1.5; 95% CI 0.8–2.7). After removing poor sleep quality from the model, an independent association between current depression (OR 2.6; 95% CI 1.7–3.8) and current anxiety (OR 3.2; 95% CI 1.8–6.0) and GERD was observed, but not for previous depression (OR 1.4; 95% CI 0.7–2.8).ConclusionIn this sample of urban‐dwelling men, we observed a strong independent association between GERD, anxiety, and current depression, the latter appearing to be partly mediated by poor sleep quality. Patients presenting with GERD should have concurrent mental health assessments in order to identify potential confounders to the successful management of their symptoms.
Symptom clusters in patients receiving haemodialysis: a systematic review of observational studies
Authors: Cao Xiaoyi , Tian Lang , Lin Chen 
Published: November 2016

Aims and objectivesTo systematically review the common composition and the analytical methods performed to derive symptom clusters in patients receiving haemodialysis, and to examine their common predictive and outcome variables.BackgroundPatients receiving haemodialysis may suffer from multiple and interactive symptoms simultaneously, which may impact their mortality, morbidity and quality of life. The composition of these symptom clusters varies depending on the different assessment tools, the variant evaluation timing points and the various statistical methodologies. A detailed review of existing studies is needed.DesignA systematic review of observational studies.MethodsMedline from 1950, CINAHL from 1960, Embase from 1980 and PsycINFO from 1967 as well as additional sources were searched. Content analysis was conducted to identify articles assessing the interrelationships of multiple symptoms.ResultsFive studies were identified. Several symptom clusters were identified with five common groupings being uraemic cluster, neuromuscular cluster, skin cluster, gastrointestinal cluster and energy/fatigue cluster. Four studies performed the principal component analysis with varimax rotation to extract symptom clusters and one study used correlation analysis. Different symptom assessment tools were used and each involving different array of symptoms. The predictive and outcome variables of symptom clusters also varied considerably. No studies have examined the longitudinal course and patients’ subjective experiences of symptom clusters.ConclusionsInconsistencies in the composition of symptom clusters across studies were identified due to inconsistencies in symptom assessment tools and statistical methodologies. Future studies should focus on an agreement about a robust and clinically relevant definition on symptom clusters; a multidimensional, valid and reliable symptom assessment tool; and an optimal analytical method in patients receiving haemodialysis.Relevance to clinical practiceKnowledge of symptom clusters may contribute to understanding the aetiology and pathophysiology of multiple concurrent and interactive symptoms in patients receiving haemodialysis and exploring the effects of these symptoms on clinical outcomes.
Randomized assessment of imatinib in patients with acute ischaemic stroke treated with intravenous thrombolysis
Authors: Wahlgren N. , Thorén M. , Höjeberg B. , Käll T.‐B. , Laska A.‐C. , Sjöstrand C. , Höijer J. , Almqvist H. , Holmin S. , Lilja A. , Fredriksson L. , Lawrence D. , Eriksson U. , Ahmed N. 
Published: November 2016

AbstractBackgroundImatinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has been shown to restore blood–brain barrier integrity and reduce infarct size, haemorrhagic transformation and cerebral oedema in stroke models treated with tissue plasminogen activator. We evaluated the safety of imatinib, based on clinical and neuroradiological data, and its potential influence on neurological and functional outcomes.MethodsA phase II randomized trial was performed in patients with acute ischaemic stroke treated with intravenous thrombolysis. A total of 60 patients were randomly assigned to four groups [3 (active): 1 (control)]; the active treatment groups received oral imatinib for 6 days at three dose levels (400, 600 and 800 mg). Primary outcome was any adverse event; secondary outcomes were haemorrhagic transformation, cerebral oedema, neurological severity on the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) at 7 days and at 3 months and functional outcomes on the modified Rankin scale (mRS).ResultsFour serious adverse events were reported, which resulted in three deaths (one in the control group and two in the 400‐mg dose group; one patient in the latter group did not receive active treatment and the other received two doses). Nonserious adverse events were mostly mild, resulting in full recovery. Imatinib ameliorated neurological outcomes with an improvement of 0.6 NIHSS points per 100 mg imatinib (P = 0.02). For the 800‐mg group, the mean unadjusted and adjusted NIHSS improvements were 4 (P = 0.037) and 5 points (P = 0.012), respectively, versus controls. Functional independence (mRS 0–2) increased by 18% versus controls (61 vs. 79; P = 0.296).ConclusionThis phase II study showed that imatinib is safe and tolerable and may reduce neurological disability in patients treated with intravenous thrombolysis after ischaemic stroke. A confirmatory randomized trial is currently underway.
Spatial ecology of jaguars, pumas, and ocelots: a review of the state of knowledge
Authors: Gonzalez‐Borrajo Noa , López‐Bao José Vicente , Palomares Francisco 
Published: November 2016

AbstractKnowledge of the spatial ecology of mammalian carnivores is critical for understanding species’ biology and designing effective conservation and management interventions. We reviewed the available information about the spatial ecology of jaguarsPanthera onca, pumasPuma concolor, and ocelotsLeopardus pardalis,and we examined how sex and extrinsic variables affect their spatial behaviour.Sixty‐one articles addressing home range, home range overlap, daily net displacement (straight‐line distance between two locations on consecutive days), and/or distance of dispersal of the three species were included. Meta‐analysis,ANOVA,ANCOVA, and beta regression tests were run to analyse differences among species and sexes and to elucidate the influence of other variables, such as latitude and ecoregion, on spatial behaviour.Pumas had on average larger home ranges (mean ± SE: 281.87 ± 35.76 km2) than jaguars (128.61 ± 49.5 km2) and ocelots (12.46 ± 3.39 km2). Intersexual range overlap was higher than intrasexual range overlap in jaguars and pumas. Sex affected the home range size of all three species, but only influenced daily net displacement in ocelots. Ecoregion affected the home range size of all three species but did not significantly affect either the daily net displacement or the dispersal distance of pumas. Latitude affected the home range size of jaguars and pumas. It did not affect daily net displacement or dispersal distance in jaguars and pumas, but did affect daily net displacement in ocelots.Although there was a lack of studies in most countries for the three species, information was particularly lacking in the Neotropics for jaguars and pumas and in North America for ocelots. Researchers usually presented low sample sizes and used different methods to examine the ecological issues considered here. Homogenisation of methods is needed to clarify the ecology of these species and to allow a better understanding of the threats to their populations.
Rapid postglacial diversification and long‐term stasis within the songbird genus Junco: phylogeographic and phylogenomic evidence
Authors: Friis Guillermo , Aleixandre Pau , Rodríguez‐Estrella Ricardo , Navarro‐Sigüenza Adolfo G. , Milá Borja 
Published: November 2016

AbstractNatural systems composed of closely related taxa that vary in the degree of phenotypic divergence and geographic isolation provide an opportunity to investigate the rate of phenotypic diversification and the relative roles of selection and drift in driving lineage formation. The genus Junco (Aves: Emberizidae) of North America includes parapatric northern forms that are markedly divergent in plumage pattern and colour, in contrast to geographically isolated southern populations in remote areas that show moderate phenotypic divergence. Here, we quantify patterns of phenotypic divergence in morphology and plumage colour and use mitochondrial DNA genes, a nuclear intron, and genomewide SNPs to reconstruct the demographic and evolutionary history of the genus to infer relative rates of evolutionary divergence among lineages. We found that geographically isolated populations have evolved independently for hundreds of thousands of years despite little differentiation in phenotype, in sharp contrast to phenotypically diverse northern forms, which have diversified within the last few thousand years as a result of the rapid postglacial recolonization of North America. SNP data resolved young northern lineages into reciprocally monophyletic lineages, indicating low rates of gene flow even among closely related parapatric forms, and suggesting a role for strong genetic drift or multifarious selection acting on multiple loci in driving lineage divergence. Juncos represent a compelling example of speciation in action, where the combined effects of historical and selective factors have produced one of the fastest cases of speciation known in vertebrates.
Host diversity limits the evolution of parasite local adaptation
Authors: Morley Daniel , Broniewski Jenny M. , Westra Edze R. , Buckling Angus , van Houte Stineke 
Published: November 2016

AbstractSpecificity in the interactions between hosts and their parasites can lead to local adaptation. However, the degree of local adaptation is predicted to depend upon the diversity of resistance alleles within the host population; increasing host diversity should decrease mean parasite infectivity and hence reduce local adaptation. In this study, we empirically test this prediction using the highly specific interactions between bacteria with clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR‐associated (CRISPR/Cas) immunity and their bacteriophage. Bacteria acquire immunity to phage by incorporating a phage‐derived spacer sequence into CRISPR loci on the host genome, and phage can escape the CRISPR‐mediated immunity of a specific clone by mutating the targeted sequence. We found that high levels of CRISPR allele diversity that naturally evolve in host populations exposed to phage (because each bacterial clone captures a unique phage‐derived sequence) prevents phage from becoming locally adapted. By manipulating the number of CRISPR alleles in the host population, we show that phage can become locally adapted to their bacterial hosts but only when CRISPR allele diversity is low.
Identification of the cAMP phosphodiesterase CpdA as novel key player in cAMP‐dependent regulation in Corynebacterium glutamicum
Authors: Schulte Julia , Baumgart Meike , Bott Michael 
Published: November 2016

SummaryThe second messenger cyclic AMP (cAMP) plays an important role in the metabolism of Corynebacterium glutamicum, as the global transcriptional regulator GlxR requires complex formation with cAMP to become active. Whereas a membrane‐bound adenylate cyclase, CyaB, was shown to be involved in cAMP synthesis, enzymes catalyzing cAMP degradation have not been described yet. In this study we identified a class II cAMP phosphodiesterase named CpdA (Cg2761), homologs of which are present in many Actinobacteria. The purified enzyme has a
value of 2.5 ± 0.3 mM for cAMP and a
of 33.6 ± 4.3 µmol min−1 mg−1. A ΔcpdA mutant showed a twofold increased cAMP level on glucose and reduced growth rates on all carbon sources tested. A transcriptome comparison revealed 247 genes with a more than twofold altered mRNA level in the ΔcpdA mutant, 82 of which are known GlxR targets. Expression of cpdA was positively regulated by GlxR, thereby creating a negative feedback loop allowing to counteract high cAMP levels. The results show that CpdA plays a key role in the control of the cellular cAMP concentration and GlxR activity and is crucial for optimal metabolism and growth of C. glutamicum.