bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Individual prevention courses for occupational skin diseases: changes in and relationships between proximal and distal outcomes
Authors: Schuler Michael , Spanier Katja , Lukasczik Matthias , Schwarze Monika , Musekamp Gunda , Osborne Richard H. , Faller Hermann , Pohrt Ute 
Published: April 2015

SummaryBackgroundTo treat people with occupational contact dermatitis, the German Accident Prevention and Insurance Association in the Health and Welfare Services offers 2‐day individual prevention (IP) seminars.ObjectivesWe investigated whether there are short‐term and medium‐term changes in proximal (e.g. behaviour) and distal (e.g. symptoms) outcomes after an IP seminar, whether changes in proximal outcomes are associated with changes in distal outcomes, and whether subgroups can be identified that benefit in particular.Patients/materials/methodsIn a prospective study, 502 participants of 85 IP courses completed the health education impact questionnaire (heiQ™) and skin symptom questionnaire (Skindex‐29) at the start of the course, immediately thereafter, and after 6 months. Change was assessed according to standardized effect size. Regression techniques were used to analyse associations between proximal and distal outcomes.ResultsAfter 6 months, participants showed improved self‐management skills and preventive behaviour, and less fear of job loss, disease‐related symptoms, and emotional distress. Significant associations between proximal and distal outcomes were found. Participants who felt more limited by their skin disease showed greater effects.ConclusionsThe results are consistent with the assumption that IP courses provide a range of benefits for people with occupational contact dermatitis. Changes in distal outcomes may be influenced by changes in proximal outcomes.
Biogeographic consequences of nutrient enrichment for plant–herbivore interactions in coastal wetlands
Authors: He Qiang , Silliman Brian R. 
Published: April 2015

AbstractA major challenge in ecology is to understand broadscale trends in the impact of environmental change. We provide the first integrative analysis of the effects of eutrophication on plants, herbivores, and their interactions in coastal wetlands across latitudes. We show that fertilisation strongly increases herbivory in salt marshes, but not in mangroves, and that this effect increases with increasing latitude in salt marshes. We further show that stronger nutrient effects on plant nitrogen concentration at higher latitudes is the mechanism likely underlying this pattern. This biogeographic variation in nutrient effects on plant–herbivore interactions has consequences for vegetation, with those at higher latitudes being more vulnerable to consumer pressure fuelled by eutrophication. Our work provides a novel, mechanistic understanding of how eutrophication affects plant–herbivore systems predictably across broad latitudinal gradients, and highlights the power of incorporating biogeography into understanding large‐scale variability in the impacts of environmental change.
Validation of 1‐year predictive score of long‐term response to interferon‐β in everyday clinical practice multiple sclerosis patients
Authors: Romeo M. , Martinelli V. , Rodegher M. , Perego E. , Maida S. , Sormani M. P. , Comi G. ,   San Raffaele Multiple Sclerosis Clinical Group
Published: April 2015

Background and purposeThe Rio score (RS) and the modified Rio score (MRS) are two scoring systems that can identify the early predictive factors of disability progression in relapsing−remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients treated with interferon‐β (IFN‐β). The objective of the study was to validate the usefulness of the RS and MRS in a large cohort of multiple sclerosis patients treated with IFN‐β in daily clinical practice.MethodsThe analysis included a cohort of RRMS patients treated with different formulations of IFN‐β for at least 1 year. The RS and MRS were used to classify the patients after 1 year of treatment. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify predictive variables of suboptimal response at 5 years, defined as Expanded Disability Status Scale confirmed progression or switching to a second‐line therapy.ResultsSixty‐nine of 416 included patients were considered as suboptimal responders at 5‐year evaluation. The possible score range was 0–3. A higher risk of suboptimal response was found for RS and MRS in the presence of ≥2 scores (hazard ratio 3.0, P = 0.002, and hazard ratio 5.0, P < 0.0001, respectively).ConclusionsOur study confirmed, in a daily clinical setting, that MRS had a better specificity and accuracy than RS in identifying the patients who will have a poor response to long‐term IFN‐β treatment.
Do Pied Flycatchers Use Personal or Social Information for Replacement Clutch Decisions? A Field Experiment
Authors: Schuett Wiebke , Koegl Bianca B. , Dall Sasha R. X. , Laaksonen Toni 
Published: April 2015

AbstractLife is a continuous stream of decisions: organisms are repeatedly confronted with multiple options from which to choose. To make the best decisions and maximise their fitness, individuals need to collect information: from direct interactions with the environment (personal information) or from observing other individuals interacting with the environment (social information). Yet, very little is known about the details of decision‐making by animals in their natural environments, including the sources of information they use in the process. We set out to determine the relative importance of social and personal information in breeding habitat decisions in the migratory pied flycatcher, Ficedula hypoleuca. In a field experiment in Finland, we manipulated flycatcher breeding success and then allowed individuals to choose among breeding sites labelled with artificial cues (arbitrary symbols) associated with their own (manipulated) and neighbour's reproductive success, respectively, for laying a replacement clutch. Birds did not appear to distinguish among the symbols representing their own, their neighbour's or a neutral symbol, indicating that they did not use either information source when deciding about a replacement clutch. Also, the choice did not influence subsequent investment into breeding (clutch size). This may suggest that pied flycatchers utilise other cues (e.g. breeding success or predation risk on larger scales) when having to make a decision about replacement clutches. We discuss our results in light of constraints imposed by a short breeding season of migratory birds.
Geographic Variation in Social Parasite Pressure Predicts Intraspecific but not Interspecific Aggressive Responses in Hosts of a Slavemaking Ant
Authors: Kleeberg Isabelle , Jongepier Evelien , Job Sylwester , Foitzik Susanne 
Published: April 2015

AbstractVariation in community composition over a species' geographic range leads to divergent selection pressures, resulting in interpopulation variation in trait expression. One of the most pervasive selective forces stems from antagonists such as parasites. Whereas hosts of microparasites developed sophisticated immune systems, social parasites select for behavioural host defences. Here, we investigated the link between parasite pressure exerted by the socially parasitic slavemaking antProtomognathus americanusand colony‐level aggression inTemnothoraxants from 17 populations. We studied almost the entire geographic range of two host species, including unparasitized populations. As previous studies have demonstrated that host colonies responding highly aggressively towards conspecifics fare better during slavemaker attacks, we predicted higher aggression levels in severely parasitized populations. Indeed, we demonstrate an increase in aggression towards conspecifics with parasite pressure, a pattern that was consistent over the two host species. In contrast to other studies, aggression against the parasite itself did not shift with parasite pressure. This may be explained by an absence of costs of parasite‐specific aggression in parasite‐free populations. The preferred host speciesT. longispinosuswas generally more aggressive; however, the association between parasite pressure and aggression was found for both species, suggesting convergent co‐adaptation. Two potentially confounding factors, colony density and the co‐occurrence of a competingTemnothoraxspecies in the community, could not explain the level of colony aggression in intra‐ and interspecific interactions. Instead, our study points to social parasite pressure as the determining factor shaping antagonistic interactions within, but not between, host species.
Single active‐site mutants are sufficient to enhance serine:pyruvate α‐transaminase activity in an ω‐transaminase
Authors: Deszcz Dawid , Affaticati Pierre , Ladkau Nadine , Gegel Alex , Ward John M. , Hailes Helen C. , Dalby Paul A. 
Published: April 2015

We have analyzed the natural evolution of transaminase structure and sequence between an α‐transaminase serine‐pyruvate aminotransferase and an ω‐transaminase from Chromobacterium violaceum with < 20% sequence identity, and identified the active‐site regions that are least conserved structurally. We also show that these structural changes correlate strongly with transaminase substrate specificity during evolution and therefore might normally be presumed to be essential determinants of substrate specificity. However, key residues are often conserved spatially during evolution and yet originate from within a different region of the sequence via structural reorganizations. In the present study, we also show that α‐transaminase‐type serine‐pyruvate aminotransferase activity can be engineered into the CV2025 ω‐transaminase scaffold with any one of many possible single‐point mutations at three key positions, without the requirement for significant backbone remodeling, or repositioning of the residue from a different region of sequence. This finding has significant implications for enzyme redesign in which solutions to substrate specificity changes may be found more efficiently than is achieved by engineering in all sequence and structure determinants identified by correlation to substrate specificity.
Failures to Deliver, Short Sale Constraints, and Stock Overvaluation
Authors: Autore Don M. , Boulton Thomas J. , Braga‐Alves Marcus V. 
Published: April 2015

AbstractStudying a large sample of publicly available data on failures to deliver, we find that stocks reaching threshold levels of failures become significantly overvalued. Where short sale constraints are especially binding, we report extreme overpricing and subsequent reversals. These findings support the overvaluation hypothesis, although the mispricing is likely to be difficult to arbitrage because of extreme shorting costs. In addition, threshold stocks with low short interest become more overvalued than threshold stocks with high short interest. This suggests that the level of short interest reflects supply‐side effects when the examination conditions on the difficulty of borrowing shares.
Young Finnish and German consumers’ furniture acquisition – wooden, inherited or just low price?
Authors: Hakala Inkeri , Autio Minna , Toppinen Anne 
Published: April 2015

AbstractHome decorating is an arena to build up identity and reflect individual taste. Home also represents people's lifestyles and culturally defined aesthetic values and norms. In our study, we focus on the procurement of furniture amongst young Finnish and German consumers who are in the life phase of building up their homes. We study more specifically which aspects of furniture are meaningful for them, and what kind of furniture they consider most valuable for them. Our study shows that for consumers in both countries, visual appearance, price and quality are the most important aspects in furniture acquisition, followed by functionality and ecological aspects. They picture wooden furniture as aesthetic, ecological, durable and expensive. To express their stance towards environmental and ethical values, and because of budgetary reasons, young consumers favour second‐hand, inherited and recycled furniture instead of eco‐labelled furniture. Consumers also stress the productivity in the process of creating something new. It seems that recycled or inherited furniture appears as a safe ground for young adults struggling to meet their contradictory economic and environmentally sound ideals. A global retailer Ikea represents for young people convenience, availability, low price and youthful design as well as globally shared metaphor for discussing furniture choices and values in live.
Understanding younger older consumers' needs in a changing healthcare market—supporting and developing the consumer market for electronic assisted living technologies
Authors: Holliday Nikki , Ward Gillian , Fielden Simon 
Published: April 2015

AbstractThe ageing population is presenting an economic challenge in the United Kingdom (UK). Electronic Assisted Living Technology (eALT) is purported to be one potential solution to this problem, as it offers an opportunity to help people remain independent and age in place. The provision of eALT within the UK has traditionally been dominated by statutory provision, leading to a lack of choice of commercial products and services for those whom it might benefit. With increased need for support for the ageing population, and rationalisation of statutory service provision, older people will increasingly be looking toward privately purchased eALT to support their health and independence. However, previous work has identified that there are numerous barriers to the development of a consumer eALT market. This paper describes a series of cocreation workshops which were held to explore solutions to these barriers with younger older people, aged 50–70 years old, which sought to explore the development of a consumer eALT market. A number of solutions were found for all stages of the eALT consumer journey, including how to help people recognise they have a need, how to find eALT information, how to help consumers make the decision to purchase, where to place eALT for consumer access and purchase, and how to encourage continued use of the product or service and repeat sales. The results of this study will be of interest to the UK, European and worldwide consumer eALT markets, to encourage older consumers to maintain their independence and lifestyle and offers insights for the eALT industry in how to reach these consumers.
The four or more medicines (FOMM) support service: results from an evaluation of a new community pharmacy service aimed at over-65s
Authors: Twigg Michael J , Wright David , Barton Garry R , Thornley Tracey , Kerr Clare 
Published: April 2015

Abstract

Objective
Inappropriate prescribing and nonadherence have a significant impact on hospital admissions and patient quality of life. The English government has identified that community pharmacy could make a significant contribution to reducing nonadherence and improving the quality of prescribing, reducing both hospital admissions and medicines wastage. The objective of this study is to evaluate a community pharmacy service aimed at patients over the age of 65 years prescribed four or more medicines.

Methods
Patients were invited to participate in the service by the community pharmacy team. The pharmacist held regular consultations with the patient and discussed risk of falls, pain management, adherence and general health. They also reviewed the patient’s medication using STOPP/START criteria. Data were analysed for the first 6 months of participation in the service.

Key findings
Six hundred twenty patients were recruited with 441 (71.1%) completing the 6-month study period. Pharmacists made 142 recommendations to prescribers in 110 patients largely centred on potentially inappropriate prescribing of NSAIDs, PPIs or duplication of therapy. At follow-up, there was a significant decrease in the total number of falls (mean −0.116 (−0.217–−0.014)) experienced and a significant increase in medicine adherence (mean difference in Morisky Measure of Adherence Scale-8: 0.513 (0.337–0.689)) and quality of life. Cost per quality-adjusted life year estimates ranged from £11 885 to £32 466 depending on the assumptions made.

Conclusion
By focussing on patients over the age of 65 years with four or more medicines, community pharmacists can improve medicine adherence and patient quality of life.
National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale Score is an Unreliable Predictor of Perfusion Deficits in Acute Stroke
Authors: Choi Victor , Kate Mahesh , Kosior Jayme C. , Buck Brian , Steve Trevor , McCourt Rebecca , Jeerakathil Thomas , Shuaib Ashfaq , Emery Derek , Butcher Ken 
Published: April 2015

Background Perfusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging is not routinely used to investigate stroke/transient ischemic attack. Many clinicians use perfusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging selectively in patients with more severe neurological deficits, but optimal selection criteria have never been identified. Aims and/or Hypothesis We tested the hypothesis that a National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score threshold can be used to predict the presence of perfusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging deficits in patients with acute ischemic stroke/transient ischemic attack. Methods National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores were prospectively assessed in 131 acute stroke/transient ischemic attack patients followed by magnetic resonance imaging, including perfusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging within 72 h of symptom onset. Patients were dichotomized based on the presence or absence of perfusion deficits using a threshold of Tmax (time to peak maps after the impulse response) delay ≥four-seconds and a hypoperfused tissue volume of ≥1 ml. Results Patients with perfusion deficits (77/131, 59%) had higher median (interquartile range) National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores (8 [12]) than those without perfusion deficits (3 [4], P < 0·001). A receiver operator characteristic analysis indicated poor to moderate sensitivity of National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores for predicting perfusion deficits (area under the curve = 0·787). A National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score of ≥6 was associated with specificity of 85%, but sensitivity of only 69%. No National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score threshold identified all cases of perfusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging deficits with sensitivity >94%. Conclusions Although higher National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores are predictive of perfusion deficits, many patients with no clinically detectable signs have persisting cerebral blood flow changes. A National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score threshold should therefore not be used to select patients for perfusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. Perfusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging should be considered in all patients presenting with acute focal neurological deficits, even if these deficits are transient.
The Shape of Middle Cerebral Artery and Plaque Location: High-Resolution MRI Finding
Authors: Kim Bum Joon , Yoon Youngshin , Lee Deok-Hee , Kang Dong-Wha , Kwon Sun U. , Kim Jong S. 
Published: April 2015

Background The location of plaque may be associated with the vascular geometry. Aim We aimed to examine the relationship between the geometry of middle cerebral artery and the plaque location detected by high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging. Methods Among patients with a single subcortical infarction without a significant middle cerebral artery stenosis on magnetic resonance angiography, those with a plaque detected from high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging were prospectively enrolled. The shape of middle cerebral artery was measured from the coronal view, and was classified as straight, U-shaped, inverted U-shaped, and S-shaped. The location of the plaque was divided into superior and inferior, and analyzed according to the shape of middle cerebral artery. Results Among the 40 patients, the shape of middle cerebral artery was straight in 7 (17·5%), U-shaped in 10 (15·0%), inverted U-shaped in 11 (27·5%), and S-shaped in 12 patients (30·0%). The superior plaque was more closely associated with straight (85·7%) or U-shaped middle cerebral arteries (90·0%), whereas inverted U-shaped (81·8%) and S-shaped middle cerebral arteries (75·0%) were more often associated with inferior plaque. The prevalence of symptomatic plaque was higher in superior than inferior plaques (70·0% vs. 25·0%, P = 0·004). Multivariate analysis showed that straight and U-shaped middle cerebral artery was the only significant factor associated with the superior plaque. Conclusion The shape of middle cerebral artery may be a factor determining the location of early atherosclerotic plaque.
The effectiveness of three strategies to reduce the influence of bias in evaluations of female leaders
Authors: Anderson Amanda J. , Ahmad Afra S. , King Eden B. , Lindsey Alex P. , Feyre Rachel P. , Ragone Sara , Kim Sooyeol 
Published: April 2015

AbstractThis study tests the effectiveness of three strategies [structured free recall (SFR), source monitoring, and error management] to reduce the impact of raters' stereotypes on evaluations of female leaders. Results reveal several three‐way interactions indicating that that the strategies became more effective as raters' implicit bias decreased. Findings show that the source monitoring and SFR methods were more effective than the error management strategy. The results have implications for improving opportunities for women to advance through the leadership ranks. This study adds to the literature by comparing multiple strategies to reduce the influence of individuals' biases in evaluations of women in leadership positions and revealing the importance of considering raters' implicit gender biases in evaluations.
A biogeographical regionalization of coastal Mediterranean fishes
Authors: Hattab Tarek , Albouy Camille , Ben Rais Lasram Frida , Le Loc'h François , Guilhaumon François , Leprieur Fabien 
Published: April 2015

AbstractAimTo delineate the biogeographical regions of the continental shelf of the Mediterranean Sea based on the spatial distributions of coastal marine fishes and their evolutionary relationships, with a view to furthering our capacity to answer basic and applied biogeographical, ecological and evolutionary questions.LocationMediterranean Sea.MethodsWe used a dataset summarizing the occurrences of 203 coastal Mediterranean fishes (0.1° resolution grid system) and a molecular phylogenetic tree to quantify both compositional and phylogenetic dissimilarity (or beta diversity) between cells. We then applied multivariate analyses to delineate biogeographical regions and to evaluate how they related to broad‐scale environmental gradients. We also assessed the differences between the biogeographical regions identified using phylogenetic beta diversity versus those obtained using compositional beta diversity.ResultsThe bioregionalization schemes based on phylogenetic and compositional beta diversity identified broadly similar regions, each consisting of six distinct pools of coastal fishes. Clear separations between northern and southern regions were observed, as well as a disjunct between inshore and offshore areas. These beta diversity patterns were mainly related to a north–south gradient in sea‐surface temperature and bathymetric constraints.Main conclusionsIncorporating phylogenetic information into the measurement of beta diversity did not offer further insights to the bioregionalization scheme based solely on compositional beta diversity. This suggests that evolutionary and historical processes played only a minor role in shaping the contemporary patterns of beta diversity in the Mediterranean coastal fish fauna. However, our results support the view that contemporary environmental conditions play a major role in determining the distribution of these species.