bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ultrafine grain formation and coating mechanism arising from a blast coating process: A transmission electron microscopy analysis
Authors: Dunne Conor F. , Roche Kevin , Janssen Arne , Zhong Xiangli , Burke M.G. , Twomey Barry , Stanton Kenneth T.
Published: October 2017

This article examines the substrate/coating interface of a coating deposited onto mild steel and stainless steel substrates using an ambient temperature blast coating technique known as CoBlast. The process uses a coincident stream of an abrasive blast medium and coating medium particles to modify the substrate surface. The hypothesis for the high bond strength is that the abrasive medium roughens the surface while simultaneously disrupting the passivating oxide layer of the substrate, thereby exposing the reactive metal that then reacts with the coating medium. The aim of this study is to provide greater insight into the coating/substrate bonding mechanism by analysing the interface between a hydroxyapatite coating on both mild and stainless steel substrates. The coating adhesion was measured via a tensile test, and bond strengths of approximately 45 MPa were measured. The substrate/coating interface was examined using transmission electron microscopy and selected area diffraction. The analysis of the substrate/coating interface revealed the presence of ultrafine grains in both the coating and substrate at interface associated with deformation at the interface caused by particle impaction during deposition. The chemical reactivity resulting from the creation of these ultrafine grains is proposed to explain the high adhesive strength of CoBlast coatings.
Mesenchymal Stromal Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Provide Long-Term Survival After Total Body Irradiation Without Additional Hematopoietic Stem Cell Support
Authors: Schoefinius Jill-Sandra , Brunswig-Spickenheier Bärbel , Speiseder Thomas , Krebs Sabrina , Just Ursula , Lange Claudia
Published: October 2017

The therapeutic effect of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) in tissue regeneration is based mainly on the secretion of bioactive molecules. Here, we report that the radioprotective effect of mouse bone marrow derived mesenchymal stromal cells (mMSC) can be attributed to extracellular vesicles (EV) released from mMSC. The transplantation of mMSC-derived EV into lethally irradiated mice resulted in long-term survival but no improvement in short-term reconstitution of the recipients. Importantly, the radiation rescue was efficient without additional hematopoietic support. In vitro we show a protection by EV of irradiated hematopoietic stem cells but not progenitor cells using stroma-cell cultures and colony-forming assays. After systemic infusion into lethally irradiated recipients, labeled EV traveled freely through the body reaching the bone marrow within 2 hours. We further show that long-term repopulating Sca-1 positive and c-kit low-positive stem cells were directly targeted by EV leading to long-term survival. Collectively, our data suggest EV as an effective first-line treatment to combat radiation-induced hematopoietic failure which might also be helpful in alleviating myelosuppression due to chemotherapy and toxic drug reaction. We suggest the infusion of MSC-derived EV as efficient and immediate treatment option after irradiation injuries.
Full‐scale shear tests on post‐tensioned bridge girders of existing bridges
Authors: Huber Patrick , Vill Markus , Schweighofer Anton , Kollegger Johann
Published: October 2017

Many post‐tensioned girders of existing bridges contain a low amount of transverse reinforcement. The shear strength of these girders, calculated according to current semi‐probabilistic design codes, like Eurocode 2, is often less than that required in the codes. In this paper, the experimental results of four shear tests on post‐tensioned bridge girders of existing bridges are presented. The specimens were extracted from two different road bridges, both built in 1959. In this paper, the results of this test series are used to analyze the shear behavior and failure modes of existing post‐tensioned bridge structures with a low amount of shear reinforcement. Furthermore, the experimental results are compared with the shear strengths calculated according to various design codes. Finally, the shear behavior is analyzed according to the zone‐based, shear assessment concept with its refined shear models. The calculation results agree well with the data from the experiments.
Pelvic floor muscle assessment on three‐ and four‐dimensional transperineal ultrasound in women with ovarian endometriosis with or without retroperitoneal infiltration: a step towards complete functional assessment
Authors: Mabrouk M. , Raimondo D. , Del Forno S. , Baruffini F. , Arena A. , Benfenati A. , Youssef A. , Martelli V. , Seracchioli R.
Published: October 2017

Objectives

Previous studies comparing women with deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) and healthy controls have underlined an association between pelvic floor muscle (PFM) hypertonic dysfunction and deep lesions. The aim of this study was to compare the morphometry of PFM in women affected by ovarian endometriosis with DIE vs those without DIE in order to assess the impact of retroperitoneal infiltration by the disease on PFM function.

Methods

This was a prospective study conducted between March 2015 and December 2016 on symptomatic women with a clinical and sonographic diagnosis of ovarian endometriosis with or without DIE, scheduled for laparoscopic surgery. We excluded patients with current or previous pregnancy, previous surgery for deep endometriosis, other causes of chronic pelvic pain or congenital or acquired abnormalities of pelvic floor anatomy. Three‐ and four‐dimensional transperineal ultrasound was performed to evaluate PFM morphometry and assess levator hiatal area (LHA) and diameters at rest, during PFM contraction and during Valsalva maneuver. All volumes were analyzed offline by an investigator blinded to the clinical data.

Results

One hundred and fourteen patients with ovarian endometriosis were enrolled in the study, 75 with DIE and 39 without DIE. The diagnosis of endometriosis was confirmed by histological examination in all patients. Compared with women without DIE, women with DIE showed a smaller LHA at rest, during contraction and during Valsalva maneuver (P = 0.03, P = 0.03 and P = 0.02, respectively) and a smaller reduction in LHA during PFM contraction (P = 0.04).

Conclusions

Women with ovarian endometriosis who were affected by DIE showed smaller hiatal dimensions than did women without DIE. Considering that PFM dysfunction in patients with DIE could cause pain symptoms and pelvic organ dysfunction, transperineal ultrasound could allow a more complete functional assessment and tailored therapy. Copyright © 2017 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Plasma natriuretic peptide levels in fetuses with congenital heart defect and/or arrhythmia
Authors: Miyoshi T. , Umekawa T. , Hosoda H. , Asada T. , Fujiwara A. , Kurosaki K. I. , Shiraishi I. , Nakai M. , Nishimura K. , Miyazato M. , Kangawa K. , Ikeda T. , Yoshimatsu J. , Minamino N.
Published: October 2017

Objective

Diagnosing fetal heart failure remains challenging because it is difficult to know how well the fetal myocardium will perform as loading conditions change. In adult cardiology, natriuretic peptides (NPs) are established markers of heart failure. However, the number of studies investigating NP levels in fetuses is quite limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate the significance of plasma NP levels in the assessment of heart failure in fetuses with a congenital heart defect (CHD) and/or arrhythmia.

Methods

This was a prospective observational study conducted at a tertiary pediatric cardiac center. A total of 129 singletons with CHD and/or arrhythmia and 127 controls were analyzed between 2012 and 2015. Umbilical cord plasma atrial NP, brain NP and N‐terminal pro‐brain NP levels at birth were compared with ultrasonography findings indicating fetal heart failure, such as cardiovascular profile (CVP) score and morphological characteristics.

Results

Fetuses with CHD and/or arrhythmia had higher NP levels than did controls (P < 0.01). NP levels of fetuses with CHD and/or arrhythmia were correlated inversely with CVP score (P for trend < 0.01). No differences in NP levels were found in fetuses with CHD and/or arrhythmia and a CVP score of ≥ 8 in comparison to controls. Multivariate analysis showed that a CVP score of ≤ 5, tachy‐ or bradyarrhythmia at birth, preterm birth and umbilical artery pH < 7.15 were associated independently with high NP levels (P < 0.01). Among fetuses with a CVP score of ≤ 7, abnormal venous Doppler sonography findings were significantly more common and more severe in fetuses with tachy‐ or bradyarrhythmia than in those with CHD, and those with tachy‐ or bradyarrhythmia had higher NP levels than did those with CHD (P = 0.01). Fetuses with right‐heart defect and moderate or severe tricuspid valve regurgitation had significantly higher NP levels than did fetuses with other types of CHD (P < 0.01).

Conclusions

Plasma NP levels in fetuses with CHD and/or arrhythmia are correlated with the severity of fetal heart failure. Elevated NP levels are attributed mainly to an increase in central venous pressure secondary to arrhythmia or atrioventricular valve regurgitation due to CHD, rather than to the morphological abnormality itself. Copyright © 2017 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Automatic segmentation of puborectalis muscle on three‐dimensional transperineal ultrasound
Authors: van den Noort F. , Grob A. T. M. , Slump C. H. , van der Vaart C. H. , van Stralen M.
Published: October 2017

Objectives

The introduction of three‐dimensional (3D) analysis of the puborectalis muscle (PRM) for diagnostic purposes into daily practice is hindered by the need for appropriate training of observers. Automatic segmentation of the PRM on 3D transperineal ultrasound may aid its integration into clinical practice. The aims of this study were to present and assess a protocol for manual 3D segmentation of the PRM on 3D transperineal ultrasound, and to use this for training of automatic 3D segmentation method of the PRM.

Methods

The data used in this study were derived from 3D transperineal ultrasound sequences of the pelvic floor acquired at 12 weeks' gestation from nulliparous women with a singleton pregnancy. A manual 3D segmentation protocol was developed for the PRM based on a validated two‐dimensional segmentation protocol. For automatic segmentation, active appearance models of the PRM were developed, trained using manual segmentation data from 50 women. The performances of both manual and automatic segmentation were analyzed by measuring the overlap and distance between the segmentations. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and their 95% CIs were determined for mean echogenicity and volume of the puborectalis muscle, in order to assess inter‐ and intraobserver reliabilities of the manual method using data from 20 women, as well as to compare the manual and automatic methods.

Results

Interobserver reliabilities for mean echogenicity and volume were very good for manual segmentation (ICCs 0.987 and 0.910, respectively), as were intraobserver reliabilities (ICCs 0.991 and 0.877, respectively). ICCs for mean echogenicity and volume were very good and good, respectively, for the comparison of manual vs automatic segmentation (0.968 and 0.626, respectively). The overlap and distance results for manual segmentation were as expected, showing an average mismatch of only 2–3 pixels and reasonable overlap. Based on overlap and distance, five mismatches were detected for automatic segmentation, resulting in an automatic segmentation success rate of 90%.

Conclusions

This study presents a reliable manual segmentation protocol and automatic 3D segmentation method for the PRM, which will facilitate future investigation of the PRM, allowing for the reliable measurement of potentially clinically valuable parameters such as mean echogenicity. © 2017 The Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Changes in Swallowing Symptoms and Esophageal Motility After Thyroid Surgery: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Sorensen Jesper Roed , Markoew Simone , Døssing Helle , Hegedüs Laszlo , Bonnema Steen Joop , Godballe Christian
Published: October 2017

Introduction

Swallowing difficulties, the pathophysiology behind which is incompletely understood, have been reported in 47–83% of goiter patients referred for thyroidectomy. We aimed at examining the influence of thyroid surgery on swallowing symptoms and esophageal motility.

Methods

Thirty‐three patients with benign nodular goiter undergoing thyroid surgery were included. All completed high‐resolution esophageal manometry examinations and the goiter symptom scale score, assessed by the thyroid‐specific patient‐reported outcome measure. The evaluations were performed before and 6 months after surgery.

Results

Before surgery, the goiter symptom score was median 39 points (range 2–61), which improved to median five points (range 1–52) after surgery (p < 0.001). The motility parameters were within the limits of normal swallowing physiology, both before and after surgery. Only the upper esophageal sphincter (UES) pressure increased significantly from 70.6 ± 27.7 to 87.7 ± 43.2 mmHg after surgery (p = 0.04). Using regression analyses, there was no significant correlation between change in goiter symptoms and weight of the removed goiter, motility parameters, or motility disturbances. However, patients undergoing total thyroidectomy experienced a larger reduction in pressure in the area of the UES and former thyroid gland after surgery in comparison with patients undergoing less extensive surgery.

Conclusions

Goiter symptoms improved significantly after thyroidectomy, but without correlation to esophageal motility disturbances. This information is essential when interpreting dysphagia in patients with nodular goiter, and when balancing patients’ expectations to surgical goiter therapy.

Registration number:

NCT03100357 (www.clinicaltrials.org).
Minimally Invasive Adrenalectomy for Adrenocortical Carcinoma: Five‐Year Trends and Predictors of Conversion
Authors: Calcatera Natalie A. , Hsiung‐Wang Chi , Suss Nicholas R. , Winchester David J. , Moo‐Young Tricia A. , Prinz Richard A.
Published: October 2017

Background

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is rare but often fatal. Surgery offers the only chance of cure. As minimally invasive (MI) procedures for cancer become common, their role for ACC is still debated. We reviewed usage of MI approaches for ACC over time and risk factors for conversion using a large national database.

Methods

ACC patients with localized disease were identified in the National Cancer Data Base from 2010 to 2014. A retrospective review examined trends in the surgical approach over time. Patient demographics, surgical approach, and tumor characteristics between MI, open, and converted procedures were compared.

Results

588 patients underwent adrenalectomy for ACC, of which 200 were minimally invasive. From 2010 to 2014, MI operations increased from 26 to 44% with robotic procedures increasing from 5 to 16%. The use of MI operations compared to open was not different based on facility type (p = 0.40) or location (p = 0.63). MI tumors were more likely to be confined to the adrenal (p < 0.001) but final margin status was not different (p = 0.56). Conversion was performed in 38/200 (19%). Average tumor size was 10.2 cm in the converted group compared to 8.6 cm in the MI group (p = 0.09). There was no difference in extent of disease (p = 0.33), margin status (p = 0.12), or lymphovascular invasion (p = 0.59) between MI and converted procedures. Tumor size > 5 cm was the only significant predictor of conversion (p = 0.04). No patients with pathologic stage I disease required conversion (0/19).

Conclusions

The frequency of MI approaches for ACC is increasing. In the final year of the study, 44% of adrenalectomies were MI. Size > 5 cm was the only significant predictor of conversion.
Esophagectomy for End‐Stage Achalasia: Systematic Review and Meta‐analysis
Authors: Aiolfi Alberto , Asti Emanuele , Bonitta Gianluca , Bonavina Luigi
Published: October 2017

Background

Indications for surgery and clinical outcomes of esophagectomy in the management of end‐stage achalasia are not clearly defined. The aim of this systematic review and meta‐analysis was to provide evidence‐based information to help in the decision‐making and in the choice of surgical technique.

Methods

An extensive literature search was conducted to identify all reports on esophagectomy for end‐stage achalasia patients over the past three decades. MEDLINE, Embase and Cochrane databases were thoroughly consulted matching the terms “achalasia,” “end‐stage achalasia,” “esophagectomy” and “esophageal resection” with “AND” and “OR.” Short‐ and long‐term outcome data were extracted. Pooled prevalence of pneumonia, anastomotic leakage and mortality were calculated using Freeman–Tukey double arcsine transformation and DerSimonian–Laird estimator in random effect meta‐analysis. Heterogeneity among studies was evaluated using I2‐index and Cochrane Q test. Meta‐regression was used to address the effect of potential confounders.

Results

Eight papers published between 1989 and 2014 matched the inclusion criteria. In total, 1307 patients were included. Esophagectomy was performed through a transthoracic (78.7%) or a transhiatal (21.3%) approach. The stomach was used as an esophageal substitute in 95% of patients. Pooled prevalence of pneumonia, anastomotic leakage and mortality were 10% (95% CI 4–18%), 7% (95% CI 4–10%) and 2% (95% CI 1–3%), respectively.

Conclusions

Esophagectomy for end‐stage achalasia is safe and effective. Based on the results of this study, esophagectomy should be performed without hesitation in patients who are fit for major surgery and present with disabling symptoms, poor quality of life and dolichomegaesophagus recalcitrant to multiple endoscopic dilatations and/or surgical myotomies.
Mapping QTL for stay-green and agronomic traits in wheat under diverse water regimes
Authors: Shi Shenkui , Azam Farooq I. , Li Huihui , Chang Xiaoping , Li Baoyun , Jing Ruilian
Published: October 2017

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) yield is directly proportional to physio-morphological traits. A high-density genetic map consisting of 2575 markers was used for mapping QTL controlling stay-green and agronomic traits in wheat grown under four diverse water regimes. A total of 108 additive QTL were identified in target traits. Among them, 28 QTL for chlorophyll content (CC) were detected on 11 chromosomes, 43 for normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) on all chromosomes except 5B, 5D, and 7D, five for spikes per plant (NSP) on different chromosomes, nine for plant height (PH) on four chromosomes, and 23 for thousand-kernel weight (TKW) on 11 chromosomes. Considering all traits, the phenotypic variation explained (PVE) ranged from 3.61 to 41.62%. A major QTL, QNDVI.cgb-5A.7, for NDVI with a maximum PVE of 20.21%, was located on chromosome 5A. A stable and major PH QTL was observed on chromosome 4D with a PVE close to 40%. Most distances between QTL and corresponding flanking markers were less than 1 cM, and approximately one-third of the QTL coincided with markers. Each of 16 QTL clusters on 10 chromosomes controlled more than one trait and therefore could be regarded as pleiotropic regions in response to different water regimes. Forty-one epistatic QTL were identified for all traits having PVE of 6.00 to 25.07%. Validated QTL closely linked to flanking markers will be beneficial for marker-assisted selection in improving drought-tolerance in wheat.
The Effectiveness of Al-Si Coatings for Preventing Interfacial Reaction in Al-Mg Dissimilar Metal Welding
Authors: Wang Yin , Al-Zubaidy Basem , Prangnell Philip B.
Published: October 2017

The dissimilar welding of aluminum to magnesium is challenging because of the rapid formation of brittle intermetallic compounds (IMC) at the weld interface. An Al-Si coating interlayer was selected to address this problem, based on thermodynamic calculations which predicted that silicon would change the reaction path to avoid formation of the normally observed binary Al-Mg IMC phases (β-Al3Mg2 and γ-Al12Mg17). Long-term static heat treatments confirmed that a Si-rich coating will preferentially produce the Mg2Si phase in competition with the less stable, β-Al3Mg2 and γ-Al12Mg17 binary IMC phases, and this reduced the overall reaction layer thickness. However, when an Al-Si clad sheet was tested in a real welding scenario, using the Refill™ friction stir spot welding (FSSW) technique, Mg2Si was only produced in very small amounts owing to the much shorter reaction time. Surprisingly, the coating still led to a significant reduction in the IMC reaction layer thickness and the welds exhibited enhanced mechanical performance, with improved strength and fracture energy. This beneficial behavior has been attributed to the softer coating material both reducing the welding temperature and giving rise to the incorporation of Si particles into the reaction layer, which toughened the brittle interfacial IMC phases during crack propagation.
Adapting Tests in Linguistic and Cultural Situations
Authors: Iliescu Dragoş
Published: October 2017

This book explores test adaptation, a scientific and professional activity now spanning all of the social and behavioural sciences. Adapting tests to various linguistic and cultural contexts is a critical process in today's globalized world, and requires a combination of knowledge and skills from psychometrics, cross-cultural psychology and others. This volume provides a step-by-step approach to cross-cultural test adaptation, emphatically presented as a mélange between science and practice. The volume is driven by the first-hand practical experience of the author in a large number of test adaptation projects in various cultures, and is supported by the consistent scientific body of knowledge accumulated over the last several decades on the topic. It is the first of its kind: an in-depth treatise and guide on why and how to adapt a test to a new culture in such a way as to preserve its psychometric value.
The Transatlantic Partnership Agreement: an American perspective
Authors: Barfield Claude
Published: October 2017

This paper discusses the internal dynamics of American trade policy making in the context of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations. The author describes the active role interest groups, the U.S. business community, and representatives on both sides of the political spectrum have played in the passing of Transatlantic Partnership Agreement (TPA), the TPP negotiations, and currently the TTIP debate. Lastly, the author lays out the challenges TTIP will continue to face in light of opposition to specific TPP provisions, trans-atlantic disagreement over ISDS and data flows, and the recent presidential elections.
Young Adults’ Attachment Orientations and Psychological Health Across Cultures: The Moderating Role of Individualism and Collectivism
Authors: Lin Hong-hui , Chew Pony Yuen-Ga , Wilkinson Ross B.
Published: October 2017

Claims that adult attachment differences across cultures are associated with individual differences in individualism and collectivism have seldom been evaluated. This study investigates how individualism and collectivism may relate to adult attachment orientations (anxiety and avoidance) and whether they moderate the attachment–psychological health link. In samples of young adults from Western (Australians, n = 143) and Eastern (Singaporeans, n = 146) locations, individual differences in individualism and collectivism were significantly associated with attachment avoidance but not anxiety. As predicted, attachment anxiety predicted worse negative symptoms more strongly among individuals higher in collectivism across cultures. However, individualism and collectivism did not moderate the relation between avoidance and negative symptoms. Results suggest there are other factors leading to the differential moderating effect of individualism and collectivism in the attachment–wellbeing link across cultures. The current study highlights the need to look beyond cultural stereotypes in clinical practice.
Taphonomic problems in reconstructing sea-level history from the late Quaternary marine terraces of Barbados
Authors: Muhs Daniel R. , Simmons Kathleen R.
Published: October 2017

Although uranium series (U-series) ages of growth-position fossil corals are important to Quaternary sea-level history, coral clast reworking from storms can yield ages on a terrace dating to more than one high-sea stand, confounding interpretations of sea-level history. On northern Barbados, U-series ages corals from a thick storm deposit are not always younger with successively higher stratigraphic positions, but all date to the last interglacial period (~127 ka to ~112 ka), Marine Isotope Substage (MIS) 5.5. The storm deposit ages are consistent with the ages of growth-position corals found at the base of the section and at landward localities on this terrace. Thus, in this case, analysis of only a few corals would not have led to an error in interpreting sea-level history. In contrast, a notch cut into older Pleistocene limestone below the MIS 5.5 terrace contains corals that date to both MIS 5.5 (~125 ka) and MIS 5.3 (~108 ka). We infer that the notch formed during MIS 5.3 and the MIS 5.5 corals are reworked. Similar multiple ages of corals on terraces have been reported elsewhere on Barbados. Thus, care must be taken in interpreting U-series ages of corals that are reported without consideration of taphonomy.
JUDICIAL REVIEW IN THE EU'S COMMON FOREIGN AND SECURITY POLICY
Authors: Koutrakos Panos
Published: October 2017

The EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) was conceived of as an area ill-suited for full judicial review by the Court of Justice of the European Union. The Lisbon Treaty confers on the Court limited jurisdiction which the recent case law has interpreted in broad terms. This article will place this case law in the broader constitutional setting of the EU legal order and will provide a critical analysis of its implications for both the EU's and domestic courts. The analysis is structured on the basis of three main themes. The first is about the position of CFSP in the EU's constitutional architecture: the article will analyse the constitutional ambivalence that characterizes this position and how it is conveyed by the provisions of the Treaty on the European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union governing the Court's jurisdiction. The second theme is about the recent case law, and the integrationist approach that the Court of Justice has adopted to the scope of its jurisdiction. The third theme is about national courts: the article will argue that recent case law has been too quick to dismiss them, and that primary law renders them an essential part of the judicial review system governing CFSP.
Meiofauna and free-living nematodes in volcanic sands of a remote South Atlantic, oceanic island (Trindade, Brazil)
Authors: Santos T.M.T. , Venekey V.
Published: October 2017

This study presents patterns of spatial and temporal variation in the meiofaunal community and nematode associations on the volcanic sandy beaches of Trindade Island, a remote oceanic island in the South-east Atlantic Ocean. Samples were collected in August (rainy season) and December 2014 (dry season) on four beaches (Tartarugas, Parcel, Cabritos and Portugueses) at three zones of the intertidal (high, mid and low). A total of 10 meiofaunal groups were found. Copepods (31%) and nematodes (27%) dominated the meiofauna in all beaches and zones, regardless of the season. Nematodes were comprised mainly of non-selective deposit feeders, with a total of 27 genera from 12 families, with Cyatholaimidae, Xyalidae and Oncholaimidae as the most diverse and abundant. Significant differences were found in the meiofaunal community, as well as in nematode associations, among seasons and intertidal zones but not among beaches. The sediment characteristics were the main drivers regulating the structure of meiobenthic fauna in Trindade Island. Our findings are also compared to other studies focusing on the meiofauna and nematodes of oceanic islands with carbonate and volcanic sediments; the major patterns are herein presented.
The genealogy of the clinical syndrome of mania: signs and symptoms described in psychiatric texts from 1880 to 1900
Authors: Kendler K. S.
Published: October 2017

In 1800, mania was conceptualized as an agitated psychotic state. By 1900, it closely resembled its modern form. This paper reviews the descriptions of mania in Western psychiatry from 1880 to 1900, when Kraepelin was training and developing his concept of manic-depressive illness. Psychiatric textbooks published 1900–1960 described 22 characteristic manic symptoms/signs the presence of which were recorded in 25 psychiatric textbooks and three other key documents published 1880–1900. Descriptions of mania in these nineteenth century textbooks closely resembled those in the twentieth century, recording a mean (s.d.) of 15.9 (2.3) and 17.0 (2.3) of the characteristic symptoms, respectively (p= 0.12). The frequency with which individual symptoms were reported was substantially correlated in these two periods (r= +0.64). Mendel's 1881 monograph, Kraepelin's first description of mania in 1883 and the entry for mania in Tuke's Dictionary of Psychological Medicine (1892) described a mean (s.d.) of 19 (1.7) of these characteristic symptoms. These descriptions of mania often contained phenomenologically rich descriptions of euphoria, hyperactivity, grandiosity, flight of ideas, and poor judgment. They also emphasized several features not in DSM criteria including changes in character, moral standards and physical appearance, and increased sense of humor and sexual drive. Fifteen authors described key symptoms/signs of mania most reporting elevated mood, motoric hyperactivity and accelerated mental processes. By 1880, the syndrome of mania had been largely stabilized in its modern form. In the formation of his concept of manic-depressive illness, Kraepelin utilized the syndrome of mania as described in the psychiatric community in which he was trained.
Familial aggregation of MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery scores in a large sample of outpatients with schizophrenia and their unaffected relatives
Authors: Mucci A. , Galderisi S. , Green M. F. , Nuechterlein K. , Rucci P. , Gibertoni D. , Rossi A. , Rocca P. , Bertolino A. , Bucci P. , Hellemann G. , Spisto M. , Palumbo D. , Aguglia E. , Amodeo G. , Amore M. , Bellomo A. , Brugnoli R. , Carpiniello B. , Dell'Osso L. , Di Fabio F. , di Giannantonio M. , Di Lorenzo G. , Marchesi C. , Monteleone P. , Montemagni C. , Oldani L. , Romano R. , Roncone R. , Stratta P. , Tenconi E. , Vita A. , Zeppegno P. , Maj M. ,   Italian Network for Research on Psychoses
Published: October 2017

Background

The increased use of the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB) to investigate cognitive dysfunctions in schizophrenia fostered interest in its sensitivity in the context of family studies. As various measures of the same cognitive domains may have different power to distinguish between unaffected relatives of patients and controls, the relative sensitivity of MCCB tests for relative–control differences has to be established. We compared MCCB scores of 852 outpatients with schizophrenia (SCZ) with those of 342 unaffected relatives (REL) and a normative Italian sample of 774 healthy subjects (HCS). We examined familial aggregation of cognitive impairment by investigating within-family prediction of MCCB scores based on probands’ scores.

Methods

Multivariate analysis of variance was used to analyze group differences in adjusted MCCB scores. Weighted least-squares analysis was used to investigate whether probands’ MCCB scores predicted REL neurocognitive performance.

Results

SCZ were significantly impaired on all MCCB domains. REL had intermediate scores between SCZ and HCS, showing a similar pattern of impairment, except for social cognition. Proband's scores significantly predicted REL MCCB scores on all domains except for visual learning.

Conclusions

In a large sample of stable patients with schizophrenia, living in the community, and in their unaffected relatives, MCCB demonstrated sensitivity to cognitive deficits in both groups. Our findings of significant within-family prediction of MCCB scores might reflect disease-related genetic or environmental factors.
Dissociation between affective experience and motivated behaviour in schizophrenia patients and their unaffected first-degree relatives and schizotypal individuals
Authors: Xie Dong-jie , Lui Simon S. Y. , Geng Fu-lei , Yang Zhuo-ya , Zou Ying-min , Li Ying , Yeung Hera K. H. , Cheung Eric F. C. , Heerey Erin A. , Chan Raymond C. K.
Published: October 2017

Background

The neuropsychological origins of negative syndrome of schizophrenia remain elusive. Evidence from behavioural studies, which utilised emotion-inducing pictures to elicit motivated behaviour generally reported that that schizophrenia patients experienced similar affective experience as healthy individuals but failed to translate emotional salience to motivated behaviour, a phenomenon called emotion–behaviour decoupling. However, a few studies have examined emotion–behaviour decoupling in non-psychotic high-risk populations, who are relatively unaffected by medication effects.

Methods

In this study, we examined the nature and extent of emotion–behaviour decoupling in in three independent samples (65 schizophrenia patients v. 63 controls; 40 unaffected relatives v. 45 controls; and 32 individuals with social anhedonia v. 32 controls). We administered an experimental task to examine their affective experience and its coupling with behaviour, using emotion-inducing slides, and allowed participants to alter stimulus exposure using button-pressing to seek pleasure or avoid aversion.

Results

Schizophrenia patients reported similar affective experiences as their controls, while their unaffected relatives and individuals with high levels of social anhedonia exhibited attenuated affective experiences, in particular in the arousal aspect. Compared with their respective control groups, all of the three groups showed emotion–behaviour decoupling.

Conclusions

Our findings support that both genetically and behaviourally high-risk groups exhibit emotion–behaviour decoupling. The familial association apparently supports its role as a putative trait marker for schizophrenia.
THE POWER OF IMAGES: RE-EXAMINING THE WALL PAINTINGS FROM THE THRONE ROOM AT KNOSSOS
Authors: Galanakis Yannis , Tsitsa Efi , Günkel-Maschek Ute
Published: October 2017

The aim of this paper is to re-examine the painted fragments discovered by Arthur Evans and his team in the Throne Room at Knossos in 1900. We have tried to integrate systematically the extant archival data stored in the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford and the archaeological remains at Herakleion in an attempt to retrace the history of discovery of the paintings. In our view, the iconography of this programme places its execution at the onset of Late Minoan (LM) II. We see the inclusion of both ‘traditional’ (Neopalatial) and ‘innovative’ (Final Palatial) elements in the composition as suggestive of an attempt on behalf of the artist(s) and the commissioner(s) to blend artistic traditions in the creation of a new, yet still recognisable, image of power. We assess the implications stemming from this suggestion and interpret the decorative programme of the Throne Room at Knossos as part and expression of the emergence of thewanaxideology.
EVOLUCIÓN DE SALARIOS REALES EN ECUADOR DURANTE LA GRAN DEPRESIÓN, 1927-1937
Authors: Naranjo Navas Cristian Paúl
Published: October 2017

The monetary policies of the decade studied had a direct influence on the evolution of real wages in Ecuador. The gold standard brought with it the increase in real wages until 1932. In February 1932, the Ecuadorian Government decided to abolish the gold standard which, together with a heavy public expenditure, produced a significant increase in money supply causing high levels of inflation. The evolution of real wages in Ecuador is similar to the evolution registered in Latin America in two important aspects: in both cases an upward trend in real wages can be observed once the international crisis began; after the increase in the purchasing power of wages, there is a decline. This study is the first research trying to understand the impact of the Great Depression in Ecuador through the evolution of real wages.
The impact of Spanish on English vocabulary since 1901
Authors: Schultz Julia
Published: October 2017

While there are numerous investigations of the impact of English on Spanish vocabulary, the opposite direction of lexical borrowing has as yet received fairly little attention. Spanish-derived words and meanings which have been taken over into English in the last few decades have been relatively neglected. The present article gives essential insight into the influence of Spanish on the English lexicon since 1901. I assign the different twentieth and twenty-first century Spanish borrowings to various lexical domains in order to offer an overview of the subject areas and fields of life to which Spanish has added new words and senses in recent times.
BLAKflip and Beyond: Aboriginal Performers and Contemporary Circus in Australia
Authors: Lavers Katie , Burtt Jon
Published: October 2017

In this article Katie Lavers and Jon Burtt investigate BLAKflip and Beyond, a programme of workshops set up by the Australian circus company Circus Oz to mentor and support young Aboriginal performers by providing training and pathways into professional circus. Their analysis is contextualized through an examination of the thirty-year history of Circus Oz, most significantly its roots in the progressive and radical politics of the 1970s. The history of notable and successful Aboriginal performers in nineteenth- and twentieth-century Australian circus is also examined, questioning why, given the relative success of Aboriginal circus performers in the recent past, there are almost none working today. Whiteness as a pervasive characteristic of contemporary Australian performance is offered as a possible cause of this absence, while hopes for the future of Aboriginal circus are discussed with Davey Thompson, the new Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Programme Manager at Circus Oz. Katie Lavers is an adjunct faculty member at Edith Cowan University, author of numerous journal articles, and co-editor (with Peta Tait) of The Routledge Circus Studies Reader (2016). Jon Burtt is a lecturer in Dance and Performance Studies at Macquarie University. He is the author of numerous articles on circus pedagogy, and is an advanced-level circus trainer. Lavers and Burtt are currently co-authoring (with Louis Patrick Leroux) a book on contemporary circus (forthcoming 2019).
Precarious Professions: Insolvency and Bankruptcy among Theatrical Artistes in Victorian and Edwardian England
Authors: Ince Bernard
Published: October 2017

In this article Bernard Ince analyzes the characteristics and causes of personal insolvency and bankruptcy among professional theatrical artistes in the Victorian and Edwardian periods, 1830 to 1913, within England and Wales. This offers an illuminating development of the author's previous studies of the impact of bankruptcy laws on the Victorian theatre and the pattern of failures in theatre management over this period. It identifies key points of convergence and divergence between the trends in failure of managers and artistes, considering reasons for these variations and for the number of failures overall. It concludes that prominent among the many causes of insolvency in artistes were touring company failures and irregularity of employment, which goes some way to explain why a higher percentage of artistes than managers were engaged in at least one occupation unrelated to theatre work. The article also provides a necessary methodological foundation for future study of an area that has often been overlooked. Bernard Ince is an independent theatre historian who has contributed earlier studies of tne Victorian and Edwardian theatre to New Theatre Quarterly.
Introduction: Paving the Old-New Way from Qing to China
Authors: Sela Ori
Published: October 2017

The funeral procession of Sheng Xuanhuai (盛宣懷, 1844–1916) – the renowned Qing scholar-official, financier, and “father of Chinese industrialism” – meandered through the streets of Shanghai on 18 November 1917. The funeral was a grand event, one that was purportedly documented in film, later to be distributed as the first “news short-film” (新聞短片) in China. TheNorth China Heraldreported on the event in some detail, at times in rather florid language, and suggested that “the cortege was splendid and impressive, bringing back the days of the Manchu emperors. The ceremonial costumes, the musical instruments and much more of the accoutrements dated back to the days of the Empire” (“Sheng Kung-pao's Funeral,” 1917, 467–68). And indeed, the procession included a variety of ritual customs and insignia from Qing (1644-1911) times: imperial banners, ancestral tablets, Buddhist and Daoist priests, paper artifacts, and much more. Simultaneously, nonetheless, other kinds of participants and objects – new and not of imperial pedigree – were part of and intermixed with the older materials: certificates of rank were carried on cars; boy scouts and college students marched alongside the priests; many of the participants arrived by train (mainly from Sheng's hometown, Suzhou); and as the Shanghai portion of the procession ended, it continued by steamer to Suzhou. The conclusion of theNorth China Heraldaccount, however, seems to have emphasized a dichotomy of old and new rather than a joyful mix of the two:

Hundreds of men, dressed in the ancient costume of the old dynasties, bore a strong contrast to the eight behind them, sons of intimate friends of the deceased. They were on horseback and wore high silk hats, frock coats and white breeches tucked in riding boots.Truly the passing of the old and the entering of the new. (Ibid.; emphasis added)

This view – the old giving way to the new – was not just an off-hand (Western) journalistic analysis; it was part of a larger discourse about the nature of modernity, about progress, and about the relationship between East and West. By the early twentieth century, China was often perceived by most Westerners and Chinese alike as traditional, backward, and weak. It was, thus, commonly stated that the old was giving way to the new (descriptive), should be giving way to the new (prescriptive), or was bound to give way to the new (quasi-fatalistic), if China was to survive. This kind of discourse was put forward by both Western and Chinese writers, who embraced this linear, progressive, view of the relationship between the old and the new, well before Sheng's funeral or the Qing's demise. In the aftermath of that demise, the New (not “Modern”) Culture Movement began to grow and seek solutions for the old-new nation's crisis. The Movement's rhetoric in particular advanced the need for the triumph of the new, and journals, such as New People, New Tide, or New Youth (新民, 新潮, 新青年) served as media for extending such views.
“To Feel at Home in the Wonderful World of Modern Science”: New Chinese Historiography and Qing Intellectual History
Authors: Sela Ori
Published: October 2017

Argument

In recent decades a large body of scholarship on the first half of twentieth-century China has successfully shown the ways in which history and historiography had been constructed at the time, as well as the links between history, national identity, education, and politics that was forged during this period. In this paper, I examine Qing intellectual history, in particular that of the mid or “High Qing.” I discuss the development of the historiography of this field in the early twentieth century by drawing on the larger developments in historiography; by demonstrating how these developments had shaped Qing intellectual history for later times; by focusing on the historical actors’ sense of the importance of “science,” being “scientific,” and “modernization”; and, by unraveling the intimate connections to older historiographical narratives going back all the way to the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
A New Indoor Positioning System Using Artificial Encoded Magnetic Fields
Authors: Wu Falin , Liang Yuan , Fu Yong , Geng Chenghao
Published: October 2017

The demand for accurate indoor positioning continues to grow but the predominant positioning technologies such as Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) are not suitable for indoor environments due to multipath effects and Non-Line-Of-Sight (NLOS) conditions. This paper presents a new indoor positioning system using artificial encoded magnetic fields, which has good properties for NLOS conditions and fewer multipath effects. The encoded magnetic fields are generated by multiple beacons; each beacon periodically generates unique magnetic field sequences, which consist of a gold code sequence and a beacon location sequence. The position of an object can be determined with measurements from a tri-axial magnetometer using a three-step method: performing time synchronisation between sensor and beacons, identifying the beacon field and the beacon location, and estimating the position of the object. The results of the simulation and experiment show that the proposed system is capable of achieving Two-Dimensional (2D) and Three-Dimensional (3D) accuracy at sub-decimetre and decimetre levels, respectively.
Participation sociale et personnes ayant des atteintes cognitives et centre communautaire de loisir : une équation possible?
Authors: Éthier Sophie , Carbonneau Hélène , Bettencourt Karyne Joseane , Verreault Karine
Published: October 2017

Validating support of social participation for people with cognitive impairment (CI) plays a predominant role in maintaining identity, autonomy, sense of belonging and social bonding. Yet what restricts this participation—intervention methods, cognitive impairment, or other individuals in the participant’s environment? This study documents stakeholders’, volunteers’ and users’ perceptions of people with CI in community recreation centres (CRC). Six focus groups (n = 44) in Montreal, Quebec City and Drummondville highlighted some issues concerning this subject. Although sympathetic to a society where people with multiple weaknesses coexist, participants are not convinced of the need to include those whose memory and judgment are failing. The integration of people with CI includes relational and organizational challenges and questions our relationship to cognitive aging and performance values in an inclusive environment.