bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Self‐Gripping Meshes for Lichtenstein Repair. Do We Need Additional Suture Fixation?
Authors: Köhler Gernot , Lechner Michael , Mayer Franz , Köckerling Ferdinand , Schrittwieser Rudolf , Fortelny René H. , Adolf Daniela , Emmanuel Klaus
Published: November 2015

Background

The Lichtenstein repair is a frequently used treatment of inguinal hernias. In recent years, there has been an increasing tendency to apply self‐gripping meshes (s.g). In many cases, additional suture of the mesh is carried out; however, it is uncertain what the benefits or potential risks of this actually are.

Methods

The evaluation was undertaken on the basis of the Herniamed register, and covered all unilateral Lichtenstein operations between 01.09.2009 up to 30.09.2013. The analysis only included patients with whom s.g. meshes with resorbable micro hooks had been used (Progrip®, Covidien) and who had undergone a full 1‐year follow‐up examination (80.15 %).

Results

In total, 2095 patients were suitable for analysis, of which 816 (38.95 %) cases received an additional suture fixation (Fix). With increasing hernia size, more frequent fixation took place (29.97 % of hernias <1.5 cm vs. 46.65 % of hernias >3 cm, p < 0.001). The recurrence rates 1 year after surgery did not show any significant differences (Fix. 0.86 % vs. No Fix. 1.17 %; p = 0.661) with and without fixation, even when being adjusted for covariables. Likewise, no differences were noted in terms of postoperative complications (Fix. 5.15 % vs. No Fix. 5.08 %; p = 1.0). In addition, the numbers of patients needing to be treated after 1 year for chronic pain were also comparable (Fix. 2.33 % vs. No Fix. 2.97 %; p = 0.411).

Conclusion

Within the group that did not have additional suture fixation of self‐gripping meshes (No Fix.), the length of operations was on average 8 min shorter (p < 0.001). No differences could be observed in terms of postoperative complications, treatment requiring chronic pain and recurrence rates.
Transduodenal Ampullectomy for the Treatment of Early‐Stage Ampulla of Vater Cancer
Authors: Lee Huisong , Park Jin Young , Kwon Wooil , Heo Jin Seok , Choi Dong Wook , Choi Seong Ho
Published: November 2015

Background

Transduodenal ampullectomy (TDA) is a less invasive procedure than pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). However, the outcomes of TDA and PD have been compared rarely in early ampullary cancer.

Methods

From September 1994 to June 2013, the patients who underwent curative surgery for Tis or T1 ampulla of Vater neoplasm were identified. The patients were divided into two groups according to the types of surgery; TDA group and PD group. The patient characteristics and survival outcomes were retrospectively investigated between the two groups.

Results

Total 137 patients were included in this study. The 18 patients underwent TDA and 119 patients underwent PD for Tis or T1 ampullary cancer. There was no lymph node metastasis in the patients with Tis tumor although 10 of 104 patients had lymph node metastasis in T1 cancer. After a median follow‐up of 50 months (range, 6–148), there were no recurrence after TDA for Tis tumor. However, the TDA was associated with higher local recurrence rate than PD in the patients with T1 ampullary cancer on Kaplan–Meier survival analysis (p = 0.007).

Conclusion

The TDA is feasible treatment for Tis ampulla of Vater neoplasm. However, TDA is unsuitable for the treatment of T1 ampulla of Vater cancer.
Referential calls coordinate multi-species mobbing in a forest bird community
Authors: Suzuki Toshitaka N.
Published: November 2015

Japanese great tits (Parus minor) use a sophisticated system of anti-predator communication when defending their offspring: they produce different mobbing calls for different nest predators (snake versus non-snake predators) and thereby convey this information to conspecifics (i.e. functionally referential call system). The present playback experiments revealed that these calls also serve to coordinate multi-species mobbing at nests; snake-specific mobbing calls attracted heterospecific individuals close to the sound source and elicited snake-searching behaviour, whereas non-snake mobbing calls attracted these birds at a distance. This study demonstrates for the first time that referential mobbing calls trigger different formations of multi-species mobbing parties.
Propuesta de abastecimiento de medicamentos coordinando multiniveles de demanda. Un caso ilustrativo chileno
Authors: Rojas Zúñiga Fernando , Román Luza Daniel , Farías Soto Pamela , Coluccio Piñones Giuliani
Published: November 2015

El sistema de abastecimiento de medicamentos en atención primaria de salud en Chile posee un único proveedor a nivel nacional y no considera multiniveles de demanda para el cálculo del aprovisionamiento, generando superávit de inventario. El presente trabajo propone una política de abastecimiento de revisión periódica mediante un pronóstico probabilístico de demanda, modelando su estructura de dependencia en forma individual y mediante cópulas bivariadas, coordinando los multiniveles y minimizando los costos. El estudio se llevó acabo en una muestra de 104 medicamentos abastecidos durante 3 años en un centro de salud familiar chileno. Los resultados generados muestran que la política propuesta disminuiría semanalmente en un 8,22% los costos de compra, en un 95,47% los costos de ordenar y en un 54,6% los costos totales.
Update on Brain Tumors: New Developments in Neuro‐oncologic Diagnosis and Treatment, and Impact on Rehabilitation Strategies
Authors: Shahpar Samman , Mhatre Priya V. , Huang Mark E.
Published: November 2015

Brain tumors can be a source of functional impairment to patients due to neurologic sequelae associated with the tumor itself as well as treatment side effects. As a result, many of these patients may require rehabilitation services. Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy have been longstanding, primary treatment modalities in the management of brain tumors, though these treatments continue to evolve given new developments in research and technology. A better understanding of the diagnostic workup and current treatment standards helps the physiatrist and rehabilitation team identify rehabilitation services needed, recognize potential side‐effects from anticipated or concurrent treatments, and coordinate care with referral sources. The purpose of this article is to review these new advances in diagnosis and treatment of patients with brain tumors, as well as discuss the rehabilitation implications for this population, including factors such as rehabilitation approach, timing of concomitant treatment, cost management, and coordination of care.
Travels and Discoveries in North and Central Africa
Authors: Barth Heinrich
Published: November 2015

Born in Hamburg, Henry (Heinrich) Barth (1821–1865) studied history, archaeology, geography and Arabic. He joined James Richardson's 1849 expedition to Africa, which aimed to open the interior to trade and to study slavery. Following the deaths of Richardson (1851) and his colleague Overweg (1852), Barth led the expedition alone. His travels extended to Lake Chad in the east, Cameroon in the south and Timbuktu in the west. He was the first European to use the oral traditions of the local tribes for historical research, learning several African languages, and studying the history, resources and civilisations of the people he encountered. Barth's five-volume account includes plates, engravings and detailed annotated maps. Published in both English and German in 1857–1858, it is still regarded as a major source on African culture. Volume 2 describes the settlements and peoples found on the journey from Kano to the shore of Lake Chad.
Selected Papers, 1821–38
Authors: Henslow John Stevens , Parker J. S.
Published: November 2015

Professor of botany from 1825 until his death, John Stevens Henslow (1796–1861) revived and greatly advanced the study of plants at Cambridge. His influence helped to make the University Botanic Garden an important centre for teaching and research. Originally published over a period of seventeen years, and now reissued here together, these thirteen papers reveal the impressive breadth of Henslow's scientific knowledge. The first two items, from 1821, address the geology of the Isle of Man and Anglesey respectively, preceding his five-year tenure as chair of mineralogy at Cambridge from 1822. The rest of the papers, dating from 1829 to 1838, address botanical topics. Professor John Parker, Director of Cambridge University Botanic Garden, has provided a new introduction that traces Henslow's developing interests and contextualises the items in this collection. Several of Henslow's other publications, including his Catalogue of British Plants (1829), are reissued separately in this series.
Naukratis I and II, Hawara, Biahmu, and Arsinoe
Authors: Petrie William Matthew Flinders , Gardner Ernest A.
Published: November 2015

A pioneering Egyptologist, Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie (1853–1942) excavated over fifty sites and trained a generation of archaeologists. Ernest A. Gardner (1862–1939) was to become a leading classical archaeologist, but his first major project was carrying on the work of Petrie at Naukratis, the ancient Greek colony in the Nile Delta that Petrie had discovered in 1884. Reissued here together are Petrie's initial excavation report of 1886 and Gardner's 1888 continuation, each with many illustrations and material contributed by specialists on certain topics. Notably, the finds of inscribed pottery yielded significant insights into how the Greek alphabet developed. The final component included here is Petrie's 1889 report covering recent digs, particularly his discovery of a Roman necropolis and dozens of remarkable mummy portraits at Hawara. He wrote prolifically throughout his long career, and a great many of his other publications are also reissued in this series.
Six Temples at Thebes, Naqada and Ballas
Authors: Petrie William Matthew Flinders , Quibell J. E.
Published: November 2015

A pioneering Egyptologist, Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie (1853–1942) excavated over fifty sites and trained a generation of archaeologists. This single-volume reissue brings together two of his well-illustrated excavation reports. The first, originally published in 1897, describes work on six of the temples at Thebes, including the discovery of the famous Merneptah Stele, which contains the first non-biblical reference to Israel. A chapter on this inscription and others found in the temples is provided by the German scholar Wilhelm Spiegelberg (1870–1930). The second report, first published in 1896, discusses the archaeological work carried out at Naqada and Ballas by Petrie and James Edward Quibell (1867–1935), with a chapter by F. C. J. Spurrell (1842–1915) on the flint implements found at Naqada. Petrie wrote prolifically throughout his long career, and a great many of his other publications - for both specialists and non-specialists - are also reissued in this series.
Ecological Climatology
Authors: Bonan Gordon
Published: November 2015

The third edition of Gordon Bonan's comprehensive textbook introduces an interdisciplinary framework to understand the interaction between terrestrial ecosystems and climate change. Ideal for advanced undergraduate and graduate students studying ecology, environmental science, atmospheric science, and geography, it reviews basic meteorological, hydrological, and ecological concepts to examine the physical, chemical, and biological processes by which terrestrial ecosystems affect and are affected by climate. This new edition has been thoroughly updated with new science and references. The scope has been expanded beyond its initial focus on energy, water, and carbon to include reactive gases and aerosols in the atmosphere. The new edition emphasizes the Earth as a system, recognizing interconnections among the planet's physical, chemical, biological, and socioeconomic components, and emphasizing global environmental sustainability. Each chapter contains chapter summaries and review questions, and with over 400 illustrations, including many in color, this textbook will once again be an essential student guide.
The Manuscript of Great Expectations
Authors: Dickens Charles
Published: November 2015

The novels of Charles Dickens (1812–70), with their inimitable energy and their comic, tragic and grotesque characters, are still widely read, and reworked for film and television. Dickens himself had the original manuscripts of his works bound and presented them to his friends. That of Great Expectations was given to Chauncy Hare Townshend, with whom Dickens shared an interest in mesmerism and the occult. Townshend bequeathed his library (including the manuscript), together with collections of paintings and objects, to the Wisbech and Fenland Museum in 1868. The manuscript has been newly photographed and is here reproduced in colour and at actual size. The Cambridge Library Collection is also reissuing the serialised version of Great Expectations (1860–1) and the first book edition (1861, in three volumes). Dickens scholars and enthusiasts can now study the work-in-progress, with all its deletions and revisions, alongside the first two published versions.
Letters to Gilbert White of Selborne
Authors: Mulso John
Published: November 2015

These letters to Gilbert White (1720–93), the author of The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne (1789; also reissued in this series) were published in 1907. They were written between 1744 and 1790 by John Mulso (1721–91); brother of the bluestocking Mrs Chapone, to White, whom he had met when both were undergraduates at Oxford. White's letters to Mulso were unfortunately destroyed, frustrating plans to publish a 'most interesting and amusing series of letters' between intimate friends, but the remaining half of the correspondence, 'containing almost the only contemporary illustration of Gilbert White's character and career', and then in the possession of the earl of Stamford, was edited by Rashleigh Holt-White, a great-great-nephew and enthusiast of his ancestor's life. These fascinating letters give insights into not only White's character but also the lives of the gentry of the period, and the intellectual milieu in which both men moved.
Als Eskimo unter den Eskimos
Authors: Klutschak Heinrich W.
Published: November 2015

With this 1881 publication, Heinrich Klutschak (1847–90), a German native of Prague, produced one of the first comprehensive accounts of Inuit life. In the years 1878–80 the artist and writer was part of an expedition, led by the American soldier Frederick Schwatka, which travelled in the Canadian Arctic. This undertaking was but one of many that sought to discover what had happened during the last expedition of the British explorer Sir John Franklin in the 1840s. As the title of the work indicates, Klutschak and his fellow expedition members attempted to live as fully as possible in the manner of the Inuit and in close proximity to them. Although Klutschak dwells on the antipathy between some of the Inuit bands, the general tone of the book is one of respect for their survival skills and way of life.
A System of Moral Philosophy
Authors: Hutcheson Francis
Published: November 2015

Often described as the father of the Scottish Enlightenment, Francis Hutcheson (1694–1746) was born in the north of Ireland to an Ulster-Scottish Presbyterian family. Organised into three 'books' that were divided between two volumes, A System of Moral Philosophy was his most comprehensive work. It synthesised ideas that he had formulated as a minister and as the Chair of Moral Philosophy at the University of Glasgow (1729–46). Published posthumously by his son in 1755, prefaced by an account of his life, it is the only treatise by Hutcheson for which a manuscript is known to have survived. Asserting that individual natural rights derive from an innate understanding of moral behaviour, Hutcheson offers a model that mediates between individual interests and communal ideals. Containing Book 1 and part of Book 2, Volume 1 describes the role and perception of 'perfect' and 'imperfect' natural rights.
Language in Prehistory
Authors: Barnard Alan
Published: November 2015

For ninety per cent of our history, humans have lived as 'hunters and gatherers', and for most of this time, as talking individuals. No direct evidence for the origin and evolution of language exists; we do not even know if early humans had language, either spoken or signed. Taking an anthropological perspective, Alan Barnard acknowledges this difficulty and argues that we can nevertheless infer a great deal about our linguistic past from what is around us in the present. Hunter-gatherers still inhabit much of the world, and in sufficient number to enable us to study the ways in which they speak, the many languages they use, and what they use them for. Barnard investigates the lives of hunter-gatherers by understanding them in their own terms, to create a book which will be welcomed by all those interested in the evolution of language.
Transcendental Magic
Authors: Lévi Éliphas
Published: November 2015

Born Alphonse Louis Constant, French magician Éliphas Lévi (1810–75) wrote prolifically on the occult sciences. His hugely popular Dogme et rituel de la haute magie, published in French in 1854, was translated into English by Arthur Edward Waite (1857–1942) in 1896. In the present work, Waite condenses Lévi's two volumes into one. The first part outlines Lévi's theory of the doctrine of transcendent magic and discusses a wide range of magical phenomena, including bewitchment, Kabbalah and alchemy. The second part focuses on the practical aspects of ritual and ceremony in Western occult philosophy. Waite, a mystic and occult historian, edited several alchemical and magical texts for publication in the wake of the mid-nineteenth century occult revival. His translation is accompanied by a preface outlining Lévi's colourful career. The original two-volume French edition is also reissued in the Cambridge Library Collection.
The Woman Question in Europe
Authors: Cobbe Frances Power
Published: November 2015

The American journalist Theodore Stanton (1851–1925), son of the leading feminist and suffragist Elizabeth Cady Stanton, published this remarkable collection of essays in 1884. His intention had been to get from each European country 'the collaboration of one or more women, who … had participated, either actively or in spirit, in some phase of the women's movement'. In seventeen chapters, all but two written by women, the progress of 'the woman question' - the debate on the rights of women to financial independence, higher education and the franchise - across Europe (and in the Ottoman empire) is described, largely for an American and British readership. The work, introduced by the veteran feminist Frances Power Cobbe, has among the contributors (each given a short biography) many famous names in the struggle for women's rights at the end of the nineteenth century, including (from Britain) Millicent Garrett Fawcett, Jessie Boucherett and Maria Grey.
The Design of Mammals
Authors: Prothero John William
Published: November 2015

Despite an astonishing 100 million-fold range in adult body mass from bumblebee bat to blue whale, all mammals are formed of the same kinds of molecules, cells, tissues and organs and to the same overall body plan. A scaling approach investigates the principles of mammal design by examining the ways in which mammals of diverse size and taxonomy are quantitatively comparable. This book presents an extensive reanalysis of scaling data collected over a quarter of a century, including many rarely or never-cited sources. The result is an unparalleled contribution to understanding scaling in mammals, addressing a uniquely extensive range of mammal attributes and using substantially larger and more rigorously screened samples than in any prior works. An invaluable resource for all those interested in the 'design' of mammals, this is an ideal resource for postgraduates and researchers in a range of fields from comparative physiology to ecology.
Religious Persecution and Political Order in the United States
Authors: Smith David T.
Published: November 2015

Religious freedom is a foundational value of the United States, but not all religious minorities have been shielded from religious persecution in America. This book examines why the state has acted to protect some religious minorities while allowing others to be persecuted or actively persecuting them. It details the persecution experiences of Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Catholics, Jews, the Nation of Islam, and orthodox Muslims in America, developing a theory for why the state intervened to protect some but not others. The book argues that the state will persecute religious minorities if state actors consider them a threat to political order, but they will protect religious minorities if they believe persecution is a greater threat to political order. From the beginning of the republic to after 9/11, religious freedom in America has depended on the state's perception of political threats.
Organisms, Agency, and Evolution
Authors: Walsh D. M.
Published: November 2015

The central insight of Darwin's Origin of Species is that evolution is an ecological phenomenon, arising from the activities of organisms in the 'struggle for life'. By contrast, the Modern Synthesis theory of evolution, which rose to prominence in the twentieth century, presents evolution as a fundamentally molecular phenomenon, occurring in populations of sub-organismal entities - genes. After nearly a century of success, the Modern Synthesis theory is now being challenged by empirical advances in the study of organismal development and inheritance. In this important study, D. M. Walsh shows that the principal defect of the Modern Synthesis resides in its rejection of Darwin's organismal perspective, and argues for 'situated Darwinism': an alternative, organism-centred conception of evolution that prioritises organisms as adaptive agents. His book will be of interest to scholars and advanced students of evolutionary biology and the philosophy of biology.
Building an Authoritarian Polity
Authors: Gill Graeme
Published: November 2015

Graeme Gill shows why post-Soviet Russia has failed to achieve the democratic outcome widely expected at the time of the fall of the Soviet Union, instead emerging as an authoritarian polity. He argues that the decisions of dominant elites have been central to the construction of an authoritarian polity, and explains how this occurred in four areas of regime-building: the relationship with the populace, the manipulation of the electoral system, the internal structure of the regime itself, and the way the political elite has been stabilised. Instead of the common 'Yeltsin is a democrat, Putin an autocrat' paradigm, this book shows how Putin built upon the foundations that Yeltsin had laid. It offers a new framework for the study of an authoritarian political system, and is therefore relevant not just to Russia but to many other authoritarian polities.
Multidimensional Democracy
Authors: Harden Jeffrey J.
Published: November 2015

Multidimensional Democracy examines political representation from the supply (legislator) and demand (constituent) perspectives. Focusing on four dimensions - policy, service, allocation, and descriptive representation - it documents systematic variation in what people want from legislators and what legislators choose to emphasize while in office. It has important implications for the study of representation, as well as normative questions about political inequality in America. The demand-side results show that constituents who are economically advantaged tend to prefer policy-based representation while the disadvantaged place relatively more importance in constituent service and/or allocation. Suggestive results from the legislator data complement this finding; legislators in wealthy, white districts tend to focus more on policy while those representing economically disadvantaged and racially diverse districts may place more emphasis on service and/or allocation. A likely consequence is that the policy choices made by representatives reflect the policy preferences of the economically advantaged because policy representation is what those citizens want.
Preparedness 3.0: Addressing the Future
Authors: Benjamin Georges C.
Published: November 2015

The last 14 years has taught us that that we are facing a new reality; a reality in which public health emergencies are a common occurrence. Today, we live in a world with dangerous people without state sponsorship who are an enormous threat to our safety; one where emerging and reemerging infectious diseases are waiting to break out; a world where the benefits of globalization in trade, transportation, and social media brings threats to our communities faster and with a greater risk than ever before. Even climate change has entered into the preparedness equation, bringing with it the forces of nature in the form of extreme weather and its complications. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2015;9:728–729)
Optimizing Health Care Coalitions: Conceptual Frameworks and a Research Agenda
Authors: Hupert Nathaniel , Biala Karen , Holland Tara , Baehr Avi , Hasan Aisha , Harvey Melissa
Published: November 2015

The US health care system has maintained an objective of preparedness for natural or manmade catastrophic events as part of its larger charge to deliver health services for the American population. In 2002, support for hospital-based preparedness activities was bolstered by the creation of the National Bioterrorism Hospital Preparedness Program, now called the Hospital Preparedness Program, in the US Department of Health and Human Services. Since 2012, this program has promoted linking health care facilities into health care coalitions that build key preparedness and emergency response capabilities. Recognizing that well-functioning health care coalitions can have a positive impact on the health outcomes of the populations they serve, this article informs efforts to optimize health care coalition activity. We first review the landscape of health care coalitions in the United States. Then, using principles from supply chain management and high-reliability organization theory, we present 2 frameworks extending beyond the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response’s current guidance in a way that may help health care coalition leaders gain conceptual insight into how different enterprises achieve similar ends relevant to emergency response. We conclude with a proposed research agenda to advance understanding of how coalitions can contribute to the day-to-day functioning of health care systems and disaster preparedness. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness.2015;9:717–723)
Transforming Health Care Coalitions From Hospitals to Whole of Community: Lessons Learned From Two Large Health Care Organizations
Authors: Cormier Scott , Wargo Michael , Winslow Walter
Published: November 2015

A health care emergency preparedness coalition (coalition) is a group of health care organizations, public safety agencies, and public health partners that join forces for the common cause of making their communities safer, healthier, and more resilient. Coalitions have been characterized as being focused on hospital systems instead of the health care of the community as a whole. We discuss 2 examples of coalition partners that use a more inclusive approach to planning, response, and recovery. The first is a large health care system spread across 23 states, and the other is a public safety agency in northeast Pennsylvania that took the lead to address the preparedness and response toward a large influx of burn patients and grew to encompass all aspects of community health care. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2015;9:712–716)
Displacement flows under elastic membranes. Part 2. Analysis of interfacial effects
Authors: Peng Gunnar G. , Pihler-Puzović Draga , Juel Anne , Heil Matthias , Lister John R.
Published: November 2015

We investigate the injection of inviscid gas into the narrow liquid-filled gap between a rigid base plate and an overlying elastic sheet. After an early-time transient in which the gas deflects the sheet into a large blister, the viscous liquid displaced by the expanding bubble starts to accumulate in a wedge which advances as the elastic sheet peels away from the base. We analyse theoretically the subsequent interaction between viscous forces, elastic (bending or tension) forces and capillary forces. Asymptotic expressions are derived for the speed of spreading of the bubble, which reveal that the effect of the capillary pressure drop at the bubble tip is to suck down the sheet over the liquid wedge and thereby reduce the speed. We show that the system passes through three different asymptotic regimes in sequence. At early times, capillary effects are weak and hence the spreading of the bubble is controlled dominantly by the viscous-peeling process at the wedge tip. The capillary forces grow in importance with time, and at late times they dominate viscous effects and balance with elastic forces, leading to quasi-static spreading. Finally, at very late times, the capillary suction generates a narrow bottleneck at the wedge tip, which pushes a large ridge of liquid ahead of it. These results hold in the framework of standard lubrication theory as well as with an improved lubrication model, which takes into account films of wetting liquid deposited behind the advancing bubble tip. The predictions of the model are shown to be in excellent agreement with the Navier–Stokes simulations and experimental results from Part 1 of this work.
Instability driven by boundary inflow across shear: a way to circumvent Rayleigh’s stability criterion in accretion disks?
Authors: Kerswell R. R.
Published: November 2015

We investigate the two-dimensional (2D) instability recently discussed by Gallet et al. (Phys. Fluids, vol. 22, 2010, 034105) and Ilin & Morgulis (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 730, 2013, pp. 364–378) which arises when a radial cross-flow is imposed on a centrifugally stable swirling flow. By finding a simpler rectilinear example of the instability – a sheared half-plane, the minimal ingredients for the instability are identified and the destabilising/stabilising effect of inflow/outflow boundaries clarified. The instability – christened ‘boundary inflow instability’ here – is of critical layer type where this layer is either at the inflow wall and the growth rate is $O(\sqrt{{\it\eta}})$ (as found by Ilin & Morgulis (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 730, 2013, pp. 364–378)), or in the interior of the flow and the growth rate is $O({\it\eta}\log 1/{\it\eta})$, where ${\it\eta}$ measures the (small) inflow-to-tangential-flow ratio. The instability is robust to changes in the rotation profile, even to those which are very Rayleigh-stable, and the addition of further physics such as viscosity, three-dimensionality and compressibility, but is sensitive to the boundary condition imposed on the tangential velocity field at the inflow boundary. Providing the vorticity is not fixed at the inflow boundary, the instability seems generic and operates by the inflow advecting vorticity present at the boundary across the interior shear. Both the primary bifurcation to 2D states and secondary bifurcations to 3D states are found to be supercritical. Assuming an accretion flow driven by molecular viscosity only, so ${\it\eta}=O(Re^{-1})$, the instability is not immediately relevant for accretion disks since the critical threshold is $O(Re^{-2/3})$ and the inflow boundary conditions are more likely to be stress-free than non-slip. However, the analysis presented here does highlight the potential for mass entering a disk to disrupt the orbiting flow if this mass flux possesses vorticity.
Enhanced secondary motion of the turbulent flow through a porous square duct
Authors: Samanta A. , Vinuesa R. , Lashgari I. , Schlatter P. , Brandt L.
Published: November 2015

Direct numerical simulations of the fully developed turbulent flow through a porous square duct are performed to study the effect of the permeable wall on the secondary cross-stream flow. The volume-averaged Navier–Stokes equations are used to describe the flow in the porous phase, a packed bed with porosity${\it\varepsilon}_{c}=0.95$. The porous square duct is computed at$\mathit{Re}_{b}\simeq 5000$and compared with the numerical simulations of a turbulent duct with four solid walls. The two boundary layers on the top wall and porous interface merge close to the centre of the duct, as opposed to the channel, because the sidewall boundary layers inhibit the growth of the shear layer over the porous interface. The most relevant feature in the porous duct is the enhanced magnitude of the secondary flow, which exceeds that of a regular duct by a factor of four. This is related to the increased vertical velocity, and the different interaction between the ejections from the sidewalls and the porous medium. We also report a significant decrease in the streamwise turbulence intensity over the porous wall of the duct (which is also observed in a porous channel), and the appearance of short spanwise rollers in the buffer layer, replacing the streaky structures of wall-bounded turbulence. These spanwise rollers most probably result from a Kelvin–Helmholtz type of instability, and their width is limited by the presence of the sidewalls.
Dependency Status and Demand for Social Insurance: Evidence from Experiments and Surveys
Authors: Ahlquist John S. , Hamman John R. , Jones Bradley M.
Published: November 2015

Current thinking on the origins and size of the welfare state often ignores household relations in which people may depend on others for income or have dependents themselves. The influence of “dependency status” on individuals’ political preferences is unknown. We report results from a laboratory experiment designed to estimate the effect of dependency on preferences for policies that insure against labor market risk. Results indicate that (1) willingness to vote in favor of a social insurance policy is highly responsive to unemployment risk, (2) symmetric, mutual dependence is unrelated to support for insurance, but (3) asymmetric dependence (being dependent on someone else) increases support for social insurance. We connect our lab results to observational survey data and find similar relationships.
Geographical variations of risk factors associated with HCV infection in drug users in southwestern China
Authors: ZHOU Y. B. , WANG Q. X. , YANG M. X. , GONG Y. H. , YANG Y. , NIE S. J. , LIANG S. , NAN L. , COATSWORTH A. , YANG A. H. , LIAO Q. , SONG X. X. , JIANG Q.W.
Published: November 2015

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has become a global public health problem. Many studies have been conducted to identify risk factors for HCV infection. However, some of these studies reported inconsistent results. Using data collected from 11 methadone clinics, we fit both a non-spatial logistical regression and a geographically weighted logistic regression to analyse the association between HCV infection and some factors at the individual level. This study enrolled 5401 patients with 30·0% HCV infection prevalence. The non-spatial logistical regression found that injection history, drug rehabilitation history and senior high-school education or above were related to HCV infection; and being married was negatively associated with HCV infection. Using the spatial model, we found that Yi ethnicity was negatively related to HCV infection in 62·0% of townships, and being married was negatively associated with HCV infection in 81·0% of townships. Senior high-school education or above was positively associated with HCV infection in 55·2% of townships of the Yi Autonomous Prefecture. The spatial model offers better understanding of the geographical variations of the risk factors associated with HCV infection. The geographical variations may be useful for customizing intervention strategies for local regions for more efficient allocation of limited resources to control transmission of HCV.
Prenatal vitamin D supplementation and infant vitamin D status in Bangladesh
Authors: Perumal Nandita , Al Mahmud Abdullah , Baqui Abdullah H , Roth Daniel E
Published: November 2015

Objective

To determine the effect of prenatal maternal vitamin D supplementation on infant vitamin D status in a tropical region where vitamin D supplementation is not routine.

Design

A prospective observational follow-up of a randomized trial.

Setting

Maternal–child health facility in Dhaka, Bangladesh (23°N).

Subjects

Infants born to pregnant women (n 160) randomized to receive 875 µg (35 000 IU) cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) per week (VD) or placebo (PL) during the third trimester were followed from birth until 6 months of age (n 115). Infant serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration (25(OH)D) was measured at <1, 2, 4 and 6 months of age.

Results

Mean infant 25(OH)D was higher in the VD v. PL group at <1 month of age (mean (sd): 80 (20) nmol/l v. 22 (18) nmol/l; P<0·001), but the difference was attenuated by 2 months (52 (19) nmol/l v. 40 (23) nmol/l; P=0·05). Groups were similar at 4 months (P=0·40) and 6 months (n 72; P=0·26). In the PL group, mean infant 25(OH)D increased to 78 (95 % CI 67, 88) nmol/l by 6 months of age (n 34). 25(OH)D was higher with infant formula-feeding and higher in summer v. winter.

Conclusions

Prenatal third-trimester vitamin D supplementation (875 µg (35 000 IU)/week) significantly ameliorated infant vitamin D status during the neonatal period when the risk of vitamin D deficiency is greatest. Further research is warranted to determine factors that contribute to the rise in 25(OH)D during the first 6 months of life among breast-fed infants in this setting.
Pachychoroid neovasculopathy and age-related macular degeneration
Authors: Miyake Masahiro , Ooto Sotaro , Yamashiro Kenji , Takahashi Ayako , Yoshikawa Munemitsu , Akagi-Kurashige Yumiko , Ueda-Arakawa Naoko , Oishi Akio , Nakanishi Hideo , Tamura Hiroshi , Tsujikawa Akitaka , Yoshimura Nagahisa
Published: November 2015

Pachychoroid neovasculopathy is a recently proposed clinical entity of choroidal neovascularization (CNV). As it often masquerades as neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD), it is currently controversial whether pachychoroid neovasculopathy should be distinguished from neovascular AMD. This is because its characteristics have yet to be well described. To estimate the relative prevalence of pachychoroid neovasculopathy in comparison with neovascular AMD and to investigate the phenotypic/genetic differences of the two diseases, we evaluated 200 consecutive Japanese patients who agreed to participate in the genetic study and diagnosed with pachychoroid neovasculopathy or neovascular AMD. Pachychoroid neovasculopathy was observed in 39 individuals (19.5%), which corresponds to one fourth of neovascular AMD. Patients with pachychoroid neovasculopathy were significantly younger (p = 5.1 × 10−5) and showed a greater subfoveal choroidal thickness (p = 3.4 × 10−14). Their genetic susceptibility to AMD was significantly lower than that of neovascular AMD; ARMS2 rs10490924 (p = 0.029), CFH rs800292 (p = 0.013) and genetic risk score calculated from 11 AMD susceptibility genes (p = 3.8 × 10−3). Current results implicate that the etiologies of the two conditions must be different. Thus, it will be necessary to distinguish these two conditions in future studies.
A method for estimating spikelet number per panicle: Integrating image analysis and a 5-point calibration model
Authors: Zhao Sanqin , Gu Jiabing , Zhao Youyong , Hassan Muhammad , Li Yinian , Ding Weimin
Published: November 2015

Spikelet number per panicle (SNPP) is one of the most important yield components used to estimate rice yields. The use of high-throughput quantitative image analysis methods for understanding the diversity of the panicle has increased rapidly. However, it is difficult to simultaneously extract panicle branch and spikelet/grain information from images at the same resolution due to the different scales of these traits. To use a lower resolution and meet the accuracy requirement, we proposed an interdisciplinary method that integrated image analysis and a 5-point calibration model to rapidly estimate SNPP. First, a linear relationship model between the total length of the primary branch (TLPB) and the SNPP was established based on the physiological characteristics of the panicle. Second, the TLPB and area (the primary branch region) traits were rapidly extracted by developing image analysis algorithm. Finally, a 5-point calibration method was adopted to improve the universality of the model. The number of panicle samples that the error of the SNPP estimates was less than 10% was greater than 90% by the proposed method. The estimation accuracy was consistent with the accuracy determined using manual measurements. The proposed method uses available concepts and techniques for automated estimations of rice yield information.
Protection of soil carbon within macro-aggregates depends on intra-aggregate pore characteristics
Authors: Kravchenko Alexandra N. , Negassa Wakene C. , Guber Andrey K. , Rivers Mark L.
Published: November 2015

Soil contains almost twice as much carbon (C) as the atmosphere and 5–15% of soil C is stored in a form of particulate organic matter (POM). Particulate organic matter C is regarded as one of the most labile components of the soil C, such that can be easily lost under right environmental settings. Conceptually, micro-environmental conditions are understood to be responsible for protection of soil C. However, quantitative knowledge of the specific mechanisms driving micro-environmental effects is still lacking. Here we combined CO2respiration measurements of intact soil samples with X-ray computed micro-tomography imaging and investigated how micro-environmental conditions, represented by soil pores, influence decomposition of POM. We found that atmosphere-connected soil pores influenced soil C’s and especially POM’s, decomposition. In presence of such pores losses in POM were 3–15 times higher than in their absence. Moreover, we demonstrated the presence of a feed-forward relationship between soil C decomposition and pore connections that enhance it. Since soil hydrology and soil pores are likely to be affected by future climate changes, our findings indicate that not-accounting for the influence of soil pores can add another sizable source of uncertainty to estimates of future soil C losses.
Dense sampling reveals behavioral oscillations in rapid visual categorization
Authors: Drewes Jan , Zhu Weina , Wutz Andreas , Melcher David
Published: November 2015

Perceptual systems must create discrete objects and events out of a continuous flow of sensory information. Previous studies have demonstrated oscillatory effects in the behavioral outcome of low-level visual tasks, suggesting a cyclic nature of visual processing as the solution. To investigate whether these effects extend to more complex tasks, a stream of “neutral” photographic images (not containing targets) was rapidly presented (20 ms/image). Embedded were one or two presentations of a randomly selected target image (vehicles and animals). Subjects reported the perceived target category. On dual-presentation trials, the ISI varied systematically from 0 to 600 ms. At randomized timing before first target presentation, the screen was flashed with the intent of creating a phase reset in the visual system. Sorting trials by temporal distance between flash and first target presentation revealed strong oscillations in behavioral performance, peaking at 5 Hz. On dual-target trials, longer ISIs led to reduced performance, implying a temporal integration window for object category discrimination. The “animal” trials exhibited a significant oscillatory component around 5 Hz. Our results indicate that oscillatory effects are not mere fringe effects relevant only with simple stimuli, but are resultant from the core mechanisms of visual processing and may well extend into real-life scenarios.
Reversible superconductor-insulator transition in LiTi2O4 induced by Li-ion electrochemical reaction
Authors: Yoshimatsu K. , Niwa M. , Mashiko H. , Oshima T. , Ohtomo A.
Published: November 2015

Transition metal oxides display various electronic and magnetic phases such as high-temperature superconductivity. Controlling such exotic properties by applying an external field is one of the biggest continuous challenges in condensed matter physics. Here, we demonstrate clear superconductor-insulator transition of LiTi2O4 films induced by Li-ion electrochemical reaction. A compact electrochemical cell of pseudo-Li-ion battery structure is formed with a superconducting LiTi2O4 film as an anode. Li content in the film is controlled by applying a constant redox voltage. An insulating state is achieved by Li-ion intercalation to the superconducting film by applying reduction potential. In contrast, the superconducting state is reproduced by applying oxidation potential to the Li-ion intercalated film. Moreover, superconducting transition temperature is also recovered after a number of cycles of Li-ion electrochemical reactions. This complete reversible transition originates in difference in potentials required for deintercalation of initially contained and electrochemically intercalated Li+ ions.
A high risk of osteosarcoma in individuals who are homozygous for the p.D104N in endostatin
Authors: Bi Wen-Zhi , Li Dian-Wei , Luo Song , Song Zhi-Gang , Wang Yun , Jin Hua , Wang Yan , Li Qing , Li Meng-Xia , Wang Dong , Sun Bo , Xu Meng , Xu Cheng-Xiong
Published: November 2015

The D104N polymorphism (p.D104N) in endostatin has been previously identified in many types of cancer and this polymorphism is believed to be a phenotypic modulator in some tumors. However, it is unknown whether endostatin p.D104N affects the risk and progression of osteosarcoma (OS). Here, we analyzed the p.D104N endostatin variant in 236 patients with OS and 418 healthy individuals. Similar frequencies of wild type and heterozygous p.104DN endostatin were observed in controls and OS patients. Interestingly, the frequency of the homozygous p.D104N (p.104NN) genotype was higher in OS patients group compared to control group, suggesting that individuals with p.104NN endostatin have a significantly increased risk for OS. In addition, OS patients with p.104NN endostatin had a shorter survival time and a higher rate of metastasis than OS patients with wild type endostatin. Animal experiments revealed that overexpression of p.104NN endostatin did not significantly inhibit OS lung metastasis. Interestingly, administration of endostatin dramatically inhibited OS lung metastasis in the p.104NN endostatin xenograft model. Together, these results suggest that p.104NN of endostatin is associated with the risk of OS and demonstrates predictive significance for clinical outcome in OS patients. In addition, endostatin therapy may be necessary for OS patients harboring p.104NN endostatin.
Hg2+ detection using a phosphorothioate RNA probe adsorbed on graphene oxide and a comparison with thymine-rich DNA
Authors: Huang Po-Jung Jimmy , van Ballegooie Courtney , Liu Juewen
Published: November 2015

Using phosphorothioate modified RNA probes adsorbed by graphene oxide, Hg2+ is detected sensitively with less interference.
Application of electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy-attenuated total reflectance and scanning electron microscopy to the study of the photo-oxidation of wool fiber
Authors: Zeng Yuan , Liu Yi , Liu Jianjun , Zheng Hailing , Zhou Yang , Peng Zhiqin , Wang Bing , Hu Zhiwen , Wan Junmin
Published: November 2015

An investigation into the influence of ultraviolet-irradiation (UV) on wool fibers was performed using EPR Spectroscopy, FTIR-ATR and SEM-EDS.
A seaweed–polyaniline nanofibre modified electrode for sensing of uric acid
Authors: Pandimurugan Ramasamy , Thambidurai Sivalingam
Published: November 2015

In this paper, seaweed–polyaniline (SE–PANI) nanofibres were prepared through a polymerization of aniline hydrochloride in the presence of seaweed extract (SE) and ammonium persulphate (APS) used as an oxidant.