bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Footwear and offloading interventions to prevent and heal foot ulcers and reduce plantar pressure in patients with diabetes: a systematic review
Authors: Bus S. A. , van Deursen R. W. , Armstrong D. G. , Lewis J. E. A. , Caravaggi C. F. , Cavanagh P. R. ,   on behalf of the International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot (IWGDF)
Published: September 2015

Background

Footwear and offloading techniques are commonly used in clinical practice for preventing and healing of foot ulcers in persons with diabetes. The goal of this systematic review is to assess the medical scientific literature on this topic to better inform clinical practice about effective treatment.

Methods

We searched the medical scientific literature indexed in PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, and the Cochrane database for original research studies published since 1 May 2006 related to four groups of interventions: (1) casting; (2) footwear; (3) surgical offloading; and (4) other offloading interventions. Primary outcomes were ulcer prevention, ulcer healing, and pressure reduction. We reviewed both controlled and non‐controlled studies. Controlled studies were assessed for methodological quality, and extracted key data was presented in evidence and risk of bias tables. Uncontrolled studies were assessed and summarized on a narrative basis. Outcomes are presented and discussed in conjunction with data from our previous systematic review covering the literature from before 1 May 2006.

Results

We included two systematic reviews and meta‐analyses, 32 randomized controlled trials, 15 other controlled studies, and another 127 non‐controlled studies. Several randomized controlled trials with low risk of bias show the efficacy of therapeutic footwear that demonstrates to relief plantar pressure and is worn by the patient, in the prevention of plantar foot ulcer recurrence. Two meta‐analyses show non‐removable offloading to be more effective than removable offloading for healing plantar neuropathic forefoot ulcers. Due to the limited number of controlled studies, clear evidence on the efficacy of surgical offloading and felted foam is not yet available. Interestingly, surgical offloading seems more effective in preventing than in healing ulcers. A number of controlled and uncontrolled studies show that plantar pressure can be reduced by several conservative and surgical approaches.

Conclusions

Sufficient evidence of good quality supports the use of non‐removable offloading to heal plantar neuropathic forefoot ulcers and therapeutic footwear with demonstrated pressure relief that is worn by the patient to prevent plantar foot ulcer recurrence. The evidence base to support the use of other offloading interventions is still limited and of variable quality. The evidence for the use of interventions to prevent a first foot ulcer or heal ischemic, infected, non‐plantar, or proximal foot ulcers is practically non‐existent. High‐quality controlled studies are needed in these areas.
Effectiveness of bedside investigations to diagnose peripheral artery disease among people with diabetes mellitus: a systematic review
Authors: Brownrigg J. R. W. , Hinchliffe R. J. , Apelqvist J. , Boyko E. J. , Fitridge R. , Mills J. L. , Reekers J. , Shearman C. P. , Zierler R. E. , Schaper N. C. ,   on behalf of the International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot (IWGDF)
Published: September 2015

Non‐invasive tests for the detection of peripheral artery disease (PAD) among individuals with diabetes mellitus are important to estimate the risk of amputation, ulceration, wound healing and the presence of cardiovascular disease, yet there are no consensus recommendations to support a particular diagnostic modality over another and to evaluate the performance of index non‐invasive diagnostic tests against reference standard imaging techniques (magnetic resonance angiography, computed tomography angiography, digital subtraction angiography and colour duplex ultrasound) for the detection of PAD among patients with diabetes. Two reviewers independently screened potential studies for inclusion and extracted study data. Eligible studies evaluated an index test for PAD against a reference test. An assessment of methodological quality was performed using the quality assessment for diagnostic accuracy studies instrument. Of the 6629 studies identified, ten met the criteria for inclusion. In these studies, the patients had a median age of 60–74 years and a median duration of diabetes of 9–24 years. Two studies reported exclusively on patients with symptomatic (ulcerated/infected) feet, two on patients with asymptomatic (intact) feet only, and the remaining six on patients both with and without foot ulceration. Ankle brachial index (ABI) was the most widely assessed index test. Overall, the positive likelihood ratio and negative likelihood ratio (NLR) of an ABI threshold <0.9 ranged from 2 to 25 (median 8) and <0.1 to 0.7 (median 0.3), respectively. In patients with neuropathy, the NLR of the ABI was generally higher (two out of three studies), indicating poorer performance, and ranged between 0.3 and 0.5. A toe brachial index <0.75 was associated with a median positive likelihood ratio and NLRs of 3 and ≤0.1, respectively, and was less affected by neuropathy in one study. Also, in two separate studies, pulse oximetry used to measure the oxygen saturation of peripheral blood and Doppler wave form analyses had NLRs of 0.2 and <0.1. The reported performance of ABI for the diagnosis of PAD in patients with diabetes mellitus is variable and is adversely affected by the presence of neuropathy. Limited evidence suggests that toe brachial index, pulse oximetry and wave form analysis may be superior to ABI for diagnosing PAD in patients with neuropathy with and without foot ulcers. There were insufficient data to support the adoption of one particular diagnostic modality over another and no comparisons existed with clinical examination. The quality of studies evaluating diagnostic techniques for the detection of PAD in individuals with diabetes is poor. Improved compliance with guidelines for methodological quality is needed in future studies.
Is heart rate a risk marker in patients with chronic heart failure and concomitant atrial fibrillation? Results from the MAGGIC meta‐analysis
Authors: Simpson Joanne , Castagno Davide , Doughty Rob N. , Poppe Katrina K. , Earle Nikki , Squire Iain , Richards Mark , Andersson Bert , Ezekowitz Justin A. , Komajda Michel , Petrie Mark C. , McAlister Finlay A. , Gamble Greg D. , Whalley Gillian A. , McMurray John J.V. ,   on behalf of the Meta‐Analysis Global Group in Chronic Heart Failure (MAGGIC)
Published: September 2015

Aim

To investigate the relationship between heart rate and survival in patients with heart failure (HF) and coexisting atrial fibrillation (AF).

Methods and Results

Patients with AF included in the Meta‐analysis Global Group in Chronic Heart Failure (MAGGIC) meta‐analysis were the main focus of this analysis (3259 patients from 17 studies). The outcome was all‐cause mortality at 3 years. Heart rate was analysed as a categorical (tertiles; T1 ≤77 b.p.m., T2 78–98 b.p.m., T3 ≥98 b.p.m.) and continuous variable. Cox proportional hazard models were used to compare the risk of all‐cause death between tertiles of baseline heart rate. Patients in the highest tertile were more often female, less likely to have an ischaemic aetiology or diabetes, had a lower ejection fraction but higher blood pressure and New York Heart Association (NYHA) class. Higher heart rate was associated with higher mortality in patients with sinus rhythm (SR) but not in those in AF. In patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HF‐REF) and AF, death rates per 100 patient years were lowest in the highest heart rate tertile (T1 18.9 vs. T3 15.9) but this difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.10). In patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction (HF‐PEF), death rates per 100 patient years were highest in the highest heart rate tertile (T1 14.6 vs. T3 16.0, P = 0.014). However, after adjustment for other important prognostic variables, higher heart rate was no longer associated with higher mortality in HF‐PEF (or HF‐REF).

Conclusions

In this meta‐analysis of patients with HF, heart rate does not have the same prognostic significance in patients in AF as it does in those in SR, irrespective of ejection fraction or treatment with beta‐blocker.
Two distinct types of depolarizing afterpotentials are differentially expressed in stellate and pyramidal‐like neurons of entorhinal‐cortex layer II
Authors: Alessi Camilla , Raspanti Alessandra , Magistretti Jacopo
Published: September 2015

Two types of principal neurons, stellate cells and pyramidal‐like cells, are found in medial entorhinal‐cortex (mEC) layer II, and are believed to represent two distinct channels of information processing and transmission in the entorhinal cortex–hippocampus network. In this study, we found that depolarizing afterpotentials (DAPs) that follow single action potentials (APs) evoked from various levels of holding membrane voltage (Vh) show distinct properties in the two cells types. In both, an evident DAP followed the AP at near‐threshold Vh levels, and was accompanied by an enhancement of excitability and spike‐timing precision. This DAP was sensitive to voltage‐gated Na+‐channel block with TTx, but not to partial removal of extracellular Ca2+. Application of 5‐μM anandamide, which inhibited the resurgent and persistent Na+‐current components in a relatively selective way, significantly reduced the amplitude of this particular DAP while exerting poor effects on the foregoing AP. In the presence of background hyperpolarization, DAPs showed an opposite behavior in the two cell types, as in stellate cells they became even more prominent, whereas in pyramidal‐like cells their amplitude was markedly reduced. The DAP observed in stellate cells under this condition was strongly inhibited by partial extracellular‐Ca2+ removal, and was sensitive to the low‐voltage‐activated Ca2+‐channel blocker, NNC55‐0396. This Ca2+ dependence was not observed in the residual DAP evoked in pyramidal‐like cells from likewise negative Vh levels. These results demonstrate that two distinct mechanism of DAP generation operate in mEC layer‐II neurons, one Na+‐dependent and active at near‐threshold Vh levels in both stellate and‐pyramidal‐like cells, the other Ca2+‐dependent and only expressed by stellate cells in the presence of background membrane hyperpolarization. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The origin and concentration of circulating microparticles differ according to cancer type and evolution: A prospective single‐center study
Authors: Mege Diane , Panicot‐Dubois Laurence , Ouaissi Mehdi , Robert Stéphane , Sielezneff Igor , Sastre Bernard , Dignat‐George Françoise , Dubois Christophe
Published: September 2015

Microparticles are plasma membrane vesicles produced by apoptotic or activated cells and resting cancer cells. The concentration, origin and procoagulant properties of circulating microparticles are reported to differ according to pathological settings (inflammation, cancer and cardiovascular diseases). In case of cancer, different studies have reported a variation in the concentration of circulating microparticles, with an increase in procoagulant and tumor‐associated antigen‐bearing microparticles. However, the cancer specificity of these results remains unknown. The objective was to establish a specific signature of colorectal and pancreatic cancers (CRC, PC) by characterizing circulating microparticles. Patients presenting with CRC, PC, inflammatory bowel or pancreatic diseases, and healthy subjects, were prospectively included. Circulating microparticles were analyzed by flow cytometry, combining the analysis of Annexin V‐positive with characterization of their origin and determination of their procoagulant activities. We included 85, 36, 15, 18 and 20 patients presenting with CRC, PC, inflammatory bowel or pancreatic diseases, and healthy subjects, respectively. Here, we depict a specific signature, which differed between CRC, PC, associated inflammatory bowel and pancreatic diseases and healthy subjects. Furthermore, in patients with remission, this signature returned to the levels observed in associated inflammatory or healthy patients. Our results indicate that circulating microparticles differ depending on the evolution of a cancer. The analysis of the circulating microparticles reveals the specificity of the signature and can be used as a new complex biomarker reflecting the evolution of the disease.
Cyclophosphamide plus granulocyte‐colony stimulating factor for hematopoietic stem cell mobilization in patients with multiple myeloma
Authors: Lin Tung‐Liang , Wang Po‐Nan , Kuo Ming‐Chung , Hung Yu‐Hsing , Chang Hung , Tang Tzung‐Chih
Published: September 2015

We retrospectively reviewed the results of cyclophosphamide (3 g/m2), doxorubicin and dexamethasone plus granulocyte‐colony stimulating factor (G‐CSF) (ID‐CY/DOX group), low‐dose cyclophosphamide (2 g/m2) plus G‐CSF (LD‐CY group) and G‐CSF alone (G‐CSF group) for stem cell mobilization in patients with multiple myeloma. A total of 89 patients with 93 mobilizations were included. Apheresis was started when total white blood cell (WBC) count >10 × 109/L for ID‐CY/DOX and LD‐CY groups and after eight doses of G‐CSF (5 μg/kg twice daily) for G‐CSF group. For five mobilizations in ID‐CY/DOX group, the rate of successful mobilization (≥4.0 × 106/kg CD34+ cells) was 80%. For 78 mobilizations in LD‐CY group, the successful rate was 80.8%. For 10 mobilizations in the G‐CSF group, the successful rate was 50%. The mean yield of CD34+ cells was higher in ID‐CY/DOX and LD‐CY groups as compared with that in G‐CSF group (P = 0.026 and 0.020, respectively). There was no difference in the yield of CD34+ cells between ID‐CY/DOX and LD‐CY groups (P = 0.831). After autologous stem cell transplantation, the days to neutrophil and platelet engraftment were similar in these three groups (P = 0.713 and 0.821, respectively). In conclusion, we observed that ID‐CY/DOX and LD‐CY plus G‐CSF for stem cell mobilization resulted in a higher successful rate and higher stem cell yields than G‐CSF alone and their engraftment time were similar. Total WBC count >10 × 109/L can be used as a guide to start apheresis in CY‐based stem cell mobilization. J. Clin. Apheresis 31:423–428, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Keratan sulfate exacerbates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis
Authors: Ueno Rino , Miyamoto Katsuichi , Tanaka Noriko , Moriguchi Kota , Kadomatsu Kenji , Kusunoki Susumu
Published: September 2015

Proteoglycans (PGs) are the components of extracellular matrices in the central nervous system (CNS). Keratan sulfate (KS) is a glycosaminoglycan that is included in the KSPG that acts as an inhibitory factor in nerve regeneration after CNS injury. To investigate the role of KS in immune diseases, we induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in mice that were deficient in the N‐acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc)‐6‐O‐sulfotransferase 1 (GlcNAc6ST1) gene (KS‐KO). KS‐KO mice developed less severe EAE and showed repressed recall response in the induction phase. Furthermore, GlcNAc6ST1 might have roles in the passage of the pathogenic lymphocytes through the blood–brain barrier via adhesion molecules. Thus, modulation of KS may become a treatment for neuroimmunological diseases. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Reachable workspace and performance of upper limb (PUL) in duchenne muscular dystrophy
Authors: Han Jay J. , de Bie Evan , Nicorici Alina , Abresch Richard T. , Anthonisen Colleen , Bajcsy Ruzena , Kurillo Gregorij , Mcdonald Craig M.
Published: September 2015

Introduction: The Kinect‐based reachable workspace relative surface area (RSA) is compared with the performance of upper limb (PUL) assessment in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Methods: 29 individuals with DMD (ages: 7–23; Brooke: 1–5) underwent both Kinect‐based reachable workspace RSA and PUL assessments. RSAs were also collected from 24 age‐matched controls. Total and quadrant RSAs were compared with the PUL total, shoulder‐, middle‐, and distal‐dimension scores. Results: The total reachable workspace RSA correlated well with the total PUL score (Spearman ρ = ‐0.602; P < 0.001), and with each of the PUL dimensional scores: shoulder (ρ = ‐0.624; P < 0.001), middle (ρ = ‐0.564; P = 0.001), and distal (ρ = ‐0.630; P < 0.001). With quadrant RSA, reachability in a particular quadrant was closely associated with respective PUL dimensional‐level function (lateral‐upper quadrant for shoulder‐, lateral‐upper/lower quadrants for middle‐, and lateral‐lower quadrant for distal‐level function). Conclusions: This study demonstrates concurrent validity of the reachable workspace outcome measure (RSA) with the DMD‐specific upper extremity outcome measure (PUL). Muscle Nerve 53: 545–554, 2016
Spinal and supraspinal mechanisms affecting torque development at different joint angles
Authors: Papaiordanidou Maria , Mustacchi Valérie , Stevenot Jean‐Damien , Vanoncini Michele , Martin Alain
Published: September 2015

Introduction: We examined the neural mechanisms responsible for plantar flexion torque changes at different joint positions. Methods: Nine subjects performed maximal voluntary contractions (MVC) at 6 ankle–knee angle combinations [3 ankle angles (dorsiflexion, anatomic position, plantar flexion) and 2 knee angles (flexion, full extension)]. Neural mechanisms were determined by V‐wave, H‐reflex (at rest and during MVC), and electromyography during MVC (RMS), normalized to the muscle compound action potential (V/Msup, Hmax/Mmax, Hsup/Msup and RMS/Msup) and voluntary activation (VA), while muscle function was assessed by doublet amplitude. Results: MVC and doublet amplitude were significantly lower at plantar flexion (P < 0.01), while VA was significantly lower at dorsiflexion and full knee extension (P < 0.05). V/Msup and RMS/Msup were significantly lower at knee extension (P < 0.01), while Hsup/Msup was not affected by joint angle. Conclusions: These results indicate that joint positions leading to muscle lengthening produce reduced neural drive, due mainly to supraspinal mechanisms. Muscle Nerve 53: 626–632, 2016
A hybrid finite element strategy for the simulation of MEMS structures
Authors: Jog C. S. , Patil Kunal D.
Published: September 2015

This work describes the development of a hybrid finite element strategy for modeling the nonlinear, strongly coupled electromechanical equations governing micro‐electro‐mechanical systems (MEMS) structures in general and the phenomena of static and dynamic pull‐in exhibited by such structures in particular. It is known that conventional finite elements ‘lock’ severely for thin plate or shell‐type structures (which is typical of geometries that occur in microsystems). The developed hybrid finite element formulation is based on a two‐field variational formulation and involves an independent interpolation of the displacement and stress fields. In a conventional structural analysis, it is known that hybrid finite elements are much more immune to volumetric, shear, and membrane locking compared with conventional elements. This work extends the hybrid finite element method to the analysis of MEMS structures. Such an extension is not straightforward due to the strong coupling with the electric field variables. The formulation is based on a total Lagrangian description and is monolithic. This combination of the hybrid strategy and the monolithic scheme results in very good coarse‐mesh accuracy and quadratic convergence both within the context of the static and transient formulations that have been developed. Numerous examples from the literature are considered to demonstrate the high efficacy of the developed method. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The biosynthetic pathway of FK506 and its engineering: from past achievements to future prospects
Authors: Ban Yeon Hee , Park Sung Ryeol , Yoon Yeo Joon
Published: September 2015

FK506, a 23-membered macrolide produced by several Streptomyces species, is an immunosuppressant widely used to prevent the rejection of transplanted organs. In addition, FK506 and its analogs possess numerous promising therapeutic potentials including antifungal, neuroprotective, and neuroregenerative activities. Herein, we introduce the biological activities and mechanisms of action of FK506 and discuss recent progress made in understanding its biosynthetic pathway, improving production, and in the mutasynthesis of diverse analogs. Perspectives highlighting further strain improvement and structural diversification aimed at generating more analogs with improved pharmaceutical properties will be emphasized.
Birt–Hogg–Dubé syndrome: novel FLCN frameshift deletion in daughter and father with renal cell carcinomas
Authors: Näf Ernst , Laubscher Dominik , Hopfer Helmut , Streit Markus , Matyas Gabor
Published: September 2015

Germline mutation of the FLCN gene causes Birt–Hogg–Dubé syndrome (BHD), a rare autosomal dominant condition characterized by skin fibrofolliculomas, lung cysts, spontaneous pneumothorax and renal tumours. We identified a hitherto unreported pathogenic FLCN frameshift deletion c.563delT (p.Phe188Serfs*35) in a family of a 46-year-old woman presented with macrohematuria due to bilateral chromophobe renal carcinomas. A heritable renal cancer was suspected due to the bilaterality of the tumour and as the father of this woman had suffered from renal cancer. Initially, however, BHD was overlooked by the medical team despite the highly suggestive clinical presentation. We assume that BHD is underdiagnosed, at least partially, due to low awareness of this variable condition and to insufficient use of appropriate genetic testing. Our study indicates that BHD and FLCN testing should be routinely considered in patients with positive family or personal history of renal tumours. In addition, we demonstrate how patients and their families can play a driving role in initiating genetic diagnosis, presymptomatic testing of at-risk relatives, targeted disease management, and genetic counselling of rare diseases such as BHD.
An Up-regulation of IRF-1 After a Spinal Cord Injury: Implications for Neuronal Apoptosis
Authors: Zhao Jian , Chen Chen , Xiao Jian-Ru , Wei Hai-Feng , Zhou Xu-hui , Mao Xing-Xing , Zhang Wei-dong , Qian Rong , Chen Xin-lei , He Ming-qing , Yu Xiao-Wei , Zhao Jian
Published: September 2015

IRF-1, a kind of transcription factor, is expressed in many cell types, except in early embryonal cells. IRF-1 has played an essential role in various physiological and pathological processes, including tumor immune surveillance, viral infection, development of immunity system and pro-inflammatory injury. However, the expression and function of IRF-1 in spinal cord injury (SCI) are still unknown. In this study, we have performed an acute SCI model in adult rats and investigated the dynamic changes of IRF-1 expression in the spinal cord. Western blot have shown that IRF-1 protein levels gradually increased, reaching a peak at day 3 and then gradually declined to a normal level at day 14 after SCI. Double immunofluorescence staining showed that IRF-1 immunoreactivity was found in neurons, but not in astrocytes and microglia. Additionally, colocalization of IRF-1/active caspase-3 was detected in neurons. In vitro, IRF-1 depletion, by short interfering RNA, obviously decreases neuronal apoptosis. In conclusion, this is the first description of IRF-1 expression in spinal cord injury. Our results suggested that IRF-1 might play crucial roles in CNS pathophysiology after SCI.
Adolescent obesity and future substance use: Incorporating the psychosocial context
Authors: Lanza H. Isabella , Grella Christine E. , Chung Paul J.
Published: September 2015

A growing body of work has shown that obese adolescents are at risk of engaging in problematic substance use, but mixed findings highlight the complexity of the relationship. Incorporating the psychosocial context into this research may inform past discrepancies. The current study assessed whether obese adolescents had a higher likelihood of experiencing a psychosocial context that predicted problematic substance use in young adulthood. Latent class analysis on 10,637 adolescents from The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) identified four psychosocial classes in adolescence: Adjusted, Deviant Peer/Victimization, Moderate Depression, and Maladjusted. Obese adolescents were more likely to belong to the Maladjusted class, characterized by higher levels of depression and deviant peer affiliation. Those in the Maladjusted class had the second highest levels of cigarette smoking and marijuana use in young adulthood. Obese adolescents' psychosocial context should be considered in future research linking obesity and substance use.
Predictibilidad de los retornos en el mercado de Colombia e hipótesis de mercado adaptativo
Authors: Sierra Suárez Katherine Julieth , Duarte Duarte Juan Benjamín , Rueda Ortíz Victor Alfonso
Published: September 2015

Los mercados eficientes son aquellos en los cuales no es posible predecir los retornos de sus activos. No obstante, la hipótesis de mercado adaptativo afirma que la eficiencia no es una característica estática de los mercados, sino que varía en el tiempo de acuerdo a las condiciones del mercado y al comportamiento de sus agentes. Este trabajo busca evaluar la predictibilidad del mercado colombiano, usando el test Ratio de varianza automático en ventanas móviles de tiempo para comprobar si es eficiente, y si la eficiencia es una característica estática o dinámica de este mercado. Los resultados muestran que los índices accionarios de Colombia presentan periodos de predictibilidad y periodos de alta incertidumbre que son consistentes con un mercado adaptativo.
Structural and functional diversity of Topologically Associating Domains
Authors: Dekker Job , Heard Edith
Published: September 2015

Recent studies have shown that chromosomes in a range of organisms are compartmentalized in different types of chromatin domains. In mammals, chromosomes form compartments that are composed of smaller Topologically Associating Domains (TADs). TADs are thought to represent functional domains of gene regulation but much is still unknown about the mechanisms of their formation and how they exert their regulatory effect on embedded genes. Further, similar domains have been detected in other organisms, including flies, worms, fungi and bacteria. Although in all these cases these domains appear similar as detected by 3C‐based methods, their biology appears to be quite distinct with differences in the protein complexes involved in their formation and differences in their internal organization. Here we outline our current understanding of such domains in different organisms and their roles in gene regulation.
Music and Catholic culture in post-Reformation Lancashire: piety, protest, and conversion
Authors: Murphy Emilie K. M.
Published: September 2015

This essay adds to our existing understanding of what it meant to be a member of the English Catholic community during the late Elizabeth and early Stuart period by exploring Catholic musical culture in Lancashire. This was a uniquely Catholic village, which, like the majority of villages, towns and cities in early modern England, was filled with the singing of ballads. Ballads have almost exclusively been treated in scholarship as a ‘Protestant’ phenomenon and the ‘godly ballad’ associated with the very fabric of a distinctively Protestant Elizabethan and Stuart entertainment culture. By investigating the songs and ballads in two manuscript collections from the Catholic network surrounding the Blundell family this essay will show how Catholics both composed and ‘converted’ existing ballads to voice social, devotional, and political concerns. The ballads performed in Little Crosby highlight a vibrant Catholic community, where musical expression was fundamental. Performance widened the parochial religious divide, whilst enhancing Catholic integration. This essay uncovers the way Catholics used music to voice religious and exhort protest as much as prayer. Finally, by investigating the tunes and melodies preserved in the manuscripts, I demonstrate how priests serving this network used ballads as part of their missionary strategy.
A History of Modern Oman
Authors: Jones Jeremy , Ridout Nicholas
Published: September 2015

The ideal introduction to the history of modern Oman from the eighteenth century to the present, this book combines the most recent scholarship on Omani history with insights drawn from a close analysis of the politics and international relations of contemporary Oman. Jeremy Jones and Nicholas Ridout offer a distinctive new approach to Omani history, building on postcolonial thought and integrating the study of politics and culture. The book addresses key topics including Oman's historical cosmopolitanism, the distinctive role of Omani Islam in the country's social and political life, Oman's role in the global economy of the nineteenth century, insurrection and revolution in the twentieth century, the role of Sultan Qaboos in the era of oil and Oman's unique regional and diplomatic perspective on contemporary issues.
Proof of Causation in Tort Law
Authors: Steel Sandy
Published: September 2015

Causation is a foundational concept in tort law: in claims for compensation, a claimant must demonstrate that the defendant was a cause of the injury suffered in order for compensation to be awarded. Proof of Causation in Tort Law provides a critical, comparative and theoretical analysis of the general proof rules of causation underlying the tort laws of England, Germany and France, as well as the exceptional departures from these rules which each system has made. Exploring the different approaches to uncertainty over causation in tort law, Sandy Steel defends the justifiability of some of these exceptions, and categorises and examines the kinds of exceptional rules suggested by the case law and literature. Critically engaged with both the theoretical literature and current legal doctrine, this book will be of interest to private law scholars, judges and legal practitioners.
The End of Greek Athletics in Late Antiquity
Authors: Remijsen Sofie
Published: September 2015

This book presents the first comprehensive study of how and why athletic contests, a characteristic aspect of Greek culture for over a millennium, disappeared in late antiquity. In contrast to previous discussions, which focus on the ancient Olympics, the end of the most famous games is analysed here in the context of the collapse of the entire international agonistic circuit, which encompassed several hundred contests. The first part of the book describes this collapse by means of a detailed analysis of the fourth- and fifth-century history of the athletic games in each region of the Mediterranean: Greece, Asia Minor, Syria, Egypt, Italy, Gaul and northern Africa. The second half continues by explaining these developments, challenging traditional theories (especially the ban by the Christian emperor Theodosius I) and discussing in detail both the late antique socio-economic context and the late antique perceptions of athletics.
Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations
Authors: Evensky Jerry
Published: September 2015

Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations is regarded by many as the most important text in the history of economics. Jerry Evensky's analysis of this landmark book walks the reader through the five 'Books' of The Wealth of Nations, analyzing Smith's terms and assumptions and how they are developed into statements about economic processes in Book I, his representation of the dynamics of economics systems in Book II, and his empirical case for his model in Book III. With that framework in place, Evensky examines Smith's critique of alternative models, mercantilism and physiocracy, in Book IV, and Smith's presentation of the policy implications of his analysis presented in Book V. This guide highlights the nexus of Smith's economics and his work on ethics and jurisprudence, and in doing so Evensky sets his examination of The Wealth of Nations into a larger, holistic analysis of Smith's moral philosophy.
The Arctic North-East and West Passage
Authors: Gerritsz Hessel , Muller S.
Published: September 2015

This short work contains texts and maps relating to early exploration and trade routes. Included here are descriptions of Russia and Siberia by Isaac Massa (1586–1643), a Dutch merchant and diplomat; one of the memorials relating to Pacific discoveries by the Portuguese explorer Pedro Fernandes de Queirós (c.1565–1615); and maps by the cartographer Hessel Gerritsz (c.1581–1632) showing the discoveries of the English navigator Henry Hudson (d.1611). Gerritsz originally compiled these materials and published them in Dutch, and they were soon translated into Latin to increase their readership. In the present work, first published in 1878, reproductions of the Dutch and Latin editions from 1612 and 1613 are presented together by Frederik Muller (1817–81). To encourage research on these texts, Muller also included a new English translation, and an explanatory essay by his son Samuel Muller (1848–1922).
Instantons and Large N
Authors: Mariño Marcos
Published: September 2015

This highly pedagogical textbook for graduate students in particle, theoretical and mathematical physics, explores advanced topics of quantum field theory. Clearly divided into two parts; the first focuses on instantons with a detailed exposition of instantons in quantum mechanics, supersymmetric quantum mechanics, the large order behavior of perturbation theory, and Yang–Mills theories, before moving on to examine the large N expansion in quantum field theory. The organised presentation style, in addition to detailed mathematical derivations, worked examples and applications throughout, enables students to gain practical experience with the tools necessary to start research. The author includes recent developments on the large order behavior of perturbation theory and on large N instantons, and updates existing treatments of classic topics, to ensure that this is a practical and contemporary guide for students developing their understanding of the intricacies of quantum field theory.
Planting and Rural Ornament
Authors: Marshall William
Published: September 2015

William Marshall (1745–1818), an experienced farmer and land agent, published this work in 1795, and early in 1796 produced a second edition (reissued here), 'with large additions'. The two-volume work was intended as a practical guide for the owners or managers of large estates on how to establish and maintain timber plantations, both for their financial value and also as important decorative elements in the landscaping of the surroundings of the owner's house. The work covers the practical issues of planting, propagating and transplanting, and discusses the choice of trees for different commercial purposes, and the planning and maintenance of hedgerows, as well as ornamental buildings. Volume 2 begins with an account of the Linnaean system of plant classification and its sexual basis, and supplies both an alphabetical list of trees and shrubs in their Latin Linnaean classes, and an index of plants under their English names.
Integrating Omics Data
Authors: Tseng George , Ghosh Debashis , Zhou Xianghong Jasmine
Published: September 2015

In most modern biomedical research projects, application of high-throughput genomic, proteomic, and transcriptomic experiments has gradually become an inevitable component. Popular technologies include microarray, next generation sequencing, mass spectrometry and proteomics assays. As the technologies have become mature and the price affordable, omics data are rapidly generated, and the problem of information integration and modeling of multi-lab and/or multi-omics data is becoming a growing one in the bioinformatics field. This book provides comprehensive coverage of these topics and will have a long-lasting impact on this evolving subject. Each chapter, written by a leader in the field, introduces state-of-the-art methods to handle information integration, experimental data, and database problems of omics data.
Magic in Western Culture
Authors: Copenhaver Brian P.
Published: September 2015

The story of the beliefs and practices called 'magic' starts in ancient Iran, Greece, and Rome, before entering its crucial Christian phase in the Middle Ages. Centering on the Renaissance and Marsilio Ficino - whose work on magic was the most influential account written in premodern times - this groundbreaking book treats magic as a classical tradition with foundations that were distinctly philosophical. Besides Ficino, the premodern story of magic also features Plotinus, Iamblichus, Proclus, Aquinas, Agrippa, Pomponazzi, Porta, Bruno, Campanella, Descartes, Boyle, Leibniz, and Newton, to name only a few of the prominent thinkers discussed in this book. Because pictures play a key role in the story of magic, this book is richly illustrated.
The Miscellaneous Botanical Works of Robert Brown
Authors: Brown Robert
Published: September 2015

The botanist Robert Brown (1773–1858) is regarded as one of the most significant figures in the advancement of plant science in the nineteenth century. After studying at Aberdeen and Edinburgh, he made the acquaintance of Sir Joseph Banks via William Withering, and in 1801 was appointed as naturalist on Matthew Flinders' expedition to Australia. Brown made extensive collections of animals and minerals, but his 3,400 plant specimens from Australia, Tasmania and Timor were the foundation of his work for the rest of his life, as an active member of the Linnean Society, as Banks's librarian, and as an under-librarian in the British Museum. This two-volume collection of his 'miscellaneous botanical works', edited by John J. Bennett, Brown's assistant at the British Museum, was published in 1866–7. It has not been possible to reissue the accompanying quarto volume of plates. Volume 2 contains 'Systematic Memoirs' and 'Contributions to Systematic Works'.
Prison, Punishment and Penance in Late Antiquity
Authors: Hillner Julia
Published: September 2015

This book traces the long-term genesis of the sixth-century Roman legal penalty of forced monastic penance. The late antique evidence on this penal institution runs counter to a scholarly consensus that Roman legal principle did not acknowledge the use of corrective punitive confinement. Dr Hillner argues that forced monastic penance was a product of a late Roman penal landscape that was more complex than previous models of Roman punishment have allowed. She focuses on invigoration of classical normative discourses around punishment as education through Christian concepts of penance, on social uses of corrective confinement that can be found in a vast range of public and private scenarios and spaces, as well as on a literary Christian tradition that gave the experience of punitive imprisonment a new meaning. The book makes an important contribution to recent debates about the interplay between penal strategies and penal practices in the late Roman world.
Reframing Visual Social Science
Authors: Pauwels Luc
Published: September 2015

The burgeoning field of 'visual social science' is rooted in the idea that valid scientific insight into culture and society can be acquired by observing, analyzing and theorizing its visual manifestations: visible behavior of people and material products of culture. Reframing Visual Social Science provides a well-balanced, critical-constructive and systematic overview of existing and emerging modes of visual social and cultural research. The book includes integrated models and conceptual frameworks, analytical approaches to scrutinizing existing imagery and multimodal phenomena, a systematic presentation of more active ways and formats of visual scholarly production and communication, and a number of case studies which exemplify the broad fields of application. Finally, visual social research is situated within a wider perspective by addressing the issue of ethics; by presenting a generic approach to producing, selecting and using visual representations; and through discussing the specific challenges and opportunities of a 'more visual' social science.
Making Foreigners
Authors: Parker Kunal M.
Published: September 2015

This book reconceptualizes the history of US immigration and citizenship law from the colonial period to the beginning of the twenty-first century by joining the histories of immigrants to those of Native Americans, African Americans, women, Asian Americans, Latino/a Americans and the poor. Parker argues that during the earliest stages of American history, being legally constructed as a foreigner, along with being subjected to restrictions on presence and movement, was not confined to those who sought to enter the country from the outside, but was also used against those on the inside. Insiders thus shared important legal disabilities with outsiders. It is only over the course of four centuries, with the spread of formal and substantive citizenship among the domestic population, a hardening distinction between citizen and alien, and the rise of a powerful centralized state, that the uniquely disabled legal subject we recognize today as the immigrant has emerged.
Scientific Foundations of Engineering
Authors: McKnight Stephen W. , Zahopoulos Christos
Published: September 2015

Providing an overview of the foundations of engineering from a fundamental scientific and physical perspective, this book reinforces the basic scientific and mathematical principles which underpin a range of engineering disciplines and applications. It covers the basics of physics, including quantum physics, as well as some key topics in chemistry, making it a valuable resource for both students and professionals looking to gain a more coherent and interdisciplinary understanding of engineering systems. Throughout, the focus is on common features of physical systems (such as mechanical and electronic resonance), showing how the same underlying principles apply to different disciplines. Problems are provided at the end of each chapter including conceptual questions and examples to demonstrate the practical application of fundamental scientific principles. These include real-world examples, which are solvable using computational packages such as MATLAB.
Statistical Mechanics and Applications in Condensed Matter
Authors: Di Castro Carlo , Raimondi Roberto
Published: September 2015

This innovative and modular textbook combines classical topics in thermodynamics, statistical mechanics and many-body theory with the latest developments in condensed matter physics research. Written by internationally renowned experts and logically structured to cater for undergraduate and postgraduate students and researchers, it covers the underlying theoretical principles and includes numerous problems and worked examples to put this knowledge into practice. Three main streams provide a framework for the book; beginning with thermodynamics and classical statistical mechanics, including mean field approximation, fluctuations and the renormalization group approach to critical phenomena. The authors then examine quantum statistical mechanics, covering key topics such as normal Fermi and Luttinger liquids, superfluidity and superconductivity. Finally, they explore classical and quantum kinetics, Anderson localization and quantum interference, and disordered Fermi liquids. Unique in providing a bridge between thermodynamics and advanced topics in condensed matter, this textbook is an invaluable resource to all students of physics.
Proactive Support of Labor
Authors: Reuwer Paul , Bruinse Hein , Franx Arie
Published: September 2015

The right for every woman to have a 'natural' birth has been recognized for many years, yet surgical interventions continue to rise and, paradoxically, complaints and the degree of litigation for disappointing labor outcomes escalate. Proactive Support of Labor enhances professional skills by providing the expertise for preventing long labors - the root-cause of traumatic birth experiences and the cesarean pandemic. Step-by-step, evidence-based guidance on expert care and support during labor is given. Emphasis is placed on pre-labor education, personal attention, and well-defined birth planning – including strict diagnoses and timely corrective measures in abnormal labor – and constant audit of all procedures and outcomes. Striking a new balance between natural birth and intervention, and invariably enhancing women's satisfaction with the childbirth experience, the fully updated revision of this groundbreaking work will be essential reading for obstetricians, midwives, nurses, and trainees. For peer and reader reviews of the first edition see: www.proactivesupportoflabor.com.
Typographical Antiquities
Authors: Ames Joseph
Published: September 2015

When this work was published, its original author had been dead for fifty years. As the title page explains, the work of Joseph Ames (1687–1759) was considerably augmented by William Herbert (1718–95), and then 'greatly enlarged, with copious notes, and illustrated with appropriate engravings' by Thomas Frognall Dibdin (1776–1847), several of whose other works are also reissued in this series. Ames' history of printing, based on his own collection, was published in 1749, as an aid to booksellers in identifying old works (and modern forgeries). Herbert, a printseller and bibliophile, acquired Ames' own interleaved copy of the work and intended to enlarge it, but died having completed only three of six proposed volumes. His working copies then passed to Dibdin, who eventually published this four-volume edition between 1810 and 1819. In Volume 1, the lives of Ames and Herbert are followed by discussions of printers from Caxton onwards.
Typographical Antiquities
Authors: Ames Joseph
Published: September 2015

When this work was published, its original author had been dead for fifty years. As the title page explains, the work of Joseph Ames (1687–1759) was considerably augmented by William Herbert (1718–95), and then 'greatly enlarged, with copious notes, and illustrated with appropriate engravings' by Thomas Frognall Dibdin (1776–1847), several of whose other works are also reissued in this series. Ames' history of printing, based on his own collection, was published in 1749, as an aid to booksellers in identifying old works (and modern forgeries). Herbert, a printseller and bibliophile, acquired Ames' own interleaved copy of the work and intended to enlarge it, but died having completed only three of six proposed volumes. His working copies then passed to Dibdin, who eventually published this four-volume edition between 1810 and 1819. Volume 3 considers the lives and work of printers from William Faques to Nicholas Bourman.
Illustrations of the Literary History of the Eighteenth Century
Authors: Nichols John
Published: September 2015

The subtitle of this eight-volume set is Consisting of Authentic Memoirs and Original Letters of Eminent Persons, and Intended as a Sequel to the 'Literary Anecdotes', which had been published in nine volumes by the author, editor and publisher John Nichols (1745–1826) between 1812 and 1815, and are also reissued in this series. Like its predecessor set, these 'illustrations' are a useful source of biographical material on authors and publishers at a time when many of the literary genres we take for granted, such as the novel, the autobiography and the analytical history, were first being developed. The volumes were published between 1817 and 1858, the project being continued after Nichols' death by his son and grandson. Among the 'eminent persons' included in this final volume is Nichols himself; it also contains material showing the state of the London book trade in the second half of the eighteenth century.