bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vaginal cuff dehiscence is observed in a higher rate after total laparoscopic hysterectomy compared with other types of hysterectomy
Authors: Ala‐Nissilä Seija , Laurikainen Eija , Mäkinen Juha , Jokimaa Varpu
Published: September 2018

Introduction

Recently, it has been suggested that the occurrence of posthysterectomy vaginal cuff dehiscence has increased. Consequently, we evaluated the incidence of vaginal cuff dehiscence after different types of hysterectomies. Our hypothesis is that vaginal cuff dehiscence is more often associated with total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) than other types of uterine removal.

Material and methods

A total of 13 645 hysterectomies from 1992 to 2015 were evaluated in the Turku University Hospital district, Finland. The primary outcome was occurrence of vaginal dehiscence after different types of hysterectomy. The hysterectomy and postoperative vaginal dehiscence trends were analyzed as the secondary outcome. In a subanalysis of dehiscence cases, women’s characteristics and perioperative vaginal cuff opening and closure techniques were compared between conventional hysterectomies (vaginal, abdominal, and laparoscopic with vaginal closure) and TLH.

Results

Altogether, 22 cases of vaginal cuff dehiscence were included. Most cases (n = 15) occurred after TLH (n = 1104), resulting in an incidence of 1.27%. After conventional laparoscopic hysterectomy with vaginal closure (n = 2853), vaginal (n = 4150), and abdominal (n = 5538) hysterectomies, the incidence rates were 0.11%, 0.05%, and 0.02%, respectively. Compared to abdominal hysterectomy, which was associated with the lowest incidence rate, vaginal dehiscence after TLH had an odds ratio (OR) 71.1 (9.34‐541.38, P < 0.001). In the subanalysis of possible underlying factors, the technique of opening of the vaginal cuff with or without electrocoagulation, duration of operation, and occurrence of postoperative infection or hematoma prior to VCD were observed differences between TLH and conventional hysterectomies.

Conclusions

Compared with other types of hysterectomies, vaginal dehiscence was observed at the highest rate after TLH. Studies are needed to define if vaginal opening technique contributes to the risk of dehiscence.
Geoengineering and geographers: Rewriting the Earth in what image?
Authors: Bellamy Rob , Palmer James
Published: September 2018

Large‐scale intervention in the Earth's climate system features centrally both in definitions of, and proposed responses to, the Anthropocene. In its deliberate guise – as climate geoengineering – such intervention is highly contentious, threatening to profoundly reshape the geography and politics of environmental governance frameworks, not to mention the nature of the environments towards which those frameworks are oriented. Yet, even as experiments with geoengineering technologies are growing in number, geographers continue to engage seldom with scientific, political or indeed public debates about them. In this paper we contend that geographical ideas about space, scale, power and geopolitics must urgently be brought to bear on ongoing efforts to experiment with geoengineering, and to deliberate its future role in responses to climate change. We develop this argument in two parts. First, we suggest that ongoing debates about the acceptability of geoengineering experimentation would benefit from recognising incumbent spatial and scalar categorisations (e.g., small scale vs. large scale, indoors vs. outdoors) not as fixed ontological anchors, but as relational and provisional constructs, open to being rethought in new, potentially productive ways. Second, we call for geographers to document and contest inequalities and injustices, both in debates about what geoengineering is or might become, and in the outcomes generated by efforts to undertake geoengineering in practice. Here there are opportunities for geographers to reshape the frames of reference used by others to comprehend the implications of the Anthropocene itself, drawing on traditional disciplinary strengths in ecofeminism, political ecology and environmental justice, as well as the production of space and critical geopolitics. Such endeavours, we contend, will form a vital complement to existing geographical engagements with the concept of the Anthropocene, reaffirming the value of the discipline's distinctive – and explicitly normative – voice within ongoing policy and public deliberations.
Social service purchasing in China: Rationale, features, and risks
Authors: Cortis Natasha , Fang Qian , Dou Zhenfang
Published: September 2018

As part of a broader program of market reform, China's local governments are progressing an agenda of purchasing child welfare and other social services from the nongovernment sector, primarily to expand capacity and address vast unmet need. This paper draws on current research evidence to explore the approaches to purchasing emerging in China, examining the rationale for purchasing and models of supply, competition, and regulation. While some approaches are modeled on direct service contracting, direct purchasing of social service “posts” is also used, aimed at achieving goals of professionalization alongside service expansion. Overall, the review shows purchasing is helping to rapidly expand service scale and capacity; however, regulatory strategies for managing and mitigating risks to quality and access appear lacking. This highlights the need for further scholarship aimed at developing the robust risk management strategies which are required to support high quality, sustainable provision of purchased services.
Compliance Over Time by Australian Firms with IFRS Disclosure Requirements
Authors: Wang Xiaojiao (Jo)
Published: September 2018

Prior literature indicates that compliance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) is not complete in many countries. This study examines practice under the Australian version of IFRS by measuring compliance with the disclosure requirements of eight standards. The study focuses on data drawn from the consolidated financial statements of a sample of the top 200 Australian listed companies. To enable a time‐series analysis of compliance over time, this study examines three reporting years: 2006, 2010 and 2014. This research identifies material non‐compliance among Australian companies, finding that some disclosure items appear to be neglected by companies, such as some of the requirements of AASB 137 Provisions. This non‐compliance raises questions about accounting and audit quality in Australia. It may suggest poor regulatory oversight.
Caudal oviduct coiling in a viperid snake, Crotalus durissus
Authors: Muniz‐Da‐Silva Diego F. , Passos Juliana , Siegel Dustin S. , Almeida‐Santos Selma M.
Published: September 2018

Sperm storage is common in the oviducts of female snakes and results in the decoupling of mating from ovulation and fertilization. In the majority of female snakes examined, sperm storage occurs in receptacles of the infundibular regions of the oviducts. In pitvipers (Viperida, Crotalinae), the storage of sperm was described in the caudal regions of the oviducts (utero‐vaginal junction) through a mechanism termed uterine muscular twisting (UMT). Uterine muscular twisting was described as a twisting of the oviducts after copulation because of uterine contractions. The twisting remains until ovulation at which time the oviducts straighten and sperm migrate cranially to fertilize ovulated ova. Here, we demonstrate that the UMT is not formed by twisting (rotation around axis) of the oviducts of Crotalus durissus but rather coils formed by the inner layers of the oviducts at the utero‐vaginal junction. Contrary to previous findings, coiling of the oviducts is present in females throughout the year, not only in the postcopulatory period; however, the degree of coiling is variable and may be linked to the seasonal reproductive cycle of C. durissus. We categorize the degree of coiling as pronounced coil, discreet coil or absent coil.
Exploring and enhancing spatial thinking skills: Learning differences of university students within a web‐based GIS mapping environment
Authors: Xiang Xi , Liu Yan
Published: September 2018

There is a dearth of research concerning the learning effects of web‐based mapping tools on students with different learning characteristics. This study investigates the extent that different learning styles exert an influence on spatial thinking of students within a web‐based GIS mapping environment. Thirty six sophomores utilized the tools over one semester in a course guided by a blended learning approach. A learning style inventory, a self‐rating questionnaire and a survey were administered to these students to examine their learning styles, the development of their spatial thinking skills as well as factors influencing the enhancement of their spatial thinking skills. Results show that all learners have improved their spatial thinking skills after interacting with the GIS mapping tools. However, the visual and auditory learners have improved significantly more than the kinaesthetic learners (p = 0.024). The survey result from students shows that such differences may be attributable to the design of the web interface that matches the learning styles of the visual and auditory learners better than with that of the kinaesthetic learners. Our findings contribute to the current debate on students’ learning styles as well as to help instructional designers and educators optimize learning in spatial thinking through personalized learning design.
Prognostic factors and primary treatment for Waldenström macroglobulinemia – a Swedish Lymphoma Registry study
Authors: Brandefors Lena , Melin Beatrice , Lindh Jack , Lundqvist Kristina , Kimby Eva
Published: September 2018

We present a nationwide prospective Swedish registry‐based study of Waldenström macroglobulinaemia (WM), that focuses on incidence and survival in relation to clinical prognostic factors and primary systemic therapies. A total of 1511 patients with WM and lymphoplasmocytic lymphoma (LPL) were registered in the Swedish Lymphoma Registry (SLR) between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2014. The age‐adjusted incidence of WM/LPL was 11·5 per million persons per year, three times higher than the reported incidence worldwide. Medical records were retrieved for 1135 patients (75%). A retrospective review showed that 981 (86·1%) of these patients fulfilled the World Health Organization diagnostic criteria for WM and these patients were analysed further. The overall survival (OS) improved between two periods – 2000–2006 and 2007–2014 – with a five‐year OS of 61% and 70%, respectively. Significant prognostic factors for OS, evaluated at the time of diagnosis, were age, elevated lactate dehydrogenase level and haemoglobin ≤115 g/l for patients receiving therapy 0–3 months after diagnosis, and age, poor performance status, haemoglobin ≤115 g/l, and female sex in “watch and wait” patients (multivariable analysis). The level of the IgM monoclonal immunoglobulin had no significant prognostic value. Rituximab included in first‐line therapy was associated with improved survival.
Advancement flap procedure in Crohn and non‐Crohn perineal fistulas: a simple surgical approach
Authors: Bessi G. , Siproudhis L. , Merlini l'Héritier A. , Wallenhorst T. , Le Balc'h E. , Bouguen G. , Brochard C.
Published: September 2018

Aim

Rectal flap advancement is still a part of therapeutic management of anal fistulas. Data on the outcome of rectal flap advancement in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) is scarce. Our objective was to ascertain rates of failure of rectal flap advancement and to determine predictive factors for failure, with a special focus on CD

Method

The patients’ details, the characteristics of the fistula and the main clinical and therapeutic events were prospectively assessed among patients who underwent rectal flap advancement. All patients had a partial‐thickness rectal flap advancement. Failure of primary rectal flap advancement was defined as the occurrence of at least one of the following: abscess, discharge, visible external opening, further drainage procedure. The rates of failure of rectal flap and the predictive factors of failure were assessed.

Results

Eighty‐seven patients (34 patients with CD) were included. The median (interquartile range) follow‐up was 13.3 (3.8–38.1) months. The cumulative failure rates were 15.9% (10.3–23.6), 23.0% (16.0–31.8), 31.6% (22.9–41.8) and 41.3% (30.5–53.0) at 3, 6, 12 and 24 months respectively. These data were comparable in Crohn's patients. Those with a supralevator fistula [hazard ratio 2.53 (1.01–7.71), P = 0.0476] and patients who had fewer than two fistula drainages before rectal flap [hazard ratio 3.19 (1.40–8.23), P = 0.005] were associated with higher rectal flap failure rates. In CD patients, the absence of biological therapy at referral was predictive of failure.

Conclusion

Rectal flap advancement is a satisfactory option for the therapeutic management of anal fistula, including CD populations. Fistula drainage is needed before performing this surgical technique.
Partners under pressure: humanitarian action for the Syria crisis
Authors: Howe Kimberly , Stites Elizabeth
Published: September 2018

Partnerships between organisations in humanitarian crisis situations generally are challenging, but at the apex are those established as part of remote management in a context of extreme insecurity. To date, little systematic research has been conducted on arrangements between local organisations that have access to crisis‐affected populations and international organisations that hold the purse strings. This paper presents the findings of nine months of qualitative research conducted with five Syrian local organisations and their international partners engaging in humanitarian action across the Turkey–Syria border, and presents insights into the components of successful partnerships. It redefines capacity along organisational and operational lines, and unpacks how monitoring and evaluation and donor requirements create tension and, at times, place local organisations at risk. The paper highlights the centrality of trust in successful partnerships, and describes the personalisation of the conflict by local organisations. Based on a historical case study of civil society in northern Iraq, it closes with some suggestions for long‐term sustainability.
A biogeographic reversal in sexual size dimorphism along a continental temperature gradient
Authors: Tarr Simon , Meiri Shai , Hicks James J. , Algar Adam C.
Published: September 2018

The magnitude and direction of sexual size dimorphism (SSD) varies greatly across the animal kingdom, reflecting differential selection pressures on the reproductive and/or ecological roles of males and females. If the selection pressures and constraints imposed on body size change along environmental gradients, then SSD will vary geographically in a predictable way. Here, we uncover a biogeographical reversal in SSD of lizards from Central and North America: in warm, low latitude environments, males are larger than females, but at colder, high latitudes, females are larger than males. Comparisons to expectations under a Brownian motion model of SSD evolution indicate that this pattern reflects differences in the evolutionary rates and/or trajectories of sex‐specific body sizes. The SSD gradient we found is strongly related to mean annual temperature, but is independent of species richness and body size differences among species within grid cells, suggesting that the biogeography of SSD reflects gradients in sexual and/or fecundity selection, rather than intersexual niche divergence to minimize intraspecific competition. We demonstrate that the SSD gradient is driven by stronger variation in male size than in female size and is independent of clutch mass. This suggests that gradients in sexual selection and male–male competition, rather than fecundity selection to maximize reproductive output by females in seasonal environments, are predominantly responsible for the gradient.
Are forest‐shrubland mosaics of the Cape Floristic Region an example of alternate stable states?
Authors: Cramer Michael D. , Power Simon C. , Belev Anastas , Gillson Lindsey , Bond William J. , Hoffman Michael T. , Hedin Lars O.
Published: September 2018

The idea of alternate stable states (ASS) has been used to explain the juxtaposition of distinct vegetation types within the same climate regime. ASS may explain the co‐existence of relatively inflammable closed‐canopy Afrotemperate forest patches (‘Forest’) within fire‐prone open‐canopy Fynbos in the Cape Floristic Region (CFR) on sandstone‐derived soils. We evaluated the hypothesis that although fire and local topography and hydrology likely determined the paleogeographic boundaries of Forest, present‐day boundaries are additionally imposed by emergent edaphic properties and disturbance histories. We studied vegetation and edaphic properties of Forest‐Transition‐Fynbos vegetation at two sites within the CFR on sandstone‐derived soils and tracked historical change using aerial photography. Whereas Forest and Fynbos have changed little in extent or density since 1945, transition vegetation increased into areas formerly occupied by Fynbos. Forest soils were ubiquitously more nutrient‐rich than Fynbos soils, with transition soils being intermediate. These edaphic differences are not due to geological differences, but instead appear to have emerged as a consequence of different nutrient cycling within the different ecosystems. Soil nutrients are now so different that a switch from Fynbos to Forest is unlikely, in the short term (i.e. decades). Floristically and nutritionally, transitional vegetation is more similar to Fynbos than Forest and may be less resilient to changes in exogenous drivers (e.g. fire). Our findings are consistent with the idea that geologically Forest and Fynbos are largely fire‐derived long‐term ASS, with the stability of each state reinforced by marked soil nutrient differences. In contrast, the intermediate transitional vegetation that might switch states is unlikely to be stable.
Accountability and patronage in extraordinary administrations: Evidence from Pompeii
Authors: Ferri Paolo , Zan Luca
Published: September 2018

Drawing on the concept of an accountability web, this paper analyzes the 2‐year long extraordinary administration of the archaeological site at Pompeii, where the Italian Prime Minister appointed a special Commissioner to deal with the alleged decay of the site in July 2008. Findings shed light on critical issues related to the appointment of “loyal experts” in terms of strong personalization, short‐term thinking, and the influence of the media in the administration of public services. Moreover, the paper introduces patronage accountability as a distinct accountability dimension that is characterized by a hierarchical and informal nature, and which cannot be accessed by those who are not part of the transaction. We add to the literature by identifying patronage accountability as a separate accountability dimension that conflicts with more common ones, and examine the implications of this practice for public administration.
Not all pycnodysostosis‐related mutants of human cathepsin K are inactive – crystal structure and biochemical studies of an active mutant I249T
Authors: Roy Sumana , Das Chakraborty Sudeshna , Biswas Sampa
Published: September 2018

Human cathepsin K (CTSK) is a collagenolytic lysosomal cysteine protease that plays an important role in bone turnover. Mutation in CTSK gene is associated with loss of collagenolytic activity of CTSK leading to an autosomal recessive bone disorder called pycnodysostosis. Although a number of pycnodysostotic missense mutations have been reported, underlying mechanism of the disease is not clear. In this study, we investigated in vitro six recombinant pycnodysostosis‐related mutants of human CTSK (G79E, I249T, G243E, G303E, G319C and Q187P). While all the mutants, like wild‐type, show similar high levels of expression in Escherichia coli, four of them (G79E, G303E, G319C and Q187P) are inactive, unstable and spontaneously degrade during purification process. In contrast, proteolytic/collagenolytic activity, zymogen activation kinetics and stability of G243E and I249T mutants are nominally affected. Crystal structure of I249T at 1.92 Å resolution shows that the mutation in R‐domain causes conformational changes of a surface loop in the L‐domain although the catalytic cleft remains unaltered. Molecular simulation, normal mode analysis and fluorescence lifetime measurement eliminated the possibility that the change in L‐domain surface loop orientation is a crystallization artefact. CD‐based thermal melting profile indicates that stability of I249T is significantly higher than wild‐type. Our studies first time reports that pycnodysostosis‐related mutations do not always lead to complete loss of general proteolytic activity or specific collagenolytic activity of CTSK. The first crystal structure of a pycnodysostotic mutant (I249T) provides critical information that may pave new avenues towards understanding the disease at molecular level.

Database

The atomic co‐ordinates and structure factors for I249T mutant of human CTSK (codes 5Z5O) have been deposited in the Protein Data Bank (http://wwpdb.org/)
Drought attenuates the impact of fish on aquatic macroinvertebrate richness and community composition
Authors: McDevitt‐Galles Travis , Johnson Pieter T. J.
Published: September 2018

Identifying ecological niche filters that shape species community composition is a critical first step in understanding the relative contributions of deterministic and stochastic processes in structuring communities. Systems with harsh ecological filters often have a more deterministic basis to community structure. Although these filters are often treated as static, investigations into their stability through time are rare, particularly in combination with extreme forms of environmental change such as drought.

We examined the richness and composition of aquatic macroinvertebrate communities from 36 ponds over 4 years during the onset of a megadrought to answer the following questions: (a) what are the relative influences of non‐native fish presence and pond permanence in structuring communities? And (b) how do the magnitudes of such filters vary through time?

As predicted, fish presence had a strong, negative effect on both alpha and gamma diversity, lowering average invertebrate richness in pond communities by 23%. However, fish presence and sample year interacted to determine both richness and taxa composition: as drought conditions intensified, the effects of fish weakened such that there were no differences in the richness or composition between fish and fishless ponds by the later sampling years. Moreover, large‐bodied invertebrate groups—often considered highly vulnerable to fish predation—were detected within fish‐occupied sites by the final year of the study.

This pattern was associated with progressive decreases in precipitation due to a severe drought in California, emphasising the importance of exogenous, regional factors in moderating the strength of biotic niche filters on local community structure over time. Given that all detected fish species were non‐native, these results also have application to understanding and forecasting changes in the diversity of aquatic invertebrates in response to biological invasions.
Association of solidarity between adult children and older parents with cognitive decline
Authors: Kim Jae‐Hyun , Chon Doukyoung
Published: September 2018

Aim

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the association between older adults’ contact with their adult children and their cognitive decline. Furthermore, contact with children was considered in terms of visual contact and non‐visual contact.

Methods

Data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging from 2006 to 2014 was assessed using longitudinal data analysis, and 6634 participants were included at baseline with no missing information. The χ2‐test and generalized linear mixed model with a binary distribution were used to investigate the association between solidarity of adult children and parents, and cognitive decline.

Results

Non‐visual contact with the first‐born child was significantly associated with cognitive decline. With daily contact as the reference: for two to three times weekly, the OR was 1.224 (P = 0.033); for two to three times monthly, the OR was 1.357 (P = 0.003); for five to six times yearly, the OR was 1.3816 (P = 0.008); and for very rarely, the OR was 1.786 (P < 0.0002), showing a significant effect for all groups. In the final sex‐, age‐ and marriage status‐specific analysis, non‐visual contact with the first‐born child was significantly associated with cognitive decline for women, people aged ≤64 years and people who were married.

Conclusions

The present study validated previous research on the importance of social contact, and further assessed different modes of contact to show that non‐visual contact is more beneficial than visual contact in terms of cognitive decline. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2018; 18: 1501–1506.
BETWEEN CONTINUITY AND CHANGE: EARLY TWENTIETH‐CENTURY GERMAN‐LANGUAGE CRIME AND DETECTIVE NOVELS AND THE ‘FAMILIENKRIMI’
Authors: Karolle‐Berg Julia
Published: September 2018

German‐language crime and detective novels of the 1920s and 1930s have recently enjoyed scholarly attention, yet the first decade of the century remains relatively unresearched. This study explores a popular subgenre of the ‘Kriminalroman’ from this crucial period: novels that featured a criminal investigation in which central characters are part of an extended family, referred to here as ‘Familienkrimis’. In them, the resolution of the crime requires addressing familial conflicts, which then enables the (re‐)union of a romantic couple. My sample comprises five novels, Im Haus der Witwe (1901) by Robert Kohlrausch, Subotins Erbe (1905) by Gabriele von Schlippenbach, Die Erbtante (1906) by Margarethe Koßak, Schatten (1910) by Isidore Kaulbach, and Schwarze Perlen (1910) by August Weißl. As I show, these ‘Familienkrimis’ afford a productive context for analysing the evolution of the genre in the German‐speaking world. Early twentieth‐century novels leaned on literary conventions present in the popular nineteenth‐century family‐centric crime fiction of William Wilkie Collins and Émile Gaboriau, such as intergenerational conflicts, gothic elements, and certain detective types. Whether authors of ‘Familienkrimis’ adhered to or innovated on established narrative conventions, the trends that emerge in this subgenre offer insight into the general catalogue of productive generic devices before 1945.
THE EAST GERMAN FILM COMING OUT (1989) AS MELANCHOLIC REFLECTION AND HOPEFUL PROJECTION
Authors: Frackman Kyle
Published: September 2018

This essay argues that the East German film Coming Out (1989) achieves a dual objective: to reflect a version of living conditions for gay citizens of the GDR at the time and to project the possibility of an enlightened future in which they, and other outsiders, do not face discrimination because of their difference. Coming Out, directed by Heiner Carow, was the first feature film about homosexuality in the GDR. It premiered the day the Berlin Wall fell and came after a long and complicated history of gay rights and activism in East Germany. Despite decriminalisation in 1968, the position of lesbians and gay men in the GDR was an ambivalent and contradictory one. Through narrative and cinematographic means, the film refers to gay history and to the dissonance between socialist society and individualism, while also presenting an affirmative message for positive change and development.
THE STRANGE EVERYDAY: DIVIDED BERLIN IN PROSE TEXTS BY HERTA MÜLLER AND EMINE SEVGI ÖZDAMAR
Authors: Mcmurtry Áine
Published: September 2018

The Rumanian‐born Nobel laureate, Herta Müller, and the Turkish–German writer, Emine Sevgi Özdamar, came to reside in West and East Berlin respectively following persecution under political regimes on different sides of the Cold War divide. This comparative article examines the ‘strange gaze’ on everyday Berlin in two of their German‐language texts in order to consider the potential of displaced modes of cultural production to rethink the reunified nation. Müller's Reisende auf einem Bein (1989) and Özdamar's ‘Mein Berlin’ (2001) engage with divided Berlin as a place of resettlement and new beginnings, yet simultaneously reveal historical continuities between the two Cold War Germanys, and with those authoritarian states their authors had left behind. Offering an alternative to psychologising interpretations that focus on the works as expressions of historical trauma, a tendency that can downplay their contemporary political significance, the article examines how the texts engage with experiences of migration to express the material imbrication of personal and socio‐historical reality. Ultimately the experimental prose texts, themselves born of Cold War histories of forced migration, will be found to make a prescient contribution to reconceptualising the post‐1989 German nation and to prefigure the migrant as the key agent of societal change.
SPACE IS THE PLACE: AFROFUTURISM IN OLIVIA WENZEL'S MAIS IN DEUTSCHLAND UND ANDEREN GALAXIEN (2015)
Authors: Layne Priscilla
Published: September 2018

In this article I explore the influence of Afrofuturism on Olivia Wenzel's play Mais in Deutschland und anderen Galaxien. The play focuses on the black German protagonist Noah by showing scenes from his life, ranging from his childhood in East Germany to his problems as an adult. In a post‐modernist style, the play does not follow one narrative thread and there is no authoritative perspective. Most importantly, Wenzel's inclusion of fantastical characters, space travel, and a non‐linear narrative adds an element of Afrofuturism to the text. In a self‐referential move, one of the play's narrative threads is a comic book story that Noah writes about himself and his mother called Mais in Deutschland und anderen Galaxien, and this is where the fantastical characters and space travel emerge. At the conclusion of both the comic and the play, Noah's fictional self sprouts wings and flies into space, escaping the stifling structures that determined his life and his relationships on earth. I argue that these Afrofuturist elements allow Wenzel to challenge the notion of a homogeneous black German subject, by positing the possibility of multiple galaxies and diverse ways for Noah to experience his self that do not necessarily coalesce to form a unified subject.
Effects of ozone treatment on pesticide residues in food: a review
Authors: Wang Shan , Wang Jiayi , Wang Tianyu , Li Chen , Wu Zhaoxia
Published: September 2018

In agriculture, pesticide residues have always posed a major safety hazard to human health. With the development of agricultural production and improvements in science and technology, additional methods for degradation of pesticide residues have emerged. Amongst them, ozone treatment recently became a popular method owing to its outstanding technical advantages. This review is an in‐depth analysis of the mechanisms by which ozone treatment degrades pesticide residues. The main mechanism involves direct oxidation by oxygen atoms, and indirect oxidation driven by hydroxyl radicals. The effects of ozone treatment on pesticide residues in food with respect to the ozone concentration, duration of ozone treatment, type of food, variety of pesticides, level of pesticide residues and environmental factors have been discussed. Furthermore, the impact of ozone treatment on the quality of food is highlighted. Low levels of ozone result in minor changes to the visual and sensory characteristics of food. In addition, this article discusses several restrictions surrounding the current application of ozone treatment for the degradation of pesticide residues. More specifically, the most crucial issue is the potential toxicity of ozonation byproducts generated by the process, which is also the current focus of research on ozone treatment for the degradation of pesticide residues. After weighing the advantages and disadvantages of ozone treatment, it is recommended as a method of degrading pesticide residues.
Superiority of dutasteride 0.5 mg and tamsulosin 0.2 mg for the treatment of moderate‐to‐severe benign prostatic hyperplasia in Asian men
Authors: Haque Nazneen , Masumori Naoya , Sakamoto Sadaaki , Ye Zhangqun , Yoon Sang‐Jin , Kuo Hann‐Chorng , Brotherton Betsy , Wilson Timothy , Muganurmath Chandra , McLaughlin Megan , Manyak Michael
Published: September 2018

Objectives

To assess the effectiveness and safety of dutasteride 0.5 mg + tamsulosin 0.2 mg combination compared with tamsulosin 0.2 mg in Asian men with moderate‐to‐severe benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Methods

A 4‐week, single‐blind, placebo, run‐in was followed by a 2‐year double‐blind randomized controlled trial in men age ≥50 years with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia, International Prostate Symptom Score ≥12, prostate volume ≥30 cc, prostate‐specific antigen ≥1.5 and ≤10 ng/mL, peak urinary flow >5 and ≤15 mL/s, and voided volume of ≥125 mL. Participants were randomized to oral daily dutasteride 0.5 mg + tamsulosin 0.2 mg combination or tamsulosin 0.2 mg. The primary efficacy end‐point was change in International Prostate Symptom Score at year 2.

Results

Data from 607 participants showed a significant reduction in International Prostate Symptom Score (P < 0.05) at month 24, along with greater improvements (P ≤ 0.006) in peak urinary flow at every assessment and significant prostate volume reduction at months 12 and 24 (P < 0.001) in the combination group. Combination therapy was associated with a significant reduction in the risk of acute urinary retention or benign prostatic hyperplasia‐related surgery (P = 0.012), primarily due to a significant reduction in the risk of acute urinary retention (P = 0.005). The safety and tolerability profile of combination therapy was consistent with the known profiles for the individual monotherapies.

Conclusions

Dutasteride 0.5 mg + tamsulosin 0.2 mg combination therapy showed better clinical outcomes than tamsulosin 0.2 mg monotherapy, making it an effective and safe treatment option for Asian men with moderate‐to‐severe benign prostatic hyperplasia.
When Optimism Fails: Liberal Intergovernmentalism and Citizen Representation*
Authors: Hix Simon
Published: September 2018

Liberal Intergovernmentalism has a particular set of assumptions about the relationship between voters and governments. Either voters are content to trust their governments, because issues have low salience, or governments react to voters’ preferences. How far is this ‘supply side’ of the theory still valid in the newly politicized world of EU politics? This article discusses the assumptions about representation in the theory, and looks at the conditions under which the assumptions might still hold and what this means for EU politics today. If the representational assumptions still hold in this highly politicized EU world, then the theory would predict policy gridlock. On the other hand, if there is a growing gap between publics and elites, then the assumptions, and the related propositions about the democratic deficit, no‐longer hold. Either way, the inherent optimism of the theory is undermined.
Assessment of mycotoxins co‐occurrence in Italian dried figs and in dried figs‐based products
Authors: Di Sanzo R. , Carabetta S. , Campone L. , Bonavita S. , Iaria D. , Fuda S. , Rastrelli L. , Russo Mt.
Published: September 2018

The possible contamination by aflatoxins (AFs), ochratoxin A (OTA), fumonisin B1 (FB1), fusaric acid (FA), and beauvericin (BEA), was investigated in 55 samples of dried figs and dried figs‐based products purchased from the South Italy (Calabria) market. A total of 41 samples showed contamination by at least one of the mycotoxins investigated. Aflatoxin B1 was found in six samples (0.19 — 8.41 μg/kg) total aflatoxins were found in 13 samples (0.5–17.12 μg/kg), OTA was found in 21 samples (<LOQ—158.58 μg/kg), FB1 was found in eight samples (153.81–5,412.96 μg/kg), BEA was found in 12 samples (<LOQ—5,708.49 μg/kg), and FA was found in 28 samples (<LOQ—74,520.20 μg/kg). The analyzed samples were contaminated with one (41.8%), two (7.3%), three (5.5%), four (10.9%), and five (5.5%) mycotoxins. To the best of our knowledge, the incidence of contamination by FA and BEA has been shown for the first time in dried figs.

Practical applications

The present work was focused on mycotoxin mixtures contamination levels of dried figs and dried figs‐based products. It is known that the co‐occurrence of mycotoxins leads to additive or synergistic effects. For some analyzed samples the AFB1, aflatoxins, and ochratoxin A (OTA) levels exceed the European Union countries legal limit. In addition, the simultaneous presence of FB1, FA, and BEA can be a potential threat to the health of consumers. Although different studies examined AFs, OTA, and Fusarium toxins as single mycotoxins in dried figs, to our knowledge, the co‐occurrence of AFs, OTA, FB1, FA, and BEA in dried figs and in dried figs‐based products samples has not been reported previously. Therefore, to prevent mycotoxins contamination, the employment of good practices in all the processing steps is necessary. Furthermore, the quality control of the ingredients used in figs preparations (spices, other dried fruits, cocoa, etc.), usually not adequately, is essential. Finally, it is of importance to establish more stringent rules to ensure food safety, even if no legal limit was still set for Fusarium toxins in dried fruit.
Primary cervico‐uterine anastomosis in a patient with agenesis of the uterine isthmus: A case report and review
Authors: Richards Amy , Phy Jennifer L. , Huang Jaou‐Chen
Published: September 2018

Arrested caudal extension of the fused Müllerian ducts, either complete or segmental, causes obstruction of the outflow tract. We describe a case of agenesis of the uterine isthmus and the procedure to establish the continuity of the outflow tract. A 15‐year‐old girl with cyclic pelvic pain and amenorrhea was found to have a 3‐cm gap between the uterine body and the cervix. After cervico‐uterine anastomosis via laparotomy she menstruated normally and was pain‐free. Selected cases of arrested Müllerian duct extension can be corrected by primary anastomosis, which establishes anatomical continuity and restores menstruation and, possibly, future fertility.
‘Cash me ousside’: A citizen sociolinguistic analysis of online metalinguistic commentary
Authors: Aslan Erhan , Vásquez Camilla
Published: September 2018

This study examines online metalinguistic commentary related to an Internet meme (i.e. ‘Cash me ousside/howbow dah’), in order to explore Internet users’ language ideologies. The meme, and its relatedYouTubemetacommentary, places at its center a ‘non‐standard’ utterance produced by a young teenage girl on a U.S. television talk show, which went viral. Drawing on citizen sociolinguistics – a means to explore how everyday citizens make sense of the world of language around them – the study offers an analysis of metalinguistic evaluations made byYouTubecommenters about this particular utterance and its speaker. Our findings reveal that the teenager's sociolinguistically ambiguous manner of speaking is perceived as indexing multiple social categories including race, region, education, and class‐linked imagined ‘spaces’ (e.g.ghetto,hood,the streets) – and that these categories overlap in complex, and not always predictable, configurations. Our analysis also highlights how evaluations regarding the authenticity and intelligibility of the speaker's performance interact with several of the aforementioned social categories.
Bivalent class indexing in the sociolinguistics of specialty coffee talk
Authors: Cotter William M. , Valentinsson Mary‐Caitlyn
Published: September 2018

In this article, we analyze the register of specialty coffee talk through an analysis of cupping events and broader specialty coffee company discourse. This register includes both a rarefied lexicon as well as broader rhetorical strategies utilized in specialty coffee marketing and branding, with indexical potentials pointing simultaneously to both higher and lower class positions. We refer to this semiotic pliability as bivalent class indexicality. This approach to indexicality offers a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between language and social meaning by analyzing practices that move across multiple sociolinguistic scales (Blommaert ) to show how this register indexes social characteristics with seemingly opposing social valances.
Outcomes of infants born at borderline viability (23–25 weeks gestation) who received cardiopulmonary resuscitation at birth
Authors: Goel Dimple , D'cruz Daphne , Jani Pranav
Published: September 2018

Aim

The practice of providing advanced resuscitative measures to infants born at borderline viability (23–25+6 weeks gestation) varies among clinicians due to perception of futility. The aim of our study was to compare mortality and major morbidities in infants born at borderline viability who did not receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in the delivery room (No DR‐CPR) as compared to those who did (DR‐CPR).

Methods

A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data of infants born between 23 and 25+6 weeks gestation who were resuscitated at birth at the study centre or admitted to neonatal intensive care unit from peripheral hospitals, over 8 years (2007–2014). The primary outcome was survival, free of disability at 2 years corrected age and secondary outcomes were survival at discharge and neonatal morbidities.

Results

Of 123 infants in the study cohort, 21 received DR‐CPR. In unadjusted analysis, there was increased mortality rate in the DR‐CPR group which was statistically insignificant (26.5 vs. 42.9%, P = 0.15). After adjustment for potential confounders, there was no significant difference in the mortality rate with odds ratio of 1.10 (confidence interval: 0.34–3.53, P = 0.86). Among infants who received DR‐CPR for >2 min, the mortality rate was significantly higher (25.2 vs. 56.3%, P = 0.01). Survival free of disability was similar in two groups (50.9 vs. 47.6%, P = 0.78).

Conclusions

Among infants born at borderline viability, the vast majority of infants did not receive CPR and, if CPR was prolonged for >2 min, mortality was increased. Among survivors of the small DR‐CPR group, early neurodevelopmental outcomes were comparable to the No DR‐CPR group.
Compliance with the “Baby‐friendly Hospital Initiative for Neonatal Wards” in 36 countries
Authors: Maastrup Ragnhild , Haiek Laura N. ,   The Neo‐BFHI Survey Group
Published: September 2018

In 2012, the Baby‐friendly Hospital Initiative for Neonatal Wards (Neo‐BFHI) began providing recommendations to improve breastfeeding support for preterm and ill infants. This cross‐sectional survey aimed to measure compliance on a global level with the Neo‐BFHI's expanded Ten Steps to successful breastfeeding and three Guiding Principles in neonatal wards. In 2017, the Neo‐BFHI Self‐Assessment questionnaire was used in 15 languages to collect data from neonatal wards of all levels of care. Answers were summarized into compliance scores ranging from 0 to 100 at the ward, country, and international levels. A total of 917 neonatal wards from 36 low‐, middle‐, and high‐income countries from all continents participated. The median international overall score was 77, and median country overall scores ranged from 52 to 91. Guiding Principle 1 (respect for mothers), Step 5 (breastfeeding initiation and support), and Step 6 (human milk use) had the highest scores, 100, 88, and 88, respectively. Step 3 (antenatal information) and Step 7 (rooming‐in) had the lowest scores, 63 and 67, respectively. High‐income countries had significantly higher scores for Guiding Principles 2 (family‐centered care), Step 4 (skin‐to‐skin contact), and Step 5. Neonatal wards in hospitals ever‐designated Baby‐friendly had significantly higher scores than those never designated. Sixty percent of managers stated they would like to obtain Neo‐BFHI designation. Currently, Neo‐BFHI recommendations are partly implemented in many countries. The high number of participating wards indicates international readiness to expand Baby‐friendly standards to neonatal settings. Hospitals and governments should increase their efforts to better support breastfeeding in neonatal wards.
Multiple simultaneous treatments change plant response from adaptive parental effects to within‐generation plasticity, inArabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Lampei Christian
Published: September 2018

In general, studies on plant phenotypic plasticity concentrate on plant responses to different levels of a single environmental factor. Under natural conditions, however, multiple environmental factors often vary simultaneously. I studied the consequences for lifetime fitness caused by single treatments or treatment combinations by investigating patterns of phenotypic plasticity within and between generations. The parental plants (three genotypes of the annual plantArabidopsis thaliana) received zero, one or two stress treatments at an early life‐stage. The treatments included wounding, shading, chilling, and their pairwise combinations. In the second generation, offspring of treated plants received either the parental or no treatment. Offspring of non‐treated plants were reared under all treatment conditions. Plants responded strongly to the treatments, especially through delayed reproduction, which positively affected lifetime fitness. Notably, treatment combinations triggered stronger plastic responses on average. Because the delay in reproduction was offset by a delay in senescence, the treatments resulted in a fitness gain instead of a loss. However, under adverse environmental conditions, this delay represents a potential fitness cost, especially when the time for reproduction is limited. The treatments ‘wounding’ and ‘shading’ triggered parental effects that increased fitness only in plants that themselves received the treatment. Untreated offspring of wounded or shaded parents performed like control plants. Also, these parental effects were not accompanied by potential fitness costs, such as delayed reproduction. Chilling triggered genotype‐specific parental effects that increased or reduced fitness. Of the treatment combinations only ‘wounding’ and ‘shading’ resulted in genotype‐specific parental effects that increased or reduced fitness independently of offspring treatment. These results suggest that the response of annual plants to treatment combinations triggers predominantly within‐generation plastic responses that include potential fitness costs, which cannot be inferred from studies that manipulate environmental factors individually. Therefore, single treatment studies likely underestimate the costs of plasticity in natural environments.
Ecology and macroevolution – evolutionary niche monopolisation as a mechanisms of niche conservatism
Authors: Ripa Jörgen
Published: September 2018

Explaining macroevolution from microevolution is a key issue in contemporary evolutionary theory. A recurrent macroevolutionary pattern is that some niche‐related traits consistently evolve slower than others, so called niche conservatism. Despite a growing amount of data, the underlying evolutionary processes are not fully understood. I here analyse adaptive radiations in an individual‐based eco‐evolutionary model. I find a coevolutionary mechanism – evolutionary niche monopolisation – as a possibly important generator of niche conservatism. A single lineage of a radiating clade can monopolise, and later diversify within, a substantial part of the available niche space – much larger than what can be explained by limiting similarity. This leads to niche conservatism, since no species evolves into or out of the monopolised region. The region can in this sense also be described as an adaptive zone. The model indicates that evolutionary niche monopolisation is operative in a large part of parameter space, underlining its possible importance. The mechanism is driven by competitive interactions and differences in niche widths in alternative niche dimensions. I discuss plausible examples of evolutionary niche monopolisation in well‐studied natural systems.