bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial of triheptanoin in adult polyglucosan body disease and open‐label, long‐term outcome
Authors: Schiffmann Raphael , Wallace Mary E. , Rinaldi Daisy , Ledoux Isabelle , Luton Marie‐Pierre , Coleman Scott , Akman H. Orhan , Martin Karine , Hogrel Jean‐Yves , Blankenship Derek , Turner Jacob , Mochel Fanny
Published: November 2017

Background

Adult polyglucosan body disease (APBD) is a progressive neurometabolic disorder caused by a deficiency of glycogen branching enzyme. We tested the efficacy of triheptanoin as a therapy for patients with APBD based on the hypothesis that decreased glycogen degradation leads to brain energy deficit.

Methods and results

This was a two‐site, randomized crossover trial of 23 patients (age 35–73 years; 63% men) who received triheptanoin or vegetable oil as placebo. The trial took place over 1 year and was followed by a 4‐year open‐label phase. Generalized linear mixed models were used to analyze this study. At baseline, using the 6‐min walk test, patients could walk a mean of 389 ± 164 m (range 95–672; n = 19), highlighting the great clinical heterogeneity of our cohort. The overall mean difference between patients on triheptanoin versus placebo was 6 m; 95% confidence interval (CI) −11 to 22; p = 0.50. Motion capture gait analysis, gait quality, and stair climbing showed no consistent direction of change. All secondary endpoints were statistically nonsignificant after false discovery rate adjustment. Triheptanoin was safe and generally well tolerated. During the open‐label phase of the study, the most affected patients at baseline kept deteriorating while mildly disabled patients remained notably stable up to 4 years.

Conclusions

We cannot conclude that triheptanoin was effective in the treatment of APBD over a 6‐month period, but we found it had a good safety profile. This study also emphasizes the difficulty of conducting trials in very rare diseases presenting with a wide clinical heterogeneity. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00947960.
Pregabalin Did Not Improve Pain Management after Spinal Fusions
Authors: Urban Michael K. , Labib Kristy M. , Reid Shane C. , Goon Amanda K. , Rotundo Valeria , Cammisa Frank P. , Girardi Federico P.
Published: November 2017

Background

The treatment of postoperative pain is a challenge after posterior spinal fusions. Pain management using predominantly opioids is often associated with multiple adverse effects, while multimodal postoperative analgesia may provide adequate pain relief with fewer opioid side effects.

Questions/Purposes

The purpose of this review is to determine whether addition of 150 mg pregabalin daily would reduce narcotic requirements and improve outcomes after posterior lumbar fusion (PLF).

Methods

The method used is a randomized, controlled trial of elective PLF patients who received pregabalin or placebo. With institutional review board (IRB) approval, 86 patients undergoing elective posterior lumbar fusion, ASA I–III, were randomized to receive either a placebo or pregabalin after obtaining written informed consent. Both arms, i.e., placebo and pregabalin, consisted of 43 patients each. The 86 patients for elective PLF were randomly assigned to receive 150 mg of pregabalin 1 h before surgery and then 150 mg daily, or a placebo tablet. All patients received a similar general anesthetic and in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU), started on intravenous (IV) patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) of hydromorphone (0.2 mg/ml). Postoperative pain was assessed daily until discharge using a Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) at rest and with physical therapy (PT). Patients were also assessed twice daily for level of sedation and nausea and/or vomiting and expected PT milestones. All narcotics (IV, oral) were documented.

Results

Demographics and operative time between groups were similar. PCA hydromorphone administration and oral narcotic intake were not statistically different between the two groups. However, an increased incidence of nausea and vomiting in the placebo group reached statistical significance ( p < 0.05). In addition, there was no statistical difference between groups with respect to achieving PT milestones and hospital discharge day.

Conclusion

After PLF, patients receiving pregabalin 150 mg/day did not have reduced IV narcotic usage, improved PT milestones, or reduced length of hospital stay. We were unable to demonstrate an analgesic advantage to prescribing pregabalin to patients undergoing lumbar spinal fusions.
White matter signal abnormalities in former National Football League players
Authors: Alosco Michael L. , Koerte Inga K. , Tripodis Yorghos , Mariani Megan , Chua Alicia S. , Jarnagin Johnny , Rahimpour Yashar , Puzo Christian , Healy Rose C. , Martin Brett , Chaisson Christine E. , Cantu Robert C. , Au Rhoda , McClean Michael , McKee Ann C. , Lin Alexander P. , Shenton Martha E. , Killiany Ronald J. , Stern Robert A.
Published: November 2017

Introduction

Later‐life brain alterations in former tackle football players are poorly understood, particularly regarding their relationship with repetitive head impacts (RHIs) and clinical function. We examined white matter signal abnormalities (WMSAs) and their association with RHIs and clinical function in former National Football League (NFL) players.

Methods

Eighty‐six clinically symptomatic former NFL players and 23 same‐age reportedly asymptomatic controls without head trauma exposure underwent magnetic resonance imaging and neuropsychological testing. FreeSurfer calculated WMSAs. A cumulative head impact index quantified RHIs.

Results

In former NFL players, increased volume of WMSAs was associated with higher cumulative head impact index scores (P = .043) and worse psychomotor speed and executive function (P = .015). Although former NFL players had greater WMSA volume than controls (P = .046), these findings are inconclusive due to recruitment of controls based on lack of clinical symptoms and head trauma exposure.

Discussion

In former NFL players, WMSAs may reflect long‐term microvascular and nonmicrovascular pathologies from RHIs that negatively impact cognition.
Can visuospatial measures improve the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease?
Authors: Salimi Shirin , Irish Muireann , Foxe David , Hodges John R. , Piguet Olivier , Burrell James R.
Published: November 2017

Introduction

Overlapping and evolving symptoms lead to ambiguity in the diagnosis of dementia. Visuospatial function relies on parietal lobe function, which may be affected in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD). This review evaluates visuospatial dysfunction in patients with AD, frontotemporal dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, and vascular dementia to determine the diagnostic and prognostic potential of visuospatial tasks in AD.

Methods

A systematic search of studies (1960–2016) investigating visuospatial dysfunction in dementia was conducted.

Results

Tests measuring construction, specifically Block Design and Clock Drawing Test, and visual memory, specifically Rey‐Osterrieth Complex Figure recall and topographical tasks, show the greatest diagnostic potential in dementia. The Benton visual retention, Doors and People, and topographical memory tests show potential as prognostic markers.

Discussion

Tests of visuospatial function demonstrate significant diagnostic and prognostic potential in dementia. Further studies with larger samples of pathologically confirmed cases are required to verify clinical utility.
Retinal thickness correlates with parietal cortical atrophy in early‐onset Alzheimer's disease and controls
Authors: den Haan Jurre , Janssen Sarah F. , van de Kreeke Jacoba A. , Scheltens Philip , Verbraak Frank D. , Bouwman Femke H.
Published: November 2017

Introduction

The retina may reflect Alzheimer's disease (AD) neuropathological changes and is easily visualized with optical coherence tomography (OCT). Retinal thickness decrease has been correlated to AD, however, without information on amyloid status. We correlated retinal (layer) thickness to AD biomarkers in amyloid‐positive early‐onset AD (EOAD) patients and amyloid‐negative controls.

Methods

We measured macular thickness and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness with OCT in 15 EOAD patients and 15 controls and correlated retinal thickness to visual rating scores for atrophy on magnetic resonance imaging.

Results

Total macular thickness correlated to parietal cortical atrophy in both groups (Spearman ρ −0.603, P = .001). Macular and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thicknesses were not significantly decreased in EOAD compared to controls.

Discussion

Retinal thickness does not discriminate EOAD from controls but is correlated to parietal cortical atrophy in both groups. These findings may suggest reflection of cerebral cortical changes in the retina, independent of amyloid.
Changes in place of death among people with dementia in Finland between 1998 and 2013: A register study
Authors: Masuchi Yaeko , Jylhä Marja , Raitanen Jani , Aaltonen Mari
Published: November 2017

Introduction

The place of death is suggested as a quality indicator for end‐of‐life care. We investigated how the place of death changed between 1998 and 2013 among people with dementia.

Methods

Data from the Finnish national health and social care registers were extracted for all people with dementia, who had died at 70 years old during these years (N = 140,034). Descriptive analysis and logistic regression analysis were conducted.

Results

In 2013, the most common place of death was the primary care hospital (39.8%), followed by nursing home and sheltered housing with 24‐hour assistance (20.5%). Dying at home was rare (8.1%). During the study years, dying in the hospital decreased while dying in sheltered housing with 24‐hour assistance increased.

Discussion

The place of death for people with dementia has changed from institutions to noninstitutional care facilities. Further research on noninstitutional care facilities' ability to provide high‐quality care at the end of life is needed.
Do Colors Change Realities in Online Shopping?
Authors: Hsieh Yi-Ching , Chiu Hung-Chang , Tang Yun-Chia , Lee Monle
Published: November 2017

This study investigates the links among color, price, and patronage intention on the Internet. With regard to the effects of a store website's background colors and product prices, the interactions of background colors and price levels may influence online patronage intention via perceptions of quality, sacrifice, and value. The results reveal that online consumers’ reactions to online merchandise prices vary according to website background colors. Participants who view blue or low-brightness backgrounds have high patronage intentions regardless of whether prices are high or low. Participants who view red or high-brightness backgrounds are sensitive to merchandise prices and react significantly negatively to high prices. Further mediation analyses indicate that website background colors can influence how consumers interpret price levels: Blue backgrounds make consumers use high price as a sign of high quality rather than monetary sacrifice, but red or high-brightness backgrounds make consumers use high price as a sign of high monetary sacrifice rather than product quality.
Pricing Best Sellers and Traffic Generators: The Role of Asymmetric Cross-selling
Authors: Kocas Cenk , Pauwels Koen , Bohlmann Jonathan D.
Published: November 2017

Among the many items online retailers sell, some stand out as best sellers and are often sold at considerable discounts. Best seller discounting can encourage customer traffic and the purchase of a basket of other products in the same transaction. Although most studies treat retailers as symmetric, the cross-selling potential is generally asymmetric across retailers, since some online retailers have more products to sell. In addition, the cross-selling effect works both ways — customers intending to buy a best seller may buy other items in their shopping basket, while other customers intending to buy a basket may buy a best seller while visiting the retailer. The authors model the pricing implications of this rich variety of asymmetric cross-selling, with both best sellers and typical baskets acting as traffic generators and cross-sold products. The common wisdom that loss leader pricing leads to neither a significant increase in store traffic nor an increase in profits does not apply in an asymmetric case where one retailer has more products to cross-sell. The cross-selling potential of products even far down the best seller list is demonstrated. Empirical analyses provide support for key findings of the theoretical model using book pricing and sales rank data from multiple online retailers.
An analysis of the risk factors of preeclampsia and prediction based on combined biochemical indexes
Authors: Quan Li‐Mei , Xu Qiu‐Lian , Zhang Gen‐Qin , Wu Lin‐Lin , Xu Heng
Published: November 2017

This study aims to investigate the risk factors and the joint biochemical indicators predictive value for preeclampsia. Related factors and biochemical indicators were investigated in 558 patients with preeclampsia and 435 normal pregnant women. Multiplicity analysis was performed by logistic regression. The predictive value of the biochemical index and joint biochemical indicators for predicting the incidence of pregnant women preeclampsia were analyzed by ROC curve. A progestation BMI of >24 kg/m2 (OR = 5.412, 95% CI: 1.169–9.447), hypertension history (OR = 7.487, 95% CI: 2.541–11.247) and advanced age (>35 years old, OR = 6.321, 95% CI: 3.142–20.342) are risk factors for preeclampsia. Tumor necrosis factor‐α and plasma protein‐A are valuable for preeclampsia prediction. The predictive success of preeclampsia could be improved by clinical risk factors associated with biochemical indicators detection.
The Advent of Lawyers in Japanese Government
Authors: FOOTE Daniel H.
Published: November 2017

Until 2003, Japanese lawyers were prohibited by law from entering full-time employment in governmental bodies. That year, in line with recommendations by the Justice System Reform Council, the Lawyers Act was amended to permit lawyers to undertake such employment. Incorporating information and insights from interviews with former government lawyers and other concerned parties, this article examines the rise in the hiring of government lawyers and its impact. The article considers factors that have contributed to the increase, examines the roles played by these lawyers, considers prospects for the future, and discusses implications for government, the legal profession, clients, and legal education and training. The article also seeks to identify a range of issues raised by these developments that warrant further in-depth research.
Brexit and Agriculture: Implementing a New Legal Framework for Agricultural Support
Authors: CARDWELL Michael
Published: November 2017

Brexit has the capacity to impact heavily on the agricultural sector across the United Kingdom in that it is a sector which has been both in receipt of substantial expenditure under the Common Agricultural Policy and subject to a pattern of close regulation at European Union level. This article will explore the legal implications for post-Brexit agricultural support, proceeding in three stages. First, there will be an outline of the current structure of the industry, with particular reference to its diversity in terms of physical landscape, operational scale and legal foundations. Secondly, there will be discussion of emerging policy within both central UK government and the devolved administrations. In this context, specific attention will be directed to the likely extent of funding and the proposed drive towards higher standards in environmental protection and animal welfare. And, in each case, account will also be taken of specific implications which flow from overarching World Trade Organization rules. Thirdly, there will be consideration of the potentially difficult issues which arise as a result of agriculture being a devolved matter, different policy imperatives already becoming evident across the constituent parts of the UK. For the present, the prospect is that a bespoke support regime will survive Brexit and, in this sense, agricultural ‘exceptionalism’ will continue. However, the more precise form of such a regime remains as yet work-in-progress and its realisation will present considerable challenges not only in political terms, but also by reason of the complex legal geometry in which World Trade Organization rules and the constitutional rights of the devolved administrations are weighty factors.
Pituitary Adenoma Associated With Rathke’s Cleft Cyst: Report of 15 Cases
Authors: Wu Wenhao , Jia Guijun , Jia Wang , Li Guilin , Zhang Junting , Zhang Liwei
Published: November 2017

Objective:The concomitant presence of pituitary adenoma (PA) with Rathke’s cleft cyst (RCC) is rare, and most of the literature published is case reports. RCC’s clinicopathological features have not been well described.Methods:We retrospectively reviewed the data of 15 patients with PA associated with RCC. We also provide a systematic review of the literature.Results:The patients included males and seven females. The transsphenoidal approach was adopted for all patients except one, who underwent right frontal craniotomy. Complete resection was achieved in nine cases, with grossly complete resection in five and partial removal in one. Of the PA subtypes available, five patients had nonfunctional pituitary adenomas, three had multiple-hormone secreting PAs, three had prolactin-producing adenomas, and one had a growth hormone-secreting adenoma. All of the patients’ symptoms and abnormal endocrine test results resolved or were relieved after surgery. The mean follow-up time was 27.6±16.6 months. All of the patients recovered well and had no signs of recurrence during their follow-up, except for one patient.Conclusions:A cyst-like signal indicated on images or cystic materials encountered during operation in a patient with PA suggest the possibility of PA associated with RCC. Transsphenoidal surgery is the preferred approach and can resolve or relieve patients’ symptoms to a great extent. Histologically, nonfunctional PA and prolactinoma are the most common types of PA coexisting with RCC; the mechanisms of PA associated with RCC need to be investigated further.
Creating Segregation in the Era of Integration: School Consolidation and Local Control in New Brunswick, New Jersey, 1965–1976
Authors: Rasmussen Chris
Published: November 2017

New Brunswick High School, which had been racially integrated for decades, became majority-minority (and soon, all minority) in the 1970s, after years of legal wrangling led hundreds of its students to depart for a new, nearly all-white high school in the adjacent suburb of North Brunswick. White suburbanites invoked “local control” to justify building their own high school and battled against both New Brunswick and the New Jersey Department of Education, which ostensibly supported integration and the creation of larger, consolidated school districts. Black and Latino city residents initially advocated integration but soon renounced integration and demanded “community control” over New Brunswick High. Ultimately, the New Jersey Department of Education permitted the schools in the city and the suburb to become separate, allowing segregation to prevail in the so-called “era of integration.”
Changing prescribing patterns in an Irish community mental health service
Authors: Rowntree R. , McCarthy N. , Feeney L.
Published: November 2017

Objectives

Medication is an important component of the treatment of many mental illnesses. Very little information is available about the particular medications that are being prescribed by community mental health services and how this has changed over time. We set out to obtain details of psychiatric medications being prescribed by one Irish community mental health service.

Method

All prescribing by the Cluain Mhuire Community Mental Health Service became electronic during 2004. Using Business Intelligence software, we obtained details of all psychiatric medications prescribed from 2005 to 2016. We compared numbers of prescriptions written in the first 6 years (2005–2010) with the following 6 (2011–2016).

Results

Olanzapine was the most commonly prescribed medication throughout but its use declined by one-quarter over the study period. Clozapine, quetiapine, aripiprazole and haloperidol prescribing increased. Prescriptions for mood stabilisers and antidepressants fell by 25%. Sedative prescriptions declined by almost 50%. Absolute numbers of prescriptions written for methylphenidate and pregabalin were small but increased dramatically over the time period.

Conclusions

This community mental health service prescribed less of most psychiatric medications in 2016, than had been the case in 2005. This is despite an increase in the numbers of patients seen over the same period. It is not clear if this pattern is echoed in other services.
Recovering water wave elevation from pressure measurements
Authors: Bonneton P. , Lannes D.
Published: November 2017

The reconstruction of water wave elevation from bottom pressure measurements is an important issue for coastal applications, but corresponds to a difficult mathematical problem. In this paper we present the derivation of a method which allows the elevation reconstruction of water waves in intermediate and shallow waters. From comparisons with numerical Euler solutions and wave-tank experiments we show that our nonlinear method provides much better results for the surface elevation reconstruction compared to the linear transfer function approach commonly used in coastal applications. More specifically, our method accurately reproduces the peaked and skewed shape of nonlinear wave fields. Therefore, it is particularly relevant for applications on extreme waves and wave-induced sediment transport.
Inviscid instabilities in rotating ellipsoids on eccentric Kepler orbits
Authors: Vidal Jérémie , Cébron David
Published: November 2017

We consider the hydrodynamic stability of homogeneous, incompressible and rotating ellipsoidal fluid masses. The latter are the simplest models of fluid celestial bodies with internal rotation and subjected to tidal forces. The classical problem is the stability of Roche–Riemann ellipsoids moving on circular Kepler orbits. However, previous stability studies have to be reassessed. Indeed, they only consider global perturbations of large wavelength or local perturbations of short wavelength. Moreover many planets and stars undergo orbital motions on eccentric Kepler orbits, implying time-dependent ellipsoidal semi-axes. This time dependence has never been taken into account in hydrodynamic stability studies. In this work we overcome these stringent assumptions. We extend the hydrodynamic stability analysis of rotating ellipsoids to the case of eccentric orbits. We have developed two open-source and versatile numerical codes to perform global and local inviscid stability analyses. They give sufficient conditions for instability. The global method, based on an exact and closed Galerkin basis, handles rigorously global ellipsoidal perturbations of unprecedented complexity. Tidally driven and libration-driven elliptical instabilities are first recovered and unified within a single framework. Then we show that new global fluid instabilities can be triggered in ellipsoids by tidal effects due to eccentric Kepler orbits. Their existence is confirmed by a local analysis and direct numerical simulations of the fully nonlinear and viscous problem. Thus a non-zero orbital eccentricity may have a strong destabilising effect in celestial fluid bodies, which may lead to space-filling turbulence in most of the parameters range.
The grammar of engagement I: framework and initial exemplification
Authors: EVANS NICHOLAS , BERGQVIST HENRIK , SAN ROQUE LILA
Published: November 2017

abstract

Human language offers rich ways to track, compare, and engage the attentional and epistemic states of interlocutors. While this task is central to everyday communication, our knowledge of the cross-linguistic grammatical means that target such intersubjective coordination has remained basic. In two serialised papers, we introduce the term ‘engagement’ to refer to grammaticalised means for encoding the relative mental directedness of speaker and addressee towards an entity or state of affairs, and describe examples of engagement systems from around the world. Engagement systems express the speaker’s assumptions about the degree to which their attention or knowledge is shared (or not shared) by the addressee. Engagement categories can operate at the level of entities in the here-and-now (deixis), in the unfolding discourse (definiteness vs indefiniteness), entire event-depicting propositions (through markers with clausal scope), and even metapropositions (potentially scoping over evidential values). In this first paper, we introduce engagement and situate it with respect to existing work on intersubjectivity in language. We then explore the key role of deixis in coordinating attention and expressing engagement, moving through increasingly intercognitive deictic systems from those that focus on the the location of the speaker, to those that encode the attentional state of the addressee.
The Diversity of Assembly Histories Leading to Disc Galaxy Formation in a ΛCDM Model
Authors: Font Andreea S. , McCarthy Ian G. , Le Brun Amandine M. C. , Crain Robert A. , Kelvin Lee S.
Published: November 2017

Disc galaxies forming in a LambdaCDM cosmology often experience violent mergers. The fact that disc galaxies are ubiquitous suggests that quiescent histories are not necessary. Modern cosmological simulations can now obtain realistic populations of disc galaxies, but it is still unclear how discs manage to survive massive mergers. Here we use a suite of hydrodynamical cosmological simulations to elucidate the fate of discs encountering massive mergers. We follow the changes in the post-merger disc-to-total ratios (D/T) of simulated galaxies and examine the relations between their present-day morphology, assembly history and gas fractions. We find that approximately half of present-day disc galaxies underwent at least one merger with a satellite more massive the host's stellar component and a third had mergers with satellites three times as massive. These mergers lead to a sharp, but often temporary, decrease in the D/T of the hosts, implying that discs are usually disrupted but then quickly re-grow. To do so, high cold gas fractions are required post-merger, as well as a relatively quiescent recent history (over a few Gyrs before z = 0). Our results show that discs can form via diverse merger pathways and that quiescent histories are not the dominant mode of disc formation.
Seedling emergence and activity of some antioxidant enzymes of canola (Brassica napus) can be increased by seed priming
Authors: ABOUTALEBIAN M. A. , NAZARI S.
Published: November 2017

Late sowing causes substantial yield reduction in canola. This yield reduction is principally due to lower emergence and poor crop establishment because of prevailing low temperatures. A field experiment was conducted using five sowing dates over two growing seasons (2014/15 and 2015/16). The effect of two seed-priming strategies (hydropriming and osmopriming with zinc sulphate, ZnSO4) was measured in three canola cultivars (Okapi, Zarfam and Talayeh). Results showed that both seed-priming treatments were effective in improving emergence percentage (EP) of canola cultivars. The highest EP occurred in the earlier sowing in both years. On 5 September, EP for the hydropriming, osmopriming and no-primed treatments were 89, 93 and 73% in Okapi, 83, 89 and 69% in Zarfam, and 81, 89 and 72% in Talayeh, respectively (data averaged across both years). Delay in sowing date compared with 5 September caused a sharp reduction in EP in primed seed and control conditions. Maximum seedling emergence rate and coefficient of uniformity of emergence were seen in early sowing for Okapi cultivar with ZnSO4 osmopriming. Experimental evidence showed that in canola cultivars the activities of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase and catalase were higher in the leaves of plants from seed primed with ZnSO4 compared with seed from hydroprimed plants. Cultivar analysis of total antioxidant content activities indicated, the maximum increase was observed in the Okapi and Talayeh cultivars.
WOMEN’S EDUCATION AND UTILIZATION OF MATERNAL HEALTH SERVICES IN AFRICA: A MULTI-COUNTRY AND SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS ANALYSIS
Authors: Tsala Dimbuene Zacharie , Amo-Adjei Joshua , Amugsi Dickson , Mumah Joyce , Izugbara Chimaraoke O. , Beguy Donatien
Published: November 2017

There is an abundant literature on the relationship between women’s education and maternal and child outcomes, including antenatal and postnatal care, onset of antenatal care and skilled birth attendance. However, few studies have adopted the ‘equity’ lens, despite increasing evidence that inequities between rich and poor are increasing although maternal and child mortality is declining. This study examined the differential effects of women’s education within different socioeconomic strata in Africa. The most recent Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) conducted in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Nigeria and Zimbabwe were used. In each country, the original sample was stratified into three socioeconomic groups: poor, middle and rich. For each maternal health service utilization variable, the gross and net effects of women’s education, controlling for age, parity, religion, marital status, health insurance, access to health facilities, partner’s education and current place of residence, were estimated using logistic regression, taking into account the complex sampling design of the DHS. The findings revealed country-specific variations in maternal health service utilization, and for most indicators there was a clear gradient among socioeconomic strata: women living in better-off households exhibited greater access to, and utilization of, maternal health services. Multivariate analyses revealed that women’s education had a positive association with type of antenatal care provider, timing and frequency of antenatal care visits, place of delivery and presence of a skilled birth attendant at delivery. Many other factors were found to be significantly associated with maternal health service utilization. For instance, parity had a negative and significant association with timing of first antenatal care visit. Likewise, partner’s education was positively and statistically associated with timing of first antenatal care visit. It is argued that an over-generalization of the association between women’s education and maternal health service utilization can be misleading. Efforts to improve maternal health service utilization in Africa must adopt an ‘equity’ approach, taking into account the specific needs of sub-populations.
Genetic characterization of Echinococcus granulosus strains isolated from humans based on nad1 and cox1 gene analysis in Isfahan, central Iran
Authors: Jafari R. , Sanei B. , Baradaran A. , Spotin A. , Bagherpour B. , Darani H. Yousofi
Published: November 2017

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a medically important parasite-caused human disease. Humans may acquire the infection accidentally by ingestion of E. granulosus eggs. The parasite has a broad range of hosts and genotypes, which may affect its aetiological and biological characteristics. The present study aimed to determine the genetic characteristics of human isolates of E. granulosus in Isfahan, Iran. In this cross-sectional study, 50 surgically removed hydatid cysts were collected from hospitalized patients in Al-Zahra Hospital, Isfahan, Iran, over a period of 2 years (2015–2017). DNA was extracted from cyst material, and polymerase chain reactions (PCR) were performed targeting cox1 and nad1 genes. Amplicons were sequenced directly and the resulting sequences were aligned and analysed. Phylogenetic and genetic diversity analyses were also performed. Among the isolates, 43 (86%), 3 (6%) and 4 (8%) out of 50 were E. granulosus (G1), E. granulosus (G3) and E. intermedius (G6), respectively. In total, nine and eight haplotypes were identified by nad1 and cox1 gene analysis, respectively. The haplotype diversity index was higher by cox1 gene analysis (0.547) in G1 strains compared with nad1 (0.433). The G1 genotype was the most predominant isolate from human cases of CE, and the presence of G6 is indicative of an important role of camels in the development of human CE in Isfahan. This is the first report of the G3 genotype causing human CE in Isfahan. Moreover, cox1 gene analysis enables a higher resolution of the genetic diversity of the E. granulosus population compared with nad1 gene analysis.
How to avoid life-threatening complications following head and neck space infections: an algorithm-based approach to apply during times of emergency. When and why to hospitalise a neck infection patient
Authors: Gallo O , Mannelli G , Lazio M S , Santoro R
Published: November 2017

Background:

Head and neck space infections present with a potential mortality rate of 40–50 per cent. This paper proposes an algorithm-based management of head and neck space infection to prevent life-threatening events.

Methods:

A total of 225 patients with head and neck space infection were prospectively analysed at our institution. An experimental scoring system determined the level of clinical risk for the development of major complications. Accordingly, patients were classified into three risk groups: low-, intermediate- and high-risk.

Results:

Only intermediate- and high-risk patients were hospitalised. Intermediate-risk patients received intravenous medical therapy with daily re-evaluation; 18 of them required delayed surgery. Of the high-risk patients, three required immediate surgical treatment and five received delayed surgery, while in five cases medical therapy was the only treatment received. Low-risk patients were treated in an out-patient setting.

Conclusion:

The algorithm-based management of head and neck space infection was successful in enabling the avoidance of lethal complications onset.
Kinetics of the Raman scattering in a laser corona using a transform method
Authors: Mašek M. , Rohlena K.
Published: November 2017

This paper is an extension of our previous paper (Mašek and Rohlena, 2015), where we applied a transform method for the solution of Vlasov–Maxwell set of equations in a one-dimensional geometry to describe the Raman backscattering of the heating ns laser wave in the external corona of the generated laser plasma in a strongly non-linear regime. The method is stabilized by a simplified Fokker–Planck collision term, which, in turn, is used for a study of the influence of collisional and collisionless damping mechanisms of the daughter electron plasma wave (EPW) on the instability development and their competition resulting in a different instability behavior in various plasma configurations. The physics of trapped electrons is studied in detail and compared to the resulting Raman reflectivity. The Raman reflectivity was found to depend strongly on the intensity of laser irradiation in the different regions of the plasma corona. This is discussed in detail from the point of view of trapped electrons behavior in the EPW. Moreover, a study of the Raman reflectivity dependence on the electron–ion collision frequency (average plasma ionization) is presented, too. The results supplement the physical picture of the collision and collisionless processes influencing the Raman instability non-linear development.
Joint trajectory generator for powered orthosis based on gait modelling using PCA and FFT
Authors: Melo Nicholas B. , Dórea Carlos E. T. , Alsina Pablo J. , Araújo Márcio V.
Published: November 2017

In this work, we propose a method able to find user-oriented gait trajectories that can be used in powered lower limb orthosis applications. Most research related to active orthotic devices focuses on solving hardware issues. However, the problem of generating a set of joint trajectories that are user-oriented still persists. The proposed method uses principal component analysis to extract shared features from a gait dataset, taking into consideration gait-related variables such as joint angle information and the user's anthropometric features, used directly in an orthosis application. The trajectories of joint angles used by the model are represented by a given number of harmonics according to their respective Fourier series analyses. This representation allows better performance of the model, whose capability to generate gait information is validated through experiments using a real active orthotic device, analysing both joint motor energy consumption and user metabolic effort.
Southeast Asian ESL countries as study abroad destinations: A Korean perspective
Authors: Choe Hohsung , Son Eunmi
Published: November 2017

The number of Korean students studying abroad has dropped drastically in the last decade. In 2014, 10,907 students ranging from age six to 18 went abroad, just over one-third of the total in 2006 when the number hit its highest peak at 29,511 (Korea Herald, 2015). There are a number of reasons for this apparent trend. First, study abroad students have a hard time adjusting themselves to life in the host country, and it is also common for them to experience readjustment difficulties when returning to Korea. Second, parents believe that children can learn ‘authentic’ English in Korea: various English immersion programmes are now available for young learners. Third, studying abroad no longer guarantees children's future success. Returnees are not preferred in the job market due to their in-between identity.
A note on pointwise convergence for the Schrödinger equation
Authors: LUCÀ RENATO , ROGERS KEITH M.
Published: November 2017

We consider Carleson's problem regarding pointwise convergence for the Schrödinger equation. Bourgain proved that there is initial data, in Hs(ℝn) with $s<\frac{n}{2(n+1)}$, for which the solution diverges on a set of nonzero Lebesgue measure. We provide a different example enabling the generalisation to fractional Hausdorff measure.
Survival ofNeisseria meningitidisoutside of the host: environmental effects and differences among strains
Authors: SWAIN C. L. , MARTIN D. R. , SIM D. , JORDAN T. W. , MACKICHAN J. K.
Published: November 2017

Neisseria meningitidisis a gram-negative bacterium that lives as a commensal in the human nasopharynx. Meningococci are generally non-invasive, but can invade the nasopharyngeal epithelia and enter the bloodstream causing life-threatening illnesses. It is generally thought that meningococci do not survive for long outside the host, and that transmission requires relatively close contact between hosts. There are some reports, however, that meningococci can survive drying on surfaces, including glass, plastic and cloth. Our examination ofN. meningitidisstrains dried on glass showed differences in survival of isolates belonging to serogroups B, C and W135, including persistence of Cuban, New Zealand, and Norwegian epidemic strains up to 8 days, depending on temperature and humidity. Survival of a New Zealand epidemic strain isolate NZ98/254 under ambient conditions in the laboratory was greatest in winter suggesting that environmental factors impacted survival. For most isolates, including NZ98/254, survival under controlled conditions at 30 °C was greater at 22% than 30% relative humidity. There were also some differences in survival between carriage and invasive strains. The results suggest thatN. meningitidiscould be transmitted through contact with surfaces outside the host, potentially including contact through shared drinking vessels.
The CERAD Neuropsychological Assessment Battery Is Sensitive to Alcohol-Related Cognitive Deficiencies in Elderly Patients: A Retrospective Matched Case-Control Study
Authors: Kaufmann Liane , Huber Stefan , Mayer Daniel , Moeller Korbinian , Marksteiner Josef
Published: November 2017

Objectives: Adverse effects of heavy drinking on cognition have frequently been reported. In the present study, we systematically examined for the first time whether clinical neuropsychological assessments may be sensitive to alcohol abuse in elderly patients with suspected minor neurocognitive disorder. Methods: A total of 144 elderly with and without alcohol abuse (each group n=72; mean age 66.7 years) were selected from a patient pool of n=738 by applying propensity score matching (a statistical method allowing to match participants in experimental and control group by balancing various covariates to reduce selection bias). Accordingly, study groups were almost perfectly matched regarding age, education, gender, and Mini Mental State Examination score. Neuropsychological performance was measured using the CERAD (Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease). Classification analyses (i.e., decision tree and boosted trees models) were conducted to examine whether CERAD variables or total score contributed to group classification. Results: Decision tree models disclosed that groups could be reliably classified based on the CERAD variables “Word List Discriminability” (tapping verbal recognition memory, 64% classification accuracy) and “Trail Making Test A” (measuring visuo-motor speed, 59% classification accuracy). Boosted tree analyses further indicated the sensitivity of “Word List Recall” (measuring free verbal recall) for discriminating elderly with versus without a history of alcohol abuse. Conclusions: This indicates that specific CERAD variables seem to be sensitive to alcohol-related cognitive dysfunctions in elderly patients with suspected minor neurocognitive disorder. (JINS, 2018, 24, 360–371)
Bright-Field Microscopy of Transparent Objects: A Ray Tracing Approach
Authors: Khitrin Anatoly K. , Petruccelli Jonathan C. , Model Michael A.
Published: November 2017

The formation of a bright-field microscopic image of a transparent phase object is described in terms of elementary geometrical optics. Our approach is based on the premise that the image replicates the intensity distribution (real or virtual) at the front focal plane of the objective. The task is therefore reduced to finding the change in intensity at the focal plane caused by the object. This can be done by ray tracing complemented with the requirement of energy conservation. Despite major simplifications involved in such an analysis, it reproduces some results from the paraxial wave theory. In addition, our analysis suggests two ways of extracting quantitative phase information from bright-field images: by vertically shifting the focal plane (the approach used in the transport-of-intensity analysis) or by varying the angle of illumination. In principle, information thus obtained should allow reconstruction of the object morphology.
Should Fundamental Rights to Privacy and Data Protection be a Part of the EU's International Trade ‘Deals’?
Authors: YAKOVLEVA SVETLANA
Published: November 2017

This article discusses ways in which the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and post-GATS free trade agreements may limit the EU's ability to regulate privacy and personal data protection as fundamental rights. After discussing this issue in two dimensions – the vertical relationship between trade and national and European Union (EU) law, and the horizontal relationship between trade and human rights law – the author concludes that these limits are real and pose serious risks.

Inspired by recent developments in safeguarding labour, and environmental standards and sustainable development, the article argues that privacy and personal data protection should be part of, and protected by, international trade deals made by the EU. The EU should negotiate future international trade agreements with the objective of allowing them to reflect the normative foundations of privacy and personal data protection. This article suggests a specific way to achieve this objective.
Mathematical Ability and Socio-Economic Background: IRT Modeling to Estimate Genotype by Environment Interaction
Authors: Schwabe Inga , Boomsma Dorret I. , van den Berg Stéphanie M.
Published: November 2017

Genotype by environment interaction in behavioral traits may be assessed by estimating the proportion of variance that is explained by genetic and environmental influencesconditionalon a measured moderating variable, such as a known environmental exposure. Behavioral traits of interest are often measured by questionnaires and analyzed as sum scores on the items. However, statistical results on genotype by environment interaction based on sum scores can be biased due to the properties of a scale. This article presents a method that makes it possible to analyze the actually observed (phenotypic) item data rather than a sum score by simultaneously estimating the genetic model and an item response theory (IRT) model. In the proposed model, the estimation of genotype by environment interaction is based on an alternative parametrization that is uniquely identified and therefore to be preferred over standard parametrizations. A simulation study shows good performance of our method compared to analyzing sum scores in terms of bias. Next, we analyzed data of 2,110 12-year-old Dutch twin pairs on mathematical ability. Genetic models were evaluated and genetic and environmental variance components estimated as a function of a family's socio-economic status (SES). Results suggested that common environmental influences are less important in creating individual differences in mathematical ability in families with a high SES than in creating individual differences in mathematical ability in twin pairs with a low or average SES.
Looks and Sounds Like a Winner: Perceptions of Competence in Candidates’ Faces and Voices Influences Vote Choice
Authors: Klofstad Casey A.
Published: November 2017

Voters are more likely to support candidates whose faces and voices are perceived as competent. However, what is the simultaneous influence of these two characteristics? Here this question is examined with an observational study and an experiment. In the observational study, subjects rated the facial competence of Members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The most and least competent faces identified were paired with recordings of competent (i.e., lower pitched) and incompetent (i.e., higher pitched) voices to create simulated candidates. For the experiment, a separate set of subjects voted between randomly generated pairs of these simulated candidates. The results show that candidates with competent faces or competent voices won more votes, but the influence of facial competence was nearly three times that of vocal competence.