bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An experimental investigation on the effect of individual turbine control on wind farm dynamics
Authors: Annoni Jennifer , Howard Kevin , Seiler Peter , Guala Michele
Published: September 2015

Individual wind turbines in a wind farm typically operate to maximize their performance with no consideration of the impact of wake effects on downstream turbines. There is potential to increase power and reduce structural loads within a wind farm by properly coordinating the turbines. To effectively design and analyze coordinated wind turbine controllers requires control‐oriented turbine wake models of sufficient accuracy. This paper focuses on constructing such a model from experiments. The experiments were conducted to better understand the wake interaction and impact on voltage production in a three‐turbine array. The upstream turbine operating condition was modulated in time, and the dynamic impact on the downstream turbine was recorded through the voltage output time signal. The flow dynamics observed in the experiments were used to improve a static wake model often used in the literature for wind farm control. These experiments were performed in the atmospheric boundary layer wind tunnel at the Saint Anthony Falls Laboratory at the University of Minnesota using particle image velocimetry for flow field analysis and turbine voltage modulation to capture the physical evolution in addition to the dynamics of turbine wake interactions. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Mesh Location in Open Ventral Hernia Repair: A Systematic Review and Network Meta‐analysis
Authors: Holihan Julie L. , Nguyen Duyen H. , Nguyen Mylan T. , Mo Jiandi , Kao Lillian S. , Liang Mike K.
Published: September 2015

There is no consensus on the ideal location for mesh placement in open ventral hernia repair (OVHR). We aim to identify the mesh location associated with the lowest rate of recurrence following OVHR using a systematic review and meta‐analysis. A search was performed for studies comparing at least two of four locations for mesh placement during OVHR (onlay, inlay, sublay, and underlay). Outcomes assessed were hernia recurrence and surgical site infection (SSI). Pairwise meta‐analysis was performed to compare all direct treatment of mesh locations. A multiple treatment meta‐analysis was performed to compare all mesh locations in the Bayesian framework. Sensitivity analyses were planned for the following: studies with a low risk of bias, incisional hernias, by hernia size, and by mesh type (synthetic or biologic). Twenty‐one studies were identified (n = 5,891). Sublay placement of mesh was associated with the lowest risk for recurrence [OR 0.218 (95 % CI 0.06–0.47)] and was the best of the four treatment modalities assessed [Prob (best) = 94.2 %]. Sublay was also associated with the lowest risk for SSI [OR 0.449 (95 % CI 0.12–1.16)] and was the best of the 4 treatment modalities assessed [Prob (best) = 77.3 %]. When only assessing studies at low risk of bias, of incisional hernias, and using synthetic mesh, the probability that sublay had the lowest rate of recurrence and SSI was high. Sublay mesh location has lower complication rates than other mesh locations. While additional randomized controlled trials are needed to validate these findings, this network meta‐analysis suggests the probability of sublay being the best location for mesh placement is high.
Middle School as a Developmental Niche for Civic Engagement
Authors: Guillaume Casta , Jagers Robert , Rivas-Drake Deborah
Published: September 2015

The present study investigated how school climate, school connectedness and academic efficacy beliefs inform emergent civic engagement behaviors among middle school youth of color. These associations were examined both concurrently and longitudinally using a developmentally appropriate measure of civic engagement. Data were drawn from two subsamples of a larger study of social/emotional development in middle school (cross‐sectional sample n = 324; longitudinal sample n = 232), M = 12 years old, 46 % female, 53 % male. Forty‐two percent (42.2 %) of the sample self‐identified as African American, 19.8 % as Multiracial or Mixed, 19.4 % as Latino, 11.6 % as Asian American or Pacific Islander, 11.6 % identified as Other, and 5.2 % as Native American. The study tested and found support for a latent mediation model in which more positive perceptions of school climate were positively related to school connectedness, and this in turn, was positively associated with civic engagement; school climate was also positively associated with academic‐self‐efficacy beliefs, but such beliefs did not mediate the climate‐civic engagement association. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.
Percutaneous epiphysiodesis using transphyseal screws for limb-length discrepancies: High variability among growth predictor models
Authors: Monier Bryan C. , Aronsson David D. , Sun Michael
Published: September 2015

Purpose

Percutaneous epiphysiodesis using transphyseal screws (PETS) was developed as a minimally invasive outpatient procedure to address limb-length discrepancy (LLD) that allowed immediate postoperative weight bearing and was potentially reversible by removing the screws. The aims of our study were to report our results using PETS for LLD and evaluate the accuracy of three growth predictor models.

Methods

Sixteen patients with an average age of 14 years were treated for LLD using PETS. Thirteen patients had screws inserted in a parallel fashion and 3 had crossed screws. We compared the predicted LLD at skeletal maturity using the three growth predictor methods with the actual LLD at skeletal maturity and preoperative LLD with the final LLD at skeletal maturity.

Results

The mean LLD at skeletal maturity between the predicted and final measurements was 0.2 cm using the Green−Anderson method, 1.4 cm using the Moseley method, and −0.1 cm using the Paley method. The mean preoperative LLD of 3.1 cm was corrected to 1.7 cm at skeletal maturity ( p < 0.001). Six patients complained of pain over the screw heads; however, no patient developed an infection or angular deformity.

Conclusions

The three growth predictor methods predicted the final LLD within an average of 1.4 cm, but there was high variability. Although PETS improved the LLD by a mean of 1.4 cm, we believe the results would have been better if PETS was performed at an earlier skeletal age.
Proximal subscapularis release for the treatment of adduction–internal rotation shoulder contracture in obstetric brachial plexus palsy
Authors: Naoum Elias , Saghbini Elie , Melhem Elias , Ghanem Ismat
Published: September 2015

Introduction

The purpose of this paper was to evaluate the results on shoulder function following isolated proximal subscapularis release in children with Erb's palsy.

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted on 64 consecutive children with Erb's palsy who underwent a Carlioz proximal subscapularis release between 2001 and 2012. Fifty children with complete records and a minimum follow-up of 2 years were included for evaluation. Age at surgery ranged from 1.3 to 4.5 years (average 2.6 years). Preoperative active shoulder abduction/anterior elevation, active external and internal rotations as well as the Mallet score were compared with those found at 6 and 24 months postoperatively using the Student paired t test, with a confidence interval of 95 %. The results were compared between children <3 years of age at surgery and those older, and between children who had an isolated C5–C6 and those with greater involvement. p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

Active abduction improved 21° at 6 months and 31° (total) at 2 years ( p < 0.01) with an overall Mallet abduction score improvement of 0.58 at 6 months and 0.6 (overall) at 2 years ( p < 0.01). Active external rotation improved 52° at 6 months and 35° (total) at 2 years ( p < 0.01) with an overall Mallet external rotation score improvement of 1.3 at 6 months ( p < 0.01) and 0.52 (overall) at 2 years ( p = 0.013). There was no statistically significant change in internal rotation ( p = 0.37). We found no correlation between the child's age or the severity of involvement at surgery and the end result.

Conclusion

Proximal subscapularis release according to Carlioz is simple and effective in improving overall shoulder function in children with obstetric brachial plexus palsy, mainly abduction and external rotation. Improvement tends to reach a plateau around 6–12 months postoperatively.
Induced myelomonocytic differentiation in leukemia cells is accompanied by noncanonical transcription factor expression
Authors: Jensen Holly A. , Yourish Harmony B. , Bunaciu Rodica P. , Varner Jeffrey D. , Yen Andrew
Published: September 2015

Transcription factors that drive non‐neoplastic myelomonocytic differentiation are well characterized but have not been systematically analyzed in the leukemic context. We investigated widely used, patient‐derived myeloid leukemia cell lines with proclivity for differentiation into granulocytes by retinoic acid (RA) and/or monocytes by 1,25‐dihyrdroxyvitamin D3 (D3). Using K562 (FAB M1), HL60 (FAB M2), RA‐resistant HL60 sublines, NB4 (FAB M3), and U937 (FAB M5), we correlated nuclear transcription factor expression to immunophenotype, G1/G0 cell cycle arrest and functional inducible oxidative metabolism. We found that myelomonocytic transcription factors are aberrantly expressed in these cell lines. Monocytic‐lineage factor EGR1 was not induced by D3 (the monocytic inducer) but instead by RA (the granulocytic inducer) in lineage bipotent myeloblastic HL60. In promyelocytic NB4 cells, EGR1 levels were increased by D3, while Gfi‐1 expression (which promotes the granulocytic lineage) was upregulated during D3‐induced monocytic differentiation in HL60, and by RA treatment in monocytic U937 cells. Furthermore, RARα and VDR expression were not strongly correlated to differentiation. In response to different differentiation inducers, U937 exhibited the most distinct transcription factor expression profile, while similarly mature NB4 and HL60 were better coupled. Overall, the differentiation induction agents RA and D3 elicited cell‐specific responses across these common FAB M1‐M5 cell lines.
New drug regimens for HIV in pregnancy and a national strategic plan to manage HIV: A South African perspective
Authors: Ngene Nnabuike C. , Moodley Jagidesa
Published: September 2015

In South Africa, new drug regimens (WHO treatment Option B) used to manage HIV infection in pregnancy and the national strategic plan on HIV have resulted in improved health outcomes. Among these outcomes are reductions in the following: mother‐to‐child transmission (MTCT) of HIV to 2.4%; maternal deaths attributable to HIV; and adverse reactions due to antiretroviral therapy (ART). The present article describes these new drug regimens and the national strategic HIV management plan, as well as their challenges and the implications of improved health outcomes. Such outcomes imply that further decreases in MTCT of HIV, and HIV attributable maternal deaths are possible if potential challenges are addressed and treatment option B + offered. A confidential enquiry into each case of MTCT is advocated to reduce vertical transmission rates to zero levels.
Ending preventable newborn deaths in a generation
Authors: Akseer Nadia , Lawn Joy E. , Keenan William , Konstantopoulos Andreas , Cooper Peter , Ismail Zulkifli , Thacker Naveen , Cabral Sergio , Bhutta Zulfiqar A.
Published: September 2015

The end of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) era was marked in 2015, and while maternal and child mortality have been halved, MGD 4 and MDG 5 are off‐track at the global level. Reductions in neonatal death rates (age < 1 month) lag behind those for post‐neonates (age 1−59 months), and stillbirth rates (omitted from the MDGs) have been virtually unchanged. Hence, almost half of under‐five deaths are newborns, yet about 80% of these are preventable using cost‐effective interventions. The Every Newborn Action Plan has been endorsed by the World Health Assembly and ratified by many stakeholders and donors to reduce neonatal deaths and stillbirths to 10 per 1000 births by 2035. The plan provides an evidence‐based framework for scaling up of essential interventions across the continuum of care with the potential to prevent the deaths of approximately three million newborns, mothers, and stillbirths every year. Two million stillbirths and newborns could be saved by care at birth and care of small and sick newborns, giving a triple return on investment at this key time. Commitment, investment, and intentional leadership from global and national stakeholders, including all healthcare professionals, can make these ambitious goals attainable.
Evidence supporting broader access to safe legal abortion
Authors: Faúndes Anibal , Shah Iqbal H.
Published: September 2015

Unsafe abortion continues to be a major cause of maternal death; it accounts for 14.5% of all maternal deaths globally and almost all of these deaths occur in countries with restrictive abortion laws. A strong body of accumulated evidence shows that the simple means to drastically reduce unsafe abortion‐related maternal deaths and morbidity is to make abortion legal and institutional termination of pregnancy broadly accessible. Despite this evidence, abortion is denied even when the legal condition for abortion is met. The present article aims to contribute to a better understanding that one can be in favor of greater access to safe abortion services, while at the same time not be “in favor of abortion,” by reviewing the evidence that indicates that criminalization of abortion only increases mortality and morbidity without decreasing the incidence of induced abortion, and that decriminalization rapidly reduces abortion‐related mortality and does not increase abortion rates.
Global trends in use of long‐acting reversible and permanent methods of contraception: Seeking a balance
Authors: Joshi Ritu , Khadilkar Suvarna , Patel Madhuri
Published: September 2015

The global trend shows that the use of permanent contraception to prevent unintended pregnancy is high. Although the trend also shows a rise in the use of long‐acting reversible methods, these are still underutilized despite having contraceptive as well as non‐contraceptive benefits. Lack of knowledge among women, dependence on the provider for information, and provider bias for permanent contraception are cited as reasons for this reduced uptake. Training of healthcare providers and increased patient awareness about the effectiveness of long‐acting reversible contraceptive methods will increase their uptake and help prevent unintended pregnancies.
Quality assurance: The 10‐Group Classification System (Robson classification), induction of labor, and cesarean delivery
Authors: Robson Michael , Murphy Martina , Byrne Fionnuala
Published: September 2015

Quality assurance in labor and delivery is needed. The method must be simple and consistent, and be of universal value. It needs to be clinically relevant, robust, and prospective, and must incorporate epidemiological variables. The 10‐Group Classification System (TGCS) is a simple method providing a common starting point for further detailed analysis within which all perinatal events and outcomes can be measured and compared. The system is demonstrated in the present paper using data for 2013 from the National Maternity Hospital in Dublin, Ireland. Interpretation of the classification can be easily taught. The standard table can provide much insight into the philosophy of care in the population of women studied and also provide information on data quality. With standardization of audit of events and outcomes, any differences in either sizes of groups, events or outcomes can be explained only by poor data collection, significant epidemiological variables, or differences in practice. In April 2015, WHO proposed that the TGCS (also known as the Robson classification) is used as a global standard for assessing, monitoring, and comparing cesarean delivery rates within and between healthcare facilities.
A mixed‐methods study of barriers and facilitators to the implementation of postpartum hemorrhage guidelines in Uganda
Authors: Braddick Louise , Tuckey Victoria , Abbas Zan , Lissauer David , Ismail Khaled , Manaseki‐Holland Semira , Ditai James , Stokes Tim
Published: September 2015

Objective

To determine the level of adherence to postpartum hemorrhage clinical guideline recommendations and to explore context‐specific barriers and facilitators to evidence‐based obstetric care.

Methods

Using direct observation of deliveries at a Ugandan healthcare facility, a mixed‐methods study was conducted between February and March 2014 to document practices related to the active management of the third stage of labor (AMTSL). The degree to which practice concurred with WHO postpartum hemorrhage guidelines was determined. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with maternal healthcare practitioners.

Results

Of 154 women, individual AMTSL, in the form of administering a uterotonic during the third stage of labor, controlled cord traction, or delayed cord clamping, occurred in 105 (68.2%), 119 (77.3%), and, of a subset of 60 patients, 37 (61.7%) individuals, respectively. However, only 18 of 53 (34.0%) individuals observed for receipt of all of the three AMTSL components received all of the essential elements of AMTSL. Three major themes influencing the uptake of evidence‐based practice were identified through 18 interviews: healthcare system issues; current knowledge, awareness, and use of clinical guidelines; and healthcare practitioner attitudes to updating their clinical practice.

Conclusion

Overall guideline adherence was low. There is a need to address context‐specific barriers to uptake, ensuring guideline implementation to reduce maternal mortality in low‐resource settings.
Pregnancy‐associated plasma protein A gene polymorphism in pregnant women with preeclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction
Authors: Ozkan Sultan , Sanhal Cem Yasar , Yeniel Ozgur , Arslan Ates Esra , Ergenoglu Mete , Bınbır Birol , Onay Huseyin , Ozkınay Ferda , Sagol Sermet
Published: September 2015

Preeclampsia (PE) and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) are still among the most commonly researched titles in perinatology. To shed light on their etiology, new prevention and treatment strategies are the major targets of studies. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relation between gene polymorphism of one of the products of trophoblasts, pregnancy‐associated plasma protein A (PAPP‐A) and PE/IUGR.A total of 147 women (IUGR, n = 61; PE, n = 47; IUGR + PE, n = 37; eclampsia, n = 2) were compared with 103 controls with respect to the sequencing of exon 14 of the PAPP‐A gene to detect (rs7020782) polymorphism. Genotypes “AA” and “CC” were given in the event of A or C allele homozygosity and “AC” in A and C allele heterozygosity. Our findings revealed that the rate of AA, CC homozygotes, and AC heterozygotes did not differ between groups. Moreover, there was no difference in the distribution of PAPP‐A genotypes among the patients with IUGR, PE, IUGR + PE, or eclampsia. Finally, birth weight, rate of the presence of proteinuria, and total protein excretion on 24‐hour urine were similar in the subgroups of AA, AC, and CC genotypes in the study group. Our study demonstrated no association between PAPP‐A gene rs7020782 polymorphism and PE/IUGR.
Inflammatory Myopathy Causing Leg Pain in a Soccer Player: Case Report and Return‐to‐Play Considerations
Authors: Lueders Daniel R. , Howe Benjamin M. , Sellon Jacob L.
Published: September 2015

Leg pain is a common condition in athletes as well as in the general population, and has a broad differential diagnosis that includes musculoskeletal, vascular, rheumatologic, and neurologic etiologies. Idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IM) is a relatively uncommon but recognized etiology of leg pain. In this case, we describe an acute presentation of IM in an athlete resulting in leg pain and activity limitation. The available literature suggests that moderate‐intensity exercise is safe and beneficial in idiopathic IM, but studies to date have not assessed the effects of high‐intensity exercise in IM or provided recommendations for return to competitive contact sport in this population.
Out‐of‐sample evaluation of macro announcements, linearity, long memory, heterogeneity and jumps in mini‐futures markets
Authors: Vortelinos Dimitrios I.
Published: September 2015

This paper examines the significance of macroeconomic announcements, linearity, long memory, heterogeneity and jumps via the out‐of‐sample forecasting performance in mini‐futures markets. The property of long memory is the most significant. Second in‐class is linearity. Then, comes the property of jumps and finally heterogeneity. The property of the effect of macroeconomic announcements is evident only for few categories of announcements. The trade balance and producer price index are the most significant announcements across mini‐futures markets and evaluation criteria.
Hydraulic jumps in a shallow flow down a slightly inclined substrate
Authors: Benilov E. S.
Published: September 2015

This work examines free-surface flows down an inclined substrate. The slope of the free surface and that of the substrate are both assumed small, whereas the Reynolds number $Re$ remains unrestricted. A set of asymptotic equations is derived, which includes the lubrication and shallow-water approximations as limiting cases (as $Re\rightarrow 0$ and $Re\rightarrow \infty$, respectively). The set is used to examine hydraulic jumps (bores) in a two-dimensional flow down an inclined substrate. An existence criterion for steadily propagating bores is obtained for the $({\it\eta},s)$ parameter space, where ${\it\eta}$ is the bore’s downstream-to-upstream depth ratio, and $s$ is a non-dimensional parameter characterising the substrate’s slope. The criterion reflects two different mechanisms restricting bores. If $s$ is sufficiently large, a ‘corner’ develops at the foot of the bore’s front – which, physically, causes overturning. If, in turn, ${\it\eta}$ is sufficiently small (i.e. the bore’s relative amplitude is sufficiently large), the non-existence of bores is caused by a stagnation point emerging in the flow.
On the kurtosis of deep-water gravity waves
Authors: Fedele Francesco
Published: September 2015

In this paper, we revisit Janssen’s (J. Phys. Oceanogr., vol. 33 (4), 2003, pp. 863–884) formulation for the dynamic excess kurtosis of weakly nonlinear gravity waves in deep water. For narrowband directional spectra, the formulation is given by a sixfold integral that depends upon the Benjamin–Feir index and the parameter $R={\it\sigma}_{{\it\theta}}^{2}/2{\it\nu}^{2}$, a measure of short-crestedness for the dominant waves, with ${\it\nu}$ and ${\it\sigma}_{{\it\theta}}$ denoting spectral bandwidth and angular spreading. Our refinement leads to a new analytical solution for the dynamic kurtosis of narrowband directional waves described with a Gaussian-type spectrum. For multidirectional or short-crested seas initially homogeneous and Gaussian, in a focusing (defocusing) regime dynamic kurtosis grows initially, attaining a positive maximum (negative minimum) at the intrinsic time scale ${\it\tau}_{c}={\it\nu}^{2}{\it\omega}_{0}t_{c}=1/\sqrt{3R}$, or $t_{c}/T_{0}\approx 0.13/{\it\nu}{\it\sigma}_{{\it\theta}}$, where ${\it\omega}_{0}=2{\rm\pi}/T_{0}$ denotes the dominant angular frequency. Eventually the dynamic excess kurtosis tends monotonically to zero as the wave field reaches a quasi-equilibrium state characterized by nonlinearities mainly due to bound harmonics. Quasi-resonant interactions are dominant only in unidirectional or long-crested seas where the longer-time dynamic kurtosis can be larger than that induced by bound harmonics, especially as the Benjamin–Feir index increases. Finally, we discuss the implication of these results for the prediction of rogue waves.
Posting Traditional Ecological Knowledge on Open Access Biodiversity Platforms: Implications for Learning Design
Authors: Funk Johanna , Guthadjaka Kathy , Kong Gary
Published: September 2015

BowerBird is an open platform biodiversity website (http://www.BowerBird.org.au) and a nationally funded project under management of the Atlas of Living Australia (ALA) and Museum Victoria. Members post sightings and information about local species of plants and animals, and record other features of ecosystems. Charles Darwin University's Northern Institute Elder on Country researcher, Kathy Guthadjaka, has shared pictures and information about the biodiversity of her homelands in the Yolŋu community of Gäwa, on Elcho Island in north east Arnhem Land, Northern Territory. The extent to which this knowledge can be exposed in the same way as other open resources, can pose dilemmas about the level of ‘openness’ that is appropriate. Open sharing of educational materials can be promoted as a basic human right. This paper will explore the extent to which traditional knowledge can be made openly available. What are the implications for sharing this knowledge in a westernised context that compartmentalises it, and how can a western academic perspective learn from this knowledge and engage functionally with it for the purposes of learning? The existence of this project on the interface between traditional knowledge and western technocratic information management also has implications for how information is presented and valued.
Relation of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D status with skeletal muscle mass by sex and age group among Korean adults
Authors: Ko Min Jung , Yun Sungha , Oh Kyungwon , Kim Kirang
Published: September 2015

The objective of this study was to examine whether high serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration was associated with high skeletal muscle mass, taking into account the effects of sex and age among the participants of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) aged 40 years or older. This was a cross-sectional study using data from the 2009 to 2010 KNHANES; a total of 8406 subjects (3671 men and 4735 women) were included. The appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (ASMMI, kg/m2) was estimated to measure the skeletal muscle mass. Hypovitaminosis was classified when the level of serum 25(OH)D was <20 ng/ml. The general linear model adjusted for confounding factors was used to determine differences in means of ASMMI by 25(OH)D status. The mean values of ASMMI were higher for men when compared with women. Women had a greater proportion of hypovitaminosis (71·1 %) compared with men (53·2 %). After adjusting for multiple factors, men were seen to have significant differences in ASMMI based on 25(OH)D status regardless of age, showing a lower mean value of ASSMI in those with hypovitaminosis. However, there was no difference in ASMMI by 25(OH)D status among women in both younger and older age groups. In conclusion, we found that there might be a positive relationship between 25(OH)D and skeletal muscle mass in men, indicating that interventions to improve 25(OH)D levels that are aimed at increasing muscle mass could be beneficial for men with more rapid decreased rate of skeletal muscle mass.
YIELD AND NITROGEN RECOVERY OF RAPE (BRASSICA NAPUS L.) IN RESPONSE TO APPLICATION OF LEGUMINOUS LEAF LITTER AND SUPPLEMENTAL INORGANIC NITROGEN
Authors: MUCHECHETI FIONA , MADAKADZE IGNACIO C.
Published: September 2015

The short term nutrient supply of Leucaena leucocephala, Calliandra calothyrsus, Acacia angustissima and Acacia karoo prunings with or without supplemental inorganic nitrogen were tested using rape (Brassica napus L.) in a field trial. Prunings were applied at a rate of 5 t ha−1 to soil, alone or with supplemental N at 37.5 kg N ha−1 (¼ of recommended N). The respective decomposition and N release constants of the prunings were 9.15 and 9.70% for L. leucocephala; 6.15 and 6.40 for A. angustissima; 4.50 and 4.90 for C. calothyrsus; and 2.20 and 2.10 for A. karoo. These constants were best described by the (lignin+polyphenol)-to-nitrogen ratio of the prunings. Total biomass over the two seasons ranged from 1.40 to 17.28 t DM ha−1 and total growth rates ranged from 2.34–26.70 g plant−1 week−1. The cumulative N recovery at week 9 ranged from 21.1–66.1 %. Legume tree leaves can be used as a source of N for vegetable production. Farmers who use high tannin leaf litter are recommended to supplement with mineral N in order to assure adequate N availability during plant growth.
IMPAIRED FERTILITY AND PERCEIVED DIFFICULTIES CONCEIVING IN GHANA: MEASUREMENT PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS
Authors: Fledderjohann Jasmine , Johnson David R.
Published: September 2015

What is the most appropriate measure of impaired fertility for understanding its social consequences in sub-Saharan Africa? The dearth of subjective measures in surveys in the region has prevented comparisons of subjective and objective measures. Perceived difficulties conceiving may have a greater impact than objective measures for social outcomes such as divorce, stigmatization and distress. This study compares 12- (clinical) and 24- (epidemiological) month measures from biomedicine and 5- and 7-year measures from demography with a subjective measure of impaired fertility using correlations, random effects models and test–retest models to assess relationships between measures, their association with sociodemographic characteristics and the stability of measures across time. Secondary panel data (1998–2004) from 1350 Ghanaian women aged 15–49 of all marital statuses are used. Longer waiting times to identification of impaired fertility required by demographic measures result in more stable measures, but perceived difficulties conceiving are most closely aligned with clinical infertility (r=0.61;p<0.05). Epidemiological infertility is also closely aligned with the subjective measure. A large proportion of those identified as having impaired fertility based purely on waiting times are successful contraceptors. Where subjective measures are not available, epidemiological (24-month) measures may be most appropriate for studies of the social consequences of impaired fertility. Accounting for contraceptive use is important in order to avoid false positives. Future research should consider a variety of measures of perceived difficulties conceiving and self-identified infertility to assess which is most valid; in order to accomplish this, it is imperative that subjective measures of infertility be included in social surveys in sub-Saharan Africa.
Cochlear involvement in patients with ulcerative colitis
Authors: Sagit M , Guler S , Karaman A , Yasar M , Emiroglu A , Ozcan I
Published: September 2015

Objective:

To investigate whether cochlear involvement is an extraintestinal manifestation in patients with ulcerative colitis.

Method:

Forty-four ulcerative colitis patients and 44 age-matched healthy subjects were included in the study. Pure tone and speech audiometry, and distortion product otoacoustic emission tests were performed on all participants. The audiometric test results were compared between groups and their relationship with disease activity was investigated.

Results:

Pure tone threshold averages were significantly higher in ulcerative colitis patients compared to controls (p < 0.05). Speech discrimination scores were significantly lower in ulcerative colitis patients compared to controls (p < 0.05). Distortion product otoacoustic emission amplitude values were significantly lower for all of the tested frequencies (except for 6000 Hz in the right ear) in ulcerative colitis patients compared to controls (p < 0.05). No relationship was detected between audiometric test results and disease activity (p > 0.05).

Conclusion:

Even though hearing thresholds may be within normal limits, decreased distortion product otoacoustic emission amplitude values indicate a cochlear involvement in ulcerative colitis patients.
Immersed boundary methods for numerical simulation of confined fluid and plasma turbulence in complex geometries: a review
Authors: Schneider Kai
Published: September 2015

Immersed boundary methods for computing confined fluid and plasma flows in complex geometries are reviewed. The mathematical principle of the volume penalization technique is described and simple examples for imposing Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions in one dimension are given. Applications for fluid and plasma turbulence in two and three space dimensions illustrate the applicability and the efficiency of the method in computing flows in complex geometries, for example in toroidal geometries with asymmetric poloidal cross-sections.
Psychotic experiences and risk of self-injurious behaviour in the general population: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Honings S. , Drukker M. , Groen R. , van Os J.
Published: September 2015

Background

Recent studies suggest that psychotic experiences (PE) in the general population are associated with an increased risk of self-injurious behaviour. Both the magnitude of this association and the level of adjustment for confounders vary among studies. A meta-analysis was performed to integrate the available evidence. The influence of possible confounders, including variably defined depression, was assessed.

Method

A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted including general population studies reporting on the risk of self-injurious behaviour in individuals with PE. Studies were identified by a systematic search strategy in Pubmed, PsycINFO and Embase. Reported effect sizes were extracted and meta-analytically pooled.

Results

The risk of self-injurious behaviour was 3.20 times higher in individuals with PE compared with those without. Subanalyses showed that PE were associated with self-harm, suicidal ideation as well as suicidal attempts. All studies had scope for considerable residual confounding; effect sizes adjusted for depression were significantly smaller than effect sizes unadjusted for depression. In the longitudinal studies, adjustment for psychopathology resulted in a 74% reduction in excess risk.

Conclusions

PE are associated with self-injurious behaviour, suggesting they have potential as passive markers of suicidality. However, the association is confounded and several methodological issues remain, particularly how to separate PE from the full range of connected psychopathology in determining any specific association with self-injurious behaviour. Given evidence that PE represent an indicator of severity of non-psychotic psychopathology, the association between PE and self-injurious behaviour probably reflects a greater likelihood of self-injurious behaviour in more severe states of mental distress.
A comparison of exposure to risk factors for giardiasis in non-travellers, domestic travellers and international travellers in a Canadian community, 2006–2012
Authors: SWIRSKI A. L. , PEARL D. L. , PEREGRINE A. S. , PINTAR K.
Published: September 2015

The purpose of this study is to determine how demographic and exposure factors related to giardiasis vary between travel and endemic cases. Exposure and demographic data were gathered by public health inspectors from giardiasis cases reported from the Region of Waterloo from 2006 to 2012. Logistic regression models were fit to assess differences in exposure to risk factors for giardiasis between international travel-related cases and Canadian acquired cases while controlling for age and sex. Multinomial regression models were also fit to assess the differences in risk profiles between international and domestic travel-related cases and endemic cases. Travel-related cases (both international and domestic) were more likely to go camping or kayaking, and consume untreated water compared to endemic cases. Domestic travel-related cases were more likely to visit a petting zoo or farm compared to endemic cases, and were more likely to swim in freshwater compared to endemic cases and international travel-related cases. International travellers were more likely to swim in an ocean compared to both domestic travel-related and endemic cases. These findings demonstrate that travel-related and endemic cases have different risk exposure profiles which should be considered for appropriately targeting health promotion campaigns.
Nonretinotopic visual processing in the brain
Authors: MELCHER DAVID , MORRONE MARIA CONCETTA
Published: September 2015

A basic principle in visual neuroscience is the retinotopic organization of neural receptive fields. Here, we review behavioral, neurophysiological, and neuroimaging evidence for nonretinotopic processing of visual stimuli. A number of behavioral studies have shown perception depending on object or external-space coordinate systems, in addition to retinal coordinates. Both single-cell neurophysiology and neuroimaging have provided evidence for the modulation of neural firing by gaze position and processing of visual information based on craniotopic or spatiotopic coordinates. Transient remapping of the spatial and temporal properties of neurons contingent on saccadic eye movements has been demonstrated in visual cortex, as well as frontal and parietal areas involved in saliency/priority maps, and is a good candidate to mediate some of the spatial invariance demonstrated by perception. Recent studies suggest that spatiotopic selectivity depends on a low spatial resolution system of maps that operates over a longer time frame than retinotopic processing and is strongly modulated by high-level cognitive factors such as attention. The interaction of an initial and rapid retinotopic processing stage, tied to new fixations, and a longer lasting but less precise nonretinotopic level of visual representation could underlie the perception of both a detailed and a stable visual world across saccadic eye movements.
Exercise-induced hypoxia secondary to an atrial septal defect and cor triatriatum dexter
Authors: Eckersley Luke G. , Clements Barry , Shipton Stephen
Published: September 2015

A 14-year-old boy presented to us with a diagnosis of severe asthma and oxygen desaturation of 76% on a 6-minute-walk test. A contrast echocardiogram revealed echocontrast in the left and right atria simultaneously. A secundum atrial septal defect and partial cor triatriatum dexter were diagnosed, and the atrial defect was closed by cardiac catheterisation.
Using modern ferruginous habitats to interpret Precambrian banded iron formation deposition
Authors: Koeksoy Elif , Halama Maximilian , Konhauser Kurt O. , Kappler Andreas
Published: September 2015

Early Earth processes are typically identified through the study of mineralogical, elemental and isotopic features in the rock record, including Precambrian banded iron formations (BIF). However, post-depositional processes often obscure the primary geochemical signals, making the use of BIF as proxies for paleo-seawater and the paleo-biosphere potentially imprecise. Thus, alternative approaches are required to complement the information gained from the rock record in order to fully understand the distinctive biogeochemical processes on ancient Earth. Simulating these conditions in the laboratory is one approach, but this approach can never fully replicate the complexity of a natural environment. Therefore, finding modern environments with a unique set of geochemical and microbiological characteristics to use as analogues for BIF depositional environments can provide invaluable information. In this review, we provide an overview of the chemical, physical and biological parameters of modern, ferruginous lakes that have been used as analogue BIF environments.
ON THE LOCAL LANGLANDS CORRESPONDENCE FOR SPLIT CLASSICAL GROUPS OVER LOCAL FUNCTION FIELDS
Authors: Ganapathy Radhika , Varma Sandeep
Published: September 2015

We prove certain depth bounds for Arthur’s endoscopic transfer of representations from classical groups to the corresponding general linear groups over local fields of characteristic 0, with some restrictions on the residue characteristic. We then use these results and the method of Deligne and Kazhdan of studying representation theory over close local fields to obtain, under some restrictions on the characteristic, the local Langlands correspondence for split classical groups over local function fields from the corresponding result of Arthur in characteristic 0.
Religious Power, the State, Women's Rights, and Family Law
Authors: Htun Mala , Weldon S. Laurel
Published: September 2015

Family law is an essential dimension of women's citizenship in the modern state. The rights established in family law shape women's agency and autonomy; they also regulate access to basic resources—such as land, income, and education—that determine a citizen's ability to earn a living independently, among other life chances (Agarwal 1994; Deere and León 2001; Kabeer 1994; Okin 1989; World Bank 2012). Yet family law is a notorious site of sex inequality, historically and in the present. Equal rights enjoyed by women in national constitutions are often contradicted by family and civil codes that subordinate women to the decisions of their husbands and fathers. In the early 21st century, family law in a significant number of countries discriminated against women, denying them the rights held by men and contributing to their disadvantaged social positions.
Women and Postconflict Security: A Study of Police Response to Domestic Violence in Liberia
Authors: Medie Peace A.
Published: September 2015

Domestic violence or Intimate partner violence (IPV) is the form of violence against women (VAW) that is most reported to the police in Liberia. This violence cuts across class, ethnic, religious, and age lines (Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services, et al. 2008) and results in psychological trauma, physical injuries, and, in some cases, death. Societal beliefs that frame domestic violence as a regular part of life serve to legitimize and foster the problem in Liberia (Allen and Devitt 2012; LISGIS et al. 2008) and pose a challenge to the state and to international organizations (IOs) and women's nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that have introduced measures to combat domestic violence since the end of the country's 14-year civil war in 2003. One such effort is the Women and Children Protection Section (WACPS) of the Liberian National Police (LNP), established by the government in collaboration with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and other international partners in 2005. Although the section was established primarily to address rape, its officers are mandated to investigate all forms of VAW, including domestic violence.
Risk Aversion, Gender, and Constitutional Change
Authors: Verge Tània , Guinjoan Marc , Rodon Toni
Published: September 2015

Independence movements are today present in several stateless territorially concentrated nations, irrespective of their level of self-government. Among advanced industrial democracies, the stronger secessionist movements are found in Belgium, Canada, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom (Keating 1996; Sorens 2005). In the absence of a secession clause in their respective constitutions, a broad array of political parties and civil society groups have mobilized to demand a self-determination referendum as a means to let the citizenry of their territories express their will (Muñoz and Guinjoan 2013). Canada held a referendum on the secession of Quebec in 1980 and 1995. The United Kingdom called a popular vote on Scotland's independence in September 2014. In the Spanish case, Catalonia convoked a consultation in November 2014, although the central government did not recognize its legality.
Public Man/Private Woman in Context
Authors: Saxonhouse Arlene W.
Published: September 2015

Jean Elshtain, in an essay published in Signs in 1982 and entitled “Feminist Discourse and Its Discontents: Language, Power, and Meaning,” addressed one of the many issues with which feminist theorists were then grappling: the oppressive power of language as a tool of control over those who had been silenced throughout history, leaving those wanting to resist that control with the task of discovering new modes of communication. Acknowledging that language has the potential to oppress, Elshtain was, however, not ready to abandon the past, to urge her readers to imagine a world where one could escape the languages and discourses that were bequeathed to us over the generations.
Jean Elshtain on Families and Politics
Authors: Ackelsberg Martha , Shanley Mary Lyndon
Published: September 2015

Jean Elshtain's writings on feminism, families, and politics were both profoundly important to the development of feminist theory and, at times, deeply puzzling. Elshtain engaged with central texts of western political thought in ways that enabled and encouraged others to think through what it would mean to take women's lives seriously in all their ambiguity and complexity.
Jean Elshtain: Why Augustine and Arendt?
Authors: Scott Joanna Vecchiarelli
Published: September 2015

Jean Elshtain appeared in my life at a fortuitous moment in the early 1980s as I ventured into unexplored academic terrain—the vexed question of what Hannah Arendt intended by engaging with Christian political thought, particularly the work of the fifth-century bishop and theologian Aurelius Augustine. She was already a notoriously maverick Jewish writer on the Holocaust. What could be made of Arendt's regard for her “old friend” Augustine? A previous discovery—the fact that she had written her dissertation on the theme of love (caritas) as the binding agent in civil society—had led me to the Library of Congress in 1983 where the original 1929 German manuscript is housed, together with the English translation Arendt had begun in New York in 1958. Neither had been published. I proposed a paper on the subject for the APSA meeting in Washington in 1984, fully expecting a negative response, given the deviation from the norm of Arendt scholarship it entailed. Instead I was contacted directly by Elshtain who let me know that she found this new aspect of Arendt's writing very significant and wanted to hear more about it on the Arendt-themed panel that she was organizing and chairing. I knew her work but had never met or corresponded with her. I was, needless to say, surprised and grateful.
Contending with Women and War
Authors: Sylvester Christine
Published: September 2015

The late Jean Bethke Elshtain was a difficult feminist, a public intellectual and scholar who drew on feminist thinking but interpreted or applied it so idiosyncratically that many feminists disavowed her. Elshtain's early works encapsulated the best hopes of 1980s' feminists to bring women and gender to the fore across many academic fields. She was influential in political theory, religious studies, and feminist analysis, and she was one of the leading lights of feminist international relations (IR) well into the 1990s. Yet she was moving in other directions and would let it be known that she disapproved of gay marriage and endorsed George W. Bush's war in Iraq as just. These positions were anathema to most western feminists, and Jean Bethke Elshtain slid down the feminist reputational ladder from pinnacle to the point where she was almost persona non grata, deemed an imperialist traitor to feminist causes. She did not draw back or go quiet under attack: to the last public address she gave shortly before her death, Elshtain was on the road defending her controversial political viewpoints openly and forcefully. Let it not be said that the difficult feminist is shy.