bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Neuropathic low back pain in clinical practice
Authors: Baron R. , Binder A. , Attal N. , Casale R. , Dickenson A.H. , Treede R‐D.
Published: March 2016

Background and objective

Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common chronic pain conditions. This paper reviews the available literature on the role of neuropathic mechanisms in chronic LBP and discusses implications for its clinical management, with a particular focus on pharmacological treatments.

Databases and data treatment

Literature searches were performed in PubMed, key pain congresses and ProQuest Dialog to identify published evidence on neuropathic back pain and its management. All titles were assessed for relevant literature.

Results

Chronic LBP comprises both nociceptive and neuropathic components, however, the neuropathic component appears under‐recognized and undertreated. Neuropathic pain (NP) is challenging to manage. Many patients with chronic LBP have pain that is refractory to existing treatments. Typically, less than half of patients experience clinically meaningful analgesia with oral pharmacotherapies; these are also associated with risks of adverse effects. Paracetamol and NSAIDs, although widely used for LBP, are unlikely to ameliorate the neuropathic component and data on the use of NP medications such as antidepressants and gabapentin/pregabalin are limited. While there is an unmet need for improved treatment options, recent data have shown tapentadol to have efficacy in the neuropathic component of LBP, and studies suggest that the capsaicin 8% patch and lidocaine 5% medicated plaster, topical analgesics available for the treatment of peripheral NP, may be a valuable additional approach for the management of neuropathic LBP.

Conclusions

Chronic LBP often has an under‐recognized neuropathic component, which can be challenging to manage, and requires improved understanding and better diagnosis and treatment.

What does this review add?

Increased recognition and improved understanding of the neuropathic component of low back pain raises the potential for the development of mechanism‐based therapies.

Open and retrospective studies suggest that agents like tapentadol and topical analgesics — such as the capsaicin 8% patch and the lidocaine 5% medicated plaster — may be effective options for the treatment of neuropathic low back pain in defined patient groups.
On the authentication and re‐authentication protocols in LTE‐WLAN interworking architecture
Authors: Alezabi Kamal Ali , Hashim Fazirulhisyam , Hashim Shaiful J. , Ali Borhanuddin M. , Jamalipour Abbas
Published: March 2016

For mobile users, interworking environment composed of Long Term Evolution (LTE) and wireless local area network (WLAN) has become a practical consideration. As a prevalent technology, LTE has desirable features that support high data rate, mobile capabilities, good quality of service and wide coverage area. On the other hand, WLAN network provides higher bit rate but weaker mobility support. Additional features such as cost effectiveness on covering signal‐deadzones of LTE networks and its plentiful bandwidth for better good quality of service make the WLAN a complementary solution for LTE networks. Accordingly, the combination of both technologies would provide better system with higher privilege to both users and service providers. Recent development in LTE‐WLAN interworking has led to a need of authentication protocols that can provide secure and seamless handover process among such networks. Several studies have modified the existing authentication protocols, but they are limited to 3G‐WLAN interworking architecture. Besides, most of the existing authentication schemes are complex and vulnerable to network attacks (e.g. user identity disclosure). Extensible Authentication Protocol with improved authentication and key agreement protocol is introduced in this paper to present the new inter‐re‐authentication and intra‐re‐authentication protocols specified for the LTE‐WLAN interworking architecture. The proposed protocols are verified using Automated Validation of Internet Security Protocols and Applications, and the performances are evaluated in terms of energy consumption, authentication delay and signalling cost. The results indicate that the proposed protocols are more secure and efficient compared with standard protocols. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Preventing accidental residential fires: the role of human involvement in non‐injury house fires
Authors: Xiong Lin , Bruck Dorothy , Ball Michelle
Published: March 2016

Research to date has focused on causal descriptions of residential fire fatalities and injuries, with an emphasis on ignition factor. This paper examines if, how and why human actions or inactions lead to accidental residential fires and identifies the risk factors most closely associated with those fires caused by human unsafe behaviours. Interviews of 182 people who had survived accidental residential fires without serious injury were conducted. Each fire was classified as either of the following: (1) directly caused by human unsafe behaviours; (2) directly caused by human long‐term inactions; or (3) involved no human actions. Frequencies and odds ratio values were presented. Slightly less than half (46%) of the non‐injury fires were directly caused by human unsafe behaviours, 40% involved no human actions and 14% were associated with long‐term human inactions. Examination of the fires caused by human unsafe behaviours compared with no human involvement using odds ratios showed that individuals in the former group were significantly more likely to be mentally ill, physically disabled, asleep, not in full‐time paid employment and more intimate with ignition. Many non‐injury fires do not directly arise from unsafe activity, and most of them were caused by electrical or ignition system failure. New design innovations and/or improvements in appliances may reduce those fires due to appliance maintenance negligence or electrical faults. Identification of the most high‐risk individuals for unsafe behaviours can help inform fire safety educational programmes. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Bayesian Analysis of a Threshold Stochastic Volatility Model
Authors: Wirjanto Tony S. , Kolkiewicz Adam W. , Men Zhongxian
Published: March 2016

This paper proposes a parsimonious threshold stochastic volatility (SV) model for financial asset returns. Instead of imposing a threshold value on the dynamics of the latent volatility process of the SV model, we assume that the innovation of the mean equation follows a threshold distribution in which the mean innovation switches between two regimes. In our model, the threshold is treated as an unknown parameter. We show that the proposed threshold SV model can not only capture the time‐varying volatility of returns, but can also accommodate the asymmetric shape of conditional distribution of the returns. Parameter estimation is carried out by using Markov chain Monte Carlo methods. For model selection and volatility forecast, an auxiliary particle filter technique is employed to approximate the filter and prediction distributions of the returns. Several experiments are conducted to assess the robustness of the proposed model and estimation methods. In the empirical study, we apply our threshold SV model to three return time series. The empirical analysis results show that the threshold parameter has a non‐zero value and the mean innovations belong to two separately distinct regimes. We also find that the model with an unknown threshold parameter value consistently outperforms the model with a known threshold parameter value. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of Font Size, Stroke Width, and Character Complexity on the Legibility of Chinese Characters
Authors: Liu Na , Yu Ruifeng , Zhang Yunhong
Published: March 2016

This study investigated the effects of font size, stroke width, and character complexity on the legibility of Chinese characters. A within‐subjects design experiment was employed. Thirty‐six subjects participated in the experiment and completed the character‐search tasks in the pseudo‐texts. The search time per target character, correct response number, and correct response rate were used to measure the legibility. The results indicated that the font size and character complexity had significant effects on the legibility, while the effect of stroke width was not significant. All the two‐way interactions among the three display factors had significant effects on the legibility. Stroke width is critical to the legibility for characters with high‐level complexity, whereas font size is the critical factor influencing the legibility for characters with low‐level complexity. The combination of 12pt font size and 1:10 stroke width resulted in the best legibility for both character complexity levels. The findings provide useful information for the font design of Chinese texts displayed on a visual display terminal to improve the legibility.
Physically‐Based Modelling of the Post‐Fire Runoff Response of a Forest Catchment in Central Portugal: Using Field versus Remote Sensing Based Estimates of Vegetation Recovery
Authors: Van Eck Christel M. , Nunes Joao P. , Vieira Diana C. S. , Keesstra Saskia , Keizer Jan Jacob
Published: March 2016

Forest fires are a recurrent phenomenon in Mediterranean forests, with impacts for human landscapes and communities, which must be understood before they can be managed. This study used the physically based Limburg Soil Erosion Model (LISEM) to simulate rainfall–runoff response, under soil water repellent (SWR) conditions and different stages of vegetation recovery. Five rainfall–runoff events were selected, representing wet and dry conditions, spread over two years after a wildfire which burned eucalypt and maritime pine plantations in the Colmeal experimental micro‐catchment, central Portugal. Each event was simulated using three Leaf Area Index (LAI) estimates: indirect field‐based measurements (TC–LAI), NDVI‐based estimates derived from Landsat‐5 TM and Landsat‐7 ETM+ imagery (NDVI–LAI), and the LAI of a fully restored canopy to test model sensitivity to interception parameters. LISEM was able to simulate events in relative terms but underestimated peak runoff (r2 = 0·36, mean error = −31%, and NSE = −0·15) and total runoff (r2 = 0·52, mean error = −15% and NSE = 0·09), which could be related to the presence of SWR or saturated areas, according to pre‐rainfall soil moisture conditions. The model performed better for individual hydrographs, especially under wet conditions. Modelling the full‐cover scenario showed minor sensitivity of LISEM to the observed changes in LAI. NDVI–LAI data gave a close to equal model performance with TC–LAI and therefore can be considered a suitable substitute for ground‐based measurements in post‐fire runoff predictions. However, more attention should be given to representing pre‐rainfall soil moisture conditions and especially the presence of SWR. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cellular Response to Reagent‐Free Electron‐Irradiated Gelatin Hydrogels
Authors: Wisotzki Emilia I. , Friedrich Ralf P. , Weidt Astrid , Alexiou Christoph , Mayr Stefan G. , Zink Mareike
Published: March 2016

As a biomaterial, it is well established that gelatin exhibits low cytotoxicity and can promote cellular growth. However, to circumvent the potential toxicity of chemical crosslinkers, reagent‐free crosslinking methods such as electron irradiation are highly desirable. While high energy irradiation has been shown to exhibit precise control over the degree of crosslinking, these hydrogels have not been thoroughly investigated for biocompatibility and degradability. Here, NIH 3T3 murine fibroblasts are seeded onto irradiated gelatin hydrogels to examine the hydrogel's influence on cellular viability and morphology. The average projected area of cells seeded onto the hydrogels increases with irradiation dose, which correlates with an increase in the hydrogel's shear modulus up to 10 kPa. Cells on these hydrogels are highly viable and exhibits normal cell cycles, particularly when compared to those grown on glutaraldehyde crosslinked gelatin hydrogels. However, proliferation is reduced on both types of crosslinked samples. To mimic the response of the hydrogels in physiological conditions, degradability is monitored in simulated body fluid to reveal strongly dose‐dependent degradation times. Overall, given the low cytotoxicity, influence on cellular morphology and variability in degradation times of the electron irradiated gelatin hydrogels, there is significant potential for application in areas ranging from regenerative medicine to mechanobiology.

image
Sea breeze characteristics on two sides of a shallow gulf: study of the Gulf St Vincent in South Australia
Authors: Pazandeh Masouleh Zahra , Walker David John , Crowther John McCauley
Published: March 2016

A study of the long‐term behaviour (1957–2007) of sea breeze characteristics in the coastal city of Adelaide, Australia has been undertaken, applying a sea breeze day selection algorithm that employed four quantitative filters based on the temperature of the sea and land surfaces and the behaviour of surface‐ and upper‐level winds.

Despite the similarity of the daily surface wind circulation on non‐sea breeze days on both sides of Gulf St Vincent, the westerly wind component of selected sea breeze days for Adelaide has been accompanied by an easterly wind direction on the opposite side of the Gulf, as would be expected.

In the last three decades of the study period, where a higher frequency of data was available, the sea breeze has been shown to start at least 4 h after sunrise and normally cease before sunset and thus was of longer duration in summer than in the other seasons. It also appears that the maximum sea breeze intensity in summer months has a comparatively stronger southerly component than in other seasons.
Triangular truncation and its extremal matrices
Authors: Zhou Weiqi
Published: March 2016

The triangular truncation operator is a linear transformation that maps a given matrix to its strictly lower triangular part. The operator norm (with respect to the matrix spectral norm) of the triangular truncation is known to have logarithmic dependence on the dimension, and such dependence is usually illustrated by a specific Toeplitz matrix. However, the precise value of this operator norm as well as on which matrices can it be attained is still unclear. In this article, we describe a simple way of constructing matrices whose strictly lower triangular part has logarithmically larger spectral norm. The construction also leads to a sharp estimate that is very close to the actual operator norm of the triangular truncation. This research is directly motivated by our studies on the convergence theory of the Kaczmarz type method (or equivalently, the Gauß‐Seidel type method), the corresponding application of which is also included. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Inverse association between altitude and obesity: A prevalence study among andean and low‐altitude adult individuals of Peru
Authors: Woolcott Orison O. , Gutierrez Cesar , Castillo Oscar A. , Elashoff Robert M. , Stefanovski Darko , Bergman Richard N.
Published: March 2016

Objective

To determine the association between altitude and obesity in a nationally representative sample of the Peruvian adult population.

Methods

This is a cross‐sectional analysis of publicly available data from the Food and Nutrition National Center (CENAN, Peru), period 2009‐2010. The Prevalence ratio of obesity and abdominal obesity was determined as a measure of association. Obesity and abdominal obesity were diagnosed based on direct anthropometric measurements.

Results

The final data set consisted of 31,549 individuals ≥20 years old. The prevalence ratio of obesity was as follows: 1.00 between 0 and 499 m (reference category), 1.00 (95% confidence interval 0.87‐1.16) between 500‐1,499 m, 0.74 (0.63‐0.86) between 1,500‐2,999 m, and 0.54 (0.45‐0.64) at ≥3,000 m, adjusting for age, sex, self‐reported physical activity, out‐migration rate, urbanization, poverty, education, and geographical latitude and longitude. In the same order, the adjusted prevalence ratio of abdominal obesity was 1.00, 1.01 (0.94‐1.07), 0.93 (0.87‐0.99), and 0.89 (0.82‐0.95), respectively. We found an interaction between altitude and sex and between altitude and age (P < 0.001, for both interactions) on the association with obesity and abdominal obesity.

Conclusions

Among Peruvian adult individuals, we found an inverse association between altitude and obesity, adjusting for multiple covariates. This adjusted association varied by sex and age.
Type 1 diabetes cadaveric human pancreata exhibit a unique exocrine tissue proteomic profile
Authors: Liu Chih‐Wei , Atkinson Mark A. , Zhang Qibin
Published: March 2016

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disorder resulting from a self‐destruction of pancreatic islet beta cells. The complete proteome of the human pancreas, where both the dysfunctional beta cells and their proximal environment co‐exist, remains unknown. Here, we used TMT10‐based isobaric labeling and multidimensional LC‐MS/MS to quantitatively profile the differences between pancreatic head region tissues from T1D (N = 5) and healthy subjects (N = 5). Among the 5357 (1% false discovery rate) confidently identified proteins, 145 showed statistically significant dysregulation between T1D and healthy subjects. The differentially expressed pancreatic proteome supports the growing notion of a potential role for exocrine pancreas involvement in T1D. This study also demonstrates the utility for this approach to analyze dysregulated proteins as a means to investigate islet biology, pancreatic pathology and T1D pathogenesis.
Development of ZnSe‐based organic–inorganic hybrid UV‐APDs array
Authors: Abe Tomoki , Inoue Ryoichi , Fujimoto Takeru , Tanaka Kenta , Uchida Shigeto , Kasada Hirofumi , Ando Koshi , Ichino Kunio
Published: March 2016

Recently, we have developed organic (PEDOT:PSS)–inorganic (ZnSSe) hybrid avalanche photodiode (APD) with long life time and its array. In this article, we review the development of the organic–inorganic hybrid‐type ZnSe‐based UV‐APDs array. We used PEDOT:PSS as UV transparent hole‐transport conducting polymer window layers formed by inkjet printing technique. We have successfully fabricated low dark current ultraviolet hybrid APDs. The hybrid APD device has exhibited very low voltage APD operation at 29 V and extremely low dark current of 10‐11 A/mm2 in the avalanche breakdownregion. The hybrid APD also has shown maximum multiplication factor of 45 and high sensitivity ∼ 3 A/W at the ultraviolet region (∼ 300 nm). A stable device operation is established using polyimide passivation and sealed package with N2 atmosphere. We also demonstrated integrated devices operation in APD mode with very small photosignal cross‐talk of ‐50 dB. The tail of current‐profile was determined as 8 μm by using in‐plane electron‐beam induced current (EBIC) measurement. (© 2016 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Regime dependence of cloud condensate variability observed at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Sites
Authors: Ahlgrimm Maike , Forbes Richard M.
Published: March 2016

Microphysical processes and cloud–radiation interaction occur on spatial scales of variability smaller than those represented explicitly in global weather forecasting and climate models. It is therefore necessary to parametrize the unresolved heterogeneity of humidity and cloud condensate in order to predict process rates accurately. Ground‐based observations from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement sites located in various climatic regions of the world provide a source of high‐temporal‐resolution observations of cloud condensate. A number of different retrieval products for cloud condensate are assessed for the different geographical regions, years and seasons. The retrieval reliability varies with cloud type, but for cloud categories largely unaffected by precipitation a comparison across sites and longer time periods is possible. These observations confirm previously documented variability behaviour as a function of cloud fraction, but also reveal a systematic regime dependence that is not captured by existing parametrizations. Condensate variability measured as a fractional standard deviation (FSD) in warm boundary‐layer clouds is greater in the Tropics than in mid and high latitudes for scenes with comparable cloud type and fraction, with the observed FSD varying from 1.2 in the Tropics to 0.4 in the Arctic. A parametrization of the FSD of cloud liquid condensate based on the grid‐box mean total water amount and cloud fraction is formulated and shown to capture the observed range of FSD values better across different geographical sites and different seasons. The regime dependence of FSD for cirrus cloud is less pronounced than that for liquid clouds and is found largely to agree with FSD values previously derived from satellite observations.
Rank‐preserving regression: a more robust rank regression model against outliers
Authors: Chen Tian , Kowalski Jeanne , Chen Rui , Wu Pan , Zhang Hui , Feng Changyong , Tu Xin M.
Published: March 2016

Mean‐based semi‐parametric regression models such as the popular generalized estimating equations are widely used to improve robustness of inference over parametric models. Unfortunately, such models are quite sensitive to outlying observations. The Wilcoxon‐score‐based rank regression (RR) provides more robust estimates over generalized estimating equations against outliers. However, the RR and its extensions do not sufficiently address missing data arising in longitudinal studies. In this paper, we propose a new approach to address outliers under a different framework based on the functional response models. This functional‐response‐model‐based alternative not only addresses limitations of the RR and its extensions for longitudinal data, but, with its rank‐preserving property, even provides more robust estimates than these alternatives. The proposed approach is illustrated with both real and simulated data. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Time delays, competitive interdependence, and firm performance
Authors: Luoma Jukka , Ruutu Sampsa , King Adelaide Wilcox , Tikkanen Henrikki
Published: March 2016

Research summary: Competitors' experiences of prior interactions shape patterns of rivalry over time. However, mechanisms that influence learning from competitive experience remain largely unexamined. We develop a computational model of dyadic rivalry to examine how time delays in competitors' feedback influence their learning. Time delays are inevitable because the process of executing competitive moves takes time, and the market's responses unfold gradually. We analyze how these lags impact learning and, subsequently, firms' competitive behavior, industry profits, and performance heterogeneity. In line with the extant learning literature, our findings reveal that time delays hinder learning from experience. However, this counterintuitively increases rivals' profits by reducing their investments in costly head‐to‐head competition. Time delays also engender performance heterogeneity by causing rivals' paths of competitive behavior to diverge.

Managerial summary: While competitive actions such as new product launches, geographical expansion, and marketing campaigns require up‐front resource commitments, the potential lift in profits takes time to materialize. This time delay, combined with uncertainty surrounding the outcomes of competitive actions, makes it difficult for managers to learn reliably from previous investment decisions. This results in systematic underinvestment in competitive actions. The severity of the underinvestment grows as the time delay between an investment and its positive results increases. Counterintuitively, however, competitors' collective underinvestment increases profit‐making opportunities. In industries with large time delays, companies that do invest in competitive actions are likely to enjoy high returns on investment. It is also likely that rivals' paths of competitive behavior bifurcate. Together, these mechanisms generate large differences in competitors' profits. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Independent director death and CEO acquisitiveness: Build an empire or pursue a quiet life?
Authors: Shi Wei , Hoskisson Robert E. , Zhang Yan Anthea
Published: March 2016

Research summary: This study examines the relationship between an independent director's death and CEO acquisitiveness. Using a sample of large U.S. public firms, we find that CEOs who have experienced an independent director's death undertake fewer acquisitions in the post‐director death period, in particular fewer large acquisitions. Our findings are consistent with the prediction of posttraumatic growth theory that mortality awareness can induce CEOs to reevaluate their life priorities and reduce the importance of extrinsic goals in their decision making. This study contributes to the strategic leadership literature by highlighting the influence of the death of CEOs' social peers on CEOs' strategic decisions.

Managerial summary: Does the death of CEOs' social peers influence CEOs' strategic decisions? We find that CEOs who have experienced an independent director's death engage in fewer acquisitions in the post‐director death period, in particular fewer large acquisitions. One likely explanation for our findings is that the death of an independent director may heighten CEOs' mortality awareness, lead the CEOs to pursue a quieter life, and weaken their propensities for undertaking decisions (i.e., acquisitions) that increase their compensation and social status. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ligand‐Free Fe3O4/CMCS Nanoclusters with Negative Charges for Efficient Structure‐Selective Protein Adsorption
Authors: Yang Qi , Zhu Yue , Yang Minggang , Ma Shaohua , Wu Yao , Lan Fang , Gu Zhongwei
Published: March 2016

The easy and effective capture of a single protein from a complex mixture is of great significance in proteomics and diagnostics. However, adsorbing nanomaterials are commonly decorated with specific ligands through a complicated and arduous process. Fe3O4/carboxymethylated chitosan (Fe3O4/CMCS) nanoclusters are developed as a new nonligand modified strategy to selectively capture bovine hemoglogin (BHB) and other structurally similar proteins (i.e., lysozyme (LYZ) and chymotrypsin (CTP)). The ligand‐free Fe3O4/CMCS nanoclusters, in addition to their simple and economical two‐step preparation process, possess many merits, including uniform morphology, high negative charges (−27 mV), high saturation magnetization (60 emu g−1), and high magnetic content (85%). Additionally, the ligand‐free Fe3O4/CMCS nanoclusters are found to selectively capture BHB in a model protein mixture even within biological samples. The reason for selective protein capture is further investigated from nanomaterials and protein structure. In terms of nanomaterials, it is found that high negative charges are conducive to selectively adsorb BHB. In consideration of protein structure, interestingly, the ligand‐free magnetic nanoclusters display a structure‐selective protein adsorption capacity to efficiently capture other proteins structurally similar to BHB, such as LYZ and CTP, showing great potential of the ligand‐free strategy in biomedical field.
Label‐Free Pyrophosphate Recognition with Functionalized Asymmetric Nanopores
Authors: Ali Mubarak , Ahmed Ishtiaq , Ramirez Patricio , Nasir Saima , Niemeyer Christof M. , Mafe Salvador , Ensinger Wolfgang
Published: March 2016

The label‐free detection of pyrophosphate (PPi) anions with a nanofluidic sensing device based on asymmetric nanopores is demonstrated. The pore surface is functionalized with zinc complexes based on two di(2‐picolyl)amine [bis(DPA)] moieties using carbodiimide coupling chemistry. The complexation of zinc (Zn2+) ion is achieved by exposing the modified pore to a solution of zinc chloride to form bis(Zn2+–DPA) complexes. The chemical functionalization is demonstrated by recording the changes in the observed current–voltage (I–V) curves before and after pore modification. The bis(Zn2+–DPA) complexes on the pore walls serve as recognition sites for pyrophosphate anion. The experimental results show that the proposed nanofluidic sensor has the ability to sense picomolar concentrations of PPi anion in the surrounding environment. On the contrary, it does not respond to other phosphate anions, including monohydrogen phosphate, dihydrogen phosphate, adenosine monophosphate, adenosine diphosphate, and adenosine triphosphate. The experimental results are described theoretically by using a model based on the Poisson–Nernst–Planck equations.
Variable selection in function‐on‐scalar regression
Authors: Chen Yakuan , Goldsmith Jeff , Ogden R. Todd
Published: March 2016

For regression models with functional responses and scalar predictors, it is common for the number of predictors to be large. Despite this, few methods for variable selection exist for function‐on‐scalar models, and none account for the inherent correlation of residual curves in such models. By expanding the coefficient functions using aB‐spline basis, we pose the function‐on‐scalar model as a multivariate regression problem. Spline coefficients are grouped within coefficient function, and group‐minimax concave penalty is used for variable selection. We adapt techniques from generalized least squares to account for residual covariance by “pre‐whitening” using an estimate of the covariance matrix and establish theoretical properties for the resulting estimator. We further develop an iterative algorithm that alternately updates the spline coefficients and covariance; simulation results indicate that this iterative algorithm often performs as well as pre‐whitening using the true covariance and substantially outperforms methods that neglect the covariance structure. We apply our method to two‐dimensional planar reaching motions in a study of the effects of stroke severity on motor control and find that our method provides lower prediction errors than competing methods. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Relationship between general movements in neonates who were growth restricted in utero and prenatal Doppler flow patterns
Authors: Tanis J. C. , Schmitz D. M. , Boelen M. R. , Casarella L. , van den Berg P. P. , Bilardo C. M. , Bos A. F.
Published: March 2016

Objective

To investigate whether Doppler pulsatility indices (PIs) of the fetal circulation in cases of fetal growth restriction (FGR) are associated with the general movements (GMs) of the neonate after birth.

Methods

This was a prospective observational cohort study including pregnancies with FGR diagnosed between June 2012 and September 2014. A diagnosis of FGR was based on an abdominal circumference or estimated fetal weight < 10th percentile (in conjuction with abnormal Doppler) or declining fetal growth of at least 30 percentiles with respect to previous size measurements. Doppler parameters of the umbilical artery (UA), fetal middle cerebral artery (MCA) and ductus venosus (DV) were measured maximally 1 week prior to delivery. Cerebroplacental ratio (CPR) was calculated as MCA‐PI divided by UA‐PI. We assessed the quality of neonatal GMs 7 days after birth, around the due date if cases were born preterm, and at 3 months post‐term. We performed a detailed analysis of the motor repertoire by calculating a motor optimality score (MOS).

Results

Forty‐eight FGR cases were included with a median gestational age at delivery of 35 (range, 26–40) weeks. UA‐PI, MCA‐PI and CPR correlated strongly (ρ, −0.374 to 0.472; P < 0.01) with the MOS on day 7 after birth, but DV‐PI did not. Doppler PI measurements did not correlate with MOS at 3 months post‐term.

Conclusion

Fetal arterial Doppler measurements are associated with the quality of neonatal GMs 1 week after birth, but this association is no longer evident at 3 months post‐term. Brain sparing in particular is associated strongly with GMs of an abnormal quality. Copyright © 2016 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Impact of Preoperative Exclusive Enteral Nutrition on Postoperative Complications and Recurrence After Bowel Resection in Patients with Active Crohn’s Disease
Authors: Wang Honggang , Zuo Lugen , Zhao Jie , Dong Jianning , Li Yi , Gu Lili , Gong Jianfeng , Liu Qinghong , Zhu Weiming
Published: March 2016

Background

The impact of preoperative enteral nutrition (EN) on postoperative complications and recurrence in Crohn’s disease (CD) has not been investigated to date. The purpose of the present study was to determine the effect of preoperative exclusive EN on postoperative complications and recurrence after bowel resection in patients with active CD.

Methods

Patient data were obtained from a prospectively maintained database. 81 patients who received bowel resection for ileal or ileocolonic CD were studied. Before operation, 42 CD patients received exclusive EN for 4 weeks, and the other patients had no nutritional therapy. All patients were followed up regularly for 2 years after surgery, and ileocolonoscopy was performed every 6 months after bowel resection.

Results

Patients receiving exclusive EN had a dramatic improvement of nutritional (BMI, albumin, pre‐albumin, and Hb) and inflammatory (CRP and CDAI) status compared with baseline after the EN therapy for 4 weeks (P < 0.05). Furthermore, significantly lower incidence of both infectious and non‐infectious complications was observed in patients receiving exclusive EN compared with those received no nutritional therapy (P < 0.05). Exclusive EN therapy for 4 weeks significantly reduced endoscopic recurrence rates after resection for CD 6 months after operation. However, during the 2‐year follow‐up, incidence of clinical recurrence was similar in both groups (P > 0.05).

Conclusions

Preoperative exclusive EN therapy for 4 weeks reduced postoperative complications, which may be associated with improvement of nutritional and inflammatory status in patients with active CD.
Ransom kidnapping: the anonymous underworld of the Italian Republic
Authors: Montalbano Alessandra
Published: March 2016

This article offers a comparative analysis of the phenomenon of ransom kidnapping in Italy between the late 1960s and the late 1990s, a period in which hundreds of citizens were abducted and held by Sardinian banditry, the Sicilian Mafia, and the Calabrian ’Ndrangheta. While ransom kidnapping far surpassed political kidnapping in the number of victims it produced, it has received only a fraction of the scholarly attention that has been given to political abductions during the anni di piombo. Tracing the different roots, periods, and development of ransom kidnapping, this article sheds light on the distinct uses that banditry, the Mafia, and the ’Ndrangheta made of this crime; highlights the impact that national economic transformations and the state had on the increase of this phenomenon; and demonstrates how for the Italian underworld, kidnapping was both a reaction to and a means of modernisation. It also argues that particularly in the case of the ’Ndrangheta, kidnapping became a veritable industry.
Nondomination or Practices of Freedom? French Muslim Women, Foucault, and The Full Veil Ban
Authors: VALDEZ INÉS
Published: March 2016

This article proposes a conception of freedom understood as practices. Based on Michel Foucault's work on the ethics of the self, I develop a conception of freedom that exceeds liberation and distinguishes between genuine practices of freedom and practices of the self that are unreflective responses to systems of government. I develop and illustrate this conception through an engagement with the recent French ban on full veils in public spaces and the ethnographic literature on European Muslim revival movements. I reconstruct how Muslim women relate to alternative discourses through specific practices of the self. These practices reveal that French Muslim women actively contest discourses of secularism and liberation that construct them as inherently passive and in need of tutelage. The conception I develop sheds light on some shortcomings of Philip Pettit's notion of freedom as nondomination. I argue that the proposed account is useful to, first, criticize the centrality of the opposition between arbitrary and nonarbitrary power in the definition of freedom. Second, I show that the predominant engagement with the external dimension of freedom in Pettit makes it difficult to capture the particular subjective practices that make up freedom and its development in the presence of power and/or attempts at domination.
A Non-vanishing Theorem of Del Pezzo Surfaces
Authors: Lin Chin-Yi
Published: March 2016

We develop a new non-vanishing theorem for del Pezzo surfaces with quotient singularities.
In vitroassessment of the anthelmintic activity ofHedysarum carnosumDesf. at different phenological stages and from six locations in Tunisia
Authors: AISSA A. , MANOLARAKI F. , BEN SALEM H. , HOSTE H. , KRAIEM K.
Published: March 2016

Gastrointestinal nematodes are compromising productivity of grazing sheep and goats. Therefore, scientists have been looking for cost-effective alternative options. Forage legumes (Fabacea Family) contain tannins that could improve livestock performance and their health as well. The present study aimed to (i) determine thein vitroanthelmintic (AH) activity of 19 acetonic extracts ofHedysarum carnosumDesf onHaemonchus contortusby a larval exsheathment assay (LEA); (ii) test the anthelmintic activity of condensed tannins using a deactivating reagent, polyvinylpolypyrrolidone (PVPP); (iii) study the effect of location and the phenological stage on the percentage of exsheathment. The LEA was used at different concentrations (150, 300, 600, 1200µg mL−1of acetonic extract/mL of purified buffer solution (PBS)). The larval exsheathment is concentration, location, phenological stage dependent. All extracts, caused a delay of the percentage of exsheathment over 50% so the AH activity ofH. carnosumwas confirmed. After addition of PVPP, the % exsheathment was similar to the 150µg mL−1concentration. The biplot showed that Loc1(S), Loc4(B), Loc 5(PF), Loc 6(BM) and Loc 6(PF) were isolated from other plant extract sample. Ourin vitrostudy showed thatH. carnosumseems to be a promising alternative to AH drugs.
The existence of a ground-state solution for a class of Kirchhoff-type equations in ℝN
Authors: Liu Jiu , Liao Jia-Feng , Tang Chun-Lei
Published: March 2016

In this paper, we study the following Kirchhoff-type equation:

where a, b are positive constants and N = 1, 2, 3. Under appropriate assumptions on V, K and g, we obtain a ground-state solution by using the approach developed by Szulkin and Weth in 2010.
Beyond segregative or integrative models for protected areas: a case study of French nature reserves
Authors: THERVILLE CLARA , CASELLA-COLOMBEAU LIVIO , MATHEVET RAPHAËL , BIORET FREDERIC
Published: March 2016

Initially conceived as human-exclusion zones (the segregative model), protected areas are more and more often established within a management framework that integrates conservation and development projects with multiple partnerships and encourages engagement with local stakeholders (the integrative model). In this study, we investigated the conservation attitudes and practices of management staff in the network of nature reserves (NRs) in France. We found that conservation practices, such as law enforcement, habitat management, environmental education and partnerships, and the socio–cultural and psychological profiles of their managers show a wide distribution along a segregative to integrative gradient. Our results indicate that while the policy of these protected areas is still structured by a segregative cliché, in practice, many managers implement a more integrated approach. This coexistence of the two approaches reflects a general pattern of evolution of nature protection thought and the institutionalization of NRs, as well as demonstrating the adaptation of NRs to their local contexts and how they function, within the surrounding landscape, as a single but complex social–ecological system.
The Destruction of Cultural Property in the Syrian Conflict: Legal Implications and Obligations
Authors: Cunliffe Emma , Muhesen Nibal , Lostal Marina
Published: March 2016

This article comes as the conflict in Syria has entered its fifth year, bringing with it loss of life and the displacement of the Syrian people as well as extensive damage to, and destruction of, the country’s cultural heritage. This article will first provide an overview and explanation of the national and international legal framework for protecting cultural property in conflict as it applies to the Syrian State and the non-State actors involved, using examples from the whole conflict, including the recent actions of Da’esh. Second, we demonstrate that the destruction of all types of cultural property, regardless of its importance, can be considered a prosecutable violation of these laws, and we examine the possibilities for prosecution. Following from this discussion, we question whether the existing framework can be considered effective and consider the role the international heritage community can play.
Replicating Elite Dominance in Intangible Cultural Heritage Safeguarding: The Role of Local Government–Scholar Networks in China
Authors: Maags Christina , Holbig Heike
Published: March 2016

Since “intangible cultural heritage” (ICH) became the new focal point in the global heritage discourse, governments and scholars in many countries have begun to promote this new form of “immaterial” culture. The People’s Republic of China has been one of the most active state parties implementing the new scheme and adapting it to domestic discourses and practices. Policies formulated at the national level have become increasingly malleable to the interests of local government-scholar networks. By conducting a comparative case study of two provinces, this article aims to identify the role of local elite networks in the domestic implementation of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, focusing on the incentives of scholars and officials to participate in ICH policy networks. It finds that the implementation of the Convention has not removed the power asymmetry between elite and popular actors but, instead, has fostered an elite-driven policy approach shaped by symbiotic, mutually legitimizing government–scholar networks.
The melioidosis agentBurkholderia pseudomalleiand related opportunistic pathogens detected in faecal matter of wildlife and livestock in northern Australia
Authors: HÖGER A. C. R. , MAYO M. , PRICE E. P. , THEOBALD V. , HARRINGTON G. , MACHUNTER B. , CHOY J. LOW , CURRIE B. J. , KAESTLI M.
Published: March 2016

The Darwin region in northern Australia has experienced rapid population growth in recent years, and with it, an increased incidence of melioidosis. Previous studies in Darwin have associated the environmental presence ofBurkholderia pseudomallei, the causative agent of melioidosis, with anthropogenic land usage and proximity to animals. In our study, we estimated the occurrence ofB. pseudomalleiandBurkholderiaspp. relatives in faecal matter of wildlife, livestock and domestic animals in the Darwin region. A total of 357 faecal samples were collected and bacteria isolated through culture and direct DNA extraction after enrichment in selective media. Identification ofB. pseudomallei, B. ubonensis, and otherBurkholderiaspp. was carried out using TTS1, Bu550, andrecABUR3–BUR4 quantitative PCR assays, respectively.B. pseudomalleiwas detected in seven faecal samples from wallabies and a chicken.B. cepaciacomplex spp. andPandoraeaspp. were cultured from wallaby faecal samples, andB. cenocepaciaandB. cepaciawere also isolated from livestock animals. Various bacteria isolated in this study represent opportunistic human pathogens, raising the possibility that faecal shedding contributes to the expanding geographical distribution of not justB. pseudomalleibut other Burkholderiaceae that can cause human disease.
From the Caribbean to the Scottish Highlands: Charitable Enterprise in the Age of Improvement, c.1750 to c.1820
Authors: KEHOE S. KARLY
Published: March 2016

The growing Scottish Highland presence in the Caribbean after 1750 was indicative of two things. On the one hand there was a British imperial agenda intent on promoting economic development and security in the Caribbean. On the other there was a domestic agenda, with a focus on introducing the sweeping changes to Highland society that would complete the process of Highland pacification. There was also, however, a deep concern for the socio-economic and cultural survival of the Highlands which encouraged countless Highlanders to engage in myriad imperial pursuits. This article links the global with the local by considering the rise of charitable enterprise in the Scottish Highlands, one of Britain's most vulnerable regions. In considering the establishment of the region's first hospital, the Northern Infirmary at Inverness, and three academies at Fortrose, Tain and Inverness, it establishes the Scottish Highlands’ intrinsic link with the Caribbean's plantation economy.
‘School Milk’ in the Context of the Australian Dairy Industry
Authors: THORLEY VIRGINIA
Published: March 2016

Australia, as with a number of other countries with dairy industries, established a national school milk scheme which operated from 1951 to the beginning of 1974 at no cost to the children's families. The scheme, funded by the federal government and administered by the states, ended abruptly after costs blew out, with resultant losses by the industry. This article describes the limited provision of milk in schools in two states prior to the national scheme and how, after the cessation of the national scheme, dairy industry initiatives in some states were gradually developed to market liquid cow's milk, including flavoured products, at subsidised prices to school children who were perceived as potential lifelong consumers. The article traces the rise and decline of these schemes in the late twentieth century within the context of moves towards dairy deregulation and its effects on the industry.
Understanding the world of dementia. How do people with dementia experience the world?
Authors: Zwijsen Sandra A , van der Ploeg Eva , Hertogh Cees M.P.M.
Published: March 2016

Background:

There is growing awareness that the subjective experience of people with dementia is important for understanding behavior and improving quality of life. This paper reviews and reflects on the currently available theories on subjective experience in dementia and it explores the possibility of a knowledge gap on the influence of neurological deficits on experience in late stage dementia.

Methods:

A literature review on current commonly used theories on experience in dementia was supplemented with a systematic review in PubMed and Psychinfo. For the systematic review, the terms used were Perception and Dementia and Behavior; and Awareness and Dementia and Long term care.

Results:

Current models emphasize the psychosocial factors that influence subjective experience, but the consequences of neurological deficits are not elaborated upon. The systematic literature search on the neuropsychological functioning in dementia resulted in 631 papers, of which 94 were selected for review. The current knowledge is limited to the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. Next to memory impairments, perception of the direct environment, interpretation of the environment, and inhibition of own responses to the environment seem to be altered in people with dementia.

Conclusions:

Without knowledge on how perception, interpretation and the ability for response control are altered, the behavior of people with dementia can easily be misinterpreted. Research into neuropsychological functioning of people in more severe stages and different forms of dementia is needed to be able to develop a model that is truly biopsychosocial. The proposed model can be used in such research as a starting point for developing tests and theories.