bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Corrosion of the Head-Stem Taper Junction—Are We on the Verge of an Epidemic?
Authors: Morlock Michael , Bünte Dennis , Gührs Julian , Bishop Nicholas
Published: September 2016

Background

The modular head taper junction has contributed to the success of total hip arthroplasty (THA) greatly. Taper corrosion and wear problems reported for large and extra-large metal-on-metal bearings as well as for bi-modular THA stems have cast doubt on the benefit of the taper interface. Presently, corrosion problems are being reported for nearly all kinds of artificial hip joints incorporating metal heads, questioning taper connections in general.

Questions/purposes

This study aimed to review the mechanical and electrochemical relationships that may lead to taper corrosion, which have been reported more commonly in recent literature, and to also review the contribution of patient characteristics and surgical techniques involved in taper assembly that may contribute to the problem.

Methods

The search criteria “(corrosion) AND (hip arthroplasty) AND (taper OR trunnion)” and “(hip arthroplasty) AND ((pseudotumor) OR (pseudo-tumor))” in PubMed and the JAAOS were used for the literature search. In addition, the arthroplasty registers were considered.

Results

Most studies acknowledge the multifactorial nature of the problem but concentrate their analysis on taper and implant design aspects, since this is the only factor that can be easily quantified. The sometimes conflicting results in the literature could be due to the fact that the other two decisive factors are not sufficiently considered: the loading situation in the patient and the assembly situation by the surgeon. All three factors together determine the fate of a taper junction in THA. There is no single reason as a main cause for taper corrosion. The combined “outcome” of these three factors has to be in a “safe range” to achieve a successful long-term taper fixation.

Conclusion

No, this is not the beginning of an epidemic. It is rather the consequence of disregarding known mechanical and electrochemical relationships, which in combination have recently caused a more frequent occurrence—and mainly reporting—of corrosion issues.
Mixed Micellization of Polyoxyethylene (20) Oleyl Ether with Cetylpyridinium Chloride at the Air–Water Interface
Authors: Desai Shobha , Bhagwat Sunil S.
Published: September 2016

Adsorption and micellization behaviour of binary surfactant mixtures containing a nonionic surfactant, polyoxyethylene (20) oleyl ether (C18‐1E20), and a cationic surfactant, cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC), was studied at the air–water interface using the Wilhelmy plate method. A pseudo‐phase separation model was used to analyse mixed micellization. A Margules equation with one constant (interaction parameter, β) was fitted to the nonideal behaviour of the mixed surfactant system. This system shows synergism (β = −6.0) for micellization. The dynamic behaviour and foamability of binary mixtures at the same bulk concentration and at different mole fractions were also studied using drop volume and horizontal impinging jet methods, respectively. It was found that with an increase in the mole fraction of C18‐1E20, the foamability of a mixture increases and t* value decreases.
Metropolitan Governance and Metropolitan Cities in Italy: Outdated Solutions For Processes of Urban Regionalisation?
Authors: Fedeli Valeria
Published: September 2016

A form of metropolitan government in Italy was originally introduced in 1990. After 25 years, the approval of Law 56/2014 has opened a new season of experimentation, full of expectations but at the same time not exempt from critique. The paper presents and discusses the elements of innovation and path-dependency that have shaped the current normative framework, explaining in particular the climate under which the new law was adopted. The author critically focuses on three main problematic aspects of the law that institutes the new città metropolitana, i. e. the definition of boundaries, the nature of the new institution, and its competences and tools for action, considering their ability to deal with the challenges related to the processes of regional urbanisation affecting contemporary Italy.
Measuring informed consent capacity in an Alzheimer's disease clinical trial
Authors: Guarino Peter D. , Vertrees Julia E. , Asthana Sanjay , Sano Mary , Llorente Maria D. , Pallaki Muralidhar , Love Susan , Schellenberg Gerard D. , Dysken Maurice W.
Published: September 2016

Introduction

Accurately and efficiently determining a participant's capacity to consent to research is critically important to protect the rights of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Methods

Understanding of the informed consent document was assessed in 613 community‐dwelling patients with mild‐to‐moderate AD enrolled in a randomized, placebo‐controlled trial. Associations were examined between clinically determined capacity to consent and (1) patient demographics and clinical characteristics and (2) the Informed Consent Questionnaire (ICQ), an objective measurement of a participant's factual understanding and perceived understanding.

Results

A total of 453 (74%) participants were determined to have capacity to consent by clinical judgment. ICQ perceived understanding, race, measures of cognitive function, and caregiver time were all significantly associated with the determination of capacity in multivariate analyses.

Discussion

We found a significant association between capacity and disease severity level, caregiver time, race, and ICQ perceived understanding.
Making Booxs: iSchool Students De/Construct the Book
Authors: Golick Greta
Published: September 2016

What can current students preparing for careers as librarians, archivists and museum curators learn from the book as object and the book as art? How can artists’ books and artisans engaged in bookmaking, conservation and curating books inform our ideas of the book as more than its text? How does bookmaking deepen the connection for students between content and form? This article describes a 6-week workshop conducted at the Faculty of Information at the University of Toronto that explores the book from its earliest forms to artists’ books and includes many descriptions of books constructed by iSchool students.
L’espionnage en temps de paix en droit international public
Authors: NAVARRETE IÑAKI
Published: September 2016

Avec la récente affaire d’espionnageTimor-Leste c Australieportée devant la Cour internationale de justice, les opérations de cyberespionnage telle GhostNet ou encore la mise sur écoute d’Angela Merkel, déterminer le statut de l’espionnage en temps de paix (ETP) est devenu un enjeu pressant. Or, celui-ci ne fait l’objet d’aucune définition et encadrement précis en droit international. La doctrine demeure quant à elle plutôt silencieuse. Face à cette situation, il est nécessaire de déterminer la légalité de l’ETP par un examen poussé des notions classiques du droit international public. C’est ce que la présente contribution tente de réaliser.
Psychological and Physical Impacts of Extreme Events on Older Adults: Implications for Communications
Authors: McClelland Erin , Amlôt Richard , Rogers M. Brooke , Rubin G. James , Tesh John , Pearce Julia M.
Published: September 2016

In recent years, a series of large-scale, high-profile natural disasters and terrorist attacks have demonstrated the need for thorough and effective disaster preparedness. While these extreme events affect communities and societies as a whole, they also carry specific risks for particular population groups. Crises such as Hurricane Katrina and the 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster in Japan have illustrated the risk of significant and disproportionate morbidity and mortality among older adults during disasters. Age does not necessarily equate to vulnerability, but many physical and psychological consequences of the aging process can increase the risk of adverse outcomes. As the older population grows, so too does the need to ensure that adequate, practical, and appropriate measures exist to offset the specific risks from extreme events associated with this subpopulation. Effective risk and crisis communication plays a key role in mitigating the extent to which older adults are differentially affected during extreme events. By identifying the specific issues affecting older adults, this review highlights important areas for action for practitioners and policy-makers, particularly in the realm of crisis communication. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:127–134)
Instability and transition mechanisms induced by skewed roughness elements in a high-speed laminar boundary layer
Authors: Groskopf Gordon , Kloker Markus J.
Published: September 2016

The disturbance evolution in a Mach-4.8 zero-pressure-gradient flat-plate boundary-layer flow altered by discrete three-dimensional roughness elements is investigated including a laminar breakdown scenario. Direct numerical simulation (DNS), as well as the biglobal linear stability theory based on two-dimensional eigenfunctions in flow cross-sections, are applied. Roughness elements with high ratios of spanwise width to streamwise length are compared at varying height and skewing angles with respect to the oncoming flow. For an oblique roughness, the element’s height is varied between 27 % and 68 % of the undisturbed boundary-layer thickness. Compared to a symmetric roughness element an obliquely placed element generates a more pronounced low-speed streak in the roughness wake. The linear stability analysis reveals the occurrence of eigenmodes that can be associated with the first and second modes in the flat-plate flow. At identical roughness height, larger amplification is found for the eigenmodes of the oblique set-up. The results are confirmed by unsteady DNS showing very good agreement with stability theory; transient-growth behaviour in the near wake of the roughness is of minor importance. The comparison of the results gained for adiabatic wind-tunnel flow conditions with those for atmospheric-flight conditions with wall cooling reveals significant differences in the wake vortex system with subsequent impact on the stability properties of the flow. The hot-flow cases are less unstable at identical roughness Reynolds numbers. A variation of the wall cooling shows that the roughness-wake first- and second-mode behaviour is similar to that of the flat-plate flow: wall cooling stabilizes the first-mode and destabilizes the second-mode instabilities of the roughness wake.
PROPERTY IN HUMAN BIOMATERIALS: A NEW METHODOLOGY
Authors: Douglas Simon , Goold Imogen
Published: September 2016

In disputes over the use and possession of the human body and its parts, there has been a marked reliance on property law concepts. Judges frequently resort to the language of “ownership”, “gifts”, “donations”, “trusts” and so on, in order to resolve disputes over the use of human biomaterials. When this happens, however, we observe certain recurring mistakes. Judges and academics writing in this area have sometimes misunderstood the basic rules governing the creation and operation of property rights. We do not seek to take a stance on the normative matters at stake. Our aim is to provide an accurate account of how property law could operate when applied in the context of human tissue use. We hope to redress some misconceptions, but our bigger goal is to provide a new methodology of how to work through the various questions that must be considered when determining how to regulate human tissue, by explaining how property principles would work at each stage. In this way, we seek to enable those who wish to debate whether property principles should be applied to human tissue the means to have accurate debates.
Co-infections of haemosporidian and trypanosome parasites in a North American songbird
Authors: SOARES LETÍCIA , ELLIS VINCENZO A. , RICKLEFS ROBERT E.
Published: September 2016

Hosts frequently harbour multiple parasite infections, yet patterns of parasite co-occurrence are poorly documented in nature. In this study, we asked whether two common avian blood parasites, one haemosporidian and one trypanosome, affect each other's occurrence in individuals of a single host species. We used molecular genotyping to survey protozoan parasites in the peripheral blood of yellow-breasted chats (Aves: Passeriformes [Parulidae]:Icteria virens) from the Ozarks of Southern Missouri. We also determined whether single and co-infections differently influence white blood cell and polychromatic erythrocyte counts, the latter being a measure of regenerative anaemia. We found a positive association between the haemosporidian and trypanosome parasites, such that infection by one increases the probability that an individual host is infected by the other. Adult individuals were more likely than juveniles to exhibit haemosporidian infection, but co-infections and single trypanosome infections were not age-related. We found evidence of pathogenicity of trypanosomes in that infected individuals exhibited similar levels of regenerative anaemia as birds infected with haemosporidian parasites of the genusPlasmodium. Counts of white blood cells did not differ with respect to infection status.
PRE-COLONIAL LATIN COLONIES AND THE TRANSITION TO THE MID-REPUBLICAN PERIOD IN THE FALISCAN AREA AND SOUTH ETRURIA: ORIENTALIZING, ARCHAIC AND LATE ARCHAIC SETTLEMENT AND FUNERARY EVIDENCE FROM THE NEPI SURVEY
Authors: Rajala Ulla
Published: September 2016

This paper discusses the survey evidence from the Orientalizing and Archaic settlement and funerary sites at Nepi (ancient Nepet), one of the first Latin colonies outside Latium adiectum. The comparison of its pre-Roman, pre-colonial developments to the Roman patterns from the Nepi Survey Project and the trends from other Latin colonies in southern Etruria allows the examination of the local effects of Roman colonialism. The evidence shows that Nepi seemed to develop as an independent city state in the Orientalizing period, peaked in the Archaic period and weakened before the capture of Veii in 396bc, making it easier to defeat. Rural settlement all but disappeared afterwards with similar hiatus apparent at the sister colony at Sutri as well. In the third centurybcthe first few villas near the town appeared as a sign of the establishment of a Roman settlement pattern. The extensive ‘rural colonization’ at Nepi, similarly to Sutri and Cosa, started only in the second centurybcwhen all southern Etruria had entered a colonial phase and could develop alongside Rome. Thus, Latin colonization disrupted earlier patterns and the colonies appear to have been originally outposts set up to secure new territory.
CAESAR'S AIMS IN NORTHEAST ITALY
Authors: Santangelo Federico
Published: September 2016

This paper provides a new assessment of Caesar's activity in northeast Italy, both in the 50sbcand in the aftermath of the Civil War, and discusses it against the background of the earlier Roman presence in the region and of the developments that intervened in the following generation. Its main contention is that Caesar carried out a number of important political and administrative interventions, both in Histria (chiefly through the foundation of the colony of Pola) and in the Alpine and pre-Alpine regions, marking a fundamental shift in the quality of the Roman presence in the area. The discussion follows five lines of enquiry: the value of the evidence of Caesar'sCommentariifor his activity in northeast Italy; an overview of the problems for which inadequate documentation survives (such as the early history and legal status of Tergeste); the date and background of the colonization of Pola; the changes in the administrative and agrarian set-up of Histria and northeast Italy in the late Republican period; and the resulting economic and social developments in the region. The conclusions summarize the main insights emerging from a very fragmentary body of evidence, and seek to explain the inclusion of Histria in the Augustandiscriptioof Italy with the exceptional prosperity of the region, which Caesar's interest had made possible to chart and exploit more effectively.
BIONDO FLAVIO ON THE ROMAN ELECTIONS
Authors: Muecke Frances
Published: September 2016

Elections and voting were of great importance in the constitution and the politics of the Roman Republic. They also presented challenges to a Renaissance reader who wanted to know where, when and exactly how they took place, challenges that appealed deeply to Biondo Flavio, the mid fifteenth-century historian of Roman institutions. In book III ofRoma triumphans, the first on the government of Rome, he devotes considerable attention to them. This paper is an analysis of this first early-modern attempt to understand the Roman voting assemblies(comitia). In it I compare Biondo's approach inRoma triumphanswith his earlier statement on the importance of thecomitiain his topographical treatise on the city of Rome,Roma instaurata. After surveying Biondo's treatment as a whole I focus on his understanding of the Comitium, thecomitiaand the century chosen to vote first(centuria praerogativa).
Active balancing and turning for alpine skiing robots
Authors: Iverach-Brereton Chris , Postnikoff Brittany , Baltes Jacky , Hosseinmemar Amirhossein
Published: September 2016

This paper presents our preliminary research into the autonomous control of an
alpine skiing robot. Based on our previous experience with active balancing on
difficult terrain and developing an ice-skating robot, we have implemented a
simple control system that allows the humanoid robot Jennifer to steer around a
simple alpine skiing course, brake, and actively control the pitch and roll of
the skis in order to maintain stability on hills with variable inclination.

The robot steers and brakes by using the edges of the skis to dig into the snow,
by inclining both skis to one side the robot can turn in an arc. By rolling the
skis outward and pointing the toes together the robot creates a snowplough shape
that rapidly reduces its forward velocity.

To keep the skis in constant contact with the hill we use two independent
proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controllers to continually adjust the
robot’s inclination in the frontal and sagittal planes.

Our experiments show that these techniques are sufficient to allow a small
humanoid robot to alpine ski autonomously down hills of different inclination
with variable snow conditions.
X-ray diffraction and density functional theory studies of R(Fe0.5Co0.5)O3 (R = Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd)
Authors: Wong-Ng W. , Liu G. , Levin I. , Williamson I. , Ackerman P. , Talley K. R. , Martin J. , AlHamdan K. , Badegaish W. , Kaduk J. A. , Li L.
Published: September 2016

The structure of a series of lanthanide iron cobalt perovskite oxides, R(Fe0.5Co0.5)O3 (R = Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, and Gd), have been investigated. The space group of these compounds was confirmed to be orthorhombic Pnma (No. 62), Z = 4. From Pr to Gd, the lattice parameter a varies from 5.466 35(13) Å to 5.507 10(13) Å, b from 7.7018(2) to 7.561 75(13) Å, c from 5.443 38(10) to 5.292 00(8) Å, and unit-cell volume V from 229.170(9) Å3 to 220.376(9) Å3, respectively. While the trend of V follows the trend of the lanthanide contraction, the lattice parameter “a” increases as the ionic radius r(R3+) decreases. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy confirm that Fe and Co are disordered over the octahedral sites. The structure distortion of these compounds is evidenced in the tilt angles θ, ϕ, and ω, which represent rotations of an octahedron about the pseudocubic perovskite [110]p, [001]p, and [111]p axes. All three tilt angles increase across the lanthanide series (for R = Pr to R = Gd: θ increases from 12.3° to 15.2°, ϕ from 7.5° to 15.8°, and ω from 14.4° to 21.7°), indicating a greater octahedral distortion as r(R3+) decreases. The bond valence sum for the sixfold (Fe/Co) site and the eightfold R site of R(Fe0.5Co0.5)O3 reveal no significant bond strain. Density Functional Theory calculations for Pr(Fe0.5Co0.5)O3 support the disorder of Fe and Co and suggest that this compound to be a narrow band gap semiconductor. XRD patterns of the R(Fe0.5Co0.5)O3 samples were submitted to the Powder Diffraction File.
Single-seed oxygen consumption measurements and population-based threshold models link respiration and germination rates under diverse conditions
Authors: Bello Pedro , Bradford Kent J.
Published: September 2016

Seed germination is responsive to diverse environmental, hormonal and chemical signals. Germination rates (i.e. speed and distribution in time) reveal information about timing, uniformity and extent of germination in seed populations and are sensitive indicators of seed vigour and stress tolerance. Population-based threshold (PBT) models have been applied to describe germination responses to temperature, water potential, hormones, ageing and oxygen. However, obtaining detailed data on germination rates of seed populations requires repeated observations at frequent times to construct germination time courses, which is labour intensive and often impractical. Recently, instruments have been developed to measure repeatedly the respiration (oxygen consumption) of individual seeds following imbibition, providing complete respiratory time courses for populations of individual seeds in an automated manner. In this study, we demonstrate a new approach that enables the use of single-seed respiratory data, rather than germination data, to characterize the responses of seed populations to diverse conditions. We applied PBT models to single-seed respiratory data and compared the results to similar analyses of germination time courses. We found consistent and quantitatively comparable relationships between seed respiratory and germination patterns in response to temperature, water potential, abscisic acid, gibberellin, respiratory inhibitors, ageing and priming. This close correspondence between seed respiration and germination time courses enables the use of semi-automated respiratory measurements to assess seed vigour and quality parameters. It also raises intriguing questions about the fundamental relationship between the respiratory capacities of seeds and the rates at which they proceed toward completion of germination.
Mass-gathering Medicine: Risks and Patient Presentations at a 2-day Electronic Dance Music Event - Year Two
Authors: Turris Sheila A. , Camporese Michael , Gutman Samuel J. , Lund Adam
Published: September 2016

TurrisSA, CamporeseM, GutmanSJ, LundA. Mass-gathering medicine: risks and patient presentations at a 2-day electronic dance music event - year two. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2016;31(6):687–688.
Introduction: Policy Responses to Ageing and the Extension of Working Lives
Authors: Biggs Simon , Bowman Dina , Kimberley Helen , McGann Michael
Published: September 2016

Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, the relationship between work and ageing has become increasingly visible as a policy issue. It is both reflected in and influenced by changes in macro-economic policy, life-opportunities and social attitudes associated with growing older, as a combination of falling birth rates and increased longevity, and has put pressure on the traditional parameters of the working age. The idea of retiring at a fixed point in the life-course, to enjoy a period of rest or leisure at the end of a working life, emerged in many advanced economies during the 1900s and evolved into policies that encouraged early retirement as the baby-boomers entered the jobs market in the 1960s and 1970s (Phillipson and Smith, 2005). Early retirement, itself a relatively recent development, gave rise to the possibility of a ‘third age’ of leisure and active ageing (Laslett, 1987), but as demographic and economic changes make themselves felt, it is again becoming an uncertain prospect for many older workers (Biggs and McGann, 2015).
Male Youth Perceptions of Violent Extremism: towards a Test of Rational Choice Theory
Authors: Dhami Mandeep K. , Murray Jennifer
Published: September 2016

Understanding how people perceive the pros and cons of risky behaviors such as terrorism or violent extremism represents a first step in developing research testing rational choice theory aiming to explain and predict peoples’ intentions to engage in, or support, these behaviors. Accordingly, the present study provides a qualitative, exploratory analysis of a sample of 57 male youths’ perceptions of the benefits and drawbacks of: (a) accessing a violent extremist website, (b) joining a violent extremist group, and (c) leaving such a group. Youth perceived significantly more drawbacks than benefits of joining a violent extremist group (p = .001, d = .46) and accessing a violent extremist website (p = .001, d = .46). The perceived benefits of engagement referred to gaining knowledge/awareness, being part of a group/similar people, and fighting the enemy/for a cause. The drawbacks referred to being exposed to negative material and emotions, having violent/criminal beliefs and behaviors, and getting in trouble with the law. The perceived benefits of disengagement referred to no longer committing illegal acts, and regaining independence/not being manipulated. The drawbacks referred to exposing oneself to harm and reprisal. These findings provide an insight into how male youth think about (dis)engagement in violent extremism, and can inform future quantitative research designed to explain and predict (dis)engagement in violent extremism. Eventually, such research may inform the development of evidence-based prevention and intervention strategies.
Towards a Decision Quality Model for Shot Selection in Basketball: an Exploratory Study
Authors: Suárez-Cadenas Ernesto , Courel-Ibáñez Javier , Cárdenas David , Perales José C.
Published: September 2016

We take the first steps towards a shot selection quality model in basketball that incorporates decisional cues that might be predictive, not only of proximal results (e.g., scoring), but also of distal results (e.g., winning/losing the match). 2976 jump-shots from 50 Euroleague matches were sampled, following systematic observation guidelines. The decisional cues under scrutiny were shooting opposition, distance and lateral angle, disposition to offensive rebound and disposition to defensive balance at the moment of shooting. A first set of regressions between decisional cues and proximal results showed higher opposition and distance to decrease the probability of scoring (OR = .81; p < .001 and OR = .89; p = .013); a better disposition towards rebound to increase the chances of catching rebound (OR = 1.57; p < .001); and better defensive balance disposition to decrease the probability of a fast break (OR = 1.27; p < .036). A second set of regressions between proximal and distal results showed shooting and offensive rebound effectiveness to predict total points scored (β = .62; p < .001 and β = .32; p < .001) and game result (winning/losing the game; OR = 1.12; p < .001 and OR = 1.05; p = .021). Finally, an analysis of the impact of decisional cues on distal results showed a positive relationship between likelihood of winning and average team’s disposition to offensive rebound (OR = 1.18; p = .018). These results cast light on the actual weights (validities) of the different cues involved in predicting outcomes of shooting decisions. This evidence could help coaches provide objective feedback about players’ shooting performance beyond hit percentages.
Social Comparisons are Associated with Poorer and Riskier Financial Decision Making, no Matter whether Encounters are Sporadic or Repeated
Authors: Barrós-Loscertales Alfonso , Espín Antonio M. , Perales José C.
Published: September 2016

Previous research suggests that social comparisons affect decision making under uncertainty. However, the role of the length of the social interaction for this relationship remains unknown. This experiment tests the effect of social comparisons on financial risk taking and how this effect is modulated by whether social encounters are sporadic or repeated. Participants carried out a computer task consisting of a series of binary choices between lotteries of varying profitability and risk, with real monetary stakes. After each decision, participants could compare their own payoff to that of a counterpart who made the same decision at the same time and whose choices/earnings didnotaffect the participants’ earnings. The design comprised three between-subjects treatments which differed in the nature of the social interaction: participants were informed that they would be matched with either (a) a different participant in each trial, (b) the same participant across all trials, or (c) a “virtual participant”, i.e., a computer algorithm. Compared to the non-social condition (c), subjects in both social conditions (aandb) chose lotteries with lower expected value (z= –3.10,p< .01) and higher outcome variance (z= 2.13,p= .03). However, no differences were found between the two social conditions (z= 1.15,p= .25 andz= 0.35,p= .73, respectively). These results indicate that social comparison information per se leads to poorer and riskier financial decisions, irrespective of whether or not the referent other is encountered repeatedly.
Reasoning and Action: Implementation of a Decision-Making Program in Sport
Authors: Gil-Arias Alexander , Moreno M. Perla , García-Mas Alex , Moreno Alberto , García-González Luíz , del Villar Fernando
Published: September 2016

The objective of this study was to apply a decision training programme, based on the use of video-feedback and questioning, in real game time, in order to improve decision-making in volleyball attack actions. A three-phase quasi-experimental design was implemented: Phase A (pre-test), Phase B (Intervention) and Phase C (Retention). The sample was made up of 8 female Under-16 volleyball players, who were divided into two groups: experimental group (n = 4) and control group (n = 4). The independent variable was the decision training program, which was applied for 11 weeks in a training context, more specifically in a 6x6 game situation. The player had to analyze the reasons and causes of the decision taken. The dependent variable was decision-making, which was assessed based on systematic observation, using the “Game Performance Assessment Instrument” (GPAI) (Oslin, Mitchell, & Griffin, 1998). Results showed that, after applying the decision training program, the experimental group showed a significantly higher average percentage of successful decisions than the control group F(1, 6) = 11.26; p = .015; η2p = .652; 95% CI [056, 360]. These results highlight the need to complement the training process with cognitive tools such as video-feedback and questioning in order to improve athletes’ decision-making.
Umsetzung der COPD-Guidelines in Grundversorgerpraxen
Authors: Gerhards Claudia , Gregoriano Claudia , Moser Cora , Dieterle Thomas , Leuppi Jörg
Published: September 2016

Zusammenfassung. Die chronisch obstruktive Lungenerkrankung (COPD) ist vor allem unter Rauchern eine weit verbreitete Krankheit in der Schweiz. Der Verlauf ist oft progredient und die chronisch kranken und oft polymorbiden Patienten sind auf funktionierende Behandlungsnetzwerke angewiesen. Gesundheitspolitisch und auch medizinisch ist mehr Netzwerkdenken gefragt und notwendig und die Erarbeitung von eines chronic care models (CCM) äusserst sinnvoll. Die Basis dafür ist das evidenz-basierte Vorgehen. In diesem Artikel werden die Guidelines zur Diagnostik und Behandlung der COPD und deren Implementierung beleuchtet. Vorwegzunehmen ist, dass bereits ein breites Behandlungsangebot besteht und viele innovative Projekte lanciert wurden, um die Behandlungsqualität der COPD zu optimieren.
Individualisierte Behandlungsstrategien bei Diabetes mellitus Typ 2
Authors: Falconnier Bendik Claudine , Donath Marc Y.
Published: September 2016

Zusammenfassung. In den letzten Jahren haben sich viele antidiabetische Medikamente unterschiedlicher Substanzgruppen auf dem Markt etabliert, die jeweils verschiedene Wirkmechanismen und Nebenwirkungen aufweisen. Dazu kommt, dass seit 2012 die Richtlinien dahingehend verändert wurden, dass nicht mehr ein starres Stufenschema die Abfolge der Antidiabetika vorgibt, sondern dass aufgrund von individuellen Kriterien bei jedem Patienten die Therapie «massgeschneidert» werden soll. Dazu stehen theoretisch nach Metformin alle Substanzklassen allein oder in Kombination zur Verfügung. Alle Therapieansätze werden in Lifestyle Veränderungen wie gesunde Ernährung, körperliche Aktivität und Gewichtskontrolle eingebettet. Diese individualisierte Therapie gelingt am besten, wenn dem Praktiker nach der Festlegung des HbA1c Zielwertes die jeweiligen Vor- und Nachteile der einzelnen Medikamente bekannt sind und sie so nach klinischen und patientenspezifischen Gesichtspunkten verabreicht und kombiniert werden können.
Erfolgreiches kognitives Altern: Zusammenhang der kognitiven Leistungen mit Aktivität und Zufriedenheit
Authors: Bornschlegl Mona , Fischer Rico , Petermann Franz
Published: September 2016

Zusammenfassung. Für erfolgreiches Altern sind Kognition, Zufriedenheit und tägliche Aktivitäten relevante Faktoren. In dieser Studie werden Zusammenhänge zwischen diesen Faktoren aufgedeckt. Bei 167 Senioren (60 bis 98 Jahre) wurden Aktivität und Zufriedenheit in einem Interview, Kognition durch die Neuropsychological Assessment Battery (dt. Version) erfasst. Alle Faktoren zeigen eine negative Altersentwicklung. Aktivitäten korrelieren mit allen Faktoren; insbesondere stehen Alltagsaktivitäten und kognitive Aktivitäten positiv mit Kognition im Zusammenhang, soziale Aktivität ist davon unabhängig. Die kognitiven Funktionsbereiche Aufmerksamkeit, Sprache und exekutive Funktionen variieren mit Aktivität und Zufriedenheit, Gedächtnis nur mit kognitiven Aktivitäten, Wahrnehmung ist davon unabhängig. Dies könnte bedeuten, dass kognitive Aktivitäten spezifisch mit der kognitiven Leistung und soziale Aktivitäten spezifisch mit der emotionalen Bewertung zusammenhängen und als Schutzfaktoren während der Entwicklung wirken könnten.
Interne Validität der Neuropsychological Assessment Battery (NAB): Zusammenhang der Testwerte im Screening mit den vertiefenden Modulen bei Patienten mit Schlaganfall und Gesunden
Authors: Bornschlegl Mona , Speer Paula , Danneil Wolfgang , Vogt Thomas , Petermann Franz
Published: September 2016

Zusammenfassung. Die Diagnostik mit der Neuropsychological Assessment Battery (NAB) erfolgt durch ein Screening über fünf Funktionsbereiche und fünf vertiefende Hauptmodule. Bei Patienten mit unilateralem Schlaganfall (n = 50) wurde die interne Validität der NAB überprüft; dabei wurden mittlere bis hohe Korrelationen (r = .60 bis .78) zwischen Screening-Bereichen und vertiefenden Modulen gefunden. Zudem entsprach die Klassifikation in den Screening-Bereichen größtenteils der in den Hauptmodulen. Die Überprüfung der Durchführungsempfehlung für die Hauptmodule bei den Patienten und der NAB-Normierungsstichprobe (n = 880) ergab eine sehr gute Sensitivität (94 bis 98 %) der Screening-Cut-offs für Personen, bei denen eines der Hauptmodule durchgeführt werden sollte. Die Ergebnisse sprechen für eine sehr gute Eignung der NAB für den Einsatz in der Klinischen Neuropsychologie, insbesondere bei heterogenen Patientengruppen, die eine adaptive neuropsychologische Diagnostik erfordern.
Cytocompatibility with osteogenic cells and enhanced in vivo anti-infection potential of quaternized chitosan-loaded titania nanotubes
Authors: Yang Ying , Ao Haiyong , Wang Yugang , Lin Wentao , Yang Shengbing , Zhang Shuhong , Yu Zhifeng , Tang Tingting
Published: September 2016

Infection is one of the major causes of failure of orthopedic implants. Our previous study demonstrated that nanotube modification of the implant surface, together with nanotubes loaded with quaternized chitosan (hydroxypropyltrimethyl ammonium chloride chitosan, HACC), could effectively inhibit bacterial adherence and biofilm formation in vitro. Therefore, the aim of this study was to further investigate the in vitro cytocompatibility with osteogenic cells and the in vivo anti-infection activity of titanium implants with HACC-loaded nanotubes (NT-H). The titanium implant (Ti), nanotubes without polymer loading (NT), and nanotubes loaded with chitosan (NT-C) were fabricated and served as controls. Firstly, we evaluated the cytocompatibility of these specimens with human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells in vitro. The observation of cell attachment, proliferation, spreading, and viability in vitro showed that NT-H has improved osteogenic activity compared with Ti and NT-C. A prophylaxis rat model with implantation in the femoral medullary cavity and inoculation with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was established and evaluated by radiographical, microbiological, and histopathological assessments. Our in vivo study demonstrated that NT-H coatings exhibited significant anti-infection capability compared with the Ti and NT-C groups. In conclusion, HACC-loaded nanotubes fabricated on a titanium substrate show good compatibility with osteogenic cells and enhanced anti-infection ability in vivo, providing a good foundation for clinical application to combat orthopedic implant-associated infections.
NTRK2 activation cooperates with PTEN deficiency in T-ALL through activation of both the PI3K–AKT and JAK–STAT3 pathways
Authors: Yuzugullu Haluk , Von Thanh , Thorpe Lauren M , Walker Sarah R , Roberts Thomas M , Frank David A , Zhao Jean J
Published: September 2016

Loss of PTEN, a negative regulator of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase signaling pathway, is a frequent event in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, suggesting the importance of phosphoinositide 3-kinase activity in this disease. Indeed, hyperactivation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase pathway is associated with the disease aggressiveness, poor prognosis and resistance to current therapies. To identify a molecular pathway capable of cooperating with PTEN deficiency to drive oncogenic transformation of leukocytes, we performed an unbiased transformation screen with a library of tyrosine kinases. We found that activation of NTRK2 is able to confer a full growth phenotype of Ba/F3 cells in an IL3-independent manner in the PTEN-null setting. NTRK2 activation cooperates with PTEN deficiency through engaging both phosphoinositide3-kinase/AKT and JAK/STAT3 pathway activation in leukocytes. Notably, pharmacological inhibition demonstrated that p110α and p110δ are the major isoforms mediating the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/AKT signaling driven by NTRK2 activation in PTEN-deficient leukemia cells. Furthermore, combined inhibition of phosphoinositide 3-kinase and STAT3 significantly suppressed proliferation of PTEN-mutant T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia both in culture and in mouse xenografts. Together, our data suggest that a unique conjunction of PTEN deficiency and NTRK2 activation in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and combined pharmacologic inhibition of phosphoinositide 3-kinase and STAT3 signaling may serve as an effective and durable therapeutic strategy for T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Erratum: Connectivity to the surface determines diversity patterns in subsurface aquifers of the Fennoscandian shield
Authors: Hubalek Valerie , Wu Xiaofen , Eiler Alexander , Buck Moritz , Heim Christine , Dopson Mark , Bertilsson Stefan , Ionescu Danny
Published: September 2016

Correction to: The ISME Journal (2016) 10, XX–XX; doi:10.1038/ismej.2016.36 Updated online June 9, 2016: This article was originally published under NPG’s License to Publish, but has now been made available under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license. The PDF and HTML versions have been modified accordingly.
Climate analogues suggest limited potential for intensification of production on current croplands under climate change
Authors: Pugh T.A.M. , Müller C. , Elliott J. , Deryng D. , Folberth C. , Olin S. , Schmid E. , Arneth A.
Published: September 2016

Climate change could pose a major challenge to efforts towards strongly increase food production over the coming decades. However, model simulations of future climate-impacts on crop yields differ substantially in the magnitude and even direction of the projected change. Combining observations of current maximum-attainable yield with climate analogues, we provide a complementary method of assessing the effect of climate change on crop yields. Strong reductions in attainable yields of major cereal crops are found across a large fraction of current cropland by 2050. These areas are vulnerable to climate change and have greatly reduced opportunity for agricultural intensification. However, the total land area, including regions not currently used for crops, climatically suitable for high attainable yields of maize, wheat and rice is similar by 2050 to the present-day. Large shifts in land-use patterns and crop choice will likely be necessary to sustain production growth rates and keep pace with demand.
Optogenetically enhanced pituitary corticotroph cell activity post-stress onset causes rapid organizing effects on behaviour
Authors: De Marco Rodrigo J. , Thiemann Theresa , Groneberg Antonia H. , Herget Ulrich , Ryu Soojin
Published: September 2016

The anterior pituitary is the major link between nervous and hormonal systems, which allow the brain to generate adequate and flexible behaviour. Here, we address its role in mediating behavioural adjustments that aid in coping with acutely threatening environments. For this we combine optogenetic manipulation of pituitary corticotroph cells in larval zebrafish with newly developed assays for measuring goal-directed actions in very short timescales. Our results reveal modulatory actions of corticotroph cell activity on locomotion, avoidance behaviours and stimulus responsiveness directly after the onset of stress. Altogether, the findings uncover the significance of endocrine pituitary cells for rapidly optimizing behaviour in local antagonistic environments.
Ultrasensitive mechanical detection of magnetic moment using a commercial disk drive write head
Authors: Tao Y. , Eichler A. , Holzherr T. , Degen C. L.
Published: September 2016

Sensitive detection of weak magnetic moments is an essential capability in many areas of nanoscale science and technology, including nanomagnetism, quantum readout of spins and nanoscale magnetic resonance imaging. Here we show that the write head of a commercial hard drive may enable significant advances in nanoscale spin detection. By approaching a sharp diamond tip to within 5 nm from a write pole and measuring the induced diamagnetic moment with a nanomechanical force transducer, we demonstrate a spin sensitivity of 0.032 μB Hz−1/2, equivalent to 21 proton magnetic moments. The high sensitivity is enabled in part by the pole’s strong magnetic gradient of up to 28 × 106 T m−1 and in part by the absence of non-contact friction due to the extremely flat writer surface. In addition, we demonstrate quantitative imaging of the pole field with ∼10 nm spatial resolution. We foresee diverse applications for write heads in experimental condensed matter physics, especially in spintronics, ultrafast spin manipulation and mesoscopic physics.
Windblown Pliocene diatoms and East Antarctic Ice Sheet retreat
Authors: Scherer Reed P. , DeConto Robert M. , Pollard David , Alley Richard B.
Published: September 2016

Marine diatoms in tillites along the Transantarctic Mountains (TAMs) have been used to suggest a diminished East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS) during Pliocene warm periods. Updated ice-sheet modelling shows significant Pliocene EAIS retreat, creating marine embayments into the Wilkes and Aurora basins that were conducive to high diatom productivity and rapid accumulation of diatomaceous sediments. Here we show that subsequent isostatic uplift exposed accumulated unconsolidated marine deposits to wind erosion. We report new atmospheric modelling utilizing Pliocene climate and derived Antarctic landscapes indicating that prevailing mid-altitude winds transported diatoms towards the TAMs, dominantly from extensive emerged coastal deposits of the Aurora Basin. This result unifies leading ideas from competing sides of a contentious debate about the origin of the diatoms in the TAMs and their link to EAIS history, supporting the view that parts of the EAIS are vulnerable to relatively modest warming, with possible implications for future sea-level rise.
Enhanced release of primary signals may render intercellular signalling ineffective due to spatial aspects
Authors: Kundrát Pavel , Friedland Werner
Published: September 2016

Detailed mechanistic modelling has been performed of the intercellular signalling cascade between precancerous cells and their normal neighbours that leads to a selective removal of the precancerous cells by apoptosis. Two interconnected signalling pathways that were identified experimentally have been modelled, explicitly accounting for temporal and spatial effects. The model predicts highly non-linear behaviour of the signalling. Importantly, under certain conditions, enhanced release of primary signals by precancerous cells renders the signalling ineffective. This counter-intuitive behaviour arises due to spatial aspects of the underlying signalling scheme: Increased primary signalling by precancerous cells does, upon reaction with factors derived from normal cells, produce higher yields of apoptosis-triggering molecules. However, the apoptosis-triggering signals are formed farther from the precancerous cells, so that these are attacked less efficiently. Spatial effects thus may represent a novel analogue of negative feedback mechanisms.
Prefrontal connections express individual differences in intrinsic resistance to trading off honesty values against economic benefits
Authors: Dogan Azade , Morishima Yosuke , Heise Felix , Tanner Carmen , Gibson Rajna , Wagner Alexander F. , Tobler Philippe N.
Published: September 2016

Individuals differ profoundly when they decide whether to tell the truth or to be dishonest, particularly in situations where moral motives clash with economic motives, i.e., when truthfulness comes at a monetary cost. These differences should be expressed in the decision network, particularly in prefrontal cortex. However, the interactions between the core players of the decision network during honesty-related decisions involving trade-offs with economic costs remain poorly understood. To investigate brain connectivity patterns associated with individual differences in responding to economic costs of truthfulness, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging and measured brain activations, while participants made decisions concerning honesty. We found that in participants who valued honesty highly, dorsolateral and dorsomedial parts of prefrontal cortex were more tightly coupled with the inferior frontal cortex when economic costs were high compared to when they were low. Finer-grained analysis revealed that information flow from the inferior frontal cortex to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and bidirectional information flow between the inferior frontal cortex and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex was associated with a reduced tendency to trade off honesty for economic benefits. Our findings provide a novel account of the neural circuitry that underlies honest decisions in the face of economic temptations.
Synaptic organic transistors with a vacuum-deposited charge-trapping nanosheet
Authors: Kim Chang-Hyun , Sung Sujin , Yoon Myung-Han
Published: September 2016

Organic neuromorphic devices hold great promise for unconventional signal processing and efficient human-machine interfaces. Herein, we propose novel synaptic organic transistors devised to overcome the traditional trade-off between channel conductance and memory performance. A vacuum-processed, nanoscale metallic interlayer provides an ultra-flat surface for a high-mobility molecular film as well as a desirable degree of charge trapping, allowing for low-temperature fabrication of uniform device arrays on plastic. The device architecture is implemented by widely available electronic materials in combination with conventional deposition methods. Therefore, our results are expected to generate broader interests in incorporation of organic electronics into large-area neuromorphic systems, with potential in gate-addressable complex logic circuits and transparent multifunctional interfaces receiving direct optical and cellular stimulation.