bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Importance of Distending Stomach With Fluid for Ultrasound Detection of Focal Lesion in the Elongated Left Lobe of the Liver
Authors: Wu Size , Liu Guangqing , Cui Xiaojing , Liang Xian , Chen Kailiang
Published: June 2017

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to evaluate distending the stomach with water for ultrasound detection of focal lesions in the elongated left lobe of the liver.

Methods

A total of 13,277 patients undergoing liver ultrasound were evaluated for the presence of an elongated left lobe of the liver and a focal lesion. Patients with an elongated left lobe of the liver had their stomach distended with oral water for further evaluation of a focal lesion. A portion of the patients had computed tomography (CT) examinations, which were compared with the ultrasound studies.

Results

A total of 643 patients were found with elongated left lobe of the liver by ultrasound; of them, 451 underwent CT, 259 out of the 451 patients meeting the inclusion criteria underwent second ultrasound and final analysis, and 16 of these 259 patients had focal lesion in the elongated left lobe of the liver on CT study. The sonographic visualization of the liver and spleen at the same scan view before and after distending the stomach were 7% (7 of 100) and 100% (100 of 100), respectively (P < .001). The sonographic detection of the lesions before and after distending the stomach were zero and 87.5%, respectively (P < .001).

Conclusions

Distending the stomach with water can greatly increase ultrasound detection of focal lesions in the elongated left lobe of the liver.
Design and validation of a CT‐guided robotic system for lung cancer brachytherapy
Authors: Dou Huaisu , Jiang Shan , Yang Zhiyong , Sun Luqing , Ma Xiaodong , Huo Bin
Published: June 2017

Purpose

Currently, lung brachytherapy in clinical setting is a complex procedure. Operation accuracy depends on accurate positioning of the template; however, it is difficult to guarantee the positioning accuracy manually. Application of robotic‐assisted systems can simplify the procedure and improve the manual positioning accuracy. Therefore, a novel CT‐guided robotic system was developed to assist the lung cancer brachytherapy.

Methods

A four degree‐of‐freedom (DOF) robot, controlled by a lung brachytherapy treatment planning system (TPS) software, was designed and manufactured to assist the template positioning. Target position of the template can be obtained from the treatment plan, thus the robot is driven to the target position automatically. The robotic system was validated in both the laboratory and the CT environment. In laboratory environment, a 3D laser tracker and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) were used to measure the mechanical accuracy in air, which includes positioning accuracy and position repeatability. Working reliability was also validated in this procedure by observing the response reliability and calculating the position repeatability. Imaging artifacts and accuracy of the robot registration were validated in the CT environment by using an artificial phantom with fiducial markers. CT images were obtained and used to test the image artifact and calculate the registration accuracy. Phantom experiments were conducted to test the accuracy of needle insertion by using a transparent hydrogel phantom with a high imitation artificial phantom. Also, the efficiency was validated in this procedure by comparing time costs in manual positioning with robotic positioning under the same experimental conditions.

Results

The robotic system achieved the positioning accuracy of 0.28 ± 0.25 mm and the position repeatability of 0.09 ± 0.11 mm. Experimental results showed that the robot was CT‐compatible and responded reliably to the control commands. The mean registration accuracy of the robotic system was 0.49 ± 0.29 mm. Phantom experiments indicated that the accuracy of needle insertion was 1.5 ± 1.7 mm at a depth ranging from 30 to 80 mm. The time used to adjust the template to the target position was 12 min on average by robotic system automatically. An average of 30 min was saved compared with the manual positioning procedure in phantom experiments.

Conclusions

This paper describes the design and experimental validation of a novel CT‐guided robotic system for lung cancer brachytherapy. The robotic system was validated in a number of aspects which prove that it was capable of locating the template with clinically acceptable accuracy in the CT environment. All experimental results indicated that the system is reliable and ready to be applied to further studies on animals.
Patient‐specific quantification of image quality: An automated technique for measuring the distribution of organ Hounsfield units in clinical chest CT images
Authors: Abadi Ehsan , Sanders Jeremiah , Samei Ehsan
Published: June 2017

Purpose

To develop and validate an automated technique for measuring organ Hounsfield units (HUs) in clinical chest CT images.

Materials and methods

An automated computer algorithm was developed to measure the distribution of HUs inside four major organs: the lungs, liver, aorta, and spine. These organs were first identified using image processing techniques. Each organ was segmented into multiple regions of interest (ROIs) and characterized in terms of HU values. The medians of the ROI histograms were computed for each dataset. The automated results were validated by assessing their correlation with manual measurements in fifteen contrast‐enhanced and fifteen non‐contrast‐enhanced clinical chest CT datasets. The robustness of the measurements with respect to dependency on image noise and CTDIvol was ascertained. One utility of the approach was further demonstrated in assessing the variability in aorta HUs across 732 patients undergoing noncontrast and contrast‐enhanced examinations.

Results

The algorithm successfully measured the histograms of the four organs in both contrast and non‐contrast‐enhanced chest CT exams. The automated measurements were in agreement with manual measurements with a near unity slope of the relationship between automated and manual measurements with high coefficient of determination (slope = 0.931–1.003, R2 = 0.89–0.99). Organ median HU measurements were found to be largely independent of both image noise and CTDIvol (P > 0.05), as expected. Across patient cases, the program ran successfully across 95% (697/732) of cases. Aorta median HUs demonstrated five times more variability in contrast‐enhanced exams compared to that in non‐contrast‐enhanced exams.

Conclusions

Patient‐specific organ HUs can be measured from clinical datasets. The algorithm that was developed can be run on both contrast‐enhanced and non‐contrast‐enhanced clinical datasets. The method can be applied to automatically extract image HU‐contrast characteristics of clinical CT images, not captured in phantom data, whereby enabling quantification and optimization of image quality and contrast administration.
The Post‐Deployment Mental Health (PDMH) study and repository: A multi‐site study of US Afghanistan and Iraq era veterans
Authors: Brancu Mira , Wagner H. Ryan , Morey Rajendra A. , Beckham Jean C. , Calhoun Patrick S. , Tupler Larry A. , Marx Christine E. , Taber Katherine H. , Hurley Robin A. , Rowland Jared , McDonald Scott D. , Hoerle Jeffrey M. , Moore Scott D. , Kudler Harold S. , Weiner Richard D. ,   VA Mid‐Atlantic MIRECC Workgroup, Fairbank John A.
Published: June 2017

The United States (US) Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Mid‐Atlantic Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC) Post‐Deployment Mental Health (PDMH) multi‐site study examines post‐deployment mental health in US military Afghanistan/Iraq‐era veterans. The study includes the comprehensive behavioral health characterization of over 3600 study participants and the genetic, metabolomic, neurocognitive, and neuroimaging data for many of the participants. The study design also incorporates an infrastructure for a data repository to re‐contact participants for follow‐up studies. The overwhelming majority (94%) of participants consented to be re‐contacted for future studies, and our recently completed feasibility study indicates that 73–83% of these participants could be reached successfully for enrollment into longitudinal follow‐up investigations. Longitudinal concurrent cohort follow‐up studies will be conducted (5–10+ years post‐baseline) to examine predictors of illness chronicity, resilience, recovery, functional outcome, and other variables, and will include neuroimaging, genetic/epigenetic, serum biomarker, and neurocognitive studies, among others. To date, the PDMH study has generated more than 35 publications from the baseline data and the repository has been leveraged in over 20 publications from follow‐up studies drawing from this cohort. Limitations that may affect data collection for a longitudinal follow‐up study are also presented.
The History and Composition of the Identified Human Skeletal Collection of the Certosa Cemetery (Bologna, Italy, 19th–20th Century)
Authors: Belcastro M. G. , Bonfiglioli B. , Pedrosi M. E. , Zuppello M. , Tanganelli V. , Mariotti V.
Published: June 2017

The purpose of this paper is to present the identified skeletal collection (by age, sex, cause of death, occupation and preservation state) from the Certosa Cemetery of Bologna (Italy), which was reviewed and checked through a consultation of the cemetery archives. The collection consists of 425 skeletons of individuals (from newborn to 91 years old) who died in Bologna between 1898 and 1944. The personal details associated with the skeletons were cross‐checked with the data contained in the cemetery and municipal archives. For each skeleton, the biological profile was assessed using current anthropological methods in order to confirm its correct identification. Four hundred and eighteen skeletons (98.4%), mostly complete and well preserved, are identified at least for sex, and for 95% of these, the age is known. The distribution of sexes in the various age groups is fairly well balanced. The cause of death is known in 93% of the individuals. Approximately 30% of the individuals died from infectious diseases. The occupation is known for more than 92% of the individuals. Most of the women were housewives, while the men were employed in various jobs. The cross‐check between archival data with the anthropological analysis of the remains enabled a reliable identification of the skeletons. The sexes and various age groups are well represented, and the sample is substantially uniform as far as geographical origin and socio‐economic conditions (lower social classes) are concerned. Thanks to the reliability of the information collected, the Certosa collection is an excellent anthropological tool for the development and validation of osteobiographic methods. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Regulation of Nuclear Receptor Interacting Protein 1 (NRIP1) Gene Expression in Response to Weight Loss and Exercise in Humans
Authors: De Marinis Yang , Sun Jiangming , Bompada Pradeep , Domènech Omella Judit , Luan Cheng , Halu Arda , Renström Erik , Sharma Amitabh , Ridderstråle Martin
Published: June 2017

Objective

Nuclear receptor interacting protein 1 (NRIP1) is an important energy regulator, but few studies have addressed its role in humans. This study investigated adipose tissue and skeletal muscle NRIP1 gene expression and serum levels in response to weight loss and exercise in humans.

Methods

NRIP1 expression was measured by microarray and serum NRIP1 by ELISA and Western blotting. Skeletal muscle transcriptomes were analyzed from Gene Expression Omnibus databases. Network‐based proximity analysis was performed on the proximity of NRIP1 interacting genes in the human interactome.

Results

In patients with obesity, adipose tissue NRIP1 mRNA expression increased during weight loss and weight maintenance and showed strong associations with metabolic markers and anthropometric parameters. Serum NRIP1 protein levels also increased after weight loss. In skeletal muscle, imposed rest increased NRIP1 expression by 80%, and strength training increased expression by ∼25% compared to baseline. Following rest, NRIP1 expression became sensitive to insulin stimulation. After re‐training, NRIP1 expression decreased. Interactome analysis showed significant proximity of NRIP1 interacting partners to the obesity network/module.

Conclusions

NRIP1 gene expression and serum levels are strongly associated with metabolic states such as obesity, weight loss, different types of exercise, and peripheral tissue insulin resistance, potentially as a mediator of sedentary effects.
Can the U.S. government legally monitor private communications? If so, given the U.S.'s significant protection of privacy rights, what government cannot?
Authors: Diehl Kevin A.
Published: June 2017

Wikimedia Foundation v. NSA/CSS is the most important case ever regarding whether a government can monitor private communications. This case's discussion could not be any more timely for public affairs purposes. Given continuing terrorist attacks and concomitant calls for private industries, such as Wikimedia Foundation, to do more to stop the spread of violence and rhetoric on the Internet, there has never been a more important time to consider what limits should be placed on government's access to personal data in the quest to prevent terrorism. Here, the district court referred to the plaintiffs' injuries from NSA upstream surveillance as speculative, denying them Article III standing. The Fourth Circuit reinstated Wikimedia Foundation as a plaintiff, finding sufficient allegations for it to survive a facial challenge to Article III standing based on the Wikimedia Allegation. However, the other plaintiffs, relying on the Dragnet Allegation, were properly dismissed based on lacking standing. Until more details of upstream surveillance become public, suing under a dragnet theory should prove difficult. In fact, lobbying the legislative and executive branches to enact changes could be more effective and efficient than relying on the courts.
Mechanically robust conductive carbon clusters confined ethylene methyl acrylate–based flexible composites for superior shielding effectiveness
Authors: Bhawal Poushali , Ganguly Sayan , Das Tushar Kanti , Mondal Subhadip , Das N.C.
Published: June 2017

Arresting of conducting carbon black into polymeric matrix to develop flexible and light weight composite has been a widely practiced platform. Extensive development of telecommunication creates a major vexations regarding radiation pollution. Thereafter, we have been motivated to develop low‐cost, flexible composites of specialty carbon black VXC (Vulcan XC 72)–filled ethylene methyl acrylate (EMA) by mechanical mixing technique. Developed composite has significant conductivity (6.67 × 10−4 S cm−1) with promising mechanical and thermal properties. Dispersion of high‐structured carbon blacks in EMA was investigated by small angle X‐ray scattering to reflect the dependency of conducting mesh formation on dispersion. Interconnected filler network development has been visualized by field emission scanning electron microscope and high‐resolution transmission electron microscope. Electromagnetic interference shielding value in the X band has calculated to be 30.8 dB. Such features can make this EVXC (EMA‐Vulcan XC 72) composite a useful alternate for flexible electromagnetic interference shielding material.
Conditional abrogation of transforming growth factor‐β receptor 1 in PTEN‐inactivated endometrium promotes endometrial cancer progression in mice
Authors: Gao Yang , Lin Pengfei , Lydon John P , Li Qinglei
Published: June 2017

Although a putative role for transforming growth factor‐β (TGFB) signalling in the pathogenesis of human endometrial cancer has long been proposed, the precise function of TGFB signalling in the development and progression of endometrial cancer remains elusive. Depletion of phosphatase and tensin homologue (PTEN) in the mouse uterus causes endometrial cancer. To identify the potential role of TGFB signalling in endometrial cancer, we simultaneously deleted TGFB receptor 1 (Tgfbr1) and Pten in the mouse uterus by using Cre‐recombinase driven by the progesterone receptor (termed Ptend/d;Tgfbr1d/d). We found that Ptend/d;Tgfbr1d/d mice developed severe endometrial lesions that progressed more rapidly than those resulting from conditional deletion of Pten alone, suggesting that TGFB signalling synergizes with PTEN to suppress endometrial cancer progression. Remarkably, Ptend/d;Tgfbr1d/d mice developed distant pulmonary metastases, leading to a significantly reduced lifespan. The development of metastasis and accelerated tumour progression in Ptend/d;Tgfbr1d/d mice are associated with increased production of proinflammatory chemokines, enhanced cancer cell motility, as shown by myometrial invasion and disruption, and an altered tumour microenvironment characterized by recruitment of tumour‐associated macrophages. Thus, conditional deletion of Tgfbr1 in PTEN‐inactivated endometrium leads to a disease that recapitulates invasive and lethal human endometrial cancer. This mouse model may be valuable for preclinical testing of new cancer therapies, particularly those targeting metastasis, one of the hallmarks of cancer and a major cause of death in endometrial cancer patients. Copyright © 2017 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Assessing Pharmacodynamic Interactions in Mice Using the Multistate Tuberculosis Pharmacometric and General Pharmacodynamic Interaction Models
Authors: Chen Chunli , Wicha Sebastian G. , de Knegt Gerjo J. , Ortega Fatima , Alameda Laura , Sousa Veronica , de Steenwinkel Jurriaan E. M. , Simonsson Ulrika S. H.
Published: June 2017

The aim of this study was to investigate pharmacodynamic (PD) interactions in mice infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis using population pharmacokinetics (PKs), the Multistate Tuberculosis Pharmacometric (MTP) model, and the General Pharmacodynamic Interaction (GPDI) model. Rifampicin, isoniazid, ethambutol, or pyrazinamide were administered in monotherapy for 4 weeks. Rifampicin and isoniazid showed effects in monotherapy, whereas the animals became moribund after 7 days with ethambutol or pyrazinamide alone. No PD interactions were observed against fast‐multiplying bacteria. Interactions between rifampicin and isoniazid on killing slow and non‐multiplying bacteria were identified, which led to an increase of 0.86 log10 colony‐forming unit (CFU)/lungs at 28 days after treatment compared to expected additivity (i.e., antagonism). An interaction between rifampicin and ethambutol on killing non‐multiplying bacteria was quantified, which led to a decrease of 2.84 log10 CFU/lungs at 28 days after treatment (i.e., synergism). These results show the value of pharmacometrics to quantitatively assess PD interactions in preclinical tuberculosis drug development.
Phase‐controlled growth of cubic phase CuO nanoparticles by chemical vapor deposition
Authors: Shi Guojun , Liu Jing , Chen Binbin , Bao Yan , Xu Jinyang
Published: June 2017

Cupric oxide has three polymorphs, namely, monoclinic, tetragonal, and cubic phases. The synthesis of the monoclinic phase is widely reported due to its versatile applications. However, cupric oxides with tetragonal and cubic structures were seldom investigated in the literature. In this study, the cubic phase of CuO was deposited on alumina substrate using Cu(acac)2 as precursor. The obtained CuO with loadings of 0.2–2 mmol g−1 on alumina was determined to be pure cubic phase by XRD and XPS, which is the first report on the synthesis of pure cubic phase, to the best of our knowledge. In contrast, pure monoclinic phase was obtained when impregnation method was employed. The cubic CuO nanoparticles obtained in this work appear to be highly dispersed with a particle size of around 5 nm. Moreover, the cubic CuO showed a lower chemical state and a lower reducibility as compared to monoclinic CuO supported on the same substrate. Further studies showed that the cubic phase was a metastable phase in thermodynamics and could be converted to monoclinic phase at elevated temperatures. As catalysts, the cubic CuO on alumina was found to be active and selective in the hydroxylation of phenol to catechol, hydroquinone and benzoquinone.
Tunable white light emission from hafnium oxide films co‐doped with trivalent terbium and europium ions deposited by Pyrosol technique
Authors: Guzmán‐Olguín J. C. , Montes E. , Guzmán‐Mendoza J. , Báez‐Rodríguez A. , Zamora‐Peredo L. , García‐Hipólito M. , Alvarez‐Fregoso O. , Martínez‐Merlín I. , Falcony C.
Published: June 2017

In this paper, the photo and cathodoluminescent properties of HfO2 films optically activated with different atomic concentrations of Tb3+ and Eu3+ ions, deposited by the Pyrosol technique, are reported. These films were deposited at temperatures from 400 to 600 °C, using chlorides as raw materials. The surface morphologies of all deposited films were rough and dense. X‐ray diffraction analysis showed that the films deposited at 600 °C were polycrystalline exhibiting the HfO2 monoclinic phase. The tuning by the means of the excitation wavelength generates photoluminescence spectra, for co‐doped films, in several emissions from blue to yellow (including white light) due to the characteristic electronic transitions of Tb3+ (green), Eu3+(red) ions and the violet‐blue emission associated to the host lattice (HfO2). According to the chromaticity diagram, the best white light is reached for the sample S2 excited with 382 nm (x = 0.3343, y = 0.3406). The cathodoluminescence emission spectra for co‐doped films showed emissions from green to red (including yellow, orange and other intermediate emissions). The averaged quantum efficiency values of the sample labeled as S2 resulted between 47 and 78% depending on the excitation wavelength. In addition, XPS, TEM, SEM and decay times were performed to characterize these films.
Shielded hydrogen passivation − A potential in‐line passivation process
Authors: Bourret‐Sicotte Gabrielle , Hamer Phillip , Bonilla Ruy. S. , Collett Katherine , Ciesla Alison , Colwell Jack , Wilshaw Peter R
Published: June 2017

Shielded hydrogen passivation (SHP) is a recently developed technique for introducing atomic hydrogen into materials and it offers significant advantages over the other hydrogenation techniques. Hydrogen de‐activation of boron followed by electrochemical CV profiling was used to demonstrate that substantial quantities of atomic hydrogen can permeate though palladium/silver alloy foils which are 10 µm thick. It is thought that such thickness will be sufficient to withstand pressures of up to 1 atmosphere allowing passivation in an in‐line process. Further, it is shown that poisoning of the foil by using sulphur increases the flux of atomic hydrogen released. SHP delivers extremely good passivation of SiO2‐Si interfaces, as demonstrated by using thermally oxidised 1 Ω‐cm, n‐type silicon where the lifetime, at 1015 cm−3injection level, was found to increase from 12 to 1.05 ms after SHP processing. Upon application of corona charge, the lifetime further increased to 6.3 ms, equivalent to SRV ≤ 0.17 cm s−1.
Loss of coordination in complex directed networks: An incremental approach based on matrix measures
Authors: Russo Giovanni
Published: June 2017

This paper is concerned with the problem of understanding the dynamical mechanisms responsible for the loss of a desired behavior in complex directed networks. Specifically, we give 2 sufficient conditions for the desynchronization of a directed complex network, which are based on the use of matrix measures. The effectiveness of our approach is shown on 2 applications that are directly motivated by our research in smart cities and systems/synthetic biology.
Ultrathin Two‐Dimensional Nanostructured Materials for Highly Efficient Water Oxidation
Authors: Zhang Wang , Zhou Kun
Published: June 2017

Water oxidation, also known as the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), is a crucial process in energy conversion and storage, especially in water electrolysis. The critical challenge of the electrochemical water splitting technology is to explore alternative precious‐metal‐free catalysts for the promotion of the kinetically sluggish OER. Recently, emerging two‐dimensional (2D) ultrathin materials with abundant accessible active sites and improved electrical conductivity provide an ideal platform for the synthesis of promising OER catalysts. This Review focuses on the most recent advances in ultrathin 2D nanostructured materials for enhanced electrochemical activity of the OER. The design, synthesis and performance of such ultrathin 2D nanomaterials‐based OER catalysts and their property‐structure relationships are discussed, providing valuable insights to the exploration of novel OER catalysts with high efficiency and low overpotential. The potential research directions are also proposed in the research field.
High production of genistein diglucoside derivative using cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase from Paenibacillus macerans
Authors: Han Ruizhi , Ge Binbin , Jiang Mingyang , Xu Guochao , Dong Jinjun , Ni Ye
Published: June 2017

Genistein has been regarded as one important soy isoflavone with multiple health benefits, whereas its applications are limited by the low hydrophilicity. To improve the water solubility, codon optimized cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase from Paenibacillus macerans was employed for genistein transglycosylation in this study. At least four transglycosylation products were produced and identified by HPLC and LC–MS: genistein monoglucoside, diglucoside, triglucoside, and tetraglucoside derivatives. Obviously, the yields of genistein monoglucoside and genistein diglucoside exhibited great superiority compared with other two products. To maximize the yield of genistein diglucoside, various reaction conditions such as genistein dissolvents, glycosyl donors, substrates concentrations and ratios, enzyme concentrations, reaction pH, temperature, and time were optimized. Finally, the yield of genistein diglucoside was enhanced by 1.5-fold under the optimum reaction system. Our study demonstrates that the production of genistein diglucoside could be specifically enhanced, which is one important genistein derivative with better water solubility and stability.
Phenological specialisation of two ant‐dispersed sedges in relation to requirements for qualitative and quantitative dispersal effectiveness
Authors: Tanaka Koki , Tokuda Makoto
Published: June 2017

Synchronisation of fruiting phenology with disperser activities is an important component of plant adaptation to seed dispersal mutualisms. Although most previous studies have exclusively evaluated the effects of fruiting phenology on seed removal rate, seed dispersal effectiveness is determined by both the number of dispersed seeds (quantitative effectiveness) and the probability of a dispersed seed becomes an adults (qualitative effectiveness). Therefore, the adaptive significance of fruiting phenology should be assessed for both components of dispersal effectiveness. This study investigates the adaptive significance of fruiting phenology for two ant‐dispersed sedges, Carex lanceolata and C. tristachya. Because C. lanceolata is known to require a longer seed dispersal distance than C. tristachya, we hypothesized that C. lanceolata produces seeds when high qualitative dispersal effectiveness can be achieved, while C. tristachya bears seeds when seed disperser ants are abundant to give priority to quantitative dispersal effectiveness. Field observations of ant activity around the sedges revealed that the relative abundance of ant species with the longest seed dispersal distance, Formica japonica, was higher during the fruiting period of C. lanceolata than in that of C. tristachya, which is consistent with the requirement of C. lanceolata to achieve high qualitative effectiveness. In addition, our fruiting manipulation experiment revealed that C. tristachya fruits when the overall seed removal rate is high, resulting in high quantitative effectiveness. Overall, our results support the idea that variations in both qualitative and quantitative dispersal effectiveness should be considered to understand the adaptive significance of fruiting phenology in animal‐dispersed plants.
Religious Freedom and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Authors: Lindkvist Linde
Published: June 2017

Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) is widely considered to be the most influential statement on religious freedom in human history. Religious Freedom and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights provides a groundbreaking account of its origins and developments, examining the background, key players, and outcomes of Article 18, and setting it within the broader discourse around international religious freedom in the 1940s. Taking issue with standard accounts that see the text of the Universal Declaration as humanity's joint response to the atrocities of World War II, it shows instead how central features of Article 18 were intimately connected to the political projects and visions of particular actors involved in the start-up of the UN Human Rights program. This will be essential reading for anyone grappling with the historical and contemporary meaning of human rights and religious freedom.
Preconception and Prenatal Smoking among Maine Women: Defining Risk and Determining the Impact of Efforts by Care Providers to Promote Cessation
Authors: Harris David E. , Aboueissa AbouEl-Makarim A. , Sarton Cheryl , Baugh Nancy
Published: June 2017

Introduction:Smoking before and during pregnancy is a risk for women and their babies, but encouraging tobacco abstinence challenges practitioners.

Aims:We define correlates of tobacco use around pregnancy and determine the impact of providers’ efforts to encourage abstinence.

Methods:We analysed responses (2000 – 2010) from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System questionnaire for Maine, United States, a state with higher than average smoking rates. We performed multivariable logistic regression analysis with demographic and behavioural independent variables, and smoking in the last 3 months before and in the last 3 months of pregnancy as dependent variables.

Results:Of 12,409 questionnaire responders, 32% smoked before pregnancy; 60.5% of these women continued during pregnancy. Women were more likely to smoke before pregnancy and to continue during pregnancy if they had a previous birth, were unmarried, had ≤ a high school education, or had a household income ≤ $20,000/year. Pre-pregnancy smokers were more likely to continue smoking during pregnancy if their gestational weight gain was less than recommended and, surprisingly, if they recalled a provider discussion about smoking cessation.

Conclusions:We identify women at risk for smoking before and during pregnancy and demonstrate that current tobacco abstinence interventions by providers may not always be effective.
The Effect of District Magnitude on Electoral Outcomes: Evidence from Two Natural Experiments in Argentina
Authors: Lucardi Adrián
Published: June 2017

How does district magnitude affect electoral outcomes? This article addresses this question by exploiting a combination of two natural experiments in Argentina between 1985 and 2015. Argentine provinces elect half of their congressional delegation every two years, and thus districts with an odd number of representatives have varying magnitudes in different election years. Furthermore, whether a province elects more representatives in midterm or concurrent years was decided by lottery in 1983. I find that district magnitude (a) increases electoral support for small parties, (b) increases the (effective) number of parties that gain seats and (c) reduces electoral disproportionality. The last two results are driven by the mechanical rather than the psychological effect of electoral rules.
Gender versus Culture Debates andDébâcles: Feminisms, Interculturalism and the Quebec Charter of Values
Authors: Dobrowolsky Alexandra
Published: June 2017

Quebec's Bill 60 (or Charter of Values), legislation prohibiting public officials from wearing religious symbols and garb, provides a complicated case of a minority nation grappling with culture and gender, while also illustrating the more contingent condition of Canadian multiculturalism, equality and feminisms. Quebec has adoptedinterculturalismversusmulticulturalism; moreover, its multilayered women's movement remains a legitimate force, unlike in the rest of Canada. Despite the intricacies of these distinctive developments, this article reveals how Charter of Values justifications asserted the Quebec nation's distinctiveness and alleged egalitarian pre-eminence over others, not only homogenizing and instrumentalizing multiple cultures, but also various feminisms. Yet, when culture, gender equality and feminisms become reified and essentialized through a strategic depiction of certain minority women's rights, Canada's already well-worn claims to diversity and equality are further frayed both subnationally and nationally.
Intersectionality and Gendered Political Behaviour in a Multicultural Canada
Authors: Harell Allison
Published: June 2017

Research on gendered political behaviour has been heavily influenced by feminist scholarship in understanding gender inequalities. Yet it has been more difficult to integrate the insights of more recent waves of feminist critics, notably among intersectional scholars. The focus has been on differences between women and men, rather than among differently situated women. This article addresses the difficulties of integrating intersections into large-n style studies of political behaviour using “situated comparisons” (Dhamoon, 2010). It then provides an analysis of gender gaps in turnout and civic engagement across ethnoracial groups in Canada using the Ethnic Diversity Survey (2002).It concludes by arguing that the study of gender and political behaviour must find a place for intersectional feminist approaches.
Attached Advocacy and the Rights of the Trans Child
Authors: Manning Kimberley Ens
Published: June 2017

Over the past five years transgender children and their parents have emerged as visible actors in public discussions about the rights of transgender people in Canada. In this article, I track the work of emotions in parent advocacy, showing how the enactment of filial (family) ties sheds new light on the gendered relationship between intimacy and political practice. I argue that an affective shift in parenting has opened up space for some cisgender parents to emerge as political actors in trans advocacy work. The affective politics of parent advocacy nonetheless operates through dominant frames of gendered, classed and racialized normativity, limiting both who can become a parent advocate and potentially narrowing the focus of the struggle.
Using camera traps to study the age–sex structure and behaviour of crop-using elephants Loxodonta africana in Udzungwa Mountains National Park, Tanzania
Authors: Smit Josephine , Pozo Rocío A. , Cusack Jeremy J. , Nowak Katarzyna , Jones Trevor
Published: June 2017

Crop losses to foraging elephants are one of the primary obstacles to the coexistence of elephants and people. Understanding whether some individuals in a population are more likely to forage on crops, and the temporal patterns of elephant visits to farms, is key to mitigating the negative impacts of elephants on farmers’ livelihoods. We used camera traps to study the crop foraging behaviour of African elephants Loxodonta africana in farmland adjacent to the Udzungwa Mountains National Park in southern Tanzania during October 2010–August 2014. Camera traps placed on elephant trails into farmland detected elephants on 336 occasions during the study period. We identified individual elephants for 126 camera-trap detections. All were independent males, and we identified 48 unique bulls aged 10–29 years. Two-thirds of the bulls identified were detected only once by camera traps during the study period. Our findings are consistent with previous studies that found that adult males are more likely to adopt high-risk feeding behaviours such as crop foraging, although young males dispersing from maternal family units also consume crops in Udzungwa. We found a large number of occasional crop-users (32 of the 48 bulls identified) and a smaller number of repeat crop-users (16 of 48), suggesting that lethal control of crop-using elephants is unlikely to be an effective long-term strategy for reducing crop losses to elephants.
GRADE EVIDENCE TO DECISION (EtD) FRAMEWORK FOR COVERAGE DECISIONS
Authors: Parmelli Elena , Amato Laura , Oxman Andrew D. , Alonso-Coello Pablo , Brunetti Massimo , Moberg Jenny , Nonino Francesco , Pregno Silvia , Saitto Carlo , Schünemann Holger J. , Davoli Marina ,   the GRADE Working Group
Published: June 2017

Objectives: Coverage decisions are decisions by third party payers about whether and how much to pay for technologies or services, and under what conditions. Given their complexity, a systematic and transparent approach is needed. The DECIDE (Developing and Evaluating Communication Strategies to Support Informed Decisions and Practice Based on Evidence) Project, a GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) Working Group initiative funded by the European Union, has developed GRADE Evidence to Decision (EtD) framework for different types of decisions, including coverage ones.

Methods: We used an iterative approach, including brainstorming to generate ideas, consultation with stakeholders, user testing, and pilot testing of the framework.

Results: The general structure of the EtD includes formulation of the question, an assessment using twelve criteria, and conclusions. Criteria that are relevant for coverage decisions are similar to those for clinical recommendations from a population perspective. Important differences between the two include the decision-making processes, accountability, and the nature of the judgments that need to be made for some criteria. Although cost-effectiveness is a key consideration when making coverage decisions, it may not be the determining factor. Strength of recommendation is not directly linked to the type of coverage decisions, but when there are important uncertainties, it may be possible to cover an intervention for a subgroup, in the context of research, with price negotiation, or with restrictions.

Conclusions: The EtD provides a systematic and transparent approach for making coverage decisions. It helps ensure consideration of key criteria that determine whether a technology or service should be covered and that judgments are informed by the best available evidence.
Social Cognition Abilities in Patients With Different Multiple Sclerosis Subtypes
Authors: Henry Audrey , Tourbah Ayman , Chaunu Marie-Pierre , Bakchine Serge , Montreuil Michèle
Published: June 2017

Objectives:Multiple sclerosis (MS) can be associated with impaired social cognition. However, social cognition skills have never been explored in the different subtypes of MS. The first aim of this study was to examine whether MS subtypes differ on the course of social cognition. The second aim was to explore the relationship between social cognition performances and executive abilities and mood variables.Methods:Sixty-two patients with MS and 33 healthy matched controls performed experimental tasks assessing facial emotion recognition, theory of mind (ToM), and cognitive functioning, in particular executive functions.Results:Patients differed from controls on both measures of social cognition. On the ToM measures, patients with progressive MS scored significantly lower than healthy participants. Patients with primary progressive MS performed worse than both healthy participants and patients with relapsing-remitting MS on the recognition of fearful facial expressions, while patients with secondary progressive MS performed worse on the recognition of facial expressions of sadness. Patients’ social cognition difficulties were correlated with processing speed, working memory, and verbal fluency.Conclusions:These preliminary results suggested that there may be qualitative differences in social cognition difficulties among the phenotypes. Furthermore, these impairments were related to executive functions, but unrelated to patients’ disability or level of depression. These data highlight the need for research to determine the real impact of these deficits on interpersonal relationships among patients and to confirm these disorders in a larger population with progressive forms of MS. (JINS, 2017,23, 653–664)
Utilization of Chlorophyll Fluorescence Imaging Technology to Detect Plant Injury by Herbicides in Sugar Beet and Soybean
Authors: Weber Jonas F. , Kunz Christoph , Peteinatos Gerassimos G. , Santel Hans-Joachim , Gerhards Roland
Published: June 2017

Sensor technologies are expedient tools for precision agriculture, aiming for yield protection while reducing operating costs. A portable sensor based on chlorophyll fluorescence imaging was used in greenhouse experiments to investigate the response of sugar beet and soybean cultivars to the application of herbicides. The sensor measured the maximum quantum efficacy yield in photosystem II (PS-II) (Fv/Fm). In sugar beet, the averageFv/Fmof 9 different cultivars 1 d after treatment of desmedipham plus phenmedipham plus ethofumesate plus lenacil was reduced by 56% compared to the nontreated control. In soybean, the application of metribuzin plus clomazone reducedFv/Fmby 35% 9 d after application in 7 different cultivars. Sugar beets recovered within few days from herbicide stress while maximum quantum efficacy yield in PS-II of soybean cultivars was reduced up to 28 d. At the end of the experiment, approximately 30 d after treatment, biomass was reduced up to 77% in sugar beet and 92% in soybean. Chlorophyll fluorescence imaging is a useful diagnostic tool to quantify phytotoxicity of herbicides on crop cultivars directly after herbicide application, but does not correlate with biomass reduction.
Measurement Invariance of the Serbian Version of the Satisfaction	With Life Scale Across Age, Gender, and Time
Authors: Jovanović Veljko
Published: June 2017

Abstract. The present research aimed at examining measurement invariance of the Serbian version of the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) across age, gender, and time. A total sample in Study 1 consisted of 2,595 participants from Serbia, with a mean age of 23.79 years (age range: 14–55 years). The final sample in Study 2 included 333 Serbian undergraduate students ( Mage = 20.81; age range: 20–27 years), who completed the SWLS over periods of 6 and 18 months after the initial assessment. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported the modified unidimensional model of the SWLS, with correlated residuals of items 4 and 5 tapping past satisfaction. The results of the multigroup confirmatory factor analysis supported the full scalar invariance across gender and over time and partial scalar invariance across age. Latent mean comparisons revealed that women reported higher life satisfaction than men. Additionally, adolescents reported higher life satisfaction than students and adults, with adults showing the lowest life satisfaction. Our findings indicate that the SWLS allows meaningful comparisons in life satisfaction across age, gender, and over time.
The REIm-13
Authors: McGuiness Clare E. , Zajac Ian , Wilson Carlene , Turnbull Deborah
Published: June 2017

Abstract. The Rational-Experiential Multimodal Inventory (REIm) is a recent tool showing promise in the measurement of self-reported thinking style – preference for rational or experiential processing – and offers three-faceted measurement of the latter. We present the first short form of the measure, the REIm-13, and test its factor structure, reliability, and validity in a large community sample. Participants were N = 920 Australian adults (502 females) who completed an online survey ( N = 510 of whom participated in a follow-up survey). In addition to the REIm, participants completed a Big Five personality measure. The internal consistency of the REIm-13 was acceptable given the limited number of items (.52–.68). Furthermore, test-retest reliability was high (ρ = .64–.74) for the theorized four-factor and two-factor solutions. Construct validity was established by examining the relationship between short-form and full REIm factors (ρ = .65–.71), and the validity of composite scoring was confirmed against factor scoring. Relationship with age (a slight negative relationship to both main scales), gender (females reporting higher Experientiality, males higher Rationality), and Big Five variables largely followed previous findings, demonstrating concurrent validity. The study demonstrates that the REIm-13 provides sound measurement of thinking style.
Neutral and charged inter-valley biexcitons in monolayer MoSe2
Authors: Hao Kai , Specht Judith F. , Nagler Philipp , Xu Lixiang , Tran Kha , Singh Akshay , Dass Chandriker Kavir , Schüller Christian , Korn Tobias , Richter Marten , Knorr Andreas , Li Xiaoqin , Moody Galan
Published: June 2017

In atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), reduced dielectric screening of the Coulomb interaction leads to strongly correlated many-body states, including excitons and trions, that dominate the optical properties. Higher-order states, such as bound biexcitons, are possible but are difficult to identify unambiguously using linear optical spectroscopy methods. Here, we implement polarization-resolved two-dimensional coherent spectroscopy (2DCS) to unravel the complex optical response of monolayer MoSe2 and identify multiple higher-order correlated states. Decisive signatures of neutral and charged inter-valley biexcitons appear in cross-polarized two-dimensional spectra as distinct resonances with respective ∼20 and ∼5 meV binding energies—similar to recent calculations using variational and Monte Carlo methods. A theoretical model considering the valley-dependent optical selection rules reveals the quantum pathways that give rise to these states. Inter-valley biexcitons identified here, comprising of neutral and charged excitons from different valleys, offer new opportunities for developing ultrathin biexciton lasers and polarization-entangled photon sources.
Ensemble-averaged Rabi oscillations in a ferromagnetic CoFeB film
Authors: Capua Amir , Rettner Charles , Yang See-Hun , Phung Timothy , Parkin Stuart S. P.
Published: June 2017

Rabi oscillations describe the process whereby electromagnetic radiation interacts coherently with spin states in a non-equilibrium interaction. To date, Rabi oscillations have not been studied in one of the most common spin ensembles in nature: spins in ferromagnets. Here, using a combination of femtosecond laser pulses and microwave excitations, we report the classical analogue of Rabi oscillations in ensemble-averaged spins of a ferromagnet. The microwave stimuli are shown to extend the coherence-time resulting in resonant spin amplification. The results we present in a dense magnetic system are qualitatively similar to those reported previously in semiconductors which have five orders of magnitude fewer spins and which require resonant optical excitations to spin-polarize the ensemble. Our study is a step towards connecting concepts used in quantum processing with spin-transport effects in ferromagnets. For example, coherent control may become possible without the complications of driving an electromagnetic field but rather by using spin-polarized currents.