bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Falling status epilepticus mortality rates in England and Wales: 2001–2013?
Authors: Neligan Aidan , Walker Matthew C.
Published: May 2016

Status epilepticus (SE) is associated with significant mortality and accounts for ~10% of epilepsy‐related deaths. Epilepsy and SE mortality data from 2001 to 2013, in addition to annual age group populations for England and Wales, were obtained from the Office of National Statistics website (www.ons.gov.uk). Age‐adjusted mortality rates for epilepsy and SE with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using the European Standard Population. Trends in mortality rates for both epilepsy and SE were investigated using the Spearman coefficient. The crude mean epilepsy mortality rate per 100,000 person‐years between 2001 and 2013 was 1.87 (95% CI 1.83–1.91), with a corresponding SE mortality rate of 0.14 (95% CI 0.13–0.15). The mean age‐adjusted epilepsy mortality rate per 100,000 person years was 3.24 (95% CI 3.12–3.35), with a corresponding SE mortality rate of 0.24 (95% CI 0.21–0.27). All epilepsy deaths significantly decreased from 2001 to 2013 (Spearman's ρ −0.733, p = 0.004); this decrease was predominantly due to a decrease in SE deaths (Spearman's ρ −0.917, p < 0.001). In summary, our finding supports the hypothesis that the policy of early and aggressive treatment of SE may be improving the prognosis of this condition in England and Wales.
External Zn2+ binding to cysteine‐substituted cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator constructs regulates channel gating and curcumin potentiation
Authors: Wang Guangyu , Linsley Rheeann , Norimatsu Yohei
Published: May 2016

The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) chloride channel is activated by ATP binding‐induced dimerization of nucleotide‐binding domains, the interaction between the phosphorylated regulatory (R) domain and the curcumin‐sensitive interface between intracellular loop (ICL) 1 and ICL4, and the resultant inward‐to‐‘outward’ reorientation of transmembrane domains. Although transmembrane helices (TM) 2 and TM11 link the ICL1–ICL4 interface with the interface between extracellular loop (ECL) 1 and ECL6, it is unknown whether both interfaces are gating‐coupled during the reorientation. Herein, R334C and T1122C mutations were used to engineer two Zn2+ bridges near and at the ECL1–ECL6 interface, respectively, and the gating effects of a Zn2+ disturbance at the ECL1–ECL6 interface on the stimulatory ICL1/ICL4‐R interaction were determined. The results showed that both Zn2+ bridges inhibited channel activity in a dose‐ and Cl−‐dependent manner, and the inhibition was reversed by a washout or suppressed by thiol‐specific modification. Interestingly, their Cl−‐dependent Zn2+ inhibition was weakened at higher Zn2+ concentrations, their Zn2+ affinity was stronger in the resting state than in the activated state, and their activation current noises were decreased by external Zn2+ binding. More importantly, the external Zn2+ inhibition was reversed by internal curcumin in the R334C construct but not in the T1122C mutant. Therefore, although both Zn2+ bridges may promote channel closure, external Zn2+ may disturb the ECL1–ECL6 interface and thus prevent the stimulatory ICL1/ICL4‐R interaction and curcumin potentiation via a gating coupling between these two interfaces.
Writing Tibet as Han Chinese sojourners: the discourses, practices and politics of place in an era of rapid development
Authors: Qian Junxi , Zhu Hong
Published: May 2016

This paper engages with the debates on place, and develops an analysis of a corpus of writings on Tibet produced by Han Chinese writers, documenting their experiences of sojourning in Tibet. Recent literature in human geography has conceptualised place as a centre of meanings. Moreover, it has been recognised that place is implicated in the fashioning of the self. Following these theorisations, this article examines how the Han writers' senses of place for Tibet enable them to explore and fashion their identities, and build an alternative lifeworld to the allegedly alienated and rationalised life in the China Proper (neidi). This study puts forward its arguments in tandem with two theoretical perspectives. On the one hand, it suggests that place is a performance that coheres around constructed discourses and lived practices. Hence, this article analyses both the ways in which the Han writers' frame Tibet into a system of discourses and meanings, and how these discourses feed into routinised, lived practices at the level of the everyday life. On the other hand, this study also investigates how Tibet as place is situated in the tension between local particularity and the wide network of places that constitutes China's post‐reform transformation. The writers' texts play out a sense of place being eroded and on the verge of being ruined. Notably, they negotiate the restless transformation of Tibet in profoundly ambiguous and contradictory ways.
Feeding the Hungry Other: Levinas, Breastfeeding, and the Politics of Hunger
Authors: Lee Robyn
Published: May 2016

Breastfeeding has become a subject of moral concern as its benefits have become well known. Encouraging mothers to breastfeed has been the goal of extensive public health promotion efforts. Emmanuel Levinas makes absolute responsibility to the Other central to his ethics, with giving food to the Other the paradigmatic ethical act. However, Levinas also provides an important critique of the autonomous individual who is taken for granted by breastfeeding promotion efforts. I argue that the ethical obligation to feed the hungry child must be recognized as coextensive with meeting the needs of women, especially given the current absence of important social and economic supports for breastfeeding. Under a Levinasian framework, each of us is ethically responsible for feeding children; this responsibility is not limited to mothers. This ethical responsibility needs to be expressed through improving social and economic supports necessary for those individuals who wish to breastfeed, instead of attempting to convince women to breastfeed. This ethical responsibility must also be understood in a broader context of a politics of hunger, which provides access to quality food for all, and goes beyond mere nutrition to include the importance of culture, touch, and intimacy in the enjoyment of food—what Levinas calls “good soup.”
Anaesthetic efficacy of lidocaine/clonidine for inferior alveolar nerve block in patients with irreversible pulpitis
Authors: Shadmehr E. , Aminozarbian M. G. , Akhavan A. , Mahdavian P. , Davoudi A.
Published: May 2016

Aims

This prospective, randomized, double‐blind study aimed to compare the efficacy of lidocaine with epinephrine versus lidocaine with clonidine for inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB) and hemodynamic stability (heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure) in patients with irreversible pulpitis.

Methodology

One hundred patients with irreversible pulpitis in mandibular molar teeth randomly received 1.8 mL of 2% lidocaine with clonidine (15 μg mL−1) or 1.8 mL of 2% lidocaine with epinephrine (12.5 μg mL−1), using a conventional IANB technique. Endodontic access cavities were prepared 15 min after solution deposition, and all patients were required to have profound lip numbness. Success was defined as no or mild pain (visual analog scale recording) upon endodontic access cavity preparation or initial canal instrumentation. The hemodynamic parameters were measured before, during and 5, 10 and 30 min after administration. Finally, the collected data were subjected to independent t‐test, chi‐square and Fisher's exact test using spss software ver.20 at a significant level of 0.05.

Results

The success rates for IANB using lidocaine with epinephrine and lidocaine with clonidine solutions were 29% and 59%, respectively. The clonidine group exhibited a significantly higher success rate (P < 0.05). Five minutes after drug administration, systolic blood pressure and heart rate significantly increased in the lidocaine with epinephrine group and insignificantly decreased in lidocaine with clonidine group.

Conclusion

For mandibular molars with irreversible pulpitis, addition of clonidine to lidocaine improved the success rate of IANB compared to a standard lidocaine/epinephrine solution.
Delivery strategies to enhance the sustainability of training: lessons from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Authors: de Rosa Cecilia , Nadeau Andrew , Hernandez Emilio , Kafeero Fred , Zahiga Jacques
Published: May 2016

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) utilizes training as a major component of the support it provides to its member countries in Africa. In the past, stand‐alone training events targeting individual actors were the norm. However, an external evaluation indicated that this type of training scores low in terms of sustainability. The FAO has recently adopted a more sustainable approach to training and learning as part of its new corporate approach to capacity development. Drawing on four recent experiences implemented in Africa from 2010 to 2014, this paper discusses the concept of training sustainability as adopted in the FAO's operations, looking at the extent to which both learning results and processes are transferred to country and/or regional organizations. Lessons learned are presented for consideration in the design and delivery of future learning activities in Africa.
Direct Formation of Luminescent Fine Crystals Based on (Y,Eu)TiNbO6 Complete Solid Solution with High Crystallinity
Authors: Hirano Masanori , Sato Shingo
Published: May 2016

Luminescent fine crystals of Y1.00−xEuxTiNbO6, x = 0–1.00 with high crystallinity were directly synthesized by mild hydrothermal method from weakly basic precursor solution mixtures of YCl3, EuCl3, TiOSO4, and NbCl5. Orthorhombic aeschynite‐type crystals in the range of 0.5–2.0 μm consisting of crystallites with 33–91 nm based on a complete solid solution in the YTiNbO6–EuTiNbO6 system were hydrothermally formed at 240°C for 5 h. A single phase of as‐prepared aeschynite‐type structure was maintained in all the (Y,Eu)TiNbO6 solid solution after heating at temperatures up to 1000°C for 1 h in air. In the range of composition x ≤ 0.6, the as‐prepared aeschynite‐type (Y,Eu)TiNbO6 solid solutions transformed to a single phase of euxenite structure after heat treatment at temperatures higher than 1100°C–1200°C. The as‐prepared (Y,Eu)TiNbO6 fine crystals in the range of composition x = 0.75–0.90 showed the strongest luminescence in the red spectral region: strong red (5D0→7F2 transition of Eu3+) and weak orange light (5D0→7F1) line spectra among the as‐prepared and heat‐treated samples. Another wet chemical synthesis route confirmed the advantage in directly synthesizing the (Y,Eu)TiNbO6 crystals through this hydrothermal method because heating at 1200°C for 1 h in air was necessary for obtaining crystalline (Y,Eu)TiNbO6 with sufficient luminescence intensity in a composition Y0.70Eu0.30TiNbO6 from amorphous powders that were formed via co‐precipitation method.
Preserving Nanomorphology in YSZ Scaffolds at High Temperatures via In Situ Carbon Templating of Hybrid Materials
Authors: Cottam Matthew , Muhoza Sixbert , Gross Michael D.
Published: May 2016

Yttria‐stabilized zirconia (YSZ, 8 mol% Y2O3) scaffolds, with surface areas up to 68 m2/g, were prepared by sintering hybrid inorganic‐organic propylene oxide (PO) gels in an argon atmosphere between 1050°C and 1350°C. During sintering, a hard carbon template forms in situ that preserves the scaffold nanomorphology. The carbon template is completely removed postsinter by heating in air to 700°C. Surface areas of 24, 14, 3.2, and 2.4 m2/g were achieved for argon sintering temperatures of 1050°C, 1150°C, 1250°C, and 1350°C, respectively. By adding glucose to the gel formulation, the amount of carbon template increases from 4 to 59 wt% and the surface area increases from 14 to 68 m2/g. Remarkably, the surface area only decreases to 59 m2/g upon heating to 900°C in air. This in situ carbon templating approach offers a flexible platform to create and preserve highly desirable surface areas and nanomorphologies while sintering at high temperatures. The utility of this approach to improve low‐temperature solid oxide fuel cell electrode performance is discussed.
Starting where I am: a grounded theory exploration of mindfulness as a facilitator of transition in living with a long‐term condition
Authors: Long Jaqui , Briggs Michelle , Long Andrew , Astin Felicity
Published: May 2016

Aim

To explore how practising mindfulness affects people's experiences of living with a long‐term condition.

Background

Increasing evidence suggest that mindfulness meditation‐based interventions benefit people with long‐term conditions, particularly in terms of psychological well‐being. Most evidence, however, relates to short‐term outcomes and limited information exists about how people use mindfulness in the longer term and how this affects their experience of living with their condition.

Design

A qualitative study using constructivist‐informed grounded theory.

Methods

Using interviews, diaries and focus groups, data were collected between 2011 ‐ 2012 from participants and/or trainers of Breathworks’ mindfulness intervention. Phased recruitment enabled theoretical sampling, with data analysed concurrently using Charmaz's two‐stage coding strategy.

Findings

The final sample comprised 41 adults with diverse physical and/or mental health conditions. Participants reported predominantly positive experiences, almost all identifying significant changes in thinking and behaviour. A core process of ‘Starting where I am’ was formulated, highlighting how people became more aware and accepting of their condition and thus able to self‐care more effectively. The process was encapsulated in five themes: Getting a new perspective; Feeling equipped to cope; Doing life differently; Seeing a change; and Finding mindfulness difficult. Strong resonances were identified between participants’ experiences and the process of transition through which people come to terms with challenging life events.

Conclusion

Mindfulness can be conceptualized as a facilitator of transition, enabling people to adapt to living with a long‐term condition. Transition is associated with improved, self‐directed self‐management, which is significant to both people with long‐term conditions and healthcare providers.
Exploring nursing expertise in residential care for older people: a mixed method study
Authors: Phelan Amanda , McCormack Brendan
Published: May 2016

Aims

To explore the expertise of Registered Nurses in residential care for older people.

Background

As older people in residential care have many complex dependencies, nursing expertise is an essential component of care excellence. However, the work of these nurses can be invisible and, therefore, unrecognized. Thus, additional attention is required to illuminate such nursing expertise.

Design

A mixed method design was used in this study.

Methods

The research took place in 2012 in the Republic of Ireland. Twenty‐three case study nurses were recruited from nursing homes. Each case study nurse involved five data collection methods: shadowing, interview with a colleague, interview with a resident, a demographic profile and a director of nursing survey. The study was also informed by a modified focus group. Qualitative data were analysed using directed content analysis using a conceptual framework generated from the literature on nursing expertise. Quantitative data were analysed usingSPSSand presented in descriptive statistics.

Findings

The findings from the case studies and the modified focus group are presented in seven themes, which represent nursing expertise in residential care of older people: transitions, context of the nursing home, saliency, holistic practice knowledge, knowing the resident, moral agency and skilled know how.

Conclusion

Nursing expertise in residential care of older people is a complex phenomenon which encompasses many aspects of care delivery in a person‐centred framework. By rendering this expertise visible, the need for appropriate and adequate skill mix for a growing residential care population is presented.
Ecological speciation in sympatric palms: 1. Gene expression, selection and pleiotropy
Authors: Dunning L. T. , Hipperson H. , Baker W. J. , Butlin R. K. , Devaux C. , Hutton I. , Igea J. , Papadopulos A. S. T. , Quan X. , Smadja C. M. , Turnbull C. G. N. , Savolainen V.
Published: May 2016

Ecological speciation requires divergent selection, reproductive isolation and a genetic mechanism to link the two. We examined the role of gene expression and coding sequence evolution in this process using two species ofHoweapalms that have diverged sympatrically on Lord Howe Island, Australia. These palms are associated with distinct soil types and have displaced flowering times, representing an ideal candidate for ecological speciation. We generated large amounts of RNA‐Seq data from multiple individuals and tissue types collected on the island from each of the two species. We found that differentially expressed loci as well as those with divergent coding sequences betweenHoweaspecies were associated with known ecological and phenotypic differences, including response to salinity, drought, pH and flowering time. From these loci, we identified potential ‘ecological speciation genes’ and further validate their effect on flowering time by knocking out orthologous loci in a model plant species. Finally, we put forward six plausible ecological speciation loci, providing support for the hypothesis that pleiotropy could help to overcome the antagonism between selection and recombination during speciation with gene flow.
Adaptive divergence in embryonic thermal plasticity among Atlantic salmon populations
Authors: Côte J. , Roussel J.‐M. , Le Cam S. , Guillaume F. , Evanno G.
Published: May 2016

In the context of global changes, the long‐term viability of populations of endangered ectotherms may depend on their adaptive potential and ability to cope with temperature variations. We measured responses of Atlantic salmon embryos from four populations to temperature variations and used a QST–FST approach to study the adaptive divergence among these populations. Embryos were reared under two experimental conditions: a low temperature regime at 4 °C until eyed‐stage and 10 °C until the end of embryonic development and a high temperature regime with a constant temperature of 10 °C throughout embryonic development. Significant variations among populations and population × temperature interactions were observed for embryo survival, incubation time and length. QST was higher than FST in all but one comparison suggesting an important effect of divergent selection. QST was also higher under the high‐temperature treatment than at low temperature for length and survival due to a higher variance among populations under the stressful warmer treatment. Interestingly, heritability was lower for survival under high temperature in relation to a lower additive genetic variance under that treatment. Overall, these results reveal an adaptive divergence in thermal plasticity in embryonic life stages of Atlantic salmon suggesting that salmon populations may differentially respond to temperature variations induced by climate change. These results also suggest that changes in temperature may alter not only the adaptive potential of natural populations but also the selection regimes among them.
Misoprostol versus ergometrine‐oxytocin for preventing postpartum haemorrhage: a systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Tan Jing , Cao Qiao , He Guo‐lin , Cai Yu‐han , Yu Jia‐jie , Sun Xin , Li You‐ping
Published: May 2016

Objective

To compare the effects of misoprostol versus ergometrine‐oxytocin for postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) prevention, and provide important evidence to choose optimal agents for preventing PPH in developing countries.

Methods

The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, EMbase, and ClinicalTrails.gov were searched from inception to 1st January 2016. Two authors independently extracted data and assessed risk of bias of studies according to Cochrane Handbook5.1.0. Meta‐analysis was performed using RevMan5.2.4 software.

Results

A total of 4034 women from six randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included. Meta‐analyses showed that the PPH rate (7.6% vs. 4.2%, RR = 1.81, 95%CI (1.40, 2.35), P < 0.01), and the additional uterotonic therapy (19.2% vs. 10.5%, RR = 1.83, 95%CI (1.57, 2.14), P < 0.01) for misoprostol group were significantly higher than ergometrine‐oxytocin group, respectively. But there was no significant difference of severe PPH rate between two groups (1.2% vs. 0.76%, RR = 1.55, 95%CI (0.78, 3.07), P = 0.21). The need for manual removal of placenta in misoprostol was only about one‐third of ergometrine‐oxytocin (0.5% vs. 1.4%, RR = 0.33, 95%CI (0.15, 0.76), P < 0.01).

Conclusions

Misoprostol can be used in the third stage of labor for preventing PPH where sterilized syringe and trained midwife were absent, and ergoetrine‐oxytocin could be deemed as alternative agent in low‐resource setting due to recognized effect. As a result of limited evidence about these uterotonic agents, the more high‐quality RCTs are needed to determine the potentials and harms of various uterotonic agents for preventing PPH in developing countries.
Physical, psychosocial, and social health of men who identify as bears: a systematic review
Authors: Quidley‐Rodriguez Narciso , De Santis Joseph P
Published: May 2016

Aims and objectives

This article examines the existing qualitative and quantitative research on physical, psychosocial and social health of men who identify as Bears, a subcultural group in the gay community.

Background

During the 1980s, one of the first Bear communities emerged in San Francisco. Using the United States as an example, other Bear communities were created throughout the world. Today, Bear‐related organizations and events are found globally.

Methods

A systematic review was conducted exploring the health of men who identify as Bears.

Design

To identify articles addressing the health outcomes of men who identify as Bears, the researcher systematically reviewed articles indexed through CINAHL, PsycINFO, Humanities International Index, Cochrane Library, Medline, and LGBT Life.

Results

The major findings across the 11 articles were systematically grouped into physical, psychosocial, and social health categories. Men identifying as Bears were more likely to have a higher body mass index, engage in risky sexual behaviours and have a lower self‐esteem.

Conclusions

Future implications for research and practice regarding the health of men who identify as Bears are addressed.

Relevance to clinical practice

Men who identify as Bears have unique health care needs and respond to health care providers who are sensitive towards their needs. Health care providers should understand and acknowledge the unique health needs of men who identify as Bears to better care for these men.
Dietary methionine requirement of Jing Brown layer hens from 9 to 17 weeks of age
Authors: Meng G. H. , Song D. , Li L. B. , Yang C. J. , Qu Z. X. , Gao Y. P.
Published: May 2016

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary methionine (Met) supplementation in growth performance and reproductive performance of Jing Brown layer hens. A total of 375 9‐week‐old Jing Brown layer hens were allocated equally to five treatments consisting of 5 replicates with 15 hens. Hens were fed with a diet of corn and soya bean meal supplemented with 0.23%, 0.27%, 0.31%, 0.35% and 0.39% Met respectively. Different Met levels did not significantly affect average daily feed intake (ADFI), average daily gain (ADG) and feed/gain ratio (F/G) (p > 0.05), whereas flock uniformity (FU) and jejunum index were significantly different (p < 0.05), and the largest FU was observed in 0.31% Met. Dietary supplementation of Met significantly affected reproductive system development (p < 0.05), and 0.27–0.31% Met obtained optimal reproductive system development. Different Met levels significantly affected serum uric acid and alkaline phosphatase. Moreover, the relatively higher reproductive hormones in serum were observed in 0.27% Met. Analysis of quadratic curve estimation of flock uniformity, the total number of follicles, the primary follicles and the secondary follicles showed that the optimal Met levels were 0.293%, 0.286%, 0.286% and 0.288%, which could be averaged to 0.288%. These results suggested that the optimal Met requirement for Jing Brown layer hens from 9 to 17 weeks old is 0.29%.
Winter is coming: nightmares and sleep problems during seasonal affective disorder
Authors: Sandman Nils , Merikanto Ilona , Määttänen Hanna , Valli Katja , Kronholm Erkki , Laatikainen Tiina , Partonen Timo , Paunio Tiina
Published: May 2016

Sleep problems, especially nightmares and insomnia, often accompany depression. This study investigated how nightmares, symptoms of insomnia, chronotype and sleep duration associate with seasonal affective disorder, a special form of depression. Additionally, it was noted how latitude, a proxy for photoperiod, and characteristics of the place of residence affect the prevalence of seasonal affective disorder and sleep problems. To study these questions, data from FINRISK 2012 study were used. FINRISK 2012 consists of a random population sample of Finnish adults aged 25–74 years (n = 4905) collected during winter from Finnish urban and rural areas spanning the latitudes of 60°N to 66°N. The Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire was used to assess symptoms of seasonal affective disorder. Participants with symptoms of seasonal affective disorder had significantly increased odds of experiencing frequent nightmares and symptoms of insomnia, and they were more often evening chronotypes. Associations between latitude, population size and urbanicity with seasonal affective disorder symptoms and sleep disturbances were generally not significant, although participants living in areas bordering urban centres had less sleep problems than participants from other regions. These data show that the prevalence of seasonal affective disorder was not affected by latitude.
Two Steps Forward? Assessing Latin American Regionalism Through CELAC
Authors: Kennedy Denis , Beaton Brian
Published: May 2016

Dreams of Latin American integration are as old as decolonization itself, with Simón Bolivar's vision of a league of American republics the first of myriad attempts at multilateral engagement. Indeed, the Americas region has challenged Europe at least nominally in its attempts at regionalism and integration. This article investigates the case of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), the most recent and arguably ambitious attempt at Latin American cooperation. The article adopts a “two‐step” approach to evaluate the extent to which CELAC is able to achieve its goals. Drawing first on neoliberal institutionalist research in global governance, it argues that CELAC's structural weaknesses and the conflicting interests of its core members raise doubts about its ability to accomplish its wide‐ranging material ambitions, including economic integration and promotion of development. It then counters that to focus solely on CELAC's inabilities to facilitate material cooperation would be to overlook the other purposes and functions of the institution, which are continuing to construct, consolidate, and frame a regional identity. Following recent constructivist research, CELAC is framed as a vehicle for the articulation of a shared Latin American identity; it arises out of a continuing and mutually constituting process of region construction and recognition.
The quest for safe and effective treatments of chronic hepatitis C in patients with kidney impairment
Authors: De Nicola Stella , Aghemo Alessio
Published: May 2016

See Articles on Page 798, 802, 807
A study of the observed shift in the peak position of olivine Raman spectra as a result of shock induced by hypervelocity impacts
Authors: Harriss Kathryn H. , Burchell M. J.
Published: May 2016

Kuebler et al. (2006) identified variations in olivine Raman spectra based on the composition of individual olivine grains, leading to identification of olivine composition from Raman spectra alone. However, shock on a crystal lattice has since been shown to result in a structural change to the original material, which produces a shift in the Raman spectra of olivine grains compared with the original unshocked olivine (Foster et al. 2013). This suggests that the use of the compositional calculations from the Raman spectra, reported in Kuebler et al. (2006), may provide an incorrect compositional value for material that has experienced shock. Here, we have investigated the effect of impact speed (and hence peak shock pressure) on the shift in the Raman spectra for San Carlos olivine (Fo91) impacting Al foil. Powdered San Carlos olivine (grain size 1–10 μm) was fired at a range of impact speeds from 0.6 to 6.1 km s−1 (peak shock pressures 5–86 GPa) at Al foil to simulate capture over a wide range of peak shock pressures. A permanent change in the Raman spectra was found to be observed only for impact speeds greater than ~5 km s−1. The process that causes the shift is most likely linked to an increase in the peak pressure produced by the impact, but only after a minimum shock pressure associated with the speed at which the effect is first observed (here 65–86 GPa). At speeds around 6 km s−1 (peak shock pressures ~86 GPa), the shift in Raman peak positions is in a similar direction (red shift) to that observed by Foster et al. (2013) but of twice the magnitude.
Indications of underdiagnosis of atypical haemolytic uraemic syndrome in a cohort referred to the Coagulation Unit in Malmo, Sweden, for analysis of ADAMTS13 2007–2012
Authors: Åkesson Alexander , Blom Anna M , Klintman Jenny , Zetterberg Eva
Published: May 2016

Aim

Complement‐mediated atypical haemolytic uraemic syndrome (aHUS) is a rare disease with high mortality and morbidity if left untreated. The diagnostic work‐up is complicated and the manifestations overlap with other conditions. Therefore, we hypothesize that complement‐mediated aHUS is an under diagnosed disease.

Methods

A cohort of 768 referrals referred to the Coagulation Unit in Malmo, Sweden, for analysis of a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with a thrombospondin type 1 motif, member 13 (ADAMTS13), 2007–2012, were retrospectively reviewed. Subjects were included on the basis of presence of haemolytic anaemia, thrombocytopaenia, renal failure and ADAMTS13 > 0.05. They were excluded if tested positive for Escherichia coli. Included subjects were categorized as “suspected HUS” with and without potential causes and triggers. Levels of C3 and C4, presence of complement factor H (CFH)‐specific antibodies and associated deficiency in complement factor H related protein 1 (CFHR1) were analyzed on frozen samples.

Results

In total, 134/316 (42%) unique subjects fulfilled inclusion criteria; 103 were categorized as “suspected HUS associated with potential causes/triggers” and 31 subjects categorized as “suspected HUS” without such association. One case of complement‐mediated aHUS had been confirmed during the treatment period. Laboratory analyses performed showed that in total 78 cases had findings consistent with complement‐mediated aHUS: 24 cases indicated presence of CFH‐specific antibodies whereof five cases had isolated low C3 titres and six cases had deficiency of CFHR1. Additionally 54 cases indicated isolated alternative pathway consumption.

Conclusion

The results suggest that the presence of complement‐mediated aHUS was under diagnosed in this cohort calling for improvement of diagnostic availability.
The Six Great Societies
Authors: Hackett Ursula
Published: May 2016

“The Great Society” denotes, variously: a slogan or shorthand, a utopia, a means, an end, an era, and a set of normative claims. This article tracks the changing meanings of The Great Society in order to clarify and formalize scholarly claims about the Johnson administration. Employing Edward Sapir's conception of “condensation symbols” and Keith Donnellan's distinction between “referential” and “attributive” descriptions, I create a typology of six Great Societies and trace the origins and deployment of these six meanings through qualitative textual analysis of presidential speeches, newspapers, and scholarly writings. Attributive uses of the term gave way to referential uses in the late 1960s, as radical movements and practical implementation problems eclipsed utopian visions of a great society. The analysis illuminates Johnson's character and contributes to the literature on the rhetorical presidency by demonstrating the importance of context, ambiguity, and the attribution of descriptive content to political slogans.
Polls and Elections: Character and Political Time as Sources of Presidential Greatness
Authors: Newman Brian , Davis Adrian
Published: May 2016

Presidency scholars have long debated whether a president's personal traits or the historical circumstances of their presidency have a bigger effect on presidential performance. We contribute to this debate by examining whether historical conditions (i.e., Skowronek's conception of political time) and two important personal traits (intellectual brilliance and character) relate to presidents’ standing in polls of “presidential greatness.” We find that both historical conditions and personal traits significantly predict historical evaluations of presidents. One's place in political time strongly shapes a president's greatness rating. At the same time, within Skowronek's categories, presidents with greater intellectual brilliance and stronger character tend to rank higher.
The Law: Vice Presidential Inability: Historical Episodes That Highlight a Significant Constitutional Problem
Authors: Brownell Roy E.
Published: May 2016

As with so many aspects of the vice presidency, questions involving incapacity in the office have been largely neglected by scholars. While discussion of historical episodes involving disability has been undertaken regarding presidents, members of Congress, and federal judges, no such work has been done regarding vice presidents. Given the indispensable role the vice president plays in the continuity of the executive branch under the Twenty‐Fifth Amendment and the important advisory and troubleshooting duties the modern vice president carries out, a discussion of the history of vice presidential incapacity is long overdue. Such an examination reveals that vice presidential inability is not a hypothetical but a real issue.
Effects of Inulin Supplementation in Low‐ or High‐Fat Diets on Reproductive Performance of Sows and Antioxidant Defence Capacity in Sows and Offspring
Authors: Wang YS , Zhou P , Liu H , Li S , Zhao Y , Deng K , Cao DD , Che LQ , Fang ZF , Xu SY , Lin Y , Feng B , Li J , Wu D
Published: May 2016

Contents

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of inulin supplementation in low‐ or high‐fat diets on both the reproductive performance of sow and the antioxidant defence capacity in sows and offspring. Sixty Landrace × Yorkshire sows were randomly allocated to four treatments with low‐fat diet (L), low‐fat diet containing 1.5% inulin (LI), high‐fat diet (H) and high‐fat diet containing 1.5% inulin (HI). Inulin‐rich diets lowered the within‐litter birth weight coefficient of variation (CV, p = 0.05) of piglets, increased the proportion of piglets weighing 1.0–1.5 kg at farrowing (p < 0.01), reduced the loss of body weight (BW) and backfat thickness (BF) during lactation (p < 0.05) and decreased the duration of farrowing as well as improved sow constipation (p < 0.05). Sows fed fat‐rich diets gained more BW during gestation (p < 0.01), farrowed a greater number of total (+1.65 pigs, p < 0.05) and alive (+1.52 pigs p < 0.05) piglets and had a heavier (+2.06 kg, p < 0.05) litter weight at birth as well as a decreased weaning‐to‐oestrous interval (WEI, p < 0.01) compared with sows fed low‐fat diets. However, it is worth noting that the H diet significantly decreased the serum activities of superoxide dismutase (T‐SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH‐Px) and increased the serum malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in sows and piglets (p < 0.05). In contrast, HI diet enhanced the activities of T‐SOD and GSH‐Px and decreased the serum MDA concentrations (p < 0.05) in sows and piglets. In summary, the fat‐rich diets fed to sows during gestation had beneficial effects on reproductive performance, but aggravated the oxidative stress in sow and piglets. Inulin‐rich diets fed to sow during gestation had beneficial effects on within‐litter uniformity of piglet birthweight and enhanced the antioxidant defence capacity of sows and piglets.
Autoantibody Specificities and Type I Interferon Pathway Activation in Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies
Authors: Ekholm L. , Vosslamber S. , Tjärnlund A. , de Jong T. D. , Betteridge Z. , McHugh N. , Plestilova L. , Klein M. , Padyukov L. , Voskuyl A. E. , Bultink I. E. M. , Pegtel D. Michiel , Mavragani C. P. , Crow M. K. , Vencovsky J. , Lundberg I. E. , Verweij C. L.
Published: May 2016

Myositis is a heterogeneous group of autoimmune diseases, with different pathogenic mechanisms contributing to the different subsets of disease. The aim of this study was to test whether the autoantibody profile in patients with myositis is associated with a type I interferon (IFN) signature, as in patients with systemic lupus erythematous (SLE). Patients with myositis were prospectively enrolled in the study and compared to healthy controls and to patients with SLE. Autoantibody status was analysed using an immunoassay system and immunoprecipitation. Type I IFN activity in whole blood was determined using direct gene expression analysis. Serum IFN‐inducing activity was tested using peripheral blood cells from healthy donors. Blocking experiments were performed by neutralizing anti‐IFNAR or anti‐IFN‐α antibodies. Patients were categorized into IFN high and IFN low based on an IFN score. Patients with autoantibodies against RNA‐binding proteins had a higher IFN score compared to patients without these antibodies, and the IFN score was related to autoantibody multispecificity. Patients with dermatomyositis (DM) and inclusion body myositis (IBM) had a higher IFN score compared to the other subgroups. Serum type I IFN bioactivity was blocked by neutralizing anti‐IFNAR or anti‐IFN‐α antibodies. To conclude, a high IFN score was not only associated with DM, as previously reported, and IBM, but also with autoantibody monospecificity against several RNA‐binding proteins and with autoantibody multispecificity. These studies identify IFN‐α in sera as a trigger for activation of the type I IFN pathway in peripheral blood and support IFN‐α as a possible target for therapy in these patients.
Outliers and Model Selection: Discussion of the Paper by Søren Johansen and Bent Nielsen
Authors: Doornik Jurgen A. , Hendry David F.
Published: May 2016

It is argued that model selection and robust estimation should be handled jointly. Impulse indicator saturation makes that possible, but leads to the situation where there are more variables than observations. This is illustrated by revisiting the analysis of Tobin's food data.
A Parallel Scheme for Large‐scale Polygon Rasterization on CUDA‐enabled GPUs
Authors: Zhou Chen , Chen Zhenjie , Pian Yuzhe , Xiao Ningchuan , Li Manchun
Published: May 2016

This research develops a parallel scheme to adopt multiple graphics processing units (GPUs) to accelerate large‐scale polygon rasterization. Three new parallel strategies are proposed. First, a decomposition strategy considering the calculation complexity of polygons and limited GPU memory is developed to achieve balanced workloads among multiple GPUs. Second, a parallel CPU/GPU scheduling strategy is proposed to conceal the data read/write times. The CPU is engaged with data reads/writes while the GPU rasterizes the polygons in parallel. This strategy can save considerable time spent in reading and writing, further improving the parallel efficiency. Third, a strategy for utilizing the GPU's internal memory and cache is proposed to reduce the time required to access the data. The parallel boundary algebra filling (BAF) algorithm is implemented using the programming models of compute unified device architecture (CUDA), message passing interface (MPI), and open multi‐processing (OpenMP). Experimental results confirm that the implemented parallel algorithm delivers apparent acceleration when a massive dataset is addressed (50.32 GB with approximately 1.3 × 108 polygons), reducing conversion time from 25.43 to 0.69 h, and obtaining a speedup ratio of 36.91. The proposed parallel strategies outperform the conventional method and can be effectively extended to a CPU‐based environment.
Robust Automatic Feature Tracking on Beating Human Hearts for Minimally Invasive CABG Surgery
Authors: Mohamadipanah H. , Andalibi M. , Hoberock L.
Published: May 2016

This paper presents a robust algorithm for automatic tracking of feature points on the human heart. The emphases and key contributions of the proposed algorithm are uniform distribution of the feature points and sustained tolerable tracking error. While in many methods in the literature, detection takes place independently from the tracking procedure, adopting a different approach, we selected a data-driven detection stage, which works based on the feedback from tracking results from the Lucas–Kanade (LK) tracking algorithm to avoid unacceptable tracking errors. To ensure a uniform spatial distribution of the total detected feature points for tracking, a cost function is employed using the simulated annealing optimizer, which prevents the newly detected points from accumulating near the previously located points or stagnant regions. Implementing the proposed algorithm on a real human heart dataset showed that the presented algorithm yields more robust tracking and improved motion reconstruction, compared with the other available methods. Furthermore, to predict the motion of feature points for handling short-term occlusions, a state space model is utilized, and thin-plate spline (TPS) interpolation was also employed to estimate motion of any arbitrary point on the heart surface.
Effects of Bladder Geometry in Pneumatic Artificial Muscles
Authors: Ball Erick , Garcia Ephrahim
Published: May 2016

Designing optimal pneumatic muscles for a particular application requires an accurate model of the hyperelastic bladder and how it influences contraction force. Previous work does not fully explain the influence of bladder prestrain on actuator characteristics. We present here modeling and experimental data on the actuation properties of artificial muscles constructed with varying bladder prestrain and wall thickness. The tests determine quasi-static force–length relationships during extension and contraction, for muscles constructed with unstretched bladder lengths equal to 55%, 66%, and 97% of the stretched muscle length and two different wall thicknesses. Actuator force and maximum contraction length are found to depend strongly on both the prestrain and the thickness of the rubber, making existing models inadequate for choosing bladder geometry. A model is presented to better predict force–length characteristics from geometric parameters, using a novel thick-walled tube calculation to account for the nonlinear elastic properties of the bladder. It includes axial force generated by stretching the bladder lengthwise, and it also describes the hoop stress created by radial expansion of the muscle that partially counteracts the internal fluid pressure exerted outward on the mesh. This effective reduction in pressure affects both axial muscle force and mesh-on-bladder friction. The rubber bladder is modeled as a Mooney–Rivlin incompressible solid. The axial force generated by the mesh is found directly from contact forces rather than from potential energy. Modeling the bladder as a thin-walled tube gives a close match to experimental data on wall thickness, but a thick-walled bladder model is found to be necessary for explaining the effects of prestrain.
Estimating Endoscopic Orientation in Static and Dynamic States With Inertial Sensors
Authors: Dao Hung V. , Komeda Takashi
Published: May 2016

This paper presents a new method for estimating the tilt angles of endoscopic images. Disorientation is one of the major challenges during natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES). Reorientation allows surgeons or gastroenterologists to work in off-axis conditions and provides an important reference for coupling a secondary image. Some published studies of angle estimation for NOTES still have the limitation under the influence of movement or vibration. This study proposes a new sensor-fusion method for reducing the shock-based error. A triaxial accelerometer measures the gravitational vector (g-components) in all static states. When motion appears, the angular velocity from a triaxial gyroscope is used to calculate the elemental changes in g-components. A so-called predict-and-choose process relies on this data to predict the future state by giving many prediction values. The relationship between these values, the newest accelerometer readings, and their variation determine the final choice. Hence, under all conditions, the gravitational components are iteratively estimated to calculate the tilt angles. The result is evaluated by being applied in a well-known application, endoscopic horizon stabilization. Compared with the reference method, the proposed method has notable advantages. The simulation and experimental results show small errors, smooth angle change, and a small delay time. The tilt angles are reliable without any cumulative error under the prolonged motion. Therefore, this study gives surgeons or gastroenterologists an improved rectified image for reorienting under off-axis conditions. Further research will identify more applications for the development of surgical instruments for NOTES.
Liquid Handling Optimization in High-Throughput Biodosimetry Tool
Authors: Bian Dakai , Tsui Jason C. , Repin Mikhail , Garty Guy , Turner Helen , Lawrence Yao Y. , Brenner David J.
Published: May 2016

Due to the need of high-speed and efficient biodosimetric assays for triage and therapy in the event of radiological or nuclear attack, a robotically based automated biodosimetry tool (RABiT) has been developed over the past few years. Adapting the micronucleus assay from filter plates to V-shaped plates presented challenges in the liquid handling, namely, cell splashing out of the V-shaped well plate during the cell harvesting, poor cell distribution on the bottom of the image plate during the dispensing, and cell loss from the image plate during the aspiration in the liquid handling process. Experimental and numerical investigations were carried out to better understand the phenomena and mitigate the problems. Surface tension and contact angle among the fluids and the plate wall were accounted for in the discrete and multiphase numerical models. Experimental conditions were optimized based on the numerical results showing the relationship between nozzle speed and amount of splashed liquid, and the relationship between aspiration speed and number of escaped cells. Using these optimized parameters, numbers of micronuclei in binucleated cells showed the same dose dependence in the RABiT-prepared samples as those in the manually prepared ones. Micronucleus assay protocol was fully realized on RABiT.