bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Markerless tumor tracking using fast‐kV switching dual‐energy fluoroscopy on a benchtop system
Authors: Haytmyradov Maksat , Mostafavi Hassan , Wang Adam , Zhu Liangjia , Surucu Murat , Patel Rakesh , Ganguly Arun , Richmond Michelle , Cassetta Roberto , Harkenrider Matthew M. , Roeske John C.
Published: May 2019

Purpose

To evaluate markerless tumor tracking (MTT) using fast‐kV switching dual‐energy (DE) fluoroscopy on a bench top system.

Methods

Fast‐kV switching DE fluoroscopy was implemented on a bench top which includes a turntable stand, flat panel detector, and x‐ray tube. The customized generator firmware enables consecutive x‐ray pulses that alternate between programmed high and low energies (e.g., 60 and 120 kVp) with a maximum frame rate of 15 Hz. In‐house software was implemented to perform weighted DE subtraction of consecutive images to create an image sequence that removes bone and enhances soft tissues. The weighting factor was optimized based on gantry angle. To characterize this system, a phantom was used that simulates the chest anatomy and tumor motion in the lung. Five clinically relevant tumor sizes (5–25 mm diameter) were considered. The targets were programmed to move in the inferior‐superior direction of the phantom, perpendicular to the x‐ray beam, using a cos4 waveform to mimic respiratory motion. Target inserts were then tracked with MTT software using a template matching method. The optimal computed tomography (CT) slice thickness for template generation was also evaluated. Tracking success rate and accuracy were calculated in regions of the phantom where the target overlapped ribs vs spine, to compare the performance of single energy (SE) and DE imaging methods.

Results

For the 5 mm target, a CT slice thickness of 0.75 mm resulted in the lowest tracking error. For the larger targets (≥10 mm) a CT slice thickness ≤2 mm resulted in comparable tracking errors for SE and DE images. Overall DE imaging improved MTT accuracy, relative to SE imaging, for all tumor targets in a rotational acquisition. Compared to SE, DE imaging increased tracking success rate of small target inserts (5 and 10 mm). For fast motion tracking, success rates improved from 23% to 64% and 74% to 90% for 5 and 10 mm targets inserts overlapping ribs, respectively. For slow moving targets success rates improved from 19% to 59% and 59% to 91% in 5 and 10 mm targets overlapping the ribs, respectively. Similar results were observed when the targets overlapped the spine. For larger targets (≥15 mm) tracking success rates were comparable using SE and DE imaging.

Conclusion

This work presents the first results of MTT using fast‐kV switching DE fluoroscopy. Using DE imaging has improved the tracking accuracy of MTT, especially for small targets. The results of this study will guide the future implementation of fast‐kV switching DE imaging using the on‐board imager of a linear accelerator.
SAN plot: A graphical representation of the signal, noise, and artifacts content of spectra
Authors: Sheberstov Kirill F. , Sistaré Guardiola Eduard , Pupier Marion , Jeannerat Damien
Published: May 2019

The signal‐to‐noise ratio is an important property of NMR spectra. It allows to compare the sensitivity of experiments, the performance of hardware, etc. Its measurement is usually done in a rudimentary manner involving manual operation of selecting separately a region of the spectrum with signal and noise, respectively, applying some operation and returning the signal‐to‐noise ratio. We introduce here a simple method based on the analysis of the distribution of point intensities in one‐ and two‐dimensional spectra. The signal/artifact/noise plots, (SAN plots) allows one to present in a graphical manner qualitative and quantitative information about spectra. It will be shown that besides measuring signal and noise levels, SAN plots are also quite useful to visualize and compare artifacts within a series of spectra. Some basic properties of the SAN plots are illustrated with simple application.
Are psychological comorbidities important in the aetiology of lower urinary tract dysfunction—ICI‐RS 2018?
Authors: von Gontard Alexander , Vrijens Desiree , Selai Caroline , Mosiello Giovanni , Panicker Jalesh , van Koeveringe Gommert , Apostolidis Apostolos , Anding Ralf
Published: May 2019

Aims

To review studies on the comorbid psychological symptoms and disorders in patients with lower urinary tract disorders (LUTD) over the life‐span, to analyse how they contribute toward the aetiology of LUTD and to discuss optimal service implementation.

Materials and Methods

A review of relevant literature was conducted and presented during the ICI‐RS meeting in 2018. Open questions and future directions were discussed.

Results

On the basis of current research, there is overwhelming evidence in all age groups that psychological comorbidities are more common in patients with LUTD. Vice versa, patients with psychiatric disorders have higher rates of LUTD. The types of LUTDs and psychiatric disorders are heterogeneous. Complex aetiological models best explain specific associations of comorbidity. Irrespective of aetiology, it is advisable to address both urological and psychological issues in patients of all age groups with LUTD.

Conclusions

Psychological symptoms and disorders play a decisive role in the development of LUTD in all age groups and need to be considered in the assessment and treatment of LUTD.
Physically Inspect Revenue Water Meters Annually
Authors: Hannah Craig
Published: May 2019

Having a meter technician physically inspect all revenue meters 3 in. and larger is a best practice that all water utilities should follow.
Flow Measurement Advances Help Stem the Tide of Nonrevenue Water
Authors: Pinney Dan
Published: May 2019

With water utilities losing an estimated $9.6 billion a year because of water leaks alone, accurate metering is crucial. As a Georgia utility learned, deploying static meters can yield more precise billing, increase conservation efforts, and reap noteworthy savings.
“Rinse the Tap” Advisories Are a Refreshing Measure
Authors: Burlingame Gary A. , Masters Sheldon V. , Przybylowicz Joan
Published: May 2019

When a home's plumbing has deteriorated or becomes contaminated, one option for the customer to get good, potable water is to simply refresh the water in the plumbing system.
Preincubation format for a sensitive immunochromatographic assay for monocrotaline, a toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloid
Authors: Yusakul Gorawit , Sakamoto Seiichi , Chanpokapaiboon Kaskamol , Tanaka Hiroyuki , Morimoto Satoshi
Published: May 2019

Introduction

Monocrotaline (MCT), which is classified as a 1,2‐dehydropyrrolizidine alkaloid (DHPA), is a toxic compound that is mainly produced by Crotalaria spp. MCT contamination in cereals and herbs leads to hepatitis, gastroenteritis, pulmonary vasculitis and hypertension, and different types of cancer. The current analytical methods for MCT are complicated and expensive using liquid chromatography equipped with mass spectrometry detection.

Objective

The aim of this study was to develop a simple and sensitive preincubation format for an immunochromatographic assay (PI‐ICA) for MCT detection.

Methodology

We conducted the PI‐ICA via incubation of an MCT‐containing sample with an anti‐MCT monoclonal antibody conjugated with colloidal gold before strip dipping. We compared the PI‐ICA detection sensitivity with that of the conventional ICA (Conv‐ICA) format.

Results

The PI‐ICA was sensitive with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.61 ng/mL, which is a 16‐fold improvement over the Conv‐ICA format. These results indicated that the PI‐ICA method exhibits high binding specificity for MCT and low cross‐reactivity towards retronecine, retrorsine, senecionine and heliotrine. Sample solutions from plants containing MCT and related DHPAs produced positive results via PI‐ICA analysis.

Conclusions

The proposed PI‐ICA system provides a highly sensitive method compared to Conv‐ICA. In addition, the developed PI‐ICA method is simple and highly effective for detecting MCT contamination.
Countering Violent Extremist Narratives Online: Lessons From Offline Countering Violent Extremism
Authors: Bilazarian Talene
Published: May 2019

The literature examining use of online counter narratives to divert potential extremists from a path of violence highlights the importance of messenger credibility, interactive approaches, and the shaping of broader network contexts. However, counter‐narrative efforts have often failed to integrate these insights fully into their digital campaigns. After reviewing several prominent counter‐narrative initiatives in the United Kingdom and United States, this article highlights lessons from offline efforts to counter violent extremism (CVE) that can be used to inform counter‐narrative efforts online. First, CVE efforts benefit from using a networked approach where a range of individuals highly connected in their respective social networks are used to disseminate counter narratives. Second, interactive, interpersonal messaging techniques help to remove obstacles to participation in CVE efforts. Third, counter‐extremism messages and narratives are often better received when they relate to broader community concerns and priorities, rather than focusing exclusively on terrorism or violent extremism. Common challenges faced by both offline and online CVE are outlined, and the important synergies between these efforts examined.
How Space‐Times Emerge from the Superpoint
Authors: Huerta John
Published: May 2019

We describe how the super Minkowski space‐times relevant to string theory and M‐theory, complete with their Lorentz metrics and spin structures, emerge from a much more elementary object: the superpoint. In the sense of higher structures, this comes from treating the superpoint as an object in a flavor of rational homotopy theory, and repeatedly constructing central extensions. We will fit this story into the larger picture of the brane bouquet of Fiorenza–Sati–Schreiber: string theories and membrane theories emerge from super Minkowski space‐times in precisely the same way as the super Minkowski space‐times themselves emerge from the superpoint. This note is adapted from a talk I gave at the Durham symposium Higher Structures in M‐Theory.
Twisted Weil Algebras for the String Lie 2‐Algebra
Authors: Schmidt Lennart
Published: May 2019

In this article, we give a concise summary of ‐algebras viewed in terms of Chevalley–Eilenberg algebras, Weil algebras and invariant polynomials and their use in defining connections in higher gauge theory. Using this, we discuss the example of the string Lie 2‐algebra in both the skeletal and the loop model. In both cases, we show how to arrive at the twisted Weil algebras which were used in [1] to construct a non‐abelian self‐dual string soliton, see also [2–4].
Graded Geometry, Q‐Manifolds, and Microformal Geometry
Authors: Voronov Theodore Th.
Published: May 2019

We give an exposition of graded and microformal geometry, and the language of Q‐manifolds. Q‐manifolds are supermanifolds endowed with an odd vector field of square zero. They can be seen as a non‐linear analogue of Lie algebras (in parallel with even and odd Poisson manifolds), a basis of “non‐linear homological algebra”, and a powerful tool for describing algebraic and geometric structures. This language goes together with that of graded manifolds, which are supermanifolds with an extra ‐grading in the structure sheaf. “Microformal geometry” is a new notion referring to “thick” or “microformal” morphisms, which generalize ordinary smooth maps, but whose crucial feature is that the corresponding pullbacks of functions are nonlinear. In particular, “Poisson thick morphisms” of homotopy Poisson supermanifolds induce ‐morphisms of homotopy Poisson brackets. There is a quantum version based on special type Fourier integral operators and applicable to Batalin–Vilkovisky geometry. Though the text is mainly expository, some results are new or not published previously.
Risk of development of visceral metastases subsequent to abiraterone vs placebo: An analysis of mode of radiographic progression in COU‐AA‐302
Authors: Teply Benjamin A. , Qiu Fang , Antonarakis Emmanuel S. , Carducci Michael A. , Denmeade Samuel R.
Published: May 2019

Background

Abiraterone increases survival in prostate cancer, but tumors resistant to abiraterone can exhibit a hormonally resistant, aggressive phenotype. We hypothesized that the therapeutic pressure of abiraterone is resulting in more clinically aggressive disease at progression, characterized by increased visceral metastases. Our objective was to determine whether abiraterone increased the risk of development of visceral metastases at the time of progression compared with placebo in a randomized phase III trial.

Methods

We performed a post hoc analysis of the COU‐AA‐302 trial of abiraterone plus prednisone vs placebo plus prednisone in patients with metastatic castration‐resistant prostate cancer. The primary outcome was the development of visceral metastases. The cumulative incidences of visceral metastases were calculated by the Kaplan‐Meier method and compared using log‐rank testing. Multivariable Cox regression analysis assessed for the independent association of abiraterone with the development of visceral metastases.

Results

Eighty‐four of 1088 patients developed visceral metastases during study. Log‐rank testing and Cox regression showed no difference in time to visceral metastases between groups (HR 1.01 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.65‐1.56]; P = .97). Abiraterone treatment was not associated with the development of visceral metastases in multivariable analysis (HR 0.89 [95% CI, 0.57‐1.40];
P = .62). The study was limited by censoring of radiographic outcomes at the time of completion of primary study therapy; longer term risks were not assessed.

Conclusions

Abiraterone was not associated with increased risk of visceral metastatic disease at the time of progression compared with placebo.
Amelioration of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress by Mesenchymal Stem Cells via Hepatocyte Growth Factor/c-Met Signaling in Obesity-Associated Kidney Injury
Authors: Li Bin , Leung Joseph C. K. , Chan Loretta Y. Y. , Yiu Wai Han , Li Ye , Lok Sarah W. Y. , Liu Wing Han , Chan Kam Wa , Tse Hung Fat , Lai Kar Neng , Tang Sydney C. W.
Published: May 2019

Recent advances in the understanding of lipid metabolism suggest a critical role of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in obesity-induced kidney injury. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a pleiotropic cytokine frequently featured in stem cell therapy with distinct renotropic benefits. This study aims to define the potential link between human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived mesenchymal stem cells (iPS-MSCs)/bone marrow-derived MSCs (BM-MSCs) and ER stress in lipotoxic kidney injury induced by palmitic acid (PA) in renal tubular cells and by high-fat diet (HFD) in mice. iPS-MSCs or BM-MSCs alleviated ER stress (by preventing induction of Bip, chop, and unfolded protein response), inflammation (Il6, Cxcl1, and Cxcl2), and apoptosis (Bax/Bcl2 and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling-positive cells) in renal cortex of animals exposed to HFD thus mitigating histologic damage and albuminuria, via activating HGF/c-Met paracrine signaling that resulted in enhanced HGF secretion in the glomerular compartment and c-Met expression in the tubules. Coculture experiments identified glomerular endothelial cells (GECs) to be the exclusive source of glomerular HGF when incubated with either iPS-MSCs or BM-MSCs in the presence of PA. Furthermore, both GEC-derived HGF and exogenous recombinant HGF attenuated PA-induced ER stress in cultured tubular cells, and this effect was abrogated by a neutralizing anti-HGF antibody. Taken together, this study is the first to demonstrate that MSCs ameliorate lipotoxic kidney injury via a novel microenvironment-dependent paracrine HGF/c-Met signaling mechanism to suppress ER stress and its downstream pro-inflammatory and pro-apoptotic consequences. Stem Cells Translational Medicine  2019;8:898–910
Single Fe Atom on Hierarchically Porous S, N‐Codoped Nanocarbon Derived from Porphyra Enable Boosted Oxygen Catalysis for Rechargeable Zn‐Air Batteries
Authors: Zhang Jiting , Zhang Meng , Zeng Yan , Chen Jisheng , Qiu Lingxi , Zhou Hua , Sun Chengjun , Yu Ying , Zhu Chengzhou , Zhu Zhihong
Published: May 2019

Iron–nitrogen–carbon materials (Fe–N–C) are known for their excellent oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) performance. Unfortunately, they generally show a laggard oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity, which results in a lethargic charging performance in rechargeable Zn–air batteries. Here porous S‐doped Fe–N–C nanosheets are innovatively synthesized utilizing a scalable FeCl3‐encapsulated‐porphyra precursor pyrolysis strategy. The obtained electrocatalyst exhibits ultrahigh ORR activity (E1/2 = 0.84 V vs reversible hydrogen electrode) and impressive OER performance (Ej
= 10 = 1.64 V). The potential gap (ΔE = Ej
= 10 − E1/2) is 0.80 V, outperforming that of most highly active bifunctional electrocatalysts reported to date. Furthermore, the key role of S involved in the atomically dispersed Fe–Nx species on the enhanced ORR and OER activities is expounded for the first time by ultrasound‐assisted extraction of the exclusive S source (taurine) from porphyra. Moreover, the assembled rechargeable Zn–air battery comprising this bifunctional electrocatalyst exhibits higher power density (225.1 mW cm−2) and lower charging–discharging overpotential (1.00 V, 100 mA cm−2 compared to Pt/C + RuO2 catalyst). The design strategy can expand the utilization of earth‐abundant biomaterial‐derived catalysts, and the mechanism investigations of S doping on the structure–activity relationship can inspire the progress of other functional electrocatalysts.
Facile One Step Formation and Screening of Tumor Spheroids Using Droplet‐Microarray Platform
Authors: Popova Anna A. , Tronser Tina , Demir Konstantin , Haitz P. , Kuodyte Karolina , Starkuviene Vytaute , Wajda Piotr , Levkin Pavel A.
Published: May 2019

Tumor spheroids or microtumors are important 3D in vitro tumor models that closely resemble a tumor's in vivo “microenvironment” compared to 2D cell culture. Microtumors are widely applied in the fields of fundamental cancer research, drug discovery, and precision medicine. In precision medicine tumor spheroids derived from patient tumor cells represent a promising system for drug sensitivity and resistance testing. Established and commonly used platforms for routine screenings of cell spheroids, based on microtiter plates of 96‐ and 384‐well formats, require relatively large numbers of cells and compounds, and often lead to the formation of multiple spheroids per well. In this study, an application of the Droplet Microarray platform, based on hydrophilic–superhydrophobic patterning, in combination with the method of hanging droplet, is demonstrated for the formation of highly miniaturized single‐spheroid‐microarrays. Formation of spheroids from several commonly used cancer cell lines in 100 nL droplets starting with as few as 150 cells per spheroid within 24–48 h is demonstrated. Established methodology carries a potential to be adopted for routine workflows of high‐throughput compound screening in 3D cancer spheroids or microtumors, which is crucial for the fields of fundamental cancer research, drug discovery, and precision medicine.
Nonsocial and social cognition in schizophrenia: current evidence and future directions
Authors: Green Michael F. , Horan William P. , Lee Junghee
Published: May 2019

Cognitive impairment in schizophrenia involves a broad array of nonsocial and social cognitive domains. It is a core feature of the illness, and one with substantial implications for treatment and prognosis. Our understanding of the causes, consequences and interventions for cognitive impairment in schizophrenia has grown substantially in recent years. Here we review a range of topics, including: a) the types of nonsocial cognitive, social cognitive, and perceptual deficits in schizophrenia; b) how deficits in schizophrenia are similar or different from those in other disorders; c) cognitive impairments in the prodromal period and over the lifespan in schizophrenia; d) neuroimaging of the neural substrates of nonsocial and social cognition, and e) relationships of nonsocial and social cognition to functional outcome. The paper also reviews the considerable efforts that have been directed to improve cognitive impairments in schizophrenia through novel psychopharmacology, cognitive remediation, social cognitive training, and alternative approaches. In the final section, we consider areas that are emerging and have the potential to provide future insights, including the interface of motivation and cognition, the influence of childhood adversity, metacognition, the role of neuroinflammation, computational modelling, the application of remote digital technology, and novel methods to evaluate brain network organization. The study of cognitive impairment has provided a way to approach, examine and comprehend a wide range of features of schizophrenia, and it may ultimately affect how we define and diagnose this complex disorder.
Competing hypotheses and abductive inference
Authors: Glass David H.
Published: May 2019

This paper explores the nature of competition between hypotheses and the effect of failing to model this relationship correctly when performing abductive inference. In terms of the nature of competition, the importance of the interplay between direct and indirect pathways, where the latter depends on the evidence under consideration, is investigated. Experimental results show that models which treat hypotheses as mutually exclusive or independent perform well in an abduction problem that requires identifying the most probable hypothesis, provided there is at least some positive degree of competition between the hypotheses. However, even in such cases a significant limitation of these models is their inability to identify a second hypothesis that may well also be true.
Escalating internationalization decisions: intendedly rational, but only limitedly so?
Authors: Röber Björn
Published: May 2019

The Uppsala model is commonly considered to be the pivotal approach in internationalization process research and often praised as particularly realistic. Yet at least implicitly and partially, it is also built on the assumption of rationally proceeding decision makers. This article challenges the behavioral assumptions of the Uppsala model and examines whether bounded rationality in the form of escalation of commitment has an influence on internationalization decisions. It demonstrates that this particular behavioral decision-making bias can be a critical factor. Thereby, this article indicates a major shortcoming of the Uppsala model, as it shows that internationalization processes can be maintained for non-rational reasons. It becomes clear that the bounded rationality of decision makers, particularly their limited cognitive capability, presents an issue that internationalization process research, including the Uppsala model, should give greater consideration to.
“Lock This Whore Up”: Legal Violence and Flows of Information Precipitating Personal Violence against People Criminalised for HIV-Related Crimes in Canada
Authors: MCCLELLAND Alexander
Published: May 2019

This article examines the convergence of myriad forms of information on people who come to be targets of state and public control due to the perceived risk they present through having been alleged to have not disclosed their HIV-positive status to sex partners. Attending to the material, violent impacts of criminalisation – violence, both legal and extralegal – this article outlines how punishment is enhanced and amplified through the flow of information. Focusing on the material impacts of flows of information about the daily lives of people who face criminalisation moves analysis beyond solely a theoretical object of inquiry and helps to frame an understand that the effects of big data operate not just “within” big data surveillance, but also “beyond” big data surveillance.
Global Limits: Immanuel Kant, International Relations, and a Critique of World Politics. By Mark F. N. Franke. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2001. 265p. $59.50 cloth, $19.95 paper.
Authors: Welch David A.
Published: May 2019

It's not every day that you find a book that argues for its own irrelevance. This is not, of course, how Mark Franke characterizes his project in Global Limits—but it is the upshot, and he is admirably candid in putting together the individual pieces of the argument pointing to it.
Institutions and Innovation: Voters, Parties, and Interest Groups in the Consolidation of Democracy—France and Germany, 1870–1939. By Marcus Kreuzer. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2001. 224p. $52.50
Authors: Cooper Alice H.
Published: May 2019

As its title indicates, this book explores the links between institutions and innovation—specifically, between electoral systems and parties' capacity to innovate. The latter, in turn, is considered a crucial determinant of democratic performance because it shapes parties' capacity in times of economic crisis to offer policy prescriptions sufficiently attractive to limit voter defection to nondemocratic alternatives.
Rational Choice and British Politics: An Analysis of Rhetoric and Manipulation from Peel to Blair. By Iain McLean. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001. 256p. $65.00 cloth, $29.95 paper.
Authors: Casey Terrence
Published: May 2019

In Rational Choice and British Politics, Iain McLean applies William Riker's concept of “heresthetics” to British political history. In contrast to rhetoric (the art of persuasion), heresthetics is “the art and science of political manipulation” (p. 10). Rather than trying to convince others of one's position, heresthetics is about transforming the question and altering political dimensions so as to change the rational calculus of key actors and manufacture a supportive coalition. McLean employs the device of “analytical narratives” (historical analysis informed by rational choice methodology) to explore critical junctures in British political development, including the repeal of the Corn Laws, the Second Reform Act, the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty in 1922, and the political and economic revolution of Margaret Thatcher. He also explores broader political movements, including the realignment of Victorian political parties and the attempts by Joseph Chamberlain and Enoch Powell to connect race and empire into winning coalitions.
Welfare Capitalism in Southeast Asia: Social Security, Health and Education Policies. By M. Ramesh with Mukul G. Asher. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2000. 217p. $65.00. Social Welfare Development in East Asia. By Kwong-leung Tang. New York: Palgrave, 2001. 214p. $65.00 cloth.
Authors: Haggard Stephan
Published: May 2019

The debate about the history and future of the welfare state is gradually expanding beyond the advanced industrial countries to encompass the middle-income developing countries and the formerly socialist economies of Central Europe and the former Soviet Union. This debate is particularly interesting in Asia. The newly industrializing countries in that region have had great success in increasing incomes, reducing poverty, and maintaining an equitable distribution of income. At the same time, the countries in the region are highly “globalized”—a factor often associated with increased economic insecurity—and until the 1980s were for the most part ruled by labor-repressive authoritarian regimes. By traditional measures of effort, they also appear to have surprisingly shallow public commitment to social welfare.
The Politics of Daycare in Britain. By Vicky Randall. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001. 232p. $65.00.
Authors: McCarthy Greg
Published: May 2019

This illuminating account of child day-care policies and practice in Britain casts a dark shadow over equality in that country. Through the exploration of the simple question of why the public provision of child care has been so meager in Britain, Vicky Randall presents a compelling account not just of policy failure but of a general disinterest in child care as an equal opportunity issue. For her, there are intrinsic flaws in British society that have hindered the provision and funding of public child care in that country. The reason for this systemic inequality is to be found, principally, in the British brand of liberalism, combined with the country's institutional structures, both of which have operated from the premise that child care is a private concern.
Abortion Politics, Women's Movements and the Democratic State: A Comparative Study of State Feminism. Edited by Dorothy McBride Stetson. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001. 380p. $72.00 cloth, $24.95 paper.
Authors: Shaver Sheila
Published: May 2019

This book deals with the politics of abortion and abortion law reform as they have developed in 11 countries of Western Europe and North America during the period of the women's movement's second wave. The stories that are told vary a good deal, even among countries apparently similar in religious composition, political tradition, and legal culture. They include the early and comparatively uncontroversial move to allow abortion on grounds of the mother's physical or mental health in Great Britain, more radical reform in the Netherlands making early abortion available on demand, and the continuing division in Ireland where judicial affirmation of a woman's right to travel outside the country must be counted a win. It is an interesting and worthwhile book for this alone.
The sarolga: conservation implications of genetic and visual evidence for hybridization between the brolgaAntigone rubicundaand the Australian sarus craneAntigone antigone gillae
Authors: Nevard Timothy D. , Haase Martin , Archibald George , Leiper Ian , Garnett Stephen T.
Published: May 2019

To investigate the extent of suspected hybridization between the brolgaAntigone rubicundaand the Australian sarus craneAntigone antigone gillae, first noted in the 1970s, we analysed the genetic diversity of 389 feathers collected from breeding and flocking areas in north Queensland, Australia. We compared these with 15 samples from birds of known identity, or that were phenotypically typical. Bayesian clustering based on 10 microsatellite loci identified nine admixed birds, confirming that Australian cranes hybridize in the wild. Four of these were backcrosses, also confirming that wild Australian crane hybrids are fertile. Genetic analyses identified 10 times more hybrids than our accompanying visual field observations. Our analyses also provide the first definitive evidence that both brolgas and sarus cranes migrate between the Gulf Plains, the principal breeding area for sarus cranes, and major non-breeding locations on the Atherton Tablelands. We suggest that genetic analysis of shed feathers could potentially offer a cost-effective means to provide ongoing monitoring of this migration. The first observations of hybrids coincided with significantly increased opportunities for interaction between the two species when foraging on agricultural crops, which have developed significantly in the Atherton Tablelands flocking area since the 1960s. As the sarus crane is declining in much of its Asian range, challenges to the genetic integrity of the Australian sarus crane populations have international conservation significance.
In vitro efficacies of solubility-improved mebendazole derivatives against Echinococcus multilocularis
Authors: Xu Shuo , Duan Liping , Zhang Haobing , Xu Bin , Chen Junhu , Hu Wei , Gui Weifeng , Huang Fuqiang , Wang Xu , Dang Zhisheng , Zhao Yumin
Published: May 2019

Recently, we introduced an epoxy group to mebendazole by a reaction with epichlorohydrin and obtained two isoforms, mebendazole C1 (M-C1) and mebendazole C2 (M-C2). The in vitro effects of mebendazole derivatives at different concentrations on Echinococcus multilocularis protoscoleces and metacestodes as well as cytotoxicity in rat hepatoma (RH) cells were examined. The results demonstrated that the solubility of the two derivatives was greatly improved compared to mebendazole. The mortality of protoscoleces in vitro reached to 70–80% after 7 days of exposure to mebendazole or M-C2, and M-C2 showed higher parasiticidal effects than mebendazole (P > 0.05). The parasiticidal effect of M-C1 was low, even at a concentration of 30 µm. The percentage of damaged metacestodes that were treated with mebendazole and M-C2 in vitro at different concentrations were similar, and M-C1 exhibited insignificant effects on metacestodes. Significant morphological changes on protoscoleces and metacestodes were observed after treatment with mebendazole and M-C2. In addition, the introduction of an epoxy group to mebendazole also reduced its cytotoxicity in RH cells. Our results demonstrate that the introduction of an epoxy group not only improved the solubility of mebendazole, but also increased its parasiticidal effects on E. multilocularis and reduced its cytotoxicity in RH cells.
Psychoeducation for bipolar disorder and risk of recurrence and hospitalization – a within-individual analysis using registry data
Authors: Joas Erik , Bäckman Kristoffer , Karanti Alina , Sparding Timea , Colom Francesc , Pålsson Erik , Landén Mikael
Published: May 2019

Background

The efficacy of psychoeducation for bipolar disorder has been demonstrated in clinical trials, but it is not known if the results translate into effectiveness in routine clinical practice. The aim was to determine the effectiveness of psychoeducation for bipolar disorder in a routine clinical setting.

Method

We identified 2819 patients with at least three registrations in the Swedish Quality Assurance Register for Bipolar Disorder. Among those, 402 had not been exposed to psychoeducation at the first visit, but received psychoeducation during any of the following registrations. Using within-individual analyses, the risk of recurrence after having received psychoeducation was compared with the risk prior to psychoeducation.

Results

In adjusted within-individuals comparisons, periods after psychoeducation was associated with decreased risks of any recurrence [odds ratio (OR) 0.57, 95% CI 0.42–0.78], (hypo-)manic or mixed episodes (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.39–0.76), depressive episodes (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.47–0.86), and inpatient care (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.33–0.86) relative to periods prior to psychoeducation. There was no association with rates of involuntary sectioning or suicide attempts.

Conclusions

The results suggest that psychoeducation for bipolar disorder reduces the risk of mood episodes and inpatient care also when implemented in routine clinical practice.
Veneration and Vigilance: James Madison and Public Opinion, 1785–1800
Authors: Gibson Alan
Published: May 2019

This essay examines the evolution from 1785 to 1800 of Madison's understanding of the proper role of public opinion in the American political system. It provides an insight into Madison's transformation from the leading architect of the Constitution during the 1780s to the opposition leader of the Jeffersonian party during the 1790s. The essay challenges the contention that Madison's writings on public opinion establish his support for using governmental institutions and statesmanship to improve the souls of the citizenry and to develop a common character among them. Instead, it is argued, Madison defended the sovereignty of public opinion as a means for citizens to influence and monitor their representatives’ actions in an extended republic where these tasks were at once difficult and imperative. In the course of this defense, Madison contributed to a developing libertarian tradition of political thought in America based upon the broad protection of freedom of speech and the belief that political truths best emerge from the free flow of ideas.
Predictors of Nosocomial Bloodstream Infections Among Critically Ill Adult Trauma Patients
Authors: El-Masri Maher M. , Hammad Tarek A. , McLeskey Sandra W. , Joshi Manjari , Korniewicz Denise M.
Published: May 2019

Objective:

To identify the independent predictors of nosocomial bloodstream infections (BSIs) among critically ill adult trauma patients.

Design:

A prospective, cohort design was used to study patients who met predetermined inclusion criteria. Basic descriptive and univariate statistical analyses were performed to identify unadjusted predictors. A forward stepwise multivariate logistic regression analysis was then conducted to identify independent predictors of nosocomial BSI.

Setting:

Level I university-affiliated shock trauma center.

Patients:

Three hundred sixty-one critically ill adult trauma patients, 55 of whom developed nosocomial BSIs (15.2%).

Results:

Data analysis of 45 variables indicated that only 9 were independent predictors of nosocomial BSI: presence of a chest tube, use of immunosuppressive agents, presence of microbial resistance, length of stay, presence of preexisting infection, percentage change of serum albumin levels, patient disposition, transfusion of 10 or more units of blood, and number of central venous catheters (CVCs) for patients who had 4 or more. The classification index of the final regression model at a cut-off point of 0.5 had a specificity of 97.4%, a sensitivity of 60%, a positive predictive value of 76.7%, a negative predictive value of 93%, and an overall precision of 91%.

Conclusion:

In this study, only 9 variables were independent predictors of nosocomial BSI. Our findings are specific to critically ill adult trauma patients and should be interpreted within the context of this particular population.
Cost-Effectiveness of Testing for Human Immunodeficiency Virus And Hepatitis C Virus Among Blood Transfusion Recipients
Authors: Mathoulin-Pelissier Simone , Salmi Louis-Rachid , Fialon Pierre , Salamon Roger
Published: May 2019

Objective:

To choose the most cost-effective option for detecting human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) among blood transfusion recipients.

Design:

Cost-effectiveness analysis. Effectiveness was expressed as the number of HIV-1 or HCV infections detected, regardless of whether they were related to transfusion. To estimate costs, we assumed hospital insurance would cover costs related to detection and compensation, when granted.

Setting:

A 2,890-bed acute care teaching hospital in Bordeaux, France.

Methods:

Eight options were defined, from the simplest, which would be to do nothing, to a maximal approach, which would be to keep a serum sample in a serum library for a lookback and perform tests for antibody to HIV-1 and to HCV before and 3 months after transfusion. Data on probabilities and costs were taken from the literature and experiences of French hospitals.

Results:

The most cost-effective option was to perform viral antibody testing before transfusions (option 3), which would detect 27 infections per 1,000 patients, for an expenditure of US $1,260 per detected patient Option 6, obtaining a serum sample before transfusion and performing tests for antibody to HIV-1 and to HCV 3 months after transfusion, had a similar cost-effectiveness ratio but detected only 16 infections per 1,000 patients. Performing tests before and 3 months after transfusion (option 4), compared with option 3, would detect 1 additional infection for an additional cost of US $8,322.

Conclusion:

The most cost-effective options are not specific to blood transfusion recipients and might be more suited to all hospitalized patients.
A Memorial Tribute: Peter Barnes: the Playwright who Laughed at Death
Authors: Turner Elaine
Published: May 2019

The death on 1 July 2004 of the playwright Peter Barnes robbed the British theatre of one of its most individual and richly imaginative yet shamefully neglected writers. Although his best known work for the theatre – which included The Ruling Classes, The Bewitched, Laughter, Red Noses, and Dreaming – won widespread admiration, and his later radio and television work brought him before a wider public, he remained a theatrical outsider, his plays transcending the conventions of critical labels and movements – the singe discernible influence that of Ben Jonson, whose eccentric genius he championed throughout his life. Here we include three personal tributes: the oration delivered at Barnes's funeral by the stage and screen actor Alan Rickman; recollections from the avant-garde director Charles Marowitz of his association with Barnes's early career at the Traverse and his own Open Space Theatre in the 'sixties; and the impressions of a personal friend, the lecturer and writer Elaine Turner. An analytical assessent of Peter Barnes's work will appear in a later issue.
Natural disturbance and soils drive diversity and dynamics of seasonal dipterocarp forest in Southern Thailand
Authors: Bunyavejchewin Sarayudh , Sinbumroong Aroon , Turner Benjamin L. , Davies Stuart J.
Published: May 2019

In 2000, we established a 24-ha plot in Peninsular Thailand to investigate how forest composition, structure and dynamics vary with spatial heterogeneity in resource availability. Detailed soil and topographic surveys were used to describe four edaphic habitats in the plot. Disturbance history was inferred from historical records and floristic analysis. The plot included >119 000 trees ≥1 cm dbh in 578 species, and was recensused in 2010. Species distributions, floristic turnover, stand structure, demographic rates and biomass dynamics were strongly influenced by heterogeneity in soils, topography and disturbance history. Over 75% of species were aggregated on specific edaphic habitats leading to strong compositional turnover across the plot. Soil chemistry more strongly affected species turnover than topography. Forest with high biomass and slow dynamics occurred on well-drained, low fertility ridges. The distribution and size structure of pioneer species reflected habitat-specific differences in disturbance history. Overall, above-ground biomass (AGB) increased by 0.64 Mg ha−1 y−1, from 385 to 392 Mg ha−1, an increase that was entirely attributable to recovery after natural disturbance. Forest composition and stand structure, by reflecting local disturbance history, provide insights into the likely drivers of AGB change in forests. Predicting future changes in tropical forests requires improved understanding of how soils and disturbance regulate forest dynamics.
Les soins de longue durée aux personnes âgées: Choix d'un système clinico-administratif dans le contexte d'un réseau de soins intégrés
Authors: Dubuc Nicole , Hébert Réjean , Desrosiers Johanne , Buteau Martin
Published: May 2019

For the past 10 years, in long-term care systems, we have witnessed the accelerated deployment of casemix management systems. A casemix is formed by clusters, defined by individual characteristics that explain similar resource use. However, certain questions regarding the development of these systems must be raised. Moreover, none of these systems was developed in the context of an integrated care organization that can track the progress of a dependent elderly person through every kind of care arrangement available—from own home, through intermediate facility, to long-term care institution. This article emphasizes the necessity of being well informed about the features of existing systems, in order to choose or develop the system that best answers the goals of a particular health care system. Finally, it underlines important elements that should be considered in each step of the development of a casemix system in this context.
An ancient and industrious place: visual geographies and urban identity in a Danish provincial town,c. 1780–1915
Authors: Schjerning Camilla
Published: May 2019

Through the example of Danish provincial town, Odense, the article explores the role of visual culture in the construction and transformation of nineteenth-century provincial identities and placemaking in an industrial town. It demonstrates that while representations may follow certain aesthetic conventions of urban imagery and ideas of urban prestige, they both reflect and contribute to the construction and reproduction of a specific local, imagined geography; an imagined geography where initially history and nature and as time progresses signs of industriousness and in particular an infrastructure of civic culture merges into a narrative of an ancient and industrious place.
Challenges and Potential Solutions for Enabling Inclusion in Secondary Schools
Authors: Pearce Michelle , Forlin Chris
Published: May 2019

Children with disabilities are increasingly being included in mainstream classes in Australian schools. In addition, many children with disabilities who are currently enrolled in primary school will be moving to secondary school in the next few years. For secondary schools to meet this challenge, it is important that the reasons for their difficulties are understood and ways of overcoming them are explored. This paper provides a discussion of the specific challenges for secondary schools regarding inclusive education, including the school structure, teaching methods, curriculum, external exams, training and the nature of adolescence. A discussion of a broad range of issues will highlight potential solutions to common concerns in secondary schools. While the inclusion of students with disabilities in secondary schools will undoubtedly identify many challenges, it is argued that these may inspire creative solutions that will benefit all children.
Secondary School Success for Students with Asperger’s Syndrome
Authors: Konza Deslea
Published: May 2019

Many students approach the transition to secondary school with feelings of both excitement and apprehension, but it is excitement that usually prevails. For students with Asperger’s Syndrome, however, those aspects of secondary school that most students anticipate with great enthusiasm, such as being in a new and larger environment, having different teachers and increased subject choices, and meeting new people, are sources of great anxiety. Despite the increasing numbers of students being diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome (Safran, 2002), many teachers have limited understanding of the condition, or of appropriate strategies for the successful inclusion of students with this diagnosis (Williams, 2001). This paper examines aspects of secondary school that are particularly challenging for students with Asperger’s Syndrome and describes ways in which these issues were addressed by teachers who approached these challenges with flexibility and ingenuity.
Students Direct Inclusive School Development in an Australian Secondary School: An Example of Student Empowerment
Authors: Carrington Suzanne , Holm Kris
Published: May 2019

This paper reports on processes employed at a secondary state high school in Australia, where students directed inclusive school development. The procedures used in the study were developed from the Index for Inclusion and included a student forum; a student presentation to parents, principal and teachers and a focus group interview with members of the school community. These procedures were designed to empower students to participate in school review and planning and evaluate the procedures developed from the Index for Inclusion. Samples of interview data from the school principal, staff, parents and the students illustrate a growing understanding of what inclusive education means for members of this school community. The research extends understandings of inclusive education in schools, from a focus on students with disabilities to a much broader philosophy that influences school culture, policy and practice for the diversity of students at the school. Discussion about feeling part of a ‘family’ in the school community and the description of the procedures linked to actions for change, provide evidence of a developing inclusive school culture that will inform educators interested in inclusive school development.